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.

     God laid out three festivals of worship for the people of Israel to keep each year. Every man of Israel was to present himself before God at least these three times a year. Three times of year they were to set aside their daily lives and come together and celebrate what God had done for them. This is certainly a model that we should consider for ourselves. Is it too much for us to set aside three times a year to set aside our daily lives and gather with our fellow believers?
     God goes on to tell the people of Israel that He will go ahead of them into the land He has promised them. He will drive those living there out of the land, but the Israelites must not worship their gods or imitate their practices. They were to make no treaties with the people living in the land or their gods. There are many who disagree with me, but I believe that this is sound advice for Christians, we should not make common cause with non-Christians to accomplish our goals. This does not mean we have to work against them when they are striving to accomplish similar goals to ours, just that we have to recognize that, even when we are working towards common goals, they have a different agenda than we do and are focused on other ends than we are. This is definitely a difficult position to clearly define, but we as Christians must be very careful about lending our support to groups who are ultimately promoting a message that opposes the message of Christianity.
      Moses went down to the people and reported the instructions that God had given him. Moses wrote carefully wrote all of these instructions down. Early one morning Moses set up an altar and some pillars. He had some young men make an offering to God. Moses then read the book that he had written of God’s instructions to the people. The people listened to these instructions, including the command to worship no other gods, and enthusiastically agreed to keep them. Moses then returned to the mountain to speak with God, accompanied by Joshua. He remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. (This is the second occurrence of forty days and forty nights as a significant time. The first being when the rains fell during the Flood.)

     Jesus continues His prophecy about the destruction of the Temple and the end times. Today’s passage starts with Jesus explaining why we should not be fooled by the false prophets and false messiahs. He tells us that when He returns everyone will know and His angels will gather His chosen ones from the ends of the earth.
     Jesus goes on to tell us that no one knows the day or hour of His return, except the Father. He tells us that it will be as in the days of Noah. People will be going about their business when suddenly those who have been chosen will be taken. We need to keep watch because we will not know in advance when Jesus is going to return.

     I will praise the Lord with the psalmist. When I cry to the Lord for help, He cares for me. He turns my mourning into gladness. I will give the Lord thanks forever.

     Another passage warning against getting sexually involved with someone married to someone else. Such relationships lead to ruin and even death.