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Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 332

Nov28

Day 332 – Reading – Acts 18 – 19

Read and believe in Jesus!

Acts 18.

Paul leaves Athens for Corinth and stays there a long time.

In Corinth, Paul (a tentmaker himself) meets and stays with a Jewish tentmaking couple. Aquila and Prisilla had fled from Rome because of Emperor Claudius. Paul earned a living during the week and “reasoned” each Sabbath in the Synagogue, trying to persuade both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus was the Messiah, slain and resurrected.

Silas and Timothy finally arrived from Macedonia to help in the ministry.  But the Jews were resistant, so the missionaries “shook out the garments,” saying he was on to the Gentiles. 

Next store to the synagogue lived Titus Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, also believed in the LORD with his entire household and was baptized. Paul based his ministry there, and one night had a clear vision from the Lord.

  • “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.”

Paul stayed in Corinth for another 18 months, teaching the word of God among them. 

During the time Gallio was the Proconsul of Greece, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him to court, saying,

  • “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the Law.”

But Gallio had no time for them.

  • “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves.  I refuse to judge on these things.”

The angry Jews then seized Sosthenes, another believing ruler in the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio paid no attention to all of this. 

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Paul visits Ephesus for a short time.

After this incident, Paul stayed in Corinth for many days. Then he said goodbye and set sail for Ephesus, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. He spent a short time reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue, then he left the tentmaking couple there and sailed on to Caesarea.

He traveled up from there to Jerusalem to complete the vow he’d made. After that, he returned to his “sending” church in Antioch and spent some time there.

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Acts 18b.

Paul travels back to Ephesus.

Paul visited the original churches in Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen them, then kept going toward Ephesus.

While Paul was on the way, a man from Alexandria named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker, competent in the Scriptures, instructed in the way of the Lord, and fervent in Spirit.  He began speaking boldly in the Synagogue, but not the “whole story.”  Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and “caught him up” about the ‘Way” more accurately.

When Apollos desired to go across to Greece to minister there, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the believers there to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Messiah was Jesus.

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Acts 19.

Paul’s 3-year stay in Ephesus was eventful.

He first ran into twelve converts of Apollos and asked them if they’d received the Holy Spirit when they believed.  They hadn’t, Paul explained that John’s baptism was only for repentance.  Paul explained Jesus more clearly, and they believed.  He then baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, and they received the gift of the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues.

Paul went to the synagogue again and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them.  But when some were stubborn and continued in unbelief, even speaking evil of “The Way,” Paul withdrew and afterwards spoke daily in a community center called the Hall of Tyrannus.  This continued two years, and ALL THE RESIDENTS of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.  WOW!

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Miracles and Exorcists.

Amazing miracles verified the spoken word by the hands of Paul.  Even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched him were carried away to heal the sick and send out demons.  Then, as in Samaria, seven exorcists, all sons of one man, wanted that power.  They tried to cast out devils, too. Their words did not come with Holy Spirit power, however. They said,

  • “We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims, come out.”

The evil spirits said, 

  • “Jesus, we know, and Paul, we recognize, but who are YOU?”

Then the demons attacked the exorcists, stripping them and beating them up.

Seeing the weakness of human spiritualism, many former exorcists and magicians in the city, who had now come to believe in Jesus, came forward to confess and divulge their practices. They brought their books of spells and black arts and burned them in the sight of all. (Worth 50,000 silver pieces!)

So the Word of the Lord continued to increase and prevailed mightily.

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A Riot at Ephesus

The increase in the number and power of believers, along with the witness of the Holy Spirit and miracles, led many devotees to lose trust in the idols they had worshiped.  Ephesus was the center of the worship of Artemis (Diana), and the Silversmiths’ Union was powerful. When fewer people bought their little silver statues and shrines, their business began to hurt. 

The Union leader, one Demetrius, gathered together workmen of similar trades and roused them against Paul and the other believers. With more tradesmen and spectators gathering every minute, a great disturbance rocked the city.  The mob called, chanted, and screamed.

  • “Great is Artemis of Ephesus! Great is Artemis of Ephesus! GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF EPHESUS!!”

For two hours, the rioters shouted, pumped fists, and threatened to rage out of control. Confusion reigned. Then some of the rioters dragged out Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonian men who were traveling with Paul.  Paul wanted to go help them, but the believers there held him back.

A Jew named Alexander tried to make a defense, but they overpowered him with their continuous chanting.  Finally the town clerk was able to quiet them down.

  • “Men of Ephesus, who is it that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?  Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash. 
  • For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemous of our goddess. If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a complaint, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring a legal charge.  For … we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause to justify this commotion!”

And he dismissed the assembly.

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North to Macedonia.

(After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell, and they departed for Macedonia.)

WHEW!

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 325

Nov21

Day 325 – Reading – Acts 13-14

Read and believe in Jesus!

Acts 13 – 14

These two chapters tell of Paul’s first Missionary Journey.

Note the circumstances of his name change in 13:1-13.

In the Antioch church, there were five main prophets/teachers. Barnabas, Simeon (a black man), Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen (of Herod Antipas’s court), and Saul, the ex-persecutor of Christians. (Wow, what an eclectic group!)  A perfect combo to lead and grow the Gentile church at Antioch.

During one worship service, the Holy Spirit set apart Barnabas and Saul for missionary work. The group prayed and fasted, and then laid their hands on these two men to send them off.  Barnabas took along his young cousin, John Mark, even though the Holy Spirit did not call the young man. 

The Holy Spirit leading them, the men went down to the port of Seleucia and sailed to Cyprus, Barnabas’ homeland. 

In the town of Salamis, SAUL proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the JEWS.  When the men had visited synagogues throughout the island, they came to Paphos and happened upon a certain magician or sorcerer. He is described as “a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.”  It seems he may have been an adviser to the Roman Proconsul, Sergius Paulus. 

The Proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul, because he wanted to hear the word of God. However, the sorcerer opposed them, seeking to turn Sergius away from the faith. 

SAUL, now called by his Roman name, PAUL, looked sternly at the man and proclaimed, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?  Now, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.”

Immediately, darkness fell on the man, and he went around seeking people to lead him by the hand.

Then the Proconsul BELIEVED the message of salvation, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

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Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga.  (Did you notice that now Paul is leading the group and not Barnabas?)  Also, this “missionary business” with all the travel, and maybe especially the cursing of sorcerers, was too “heavy” for the young John Mark, and he left the team at Perga and went home to Jerusalem. 

(This could be a warning that believers are to wait for the definite calling of the Lord in their lives before starting out. Jesus had told his followers to “count the cost.”)

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From the port town of Perga, Paul and Barnabas went on to Antioch in Pisidia.  There, they attended a synagogue service. And as was the custom, after the reading of the scriptures, they were invited to give a “word of encouragement” for the people.  So Paul stood up and began … preaching.

He started with the history of Israel (like Stephan had).  The patriarchs, the time in Egypt, the wilderness wanderings, conquering the Promised Land, the time of the judges, the prophet Samuel, and the first king. He ended with King David, a man after God’s heart. THEN came the “main point.”   

“Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as He promised.”  And then, “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this savior/salvation.”

Paul goes on to describe that, although He was sinless, Pilate executed him. And this was according to the scriptures.  And how this Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, again according to the scriptures.

“And we bring you the Good News that what God promised to our fathers, this He has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus.”  “Let it be known to you, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him, everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the Law of Moses.”

Whoa, Paul!! 

But as they left the synagogue, the people begged that these things might be told them again the next Sabbath.  And after the meeting, the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas.

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The next Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. BUT… when the Jews saw the crowds… they were FILLED with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul said.

Paul enraged them more by saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you FIRST.  But since you thrust it aside, you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life.  Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.”

At this, the Gentiles rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.  And the Word spread through the whole region. 

BUT THE JEWS incited devout WOMEN of high standing, and the leading MEN of the city, who stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out.  At the city line, the missionaries shook off the dust of the city of Antioch in Pisidia from their feet (as Jesus had instructed his apostles)  and went on to Iconium.  

And, the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

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Acts 14.

In Iconium, they again FIRST entered the synagogue and spoke “in such a way” that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

But again, the unbelieving Jews stirred them up and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

However, Paul and Barnabas stayed there a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who granted them signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 

Eventually, the unbelieving Jews stirred up some people to attempt to stone the apostles.  They learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding country. And … they continued to preach the Gospel.

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Now at Lystra, a crippled man who had NEVER walked, listened to Paul speaking, and faith was built up in him.  Paul looked at him, seeing the faith, and said aloud, “Stand upright on your feet.”  The man, crippled from birth, sprang up and began walking! 

WHOA!

When the crowds saw this miracle, they immediately thought Paul and Barnabas were the Greek gods, Zeus and Hermes, come to visit them.  The priest of Zeus brought out garlands and oxen and wanted to offer sacrifices. 

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! 

When Paul and Barnabas saw what they were about to do, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, saying. “Men, why are you doing this? WE are men like you, and have brought the Good News that you should turn from these things to THE LIVING GOD, Creator of Heaven and Earth.”

But even with these words, they were scarcely able to restrain the people from offering sacrifices to them!

About then, the men from Antioch and Iconium came and persuaded the roused crowds to stone Paul.  They did!!!  And they dragged him out of the city as dead.

But, when the new believers gathered about him (did they pray?), Paul rose up and entered the city again.  (FEARLESS!)  

The next day, Paul and Barnabas went on to Derbe.  They preached the Gospel there and many were made disciples. 

Then the pair circled back through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, strengthening the new disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”  Paul also appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting.

Then the missionaries continued back through Pisidia, and to Pamphylia, and Perga.  There, they caught a boat back to the home church in Antioch, where they had been commissioned.

And, as missionaries do today, they gathered the church together and told them all that God had done with them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 

Then they rested for a while.

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Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 324

Nov20

Day 324 – Reading – Acts 11 – 12

Read and believe in Jesus!

Acts 11.

Chapter 10 tells of Peter going to the home of a Roman Centurion whose heart God had prepared to receive the Gospel. Cornelius and his whole household believed the Good News that Peter preached, and – just as had happened “at the beginning” with Peter and the other 120 disciples, the Holy Spirit came on this house.  They also spoke in other tongues as evidence, and Peter realized that if God gave them the same gift, who was he to object?

Well, that incident had spread throughout Judea, and the Jewish believers began to question what had happened.  How could they believe in the Jewish Messiah if they were uncircumcised Gentiles? Shouldn’t they convert to Judaism first? 

So Peter carefully explained – in detail – what had happened, from that first appearance of a sheet filled with unclean animals, and God’s order to “Kill and eat” to the extraordinary act of the Holy Spirit in coming upon these “uncircumcised” Romans and giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

“Who was I to stand in God’s way?” asked Peter.

Silence.

Then, “Praise God!” and then, “Hallelujah!” And many other words to praise and glory to God, who had “given to the Gentiles also repentance that leads to life.”

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Now, after Stephen’s death and Paul’s persecution, many believers spread beyond Judea, Samaria, and Galilee.  They returned to their homes in Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.  As they went, they spread the Good News, but ONLY to Jews.  BUT … SOME who went to Antioch spoke to the Hellenist Jews (Gentiles converted to Judaism).  And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great many believed and turned to the Lord.

When this news came to the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  When he arrived, he saw the “grace of God” and was glad.  He exhorted them to remain faithful to the Lord.

More and more came to the Lord, and Barnabas needed help.  He went to nearby Tarsus and grabbed Saul.  He brought the now seasoned Gentile preacher to Antioch.  For a whole year, they met as a church and taught a great many people.

(It was here in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.”)

And then, a group of prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. One man, Agabus, prophesied a worldwide famine.  So the disciples in Antioch determined to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

And they did, sending their offering with Barnabas and Saul. (The famine did happen in the days of the Roman Emperor Claudius.)

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Acts 12.

Back to Jerusalem and the apostles.  About the time of the huge evangelism in Antioch, Herod Agrippa, the king of northern Samaria and Galilee, laid “violent hands on some who belonged to the church.”  He thought that doing this would win his favor with the Jewish leaders. 

He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword (beheaded him). (This was the first of the initial disciples of Jesus to be martyred.)   

When Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter as well. He put Peter in prison with four squads of soldiers to guard him, thinking that after Passover, he would kill him.  

(Did that threat of death make Peter think of that Passover when Jesus had been crucified?)

But Herod did not account for the power of prayer.  While Peter was in prison, the church made EARNEST PRAYER for him to God.

The night before Herod was to bring out and execute Peter, the apostle had a visitor in prison.  As he slept between two soldiers, bound with chains, with two more soldiers standing guard at the door … an angel of the Lord came to him and struck Peter on his side. (Was he sleeping so soundly??)

“Get up quickly,” the heavenly being said. Instantly, the chains fell off Peter, but without waking the soldiers.

“Dress yourself and put on your sandals.”  Peter obeyed.

“Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” Peter obeyed, thinking he was dreaming it all.

When they came to the city gate, it opened for them of its own accord (think grocery store doors!), and they went out and walked along the street.  Then the angel disappeared, and Peter “came to himself.”

“Now I am sure that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod, and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

Peter then went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were meeting and praying through the night for Peter’s release.

Peter knocked on the door, wanting to get out of public view.

The maid, Rhoda, came to answer.  Hearing Peter’s voice, she was so thrilled that she left him there, waiting outside, while she ran to tell the others.  (Okay, we’ve all been as excited and done something so dumb!)

“You are out of your mind, Rhoda,” they told her when she came running into the prayer meeting.

But Peter kept knocking!  They finally came, opened the door…. and were AMAZED!

“Tell James and the others that I’ve been set free by God’s angel,” Peter told them, then went out to another place. 

The next morning, the guards discovered that Peter was missing.  Herod was furious, and after examining all the (innocent) soldiers, he had them all put to death for “dereliction of duty.”

Then Herod left Jerusalem and went down to the Roman city of Caesarea. 

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The discontented king had a quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon to the north.  They came to Herod asking for peace, for during this time, they depended on the king for food. 

Herod put on his robes and came out to them. He gave a pompous speech as he sat on his throne. 

The sycophant people, wanting to massage his ego, said, “Oh…the voice of a god, and not of a man.”

Herod gloried in the praise, thinking it very appropriate, but…. an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give GOD glory.

And…. immediately he was eaten by worms and breathed his last!  Yikes!!

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But the Word of God increased and multiplied.  And Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch from Jerusalem after delivering the relief offering. 

And… they brought back John Mark with them.

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 304

Oct31

Day 304 – Reading – Matthew 19 and Mark 10

Read and believe in Jesus!

Matthew 19 and Mark 10,

Both of these chapters speak about divorce.   It seems when Jesus was teaching and healing, that some legalistic Pharisees approached Him with a question … again, to test Him,

“Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife ‘for any cause’?”

“What did Moses say?” Jesus asked them, and went on to answer these “supposed” Bible scholars. “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become ONE flesh.’  Whatever, therefore, God has joined together … let not man separate.”

Pharisees:  “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and then send his wife away!“

Jesus: “It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives.  But from the beginning, it was not so.  I say to you, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.'”

Later, in private, Jesus’ disciples asked him if it was better to NOT get married. Jesus told them that that way of life was not for everyone.  But if God called someone to abstain from marriage ‘for the sake of the kingdom,’ then it was a good thing.

Then, after blessing marriage, Jesus blesses children. He welcomed them and the Moms who brought them, scolding the disciples for trying to keep them away. “Let the little children come to me. Do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child … shall not enter it.”

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The following incident is when Jesus counseled the rich young ruler, which we studied yesterday. The young man had “kept” the law as far as he was concerned, even saying that he “loved his neighbor as himself.”  However, he still felt some lack in his life that would keep him from “eternal life.”  What was it?

It was the FIRST great commandment. He did not love God with ALL his heart, mind, and strength. Jesus saw that his MONEY was first in his heart, and challenged him to sell everything he had, give the money to the poor, and follow Him with just the “shirt on his back.”   This man was sorrowful. He probably cringed at that thought.  And he just couldn’t do it.  Sadly, he went away.

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During this teaching on marriage, receiving children, and not having a heart for God, Jesus was still in Judea, East of Jericho.  Now, on that journey to Jerusalem, He headed west, passing through Jericho.  As usual, a great crowd followed Jesus and his disciples.

In the midst of the dust and noise of the crowd passing, a blind beggar sitting by the road heard the name, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’  He began calling, “Jesus! Son of David, have mercy on me!  (Calling Jesus the Son of David meant he recognized Him as the promised Messiah.)

The people around him hushed him.  But Bartimaeus called even louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  This was his one and only chance. He called even louder.

And Jesus stopped the procession. “Call him.”  

Now the crowd changed its attitude. “Take heart. Get up; He is calling you!” Throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“Rabbi, let me recover my sight!”

“Go your way. Your faith has made you well.” 

And Bartimaeus immediately recovered his sight and followed Jesus on the way. 

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Compare the response of the rich, young man and the poor, blind man to following Jesus.  The rich man had too much to lose to follow Jesus.  All that wealth and “stuff” held him back.  The blind man jumped at the chance, with nothing hindering him. He’d even thrown off his cloak.  Jesus was enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 291

Oct18

Day 291 – Reading – John 6

Read and believe in Jesus!

John 6.

Jesus and his disciples are on the other, more quiet and less populated, side of the sea. But the crowds have followed Him there. Jesus knows they are not looking for the Messiah who was spoken of by the prophets who would change men’s hearts, but rather, one who would feed them and heal their bodies. Nevertheless, when Jesus sees the crowds, like sheep without a shepherd, He has compassion on them and welcomes them. The other Gospels tell us that Jesus spent the day teaching them and healing them.

When the afternoon waned, Jesus held a private conversation with His disciples … testing them, because He already knew what He was going to do. 

  • Jesus to Philip: “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”
  • The disciples: “Send them away into the other towns so they can buy themselves food.“
  • Jesus: “They need not go away. You give them something to eat.“
  • Philip: “It would take “8-months wages” to buy them some food!”
  • Jesus to Andrew: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
  • Andrew: “There is a boy here who has five small barley loaves and two fish. But what are they for so many people?”
  • Jesus: “Have them all sit down on the grass in groups of fifty. Then bring me the 5 loaves and 2 fish.”

The disciples went through the 5,000 men, plus all the women and kids, and settled them into groups. Jesus took the boy’s lunch, looked up to heaven, and said a blessing. Then He broke the loaves and fish and gave them to the disciples to distribute. Everyone ate as much as they wanted, and were satisfied.  At Jesus’ word, the disciples collected 12 small baskets of left-overs, enough for their own lunches.

After the free meal, the people began to talk among themselves. “This is indeed ‘the Prophet’ who is to come into the  world!” (See Deut. 18:18)

Jesus perceived that they were were about to make Him king, so He quietly sent the disciples home in their boat, and faded into the twilight up onto the mountain by Himself. There He prayed to the Father long into the night. 

(Later, He saw the disciples struggling, and went to them walking on the water.)

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The next day, after seeing that Jesus was no longer with them, and that the boat was gone, the crowd had hurried around (or across in boats) to the other side, to Capernaum looking for the food-supplying, healing Jesus.

Finding Him, they immediately heard Him say, “You are seeking me, not because you saw miracles, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.  DO NOT LABOR FOR THE FOOD THAT PERISHES, but for the food that endures to eternal life … which I will give to You.

  • (This reminds me of the verse Jesus used against Satan’s temptation. Deuteronomy 8:3 – “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”)

They passed right over the “food for eternal life” and went to “the LABOR” for eternal life” that they were so proud of doing. “What must we DO to be DOING the WORKS of God?”

Jesus: “This is the WORK of God, that you BELIEVE in Him whom He has sent.”

  • (This reminds me of Ephesians 2:8-9. “For by grace you are saved through FAITH. And this is NOT YOUR OWN DOING, it is the gift of God, not a result of WORKS, so that no one may boast.”)

Then the crowd went back to, “Okay, what SIGN (food) do You DO, that we may see and BELIEVE you. What WORK to YOU perform?  After all, our fathers ate manna in the wilderness.  Moses gave them ‘bread from heaven’ to eat.”

“MOSES didn’t give you that bread.  And by the way, my Father gives you the true bread from heaven, “He” who comes down and gives life to the world.”

“Sir!! Give us that bread always!!”

They were totally missing the point. They wanted the LOAVES they’d tasted across the Sea.  And they wanted them DAILY (always).

  • “I AM the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever BELIEVES in me shall never thirst.”
  • “ALL that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me, I will never cast out.”
  • “And this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The crowd, mostly led by the Jewish leaders now grumbled. (They couldn’t see the loaves coming.)  They said in disgust, “Is not this Jesus the son of Joseph whose father and mother we know?  How does he say ‘I have come from heaven’?”

  • “Do not grumble. NO ONE can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.  Truly, truly I say to you … WHOEVER BELIEVES has eternal life.
  • “I am the bread of life.
  • “THIS is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one my eat of it and not die.
  • “I am the living bread. If anyone eats this bread, he shall live forever.
  • “The bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh.
  • “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
  • “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Whoa, whoa, whoa.  This was just too much for the crowds.  Eat Jesus’ flesh and blood? (That’s not kosher! And it’s disgusting.)

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After this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.

Jesus turned to the Twelve: “Do you want to go away as well?”

Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? YOU have the words of eternal life, and we have BELIEVED and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus: “Yes, did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet … one of you is a devil.”  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, for he was going to betray Jesus.

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 288

Oct15

Day 288 – Reading – Mark 4 – 5

Read and believe in Jesus!

Mark 4 and 5.

There are some repeated passages here from the other Gospels. I’ll just emphasize a couple of them.

“This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, all the time.

Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m going to let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, No! I’m going to let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, all the time.”

This kids’ song is from Mark 4:21-25, and the “light” it refers to is a believer’s witness or testimony of the Lord dwelling in him. Don’t hide it under “a basket” or a bed, but put it on a lampstand. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Testify of the Lord Jesus Christ at home, and out in the world. Let your light shine!

Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.”

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(Mark 4:35-41)  Then, after Jesus was sitting in a boat and teaching the crowds at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He turned to the disciples and said, “Let us go across to the other side.”  It was toward evening, so they might have hesitated, yet, at His word, they pushed off and began rowing.  Jesus made his way to the rear of the boat and lay down across the bench. Instantly, He was asleep.

Then one of those massive storms erupted on the Sea. “A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was filling!”

One of them staggered to the stern and shook Jesus, “Master, don’t you care that we are perishing?!”

Jesus awoke, and maybe (who knows) before even sitting up, called out to the wind and sea, “Peace!  Be still!”  Instantly, the wind ceased, and there was a great calm on the Sea.

Jesus perhaps sat up then and looked around at His disciples. “Why are you so afraid?  Have you no faith?”

The disciples were maybe lacking in faith, but they sure weren’t in fear.  “They were filled with GREAT fear and asked each other, “WHO THEN IS THIS??? That even the wind and the sea obey Him??”

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This incident reminds me of Philippians 4:6-7.

“Do not be anxious about anything.

But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,

Let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

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Then, after that awesome incident, they arrived on the other (Gentile) side of the Sea. (Mark 5:1-20)

Peter and Andrew jumped out of the boat to secure it with ropes.

Jesus barely had a sandaled foot on the sand when a wild, crazy man RUSHED AT HIM, screaming.  He’d been living in the tombs, and with his bleeding, scratched skin, ragged clothes, and wild, unkempt beard and hair, he looked terrifying!   

The fishermen were about to climb back into the boat and push off when the wild man fell down at Jesus’ feet.

“What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God. I beg you by God, do not torment me!” screamed the man.

While the man screamed this, Jesus commanded, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”  (Whose voice do you think prevailed?)

When the screaming stopped, Jesus asked, “What is your name?”

The demon in the man answered, “My name is ‘Legion,’ for we are many. Oh, don’t send us out of the country!! Send us into those pigs!!“

Jesus looked at the massive herd of unclean swine and nodded.  Immediately, the herd – like a swarm of lemmings – plunged down the hill and off the cliff, falling into the Sea.

The herdsmen saw this and fled back to town, and people came out to see what had happened.  What they SAW was MORE amazing, although they didn’t acknowledge it.  No pigs were in sight, but the crazy man, the wild and dangerous demon-possessed man, who terrified them, was —

  • Sitting there calmly
  • Clothed
  • In his right mind.

“Go away, you Jesus!” they cried.

The disciples held the boat ready, and Jesus began to climb in.

“O Jesus,” the healed man begged. “Please let me go with You!“

Smiling, Jesus shook his head. He had a more important job than ‘disciple’ for this Gentile man.  “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.” 

The ex-demoniac was to be a witness for Jesus and an evangelist.  And I can’t help but think that, like the town in Samaria that all came to the Lord at one shunned woman’s testimony, that THIS area (perhaps minus the pig owners) would do the same.  

He went away and began to proclaim in the cities of Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.  And everyone marveled.

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(O LORD, thank you for your mercy and gentleness. Truly, like You told the disciples, You are “gentle and lowly at heart.” But Lord, I also saw your great power in these verses too!  You calmed a raging wind and sea instantly.  Creation recognized its Master and instantly obeyed!  How I wish I would do the same!  I also saw Your extreme power when thousands of demons instantly fell at your feet and immediately obeyed your word.  What a strong God I have!) 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 285 and 286

Oct13

THE NEW TESTAMENT!

SUNDAY and MONDAY, posted on MONDAY

Day 285 – Reading – Matthew 11

Day 286 – Reading – Luke 11

Read and believe in Jesus!

SUNDAY – Matthew 11.

This chapter begins where we left off yesterday, with prisoner, John the Baptist, sending word to Jesus. “ARE you the One who has come, or shall we look for another?” Jesus answered him with both words  and actions which showed the fulfilling of Isaiah 29 and 35’s prophecies of the Messiah.  When John’s disciples returned with this message and what they saw, most assuredly John was encourage and comforted.

Jesus also praised the godly man who cleared the pathway so Jesus could begin His ministry, saying he was the greatest of “prophets,” and that John came in the spirit of Elijah.

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John’s message, like Jesus’, was generally not accepted by the people. Jesus looked around him and began to denounce the cities of Galilee, where He had done the most mighty works… because they did not repent.

Chorazin, Bethsaida, and the great Capernaum, which was the headquarter city of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Their sin?  Indifference to Jesus, the Son of God, their Messiah.  If/when the people of these cities stand beside the pagans of Tyre, Sidon, and even Sodom(!!) on the day of judgment, the cities of Jesus’ time will be judged more severely!

(O LORD, I am often blasé about the wonderful works and words of Jesus that I read in the Word, thinking they are SO familiar….  Please help me to treasure the One that You sent to save my soul!!)

But Jesus’ heart goes out to the people around him; they are so needy. He came that people would NOT be judged for their sin.  He wants ALL to believe in Him and be saved. But for the most part, His own people “received Him not.

Then he looks at his disciples and sees them as little children, and He prays, ‘Thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; Yes, Father, for such was YOUR gracious will. NO ONE knows the Son except the Father, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

Looking at the seeking crowd around Him, He said, “COME TO ME, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  TAKE MY YOKE upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light. 

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MONDAY, Luke 11.

Once again, we see the story of John the Baptist’s questions to Jesus from prison.  

Perhaps we should REMEMBER “this three-times-repeated-incident,” and take heed to Jesus’ words and actions, especially when we have doubts and need assurance..

Jesus showed John by healing many people of diseases and plagues, casting out demons, and restoring sight to the blind.  Then He pointed to the Isaiah passages that predicted the Messiah doing these very same things. John KNEW Isaiah, the very prophet who predicted his work for the Messiah.  But he needed reminding how Jesus is fulfilling these same things.  And…. how (from Isaiah 53) Jesus, the Messiah, would die a horrible death, as that very Lamb of God that John pointed out, and would so pay for the sins of all who would believe in Him.  YES. Jesus was “the One” he was looking for.

I am going to REMEMBER this incident (finally, after reading it three times), that when I have doubts, when I need assurance, when I am discouraged, I should turn to God’s words.  READ them, see how many have been fulfilled.  Meditate on the WORDS of Jesus and apply it all to my heart. Then trust in them, in Him, and BELIEVE.

(O LORD, thank you for finally getting the POINT of John’s lesson into my head and heart. When I’m low, and doubting.  When I’m discouraged and need assurance, I need to….

  1. Go to Jesus and ask for help.
  2. Read the precious Word of God, slowly and engaged.  (Maybe read the passage THREE TIMES!)
  3. Meditate on what it says. Refer to other parts of scripture, if needed.
  4. Pray for wisdom. Submit to what I’ve read.  Offer thanksgiving, 

Thank You, LORD, for pounding this truth of Bible Reading into my thick skull!.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 283

Oct10

THE NEW TESTAMENT!

Day 283 – Reading – Matthew 5-7

Read and believe in Jesus!

Matthew 5- 7, (Luke 6:20-49) – Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

  1. You’ve probably read this section of the Bible many times, and perhaps you’ve memorized some of it, like the “Beatitudes” and other well-known verses. 
  2. Let’s look at them again, keeping in mind the things that Jesus has been experiencing (accusations, death threats, evil name-calling, and misunderstanding).
  3. He has officially “called” His 12 disciples, and He now wants to show how HIS Kingdom is different from the World’s (broad) and the Pharisees’ (imprisoning) ways.

“Blessed.” (Happy, fortunate, joyful) That glorious peace and feeling of well-being experienced by those who belong to Him.  

  1. Notice how this list is progressive, beginning with the required heart attitude: ‘poor in spirit.’  When a person comes to Jesus, he must realize his own neediness and inability to help (save) himself.  Only when he sees himself as a hopeless sinner can change begin. (“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,’ and “There is none righteous, no, not one.”)
  2. “Mourning” over our sin is “repentance.”  “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.”
  3. Being “meek” does not mean “weak,” though they rhyme and are easily mistaken for going hand in hand.  It actually means “self-controlled strength.”  Jesus was meek. Moses was meek.  Do you consider either of these as weaklings?  Jesus said these believers who willing put others before themselves, will “inherit the earth,” and “delight themselves in an abundance of peace.”
  4. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are the opposite of the self-satisfied Pharisees who boast about keeping the minutiae of the Law. True believers see their need for the righteousness of God and realize they are unable to get it on their own. But, if they humbly ask for it, they will be satisfied.
  5. Realizing that our righteousness comes from God alone, through Jesus’ work on the cross and our belief, we can be merciful to others, especially for those still seeking.  It’s reciprocal.  If we are merciful and forgiving like our Savior, we will receive mercy and forgiveness in return.
  6. Is it even possible to have a pure heart?  Is it really possible to see God?  “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in His Holy Place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation. SUCH is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek the face of God.”  
  7. Peacemakers, not Pacemakers!! These are those who have received God’s righteousness and whose hearts are merciful and pure. They are not self-seeking or self-centered. “Seek peace and pursue it.” And “as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with one another.” 
  8. Have you been persecuted for righteousness’ sake?  Persecuted because you claim Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Reviled and have all kinds of evil uttered against you falsely because of Jesus.  “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. (But let none of you suffer as an evil doer or a meddler.) Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God.”    Why are we blessed to experience this?  BECAUSE, the Kingdom of Heaven is yours!  Your home!  Your reward is great in heaven, so REJOICE  and be GLAD!

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When we have been born from above, and have received the righteousness of God, and our hearts now reflect His own… 

  • THEN we are salt in the earth – prompting people to thirst for Jesus.
  • THEN we are lights to the world and to our families – showing the way to Jesus, and glorifying the Father in heaven. 

Jesus cautions that our righteousness must EXCEED that of the scribes and Pharisees.  It must come from God by grace, and not by working and striving on your own to keep the law.

Then Jesus corrects the people’s view of some of the Commandments (remembering that OUR righteousness must exceed that of the nit-picking Pharisees).

  1. Don’t Murder. (of course!)  But Jesus says anger against our brother or calling him a bad name in public makes us just as guilty as killing him.
  2. Don’t commit Adultery. (of course!)  But Jesus says that those lustful second and third looks, and the pornographic imaginations of our hearts, make us just as guilty of adultery.
  3. What God has joined together (in marriage), let no one separate. (agreed!)  Jesus says that anyone divorcing his wife (or she her husband), except for sexual immorality, makes her (or him) commit adultery. (The same with anyone who marries the divorced party.)
  4. Don’t bear false witness. (true!) But Jesus says Do not even resort to taking an oath in the first place. Let the truth of your WORD of “yes” and “no” be sufficient. 
  5. Exact from others “an eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth.” God gave this law as a RESTRICTION.  A person or judge could only require equal to the offence.  BOTH eyes could not be required for one, neither could a mouthful of teeth be taken for a single one lost. But, Jesus goes WAY beyond that, saying, even in innocence, be willing to give more or even your all.  It’s a witness to the unsaved. And God will take care of it later.
  6. Love your neighbor. (yes!)  But hate your enemy?  Jesus says no.  Love them too! And even pray for them.  Why?  Because then you will be like your Father, who loves all and sends blessings on all, whether they are just or unjust.  Jesus says to be “perfect” in this. Perfect as your Father.

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Giving to the needy. 

Don’t be boastful about it, just to get the praise of others. Give in secret, and your Heavenly Father will reward you in secret.  This is the way to “lay up treasure in Heaven.”  That kind of treasure is safe.  It can’t be stolen or devalued.  If your “treasure” is in heaven, so will your heart be.  AND REMEMBER – you can’t serve God and money.

Praying like Jesus.

Don’t pray to be seen and thought of as “righteous.”  Pray in secret where only God hears you.  God is who you WANT to hear your prayers, right?   He will reward you. Besides, He knows what you need before you ask Him.  

Here’s a blueprint of prayer. Don’t pray the words. Use it as a pattern of how to pray.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done (not mine) as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For YOURS is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.*** Amen”

*** Some manuscripts omit that last line.  It would have been a very inflammatory statement for people living at that time under the rule of the Romans – that the kingdom, power, and glory ALL belonged to God.  That claim was punishable by death. To the Romans, the kingdom, power, and glory all belonged to Caesar.

Worry and Anxiety 

Jesus told the people NOT to be anxious about their lives, food & drink, clothes, or housing. All those things are secondary to your LIFE, and God knows you need them. HE will provide.  And besides, what has anxiety ever gotten you besides ulcers and stress?  Go outside and look at the BIRDS and the FLOWERS.  Beautiful, aren’t they?  Guess who gave them their lovely colors and plumage?  And God also “feeds” them.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these ‘things’ will be added to you.  DON’T worry about tomorrow.”

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Then to sum up the whole sermon, Jesus said,

“So, whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them,

for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

 

“Yes, the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life.

And those who find it are few.”

 

“Some will say on the last day, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in!’

But only the ones who do the will of my Father will be able to go in.

Those others will cry out that they prophesied in my name,

cast out demons in my name,

and did many mighty works in my name.

But I will say, “I never knew you;

depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

WHOA!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 281

Oct8

THE NEW TESTAMENT!

Day 281 – Reading – John 5

Read and believe in Jesus!

John 5,

Jesus heals the invalid by the Pool of Bethesda, which is just north of the Temple.

Around this pool lay “a multitude of invalids – blind, lame, and paralyzed” – waiting for the the water to “stir” so they could go in and be healed. (Just south of it, between the Antonia Fort and Pool of Israel is where the small Sheep Gate is located. Jesus went out this gate from the Temple to find the paralyzed man.)

A MIRACLE PERFORMED:

Among the crowds of ailing men lay one who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.  Had he no friends or family to help or care for him? Had he been injured, or was he born a cripple?

He waited with many others for the water in the pool to “stir.” Some believed that it was an angel that stirred up the water, and that the first one in was healed of their ailment.  Today, it’s believed that a surge from an underground spring caused the water to ripple. Was there a healing?  When you have been sick for so long ANY belief is welcome.

But that day, Jesus approached this man, knowing he’d been there a long time. 

“Do you want to be healed?”  

That seems like an odd question. OF COURSE the man wanted healing, right?  Or… had he gotten so used to being there, collecting alms, perhaps commiserating with other “friends” who’d been there a while, napping, watching for the elusive stir in the pool…   

Jesus knew his mind and heart, and asked him the question.  He may ask it to us today, not for physical healing, but for deep heart issues.  Do we want to be “healed” from a life of sin?  Do we want to be saved?

The man started in on a long explanation about him having no help, the water stirring, someone else getting there first….

“Get up, take up your bed, an walk.” 

Not an instant lapsed. The man was healed instantly. He took up his mat and walked away. Jesus faded into the crowd.  And the day was the Sabbath.

THE MASTER PERSECUTED

The walking man, no longer “unclean” by disease, headed for the Temple.  He hadn’t been inside the sacred courts for almost 40 years. He wanted to thank the Almighty God! He hardly remembered the mat under his arm.

“Hey! It’s the Sabbath. It’s not lawful for you to take up your mat,” accused the ever eagle-eyed religious leaders.

The ex-cripple stopped. “The man who healed me said, ‘Take up your bed and walk.'”

“Who was THAT MAN?”

The healed man looked around and shrugged. 

Later, Jesus found him in the Temple. “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”  (Hmmm, had his ailment been caused by some specific sin?)

The man went away and found those Jews who had quizzed him earlier. “It was Jesus who healed me.” 

Was he simply being a good citizen?  Or was he scared he’d get into trouble and maybe excommunicated?  Or was he a bit miffed at Jesus’s command and warning?

MURDER PLANNED.

And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

“IT’S NOT LAWFUL TO HEAL ON THE SABBATH!  YOU BROKE THE LAW”  They shouted at Him.

But healing was NOT against the Sabbath Law that God gave to Israel for their benefit.  Often, Jesus explained that helping even an animal on the Sabbath, who was injured, was not breaking the law. Kindness and mercy are traits from God.  That day, however, Jesus answered differently. He spoke clearly and with authority.

  • “MY FATHER is working until now, and I am working.” 
  • The Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing.
  • Whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
  • For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He himself is doing.
  • And greater works that THESE will He show Him, so that you may marvel.
  • As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.
  • The Father judges no one, but has give all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father,
  • Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and does NOT come into judgment bust has passed from death to life.
  • An hour is coming and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
  • The works that the Father has give me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me, that the Father has sent me.
  • YOU search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
  • How can you believe, when YOU receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

 

  • If YOU believed Moses … you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me.”

And so the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because he was even calling God his own Father, making Himself equal with God.

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Days 278 & 279

Oct6

THE NEW TESTAMENT!

Day 278 – Reading – Matthew 4 and Luke 4 – 5

Day 279 – Reading – John 2 – 4

Read and believe in Jesus!

Day 278 – Sunday’s Matthew 4 and Luke 4.

After Jesus was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit (just recently coming down on him like a dove) led Him into the desert “to be tempted by the devil.” (A specific reason)  The testing would last for 40 days. (Like Israel was “baptized in the Red Sea, then was tested in the wilderness for 40 years.  THEY failed. Jesus did not.)

  • FIRST TEMPTATION: I’m sure Jesus spent the beginning of those days communing with His Father.  Then, towards the end, when He was pretty hungry, Satan came to Him slyly (as the serpent in Eden ) with the suggestion, “IF You are the Son of God … command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

Jesus was hungry. Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus, who created those stones in the beginning, could very easily have turned them into bread. OR, created bread from nothing!  But, He would not sin and INDULGE Himself.  He answered Satan with the only thing that could make him run away: the Word of God. “IT IS WRITTEN, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3)

  • SECOND TEMPTATION: Then the devil took Jesus (in body, or in His mind) to a very tall mountain, and let him see all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, down through time. “All these I will give to you (for they have been given to me) IF You would fall down and worship me.”  

But Jesus knew that  He would one day rule all the Kingdoms of the earth for eternity. He would not sin and ACQUIRE them now by worshiping that Serpent.  Jesus again quoted scripture (Deut. 6:13), “It is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only shall you serve.'”

  • THIRD TEMPTATION: As a last resort, Satan took Jesus (in body or mind) to the top of the Temple in Jerusalem, a portion of the portico roof that extended beyond the wall over the Kidron Valley, a drop of perhaps 450 feet.  “IF you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ….for it is written;…. ‘He will command the angels concerning you to guard you. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot on a stone…'”  (And people will KNOW you are the Messiah!)

(Whoa, is Satan tricky, using the very Word of God to tempt. BEWARE!)

Jesus resisted this temptation to IMPRESS others, and in a strong, forceful voice, said, “It is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'” (Deut. 6:16)  And the devil left him – for a time – and angels came and ministered to Jesus. 

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LOOK AT those three temptations in the light of 1 John 2:15-17, because Satan tempts all believers in Christ the SAME way!  “LOVE NOT the world nor the things in it.” Then John gives the three areas of temptation, as Jesus experienced, that reveal loving the world.

  1. the lust of the flesh (a desire to INDULGE our bodily cravings of all kinds)
  2. the lust of the eyes  (a desire to ACQUIRE for ourselves the things our eyes see)
  3. the pride of life/possessions (a desire to IMPRESS others with our own glory)

And how are believers to fight these loves of the world?  Same as Jesus. 1 John 2:14b, ‘because the WORD of God abides in you and you are strong.’  Read, meditate on, and memorize God’s word.  IT’S A SWORD in the hand and heart of the believer.

Satan always tempts us in these three areas. 

Look at the very first time he appeared with Eve and tempted her to disobey God’s WORD.  Genesis 3:6 says, “So when the woman saw the tree WAS GOOD FOR FOOD, and that it was a DELIGHT TO THE EYES, and that it was to be desired TO MAKE ONCE WISE (like God) ... she TOOK its fruit and ate it.”  

Unlike Jesus, she YIELDED. She did not simply repeat God’s Word to Satan, “God said, “of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat.”  Period.

  • (Oh, LORD, please help me to learn from this. Help me to be aware of the ways Satan would get me to sin. And Help me to use Your Word as a Sword, to defeat his wiles.  LORD, please help me to see HOW IMPORTANT reading and memorizing your word is, and do it!)

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Read the other parts of today’s scripture (the rest of Matthew 4 and Luke 5.

After his baptism and temptations, Jesus began His ministry. 

  1. He began choosing His disciples (Luke includes Levi)
  2. traveling throughout all Galilee, teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,
  3. healing every disease and affliction.

In Jesus’ own synagogue in Nazareth, He read from Isaiah 61:1-2, and announced that this scripture was speaking about HIM.  He got mixed reactions:  first, they marveled at his gracious words, then they were so full of jealousy and wrath that they drove him out of town.

But demons listened to and obeyed Him, and fled from their victims “post haste.”

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Monday’s reading – Day 279 – John 2.

Jesus’ first “sign” miracle was turning large jugs of water into wine at a family wedding feast.  The host ran out of wine!!! (a huge, embarrassing no-no) Jesus’ mother came to Him with the problem and left the results entirely in His hands. 

(By the way, this is a good example of how to pray for our needs. Tell the Lord about your needs, worries, and emergencies … then leave the results up to Him, trusting He will answer in a way that is good for you and will bring glory to Him.)

Jesus acted quickly and quietly, behind the scenes.

What were the results of this first sign-miracle?  The host was vastly relieved.  The guests and newlyweds were happy. The servants who SAW the miracle firsthand were amazed. 

And Jesus’ disciples believed in Him.  (The exact reason John wrote this Gospel. See John 20:31)

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John 3.

Another very familiar chapter, with the MOST WELL-KNOWN VERSE in the Bible.

Jesus met up with one of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, late one night. 

I always picture it in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus and His disciples often went to “chill out” while in Judea.  But the Bible does not say where they met. It might have been in the house where Jesus was staying.  “Probably,” John was quietly in the background, for he recorded their conversation word for word. 

Nicodemus was trying to ascertain for sure if Jesus was sent from God.  Was He the Messiah?

But Jesus, who came to die for the sins of Nicodemus and others, pointed the Pharisee to the more important issue.  He needed to be born again, born from above, born of the Spirit.  There was no way he could get into the Messiah’s Kingdom without a heart change.

Nicodemus should have known this; he WAS a teacher of the Law, after all.  For the very prophets he studied spoke over and over, that when the Messiah came, He would “take out their stony hearts and give them a heart of flesh.”

 But Nicodemus got hung up on the “born again” part.  Huh?  Go back into his mom’s womb…..??

“These are not physical things, but SPIRITUAL things that they were talking about. Faith, trust, belief.

Jesus compares himself to the serpent form that Moses held up in the wilderness. Those who looked on it in faith were healed.  HE would be lifted up, too. (on a cross)  “Whoever believes in Him will live eternally.”

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“Because God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son (Jesus gesturing to himself), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

“Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.

“This is the judgment: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their works were evil.

“Whoever does what is true comes to the Light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

*

“Think about this, Nicodemus!” Jesus might have said, while shaking his hand. “You are not so very far from the Messiah’s Kingdom.”

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John 4.

This is that glorious story where Jesus, a Jewish man and teacher, sits down at a well and has a conversation with 1) a woman, 2) alone, 3) who is a “hated” Samaritan, and reveals that He is the Christ she’s been looking for, and offers her the water of Life.  

(Samaritans were hated because of long ago. when the Assyrians conquered Israel and deported most of the Jews to other lands, they brought back foreigners to run the business and agriculture of the land.  These pagan, idol-worshipers intermarried with the Jews that were left, mixing the pure religion of Jehovah with idolatry. They are called Samaritans because they settled around the old Northern Kingdom’s capital of Samaria.)

But Jesus sees hearts, and this woman’s heart was crying out for help, and love, and life.

Jesus offered it to her, and after confessing her sins, she believed and received it.  She also became an ardent missionary, running immediately to tell the whole town that she was saved, and that the Savior – the Man who revealed to her about her whole life – was there, in Samaria.  “Come and see!!”

MANY Samaritans believed that day.

Jesus said to the astonished disciples, “Look and see the fields! They are white for harvest! Pray for more workers!”

Back north in Galilee, past Cana (Yes, where the water to wine happened) to Capernaum, an official came running to Jesus, panicked about his son who was deathly ill. 

Man: “Sir, please come down before my son dies!”

Jesus: “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe. (Was Jesus thinking about the faith of the Samaritan woman?) “Go, your son will live.”

The man BELIEVED the word Jesus spoke!

And Lo, and Behold, when he arrived home, his son was completely well – ever since the time when Jesus spoke!

And THEN, he truly believed, and all his household.  

John calls this the SECOND sign that Jesus was the Son of God.  He healed a person who was at the brink of death.