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

Malachi 1-2:17

     There is debate about who wrote the book of Malachi. I am not sure why. The book itself tells us that it was written by Malachi, which translates (more or less) as “God’s messenger”. Whether this was the writer’s proper name or merely a title he took as part of his prophetic work is irrelevant. The book was written by God’s messenger.
     There are three parts to today’s passage. In the first part the prophet condemns the people for bringing unworthy sacrifices to God. Rather than bring the best of their flocks to sacrifice to the Lord, they brought the excess. They brought the animals that they would otherwise have destroyed, animals they could not even sell in the marketplace as food. Do we do the same thing? Do we give the clothes and goods we would otherwise throw away to a thrift store or other charitable organization and count it as part of our charitable giving? Do we only give time to serving the Lord that we would otherwise waste? Or are we willing to spend time that inconveniences us to serving the Lord? I had never looked at this in light of the time I spend serving the Lord before and I am challenged by this understanding. All too often I pass on opportunities to serve because they would be inconvenient. That does not mean that that should not be a factor in deciding whether a particular ministry is one to which I am called. It just should not be the deciding factor.
     The second part condemns the priests, the spiritual leaders. The prophet tells us that in the past the spiritual leaders led righteous lives and turned away from sin. By doing this they set a good example for those they led and they were able to pass on God’s instructions to them. The prophet condemns the priests/spiritual leaders of his day for turning away from the paths of the Lord and teaching things other than the words of God. He accuses them of causing people to stumble into sin by their bad example and faulty teaching. He accuses them of picking and choosing which parts of God’s commands to follow. I find this warning very appropriate today. Many of those who proclaim themselves spiritual leaders today openly pick and choose what parts of the Bible to teach, rejecting certain Biblical teachings while proclaiming others. I do not consider myself a spiritual leader, but nevertheless I must examine my life to see if there are areas where I choose to ignore Biblical teaching because I think it does not apply to me.
     The final piece of today’s passage covers marital faithfulness. It is actually two parts. The first part concerns those who worship the Lord marrying someone who worships some other god. The prophet tells us that marrying someone who does not share your faith will cause a divide between you and fellowship with God. The second part tells us that people cry out to the Lord wondering why He does not look with favor on the sacrifices they bring Him. The prophet tells us it is because they have been unfaithful to the “wife of your youth.” I think this passage represents an insight into why the Church in the U.S. has struggled with getting its message through on so many issues. The Church in the U.S. once had a strong position on marital faithfulness and opposing divorce. Bit by bit over my lifetime it has reduced its emphasis on fidelity to marriage vows and sexual purity. We fail to apply Jesus teaching that looking at someone other than your spouse with lust is the same as adultery. I no less than others.

Revelation 21:1-27

The writer tells us that after God’s judgment there will be a new heaven and a new earth because the old heaven and earth will pass away. In that day, God will live among His people. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. In the new heaven and earth there will be no death, or sorrow, or pain. God will make everything new in a land that will see no more death or decay. The writer describes the new Jerusalem and tells us that it will have no Temple because God and the Lamb will be its temple. It will not need either the sun or the moon because the glory of God will provide its light. The gates to the city will never shut because there will be no night and no enemies will come against it. Nothing impure, with even the hint of evil, will ever enter into it, nor will those who do anything shameful. Only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will enter into that City.
When I read this passage it filled me with joy (as it often does). When I wrote the above I found I was unable to capture the feeling that reading this passage created within me. The verse from this passage which speaks about God wiping away every tear and there being no more death there is a staple of most funerals, appropriately so. There is coming a time when God will bring joy and happiness to all who will accept it and put an end to sorrow and suffering. Whenever I read that passage I have this image in my mind of a kindly man or woman taking a handkerchief, wiping the tears of a child who has just suffered some disappointment and comforting them. I picture God as that adult taking each and every one of us and wiping away the sorrows we have felt in this life.

Psalm 149:1-9

Another wonderful psalm of praise. It is a reminder to not become stuck in traditions in our worship. We should be open to new ways of worship, “Sing to the Lord a new song.” We should praise His name with dancing and various instruments. In all that we do we should praise the Lord. There is a joy in moving and singing that allows us to express our love of God in ways that nothing else can do. We should continually seek new ways to praise the Lord.

Proverbs 31:10-24

I am happy to say that I have a wife of noble character and she has been a blessing to me. She has encouraged me in my walk with the Lord and has pushed me to follow His leading. I may have never started this blog if not for her encouragement. I thank the Lord every day for Him bringing her into my life.

Daily Bible Study

December 29, 2012 Bible Study — Zombie Apocalypse?

December 28, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Zechariah 14:1-21

Zechariah says to watch for the day of the Lord is coming. When it does, the nations will gather to attack Jerusalem and the city will be sacked. After Jerusalem is sacked, God Himself will do battle against the nations on behalf of Jerusalem and His people. Once again I find this passage reminding me of passages in Revelation, yet when I read closer I see differences which suggest that this prophecy refers to something different than the similar passage in Revelation (although I am less convinced of that here than in the other passages). Zechariah tells us that on that day, God will strike down those who oppose His people and His power and show the entire world that He is the only one to worship.
Zechariah describes a plague which will strike all of the nations which go to war against Jerusalem. The description sounds much like the Zombie Apocalypse image from many horror movies. Those who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship God. Any nation which refuses to worship God will suffer drought and a resurgence of the plague. I had never realized that the first description of the “zombie apocalypse” was in the Bible. This passage paints a scary image, but it also paints a picture of hope. It describes a day when all of the world will worship God, when people will no longer doubt the existence, might and goodness of God. In that day the effects of fighting against God will be quickly and clearly evident to anyone. Yet even today, the negative consequences of opposing God can be seen by anyone willing to look. Unfortunately very few are willing to look. All too many seem to think that there is no connection between sin and the negative consequences of sin, that if science advances just a little further no one will ever again need to suffer the consequences of their sins. Rather than learning that the way to avoid the consequences of sin is to avoid the sin, they seek a way to “cure” the consequences of the sin. Such an attitude turns us into walking corpses (figuratively even if not necessarily literally).

Revelation 20:1-15

Following the battle between the Rider who is the King of all Kings and the armies of the beast, the writer tells us that an angel came down from heaven and bound the dragon who is the devil. Once he had bound the devil the angel threw him into the bottomless pit for one thousand years. After the devil has been cast into the bottomless pit, those who have been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and the word of God will be resurrected. They will reign with Christ for a thousand years. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit. When he is released from the bottomless pit, Satan will gather the armies of the world on a broad plain surrounding God’s people and the “beloved city” (which is generally another term for Jerusalem). Fire will come down from heaven and destroy them. The devil will then be cast into the lake of fiery sulphur along with the beast and the false prophet. This passage certainly bears resemblance to the passage we read from Zechariah today. The armies of the world gather against Jerusalem, which is now in the middle of a great plain. God uses His mighty power to strike down the armies and defend Jerusalem. Yet there are differences. In Zechariah, the attacking armies are struck by a plague that causes them to re-enact a zombie apocalypse scene. In Revelation, God strikes down the attacking armies with fire from heaven.
Once Satan has been cast into the lake of fire, God will raise the dead for a final judgment. The books will be opened, including the Book of Life. All who had ever lived will stand before God and be judged according to what they had done. When this judgment is complete, death and the grave will be cast into the lake of fire. The writer tells us that the lake of fire is the second death. After all of humanity has been judged according to their deeds, those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will also be cast into the lake of fire. Perhaps I am reading too much into this, but I noticed that the judgment for our deeds is one step. We will all be judged according to our deeds. But after the judgment, those whose names are recorded in the Book of Life will be spared from the second death. We will all have to account for our actions before God. I can and will make no defense of my sins. All I can do is throw myself on God’s mercy in Jesus’ name.

Psalm 148:1-14

Today’s psalm is a psalm of praise. It calls on all created beings and things to praise God. When I read this psalm I think of the wonder of God. It reminds me of the beauty and awe I feel when I spend time in nature. Whether it is locally or when I visited the Grand Canyon, the grandeur of looking at nature puts me in awe of how great our God is. This psalm evokes those same feelings of awe and wonder.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Today’s proverb calls on us to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. It calls on us to seek justice to those who are powerless to mount their own defense. We should use what power we have to ensure that those who have less power than us receive justice. This is not just a matter of seeing to it that those who are accused of a crime have an opportunity to defend themselves against the accusations. It is also a matter of seeing that victims of oppression and injustice receive a voice. We are to call for judgment against the powerful when they use their power to victimize the weak.

Daily Bible Study

December 28, 2012 Bible Study — Fear and Trust God

December 27, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Zechariah 12-13:9

Zechariah prophesies that the day will come when the nations of the world will come against Jerusalem and God will watch over the city and defeat those who come against it. He says that the clans of Judah will overwhelm the surrounding nations. God will pour out His Spirit on the people of Jerusalem. This will cause them to look to Christ (the one whom they have pierced) and mourn what they have done. When that happens God will cleanse the people of all sin and impurity. God will remove all idol worship and false prophets from the land. God will bring His people through fire to refine them like silver and gold.
I believe that this passage has two meanings. The first is a reference to acts that God is going to carry out (has carried out?) among the Jewish people, although I am not quite sure how or when. The second however applies to all of those who are called by His name. We will pass through troubles and persecutions so that God may purify us in the same way that silver and gold are heated to remove impurities. We should embrace our trials as they represent God’s love for us and attempts to remove things from our lives that make us less than perfect servants to Him. I am not very good at embracing these purifying moments.

Revelation 19:1-21

     After the vision of the woman whose name is Babylon and the scarlet beast, the writer hears a great crowd in heaven praising God for His judgments and for punishing the “great prostitute” which was the woman whose name is Babylon. Then again he hears a great crowd (or what sounds like a great crowd) cry out praise to God, who reigns over all. The crowd proclaims that the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb and his bride, who has prepared herself with the good deeds of God’s holy people. Elsewhere in scripture the bride is identified as the Church.
     Continuing on the writer sees heaven open to reveal a rider on a white horse. The rider is named Faithful and True. He judges fairly and wages a righteous war. The armies of heaven dressed in pure white linen and mounted on white horses followed Him. The rider is the Word of God. He has a sword coming out of His mouth with which He will strike the nations. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of all Lords. The scarlet beast gathered the kings of the world and their armies to do battle against the Rider and His army. The beast and his prophet were captured by the Rider and thrown into the lake of sulphur. The beast’s entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came out of the Rider’s mouth.
     There are many metaphors and symbols in this passage and I am sure that there is more meaning than I am capable of extracting. The first thing I see is that the Rider is clearly Jesus on His second coming to judge the earth. I see the sharp sword coming out of His mouth to be a symbol for how His words will strike down those who stand against Him. It is a symbol for how God’s power is different than what we as humans understand as power and yet we are unable to stand against it. All of the mightiest armies of the earth will be slain by this power. The other symbol which speaks to me today is the army that follows the Rider. The army is dressed in pure white linen. In the segment just before this where the crowd proclaimed the wedding feast of the Lamb, pure white linen was referenced as being the good deeds of God’s people. Our good deeds do not save us, rather they provide adornment. But not adornment for us, they provide adornment for the bride of the Lamb and for the army of the Rider. We are to do good deeds, not to make ourselves look good, but to make the bride of Christ look good. Our goal in making the Church look good is because that reflects well on Christ, not so that people look at the Church. There is one final piece to this for me today. The army of the Rider does not assist Him in defeating the armies of the beast. They are merely witnesses to it.

Psalm 147:1-20

     I will sing praise to the Lord. The psalmist tells us that He heals the brokenhearted and numbers the stars. He is great and mighty in power, yet He cares for those who are hurting. His power is absolute and He supports the humble. God does not take pleasure in our strength and might. The psalmist tells us that God is delighted by those who fear Him and put their trust in Him. It is all too easy to look at only one side of this equation.
      On the one side, God is delighted by those who fear Him. We see fear as a negative emotion and it may be, but fear serves a positive purpose. I occasionally talk about a time when I started to overcome my fear of heights. I decided that I wanted to be able to show myself as fearless. Shortly after that I was in a situation where I was doing some work at a great height. As I worked I reached out to do something and almost slipped and fell. I realized that in my efforts to overcome my fear, I had lost some of my caution. Fear can serve a useful purpose. I stopped attempting to further overcome my fear of heights because my fear of heights is a legitimate fear that causes me to take precautions against falling. Fear of God will cause us to be cautious and look to see if we are doing something to bring God’s anger against us.
     However, fear can also cause us to freeze when we should act, which brings us to the other side of the equation for pleasing God. God is delighted not in those who fear Him alone, but in those who both fear Him and trust Him. If we trust God, we know that He will catch us when we fall. We will know that we do not have to rely on our own strength, which our fear will tell us is totally insufficient to the task of doing God’s will. So, here we have the equation, we fear God, knowing that we have not the strength to do what pleases Him, but we trust God knowing that if we rely on Him, He will provide the strength to do what pleases Him, if we only try.

Proverbs 31:1-7

Those in positions of power should not get drunk because it may cause them to show unjust favoritism. I will strive to not let my judgment be clouded, so that I may make wise, fair decisions for those who rely on me.

Daily Bible Study

December 27, 2012 Bible Study — Do Not Put Your Trust In Princes

December 26, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Zechariah 10-11:17

     Today’s passage from Zechariah confuses me. It has two parts but I do not see how the two parts fit together. In the first part the prophet starts by condemning the political and spiritual leaders for their failure to lead the people in a godly manner. He then goes on to say that God will make Judah strong and restore Israel. God will bring them back from the lands to which He has scattered them and will destroy those who oppose them.
     Then the prophet begins the second part. In the second part God tells the prophet to care for the flock intended for slaughter. The prophet says that he cared for the flock intended for slaughter and got rid of three evil shepherds. The prophet became impatient with the sheep and tells us that they hated him. He resigned his post and requested his wages. He received his wages which were thirty pieces of silver. At God’s instruction he took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the Temple. God tells the prophet that this reflects how He will give the nation a shepherd that will not care for them, a shepherd that will get fat off the flock without doing anything to benefit it. God promises that sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd.
     Reading this entire passage, I see very little in it aside from the foreshadowing of Judas. The only other thing I see in this passage is that God promises that those leaders who take advantage of their position in order to benefit themselves and do not look out for those they are leading will suffer for their actions.

Revelation 18:1-24

Today’s passage begins with an angel coming down from heaven declaring that Babylon is fallen. Yesterday’s passage told us that the prostitute who sat on the scarlet beast was Babylon. Another voice called out from heaven for God’s people to come away from her and not take part in her sins. The voice tells us that she did evil to others and sent terror upon them, now these deeds would be returned onto her. She was arrogant and proud and thought that nothing bad could ever come to her. As a result of her arrogance, her collapse will come swiftly. All the rulers and merchants of the world will mourn Babylon’s fall because they benefited from her self-indulgence. Finally another angel throws a large boulder into the sea and declares that the fall of Babylon will be final and permanent. It will never rise again.
When I read this passage, I can see how the United States could easily fit into the role of Babylon in this passage. For certainly many of the rulers throughout the world owe their power and position to the patronage of the United Sates. In addition, the economies (and thus the merchants) of the world will suffer greatly if the U.S. were to fall. This is a frightening prospect since I live within the United States. On the other hand, I know from reading commentaries on the Book of Revelation and studying the book from time to time that the writer of Revelation believed that the Babylon he was writing about was Rome. So, I will not pretend that I have a greater understanding of this passage than the man who wrote it. I believe that the message to be taken from it is not that the United States will be destroyed as part of the end times (although that may indeed be part of what this passage is prophesying), rather the message (at least for me today) is that we should separate ourselves from the sins of the nations and societies that we live in. We should not get caught up in identifying ourselves with our country and its interests. Rather we must pursue doing the Lord’s will and preaching the Gospel to all of those that we can reach. We must seek to help the suffering and those in need. I know that I have a problem here. I read many forums and sites that discuss political issues. All too often, I present arguments about what is best for the nation, rather than arguments about what God desires us to do. I do this because I am more confident in judging the pragmatic course for the country than I am in judging what God’s will for our actions (and I am less afraid of ridicule when I argue the former than when I present the latter–I need to lose my fear of ridicule for speaking what I believe is God’s will>

Psalm 146:1-10

Let all that is in me praise the Lord. This psalm is a great follow on to the message I found today in Revelation. It tells me not to put my confidence in powerful people. The NIV says do not put your trust in prince (in other words, government officials). The psalm tells us that people will die and when they do all of their plans and power will come to nothing. Rather than trusting in men we are to rely on God. He keeps His promises for eternity. He gives justice to the oppressed and fees the poor. I will strive to follow this instruction and neither trust in men, nor fear them. Rather I will strive to place all of my trust in God and the knowledge that He can care for me no matter what men may do or say.

Proverbs 30:33

Today’s proverb seems obvious, if you stir up anger in people they will fight and quarrel. Yet all too many times people attempt to further their positions by stirring up anger against others, then cannot understand why they are unable to reach a compromise among the quarreling parties.

Daily Bible Study

December 26, 2012 Bible Study — Join Yourself With the People of God

December 25, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Zechariah 9:1-17

Zechariah prophecies the downfall of the countries surrounding Israel. He says that they think they are well defended, but they will be destroyed. The Philistines will be so terrified by the coming destruction that they will join with the people of Israel in order to enjoy the protection of God. God will watch over His people and will ensure that no more foreign oppressors overrun their land. God will send their king and He will come riding on a donkey. The King will come to bring peace. God will destroy the weapons of war and free the captives. God will rescue His people and bring peace to the world.

Revelation 17:1-18

The writer describes how in his vision he saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns. He was told that she was a prostitute who rules over many waters. The kings of the world had committed adultery with her and the people who belonged to this world had become drunk on the wine of her immorality. The heads and the horns represent kings who will give their power to the beast. The kings will give their power to the beast and together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them. The horns and the scarlet beast will turn on the woman and destroy her.
There is a lot of symbolism in this passage, most of which I have no idea how to interpret. However, there is one message that I see that some people should take to heart. The woman represents a nation that has ruled over the world by trade and negotiation. She has gained her power, at least in part, by giving to the peoples of the world things that they desire. Nevertheless, they hate her. I am not a big fan of attempting to apply these prophetic passages to modern politics. I generally believe that God does not call us to be involved in politics. However, I think there is a message here that applies to the modern U.S.. If any country in the world today were to qualify as the prostitute from this vision, it would be the U.S.. The U.S. has spread immorality throughout the world in the form of our culture. Despite the fact that many throughout the world have (from a worldly perspective) benefited from their relationship with the U.S., they still hate the U.S.. Ultimately the lesson to be learned from this is that we was Christians are not to be in the business of building up kingdoms in this world. We are instead to put our energy into building up the kingdom of the One who said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

Psalm 145:1-21

I will praise the Lord. I will meditate on God’s majestic splendor and wonderful miracles. I will be one of His faithful followers and praise Him. I will speak of the glory of His Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. I will not give my loyalty to any kingdom or nation of this world, but only to God Himself and His Kingdom. The Lord lifts those bent under the burden of their loads and helps the fallen. The Lord is righteous and I will call on Him. He will protect me and provide for me.

Proverbs 30:32

Forgive me Lord for my pride and the evil I have plotted.

Daily Bible Study

December 25, 2012 Bible Study–Tell the Truth and Seek Justice

December 24, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Zechariah 8:1-23

Zechariah talks about what has happened since the people followed the prophet Haggai’s prophecy calling on them to start rebuilding the Temple. He tells them that before they started following God’s will (by working on rebuilding the Temple) the economy was in terrible shape, crime was high and everyone was in conflict with one another. But now that the people are following God’s will in the area of rebuilding the Temple the economy is improving. The prophet tells them that if they want that to continue they must tell each other the truth, they must seek justice in their courts, and they are to stop scheming against each other. If they do this, then not only will they prosper but people of other nations will strive to join with them to share in that fellowship and prosperity. The prophet tells them to love truth and peace.
We can take a lesson from this. Why is our economy doing poorly? Because we are not being faithful to God. We cannot force others to do what is right, but we can do what is right ourselves. If we who claim to love the Lord return to doing what is right, we will prosper. This does not mean that we will become wealthy (although that might happen). It means that the Lord will provide for our needs. If we follow God’s will for our lives, others will see that we live on an even keel and are not flustered by the troubles and trials we face. They will seek to understand how this can be. We should be honest in our dealings with others. We should not seek after the accumulation of material goods, but rather seek to use our resources to help those in greater need than ourselves. We cannot fix the problems of this world by force. Actually, we cannot fix the problems of this world, only God can. All we can do is show people how God desires us to live and pray that His Spirit convicts them to change. I shall strive to live so that those around me approach me and say, “‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” I shall probably fail, but that shall remain my goal.

Revelation 16:1-21

The writer tells us that seven angels will pour out seven bowls of God’s wrath upon the earth. Each of these bowls will be a plague upon the earth. The first plague will be painful sores on the people who worshiped the beast. It will be followed by first the oceans becoming as blood and then the sources of freshwater. The sun will become hotter, then the earth will be plunged into darkness. Then there will be warfare throughout the earth, after which all the armies of the world will gather to defy God. Finally, an mighty earthquake will come immediately followed by a hailstorm with hailstones of up to 100 pounds. Yet after each of these plagues, not only will people not repent of their sins and turn to God, instead they will curse God for the suffering they have brought on themselves. Do we not see this in the behavior of those around us? A tragedy occurs and people do not examine themselves to see what they have done that might have led to it. Instead they blame other people and God for allowing it to happen. After each tragedy, let us instead strive to look for what we can do to ease the pain and suffering of those who have experienced it and look to see what we are doing that may have contributed to this tragedy. Rather than seeking to place blame, let us strive to be more obedient servants of God going forward.

Psalm 144:1-15

The Lord will be my ally and my fortress. He will shield me and defend me. Who am I, a mere mortal man, that God should care about me? Yet He does. He rescues me from troubles and delivers me from evil although I am completely undeserving. I will praise His name as long as I shall live.

Proverbs 30:29-31

Today’s proverb is another one of the “three things, no four” sets in Proverbs that are really cool to read. Yet, I struggle to understand what the author is saying. Today he refers to four things that walk with confidence, that strut about. Is he telling us to follow their example? Or is he telling us that they are full of empty pride? Or is he telling us that just because someone struts about acting as the top dog it doesn’t mean they are all that powerful? Or, perhaps he is telling us that just because the last person we saw posturing was an empty windbag, that does not mean that the next one will be.

Daily Bible Study

December 24, 2012 Bible Study–Dealing with Depression

December 23, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Zechariah 6-7:14

     Zechariah has a vision of four chariots which come out from between two bronze mountains. He is told that they are the four spirits who stand before the Lord. They are sent out to patrol the earth, one to each of the cardinal directions (East, North, West and South). Once they have gone out, the prophet is told to look and see that the spirit sent to the North has vented the Lord’s anger there.
     Zechariah is then instructed to make a crown for the high priest. He is told that the roles of priest and king will be brought together in harmony.
     The prophet then tells of a time when the people of Bethel sent a delegation to him to ask whether they should continue to fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple. Zechariah receives a message from the Lord asking them if they were really fasting for God when they fasted, or were their fasts and feasts really for themselves? God accuses them of eating and drinking for their own enjoyment at their religious festivals. Zechariah tells them that rather than fasts and feasts God desires them administer justice, and show mercy and compassion to one another. God desires that they not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the poor or the foreigner. They should not plot evil against each other.
     How appropriate this passage is for the day before Christmas? How much are our Christmas celebrations for us, rather than celebrations of what God has done? Are we busy showing compassion for others? Or are we busy getting stuff to make us look good to others? Is Christmas really about God, or is it about us? I resolve to once more make Christmas about God. Christmas should be an opportunity for us to show God’s love to those around us, an opportunity to show that being Christian makes us different, gives us different priorities.

Revelation 15:1-8

The writer sees a vision of all of the people who were victorious over the beast, his statue, and his number. They were standing before God, singing His praises. Let us likewise sing about how great and marvelous are his deeds. Let us bring glory to His name. In order to do that we need to be specific about the things He has done that we see as so wonderful. I will tell the story of how, when I was in a job that made me desperately unhappy, He led me to an opportunity that gave me joy. Or, how when my wife and I were getting married and because of events going on in our lives we questioned whether we should put off getting married, He gave us a sign that made His will clear (when we approached the caterer where we wanted to have our reception, he told us that he had no open Saturdays for the next two years…except for the date we wanted that had just been become available because the couple that had reserved it had cancelled the day before). Never forget to tell your stories of what God has done in your life to show how great and wonderful He is. I will strive in every aspect of my life to bring glory to God.

Psalm 143:1-12

Today’s psalm is a cry of desperation. He is losing hope. He is paralyzed with fear. He is suffering from depression. Yet, in all of that he turns to the Lord. He cries out to the Lord in his anguish. He recognizes that he is not righteous before the Lord, that no one is. The answer to his depression and hopelessness is to remember all of the great things that God has done in the past. But that is not enough, he seeks out God’s guidance and direction. He knows that the answer to his depression is to do God’s will, to seek the path that God has laid out for him.

Proverbs 30:24-28

This proverb describes four creatures that are small and not particularly mighty that through wise action succeed where others fail. Let us model our lives on such things. Rather than seeking to be mighty, let us exercise wisdom in the small things.

Bible Study

Advent Season–Trusting God

December 23, 2012 AttilaDimedici

     Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent, two days before Christmas. Generally, when we read the Christmas story, we use the Gospel of Luke. There is nothing wrong with that it is a very good account of the Christmas story. But the Gospel of Matthew tells us something important too. Matthew tells us that while they were betrothed, Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant. For those of my readers unfamiliar with it, being betrothed is something like being engaged, but with a lot more commitment and a lot more final. Generally, the bride still lived with her parents and the groom with his parents (although, since the groom was generally older than the bride, perhaps in his own house). However, ending a betrothal required a divorce just as ending a marriage does (although in that day getting a divorce was remarkably easy for a man).
     So, Joseph discovers that Mary is pregnant. We are not told how he finds it out. She may have told him. Someone from her family may have told him. Perhaps there was gossip going around. He knows that he is not the father so he reaches the only logical conclusion. Mary must have been unfaithful to him. She must have had another lover. Joseph was betrayed. But, we are told, Joseph was a good man. Perhaps Mary had her heart set on someone else. Perhaps she wanted to marry the father of her child. There could be many reasons why she had betrayed him. Joseph would have been within his rights to demand that she be shamed in front of the whole community, even stoned for her unfaithfulness. Instead, he decided to divorce her quietly. That way if there was someone she would rather marry, she would be free to do so. He would not bring any additional harm to her reputation, or her life. If he married her anyway, everyone would “know” that he was the father, that he was unable to act appropriately. Either that or he was so desperate for a wife that he would take as a wife a woman who would betray him.
     Having made his decision, he received a vision. An angel appeared to him and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. The child within her was from the Holy Spirit. Now, I don’t know about you, but I would have found that hard to believe. I would have wondered how I would know it was really an angel. But the passage in Matthew tells us that Joseph believed the angel, that he had faith in what the angel told him. Except that it doesn’t say that. How do I know that Joseph believed? Because the passage tells us that when he woke up, “he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded and took Mary as his wife.” That’s right, we know that Joseph believed because “he did.” He trusted God and acted on that trust. Joseph was willing to take the risks involved in following what the angel had told him to do. He was willing to risk the damage to his reputation. He was willing to be viewed as a fool, or desperate. Are we willing to take the risk of trusting God?

Daily Bible Study

December 23, 2012 Bible Study–Not By Force Nor By Strength, But By My Spirit

December 22, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Zechariah 4-5:11

     The prophet has three more visions in today’s passage. In the first vision he sees a golden lampstand with seven lamps upon it. On either side of the lampstand he sees an olive tree. When he asks the angel that is his guide what the meaning is he is told that Zurabbabel will succeed by the Spirit of the Lord, not by strength nor by force. Zechariah then asks the angel what the two olive trees signify. He is told that they represent two heavenly beings who stand in the court of the Lord. There is an interesting image in the vision that is not explained, yet that I think is significant. There are tubes that run from the olive trees to the lampstand and golden oil pours through those tubes. I think this represents the Spirit of the Lord pouring into the lamps to keep them lit. I find two important things to take from this vision. The first is that we will not accomplish God’s will by strength and power (whether it is our strength and power or the strength and power of the government). God will accomplish His will by His Spirit, any obstacle that stands in our way will be made level ground before us if we are acting according to God’s purpose for our lives. The second is that we need to remain connected to God in order for His Spirit to flow into us and fuel the lamp that lights the world around us with God’s light.
     The second vision is of a giant scroll flying over the land. The scroll contains a curse against thieves and liars (in particular those who take false oaths). The lesson from this vision is that anyone who uses thievery and dishonesty to build their legacy will see it destroyed.
     The third vision is of a basket filled with the appearance/sin of all the people throughout the land (or perhaps throughout the earth). The basket had a lead cover which was lifted up to reveal that a woman named “wickedness” was seated within the basket. The basket was carried off to Babylon where a temple was built to house the woman (or to house wickedness). The message here is that there are places and times where people worship wickedness. I believe that we are living in such a time and place. We must not allow ourselves to become caught up in that worship of wickedness that is in the society around us.

Revelation 14:1-20

     Immediately following the vision where the beast placed his number on people we have the writer describe the Lamb and the 144,000 appear in front of him. The 144,000 had the Lamb’s name, and His Father’s name, written on their forehead. This is not just a refusal to accept the beast’s mandate of having its number stamped on the forehead or hand. This is a repudiation of it by having God’s name stamped on the forehead instead. This great choir sang a new song before the throne of God, a song that no one else could learn.
     The next aspect of the vision was three angels flying through the sky, one after another. The first angel proclaimed the Gospel “to every nation, tribe, language, and people.” Everyone will have an opportunity to accept God’s wonderful grace and no one will have an excuse on the day of God’s judgment. The second angel follows declaring that Babylon, the nation which has spread immorality throughout the earth, has fallen. After the second angel had made its declaration throughout the earth the third angel declared that anyone who accepted the mark of the beast will face God’s anger because they have worshiped the beast. The writer tells us that this all means that those who wish to be accounted among God’s holy people must patiently endure persecution.
     Personally, I do not think that the beasts in this represent discrete persons or beings, although this is an understanding that I will continue to test against both scripture and my experience of the world, with guidance from the Holy Spirit. I believe the beast represents the spirit of the age around us and the “number of the beast” on hand and/or forehead represents the attempt to fit into our society and not stand out for ridicule and persecution. The Adversary will tempt us into worshiping him out of our desire to avoid being persecuted.

Psalm 142:1-7

I have often spoken of working on my prayer life. I think there is something in this psalm that is a key to improving our prayer lives

I pour out my complaints before him
and tell him all my troubles.
I think that too many of us do not do this. We have a tendency to think of our problems as too minor to talk to God, or that we shouldn’t bother Him with our problems, or maybe that we should just “buck up” and put out problems aside. While it is true that we can become obsessed with our problems so that we do not see God’s blessings, God wants us to come to Him with those things that distress us. When we feel like we are alone in the world and no one cares about our problems we should take them to God. If we do, God will bring us out of the prison of our isolation and show us how we are surrounded by godly people.

Proverbs 30:21-23

Today’s proverb says the are four things the earth cannot bear. These things are reprehensible for how the people involved act after what is described happens. When people who perceive themselves to have been oppressed get into positions of power, they are often much worse oppressors than those whom they have displaced could ever have been dreamed of being.

Daily Bible Study

December 22, 2012 Bible Study–The Lord Takes Away the Sins of the Land

December 21, 2012 AttilaDimedici 1 Comment

Zechariah 2-3:10

     The prophet begins this section by talking about the day when Jerusalem will be so full of people and livestock that there will not be room for everyone. The prophet then continues by calling the people of Israel out from among those not of the people of God. He instructs them to shout and rejoice because God is coming to live among them. The prophet tells us that many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and they will be His people. It is interesting that the prophet tells us that in his vision the Lord said that He would live among us and we would know that the Lord Almighty had sent Him.
     Then, in a vision that has similar themes to the visions recounted in the Book of Revelation, the prophet tells us that he saw the high priest stand before God. He saw Satan standing next to the high priest accusing him. And once again we have this interesting dichotomy where the prophet tells us that the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you.” Next in the vision the prophet saw the high priest’s dirty clothes removed. Then he saw the high priest dressed in fine, clean clothes. The Lord told the high priest that He had taken away his sins. In the vision the Lord describes a stone that He has placed in front of the high priest with seven eyes. He says that He will place an inscription upon the stone and take away the sins of the land in a single day.
     As I read this passage, the first thing that struck me was how this passage refers to Satan as standing before God accusing the high priest. This reminded me of how yesterday’s passage from Revelation referred to Satan as the one who accused us to God. In this passage the Lord rebukes Satan for accusing the high priest. In the passage in Revelation Satan was cast out of heaven to stop him from bringing accusations against the righteous before God. It is Satan who accuses us of sin. Jesus has rebuked Satan and driven from before the face of God.
     I found it interesting that as I read this passage I once again saw a connection to the imagery used in Revelation. When I read about the stone that was before God that had seven facets, or eyes, it immediately reminded me of the passage in Revelation where the seven stars and the seven gold lampstands were explained. A closer reading revealed that the message from this passage and the message from the passage in Revelation are not very closely connected. Yet, they are. This passage refers to the Branch through whom God will take away the sins of the land. The passage in Revelation was about Jesus through whom God took away the sins of the world.

Revelation 13:1-18

The writer describes two beasts in today’s passage. The first beast rose out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns. Each horn had a crown. Each head had names written on them which blasphemed God. The dragon, which we were told in yesterday’s passage is Satan, gave his power to this beast. One of the beast’s heads appeared to have been fatally wounded, yet it was healed. The world marveled at this and worshiped the beast for it. Further they worshiped the dragon for giving the beast the power to heal its wound. The beast waged war against God’s people and conquered them. The beast was given authority to rule over the entire earth. Those whose names were not written in the Book of Life worshiped the beast. Those of us who strive to follow Jesus must be prepared to face persecution.
The second beast rose out of the earth. It had two horns, like those of a lamb, but spoke with the voice of a dragon. The second beast performed many miracles in order to get people to worship the first beast. The second beast created a statue of the first beast which it then gave life. The statue commanded that anyone who refused to worship it must die. The writer then tells us that “He” (we are not told if this is the first beast, the second beast, or the statue of the first beast) required everyone to get a mark on either their forehead or their hand. No one could buy or sell anything without having the mark. This passage ends with telling us that the number of the beast is 666, which represents complete imperfection or perfect incompletion. I had found a great website that gave the meanings of numbers as understood by first century Jews. I cannot find it now. However, the numbers three and seven have slightly different meanings, but both contain an element of meaning either perfect or complete. Six on the other hand is one less than seven and thus holds, in part, the meaning of falling short. So, 666 can be seen as completely falling short or of utter failure to obtain godliness. It is the number of any attempt to obtain utopia without God.

Psalm 141:1-10

I really cannot say it better than the psalmist

O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry!
Listen when I cry to you for help!
Accept my prayer as incense offered to you,
My desire is to make my prayers incense offered to God.
Take control of what I say, O Lord,
and guard my lips.
All too often Lord, I say that which I should not, please grant this prayer.
Don’t let me drift toward evil
or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do wrong.
How easy it is to allow myself to drift away from that which is good.
Let the godly strike me!
It will be a kindness!
If they correct me, it is soothing medicine.
Don’t let me refuse it.
Do not allow me to become too proud to accept correction.

Proverbs 30:18-20

The four things in this proverb are amazing things. There is a beauty and a sense of rightness that we experience when we witness these things.

Fact and Fantasy

December 30, 2012 Bible Study — No More Death, Or Sorrow, Or Pain

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December 29, 2012 Bible Study — Zombie Apocalypse?

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December 28, 2012 Bible Study — Fear and Trust God

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December 27, 2012 Bible Study — Do Not Put Your Trust In Princes

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December 26, 2012 Bible Study — Join Yourself With the People of God

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December 25, 2012 Bible Study–Tell the Truth and Seek Justice

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December 24, 2012 Bible Study–Dealing with Depression

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Advent Season–Trusting God

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December 23, 2012 Bible Study–Not By Force Nor By Strength, But By My Spirit

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December 22, 2012 Bible Study–The Lord Takes Away the Sins of the Land

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