Tag: religion

January 27, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

John 18:1-27 deals with some of the last 24 hours of Jesus life, the prayer in the garden of Gethsemane and the subsequent arrest of Jesus, the trial before Annas, Peter’s first denial, Jesus trial before Caiaphas, Peter’s second and third denial and the cock crowing.

Exodus 3 tells where God revealed Himself to Moses in the form of a burning bush and declared “I am that I am”. Jesus made a similar declaration in John 8:58 “Before Abraham, I am”.

In the Septuagint Psalm 9 and Psalm 10 belong together. They speak of God’s faithfulness and the only temporary victories of the wicked one.

January 26, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

John 17 is commonly known as Jesus’ high priestly prayer. In some conservative circles it is also called “The Lord’s prayer.” In it Jesus prayed for himself, then he prayed for his disciples followed by prayer for all future believers. In the end of the chapter he prayed that the believers will see his glory, the glory God gave him before the creation of the world.

A few hundred years has passed since the end of Genesis. Exodus 1 tells how the Hebrews multiplied and became a perceived threat to the Egyptians. The Egyptians told the Hebrew midwives that every boy they delivered must be thrown into the Nile, but every girl were to be let to live.

Which seamlessly leads into Exodus 2, how Moses when he was born was placed in a papyrus basket, which then was thrown into the Nile and the child was left crying in the reeds. Pharaoh’s daughter heard it, picked him up and asked her servant to find somebody to nurse him. Of course she found Moses’ own mother to nurse him. After he was weaned Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household and got educated. He did remember he was a Hebrew, so when he saw an Egyptian mistreat a Hebrew he killed the Egyptian. This became known and Moses fled to Midian, where he spent 40 years tending flocks. This is great reading.

The take home from today’s reading is that Jesus clearly indicated he existed in his full glory before the creation of the world. And according to Genesis 1:2 the Spirit of God took part in creation. The triune God clearly existed before creation.

Now about Moses birth the edict was that every Hebrew boy should die, but every girl should live. This is opposite but similar to the Chinese one child policy. When I became a citizen I was invited to a special ceremony of naturalization where it was only one or a couple from as many countries they could find. We were 135 people from 78 countries. The only exception were 5 adopted Chinese girls, the result of the one child policy. With only one child allowed he better be a boy. Girls were usually aborted, but some parents chose the difficult and expensive process of giving it up for adoption. China is now paying the price for their catastrophic policies.

January 25, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Between every book of the Old Testament I have inserted some of the writings of the wisdom of Solomon. While Jesus said: “Be of good cheer’ I have overcome the world” King Solomon said : “All is vanity”, and indeed, without a personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit, indeed; all is meaningless.

John 16:17-33. Jesus continued his instructions to his disciples. They did not understand why it is good he leaves and sends the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that their grief would turn to joy and ended with this encouragement: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Ecclesiastes 1. The author, king Solomon spoke of the vanity of life and the grief of wisdom.

Ecclesiastes 2. King Solomon continued with the vanity of pleasure, the end of the wise and the end of the fool.

Psalm 9 speaks of God’s faithfulness and the victories of the wicked one are only temporary.

January 24, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

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 Rebecca 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.

The reading for today is all about final instructions. Jesus gives his final instructions to his believers. He will send the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, the advocate, the Spirit of Truth, and he will lead them into all truth. The promise is that the Holy Spirit will be in us, whereas in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon the people from time to time; they did not even have Law to lean on yet. But what was revealed pointed to the promised land and to a future redeemer.

January 23, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

John 15. Jesus continued his instructions to the disciples. There are many memorable quotes from this chapter: “I am the true vine, I am the vine, you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing, as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, love each other as I have loved you, greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends, this is my command: Love each other” and “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

In Genesis 45 Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and all rejoiced. It contains the phrase “But God” and shows clearly that God was in control all the time.

In Genesis 46 Jacob joined Joseph’s brothers in going to resettle in Egypt, and is a retelling of the names of all that went, sixty-six in total – not counting women and children.

Genesis 47 tells of how Jacob and his descendants settled in Goshen, about the continuing famine, and how Joseph, controlling the food supply enslaved the people. All power corrupts, and so even Joseph failed in comparison to Jesus, who came to set people free.

This is the big difference between what is taught by Jesus and what was implemented in the Old Testament. Jesus came to set people free, re-establish the perfect connection with God by accepting the gift of the Holy spirit, and so live a life of love for each other as individuals. Joseph on the other hand started out well. but even he succumbed to the pressures of this world, and as CEO of Egypt he enslaved the people, and they were reduced to be part of the collective.

January 21, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

John 14:1-14 records the events of the hour after the Passover meal before they all depart to Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples he is going away to prepare a mansion, more precisely a dwelling place for them. Thomas, always questioning him, asked him “How can we know the way?” And Philip added “Show us the Father“. Jesus answer? “Believe in me“.

Genesis 40 deals with dreams. Joseph’s two fellow cellmates in prison each had a dream, Joseph interpreted the dreams that the cup-bearer would be released and restored to his former position, while the baker would be hanged on a tree.

In Genesis 41  Pharaoh himself had a dream, and Joseph was released from prison to interpret the dream. It dealt with seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. Joseph interpreted the dream so well that Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all affairs of Egypt. The seven years of plenty came and good harvests filled the storehouses. Then came the seven years of famine.

Psalm 8 has been set to music many times. Even I have sung it many times, both as a choir number, and the first verse as an introit. Looking for the music I found a far better, very free rendition of the Psalm, this one by Marty Goetz.

God created the universe; first in a vision or a dream, then He spoke; and it was so. We have the proof by existing and living in the created universe. Jesus explains the eternal future for believers, but we can only see it as the dream yet, but then we shall see fully as we are fully known. Thomas had trouble with that, he required visual proof.

The Old Testament connection is Joseph, able to both have and interpret dreams. This lead him both in trouble and victory.

These dreams are recorded to help us better understand God’s ways, and the miracles of Jesus that are recorded occurred often on a Sabbath, but Jesus saved and healed people all the time.

January 20, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

John 13 begins the telling of the last 24 hours before the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet before the Passover meal, a task normally performed by the lowest servant. During the meal he announced his betrayal, and then he gave the disciples a new commandment “love one another”. He also predicted Simon Peter’s denial.

Genesis 38 tells  the story of Judah and Tamar. One of the rules of the Old Testament is that if a man dies without producing an heir, it was the duty of his brother to try to produce an offspring to his widow. Onan shirked this responsibility, and that was the sin of Onan. Tamar was thus still barren, so she tricked Judah into committing adultery. You can read it for yourself. Judah finally confessed: “She is more righteous than I.”

Genesis 39 then picks up the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. The story is a classic, and for doing the right thing Joseph was falsely accused and thrown in jail.

Psalm 7 is a shiggaion, a dithyrambic ode of David. I would love hearing how the music to this Psalm sounded.

The common thread in today’s selection is betrayal and renewal. Jesus washed all the disciples’ feet, making the betrayal complete. Onan refused to do the brother’s responsibility to produce an offspring for his dead brother, so he was too killed. Tamar took matters in her own hands and tricked Judah into doing his responsibility through adultery.

The story of the scarlet thread is also remarkable. When Tamar gave birth to twins only one hand came out, so she tied a scarlet thread around his wrist. Then the other baby came wholly out first, but the one with the scarlet thread was still considered the firstborn. This proves that if any part of the baby is outside the body the baby is born, and it means that partial birth abortion is murder.

January 19, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

John 12:20-50 . Some Greeks came to Jesus and Jesus prophesied about his being “lifted up, and draw all men to himself”, and some believed. Many Jews also believed but kept quiet for fear of being put out of the synagogues.

Genesis 36 records the genealogy of Esau and the rulers of Edom.

Genesis 37 tells of Joseph’s dreams, outrageous as they were, they made his brothers jealous, so they sold him into slavery to the Ishmaelites, and then the Midianites sold him to Potiphar in Egypt.

Here is a list of similarities between Jesus and Joseph that should cause you to marvel at sovereignty.

  1. He is the object of his father’s special love.
  2. He had promises of divine exaltation.
  3. He was mocked by his family.
  4. He was sold for pieces of silver.
  5. He was stripped of his robe.
  6. He was delivered up to the Gentiles.
  7. He was falsely accused.
  8. He was faithful amid temptation.
  9. He was thrown into prison.
  10. He stood before rulers.
  11. His power was acknowledged by those in authority.
  12. He saves his rebellious brothers from death when they realize who he is.
  13. He is exalted after and through humiliation.
  14. He embraces God’s purpose even though it brings him intense physical harm.
  15. He is the instrument God uses at the hands of the Gentiles to bless his people.
  16. He welcomes Gentiles to be part of his family.
  17. He gives hungry people bread.
  18. People must bow their knee before him.

January 18, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

John 12:1-19 begins the telling of the last week before the Crucifixion. It is important when this happened, so I have inserted a segment on the correct dates for Passover and the Holy week. Jesus was anointed at Bethany, on Sunday and, as prophesied, he rode on an unbroken donkey colt in the triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Trouble started in Genesis 34. Dinah was violated by an uncircumcised person, two of her brothers executed revenge on not only the violator but every male in the whole town, killing them all. Jacob said: “You have troubled me to make me a stink among the inhabitants of the land.” And so trouble started.

Genesis 35. Jacob returned to Bethel, got rid of all the idols and built an altar. Moving on from Bethel, Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, a birth so hard Rachel died in childbirth. The chapter ends with the death of Isaac.

It is remarkable that we can determine the day of Passover even 2000 years back. Science confirms biblical events.

January 17, read the Bible in a year in PowerPoint; commented.

Mankind has a strong survival instinct. This leads to trying to manipulate people to gain an advantage or at least survive, and because Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11:45-57 the ruling Jews were worried that Jesus would become ruler and then the Romans would destroy their nation. This lead to Caiaphas’ inadvertent prophecy “You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”

The sons of Laban were displeased with Jacob getting rich at their expense, so in Genesis 31 Jacob fled from Laban. However, as Jacob, wives and children all were set to depart, Rachel stole Laban’s idols. Laban found out the idols were missing, pursued Jacob and caught up with him. Laban looked for the idols, at no avail, Rachel had hid them under the saddle of her camel and sat on it claiming she had her period. Finally Laban gave in, said farewell to all and he and Joseph established the Mizpah.

In Genesis 32 Jacob, schemer as he was, prepared to meet Esau. He figured Esau wanted to kill him, so he split up his company in two, and gave instructions to his messengers on what to say to make Esau less vindictive. Then the Jacob family crossed the Ford of Jabbok. On the other side they camped for the night, and Jacob wrestled with an angel of God and prevailed, but got a limp in his hip. God then gave Jacob a new, spiritual name, Israel.

And in Genesis 33 Jacob finally met up with Esau, but it turned out that Esau rejoiced to see Jacob and all his children.