Category: Through the Bible in a year.

April 22, through the Bible in a year.

Continuing with the Acts of the Apostles and four chapters in 1 Samuel.

April 22: Acts 3, 1 Samuel 5, 1 Samuel 6,  1 Samuel 7, 1 Samuel 8 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Acts 3 Peter heals a crippled man sitting at the Beautiful Gate with these words:  “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Then Peter preaches at Solomon’s Portico.

1 Samuel 5, the Ark of the LORD brings nothing but trouble to the Philistines.

So in 1 Samuel 6  the Ark is returned to Israel together with a guilt offering of five gold tumors and five golden rats.The Ark is brought back as far as toto Kirjath Jearim.

1 Samuel 7. Samuel grew up and became Judge over Israel. He subdued the Philistines at Mizpah, and there he raised his Ebenezer (stone of help). He judged Israel all the days of his life.

1 Samuel 8. Samuel’s sons were not following the Lord, so Israel Demanded a King. Samuel complained to the LORD, but He answered : Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.”

April 21, read through the Bible in a year.

Continuing with the Acts of the Apostles and two chapters in 1 Samuel.

April 21: Acts 2, 1 Samuel 3, 1 Samuel 4  (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Acts 2, at the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit arrived, and that day was at least 15 different tongues spoken. Peter stood up and delivered his first sermon, a powerful one with about 3000 new converts. These were good times and the believers were in good fellowship with each other.

1 Samuel 3 tells of Samuel’s first prophecy, a prophesy against Eli and his sons, for Eli failed to restrain them.

1 Samuel 4, the Philistines capture the Ark of God. Soon after Eli died,  and Phineas died and his wife gave birth to Ichabod, which means “No Glory” for the glory had departed from Israel.

April 20, read through the Bible in a year.

Time for the Acts of the Apostles and two chapters of 1 Samuel.

April 20: Acts 1, 1 Samuel 1, 1 Samuel 2 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Acts 1 starts with the disciples watching Jesus’ Ascension, but before he leaves Earth he promises they shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them. While waiting for the Holy Spirit Matthias is chosen to replace Judas.

1 Samuel 1 start out with the birth of Samuel. Elkanah had  two wives, one was fruitful and the other, Hannah, was barren. As always with polygamy there is strife, but Hannah prays and gives her Vow that if she conceives a son she will give him to the LORD. Her wish comes to pass and so Samuel is born and dedicated.

1 Samuel 2 starts out with Hanna’s Prayer, a beautiful piece of poetry. Then comes the story of the wicked Sons of Eli, they took and ate the fat that was supposed to be burned!  It tells of Samuel’s childhood ministry and finally a man of God gives a prophecy against Eli’s household, both his wicked sons will die on the same day.

April 19, read through the Bible in a year.

One Psalm and the whole book of Ruth today.

April 19: Psalm 28, Ruth 1, Ruth 2, Ruth 3, Ruth 4 (click on the chapter to begin

reading)

Psalm 28, of David. A Psalm of petition, asking for deliverance, then turning to praise.

Ruth 1, Elimelech’s family goes to Moab, all men die,  Naomi returns with Ruth. The famous quote from Ruth 1: “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”

Ruth 2, Ruth meets Boaz.

Ruth 3, Ruth’s Redemption Assured.

Ruth 4, Boaz redeems Ruth, and that’s how Ruth came to be in the genealogy of David and Jesus.

April 18, read through the Bible in a year.

Four Old Testament. chapters today, the end of Judges.

April 18: Psalm 27, Judges 19, Judges 20, Judges 21 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Psalm 27, of David. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Judges 19, The Levite’s Concubine, Gibeah’s Crime, probably the most gruesome story in all the Bible. The Bible is honest and tells it as it was, totally wicked.

Judges 20, Israel’s War with the Benjamites. Another horrendous chapter.

In Judges 21 they had killed nearly all so the Israelites had to find wives for the Benjamites. The book of Judges ends fittingly: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”

April 17, read through the Bible in a year.

Five Old Testament. chapters today.

April 17: Proverbs 5, Judges 15, Judges 16, Judges 17, Judges 18 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Proverbs 5 tells of the perils of adultery.

Judges 15, Samson defeats the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.

Judges 16, the telling of Samson and Delilah and how he finally got captured. In his death Samson slew many more than when he lived.

Judges 17, the telling of Micah’s Idolatry.

Judges 18, as the Danites had failed to take their allotted land from the Philistines they wandered around and finally settled in Laish and renamed the city Dan. Micah’s idols leads to no good.

 

April 16, read through the Bible in a year.

Two Psalms and three O.T. chapters today.

April 16: Psalm 25, Psalm 26, Judges 12, Judges 13, Judges 14 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Psalm 25, of David. “Unto Thee, o LORD do I lift up my soul.”

Psalm 26, of David. A Psalm where David asks God to judge him on his merits based on faith.

Judges 12, Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim where they killed people based on their accent. After that three more people, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon led Israel.

Judges 13, bad times for Israel for forty years. Then comes the Birth of Samson.

Judges 14, Samson starts out great, but then he takes a Philistine Wife.

April 14, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are only two chapters to read, read Luke 24 carefully and rejoice over it!

April 14:Luke 24,  Judges 10 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Luke 24, this is it, the Resurrection, the most important event in the Christian calendar! Two dejected disciples meet someone on the Road to Emmaus,  then Jesus appears to the Disciples. The Gospel of Luke ends with the Ascension.

Judges 10 Things go from bad to worse with Tola, Jair and Jephthah as leaders and Israel is oppressed again. They finally repent and get rid of their false gods.

April 13, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are only two chapters to read, read Luke 23 carefully and meditate over it!

April 13: Luke 23,  Judges 9 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Luke 23. This is it, the second most important day in the Christian calendar. Jesus is on trial before Herod and Pilate. Pilate is trying to wiggle out of sentencing Jesus by setting one condemned free on Passover. The crowd chooses Barabbas over Jesus, so Jesus is sentenced to be crucified.   On the cross Jesus says the famous “Seven Last Words”, then he dies and is buried before sundown.

Judges 9. The Bible tells it as it is, warts and all. So is the story of Abimelech’s Conspiracy and the parable of the trees. All the evil led to Abimelech’s Downfall. A take home from this chapter is his last words, after his skull was cracked by a millstone, dropped by a woman. “Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him.”

 

April 12, read through the Bible in a year.

Today there are only two chapters to read, enjoy!

April 12: Luke 22,  Judges 8 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

Luke 22. Judas agrees to betray Jesus, it is Passover so Jesus eats  the Last Supper with his disciples, after which they go to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prays. While there Jesus is betrayed, arrested and taken to the house of the high priest. While waiting outside Peter disowns Jesus three times before the cock crows. Jesus is interrogated during the night and before daybreak they have heard enough.

Judges 8.  Gideon Defeats the Midianites, it is getting complicated but read it anyhow. After the great victory Gideon makes an Ephod from the Ishmaelites’ golden earrings and this becomes a snare to them all. Finally Gideon dies and immediately after that the Israelites falls back into idolatry, worshiping Baal.