Walk in the Light

October 11, 2024

October 11th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Zephaniah 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“They will receive the wages of their pride, for they have scoffed at the people of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
‭‭Zephaniah‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One of the things I love about America is we get to vote for who we believe will best represent us in government.

But I can’t stand election season.

Everywhere I turn, there are ads declaring how terrible the other person is.

Sadly, a lot of those ads work on a lot of people.

I wouldn’t mind the season so much if the ads were both positive and honest.

But the worst part is when Godly people are painted as monsters out to take away your rights.

I’d like to say that those people get what they deserve.

Instead, unfortunately, the whole country suffers when they succeed as the consequences of ungodly policies take effect.

How can we rise above the battle? Ignore the mudslinging and vote your values.

Has negative campaigning had an effect on your voting?
How can you reduce the amount of scoffing of the godly in our land, especially in election season?
October 10, 2024

October 10th, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelation 11

Highlight Verse:

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.””
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭11‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

One of the questions I keep in mind when I read the Bible is “How does this affect the way I should live today?”

The answer today is that I can live with hope and confidence.

No matter how bad this world gets, I know who wins in the end – Jesus!

That makes me want to invite as many people as I can to the winning team.

Nuff said.

Does this chapter give you hope or fear?
Why?
October 9, 2024

October 9th, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – Nehemiah 1-2

Highlight Verse:

“When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT

When I read this, I picture Nehemiah praying face down before God for days straight.

Maybe he did.

Maybe he was working and only prayed and fasted while off-duty.

Whatever he did, he did it with passion, giving his all to bring the plight of his country before God.

He waited 6 months to be bold enough to show his sorrow before the king.

I believe he prayed every day during that entire time.

And God answered by giving him favor with the king.

What would happen if we prayed with that same intensity and consistency for our country?
How about we try it and find out?
October 8, 2024

October 8th, 2024

Tuesday – Pentateuch

Reading – Deuteronomy 11-12

Highlight Verse:

““Your children didn’t see how the Lord cared for you in the wilderness until you arrived here.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Our children didn’t have our experiences.

No matter how many times we tell our kids stories of how God has shown Himself faithful in our lives, they did not experience those stories themselves.

We should still tell them those stories, instruct them, and guide them to God.

But we also need to let them experience the faithfulness of God.

They need to have their own stories to strengthen their faith.

It’s a tough line to tread between protecting them and letting them experience life.

I pray God will guide us while we walk that line.

In what ways have you tried to get your kids or others to understand your experiences?
How have you helped them, or others find their own experiences?
October 7, 2024

October 7th, 2024

Monday – Gospels and Acts

Reading – Acts 17

Highlight Verse:

“For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”
‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭17‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I once attended a service at a church that reached out to refugees from a certain country I will refrain from naming.

There was a potluck buffet dinner after the service.

It was mayhem.

The culture of that country had no concept of lines.

The pastor, an acquaintance of mine, warned me of this cultural difference ahead of time.

He worked within their cultural norms in order to reach them with the Gospel.

Paul was sensitive to the cultures of the places he wanted to reach with the Gospel.

He did his homework and used his knowledge of the culture to help him reach the people of that culture.

When he got to a point in his preaching that the majority could not grasp, they stopped him.

Nevertheless, he reached several people in Athens.

Those started the trend that, a couple centuries later, brought a majority of Greek people to Christianity.

In what areas do you reach beyond cultural lines?
What are you doing to better understand those cultures?
October 6, 2024

October 6th, 2024

Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 19-20

Highlight Verse:

“And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God!”
‭‭Job‬ ‭19‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Some say that resurrection is a New Testament concept.

Job just blasted that theory out of the water.

Yes, it’s true that Job spent much of this chapter blaming God for what Satan did.

But that doesn’t negate the fact that Job or at least the writer of Job had a concept of the resurrection long before Jesus was resurrected.

I for one, take comfort in that.

Do you believe in resurrection?
Are you looking forward to it?
October 5, 2024

October 5th, 2024

Saturday – Open Topic

Reading – 1 Thessalonians 11-18

Highlight Verse:

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.”
‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“I hate going to funerals because I’m not a mourning person.” – the joke of the week as found on the wall of a medical examiner’s office.

It’s a subject no one likes to talk about.

But it is a subject that we will each face. Most of us have already faced it within our group of family and friends.

I bring it up because of the sense of humor of the people who worked at the last office I visited yesterday – the medical examiner’s office.

Don’t worry, they were respectful.

It’s just that, in their line of work, they seemed to have learned to value life.

We all want to enjoy life and make a difference while we live it here on Earth.

But this life is but a split second compared to Heaven.

I don’t know what difference we can make in heaven – I’m sure there is some.

But I know I can make a difference here.

So can you.

I say, let’s get to it.

Have you set goals that will help you make a difference in the lives of others?
What is the next thing you are going to do to meet those goals?
October 4, 2024

October 4th, 2024

Friday – Prophets

Reading – Habakkuk 3

Highlight Verse:

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)”
‭‭Habakkuk‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I love the ending of Habakkuk.

He praises God regardless of the circumstances, declaring God as the source of His strength.

Then there’s this parenthetical revelation at the very end.

This whole prophecy was a song!

How cool is that?

When life is rough, and the world is crashing down – set it to music.

That sounds sarcastic but I’m serious.

There is healing in music.

If you don’t believe me, look up the backstory behind the hymn “It is Well With My Soul.”
Here’s one quick essay about it.

Has music been a means of healing in your life?
Tell us how.
October 3, 2024

October 3rd, 2024

Thursday – Letters

Reading – Revelations 10

Highlight Verse:

“He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Make no mistake. There will be a day when all this will come to pass.

The people in the early Church thought it would be at any time.

It’s been 2000 years.

More and more of the prophecies leading up to the end times have come true.

Now more than ever, the second coming of Jesus is imminent.

It could be tonight.

It could be another thousand years.

It’s best to live like Jesus could come back any moment while also being prepared to live a long, full life here on Earth.

In other words, live out this life of faith to its fullest and most faithful.

When you think about the second coming of Jesus, are you excited or scared (or both)?
How are you preparing for a long full life on Earth should Jesus delay that long?
October 2, 2024

October 2nd, 2024

Wednesday – History

Reading – Ezra 9-10

Highlight Verse:

“For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons. So the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage.””
‭‭Ezra‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You might say this is an odd verse for the son (me) of a white mom and a Mexican dad.

Truth be told, this chapter has always made me uncomfortable.

It sounds like it is telling us that racism is good.

But it’s not about racism.

The act of marrying non-Hebrew women in this context was an act, at least of apathy toward God, if not outright rebellion.

The marriages involved not just accepting the wives but their pagan religions as well.

If you need further proof that God is not racist, look up Rahab and Ruth,

both foreign women who accepted the Hebrew ways and were accepted not just into God’s good grace but into the bloodline of the Messiah.

Have you struggled with this Scripture before?
How does it make you feel to know that this is about dedication to God instead of race?

But I can’t stand election season.

How can we rise above the battle? Ignore the mudslinging and vote your values.

The answer today is that I can live with hope and confidence.

That makes me want to invite as many people as I can to the winning team.

Whatever he did, he did it with passion, giving his all to bring the plight of his country before God.

I believe he prayed every day during that entire time.

What would happen if we prayed with that same intensity and consistency for our country?How about we try it and find out?

Our children didn’t have our experiences.

We should still tell them those stories, instruct them, and guide them to God.

He worked within their cultural norms in order to reach them with the Gospel.

He did his homework and used his knowledge of the culture to help him reach the people of that culture.

Those started the trend that, a couple centuries later, brought a majority of Greek people to Christianity.

Some say that resurrection is a New Testament concept.

Job just blasted that theory out of the water.

I for one, take comfort in that.

It’s a subject no one likes to talk about.

But this life is but a split second compared to Heaven.

But I know I can make a difference here.

I love the ending of Habakkuk.

This whole prophecy was a song!

There is healing in music.

Make no mistake. There will be a day when all this will come to pass.

Now more than ever, the second coming of Jesus is imminent.

In other words, live out this life of faith to its fullest and most faithful.

Truth be told, this chapter has always made me uncomfortable.

But it’s not about racism.

If you need further proof that God is not racist, look up Rahab and Ruth,

What would happen if we prayed with that same intensity and consistency for our country?
How about we try it and find out?