July 13th One Year Bible Readings

1 Chronicles 15:1-16:36 ~ Romans 1:18-32 ~ Psalm 10:1-15 ~ Proverbs 19:6-7
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~ Listen to today's Scripture on DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) or OneYearAudioBible.org ~

Old Testament - Today in First Chronicles chapter 15 we read about David dancing before the Ark as it enters Jerusalem!

David's song of praise in 1 Chronicles 16 is phenomenal.  Verse 8 begins his praise with: "Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness."  These are two things that I'm afraid I do not do enough - give thanks to God & proclaim his greatness.  I am amazed really at how little I give thanks to God.  I mean, yes, I say grace and thanks before meals.  And I'll maybe give a little prayer of thanksgiving here or there to God on occasion - but it is just very occasionally.  Why am I not giving thanks to God frequently??  I am not sure.  I think it maybe has to do with the human condition - we always want more.  Things are never really good enough.  But if we really stop and think about it, we are so fortunate to have lived the # of years we have lived in our lives!  Each day in our life has been and is a gift from God.  How about you?  Do you give thanks to God frequently?  Now, as for proclaiming God's greatness, I think I stumble in this area too.  I think sometimes I forget the wise saying of - "God is God, and I am not."  I think sometimes I try to fall back on my own power and might and strength and spirit - when really all that I have comes from God.  I pray that I begin to proclaim God's greatness more and more often.

New Testament - Wow... Paul's writings today in Romans are such a true  and stern warning about the dangers of sin.  I really can't imagine how sin can be written about much more truthfully.  Verse 21 is a strong warning: "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused." I do believe that this is such an accurate description of what sin does to our minds - it makes our minds dark and confused!  Things can get so fuzzy and hazy in our mind due to unchecked sin that we can even get to the point of where we do not realize we are sinning.  How sad to live life knowing God, but not worshiping him or even giving him thanks.  And then to come up with wacky ideas of what God is like.... ever hear any wacky ideas about God out there?  :)  The result is that people's minds become dark and confused because of sin... sad.  Let us live our lives so that we share the Light of the Gospel of Jesus in the dark places in the world. 

Today's readings in Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 32 consist of Paul describing the sin of the Gentiles, which is probably most of us.  In chapters 2 & 3 Paul will describe the sin of the Jews.  So, these chapters set the stage that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God - Gentile and Jew alike.  Yep, that covers each of us.  An interesting thing to note from today's readings is that Paul writes about "general" revelation - meaning, God is revealed to all people in all times generally through nature.  In addition to general revelation, there is also "specific" revelation - God is specifically revealed to us through his Word and his son Jesus.  But, as Paul writes today, general revelation is enough for all people to not have any excuse to not believe in God and to continue on in our sin.  And yet, sin we do...  Thank God for sending us the specific revelation each of us knows about - and hopefully we each personally know - God's own son Jesus!

Bible.org's commentary on today's Romans readings titled "No Excuse for the Heathen" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 10 is a prayer for rescue from attacks from the proud and wicked. Wisely, you'll note that this Psalmist is not taking punishment into his own hands - but asking God for punishment.  We would do well to remember that punishment is the Lord's...   For some reason much of this Psalm reminded me way too much of our world today - and I realized that not much has changed over 3,000 years!  Verse 4 in particular rang true to me about much of our world today: "These wicked people are too proud to seek God.  They seem to think that God is dead."  Only about 100 years ago the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche uttered those exact words - "God is dead."  And I know that this viewpoint of many expressed in this Psalm 3,000 years, and 100 years ago by Nietzsche, is still a viewpoint of many in our world today.  What a sad thing.  What can we do in our lives today to show the world that God is not dead?  How can we live our lives to demonstrate that God is alive?  Let us share with this hurting and dying world with all that we are that God is not dead.  Obviously, He Lives.  What are you doing with your life today to show others that He Lives?

Psalm 10 verse 1 also stood out to me today: "O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I need you the most?"  Have you ever felt like this?  I know I have.  However, I also have realized later on that just when I thought God was no where near me, he was actually as close as could be taking care of me.  Even though it may have seemed that God was "hiding" from me, he was actually right there with me all along!

Proverbs - The second half of Proverbs 19 verse 6 really stands out to me today: "Everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!"  This is obviously very true when we think about our human relations.  But what about with God?  Who anywhere gives better gifts than God?  Who else literally gives us the gift of life?  Who gives us every good and perfect gift in our lives?  And yet...  does everyone rush to be God's friend?  I would guess that many of us reading this blog would consider God to be our friend.  But what about the rest of the world?  Why isn't all of the world rushing to be friends with the giver of all good and perfect gifts?  And even us who consider God to be our friend - do we consistently treat God like we do our other friends?  Do we spend time with God?  Do we laugh, cry, and enjoy life with God?  Are you a true and consistent friend of the Giver of every good and perfect gift?

YouTube - Per my Proverbs reflection above about being a friend of God, below is a video of Israel Houghton performing the awesome song "Friend of God."  Enjoy!

Are you a friend of God?  Click here and meet your friend!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NIV)

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

God bless,
Mike

Comments

[John A.]

Romans 1:18-32

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

A few years ago there was a poster on this blog who was very uncomfortable with the idea of God's WRATH. The poster thought of God as a "God of Love". God is Love, and Love is God. Unfortunately this view is very one dimensional, and the danger is that you are creating the God you want, instead of worshiping the revealed God of the Bible. By focusing on Love, one is denying the rest of God's attributes.

Is this a problem? Yes, if one thinks that all of this (creation) is about the "Glory of God". What has been on display before now and on into Revalation is God's Glory being lifted up and magnified to its highest level. For this to happen ALL of God's attributes have to be on display. Not just one.

God's attributes are all in display and all being utilized perfectly. If mankind thinks this is not being done, then the problem is in us and our inability to comprehend, and not with God. Draw a circle on paper, and label the circle "all the knowledge and wisdom in the universe". How much of that circle is the extant of your knowledge and wisdom of the universe (color it in). Is it possible that when we do not understand why God acts the way He does that the answer is somewhere outside the colored area in our circle?

Below are links to two lists of the attributes of God. Tozer lists 18, and Spurgeon lists 25.

http://www.allaboutgod.com/attributes-of-god.htm

http://www.preceptaustin.org/attributes_of_god.htm

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WRATH

So where is this "wrath" mentioned in verse 18? I do not see any lightning bolts from heaven, or any universal flooding? However the verb tense indicates it is an ongoing reaction of God to display his wrath against those who deny Him and His Glory.

So what is on display? What wrath? Let's define "wrath" first:

Wrath is "the personal manifestation of God’s holy, moral character in judgment against sin. Wrath is neither an impersonal process nor irrational and fitful like anger. It is in no way vindictive or malicious. It is holy indignation—God’s anger directed against sin.

So what is the wrath Paul is talking about? God's reaction to his deniers IS: allowing the sinking degradation of human thinking and behavior. God let's man be man, and allows their sins to come to light.

As Christopher Hitchen's puts it:
No great surprise—and no real offense taken—to find myself similarly dismissed as a dumb and vain ingrate in the epistle to the Romans. It's true that I never asked to be saved and don't want anyone to be martyred for me—or to martyr themselves against me, for that matter. All I ask of the apostle Paul is that he and his followers and emulators leave me alone.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/mayweb-only/120-22.0.html

God's wrath (His reaction to their sin) is: He leaves man alone. He allows the sins to come out of darkness and into the light where they are exposed.

Verse 18 should show us why we need verse 17. If we believe: God does not give us over to a depraved mind, he gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit.

[John A.]

SIN BROUGHT TO LIGHT

Take a look at this table of figures:

Reported crime in United States
http://bjsdata.ojp.usdoj.gov/dataonline/Search/Crime/State/statebystaterun.cfm?stateid=52

The table has the yearly totals for violent Crime in U.S. from 1960 to 2007 and the source is the "Justice Department".

Note:
1) Population of US has grown roughly 66% from 1960 to 2007. Violent Crimes have grown 200 to 600% in that same time frame.

2) While there may be under or over reporting in any one year, and that may adjust numbers somewhat, no way it explains the vast percentage gap between population growth and crime growth.

In 1963: God, prayer, and the Bible were taken out of the Public School system in US. Perhaps the resulting Crime explosion in the US is the result of God giving mankind over to their own mind. Letting man be man with no restraints on God's part.

I am sure secularists will come up with the "real" reason for Crime going up, but the chart is an interesting view.

[John A.]

Romans 1:18-32

Outline

This section deals with the first of four groups of people - all of whom are non-believers.

DENIERS of GOD

Gods wrath revealed against deniers of God.

No Excuse: God reveals Himself in Nature. His Power and Divinity. Not the Personal Divinity, but the essence of Divinity.

Deniers:
1) Deny God exists
2) Create their own wisdom (Man's view of things with God not in the picture).
3) Then decide what they will worship. Everything from themselves to ideas to material things, etc.

God's Wrath:
Simply removes restraints, and allows man to be man. And the order of things listed that are given over is interesting:

1)immorality
2)unatural relations (homosexuality)
3)our own minds

[All of above first brought to light, and then accepted by the denying society.]

Two points:
1) Homosexuality is not the first nor the last listed. It is a sin, but we need to realize as Christians that it is just that - a sin. A case can be made for pride and lying being much more offensive to God. Anyway here is a link to some articles on an apologetic website that may be helpful.
http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4465835/k.9241/Homosexuality.htm

2)The list of depravity of minds is not exhaustive nor meant to be every sin for every denier of God. The list is representative, and I am sure you can acknowledge seeing such acts and seeing them approved of in some shape or form.

As Christians we can commit the sins in the last few verses, but we know it is wrong and must go to the Father about our sin, and make restitution where possible and/or serve time if appropriate.

[Very tired and sleepy - going to have to out off anymore until this afternoon].

[Pastor Don Shaeffer]

The posting for the day strikes me as being profound!
I, join with others, who find that this daily blog to be the a great starting point for each and every day.
Blessings and by God's grace keep up with your ministry of the Word through this media.

[Ramona]

I Chronicles 15-16:36

Luke 16 10 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” This verse came to mine every time I read Obed-edom’s name in this passage. He is mentioned four times in regard to being a gatekeeper in the tabernacle (15:18); a musician, a harp player) (15:21); and his home was where the Ark was kept for three months (15:25) while David tried to figure out how to get the Ark into the city without someone dropping dead.

After suffering the consequence of chosen ignorance, not actively consulting and reading the Laws of Moses, which would have told him how to move the Ark the right way, he does the right thing and gets the “411” on how to handle properly, God. (Well the God in the box, the home He had chosen to stay in for the sake of Israel)

David’s wife’s, Saul’s daughter, sneer at David, she must have been embarrassed, demonstrates to me that people have shown and will continue to show contempt for those who are in heartfelt worship. Like David, we must pay them no mind, but I don’t know if we can get away with locking them up.

In his Psalm, David lets us know that seeking God requires constancy and persistence (16:11), just like Jesus would latter tell us to do by asking, seeking and knocking.

Romans 1:18-32

This thing with God allowing us to have what we want (24 So God let them go ahead and do whatever shameful things their hearts desired) is the same thing He did with Israel when she asked for a king. He, God, gave them a man named Saul whose name in Hebrew is a play on the Hebrew word for desire.

I Sam 12:
12 "But when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, 'No, we want a king to rule over us'-even though the LORD your God was your king. 13 Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see, the LORD has set a king over you.

God is still in the business of giving people what they want even if what they want is hell.

Psalm 10:1-15
WOW!
4 These wicked people are too proud to seek God.
They seem to think that God is dead.

5 Yet they succeed in everything they do.
They do not see your punishment awaiting them.

Not only are these two verses powerful, they let us know that the wicked will seemingly appear to succeed; however there is something coming toward them on the road they don’t see, punishment. Just because the wicked or the righteous do not see evil, being thwarted by God does not mean the road is clear of their just dessert, we like they don’t see everything.

Proverbs 19:6-7

The kind of friends spoken about in these two verses, I don’t need nor do I want.

[Susan Overmyer]

"Give thanks to the Lord & proclaim" His greatness"
I too have struggled with these things until recently. First, this blog has helped me over the last month or so get back into the Word. Thank you SO much!
Secondly, my "mentor" & friend gave me the acronym "ACTS" for prayer...I didn't like it at first as it seemed too contrived, but it was a wonderful start. You start by "Adoring" God. I have used praise & worship music to help in this. Then comes Confession. Then Thankfulness, & finally Supplication. I would encourage those struggling with prayer, or any particular aspect of it to try it out for a week or so...it's helped me more than I ever dreamed!

Susan

[John A.]

1Chron 15:29:

"As the ark of the covenant of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart."

Perhaps Michal had very good reasons why she should be upset at David.
Even though she loved David at one point in her life, she could make a point at saying that David ruined her life.
Also, she has her ideas of what a king should act like by what she saw in her father.
But David is not her father. And her father really wasn’t the best of role models for her to be following. David is the man “after God’s heart”, not Saul.

But she’s missing out on one of the most wonderful things to have happened in a long time.
Don’t let bitterness or misunderstandings cause you to miss out on what God is wanting to do.

[John A.]

Romans 1

Deniers

See this Pew poll on Religious landscape of U.S.
http://religions.pewforum.org/reports

In the United States polling information indicates only 1.6% of the population responded as atheists (deny God exists). Another 2.4% are agnostics (those who say one cannoty know if God exists or not).

Are these the only deniers of God? Actually, no. There are a number of religions that do not believe in the God of the Bible. So they would also deny His existence and neither give Him thanks nor Glory. In the U.S. that would up the ante of deniers to around 15-20% of the population.

My personal view on religion is not very good. Religion or religious is only mentioned 11 times in the Bible. Negatively when the heart was not in the ceremony. Positively when the rituals were done with the right heart. However, belief and faith are mentioned 250+ times in the Bible. God is a God of personal relationships first and foremost.

Religion is too many times man's effort to build a ladder to God; while true Christianity is God coming down to man, saving man, and taking him to heaven without the benefit of a man-made ladder.

I trust in and rely on God because He has proved Himself to me both through His Word, and His involvement in my life. On the other side I look at the track record of mankind and I do not see mankind getting anything right on a large scale. Ex: politics, social issues, sports, international relations, etc.
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SO HOW DO WE, AS CHRISTIANS, TALK TO DENIERS.

I have watched many hours of debates of Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens vs. Christian apologists. Have seen some of the Rational Response Squad's videos, and a number of people purporting to be atheists who post on youtube (and other video sites).

All you can do is share out of love.

Answer their questions as best you can. Frequently ask God to help you with answers ("Help me" is a valid short prayer to God).

Try to keep your cool, as at least in my case, that was me (a denier) five short years ago. The conversation can be very frustrating as most will not buy into anything you are saying, and they may mock you personally quite a bit.

Do not let them limit you in the way you respond. They may ask you not to give a Biblical answer, but give a ratonal (man-made) answer. This would put you in their camp, and is not advisable. If they ask you something about God - answer them using the God of the Bible as He is revealed. They may not like the answer, but they need to understand that because you believe in God - your source has to be the Bible.

Do some homework. take the time to go to some apologetic websites, and every so often listen to some debates or read some articles. Get informed.
http://apologetics315.blogspot.com/2009/06/100-christian-apologists.html

Stay in God's Word, and pray that when you are ready God will put someone in front of you to dialogue with about faith.
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Deniers will Deny.

Unless they are seeking God and their heart has been softened by God, or their heart has been softened and they are seeking God - DENIERS WILL DENY AND DENY AND DENY.

Ex: Richard Dawkins was asked what if a man was raised from the dead right in front of him. how would he respond? His answer: (paraphrase) I would straightaway make an appointment with a psychiatrist, because I would be delusional.

See this link here for an interview with Ben Stein. Dawkins has backtracked from saying a possibility of a hyper evolutionized alien race may have seeded the population of earth. He says now that he was just throwing a bone to intelligent design people but he did not mean it. Elsewhere Dawkins said that it merely was more plausible for an alien intelligent design theory to be valid then there being a "god" involved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtV22JPjmsk&feature=related

Hitchens is more fascinating. He always starts off cool, collected and very urbane. but as debate goes on Hitch gets worked up into a lather about how reprehensible the God of the Bible is in his eyes.

Hitch at least is honest. God cannot exist because the idea is morally reprehensible, and if God of the Bible exists - Hitch says - 'I want no part of Him. I am liberated and free because I can use my mind and run my own life. That is the way I want it, and it makes me happy.' (paraphrase).