Journey to Bethlehem Movie Review

Journey to Bethlehem Movie Review

Journey to Bethlehem - where do I start? I love inspirational movies, especially faith films that are Scripturally based.  I love sharing about great movies that inspire movie watchers to dig more into the Christian faith.  We usually buy the overpriced movie tickets, and then we buy the DVD versions when they are released.  We can show Hollywood that we want more faith based films by supporting the films financially.  Sadly, Journey to Bethlehem was disappointing.  Before I tell you what I didn't like about the movie, I'll tell you the three things I did like.

For those of you who are not familiar with Journey to Bethlehem, here is the official movie trailer.

Journey to Bethlehem - What I Liked About the Movie

1.  The movie creators did stick to Scripture when it came to identifying who Jesus is.  He is Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior.  They did not deviate from this truth.

2.  I liked two songs. 

Mother to a Savior and King

The Nativity Song

Mary's part at the end of The Nativity Song is beautiful so listen all the way to the end.

3.  I like the message of trusting God with our future, especially when things don't go as we planned.  God's plans for our lives are much greater than our own.  The blessings in store for us are much sweeter than we can think or imagine.  We just need to trust God.

That's about all I liked about the movie.

What I Did Not Like About Journey to Bethlehem

1.  The film is a musical comedy.  I don't particularly enjoy musicals, but that wasn't the problem.  My problem is the misplaced comedy.  I love a good comedy when it's appropriate, but the comedy in Journey to Bethlehem was not appropriate for this kind of movie.  The wise men who followed the star to find Jesus were scholars.  They were some of the most intelligent scientists of their day.  They were not ridiculous goofs.  To be fair, we don't know much about their personalities.  Maybe they all had a good sense of humor, but in this film, they were portrayed as big ole goofs.  

2.  The Angel Gabriel was also portrayed as a bit of a goof.  When Gabriel descended into Mary room, he was portrayed as insecure.  The film creators had him pacing back and forth, reciting his sentences as if he wasn't sure what he should say.  Then, he clumsily bumps his head on a rafter beam.  The Angel Gabriel is an archangel, a messenger of God.  He isn't an insecure goof who doesn't know what he is supposed to say.  This moment was a holy moment in history.  This scene should have remained true to Scripture.  

3.  The film makers omitted Mary's response from Luke 1:38 when she tells Gabriel, "I am the Lord’s servant.  May your word to me be fulfilled."  Her obedient response speaks to her mature character as we know her in the Bible.  Before Gabriel leaves Mary, he tells her to cower to no one.  That is not in the Bible.  Why put it in the movie?

4.  Biblical Jospeh was a carpenter.  Journey to Bethlehem Joseph was an inventor.  Why change this?

5.  I believe Mary's and Joseph's personalities might have been misrepresented in the movie.  The Bible teaches us that Mary was highly favored by God.  Although we don't know much about Mary or Joseph before Gabriel appeared to Mary, I doubt they were the typical rebellious type teens of today.  Back then, there was no extension of childhood.  There was no "teenager."  You were a child, and then you were an adult and expected to act like one.  Based on what we know about human development today, particularly development of the brain, I'm sure they had youthful personalities, but probably not like what is portrayed in Journey to Bethlehem.  They were not perfect and Mary is not to be worshiped, but they were highly favored for a reason.  I know God used people of "colorful" character throughout the old testament and Mary and Joseph certainly were not perfect young people, but they are set apart because they were chosen to parent God's Son on Earth.  This was not just a half-calling, but an extremely important one that would require maturity.  This point is based on my personal opinion.  I know many will not necessarily agree with me and everyone is free to form their own opinions.  I just feel like they got this part wrong.

6.  King Herod tells his son to kill all pregnant women, but his son talks Herod out of that order.  If you are familiar with Scripture, you know that King Herod ordered all babies aged 2 and younger to be killed and that order was carried out.  It's horrific, but it happened.  This is an example of a Biblical historic account being completely changed.  Why change it?  They didn't have to show it, but to change it completely is in direct violation of Scripture itself.  The Bible tells us:

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you. Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV)

7.  In Journey to Bethlehem, King Herod's son leads a search to find the unwed pregnant mother.  His father, King Herod, wanted her dead.  This is not what we are told in the Bible.  The Biblical account of this historical event tells us that King Herod ordered the wise men to find the baby and then report back to him so that he could worship Him too.  We know that Herod's plan was ultimately to kill baby Jesus.  In Journey to Bethlehem, King Herod's son conducts a search for Mary.  He and his army find them in the barn just after Jesus is born.  This is not an accurate account of this holy night.  Why put this in the movie?  Then, when Mary, Joseph, and the wise men who were also there think King Herod's son is going to kill them all, Joseph, although he begs the king's son not to hurt them, is portrayed as weak, in my opinion.  Mary, who remembers Gabriel telling her to cower to no one stands up to King Herod's son.  Again, this scene is not true to Scripture.  In the scene, there were four men in the barn with Mary and baby Jesus.  Yet it was Mary who had just given birth who stood up to King Herod's son.  In those days, it would have been Joseph who stood up like a man to protect his wife and baby.  However, this particular event did not really happen anyway.  Why change it?  This was completely unnecessary.

Final Thoughts

I am thankful that the Christian movie industry has picked up in popularity in recent years.  I am happy that more and more people are going to theaters to see Christian films that will point them in the direction of the Bible and Jesus.  I know that film makers take certain creative licenses in order to fill in gaps and to make a story complete.  In some cases, these creative licenses make the move more entertaining.  That is all fine and good as long as said creative licenses do not change the original author's story.  For example, let's say a film is covering the part of the Bible where Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.  They made this journey every year.  When Jesus was 12 years old, his family left to return home with their family and friends as they did every year after the feast was over.  They did not realize until they had traveled an entire day that Jesus was not with them.  Joseph and Mary looked for Jesus among their relatives and friends, but they couldn't find him.  They found Jesus three days later in the temple.  We don't know what Joseph and Mary did or how they felt from the time they realized Jesus was missing to the moment they found him in the temple three days later.  A film maker might take certain creative licenses to fill in that three day gap.  This is acceptable as long as Joseph's and Mary's characters are not compromised and the creative licenses do not change the story at all.  

In the case of Journey to Bethlehem, the creative licenses added to and took away from the historical account as recorded in Scripture which was written by men but inspired by God.  There is no need to change the story.

When a movie is kept true to Scripture and it leads people to read the Bible or visit a church, they aren't going to question the accuracy of the historical accounts as recorded in the Bible because the movie and the church teachings are the same.  However, when a film deviates from Scripture as much as Journey to Bethlehem did, people might question the accuracy of the Bible once they realize the movie is very different from what is taught in the Bible and in churches.  What will they believe, especially if they are totally unfamiliar with Scripture or the Christian faith?  Deviating from Scripture creates confusion in the minds of those who are not familiar with Scripture.  We don't want to confuse people.  We want to lead them in the direction of truth, always TRUTH.  We never want anyone to think that parts of Scripture might not be true.  We never want to lead anyone to question the authority of the Bible.

A lot of people will enjoy the film which is more like a broadway production than a drama based on Scripture.  It isn't the worst movie in the world, but personally, this is not a movie I particularly enjoyed or one that I would recommend.  I like humor.  I love comic relief in a film when it is done correctly.  I detest dumb humor no matter the movie, but I especially hated it in Journey to Bethlehem.  What bothers me more than anything is so many Scriptural inaccuracies.  Way too much of this story was changed and that is not OK.

I saw the film with a group of people.  There were things about the movie we all agreed was not great, but I probably disliked the movie more than everybody else.  If you really want to go see it, then go see it and form your own opinion so you can decide whether or not you want your kids to see it, but I do not recommend this film due to way too many "creative licenses" that are not accurate.   

Journey to Bethlehem is entertaining, but if you want to take your family to a movie about the birth of Jesus that stays true to Scripture, Journey to Bethlehem is not that movie.   

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Journey to Bethlehem Movie Review

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How to Live Life Generously (Step Up Series)

How to Live Life Generously

Generosity is more about what God wants for you than what He wants from you.  Today's scripture passage is in 1 Chronicles 29.

Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord wholeheartedly, and King David also rejoiced greatly.

David’s Prayer

So David blessed the Lord in the sight of all the assembly; and David said, “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

“But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. ¹⁵ For we are strangers before You, and temporary residents, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope. ¹⁶ Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours. ¹⁷ Since I know, my God, that You put the heart to the test and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You.  - 1 Chronicles 29:9-17

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon.  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

What if there was one specific practice in life that would guarantee the following?

1.  Bring you constant joy

2.  Bring others joy

3.  Meet your greatest need while meeting the needs of others.

4.  Open up the windows of Heaven and invite God's blessings into your life

5.  Protect you from envy, greed, comparison, and self-absorbed living

Here is the one word that brings these results - generosity.  Generosity is more than meeting a need.  Meeting a need is great, but to be generous is to "give to overflowing."   All God puts into our hands should flow from our fingertips to others. What keeps us from living life wide open with generosity?  STUFF

There is nothing wrong with having things, but it is wrong when things have you.

How to Live Life Generously

1.  Ownership

All we have belongs to God.

The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains,
The world, and those who live in it.
² For He has founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers. - Psalm 24:1-2

Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and on the earth; Yours is the dominion, Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. ¹³ Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name.

¹⁴ “But who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. - 1 Chronicles 29:11-14

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God is the source.  We are not the source.

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either. - 1 Timothy 6:7

 “Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His commandments, His ordinances, and His statutes which I am commanding you today; ¹² otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, and you build good houses and live in them, ¹³ and when your herds and your flocks increase, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have increases, ¹⁴ then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; ¹⁵ He who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions, and its thirsty ground where there was no water; He who brought water for you out of the rock of flint. ¹⁶ In the wilderness it was He who fed you manna which your fathers did not know, in order to humble you and in order to put you to the test, to do good for you in the end. ¹⁷ Otherwise, you may say in your heart, ‘My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.’ ¹⁸ But you are to remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, in order to confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. - Deuteronomy 8:11-18

If you don't own it, you don't worry about it.  Let the Owner, God, worry about it.

2.  Stewardship 

God entrusts some things to me.

For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. - 1 Chronicles 29:14

For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. - Matthew 25:14

God is trustworthy?  Are we trustworthy?

We don't own our stuff.  We just manage all that God has entrusted to us.

3.  Worship

Everything is entrusted to us for His glory. 

Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided to build You a house for Your holy name, it is from Your hand, and everything is Yours. - 1 Chronicles 29:16

Trusting God is an act of worship.

Every time we act generously, we are reflecting the heart of God. 

I want to say to God, "God, You are worthy of my trust.  I want to honor You with all my stuff." 

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How to Life Life Generously

About Caleb (Ordinary Heroes of the Bible Series)

About Caleb (Ordinary Heroes of the Bible Series)

Our pastor recently took us through a short series about ordinary heroes of the Bible.  We studied about how God uses ordinary people to accomplish His will.  Our first lesson was about a man named Caleb.

The following are my Bible study notes based on my pastor's sermon titled "Caleb."  You are invited to watch, listen, and worship with us here.

 Caleb | November 3, 2019 | Pastor Jeff Crook from Christ Place Church on Vimeo.

Our Scripture texts for learning about Caleb are Numbers 13, Joshua 14, and 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.

God chooses to use ordinary people like you and me every day to accomplish His purposes.  Let God use you in a powerful way.  Stop thinking that you, for whatever reason, cannot be used by God.  God is not done with you.  He wants to use you.

But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. - Numbers 14:24

Caleb had a different kind of spirit.  He didn't come from a prominent family.  God used Caleb because he FULLY followed the Lord.  Caleb didn't half-heartedly follow the Lord.  He fully followed whole-heartedly.  

Caleb was part of a crowd of  two million Israelites whom God delivered out of Egypt.  God told Moses that because of the unfaithfulness of the entire older generation, that not one of them would enter the Promised Land except for Caleb and Joshua.

"Except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the Lord fully." - Deuteronomy 1:36

In Numbers 13:28, Moses' spies or scouts reported back about the land of Hebron (Canaan).  The spies felt that the people of Canaan were too large and too powerful for them.  Caleb spoke up and said, "We can do this."

Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.” 

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” - Numbers 13:28-30

In Numbers 14:2, the people were crying in discouragement.  They even wanted to return to Egypt! 

All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! - Numbers 14:2

The next several verses gives us Joshua's and Caleb's response to the people who were grumbling.

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." - Numbers 14:6-9

Then, the grumbling people wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb to death!  They pushed the limit.  God became fed up with the grumbling, whining crowd.  They had crushed the vision.  God wanted to smite the people but Moses asked God to not smite the people for the sake of God's own name and reputation among the people.

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people, for You, O Lord, are seen eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ‘Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ - Numbers 14:10-18

Now skip ahead 45 years.  Joshua finally gave the land of Hebron (Canaan) over to Caleb, an ordinary hero.

What can we learn from Caleb?

1.  God will honor faithfulness.  

Caleb was a behind-the-scenes ordinary man, but he was faithful.  Many people forgot about Caleb but God did not forget about him.  45 years later, Caleb received his inheritance.  God keeps His promises.

But just as it is written, "Things which the eye has not seen and the ear has not heard, and which has not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him." - 1 Corinthians 2:9

This wall art featuring 1 Corinthians 2:9 is available here.

There were probably plenty of times when Caleb felt discouraged, but he remained faithful to God and God rewarded Celeb.  

2.  God has more in store for you.

We have a tendency to dwell in the past.  The past is a blessing but we can't live there.  God has a "next" for us.  If we are living and breathing, then there is more that God wants to do with us.  We can look back at what we have done in the past but our focus needs to be on what we are doing now.

When your memories are greater than your dreams, your days are numbered. - Unknown

Whatever you may have done in your past, there is always room to grow.

3.  God must be wholly followed. 

Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I respond to it. - Chuck Swindoll  

Don't let the valleys make you bitter.  Let them make you better. 

Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments. - Deuteronomy 7:9

Remember that God loves to use ordinary people.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. - 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

For the Kids:  Here's a coloring page depicting Joshua and Caleb and the grumbling Israelites.  Simply right-click and save to your computer and then print it out from your own home printer.

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About Caleb (Ordinary Heroes of the Bible Series)

Find all posts in the Ordinary Heroes of the Bible Series here.

Jesus Feeds the 5,000 (from the Christ in Every Place Series)

The following are my Bible study notes bases on my pastor's sermon.

Jesus Feeds the 5,000 

After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). ² A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. ⁴ Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. ⁵ Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” ⁶ This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. ⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” ⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” ¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. ¹² When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” ¹³ So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴ Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” - John 6:1-14

I always thought the 5,000 people who were there to listen to Jesus that day were there because they were familiar with His teachings and wanted to learn more about Him.  I always thought these people were "Jesus-followers" who wanted to gain wisdom from Jesus.  However, we learn in verse two of in the 6th chapter of John that they were there because of the things Jesus had done for them.  

By Grauesel - Photo taken by Grauesel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=192570

A large crowd followed Him because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. - John 6:2

The 5,000 people who were there that day were not there to bring themselves under the lordship of Jesus Christ.  Later in this chapter, Jesus tells them that no one can come to Him unless it has been granted him by the Father.  When Jesus told them this, many stopped walking with Him.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. ⁶⁵ And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” ⁶⁶ As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. - John 6:63-66

 Jesus knew which people believed Him and which ones did not, and yet He loved them.

³⁴ When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things. - Mark 6:34

Philip was being tested in this situation.  (verse 6)

Why are people tested?  People are tested  to see what is in their hearts.  

² You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. - Deuteronomy 8:2

God already knows what is in our hearts, but I know that when I am tested, I can see what is in my heart.  Sometimes I'm unpleasantly surprised.  Philip was looking at this situation with human eyes.  He wasn't trusting Jesus.

God stands with us.  He knows our situation.  He knows about our financial circumstances, our broken relationships, etc.  He knows it all.

¹⁷ But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. - 2 Timothy 4:17

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The little boy in this story had two small fish and five barley loaves.  Yet, with 2 small fish and 5 small loaves of bread, Jesus fed 5000 people.

What is small and insignificant in our lives is big and significant in God's hands.

If it concerns you, it concerns Him.

You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book? - Psalm 56:8

 May we never lose dependency on Jesus to give us fresh bread.

Rarely is God early.  He is never late.

Philip tells Jesus in verse 7 of John 6 that even if they buy 200 denarii  of bread, the people would get a little bread but there still wouldn't be enough for everyone.  Money could not buy enough bread, but Jesus fed everyone and had food left over.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed. - 2 Corinthians 9:8

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What do we need to personally experience from this miracle?

1.  The love and compassion of Christ is needed in every place.

2.  Our inadequacy is an opportunity  to experience God's adequacy.

⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. - 2 Corinthians 12:9

3.  What do you need to put in the hands of Jesus today?

You'll find all my posts in this series here.

 

Image Credit:  gorartser - Public Domain Image via Pixabay

The following are my Bible study notes from my pastor's sermon titled "Wisdom in Generous Living."

Wisdom in Generous Living

Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine. - Proverbs 3:9-10

When we honor God, He will bless our lives.

Wisdom keeps us from foolishness.

Wisdom protects us.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. - James 1:5

Our God is a generous God.  He will bless our lives.

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. - 1 Timothy 6:9

 The rich fall into temptation.  We all fall into temptation.

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more,
And there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. - Proverbs 11:24

1.  God expects generous giving.

Honor = to give weight to.

Honor = to glorify God.

First Fruits = Tithing

Thus all the tithe of the land, of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord. - Leviticus 27:30

You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. - Deuteronomy 14:22

New Testament = Not commanded, but grace giving.


And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand. - Genesis 14:20

Before the law, there was tithing.

What is a tithe?  A tithe is 10% of your income off the top.

Who should tithe?  Everyone should tithe.

Ask yourselves this question.  Are you unable to tithe because you are broke or are you broke because you do not tithe?

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. Then I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. - Malachi 3:10-11

Why should we tithe?  We should tithe because God tells us to tithe in His Word.  We should tithe because tithing shows gratitude.


But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:20-21

2.  God blesses generous living.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:19

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.  - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

 

Christ's Love is Deep

It rescues us no matter where we are.

Deep means mysterious, wise, bottomless, profound, unfathomable, immeasurable, incomprehensible, explainable

Scripture Passage:  Ephesians 3:17-19

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. - Ephesians 3:17-19

Our pastor told us about a place called Challenger Deep.  The Mariana Trench is a place within the Challenger Deep area which measures 6.85625 miles deep.  It is known as the deepest part of the ocean and the deepest location on Earth. 

Try to imagine the depth of almost 7 miles down.  That is a mighty deep pit.

Do you ever feel like you are in a deep pit, a pit so deep that you can't possibly climb out - a pit so deep that you feel there is no way God can reach you.  Friend, there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me. - Psalm 139:7-10

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No matter how deep we fall or how low we feel, God's love can reach us there.

He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters. - Psalm 18:16

The eternal God is a dwelling place,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
And He drove out the enemy from before you,
And said, ‘Destroy!’ - Deuteronomy 33:27

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The arms of God are under you!

We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. - 1 John 4:16

Is this verse (1 John 4:16) real for you?

Believing the depth of God's love for me is key to my growing into a loving person.  Pray that God will deepen our love for others.

1.  We are deeply loved.  I am deeply loved.  YOU are deeply loved.

2.  We are to love deeply.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. - Ephesians 5:1-2

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*Follow the example of God.

There is no day that God's love for you is diminished or gone.

*Walk in love.  Love should be a lifestyle, not a feeling.  It is a commitment.

*We are to love just as Christ loved us.  How does He love us?  He loves us deeply.

How deeply does He love us?  He gave Himself up for us.  This is no wimpy love.  It is a deep love.

We know the depth of someone's love by what it costs them.  - John Piper

Jesus lived for us but He also died for us.  His love for us cost Him deeply.

We know the depth of someone's love for us by how little we deserve it. - John Piper

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

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The more undeserving we are of the love we receive, the deeper the love.

We know the depth of someone's love for us by the greatness of the benefits we receive from being loved. - John Piper

For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little. - Luke 7:47

We know the depth of someone's love for us by the freedom with which they love us. - John Piper

No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father. - John 10:18

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13

Chris Tomlin sings a song about the amazing love of  God.

If you have no church background, God loves you.
If you did not grow up in a Christian home, God loves you.
If you have lived a Godless life, God loves you.

When we realize the depth of our sin, we realize the depth of God's love.  There is no place for hate in the heart of the child of God.

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. - Romans 5:5

Love does not envy.  It isn't possible to be envious of someone you deeply love.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:31-32

 When we forgive deeply, we love deeply.

For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Enjoy another song about the deep love of God. (I chose an oldie by the Statler Brothers)

Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creationwill be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:39

In your love, you kept me from the pit of destruction.  You have put all my sins behind Your back. - Isaiah 38:17

For great is Your love toward me.  You have delivered me from the depths. - Psalm 86:13

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study series here.

Racial riots . . . terrorists attacks . . . .

We are living in troubled times.  We've lived through troubled times in the past and we will live through troubling times in the future.  That fact doesn't make me feel better about the things going on in our world today.  What does make me feel better is knowing that there is nothing happening today that surprises the God I serve.

He has witnessed it all . . . all the ugliness that humans can muster up.  He loves us anyway.

He loved us enough to provide for us a way to spend eternity with Him once we leave this broken world.  He loved us enough to provide for us His ultimate love letter . . . His Word.

In His Word, we'll find encouragement for living in troubled times.

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Bible Verses for Troubled Times 

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. - Psalm 46:1-3

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? - Psalm 27:1

So that He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. - Job 5:11

The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22

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These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33 

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:37-39

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. - Deuteronomy 31:6

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The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. - Isaiah 26:3

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. - John 14:26-27   

The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:17-18

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.  Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:7-8

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:1-3 

Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. - 1 Peter 5:7-10 

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Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;  but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. - 1 Peter 4:12-13