God's story

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post in the archives, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. As you read, I encourage you to add in any reflections or comments you may have.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will

Monday, February 22, 2010
Devotions: Ps 41. 44. 52; Gen 37:1-11; 1 Cor 1:1-19; Mk 1:1-13

Blessed are they who consider the poor; YHWH delivers them from times of trouble; He heals their diseases. I confess my sins, Lord, and pray for Your mercy. Bring me out from the malice of my critics and enemies. I know God loves me, because they haven’t driven me out or down. God has upheld me. We have heard how God dealt with our ancestors, and Lord, You are my King and my God. Save us and let us boast continually of You! Keep us near You, Lord; don’t let our enemies revile us without remedy. Deliver us for the sake of Your steadfast love. Let the wicked not boast of their triumphs, for God is watching; He will break you down, mighty man! The righteous will see your downfall and praise our God. I will remain and bear fruit, like a green olive tree in God’s orchard. I will tell of Your goodness in the presence of the godly, my Lord!

Jacob and his family lived in Canaan. Joseph, Rachel’s first son, was seventeen and was helping his older brothers with their father’s flocks and herds. Joseph told Jacob about misbehavior on his brothers’ part; and Jacob loved Joseph most of all, because he was the son of his old age. He made Joseph a long robe with sleeves. All this made his brothers resent and hate Joseph. Moreover, Joseph had prophetic dreams, and talked about them openly. He told his brothers, ‘In my dream, we were all binding sheaves in the fields, and my sheaf stood upright and your sheaves gathered round it and bowed down to my sheaf.’ His brothers understood and resented the message: ‘Are you going to rule over us? Will you have dominion over us?’ And they hated Joseph all the more. Joseph wasn’t deterred; he talked about another dream: ‘The sun, the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’ Even his father rebuked Joseph: ‘What is this? Will I and your mother and your brothers indeed come and bow ourselves to the ground before you?’ His brothers nursed their jealousy, but Jacob kept all this in his mind.

Paul writes to the church in Corinth, ‘to those sanctified in the Messiah Jesus, called to be saints along with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, our common Lord: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I always thank God for you because of the grace of God given to you in the Messiah Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him with all speech and all knowledge—as the testimony to the Messiah was confirmed among you, so that you lack no spiritual gift as you await the revealing of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. He will keep and sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. God is faithful, by Whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus the Messiah our Lord. In His name, brothers and sisters, I appeal to you to be in agreement, with no dissensions among you; be united in the same mind, and with the same judgment. I say this because Chloe’s people tell me that there is quarreling among you, my brothers and sisters. Some say, “I belong to Paul” and others “I belong to Apollos” or ‘I belong to Cephas” or “I belong to the Messiah.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in my name? No; I am thankful I baptized few: only Crispus and Gaius, and the household of Stephanas. For the Messiah did not send me to baptize; He sent me to preach the gospel, and that not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of the Messiah be robbed of its power. The message of the cross seems folly to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. It is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will thwart.”’

Mark introduces his gospel thus: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. As the prophets wrote, “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight” – John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All the people of Judea and of Jerusalem went out to John and were baptized by him the river Jordan, confessing their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. As he preached, he declared, ‘After me comes He Who is mightier than I, the thong of Whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ And in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. When Jesus came up out of the water, immediately He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove; and a Voice came from heaven: ‘You are My beloved Son; with You I Am well pleased.’ Right away, the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.