I have been doing alot of reading the last 18 months. More than I have in a really long time. When I was younger I could devour books; usually they were of the fiction/thriller/mystery assortment. I tore through the Hardy Boys and Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. Tom Clancy, John Grisham, and Stephen Hunter were some of my favorites in high school and college. The life expectancy of one of their novels in my hands was no more than four days; many times less. But over the last 15 years or so my reading has been hit and mostly miss.
There are many reasons for this. For one, I stopped reading about life and actually started living it! And life has been exciting. (...maybe one day I'll write a book about it!) Also, the time I used to spend reading has been replaced with "other" things. And as I have slowly started seeking the Lord over the last decade, I felt that if I were to spend any time reading it had better be His Word. Now, that sounds extremely spiritual; but in reality I didn't even do that! I just continued not reading at all.
About 6 months ago, however, I joined a book club at church. I figured that they would choose books that would "be good for me". And they have. I have tried to balance my Bible and non-Bible reading; though that is still a work in progress. But the books I have been reading in the club have, without exception, continually been pointing me back to God and to His Word. They have deepened my understanding of Him, His work, His Word, His nature, and His ways...while also magnifying the far greater mysteries surounding Him. This has happened in such a notable way that I am compelled to share them with you.
Many of these books were not part of our Book Club; I was, however, led to them in the course of the selection readings. There are manifold nuggets of wisdon and enlightenment in them. I pray that you get the chance to see them. And I pray that we both are led deeper into YHWH's Word as a result of them.
Through the Bible in One Year--Alan Stringfellow
Eternity in Their Hearts--Don Richardson
The Hiding Place--Corrie TenBoom
Four Souls--Peterson,Kronberg,Medefind,Sklar
The Pursuit of God--AW Tozer
A Tale of Three Kings--Gene Edwards
Prisoner in the Third Cell--Gene Edwards
Father Style--Gayle Erwin
Jesus Style--Gayle Erwin
Matthew--JC Ryle
A Memoir of Grace--Chuck Smith
Faith--Chuck Smith
Living Water--Chuck Smith
The Last Christian Generation--Josh McDowell
Stranger on the Road to Emmaus--John R Cross
What Good is God?--Phillip Yancey
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23--Phillip Keller
A Popular Survey of the New Testament--Norman Geisler
...and in process are these:
The Life and Times of Jesus Christ the Messiah--Alfred Edersheim
A Simplified Harmony of the Gospels--George Knight
The Bible--God

Please, let me know of any book that has touched your heart. I would love to have it touch me as well.

Overtaken

What is joy?


The dictionary says: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires, the expression or exhibition of such emotion, a state of happiness or felicity, a source or cause of delight.

This sounds pretty good. The pursuit of joy sounds like a worthwhile endeavor. While considering this I realized how much we long for joy. We seek it out along so many different avenues. Where do I find joy? Where do you find joy? Where does the world find it?

Winning a sports match. Watching a sports match. Eating an incredible meal. Drinking an ice-cold drink after a long, hard day in the sun. Receiving a gift. Taking your honeymoon in Hawaii with your new bride. Getting a raise. Getting your tax rebate check in the mail. Getting your vacation check. Gambling and winning a bet. Drinking to get a buzz. Taking drugs to get high. Feeling loved. Being cared for. Surfing. Boating. 4-wheeling. Motorbike riding. Fishing. Camping. Blogging. Video games. Movies. Hanging with friends. Money. The list can go on and on.

But each one of these (and I dare say any) joys is fleeting, temporary, and ultimately unfulfilling. I don't think I can think of anything on this earth that brings unending, constant joy. ...or is there?


You probably know where I am going with this. Don't the self-help books tell us how to find it, get it, and keep it? We call it different things (abundant life, a purpose driven life) but a life of joy, peace, happiness, and contentment has long been the desire of mankind. We have searched high and low for true joy. Our search has netted us countless activities, pleasures, and pursuits...all hoping to grant us joy. And we can even ask ourselves: Hasn't God provided all these pleasure and joys for us? Aren't we meant to participate and enjoy whatever joys we find on this earth?

Many arguments, philosophies, and movements have spawned from these very questions. (Epicureanism, Stocism, Health&Wealth, Name-it-and-claim-it, modernism, meditation, free love, et. al.) I choose to ignore them and focus on the aforementioned query: Is there anything on this earth that brings unending, constant, and all-pervasive joy? Because, to be honest, that is the kind I want. I have dabbled in the weak stuff, the stuff that doesn't last. My understanding of God has led me to know that He loves me and wants what is best for me. A joy-filled life definitely fits the bill.

As with all questions of life and living, it is probably best to go to the Lord Creator of this earth for wisdom and understanding...and maybe even an answer! "Joy" (as the great Pollyanna once noted) is mentioned 158 times in the Bible (...by contrast, "misery" is noted merely 9 times). "Blessed", or happy--327 times (..."pain", or suffering--35 times). "Love"--362 times (..."hate" 86 times). "Servant"--514 times (..."Master" 187 times). "Heaven"--532 times (..."hell"--32 times). This simple word search in and of itself reveals quite a bit about God's priorities. A reading of each and every one of the above cases will leave you astounded at how far wrong our views of what our lives are supposed to be like have become.

But I digress...back to joy. Deuteronomy 28 revelas a list of blessings and promises for obeying and observing God's instructions. The blessings listed would not only come upon them but overtake them. Sounds like a pretty joyful existence to me!...overtaken by God's blessings! Wow. Of course, there were consequences for not obeying: Curses would overtake them, "Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything" (Deut 28:47). Serving God with joy and gladness of heart. How does one serve God with joy and gladness of heart? How does that joy get there?

• Psalm 16:11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Sounds straightforward.)




• Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. (David had gotten a sampling of God's joy by the work of the Holy Spirit in his life...and he was hooked! He wanted more! The man who was King, the hero of Israel, the defeater of Goliath..this great man who seemed to have it all counted it as nothing. He wanted more of what God offered. That was the joy he pursued...salvation.)




• Isaiah 12:3 Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah spends considerable time in his entire book trying to draw our attention to the fact that Salvation is coming and when it does our hearts will be filled with joy because of it. We know that the Salvation he spoke of was the Messiah--Jesus the Christ, the Son of God!)




• Isaiah 60:1-5 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. (The coming of Jesus was to be a monumental, world-encomopassing event. Israel was blessed to be the nation by which God had chosen to save the world.)




• Hab 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. (Further affirmation of true joy...salvation.)




• Luke 2:10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people!" (The twelve words of Christmas...Louie Giglio is right on...the great joy prophesied of by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Habbakuk, and the other prophets had come to pass there in Bethlehem.)




• John 15:11 These things I (Jesus) have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. (What things you ask? These things..."This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15;12-13. A basic reiteration of Deut 28...We will be overtaken by Jesus' joy if we follow Him and His example.)




• John 16:22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. (This joy of salvation from Jesus supercedes anything that may trouble us in our daily existence. This is the great Hope. We will see Jesus and we can rest joyfully in that promise; even during the hard times we may experience here on earth.)




• Act 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (You see...there can be joy. There should be joy.)




• Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (We who are in the Kingdom do not rate our joy-status on any scale the world has come up with. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives produces joy naturally. Galatians 5:22. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.)




• Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (This nicely sums up much of what we have already seen.)




• Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Interesting...we are Jesus' joy. That is almost shocking to me...I am His joy. Wow...He really loves us.)




• James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (Further comfort that present sorrows wane when compared to the eternal joy set before us.)




• 1Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

My prayer for you and myself is that our lives begin to reflect the inexpressible joy of salvation that should be residing within our hearts. May we draw closer to our Lord and Savior and realize more and more what He has done for us, what He is doing for us, and what He has promised to do for us. I don't expect this to happen overnight. Faith is a journey full of little steps. Abraham didn't become the great father of faith in a single moment. His was a life-long journey of growing faith and trust in God. Read about it in Genesis and Hebrews. See what the Lord wants to teach you. I want to learn at His feet. I want to be filled with His wisdom, His love, His peace, His joy. I want to be overtaken by Him. Don't you?

Got through most of Deuteronomy and a lot of rabbit trails:

• Hebrews 11:3--It takes faith to believe in Creation; not your arguments. Also, God prepared worlds (plural)? Hmmm.
• Numbers 33:55--What do we fail to drive out of our lives and thus becomes a thorn in our side? These thorns lead to sin--Deut 20:18.
• Deut 3:25--Moses really wanted to see the Promised Land. Even up to the last he was begging God to let him go see it.
• Deut 4:8--The real standard of greatness for nations. Do we measure up?
• Deut 4:9--All grandparents, read this NOW!
• Deut 5:24-29--What great respect and reverence Israel showed towards the Lord. Do we do likewise?
• Deut 7:20 (and Exodus 23:28)--Beware the hornet!!
• Deut 7:22--There are so many levels of providence in God's plans and purposes.
• Deut 8:2-5--God's discipleship training program: Humbling, testing, training, disciplining, and faith-building.
• Deut 9:4-5--More info on God's ways.
• Deut 9:6--Gut check.
• Deut 11:18-20--All dads, read this NOW!! (...and it is reitierated in Deut 6:7-9)
• Galatians 6:9 and Hebrews 6:10-12--What REAL works of faith are being manifested in my life?
• Deut 16:20--Motto for all lawyers everywhere.
• Deut 17:20--Motto for all politicians everywhere.
• Deut 20:3-4--Motto for all warriors everywhere.
• Deut 20:19-20, 22:6-7--God is concerned about the wefare of His creation. Even the environment.
• Deut 21:18-21--All kids , read this NOW!!

Get in the Word. Read it. Write it down. Dwell on it.

Merry Christmas!!
The Savior of the world was born to save mankind from his sins. We needed saving. We need saving. God had a plan from the very beginning to save us. That plan was His own Son Jesus. To not see that plan laid out before us in the Scriptures is to deny Jesus. "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He (Jesus) expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Luke 24:27) All the Scriptures point to Jesus. We must read them like Jesus would want us to, with an eye to see Him.
So let's continue our communication with God as we read His Word. Let's hear what He has to say to us about His Son, His will, and His love for us.
Merry Christmas. Thank you Jesus for leaving heaven and doing all you did for us.

Hello friends! ...so, how far have you gotten in our Bible reading extravaganza?

Well, I got through Leviticus and Numbers. And, surprisingly (since many pastor/teachers I have known have professed they find these books difficult to read/study through), I found knowledge and understanding and truth...imagine that!...God's Word imparting wisdom!! I have read these books before. I have attended Bible studies on various parts of them. I have heard men give surveys of them. Fortunately, I left many scrawled notes that aided this my most recent trek through these books. This time, though, I have decided not to take too many notes in my Bible; I just want to read. I'll make chapter and verse notations in a little notebook to look at and remind myself of treasures I find. Here are a few from this week.

• Exodus 32:32. Moses knew about the Book of Life. And he was willing to give up His place in it to arrange for God's forgiveness of Israel's sin. Wow. Would I give up my place in the Book of Life for anyone? Would I give up heaven (and gain hell) for anyone...my wife, my children? Thank you Lord that I will never have to answer that question. "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21. (Paul also entertains this thought in Romans 9:3 but concludes in 9:16 that it is not our efforts but God's mercy at work in the great gift of salvation.)


• Leviticus 2:1. Frankincense played a vital role in the giving of grain offerings (voluntry acts of worship). The magi's gift to baby Jesus suddenly has a little bit more meaning.


• Leviticus 19:18. Jesus' teachings weren't all that different from what Israel already knew.


• Leviticus 19:32. Starting to like my gray hair!!


• Leviticus 22:32-33. After pages and pages of instructions and ordinances concerning sacrifices and offerings, God makes an extremely powerful statement. He is the Lord who sanctifies! It's not the sacrifices. Not the offerings. Not the cleansing rituals or periods. Not the incense. Not the blood. Not the fire. Not anthing or anyone or any way. Only HIM.


• Leviticus 25:20-22. Imagine the faith it would require to trust that God would provide enough food in the sixth year to cover the people's needs for that year, the seventh, and the eighth. God so wants us to trust Him. And we fall so very, very short. Oh ye of little faith. Matthew 6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8. Give us Your faith Lord Jesus.


• Numbers 6:24-26.


• Numbers 11:23. It really is not wise to question God's governance, provision, or power. They have no limit. Yet we do. Each one of us in ways great and small in nearly all our days don't recognize His omniscience or omnipotence. Help us to see You Lord.


• Numbers 11:31-33. I think I would have been a vegetarian that day!


• 1 Thessalonians 1:10. They need to make a movie and name it The Rescue.


• Numbers 14:10. Pretty intense scene as the people are ready to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb. And just in the nick of time God intervenes, restores order, and disciplines the offenders. Then He makes a pretty cool prophesy in 14:21.


• Numbers 18:20. An answer for all who call God unfair when it comes to physical appropriation of gifts: land/money/beauty/health. None of it really matters because the only inheritance that matters is HIM! (Matthew 20:15 "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?")


• Numbers 19:1-12. Red heifer, ashes, water, washing, purification. Interesting passage. I can't help but think about baptism.


• Numbers 22:34. "If"...really Balaam?! There's still a question in your head at this point?! Ahh...but how often do I rationalize in the exact same way.

I'd love to hear what God showed you in your reading this week. Let's keep reading. Pray for me and I pray for you. Give us strength to run the race Lord.