Day 150 Bible Readings - 1 Samuel 27: 1 (ESV)

1 Samuel 26-28, John 19: 1-27, Psalm 81: 1-8

1 Samuel 27: 1 (ESV)

“Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”

Verse 1 from 1 Samuel 27 made me feel for David. This verse tells us David was in despair. Saul kept wanting to kill him and in his heart, the heart that God knew, was tired of trusting God. I can totally relate to how David was feeling. When I’ve been very depressed in despair, I often wondered if God had forgotten about me or if I did something wrong. Or worse, maybe God didn’t even exist and I had been wrong and fooled all these years. Like David, I had forgotten how God had always rescued me when I was in dire straits.

Many Christians calls this backsliding, where we doubt God and our faith in him. If we remember that David, who was anointed and so favored by God, also suffered from backsliding then we can also know that sometimes this event happens even to everyone. But if you know the Bible, you know David turned himself around and became King. David’s redemption gives us hope that we will be able to turn ourselves around as well, and recover our faith and once again serve God.

Day 149 Bible Readings - 1 Samuel 24: 5-7 (ESV)

1 Samuel 24 & 25, John 18: 25-40, Psalm 81: 8-16

1 Samuel 24: 5-7 (ESV)

“And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.”

Verses 5 through 7 from 1 Samuel 24 resonated with me today. Samuel said that God had chosen David because he knew his heart, and these verses prove it. David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he did not. He didn’t have the heart to kill someone whom God had anointed, even though Saul wanted him dead.

I don’t know if I could have stopped myself from killing someone who wanted to kill me, if I knew that God had favored them. I’ve never been in that situation. I have a hard time right now forgiving friends and family who aren’t awake and don’t vote the same way I do. My life is not threatened in anyway, but I’m having a hard time forgiving people who don’t think the same way politically that I do. I pray to God every day to help me have forgiveness in my heart for people who don’t vote the same way I do. But God knows I’m a work in progress on this issue, so when I read what David was able to do I was in awe. David truly deserved to be chosen by God as king for the goodness of his heart.

Day 148 Bible Readings - John 18: 8-9 (ESV)

1 Samuel 21-23, John 18: 1-24, Psalm 81: 1-7

John 18: 8-9 (ESV)

“Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”

Verses 8 through 9 from John 18 shows how much care Jesus had for his disciples. Christ didn’t fight his arrest. If Jesus did fight his arrest, harm would have come to his disciples which was unacceptable to him because he promised God that would take care of the people who come to believe in him. One Bible commentary noted that Jesus at this point self-sacrificed himself to the guards. Christ willingly surrendered himself to the guards and asked that no harm come to his followers.

These verses remind that Jesus will always protest those whom he loves. If Jesus was willing to protect his disciples, we can be assured that Jesus will protect us as his followers. Jesus gave up his life and took on the sins of the world. He became the sacrificial lamb so we would be free of sin.

Day 147 Bible Reading - John 17: 20-24 (ESV)

1 Samuel 19 & 20, John 17, Psalm 80: 8-19

John 17: 20-24 (ESV)

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”

Verses 20 through 24 from John 17 are part of Jesus’ prayers before his arrest. Jesus prayed for himself, his disciples, and in in these verses he prayed for his future followers who believe in him through the words of the disciples. In other words, future follower of Christ which is us. I love that Jesus was able to see the future even as he was facing what would be an incredible painful part of his life in his crucifixion. He loved us so much even though he would never meet us. Christ asked for the same blessing for us that he asked for the followers that he did know for three years.

Sometimes when I watch “The Chosen” tv series, I am in awe of the disciples who knew Christ, spoke to him, laughed with him, and cried with him. I wonder if they knew at the time how lucky they were to have known Christ, and what would become of the teachings of Christ. I wonder if they could see into the future and see that over a billion people in 2024 or 1/7^th of the world’s population would be followers of Christ. I think Jesus knew and prayed for his future followers in this prayer.

Day 146 Bible Reading - John 16: 33 (ESV)

1 Samuel 17: 38-58, 1 Samuel 18, John 16, Psalm 30: 1-7

John 16: 33 (ESV)

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Verse 33 from John 16 shows Jesus telling his disciples that they can find peace in him, and that in the world they will have tribulation. Jesus promises us peace if we believe in him, but he never promised that our life would be without problems. I know that as a follower of Christ, I often like to think that the Holy Spirit guides me so I don’t have problems. I do think that is true, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have problems. But from what I’ve seen of problems and how I have handled them, I know that God will always use my problems to strengthen my faith in him.

The last line of Verse 33 is where Jesus says that we if look at him, we can be inspired by how he overcame sin by dying on the cross. So even if we do have problems, we must believe that Christ will help us to solve our problems and bring us closer to him. God has a plan for our lives, for good times and bad times. If we believe this, then we will have peace no matter what is happening in our lives. This peace is the freedom that a belief in Christ brings to his followers.

Day 145 Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 16: 7(ESV)

1 Samuel 16, 1 Samuel 17: 1-37, John 15, Psalm 79

1 Samuel 16: 7(ESV)

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Verse 7 from 1 Samuel 16 stood out to me today. I love that God told Samuel what he looks for in people and that he doesn’t see what people see. People look at a person’s outward appearance to judge what is in their heart and the kind of person they are inside. One bible commentary I read said the outward appearance of a person is an idolatry that is widely practiced.

God is different. God can look into the secrets of a person’s heart. When we are unsure about someone, we must pray to God to give us advice on whether to let this person into our lives because God can see into their heart. I also like that it doesn’t matter to God what you look like or what you appear to be on the outside. God only sees what is in our heart and will choose someone who has a heart for God. God will use those who love him and obey him in their heart. So anyone can be chosen by God as long as their heart is for God.

Day 144 Bible Reading - John 14: 26 (ESV)

1 Samuel 14: 24-52, 1 Samuel 15, John 14, Psalm 78: 56-72

John 14: 26 (ESV)

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

Verse 26 from John 14 shows Jesus talking about the Holy Spirit, the Helper. I became more aware of the Holy Spirit after a sermon given by my pastor last year about its role in the life of a follower of Christ. I always knew about the Holy Spirit, but it wasn’t something I had a relationship with as a Christian. I can happily say now that I’ve developed a relationship with the Holy Spirit and rely on it more now for guidance and help.

This verse is one of many regarding the Holy Spirit, and for more information I would look up all the verses using a Bible concordance. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity along with God and Jesus Christ, and to use and become familiar with all parts of the Trinity is something every Christian needs to do to understand the role of God in their lives.

Day 143 Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 13: 13-14 (ESV)

1 Samuel 12-13, 1 Samuel 14: 1-23, John 13: 18-38, Psalm 78: 40-55

1 Samuel 13: 13-14 (ESV)

“And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

Verses 13 and 14 from 1 Samuel 13 shows Samuel proclaiming God’s judgement over Saul. Saul did not obey God because he was more interested in pleasing himself, his image, and his prestige. Saul did not want to please God because he loved God. Saul wanted to do his will and not God’s will.

I think these verses show that God wants us obey him for the right reasons, not because obeying God will make us great or that God will give us great things and perform miracles in our lives. God wants us to obey him because of our love for him, and because we want to do his will in the world.

For myself, it’s hard to know sometimes if I am choosing to obey God because I know that obeying God will brings good things into my life or because I really want to do God’s will on earth. I think my ego gets in the way, and I have to stop and constantly ask myself why am I doing the thing I’m doing. Am I doing it because it makes me look good to other people? Because it makes me look spiritual and obedient to God? Or, am I doing this thing because I love God and it makes me feel good to see his will done on earth? I think if we keep constantly ask ourselves these questions, we will discern what our motives are and always make sure we are doing things because we love God and want to do his will on earth.

Day 142 Bible Reading - John 12: 44-46 (ESV)

1 Samuel 10-11, John 12: 27-50, John 13: 1-17

John 12: 44-46 (ESV)

“And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.”

I love verses 44 through 46 from John 12 where Jesus talks about his unity with God the father. For me, God and Christ are one and the same, so I use the words Christ and God interchangeably. I’m not sure all people who believe in Christ do this, but I do. For me, Jesus Christ and God are one. I also believe that my belief in Christ brings light to my world. I know that without my belief in God, my world would be a very dark and fearful place.

In the bible commentaries I read on John 12, these words were the last words Jesus said to public before he was arrested. I believe Jesus wanted to tell his followers and the public what he needed us to remember about him. That he was one with God and that he came into the world to bring to our darkness.

Day 141 Bible Reading - John 12: 23-24 (ESV)

1 Samuel 8 & 9, John 12: 1-26, Psalm 78: 17-31

John 12: 23-24 (ESV)

“And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Verses 23 and 24 are Jesus’ prophetic words about what was about to happen to him. He knew that his time on the cross was almost upon him, and that he would need to die like wheat to bear much fruit. And that fruit would be become the sacrificial Lamb of God for our sins, and his glorification when he would be resurrected three (3) days later.

I am always astonished when I read about Christ’s calm acceptance of his fate. He loved his people so much and he was completely surrendered to his father’s will for his life. Christ provides a model for us for how we need to accept our fate in lfe. We must be totally surrendered to God’s will for our life, and we must have the faith to know that we are doing will ultimately serve God’s plan not only for us but for all of humanity.

Day 140 Bible Reading - 1 Samuel 5: 6 (ESV)

1 Samuel 5-7, John 11: 45-57, Psalm 78: 9-16

1 Samuel 5: 6 (ESV)

“The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.

Verse 6 from 1 Samuel 5 talks about what happens to people when touch the Ark of the Covenant when they’re not supposed to touch it. I love this description of the Ark of the Covenant. Verse 6 reminds me of the Indiana Jones movie -  "The Raiders of the  Lost Ark." This description of the Ark of the Covenant is about the extraordinary power of God. The Ark of the Covenant caused tumors to the Philistines until they returned it back to Israel. But returning it to Israel wasn’t enough. The Ark had to be returned to the right people because it killed 70 men who looked at Ark after it was returned.

These stories about the power of God in the Old Testament still aren’t enough to keep his people faithful to him. We seem to be a miracle hungry people. We constantly need to be reminded of the power of God in miracles or acts of power to keep our faith in him. I tell myself I’m not like that, but I know I am because I’m a sinner deep down. I’ve had a couple of near-death experiences which I know were miracles of God, and my faith in God was strengthened for a while. But then I forgot about these miracles and started to lose faith and doubt God again. Until another miracle happened and my faith was restored. I hate that my faith is so dependent on seeing miracles in my life, but it is. The only good thing now is I don’t forget God the way I used to that I did in my youth, because I make a conscious effort to keep God always in my life. And that conscious effort is on it’s a miracle in and of itself.

Day 139 Bible Reading - John 11: 21-22 (ESV)

1 Samuel 2: 27-36, 1 Samuel 3 & 4, John 11: 1-44, Psalm 78: 1-8

John 11: 21-22 (ESV)

“Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

Verses 21 through 22 from John 11 shows the faith of Martha, the sister of Lazarus. Even in her grief over her brother’s death, she tells Jesus she still has faith in him. This is the test for anyone who believes in Christ. Will your faith still be there even though God has not answered your prayers? Will you still have faith even in the depths of your sorrow and grief and disappointment that God did give you the miracle you were asking for?

I don’t think I have this kind of faith. I never gave up on my faith in God even when I was disappointed in not having my prayers answered, but I don’t remember still having faith in God during my disappointment and grief. My prayers are that one day, when I am in grief and sadness, I will still have faith in God like Martha did. I think that’s why her story is included in the gospels, because she is a role model for the depth of faith in times of grief and sadness.

Day 138 Bible Reading - John 10: 27-29 (ESV)

1  Samuel 1, 1 Samuel 2: 1-26, John 10: 22-42, Psalm 77: 10-20

John 10: 27-29 (ESV)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”

Verses 27 through 29 from John 10 shows Christ talking about his followers and the promises, blessings, and benefits to anyone who follows him. Christ is a good shepherd, and he knows his sheep. Christ knows us better than we even know ourselves. He cares for us, guides us, and makes sure we live good lives. And through his resurrection, Christ promises us eternal life with him where we will never perish. Christ also promises that we will not be snatched from him. We are safe with Christ, and since Jesus and God are one, we are in hands of the one who created the world.

Christ as the good shepherd is a wonderful metaphor to remember whenever we perhaps think God doesn’t look after us. Christ always look after his sheep, and he sees many things we might not see with out limited point of view. What we may think is the worst thing that has ever happened to us, turns out to be the best thing because God is always guiding us in our life.

Day 137 Bible Reading - Ruth 4: 14-15 (ESV)

Ruth 3 & 4, John 9: 35-41, John 10: 1-21, Psalm 77: 1-9

Ruth 4: 14-15 (ESV)

“Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Verses 14 and 15 from Ruth 4 show us that even though Naomi doubted God because her husband and her two sons died, in the end God blessed Naomi whose descendant will become King David. God not only restored her family line, but Ruth’s son will continue the line that line with King David and Jesus Christ. God used Naomi and Ruth to redeem not only Naomi and Ruth, but her people and the world as well with the birth of Jesus Christ. God always has a plan for our lives, even though it can sometimes feel like we are not blessed at all. It might take awhile to see God’s plan, but if we keep our faith in God we will eventually come to know that God’s plan was the best thing that happened in our life.

Day 136 Bible Reading - John 9: 1-3 (ESV)

Ruth 1 & 2, John 9: 1-34, Psalm 76

John 9: 1-3 (ESV)

” As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Verses 1 through 3 from John 9 shows us how Jesus views bad events that happen in our lives. Christ says God uses these events to do his work and further his plan on earth. We must always view what can seem like bad events to have a purpose in God’s plan. We might not know what the plan is right away, and it could take years for us to even glean what the purpose was for the event. But we need to have faith in God that this bad event will be used in some way to further this plan. I think if we can hold a positive or perhaps a neutral view of the event, then we will be able to see how God uses the event.

I know for myself that if I look back at how I got to a particularly good place in my life, I can sometimes trace it back to an event that seemed at first to be not very good in my life. If I look at the events that happened after that particular not so great event, I can see in retrospect that it did lead on a certain trajectory and that path turned out to be a fulfilling path for my life. Did I have this thought at the time? No way! But I remember trying to keep at least a neutral attitude towards the event and saying to myself, “this might be the best thing that ever happened to me.” I didn’t say it was going to be the best thing, but I said “it might be the best thing”. And I was right although it took many years to see it that way. What I try to say now whenever a perceived “bad event” happens to me is, “this event may be something that God will use to further his plan for my life.”

Day 135 Bible Reading - John 8: 31-32 (ESV)

Judges 20 & 21, John 8: 31-59, Psalm 75

John 8: 31-32 (ESV)

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Verses 31 through 32 from John 8 are prophetic words from Christ for Christians today. Jesus knew after his death that his words and what he said would be written down, so this was his recommendation for those who believe in him. If we abide, with abide meaning if we know what Jesus said and taught, if we knew it enough to be familiar with it, if we lived as Jesus taught his disciples to live, we will know truth. And in knowing the truth from Christ, we will be set free.

We must know the Bible, become familiar with it, and live our lives from the truth in the Bible. The Bible contains many truths and these truths will show us how to live, tell us about our world, the truth of our world. And this knowledge will set us free from the world, from sin, so we are not bound by the world or by sin, but by the words in the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Day 134 Bible Reading - Judges 8: 12 (ESV)

Judges 18 & 19, John 8: 12-30, Psalm 74: 18-23

Judges 8: 12 (ESV)

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I love verse 12 from John 8. Jesus compares himself to light and that if you believe in him, you will never be in darkness. Faith in Christ means you will always have light in your life. One Bible commentary said it made sense that Jesus is the light, because in John 1: 1 John said Jesus is the word. I also like that if you are in darkness, you can call upon the name of Jesus and you will again be in the light.

Day 133 Bible Reading - John 8: 7 (ESV)

Judges 16 & 17, John 7: 45-53, John 8: 1-11, Psalm 74: 10-17

John 8: 7 (ESV)

“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Verse 7 from John 8 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I’ve always liked this verse because for me it means that we shouldn’t look at the sins of other people unless we’ve looked at how we’ve sinned. Many bible commentaries have pointed out Jesus was exposing the common sin of a desire to punish the sins of others while ignoring our own sin. It’s not that we can’t expose people who have sinned, but we must do it only when we recognize that we ourselves are forgiven sinners. If we own our sinful nature, we can point out the sins in other people with a generous and forgiving heart. We only accuse other people of sins because our heart has been broken, so we need to make sure we are doing it for the right motives and not out of anger or a desire to punish.

Day 132 Bible Reading - Judges 14: 1-4 (ESV)

Judges 14 & 15, John 7: 14-44, Psalm 74: 1-9

Judges 14: 1-4 (ESV)

“Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.”

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Samson with his long hair. He was born in a time when the Jewish people were ruled by the Philistines, but God had great plans for him. In verses 1 through 4 from Judges 14, we see Samson wanting to marry someone just because of the way she looked to him. He knew nothing about her except that she was the daughter of a Philistine, so he knew at the start that he was marrying someone not of his faith which was not according to God’s law. But I love how God’s uses everything about us, even our disobedient and sinful nature to do his will. He wanted Samson to marry this Philistine woman so he could kill many Philistines.

Does this justify Samson’s action in disobeying God? The answer is No, but God knows everything about us. He gave us the freedom to choose and when he knows we will choose to do wrong, he will use it to serve his purpose on earth. I like this story because even when we choose to disobey God’s will, we can be assured that God will use it to serve his purpose. I know I am a person who learns by doing things wrong. I’ve always been that way because I have a very curious nature. I know that God uses my nature to teach me things about myself, about him, and my faith. And I know over the years, my faith has become so much stronger because of my curious nature. We can’t change who we are, but we can be assured that God will use us to serve his purpose and to bring us closer to him.

Day 131 Bible Reading - John 6: 64 (ESV)

Judges 12 & 13, John 6: 60-71, John 7: 1-13, Psalm 73: 15-28

John 6: 64 (ESV)

“But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)”

Verse 64 from John 6 reminds us that Jesus always knows what in our hearts. He is not surprised by anything we tell him. But he has so much love for us and so much patience. Even when we over and over again turn away from and do wrong, he always waits for us to come to our senses and come back to him. He is truly like the father with the prodigal. We are his prodigal children. And no matter what we do or how long we are away from God the father, when we return to him he will always celebrate us coming home.

Is there a limit to God’s patience with us? I don’t know. I think as long as we are alive, God will always grant us grace and mercy if we have true repentance in our heart when we come back. God does not ask for perfection in our lives. He created us and he knows that his not possible. I think all he asks for is our love and commitment to follow him, and when we mess up because of our flawed nature, he asks that come back to him with repentance in our hearts.

Day 130 Bible Reading - John 6: 25-27 (ESV)

Judges 10 & 11, John 6: 25-59, Psalm 73: 1-14

John 6: 25-27 (ESV)

“When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”

Verses 25 through 27 from John 6 stood out to me because instead of answering the crowd’s question, Jesus told them why they were seeking him. It made me wonder if this is the thought that God has when we pray for him to grant us things? Do we want a God who only gives us constant miracles? Or do we want more?  Jesus tells us that we need to want more than miracles because miracles only last for so long, which is true.  We ask God for a miracle and it happens, and then we need more miracles because the miracle we asked for didn’t last or was only for a specific thing.

Jesus tells us we need to ask God for “food that endures to eternal life” which is only through faith in him.  Jesus tells us we need more than the miracle for material things. We need miracles that bring us spiritual fulfillment and eternal life. But it’s hard because we live in a physical and material world, and sometimes we need miracles just to get by. Or do we? Would spiritual fulfillment solve everything in our life? To be honest I don’t know. I don’t think I have spiritual fulfillment. I have belief in God, but spiritual fulfillment. What does that even mean. For me, it’s all baby steps right now. I want to strengthen my faith in God, so I can quiet the constant doubts in my head for at least a little while. I’m not sure I can quiet them forever, because doubt seems part of the human being package of living. But it would be nice to have more than a few minutes of a doubt free mind.

Day 129 Bible Reading - John 6: 16-21 (ESV)

Judges 9, John 6: 1-24, Psalm 72

John 6: 16-21 (ESV)

“When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”  Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.”

Verses 16 through 21 from John 6 shows the scene where the disciples see Jesus walking on the sea. I love this scene because it must have been very strange and frightening to see someone walking on the water.  Jesus must have sensed their fear because he said to them “It is I; do not be afraid.” A bible commentary I read had this comment about these lines; with these line Jesus was bring supernatural help and comfort to his disciples which is what they needed at the time. As soon as Jesus got into the boat, the boat magically came to shore where they were going.

Whenever I read these verses, I always wonder to myself how I would have reacted? Would I have screamed in terror? Or, would I just stare and freeze like a deer in fright? I would like to think that as soon as I heard the voice of Christ identifying himself and telling me not be afraid, the fear would leave me. But I don’t know if that would be enough because this event is so strange.

The Chosen TV series did a great job showing Jesus walking on the water, and showing what was written about this scene in the gospel of Matthew and Mark. The writers and actors did a great job of showing the fear the disciples must have felt as well.

Enjoy the scene of Jesus walking on the water from the Chosen TV series from season 3, episode 8.

Day 128 Bible Reading - John 5: 31-32 (ESV)

Judges 7: 9-25, Judges 8, John 5: 31-47, Psalm 71: 19-24

John 5: 31-32 (ESV)

“If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.”

I like verses 31 through 32 from John 5 because Jesus is saying and I paraphrase “Look, don’t my word for it about who I am and the miracles I have performed. I have a witness for you.” In fact, Jesus had three witnesses he could talk about. The bible commentaries I’ve read also reference that Jesus was following Old Testament law that was established in Deuteronomy 19: 15 which says, “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.” Christ did not commit a crime, but the principle in this verse from Deuteronomy establishes that you need two or three witnesses as evidence of what you have done.

I like this principle of having three witnesses to establish who you are and what you’ve done, so people can’t just claim to be something. They’ve got to be able to prove to others that they have an established pattern and evidence of what they and what they’ve done or evidentiary documentation. It’s a good rule to follow as well to gauge if you’ve changed something about yourself. Can you point to three times where you’ve done something differently than what you might have done? Are there three different circumstances where you chose something other than your normal pattern of behavior? If you can establish the pattern of three in your behavior, I think you can take it as an indication that you have changed and call that a success.

Day 127 Bible Reading - Judges 6: 14-16 (ESV)

Judges 6, Judges 7: 1-8, John 5: 16-30, Psalm 71: 9-18

Judges 6: 14-16 (ESV)

“And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”

Verses 14 through 16 from Judges 6 shows how Gideon, who was being called by God, reacted to God asking him to serve. Gideon was surprised and probably shocked because he wasn’t a warrior or a soldier, and his family was weak. But God often picks people to do his will who might not necessarily fit the job description of what he is asking, but who in their heart are obedient to God and will do his will gladly. And yes, Gideon was right he couldn’t save Israel by himself but what he didn’t take into account was that God would be with him the whole time. God would give him the strength and tell him what to say and do. If God is with us, we can do whatever he asks.

I know for myself; I often forget that when God asks me to do something I often think why me? I don’t have the skills or education to do what God is asking. But I always find if I just submit to God and do whatever he is asking, I can do the task. And the only reason I can do the task is because God is with me the whole time and guiding me and telling me what to do. I think if I can just quiet the fear inside of myself like Gideon and trust in God,  then God will be able to use me more to fulfill his will for whatever his plan is for my life.

Day 126 Bible Reading - John 5: 2-9 (ESV)

Judges 4 & 5, John 4: 43-54, John 5: 1-15, Psalm 71: 1-8

John 5: 2-9 (ESV)

“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.”

I love the way The Chosen TV series dramatized verses 2 through 9 from John 5. They added extra dialogue, but the essence of the scene is the same. The actor who played the paralyzed man did such a great job portraying the agony of someone who had been lying at the pool for that length of time. The makeup people did such a great job on the actor as well. The paralyzed man looked dirty and totally looked like he hadn’t taken a bath in years. When I watch the scene, I can almost smell the stink coming from the paralyzed man. They also portrayed John writing this healing scene down in his journal which was a nice touch.

When Jesus healed the paralyzed man at the pool, I loved his reaction. His spontaneous and almost hysterical laughter and tears of joy felt so real. The depiction of Christ healing someone through a person’s faith in him was depicted so well. When I feel the love of Christ in my heart, I almost get the same type of reaction. I’m not hysterical with laughter, but I feel tears and joy at the same time radiating throughout my body.

Enjoy the scene!

War and Peace Film Series (1966-67) on Max and YouTube

I decided to watch the War and Peace 4-part movie on Max just to see what the films were about compared to the 2016 version created by the BBC starring Paul Dano.

War and Peace Film Series

This movie was directed and co-written by Sergei Bondarchuk, and was made during the Soviet era of Russia. It's all in Russian with English subtitles, although they seem to skip subtitles on some conversations. There is also a commentary for most of the scenes. 

For a 1960's film, I was amazed at the number of cast members. This film was made before CGI and special film effects, so the people on the set are real and the cast was HUGE! It's really amazing to see the practical effects and crowd scenes knowing they are all real people and not fake scenery.

The movie is long, but it's fun to watch if you're a film buff and enjoy watching a movie made before CGI. The folks who put this movie together really did an amazing job of crowd and war scenes. There are not many close-ups and the scenes are often filmed with a stationary camera, which remind me of old 1950's Japanese movies.

If you have Max, I would recommend a view. It's worth watching!

I found the 4 movies on YouTube - check it out.

Day 125 Bible Reading - John 4:34 (ESV)

Judges 2: 6-23, Judges 3, John 4: 27-42, Psalm 70

John 4:34 (ESV)

“Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

Verse 34 from John 4 is a teaching from Christ I wish I had. In this verse, Jesus is saying that doing the will of God and finishing the work is like eating food that satisfies him. When I first read this interpretation of this verse in a bible commentary, the first thing that came to mind was I never think of doing God’s will and completing the task as satisfying as food. Doing God’s will has always been a chore to me, something I know I have to do because of my faith and obedience to God. But it has rarely even been as satisfying as a good meal. I don’t get that kind of satisfaction. I think I feel a sense of relief that I was able to do God’s will, and maybe even a sense of pride in myself that I did it and finished it. But satisfying? Very rarely.

But I think I need to change my attitude about doing God’s will. My pastor preached this Sunday that we need to try to live our life as Christians and become more like Christ. If I want to be more like Christ, I think I need to try to find satisfaction in doing God’s will and completing whatever that task requires. I don’t think this is going to be an easy lift, but I’m willing to try. I will probably have to pretend that doing God’s will is as satisfying as food at first, until it does become satisfactory. I think I can at least start with doing 10 minutes of God’s will every day with the attitude that what I am doing is as satisfying as a good meal. It’s a small amount of time, but I think it’s a good start.

Day 124 Bible Reading - John 4: 13-14 (ESV)

Judges 1, Judges 2: 1-5, John 4: 1-26, Psalm 69: 29-36

John 4: 13-14 (ESV)

“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

In verses 13 and 14 from John 4, we see Jesus talking to the woman he met at the well in Samaria. I love these verses where Jesus compares himself to water, and that what he had to teach and offer would give a person lasting satisfaction so they would never by thirsty again. The water from Jesus will also turn into a “spring of water” that will give the person eternal life. I love the image of the water of Jesus coming into a person and never running out. Or, perhaps there is water or light within us, and we just have to let Jesus into our hearts and he will open us up and find the light, the well of faith within us so we will never be without water or faith or light.

Other bible commentaries remind us that we as human try to satisfy our inner thirst through many things except what Jesus has to give us. Only the love and faith in Christ can ever satisfy our inner thirst to the deepest levels of our soul and spirit. And when we sometimes feel empty again, we just need to continually sip from God’s water by praying to him, reading his words in the bible, and feeling our inner connection with him. God’s water is always there for us and will never run out for those who believe in him.

Day 123 Bible Reading – John 3: 34 (ESV)

Joshua 23 and 24, John 3: 22-36, Psalm 69: 13-28

John 3: 34 (ESV)

“For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.”

Verse 34 from John 3 is what John the Baptist said about Jesus. Bible commentaries have said about this verse that John the Baptist is saying that Jesus has in himself the Holy Spirit without measure and that John was also speaking prophetically about the New Covenant which will come by the death of Jesus. This New Covenant will feature an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for those who are joined to Jesus. We will read about this outpouring of the Holy Spirit after the resurrection of Christ later on in the Book of Acts. The Bible commentaries also mention that in the Rabbinical books, the Holy Spirit was only given to the prophets by measure.

We are so fortunate that unlike the prophets in the Old Testament, the resurrection of Christ brings to us the Holy Spirit from God “without measure” which means we have the Holy Spirit in us all the time and as much as we need it. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity which included God and Christ. The Holy Spirit is our helper, our bridge to God and Christ. The Holy Spirit enables me to hear the word of God when I read the Bible, and when I pray to God.

Day 122 Bible Reading – John 3: 5-6 (ESV)

Day 122 Bible Reading – John 3: 5-6 (ESV)

Joshua 21: 20-45, Joshua 22, John 3: 1-21, Psalm 69: 1-12

“Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

I like verses 5 and 6 from John 3, because I interpret this line as Jesus talking about baptism. When I joined the church I belong to currently, they strongly advised all new members to be baptized with water. I grew up Catholic and I was baptized as a child, something which I do not remember. I must admit I thought it was a little silly to be baptized again, but I agreed to it.

I am so grateful that I made the decision to be baptized. Getting baptized at my church is a huge event. Many people participate and the church members gather and applaud you afterwards when you come out of the water. I loved the whole experience, because I kept thinking of John the Baptist and how he baptized people. Agreeing to be baptized was also my choice and not something that was forced on me as a baby. There is something so primal in coming out of the water because when you are in your mother’s womb, you are floating in water. When you are physically born, you are pushed from womb where you were floating, happy, and fed and brought into world with a slap on your bottom usually.  You didn’t ask to come out, you were pushed out because it was time for you to be born. When you are baptized as an adult, you made the choice to come out of the water / womb and instead of a slap on the bottom you hear applause. My church has live music during the baptism, so there is music as well that you hear. I felt the spirit of God descend on me and feed me as soon as I came out of the water. I didn’t have to wait to be fed or cry because I needed a hug. Holy Spirit was there as soon as came out of the water to feed me and comfort me.

If you haven’t been baptized as an adult, I recommend the experience. It was amazing, primal, and so kinesthetic. All of your senses are engaged in a baptism in water as well as your heart and mind. My one tiny criticism is I wish I could have been baptized in a river or a natural body of water, because that would have felt so biblical. But how many churches are near a body of water? I was baptized in a pool of warm water, which at least created the womb feeling.

Get baptized! You will not regret it.

Favorite Movie Scene - Stolen from my dreams

I just rewatched "Pride and Prejudice", the 2005 version with Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden. The scene where Darcy proposes to Elizabeth in the early morning, with him walking through the mists is is one my favorite movie scene. I've had dreams of some man walking through the mists to find me and me, staring at him not quite knowing who was approaching. 

When I first saw this scene, I screamed "they stole that scene from my dream!" I don't think I'm the only woman in the world who hasn't dream of some man walking through the mists towards you. This scene could only have been written by a woman and it turns out the screenplay writer's name is Deborah Moogach.

Here's the scene - Enjoy!

Day 121 Bible Reading - John 2: 10 (ESV)

Joshua 19-20, Joshua 21: 1-10, John 2, Psalm 68: 28-35

John 2: 10 (ESV)

“…“Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

I love verse 10 from John 2 because it shows the power of God’s miracles. Jesus transformed water into win for the wedding because they had run out. When it was tasted, it was considered “better than the wine than the wine that was made for the wedding. God has the power to turn something ordinary as water into something better tasting than the finest wine. This was Christ’s first miracle. Jesus went on perform greater and greater miracles until the last miracle before his death, which was the raising Lazarus from death. We need to remember this verse when we pray and ask God for miracles. God can do everything from turning an ordinary event into something that will please our senses and bring us happiness, to curing illnesses like blindness, and bring life from death. And of course, God’s best miracle, to save us from our sins with the death of his son Jesus Christ so we can have an eternal life with him.

Day 120 Bible Reading - John 1: 29 (ESV)

Joshua 17-18, John 1: 29-51, Psalm 68: 21-27

John 1: 29 (ESV)

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Verse 29 from John 1 is what John the Baptist said to Jesus the next day after he baptized Jesus. John proclaimed to Jesus it was his destiny to be a sacrifice for sin. Last year I watched the movie “His only son”, which tells the story Abraham being told by God to sacrifice his son. The symbol of the pure lamb as a sacrifice to take away from sin began to dawn on me. John the Baptist announced to Jesus what his role was, and I don’t think anyone who heard him fully got what he meant. Certainly, the disciples who witnessed John baptizing Jesus didn’t get what John meant, and that John the Baptist was actually predicting that Jesus would need to be sacrificed like a lamb. I think if they did get it, they would have understood when Jesus told them later about his coming death. But they didn’t get it, and I think it’s hard for me even now to fully understand the extent of what Jesus went through for our sins. But Jesus understood it. It was his father’ s will and Jesus was willing to do anything to fulfill God’s plan earth. And if it wasn’t for Jesus’ sacrifice, we would have ti experience the consequences of our sins.

Insights on getting rid of negative beliefs using EFT

 I use EFT (emotional freedom technique) to clear negative beliefs in my life. It really doesn't matter what what system you use. All you need to is find a system that resonates with you and becomes your permission slip to do this kind of work. All systems work and it's all about finding one that you believe in and is an easy process for you. I've been doing it this past week and the following are insights that came to me:

• You need to find the belief that brings tears to your eyes. And I mean, real tears. When a belief makes you cry, you know you have a belief that you have emotions wrapped up in. It's a powerful enough belief where your body has a reaction.
• If you use EFT, and you get the belief down to 1-3 and you find yourself getting scared, this means you are on the core of rooting out this negative belief.
• If you manage to get your belief down to 1 (which might mean on a scale of 1-10, how do you rate the belief. 1 being not true to 10 being very true), you might find yourself freaking out especially if that feeling has been around for a long time. That belief has become over the years a part of your identity.
• You might yourself saying "I don't know who I am." This happens because the negative belief had been part of your identity for so long, that your identity is threatened.
• Don't worry! This is a normal response. Taking away the negative belief creates a vacuum, and you will need to fill it.
• What you will need to say the most positive belief you have about yourself, so this new positive belief fills the vacuum you just created.
• You might need to repeat the positive belief to yourself several times before this feeling of loss and "being threatened goes away.

When you get to the part where you are freaking and don't know who you are, CONGRATULATIONS! You have let go of that belief. An image of a wall crumbling or breaking might come to your mind. The negative belief you just eliminated was a core part of other negative beliefs, and these minor negative beliefs will start to crumble because you've gotten rid of the anchor core belief. 

I hope this helps. Getting rid of negative beliefs that no longer serve you is a great way to open up opportunities in your life.