Oct 31, 2010 2 Peter 3:1-10

Today is Reformation Sunday for those who follow the liturgical church year. In 1517 the Catholic Pope wanted to build a new cathedral and in order to do so, wanted to collect extra money from its parishioners. The Catholic Church's theology states that active faith means doing good works, and giving money to the church is considered a good work. Martin Luther protested this thesis and wrote the now famous 95 thesis regarding this. Martin Luther's intent was not to break away from the Catholic Church but he questioned the reasoning of the church. Martin Luther's thesis is that we are saved by grace. Marting Luther states that there is no justification without sanctification.

And what is justification and sanctification? I'm glad you asked!

Justification means that Christ when died on the cross for our sins  - our sins were forgiven. A gift from God to those who have faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (NAS)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Sanctification means that we are saved by only by our good works. And this was Martin Luther's argument - that people were saved only by good works. Once we are saved we DO want to do good works to continue the kingdom of God, so we are not off the hook of living the easy life once we are saved. These two go hand in hand. I think - in my humble opinion - that Luther's argument was that we should willing want to help the church not be told you will go to hell (eternal life without God) if you don't give to help build the church. I do not want to pit one church against another.  However that being said - no matter what church you belong to - or what particular minister preaches from the pulpit - arm yourself with the knowledge of the bible. KNOW what God's word is. And if after prayerful consideration you discern that the church's teaching does not match what you believe to be what God has written, then ask questions, open dialogue with your minister. Do this in a godly manner.

This is heavy stuff but important. When we read Romans we will dig deeper into all of this.

One other fact about Martin Luther - through the invention of the printing press - Martin Luther transcribed the bible from Latin into German - he was German - so that the common man could read and understand the bible for themselves.

And because it is Reformation Sunday - I am providing the hymn A Mighty Fortress is our God. This hymn is taken from Psalm 46.This youtube rendition is unique and good. My friends who know me will be surprised with my selection - this is a contemporary version of this wonderful old hymn. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V31kdmhJmbM

1 A mighty Fortress is our God,

A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God's own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

3 And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The prince of darkness grim, -
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

4 That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is for ever.

Amen

And now on to our daily bible reading 2 Peter 3:1-11. Did I get off track or what?  But it's all good.

Verses 1-2 Peter reminds us again to keep our minds wholesome and to remember what the prophets so long ago, and what Christ spoke through the apostles.

Verses 3-4 In the late days the scoffers will mock the truth. They are more concerned with themselves than Christ's return.

Verses 5-7 They forgot about God, and he caused water to flood and destroy man. Now he saves the fire for judgement when the ungodly will be destroyed.

Verses 8

Oct 28, 2010 II Peter 1:1-11

Today we radically switch gears and read a letter by Peter, an apostle. II Peter is a small book near the back of the New Testament.  Peter is the author and he wrote it to Christians, to tell us to learn and grow and be wary of false teachers, and lastly talks about Christs return.

Chapter 1 Verse 1 - 'Simon Peter, a servant and apostle' - he includes his old name Simon and his new name Peter in his opening comment. He lets us know he hasn't forgotten his past. Peter is writing this letter to those who share the same precious faith he has. Our faith is precious, in fact its priceless! Our faith was freely given to us through Jesus Christ.

Verses 2-4 Peter hopes those who read this letter - grace and peace will grow in abundance - peace and grace occurs as we learn more about Christ. We need to read, pray and worship together to grow in our faith.

God's glory and virtue draws us to him. God's divine power gives us everything we need to lead a godly life. And when we come to know him we are given the gifts of peace and grace.

Verses 5-7  ^'5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.' NLT version. I like the way the NLT reads. I have Romans 5:1-5 written in my bible,  which is a similar scripture as this. These verses lay down the foundation for living a godly life. As we grow in faith these things will come to us. And it isn't always easy. 


Verses 8-9 continues '⁸ The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.' NLT. Its a comfort know that we will become more productive and useful. This reminds me of Thomas the Tank stories - the useful engine. The author of Thomas is a minister - he writes good moral stories for children to learn to live by. Young children are drawn to Thomas. He is quiet and simple and helps his fellow train.  God meets us where we are and gently leads us to living a godly life. And Peter gives us a warning for those of us who fail to develop.  This is why we need to pray, read and be with fellow Christians. 


Verses 10-11. Peter continues to tell us to do all these things eagerly, faith,virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection and love - we will enjoy eternal life in heaven.


Father God, there is a lot of theology in today's reading. We ask today that we accept your grace and peace, and that we will be open to the knowledge you give us to lead a godly life. We have the law of the old testament as our foundation and the heart side -  faith, virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection and love to be more like you and encourage others to walk along side us. We ask that our faith does not become complacent but an active daily walk with you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 27,2010 Song of Songs Chapter 8:5-14

Good morning! We finish up Song of Songs today.  But first - my son - my baby - is 32 years old today! He has grown in to a fine young man. Daddy of 4, loves his wife, has his own business. Next - it was a stormy day in the midwest. We had a bad storm system roar through Indiana and other states. There were 3 small tornadoes in the area - fortunately no one was hurt but there was building damage done.  Unusual weather here for November. Lets finish chapter 8. Tomorrow we begin in II Peter.

Verses 5-14
Verses 5-7 discuss saving oneself until they are married. This is a precious gift of love to give to your spouse. There are four points to love in these verses.

1. Its a seal to our heart
2. Love as as strong as death - it is permanent
3. Love cannot be extinguished
4. Love cannot be bought or sold, its a precious gift.

We can equate this to both our spouse and with God.

Verses 8-9
These verses discuss protecting a young girl and prepare her for marriage, and keeping pure until her wedding day.

Verses 10-14 finishes the lover for one another, to be freely given not forced. And they both desire each other. I love a good love story and this the best.

Father God today we thank you for the pleasures of marriage. We ask that you keep our marriages safe from all temptation. We ask too that our youth stay pure until they marry, both our sons and our daughters. We ask that you give us wisdom to help instruct our children how to stay pure in this today's society.  And we ask for your mercy and healing grace for any past sexual sins or abuse. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Oct 26, 2010 Song of Songs 6:4-8:4

Tomorrow will be our last day in this book of the bible. On the 28th we will begin to read II Peter, then Nov 2 and 3 Jude, then back to the old testament - the book of Daniel for a couple of weeks.

Chapter 6

Verse 4 - the lover speaks to his bride as being as beautiful as Tirzah, and this is a city 35 miles northeast of Jerusalem and its name means pleasure or beauty.

Verses 5-9 and again more visuals about how beautiful the lover was to him. Solomon had many wives but she seemed to be his favorite, his first wife.

Verses 10-13 He is continually drawn to her.

Chapter 7 This is beautifully written about two lovers enjoying each other sexually. Mandrake is a fragrant rare plant.

Chapter 8

Verses 1-4 In Solomon's era it was not proper to display affection in public, but she wishes she could.

Father God, it is good to know that we can enjoy our partner for a lifetime. On a spiritual level we ask that our relationship with you will be just as passionate, that we will never take our focus off of you and seek earthly ways. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Oct 25,2010 Song of Songs 5:2-6:3

Good morning! Today we move on from discovering our lover in the honeymoon phase of the relationship, to the day in and day out routine of life.

Chapter 5

Verses 2-8 The spark of passion may be fading away. I have read over the years that when people have been married a few years the rose colored glasses come off and they wonder why they chose this person to marry?
I think this is where the lovers are now in this section. We can see this in verse 6. But in verses 6-8 the beloved seeks her husband and returns to him. They overcome their problems. Verses 10-16 appears that they have rekindled their love for each other.

Chapter 6

Verses 1-3 - Verse 3 we saw back Chapter 2 verse 16 "I am my lover's and my lover is mine." As with Christ he will never desert us and we will never desert him.

Father God, we read today that the honeymoon phase of marriage has ended and the couple has problems, but they find their way back to each other. I ask today for anyone who is reading this today who is married, that if they are having problems to seek you and I ask for restoration of their marriages. I ask that their hearts turn to one another again, and if necessary to seek godly counsel to restore their relationship. For those of us who are divorced I ask for forgiveness, and move on to be the person you desire us to be. We know you will always comfort and love us no matter where we are. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 24, 2010 Son of Songs 3:6-5:1

This will be short and sweet today. This is truly a love poem for lovers. I am not much of a romantic so I have to admit my eyes just roll when I see this stuff. Just being honest. But on a more serious note - as my friend commented the other day, Christ is the bridegroom and we are his bride.  He will always love us.

Father God, we thank you for giving us passion and we ask that we keep our passion pure - save it for our spouse and only have eyes for our spouse. In Jesus name we pray.

Oct 23, 2010 Song of Songs 2:8-3:5

This will be short and sweet today. Yesterday I thought I was supposed to read all of chapter 2 and I commented on the whole chapter - which really wasn't very much.

Chapter 2:16 - Chapter 3:5 - my bible has this split out as Beloved. And my notes say that we should be kind and loving to one another, looking out for them, sacrificing ourselves to meet their needs. They can be simple things like when you get up to get a glass of water ask your spouse if they would like one too. I think this is easy to do when madly in love but we become complacent and begin to neglect these little things. Staying in love is like anything else in life. Its work :-). But the rewards are sweet. One couple in our church was married 70 years, that is not a typo!  When the husband was dying his wife said he was leaving her too soon. Wow to be married 70 years and can't fathom life going on without our spouse. Now that is true love.

Father God, we thank you for marriage and family. We ask that we are always attentive to our spouse, kind and loving, not thinking of only ourselves. You created us to be relationship creatures. We ask for a right relationship with you and a right relationship with our spouse. We ask that you bless our families today, keep them together on good days and bad. In Jesus name, Amen.

Oct 22, 2010 Song of Songs 1:1-2:7

The bible covers every topic - including sex. God created sex between a husband and wife to bring pleasure and intimacy between them. When we set our minds to being faithful to our spouse, it is a beautiful thing. In today's society we are bombarded with all kinds of sexy images. The ads and tv programs, movies, books, the Internet even the way we dress. And yet sex is a basic need. So how do we channel our sex drive in a God honoring way? By being faithful to our spouse.  So - I have been single 20 years - I was married for 15 years. I miss the sex part of my marriage. As a young person it was a thrill just to hold hands but once you have experienced sex holding hands is no longer a thrill. We want it all. And that is what makes dating so difficult. We know the pleasure sex brings but it is for a fleeting moment. And I as a woman don't want to be lover number 5 or 50 or 500, I want to be that special one person for one man. Well, at 54 that isn't going to happen anymore. I wonder if men think the same way. Men - if you are reading this - would welcome your comments. I can keep your name anonymous, and of course any comments that are offensive will not be published.

A little background - there are 3 characters in this book. The girl who is the beloved, Solomon, and friends. In the opening of Song of Solomon, Solomon sees a beautiful young woman while he is traveling his kingdom.
He goes to her but she is embarrassed and runs away. He can't get her out of his mind, so he disguises himself as a peasant like her and wins over her love.  My bible notes also say the book may not be written in chronological order.

Chapter 1

Verses 1-17. God created love and it is to be enjoyed.  When we are/were dating we loved everything about our beloved. We yearn to be with our lover all the time.

Chapter 2

Verse 1 - Solomon is telling his beloved he loves her. We can never hear I love you often enough.

Verse 16 My lover is mine and I am his. I think that should be the reader's digest version of Song of Songs. Delight in our one and only lover, only have eyes for each other. And we can live knowing that they are our one true lover for ever.

Father God - you created sexual passion between a husband and wife, to be shared exclusively between them. And its a wonderful thing you created. For those who are married I pray that they only see their spouse as a sexual partner. For those who are single I ask that you give us self control to enjoy only with a future spouse. We are bombarded with sexual images all the time, sex sells, its a powerful drive that we all have. We ask for strength to remain faithful to our spouse.  In  Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 21, 2010 Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:14

Today we finish up Ecclesiastes.  Solomon received wisdom and wealth from God when he became king. He had all that he could ever want but he sought after what the world had to offer him. At the end of his life he realizes that God's wisdom is wiser than mans. This book has been written so future generations won't make the same mistakes he has. It is never too early or too late to turn to God.

Chapter 11
Verses 9-10 Solomon's advice to young people - be happy, enjoy life in a good and wholesome way.  Follow your heart, with God's help.  Don't worry. Youth and vigor eventually go away but God is with us forever.

Chapter 12

Verses 1-5 When we are young it is good to have God in our lives, for when we walk with God we will avoid many pitfalls in life. Yes, we will still face adversity but our attitudes will be different. We all become old and weak, and we die. When we walk with God we will rest in our eternal home.

Verses 6-8 Life without God - everything that happens in our lives is useless, meaninglessness.

Verses 9-14  The conclusion

The teacher was wise, and he sought wisdom, sought proverbs - searched for just the right words to tell his students - us. What he wrote was upright and true.

A Goad is a sharp metal tip attached to a handle and used to keep oxen or cattle moving. These words are like a goad to keep us moving in the right direction in life.

The conclusion - Fear God and keep his commandments. For God will judge every deed we have done whether it is good or evil.

Father God, Solomon was brutally honest in this book of the bible, searching God's way and searching Man's way. We may think that way back in biblical times they didn't have the same sufferings we do, but they do. We may have more technology but our life is still difficult. We have relationship problems, temptations, wealth, not enough wealth, good and bad rulers/employers, sickness. The list goes on. But with your help Lord you arm us with wisdom, grace and dignity to endure whatever happens to us. We thank you for wanting us to be with you. I am having trouble putting the right words on paper. I know you know what is in my heart. I love you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Oct 20, 2010 Ecclesiastes 10:8-11:8

I changed the blog picture today. And I am trying to figure out how to upload my pictures. Many of mine are too big so I have to make the file smaller, etc etc. I believe this is called "procrastination". In the end I picked a pretty fall scene off the blog picture page.

Today is also my oldest granddaughter's birthday. No big birthday bash this year - her month old twin sisters need to stay home and away from potential sick people. Abby helped me bake cookies last weekend and I gave her present to her on Saturday. It was nice to spend a little one on one time with her.

We are nearing the end of Ecclesiastes - in fact tomorrow will be our last day in this book then we go to Song of Solomon. That should be an interesting book to read through together.

Chapter 10

Verses 8-9 If you do a dangerous project you might get hurt. So what does this mean? We should plan wisely? There are some who use any excuse not to do anything for fear of getting hurt and I call that being lazy.

Verses 10-16 lots of words of wisdom. Reading these verses it is easy to see others foolish ways but do we see our own foolish ways? I want to focus on verse 10 sharpening the blade. We need to daily read God's word, pray and worship with others. If we don't do these things we slowly drift away from the wise counsel of God.

Verses 17 finally - what happens when we do good things. We feast when the time is right - like at the end of the harvest.

Verses 18-20 Again don't be lazy and don't say bad things about others even in the privacy of your own bedroom. I had no idea the phrase "a little bird told me..." was in the bible!

Chapter 11

Verses 1-4 Planning - divest your earnings to lessen the risk. If you wait for the perfect time to invest it will never come. Sometimes you just have to do it. Risk and opportunity. Some are fearful some just jump right in.

Verses 5-8 We do not understand many things. We do know that God is all knowing and all powerful and we should take comfort in that. We should cherish each day given to us. I am in my 50s and I am seeing my days slowing down, a few more aches and pains here and there. I am thankful for an alert mind. I'm also glad my children are raised and I don't have to chase after them anymore :-).

Father God, thank you for your words of wisdom. We hope and pray that we are wise in all our decision making - slow to point fingers at others and quick to see our own foolish ways.  We also ask for your guidance in making difficult decisions.  Knowing when it is ok to move forward and when to wait. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 19, 2010 Ecclesiastes 9:1-10:7

I am a couple days behind, so sorry. I will try to catch up here. Its really the 21st. Its the first chilly day of the season - I think I saw its in the mid 50s, brrr. In March we will think this is a heat wave :-), I am glad God created the seasons. And it makes me think. A creatures lifetime can be just a few days - like an insect. A flower blooms for a few days or weeks then it dies. Man lives 80 or so years, Man can't decide how old the earth is. But we do know one thing - God lives forever.  This ties in with what we are reading in Ecclesiastes.  

Chapter 9 

Verses 1-2 All of us share a common destiny - the good  and the bad. And what do we all share? Death.

Verses 3-6 These are tough verses, after we die, we can change nothing. Not our hate nor or our love. Solomon tends to focus on evil here, not sure why. 

Verses 7-10 So we are to enjoy life, eat and drink with a joyful heart. Enjoy your wife. Enjoy goodness as God would intend - for verse 8 says to wear white and anoint your head with oil. 

Verses 11-12 The race of life comes to all of us. We all eat, work, sleep, play.  And we do not know when our time comes to die.

Verses 13-18 Wisdom is better than folly but we do not recognize it. Many times we ignore wisdom. Maybe it makes us uncomfortable, maybe we fear standing up for what is right instead just doing what everyone else does.  One man's wisdom may save a city but we don't recognize the man because he is poor. Not loud. Not calling attention to himself. Hmmm, now that is something to think about.

Chapter 10 Verses 1-3 A dead fly can ruin the smell of expensive perfume. This just came to my mind - salmonella poisoning forced the recall of half a billion eggs a couple months ago.  I can't imagine half a billion of anything!  I heard Dr. Phil say one time that for every negative comment you say to your child, you have to praise a child 1000 times to make up for the bad comment. So yes, foolishness and evil causes great harm even in little doses. 

Verse 4 - Don't quit if your boss gets mad at you. Just be calm and eventually he will calm down. And of course strive not to make the same mistake again. On the other side of the coin - we shouldn't fly off the handle at others mistakes because we all make them.

Verses 5-7 Solomon discusses another evil - leaders give fools leadership positions and people who should be in leadership positions are given nothing. And I thought that was just a 20th century phenomenon. And the point is - man's wisdom may not be a wise decision.

Father God, these verses were tough for me to understand today. We all live, we all die, we all make foolish mistakes. We thank you that Jesus died on the cross to save us from eternity without you. We thank you today for the changing seasons. We enjoy the cooler weather, watching the farmers harvest their crops, and providing us with another season of food to nourish us. We thank you for the bible that was written many years ago but still relevant to us today. Amen.

Oct 18, 2010 Ecclesiastes 7-8

I am enjoying the cooler fall weather and the beauty of the fall trees :-).
I haven't read Ecclesiastes in a long time and I am finding it somewhat like proverbs.  The theme through out this book is that without God live is meaningless. Our lives are very short in the big scheme of things. I think as a child and young person we never give thought to being a mere mortal but as we age, we do tend to look back and wonder how the time flew by. If you are young you will wisely take heed to the author's writings and if you are old, today IS a new day, we CAN change our ways it's never too late to have a relationship with God and he will guide you to a new better life with him. The journey will still be hard but you will live with a different perspective.

Chapter 7 This chapter's theme is on wisdom

Verses 1-7 discusses the contrast between the fool and the wise. I think in the book The Purpose Driven Life the beginning of it has us think about the end in mind, the end of our lives. Or am I thinking of the 7 habits book? Homework for me to get back with this! (I looked in both books later and it was in neither). Anyway if we were to write our obituary what would we want people to know about our life?  I don't mean to be morbid but at the end of our lives, what WILL others say about us. I knew one woman who when her mother died - person after person came up to her and told her her Mom lied a lot. She was not well liked. Another friend - I went to her Mom's funeral and it was more like a celebration. In this little country church person after person shared what her Mom had done to help others. Both of these women lived similar lives, both went to church every Sunday, but LIVED with totally different mindsets. One lived and loved the Lord, one lived and just went through the motions. I like verse 7 - like the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of fools. What a visual picture isn't it?

Verses 8-10 The end is better than the beginning.  All summer long I stressed and worried about my unborn twin grandchildren. I had the hope that God was in charge but it didn't stop me from worrying about them. They are a month old old now, home and doing great! Was an awful lesson in patience though. This situation did have me in prayer a lot so maybe that was a good thing? And verse 10 don't look back at "the good old days." Maybe they weren't so good after all. We can't look back we need to look forward.

Verses 11-12 Wow powerful words about wisdom! One good thing about talking three years to read the bible is you get to spend more time READING the bible. Taking time to smell the roses. What a nugget of truth about wisdom. Wisdom like an inheritance is a good thing .....Wisdom is a shelter .... Wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.

Verses 13-14 Consider what God has done .... In our marriage vows we promise to be together in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, until in death do we part. We promise this to one another. God is our perfect partner - his promise is more enduring than our marriage vows. He will never leave us. He will be there through thick and thin.

Verses 15-18 The author recounts what he has seen both of: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness and a wicked man living long in his wickedness. We see this happening today! We al wonder why bad things happen to good people and why the wicked seem to get away with murder.  The verses go on to say do not be over righteous or over wicked but have balance. As for being too righteous - oh yes it does happen! People think they are better than others because they don't do that awful sin.

Verse 19 - one man with wisdom is more powerful than 10 rulers in a city.  Oh to have one tenth the wisdom would be great.

Verse 20 There is not one man who doesn't sin. That is humbling. We should not think we are too righteous not to stumble and fall.

Verses 21-22 Don't listen too closely to what everyone says. I wonder if he means we shouldn't listen in order to get hear worth gossiping about. Or our feelings may get hurt. Like everything else - keep it in moderation. People have shared confidences with me and it is difficult at time not to say something to someone else. And ditto for us - there are some things in our lives that others don't need to know. Be discerning what we tell others.

Verses 23-25 Solomon sought wisdom and the foolishness of wickedness and folly.

Verses 26 This is a difficult verse to figure out. I did a little searching on the Internet and a couple people think he was referring to Eve or an adulteress woman. My thought is this is like anything else - to avoid temptations and seek wisdom from God. A person filled with wisdom is rare, whether it is a man or a woman.

Verses 27-29 Solomon found it difficult to find a wise person.

Chapter 8

Verse 1- Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance. Wondering how my face looks today. This almost goes with the end of chapter 7.  Do you ever wonder why bible verses were split like they were? This is one that I wonder what the reason was behind it.

Verses 2-6 Well, I find these verses confusing. We are to obey the king but verse 3 says do not stand up for a bad cause. No harm will come to those who obey the king's commands, but the wise (godly?) will know what to do.

Verses 7-8 We do not know the future nor when we will die. We live for today doing our best for God.

Verses 9-13 - another difficult passage. I think what has been written is this - just be cause we didn't get punished for doing evil at the time it happened doesn't mean it won't be remembered on our judgement day.

Verses 14-15 Again we can't judge what others do - we should focus on Jesus and the good works he has given us to do.

Verses 16-17  Even the wisest man can not comprehend the wisdom of God. For God never sleeps but he knows us all one by one.

Father God This is so hard to understand. I understand Solomon warning against wickedness and seeking wisdom and righteousness. I ask that when we wake up in the morning our goal is to focus on you.  Many days we slip and fall but can start over the next day.  And let us not assume we are better than others too. We thank you that you are our wise counselor, comforter, father of all of us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 17, 2010 Ecclesiastes 4:9-6:12

Today we continue our study in Ecclesiastes - life is meaningless without God.

Chapter 4
Verses 9-12 Two are better than one. A cord of three is not quickly broken. God created us for relationships. Life is much more pleasant when we work together and play together. I struggle somewhat with this. I enjoy being alone, but there are times I like to be with others. My friends share the same Christian values as me, and that is very important to me. I am divorced, and sometimes find being single selfish at times. I come and go as I please, I enjoy the "no conflict" of not living with someone else but yet there are times I yearn to have someone to confide in, take a walk with, or help with major decision making events in my life. So yes, having a companion is important. Be open to relationships that are God honoring.

Verses 13-16 The author warns of advancement in our career as our only goal in life. Seeking power and gain in the end is like chasing after the wind. It is a fleeting moment.  Seeking God first in our lives is eternal.

Chapter 5

Verses 1-7.  My bible says this section has in italics - Stand in awe of God. I remember as a child that going to church was a very reverent place. I thought I might be zapped or something if I walked up to the alter, would never ever play there!  It was God's house. Sometimes I wish I had a little of that "awe-ness" of God back. Do not spout a lot of nonsense in the presence of God, keep your words few. If we make a vow to God, treat it seriously and follow through. Its better not to make a vow you can't keep than try to make a vow then not be able to keep it.

Verses 8-12 discusses how wealth is meaningless. And it is so true, the more we have the more we want. We are never satisfied with what we have. We appreciate things more when we work hard for them.

Verses 13-15 For we are born naked and we leave the world naked. What should our legacy be? Known for our wealth or known for our character? I remember my great-grandfather and great-grandmother and I have passed on stories about them to my grandchildren. Maybe even great grandchildren if God blesses me with a long life. Now that gives pause for thought doesn't it? Long after we die our family will remember us. Wealth can ruin a man if he isn't wise with it. That would be a character flaw.  I have seen families argue over inheritances. There is nothing wrong with money - what is wrong is making money the number one focus in our lives.

Verses 16-19 Man toils no matter his lot in life, life is not easy.  We are to be happy with whatever God gives us. Some he does bestow much money to us.We can accept our wealth with gratitude and not keep it our main focus.

Chapter 6  - the NIV bible states this section (through chapter 8) gives practical counsel. My notes adds that this section discusses injustice in the world.

Verses 1-6 A man has great wealth but does not enjoy it. It could mean that the man died unexpectedly, and didn't get to enjoy the fruits of his labors. Or it could mean he was such a workaholic that he didn't enjoy all that he had. Even sadder - he did not have a relationship with God or man so he was alone.

Verses 7-9 I think verses 7 and 8 refer to our character. And verse 9 - we shouldn't waste time daydreaming.  Its good to set goals, but not unrealistic goals. A good goal for example would be to save up for a home. A bad goal - going deeply into debt to impress other people.

Verses 10-11 In verse 10 no matter what we endure this is nothing new. It is new to us, and God is in control - we need to depend upon him to help us through. Verse 11 - lots of thoughts on this one - I know many who spend way too much time in useless talk about whatever they go through. I am guilty of this myself. There is a fine line between sharing our concerns and talking about ourselves to get undue attention. And if we talk too much no one wants to be around us.  So, ask God for wisdom how to go through our crisis, don't spend all our time with people talking about all that ails us.  Its useless.

Verse 12 Who knows what is good for a man and who can tell him what will happen after we die?  We all ask these two questions. Only God can provide these answers about the mysteries of life.

Father God, todays reading we continue to learn that life is meaningless without you. We ask this day that we place you first in our lives and not dwell on earthly things. We also ask that we not be vain and only think of ourselves and our plight when talking with others.  We should care and pray for one another.  In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Oct 16, 2010 Ecclesiastes 3:1-4:8

Woke up to see a little frost on the ground and can see a little mist coming up off the ground too. I wish I was near water this morning - its a pretty sight to see the mist rising from the lake or stream.  And all of us allergy sufferers are saying YES the pollen will go away until next year :-). Looks like its going to be a perfect fall day!

Today would have been my brother's birthday. He died of cancer 17 years ago at the age of 36. I work with his son, my nephew, now and its a constant reminder that my brother is gone. My nephew looks quite a bit like my brother. Jason was not quite 3 when my brother died so he doesn't even remember him. This brings me to my point for the day - Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes for future generations. He had been given much from God yet he had to see what the world had to offer. At the end of his life Solomon had regrets for turning from God. My brother Pete died on Easter Sunday 17 years ago, and he was ready to see Jesus. He had the hope of eternal life. My prayer today is that when our time comes to die that the one thing we are looking forward to - is seeing Jesus face to face. Yes we all have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God, but Jesus came to save us from our sins so that we may enjoy eternal life with him. We just need to simply ask Jesus to be our comforter, our guide, our source of wisdom, and the reason for our existence while on this blue marble ball called the earth.

Chapter 3
Verses 1-8 A time for ....These are popular verses - songs have been written using these words, we see pretty pictures with these words in the background, etc. I wonder how many people in the world know these are verses from the bible. One could spend hours philosophically going through these verses, but I am going to keep this short and sweet. These verses are the rhythm of life. Seasons in our life. And we need to have balance. If you are stuck on any part of these verses - today may be a good day to ask for the Lord's help in overcoming one of these stumbling blocks in your life. Sometimes it is so hard to let go of hurts and sorrows, it is time to forgive and laugh again.

Verses 9-13 These verses have a lot to do with our attitude.  Do we look forward to getting up every morning and doing our daily tasks? I know I envy people sometimes who love their jobs. I am settling in to a new job and there have been a few bumps along the way - not bad ones but they are there. And I have thought - what's the goal here? And I began to think of people I looked up to, mentors and what their good qualities were. That has helped me a lot. Focus on the positive, not the negative. Verse 13 says this is a gift from God that we find satisfaction in the work we do. I may need to pray on this one!

Verse 14-15 There is nothing we endure that hasn't happened before. I remember especially in my teens and a few years beyond that no one has EVER gone through the tragic times I'm currently experiencing. Worse yet sometimes the devil deceives us and tells us that no one has ever gone through this before. Not true. What God has orchestrated many years ago, endures forever. Nothing will be added or taken away.

Verse 16-17 Discusses wickedness and justice. Wickedness of course is the opposite of justice. Even the legal system does wicked things at times. We may not see justice come to fruition in our own understanding, but God's justice will prevail over man's wickedness. And I think this is a key point - to look upon God for his justice and ask for peace when we don't understand the evil or wickedness around us.

Verses 18-22 Wow, tough verses. Darwin might like these verses. Man's fate is like animals, we all are born, we all die. Verse 21 says who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of animals goes down to the earth. Many believe their beloved pets go to heaven - I'm not sure what I think about that :-).  I think what Solomon may be saying is that our bodies are like animals, but we have souls and this is what separates us from the animals. And our souls are what forms relationships with God. God desires a relationship with us, we find purpose in our lives, and it is good.

Chapter 4
Verses 1-3 Solomon sees all the oppression around him. I know today we see almost daily on the news some one's house burned to the ground, natural disasters, etc, where people lose everything. Some always live in poverty or in other bad situations or disabilities. I can't imagine what these people go through. My only thought is if I have been through bad times - I can try to minister some one who is going through it now. Try to bring comfort and compassion to them. Sometimes we need just to listen and hold their hand for a time. But beyond oppression all around us, we still have hope for future generations. There is nothing more joyful for me than to spend time with my grandchildren and watching the changing seasons even though I may complain about the weather.

Verses 4-6 Work is work! Some do the bare minimum to get by, others are workaholics. Both have their work ethic out of balance. Again we need to work to be able to support ourselves and our families and not expect hand outs. And then we shouldn't work so hard that we don't take time to enjoy life around us. Both are like chasing after the wind.

Verses 7-8 The author sees a man all alone, and his life seems meaningless. My humble opinion - this is a very selfish man - he has put walls around himself so he loves no one but himself. And at the end of his life wonders why he toiled so much. Dickens book Christmas Carol - Ebenezer Scrooge - comes to mind with these verses. Not theologically sound but I think this portrays these verses well.

Father God we thank you for the wise words of Solomon. We ask that we ponder upon what he has written. Life DOES have meaning when we have the right attitude, and have a right relationship with you. Help us Lord to have balance. We know we will have times to mourn, and times to embrace new ventures in our lives. Let us learn to let go of the bad and see the good. And we ask that we find pleasure in work. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Oct 15, 2010 Ecclesiastes 1-2

Today we begin a new book of the bible. Ecclesiastes is located just past Psalms and Proverbs. Solomon is the author of this book. The purpose of the book written for future generations - to spare them from knowing of the emptiness of our life on earth without knowing God.  God gave Solomon everything he wanted when he became King. Solomon asked for wisdom, and God gave him that and much more.  Solomon as many of us do, veered off course - found some earthly pleasures and learned later that these are for a fleeting moment fulfilling but a relationship with God is everlasting. Some of this will be heavy reading - but we need to read through and find out what Solomon's concluding remarks are.

Chapter 1 The first two chapters of this book is about Solomon's personal experiences.

Verses 1-2 - Meaninglessness, meaninglessness, utterly meaninglessness, everything is meaninglessness says the teacher Solomon. This statement is written to bring us to our attention, that life is meaningless without God.

Verses 3-11 To me this looks like it was written like a poem.  Solomon is recounting his life. We do the same things day in and day out and it all means nothing. The streams always flow into the sea but the sea never fills up.  In verses 8-11 man wonders about the drudgery of life. We do the same thing over and over and over. I know at times we wonder about the purpose of life. Verse 10 says "Look there is something new!" We see this on tv daily, an advertisement for something new that you just have to have! And we hear this so much nothing seems exciting anymore. Yes, we run out and buy the latest "whatever" and the thrill quickly goes away, only to search for the next latest and greatest toy.

We try to tell our children the pitfalls of life, but they don't listen to us. They have to learn some things for themselves. I have 6 young grandchildren, and I try to protect them from getting hurt, and child proofing my home. I have this big ugly square oven pad duct taped to the edge of my counter ledge that juts out as you enter into the kitchen. Why, because I have a little grandson who doesn't think to look up when he comes running around the corner into my kitchen, and he will bang his little forehead on the counter top! Two other grandchildren have had this happen to them. My hope is that he will "see" the oven pad hanging down in his line of vision, and avoid running into the counter top.  So this is an easy fix. Sometimes our children choose not to listen and get hurt, sometimes they get hurt because they just don't know any better. But still we want to protect them from all harm.

Verses 12-15 The teacher Solomon writes about what he has learned. He devoted himself to study, and to explore wisdom here on earth. All of what he has learned is meaninglessness.

Chapter 2 Solomon writes about pleasures being meaningless

Verses 1-3 Solomon tests the various pleasures in life. Enjoy the "good" things in life, laughter, wine and folly.
Now I have to admit it is good to share a funny moment and have a good laugh with friends or family. In fact I think it is necessary. So I am going to assume that the laughter was at other people's expense or not g rated family values kind of laughter. I like the NLT version in verse 3 " And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness" This is an AHA statement for me.  We know that God can give us everything we could possibly ever want - and look at what God gave Solomon - but yet we still yearn for man's foolish endeavors.

Verses 4-9 Solomon describes all that he has done in his life, planted orchards, built reservoirs for the trees, had male and female servants, huge flocks of animals, more gold and silver than anyone previously in Jerusalem. And his wisdom (God) stayed with him.

Maybe we should define what wisdom is. Proverbs 1:7 NIV " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."  In fact the whole book of Proverbs talks about wisdom. For me - the definition of wisdom means to understand the facts, and then applying what we know that will be pleasing to God.

Here is a simple example of what I believe wisdom is. One of the 10 commandments says thou shalt not lie. Well, its a gorgeous fall day today, so I think I will call in sick (a lie) so I can take a long walk at a nature preserve instead of working today. I enjoy photography and I could take my camera with me and take some awesome pictures, maybe one photo will be SO fantastic that I can sell this picture and become famous and make so much money that I can retire from work! OK back to reality - I know this is a fun but foolish idea. But seriously - some people would really call in sick to go take a nature hike. It's also selfish idea because others depend on me to do my job, and it affects them when I'm not there, they may have to do my job and theirs when I am not at work. Worse case scenario -  if my boss finds out - I could be fired for lying!  Now there is nothing wrong with enjoying a pretty fall day and taking a long hike, but if you really want to take a nature hike, plan ahead and take a vacation day. Thank goodness the weather man is promising great weather this weekend so I CAN go take some cool and awesome pictures.

Verses 10-11. Solomon did everything he set out to do, and at the end of his days life was meaninglessness.
We should remember to keep everything in perspective. For some their career is their life's work. I have heard many say when people reflect upon their life they regret not spending more time with their family, and enjoying life more. If you are like this - pray and ask for God's wisdom on how to balance your life.

Verses 12-16 Solomon realizes that whether we are wise or foolish, at the end of our lives we will both die. So why are we here? The all important question that wanders through our minds at times. Not an easy thought  is it?  In Genesis God said "Let us create man in our image"  God created the earth for us, he wanted a relationship with us. Life here on earth is like a life long CSI quest. Who, what, why, where and when.  God gives us the road map and lots of love and guidance. At the end of our lives we will advance to heaven.

Verese 17-24 This is heavy stuff. Solomon has worked hard all his life, only to hand it over to the next generation who didn't have to work to earn what Solomon worked so hard for. Its like hearing stories of people who win the lottery and later you learn that many have filed bankruptcy be cause they didn't know how to spend the money wisely. I think as adults we have learned the wisdom of appreciating what we have more when we had to work for it. I remember getting my first 2 wheel bike. My grandmother promised to buy my bike for me when I had saved up half the money towards purchasing the bike. She taught me a valuable lesson on working towards the goal and the pleasure of completing the task. Solomon worked hard but even a fool can find ways to feed and cloth himself.

Verse 26 God gives wisdom to those who ask for wisdom, knowledge and happiness. The sinner - God gives him the task of gathering and storing of wealth to those who please God. This too is meaningless. What does this mean? Maybe those who love God find fulfillment in what they do but to a foolish man its drudgery? Something to ponder on ....

Father God, Solomon discusses some really difficult meanings of what life is all about. I think what Solomon is trying to say is that we end up at the same finish line (earthly death) no matter how we get there. I pray that you are will be our guiding light, that wisdom gently whispers in our ear and we hear what she has to say. We ask that as we mature and grow in our faith, that we can pass on down to the next generation what we have learned so that our labors will not be in vain.  We desire that our children avoid the pitfalls of foolishness. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 14, 2010 Esther 9-10

Today we finish the book of Esther. Tomorrow we begin Ecclesiastes and a week or so later Song of Solomon. Then we finish off the month of October reading 2 Peter.

First I am so happy, along with the rest of the world, that the 33 miners in Chili are back home safe and sound. They will need our prayers in the coming weeks as they heal mentally and physically from this ordeal.
And today - in the book of Esther we read of a happy ending - Esther finds favor with the King and helps her people from being annihilated. What rejoicing must have occurred after the decree was modified! Instead of being killed, the Jews could kill if necessary to protect their family.  So lets begin and finish reading this wonderful story. And yes I believe its a true story!

Chapter 9 Verses 1-5 The edict Haman had proclaimed and approved by the King stated that on the 13th day of the 12th month comes to pass. King Xerxes could not undo his decree but he made a new decree stating that the Jews could protect their families. So, on this date the Jews banded together to fight those who hated the Jews, and some did hate them.  However, many didn't or feared the Jews so they were spared. Mordecai was also prominent in the palace so many knew of him and knew he was also a Jew.

Verses  6-10 The Jews killed 500 men in 2 days in the citadel, and Haman's 10 sons, but did not take any plunder. This indicates that the Jews weren't out for any gain, they simply wanted to protect their families and what they owned.

Verses 11-17 King Xerxes asks Queen Esther what else he can do for her, and she says she wants all the enemies of the Jews killed. Here it says the 10 sons of Haman were hanged. Many more enemies were killed.

Verses 18-19 a new festival was created - Purim - to help future generations of Jews remember this event. This was a 2 day event with feasting and celebration, and giving one another gifts.

Verses 20-32. Moredica writes down the events and declares this festival to be held annually so they will remember this event. Esther gives her support of this event too. Both letters go to all 127 provinces so everyone will know about this.

Chapter 10 Verses 1-3 This is a very short chapter. King Xerxes makes Mordecai second in command. He was held in high esteem because he worked for the good of the people, and spoke up for the welfare of the Jews.

Father God - we thank you today for the lives of the 33 miners, the whole world watched this happy ending.
I hope this event will soften our hearts towards other nations. I also thank you for this wonderful story of saving the Jewish nation from destruction through the wise upbringing of Esther through her cousin Mordecai. Only you Lord could orchestrate these events to turn out as they did. This gives us hope that you too can pull us up out of impossible situations, and give you the glory. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.


Verses

Oct 13, 2010 Esther 7-8

The world is watching this morning as we watch and hear about the 33 miners being rescued from the half mile underground in a trapped mine in Chili. Last I checked 9 miners had been raised up from the depths of the earth. I watched the video clip as the first miner came up and saw the reaction of his 9 year old son when he finally got to see his dad and they gave each other this huge bear hug. Wow, not a dry eye in this house :-). Can you imagine the celebration going on and praising God for all these miners as they come up 1 by 1? The second miner that came up said that he met God and the devil and God found him.  That speaks volumes doesn't it? Lets step back to Esther - Esther is getting ready to ask King Xerxes to spare her people.

Chapter 7
Verses 1-4 King Xerxes asks Esther again what is her request. Esther responds very carefully and being respectful to the king. She says if it pleases the king, to spare her people from being killed. Esther doesn't ask for herself - she asks on behalf of the whole Jewish nation living under Xerxes rule.

Verse 5 - King Xerxes asks who would in his heart could do such a terrible thing?

Verse 6 Esther replies saying the wicked Haman devised this plan! Now Haman had no idea Esther was a Jew, but yet he is horrified to be found out for what he has done.

Verses 7-8 King Xerxes left the room in anger, and then Haman begins to plead for his life with Esther. Somehow he falls on the couch near Esther and he is still on the ground when the king returns back to the room. This angers the king even more, asking if Haman is now making advances to the Queen! Then a cloth is put over his face for he will be hanged.

Verses 9-10 One of the eunuchs sees that Haman has built a gallows for Mordecai. The king says to hang him on this gallows. This is one time where evil is quickly dealt with, many innocent people are spared because of one man's guilt.

Chapter 8
Verses 1-2 King Xerxes gives Esther Haman's house, and gives Mordecai the signet rign, and Esther appoints Mordecai over the house.

Verses 3-6 Esther now pleads on behalf of her people, she gets down to his feet and cries, and asks that Haman's decree be revoked, for she cannot endure watching her people be killed.

Verses 7-14 King Xerxes could not revoke the decree he had already authorized because it had been signed with his signet ring. He makes another decree stating that whoever does harm to the Jewish community, they were allowed to protect themselves and their families even if it meant killing to protect themselves.

Verses 15-17, Mordecai is honored with robes and a crown and now in a position such as a prime minister.
The Jews rejoice for this great turn of events, and many came to the Jewish faith because they feared the Jews. I think they saw how great God is and delivered his people in such an amazing story.

Father God, today we rejoice hearing about 33 trapped miners coming out of a mine 69 days after the mine collapsed, and we rejoice that Esther was able meet with King Xerxes and he quickly dealt with the situation, he was just and killed Mordecai and then proclaimed that Jewish lives be spared. Life is precious God. We thank you for lives being saved, and reminding us that good prevails. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 12, 2010 Esther 5-6

Good morning! We are experiencing a hot dry October here in Indiana. We need rain, farmers are concerned about fields catching fire because it is so dry out. Their hot machinery could cause fires to start. I wouldn't mind some cooler weather myself :-).

Lets continue on with our story of Esther. At the end of our reading yesterday Esther had requested that her maids and the Jewish community in Susa fast for 3 days to prepare for her going in and speaking to the King on behalf of saving their people, without his permission. She could be killed for talking to him. Lets see what happens today.

Chapter 5
 Verses 1-5 Esther dresses in her robes and stands in the inner court of the King's palace. Xerxes sees her and finds favor on her, and invites her in. She touches the Golden scepter that was in his hand. He asks her what she wants up to half his kingdom.  Esther is wise and doesn't tell him what she wants. She tells him she wants to throw a banquet and Haman and Xerxes are invited.

Verses 6-8 Esther puts on the first banquet and the king asks her again what her petition is. She says if he will come to another banquet tomorrow she will tell him.  One wonders if she is scared to tell the King, or maybe God has told her it is not yet time to speak.

Verses 9-13 Now the story's focus is on Haman. Haman is very pleased that he is invited to the banquet, in fact he boasts about it to his friends and family. He boasts about all that he has. BUT he sees Mordecai sitting at the gate - again - and Mordecai will not stand when he sees Haman. This angers Haman greatly and he tells his friends and family that until Mordecai pays him respect none of his fame and fortune mean nothing to him.  We all do this - we can have everything but there is one thing that just really angers us - it just festers and becomes our focus. WAY OUT of focus. I have a few hot buttons of my own, I just can't seem to overcome them.  I have prayed for a change of attitude and I just can't seem to overcome them. Maybe admitting I have this sin is a good first step, but it sure is tough to overcome. I sadly know that until I truly release these "hot buttons" I will never fully be free to worship God. Gosh that's tough to see in writing.

Verse 14 So Hamans friends tell Haman to kill Mordecai and he takes their advice and decides that Mordecai should be hung after going to the second banquet. There are several steps to sin. First is the initial thought, then planning the sin, and finally acting upon it.  Haman hates Mordecai so much he plans on killing him!

Chapter 6
Verses 1-3 King Xerxes has a sleepless night - so he decides to read. He reads a record of the chronicles, which means remembrance, so maybe it was some kind of journal. And he reads about Mordecai's story of the two men who plotted to kill him, Bigthana and Teresh. And Mordecai wonders why Mordecai  wasn't given any recognition for saving his life. Don't you just love these coincidences God puts into place. Of course they aren't coincidences they are all a part of God's plan.

Verses 4-5 Xerxes hears someone in his court, and asks who it is. He finds out it is Haman and says let him in.

Verse 6 Xerxes asks Haman what would he like and he asks this question in a favorable light and of course it goes to Haman's head. Oh wow the king is in a good mood today and he knows I'm just this great guy. What great honor would the king like to bestow upon me?

Verses 7-9 So Haman responds by saying that the king should give the man he honors a robe and horse and parade around the town. Haman doesn't have an ego problem does he?

Verses 10-11 The king tells Haman to lead this procession for Mordecai for the king wants to honor Mordecai. Haman went to see the king to ask to have Mordecai killed and the king wants to honor Mordecai. We can only imagine what was going through Haman's mind.

Verses 12-14 Haman goes home and covers his head in mourning for having to show honor to Mordecai. Haman's family could see that Mordecai was more important than Haman.  Then Haman is requested to go to the banquet Esther put on.  We leave today with this cliff hanger.

Father God, we read today about how anger/pride can take control over our mind, and be so wrong be we think it should be so right. When we are angry we prayerfully ask to come before you and ask for discernment as to what is the truth, what is right, and what is just. We also thank you God for putting events into place that brings glory to you. You can make the impossible possible. We can never thank you enough for doing this for advancing your kingdom and protecting us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 11,2010 Esther 4

Today's bible reading is somber. Mordecai learns of King Xerxe's decree to kill all the Jewish people in 12 months. Lets read along and discover the strategy that develops in this chapter.

Chapter 4 Verses 1-3. When Mordecai hears of the decree, he tore his clothes, put on a sackcloth and ashes, and walked around in the city wailing loudly. This is a tradition the Jewish peoples when they are in mourning or have sinned. There was a great mourning amongst all the Jews when they heard about this also. They also fasted, and many wore sackcloths and ashes.

Verses 4-7 Esthers maids went to Esther and told her about Mordecai. She sent clothes to him but he refused to wear them.  She sent Hathach to Mordecai to find out why he was in mourning. Hathach spoke with Mordecai and he relayed the story back to Esther.

Verses 8-12 Mordecai asks Esther to speak to the king and intercede on behalf of all Jews. Esther relays back to Mordecai that if one speaks to the King without being summoned they will be put to death. And it has been 30 days since she had seen the king.

Verses 13-14 Mordecai responds to Esther saying that there is a purpose for Esther to be Queen in such a time as this, so they need to come up with a plan to save the Jewish nation.  Mordecai realizes that God has place Esther where she is as part of God's plan.

Verses 15-17 Esther replies back to Mordecai that she and her maids will fast for 3 days and she asks Mordecai to assemble all the Jews in Susa to also fast. Then she will go to the King. She says if I die, I die. Wow, such wisdom and strength for a young woman! Mordecai follows Esther's instructions.

Father God,  today we read about how Esther plans how to save the Jewish people in the land. She places the lives of others before her, she fasts and asks others to do the same. She has prepared an action plan and will boldly do whatever it takes to see the king. I pray that if we encounter such dire situations that we will be level headed like Esther, look at the big picture, fast and pray and ask other believers to do the same for us. We ask for you to intercede on behalf of our pleas. You alone can work miracles when we come to you with the right attitude of prayer and fasting.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 10, 10 Esther 2:19-3:15

Lots of excitement going on in my family this weekend. First, my twin granddaughters came home yesterday! We are so thankful they were well enough to come home, and I can say with 100% certainty that their household will never be the same again :-). I hope and pray their home will be filled with more laughter than tears, more peaceful than fighting, and that their children will grow up knowing about Jesus. And today my 2 month old nephew was baptized this morning. My sister is 23 years younger than me, so we never grew up together. We don't have a close relationship, something I wish we had but I have inserted my foot into my mouth a time or two too many so its been a rocky road.

Lets continue our story about Esther - a beautiful young woman who has been chosen to be Queen.

Verse 19-23. Mordecai goes to the King's gate daily to hear how his cousin Esther is. While Mordecai is sitting at the gate one day, he overhears two of kings officers, Bigthana and Teresh, get into an argument and they conspire to plot to kill King Xerxes.  Mordecai tells Queen Esther about this, and she in turn tells the king. They follow up on this tip, find out its true and they hang Bigthana and Teresh.  And a side note here - Mordecai has told Esther not to reveal the fact that is of the Jewish nation.

Chapter 3
Enter the evil person in the story Haman. Verse 1. After these events Haman is honored and given a seat higher than all the other nobles.

Verses 2-3 King Xerxes had commanded that everyone in the kingdom bow down to Haman.  Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman. One commentary I read said Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman because Haman's ancient ancestors were enemies of the Jews.

Verses 4-6 Day after day Mordecai refuses to bow down to Haman, so the officals told Haman that Mordecai refused to bow down to him, and that he was a Jew. Haman becomes enraged, and he decides to kill of all the Jews who live under King Xerxes rule.

Verse 7 In the 12 year of King Xerxes rule, in the first month, Haman casts lots to determine which day the Jews should be killed. The lot fell on the 12th month.

Verses 8-9 Haman tells King Xerxes his plan by saying that some people in the land do not obey his laws so they should be eliminated. The King agrees with this plan, and issues a decree. And Haman says he will pay the people who kill the Jews 10,000 talents of silver. The talents of silver will come from the Jews they kill.

Verses 10 -11 King Xerxes gives his ring to Haman, agrees this should be done, and Haman do whatever he wants with the people and the money. King Xerxes has no idea that Esther is a Jew and he has just issued her death warrant.

Verses 12-15 The decree was was issued through out the land. Many people were confused why this decree was issued for the Jewish people where known as good, hardworking citizens.

Father God, we read today about how one man in power has a personal issues with another man and he convinces the King to kill off a whole ethnic group of people. We know that you already have a plan in place for your people, but today we want to be made aware that we should not allow personal bad feelings towards one another become so out of control, innocent people are killed. This continues today Lord with ethnic cleansing. It is so wrong. I pray today for those being senselessly murdered, and I pray that those can allow this to happen - to be stopped. I ask this day also that those who take a stand for Christ - that you show mercy upon them - that they will not be severely punished for these people follow your law, not man's law. We know you have the power to stop these actions. We also thank you for all the family members who go above and beyond to raise and care for other family members, such as Mordecai. In Jesus name we pray.

Oct 9, 2010 Esther 2:1-18

Today is a beautiful fall day, its a Saturday,  the leaves are turning colors, its going to be warm and sunny all weekend. I just love the beauty of God's handwork this time of year. There is comfort that the harvest is in, and we are prepared for the coming seasons.

Today we continue with the amazing story of Esther! I attended a bible study with Beth Moore and we talked about how exciting it would have been to spend a year in a spa becoming beautiful to meet the king. And then we talked about what a lonely life this must have been. One of hundreds of women for one man.  This is not a normal life for a woman. Yes, we would be well taken care of, but we would be just another pretty face. If the king liked you you may see him more than once. If not, one night with him and you are done. Women desire more than this, we want a husband and a family to care for, or have a career. A life of our own. So lets read the developing story.

Chapter 2 verses 1- 4. Four years later .... King Xerxes misses his queen and may have realized what foolish thing he did banishing her from his courts. So he makes this decree that a search go on in his providence's for a beautiful young virgins. He may have selected 400 women. Its kind of sad to think that a man focuses on a woman's beauty alone.

I am reading George MacDonald's book the Highlander's Last Song.  And in the first chapter of the book, he describes 4 daughters. The first daughter is very pretty and the second daughter is very plain. He writes that a man will be wise to pick the plain girl if she looks lovely in his eyes - for she has not yet matured into a woman, and her loveliness from with in will be more beautiful than the pretty sister. That comment has really stuck with me. We cannot judge a book by its cover - we need to "see" the real person behind the face.  Somewhere in 1 Samuel there is a verse that says man looks upon the face but God looks upon the heart. I think this is what the author is saying too. We can fleetingly look at something beautiful but there is no substance to it. What men/women really desire is a soul mate if you will. Someone they can love, cherish, and share their life with for life is empty without it. And lets talk about sex for a moment. Sex between a man and a woman is very private precious gift one gives to one another. Once you experience the pleasure of sex you desire it over and over. But how can you really enjoy sex with a new partner over and over again. Once the initial passions subsides people move on because the physical spark seems to be gone, but they are missing the fact that the best that is yet to come. I am talking about forming the emotional bond that comes with a committed relationship. You can have all the sex you want but in the end will feel empty because you really haven't connected.  Solomon writes about this too, to love the wife of your youth. He writes this when he is old.  He also has had many wives but he still yearns for his first love. My guess is this is where King Xerxes is at. He misses the queen - his lover and his confidant. And God will provide in a most unusual way.

Verses 5-7 Now we learn about Esther and her family. Mordecai is a Jew from the line of Benjamin. His family had been banished to exile when King Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) when he defeated Jehoiachin, king of Judah. He is the cousin of Esther. We don't know what happened to Esther's parents but she is an orphan. the bible says she is lovely in form and in features.

Verse 8 Esther is taken to the palace, and was entrusted to Hegai, who took care of her. We can assume she had no choice in this matter.

Verse 9 Hegai was immediately pleased with Esther, so he moves her to the best place in the harem, gives her 7 maidservants, and begins a year of beauty treatments and fine food.

Verses 10-11 Mordecai warned Esther not to reveil her Jewish heritage, and he daily watches from afar at the gate, to know how she is doing.

Verses 12-14 describes what happens to prepare the women in order to spend the night the king. They spend a year having beauty treatments, then when she was ready to see the king, she was allowed to take anything she wanted. After a woman spent the night with the king she went to a different part of the palace, under care of Shaashgaz, and wait until the king asked for her again. For some this never happens.

Verses 15-18 Now it is Esther's turn to meet with the king. She takes nothing with her but what Hegai advises. She goes to him in the 7th year of his reign. The king was attracted to her more than any other virgins and makes her the Queen. They throw a big banquet in honor of the new Queen.

Father God, we read today about this amazing story of a young Jewish woman who wins the favor of a King. She is beautiful on the inside and the outside. We ask today that we remain faithful to our spouses if we are married, when we quarrel, seek to resolve our differences. The loss of a spouse is a very lonely road, and if we are there Lord, we ask that we seek a new spouse in a way that is pleasing to you Lord. Help us not give into the temptation of sex, but seek a lover to last to the end of our days in marriage. We also ask for character and beauty on the inside because this is most important in a relationship. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Oct 8, 2010 Esther 1

Today begins a new bible study in the book of Esther!  This is an exciting true story of Esther, a beautiful young Jewish orphan who becomes Queen to King Xerxes.  There is a movie about Esther and I have linked it. Movie is called One Night with the King.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/one-night-with-the-king-one-night-with-the-king/c8c1001a620e5cf18372c8c1001a620e5cf18372-235684758839?q=one%20night%20with%20the%20king&FORM=VIRE1

This is a current day map of Persia.
http://maps.google.com/?q=34.798311,48.514966+(Persia)&ie=UTF8&ll=34.777716,48.515625&spn=20.190082,39.506836&z=5

Map is copied from Tyndale Handbook of Bible Charts and Maps

Some background and facts about Esther. Esther and Ruth are the only two books in the bible named for women. The name of God is never used in this book. But God's presence is in this book.

Key people in this book - Esther, Mordecai, King Xerxes I, and Haman.

Location: Persia - primarily the Kings Palace - in the city of Susa.

Date written: Approx 470 BC

Author: unknown - could have been written by Mordicai, or Ezra or Nehemiah.

Lets begin and open our bibles to Chapter 1

Verse 1 This gives the background concerning King Xerxes and his kingdom. He reigned in 127 Providences from India to Ethiopia.  "At this time, the Persian Empire was the largest the world had ever seen. It covered what we call today Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel; and also parts of modern day Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Arabia." This was copied from: http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/1701.htm
I wanted to share how large King Xerxes empire was.

Verses 2-9  3 feasts occur in these verses. The first festival begins 3 years after Xerxes takes the throne. He throws a party for180 days! That's a half a year! The people invited are nobles and princes from his land. This party shows how much wealth Xerxes had. When the 180 day festivities was over, he throws another party for all the people who lived in Susa,  from the poorest to the wealthiest,  for 7 days. The party is held at the palace garden and is beautifully decorated. The garden had couches made of gold and silver. Drinks were served in golden goblets, and people could drink as much as they wanted - the wine flowed freely. And the last party was a banquet that Queen Vashti held for the royal women in the palace.

Verses 10-11 On the 7th day of the feast, when King Xerxes was "high on spirits" he asks for his beautiful wife, Queen Vashti to come to the feast so that all the other men could gaze at her beauty. So, he sends 7 eunichs to go get her. The bible isn't specific but it is assumed that she is requested to come to the feast immodestly dressed.  When people have had too much to drink they make foolish decisions. Can you hear all these drunken men bragging they have the most beautiful wife and King Xerxes says my Queen is the most beautiful of all - so he sends for her to come so all may "look" at her. Doesn't sound like a good situation does it? The king sends 7 euniches to get the queen - a eunuch is a man who has been castrated.  This a common practice done - so the officials couldn't have children and then want to overthrow the King.

Verse 12 Queen Vashti refuses to go parade in front of all the men. The bible says women are to submit themselves to God. However, if the husband's request would cause you to sin, you should respectfully refuse his request. And of course a godly husband wouldn't even ask his wife to do something as sinful as strutting in front of all his drunken peers so they can all lustfully look at her. Some speculate she was pregnant and didn't want to parade in front of the men in her condition. And of course King Xerxes is furious with the queen for disobeying him.

Verses 13-22 King Xerxes seeks the counsel of his staff for advisement regarding his wife the queen disobeying him.  They decide that Queen Vashti be banished from the palace and be replace with another Queen.  Then the king issues a decree stating that husbands should be the ruler in their own household. He feared that wives would see what the queen had done, and they too would not honor their husband's wishes.While in theory this sounds like a good decree, the intent was foolish. He asked her to do something immoral and she refused.  Even a fool could see through this.

Father God, today we read about a King who throws a temper tantrum because his wife, for whatever reason, refuses to honor his request. We know that you orchestrated this event, and made it clear that his request was foolish. We ask this day that when someone wants us to sin, whether it be a family member or someone in the workplace, that you give us the courage to say no. We ask that you give us the words to say no, and be brave enough to stand up for our convictions. And we ask for mercy from punishment that may be given from them.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 4, 2010 2 Chronicles 31:2-32:33

I am still behind on my blog. Its really Oct 6.  This is kind of like live television.Uncut and unedited.  Baring of my soul trying to read the bible daily. I am sharing this because I hope that what I write will encourage others to just keep trying!  I was unemployed for almost 2 years. When I started this blog in August it was easy to spend a good hour a day writing. I had no place to go most days so it was easy to work God into my schedule. I started a job a few weeks ago and I am still struggling with the timing of writing this blog. I have concluded I am at my best in the early morning, not so good when I get home in the afternoon, and horrible at concentrating in the evening. NOW I am beginning to understand the kings in 2 Chronicles. They depend on God when they first become king - if they even do that - but they fall into a routine of fame and fortune and leave God behind in the dust. I do NOT want do that. I need to put God first in my life whether or not I have a busy schedule. I am contemplating get up an hour earlier than I normally do to fit God into my current life.

And now for the REALLY exciting news ..... the twins will be coming home soon! Hailey could come home Saturday, Brooklynn may come home Saturday or a couple days after that.  The doctor said they would be in NICU for 4 weeks and they are coming home in 3 weeks. Praise God!  The bad news is - they have to be very careful with germs - so grandparents won't get to spend cuddle time with them for a while.  I am disappointed but having healthy babies is most important. They will be ok getting all their TLC from Mom and Dad.

Chapter 31

Verse 1 After the Passover had ended, the Israelites destroyed the idols in the land. Then the Israelites returned home. I wonder if our idols today would be so easy to tear down. We have cell phones, ipods, cable tv with hundreds of channels, money, power, lovers, the list goes on and on. I think in today's society it just quitely permiates our lives kind of like putting a frog in a pot and gradually turning up the heat until it boils to death. I love my pc and I'm afraid to get a newer cell phone that I can text, surf the net and take pictures with. I would be glued to it 24/7! So yes - we need to tear down all barriers that will take away our focus from God.

Verses 2-3 Hezekiah assigns the priests to return to the duties they should be doing according to the law.

Verses 4-5 Hezekiah orders the people to tithe and bring their portion to the priests. Today we give freely to God, some are blessed and can give much more than 10 percent. The purpose is to give with the right attitude, a cheerful heart. And if married - whatever is mutually agreeable.

Verses 6-10 The people brought in so much from all their tithes, that there was a great abundance left over. Part of the tithes were to pay for the priests and they had been neglected for many years, now they received much more than they could ever use. This shows the power of God when he blesses he gives in abundance.

Verses 11-19 Hezekiah wisely assigns priests to account for all the tithes that are received. He does not want anything given to God to go waste or not used for its intended purpose.

Verses 20-21 Hezekiah was a godly man. He did everything he should do - the temple was functioning as it should, he walked with the Lord and God blesses him prosperity.

Chapter 32

Verse 1 Sennacherib, King of Assyria, prepares to attack Judah.  This is a reminder that even though we are faithful to God, bad things will happen to us. Our reaction to bad things is observed from others. My daughter for example had drifted from God. She still believed but wasn't really walking with him. A co-worker got cancer and he is a Christian. She watched how he handled this disease and she returned to the church. Her co-worker is fine now. Now we hate to see another person suffer, but sometimes it is used as a witness to others.

Verses 2-8 Hezekiah sees that the Assyrian army is camping around his country, so he begins preparation for war. Notice he stops water flowing to the camps and he fortifies his cities. Then Hezekiah tells his army to be strong and courageous. One of my favorite verses in the bible comes from Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." This is pretty much what Hezekiah tells his troups.


Verses 9-19 Sennecherib sends servants to Hezekiah asking him if he really wants to fight this powerful army. He cites what has happened to other nations. And they go further saying the other nations gods could not protect them from their army. They continue to say that Hezekiah has taken away high places to worship and only worship in one location. They are trying to build an argument that maybe Hezekiah isn't quite following God in worship and strength. The devil is cunning, and can build a good argument against God. This is what is happening here.


Verses 20-23 Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah pray to God, and God destroys the Assyran army and they return home in shame. Hezekiah is known through out the land for being powerful.


Vereses 24-26 Later on, Hezekiah becomes sick. He prays to God, God gives him a sign but he ignores the sign. The sign is the retreating sun dial found in 2 Kings 20:8-11. Hezekiah apologizes and God forgives him.



Verses 27-33 The end of Hezekiah's life. God blessed him with much. Hezekiah was faithful to God, he may have erred a few times as we all do. He dies and his son  Manesseh becomes king.


Father God, thank you for showing us how godly leadership works through Hezekiah. He restores the Passover, rebuilds the temple, instructs his people to give to you, and he makes sure that tithes are properly administered. Not only do we worship but we need to do the administrative part of the church behind the scenes. This is all a part of serving you  God. We thank you today for our talents, some of us are gifted with administration, some with worship, some with teaching, and others. We ask that we use our talents wisely.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Oct 3, 2010 2 Chronicles 29:1-31:1

Today is my youngest grandson's 2nd birthday. He is big brother to the new twin girls. His life will drastically change when they come home from the hospital. I pray that he will continue to be this sweet pleasant little guy in the coming days :-).

We continue with 2 Chronicles. We are almost done with this book. On the 8th we will begin reading the book of Esther.  Lets read together Chapters 29 and 30.

Chapter 29  Verses 1-2 Hezekiah - a good king! And his teaching probably came from his mother, who was a godly woman.  Moms - we are so important in teaching our children about God.  My study bible lists revivals in the bible, and King Hezekiah leads a revival during his reign.

Verses 3-11 King Hezekiah in the first month of his first year of reign - he opens the door to the temple, has it restored, and brings in the Levites priests to sanctify themselves and sanctify the temple. He proceeds to tell them what God has done, and how the people have been punished for turning their backs from God.

Verses 12-19 The priests begin cleaning out the temple. It took 16 days just to clean out all the trash in the temple. Then they put back everything King Ahaz had taken out of the temple.

Verses 20-27 Worship is begun. Sacrifices are made, music is sung.  King Hezekiah has made worship a priority.

Verses 28-30 The people of Judah also join in with worship, and sing praises to God.

Verses 31-36 The people brought their sacrifices and there were so many that they had to help the priests for there were not enough priests to do the job. Hezekiah and the people rejoiced for the ceremony being set up so quickly, they rejoiced because God had allowed this to happen so fast.

Chapter30 The story gets even better!

Verses 1-5 Hezekiah wants to celebrate Passover - so he invites the northern Kingdom to come to the Passover. Now normally the Passover was celebrated in the first month, but due to the fact that many priests were not presentable to God they held the Passover in the second month - which according to God's law it was ok.

Verses 6-9 Runners were sent out to all the tribes asking the Israelites to return to God and participate in the Passover. He asks the remnant of Israel not to be stiff necked like their fathers but remember Abraham and come back. If they come back God will bless them in 2 ways; those in Assyria their captors will show mercy to them, and secondly you will come back to your land.

Verses 10-12 The response to this invitation, many mocked and laughed at them but some did decide to attend the Passover.

Verses 13-17 The Passover is celebrated. Large crowds came to celebrate. The temple had to be cleared of idol worship. The assembly was so excited about the Passover they put the priests to shame. They consecrated themselves before performing their duties. We should do this too - confess our sins to God when we come him. Make ourselves right in order to worship him.  And the Passover took place.

Verses 18-20 Some of the people had not purified themselves, those that came from a distance, and they participated anyway. Hezekiah prayed for God's mercy on their behalf. The Lord listened and granted his request. Its good to know that God will take us right where we are right now. We will learn God's ways later on.

Verses 21-22 For 7 days they celebrated and the Levites taught the people the proper way to worship God. Hezekiah encouraged the priests and they performed their tasks well.

Verses 23-27 The assembly agreed to continue the festival for 7 more days! King Hezekiah provided1000 bulls, and 7000 sheep and goats. And the officials provided 1000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. There hadn't been a celebration like this since David and Solomon. The Levites blessed the people, and their God heard their prayers. Their prayers reached heaven - his holy dwelling place.

Father God, how exciting it was to read about the Revival of Judah and a little bit of Israel. There will always be a remnant of believers to carry on the faith, and through many prayers, this one little spark will spread through out the land. It is good to read about your nation returning to you Lord. I pray today that we never leave the faith, and when those who have strayed return to the fold, we greet them whole heartedly with open arms, and gentle teach them about you. And we celebrate with those who are new and mature alike. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.