Judges 8 Ps 42 1 Cor 15

In our scientistic age we have come to idolize reason through empirical evidence. The concept of a resurrection and a life after death is given the status of mythical dreaming, unproven and unreal. Yet this is a major pillar of the Christian faith. Remove this and hope evaporates and faith collapses. When Jesus spoke about ‘jot and tittles’ (Matthew 5:18) he was making the point that the whole of scripture is important and Paul reiterates that ‘all scripture is God breathed’ (2 Timothy 3:16). We cannot remove parts of scripture that don't suit our contemporary lifestyle otherwise our faith comes apart. It's all or nothing.

Judges 6-7 Ps 52 1 Cor 14

The spiritual dimension of Christ lies completely outside the realm of the unbeliever. As believers we are to operate inside this dimension knowing the very “mind of Christ”. (1 Corinthians 2:16). This is pleasing to God. He wants us to practice living and relating to him by combining Biblical truth and witnessing in the Holy Spirit. This is the deep well of strength that gushes up from unknown sources. It is a conviction that is built on a solid foundation and a strength that surpasses strength. And the most amazing part is that all this power, which comes from God, is held in weak, humble bodies which are unattractive to the world.

Judges 4-5 Ps 39, 41 1Cor 13

Our sinful hearts like to put God into the abstract, unknowable category. Be as it may, we cannot fully understand God because He is far beyond us. Scripture tells us that no-one can look into the face of God and live (Isaiah 6:5, Judges 6:22-23) but love is a different matter. It is the one quality that transcends the barrier between man and God and God built the bridge. For “God so loved the world…” (Jn3:16) reminds us that we can do nothing that even comes close to what God can do. Jesus is the absolute perfect embodiment of love. He is love. When we come to understand this, all our hopes, dreams, plans and relationships pale into insignificance in the light of his glory and grace. Every moment of every day we need the Holy Spirit to remind us to measure our steps.

Judges 1-3 1Cor 12

We know that if we are sick or have a stomach ache the whole body suffers and becomes ineffective. So it is in the church. If it is ineffective and weak it maybe because it is out of order in some capacity and in need of healing by the Lord. The first stage is to realise how sick the assembly really is (word of knowledge, wisdom) and needs perhaps to repent and accept cleansing (faith, healing, discerning of spirits). A church which is strong in the gifts of the Holy Spirit is a growing and vibrant assembly.

Josh 23-24 Ps 44 1 Cor 11

It only took the sin of a single man, Achan, for the Lord to judge the entire nation of Israel and bring it to defeat at Ai and so it could be understood that the bleakness of the Israel's future was to become plain to all. In the Old Testament God judges the entire nation on the strength of the individual but in the New Testament Christ took that punishment on himself. Scripture tells us that God does not hear the cries of the unrepentant sinner but warms to the repentant heart. If we are to hit the spot with God we must incline our hearts towards him.

Josh 21-22 Ps 47 1 Cor 10

Temptation is an illusion of weakness. It's not a sin to be tempted as Jesus himself suffered the same affliction. It's a peculiar trait of all men and if carried out will be destructive. “The wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23).  When enticed by temptation we can be deceived into believing the outcome will be beneficial and rewarding. Unless we are firmly guided by the Word of God we can be easily distracted or deceived by the influence. We all have the responsibility to judge our hearts and maintain a healthy relationship with the Lord. “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart “...(Proverbs 3: 5-6).

Josh 18-20 1 Cor 9

God had organised the Israelite economy and law around faith, the Temple and Priesthood being the prime governing instruments. The whole structure of society was built around God blessing them and increasing their productivity. Failure to acknowledge God brought with it inevitable consequences. Paul was alluding to this when he appealed for support in his letter to the Corinthians. The application of this is still very much applicable today. The church must support it's full-time workers and make generosity a living characteristic of each individual assembly. Tithes and offerings are a method of making this happen. The body must support itself. Although finances are important it must be remembered that it is the attitude behind the giving which is of most importance. The widow's mite represents this. It's not the amount but the heart God sees in the giving.

Josh 15-17 1 Cor 8

Food requirements were an established part of the culture of the Israelites however the power of these requirements had become disproportionate and a millstone around the necks of the people. Jesus pointed out that it's not food that makes a person unclean but the attitude of the heart. Peter received a vision which emphasized this (Acts 10 :9). The problem manifests itself when we make food to be an idol and we become subject to it, as in gluttony or spiritualize the use of food. Giving thanks to God for the provision of food is our appropriate response to this. Food also can become a problem when it governs our lives which is one reason why fasting is appropriate when focusing in on an issue before the Lord. Likewise, if alcohol is a problem to believers then we should all entirely avoid it.

Josh 12-14 1 Cor 7

The sanctity of marriage is held in high regard but a sole life devoted to the Lord is better. Today, in our sex-charged environment these words for the believer can have a strange ring to it. Yet when we consider the life to which God calls us it is no wonder Paul emphasizes this particular instruction. Leading a biblical life takes a good proportion of our attention and the issues of family life can impede on this. A strong church community and good believing friends can be a safeguard against the disruptions of a broader community life but even so, the preeminence of a godly relationship must take first place in every individual.

Josh 9-11 1 Cor 6

One of the ways Satan attacks and defeats believers is through their own failings. By not completely allowing Christ to be Lord over every area of our lives packets of resistance develop to the point where they become strongholds and the enemy is victorious. The only way to live is to completely annihilate the enemy by standing justified in Christ. There are no half-measures in the Kingdom of God. It's all or nothing.

Josh 7-8 Ps 69 1 Cor 5

The body of believers must remain clean before the Lord. There are many examples in both the Old Testament and New Testament where heavy judgement is brought to bear to maintain the health and holiness of the body. Sin is not to be tolerated, it is to be expunged from the body and made an example of. This is an aspect of godly fear which is uncomfortable but necessary. Believers must be wholehearted in regard to dealing with sin. There is no other way to stand righteously before the Lord.

Josh 3-6 1 Cor 4

‘Know-it-alls’ are a dangerous bunch when they act aside from the Word of Life. The Israelites we're not ready to take on the fight until they had been circumcised and all was in order. God was not prepared to move until everything was in place. So too the Corinthians were out of order and needing some adjusting in their thinking. Just as the angel was neither for or against Joshua, in a similar way Paul did not care about justifying himself before men. Our hearts need to be individually and corporately 100% focused on God, each dedicated to pleasing him. This is how we are strengthened and prepared for battle, having done all, stand. (Ephesians 6:10-19)

Josh 1-2 Ps 37 1Cor 3

We live in a day where there are many different interpretations on how to build on Christ’s foundation. Some are questionable in their biblical intention and accuracy. This leads people to put their faith and trust in men and organisations rather than the Word of God. The Bible reminds us that we will not stand before man or his organisation but Christ himself to whom we will give an account of our lives. It's better to trust him faithfully now than to discover our folly when it's too late.

Deut 32-34 1 Cor 2

When the Israelites entered the Promised Land God was with them but not in them. When God (in Christ) entered the land 2000 years later he is in his people. His spirit filled people no longer conquer using the sword but use his Word to birth a new kingdom of believers, filled with a complete and holy love for God. The difference is that his kingdom grows within existing Nations to change them from the inside thus defeating the dreadful sin of idol worship. His kingdom is not established through force but through a willing acceptance of what is right and holy, and a perfect embodiment of this is through Jesus our Lord and King.

Deut 30-31 Ps 40 1 Cor 1

No matter what He does, God cannot make mankind love him. It is a choice every man must make and determined to keep. Even in our decision to love him we must be careful not to fall into deception and backslide. Our faith must be active and exercised every day. History shows us what we are like and what we are capable of and it's not pretty. Thankfully we can put our hope and trust in Christ to lead us by his spirit into all truth.

Deut 28-29 Gal 6

We can learn from history that Israel enjoyed some prosperity under the determination of a few commendable leaders but the nation eventually ended in tragedy and disaster. It paints a black picture of the future of nations which ignore God and go their own way. When Christianity burst into life it was met with opposition but it's soothing balm brought healing and was embraced by the common man so today, 2000 years later, we still enjoy the sacrificial benefits of Jesus' kingly leadership. Nations which have embraced him have grown and prospered and the nation's that reject him and persecuted him have fallen. Today, as in the early days of the Israelites, we need to stop worshipping the work of our own hands and take the hand of God in Christ and be led by him. Refusing to do this has unimaginable, dire consequences. 

Deut 25-27 Gal 5

A nation governed by law as opposed to a nation governed by the Holy Spirit is separated by the actions of the Cross. And the choice to which nation we want to belong to is up to us. Do we want to legislate for morality and justice? Or will we embrace morality and justice in faith as an act of love? God could not have made the choice any simpler or easier. Embrace Christ and he will embrace you for an eternity. My sin in exchange for his love, what a bargain!

Deut 22-24 Gal 4

When the Lord gave Moses the law he legislated not only on human behavior and its consequences but also attitudes of the heart. Sure, you can legislate on a heart attitude but it must be willingly carried out. Keeping to the letter of the law is preferable but a heart that joyfully embraces the intention of the law is better. But this was all “goody two-shoes” until Christ came and fulfilled the law perfectly. We could never get it right, no matter how hard we try. Look at the rich young man (Mat 19: 16-20) Jesus nailed the very thing the young man lacked, a true love for God, and took it to the cross. Now that we see Jesus and his spirit living in our hearts, the intention of the law, which in essence is love, is no longer a problem to us. It's like God is saying to us, “all is forgiven, come home.”

Deut 19-21 Gal 3

In going into great detail about dealing with the judgments of life and death the Lord gives a seemingly insignificant reference in how to deal with a convicted felon who is hung on a tree. (Deuteronomy 21:20-23) These are not to be left hanging there, dead overnight. This verse however was instrumental in how Jesus was managed after he fulfilled his mission on the cross. Scriptures like these are the gold nuggets which bring enlightenment and joy through careful study of the Word.

Deut 16-18 Ps 38 Gal 2

Heart attitudes underscore our relationship with the Lord. In the Old Testament, not only must the Israelites obey the sacrificial law but were to do it joyfully. They were to remember what God did in bringing them out of Egypt and to be thankful. They also had to express their gratitude through freewill offerings. In the New Testament this requirement has not abated. We are to continually show impartiality, gratitude and joyfulness to the Lord and to show this in tangible ways. We are not to meet together in a grumpy, sour-puss attitude but to put on “the garment of praise” (Isaiah 61:3) and make an effort to rejoice in the Lord.

Deut 13-15 Gal 1

The problem of falling away and reverting to a simple, godless life is common throughout the old and new testament. Maintaining a faithful walk with the Lord requires effort and diligent servitude. Of course it should be this way as the human tendency of man is to always take the easy way out (Matthew 7:13). And God has always required some effort to overcome our propensity for laziness in order to worship him fully and completely. That is why regular prayer and bible study is of the utmost importance.

Deut 10-12 Mk 16

Now that Jesus has made the perfect sacrifice for all sin what can we retain from the Old Testament, what has not changed? God's desire for relationship has not changed. He still wants us to love him with all our being (Mark 12:30-33). In fact this is all that really matters. Simply we are to love God and live as he wants us to. With the Holy Spirit living in us he has made his relationship with us more complete. We dare not become lazy or slack in our faith now that he has done so much more for us. Our resolve to love and honour him should be set in stone and as hard as concrete, immovable and permanent.

Deut 7-9 Mk 15

In biblical times, when tragedy struck, a man would rent or rip open his garment as a sign of grief (Ezra 9:3). When Jesus died, I picture God renting his clothes in Heaven as a sign of grief over his son, the physical manifestation of this being the temple curtain ripped or rent apart. No one else could have done what Jesus did. His heart of love replaced the formality and institutionalized rhetoric of the law and made possible a temple of God inside every believer.

Deut 3-4 Ps 36 Mk 13

In order to conquer the nations, the Israelites had to walk righteously before God, otherwise God would abandon them. The same deal exists today. Walking by Faith is not an assumed relationship, it is a productive meaningful relationship. The Lord wants us to place him first in our hearts, not to be involved in the cares and worries of this life but to relish the good life we have in him. We are all conquerors of the lands for the Lord but the battle is spiritual and not physical. It is won on our knees, not by wielding a weapon. (Eph 6:12)

Deut 1-2 Mk 12

Evil confronts us every day and we live amongst ideas and standards that are godless and contrary to correct Biblical teaching. The Lord could bring about immediate change by addressing the problem of evil but he chooses to do it in his own Sovereign way. The fact that Jesus had to die for our sins should be evidence alone that God is patiently and lovingly giving all men an opportunity to live by faith before him. Completely trusting the Lord is acting like the widow, giving little but all she had, to God. God sees all dimensions and heart attitudes, and we can trust him to judge righteously.

Num 34-36 Mk 11

In the beginning, when Adam and Eve fell to sin they covered the nakedness with fig leaves as an attempt to cover their sin. When the Lord instituted sacrificial worship it would only cover sin. Only with the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God was sin  done away with completely. I think the Fig tree represented the Priestly system of covering sin when Jesus cursed the fig tree he was showing how God would do away with the old covenant of blood. Jesus also said if we have enough of the  faith of God we can move mountains, physically impossible but entirely possible in the economy of God.

Num 32-33 Mk 10

The issues of life are settled in the heart,  and we need Jesus there to adjudicate. Without Christ, we make up our own minds about what is fair and right. Our choices become heavily self-centered. Christ tips the whole world of personal choice is upside down. You want to be great? Then be a servant. You want to win? Share and help others along the way. Be generous, loving, kind, patient and humble. With a heart focused on Christ our future is  assured.

Num 30-31 Mk 9

Death is the common thread of the readings today. God's judgement on the sin of the Midianites was final and their race was all but obliterated, only the virgin girls survived. God's judgement equally applied to the Israelites as well. He wanted a pure, unadulterated nation to serve him perfectly. The same holy requirement applies to us today. Even though Jesus has taken our sin and shame on himself those who reject him and live like a Midianite will account for this in the eternal fires of Hell. We must be that Holy Nation, set apart by God, living in the light of Christ.

Num 28-29 Mk 8

The economies of scale with maintaining the daily and special sacrifices were huge and were to be as regular as Clockwork. The extra sacrifices we're on top of daily sacrifices. This is how God wanted to be respected and worshipped and was costly to the nation. I wonder if my mega 1 hour daily interaction with the Lord is enough? Giving our best to God is not to be seen as special but a requirement. No wonder Jesus spews lukewarmness out of his mouth. (Revelation 3:16)

Num 24-27 1 Cor 13

Jesus said to Nicodemus “for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Paul summarises this accurately when he proclaims: faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love. Faith is believing in Jesus for the hope of eternal life and this is all made possible because of God's expression of love to all mankind. That is why I love is the greatest expression of the character of God.