Bible reading update week 4

January is finished! The first 25 days worth of reading done! Genesis is complete, Acts is about half finished, and Matthew is 1/3 of the way to its completion! The post will cover thoughts, observations, and randomness from: Genesis 41-50; Psalm 18-23; Matthew 8-10:1-20; Acts 11-15:1-21:

• Matthew 8:1- The crowds respect teaching truth. So often we sugar coat telling people about God or sin, and sometimes we avoid teaching truth to people because we are afraid of how they will react to us and to what we have to say. Tolerance is the buzzword that we hear in the world, and yet I think we can be fall to this as well when we avoid speaking the truth in love.
• One of the huge themes of Matthew is the authority of Jesus. Jesus has it, we are given it by him, but we are always under his authority. It is by his name that we can do what he calls us to do. We can get caught up in the whole "I have given you authority" that we forget that we are still under His and that we are called to use that authority to make disciples.
• Acts 11- Peter has to go up to Jerusalem because there is word the Gentiles have received the word of God. Peter tells them of his vision then says in verse 17 "who was I that I could stand in God's way". Peter knew that if he didn't change he would be standing in God's way. We are the ones who stop what God wants to do in the world. The church. And God wants us to preach repentance that leads to live (verse 18). It comes from God, we can't gain it on our own.
• Genesis 41- Here we begin to see the reason why Joseph has been brought to Egypt- the famine. God tells Pharaoh about the famine, but no one can interpret the dream. Except Joseph. Because of his insight, Pharaoh chooses him to lead the initiative to stockpile food, to prepare for the famine. In the midst of jail, slavery and all the other hardships that Joseph endured, God had a plan. His plan moves forward even when it doesn't seem like it is going the right direction. This is why patience is such an important characteristic. Waiting on the Lord isn't easy. It is much harder to wait on what He is doing than in other seasons. But the waiting is a deep preparation time. Never try to rush God.
• Matthew 8:18-22. We follow Jesus on his terms. It is always on his terms. He is not in the deal making business. When we try to set the terms and follow him by those, we aren't following him. We are following ourselves. His way doesn't change it is forward constantly.
• Psalm 19. God leaves us no excuses. He reveals himself in nature and in his word, a light to inspire us to greatness and His glory!
• Genesis 42-45. The tension builds. Not only had God put Joseph in charge of the stockpiles of food during the family, but he is the one who deals with the nations as they come to buy it. So when his brothers come, God has put Joseph in one of the few positions that he would be able to meet them again. He recognizes them, but they don't. Then finally the secret is revealed. The reunion takes place and joy can not contain itself. The family would soon be restored. The promise is preserved!
• Psalm 20:7. Trust in the name of God, not my might, but His alone.
• Matthew 8. Again Jesus has the authority to calm storms and to drive out demons, all from the Father. If He can do that, what does he want to do in each of our lives and in our church? What is possible when we act in his authority?
• Acts 12. Peter is in prison, for preaching Jesus. And they have 4 squads of soldiers to guard him! Seriously? I'm not doing a study here, so I'm not sure off the top of my head how many men that is, but it shows that they know Peter is no ordinary man. Honestly, when I read that this time, I thought, do they think he is Peter Parker (Spideman for those not comically inclined)? Is he some kind of superhero? And not only are there 4 squads of guards, but he is chained in his cell to 2 soldiers and there were sentries on the door. And he still escapes. What is God not capable of? The next morning, "there was no little disturbance among the soldiers" because of his escape. That is pure comedy.
• Matthew 9. When the paralytic is brought to Jesus he forgives him of his sins. This is the most important issue that man was dealing with, not his inability to walk. Jesus healed that too, but what he primarily wants to do with each of us is forgive our sins. Sometimes I think we take to small a view of sin in the world and in our lives. If it was a priority for Jesus, I'm thinking it should be a priority for us as well.
• Mt 9:10-13. Our call is to give mercy to those who have no idea where to look for it. This is why Jesus hung out with the ones that He did. They couldn't find mercy because God is the only source of true mercy and they didn't know God.
• A lot of Matthew 9 deals with healing. And yet there seems to be no consistency. Some are healed because of their faith, some are heal because their friends or family appealed to Jesus. People want to proof text and say, well this man is heal because of his faith, so if your not healed than its because you don't have enough faith. And yet that isn't always the case. There are many places in the Bible where someone is healed who is outside of the people of God. Can they have faith who do not know? The healings are a way that God demonstrates his authority. That is the key, he has the authority. The authority doesn't automatically kick in if the recipient hits a certain level on the faith meter. Since it is his authority, it moves how He chooses.
• Matthew 10:1-20. Jesus gives the 12 authority here, to cast out demons and heal every disease and affliction. They are to proclaim the kingdom of heaven (we have been talking a lot about this) and demonstrate that the kingdom of heaven is here by these signs. Tell and show. He also sends them out with nothing as an example of the utter dependence on God that is needed to be part of His kingdom. What things do we proclaim as a church and how do we show that they are true? If we proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, how are we showing or can we show that it is true?
• Acts 13. An amazing presentation of the Good News. The forgiveness of sins is proclaimed and by Him (Jesus) everyone who believes is freed from all works! The new converts are told to continue in the grace of God. All too often we believe grace at salvation, then put it on a shelf and move on to other teachings and ideas (sanctification). But here we see we continue on in grace as we go through the rest of our lives. (Much of that insight is from Tim Keller, refined through me, so it loses much).
• Genesis 46. Jacob is reunited with Joseph, his son. I can't imagine the torment of the pain of thinking you have lost a child. Then to find out later in life that he is alive and well and the one who can help your trouble is amazing.
• Genesis 47. The original government takeover! Through Joseph's administration, Pharaoh was able to acquire the bulk of the land of Egypt as well as 20 percent of its crops. Power was now consolidated in Egypt. The story is building and continuing as this is important for the next phase of the narrative, the exodus story.
• Genesis 48-50. The book ends as kind of an anticlimax, with blessings and family intrigue. Jacob dies in Egypt, but will not be buried there and reminds Joseph of the promise of the land that has been passed down. It is a promise that he too will not see himself, but waits. Before he dies, Jacob blesses his sons, as was the custom. The idea of blessing our children is very important and one I recommend to every parent, no matter the age of your children. We bless them by passing on what we know to be true of God and ask Him to do it within our children.
• Genesis 50. Joseph's brothers are afraid now that their father has died. The are worried that he will now take revenge on them for what they did to him years before. But Joseph had a change in perspective. "Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?" He is the righter of wrongs, not us. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today". He looks past the actions to the good that came out of it. All that waiting on God changed Joseph. He changes us too, when we let him. That is the hard part. Letting him.
• Psalm 23. This is probably the most famous part of Scripture, along with John 3:16 (just the reference not the scripture as that has bled into popular culture, but that is another conversation). I'm reflecting on this in the light of death and sickness. This psalm explodes with hope, with certainty. And all of it comes from knowing that, yes, He is the shepherd, he is in charge and his ways are better. Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. He is God.

It is funny how themes can emerge from different texts written for different purposes over hundreds of years to different people. The key always comes down to God being God and us not being God. And I thank God for that!