I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.

Deuteronomy 18-20:20

     Moses reminds the children of Israel that the tribe of Levi would not receive an allotment of land, that they would live on the offerings given to the Lord. He tells them to consider that fact in their offerings. Moses goes on to tell the children of Israel that they must not imitate the detestable practices of the people living in the land they are about to occupy. He details some of those detestable practices: sacrificing their children, divination, sorcery, casting spells, consulting the dead.
     Moses goes on to tell them that the Lord will raise up prophets to speak to them on His behalf and that the children of Israel should listen to such prophets. However, any prophet who presumes to speak on the Lord’s behalf whom the Lord has not commanded to do so, or who speaks on behalf of some other god, is to be put to death. Moses then tells them how to tell if a prophet is sent by God or not. If what the prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place, God has not sent them.
     Then Moses describes once more the cities of refuge that the children of Israel were to designate. They were to be places where someone could flee for safety if they unintentionally killed someone. However, these cities were not to offer protection to those who purposely killed someone. Moses sets up a standard of justice. No one is to be convicted of any crime on the testimony of a single witness, the matter must be established by the testimony of at least two or three witnesses in order to convict someone of a crime. Further if someone falsely accuses someone of a crime, if the judges prove the accuser to be a liar, the accuser shall be subject to the punishment for the crime of which they falsely accused another.
     Moses told the Israelites not to worry about the strength of their enemies armies when they go to war because God would be with them. When they prepare for battle, a priest is to come and address the army, giving it God’s blessing before the battle. After the priest has addressed the army, the officers are to send home anyone who has just built a new house or planted a new vineyard or become engaged, or for that matter is just afraid. Moses goes on to give further instructions on how they are to conduct wars.

Luke 9:28-50

     About eight days after explaining to the disciples that He had to die and be raised after three days, Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him up a mountain to pray. While Jesus was praying, His face changed and His clothing became brilliant like a lightning bolt. Moses and Elijah appeared talking with Jesus. Peter, James and John were sleeping when this began. They woke up to see Jesus in His full glory. Peter suggested that they build shelters for the three (Jesus, Moses and Elijah). While Peter was making this suggestion, a cloud descended and covered them and a voice came out of the cloud telling them to listen to Jesus. When the cloud lifted Jesus was alone with the three disciples.
     When Jesus came down from the mountain a father greeted Him with a request to heal his son. The father had brought his son to Jesus’ disciples but they had been unable to heal him. Jesus told the father to bring his son to Him. As the father was doing so, the demon threw the boy to the ground in a convulsion. Jesus rebuked the spirit and healed the boy, returning him to his father. The witnesses were amazed and praised God.
     While the crowd was “oohing and ahing” over the boy, Jesus once more told His disciples that He would be killed. The disciples did not understand what He was saying at the time. Meanwhile the disciples began arguing over which of them would be the greatest. Jesus responded to their argument by placing a child before them and telling them that whoever welcomed a child in His name welcomed Him. Jesus went on to tell them that the least among them was the greatest. John then told Jesus that they had seen someone casting out demons in His name and that they tried to stop him because he was not one of them. Jesus replied that they should not attempt to stop such people because whoever is not against them is for them.

Psalm 73:1-28

The psalmist cries out that God is good to those who are pure in heart. Then he confesses that he almost allowed himself to be seduced away from God. He had become envious of the wicked and arrogant. He saw them living what appeared to be lives of ease. It appeared to him that it was a waste of time remaining faithful to God, that those who despised God and His commands lived a better life. He was tempted to proclaim this, but he kept silent and tried to understand. He made no progress until he entered into God’s presence to worship Him. Then he saw how their lives are truly empty and meaningless. The lives of the wicked will end in despair. In time our life on this earth will end, then only those who are sustained by God will find new life and the strength to continue.

Crocus blooms at ground level — Crcous blooms at ground level

Proverbs 12:10

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, even when the wicked attempt to be kind, they are cruel. Those who take pleasure from the discomfort of other beings are inevitably evil. Those who are righteous are made unhappy when any thing suffers, even if it is a mere animal.

Daily Bible Study

March 31, 2013 Bible Study — With Authority Comes Responsibility

March 30, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Deuteronomy 16-17:20

     Moses repeated here the instructions for the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest and the Festival of Shelters. He emphasizes that these must be celebrated at the central location that God shall designate in the new land the people of Israel were about to settle. These were designed to be festivals that would bring the people together and remind them that they were one people, worshiping one God.
     Moses went on to stress the importance of equal and fair justice for all people in the new land. They were to set up judges throughout the land to judge violations of the land and to hand down sentences for those who did wrong. Those cases that were too difficult for the local judges were to be taken to the central place that God had chosen and be decided by the priests or the judge on duty there whom God had designated. The judges were to never accept bribes or twist their judgement to favor one person over another. No one was to be sentenced to death on the testimony of only one witness. When a decision is reached by the judges at the central location it is to be carried out anyone who rebels against such rulings is to be put to death.
     Moses told the Israelites that eventually they would select a king for themselves. He gave them rules that such a king was to follow when that eventuality came to pass. The king was to be a fellow Israelite and not a foreigner. The king was not to build up a large stable of horses for himself, nor to take a large number of wives. nor should he accumulate a large amount of wealth for himself. All of these things were likely to turn the king’s heart away from God. The king was to make a copy of Moses instructions for himself and keep them with him at all times, reading them daily. The king was to keep and follow the instructions of God. If the king follows this instruction to daily read God’s commands, it will keep him from becoming proud and acting as if he was better than his countrymen. It will also act as a preventive to falling away from service to God.
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Luke 9:7-27

     When Herod heard about Jesus’ teaching, he became somewhat confused because he had beheaded John the Baptist. This suggests that the “buzz” about Jesus was a continuation of the “buzz” regarding John the Baptist. This is actually something of fair significance. We know from historical records that there were many messianic figures which arose around this time. However, these various messianic figures were mostly movements around an individual who rose up and gathered a following. When the individual died or was otherwise removed from leading the movement, the movement just sort of fizzled out. Here (and at several other places) we have something that suggests that John the Baptist was part of a larger movement which culminated in Jesus’ ministry.
     About this time, the Twelve returned from the preaching tour that Jesus had sent them on and Jesus attempted to quietly slip away with them in order to “debrief” them. However, the crowds figured out where He was going and followed Him there. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, healing the sick among them. Late in the afternoon, the Twelve came to Jesus and suggested that He send the crowds away to get food and find lodging. Jesus told them to feed the crowd. The Twelve told Him that they had only five loaves of bread and two fish, asking Him if He expected them to go buy food for everybody. Jesus responded by telling them to have the people sit in groups of about fifty each. Once they had done so, Jesus took the bread and the fish, gave thanks over them and broke them into pieces. He gave the pieces to the disciples to distribute to the people. Everyone ate and was satisfied. Afterwards the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of leftovers.
     Shortly after this when Jesus had the disciples gathered somewhere in private, He asked them who the people thought that He was. They answered that some thought He was John the Baptist, while others thought He was some prophet of old. Jesus then asked them who they thought He was? Peter replied that He was the Messiah. Jesus instructed the disciples that they were not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah. Jesus went on to explain to the disciples that He would be killed and rise again on the third day. I recently came across a blog post about an archeological artifact called the “Gabriel Tablet”. Some scholars have interpreted the writing on this tablet from approximately 4 B.C. (the year Jesus was probably born) as saying that the messianic individual referred to on the tablet would die and rise again after three days. The blog writer seemed to think the idea that other Jews in the First Century thought the Messiah would die and rise again after three days was revolutionary. It has been a long time since I believed that Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament were revolutionary. Repeatedly the Gospel writers tell us that people were surprised, not by Jesus’ teachings, but by the fact that He did not rely on some other authority to support what He taught. Jesus’ authority was not some other, previous teacher, but the Scripture, His understanding of it and the Holy Spirit.
     After telling His disciples that He would die and rise again in three days, Jesus told them that they must be willing to suffer in order to follow Him. We must be willing to suffer the same fate that He did. We must not be ashamed of Jesus and His words, but be willing to proclaim them before all, facing whatever consequences come from doing that. If we are willing to do that, Jesus promises that He will stand by us before the Father.

Isn't Spring Grand? — Isn’t Spring Grand?

Psalm 72

Today’s psalm is a prayer for those who are given authority over others. Such a person must have God’s love of justice. They need to judge people according to God’s standard and treat the poor fairly. Those with authority must defend the poor and rescue the children of the needy. If those who are given authority over others fear the Lord both by day and by night, God will grant them prosperity and blessings. They in turn must use the authority they have been given to rescue the poor and defend the oppressed. If they do not do these things, God will do so Himself by raising someone up in their place.

Proverbs 12:8-9

Those who keep their thoughts sensible will be admired by others, those whose thoughts are warped and perverse will be despised. It is better to be nobody in particular and have resources to meet all of your needs, than to present oneself as somebody special and spend oneself into poverty.

Bible Study

Two Women and 12 Years (Luke 8:40-53)

March 30, 2013 Viola

This is one of the most poignant biblical accounts for me. Perhaps even more effective since it is told from Luke’s perspective, who was a doctor, because there’s a couple of medical issues here. Luke gave *detailed* accounts. (I like that in a Gospel writer). Like many Bible stories, this one challenges me. We learn about another of Jesus’ miracles here, but even more so, we (or at least I) learn about the power of faith.

The account opens with Jesus’ coming back to Galilee, from the region of the Gerasenes. This is after the account of Jesus curing the demon-possessed man. The account tells us that the man was not possessed by one evil spirit, but by many, a Legion (Luke 8:30). (To me, demon-possession is like mice-infestation. As anyone who has dealt with the inconvenience of having mice in their house can tell you, a house does not simply have *one* solitary mousey living in it. When a mouse finds a place to live where it’s warm and can find nourishment, a whole horde comes with it and can create a bloody and potentially destructive nuisance, if proper action is not taken. So, too, a similar event takes place with demon-possession. But I digress.)

When Jesus returns to Galilee, he is met by a crowd, from which emerges a synagogue leader, Jairus, whose 12-year old daughter is ill and dying. Jesus accompanies Jairus to his home. On the way, a woman who has been suffering from hemorrhaging for 12 years with no relief from doctors, touches Jesus’ cloak in the throngs of people and is immediately cured! Jesus stops when He felt the power flow out from Him (I love that!) and asks, “Who touched me?” The newly-healed woman could’ve run away at this point, but she falls to her knees and explains what happened. Jesus tells her that her faith has healed her and to “go in peace”.

Right after that, someone from Jairus’ household shows up and tells Jairus that his daughter has died and there’s no need to trouble Jesus any longer. Jesus tells Jairus to have faith and they continue on to Jairus’ home. When they arrive at the house, the mourners laugh and mock Jesus when He says the young girl is not dead but merely asleep.

There’s an enormous amount of juxtaposition here! Just a short time earlier we saw a woman who had been suffering for TWELVE YEARS with a horrible affliction who believed all she had to do was touch a piece of Jesus’ garment and she would be healed! Now we have a roomful of people laughing at Jesus’ claim about Jairus’ daughter.

I must digress again: Do keep in mind the mourners in this scene were probably not comprised of the young girl’s neighbors and relatives. More than likely these were paid professionals in Hebrew law “who care for the deceased and prepare for the burial”

I struggle with this portion of the story because I’m pretty sure the mourners KNEW who Jesus was, and WHY He claimed the girl was not dead. This leads me to two conclusions. Either a) they did not believe in Jesus’ power to raise the girl from the dead or b) they laughed out loud and mocked Jesus in front of the family because they stood to lose money were their services not needed. (I am reminded here of the Legion of demons driven into a herd of pigs in Luke 8:32-37, and how the herdsmen witnessed what had happened, which led to the people to beg Jesus to leave and not come back. Those herdsmen lost a mighty big paycheck that day; Jesus was “bad for business”.)

Nevertheless, I’d like to think the mourners laughed at Jesus because their faith was lacking and not because they were so callous as to be out a paycheck.

However, it is not only the mourners who are to blame for their lack of faith. Over and over again in the New Testament we see the Twelve, (there’s that number again!) the ones closest to Jesus, failing in their trust in Him. Mark 4:35-41, Luke 9:12-13, John 20:25-28, are just a few examples.

I love the account of Luke 8:40-53 for so many reasons: We see Jesus perform a miracle while He is on His way to perform a miracle. I love that both of the healed in this story are women. (Okay, one of them is a child, but in Biblical times, Jairus’ daughter is of marriageable age.) The fact that the bleeding woman was afflicted as long as Jairus’ daughter was alive is also particularly poignant. Most of all, I love that Jesus did not discriminate and only heal the important people, i.e., powerful men. The fact that the bleeding woman and Jairus’ daughter are both insignificant members of society Did Not Matter to Jesus! He healed them all: men, women, children, Hebrew, Gentile, lepers, the paralysed, the lowest of Society’s low. Jesus brings His love to, and ultimately saves, every one of us.

Then there’s the faith and bravery of the bleeding woman! I admire her so much. She knew it was “wrong” by Society’s standards to even look at a man, let alone ask Jesus for healing BUT! so strong was her faith in this Teacher that she knew all she had to do was merely touch Him and she would be cured. Her faith and wisdom are to be commended! Whenever I am desperately praying for the Lord’s healing/guidance/what-have-you, I often fall back on the bleeding woman’s “mustard seed faith”. I want to believe that all I need for Jesus’ healing (be it physical, mental, emotional or spiritual) is to touch the hem of His garment.

“Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” –Mark 9:24

Daily Bible Study

March 30, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter

March 29, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Deuteronomy 13-15:23

Moses gives the children of Israel clear instructions not to tolerate anyone who advocates the worship of other gods. No matter what the person or groups credentials, the children of Israel are to completely eliminate from their midst any individual or group which does so. Moses then goes on to describe what animals are acceptable as food. This is followed by instructions to give a tithe of their harvest to the Lord.
Moses gave them instructions to care for the poor and unfortunate among them. He tells them to cancel all debts every seven years and to release all Hebrew slaves. Not only were they to release their slaves in the seventh year, but they were to give them a generous farewell gift to allow them to start their life of freedom without poverty. As part of these instructions, the children of Israel were instructed to care for the poor. Note that despite all the laws regarding the establishment of government in the new land, the care for the poor was a duty that fell on each individual.

Luke 8:40-9:6

When Jesus returned to the other side of the lake a crowd was waiting for Him. A synagogue leader named Jairus came to Jesus and fell at His feet, begging Him to come to his house because his daughter was dying. As Jesus was on His way the crowd pressed in around Him. A woman who had been bleeding for twelve years and unable to obtain any healing approached Jesus and touched His cloak. She was immediately healed. Jesus stopped and asked who had touched Him. Everyone around Him denied doing so and Peter pointed out that the crowd was pressing in around Him. Jesus told them that He knew that power had gone out from Him. The woman then came forward and confessed what she had done and that she had been healed. Jesus told her that her faith had made her well and to go in peace. Do I have the faith to believe that just touching the hem of His cloak will fix my problems? Do I recognize that the solution to my problems is to get closer to Jesus?
By the time the incident with the woman was over someone came from Jairus house and told him that his daughter had died, he should stop bothering the teacher. Jesus told Jairus to have faith and his daughter would be healed. Jesus continued to Jairus house and when He got there He allowed only the girl’s parents and Peter, James and John to go in with Him. Jesus told the mourners to stop wailing because she was not dead, merely asleep. The mourners laughed at Him because they knew she had died. Jesus took her hand anyway and told her to get up, which she did. He gave her into her parent’s care and told them to give her some food. Jesus instructed them not to tell anyone what happened. Are we willing to do what God asks of us even when “everyone knows” it won’t work? How often have I missed God’s blessing because I “knew” it couldn’t happen? O Lord, give me the same faith as the bleeding woman and Jairus.

Psalm 71:1-24

Another wonderful psalm. I somewhat prefer the NIV translation here because the NIV is clearer that the psalmist has absolute confidence that God will come to his aid and is praising God for that aid. The NLT comes across more as a plea for God’s aid than a song of praise for the aid that will come. I, like the psalmist, learned reliance on God from my youngest days. God blessed me with a Mother and Father who taught me His ways. I know that I have failed to be the sign of His goodness to those around me that I should have been, but I strive before God to continue to my final days proclaiming His works of righteousness.

As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
Let me proclaim God’s miraculous deeds to all who come after me.

Proverbs 12:5-7

Do you wish to determine if you are godly or wicked? The way to know is to look at your plans, if your plans are just and fair than you know that you are living a godly life. On the other hand, if your advice to others is deceitful and misleading, you can know that you are living a wicked life. The point of today’s proverbs are not about looking at others, but at looking at oneself.

Daily Bible Study

March 29, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Calms the Storm

March 28, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Deuteronomy 11-12:32

Moses reminds the Israelites that they have seen the power of God as He led them from Egypt through the wilderness. He tells them that they are about to enter a rich and bountiful land. They need to be careful to follow all of the commands that God is giving them. They must not turn away and worship or serve other Gods. Moses tells them that they have a choice between a blessing and a curse. If they obey God’s commands, they will be blessed. But if they reject God’s commands and turn away and worship other gods they will be cursed. I believe that this promise from Moses applies to any people anywhere in the world, not just the Israelites. Those who obey God’s commands will be blessed, those who reject them and turn away after other gods will be cursed.
When they entered into the new land they were to destroy all of the places where the nations who lived there before them worshiped their gods. In that new land, God would designate a place for His worship. That was the only place where the Israelites were to offer sacrifices to God. They were not to start worshiping God in any of the ways that the peoples of that land worshiped their gods. Moses pointed out to the children of Israel that God found the worship practices of the people they were about to conquer detestable.

Luke 8:22-39

One day Jesus told His disciples to go to the other side of the lake. They got in a boat and started across. Jesus went to sleep. While they were crossing a storm came up and started to swamp the boat. The disciples frantically woke Jesus, certain they were going to drown. Jesus got up and rebuked the storm. Immediately the lake became calm. Jesus then asked His disciples where their faith was. They were amazed that He was able to calm the storm. Do we have faith that Jesus can calm the storms of our lives?
When Jesus stepped ashore on the other side of the lake, a demon possessed man was there. Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man. The demons begged permission from Jesus to go into a herd of pigs that were nearby. Jesus granted them that permission. The herd of pigs promptly rushed into the lake and drowned. The pig herds ran off and reported what had happened to everyone in the region. When the people from the region came to Jesus they saw the formerly demon possessed man dressed and in his right mind for the first time in years. Those who had seen what had happened told them how the man was cured. The people were terrified and asked Jesus to leave. Jesus honored their request and got in the boat to cross the lake again. The former demon possessed man begged to go with Jesus. However, Jesus told him to return to his home and tell what God had done for him. Not all of us are called to go to distant mission fields, many of us are called to return to our homes and tell those around us what God has done for us. Do we follow this man’s example and proclaim what Jesus has done for us?

Psalm 70:1-5

I will echo the psalmist’s humble cry, “I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God.” God is my help and my deliverer, without His aid I will fail. However, I will say, along with all who wait for God’s saving ways, “The Lord is great.”

Proverbs 12:4

I thank God once more this morning for providing me with a wife who is more than worthy. She is definitely the crown of my life.

Daily Bible Study

March 28, 2013 Bible Study –Seed Among Thorns, Or On Fertile Soil?

March 27, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Display at Peter Becker Home Flower Show

Deuteronomy 9-10:22

Moses tells the people of Israel that God is not driving the people out of the promised land because the people of Israel were so good, He is doing so because the people of the land are so evil. The children of Israel needed to recognize that they had done plenty wrong and were in constant need of God’s forgiveness. Moses then tells the children of Israel what God requires of them (and of us). God requires that we fear Him and love and serve Him with all of our heart and soul. We are to follow the commands that God has given us for our own good.
Our God is the God of gods and Lord of Lords. He ensures that widows and orphans receive justice. God alone is our God and He has performed many mighty miracles.

sales display at Peter Becker Home Flower Show

Luke 8:4-21

Today we have Luke’s telling of the Parable of the Sower. In this parable Jesus tells of seed falling on four different types of soil and how the seed did on each of those soils. At the end He says, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” The disciples ask Jesus to explain the parable to them. Jesus tells them that the seed is the word of God. The footpath represents those whom when they hear the Word of God, Satan comes along and snatches it away preventing them from being saved. The rocky soil represents those who hear the Word and respond joyously, but never put down deep roots. When trouble comes they fall away. The thorny soil represents those who hear the Word, but allow the cares for wealth and material goods to crowd it out. The good soil represents those who hear God’s Word, cling to it and patiently produce a harvest for God. Which type of soil am I? All too often I feel like I am the thorny soil, although I try very hard to be good soil.
Jesus next tells a parable of a lamp on a lampstand. He tells us that we do not light a lamp and immediately hide it. Rather when we light a lamp, we set it on a lampstand so that it’s light can be seen. In the same way the light of God is being set so that it will reveal that which is concealed. If we listen to Jesus’ teaching we will be given greater understanding as time goes on. If on the other hand, we choose to ignore His teaching, as time goes by we will find even things we thought we understood become confusing. Just look at our society, we ignored Jesus advice about divorce and made divorce easy. Now, our society has lost its understanding of what marriage is. The Christian Church failed to defend marriage against easy divorce. I will not say that I know exactly what the Church should have done differently on the issue of divorce, but it has been clear to me for some time that the Church has been wrong on this issue.

Psalm 69:19-36

The psalmist continues to recount his despair. He tells us that no one has shown him any sympathy or offered him comfort. He calls out to God for rescue in his despair. The psalmist tells us that when God rescues him (not if God rescues him, but when) he will praise God’s name. As deep as the psalmists despair is, he still has faith that God will answer his cries. He knows that God will provide him with salvation. Do we have a similar confidence? The humble will seek God and be glad. All who seek God’s help will be encouraged. God hears the cries of the needy. Those who love Him will live in safety.

Proverbs 12:2-3

God approves of those who are good and condemns those who plan wickedness (not just those who do wickedness, but those who plan it). Wicked action never leads to stability, only the righteous are able to put down firm roots.

Daily Bible Study

March 27, 2013 Bible Study — Do I Feel Like I Have Been Forgiven a Lot, Or Just a Little?

March 26, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Deuteronomy 7-8:20

Moses instructed the Israelites to make no treaties with the people living in the land God was bringing them into. They were to completely destroy the peoples already living there. They were not to intermarry with them, neither give their sons and daughters in marriage to them, nor take their sons and daughters in marriage. Moses warns the Israelites that if they do intermarry, they will be led away from God into idolatry. Moses told them that if they allowed that to happen, God would destroy them. Rather than allow themselves to be led aside into idolatry, the Israelites were to destroy the altars and idols of the people of the land. Moses continued by telling the Israelites that if they kept God’s commands and were faithful. God would bless them in the land. They did not need to fear the people of the land because God was with them. God was going to drive the people out of the land little by little.
Moses reminded the children of Israel to remember what God had done for them in the wilderness, where their clothing did not wear out and He provided them with manna from heaven. God taught them that people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. Moses tells them that they learned to trust God through their time of privation in the wilderness, now they will need to continue to serve and trust God as they come into a land of plenty. Do I remember God when times are good? Do I remain faithful?

Luke 7:36-8:3

A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner at his house. While Jesus was there, a woman known for her sinful lifestyle learned that He was there. She brought a jar of perfume and came to where Jesus was eating. She cried over His feet, poured some of the perfume on them and wiped them with her hair, kissing His feet all the while. When the Pharisee saw what she was doing, he thought to himself that Jesus must not be much of a prophet if He was allowing this type of woman to touch Him.
Jesus noticed the thoughts that were going on in the Pharisee’s head and asked him a question. Jesus asked him who would be more grateful someone who was forgiven a small debt or someone who was forgiven a very large debt. Simon, the Pharisee, answered that he supposed that the one who had the bigger debt cancelled would be more grateful. Jesus then points out that Simon had failed to live up to the basic criteria of hospitality, but that this woman more than made up for it. Jesus goes on to say that those who are forgiven much have great love, while those who are forgiven little love little. Do I feel like I have been forgiven a lot, or just a little? I believe that part of Jesus’ message in this is that we have all been forgiven a lot by God, but some of us think that we have only sinned a little.

Psalm 69:1-18

All too many of us know what the psalmist is experiencing in today’s psalm. He tells us that the waters have come up to his neck and that he can get no foothold. He is exhausted and his throat is sore from crying for help. He openly admits that he is in this trouble because of his own foolishness. He acknowledges before God his sins, knowing that they cannot be hid from God. He asks God to keep those who seek God from being put to shame because of his failures.
Even in the midst of his troubles that are of his own doing, the psalmist cries out to God because he knows of God’s great love. I, also, throw myself on God’s mercy in my time of trouble, knowing full well that the troubles I experience are my own doing. I have faith that God will deliver me and I pray that this time when I get out of the pit I put myself into I will continue to honor and follow God.

Proverbs 12:1

If we wish to learn what God has to teach us, we must accept and embrace His discipline. Those who refuse to accept correction will never learn.

Daily Bible Study

March 26, 2013 Bible Study –The Blind See, the Lame Walk…and the Good News Is Preached

March 25, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Deuteronomy 5-6:25

Moses repeats the Ten Commandments and reminds the people they heard them directly from the mouth of God. Moses went on to remind them that their leaders were afraid to hear more words directly from God and requested that God speak with Moses and then Moses tell them what God had commanded. God heard the request of the leaders and agreed that it was good. God sent the people back to their tents and spoke His commands to Moses.
Moses then tells the people that God will soon be bringing them into a land of great wealth. He told them that when they entered that land, they needed to remember and follow God’s commands. If they do that, all will go well for them in the land and they will prosper. Moses reminds them, and us, that they must love the Lord their God with all their heart, minds and souls, with all that they are. That is such a great challenge. I find it hard to devote all that I am to loving God, yet I know that I need to do this. That the answer to all of my difficulties comes from doing that. I must learn to let nothing else come between God and myself. And we must live our lives so that others ask us why we behave as we do. When we receive those questions we reply by telling people about what God has done for us. If people are not asking us, we are not being blatant enough about following God’s commands.

Luke 7:11-35

     Jesus was going into the village of Nain when a funeral procession was coming out. It was the funeral of the only son of a widow. Jesus felt sorrow for her loss and told her not to cry. He approached and touched the bier on which they were carrying the body. The pallbearers stopped when He did so. Jesus told the young man to get up and he did so. The people who were around were filled with fearful surprise and began to praise God. They recognized that this act by Jesus was a sign that God was working among them and it both thrilled and frightened them. Am I both thrilled and frightened when I see God’s miraculous power displayed? Do I expect to witness God act in ways that will be both thrill and frighten me?
     Shortly after this John the Baptist sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was indeed the Messiah, or if they should be looking for someone else? Jesus told them to go back to John and tell him what they had seen and heard, that “the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” Can we say the same thing about our ministry today? Too many of the ministries I see today either focus on healing the sick/meeting people’s physical needs or they focus on preaching the Gospel. Jesus told John’s disciples that they should see both people’s physical needs being met and the Gospel being preached.
     After John’s disciples left, Jesus began preaching to the crowd about John. He explained to them that they did not go out into the desert to see someone who was blown around by every fad that came along, nor did they go out to see someone who had acquired great wealth. Rather they went out into the desert to see someone who was a messenger preparing the way for the Word of God. Jesus goes on to compare the religious leaders of the day to children who complain because one person (John) does not join them in laughing and playing and another person (Jesus) does not join them in crying and weeping. They complained that John did not join them in eating a drinking at their feasts and said that must indicate the he is demon possessed. Then they turned around and complained that because Jesus was willing to eat and drink with tax collectors and other sinners He must be a glutton and a drunkard.
     There are different ways to interpret what Jesus is saying about the comparison between Himself and John the Baptist. The lesson I take from it is that God calls some people to live an ascetic life, a simple life, where they call others to the denial of self in order to serve God. Others are called to go out among the sinners and show them how it is possible to serve God and your fellow man without being a boring, stick-in-the-mud. First and foremost we should not judge others whom God has called to a different ministry than ourselves. There is another important point here, both John the Baptist and Jesus preached a message that was well-received by the “tax-collectors and the sinners” in their society AND a message that was rejected by the “moral” and powerful. So, is our message directed at the “moral” and powerful? Or at the sinners who are ready to receive God’s forgiveness?

Pomegranate bonsai putting out its spring leaves

Psalm 68:19-35

Another psalm which calls me to praise God. It uplifts my soul on a day when I was feeling a little down. The psalmist says that each day God bears us in His arms, that He carries our burdens. The psalmist tells us to look, that we can see God’s triumphal procession coming into view. Let us be the singers out in front, announcing the coming of the victorious King. God is summoning His might and displaying His power. Soon, the nations of the world will bow in submission to Him. Let us sing God’s praises and proclaim His power to all who will listen. God is awesome, both in the modern sense of being really cool and in the more traditional sense of being overwhelming and a bit frightening. God gives power and strength to those He has made His people.

Proverbs 11:29-31

Those who bring trouble on their own families will inherit nothing of value and those who live foolish lives will end up in servitude to those who are wise. That really frightens me because all too often I have made foolish choices in my life. Those who are righteous produce fruit which brings life to those around them, the wise save lives by giving warning. The righteous, the ungodly and the sinner will all receive their just due both on this earth and in eternity.

Daily Bible Study

March 25, 2013 Bible Study — Identify a Tree By Its Fruit

March 24, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Deuteronomy 4:1-49

Moses urged the Israelites to obey the commands of God. He reminded them of what had happened at Peor, where all who worshiped Baal died, while those who remained faithful to God survived. Moses further reminded them of when they stood before the Lord at Mt Sinai and heard Him give the Ten Words (or Commandments). He continued by pointing out to them that they did not see the Lord’s form at Mt Sinai, so they should not in the future construct idols that purport to be in the form of the Lord. The Lord is God in both heaven and earth and there is no other god.
Moses tells the children of Israel that if they break God’s covenant they will not last long in the land which He is giving them. However, if later they seek God with all of their heart and soul, they will find Him. I believe this is a promise for everyone. If you seek the Lord God with all of your heart and soul, you will find Him.

Luke 6:39-7:10

Yesterday’s passage ended with Jesus’ instruction not to judge or condemn others. Today’s passage begins with clarification of what He was saying with that. Here He tells us that if the blind lead the blind, they will both stumble into a ditch that neither saw. In the same way, a student cannot end up more learned than his teacher. When you are teaching someone you cannot teach them things that you do not know. Jesus then goes on to tell us that we should concern ourselves with what we are doing wrong, not with what someone else is doing wrong. We cannot teach others to do right, if we ourselves are doing wrong. We should always consider our failures to live according to God’s will to be more important than those of others.
Jesus goes on to tell us that we can judge people (and ourselves) by the results of our actions. Those who are truly good do good for others, those who are evil cause harm to others. If someone’s actions are evil, their heart is full of evil. If someone’s acts are good, their heart is full of good. What we say also comes out of our hearts. We can be accurately judged by the words we use and what we say about others. We have a tendency to look at Jesus comments about judging a tree by its fruit as a way to judge others, but I think in this context Jesus was clearly talking about how we are to judge our own actions. Jesus gives yet another example about following Him. He tells us that listening to Him and following His instructions is a lot of work. It is not easy, but it is like building a house. If we want the house to endure we have to do a lot of work and dig down to the bedrock and start building the foundation from there. In the same way, if we want to follow Jesus we need to dig down to the bedrock of our lives and make changes there. Those changes will be hard work, but the resulting life will be worth it.

Psalm 68:1-18

The day is coming when God will rise up and scatter those who have chosen to oppose Him. God is father to the fatherless and the defender of widows. It is inevitable that those who choose to oppose God will be crushed and on that day all others will gather to praise the name of God. When God’s enemies flee, those they thought of as weak and powerless will gather the plunder. Let us never forget that no matter how bad things now, no matter how successful those who practice evil appear to be, their destruction will come. While those who have patiently waited for God and followed His commands will reap well-being.

Proverbs 11:28

Those who trust in their wealth will fall, while those who are righteous and trust in God will flourish.

Daily Bible Study

March 24, 2013 Bible Study — Everyone Speaking Well Of You Is a Bad Sign

March 23, 2013 AttilaDimedici

Deuteronomy 2-3:29

Moses recounts how the people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for a generation, until God instructed them to turn north. God told them not to attack the Edomites because they were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother. So, the Israelites went around the land of Edom. God also instructed them not to attack either the Moabites or the Ammonites. However, God told them to attack the Amorites. First, Moses offered the King Sihon that they would travel through his lands without causing disruption, paying for any food or water they consumed in their travels. King Sihon responded by mustering his armies and attacking the Israelites. The Israelites completely destroyed King Sihon and his people. Then King Og of Bashan attacked them and they turned and destroyed his people, conquering his lands.
Moses divided this land among the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh on the condition that they send their fighting men across the Jordan with the rest of the tribes to help them conquer the land there. Moses then tells the people that he appointed Joshua as his successor and had given Joshua instructions concerning leading the people. Moses told them that he had begged God to be allowed to cross the Jordan and see the land on the other side. However, God was angry with Moses for things he had done while leading the people in the wilderness. God told Moses to go up to the top of a high peak which would allow him to look out over the land on the other side of the Jordan, but that Moses would not be allowed to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land.

Luke 6:12-38

     Jesus spent a night in prayer to God and in the morning He called all of His disciples together and chose twelve of them as His messengers (the original Greek word for apostle means “messenger”). When they came down from the mountain, Jesus stood on a large level area surrounded by crowds who had come to hear Him preach and be healed by Him. The passage does not spell it out, but it reads to me like Jesus chose a natural amphitheater to preach from. Luke tells us that in the middle of this crowd, Jesus began to teach His disciples.
     Jesus tells His disciples that those who are poor and hungry are blessed by God and will be satisfied. When people hate, persecute us and reject us as evil because we follow Jesus’ teachings, we should rejoice because that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. Jesus then goes on to tell us that those who are wealthy and well-fed now will suffer deprivation later. More importantly He tells us that we should be concerned if everyone speaks well of us, because that is how their ancestors spoke of the false prophets.
     We should pay attention to this, those that our society thinks highly of are not the people we should be listening to. On the other hand, we should look closely at what those our society condemns to see if they are preaching the word of God. We should remember that those who tell people what they want to hear are almost always deceivers seeking to accomplish evil goals. When everyone speaks well of someone it is a sign that their message is probably false. Unfortunately, the converse is not necessarily true. When everyone maligns someone, that does not mean that their message is true. However, society will, sooner or later, denigrate anyone who speaks God’s message truthfully.
     Jesus goes on to tell His disciples (us) that they should love their enemies and do good to those who mistreat them. We get no credit for being nice to those who are nice to us, even sinners do that. We are to go beyond what sinners do and be nice to those who mistreat us. Jesus goes on to tell us not to judge or condemn others. Rather we are to forgive others so that we may be forgiven. The measure we use in giving to others, God will use in giving to us. This is not about receiving material wealth in return for our charitable giving (although there is an element of that in this teaching), rather it is about us treating others better than we think they deserve because God treats us better than we deserve.

Psalm 67

Every day I am finding the psalms I read a blessing. I am truly blessed by the opening to today’s psalm:

May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face smile with favor on us.
However, I am challenged by the next phrase: May your ways be known throughout the earth,
your saving power among people everywhere.
How will that happen if I am not demonstrating those ways and teaching those ways to those I meet? Yes, I want the nations and people everywhere to praise God and sing for joy in the knowledge of His governance. But that can only happen if I tell those I meet about it. As Paul writes in Romans 10:14 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Have I done all I can to tell others about God? The answer is “No”, which means that I must find more ways to spread the word of God’s love. I know that part of my reluctance to do more is a fear that others will condemn me for it. Yet Jesus tells us that we should rejoice when others condemn us for preaching His word. I will strive to live up to that going forward.

Quilt on display at Peter Becker Flower Show

Proverbs 11:27

If you look for good, you will find it and people will look favorably on you. On the other hand if you look for evil, you will find that as well and will experience it. While evil is out there and we should be aware of it, we should look for good in those around us because if we do, we are likely to find it. Those who expect others to treat them well usually experience that type of treatment, while those who expect others to treat them badly almost always receive the treatment they expect (especially since they tend to interpret the treatment they do receive in the most negative light possible).

Fact and Fantasy

Monthly Archives: March 2013

April 1, 2013 Bible Study — Whoever Is Not Against You Is For You

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March 31, 2013 Bible Study — With Authority Comes Responsibility

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Two Women and 12 Years (Luke 8:40-53)

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March 30, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter

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March 29, 2013 Bible Study — Jesus Calms the Storm

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March 28, 2013 Bible Study –Seed Among Thorns, Or On Fertile Soil?

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March 27, 2013 Bible Study — Do I Feel Like I Have Been Forgiven a Lot, Or Just a Little?

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March 26, 2013 Bible Study –The Blind See, the Lame Walk…and the Good News Is Preached

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March 25, 2013 Bible Study — Identify a Tree By Its Fruit

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March 24, 2013 Bible Study — Everyone Speaking Well Of You Is a Bad Sign

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