Josh1Eight

Scripture: Deuteronomy 3:23, 25-27 “At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said...25 Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’26 “But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more. 27 But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River." Observations: In an ironic twist of events, Moses, the man of God and leader of Israel, at the end of his life made a single mistake that cost him entrace to the Promised Land. Because he disobeyed God's command to speak to the rock instead of hitting it with a stick to get water for the people, he was punished. It doesn't seem fair? It makes sense that God punished the rest of the Israelites when they defiantly rejected His commands, worshiped other gods, and hardened their hearts against Him. But M...

Scripture: Luke 9:23-25 "23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?" Observations: Jesus never tried to hide the fact that following Him was no walk in the park. In fact, He required anyone even remotely interested in the idea of following Him to make a full commitment upfront and surrender all that they are. Was He trying to turn people off to a relationship with God? I mean, really, who is gonna go for that? But Jesus knew exactly what He was doing and made no apologies for His methods. He wasn't exactly what you'd call "seeker sensitive", and yet Jesus Himself came into the world on a mission "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Lu...

Scripture: Deuteronomy 1:2-3, 8 "2 Normally it takes only eleven days to travel from Mount Sinai to Kadesh-barnea, going by way of Mount Seir. 3 But forty years after the Israelites left Egypt,...Moses addressed the people of Israel, telling them...8 Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’” Observations: As God's people camped on the border of the Promised Land, Moses reminded them again about God's plan to give them the land and their responsibilty to obey His commands. It was always God's intention to reveal Himself to the Israelites and quickly make good on His promises. However, from the moment at Mt. Sinai when God invited the Israelites into a special covenant relationship as His chosen people, they consistently disobeyed, forcing God to discipline them rather than bless them. Had God's people simply decided to obey rather than rebel against God's commands, ...

Scripture: Luke 8:14-15 "14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest." Observations: Jesus once told a story to illustrate the fact that not everyone responds to God in the same way. Some people flat out reject Him, while others only pretend to be religious. Still others mean well but their relationship with God never seems to go anywhere, while others for the most part seem to enjoy a deep, meaninful relationship with God. What's the difference? Jesus here shows a direct correlation between a person's relationship with God's Word and the quality of their relationship with God (vs. 11, 15). Application: God's Word doesn't even attempt to ...

Scripture: Luke 7:37-38, 47 "When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them...47 I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Observations: One day while Jesus was having dinner with some Pharisees and experts in God's Law, his meal was interrupted when a prostitue came in began making a scene right in front of Jesus and the other guests to the embarrassment of the host. Jesus pointed out that this "sinful" woman was simply expressing the proper response of someone who had experienced a significant amount of God's grace and forgiveness (vs. 47) while the rest of the "good" guys hadn...