What's that got to do with anything and what does "Ezra" mean. Glad you asked. Always nice to see inquisitive folks around. Oh, your not? I will tell you anyway.
Ezra is a 10 chapter book in the Bible snuggling between Nehemiah on its right and 2 Chronicles on its left. Some call it a prophet book and I wont dispute that. But I think it is historical. No, not hysterical, historical!
Why am I reading it? Glad you asked. It goes like this. Over at St Luke's in down town Frankston there are a bunch of us men who meat for breakfast and fellowship and answer some questions on how our discipleship is progressing. Some week we are up, others we are down. But part of that discipleship process is reading our Bible every week. Like lots of the Bible every week. No, not to study it, but to see what Christ wants to show us this week. There are three of us in my group and last week we looked at Ezra. I forgot to tell you, we agree each week how much of the Bible we will read the following week. And if we don't complete the agreed reading by breakfast time on Saturday, then we do that reading again until all of us have completed the particular reading within the week.
So, we are in Ezra, well we were last week and since one of our number wasn't able to complete it, we all start back at Ezra chapter one this next week.
The question we are answering is: Did you complete the Bible reading? What has God been saying to you, and what are you going to do about it?
So, just now I have been having a look.
As I read this one thing occurs to be. Restoration. One simple little word. Putting something back the way it was. Returning something to its rightful owner/place. The work is the Lord's. (7)
Chapter 2:2. Nehemiah is numbered. Interesting. Nehemiah was the one to build the walls.
Chapter 4, the work of the Lord will never happen without opposition. Whether it be here or in our own lives.
I do have a question. It would seem to me that the building of the temple and the building of the walls happened together. Yet I was always taught that the walls went up first and then after that the temple. Yet here we see a parallel opposition as described in Nehemiah. Interesting. Very interesting. And the response is the same. the work stops, for a while. I also notice something else. Jealously. When God's people are having a ball, there will always be opposition. Some one will get jealous and want in on the action and when told no will get cranky. Been there done that. In fact many moons ago in a previous life I had to repent of my jealousy of another brother's success in his work for the Lord and seek that brother's forgiveness. That brother was very gracious, which only served to poor salt on my open wound. There after I prayed for him and was not jealous of the Lord's success in another brother.
Showing posts with label Bible reading plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible reading plan. Show all posts
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Tuesday 31st March 2009 Because I can!
I thought to start with this from St Luke's for yesterdays Bible Reading plan.
Jeremiah 44-45.
When ever we attempt to justify a course of action, Christ will always hold to the truth and will bring us back to the truth.
This chapter reinforces the righteousness of God and His justice.
The Jews in Egypt attempt to justify worship to the "Queen of Heaven" on the ground that when they were still in Judah and had worship her, they had been prosperous. Not so say the Lord of Hosts. Look at what He says:
21 "Did not the LORD remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land?
Look at verse 23:
23 "Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see."
That's tough. When ever I try to "pass the buck" Christ always brings me back to honesty. Every time.
He is righteous and requires righteousness from us, which we cannot do. So He imparts to me the Righteousness of Christ. But it is up to me to look and live as James says. See, the way I see it, the Jews in Judah claimed God as theirs. yet their walk didn't match up to their talk.
I need to be mindful that my Christian walk lives up to my talk. The evidence of my faith will always be what I do, or more importantly, allow Christ to do in and through me. He is waiting to do that which He calls me to. The question is, will I allow Him to do it?
Now to today's reading which is from Jeremiah 46-47.
It is always very interesting where Christ will take me with these readings. Sometimes the message is for me, other times it is just musings. Is that a word? Musings I mean.
Anyway, as I read this reading today my mind wandered here and there and I got to thinking about how God treated Israel and what their reaction was to it and so on. Then I got to thinking about Romans Chapter 1. How does one get from Jeremiah to Romans. Well, it's easy really. Turn right and head to the New Testament.... Yes, Okay I know what you mean.
Lets just assume for a moment that Israel is a type of the church. And the way that God treated Israel is the same way He may, note I said may not does, treat the church today. How do I get there. Look at Romans 1. Look at verse 24. Now, God really didn't do much with Israel. He just left them to their own devices. And the parallel with the church? Look at verse 24. God gives these foolish people over to what ever it is they want to do. Look at Verse 18. That's the final outcome.
How's Melbourne transport. We wont go there. Just do a search of the Age and Herald sun Newspapers. You will soon find out.
I got an email today from Senator Steve Fielding. Who is Steve Fielding? Well he is a member of the Family First Political party and has a seat in Federal Parliament. The government wanted to increase the tax on alcopops. Alcopops are a sweet, alcoholic fizzy drink which the younger generation happen to like and they drink lots and get very drunk and do silly things. Senator Fielding voted against the bill in parliament. Why? Because he thought the government wasn't serious about binge drink and that this was just a money grab. He doesn't seem to think that increasing the tax would reduce binge drinking.
This is what he wrote in an email:
Jeremiah 44-45.
When ever we attempt to justify a course of action, Christ will always hold to the truth and will bring us back to the truth.
This chapter reinforces the righteousness of God and His justice.
The Jews in Egypt attempt to justify worship to the "Queen of Heaven" on the ground that when they were still in Judah and had worship her, they had been prosperous. Not so say the Lord of Hosts. Look at what He says:
21 "Did not the LORD remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land?
Look at verse 23:
23 "Because you have burned incense and have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed him or followed his law or his decrees or his stipulations, this disaster has come upon you, as you now see."
That's tough. When ever I try to "pass the buck" Christ always brings me back to honesty. Every time.
He is righteous and requires righteousness from us, which we cannot do. So He imparts to me the Righteousness of Christ. But it is up to me to look and live as James says. See, the way I see it, the Jews in Judah claimed God as theirs. yet their walk didn't match up to their talk.
I need to be mindful that my Christian walk lives up to my talk. The evidence of my faith will always be what I do, or more importantly, allow Christ to do in and through me. He is waiting to do that which He calls me to. The question is, will I allow Him to do it?
Now to today's reading which is from Jeremiah 46-47.
It is always very interesting where Christ will take me with these readings. Sometimes the message is for me, other times it is just musings. Is that a word? Musings I mean.
Anyway, as I read this reading today my mind wandered here and there and I got to thinking about how God treated Israel and what their reaction was to it and so on. Then I got to thinking about Romans Chapter 1. How does one get from Jeremiah to Romans. Well, it's easy really. Turn right and head to the New Testament.... Yes, Okay I know what you mean.
Lets just assume for a moment that Israel is a type of the church. And the way that God treated Israel is the same way He may, note I said may not does, treat the church today. How do I get there. Look at Romans 1. Look at verse 24. Now, God really didn't do much with Israel. He just left them to their own devices. And the parallel with the church? Look at verse 24. God gives these foolish people over to what ever it is they want to do. Look at Verse 18. That's the final outcome.
How's Melbourne transport. We wont go there. Just do a search of the Age and Herald sun Newspapers. You will soon find out.
I got an email today from Senator Steve Fielding. Who is Steve Fielding? Well he is a member of the Family First Political party and has a seat in Federal Parliament. The government wanted to increase the tax on alcopops. Alcopops are a sweet, alcoholic fizzy drink which the younger generation happen to like and they drink lots and get very drunk and do silly things. Senator Fielding voted against the bill in parliament. Why? Because he thought the government wasn't serious about binge drink and that this was just a money grab. He doesn't seem to think that increasing the tax would reduce binge drinking.
This is what he wrote in an email:
"It has been a tense and challenging few weeks in the Senate. I have copped a lot of flak over my decision to vote down the alcopops tax. But I stand by my decision – this tax did nothing to address Australia’s binge drinking problem. It was simply a tax on one product and the Senate inquiry found there was no evidence to prove that in the year it has been in place it has worked. In fact, what the research uncovered was that a number of drinkers had turned from drinking alcopops to instead using spirits – in much greater quantities – to mix their own version. How is that addressing our binge drinking epidemic?"
Now, that may well be the case. But it would seem to me that any measure that will slow down the binge drinking in any way at all has got to be a step in the right direct.
And that will do for now.
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