bsf blog – Page 2 – The Notes are Good

28.2 BSF Matthew Week 28, Day 2

My Daily Journal:

From Cyrene to Jerusalem by land was 783 miles. Walking ~4 miles per hour for 8 hours a day, it would have taken 32 days to make the journey to arrive in the holy city for passover. On the day of passover a crowd lines the steets and Simon of Cyrene is in the crowd. We don’t know if he is actively participating in the mocking words of the crowd to Jesus, but suddenly he is being pulled from the crowd and ordered by the Roman soldiers to help Jesus carry the cross.

The moment he comes in contact with the blood on the cross he would be deemed to be ceremonially unclean and no longer able to participate in passover. There is no time to perform the ceremonies to become clean.

Being unable to participate in passover carried a huge burden. In a culture and religion where adherence to the the law and participation in the feasts was paramount to salvation, his inability to participate would be carried with him through the entire following year and possibly forever. There was no “make-up” date for passover.

Regardless of where his heart was at that moment, we catch insight into where his heart went. We know from Mark 15 that his sons were active members in the the church of Christians following Christ’s resurrection. We know from Romans 16 that his wife was like a mother to the apostle Paul.

Simon learned first hand that adherence to laws and feasts does not work. Despite best intentions things go wrong. We are not perfect. But Jesus was perfect and His perfect sacrifice redeemed us fully now and forever. We see later in our story that Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus and the jewish women who followed Jesus also gave up their ability to participate in passover. But by willing letting go of their place in the crowd, they stepped into a personal relationship with Jesus, one that lasts into eternity.

Where are you standing in the crowd? Where do you need to step out and be willing to let go of “looking proper” or “doing good things” to actually serve Jesus?

My Answers:

3.
a.
Lev 4: Our sin offeringLev 4: The offering which we lay hands on to transfer our guilt and sin
Deut: Someone who took on our capital offense, was put to death on a pole – God’s curse
2 Cor: One who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become righteous
Heb: Suffered outside the gate, like a burnt offering, sin offering, made holy through His blood
1 Peter: Redemption through precious blood of Christ, the lamb without blemish or defect
1 Peter: bore our sins so that we might die to sins and live to righteousness, healed by his wounds

b.
took on our capital offense, put to death on a pole and received God’s curse – taken down to not desecrate the land

4.
a.
Unclear in scripture. He would have traveled for almost a month to Jerusalem for passover only to become unclean on that very day. Anger, fear turning to compassion, wonder and appreciation. 2 sons became missionaries and wife was “like a mother” to Paul.

b.
More than just an angry, frustrated, Judean Jew. He had been touched and moved to faith through the experience he had of being pulled out of the crowd.

c.
Christ’s passion for us did not just involve a quick death. Death was preceded by pain and degradation that led to fully taking on the weight of our sin even unto death

27.2 BSF Matthew Week 27, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

A large crowd had made its way to Jerusalem for celebration of the passover. They had begun arriving the week before. 5 days before Jesus had been all the buzz and a large crowd had gone out to find him at the dinner at Lazarus’ house. This was when Mary had anointed Jesus with the perfume. 4 days before Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem to the cheers of the crowd. Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel. Tonight they show up as an armed mob with torches and clubs and betrayal and hatred on their lips. Tomorrow they will be screaming for his execution in the most brutal and demeaning manner possible.

What did Jesus do in less than 4 days time that went from triumphant and joyful arrival to rejection and hatred of him? It isn’t what He did that was the problem. It is what He didn’t do. He didn’t change who He was to become who they wanted him to be.

God is immutable. Unlike the crowd and popular opinion, He doesn’t change; never has, never will, and we humans get frustrated by that. Why doesn’t God…? How can God….? That… may have been true back then but we know….

Our challenge today is the same challenge of that day. All too often the basis of our perception of God is in what we think or what we have been told rather than what the bible actually says. According to a 2013 research study by the Barna Group, more Americans had read Twilight, the Hunger Games and 50 Shades of Grey than had read the bible cover to cover. Of those who do read the bible only 26% read it regularly with 57% touching it less than 4 times per year. Yet, we have no limit to our opinions about who God is and how He should behave and what He would or should say!

Beware of crowds. Beware of the “wisdom of our age”. Beware of popular opinion. Beware of your own strength and your own opinion. There is only one place in which to place your trust, one source that will last beyond both earth and heaven because it is true and unchanging: the word of our Lord.

We are quickly approaching the end of our study of Matthew – what will you do this summer to not fall into temptation?

My Answers:

3.
a.
Peter

b.
battle between the large crowd with sword and clubs and the handful of apostles

c.
Jesus had outlined what would happen – He was in control, but Peter was in denial of that control over the situation

d.
mostly in the form of worry and stress. They don’t yield results but submitting to God does

4.
a.
betrayed with a kiss, captured with swords and clubs, deserted by apostles

b.
attackers drew back and fell to the ground

c.
let these men go, I have not lost one of those you gave me, healed the man’s ear

d.
shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?

26 BSF Matthew Week 26, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

I love Peter because I can see my own dimwitted self reflected in his approach to things. I have no doubt of his immense love and admiration for Jesus. I have no doubt that he recognized, through the power of the holy spirit, who Christ was, just as it is written in the scriptures. But he gets in his own way.

Basically he says, I know you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Creator of all, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Eternal, but, uh, you’re wrong. I know better than you do.

Jesus didn’t ask them, he told them what would happen. But instead of accepting this and using this knowledge as strength, Peter jumps into denial. In his journal down the river of denial he and the other apostles miss the promise of a risen Lord to meet with them in Galilee. They want to take up arms to prevent this from happening. While they think they will raise up arms to be standing for Jesus, they in fact are standing in direct opposition to the words and promise he has just made. This is not a surprise to Jesus. He is not a victim. He knows who, what, when, where, why and how. There is no mystery. There is simply a gift.

How often do I argue with God? Every time I insist on doing things my way first, I tell Him I know better. Every time I rely on myself more than on Him, I yield to temptation.

But, there is one other amazing part in these verses and that is Jesus prayer for Peter in Luke 22:32 – “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Temptation and testing is not something to just be endured and survived, it is something that strengthens us so that we can strengthen others. Like exercise, it may tear us down and wear us out temporarily, but when we heal, we heal stronger.

My Answers:

8.
a.
Contradicted Jesus – Convicting that I will never fall away while simultaneously doubting Jesus’ word

b.
33. Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will

c.
Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you (other disciples agreed)

9.
a.
i.
There are no surprises – Satan is only allowed to tempt/test God’s people as God allows

ii.
Self confidence will not prevail, only trust in the Lord

iii.
Prays for us and directs us to use strength given through trials

b.
Reluctance to be a cheerful giver has given me insight into understanding the traps of “wealth management”

10.
a.
you will all fall away on account of me

b.
After I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee

25 BSF Matthew Week 25, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

A call to action. It is used in advertising and sales. It is used in motivation and investing. It is a big part of being a responsible, successful result. If you want something, if you believe something, then take action – do something. An idea is nothing. An idea put into action can change the world.

Faith is no different. If your faith is alive it is on fire in you. It cannot be contained or constrained. It is producing heat and steam and it needs to vent out in service to others and praise to God. But these works are not done as a tally or score. They don’t earn points. They aren’t done out of guilt or obligation. Truly glorious, honorable works are done out of love for God.

And Christ’s expectation of us is so reasonable. Note what he says of the goats. They did NONE of these things. It isn’t a list of all the things they needed to do. They did nothing. They sought only themselves. They knew of the gift of Jesus, laying down His life, but couldn’t be bothered to offer a drink to someone they considered below themselves.

Might they have fed and given drinks to others? It is possible, but for what purpose? Was it to win favor with a higher up, a potential client? Was it to be seen as a “good person”? Did they need the tax deduction? Then they had already received their reward. But the acts done for the love of Christ, those are the acts of one who follows the lamb.

My Answers:

10.
a.
On His glorious throne above all nations

b.
All nations, all people of all time – everyone

11.
a.
gave food when hungry, drink when thirsty, invited in stranger, clothed, cared for when sick, visited in prison

b.
Did no do any of these things

12.
a.
When did we see you…?

b.
Romans: seek glory, honor and immortality (seek God) and will have eternal life – do good
James: faith by itself, not accompanied by action, is dead – don’t earn salvation but true faith demands actions
1John: Jesus laid down life for us, we ought to lay down our lives for others – not love with words but with action

22 BSF Matthew Week 22, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

People often misunderstand the term “Fear of God.” I don’t think this means a fear of punishment, viewing God as someone to cower from or to avoid so as not to anger him. Instead, I think it means fear of disappointing.

I grew up in my father’s home town. When I went someone, anywhere, the odds were very high that someone there knew my dad and knew I was his son. My actions, and my mis-deeds, reflected not only on me but on him. I did not fear so much his anger or punishment, but that I would dishonor or disappoint him by my callous behavior.

I think having that same type of fear of God is important and that it reflect love and honor and respect for our Heavenly Father. But that is not whom the spiritual leaders in the temple feared. When Jesus challenged them about John the Baptist, there was nothing in their thought process about God or truth. It was all about fear of men.

Whom you fear reflects whom you honor and respect.

My Answers:

5.
a.
show us your qualifications, license, certification, authority – Union card, who died and made you the messiah?

b.
Every day Jesus taught in the temple – teachers of the law and the leaders were trying to kill him

6.
a.
They decided to not believe John the Baptist, the prophets, the prophecies of scriptures

b.
seeing don’t see, hearing don’t hear, hear don’t understand, see, not perceive, calloused heart, blind

7.
a.
Gentiles, tax collectors, prostitutes – others that were considered blatant sinners

b.
The jews, particularly the teachers of the law and pharisees

8.
a.
Said no, but did: Same, drugs, prostitution, open sin. Said yes, but no: Church going hypocrites

b.
I was the later, but now am the says yes and does

13.5 BSF Matthew Week 13, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

There was a beauty in the interpretation of the “field” in this parable. In one part, it clearly was an individual, their own personal heart/faith. In another it was the church or body of all believers, producing a harvest together. We may think of this as a duality, a use of the same illustration for two different purposes. But I don’t think that is accurate.

Instead, I think it reflects how Jesus views us. We are simultaneously individuals and the collective body. We are personal and unified. We are one and many. We are a heart and body. Just as Jesus is a man, He is also unified with the Father and Holy Spirit as God.

And then the lesson within it. We fixate. We see one stain and we can’t let it go, we see one weed and we can’t wait to yank it out. But it isn’t our job. God has it covered. He knows exactly what to do and when to do it. We do not need to concern ourselves with pointing out every wrong in others to weed them out. We need to sow more seeds and produce more fruit. It has always been this way, it always will.

The church is full of sinners. My life is still filled with rocks and weeds and I trip and fall. God doesn’t require purity for admission, He requires admission of Himself into our hearts so that He can create purity in them. Psalm 51: create in me a clean heart!

My Answers:

12.
a.
Son of Man – The devil

b.
The Sons of the Kingdom

c.
the world

d.
The sons of the evil one

e.
The end of the age

f.
Angels

13.
a.
Deceitful – conniving

b.
While pulling the weeds you uproot the wheat with them – let both grow together til the harvest

c.
those who wish to bring harm to Christianity populate themselves within the midst of the church

14.
The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father

10.4 BSF Matthew Week 10, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

“While He was saying this…” Be careful as you read the passage this week that you don’t miss those 5 opening words.

What was He saying? “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

What does that have to do with this synagogue leader showing up with this request?

Let’s compare/contrast the actions of this leader/father with his dying/dead child and that of another biblical leader/father and his dying/dead child. Let’s turn back to 2 Samuel 12:14-24.

David is only a man. He was a faithful man and loved by God, but he was only a man. Jesus is the “son of David.” Later in Matthew we will hear him called this by the blind men. It is a true statement and important for fulfillment of prophecies. But Jesus does not stand on David. He is not a reincarnation of that king. He is not an add-on, a patch, an addition to what has come before. He is something new (but also something eternal). He is King Jesus from the authority of sitting at the throne of God, not from sitting at the throne of David. His power and authority do not end at death.

What an amazing comfort for all who have lost loved ones. They are not dead. In God’s eyes and power, they are only asleep. With a single calling from His lips they will rise to life again, none worse for having experienced the sleep of death.

My Answers:

10.
a.
25-26 woman, 12 years, bleeding, uncured, Docs, broke, 27 touched, 28 “if touch be healed” 29 healed
30 Jesus asked who? L45, Denial L46, Power Mrk33, Confession, 22. “your faith has healed you” Mrk 34 “go in peace and be free from suffering”

b.
She had been bleeding for 12 years. Long suffering afflictions are simply waiting on God’s timing

11.
a.
Synagogue leader

b.
She was on death’s door. None of his discussion was about Jesus it was about his daughter. He must have held out hope that Jesus could save her, but, is that faith or desparation?

c.
He did not judge Darius and his faith (or lack there of), instead He took on the love of this father for His child

08.5 BSF Matthew Week 8, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

Stolen words used for unearned earthly gain.

The words of the bible are precious. They are not just words, they have power, meaning and purpose. But when people use these words in a twisted fashion, they don’t just deceive, they are thieves.

If I take a tool from my neighbors garage, I am a thief. If I take credit for artwork I did not create, I am a thief. If I take the Words of God and use them for my glory instead of His, I am a thief.

We may deceive ourselves into justifying our theft. We may think that watering down the scripture is a means to get people in the door. We may think that it is better to avoid the “controversial” parts of the gospel. But what does Jesus say? There is never a time that Jesus does not reflect the glory of God alone. His food was the do the will of Him who sent Him and to finish His work.

What do you stand on? Is it what you want to be true? Is it what you would like the bible to say? Or do you stand on the one and only solid foundation.

Actually, standing is not enough. We are not just called to stand on the cornerstone, we are called to be built on it, as it says in 1 Peter, into a holy house of worship to the Living God.

My Answers:

11.
a.
Matt: Jesus knowing them (not His sheep)
Luke: do not do what Jesus says
John: refuse to come to Christ, do not have the love of God in heart, do not accept Christ
John: Belief in the Father
Hosea: rejected what is good, set up own kingship aside from God, made idols

b.
The words that came out of their mouth were lies and for show. The words did not reflect submission to the rule of God or a contrite spirit, they were stolen words used for illegal earthly gain, which does not carry into heaven

c.
I am, myself, at times. When I rely on myself and not the H/S, I lie to myself. When I pray afterwards instead of before, I am being my own prince, When I put trust in men who look the part and sound good instead of the word of God, I live a lie.

12.
That He alone is the Judge on Judgment Day. No one enters except by His knowledge. He alone is Lord.

13.
a.
Hear the words of the Lord AND put them into practice

b.
They don’t practice their faith (if they have any at all). They put it in a box (Sunday morning) or on a shelf (unread bible) and go about living their life with what they think is right or what they want right to be.

c.
Isaiah: Lay a stone in Zion, tested stone, precious cornerstone, rely on it never stricken w/ panic
1 Cor: No one can lay any other foundation: Jesus Christ
1 Peter: Living stone, rejected by humans chosen by God, we on Him a spiritual house, holy priesthood

d.
On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand

06.5 BSF Matthew Week 6, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

I don’t think Christians are called to be ignorant pansies that are constantly taken advantage of, bullied and abused. We are not called to be a doormat for others to simply wipe their feet on.

We are called to follow our mission. If we are following it fully, if we are truly committed to that mission then it and it alone is critical in everything we do and every decision we make. When you are a soldier in battle you don’t decide to ignore the mission because you don’t want to get your uniform dirty. When you are a surgeon with a patient on the table you don’t decide to operate of some other part because it is easier and quicker. You stick with the mission – it is what it is all about.

Our mission is simple. We heard it last week. Be salt and light to the world. Take the strength and word and light of God and use it to witness, heal, baptize and save. Period. That is the mission.

If walking a mile accomplishes that – walk the mile. If giving up a shirt accomplishes that, give up the shirt. But, in all of it, stay true to the mission. If giving someone your shirt does not bring them closer to God, then the mission is not to give shirts – it is to figure out what brings them closer to God.

One of my friends talked about an interaction with a homeless person this week at a coffee shop. The man asked my friend, “can you help me?” and he gave him a few dollars. But that weighed heavy on his heart. There is nothing wrong with giving the money, and God can use that, but what if he had, instead, invited the man to sit down with him and bought him food that they shared together. How much more could the investment of 10 minutes meant in the mission my brother carried?

I can get so focused on “what is rightfully mine” that I fall back into the trap of justice = revenge or getting even. But this is based on a mindset of finite resources. For me to get even I have to take it back from the person who wronged me. But I am the child of an infinite God and creator. There is so much more. God honors that which honors Him!

My Answers:

12.
a.
If your yes is yes and your no is no, then there is no “qualification” to speaking the truth, you just always do. There is no provision for falsehood

b.
“To be honest with you…” These words imply that at other times you are not honest or don’t mean it. Hard to tell when is when and what is what

c.
Know the truth and stick to it. No “white lies”.

13.
a.
Fear and Concern over being a doormat keeps me out of ministry opportunities and witnessing to others. I need to keep in mind what is truly important (bringing others to Christ). If being slapped or giving a shirt or walking a mile helps with that, then, by all means, that is what I should be doing

b.
God will honor that which honors Him.

14.
Gal: walk with the spirt not gratify the desires of the fleshEph: Put off old self and deceitful desires, new in attitude, righteousness and holiness like God
Phil: Obey, work out with God and allow Him to act in my to fulfill His good purpose
Phil: think about: true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy

03.5 BSF Matthew: Week 3, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

My Daily Journal:

Forewarning: At the risk of sounding gross… Here is an illustration about the different baptisms of John and Jesus and a perspective on why Jesus decided to be baptized:

Imagine you have a sack or bag made out of cotton, like t-shirt material. You use this sack when “walking your dog” and you use it to pick up the dog poo. You then carry this bag with you wherever you go, and it gets more and more full every day.

As gross as this sounds to be carrying around, this is what sin is in our life. Every time we sin, we scoop a little more gross, offensive material in our bag. That was, in particular, how it was in the time of John the Baptist. Everyone had sin, everyone had a gross, stinky, porous bag of poo.

John called people to recognize they were carrying this around with them every day and to do something about it. They couldn’t get rid of it, but by confessing and being baptized they could at least clean the outside of it. By repenting they could commit to putting less new poo in the bag.

People got the message. They came from near and far. But some people (mostly the leaders) were in denial about their bag of poo. They thought that if their bag was less full than someone else’s, theirs didn’t stink. Some of them tried to dress up their bag of poo to mask or hide it. They would dress it up in pretty robes or sprinkle it with perfume. When they showed up at the river they tried to not even bring their bag of poo with them – pretending it didn’t exist. But it did. John caught a strong whiff of it and rebuked them. He called it what it was!

But here is the deal – John only had the ability to wash the outside of the bag. Then one day, along comes Jesus and an amazing thing happens.

Jesus, the one and only person ever who did not have a bag of poo (because he had no sin), chose to get in the water. Imagine what this water (where all the poo bags where being rinsed) was like. Along comes the King of Kings, perfectly clean, and he made the choice to climb in this filthy water with His subjects, the commoners and all their sin

He chose to take on our filthy rags so that he could “fulfill all righteousness) so we could become clean and enter into His Father’s Palace. This choice was huge – in many ways just as big if not bigger than being born a human, because this marks the start of His choice to His obedience to the Father’s plan of salvation. This is the start to the pain and suffering. This is the start to the path that leads to an undeserved death.

But, in so doing, Jesus is setting the stage for a new baptism. One that doesn’t just clean the outside in water, but through the blood of His sacrifice, it opened the door to the Holy Spirit to do the work in us of cleaning and purifying us inside and out, transforming us into saints, pure and clean.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.”
– Isaiah 1:18

Like the “wool” of the unblemished Lamb of God.

My Answers:

12.
a.
‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

b.
The voice of God and the spirit came down as a dove and remained on him

c.
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

13.
a.
Hear the preaching of baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, Come to the river, Confess their sins, be baptized

b.
He had no sins to confess

c.
To fulfill all righteousness – to submit to the plan of God in obedience as fully human to be joined with mankind.
Ps 40:8 I desire to do your will, my God. Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him (as he came out of the waters of baptism)