DAILY, WEEKEND, AND HOLIDAY INTERNET EVANGELIZE TO THE WORLD MINISTRY

The Temptation of Jesus Excerpt Each of these temptations attacks Jesus at one of his strong points — his power to work miracles, his longing to change the world and his need to spread his message . But, in each case, Jesus answers Satan with words of [ S ] cripture . He draws on the hard-won lessons that the Israelites learned in their wilderness years with Moses. If Jesus is to fulfil the calling of Israel, he must worship God alone ( Deuteronomy  6:13 ). He must rely on God’s word for his life , just as he relies on bread for his body ( Deuteronomy  8:3 ). There is to be no complaining, no cheating and no turning back ( Deuteronomy  6:16 ). Jesus wins this first struggle with the devil, but Satan will return. These temptations are crucial for Jesus . In the months that follow, he will feed a multitude, refuse to become king and resist the taunts to escape from the cross. These are the very choices he made in the desert.  More Know...

Contrasts and Conflicts Excerpt Instead of passing judgment on the woman, Jesus passed judgment on the judges! No doubt He was indignant at the way they treated the woman. He was also concerned that such hypocrites should condemn another person and not judge themselves. We do not know what He wrote on the dirt floor of the temple. Was He simply reminding them that the Ten Commandments had been originally written “by the finger of God ” ( Ex.  31:18 ), and that He is God ? Or was He perhaps reminding them of the warning in  Jeremiah 17:13 ? It was required by Jewish Law that the accusers cast the first stones ( Deut.  17:7 ). Jesus was not asking that sinless men judge the woman, for He was the only sinless Person present. If our judges today had to be perfect, judicial benches would be empty. He was referring to  the particular sin of the woman,  a sin that can be committed in the heart as well as with the body ( Matt.  5:27–30 ). Con...

Introduction Excerpt ‎For various reasons, it is highly desirable to read the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation . Thus, the Old Testament prepares for the New , a cumulative knowledge of the Bible , so valuable in education, is secured, and a true perspective of religious history and truth is obtained. One who does this reading is prepared to understand and appreciate the myriads of allusions and references to sacred literature contained in secular history, literature, art, law, and life in general. ‎Every person’s life is a success or a wreck, or something between the two, and according as he does or does not govern it by the precepts of God’s Holy Word . ‘The way of the ungodly shall perish, but the path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” The foregoing should prove a powerful incentive to every seeker after truth to read the Bible through. …  More Adams, A. Dana.  4000 Questions & Answers on the ...

Human Spirit or Holy Spirit Romans 8:10 Excerpt The last part of this verse (literally but the Spirit [is] life because of righteousness” ) is also difficult. Paul may be referring to the human spirit (see TEV alternative “your spirit is alive ) or to the Holy Spirit . The TEV takes the latter alternative,  the Spirit is life for you . Throughout this entire passage (and definitely in verse  11 ) Paul is using the term  Spirit  as a reference to God’s Spirit , and so it seems likely that in this verse also he is referring to the Spirit of God . The TEV takes Paul’s term “righteousness” in the same sense in which Paul so frequently uses it:  you have been put right with God .  More Newman, Barclay Moon, and Eugene Albert Nida.  A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans . New York: United Bible Societies, 1973. Print. UBS Handbook Series.

The Symbolism of the Right Hand Hebrews 1:13 Excerpt The right hand is the traditional place of power and authority in the biblical world. Christ not only laid the foundations of the earth, and possesses endless life and existence, He also exercises all the power and authority of Deity .  More Richards, Lawrence O.  The Bible Reader’s Companion . electronic ed. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1991. Print.

Jesus’ Teaching on Abrahamic Descent Excerpt The question whether those Jews who have believed in Jesus have exercised true faith is immediately raised by the way in which Jesus addresses them— If you remain in my word, you are truly my disciples.  In fact, the test of true discipleship is a continuing allegiance to Jesus’ teaching , a knowing of the truth which is able to liberate one from the sphere of sin and death— you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free .  As the similar statement about freedom in v.  36  will make clear, this liberating truth can be summed up as God’s revelation embodied in Jesus (cf. also  14:6 ).  More Lincoln, Andrew T.  The Gospel according to Saint John . London: Continuum, 2005. Print. Black’s New Testament Commentary.

To Make Holy John 17:19 Excerpt The vb.  ἁγιάζω  [ 'to make holy' ] is used 17 times pass. and 11 times act. The following are made holy or are holy (pass.): the name of God ( Matt 6:9  par.  Luke 11:2 ); those who believe ( John 17:19b ;  Acts 20:32 ;  26:18 ;  1 Cor 1:2 ;  6:11 ;  7:14  [twice];  2 Tim 2:21 ), who are all consecrated through the one Son ( Heb 2:11b ; cf.  10:10 ,  14 ); everything which God has created ( 1 Tim 4:5 ); and, finally, Christ himself , who is consecrated through the blood of the covenant ( Heb 10:29  [referring to  Exod 24:8 ]). In pass. constructions God is very frequently to be understood as the subject of the consecration (divine passive).  More Balz, Horst Robert, and Gerhard Schneider.  Exegetical dictionary of the New Testament   1990– : 17. Print.

February 28: Neon Gods Leviticus 26–27 ; John 10:22–42; Song of Solomon 8:10–14 Idolatry seems archaic. Who worships idols anymore? We all know that in other countries, traditional idol worship of gold and wooden statues still goes on, but we often forget about our own idols. What does all our furniture point toward? Why do we care who is on the cover of a magazine? How do you feel if you miss your favorite talk show? If we’re really honest, what do we spend the majority of our time thinking about? Idols are everywhere, and most of us are idol worshipers of some kind. When we put this in perspective, suddenly the words of Lev 26 become relevant again. The problem that is addressed in Leviticus is the same problem we’re dealing with today. Leviticus 26 and its harsh words against idolatry should prompt each of us to ask, “What are my idols?” and then to answer with, “I will end my idolatry.” And if the temptation is too great with these things present in our lives (lik...

Morning, February 28                     Go To Evening Reading “My expectation is from him .” — Psalm 62:5 It is the believer’s privilege to use this language. If he is looking for aught from the world, it is a poor “expectation” indeed. But if he looks to God for the supply of his wants, whether in temporal or spiritual blessings, his “expectation” will not be a vain one. Constantly he may draw from the bank of faith, and get his need supplied out of the riches of God’s lovingkindness . This I know, I had rather have God for my banker than all the Rothschilds. My Lord never fails to honour his promises ; and when we bring them to his throne , he never sends them back unanswered. Therefore I will wait only at his door , for he ever opens it with the hand of munificent grace. At this hour I will try him anew. But we have “expectations” beyond this life. We shall die soon; and then our “expectation is from him.” Do we...

February 28th Do ye now believe? By this, we believe … Jesus answered, Do ye now believe? John 16:30–31 . ‘Now we believe.’ Jesus says— ‘Do you? The time is coming when you will leave Me alone.’ Many a Christ ian worker has left Jesus Christ alone and gone into work from a sense of duty, or from a sense of need arising out of his own particular discernment. The reason for this is the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus . The soul has got out of intimate contact with God by leaning on its own religious understanding. There is no sin in it, and no punishment attached to it; but when the soul realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ  and produced for himself perplexities and sorrows and difficulties, it is with shame and contrition he has to come back. We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus much deeper down, to get into the habit of steadily referring everything back to Him ; instead of this we make our commonsense decisions and...

February 28 Forgetting those things which are behind … I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil. 3:13 , 14 It is not by regretting what is irreparable that true work is to be done, but by making the best of what we are. It is not by complaining that we have not the right tools, but by using well the tools we have. What we are and where we are, is God’s providential arrangement — God’s doing , though it may be man’s misdoing. Life is a series of mistakes, and he is not the best Christ ian who makes the fewest false steps. He is the best who wins the most splendid victories by the retrieval of mistakes. F. W. Robertson  Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour . Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Love Your Wives Excerpt Present active imperative, “keep on loving.” That is precisely the point.  Be not bitter  ( μη   πικραινεσθε [ mē  pikrainesthe ]). Present middle imperative in prohibition: “Stop being bitter” or “do not have the habit of being bitter.” This is the sin of husbands.  Πικραινω  [ Pikrainō ] is an old verb from  πικρος [ pikros ] (bitter). In N.T. only here and  Rev. 8:11 ;  10:9f . The bitter word rankles in the soul.  More Robertson, A.T.  Word Pictures in the New Testament . Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933. Print.

Hospitality Mark 6:10–11 Excerpt [Hospitality is] the act of friendship shown a visitor. Hospitality in the ancient Near East was tightly bound up in customs and practices which all were expected to observe. As in an intricately choreographed dance, where any participant who does not observe his or her role must either learn it, or leave the dance if the whole  is not to be jeopardized, so it was with the customs of ancient hospitality. One ignored the customs at one’s own peril. To try to understand those carefully structured and rigidly observed practices regarding the relative informality of modern Western practices of hospitality would be complete to misunderstand  them.  More Achtemeier, Paul J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature.  Harper’s Bible dictionary  1985: 408. Print .

Sheol Psalm 139:8 Excerpt Hebrew term for the place of the dead. In ordinary usage, it means “ravine,” “chasm,” “underworld,” or “world of the dead.” In the OT it is the place where the dead have their abode, a hollow space underneath the earth where the dead are gathered in. Synonyms for Sheol are “pit,” “death,” and “destruction” ( Abaddon ). Sheol is a place of shadows and utter silence. Here all existence is in suspense, yet it is not a nonplace, but rather a place where life is no more. It is described as the Land of Forgetfulness . Those who dwell there cannot praise God ( Ps 88:10–12 ). In Revelation, it is called the “bottomless pit” presided over by Abaddon, the prince of the pit ( Rv 9:11 ).  More Elwell, Walter A., and Philip Wesley Comfort.  Tyndale Bible dictionary  2001: 1191. Print. Tyndale Reference Library.

Herod Luke 1:5 Excerpt From 37 until his death in 4  b.c.,  Herod ruled as king of the Jews, a reign marked by his total loyalty to Rome, his grandiose and sometimes magnificent building programs, his family strife, and his harsh repression of any opposition. Herod showed an uncanny ability to maintain favor with the Roman leadership, managing, for example, to switch his allegiance from Antony to Octavian (later Augustus) after the Battle of Actium in 31  b.c. In honor of Augustus, Herod rebuilt ancient Samaria into the Hellenistic city of Sebaste (Gk., ‘Augustus’ ), and he constructed, on the site of a minor anchorage on the Mediterranean coast called Strato’s Tower, the magnificently planned and constructed city of Caesarea Maritima, a major port and the Roman administrative center for Palestine. There is much to admire in Caesarea, including the enormous blocks of stone with which a breakwater was constructed to make a harbor, the sewers that were designed t...

February 27: Reality Can Bite Leviticus 23–25; John 10:1–21 ; Song of Solomon 8:6–9 Reality shows are all about people who are known or want to be known—they have celebrity syndrome. The root cause of this obsession is probably, like most things, a disconnect from our Maker . As people disconnect from the God who made us, we seek affirmation from other sources. And as wrong as this desire may be, our culture makes it feel like second nature. The Jewish people Jesus spoke to also felt displaced. They were a people who had lost touch with their guide—their shepherd. Jesus is the answer to their call. Echoing Ezekiel 34:11–24 , He says, “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” But Jesus goes one step further by adding, “and I lay down my life for the sheep” ( John 10:14–15 ). Jesus promises that He will know us, and by echoing the very words of God , He is claiming that He is the God of Israel—He ...

Morning, February 27                     Go To Evening Reading “Thou hast made the Lord , which is my refuge, even the most High , thy habitation.” — Psalm 91:9 The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change . Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but tomorrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hill side, or along the arid waste of the wilderness. They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of “Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!” They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God , his cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire. They must go onward from place to...

February 27th The impoverished ministry of Jesus From whence then hast Thou that living water? John 4:11 . “The well is deep” —and a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! Think of the depths of human nature, of human life, think of the depths of the ‘wells’ in you. Have you been impoverishing the ministry of Jesus so that He cannot do anything? Suppose there is a well of fathomless trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes and says— “Let not your heart be troubled” ; and you shrug your shoulders and say— ‘But, Lord , the well is deep; You cannot draw up quietness and comfort out of it.’ No, He will bring them down from above. Jesus does not bring anything up from the wells of human nature. We limit the Holy One of Israel by remembering what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past, and by saying— ‘Of course I cannot expect God to do this thing.’ The thing that taxes almightiness is the very thing which as disciples of Jesus we ought to believe He will...

February 27 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me John 14:6 Heaven often seems distant and unknown, but if He who made the road thither is our guide, we need not fear to lose the way. We do not want to see far ahead—only far enough to discern Him and trace His footsteps .… They who follow Christ , even through the darkness, will surely reach the Father . Henry Van Dyke  Hardman, Samuel G., and Dwight Lyman Moody. Thoughts for the Quiet Hour . Willow Grove, PA: Woodlawn Electronic Publishing, 1997. Print.

Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Epiphany Last Sunday after the Epiphany The Transfiguration of Our Lord Old Testament Deuteronomy 18:15–18 Psalm Psalm 2 New Testament 2 Peter 1:16–21 Gospel Matthew 17:1–9   Christian Worship One Year Lectionary . Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2009. Print.

Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Epiphany Transfiguration Sunday Last Sunday After the Epiphany Year A Old Testament Exodus 24:12–18 Psalm Psalm 2 or Psalm 99 New Testament 2 Peter 1:16–21 Gospel Matthew 17:1–9   Revised Common Lectionary . Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2009. Print.

Sunday, February 26, 2017 | Epiphany Transfiguration Sunday Readings for Transfiguration are used on the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday. Year A Old Testament Exodus 24:12–18 Psalm Psalm 99 (UMH 819) New Testament 2 Peter 1:16–21 Gospel Matthew 17:1–9  Vanderbilt Divinity Library. United Methodist Revised Common Lectionary . Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2009. Print.