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

    Always keep in mind that things may occur to change your plans for the future. Do not brag about what you will do because something may happen that will cause you to be unable to do what you planned, or to make it something you would regret.
    Do not brag about how good are skillful you are. If you are truly as good or skilled as you think you are, others will be quick to tell people about it.

    The psalmist recounts how God arranged things so that the people of Israel became a separate people who were dedicated to Him. If we look at history we can see other times where events were arranged so as to bring God’s will about. Events happened so that nations rose to power at just the right time to bring about God’s will. People made decisions so that they, or someone else, ended up at the right place at the right time. If we look at our lives, and the events that happened in them, we can see how they all were arranged so that we would end up where God wanted us. Let us praise God for what He has done for us in the past and serve Him in the place where He has put us now.

    In yesterday’s passage the writer told us that as we mature in Christ we need to move on from basic, introductory spiritual teaching. In today’s passage he writes about what those are, what things we should teach to new believers. First off, in order to be believers one needs to repent of evil deeds (repent means to both feel remorse and change our behavior) and place faith in God. Additionally, we should be sure to teach new believers about baptisms (interestingly, this suggests that there is a place for baptism as more than just an initiation into the Body of Christ), laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. Today was the first time I realized that this passage gave us a guideline on what should be taught to every new believer.
    The writer then goes on to more advanced spiritual teaching. He tells us that those who have once experienced the power of the Holy Spirit, then turn away from God, can never be brought back to repentance. I have always found this passage hard to fully comprehend. I know some people about whom this passage seems to apply. I know some people who were once filled with the Spirit who have since rejected God that when I look at their attitudes I can not imagine them ever seeking God again. On the other hand, I know people who are today dedicated to serving God and are bearing the fruit of the Spirit in abundance, who had accepted Christ as a teen, turned away from God in their 20s, and returned once more to Him. Sometimes I think I can see how these two groups differ, but other times I am unsure. Nevertheless, this passage is an important warning to us.

    Ezekiel prophesied against a group of men who were leaders of the people of Jerusalem. I know I am bringing my own biases to this passage, but I still think there is truth in what I am about to say. The leaders whom Ezekiel prophesied against were men who were telling the people that things were going well, and everyone was safe, as disaster was about to strike. These were men who claimed to be working on behalf of the people while profiting from the suffering the people were experiencing. Those leaders who tell the people that everything will be all right, when not only will everything be all right, but those very leaders will be among the reasons it is not all right, will face God’s judgement.

     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. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Ezekiel had a vision of the glory of God rising up out of the Temple in Jerusalem and departing from it. As the vision was unfolding, God gave Ezekiel explanatory side visions. First, God showed him a vision of twenty-five prominent leaders of Jerusalem (two of whom he identified by name). Ezekiel calls them out for planning evil and giving the people wicked counsel. He declares that they are telling people that the situation in Jerusalem is good, that now is a good time to plan for the future in Jerusalem. They were telling everyone that the city of Jerusalem would remain safe from the dangers surrounding them. Ezekiel tells them that God knows their secret thoughts and that they have used their positions to bring about death to the innocent. God will judge them and drag them out of the place where they think they are safe.
     In addition, Ezekiel addresses those who remain in Judea who think that they it is OK to profit from the misfortune of those who have been taken into exile. He tells them that God will bring the exiles back and when He does, they will reject vile images and detestable idols. God promises to transform those who are willing into His faithful servants, but judgment will fall on those who embrace the worship of idols and images.

     The writer summarizes the teachings which he considers to be basic spiritual milk for new believers. The basic things which every believer needs to understand before they can begin to mature are: the need to turn from sin, have faith in God, be baptized, the value of laying on of hands, the facts of resurrection of the dead and God’s eternal judgment. The author then goes on to talk about some of the things which he considers important for more mature believers to consider.
     He points out that those who have embraced and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit who then turn away from God and reject Him, will never turn back to God once more. This is different from those who have fallen into sin through temptation. I believe the writer is talking about those who turn away from God’s plan because they want to avoid ridicule or persecution. This does not encompass those who gradually fall into sin by giving into temptation, but rather those who justify their sin by proclaiming that God’s law does not apply to them. The writer tells us that instead of attempting to take the easy way out, we are to follow those who, with faith and endurance, show their love for God by caring for their fellow believers.

     The psalm recounts how all works according to God’s plans. Joseph suffered enslavement and imprisonment so that God could elevate him to the highest levels in Egypt. The people of Israel suffered enslavement in Egypt so that God could mold them into a nation and bring them out of Egypt to give them the Promised Land. In the same way, God uses the hardships and difficulties in our lives to mold and prepare us for the blessings He will bring us.

     There are two important points made in this proverb. The first is that we should not boast about what we are going to do in the future because we do not know what circumstances may come up. This also applies to actions of others. The classic example is fans who boast about how their team is going to defeat another, only to be embarrassed because some key player gets injured.
     The second proverb warns us against singing our own praises. If we have done something worthy of praise, let others tell of it.