October 31: Revelation 13-22

Praise God, I made it!  The whole New Testament in one month...with 39 minutes to spare, it looks like.  With a combination of listening to audio CD's, reading my own Bible, reading the study notes and doing research online, I was able to gain a better overall understanding of what the books of the New Testament are about while digging deeper into a few issues that I found thought-provoking.  

I hope whatever track you chose for the month has blessed you and that the habit of spending time in God's word daily will not fade now that the month is over. I am very glad I stuck with this challenge, even when it would have been easier to quit, and I am thankful for those of you who stuck with me and encouraged me along the way.

Reading the New Testament has given me a greater appreciation for the true gift of Life that Jesus offers. I have become more aware of my own shortcomings and more thankful of God's forgiveness for the same. I learned about the life of the apostles, both while Jesus walked with them and after his resurrection, and admire the passion and dedication they had for growing the church. So many lessons to be learned...something new each day (for the rest of my life!)

It's been a month of learning and growth for me and the final challenge from the October Bible Challenge that I want to leave you with is the invitation of the Spirit found in the final chapter of the New Testament:

"Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." ~Revelation 22: 17b

October 30: Revelation 1-11

Revelation has always been a book that intimidated me. It seems so mysterious and hard to understand, but sometimes I think that it would be scarier if we DID understand everything it means. It's hard for many people to just accept that we aren't going to be able to figure out everything--we can't know exactly when Jesus will return, how the tribulation will affect the world, or what the end of time will actually be like.

Fortunately, there are truths found in Revelation that are not inaccessible or hidden in symbols or obscure language.  We can clearly see God's holiness, his power, and that He will ultimately defeat evil. I think God purposely doesn't give us all the details about how everything will play out because He knows that with our human limitations, we would be completely overwhelmed by a full view of the supernatural realities.  He protects us by "hiding" some things from us. I think this also encourages us to have faith in Him instead of trusting in what we know.

October 29: 1,2,3 John

I'm sure you've all had that assignment in school where you have to look up your name and find out what it means. Depending on your sources, my name means "from the court", "courtly", "courteous", or "snub-nosed". (I'm sure you can pick out my least favorite meaning.) 

A few years back I also read a book of baby names that listed a corresponding Bible verse for each name. The verse for Courtney was 1 John 4:16. That always stuck in my head because my birthday is 4/16!  To further add to the coincidence, when I got a new license plate for my car five years ago, the 3 numbers randomly assigned were 416. 

So, from today's reading, I'd like to share "my" verse with you.

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." ~1 John 4:16

The rest of this paragraph is equally as meaningful to me:

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." ~1 John 4:17-20

October 28: James, 1-2 Peter

I'm a calendar person. I have a very nice planner at work where I write down all the activities for the month, day by day. Along with choir practice, church suppers, and school activities I write down the mundane "events" too-- what days I will go to the fitness center, what day I'll go grocery shopping, when I need to clean or do laundry.  If something comes up and derails my schedule, I sometimes get very upset. I realized this was becoming a problem when I would get upset if someone invited me out for supper and I felt like it was "ruining" my plans to work out or clean.  I also like to look ahead to the coming months and record Christmas parties, weekend trips, and show choir competitions-months in advance. So, it struck a bit of a nerve as I read these verses today.

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." ~James 4:13-15

I am definitely guilty of "boasting about tomorrow" which James warns against. I like to know the plan (if not create it) and stick to the plan and not let anything derail THE PLAN. But I need reminders that it is only MY plan, not God's. His plans are often very different. 

I definitely need reminders that God is in control, that HIS plans trump mine, and I need to live for him today instead of spending today planning for tomorrow.

October 27: Hebrews

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." ~Hebrews 13:8

We live in world that is constantly changing. As I see the headline today "Stock market hits 5-year low", I thought back on how much has changed in my life in the past five years.

In the past five years, I've graduated from college, moved twice, gotten married, had 2 different jobs, bought a house, got a dog, been blessed with a niece and a new brother-in-law, watched gas prices soar and then drop, watched my retirement fund grow and then drop, and the list goes on and on.

I can honestly say I am not the same person I was five years ago. In a lot of ways, that's probably a good thing, but the fact is that all of us change, for better or worse, everyday--maybe every hour! It's hard when our friends change, when our family changes, and when our circumstances change. Change is not easy! But amid all the chaos and challenges we face, isn't it a blessing to have one constant stronghold? Jesus Christ, who doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

I take great comfort in the fact that the same Savior who walked with the apostles also walked with my grandparents. The same Jesus who was there for me when I struggled as a teen is also there for me as an adult. He'll be there for me for the rest of my earthly life, and will be the object of my praise in my eternal life. The same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

October 26: 1,2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that."~1 Timothy 6:6-8

What is contentment?  Paul used the term "contentment" that was popular with the Stoics of the time and gave it a Christian meaning. To the Stoics, contentment came from becoming self-sufficient, relying on oneself.  Paul says that contentment is the feeling of finding sufficiency in Christ, relying on Him to take care of our needs. Contentment is a sign of godliness (relying on god) and contentment is a result of godliness (peace of mind).

I was once again reminded of the difference between needs and wants this week-both through some great discussions in our Small Group and from an unexpected vehicle repair expenses that come up this week which will affect our budget and spending for the next few months. I needed this reminder that I can and should be content with what Christ has provided-He is sufficient. 

October 25: Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians

Paul instructs Christians as to what their ethical theory should be in Philippians 2:3-3, " Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

I was immediately reminded of the scene in A Beautiful Mind in which John Nash has a revelation about how if everyone does what is in their own interest (i.e. all the guys go for the blond at the bar), they will block each other, no one will get the blond and her friends will also be put off as being chosen second, so none of them will get any of the girls. He says that if they think of what is best of the group, they will each pick one of the other girls and no one would go for the blond. I'd always thought of his game theory as each man doing not only what was best for him, but also what was best for the group. In reality, if the game is at "Nash equilibrium", it means that each man, knowing the other players' strategies and knowing the others will stick to their strategies, has made the best possible decision and would not be benefited by moving laterally (to another strategy). However, this does NOT always end up with the ideal solution for the group. Once again proving that if people are only doing what is best for themselves, the overall optimal solution is not always reached. If you're interested in more of this, read this Math's Illustrated explanation of game theory, especially the part about the Prisoner's Dilemma.

I also thought of how other philosophers, most famously Ayn Rand, have proposed the exact opposite ethical theory from what Paul suggests. In her books Atlas Shrugged and The Virtue of Selfishness, this 20th Century intellectual proposes that the moral person should do what is in their own self-interest. People should determine for themselves what values their own life requires and to act in self-interest to make sure those values are achieved. She explains that self-interest involves seeing oneself as an end in oneself, and not acting as a servant or slave to the interest of others.

I don't see how it would be worth living out this life on earth if you truly thought you own life and happiness is your ultimate end--that this is all there is to strive for. When the goal of your life is BEYOND this life, Paul's instructions are clear and instructive.

Lord, help us to think not only of our own interests, but also the interests of others. Give us a Christ-like attitude and unity among brothers.