December 13, 2012 Bible Study

December 12, 2012 AttilaDimedici 3 Comments

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.

Obadiah 1:1-21

Today’s reading is the book of Obadiah. The entire book is a prophecy against Edom. The prophet told Edom that they would be completely wiped out as a people and a nation. The people of Edom were sure that they were safe because they had a fortress city that was difficult to gain access to. The prophet told them that God was sending the nations against them and they would be rooted out completely. Their allies and those they trusted as friends would turn against them and assist in their destruction. Then the prophet gave the reason for Edom’s destruction. Edom would be destroyed because they stood aside and refused to help when Israel and Judah were invaded. Worse than that they gloated over the suffering of the Jewish people. The people of Edom went beyond that and took advantage of the suffering of the Jewish people in order to profit from it. They blocked the attempt of the Jewish people to flee the destruction, killing some of those who fled and capturing the rest and turning them over to their enemies. The prophet tells us for this sin Edom would be destroyed, but not only Edom, all of the surrounding nations that chose to profit from the destruction of Israel and Judah, rather than aid them, would be destroyed.
There is a lesson for today. Those nations which stand aside and watch the persecution of the Jewish people will suffer for it, especially when they look for ways they can profit from it. I do not think it is limited to the persecution and suffering of the Jewish people. Those who stand aside and watch while others suffer, looking for ways to profit from that suffering, will face God’s judgment. The day is coming when those who, rather than attempt to alleviate the suffering of others, have chosen to attempt to profit from it will see God’s judgment fall upon them. There is another side to this. Those who instead choose to aid those who are suffering and attempt to protect those being persecuted will be blessed. Let us strive to be among the latter rather than the former.

Revelation 4:1-11

Here the writer gives a description of the throne room of heaven. He describes it as a glorious, beautiful place that is full of light in many different colors. He tells us that twenty four elders sit on thrones surrounding the throne of God. In addition, he describes four beings similar to those described by Ezekiel. He describes a time of intense, joyous worship of God. It does not sound very exciting, unless you have ever been in a worship service where you got fully caught up in the worship experience. Then you will have an idea what the writer is describing. He is describing a time and place where all of your senses are contributing to an experience of worship that transcends this physical world. Having occasionally experienced such worship on this earth, I can imagine that it must be overwhelmingly joyous in heaven. I have been trying to phrase this because I believe that the visual picture drawn here does not come close to doing justice to what the writer saw in his vision.

Nativity Scene At First United Methodist Church of Perkasie

Psalm 132:1-18

The psalmist tells us that David promised to find a place to build the house of the Lord. Will we dedicate ourselves to finding a place in our hearts to build a house for the Lord? I will not rest, I will not sleep until I find a place in my heart to build a house for the Lord. There I will worship before the Lord and give my whole life to Him. Let me remember to do all that I do for the honor of God. Help me to extend the house I have built in my heart for God until it swallows up my entire being.

Proverbs 29:24-25

If you assist those who do wrong, you will do yourself more harm than any gain you might get. Put your trust in the Lord and do not fear people. The Lord will protect and care for you.

Daily Bible Study

December 12, 2012 Bible Study

December 11, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Fellowship Among the Poinsettias — Fellowship Among the Poinsettieas

Amos 7-9:15

Amos has two visions of destruction. After each one he pleads with God not to do it. In each case, God responds to Amos’ plea and tells Amos that He will not bring about that destruction. Then God gives Amos a vision showing God measuring a wall with a plumb line to see if it was straight (from top to bottom, not as it ran along the ground). God told Amos that He would measure Israel with a plumb line to see if they were righteous. He told Amos that He would no longer ignore Israel’s sin. God was going to bring Jeroboam’s dynasty to an abrupt end. How do we measure up against the plumb line of righteousness? Do we stand straight, or are we crooked?
Amos utters a prophecy against those who rob the poor. He says that they are impatient for the end of Sabbath days and religious festivals so that they can get back to cheating the poor. They use dishonest measures and fixed scales. They adulterate food with things that are harmful to health. God told Amos that He was going to bring a time of judgment on them. He was going to bring famine on the land, but not famine of food. Rather God was going to bring a famine of His word. People will search for the word of the Lord and be unable to find it. When I read this I thought of all the businesses today that do not think they can be closed on Sunday, or on Holidays. I think of the stores that opened on Thanksgiving Day to get a jump on Christmas sales. Then I thought about how many places where you used to get exposed to God’s word in this country where it is no longer allowed. We regularly hear stories about a school forbidding a student to talk about God. I regularly hear trained ministers and leaders in Church bodies who deny the validity of some, or all, of scripture. In many ways we have a famine of God’s word in our country today. There are many seeking to find God’s word who are having trouble finding it. Let us plant a new crop and water it with prayer.

Revelation 3:7-22

Today I read the messages to the last two of the seven churches. The message to the church in Philadelphia begins by saying that it is from the one who has the key of David. What He opens cannot be closed, what he closes cannot be opened. The church in Philadelphia is told that God (or Christ, in this passage it makes no difference) has opened a door for them that no one can close. He knows that they have little strength, yet even so they have obeyed God’s word and remained faithful. They are commended for persevering and told that for this they will be spared from the coming time of great testing. Do I persevere despite my weakness? Do I acknowledge that I am weak? I pray to God that He grant me the strength to persevere. I strive to acknowledge that I am weak, that my only hope to hold on is for God to give me strength. Let me see the door that God has opened for me and go through it in order to serve Him.
The final message is to the Church in Laodicea. It is in many ways the most scathing and probably the most applicable to the church in the U.S.. They are condemned for being neither hot nor cold, for being indifferent. They are a rich church that is convinced that they have all they need. This sounds like all too many Christians in the U.S., myself included. All too often I allow my Christian walk to become stale. Let me turn from my tendency to indifference so that I may become an enthusiastic disciple of Christ. Either a burning hot coal that sets hearts on fire for Him, or a cool drink of water that provides refreshment and relief to those who are suffering. I know that He is standing at the door and knocking, I will open it and let Him in. I will let Christ take over my life and use me to His ends.

Psalm 131:1-3

Let me follow the example of the psalmist and not be proud or haughty. Let me not concern myself with matters great and awesome. Rather I ask that God calm and quiet me as a child weaned from its mother’s milk. Prepare me, my Lord, to eat the meat of instruction that You put before me. Teach me to follow in Your ways and undertake the tasks which You give me. I will put my hope in the Lord.

Proverbs 29:23

What a perfect proverb to follow up on today’s psalm. If we are proud, we will be humiliated. Instead let us humbly acknowledge our limitations so that we may be honored.

Daily Bible Study

December 11, 2012 Bible Study

December 10, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Amos 4-6:14

     The prophet began today’s passage by condemning rich women who used their position of power and influence to oppress the poor. Women who are demanding more stuff from their husbands. He goes on to condemn those who are self-righteous, who make regular offerings and brag about their offerings over and above the “default”. I do not think the first part is necessarily just about women. I think it applies to anyone who thinks that they are deserving of being treated well because they have wealth that was acquired for them by someone else. This passage is about those who think that because they follow religious rituals they are holy, better than others and therefore can abuse those others who are clearly less holy than themselves. This is a condemnation of those who think they are righteous because they give thousands of dollars to charity, yet have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on themselves. Someone recently said that God does not measure our giving by how much we give, rather he measures it by how much we spend on ourselves. I think that that can be abused as well, but it is a good starting point to think about giving.
     Amos tells us that God had sent disasters, natural and otherwise, against Israel to call them back to Him, but they had ignored them and refused to repent of their sins. God showed the people the results of their sins and they still refused to turn to Him. Reading this passage reminds me of what I have seen in my lifetime and how for the most part people are continuing to turn away from God despite what should be warnings and calls to return to Him. We have had Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. We have had the Columbine shootings, the Aurora movie theater shootings, the 911 attacks. We have had SARS, Mad Cow disease and AIDS. After each of these hits the news, there has been a short upswing in interest in God, but it quickly fades away and people return to their sinful lifestyles with a vengeance, laughing off anyone who makes a connection between these tragedies and sin (even when as in AIDS the correlation is pretty direct).
     The prophet tells us that now is the time to repent and turn back to God, away from our sinful and unjust behaviors. God does not want our hymns of praise and assemblies of worship, he wants us to seek justice and to care for the poor. Now is the time for us to pray and fast, to seek to serve the Lord in whatever way that He calls us. We need to turn away from religious behaviors that are just for show and seek to take those righteous actions which help those in need. Let us seek the Lord with all of our hearts. We need to fast and pray, not for our country, but for people. How may the Lord’s will be best accomplished in this world? We should pray neither for the continued strength of the U.S. (or any other nation), nor for its downfall (or that of any other nation). Rather we should pray that the people of the U.S., and of every nation, turn to God and repent of their sins. Jesus said that His Kingdom is not of this world and we should always remember that no nation on this earth is God’s Kingdom.

Revelation 2:18-3:6

Today, I read the messages to the next two of the seven churches. The church in Thyatira was commended for its love, faith, service and patient endurance. It was, however, reprimanded for permitting a woman who called herself a prophet to lead some believers astray with her teachings of sexual immorality and participation in pagan rituals. A severe judgment is declared against those who follow her teachings and fail to repent. The message continues by praising those who have not followed these teachings of “deeper truths” and asking nothing more of them than that they continue to hold tightly to the truths of the Gospel. There is a clue in this passage about how to recognize false teachings. The false teaching being condemned here claimed to be a “deeper truth”, something that was not known to the common believer. This is a common theme in many false teachings, they provide “secret” knowledge, or some other means by which those who follow them are separated out as special from others. But the message of the Gospel is that we are all the children of God and loved by Him. Anyone who turns to Him and seeks fellowship with Him will not be turned away.
Next is the message to the church in Sardis. It has a reputation for being a strong and vibrant congregation, but the message tells us that it has died. Too many of its members are just going through the motions without any real commitment to doing God’s will. They are told to return to what they believed and did when they first believed. They need to wake up and follow God’s righteous path. Even so, there are a few among them who have remained faithful and whom God commends. This is a warning to us today that we cannot rest on what we did in the past, God calls us to righteous behavior today and tomorrow and every day until the Lord returns. We don’t get to retire from serving the Lord (and some of us don’t wait until we retire to attempt to retire from the Lord’s service).

Psalm 130:1-8

Yes, let us call on the Lord for help. If we call on Him, He will rescue us from our troubles, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us. We do not deserve God’s love. We deserve misery and trouble for all of the sins we have committed, for the harm and trouble we have caused others, but God will forgive us our sins. All we have to do is turn to Him and strive to allow Him to replace our sin with righteousness. How I strive to put my faith in nothing but the Lord, for only He can be relied on.

Proverbs 29:21-22

Failure to control ones temper will lead on into all kinds of sin. I am usually very good at controlling my anger. Sometimes however I let that fool me into thinking it is ok to lose control of my temper. There are times when it is right to feel anger, and even occasionally to act on that anger. However, it is never right to let anger control our actions.

Bible Study

Advent Season–Responding to God’s Love

December 10, 2012 AttilaDimedici

     This is late this week because I was neither inspired to write something yesterday, nor disciplined enough to do it anyway. However, this morning on the way to work I heard a version of “The Little Drummer Boy” and it brought together some thoughts that have been swirling around in my head for the last few weeks. I am sure most of you are familiar with the story line of “The Little Drummer Boy”, but I will sum it up as far as it is relevant to this post. The drummer boy is a poor orphan child (or so I suppose) who witnesses these fabulous, mighty and wealthy people bringing expensive and rare gifts to a newborn baby. He wants to know why. When he finds out that this babe is the Messiah who will give His life to show God’s love, the drummer boy wants to offer a gift as well. But he has no gift that, in his mind, compares to these wondrous gifts given by these eminent people. When we hear the song we recognize that he is wrong, that his gift is of much more value than the gifts given out of the excess of the rich. The drummer boy gives all that he has, he plays his drum for God in the form of this baby.
     This is oh so important. God created everything that is, He does not need our stuff. What God wants from us is us. He wants us to give Him our basic selves, not because that somehow makes Him better off or more or any of the reasons we want gifts that people give us. He wants us because when we give our essence to Him, we become more and better and better off. Part of the meaning of Christmas is that God loves us so much that He made Himself helpless to spend time with us. He made Himself a baby, there is little or nothing that is more helpless and vulnerable than a human baby. It depends on others for everything.
     Back to my theme. The little drummer boy thought that what he had to offer was of little consequence, but he wanted to offer it anyway. He was right, what he had to offer was of little consequence, but, even so it was of much more consequence and value to God than the wealth given out of the excess of possessions that the wise men brought. This is not to belittle or denigrate the wise men. They saw the signs and came to worship the King of Kings, offering gifts. But God wants so much more than that. God wants us to serve Him with the gifts He has given us.
     He came to us because He loves us. He wants us to offer ourselves up to Him. He wants us to show our love for Him, by showing His love to our fellow-man. As we go prepare to celebrate the memory of His coming as a baby, are we preparing for when He will return? Are we showing His love to those around us in need? Are we seeking out ways to use that which He has given us (and not just the excess) to serve Him by helping those who are suffering or in need? The little drummer boy offered all that he thought he had to honor the new-born king. Let us offer not only all we think we have, but let us dig deep and offer all that we are.

Daily Bible Study

December 10, 2012 Bible Study

December 9, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Commedia Dell'Arte at Bhakail Yule — Commedia Dell’Arte at Bhakail Yule

Amos 1-3:15

Amos the prophet was a shepherd from a small village in the Kingdom of Judah when he was called by God. He begins his prophetic words by warning Israel’s neighbors that God is going to bring judgment against them for their sins. But these are not the point of his ministry. When he gets to Israel, Amos goes into detail regarding their sins. They mistreated the poor, selling them into slavery. They abused those who could not look after themselves. They shoved those without power out-of-the-way. They were shamelessly adulterous. They celebrated religious festivals using goods acquired through corruption. They did everything in their power to corrupt the righteousness of those who publicly dedicated themselves to righteous living. For all of this God was going to bring judgment and there would be no escaping it.
This reminds me of our society. Some elements of it sound like it is describing the Christmas shopping season:

“They trample helpless people in the dust
and shove the oppressed out of the way.
Other parts sound like a sitcom (couldn’t you see this being an episode of next season’s “Two and a Half Men”): Both father and son sleep with the same woman,
corrupting my holy name.
But I look around and this really strikes home, because I see it everywhere: “My people have forgotten how to do right,”
says the Lord.
“Their fortresses are filled with wealth
taken by theft and violence.”
Let us read God’s word and learn once more how to do right. Too many of our churches spend Sunday morning entertaining those who come to service rather than teaching them what God commands. And we who attend them demand that they do so. We seek out churches that entertain us rather than those which discipline us to follow God.

Bhakail Yule Watching Commedia Dell'Arte — Bhakail Yule Watching Commedia Dell’Arte

Revelation 2:1-17

     Today I read the message to the first three of the seven churches. The first message is to the church in Ephesus. They are commended for their patience and hard work. They are further commended for recognizing false prophets and teachers for what they are and not following them. In particular for not following the teachings of the Nicolaitans (a sect that appears to have taught that grace allows Christians to live immoral lives). However, they are condemned for having lost their enthusiasm. It is not enough that we get our doctrine correct, we need to be enthusiastic in our love of the Lord. Remember the enthusiasm we had when we first came to know the Lord, we need to recapture that.
     The second message is the church in Smyrna. They are commended for their suffering and poverty. The writer tells us that despite their reputation for poverty they are rich. Since their is no condemnation given of them, I will assume that he was referring to spiritual riches, not material ones. Further they are praised for standing up against blasphemous opposition. Finally they are warned that there is more persecution coming against them, but if they remain faithful they will receive eternal life. Let us strive to be like the church in Smyrna, faithful in the face of opposition and persecution.
     The third message is to the church in Pergamum. They are commended for remaining faithful in the face of persecution. They remained faithful despite a strong anti-Christian religious establishment in the city. However, they are criticized for tolerating those who follow the teachings of the Nicolaitans. They partook of the ceremonies of pagan religions and practiced sexual immorality. Is this not something that we face in our society today? A temptation to go along with non-Christian religious rituals so that we do not stand out and appear judgmental? A tendency to accept as normal and ok the rampant sexual immorality of the society around us so that we are not called “prudes”? We are told that we must repent of our sins and stand strong against such false teaching.

Psalm 129:1-8

The Lord has cut me free from the bonds of sin and godlessness. Those who oppose righteousness will suffer defeat and humiliation. Hopefully this will turn their hearts to God.

Proverbs 29:19-20

Words alone are not discipline. If they are not backed up by further action, they will be ignored. It is worse to speak without thinking through how your words will be understood than it is to act foolishly.

Daily Bible Study

December 9, 2012 Bible Study

December 8, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Giving Tree At First United Methodist Church In Perkasie

Joel 1-3:21

     Today I read the Book of Joel. The prophet begins by describing how the land was overrun by locust swarms. It appears that at the same time there was a drought. The prophet calls for a time of fasting, mourning and praying. Turn to the Lord, do not focus on outward signs of mourning, rather focus on genuine remorse and sorrow for your sins, change your ways and follow God. Call all the people together for a time of prayer and fasting. Seek the will of God. He is slow to anger and full of love. God is eager to bless us when we do what is right.
     If we repent and turn to the Lord in our times of trial, He will bless us again. Once we have repented our sins and turned back to God let us begin rejoicing in the great things He has done in the past and will do in the future. If we confess our sins and turn to God, He will bless us and more than that He will pour out His Spirit on us. The young will prophesy and see visions. The old will dream dreams. God’s Spirit will be poured out equally on all who are willing, young and old, rich and poor, men and women. All will be equal before God. At that time God is going to bring judgment against those who refuse to follow Him, but those who call on His name will be saved.
     Let us gather together for fasting and mourning, confessing our sins and repenting of our sinful ways. Then let us rejoice in the good things that God is about to do. Let us rejoice in the ways that He is going to reveal His power among us. I will promise to embrace prophecy, no matter who it comes from. I will revel in the visions and dreams that God gives His people. By doing this I can be a witness to those around me and hopefully convict a few more to turn to God and follow His ways.

Another View Of The Giving Tree At First United Methodist Church In Perkasie

Revelation 1:1-20

I begin the Book of Revelation. Revelation is a difficult book that all too many Christians avoid, partly because it scares them and partly because of all of the crackpots who have attempted to use it to predict when Jesus will return. I do not believe that John’s Revelation was intended for us to figure out when Jesus will return. Its purpose is to prepare us for the things that will happen around us and to show us that no matter how much evil may seem to dominate, God is in control of all that happens.
John begins by telling us that God will bless those who read this prophecy, listen to its message and obey what it says. He specifically addressed this letter to the seven churches of the Roman province of Asia (western Turkey). John gives us some great language describing God. He tells us that God is, was and is to come. God is with us today. If we look back into the past, we can see that God was there as well. As we move into the future we can have faith that God will be there with us as well. God has always been and always will be. It was God who started things off and it will be God who brings things to an end. There is no place or time to get away from God.

Psalm 128:1-6

Those who fear the Lord and follow His ways will be blessed. They will flourish and thrive. Those that marry will have a marriage that is joyful and blessed.

Proverbs 29:18

Those who do not accept divine guidance will live life with no discipline and no plan. Those who obey God’s instructions will find joy.

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December 8, 2012 Bible Study

December 7, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Hosea 10-14:9

Hosea condemned Israel because the richer it got, the more it sought out pagan gods to worship. Hosea condemns the people of Israel make covenants they have no intention of keeping. They have cultivated wickedness and wonder that the only harvest they get is sin. They trusted in mighty armies for their safety rather than in the God who can save. The merchants cheat and steal and boast that they have made themselves rich. They have gathered wealth by defrauding those around them and claim to be honest because no one has caught them. Doesn’t this sound like our culture today? People seek meaning for their lives in everything but the One who can actually provide such meaning.
But the prophet tells them (and us) that the days of easy work in serving the Lord are over. Now we must do the strenuous labor of breaking up the hard ground of our hearts and plant the seeds of righteousness. Then, and only then, we will be able to harvest a crop of love. Now is the time to seek the Lord so that He will shower us with righteousness. It is time to turn away from our idols of consumerism and material wealth and turn to God. Time to confess our sins and ask God for forgiveness. Let us remember that God is the source of all good things. The paths that God puts before our feet are straight and true. If we look on the light that comes from God we will not stumble, but those who insist on closing their eyes to his light and continue to sin will stumble and fall on the paths God has laid out for them.

Poinsettias At the Front of the Auditorium

Jude 1:1-25

Today’s passage is from the letter of Jude, who identifies himself as the brother of James. He says that he intended to write about salvation but instead finds that he must write about false teachings that have entered the Church. He warns us against those who teach that God’s grace allows us to live immoral lives. They are a contagion among us. He tells us that such teachers care only for themselves. They live to satisfy their selfish desires. They do not anything that helps or feeds others. They are shepherds whose only care for the flock is to gather food for themselves. He compares them to clouds that do not bring rain. They block the warmth of the sun without providing the water that is necessary for growth. They are grumblers and complainers, loudly telling others about how wonderful they are, flattering others in order to get what they want.
We must do our best to no allow these false teachers to create division among us. Let us show love to those whose faith is wavering and reprove those who fall into sin. Above all let us remember to love those around us, even as we condemn the sin. Let us strive to show those we love (which should be everyone) how the sin they are chasing after is harming them.

Psalm 127:1-5

We can work as hard as we like but unless we are working toward God’s goals our efforts will be in vain. No matter how carefully we plan and how hard we work, we can only accomplish that which serves God.

Proverbs 29:15-17

Those who do not discipline their children are as guilty of child abuse as those who are too heavy handed. Children need to be shown discipline in order to know they are loved.

Daily Bible Study

December 7, 2012 Bible Study

December 6, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Hosea 6-9:17

The prophet calls for us to turn to God, to repent and follow the will of God. He tells us that while God has punished us, He desires to tend our wounds and heal us. God wants us to demonstrate love to others, not perform traditional rituals. He wants us to know Him, not perform empty ceremonies. The prophet tells us that Israel has weakened itself with its sins and does not recognize its weakness. When trouble came they turned to one earthly power after another for salvation, yet never once called on God. They turned to every possible solution except for God. They sought relief from their troubles by every means they could imagine other than turning to God. Does this not sound like the world around us today? People seek political solutions to the problems, rather than seeking to do God’s will and allowing Him to fix the problems. They seek to propitiate the gods of economics by one empty ritual after another rather than turn to God and do what He commands. Hosea condemned the people of Israel for mocking the prophets, for laughing at those who called them back to righteousness. He condemned them for being hostile to and laying traps for those men among them who stood up and pointed out the path back to God. Does this not sound like our culture today? How often do we fall in with those who make fun of people who attempt to live righteous lives in the public eye?

3 John 1:1-14

Today I read the last of John’s three pastoral letters. In this letter John commends Gaius for living according to the truth as reported to John by some traveling preachers who had recently returned to John and given him a report. John speaks highly of Gaius for the hospitality he showed to these fellow believers when they passed through. John then condemns a leader of the congregation local to Gaius, Diotrephes, for his refusal to help these itinerant preachers. Diotrephes even went so far as to excommunicate those who went against his instructions and helped them. Diotrephes was abusing his position of authority and John had plans to go to the city where Diotrephes was and expose his duplicity. Overall I see two lessons for us today. The first is that we should not allow Church leaders to stop us from doing what we know is the will of God. The second is that Church leaders must be held accountable for their actions.

Bhakail Yule, Gathering In the "Tavern" — Bhakail Yule, Gathering In the “Tavern”

Psalm 126:1-6

When God does wondrous things for us, let us not forget to praise Him so that unbelievers know where our good fortune comes from. We may be suffering but if we plant a crop of righteousness we will reap a harvest of joy.

Proverbs 29:12-14

If a ruler gives credence to liars, only those who are willing to lie to get what they want will be willing to advise him. Both the oppressed and the oppressor are created by God to serve Him. A ruler who gives justice to even the poor will lead a stable government.

Daily Bible Study

December 6, 2012 Bible Study

December 5, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Hosea 4-5:15

Hosea laid out God’s case against Israel. There was no faithfulness or kindness, no knowledge of God in the land. They made vows and broke them. They killed and stole and committed adultery. This sounds like the nightly news. Then Hosea says something we should take to heart. He says “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame:”. Even the priests, those who were supposed to be teaching God’s laws and directing people to worship God, were guilty of idolatry. The priests benefited when people sinned, so they encouraged people to sin. If we are among those who others look to for spiritual guidance, are we encouraging them to sin because we benefit from it (either materially or because we feel better about ourselves when we see the contrast between ourselves and them)?
Several times Hosea repeats in different wording that we should not place the blame on others for what is wrong in our society, instead we should look at our own actions. He tells us that the priests do wrong, but he tells us that the people do the same things that the priests are doing. In this passage this is not a statement telling preachers and teachers to be careful because others follow their example. This passage is telling the average person not to try and shift the blame to the preachers and teachers because the average person is doing the same things. The passage tells us that, yes, the women are committing prostitution and adultery but why should they be singled out for condemnation because the men are doing the same thing, committing adultery and hiring prostitutes. He condemns the leaders because they have led the people into a trap of sin and idolatry. However, there is no room for the people to complain and try to pass off blame because they chose leaders who were willing to lead them in the direction they wanted to go. When prophets arose to call on the people to follow the Lord, they were attacked and condemned. When I see what is wrong in society, there is no room for placing the blame on others. I need to look to my own actions, to my desire for material things rather than following the will of God.

2 John 1:1-13

John begins his second letter by telling us that he loves the Church and its members. Further he tells us that everyone who knows the truth does so as well. He loves not just some of the members of the Church, but all of them. Once again John emphasizes the importance of loving one another. This is not an empty emotion, but rather a motivation for action. Loving one another means that we act to give to each other that which is in their best interests. John transitions from telling us to love one another to telling us to watch out for false teachers by telling us that he is reminding us to love one another because there are false teachers (deceivers) who teach that Jesus did not come in a real body. It is interesting that John makes this link between believing and teaching that Jesus was a historical person and loving one another. He tells us that if someone comes to us who teaches something other than the truth of Christ, we should not invite that person into our homes. We should not encourage such people lest we become partners in the stumbling block they put before others coming to know the Lord.

Psalm 125:1-5

If we trust the Lord we will be secure. The land of the godly will not be ruled by the wicked. So, if you think the nation’s leaders are wicked, you better judge yourself and make yourself right with God. God will do good to those who are good, those whose hearts are in tune with Him.

Proverbs 29:9-11

A wise person can take a fool to court, but they will not gain satisfaction from the action. The wicked hate the blameless, but the upright seek to help them. You can tell a lot about people from how they react to those who have done nothing to be ashamed of. The last of today’s proverbs tell us that a fool vents his anger, but a wise person holds their back.

Daily Bible Study

December 5, 2012 Bible Study

December 4, 2012 AttilaDimedici

Sharing God's Plenty — Sharing God’s Plenty

Hosea 1-3:5

     Today I begin reading the book of Hosea, which starts with Hosea being given a very heartbreaking instruction by God. Hosea is told to go and marry a prostitute. He is to marry a woman that he knows is going to be unfaithful to him. God gives Hosea instructions on what to name his children. His first born he is told to name Jezreel to indicate that God is going to bring judgment against Israel (the Northern Kingdom) for an atrocity committed at Jezreel. God is going to bring this judgment to bear in the Jezreel valley. When his wife becomes pregnant again, Hosea is told to name this child “Not Loved” (what a poor child to go through life with that name) because God was going to stop showing love to Israel, although He would continue to show love to the Kingdom of Judah. Finally, Hosea is told to name his second son “Not My People” (another child for whom I feel sorry) because God declared that the people of Israel were not His people any longer. However, this is followed up by a prophecy that the day would come when God would once again call the people of Israel His people. He would reunite the people of Israel and of Judah into one people. They would be called the children of the living God. It would be a day of rejoicing when God planted His people once more in His land.
     Through Hosea God tells Israel that He will strand her in a desert place with no food, clothing or water. When this happens, she will run after the other things that she had worshiped in place of God in order to obtain life’s necessities and pleasures, but God will block her path. Then, and only then, will she turn back to God. She did not realize that the good things she had that she sacrificed to other gods were gifts from the only true God. As a result God was going to take those things from her and turn her out into the desert to experience privation and suffering. But God was going to win her back. The day would come when God would woo His people back and they would no longer view themselves as His slave, but as His wife. They would no longer seek after other gods. In that day, God would grant them peace and call those who He had said were not His people His people.
     I read Hosea’s indictment of Israel and it reminds me of Christians in the U.S.(and most of Western Civilization). God gave us wealth beyond imagining. Instead of using it to glorify God (there are notable exceptions to this), all too many of us used this wealth for our own pleasure. We began to act as if we were entitled to it. We put ourselves in place of God and used the gifts He had given us to honor ourselves. If we do not turn from our idolatry, God will take His gifts from us. But He promises that He will woo us back, that He will show us His love even as we experience the desert of privation and suffering. Let us turn to Him now so that we may show the world the goodness of the Lord and help fulfill this prophecy that people will tremble in awe of the Lord’s goodness.

1 John 5:1-21

     Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ (Anointed One) has become a child of God. If we are children of God, then we will love God our Father. If we love the Father, then we will love His children. We can know that we love God and His children if we obey His commands. Jesus was revealed as God’s Son by both His baptism (water) and His death (blood). In addition, the Holy Spirit confirms this. So we have three things which testify to Jesus as the Anointed One of God, water, blood and spirit. Those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God acknowledge this testimony, while those who deny that Jesus is the Son of God are calling God a liar. It is God Himself who is testifying that Jesus is His Son through these three things, spirit, water and blood.
     We may know that we have eternal life if we love God. And we know that we love God if we love our fellow believers. We know we love our fellow believers if we act to meet their needs. When did I last act to show my love for my fellow believers? I know the answer to that question and it is long enough ago to convict me that waiting for such an opportunity to come into my path is not enough. I need to seek a way to show my love of my fellow believers and of my fellow man.
     John has three themes in this short letter. The first two are closely related. They are that we are to love one another and that if we love one another it will show in our actions. Love is not passive, it leads to actions. Love causes us not only to want what is best for the one we love, but to act so that they will have that which is best for them. The third theme is that those who have been saved and become God’s children do not make it a practice of sinning. If we are truly God’s children we will not make plans to do that which we know to be wrong.

Psalm 124:1-8

Today’s psalm encourages us to think about what our life would have been like if God had not been on our side. Think of all of the ways in which we could have been overwhelmed by the troubles we have faced in this life. I remember my Dad talking about events from his younger years (in particular a girl he dated before he met my Mom) and saying, “But for the grace of God.” He rarely ever completely said what he thought might have happened if it were not for God’s grace but it was clear that he did not know why he did not make a decision that looking back he realized would have been a very bad decision. I see that in my own life. I look back and see times where I do not know why I did not make the choice that would have led to disaster, or where I made a choice that should have led to disaster but circumstances beyond my control intervened to deflect my life from a course of woe. Times that I look back on and think, “There, but for the grace of God.” Satan has laid traps for my feet, but even when I took my eyes off of God, God has been faithful and broken those traps in order to set me free. I will praise the Lord and tell the world that my help is from the Lord.

Proverbs 29:5-8

If we flatter our friends, we may lead them to believe they are more talented than they truly are which may lead them to take actions that will lead to their humiliation or worse. Evil people think they are freer than those who do good, but they are instead trapped by their sin. The righteous on the other hand are freed from the trap of sin and for this they rejoice. The godly care about the rights of the poor, but the wicked do not care about anything. Always remember that what someone says they care about is not what is important, what is important is what their actions show they care about. You can get people agitated by mocking your enemy, but the wise person will calm anger. Think about what this means when you judge the behavior of those around you, are they mocking certain people to stir up anger against them? Or are they working to calm anger so that people can work together? Do not judge them by what they say about themselves or by what others say about them. Judge them by what they do.

Fact and Fantasy

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December 5, 2012 Bible Study

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