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Everlasting Covenant: Week 3, Friday – Unity in the New Covenant

Posted on December 11, 2020December 9, 2020 by

After focusing on 2 Cor 3:4-6 this wee, without looking, where does our adequacy to be God’s servants come from?

Question of the Day: What happens every time we “eat the bread and drink the cup’?

Today’s Scripture: Luke 22:14-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 (S.O.A.P. 1 Cor. 11:25-26)

Luke 22:14-20 New Living Translation

When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.^[a] ¹⁵Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. ¹⁶For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

¹⁷Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come.”

¹⁹He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

²⁰After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.^[b]

1 Corinthians 11:23-34 New Living Translation

For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread ²⁴and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you.^[a] Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” ²⁶For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.

²⁷So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against^[b] the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. ²⁹For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ,^[c] you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. ³⁰That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

³¹But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. ³²Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

³³So, my dear brothers and sisters,^[d] when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. ³⁴If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.

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Everlasting Covenant: Week 3, Thursday – Fulfillment in Christ

Posted on December 10, 2020December 9, 2020 by

Today’s Scripture: Matthew 26:26-30; Hebrews 9:15 (S.O.A.P. Hebrews 9:15)

Matthew 26:26-30 New Living Translation

As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”

²⁷And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, ²⁸for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant^[a] between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. ²⁹Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”

³⁰Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Christ Is the Perfect Sacrifice

That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

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Everlasting Covenant: Week 3, Wednesday – A. Better. Covenant.

Posted on December 9, 2020December 8, 2020 by

Today’s Scripture: Hebrews 8:6-13; 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 (S.O.A.P. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

Hebrews 8:6-13 New Living Translation

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

⁷If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. ⁸But when God found fault with the people, he said:

“The day is coming, says the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant
    with the people of Israel and Judah.
⁹This covenant will not be like the one
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    and led them out of the land of Egypt.
They did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.
¹⁰But this is the new covenant I will make
    with the people of Israel on that day,^[a] says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their minds,
    and I will write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
¹¹And they will not need to teach their neighbors,
    nor will they need to teach their relatives,^[b]
    saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’
For everyone, from the least to the greatest,
    will know me already.
¹²And I will forgive their wickedness,
    and I will never again remember their sins.”^[c]

¹³When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.

2 Corinthians 3:4-6 New Living Translation

We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. ⁵It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. ⁶He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.

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Everlasting Covenant: Week 2 Tuesday, The Promised Covenant

Posted on December 8, 2020December 8, 2020 by

Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 31:31-37 (S.O.A.P. Jeremiah 31:33)

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. ³²This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

³³“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ³⁴And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

³⁵It is the Lord who provides the sun to light the day
    and the moon and stars to light the night,
    and who stirs the sea into roaring waves.
His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    and this is what he says:
³⁶“I am as likely to reject my people Israel
    as I am to abolish the laws of nature!”
³⁷This is what the Lord says:
“Just as the heavens cannot be measured
    and the foundations of the earth cannot be explored,
so I will not consider casting them away
    for the evil they have done.
    I, the Lord, have spoken!

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Old vs New Covenant

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Everlasting Covenant: Week 3 Monday, The Weakness of the Law

Posted on December 7, 2020December 7, 2020 by

Week 3 Challenge: In what ways has your life turned into all the ways you “Follow the law”? Have you slipped into a legalistic mindset in any area of your life? This week, reflect on the ways God shows you His faithfulness regardless of your actions. How can you move forward and eliminate legalism or a works-based mentality form your life and your walk with God?

Today’s Scripture: Romans 7:6; Romans 8:1-4 (S.O.A.P. Romans 8:3-4)

Romans 7:6 New Living Translation

But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Life in the Spirit

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. ²And because you belong to him, the power^[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you^[b] from the power of sin that leads to death. ³The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature.^[c] So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. ⁴He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

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Everlasting Covenant: Week 2 David’s Descendants

Posted on December 4, 2020December 3, 2020 by

Question of the Day: Did God Fulfill the Davidic Covenant? How so?

Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:18-29; Revelation 22:16 (S.O.A.P. 2 Samuel 7:28-29)

David’s Prayer of Thanks

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?^[a]

²⁰“What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. ²¹Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.

²²“How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! ²³What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.^[b] ²⁴You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.

²⁵“And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. ²⁶And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.

²⁷“O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ ²⁸For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. ²⁹And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne.^[a] I am the bright morning star.”

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Everlasting Covenant: Week 2 Permanent Kingdom

Posted on December 3, 2020December 2, 2020 by

Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Matthew 1:1-17 (S.O.A.P. 2 Samuel 7:16)

The Lord’s Covenant Promise to David

When King David was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, ²the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace,^[a] but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!”

³Nathan replied to the king, “Go ahead and do whatever you have in mind, for the Lord is with you.”

⁴But that same night the Lord said to Nathan,

⁵“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? ⁶I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. ⁷Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’

⁸“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. ⁹I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! ¹⁰And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, ¹¹starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹²For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. ¹⁴I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. ¹⁵But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will continue before me^[b] for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

¹⁷So Nathan went back to David and told him everything the Lord had said in this vision.

The Ancestors of Jesus the Messiah

This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham^[a]:

²Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
³Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.^[b]
⁴Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
⁵Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
⁶Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
⁷Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asa.^[c]
⁸Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.^[d]
Jehoram was the father^[e] of Uzziah.
⁹Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
¹⁰Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amon.^[f]
Amon was the father of Josiah.
¹¹Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin^[g] and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
¹²After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
¹³Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
¹⁴Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
¹⁵Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
¹⁶Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

¹⁷All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

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Everlasting Covenant – Week 2 The Sabbath

Posted on December 2, 2020December 1, 2020 by

Three more days on the memory challenge! Here’s a jumps tarter for this verse: Ask yourself, how are we to love the Lord our God

Today’s Scripture: Exodus 31:12-17; Mark 2:23-3:6 (S.O.A.P. Mark 2:27-28)

Instructions for the Sabbath

The Lord then gave these instructions to Moses: ¹³“Tell the people of Israel: ‘Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation. It is given so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. ¹⁴You must keep the Sabbath day, for it is a holy day for you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community. ¹⁵You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath day of complete rest, a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death. ¹⁶The people of Israel must keep the Sabbath day by observing it from generation to generation. This is a covenant obligation for all time. ¹⁷It is a permanent sign of my covenant with the people of Israel. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day he stopped working and was refreshed.’”

A Discussion about the Sabbath

One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. ²⁴But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

²⁵Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ²⁶He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

²⁷Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. ²Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.

³Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” ⁴Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him.

⁵He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! ⁶At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.

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Mark 2:27 Reference

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Everlasting Covenant: Monday-2 The Greatest Commandments

Posted on November 30, 2020November 29, 2020 by

What did Jesus say the greatest commandment was?

Today’s Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17; Matthew 22:36-40 (S.O.A.P. Matthew 22:36-40)

Ten Commandments for the Covenant Community

Then God gave the people all these instructions^[a]:

²“I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

³“You must not have any other god but me.

⁴“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. ⁵You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. ⁶But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those^[b] who love me and obey my commands.

⁷“You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.

⁸“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹You have six days each week for your ordinary work, ¹⁰but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. ¹¹For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

¹²“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

¹³“You must not murder.

¹⁴“You must not commit adultery.

¹⁵“You must not steal.

¹⁶“You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.

¹⁷“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”

Matthew 22:36-40 New Living Translation

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’^[a] ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b] ⁴⁰The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

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Everlasting Covenant: The Blessing of Christ

Posted on November 27, 2020November 27, 2020 by

Today’s Scripture: Genesis 22:15-18; Ephesians 1:3-14 (S.O.A.P. Ephesians 1:11-12)

Genesis 22:15-18 New Living Translation

Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. ¹⁶“This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed M and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by My own name that ¹⁷I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants^[a] beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. ¹⁸And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed Me.”

Ephesians 1:3-14 New Living Translation

Spiritual Blessings

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.^[a] ⁷He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

⁹God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill His own good plan. ¹⁰And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. ¹¹Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,^[b] for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.

¹²God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. ¹³And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own^[c] by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. ¹⁴The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.

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Ephesians 1:11 Reference

Ephesians 1:12 Reference