Today's Reading April 21

A Happy Saturday to you.
This morning's reading from the Old Testament begins the study of Second Samuel. Samuel himself has already passed on, what we are getting into here is David's ascension to the kingship. The passage for today is Second Samuel, chapters 1, 2, and 3. David's start as king is filled with intrigue and murder and blood, primarily on the part of his ''friends''.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament, continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 18, verses 1 through 17. This is a short section with several strong teachings in it, each of which has spawned countless sermons and lessons. Consider,
1 - 8, the ''Parable of the Importunate Widow''. God hears our cry.
10 - 14, the prayers of the repenting sinner and the self-righteous compared
15 - 17 , God loves the little children

Tomorrow is Sunday, the Lord's day. Remember it.

Today's Reading April 20

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, is in First Samuel, chapters 30 and 31.
Chapter 30 recounts the return of David to his town of Ziklag, only to find the town had been attacked by the Amalekites, all the people carried off captive and the town burned. He was, to put it mildly, in great distress. But, in one of the great verses in Scripture,

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God

Good advice for us as well.
Chapter 31 recounts the death of Saul in battle. You knew this was coming, but it to this day it bothers me each time I read it. His fall was not unjust, but it is still tragic. Not least because, while Saul may have ''had it coming'', others died too. Like, for instance, the three sons of Saul. The evil that we do affects others as well.

.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament, is the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17, verses 20 through 37. This includes some teaching on the End Times:

33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Today's Reading April 19

This morning's Old Testament continues in the book of First Samuel, chapters 27, 28, and 29. The conflict between Saul and David draws closer to the end. David takes refuge with, of all people, the Philistines. Saul goes to war, towards his final battle, and as he accelerates his downward slide he stoops to consult a medium, the witch at Endor. Nothing good comes of this. (hint to nominal Christians who still, ''for amusement'', consult the horoscope in the local paper. Don't.) The fateful battle is near Jezreel. If you have a map, or can look one up on the Internet, you may be interested to know that the Plain of Jezreel is essentially the same place as the plain of Megiddo. Otherwise known as Armageddon. Just a thought.
.
The evening reading from the New Testament continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17, verses 1 through 19. Jesus heals ten lepers. Only one comes back to thank him. And he was a Samaritan. Do we thank Him, enough?

Today's Reading April 18

Good morning. Pre-dawn here, and one can not help being mindful of the families and friends of those who were murdered in Virginia on Monday. There are those who believe that humans are good by nature. Scripture does not teach that. Neither does history. On occasion, we are reminded of the fact that all of us can do great evil, and most of us do so regularly but on a smaller scale.
-
This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, continues in First Samuel, chapters 25 and 26.
In chapter 25 is the account of David's dealings with the arrogant Nabal, his death, and ends with David taking Abigail to wife.
In chapter 26. David has an opportunity to kill Saul. Saul has, after all, been industriously trying to kill David for some time. Yet David refuses the opportunity, as he still regards Saul as the Lord's anointed.
-
This evening's reading, from the New Testament, continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verses 19 through 31. This is Jesus teaching using the illustration of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus.

Today's Reading April 17

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, continues in First Samuel, chapters 22, 23, and 24. Saul continues to seek the life of David. As part of this, an entire town, Nob, is put to the sword. Men, women, children, livestock. And note, that this was perpetrated for Saul by an Edomite, a member of a group that was supposed to have been wiped out earlier.
.
This afternoon's passage, from the New Testament, comes from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, verses 1 through 18. Jesus continues to teach, and to get the Pharisees upset with Him.

Today's Reading April 16

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, is in First Samuel, chapters 19,20, and 21.
The friction between Saul, current king of the united kingdom of Israel, and David, that anointed future king, is out in the open. While the deep friendship between David and Jonathon, Saul's son and putative heir, remains strong, Saul is determined to kill David and remove the threat to his line. Worldly wisdom would dictate this. David finds himself running for his life and the subject of a serious manhunt. God does not leave him helpless, and thwarts some of Saul's plots in ways that should have been a clear sign that David was under His protection. Yet David is not exactly in a comfortable situation. Happens to us too - carrying out the will of the Almighty sometimes puts us in difficult situations.
.
The afternoon reading, from the New Testament, is in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, verses 11 through 32.
This is the story we often call the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Today's Reading April 15

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, continues in First Samuel, chapters 17 and 18.
Chapter 17 is the story of David and Goliath. Most of us are familiar with it, somewhat. It's worth a second look.
Chapter 18 is a bit ''icky''. David's been offered the hand of Saul's daughter Michal. The bride-price is a bit awful, the foreskin's of 100 Philistines. The visual image of what it took to achieve this is not something that most of us want to imagine. But it does say something about the ferocity of the warfare of the time.
.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament, continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15 , verses 1 through 10. The parable of the ninety and nine.

10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

And that is still the case.

Today's Reading April 14

This (late) morning's reading is from First Samuel, chapters 15 and 16.

Saul is commanded to utterly destroy the Amalekites, disobeys, is warned that his kingly line will fail. David is anointed as the next king.

There's some things here we feel uncomfortable with. I certainly do. I grew up in the Mennonite church, a denomination that prizes non-violence, peace, non-resistance almost as much, unfortunately, as the Bible. Yet that is not necessarily what the Bible record reveals. Saul is here commanded to wipe out the Amalekites UTTERLY. Men, women, children, babies, sheep, goats, oxen, town. Utterly. That's not the image of an eternally smiling God, affably overlooking the most egregious sin, that we see preached in many pulpits and believed in by the majority of our neighbors.
We will not always understand the commandments of the Lord. We're not required to do so. What is required is to obey them, simply because they're His commandments. (Not suggestions, by the way). For,

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. (see also Mark 12:33)

Saul disobeyed. Not only did it cost him his kingdom, but ultimately his life, the lives of his sons. And it left a mess that we still deal with today, the heathens that live in bondage to the lie of Islam that pollutes the Middle East (and, probably, your town as well).
All from disobedience more than 3000 years ago.
,.

This afternoon's reading is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, verses 25 through 35.
A series of stark warnings, such as

33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple

Scripture is full of warnings that we must seek Him ''with all your heart'', ''seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God'', ''You shall love the LORD your God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength'', and many others. No place here for fence straddlers, for the 'yes and no' doubleminded. Dedication. Commitment. Jesus had it. So must we.
One of the great curses of the modern church is the desire to have one foot in Heaven and one foot in the cares of the world. That's not what He teaches.

Today's Reading April 13

Good morning, and Happy Friday the 13th.
.
This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, is First Samuel, chapters 13 and 14.
Saul is disobedient to the Lord's command, and fights against the nation's enemies. We see here an indication of Philistine ''gun control''. The Hebrews generally had no weapons such as swords and spears. Tyrants, and those who would like to be, almost always try to remove the ability to overthrow them. Some things never change.
.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament, is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, verses 1 through 24. The parable of the feast.

Today's Reading April 12

Good morning!
This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, is First Samuel, Chapters 10, 11, and 12.
Saul is anointed as king, goes to war against the Ammonites and kills many, and is crowned as king. Samuel, now very old, speaks to the people.
.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament, is the Gospel of Luke, chapter 13, verses 22 through 35.

Today's Reading April 11

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament
First Samuel, chapters 7, 8, and 9
This is the point at which the Israelites come to Samuel, and say,

''... now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.''

In other words, ''we want to be like those around us''. Sound familiar? It should. We have the same problem today. People want to be like everybody else. But that's not what the people of God are supposed to be, then or now.
.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament, comes from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 13, verses 1 through 21. Jesus is continuing to heal, to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and to issue a warning that He expects his people to be fruitful. It's not a suggestion. We treat it like one, but it's not.

Today's Reading April 10

Good morning. It is 4:55AM here. The sun is not yet visible, but I know it's going to happen. The same for all the promises that God has made: they're not yet see, but I know they're coming. He promised, after all.
.
This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, continues in the book of First Samuel, chapters 4, 5, and 6. This recounts battles between the Israelites and their enemies, the loss of those battles, the seizure of the Ark of the Covenant, and the eventual return thereof.
.
This evening's reading continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, verses 35 through 59. This includes a passage that is rarely preached these days - we don't like the message, it seems.

51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Micah 7:6

Today's Reading April 9

Good morning. I hope that your Easter was as wonderful as ours.
-
This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, begins the Book of First Samuel, chapters 1, 2, and 3. As we saw often in the Judges, the People of God had a continual preference to go astray (sound familiar?) and suffered the consequences. Now we start down the path to a King. I love Hannah's prayer in Chapter 2, it reminds me of Mary's prayer.
.
This afternoon's reading, from the New Testament, is taken from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, verses 1 through 34.

Today's Reading April 8 Easter Sunday

He is risen! He is risen indeed!
This is the reminder of the reality of our risen Lord, passed down to us through the centuries. He is alive! The tomb is empty! We have the victory. Death no longer has power over us.
He is risen! These are as important as any words ever spoken.
.
.
This morning's portion in our through-the-Bible-in-a-year journey is the book of Ruth.
If I ever get the opportunity to write some serious Bible commentary, I would like to begin with Ruth. This was a woman, a Moabitess, one of ''those'' people. You know, the ones who everyone knew were evil, not our kind of folks, one of those who is just no good and the Almighty hates them, and they have no portion of Him. And her life was full of loss and tragedy. Loss of a husband, a brother-in-law, a father-in-law. And yet, she saw something that caused her to trust in the Lord and to love her widowed and destitute mother-in-law. The passage from Ruth, chapter 1, verses 16 and 17, is one of those great poetic moments that Scripture is rich in. It was part of the text when my wife and I were married.

16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

That's a declaration of determination and faith.
And the Lord heard her, and rewarded that faith.
Ruth, the Moabitess, had quite an adventure. And become an ancestor of David the King, and Jesus the Christ, our Lord.

.
This evening's portion, from the New Testament, continues in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 11, verses 29 through 54.

Today's Reading April 7

Today is sometimes known as Holy Saturday, a somber day of reflection upon what the sacrificial death of Jesus the Christ really means, both for the world and for us personally. This is not a time of merriment, but of sober reflection and repentance. Yet we also know that this is not the end, that after the darkness of the moment comes the light.
.
This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, is from the Book of the Judges, chapters 20 and 21.

25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

We see this phrase throughout Judges, it reminds us of the human propensity to do evil. We see it around us every day, if we have eyes to see.
.
The evening reading, from the New Testament, is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 11, verses 1 through 28. Like always, there is a lot here. Today my attention is particularly on the first

1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

We sometimes refer to this as the Lord's Prayer. It's a good pattern for our own.

Today's Reading April 6

This is Good Friday. Please remember, all day, just what this day means.

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, is chapters 18 and 19 from the Book of the Judges. More of the record of the downward spiral of the Hebrews after their entry into the Promised Land. Wickedness on all sides. Here we see it in the areas of Dan and of Benjamin, but it was so everywhere. Sounds familiar, somehow.

This evening's reading, from the New Testament, is taken from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 25 through 42. There's good stuff here, a lot of it. I particularly like

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Lev 19:18 Deut 6:5, 10:12 Mark 12:30 Matt 22:37
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Today's Reading April 5

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament
Judges, chapters 15, 16, and 17
The first two of these chapters conclude the story of Samson.
The third includes language that becomes all too familiar, and reminds me of the world in which we now live. (and I fully expect the same, sad results)
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament
the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, verses 1 through 24
every bit of this is good, and worth going over and over. I have trouble picking out the most important piece.

Today's Reading April 4

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament
Judges, chapters 12,13, and 14
It is a recitation of events that generally go like this:
1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of ...

Some things never change, do they?
.
This evening's reading, from the New Testament
the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9, verses 37 through 62
.
This is Holy Week, the rehearsal of the events of our Lord's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Because of this, we have hope and certainty. Praise God!

Back again

Just a brief post.
We have just returned from our 2000-mile road trip for my mother's funeral. My grateful thanks to all who prayed for us, who sent expressions of support, who attended or who just took a moment to think of us. Thank you, thank you so much. It has been a great comfort to us in a difficult period.
God is SO good, and His love and grace has made all the difference. We are greatly comforted in knowing that we will see her again, and that she is safe in His care now.
And that's good news. That's the gospel.

Today's Reading April 1 and other news

I apologize for the light posting over the last few days. In a few hours, we will be laying my mother to rest in the plot out behind the church I grew up in. We spent last night at the calling hours, seeing family members that I had not seen in upwards of 30 years. So blogging has not been uppermost in my mind lately.

Yet this is Palm Sunday, the beginning of the most momentous week in history. And it is because of Easter, the reality of the death and glorious resurrection of our Lord, that even hard weeks like this are possible to endure. Not easy, but possible. We do not despair, and we know that the death of the body is not the end.

This morning's reading, from the Old Testament, is chapters 6 and 7 of the book of the Judges. The Gideon account.

This evening's reading, from the New Testament, is Luke 8, verses 1 through 21.