Today we read only one chapter in the Acts of the Apostles, but it is a giant chapter.
April 26: Acts 7 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Acts 7 begins with Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin and ends with the Stoning of Stephen.
Tag: faith
April 25, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
Today we read one chapter in the Acts of the Apostles and two chapters in 1 Samuel.
April 25: Acts 6, 1 Samuel 14, 1 Samuel 15 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Acts 6. To better serve the needs of widows seven people were chosen, among them Stephen. They would later be called deacons. Stephen spoke boldly about Jesus, in the Spirit, and was seized and so a trial began.
In 1 Samuel 14 Jonathan Defeated the Philistines. Saul’s made an oath that no one was allowed to eat until nightfall. Jonathan didn’t know that, so he ate, and Saul wanted to put Jonathan to death but his men refused the King’s order, and thus Jonathan’s life was spared.
1 Samuel 15, the chapter where Saul is rejected as King.
April 24, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
Today we read one chapter in the Acts of the Apostles and three chapters in 1 Samuel.
April 24: Acts 5, 1 Samuel 11, 1 Samuel 12, 1 Samuel 13 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira were lying to the Holy Spirit and fell down dead. This lead to great fear and great power in the Church. An Angel of the LORD came during the night and freed the Apostles that had been jailed the previous day. They went back to the Temple courts and got called in to the Sanhedrin again for the crime of preaching about Jesus, but Gamaliel gave them good advice, they listen and after flogging the Apostles they let them go.
In 1 Samuel 11 King Saul rescued Jabesh Gilead. Then the people reaffirmed Saul as King.
1 Samuel 12 contains Samuel’s speech at Saul’s coronation.
1 Samuel 13 the real trouble began, Saul offered an unlawful sacrifice, so God would no longer fight for them, Saul’s kingship would be taken away and God would choose a king after his own heart. The weapons for the army were taken away from the Israelites and the Philistines took control of the iron trade.
April 23, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
Today we read one chapter in the Acts of the Apostles and two chapters in 1 Samuel.
April 23: Acts 4, 1 Samuel 9, 1 Samuel 10 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Acts 4. Peter and John were arrested and hauled before the Sanhedrin, were told not to speak about Jesus anymore. Their response? “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” They were let go and continued telling about Jesus and his resurrection, and a good time was had by all, sharing all things.
1 Samuel 9. Saul was a tall and handsome man, his father had lost some donkeys, so he sent Saul and his servant to look for them. Not finding them for three days they went to the prophet Samuel, God tells Samuel to meet them, and so they meet up, and thus Saul was chosen to be King.
In 1 Samuel 10 Saul was Anointed King and proclaimed King over all Israel.
April 22, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
Today we read one chapter of 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 healed 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 preached at Solomon’s Portico.
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 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 Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
Today we continue reading one chapter in the Acts of the Apostles and two chapters in First 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 many languages spoken by the disciples, at least 15 different tongues that the listeners understood. Peter stood up and delivered his first sermon, a powerful one that led to about 3000 new converts. The following few weeks 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, because Eli failed to restrain them.
1 Samuel 4. The Philistines captured the Ark of God. Soon after that 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 Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
Today we begin reading 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 begins with the disciples watching Jesus’ Ascension, but before he left Earth he promised they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them. While waiting for the Holy Spirit to come Matthias was chosen to replace Judas.
1 Samuel 1 begins with telling of 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 prayed and gave her vow that if she conceived a son she would give him to the LORD. Her wish came to pass and so Samuel was born and dedicated to the LORD.
1 Samuel 2 starts out with Hanna’s Prayer, a beautiful piece of poetry. Then is recorded 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 gave a prophecy against Eli’s household, both his wicked sons would die on the same day.
April 19, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
While still waiting to begin reading the Acts of the Apostles we read one Psalm and the whole book of Ruth, a most enjoyable reading.
April 19: Psalm 28, Ruth 1, Ruth 2, Ruth 3, Ruth 4 (click on the chapter to begin
reading)
Psalm 28, of David. As so often with David, he began with a petition, asking for deliverance, then turned to praise.
Ruth 1.Elimelech’s family went to Moab, and all men die. Naomi returned back to Israel with Ruth, a Moabite. 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 met Boaz.
Ruth 3, Ruth’s Redemption was Assured.
Ruth 4, Boaz redeemed Ruth, and that’s how Ruth came to be in the genealogy of David and Jesus.
April 18, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
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 tells in painful detail about the Levite’s Concubine and 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 describes 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,” in other words, anarchy.
April 17, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.
While still between the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles we stay in the Old Testament reading one chapter pf Proverbs and four chapter of Judges.
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 and doesn’t mince words.
Judges 15. Samson defeated the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.
Judges 16 contains the vivid story of Samson and Delilah and how he finally was captured. In his death Samson slew many more than when he lived.
Judges 17 is short, contains only 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 changed the name of the city to Dan, and there they still practiced idolatry.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 