Category: thought for the day

July 15, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and the first three chapters of Job.

July 15: 2 Corinthians 12, Job 1, Job 2, Job 3 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes his vision of paradise and his thorn in the flesh (“for when I am weak, then I am strong”.)  The marks of an Apostle are signs, wonders and miracles, and Paul displays his love for the Church.

Job 1. This is the oldest book in the Bible and predates even the Pentateuch. It is written in old Aramaic.  Job and his Family lived in in Uz, righteous before God. Satan attacked Job’s Character and as a result Job lost his property and his children.

Job 2. Satan Attacked Job’s Health, and then was visited by three friends, keeping him company for a week without saying a word.

Job 3. Job deplores his birth before his three friends, and they still keep quiet.

 

God’s rainbow, the promise. Man’s rainbow, the curse. A Limerick.

Image result for rainbow

The rainbow we see in the sky:

A promise, and God tells us why.

Seven colors displayed.

Man’s has six, it’s man made.

With indigo missing, all die.

The hint may be subtle, but is nevertheless important:

Red is the color of love and passion – but also danger. It is the color of blood, wherein is life.

Orange is the color of creativity, joy, vibrancy, happiness, playfulness and youth, but at the same time it is the color of fall.

Yellow is the color of the life-sustaining sun. It is also a sign of hope, as in the song “Tie A Yellow Ribbon ‘Round The Old Oak Tree”

Green is the color of money and the color of chlorophyll, the substance without which life would cease to exist. Like nature, these are all good things, but it is also the color of envy.

Blue is the color of the daytime sky, the oceans and the heavens. (If God was not a Penn State fan, why is the sky blue and white?)

Indigo is the color of the nighttime clear sky and reflects great devotion, wisdom and justice along with fairness and impartiality. It also symbolizes the rule of law, but at the same time it is the favorite color of the New Age and its mysticism.

Violet is the color of royalty, but at the same time it indicates delicacy and fragility, as in violets and other violet colored flowers.

 

Now, if you take out the color indigo and what it stands for, the whole world descends into anarchy. Maybe that was their intent in the first place?

Image result for rainbow flag

 

July 13, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and four chapters of Esther.

July 13: 2 Corinthians 10, Esther 4, Esther5, Esther 6, Esther7 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 10. This is a spiritual war “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.”  Paul defines his authority and the limits of his authority, it is all in Christ “But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

Esther 4, Mordecai persuaded Esther to risk her life to save the Jews, and Esther’s response was “If I perish, I perish”

Esther 5, Esther prepared for a banquet with only her, the King and Haman in attendance. Meanwhile Haman’s rage against Mordecai was so great that he had built a seventy-five feet high gallows, on which to hang Mordecai.

Esther 6. As it so happened, the king had a case of insomnia. To become drowsy he had the annals read to him, which told that Mordecai had averted a coup. During the banquet the king wanted to honor somebody, so rather than Haman, Mordecai was honored.

Esther 7. And so it was, Haman was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai.

 

July 12, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and two chapters of Esther.

July 12: 2 Corinthians 9, Esther 2, Esther3 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 9  Paul gives advice in how to administer the gift, one way being the cheerful (hilarious) giver. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!

Esther 2. The search for a new queen was on and Esther became the new queen. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, uncovered a conspiracy against the king.

Esther 3. Enter Haman, an Agagite. (There was great animosity between the Agagites and the Jews since the time of king Saul.) He was great in the kingdom, and everybody bowed down to him – except Mordecai. This enraged Haman, so he offered 750 tons of silver to the king’s treasury for being allowed to kill all Jews. Fair enough, deal signed and sealed, (and the king’s seal cannot be undone.)

 

July 11, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and the first chapter of Esther.

July 11: 2 Corinthians 8, Esther 1 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 8. The Macedonians excelled in giving but first gave their own selves to the Lord. Christ is our pattern in giving himself. The Corinthians took up a collection for the Judean saints. Titus was sent to the Corinthians.

Esther 1. A fantastic book that made it to the Holy Bible, even though the name of God is not mentioned, not even once. Yet, the hand of God is everywhere in it. Read all of it! It starts with a big, decadent feast, and queen Vashti refused to make a spectacle of herself so she was deposed. Now what do you do without a queen?

 

July 10, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and finishing up Nehemiah.

July 10: 2 Corinthians 7, Nehemiah 11, Nehemiah 12, Nehemiah 13 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 7 is an exhortation to holiness, and the whole church is included. Paul rejoiced in their sorrowing to repentance, and in the comfort they and Titus had together.

Nehemiah 11 lists the people of Jerusalem  and the people outside Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 12 lists the priests and Levites, the time had come for Nehemiah to Dedicate  the wall, and the temple responsibilities are specified.

Nehemiah 13, the final reforms of Nehemiah, give the temple service its due, observe the Sabbath and don’t marry strange women.

 

July 9, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and two  chapters of Nehemiah.

July 9: 2 Corinthians 6, Nehemiah 9, Nehemiah 10 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 6. “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Paul gives the believers the marks of the ministry, “Do not be yoked with unbelievers“, come out from among them and be holy.

Nehemiah 9, the People Confess their Sins and recite Israel’s miraculous history.

Nehemiah 10 lists  the People who Sealed the Covenant and its content.

July 8, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and two  chapters of Nehemiah.

July 8: 2 Corinthians 5, Nehemiah 7, Nehemiah 8 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 5 gives the assurance of the resurrection, and we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. In the meantime we have been given the ministry of reconciliation, and “ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Nehemiah 7. Finally the wall was finished, and the chapter gives a list of the captives who returned to Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 8. Ezra read the Law and they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles.

July 7, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and three chapters of Nehemiah.

July 7: 2 Corinthians 4, Nehemiah 4, Nehemiah 5, Nehemiah 6 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 4. Believers are treasures in jars of clay to proclaim the light of Christ’s gospel. They may be cast down but still unconquered “We believe and therefore speak” “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Nehemiah 4. Through strong opposition the building of the wall is defended.

Nehemiah 5, Nehemiah encountered oppression but showed great Generosity.

Nehemiah 6, There arose a conspiracy against Nehemiah, but he was on to them and managed to get the wall completed.

 

 

July 6, read through the Bible in a year.

Today we read one chapter of second Corinthians and the first three chapters of Nehemiah.

July 6: 2 Corinthians 3, Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah 2, Nehemiah 3 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

2 Corinthians 3. Believers are Christ’s Epistle with the the spirit of the living God. “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” , that is the glory of the New Covenant, and “where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty”

Nehemiah 1 records Nehemiah’s prayer.

Nehemiah 2. After some days of praying Nehemiah went to the King, told  the King why he was sad and was sent to Judah where he  viewed the wall of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 3 retells of the start of rebuilding the wall.