All posts by AttilaDimedici

August 26, 2012 Bible Study

August 25, 2012 AttilaDimedici

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.

Job 20-22:30

Now Zophar gives his second response to Job. Zophar restates the argument made by Bildad. He claims that the wicked inevitably face trials and disaster. Zophar says that the wicked will face suffering and deprivation in this life. Job replies that such is not the case, that sometimes the wicked prosper their entire lives. He says that the wicked never seem to suffer for their sins. Job asks who can confront God over this apparent injustice since God sits in judgement of even the most powerful.
Eliphaz replies to Job yet again. This time Eliphaz makes the argument outright. He says that Job is suffering therefore he must have sinned. Eliphaz speculates that Job was guilty of a series of sins. Eliphaz tells Job that if he turns away from these sins (the only evidence he has that Job has committed them is that Job is suffering), God will take that suffering from him. This is a classic example of something we should not do. We should not cast judgement on people based on what is happening to them. We should judge people based on what they do, not on their circumstances in life. You should judge them on their actual actions, not the appearance. You should not judge a fellow Christian because you saw his car in a strip club parking lot. You should go to him and find out why his car was in the parking lot. Perhaps it broke down and that was the closest place to get it off of the road.

2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Today I begin reading 2 Corinthians. Paul starts off this letter by offering praise and thanks to God for the comfort He has given to him in the suffering he has experienced. Paul says that God comforts us so that we can offer comfort to others. Paul goes on to tell the Corinthians that he, and those with him, had experienced troubles beyond their ability to endure. Things got so bad that they expected to die. As a result of these troubles they stopped relying on themselves and they began to fully (and only) rely on God. Paul tells the Corinthians that God did rescue them from death and expresses his confidence that God will continue to do so. Paul, also, emphasizes the importance of praying for those who are facing troubles. He tells us that such is a help to those enduring trials.
The contrast here between how Paul views suffering and the ways that Job’s friends viewed it is stark. Paul tells us that as we face trials, God will give us comfort and the strength to face them. We can then take that comfort and share it with others who experience suffering and trials. Reading this now seems so appropriate. A couple that grew up in the congregation I am part of recently experienced the death of their daughter. They had left our congregation 10-15 years ago to go into prison ministry. I know that this situation must be breaking their hearts, yet I also know that they are comforted by the outpouring of prayers that they are receiving from all over. I do not know how, but I know that God will offer them comfort in this situation and that they will use this comfort in their ministry to those who are facing their own trials.

Psalm 40:11-17

It has not been often that I have seen a thread run through the passages I read each day, but today there is indeed such a thread. We have the passage from Job where Job and his friends struggle with finding the meaning of suffering. Then we have the passage from 2 Corinthians where Paul tells us that God will comfort us in times of trouble if we fully rely on Him. Now we have the psalmist crying out to God in the midst of his troubles. He declares that those who seek the Lord should rejoice and be glad in God’s mercy. We should shout out our praise of God for all to hear. We must acknowledge our need and accept that only through the hand of God can we be helped and saved.

Proverbs 22:2-4

Well, the thread does not quite continue into today’s proverbs. We are all God’s creations. This means that we should reject attempts to dehumanize others, whether they be rich or poor. We should make plans to deal with future dangers to the best of our abilities. If we are humble and fear the Lord, He will provide for our needs and more.

Daily Bible Study

August 25, 2012 Bible Study

August 24, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 16-19:29

Job again responds to Eliphaz. He condemns his friends for offering him no comfort in his grief and condemning him as a sinner without pointing out to him what his sin was. Once more he cries out for a mediator between himself and God. Job finishes out this argument by expressing the hopelessness of this life if the Gospel is not true. Once more I praise God that we have just such a mediator as Job was crying out for and the grave is not our end.
Bildad responds to Job a second time. This time all Bildad does is point out all of the ways that God brings judgement against the wicked. His argument appears to be that since Job is suffering these things, he must be wicked. Job responds to this by telling his friends that they think they are better than him, when in fact they are not. They are using his suffering as evidence of his sin without pointing out what that sin is. While we as Christians are called to confront our brothers and sisters in the Lord over their sins, we are called to do so in love and admitting that we too are sinners. We must confront the sin and not the sinner. Job then tells us that he knows that his Redeemer lives and that he will see Him when He at last stands on this earth. He tells us that even though he may die before that day happens, he will nevertheless see Him with his eyes. Jesus will return and if we have died before that day comes to pass, we will rise from the dead to see our Redeemer stand upon this Earth.

I know that my Redeemer liveth,
And on the earth again shall stand;
I know eternal life He giveth,
That grace and power are in His hand.

I know, I know, that Jesus liveth,
And on the earth again shall stand;
I know, I know, that life He giveth,
That grace and power are in His hand.

1 Corinthians 16:1-24

The Corinthians had asked about the money that was being collected to help those in Jerusalem. Paul tells them that they should collect money out of what they earned each week and put it aside, rather than waiting until it was time to send it and try to collect it all at once. I think this is a great example of how we should approach all such giving. As we earn money we should put a portion aside to give to those individuals and organizations which are doing the Lord’s work. How much and for what causes is for each Christian to decide for himself. This is an area where I am still working on my self discipline.
Paul asks the Corinthians to look out for Timothy when he comes to them because he is doing the Lord’s work. He tells them not to treat Timothy with contempt. We do not know why Paul feared that Timothy would be poorly treated, perhaps it was because of his youth. Whatever the reason, it is a lesson for us that we should judge people seeking to serve God on the basis of their actions, not on the basis of their age, experience, or background. Paul tells us that we should be strong and courageous in the faith and above all we should do everything in love. One of the themes I get from this letter is that we should test all of our actions and speech against the standard of whether or not they are done for love. When I confront someone about a perceived sin, am I doing so out of love for them? Or am I doing it to feel superior to them? When I do something for others, am I doing it in the manner I would wish others to do for me if I was in those circumstances?

Psalm 40:1-10

This psalm is a great teacher for me. I have learned to wait patiently for the Lord. Perhaps not as patiently as I sometimes should, but still, I think that I can say that I have learned patience. And I trust in the Lord, I have confidence that in His time He will deliver me from the trials I face. However, I still struggle with not being afraid to speak out. All too often, I hide His Gospel in my heart rather than sharing it with those around me. Certainly, I have room for learning more patience and for greater trust in the Lord, but the area I really need His Spirit to work in me is in my willingness and desire to share with others my faith in Him and what I believe that He can do for them. I pray that the Spirit will move in me so that His words will burst forth from me.

Proverbs 22:1

A reputation for honesty and hard work is more valuable than money. There are times when you will have needs that no amount of money can meet. When you come to those times, having a good reputation will see you through.

Daily Bible Study

August 24, 2012 Bible Study

August 23, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 12-15:35

Job again replies to his friends. He begins by sarcastically referring to them as the source of all wisdom. He then tells them that he knows a few things himself and that they are not better than he. Job tells them that true wisdom and power belong to God. Job says that his friends are accusing him with lies. He says that they are attempting to make God’s case using lies and that they should fear that God would judge them for doing so. There is an important lesson here for us. We should be careful not to use untruths in our attempts to bring others to God. If we know them to be untrue, they are lies, but we should do everything we can to ensure that statements we use in our evangelism are true (it is not enough that we believe them to be true). Job asks to make his case before God. He wants God to answer his arguments and show him where he is wrong, where he has sinned. In the conclusion of this argument Job says something interesting. He tells us that when people die they are no more. But he says that if people were resurrected this would give him hope through his years of struggle. This is the very hope that that we have through Christ’s resurrection.
Eliphaz now responds again. Eliphaz tells Job that his words are empty of wisdom. He then makes an argument that goes like this: The wicked suffer because of their wickedness. You are suffering, therefore you must be wicked.

1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Paul wraps up his argument for the importance of believing in the resurrection by saying that if there is no resurrection we may as well live the life of hedonists. I know people who choose to be atheists because it allows them to live such a life. Paul warns us not to be fooled by such people. He warns us not to let bad company corrupt us, while we should not avoid the company of sinners we need to be careful not to let them influence us to sin.
Paul then addresses the issue of what our resurrected bodies will be like. I do not know what issues Paul was addressing here. However, he says some things that people have believed throughout time. People have believed that if you died with disfigurement, or if your body was mutilated after death, you would go through eternity with those disfigurements. Paul tells us that no, we will not have our earthly bodies throughout eternity. Our earthly bodies are buried imperfect, but we will be raised with perfect bodies. He further tells us that not everyone will die, but all Christians will be transformed. When Christ returns, those who have died will be raised and those that yet live will be transformed. At that time our bodies, that today are subject to entropy and will eventually die, will be replaced with bodies that are not subject to entropy and will never die. Paul wraps up this section by telling us that nothing we do for the Lord is ever useless.

Psalm 39:1-13

The message that I get from this psalm is one I do not think was intended by the psalmist. The psalmist says that he resolved to be careful not to sin in either word or deed and as a result was silent before the ungodly. But as he stood there in silence, the Spirit moved within him and words burst forth. I pray that God will work with me in this manner. I resolve to attempt to keep my silence in the face of the unsaved until the Spirit gives me the words to speak, words which I pray He will make burst forth against my resistance. I, also, ask that the Lord remind me again to be doing His work while I still have the time to do so. Our time on this earth is short and there is much work to be done.

Proverbs 21:30-31

Today’s two proverbs are entirely linked. No matter what plans we make, no matter how wise we are, nothing we do can bring about an outcome against God’s will. It is important that we make ourselves ready for the war, but victory will only be ours if we place ourselves within God’s order of battle. God will be victorious no matter what forces are marshaled against Him. we will only be victorious if we marshal with God’s forces and follow His commands in the battle.

Daily Bible Study

August 23, 2012 Bible Study

August 22, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Kitten with mother — Tabby kitten with mother

Job 8-11:20

     Job’s friend Bildad now replies to Job. Bildad starts off with a circular logic argument. He says that Job’s children must have been guilty of some sin, since they died in the natural disaster. Therefore their punishment (death in the natural disaster) was well-deserved. Bildad’s argument can be summed up this way, “They died, therefore they deserved to die.” Bildad then tells Job that if he would only turn to God his troubles would all go away. Bildad says that the wicked seem to flourish, but they soon wither and disappear. He argues that on the other hand, those who have integrity before God will enjoy untroubled lives. Bildad’s argument rests on the assumption that Job has turned away from God and/or rejected God, when Job has already said that such is not the case.
     Job responds that he agrees with Bildad in principle, but asks how anyone can be innocent in God’s sight? Job tells us that God is so mighty that none dare challenge Him. In addition, God is so wise that none can win a debate against Him. Job cries out that what he needs is a mediator between himself and God because he cannot stand before God in his own strength. Job makes an absolutely valid point, we cannot stand before God in our own strength and wisdom. Thankfully, God has provided us with a mediator between us and Him, Jesus Christ. Job goes on to cry out the question that all people ask when they suffer, “Why are You doing this? Why me?”
     Job’s third friend, Zophar, now speaks up. He continues the line of argument made by the first two. He declares that Job must be guilty of some sin deserving of this punishment. Zophar goes further and says that Job’s sin probably deserves even worse punishment than he is currently suffering. Zophar notes that no mortal can possibly comprehend all there is to know about God. But Zophar goes on to say that all of Job’s troubles are the result of his sin and if Job would only confess it and turn from it his troubles would go away.

1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Paul now addresses the issue of the resurrection of the dead. He begins by basically saying, “OK, let me go over the basics of what I first taught you.” He tells them that if they do not hold to this teaching all of what they believed about what he taught is in vain. He then goes on to sum up the Gospel. He tells them that Jesus died for our sins and then was raised from the dead. That there are still those alive who witnessed all of this, including seeing the resurrected Christ. He points out that he and the other apostles preach the same message.
Paul then asks them how some of them can say that there is no resurrection from the dead if Jesus was raised from the dead? He then makes two points. The first point is that if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then faith in Him is useless. Second, he points out that if there is no resurrection of the dead than all of the apostles are lying about God and nothing they have said can be trusted. However, Paul says that Jesus has been raised from the dead. Jesus is the first of many to be raised from the dead for eternal life. Those who believe in Him will be raised when He comes back. When Christ returns He will have destroyed every ruler and power and authority such that everything is subject to Him. Death will be the last such authority to be destroyed. I know people who argue that they are Christians but do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Paul argues that there is no value in faith in Christ if there is no resurrection of the dead. Further he argues that if there is no resurrection of the dead, than the teachers of Christianity are liars and all of their teachings are lies.

Psalm 38:1-22

The psalmist cries out from his suffering and confesses his sin before God. He makes no defense of his actions, but begs God for forgiveness. He is sorry for what he has done and resolves to change his ways. He chooses to wait upon God to either defend him or punish him. That is my wish to always lay my life before God and wait for Him to act.

Proverbs 21:28-29

The first proverb contrasts those who bear false witness with those who listen carefully. I had to read this several times in several different translations before that connection made sense to me. It then hit me that this was talking about how sometimes we think people meant one thing, and we tell others that that is what they said, when if we had listened carefully we would have realized they meant something very different. Even further I think it was talking about people who intentionally distort part of what someone said to make the original speaker look bad over against people who listen carefully to what the original speaker said and relay their meaning accurately.
I had a similar problem with the second proverb. Most translations said something along the lines of wicked people bluff their way through but the godly think before they act. I had trouble seeing what it was getting at. Then I read the New Century Version which translates this as:

“Wicked people are stubborn,
but good people think carefully about what they do.”
Looked at from that perspective I could see how it made sense. I have known people who always try to bull their way through even when it turns out that things will not work out like they planned. These are usually people who do so either because they selfishly want what they will get out of it, no matter what the cost to others or because they are unwilling to admit that they were wrong.

Daily Bible Study

August 22, 2012 Bible Study

August 21, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 4-7:21

Job’s friend Eliphaz is the first to respond. Eliphaz starts off by telling Job that he, Job, had encouraged others in their times of trouble, but now when trouble strikes him, he loses heart. I struggle when I read this, to what degree am I finding fault with what Eliphaz said because I know from previous experience that Eliphaz is in the wrong? How do I read this passage and interpret what Eliphaz says on the basis of what is in the passage I am reading? I think sometimes we read too much condemnation of Job’s friends in the ending of Job, but on the other hand we need to be careful not to read too little as well.
Eliphaz gives Job some good advice. He tells him,

“Can a mortal be innocent before God?
Can anyone be pure before the Creator?”
And this is certainly a valid question because the answer is “No.” He further says that resentment and jealousy destroy the fool. Eliphaz also says that does great things that are too marvelous to understand and performs countless miracles. This all true. These are things we would all do well to remember. However, he also tells Job that he should go to God with is troubles, which is good advice, except that Eliphaz says this in a manner that implies that Job has not already done so. Eliphaz at several points essentially accuses Job of sin without saying what sin Job has committed.
Job responds to Eliphaz by admitting that he spoke impulsively. Job asks if he does not have a right to complain about his suffering since even animals do the same when they are hungry. Job says that he takes comfort in the fact that despite his suffering he has not denied the words of God. He demands that Eliphaz stop assuming that he is guilty. We, also, should not assume the guilt of others. If we witness them sinning and confront them over it, that is one thing, but we should not assume that someone is guilty. We should seek their interpretation of what happened before we conclude that they are guilty.

1 Corinthians 14:18-40

Paul continues his teaching on spiritual gifts by thanking God that he speaks in tongues more than any of the Corinthians, but says that he would rather speak five intelligible words in a church meeting than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Paul goes on to tell them that if an unbeliever comes into a service and everyone is speaking in tongues, the unbeliever will be convinced that the believers are crazy. On the other hand, if the believers are prophesying, the unbeliever will be convicted by their inmost thoughts being revealed.
Paul segues into telling the believers that services should be orderly, with only one person speaking at a time. He tells us that those who speak in tongues should only do so in the service if there is someone there to interpret what they say and even then only two or three should speak in tongues. He goes on to say that the service should be orderly. Those who prophecy are in control of their spirits and can take their turns. God is not a god of disorder, but a God of peace. As part of his teachings on orderly worship, Paul says that it is improper for women to speak in the church meetings. That if they have questions they should ask their husbands at home. This instruction troubles me. It seems clear and unequivocal, yet there are other passages which seem to suggest that there are qualifiers to this. On the other hand, if this instruction has qualifiers, why did Paul not put them in here? I continue to pray for the Spirit’s guidance on understanding this teaching. Paul concludes this section by telling us to be eager to prophecy and to not forbid speaking in tongues, but reminds us that our services should be orderly and done properly.

Psalm 37:30-40

The psalmist tells us that the godly offer good counsel, while the wicked seek an excuse to destroy the godly. The wicked may seem to be prospering and flourishing, but soon they will disappear completely. God will provide shelter for the godly and rescue them in times of trouble.

Goschenhoppen Folk Festival Fresh baked pies

Proverbs 21:27

Today’s proverb tells us that the sacrifice of an evil person is detestable. Those who are doing evil cannot cover it over by offering a sacrifice to God. Offering sacrifices to God are only of value when one is truly intending to change one’s ways and turn from evil. It is bad enough when someone offers a sacrifice with no intention of turning from their sin, but it is even worse when they offer the sacrifice in order to further their evil plans.

Daily Bible Study

August 21, 2012 Bible Study

August 20, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Job 1-3:26

Today I begin the book of Job. The book begins by telling us that Job was a very wealthy man who was also a man of integrity. One day the Accuser (Satan) came before God. God asked him where he had come from. Satan replied that he had come from roaming the earth. God then asked him if he had noticed Job and how Job was a man of integrity who feared God. Satan this time replied that of course Job feared God because God had made him wealthy, but if God were to take all his wealth from him, then Job would curse God. God told Satan, “You are wrong. Do whatever you want to his possessions, but do not harm him physically.”
Satan left the presence of God. Then one day Job receives messengers one after another who told him that all of his possessions had either been stolen or destroyed and his sons and daughters killed in a natural disaster. Job responded to this news by grieving and worshiping God. Job stood up and said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
In all this we are told that Job did not sin.
     Satan again came before God. Again God pointed out Job and how, despite Satan urging God to take all he had without cause, he still feared God and maintained his integrity. Satan replied, “Well, take away his health and then he will curse You.” God told Satan, “OK, I will let you test that as well, but you must not kill him.” Satan left God’s presence and struck Job from head to toe with boils.
     So, here we have Job, all of his wealth gone and now his body is covered in boils from head to toe. His wife told him to just cures God and die. Job responded that such would be foolish. He would accept both the bad and the good from God’s hand. Three of Job’s friends came to visit him. When they saw him, they tore their clothes and grieved for his suffering. They sat with him for seven days and nights and said nothing because they saw there were no words that would offer comfort. After seven days, Job addressed his friends. He expressed the wish that he had never been born.
     I think it is important to note that up to this point Job’s friends offered only support. They came and spent time with him even though it had to be uncomfortable for them. When they first arrived they expressed their grief for his suffering by wailing loudly and tearing their clothes. Then they sat by him for seven days and nights in silence and waited for him to speak before saying anything.

1 Corinthians 14:1-17

Paul continues his discussion of spiritual gifts by telling us that we should desire spiritual gifts to be used in love. He says that prophecy is the gift that we should desire the most. He contrasts prophecy with speaking in tongues. Paul says that he wishes that all Christians could speak in tongues, but he wishes even more that they all could prophesy. Tongues strengthens the faith of the one who speaks in them, but prophesy strengthens the entire Church. We should desire spiritual gifts which build up the entire Church more than speaking in tongues. Paul tells us that if we speak in tongues, we should pray for the ability to translate what we say. Paul tells us that it is better to pray, and sing, and praise God in the language of those around us than in tongues because then those around us can join us in our prayer, singing and praise. Paul tells us that there is nothing wrong with speaking in tonques, but we should seek other spiritual gifts with greater fervor than we seek tongues.
I think that all too often we as Christians either do not seek spiritual gifts at all or, when we do, we seek the “glamorous” ones, such as speaking in tongues. All to often, when we seek spiritual gifts we seek ones which bring attention to ourselves rather than ones which bring glory to God. On the other hand, there are too many Christians who use just that argument as an excuse to not seek spiritual gifts at all. I pray that God will make me open to whatever spiritual gifts He wishes to give me.

Psalm 37:12-29

The psalmist tells us that the wicked prepare their weapons to attack the poor and oppressed, but their weapons will be turned against them. It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. The wicked borrow and never repay, while the godly give generously of all that they have. This tells us the importance of getting out of debt and then staying out. I think this points out a problem we have in our society, where we emphasize borrowing in order to have things now, with not nearly enough thought given to how we will pay off that debt. It is not only considered acceptable to borrow as much as you can and only pay it back at the slowest rate that you can, it is encouraged. It would be better for us as a society, and as individuals, to clear our debt and live off of our current revenues rather than to continue this cycle of debt. We could then use the money we now spend servicing our debt to help those who are in need. The psalmist tells us that such is the course to possess the land and live there forever.

Proverbs 21:25-26

We have two proverbs that link to today’s psalm. The first tells us that the lazy have many desires, but come to ruin because they refuse to do the work necessary. The second tells us that many people are always seeking more, but the godly seek to have more to give to those in need. I seek to train myself to be in that latter category. Material things are seductive. They tempt one by just a few dollars here and just a few dollars there. Then one finds that one no longer has the money to give to charity as one intended. I am seeking to discipline myself against that tendency to spend my money on unnecessary material pleasures, when I should be giving to those in need.

Daily Bible Study

August 20, 2012 Bible Study

August 19, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Goschenhoppen Folk Festival Militia Drill

Esther 8-10:3

After the death of Haman, Esther and Mordecai still had a problem. The edict that Haman had sent out under King Xerxes seal to destroy all of the Jews was still in force. Esther approached King Xerxes to request it be overturned. King Xerxes gives Esther and Mordecai authority to send out any edict they wish on this matter, however he reminds them that no previous edict can be revoked. Mordecai sent out under King Xerxes seal an edict giving the Jews authority to unite to defend themselves and permission to kill those who attacked them and seize their property. In the meantime, King Xerxes appointed Mordecai as second in the empire only to King Xerxes himself. In the past when I read this passage I never quite understood how the edict that Mordecai sent out countered that sent out by Haman. If the Jews uniting to defend themselves was sufficient to withstand the assault, why did they need an edict granting them permission? Today when I read it, I realized the difference that Mordecai’s edict made. When Haman’s edict was the only one in force, those attacking the Jews would have had the backing of the Persian government and its agents. However, Mordecai’s edict in King Xerxes name changed that. Under Mordecai’s edict, the Jews had the full backing of the Persian government and its agents. The book of Esther concludes with the account of Queen Esther and Mordecai sending out a letter establishing the holiday of Purim to celebrate the way in which God rescued the Jews from a plot to exterminate them.

1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13

Paul continues his discussion of spiritual gifts by reiterating his point that while we each have different gifts we are all part of one body. He points out that of course we do not all have the same spiritual gifts. What would be the point of that? Paul tells us that we should desire the greater gifts. The New Living Translation translates that as “the most helpful gifts.” I think that is a good interpretation of what Paul meant there. Especially since the next sentence is (from the NIV), “I will show you the most excellent way.” Which serves as the introduction to chapter 13, also known as the Love Chapter. Here Paul starts out by saying that if he were to have all of the spiritual gifts he mentioned in the previous section but not love, it is to no purpose and of no value.
Paul then lists characteristics of love. I personally like the NIV translation of this portion best:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
Paul tells us that the other spiritual gifts will pass away, but love will endure for eternity. He goes in to compare the way we live now vs what is to come to being a child vs being an adult. As children we did not understand the things that adults needed to understand in order to make decisions. When we became adults our perspective changed and we realized that things we thought were important when we were children were not so important. So too, when we enter into eternity with God our perspective will change and things that we currently think of as important will be revealed as not so significant. Paul tells us that only three things will keep their value into eternity: faith, hope and love. And of those three, love is the most important.
All too often when we discuss how we should think and believe and act as Christians we forget to remember to put love first. I was having a discussion with someone about a movement in the Church today that I had been unfamiliar with. The person I was exchanging thoughts with expressed the opinion that one of the movement’s teachings was hurtful after quoting the teaching. I could see nothing that was not fully Christian in the quote and told her so. I looked up information on the movement and could find nothing to oppose in its teachings. But perhaps it fails to give sufficient emphasis to love.

Psalm 37:1-11

The psalmist gives us three pieces of advice that are related. The first is to neither worry about nor envy the wicked, their apparent good fortune and success is temporary. The second piece of advice is that rather than worry about or envy the wicked, we should commit everything we do the Lord. If we trust God and do good, He will help and protect us. The final piece of advice is to stop being angry. We should not lose our tempers because doing so only leads to harm. We should trust God and commit ourselves to doing His good works. The wicked, those we are tempted to justify our anger against, will be destroyed in God’s time. We should patiently wait for God to act. If we allow our anger at them overcome our commitment to doing God’s work, we will become wicked ourselves. If instead of becoming angry with the wicked we focus on trusting God and doing His work, we will be kept safe and live in peace and prosperity.

Proverbs 21:23-24

The two proverbs today link to other passages that I read today. The first one, tells us to watch our tongues and keep our mouths shut. I see this as being related to the psalm I just read. Often times when I have said something that gets me into trouble it is because I have lost my temper, as the psalm tells me not to do. Although I need to remember that it is not only in anger that we have a tendency to say things that can get us into trouble. The second proverb tells us of another circumstance where our tongues can get us into trouble. That is when we are proud and haughty. This relates to what Paul says about love. Paul tells us that love does not boast and is not proud. If we remember what Paul said about love and act on it, we will not act arrogantly which this proverb warns against.

Daily Bible Study

August 19, 2012 Bible Study

August 18, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Esther 4-7:10

     When Mordecai learned of the decree against the Jews, he put on sackcloth and ashes and mourned at the palace gate. When Esther heard that Mordecai was mourning at the palace gates, she sent a messenger to find out why. Mordecai gave Esther’s messenger a copy of Haman’s decree and asked that she go to the king and plead for her people. Esther replies that if she goes before the king without being summoned it could mean her death. Mordecai tells her, through her messenger, that if she does not act, deliverance for the Jews will come from another source, but she and her family will be killed. He suggests that perhaps she was made queen for just this occasion. Esther recognized the truth of Mordecai’s argument and requested that he and the rest of the Jews of Susa fast for three days and pray for her(prayer is implied rather than stated). Esther said that she and her maids would do the same.
     One of the interesting things I came across is that the name of God is not mentioned once in the Book of Esther. However, we see at several places that the characters reverence God. In this passage, Mordecai suggests that Esther was made Queen for just this occasion (made Queen by whom if not God). I think Mordecai’s point to Esther is one that we should pay close attention to. When we are blessed, it is in order for us to be in a place to serve God. Sooner or later we will be called upon to risk that blessing in order to use that blessing in God’s service.
     To continue with the story, after three days of fasting Esther went to the king. He extended his scepter, sparing her life. and asked her what request she had, promising to grant it. Esther requested that the king and Haman come to a banquet she had prepared for them. At the banquet, the king asked Esther what she was really after. Esther replied by asking the king and Haman come to a banquet again the next day when she would explain it all to the king.
     That evening on his way home Haman sees Mordecai again and is once again infuriated by Mordecai’s failure to fear him. Haman brags to his family about his wealth and favor with the king and with Queen Esther. He plans to kill Mordecai on a spike in his, Haman’s, own courtyard. During the night, King Xerxes cannot sleep, so he orders an attendant to read the book of the history of his reign to him. One of the accounts read is about the plot to kill the king that Mordecai had uncovered. The king inquires what had been done to reward Mordecai. When he discovers that no reward was given, he plans to fix that in the morning. In the morning, the king asks Haman what he should do to honor a man he wished to honor. Haman assumed that he was that man. Haman recommends that the king have the man dressed in royal robes and mounted on a royal horse and paraded around the city declaring that he was a man favored by the king. King Xerxes immediately orders Haman to do this for Mordecai. Haman follows the kings instructions but returns home dejected. Haman’s advisers tell him that it would be fatal to continue plotting against Mordecai and the Jews, but it is too late. As they tell him this the king’s eunuchs arrive to escort him to Queen Esther’s banquet.
     At the banquet the king once again asks Esther what she really wants. She tells the king that she wishes her life and the lives of her people to be spared, that their lives had been sold for annihilation. The king asks who would dare to threaten Esther. Esther reveals to the king that it is Haman who so plotted. The king is furious and in his desperation Haman makes matters worse. One of the king’s eunuchs tells the king that Haman had set up a sharpened pole that he intended to use to impale Mordecai. The king orders Haman impaled upon it. This story reminds us that evil plots often rebound upon the plotters.

Goschenhoppen Folk Festival horse and wagon

1 Corinthians 12:1-26

Paul starts off his teaching on spiritual gifts by declaring that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. I do not think in either case Paul is limiting this to just the words. That is, if someone says “Jesus is Lord” but the rest of their teaching is that Jesus is not Lord, they are not speaking by the Holy Spirit. Paul goes on to tell us that there are different kinds of spiritual gifts and different kinds of service, but only one God that we worship and serve. Paul here links our spiritual gifts to the service we are called to. I think this reflects an important principle about spiritual gifts. They are given in order to allow us to fulfill the service that God has called us to. Often times in the Church we study what spiritual gifts someone has in order to determine what type of ministry they are called to. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, except that sometimes God does not give the spiritual gift until after we have followed His call into service. We, as a Church, need to do a better job of extending God’s call to His people. I have taken part in several “gifts discernment” processes that were personality tests given a “spiritual” veneer. There is nothing wrong with these. They are a good starting point to understanding where we are likely to be able to serve God. After all, God gave us each certain personality traits in order to suit us to particular ministries. But that is not what Paul is talking about when he discusses spiritual gifts here. Paul is talking about gifts wherein we do and say things that when we look back on it we go, “Where did that come from?”
I will give an example from my life. When I was in college one night I was returning to my dorm when I came upon a woman I knew only vaguely who looked distraught. She asked me if I knew where a mutual friend of ours was. I did not. But I continued to speak with her. As we talked about what was troubling her, it came out that the root of her current problem was partially due to an inaccurate view of God that she had learned in her childhood. As we spoke, I began quoting scriptures, including the reference to where they were found, which showed how her perception was wrong. I had never memorized those verses. The next day I could not remember exactly where they were found, but that night, as I was speaking to her, I knew the chapter and verse for them. That night I was given the spiritual gift of wisdom and of knowledge. The thing about spiritual gifts is that they allow us to do something that we cannot take credit for. I cannot take credit for what I said that night because I did not know those verses before I uttered them and I did not know them the next morning, but when they were needed the Spirit provided them. If you find yourself in a situation that calls for abilities and talents that you do not possess, do not be afraid to step forward and act. God will give you what you need. Certainly, if others are present who possess those personality traits and/or skills, allow them to take the lead. But if you see a need that no one is filling, take action. God will bless you, either by revealing abilities you did not know you possessed or by granting you a spiritual gift to meet those needs at that moment. Just as Esther was Queen at that time to save the Jews from Haman’s plots, so we are where we are to serve God’s purpose and He will grant us what we need to do so.

Goschenhoppen Folk Festival Children on Horse

Psalm 36:1-12

Here we learn that the wicked do not realize how wicked they are. The wicked do not attempt to turn from their wickedness because they refuse to acknowledge that they are wicked. This in a round about way shows us an important part of following God. We must learn to acknowledge when we do that which is wicked and sinful. We must turn from such behaviors and seek instead to do that which God desires. This is a cycle that goes both ways. As we acknowledge our sins and seek God’s help in overcoming them, we become aware of other sins in our lives and develop a desire to correct those as well. On the other hand, if we refuse to acknowledge a sin as sin, we will soon find ourselves committing other sins that we no longer are willing to consider sin. I pray to God that I never again find myself on that latter cycle.

Proverbs 21:21-22

The first proverb tells us that if we seek righteousness, we will find it. Along with righteousness we will find life and honor. But this also tells us that if we perceive a need to behave dishonorably in pursuit of our goals, those goals are not righteous. The second proverb tells us that in a contest between strength and wisdom, the side with wisdom will emerge victorious.

Daily Bible Study

August 18, 2012 Bible Study

August 17, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Re-enactors at Goschenhoppen Folk Festival

Re-enactors at the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival

Esther 1-3:15

     Today we begin the Book of Esther. The story begins when the king of Persia, King Xerxes, throws a six month celebration. At the end of it, he threw a seven-day “open bar” feast. On the seventh day, King Xerxes was quite lit and decided that he wanted to show off his queen, Queen Vashti, to his guests, so he sends for her to come to him. Queen Vashti refuses the summons. King Xerxes is furious and turns to his advisers as to what he should do. Now keep in mind that King Xerxes and his advisers have been drinking heavily for seven days at this point. One of his advisers tells him that Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king, but everyone in the entire empire because women throughout the empire will follow her example and treat their husbands with contempt. Therefore he recommends that Xerxes issue a decree that Queen Vashti be forever banished from his presence. King Xerxes issues this decree that in addition says that every husband should be ruler in his own home.
     When the wine wears off and his anger subsides, King Xerxes begins to regret banishing Queen Vashti. His attendants suggest that he have the most beautiful unmarried young women from throughout the empire brought into his harem. From among these women, King Xerxes can then choose a replacement for Queen Vashti. King Xerxes orders that this plan be implemented.
     Here we are introduced to Mordecai, a man of some standing among the Jews. We are told that he is Esther’s cousin and when her parents died, he adopted and raised her. Esther is chosen by the king’s agents to enter into his harem. Each woman who was brought in was given twelve months of beauty treatment. Esther made a positive impression on the eunuch in charge of this portion of the harem and he treated her with favoritism. During this time (and up until the critical point in this whole story) Esther kept her heritage a secret because Mordecai had told her to do so. When each woman was first taken to King Xerxes bed, she was given her choice of clothes and jewelry to wear. When Esther’s turn came, she followed the advice of the eunuch in charge of the harem as to what to wear. Esther made a positive impression on the king and he chose her as his queen to replace Queen Vashti.
     Mordecai throughout this time maintained communication with Esther and when Esther was made queen she used her influence to get Mordecai a post in the palace. Shortly after taking up this new post, Mordecai uncovered a plot against King Xerxes that he passed on to Esther. Esther informed King Xerxes of the plot while giving credit to Mordecai.
     Some time after this King Xerxes appoints a man named Haman to the number two spot in the empire. All of the king’s officials bowed down before Haman whenever he passed, except for Mordecai. Other palace officials told Mordecai that he ought to bow down to Haman, but he refused. The account does not tell us outright why he refused, but it suggests that no other Jew would have either. This in turn suggests that Mordecai refused to bow down because he viewed doing so as worshiping Haman in place of God. When Haman became aware of Mordecai’s refusal to bow down to him, he was furious. He decided to destroy all of the Jews. Haman used divination to determine when the best time to carry out his plan would be. Once he had made his plan, he approached King Xerxes and, presenting the Jews in the worst possible light, offered King Xerxes a large sum of money if he would order them destroyed. King Xerxes does not issue the decree, but gives Haman the authority to do so. Haman sends out a decree to the entire empire that all of the Jews, men, women and children, should be killed on the day he selected, with all of their property going to those who killed them. We are told that this order threw the capital into confusion.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Today’s passage is teaching from Paul on the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The first thing Paul says as introduction to this topic is that he has no praise for them on this topic. He says that he hears that when they meet it causes more harm than good because of the divisions among them. Then before he goes on he says something that I have never noticed before. Paul says that some division in the Church is necessary in order to tell who has God’s favor. Then he gets back on topic. He condemns them for gathering for the Lord’s Supper and then some hurrying to eat their own meal. This results in some going hungry while others get drunk. He tells them that this sort of behavior disgraces the Church and shames the poor. He then reiterates the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Paul says that when we eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord’s Supper we are announcing His death again, something we are to continue doing until He returns. We should examine ourselves before we partake of the Lord’s Supper because if we take it in an unworthy manner we are guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Christ. When we do that we are bringing God’s judgment upon ourselves. Paul suggests that this sort of behavior is why some are weak and sick. Paul concludes his teaching on the Lord’s Supper by saying that when we gather such a meal we should wait for each other. Paul answers the argument of those who say, “But I can’t wait, I’m really hungry,” by saying, “If that’s the problem eat something at home before you come to this meeting.”

Psalm 35:17-28

The psalmist calls on the Lord to come to his defense. He proclaims that his enemies are bearing false witness against him. He calls on God to humiliate and bring disgrace against those who are unjustly attacking him, but bring joy to those who are coming to his defense. This brings up an important point we should keep in mind when people claim that someone of otherwise good reputation has done wrong. We should consider two things in judging such accusations. The first is, what do the accusers stand to gain from ruining the reputation of the person they are accusing? The second is, what sort of person is the accuser? If the accuser fails on both accounts, it does not necessarily mean that their testimony is false, but it does mean that we should seek corroboration before we accept it as true.

Proverbs 21:19-20

Every time I write about how grateful I am that I do not have a quarrelsome wife (which is every time the proverbs for the day talks about it) my wife thanks me and expresses her concern that she is a quarrelsome wife. There is nothing wrong with her concern because remaining conscious of not wanting to behave in a certain way is part of avoiding behaving that way.
The second proverb tells us that if we spend our money as soon as we get it, we will never accumulate wealth and be able to enjoy luxury. This is one of several proverbs that tell us that in most cases poverty is the result of the actions of those who are impoverished.

Daily Bible Study

August 17, 2012 Bible Study

August 16, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Nehemiah 12:27-13:31

     When the construction of the wall was complete, Nehemiah organized a celebration to dedicate the new wall. He asked all of the Levites who had resettled in Judah to come to Jerusalem for this celebration. All of the priests and Levites ritually purified themselves and then did the same for the people, the gates and the wall. Nehemiah organized the Levites into two choirs. The two choirs went in opposite directions along the top of the wall singing and praising God, with the people of Jerusalem following along. When the two groups met up again they went together to the Temple to offer sacrifices and worship God. On this day they set up a system to ensure that the needs of those who tended the Temple (priests, gatekeepers, choir directors, etc) were met without them having to leave their posts at the Temple to provide for themselves.
     Nehemiah recounts how he had gone back to the court of King Artaxerxes for a period of time (as he had originally agreed to do when he gained permission to travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall) and then returned to Jerusalem. When he got back to Jerusalem he discovered that the priest who had been put in charge of the storerooms in the Temple had given the use of one of them to Tobiah (Tobiah was one of the leaders of the neighboring peoples who had worked against the rebuilding of the wall). He also discovered that the Levites tending the Temple had not been given the portions of food that were prescribed for them and had returned to working in the fields to support themselves rather than conducting worship services at the Temple. Nehemiah confronted the leaders about this. He called the Levites back to work as worship leaders in the Temple and appointed new supervisors of the Temple storerooms in order to ensure that the Levites received an honest distribution of supplies.
     Upon his return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah discovered that some of the Jews were working on the Sabbath and more were bringing merchandise into Jerusalem to sell on the Sabbath. In addition, he discovered that Gentile merchants were bringing goods in to sell as well. He confronted the Jewish leaders about allowing the Sabbath to be desecrated in this manner. Then Nehemiah ordered that the gates of Jerusalem be shut at sundown the day before the Sabbath (the technical beginning of the Sabbath) and to remain shut until the Sabbath was over. The first week or two after he did this he found merchants camped outside the walls selling goods. However, he warned them that if they did this again he would have them arrested and they stopped doing so.
     Finally, Nehemiah discovered that some of the Jews were not only marrying women from the surrounding peoples, but were not even teaching their children from these marriages to speak the language of Judah. He forced the people to swear that they would not allow their children to intermarry with pagans.

Tin work and tools at the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival

1 Corinthians 11:1-16

     It is a shame that the first verse of chapter 11 was included in today’s passage rather than in yesterday’s, since it is the conclusion about the argument that Paul was making in that passage. In yesterday’s passage Paul said that he did not do just what was best for him, but he tried to do what was best for others so that many may be saved. The first verse of chapter 11 follows that by telling us that we should imitate Paul as he imitates Christ. He is telling us that we should imitate his practice of doing what is best for others in order to lead them to salvation.
     Then Paul starts discussing a new topic. This passage is the origin of the tradition that gentlemen do not wear a hat indoors and the tradition that men take off their hats during the singing of the national anthem. Paul tells us that men should not wear anything on their head when they pray or prophesy. On the other hand, he says that women should have something on their heads when they pray or prophesy. This is a passage that the Church in the U.S. has pretty much completely abandoned, simply because they do not like what it says. Those groups that do continue to preach this generally encourage women to wear old fashioned head coverings (there are exceptions but they are almost a minority). There is nothing wrong with women wearing the old fashioned head coverings, but if the Christians who teach this were to emphasize that any type of head covering would do, we might see a resurgence of women’s head coverings of various sorts. I knew a young woman who followed the teaching of wearing a head covering, but I do not think many people realized it (even among others who followed the teaching) because she always wore some kind of pretty head covering that completed the rest of her outfit.
     There is another important teaching in this passage that often gets overlooked because of the controversy over the teaching on head covering. That is that women are not independent of men. This sounds very sexist especially in the context of Paul teaching that women should wear a head covering of some kind when they pray or prophecy. Except he follows that up immediately by saying that men are not independent of women. I think this is the most important part of this passage. This teaching that men and women are interdependent. Women need men and men need women. This is not a teaching about marriage or sexuality, Paul covers those elsewhere. This is about human nature. In large part I believe that Paul teaches women to wear head coverings as a way for the Church to bring out this interdependence and make people aware of it.

Psalm 35:1-16

The psalmist calls on God to fight his enemies for him. The psalmist claims that he did them no wrong. That when they fell on hard times he prayed and fasted for them. He mourned for their troubles as if they were his own family. This is a model for us, we, also, should pray and fast for those who suffer as if they were our own family, even if they consider themselves our enemies. The one thing that is often overlooked in the Bible’s calls for us to care for the needy is that it assumes that we will first care for our families. You should be suspicious of someone who claims to be working for the poor if members of their own family are in need when they have the means to help them.

Proverbs 21:17-18

The first proverb tells us that the pursuit of pleasure is the road to poverty and seeking after wine and luxury will leave us without the resources to enjoy either. The second proverb tells us that the wicked will be punished in the place of the godly. I am not quite sure what that means, but I think a story about my childhood might shed some light. I was a “good boy”, I usually did what I was supposed to and rarely got into trouble. I rarely did things to get into trouble for. I had a good friend who often got into trouble. He frequently challenged authority. He wasn’t a “bad boy”, but he was close. Most of the time when we were together, I kept him out of trouble because he understood that I had a better grasp of what the limits of what we could get away with were. But every now and then, I would come up with a bad idea and he would be the one who thought better. On those occasions that we followed my course of action when it was a bad idea and we got caught, he always got blamed. Because so often he did things that got him in trouble and I so rarely did (and almost never when not with him) those in authority assumed that the bad idea was his and I just went along. He never really minded though, because for every time I got him into trouble there were two or three where I kept him out of trouble. The point of this is that because I had a reputation as being a “good boy” and he had a reputation as being a “bad boy” he got the blame in my place. That seems to me to be the point of this second proverb.

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