Jeremiah 13; Proverbs 28:15-28

Thursday's Bible Reading: Jeremiah 13; Proverbs 28:15-28

Jeremiah 11-12; Proverbs 28:1-14

Wednesday's Bible Reading: Jeremiah 11-12; Proverbs 28:1-14

Jeremiah 9-10; Proverbs 27:15-27

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Jeremiah 9-10; Proverbs 27:15-27

Jeremiah 8; Proverbs 27:1-14

Monday's Bible Reading: Jeremiah 8; Proverbs 27:1-14

Psalms 33-35

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 33-35

1 Corinthians 12; Proverbs 26:17-28

Saturday's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 12; Proverbs 26:17-28

1 Corinthians 10-11; Proverbs 26:1-16

Today's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10-11; Proverbs 26:1-16

We're off to Columbus for a party to celebrate Jay's nephew's high school graduation.

Jeremiah 6-7; Proverbs 25:15-28

Thursday's Bible Reading: Jeremiah 6-7; Proverbs 25:15-28

Happy Thanksgiving.

Jeremiah 4-5; Proverbs 25:1-14

Wednesday Bible Reading: Jeremiah 4-5; Proverbs 25:1-14

Jeremiah 3; Proverbs 24:23-34

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Jeremiah 3; Proverbs 24:23-34

Jeremiah 1-2; Proverbs 24:13-22

Monday's Bible Reading: Jeremiah 1-2; Proverbs 24:13-22

Psalms 30-32

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 30-32

Happy birthday to Jay.
And also to his dad.

1 Corinthians 9; Proverbs 24:1-12

Saturday's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 9; Proverbs 24:1-12

1 Corinthians 8; Proverbs 23:29-35

Friday's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 8; Proverbs 23:29-35

Our small group Bible study last night was on 1 John 4, a chapter most famous for the statement "God is love," which it says twice:

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. . . . And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. —1 John 4:7-8, 16

So I shouldn't have been surprised (but I was) , when my Bible reading this morning expanded on the subject:

We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God. —1 Corinthians 8:1-3

Maybe God was afraid that a night of sleep would obliterate my memory. Or maybe I just needed to be reminded that knowledge alone is not enough. Knowledge without love is not knowledge; it's arrogance. If God only "knows" those who love him, perhaps that's a clue to what Jesus meant when he said: "Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:23)

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" —Matthew 7:22-23

Isaiah 65-66; Proverbs 23:12-28

Thursday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 65-66; Proverbs 23:12-28

Good-bye, Isaiah. Thanks for your hard work. I will miss you.

"This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word." —Isaiah 66:2

Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge. . . .
Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
—Proverbs 23:12, 17

Here is an interesting and helpful distinction
between Pharisees and Sadducees . . .

In 109 BCE, the Hasmoneans (led by John Hyrcanus, a nephew of Judah the Maccabee) conquered Samaria, the capital city of the Samarian sect. This conquest was significant because it ended some 800 years of Samarian influence in Israel. The Samarians were a schismatic movement, comprised largely of non-Jews who practiced some Jewish traditions. The conquest may have further polarized the Jews into two distinct parties: 1) the Pharisees ("separated ones") because they sought to retain the separation of Jewish culture from the Greek influences of Hellenization, and 2) the Sadducees, Jews who embraced Greek culture. —from Today in Jewish History (25 Cheshvan 5767 / 16 November 2006) at Aish.com

Isaiah 64; Proverbs 23:1-11

Wednesday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 64; Proverbs 23:1-11

40 days until Christmas . . .
40 days until we celebrate the answer to Isaiah's prayer . . .

1 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains would tremble before you!

2 As when fire sets twigs ablaze
and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
and cause the nations to quake before you!

3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.

4 Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
you were angry.
How then can we be saved?

6 All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.—Isaiah 64:1-6

God did indeed come down
     but not to make the mountains tremble.
He did indeed make his name known
     but not by causing the nations to quake.
For Jesus came not in strength, but in weakness,
Not in power, but in humility,
Not to exalt himself on a throne but to be lifted up on a cross.
Not to polish us, but to purify us.
Not to make us look good, but to make himself look bad.
We can be saved because he wore our filthy rags so that we can wear "the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21

Isaiah did not live to see God come down and answer his prayer. But he may well have been part of the great send-off party in heaven when Jesus left home to become the answer to his prayer. Surely that would have been worth the wait!

Isaiah 62-63; Proverbs 22:17-29

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 62-63; Proverbs 22:17-29

Isaiah 60-61; Proverbs 22:9-16

Monday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 60-61; Proverbs 22:9-16

Last night we went to hear Marty Goetz in concert at South Church in Lansing. Today's Bible reading in Isaiah 61 is the text for his song "The Spirit of the Lord."

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners, ^[b]

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor. . .

10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. —Isaiah 61:1-3, 10

He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth
and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty. —Proverbs 22:16

Psalms 27-29

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 27-29

1 Corinthians 6-7; Proverbs 22:1-8

Saturday's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 6-7; Proverbs 22:1-8

1 Corinthians 5; Proverbs 21:22-31

Friday's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 5; Proverbs 21:22-31

Isaiah 59; Proverbs 21:11-21

Thursday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 59; Proverbs 21:11-21

Your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear. —Isaiah 59:2

If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
he too will cry out and not be answered. —Proverbs 21:13

Question: How do you terrorize a terrorist? Click here for the answer.

Isaiah 57-58; Proverbs 21:1-10

Wednesday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 57-58; Proverbs 21:1-10

CT ran a live blog last night with some interesting commentary and links to some blogs/websites with insightful thoughts and analysis. I'm not sure how long it will remain available, but as of now it's still online at http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/.

Post-election meditation . . .
For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite. —Isaiah 57:15

Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness ^[d] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday. —Isaiah 58:4-10

Today in Jewish History from Aish.com
On this date in 1919, a New York Times headline declared "Einstein Theory Triumphs." Albert Einstein (1879-1955) was a German-born physicist whose theory of relativity revolutionized the scientific approach to time, space, matter, energy and gravity. Einstein claimed that his defining moment came at age five when his father showed him a compass, and young Albert was intrigued by the mysterious, invisible force acting upon it. Einstein succeeded in explaining principles of cosmology and physics that had baffled scientists for decades. From 1914 to 1933, he conducted physics research in Berlin, and it was during this time that he made his most groundbreaking discoveries and was awarded a Nobel Prize. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Einstein renounced his German citizenship and fled to the United States, where he accepted a position in Princeton, New Jersey. In 1939, Einstein sent a letter to President Roosevelt urging the study of nuclear fission for military purposes, fearing that the Nazis would be first to develop atomic weapons. After the war, however, Einstein lobbied for nuclear disarmament, saying that: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." Einstein was instrumental in founding Brandeis University and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, to which Einstein bequeathed his estate. In 1952 he turned down an offer to become President of the State of Israel. Einstein has been called one of the most influential figures in history, and Time magazine named him "Person of the Century."

Isaiah 55-56; Proverbs 20:21-30

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 55-56; Proverbs 20:21-30

Election Day.

This is what the LORD says:
"Maintain justice
and do what is right,
for my salvation is close at hand
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.

Blessed is the man who does this,
the man who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil." —Isaiah 56:1-2

This verse seems fitting on a day when voters in Michigan will determine how effectively Dick DeVos has used his inheritance: "An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end." —Proverbs 20:21

Sometimes in life it's hard to know where one thing ends and another begins.

Isaiah 54; Proverbs 20:11-20

Monday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 54; Proverbs 20:11-20

Gordon MacDonald writes with conviction and compassion on the Ted Haggard debacle. Click here to read his comments.

Psalms 24-26

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 24-26

Sunday's Sermon: The Story of Martyrdom—Journey to Jerusalem #8, Jim Samra

Sunday Evening Sermon: The Spiritual Lessons I am Learning, Ed Dobson
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4

1 Corinthians 4; Proverbs 20:1-10

Saturday's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 4; Proverbs 20:1-10

"My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent . . .
The Lord will bring to light what is hidden . . . and will expose the motives of men's hearts." —1 Corinthians 4:4-5

Oblivious buffalo . . .







"[I am] serving Christ when shooting a buffalo for my men or taking an observation, [even if some] will consider it not sufficiently or even at all missionary."
—David Livingstone

1 Corinthians 2-3; Proverbs 19:16-29

Friday's Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 2-3; Proverbs 19:16-29

with all my strength . . .
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power. —1 Corinthians 2:1-5

with all my mind . . .
[W]ho among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. —1 Corinthians 2:11-16

Dusk at Old Faithful

Isaiah 52-53; Proverbs 19:1-15

Thursday's Bible Study: Isaiah 52-53; Proverbs 19:1-15

Isaiah 50-51; Proverbs 18:13-24

Wednesday's Bible Reading: Isaiah 50-51; Proverbs 18:13-24