Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Scriptures of the Day Joshua 6-7, Psalm 52, 1 Corinthians 14 Verse of the Day 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” Observation We see that although Israel enjoyed peace for 40 years, for seven years they turned from worshipping the One, True God, to false gods like Baal. So God in effect said, "If that is the god you want to serve, then I will withdraw my hand of protection I have given you." So after 7 years, the Israelites cried out to God asking for relief from the oppression from the Midianites. So God raised up Gideon, under the oak tree and said to him, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” But in spite of this Gideon had his doubts, and expressed them. His doubt started with the fact his family was not one of the top clans, and he was the weakest...

Scriptures for the Day Judges 4,5 Psalm 39,41 1 Corinthians 13 Verse of the Day Psalm 39:4-5 “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. Observation In Psalm 38 David says this, "I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart." So you might read the verse above as David just wanting his life to end, because he is tired of fighting everyone and everything. On top of that, he is being punished for his own sin and folly. But if you read between the lines, David is reflecting that because his life is so short, he wants to make sure he spends his time wisely. He wants to remind himself of how fleeting life is, so he can focus...

Scripture Readings Joshua 21-22, Psalm 47, 1 Corinthians 10 Verse of the Day 1 Corinthians 10:13 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Observation Paul is writing to a young church in a pagan culture. He is trying to teach them how to be in the world, but not of the world. He is pointing to the freedom they have in Christ, but teaching them not to use their freedom to indulge the sinful nature, or cause another believed to stumble. He cites the example of the Israelites who made golden calves and practiced sexual immorality and were judged by God in the wilderness. In fighting temptation he gives them a prescription for how they can overcome it. He gives them these principles: 1. We are most vulnerable to tempt...

Readings for the Day Joshua 18-20 1 Corinthians 9 1 Corinthians 9: "Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." Observation In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul starts by talking about his rights as an apostle. It would have been perfectly alright to receive a reward for his work among them. He reminds them that those who preach the gospel, should receive their living from the gospel. But Paul denies this right because he wants to offer the gospel free of charge. Then Paul talks about his freedom and his rights. These include becoming all things to all people in order to win some. Like Jesus, Paul got down on the same level with the people he preached to. He identified with them and spoke in ways that would connect them to the Good News about Jesus. To the Jews, he ministered to them as those who were under the Law. To the Gentiles, he communicated to them as tho...

Scriptures:Joshua 15-17, 1 Corinthians 8 Verse of the Day: 1 Corinthians 8:13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. Observation The context of chapter 8 is Paul instructing the Corinthians about food sacrificed to idols. This was a common practice for those who worshipped other gods in this pagan culture. For those who recently converted to Christianity, this was a remnant of their old way of life. When they found the One true God through Jesus Cnrist, they wanted to move as far away from their previous lifestyle as possible. Paul reflects that even though food sacrificed to other gods was worthless and in vain, for these newer Christians it could be a stumbling block. Even though those with "knowledge" knew it was meaningless and empty, in deference to those so called "weaker" Christians, they should not eat this type of meat. Paul ends the chapter by sayi...

Scriptures: Joshua 12,13,14; 1 Corinthians 7 Verses of the Day: Joshua 14:6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. Observations: Since the beginning of God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12 and Genesis 15, God's purpose was to make Israel a blessing to all nations. Abraham was originally promised the Land that Joshua and Caleb are now leading the Israelites to conquer. When Moses and the people of God were delivered from the Egyptians, when God parted the Red Sea, it showed Moses' trust in God to do what ...

Scripture Readings Deuteronomy 3-6 1 Corinthians 4 Verse 1 Corinthians 4:14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. Observation In chapter Paul 4 has a sarcastic tone, as he writes to the church in Corinth. They are a city of excess in every way. Though there are many who purported to be in Christ, they had fallen to sexual immorality, materialism, and even worshipping other gods. They even tended to put their teachers on a pedestal and were prideful about who they were. In this chapter, Paul says he and the other apostles have a different lifestyle. Listen to what...

Scripture Readings: Deuteronomy 32-34 1 Corinthians 1:2 Bible Verse: 45 When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, 46 he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. 47 They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” Observation: This is Moses' farewell sermon. He has delivered many messages from God to the people of Israel. Though he has made some mistakes and not always trusted God in every situation, like when he struck the rock in the desert disobeying God's command. No prophet has ever known The Lord face to face and done the awesome deeds that Moses did. So he ends his life urging the Israelites to take these words to heart and teach them to their children. And by them they might have life and life abundantly in the Promised Land. Finally, ...

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 25-27, Galatians 5 Verse: Galatians 5:7-9 "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." Observation Paul's main concern for the Galatians is having started with the free gift of the Gospel, they would go back to trying to earn it through works. The presenting problem is that the Galatians are requiring adult male converts to the Christian faith to be circumcised. Paul sees this as going back to the Old Testament ritual law. He likens it to someone who has been set free going back to slavery. He feels it is an offense to Jesus Christ. After all, if Jesus suffered on a cross for our sins, trying to earn it through our works is a slap in Jesus' face. So Paul uses the metaphor of running a race. The one who has led them astray in this false teaching, is like one who cuts in on a ra...

Scripture: Deuteronomy 19-21, Galatians 3 "I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?" Galatians 3:2-3 Observation: One of Paul's favorite subjects was the relationship between Law and Faith. This was the Law that God gave to Moses to give to the Israelites as they left Egypt and were moving toward the Promised Land. The purpose of the Law was to curb and prevent God's people from evil. God promised blessings if the Israelites obeyed, and curses if they disobeyed the Law. The Law was good because it came from God, but the Israelites could not keep the Law. Time and time again, they disobeyed the Law and paid the consequences. This is what Paul calls the curse of the Law, in that as soon as you do not obey it you are at odds with God. We call this sin, which separates...

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 16-18, Psalm 38, Galatians 1 Bible Verse: Psalm 38:17-22 17 For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. 19 Many have become my enemies without cause[b]; those who hate me without reason are numerous. 20 Those who repay my good with evil lodge accusations against me, though I seek only to do what is good. 21 Lord, do not forsake me; do not be far from me, my God. 22 Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior. Observation: David is grieving not only over his own sin, but also that his friends have deserted him, and his foes are slandering him. He is at a breaking point. All the comforts of this world have vanished. On top this, he is dealing with the guilt and shame of his own sin. He senses God is disciplining him. In verses 3-4 he says, "Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a...

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 13-15 Galatians 1 Devotional Verse: Galatians 1:9-10 "As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:9-10 Observation Paul has very strong and harsh words for those who preached another gospel, different than the other apostles preached. The gospel was that we are saved by grace through faith, and there is nothing we can do to earn it. Nothing! But soon after Paul preached, the people perverted the true gospel and substituted a "false" gospel. The false gospel was no gospel at all, because it went back to works righteousness. It went back to being saved by our good deeds. At the heart of works righteousness is trying to win other's approval, which is wh...

Scripture: Deuteronomy 11:18-20 "18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth." Observation: Moses teaches the families of Israel to teach God's word in their homes. These words were to be evident throughout the day, spoken and seen. Morning, noon, and night, they were to have God's words and commands in front of them, in plain view. Why? So they would not forget them, and be careful to do them. Application: Faith and obedience to God and His Word is meant to be taught in the home on a daily basis. Most of us...

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 7-9, Mark 15 33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). All of us from time to time wonder "why"? Why, do I feel so alone? Why do I feel so depressed? Why do I feel like God has forgotten me? Jesus went once step further and said, "My God, my God, have you forsaken me?" Remember Jesus was just forsaken by all his disciples, even those who vowed they would never forsake him. On the night of Jesus' betrayal, his right hand man Peter had forsaken him three times. When he needed him the most, he was cowering in fear and self preservation. So why was Jesus forsaken? So we wouldn't be! Jesus was abandoned, given up on, and renounced, yet he remained faithful. The only way we could be forgiven is if Jesus could be forsaken. But the great ...

37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” If Jesus ever trusted anyone, it was his inner core of disciples, Peter, James and John. If there was ever a time Jesus needed his closest friends, it was now in the Garden of Gethsemane. If there was ever a time, Peter was in a position to be Jesus' his most reliable disciple, it was on this night of his betrayal. But what happened? After Jesus had told them to watch and pray, he came back and found them sleeping. He came back twice more and found them sleeping. Talk about a let down. Then Jesus makes a sweeping statement. He says, "Watch and pray that you don't fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." So what can we learn from this valuable teaching to the disciples on the night before ...

Prayer 5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Jesus teaches us today that prayer, like any other spiritual discipline, can become prideful. When we pray to be seen by others, we have already received our reward in full. Meaning if we are looking to receive the praise of others because of our religious rituals, we are going to come up empty. We will miss out on the most important reward of prayer, an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. Since Jesus k...

Giving to the Needy 6 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. You might ask why when Jesus has just told his followers to let their light shine before others by their good works, in Matthew 6 he says not to parade your righteousness before others. Why would he bracket these teachings next to each other? First, he is pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the religious leaders. They loved to let their deeds be seen by others. They prayed in front of others, and ...

Love for Enemies 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. It is so easy to hate our enemies. After all, they make us really mad! Usually they have done something to offend or injure us, and haven't said they are sorry. Maybe they hate us, and for no good reason other than what we represent. This started from the beginning when Cain hated his brother Abel. Cain was the first born, and Abel his younger brother. Cain worked the field and Abel wa...

Eye for Eye 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Since all of these passages are rooted in the Old Testament teachings from the Torah, it is important for us to understand what Jesus is referring to in this text. Here is a good synopsis of the Old Testament teaching on this matter. The concept of “an eye for eye,” sometimes called jus talionis or lex talionis, is part of the Mosaic Law used in the Israelites’ justice system. The principle is that the punishment must fit the crime and there should be a just penalty for evil actions: “If there is serious injury, you are to take life f...

Oaths 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Since today is Super Tuesday, many people are interested in which presidential candidates will win the states that vote tonight. The candidates have been busy on the campaign trail, making promises about what they will or will not do. Some are making more promises than others. But despite how many promises each of the candidates make to set themselves apart from their opponents, there is a very high probability that they will not be able to keep all their promises. Such is the ...