Barbecue before the Bible

Posted on January 13, 2023January 13, 2023 by chgruver

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Job 6-7 & Galatians 6:11-18

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I have heard this a number of times regarding evangelism, but it also applies when approaching someone that is going through hard times, whether it is disease, death, loss of wealth, loss of a job, whatever they are going through. The reason is because when we are often going through rough times we know when someone is reaching out because they care or not, and we are more open to listening to those that care. Job expresses this view in chapter 6 by addressing his 3 friends basically letting them know that unless they can sympathize or empathize with what he is going through and show true care for him, their words are nothing more than empty and meaningless.

I have seen a number of times where we tend to approach someone by viewing their storms as though they are the same storms we go through, This isn’t always the case, your storms in life may be, and often are, different from my storms and it is wrong to judge your reaction to your storms based off of how I got through my storms, while there may be similarities the best thing to do is to listen to each other showing that you care and just as in the “Mourning Booth” skit by the Skit Guys remember that sometimes the best approach to those suffering is just to be a friendly presence.

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God of the downtrodden

Posted on January 12, 2023January 11, 2023 by chgruver

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Job 4-5 & Galatians 6:1-10

In today’s reading we see the first of Job’s friends speak up; and while they hold on to the argument that Job’s suffering must be due to some great sin, they do make some good statements. Eliphaz’s words in Job 4-5 are a good example. In chapter 5, Eliphaz goes on about how God is the highest authority and the one to whom we should turn. He ends his speech with a focus on how God reproves and disciplines, those who are His; but also, ultimately will help those who trust in Him to endure.

While most likely not in the way Eliphaz was thinking or believed, those who trust in God do not need to fear or worry about enduring or going through time of suffering and persecution; but it isn’t because God prevents it in this life, rather it is because we know what awaits us in the next. Eliphaz, and Job’s other friends are almost like prosperity Gospel preachers, preaching that if you keep your nose clean and have enough faith bad things won’t happen to you. The thing is as believers we still will face suffering and persecution no matter how righteous we may be or how much faith we may have, in fact Jesus tells us it is a matter of not if it happens but when it happens; but as believers our attitude is different than the unbeliever because our trust is in God and know that everything will ultimately work out for His good. So, when times are tough just remember God is always in control and while things may seem bad now it will eventually get better if not here when we are in heaven.

Questions in Suffering

Posted on January 11, 2023January 10, 2023 by chgruver

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Job 3 & Revelation 9:13-21

Job 3 is where we see the start of dialogue between Job and his 3 friends at first. In this chapter we see Job cursing the day of his birth, his longing for rest, and finally lamenting his suffering. Some commentaries point out how this is Job looking at death as being better than being forsaken by God, as this chapter can be broken down into Job believing he wouldn’t have suffered as much if he hadn’t been conceived (1-10), if he had died at birth (11-19), or if he had died when his troubles began (20-26). While this view is not commended, his questioning done honestly through suffering is also not critiqued.

Often when we go through suffering, we think it is sinful to question God or to air our grievances before Him. However, this is almost what the majority of the book of Job is about. Job going through great suffering and questioning the reasons for it. The key concept though is he doesn’t sin in doing so; he may ask why, but he doesn’t curse God or lose his trust and faith in God. When we go through sufferings and troubles, we need to take a look at Job, feel free to ask why, but remember God is always there and is faithful to get you through whatever it is you are going through.

Worship in persecution

Posted on January 10, 2023January 9, 2023 by chgruver

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Job 1-2 & Revelation 9:1-12

I wasn’t sure how to title today’s thoughts from the Bible reading as what Job faced wasn’t persecution as we tend to view persecution. But we see in Job 1:20, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped.” We see this verse show up after a series of four of his servants coming to him in urgency explaining how different aspects of his wealth had been completely wiped out, with the final servant bringing the news of the death of all his offspring; which at the time was just as much a sign of one’s status as wealth. With all this bad news of going from a sucessfull man and probably one of the richest in the area to completely desolate with nothing but a wife who eventually tells him “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9), but Job doesn’t follow his wife’s “advice” but rather he worships God, he realizes everything is granted to him by God; his life, his possessions, his liberty, everything, and God has the power to take it away.

It is easy to worship God when things are going great, or even when everything is just okay; but when it feels like everything is going down the drain and our lives are heading for the gutter worshiping is harder to do. It is in those tough times where we need God the most, and it is in those times when we should take a note from Job’s attitude and turn to God in worship. I pray that each of us will not only worship God in the good times but to worship God when times are hard.

Becoming God’s Man Minutes – God is Bigger than the Barriers

Posted on January 9, 2023January 8, 2023 by chgruver

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Genesis 10-11 & Acts 2:1-13

We often look at Jesus as the second Adam, we even read this back on day 2 with Paul’s words to the Corinthians. However, I think we tend to oiverlook how through Christ the division of people due to language as we read today regarding the “Tower of Babel” was restored on the day of Pentecost when the gathered crowds heard the apostles preaching the Gospel in their own languages. God through the Holy Spirit removed the language barrier that would have previously kept others from coming to Christ.

Often we tend to use barriers as an excuse for not witnessing to others. We think that circumstances or differences between us and the people we encounter are too big for us to be able to adequately share Christ. Well when the story of the tower of Babel and the day of Pentecost are put into context we see that there are no circumstances too big for the Holy Spirit to use you to share the Gospel with others. So when you are out and about and feel the Spirit prompt you to share Christ with someone don’t let the barriers prevent you from doing so, remember God is bigger than any barrier you may encounter.

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God’s Timing

Posted on January 6, 2023January 6, 2023 by chgruver

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Genesis 8-9 & 1 Corinthians 11

Today’s passage was the continuation of Noah’s Ark, and one thing I always find interesting when I first noticed it was Genesis 8:15-17. When we get to this part of the story we always focus on Noah sending out the raven, and then sending out the dove three times, we tend to skip over these three verses where it is God commanding Noah to exit the ark. God sealed them in the ark, and it was God Who told them it was finally safe to come out of the ark. Often times we may be called to do something and are desperate to get it started, or we are impatient to see the answer to our prayers work out; that we will move ahead of God and not wait for His timing. You see this will lead to results that aren’t the best, that is not to say they won’t work out, it just isn’t the best of what God has to offer. You see Noah could have left the ark when he noticed that the ground was dry, or even mostly dry; but surviving woul have been harder as the land might not have been suitable at that time to sustain life, We might not know the why, but we do know that Noah did wait for God’s timing to tell him when to leave the ark.

So, is there anything where you are having to wait on God’s timing? Has there been times when instead of waiting on God, you went and did your own thing? I pray that each of us has the patience to wait on God and His promises. Have a blessed day.

Listen to the warnings

Posted on January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 by chgruver

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Genesis 6-7 & Luke 17:27-37

Today was the first part of, probably one of the most well known stories’ of the Old Testament, Noah’s Ark. The story where God sent a flood to kill all life on earth due to their wickedness, violence, and evil (different translations use these words interchangeably). Then in Luke we see one of many instances where Noah is used as an example by Jesus, regarding the Second Coming. How people will be living their lives like normal, ignoring the sign of God’s coming judgement, I mean it would be hard to miss the guy building the large boat, some traditions hold that this took place in an area where no body of water suitable for a boat of such size was close by or in other words this boat was landlocked, and wonder what is going on only to be told to repent due to God’s coming Judgement. You see it isn’t that there aren’t signs of God’s coming judgement, but that many choose to ignore those signs, wanting to be the god of their own life and ignore those who preach the true God.

Genesis 4-5 & Luke 17:1-26

Posted on January 4, 2023January 4, 2023 by chgruver

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“In the course of time” vs. “on his part”

Today’s reading had a couple of things that stood out, or some thoughts that when combined just reinforced, but I will just focus on the main one. The first comes out of Genesis 4, when we look at the sacrifices of Cain and Abel, it seems we always focus on what was offered; Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground, while Abel brought the firstborn of his flock..The one thing I never heard anyone talk about though, was not the content of these offerings but their intent. What I mean is when we read this passage read that it was in the “course of time” that Cain presented his offering while Able’s was done “on his part.” It appears Cain may have been reluctant, not doing it out of gratitude but out of duty; while Able’s offering was given not because it was required, but rather because he wanted to give it.

In Luke this is kind of reinforced with the comparison to a servant/slave performing thier duty. We also with the story of the cleansing of the ten lepers, where the nine performed the duty required for being cleansed of leprosy, while the tenth upon seeing he was cleansed returned to Jesus out of gratitude to praise God.

Often when as Christians we talk about giving we focus on the content and not the intent. Giving is our time, talent, and treasure; it isn’t just financial support but the giving of ourselves in service to God. So when you give back to God, no matter how you are able, are you doing so out of a sense of pure duty or are you doing it out of gratitude for what God has done for you?

Genesis 2 & 1 Corinthians 15:45-58

Posted on January 2, 2023January 2, 2023 by chgruver

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“helper suitable for” or “helper corresponding to”

The Hebrew words used for this phrase is a picture of one that comes along side to help. The phrase is just about literally one who helps parallel, or opposite, to. Man and Woman are designed to work together as a team, helping each other, supporting each other in their weaknesses, encouraging each other in their strengths, and excelling as a team where they are equally matched. The relationship is not to be one of superiority, or adversity; but to be one of cohesion. This is a concept I think those of us that are part of western individualistic cultures have forgotten, it is also interesting that the word translated in Genesis 2 for “alone” is bad. We were not designed to be alone, we were designed to be part of a family; both spiritually and physically, for those that are single the two are sometimes combined. This is why it is important as believers that we are part of a local church; because that is our spiritual family and at times functions as a stand in for the physical family, helping out during times of need.

So, let me leave you with this. Are you part of a local church? If not, why? What keeps you form connecting with other believers, what is keeping you in the “bad” state of being alone? Just like there is no “perfect” family, there are no perfect churches; but there are churches that will feel like home.

Day 1: Genesis 1 & Hebrews 11:1-3

Posted on January 1, 2023January 2, 2023 by chgruver

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Genesis 1:26 LSB “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion over the fish of the sea…”

I originally was going to do the daily reading in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), but one of the benefits of using an app like YouVersion is that you have access to multiple different translations; so I ended up doing the initial reading looking at the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), which is a newer translation based off of the 1995 New American Standard, and for the first time I saw Genesis 1:26 in a new light where God giving man dominion, or having man rule over, creation was tied to the fact that we are created in God’s image. The other translations I looked at (NKJV, ESV, CSB, NASB 1995, & NASB 2020; all translations I will reference beyond the LSB in my daily readings) didn’t explicitly tie together these two concepts like they were in the LSB.

We often ask, “What is God’s will for my life? What is it that God wants me to do?” However, how often do we also take the time to reflect on what it means to be made in God’s image and how that relates to what we are tasked to do? I mean, for myself, usually when I reflect on being made in God’s image it is more in the theoretical and hypothetical abstract concept for how I should view and treat others and not in any way regarding to my vocation. So, it was interesting to see how God not only told to rule over the earth, but was made in God’s image so that he can rule over the earth. Where because we are made in God’s image we are to serve as His representative/ambassador/steward to His creation.

Let me leave you with this thought to ponder as we go through this next year, “Do my actions, thoughts, and speech present God in a favorable light? Do they present a God that when creating the world, called everything “precious;” or do they reflect poorly on who God is?”