I'm moving!

I am moving my blog posts. I like the functionality of Wordpress so I may not be coming back to this site. I might even eventually delete the account.

So, if you want to continue following me, consider hopping on over to my new Wordpress blog at: https://mattellis1997.wordpress.com/.

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 28:1–29:32 
1 Timothy 1:1-20 
Psalm 86:1-17 
Proverbs 25:17

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


I am moving my blog posts. Please hop on over to my new Wordpress blog at: https://mattellis1997.wordpress.com/

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 26:1–27:22 

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18 

Psalm 85:1-13 

Proverbs 25:16

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

I am moving my blog posts. Please hop on over to my new Wordpress blog at: https://mattellis1997.wordpress.com/

Joy in the Lord

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 23:21–25:38 
2 Thessalonians 2:1-17 
Psalm 84:1-12 
Proverbs 25:15

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


Psalm 84:10-12 (ESV) "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verses for Today express the joy to be had in God's presence. 

Rather than spend my time (and waste your time) elaborating on these easy-to-understand verses, I want to simply ask you to go back and slowly, reflectively read each phrase, stopping periodically to reflect on what truth God is revealing to you.

Curses, genealogies, and the virgin birth

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 22:1–23:20 
2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 
Psalm 83:1-18 
Proverbs 25:11-14

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Jeremiah 22:30 (ESV) "Thus says the LORD: 'Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Ok. I know that I have, once again, chosen an unusual verse for our Verse for Today. But, there is a fascinating truth embedded in it. Let me share it with you. Try to stay with me on this because it could get a little confusing if you don't keep your mind in gear.

In Jeremiah 22:30, we are told about a King of Judah. His name is Coniah. Here is what we know about him:

• He was "the son of Jehoiakim" (Jeremiah 22:24), and the grandson of Josiah (2 Kings 23:34).
• His real name was Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:6). Coniah seemed to be his shortened name. Another name he went by was Jechoniah.
• He was a king of Judah (Jeremiah 22:24).
• He would go into Babylonian / Chaldean captivity under Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 22:24-26; 2 Kings 24:8-12).
• None of this children would ever sit on David's throne as king (Jeremiah 22:30).

Essentially, we find out that Coniah (Jehoiachin) was cursed by God for his sinfulness, was taken into Babylonian captivity, and the kingly line of David (through him) ceased. He was cursed by God and it was declared that none of his descendants would sit on David's throne as king.

So, fast forward to Matthew 1:1-17. We see that this text is a genealogy that begins with Abraham and ends with Jesus. In verses 6-7, we read that it includes King David and his son, Solomon.

But, notice who is mentioned ...

Matthew 1:11 "and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon."

So, Josiah (the grandfather) is said to have been "the father" (or ancestor) of Jechoniah and then we are told of the Babylonian deportation (captivity). So, we're talking about the guy in Jeremiah who got cursed, right?

But, when we continue reading in Matthew 1, we eventually get to verse 16 where we read that Jesus is a descendant of Jechoniah. 

That is a MAJOR problem because Jechoniah was told by God that none of his descendants would sit on David's throne. So, essentially, Jesus (as a descendant of Jechoniah) would have been forbidden by God to be Israel's long-awaited King!

So, what do we do with the following verses?

Luke 1:31-33 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

How is this possible? How can God say in Jeremiah 22 that none of Jechoniah's descendants would ever be king? Yet we read in Matthew 1 that Jesus is Jechoniah's descendant and then Luke 1 tells us that Jesus will be the long-awaited King?

How does this get reconciled?!

Simple! Let's look at one more genealogy...

In Luke 3:23-38, we see yet another genealogy. We see Jesus' name at the beginning and, as we read, it goes all the way back to Adam (intentionally skipping over many names for the sake of brevity).

But, notice in verse 31 that King David is mentioned. In Matthew's genealogy, Solomon is the kingly descendant of David through whom Jesus came. Notice which son of David is mentioned here in Luke...

Luke 3:31 "the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,"

Here, Nathan (not Solomon) is the descendant of David through which all of rest of the descendants came. 

And notice that Jechoniah wasn't mentioned. Why? Because he wasn't a descendant of Nathan. He was a descendant of Solomon.

If you have followed along up to this point, let me tie it all together for you...

The genealogy in Matthew 1 is the kingly line. It is the lineage of King David through his son King Solomon until we get to Jechoniah who was cursed and was the last king of Israel. But, before we get to Jesus, we realize that this was Joseph's line (not Mary's). If Jesus had been the biological son of Joseph, then Jesus would have inherited the curse and could not have been the long-awaited King of Israel who would sit on David's throne.

But, Jesus HAD to be a descendant of David without inheriting the curse. That's were we look to the genealogy of Luke 3. That genealogy is the family line of Mary. She was a descent of King David through Nathan. So, she was a descendant of David, through his son, Nathan - she just wasn't in the kingly line. But, since she wasn't from the line of Solomon, she didn't inherit the curse of Jechoniah. When she gave birth to her biological son, Jesus, he was born as a descendant of David but he didn't inherit the curse.

So, when Jesus was born, he was born at a biological son of David from Mary. Through here, He was a descendant of King David. Through her, He inherited the royal blood of the kingly line of Israel. 

Yet, in regard to His earthly father, he was the adopted son of Joseph. If he had been the biological son of Joseph, he would haven inherited the curse. But, as the virgin-born Son of God and not the biological son of Joseph, He inherited the right to reign as Israel's king (as a descendant of King David and Solomon) without inheriting the curse.

Only God could work out such a plan!!!

Can't keep quiet about Jesus!

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 19:1–21:14 
1 Thessalonians 5:4-28 
Psalm 82:1-8 
Proverbs 25:9-10

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Jeremiah 20:9 (ESV) "If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Go back and read our Verse for Today again.

I really mean it. Go back and read it again.

Does your love for the Lord cause you to want to talk about Him to others? If you were to try not to talk about Him to your family members, fellow students, co-workers, neighbors, or whoever, would it wear you out trying to keep quiet?

Lord Jesus, give us a love and passion for you like the prophet Jeremiah had! Amen.

Who are you trusting?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 16:16–18:23 
1 Thessalonians 4:1–5:3 
Psalm 81:1-16 
Proverbs 25:6-8

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Jeremiah 17:5, 7 (ESV) "Thus says the LORD: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. ... Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.'"

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Over and over in Scripture, we see God essentially asking people one thing: "Do you trust me?"

Adam and Eve needed to trust God regarding eating of the forbidden fruit.

Noah needed to trust God regarding a worldwide flood that had never before happened.

Abraham needed to trust God when he was commanded to leave his home in Ur to travel to a land that God would tell him of.

Etc., etc., etc.

Peter needed to trust the Lord when he stepped out of the boat onto the water.

Thomas needed to trust that the Lord Jesus had really been resurrected.

Etc., etc., etc.

And to be saved, everyone of us must place our trust in Jesus.

Over and over and over in Scripture, we see that God wants us to trust Him.

Why?

Because trusting Him reveals how wonderful of a God He is.
Because trusting Him relieves much of our stress and worry.
Because trusting Him gives credibly to our faith to a lost world that is watching.
Because He is worthy of our trust.

Friend, do you trust God? Are you trusting Him with whatever is going on in your life right now? Have you trusted in Jesus to save you?

If not, why not?

Celebrate God's Grace - but Never Presume Upon It

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 14:11–16:15 
1 Thessalonians 2:9–3:13 
Psalm 80:1-19 
Proverbs 25:1-5

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Jeremiah 14:11-12 "The LORD said to me: 'Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'"
  REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Over and over in Scripture, God is said to be loving and patient. He reaches out to the sinner and calls him back to Himself.

But, it is a fair question to ask: "Does God's patience ever run out? It is ever too late to come back to Him?"

Just read our Verses for Today for the answer:

"The LORD said to me: 'Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'" (Jeremiah 14:11-12)

This attitude by our Heavenly Father is very rare in Scripture. We don't see it often. We read about it on Mt. Sinai when God told Moses He was going to destroy the rebellious people of Israel and create a new nation. But, Moses prayed and God relented. 

More times than not, God's patience seems to be endless. In fact, we may presume upon it. We go off, once again, into sin because we are convinced that God will once again cleanse us and bring us back into fellowship. 

But the truth of Jeremiah 14:11-12 is a very sobering, helpful reminder. If we are saved, we can never lose it. But, it is quite possible that someone could offend God so many times that He no longer listens to their supposed prayers of repentance. In fact, there are times when someone's sin could so offend Him that He decides to cut their life short (1 John 5:16-17).

I have to admit that I don't fully understand this topic. I don't fully understand God's patience or what it looks like when it runs out or what it takes to reach that point of no return. I simply know what I have seen in Scripture. And it's enough to sober us up and cause us to celebrate God's grace - but never to presume upon it.

Saved? From what?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 12:1–14:10 
1 Thessalonians 1:1–2:8 
Psalm 79:1-13 
Proverbs 24:30-34

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (ESV) "For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In our Verses for Today, the Apostle Paul is bragging on the church at Thessalonica. They received the Gospel even though they were being persecuted for it. As a result, their example was being talked about in areas well beyond their city.

But, I want us to focus on the last phrase of today's verses...

"Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

If you want to ask someone if they are a Jesus-follower, you might ask the question: "Are you saved?"

As Christians, we have come to use that biblical word a lot. When we say "saved," we understand that it refers to the person who has trusted in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross on their behalf to forgive them, cleanse them, and make them God's child.

But, "saved" is one of those words that is used so often that we may not realize what it is actually talking about.

What does it mean to be "saved?"

If I told you that someone was drowning in a lake but I saved them, what would that mean? Simply that they were going to die but I took action and spared them of that tragic end.

If I told you that I came upon a car wreck and saved someone whose vehicle was engulfed in flames, what would that mean? Simply that they were going to die but I took action and spared them of that tragic end.

So, when Christians say that we are "saved," what does that mean? It simply means that we were headed for something utterly horrific but God took action and spared us of that tragic end.

What did God save us from?

"Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

Friend, God is a loving God (1 John 4:8,16) but He is also a just God (Exodus 34:6-7; Numbers 14:18). He has set a day upon which He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:30-31). And as a good, righteous Judge, He has no choice but to send sinful lawbreakers to a fiery Hell (Revelation 20:11-15). 

This is the "wrath to come," friend. This is where we are all headed unless God steps in to save us from this tragic end.

But God did step in to save us. He took drastic measures that enabled Him to maintain His holiness (our sin had to be paid for) and reveal His love (Jesus willingly offered His life as the payment for our sins - Romans 5:8).

So, all that is left is for us to receive that free gift. We do so by repenting (turning from sin and self-rule) and trusting in Jesus (resting in what He did to make us right in God's eyes). And when we do this, we are once and for all time "saved from the wrath to come."

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, 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."

How to treat unbelievers who mistreat you

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 10:1–11:23 
Colossians 3:18–4:18 
Psalm 78:56-72 
Proverbs 24:28-29

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


Colossians 4:5-6 "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In our Verses for Today, we are called to be extra cautious when talking to those who are not yet saved. Why? Because if our words are inappropriate or, worse yet, harsh, then we may lose an opportunity to share the good news of the Gospel with them. In fact, if the offense is so great, they may lump all Christians together and determine never to join our group through trusting in Jesus to save them.

In other words, handle lost people with 'kid gloves,' so that nothing you say will stand in the way of them seriously consider the claims of Jesus and the message of the Gospel that can save their souls.

Does this mean that sometimes you will overlook an offense? Does this mean that sometimes you may be horribly wronged but you will determine to accept the wrong so as not to be a stumbling block to a non-believer? Yep. The greater good is that lost person spending eternity in Heaven. If something we do can move them closer to that moment where they give their life to Jesus, then we must do it.

Forgiving others as Jesus forgives us

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 8:8–9:26 
Colossians 3:1-17 
Psalm 78:32-55 
Proverbs 24:27

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Colossians 3:13 "bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Quite often, as we read our Bibles, we are confronted with the reality that we cannot live the life that God has called us to live. We simply cannot obey His commandments to the degree that He has called us to obey them.

For instance, I was just reflectively reading though Colossians 3:1-17 and came across the second half of verse 13. It says: "As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

That command is insane, my friend. If we think that we are living up to that standard, we are ill-informed as to the true condition of our heart. Absolutely none of us can completely forgive and love the person who daily lives in opposition to God and His Word and who is actively working toward our destruction and death.

As men surrounded Jesus who had cried out for His death and who had nailed him to the torturous cross, Jesus looked on them with compassion and said: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34).

Friend, can you forgive to that level? I cannot. To be completely honest, I don't have it in me.

So, then why would God call us to live up to a standard that is impossible for us to obey? Does He want us to live in a constant state of frustration and self-loathing at our inability to comply with His good commands?

No. Of course not. God loves us too much to set us up for failure.

So, what is God doing when He gives us commands that are impossible for us to comply with?

Simply put, God's standards are a clear reminder that we are no more able, on our own, to live the Christian life after we are saved than before we are saved. The only way we can live up to the standard God has called us to is to realize that it requires our dependence upon and submission to Jesus who lives inside every believer in the person of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). We cannot obey God's commands but Jesus in us can and will if we fully depend upon and submit to Him.

So, friend, are you trying to live the Christian life in your own strength? Good luck with that and get accustomed to failure.

But, if you realize that you cannot do it but Jesus in you can, and as you, moment-by-moment, depend upon Him to live His life out through you, you will experience spiritual victory much more often. But, you won't be filled with pride at your growing degree of holiness. You will be filled with gratitude for what Jesus is doing in and through you.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 6:16–8:7 
Colossians 2:8-23 
Psalm 78:1-31 
Proverbs 24:26

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


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DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 4:19–6:15 
Colossians 1:18–2:7 
Psalm 77:1-20 
Proverbs 24:23-25

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


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DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 2:31–4:18 
Colossians 1:1-17 
Psalm 76:1-12 
Proverbs 24:21-22

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



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DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 1:1–2:30 
Philippians 4:1-23 
Psalm 75:1-10 
Proverbs 24:17-20

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


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DAILY BIBLE READING:

Isaiah 66:1-24 
Philippians 3:5-21 
Psalm 74:1-23 
Proverbs 24:15-16

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


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DAILY BIBLE READING:

Isaiah 62:6–65:25 
Philippians 2:19–3:4 
Psalm 73:1-28 
Proverbs 24:13-14

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):



REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):


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