One Year Bible Blog

July 12th One Year Bible Readings

1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17 ~ Romans 1:1-17 ~ Psalm 9:13-20 ~ Proverbs 19:4-5
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio or ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - I think today's readings in First Chronicles could be called "Famous Dave!"  As indeed, David moves into his role as the King of Israel in today's readings and we read about his growing fame and support amongst the tribes!

In chapter 13 we read about David bringing the Ark back to Jerusalem - which was good in intention, but poor in execution...  God is clear in Numbers 4:5-15 that the Ark was to be moved only by the Levites and only by using carrying poles.  No one, not even the Levites were to touch the Ark itself.  David ended up following the Philistines example of moving the Ark on a cart, rather than following God's command.  Thus, in verses 9 & 10 we read  - "But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark. Then the LORD's anger blazed out against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God."  I wonder if we are like David was in this chapter in our lives today - how often do we have "good intentions", but poor execution?  How often do we take shortcuts on things God has been very clear on?  Even if these shortcuts seem like they are good ideas, why do we take them?  Why do we take the risk?

New Testament - Today we begin the book of Romans! What a great book we have coming up! We’ve been reading about Paul’s missionary journeys, the storm at sea, and being in chains for the Gospel in Acts. Now get ready to read and study some of Paul’s teachings first-hand! Some commentaries say that the book of Romans is a “Bible within the Bible.” And others: “The most profound book in existence.” Personally, I think we need to obviously consider all 66 books of the Bible to be the Bible and the entirety of the Bible to be the most profound book in existence. But, yes, Romans is a profound book of the Bible no doubt! Martin Luther said this about Romans: “It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with, the more precious it becomes.” Not a bad quote for us to jump into the book of Romans this week! Let’s go!

Romans
Author: Paul
Place: Corinth
Date: A.D. 57/58
Content: Paul was in Corinth on his third missionary journey and was planning to go to Rome, but had never been there before. This letter was written to introduce himself to the church and to summarize his theological teachings. For the latter reason, it is the most systematically organized letter of Paul. He begins by showing the universal sin of man. Neither Gentile nor Jew has any legitimate claim upon God because sin has invalidated any appeal. But God in his mercy stepped in, while we were still sinners, and opened the way back to himself (Romans 5:8). From this may come a victorious Christian life. Paul then deals with the place of the Jews in God’s plan (Romans 9-11), concluding with a series of ethical exhortations.
Theme: The righteousness of God, his righteous dealings with the world, and the righteous plan of salvation are the focus of this book. God is seen to be the great and holy God of the universe who cannot relax his laws because they are based upon his nature. But consistent with those laws, he devised a plan of salvation for Jews and Gentiles alike that sent his Son down from heaven to die for the sins of the world. Now anyone who trusts in Jesus will be saved (Romans 10:9) and be given the power of God over sin in his life. From God and his love nothing can separate the believer. (Romans 8:38-39) (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p. 24)

More commentary on Romans is at these 3 links –
https://bible.org/seriespage/1-introduction-book-romans
https://bible.org/seriespage/6-romans-introduction-argument-and-outline 
https://bible.org/seriespage/1-introduction-romans
Bob Deffinbaugh says at this link directly above – “If you can reason your way through Romans, you will have the Gospel under your belt. . . . As you begin this study, I would challenge you to review the Book of Romans often in your mind, seeking to trace its argument from the very first chapter to wherever your study has brought you. It is my hope that you will then seek to apply what you have learned in your own life, and to share the message of the Gospel it contains with those who are lost and without hope, apart from the faith this Epistle describes and defines. May God bless you in your study of this portion of His Word.”

The Bible Project: Here is a great video overview of the book of Romans:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_6dVdJSIU

How powerfully strong are Paul's words in Romans chapter 1 verses 16 & 17 today!  In fact, the NIV Study Bible's commentary says that these two verses are the theme of the entire book of Romans:  "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--Jews first and also Gentiles. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life.""  Do you believe these two verses to be true?  Are you not ashamed of the Good News about Jesus Christ?  Do you believe that God makes us right in his sight by faith?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Romans Chapter 1 readings is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 9 verse 18 is so true and powerful: "For the needy will not be forgotten forever; the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed."  This is a great reminder that God's heart is for the poor in this world!  If God's heart is for the poor - should our heart be for the poor too?  How is your heart for the poor these days?  How do you remember the poor and their hopes?

Proverbs - It is interesting to consider the Psalm verse about compared to Proverbs 19 verse 4 today: "Wealth makes many "friends"; poverty drives them away."  This is a true Proverb.  I am intrigued by "friends" being in parentheses - what type of friends do we attract with wealth?  Will they still be there when the wealth is gone?  I do think it's true that poverty drives "friends" away.  If the poor do not have many friends, then should we be a friend to the poor?  How could we be a friend to the poor?  Was Jesus a friend to the poor?  What type of poor was Jesus a friend too - poor in spirit; poor in wealth; poor in health; all of the above?  Should we emulate Jesus in his friendship to the poor?

Worship God: Today's readings in Romans remind me of Matt Maher's song "Christ is Risen:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptqVzhVSUPE

Do you believe that Christ is risen? Click here to meet the Risen Lord!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile." Romans 1:16 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are not ashamed of the Gospel in any way, shape or form. Pray that you proclaim the Gospel throughout your life in every way. Pray that you fully know and believe that the Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

July 11th One Year Bible Readings

1 Chronicles 11:1-12:18 ~ Acts 28:1-31 ~ Psalm 9:1-12 ~ Proverbs 19:1-3
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio or ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Today in First Chronicles chapter 11 we read about David's Mighty Men!  I do love reading about the story of his men who went to the well in Bethlehem to bring David that water that he so loved - when Bethlehem was occupied by the Philistines!  These men were no joke.  They risked everything to please David.  I wonder about this in our lives today.  Are we as dedicated to Jesus as these Mighty Men were dedicated to David?  Are you willing to risk everything for Jesus?  However, keep in mind that we don't need to do un-called for risky things for Jesus - like these Mighty Men didn't have to get that water from the well.  But their zeal for David is impressive.  I just pray we are at least that zealous for Jesus.

Today in 1 Chronicles 12 verse 18 we read - "Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who later became a leader among the Thirty, and he said,  "We are yours, David! We are on your side, son of Jesse. Peace and prosperity be with you, and success to all who help you, for your God is the one who helps you.""  Related to this verse, Tyndale's One Year Bible Companion has the following answer to the question of 'How did the Holy Spirit work in Old Testament times?' - "When there was an important job to be done, God chose a person to do it, and the Spirit gave that person the needed power and ability.  The Spirit gave Bezalel artistic ability, Jephthah military prowess, David power to rule, and Zechariah an authoritative word of prophecy.  Here the Holy Spirit came upon David's warriors.  The Spirit came upon individuals in order to accomplish specific goals.  Beginning at Pentecost, however, the Spirit came upon all believers, not only to empower them to do God's will, but also to dwell in them day by day."

New Testament - Today we finish the book of Acts!  Romans begins tomorrow!  Interesting segment in today's readings when Paul encounters the snake on the island of Malta.  Everyone first believes that justice is being done, and that Paul will die by the snake.  When he doesn't die, they then decide he is a god.  Interesting...  They were first cursing him, then suddenly worshiping him.  I wonder if we do this in our lives too?  Do we sometimes curse things one minute and then worship them the next?  Do we sometimes even do this with God?  Let us pray for consistency in our lives and actions, in particular in the area of Who we worship.

We then read in today's readings about Paul arriving in Rome and beginning to preach the Gospel just 3 days after he arrives!  Paul wastes no time.  He is so focused on preaching the Gospel that he makes it happen no matter what.  I think we would do well to pay attention to Paul's zeal for the Gospel.  Why do you suppose Paul was so zealous for the Gospel?  Should we be zealous for the Gospel today like Paul was back then?  Are you zealous for the Gospel today like Paul was back then?

Okay, in Acts chapter 28 we have a very important verse for all of us to pay attention to.  Verse 28.  These are Paul's last words recorded in Acts.  Commentaries suggest that this verse is actually the main point of the book of Acts.  So if you remember nothing else from the book of Acts, remember the book was about this:  "So I want you to realize that this salvation from God is also available to the Gentiles, and they will accept it."  Seems like such a simple verse...  But do you see the weight of it?  Do you believe that salvation from God is available to all?  Have you accepted this salvation?  Perhaps now is a good time for us to remember Paul's acceptance of this salvation on the Road to Damascus earlier in our Acts readings, as painted by the artist Michelangelo below in the year 1544 -

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Paul in Rome" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 9 verse 9 stood out to me today - "The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." When you are in trouble, do you run to God for shelter?  Or do you look elsewhere?  Where will you ultimately find true peace and rest from the storms of life?  Do you believe that the Bible can be a haven for you in the midst of the storms of life?

Proverbs - Today in Proverbs 19 verse 2 we read: “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” How does this Proverb speak to you? I know it is very convicting to me – particularly the part about being hasty. I am someone who oftentimes finds myself “hurrying.” And when I am hurrying, I am usually worrying. And at this point I am missing everything else going on around me. I’m living in my “own private Idaho”. I am missing the Way. I do believe that God is a passionate God and wants us to be passionate people – particularly for things that are of importance to God, such as serving the poor. But, I don’t think that God wants us to be zealous and hasty people who do not really know what we are zealous and hasty about. We need godly knowledge. Where do you suppose we can obtain godly knowledge? (hint – the Holy Book. . . :) How about you? Are you zealous? What are you zealous for? Are you seeking godly knowledge in your life each and every day? Are you hasty? Are you ever missing the Way because of your haste?

Worship God: Today's readings in Acts reminds me of the song by Third Day titled "Call My Name:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEXXUdU--Zg

Have you called God's Name? Click here to make the call!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "Desire without knowledge is not good — how much more will hasty feet miss the way!" Proverbs 19:2 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you crave godly knowledge. Pray that you are pursuing godly knowledge. Pray that you are not enslaved to your fleshly desires. Pray that you are not hasty in making major life decisions.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

July 10th One Year Bible Readings

1 Chronicles 9:1-10:14 ~ Acts 27:21-44 ~ Psalm 8:1-9 ~ Proverbs 18:23-24
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio or ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Today in our First Chronicles readings, in between chapters 9 and 10, we go back to the future!  Or something like that... :)

Chronicles chapter 9 recounts the return from exile in Babylon, which took place between 538 B.C. and 458 B.C.  Then in chapter 10 we go back in time 500 years to some of our earlier readings in First Samuel when Saul was king and dies in approx. 1010 B.C.  Why this dramatic shift in chronology of events?  Well, the Chronicler basically wanted to take us through Israel's history from Creation to the return from exile in Babylon in chapters 1 through 9.  In chapter 10 the Chronicler takes us back to the beginning of Israel's kingdom period when Saul was the first King.  However...  you will notice that the Chronicler spends all of only 1 chapter on Saul!  (and just a 14 verse chapter at that...)   And then, coming up in our readings, the Chronicler will spend the next 18 chapters on the life of David and his kingdom through the end of First Chronicles!   Think this Chronicler had his favorite?  Why do you suppose this is?  Well, the Chronicler of course tells us very plainly why in verses 13 and 14 in chapter 10 today:  "So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD. He failed to obey the LORD's command, and he even consulted a medium instead of asking the LORD for guidance. So the LORD killed him and turned his kingdom over to David son of Jesse."  This Chronicler wants to spend more time on obedience than on disobedience!  How about you in your life today?  Do you focus on being obedient to God?  Do you seek and pray to God for guidance on what obedience to God would look like in your life?  Are you like David - a person after God's own heart?  Do you want to know God's heart and plan for your life?  Will you remain faithful to God no matter what the world tries to tempt you with?

For today, in chapter 10 we get one more reminder of disobedience from Saul, and I'll throw in this image below from artist Guy Rowe of the prophet Samuel denouncing Saul, as you'll recall from our First Samuel chapter 13 readings, verses 13 & 14:  ""You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command.""

New Testament - In stark contrast to Saul in our First Chronicles readings, I love seeing Paul's leadership in action in today's readings in Acts 27!  He shows big-time leadership through his encouragement in verse 22: "But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down."  And then Paul also shows some leadership in a very simple thing, namely eating, in verses 33 & 34: "As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. "You haven't touched food for two weeks," he said. "Please eat something now for your own good."  The best demonstration though of Paul's leadership I think was when he did what reminded me of his Savior's Last Supper in verse 35...  "Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it."  Does this action of Paul's remind you of anyone else you might know?

Julius, the centurion, shows some amazing respect for Paul in the last 3 verses of today's readings! "The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape. But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn't let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land, and he told the others to try for it on planks and debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely ashore!" Below is the 19th century woodcut artist Gustave Dore's take on this very last sentence:

And then it looks like the island of Malta, where Paul and the ship's passengers were shipwrecked, decided to create a stamp that looks quite a bit like Gustave Dore's artwork above... :)

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "A Biblical Look at Leadership" is at this link.

Psalms - Today we read Psalm 8!  Verses 3 & 4 I love: "When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers-- the moon and the stars you have set in place-- what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us?" What I love about this verse is that before I had faith in Jesus, and even God, I used to always look toward the night sky and just be amazed by the stars!  I would always think to myself - there is no way that this all just happened by chance.  There's gotta be something bigger going on making all of this happen.  The night sky was evangelizing me!!  :)  What a beautiful thing. Have you ever had the experience of nature, God’s creation, evangelizing you? When you are out in nature, do you offer up praise and thanks to God for His amazingly beautiful creation?

Proverbs - Proverbs 18:23 today teaches us:  "The poor plead for mercy; the rich answer with insults."  Wow... this Proverb should make us stop and think.  Who are the poor in our world today?  And who are the rich?  Do you think that the poor are pleading for mercy today?  And how are the rich answering this plea?  Have times changed from the days of when this Proverb was written to today?  Meaning, are we now answering the poor with love and justice and care consistently today?  Or are we still basically answering the poor with insults?  Please know that over 1.2 billion people in the world today are living on less than $1 a day.  That's abject poverty.  My hunch is that most people reading this blog posting right now are very rich in comparison to this 1.2 billion in abject poverty.  The poor are indeed pleading for mercy in our world today.  How will you answer their plea today?  And tomorrow?  And the day after that?

YouTube Video: Today's Psalm 8 reminds me of MercyMe's song "All of Creation:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UADsz7ToO8w

Has Creation evangelized you? Click here to meet the Creator!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3-4 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that when you enjoy the beauty of creation you worship your Creator, and that you don't worship creation. Pray that God's creation points all people toward Himself and ultimately a saving relationship with Jesus. Pray a prayer of praise to God for being mindful of you and for creating you in His image.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

July 9th One Year Bible Readings

1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40 ~ Acts 27:1-20 ~ Psalm 7:1-17 ~ Proverbs 18:22
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio or ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - We read some interesting verses to consider today in First Chronicles 8 verses 8 through 10: ^"After Shaharaim divorced his wives Hushim and Baara, he had children in the land of Moab. Hodesh, his new wife, gave birth to Jobab, Zibia, Mesha, Malcam, Jeuz, Sakia, and Mirmah. These sons all became the leaders of clans."  These verses basically record polygamy & divorce by Shaharaim.  However, just because these actions are recorded in the Bible, it does not mean they are condoned by God.  Since the creation of Adam and Eve, God has meant for there to be one man with one wife.  But, we humans don't always follow what God wants for us... (as we each well know)  The Bible records both the good & the bad in human actions.  If someone were to chronicle our lives today, would what the chronicle recorded be pleasing in God's sight?  Don't worry so much about your past & past mistakes.  God can forgive and redeem those, if you will turn to him in repentance.  But right now - what would the chronicler capture in your life today?  Would it be pleasing in God's sight?  Would you want other people to read about your life today?  Would you be comfortable with any aspect of your life showing up on the front page of tomorrow's news?

New Testament - Today in Acts 27 verses 1 & 2 we read: "When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of an army officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment. And Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a boat whose home port was Adramyttium; it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province of Asia."  A great map of Paul's journey to Rome is below:

In verses 10 & 11 Paul's wise advice about the storm is not heeded: ""Sirs," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on--shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and danger to our lives." But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul." I wonder about this in our lives today - are we like the officer in charge of the prisoners and ignoring Paul's advice?  Do we hear Paul's advice to us in his Epistles, and yet are we ignoring it?  Are we instead paying attention to the ship's captain, or the world, rather than Paul, when a storm is indeed bearing down upon us?

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "A Biblical Look at Leadership" is at this link.

Psalms - Today in Psalm 7 verse 10 we read: "God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right." What stood out to me here is that it does not say that God saves those who "do" what is true and right.  It says that God saves those whose "hearts are" true and right.  As discussed in yesterday's Matthew 5 post, below, this is getting toward our interior motives and thoughts and hearts - the important thing is not what we do on the "exterior", but who we are on the "interior".  And then certainly if our hearts are true and right, a natural outflow of this is doing good things on the exterior.  But, it's the interior - our hearts - that matter most.  How is your heart these days?  Is it true and right?  And do you believe that God is indeed your shield?

Proverbs - Proverbs 18 verse 22 I believe is a two way street: "The man who finds a wife finds a treasure and receives favor from the LORD."  And the woman who finds a husband finds a treasure and receives favor from the Lord!  I think all of us are fortunate to find a wife or husband.  The sad thing of course in our world today is that marriages statistically are not lasting.  I believe the divorce rate is around 50% now?  Pretty high to say the least...  My thought is that God needs to be the center of any marriage for it to really last.  Really, God needs to be in the center of anything we do in our lives for it to truly last...  Is God in the center of all areas of your life today?

Worship God: Today's readings in Acts 27 and Psalm 7 remind me of Laura Story's song "Blessings:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGmKC34UZ68

What if your blessings come through raindrops? Click here for the most amazing blessing you could ever imagine!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. " Psalm 7:10 (NIV)

Prayer Point: Pray that God is your shield that has saved you. Pray for an upright heart. Pray that your lost family and friends come to a saving faith in Jesus and will then have God as their shield.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!

July 8th One Year Bible Readings

1 Chronicles 5:18-6:81 ~ Acts 26:1-32 ~ Psalm 6:1-10 ~ Proverbs 18:20-21
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ // Mobile Site Link
~ Listen to today's Scripture on One Year Bible Online Audio or ESVBible.org: OT, NT, Psalms, Proverbs or DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) ~

Old Testament - Today in First Chronicles chapter 5 we read about the tribes east of the Jordan River.  This map will give you a good overview of the territory of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh east of the Jordan.  (along with the rest of the tribes)

Today in First Chronicles chapter 6 we read a genealogy of the Levites, the priestly tribe.  I love that the temple musicians were included in the genealogy today!  Check out verse 32: "They ministered with music before the tabernacle."  Nice touch to include the artists.  Think God likes music? And how true is this - that music ministers to us?  I pray this is true for you.  I know music ministers to me in such a profound way. Particularly Christian and worship music.  Secular music I used to love - and it can still be interesting to listen to.  But the only music these days that truly seems to "minister" to me is Christian music or praise and worship music.  Certainly the music I sing in church every week!  Is music ministering to you these days?

New Testament - Today in Acts 26 verses 24 & 25 we read: “At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." "I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable.””  Have you ever questioned your sanity when thinking about Christianity? :) Don’t worry – I think it is okay if you have. I honestly think that Christianity is the most logical thing of all time – but, I do understand why many in the world may view Christianity as crazy. (or that maybe even we ourselves at times have thought “this is crazy”) The bottom line is this – I believe every human being has faith in something. We may have faith in Jesus. Or we may have faith in a “cosmic being.” Or we may have faith in crystals. Or we may have faith in atheism. (yes, I believe atheism is too a faith – in nothingness – but a faith nonetheless.) Or we may have faith in altruism or government or nature. We all have faith in something. Faith is our human nature. I believe the statistic is that 85%+ of the world’s population believes in something beyond themselves. We are spiritual beings. And if then we are spiritual beings, then I think it is perfectly logical for us to seek out who our Maker truly is. And to seek out whom our Savior truly is. And to seek out what will lead us to Eternal life. I’ve gone through this seeking phase big time in my early life. And I do believe it was the Holy Spirit that led me to Jesus ultimately. And now, once in relationship with Jesus, I believe that Christianity is the most logical faith there is. Do you believe what Paul says to Festus in these verses? Do you believe that Christianity is true and reasonable?  I believe even Spock would find Christianity logical! :)

Bible.org's commentary on today's Acts readings titled "Paul's Appeal to Aggripa" is at this link.  Below is an image of Paul´s Defense Before Agrippa by C.F. Vos:

Psalms - As I read Psalm 6, it seems very penitential to me - like David was making a confession of sins and praying for forgiveness from God.   As you read through these verses, have you ever felt like this?  I have.  And it ain't fun.  But, it's part of the healing process.  I do think we need to allow ourselves to get fully broken before God before we get fully healed.  We can't mask over or hide from God what's really going on - we have got to put it all out there on the table before God, for him to be able to truly fix it.   However - there is great encouragement and confidence from David in this Psalm in verse 9: "The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer." The Lord will hear your plea!  The Lord will answer your prayer!  Please plea and pray to him if you need to.  He will listen and answer.

Proverbs - I love Proverbs 18 verse 20 today: "Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person's lips bring satisfaction."  This is so true.  I of course first think of God's Word, the Bible, in the first part of this Proverb.  God's Word truly does satisfy, nourish and feed our souls!  And then the 2nd part of this Proverb reminds me of Psalm 19 verse 14: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." How are the words coming out of your mouth these days?  Are they pleasing in God's sight?

Worship God: Today's readings remind me of Tenth Avenue North's song "Love is Here:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sBuajPzBTw

Do you believe Love is Here?  Click here for Love!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping." Psalm 6:8 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that those who do evil would not be near to you today. Pray that God would save evil-doers. Pray that evil-doers would turn from their sins and repent.

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. Download our monthly Small Group study notes for our One Year Bible readings at this link.

p.p.s. Download a schedule of our One Year Bible readings for the year in PDF format at this link.

p.p.p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this One Year Bible Blog ministry today. Thanks!