For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 17:9-11

    Another proverb where I prefer the NIV translation. If you want to encourage love and friendship between people you will minimize or cover up what one or more of them have done which might offend or anger others. On the other hand, if you repeat what you have heard about the wrong people have done (gossip), you may cause even close friends to become enemies.

Psalm 134:1-3

    I have nothing to add to this wonderful psalm this morning:

Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up holy hands in prayer,
and praise the Lord.
Just lift up your hands, pray, and give praise to God for 30 seconds (or longer if you like) as you sit there before continuing to read more.

Acts 10:24-48

    When Peter arrived at Cornelius’ house, he informed them that it was against Jewish law for a Jewish man to enter the house of a non-Jew, or to even associate with a non-Jew. However, Peter further told them that God had revealed to him that this was not as God intended. God intended for us to think of everyone who sought to serve God as clean. No matter how sinful, or otherwise unclean, the background of a person was, if they were seeking to learn about and follow God’s commands, God has declared them clean. Let us follow Peter’s example and preach the Gospel message to anyone who is willing to listen, but especially to those who are seeking it out.
    As Peter was preaching to the members of Cornelius’ household, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. When Peter realized that this had happened, he instructed those who had accompanied him to baptize them. This is significantly different from the way we practice baptism today. Today when someone professes faith in Jesus, we typically have them take a membership class before we baptize them. In the various passages where baptism is discussed in the book of Acts, those who profess faith in Jesus and a willingness to accept Him as Lord are immediately (or as soon as practical) baptized.

1 Kings 15:25-17:24

    King after king arose in Israel, each one more wicked than the last. When Ahab became king, God raised up Elijah to prophecy and call the people back to Him. Elijah told Ahab that it would not rain in Israel for several years, not until Elijah gave the word that it would again rain. This did indeed come to pass. However, God provided for Elijah. First, by having ravens bring food for Elijah while he got his water from a particular stream. When that stream, God sent Elijah to the widow in Zarephath.
    The widow gives us a great example to follow. When Elijah first came to the woman and requested food, she told him that she had just enough food for she and her son to have one final meal before they starved. Elijah told her to go ahead and make the meal for her and her son, but first make him a bit of bread. He told her that if she did as he asked, there would always be enough flour and oil in her jars to make one more meal, until the drought ended (when she would be able to buy more). The widow did as Elijah asked and it turned out as Elijah had promised.

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 17:4-5

    Those who do wrong are eager to hear gossip about what others are doing wrong so that they can justify their wrongdoing to themselves. Liars readily accept the lies told about others. Seeking out gossip and readily accepting slanderous accusations against others are signs of someone of dubious character. If we do these things, others will judge us accordingly and we should be careful around those who do them.
    Mocking the poor for their poverty is an insult to God, who made them. If we rejoice in the misfortune of others, we will suffer for it. It is one thing to point out that someone’s poverty or other misfortune results from their actions in order to teach them, or others, to avoid such self-destructive behaviors (this can be a good thing). It is quite another to be happy that others have suffered such unhappiness. Let us strive to empathize with those who suffer, even when they have brought that suffering on themselves.

Psalm 131:1-3

    I will not be proud or arrogant. I will not become distracted from doing God’s will by thoughts about things which I cannot change. I will not seek to make myself look more important in the eyes of others by my explanations of difficult theological issues. I will calm and quiet myself as I put my trust in God. I will choose to echo the man born blind whose sight Jesus restored. “One thing I know, I was blind, but now I see.”

Acts 9:1-25

    This passage gives us an example of the power of the Holy Spirit to change people. Saul was a fervent persecutor of believers. Yet, when the Spirit struck him, he became one of the most fervent evangelists the world has ever seen. The very skills and gifts which had made Saul a persecutor of the Church made him a target of persecution when he became a believer. As I read this today, I realize that all too often we focus on Saul in this story, but the example we are asked to follow is that of Ananias. God told Ananias to go to Saul and lay hands on him in order to restore his sight. Ananias had heard of Saul’s mission to arrest the believers in Damascus, but followed God’s leading and went to Saul anyway. Ananias went into harm’s way in order to follow the Spirit’s leading and bring healing. Many people list Saul/Paul as the most influential man in the history of the Church, but if it was not for Ananias (who we often overlook) Saul would never have come to the faith he spent so much of his life promoting.

1 Kings 11-12:19

    Despite God’s warnings against marrying women from the surrounding people’s Solomon took many wives from among them. I have many times heard it said that Solomon had these many wives because, as king, he made political marriages to seal alliances. While that might be partially true, I think the passage hits more closely on it. Solomon loved women, especially those he viewed as somewhat exotic, and perhaps a little dangerous. Certainly, if Solomon had married these women for political alliance, he appears to have chosen poorly. As a result of his involvement with these women, Solomon began following the religious practices of the surrounding peoples. He worshiped Ashtoreth, Molech, and Chemosh. He built a shrine for Chemosh, and a shrine for Molech. Ashtoreth is known for her temple prostitutes, while Molech and Chemosh are noted for the various forms of human sacrifice practiced in their worship.
    Solomon’s actions, and failure to heed God’s word, left his son, Rehoboam, with a poor understanding of how to rule. When Solomon died and Rehoboam became king, the people asked Rehoboam to ease the tax burden which Solomon had imposed on them. Rather than listen to their request, or take the advice of his father’s advisers, Rehoboam chose to tell the people that he would increase the burden and rule more harshly than his father. As a result of Rehoboam’s stubbornness the people of Israel revolted against him. Like so many before and after him, Rehoboam thought that leadership was doing what he wanted, rather than serving those whom one was leading. Let us remember that if God calls us to leadership, it is in order that we may serve those whom he has called us to lead.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 17:2-3

    The wise will gain wealth at the expense of those who act disgracefully, even if the former begin their lives in positions of subservience and the latter are children of privilege. In the same way that fire or extreme heat is used to purify silver and gold so will God purify our hearts. When we face difficult times, it is God seeking to purify us. Let His work proceed to clean and purify us so that we become clean and pure.

Psalm 130:1-8

    Let us follow the psalmist’s example and cry out to God from the depths of our despair. No matter how desperate our situation may seem to us, God is ready and willing to listen to our cry. While our sins may overwhelm us, He is willing to forgive us. Let us put our hope in the Lord. Let us long for Him. God will redeem us from our sin, no matter how steeped in that sin we have become. All we need to do is cry out to Him and ask for His deliverance.

Acts 8:14-40

    We have the continuation of the story of Simon the Sorcerer in today’s passage. When Peter and John came to Samaria from Jerusalem, they laid their hands upon people and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw the results, he offered Peter and John money for the ability to do the same thing. This tells us that when people received the Holy Spirit something very noteworthy took place. Something which a showman like Simon desired the ability to replicate. Peter rebuked Simon for thinking that he could purchase God’s gift. Simon accepted Peter’s rebuke and asked Peter to pray for him. I believe that Peter’s rebuke of Simon was justified. Simon wanted the ability to deliver the Holy Spirit in order to gain glory and prominence for himself. However, I also believe that Simon saw the benefits of people receiving the Holy Spirit and wanted to be able to help people by delivering the Holy Spirit to them. I believe that Simon’s repentance was sincere.
    Shortly after Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, Philip was led by the Spirit to travel south towards Gaza. On the road, he encountered the Ethiopian. The Ethiopian was reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Ethiopian did not understand what he was reading. Philip explained how the passage he was reading was a prophecy about Jesus. The Ethiopian was seeking God by reading Scripture, but he did not understand what he was reading. In the same way that the Spirit directed Philip to the Ethiopian the Spirit will direct us to those who are seeking. Let us be prepared to explain the Gospel, starting from where they are.

1 Kings 9-10:29

    God accepted Solomon’s request. He agreed to set the Temple aside as Holy. He made it a place where His name would be honoured forever. The Temple is dear to God’s heart. While God is not limited to the physical location of the Temple and has chosen to act in this world through His Spirit living in the hearts of believers, He still maintains a presence in Jerusalem.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 16:31-33

    We should not hide the signs of aging, they are evidence of experience. Our society encourages us to hide our gray hair, when in fact we should embrace them as a sign of gaining wisdom. Those who are patient and maintain self-control will be more successful than those with great power and ability. Patience and self-control will yield success in places where power and ability fail.

Psalm 128:1-6

    The path to true joy is fear of the Lord. Our God is loving and forgiving, but when His power breaks out it is a scary and frightening experience. The more we know and understand about God, the more scared we will be of Him. However, at the same time we will experience His love and faithfulness, which will give us the courage to act according to His will. As John Newton wrote in the song “Amazing Grace”:

T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
Let us embrace that grace which both teaches us to fear God and relieves us of that fear.

Acts 7:30-50

    Stephen continues his defense and showing how his beliefs have common ground with those putting him on trial. However, he shows how the people of Israel had rejected Moses in the same way that they had rejected Jesus. There is the implication in Stephen’s argument that those who had rejected Jesus have the opportunity to repent of that rejection and accept Him, just as many of the people of Israel repented of rejecting Moses and returned to following him in worshiping God. As we witness to those around us, let us not give up on those who initially rejected our message. The Holy Spirit may still at some point touch their hearts and cause them to turn to God.
    Stephen goes on to point out that even though Solomon built the Temple God does not live in a house built by human hands. God will not and cannot be constrained by human action, whether that is the buildings we build or the rituals we follow. The Holy Spirit will move as It wills and settle into the heart of those It chooses. When God chooses to move in the world, He will not be constrained by human preconceptions. Let us not allow our beliefs to limit how God can work in our lives. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to act in us to accomplish God’s plan for our lives.

1 Kings 7:1-51

    When Solomon had completed the Temple he built himself a new palace. The residence he built for himself, and for the daughter of Pharaoh whom he had married, was more luxurious and gilded than the Temple he had built for God (at least by my reading). He spent twice as long building it as well. However, having finished his own palace (or perhaps while building his own palace), Solomon then hired a skilled craftsmen to craft furnishings of great beauty for the Temple. In many ways this passage summarizes the conflict which marked Solomon’s reign, and many of our lives. Solomon went back and forth between working to bring glory and honour to God and satisfying his own wants and desires. Let us strive to focus wholeheartedly on serving and worshiping God and not allow our own desires to distract us from that.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 16:28-30

    Those who stir up strife and conflict are troublemakers and perverse. They mislead their companions and plot evil. Watch out for gossip because it can cause a divide between even the closest friends. Those who are always planning mischief and looking for ways to stir up controversy are not good people to be around. They cause trouble for those who associate with them. Let us not be one of them.

Psalm 127:1-5

    When we make our plans, when we work to accomplish our goals, let us never forget the first verse of this psalm:

Unless the Lord builds a house,
the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the Lord protects a city,
guarding it with sentries will do no good.
If we put our effort into God’s plans and God’s projects, we will have great success. In addition, we will not have to work every waking hour, because God does grant rest to those who love Him.

Acts 7:1-29

    When Stephen was confronted with false accusations, he did not begin by immediately answering the accusations. He started by giving background on what he believed. Stephen established the basic premises which he shared with his accusers. This is an important thing to remember when having a discussion or debate with non-believers. Before you can make any progress in witnessing to people, you must find common ground in what you believe about how the world works. Stephen started out his defense before the council by describing the areas where they shared a common belief. It was only after he had established common ground with those who was addressing that he began to talk about the areas where his beliefs differed.

1 Kings 5-6:38

    When Solomon built the Temple, God made him a promise that applies to any project we work on. If we keep God’s decrees and regulations and obey His commands, He will live among us and bless the projects we undertake. In what ways are the projects we are working on bringing glory to God? Solomon built a great monument to the glory of God when he built the Temple. Let us build a similar monument with the way we live our lives so that others may come to glorify God as well.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

Proverbs 16:26-27

    It is good to have desires, they provide motivation for working hard. It is not wrong to work hard in order to satisfy our desires for the finer things in life. We should, however, also desire to help those in need. Let us work hard to satisfy our godly desires.

Psalm 126:1-6

    When we face hard times and sorrows, let us remember what God has done for His people in the past. If we are faithful to God during our hard times and sorrows, we will reap a harvest for God when He restores us to joy. Let us be witnesses for God, so that when He brings good things to us it will lead those who have not known Him to praise Him.

Acts 6:1-15

    As the number of believers multiplied, so did discontent. The Apostles were Hebraic Jews, that is more traditional in their background and culture. As a result they were more aware of the needs among the Hebraic Jewish believers. This led to those believers who were Hellenized Jews, more assimilated into the culture of the Roman Empire, to feel that those with needs among them were being neglected. The Apostles recognized this as a legitimate concern. They worked with the rest of the believers to choose seven men whose job it would be to make sure that everyone’s needs were met. This is an important model for us. The Apostles delegated some of the work of leadership (providing for the needs of the widows and others) to these seven men.
    In this new leadership role Stephen quickly found himself debating those Hellenized Jews (these were not believers) who questioned Jesus’ teachings. When they realized that they could not defeat Stephen in debate, they started spreading lies about what he taught. Let us remember to always take with a healthy grain of salt any accusation which non-believers make against our fellow believers. When they realize they cannot defeat believers in open debate they will often distort what they have said or don (or flat out lie about it) in order to put them in a bad light. We must be careful not to fall for such tactics.

1 Kings 3:3-4:34

    Solomon followed the instructions which David, his father, had given him. Except that he worshiped and offered sacrifices at the “high places”. Through out the Old Testament there are repeated condemnations of the practice of worshiping God and offering sacrifices to God at these high places. It never quite makes clear why this was bad. However, we can tell by “reading between the lines” that one of the problems with these high places was that worship at them often degenerated into idol worship rather than remain true to God. This is an important reminder that we need to be careful not to allow the rituals and practices we use to worship God to become the objects of our worship rather than God Himself.
    When God appeared to Solomon in a dream, he responded with humility. Solomon recognized that ruling well was beyond his ability to do on his own. He asked God for His help and wisdom so that he might do the task well. Solomon recognized that he was not able to do the task which God had given him on his own. God has given me tasks in this world which I cannot accomplish without the Holy Spirit. It is only through the power of God that I will be able to accomplish the tasks which God has set me. Let us remember that if we desire that God give us what we need to accomplish the tasks He has given us and ask Him for that, He will give it to us. He will give us not only what we need to do what He has assigned us, but much more than that as well.