Acts 13:1-12, Saul’s first Missionary journey, Preaching at Cyprus, Saul’s name changed to Paul.

Acts 13:1-12, Saul’s first Missionary journey, Preaching at Cyprus, Saul’s name changed to Paul.

Why the name change from Saul to Paul?

April 12: Read through the Holy Bible in a year

In Mark 10:1-16 Jesus explained the Christian concept of Marriage: One man, one woman, one lifetime,^“6But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. ⁷For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; ⁸And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. ⁹What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Then Jesus blessed the little children and said: “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.”

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.

Acts 9:23-43, Saul escapes Death, Saul at Jerusalem, the Church Prospers, Aeneas healed.

Acts 9:23-43, Saul escapes Death, Saul at Jerusalem, the Church Prospers, Aeneas healed.

April 11: Read through the Holy Bible in a year

Mark 9:33-50. Jesus’ disciples argued among themselves who was the greatest. To give a perfect object lesson Jesus picked up a little child and explained what it means to be a servant of all. Jesus taught unity, not division, “whoever is not against us is for us,” and warned of of the dire consequences of offenses and told them to be “salt with savor” and to be at peace with each other.

Judges 12 records Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim where they killed people based on their accent. After that three more people, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon led Israel.

Judges 13 tells of bad times for Israel for forty years. Then came a glimmer of hope, the birth of Samson.

Judges 14. Samson started out great, but then he took a Philistine as his Wife.

Judges 15. Samson defeated the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.

Acts 9:1-22, The Road to Damascus, Saul Converted, Ananias and Saul, Saul Preaches Christ.

Acts 9:1-22, The Road to Damascus, Saul Converted, Ananias and Saul, Saul Preaches Christ.

This prophesy from Isaiah has been unfulfilled unto this day. Yet, Damascus is back in the news with Russia, the Assad regime, Iran and Turkey all fighting for control of Syria.

April 10: Read through the Holy Bible in a year

Mark 9:1-32,Mark 9 begins with the Transfiguration and gives an explanation regarding Elijah, he had already come. Then a boy with an evil spirit was healed and the disciples asked Jesus why they could not drive out the evil spirit. He answered: “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” After that Jesus predicted his death and resurrection but the disciples did not understand it.

Judges 10. Things went from bad to worse with Tola, Jair and Jephthah as leaders, so the Israelites were again oppressed. They finally repented and got rid of their false gods.

Judges 11 describes the glorious victory and tragic vow of Jephthah. Jephthah’s Daughter is forever memorialized.

Psalm 33 is a Psalm about the sovereignty of God in creation and history. Here and in many other places of the Bible it encourages us to “sing a new song”.

Acts 8:26-40, Philip and the Ethiopian.

Acts 8:26-40, Philip and the Ethiopian.

April 9: Read through the Holy Bible in a year

Mark 8:22-38. Jesus healed a blind man at Bethsaida, followed by Peter’s Confession and Jesus predicting his death.

Judges 7. Gideon called for fighting men. Eighty-two thousand men gathered to fight. God said that was too many, reduce their number, and in two steps they were whittled down to Gideon’s Valiant Three Hundred men. With that “army” and God the Midianites were defeated.

Judges 8. Gideon Defeated the Midianites, the story is getting complicated but read it anyway. After the great victory Gideon made an Ephod from the Ishmaelites’ golden earrings and this became a snare to them all. Finally Gideon died and immediately after the Israelites fell back into idolatry, worshiping Baal.

Judges 9. The Bible tells it as it is, warts and all. So it is with the story of Abimelech’s Conspiracy and the parable of the trees. All the evil led to Abimelech’s downfall. A take home from this chapter is his last words, after his skull was cracked by a millstone, dropped by a woman. “Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him.”