John 1-5; Proverbs 31:10-31

Saturday's Bible Reading: John 1-5; Proverbs 31:10-31

Joshua 1-3; Proverbs 31:1-9

Friday's Bible Reading: Joshua 1-3; Proverbs 31:1-9

Click here to read about Jericho at BiblePlaces.com.

Deuteronomy 33-34; Proverbs 30:21-33

Thursday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 33-34; Proverbs 30:21-33

Click here to watch "What We Call the News" on JibJab.com (after a short commercial).

Ancient News
Moses dies on Mt. Nebo after viewing the promised land (Deuteronomy 34).


Click here to see other photos from Mt. Nebo.


Click here to see other photos BiblePlaces.com

Deuteronomy 31-32; Proverbs 30:10-20

Wednesday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 31-32; Proverbs 30:10-20

The Song of Moses
"And Moses recited the words of this song from beginning to end in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel" (Deuteronomy 31:30):

Deuteronomy 32

Imagine singing THIS song in church.
No sermon would be needed; the song IS the sermon.

Deuteronomy 28-30; Proverbs 30:1-9

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 28-30; Proverbs 30:1-9

Deuteronomy 25-27; Proverbs 29:21-27

Monday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 25-27; Proverbs 29:21-27

Psalms 36-38

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 36-38

Sermon: Bigger and Better | Journey to Jerusalem #21, Jim Samra.

Luke 19-24; Proverbs 29:8-20

Saturday's Bible Reading: Luke 19-24; Proverbs 29:8-20

Deuteronomy 22-24; Proverbs 29:1-7

Friday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 22-24; Proverbs 29:1-7

Deuteronomy 19-21; Proverbs 28:15-28

Thursday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 19-21; Proverbs 28:15-28



Harold B. Smith has been named Editor-in-Chief at Christianity Today International. Harold and I were classmates in graduate school at Michigan State University. I finished the program; he did not. What does that tell you about the importance of finishing your education? Click here to read the press release.

Today's Back Yard Mud Flood . . .

Deuteronomy 16-18; Proverbs 28:1-14

Wednesday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 16-18; Proverbs 28:1-14

While I was reading Deuteronomy 16 this morning, I received an email from a friend that included pictures of adorable baby animals, including this one. :-)



The email ended with the comment . . .
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

The very next email I received had a link to this movie: Mr. V.I.P.

The message for the day is impossible to miss.

By the way, Deuteronomy 16 begins like this:

Passover

1 Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover of the LORD your God, because in the month of Abib he brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 Sacrifice as the Passover to the LORD your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for his Name. 3 Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. 4 Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning.

5 You must not sacrifice the Passover in any town the LORD your God gives you 6 except in the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. There you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary ^[a] of your departure from Egypt. 7 Roast it and eat it at the place the LORD your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. 8 For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the LORD your God and do no work. —Deuteronomy 16:1-8, emphasis added

Deuteronomy 13-15; Proverbs 27:15-27

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 13-15; Proverbs 27:15-27

Spring begins: 8:07 p.m. EDT.

Deuteronomy 10-12; Proverbs 27:1-14

Monday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 10-12; Proverbs 27:1-14

What does God ask?

What does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? —Deuteronomy 10:12-13

What right does he have to ask?

To the LORD your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. —Deuteronomy 10:14

Why should anyone obey?

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. —Deuteronomy 10:17-18

Psalms 33-35

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 33-35

Sermon: The Power of Persistent Prayer | Journey to Jerusalem #20 by Jim Samra.

Luke 13-18; Proverbs 26:17-28

Saturday's Bible Reading: Luke 13-18; Proverbs 26:17-28

Deuteronomy 7-9; Proverbs 26:1-16

Friday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 7-9; Proverbs 26:1-16

Antidote for pride . . .

4 After the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, "The LORD has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness." No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is going to drive them out before you. 5 It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the LORD your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people. —Deuteronomy 9:4-6

Deuteronomy 4-6; Proverbs 25:15-28

Thursday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 4-6; Proverbs 25:15-28

The Greatest Commandment

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. —Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Today In Jewish History | 25 Adar

This date marks the death of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia in 561 BCE. Nebuchadnezzar built the most powerful nation in the world by ruthlessly attacking and annexing neighboring countries. He is sometimes called "Nebuchadnezzar the Great," but he is reviled by Jews for having destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and exiling the Jews from Israel. The biblical Book of Daniel tells how Nebuchadnezzar erected a large idol for public worship; three Jews refused to take part and Nebuchadnezzar ordered them cast into a roaring furnace. (They miraculously emerged unscathed.) Nebuchadnezzar was a megalomaniac who built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; in testimony to his grandeur, each brick was inscribed with his name. Amazingly, in our time, Saddam Hussein pronounced himself as the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar, and dreamed of restoring the Babylonian empire to its former size and glory. Saddam commissioned archaeologists to restore the ancient Hanging Gardens, and each new brick was inscribed with Saddam's name. The Book of Daniel (4:30) describes the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar: "He loses his sanity and lives in the wild like an animal."... (Nebuchadnezzar later regained his sanity and returned to rule.) —Aish.com

Today is also known as The Ides of March, the day when Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate. For more information visit History.com. (But turn down the volume of your speakers.)

March 15, 1517 | Infamous Indulgence Led to Protestant Reformation

Pope Leo could have spared the church a lot of grief if he had paid more attention to this verse:

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you. —Deuteronomy 4:2

Deuteronomy 1-3; Proverbs 25:1-14

Wednesday's Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 1-3; Proverbs 25:1-14

I can't read Deuteronomy without thinking of this song I learned in Sunday school (or VBS, or CEF).

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness
All I have to do is follow.
My Lord knows the way through the wilderness
All I have to do is follow.

Strength for today
Is mine all the way
And all that I need for tomorrow.

My Lord knows the way through the wilderness
All I have to do is follow.

And this one . . .

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

Click here if you have forgotten the tune. :-)

Numbers 34-36; Proverbs 24:23-24

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Numbers 34-36; Proverbs 24:23-24

Numbers 31-33; Proverbs 24:13-22

Monday's Bible Reading: Numbers 31-33; Proverbs 24:13-22

Numbers 32 | Human beings affect God's emotions.

The LORD's anger burned against Israel and he made them wander in the desert forty years, until the whole generation of those who had done evil in his sight was gone. —Numbers 32:13

The direction we choose can cause the destruction of others.

If you turn away from following [the LORD], he will again leave all this people in the desert, and you will be the cause of their destruction. —Numbers 32:15

Numbers 33 | Stages in Israel's Journey
Possible Route of the Exodus


Click here to view other maps showing the route of Israel's Exodus.

Apparently I've been living under a rock. . .

"Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard about this record-breaking massively multiplayer online role-playing game." —If Second Life isn't a game, What is it?

Uh, well, I had not heard of it, but now I have, so I guess I've been enlightened.

Psalms 30-32

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 30-32

Sermon: Sailing Through Storms, Don Denyes, South Church, Lansing, MI. Don and Nancy recently returned from a trip to Israel with our friends Doug and Donna Fagerstrom. Here is a link to the book referenced in Don's sermon: With Jesus Through Galilee by Bargil Pixner. Here is a picture of The Jesus Boat, also referenced in the sermon. Check out the other links on this website for pictures and historical information about sites around Galilee. And here is a link to a Google map showing the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.

Luke 7-12; Proverbs 24:1-12

Saturday's Bible Reading: Luke 7-12; Proverbs 24:1-12

Jesus feeds the five thousand in Bethsaida (Luke 9:10-17).


Bethsaida: Archeology in Israel, by Jacqueline Schaalje, The Jewish Magazine

New Testament references to Bethsaida.


Mount Tabor, or Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36)

The Greatest Commandment
Luke 10:25-28
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

Loving God with All My Strength, the final book in the Loving God Series, is now available.

Numbers 28-30; Proverbs 23:29-35

Friday's Bible Reading: Numbers 28-30; Proverbs 23:29-35

More on Sabbath.

In addition to the references to Sabbath in today's reading, note also the occasions when the ancient Israelites were to do no regular work: Passover (28:18, 25); Feast of Weeks (28:26); Feast of Trumpets (29:1); Day of Atonement (29:7); Feast of Tabernacles (29:12, 35).

Numbers 25-27; Proverbs 23:12-28

Thursday's Bible Reading: Numbers 25-27; Proverbs 23:12-28

Numbers 22-24; Proverbs 23:1-11

Wednesday's Bible Study: Numbers 22-24; Proverbs 23:1-11

Read my brother's thoughts on Balaam at DestinationNorth.org.

And to read what the rest of Scripture says about Balaam, click the following references:

Numbers 31:8, 16
Deuteronomy 23:4-5
Joshua 13:22; Joshua 24:9-10
Nehemiah 13:2
Micah 6:5
2 Peter 2:15
Jude 1:11
Revelation 2:14

Numbers 19-21; Proverbs 22:17-29

Tuesday's Bible Reading: Numbers 19-21; Proverbs 22:17-29


Wilderness of Zin, Photo by Barry Bandstra

In the desert of Zin, Miriam died and was buried. And once again the people grumbled about their miserable life in the desert. Moses and Aaron went to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown. The glory of the Lord appeared to them, and God instructed them to gather the assembly and "Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water"(20:8). But Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. His seemingly small act of disobedience resulted in punishment that seems disproportionate: "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them" (20:12). Moses got the results he wanted (water for the people), but lost the privilege of entering the Promised Land.


Photo by Todd Bolen, BiblePlaces.com

Two highways ran north to south through Edom and Moab: the King’s Highway (shown here) and the Way of the Wilderness. The advantage of the King’s Highway was the accessibility of water and food, but its disadvantage was difficult crossings of deep canyons. The Israelites wanted to pass through Edom on the King’s Highway, but the Edomites forced them to go around, utilizing the Way of the Wilderness (Num 20:17-18; Deut 2:1-8). —Todd Bolen, BiblePlaces.com

David Roberts drawing of Mount Hor (1842-49)
Abraham died on Mount Hor, near Petra.

Numbers 16-18; Proverbs 22:9-16

Monday's Bible Reading: Numbers 16-18; Proverbs 22:9-16


Photo copyright Elroyie David.

Numbers 17. The staff of Aaron budded, blossomed, and produced almonds as proof to the Israelites that Aaron was God's choice to be priest and thus to put a stop to their grumbling.

<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>

Maggie has many wonderful qualities. She is excellent when it comes to pulling and protecting. But as a homemaker? Well, she has limitations. When we leave the house, her homemaking instincts kick in. This is what she accomplished yesterday while we were at church.

Psalms 30-32

Sunday's Bible Reading: Psalms 30-32

Purim
14 Adar

In 355 BCE, the Jews celebrated their successful defeat of Haman's anti-Semitic mobs, an event we commemorate today with the Purim holiday.We read the Megillah (Scroll of Esther), dress up in costumes, and celebrate how the Jews of Persia narrowly escaped annihilation, thanks to the bravery of Esther and Mordechai. In Shushan, the Persian capital, however, the battle lasted one additional day and Purim was not celebrated until the 15th of Adar. Thus today in Jerusalem, Purim is celebrated one day later than the rest of the world. —Today in Jewish History, Aish.com

Luke 1-6; Proverbs 22:1-8

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

Read about Kent Dobson in today's Grand Rapids Press.

Numbers 13-15; Proverbs 21:22-31

Friday's Bible Reading: Numbers 13-15; Proverbs 21:22-31

Tornado!
Last night right at the end of the 11:00 news on channel 8 they announced that a tornado had hit a hospital in Americus, Georgia, which is where Jay's brother Joel works. I found the website of an Albany television station that was broadcasting live on the Internet. When I realized how bad it was, I woke up Jay and he tried calling but couldn't reach anyone. He finally got through to Alex this morning, who happened to be down there, so Jay got to talk to both Alex and Joel. They are all okay, as is their house, but the hospital is severely damaged and Joel's medical office is destroyed. He was there trying to salvage medical records. He wasn't able to talk long but said he would call back tonight. What a terrible day of awful weather in the South! We're so thankful that Jay's family is okay, but we can't forget the many families who did not receive such good news.

Click here to see pictures of damage to Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, Georgia.

Click here for news video from Americus.

Click here to read about Philip Yancey's car accident on 25 February. Only Philip could write so eloquently so soon after such a traumatic event.

Numbers 10-12; Proverbs 21:11-21

Thursday's Bible Reading: Numbers 10-12; Proverbs 21:11-21