Old Testament - We are re-introduced to King Hezekiah of Judah in today's readings! The quantity of the Chronicler's writings about the reign of Hezekiah is second only to the reigns of David & Solomon. We'll be reading about Hezekiah again in the coming days. Reading about Hezekiah today was such a breath of fresh air after the atrocities of King Ahaz in yesterday's readings... Hezekiah is a hero! He re-opens the Temple! He reinstitutes the sacrifices to God! You'll recall from our readings in Second Kings chapter 18 verses 5 through 7 we got an overview of who Hezekiah was - "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was never another king like him in the land of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did." Below is a coloured woodcut from Henry VIII´s Great Bible, from the year 1538, of King Hezekiah burning pagan idols:
New Testament - Paul's writings in Roman's chapter 14 about the dangers of criticizing and judging others are powerful! I love verses 12 & 13: "Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God. So don't condemn each other anymore. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not put an obstacle in another Christian's path." Wow... that is something for each of us to consider. That we ourselves can actually put obstacles in another Christian's path toward God! Do you think that you have ever done this in your life? I do think that I have. Never intentionally. But, when I have stopped loving and serving others and instead began judging and criticizing others, I do believe I have placed obstacles in other people's paths! Not to mention my own path! Let us pray that we are not obstacles to others by judging and criticizing...
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Love and Liberty: Liberties Love Won't Take" is at this link. Below is a great image for Romans 14:8 from today's readings -
Psalms - Psalm 24 is a beautiful Psalm! Check out this brief snippet of commentary on this Psalm from bible.org: "The Israelites have returned from a battle with the Canaanites. They are proceeding up to the sanctuary on the holy mount to give praise to Yahweh for the great and mighty victory in battle, carrying with them the Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of Yahweh’s presence with them. As they approach the gate, they are met by the Levites who function as gatekeepers. It is their part to ask who may enter the sanctuary of the Lord; and it is the priests’ part to answer with the stipulations from the Law. Whoever meets these qualifications may enter and fellowship with Yahweh... The psalm then concludes with the worshipers calling to the gates to make way for Yahweh to come in to His sanctuary, for why should the King of Glory stoop to go under a doorway? " This quote is from, and there is much more commentary on Psalm 24, at bible.org at this link. (also, any Chris Tomlin fans out there will definitely recognize this Psalm - on his CD "Arriving" I think the 2nd or 3rd to last song is called "King of Glory" based on this Psalm - it's the best song on this overall fantastic CD in my humble opinion! :)
Proverbs - Proverbs 20:12 today teaches us: "Ears to hear and eyes to see--both are gifts from the LORD." Amen! It is interesting that this Proverb doesn't mention our mouths to talk... Seems like this Proverb is really a good reminder that listening and seeing are amazing gifts. Gifts that allow us to listen to others and enjoy God's beautifully created world. And yes, I do believe our mouths are gifts too for communication to others. But it is interesting that we have 2 ears and 2 eyes, and just 1 mouth. Think there is a message in this math equation for us? :)
YouTube: Based on Psalm 24, here is Chris Tomlin and Jesse Reeves talking about the song "King of Glory" and how it relates to Psalm 24. This is a powerful song... Who is this King of Glory!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Romans 14:8 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are living for the Lord today. Pray that you will die in the Lord. Pray that you belong to the Lord.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles chapter 26 we read about Uzziah ruling in Judah - along with his sin and punishment. Uzziah, like other kings of Judah we've read about recently honored God in his early years, but then fell away in his later years. Sad! I pray that none of us fall into the trap of honoring God now and then dishonoring him later in our lives. How do you suppose we can avoid this trap? I think one of the key things is to read the Bible daily. But I also am realizing more and more that we need to be in community with other Christians consistently. Yes, church every weekend. But more than that - small groups, Bible studies, accountability groups, etc. We need to encourage and challenge each other in community to continue running our race strong! Are you in consistent community with other Christians in your life today? If not, will you consider joining a small group or Bible study at your church? If you're not going to church, will you start going to church this weekend? Do you see the danger of not being in community with other Christians, and ending up perhaps like some of the kings of Judah who dishonored God later in their lives? Please, please, please - be in a consistent community with other Christians! Below is an oil painting by Rembrandt titled "The King Uzziah Stricken with Leprosy" from the year 1635:
Today in Second Chronicles chapter 28 we read about King Ahaz of Judah. You will note that the reign of Ahab is the only reign in which the Chronicler does not mention a single redeeming feature... Things are obviously getting worse for the southern Kingdom of Judah! A very interesting thing happens in verses 9 through 15 where we are introduced to the prophet Obed in Samaria, and the northern captors show kindness to their captives from Judah. In fact, some scholars believe that verses 14 & 15 may even be the background for Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan!! This is very powerful to consider! Do you see how these 2 verses could be background for Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan? "So the warriors released the prisoners and handed over the plunder in the sight of all the leaders and people. Then the four men mentioned by name came forward and distributed clothes from the plunder to the prisoners who were naked. They provided clothing and sandals to wear, gave them enough food and drink, and dressed their wounds with olive oil. They put those who were weak on donkeys and took all the prisoners back to their own land--to Jericho, the city of palms. Then they returned to Samaria." Below is the artist Vincent van Gogh's take on the parable of the Good Samaritan from the year 1890:
New Testament - Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion has a great overview of three historical interpretations of how Christians are to submit to the government per Paul's writings in Romans chapter 13 verse 1 today: "1. Some Christians believe the state is so corrupt that Christians should have as little to do with it as possible. 2. Others believe that God has given the state authority in certain areas and the church authority in others. Christians can be loyal to both and can work for either. They should not however confuse the two. 3. Still others believe that Christians have a responsibility to make the state better. They can do this politically by electing high-principled leaders. None of these 3 views advocate rebelling against or refusing to obey the government's laws or regulations unless those laws clearly require you to violate the moral standards revealed by God." Bible.org's commentary on this subject titled "The Christian and Civil Government" is at this link. I lean toward a mix of #2 and #3 these days. I think there is much value in Christians paying attention to local and national and international governments, and getting involved. Let us not just throw our hands up in the air and think that our government is nothing but this image below... :) (or if we do think our government is nothing but this image below, then let us work to change the reality!)
How incredibly powerful are Paul's words in Romans 13 verses 8 through 10 - "Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God's law. For the commandments against adultery and murder and stealing and coveting--and any other commandment--are all summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself."Love does no wrong to anyone, so love satisfies all of God's requirements." Wow... great stuff. Love satisfies all of God's requirements. Do you believe this to be true? What type of love do you think Paul is talking about here? A passive love? An active love? Who is the last person you paid the debt of love to? Who is the next person you will pay the debt of love to? Will you pay the debt of love to somebody in your life each and every day?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Love, Law, and the Last Days" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 23! What a Psalm!! This is the first Psalm for sure that I ever really read and was comforted by without a doubt. Psalm 23 is a profession of joyful trust in God as the good Shepherd-King by David. I like The Message's take on Psalm 23 at this link. Bible.org has a wonderful commentary on Psalm 23 titled "A Psalm that calms the soul"at this link.
Proverbs - Today in Proverbs 20 verse 11 we read – “Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.” This is an interesting Proverb for me to meditate upon. I focus in on the word “actions" here. Basically this Proverb to me is saying that actions matter. Our actions don’t save us or make us right with God, but they matter. Even children are known by their actions. Do you think that you and I are known by our actions? If so, what are our actions saying to others? Is our conduct pure and right? I have some friends who seem to think that actions do not matter – particularly once we are in relationship with Jesus. I get very nervous with this line of thinking. I think particularly once we are in a relationship with Jesus, we are called to follow Jesus and we are called to holiness. We are called to be saints. Yes, saints. Now, don’t get me wrong – we will stumble. We will fall. We will not be perfect this side of heaven. Even after being in relationship with Jesus we will make mistakes. But, I believe we are called to live our lives such that we incrementally start to look more and more like God’s own son, Jesus. I believe we are called to love like Jesus. Forgive like Jesus. Give like Jesus. And this list goes on – check out the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 for a nice list of actions for us to emulate. So – even a child is known by his actions. What would people say about you based on your actions these days? Would they see that you are becoming more and more like Jesus with each passing day, week, month, and year? Do you think your actions matter?
YouTube: As we're reading Psalm 23 today, this video of Abby reciting Psalm 23 seems wholly appropriate!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on six verses of Scripture today:"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23:1-6 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that the Lord is your shepherd. Pray that you are not in want. Pray that your soul is being restored by the Lord. Pray that you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Pray you will memorize Psalm 23 today, and pray this Psalm frequently.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles 24 verse 1 we read - "Joash was seven years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years." This is quite a young age to be crowned king! (yep, that's Joash on the right in the image below - the priest presenting him to the people is on the left)
Did you notice in today's readings that Joash followed God in his early years, when Jehoiada the priest was alive (verses 1-16), and then turned to evil and idolatry after Jehoiada's death (verses 17-27)? One of the saddest parts was Joash's murder of Jehoiada's grandson Zechariah in verse 20. (Note that the text says son, but scholars believe Jehoiada's son was Berekiah, and Zechariah was Berekiah's son - Biblical genealogies sometimes skip a generation.) Jesus Himself references the atrocity of this murder when facing His own murderers in Matthew 23:35! This quote of Jesus' comes just after delivering his seven woes in Matthew 23: "And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar."
New Testament - Wow! Could Romans chapter 12 be one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible?? I love this chapter... Please take a moment to re-read this chapter if you can. Verses 1 through 3 have been so powerful for me personally since the early days of my Christian walk - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritualact of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." I really don't know what commentary I could add to these words of Paul's. I love the thought of our bodies being living sacrifices to God. (There is of course the old joke that the only problem with a living sacrifice is that it tends to crawl off the altar... :) And the warning to not conform any longer to the pattern of this world is so so so true.... and we all know it. But I find myself still falling prey to the pattern of this world. Its temptations do not cease. But! We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds to test and approve what God's will is. Through a loving and growing relationship with Jesus, we can overcome the temptations and the death this world will offer us all too frequently. In view of God's mercy, will you offer your body today as God as a living sacrifice?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "The Road to Renewal" is at this link and "Thinking Straight about Spiritual Gifts" is at this link and "What is this Thing Called Love" is at this link. Below are 2 wonderful images for Romans chapter 12 verse 2 and verses 4 & 5:
Psalms - What's one good reason to go to church at all? Check out Psalm 22 verse 22: "Then I will declare the wonder of your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among all your people." Praising God with other brothers and sisters through worship, tithing, learning, serving and being in community in church is a great reason to go to church! To declare the wonder of God's name! To praise God among all his people. Wow... yes... this is church!
Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 10 is convicting - "The LORD despises double standards of every kind." I am afraid that I often do have double standards in the way I live my own life. I am afraid perhaps we all do to a degree. We hold ourselves to one standard when we are at church and among our friends and maybe even typing on this blog... :) But, then, late at night or early in the morning or during the day perhaps we let this standard - this Christian standard - simply go. We become judgmental. We gossip. We complain. We lust. We give in to our old addictions. We fall prey to a double standard. Please don't ever forget that God calls us to the highest standard! And he sent us his Son Jesus to set us free from the bondage of sin from the bondage of double standards. Through faith in Jesus we are gifted with the Holy Spirit living within our very bodies, which is an amazing blessing to consider! God gives us everything that we need to live a life of high moral standards. Will we pray unceasingly to let our double standards go? Will we leave the double standards behind once and for all? Will we stop living our lives with two faces?
Worship God: Romans chapter 12 today reminded me of JJ Heller's fantastic song "True Things:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:1-2 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are offering your body as a living sacrifice to God today. Pray that you are not conforming to the pattern of this world, but are being transformed by the renewing of your mind. Pray you are walking and living in the center of God's will for your life - His good, pleasing and perfect will.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles 21 verses 12 through 15 we read about a letter that one would really not want to receive... "Then Elijah the prophet wrote Jehoram this letter: "This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: You have not followed the good example of your father, Jehoshaphat, or your grandfather King Asa of Judah. Instead, you have been as evil as the kings of Israel. You have led the people of Jerusalem and Judah to worship idols, just as King Ahab did in Israel. And you have even killed your own brothers, men who were better than you. So now the LORD is about to strike you, your people, your children, your wives, and all that is yours with a heavy blow. You yourself will be stricken with a severe intestinal disease until it causes your bowels to come out." The face on Jehoram in this image below captures well what one would be feeling like after receiving a letter like this from a prophet of God...
In Second Chronicles 23 today Jehoiada the priest leads a revolt against Queen Athaliah. Below is French artist Antoine Coypel's (1661-1722) take on the scene:
New Testament - Paul bursts out in some great praise and worship of God today in Romans 11 verses 33 through 36: "Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor? And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back? For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen." Great stuff! I love that second to last full sentence that tells us that everything is intended for God's glory. So true. And yet so easy for us to forget. You my friend are intended for God's glory! It is a beautiful truth to consider. Are you living your life fully for God's glory? Are there any areas of your life that would not be seen as giving glory to God? Will you let those un-glorious aspects of your life go? Will you walk fully in the LIGHT of God's glory?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings from Romans titled "The Kindness and Severity of God" is at this link and "The Wisdom of God and the Wisdom of Man" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 22 is an amazing Psalm. This Psalm is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. Re-read this Psalm again and see if you see parallels to Jesus' crucifixion? There are a lot in this Psalm. I'll list a few - Psalm 22:1a was quoted by Jesus on the cross - "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?" As we see in Matthew 27:46 - "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Psalm 22 Verse 8: ""Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!"" We see in similar fashion in Matthew 27:42-43: "“He saved others,” they said, “but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
Psalm 22 verses 16 & 17 make me want to cry... "They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count every bone in my body." The piercing of the hands and feet of Jesus are apparent with how the crucifixion took place. And these Psalm 22 verses are similar to John 19:33-37: "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”"
And verse 18: "They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments." Compare to John 19:23-24 - "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.”"
Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 7 today is a wonderful reminder that the way we live our lives today sets an example for children: "The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children after them." What type of example are you setting for children in your life? Are you walking with integrity? Do you believe children will be blessed after you because you walked with integrity?
YouTube: Our Psalm 22 readings today reminded me of Chris and Conrad's song called "Lead me to the Cross." Here is an incredible live version of this song:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them." Proverbs 20:7 TNIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are leading a blameless life. Pray that you hunger and thirst for righteousness each and every day of your life. Pray that your children are blessed because of your godly example.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles chapter 19 verse 7 we read: “Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you.” It is important to realize that this verse was said not as a curse upon someone, but really as a blessing and perhaps a warning. Jehoshaphat says these words to judges he is appointing. Why would Jehoshaphat say these words to judges? Why should judges have the fear of the Lord upon them? What is the fear of the Lord? I believe it is a healthy and strong sense of God’s presence – a sense so strong that it would prevent these judges from administering any injustices. Because they know God is in the room. How about for you and me in our lives today? What if I were to say to you right now – “Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you.”? Would you accept this as a blessing? Or would you think of this as some sort of curse? Do you want the fear of the Lord to be upon you? Why or why not? Right now in your life – is the fear of the Lord upon you? Will you consider praying for the fear of the Lord to be upon you?
New Testament - Romans 10 verses 14 & 15 are a powerful call to share the Gospel with a world that so desperately needs it! "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Are you bringing good news to people in your life? Do you realize that you do not necessarily need to go abroad to share the Gospel with people who really have probably never heard it before? Yeah, sure, maybe in our hometowns people have heard the name Jesus. But have they really heard about the love and life and forgiveness and healing that Jesus offers? Do they really know who Jesus truly is? How will they know unless you tell them? Will you utilize the gift of your beautiful feet?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Without Excuse" is at this link and "Man's Failures Do Not Frustrate the Purposes of God" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 21 today follows up Psalm 20 from yesterday - yesterday's being a prayer for victory for the king as he goes out to battle - and today's being a psalm of praise for victories granted to the king. I like the credit given to God in verse 1: "How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because of your victory." The king is not rejoicing in his own strength. He is not claiming victory as his. He is giving credit to God! How about you in your life today? Do you give credit to God for the blessings and gifts he has given you? Do you shout for joy and rejoice simply because God is in your life?
Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 6 definitely gives me something to think about: "Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is really faithful?" This is a challenging Proverb for me because I feel like I have many good friends. Many who are loyal. And some who even seem faithful. But... yet.... there are still times on occasion when these friends do let me down. Or I know for a fact I let them down on occasion. It's our human nature. Fortunately for us, long after this Proverb was written, we were given the most faithful friend we could ever dream up or imagine in Jesus. Jesus really should be our best friend. I had a friend kind of shock me with this thought by continually referring to Jesus as his best friend at a lunch we had a few years ago. For some reason I was very comfortable with Jesus being my savior. But my friend? My best friend? Well, it was a new concept to me. And maybe this is a new concept to you. I do honestly believe Jesus wants to be our best friend. And he will undoubtedly be the one true and loyal and faithful friend we all can have - now and forever. So, is Jesus your best friend?
Worship God: Speaking of Jesus being our friend forever - are you familiar with the Delirious song called "What A Friend I've Found"? It's beautiful. The chorus repeats the name of Jesus 3 times and then says "friend forever". Below is a YouTube video of Delirious performing this song live with Darlene Zschech, with Slovak language subtitles:
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" Romans 10:14-15 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you have beautiful feet. Pray that your beautiful feel are bringing the Good News of Jesus to those that have not truly heard about Jesus. Pray that you are being sent to preach to the lost and help them call on the name of Jesus.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in 2 Chronicles 18, King Ahab of Israel is not happy about the Arameans occupying Ramoth-gilead! Unfortunately for King Jehoshaphat of Judah, he entered into a political alliance with Ahab by having his son marry Ahab's daughter, Athaliah. This basically bound him into going into battle with Ahab - but even worse, as we'll read in the coming day's readings, Ahab's daughter Athaliah nearly kills all of the descendants of David in Judah.... more on this sad drama is coming up in chapter 22. A good location-profile of Ramoth-gilead is at this link. Ramoth-gilead was on a hilltop that could have looked something like this first image below. The 2nd image below is a map (look to the center-right):
King Jehoshaphat of Judah wisely suggests that they should consult God before going into battle against the Arameans. At which time King Ahab of Israel trots out his 400 yes-men "prophets" who say they should definitely go to war and that they will be victorious! I love Jehoshaphat's reaction to these 400 yes-men in verse 6 - "But Jehoshaphat asked, "Isn't there a prophet of the LORD around, too? I would like to ask him the same question."" Ahab's reaction in verse 7 is quite telling... "There is still one prophet of the LORD, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but bad news for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah." This verse really stands out for me in a big way in our world today. I wonder if sometimes we - you and me - look for supposed "prophets" of the Lord that are yes-people to our particular likings - instead of looking for Truth. Meaning... and I'm just putting this out there, so bear with me. Do we sometimes maybe even decide to attend a particular church because it tells us basically what we want to hear? It keeps us in our comfortable place... we get yes-messages... When, instead, should we be okay with attending a church that will give us some challenging and convicting messages on occasion? Biblical messages mind you - which surely can be challenging to our modern ears at times. I heard somewhere once before that church should be a place that "comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable." I like that... Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying we need to be in super-strict churches per se. I just think we should really watch for churches that are giving a yes-message all the time to our particular likings verses churches that teach the Truth. I don't think church is the only area of where we might default to looking for yes-messages. I think this can happen in books we read, TV we watch, or even with friends or with work. Are we listening to 400 yes-people in our lives or are we okay with 1 Micaiah coming in and sharing a perceived "bad-news" message? (which may ultimately be very good news if we'll just listen to it... if Ahab had really listened to Micaiah's message in today's readings, think he still would have rushed out to battle?) Below is an image of Micaiah and the false prophets before Jehoshaphat and Ahab -
New Testament - In Romans chapter 10 verse 1 today, Paul reminded me of the modern-day ministry called Jews for Jesus: "Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is that the Jewish people might be saved." Paul was certainly a Jew for Jesus! How about you - are you a Gentile for Jesus? Or perhaps you are also a Jew for Jesus? Whoever you are - are you for Jesus?
Below is a wonderful image courtesy of heartlight.org of Romans chapter 10 verse 4 from today's readings:
Without a doubt, Romans chapter 10 verses 9 & 10 are the most important verses some of us will read this year and really take to heart: "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. " Do you believe these verses to be true? Have you prayed these verses with your heart and your mouth to God? If not, will you today?
image courtesy of heartlight.org
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Israel's Failure is the Scripture's Fulfillment" is at this link and "The Only Road to Righteousness" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 20 is a prayer for a king as he goes out into battle - check out verses 1 through 5 again and you can imagine a group of people saying these words to the king. Maybe another way to read this Psalm, personally, is as a prayer for yourself as you go out into battle against a sin or a struggle in your life. And this verse 5 then is for you as you go into this battle: "May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers." Amen! Let the banners fly soon in your life!
Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 20 verse 3 is such great wisdom: "Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling." I once was a fool who insisted on quarreling with Tony back in about 3rd grade :) after either I beat him or he beat me in the 50 yard dash at Field Day. Tony kept trying to avoid the fight with me. But I kept on pressing it. And I got whupped! It was really a great learning experience for me. I have avoided fights ever since! Don't get me wrong. I don't think we are called to be submissive and let people walk all over us. I think we can confidently and strongly hold our ground on important issues - without fighting or quarrelling. How about you? Do you avoid fights? Do you realize this is a mark of honor? Or do you insist on quarrelling? Think this is a good idea...?
YouTube: Based on our readings today in Romans, I think this clip below from the Logan Show of Aaron Shust performing "My Savior My God" serves well.
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:"If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Prayer Point: Pray with your mouth and heart that Jesus is Lord. Pray in belief that God raised Jesus from the dead. Pray that you are justified and saved today!
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in 2 Chronicles chapter 14 we read about the early year's of King Asa's reign, including his incredible prayer to God in verse 11! "Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, "O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!" Unfortunately by the end of our readings today, in chapter 16, we read about Asa falling away from God and relying on a foreign king and physicians without any prayer for healing from God. He replaced God in his life with mere men. I wonder how often we do this in our lives today? Can you think of any times in your life where you have relied on people in the place of relying on God? How did that work out? I do think we can rely on people certainly - if we are also relying on God more so and if God is in the midst of the relationship with the people we are relying on. I think all would have gone well with King Asa in his later years if he had only been taught this motto that we teach our kids today: "Be a FROG!" :) Fully Rely On God! What about you in your life today? Are you a FROG? :) Let us all be FROG's!
(apologies for the silly start to this posting today... :) don't worry, I get more serious by the time we get to Proverbs as you'll see below...)
New Testament - Powerful readings from Paul today in Romans chapter 9! In verse 5 we read one of the clearest statements in the New Testament about the deity of Jesus! "Their ancestors were great people of God, and Christ himself was a Jew as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." Paul says here that Jesus is God! So, what say you? Is Jesus God?
A portion of verse 6 made me think about Christians today: "Not everyone born into a Jewish family is truly a Jew!" Do you think that everyone born into a Christian family today is truly a Christian? I know our various denominations will have various degrees / times / ceremonies that will mark becoming a Christian. But I think many of us would agree that just because you are born into a Christian family doesn't mean that you are necessarily Christian. Meaning, I think there has to come a time in each of our lives where we consciously believe in faith that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. We need to own our faith at some point - not just be a "cultural" Christian because that's what our family and friends are. I believe at some point in our life we need to enter into relationship with God through his son Jesus through faith. Let us pray for our friends and family members who are perhaps currently "cultural" Christians. Let us pray that they will enter into a loving and growing relationship with God through Jesus. Side note - I was prayed into the Kingdom by some amazing friends! (thanks Chad & Becky & Becky & others!) It is true. Prayer for your friends and family is powerful. Please pray for them tonight...
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Man Opposes; God Disposes" is at this link and "Divine Election is Questioned" is at this link.
Psalms - Today we read Psalm 19, which is one of my favorite Psalms! In large part this Psalm is one of my favorites because one of my former pastors taught from this Psalm 3 a few years ago in such a powerful way. Have you had this type of experience? Where you hear a sermon on a chapter of the Bible and then that chapter becomes one of your favorites? I do hope that this One Year Bible experience will allow you to tune-in a little bit more whenever you hear your pastors or ministers or priests teaching you from the Bible in church. I know this is the case with me. Thanks to reading the Bible each day, I now have better context of what is being taught from the pulpit and it makes going to church a richer experience overall. I also now often catch some Bible verses in the worship songs or hymns we sing as well. And this adds a lot to my worship of God now through music. This year, as you go through the One Year Bible and as you go to church, will you tune-in to the sermons and the songs in church more than ever and look for and appreciate how they tie in to the Bible?
Back to Psalm 19 – I do encourage everyone to really read through and meditate on every verse in this Psalm of David and how this Psalm might be speaking to you this week. Please do take a few minutes to go through the Psalm twice if possible and really reflect upon it. You may even want to journal to God some thoughts or ideas or prayers that come to you through reading this Psalm. I find verse 14 in this Psalm to be so powerful – again in large part because one of my former pastors often sang a worship song that simply repeats this verse over and over again – and what a beautiful prayer it is for each of us to repeat over and over again as well: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Are the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart pleasing in God’s sight? Is God your Rock? Is God your Redeemer?
Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 1 today reminds me of the need for and success of modern day Alcoholics Anonymous - "Wine produces mockers; liquor leads to brawls. Whoever is led astray by drink cannot be wise." I don't have personal experience with AA, but have heard very good things about it from several friends. I do love the AA Serenity Prayer - I think this prayer is a great prayer for all of us - "God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, courage to change the things we can, and wisdom to know the difference." Amen.
While I'm on the subject of alcohol, since the Bible brought it up and all :), mind if I go on a bit of a tangent on this subject? Thanks. :) I would be very interested to hear others views / experiences with alcohol in their lives in the Comments below. (I know that some of our denominations have very different views on alcohol.) I'll share with you here that I struggled with alcohol abuse big time in my teens and early 20's. Certainly this Proverb was true in my case - wine produced a mocker out of me. Liquor led to brawls - oftentimes more psychological brawls than physical. And certainly I don't think I had the ability to be wise back in the days when I was led astray by excessive drink. Very frankly, I nearly drank myself to death the night before I graduated college. Alcohol poisoning / a black out got a hold of me that night. I'll spare you all the details, other than to say that after my near-death experience with alcohol, I knew I had a decision to make. Keep going the way I was going and I would die. Or go another direction. I didn't quite know what that other direction was or would look like, but I knew I had to go in the other direction away from alcohol / the party life. And thankfully God led me to Him. It took me 6 years of searching from the night I almost drank myself to death to the night when I accepted Jesus as my Savior, but it was the most important journey to undertake in my life. (The journey to Jesus is the most important journey in all of our lives...) So, yes, alcohol can be a dangerous thing, to say the least. I do know many Christians who do not / never have really struggled with it. I don't fault anyone for drinking in moderation. (These days I don't drink anymore - gave it up when I became a father.) I just know that many people reading this blog likely struggle with or know someone who struggles with alcohol. All I know is that if alcohol is something that you are "allergic" to, stay away from it. Don't touch it. Get into AA if tomorrow if you need to. (please... do it if you need to...) Let each of us never forget this Proverb 20:1 - "Wine produces mockers; liquor leads to brawls. Whoever is led astray by drink cannot be wise."
Worship God: As we're reading Psalm 19 today, I think it's appropriate to share this "God of Wonders" video with Third Day and Caedmon's Call!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week:"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. " Psalm 19:14 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray that the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart today is pleasing in God's sight.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - In Second Chronicles chapter 11 today we read about Jeroboam appointing his own priests who served at pagan shrines and encouraged idol worship! Think this was a smart idea...? This led the Levites to abandon their homes in Israel and head south to Judah. Just imagine the spiritual vacuum this departure of the Levites left in Judah... maybe this is kind of like the spiritual vacuum that happens in our lives today when we don't go to church for a while?? :) This sin of Jeroboam unfortunately plays itself out over and over in the northern Kingdom until its destruction. Below is a sad image of Jeroboam leading the Israelites into the sin of worshiping a golden calf:
Today in Second Chronicles chapter 12 we read about Egypt invading Judah. Why? Because Rehoboam and all of Israel abandoned God's Law. You will notice often in Chronicles the patterns of obedience=blessing and disobedience=punishment. In chapter 12 we're going into punishment... Verse 9 tells us: "So King Shishak of Egypt came to Jerusalem and took away all the treasures of the Temple of the LORD and of the royal palace, including all of Solomon's gold shields." Bible History Online says this about Shishak: "Shishak's invasion of Judah has been confirmed by archaeologists. Shishak's own record of his campaign is inscribed on the south wall of the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak. In his campaign he presents 156 cities of Judea to his god Amon." Image below is courtesy of Bible History Online and shows "Shishak Smiting His Captives":
A map with a good overview of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah at this point in our readings in Second Chronicles is below:
New Testament - Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion has a very interesting Q & A today on Romans 8 verses 24-25: "Now that we are saved, we eagerly look forward to this freedom. For if you already have something, you don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently." Tyndale's commentary says: "In Romans, Paul presents the idea that salvation is past, present, and future. It is past because we were saved the moment we believed in Jesus Christ as Savior; our new life (eternal life) begins at that moment. And it is present because we are being saved. But at the same time, we have not yet fully received all the benefits and blessings of salvation that will be ours when Christ's new kingdom is completely established. That's our future salvation." This is pretty amazing to consider that our salvation is past, present and future! Do you appreciate being saved from your past? Are you living fully for God in the present? Are you waiting patiently and confidently for the future?
Today in Romans chapter 8 verses 27 through 29 we read these famous words of Paul’s: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Do you believe that we are more than conquerors through our relationship with Jesus? Does it encourage you to know this? Are you living your life in such a way that truly reflects that you know that you are more than a conqueror? Do you believe that there is absolutely nothing in this world that can separate you from the love of God because of your relationship with Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "From Groaning to Glory" is at this link and "Comforting Questions" is at this link. A great image for Romans 8:28 from today's readings is below:
Psalms - Today we finish up Psalm 18. (Psalm 19 tomorrow! So excited! :) The closing verse 50 of Psalm 18 today is powerful - and I believe can apply to both David and Jesus: "You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever." Are you a spiritual descendent of David? Do you believe that God shows you unfailing love? Do you think that God's Word, the Bible, shows His unfailing love for you?
Proverbs - I love Proverbs 19 verse 27 today: "If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you have turned your back on knowledge." I am afraid that listening seems to be a lost skill in our world oftentimes today. We have a hard time slowing down enough to actually listen to someone else. To stop thinking about our own self and to listen to someone else. And, if this is the case, then how much harder do you suppose it is for us to actually quiet the distractions around us to listen to God? Have we stopped listening to instruction? Are we turning our back on knowledge? Now - I do think the discipline of reading, studying, and meditating on God's Word, the Bible, is something that helps us get our listening skills back in fine-tuned shape. I do applaud you for going through the One Year Bible, so that you can listen to God on a daily basis. But let us be ever vigilant to keep listening to instruction. Let us not turn our backs on knowledge!
Worship God: I think this video and song ties in very well with the transformation we're reading about - and hopefully experiencing - in the book of Romans. The great thing about this video is that the artist, Brandon Heath, opens and closes the song with some great comments. Be forewarned - this video just might make you cry... Beautiful stuff. Enjoy Brandon Heath's "I'm Not Who I Was." And as you watch this video and listen to the song, take some time to reflect on how God has changed you over time... Does this song tell the story of who you are today too?
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Prayer Point: Pray in thanksgiving to God that all things in your life are working for your good, because of your love for Him and because you have been called according to his purpose. Pray that you see the good that is happening in your life, even in challenging circumstances.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles chapter 8 we learn that Solomon married the Egyptian Pharaoh's daughter, which was not pleasing to God and was contrary to God's Law of not marrying foreigners (in large part because they worshiped foreign gods) as you'll recall from Deuteronomy 7:3-4. The Chronicler overall paints a very rosy portrait of both David and Solomon, ignoring many aspects of their sins that we read about in Samuel and Kings. But, it's interesting the Chronicler mentioned this marriage. Solomon married likely for a military alliance with Egypt. Solomon's marrying of foreign wives ultimately led to his turning his heart away from God, as we read in 1 Kings 11:1-11. Interestingly, we see that Solomon won't allow his Egyptian wife to live in David's palace in verse 11: "Solomon moved his wife, Pharaoh's daughter, from the City of David to the new palace he had built for her. He said, "My wife must not live in King David's palace, for the Ark of the LORD has been there, and it is holy ground."" And so he builds her a brand new palace! Think Solomon knew something was amiss with this situation before God if he wouldn't let his Egyptian wife live in David's palace? What about us in our lives today - when we sin, do we try to "cover it up" or "build a pretty palace" to maybe try to distract ourselves or God from our sin? Should we instead just simply confess our sin to God and repent?
At the very end of Second Chronicles chapter 8 today we read these interesting verses 17-18: "Later Solomon went to Ezion-geber and Elath, ports in the land of Edom, along the shore of the Red Sea. Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own officers and manned by experienced crews of sailors. These ships sailed to the land of Ophir with Solomon's men and brought back to Solomon almost seventeen tons of gold." You will see the port of Elath in the 2nd map below. Then, the big question I had today was where is Ophir? Well, it turns out that Ophir was likely in the land of "Sheba" from whence Queen Sheba comes to visit Solomon! So, it is interesting to see how these last 2 verses in chapter 8 lead us to Second Chronicles chapter 9 today where we read about the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon. Below is about the best map I could find with the land of Sheba, and Ophir, in comparison to Israel. The Queen obviously traveled quite a distance in those days to visit Solomon! And I think we can now understand how she learned of Solomon - he built a fleet of ships and sailed them to her land!
In Second Chronicles chapter 9 we read about Solomon's wealth and splendor. I think it is interesting for us to remember that Solomon likely writes the book of Ecclesiastes, which we will read later this year. Ecclesiastes wisely teaches us that living life for one's own pleasure and for riches is meaningless - but only living for God makes life worthwhile. I thought about Ecclesiastes when reading about all of Solomon's wealth today - and realizing that it would later all by destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar and his army from Babylon. Solomon's wealth was yes, impressive. But Solomon's sins and the sins of his descendants eventually took all of it away. Let us never forget that sin kills... Let us never forget that the wages of sin are death. (remember where we read that recently? You've got this memorized from Romans 6:23 correct? :) Today in Verses 22 through 24 we read - "So King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king in all the earth.Kings from every nation came to visit him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. Year after year, everyone who came to visit brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules." Below is a painting of Solomon in all of his splendor in "The Queen of Sheba before Solomon" by Nicolas Knupfer, c. 1640:
I do think map's can often give us a great overview / understanding of what we're reading about in the Bible. I think now is a good time to show a good map of Solomon's Kingdom compared to modern day Israel, below. Take a few minutes to really study this map and reflect upon places you recognize from today's readings and previous day's readings:
King Rehoboam's bad decision making in Second Chronicles chapter 10 is an excellent example of why we should respect our elders... Rehoboam blew off the advice of his elders and instead heeded the foolish advice of the young men around him. And then the kingdom was divided. Of course, this turn of events was the will of God. But, still, a good example I think of why we should listen to and respect our elders...
New Testament - Wow... I love Paul's writings today in Romans 8 verses 12 through 14! "So, dear brothers and sisters,you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God." How do these verses speak to you? Can you imagine that these words were written for you and your life today? Do you believe that you have no obligation whatsoever to do what sin urges you to do? Are you led in your life today by the Spirit of God?
Bible.org's fantastic commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Siding with the Spirit" is at this link and "From Groaning to Glory" is at this link.
Psalms - There are so many great verses today for us to meditate upon in Psalm 18! I love verses 25 through 27: "To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. You rescue those who are humble, but you humiliate the proud." Are you showing yourself to be faithful to God? Are you living with integrity? Are you showing yourself to be pure? Is God showing you these things as well?
I really love verse 28: "LORD, you have brought light to my life; my God, you light up my darkness." Has Jesus brought light into your life? Does God light up your darkness?
Proverbs - Proverbs 19 verse 26 is a great reminder of the commandment to honor thy father and mother: "Children who mistreat their father or chase away their mother are a public disgrace and an embarrassment." So.... have you called your Mom lately?? :) Of course I'm being facetious here with this question as it might (doesn't) relate to this Proverb, but hey, I'll let it stand...
Worship God: Based on Psalm 18 today I think Michael W. Smith's "You are Holy" is a great song to worship God to today. Enjoy!
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed." Romans 8:18-19 TNIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you know that your present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in you. Pray that the children of God will be revealed!
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles we read about Solomon's dedication of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! Below is "King Solomon praying before the Temple" by Neapolitan painter Giuseppe Bonito, c. 1750:
I meant to do this in yesterday's posting - show an exterior and interior image below of what's now often referred to as "Solomon's Temple." Even though it was clearly the Temple of the Lord, it's referred to as Solomon's Temple based on Solomon building it - and we'll read about some more Temple's later on in our readings in the One Year Bible this year, including Ezekiel's Temple, which is fascinating! Anyhow, below are two images of Solomon's Temple, but let me also highly encourage you to take a few moments to check out all of the cool images of the interior and exterior of Solomon's Temple at this link. (make sure you scroll down quite a bit on this link to see all the images) I think this link will help you visualize the Temple much better! Also, at the home page of that link above, you can read up on the Temple Mount area of Jerusalem today where Solomon's Temple was believed to have been located, along with the Second Temple. And now where the Dome of the Rock mosque is located. Very interesting stuff on that web page! And tons of links. Can't say I agree with it all... but it's a website worth exploring.
New Testament - Romans chapter 7 today has some amazing teachings about struggling with sin. I imagine that all of us at one point or another have concurred with Paul - and remember this is the apostle Paul writing this! - in verses 15 through 17: "I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do the very thing I hate. I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience shows that I agree that the law is good. But I can't help myself, because it is sin inside me that makes me do these evil things." These verses get at Original Sin in a big way. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Sin can live inside of us and make us do evil things that we hate doing. What do you suppose - or Whom do you suppose - frees us from this bondage to sin? Jesus. Yes, Jesus frees us. How? He paid the penalty on the cross for our sins. And he gives us the free gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit to free us from the bondage of sin. Take a look at these verses again above from Paul. Is sin living inside of you making you do things you hate? Do you want to be free from this slavery to sin? Will you pray to accept Jesus as your savior today and allow him to free you from you bondage to sin? Please do. It's the best decision you will ever make. Please spend a few minutes prayerfully at this website - http://needhim.org/
Bible.org's fantastic commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "The War Within" is at this link.
Psalms - Psalm 18 is an amazing one! We'll get this Psalm for the next 3 days of readings, which is great. And then comes Psalm 19 which is off the charts awesome! Verse 1 today is so beautiful: "I love you, LORD; you are my strength." How often do you tell God that you love him? One thing that one of my former pastors does when he prays publicly, which absolutely moves me, is that he closes out just about every prayer with "God we love you. And we pray all of this in the name of your son Jesus." The last line of course is the powerful line! But, that second to last line... is just beautiful. Just telling God that we love him. I'm not sure I tell God that I love him often enough. God may not "need" to hear it. But I think that I need to say it more often. I love you God!
Proverbs - I hope you don't relate too well to Proverbs 19 verse 24... but I'll confess that I have been able to relate to this in my past - "Some people are so lazy that they won't even lift a finger to feed themselves." There were days in my past were I was literally this lazy. What a sad state of affairs. It's hard to say exactly why I was being so lazy - other than one clear reason: I was not in a relationship with Jesus. I was living for myself and myself only. So I thought it was fine to sleep and watch TV 24 x 7. What did it matter? Well... it mattered a lot. Being lazy like this is a scary place to be. I think it allows the Enemy to move into our lives in big ways. So - thankfully - as we know from our recent Romans readings, we can be free from our lazy ways! Being in relationship with Jesus has literally cured me of my laziness. Don't get me wrong - I still chill out and rest on occasion - we really need to take a Sabbath day of rest once a week.... but let us not live our lives as couch potatoes! Let us get in the game of Life!
Couldn't resist this cute potato sack race image below... :) These 2 are definitely not lazy couch potatoes!
Worship God: Today's readings in Romans today reminds me of Bebo Norman's song "Into the Day:"
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today:"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2 TNIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are no longer condemned. Pray that you have a saving faith in Jesus. Pray that the Holy Spirit has set you free from sin and death.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles we read about the furnishings for the Temple, including the completion of the Sea in chapter 4 verses 4 & 5 - "The Sea rested on a base of twelve bronze oxen, all facing outward. Three faced north, three faced west, three faced south, and three faced east. The walls of the Sea were about three inches thick, and its rim flared out like a cup and resembled a lily blossom. It could hold about 16,500 gallonsof water." The Sea was used by the priests for their ceremonial washings. Interestingly, the New Testament views these washing rituals as a foreshadowing of the cleansing provided to us by Jesus, as we will read later this year in Hebrews chapter 9 verses 11-14: "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here,he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death,so that we may serve the living God!" Below is an image of the Sea from today's readings:
Today we also read about the Ark being brought to the Temple. Second Chronicles chapter 5 verses 13 & 14 are incredible to consider: "The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the LORD with these words: "He is so good! His faithful love endures forever!" At that moment a cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. The priests could not continue their work because the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple of God."
New Testament - Great writings by Paul in Romans 7 today about the Law! I love how he wraps up today's readings in verses 12 & 13 by saying: "But still, the law itself is holy and right and good. But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my doom? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God's good commandment for its own evil purposes." Great theology in this chapter today! Indeed - the law itself is holy and right and good. But, we couldn't keep the law and sin tempted us to break the law. And thanks to Jesus, Paul tells us in verse 6 today: "But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit." We now serve God by the Spirit! We are free indeed!
Bible.org's commentary on today's Romans readings titled "The Loveliness of the Law and the Ugliness of Sin" is at this link.
Psalms - In Psalm 17 David appeals to God as Judge when he is being attacked by foes. Verse 7 is a great prayer and comfort! "Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. You save with your strength those who seek refuge from their enemies." Do you seek refuge with God from whatever might attacking you? Do you believe that God will show you his unfailing love in wonderful ways? Have you been saved by God's strength? Have you sought refuge with God from your "enemies"?
Proverbs - I like Proverbs 19 verse 22 today! "Loyalty makes a person attractive. And it is better to be poor than dishonest." It is an interesting combination of proverbs in one verse. I do agree that loyalty is an attractive quality in people. Are you loyal to God? And I wholeheartedly agree that it is better to be poor than dishonest. Dishonestly is a sin that breeds so many other sins and wrong-thinkings in our life. It's to be avoided - even if it means being materially poor. You will be wealthy in God's eyes because of your honesty!
Worship God: Romans 7 verse 6 I think correlates very well with this video of The David Crowder Band's "Everything Glorious":
Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today:"So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God." Romans 7:4 TNIV
Prayer Point: Pray that you are alive in Christ. Pray for the body of Christ. Pray that you are bearing fruit for God.
Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!
God bless, Mike
p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.
p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.
p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!
