Monday, April 12, 2010
Read Through the Bible in a Year - April 8th
Genesis 12: God’s Call and Covenant. How extensive of a call was given by God to Abram? What exactly is God’s promise to Abram? Who will be the recipients (be careful with this one)?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Read Through the Bible in a Year
Day 4
How extensive of a call was given by God to Abram? What exactly is God’s promise to Abram? Who will be the recipients (be careful with this one)?
How extensive of a call was given by God to Abram? What exactly is God’s promise to Abram? Who will be the recipients (be careful with this one)?
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Read Through the Bible in a Year
Day 3
Did you know that the Bible is a collection of 66 books? In fact, the Bible means ‘book.’ It is essentially God’s book for its focus is essentially about how God has revealed Himself to His world. While Christians don’t believe its content was given exactly verbatim, we do believe Scripture to be inspired and authoritative for our lives. There is definitely a human element in Scripture as people continue to be surprised at how ‘real’ the Bible is in the stories of violence, rape, adultery, betrayal, and death. Yet we are very often overwhelmed at how divine it is in revealing God’s self-sacrificial, committed, and compassionate love for the world.
So why do we read the Bible? Not for trivia, but to listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit to help us live our lives faithfully and obediently in the light of eternal truths.
Did you know that the Bible is a collection of 66 books? In fact, the Bible means ‘book.’ It is essentially God’s book for its focus is essentially about how God has revealed Himself to His world. While Christians don’t believe its content was given exactly verbatim, we do believe Scripture to be inspired and authoritative for our lives. There is definitely a human element in Scripture as people continue to be surprised at how ‘real’ the Bible is in the stories of violence, rape, adultery, betrayal, and death. Yet we are very often overwhelmed at how divine it is in revealing God’s self-sacrificial, committed, and compassionate love for the world.
So why do we read the Bible? Not for trivia, but to listen for the still small voice of the Holy Spirit to help us live our lives faithfully and obediently in the light of eternal truths.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Read Through the Bible in a Year
Day 2
How did the serpent twist God’s command (see 2:16)? Did Adam and Eve die? How was God’s grace shown to Adam and Eve’s disobedience? Did their punishment fit the crime?
How did the serpent twist God’s command (see 2:16)? Did Adam and Eve die? How was God’s grace shown to Adam and Eve’s disobedience? Did their punishment fit the crime?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Read Through the Bible in a Year
Day 1
Genesis 1-2. Genesis comes from the word meaning ‘beginnings.’ Here we have the origin of the cosmos and people are very important. In many of the religions surrounding the Israelites, their stories of origins (like the Enuma Elish) do not give people a place of prominence. People are often offspring of the gods. People are made to serve the gods. In the Genesis accounts we are made in the image of God. We are to have dominion over the earth. Also significantly, there are not gods of light and darkness, sun and moon, earth and sky. For our God has created even them! This would have served as a real slap in the face to the other religions of the day. It was a way of proclaiming – Our God Reigns!
Does that change how you read Genesis 1? If so how?
Genesis 1-2. Genesis comes from the word meaning ‘beginnings.’ Here we have the origin of the cosmos and people are very important. In many of the religions surrounding the Israelites, their stories of origins (like the Enuma Elish) do not give people a place of prominence. People are often offspring of the gods. People are made to serve the gods. In the Genesis accounts we are made in the image of God. We are to have dominion over the earth. Also significantly, there are not gods of light and darkness, sun and moon, earth and sky. For our God has created even them! This would have served as a real slap in the face to the other religions of the day. It was a way of proclaiming – Our God Reigns!
Does that change how you read Genesis 1? If so how?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Lenten Devotional - 24 Hours that Changed the World
Mark 15:15-23
Humans have always struggled with the need to make other people happy. In doing so, we sometimes make decisions that, although popular, may not be right.
Pontius Pilate was guilty of this very act. Pilate had neither courage nor conviction, so he gave in to a crowd that would rather release Barabbas, a murderer, than the Son of God. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior suffered excruciating torture and humiliation because Pilate wanted to please the crowd instead of doing what was right.
When I read this scripture, I wonder how many times in my life, I have caused someone else pain or humiliation because I didn't have the courage to speak up, do what was right or I was just trying to please the majority.
Dear God,
I pray that I will always have the courage to do what is right and not what is popular. Help me to always see that majority should not always rule. I pray that I will have the strength not to compromise my character just to be a crowd pleaser. In your name I pray. Amen
Penny Clower
Humans have always struggled with the need to make other people happy. In doing so, we sometimes make decisions that, although popular, may not be right.
Pontius Pilate was guilty of this very act. Pilate had neither courage nor conviction, so he gave in to a crowd that would rather release Barabbas, a murderer, than the Son of God. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior suffered excruciating torture and humiliation because Pilate wanted to please the crowd instead of doing what was right.
When I read this scripture, I wonder how many times in my life, I have caused someone else pain or humiliation because I didn't have the courage to speak up, do what was right or I was just trying to please the majority.
Dear God,
I pray that I will always have the courage to do what is right and not what is popular. Help me to always see that majority should not always rule. I pray that I will have the strength not to compromise my character just to be a crowd pleaser. In your name I pray. Amen
Penny Clower
Friday, March 19, 2010
Lenten Devotional - 24 Hours that Changed the World
John 18:28-38
After Jesus had been betrayed, the religious leaders led Jesus to the palace of Pilate. They wanted Jesus convicted of charges of blasphemy. In order to get a death sentence for Him, they took Him to the local Roman governor- Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the Roman governor from around A.D. 26 to 36 and was unpopular with the Jewish people.
When Jesus was brought to Pilate, the nature of the chief priests’ hearts quickly came apparent. Their hearts had been hardened to Christ’s message. The Jewish leaders did not want to enter the palace. They feared if they entered the house of a Gentile, they would become defiled and not be able to eat the Passover feast or worship at the temple. Therefore, Pilate went out to them and wanted to know what charges they had against Jesus.
Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews. Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world-His kingdom was from another place. Jesus explained that He was born into this world to be a king. His authority as king wasn’t of physical force but of spiritual truth. Jesus said, “You are right in saying I am king. In fact, for this very reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
Pilate did not want to judge the case and initially refused to sentence Jesus. Pilate heard enough to know that Jesus was not a threat. Pilate wanted to avoid making the Jewish leaders angry, and yet he didn’t want to give in to crucifying an innocent man.
For him to condemn Jesus was for him to condemn the truth. Pilate wanted the leaders to take responsibility and give Him a lesser sentence or let Him go. The Jews objected to Pilate’s decision and were determined to have Jesus killed.
In today’s reading, John reminds us that everything he described took place in accordance with the divine plan. The prophecy that Jesus would be lifted up was fulfilled. Jesus never deserved any cruel treatment. Jesus’ goal was to bring heaven’s glory to us. He lived to honor His Father in heaven and fulfill His will on earth. His death was a sacrifice that gives us hope for eternal life.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Please speak to us through your scriptures.
Thank you that your word is true. We put our trust in you.
In Jesus’ name~ Amen.
Amy Baker
After Jesus had been betrayed, the religious leaders led Jesus to the palace of Pilate. They wanted Jesus convicted of charges of blasphemy. In order to get a death sentence for Him, they took Him to the local Roman governor- Pontius Pilate. Pilate was the Roman governor from around A.D. 26 to 36 and was unpopular with the Jewish people.
When Jesus was brought to Pilate, the nature of the chief priests’ hearts quickly came apparent. Their hearts had been hardened to Christ’s message. The Jewish leaders did not want to enter the palace. They feared if they entered the house of a Gentile, they would become defiled and not be able to eat the Passover feast or worship at the temple. Therefore, Pilate went out to them and wanted to know what charges they had against Jesus.
Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews. Jesus said that His kingdom was not of this world-His kingdom was from another place. Jesus explained that He was born into this world to be a king. His authority as king wasn’t of physical force but of spiritual truth. Jesus said, “You are right in saying I am king. In fact, for this very reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
Pilate did not want to judge the case and initially refused to sentence Jesus. Pilate heard enough to know that Jesus was not a threat. Pilate wanted to avoid making the Jewish leaders angry, and yet he didn’t want to give in to crucifying an innocent man.
For him to condemn Jesus was for him to condemn the truth. Pilate wanted the leaders to take responsibility and give Him a lesser sentence or let Him go. The Jews objected to Pilate’s decision and were determined to have Jesus killed.
In today’s reading, John reminds us that everything he described took place in accordance with the divine plan. The prophecy that Jesus would be lifted up was fulfilled. Jesus never deserved any cruel treatment. Jesus’ goal was to bring heaven’s glory to us. He lived to honor His Father in heaven and fulfill His will on earth. His death was a sacrifice that gives us hope for eternal life.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Please speak to us through your scriptures.
Thank you that your word is true. We put our trust in you.
In Jesus’ name~ Amen.
Amy Baker
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