For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I am starting to feel better and, God willing, should experience steady improvement to full recovery in a little over a week. I thank those of you have been praying for me.

    Most people know how dangerous it is to separate a mother bear from her cubs, but we often forget how dangerous it can be to point out foolish behavior. Everyone does the occasional foolish thing, and most people are appreciative when you show them their mistake. However, some people will viciously attack you when you show them the foolishness of their actions. They will go to ridiculous lengths to destroy you rather than correct their foolish behavior.
    The second of today’s proverbs is a warning not to be that person. In most cases, when someone points out that something you have done is foolish, they are trying to help you. If you respond to their attempt to aid you by attacking them, you are returning evil for good. The proverb warns us that those who return evil for good will find that evil continually finds their door.

    The psalmist reminds us to praise the Lord and compares God’s greatness to the limitations of other gods. I will praise the Lord for He has indeed done great things. I have examined the claims made for other gods and their accomplishments are empty.

    I think people often overlook the real essence of what happened when Peter returned to Jerusalem from Cornelius’ house. Everybody notes that the Jewish believers criticized Peter for associating with and eating with Gentiles. Everybody notes Peter’s defense of his actions and praises it as well stated (which it is). However, people rarely take note that those criticizing Peter listened to his explanation for his actions, and when they heard it, they stopped objecting. In addition, Peter recognized that he was accountable for his actions. This is an important part of how Church leadership should work. Church leaders need to recognize that they need to accept their accountability to the rest of the Body.

    Now we come to a change in the way the Church grew. Up until this point, all of the spread of Christianity was from Jerusalem. Believers left Jerusalem, went somewhere, and preached the Gospel, to Jews. But following Peter preaching to Cornelius, some believers from Cyprus and Cyrene preached the Gospel to Gentiles in Antioch. When the Church in Jerusalem heard this, they sent Barnabas to investigate. Barnabas, we are told, was strong in faith and full of the Holy Spirit. Barnabas encouraged the new believers and many people came to the Lord. Then his “adopt a stray” instincts kicked in. He left Antioch and went to Tarsus to get Saul. Saul came to Antioch with Barnabas and became an active leader in the Church there.

    A few years back I realized what a showman Elijah is at the confrontation with the prophets of Baal. He starts off by addressing the crowd, a crowd that has mostly turned away from God as boring, but is not quite willing to walk away from the nostalgia that was all that really still connected them to God. He called on the people to choose between Baal and God, making it clear that of their two competing claims, only one could be true. The people were bored by this call, the prophets of God had been making such demands of them for years. Elijah had an ace up his sleeve. He suggested a contest between himself and the prophets of Baal, one with excitement and fireworks. The people readily agreed, quite confident in the show the prophets of Baal could put on.
    The contest begins and Elijah, wisely, allowed the prophets of Baal to go first. The prophets of Baal danced around, cut themselves, and raved. I am sure it was quite entertaining at first, but before long I am sure people began to get bored. It was then that Elijah’s true showmanship came through. He began to mock them, suggesting that they were just not loud enough, or outrageous enough, to get Baal’s attention and that was why nothing happened. Then after the people were tired of the show and spectacle of the prophets of Baal, Elijah called them over to his altar. He carefully rebuilt the altar with symbolism the people recognized. It was all calm and deliberate. Then, when all was ready, Elijah made sure no one could claim trickery, he had the people pour water over the altar until it was soaked. Then Elijah calmly called out to God and requested proof of God’s power. Elijah was a showman, but he used that talent to focus people’s attention on God.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I apologize if my writing over the last few days has been below my usual standard. I have not been feeling well and if the doctor is to be believed I will feel this way for a few more. On the other hand, if my writing has not been substandard, praise God because it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that such is possible.

    If you want two people to be friends, don’t mention negative things one may have said about the other. On the other hand, a good way to separate friends is to constantly repeat, out of context, something one of them said in a fit of pique.
    If you are trying to decide if you have discernment or are a fool, this proverb provides a good place to start. How do you react when someone tries to get you to change your behavior? Do you listen and react to a single criticism? Or do you stubbornly refuse to change your ways after repeated punishments?
    Both of these proverbs can also be used to judge others. If someone is constantly telling you about something a friend, or potential friend, of yours said that puts you in a negative light, you can be sure that they are trying to put a wedge between the two of you. On the other hand, if they are constantly minimizing to you, or justifying, the things which the other did which upset you, you can be sure that they wish the two of you to be friends. As to the second proverb, if someone immediately changes their way when you criticize something they did you can expect that they are likely to exhibit good judgement in other matters as well. The flip side is that if they insist that their way of doing things is the correct way, even after repeatedly suffering for doing things that way, you can expect that they are unlikely to exhibit good judgement in other areas.

    The psalmist tells those who serve the Lord at night to praise Him. I always find this psalm inspiring, but something occurred to me today. Those who served in the Temple at night would have been rarely noticed. So, in some ways this psalm is for all of those who have the “thankless” jobs God calls on someone to do. I put the “thankless” in quotes because God will not forget to thank, and reward, those who do those jobs. However, when we find ourselves in those service jobs, let us praise the Lord. Let us lift up our hands and thank God for giving us this opportunity to serve Him.

    Over the last few days we have read about Stephen and Saul, men who confronted those they disagreed with very directly. Today, we have Peter, who preached to Cornelius and his household a message of welcome. It made me think what is the difference between the men to whom Stephen, and Saul preached and those to whom Peter preached here? Stephen, at least, preached to men who claimed the knowledge and right to not only tell others how they should live, but to force them to live that way. Peter, on the other hand, preached to those seeking to learn how to live according to God’s will. This is a reminder to us, both in how we should preach to others, in-your-face to those who think they have the knowledge and right to silence those with whom they disagree, with kind acceptance to those who are seeking, and how we should treat those with whom we disagree. Before he was saved, Paul agreed with those who martyred Stephen, after he met the Lord, he was often beaten, yet he never forced his opinion on others (except by force of argument).
    It is also important to make note of what Peter preached to Cornelius, because it should be the basis for what we preach. There is a little more to it than this, but the core of the Gospel is that Jesus is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. It is not me who judges your actions, it is not you who judges my actions, or anybody else’s actions. I will not try to silence you if I disagree with you, but I will try to convince you. I welcome you to do the same to me.

    The various kings of Israel who succeeded Jeroboam all sinned against God, but it was not until Ahab that the kings began to openly worship the gods of the surrounding peoples. I never realized before how low-key Elijah’s appearance on the scene was. Our first encounter with Elijah is when he told Ahab that it would not until Elijah next said that it would. OK, so maybe that is not low-key, but it seems a pretty bold statement for someone who has yet to do anything of note (of course, it may be that God had done some things through Elijah before this which are not recorded).
    The rest of the passage describes how God provides for those who are faithful. God provided for Elijah by a stream in the wilderness for some time by having ravens bring him food. Then when the stream finally dried up, God sent him to a non-Jewish widow. It is worth noting that when Elijah arrived the woman was about to cook the last of her food which was just enough for a final meal for herself and her son. Elijah told her to make a bit of bread for him first, and then follow her plan…except for the bit about dying. God provided her enough to feed Elijah, herself, and her son. If we put doing God’s will first, He will provide for our needs.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I apologize if my writing over the last few days has been below my usual standard. I have not been feeling well and if the doctor is to be believed I will feel this way for a few more. On the other hand, if my writing has not been substandard, praise God because it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that such is possible.

    Every time I read this proverb I struggle with how to express what it conveys to me. When a fool speaks eloquently they may convince many people to take foolish actions. It is even worse when a government leader lies. When a government leader lies a whole gamut of things can go wrong, from an innocent person being unjustly condemned to a nation going to war for no good reason.

    This psalm is a reminder that God’s people should live together in harmony and unity. Let us strive for that blessing in the way we live our lives.

    As I read this passage this morning, it communicated something to me that I don’t think I have ever noticed about it before, even though it is something I have deeply believed for a long time. Cornelius was a God-fearing man who genuinely sought to know God. Cornelius followed where his search led him and that search led him to Jesus. I believe that every person who genuinely seeks to find God and to follow His will will come to Jesus, sooner or later.
    On the other side, we have Peter. While God was showing Cornelius how to come closer to Him, He was also preparing Peter. Again this is how things work. God prepares us for changes in our lives before they come about. If we listen to the messages God sends us we will be prepared to serve Him.

    Despite being placed in his position of power by God, Jeroboam failed to even make a pretense of faithfully serving God. This passage makes it clear that he knew the role God played in his becoming king of Israel. When his son got sick he sent his wife to consult the prophet who had told him he would one day be king. Jeroboam knowingly turned his back on God in his pursuit of what he believed was his own interest. He suffered as a result.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    We apply intense heat to silver and gold in order to purify them. When we go through difficult times, let us remember that God purifies our hearts in a similar manner.

    The psalmist reminds us that none of us are pure, that we have all sinned enough to deserve death. None of us are in a position to look down on others for their sin. God offers us forgiveness for our sins rather than judgement because otherwise we would never have a chance to learn to love and fear Him. I count on God’s forgiveness and love, but this does not mean that I do not strive to resist temptation and avoid sinning.

    When Peter and John arrived in Samaria they prayed for the believers to receive the Holy Spirit and then laid their hands upon them. At which point the believers promptly received the Holy Spirit. This was obviously a very dramatic occurrence, because as soon as Simon the magician (well, technically no longer “the magician”) saw it he wanted the power to do it himself. He was so impressed with what happened that he offered Peter and John money if they would give him power to do it himself. Simon wanted the honor and glory that came with having that power. Peter recognized the selfishness in his request and soundly condemned him for it. Tradition has it that Simon the magician became an opponent of Christianity after this, or at least a promoter of heresies. While that is possible, his reaction to Peter’s condemnation is perfectly appropriate. This story warns us against those who seek to gain power in the Church for their own glory. It, also, warns us of the dangers of becoming proud when God works through us .

    When Solomon finished his dedication of the Temple God replied to his prayer. The promise which God gave Solomon in response to his prayer contains many elements which apply to any, and every, people. If people follow God with integrity and righteousness, God will establish them as a nation that will stand the test of time. However, if they abandon God and worship other gods, God will make them an object of mockery and scorn. If you love your nation and wish it to prosper, your best course of action is to honor and serve God. You will not make your nation godly by passing laws. Each and every person must decide for themselves if they will serve God.

For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    It is good to have unsatisfied wants and needs, it provides motivation to be productive. Those who have everything they need and want are not as motivated as those who must struggle to meet their needs.

    The last two verses of this psalm are a great reminder of God’s grace to His people. Let us not allow our current sorrow stop us from doing God’s work. God will give us joy at harvest time.

    As the number of believers rapidly increased, the problem with the arrangement described in chapter 4 cropped up. It becomes difficult to distribute resources fairly as the group becomes larger. This is especially true when the group grows rapidly. The Apostles proposed a solution of appointing seven men whose specific job it would be to oversee the distribution in order to make sure that everyone’s needs were met. The lesson we learn is that in order to care for the needs of those unable to care for themselves (whether that inability is due to a permanent disability of some sort, or to some sort of temporary setback) someone needs to know each individual in need well enough to know what they need.

    Solomon’s great success results from the fact that he chose to seek wisdom from God rather than wealth, a long life, or victory over his enemies. We should follow Solomon’s example in this (although probably not in much of the rest of his life).