My Faith View from Here - Daily readings and thoughts

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Joshua 10,11, Psalm 119:145-160, Jeremiah 32:16-44, John 17:13-26 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%2010%2C11%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A145-160%2C%20Jeremiah%2032%3A16-44%2C%20John%2017%3A13-26&version=NASB1995 In This World, Not Of It “They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world.”   This statement is made by Jesus as He is praying for His disciples. I have talked often about the kingdom of God and how Jesus followers, through faith, hold a passport for the kingdom of God.  Once the decision is made to follow Jesus, your permanent residence is in God’s kingdom.  It’s a powerful truth.  However, Jesus does not say His disciples leave this world immediately but rather He sends them into the world (John 17:18) just like Jesus was sent into the world. This means we represent Jesus in a world that is in a continuous decline.  We’re seeing wars and world leaders that are causing a lot of trouble around t...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Joshua 9, Psalm 119:121-144, Jeremiah 32:1-15, John 23-17:12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%209%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A121-144%2C%20Jeremiah%2032%3A1-15%2C%20John%2016%3A23-17%3A12&version=NASB1995 When We Don’t Ask They “did not ask for the counsel of the LORD (Joshua 9:14).”  The inhabitants of Gibeah were scared for their lives and therefore tricked the leaders of Israel to believe they were from a far country so Israel vowed they would not hurt them.  This is exactly the thing that God warned them about, which was not to spare anyone.  I believe this came back to negatively affect Israel’s ability to take the entire promised land. With good intentions we make decisions every day.  Many of those decisions would be wiser if we had listened to the counsel of God.  Now what is cool is God knows what decision we’re going to make before we make it, and He has adjusted the mould of our plan because of that dec...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Joshua 7:16-8:35, Psalm 119:97-120, Jeremiah 31:27-40, John 16:5-22 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%207%3A16-8%3A35%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A97-120%2C%20Jeremiah%2031%3A27-40%2C%20John%2016%3A5-22&version=NASB1995 Through the Jesus Filter Immutable.  I was talking to my brother this morning.  He’s my only brother and he’s the one of the family that studied theology and continues to study theology.  He’s also the only one in my family that uses big words that I have no clue what they mean.  He told me God is immutable and I had to stop him and say….”Sorry, what does that mean?”  He said, well it means God is the same yesterday as He is today as He will be forever - He’s unchanging.  We were discussing my post, Crisis Averted, Day 136.  If you remember the post, it was my struggle with the fact that Jesus is the truest representation we have of God, as humble, caring and loving yet seems a lot more vio...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Joshua 6:1-7:15, Psalm 119:73-96, Jeremiah 3:15-26, John 15:12-16:4 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%206%3A1-7%3A15%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A73-96%2C%20Jeremiah%203%3A15-26%2C%20John%2015%3A12-16%3A4&version=NASB1995 Love to the End “Greater love has no one than this, that one lays down his life for his friends.”  Jesus' instruction to them in the verse before is “this is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.   We know that in the next few chapters, we will once again read about Jesus' death and resurrection where Jesus lays down his life for the world.  Jesus lays down His life for His friends! Jesus clarifies what he is referring to as friends.  He says “you are My friends if you do what I command you” and “I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard  from My Father I have made known to you.”  Jesus makes it clear that to be His friends we must love each oth...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Joshua 4,5, Psalm 119:49-72, Jeremiah 30:18-31:14, John 14:16-15:11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%204%2C5%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A49-72%2C%20Jeremiah%2030%3A18-31%3A14%2C%20John%2014%3A16-15%3A11&version=NASB1995 Freedom for Everyone “Peace I leave with you;  My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”  “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”  Words of Jesus spoken to His disciples….and that includes me. So why did I get up this morning with an extremely heavy heart, feeling no peace and feeling no joy?  The pressures on me today are both real and just perceived, but they are real to me and I want out of this funk! I read a blog post by New York Times best selling author, Rachel Held Evans (1981-2019), called “Dear Pastors-Tell Us the Truth” https://rachelheldevans.c...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Joshua 2:15-3:17, Psalm 119:25-48, Jeremiah 30:1-17, John 13:21-14:15 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%202%3A15-3%3A17%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A25-48%2C%20Jeremiah%2030%3A1-17%2C%20John%2013%3A21-14%3A15&version=NASB1995 Known by Love “Love one another.”  This is a command from Jesus to all His disciples.  He follows it with the statement: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  This is a functioning family.   I have 2 nephews that used to fight all the time.  When I would visit them at their home when they were growing up, every bed time became a fighting match between the two of them.  It was constant.  They are grown men now and have dramatically different personalities and they still disagree on a lot.  I was only able to attend the younger brother’s wedding but I was thrilled to see that the older brother was his best man.  The two ...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Joshua 1:1-2:14, Psalm 119:1-24, Jeremiah 29, John 13:1-20 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%201%3A1-2%3A14%2C%20Psalm%20119%3A1-24%2C%20Jeremiah%2029%2C%20John%2013%3A1-20&version=NASB1995 Time And Priorities - What’s First? “Be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6).”  “Only be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:7).”  “Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9).”  “For I know the plans that I have for you, … plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).”  These are all encouraging quotes from our reading today.  Many have used these portions of scripture to believe as promises from God, and they are.  However, there are some things that God also says that have bearing on these promises. Joshua is told to “be strong and courageous” but he is also told “This book of the law shall not ...

Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year) Deuteronomy 34, Psalm 117,118, Jeremiah 28, John 12:27-50 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2034%2C%20Psalm%20117%2C118%2C%20Jeremiah%2028%2C%20John%2012%3A27-50&version=NASB1995 Look to the Light “This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24)”.  This is a verse that is quoted often and it’s true.  Every day is a day the LORD has made so we should rejoice and be glad in it, no matter the circumstances.  Every day is different and every day has some good in it if we are willing to see it.   However, if we read the verses before, that it is referring to, it’s like adding nitrous oxide to a car in a drag race.  It’s an immediate boost.  Jesus described Himself as the stone which the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone. (Definition of cornerstone: it’s the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, essential for aligning and sup...