Chet Bandy

The Point

Today’s reading is Acts 14.

This week March Madness and the NCAA Tournament has started. My family can attest that I might be heard going around the house singing…”It’s the most wonderful of the year!” If you happen to be one of the millions watching this weekend like our family…watch closely and see what happens when a player hits a three pointer or makes a great shot. There was a time when you would commonly see what Illinois State men’s basketball coach Ryan Pedon calls “the point.” This is where a player makes a shot and points to the person who passed it to them as to give them credit and as to say in a way my basket wouldn’t have happened without you and your great assist. Now when a player makes a shot, you most commonly see a player shooting a fake bow and arrow or pointing to their forearm as to say they have ice water in their veins. Essentially, they are saying…look at me…I’m really good. Most want all the credit and in a way to be treated like a god.

In Acts 14 we read that Paul and Barnabas healed a man so he could walk in the town of Lystra. Here’s what happened next.

“And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!””

Acts 14:11

Paul and Barnabas got what Coach Norman Dale, played by the late Gene Hackman, in the movie Hoosiers says most everybody wants..”to be treated like a god, just for a few moments.” The people wanted to bring them gifts and sacrifices, but here was the response of Paul and Barnabas.

“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.”

Acts 14:15

What an example Paul and Barnabas set for us as to how we should react when we get praise. They responded by “the point” right to their Father in Heaven. They knew where to give the credit and didn’t have to think for a second about it. Paul was walking his talk in what he said in Romans.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.”

Romans 11:36

Let us remember Paul’s example and the next time we get praise, give “the point” right to our Father above. We are told in the book of Isaiah that is why He created us.

Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

Isaiah 43:7

Be Bold

Today’s reading is Acts 4.

Maybe the marketing team at Doritos, with their tag line encouraging people to be bold by eating Doritos, are big fans of Acts 4. The theme of this chapter is about being bold and willing to share the Gospel despite the risks.

Acts 4:13 says people were “astonished’ in hearing the boldness of Peter and John. The disciples prayed for boldness to speak the Gospel in Acts 4:29, and we are told in Acts 4:31 that prayer was answered. They were “filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the Word of God in boldness.”

I’ve written on this before, but I’ll say it again. One of the most convicting factors for me personally in the truth of the Gospel is that the same guys who ran for their life, hid in locked rooms, and denied knowing Jesus right before, during, and after his crucifixion to protect their own lives now won’t be quiet about the Gospel. They saw the gruesome death of Jesus on the cross. They knew the same thing could be done to them. There is only one reason they would keep sharing the Gospel. They knew Jesus was dead, and then they saw and interacted with Him alive after His Resurrection. What is there to fear when you don’t fear death itself?

The Jewish Council of leaders, sometimes called the Sanhedrin, threatened them to not to speak about Jesus and their fearless and bold response in Acts 4:20 was, “for we cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard.” Their lives were on the line, yet they chose Jesus. How many of us fear our lives being taken for speaking the Gospel? Probably no one reading this unless you are in another country outside the US. So, what are we afraid of? Is it losing our job? Yes that’s bad, but it’s not losing our life. Are we afraid what someone will think of us? That is pretty childish and selfish when what others think of us is more important to us than where someone will spend eternity.

I don’t think one single person’s political view has been changed because of something one of their friends/connections posted on social media. Yet my social media is full of so many political posts I don’t want to get on it, and I’m tempted to drop it.

Think of the good that would happen in the world if Christians were just as passionate about posting about Jesus as they were about politics. Instead of making the blood boil of those who disagree with you, it would lead them closer to the One who can give them a peace that passes human understanding. There is a lot of talk about peace now, and rightly so, and yet Jesus is the only one who can give us eternal peace.

Don’t feel you are smart enough or know the Bible well enough to share the Gospel? Remember me saying people were “astonished” in Acts 4:13? It says right before that the reason is because Peter and John were “uneducated, common men.” This past week our pastor of Eastview Christian Church, Brandon Grant, shared the two original Greek words for these were agrammatos, meaning illiterate, and idiotes, meaning ordinary. Or as he said, you could say the translation says they were illiterate, idiots! Yet we are told in Acts 2:31 that three thousand believers were added and here in Acts 4:4 the number that came to believe was five thousand. Wow. The power of God and the Holy Spirit we as believers have living within us is incredible.

Let us be bold my friends despite our insecurities. The eternal resting place of others’ souls are relying on it.

Bad Day

Today’s readings are Psalms 5 and 6.

For whatever reason our 12-year-old has been listening to and likes the popular 2005 song by Daniel Powter, Bad Day. As I read today’s Psalms, it made me reflect on what we do when we have a bad day. Sometimes we may say “I need a drink..” and take refuge in that or mindless social media scrolling or binging on a Netflix series. While drinking alcohol can be a polarizing topic among some Christians, one could argue that Jesus drank wine and unless you have an addiction problem, having a drink isn’t necessarily inherently bad. I’m not trying to make any readers feel guilty in that. But even without an addiction problem, just like social media or binging on a series, it’s not good for us if that’s where we consistently take “refuge” when things don’t go well. They are not the solution. Those things sometimes may make us feel worse or even if it makes us feel better and forget our problems temporarily, they will not solve them or give us the greater and long-term peace and comfort we are looking for.

Psalm 5:17 reads, “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice.” If we read on Psalm 6:8-9 says,”….for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer.”

Isn’t it amazing? The Lord of the entire Universe hears us. The Lord of the entire Universe accepts our prayer. And we are told it’s in Him that we will then be able to rejoice.

It is common to hear the verse Jeremiah 29:11 referenced…

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

This is a great verse and though I think the verses around it give us more context and tie closely with our Psalms reading today.

Let’s check out Jeremiah 29:12..

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.”

Then in the following verse Jeremiah 29:13…

“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

We will find Him and He will hear us; we will be able to have comfort in Him and rejoice in His saving and loving grace when we seek Him with all our heart.

So, the next time we have a bad day (or a series of them), let us remember this and turn to Him in prayer and through reading His Word, rather than other vices. Those other vices are temporary. Only in Him will we truly be able to rejoice and find a peace that passes understanding.

You Have What It Takes

Today’s reading is John 14.

Chapter 14 in the book of John is probably most well known for verse 6 which is one of the most important verses in the Bible because it tells us there is only one way for forgiveness of our sins and salvation in Heaven which is through Jesus. It is foundational to our belief as a Christian.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

We are going to focus though on another part of chapter 14. In verse 8 Philip asks Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus’ response includes the following in John 14:9…

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

Here is a question for those reading this who have children. Would your children be able to say they’ve seen their Father in Heaven based on the love they see you show and model as a father or mother?

In April I will head to Africa with 9 other dads in partnership with an organization called DadCamp (http://dadcamp.org). DadCamp is passionate about helping fathers become the dads the Bible teaches us we’re called to be because everything changes when a strong, loving father is involved in their child’s life. While there are no perfect dads and myself and the others going will admit we all have a lot of work to do, we are trying to do our best to be the dad God wants us to be and in this trip we will host a few camps in Malawi to hopefully allow God to work through us to inspire other dads to do the same.

One of my favorite books is The Resolution for Men by Stephen and Alex Kendrick with Randy Alcorn. I’ve said before it’s like an instruction manual for fathers and joked that it should be required reading for all dads. There is also a version for women. The book is filled with statements or resolutions to live in certain ways and hold ourselves to the standards God calls us to.
Jesus’ statement of, “Whoever has seen me has seen me has seen the Father,” is so profound because it’s true and our children should also be able to know God and see His love through our actions. We are called to be the best window our kids have into their Heavenly Father’s love. So many people who struggle to believe in God or believe that God loves them unconditionally and wants the best for them is because they have not experienced a loving earthly father (or mother).

The Resolution for Men talks about a few ways we can model our Heavenly Father and give our kids a window into His love and who He is.

One way is through attention. This is so hard nowadays with a workday that doesn’t seem to stop due to calls and texts and the distractions they bring with the constant buzzing of our phones or even the non-work related algorithms of social media which suck us into Facebook, Instagram, and X instead of focusing on our kids and being interested in them. I’ve said before some of my greatest memories were going to every high school basketball game of my hometown with my Dad (especially the day after Christmas spending all day at the holiday tournament which I may have looked forward to more than Christmas), as well as University of Illinois football and basketball games. I try to do my best to do the same with our kids, but know I have a lot of work to do…especially when it comes to putting my phone down!

Another the book mentions is through affection. This is not easy for many of us and especially men. But we need to hug and love on our kids and tell directly them we love them. Yes, kids need discipline but also our love. I know I can do better at showing that through playing and horsing around/wrestling with them. Unfortunately it’s go, go, go….or let’s just chill on the couch and watch a movie (which usually results in me falling asleep!).

The book also discusses affirmation. God the Father modeled this explicitly with Jesus after His baptism in Mark 1:11, “You are my beloved Son, in you I am well pleased.” Regardless of if our child is young or an adult, have we told them we are proud of them lately? I would like to think I do a decent job on this…especially when they have a good game or do well on a test. I can improve on just telling them I’m proud of them randomly just because of who they are and that they are my son or daughter which helps them know my love and adoration for them is not conditional on their accomplishments. They need to know this because they are going to fail and mess up a lot (like me), and I want them to know that doesn’t change how I feel about them just like it doesn’t change how their Heavenly Father feels about and loves them.

Lastly, The Resolution for Men asks if we are known for loving others? Do our kids see us loving and showing compassion to everyone regardless of their age, race, sex, or social class? Do our kids see us loving our neighbor as ourselves? Jesus modeled the Father’s love by showing mercy and loving the unlovable like the Samaritan women at the well, the adulterous women, touching and healing lepers, and even washing Judas’ feet, just to name a few.

In the end, He showed his unconditional love, mercy, and grace by suffering and dying on the cross for each and every one of us.

As we wrap up today, let us reflect on if we are a shadow of our Heavenly Father the way Jesus modeled.

Ask yourself like I am, what are the one or two things I can work to improve on starting today?

We can do this regardless of our kids’ age(s).

As we say at DadCamp, “You have what it takes!”

Forgetting Something?

Today’s reading is John 4 where we read about Jesus interacting with the woman at the well and also Him healing an official’s son. We will focus on the woman at the well.

There are so many interesting facets about Jesus’ interacting with the woman including that she was a Samaritan (Jews and Samaritans did not like each other) and that fact the a man in Jesus was interacting with a woman He didn’t know, even a surprise to His disciples (John 4:27, which was also counter-cultural in that time. However, I would like to focus on the woman and her actions after she met Jesus.

The woman left the well without taking her water, the whole reason she was there (John 4:28), to head back to town and tell everyone about the man she met, Jesus, and how He might be the Messiah. We don’t know how close the town was but being they were the only 2 there, probably not close, yet she wasn’t worried about the water. She wasn’t worried about the man she was living with, not her husband after having five others (John 4:17-18), being upset about her coming back with no water. She spread the news about Jesus in the town (John 4:28-29) without thinking about the fact people may not believe her because she was a woman, and she might be labeled as crazy as well since her past relationship history meant she probably wasn’t the most respected.

Despite all this, people believed her and went to meet and spend time with Jesus as well (John 4:39-41). They then ended up saying they believed not because of her witness alone, but what they saw and heard themselves from Jesus firsthand (John 4:42).

We can learn so much from this story. How many times am I so worried about my “water” that I don’t take time to spread the good news of Jesus? I’m too busy to even notice those I’m interacting with who need to hear about Jesus and what He’s done for me and all of mankind. Or, I do think about the fact that I should share the Gospel, but I’m in too much of a hurry right then to take the time. Other times, I’m not even worried about the time that conversation will take but if it’s someone I know and see more often, I’m worried about the time investment of future conversations to follow up with them and to continue to come alongside them in their walk. How selfish of me and how much you can see Satan at work in this in distracting us from the most important thing which is this person’s discovery of Jesus’ unconditional love and their eternal destination of Heaven through their belief and His saving grace. And while yes, sometimes future conversations and investment of time and energy are helpful to help foster a relationship with Jesus, how arrogant of me to think that it’s me who is going to and needed to help them believe or continue to believe. It will not be me that will help them believe, it will be the Holy Spirit who waters and nurtures the seed that I may plant. They will see for themselves who Jesus is and what He’s doing in their lives with what happens after. We read here the people saying they then believe not because of what the woman said, but because of what they saw for themselves after (John 4:41-42).

Let us all pray today that as we interact with strangers or those we may know well, we forget about our water and all the perceived watering needed after and spread the good news of Jesus and His saving grace.

As Jerry McCorkle, founder of Spread Truth Ministries says so often and correctly, “You never know the power of one conversation.”

A New Heaven and New Earth

Today’s readings are Job 37-39, Psalm 103, and Revelation 21.

If you have been a believer most of your life, what were your thoughts when reading in science class that the world and everything in it was created by a big bang and that dinosaurs lived millions of years before man compared to what the Bible tells us that it was made in 6 days and that man was created the same day as animals which must also include dinosaurs? Or whether you’ve been a believer since childhood or not, what are your thoughts of what the Bible says compared to mainstream “science?” Growing up and reading things in science textbooks didn’t shake my faith, but definitely left me wondering if a day in Genesis was really a day as we know it now, but even then animals, which would include dinosaurs, and man being created on the same day had me stumped. It was not a deterrent to my faith though because I knew I believed Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sins and rose on Easter and that was all that mattered the most in the end. I would let the other details affect my faith and what was necessary to be right with God and go to Heaven. The problem is though, if one part of the Bible is misinterpreted or has been mistranslated, how can one then be confident in the truth of Jesus’, death, burial, and Resurrection?

What does this have to do with our readings today? Well, Job 37-39 has Elihu and then God Himself speaking of God’s majesty and making the universe and everything in it work properly. If we read on beyond today’s chapters, we find in Job 40:15-18 where God mentions and describes “Behemoth” which could only fit the description of a dinosaur if you read it closely and then God speaks of “Leviathan” in Job 41 which seems to describe dinosaurs of the sea. In these chapters and in our chapters for today he describes other animals like goats, donkeys, and cattle to name a few right along side Behemoth. This does not sound like God and the Bible describing they lived millions of years apart. The word dinosaur was not created until the 1800s.

Here’s my encouragement, if you do some research there are many creation scientists who are disproving past science and the inaccuracies of carbon dating and evolution and proving the what the Bible says. Their science proves a younger Earth that is roughly 6,000 years old, a global flood as we know from the Bible, and that the flood, not millions of years or time, created the different layers of rock found on Earth. They’ve even found soft tissue in dinosaur bones proving they can’t be millions of years old. They were likely on the Ark like other animals (no one said all the animals had to be adults either) and went extinct sometime after like other animals have throughout history.

You don’t have to ignore or turn your head to what science says as a Christian and be scared to answer questions from a non-believer or even your kids about the difference between what mainstream science says and the Bible. Science is now proving what we already knew, the Bible is true!

If you are interested in learning more from creation scientist who are proving science aligns with the Bible and doesn’t conflict with it, check out such resources as http://answersingenesis.org, Creation Today podcast or website, Biblical Creation page on Facebook, or visit the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Kentucky to name a few.

Revelation 21 tells us God in the “Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 21:6), and that not only did God create the Earth as we know it and that He still makes the universe operate properly today, but He will create a new Heaven and new Earth when Jesus comes again (Revelation 21:1). And above all things, God’s greatest miracle is that He forgives our sins (Psalm 103:12). And when He comes again to create a new Heaven and Earth, there will be no more crying and no more pain (Revelation 21:4). This is something all believers can look forward to!

You Think You Know..

Today’s readings are Job 4-7, Psalm 99, and Revelation 11.

What is your reaction or response when something bad or challenging happens in your life? What about when something bad happens in the lives of others? In the book of Job we see God allowing Satan to do harmful things to Job. There is no question that God allows Satan to do bad things in our world..just look around. I believe it is wise for us to reflect when challenges happen in our own lives to see what God may be doing and why He may be allowing this to happen. What is He wanting me to learn from this? Might this ‘bad’ thing actually be good in the end? Could He be using this to bring me closer to Him? Yesterday, we celebrated the birth of His Son Jesus and about 30 years later God allowed Him to be crucified while His Mother Mary and friends watched. This was the worst thing that ever happened in the history of the world..the only truly fully innocent man who ever lived suffering and dying a horrific death on the cross. Yet, God used that terrible event by turning it into the greatest event in the history of the world by saving us from our sins and giving us eternal life through it when Jesus rose from the grave 3 days later. Could God be using this ‘bad’ thing in my life to show me His power, glory, and might in the end?

Reflecting on what God may doing in our lives and the world to bring us closer to Him can be a good thing. But in the book for Job we see Job’s friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar discussing why God may be letting bad things happen to Job. Specifically in Job 4 today we read about how Eliphaz says the innocent prosper. Some years ago in my younger years there was a TV show about celebrities and their lives where the introduction said, “You think you know..but you have no idea.” A past Bible Journal writer used to write from time to time that she had a friend and accountability partner who helped remind each other to “stay in your lane.” We must be careful when looking too much into why God is allowing certain things to happen in the lives of others. This can turn our hearts and minds into becoming judgmental or even cause us to gossip as we share why we think God may be allowing things to happen to them.

I can find myself guilty of my mind going in this direction and unfortunately sharing with others, too.

Check out Psalm 99 which is a great reminder God rules over all. We may not know why, but He does.

Let us give it all to and trust in Him both in our lives and in what He may be doing in the lives of others.

Psalm 99

¹The Lord reigns,
let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake.
²Great is the Lord in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
³Let them praise your great and awesome name—
he is holy.

⁴The King is mighty, he loves justice—
you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.
⁵Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.

Through It All…

Today’s readings are Esther 1-2, Psalm 139, and Revelation 1.

Have you ever read the book of Esther or even if you have, has it been a while?

I would encourage you to read it or read it again. With many stories from the Bible being made into movies in recent years, I’m surprised this has not been done yet with the book of Esther. When you hear people say the Bible is boring, it is clear they have not read much of because books like Esther could be a best seller in and of itself or made into a hit movie.

I don’t want to give away the entire book of Esther as a part of my post, but you can read today where we learn of some of the key events already..

King Ahasuerus of Persia/ Babylon removes Queen Vasthi from her role for lack of respect
Both of Esther’s parents pass away
Mordecai, a Jewish captive in Babylon, agrees to raise and look out for Esther who was his uncle’s daughter
Esther rises to become Queen while keeping hidden her Jewish lineage
Mordecai overhears of a plot to kill King Ahasuerus and because Esther had risen to Queen, he is able to tell her to save King Ahasuerus’ life

Some of these bullet points are easy to breeze by here, and even while reading it in your Bible, but take a few moments to think about the following…

The pain Esther must have felt losing her parents at a young age wondering what the future would bring and possibly for while who would care for her
Being in Mordecai’s shoes and all the sudden you have the responsibility of taking care of girl who is not yours which you probably never planned on
The drama of Esther keeping hidden her Jewish lineage while rising to Queen and wondering if discovery would lead to her not attaining or losing her role as Queen, but also if it could also mean death
Mordecai wondering the validity and seriousness of what he had heard and if it should be told which could also put his life at risk from those who were already willing to kill the king…especially if it wasn’t believed or not able to be proven to be true
No recognition or “atta boy’s” for Mordecai saving the King’s life by foiling the plot to kill him

This is just the beginning in Esther.

As you read these chapters in Esther and the entire book, reflect on God’s continued protection for His Jewish people through these events which lead to the birth our Savior Jesus and how He still is protecting them today thousands of years later so what we read in Revelation will occur.

Finally, overlay the events of my above highlights and the rest of the book of Esther with your life and also Psalm 139. How can you relate with what you have experienced? Could God have things planned after and through a challenging and even terrible situation which you have no idea about? (Ephesians 3:20)

He is there through it all. He always has been and always will be.

Continue reading Through It All…

Thankful – Today and Every Day…

Today’s readings are Daniel 7-9, Psalm 91, and John 19.

Earlier this week our 7-year-old son began asking me questions about questions about Thanksgiving. He was somewhat confused because he realized it wasn’t necessarily a holiday in the Bible or celebrated by only Christians. He was asking who people are really thanking. I explained to him that as Christians we believe all that we have is given to us by God, so we are thanking God for His blessings. For this reason I’ve always loved Thanksgiving and rank it right up there with Christmas and Easter even though it isn’t officially a Christian holiday. As for non-Christians, I was having a hard time explaining it to him because it’s hard for me to even comprehend…I told him I guess they are just thankful. But as believers James 1:17 says it best..

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

And there is no gift we should be more thankful to God for than for Him giving His Son Jesus up on the cross as we read about in John 19. He turned the worst event and biggest injustice in the history of mankind, the only truly innocent man ever who never sinned suffering and dying a horrible death on the cross, into the greatest event in the history of mankind by using it for the forgiveness of each and everyone of our sins. It is truly hard to fathom how thankful we should be on this day and every day for this gift of mercy He gave us.

Jesus said in John 19:30, “It is finished.”

Titus 3:5 says, “he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy…”

Regardless of whatever challenges and hardships we are facing, this is something all Christ followers can reflect on and be thankful for today and every day. Our eternal salvation and life in Heaven is secure not through our doing, but only through His incredible grace on the cross.

Dangerous Witness

Today’s readings are Ezekial 25-27, Psalm 85, and John 9.

Pretend for a second with me you were born 2,000 years ago, and you were also born blind. Could there be anything much more hopeless? Even today a quick google search will tell you that there is virtually nothing that can be done to restore sight when you are born fully blind…no matter how much money or fame you have. Ask Stevie Wonder. I’m sure blind man we read about in John 9 felt there was no possibility of him ever being able to see again and to do anything other than beg for money as we read he had done for many years. But then what happens, he has an encounter with Jesus who restores his sight. Can you imagine if you were him?

When asked by His disciples why this man was born blind and if it as due to his sin or his parents, Jesus responded with neither. Jesus told them it was so that God’s works and glory could be shown through him (John 9:3). We read on in this chapter the man was very outspoken that Jesus had healed him and even gave his witness to the Pharisees…. even though they threatened supporters of Jesus. He became a witness to others of what Jesus had done for him, and here we are reading about it 2,000 years later.

Is there an area of your life or someone you know which seems hopeless? Does it seems like there is no way out or any possible way God could use it for good or His glory? But, could it be any more hopeless than the situation of the blind man from John 9? Yet, we see what Jesus did in his life and the impact it’s still having today for God’s glory. Will God heal you from your pain and problem the way He did with the blind man? I can’t promise you that, but I can attest that many with earthly challenges such as those born with special needs or stricken with sickness who were never healed have made a far greater impact on others through their life for God’s glory than many who have never had significant challenges and achieved what our small minds would view as worldly success. Romans 8:28 reads, “ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”

However, maybe God will actually bring you out of your hopeless situation like He did for the blind man. When He does, are you prepared to share it with others and give Him the glory and praise He deserves that may ultimately lead others to trusting and following Him? Or will you attribute your healing to something else such as luck or even if you do believe it was God who healed you will you have the courage to share it? Let us learn from the blind man’s example.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Hebrews 10:39