Samuels

I was reminded the other day that I love 1st and 2nd Samuel and I haven't read them in a long while. So, I have started them again!

It all starts out with Samuel the prophet. His mum prayed for him, God gave her her wish, Samuel went to live in the temple to serve with Eli the priest, etc.

But during all this, Israel is at war with the Philistines. So the Israelites went out one day to fight the Philistines one day. They were expecting to win, but they were defeated and lost four thousand men to Philistine swords. So the elders of Israel (as in the wise, decision-making people) said to each other, "Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies."

So that IT may save us. IT. Not the LORD. They were treating the ark as like... "the Ring of Power" of something--some magic object that would save them. They didn't even take it as a SYMBOL of God's power and covenant. That wouldn't have been right either, but it makes more sense than "the Magic Ark". This sounds like the same thing using the LORD's name in vain to me.

Then what happened? It said the slaughter was great and the ark (that could not do a thing about it) was captured. 30,000 men died, and every other man fled to his tent.

Study with Bekah

Bekah and I have been doing a Bible study off of the book ONE TRUE GOD by Paul Washer. You can buy it in hard copy, but there is a PDF online too. Bekah and I had our first meeting this morning at 8 on chat. We spent about an hour reading a section and discussing each verse.

Today's section had a few verses on what God CANNOT do. We say God can do everything, but He cannot go against Himself.

He cannot sin.

He cannot lie to us.

He cannot tempt us.

We spent a little longer talking about that last one. It doesn't sound as outlandish to say "God is tempting me" than "God lied to me" or something.

"When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone" ~ James 1:13

We talked about temptation. If God cannot be tempted by evil, imagine what a new experience it was for Jesus to be tempted by Satan in the wilderness! All a part of Him being human--part of the way He loved us. The next verse says that temtation happens when we lose sight of God and are "dragged away and enticed by our own evil desires". God has NOTHING to do with that! Just the opposite--it is all our flesh and Satan. God is merely the One who waits for us to run back to Him. He gives us that place to flee temptation...Himself!

The state of the heart when you come before the LORD

My heart is not proud, O LORD,

my eyes are not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

But I have stilled and quieted my soul;

like a weaned child with its mother,

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

~ Psalm 131

What is this but the perfect soil for the LORD to plant in? The thing about a weaned child is that it doesn't know where its food is going to come from. I mean the food used to be just RIGHT THERE, but now he has to trust completely that his parents will bring his food from a source unbeknownst to him.

Exactly the state we are in with our Father.

Thoughts on reading through the Bible in 90 days

It was a wild ride! Most days I would start reading in the morning and slowly tackle bits of it through the day and finish it all up at night. There were days when I fell behind, and when you fall behind, it takes a looooooooooooong time to catch back up! :P The best thing about it was that, no matter what passage anybody brought up at church or whenever, I was able to do, "Oh yeah, I just read that" and everything was fresh on my mind. (That being said, it's a lot to have on your mind ;) ) Also, of course, I can now say I read through the Bible in 90 days and that's fun :) Most of the time the reading was fun to do as well, except of course when the days reading is 15 chapters of Numbers :P All this said, here are the bad things about it:

Everything was at the speed of light - no time to think deeply about anything before BANG! You're in the next book of the Bible. And once you start, there's no turning back! It's impossible! Once you have that reading plan in your favorites online it's always there wanting you to come back! Also, with all the reading there is to do, it is oftentimes hard to see it as time with the LORD, as opposed to assigned homework or something of the like. I really had to work hard emotionally to keep my head where it was supposed to be. Toward the end I finally got into a groove of reading half during the day to get it done, and then taking some time on the last half at night for some more study and talking to God. If you're going to take this on, do it this way :)

All things considered, it was a big challenge with not a whole lot to show at the end of it. Though I can't really say this, because who knows? Maybe God trekked me through it because I'll need the experience for...something. Or maybe he cleared out some things in my heart I'm not aware of, or just used it opened a door to make space for something He'll put in my life at some time. So, I shall end with this:

Read through the Bible in 90 days if God tells you to do it :)

Stepping into Jeremiah

Officially 5 days until I finish the Bible!!!! After I finish I plan on doing a study called Beauty and the Pig by Pam Forster, on the subject of Godly beauty. We started it a while back and then moved and never finished it, but it was good from what I remember and I'm excited about it!!! There should be more blog posts as well, since I am not tackling the reading at various times through the day and then getting done at 10pm.

But before then, I must tread the dangerous waters of the book of Jeremiah.

I may have said this before, but Jeremiah is the hardest read in the entire Bible for me. I can't put a finger on why this is, or how to fix it or anything. Not to mention I am surprised that in this 90-day Bible reading plan we are taking almost as long to read through Jeremiah as we did with Psalms. Am I the only one who thinks this way about it? If I'm not, please share your thoughts, and if I am, can somebody give me an idea as to why this would be so that I can fix it?! I don't WANT to dread reading Jeremiah, and there's no blatant reason it should be a hard book, besides the fact that the whole message of it is rather depressing. But not beyond readability, I generally don't mind depressation as long as I know everything ends up all right :)

And a prayer request - most of our kiddos are sick right now, and Jdude's got bronchitis (I'm calling him Bronchiosaurus ;P) and a double ear infection. I've got some sniffles and other weird things and I think everybody's got some symptoms >:Z My cuz has the swine flu too. Pray that flu season passes quickly and without further event!

Just ordinary dudes

Today Jesus left his disciples. But before he left, they recieved the Holy Spirit for the first time. Now I came to Christ when I was too little to really know/remember the difference, and I can't imagine NOT having the Holy Spirit. Check out how radical it was here in Acts:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

" 'In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' "

I can't imagine how amazing that would be and how many nights I would be not able to sleep just thinking of all this meant to the world from there on out.

Through the Gospels at the speed of light

My reading plan is ruthless - it has me reading Jesus's death, resurrection, and birth all on the same day in different books! It's a crazy ride, but reading different people's accounts of the same thing is interesting, because I remember what Matthew said about the rich young ruler fresh when I'm reading it in Mark 30 minutes later :) But anyway, reading through them this time I noticed much more emphasis on John the Baptist than I'd noticed before. Take a look at these quotes by Jesus about John...

"What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear."

And then later...

"But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished."

John had a neat life - he was born to his parents in their old age and he is famous for his time in the desert baptizing and eating bugs with honey. He was Herod's favorite speaker (even though he didn't understand him) and was beheaded because of a woman who had some problem with him. This? This great prophet that was to come before Jesus? He certainly didn't have the most glamorous life. Most of the prophets in the Bible have this common theme of prophecying and then being persecuted normally like everybody else. But John is a little different than all these guys. We talk about Moses being loved by God and all that, but check John out! I look forward to talking to this guy in heaven one day.

A good king

I read about Abijah king of Judah today and for some reason didn't remember him from before. In this chapter, Israel and the bad king Jeroboam is attacking Judah. Abijah stood on a mountain and yelled, "Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! Don't you know that the LORD, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master. Some worthless scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them. And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David's descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. But didn't you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.
"As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."

But just at that moment, Abijah and his men looked behind them. During this speech that I loved, Rehoboam had sent men to sneak around behind Judah to ambush them! "Oh no!!!!! What do we do!?!?!" They cried out to God to help them, and it says God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah. Judah killed 500,000 men. Rehoboam escaped that battle, but did not regain power during Abijah's reign. Finally the LORD just struck him down.

And guess what? Abijah's son was good too. That's two good kings in a row!

Another one of those verses I've never noticed before

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ~ 1 Timothy 4:8

You can jog and use your bowflex as much as you like, and it is good on earth, but has no eternal value. The verse before mentioned "training yourself" to be godly, like it's a workout. Godliness is good for life and the afterlife! I don't generally think of godliness as a workout program, but it makes sense!

My Favorite Psalm EVER!!!

Today the Bird woke me up early saying the peed the bed >:( So I cleaned everything up and did some Bibletime. My favorite Psalm was a good pick-me-up for a day starting a little crummily. I have the NIV, but I like it in NKJ better.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

I hope your day DIDN'T start out like mine, but even if not, read this psalm over a couple of times and keep it with you! It is Monday after all.

Yell some more!!!!

Elijah, the prophet wanted dead or alive in all Israel, one day marched right up to the king with a proposition. "How long will you ride the fence, serving God and Baal? What we need to do is find out who is really God. Call all the prophets of Baal and have them build an altar to him, while I build an altar to God, and we put sacrifices on them. We ask our Gods for fire, and whichever answers is God." The prophets of Baal looked at each other and nodded. "Agreed!"

So the next morning, the prophets of Baal and Elijah went out and built altars for the duel of the Gods. They drew quite a crowd, and Elijah let Baal's guys go first. They cried to Baal to send fire. Nothing happened.

They shouted louder.

Still no response.

At noon Elijah started giggling. "Shout louder!" He told them, with a mouth full of popcorn. "Surely he is god! Maybe he's sleeping, or deep in thought, or he's in the bathroom!" They shouted louder, and still nothing happened. When evening came Elijah said, "All right that's enough! My turn!" He dug a trench around the altar and filled it with water while the crowd whispered to each other. "What's he doing?" When everything was ready, Elijah called to the LORD. Immediately, fire came from heaven and even burned up the water! The people were shocked and yelled, "The LORD is God! The LORD is God!"

Elijah called to them to seize the prophets of Baal, and they did so, and put them all to death.

The blown big break

Well, Solomon did some things near the end of his life that made God quite angry, and He swore to take the kingdom away from his son, Rehoboam. So a Man of God went to Jeroboam, one of Solomon's officials, and told him that he would be king of all Israel but 2 tribes. Whoa. Uh... ok! This sounded a lot like when Samuel called David in from watching the sheep and anointed him king! But when Solomon heard about it (the kid looking for his lost kitty came and reported it), he tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to Egypt.

When Solomon died and Rehoboam became king, Jeroboam came back to Israel just in time to hear Rehoboam proclaim that he would make things even harder for the Israelites. Said Israelites rebelled and joined Jeroboam. Things are sounding good for our surprise king, but when you get the power fever you do things like... mmm... make golden calves to make sure the people don't go back to worship God, then join Rehoboam again. The people loved the golden calves, and God was not happy.

Instead of becoming this great king that could've done all kinds of things, Jeroboam's whole family was wiped from the face of the earth.

A Wise Ruling

King Solomon sat on his throne, listening to the musicians play. The herald walked in and raised his hand for the king's attention. "Yes?"

"Milord, two women demand an audience with you."

"Very well, I will see them."

The herald inclined his head, then departed. Solomon held up a hand to stop the musicians as the herald reentered with two prostitutes who were whispering angrily to each other as they approached. One held a baby, while the other clamored for it. The herald cleared his throat noisily, and the women seemed to remember where they were. After awkward bows, one woman raised her eyes to the king and began to speak, barely keeping the anger out of her voice. "My lord, this woman and I live in the same house. I had a baby while she was there with me. The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us. During the night this woman's son died because she lay on him. So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn't the son I had borne."

Solomon opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the woman holding the baby piped in. "No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours!"

But the first one insisted, "No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine! You know perfectly well -" What were once whispers became shouts, and the two women argued noisily, shouting at the same time.

The king rolled his eyes. "Excuse me!... Ladies?... Ahem!... Ladies... SILENCE!!!!!!!"

The two stopped shouting and looked back up at the king, waiting. "So let me get this straight," Solomon began. "You each think that the baby is yours?"

The women nodded.

"And you cannot come to any agreement?"

The women shook their heads.

"Very well." The king turned to the herald. "Bring me a sword."

The women glanced at each other. The herald placed a sword in the king's hand, then held out his hands for the baby. The woman, confused, handed the baby to the herald. "Wha - what are you gonna..."

The king looked at his reflection in the sword he held. "We shall cut the child in two. That way you may each have half."

The first woman's eyes widened. "Oh no! Don't kill him! You may give him to the other woman, just don't kill him!"

The other woman shrugged. "Well, now neither of us will have him. I suppose it is the only thing to do!"

Solomon smiled. He looked at the herald. "Give the baby to the first woman - she is his real mother."

The Work of our Hands

"The people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me with what their hands have made, declares the LORD."

In this verse in Jeremiah, we assume that God is talking about the idols the Israelites have made. But what if it is more? The Israelites surely made lots of things not idol-wise that served to provoke the LORD.

Our pastor recently finished a series on glorifying God. He pointed out that EVERY SINGLE THING we EVER do must be done to glorify God. Obviously, the Israelites weren't even thinking of God with anything they did.

How often do we do the same thing? How often do we do things for the approval of people or just for ourselves? I know with a lot of those normal day-to-day things I don't think about what God would think about this thing I was doing. But I don't want to provoke him with what I do - I want to glorify him!

I don't guess that made a lot of sense to anybody except me:Z

The Lord SPEAKS!?!?!!!!

I have decided that the last thing I would ever want to happen to me is this that happened to Job. He was moaning about how he was clean and God was punishing him for no reason. THEN the LORD SPOKE BACK!!!!!!! That's the last thing I would ever want - to be whining pointlessly and saying some things I probably shouldn't say, then hear God speak through a storm to call me out!

But God basically awed Job with his power, and made some statements like these:

"Who is this that darkens my counsel

with words without knowledge?"

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?

Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!

Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,

or who laid its cornerstone-
while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?"

"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea

or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been shown to you?

Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?
Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?

Tell me, if you know all this."

"Can you raise your voice to the clouds

and cover yourself with a flood of water?
Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?

Who endowed the heart with wisdom

or gave understanding to the mind?"

Those are just a few! But you should really read the whole Job 38-39. It is a great reminder of what God can do from his own mouth! And he covers everything - we have an all-powerful God!!!

Which do we choose?

God has been stressing about choosing him over the past little while. It's the, "well, I know I didn't finish my Bible time yet, but I'll just look at my library books for just a minute first..." kinda stuff.

Today I read about Jesus being handed over to Pilate (that time when Judas chose money over his master). Pilate didn't want to kill Jesus, because he hadn't done anything wrong. So he went to the crowd and asked them who he should release - Jesus, or some dangerous murderer guy named Barabbas. They shouted "Barabbas!!!!!!!"

"Wha...?" said Pilate. He was shocked! The murderer? These people CHOSE the bad guy who had, and would probably hurt them again instead of Jesus, the one who'd been healing their sick and feeding them all out of a lunchbox.

We look at that in the Bible and roll our eyes. "How ridiculous!" But we do that every single day!!!!!!! It needs to stop.

That's what I'm going to be working on. Care to join me anyone?

Evil or Affliction?

"Beware of turning to evil,

which you seem to prefer to affliction."

~ Job 36:21

This verse jumped out of the page at me and said, "HEY! Check it out!" Elihu is saying this sassy bit to Job, but I didn't really think about Job when I read it.

Once our church/homeschool group/friends whatever did a play called THE CATACOMBS. It was about the Christians having to hide out and I don't remember the history right now. The whole time they were hiding they had all kinds of problems - sickness, lack of food, etc. But in the end, the bad guys found them and they were shot one by one for not denying their faith. This is not an uncommon thing in many countries, but in America today were are allowed to worship God if we wish without fear of getting shot about it.

But what if that were to change? Would we turn to evil, preferring it to affliction? Or would we stand for God no matter what happened to us?

To the promised land or bust!

The Israelites are thinking bust. There was no water to drink (in the desert:Z) and they started whining again. They went to Moses and said, "Give us water to drink! Is the LORD among us or not?" Strange question, seeing as he just parted the ocean for them. Moses said, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put God to the test?" But they whined all the more. Moses sighed and went to talk to God. "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me!"

The LORD answered, "Take in your hand the rock with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." Moses did so, and the people drank it.

I was kinda wondering why God waited until they grumbled to give them water, but then I thought... he didn't! It sounds more like he waited until they were uncomfortable to see if they would trust him - and they didn't. God still does that - puts us in uncomfortable positions to see if we fall apart, or if we trust him to see us through.

Psalm 45:10-11

"Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."

Our church did a ladies' Bible study once that talked about these verses. It talked about God being enthralled by our beauty and calling us to his side. When God calls us, we can run to Him with reckless abandon, leaving our former lives in the dust! It's time to be with God and live a whole new life!

I don't know if I described that well at all, it sounded much better in the study:Z

David Hiding Out

Saul has kept on pursuing David, but again David spared Saul's life when he could've killed him. Saul again said that he would stop chasing David, but this time David knows better than to believe him. He gathered his 600 men and said, "One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand." So they all went to the bad guys' place, and the king was pleased with David and made him his bodyguard. All was well until about the time the Philistines were planning to attack David's homeland. The king said to him, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army." David was game, but while they were on their way the king's men said, "No way! Send that guy back! He'll turn on us in the middle of the fight!" So the king reluctantly sent David back - good thing for him he did.

BUT when David and his men returned to the towns they were living in, they found that everything had been raided and all the women and children had been carried off! Da-da-da-DAAAAA! David and the mighty men to the rescue!!! Not only did they bring back all their family, but the plundered the enemy as well!!! Huzzah!

Little did David know that his "new friends" the Philistines were whooping up on Israel - and they killed Saul and David's best friend Jonathan.