One Year Bible Blog

June 30th readings

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2 Kings 17:1-18:12 ~ Acts 20:1-38
Psalm 148:1-14 ~ Proverbs 18:6-7

HALF-WAY - Big news! We cross the halfway threshold in our One Year Bible readings today! Whoo-hoo! Yep, June 30th marks the end of our first 6 months of readings and July 1st marks the beginning of our last 6 months of readings. Congratulations!

If by chance you’ve stopped reading the One Year Bible at some point this past six months, how about starting back up with us again as we embark on our final six months? We’d love to have you on the journey with us once again!

Old Testament - 2 Kings 17 is a sad chapter today!  Israel is invaded by Assyria and its people are exiled!  It is sad because the Israelites could have avoided this strife - but the chose to follow in the sins of Jeroboam and worship other gods.  After much patience and many second chances by the true and living God, Israel was allowed to be invaded & exiled for their disobedience.  Sad stuff.  You can learn more of the history of how this all transpired at this link.  An overview map of the Assyrian empire is below -

In 2 Kings 17 verse 41 we will read this about the foreigners in Israel – “Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols.” If the foreigners both worshiped God AND served idols at the same time back then, do you suppose that we can fall into this same trap today? What would some examples be today of both worshiping God and serving idols at the same time? Are there any areas of your life where you might be serving idols? Will you allow those idols to be turned over to God for his healing and transformation of you? Will you worship God only? Will you leave the idols behind? Why would this be important to leave the idols behind?  What is the risk of not leaving the idols behind?  Or, should I say, what is the danger of not leaving the idols behind...

Verse 15 stands out and follows along in this paragraph & photo above - "They worshiped worthless idols and became worthless themselves." How true is that?  Maybe another way to look at it - you are what you worship!  If we worship worthless idols, we become worthless ourselves.  If we worship the true living God, we become more like his son Jesus.  Would you rather be worthless or becoming like Jesus in this lifetime?  And how about after this lifetime?   

In 2 Kings 18 we are introduced to King Hezekiah of Judah!  Check out verses 5 through 7 for an overview of who Hezekiah was - "Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was never another king like him in the land of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the LORD in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the LORD had given Moses. So the LORD was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did."

New Testament - Acts 20 verse 7 is a great look at an early church service!  "On the first day of the week, we gathered to observe the Lord's Supper.  Paul was preaching; and since he was leaving the next day, he talked until midnight."  Paul preached until midnight?  That had to have been one great sermon I am sure!

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Paul's Parting Words" is at this link.

Psalms - Today we read Psalm 148, which is a call for all creation to praise God!  We will read this in verse 5 - "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?

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

Grace,
Mike

June 29th readings

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2 Kings 15:1-16:20 ~ Acts 19:13-41
Psalm 147:1-20 ~ Proverbs 18:4-5

Old Testament - In 2 Kings 15 today we read about several kings in very short order!  The thing that amazed me was that things seemed to be going from bad to worse in Israel with the kings, whereas things appeared a bit more stable in Judah (for this chapter...).  We will see how this plays out in the near future.  There are definitely some ramifications coming for Israel based on how things are going down in these days.  Verses 13 & 14 today really showed how tough it was to be king in Israel in these days - "Shallum reigned in Samaria only one month. Then Menahem son of Gadi went to Samaria from Tirzah and assassinated him, and he became the next king."  Reading about Shallum only reigning one month reminds me of how the hearts of men and women are sometimes - that very thing in our world which we seek so strongly, sometimes can be our very downfall.  I have no doubt that Shallum wanted to be king very badly - he assassinated King Zechariah in public in verse 10!  And yet, becoming king for Shallum did not give him control over all things - he himself was killed just 1 month into his reign.  This all makes me think about us today - is there anything in this world that we are striving after that may not be all that it's cracked up to be?  Might we risk "gaining the whole world, but losing our soul" in some of our pursuits?  Is there anything in this world today that you are pursuing that you are putting above your relationship with God?  If so, will you let it go?  Will you focus primarily on your relationship with God first and foremost?  Will you follow the truths of Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

In 2 Kings 16 today King Ahaz of Judah messes up big time...  Whaddya think about his idea to remove the bronze altar from the Temple and install an altar that was designed in Damascus?  Think God will be happy about this?  Stay tuned to upcoming readings...  Again - I come back to our lives today.  Are we ever similar to King Ahaz in doing something in our lives that we know is not pleasing to God?  Do we know what is right and what is wrong and sometimes choose what it wrong?  Why do we do this?  Can we stop doing this?  If so, how?  Might it help us to stop doing wrong things if the #1 priority in our lives today were God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?  What is the #1 priority in your life today?

New Testament - Wow - strong readings today in Acts 19 verses 13 to 16 about the power of Jesus' name - and how to incorrectly try to "use" his name too - "A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: "I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!" Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?" And he leaped on them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured."  Jesus' name is the name above all other names - but we should never try to "use" Jesus' name as an incantation or spell.  We can call upon Jesus believing that he and his power will be there with us.  But we should not call upon his name as if his name was "magic" in some way.  It is holy.  It is not magic.

Sad stuff that Demetrius stirs up the Ephesians against Paul for one primary reason - his pocketbook.  Paul's preaching of the one true living God was cutting into D's profits of handmade gods.  And so D called on patriotism and loyalty to Artemis to go against Paul's truthful teaching.   I wonder if we in our lives today ever choose our finances over God? 

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "The Evangelization of Ephesus" is at this link.

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 this year!

Proverbs - I love Proverbs 18 verse 4 - "A person's words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook."  Have you ever received words of life-giving water from someone?  Have you ever given words of life-giving water to someone?  I love the analogy of true words of wisdom being as refreshing as a bubbling brook!  So true!

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

Grace,
Mike

June 28th readings

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2 Kings 13:1-14:29 ~ Acts 18:23-19:12
Psalm 146:1-10 ~ Proverbs 18:2-3

Back to a full post tomorrow!  :)  Crazy big work event last night...

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

Grace,
Mike

June 27th readings

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2 Kings 10:32-12:21 ~ Acts 18:1-22
Psalm 145:1-21 ~ Proverbs 18:1

Old Testament - Eventful readings today in 2 Kings 11 for the coming of a 7 year old king of Judah, Joash! Below are 2 images for 2 Kings 11 verses 13 & 14 - "When Athaliah heard all the noise made by the guards and the people, she hurried to the LORD's Temple to see what was happening. And she saw the newly crowned king standing in his place of authority by the pillar, as was the custom at times of coronation. The officers and trumpeters were surrounding him, and people from all over the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets."

Very cool that in 2 Kings 12 Joash is passionate for the repair of the Temple in Jerusalem.  2 Kings 12 verse today 9 tells us - "Then Jehoiada the priest bored a hole in the lid of a large chest and set it on the right-hand side of the altar at the entrance of the Temple of the LORD. The priests guarding the entrance put all of the people's contributions into the chest."

New Testament - Today's readings in Acts are important in that Paul is beginning his work of building the church in Corinth through his ministry!  We of course are very familiar now with Paul's letters of 1st and 2nd Corinthians - today we get a glimpse of how Paul's relationship with the city of Corinth began.  Verses 9 through 11 let us clearly know that the Lord was very involved in Paul's ministry in Corinth - "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, "Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! For I am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me." So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God."

Per Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion, "Corinth was the political and commercial center of Greece, surpassing Athens in importance.  It had a reputation for great wickedness and immorality.  A temple to Aphrodite - goddess of love and war - had been built on the large hill behind the city."

Psalms - I love the imagery today in Psalm 145 verse 9 - "The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation." Do you believe that God is good to everyone?  Do you feel God's compassion being showered upon you right this very moment?

Proverbs - Proverbs 18 verse 1 is a great reminder that God created us to be in community with others!  "A recluse is self-indulgent, snarling at every sound principle of conduct." Are you in community with others?  In what ways?  Are there some ways that God might be calling you to go deeper into community with others?  Are you part of a church community?  Think God would want you to be part of a church community?  Why or why not?

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

Grace,
Mike

June 26th readings

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2 Kings 9:14-10:31 ~ Acts 17:1-34
Psalm 144:1-15 ~ Proverbs 17:27-28

Old Testament - Well... Jehu kills a lot of people in today's readings.  I realize that the violence in the Old Testament can often bring up some questions.  Rather than me diving into why there is violence in the Bible - which would be about as easy as diving into why there is violence in our world - I'll defer to a couple of theologians at this link and at this link.  Unfortunately, our human history is full of violence - from Cain and Abel until this very day.  The Bible does record human history.  There will come a day where there is a new heaven and a new earth, free from violence.  But that day has not come yet - but will with Jesus's Second Coming.

2 Kings 10 verses 25-27 definitely demonstrated Jehu's initial apparent zeal for God - "Then Jehu's men went into the fortress of the temple of Baal. They dragged out the sacred pillar used in the worship of Baal and destroyed it. They broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and wrecked the temple of Baal, converting it into a public toilet. That is what it is used for to this day."  But we soon learn in verse 31 - "But Jehu did not obey the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He refused to turn from the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam had led Israel to commit"  It is thus thought that Jehu's action of destroying the idols of Baal were more political than spiritual - as Baal worship was associated with the dynasty of Ahab, whereas the golden calves had a longer history in the northern kingdom of Israel and were valued by most people.

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "Jehu Cleans House (Ahab's House)" is at this link and "Three 'Birds' With One Stone" is at this link.

New Testament - Today in Acts 17 verses 22 & 23 we will read - “Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” Paul then went on to introduce to the Greeks our personal Creator, in contrast with their views of pantheistic Stoicism. Are there people in your life today that are perhaps like the Greeks Paul was speaking to? People who are religious but do not yet know our personal Creator? Are there people in your life who are seeking the Unknown God? Will you begin conversations with these people that God has placed in your life and let them know about the living God that you know and love? Will you let them know, as Paul let the Greeks know in verse 28 – “For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'”?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "The Evangelization of Thessalonica and Berea" is at this link and "The Apostle in Athens, Preaching to Philosophers" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 144 verses 3 & 4 are fairly well known - "O LORD, what are mortals that you should notice us, mere humans that you should care for us? For we are like a breath of air; our days are like a passing shadow."  If our days are like a passing shadow, how then should we be spending our days?  What types of things should we be investing our time & money into?  What should we be investing our very hearts and minds into?  Are you wisely spending your passing days in godly ways?

Proverbs - Proverbs 17:27 is so true - "A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered."  And with this I will very mellowly close out today's posting with few words.  :)

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

Grace,
Mike

June 25th readings

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2 Kings 8:1-9:13 ~ Acts 16:16-40
Psalm 143:1-12 ~ Proverbs 17:26

Old Testament - 2 Kings 8 begins with a wonderful example of God's "perfect timing."  It was no coincidence that the king was talking with Gehazi about the time Elisha brought a boy back to life when the woman from Shunem walked in with her son!  Have you ever had the experience of God's "perfect timing" in your life?  My hunch is that you have - even if you haven't realized it.  I have had some experiences where I have consciously realized that God's perfect timing was at work - and sometimes I've quickly said the prayer under my breath of "thank you God!"  But, I also now can look back on my life and now see so many instances of God's perfect timing.  Hindsight is 20/20.  When is the last time you experienced God's perfect timing?  Think it could have been today - even if you don't realize it right now?

Elisha's interaction with Hazael demonstrates Elisha was certainly a prophet of God's!  Verses 11 & 12 are powerful - "Elisha stared at Hazael with a fixed gaze until Hazael became uneasy. Then the man of God started weeping. "What's the matter, my lord?" Hazael asked him. Elisha replied, "I know the terrible things you will do to the people of Israel. You will burn their fortified cities, kill their young men, dash their children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women!"

I love Elisha's final instructions to the young prophet concerning his anointing of Jehu as King of Israel in 2 Kings 9 verse 3 - "Then open the door and run for your life!""  Not your typical instructions from a prophet, you wouldn't think - but if a prophet gives you instructions like these, you best follow them!  :)

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "Looking Out for a Lovely Lady" is at this link, "What it Takes to Make a Prophet Weep" is at this link, and "Three Birds With One Stone" is at this link.

New Testament - Today in Acts 16 we will read about the earthquake that comes while Paul and Silas are imprisoned. As a trembling jailer comes to Paul and Silas we will read this in verses 30 through 34 – “"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.” This is a wonderful look at how many of us become and grow as Christians! We first hear the Good News of how Jesus came to this earth fully human and fully God – how he lived a sinless life and died on the cross for our sins – and how he rose from the dead and will come again. Then, through grace, we believe! We simply believe. From there we learn more about God from others and through studying his Word, the Bible – we could call this discipleship. Then comes a decision to be baptized – to publicly profess our faith in Jesus as our Savior. Then comes living a joyful life of community with others. Now – yes – this is a very abbreviated example of how one becomes and grows as a Christian. :) And our various denominations will probably put the order of how all this happens in various ways. But, can you see similarities in your own faith journey with the jailer’s conversion, baptism, and growth as a Christian? Do you remember first hearing the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? Do you remember the day you first Believed? Do you remember learning more about the Word, the Bible? (hopefully you’ll remember this year’s One Year Bible journey! :) Do you remember being baptized (or maybe you’ll have photos or stories from your very young years)? Do you now joyfully live life in community with other Christians through your local church? If you haven’t yet experienced all of these things, will you pray to God asking him for the experiences He has planned for you? And, when others in your life come to you like the jailer, asking “What must I do to be saved?” are you prepared to give them the joyful answer?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Paul in Philippi: From the Purveyor of Purple to the Purveyor of Pain" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 143 verse 8 stood out to me today - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer."  I read somewhere before - I think it was Bruce Wilkinson's book "Secrets of the Vine" - that many great men and women of our Christian faith connect with God in the morning through prayer, reading the Bible, and other quiet time activities.  Bruce even suggested that this is the preferential way to go - to start your day by spending time with God in the morning, rather than at night.  Because he said this would then transform the rest of your day - in terms of being more conscientious of our relationship with God.  This does make sense to me - though, I have never really been a morning person.  Even with this One Year Bible readings & blog - I do it all at night.  But - I like what this Psalmist says - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning."  And it makes me want to connect with God in some way in the morning - through prayer as the Psalmist goes on to say makes sense.  Actually - one thing I do in the morning is read a page or two from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest."  And I am thankful that I do this in the morning.  How about you?  Do you have some way that you connect with God in the morning?  Are you able in some way to hear of God's unfailing love for you in the morning?

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

Grace,
Mike

June 24th readings

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2 Kings 6:1-7:20 ~ Acts 15:36-16:15
Psalm 142:1-7 ~ Proverbs 17:24-25

Old Testament - Today in 2 Kings 6 verse 27 we will read this verse that King Joram says to an Israelite during a time of a severe famine – “"If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you?” I think the thing to note in this verse is that the King wisely realized that he needed God’s power to end the famine. The King realized he could not end the famine on his own. (Unfortunately, later in this chapter the King says some dumb stuff about Elisha). I wonder about this in our lives today – do we try to help others and even try to help ourselves using our own power and without relying on God at all? Do we think we can end a “famine” or whatever problems we see at work, in our community, in our family, or in our world all on our own? Or – like this King realized – should we be asking for God’s help in these areas of our lives? I’ve been thinking about this more and more lately – about how little I truly pray for others. I see areas of my life, my family, my community, my work, my church, my favorite charities, our world, that need some help. Need some changing. Need some love. And sometimes I think that I can institute these changes all on my own! Which is foolish. Instead, I should be praying for God’s providence and work in these areas of my life where I see a “famine.” Yes, I do think that God will oftentimes answer our prayers by encouraging us to “do something” to work on a change. But, we’d be wise to prayerfully approach all areas of our life and to pay attention to where God is asking us to “do something” – and to pay attention to where God is flat-out doing the work! Are there any “famine” areas in your life? In your personal relationship with God or others? In your work, church, community? Are there “famine” areas you see in our world? Will you today begin praying to God about these “famines” in the knowledge that famines can truly only end if God is involved in the work? Will you allow God to get involved in the famine areas of your life? Will you pray more consistently than ever before in this regards?

Below is an image from a 15th century Dutch Bible for 2 Kings 7 verse 8 - "When the lepers arrived at the edge of the camp, they went into one tent after another, eating, drinking wine, and carrying out silver and gold and clothing and hiding it."

Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "Saved from the Syrians: The War that Never Happened" is at this link and "Feast or Famine" is at this link.

New Testament - In Acts 15 today we read about Paul not wanting to bring along John Mark on the next missionary journey.  Good news is that Paul and Mark were eventually reunited in missionary efforts.  Some speculate that it was because Barnabas went with Mark at this juncture, Barnabas' patient encouragement helped Mark's eventual effective ministry.

Today in Acts 16 we read about Paul's 2nd missionary journey, which took place around AD 49-52.  - (map courtesy of http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPhillips.htm)

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "When Division Becomes Multiplication" is at this link.

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 -  Today in Proverbs chapter 17 verse 24 we will read – “A discerning person keeps wisdom in view, but a fool's eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” This is a powerful little Proverb. I have been thinking about this quite a bit in recent weeks. I have found that sometimes the world can be so tempting – or maybe distracting is another way to say it. I have found that I have lately had a lot of opportunities to go out and do “fun stuff.” Perhaps you could say I’ve been offered opportunities to “wander to the ends of the earth.” And it’s been tempting. But, I have realized that if I schedule myself 24 x 7, I don’t spend much time thinking about God at all. Reading the Bible? Maybe I can skip it for today. . . And praying for others?? Forget about it. I’m just afraid that we can spend our lives being so distracted that we will lose sight of wisdom. We absolutely need to keep wisdom in view each and every day. That is why I love the One Year Bible format in so many ways – it provides each of us with at least 15 minutes of wisdom in our lives each day! How about you? How are your days being spent currently? Are you feeling distracted? Are you keeping wisdom in view each and every day? Do you see the wisdom in spending quality time with God each and every day? Do you see the wisdom in not taking any “spiritual vacations”? (Spiritual vacations are a very bad idea. . . even when you go on a regular vacation, please bring God with you!)

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

Grace,
Mike

June 23rd readings

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2 Kings 4:18-5:27 ~ Acts 15:1-35
Psalm 141:1-10 ~ Proverbs 17:23

Short post today... went to a show last night - the show went later than I thought it would!  Back to a full post tomorrow.

Old Testament - Bible.org's commentary on today's Second Kings readings titled "The Shunammite's Son Resurrected" is at this link, "Death in the Pot" is at this link, "The Miracle of the Bread" is at this link, "The Healing of Namaan" is at this link, and "The Sin of Covetousness" is at this link.

New Testament - Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "The Jerusalem Council: The Gospel Defined and Defended" is at this link.

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"?

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

Grace,
Mike

June 22nd readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
2 Kings 3:1-4:17 ~ Acts 14:8-28
Psalm 140:1-13 ~ Proverbs 17:22

Old Testament - In 2 Kings 3 verse 3 today we are reminded that King Jeroboam's legacy is held out as a unfavorable legacy... "Nevertheless he (Joram) continued in the sins of idolatry that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led the people of Israel to commit."  That is an interesting thing to think about - a legacy.  Jeroboam's legacy was obviously not one we'd like to have.  So, what type of legacy would you like to have?  And what type of legacy are you in fact leaving these days?  The more I think about my legacy, the more I simply hope and pray that my legacy is something along the lines of "one who loved God and loved people."  Pretty simple really.  But also really tough in our modern world full of distractions...  And I am not so sure that I am really leaving this legacy some days.   I don't want to pursue this type of legacy for the wrong reasons - for any sort of appearing "righteous" or prideful reasons.  But I in fact I really do want to spend the rest of my days simply loving God and loving people.  Whatever else I do - career, ministry, whatever - pales in comparison to loving God and loving people.  I even hesitate to write this hope for a legacy on this blog - I feel like I should go back and delete everything I just wrote.  Except - I think this might be the type of legacy we are called to as Christians.  Remember the two great commands Jesus gave us in Matthew 22:37 & 39 - "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself."  Love God and love people.  So - whaddya think?  Is this a good legacy for us to aim for?  Should we be aiming for a legacy at all?  What will your legacy be?

2 Kings 4 verse 8 definitely demonstrates that in addition to being a prophet, Elisha was a very wise man! :)  "One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A wealthy woman lived there, and she invited him to eat some food. From then on, whenever he passed that way, he would stop there to eat."

Bible.org's commentary on today's 2 Kings readings titled "The Rebellion of the Moabites" is at this link,  "Elisha Prepares to Hear God’s Word" is at this link, "The Victory Over Moab" is at this link, "God’s Supply in the Midst of Poverty" is at this link, and "The Shunammite Woman Receives a Son" is at this link.

New Testament - Wow... amazing readings today... the thing that went through my mind while I was reading about Paul today was a very modern / punk-type Christian song by Jonah33 called "Faith Like That" that goes like this -

"Oh I, I want Faith Like That
Whatever the cost
I'll suffer the loss, Oh I
I want the Faith That can move any mountain
and send them to the sea
I want the Faith that can break every stronghold
That keeps you, keeps you from me"

Do you see the depth and strength and love of Paul's faith in verses 19 & 20 - "Now some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the crowds into a murderous mob. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, apparently dead. But as the believers stood around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe."  Paul is stoned and then gets back up and keeps going forward in his minstry for God!  Next thing you know he is praying and fasting for elders in churches - after nearly getting stoned to death!  I want a faith like that...

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Mission Accomplished" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 140 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.” 

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 ever 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 - Proverbs 17 verse 22 for some reason reminds me of Paul again from today's Acts readings - "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."  Think back again to Paul being nearly stoned to death in today's readings.  Think he would have a good "reason" to have a broken spirit after something like that happened to him?  But.... we see what he goes and does for the Kingdom just after that tragic incident!  My hunch is that Paul had a very cheerful heart - because he was in such close relationship with Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit.  And his cheerful heart was certainly good medicine for him.  He did not allow himself to have a broken spirit - even after nearly being stoned to death!  Seriously, I'm trippin' off how amazing Paul is - don't worry, I'm not worshiping him... :)  I am just amazed at how in love he was with Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit - and how he let that love guide him and propel him forward no matter what.  So, back to this Proverb - do you think it is possible for us at times to "decide" whether to have a cheerful heart or a broken spirit?  All of us have something bad happen at some time or another.  Is it possible that we can "decide" to be cheerful or broken after something bad happens to us?  If it is possible to be cheerful after something bad happens to us, why?  I think we could learn from Paul's example.  If we are so close in relationship with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, I pray we can weather any storm that life might bring.  Any storm.  Do you believe this is true?

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

Grace,
Mike

June 21st readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
2 Kings 1:1-2:25 ~ Acts 13:42-14:7
Psalm 139:1-24 ~ Proverbs 17:19-21

Old Testament - Today we begin the book of Second Kings!

Author: Unknown
Date: Sixth century B.C.
Content: Second Kings covers a period of approximately 250 years during which time two national tragedies occurred. In 722 B.C. the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, and in 586 B.C. the southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed by the Babylonians. The reigns of the various kings are described in some detail with care being taken to show the spiritual significance of what they were doing. Throughout this whole time of good and bad kings, war and peace, prosperity and ruin, God is seen to be at work, in particular sending prophets to preach his word and warn of judgment to come.
Theme: God’s control over the affairs of men and nations is constantly seen throughout this book. The rulers of men may think they are in control, but even the enemies of God’s people fit into God’s plan by executing judgment upon the wayward nations of Israel and Judah. It must be stressed that sin invariably brings judgment upon the people and righteousness brings God’s blessing. Second Kings also shows that God never sends his judgment without a warning first; in this instance, the warning came through the prophets who were sent. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” pp. 6-7)

More commentary on Second Kings is at these 3 links –
http://bible.org/page.asp?page_id=1489
http://bible.org/page.asp?page_id=955
http://bible.org/page.asp?page_id=752 (Introduction to Elijah)

2 Kings 1 today...  wow...  Elijah is not to be messed with when he is sitting on top of that hill!  Elijah asks a very poignant question twice in this chapter - "Is there no God in Israel?" This is a question each of us will need to ask in our lives at some point - "Is there no God in my life?"  Hopefully we've all already answered this question affirmatively.  It's a sad state of affairs to imagine a country without God.  It is a sad state of affairs to imagine our own lives without God.

Today in 2 Kings 2 we read about Elijah going up to heaven in the whirlwind.  Elijah was taken to heaven without dying.  He is the 2nd person in scripture to do so - Enoch was the first (see Genesis 5:21-24).  Jesus was also taken to heaven in bodily form after his resurrection from the dead (see Acts 1:9).  Below is Italian artist Giovanni Battista's (1683-1754) painting of Elijah's whirlwind scene -

Okay, so 2 Kings 2 verses 23 & 24 are some of the most unique verses in the Bible no doubt...  "Elisha left Jericho and went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, a group of boys from the town began mocking and making fun of him. "Go away, you baldhead!" they chanted. "Go away, you baldhead!" Elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them."  Zondervan's NIV Study Bible has some good commentary on these verses - "The youths from Bethel no doubt assumed that Elisha was going up to Samaria to continue Elijah's struggle against royal apostasy.  Some believe that the youths, in their mocking, were telling Elisha to ascend to heaven as Elijah had done.  By calling Elisah "baldhead" the youths from Bethel expressed that city's utter disdain for the Lord's representative, who, they felt, had no power.  Elisha pronounced a curse that gave warning of the judgment that would come on the entire nation of Israel should it persist in disobedience and apostasy."

Bible.org's commentary on today's 2 King's readings titled "Chariots of Fire" is at this link and "Elisha's Accreditation" is at this link and "Elisha and the Two Bears" is at this link.

New Testament - Great readings today about how Paul and Barnabas' ministry to the Gentiles was growing!  Verse 52 is awesome - "And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."

Psalms - Today we read Psalm 139, which is just off the charts awesome!  I LOVE this Psalm. . .   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 - Proverbs 17 verse 20 stood out to me today - "The crooked heart will not prosper."   Do you believe this is true?  What would make a heart crooked?  What or Whom can heal a crooked heart?

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

Grace,
Mike