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Daily Bible Study

October 5, 2015 Bible Study

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:23-25

    Those who show favoritism when they pass judgment are wrong. If a teacher punishes one child for actions that he lets another child get away with is making a mistake. A judge who declares that the guilty are innocent and sets them free brings harm to society.

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Psalm 77

    When your problems seem overwhelming and God does not seem to answer your prayers, look back over your life and remember what He has done in the past. And not just what He has done in your life, but what He has done throughout history. When you look at the wonderful and mighty deeds which God has already done, you will realize that solving your problems is but a small thing for Him. Further, you will see that He does not act until the time is right. Do not focus on your own troubles, rather, focus on God’s mighty acts in the past. You will soon realize that God’s love is never ending, His promises never fail.

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Colossians 1:18-2:7

    God chose to reconcile all people and all things to Himself through Christ’s death. This includes you, no matter how far away from God you were (or are). He brings us into His presence making us holy and blameless as we stand before Him. It is God’s action which makes us without fault as we stand before Him. Whenever I read this I wonder if Paul is saying that God makes us holy and blameless despite our actions, or if he is saying that God transforms our actions so that our actions are holy and blameless. The more times I think about this the more I come to believe that Paul’s message is a little bit of both: God makes us holy and blameless despite our actions AND by doing so He transforms our actions so that our actions become holy and blameless. However, as Paul said in his letter to the Philippians, I am not saying that God has completed this process, or even that He will complete this process in any one of us while we yet live. This transformation is a lifelong process. I have observed that those who seem to be the closest to being completely transformed seem to be the ones who are most aware of how far they fall short of God’s holiness. Let us work to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us ever more closely into the likeness of Christ.

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Jeremiah 4:19-6:15

    I am struck by several different things in this passage. Jeremiah felt deep pain for the suffering he foresaw coming upon the people of Judah. He did not confront them about their sins because he hated them. No, he confronted them because he hoped that they might turn from their sins and avoid the suffering.
    Jeremiah tells us that God searched for an honest person among the people of Judah, but did not find one (I would like to note that I believe that Jeremiah was intentionally using hyperbole here and was not actually telling us that no one in Jerusalem was honest…after all Jeremiah was in Jerusalem at the time). Jeremiah first looked among the common people and did not find any who were honest. His first reaction was to say, “Well, they are ignorant and untrained. They do not know any better.” So, next he looked among the elites, among the leaders of the people. Even there he found none who were honest. The elites and the leaders refused to be bound by God’s commands. I believe the message here for us is that someone must choose honesty. If the common people are greedy, selfish, and sinful, we should expect their leaders to be the same. On the other hand, if the elites, the ones from whom the leaders are drawn, are greedy, selfish, and sinful then we should expect that the common people will be as well. No matter what part of society you find yourself in, if you want others to be honest and upright, you must choose to be honest and upright. Let us choose to be honest and upright and call on those around us to be likewise.

Daily Bible Study

October 4, 2015 Bible Study — The Gospel Changes Lives or “At Last We Are Free From God”; Your Choice

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:21-22

    The proverb writer advises us to fear both God and the government. This is certainly sound advice, as is his advice to not join in rebellion against either. Both have the power to make your life miserable. However, there is a difference. while both may want what is best for you (God certainly does, and oftentimes government officials do), only God actually knows what that is.

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Psalm 76

    None can stand against God when His anger at evil bursts forth. God is slow to anger because He loves each and every one of us, but He will only allow oppression and other evils to go on for so long before He acts to bring judgment against those who are guilty. This is the reason I honor and praise His name.

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Colossians 1:1-17

    The Gospel changes lives. It has changed mine and it can change yours. In order for this change to happen you need to understand the truth about God’s grace, that we cannot earn His love, but He loves us nonetheless. When we stop doing good in order to prove our worth and instead begin doing good because we love God and others. At that point we begin to allow the Holy Spirit to enter into our lives and remove the desire to sin.
    The Holy Spirit will give us knowledge of God’s will if we open our minds and hearts to receiving it. The more we are willing to do and follow God’s will, the more He will reveal it to us. There is a feedback loop pointed out in this passage: the more we pray, the more spiritual wisdom we will gain; the more spiritual wisdom we have, the more we will pray. I am earnestly seeking that the Holy Spirit train me to pray more.

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Jeremiah 2:31-4:18

    I was struck by the first verse of this passage. Day after day I read the comments of people who are crying out, “At last we are free from God! We don’t need him anymore!” Yet, problems escalate and get worse. They seek one solution after another, but refuse to turn to God. Our society is killing the innocent and the poor, even when they were not caught breaking into their neighbors house. We have videos come out of people profiting from killing the unborn, and others respond, “Well, what’s wrong with that?” We have civilians killing each other in the streets of our cities, many times the deaths are innocent bystanders, and people are protesting about criminals killed by the police. We have a tragic incident of a man shooting up a community college and our politicians call for more laws.
    It is time, and past time, for people to stand up and declare, “Turn to God and beg His forgiveness. Repent of your sins and follow His commands.” We can seek on solution and another, but the only answer which will change us so that these tragedies stop happening is if we seek know God and follow His will.

Daily Bible Study

October 3, 2015 Bible Study — Rejoice In the Lord Always. I Will Say It Again: Rejoice!

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:17-20

    The writer warns us against epicaricacy, against taking pleasure in the misfortune of others, even if those others have been our enemies. God offered love and forgiveness to us when we were His enemies, let us do the same to those who oppose us. We are also warned against envying the wicked and wishing we were in their shoes. The wicked have no hope (whether they know it or not) and will be snuffed out as if they had never been.

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Psalm 75

    God has a plan, when the time He has chosen arrives He will judge the wicked. When turmoil strikes around us, when the nations of the world are shaken as by an earthquake, God provides a firm foundation. This image provided by the psalmist offers me such hope as I look at the world today. For most of my life, the world seemed politically stable, but recently there have been disruptions all over the world. The psalmist reminds us that even in turmoil like we see today, God will provide a firm foundation. The wicked seem to be rising to dominance in many parts of the world, but God will bring them judgment. The proud and wicked may shake their fists at God, but He will bring them to judgment in the fullness of time. In the meantime, I will praise Him, and rest secure on the foundation He has provided.

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Philippians 4

    There is great advice in this passage that fits together into a nice whole. Paul tells us that we should, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” He then tells us how we can find that joy. When we find ourselves worrying about something, we should pray about it. And not just about what we are worrying about, but about everything. Let us go to God and tell Him what we need, but at the same time let us thank Him for what He has done for us. If we faithfully do this, God’s peace will fill and guard our hearts and minds.
    There is one more step in finding the joy which God has to offer us. If we fill our minds thinking about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy, we will not have time to think about the things which worry and depress us. Just as if we fill our time doing good, doing the things God wants us to do, we will not have time to sin, so if we spend our time thinking about the aforementioned things we will not have time to think about things which trouble us.

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Jeremiah 1:1-2:30

    The first message of this passage is that when God calls you to speak His words do not say, “I am too young,” or “I am too old.” We must go where God sends us and speak the words He gives us. God will put His words in our mouth and we must stand up and proclaim it in front of those whom He sends us.
    Those who were supposed to teach God’s ways ignore Him. The spiritual leaders do not even ask “What is God’s will?” The prophets prophecy in the name of idols. Look around, people are trading the true God for worthless idols. People are no longer ashamed of doing evil. They are only ashamed of getting caught. If people do not repent and return to the Lord, His judgment will fall upon them in devastating fashion. Let us pray for God’s mercy upon our land.

Daily Bible Study

October 2, 2015 Bible Study — Striving To Emulate Christ

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:15-16

    The godly will recover from set backs time after time, while the wicked are devastated the first time calamity strikes. Guess which group you belong to if you are skulking around waiting for an opportunity to rob those who have done you no wrong?

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Psalm 74

    One of my concerns about the Church, the Assembly of believers, in the United States is that we see few if any true miracles. We do not see signs and wonders like those which Jesus performed. This psalm both gives me hope for the return of those days when the Church showed God’s power throughout the earth and helps me understand why we have not seen it. There have been times like this in the past, and there will probably be times like it in the future (unless the Lord returns before it happens again). The reason we are not seeing powerful signs and wonders is because of God’s mercy. When He once more shows His signs and wonders, His mighty hand will strike the earth. He will unleash His might and smash those who are His enemies.
    When we read the accounts in Acts of the signs and wonders God performed through the Apostles, we also read of Ananias and Sapphira. I pray for God to once more show His power through those who follow His name, but am I prepared for when those I know experience His judgment?

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Philippians 3:4-21

    Paul tells us that if anyone had a basis for bragging about their righteousness it would be himself. Yet despite that, he considers all of his acts of righteousness to be trash, to be of no value, when compared to what Jesus has done. This is an important thing, no matter what we have done that might be praiseworthy, it is of no value when we look at the wrong we have done. It is only through faith in Jesus that our sin can be compensated for. Paul wanted to suffer with Christ so that he could experience the power which raised Christ from the dead. There is a definite truth here. We can only truly experience the joy that comes through Christ when we are willing to sacrifice our interest and well-being for the betterment of others. Even then, we only truly experience it when we recognize that it is only through God’s free gift of salvation that our sinful tendencies can be offset.
    It is important to understand that as long as we are on this earth we have not yet been completely transformed by the Holy Spirit into the likeness of God. Nevertheless we should continue to strive for that perfect transformation. Let us seek out role models who are living examples of Christ and strive to emulate as they strive to emulate Christ. Always remembering that no one on this earth is perfect. As we are transformed internally into the likeness of Christ, so too will we, eventually, be transformed externally into his likeness.

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Isaiah 66

    God looks with favor on those who have a humble and contrite heart. It does not matter what sacrifices you make, what offerings you offer, if you are trying to be righteous by your own actions, to be justified by the works you perform, you may as well be performing human sacrifice. Until you recognize that you have sinned beyond hope of redemption, you will not be prepared to accept God’s grace. If you think that the little good you have done gives you an entitlement to God’s good will, you have failed to understand the depths of your depravity. As long as you are at the center of your life, you are an idolator and sinner.

Daily Bible Study

October 1, 2015 Bible Study — Are We Putting God’s Interests Ahead Of Our Own?

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:13-14

    Just as honey is sweet on the tongue and has other benefits, so wisdom is sweet to our souls and brings benefits beyond the obvious. Seek wisdom because it will make your life better in more ways than you can imagine.

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Psalm 73

    When we allow ourselves to envy the proud and wicked we risk losing our faith. It may seem that the wicked prosper without a care. It may seem that their wealth just continues to increase while they sin against God and man. However, God’s day of judgment against them is coming. We must not let ourselves become bitter because others, no matter how wicked those others may be, prosper. Let us, instead, focus on the good which comes from obeying God. Instead of envying the “good things” which the wicked possess let us pity them because they do not know God’s love.

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Philippians 2:19-3:3

    Paul commends Timothy and Epaphroditus in this passage, holding them both up as models for us to follow. We do not know very much about Epaphroditus, but we do know tha Timothy went on to become one of the leaders of the Church, post the Apostles. Timothy genuinely cared about the welfare of his fellow believers. He did not look out only for his own interests, rather he strove to accomplish those things which furthered the interests of Jesus Christ and His Body. As I said, we do not know much about Epaphroditus. However, Paul tells us that he served as a messenger from the Philippian believers to Paul and that he served as an assistant and co-worker with Paul. The key thing we are told is that he risked his health in order to provide aid to Paul in preaching the Gospel. The context implies to me that Epaphroditus knowingly risked his health in order to be of service to Paul and the Gospel. In both cases the men put serving God’s interest ahead of their personal interest. I will strive to do the same.

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Isaiah 62:6-65:25

    There are several different messages which struck me as I read this. I do not see them as linked together, although I am sure with a little thought I could create a link between them. The first is in the very first verse where God declares that He has appointed watchmen on the walls to pray to the Lord. I believe that we are those watchmen who are to pray to the Lord. We are to take no rest in our prayers until God establishes the New Jerusalem. Oh how I struggle with this. I do not pray as I should. I should pray more and harder for the Church, for the Assembly of God’s people. I should pray more and harder for the souls of my friends. I should pray more and harder for the oppressed and downtrodden in this world. I should pray more and harder.
    Then in chapter 63:5 God declares that He was amazed to see that no one intervened to help the oppressed. That reads to me like a calling for us to look around us for those who are oppressed and to lend our support. We should be asking ourselves each day, “What can I do to help the oppressed?” When we see someone oppressing others, the very least we can do is raise our voices and cry, “Stop! What you are doing is wrong!” We may not be able to stop the oppression, but we can make sure that those who can are unable to claim, “I did not know.”
    Then in the beginning of chapter 65, God tells us that He is ready to respond, if we but ask for His help. He is waiting to be found, if only we will look for Him. When we look at what is wrong in the world around us, are we asking for God’s help in fixing it? Or are we trying to do it ourselves? As we look at the world around us, are we looking for God and His actions? Or are we too busy looking for Satan and his actions?

Daily Bible Study

September 30, 2015 Bible Study

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:11-12

    Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death. Don’t think you can get away with saying, “I didn’t know.” God knows that you know. The plausible deniability defense will not work before His judgment seat.

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Psalm 72

    If a person who exercises government authority uses that power to defend the poor and rescue the children of the needy, their enemies will fall before them. Such a ruler will govern a prosperous land.

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Philippians 1:27-2:18

    Paul calls on us to seek unity with our fellow believers. In addition, he describes how we can have such unity, and the only way we can have such unity. We will not have unity as long as some among us think that they are more important than others, placing more value on their own wants and interests than on the interests of others. If we are guilty of thinking that what we want is more important than what others want, we are the ones causing division in the Church. Until we have the same attitude which Jesus had, we are going to bring division to the Body of Christ.

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Isaiah 60:1-62:5

    As I read chapter 60, part of me sees this as a prophecy for the Jewish people, but part of me also sees this as a prophecy which applies to those who follow Christ. I look around at the world and see the darkness of evil covering ever more of the world. However, God promises that the light of His righteousness will shine on those who honor and trust Him. That light will shine out from God’s people into the darkness and people will throng to God’s light.
    Then we come to chapter 61, which Jesus declared was fulfilled in Himself. Jesus declared that He had come to proclaim that the captive would be freed and the blind would see. The Spirit of God was upon Him to bring these things about…and Jesus told us that the Spirit of God would be upon us as well to bring these things about. Let us remember as we read such passages that it is God’s intention to work through us to make these things happen.

Daily Bible Study

September 29, 2015 Bible Study — A True Win-Win Situation

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Proverbs 24:9-10

    If you make plans which rely on lying or other sins for their success, you are a fool.

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Psalm 71

    This psalm echoes what my faith means to me. Yes, God has been with me since before my birth (not that I have always been with Him). He has cared for me from when I was in my mother’s womb. I look back over my life and see where God, despite my failures, has cared for me. As a result, I praise Him every day of my life. I will tell everyone about God’s righteousness, about His wonderful power.

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Philippians 1:1-26

    I will seek to live my life with the attitude which Paul expresses in this passage. He had been imprisoned for several years at the time he wrote this. Yet he is joyful about his situation, because his imprisonment and suffering has helped spread the Gospel. Those who guard him realize that he is in prison solely because he was a follower of Christ, not because he had done anything deserving of prison. One of the key things he talks about are those who were preaching the Gospel because they wanted to take Paul’s place among the believers. They wanted the recognition and the honor which they saw Paul receiving. Paul did not care what their motives were, only that they preached the true Gospel. We should have a similar attitude. Whatever the reason, I will rejoice when people here the message of Christ. I have faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the bad motives of those who preach God’s word for selfish reasons.
    Further Paul is joyful even though his life is in danger in his imprisonment (my reading of the context of this passage and other historical records suggests that there was both danger from his poor health and from the threat of government action). Paul considered himself to be in a no lose situation. If he lived and was released, he would have more opportunities to serve the Lord. On the other hand, if he died, he would no longer suffer and be with Christ. Either outcome was a cause to rejoice. I daily strive to have a similar attitude. As I live, I will seek to serve God, but if I die, then I get to be with Him in person. If we take Paul’s approach no matter what the Enemy brings against us, we cannot lose.

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Isaiah 57:15-59:21

    It is not enough to go through the motions of righteousness. Fasting or doing other acts of superficial righteousness while still exploiting those who are subject to your power will not gain you favor with God. God tells us what He wants from us here:

  • free those unjustly imprisoned
  • lighten the workload of those who work for you (pay your workers what their work is worth)
  • share your food with the hungry
  • give shelter to the homeless
  • give clothes to the naked
  • don’t refuse to help your relatives who need help

Only one of these can be seen as call to petition the government. These are actions we are called to take on our own account, not try to avoid responsibility for by saying, “Someone should do something.” I’m somebody. I will do something.

Daily Bible Study

September 28, 2015 Bible Study

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:8

    Those who plan evil may think that they have “plausible deniability”, but as time goes by people will start to notice that they are always connected with wrongdoing. Once that happens they will have a reputation for being a troublemaker, for doing wrong.

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Psalm 70

    When we come before God, even the wealthiest among us is poor and needy. It is wrong to take delight in the troubles which others experience. If we do delight in those troubles we will be disgraced. However, those who search for God will be filled with joy and gladness when they find Him, and they will find Him.

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Ephesians 6

    In yesterday’s passage Paul started pointing out that believers on either side of a “power” relationship have obligations. Wives are to submit to their husbands, but husbands are obligated to put their wives’ well-being ahead of their own. In today’s passage, Paul tells children that they are to honor their parents, but parents are obligated to not provoke their children. Slaves are to obey their masters, but masters are obligated to treat their slaves as Christ treats them, remembering that Christ is our Lord and Master. Paul makes it clear that as Christians we have obligations to those we have relationships with, no matter which side of the “power” relationship we are on. It is our responsibility to fulfill our side of the “bargain”, not to ensure that those on the other side fulfill theirs.
    Paul then completes his letter to the Ephesians by instructing us to prepare ourselves for spiritual battle. One of the terms often used in the Church today is “spiritual warfare”. Most of the times when I hear this term used, I cringe because many of those using it have a similar view of the spiritual world as a place where we need special knowledge and tools to do battle. However, Paul makes it clear that each and every believer is involved in spiritual warfare…and that we can easily find all of the knowledge and tools which we need in the Bible.
    Here are the tools we need:

  • truth

    • If we do not dedicate ourselves to finding a speaking the truth, we will be vulnerable to evil. Every time we lie, deceive, or mislead others we open ourselves up to attacks from the evil one.

  • God’s righteousness

    • There are two aspects to this. The first is that when we act with righteousness, it is not our righteousness. The second is that, nevertheless, we need to act with righteousness.

  • peace which comes from believing the Gospel

    • If we truly believe the Gospel, we will be at peace because we know that God has a plan which none cannot be thwarted.

  • faith

    • Our faith will act as a shield against attacks. If we truly have faith in God, we know that He has made us just the way we are so that we can serve His purpose. No matter what negative things others may say, or we may think, our faith tells us that “God made us, and God doesn’t make junk.”

  • the word of God

    • Paul tells us that the word of God is our sword. It is with the word of God that we can take the battle to the enemy. I am a fencer and therefore I can tell you that a sword is first used as defense. When I am fencing someone, I must first neutralize their ability to attack me. If I fail to do so, they will strike home when I attempt to attack them. The same is true when dealing in spiritual issues. Before we go on offense, we must identify where the enemy, Satan, can attack us and neutralize that potential attack. Only then can we hope to safely strike down our enemy.

  • Prayer

    • All of the previous things were primarily defensive. It is by prayer that we truly go on the offense and that is what makes spiritual warfare different from all other types of battle. It is by prayer that we bring turn the servants of our enemies into servants of the Lord.

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Isaiah 54:1-57:14

    This is a powerful passage, especially chapter 55.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

God will supply our needs even though we do not have any way to pay Him back. It is by listening to God that we find life. Those who mock God and seek to find life through other things (whether through “science”, or “sports”, or “entertainment”, or something else) will find no rescue when trouble comes.
    God sends out His word and it accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it. It never fails. I was going to write more about this passage, but there is just too much there. Please read it for yourself. It fits so well with the passage from Ephesians we just read.

Daily Bible Study

September 27, 2015 Bible Study — Don’t Be Fooled By Those Who Try To Excuse Sin

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:7

    When true leaders discuss the actions which should be taken for the good of all, fools have nothing of value to add.

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Psalm 69:19-36

    Praising God pleases Him more than any gifts and offerings we might give. Those who humbly seek God’s help will be aided. He hears the cries of the needy and comes to their assistance.

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Ephesians 5

    I find this passage extremely relevant in today’s society. There are three things which we must not allow ourselves to be: a sexually immoral, an impure, or greedy person. Anyone who is any of those things is an idolator. Notice that these three things are lumped together by Paul. He goes on to warn us not to be fooled by those who try to make excuses for these sins.
    Rather than let ourselves be caught in such sins, we need to carefully determine what actions please God. Once we have made that determination, let us make the most of every opportunity we have to do good. In order to make the most of our opportunities we must never act thoughtlessly. Paul warns us against getting drunk, one of the leading causes of people acting thoughtlessly. Instead, we can gain a similar feeling by allowing ourselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

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Isaiah 51-53

    Isaiah reminds us that if we truly know and fear God there is no reason to fear any human being. We do not need to fear the oppressor, or those who have made themselves our enemies. God is our comforter and His law will be proclaimed. The earth and everything in it will come to an end, but God’s salvation is eternal. Isaiah tells us that God’s name has been blasphemed because of the actions of those who claim to serve Him, but God is going to truly reveal His name to His people. He will fill them with His power. On that day, and that day is today, the good news of God’s salvation will be proclaimed in all of the earth. God is sovereign over all of the earth.
    Then Isaiah tells us how this day came to be (although when Isaiah proclaimed it, it was still in the future). God sent Jesus to suffer for our sins. He was despised and rejected. It seemed at the time that He was punished for His sins, although, in fact, He was punished for ours. Jesus was made an offering for sin. Yet, it was because of His weakness that He was victorious. By accepting that suffering Jesus was able to bear the sins of all the world and bring the offer of salvation to all who would receive it. Let us joyfully accept the gift He has given us.

Daily Bible Study

September 26, 2015 Bible Study — Get Rid of All Bitterness, Rage, Anger, Harsh Words, and Slander

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For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

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Proverbs 24:5-6

    Those who act wisely will defeat those who rely solely on might. You will need wise guidance to gain victory in any contest of strength (from sporting events to war), seek many advisers before beginning the contest.

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Psalm 69:1-18

    There has only been one time when I felt as utterly overwhelmed by life circumstances as the psalmist expresses here and even then I knew that I was not truly in floodwaters up to my neck. However, even now when God has made my life good, there is something here that speaks to me. I must acknowledge that God knows how foolish I am, and every one of my sins. I cannot hide my sins from God. I pray that God does not allow me to do anything that will cause shame to those who trust in Him. Let each and every one of us consider our actions so that we do not bring shame on others who trust in God. As I typed this I realized that there is a second reading to that phrase that is just as important…we should not feel shamed by the actions of those who are doing the Lord’s will (it is one thing to be shamed by someone who claims to serve God and does wrong, it is another to be shamed because someone is doing God’s will).

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Ephesians 4:17-32

    In a way, everything Paul has written up to now in his letter to the Ephesians has been by way of introduction. In today’s passage he begins to get to the point. We are to stop living the way that unbelievers do. They are confused. They want to live righteous lives, but think they can do so while living for lustful pleasure and practicing all kinds of impurity. They think they can find righteousness while refusing to have anything to do with God. Those who follow Christ have learned that truth comes from Him. We cannot live righteously until we find God. In order to find God we must throw off our sinful, lustful nature and allow the Holy Spirit to make us new in our thoughts and attitudes. Paul then goes through a checklist which we can follow in order to allow that transformation to occur.

  1. Stop telling lies

    2. The first step to being transformed is to be honest with everyone: no more lies, no more half-truths, no more truths told in such a way so as to deceive.

  2. Don’t let anger control us

    3. Yes, we will still get angry, but we need to let the anger go. The sooner the better, but certainly before the end of the day. Our anger will allow us to justify doing wrong: “He did wrong to me, so I can do wrong to him.”

  3. Work hard so that you can give to those in need.

    4. Stop thinking that it is OK to live off of the productivity of others, or that it is charitable to take others wealth to help those in need.

  4. Do NOT use foul or abusive language

    5. Instead be careful to only say things which are helpful and build others up. I think I do a fair job on the “not” part. However, I have a long way to go on the “instead” part.

  5. Do not bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit by the way you live.

    6. To a large degree this follows from the previous four, but not entirely. Paul then gives us a two sided list: things not to do and things to do in order to not bring sorrow to the Holy Spirit.

And here is that two sided list;
Get rid of:

  • bitterness
  • rage
  • anger
  • harsh words
  • slander
  • all types of evil behavior

Instead:

  • be kind to others
  • be tenderhearted
  • forgive one another

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Isaiah 48:12-50:11

    Much of this passage is a Messianic prophecy which was fulfilled by Jesus. However, some aspects of it are both that and guidance for how we should live our lives. Each and every morning God has spoken to us. Have we listened? Let us not turn away or rebel. Let us offer our backs to those who beat us, because God will help us. If we are determined to do His will, we will not be disgraced.
    If we are walking in darkness without a sliver of light, let us trust and rely on God. He will guide us. The danger will arise if we try to create our own light in the darkness. That light will deceive us and lead us to torment. Let us trust in God and look for the light from Him.