Today, only one chapter in the Acts of the Apostles.
April 26: Acts 7 (click on the chapter to begin reading)
Acts 7 begins with Stephen’s sermon to the Sanhedrin and ends with the Stoning of Stephen.
Tag: faith
April 25, read through the Bible in a year.
Continuing with 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 are chosen, among them Stephen. They will later be called deacons. Stephen speaks boldly about Jesus in the Spirit and is seized and a trial begins.
In 1 Samuel 14 Jonathan Defeats the Philistines. Saul’s makes an oath that no one is 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, so Jonathan’s life was spared.
1 Samuel 15, the chapter where Saul is rejected as King.
April 24, through the Bible in a year.
Continuing with 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, Ananaias 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 go back to the Temple courts and get called in to the Sanhedrin again for the crime of preaching about Jesus, but Gamaliel give them good advice, they listen and after flogging the Apostles they let them go.
In 1 Samuel 11 King Saul rescues Jabesh Gilead. Then the people reaffirms Saul as King.
1 Samuel 12 contains Samuel’s speech at Saul’s coronation.
1 Samuel 13, the real trouble begins, Saul gives an unlawful sacrifice, so God will no longer fight for them, Saul’s kingship will be taken away and God will choose a king after his own heart. The weapons for the army are taken away from the Israelites and the Philistines take control the iron trade.
April 23, read through the Bible in a year.
Continuing with 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 gets arrested and hauled before the Sanhedrin, get 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 3 days they go 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 is Anointed King and proclaimed King over all Israel.
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.”
The cross at Notre Dame, the cross at Calvary and the cross at 9/11 ground zero. Two Limericks.
“Art and architecture have a unique ability to help 
us connect across our differences and bring people together in important ways,” posted U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. “Thinking of the people of Paris and praying for every first responder trying to save this wonder.”
No, Ms Omar, it is much more than that, rather
What nearly destroyed Notre Dame;
historical artworks for some.
Not the fall of the steeple,
God’s church is the people
the Cross stands for all who will come.
Yes, the cross still stands as it did when, as U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar so famously quoted “Somebody did something at 9/11”
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1)
For Muslims, atheists and humanists the cross is an offense since it is to them the stench of death. But to us who believe it is the symbol of redemption and new and eternal life in Christ. If they were not pricked in their hearts when they see the cross they would not be offended.
He died on the cross at Ground Zero.
We have only one risen hero.
But the fools do “diss” grace,
stay condemned, cannot face
The truth in The Cross at Ground Zero.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (St. John 3:16-17)
Top: The original location where the iron cross was found.
Middle: Intermediate location for the Iron cross.
Bottom: The final place for the Iron cross near the 9/11 museum.
These were the final words of Governor Sarah Palin after a successful week anchoring “On Point” with the One America News.
Governor Palin is a true servant. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, worked at the Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, New York in January and February 2002 as part of a federal Department of Agriculture program.
In a telephone interview, Mr. Heath said he and his wife had worked to keep sea gulls and rats from scavenging the human remains in the debris. Mr. Heath, then 70, a retired science teacher, and Mrs. Heath, then 68, a retired secretary, had worked for the Agriculture Department for 15 years. They travel around the world dealing with “nuisance” animals like rats and bears.
“A lot of people just didn’t like the job, it was kind of a morbid thing,” he said of the work at the landfill. “But I thought it was part of history.”
This is the attitude of a servant.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 
