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

  December 2: The Mystery of God Jeremiah 3:1–4:18; Colossians 1:15–2:5 ; Proverbs 11:1–12 “God wanted to make known what is the glorious wealth of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Paul’s use of the word “mystery” in this passage may strike us as a bit strange. How is the person and work of Christ shrouded in secrecy? And why would Paul present Christ as a mystery if his point is that God wanted to make Christ known? The answer is found in the culture of early Colossae, a city known for its infatuation with magic and the occult. Among the Gentile cults, “mystery” was often associated with a secret ritual that people must perform to create a relationship with a god. False teachers in the community at Colossae were promoting alternative ways to get to God—secret rituals that would lead to special knowledge for a select few. Paul contextualizes the gospel for the Colossians. He adopts this “mystery” language to show that C...

  December 1: The Calling of Jeremiah, Colossae, and Us Jeremiah 1:1–2:37 ; Colossians 1:1–14 ; Proverbs 10:1–32 We all have trouble accepting our calling. When God asks us to do His work, we tend to wonder whether we’re able to execute His will. We are not alone in this—the prophet Jeremiah felt the same way. “And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you came out from the womb I consecrated you; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.’ Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth’ ” (Jer 1:4–6). Jeremiah had been chosen by God before his birth , and yet he struggles. The issue at the heart of Jeremiah’s hesitancy is doubt about how it will all play out. A simple reframing of his call creates the reassurance he needs: “ ‘Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,’ declares Yahweh. Then Yahweh stretched out his hand, and he touched my mouth, and Yahweh s...

  November 27: When Hezekiah Gave Away the Farm 2 Kings 18:13–19:37 ; Ephesians 2:1–3:21; Proverbs 8:19–26 After the announcement that Hezekiah “did right in the eyes of Yahweh,” the following description comes as a surprise: “At that time, Hezekiah cut off the doors of the temple of Yahweh and the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and he gave them to the king of Assyria” (2 Kgs 18:3, 16). For a moment, Hezekiah was a strong king over Israel—he abolished idolatry and refused to obey the king of Assyria (2 Kgs 18:4, 7). As 2 Kings 18:6 describes, “He held on to Yahweh; he did not depart from following him, and he kept his commands that Yahweh had commanded Moses.” But Hezekiah did not possess fortitude (see 2 Kgs 18:13–18). In an attempt to gain peace, he gave away not only treasures but even pieces of Yahweh’s temple itself (2 Kgs 18:15–16). We’ve all been in situations where it’s tempting to do anything for peace, and perhaps we’ve even compromised our ...

  November 26: A Moment to Reflect 2 Kings 17:6–18:12; Ephesians 1:1–23 ; Proverbs 8:9–18 Anyone will admit that Wisdom is more than just knowledge. We think of Wisdom as thoughtful insight acquired with life experience. However, Paul and the author of Proverbs tell us that it is not something we gain with age and some good direction. Wisdom is inseparable from the fear of God. The author of Proverbs tells us Wisdom is “knowledge and discretion” ; it’s associated with the desire to fear God, and it is a reward to those who seek it out. “I love those who love me,” says Wisdom personified. “Those who seek me diligently shall find me” (Prov 8:17). Paul speaks of Wisdom in light of understanding the grand story of salvation we’re part of. When writing to the Ephesians, Paul prays that they will receive a specific type of spirit so they can grow in faith— “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of ...

  November 20: Rejected and Despised by Men 2 Kings 6:1–7:20; Mark 15:16–47 ; Proverbs 6:20–27 In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ crucifixion and death occur in stages of mockery and humiliation. The story is propelled by those who scorn—the soldiers, the chief priests and scribes, and even those who pass by. Jesus is spat on, stripped of His clothing, and mockingly forced to wear a purple robe with a crown of thorns. Throughout, He silently receives His undue punishment. It’s not until Jesus nears death that Mark slows the narrative: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ (which is translated, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ ) ” (Mark 15:34). These words have been spoken before, and this pain and humiliation has previously been told. In Psalm 22, the psalmist cries out to God in the midst of being mocked and scorned by his enemies. The song of lament relates the bitter anguish the psalmist experiences at the hands of enem...

  November 19: Pain, Anguish, and Resurrection 2 Kings 4:18–5:27 ; Mark 14:51–15:15; Proverbs 6:12–19 Pain and anguish resound in the narrative of the Shunammite’s son and Elisha (2 Kgs 4:18–37). Reading the story, we can’t help but feel empathy for the Shunammite woman whose son has died. Yet Elisha seems so cavalier. What would prompt him to act this way? What is Elisha teaching us in this series of events? Even those who have experienced miracles struggle to accept that God can handle anything. The Shunammite woman remarks to Elisha, “Did I ask for a son from my lord? Did I not say that you must not mislead me?” (2 Kgs 4:28). Elisha seems to recognize God’s capability, however, even when his colleague, Gehazi, and the Shunammite woman fail to see it. Elisha is so confident in God’s work that he remarks to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins [meaning ‘get ready’] and take my staff in your hand and go. If you meet anyone, you must not greet them; if anyone greets you, you must not ans...

  November 18: Warring Tendencies and Spiritual Airs 2 Kings 3:1–4:17; Mark 14:22–50 ; Proverbs 6:6–11 “I will do this!” I declare as I resolve to get in shape, eat better, save money, study and meditate on the Word more, journal more, read more. My plans escalate, growing grander in scale and depth. Although I succeed in them for a while, I easily become overwhelmed when I can’t live up to the inflated vision I’ve projected for myself. It’s especially easy to do this spiritually. It’s simple to hand out godly advice with a spiritual air, to speak wise words about past failings (read subtext: “Look how far I’ve come!” ), and to talk about personal growth. But when we mess up on a colossal scale, it’s humiliating and surprising to all—especially ourselves. “What happened?” we might ask. “I was doing so well!” Simon Peter had a tendency to make grand plans: “Even if they all fall away, certainly I will not!” he declared, proclaiming his loyalty to the Savior (Mark 14:29). They...

  November 17: When in Need 2 Kings 1:1–2:5 ; Mark 13:24–14:21; Proverbs 6:1–5 When we encounter trouble, we tend to look wherever we can for help: We turn in whatever direction seems most promising at the moment. In doing so, we may unwittingly walk away from Yahweh. Should practicality or convenience stand between God and us? When King Ahaziah falls through a lattice and is injured, he seeks help from a foreign god rather than Yahweh—likely because it seems natural or right. He thinks the god of Ekron, Baal-Zebub, can provide the healing he needs. But what Ahaziah sees as a desperate situation is actually an opportunity for Yahweh to act; Yahweh plans to use this situation for His glory. When Ahaziah sends messengers to Ekron, Yahweh intercedes. Elijah approaches them bearing a word from Yahweh that had been spoken to him by an angel: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” (2 Kgs 1:3). When we experience phys...

  November 16: I (Don’t) Want to Hear It 1 Kings 22:1–53 ; Mark 12:35–13:23; Proverbs 5:11–23 My attempts to find guidance are often flawed. I long for honest appraisal of my actions, but I can sometimes be sneaky about choosing my appraiser. When those who know me present a real, raw look at my life and offer hard, helping words, I can become defensive and angry. I might pick a fresh voice instead—someone who doesn’t know my weaknesses and tendencies. “They’re not biased,” I tell myself. When Ahab and Jehoshaphat combine forces to recapture Ramoth-gilead from the Syrians, they want divine assurance. However, they aren’t necessarily willing to receive divine direction. Ahab, king of Israel, inquires of his 400 prophets, and they assure him of victory. Jehoshaphat isn’t convinced, so he asks for “a prophet of Yahweh.” Ahab’s response isn’t so far from my own: “Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one man to inquire from Yahweh, but I despise him, for h...

  November 15: Economics, Currency, and Caesar 1 Kings 20:26–21:29; Mark 12:1–34 ; Proverbs 5:1–10 Jesus’ command to pay taxes is one of the trickier passages in the nt. The actual line isn’t tricky— “Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God” (Mark 12:17)—but its origins and Jesus’ exact reasoning aren’t as clear. People have taken this passage to suggest that Jesus was in favor of government or taxes. But this interpretation misses the point. We’re meant to learn from Jesus here, not take away some regulation. Certainly Jesus condones paying taxes and charity work, but those points touch only on the basics of His statement. First, Jesus is annoyed. The Pharisees and Herodians are testing Him with this question, and He doesn’t approve. His reaction suggests that simply taking away a “law” here would sadden Him, for that’s all the Pharisees and Herodians cared about (Mark 12:15). The “law” would address only the political question. Jesus goes on to ...

  November 14: Staying the Course 1 Kings 19:1–20:25; Mark 11:1–33; Proverbs 4:18–27 “May your eyes look forward and your gaze be straight before you. May the path of your foot be balanced and all your ways be sure. Do not swerve right or left; remove your foot from evil” (Prov 4:25–27). These verses reflect someone who has incredible purpose. I imagine an acrobat walking a tightrope—knees bent, one foot carefully placed in front of the other, and nothing but a slender rope keeping him from plummeting to the ground. Such efforts would require incredible calm, effort, and focus—especially focus. The body naturally follows the path of our eyes, which is detrimental if we’re focused on the wrong thing. The idea of staying the course illustrates God’s path and purpose for us. When we act, speak, and follow that path, we are carrying out His will for our lives. But there’s a problem: We can’t. All of our efforts are tainted. Our knees are bound to buckle, we’re sure to misstep, and ...

  October 29: Apocalyptic at Its Best Daniel 7:1–8:27 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:1–12; Job 41:21–34 Daniel is full of spooky scenes. If Daniel doesn’t scare you a bit, you’ve probably watched too many horror movies. Apocalyptic literature in the Bible has a way of playing tricks on us. It’s full of vivid imagery that can be haunting—and that’s intentional. The pictures it paints are meant to stay with us, and we’re told to remember what these passages are teaching. Of course, the same can be said of the entire Bible, but apocalyptic literature is incredibly vivid because its message requires us to choose: to follow or turn away from God at the most critical time—the end. Daniel’s dreams, including those recorded in Dan 7:3–14, are images of what is and is to come. The beasts in Daniel were evocative symbols for his audience. When they heard of the lion with eagles, they envisioned Babylon (Dan 7:4). When the bear appeared, they thought of Media (Dan 7:5). Likewise, the leopard with fo...

October 28: Respect Daniel 5:1–6:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:12–28 ; Job 41:10–20 Instead of easing the burdens of our church leaders, we often add to them. The sometimes thankless job of ministry is weighed down by taking and not giving, complaining, and squirming under authority. We can see from Paul’s letters that church communities haven’t changed much since the first century. In his letter to the believers in Thessalonica, Paul requests: “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and rule over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them beyond all measure in love, because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thess 5:12). A passage like this might convict us of our wrong attitude or lack of service. We might make a more significant effort to love and respect those who are in positions of authority. Or we might try to ease a load of our leaders by serving in our communities. But unless we address the disorder within our hearts, our efforts won’t l...

  October 25: Good Opportunities and Difficult Decisions Daniel 1:1–2:16 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:1–3:5; Job 40:3–12 When Daniel is invited to dine at the king’s table—a great honor reserved for the favored (Dan 1:1–4)—he turns down the offer. Instead of eating food and wine fit for a king, Daniel and the other Israelites settle on a diet of vegetables and water (Dan 1:12). Daniel’s decision seems to contradict human nature. When a good situation comes along (like being invited to eat at the royal table), we often jump at the chance. Yet in doing so, we may fail to consider the ramifications. Daniel knows that eating at the king’s table means compromising Yahweh’s commands against eating certain foods. So when he’s offered a great opportunity, he is bold enough to say no and to offer an alternative (Dan 1:10–14). Daniel knows that God will provide for those who love Him. He also knows that being in God’s will is more important than anything else, even if it means facing opposition. ...

October 23: The Time, Space, and Money Continuum Ezekiel 45:1–46:24 ; Revelation 22:1–21 ; Job 39:11–23 When we think of setting things apart for God, we usually think of money first. But what about our time or even a place? Ezekiel 45:1 speaks of setting aside land for God: “And when you allocate the land as an inheritance, you shall provide a contribution for Yahweh as a holy portion from the land, its length being twenty-five thousand cubits and its width ten thousand cubits; it is holy in all its territory, all around” (Ezek 45:1). We’re comfortable with the idea of donating money; we recognize that others need our help and our churches need our support. But there are other reasons for giving. Giving itself is a righteous and perhaps sacred act. It forces us to acknowledge that all we have belongs to God—He is the provider. Giving puts us in right standing before God in a powerful way. Similarly, allocating time and space to God helps us understand our place before Him. When we des...

  October 21: Visions of Grandeur Ezekiel 41:1–42:20 ; Revelation 20:7–21:8 ; Job 38:34–41 In times of struggle, a vision of grander glory is often enough to move us beyond our current circumstances. We find encouragement in glimpsing the vastness and power of God’s plan. When Ezekiel and God’s people are weary and desperate for hope, God gives His prophet an unusual vision: He shows Ezekiel the temple—not as it is, but as it should be. The temple symbolizes Yahweh’s presence among His people. It points them toward proper worship and life. It reminds them not only of who He is, but who they are meant to be. As we tour the temple with Ezekiel, we see that God intends to restore not only the temple, but also proper worship (Ezek 40:1–42:20). John the apostle’s vision recorded in Revelation echoes Ezekiel’s: “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea did not exist any longer. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusale...

October 19: Big Picture Hope Ezekiel 38:1–39:24 ; Revelation 19:1–10 ; Job 38:12–24 Some Bible passages are so perplexing that we’re not really sure what to make of them. Such is the case with Ezek 38:1–39:24. As we closely examine this text, we can easily lose sight of its message. We can find ourselves so lost in the details that the big picture becomes fuzzy. So what is the big picture presented in this passage? God is on the side of His people; He will fight for them. This message is comforting. We all experience times when we feel like an ancient Israelite, lost and wandering in the desert. We go through times when we’re not sure what’s next or how it will all end up. But when we realize that God is there to war on our behalf—even in the midst of supreme chaos and paradise interrupted (compare Ezek 37)—our viewpoint quickly shifts. When we feel as though we’re blindly grasping for answers in the smoke that is the future, startling realizations like the type Ezekiel envisions can p...

  October 17: Shepherding Is a Tough Business Ezekiel 34:1–35:15 ; Revelation 17:1–18; Job 37:16–24 Leadership requires accountability, yet many leaders of the past considered themselves above rebuke. Even when their deeds failed to catch up to them in their own lifetimes, history judged them clearly. History often remembers and records people as they really are. And if history doesn’t recall the truth, God does. Ezekiel was firm in his rebuke of the leaders of his time; Yahweh commanded him to be.  “And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and you must say to them, to the shepherds, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh: ‘Woe to the shepherds of Israel who were feeding themselves! Must not the shepherds feed the flock? The fat you eat, and you clothe yourself with the wool; the well-nourished animals you slaughter, but you do not feed the flock ”  (Ezek 34:1–3). During Ezekiel’s lifetime, the leaders of God...

October 14: Persist, Don’t Just Exist Ezekiel 28:1–29:21; Revelation 13:11–14:13 ; Job 36:24–33 The phrase “patient endurance” brings to mind the pasted-on smile of a parent regarding a misbehaving child—a parent clinging to the hope that someday this stage will pass. In Revelation, the term is used in a much different way. “Here is the patient endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith in Jesus” (Rev 14:12). The statement is set in the context of judgment, and here the phrase requires more than simply sitting still and enduring persecution. It’s intended to encourage first-century believers to actively abandon the sins of the day: idolatry, pride, oppression. Encouraging patient endurance was a call for early Christians to persevere by pursuing righteousness—to follow Christ faithfully even while enduring a period of suffering (Rev 14:12). Patient endurance is active persistence, loyalty, and discernment. We get this sense as John continues: “And I...

October 12: Kingdom Politics Ezekiel 24:1–25:17; Revelation 11:15–12:17 ; Job 36:1–12 We sometimes jump on the bandwagon with politics. Yet if we put our full trust in political candidates or believe their rise to power is an indication of our future—a common campaign platform—we’re putting our hope in something transitory. No earthly person or kingdom has an absolute rule. The book of Revelation surprisingly portrays this. In the last book of the Bible, God’s judgment is loosed, and it can be overwhelming to read and interpret. Six trumpets, blown consecutively by angels, unleash God’s judgment. When the seventh trumpet blows, we expect the decision to be set in motion yet again. Instead, a loud voice from heaven announces a different, glorious event: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15). This seems like a strange turn of events, but it’s the culmination of plans and actions that have been happe...