One Year Bible Blog

November 30th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Daniel 7:1-28 ~ 1 John 1:1-10
Psalm 119:153-176 ~ Proverbs 28:23-24

Old Testament - Allright, Daniel chapter 7 with the vision of 4 beasts is not exactly an easy one for me to interpret here in a daily blog.  :)  But I'll give it a bit of a go.  Actually, if you're looking for a really more in depth look at this chapter, check out this link on bible.org.  Overall, very powerful chapter to read... I definitely was feeling drawn into this chapter and the description of the beasts - it was kinda like reading a Harry Potter book...  :)  (on a random side note, I read a very interesting article in Catholic Digest this month about the Christianity in Harry Potter... very interesting read.  If I can find a link to that article I'll post up)

Basically here in chapter 7 we're seeing a parallel with the vision of these 4 beasts in this vision of Daniel's with the dream Nebuchadnezzar had of the statue in chapter 2 of Daniel.   The lion with the eagle wings represents Babylonia, just as the head of gold in ch. 2 did.  The bear represents Medo-Persia, as the silver did in ch. 2.  The leopard represents Greece, as did the bronze in ch. 2.  And the terrifying and frightening beast represents the Roman empire, as the feet of clay & iron did in ch. 2.   Roughly speaking of course...  :) 

The coolest verses in this chapter are in my mind verse 13 & 14 where we get a Messianic vision of Jesus - "As my vision continued that night, I saw someone who looked like a man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and royal power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal--it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed."   Wow...  very cool stuff..  Do you believe that Jesus has been giving authority, honor and royal power over all the world?  Do you believe that his rule is eternal and his kingdom will never be destroyed? 

Verse 8 & 20 are intriguing to me when they talk about - "This little horn had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that was boasting arrogantly."  The thing that jumped out at me was the mouth that was boasting arrogantly.  How did this read to you when you came across it?  As a good or bad thing to have a mouth that boasts arrogantly?  Again, this reminds me of the sin of pride that we have been seeing over and over again here in the book of Daniel with the Babylonian kings & Darius the Mede.  Essentially some commentaries suggest this little horn that boasts arrogantly represents the antichrist...

New Testament - whoo-hoo!  We start 1 John today!  yeah, I'm pumped.  I love this book..  Well, I'm becoming more and more of a fan of many books in the Bible.   But this one, well, I find special.  I don't know why for sure - other than one thing I know is that it does of course remind me a lot of the Gospel of John - which makes sense since it was written by the guy...  :)  Anyhow, I'm glad we're here at this book.

1 John was written by one of Jesus' 12 disciples, John son of Zebedee - who also wrote the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation.  1 John was written between 85 and 95 A.D. when John was in Ephesus (in modern day Turkey - pretty cool panoramic pics at this link) late in his life.  The purpose of this letter was in large part to dispel Gnosticism, which was a twisting of Christianity - it basically meant salvation through knowledge (gnosis is Greek for knowledge).  I could go on and on about Gnosticism, but check out this link for all the details. 

Check out this link for more of an overview & intro to 1 John. 

1 John starts out strong right out of the gates in verse 1 and is very similar to the beginning of the Gospel of John - "The one who existed from the beginning is the one we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life."   Do you believe that Jesus Christ has existed from the very beginning of time with God the Father?  Do you believe that Jesus is the Word of life?

And verse 5 is a message to us from Jesus via John - "This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all."  I love this.  A month or so ago in this blog I reflected on God being a God of no shadows.  All light.  I love that thought.  Do you believe God is light?  And that there is no darkness, no shadows, in him at all?

And in verses 8 & 9 we read: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Do you claim to be without sin? Do you confess your sins regularly and ask for forgiveness from God? Do you believe that God is faithful and just and will forgive you? And not just forgive you but purify you from the confessed sins? And heal you from the confessed sins?

Psalms - We finish Psalm 119 today...  :(  I am sad.  I loved reading through this Psalm this year.  For some reason it meant more to me than ever before.  I pray this Psalm has been good for you as well this go round. 

I think the last 3 verses of this Psalm are worth us camping out on here for a moment.  In verses 174, 175 & 176 the author of Psalm 119 closes out the Psalm with what I think is a prayer and a confession all in one - "O LORD, I have longed for your salvation, and your law is my delight. Let me live so I can praise you, and may your laws sustain me. I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands."  Wow... not a bad prayer and confession, eh?  Is God's Word our delight?  Do we wish to live so we can praise God?  Does his Word sustain us?  Actually check out these verses again and then check out the 1 John 1 verses 8 & 9 again above.  Think this Psalmist claimed to be without sin? 

Proverbs 28 verse 23 is a great reminder to simply be sincere with people.  Just be sincere.  I appreciate sincerity in others - and I pray at times I am sincere for others.  Are you sincere?

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

November 29th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Daniel 6:1-28 ~ 2 Peter 3:1-18
Psalm 119:129-152 ~ Proverbs 28:21-22

Okay, we are definitely in the midst of some amazing readings today!  The book of Daniel is continuing to challenge and inspire me - as certainly 2 Peter is.  And Psalm 119 I seem to be appreciating more than ever.  I hope you are having similar experiences!

Old Testament - Daniel chapter 6 today is as famous as chapter 5's writing on the wall.  Today Daniel goes into the lion's den...  Several things, as always, are going on in this chapter.  One big note is that Daniel is about 80 years old at the time of this chapter.  He's not a young man.  And yet he is running laps around the other kingdom administrators with his work - and for this he is honored more and more by the king.  And others are getting jealous of this old man Daniel.  They realize the only way to trip him up is on religion.  And - by appealing to the king's pride with a law that makes people worship the king only.  Interesting thing that pride....  pretty easy sin for us humans to fall into?  :)  Well, then the old man Daniel gets tossed into the pit of lions - and comes out alive through the grace of God.  And the king realizes he was duped by the admins and tosses them in the pit of lions.  But enough of my Cliff Notes here... let's check out a few verses...

Verse 4 makes me reflect on my life and the way I live it - "Then the other administrators and princes began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling his affairs, but they couldn't find anything to criticize. He was faithful and honest and always responsible."   How are we in handling our affairs?  Our job, our tempers, our finances, our time?  Are we faithful in all of these areas?  Honest?  Always responsible?

Verse 10 helps us look at how we should act / react when challenging circumstances come into our lives - "But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God."  Daniel continued to worship God as he always had in the midst of bad news of the new law.  He didn't blink.  He didn't flinch.  He didn't take a break from God.  He kept worshiping.  How do we act when bad news comes into our lives?  Do we sulk?  Do we decide to avoid God for a while?  Or do we continue to worship God as we have always - giving thanks to God?

Verse 20 is a wonderful verse from the mouth of the remorseful king - "When he got there, he called out in anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you worship continually, able to rescue you from the lions?""   First of all - I love the term the living God.  Do you realize that God is indeed a living God?  Not a stoic God who just sets up the universe and lets it run on its own - but a God who is in the midst of every single one of our experiences - good and bad?  A living God.  A God who is with us on the mountain tops - and in the lion's den.  Do you believe God is indeed a living God?  Do you worship the living God continually?

New Testament - Today we finish the letter of 2 Peter!  :(  Again, I have been so blessed reading through this letter this year.  It's always a good thing to read a letter from a guy that Jesus said this about in Matthew 16:18 - "And I tell you that you are Peter [which means rock], and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades [or hell] will not overcome it."  Do you believe that the gates of hell will not overcome the church of Jesus built upon the rock of Peter?

Verse 3 is a reminder to us all - "First, I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire."  Keep in mind that we live in the last days - everything post-Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven is last days.  So, in the time of Peter and the early church there were scoffers who laughed at the truth and do every evil thing they desire.  Is this still happening today?

Verse 9 is helpful in knowing why Jesus has not yet returned - "The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent."   He is giving more time for everyone to repent...  Will we repent? 

Verses 15 & 16 are very interesting.  They are basically Peter giving props to Paul's writing - "This is just as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him-- Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from what he meant, just as they do the other parts of Scripture."  Have you ever found Paul's writing hard to understand?!  :)  I know many of my friend's have.  And I have too.  But, there is so much going on in Paul's letters that need to be looked at contextually.  Overall, Paul's letter's have been such a blessing to me personally, and I look forward to reading them and studying them again in 2005 with many of you!

And Peter closes the letter with the beautiful verse 18 - "But grow in the special favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be all glory and honor, both now and forevermore. Amen."   I don't know that I can add any more to this than simply another "Amen." 

Tomorrow we start the book of 1 John!  Wow...  we are in for a treat with this book!

Psalms - Psalm 119 is continuing with it's amazing verses about God's holy Word, the Bible, and how it can transform our lives.   Verse 138 is just one more small example from this incredible Psalm - "Your decrees are perfect; they are entirely worthy of our trust."  Do you believe that God's Word, the Bible, is perfect?  Is it entirely worthy of our trust?

I can't forget verse 130 which I have at the top of this blog in the NIV form!  "The unfolding of your words gives light..."  Do you believe this is true?  Does reading God's Word, the Bible, bring light into your life?  If you did not read God's Word would you be in darkness? 

Proverbs 28:21 is a great reminder to not sell-out or sin for something so small...  much less something big!  But, sometimes it is the tiny things in life that really trip us up and lead us down the wrong path...

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

November 28th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Daniel 5:1-31 ~ 2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-128 ~ Proverbs 28:19-20

Old Testament - Daniel chapter 5 is the infamous "the writing is on the wall" chapter...  Not a good sign to see writing on the wall...  This chapter is of huge importance to the Babylonian dynasty - because this chapter is the very last day of Babylon the empire.  The next day everything goes to the Persians & Medes and Cyrus will be taking over the roost.  Daniel chapter 5 verse 1 starts us out with - "A number of years later.."  This chapter takes place in 539 B.C., whereas chapter 4 with Nebuchadnezzar took place before his death in 562 B.C.  So, at least 23 years have past between chapter 4 & 5 - and several leaders of Babylon have passed by, leaving Belshazzar, who has 1 day more...

Verses 1 through 4 in the chapter unfortunately describe an orgy taking place, utilizing gold and silver cups taken from the Temple in Jerusalem decades earlier by Nebuchadnezzar.  Unwisely, Belshazzar and the crew toast false idols with these sacred cups of God - at which point immediately the hand begins writing on the wall, and verse 6 tells us about Belshazzar - "Such terror gripped him that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way beneath him."  Think he had reason to be scared like this?  Why?

As Daniel is called in to interpret the writing, verse 17 jumps out as Daniel tells Belshazzar - "Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means."  Daniel is obviously quite bold in this case - he does not defer to Belshazzar being the king, and the seemingly right thing to do would be to take the gifts.  Daniel simply says - keep 'em!  Bold...  A righteous boldness, no?  Plus, you gotta think that Daniel's seen a lot in Babylon in his time and he's ready to cut to the chase and just interpret the writing.  He doesn't need earthly gifts or honor....  Do we seek earthly gifts and honor in our lives?  Should we?  Can we learn from Daniel?

Before interpreting the dream Daniel gives Belshazzar and old fashioned lecture which culminates in verse 22 as he speaks of Nebuchadnezzar being humbled by God - ""You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself."  Basically, Daniel is saying - you should have known better.  You knew better.  You saw Nebuchadnezzar's mistakes.  You did not learn.  Are we like this sometimes?  Should we know better? 

Verse 27 is worth reflecting upon - "You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting." (NIV).  Very interesting to think about a godly scale.  A scale that maybe looks at how we invest our time, money, love, life, worship?  Are we investing in things that are eternal?  Obviously, through the opening verses Belshazzar was simply investing his life into himself, his lusts and his desires.  And hence, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN was written on the wall... 

Pretty interesting to think that the great kingdom of Babylon went down like this in one chapter... 

New Testament - 2 Peter chapter 2 is a strong one that looks at the danger of false teachers - both in the Old Testament times through false prophets and also in the early church in the 1st century.  I have to confess that as I read this chapter I think of some current books and movies and teachers in our modern world that I am afraid may apply to some of the warnings of this chapter.  Do you believe that their might be false teachers also in our world today?  Teachers that distort the Gospel message?  Teachers that steer people away from Truth and into Darkness?  Teachers that are in it for the money?   

Verses 2 & 3 warn us that - "Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money."  At the time Peter wrote this letter the shameful immorality was primarily sexual sin.  The false teachers were allowing / encouraging people to basically do what they want sexually.  That there is no theological or spiritual or personal damage that will come with sexual do-whatever-the-heck-you-wantness...  (okay, that's not in the Bible - I made that up).  Do we see this type of teaching today?  Is this type of teaching true?  Is it false?  Is it shameful?  Do you believe that sex can be damaging to you outside of the proper context?   Verse 19 warns again - "They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves to sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you."  What controls you?  (could be love for God and his ways, which is great.  or it could be something else?) 

Verse 20 is a tricky one in that some might argue that this proves that you can lose your salvation - "And when people escape from the wicked ways of the world by learning about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up with sin and become its slave again, they are worse off than before."  The Zondervan NIV commentary suggests that this verse does not indicate that you can lose your salvation - but, instead, that some may have "learned" about Jesus, but not truly accepted him as Lord and Savior and not truly believed in his life, death for sins, and resurrection.  So, they weren't saved in the first place, but just "learned" about God, but then retreated back to their old ways.

Psalms - Psalm 119 verse 114 is beautiful a beautiful reflection on our relationship with God and his Word, the Bible - "You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my only source of hope."  What is your source of hope?

Proverbs 28 verse 19 is a great reminder to not "chase after fantasies", but to work hard - and be trustworthy in your work per verse 20!

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

The Truth Laid Bear! EcoTeam Challenge

The One Year Bible Blog is pleased to be participating in the Spirit of America Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge on the The Truth Laid Bear! EcoTeam, to raise money for worthy efforts in Iraq.  Please click here to donate!

Support freedom, democracy and peace in Iraq
Leading bloggers are competing to raise funds to benefit the people of Iraq. 100% of all donations go to needs selected by these bloggers. Many of our projects support requests made by Americans serving in Iraq (Marines, Army, SeaBees) for goods that help the Iraqi people. Other projects directly support Iraqis who are on the front lines of building a better future for Iraq.  Please click here to donate!

November 27th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Daniel 4:1-37 ~ 2 Peter 1:1-21
Psalm 119:97-112 ~ Proverbs 28:17-18

Old Testament - Daniel chapter 4 is an incredible chapter today!  There is tons going on in this one.  We open up this chapter with King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon giving props to God as verses 2 & 3 tell us: "I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.  How great are his signs, how powerful his wonders! His kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations." Does this sound like the Nebuchadnezzar we've come to know?  We'll, we must read on as he tells us how he got to the point of praising God like this...

Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the tree in this chapter is relatively straightforward, as is the interpretation that Daniel gives.  One intriguing verse to me was verse 27 where Daniel pleads w/ Nebuchadnezzar to repent to avoid what will happen per the dream - "" `O King Nebuchadnezzar, please listen to me. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past by being merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.'"  Think Nebuchadnezzar listened to Daniel?  What if Daniel was telling us to do this same thing today?  Would we listen?

We see the sin of pride bring down Nebuchadnezzar in verse 30 as follows - "`Just look at this great city of Babylon! I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence and as an expression of my royal splendor.'"  Are their times in our life where we boast of what we have "done" or "created" by our "own mighty power"?  Good idea.... ?

Nebuchadnezzar becomes Gollum from the Lord of the Rings!  :)  Yes, I did hear someone teach on this chapter recently and he placed up on screen a picture of Gollum from Lord of the Rings and suggested this is what happened to Nebuchadnezzar essentially in verse 33 - "That very same hour the prophecy was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles' feathers and his nails were like birds' claws."  Can you see how sin can drive us to basic animal instincts? Like Gollum?  Do you see how godly wisdom can save us from becoming like animals?  Like Gollum?  Pride seems to be a very tempting sin for all of us - and not a good one to pursue - as Nebuchadnezzar tells us himself in verse 37 -"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble those who are proud." Do you believe this to be true? 

Verse 36 also jumps out at me in this chapter only because it reminds me of the tail end of the book of Job - "When my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My advisers and officers sought me out, and I was reestablished as head of my kingdom, with even greater honor than before."   A reminder that God gives and takes away - and can give again...

New Testament - Today we start the book of 2 Peter!  This is another great letter from Peter to the early Christian church written in approximately 65 to 68 A.D., just before Peter was martyred during the reign of the Roman emperor Nero.  1 Peter was more of a letter of encouragement to early Christians who were facing suffering, whereas 2 Peter is written to dispel false teachings within early Christianity.   A good overview and introduction to 2 Peter is online here. 

2 Peter 1 verse 3 brings up a couple of good questions we should ask ourselves - "As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life."  Do you want to know Jesus better?  How will you do this?  (hint - reading the Bible daily is one great way...)  How else?  Do you want to live a godly life?  What is a godly life?  Do you believe Jesus' divine power gives you everything you need to live a godly life?

Verse 19 makes a One Year Bible Blog happy :) - "Because of that, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. Pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a light shining in a dark place--until the day Christ appears and his brilliant light shines in your hearts."  I think one of the beautiful things about the One Year Bible is going through both the Old Testament and New Testament each day.  We learn from the prophets and can play close attention to what they wrote - for as Peter says, their words are like a light shining in the dark.

Psalms - Psalm 119 verse 105 is something to reflect upon - "Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path."  Do you believe God's Word, the Bible, is a lamp for your feet?  A light for your path?  To help put this in perspective - without God's Word, the Bible, is it possible that we would have no lamp for our feet?   No light for our paths?  That we'd essentially be groping in the darkness without God's Word, the Bible?

Verse 111 wow...  "Your decrees are my treasure; they are truly my heart's delight."  What is your treasure?  Where is your treasure?  Is God's Word, the Bible, truly your heart's delight?

Proverbs 28:17 has a very real example in Cain in Genesis chapter 4, where he became restless for the remainder of his days after murdering Abel....  Genesis 4:14 Cain himself tells us - "I will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

November 26th readings

(click on the date above for today's readings)
Daniel 2:24-3:30 ~ 1 Peter 4:7-5:14
Psalm 119:81-96 ~ Proverbs 28:15-16

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!   I am quite excited for a 4 day weekend. But, most importantly, I'm looking forward to spending time with family and spending some time in reflection on the past year and on the one to come. I do hope that you have some quality time to spend reflecting and offering thanksgiving to God for the good things going on in your life currently.

Interestingly, we will be in the midst of Psalm 119 this next week, which is basically a Psalm offering thanksgiving to God for his Word, the Bible. I do hope that each of us gets a chance to offer thanksgiving to God for the journey through the One Year Bible this year. If you can't think of the words to say, Psalm 119's readings this week will suffice quite nicely.

I hope you get a chance over Thanksgiving weekend to consider joining me on the One Year Bible journey in 2005. We now have over 87 people signed up for 2005, and I would love to have you on the journey with me next year. (20 people have signed up just over the past week from all over the U.S. and South Korea, so it seems that momentum is building for 2005).

Also, as you are interacting with your family this Thanksgiving weekend, please let them know about your One Year Bible journey in 2004 and please feel free to invite interested family members in participating in the One Year Bible in 2005. Just send me their email addresses post-Thanksgiving and I'll get them on the email list for 05.

Old Testament - Today in Daniel chapter 2 we see Daniel conducting his affairs with Nebuchadnezzar with wonderful humility.  In verses 27 & 28 Daniel says - ""There are no wise men, enchanters, magicians, or fortune-tellers who can tell the king such things.  But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the future."  Here we see that Daniel is giving God the glory for the dream about the be revealed.  Daniel was taking no credit for this.  Do we regularly give God the glory in our lives?  Or do we take credit?

The dream interpreted by Daniel is summed up in verses 44 & 45 - "During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed; no one will ever conquer it. It will shatter all these kingdoms into nothingness, but it will stand forever. That is the meaning of the rock cut from the mountain by supernatural means, crushing to dust the statue of iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold." The dream & interpretation are prophesying the kingdom of Babylon (gold), followed by the Medo-Persian Kingdom (silver), then Greek kingdom (bronze), then the Roman empire with a mix of iron & clay - representing strong and weak states w/in the Roman empire.  These are all B.C. kingdoms, taking us up to the time of Jesus the Messiah, when the rock cut from the mountain comes and becomes the everlasting Kingdom of God. 

Nebuchadnezzar is impressed with the dream interpretation and says to Daniel in verse 47 - "Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret."  Think Nebuchadnezzar is sincere about this?  Or, think he will be the next day?  Check out where he goes in Chapter 3....

In chapter 3 we read the phenomenal story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. In verses 16-18 we read: “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Focus on the words in verse 18 – “But even if he does not”. Do we have the faith of these 3 men in God? Even if God does not show up in our lives as we hope he might, will we still have faith? Will we not serve other gods or worship false idols? Back to verse 16 - Do we realize that we do not have to defend our faith to others? Do we believe that God can rescue us from the most dire of situations, including a fiery furnace?

In verse 28 we hear Nebuchadnezzar giving props to God again - similar to chapter 2 verse 47 above - "Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king's command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God."  Are we willing to die rather than serve or worship any God?  (big question I realize... but a fair one... this is happening to Christians around the world today.... please remember to pray for the persecuted church around the world...)

New Testament - We finish the book of 1 Peter today!  Nice quick letter jam packed with great stuff.  In 1 Peter 5 today we receive a stern warning we should heed - "Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith."  Do you believe the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion?  Will you take a firm stand against him?  How will you do this?  Memorizing scripture on a regular basis is one very effective tool in this battle...

Psalms - Psalm 119 verse 95 actually backs up that last sentence above quite nicely - "Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me, I will quietly keep my mind on your decrees."  How can you quietly keep your mind on God's decrees?  Maybe memorizing scripture on a regular basis?  :)

Proverbs 28:16 today is a great reminder that we should hate dishonesty and bribes...

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

November 25th readings

(click on the date above for today's readings)
Daniel 1:1-2:23 ~ 1 Peter 3:8-4:6
Psalm 119:65-80 ~ Proverbs 28:14

Old Testament - Today we start the book of Daniel, an incredible book!  The book of Daniel takes place in approximately 605 B.C. during the first captivity of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  Daniel is exiled to Babylon to Jerusalem in 605 B.C. - whereas Ezekiel, the prophet of the previous book, was exiled in 597 B.C.   It is believed that Daniel wrote this book - though some skeptics believe that Daniel couldn't have written this book because his prophecies late in this book are spot-on.  Thus, they think someone must have written the book in retrospect.  Here's the age-old controversy of the Bible - is it True or not.  If it has some true prophecies, then they must have been written after they came to fruition.  :)  We'll forge ahead here believing that indeed Daniel wrote this book.   A good overview of the book of Daniel - and the authorship controversy - is online here. 

Daniel chapter 1 verse 7 is worth diving into to show how Nebuchadnezzar was trying to change the religious alliances of these 4 young men from Jerusalem - "The chief official renamed them with these Babylonian names:    Daniel was called Belteshazzar.    Hananiah was called Shadrach.    Mishael was called Meshach.    Azariah was called Abednego."     Daniel's name in Hebrew means "God is my Judge" - his new name Belteshazzar means "Bel, protect his life!"  Bel, or Marduk was the main Babylonian god.  (see where Nebuchadnezzar was giong with this...)  Hananaih's name in Hebrew is "the Lord shows grace" and Shadrach means "under the command of Aku" - the moon god....  Mishael's name in Hebrew is "who is like God?" and his new name Meshach is "who is like Aku?"  And finally Azariah's name in Hebrew is "the Lord helps" and his new name Abednego is "servant of Nego/Nebo" - the god of learning and writing.  Do you think that someone's name can be reflective of who they are?  Are names important? 

Verse 8 is worth exploring - "But Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king."  Why do you think this was?  Was Daniel just being picky?  Snooty?  Well, that was kind of my first thought.  Further study showed me that the food the Babylonians were going to feed Daniel and the 3 fellas were sacrificed to idols.  Which ain't a good thing in the Law...  And furthermore, the wine was poured out on pagan altars.  Again, not good.  So, Daniel seems to be making a very wise move here.  Will we do things like this in our own lives?  Things that appear to be "harmless" on the surface, will we refuse, if we know they will actually be damaging to us?  Even if our peers are pressuring us?  Will we not defile ourselves?

Daniel chapter 2 verse 20 has a great start to a prayer from Daniel to God - ""Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he alone has all wisdom and power."  Check out the remainder of the verses in this chapter - this prayer.  This praise.  Do we pray to God in this manner?  Do we open up our prayers with praise for God?  Do we acknowledge that only God has all wisdom and power?  Can we learn something from Daniel's prayer?

New Testament - 1 Peter 3 verse 13 is definitely something for each of us to ponder - "Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?"  I think this is very true.  If you are "eager" to do good, who will want to harm you?  Well, true, maybe someone who becomes jealous or who is just plain having a bad day... but generally speaking, I think we can avoid a lot of troubles in our life if we stay focused - no, eager - to do good.  All the time.  Are you eager to do good?

Suffering.  Not something we like to think about - much less experience...  1 Peter 4 verses 1 & 2 are well worth letting sink in a bit - "So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning. And you won't spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God."  Do you believe these verses to be true?  Are you ready to suffer for Christ?  Have you decided to stop sinning?  Are you anxious to do the will of God and abandon chasing evil desires?  Do you believe this is the better Way?

Psalms - Psalm 119 verse 71carries this theme of suffering forward again..   "The suffering you sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your principles." Do you believe suffering can be good for you?  Can it teach you to pay attention to God?

Christianity Today magazine actually has a great article on Suffering which I just read this evening.  It's not online yet, but should be soon.  In the meantime, I did find these reflections on Suffering & Grief on ChristianityToday.com that are worth reading.

Proverbs 28 verse 14 simply should make us ask - Do I have a tender conscience?

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

November 24th readings

(click on the date above for today's readings)
Ezekiel 47:1-48:35 ~ 1 Peter 2:11-3:7
Psalm 119:49-64 ~ Proverbs 28:12-13

Old Testament - We finish the book of Ezekiel today!  :(  I have enjoyed reading this book immensely this year.  I am now wanting to experience some funky Ezekiel-type visions!  :)  (yes, I know that I should be very careful on what I ask for here...)

Ezekiel chapter 47's opening verses on the River of Healing are just beautiful.  As I was reading these verses I imagined myself jumping into the river and just being refreshed and renewed and restored!  Great stuff...  This river is very reminiscent of the river in the Garden of Eden - and the River described in Revelation 22.  And this river reminds me a bit of a new David Wilcox song called "In This Stream" - beautiful tune - click here for lyrics.  Verse 9 in ch. 47 here sums it all up well - "Everything that touches the water of this river will live. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live."  Can you imagine this river of healing flowing from the temple?  Can you imagine some rest & restoration & refreshment & healing through this river?   

Ezekiel chapter 48's last words - and the last words in the book of Ezekiel are simply this - "And from that day the name of the city will be `The LORD Is There.'"  In Hebrew this is Yahweh Shammah.   The Hebrew pronunciation of Jerusalem is Yerushalayim - which could be a wordplay on Yahweh Shammah.  Jerusalem = The Lord is There...

New Testament - 1 Peter 2 verse 11 is powerful - "So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls."  Do you believe evil desires fight against your soul?  If so, will you keep away from evil desires?  Will you not entertain those desires anymore?

Verse 24 today about Jesus is so strong  - ^"He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds!"   Are you dead to sin?  Are you living for what is right?  Do you believe you have been healed by Jesus' wounds?  Will you accept this healing?  Will you be healed?

Psalms - I am continuing to love every verse we read in Psalm 119!   Verse 59 today is a great verse for each of us to consider - "I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your statutes."  Have you ever reached a mid-life or maybe even a quarter-life crisis where you pondered the direction of your life?  Did you like the direction your life was heading?  Did you want to change that direction?  Will you turn to follow God's way?  God's truth?  God's life for you?  Do you believe that God's plans for you are so much bigger than any plans of your own that you could dream up?

Proverbs 28 verse 13 is a great reminder to confess our sins for a great reason - "People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy."  Will we confess our sins?  Forsake them?  And receive mercy?

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

November 23rd readings

(click on the date above for today's readings)
Ezekiel 45:13-46:24 ~ 1 Peter 1:13-2:10
Psalm 119:33-48 ~ Proverbs 28:11

Old Testament - Ezekiel chapters 45 & 46 throw out some new regulations on how offerings are too be done, when compared to the original Pentateuch regulations - primarily from Numbers chapter 28.   Apparently these chapters have created some reconciliation work for rabbis in the past to figure out the proper regs.   Verse 20 in chapter 46 did jump out at me in today's readings - ^"He explained, "This is where the priests will cook the meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the flour from the grain offerings into bread. They will do it here to avoid carrying the sacrifices through the outer courtyard and harming the people by transmitting holiness to them."   Per a previous chapter this goes along the lines of the priests needing to take off their clothes in a special room after being in the Temple, to avoid transmitting holiness.   This is interesting to me because you think that transmitting holiness would be a good thing.  Obviously not in this case.  This does remind me of when Moses was on the mountain receiving the 10 Commandments, he had to wear a veil over his face amongst the people when he came down from the mountain because his face was so radiant from being in the presence of God.   I'll need to do more study on the problem of "transmitting holiness" in this case and report later.  If anyone has ideas on why this is the case, please post up in the comments section below.  Thanks.

New Testament - Okay, this is one of the beauties of the One Year Bible - something from the OT tying into something we read in the NT on the same day.  :)  Continuing our holiness theme above, check out verses 15 & 16 in 1 Peter 1 today - "But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God--who chose you to be his children--is holy.  For he himself has said, "You must be holy because I am holy.""  Seems like getting some transmitted holiness is now good!  :)  Well, indeed it is...  I don't mean to make light of holiness...  I think we are looking at some old covenant / new covenant differences here.  In the OT times, only the priests could get anywhere near God - near holiness.  Whereas, now thanks to the Cross of Christ, all who believe in Jesus can approach God and holiness.  Christ finished the OT sacrifices and rituals, and was the final sacrifice.  The veil of holiness has been lifted.  We can now approach God and holiness, through Christ.   Do you believe that God is holy?  Do you believe we are called to be holy? Is this a goal in your life – to be holy?  What are some ways you can move forward on this goal of being holy?

1 Peter 2 verse 2 is awesome - "You must crave pure spiritual milk so that you can grow into the fullness of your salvation. Cry out for this nourishment as a baby cries for milk, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness."  Do you crave pure spiritual milk?  What is pure spiritual milk?  Could it be the Word of God, the Bible?  Do you believe the Bible can help you grow into the fullness of your salvation?  Do you cry out for this nourishment?

Verse 5 is beautiful as well - "And now God is building you, as living stones, into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are God's holy priests, who offer the spiritual sacrifices that please him because of Jesus Christ."   Do you believe that you are a living stone in God's spiritual temple?  Do you believe you are a holy priest of God? 

Psalms - Today in Psalm 119 verse 37 we read: “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” Are there currently things in your life that you are spending time on – focusing your eyes on – that are worthless? Do you want to turn your eyes away from these things? Will you? Do you believe that your life can be preserved by the Word of God – the Bible? How will you continue to preserve your life according to God’s Word in 2005?

Proverbs - Proverb 28:11 is a great reminder for us to not think of ourselves as being too wise in our own eyes... others will see through our "wisdom".

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

November 22nd readings

(click on the date above for today's readings)
Ezekiel 44:1-45:12 ~ 1 Peter 1:1-12
Psalm 119:17-32 ~ Proverbs 28:8-10

Old Testament - In Ezekiel chapters 44 & 45 today we see the priesthood restored to Israel.  It's interesting that the Levites are taken down a notch in how they can serve in the temple and the Zadokites are elevated.  Zadok was a priest during the time of David & Solomon and a descendent of Eleazar and ultimately Aaron.  Chapter 44, verse 28 jumped out at me today - "As to property, the priests will not have any, for I alone am their inheritance."   I like that.  God alone is the priests' inheritance.  What is our inheritance?  Is it property?  Is it things of this earth?  Or could our inheritance be God as well?

New Testament - Today we start the first letter of Peter.  This letter was written by the Apostle Peter during the 60's A.D.  Peter was martyred during the Roman emperor Nero's reign in 67/68 A.D. A good overview of First Peter is online here. 

1 Peter 4-6 are great verses - "For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while."  Are we truly glad about this priceless inheritance?  Do we believe there is a priceless inheritance for us in heaven?  Do we understand that we may have to endure many trials in this life before receiving this inheritance?  Will you endure the many trials that will come your way, knowing that God's inheritance is awaiting you through your faith in Christ?

Verse 8 is a beautiful thought about Jesus and our relationship with him - "You love him even though you have never seen him."   Even though you have never seen him, do you love him?

Psalms - Psalm 119 continues our Thanksgiving Psalm, reflecting on God's Word, the Bible.  It is very fitting that we are reading this psalm during Thanksgiving week!   Verse 29 jumps out today - "Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your law." Is it possible that we lie to ourselves?  About how we are living our lives?  Can God keep us from lying to ourselves?  Do you believe that God can open our eyes to his truth?

Proverbs - Proverb 28:9 makes me simply say ouch...   Quite the opposite of James telling us the prayers of a righteous person are powerful...

What verses or insights jumped out for you in today's readings? Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike