Thank you!

January 4th, 2011 by Bob Mathews

Dear readers,

Thank you for your readership and support during 2010. We hope and pray the posts published here have been a blessing to you and an honor to our God. Because this blog was associated with our congregation’s daily Bible reading for 2010, there will be no more regular posts — at least for now. We will keep this blog on the web indefinitely, as it is available through Google and other search engines, and thus may for years to come continue to provide encouragement and strength to those who are led here.

Please visit our new blog, which began publication this morning. Rather than publishing daily posts to that blog, as we have done here, we will publish on Tuesday and Friday throughout the year. Our text will be the chronological Daily Bible.

May the Lord richly bless you in 2011 as you seek to build a deeper relationship with Him and strive to be more like Jesus each day.

In Him,
Southern Hills Church of Christ
Buda Texas
U.S.A.

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Day 364: Revelation 21:1-27 — The Alpha and the Omega

December 30th, 2010 by Randy Consford

This is my Omega for writing in the Daily Bible Reading Blog. My Alpha began at the beginning of this year. When we started the blog, I wrote, “we have just finished 40 Days of Prayer at our church. During this time, someone stated that we ought do something associated with Bible Study. We decided to read through the Bible in 2010. Then, someone suggested we send out emails with thoughts on the verses we are to read and this idea evolved into creating this blog. Our goal is to read through the Bible in 2010 and write an article related to the text we are reading that day. We hope this glorifies God and the articles will be stimulating and helpful in our growth as Christians.” It is hard to believe that tomorrow will be the last day. I think we met our goal for the most part. I want to thank all of our writers and all of our readers. Most of all, I want to thank the real Alpha and Omega. Thank you Lord for your Word! Thank you for our salvation! Thank you for the vision of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1-7). Thank you for wanting to be with us, for wiping away the tears, for taking away death, for making everything new, for giving us a drink from the water of life, for an inheritance, and for making us sons. May God be blessed and glorified by our reading and commenting on His Word in 2010!

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Day 363: Zechariah 5:5ff — Lord Take It Away!

December 29th, 2010 by Scott Dutton

Are we ready for it to be taken away? Take away what? Sin, of course. Zechariah 5 deals with God removing what should not have been present in the first place. The nation returned from seventy years of captivity in Babylon, and in the process brought back with them the influence of that seventy years.

Odd, isn’t it, how slowly things creep up on us from all sides? Sometimes we are not even aware they are encroaching on our lives. It’s kind of like gaining weight. We put on a pound or so a year and in thirty years we are no longer able to tie our shoe laces. One pound wasn’t so bad neither was two. Double that from one pound a year to two pounds a year and now we are talking about serious weight gain. Sin creeps in ever so slowly at first, and then we become hardened and the process accelerates.

This passage is a vivid picture of God removing wickedness from where it doesn’t belong. The basket (ephah) was the largest dry measure for the Jews. The covering of the basket was a talent of lead, or about 120 pounds, by our measure. So we have to imagine a bushel basket with a 120 pound lid on it. Now any woman small enough to fit in that basket has no hope of opening the lid. The basket is then taken away, back to its origin. All this represents God taking out from His people what they have no need of and which is offensive to God.

Back to our original question for today. Are we ready for it to be taken away? Are we ready for God to remove from our lives all that we have no real need of and at the same time let go of our affection for those things? I want them gone, gone to the point I no longer desire them.

A personal note — over the last six to eight months I have been privileged to write for this blog. It has been a spiritual journey. A chance to reflect deeply inward and take measure of myself. Too many times I didn’t measure up, but I did grow in the process. Having said that, this will be my final post. I pray God’s blessings on each of you and especially to my fellow writers who will continue this excellent work.

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Day 362: Genesis 1–Revelation 21 — The Long Journey Home

December 28th, 2010 by Matt Lee

I do not remember a lot of the things preachers have said throughout my childhood, but I do remember one from brother Ken Hoover who ministered at the Southwest church of Christ in Phoenix when I was in Jr. High. He preached a series of sermons taking one book of the Bible at a time and he would start out with the theme of the book which was always “The glory of God and the salvation of mankind through his Son Jesus Christ.” The message is the same throughout. It’s a message of repentance, forgiveness, love, mercy, and grace. There’s some wrath and punishment thrown in there when necessary, but that is not the goal.

My family (12 of us on my wife’s side) have just returned from a 2 day trip to visit my sister-in-law and her 1 year old son at the rehab facility where they currently reside. She has had many struggles and taken many wrong paths, but we can finally see her starting to take responsibility for them and seeking God and family to help her change her heart and her actions. We have prayed and solicited prayers for her over the years and we finally begin to see the fruit of God’s working in her. She has a long way to go, but God is good and willing to forgive. May we all be as merciful as He is. Our visit was such a joy to all of us and we hope she will be encouraged to continue on her path.

When I read today’s passage in Zechariah 1, it really struck a chord:

“The LORD was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?
“Then they repented and said, ‘The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’”

This passage could come from any of the prophets or really anywhere in the Bible as this is the message throughout, which is why I titled the blog post Genesis 1 – Revelation 21. As fellow blogger Powell would say “Read the whole thing. It’s good for you.”

The message of forgiveness is to each one of us, as “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. As we close out this year and start a new, may we remember the message: that God loved me so much that he sent His Son to live and die for me so that I might be with him in this life and the one to come.

Posted in Forgiveness, Grace, Love, Mercy, Repentance, Salvation | 1 Comment »

Day 361: Zeph. 2:1-Hag. 2:19, Rev. 17:7-18:8 — God keeps His promises

December 27th, 2010 by Powell Pendergraft

In the days of Josiah, Zephaniah declares the judgment of God on the nations around Judah, then finally on Judah itself. God promises that He will restore the fortunes of His people, speaking about 630 BC. Jump ahead about 100 years to the prophet Haggai and hear God tell the returned exiles that it is time to build the temple.

God keeps His promises.

The harlot of Babylon, although drunk on the blood of the saints, will be destroyed by all of the surrounding nations she once dazzled. The Roman empire, although in name only in later western Europe, was destroyed as a world power by pagan hordes, 476 AD.

God keeps His promises.

In these closing days of this year let us be thankful to our God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and recommit to the One Who in the past loved us, loves us now, and will keep His promises to the faithful in Christ.

Prayer: Holy Father, Righteous and True, we trust You. Thank for Your promises in Jesus through whom we pray to You, amen.

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Day 360: Sometimes I Forget

December 26th, 2010 by Matt Wilson

The reading for today is Revelation 16:1-17:6 if you want to get technical. If reading about the Seven Bowls of Wrath is your mood today, by all means, give it a go. I don’t mean to trivialize this passage, but today I hope you will allow me to write more from the heart.

On Christmas Eve my family journeyed to Bender Terrace Nursing Home in Lubbock, Texas to visit a few folks. Those of you that read this blog with regularity (Bob has assured me that you exist) know that my Grandmother passed away the night before Thanksgiving this year. She lived her last few months at Bender Terrace and we were so grateful for the care and love she received from the residents there. Gigi (as she was lovingly called) was very fortunate to have family close that would come spend time with her on a daily basis. She knew that she wasn’t forgotten. She knew she was loved.

Driving home from her funeral I had an idea. Day before yesterday that idea became a reality. At 3:30PM on Christmas Eve, my entire family (parents, sisters, brother-in-laws, nephews, daughters) showed up with handmade gifts from the kids. We walked every hallway. We went into every room. We hugged. We listened. We smiled. We laughed. We sang for two dining halls. Every person there was given a gift of love. When we left, we all agreed that there was no greater gift than the feeling of sharing the love of Christ with people who feel forgotten.

Sometimes I forget that being a Christian is far more than mere believing. It is living that belief. 2 Corinthians 9:7

May God bless you and keep you!
Matt Wilson

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Family, Love | 1 Comment »

Day 359: Micah 7:16-19; Revelation 15:4 — Glad Tidings of Great Joy!

December 25th, 2010 by Jim Hays

Merry Christmas, church!  I hope you met the day with gladness in your heart and recognition that today is the day when the whole world stops to consider Jesus.  The sights and sounds of the season permeate even the lives of atheists and agnostics.  And for Christians, this is a day to remember that God gave the world the best heaven had to offer—the Savior, Christ Jesus.

What a journey Jesus took on that first Christmas day!  He left the glory of Heaven and stepped down into our world—not as royalty born to kings and queens, but as a servant born to peasants.  Born not in a pristine hospital room, but in a barn where the first odors to enter His holy nostrils were animal manure and urine.  I am convinced that one of the first things we’ll say when we walk through the Pearly Gates will be, “Jesus left all THIS up here … for THAT down there?  What a Savior!”

His coming had been predicted by the great Hebrew prophets for thousands of years.  Yet, He was not welcomed by government dignitaries and celebrities.  There was no worldwide fanfare.  Instead, He was greeted by smelly shepherds and astrologers who were guided to the stable by a divinely-placed star.  The Savior came to seek and save … yet He was never exalted.  Instead, He was rejected—and ultimately, killed.

The journey that began in Bethlehem’s barn ended on Calvary’s cross.

Why did my Savior come to earth and to the humble go?  How many times have we sung the answer—because He loved me so.

Jesus came.  And the readings today point out that He is coming again.  Today’s passages share a common thought about how Jesus will be received at His second coming.   It will be much different from the first time.  This time, He will not be coming as a servant—He will be coming as King and Judge.

Micah 7:16-17 says,

16 Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power. 
They will put their hands over their mouths 
and their ears will become deaf. 
17 They will lick dust like a snake, 
like creatures that crawl on the ground. 
They will come trembling out of their dens; 
they will turn in fear to the LORD our God 
and will be afraid of you. 

Revelation 15:4 –

Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name? 
For you alone are holy. 
All nations will come 
and worship before you, 
for your righteous acts have been revealed.

The Messiah is coming back. And He’s not coming back quietly.  In fact, it will be quite noisy.  Trumpets will sound!  Angels will shout!   And no one will miss it.  “Every eye shall see” (Rev. 1:7) and “every knee shall bow.” And “every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).

On Judgment Day, there will be no atheists or agnostics.  All will believe.  Every person shall behold Him in all his Shekinah glory.  The glory He left in heaven the first time will not be absent the second time and all will worship the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Today, as you contemplate the meaning of Christmas, consider Micah’s words from chapter 7, verses 18 and 19:

18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression 
of the remnant of his inheritance? 
You do not stay angry forever 
but delight to show mercy. 
19 You will again have compassion on us; 
you will tread our sins underfoot 
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.

Our God pardons, forgives and is delighted to show His mercy.   And He has such compassion for His children that He will take their sins and remove them as far as the east is from the west … hurling them into the depths of the sea.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

What a gift!  What a God!  Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Posted in Christmas, Micah, Revelation | Comments Off

Day 358: Micah 2-6 — Regaining Focus

December 24th, 2010 by Matt Lee

I often get overwhelmed by swarms of details. Thinking of all the little things that need to be done will paralyze me with fear so that I end up not doing anything. Or I might feel that if there is a single part of the task that I am unable or unwilling to do, I might as well not do any of it. But if/when I am able to focus on the purpose of the task I can be motivated to push on to the goal. I often wonder if this misunderstanding and lack of focus is similar to what Israel faced throughout its history. Were they overwhelmed by the seeming complexity or specificity of the Law of Moses? Where there too many things to keep track of and to fall short of so they just gave up?

In the today’s reading in Micah 2-6, we again see the results of the many failings of God’s people. They had fallen so far and I’m certain had a hard time seeing their way back go God. But as we read in Micah the situation is simpler than what we believe. All the laws and ceremonies, do’s and don’ts, sacrifices and rituals are summed up in these few verses:

With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8)

Wow! That’s only 3 things. I can handle 3 things. When we focus on the heart of the matter, what is really important and what God really desires, we may be spurred on to all the details of living rightly with God. But if our focus is off, no amount of rule keeping or sacrifice will bring us close to Him.

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Day 357: Revelation 12:1-6 – Two Signs

December 23rd, 2010 by Randy Consford

Revelation 12:1-6 opens with the display of two signs. The first is a wondrous sign from the sky. A woman appears who is clothed with the sun, crowned with twelve stars, and the moon is under her feet. This woman gives birth to the Messiah. Early church history interprets this as the messianic community (God’s faithful people) and not the literal mother of Jesus. Medieval traditions misguidedly begin to interpret her as Mary. It is out of God’s faithful people that the Messiah would come. This radiant woman cries out in pain as Israel had done in the past when placed in bondage (Isaiah 26:17; Isaiah 66:7; Micah 4:10). Israel cries out in her struggle of expectation of the coming Messiah. A second sign appears in the sky. John sees an enormous red dragon with seven heads. The Old Testament is complete with allusions to dragons that often are associated with God’s and Israel’s enemies. The dragon stands ready to devour the child as a great drama unfolds. I can’t help but wonder what condition we would all be in if the dragon ultimately wins. This is our story throughout history, the great dragon battles to destroy us in this past and present danger. Yet, the proclamation of the church in history and today is that the great dragon cannot defeat our Lord. In fact, our Lord has already won in the resurrection. However, until our Lord returns, the church must flee to the desert (like Israel and the Exodus) where we depend on God to provide and we develop an intimate relationship with Him. While we live on earth, we may face many struggles but the ultimate end is learning to live faithfully through it all. We have two signs — who really is our Lord, Christ or Satan? Maybe the answer can be seen in our journey through the wilderness.

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Day 356: Amos 7 — Please Forgive

December 22nd, 2010 by Scott Dutton

I’m sorry, Lord, please forgive. How many times have those words crossed my lips? There is really no way to count. Here we are just 3 days from starting a new year and we have made plans to do better next year. How many times have we done that?

Amos 7 sets out the love and forgiveness of God. Mankind, all of them, has continually turned their backs on God and His wishes. We talk a good game but somewhere between talk and action things change. We should know how God feels. Each of us has been on the receiving end of a broken promise. Sometimes we are able to blow it off because it was no big deal. At other times it was a major hurt. We try to cover up and not let anyone know just how deep the hurt is, but it is there.

After a number of episodes with the same person we begin to insulate ourselves from hurt by telling ourselves it is not going to happen and then just going on, but in the back of our mind there is still that glimmer of hope. Then one day our heart just shuts down; there is no more room for disappointment from the person so they are cut off emotionally.

God feels all that hurt, and more, again and again and again, yet He still stands ready to forgive. His capacity seems to be endless so mankind presumes on His grace. Even to the point where a passing recognition of God a few times a year gives the feeling that God owes me salvation.

God is indeed forgiving, but He also has set firm limits. I pray I make it to my last day without straying so far as to be outside the limits. The best way to do that is get as close to God as I can today and then stay there.

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