Day 115 Bible Reading

Joshua 8, Joshua 9-15, Luke 22: 63-71 Luke 23: 1-25, Psalm 66: 13-20

Luke 22: 63-65 (ESV)

“Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him.  They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.”

Verses 63 to 65 from Luke 22 illustrate what Jesus experienced before he was crucified. If you watch the movie The Passion of the Christ which came out in 2004 and directed by Mel Gibson, you will see a graphic and perhaps a very realistic depiction of these verses. In David Guzik’s bible commentary on these verses, he said the following:

·         It was important that Jesus demonstrate that the proper replay to hate is not more hate but love. Christ did nothing during this beating. He did not fight.

·         Christ endured the beating to demonstrate his own trust in God, and he did not defend himself.

·         Christ faced the abuse from the Roman soldiers so that those who are abused, beaten, and humiliated can find refuge in a God who knows firsthand what they’ve experienced.

 

The well-known English pastor Charge Spurgeon also noted that Christ’s persecutors could not make him give way to anger. They did not destroy his mercy or his love. They did not make Christ want to stop what was happening to him because he wanted to save us as sinners.

 

I find the depiction of these verses very hard to watch, and it makes me cry every time I watch this scene. But this scene is a reminder of what Christ endured and suffered for us, and his obedience to his father’s will. I always think to myself whenever I watch this scene that I do not have the right to say how horrible my life is, because nothing in my life is as painful and degrading as what Christ had go through at the hands of the Roman soldiers.

Thank you for viewing my blog!

 It appears there are folks who are finding my blog and reading my posts.

THANK YOU! 

I am touched, truly. If I can just make one person smile or think a new thought, that makes happy. Everyone should have that feeling that people view and perhaps appreciate your creativity. 

Wow - progress is made on updating the blog

 It's taken all day, but I've the following:

• Got rid of the subscribe code that wasn't working at the bottom of the page.
• Managed to get Google 4 analytics to work.

I was ready to cry 😫, but YAY! I got it all done. I was so happy with myself that I sort still know how to code a tiny bit in HTML.

I need to more things to update the blog, but I am happy that I made progress today.

Updated the look of the Blog

I decided my blog needed to be updated, so I change the look and rearranged everything. I think it looks better. I hope you agree. If there are widgets you think I need to add, let me know in the comments. 

Day 114 Bible Reading

Joshua 5: 13-15, Joshua 6-7, Luke 22: 39-62, Psalm 66: 1-12

Luke 22: 43 (ESV)

“And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.”

After reading bible commentaries for today’s verses, I found verse 43 from Luke 22 to be the most poignant. Jesus was praying to God and saying “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” God’s answer to Christ was to send an angel to strengthen him. Sometimes when we pray to God to lift a burden from our lives, what we get instead is the feeling of being strengthened by God so we can go through the burden and experience it. I know what this feels like, and it seemed to me very cruel at the time. But when the experience of the burden was completed, I realized it was for my own good and it strengthened me instead of weakening me. God was right as always, and in my agony, I doubted his intentions for my life. But as the years go by, I’ve come to believe that God always has my best interests in mind and will always act in a way that always benefits me.

Christ knew this. He never doubted his father’s love for him. Christ took the burden of the cross for us because he loved us, because it was his father’s will for him. And if it wasn’t for Christ’s love for us, we would be paying the price for our own sins.

10 Albums that greatly influenced my taste in music

Just added to my profile

1. Prince – Prince (1979)
2. Led Zepplin IV (1971)
3. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons – can’t remember which one
4. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (1959)
5. The Cure – Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
6. Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
7. Musica Reservata – Medieval Music & Songs of The Troubadors (1968)
8. Jackson 5 – Third Album (1970)
9. U2 – October (1981)
10. The Velvet Underground & Nico (the banana album) (1967) - I own an original album

Death Wish Coffee – Love this brand!

Where I sometimes shop for groceries at Natural Grocers, they had a sale on Death Wish Coffee so I bought it. I love the name and was interested in whether the coffee was worth drinking. After a month, it has become a favorite. The taste of the coffee is not bitter and considering the name, the taste is mild. Whether I make a strong cup with two (2) heaping teaspoons or weak cup with one (1) heaping teaspoon, the taste is just amazing. And the coffee does not need a sweetener and I hate not having sweetener in my coffee.

If you see it on sale or if you really just like a great cup of coffee, try Death Wish Coffee.

Death Wish Coffee - Dark Roast

Day 113 Bible Reading

Joshua 3-4, Joshua 5: 1-12, Luke 22: 1-38, Psalm 65

Joshua 4: 20-24 (ESV)

“And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’  then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

Verses 20 through 24 from Joshua 4 show us the important of memorializing and remembering the good things God has done in your life. Science tells us that we are more likely to remember events that have a high emotional significance for us, and that sadly often includes memories of pains and losses. God understands us more than we seem to do ourselves, so he told Joshua to make a memorial out of the 12 stones from the river Jordan so the Hebrews would always be reminded of the miracle God performed when they left Egypt.

My daily practice this year has been to write down every night 10 miracles that I’ve experienced that day. I received the inspiration to do this from the Holy Spirit, so I would be always conscious of God’s miracles in my life no matter how small. Some days it’s easy to remember 10 miracles, and other days it’s hard and I end up writing down that “getting up in the morning” is a miracle. What I love about this practice is that I am reminded daily of God’s presence in my life. For example, I was not having a very good day today. Something that I thought was going to be a very process turned out to be a much harder process than I realized. That experience bummed me out and I really did not want to go to the midweek service. I wanted to say home and sulk, but I made myself go to church. When I was sitting in the garden of the prayer chapel before the service, I saw two bunnies. I absolutely love seeing cotton-tail bunnies hopping around the desert. I didn’t think I was going to see any bunnies because the temperature was in the mid-90’s, and seeing the bunnies touched my heart because I was so sure I wasn’t going to see them since it was so hot. Seeing the bunnies seemed so miraculous to me because I was having such a bad day. It’s like God knew what I was going through and sent the bunnies to cheer me up. I’m going to “memorialize” this experience by writing it down, and have a record of all the small things God does to keep me happy.

Day 112 Bible Reading

Joshua 1 and 2, Luke 21: 5-38, Psalm 64

Luke 21: 34-36 (ESV)

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Verses 34 through 36 from Luke 21 reminds us we need always be ready for the return on Christ. It seems like with event going on in the world today, many people are saying we are the crest of the end times warned about in the bible and especially in Revelations. Are we going through end times? It seems to me whenever there were problems in the world, I picture pastors preaching about the end times in their churches. I can imagine it happened in World War 1 and World War 2, especially in Europe. A study of history shows us that Christians have been persecuted since the death of Christ, and the persecution of Christians continues today. But are we in end times? I don’t know. I think of people who have lost their jobs and are going through a difficult time financially. Do they think they are in end times? Or are they just going through a season of distress? What about people who are suffering from an illness who are suffering? Do they think they are in end times?

Even Jesus says the end times will come as a surprise like a trap. I think the only thing we can do is watch what is happening in the world, and as always strengthen our relationship with God. We need think every night before we go to sleep, am I right in my relationship with God? Am I right in my relationship with my family and friends? If the world ended tonight, am I ready to stand before God with confidence? And if we’re not, what is our action plan to do something about it?

Day 111 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 33 and 34, Luke 20: 27-47, Luke 21: 1-4, Psalm 63

Luke 21: 1-4 (ESV)

“Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Verses 1 to 4 from Luke 21 is the well-known story of the widow’s offering. This year I am reading bible commentaries from well-known scholars on my bible readings, and many of them have said it was the “spirit of giving” that determined the worthiness of the widow’s gift more than the amount. God doesn’t want us give money grudgingly or guilt money. God wants a cheerful giver. God doesn’t need our money. God values the gift on what it costs the giver. If this is true, I wonder how much a very rich person needs to give in order for God to be pleased? Would the person need to give their wealth all away? I started tithing 10% to my church last year. Tithing made me feel so abundant and wealthy and made me wonder why I didn’t tithe 10% in the past. I knew previously I always thought tithing that much money would make feel so poor, but I was so wrong. Is it a stretch to tithe? Yes, it is given the current state of our economy. But like any bill you get used to that money coming out your account. And I do like the feeling of wealth and abundance that comes to me when I think about how much I tithe. That feeling is priceless!

Day 110 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 31: 30, Deuteronomy 32, Luke 19: 45-48, Luke 20: 1-26, Psalm 62

Luke 19: 45-46

“And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Verses 45 to 46 from Luke 19 depict the well-known scene of Jesus thrashing the money changers and other vendors who were doing business in the Gentile court of the temple. While reading some bible commentaries on these verses, I found out that the money changers and other folks doing their business were also cheating people by as much as 20 times with the cooperation of the priests of the temple. No wonder Jesus was so angry. I always thought this scene was about the vendors doing their business and not allowing the Gentiles who wanted to worship in the temple to pray. Christ was angry at not only sellers, but the buyers as well since they were participating in the trading spirit and turning the Temple into a marketplace. The Temple priests who allowed these activities took place completely disrespected the Gentile. Why even build a place for Gentiles to pray in the Temple, and then allow the area to disintegrate? Could not the money changers and the people selling the sacrificial animals have done their business outside of the temple? Scholars have said the Jesus’ actions did not cause any lasting reform, because the people carried on as usual the next day. These verses stand out today as a stark reminder to the people who follow Christ to not let their churches become places where believers cannot worship in peace and/or be cheated.

Day 109 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 30: 11-20, Deuteronomy 31: 1-29, Luke 19: 11-44, Psalm 61

Psalm 61: 1-3 (ESV)

“Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”

Verses 1 to 3 from Psalm 61 remind us that when our hearts are troubled, we need to remember that God is our rock and save us drowning in our melancholy. We also need to remember that God has been faithful to us and has answered our prayers in the past. He has been a refuge and often a “strong tower” when we were filled with fear. I love Psalms of David. I love to read them when I feel sad and overwhelmed and need encouragement. David was always praying to God for help when he needed it. Even if he doubted God in the beginning of a Psalm, he would always remind himself of God’s faithfulness to him and his trust in God was restored. David is great example of someone who was favored by God, but still needed to constantly pray to him for favor, when he was afraid, for everything it seems. David was not afraid to pray to God for everything in his life, and his prayer most likely increased his favor with God. I think sometimes when I feel favored by God, I forget to pray and I know this has been a mistake. Prayer to God keeps him in the forefront of my mind, so I never forget his faithfulness.

Day 108 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 29, Deuteronomy 30: 1-10, Luke 18: 31-43, Luke 19: 1-10, Psalm 60: 5-12

Deuteronomy 29: 29 (ESV)

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

I was struck by verse 29 from Deuteronomy 29. Some bible commentaries have said that Moses was describing how God speaks to us in this verse. God has secrets and will always have them because he is God, and therefore God never declares everything to us. But God is not silent, and when he does reveal some things to us, we must pay attention. Whatever God does reveal to us, there is a meaning for us. Moses is indirectly saying God doesn’t just speak to us to make conversation. When God speaks there is always a message for us, although we might not understand it at the time. God’s words were not just for Moses and his people but for all the generations which follow. God’s messages for us are eternal and they last forever. They are forever relevant. Lastly, whatever God reveals to us must matter to us because he has spoken to us to affect the way we live. We must follow his words and obey them.

What I love most about this verse is God has secrets and he need not reveal them to us. God has such an amazing plan for the whole world, and he has so many things to keep track of and balance out. I’m not sure we would we even understand it if God did reveal everything to us. It would simply blow our minds because I’m sure it would be like the most complicated puzzle, with so many twists and turns, like a giant “what if” diagram. We need to have trust and faith in God that he has our backs, and we will not be forgotten in this giant puzzle of life.

Day 107 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 28: 15-68, Luke 18: 1-30, Psalm 60: 1-4

Luke 18: 11-14

“The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’  But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Verses 11 through 14 from Luke 18 is from the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, where it is said Jesus told this parable to those who thought of themselves as righteous and treated others with contempt. The Pharisee prays to God, but it sounds like a litany of all the things the man is proud of compared to other people. He seems to be propping himself up to God at the expense of putting down those around him especially the Tax Collector. The Tax Collector in his prayer to God had no such pretensions. He knew he was a sinner, and he felt so guilty that he could not even lift his eyes to heaven. The Tax Collector prayed to God for mercy, while the Pharisee prayed to God to praise him because he needed nothing from God and thought of himself as without sin. But the Pharisee was not sinless; he had the sin of pride in his prayer. Some might say the Pharisee also had the sin of ignorance, since he did not seem to know or act like pride was a sin. The Tax Collector knew he was full of sin and prayed to God to forgive him. No wonder God looked more kindly upon the Tax Collector than the Pharisee. We cannot be too self-righteous when we pray to God. We cannot assume that we are without sin even if we do all the right things. We must always pray to God to forgive our sins because we have a nature that always sins, whether we are aware of it or not. In a small way, I do admire the Pharisee because he was so self-confident in himself. But his self-confidence turned into the sin of pride, which made him look down on others who weren’t like him.

Day 106

Deuteronomy 26-27, Deuteronomy 28: 1-14, Luke 17: 11-37, Psalm 59: 13-17

Luke 17: 32-33 (ESV)

“Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.”

Verses 32 and 33 from Luke 17 are about Jesus telling his disciples to not be like Lot’s wife when the world ends. I’ve always felt bad for Lot’s wife. Whether out of morbid curiosity or because she so regretted leaving her home, she looked back when the angel told her not to and was turned into a pillar of stone. I think there is that regret in anyone when they are forced to give up their way of life. You look back with longing and regret at what you lost, and these feelings prevent you from moving on from your old life and being happy about your new life. Having these feelings of regret can become a literal or metaphorical death. Looking back at your old life while running from it can be dangerous in terms of slowing you down or making you unaware of your dangerous physical surroundings. But looking back can also represent a metaphorical death because the loss of familiar surroundings means you can feel like you are losing a part of your identity. That loss will feel like death. Christ is saying if you can willing give up your old life, you will be better off in the long run because you will be able to make a smoother transition into your new life. But like anything Jesus says, giving anything up takes great faith. Faith that Christ is leading you to a better life. Faith that tells you God will provide and take care of you in your new life. Lot’s wife didn’t have this kind of faith, and she paid a price for it. Christ tells us we must total faith in him when he comes back to the world, and that our faith will be rewarded in the end.

Day 105 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 23-25, Luke 16: 19-31, Luke 17: 1-10, Psalm 59: 1-12

Luke 17: 10 (ESV)

“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

I was listening to a bible commentary on verse 10 from Luke 17 which said that we will never be able to put God in debt to us because anything we do for him is such a small repayment for his work in our life. The pastor said even if one were to give up their life, it would still not be payment enough for everything God has done for us. If we were to truly realize how much God has done for us, we would want to serve him out of gratitude. In fact, we would see it as a privilege of being allowed to serve God.

To be honest, I had never thought of my service to God in this way. I am one of those people who constantly complain about how much God wants me to do, and I’m just talking about the laws. I feel like Holy Spirit has been encouraging me to eat kosher style because of my food allergies. I had no idea how hard it was to stop eating dairy and meat products together until I started doing it. I am still bemoaning the loss of eating a “normal” pizza, because according to Kosher dietary rules I can now only eat cheese or vegetarian pizza. But since my food allergy reactions have subsided, I know that eating Kosher style is probably a good way of eating for me and Holy Spirit was right as usual. There is that part of me that is still very independent and resentful of having to follow God’s laws, even if they are good for me. But perhaps the pastor is right. If I think about all the miracles God has performed in my life, I know that I would never be able to repay him for his mercy and generosity through my obedience and service to him.

Day 104 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 21 & 22, Luke 16: 1-18, Psalm 59: 1-8

Deuteronomy 21: 22-23

“And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.”

Verses 22 and 23 from Deuteronomy 21 remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us when he died on the cross. According to David Guzik, there was nothing worse for the ancient Hebrews than being put to death and have the corpse left exposed on a tree to shame, humiliation, and scavenging animals. This type of punishment was reserved only for those who are “accursed of God.” Christ took the place of the one who is “accursed by God” when he was hung on a tree (the cross) and exposed to shame and humiliation for all to witness. We as sinners deserved this kind of punishment, but Jesus took our place so we could receive the blessings of Abraham. I love how everything Christ did could be referenced back to the Old Testament. When I read this verse, I also thought of Judas who hung himself on a tree. Judas knew what was considered the worse punishment for his people, and we must give him some props for killing himself according to Mosaic law so he would become “accursed of God.”

Day 103 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 19 and 20, Luke 15, Psalm 57: 7-11

Luke 15: 24 (ESV)

“For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”

Verse 24 from Luke 15 is the parable of the prodigal son and tells us how happy the father was when his son returned.  We are reminded in this parable how happy Christ is when we return to him and are repentant. God loves us so much that he gave us free will to do what we want, and that includes letting us make decisions that sometimes aren’t for our own good. When we realize the error of our ways and ask God for his forgiveness, he rejoices that we have learned the error of our ways and takes us back with joy and in celebration. I have often felt like the prodigal child in my relationship with God. I left him and learned my lessons and came back to God several times. Each time Christ was always joyful that I returned and welcomed me back with open arms. What other God would do this for his followers? Only Christ would love us so much to take us back when we leave him.

Day 102 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 16: 21-22, Deuteronomy 17 & 18, Luke 14: 15-35, Psalm 57: 1-6

Psalm 57: 1 (ESV)

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.”

I love verse 1 from Psalm 57 and the imagery of God as a bird where one can find refuge during storms. I’ve been watching live cams on YouTube of bald eagles laying eggs and then both the mom and day eagle taking turns sitting on the eggs to incubate them. There was one video where the mama eagle spread her wings over her baby eaglets to shield them from the rain. Here's the video - Mama Eagle - Mombrella. We are like the baby eaglets taking refuge under God’s wings from the storms. Whenever I’ve felt a major loss in my life, I always felt like God was holding me in the palm of his hand and taking care of me and shielding me from the depression that was threatening to overwhelm my life. I don’t know how I would have gotten through those intense periods of loss without Christ in my life. I used to wonder how anyone gets through an intense loss without God in their life. How frightening it must be to think you’re all alone in the world with nothing outside of yourself to help you get through your life. I began to understand that without a strong faith in God, how easy it would be to turn to drugs and alcohol to help cope with feelings of pain and loss. Drugs and alcohol provide an escape from your feelings, if only just for a little while. I was lucky. My faith in Christ helped me to deal with the feelings of pain and loss, and I didn’t need to escape these feelings. With God’s help, I was able to move through the grieving process quicker and come out of it much stronger.

Day 101 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 15, Deuteronomy 16: 1-20, Luke 13: 31-35, Luke 14: 1-14, Psalm 56

Luke 14: 11 (ESV)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Verse 11 from Luke 14 reminds us of life of Christ, and how he is a model for how we need to lead our lives. He humbled himself when he came to earth to be with us, and when he gave up his life for us he was exalted. If we can embrace being humble with joy, we will not be filled with a high opinion of ourselves and can enjoy life fully. We will be content in whatever places God gives to us. When we our full of ourselves and haughty, inevitably there will always be someone who comes along who will greater than us. At the same time, we cannot act humble so that other notice our behavior and we enjoy a very subtle form of spiritual pride. But in modern life, it is hard to be humble because we live in a society that praises achievement. I know for myself that when I try to be humble, I wonder if I’m being too meek or just lacking in self-confidence. I always pray to God that I’m doing the right thing because half the time I don’t know how I’m supposed to behave. But I think that’s a good thing for me, to always ask God what I need to do. It strengthens my faith and my relationship with him. And that’s the important thing to me right now.

Day 100 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 13-14, Luke 13: 1-30, Psalm 55: 12-23

Deuteronomy 13: 3-4 (ESV)

“..For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.”

These two verses from Deuteronomy 13 are Moses’ response to false prophets and others who say they can see the future and tempt us to worship other “gods”. When we come across these people, we must ask God for discernment. God allows such people to exist among us so he can test us. Are we truly faithful believers in him and his word or are we merely seeking a spiritual experience or even sign? Christ is our savior, but he also has commandments for us to follow. These are the few things God asks of us – to keep his commandments, obey him through the voice of the Holy Spirit, and serve him. I think the most important thing here in my experience is asking God for discernment. I constantly pray to God for discernment on what to do if I am at all confused or something doesn’t feel right, and I can’t come to an instant decision on what to do. Sometimes I do argue with God when he does give his advice, but over the years I’ve learned that if I don’t follow him my life doesn’t always turn out as well as I thought it would. Even if the response from God seems crazy and nonsensical, God always ends up being right.

Day 99 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 11-12, Luke 12: 35-59, Psalm 55: 1-11

Luke 12: 35-36 (ESV)

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”

Verses 35 through 36 from Luke 12 give us advice from Jesus about waiting for his return and how we need to be focused on it and ready. I think it would be so amazing if Jesus returned, but at the same time I fear the return of Jesus because of what is written in the book of Revelations. My pastor talked about this year that we are starting to see the signs of the return of Christ as mentioned in Revelations. I do think there is a culling going on in mainstream denominations as they seem to be shrinking, and after COVID many churches closed. But I think the events I most fear from Revelations are the earth changes because those seem so destructive and disrupt so many lives. What I do not fear is Christ returning and the time of the judgement, because I have a good relationship with God. I know Jesus will recognize me and welcome me into his kingdom.

Day 98 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 9-10, Luke 12: 1-34, Psalm 54

Luke 12: 22-23 (ESV)

“And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.”

Verses 22 through 23 from Luke 12 remind me of how I used to be many years ago before my faith become very important to me. I was very anxious about my job because the company I was with at the time was struggling financially since the 2008 recession. VPs came and went if they didn’t perform and we even had a work stoppage of two weeks. Then came the layoffs every two to three years, which were small at first with the last one being a 10% reduction in force across the board. I was so afraid of losing my job, always wondering if I was going to be in one of the layoffs for several years. It was a stressful environment to work in and I hated it. But Holy Spirit urged me to stay in that job until one day, I got the inspiration to move to be closer to family. I moved without a job and found another one within six months in my new city. That job was okay for awhile until it wasn’t, then I got the message from Holy Spirit to leave that job. Quitting a job because I wasn’t happy was a bucket list item for me, so I was happy to leave that job and thereby fulfilling a lifelong wish. I was only able to  quit the new job, because I listened to the Holy Spirit about staying in the old job. When I quit the old job, I walked away with a nice chunk of change. Not being anxious about my job situation led me to focus more on God, and I can honestly say that I am more rich in God now than I’ve ever been before in my whole life. I owe all of this to listening to the Holy Spirit and following most of the advice I was given. God has truly taken care of me even when I was so far away from him because I was too worried about having money in my life.

Day 97 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 6 – 8, Luke 11: 33-54, Psalm 53

Luke 11: 35-36 (ESV)

“Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.””

Verses 35 through 36 from Luke 11 is a warning from Jesus of having darkness within ourselves. Jesus could perceive it and others can as well. If you live without the light of Jesus within you, the light within you will not be bright. Not having the light of God within you will also make you spiritually blind. You will be blind to the miracles of Jesus and live as a hypocrite. In my life, I’ve had people come up and tell they see so much light within me. Or they look at a photograph of me and tell me, “you have so much light in your eyes.” When I look at myself in the mirror, I cannot see the light that they see. I wonder if it’s because I am so used to looking at my own face, I cannot see any difference. I’ve had a relationship with God since I was a child. The most touching thing to me is when old people tell me I have so much light. They come up to me and they want to touch me, and they smile and tell “I can tell you are a good person. Do you go to church?” When I answer yes, they smile and go on their way. I had an older woman say to me when I was sitting outside of a store resting with my mask on during the COVID mask days, “I can tell you are smiling because of your eyes. You seem like such a nice person.” Even under my mask, my light shone. Does the light of God shine within you so much that random people tell you how much light you have? If not, why not?

Day 96 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 4: 15-49, Deuteronomy 5, Luke 11: 1-32, Psalm 52

Luke 11: 2-4 (ESV)

“And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.””

Verses 2 through 4 from Luke 11 shows Jesus teaching his disciples to say the Lord’s Prayer. I still remember a sermon I heard about the Lord’s Prayer when I was in junior high. The catholic priest at my childhood church was crying as he was talking about the Lord’s Prayer. He told us we should pray this prayer like we really meant it, and when we did we would feel tears streaming down our faces as we thought about each line we were saying especially the part about forgiveness. He said if we really thought about what it mean about God forgiving our sins and us forgiving everyone, we would cry at the power of God’s love and its ability to work through us because forgiveness was only possible with God’s help. The tears of our priest was so shocking to me. I remember my mother saying she had never seen Father Turgeon cry during a sermon because he was so moved. I remember him as a very kind, middle-aged man, with a wry sense of humor who always had a cigarette in hand after church. I remember trying to cry like he did when I said the Lord’s Prayer in my bedroom and being so proud of myself when I succeeded. It’s been a long time since I’ve cried saying the Lord’s Prayer, but I know someday the tears will come again as I recite the words about forgiveness and ponder on the power of God’s love to work through me.

Day 95 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 2: 24-37, Deuteronomy 3, Deuteronomy 4: 1-14, Luke 10: 25-42, Psalm 50: 10-19

Luke 10: 41-42 (ESV)

“But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””

I love the story of Mary and Martha. In verses 41 and 42 from Luke 10, we see Christ’s answer to Martha when she complains about her sister Mary not helping her to serve. I know what it’s like to be Martha, when you feel like you need to serve and play the good host. I’ve never been a “Mary” who can just seemingly drop everything to just and listen to a guest. From reading several bible commentaries, Jesus was praising Mary’s simple devotion to him by sitting at his feet and listening to him. Mary shows a continued focus on Jesus. Her submission to him brings her peace. She is gifted with strength. By listening to Jesus, she gains wisdom and learns not to sin. Martha tries to serve Christ, but without a continued focus on him which resulted in frustration. Martha needed to diligently serve and keep her focus on Christ, and if she did that, she wouldn’t have complained about Mary. We need to remember that as we serve God – to always keep our focus on him.

Day 94 Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 1, Deuteronomy 2: 1-23, Luke 9: 57-62, Luke 10: 1-24, Psalm 51: 1-9

Luke 10: 3 (ESV)

“Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

Verse 3 from Luke 10 reminds us we need to be like lambs when doing the work of God. A lamb is totally dependent on his shepherd to care for him, to guide him, and protect him. If we think of ourselves as a lamb and God as our shepherd, we can do the work of God without fear knowing that we are dependent on God. God will guide us and work through us in what to say and how to act. God will care for us to make sure we are headed in the right direction. And finally, God will protect us as we do our work for him in the world of “wolves.” And I know sometimes it does feel like sometimes when you are doing the work of God, that you are a sacrificial lamb. There is fear, there is trepidation, there is even a metaphorical fear of death and in some cases perhaps a literal fear of death. But we have to have faith that even if we experience a metaphorical death of our ego, God is working through us and that out of the death of our ego God will be able to speak through us in faith.

Note: I was a day behind in posting my bible readings, but I am finally caught up. YEAH! Praise God!

Day 93 Bible Reading

Numbers 35 and 36, Luke 9: 28-56, Psalm 50: 16-23

Luke 9: 46-48 (ESV)

“An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.””

Verses 46 through 48 from Luke 9 reminds us that to be great in God’s kingdom you need to be like a child and be “least”. A child is humble and does not tell lies, much like Jesus, who was sinless. Jesus was not concerned about his own status and he doesn’t have to be the center of attention like a child. Jesus also told us to be “least” or humble, and not powerful. Jesus wants his followers to not crave power or be the person out front and be happy about it. This recommendation is hard to do in the competitive world we live in today. But to be humble is powerful in God’s kingdom. When I do work in God’s name, I try to be humble about it but it’s hard. A few weeks ago, I volunteered to help a new church get ready to open on Easter. I ended up cleaning the women’s bathroom and I felt very happy doing it, until other volunteers wanted to use the bathroom. One of the women told me that she was glad I was cleaning it and not her. I thought that such a strange remark. I was cleaning the bathroom because this church was God’s house, and I felt privileged to be cleaning it. I was cleaning it hard like it was my own house because it was God’s house. But that woman’s remark unsettled me somehow or I let it unsettle me. Maybe I was too full of pride for cleaning that bathroom because it was really disgusting, and I was so proud and happy with myself. But at the end of the day, one of the women from the church remarked that she was so happy the bathroom was clean and smelled so good. This woman’s remark made me so happy and I felt happy that I had cleaned that bathroom for God.

Day 92 Bible Reading

Numbers 33 and 34, Luke 9: 10-27, Psalm 50: 1-15

Luke 9: 16-17 (ESV)

“And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.”

Verses 16 and 17 from Luke 9 comes from the famous story of Jesus feeding the 5000 with only fives loaves and two fish. I heard a commentary today which I found very moving. Back in the time of Christ, the people who came to listen to him did not indulge in food like they do in our time. People in those times rarely ever ate until they were satisfied. People ate food but most likely just enough to calm the hunger inside of them. Jesus really loved people and if he was going to feed them food, he was going to give them enough until they were full and satisfied. Jesus shows that God will always give us enough of what we need, and we will always be satisfied. God will not give us less than we need or just enough of what we need. God will give us what we want until we are satisfied, because that is how much God loves his people.

Day 91 Bible Reading

Numbers 31: 25-54, Numbers 32, Luke 8: 40-56, Luke 9: 1-9, Psalm 49

Luke 9: 1-2 (ESV)

“And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.”

Verses 1 to 2 from Luke 9 tells us that Christ did not send his disciples out on their mini missions without equipping them first. These verses show how considerate Christ was for the people who followed him. From these verses we need to be assured that when God sends out on mission or has a task for us that he will equip us with whatever we need to be successful. This reminds me of saying that God would never give us anything to do that we couldn’t handle. Even when it seems like the task or mission is overwhelming, we have to have the faith that God knows what he is doing and he knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows we could handle the task and if needed, he supernaturally equipped us with what we needed. I’ve read bible commentary that said the trouble comes when we go out and do a work and were not called to do it, or when we are called to do the work but we don’t take advantage of equipping that God had offered us. These verses assure that whatever we’ve been asked to do by God, he will equip us with what we need and he has confidence in us that we can do the task.

Day 90 Bible Reading

Numbers 30, Numbers 31: 1-24, Luke 8: 19-39, Psalm 48: 9-14

Luke 8: 22-25 (ESV)

“One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?””

Verses 22 through 25 from Luke 8 remind me that even though the disciples of Jesus trusted him and had seen all the miracles that he had performed, they still panicked. But I don’t blame the disciples. I think that this is the way of human nature, that we always constantly doubt even though we know better. Isn’t our life like that sometimes? Our faith is tested. We have this incredible faith in Christ and our life is calm and going forward. We think our faith is so unshakable. Then a storm comes along in our life, and our calm life goes into a tailspin and our faith disappears. We think God is punishing us, or worse has forgotten us. But then we pray and Jesus helps us through the storm and gets our life back to calm waters. And I can imagine Christ saying to us “Where is your faith?”

Day 89 Bible Reading

Numbers 28 and 29, Luke 8: 1-18, Psalm 48: 1-8

Luke 8: 4-8 (ESV)

“And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,  “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.  And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it.  And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.””

I read a commentary on verses 4 through 8 from Luke 8 which was new for me. Instead of thinking we are one of the soils (the path, the rock, the thorns, and the good soil), we should see ourselves in seeing bit our ourselves in all four soils.

Sometimes we are like the path where we allow the word of God to have no room in our lives. Sometimes we are like the rock when we have feel moved by the word of God, but whatever we feel is quickly burnt out. Sometimes we are like the thorns because we hear the word of God, but the cares of lives and the love of money are constantly threatening to choke out God’s word and our faithfulness. And finally, sometimes we are like the good soil because the word of God takes root in our heart, mind, and soul and bears fruit in our lives.

I think if we can determine what type of soil we are that day when we hear God’s word, we can figure out how to turn it around and make sure God’s words takes root in our hearts, mind, and soul and bears fruit in our lives.

Day 88 Bible Reading

Numbers 26 and 27, Luke 7: 36-50, Psalm 47

Numbers 27: 18-21 (ESV)

“So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.””

Verses 18 through 21 from Numbers 27 remind us of the value of waiting. Joshua waited patiently as second in command to Moses. He did everything that was asked of him, and he was eventually rewarded by God to lead after Moses. The promotion of Joshua shows us that God does see everything that we do, and if we are patient and trusting in God, then eventually God will promote us to where we need to be. I think the hardest part is the waiting. The waiting plays with your mind and makes you distrust God and lose your faith. But if we can wait long enough, God always has a plan for us. He knows our strengths and weaknesses and will put us in a position that benefits us and his plan for humanity. But the waiting is hard, so very hard.

Day 87 Bible Reading – Happy Good Friday!

Numbers 24 and 25, Luke 7: 15-35, Psalm 46

Luke 7: 34 (ESV)

“The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’”

I heard an interesting interpretation of verse 34 from Luke 7 by David Guzik, a pastor at the Calvary Chapel of Santa Barbara – see his commentary (https://enduringword.com/media/luke-7-witness-forgiven-woman/). Religious leaders at the time didn’t want to associate with sinful people because it was a badge of honor to do that. That’s why they made this comment about Jesus. But Guzik said that Jesus was a friend of tax collectors and sinners because he loved them and wanted to meet them where they were at. He did not despise them. His heart and compassion went out to them because he wanted to help and rescue them from their sin, to transform their lives so they are no longer under the bondage of sin. Jesus loved sinners just the way they are, but he loved them too much to leave them where they were at and wanted to transform their lies. I love this interpretation. Jesus loves me enough just the way I am, but he loved me too much to leave me where I am. He wants to transform my life and free me from the bondage of sin. People get it so wrong. Yes, Jesus loves us as sinners and accepts us, but that acceptance doesn’t come without wanting us to transform our lives from sin. That’s the power of Christ’s sacrifice for our sins on the cross. He died for our sins on the cross, otherwise it would be us instead of him on the cross.

Day 86 Bible Reading

Numbers 22: 21-41, Numbers 23, Luke 6: 37-49, Luke 7: 1-10, Psalm 45: 10-17

Luke 6: 37-38 (ESV)

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

Verses 37-38 from Luke 6 is how I try to lead my life, although I do admit sometimes it’s hard to do that especially in the last five years. I’m still working on the “love your enemies” part. I try to take a pause on how my actions will affect someone, and sometimes when I am too emotionally involved it’s hard to take that pause. It’s so easy to let your emotions take over your actions, and you have to discipline yourself to not react. Someone wise person at one of my jobs said before you send an email response to someone, take a pause and if you can let it sit for a day so you can read it over in case you might have overreacted to something in the email. Letting the email sit for a day also lets you edit it out and keep yourself brief, concise, and professional. I’m trying to follow this advice when I want to complain about something. I’m trying to let any issues sit for two weeks if possible. After two weeks if the issue is still something I need to complain about, then I do it with the hope that all the emotion is gone and I can make a cogent definition. Does it make a difference with how people treat me? I don’t know and I don’t care if it does because that’s not my issue or my business. All I can control and care about controlling is how I react, and if I can react or treat someone the way Christ would me want to then all is right in my world.

Day 85 Bible Reading

Numbers 21, Numbers 22: 1-20, Luke 6: 12-36, Psalm 45: 1-9

Luke 6: 20 (ESV)

“And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

I have read and listened to verse 20 from Luke 6 many times, but I did not know that it might mean that it would be a requirement of God’s kingdom to be poor in spirit or have a poverty in spirit. When a person has a poverty or is bankrupt in spirit, they know that they do not have the means within themselves for salvation and they can do nothing without God. This feeling also applies to wealth as well. If I take the meaning of this verse to be true, I can now understand why Jesus has always said wealth is an obstacle to the kingdom of God. When a person has wealth in money or spirit, they know that they can still care for themselves without God and will at times no need God. Only when one is utterly poor in money or spirit to the point where they need to beg, will I think one realize nothing can done in their life without God because they are so lacking in spirit or resources. I know that when I have felt an utter lack in spirit in myself, I will cry out for God. But I don’t have this feeling 24/7. I only feel this feeling when something devastating such as death has happened in my life. When I do cry out to God, he is always there. I wish I could feel this lack of spirit in myself all the time, but I know I still have too much ego for that. I still think most of the time I can do everything myself, and don’t need God 24/7. Now I know that this ego-driven confidence is wrong, and I do want to know what it is like to need God every second of my life.

Day 84 Bible Reading

Numbers 19 and 20, Luke 5: 33-39, Luke 5: 1-11, Psalm 55: 13-26

Numbers 20: 10-12 (ESV)

“Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.””

Verses 10 to 12 from Numbers 20 are sad verses for me. Moses was grieving the death of his sister Miriam and now had to deal with the people complaining about water. He was at the end of his rope and he was angry. He did not glorify God and said “we” instead of God will bring water, and he struck the rock twice in it seems like anger. So God punished him and told him he would not be going into the Promised Land. He made this one mistake and was denied entrance. I think it’s sad because Moses had been so faithful to God the whole time from the journey out of Egypt until the almost 40 years of wandering in the desert. But God still loved Moses and we him later in Matthew in the transfiguration of Jesus. So I have hope that even though I will undoubtedly make mistakes in life, God will forgive me in the end.

Day 83 Bible Reading

Numbers 17 & 18, Luke 5: 17-32, Psalm 44: 1-12

Luke 5: 30-32 (ESV)

“And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Verses 30-32 from Luke 5 reminds me that I’m glad I joined a church, because it seems like I only thought of God when my life was messed up or I was hurting. I needed God to save me, and I needed God’s love to comfort me, and he was always there. But when my life was going okay, I never thought about God. But being in a church, I am reminded constantly of the need for God in my life whether my circumstances are good or bad. When I’m having a good day, I always thank God. I thank God every day for the little miracles I see in my life, and not just for the miracles I prayed for when I needed help. And I am reminded every day of the need for repentance for sins I commit every day in my life, and God’s mercy that was bestowed on me through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Day 82 Bible Reading

Numbers 16, Luke 38-44, Luke 5: 1-16, Psalm 43

Numbers 16: 22-24 (ESV)

“And they fell on their faces and said, “O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and will you be angry with all the congregation?” And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the congregation, Get away from the dwelling of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.””

Verses 23-24 from Numbers 16 show how much Moses and Aaron cared about their people. They had been challenged for their leadership and people were openly rebelling against them. There were 250 leaders against Moses and Aaron, and Moses said he would leave if it up God to judge if they were right. When God made his judgement to kill everyone Moses and Aaron protested and pleaded with God not to punish everyone because one man Korah had caused the rebellion. I’ve seen this kind of thing happen in the churches I’ve a part of throughout my life. It only takes one person to cause a group to fall apart. We see this warning in the New Testament in verses 17-18 from Romans 16 where Paul writes:

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”

It’s easy to criticize the leadership of a church because we don’t see everything that goes into making a decision, but we need to remember that God appointed these leaders and God needs to be the final authority in all areas of our life.

Day 81 Bible Reading

Numbers 14 and 15, Luke 4: 14-37, Psalm 42: 7-11

Numbers 14: 36-38 (ESV)

“And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land—the men who brought up a bad report of the land—died by plague before the Lord.  Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.”

Verses 36-38 from Numbers 14 shows what happened to the men who didn’t have the faith in God to help them. They died by plague. And earlier in Numbers 14, God told Moses that only Caleb and Joshua would live to see the Promised Land. This is what happens when you have faith, you see and will dwell in the Promised Land. And when you don’t have faith, you die and you don’t see or find the promised land. A plague seems harsh, but when we don’t have faith doesn’t doubt enter in our life like a poison and eventually kills our faith in God. When you lose faith in God, it is like a death of sorts. We all need to pray to have the faith of Caleb and Joshua so we can see and find our own “promised land” that God promised us.

Day 80 Bible Reading

Numbers 12 and 13, Luke 3: 23-38, Luke 4: 1-13, Psalm 42: 1-6

Numbers 14: 30-31 (ESV)

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”

Verses 30-31 from Numbers 14 shows the difference between people who have faith in God and people who don’t. Caleb saw the same things that the other men saw, but his faith in God was so strong that he thought to himself that God will provide a way for them to overcome it. I wonder how many of us look at a dream in the same way that the ten men did. Do we see all the danger and risk involved? Do we fear that our dream is too big and we aren’t strong enough to overcome the forces standing in the way of our dream? We need to have the same strength of faith as Caleb. God told Moses that the land was theirs, and yes it would be difficult but if we just have enough faith in God’s promises to us we will know that God will help us overcome any obstacles to our dreams. We need to pray every day to have the faith of Caleb and Joshua and believe as they did, that no matter what dangers and obstacles we see, God will fulfill his promises to us.

Day 79 Bible Reading

Numbers 10 and 11, Luke 3: 1-22, Psalm 41: 7-13

Luke 3: 21-22 (ESV)

“Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

I like verses 21-22 from Luke 3. I would have loved to have been in the crowd when this happened. Were all the people freaked out? Did everyone hear the voice? Or was it only the people around Christ and John at the time? Did a report go to the Sanhedrin about it? The baptism of Jesus by John shows up in all of the four gospels, so it definitely happened. We just don’t have the little details about the event. I would like to think that if I had been there and heard the voice and saw the dove, I would have remembered and been awed by the event and told people about it. I’m sure there were some people present who experienced the miracle and dismissed it as a hallucination. Others would have convinced themselves that they weren’t sure what they saw. Others would have been so freaked out, they would have blocked the event from their memories and said they saw and heard nothing. It’s easy I think to speculate on what you might do, but unless you were actually there you have no idea how you would have reacted to this event. Miracles are such a strange thing in our world.

Day 78 Bible Reading

Numbers 8 and 9, Luke 2: 41-52, Psalm 41: 1-6

Numbers 9: 23 (ESV)

“At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.”

Verse 9 from Numbers 9 reminds that we need to be led by God in everything we do. I would love it if I had a cloud to lead me around in the desert of my life. That must have been an amazing sight to see and feel. The cloud would cover the Israelites by day, let them how long to camp in one place, and when to leave their camp. I love the imagery of the cloud leading God’s people in the desert. They had just come out of slavery and were not used to fending for themselves, and the God of Moses provided for them a cloud to take care of them. But I don’t have a cloud. I have to rely on trying to listen to God’s words in my life, to read my bible every day, and watch how my life enfolds so I can discern God’s will for my life. But I know if I follow the will of God in my life that he will guide me through the desert of my life and everything will be alright.

Day 77 Bible Reading

Numbers 7, Luke 2: 21-40, Psalm 40: 9-17

Luke 2: 27-32 (ESV)

“And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”

I love these verses from Luke 2, where Simeon recognized the divinity of Christ when he was presented at the temple. This scene is such a contrast to what happened to Jesus in the Temple during his ministry and during Passion week. Christ was recognized as the messiah from his birth in the manger and now in the Temple. It always make me wonder if a report was made to Sanhedrin about what Simeon said about Jesus, and if a file was set up from that moment for Jesus as a potential troublemaker. It’s so sad that when Jesus was first brought to the Temple he was recognized for who he was, but when he came during Passion week years later he was arrested for blasphemy.

Day 76 Bible Reading

Numbers 5-6, Luke 2: 1-20, Psalm 40: 1-6

Luke 2: 9-12

“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

I’ve also loved these verses from Luke 2. It makes me wonder how the shepherds felt and what they thought when the Angel started speaking to them.  Were they scared and freaked out? They have been praying like all of Israel for a messiah for years, and now the angel told them that the messiah was born. And this messiah was born in the most humblest of circumstances because he was lying in a manger. I’m sure that is not how they were expecting the messiah to be born. I’m trying to imagine myself as a shepherd, who were in their day considered the poorest of people. They were nobodies. Would I have believed what the angel was saying? I give the shepherds so much credit. They didn’t doubt what the angel was said and they made their way over to see the new messiah. These poor shepherds had so much faith.

Day 75 Bible Reading

Numbers 4, Luke 1: 57-80, Psalm 39

Psalm 39: 4 (ESV)

“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!”

Verse 4 from Psalm 39 is an interesting way to pray to God. David is asking God for wisdom to know how fleeting and short his life is in this world. If we had the wisdom to know how frail and short our life really is, we might pray for different things. It will force us to put a value on the things in our life because of the frailty of our lives. I think David is saying to us that if we only knew how short our life is, we would pray to have a better relationship with God. If our life is that short, the only thing in our life that is real and lasting is God and our relationship to him.

Getting caught up in Bible Reading posts. It's been another intense weekend for me, so I needed to take a break. 

Day 74 Bible Reading

Numbers 2-3, Luke 1: 39-56, Psalm 38: 12-22

Luke 1: 46-48 (ESV)

“And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”

I like verses 46-48 from Luke 1, which is Mary’s song of praise to God. I like the metaphor of a person’s soul becoming a magnifying glass, and making God appear to be clear and in focus. I also think of a magnifying glass as a tool to help build a fire, so Mary’s soul will help awaken the fire in people when they read her words. I want my soul to be a magnifying glass to help people see God in a clear way, to help others pierce the veil so they can see the wonders of God.

Day 73 Bible Reading

Numbers 1, Luke 1: 27-38, Psalm 38: 1-11

Luke 1: 38 (ESV)

“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

I love Mary’s total obedience to what the angel told her in verse 38 of Luke 1. She did not hesitate and had no doubts. She just said “Yes” because she was a servant of the Lord. I wish I had that kind of faith where I am an “automatic yes” to God, but I don’t. There’s always that seed of doubt in my mind. Sometimes it’s just a tiny whisper and other times it’s a loud roar when Holy Spirit tells me to do something, but it’s rarely a “Yes”. I wish I had Mary’s kind of faith in God’s promises and words. I think it will take a lifetime of living for me to get to a “Yes”. But it’s worth trying because it makes me wonder what kind of life I would have if I was an “automatic Yes” to God. 

Day 72 Bible Reading

Leviticus 26: 14-26, Leviticus 27, Luke 1: 1-25, Psalm 37: 32-40

Luke 1: 19-20 (ESV)

“And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.”

I like verses 19 and 20 from Luke 1. The angel Gabriel punished Zechariah for not believing his words. We don’t have angels punishing us for our non-beliefs, but I know sometimes I felt that I was being punished God for lack of beliefs. When I pray for something and Holy Spirit tells me it will come, I sometimes have doubts. When I have doubts, I don’t get the thing I want until the very last minute. At other times when I don’t have doubts, the thing I prayed for comes immediately. So is it a form of punishment from God when I have doubts and the thing I want doesn’t come until I have given up all hope?  I never thought of it in that way, but it might be a form of punishment from God for lack of belief in his promise. What do you think?

Day 71 Bible Reading

Leviticus 25 & 26: 1-13, Mark 16, Psalm 37: 21-31

Leviticus 26: 1 (ESV)

“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.”

Verse 1 from Leviticus 26 has been part of prayers to God these last few weeks. It feels like the Holy Spirit is convicting me of making idols of people I follow on social media. I love great thinkers and people who predict future trends. I daily read their Substack articles, listen to their podcasts, and read everything they post on X. They have become my new “idols”. But there is no greater thinker than God and no one can predict future trends because God has the final say on what will eventually trend in our lives. I still read their posts on X and read whatever they post on Substack, but I’ve decided to not listen to their podcasts since they take up more time. Do I miss the podcasts? Yes, because I would listen to them while doing other things. Will I go back to listening to them? Eventually, but not until I can listen to what my “idols” say while still remembering that God is ultimate authority in the world.

Day 70 Bible Reading

Leviticus 23 & 24, Mark 15: 33-47, Psalm 37: 10-20

Mark 15: 39 (ESV)

“And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

I’ve always liked verse 39 from Mark 15 because it makes me wonder what the centurion saw while Jesus was dying on the cross to make him utter that statement. I love The Chosen TV series, and there is so much speculation on whether the centurion who is quoted in Mark 15 will be Atticus or Quintus. Was the centurion referring to change in weather that was happening when Christ was being crucified? Was there something specific in Jesus’ face that the centurion witnessed? My imagination runs wild when I think about what the centurion saw at Jesus’ crucifixion. I like that the centurion was another gentile who has recognized the divinity of Christ. I wonder what I would have said had I been there at the crucifixion as a gentile.

Day 69 Bible Reading

Leviticus 21 & 22, Mark 15: 1-32, Psalm 37: 1-9

Mark 15: 31-32 (ESV)

“So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.  Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.”

Verses 31 and 32 from Mark 15 remind me of that scene from the movie “The Last Temptation of Christ”, where Jesus steps down from the cross and leads a different life. It’s a fantasy of course, because at the end he gets back on cross and dies. If Jesus had saved himself as he could have, then we wouldn’t have the resurrection and we wouldn’t believe in him. If Christ had gotten down from the cross, there wouldn’t be a Christian religion. I wonder if those chief priests and scribes who saw Jesus die remembered their words when the Christian religion was being formed. They tried to snuff the early Christians out, but it didn’t work. The beliefs of Christ took over the world and we are better because of it.

Day 68 Bible Reading

Leviticus 19 & 20, Mark 14: 43-72, Psalm 36

Mark 14: 72 (ESV)

“And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”

Whenever I read verse 72 from Mark 14, I often wonder how Peter felt. Jesus had told him what would happen, and he didn’t believe him despite having seen all the miracles and healings that Jesus had performed. I’ve been listening to David Guzik’s bible commentaries, and he said that Peter made the mistake of not praying before answering Jesus. Would Peter’s actions have changed had he prayed? Did he even have time to pray in the moment? Peter comes across as a passionate guy and I’m not sure he’s the type of person who would have stopped and prayed before he spoke? But I think David Guzik has a point nonetheless. Before we speak or do anything, we need to pray. In prayer we may come to know our own mind better, and may make different decisions, different choices. Maybe not but I like to think it might make a difference.

I've had a rough weekend, so I fell behind in bible reading posts and am getting caught up.

Day 67 Bible Reading

Leviticus 17 & 18, Mark 14: 17-42, Psalm 35: 19-28

Mark 14: 27 (ESV)

“And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”

I was listening to a commentary from David Guzik on verse 27 from Mark 14, and he said when Jesus made this prediction to his disciples it was because he knew their minds and what they would do before they did. It made me wonder if Jesus knows the minds of all of his followers like he knew the minds of his disciples. Does he know what we’re going to do before we do it? Does he see all of our choices and waits to see what choices will we make? I like to think Jesus knows my mind, but I’m also of the opinion that he waits to see if I will make the right choice. He is so patient with me. More patient than I am with myself. And when I make a mistake, he leads me to ways of repentance with kindness and firmness. That’s my experience of Christ at least. What is yours?

Day 66 Bible Reading

Leviticus 15 and 16, Mark 13: 32-37, Mark 14: 1-16, Psalm 35: 11-18

Mark 13: 32 (ESV)

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

I was listening to a discussion today on the hypostatic union which is the idea that “Jesus Christ is true God and true man”. Or in other words, Jesus Christ is fully human and fully divine that these two natures cannot be separated. Verse 32 from Mark 13 was cited as evidence for the idea of the hypostatic union, because even Christ said he himself does not know everything that God knows. Only God knows everything or is omniscient. I like the idea of Christ being fully human because that means he knows everything about being human because he has experienced it for himself.

Day 65 Bible Reading

Leviticus 14, Mark 13: 1-31, Psalm 35: 1-10

Mark 13: 31 (ESV)

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

I like verse 31 from Mark 13. Jesus’ prediction about his words have certainly come true. I find it so interesting that the Bible is still alive and well long after his death on the cross. There were many men who claimed to be the “Messiah” in the time when Jesus was alive. But only the true son of God prevailed out of all those who were claiming to be the Messiah. Even if you have no belief in God, you have to give credit to the Christian religion and how it was spread all over the globe. People only resonate with what they consider “truth and authenticity”. There must be something to the Christian religion to give its longevity, despite all the forces that have tried to stamp it out today and in the past. No one can convince anyone to believe in God, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It’s something you have to experience it for yourself. And when you have an experience of faith, it will change your life forever.

Day 64 Bible Reading

Leviticus 13, Mark 12: 28-44, Psalm 34: 11-22

Mark 12: 42-44 (ESV)

“And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.””

I love these verses from Mark 12 because Jesus puts into perspective how much money they contribute to the church. People of wealth can contribute much money to the church, but the sum of their contribution doesn’t make them better. Jesus is telling us if can contribute everything we can, and in the case of this widow everything she had to live on, God will be contributing as putting in more than a person with a large amount of contribution.

Day 63 Bible Reading

Leviticus 11 & 12, Mark 12: 1-27, Psalm 34: 1-10

Mark 12: 10-11 (ESV)

“Have you not read this Scripture: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?”

I’ve always liked verses 10-11 from Mark 12, and I found this bible commentary from David Guzik very intriguing.

“Jesus is often likened unto a stone or a rock in the Bible. He is the rock of provision that followed Israel in the desert (1 Corinthians 10: 4). He is the stone of stumbling (1 Peter 2: 8). He is the stone cut without hands that crushes the kingdoms of this world (Daniel 2: 45).”

I like thinking of Jesus as the stone of stumbling for those caught in their old ways. Christ will make you stumble to see the light.

Getting caught up on Bible Readings. I saw The Chosen Season 4 episodes 7 and 8 on Monday March 4, and I was very moved and needed to take a break to digest what I watched. It was powerful season 4 finale. Don’t miss it in the theaters or when it comes out for free.

Day 62 Bible Reading

Leviticus 9 & 10, Mark 11: 27-33, Psalm 33: 12-22

Mark 11: 11 (ESV)

“So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.””

I like verse 11 from Mark 11 when Jesus spoke to the scribes who asked him by what authority was Jesus doing all these things. Jesus told them he will answer their question if they can tell him if the baptism of John was heaven or man. Jesus knew that a follower of John or anyone who had seen John the Baptist would have thought about or pondered for themselves. I find it interesting that the scribes hadn’t even thought of this question and couldn’t give Jesus a good answer. These were supposedly learned men in the Torah who couldn’t give Jesus an answer based on their understanding of Torah. And that’s how Jesus caught them and didn’t answer their question. I like this verse because I have saying I always ask myself before I ask any serious question – “don’t ask questions you don’t know want to know or aren’t prepared for the answer you are going to get.”

Day 61 Bible Reading

Leviticus 7 & 8, Mark 11: 1-26, Psalm 33: 1-11

Mark 11: 13-14 (ESV)

“And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.”

I’ve been reading commentaries on verses 13-14 from Mark 11, and this is the most interesting interpretation of Jesus cursing the fig tree that I came across. Christ cursed the fig tree because it had leaves, but no fruit. A fig tree only has leaves when it has fruit, so the fig tree had false advertising. A commentator wrote that “God doesn’t approve when there is a profession without reality, talk without walk. God has displeasure when we have the appearance of fruit but not the fruit itself.” Any follower of Christ will need to look deep into their own hearts and analyze their behavior and ask themselves, “Am I a true follower of Christ or do I just have the appearance of being a follower of Christ?”

Day 60 Bible Reading (I read these passages from the Bible yesterday, but I couldn’t figure out what to write about and reflect on, so I had to sleep on it. Below is what I came up with today.)

Leviticus 5 & 6, Mark 10: 32-52, Psalm 32

Mark 10: 43-44 (ESV)

“But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

Verses 43-44 from Mark 10 stood out for me today. John and James are asking Jesus if they could have close and leadership positions in his kingdom. Many commentaries have noted that Jesus is telling John and James that in his version of the kingdom, the only requirement for leadership is humble service. That to have a leadership position in Jesus’ kingdom, you have to be like Jesus and emulate how humble he was in his life. Ministry is for the benefit of those you are serving, and not for the benefit of the one who is serving. The kingdom of Christ can be so hard to understand for people, because in our normal everyday world we receive something for leadership. We either receive something materially or financially. But in Jesus’ world, leadership comes up what you can give to people. Christ paid the ultimate price for his leadership. We will need to ask ourselves would we be willing to make such a sacrifice for leadership? Maybe not our life, but definitely our pride and ego will need to be let go to serve God’s people.

Day 59 Bible Reading

Leviticus 3 & 4, Mark 10: 1-31, Psalm 31: 19-24

Mark 10: 15 (ESV)

” Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

When I first heard and read verse 15 from Mark 10, I used to think it meant that we needed child-like faith in God. Having faith in God the way a child trusts his father. I believe I have a child-like trust in God. But after reading several commentaries, many biblical scholars believe this verse also emphasizes that children don’t feel that they have to earn everything they get. Children will never refuse gifts out of self-sufficient pride. A child will receive a gift because at their age, that’s all they can do. I like this new way of looking at this verse because as an adult, I do often find it hard to receive gifts. The first thoughts that inevitably run through my head upon receiving a gift are 1) what does this person want? 2) I’m going to have to give them something now just to even out the scales, 3) I don’t deserve a gift ever, and 4) what did I do to earn this gift?” I’m going to have to add the child-like attitude of being able to just receive to my definition of faith.

Day 58 Bible Reading

Leviticus 1 & 2, Mark 9: 33-50, Psalm 31: 9-18

Mark 9: 49-50 (ESV)

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.””

Some theologians have speculated that fire in verses 49 and 50 from Mark 9 refers to troubles and suffering. But others have said that the fire refers to the Holy Spirit. I like the interpretation of fire being the Holy Spirit. As followers of Christ, we will be salted with the Holy Spirit. But to keep our faith constant and unwavering, we will have to keep the Holy Spirit in ourselves at all times. If we keep the Holy Spirit within us, then we will have always have peace. But I can see why the fire could be interpreted as troubles and suffering. When our faith is tested by troubles and suffering, our faith becomes stronger and we grow closer to God.

Day 57 Bible Reading

Exodus 39-40, Mark 9: 1-32, Psalm 31: 1-8

Mark 9: 23-24 (ESV)

“And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!””

When I read verses 23 and 24 from Mark 9, I tried to imagine myself as the father of this child who needed healing. This man had so much belief in Jesus. I don’t know for myself if I would have that kind of belief in someone to heal my child. But the father does say to Jesus, “help my unbelief”, so he did have doubts but he asked Christ to help with his doubts. Christ healed the father’s son, even when it looked like the child had died. I’m trying to imagine what the father thought because the spirit did come out of the child, but then the child was lifeless. The father’s faith was tested again, until Jesus brought him to life. Asking for God to help us with our doubts even if we believe, is probably the wisest thing to do because there are times in our life when our faith will be tested like this father.