Tag: Jesus

January 22, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

John 14:15-31 records the events of the hour after the Passover meal before they all departed to Gethsemane. Since Jesus told his disciples he was leaving, he promised to send another comforter or advocate. (I have put in a short explanation on the difference in the interpretation of this passage between Christianity and Islam). Jesus then explained clearly he will be going away and send the Holy Spirit in his place.

In Genesis 42 there was famine in Canaan, as happened quite often, so Joseph’s brothers went down to Egypt to buy food. They met Joseph, now governor of Egypt, and he demanded to see Benjamin, who was left behind with Jacob. They agreed to do so and left one of the brothers behind as collateral. Joseph was very distraught at the proposition, since Joseph and Benjamin were his favorite children.

And in Genesis 43 the famine continued, so they had to go back to Egypt for more. This time they had to bring Benjamin with them to keep their promise to Joseph. Joseph gave them all food from his table, and he gave a five times larger portion to Benjamin. So ends that chapter.

Genesis 44 tells how Joseph tested his brothers by having Joseph’s own silver cup placed in Benjamin’s sack as the brothers returned back to Canaan. They all passed the test and returned to Joseph to await his judgment.

January 16, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

John 11:1-44 describes how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (on the fourth day no less).

In Genesis 29, Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram, fell in love with Rachel, worked seven years to be allowed to marry her, but her father Laban tricked Jacob, so he got Leah instead. Then he worked another “seven years for Rachel”. But it was Leah that gave him his first four children, Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah.

Genesis 30 records the remaining children born to Jacob (except Benjamin, who would be born later). It also tells a story about Rachel, desperate to get a child of her own was bargaining with Leah for Reuben’s mandrakes. After Joseph was born, Jacob wanted to leave and go back to the promised land, but Laban bargained with him to stay and make them even more prosperous. Through selective breeding Jacob acquired the majority of the flocks and became wealthy.

Psalm 6 is a prayer, this time from a humble David asking for mercy, but also asking God to humiliate his enemies.

January 14, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

In John 10:1-21 Jesus told that he is the good shepherd, the gate for the sheep, there will be one flock and one shepherd, and the sheep hear and know his voice.

After Sarah’s death, in Genesis 25 Abraham married his concubine Ketorah, who had already borne him six children. Before his death he sent them all away with ample gifts and provisions but his inheritance he gave to Isaac. Isaac and Ishmael buried Abraham, and then Ishmael’s genealogy was written down. Finally is told the story of Jacob and Esau, and how Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew and some bread.

Genesis 26 tells of Isaac and Rebekah, how Isaac too said Rebekah was his sister, like father, like son. In spite of that lie God protected them, and the rest of the chapter deals with the eternal Mideast dispute: Water rights.

January 12, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

 John 8 begins with a sinful woman who was about to be stoned for adultery. Jesus last words to her was “Go and sin no more”. Jesus did not condemn her for the past but forgave and pointed to the future. Then he got into an argument with the religious powers about his and their ancestry. They claimed to be descendants of Abraham, and they questioned the legitimacy of Jesus. Jesus answered “Before Abraham, I am”. Jesus claimed to be God. This was of course blasphemy, unless it is true.

Genesis 21 tells about the birth of Isaac and when Ishmael made fun of it, Sarah got angry and Hagar and Ismael were sent away to die in the desert, but God protected them. The chapter also features the treaty between Abraham and Abimelech at Beersheba. This was the first treaty between men in the Bible and it was about water rights.

In  Genesis 22 Abraham was told by God to offer up his son Isaac to be sacrificed on Mount Moriah, the same mountain where Jesus was to be crucified. Obeying God he did what he was told, but at the last moment God provided a substitute sacrifice in the form of a ram.

These three chapters are significant. Read them through twice and ponder their importance: Jesus claiming deity, The birth of the Ishmaelite nation, later becoming the Islamic nations, the importance of water (The Bible begins and ends with water and a healing river in the middle) and Abraham’s faith being severely tested.

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 trusting God completely.

In Genesis 13 Abram and his sidekick Lot went back from Egypt and their paths separated . 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 6, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

The common thread for today is Jesus redefining the meaning of the Sabbath and Noah being part of the new beginning. Psalm 2 defines Jesus as the Son and God the ruler of all, and mankind still trying to do it all by themselves at no avail.

John 5:1-30, describes how Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, which offended the Jews. In addition Jesus claimed to be equal with the Father, for which the Jews sought to kill him, but Jesus defended His testimony.

Genesis 7 tells of Noah, having completed the ark, took with him seven (pairs) of clean animals and one male and one female of each specie of unclean animals, and also birds. The aquatic life did just fine. After the animals had entered, God shut the door and it rained forty days and forty nights.

Genesis 8. The water receded and Noah sent out a raven and later a dove that returned empty. The second time the dove was sent out, it returned with an olive branch in its beak. The dove has since become the universal peace symbol. After exiting the ark Noah built an altar and sacrificed from the clean animals. God made a promise to Noah: “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

Psalm 2 tells of what happens when “the heathen rage” and this psalm speaks of the fight that is going on even today.

January 2, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; with comments.

Today’s reading of the Bible begins with John 1: 19-51. John the Baptist testified about the Messiah: “Make straight the way for the Lord”. When he met Jesus he referred him as “The Lamb of God” that “takes away the sin of the world”, and “this is the Son of God”. Jesus called his first disciples, Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathaniel.

Genesis 2 tells of how God created woman out of man, showing that creation was not complete without man and woman as a unit. This must be taken spiritually, since in Genesis 1 he already created man in His own image, male and female. God’s design is one man, one woman, one lifetime. This would still be the case if we let God chose our mate. If we had followed God’s intent, many sicknesses would not exist, especially sexually transmitted diseases. “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22

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. The main regulator of temperature on earth is the clouds. They cool by day and warm by night. The time of day they appear is also very important, and there is no risk for the earth to overheat.

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

Revelation 2:12-29 continues the message to the seven churches, church three and four: Pergamos, a church that looked good but compromised itself, and the church of Thyatira, a corrupted church, but with hope of repentance. These can be seen as seven historical churches; which they were, but also as seven types of churches as they exist today and throughout history. They can also be taken as seven states of the individual believer. Whichever way you take it, there is something in it for every believer, even today.

Habakkuk 1 begins with the prophet’s first complaint and the LORD’s reply. After that the prophet poured out his second complaint.

Habakkuk 2. The LORD answered the prophet to his second complaint. It contains this gem, just as valid today as it was then: “The just shall live by his faith“.  On the other hand God promised more woes to the wicked.

December 3, read the Bible in a year; in PowerPoint, with comments.

1 John 5. Being born of God and believing in the son of God means exercising obedience by Faith. The certainty of God’s witness is : “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” There is  confidence and compassion in prayer, We must follow the true one and reject the false. And so the letter ends: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.”

Micah 1. The prophet told of the coming judgment on Israel with mourning for Israel and Judah.

Micah 2. The prophet proclaimed woe to evildoers and lying prophets. After that Israel will be restored.

Micah 3. There was wicked rulers and wicked prophets. Micah still had full confidence in God.

Micah 4 speaks of the LORD’s future reign in Zion and Zion’s triumph.