Day 179 Bible Readings – Psalm 98: 1-2 (ESV)

1 Kings 20 & 21, Acts 18: 9-28, Acts 19: 1-13, Psalm 98

Psalm 98: 1-2(ESV)

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.”

When I read through Psalm 98, I thought it would make a great song if it was set to music and sure enough I found many versions of this psalm on YouTube. Instead of a contemporary version, I liked the traditional choir version of this song the best.

Here’s Psalm 98 sung the Wakefield Cathedral Choir – enjoy!

Day 178 Bible Readings – Acts 17: 29 (ESV)

1 Kings 18-19, Acts 17: 22-34, Acts 18: 1-8, Psalm 97

Acts 17: 29 (ESV)

“Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.”

Verse 29 from Acts 17 is Paul’s advice to the people of Athens on how they should think of God. If we know that we are children of God, then God cannot be represented by how man can imagine him or view him in gold, silver, or stone. As children of God, we are responsible for how we view him. We must have “correct or right” ideas about God and know that God cannot represented by how an artist might view him. God made the world and was too big to dwell in temples. Since God made everything including his offspring, it would be impossible for us for represent him in any art that we may make.   

I think that what Paul is saying to the people of Athens is that their view of who God is so small compared to the God followed by the people who believed in Christ. Why would they want to worship such a “small god”, when they could worship a God who is greater and more powerful and who sees them as “offspring” and offers the forgiveness of sin and could resurrect the dead. Paul’s argument may sound strange to our modern ears, but he was speaking to a Greek audience who worshipped many gods. I like this verse because it gives us an illustration of the beginnings of the Christian church and how they worked to establish the church of Christ.  

Day 177 Bible Readings – Psalm 96: 1-2 (ESV)

1 Kings 16 & 17, Acts 17: 1-21, Psalm 96

Psalm 96: 1-2 (ESV)

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.”

Verses 1 and 2 from Psalm 96 sound like another song to me, so I did an internet search for songs that were built around Psalm 96 and found this delightful version by Wendell Kimbrough called “Sing, Sing, Sing Psalm 96.” It’s a country blue grassy rendition of a psalm which is very cool to me because I rarely hear bible songs written as country / bluegrass songs.

For your listening pleasure – Enjoy!

Day 176 Bible Readings – Psalm 95: 1-2 (ESV)

1 Kings 14: 21-31, 1 Kings 15, Acts 16: 16-40, Psalm 95

Psalm 95: 1-2 (ESV)

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!”

When I read verses 1 and 2 of Psalm 95 I thought it sounded like the lyrics of a song. When I did an online search, I didn’t find any well-known songs based on Psalm 95 but I found a band called “Sons of Korah” who create music based on the Psalms. This group is from Australia and their music is amazing. Here’s their website where you can listen to short tracks of all of psalms they set to music – Sons of Korah music

Here's the YouTube video of the Sons of Korah with their musical version of Psalm 95 –  

Enjoy!

Waiting is Biblical

I think Holy Spirit is teaching me that to wait is biblical. It is a hard lesson because I am a naturally inpatient person. I remember becoming so frustrated as a child if I couldn't figure out a puzzle right away. I wasn't the type of child to keep doing the puzzle until I got it right. Not me. I would get upset and knock the puzzle over and stamp away in frustration mumbling "stupid puzzle!"

As I've grown older, I've learned to be patient but it's still not easy. I like doing puzzles now even though it takes days for me to do them. I enjoy the process of working on puzzles till there complete, and have even learned to work on them daily instead of spending hours on it. 

When I took jiu jitsu for a few months, I learned to be patient when I didn't get the exercises right away. I still remember when a teaching assistant showed me how to front roll because I wasn't getting it. Once he showed me, I got it and was so proud of myself. I even learned to front roll and stand up straight, which impressed the teaching assistant. During that night of learning to front roll, the students in the class set up obstacles to see how far you could fly and still front roll. You had to do a running start and let yourself fly through the air over the obstacles and do a front roll. Now that I think about it was kind of dangerous, and not everyone participated but I did. I made it the second to the last obstacle course and did my front roll and stood up at the end impressing everyone in my class. 

When Holy Spirit is trying to teach me something, books show up randomly in my email Inbox to help me. This is the book that showed up - Mark Vroegop called "Waiting isn't a waste: The surprising comfort of trusting God in the uncertainties of life." Here's a bible passage from the book:

"They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.

There's also an article from the book author on the Crossway website - How (and How Not) to Wait.

I still hate waiting, but I am learning that if I become inpatient than it means I am not trusting God and the Holy Spirit to lead me in my life. Thinking that I don't trust God seems more horrible to me than the act of waiting, so I am learning to wait and taking comfort from all the bible passages on waiting. 

Day 175 Bible Readings - Acts 16: 6-7 (ESV)

1 Kings 12: 25-33, 1 Kings 13, 1 Kings 14: 1-20, Acts 16: 1-15, Psalm 94: 12-23

Acts 16: 6-7 (ESV)

“And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.”

Verses 6 and 7 from Acts 16 describes the Holy Spirit guiding Paul in his missionary work and how obedient he was to following the Holy Spirit. One of the commentaries I read on Acts 16 said something to the effect that the Holy Spirit guides by opening doors as well as closing doors. It can seem confusing sometimes when you feel blocked to go in a specific direction that seems like such a good idea, and when you pray about it you get the message that the Holy Spirit saying that direction is not a good idea. You really must rely on your trust and faith in God to not go through in what looks like a closed door. Perhaps the timing is off, perhaps God has a different door that you need to go through to get to where you want to go, only God knows what the specific reason is for the closed door. What we can do is to have absolute trust that God is always leading us in the right direction and in the best time for us and God’s plan.

Day 174 Bible Readings – 1 Kings 11: 39 (ESV)

1 Kings 11: 14-43, 1 Kings 12: 1-24, Acts 15: 22-41, Psalm 94: 1-11

1 Kings 11: 39 (ESV)

“And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.’”

Verse 39 from 1 Kings 11 shows the compassion of God to Solomon and his descendants, even though Solomon had disobeyed God in his old age and started worshipping other Gods. God did punish the descendants of Solomon, but because he made a promise to David who was faithful to him the punishment would not be forever. God would bring the messiah Jesus Christ who would come from the line of David.

When we are disobedient to God, we are punished but the punishment is not for all time. God remembers his promises to us and will fulfill his promise to us in the end. But in the meantime, until God does fulfill his promises to us, we will be tested in our faith. But this testing will make us stronger in our faith and more reliant on God than we had been before the testing. We need to have faith in God that he knows what is needed for us to become closer to him, even if to become closer our faith will be tested. But only in testing, can the depth of our faith be revealed to us.

Day 173 Bible Readings – Acts 15: 10-11 (ESV)

1 Kings 9: 10-28, 1 Kings 10, 1 Kings 11: 1-13, Acts 15: 1-21, Psalm 93

Acts 15: 10-11 (ESV)

“Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Verses 10 and 11 from Acts 15 is Peter’s response as to whether the Gentiles needed to follow the laws set forth by Moses when the Hebrews left Egypt. Peter’s argument is that laws of Moses were hard for even the Hebrews to bear, and they kept breaking them again and again. Peter then argued that with resurrection of Christ, the people who believe in him are saved by God’s grace and not by obedience to the laws of Moses.

Followers of Christ still had to obey God, but they were not saved by following the laws. Everyone who believes in Christ is saved by grace. I think the bigger argument is here from Peter is what is your intention for obeying God’s laws. Are you obeying God’s law to be saved? Or are you in obedience to God’s laws because you love God and Jesus so much? If you loved Christ and God so much and with all of your heart, wouldn’t you naturally want to follow his laws? For me, Peter’s argument is demanding of each believer in Christ that they examine deeply their love for God and the reasons they would obey his laws. If we aren’t saved by obeying God’s laws, then why would we need to follow God’s laws and commandments? Each believer needs to answer this question for themselves and when they do, they will I think develop a closer relationship with God because of love and not because of obedience.

Day 172 Bible Readings – Psalm 92: 12-15 (ESV)

1 Kings 8: 22-66, 1 Kings 9: 1-9, Acts 14, Psalm 92

Psalm 92: 12-15 (ESV)

“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

Verses 12 through 15 from Psalm 92 describe the future of the people who follow God. They will flourish like a palm tree that stands erect and grows in the desert. They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon, which are known for being strong, large, beautiful, and useful. The people of God who are planted in the house of God will flourish, and bear fruit even in old age so they can keep praising him.

I love this image of believers in God as plants who flourish in the Garden of God. And like a good shepherd, God is a good gardener. If you are planted in God’s Garden, you will live a long life and be healthy and will prosper. May we all be plants in God’s Garden.

Day 171 Bible Readings for June 21 – Psalm 91: 14-16 (ESV)

1 Kings 7: 23-51, 1 Kings 8: 1-21, Acts 13: 43-52, Psalm 91: 9-16

Psalm 91: 14-16 (ESV)

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Verses 14 through 16 from Psalm 91 are written from the point of view of God. God talks about the promises and blessings to those who love and obey him by choice. God will deliver us and protect us because we know his name. He will answer us when we call him. He will be with us in trouble. He will rescue and honor us. He will give us a long and blessed life full of prosperity.

I love these verses because it is rare to see something written in the Bible from God’s point of view. These verses remind me of Jesus saying that God and he are the shepherds, and we are his flock. The shepherd cares for his flocks and will rejoice when even one lost sheep is found. I often feel like I am that lost sheep. God always finds me even when I don’t want him to because I’ve run away to experience freedom. He lets me experience freedom and he always welcomes me back when I’ve had enough or rescues him when I get myself into trouble. God loves everyone, even a black sheep like me.

Day 170 Bible Readings – Acts 13: 38-39 (ESV)

1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 7: 1-22, Acts 13: 13-41, Psalm 91: 1-8

Acts 13: 38-39 (ESV)

“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”

Verse 38 from Acts 13 talks about the promise that Jesus offers to anyone who believes in him. Because Jesus was the son of God and he died for our sins, he offers the forgiveness of sins to anyone who believes in him. Believers of Christ are freed from everything that could not be offered under the law of Moses. With Jesus there is a new covenant for us, different from the original covenant God made with his people. We do not keep the law of Moses. We do not need to earn our forgiveness. Forgiveness of sins is given freely by Christ because he paid for our sins when he died on the cross. You could say in today’s modern parlance, Jesus paid forgiveness forward for all of us by his death. We only need to believe in him. We do not have to earn our forgiveness from him. We need do nothing except believe in Christ, but that may be the hardest thing of all for some of us to do because we’ve been conditioned and taught that nothing is free.

Day 169 Bible Readings – 1 Kings 3: 23-25 (ESV)

1 Kings 3: 16-28, 1 Kings 4 & 5, Acts 12: 19-25, Acts 13: 1-12, Psalm 90: 11-17

1 Kings 3: 23-25 (ESV)

“Then the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son that is alive, and your son is dead’; and the other says, ‘No; but your son is dead, and my son is the living one.’” And the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So a sword was brought before the king. And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other.”

Verses 23 through 25 from 1 Kings 3 shows the wisdom of Solomon when he came up with this crazy solution to two women claiming the same child. This story is very famous, and I remember hearing about it as a child. And when I read it today, I am still in awe of the genius of Solomon’s solution to this problem. Only the boy’s real mother would wish no harm to come to him and would gladly give him up. But the thing that struck me is the other woman’s answer which was to divide the child. That such a strange and cold answer to the question. She didn’t care about the harm that came to the child because it wasn’t her child.

But Solomon didn’t come to this wisdom on his own. He prayed to God for wisdom, and this is great advice for anyone contemplating a decision small or large. Pray to God for wisdom to make the right decision and trust that whatever God tells you will be correct answer, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first because you will surely have a taste of the wisdom of Solomon from this famous story.

Day 168 Bible Readings – Acts: 12: 1-2 (ESV)

1 Kings 2: 11-46, 1 Kings 3: 1-15, Acts 11: 19-30, Acts 12: 1-19, Psalm 90: 1-10

Acts: 12: 1-2 (ESV)

“About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword,”

Verse 1 and 2 describe Herod killing James, who was a disciple and brother of John. He was the first of Christ’s 12 disciples to be killed, but he would not be the last. All the disciples except for John died violent deaths for their beliefs and for preaching about Christ. Because of the TV show “The Chosen”, I’ve gotten to know the disciple Jakes. James and his brother John were close to Jesus. They were also witnesses to many miracles he performed that other disciples did not see. Many biblical scholars have made the case that James was part of inner circle of Christ.

But Jesus did tell the 12 disciples that they would follow him in his path, but they never believed him. It makes me wonder if the death of James made them fully realize what Jesus had been warning them about and what it would mean for their lives. Even if they did realize that they too would one day die of a violent death, the disciples kept talking about the words of Christ. They did not stop preaching.

Day 167 Bible Readings - Acts 10: 44-46 (ESV)

Day 167 Bible readings are for June 17. 

1 Kings 1, 1 Kings 2: 1-12, Acts 10: 24-48, Acts 11: 1-18, Psalm 89: 46-52

Acts 10: 44-46 (ESV)

“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.”

Verses 44 through 46 from Acts 10 shows Peter baptizing Cornelius and his friends with the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the spirit coming to them where they end up speaking in tongues. I always thought that speaking in tongues was a gift of the spirit, and that not everyone would be able to do it. But two kindly women who sat next to me at church on Sunday corrected me and told me that “speaking in tongues” was not a gift but something that all believers can do if they truly believed they were baptized with the Holy Spirit.

I had never heard “speaking in tongues” explained to me in that way and their words resonated with me. When I told the two women what I thought, they spontaneously started praying and laying their hands of me for me to “speak in tongues.”  I have been praying to God to speak in tongues for months, but nothing ever came out so I didn’t think I had this “spiritual gift.” I couldn’t do it while they were praying, but I promised them I would try when the Holy Spirit moved me. I later tried and words came out of my mouth that were strange and I had no idea what I was saying, But Holy Spirit assured me I was indeed speaking in tongues. Then Monday I received the message from Holy Spirit that as long as I prayed with intention, then it didn’t matter if I didn’t understand “the speaking in tongues” part of my prayer. God understands what the strange words mean. The two women did mention to me that interpreting what words mean when you “speak in tongues” is a spiritual gift, which I may or may not have. So Holy Spirit confirmed what the two women told me. I may never understand what I am saying when I speak in tongues, but God will always understand me.

Speaking in tongues feels so strange, but I know I feel this way because I am so used to understanding what I am saying. I need to have faith that whatever is coming out of my mouth, God understands exactly what I am saying.

Day 166 Bible Readings - Acts 10: 3-6 (ESV)

2 Samuel 23: 8-39, 2 Samuel 24, Acts 9: 32-43, Acts 10: 1-23, Psalm 89: 38-45

Acts 10: 3-6 (ESV)

“About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Verses 3 through 6 from Acts 10 describes how a centurion named Cornelius heard the word of God. Cornelius worshipped the God of Israel even though he wasn’t Jewish. I love how in these verses we see God reaching out to the non-Jewish people who believed in him. The message of Christ was not only for the Hebrews but also for the Gentiles.

I can imagine God looking into the future and trying to determine how to best spread the faith. Jesus always said that his message was for everyone, and not just for his own people. It was the Gentiles who spread the words of Jesus all over the world. And I love how it started with a Roman named Cornelius because I believe it is a synch-wink from God to tell us that one day the vicar of Christ would live in Rome, and Rome would become the center of Christendom.

Day 165 Bible Readings – Acts 9: 3-9 (ESV)

2 Samuel 22, 2 Samuel 23: 1-7, Acts 9: 1-31, Psalm 89: 30-37

Acts 9: 3-9 (ESV)

“Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.”

Verses 3 through 9 from Acts 9 recounts the story of Saul being confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus. It must have been a frightening experience for Saul when he heard the voice saying it was Jesus, since he was persecuting followers of Christ. Saul might have dismissed it as a hallucination because no one saw or heard the voice of Christ except him, but then he had physical evidence of what happened by his blindness. I’ve always wondered why Saul didn’t ask for a doctor right away for his blindness. Perhaps he did, but it is not recorded in Acts 9. I like the symmetry of Paul not eating for three (3) days as a kind of death, like Jesus staying in the tomb for three (3) days before his resurrection. Paul had three (3) days to think about what was happening to him, and if it was really Christ who had spoken to him.

Since Paul had been a persecutor of Jesus’ followers, he needed a “supernatural” experience for his conversion. I remember a therapist telling me that some people can get a revelation through reading a greeting card; that was not Paul’s way. He needed something more. Faith has always been a part of my life, and I often wonder how my conversion experience would have happened. I think that God appears in someone’s life when they need to be converted in whatever way is needed for that person to believe in him. Whatever way it happens, the effect afterwards will be the same. We will be eager to experience more of God. 

Day 164 Bible Readings – Acts 8: 7 (ESV)

Note: I misread the bible readings for Day 164. It was Acts 8, and not Acts 9. So I changed the post to reflect Acts 8.

2 Samuel 20-21, Acts 8, Psalm 89: 19-29

Acts 8: 7 (ESV)

“For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.”

Verse 7 from Acts 8 describes the miracles that the disciple Philip performed in Samaria. I love these descriptions of miracles in the Bible, especially the ones where the unclean spirits came out. It’s hard to know what these “unclean spirits” were, and how these people would be diagnosed in today’s world. All we know is that there was something wrong with these folks that wasn’t a physical malady and which caused them to be shunned from society. The fact that Philip was able to heal them from whatever was ailing them and that they were accepted back into society is the miracle.

I’m not sure if we have the modern equivalent of the healing of “unclean spirits”, or if we do they are never talked about openly. I’m sure physical healings are the kind of miracles that people are awed to see, but it would be fun to see and read and hear about the modern equivalent of an “unclean spirit” leaving a person.

Day 163 Bible Readings - Acts 7: 59-60 (ESV)

2 Samuel 18: 19-33, 2 Samuel 19, Acts 7: 44-60, Psalm 89: 14-18

Acts 7: 59-60 (ESV)

“And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

When I read verses 59 through 60 from Acts 7, I was reminded of how Jesus died on the cross. Stephen, like Christ, asked God to forgive the people who were stoning him. I cannot imagine being so forgiving of people who were throwing stones at me. I think remembering Stephen’s words in times when we feel we are being persecuted in any way will give us hope and remind us that we need to forgive the people who are our persecutors.  I also like that Stephen is described as falling asleep and not dying. One is reminded that Stephen will wake up in a better world after death.

Day 162 Bible Readings – Acts 7: 37- 40 (ESV)

2 Samuel 16: 15-23, 2 Samuel 17, 2 Samuel 18: 1-18, Acts 7: 20-43, Psalm 89: 9-13

Acts 7: 37- 40 (ESV)

“This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’”

In Acts 7 with verses 37 through 40, Stephen who was speaking before the Sanhedrin, reminds them that Moses said a prophet will come and the people must listen to him. But like Moses, this predicted “prophet” who is Christ will be rejected generations later by his people. Stephen argues before the Sanhedrin that the prophet that Moses predicted was Christ.

People celebrate how Moses freed the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt, but we must also remember that they also rejected him when he didn’t come back from the mountain. But Moses came back down from the mountains and brought back the 10 commandments and wrote the first five books of the Torah. History repeated itself with Christ being rejected by his own people, and with his crucifixion Christ gave us a new covenant with God. Poor Stephen. He tried his best to tell the high priests that Jesus was the prophet whom Moses predicted.

Pentecost Illustrated from the New Apostolic Church

I found this illustration of Pentecost on Facebook from the New Apostolic Church. I love the illustration of Pentecost. It is so well done and thought provoking - Illustrated Pentecost.

Day 161 Bible Readings - 2 Samuel 16: 11-12 (ESV)

2 Samuel 15: 13-37, 2 Samuel 16: 1-14, Acts 6, Acts 7: 1-19, Psalm 89: 1-8

2 Samuel 16: 11-12 (ESV)

“And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.”

 Verses 11 and 12 from 2 Samuel 16 shows how David handled a man named Shimei who was cursing him. David did not freak out and want to punish the man, even though his men wanted kill Shimei. David instead listened to the man as if he had been sent by God to chastise him. I love how David saw God’s hand in everything in his life including a man who was cursing him for things that the did not do. David knew that perhaps if he listened to the cursing man that God would repay him by not harming Shimei. Even though David was now once again on the run from his own son Absalom, whom he did not punish for killing his brother Amnon, he still had enough faith in God to know that God was taking care of him in the present and in the future.

I am reminded by David’s actions to always look at a troubling situation in my life as God having a hand in what is happening, and not overreact, get depressed, or act out in any way. Always having an eye on God in any situation brings perspective to any situation that comes up in our lives.

2 Samuel 13 in a PowerPoint flow chart

I used create many slide presentations for work, for my own and for the head of my group. I had inspiration to see how David's sins in 2 Samuel led to him to feel reluctant to punish his own son Absalom for murdering his brother Ammon.

Here's my flow chart - perhaps not the best but I like it.

This was very fun to do. I like the arrow pointing down to symbolize the fall or cascading down into more sin.

Day 160 Bible Readings – Acts 5: 17-21 (ESV)

2 Samuel 14, 2 Samuel 15: 1-12, Act 5: 12-42, Psalm 88: 10-19

“But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach.”

Verses 17 through 21 from Acts 5 show the rescue of the apostles b an angel of God when they were locked up for preaching about Christ. The angel freed the disciples and told them to preach, and the disciples breached again in the morning. I love these miracles of Christ, but then I remember that the disciples of Christ were for the most martyred for their faith. They died very painful deaths for preaching about the resurrection of Christ.

I sometimes wonder if that’s why some churches do not fully preach all of God’s teachings. All Christians know that the early followers of Christ died horrible deaths, and I think they are afraid of the same thing happening to them. In today’s times, we don’t see many Christians dying of horrible deaths in the western countries. But there are parts of the worlds where Christians are still persecuted and killed like the first disciples of Christ. It takes a lot to be a Christian in today’s world, where talking about your faith will lead to cancellation and name-calling on social media. But the true followers of Christ in the early church didn’t let torture and murder stop them. They just kept on going and we need to follow in their example.

Day 159 Bible Readings – Acts 5: 5 (ESV)

 These are the Bible readings for June 9.

2 Samuel 13 Acts 4: 23-37, Act 5: 1-11

Acts 5: 5 (ESV)

“When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.”

Verse 5 from Acts 5 shows what happens when we lie to God about our behavior. Ananias said they would give all their money to the church, but they lied and kept a portion back for themselves because they wanted the benefits that come with extreme generosity. When Ananias was called out by Peter, he died. He died for the sin of lying. Whether it was supernatural or shock when Peter called him out doesn’t matter. He died and God didn’t save him. This was Ananias’ judgement day played out before the disciples and their followers.

Some of the Bible commentaries I read have noted that in past revivals, a type of Judgement Day happened. God passed judgement on pastors and those who believed in him. I believe a great revival is coming soon, and many Christians, pastors, and churches will be judged by God for their behavior and obedience to God’s words. I think as long as one is trying to do their very best to follow God’s laws, God will have mercy because God knows the hearts of his true believers. Do I fear a judgement day if revival comes? No not for myself, but I do fear for those who profess loudly to follow God’s words and have sinned like Ananias. 

Day 158 Bible Reading - 2 Samuel 11: 1 (ESV)

These are the Bible readings for June 8.

2 Samuel 11 & 12, Acts 4: 1-22, Psalm 87

2 Samuel 11: 1 (ESV)

“In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”

Verse 1 from 2 Samuel 11 gives us a brief description of the time of year and what David was doing. The bible commentaries note that Spring was usually a time of fighting when Kings go out to battle. But David instead sent Joab to go to war while he himself remained in Jerusalem. Many of the bible commentaries wrote that if David had gone to fight instead of remaining at home, he might never have seen Bathsheba, and God might never have been displeased with him. But this wasn’t the first time David ignored God’s wishes, but it would be the one that would cause God to be displeased with him.

John Trapp, an English American bible commentator, wrote “If David’s attention had been where God wanted, he would never it where God didn’t want it.” If I think back to my life, I have been where David was many times. I have gone down wrong paths because I wasn’t paying attention where God was asking me to be. It was a learning situation to be sure, but it was also at times very painful. I know my life would have been better and smoother if I had not strayed from where God was asking me to be.

Day 157 Bible Readings – Acts 3: 7-8 (ESV)

2  Samuel 9 & 10, Acts 3, Psalm 86: 11-17

Acts 3: 7-8 (ESV)

“And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”

Verses 7 and 8 from Acts 3 is an account of Peter performing his first healing after Jesus died. It was true healing miracle of a man who had been lame since birth. I would love to see this kind of supernatural miracle in person. I’ve experienced many miracles in my life, but nothing this supernatural. I have also witnessed miracles of healing in person, but it was nothing like this. I know they still happen because I’ve read about them happening, but there is probably nothing more amazing than to witness this type of miracle in person.

I’ve a believer in small miracles. For me, sometimes just getting out of bed is a miracle. If I think about it more, I don’t know what would be more fun to see - the miracle itself or the joy of the person who experienced the miracle. Then I imagine all the hoopla and commotion that would follow. The cellphone cameras would come out, people would run down the aisles to get a picture, the praises of God from the audience watching, and the tears of the people in the room of pure joy since they were a witness to God’s miraculous healing power. I would love to go to a true revival to be a witness of the miracles of healing. that I read took place in past revival meetings. For me the most important miracle is being able to witness God’s healing grace still going strong centuries after Peter’s first healing.

Day 156 Bible Readings – 2 Samuel 7: 28 (ESV)

I attended an all-day event yesterday and it fried me. I went to bed as soon as I came home, so I missed my bible readings. These readings are for June 6.

Day 156 Bible Readings – 2 Samuel 7: 28 (ESV)

2 Samuel 7 & 8, Acts 2: 22-47, Psalm 86: 1-10

2 Samuel 7: 28 (ESV)

“And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.”

Verse 7 from 2 Samuel 7 shows how much faith David had in God. It took quite a long time for David to finally become king of Israel. He spent many years on the run from King Saul and refused to kill him because he was an anointed king. But like all of us, David went through a period of despair with God and joined the Philistines for a time. When Saul finally died, there was still strife in his kingdom as he did not want to force his reign on the kingdom. So David had to endure 7 years and six months of his kingdom being split and ruled by two kings. When he finally became king of Israel, he ruled for 33 years.

David had experience with waiting and seeing God’s promises to him eventually come true from the time he killed Goliath at around age 16 to the time he became the only king of Israel at age 30. David’s declaration about God in verse 7 is the foundation of his faith because he knew God was God, and based on his experiences God can be trusted. I know God is God, but I think I sometimes waver on whether God’s words are true as I am still waiting for some big promises that God made to me. But perhaps this is the nature of people a sinful person, we always have doubt in God and therefore have the need to renew our faith in God daily.

Day 155 Bible Readings – Acts 2: 21 (ESV)

2 Samuel 5-6, Acts 2: 1-21, Psalm 85: 8-13

Acts 2: 21 (ESV)

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Verse 21 from Acts 2 is Peter quoting the Book of Joel on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. I love this line, but it’s not as simple as a person calling on God to save him and not having faith and obedience to God. I think people use this line to say that anyone can call on God and get a miracle without having to have faith and obedience to God and his laws. While I would never presume to know the mind of God and his grace, which means that there can be miracles when a person calls on God without having faith or obedience to God. I think that to rely on Grace does not make sense. Why even call out to a God that you don’t believe in or obey to save you?

But for the person who has faith in God, prays to him daily, reads and knows the Bible, and follows God’s laws to the best of their abilities given our sinful nature, calling on God to save you is a promise God has made to you for your faith. And God always fulfills his promises. And while sometimes it doesn’t seem like God always saves, the true believer has the faith to know that God sees the future farther and further than we can and what may seem like a disaster in the moment in the end turns out to be best thing that ever happened in a true believer’s life.

Day 154 Bible Readings - Acts 1: 7 (ESV)

2 Samuel 3: 22-39, 2 Samuel 4, Acts 1, Psalm 85: 1-7

Acts 1: 7 (ESV)

“He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Verse 7 from Acts is the response Christ gave to his disciples when they asked him when he would restore the kingdom of Israel. It was an important question for them since they knew from the Last Supper that Jesus had instituted a new covenant with them. But Jesus chose not to answer them because the answer might have discouraged them, and he did not want to do that.

I like this verse because I read it I can just imagine what his disciples must have felt when Jesus gave this answer. I’m sure they felt bewildered, frustrated, and confused. Jesus didn’t say No to the question, but he did give them a definite answer. It made me think of all the times in my prayers I have asked God over and over and over again when I would get an answer to a question, and the answer I would always hear is “soon” or “it depends on timing.” This experience has always been very frustrating to me because I couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t give me a direct or straight answer. He must know the timing; why doesn’t he just tell me? But after reading this verse, I now know that if Jesus had given me the answer I was looking for I might have been discouraged or depressed. And God wanted to spare me from experiencing discouragement and depression because he loves me as a father loves his child. God is always looking out for us and we must remember that, even though we sometimes experience frustration when we don’t get an answer right away to our prayers.

Beyond Paradise movie on Tubi - with authentic Hawaii accents

 I recently watching the movie "Beyond Paradise" on Tubi - Tubi.

Not the best movie I've seen, but what I really loved was it sounds like they actually cast actors who can do a decent Hawaii accent. Either they are local actors or the dialect coaching is just spot on, but I was really shocked how good the good the accents were on the kids and the local people.

Since I grew up in Hawaii, I can listen to someone's accent and can tell if they grew up in Hawaii. Some people have the accent down pat because they moved to Hawaii as children or have lived there for a very long time. But they give themselves away as not being born in Hawaii, because they will pronounce a word or say a phrase and it just stands out because no one who was born in and spent their first five years in the Islands would ever pronounce a word that way or say that phrase. Or if they do say a phrase like "gee wiz", they will say it in a pidgin accent and not in a standard American accent. 

If you want to hear what sounds to be authentic Hawaiian accents at least to my ears, check this movie out!

The Chosen Season 4 is live on YouTube and the Chosen app

 The Chosen Season 4 is now available online. You can go to YouTube or the Chosen app and watch it. They will be streaming two episodes a week; on Sunday and Thursdays. 

I saw Season 4 in the theaters and loved it, but I like watching it at home so if I wanted to cry I can. I just feel more comfortable crying alone where I live than in public. If you are following the series, you know we are marching towards Holy Week. We are not there yet, but Season 4 is the buildup of Christ going to Jerusalem and the writers seem to be preparing the viewers for the emotional journey that Holy Week will bring.

I'm not sure how long they will leave the Livestream up on YouTube, so watch it now if that is your preferred way of watching the show. The Livestream has the After Show which is also on the app, and it's fun to watch because they interview the actors and/or writers of the show.

Day 153 Bible Readings - Psalm 84: 10-11 (ESV)

2 Samuel 2: 8-32, 2 Samuel 3: 1-21, John 21, Psalm 84: 8-12

Psalm 84: 10-11 (ESV)

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

I love verses 10 and 11 from Psalm 84. The psalmist loves God so much that he would rather spend a day in the court of God than a thousand days away from God. The psalmist would rather humbly serve in the house of God, than to live a luxurious life in “tents of wickedness.” The bible commentaries I read said that the doorkeeper in the lowliest position in a house, because the doorkeeper is first in and last out of a house. The psalmist then says God is a source of blessing like the sun and a defense as well. The psalmist says God had made a promise to not withhold blessings from those who love and follow him.

When I read these verses, it makes me wonder if I have the same kind of love for God that the Psalmist says he does. I know I would love to be in God’s house, but I don’t know about the most humblest position part. I’ve been in the role before where I had the lowliest jobs in a department, and I didn’t like it very much. I loved the group of people I worked with, but I did not like having the lowliest position. Some people can do that with a glad heart, but when I did it I had a very hard time. I’m thinking it would be different in the house of God, but I honestly don’t know if my feelings would still be the same. I would have to give up a lot of pride to serve in the most lowliest position, and would need God’s grace daily to do it.

Day 152 Bible Readings - John 20: 24-25 (ESV)

2 Samuel 1, 2 Samuel 2: 1-7, John 20, Psalm 84: 1-7

John 20: 24-25 (ESV)

“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Verses 24 and 25 from John 25 describes Doubting Thomas’ reaction upon hearing of the resurrection of Christ. Doubting Thomas has always been the disciple I most related to in the Bible. I related to him as a kid and an adult, I still find myself relating to him so much. Thomas loved Christ and followed him, but the shock of his death was too much for him. He was going to believe it until he had physical proof himself.

I believe in Christ, but there is a part of me that constantly questions this belief and demands the physical proof of constant miracles in my life. It is no doubt my sinful nature that keeps whispering in my ear that Christ may not be real. That belief in Christ may be a delusion. That I am crazy to believe in God after everything bad that has happened in my life. The voice is small but persistent. But I constantly have to tell that voice that God is real because I have a lifetime of proof in my life of all the ways God has done miracles in my life. That if I am delusional, I am happy to be part of the billion other delusional people in the world who think Jesus Christ is real. That God loves me so much even though I doubt him so, so much. Will I ever silence the voice? Probably not unless I can figure out how to get rid of my sinful nature. But that voice may be the best thing that I have going in my life because it constantly reminds me to think of all the ways God is real in life. To think of all the miracles I see daily in my life. And last but not least to remember how much God loves me every day of my life.

Day 151 Bible Readings - John 19: 28-30 (ESV)

1 Samuel 29-31, John 19: 28-42, Psalm 83

John 19: 28-30 (ESV)

“After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Verses 28 through 30 describe the final minutes of Jesus’ life on the cross. I love that even though Christ must have been in obvious physical pain from his crucifixion, he said “I thirst” to fulfill what was written in the scripture. He was so conscious of his role in God’s plan and of all the predictions made about in earlier scripture. Bible commentaries have said that Christ could have asked for pain-numbing drink before his crucifixion, but he did not. He instead was asking for sour wine so he could say one final thing before he died.

The final words of Jesus before he died were “It is finished.” He knew his job was over, and that everything he and his father wanted was accomplished. Bible commentaries I read said that these final words of Jesus were the words of a conqueror, of a victor. He was not defeated, he was not in despair. He said these words because he knew the job he came to do on earth was done and it was successful. Christ bowed his head peacefully and he gave up his spirit. No one took Christ’s life from him. He willed himself to die in surrender to the will of his father. I think Jesus provides a great model for how to accept death, especially if you have spent your life in service to God to best of your ability. I pray that when my time comes, I can mirror how Jesus died and that I will leave this life knowing that I tried my best to do God’s will on earth.