Old Testament

Questions Day 13 Is God Loving Or Angry?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Psalm 103
Isaiah 57:14-19
John 2:13-17
Romans 1:18-32

Questions, Day 13

Why is God angry in the Old Testament,
but loving in the New Testament?

It’s a question people often have as they study the Bible, and an understandable one. When we read of God flooding the whole earth or destroying entire cities in the Old Testament, His wrath can be hard to equate with Jesus’ compassion toward prostitutes and sinners as He ate with them, spent time with them, and told them of God’s grace in the New Testament. While the Old Testament has much to say about judgement, the New Testament appears to focus more on forgiveness, and it can be a challenge to reconcile the two.

How can we make sense of it all?
First, the Bible clearly states God is always the same;
He “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

Furthermore, Jesus, who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), is also “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

The God of the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament.
To understand God’s character, it’s vital we consider the Bible as a whole,
rather than focusing on isolated incidents.

While God does show anger in the Old Testament, He is also described eleven times as slow to anger, and on many occasions, we see Him showing mercy while continuing to love and care for His people, despite their continued unfaithfulness.

For example, Psalm 103 is an eloquent expression of David’s gratitude for God’s gracious forgiveness and compassion.

God does express anger at times, but this serves to highlight the severity of sin and the destruction it brings, while pointing to our need for a Saviour. The consequences of sin can be harsh, but God’s ultimate desire is not to punish, but to save. 

The Old Testament is filled with promises and prophecies pointing ahead to a solution to the problem of sin, a solution God Himself would provide because of His love.
Again and again, He reminds His people the Saviour will come.

As we move into the New Testament, and Jesus is born as the fulfilment of God’s promises, the focus shifts more toward God’s compassion because the fulfillment has come! Scripture emphasizes the reason for Jesus’ coming and His death, was to deal with sin.
If we trust in Him, we no longer need to fear God’s anger against us:
“God proves His own love for us
in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.
How much more then,
since we have now been declared righteous by His blood,
will we be saved through Him from wrath?” (Romans 5:8-9)

However, God’s holy anger is present in the New Testament as well. Paul describes at length God’s wrath against those who continue in sin and suppress the truth about God. (Romans 1:18-32)

We read of Jesus turning over tables in the Temple, driving out merchants and money changers in rage because His Father’s house, a place of prayer, was being treated as a marketplace.

Anger and love are both present in God’s character throughout both Old and New Testaments.

This tension can be uncomfortable. Anger is often seen as unacceptable because of the destructive effects of anger when it’s out of control, but God’s anger is different from our (often sinful) human anger, and is actually an important, and good, part of who He is.

While our anger does not accomplish God’s purposes, His righteous anger is intentionally focused against destructive sin. (James 1:20) This was brought home to me as I worked with a group of children, sharing the story of Jesus in the Temple. After hearing the story, they were instructed to transform it into a drama. At first, their presentation brought the story to life very well, but then one child decided to alter the ending.

As “Jesus” shouted and expressed His righteous anger, another boy went over and put an arm round “Jesus.” “It’s okay,” he said. “Calm down. Come outside and sit down, and we’ll talk about it.” 

In one way, it was a lovely, compassionate response, but it was also missing the point.
In some situations, the holy response is anger.
We, too, can be tempted to edit out God’s anger and focus on His love, but the truth is, since “God is love” (1 John 4:16), His anger is actually an expression of His love.

Jesus’ passion for His Father’s house was the driving force behind His rage at its misuse. God’s love for people is manifested in His anger when He sees them being mistreated or abused. If He failed to be angry over these things, then He would fail to be wholly loving. 

Surely, it’s a comfort to us, in the face of injustice or ill treatment, to know God
cares.
To know His anger on behalf of the innocent surpasses our own.
To know there are consequences for those who refuse to repent of their sin.

In Graham Kendrick’s song, “Come and see,“ he describes the cross as the place “where wrath and mercy meet.” Maybe the cross is where we most clearly see God’s anger and His love intertwined. Even as His anger against sin is poured out, His grace in sending Jesus to bear it in our place assures us of His perfect love.

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Open Day 4 Pineapple Power: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
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The Questions

1) Where is Zarephath and why is this significant?

2) Why would Elijah insist on the widow making some bread for himself first before herself and her son? (verse 13)

3) How is this widow’s faith important in the story of Scripture?

1 Kings 17:8-16

Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Get up, go to Zarephath that belongs to Sidon and stay there. Look, I have commanded a woman who is a widow to provide for you there.” 10 So Elijah got up and went to Zarephath. When he arrived at the city gate, there was a widow gathering wood. Elijah called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup and let me drink.” 11 As she went to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”

12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I don’t have anything baked—only a handful of flour in the jar and a bit of oil in the jug. Just now, I am gathering a couple of sticks in order to go prepare it for myself and my son so we can eat it and die.”

13 Then Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid; go and do as you have said. But first make me a small loaf from it and bring it out to me. Afterward, you may make some for yourself and your son, 14 for this is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘The flour jar will not become empty and the oil jug will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the surface of the land.’”

15 So she proceeded to do according to the word of Elijah. Then the woman, Elijah, and her household ate for many days. 16 The flour jar did not become empty, and the oil jug did not run dry, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through Elijah.

Original Intent

1) Where is Zarephath and why is this significant?
The town of Zarephath was nestled in the country of Sidon beyond the borders of Israel. Why does this matter? Because Elijah was Jewish and the location of Zarephath made this widow a Gentile. Jews didn’t associate with Gentiles. Jews were the chosen people of God, Gentiles were ‘everyone else’. But God told Elijah to go to this widow, this Gentile, this ‘heathen’, yet she was the one who displayed enough faith in Elijah’s God of Israel (verse 12) that the Lord God displayed His great faithfulness to her. (verse 14) She feared the God of Israel. She took the prophet at his word spoken on behalf of his God, and she trusted.

2) Why would Elijah insist on the widow making some bread for himself first before herself and her son? (verse 13)
It feels self-focused and outlandish doesn’t it? “I see you and your son are about to die, so please make your last loaf of bread for me first.” If we don’t slow down, the request comes across cold-hearted and selfish. But that isn’t Elijah’s intent or God’s heart in the slightest. The widow had heard of Elijah’s God, she knew He was powerful. (verse 12 “as the Lord your God lives”) It’s one thing to hear stories, but quite another to trust in the God of those stories when your life and the life of your son are at stake. Add to the fact this woman was Gentile and not Jewish. According to religious culture, there was no reason for the God of Israel to bless a Gentile’s faith. Which is precisely why there is a line drawn in the sand by the Lord through the prophet’s words. Make the bread for Elijah first, and trust the God of Israel will provide for you and your son despite your logical calculations. This is the challenge of faith. The widow had to choose, either trust herself and die or trust the word of the Lord and live.

3) How is this widow’s faith important in the story of Scripture?
God used the faith of this widow to paint a vivid picture of true faith that is always welcomed by God. Centuries later when that widow and her son had long been buried and turned to dust, Jesus picked up her story in Luke 4:25-26 as He spoke to His own townspeople in Nazareth. They were His own neighbors, Jews waiting expectantly for the Messiah, but like all the widows who lived in Israel in Elijah’s time, they didn’t believe Jesus at His word. They scoffed. This can’t be the Messiah, we saw Him grow up. This is Joseph’s boy, we’ve seen him run the streets his whole life. They were too familiar with Jesus to be able to accept Him at His word that He was the fulfillment of all the ancient prophecies which they had studied for so long. In fact, Jesus’ claims of being God in the flesh, of being this promised Messiah come to rescue and set free and redeem, was so impossible to the Nazarites they became furious with Jesus. They literally mobbed Jesus, throwing Him out of the temple where He’d been teaching with every intention of throwing Him over the cliff to His death. But Jesus, being exactly the God He claimed to be, walked right through the angry crowd, leaving Nazareth and His faithless neighbors behind. They had Messiah in their midst, but they wanted only to be rid of Him.

Everyday Application

1) Where is Zarephath and why is this significant?
This seemingly random story of an arbitrary widow from Zarephath was deeply intentional by the Lord God. Here in the Old Testament, God was showing Elijah, and all Jews who would later read the recorded encounter or tell it as it was passed down generation to generation, that God was for the nations. Jew and Gentile. All peoples. Yes, God used the Jews as His chosen people to setup history as the backdrop for the coming Messiah who would rescue and reconcile all who would come to Him, but His heart has always been for all. Surely, Elijah raised an eyebrow at minimum when God directed Him outside of Israel for sustenance. To the Gentiles? Yes, to the Gentiles God sent His prophet, that the Name of the Lord God would continue to be declared to all people. I wonder, how often do we do the same with such careful intentions? Do we invite the ‘comfortable Christian people’ over for dinner, or are we making space to bring God’s Name to all? How are we using our “pineapple moments” for His glory?

2) Why would Elijah insist on the widow making some bread for himself first before herself and her son? (verse 13)
This “line in the sand” is exactly how it is for every single person living past, present, or future. At some point, we must each decide if we will trust ourselves and die or trust the word of the Lord and live. If we seek to save our soul by being good enough, doing more good than bad, going to church, giving money, praying hard, or even punishing ourselves, we are damned for eternity. Our sin is too deep, too marring, too impossible to outweigh compared to the flawless righteousness required by a righteous God. If we trust ourselves to save ourselves, we are condemned to death. But if we, just like the widow from Zarephath, see the line in the sand, and choose to take God at His word that He literally took our death on Himself, died in our place, and gave us His own perfect righteous standing before the Holy God Himself to us, WE LIVE! Through His death for us, we are made alive! But not by hearing this story, not by going to church, not by ‘knowing about God’, but through faith. Faith that says, “I believe You, God, are exactly who You say You are. And on that claim, I stake my life.” That’s exactly what the widow did, and it’s precisely what God is asking each of us.

3) How is this widow’s faith important in the story of Scripture?
The widow’s story in 1 Kings, reiterated by Jesus in Luke, hits home for us in our churches, our neighborhoods, and cities. America is still known as the ‘Christian country’, the place where you’re ‘Christian’ simply because of birthplace, or because you ‘believe in God’. Let this widow’s story hit our hearts in the most tender places. Sisters, even the demons ‘believe in God’. (James 2:19) Belief in God does not save. Birthplace or home address or family tree does not save any more for us than it did for the many Jewish widows who lived in Elijah’s time or the many Jews who lived in Nazareth. Only true faith, true heart trust in the faithfulness of God to be and do exactly as He says He will be and do. Only this kind of faith saves. This is the faith of the widow from Zarephath. This is the faith of a true believer who will be rescued from the consequences of our sin, which is death and eternal separation from God. So we beg the question, “of what is our faith made of”? Have we had ‘just enough’ Jesus to make us angry at Him when His call interferes with our want? Or do we take Him at His word that He is the Divine Rescuer, come to save, redeem, and make us new?!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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The GT Weekend! Tabernacle Week 2

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The GT Weekend!

At Gracefully Truthful, weekends aren’t for “checking out”.
Use this time to invite the Almighty’s fullness into you life in a deeper way!
Saturdays and Sundays are a chance to
reflect, rest, and re-center our lives onto Christ.
Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with other women in prayer,
rest your soul in reflective journaling,
and spend time worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

Worship Through Journaling

Worship Through Journaling

1) In studying the specifics of the tabernacle of the Old Testament, and how clearly it points to Jesus fulfilling the requirements once and for all, we see that God is all about the details. Nothing He does is careless or without intention. We can rest in His character being unchanging, and know He is working in our lives; in the big things and in the small. Where have you seen Him at work today?

2) What lies are you hearing from the Devil about your lack of gifts to bring to the Body? How can you get plugged in locally to use your God given gifts to bring Him glory? Not sure what your gifting is? Find a friend and read through 1 Corinthians 12:4-7.  What do you feel strongest in? Pray for the Holy Spirit to use you in every situation, whether it matches your gifting or not, to further the Kingdom of God!

3) When you’ve read through the Bible, which parts were easiest to read? Which places felt boring or longwinded? How has the study of Old Testimony prophesies, and the fulfillment Jesus brought, strengthened your commitment to studying the Word more deeply? Share with us in a comment below or email us at prayer@gracefullytruthful.com .

Praying Scripture back to the One who wrote it in the first place is a great way to jump start our prayer-life! Pray this passage from Psalm 139:13-18 back to the Lord and
let His Spirit speak to you through it!

13For it was you who created my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
17 God, how precious your thoughts are
to me;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;
when I wake up, I am still with you.

Prayer Journal
Lord, as I look at the chaos that surrounds me in our world, even in my life, I struggle to see Your order. I see families torn apart, children exploited, and the wealth gap increasing. All of that lacks Your perfect order, and I’m quick to question where You are in all this mess. Remind me Lord that this wasn’t Your design. Man chose this back in the Garden of Eden and has been choosing “self” over You ever since. Show me how and where You are working in the details of our world, Lord God. Rain down Your Presence over us as we look for Your actions in our lives. Let us recognize You quickly and put feet to whatever it is You’re asking us to do!

Worship Through Community

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Worship Through Prayer

Worship Through Music

Tabernacle Day 6 Purpose & Pieces

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Leviticus 17:11
Exodus 25:21-22
Hebrews 10:19-23
Hebrews 4:14-16
Hebrews 7:25 

Tabernacle, Day 6

The Old Testament laws and details of the Tabernacle have sometimes felt cold and distant to me.  I have wondered at the seemingly stark difference in the way God related to His people in the Old Testament and in the New.  I’ve even disregarded the Old Testament covenants and laws entirely, with the excuse that I am under a new covenant.  The fault in this perspective is that it fails to look at these ancient ways through the lens of Jesus. 

Over the last few years God has shown me that everything in Scripture, everything in God’s story with mankind, is strategically there to point us to Jesus.  When we choose eyes to see it this way, these seemingly dry, dusty concepts come alive with incredible insight, hope, and glory.  Let’s consider the Old Testament Tabernacle that God instructed His people to construct as a means to worship Him. (and since this will stretch our imaginations, here is a Super Helpful Visual!)

THE TABERNACLE 
The Court of the Tabernacle
The Bronze Altar was the first thing an Israelite encountered after entering the Tabernacle tent.  God told the people to bring their animal sacrifices here. The priests stood by to assist in the slaughtering, burning, and catching of the blood. It’s a horrific thing to imagine, especially for our modern minds. Yet, then and now, it was meant to demonstrate the horrifying nature of our sin. The animal represented the sinner, and its blood was shed to atone for the individual’s sin, according to God’s instruction in Leviticus 17:11. These were not once and done sacrifices, but were offered repeatedly for sin.  

Praise be to God that He sent an even better, eternal and perfect sacrifice in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.  How incredible to know that because of this we were “ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ, like that without blemish or spot.” (I Peter 1:18-19) 

The Bronze Basin was set up immediately after the Altar and right outside the entrance to the Holy Place. Here, God required priests to wash their hands and feet before entering, so that they would not die (Exodus 30:20). Being pure in the presence of God was of paramount importance. 

In reality, no amount of water can truly wash away our sin-stained hearts. Christ made a way for us to be cleansed forever.  Hebrews 1:3b tells us that “After making purification for sins, he [Jesus] sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”. 

The Holy Place
After entering the Holy Place, you would find the Golden Lampstand made entirely of gold. God gave instructions for the stand to be shaped as an almond tree.  Each branch had a golden flower that held an oil lamp.  These lamps were kept continually lit by priests.  

Jesus came and declared Himself the Light of the World (John 8:12), telling us that if we follow Him, we will actually live in the light of His life.   

The Table of Showbread was made out of acacia wood and overlaid with gold.  It held the Bread of the Presence, which was a special bread prepared weekly for the Sabbath as a memorial food offering. As priests, Aaron and his sons were the only ones allowed to eat this special bread.  

Jesus fulfilled this requirement by being the very Bread of Life (John 6:35).  We know that He is the only one who truly satisfies our hunger and gives eternal sustenance. We are promised that when we seek the Lord with our heart’s hunger, we will lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10). 

The Altar of Incense was the last structure housed in the Holy Place. It was stationed just in front of the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, God’s very dwelling. The Lord gave Aaron the job of continually burning incense in the morning and evening as an offering to the Lord.  

The placement of the altar of incense, (just before the curtain to the holy of holies), gives us the image of Christ as our intercessory incense (Hebrews 7:25). He fulfilled this requirement when He gave Himself up as an aroma to God on the cross. Just as His flesh was torn, so was the curtain, allowing us into the presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-20). 

The Holy of Holies
The Ark itself was a box made out of Acacia wood, and overlaid with gold.  The cover on the box is referred to as the Mercy Seat and was also overlaid with gold. God instructed that two gold-hammered angels be set on top of the Mercy Seat. The entire Ark of the Covenant was the exact place God chose to dwell with His people. He told Moses He would meet with him, and speak to him here. (Exodus 25:21-22) 

When Christ gave His life as a redemptive sacrifice, He paid our sin debt in full, giving us not only complete access to God, but also making our heart a place where God’s Spirit chooses to dwell. (1 Corinthians 3:16) 

HE IS WORTHY
Seeing that Christ came and fulfilled every requirement of the law proves He is truly worthy of our worship! Revelation 5:9 says,  “And they sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.’” And in 4:11 the angels sing, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” 

God no longer requires the worship of animal sacrifices on an altar, because Christ completely atoned for our sin. However, as a follower of Christ, true worship does require our lives. In Romans 12:1, Paul urges us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship.  

This looks like daily taking up our cross by dying to our own desires, control and little kingdoms, and living a life that points entirely to Jesus and His kingdom.

One Old Testament Tabernacle, with all of its ornate and intricate details pointed to One Glorious King, who would come to rescue us from sin and redeem us that God might forever dwell with man.
Not in a box, but in our hearts!  

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Tabernacle Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Woven Day 5 The Rescuer

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 6
Psalm 139:13-16
John 3:16-18 

A few months ago, I shared with you sweet sisters some of the struggles I had been facing in my marriage, as well as how I was doing my best to put one foot in front of the other. I opened up about how I was worshipping through this trial and standing on God’s Word, even through the darkest time of my life.

Choosing to trust God, even when my life was in shambles wasn’t an easy choice to make. I wanted so desperately to stick my fingers in my ears and pretend like I wasn’t hearing God ask me to continue to push forward, and to honor and respect my husband through the trials we were walking through, but I didn’t do that. (Not to mention I’d probably look a bit silly.)

I knew in the back of my mind that God had my best interest at heart and that He wanted redemption for us. So instead of acting like my nineteen month old, I listened to what God was asking me to do.

Silently, I obeyed the Almighty.
I prayed.
I cried.
I served.
I worshipped.
I was respectful.
I honored.
I didn’t give up.
God saw.
And our marriage was spared.  

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries.
Noah walked with God.

I was recently gifted a Charles Spurgeon edition of the Christian Standard Bible and the way Charles describes Noah was too good not to share. He states:
God keeps His eyes on the sons of men, and He searches among them for certain individuals on whom He delights to fix His gaze.
When God speaks of having seen Noah, he speaks of having seen the kind of man for whom He was looking, namely, a righteous man.
There is not a righteous man on the earth whom God does not see.
He may be anything but famous, but as long as he is righteous, God delights to look on him.
In an age of violence and oppression, Noah alone was a righteous man.
He was no oppressor.

How incredible is it that those are the words that began Noah’s introduction to us?
He is described as the son of God that he is and God delighted in him.
Noah wasn’t chosen because he was a prince, or famous, or had a ton of talent.
He was chosen because he was consistent in his walk with the Lord.
He believed in communion, prayer and meditation and knew right from wrong.

In the end, it was because of his faith, lived out in obedience and righteousness, that Noah found favor with God and was chosen to build the ark and ultimately, be saved from the destruction of all mankind.

The flood, which admittedly can be viewed as devastating,
still paints a beautiful picture of God’s love for us.
It’s a picture filled with promise that continues, even to this day,
that shows us we are worth pursuing,
and that we needed to be rescued.

My marriage was worth the pursuit, so redemption could take place.
The baby you will hold one day is worth the pursuit, so redemption can take place.
The family member you’re praying for is worth the pursuit, so redemption can take place.
The spouse you’re saving yourself for is worth the pursuit, so redemption can take place.

I imagine those who saw Noah building an ark in the middle of the desert ‘because God told him to’ would’ve made fun of his actions. No one wanted to admit that Noah was right and their world was corrupt, full of sin, and in desperate need of rescuing.
So, instead of listening, they pointed and laughed.

It’s true of my story, and I’m sure some of yours as well.
We’ve been on both sides.
The side where we are listening to God and following His directions.
The side where we watch someone we know make radical choices for the Kingdom and internally point and laugh because surely, they’ve gone insane.

But here’s the good news friends.
God wasn’t surprised when everything went wrong again after the flood.
So, before the beginning of time, He had another plan, a broader plan.
A plan not to destroy the world, but to rescue it.
A plan to one day send his own Son, Jesus, the Rescuer, to save us all.
From Noah to Jesus to You and me, the story is all woven together.
There isn’t a B.C. or A.D.
There is simply Jesus in the midst of every story written.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Eve Day 6 Eve Of Faith

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 17:15-21
Genesis 22
Luke 22:39-46

When Abram was ninety-nine years old
the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him
“I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless,
that I may make my covenant between me and you,
and may multiply you greatly.”

Then Abram fell on his face.
And God said to him,
“Behold, my covenant is with you,
and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.
No longer shall your name be called Abram,
But your name shall be Abraham,
For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
I will make you exceedingly fruitful,
And I will make you into nations,
And kings shall come from you.”
Genesis 17:1-6

Abraham was one hundred years old when his son, Isaac was born.
Can we pause there for a second?
1-0-0.

The average life expectancy worldwide as of 2016 is 76. If most of us had to wait one hundred years to have a child, we wouldn’t make it. Even in ancient times when life expectancy was much longer, no one was bearing children at 100 years old.
Can you even imagine?

What would’ve happened during this iconic moment in history if God were to have mentioned to Abraham something along the lines of:
”Oh yeah, by the way, in a few years I’m going to ask you to sacrifice your son, but don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”

But He didn’t.

Instead, God fulfilled His promise and for years Abraham and Sarah celebrated the son they’d always wanted.

Sarah, a woman that spent her life craving a child to her core, was now a mama, and had someone to call her own.

Abraham, a proud papa, had someone that he could show the ropes too; someone from his own seed to carry on his legacy. Isaac was the lynchpin in God’s promise to make Abraham the father of many nations. With Isaac, Abraham had it all.

And then one day,
in one moment,
with one command,
everything changed.

After these things, God tested Abraham and said to him,
“Abraham!” and he said, “Here I am.”
He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac,
Whom you love,
And go to the land of Moriah,
And offer him there as a burnt offering
On one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey,
And took two of his young men with him,
And his son Isaac.
Genesis 22:1-3

Abraham wasn’t warned that this was going to happen.
No heads up.
No countdown timer to the big question.
God’s test began, and Abraham answered.
While I would like to say, I would’ve answered the same way, as in, saddled up my donkey and headed toward the land of Moriah, I don’t know if I can.

The night before he was set to sacrifice Isaac, I can only imagine the internal dialogue between Abraham and God:
Lord, you know my heart. My heart is for You, yet I am a father, and I have a job to protect my children. You gave me no warning. What about Sarah? Oh, God, how do I explain this to her? Is his sacrifice worth it all for this test? Have I passed yet? I’m so afraid, Lord, I’m so, so, afraid.

Yet You know that I will do anything for You, even sacrifice my only son, because You and I are in this covenant together. I still believe Your Word, and that You said that I will be the father to many nations. I know that You will fulfill this promise. I know You will provide. I don’t want this, Yahweh, but You are Almighty, and I am not. You have taught me to trust You, and though it cost everything I have, I choose trusting You over me.

Most of us know the ending of this story, as God provided a ram that was caught in a thicket by his horns the next day as Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac. That mount is forever called “the Lord will provide” as testament to what the Lord God did that day.

Centuries later, on a hill that could be seen in the distance from the terrain of Mount Moriah, another man wrestled inside with the same questions as Abraham surely did.
Abraham had no idea that his sacrifice was a foreshadowing of Christ Himself.
Abraham had no idea that one night, Jesus Christ, the God who emptied Himself to take on our sin with His perfect life, would show His humanity most vividly that night as He struggled in the Garden of Gethsemane, “I don’t want this Abba, take this cup from me! Yet… Yet, not my will, but Yours.”

Abraham relinquished his treasured Isaac.
He gave up his inheritance, because He had come to trust His God.
It didn’t happen all at once, this whole-life trust. Rather, one step at a time, Abraham saw more of God’s heart, and learned that He was good.

Jesus’ humanity was tempted to honor Himself, but His Godhood knew that submission to the Father He loved was worth any price. He knew the heart of Abba was good.

Where each of us land when it comes to relinquishing and trusting is a litmus test of how deeply we know this Abba Father God. One step at a time, keep your gaze fixed on His as He faithfully leads you into more.
We can’t know “tomorrow”, but we can know our God.
We can trust Him now, in the Eve, because He Is Our Good!

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*this Journey was co-written by Sara Colquhoun and Rebecca Adams 

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Eve Week Two! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Eve!

Eve Day 5 Eve of Freedom

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Exodus 2:23-25
Exodus 12
Hebrews 9:11-22 

I can feel the sweat beads trickle down my forehead and make their way off my chin and onto the sand. Once more I bend down and pick up a brick, careful to make sure the placement lines up with the others.

Looking at my brothers to the left and right, it seems as though we’ve synchronized our movements: bend, lift, place, straighten, wipe brow, and repeat, until the foreman tells us were done for the day.

The heat was extra excruciating today, and I was growing wearier with each passing moment.
I drank too much water during my short lunch break, and now I will not be able to quench this thirst until supper time.
You would think after all this time enslaved I would’ve known how to better ration out what little I had.
Oh well, there’s always tomorrow.

My family and I have been slaves here in Egypt for as long as I can remember and in fact, if my memory serves me correct, today is the last day of our 429th year.

Generation after generation after generation my family has grown up, lived life, and died, while never experiencing freedom.

There was a meeting held that my grandfather was a part of a few weeks ago. He is one of the elders of the people of Israel, and during this meeting they met with Moses and Aaron and listened as they explained all that the Lord had sent them to do to get us out of slavery.

Moses even showed them a miraculous sign with his staff, turning it into a serpent, and then back again.
When my grandfather heard and saw these things,
he knew it had to have been from The Lord,
the I AM, as Moses called Him.
That night, my grandfather bowed down and worshipped Yahweh for the first time.

Hearing what all had taken place in this meeting, I wasn’t sure what to think. My family all seemed elated, but in the back of my mind I knew that this couldn’t actually be happening. The Lord saying that He heard our cries? Could this really be true? And what about Pharaoh? There was no way after all this time he was going to let us go. What would get done around here with us gone?

Now, it seemed as if things were only getting worse. We were no longer supplied straw to help make bricks, but we were told we had to get it ourselves and still do our normal work load. This was a time consuming and tedious task, and slowed us down tremendously, which only made our foremen angry. The beatings were worsening by each passing day.

Not too long after this, the plagues began. Each day the Lord did something different in Egypt to show Pharaoh that He was real and held all power.

The Nile River was turned into blood.
Frogs invaded every part of the country.
Gnats rose up from the dust.
There were swarms of flies.
All the livestock died.
The Egyptians were covered in boils.
Hail rained down and destroyed all the trees.
Locusts ate everything green in sight.
Darkness covered the country.
And finally tonight, the death of the first born in every household.

Tonight, my family has instructions on what we are to do, as a people of Israel, to be saved from this plague, this Angel of Death.
Moses called it The Passover.
Death will literally “pass over” us tonight.

The Lord told Moses that each family was to follow specific instructions, which I must hurry now to help my father with. I’m leaving the brick fields tonight as a slave, but something lurches inside me as my feet carry me quickly home. Something strange deep inside.
Hope.
For 430 years tomorrow, we have been slaves.
But the I AM has promised freedom.
Tomorrow.
Yet, for tonight, we wait, sweating with hearts pounding as death wafts above us.
That’s what slavery has been, Death. I truly never imagined being free. Again, the spark of hope twinges inside. To be free of death, free of slavery, free of fear, F R E E.

Oh Yahweh, what glory You are to call us out and away!

It’s twilight now and we’ve killed the perfect, spotless lamb from our fold. My father and brothers and I are covering our doorposts with its blood. The fresh red trickles down our arms and the scent of it sticks in my nostrils. It’s as if we ourselves are covered with lamb’s blood.
Curious, the blood of an innocent, gentle lamb will be the salvation of all of us against the Angel of Death. When Death sees the blood, it will “pass over” us, leaving us alive and ready to walk into the hope of tomorrow.

Yahweh is who He says He is, and tomorrow awaits holding hope, and life, like we’ve never known. Pharaoh will let us go this time, I’m sure of it.  Yahweh will prove Himself Victor over even Death itself. But for tonight, we will worship and pray with great anticipation, for this is the Eve of our freedom!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Eve Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!
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Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Eve!

Creed Day 14 The Table: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

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Journey Study?
Check out The Table!

Matthew 26:17-29 English Standard Version (ESV)

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

The Questions

1) What is Matthew referencing when he speaks of the “first day of Unleavened Bread”?

2) Jesus says, “My time is at hand” in verse 18. What is Jesus talking about in this verse?

3) At the end of this passage, what is Jesus describing for the disciples?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is Matthew referencing when he speaks of the “first day of Unleavened Bread”?
The Feast of Unleavened Bread was instituted as a way to prepare for the Passover. Exodus 12:14-15 describes the process of cleansing the house of anything that had leaven in it. This cleansing process would lead up to the actual Passover meal that Jewish families celebrated as they recounted the Israelites Exodus from Egypt.

2) Jesus says, “My time is at hand” in verse 18. What is Jesus talking about in this verse? Throughout the Gospels, especially John, Jesus references time and specifically His time. God had a very specific plan and when Jesus says this at the beginning of this passage, He is letting His disciples know that His time has arrived. They don’t clearly see in this moment that Jesus is referencing the crucifixion.

3) At the end of this passage, what is Jesus describing for the disciples?
At the end of this passage, Jesus is foretelling of His second coming. A time when He will drink of the vine with his disciples in His Father’s Kingdom.

The Everyday Application

1) What is Matthew referencing when he speaks of the “first day of Unleavened Bread”?
There is something to be said for rituals such as the purification and remembrance that goes into the celebrating of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover. With Christians today, we are offered a remembrance in the Communion table. It serves to help us recall where we have come from, where we are destined to be eternally, and the sacrifice of the perfect lamb that made right our relationship with God, the Father.

2) Jesus says, “My time is at hand” in verse 18. What is Jesus talking about in this verse?
There were many who tried to impose timetables on Jesus and His ministry. From the beginning of time, God had a plan, a perfectly timed plan to redeem His people and that plan was set in motion from the moment Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus on so many occasions knew it wasn’t time yet but when it was, He was ready and willing. So often we try to rush God into our own timetables seeking our plan rather than His. God is faithful in His timing even in seasons of wondering, waiting, and wandering!

3) At the end of this passage, what is Jesus describing for the disciples?
As Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, he looks forward to a day where He will be reunited with His beloved disciples. Part of our celebration of the Lord’s Supper is just that, remembering the hope that Jesus’ death and resurrection bring to those who know Him and follow Him. Praise be the Lord that we do have hope for a day when we will all be united in our Father’s Kingdom!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Creed Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Creed!

Inheritance Day 9
I Am His: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days...are a pretty big deal at GT!

We search God's Word together, ask questions as we read, dig around to find the original intentions at the time of writing, and then make some applications to our everyday lives.
Along the way, we hope you'll pick up some new tools to study Scripture and you'll see truth in a new and accessible way!
Dig In!

The Passage

Looking for yesterday’s
Journey Study?
Check out I Am His!

Ezekiel 37:24-28 English Standard Version (ESV)

“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.  They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.  I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when my sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

The Questions

1) What is the greater context of these verses?

2) What is the double meaning of “my servant David” and “one shepherd”?

3) Does this passage teach that we need to be perfectly obedient to God’s laws to gain inheritance?

4) What is the significance of the location of “my sanctuary”?

The Findings for Intention

1) What is the greater context of these verses?
Under King Jeroboam, the nation of Israel had split into 2 kingdoms. One was made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the other was referred to as “Joseph”, or the other 10 tribes. Eventually, the Northern tribes of Joseph were captured by Assyria and never recovered. In the verses before these, God is speaking to Ezekiel about one coming day when He would bring both nations back together into one, united Israel. As to the exact meaning behind this prophecy, theologians have debated it for centuries. Does this refer to all 12 tribes literally being reunited, or does it mean that all peoples, both Jew and Gentile (as most of the Northern Tribes were Gentile at this point), would become one Body in Jesus, where there is no Greek or Jew? We don’t know exactly, but we do know that Jesus came to bring unity, restoring relationships back to Himself.

2) What is the double meaning of “my servant David” and “one shepherd”?
This particular reference to David refers to the line of David rather than the actual king David. We know this because at the time of the writing, David was already deceased since it was under his grandson, Jeroboam, that Israel experienced the split. The promise here is that One Shepherd would come from David’s line and bring unity. Jesus would bring peace and end division unlike any earthly king and His kingdom would never end.

3) Does this passage teach that we need to be perfectly obedient to God’s laws to gain inheritance?
At the time of writing, God had given the Ten Commandments along with many other rules and laws as a means of setting Israel apart from other nations. Israel was called to live differently than the nations around them because the Lord was their King. Being part of God’s chosen nation meant that your lifestyle should exhibit His guidelines. But even here, in the middle of the Old Testament, it’s God who sanctifies His people, making them right before Him. Our inheritance has always rested on the work of God and not ourselves, even in the Old Testament!

4) What is the significance of the location of “my sanctuary”?
In ancient times, gods were worshipped and feared, but lived in the heavens, far away from people. A god would never “lower him/herself” to live among humanity. Worshipping the Lord God was completely opposite than the current culture. He gave them an inheritance without child sacrifice (which was extremely common), He emphasized a heart faith instead of empty actions, and He promised to dwell with them right in their midst! This was a God like no other!

The Everyday Application

1) What is the greater context of these verses?
If you read verses 15-19, God uses a visual object lesson of 2 sticks to help the hearers see and understand what God would do. In the New Testament, God teaches the Jewish people the same lesson, except this time, He is describing the 2 “sticks” or “branches” as being Jew and Gentile. Paul says that God “grafts” the Gentiles into the inheritance of the Jews, making One Body, called believers!

2) What is the double meaning of “my servant David” and “one shepherd”?
Christ calls us to live in unity within the Body of Christ, but getting out of alignment is all too easy. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart regarding areas or people that you may be in conflict with. Remember that Jesus doesn’t ask us to do something He hasn’t given us the power to fulfill through the Holy Spirit. Take time to pray for those you have conflict with!

3) Does this passage teach that we need to be perfectly obedient to God’s laws to gain inheritance?
In the New Testament, Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets completely on our behalf, but He still calls His believers to live a life that is different than the world around us. He calls us to walk in love; love for God and love for people, which sums up every Old Testament law. Praise God that our righteousness isn’t dependent on our ability to be good, but on the finished work of Jesus Christ! Praise Him for the Holy Spirit living inside who empowers us to love others deeply, just as Christ loves us!

4) What is the significance of the location of “my sanctuary”?
While it was nearly incomprehensible that part of Yahweh’s inheritance meant that He would dwell with His people because they were His reward, looking at this same concept in light of the New Testament is so precious! Today, God doesn’t dwell in a tabernacle or live in our churches. No, our God takes up residency right inside our hearts through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In Bible times, the location of God’s presence was the most ornate and beautiful place that could be found. It was covered in gold, intricately designed, and masterfully created according to God’s own specifications. God only dwells in the most precious of places, sisters, and that includes your heart!

Share your thoughts from today’s Journey Study!
Can we pray for you?
Sign up to receive every Journey Study!

I Can Do That!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read through it (always more than a verse or two).
3) Write down your questions as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God in your everyday!

The Community!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into
Inheritance Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Tools!

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

The Why!

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
See all past studies in Inheritance!