Tag: thought for the day

January 14, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The chapters chosen for today deal with servanthood, betrayal, promise and deceit.

January 14: John 13, Genesis 28, Genesis 29 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 13 begins 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.

In Genesis 28, Jacob went to Paddan Aram to get a wife. On the way he had a dream, commonly known as “Jacob’s Ladder”. Meanwhile, Esau took yet another wife, the daughter of Ishmael. The promise of Jacob’s dream was that God was to give the land to Jacob’s descendants. Jacob made a vow to God and named the place Bethel.

Jacob arrived in Paddan Aram in Genesis 29, 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.

January 13, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The three chapters chosen for today deals with anointing, water rights and blessings.

January 13: John 12, Genesis 26, Genesis 27 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 12 begins the last week before the Crucifixion. It is important when this happened, so I have inserted a piece on the correct dates for Passover and the Holy week. Jesus was anointed at Bethany, on Sunday he rode on an unbroken donkey colt in the triumphal entry,  and Jesus prophesied  about his being “lifted up, and draw all men to himself”.

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.

In Genesis 27 Jacob deceived Isaac to get the blessing of the firstborn instead of Esau. Esau got one too, but just the regular blessing, so to avoid more trouble Jacob fled to Laban.

January 12, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Today there are three chapters.

January 12: John 11, Genesis 24, Genesis 25 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 11 describes how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (on the fourth day no less). The ruling Jews were worried that Jesus would become ruler and then the Romans would destroy their nation. This leads 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.”

Genesis 24 tells the beautiful story of Isaac and Rebekah.

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 is 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.

January 11, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The three chapters chosen for today are

January 11: John 10, Genesis 22, Genesis 23 (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In John 10 Jesus told he is the good shepherd and claimed to be one with his Father. This is of course blasphemy (unless it is true), so for that the Jews want to stone him.

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

In Genesis 23 Abraham’s wife Sarah died and Abraham purchased a grave in Mamre, where Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael buried her.

January 10, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The concept of sin troubled the disciples and was big on display in the Old Testament.

January 10: John 9, Genesis 20, Genesis 21, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In John 9 Jesus opened the eyes of a man blind from birth, Since this was done on a Sabbath trouble arose from the Pharisees. In the arguments Jesus again claimed his divinity.

In Genesis 20 Abraham claimed Sarah was his sister. Why? Sarah was his half-sister, so Abraham stretched the truth, also called a lie, or sin. The chapter shows God’s protection even when we do wrong.

In Genesis 21 Isaac is born, and when Ishmael is 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.

January 9, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The three chapters chosen for today all deal with sin, its consequences and God’s forgiveness

January 9: John 8, Genesis 18, Genesis 19, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

John 8 begins with the 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. The 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.

Which brings us to Genesis 18 with Abraham still waiting for his promised offspring. He was visited by three angels that promised him he will have a son within a year. God confirmed this promise, but was also proclaiming the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham tried to bargain with God, at no avail.

So in Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed. There is ample evidence this is a historical true event, the Bible is verified true even here. God provided for Lot, his wife and two daughters to escape.They did, but Lot’s wife looked back towards the city and was no more. After that is recorded the strange story about Lot and his two daughters, and all I can say about that is that it is not good to take matters in our own hand rather than listen to God and let Him guide.

January 8, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

In the four chapters chosen for today of which the first is John 7 Jesus points out that according to Jewish law, circumcision is more important than keeping Sabbath, so, if the eighth day is on a Sabbath, it must be performed, but healing on a Sabbath is not permitted. Jesus then promises “Streams of living water”.

January 8: John 7, Genesis 15, Genesis 16, Genesis 17, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In Genesis 15 God promises Abram a son, and Abram believes God and it is counted to him as righteousness.

But in Genesis 16 Abram badly wants an heir, so Sarai, being too old, gives her handmaiden Hagar to be mother of Abram’s son, Ismael. Sarai regrets what she has done, and Hagar is sent away with Ishmael into the wilderness.

Thirteen years later, in Genesis 17, Ishmael is back with Abram,  God  promises Abram his seed of promise, changes Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name becomes Sarah, establishes it with an eternal covenant, the covenant of Circumcision, and it was performed on Abraham, Ishmael and all Abraham’s servants.  A year later Sarah gives birth to Isaac, at the age of 90, (with God, nothing is impossible).

Circumcision is very important for Jews and Muslims (Sons of Ishmael). As for me, I am thankful for the streams of living water.

January 7, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The four chapters chosen for today are significant and thought provoking.

January 7: John 6, Genesis 12, Genesis 13, Genesis 14, (click on the chapter to begin reading)

In John 6 Jesus performed miracles 4 and 5, feeding 5000 (plus women and children) and walking on water. In spite of these miracles people demanded a sign. Jesus responds in kind 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 is called to leave his home in Ur. He goes to a land he does not know, promised by God, and he obeys, but when a famine came he went to Egypt and resorted to deceit rather than trusting God.

In Genesis 13, Abram and his sidekick Lot went back from Egypt and separated path. Lot chose the fertile plain of Jordan, and Abram went to the hills of Mamre.

And in Genesis 14 Lot gets in trouble and is taken captive by a local Mafia. Abram rescues Lot, and on the way back gives a tithe to Melchizedek, king of Salem – (later to become Jerusalem), after God gave him success in battle.

Question: Who was Melchizedek, and why is that important?

January 6, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

The topic for today is confusion without faith in God.

January 6: John 5, Genesis 11, Psalm 2 (click on the chapter to begin reading).

John 5 describes how Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda on a 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 11 tells about the Tower of Babel, and how different languages arose, all by being disobedient to God.

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

The Tower of Babel is in a way repeated today where the global internet, supposed to bring us together, divide us more and more into camps, where the same words mean different things, dependent on the audience. Jesus is controversial, his claims are being rejected by people thinking they understand biology and morals better than God.  And hate is increasing, yet there are people that believe in the universal good of mankind, if they only could get rid of the concept of God.

Yet, people are, and always will be looking for the meaning of life, and long to eliminate the emptiness and meaningless that is the logical conclusion if there is no God.

January 5, read through the Holy Bible in a year in Power-point, with comments.

Today there are only 3 chapters, but they are significant.

January 5: John 4, Genesis 9, Genesis 10, (click on the chapter to begin reading).

John 4 speaks about the first real evangelist spreading the good news of Christ the Messiah. It is the woman at the well, a Samaritan, scorn and rejected by her many husbands, yet used by God to tell the good news.

Genesis 9. God established His covenant with Noah (The Noahic Covenant), and as a sign He established the rainbow in the sky. Noah planted a vineyard, got drunk and exposed his nakedness. This leads to “the curse of Ham,” which lead to the excuse that the black race was for slavery. It was in reality the curse of Canaan, the original inhabitants of the yet to be promised land.  ponder that!

Genesis 10. A genealogy of the descendants of Noah. It tells how the earth was repopulated.