All posts by AttilaDimedici

December 26, 2013 Bible Study — Meditate On God’s Greatness, Then Proclaim It

     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.

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Zechariah 9:1-17

     Zechariah prophesies the fall and destruction of all of Israel’s neighbors. Their destruction will be so devastating that those who survive will turn to God and join with the Israelites in worshiping Him. At the same time, God will send a King to bring peace to Israel and the world. This King will not bring peace through might and power, instead He will bring peace through humility and service. The King will come, not as a ruler, but as a servant leader. He will do away with weapons and armies. God’s people will be victorious as they follow the King He has given them, not through military might, but through serving and relying on God.

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Revelation 17:1-18

     Next in John’s vision was the image of a woman sitting on a beast with seven heads and ten horns. John is told that the woman is a prostitute who rules over much of the earth. The rulers of the world have committed adultery with her and the people of the world have indulged, to the point of drunkenness, in her immorality. The beast upon which she sits will gather the power of many kings and go to war against the Lamb of God, but they will be defeated by the Lamb. Despite the fact that the woman has provided immoral delights to the peoples and rulers she rules over, they will hate her. In the form of the beast, and the rulers who are represented by its heads and horns, the peoples of the world will turn on the prostitute and destroy her.
     There is a lot of symbolism in this passage, and I believe it refers to a specific set of events. I am also convinced that there are general messages for us in this passage as well. One general message is that nations and people can come to be dominant in the world through offering trade and things which people desire. Yet if that nation and people do not maintain a godly set of morality, the peoples they dominate will hate them and turn on them at the first opportunity, even if that means yielding authority and power to those who are blatantly evil, those who are obviously a beast. The only path to peaceful victory is to follow the Lamb’s example of servant leadership.

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Psalm 145:1-21

     The psalmist reminds us that each generation must tell the next of God’s mighty acts and wondrous deeds. I will meditate on God’s majesty and splendor, but I will not stop there. I will go from meditating on God’s greatness to proclaiming it to those I meet. God keeps His promises and helps those bent beneath their loads. He will keep close to those who call on Him and satisfy the desires of those who fear Him. He protects those who love Him but destroys the wicked. I will praise the Lord and call on everyone to bless His Holy name.

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Proverbs 30:32

     If you have boasted of your greatness or plotted evil, now is the time to recognize your error and change your ways. Do not continue to boast, or follow through on your plots. Otherwise, you will suffer for your actions.

December 25, 2013 Bible Study — Joyful Indeed Are Those Whose God Is the Lord

     I want to wish everyone reading my blog today a Merry Christmas. May the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate this day, bless you in the coming year and grant you the confidence and faith to serve our God with a willing, merciful heart. I pray that God may grant you healing in all of the places which the sin of this world has broken you, just as He is doing for me.
     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.

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Zechariah 8:1-23

     Zechariah gives a prophesy here where he states that God is going to bring His people back to Jerusalem from all over the world, from the east and from the west. He reminds them that before they started work on the Temple, before they started the work which God had given them, they had no jobs and no money. In short, when they were dedicating all of their resources to their own desires, the economy was terrible, but after they began dedicating a share of their resources to doing God’s work, the economy recovered. Zechariah continues by telling them to be strong and continue doing God’s work. They are to stop telling lies and tell each other the truth. They are to ensure that everyone receives justice in their courts. If they do these things, the day will soon come where people from every nation will wish to walk with them in service to God because of the blessings which they have received from doing so.

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Revelation 16:1-21

     John’s vision now contained seven angels who poured out seven bowls of God’s wrath upon the earth. The first bowl caused those who had accepted the mark of the beast and worshiped his statue to break out with malignant sores. This sounds to me like a plague which only effects those
who worship the beast. I think this is representative of the diseases which those who fully embrace immoral practices experience. The second and third bowls caused the bodies of water over the entire earth to become foul and undrinkable. The fourth bowl caused the Sun to become hotter, causing the earth to be scorched. The fifth bowl caused darkness to fall on the lands which worshiped the beast. Despite all of the suffering caused by their evil actions, the people who worshiped the beast not only refused to turn from their evil, they cursed God for allowing them to suffer the consequences of their actions.
     The sixth bowl caused the Euphrates River to dry up, allowing the kings of the East to march their armies west without hindrance. At this point, three evil spirits emerged and gathered the armies of all of the rulers of the earth at Armageddon in order to do battle against God. Finally, when the seventh bowl is emptied there will be thunder and lightning, a great earthquake, and a hailstorm. The earthquake will destroy many cities, cause islands to disappear, and level the mountains. Hail stones the size of a large dog will fall from the sky. Once again, rather than repent of their sins, people will curse God for the consequences of their actions.
     I am not sure what all to make of this passage, except that those who wallow in sinful behavior will always blame others for the suffering which they experience as a consequence of their sin. If no person can be blamed, they will blame God for allowing them to suffer harm as a result of their actions. I will strive to always turn to God and repent my sins when those sins lead me to suffer.

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Psalm 144:1-15

     What a psalm of joy for this day. God will be our refuge and our deliverer. My thoughts echo those of the psalmist. Who am I that God should notice me? Let alone send His son, whose birth we celebrate today, to suffer and die for my deliverance? Yet, He did so. He reached down from heaven and rescued me from despair. I will sing praises to God, both today and every day.

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Proverbs 30:29-31

     The writer tells us today that not everyone who struts about is as dangerous as they think. The lion and the king leading an army are examples of proud and dangerous creatures, but the rooster is just as proud and not nearly as dangerous (the male goat is somewhere in between). I am not sure if this is a note to tell us that if we walk proudly, most will leave us alone, or an instruction that not everyone who acts like they are powerful is as dangerous as they pretend.

December 24, 2013 Bible Study — The Place To Start When Facing Depression

     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.

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Zechariah 6-7:14

     A delegation went to Zechariah and asked him if they should continue to mourn and fast on the anniversary of the destruction of the Temple, now that the Temple had been rebuilt. Zechariah responded by asking them if they had truly been fasting for God. He then told them that when they had holy festivals, they ate and drank to please themselves rather than to glorify God. He tells them that he has the same message that the prophets gave their ancestors, a message to which their ancestors had refused to listen.
     Zechariah tells them that rather than worry about feast days and fast days God wants them to judge fairly and show mercy and kindness to one another. God desires that they not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, or the poor. In addition, God commands that they not scheme against one another. This was the message to which their ancestors did not listen and as a result God sent them into exile. By their sins they had turned their pleasant land into a desert. This is an important message for any nation or people. If you oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and/or the poor and scheme against one another, you will turn a pleasant land into a desolate desert.

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Revelation 15:1-8

     As John’s vision reaches its climax, he saw a host of people gathered before God’s throne. They were the people who had been victorious over the beast by refusing to worship it or bear its number. They had remained faithful to God and now stood before Him to sing His praises. Now as His judgment was about to be poured out on the earth for the wicked ways of its people, they declared that God’s ways are just and true and all peoples and nations would learn to fear Him. All nations will praise and worship God in that day.

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Psalm 143:1-12

     I am not going to say that this is the complete answer, but this psalm outlines the place to start if you are suffering from depression. The psalmist appears to have been suffering from depression, but nevertheless he cried out to God. He was losing hope and paralyzed by fear, yet he remembered God’s great works and meditated on them. He turned to God and begged for an answer. He turned to God and chose to do God’s will. The psalmist rededicated himself to serving God and expressed his confidence that God would rescue from his distress because he believed in God’s unfailing love. I will not tell you that you may not need more treatment than this if you are suffering from depression, but I will tell you that this is the place to start. If depression is overwhelming you, cry out to God and ask His Spirit to show you what to do. Meditate on His word, seek to do His will, and His Spirit will show you the way out.

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Proverbs 30:24-28

     The proverb writer tells us of small creatures which give us examples to follow. Ants are small and not particularly strong, but they work industriously preparing for times of hardship. Rock badgers are not powerful so they make their home among the rocks so that other creatures cannot get at them. Locusts have no hierarchy, yet they advance in ranks like an army. Lizards can be caught by hand, but they are everywhere. Let us be industrious, choose places of safety to live, work with others in an orderly fashion, and go wherever God sends us despite the danger.

December 23, 2013 Bible Study — It Is Not By Force Nor By Strength, But By My Spirit

     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.

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Zechariah 4-5:11

     Zechariah has another vision in which an angel gives him a message from God concerning Zerubbabel’s task of rebuilding the Temple. However, this message is for everyone whom God has called to a task (which is everyone). No matter how simple or how daunting that task is, let us remember God’s word concerning the tasks He has given us: “It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit says the Lord.” We will not accomplish any task God has set us by force, nor by our strength. We will only accomplish the tasks which God has set us by relying on His Spirit.
     Zechariah’s vision next included an image of a basket containing the sins of everyone throughout the land. Those sins were represented by a woman named “Wickedness”. The basket containing Wickedness was carried to Babylon, where a temple will be built for it to be worshiped. The implication here is that there are lands and peoples who build temples and worship wickedness in the same way in which the people of God worship God and His righteousness. Are we building a temple to wickedness today? Or is it already built? Let us not worship at the temple of wickedness.

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Revelation 14:1-20

     John recounts how the Lamb (Christ) will gather the 144,000 (a symbolic number), who had His name and the name of the Father on their foreheads, and present them as a first fruits offering before God’s throne. Following this, three angels will fly over the earth proclaiming God’s messages. The first will proclaim the Good News over all of the earth. People of every nation, tribe, language, and people will hear the Gospel message and have the opportunity to turn to God and worship Him. The second angel will announce the message that “Babylon” has fallen. In this case, Babylon represents those dominant cities and nations which encourage the people of the world to embrace immorality. Actually, it goes beyond merely encouraging to using force to get people to accept immorality. Finally a third angel will pass over the earth announcing that those who have accepted the mark of the beast will suffer God’s judgment.
     A voice then tells John that those who die in the Lord are blessed, they will rest from their hard work and their good deeds will follow them. Our reading today ends with two angels harvesting the earth. The first harvests the grain to be gathered into heaven’s storehouses, the second harvests the grapes which are ripe for judgment to be crushed in the wine press of God’s wrath. The grain represents those who have served God in this life. The grapes represent those who have sought out the pleasures of wickedness rather than serving God.

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Psalm 142:1-7

     I will pour out my troubles to the Lord. When I am overwhelmed He knows the path I should turn and will guide me to it. Even if no one cares what happens to me, God will help me. He will rescue me from my persecutors. The wonderful thing is that even if I fell alone and uncared for, if I turn to God and listen to Him, I will realize that the godly have crowded around me seeking to help me in any way that they can.

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Proverbs 30:21-23

     The writer tells us four things which cause problems. When a servant becomes king or displaces her mistress(this is two of the four). When a fool becomes wealthy. When a bitter woman gets married. Sometimes people are upset by this because people are unfair and think that those who receive this good fortune do not deserve it. However, more commonly the problem is because when these types of people receive this good fortune, they do not know how to carry out the responsibility that comes with their new station and cause great misery for everyone around them.

December 22, 2013 Bible Study — O Lord, Control What I Say

     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.

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Zechariah 2-3:10

     As Zechariah’s vision continued he saw a man on his way to measure Jerusalem. Zechariah was told that someday Jerusalem would be so full of people and livestock that people would live outside of the walls. In that day, God Himself would be a wall around the city protecting it from attack. God was going to come and live among His people and many people would come to join themselves to the Lord. That day has come to pass. We are now living in a day when God lives among His people and any who are willing to come to Him may join themselves to the people of God. God has sent His Branch to take away our sins so that we may invite our neighbors to sit peacefully with us in service to God.

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Revelation 13:1-18

     John’s vision continued. He saw a great beast rise up out of the sea. The dragon, which is the devil, gave the beast its power and authority. This beast appeared to have a fatal wound, yet the wound healed. As a result of the wound and its healing, the whole world marveled and gave their allegiance to the beast. The people of the world worshiped the beast and the dragon, convinced that no one could stand against the beast. The beast spoke blasphemies against God, slandering God, His dwelling, and those who dwell in heaven. The beast was given authority to rule over every possible group of people on the earth. He made war against God’s holy people. The people of the world worshiped the beast, that is, everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life. God’s people endured persecution patiently without losing faith.
     Then John saw a second beast come up out of the earth. He exercised all of the authority of the first beast and required all of the earth and its people to worship the first beast. He performed many miracles in the name of the first beast and deceived all of the people who belonged to this world. He ordered a statue of the first beast built and he gave the statue the semblance of life so that it could speak. The statue commanded that everyone who would not worship it must die. Then the second beast required everyone to receive a mark on their hand or on their forehead. Without such a mark, no one could buy or sell anything. The mark was either the name of the beast, or the number representing its name. John then tells us that the number of the beast is the number of man, that it is 6 repeated three times. Everything I have seen says that the number six represented imperfection, while the number three represents holiness. This leads me to conclude that John was saying that the number of the beast represented worshiping imperfection.
     I am not sure what all of the symbolism in this passage means. However, there are a few things which I do understand. There will rise up those whom the world will worship in place of God. These leaders will persecute those who continue to worship God rather than these “beasts”. Despite the obvious imperfections and failures of these rulers, the people of this world will consider them to be worthy of worship. At some point, these “beasts” will exert authority over all forms of economic activity and will deny those who do not worship them access to any form of economic activity, even to the buying and selling of food.

Lee and Deep Creek during Tuesday's snow

Psalm 141:1-10

     This psalm is definitely one to make my prayer today. I ask God that He take control of what I say so that all the words out of my mouth will bring honor to His name. I pray that He not allow me to drift towards wickedness, becoming enamored of the things which the wicked consider sweet. I will not complain when the godly rebuke me, because they do so out of love, desiring to turn me from the path of destruction. I will not refuse such correction. I will call on God to thwart the plans of the wicked.

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Proverbs 30:18-20

     The writer of this proverb tells us that he is amazed by three things and a fourth that he does not truly understand. He is amazed by and does not understand an eagle in the sky, a snake moving across rocks, a ship moving through the ocean, and a man with a woman. I know how these things work and I have experienced being with a woman (my wife), yet I do not truly understand why they feel the way they do.
     Then the writer makes a comment which often takes us by surprise. I was raised to think of adulterous men as the ones who sought out sexual relations with no meaning, leaving the women they so treated hurt and broken. The proverb writer reminds us that adulterous women do the same thing to men. Neither gender is immune to the hurt and suffering that results from sexual relations with one who takes part in the activity and then moves on.

December 21, 2013 Bible Study — Victory Through the Blood of the Lamb

     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.

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Zechariah 1:1-21

     Zechariah also prophesied to the Jews who returned to Judah and Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile. He begins by calling the people to turn to God and to make God the focus of their lives. He warns them against making the mistake that their ancestors made when they did not listen to the prophets who called them to repentance. This introduction is followed by a vision which Zechariah saw. In the vision, Zechariah hears that God is angry with the nations He used to punish the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Those nations were given power over God’s people in order to punish them, but they used that power to do evil. God is now going to send destruction upon them to punish them for their evil.

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Revelation 12:1-17

     John describes the next part of his vision where he sees a great dragon attempt to devour the son born to the woman with a crown of twelve stars (presumably the people of Israel, with the twelve stars representing the twelve tribes and her son representing Jesus). However, the child was snatched away from the dragon as soon as it was born and carried to God and His throne. The woman fled to a place which God had prepared for her to stay safe from the dragon for a period of time. Michael and his angels waged war with the dragon. Upon defeating the dragon, Michael and his angels cast the dragon and his angels down to earth.
     Those who rely on the blood of the Lamb will be victorious over the dragon, the one who accuses them before God. Upon finding itself cast out of heaven, the dragon pursued the woman, but the woman was protected from his attacks. This led the dragon to turn his attacks against the woman’s other children, those who obediently follow God’s commands and testify to Jesus’ wonderful name.
     This passage may indicate a time to come, but it reads to me as being representative of history since the birth of Christ. Satan has been cast forth upon the earth and has declared war against those who follow Jesus. He is able to cause much suffering upon the earth, but ultimately each and every believer is able to be victorious over him by relying on Jesus’ blood and remaining faithful in testifying to their trust in Him.

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Psalm 140:1-13

     God will rescue those who trust in Him from the traps which evil people lay before them. I do not need to seek to defeat them, I need only follow God’s direction and commands and the traps they lay for me will not catch me. If I faithfully follow God’s commands, the traps that evil people set for me will fail to catch me. Those traps will instead catch those who set them. God will help those persecuted by liars and will give justice to the poor. I will praise God’s name and live in His presence, then I will not need to fear the plots of the wicked.

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Proverbs 30:17

     Those that mock their father and despise their mother’s instruction will suffer for it. They will be unable to recognize good advice when they receive it.

December 20, 2013 Bible Study — Putting God First

     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.

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Haggai 1-2:23

     Haggai was called to prophecy after the people of Judah returned from the Babylonian Exile. Haggai confronts the returned exiles over the fact that they had built luxurious homes for themselves but had not rebuilt the Temple. He points out that their labor is not producing as much as they had anticipated. He goes on to tell them that even what they get, both in harvests and in money, does not last as long as they expected. All of this he tells them is a result of them putting their own desires ahead of God. Rather than waiting until they are financially where they want to be before they start spending their resources on God, they need to put God first. This is an important lesson for all of us. There is a discipline that comes from putting God first that makes everything else we do more productive.
     I just started a new job after being laid off for a month. I will take listen to the message of Haggai and put God first. I will not wait until I have paid all my bills back to where they would be if I had not gotten laid off. I will put God first and trust Him to provide for everything else.

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Revelation 11:1-19

     John’s vision continues with Him seeing the Temple in Jerusalem. He is told that Gentiles will control the city of Jerusalem and the Temple courtyard, interfering with people worshiping God anywhere but within the Temple itself. During this time, God will raise up two prophets to prophesy to the entire world. Anyone who attempts to interfere with them during their ministry will die by fire which comes out of their mouths. They will have the power to prevent it from raining during their ministry and the power to produce other signs that they speak the word of God. At the end of the time which God has appointed them to preach, the “beast” will arise from the Abyss, overpower them, and kill them. For three and a half days their bodies will remain lying out in public view where the people of the world will gloat and celebrate their deaths. At the end of the three and a half days, God will raise them from the dead, striking terror into the hearts of all who witness it. The two prophets will then be called up to heaven by God. As they rise up to heaven an earthquake will destroy a tenth of Jerusalem.
     Following this, the seventh angel will sound the seventh trumpet. At that point the kingdom of the world will become the kingdom of God and Christ will begin His eternal reign over all of it. The Temple of heaven, of which the Temple on earth is but a copy, will be opened and all will be able to see the Ark of God’s covenant within it. At that moment there will be another terrible earthquake and a hailstorm over the whole earth.
     As I read the beginning of this a thought came to me. Since the view of the New Testament is that the Temple of God is composed of the bodies of believers, is John’s vision of Gentiles trampling over the outer courts and the city of Jerusalem a metaphor for our society telling us that we should only worship God in the privacy of our own thoughts and not allow our religious beliefs to enter into the public square of discourse?

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Psalm 139:1-24

     This psalm so wonderfully sums up our relationship with God. He knows everything about us, even things we do not know about ourselves. He knows our every action and every thought. He will go before me to show me the way and follow behind me to guard me from attack. There is no place that I could get away from God’s presence. Wherever I find myself, God will be there and able to see me in full detail. No matter what circumstances I find myself in, God is willing and able to guide me. God saw me before I was even born, while I was yet a zygote in my mother’s womb, even then He knew the plans He had for my life. I will seek His counsel and request that He show me anything in my life which offends Him. I request that He put His Spirit upon me and lead me along the path He desires for me.

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Proverbs 30:15-16

     There are those who can never be satisfied no matter how much we give. Let us recognize that we will never be able to give enough to satisfy all of the needs of the world. We can kill ourselves trying to care for the needy and there will still be more need. Let us not be disheartened because we are unable to satisfy all of the needs in the world.

December 19, 2013 Bible Study — The Day of God’s Judgment

     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.

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Zephaniah 1-3:20

     Zephaniah declares that the day of judgment is coming, when God will punish those who follow pagan customs. Those who fill their master’s house with violence and deceit will suffer God’s judgment. There are those who are complacent in their sins, sure that God will not act. The day of the Lord’s judgment will be a day of distress and anguish. You will not be saved by your wealth or political connections from ruin and desolation on the day of God’s judgment. The only hope on that day will be for those who repent now and humbly turn to the Lord, following His commands and doing what is right. There is still time, but it is running short. The proud and arrogant will receive God’s punishment. Only those who are lowly and humble, those who trust solely in the Lord, will be saved on the day of the Lord’s judgment. Oh Lord, I strive to be lowly and humble, relying solely on You for my salvation.

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Revelation 10:1-11

     During the period between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpet an angel came down to the earth with a scroll, one that is smaller than the one with the seven seals. The angel gave a great shout and seven thunders replied. Once more we have an event that stymies those who wish to tie this prophecy to specific events, because John was instructed to not record what the seven thunders said. Once this had happened the angel declared that when the seventh trumpet is sounded God’s plan would be fulfilled. The angel then handed the small scroll to John and instructed him to eat it. John was told that the scroll would be sweet in his mouth but would turn his stomach once he had eaten it. John ate the scroll and it was as he had been told.
     This passage is in part a reference to Ezekiel 3:3, where Ezekiel was also given a scroll to eat which was sweet in his mouth. However, it is also a recognition that while it is sweet to be given the task of speaking God’s word, as both John and Ezekiel were, some of the things which God gives us to say can be unpleasant to say (both for us and for our listeners). When God gives us a word to speak, we need to internalize it and let ourselves be changed by it. That change is often unpleasant, even though it makes us better people, people we would rather be than who we were before the change.

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Psalm 138:1-8

     I will give praise to God, He answers my prayers, He provides for my needs. When I pray, He immediately encourages me and gives me the strength to wait for as He works out His plans for my life. I will trust in the Lord for His word is backed by the honour of His name.

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Proverbs 30:11-14

     There are those who curse their parents, giving them no thanks for all they have done for them. They are sure that they have done no wrong, even as they torture and murder the poor and needy. Let me not be one of them. Let me recognize what my parents have done for me and acknowledge when my faults contribute to estrangement from those I should love.

December 18, 2013 Bible Study — God’s Judgment Will Arrive

     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.

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Habakkuk 1-3:19

     Habakkuk begins by crying out to God and asking Him how long will He wait before He acts. Habakkuk describes a time when the wicked far outnumber the righteous and justice has become perverted as a result. God responds to Habakkuk’s complaint by pointing out that He was raising up Babylon to bring judgment against the wicked. Included in God’s response was a reminder that just because God was going to use the Babylonians to do His will it did not mean that the Babylonians were not sinners. God tells Habakkuk that He will not completely wipe out His people, He will rescue those who rely on God.
     God may allow the proud and arrogant to prosper for a time, but sorrow awaits those who use violence or deception to gain wealth and power. Those who trust in their own creations will discover that their sins come back upon them. In our time of need, God will help us if we rely on Him and trust His name. Even in His anger, He will be more merciful than we deserve. God will march forth in anger to rescue those who faithfully serve Him. He will bring destruction on those who think that they can prey upon the righteous. Even in the midst of my struggles, even when things still seem to be going wrong, I will rejoice in the Lord and have faith in His wonderful love.

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Revelation 9:1-21

     John describes what he sees when the fifth and sixth trumpets sound. With the fifth trumpet a cloud of locusts would swarm the earth, bringing harm only to those people who did not bear the seal of God on their foreheads. They would bring such terror that those they descended upon would desire to die, but be unable to do so. When the sixth trumpet sounds, the four angels prepared for this day would be released. They would lead an army of 200 million mounted troops. This mighty army would spread plagues of fire, smoke, and burning sulfur throughout the earth. Despite these troubles, those who survived would refuse to repent and turn to God. They would continue to worship things of this earth and in their sins of murder, witchcraft, sexual immorality, and theft. Let us pray for our friends and those God brings us into contact with that they may turn from their sins and accept God’s wonderful grace. But let us also remember that there are those who will refuse to give up their sins, even in the face of the most terrible experiences imaginable. Everyone must decide for themselves to accept, or not, God’s wonderful grace, and each person will receive the consequences of their decision.

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Psalm 137:1-9

     This is a difficult psalm for me, but it reminds us that there are times when songs of happiness and joy are inappropriate. There are times for mourning and crying out to the Lord, rather than of joy and happiness.

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Proverbs 30:10

     This proverb warns against slandering (falsely claiming someone did something wrong) an employee to his employer. If you do you will anger the one you slandered and pay the price for your lies.

December 17, 2013 Bible Study — Prayer As an Incense Offering to God

     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.

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Nahum 1-3:19

     As I prepared to read this passage I realized that I really have no idea in my head what the book of Nahum says. I know it is one of the Old Testament’s “minor” prophets, but other than that I have little memory of it being used in sermons or Sunday School lessons(and do not remember what I thought of it when I read it last year). Having read the book I see why it is not used much, but think we would probably benefit from reading it more frequently.
     Nahum, which means “comforter”, begins by telling us that God is slow to anger, but that He will not let the wicked go unpunished. He is good and refuge against trouble for those who trust Him. However, none can stand against His anger. Those who scheme against God and rouse Him to anger will be swept away with a single blow. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was filled with many mighty warriors and much great wealth. The people of Nineveh were complacent in their lives because of their power and wealth. Nahum tells them that power and wealth will do them no good because they have made God their enemy by their evil acts. He declares that no one will regret the fall of Nineveh because of all have suffered from its wickedness and cruelty.
     The people of Nineveh thought there might would last forever and protect them from those whom they had mistreated. Nahum warns that once God’s anger has been aroused no amount of wealth or power will save a nation from destruction. However, those who trust in the Lord and fear His name shall rejoice because they will receive messengers announcing peace in which they will be able to worship the Lord.

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Revelation 8:1-13

     John now records what happened in his vision when the seventh seal was broken. The first thing that happened was that there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. For those who attempt to read this vision to interpret when Jesus’ Second Coming will be, this should present an obstacle. Because there is a period of silence between the events of the breaking of the sixth seal and the events which follow the breaking of the seventh seal. After that half an hour of silence, seven angels are each given a trumpet. Then another angel came forth and mixed the smoke from incense with the prayers of God’s people and offered it up to God. After making the smoke offering to God the angel poured out the burning contents of the incense burner upon the earth. This strikes me as a metaphor of pouring out upon the earth the pain and suffering which the people who worshiped and served God had suffered, the pain and suffering which had led them to cry out to God in prayer, in judgment upon the earth.
     Once this had happened the seven angels began to sound their trumpets. When the first angel sounded his trumpet, fire fell on the earth and a third of the vegetation on the earth was burned. When the second angel sounded his trumpet, a large asteroid plunged into the sea and a third of the creatures in the sea were killed. When the third angel sounded his trumpet, a star fell from the sky and turned a third of potable water undrinkable, many people died from drinking this water. When the fourth angel sounded his trumpet, one third of the light sources for the earth went dim, days were not as bright and nights were even darker. Then John saw an eagle soaring through the sky warning against even greater troubles to come when the final three trumpets were sounded.
     Those who intentionally inflict pain and suffering on others will have that pain and suffering fall upon themselves. The fires we kindle with which to burn others and cause them pain, will instead burn and destroy ourselves. Let us not kindle fires of evil which God will turn back upon us. Let us take the fires which others kindle in order to burn us and use them to offer a smoke offering to God, rather than attempt to turn that fire back upon those who set them against us. In due time, God will turn those fires back against them, let us not start other fires which may come back to burn us.

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Psalm 136:1-26

     Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. This psalm reminds us that God has done many great things including creating the universe and saving us from our enemies. Over and over through this psalm the psalmist reminds us that God’s faithful love endures forever. I will praise His name for that and thank Him for all that He has done for me.

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Proverbs 30:7-9

     This proverb represents what I have long desired. I desire that God’s Spirit move within me to keep me from ever telling a lie. Unfortunately, in the past I have resisted the Spirit’s guidance and told lies to protect my selfish interests, but I continue to strive to allow the Spirit to control my tongue so that I do not lie in the future. I, also, request of God the second part of this proverb. I ask that God not allow me to acquire so much wealth that I begin to believe I can take care of myself without His aid, nor allow me to fall into such poverty that I justify theft and deception as necessary to provide for my needs.