Pastor Bob DuPar
May 8, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

1 Samuel 2:22-4:22; John 5:24-47; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 14:30-31.

Observation

Our OT reading today was a sharp contrast between the godlessness of Eli’s sons Hophni & Phinehas and the godliness of Samuel. God asks Eli in 1 Samuel 2:29, “Why do you honor your sons more than me?” That’s a convicting question for each one of us, as each of us has at one time or another honored someone or something more than God.

It’s interesting in 1 Sam. 2:32 that God makes it clear that He will still bring good to Israel, but Eli and his descendants will pay the price for their sin.

Oh that we all might have a responsive heart like Samuel to say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” This spirit of obedience led to blessing. 1 Sam. 3:19 says that “the Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and He (God) let none of his words fall to the ground. And, two verses later: “the Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there He revealed Himself to Samuel through His Word.” How awesome!

How dumb it was to take the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines like it was some good luck charm that would blot out their sinfulness (the real cause of their defeat). 2 Sam. 4:10-11 records devastating loss: 30,000 soldiers were slaughtered, the ark of God was captured and Hophni & Phineas died. Later, Eli and Phineas’ pregnant wife would join them in death. God’s prophetic words were being fulfilled.

I love John 5:26, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” Jesus condemned the Pharisees a few verses later in 5:39-40 for studying the Scriptures and yet missing the whole point of the Scriptures: to draw us/lead us to God that we might experience this life!

Finally, Proverbs 14:31 is especially powerful:

“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

Application

I desire to make God my top priority, the One I show honor and preference above all else. I pray that I will continually have a responsive and sensitive heart like Samuel to hear God’s voice and act upon it.

Prayer

“God, help me to live in Your life. May I not just go through the motions and miss the heart of that personal, powerful relationship with You. Finally Lord, please give me opportunities to be kind to the needy and the wisdom to know how best to help them.”

Pastor Bob DuPar
May 7, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

1 Samuel 1:1-2:21; John 5:1-23; Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 14:28-29.

Observation

1 Samuel 1:6 reminded me how terrible it is when we allow an area in which God has blessed us to be used as a means of hurting others who perhaps have not been blessed in the same way or to the same degree.

1 Samuel 1:27-28 is such a sweet story of surrender as Hannah presents Samuel to the Lord to be a servant of God his whole life. Hannah gave the object of her prayers, her dreams, her very life, back to God – not knowing that God would reward her for fulfilling her promise by blessing her later with 5 more children. So often I make empty promises to God; and, this was not an easy promise to keep. But, Hannah was a woman of her word and she did not take her vow lightly.

Jesus’ words in John 5:14 have been abused by many a preacher and teacher. Jesus was not saying that all physical infirmities are the result of sin (see John 9:2-3). But, apparently this man’s condition was the result of sin because Jesus specifically says in John 5:14, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning…”

John 5:18 is interesting because it shows us that the Jews understood the claim to be God’s Son to be a claim to equality with God. Perfection & deity can only beget perfection and deity. Sometimes when we look for proof texts on the deity of Christ we overlook this, not realizing what this meant in that culture.

John 5:19 speaks not to the impotence of Jesus apart from God’s power working through Him, but rather to the fact that Jesus did not act or heal or do anything that was contrary to or out of step with the character and actions of God the Father.

Finally, John 5:22 is timely after this last week’s sermon (5-4-08) about how God the Father is not some angry, unfair judge – since Jesus Himself is the one who will do all the judging (Matthew 25:31-46). God’s “entrusting all judgment to the Son” merely reflects another specific aspect of the roles of the Godhead.

Application

I need to take my promises to God more seriously. Today’s reading has inspired me to look closer at the book of Revelation to see if it speaks of “God” judging since we know Jesus will do this. This would be one more neat angle of arguing/providing evidence for the deity of Jesus.

Prayer

“God, thank You for Your Word. It never gets old! Thank You that I have the privilege of feeding upon it each day. Thank You for what You teach me.”

Pastor Bob DuPar
May 6, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Ruth 2:1-4:22; John 4:43-54; Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 14:26-27.

Observation

As I read about Boaz’ kindness to Ruth and how God sovereignly placed him in Ruth’s life to take care of her and Naomi, I thought about the fact that God has placed a “Boaz” in each one of our lives.

I was amazed all over again about the ancestry of King David (and Christ for that matter). Perez was born to Tamar after she dressed like a harlot to seduce Judah. And, Obed was born to the widow Naomi after Boaz became Naomi’s kinsman-redeemer though others dropped the ball. Twice in the biblical record of this lineage there was the very real potential of the family line/name dying out. But, God was bigger than all of this.

I love how the text (John 4:50) says that the father with the dying son “took Jesus at his word and departed.” What faith. Later, he and his whole family came to salvation as they realized that the son was healed at the exact moment that Jesus said to the father, “You may go. Your son will live!”

Finally, Proverbs 14:26 speaks of the best kind of legacy a man can leave his family:

“He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.”

Application

Trust in God. When things make sense and when they don’t. When the solution is visible and when it’s a mystery. Fear the Lord and trust Him in and for all things.
Prayer

“God, thank You for Your faithfulness. I am so grateful that You are not limited to my perception of Your abilities.”

Pastor Bob DuPar
May 5, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Judges 21:1-Ruth 1:22; John 4:4-42; Psalm 105:1-15; Proverbs 14:25.

Observation

That was some dance recorded in Judges 21:23. Go to a dance, come home with a wife! The words of Judges 21:25 sum up the situation: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”

The story of Ruth and Naomi is a beautiful one: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16) Ruth & Naomi quite possibly had the best mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship ever!

I love Jesus’ words to the Samaritan woman in John 4:10, “If you knew the gift of God (Jesus) and who it is who asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” I am amazed how much prophecy about Christ/the Messiah this gentile woman knew. And, how wonderful that so many people came to salvation through her testimony.

Application

How often we do as we see fit, ignoring God’s authority and reign over our lives. I would love to get to a place of spiritual maturity where I could say what Jesus said in John 4:34, and truly mean it, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” Finally, I pray that many would come to salvation through my testimony and the testimonies of those at CBC. The real question is, “Are we sharing the Good News with anyone?” This is the first step of evangelism – simple, yet foundational.

Prayer

“God, please give me opportunities daily to share my faith with someone who does not know You.”

Pastor Bob DuPar
May 4, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Judges 19:1-20:48; John 3:22-4:3; Psalm 104:24-35; Proverbs 14:22-24.

Observation

The story of the Levite and his concubine is one of those stories that if you heard it in another context you would not believe that it’s actually in the Bible. I can’t even comprehend the wickedness that would lead to such brutality and abuse.

John the Baptist’s attitude in John 3 is so commendable. His humility in the words “He must become greater; I must become less” is so rare among leaders today. And, I love his words in 3:34 when he says, “God gives the Spirit without limit.” What a neat thought! What a great opportunity to experience the joy of God’s Spirit working through us and using us in ways that we never imagined or thought possible.

Finally, Proverbs 14:23 was interesting: “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

Application

I want to continually grow in the area of humility. I want to share in the joy of others’ accomplishments and successes for the Kingdom, understanding that we are all a team. God’s Kingdom is bigger than individual personalities, egos and petty pride.

Prayer

“God, continually give me Your heart, Your mind, Your wisdom to minister in a way that pleases You and lifts up and edifies others.”

Pastor Bob DuPar
May 3, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Judges 17:1-18:31; John 3:1-21; Psalm 104:1-23; Proverbs 14:20-21.

Observation

John 3:16, the greatest and most beautiful truth ever spoken. And yet, how sad that it has fallen on deaf ears today. We view salvation as something that will always be there for us when we’re ready to finally surrender. Or, we view salvation as something we just tack-on to our life, which provides protection while requiring no life change. How could we ever come to such conclusions in light of the costliness of this gift? Like the great hymn writer wrote: “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my soul, my all.”

John 3:18-20 is profound as well, yet often overlooked in view of 3:16:

“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

We hate the light because it exposes and reveals our darkness. Light brings conviction, and it’s hard to enjoy sin when we’re living under constant conviction. So, we choose the darkness a little longer, and tolerate our sin.

Application

It seems that the most practical way to eliminate darkness and sin from our lives is to spend as much time in the light as possible.

Prayer

“God, thank You for sending me Jesus who brought light to my darkness; and, who continues to seek & save me when I wander back into places of darkness.”

Pastor Bob DuPar
May 2, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Judges 15:1-16:31; John 2:1-25; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 14:17-19.

Observation

Samson was a pretty amazing guy when “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power.” Killing a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone is a legendary accomplishment. I can just hear the stories that were told about his exploits. He was definitely the “Terminator” of his day, or the “Rambo!”

I am dumbfounded by Samson’s ignorance with Delilah. Why did he confide in her after all of the obvious traps that she put before him. I have a hunch that it was his pride. Samson seems like he enjoyed putting on a good show. Women, take note of Delilah’s skillful technique in getting what she wanted out of Samson:

“With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death!” (Judges 16:16)

I know, I can hear all of the women respond, “There has to be an easier way to get the lawn mowed or the house cleaned!”

I love Psalm 103:11-13:

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”

Application

Samson is a great object lesson in using our gifts for God’s glory rather than self glorification. It’s easy for us to become prideful and forget where our strength and gifts come from.

Prayer

“God, thank You that You have removed my sin. Thank You that You are a compassionate Father.”

Pastor Bob DuPar
May 1, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Judges 13:1-14:20; John 1:29-51; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 14:15-16.

Observation

It’s interesting to me that the name of Samson’s mom is never mentioned, nor the name of the angel for that matter (which many scholars believe to be a preincarnate appearance of Christ.)

I love the description of Samson in his formative years: “He grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir in him…” (Judges 13:24-25)

Proverbs 14:15 spoke to me: “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” What a great description of forethought: “giving thought to our steps!”

Application

I would love to experience the “stirring” of God’s Spirit within me on a regular basis. I want to be less impulsive and more Spirit-lead.

Prayer

“God, may I give thought to my steps. May You influence my choices and direct my actions.”