November 18th One Year Bible Readings

Ezekiel 37:1-38:23 ~ James 1:19-2:17 ~ Psalm 117:1-2 ~ Proverbs 28:1
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Old Testament - Ezekiel chapter 37 starts with a fascinating vision!  This vision of the valley of dry bones is an allusion to the exiled Israelites.  As God brings life and breath into the bones, he will do the same for the exiles, and bring them back to their home land.  In a sense, bring them back to life!

Verse 14 sums up the purpose of this vision nicely - "I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I am the LORD."  Again, we hear the words, as we have so often in Ezekiel - "then you will know that I am the Lord."  Today in our lives, do we know that the Lord is the Lord?  (please forgive this picture below... when I saw it I couldn't help posting it up...  sometimes you just have to put all kinds of different facts & info out there for people who pull into your parking lot. :)

Verses 15-23 are great - discussing the reunification of the two kingdoms of Israel since the time of Solomon.  Israel will become one kingdom again.  And verses 24 through 28 point toward the coming Messiah, Jesus.  Verse 26 stands out - "And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant."  Have you entered into this covenant of peace with God?  The everlasting covenant?  Have you opened the door to Jesus in your heart?  Do you hear him knocking?   Maybe late at night, do you hear Jesus knocking?  Offering you an everlasting covenant of peace?  Will you open the door of your heart?

Ezekiel chapter 38 is very interesting, with a prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog.  It will help you to know that Gog is mentioned in Revelation chapter 20 verses 7 & 8 as follows - "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle.  In number they are like the sand on the seashore."  This can help give some context for this chapter.  This may be an end-times type of prophecy from Ezekiel.   Verse 22 tells us - "I will punish you and your hordes with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur!" And, again, we close this chapter with some familiar powerful words from God - "Thus will I show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the LORD!"

New Testament - James' verses today again are all so powerful...  I am enjoying this book immensely.  Chapter 1 Verse 27 is a great reminder to care for the poor amongst us - "Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us."  Are you caring for those in their time of trouble?  Are you refusing to let the world corrupt us?  Do you care for orphans and widows?

James chapter 2 verse 17 is a famous one - "So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless."  Or, paraphrased, faith without works is dead.  It's important of course to remember that works alone do not save us - only faith does through the grace of God.  But, works naturally come through that saving faith.  They are a natural by-product and demonstrate that we have a true and living faith.

Psalms - Psalm 117 is the shortest of all the Psalms - and the shortest chapter in the entire Bible.  This Psalm is said to basically be one long Alleluia.  :)  Actually verse 1 has a very important message - "Praise the LORD, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth."  This demonstrates that God was very interested in the salvation of the Gentiles and all the nations in the Old Testament.  And not just in the New Testament as we get to the book of Acts.  This was part of the plan all along...

Proverbs - Proverbs 28 verse 1 today teaches us: "The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions."  This can only cause us to ask ourselves - are we running with no one chasing us?  Or are we bold like lions?

YouTube - Psalm 117 today reminds me of Michael W. Smith's song "A New Hallelujah!"

Please join me in memorizing a verse of Scripture today:
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" James 1:19 NIV

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you from today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

Grace, love, peace, and joy!
Mike

Comments

[Mae]

James chapter 2 verse 17 is a famous one - "So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all--it is dead and useless."

~~ This is soooooo good on so many levels!!! Good deeds is so important! You can show your faith; by going to Church or reading the Bible ... but faith has to come from the within. Reading the Bible or spreading the word is something we can all do, we can do that for months or even for years, but you have to FEEL it! It has to show itself by good deeds! For me personally it's not only faith or good deeds ... it's a relationship. A relationship built on faith. And both are within my heart ... my faith and my relationship both live in my heart.

[Melissa]

This is awesome. I subscribed to your blog today and I am so glad I did. I love the way we are dealing with the old and new testament simulataneously. It is a blessing!

Thank you for your ministry.

Melissa

[Erin]

I love hearing what others get out of the bible. thanks I am excited to start reading your posts everyday!

[Jenny]

Great reading today. I liked the dry bones analogy in Eze....its like us, before Christ, dead, useless bones. Then Christ breathes/brings life into us, His spirit awakens are souls. We are now 3-dimensional instead of 2D, the way God intended us, body, mind AND spirit!

Of course James is a great book! yes, we must be doers, not just hearers. You see sooo many 'religious' ppl talk, but their lives contradict them! our actions are our witness!! Not really our words.

Before i came back to the Lord, the strongest witnesses were the ones who i saw act different. One girl Kristin i worked with, i knew she was Christian, but she never said much to me about it. But i saw in her this peace! i wanted it!!! this joy, peace, gentleness, quiet spirit, meekness, this Christ-like beauty. it was Christ in her...thats what i wanted sooo bad!

I remember thinking, "she HAS the secret!! why doesnt she share her secret?"...i knew what it was= Christ, but i remember wondering why she didnt tell others her secret to what she had.

But I probly wouldnt have listened..i didnt pay much attention to people who walked around talking about Jesus because talk is talk.

My point, its not necessarily witnessing by words, we should, but we ARE a witness! Our actions, our lifestyles! Nonbelievers are watching us! Lets try to live a life where our walk matches our talk...and people look at you and say: I want what they havE!!!

You dont even need to tell them...Christ reveals Himself to the blind through others. He's awesome like that! =)

[Lenore]

I am reminded of II Thess. verse 11, 12, where Paul prays (in part) that by God's power we will fulfill (His) every desire for goodness and the work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by us and by him according to grace.

What a thought! God can and wants to do in us what we cannot do ourselves. He wants to, by His power, cause us to glorify Him and reach others.

I am so glad it is not up to my own strength. I would never measure up to the standard of works set in James. But by Jesus' blood I am made a new creature who is empowered by His Spirit to do good works.

[Casey]

Would it be ok if I used the Alleluia graphic in one of my concert programs?