The Week of January 19th, 2020 – January 25th, 2020

Sunday:

I arose at 5:15am and began the day reading Judges 1 – 3. Joshua, the leader that brought Israel into the promised land died, and all that generation died leaving many of the inhabitants of Canaan in the land. The generation that followed did not observe the Lord’s covenant and did what was right in their own eyes; they served the gods of the inhabitants of the land. God used the inhabitants to oppress them, then when they called on the name of the Lord for deliverance, the Lord God would raise up a judge to deliver them. This cycle of fall, oppression, calling on the name of God for deliverance, and the raising up of a judge who delivers them is repeated over and over again. From this point on I will be reciting 1 chapter out of John a day and I began this week by reciting chapter 1. A week ago-today, I closed my social media accounts. I have a blog, the Nurse Theologian on which I began posting these journal entries too in December. Lord knows if anyone will read the things that I write and if they do, I will not know who read it. There is so much self promotion in American society and our pastor at Sylvania church actually mentioned this in his sermon today. He preached on Luke 14:7 – 24: the parable of the guest and the parable of the dinner. I will simply write, if someone gleans from what I write, glory be to God in Jesus Christ. If no one reads what I write; so be it but write I shall nonetheless because I love Jesus Christ and I am thankful to God for all that he has gifted me. May I honor the Father and exalt Jesus Christ as Lord. May I tell people what God has done in Jesus Christ to save us from sin, death and eternal punishment in hell. May the joy of the Lord fill my heart. May I not fear man but fear God alone. 

Monday:

We listen to God by reading his Word, we speak to God through prayer and all who know the Lord must convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment; pointing all to Jesus Christ for salvation. This morning I read Judges, chapters 4 – 6: Deborah, Barak and Gideon. Some things are strange to us, like Gideon and the fleece but there is always a universal principle in every text of Scripture. This does not mean that we should test the Lord with fleeces. We should trust the Word of God and observe all that he commanded us. I have been neglectful my duty as a soldier. I have not been actively evangelizing. I even convinced myself that writing a blog is enough. Before that, making a post about the Lord on Facebook or some other social media site was enough. I am and have always been an introverted person; however, evangelism requires that I spend time with people and talk with them. It has been my habit at work to depart from my department at lunch time and find a table by myself to sit at, put headphones in my ears, and turn on an episode of Andy Griffith to watch on my phone while I eat lunch. I do this that I may take a break from the world and drowned it out, so I go to a fake world instead. People looking for a spot to sit at will bypass me because I am in a world of my own and those who try to speak to me see that I cannot hear them especially when I say “What?” And pull out an ear plug. I can see that my lunch period might be an evangelism opportunity that I need embrace. Today, I will depart from my department as usual, find a table to sit at, if someone is looking for a table, I shall invite them to sit down that I may talk with them. Lord willing, if they have an ear to hear, I shall tell them who Christ is and what he has done. 

Tuesday:

I began the day reading Judges 7 – 9:21 and reciting John 3. Today I am off work and plan to spend the day reading. I also plan to go for a run. I will do an easy paced run for 30 minutes as I have been allowing my foot to heal. Yesterday, I worked in cardiac rehab from 7:30am – 6:30pm. Then, I road on a stationary bike for 30 minutes at a moderate effort. I appreciate these cross-training machines, but they are not running. I love running, it is a joy and these machines feel like a chore. I will continue to use these machines to supplement my running, that I may exercise 6 days a week for at least 30 minutes a day without re-injuring my foot. I plan to run 3 days a week and use one of these machines 3 days a week. Yesterday, during lunch, I took my lunch out of the department and sat at a table in the lobby near the café. No one needed a seat, but I was open to that. I did not put earphones in, may the Lord bring a guest who needs a seat. My life needs to be evangelical. In every aspect I must invest in the people around me and create opportunities to reveal Jesus Christ. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”[1]

Wednesday:

I arose at 4:45am and began this day by reading Judges 9 – 11 and reciting John 4. Today, I am scheduled to work in cardiac rehab from 7:30am – 4:30pm. Yesterday, I was able to run without pain. I ran on a treadmill for 4.1 miles at a moderate pace. I ran on the treadmill because I believe that it would be better for my foot. I will do cross training this evening and Friday. I will run on the treadmill again Thursday, and Lord willing I will run outside Saturday morning. Today is the day that the Lord has made; therefore, I shall rejoice and be glad in it. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, piece, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. May I have love for God and my neighbor today; may I have joy in all circumstances; may I be at peace with God and men; may I have patients in every situation and with all persons; may I be kind to everyone; may I do good to everyone, loving righteousness and hating evil; may I be faithful to the Father God and my Lord Jesus Christ by preaching his Word and revealing Jesus Christ to the world around me; and may I have self-control regarding temptation and not give in to the flesh, the world or Satan. We have a wellness member named Delwyn who gets amped up on Wednesday morning and is a motivation for all the wellness members and rehab patients. On Wednesdays he says, “Mike, Mike, Mike: What day is it? It’s hump day!” I had a t-shirt made with his face on it with the words “Hump day” written across the top and on the back. “Come on Y’all,” another saying of his. I hope that this brightens his day and makes him feel loved.

Thursday:

I began this day by reading Judges 12 – 15; the beginning story of the Nazarite Samson. Then I recited John 5. Yesterday evening, I rode a stationary bike for 22 minutes and an elliptical trainer for 23 minutes. After coming home, I had contention with my daughter Bethany. I wanted to wash my gym clothes, but she had already started the washer with her’s; therefore, I asked her to be vigilant about moving her clothing from the washer to dryer and out. Once her clothes were done they had not been moved; therefore, I started to move them to the dryer. When she saw this, she took over and moved them. Then I put my clothes in the washer and asked her to be vigilant about removing her clothes from the dryer. When the washer was on spin cycle and the dryer was on the last few minutes I asked her to remove her clothes. I became inpatient and repeatedly asked that they be removed. When she was in process I became pushy, trying to hurry her along. Then she became argumentative and I did not want to hear her arguments, so I said “No.” When she continued to argue I repeated saying “No” over her argument. This led to her loosing her temper. Yelling at me and slamming the laundry room door. I opened the door feeling angry. I pointed my finger at her and said, “That is unacceptable.” I will not allow you to talk to me that way. Then I gave her an ultimatum. “Either apologize or you have until March 1^stto move out.” Her having a fit and slamming doors in our home is unacceptable but this would not have occurred if I had not been rushing her and nagging her to put away her clothes. My sin is inpatients. I am inpatient with Bethany, yet scripture says that love is patient. Bethany has a quick temper and I was that way before coming to the Lord. Truth be told, I was a very angry person; therefore, I understand her loosing her temper with my nagging and refusal to listen to her argument. I will ask for her forgiveness for my nagging her, refusal to listen to her argument, and for my hastiness in making an ultimatum. May the Lord give me strength to do what is right. 

Friday:

My typical time to depart the house for work is 7:00am. I like to spend the first hour of the day doing 4 disciplines: 1) prayer, 2) reading God’s word, 3) reciting God’s word, 4) and writing an entry into this journal. For my daily reading, I am following a 364-day Bible reading plan. I have extracted John’s gospel out of that plan; thereby, reducing the plan to 354 days. I have been reciting 1 chapter or more from John’s gospel account a day. Some chapters are longer than others; chapter 6 is almost 3 times longer than chapter 17. I have decided to follow a 30-day plan for reciting John’s gospel rather than a chapter a day; this way, the portions are nearly equal in quantity. I have decided to do this because the time I have on most week days is limited. I arise at 4:45am and sit down in my study at 5:00am. I pray, read Scripture, recite, and lastly write in this journal. I must be out of my study by 6:00am to shower and eat breakfast before departing the house at 7:00am. I have felt pinched for time and want to have adequate time for all of these; therefore, I have decided to divide my daily recitation of John’s gospel into 30 equal portions rather than the traditional chapters. I have been reading Judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.”[2]This passage sums up the content of Judges and not only Judges but the actions of man since creation. What is sin? 1 John 3:4 says that sin is lawlessness. Lawlessness is everyone deciding for themselves good and evil; however, there is but one lawgiver and judge.[3]There is one God, the Father, who created all things; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things are created.[4]On the day of judgment, all will be held accountable. Christ sacrificed himself so that God may be just and justify wicked men.[5]

Saturday:

The message that God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life does not fit with the Bible. I just completed reading Judges 19 – 21: the story of a certain Levite, his concubine (wife), the city of Gibeah, the tribe of Benjamin and Israel. It is a story of rape, the grotesque hacking of a dead human body and parts sent throughout Israel; the destruction of an entire tribe less 600; the destruction of a city who refused to take part in the act; and the taking of their young daughters as wives for 400 of these men; and the kidnapping of another 200 girls from another city. The world that we live in can be a very horrible place and many horrors have occurred since the fall of man. I recently looked at a method of evangelizing that is promoted by the Southern Baptist Conventions North American missions board: The 3 circles life conversion guide. The method uses 3 circles that the evangelist draws on a piece of paper for the person that they are talking too. First, the person must be in a place of “Worldly” brokenness. The 3 circles are God’s design, brokenness, and gospel. Then the evangelist draws an arrow away from God’s design to brokenness and writes the word “Sin” above the arrow, explaining that sin is the cause of brokenness. Then the evangelist says that people try many things to get out of brokenness. Then the evangelist presents the gospel in easily understandable terms. Then the evangelist draws an arrow from sin to Gospel and writes the words “Repent & Believe.” Then the evangelist draws an arrow from Gospel back to God’s design and writes the words “Recover & Pursue. I would say that the method has two big problems. First, the method is implying that if you repent and believe you can have the wonderful life that God originally designed here and now. This is not true in the here and now but only in the world to come. We remain in a broken and fallen world and following Christ does not change that: bad things happen, we are tempted every day and believers are persecuted all around the world. I believe that the church needs to repent from giving people false hope. The apostle paul wrote: “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”[6]Isn’t this what the church is doing by either out right telling people that God has a wonderful plan for their life or implying such. Second, this method is designed for someone in brokenness but what about the rich man? The biblical message is this: It is appointed for a person to die once and after this comes judgement;[7]you will give an account of your life before almighty God on the day of judgment.[8]God’s standard is moral perfection,[9]but you have violated his law.[10]Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin and what you must do is repent and believe. God can justly forgive your sin and grant you eternal life; however, if you refuse the free gift of God you will go away into eternal punishment for your crimes committed against almighty God. The gospel message is an offer of pardon for a guilty criminal before eternally being thrown into prison.[11]The offer is eternal life in the new heaven and new earth with the very Son of God, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins and was buried and rose again on the third day.[12]

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[1]Mark 1:15, NASB.

[2]Judges 17:6, NASB.

[3]James 4:12.

[4]1 Corinthians 8:6.

[5]Romans 3:26.

[6]1 Corinthians 15:19, NASB. 

[7]Hebrews 9:27.

[8]Matthew 12:36.

[9]Matthew 5:48.

[10]Romans 3:23.

[11]Matthew 25:46.

[12]1 Corinthians 15:3-4.

The Week of January 12th, 2020 – January 18th, 2020

Sunday:

I arose at 5:15am and began the day by reading Deuteronomy, chapters 32 – 34; the song of Moses, the conclusion of his sermon to Israel, and his death and burial in Moab. The concluding statement of Deuteronomy: “Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.”[1]I am reminded that Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.”[2]The Jews accuse Jesus of having a demon for they understood that Abraham and all of the prophets died but Jesus claims that if anyone keeps his word he will never see death. The conversation leads up to Jesus saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”[3]Jesus is better than Abraham, better than Moses, better than all of the prophets and better than the angels; he is the Son of God and all are to worship Jesus.[4]After reading from Deuteronomy, I recited John, chapter 12; the triumphant entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey’s colt. At Sylvania Church Shane taught on Acts 17 and Phillip Dancy preached: “The Sabbath” from Luke 14:1 – 6. Main idea: the rest, the Sabbath is fulfilled in Jesus Christ for all who believe. Today, I completed Spanish – Beginner I – Course 2 – Lesson 5: Me gusta la comida mexicana. Part 1. 

Monday:

Yesterday afternoon, Darlene and I watch the professional football game between Kansas City and Houston. We watched because it was a playoff game leading up to the super bowl and one of our local boy’s was in the game. Darlene teaches at Whitehouse High School and our children graduated from this school, so since one of the students was in the game we thought that we should watch. I enjoyed the game; however, I do not want to make a habit of watching television during the afternoon. This morning, I arose at 5:00am and began the day by reading Joshua, chapters 1 – 4; the main idea is to trust in the Lord and do not fear, for the Lord goes ahead of you. We should not apply this to ourselves because we are not Israel entering the promised land; however, we should trust the Lord and not fear regarding his promises to us as a covenant people in Christ Jesus our Lord. After this I recited John, chapter 13. 

Tuesday:

We are now two weeks into the new year and beginning a third. Yesterday, I worked in cardiac rehab from 7:30am – 4:45pm. I watched a short movie on the computer, called: “Crazy Bible,” by Ray Comfort. In this video Ray states that the key to understanding the Bible is the power of the gospel. I have stepped away from the way of the master which is where I began evangelism; in fact, I have stepped away from purposely evangelizing. I am a reluctant evangelist because I do not like confrontation; however, it is the Lord’s command to go make disciples, to baptize them and teach them. This morning, I arose at 5:00am and read Joshua 5 – 7 and recited John 14 – 15. I had to re-read Joshua 5 and 6 because I was distracted the first time through; therefore, I did not at first understand what was going in chapter 7 regarding the band. The people were to destroy everything in the city, the metals could not be destroyed but they were not to keep them for themselves, they were to go into the Lord’s treasury. One man did keep them for himself and all of Israel suffered as a result. This man and his family were stoned for disobedience regarding the Lord’s command. Several times in John 14 – 15, Jesus says that if a person loves him, they will keep his commands/word. I have the day off from work today. I have been nursing an injured right foot. I do not want my fitness to degrade but know that I need to not run and allow the injury to heal; therefore, I am going to go to the gym and try a machine that does not involve pounding of the feet. 

Wednesday:

This morning I arose at 5:00am and read Joshua 8 – 10 and recited John 16 – 17. Yesterday, I exercised on an elliptical trainer for 32 minutes at a moderate effort. This did not cause any pain to my foot injury; therefore, I shall use the elliptical trainer or perhaps a stationary bike for 30 – 60 minutes 5 days this week rather than running. I hope by the end of the week that the heel pain is gone, and I can resume running because running outdoors is what I truly enjoy. It is important that I allow this injury to heel but I can maintain fitness by using these aerobic exercise machines. Yesterday, I said that I am a reluctant evangelist; however, I confess that for the past 2 years I have allowed personal evangelism efforts to go by the wayside. I blamed this on the time restraints of a full-time job and pursuing a master’s degree, but I graduated in May of 2019. Several years ago, a television show (The way of the master) and a book (Hell’s best kept secret by Ray Comfort) inspired me to share the gospel with my neighbor. Yesterday, I read an article by Steven J. Cole written in 2010. The article was on Romans 3:19-20, why God gave the law. Then I picked up Ray Comforts book, (Hell’s best kept secret) from my book shelf and began reading it. May the Lord use this book as he did in the past. May I preach the law to convict the unconverted sinner and preach the gospel to the convicted sinner. May the Christian understand that I consider all sinners, but the converted are justified by the grace of God through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.[5]

Thursday:

Yesterday, I worked in cardiac rehab from 7:30am – 4:45pm. I believe in taking what God has given and making the most of it; this is what cardiac rehab is about. Don’t just sit on the couch but live abundantly. For some reason Americans believe that the abundant life involves consumption but living abundantly is to live as best as possible with the body and mind that the Lord has given. Sometimes I see people recover to a high level after a major heart surgery and yesterday was such a day. There was a woman who at the beginning of her rehab desired death rather than to continue with her broken body. Yesterday, this woman graduated from cardiac rehab full of life. She had taken what God had given her and made the most of it. This morning, I arose at 4:45am and read Joshua, chapters 11 – 14. Then I recited John, chapter 19. I arose 15 minutes earlier than the day before because yesterday I felt rushed for time. Daily, I want to read a portion of God’s word, recite a chapter from John’s account of our Lord, pray to the Father God, and spend time writing in this journal. I really need an hour to do that and it takes about 15 minutes from rising to sitting down in my study, and I need to depart from my study at 6:00am. Yesterday evening, I went to the gym on my way home from work and rode a stationary bike at a moderate effort for 32 minutes. My foot was some what sore during the day, perhaps because I had to do much walking on the job. I am still hoping to begin running again next week; regardless, I will do something for 30 – 60 minutes a day, for at least 5 days a week, to maintain my cardiovascular fitness. 

Friday:

Yesterday I worked in cardiac rehab from 7:30am to 6:30pm. Then after work I rode on an elliptical trainer for 30 minutes at a moderate effort. I have been trying to learn Spanish, yet I have a difficult time trying to communicate to Spanish speakers in their language. I will continue to do these lessons daily with the hopes that one day I will grow in understanding and have the ability to communicate my thoughts in Spanish. Yesterday evening, one of my patients spoke Spanish and not English. She was dropped off by her granddaughter whose mother (the mother of the granddaughter) would arrive later. Amanda (a coworker) knew that I am trying to learn Spanish; therefore, I was left with the responsibility of communicating. This woman and I got by, but we could not have a full conversation. To exalt Jesus Christ and show this woman that I am attempting to learn her language, I recited John 1:1-5 to her in Spanish; I think that she appreciated this. This morning, I arose at 4:45am. I began the day by reading Joshua 15 – 18 and reciting John 19. The land of Canaan was parceled among Israel with a great deal of time spent on the decedents of Judah and of Joseph. This is a precursor to the divided kingdom to come. I worked in cardiac and pulmonary rehab from 7:30am – 12:30pm. I did 1 orientation assessment; then, I participated in a celebration of our department. Our department became certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Yesterday evening, Darlene, Bethany and I went out to dinner at Chuey’s restaurant. Darlene is a teacher at Whitehouse high school, the school that both of our children graduated from. Darlene spoke about the high school and the community of Whitehouse, TX, being a buzz today with what they were calling red out for Patrick Mahomes. All of the teachers and students in Whitehouse I.S.D. we’re wearing red in honor of their favorite son and quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs because the Chiefs are playing the AFC championship on Sunday for the right to go to the super bowl. Patrick Mahomes graduated from Whitehouse high school less than 6 years ago.

Saturday:

I arose at 5:00am and read Joshua 19 – 24; then, I recited John 20 – 21. One of the favorite texts among modern Christians comes from my reading today; “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”[6]Why is this text a favorite? Christians put these words at the entrance of their homes, above their fire places, and at other prominent places. Joshua 23:1 – 24:28 is the final speech given to Israel by their leader Joshua; after which, he died and was buried. Perhaps, instead of isolating this text we should understand it’s meaning in the context that it was originally given in order that we might understand the universal principle taught in the text and apply that principle in our lives. The context of Joshua’s speech is covenant remembrance. We have a covenant remembrance ceremony in Christianity, commanded by the perfect Joshua, the Lord Jesus Christ on the night before his crucifixion and death; the ceremony is called the Lord’s supper.[7]“This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me…This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”[8]After giving his speech about covenant remembrance to Israel, Joshua died, and was buried in the hill country of Ephraim;[9]but Jesus Christ our Lord died for our sins, and was buried, and was raised on the third day.[10]Therefore, I think we should apply the principle of covenant remembrance taught in Joshua 23:1 – 24:28 by remembering what Christ did for us. After reading, I went to the gym and road on a stationary bike for 30 minutes, followed by an elliptical machine for 31 minutes. I hope to begin running again next week because I would much rather be out on the road running. I am taking Spanish lessons through a program called Babbel. Today, I completed Beginner I – Course 2 – lesson 6. I do not consider a lesson complete until I achieve 100% correct answers. I spent some time in the afternoon reading Hell’s Best Kept Secret by Ray Comfort. The method which he calls, “The way of the Master” uses a four-step process. First, relate to the person in the natural. Second, create an opportunity to swing to the spiritual. Third, convict using the law.  Fourth, reveal Jesus Christ and what he has done. In the evening Darlene and I went to celebrate my nephew Ryan’s 13^thbirthday.

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[1]Deuteronomy 34:10-12, NASB.

[2]John 8:51, NASB.

[3]Ibid, 8:58.

[4]cf. Hebrews 1.

[5]Romans 3:23-24.

[6]Joshua 24:15b, NASB.

[7]cf. Luke 22:14-23.

[8]1 Corinthians 11:24-25.

[9]Joshua 24:29-30.

[10]1 Corinthians 15:3-4.

The Week of January 5th, 2020 – January 11th, 2020

Sunday:

I arose at 5:00am and began the day reading Deuteronomy, chapters 5 – 8; a retelling of the covenant, the Word of the Lord spoken to the Israelites at Horeb and a declaration of what Jesus called the great commandment: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”1 After this Moses tells them to bind the words that he speaks to them on their hearts, to teach them, to talk about them and to write them in visible places.2 I find this interesting because this is what Christians should be doing regarding Christ and all that he commanded. After this I recited John, chapter 1. At Sylvania church from 9:00am – 12:00pm: Shane taught on Acts 1-9, Paul at Thessalonica and Phillip preached on Luke 13:18-35. The main idea from Phillip’s sermon: The kingdom of God is expansive and inclusive, but it is narrowly defined and marked by suffering. Darlene and I spent the afternoon shopping for groceries. The pain in my right heel is very noticeable. How is this going to affect my running? Today my family seems a little short with me and somewhat argumentative. Is this related to a change in my actions, or speech, or my perception, or is there something going on with them? I have many imperfections of which I am aware and desire to change but there is likely many that I am unawares. If it is my lacking, I hope to be made aware, and if it is something going on within their hearts, may I love them through. 

Monday:

Before going to bed I reluctantly decided that I would not run this morning do to the pain in my right heel; therefore, I arose at 5:00am and began the day reading Deuteronomy, chapters 9 – 11. Significant verse from the reading: “You shall therefore love the Lord your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments.”3 This is significant indeed, for Christ said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”4 I recited John, chapters 2 -3. During breakfast I competed: Spanish – Beginner I – lesson 3 - ¿Vives Por Aquí? Review. I worked in outpatient cardiac rehab from 7:30am – 16:45pm. Many of these patients are wonderful people and I enjoy them all. Today, I have been thinking about this world in which we presently abide. I do not desire to abide in this world any longer; therefore, I shall abide in the kingdom of God. Jonathan Edwards called heaven, “a world of love.” I cannot do anything about what the world thinks, says or does but I choose to observe the law of Christ,” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”5 Through loving one another we demonstrate our love for Christ. I am seeking to remember through 1 Corinthians 13 what love is and what love is not. I want to live on the earth as though I abide in heaven and not in the world. 

Tuesday:

I arose at 4:00am and read Deuteronomy, chapters 12-16; the way of life for the Israelites when they came into the promised land. Then I recited John, chapter 4; the Samaritan woman at the well and the healing of a nobleman’s son from a great distance away. Last night I had a dream in which I was pleading with people to put their faith in Jesus Christ because God is going to judge the world in righteousness. I began running at 5:30am in the morning and ran 5 miles in 39 minutes and 20 seconds. I call this time morning because it is the start of my day but really it is still night outside. While running I saw something in the sky that I have never seen before. I was running east and there was no light except the stars and I saw in the night sky a brilliant – straight – line as bright as any star in the sky. It was as though several stars had lined up in close proximity and were connected to one another. Early night and at this time satellites are visible and my eyes are trained to see these but this was unlike anything that I have ever seen before. It was not a meteor breaking up because those streak across the sky. The bright line of lights eventually faded away and I saw it no more. I do not know what I saw but I am curios. During breakfast I completed Spanish – Beginner I – Course 2 – lesson 4: Spanish pronunciation “c” and “g” and a vocabulary review. I went to work form 7:30am – 2:00pm and did 2 cardiac rehab orientations. The Lord has given me 2 things to do: 1) Preach the gospel. 2) Teach people with cardiovascular disease about diet and exercise. For either to be effective requires a change of mind. Something that I am unable to give anyone. Through a little research by Darlene and further research myself; we found out what the bright line of lights that I saw in the night sky are. They are 60 new Starling broadband internet satellites launched into orbit by the company SpaceX just yesterday evening, January 6^th, 2020 from Caper Canaveral, Florida at 9:19pm EST.6 Wow! This means that I was likely one of the first persons to visualize these new satellites as they orbit the earth. 

Wednesday:

I awoke at 4:00am and read Deuteronomy, chapters 17 – 23; then I recited John, chapters 5 – 6. I have decided that I am going to follow a prescribed reading plan for my daily reading excluding John. When I get there, I will go straight from Luke to Acts. As for John, I have decided to recite 2 chapters a day, which will have me going through John twice every 3 weeks. I did not run this morning do to my heel pain. I have decided to run every other day until it heals. This morning, I began Spanish – Beginner I – course 2 – lesson 5. I worked in cardiac rehab from 7:30am – 4:45pm, then met Darlene at Sylvania church for dinner; after dinner I met with the mission’s committee about our missions conference February 28^th– March 1^st. I had a difficult time today when people were unhappy with my actions and words: yet, l am reminded that love does not take into account a wrong suffered.7

Thursday:

I awoke at 4:00am. I read Deuteronomy, chapters 24 – 27 and recited John, chapters 7-8. I began running a little before 5:30am for a distance of 5 miles in 39 minutes and 17 seconds. During breakfast I worked on my prescribed Spanish lesson. I arrived at work a little before 7:30am and worked until 6:30pm. Lately, I am having a difficult time. I try so very hard to be patient and kind with everyone; yet, I can say something that was not intended as unkind but will be interpreted as unkind. Why do I try so hard when no one acknowledges my efforts? The answer is that I want to be like Jesus Christ. Yes, I want to be just like Jesus Christ in every way. I look up to him and I love him; he is everything that I desire to be. So why do I feel such disappointment when others are angry with me or accuse me of unkindness? How do I measure success in following Christ? Is success measured by what others think or should I be unconcerned with what others think? If being pleasing to those around me is not the measurement then what? I have heard the saying, “You can’t please everyone.” Well, I do not think that I have ever truly pleased anyone. I am not an old man but I am far past being a young man. Can I live without seeking my own? Can I live a life only being concerned for the other? Is it possible to live that way? Seeking to be satisfied in others satisfaction of me is not working. I feel so disappointed when others express the slightest degree of dissatisfaction. Living without seeking my own includes satisfaction. Can I live without satisfaction? “Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.”8

Friday:

I arose at 5:00am and began the day by reading Deuteronomy, chapters 28 – 29; blessings promised to Israel for keeping the covenant law and curses for breaking the law. The new covenant is like the Deuteronomic covenant not in having a prescript of laws to abide by but the promise of blessings in the new heaven and new earth, yet to come, or curses in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. However, it is not, have you kept the law but are you in Christ? The law of Christ is Christ Jesus; if you are in Christ you are blessed as keeping the law all the days of your life. Moses ends this dialogue saying, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”9 After reading I recited John, chapters 9 – 10. Today I worked in pulmonary rehab from 9:00am – 4:00pm. I am looking forward to having the next 2 days off from work to re-energize. Yesterday I wrote that I am having a difficult time when others express disappointment of me. A thought entered my mind today regarding this: Christ said, “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.”10 I feel hurt when others express disappointment of me; therefore, if I am treating others the same way that I want them to treat me, I should not express disappointment of  anyone. This is not a post-modern idea of expectance but a biblically minded idea of kindness towards all people. This is not about confronting a brother regarding his sin but that quick snap unkind look or word of judgment.11 In 1 Corinthians 13, the apostle Paul gives a list of what love is and what love is not; the first two is that love is patient and kind. I must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; this is the only way to live as Christ.12 So yes, confront others in their sin but first be patient, really hear, and second, be kind when you speak, not angry. 

Saturday:

I arose at 5:15am and began the day by reading Deuteronomy, chapters 30 – 31; this was the conclusion of the Deuteronomic covenant. Then I recited John, chapter 11; the death and resurrection of Lazarus as a demonstration of the power of God to raise people from the dead. I have decided to return to reciting 1 chapter out of John’s gospel a day that I may take the time to meditate on it and not feel pressed. Yesterday morning I felt really pressed for time. I of course do not feel pressed for time today as I have the day off work; nonetheless, I will recite 1 chapter a day that I may meditate on the Word. I have continued a slow progression of memorizing the prolog (first 13 verses of John’s gospel) in spanish. This morning I added verse 9 and spent sometime on this before going running. I ran for 1 hour, covering a distance of 12.2 km. My heel was noticeably sore during the run but not too painful. I hope to get back to running 6 days a week but will continue running only 3 days a week next week. While running I have time to think. So, I was thinking about what I should read and study next. I have decided that I should read about and study the subject of baptism. Baptism is not an essential doctrine; however, baptism is not a minor issue either. Baptism is a major issue because baptism is regularly connected in Scripture with belief and salvation.13

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[1]Deuteronomy 6:4-5

[2]Ibid, 6-9.

[3]Ibid, 11:1.

[4]John 14:15, NASB.

[5]Ibid, 13:34, NASB. 

[6]“SpaceX Launches 60 Starlink Satellite, Nails Rocket Landing in Record-Breaking Flight,” Amy Thompson, cdli:wiki, https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-2-launch-success.html . 

[7]1 Corinthians 13:5.

[8]1 Corinthians 10:24, NASB.

[9]Deuteronomy 29:29, NASB.

[10]Luke 6:31, NASB.

[11]Cf. Matthew 7:1.

[12]James 1:19.

[13]Thomas R. Schreiner and Shawn D. Wright, eds., Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2006), 1.

The Week of December 29th, 2019 – January 4th, 2020

Sunday:

This morning I read Numbers, chapters 15-19. There seemed to be much envy going on about the different roles that the Lord assigned the Levites. The Levites, the sons of Kora were jealous of the sons of Aaron and the Israelites were jealous about the Levites. The sons of Aaron receive the first born of the sheep and goats. The fat is sacrificed to the Lord, but the meet is theirs. The Levites receive a tithe from the Israelites as theirs but they give a tithe of the tithe to Aaron and his sons for they have no property and are dependent on their brothers for food. Community, giving and not seeking ones own. I recited John, chapter 11. This morning I posted last week’s journaling to “The Nurse Theologian” and noticed that it happened to be my 500^thblog post. Sylvania church at 10:20. Phillip Dancy sermon: “Repentance & the Sabbath” Text: Luke 13:1-17. Main idea: Repent, be transformed at heart and live because judgment day is coming. Upon returning home Darlene and I saw Daniel off to his home in Austin. In the afternoon, I read the remainder of “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens; the version that I have is the original manuscript edition. Darlene had given this to me as a gift a year ago. I had seen movie versions of “A Christmas Carol” several times but had never actually read the book. I thought I should and read what Charles Dickens actually wrote. Last weekend I read stave I, Marley’s Ghost and stave II, the first of the three spirits; this afternoon I read stave III, the second of the three spirits, stave IV, the last of the spirits and stave V, the end of it. It was quite interesting reading this after Phillip Dancy’s sermon about repentance. After seeing his name EBENEZER SCROOGE written on the neglected grave, he said to the spirit: “Hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been, but for this intercourse. Why shew me this, if I am past hope!”[1]It should be noted that this fictional character’s repentance is moral but true repentance must be unto Christ. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”[2]

Monday:

This morning, I read Numbers, chapters 20-22 and recited John, chapter 12. I Ran at a moderate effort for 33 minutes and 7 seconds, covering a distance of 4.2 miles. I began Spanish, beginner I, course 2, lesson 1. I worked in outpatient cardiac rehab from 7:30 to 6:30. Darlene went to Louisiana to visit her sister Raylene; therefore, I am home alone tonight.

Tuesday:

This morning, I read Numbers, chapter 23 through 26:34; the oracles of Balaam. Then I recited John, chapters 13 and 14. The Father God created the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them through his Word. (Gen.1) The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us and the apostles beheld his glory. The only begotten Son of the Father full of grace and truth. Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations. The apostle whom Jesus loved wrote a book which we call the Gospel According to John, the stories in this book testify to the mind. The helper whom Jesus sent, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father testifies to the heart. Through these two a man’s heart and mind are changed; therefore, he repents and believes. This morning, I ran 4.42 miles in 34 minutes and 40 seconds. The effort was easy-moderate. I worked with Chris in pulmonary rehab from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Pulmonary rehab is much different than cardiac rehab. In cardiac rehab many of the patients see improvement in fitness over the course of the program; however, in pulmonary rehab this is not the case. Pulmonary rehab is not really rehabilitation, it is helping people with a terrible disease to live life. We give them knowledge to manage their disease and we do exercise them, but the exercise is more to give them confidence to not be afraid to do things. I have found that it is the pulmonary patients who will continue as wellness members after the program, but the cardiac patients fade away until they get another wakeup call with a cardiac event. This evening, Darlene and I plan to spend some time with some of our Sylvania church friends to bring in the new year. 

Wednesday:

Today, I slept until 7:00am which is much later than my normal because I was up much later than my normal. Darlene and I enjoyed an evening of fellowship at the home of Troy and Teresa Kriechbaum; along with, Elliot and Susan Middleton, Randy and Susan Price, and Mike and Ashliegh Anderson. All are members of Sylvania Church in Tyler, Texas. We saw fireworks over the lake, had Christ exalting conversation, food, and played games. To end the year with these brothers and sisters in Christ before beginning a new year tells of how blessed we all are in the Lord. This morning, I read Numbers, beginning at chapter 26:35 and read through chapter 29. Moses was to die because of his rebellion in not keeping the command of God in the wilderness of Zin. Joshua was sanctified as Moses successor to lead the people into the promised land. The law of offerings in chapters 28-29 made me feel tense because they are continual and so many. After this, I recited John, chapters 15 and 16. I ran at a moderate effort for 35 minutes and 42 seconds covering a distance of 4.58 miles. Being that it was later, I ran my favorite course which is an out and back course to the spillway at Lake Tyler. I like this course because of the view as I run across the dam. Today I completed Spanish, beginner I, course 2, lesson 1: ¿Vives por aquí? Part 1. 

Thursday:

I went to bed shortly after 9:00pm and awoke this morning at 4:00am. I read Numbers, chapters 30-33 and recited John, chapters 17 & 18. I ran 4.62 miles in 36:42. The effort was moderate. Arrived at work at 7:30am and spent the morning ambulating in-patients in the CVICU. After lunch, I did reports from the outpatient morning sessions and spent time scheduling an orientation appointment for tomorrow morning. I have decided that I would like to study the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) because it interests me that the major traditions use the number 10 in their counting of the commandments but differ in their division of the commandments. Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Lutheran traditions treat the worship of other gods and the use of idols as one commandment, but the Orthodox and Reformed traditions make them into two separate commandments. Jewish, Orthodox, and Reformed traditions treat the prohibitions against coveting as one commandment, but Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions divide the prohibitions against coveting into two commandments. The Jewish tradition retains the number 10 by treating Exodus 1:1-2 as the first commandment.[3]I think that it will be an exciting subject to study and will yield fruit in growing in knowledge of God and his Christ for the church. The words of the Decalogue are first mentioned in Exodus 20 but the number 10 and the two tablets come later in Exodus 34 and stated again in Deuteronomy 4:13 and 10:4 with the prohibitions restated in Deuteronomy 5.[4]

Friday:

I went to bed at 9:00pm and awoke at 4:00am. This morning, I read Numbers, chapters 34-36 and Deuteronomy, chapter 1: the history of Israel after Exodus. Then I recited John, chapter 19. Most commentators believe that John’s gospel is in two parts: chapters 1-11 and 12-21, but I believe that the book is in seven parts. The book follows the order of the creative week but instead of resting on the seventh day, the seventh day is skipped, and the Son of Man rises from the dead on the first day of the week. There is an incredible amount of fulfilled prophesy from chapters 12-19, which is the metaphorical sixth day. Pilot said, “Behold, the Man!”[5]Remember, man was created in the image of God and was given authority to rule the earth as God’s stewards but then sin entered into the world and death through sin. Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the dead; thus, a new and better beginning has been inaugurated but will not be consummated until Christ returns. To read about the consummation in Johannine theology we must refer to the Revelation. After reading, I ran 4.16 miles in 32 minutes and 59 seconds. I met my goal pace which is less than 8 minutes per mile but felt fatigued before starting and the heel of my right foot is sore. I went to work and received 1 patient for a cardiac rehab orientation. A Cardiac rehab orientation envoles bring the patient into a closed office. They may come alone or with their closest family member. I spend about an hour talking with them about their health history, life, exercise, diet and I do a physical assessment; it is a time of getting to know the person. I will then put a cardiac monitor on them and have them do a 6-minute walk test on a treadmill or on our track at an easy to moderate effort. This test will be repeated in 3 months to measure increased fitness. I also give them 3 short quizzes which measure cardiac knowledge, a subjective evaluation of their diet and a subjective evaluation of their health. These will be returned at their first cardiac rehab appointment and like the 6-minute walk test will be repeated in 3 months to measure change. I then schedule them to start cardiac rehab which they will attended at a scheduled time, 3 days a week for 36 sessions. I came home at noon and spent the afternoon reading about the Decalogue in the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch.

Saturday:

I awoke at 5:00am this morning and began the day by reading Deuteronomy, chapters 2 – 4. Deuteronomy is a series of speeches or sermons by Moses. The first of these concludes at the end of chapter 4. After reading, I recited John 20 – 21. I then ran 9.04 miles in a time of 1 hour, eighteen minutes and 8 seconds. The pace was easy, 8 minutes and 38 seconds per mile. I ran a total of 31 miles this week. My right heel is sore; therefore, it will be good to take the day off from running tomorrow. Currently, I am running 4 – 5 miles a day, Monday – Friday at less than 8 minutes per mile, and 8 – 10 miles on Saturday at greater than 8 minutes per mile but less than 9 minutes per mile, for a total distance of 30 plus miles per week. If my foot remains sore, I might need to reduce my activity to 5 days a week to get in an extra rest day for my foot. If I go to 5 days of running per week, I will need to go to the upper range of 5 miles on week day runs and 10 miles on Saturday runs to get 30 total miles for the week. I will re-evaluate how my foot feels on Monday morning. During breakfast, I completed Spanish – Beginner I – Course 2: ¿Vives Por Aqua? Part 2. Darlene and I went to see the latest Star Wars movie. I did not enjoy the movie because it depicts a worldview contrary to the Word of God and I will leave it at that.

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[1]Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol: The Original Manuscript edition(New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2017), 121.

[2](Ephesians 2:10, NASB.

[3]J. W. Marshall, “Decalogue,“ in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, eds. T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 172.

[4]Ibid, 171.

[5]John 19:5b, NASB.