For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have been convicted over the last few weeks to seek to develop a disciplined prayer life. It is still a work in progress. Please pray for me, that the Holy Spirit may show me how to pray in a disciplined manner.

Proverbs 26:1-2

No one expects a fool to be honourable any more than they expect snow in the summer. It happens on rare occasions, but people are always surprised when it does. Curses can be real, but those who are undeserving of a curse will be no more effected by it than a sparrow will land on a moving person’s head.

Psalm 90-91:16

Let us remember that our lives are short. We do not have much time to serve the Lord, so let us not waste what time we have. If we seek to do the Lord’s will, He will make our efforts successful.
This psalm speaks to me with what is going on in the world today. If we make Him our shelter and rely on Him for our safety, we need not fear anything in this world. In a world where diseases such as Ebola are once more spreading, where war and chaos are spreading, and where economies seem about to crash, the psalmist tells us this:

Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
The Lord is my shelter, my place of safety. He is my God and I will trust in Him.

2 Timothy 1:1-18

Often times we see those who have come to Christ after being lost in sin, drug addicts, convicted criminals, low-life’s of various sorts, as the greatest witnesses for Christ. However, Paul commends Timothy for the faith imparted to him by his mother and grandmother. Timothy was able to serve the role he had in the early Church because he was raised in a godly household. Those of us who were raised in Christian families and came to our faith as a result bring necessary skills to the Church. Let us use those skills to further God’s will, just as those who experienced the complete devastation of sin use their skills for that purpose. Whatever background we have, God has used it to mold us into the people we are, people He wants to use to accomplish His purposes.
We have been given a spiritual gift. Let us seek to fan into flames the gifts which the Holy Spirit has given us. These gifts will help us to proclaim the Gospel to those we encounter without shame. Perhaps the hardest part of what Paul tells us here is that we should never be ashamed to tell others about Christ. God will give us the strength to face and embrace any suffering which may result from us doing so. We will face ridicule and worse when we publicly declare our faith, but let us embrace that as evidence that we have been judged worthy of sharing in the suffering of Christ. Rather than trying to avoid persecution and suffering for our faith, let us embrace the opportunity to show our love for God, relying on the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to see us through.

Jeremiah 39-41:18

When Jerusalem fell, just as Jeremiah had predicted, Jeremiah was given a message for the man who had rescued him from the death certain Jewish courtiers had planned for him. Because that man, Ebed-melech, had trusted God and acted to protect Jeremiah, God protected him when Jerusalem fell, even though he had been a high official in Jerusalem and the Babylonians slaughtered most of those.
The Babylonians offered Jeremiah a place in Babylon where they would care for him. However, Jeremiah chose to stay in Judah and continue to minister to those Jews who remained. One of those who had led guerrilla forces against the Babylonians killed the governor Nebuchadnezzar had set over the land. His actions suggest that he intended to set himself up as the next king of Judah. The other former guerrilla leaders banded against him and gathered the people together to decide what to do. They were afraid of what Nebuchadnezzar would do when he heard that his governor had been killed.

Daily Bible Study

October 21, 2014 Bible Study — The Love of Money Is the Root of Much Evil

October 20, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:28

A person with no self-control is like a country with no defenses. They will be overrun by trouble.

Psalm 89:38-52

The psalmist appears to be writing at a time when David is facing troubles, perhaps when he fled Jerusalem from his son Absalom. He asks how long God will be angry with David? How long will he allow David to be mocked? Yet despite the troubles which he sees for the king God has promised to love faithfully, the psalmist ends the psalm by praising the Lord. Can I do the same? Can I praise the Lord even when my troubles seem to go on without end?

1 Timothy 6:1-21

    Paul warns against those who contradict his teachings. He tells us that such people are arrogant and lack understanding. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and arguments about words. Their approach to issues causes strife, malicious talk, slander, and friction among believers. They lead people to question the truth and whether their actually is such a thing as truth. They encourage people to believe that appearing godly is a way to become wealthy.
    In various controversies in the Church today, who is causing the controversy? Those who are arguing for the traditional understanding of Biblical teaching, or those who are arguing to change it? Who is arguing for a new way of understanding the words used by the various writers of the Bible? It is my belief that the Bible is written so that it does not require a scholar to understand what is meant. If someone is teaching a doctrine that requires a scholar’s knowledge of the Bible, I question the validity of that doctrine.
    Paul goes on to tell us that godliness in and of itself is of great value. Let us seek to be godly for the sake of being godly, not as a means of acquiring wealth. Those who desire wealth easily fall into temptation. The love of money, the desire to acquire ever more money, results in people doing all sorts of evil things. People often justify doing that which they know is wrong in the pursuit of wealth. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy, but making acquiring wealth one of our goals can easily lead us into sin.

Jeremiah 37-38:28

I mentioned yesterday the apparent divide among the government of Judah. When Zedekiah became king, he appears to have been sympathetic to Jeremiah. However, he was afraid to stand up to the members of his government who opposed Jeremiah. These were men who did not want to listen to the message God was sending through Jeremiah. When a group of men came to Zedekiah and demanded that Jeremiah be killed, Zedekiah did not tell them to kill him. Rather, Zedekiah told them that he could not stop them. Later, when another man came to Zedekiah to plead for Jeremiah, Zedekiah ordered him to gather some men and rescue Jeremiah. Elsewhere we are told that Zedekiah did what was wrong in the eyes of the Lord. It appears that his sin was that he failed to stand in opposition to evil men.

Daily Bible Study

October 20, 2014 Bible Study

October 19, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:25-27

    When we receive good news from far away, it provides relief greater than similar news from nearby. This is largely due to the fact that good news does not travel as far, let alone as fast, as bad news.
    When the godly stop standing up to the wicked and telling them that they are wicked, all of society becomes polluted. At that point there ceases to be a place where people can learn what is true and right. This is just as destructive to the health of a society as when there are no sources of clean water to drink.
    When you obtain honours which you sought out for yourself it leaves you feeling uncomfortable and bloated, similar to the way you feel when you eat too much sweets. If you persist in seeking honours for yourself, it will sicken your soul in the same way in which too much sugar will sicken your body.

Psalm 89:14-37

The psalmist tells us that righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne. The truth of the matter is that these are the only stable foundation for any government. Just as God promised to punish the descendants of David who failed to keep His commandments, so too will He overthrow governments which fail to deliver righteousness and justice.

1 Timothy 5:1-25

This passage gives clear instructions for dealing with our fellow believers, in particular those who need to be called to task for their actions. We are to treat them all with respect. If the person is older than us, we should approach them as we would our own parents if they had done something wrong/foolish (remember the command to honour our father and mother). Those who are our age or younger we should approach as if they were our sibling, that is with love and concern for their well-being (not with the anger that so many of us have towards our siblings because of slights from childhood, perceived and real).
Further, we as members of the Church should care for those widows who are unable to care for themselves. However, we should first take care of those in our own family…and we should push those who have widows in their family to take care of those women. Those women who are still able to care for themselves should be encouraged to seek work to do so. In many ways this passage gives a clear lesson on how the Church should deal with all who have needs. First, it should encourage, to the point of demanding, that their families provide for them to the best of their ability. Second, it should encourage, to the point of demanding, that those in need find ways in which they can provide for themselves to the greatest extent they are able. This may involve finding them jobs, or tasks they can be paid to do. Most importantly, those the Church supports need to be encouraged, to the point of demanding, to fill their time with constructive activity, rather than with sticking their noses into other people’s business.

Jeremiah 35-36:32

As I read today’s passage a realization struck me that has been growing on me as I have read through the Book of Jeremiah this year. When Jeremiah was prophesying there were two groups in the government of Judah. One group was composed of men who feared God to some degree and listened to Jeremiah’s prophesies. The other group was generally stronger and had the ear of the royal family (usually the king, but there are places where the king appeared prepared to act against them). The second group appears to have considered religion a tool for governing the people but nothing more. So, basically the government of Judah was split between men who honoured God to one degree or another and men who did not actually believe in God at all. The men who were in the primary positions of power appear to have been mostly from the second group with the first group composed mostly of those in secondary and support roles.

Daily Bible Study

October 19, 2014 Bible Study — Train Ourselves To Be Godly

October 18, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:23-24

People react the same way to sly attempts to subtly defame others in much the same way they react to an unexpected cold rain.

Psalm 89:1-13

When I read this psalm, it immediately called to mind the song “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord”. Of course that is because the opening of this psalm is the basis for that song. I want to make that first verse my life’s purpose.

I will sing of God’s great love.
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

This is a promise I have made to God in the past and I will keep that promise as long as He gives me the strength to continue.

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Paul warns us against false teachers, people who teach against marriage and who teach special diets. It is OK to eat any food that we receive. When I read this, I think of the controversy over foods which were secretly prepared by Muslim rituals so that it would be “halal”. As a Christian, I do not care that food has been offered to the Muslim god (Muslims claim that they worship the Judeo-Christian God, but then, so did the worshipers of Baal). If someone points out that certain food has been prepared to be halal, I will not eat it, but only because of the person who pointed it out. All food has been made acceptable by the word of God. I will receive it and give thanks to God for it.
Let us avoid myths and old wives tales. Instead of spending time debating and studying such things we should train ourselves to be godly. Just as professional athlete trains themselves physically, we should train ourselves to be godly. There are two aspects to any training. The first is learning the correct way to do what it is you are training to do. You can do this by reading the word of God and listening to instruction from godly people. The second step is practicing what it is you are training to do. Take the time to act in a godly manner around your fellow believers. Invite them to critique your “technique”. Remember to weight the advice you get according to how successful the person giving it is (but don’t ignore advice from people who themselves do not live godly lives, just remember the source).

Jeremiah 33-34:22

The passage begins with a continuation of Jeremiah’s prophecy that, even though God was bringing death and destruction upon the people of Israel, one day He would restore them to the land and make them even more prosperous than they had ever been in the past. He would restore them to their land, make them more numerous than ever, and give them peace from all of their enemies. This promise extends to all of God’s people. The day is coming when the people of God, both those biologically descended from Abraham and those adopted by God through Christ, will live at peace in this world.
The passage ends with Jeremiah condemning the people of Jerusalem. When the city was threatened by the Babylonian armies, the people, led by their king, freed those slaves they had who were Israelites (in a belated acknowledgement of a provision of the law of Moses). However, as soon as the Babylonian armies withdrew, they re-enslaved those they had freed. All too often we behave in a similar manner. When danger threatens, we call out to God and turn from our sins. We stop doing that which is wrong to those around us. Unfortunately, all too often as soon as the crisis is past, we return to our sins and treat those around us even worse than before. God’s punishment will be severe for such acts.

Daily Bible Study

October 18, 2014 Bible Study — Strive to Qualify For Church Leadership

October 17, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:20-22

Singing cheerfully and otherwise expressing your own joy in the presence of someone grieving and/or sad is like rubbing salt in an open wound. This is something to remember when attempting to cheer someone who is feeling down.
The proverb writer reminds us that the best revenge upon those who do us wrong is to do right by them in every way that we can think of. If our enemy is hungry feed them, if they are thirsty, give them a drink. If we do so, we show everyone else that any enmity between us is on the part of the other person. Do not do wrong because the other person did so first. If we do what is right to and for those who have done wrong to us, we need not fear being misunderstood by those who matter.

Psalm 88:1-18

The psalmist declares that he faces many troubles and feels overwhelmed by them all. He feels that he has been abandoned by all and cut off from God. Yet even in this pit of despair he calls out to God, praying for God to come to his deliverance. He acknowledges that God is his salvation and prays to Him day and night, despite being justly punished by God for his sins. Will we do the same? Will we throw ourselves on God’s mercy when we know that we deserve whatever terrible things may happen to us? Will we trust Him to deliver us?

1 Timothy 3:1-16

Those who aspire to be an elder or a deacon desire a noble task. There are standards they must meet. Whether we desire such a role or not, we should all seek to fulfill most of the requirements of the role (Paul mentions that those who aspire to the role of elder should be able to teach, and not all have that gift). The literal translation says that those considered for these roles must be the husband of one wife. Church leaders should be selected from those who demonstrate self-control, are respectable and hospitable. I will not go into the whole list, but it is worth going over to see how we each measure up. One important point Paul makes is that we should not tap new believers for leadership positions. Give them time to grow and mature in the Lord before giving them authority in the Church. Whether or not I am ever called to a leadership position in the Church, I will strive to measure up to the standard laid out here.

Jeremiah 31:27-32:44

As I noted yesterday, Jeremiah prophesied death and destruction. Unlike Isaiah, Jeremiah spends very little time calling people to repent. He tells them that he knows that they will not do so (although he also tells them that if they would, God would still turn aside the coming judgement). In today’s passage he tells the people that God is going to institute a new covenant. God will introduce this new covenant because, despite His love and faithfulness, the people broke the original covenant.
I like the way the NIV describes this new covenant,

“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
If we are willing to be God’s people, we do not need to be taught to know God because He will live within us. God will write His law in our minds and in our hearts. We are no longer dependent on others to teach us God’s will. His Spirit will dwell within us.
Jeremiah goes on and gives a prophecy which I believe is spiritually fulfilled in the Church, but which I also believe will be literally fulfilled to the Jewish people. The day is coming, perhaps modern Israel represents that day, when Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the people of Israel will dwell there once more. When that day comes, Jerusalem will never be captured or destroyed again. I know there are those who believe this refers to the heavenly Jerusalem, but I believe it applies to Jerusalem on this earth.

Daily Bible Study

October 17, 2014 Bible Study — Pray For All People

October 16, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:18-19

Despite the line I was taught as a child, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”, lies can harm somebody just as much as a physical attack.

Psalm 87:1-7

The psalmist prophecies about the day when people from all over the world will join the people of God, a day when citizens of every nation will be citizens of the Kingdom of God. That day is today, God has brought people from every nation to follow Christ and become His people. However, the psalmist also proclaims the day when every nation will follow God. That day has yet to come to pass. Some day the Holy Spirit will move so that everyone alive serves the Lord (I believe that this will not happen until after Jesus returns).

1 Timothy 2:1-15

Paul instructs Timothy (and us) to pray for all people. Let us ask God to help them. Let us intercede with God on their behalf, asking God to save them from the consequences of their sins. And let us thank God for them, even the people we don’t like. Especially, we are to pray for those who are in positions of authority. Let us pray that everyone come to accept the Gospel, because it is God’s desire that they do so. When we pray, let us be free from anger or disagreement (which is to say, let us be free from anger and disagreement, since we are supposed to pray all the time).
There is one God and one mediator between God and man. Only Jesus is capable of bridging the gap between God and man. It is only through Him that we are able to approach God. There are many paths to God, but all of those paths lead to Jesus. Any path which does not lead to Jesus, does not lead to God.

Jeremiah 30-31:26

Yesterday my wife commented on how the book of Jeremiah is somewhat scary since he spends much of his time prophesying the judgement of God. There is no doubt that she is correct, much of the book of Jeremiah is scary. It is a call to people to turn from their sins before it is too late. Time is running out for people to repent of their sins and listen to God’s commands. Death and destruction are coming to those who refuse to listen to what God tells us. What makes Jeremiah’s prophesies so frightening is that they fit so well with what is happening in the world today. Once more the judgement of God has been set in motion against those who insist on living wicked lives.
However, today’s passage contains reason for hope, a prophecy of God’s redemption. Yes, a day of terror is coming, a day like none that has come before. But, in the end God’s people will be saved on that day. Today, Jeremiah tells God’s people not to be afraid. God will bring His people to a life of peace and safety. This passage is one of great hope and comfort to those who love and serve the Lord.

Daily Bible Study

October 16, 2014 Bible Study — Be Careful Not To Miss the Point

October 15, 2014 AttilaDimedici

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I want to encourage everyone who reads this blog to work on reading the Bible regularly, whether it is to work your way completely through it, or some other method of disciplining yourself to read from the Bible each day.

Proverbs 25:17

Be careful about spending too much time at your neighbor’s place. If you are there too much, you will wear out your welcome. It reminds me of a rule I have heard about show business, “Always leave them wanting more.” When you visit someone, strive to leave while they would like you to stay longer, not after they wished you had left sooner. Time your visits so that they wish you would visit more often, not so often that they dread your coming over.

Psalm 86:1-17

A psalm that is a wonderful prayer. I will ask God to hear my prayer. I will bring my petition for protection before Him. I will request His mercy and beg Him to grant me happiness. But in the middle of the psalm is the thing I most desire from God:

Teach me your ways, O Lord,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you.
If I allow Him to do these things for me, all else will follow. If we desire to learn God’s ways more than we desire to breath, He will grant us all of our desires.

1 Timothy 1:1-20

    Paul begins his letter to Timothy by telling him to get certain people to stop teaching false doctrines involving myths and complex genealogies. All of our teachings should come from love and love comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. Unfortunately, some people think they can find a way to live without focusing on those things and get caught up in meaningless discussions about what rules we ought to follow. The people Paul is referring to are people who want to be teachers of religious law, but they do not understand what they are talking about. They have missed the point.
    The law has value, but it is not intended for those who are living righteously. Rather it is a warning to those who do things which are contrary to sound doctrine. As I read this, I think about the new, controversial law which just went into effect in California which is called “Yes Means Yes.” It is a terrible law that will lead many a young man (and probably young women) to have his life destroyed for a minor lapse in judgement. However, any young man who follows the Christian moral code, as it was practiced in this country in the early 20th century, will never run afoul of this law. Such a young man will not make sexual advances to a young woman to whom he is not married. He will never be alone with such a young woman. And he will do these things, not because of this law, but because the love of Christ is in his heart. This law is not meant for such young men (it will not require them to alter their behavior one bit). It is meant for those who are seeking to practice sexual immorality and other sins.
    The interesting thing about this law to me is that the people behind the law have missed the point. If they taught young men and women to respect each other and to follow the love which comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith, this law would serve no purpose. Instead they did teach young men and women to indulge their sinful desires, then they do not understand when a young man or woman acts on those desires in ways they find unacceptable. They never taught them to do otherwise.

Jeremiah 28-29:32

Jeremiah condemned several prophets who prophesied that the people of Judah would soon see a relief from their troubles. Those prophets did not make their prophecies because they had heard a word from God. Instead they told people what they wanted to hear so that they could profit. Jeremiah wrote to those who had already been taken into exile that they should settle in for a long stay. He warned them that those who were telling them to live on a temporary basis in Babylon were doing so out of selfish motives. Those men were using their false prophesies to seduce women and to benefit in other ways.
As we read Jeremiah’s words against these false prophets, we can learn to recognize false prophets and teachers today. Those who genuinely come from God will be calling us to turn from our sins, whatever those sins may be. They will be warning us against following the evil teachings of the society around us. Those who tell us that we can “have it all” with no sacrifice or pain are false prophets looking to gain our trust so that they can profit from our sin.

Daily Bible Study

October 15, 2014 Bible Study — Pray For Us

October 14, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:16

This proverb reminds us that too much of a good thing is not good for us. Something we enjoy eating in small quantities will make us sick if we consume too much of it. In the same way, too much of anything will have a negative effect on us.

Psalm 85:1-13

I will echo the psalmist’s prayer. Restore us again. Bring us back to following You. Make us Your faithful people. I will listen to what God says as I ask that He turn me away from foolishness, that He turn the people of this land from foolishness. Love and truth, righteousness and peace, will fall on those who listen to the Lord. He will pour out His blessing on the land if the people follow Him.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

There it is again, the instruction to pray. What are we to pray for? Let us pray that God’s message spreads rapidly and that it is honoured everywhere it is preached. Let us pray that those preaching God’s word be rescued from evil and wicked people. I will personally ask that you pray for me and I will strive to pray for you. There is more we should pray for, but that is a good start.
We should stay away from those who live idle lives. We should fill our lives with work of various sorts so that we can earn enough for our own needs and more so as to help those who cannot provide for themselves. However, we should not be providing for those who could be providing for themselves but will not. Paul tells us that such people refuse to work and instead spend their lives meddling in other’s affairs. Paul tells us that those who are unwilling (Note: “unwilling”, not “unable”) to work shall not eat. It is important that while we should stay away from such people, we should still love them and care about them.

Jeremiah 26-27:22

God sent Jeremiah to prophecy in front of the Temple. God had set in motion judgement against the people of Judah for their sins, but time had not yet run out. If they turned from their sins, listened to God’s instruction and obeyed His commands, God would still turn the judgement aside. The same message applies today. Judgement for the sins of this nation has been set in motion. Disaster can be seen on the horizon Yet there is still time. If people listen to God’s message and obey Him, He will turn aside the coming disaster. I fear for this land and its people. It has not yet come to the point where those who call people to follow God are in danger of their life, but that time is not far off. Unless the Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of people and transforms them. Let us pray to God that His Spirit will soften the hearts of the people of this nation.

Daily Bible Study

October 14, 2014 Bible Study — Do Not Say, “This Is the Lord’s Message”

October 13, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:15

If you want to change the way things work, you will need patience. The United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November because Sarah Joseph Hale campaigned for 17 years to get it established as a national holiday. She wrote to President after President until she finally convinced President Lincoln to support legislation creating such the national Holiday. William Wilberforce began campaigning in the British Parliament for the abolition of slavery in 1789. It was not until three days before his death in 1826 that Parliament passed the law abolishing slavery in that nation.
It is by the soft and gentle words inspired in us by the Holy Spirit that we are able to overcome strong and determined opposition.

Psalm 84:1-12

I saw a video the other day where a speaker said that you will not succeed until you desire success more than you desire to breath. That is probably true. The psalmist would probably agree. Here the psalmist says that he desires being in God’s presence more than anything else. Do I desire to serve God more than I desire to breath? Do you? Am I willing to sacrifice everything I have, my very life, for just a single day in God’s presence? I pray that the Holy Spirit give me that desire. How far are we willing to go to serve the Lord? Will I give up sleep? Will I suffer pain? Oh Lord, give the desire to do Your will to the point where I will give up everything else and suffer anything in order to accomplish it.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-17

Paul addresses those who claim that Jesus has already returned. He tells us not to believe them, since Jesus will not return until after the “man of lawlessness” is revealed. He tells us that before Christ’s return there will be a great rebellion against God, accompanied by the “man of lawlessness”. Paul tells us that this man will exalt himself above and defy everything that people call god and everything which they worship. He will claim to actually be God. This man will do the work of Satan with counterfeit power, signs, and miracles.
As I read this passage, part of me thinks that Paul was not about a single individual, but rather about different people who have arisen throughout history. I could see Adolf Hitler fulfilling this description, except I do not recall any accounts of him performing miracles, signs, and wonders. However, his followers fulfilled the part about refusing to love and accept the truth. There are many people like that. Those who refuse to accept the truth will be deceived and choose to accept lies. I am convinced that the man of lawlessness to whom Paul refers is a single individual who will arise at some point in the future (perhaps the very near future). Yet, Paul is also talking about an archetype who appears time and again throughout history. Men who rise up and do great evil because those who refuse to accept God’s truth follow them instead of following Christ. We, however, have been chosen by God to experience His salvation. Let us hold firmly to the teachings of the Spirit which convey that salvation. We must be on guard, because, while we may not live in the time of the man of lawlessness which Paul refers to, we do live in a time of lawlessness when many people refuse to accept God’s truth.

Jeremiah 23:21-25:38

Jeremiah speaks of prophets whom God proclaims that He did not send. God tells us that He gave these prophets no message. Yet if they had wished to come to Him and listen, He would have given them His words to speak. It reminds us that at every time in history, men rise up who want to receive the glory and honour due someone who speaks for God, but do not wish to dedicate the time and effort to hear God’s message. Some of them start genuinely attempting to serve God and become distracted by the bright lights and glory. Others seek out the bright light and glory and never care about serving God at all.
The way to recognize all of them is that they do not call people away from sin, instead they tell lies which lead people into ever more sin. Jeremiah tells us not to believe those who say, “This is a message from the Lord.” Too many people use that phrase to preface something that is their own thought or idea. It is good to ask, “What is the Lord’s answer?” or “What is the Lord’s message?” But our answer to those questions should be something along the lines of, “Well, it seems to me,…” rather than “The Lord’s message is…” Let us humbly remember that we are fallible people and what seems to be God’s message to us may only be our own thoughts and ideas.

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October 13, 2014 Bible Study — Keep On Praying

October 12, 2014 AttilaDimedici

Proverbs 25:11-14

Good advice given at the right time is like a gift of gold and silver. In the same way, well worded, accurate criticism of our actions are a gift of great value if we are wise enough to listen.

Psalm 83:1-18

I am not sure if this psalm is a prophecy or a prayer…or perhaps both. If it is a prayer, it is one for the people of Israel, and all who love the Lord, to pray today. Once more, the people’s who surround the land of Israel have joined in alliance to attempt to destroy the nation of Israel. Reading it and looking at what is going on in the world today, it looks somewhat like a prophecy. For most of my life, the nations surrounding the modern state of Israel have been allied together with the goal of destroying Israel (and to one degree or another, the Jewish people). Yet, now, the fire which they started, with the intention that it would engulf Israel in flames, is threatening to consume them. Looking at the situation in the Middle East now, ISIS, which is a result of attempts by the rulers of Arab nations to stir up hatred against the Jews (there are other factors in its origins as well), is threatening to destroy those Arab rulers. The only hope to escape the fire burning in the Middle East is to acknowledge God as Lord of All.

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

My reading of the Bible has made me worry about my faith, because I have never been truly persecuted for it. Oh, I have experienced minor ridicule for it from time to time, but never anything that counts as persecution the way Paul and other Biblical writers refer to it. However, today I realized that this passage suggests that some Christians may not be persecuted. Paul tells the Thessalonian believers that God will provide a rest for those who are being persecuted when Jesus appears from heaven. Then he says that God will provide that rest “for us, as well”, implying that the rest will be for those who are not being persecuted.
As I first skimmed this, before reading it carefully, the first thing that struck me were the words, “keep on praying.” It was a reminder to me that God is calling me to work on my prayer life. It is important that all Christians find a way to have a disciplined prayer life. When I read the passage more closely, I found a clue to doing so. Paul in most of his letters refers to his prayers for those to whom he is writing. Let me unpack what it tells me. First, one aspect of developing a disciplined prayer life is making people who you interact with the subject of your prayers, both believers and unbelievers. Second, tell them that you are praying for them. When we pray for our fellow believers, let us pray that God gives them the power to accomplish the things which He is prompting them to do.

Jeremiah 22-23:20

Jeremiah prophesied the downfall of the kings who succeeded Josiah. God had chosen to punish each of them for their failure to worship and honour Him, for their selfish oppression of the people. They did not follow the example of King Josiah, who had given help and justice to the poor and needy. God offers the same condemnation for political leaders and rulers today who use their position solely to advance their own interests and do not use their power to defend the poor and needy.
Jeremiah goes on to offer a similar warning to religious leaders. He warns that those who have risen to positions of religious authority are not living righteously. They are doing evil and abusing their authority. There is the recent story of the pastor who admitted to his congregation that he was HIV positive and had had sex with members of the congregation. In addition, I recently read about a congregation whose pastor received a $60,000 a year clothing allowance. These are both examples of what Jeremiah was talking about, religious leaders who are abusing their authority. Jeremiah tells us that God will bring judgement on both religious and political leaders who abuse their positions of authority. We need to be careful not to follow such leaders.

Fact and Fantasy

Monthly Archives: October 2014

October 22, 2014 Bible Study — Never Be Ashamed To Tell Others About the Lord

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October 21, 2014 Bible Study — The Love of Money Is the Root of Much Evil

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October 20, 2014 Bible Study

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October 19, 2014 Bible Study — Train Ourselves To Be Godly

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October 18, 2014 Bible Study — Strive to Qualify For Church Leadership

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October 17, 2014 Bible Study — Pray For All People

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October 16, 2014 Bible Study — Be Careful Not To Miss the Point

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October 15, 2014 Bible Study — Pray For Us

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October 14, 2014 Bible Study — Do Not Say, “This Is the Lord’s Message”

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October 13, 2014 Bible Study — Keep On Praying

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