Tag: New beginnings

June 30, 2026

June 30th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 17-18

Highlight Verse:

“And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭18‬:‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This passage still affects us today.

Many churches have parsonages.

The idea was that Pastors were like the Priests who did not own land but lived off the tithes and offerings of the people.

While parsonages are less common than they used to be, most states allow pastors to get a sizable portion of their income as non-taxed housing allowance.

In fact, many pastors have nicer or larger houses than someone else of their income level simply because tax laws make it possible.

I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but I think it can distract people from the Gospel.

Pastors generally deserve all the income they receive and then some.

But to a few, it can be a distraction.

The few whose greed is put on display tend to distract people from the Gospel either by encouraging greed in their followers or becoming a stumbling block to non-believers who see them as fake.

Fortunately, none of the pastors I know are that greedy.

One thing we should learn from this passage is that God is the allotment of the priests.

And everyone who has a direct relationship with God is now a priest and benefits from the abundance of God.

But don’t try to get the tax break unless you are a licensed minister employed by a church.

What do you think it means that, as priests, God is our allotment?
What else stood out to you in today’s reading?
June 9, 2026

June 9th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Numbers 11-12

Highlight Verses:

““We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted. But now our appetites are gone. All we ever see is this manna!””
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s so easy to have selective memory.

On hot days like today, I look fondly back at early spring, completely ignoring those late snowfalls.

Of course, when I’m shoveling snow and getting home from work in the dark, I long for those long summer evenings when I can do stuff in the yard and garage while it is still light out. Mosquitos and sweat kindly disappear from my recollections.

The people of Israel looked back at the variety of food they had in Egypt, conveniently forgetting about the long hours of hard labor that barely left them enough time to eat.

They kept looking back and missed out on the glorious prospects that lay ahead in the promised land.

We have a choice to live in the past, comparing everything to the best of yesteryear, or to live in the present, living in joyful gratitude for the blessings God provides.

Beyond that, we can look forward to the fulfillment of the promised blessings of the future!

Do you spend more time thinking about the past, the present, or the future?
What promises do you look forward to the most?
June 8, 2026

June 8th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 23

Highlight Verse:

“As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Barabbas was a murderer and insurrectionist.

And literally the first person to benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

True, we don’t know if he repented and trusted Jesus.

In fact, we have no idea what happened to him after the crucifixion.

It seems likely that he would have been moved to repentance by the sacrifice of Jesus.

Some early sources say that his first name was Jesus. And “Barabbas” translates to son of the father.

So, Pilate substituted one Jesus for another, both of whom were known for their relationships with their fathers.

Coincidence?

Probably.

What isn’t coincidence is the fact that Jesus directly took the place of someone who needed redemption.

And if that first sacrifice could be made for someone who clearly did not deserve it,

there is no one for whom Jesus would not die.

Is there anyone you know who doesn’t deserve to be forgiven?
If Jesus can forgive them (He can), is there any reason why you couldn’t forgive that person?
June 5, 2026

June 5th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Joel 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“After the cutting locusts finished eating the crops, the swarming locusts took what was left! After them came the hopping locusts, and then the stripping locusts, too!”
‭‭Joel‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I learned something I didn’t know before while studying for this.

It wasn’t about the Bible but about insects – grasshoppers to be exact.

The word “locust” has more to do with the behavior of certain grasshoppers than with a biological distinction.

It is the swarming behavior that sets apart certain grasshopper species as locusts.

The four types of locusts mentioned in today’s highlight verse point to different types of behavior of different swarms, not necessarily biological distinctions.

That would explain why there is primarily one type of locust in the Middle East. The same species behaves differently in different swarms.

Regardless of what type of locust did what, they all caused great damage and destruction.

The grasshoppers we have here in North American do not usually swarm.

The ones described in today’s verse cut, swarm, hop and strip.

Not something I would like to witness.

While we may not have a lot of locusts, we have plenty of things that try to invade and attack in several different ways.

They all come down to one enemy trying to mess up our lives in many different ways.

That enemy may attack our bodies, our wealth, our mental health, etc.

This book will give us ways to fight the enemy regardless of its methods. Stay tuned for more.

What “locusts” have you seen used against you in this life?
How do you defend against such attacks?
May 11, 2026

May 11th, 2026

Monday – Gospels

Reading – Luke 19

Highlight Verse:

“When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This was one of my favorite Bible stories as a child in Sunday School.

I always pictured Zacchaeus as being a dwarf sized person, but this was not likely the case.

He was just short and felt the need to see Jesus.

It is likely that his lifestyle and chosen occupation left him longing for something more real.

He wanted to see if Jesus was the answer to that longing and was willing to act like a child and climb a tree to see Him.

Notice what Jesus said.

First, He called Zacchaeus by name.

We don’t know if Zacchaeus was well known, so Jesus already knew his name or if it was divine knowledge.

What is important is that Jesus called him out by name. The call was specifically for Zacchaeus.

Then Jesus told him hurry.

Why the haste?

I believe it Zacchaeus needed to make his decision to follow Jesus before the temptations of his lifestyle popped back up to pull him away.

Regardless of the reason, why waste another minute away from Jesus?

Zacchaeus’ new life began the moment he trusted Jesus.

If Jesus is calling you to move forward in your faith, whether it is to trust Him in the first place or to move forward in the calling He has for you, why waste another minute resisting Him?

What is Jesus calling you to do right now?
What is in the way of saying yes to that calling?
April 26, 2026

April 26th, 2026

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Proverbs 24-25

Highlight Verses:

“Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket. To one who listens, valid criticism is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In my sophomore year of college, I applied for a summer job as a camp counselor.

I had worked at that camp the previous summer on the maintenance team. I figured I would have no problem moving up to counselor.

I was wrong.

When I got the rejection letter, I went to the director’s home (I went to college about 15 miles away). I asked him politely what I needed to do to be a counselor the following year.

We sat at his table while he spelled out what he saw in me that needed to change.

It was eye opening.

I got to work on his advice, and I took another summer job at the conference center associated with the camp.

Halfway through our summer staff training week, my boss pulled me into his office and told me to go talk to the camp director.

I ran the half mile down to the camp.

The director told me of a counselor who decided he couldn’t handle the responsibility. Because of our conversation and the changes he saw in me, I was the first person he thought of to fill the position.

That was the most fulfilling (and exhausting) summer of my life.

I ended up working full-time for that conference center for the first few years of my career.

If I had just gotten mad and rejected that employer, I would have missed out on that summer and the following years.

But that director gave me wise advice at the right time and I listened.

Have you heeded timely advice and experienced great results?
Have you ignored advice and reaped the consequences?
Share your stories!
April 24, 2026

April 24th, 2026

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Hosea 3-4

Highlight Verses:

“Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.” So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.”
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Did I mention that Hosea is – umm – unique?

Notice that verse 1 uses the present tense.

She was actively committing adultery.

Given the fact that he had to buy her back, it appears that she managed to get herself bound into slavery.

Make no mistake – she got herself into this situation.

But now she was trapped.

She needed help to get out of the situation.

We humans blow it regularly.

We get ourselves trapped into addiction or debts of various types.

We cannot get out on our own.

We need help.

God is ready and willing.

So are many of His followers.

Just ask!

Have you been trapped in any type of slavery (like addiction, etc)?
How did you get out?
If you are trapped now, what’s keeping you from seeking help to get free?
April 22, 2026

April 22nd, 2026

Wednesday – History

Reading – 1 Chronicles 10-12

Highlight Verse:

“The people of Jebus taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here!” But David captured the fortress of Zion, which is now called the City of David.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jebus was an ideally defensible city. It had high walls around it and difficult terrain leading to it on 3 sides.

Even with Mount Moriah rising above the city, attackers from that direction would be exposed and driven away from the wall.

On top of that, the city had a source of water that would help them survive a siege.

The Jebusites had good reason to be confident in their safety.

But that very confidence caused them to overlook the fatal flaw in their defenses.

Their source of water, the Gihon Spring, allowed an advance party to sneak in and break through the defenses at the gate from the inside.

It is so easy to become overconfident as a believer.

We trust in our accomplishments and successes, even moral successes. That overconfidence leads us to let down our guard, allowing the enemy to infiltrate through areas we thought were good.

I’ve seen it in several pastors and ministry leaders.

They built walls of self-righteousness that hid the cracks that temptation and sin crept into.

By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late and their ministries came tumbling down.

A few, through humility and accountability, have been restored.

Most had their reputations crushed along with much of the positive results of their ministry.

No matter how successful or unfailingly moral we are, we would be wise to stay humble, realizing that we need to keep our guard up even when we are doing well.

Have you ever been blindsided by sin creeping in your life where you didn’t expect it?
How did you get through that situation?
April 2, 2026

April 2nd, 2026

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Hebrews 13

Highlight Verses:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The denomination I spent most of my adult life in had Hebrews 13:8 posted in every church.

That’s a very good thing.

We should be reminded that the Gospel is unchanging, that Jesus is just as powerful today as 2000 years ago.

But it doesn’t stop there.

In context, the writer of Hebrews is countering a trend to follow a kosher diet to remain in good standing with God.

That was never part of the Gospel.

While that specific issue is not much of a current topic today, the concept remains the same.

Verse 8 goes hand in hand with verse 9.

Culture changes.

The Gospel does not.

While the way we perceive the Gospel may change, the Truth remains – Salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus alone.

No special rules.

Just acknowledge your sin, and trust in Jesus by accepting His sacrifice to pay for that sin.

If you think more is required for salvation, think again.

No special diet, no ceremonies, no priests, just faith.

Are there any traditions or new ideas that you have felt were essential to salvation?
Are there any popular new ideas that you see as a threat to the message of salvation? Please explain.
March 24, 2026

March 24th, 2026

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Leviticus 16-17

Highlight Verse:

“The other goat, the scapegoat chosen by lot to be sent away, will be kept alive, standing before the Lord. When it is sent away to Azazel in the wilderness, the people will be purified and made right with the Lord.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭16‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The scapegoat represented our sins being carried far away.

That’s something to be thankful for.

But have you ever acted like the scapegoat?

It is human nature to carry the guilty feelings from our sins around with us.

It can get so bad that we end up wandering around a spiritual wilderness.

Carrying that extra weight of guilt can even pull us back into those very same sins.

Let me make one thing very clear –

if you have trusted Jesus to take away your sins, they are gone!

You do not need to carry the guilt from them around with you, even if you have repeated those sins.

His death on the cross paid the penalty for all our sins past, present, and future.

As I’ve said before, sin is bad and we want to avoid it at all cost, but if we sin again, and we all will, we need to leave those sins on the cross and move on.

Be convicted to avoid those sins and, when appropriate, make compensation to those you’ve sinned against, but DO NOT wallow in guilt.

That only leads to more sin as it erodes your trust in Jesus and His sacrifice.

Are there sins for which you are still carrying guilt around?
Have you been able to discern the difference between guilt and conviction? (Hint – conviction leads to action).

Tag: New beginnings

This passage still affects us today.

I don’t think that’s a bad thing, but I think it can distract people from the Gospel.

It’s so easy to have selective memory.

They kept looking back and missed out on the glorious prospects that lay ahead in the promised land.

We have a choice to live in the past, comparing everything to the best of yesteryear, or to live in the present, living in joyful gratitude for the blessings God provides.

And literally the first person to benefit from Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

What isn’t coincidence is the fact that Jesus directly took the place of someone who needed redemption.

there is no one for whom Jesus would not die.

The word “locust” has more to do with the behavior of certain grasshoppers than with a biological distinction.

While we may not have a lot of locusts, we have plenty of things that try to invade and attack in several different ways.

This book will give us ways to fight the enemy regardless of its methods. Stay tuned for more.

He wanted to see if Jesus was the answer to that longing and was willing to act like a child and climb a tree to see Him.

Then Jesus told him hurry.

If Jesus is calling you to move forward in your faith, whether it is to trust Him in the first place or to move forward in the calling He has for you, why waste another minute resisting Him?

I was wrong.

It was eye opening.

Notice that verse 1 uses the present tense.

We cannot get out on our own.

Just ask!

But that very confidence caused them to overlook the fatal flaw in their defenses.

It is so easy to become overconfident as a believer.

No matter how successful or unfailingly moral we are, we would be wise to stay humble, realizing that we need to keep our guard up even when we are doing well.

We should be reminded that the Gospel is unchanging, that Jesus is just as powerful today as 2000 years ago.

Culture changes.

The Gospel does not.

Just acknowledge your sin, and trust in Jesus by accepting His sacrifice to pay for that sin.

But have you ever acted like the scapegoat?

if you have trusted Jesus to take away your sins, they are gone!