March 22nd One Year Bible Readings

Numbers 33:40-35:34 + Luke 5:12-28 + Psalm 65:1-13 + Proverbs 11:23
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Old Testament - Today in Numbers chapter 33 we read about the other nations in Canaan.  In chapter 34 we read about the boundaries of the Promised Land.  Below is a map of how the tribes will divide Canaan - which we will read about later in the Bible in more detail:

In chapter 35 verses 10-12 we read about the Cities of Refuge - "`When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, designate cities of refuge for people to flee to if they have killed someone accidentally. These cities will be places of protection from a dead person's relatives who want to avenge the death. The slayer must not be killed before being tried by the community."  Reading about the Cities of Refuge reminds me of our current day laws of "innocent until proven guilty."  It seems like the Cities of Refuge idea still lives on in our justice system today in some regards.

New Testament - In Luke chapter 5 we read one of my favorite healings' of Jesus - where he heals the paralyzed man on the mat - in very large part because of the paralyzed man's friends who carry him to Jesus!  I love that his friends did this.  I pray if I was paralyzed I would have friends like these!  Check out verses 18 through 20 - "Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a sleeping mat. They tried to push through the crowd to Jesus, but they couldn't reach him. So they went up to the roof, took off some tiles, and lowered the sick man down into the crowd, still on his mat, right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man, "Son, your sins are forgiven.""   I am fascinated by this - "seeing their faith" - I don't know if this is a quirk of the New Living Translation or if indeed Jesus literally saw the faith of the paralyzed man's friends.  My hunch is that he did.  And this makes me realize that sometimes when our faith is at a low point, maybe our friends can help carry us along and bring us closer to Jesus.  And maybe we should act like these friends for someone in our life who is "paralyzed" by something....  Is there someone in your life that you can help "carry the mat for" and in doing so bring them closer to Jesus?  Wow.  I pray I have friends like this - and I pray I can be a friend like this to others...

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Luke chapter 5 titled "Stretcher Carriers and Sermon Critics" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 65 has some amazing verses about nature!  I love verse 8 - "Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy." When is the last time you have been inspired to shout for joy to God for the beautiful sunset he created?

Verse 7 of the Psalm says this - "You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations."  When is the last time you have stood in complete silence before God because of his beautiful Creation?

Proverbs - Today's Proverb 11:23 teaches us: "The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath." This is a great teaching that leading a godly life will lead to happiness.  And leading a wicked life....  brings wrath.  This is sobering to really ponder.  It's a choice each one of us must make.  What type of life will we lead?  And where will that life choice ultimately lead us.  I pray each of us are on the Path of Life toward and with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  It's the only path that leads to eternal happiness.

Worship Video: Today's readings in Luke remind me of the Britt Nicole song, "The Lost Get Found." Here's a great live version of this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXi709LCKWk

Are you Lost? Click here and be Found!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." Luke 5:20 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you have a true saving faith in Jesus. Pray that through Jesus your sins are forgiven today and forevermore. Pray that you will follow Jesus in obedience the rest of your life.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day: Based on our readings in Luke today, have you ever had someone "carry you on a mat" when you were in a time of need?  Have you ever had friends that demonstrated great faith in you?  Conversely, have you ever carried friends on their mat when they were in need?  Do you think we are called to carry each others burdens?  Why or why not?  Also, what verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.s. #2 - Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

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Comments

[Ramona]

Numbers 33:40-35:34
51 "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: `When you cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the people living there. You must destroy all their carved and molten images and demolish all their pagan shrines. …55 But if you fail to drive out the people who live in the land, those who remain will be like splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will harass you in the land where you live. 56 And I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.' "

God wants us to be in the world but not of the world, we are to be salt and light in a dead and dying world yet I find being in the world but not of the world a difficult task to navigate. I know that you can be amongst people yet be detached from them and you can be separated from people yet be attached to them. What is the ‘key’ in walking this walk like Jesus? When Jesus was around sinners they were converted to seeing life from God’s point of view. He definitely wasn’t converted to their lifestyle. And that is the dilemma I find myself in how to be amongst the world yet not take on the lifestyle of the world.

Luke 5:12-28

17 … And the Lord's healing power was strongly with Jesus.

Jesus was in a room full of people and the text says that there were some religious teachers and some Pharisees (Far-to-sees) sitting near by who came from every conceivable town and village in Galilee and Judea. What ever their personal reason for coming to hear Jesus, no one in that room was sick except the guy whose friends put him through the roof or where they? Now the paralyzed men’s friends I see them from two different perspectives neither may be right. They either loved their friend so much that they wanted him to be healed so that he can live a productive life. Or they may have wanted him to be healed because they had to carry him around. Hmmm.

I can’t believe that everyone in that room, except for the man who made an entrance through a hole in the roof, was walking in Divine Health. Everywhere that Jesus went people were calling out, falling out and shouting out to be healed, he even touched and healed a man with leprosy. So what’s up with this group? One thing for sure these guys had so much pride that they wouldn’t dare submit their sick bodies to the healing touch of Jesus. Today, even today, many fail to submit sick bodies; sick souls to Jesus even after seating in a room watching others get healed. Pride will kill ya!

Psalm 65:1-13
1 What mighty praise, O God,
belongs to you in Zion. We will fulfill our vows to you,
…3 Though our hearts are filled with sins,
you forgive them all.

How often do we feel inadequate, ashamed, undeserving to come to Jesus, yet the Sweet Psalmist of Israel gives us an encouragement to praise God through our inadequacies because He has the power to cleanse us from all unrighteousness after He has forgiven us of all our sins.
Proverbs 11:23

This Proverb is another way of saying, “We Reap what we Sow.”

Grace and peace,
Ramona

[Jeffrey]

March 22nd

Jesus heals a leper, but commands him to remain silent of his healing, but to only go and make the offering according to the Law as to his healing. However, Jesus’ fame grew because the matter was spread abroad. Luke tells us:

Luke 5: 15 But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.

The Expositors Commentary (Abridged) New Testament says of this:
“Jesus is forced to withdraw to deserted areas in order to seek quiet. Once again Luke speaks of Jesus' habit of prayer “

Jesus did nothing without prayer… a lesson for us in this modern world. So often we rely upon our own abilities and reasoning. Like Jesus, we should withdraw and pray about everything.

I have been convicted of this, lately. Recently, I purchased a book on prayer from the Sermon Audio site. It is called “The Case For United Prayer”. The book contains the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Samuel Prime and Richard Cross, so there is a representation from the 16th century to the 21st. The premise is that we should join our fellow brothers and sisters in prayer, to engage in spiritual warfare and to bring revival. I encourage people to go to Sermon Audio and check it out. The book itself is only five dollars.

Jesus is our example and in the gospel of Luke, we see that Jesus prays often. He goes off by himself to speak with his Father. We can speak with our Father in heaven, too!

Maranatha! IC -|- XC

Prayer for Today:
Lord, comfort all in China who suffer for their faith in you. Strengthen their resolve, and give them peace. Amen.

[Danella Dianne Manville]

I love to see that type of faith displayed. The faith of friends brought this man to Jesus. That is amazing. I have been low before and my dear friends renewed my faith. Love it! Also love the escape place for one's who haven't been tried and true found guilty or innocent yet to have a safe place. Sounds like a place we all need available. A judgment free zone!