lenbilen

February 17, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented

Matthew 9:1-17. Jesus continued his healing ministry, he healed a paralytic, but the real story is; Jesus forgave him his sins, a blasphemy unless Jesus is who he said he is. Then he called Matthew the tax collector and explained to John the Baptist followers why his disciples did not fast while Jesus was with them.

Leviticus 14 continues to deal with leprosy and mildew and what to do with both. Things like that are complicated.

Leviticus 15 deals with bodily discharges. (Hang in there, next chapter deals with the Atonement!)

Verse 16 and 17 of Matthew 9 explains fasting in an unexpected way. There is a right time to fast and a wrong time, and he uses wine and wineskins to illustrate that.

Wine is made from grapes, and the sugar content of grapes is about 16%. The wine making process is to convert the sugar into ethanol via fermentation, and grapes come replenished with their own yeast, so the fermentation starts whether you like it or not. If you leave the grapes out in the air they will ferment and the ethanol will oxidize into vinegar, so they must ferment in a vessel that locks out oxygen. The fermentation has two phases, the first phase is fairly fast, a little more than 10 days, where the sugar converts to ethanol. This process releases CO2; nearly half of the weight of the sugar goes up in the air in the form of CO2, the rest is ethanol. No wineskin can handle that, so fermentation was usually done in a clay vessel with a lid on to prevent air to enter. At the end of 10 to 15 days they had “new wine”.

Bur the fermentation was not over, the aging process began, and that lasted from a few weeks to a few months. During that time there is a slow release of CO2, but the vessel had to be air tight so no oxygen would spoil the wine and turn it into vinegar.

This is where new wineskins come in, they can handle this process by being ever so slightly permeable, if they are made from young goatskin, properly prepared.

Old wineskins on the other hand are hardened and can even be brittle, like an old leather glove that has been lost in the snow for the winter, and when it is found in the spring, it is ruined.

Jesus did not teach wine-making when he used that parable, in the parable the wine is the Holy Spirit and we are the wineskins.

Many people, me and my wife included have been praying for a great new, worldwide revival, and following that, a great worldwide awakening. Revivals usually start small and local, but with great intensity. The intensity will be greatest among young people, and they will celebrate with a new song in their heart. They are the new wineskins, they will be filled with new wine, and their new music will be less refined, raw and unpolished, or so it will seem to us old wineskins. We better prepare for the outpouring of the Holy spirit in our old wineskins by rejuvenate them with the oil of joy to make us ready to receive the old wine, aged to perfection with the full bouquet, like when Jesus turned water into wine. Then we who have been saved for many years can join with the young and appreciate each other, we appreciate their youthful enthusiasm and music, and they will appreciate the good wine that comes from lifelong experience.

There is a great passage in Isaiah 25, a song of praise coming right after the dreadful chapter 24. It speaks of aged wine being the finest of wines.

Revelation 7:17: For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Yes, there will be a great worldwide revival, and an even greater awakening.

February 16, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented

The chapters for today deal with clean and unclean things. Some of them make sense even today, but many were given for clean living in a near desert environment where water is nearly always sparse, and proper hygiene is difficult to maintain.

Matthew 8:18-34 tells of Jesus continuing his healing ministry. . He healed many , including the strange encounter with the demon possessed men from east of the Sea of Tiberias; also called the Sea of Galilee). Many wanted to follow him, but Jesus warned them off by telling the price of following him. It also tells of how Jesus calmed the storm.

Leviticus 11 deals with clean (kosher) and unclean food and clean and unclean animals. (Locusts and grasshoppers are o.k.)

Leviticus 12 is a short chapter and deals with purification after childbirth.

Leviticus 13 deals with leprosy and mildew and what to do with both. Things like that are complicated.

February 15, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented

Matthew 8:1-17 tells of Jesus continuing his healing ministry. He healed a man with leprosy and a Roman centurion displayed his faith in Jesus, so Jesus healed his servant because of the great faith of the roman. He healed many that came to him.

Leviticus 8 goes into some length on how the ordination of Aaron and his sons was performed.

In Leviticus 9 the priestly ministry begins.

And in Leviticus 10 two of Aaron’s sons were killed by fire for violating the command of God. But Aaron’s uncle had two sons and together with two other sons of Aaron they became the new priests and the rest of the chapter deals with how they should behave.

February 14, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented

Matthew 7:21-29 We are coming to the end of the sermon on the mount. It grows to a crescendo with people claiming to have done good deeds, proclaim prophesies and perform miracles in Jesus’ name. And Jesus answered them: “I never knew you”. I took the liberty to add my own discovery of the meaning of these verses. The chapter ends with the parable of the foolish and the wise builders.

Leviticus 5 completes the description of the sin offering and continues with the guilt offering.

Leviticus 6 tells of the restitution necessary in the burnt offering, the grain offering and the sin offering,

And Leviticus 7 defines the guilt offering and the peace(fellowship) offering. It furthermore forbids the people to eat fat or blood. In a fellowship offering the priest must get his share, and the share is specified.

February 13, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented

Matthew 7:1-20 is a continuation of the sermon on the mount. Jesus was admonishing us not to be judgmental but to look to our own faults before condemning others. And don’t waste your time by casting pearls before swine. Ask, seek, knock is another theme. and so is doing to others what you would have them do to you. This sums up the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate. A tree is known by its fruit. This should still be taught in school, it is the opposite of Critical Race Theory, which divides us all.

The book of Leviticus tells about Mosaic Law. I for one am glad I am not under the Law anymore, but redeemed with the blood of Jesus. However, it is interesting reading, and it is still valid proof that we cannot fulfill all the law.

Leviticus 1 tells of how the burnt offering shall be performed.

Leviticus 2 specifies the grain offering.

Leviticus 3 deals with the peace or fellowship offering, and

Leviticus 4 defines the sin offering.

February 12, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented

After every book in the Old Testament I insert one day of sayings from King Solomon about human behavior in the form of teachings or sayings. In the sermon on the mount Jesus speaks of seeking the Kingdom of God and the spiritual blessings that comes with that. This is in stark contrast with the world and its doublespeak.

Matthew 6:19-34 continues the telling of the sermon on the mount. Jesus spoke of storing up eternal, spiritual treasures, not physical riches, for you cannot serve two masters, you serve either God or money. Jesus then continued by telling how foolish it is to worry about the future, concentrate on what is important, seek first the Kingdom of God, and God will take care of all the other things.

Ecclesiastes 3. There is a time for everything. The gift of God is that He has set eternity in our hearts, yet injustice seems to prevail.

Ecclesiastes 4. There is oppression but no comforter, there is vanity of selfish toil. There is value in having friends “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken,” yet, popularity passes away.

With all the double speak today, Psalm 12 is especially valid. The Lord has something to say about that.

Psalm 13 has only 6 verses; used as a moving Anglican Chant. Enjoy.

February 11, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 6:1-18 continues the telling of the sermon on the mount. Jesus spoke of doing good, of fasting and prayer, do it without fanfare, in secret if possible and, above all, be sincere. He then instituted what is called “The Lord’s prayer” which really is a pattern prayer for us, short, direct, but covers the essentials. Fasting should go together with serious prayer, but make it simple.

Exodus 38 records of how the altar of burnt offerings and the basin for washing was made, continuing telling about the courtyard around the tabernacle and all the materials used.

Exodus 39 records how the priestly garments were to be made, the ephod, the breastplate, the bells and pomegranates, the mitre and undergarments and finally the words “Holy to the LORD” to be fastened to the priest’s turban.

And in Exodus 40 the tabernacle was finished, the Priests installed and finally God blessed the tabernacle with His presence when the Glory of the LORD filled it. That ends the book of Exodus.

February 10, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 5:21-48 is a continuation of the sermon on the mount. Jesus first addressed murder, where vengeance is not for us to do, instead you must be reconciled with your adversary before you can be reconciled to God. Then He dealt with adultery, you are not only not to do it, you are not allowed to even think about it. Likewise, the only time divorce is allowed is for already committed adultery. Piling on, he addressed taking of oaths, this was serious business under the Law, but Jesus said “Let your yes be yes and your no, no”. Furthermore it was said “An eye for an eye” But Jesus told us to pray for our adversaries, no matter what, and to love your enemies. This is an important distinction between Old and New Testament Theology, and Jesus brought it fourth.

Exodus 35 is a more detailed repeat of Sabbath regulations, materials for the tabernacle and who were the leaders of building of the tabernacle.

Exodus 36 describes in detail how the tabernacle was to be built.

Exodus 37 continues describing how the Ark of the Covenant was to be built with its cherubim,( by necessity very sketchy since nobody would be allowed to see them once they were made,) the table, the lampstand and the altar of incense.

February 9, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 5:1-20 tells of the Beatitudes, which form the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. Then Jesus added the spiritual dimension to the Mosaic Law. He had not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it.

In Exodus 33 God told the Israelites to leave the place they were staying, take off all the ornaments they were wearing and go to the promised land. Moses established the tent of meeting, and there he asked to see God. God promised Moses he would see His back while hiding “In the cleft of the rock”

After breaking the two stone tablets, Moses in Exodus 34 had to go back up the mountain and write the words of God on two new stone tablets. Then God repeated much of what was said in previous chapters, even reiterating the Covenant, but the chapter ends with the radiant face of Moses because Moses had spoken with God.

February 8, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Matthew 4:12-25. After Jesus was baptized and was led into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights he began his ministry and called his first disciples.

Exodus 30 describes the altar of incense, mentions rules for the poll tax and the basin for washing, anointing oil and rules for sacred incense.

Exodus 31 is short; it tells of two named craftsmen to be leaders of performing the artistic aspect of all the work to build the tabernacle. Then there are rules of how to observe the Sabbath, and with that, God finished His message to Moses by giving him the two tablets of stone containing the ten commandments written by the finger of God.

In Exodus 32 Moses went down from the mountain and what did he find? He found the Golden Calf and the people singing and dancing in orgies. Moses became so angry that he threw down the two tablets with God’s commandments, and they broke in pieces. Then he pleaded with God not to destroy His people.

Jesus began his ministry giving the same message as John the Baptist: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” When a believer from Ukraine or Russia speaks of their conversion experience they do not use the word salvation, they speak of when they repented.