Tag: faith

January 9, read the Bible in a year; in PowerPoint, with comments.

The four chapters chosen for today are thought provoking and begins with

John 6:25-71. Jesus had fed the five thousand and been seen walking on water. In spite of these miracles the Jews demanded a sign. Jesus responded in kind by saying he is the bread of life, and if people want to have eternal life they must come to him and eat of his flesh and drink of his blood. When hearing this, many abandoned Jesus, but Peter said: To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Then in Genesis 12 Abram was called to leave his home in Ur. He obeyed and traveled to a land he did not know, promised by God, but when a famine came he went to Egypt and acted deceitfully rather than trust God completely.

In Genesis 13 Abram and his sidekick Lot went back from Egypt and separated their paths. Lot chose the fertile plain of Jordan, and Abram went to the hills of Mamre.

Finally in Genesis 14 Lot got in trouble and was taken captive by a local Mafia. Abram rescued Lot, and on the way back gave a tithe to Melchizedek, king of Salem – (later to become Jerusalem), after God had given him success in battle.

Question: Who was Melchizedek, and why is that important? He is mentioned again in Psalm 110 and in Hebrews 5-7.

January 5, read the Bible in a year; in PowerPoint, with comments.

John 4, speaks about the first real evangelist spreading the good news of Christ the Messiah. It is the woman at the well, a Samaritan, scorned and rejected by her many ex husbands, yet used by God to tell the good news.

Genesis 6 . Sin and wickedness got worse and worse on earth. God saw it and decided to start over. But Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives, eight in all found favor with God, so God told him to build an ark. This Noah did, and it was the biggest ship built until the time of Ptolemy (around 215 BC.)

Ponder that the first evangelist was a scorned woman who happened to meet Jesus, and that Noah, being obedient to God built the ark on dry land, too big to be of any use unless there was going to be a giant flood. This takes faith!

January 1, read the Bible in a year; in PowerPoint, with comments.

The Holy Bible is the most influential book ever written. According to Wikipedia it has been translated in its entirety into 724 languages, and the New Testament has been translated into 1617 languages. At least one part of the Bible has bee translated into 3,589 languages, and more translations are coming every year, especially from the Wycliffe translators.

Both the New Testament and the Old Testament begin with the words “In the beginning”.

John1:1-18 deals with creation spiritually.

Genesis 1 deals with the physical creation with spiritual emphasis, laying the groundwork for spiritual understanding of how and why we exist.

We are existing in time and space. The question is: What was there before time and space existed, before the beginning?

Answer: God, existing in three persons, God the Father, God the Son (the Word) and God’s Spirit, (the Holy Ghost).

The Three-in-one God alone are eternal, everything else, including time and space, is created.

Another Question: Why did God say “it was good” for day 1,3,4 and 5 but not for day 2 and it was very good after day 6?

Answer: The ecosystem is a work in progress and will function differently for each phase and finally come to completion when all parts are set in place, which includes people. We are responsible to God to be good stewards of the earth and leave it a better place than we found it.

Day 110 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

Mark 15:1-20, Early in the morning Jesus was brought before Pilate since only the Romans could execute capital punishment. Pilate, trying to get out of the situation offered to release Barabbas, a known murderer and insurrectionist, or Jesus, and the crowd chose Barabbas. Pilate gave in to the crowd, the Soldiers mocked Jesus, and the verdict was that Jesus the King was to be Crucified.

1 Samuel 5. The Ark of the LORD brought nothing but trouble to the Philistines.

So in 1 Samuel 6  the Ark was returned to Israel together with a guilt offering of five gold tumors and five golden rats.The Ark was brought back as far as to Kiriath 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 remaining 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.”

Day 24 of reading the Holy Bible in 365 days.

John 16:1-16. Jesus continued his instructions to his disciples, telling why it is good he leaves and sends the Holy Spirit. He also promised they would be persecuted for following Jesus.

Genesis 48 describes how Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh. He blessed Ephraim ahead of Manasseh, even though Manasseh was the older of Joseph’s sons.

In Genesis 49 Jacob blessed all his sons with a different blessing for each of them.

And finally, Genesis 50 tells how Jacob was buried back in Canaan near Mamre where Sarah, Abraham and Rebecka also were buried. Joseph forgave his brothers; “Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good”. Finally even Joseph dies, and he wills that his bones will be carried out when they depart Egypt and enter into the promised land.

November 1: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Hebrews 10:1-18. This chapter deals with Christ’s sacrifice of himself “once for all“. This is what constitutes the new covenant. and since sacrifice for sins are done away with it means we have the privilege to live in the age of grace, not the age of the Law.

Ezekiel 43. In his vision the Prophet saw the glory of the LORD returning to the temple, the Lord’s dwelling place, the altar and the consecrating thereof.

Ezekiel 44. The East Gate is to remain shut (this is important prophecy), only the Prince may sit inside the gate. Only clean people are are admitted to the temple, and there are many laws concerning priests.

Ezekiel 45. The dimensions of the holy district are defined, the properties of the city and as for the prince, he will execute justice, live in peace and live under the laws governing the prince, including keeping the feasts.

July 9: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Acts 27:13-44. Against better advice from God via Paul the captain and Centurion ignored Paul’s warning, and sure enough a great storm grew up and they were shipwrecked on Malta, but all got safely ashore.

Proverbs 9 contrasts the way of wisdom with the way of folly.

Psalm 51, of David, written after Nathan confronted David after his adultery with Bathsheba. This Psalm explains fully, how God would say, after David was pointed out to be both an adulterer and a murderer: “He was a man after God’s own heart”.

Psalm 52, of David. The Psalm is a contemplation of David, contrasting the final end of evil men with the rewards of the righteous.

Psalm 53. This is a short Psalm telling about fools that say “No God”

July 7: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Acts 26. Paul gave his testimony, recounted his early life, his conversion and  his life as a Christian. Festus  shouted “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad” but Agrippa said  “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Ezra 5. The restoration of the Temple resumed.

Ezra 6 records the Decree of Darius and the Temple’s completion and dedication, after which the Passover was celebrated.

Ezra 7. Finally Ezra arrived in Jerusalem and the letter from Artaxerxes to Ezra is recorded .

June 27: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Acts 18:9-28. Paul left Athens and went to Corinth where he stayed a year and a half, teaching many in the city, among them Priscilla and Acquila. The three of them went to Ephesus, where Paul left  Priscilla and Acquila and went to Antioch. Priscilla and Acquila met Apollos, a learned man preaching the baptism of John. “When Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.  And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:  For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.”

2 Chronicles 14 tells of Asa’s reign in Judah.

2 Chronicles 15. Asa threw out the idols and repaired the altar before the Temple. People from Israel joined, and thanks to following the LORD Judah had peace until the 35th year of Asa’s reign.

2 Chronicles 16. Asa’s made a treaty with Syria. That was a mistake. Hannai’s Message to Asa was that Asa had not relied on the LORD. Four years later Asa died.

2 Chronicles 17. Jehoshaphat reigned in Judah, they took the Book of the Law around the country and taught the people. The fear of the LORD fell on the surrounding countries, so Judah had peace for years.

Psalm 47, of the Sons of Korah. “Sing praises to God, sing praises“.

May 28: Reading the Holy Bible in a year.

Luke 22:1-38. Judas agreed to betray Jesus, it was Passover so Jesus commemorated the Last Supper with his disciples, after which they went to the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed. Jesus also predicted Peter’s denial.

2 Kings 6. Elisha made an ax head float, “The Floating Ax Head”, the Syrians tried to capture Elisha from which we get the quote”Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” But later Syria besieged Samaria, and the famine was great.

2 Kings 7. When the siege was about to succeed Elisha prophesied “Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.” During the night the Syrians fled and four lepers discovered it. After feasting they went and told the good news to the no longer besieged.