One Year Bible Blog

January 28th One Year Bible Readings

Exodus 5:22-7:25 ~ Matthew 18:21-19:12 ~ Psalm 23:1-6 ~ Proverbs 5:22-23
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture with Tom Dooley’s terrific NLT 1996 readings at this link or ESV.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or Daily Audio Bible ~

Old Testament - Exodus Chapter 5 verse 22 starts off our readings today with what seems to be an awfully bold question & complaint from Moses to God: "So Moses went back to the LORD and protested, "Why have you mistreated your own people like this, Lord?  Why did you send me?  Since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has been even more brutal to your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!"" That first question initially made me wince - obviously God was not mistreating his own people - Pharaoh and the foremen were.  I don't fault Moses for this question, since he saw the Isrealites suffering so much - and God didn't seem to fault Moses either as we see in the beginning of chapter 6 he tells Moses what he is going to do to Pharaoh - and he doesn't address Moses question & complaint.  I think Moses was probably really instead trying to ask God what he gets at in the last sentence - why haven't you started your rescue of your people?  Then, the second question in verse 22 above takes us back to Moses' words to God at the burning bush near Midian when God first called Moses to this task - "why me??"  This second question kind of made me smile...  I guess because I've probably asked this question of God a lot of times in my life in various forms - why are you asking me to do this?  Why not pick someone else?  Don't I have enough going on?  How am I going to pull this off?  Etc. Etc.... Etc....   any of these questions sound familiar to you?  :)  And yet, even in the midst of this protesting, God is still going to use Moses in a big way for his Kingdom purposes.  I pray he will still use me in the midst of my protesting.  Do you want God to still use you in the midst of your protesting?  What's your protesting all about?

At the end of Exodus chapter 6 today we come across a short genealogy - only 3 of Jacob/Israel's son's are listed - as the third son, Levi, brings us to Aaron and Moses.  I liked coming across this genealogy in today's readings.  It's kind of a brief interlude in the "action" of the narrative.  It's kind of like God saying to us - pay attention!  These 2 guys, Aaron and Moses were real!  Here's their real genealogy.  This is a real factual history.  And maybe this genealogy helps remind us of the reality of this book of Exodus before we soon get into the plagues...  Below is an image of Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh by an unknown Netherlands or French artist from the mid-16th century - (image courtesy of metmuseum.org)

 

In Exodus chapter 7 we read about Aaron's staff becoming a snake and the plague of blood.  It is interesting that Pharaoh's wise men & magicians did the same thing as these miracles with their "secret arts."  However, it's obvious that what the magicians did was not as powerful as what God did - because God's snake wins!  :)  And, it is indeed ironic that the magicians turning water to blood would really only make matters worse for the Egyptians.  I read commentaries that suggested the magicians were either coming up with illusions or potentially tapping into dark / demonic forces to make their tricks come to fruition. Check out tons more great info on the nature of the plagues, the magicians tricks, the pattern of the plagues and the point of the plagues in Bob Deffinbaugh's essay titled "The Finger of God" at bible.org at this link.  This is worth the read before we dive into all the plagues over the next few days!  Below is an image of the plague of blood along the river Nile:

 

New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 18 we read about Jesus' strong teaching on the need for us to forgive others in our life.  And not just to forgive someone once... but many many many times.  Why?  Because God has been so gracious to us - he has forgiven us for our many many many sins through our faith in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  If God has forgiven us many times over - who are we to not forgive others many times over as well?  Are we better than God?  :)  We all know the answer to this one.  No.  But, we are all called to forgive as gracefully as God has forgiven us.  We are to forgive, just as we have been forgiven.  Is there someone in your life today that you need to forgive?  Will you? 

In Matthew 19 we read a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees on divorce.  The context of this discussion basically revolved around 2 Jewish schools - Shammai and Hillel - and their differing viewpoints in Jesus' day on Deuteronomy 24 verses 1-4: "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD . Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance."  From the NIV Study Bible commentary - The Shammai school held that "something indecent" from verse 1 above meant "marital unfaithfulness" - the only allowable cause for divorce.  Hillel emphasized to the preceding clause, "who becomes displeasing to him" in verse 1 above - they would allow for a man to divorce his wife for anything she did that he disliked.  Jesus in the midst of these 2 viewpoints seems to take to the side of Shammai - but, only after first pointing back to God's original ideal for marriage.  So...  there you have the context.  What does that mean for us today? I honestly will say that I don't know.  I do know that many folks participating in this blog are divorced.  And many are married.  And many are single.  So...  I guess I'd encourage you to read more or study more about the topic of divorce if you feel God is calling you to this.  I do believe in God's grace in each of our lives and I believe in Jesus...  Bible.org does have a pretty long overview of marriage and divorce at this link - I haven't read it all, so I can't say that I agree with everything at this link... but, if you're interested in diving more into this topic you may want to read.  Also, Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Matthew chapter 19 titled "Questions About Marriage and Divorce" are at this link.  No matter what happens in our life - marriage, divorce, health, sickness - we always have One whose love will never fail us:

Psalms - Psalm 23!  What a Psalm!!  This is the first Psalm for sure that I ever really read and was comforted by without a doubt.  Psalm 23 is a profession of joyful trust in God as the good Shepherd-King by David.  I like The Message's take on Psalm 23 at this link.  Bible.org has a wonderful commentary on Psalm 23 titled "A Psalm that calms the soul" at this link. 

 

 

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 5 verses 22 & 23 are just amazing wisdom for each of us of why we should FLEE from sin... don't entertain it at all!  "An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his incredible folly."  Please know that if for some reason you are caught in the ropes of sin, please know that Jesus can truly set you free.  Please pray for this freedom in Christ.  Only in Christ are we truly set free!  Please seek this freedom in Christ with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Don't die for lack of self-control.  Don't be lost because of the folly of sin.  Please accept the free gift that Jesus offers you this very day.

Video:  Have you seen the video yet of a young princess (see her T-shirt :) reciting Psalm 23??  This is a must see.  I pray this inspires you to memorize and meditate upon Scripture!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3buLQoCN6KY

Is the Lord your shepherd?  Click here to meet your shepherd!

Please join me in memorizing and meditating on six verses of Scripture today: "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23:1-6 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you would memorize Psalm 23 today. And pray that you would believe and live out Psalm 23 all the days of your life.

Comments from You and Questions of the Day:  Based on the topic of divorce that comes up in today's Matthew readings, please do share your wisdom / thoughts / books / websites / other resources on this topic.   Please be graceful in your remarks as many of our participants have gone through a divorce.  If you yourself have been through a divorce, and are willing to share your learnings / experiences from it, this could be beneficial perhaps to some others who might read your comments.  But I can understand if it's too much to post up publicly thoughts on this topic in this type of forum.  Also, 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

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

January 27th One Year Bible Readings

Exodus 4:1-5:21 ~ Matthew 18:1-20 ~ Psalm 22:19-31 ~ Proverbs 5:15-21
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture with Tom Dooley’s terrific NLT 1996 readings at this link or ESV.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or Daily Audio Bible ~

Old Testament - Today in Exodus chapter 4 we read about God discussing with Moses from the burning bush how Moses will lead the Israelites out of Egypt!  Below is a portrait by Guy Rowe of Moses having this conversation with God before the burning bush:

Moses has a classic line to God in Chapter 4 verse 10: “Moses said to the LORD , "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." I think what is classic about this line is that probably many of us have some sort of line similar to this one that we say to God when God is calling us to do something big for His Kingdom. Or maybe even if it is something medium-sized or small God is calling us to, we probably have some pretty good excuses. "Why me God?" "I’m too young." I’m too old." "I’m too busy." "I’m not that smart." "I’m not that talented". And I’m sure our list of excuses could go on. BUT – check out what God says to Moses in verse 12: "Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Wow. Is there an area of your life where God is calling you to move forward? Maybe calling you to some Kingdom work? And are you making excuses? Will you leave those excuses behind? Do you realize that God will help you do whatever you need to do? Do you realize that God will teach you what to do as you go? You may not know exactly what to do right now – but if you move forward, do you believe God will show up and help you accomplish the task? Will you go? Now? Below is a wonderful stained glass image of God in the burning bush telling Moses to "now go!"

Verses 24 through 26 probably raised some questions for you today... :)   "On the journey, when Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the LORD confronted Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah, his wife, took a flint knife and circumcised her son....After that, the LORD left him alone."  The obvious question being, why was God about to kill Moses?  Didn't God just call Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?  Well, yes he did.  Commentaries I read suggest that the primary issue here was an issue of obedience.  Moses had not circumcised his son, which was a requirement of God's covenant with Israel from Genesis chapter 17 - you'll recall Abraham and his household all getting circumcised in that 1 day.  So, Moses - and actually Zipporah his wife performed the task of the covenant - had to circumcise his son before God would let Moses go forward to deliver God's people out of Egypt.  Don't you like it when the Bible throws in some quick curveballs like this?  :) Bible.org's commentary on Exodus chapter 4 is at this link - scroll down a bit.  Below is an image from the Sistine Chapel of Zipporah and her and Moses' two sons Gershom and Eliezer:

I like Exodus chapter 5 verse 1, which builds upon some of our readings in chapter 4: "After this presentation to Israel's leaders, Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh." What I like about this is that there was Moses & Aaron going to see Pharaoh - the 2 of them.  This reminds me of Jesus sending out the disciples in pairs.  Sometimes in life it seems like we can accomplish more, or stay on task better, if we are partnered with someone else.  It's sometimes tough to do things on our own.  I think sometimes we want to make ourselves out to be Lone Rangers - thinking that we can shoulder the weight of the world on our own.  But... we can't.  First and foremost we need to be in relationship with God through Jesus.  Secondly, in relationship with our family.  Thirdly, relationship with our community - as we saw Moses and Aaron spoke with the Hebrew leaders at the end of chapter 4.  And then... we are ready to take on Pharaoh!  Then, we are ready to take on the world!  Yeah, sure, on rare occasions God will call us to pull off Kingdom tasks on our own - but... 9 times out of 10, I think you are going to need brothers and sisters in Christ to help you make it.  Currently, are you in a community, a church, with brothers and sisters in Christ?  Do you know who your Aaron is???  Below is a painting by James Tissot of Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh -

New Testament - Jesus' teaching in Matthew chapter 18 verses 3 & 4 are something for each of us to consider: ""I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."  I find it interesting the order of the words - first, turn from your sin.  THEN - after turning from your sins - become as little children.  It seems that we cannot become humble as children without first turning from our sins.  This makes sense if you think about it.  If you are still living in sin, how can you become humble like a child?  You must first repent of the sin before moving toward humility.  I think this teaching is a tough one in our modern age.  It doesn't sound quite right... become humble like a child?  Why??  But, there is so much wisdom in it.   Do you want to become humble like a child?  Will you ask God to show you how to do this in your life?

Verses 19 & 20 are awesome: "I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them." Again, these verses remind me of the importance of being in community with other believers regularly.  The importance of church.  And not just showing up to church on Sundays, but really investing in your church.  Serving.  Giving financially. Being part of a small group.  Doing life together with others.  Being the body of Christ.   I will admit that there have been periods of my life where I really felt like I did not need the church.  That I did not need to be in community.  These have turned out to be lonely or hurried or stressful seasons when I look back on them!  I realize now more than ever that I need the church.  I love my church.  I love everyone in my church - warts and faults and all - and I believe they love me in return, warts and faults and all.   How about you?  Do you have a church that you love?  Do you have a community of believers that you love and that loves you?  If not, will you pray to God to lead you to such a community?  Do you believe that Christian community is important for you?  (Please know that when I say church I am speaking very broadly of the body of Christ and all the various ways it manifest itself as church.  For example, I have many friends who are part of the growing house church movement, which is a wonderful way to do church for many folks.  For others it's the mega-church and for others the mainline church, and this list of examples of church could go on and on...)

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Matthew chapter 18 titled "Life Under Kingdom Authority" is at this link.

Psalms - Okay, since I'm going off on my church soapbox today :), I'll continue the theme here.  What's one good reason to go to church at all?  Check out Psalm 22 verse 22: "Then I will declare the wonder of your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among all your people." Praising God with other brothers and sisters through worship, tithing, learning, serving and being in community in church is a great reason to go to church!  To declare the wonder of God's name!  To praise God among all his people.  Wow... yes...  this is church!

Proverbs - Proverbs 5 verses 16 & 17 are powerful true Sex Education verses: "Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Don't share it with strangers."  I like this a lot.  Is this something we can teach young adults today?  Is this something we can teach ourselves?  Don't have sex with just anyone - it is degrading to you.  Don't share something so holy as sex with just anyone.  Save this holy bond for your spouse.  I once heard a powerful sermon where the pastor was preaching on "Don't Quench the Spirit."   And it was a powerful sermon on how we are so blessed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives as followers of Jesus.  And yet, we can quench, temporarily, the power of the Spirit in our life when we sin.  It is basically like turning our back on God when we sin.  And then we need to turn our faces forward again toward God in repentance.  And while we are sinning and turning our back on God, we have effectively quenched the Spirit.  And as I heard this sermon, I realized that sexual sin is one sure-fire quick way to quench the spirit.  We degrade ourselves through sexual sin and I believe we quench the spirit.  I don't know if this line of thinking will help you at all if you are struggling with sexual sin.  But, it helps me.  It helps me to realize that the quick little temporary highs we think we might get off sexual sin are so not worth it.  What is worth quenching the Spirit in our life??  Is sexual sin?  Nope...  you know it's not.  Living fully in communion with God and with the Holy Spirit is one of the most amazing things we can possibly experience this side of heaven.  Will you please, please, no longer quench the Spirit for the cheap lies sexual sins sells?

 

Worship Video:  Today's readings reminded me of Casting Crowns' song, "All You've Ever Wanted:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWH2MkmQIMM

What do you want?  Click here for all you've ever wanted!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you would pray with others regularly. Pray that you would gather with two or three others regularly, coming together in Jesus' holy name.

Comments from You and Questions of the Day:  With my thoughts above on the serious topic of sexual sin - does anyone have any resources, books, websites, that you can recommend to folks that are struggling with sexual temptation or sin?  Have you seen people in your life be enslaved to sexual sin?  Hopefully you have also seen people also be freed from that enslavement through Jesus?  Do you think that sexual sin - lust, pornography, adultery, etc. - is a rampant issue in our society today?  Do you think it's worse now than the past?  Or do you think sexual sin has always been an issue in the past and will be until Jesus returns again?  (Bob Deffinbaugh with bible.org's essay on "Sex and the Spiritual Christian" based on 1 Corinthians 7 is at this link.) Also, 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

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today and also consider financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

January 26th One Year Bible Readings

Exodus 2:11-3:22 ~ Matthew 17:10-27 ~ Psalm 22:1-18 ~ Proverbs 5:7-14
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture with Tom Dooley’s terrific NLT 1996 readings at this link or ESV.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or Daily Audio Bible ~

Old Testament - Well, I debated posting up this water color of Moses killing the Egyptian from chapter 2 today, but the image probably captures things accurately enough.  We cannot hide from some of the things in the Bible that are not squeaky clean & perfect.  The Bible is not always squeaky clean & perfect in terms of the behaviors of people in the Bible.  Life is not always squeaky clean & perfect.  However God will ultimately make us squeaky clean & perfect - forever.  And in this life God can even redeem Moses after this act:

Please do read up more on this act of Moses' in chapter 2 at bible.org at this link.  At this link you'll see this line: "We dare not seek to defend Moses in the murder of the Egyptian, no matter how cruel he may have been. Moses’ act was in defiance of the authority of Egypt, and it was premeditated murder (“he looked this way and that,” v. 12). While Moses’ method of dealing with this problem was wrong, we can see that his motivation was commendable. Moses sought to defend the oppressed. When he sought to rebuke his Hebrew brother for wrongly mistreating another Hebrew (v. 13), Moses revealed, once again, the disposition of a deliverer."  Moses was 40 years old when he killed the Egyptian.  Moses then escapes to Midian - an area on the eastern side of the Red Sea that was very dry and desolate.  Moses ends up living in Midian for 40 years:

In Chapter 3 today God speaks to Moses through the burning bush!  What I love about this is in verse 4: "When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention..." It seems like Moses probably could have seen this burning bush - and kept going.  He could have somehow walked on by - maybe because he had to get the flocks back home or he was late for dinner or who knows what.  He could have missed the adventure and the calling of his life.  But he doesn't.  He stops.  He investigates.  He has a conversation with God.  God caught his attention.  And I wonder in our lives today, is God trying to catch our attention?  Is God trying to tell us something important?  And are we just passing God by - or will we stop and investigate and have a conversation with God?

Exodus 3:14 is a biggee in today's readings as Moses asks God who he should tell the Hebrews who sent him: "God replied, "I AM WHO I AM. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" I AM WHO I AM  translates into Yahweh in Hebrew.  I read a great little commentary that said when God speaks of himself, he says "I AM".  When we speak of God we should say "He is."  I like that.  He is.  I actually heard a sermon recently about the unchanging nature of God.  He is omniscient.  Omni-present.  Eternal.  He is wisdom.  He cannot learn anything, because He knows everything.  He is.  The Hebrew letters yud, hey, vav, hey (below) -- often depicted in English as YHWH or Yahweh -- spell the ineffable name of God:

Another powerful thing to note is that Jesus uses this same phrase of I AM and nearly gets stoned to death for sharing this truth in the Gospel of John chapter 8 verses 58 & 59: "“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds."  Do you believe that Jesus is? So - when God says I AM! - what is our response?  He is!  :)  I like that.   He is.  A great commentary on the Burning Bush & I AM in Exodus chapter 3 is at bible.org at this link.

New Testament - Today in Matthew chapter 17 verse 20 stood out to me: ""You didn't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.""  As I think about this verse, I wonder about my own faith.  How much faith do I really have?  Do I have enough faith in Jesus?  And in all of God's promises?  Or - am I hedging my bets?  Do I also place a lot of faith in my own power?  My own skills?  My own "smarts"?   Do I truly have complete faith in Jesus and Jesus alone?  If so, and if it was Jesus' will, do I believe that I could move mountains?  Could you?   I don't think that this idea of not having enough faith means that I need to "try harder" in any way.  I think it means I simply need to depend more - rest more - relax more - give more - to Jesus.  Trust in Jesus.  Trust that his grace is enough...  As a great Chris Tomlin song goes - "All of you is more than Enough, for all of me."  Is Jesus more than enough for you?

Verses 25 & 26 are awesome as Peter is about to ask Jesus about the Temple Tax: "But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the foreigners they have conquered?" "They tax the foreigners," Peter replied. "Well, then," Jesus said, "the citizens are free!""  Here we see that Jesus is recognizing himself as the King - and his disciples are his citizens who should not have to pay the tax.  But - as to not offend those who did not realize that Jesus was the King, Jesus tells Peter where to find a coin, in the fish's mouth, to pay the tax. 

Psalms - Psalm 22 is an amazing Psalm!  This Psalm is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament.  Re-read this Psalm again and see if you see parallels to Jesus' crucifixion?  There are a lot in this Psalm.   I'll list a few - Psalm 22:1a was quoted by Jesus on the cross - "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?"  As we see in Matthew 27:46 - "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 

Psalm 22 Verse 8: ""Is this the one who relies on the LORD? Then let the LORD save him! If the LORD loves him so much, let the LORD rescue him!"" We see in similar fashion in Matthew 27:42-43: "“He saved others,” they said, “but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”

Psalm 22 verses 16 & 17 make me want to cry... "They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count every bone in my body." The piercing of the hands and feet of Jesus are apparent with how the crucifixion took place.  And these Psalm 22 verses are similar to John 19:33-37: "But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 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.”"

And Psalm 22 verse 18: "They divide my clothes among themselves and throw dice for my garments." Compare to John 19:23-24 - "When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. “Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.”"

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 5 verses 12-14 are some sad verses to imagine saying in our lives: ""How I hated discipline! If only I had not demanded my own way! Oh, why didn't I listen to my teachers? Why didn't I pay attention to those who gave me instruction? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.""  Do you love or hate discipline?  Do you demand your own way?  Are you listening to your teachers today?  Who are your teachers today?  Who is disciplining you?  For Whom will you not demand your own way?

Worship Video:  Based on Psalm 22's look at what Jesus endured for us, it seems appropriate to share Shane and Shane singing “Power of the Cross:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g235W2Ef7J0

Do you know how much your sin cost?  Click here for the saving Cross!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Exodus 3:14 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you would know God truly as the great I AM. Pray that God would be your personal I AM each and every day. Pray that our world would come to know God and Jesus as the only one and true I AM.

Comments from You and Questions of the Day:  I realize that reading Psalm 22 and seeing some of the images I posted up can evoke a lot of emotions.  I am wondering, how often do you meditate upon Jesus' passion and death?  Do you do this just around Good Friday / Resurrection Sunday each year?  Or more often?  How do you meditate upon the Lord's passion and death?  Are passion plays, movies, or books helpful for you to do this?  Or are their other things you read or watch or do?  Do you think we should or should not meditate upon Jesus' passion and death more often than once a year?  Why or why not?  Also, 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

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today and also consider financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

January 25th One Year Bible Readings

Genesis 50:1 - Exodus 2:10 ~ Matthew 16:13-17:9 ~ Psalm 21:1-13 ~ Proverbs 5:1-6
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture with Tom Dooley’s terrific NLT 1996 readings at this link or ESV.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or Daily Audio Bible ~

Old Testament - Today is a big reading day! We finish up Genesis and begin Exodus!  Genesis chapter 50 verses 19 & 20 stood out to me as Joseph spoke to his brothers: ""Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, to judge and punish you? As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people."  Again, I am impressed with Joseph's character here.  His brothers seemed to think that Joseph hadn't really forgiven them, and that he was waiting to get back at them after their father had passed away.  But, I think we see here that Joseph had truly forgiven his brothers!  It was water under the bridge.  And not only had Joseph forgiven them, but he saw the power of how God turned something bad into something incredibly good.  I wonder about this in our lives today - do we truly forgive other people like Joseph forgave his brothers?  Or, do we maybe hold some piece of unforgiveness within us?  Maybe we keep bringing up the wrong that somebody did to us?  Maybe we do this to make them feel a bit guilty from time to time?  Will we instead fully forgive and fully move forward? 

One interesting side note in chapter 50 was the embalming of Jacob & Joseph.  Embalming was an Egyptian custom - not a Hebrew custom.  Some commentaries suggest that Jacob & Joseph were likely being respectful of the Egyptian customs of the day.  The Egyptians believed in an afterlife - and believed that the embalming allowed the deceased to utilize their body in the afterlife.  Below is an illustration from the 13th century "Psalter of St. Louis" of Jacob´s corpse being laid in the tomb by his twelve sons:

~Exodus~
Author: Moses
Date: 1420 or 1220 B.C.
Content: The book of Exodus deals with the significant facts surrounding Israel’s emergence as a nation. Moses’ great leadership is described as he accepted God’s call to return to Egypt in order to lead God’s people to freedom. God sent the ten devastating plagues upon Egypt because the Pharaoh refused to obey his command. The ceremony of Passover was established during the last plague and became a memorial of God’s deliverance for all time to Israel. The Israelites crossed the sea and arrived at Mt. Sinai where God gave the Ten Commandments and the plan for the tabernacle, and the covenant was renewed the nation.
Theme: The power of God over evil is clearly shown when God defeats the enemy of his people by delivering them from bondage, but God expects that we trust and obey him in return. Worship in the Tabernacle and adherence to the law were two aspects of Israel’s obedience. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” pages 1-2) Terrific in-depth commentary on the book of Exodus can be found at bible.org at this link.

In Exodus chapter 1 verse 12 is awesome: "But the more the Egyptians oppressed them, the more quickly the Israelites multiplied!"  It's amazing how when God wants people to flourish, they flourish!  Even in the midst of oppression.  This verse kind of reminds me of the flourishing of churches over the centuries and even today where the body of Christ is still often oppressed.  It flourishes!  Praise God for flourishing his people then - and now! 

In Exodus chapter 2 we are first introduced to Moses, who is the author of this book of Exodus - along w/ the overall first 5 books of the Old Testament - also known as the Pentateuch or the Books of Law.  A fun little Bible factoid for you in Exodus chapter 2 verse 6 is that this is the only mention anywhere in the Bible of a baby crying!  :) "When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said."

Bible.org's commentary on Genesis chapter 50 titled "The End of An Era" is at this link, and commentary on Exodus chapter 1 titled "Pharaoh’s Fears and Israel’s Faith" is at this link.

New Testament - Today we read about Peter’s confession of Christ in Matthew chapter 16. In verse 15 we hear Jesus ask: ““But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” And then in verse 16 Peter replies – “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” I believe this is a question that is asked of each of us today as well. Who do you say that Jesus is? Is your answer the same answer as Peter’s? If not, will you pray to God about who Jesus truly is?  Below is a fresco from 1481 by Pietro Perugino of "Christ Giving the Keys to Peter" from verse 19:

In verse 18 we read - "Now I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it."  Praise God for Jesus instituting the body of Christ, Jesus’ church!  And all of the powers of hell will not conquer the body of Christ!   Do you praise Jesus regularly for the church you attend?  Do you pray for the ministry of your church regularly?  Do you pray often for your pastors / ministers / priests?  Do you pray for others that attend your church?  Do you pray for those that will soon be coming to attend your church?  I have to say - I absolutely love my church.  I honestly cannot imagine what my life would be like without the church.  I met first met Jesus thanks to the church over 20 years ago.  And Jesus changed my life forever.  Thank God for the church!  I realize that some of you may feel that some churches have some issues and so you don’t go to church at all at this time. However, I honestly do believe that we are called to be in community with others in a church – be it a big church, small church, house church, etc. - and that you really can find a great church if you search prayerfully.  Trust me, they are out there!  If you are not currently attending church - maybe because of bad experiences you had at another church in the past, will you pray about this with Jesus?  Will you attend a different church again soon?  I honestly believe it will bless you immensely to attend church again on a regular basis. Also, I am reminded of a classic line from Billy Graham – "If you ever find the perfect church, please do not join it. You’ll mess it up!" :) Indeed, there are no perfect people out there, and hence no perfect churches. But let us be the church anyway! The church may be a majestic mess, but it is Majestic indeed! And I do honestly believe that the body of Christ is the "hope of the world". Please be an active participant in this Hope.

Verses 24 - 26 are so powerful today: ""If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?"  Wow... there is so much going on in these verses... I pray they speak to you powerfully as well?  Do you want to follow Jesus?  Will you put aside your selfish ambition?  Will you shoulder your cross?  Do you know what your cross is?  Are you trying to "keep your life" in any area of your life?  Or, will you give up all of your life - every area - to Jesus so that you will find true life?  Is there anything that this world has to offer that is worth more than your soul?

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Matthew chapter 16 titled "Peter's Confession and Christ's Church" is at this link and commentary on chapter 17 titled "The Transfiguration" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 21 today follows up Psalm 20 from yesterday - yesterday's being a prayer for victory for the king as he goes out to battle - and today's being a psalm of praise for victories granted to the king.  I like the credit given to God in verse 1: "How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because of your victory."  The king is not rejoicing in his own strength.  He is not claiming victory as his.  He is giving credit to God!  How about you in your life today?  Do you give credit to God for the blessings and gifts he has given you?  Do you shout for joy and rejoice simply because God is in your life?

Proverbs - Today we read in Proverbs chapter 5 verse 6: "For she does not care about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn't even realize where it leads."  For some reason this year, as we've been going through the One Year Bible, the idea of "paths" keeps jumping out at me over and over again.  Every time we read about paths now in the Bible, it stands out to me.  And here it does again.  The idea of paths in the Bible seems to clearly indicate that there are good paths - straight paths - paths through the narrow gate - paths of life - that we can choose to take.  Or, unfortunately, there are also crooked trails and we don’t realize where they lead.  Or we can take our eyes off the path.  Or we can stumble on the path.   How about for you?  What type of path are you on these days?  Is it a straight path?  Are you keeping your eyes straight ahead on the path and focused on the prize?  Will you pray to Jesus regularly to keep you on the straight path?  Will you allow God's Word, the Bible, be a lamp unto your feet and a light on the path of life that you walk each day?

Worship Video:  Today's readings reminded me of the Needtobreath song "Multiplied" with a great live acoustic fireside version here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWT4gxAFQBs

Has your love for God been multiplied?  Click here for multiplication!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." Matthew 16:24-25 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are following Jesus, denying yourself and taking up your cross daily. Pray that you have lost your life for Jesus.

Comments from You and Questions of the Day:  In our Matthew readings today Jesus institutes the church.  I'm curious what your thoughts are on the church today?  And I'm not talking about any one denomination - I mean church as the overall "body of Christ" Christian churches worldwide.  Big churches, small churches, house churches, cathedral churches. Do you personally go to church regularly?  Why or why not?  Have there been periods of your life where you have not gone to church regularly?  Have these been good or not so good periods of your life?  What would you say to someone now who might be reading this blog who does not go to church about church?  How might you encourage someone to go to church?  Why does it matter if they go to church or not?  Also, 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

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today and also consider financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

January 24th One Year Bible Readings

Genesis 48:1-49:33 ~ Matthew 15:29-16:12 ~ Psalm 20:1-9 ~ Proverbs 4:20-27
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture with Tom Dooley's terrific NLT 1996 readings at this link or ESV.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or Daily Audio Bible ~

Old Testament - Today in Genesis Chapter 48 we read about Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh!  One thing I thought about when reading this chapter and the next chapter was how interesting it is that blessings had so much importance and significance back in the days of the patriarchs.  And I wonder - do we have blessings today that are as significant?  Do fathers bless kids or grandkids these days?  Maybe so...  I guess I just haven't noticed it in my family...  :)  I do think there are still some "blessings" today that hold some incredible significance today.  Wedding vows come to mind and the blessings that come from the pastor/priest/minister during this time.  Church ceremonies or rituals come to mind - Communion, Baptism, Funerals, etc.  And then certainly above all else, there is the amazing and eternal blessing we receive from Jesus himself - the free blessing and free gift of salvation.  What else is there today that I'm missing?  Have you been "blessed" by others in some way, like we read about in today's 2 chapters?  Have you "blessed" others?  Please share in the Comments section below.  Below is a painting by the American artist Benjamin West from the early 19th century of Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh - and with his arms appropriately crossed as per the text :) -

In Genesis chapter 49 we read about Jacob blessing his sons - and these are some very accurate blessings he gives as we will see as we continue through the Bible this year.  Perhaps Predictions or Prophecies might be the better term for Jacob's blessings in this chapter.   Verse 10 is awesome: "The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will obey."  This verse can apply to 2 descendants of Judah - King David and then ultimately and eternally to Jesus.  In verse 22 we read this about Joseph: "Joseph is a fruitful tree,"  And this is certainly true, as his descendants will include Joshua, Deborah & Gideon & Jephthah (3 judges of Israel), and Samuel the prophet.  Below is an image of Jacob blessing his 12 sons:

Below is a map that should be helpful to review based on today's blessing from Jacob of his sons.  Obviously we still need to get through the Exodus and a few other things before the twelve tribes have this land below :), but this is a nice overview for now of where things are going and correlate with Jacob's blessing in today's readings:

Bible.org's commentary on Genesis chapter 48 titled "The View from the Graveyard" is at this link and commentary on chapter 49 titled "The Purpose of Prophecy" is at this link. 

New Testament - In Matthew chapter 16 verses 11 & 12 stood out to me today: "So again I say, `Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' " Then at last they understood that he wasn't speaking about yeast or bread but about the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees."  And I wonder today - are there false teachings that we should beware of today?   I believe there are...  and there have been times in my life where I have bought into false teaching's.  How can we know if a teacher is false?  That is a great question.  I would say that each of you are doing an amazing thing to help discern whether a teacher is false by reading the entire Bible.  I believe the Bible to be the ultimate Truthful teaching that we can read - and thus, if you come across teachers that differ radically or go against the teachings of the Bible, you need to be wary.  Don't get me wrong - every pastor / minister / priest is going to have some different takes or views or interpretations of the Bible.  By slight degrees...  If there are major differences, then you should be worried.  In addition to knowing the Bible relatively well, the key to discerning false teachers will be the Holy Spirit.  If you are getting bad "gut feelings" (hopefully coming from the Holy Spirit) over and over again about a teacher, there might be an issue.  Pray to God about this and ask for his guidance.  I realize this can be a sensitive issue!  I'd say don't freak out about this and start wondering if your pastor is a false teacher....  :)  But, be aware.  I do believe there are still false teachers out and about today unfortunately.  If you ever feel like you are being confused by someone today, keep your eye on the way out of confusion through God's Word!

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Matthew chapter 15 titled "A Lesson in Hermeneutics" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 20 is a prayer for a king as he goes out into battle - check out verses 1 through 5 again and you can imagine a group of people saying these words to the king.  Maybe another way to read this Psalm, personally, is as a prayer for yourself as you go out into battle against a sin or a struggle in your life.  And this verse 5 then is for you as you go into this battle: "May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory, flying banners to honor our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers."  Amen! Let the banners fly soon in your life!

Proverbs - Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 holds so much truth... "Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do."  Check out yesterday's posting below for tons more reflections on why it is so critical for us to guard our hearts.  How are you doing on guarding your heart these days?

We would do well to obey the teaching of verse 24: "Avoid all perverse talk; stay far from corrupt speech." I have found it sometimes far too easy to be pulled into perverse talk - even if I didn't start it. (look at me - blaming others here! :) I do think we really need to be aware of situations where talk amongst our peers or friends is going in the wrong direction and to realize that we need to get ourselves out of these situations as quickly as possible.  Sure, try to do it gracefully.  Try to change the subject if you can.  But if not, just excuse yourself and get out of Dodge...

Worship Video::  Today's readings in Genesis about Jacob blessing his son's reminded me of Tenth Avenue North's song "You Are More:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwtcwQwgdsA

Do you know that you are more than the sum of your past mistakes?  Click here for More!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. " Proverbs 4:23 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that your heart would be guarded by God's Word today. Pray that Jesus is the Lord of the wellspring of your life today and forevermore.

Comments from You and Questions of the Day:  Proverbs verses 25 & 26 are powerful and bring up a question I'd love feedback on: "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe."  One thing that stood out to me in these verses is the ideas of setting goals.  Are you a goal setter?  I honestly am not really.  I mean, I kind of set short-term goals - work projects, ministry projects, etc.  But I don't really sit down and write down any big lifetime type goals.  Part of my thinking on this is that I want to be as flexible as possible - if Jesus calls me to do something, I don't want to be hung up on some other goal...  :)   But, I'm not sure if this is the best thinking.  This Proverb verse kind of makes me wonder if setting goals helps us keep looking straight ahead?  If goals help us mark out a straight path for our feet?  And to stay on it?   So, let me know in the Comments section below if you are a goal-setter?  And to the extent you can share how you set goals?  How often?  In writing?  How often do you check back in on your goals?  Do they make a difference in your life?  In your spiritual life?  I am really curious on this one...  I am thinking I might need to be setting some goals here!  :)  Also, 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

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today and also consider financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!