Tag: bsf questions

BSF Genesis: Week 13, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

11.
a.
Himself, the Messiah

b.
you are a priest forever in the order of melchizedek

c.
Mel was both a king and a priest, king of righteousness and king of peace. Not a priest through Levites, but ordained by God

12.
a.
Christ has offered forgiveness for everything troubling you. He has been given the power to forgive all.

b.
Christ prayers for you continuously. He calls on God to bless you, not because you deserve it or have earned it, but because it reflects the glory and honor of the Creator

c.
Give to the church joyfully and without regret or reservation for the body of believers is the the body of the church of which Christ is the head

My Daily Journal:

Christ cried.

Hebrews 5:7  says Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears.

One of the men in our group talked about this and it helped reveal how amazing this is.  Think about it.  This is the creator of everything.  Everything.  Heavens and earth, seen and unseen, mortal and spiritual beings, matter, dark matter, antimatter, everything.  This is the all powerful.  All knowing.  Eternal God.  And he cried.

Growing up my fear of my father was not one of fear of punishment or anger from him, but fear of causing him disappointment or pain.  If as a child I understand this for my human father, then as a maturing adult believer how much more should I feel this for my Lord.  And, yet, he cried.

I don’t say this as a depressing thought or for guilt, but I think it shows the heart of God and His amazing love for me and all of His children.  That love, embodied in Christ, serving in the role of eternal priest for me, interceding on my behalf and paying the sacrifice for my wrongs, well… that is love.

BSF Genesis: Week 13, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

5.
He had 318 trained men that were able to go into battle and he was allied with Mamre, Eshkol and Aner

6.
a.
He fought a battle of righteousness before God. To those on God’s side, it was a pleasant site, to the enemy it was death. His household took a stand, but their armament was God provided

b.
Not the weapons of this world, but weapons of divine power. They battle strongholds of argument and pretense and wrong knowledge and wrong thought

c.
The sword of the Spirit. All else is defensive, but God’s spirit strikes the enemy

7.
It is both a challenge and comfort. I am not equal to the task of bearing the burden for whether a person lives or dies for all eternity. Comforting to know that the scripture recognizes my inadequacy and that it is only by carrying Christ in spirit that it comes to pass.

My Daily Journal:

In the lesson today I changed perspectives and looked at the battle and victory through Lot’s eyes.  At this point, Lot has been chained as a slave in captivity.  He has been marched off from his home, all of his possessions taken away, his family enslaved, he is helpless, with only one hope: Abram.

I can relate to Lot.  I am enslaved by sin.  I fight it off, but by my own strength I have no hope of staying free.  But, also like Lot’s relationship with Abram, I too have I have a family member, a savior who has elected to call me brother, who will pursue me, fight the evil ones that hold me in bondage and set me free.  Like Abram, Christ has an army of trained soldiers at the ready, clothed in the spiritual battlement.  They come, without reservation or condition, to rescue any of us that call on His name.  They do not expect us to free ourselves.  They do not hold back with thoughts that we have received no more than we have earned.  They just come and fight and vanquish.

I understand that I, too, am called to dress in the armor of God.  I am pleased to be called to serve.  But I am even more thankful for all the times in my life that Christ has sent soldiers in, whether fellow christians, angels or the holy spirit, to fight for me and to rescue me.

BSF Genesis: Week 13, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
a.
Amraphel of Shinar, Arioch of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer of Elam and Tidal of Goyim

b.
Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboyim, Zoar of Bela

c.
The plain of Shinar (Babel)

4.
a.
Decision to setup tents by the city of Sodom

b.
Choices on employment, choices on how to spend money and time, choices about whether to launch new ventures and how quickly to do them. Consequences affect myself, employees, family, readers, other believers. I also need to be talking with others about Christ. I need to pray about all of this.

My Daily Journal:

We know from the previous verses that the people of this valley were wicked.  In these verses we also see how inept the battle plans of the wicked are.

Here we see a big front.  5 kings allied against 4.  They draw up to fight on their home turf, in their own valley with naturally better ability to prepare to devise strategy, to prepare reinforcements.  What we see is that instead all they have is a big front.  There is nothing behind it.  At the first sign, they retreat.  Some are caught in the tar pits of their own turf, some flee to the hills.  The leaders themselves flee leaving the women, children, elderly and innocent to be taken by the enemy as slaves including ALL the food.

As Christians we fear confrontations with evil.  Evil today acts the same way, with a big scary front.  But like this battle, there is nothing behind it.  The soldiers are deserted, the leaders flee and they are caught up in their own lies and deceit.  I am not suggesting that we should discount the forces of evil, clearly they have the ability to cause harm and pain, but I am suggesting that under the power of the spirit of God, with the truth of the gospel, we need have no fear.

BSF Genesis: Week 12, Day 5

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

11.
a.
Look, (listen), Go, Walk through the length and breadth of the land

b.
give you every place where you set your foot. I will be with you. Be strong and courageous

12.

  • We give an account of ourselves on judgment day
  • appear before the judgment seat of Christ and receive what is due us
  • So that we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming

 

My Daily Journal:

God was training Abram.  Training requires movement.

My daughter is learning to drive.  But it is impossible to learn to drive sitting in the garage.  God wants to steer us in the right direction.  God wants to lead us on the path, the straight highway that leads to him.  But, like a rider on a bicycle, it is far easier to steer when there is movement.

How do we move as Christians?  By being missional.  By teaching and disciplining others.  By preaching the truth of the gospel and proclaiming the love of Christ for the world. By serving.

BSF Genesis: Week 12, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.

  • He let Lot choose his land
  • Better to be wronged and cheated than file lawsuits against believers in secular courts
  • be patient, make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit, bond of peace
  • Be kind and compassionate, forgiving, walk in the way of love

4.
a.
Age and covenant from God. God promised the land to Abram’s descendents, not to his cousin
b.
It is very difficult, especially since it affects not only self but also family. It is easier with relatives, but then even it is hard. It is against our greedy nature to purposefully allow others to pick the best of the bunch and take what is left.

My Daily Journal:

What if Abram and Lot weren’t supposed to part company?  I think most would agree that they faced a time of trial.  We read the story and see Abram as the gracious older uncle who gives up his right and allows Lot to choose the better land.  It is not that I don’t believe this to be true and I don’t mean to disparage Abram, but what if they weren’t supposed to part in the first place.  Lot was Abram’s ward, his pupil per se.  It states in the verses that the land could not support both of their flocks and they shared the land with the Canaanites and Perizzites.  Abram made the decision to part.  But should he have elected to reduce their flocks?  Could they have blessed their neighbors, would that have opened a new door?

I know this is a hypothetical rabbit hole, but it served as an interesting point to me and a good reminder that the true lesson isn’t that things turned out OK for Abram, but that ever so slowly Abram was learning not only to trust God but to trust Him first.  I am slowly learning this same lesson.  I trust God, but too often I make a decision based on my own viewpoint first.  This does not prevent God from acting and even blessing me, but it also doesn’t mean that I, necessarily, made the right decision.  Pray first, act second.

BSF Genesis: Week 11, Day 3

Today’s Scripture

Questions:

5.
a.
Make you into a great nation, bless you, make your name great, you will be a blessing, bless those who bless you, curse those who curse you, all people on earth will be bless through you.

b.
1. Nation of Israel, 2. Given a son in his old age, 3. Credited with righteousness (Rom 4), 4. Abraham saves Lot from capture 5. Joseph saved Egypt from drought, 6. Egypt’s losses through the plagues in Exodus, 7. Romans 9 – Promise through Jesus to all who are children of the promise through faith in God

6.

  • blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ
  • the hope to which he has called you, riches of his glorious inheritance, holy people
  • raised up with Christ, seated in the heavenly realms in Christ, riches of grace, kindness
  • Invisible things God prepared revealed to us by his Spirit
  • Portion and cup, security, pleasant boundaries, delightful inheritance

My Daily Journal:

Who have I blessed?

God’s promise to bless those who we bless comes up not only here for Abraham and his descendants, but also in the beatitudes that Christ preached.  I pray for others.  I teach others, particularly children.  I strive to live a life that reflects Christ’s love.  But I don’t spend much time thinking about how I can bless others.

I think it may be because, in comparison to the power and wisdom that I know God has, my words and actions seem so insignificant.  I end up standing back and, in prayer, try to direct God to all the places I think he should lead and go and pour out His power.  But that isn’t what this says, is it.  In these promises, God calls on us to put ourselves into the game.  Does that mean I am any bigger or God is any smaller, of course not.  But it means I’m engaged in the blessing.   And when I engage, God magnifies.

So, who can I bless?  Who can I send a card of encouragement to?  Who can I buy a meal or cup of coffee for?  Who can I call?  Who can I smile at?  Who can I share a word about the joy of the Lord with?  I’m looking forward to see what God does.

BSF Genesis: Week 11, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
His country, his people, his father’s household – His way of life.

4.

  • Called Apostles to leave fishing, follow him, become fishers of men, immed left boat, home
  • Follow me and let dead bury their own
  • Deny yourself, take up cross and follow-save live=lose it, lose for Him & gospel = save it
  • Love Jesus above all others (mom, dad, wife, kids) cost of discipleship is total sacrifice of self
  • Called out of darkness and anything of this world

My Daily Journal:

Do you have to leave home to become a fully devoted follower of Christ?

For most of us, the first response to that question is, “of course not.”  But, let’s look at all of those verses again.  Let’s look at the call to the apostles.  Let’s even look at Jesus’ life.

I think the challenge is that our neighborhoods shape us into their likeness more than we would like to believe.  We feel the pressure to spend our time picking up leaves when neighbors on both sides have leaf free lawns.  We get drawn into conversations about neighbors, teachers, who bought what, who is doing what, too much gossip.  We suffer from the “keeping up with the jones’ syndrom.”  All, whether we like it or intend to or not.

Do we have to leave our homes behind?  Not necessarily in a physical sense, if we are willing to do it in a spiritual and relationship sense.  As Christians our primary neighbor is Jesus.  Not only is He our neighbor but He is our Lord, the one we serve.  Our “norms” should be set by His commands for our life.  Our language should reflect the joy in our hearts for Him.  Our passion for others should always be an outpouring of the love He has for all of His creation.

What do you know about the 8 neighbors around you (the ones whose homes encircle yours)?  What do they know and see about your walk with God?  How do they see you spending your time, talents and money?  How much of your life do they see conforming to the neighborhood vs. living differently and transforming into holiness?

Maybe moving would be easier.

BSF Genesis: Week 9, Day 4

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

7.
a.
Confused their language and scattered them

b.
Continuously. God’s hand is in all things. He does not prevent man from sinning, but He limits it now as always. He does it by allowing the repercussions of sin to play out (greed, lust, hiding, cheating) By our actions we make our towers fall

8.
God is love. It is only through communion with God that we gain insight into communion with others. Without God, we find the primary focus of our love to be self-love which leads to greed, self-serving, objectification of people, etc…

9.
a.
There are about 6800 spoken languages in the world today. But God has the power to touch the lips and ears of all people so they can hear His truth being spoken clearly

b.
Speak the truth in my language to all who I come in contact. Speak the truth in my actions to all who I come in contact. Speak the truth to myself about God. Speak the truth to God about himself, me and all those who I come in contact. Daily walk with God.

My Daily Journal:

I’ve struggled with the main message of this week, but today’s lesson helped it become clear.

The key phrase that I picked up on that was repeated 3 times is “come, let us”.

The people of this land and this time were trying to form a community without God.  They wanted to make their own kingdom inside God’s kingdom but without God in it.  It centers around them and what they want and how great they are, not God.

God longs for community with His creation.  That is why we were created.  That is what God is.  The Trinity is a divine community and God welcomes us in to it, he seeks us out and saves us so we can join.  Christ’s mission was to bring mankind back into the unity of the original creation before sin.  When ever 2 or more are gathered in His name, He is present.  God loves community, friendships, marriage, relationships, all with Him.

But we don’t include God in all of our communities, do we?  We compartmentalize Him.  God is great for our church community, but don’t talk about Him at work or school.  This is a sports team, not a Sunday school class.  My neighbors don’t go to church or believe but they are fun to hang around with.  If I want to be in the “in group” at school/work, then I need to tone down my chistian-speak.

We also hear it in the works that we do in “the community.”  We are welcoming to churches and church groups, but don’t push religion while you are doing the work, don’t proselytize.  Just be quiet and do the work, feed the people, build the homes, help the sick, but don’t bring God into it and you are welcome.

I particularly see it at this time of year because so many “community organizations” are collecting things for “the holidays.”  You know, the one day holiday where people get together and exchange gifts.  Don’t say the word – we don’t want any of that church stuff in our community, we just want the holy days, uh, holidays for our community without God.

In my opinion, it wasn’t the tower that pained God.  It was that they were using His word to form communities without Him.  They were using his word to confuse people into joining communities that excluded him.

So what does He do?  They wish to be confused and spread confusion, let them be confused – they aren’t using God’s Word to do it though.  They want to bond together without God, scatter them.

Want to feel less scattered and confused?  Bring God back into all your communities.  Commune with others and God.

BSF Genesis: Week 9, Day 3

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

5.
a.
They conspire and plot in vain, they attempt to band together to replace God. They are rebuked by God

b.
We seek to replace God or, at a minimum, to remake God in our image instead of the other way around. We build up towers of praise to ourselves, but ignore the divine one who provides all

6.
Jesus (the way, truth, life). Salvation is found in no one else – Jesus is the only name by which we must be saved.

b.
Through prayer and study of His word. Through acts of random kindness that reflect His love for His people. For intentional life to devote time and talents to His work.

c. God wants me to reach out to Him in all things – I still struggle with a “me do” approach, calling on God to be my wingman instead of recognizing it is His sky.

 

My Daily Journal:

What am I building?

The key thought that struck me today was “why a tower?”

I mean, if they wanted to build, they could have built anything, right?  Better roads, water systems, schools, hospitals, housing for the poor.  But they chose to build a tower.  Why?

Towers raise us up.  They don’t hold everyone so they naturally elevate some over others.  They allow those in the tower to look down on their kingdoms.  They raise them up out of the muck of everyday life and all the messy people.

They also offer some protection.  it is easier to see attacks coming from a tower and to fire arrows down on your foes.

They are also a means of pride and intimidation.  In battle they would raise the flag high on a pole so all could see and rally around it.  How much more so a tower of bricks.

We still build a lot of towers.  Some would argue that many of our churches and ways of living out our beliefs take the shape of fortresses with high and lofty ideals that we raise up as towers for others to see.  It is understandable, because so much of our faith and views are constantly under attack.

But we don’t need to build towers or strength.  God is our tower.  A mighty fortress is our God (to quote Luther).

What are we called to build?  I think a good answer to that comes from John 1:23 where John the Baptist references Isaiah in his message:  “Make straight the paths for the Lord.”

I am called to be missional.  Where do I need to build more bridges and fewer towers?

BSF Genesis: Week 9, Day 2

Today’s Scriptures

Questions:

3.
in the fertile crescent between the Tigres and Euphretes.
More map links:

4.
a.
11:1 one language 4 make a name for ourselves 4 otherwise we will be scattered

b.
To fill the earth – they didn’t want to spread out

c.
break the 10 commandments, and do not Love the lord your God with… They love themselves, love money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy…Having a form of godliness but denying its power.

 

My Daily Journal:

Settle.

Where in your life are you trying to settle?  I hear it all the time.  When things calm down then I will…  I’ve just been so busy, but someday…  When I retire, I am going to…

The people at this time decided to settle.  They found a nice place, a lush valley, and they settled.  It was time to enjoy their kingdom.  It was time to build the things they wanted to build to make a name for themselves.  It was time to work on their legacy, as the saying goes.

But God didn’t call them (or us for that matter) to settle.  He called us to take His word to the ends of the earth.  He called us to do His will.  While we have breath left in our body, there is work to be done.

It is not that God is against rest – He created it.  But rest is not a destination.  Rest is part of the rhythm of life.  God has so much more for us – why would we every want to settle for less?

Settle.