Daily Reading Passages
Click below to see the passages online. Although, I recommend that if you can you read these in your own Bible. That way you can underline, comment, and become familiar with your own Bible.
Exodus 23:14 - 25:40
Matthew 24:29-51
Psalms 30:1-12
Proverbs 7:24-27
Coaching Comments
In the Old testament reading for today, Exodus 23:14 - 25:40, we find more of God preparing His people to move toward their mission, the promised land. First, He sets up three annual holidays for them, as reminders of His sovereignty over them. He tells them that He is sending His power ahead of them into the land. If they will obey Him, He will fight for them and slowly clear out the land as them grow in strength.
Genesis 23:33 is a key verse in understanding some of the harsh language toward the other people in the land. Already we've seen (and much more is yet to come) language where God instructs Israel to destroy other people in their quest to take over the promised land. This verse is the reason for all of that. God is trying to set up a situation where Israel will have the least opportunity to fall from worshiping Him. He is setting up a specific culture that is radically different from the cultures around. Intermarrying, making contracts, and compromising all were things that would undermine that culture. Remember the long-term goal here. God is creating a people who will be the perfect entry-vehicle for the Messiah. That goal cannot be sacrificed along the way.
The New testament reading today, Matthew 24:29-51, is the next installment of Jesus' end-time teaching. One important element in this section is Jesus assertion that the timing of the second coming is unknown to anyone other than the father. This is vital for us to remember when so many people out there are making claims about when the world will end. The emphasis of this teaching, then, is to live our lives in a state of preparedness. We are to be on mission, undistracted, and unentangled. The time we have left--whatever amount it is--is given us for the purpose of furthering the mission of Jesus' kingdom. Harsh consequences are in store for any who claim to be followers of Jesus, but take advantage of this gift of time for their own gain, rather than using it to further Jesus' own mission.
The 30th Psalm is our Psalm Reading for the day. Psalms 30:1-12 This is a song of thanks to God for His healing and deliverance. It's also the source of the lyrics for "Mourning into Dancing," a fun worship song that some of you might know.
Today's Proverb reading is Proverbs 7:24-27. Just the final thoughts on the previous day's warnings against pursuing adultery and other sins of lust. Do you get the picture? This is bad stuff! Stay away from it.
2007 Cohort Comments
Comments (4)
Rich Rawlins said
at 11:10 am on Feb 6, 2009
If it looks like a duck, waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck. Ok guys, I'm not buying the fact that the cloud God is hanging out in is a cloud (Exodus 24: 15-18). Makes no sense. Do you think God employs some kind of technology?
Also, I was always taught that God is omnipresent. How can this be when he is obviously descending on a mountain (coming from somewhere and ending up somewhere eles), hanging out in something, dwelling with people, passing by in front of Moses, etc., etc. Also isn't one of the properties of hell separation from God? It would seem he has some kind of major ability to communicate both in the physical and kind of telepathically or something, and he also somehow keeps all the planets spinning, but I'm just not seeing the omnipresent thing.
I really don't mean to be such a rebel, but so much of what's going on in the OT just doesn't make sense. Actually, I guess it does make sense, it just doesn't stack up with what I've been taught.
It seems to me that it's almost painfully obvious that God has a body, isn't omnipresent and travels in something that displays characteristics of modern flight. Why do we all tend to ignore this stuff? It's like nobody notices or challenges things like this and sort of takes it for granted that God is who people from years gone by says he is, when that might not necessarily be true. Comments?
...rich
Jacqui Wheelhouse said
at 11:54 am on Feb 6, 2009
Hey Rich, if He really is God, then can't He do whatever He wants? If He is omnipresent, that means He can show up here and still be in other places. Mind blowing cool stuff dude!
Seriously, think about it. Are we just such tiny brains that we can't fathom how crazy wild His presence is? How then does He have three separate persons in one? Explain that one too. Jesus/HS/God and all are one and all are separate. Kind of like an egg. It has a shell/yoke/white and yet is an egg. I don't know. I just think He does the coolest things and we are unable to wrap our minds around His abilities and big-ness. So we try to make Him smaller and restricted to fit our understanding of things.
Maybe I am way off here but it just seems like the more it doesn't make sense, the cooler it is because it shows how fantastic He really is. So He has a form and doesn't have a form. Most of what we are taught is man's interpretation or "religion" that isn't actually the reality of God or who He is. Who can describe Him? I know I can't however I know He is real and have experienced Him is various ways and visions and sensed His presence, the Holy Spirit and Jesus. All of them. Something is up.
If you really want to mess with your thinking, read The Shack. It is a very refreshing (fictional) perspective that will get you out of your religious thinking and challenge how you perceive God. It did for me and it not only challenged my thinking, it also increased my faith and ability to be open to God showing up however He wants.
Kind of cool.
You are awesome by the way! Love your thoughts and questions and that is what this journey is all about.
Jacqui Wheelhouse said
at 11:54 am on Feb 6, 2009
Lord, I pray that Rich would experience your presence in more fantastic ways. Reveal your truth to his heart. Help his
faith to expand and grow. Give him revelation to who you are. Lord, we want to know you and you us. We thank you for that.
You are an awesome God and help us in our unbelief when we want to make you small, to fit our perspective. Blow that out of the
water and allow us a glimpse into the truth of who you are. In Jesus Name...AMEN!
Jim Huddart said
at 11:41 pm on Feb 6, 2009
Rich, I totally agree that God may be (and almost certainly is) something more or different than what I have pictured in my little mind. However, I also believe that anyone with the ability to create a vast and mind boggling universe with billions of stars or something as complex as the human body with billions of cells and a reasoning mind could most likely appear as anything He desires to look or sound like.I also imagine He could travel in any cloud, vehicle, spirit or fashion He chooses and be in more than one (or even every) place at a time. I'm comfortable believing He is all that I have been taught and probably a whole lot more. I'm also comfortable not needing to limit Him to any logical form or to figure out whether He is here, there or everywhere. All I feel a need to do is get to know His character as intimately as possible and let that become as much a part of me as I can. If it turns out that I am totally wrong in my idea of what He looks like, it won't matter as long as I have a fair idea of His loving nature and make every effort to emulate Jesus' behavior as the perfect human example of that. Now that may be simplistic thinking, but it's what makes me feel hopeful and makes me want to be a better person even when I come up short on a regular basis.
Once again, I want to thank you for making me think more about what I believe and why.
Blessings to you all.
You don't have permission to comment on this page.