Very different In-Laws! January 29th

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Day 29 of reading the Bible through the year with the Murray M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Genesis 30

Jacob’s relationships are full of tension resulting from having two wives and an unscrupulous boss who also happened to be his father-in-law. There was lots of envy, jealousy and scheming going on!

Mark 1

I saw a poster recently advertising a sermon series from Mark – the gospel for those with a shorter attention span! Written by young Mark, it is much shorter and pithy than the other Gospels. But he hits the key points of the start of Jesus’ ministry in the first chapter

  • John the Baptist prepares the way
  • The promise that Jesus will baptise with the Holy Spirit
  • The temptations
  • The calling of the first disciples

He taught with authority and accompanied that teaching with signs and wonders – the first a deliverance, was followed by Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and then the whole town. Notice Jesus healed “many”.

But then comes the source of his power – early morning prayer.
Notice in v41 Jesus heals “filled with compassion” and sends him off to get checked by the priests.

There’s a theme of wanting to keep the Messianic secret, but people blab it all the same.

Esther 6

God providentially arranges for the king’s sleep to be disturbed so he reads the history and in particular that Mordecai had stopped an assassination plot. He wasn’t honoured, so the King sends for a courtier to honour him. God providentially and ironically arranges for Haman to be the nearest courtier! Haman hates Mordecai. He’s also proud and thinks the king wants to honour him. How pride comes before a fall! Haman had to lead a horse with a robed Mordecai on it through the streets!
God is in control!

Romans 1

The letter is Paul introducing himself and his ministry to the church in Rome, because he hopes to visit them.
Introducing himself – Paul is a servant, an apostle and set apart for the Gospel.
Faith produces obedience v5
Being a believer is to be a saint v7 (a saint who sins, not a sinner anymore!)

His message v16-17 the gospel is a righteousness from God that is by faith!
v18 onwards starts to tell us why we need the Gospel

Men have suppressed the truth that there is as a God – which is obvious from creation
Not glorified him or given thanks to him. Therefore thinking becomes futile and hearts become darkened.
Consequence is that God gives us over to what we really want – sinful desires become inflamed with sexual immorality and shameful lusts. Sex outside of marriage between a husband and wife (so sad we need to add “between a husband and wife” – but that shows how given over parts of society have become) – homosexual and heterosexual sex outside of marriage is sin.

Not only that a depraved mind leads to all sorts of other sins ranging from gossip to greed and malice to murder.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - ANDY MOYLE

Andy planted the Gateway Church in Sept 2007. He and Janet love to gather different nations together to grow in Christ while eating good food! He also helps to shape and serve a couple of Relational Mission's church plants in mainland Europe. Andy and Janet run regularly, largely to offset the hospitality eating! He also runs a popular WordPress plugin Church Admin