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0 comments | Friday, April 27, 2007

Today I read from the following books;

JUDGES 7:1-8:17
LUKE 23:13-43
PSALM 97:1-98:9
PROVERBS 14:7-8

- Today's reading was filled with suspense. Its days like this that make the reading go by really fast and make me want to continue reading on. Both Judges and Luke were awesome today.-

In Judges today it talks about the massacre of the Midians. Yesterday we learned that Gideon is the new appointed leader of the Israelites and is in charge of battling the massive Midian army. It says that right before Gideon was going to strike, God asked him to remove some of the men from the Israelite army. He said that if they were victorious, the people of Israel would assume it was because of Israels great strength that they won, God new that the only way to turn the people again would be to show them a miracle. So Gideon told his men that anyone afraid could leave. That sent away about 75,000 men, leaving them with 10,000 left. But God still told him that was too many, he said take the men down to the water and watch them drink. Any man who laps the water like a dog can stay but anyone who bends down to take a drink must go back. Out of 10K soldiers only 3K lapped like a dog. So Gideon and 3,000 men attacked and took the entire army of Midian which had well over 125,000 soldiers.

- if t hat isn't sign that God is on your side I don't know what is! -

God did say to Gideon that if he had fear he should spy on the Midians, so one night he went to the Midian camp and heard two men talking about a dream. They said they had a dream and when they described it they said it had to have been a sign from the Israel God that they were going to win the battle. This supercharged Gideon and they instantly went and attacked the Midians.

In Luke today it talks about the end few hours of Jesus' life. It talks about how the high priests talked the king into making the death penalty decision against Jesus and how 2 other criminals were crucified with him. It describes all the slander and abuse that Jesus was put through before he died. One of the criminals stood up for Jesus on the cross, they were both there slowly dying and the criminal said to Jesus; "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus said to him "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

- That must have been a amazing feeling, to know that your going to die, to be scared and in pain but then in your last few minutes know that you are going to heaven and that in a few minutes you will be in "paradise". That would be awesome. -

The Proverbs for today is; PROVERBS 14:7-8 "Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips. The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception."

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1 comments | Thursday, April 26, 2007

Today I read from the following books;

JUDGES 6:1-40
LUKE 22:54-23:12
PSALM 95:1-96:13
PROVERBS 14:5-6

Today is Judges it talks about the Israelites AGAIN going against the lord and worshiping false gods. They had again been run over by their enemies the 'Midianites'. It states that the Midianites were ruthless and would swarm their camps like locusts and destroy every living thing, even their crops and animals.

Again the Israelites cried out to God in agony. They prayed for his forgiveness and help in getting them out of this torture. So God again sent them a prophet. The angel of the lord came and sat down under a tree and talked with a man named Gideon. He explained that God has done all this for the Israelites but they continue to disobey him. He told Gideon that God will be with him, and that he is to strike down the Midianites.

- This is living proof that our God is a forgiving god. Were talking about a single group of people that have come and gone from the lord SEVERAL times now over a course of several generations and still the Lord is helping them out. They cry out to the Lord and he answers. I have heard people say that they have done so many wrong things in life that they don't believe God would ever forgive them, or would ever listen to them. This is proof that it is never too late to start talking to God. He is a forgiving God and loves you no matter what. -

Gideon seemed a little worried for his life, he asked several times over the course of 3 days (or at least it mentions 'The next day' 3 times) for proof that God is really God and telling the truth to him. First he asks the angel to stay there while he goes and brings an offering. The angel agrees. Gideon goes and slaughters a lamb and bakes yeast-less bread and broth and brings it to the Angel. The Angel asks him to put it on a nearby rock. Then the Angel taps the offering with his staff and it bursts into flames, and at that time the Angel disappears.

Then Gideon tears down the false Gods alters and builds an alter to the Lord but gets threatened by the Israelites for doing so. He ends up arranging a army to go and fight but still wants assurance that God is really with him, so he puts a wool Fleece on the ground and asks God to soak it with dew. In the morning he was able to pour a bowl of water from the dew soaked fleece. But that wasn't enough so he asks the lord that if it is really Gods will for him to fight, for the lord to make the ground covered in dew but the fleece completely dry. Again the next morning it is done. So he finally realizes it's gods will.

- This seems pretty unbelievable to me, not that it happened, but that Gideon would really demand so many tests of God. God for some reason went along with Gideon and answered his requests but I would like to think that if an angel of God came to me and set my offering on fire right before me like magic that, that would be enough for me to be live that the Lord is really with me and that I should obey what he said. But I've never been in that position so I can't really say I would do it differently. -

In Luke today it tells the story where it left off yesterday. Jesus was taken away and is not in the main priests chamber where he is beaten and ridiculed. He is threatened and questioned but he stands strong. He is transferred from one king to another because neither seem to want to pull the trigger. Both kings 'Pilate' and 'Herod' were enemies before this but bringing Jesus down brought them together as friends.

They dressed Jesus in a 'elegant robe' and mocked him. Meanwhile Peter is in the courtyard. 3 separate people recognize him and question him saying that he is 'one of them' and that he was with Jesus. He denies it three times. On the 3rd time the rooster crows while he is denying Jesus. Just then he looks up to see Jesus staring right at him and he remembers what was said to him. He remembers that Jesus told him he was going to deny him and he actually did, he left and cried "bitterly."

- It should be no surprise to Peter that he did that. Everything that Jesus said came true, you would think that as a follower of Jesus he would have seen that. And you would have especially think that after denying Jesus the first time that he would realize what was said to him is coming true, but it is what it is I guess. I can't imagine going through all that, then looking up and seeing Jesus stare right at you, and know that he knows you just denied ever even knowing him. His feeling of betrayal must have been so strong. -

The proverbs for today is; PROVERBS 14;5-6 "A truthful witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning."

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