Behind on your readings? Month One! Pharaoh’s heart. Campus Crusade for Christ

[Mike - OYB]

January 29, 2008 Congratulations on Month One!

 

Hi everyone,

 

This next week we will cross the threshold of Month One of our One Year Bible readings in 2008! Congratulations! Your marathon pace is looking great. The wonderful habit of reading from God’s Word every day is starting to settle into place in your life. Keep your eyes forward on the path before you this year and your eye on the prize! As Paul tells us in Philippians 3:14 - "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Let us each press on toward the goal! We have an amazing week of readings in front of us in Exodus with the Plagues, the Passover, the Exodus, the Crossing of the Red Sea, and Manna from Heaven! Matthew brings us several incredible Parables, Palm Sunday, The Great Commandment and the Seven Woes!

 

February 2008

- It’s interesting to me how fast January 2008 seems to have flown by. February 2008 is now before us. I don’t know about you, but I set some big goals and resolutions for 2008 and somehow I’m suddenly a month behind on progress on those goals. However, even though I am feeling behind on some goals for 2008, I know that ultimately my life is in a very good place because I am moving forward with my relationship with God. Reading and studying God’s Word every day is a higher priority than any of my other goals and resolutions. Those other goals and resolutions can wait. My relationship with God cannot wait. As long as I am in a growing and loving relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, nothing else really matters. How about you? Are there some goals and resolutions for 2008 that you feel like you might be behind on? Do you agree that reading from God’s Word each day and growing in your love relationship with God is more important than those goals and resolutions?

 

IMPORTANT: I do want to share some encouragement and advice for those of you that are behind on our One Year Bible readings.

First and foremost, please know that you are not alone in being behind. I lead this ministry every year, and know that there are always a relatively large percentage of people who fall behind in the daily readings. Please don’t beat yourself up over this at all. What I encourage you to do today – and again later this year if you happen to fall behind again – is to simply skip ahead to today’s readings. Pick up the Bible with the readings for today’s calendar date, and keep pace with us based on the calendar dates of readings going forward. If your goal is to read the entire Bible and not miss a word, that’s great – you can circle back in January 2009 and catch up on any days (or the entire month perhaps) of readings that you skipped. Just don’t get too worried about reading every single word right now and playing catch-up to today’s date right now – you’ll just end up frustrated and likely quit altogether. Skip ahead to today’s readings! I personally have done this before in years past and it works wonders to keep us going on this beautiful marathon journey. I have a hunch there may even be a few of you reading this email who have not started our readings at all yet. J That’s okay too! Will you start with us now with today’s readings? In January of 2009 you can circle back and read Genesis and our early Exodus readings. Please just dive in and get back on course with us today!

 

Memorize and Meditate on one verse of Scripture with us this week:  "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace." Colossians 3:15 NIV

 

Love Your Neighbor

: Please take 5 minutes to explore Campus Crusade for Christ’s website link at the bottom of this email today?

 

"I will harden his heart. . ." Exodus 4:21

 

One thing I love about the One Year Bible Blog is the Comments each of you post up every day! Everyone posts up some amazingly insightful and heartfelt Comments. As well as posting up some great questions and conversations for us to dive into. Last year someone posted up this great question – "In Exodus 4:21 God told Moses that he was going to harden Pharaohs heart, so doesn't that mean it is Gods fault that Pharaoh made the Israelites life worse and also that all the plagues had to happen?" My reply you can see on the blog at this link, but I thought I’d copy it here in this email too, because I am guessing that many of you may have this same question -

 

"Very good question! I meant to post up about this earlier, as I know others are having this question come up too. Paul in Romans gets at this in Romans 9:14-21, below. (please don't see this as a harsh answer to you personally to your question - just Scripture interpreting Scripture here... :)

 

"What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"

 

Also, Bible.org gets at this point at this link - http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=218 Surf down to "The Permissive Will of God" section. A brief excerpt is below here –

 

"Other parts of God’s plan He permits. The permissive will of God embraces only the moral features that are evil or contrary to His desired will. Though God does not actively promote this aspect of His sovereign will, He uses them to accomplish His purposes, since He knows before hand just how every person will respond to every possible situation, and decreed to allow it or not. Regardless, God always places the responsibility for these acts and their results with men or angels, as in the case of the fall of Satan and then of man (Acts 14:16; Ps. 78:29; Isa. 10:5-14; Acts 2:23; Rom. 1:18-32). A classic example of this is perhaps the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in the book of Exodus. Ten times it is said that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (7:13, 14, 22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 34; 13:15), and 10 times that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1, 20, 27; 11:10; 14:4, 8, 17). Paul uses this as an example of the inscrutable will of God and of His mercy toward men (Rom. 9:14-18). Seven times Pharaoh hardened his own heart before God first hardened it, though the prediction that God would do it preceded all.

The fact that God permits these things does not make them less certain, nor remove them from the sovereign plan of God, but it does remove the responsibility for the sinful acts of men and fallen angels from God."

 

A few other websites that I found helpful surround this question are at these links (Please know that I may not personally agree with everything you read in these websites, but thought that they had some good food for thought at various points) -
http://www.biblehelp.org/pharaoh.htm
http://www.rationalchristianity.net/pharaoh.html
http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/text/exo4_21.htm

 

"Can a person walk on hot coals and not blister their feet?" Proverbs 6:28 Questions for Reflection

 

1. This week we will read in Exodus chapter 12 about God giving Moses and Aaron instructions on the First Passover.  Verse 2 stands out: "From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you."  Here we see that God is actually instituting a new religious calendar for the Hebrews with the month that Passover is in being the first month of the calendar year.  This month is in the March-April spring timeframe and is called Abib or Nisan in Hebrew.  The feasts that were and are celebrated in this 1st month are - Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. The significance of Passover was that God was introducing the concept of a sacrifice or a substitute for a life.  The lamb was sacrificed as a substitute for the Hebrews first-born sons.  The blood of the lamb was placed on the doorposts as a sign that the household had sacrificed an innocent life - the lamb.  By the blood of the unblemished/perfect lamb, the household was protected from death.  This is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ ministry.  Jesus is the sacrificial lamb for us.  He was a substitute for us and our sins.  He was an innocent unblemished/perfect lamb - sinless.  By Jesus' blood, we are protected from eternal death.  Do you see the parallels between Passover and Jesus? Exodus chapter 12 verse 11 is of note: "Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal, as though prepared for a long journey. Wear your sandals, and carry your walking sticks in your hands. Eat the food quickly, for this is the LORD's Passover."  By wearing their traveling clothes, the Hebrews were faithfully acknowledging God's Word that they would very soon be freed from slavery and bondage in Egypt.  The Exodus would soon begin! And the traveling clothes signified that the Hebrews were ready for the journey!  How about us today?  Do you think that God may still call us on journeys today?  Do you think that God might be calling you on a journey here in 2008?  If so, will you be ready for the call?  Will you wear your "traveling clothes", so that when the "Exodus" comes, you are ready for it?

 

2. This week we will read in Matthew chapter 22 the Parable of the Wedding Banquet. This parable has always been so convicting to me personally. It’s basically about a king preparing an amazing feast at a wedding banquet, and inviting a ton of people to come to the feast. But - the people don’t accept the invitation! They are "too busy" – taking care of their fields and their businesses. And I think about this parable in my own life. Am I sometimes "too busy" to accept Jesus’ invitation to be with him? Am I sometimes too focused on my work or my social life or other distractions? Do I get myself so "distracted" that I don’t spend time with Jesus? And in doing this, am I missing out on an amazing spiritual feast? How about you? Do you believe that Jesus is inviting you to spend more time with him? Are you "too busy" to do so? Do you believe that spending time with Jesus will actually be an amazing spiritual feast for your soul? Will you accept Jesus’ invitation to the wedding banquet?

 

3. This week in Psalm 28 verse 2 we will read: "Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary."  The thing that stood out to me in this verse is the image of the Psalmist "lifting his hands" in prayer.  Do you periodically lift your hands in prayer?  Do you kneel when you pray?  Close your eyes?  Bow your head?  What do you do to really signify your worship and praise of God?  Do you think lifting our hands or other body movements can change the way we pray to God - rather than doing nothing unique with our body?   My quick thoughts are that we can absolutely pray at any time in any place without lifting our hands or closing our eyes or bowing, etc.   I think this gets toward the idea of "praying unceasingly."   However - I do think there is something special about the times in our day when we can really spend some quality quiet time with God in prayer.  And the best way for me to personally do this is by really changing my body language first - by kneeling down, closing my eyes, bowing my head, maybe lifting my hands, etc.  This somehow brings my heart and mind closer to God - it doesn't bring God closer to me - he's always close.  But, somehow, what I do with my body before and during prayer can definitely make a difference in how long I will actually pray to God and how deep into prayer and listening I will go.  How about for you? How’s your prayer life these days? How’s your body language when you pray these days?

 

4. This week in Proverbs chapter 6 verses 27 & 28 we will read: "Can a person scoop fire into their lap and not be burned? Can a person walk on hot coals and not blister their feet?" How do these Proverbs speak to you? For me, it reminds me of the old adage – "If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned!" And, I believe that if there is unchecked sin in our life, we are literally playing with fire. The sin will burn us. If there is a sin in your life you are struggling with, will you pray unceasingly to God to heal you of the sin? And will pray to God to lead you to any resources or counseling or corrective measures that you should take to facilitate the healing process? Will you allow God to discipline you with his holy and healing love? Will you stop scooping fire on your lap? Will you stop walking on hot coals?

 

The Israelites crossing the Red Sea Our Next 10 Days of Readings

 

Tuesday, January 29
Exodus 8:1-9:35 ~ Matthew 19:13-30 ~ Psalm 24:1-10 ~ Proverbs 6:1-5

 

Wednesday, January 30
Exodus 10:1-12:13 ~ Matthew 20:1-28 ~ Psalm 25:1-15 ~ Proverbs 6:6-11

 

Thursday, January 31
Exodus 12:14-13:16 ~ Matthew 20:29-21:22 ~ Psalm 25:16-22 ~ Proverbs 6:12-15

 

Friday, February 1

Exodus 13:17-15:18 ~ Matthew 21:23-46 ~ Psalm 26:1-12 ~ Proverbs 6:16-19

 

Saturday, February 2

Exodus 15:19-17:7 ~ Matthew 22:1-33 ~ Psalm 27:1-26 ~ Proverbs 6:20-26

 

Sunday, February 3

Exodus 17:8-19:15 ~ Matthew 22:34-23:12 ~ Psalm 27:7-14 ~ Proverbs 6:27-35

 

Monday, February 4

Exodus 19:16-21:21 ~ Matthew 23:13-39 ~ Psalm 28:1-9 ~ Proverbs 7:1-5

 

Tuesday, February 5

Exodus 21:22-23:13 ~ Matthew 24:1-28 ~ Psalm 29:1-11 ~ Proverbs 7:6-23

 

Wednesday, February 6

Exodus 23:14-25:40 ~ Matthew 24:29-51 ~ Psalm 30:1-12 ~ Proverbs 7:24-27

 

Thursday, February 7
Exodus 26:1-27:21 ~ Matthew 25:1-30 ~ Psalm 31:1-8 ~ Proverbs 8:1-11

 

One Year Bible Blog

 

Every day in 2008 I will be posting up daily commentary, questions for reflection, and images on the One Year Bible Blog at: http://www.OneYearBibleBlog.com/ I encourage you to visit the blog each day. The blog will be the place for you to interact with our online community of 5,700 people around the world in 55 countries participating with us in our One Year Bible readings. Please do share your insights or reflections or questions by clicking on the "Comments" link at the bottom of each daily posting at: http://www.OneYearBibleBlog.com/

 

I am excited that there are 5,700 of us embarking on this journey together through the One Year Bible in 2008!  Please contact me as any questions come up. Until next week's email!

 

God bless,
Mike
mi...@oneyearbibleblog.com

 

p.s. If you would consider praying for this One Year Bible Blog ministry when you think of it, I would so greatly appreciate your prayers! Would you consider praying for this ministry on a regular basis – maybe even once a week when you receive this email? Your partnership of prayer in this ministry will help bring more people worldwide into the joy and transformation of heart that takes place by reading and studying God's Word every day. Thank you so very much for your prayers. I truly mean it – thank you!

 

Love Your Neighbor. . .

 

Campus Crusade for Christ International

is a worldwide, interdenominational Christian ministry committed to showing people how they can know and experience God's plan for their lives.  I am currently supporting someone who works for Campus Crusade for Christ at a local university.  It has been an incredible blessing to get to know more about the impact this ministry has on so many college students over the past couple of years!

 

Today, will you consider supporting Campus Crusade for Christ with your time, treasures and talents by exploring their website at: http://www.ccci.org/

 

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. . .

 

"Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Matthew 22:37-39 

 

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