One Year Bible Blog

December 31st readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Malachi 3:1-4:6 ~ Revelation 22:1-21
Psalm 150:1-6 ~ Proverbs 31:25-31

Happy New Year!  Congratulations to everyone who completed the One Year Bible journey today in 2004!  It has been awesome to go through the journey this year with each of you!  Quite a blessing to realize that you've read through God's Word this past year, eh?  It has been a huge blessing for me.  God has continued to transform me this past year through this journey.  Reading through the Bible in a year will change you.  For the better!  :)

Join us in 2005!  We now have 482 people signed up for our free weekly emails filled with commentary, encouragement, and questions for reflection.  If you would like to join the 482 of us on the journey in 2005, please click on this link for all of the details on how to sign up - www.OneYearBible2005.com.

Old Testament - Today we finish the book of the prophet Malachi, and it is an awesome 2 chapters we read today!  The first half of Malachi 3 verse 1 is prophesying 400 years in advance of the coming of John the Baptist, who will prepare people's hearts for Jesus by preaching repentance of sins - ""Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me."  This is a great thing to reflect on as we close out one year and begin anew.  Do we need a messenger from God to encourage us to repent from our sins?  Will we listen to that messenger and make way for the coming of Jesus into our hearts and lives? 

The second half of verse 1 then prophesies that Jesus is indeed coming to usher in the new covenant, or the new testament, - "The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the LORD Almighty."  Jesus has come and is coming again in glory.  It is the beauty of the already / not yet.  Jesus has already come, but he has not yet come again.  We are in these in-between days.  Verse 2 tells us about Jesus - "For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal or like a strong soap that whitens clothes."  Will you allow Jesus to refine you through his holy fire?  And make you pure through his holy soap?  (Okay, I realize this is a bit cheesy wording by me - has anyone ever called Jesus holy soap before?? :)

Verses 6 & 7 are so powerful for us to reflect upon - ""I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already completely destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my laws and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty."  As I reflect back upon our One Year Bible readings this year, it is so true that God does not change.  He has shown so much compassion over and over again to the Israelites in the Old Testament.  And he continues to show so much compassion to us today over and over again.  In light of God's holy and unchanging love and compassion for us, will we return to him?

Verse 10 is one of my favorites and one of the most challenging in the Bible - "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD Almighty, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!"   This verse has and will continue to be interpreted so many ways.  My current philosophy on this verse, in my own life, is that God is asking for me to bring 10% of my gross income to my local church where I worship.  I know this is a hot topic, so please know that these are just my personal views - and views that have changed unfortunately all too frequently.  :)  Earlier this fall I was gracefully challenged by a friend to tithe a full 10% to my local church.  She didn't come out and ask me if I was tithing 10% to the church - just, the topic somehow came up.  Before this conversation, I was feeling pretty happy that I was giving 10% to a bunch of different nonprofits and ministries and the church.  So maybe 3 to 5% to the church.  She gracefully challenged me on this...  I guess I hope I can gracefully challenge everyone on this too.  Should we consider giving 10% of our gross income, a full tithe, to our local church?  And then, if we feel so led and called, offerings on top of that to other very worthy ministries and nonprofits?  Would this mean probably having to cut back on some of our luxuries?  But with the kingdom minded view of building God's church?  Would it be a blessing to us and to many others to consider giving 10% to our local church?  I don't mean to put this on the table here to make you feel guilty - and I honestly do not mean to get legalistic about this.  I just ask that you think about this and pray about this with God.  The tithe will actually bless you more than you could ever imagine.  Check out the NIV translation of Malachi 3:10 (slightly different than our NLT version above) - "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."   It is very rare in the Bible that God says "test me" and follows it up with an incredible promise of a blessing.  Will you test God with a whole tithe?

Chapter 4 verse 2 makes me smile with the metaphor of us being compared to a calf frolicking in a field - "But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture."  Do you want to be set free?  Truly free from your burdens and doing things that you do not want to do?  Will you entrust your life to the Sun (Son?) of Righteousness, Jesus?   And then - are you looking forward to leaping with joy like a calf let out to pasture??  :)   I love this metaphor...  it will stick with me.

New Testament - Today we finish the book of Revelation with a glorious chapter wrapping up the description of the New Jerusalem in heaven, and with a clear reminder that Jesus is coming again. 

Chapter 22 verses 1 & 2 are so beautiful - "And the angel showed me a pure river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb, coursing down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations."   This river combines the elements of the river in the Garden of Eden - see Genesis 2:8-14 - and the river flowing from the temple in Ezekiel's vision - see Ezekiel 47:1-12.  I love this idea of this "river of life".  There are so many beautiful allusions to God and grace being like water or a river in the Bible - particularly in the Psalms.  A river that heals us...  I love this.  There is a great song by Stephen Curtis Chapman about diving into the river.  I think it's called "Dive" on his Speechless CD.  This song of his reminds me so much of these verses.  One of his lyrics goes something like - "The River's deep, the river's wide, the river's water is ALIVE!  So sink or swim, I'm diving in!"  Do you want to dive into this holy river of God?  Do you want to be healed and purified by it's waters?

Verse 8 is powerful for us to reflect upon, where we see an angel speaking to John after he fell to worship the angel - ""No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this scroll. Worship God!""  My thought here is that do we sometimes worship other people in our life?   And does this worship of other people ultimately take away from our worship of God?  Meaning, I think it might sometimes be tempting for us to "worship" our pastors or ministers or spiritual mentors.  But, should we do this?  I think we would do well to remember that these people in our life are simply servants of God, like this angel.  They are not God.  We are called to give our hearts and minds and souls and worship to God and God only. 

Psalms - Psalm 150 is a wonderful end to the Psalter filled with a call to Praise God with all that we are.  This ties in pretty well to this paragraph above.  Give it up for God and God only!  :)

Proverbs 31:25-31 are a continued great look for what a godly woman - and man I believe - does.  I really like the verse 30 that seems so counter to what our culture is often selling us today - "Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised."  I think this holds so true for women and men - our beauty or good looks or outer appearances do not last.   They are not eternal.  What matters is what's inside - our relationship and love of God.  So, I think this is a great reminder to focus on what's inside - and what's eternal.  And yes, our culture will continue to try to sell us on the latest fads to look better on the outside.  Will we refuse to buy into what will not last?

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

Grace,
Mike

December 30th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Malachi 1:1-2:17 ~ Revelation 21:1-27
Psalm 149:1-9 ~ Proverbs 31:10-24

Please consider prayer & support for the victims, families, and relief efforts underway due to the tsunamis.  Intercessory prayer is needed now. As is financial support - click here for a list of organizations that you may want to choose to support.  Also, World Vision's relief efforts and how you can help are described at this link.

Old Testament - Today we start the very last book of the Old Testament, the book of the prophet Malachi!  There is some great stuff in this short book... particularly when we get to tomorrow's readings.   The name Malachi means "my messenger."  There is some question over whether there was an actual author of this book named Malachi, but it is very likely there was.  Malachi was written in approximately 430 B.C. and he was likely a contemporary of Nehemiah.  Malachi was written to the returned exiles in Jerusalem well after the temple had been rebuilt by Zerubbabel in 516 B.C.  By 430 B.C. there was a spirtual malaise in the land.  It is speculated that this is in part because Jerusalem was now a small province in the large Persian empire. But, the big reason is probably because the glorious future and God sending his Messiah, Jesus, as pronounced by Isaiah, Haggai and Zechariah and others had not yet come to fruition.   A good overview of Malachi is online at bible.org at this link, and at this link, and at this link. 

Chapter 1 verse 2 jumped out at me in today's readings - ""I have loved you deeply," says the LORD.""  I guess this really resonated with me since we are now reading the last book of the Old Testament.  As I look back on our readings earlier this year - all of the books of the Old Testament that we have read and all of the interaction between God and his covenant people, I have to absolutely agree with these words from God in verse 2.  God loved deeply in the Old Testament.  And the New Testament.  And God loves us deeply today.  Do you believe that God has loved you deeply?  And do you believe that he always will?

Verse 7 also jumped out at me - ""You have despised my name by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.""  The chapter goes on to describe how blind, crippled, and diseased animals were sacrificed to God - which were unacceptable holy sacrifices to God per his commands in Leviticus 1:3 and Deuteronomy 15:21.  We are no longer under the law of these sacrifices, as Jesus was our sacrifice once and for all on the cross.  However - I wondered to myself as I read this verse, do we still offer "defiled sacrifices" in some ways today in our lives?  Do we give God maybe the left-overs of our life?  Our left-over time, finances, energy, prayers, love, etc.?  Should we instead be giving God our best sacrifices - our firstfruits, our early morning energy, our prayers, our love - indeed, our Utmost for His Highest?

New Testament - Revelation chapter 21 is a beautiful chapter!   I love it...  here we catch a wonderful glimpse of the New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God. 

Certainly verses 3 and 4 are powerful for us to reflect upon - "I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever."  Are you looking forward to that day when God will be among his people?  When he will remove all sorrows and pains?

And verses 23-25 are so beautiful to meditate upon - "And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations of the earth will walk in its light, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. Its gates never close at the end of day because there is no night."  Are you looking forward to this everlasting light?  The light from God and Jesus, the Lamb? 

Psalms - Psalm 149 is a beautiful song of praise today!  Verse 3 jumped out at me - "Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp."  Do you praise God's name with dancing and music?  Yes, I confess, I am a huge fan of the praise and worship thang going on in churches and with CCM artists and their concerts these days.  I know this is not the only way to praise or worship God by any means.  But, I do love it...   

Proverbs 31:10-24 is a great reflection upon a godly wife - and I think men would do well to take note of all of these verses for their own lives and their own actions as well, so that they can be godly husbands in turn!  That's right fellas, I am suggesting that you can get up early to make breakfast for the fam - and you can quilt some bedspreads too!  :)

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

Grace,
Mike

December 29th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Zechariah 14:1-21 ~ Revelation 20:1-15
Psalm 148:1-14 ~ Proverbs 31:8-9

Old Testament - Today we finish the book of the prophet Zechariah!  Only one more book in the Bible to go - Malachi, which we'll read over the next couple of days.  In Zechariah chapter 14 today we read about the Lord's reign on earth - this reading fits in pretty nicely with the Revelation readings we have been going through recently.

Verses 6 through 8 gave my imagination a great workout today - "On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only the LORD knows how this could happen! There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean, flowing continuously both in summer and in winter."  How does this sound to you??  Not bad, eh.  The light and the life-giving waters sound wonderful.  Has anyone read the book Peace Like a River by Leif Enger? (good book)  For some reason these verses made me think about the very end of that book where a couple of the characters goes into a heaven-like place.  I like thinking about that place...  :)

Verse 16 is interesting - "In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters."  The phenomenal One Year Bible Companion book has a great Question of "Why will there still be an Old Testament Feast during the Messiah's Kingdom?"  And an answer that basically says the Feast of the Tabernacles will still be appropriate because it is a festival of thanksgiving, celebrating those who love God with all their soul.  The other feasts of the Old Testament won't be celebrated as they were all fulfilled - The Passover in Jesus' death - Day of Atonement in Jesus' Salvation - Feast of Firstfruits in Jesus' resurrection - and Pentecost with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

New Testament - In Revelation chapter 20 today we read about the Millennial Reign of Christ, Satan's Doom, and the Judgment of the Dead.    There are 3 basic beliefs in the 1,000 years described in this chapter - 1.  Amillennialism describes the present reign of Jesus in heaven, along with deceases believers and currently living believers - all of which will be followed by Jesus' return, the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and Jesus' reign over the new earth eternally.  2. Premillennialism also believes in the present reign of Jesus that is moving toward a time when Jesus returns, the first resurrection occurs, and there will be a reign of Jesus in the current earth as we know it.  Then will come the final general resurrection, the final judgment, and then the eternal kingdom on the new earth.  3.  Postmillennialism believes that the entire world as we currently know it will be converted to Christianity and this will bring the millennium of peace - followed by Jesus' second coming, the general resurrection, final judgment, and the eternal kingdom.   Hopefully I got these 3 kinda closely described...  :)

Verses 11-12 get into Judgment, which is obviously quite a topic to attempt to cover in a daily blog... "And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God's throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done."   So...  I am going to defer to someone much smarter than me on this one, and encourage you to read Lehman Strauss's article entitled "The Future Judgment of the Believer" at the epic bible.org at this link.  I encourage you to check this link out if you'd like a glimpse toward what happens after we pass on from this life - including a very interesting look at 5 crowns that can be given / received! 

Psalms - Psalm 148 is a call for all creation to praise God!  I love it.  As I was reading this Psalm a song that we sometimes sing in church that goes something like - "Let everything that.  Let everything that.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!"  Amazing how the Psalms can stir up songs in our minds?  :) 

Verse 5 is powerful - "Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being."  Do you agree with this verse?  That you came into being because the Lord commanded it?  Do you give thanks to God frequently?  And joyfully?  Even in the midst of maybe some challenging times in life, can you still give praise to your creator?

Proverbs 31:8-9 jumped out at me today and of course reminded me of the victims and families and people suffering due to the earthquake and tsunami's - "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those who are perishing. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice."  Is God calling you to speak up in some way for the poor and helpless?   (this question is not necessarily related to the tsunami's - maybe it's somewhere else in your city or neighborhood or home that this call is leading you to speak up...)  Will you speak up?

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

Grace,
Mike

December 28th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Zechariah 12:1-13:9 ~ Revelation 19:1-21
Psalm 147:1-20 ~ Proverbs 31:1-7

Hi everyone - this will be a short post.  I have to jump on a plane this morning, but wanted to jot down a few things.  I should be back to my regularly scheduled programming & post's tomorrow...  I have missed blogging these past few days!  It keeps me accountable to really diving into our One Year Bible readings... 

Old Testament - Today in Zechariah chapter 12 we begin the second oracle in the book of Zechariah.  It is interesting to note that the Hebrew term for oracle/the word of the Lord is only used 3 times in the Old Testament - here in 12:1, Zechariah 9:1 and Malachi 1:1.  This indicates that Zechariah chapters 9 through 14 were likely written at about the same time as the book of Malachi - the last book of the Old Testament - which we'll be reading in a couple of days!  :)  This 2nd oracle in Zechariah consists of the final siege of Jerusalem and Jesus' return as Messiah to defeat Israel's enemies and establish his kingdom.

Chapter 12 verse 10 is a powerful Messianic verse in today's readings - ""Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died." The first sentence indicates a pouring out of the Holy Spirit.  The second sentence it appears that Jesus is speaking in the first person - here in the Old Testament!  The use of the word pierced here is similar to Psalm 22:16 - "they have pierced my hands and my feet"  and John 19:34-37 - "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.”"

Chapter 13 verse 7 is another powerful verse about Jesus - ""Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, the man who is my partner, says the LORD Almighty. Strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn against the lambs." This last sentence is quoted by Jesus just before his arrest in Matthew 26:31 and Mark 14:27.  It is applied to the scattering of the apostles, but can also be considered for the dispersion of the Jews in A.D. 70 after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.

New Testament - Revelation chapter 19 utilizes the Hebrew for Hallelujah! four times in the first six verses - but it is interesting to note that Hallelujah is not used anywhere else in the New Testament.  Though, certainly we are reading Hallelujah frequently now in the Psalms!  (such as today's readings).  The Hallelujah's in this chapter, along with verse 16 in today's readings - "On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords." - reminded me of and had me singing Handel's Messiah this morning!  :)

Psalms - Today in Psalm 147 I liked verse 15 a lot - "how swiftly his word flies!"  Indeed, it is true!  I pray God's Word, the Bible, is flying swiftly in your life!

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

Grace,
Mike

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!  I am blogging off for several days to spend some quality time with the family.  I'll see you again on Wednesday the 29th.

In the meantime, you can keep up with our daily One Year Bible readings at OneYearBibleOnline.com's December readings page at this link.

Also, for some great commentary on our readings in Zechariah, Revelation, Psalms and Proverbs please take some time to explore the phenomenal www.bible.org at this link.  Type a book's name in the Search feature in the upper left nav menu of bible.org and you will find commentaries galore.

Actually, if you are missing this daily blog at all :), please do check out some incredible writing on "Bibliology - The Doctrine of the Written Word"  by J. Hampton Keathley, III.    J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M. is a 1966 graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and a former pastor of 28 years. In August of 2001 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and on August 29th, 2002 he went home to be with the Lord.  He has some incredible writings on the Bible that I believe will be a huge blessing to you at these links below -

Introduction to Bibliology
Terms Used for the Bible
Attitudes or Viewpoints Toward the Bible
The Bible: The Written Word of God
The Bible: The Inspired Revelation of God
The Bible: The Inerrant Word of God
The Bible: The Holy Canon of Scripture
The Bible: Understanding Its Message
The Bible: Alive and Powerful (Animation)
Concluding Thoughts on Bibliology

I will close out this blog entry with a quick reflection here on A Charlie Brown Christmas.  I watched this on DVD a couple of nights ago.  I think sometimes many of us wonder the same things that Charlie Brown did during this time of year.  "What is the meaning of Christmas?"  Well, I'll leave you will Linus' wonderful answer to Charlie and the Peanuts gang straight from Luke 2:8-14 (King James Version):

^"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

Grace,
Mike

December 23rd readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Zechariah 4:1-5:11 ~ Revelation 14:1-20
Psalm 142:1-7 ~ Proverbs 30:21-23

Old Testament - Today in the book of the prophet Zechariah we read about Zechariah's visions of a Lampstand and Two Olive Trees, a Flying Scroll, and a Woman in a Basket.  Chapter 4 is essentially a vision of encouragement for the Jews to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem - not by their own might, but by relying on the Spirt of God.  The rebuilding will be led by Zerubbabel, the political leader of Jerusalem at this post-exillic time, as well as by Joshua, the priest - and these two are represented by the 2 olive trees in the vision.  The bowl of oil held by the lampstands in the vision represents God's power through his spirit. 

Chapter 4 verse 6 jumped out at me in today's readings - "It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty."  How often in our own lives do we try to do things by our own force or our own strength?  And not look to God?  Would we ultimately lead more productive and peaceful and joyful and restful lives if we instead allowed God's Spirit to move in our lives?  Or will we continue to try to do things by our own force and strength?

Verse 10 is a great reminder for each of us - "Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand."  If we do feel led by the Spirit of God to work on something - and it turns out to be maybe something bigger than ourselves - do we sometimes get discouraged by the task before us?  Do we despise small beginnings?  Be encouraged to know that God rejoices in small beginnings!  Take the first step!  Take the plumb line in your hand!

(I will be honest - it's not always easy to get motivated for typing in this blog each evening.  Most days I am motivated - but not always.  Sometimes I just have to "take the plumb line in my hand" - get started with the typing - and God shows up....)

In chapter 5 we read about the vision of the flying scroll - which is a very large scroll with a purpose of encouraging repentance with a clear message of judgment.  The second vision of the woman in the basket is essentially purging sin from the land of Jerusalem, and plopping it down in a more fitting place where they will build a temple for it!   To worship the sin... Babylon...   

Are there areas in our life where we need to deposit some sin into a basket, close the lid, and let the basket be taken away to another place far from us?  Is it possible that there are areas of sin in our life where we actually worship the sin somehow?  Will we turn away from this false idol worship and return to loving God whole-heartedly?

New Testament - Today in Revelation chapter 14 we read about Jesus (the Lamb) and all believers (the 144,000) in the heavenly Jerusalem (Mount Zion).   I love verses 4 and 5 in this chapter - "For they are spiritually undefiled, pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. No falsehood can be charged against them; they are blameless."  Are these 2 verses attractive to you?  Do you want to be like this someday in heaven?  Spiritually undefiled?  Pure?  Following Jesus wherever he goes?  Blameless? 

We then read about the Three Angels and In verse 8 we read - "Then another angel followed him through the skies, shouting, "Babylon is fallen--that great city is fallen--because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality.""  Babylon, as we know from our recent readings in the Old Testament, such as Daniel, was in ancient Mesopotamia and the commercial, political, and religious center of a world empire led by Nebuchadnezzar.  Some commentators believe that John is writing about Rome here when he says Babylon - and that John uses the term Babylon because it would be too dangerous for him to straight out say Rome.  Some others believe this reference to Babylon refers to the time of the antichrist in the end days, and represents the corrupt political and religious systems of the world in the end times.

Verse 12 is likely referring to the end times, but it does make me think about the persecuted Christians in our world today - "Let this encourage God's holy people to endure persecution patiently and remain firm to the end, obeying his commands and trusting in Jesus."  There are thousands, if not millions, of Christians in our world today who suffer for their belief in Christ.  They are persecuted.  Today.   How can we encourage these holy people of God who are enduring persecution today?  Prayer is certainly one thing we can do, as a starter.  Have you heard of the International Day of the Persecuted Church?  Please visit their website by clicking on this link - and then click on the links on their home page to check out some great ministries that are serving the needs of the Persecuted Church.  Thanks for considering praying and getting involved in the Persecuted Church.

Psalms - Psalm 142 is a prayer of David's when he was fleeing Saul and was hiding in a cave.  David is praying for deliverance to God from his enemies.  I thought verse 3 was powerful - "For I am overwhelmed, and you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me."  Have you ever felt this way?  Overwhelmed?  And traps every which way you look?  And you have no idea which way to go?  At a time like this, will you cry out to God as David did in this Psalm?  Will you "pour out your complaints before him and tell him all your troubles"? (v. 2)  Do you believe that God knows which way you should turn?  Will you allow God to ""be your place of refuge"?  In times like these, will you allow God to be "all you really want in life"?  (v. 5)

Proverbs 30 verses 21-23 are a continuation of the sayings of Agur, from probably around 700 B.C. during the reign of King Hezekiah.  Agur was probably a non-Israelite wise man like Job and his friends.  (Thanks BJ for the reminder of Agur being the author of this Proverb in your comment yesterday!)

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

Grace,
Mike

December 22nd readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Zechariah 2:1-3:10 ~ Revelation 12:18-13:18
Psalm 141:1-10 ~ Proverbs 30:18-20

Old Testament - Today in Zechariah we read about the future prosperity of Jerusalem, the Exiles being called home, and cleansing for the high priest.   Chapter 2, verses 4 & 5 jumped out at me in today's readings - ""Hurry, and say to that young man, `Jerusalem will someday be so full of people that it won't have room enough for everyone! Many will live outside the city walls, with all their livestock--and yet they will be safe. For I, myself, will be a wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the LORD. And I will be the glory inside the city!'"  My mind took me to the thought of the holy heavenly Jerusalem being chocked full of people who love God!  And a wall of fire - holy protection - surrounding everyone in a heavenly Jerusalem and providing safety.  And God's glory reigning eternally...  I don't think this is quite proper exegesis on this passage...  :) but I like the thought! 

Chapter 1 verse 13 also jumped out at me during this Christmas season - "Be silent before the LORD, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling.""  I think sometimes we get so busy during the Christmas season that we forget to be silent and to be still.  We can just go, go, go - rush, rush rush - and maybe miss the true meaning of Christmas?  Don't forget the song, "Silent Night, Holy Night...."   Can you find time and space to be silent before the Lord this Christmas?  And time and space to reflect upon what the coming of the baby in the manger means to you? 

Chapter 3 verses 8 & 9 were also beautiful for me today in this Christmas season as we think about the birth of Jesus - "Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of the good things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.  Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets.  I will engrave an inscription on it, says the LORD Almighty, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day."  Are you looking forward to the coming of the Branch?  What does the Branch symbolize to you?  Verse 9 above also looks beyond Christmas and toward Good Friday - How were our sins removed in a single day?  Do you believe that your sins were removed by Jesus on the cross on that single day?

And chapter 3 verse 10 also works well in this Christmas season! :)  "And on that day, says the LORD Almighty, each of you will invite your neighbor into your home to share your peace and prosperity." Will you have an opportunity over this next couple of weeks to invite someone into your home to share in your peace and prosperity?  Or, if not, can you find an opportunity to go out and share your peace and prosperity with others?  Maybe volunteer at a place that has neighbors that really need your peace and prosperity this Christmas season?

New Testament - Okay, I know I'm doing some serious hermeneutics stretching above today in the Zechariah readings...  I'll try to get back to some exegesis here in Revelation chapter 13!  Today we read about the beast that comes out of the sea and the beast that comes out of the earth.  This is a pretty intense chapter that ends in the infamous number of the beast, 666.   One thing I learned from reading Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion book today is that the 3 sixes could represent the unholy trinity of Satan - which is comprised of Satan, the first beast, and the false prophet coming up in Revelation chapter 13.  Also, the number 666 was probably applied to the emperor Nero, whose Greek letters in his name represent numbers that total 666, by John's 1st century readers.  The other way to look at this number is that each of the numbers fall short of the holy numbering of 777 - which represents complete perfection. 

In verse 1 we read - "And written on each head were names that blasphemed God."  Back in the Roman empire many emperors assumed titles of deity and require worship of them, which would obviously be blasphemous to God.  An example was the emperor Domitian (AD 51-96) required people to address him as Dominus et Deus, which means "our lord and our god". 

Verses 13 - 15 should be warning to us to not fall for false signs and wonders that do not come from God...  as we read about the beast from the earth -  "He did astounding miracles, such as making fire flash down to earth from heaven while everyone was watching. And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people of the world to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. He was permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die."

The danger of these above verses can best be demonstrated by Deuteronomy chapter 13 verses 1 through 4 - "If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them,"  you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.  It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him."

How do these 2 sets of verses - from Revelation and Deuteronomy - speak to you?  Are there possibly even false signs and wonders and false idols in our world today which draw our attention away from loving God with all of our heart and soul?  Will you hold fast to God?

Psalms - Psalm 141 is a beautiful prayer of David's - praying for deliverance from the wicked and their ways.  Verse 4 is powerful - "Don't let me lust for evil things; don't let me participate in acts of wickedness. Don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do evil." Is this a prayer you could incorporate into your prayer life?   What might be some examples of "delicacies of those who do evil"?  Will you pray to God to avoid these "delicacies"?

Proverbs 30 verse 19 - "how an eagle glides through the sky,"  is a great reminder of God's creativity and how it is exhibited in nature!

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

Grace,
Mike

December 21st readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Zechariah 1:1-21 ~ Revelation 12:1-17
Psalm 140:1-13 ~ Proverbs 30:17

Old Testament - Today we start the book of the prophet Zechariah!  You’ll note that we are now at the 2^nd to the last book of the Old Testament.  Malachi is after Zechariah – and we’ll be camped out in this book for quite a few days.  Zechariah was a prophet during the post-exile (out of Babylon) period at about the same time Haggai was a prophet.  Both started their prophecies in 520 B.C. – however, Zechariah prophesied for many more years going forward – probably until about 480/475 B.C.   Zechariah’s name means, “The Lord remembers,” which is fitting for this book.  God is remembering his covenant promise to the Israelites in this post-exilic period.  Zechariah’s prophecies are similar to Haggai’s in that he is encouraging the Israelites to rebuild the temple.  Zechariah is a very cool book, filled with 8 night visions, 4 messages, and 2 oracles.   Good overview of the book of Zechariah are online at bible.org at this link, and at this link, and at this link.

In today’s readings we read about a Call to Return to the Lord, a Man among the Myrtle Trees, and Four Horns and Four Blacksmiths.  Chapter 1 verse 3 jumped out at me in today’s readings – “Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD Almighty.'” What a great calling and promise from God!  Return to me – and I will return to you.  Are there areas in your life where you need to change your ways and return to God?  If you change our ways, or repent, and return to God, do you believe that God will also return blessings to you for this act of repentance?  Will we return to God?

In verse 8 we begin to read about Zechariah’s night visions.  It is interesting to note that all 8 of his visions in this book take place in 1 night.  Visions are different from dreams in that Zechariah is an in an awake state while these visions occur.  You’ll note that the four horsemen described here are very similar to the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” described by John in Revelation chapter 6.  The four horns in verse 18 are thought to represent Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, and Persia and the four blacksmiths in verse 20 are thought to represent Egypt, Babylon, Persia, and Greece.

New Testament – In Revelation chapter 12 today we read about the Woman and the Dragon.  The woman is representative the believing Messianic community and the twelve stars represent Israel’s twelve tribes.  The red dragon is Satan.  In verse 5 we read about Jesus – “She gave birth to a boy who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And the child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.”  The “caught up” part of this verse is representative of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. 

In verse 7 we read about Michael the Archangel, who we recently read about in the book of Daniel chapter 12 verse 1 when Daniel is prophesying about the end times – “"At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people-everyone whose name is found written in the book-will be delivered.”  In the remainder of the chapter we see a war in the spiritual realm, with Satan becoming alarmed that his time is short and increasingly angry at those who love God.

Verse 10 jumped out at me in today’s readings – “Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has happened at last--the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ!”  What a great proclamation!  Are you looking forward to the salvation and power and kingdom of God?   And do you look forward to the authority of Jesus Christ?

Psalms – Psalm 140 actually fits in quite nicely in today’s overall readings – just following the spiritual battles we read about and Satan’s increasing anger in Revelation chapter 12…  This Psalm is a prayer for deliverance from evil.  And this Psalm certainly should be a good reminder of the Lord’s Prayer, where we pray – “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  Amen.

Verse 7 in this Psalm gives each of us something to consider and should be an encouragement – “O Sovereign LORD, my strong savior, you protected me on the day of battle.”   Do you believe God is your strong savior who will protect you from evil on the day of battle?  Do you believe that perhaps every day is a day of battle?  Do you believe that Satan or evil rests in attempting to tempt people?  Should we pray for protection from evil on a very regular basis?  (The Lord’s Prayer / Our Father is one great way to do this each day…)

From 1928’s Book of Common Prayer - “Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.”

Proverbs chapter 30 verse 17 is a great reminder to honor our parents, as one of the Ten Commandments reminds us as well....

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

Grace,
Mike

December 20th readings

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Haggai 1:1-2:23 ~ Revelation 11:1-19
Psalm 139:1-24 ~ Proverbs 30:15-16

Old Testament - Today we start and finish the book of the prophet Haggai!  This is the second shortest book in the Old Testament, with Obadiah being the shortest.  This short book does have a lot to offer...   Haggai prophesied in 520 B.C. about 18 years after the Jews had returned from exile in Babylon in 538 B.C.  When Cyrus, king of Persia, conquered Babylon, he issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the temple.  About 50,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem and began building the temple's foundation in 538 B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel.  However, neighboring nations were alarmed by the rebuilding of the temple and politically stopped the progress in 536 B.C.  Here is where the story picks up with the prophet Haggai encouraging the process of the temple rebuilding to commence.  Good overviews of the book of the prophet Haggai are online at bible.org at this link, and at this link, and at this link.

Haggai chapter 1 verse 3 jumped out at me - and probably not in the way you'd expect based on the above commentary / historical setting - "So the LORD sent this message through the prophet Haggai: "Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?"  I guess what jumped out at me in this verse is the concept of tithing.  I know this is a hot topic, so please know that these are just my personal views - and views that have changed unfortunately all too frequently.  :)  Earlier this fall I was gracefully challenged by a friend to tithe a full 10% to my local church.  She didn't come out and ask me if I was tithing 10% to the church - just, the topic somehow came up.  Before this conversation, I was feeling pretty happy that I was giving 10% to a bunch of different nonprofits and ministries and the church.  So maybe 3 to 5% to the church.  She gracefully challenged me on this...  I guess I hope I can gracefully challenge everyone on this too.  Should we consider giving 10% of our gross income, a full tithe, to our local church?  And then, if we feel so led and called, offerings on top of that to other very worthy ministries and nonprofits?  Would this mean probably having to cut back on some of our luxuries?  But with the kingdom minded view of building God's church?  Would it be a blessing to us and to many others to consider giving 10% to our local church?  I don't mean to put this on the table here to make you feel guilty - and I honestly do not mean to get legalistic about this.  I just ask that you think about this and pray about this with God.  The tithe will actually bless you more than you could ever imagine.  Check out this amazing verse in Malachi 3:10 on tithing - "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."   It is very rare in the Bible that God says "test me" and follows it up with an incredible promise of a blessing.  Will you test God with a whole tithe?

Okay, back to Haggai. :)  Chapter 1 verse 8 is a strong one for us to consider as well -  "Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD."  I think the key word in this verse is the very small but very powerful - Go.  Go....  Where in your life is God calling you to go?  Is there something God is calling you do to?  if you are obedient in this calling, do you believe it will bring pleasure to God?  Will you go?

Okay, I know I've been talking about a lot of obedience things to consider in this post today...  :)  I'll close out here with a great verse of a promise of a blessing from God for obedience, from Haggai chapter 3 verse 19 - "I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn, before you have harvested your grain and before the grapevine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have produced their crops. From this day onward I will bless you"

New Testament - Today in Revelation chapter 11 we read about the Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet bringing the third terror.  The two witnesses in today's reading are modeled after Moses and Elijah.  They may be representing two actual believers who will be martyred or they may be symbolic of all testifying believers in the final days. 

In verse 11:7 we have the first mention of the beast in the book of Revelation - the enemy that comes from the bottomless pit and wages war in the hearts and lives of men and women.  In verse 11:8 allowing dead bodies to lie out in the street is a major violation of decency.  In verse 15 things begin to shift in big ways as we read - "Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: "The whole world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.""  Is the whole world now part of the kingdom of God?  What are some example of why or why not? 

Psalms - Psalm 139 is off the charts today!  I LOVE this Psalm... and had somehow forgotten about it.  Is this Psalm anyone's favorite Psalm out there?  I would not doubt it if was.  This is just an incredibly beautiful Psalm about how much God loves and cares for us.  And just how well God knows us.  Please read and re-read this Psalm today if you can.  And rejoice in how much God loves you and how much he knows you.

Each of the verses in this Psalm are incredible.  I'll highlight a few.  Verse 3 - "You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am."  Do you believe that God charts out your path for you?  Do you believe that God gives you true rest?  Do you believe God knows where you are every single moment of your life?

Verses 13 & 14 - "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it."  Do you believe that God was loving and caring and creating you in your mother's womb?  Are you amazed by the complexity and wonder of the human body?  Could it be anything other than the marvelous workmanship of a loving and creative and living God?

And verses 23 & 24 to close out the Psalm - "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."  Do you consistently ask God to search your heart and mind?  Do you confess to God what is not right in your heart and mind?  What needs healing?  Do you ask God to even point out to you things that you may not realize are destructive to you and others in your heart and mind?  Do you believe that this process of confessing your sins to God and asking for forgiveness and healing will lead you along the path of everlasting life?

Proverbs 30 verses 15 & 16 is a reminder to each of us that this earthly life is temporary...  what will we invest our temporary earthly lives in?  What is God calling us to do with our lives?  Will we live joyously to love and serve others and God? 

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

Grace,
Mike

December 19th readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Zephaniah 1:1-3:20 ~ Revelation 10:1-11
Psalm 138:1-8 ~ Proverbs 30:11-14

Old Testament - Today we start and finish the book of the prophet Zephaniah!  Zephaniah was different from some of the recent prophets that we have read, in that he came from royal lineage.  He was the descendent of king Hezekiah.  Thus, Zephaniah writes about the upper class, courts, and priests with quite a bit of authority and clarity. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of King Josiah of Judah.  He prophesied in approx. 640-620 B.C.  The purpose of his prophecies were to announce God's coming judgment against Judah.  But, as we see with the other prophets, Zephaniah also writes about God saving a remnant of people who love and honor God with their lives - thus preserving and carrying on the covenant promise to Abraham.  Good overviews of the book of Zephaniah are at bible.org at this link, and at this link, and at this link.  The first link of these 3 links has a funny opening line - "The Book of Zephaniah is probably best known for being the least known book of the entire Bible."  :)

Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 5 jumped out at me in today's readings - "But the LORD is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day his justice is more evident, but no one takes notice--the wicked know no shame."  As you read the 4 preceding verses, you'll note that God is calling the people and leaders of Jerusalem to the carpet for their sinful ways.  And in the midst of all this, comes this beautiful verse 5.  God is still there in the city.  In the midst of all the chaos and shame.  And even through all of this, God's justice actually becomes more and more evident.  I think this verse really jumped out at me today because I read a horribly depressing story in the paper this morning about just some awful things that were done to children in a nearby city.  And this story reminded me that we indeed live in a fallen world.  There is evil in our world that invades the hearts of men and women.  And yet, even in the midst of all of this chaos and shame in our world today, "The LORD is still there in the city, and he does no wrong. Day by day his justice is more evident, but no one takes notice--the wicked know no shame."  Do you take notice of God in our world today?  Even in the midst of everything else going on that may attempt to distract you from God?  Is God's justice (and love and compassion and mercy and call to holiness) becoming more and more evident to you each day of your life?

Chapter 3 verses 11 & 12 also jumped out at me in today's readings - "I will remove all the proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no pride on my holy mountain. Those who are left will be the lowly and the humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the LORD."  We of course continue to see the sin of pride coming up over and over again in the Old Testament.  Here God reminds us that pride and arrogance are not attributes of those who love him.  It is indeed the lowly and the humble that better reflect the attributes of those who love and trust God.  Is pride something that you struggle with?  Do you realize that pride can be a hindrance to a fully loving and obedient relationship with God?  Will you lay down your pride and seek humility and will you seek to place your trust in God rather than your own abilities?

New Testament - Revelation chapter 10 brings forth the angel and the little scroll.  Note that this scroll is not the same as the scroll in Revelation chapter 5, verse 1.  This first scroll contains a revelation of judgments against evil, whereas this little scroll's contents are not disclosed - though, it may contain a judgment as well.  You will recall from our readings of Ezekiel earlier this winter that, similar to John in this chapter, Ezekiel was instructed in a vision to eat a scroll that was sweet to taste but contained judgments against Israel.    From Ezekiel chapter 3 verse 3 you'll recall - "Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. " 

Revelation Chapter 10 Verse 1 in today's readings has some cool stuff going on in it - "Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire."  The angel being surrounded by a cloud recalls God speaking to Peter James and John on the mountain of the Transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17 verse 5 - "While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”   The rainbow over the angel's head recalls God's promise to Noah after the flood to never destroy the earth by water again, as we see in Genesis chapter 9 verses 15 & 16 - "I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.  Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.""  And the angels feet being like pillars of fire recalls the pillars of fire and cloud that guided and protected the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt, as we see in Exodus chapter 13 verses 21 & 22   "By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."

Psalm - Psalm 138 is an awesome Psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God from David!   Verse 3 jumped out at me - "When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need."  Do you believe that God answers your prayers?  Maybe not exactly in the way you'd expect, but that they are answered?  Do you believe that God answers your prayers through encouragement and giving you strength?  Do you believe that prayer changes things?

Verse 7 jumped out at me as well - "Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me."  Do you believe that God's power will save you in times of trouble?  Or do you rely on your own power and maybe forget about God during times of trouble?  Will you rely on God, realizing that his power will save you?

Proverbs 30 verses 11 through 13 are a great reminder of the commandment to honor our father and mother...

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

Grace,
Mike