Google 4 Analytics Blues

I'm trying to move the new Google Analytics 4 platform, and I having such a hard time. I thought I connected my property and it seemed to be collecting data, and then it stopped. So I tried to start over again and now I can't get the blog to collect data. UGH!!!

Day 118 Bible Reading - Luke 24: 45-47 (ESV)

Joshua 13-14, Luke 24: 36-53, Psalm 68: 7-14

Luke 24: 45-47 (ESV)

“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Verses 45 through 47 from Luke 24 show Jesus talking to his disciples about how his death and resurrection were written in the scriptures. David Guzik wrote the following about these verses, “Jesus wanted them to understand that the cross was not some unfortunate obstacle that had to hurdled. It was a necessary part of God’s redemptive plan for man, and that it would be in the name of a crucified and risen Savior that repentance and remission of sins will be brought to the world.” I think it was probably hard in the beginning for the disciples to understand why Christ had to be crucified because of their personal relationship with him. I don’t think any of us even today can fully understand and appreciate the sacrifice that Christ made for us. I don’t think I fully grasp it either, but I know that what Christ did changed our world for the better.

Day 117 Bible Reading - Luke 24: 6 (ESV)

Joshua 11-12, Luke 24: 1-35, Psalm 68: 1-6

Luke 24: 6 (ESV) 

“He is not here, but has risen.”

When I was reading bible commentaries for Luke 24, one pastor said the following about verse 6 - “these were some of the most important words ever spoken by an angel to men.” We don’t have a description of the resurrection, which many pastors have said that this fact makes the gospels more authentic because they don’t describe what happened or try to embellish it. We just have the two angels who tells the women that Jesus is not there, because he told them himself that he would rise after three (3) days. I like that the bookends of the life of Christ are angels making an announcement about him. The angels announced his birth to the shepherds and the angels announced to the women that he is risen. Without the resurrection of Christ, we would have a Christian religion. This simple fact and statement from the angels helped to spawn a brand new religion that eventually became one of the foundations of Western culture. And because we are all sinners, two things happened. One, there have been countless attempts from this point forward to prove the resurrection did not happen. And two, we as sinners feel our lives are saved by Christ because the resurrection did happen. Two sides of the same coin, always at war with each other, and where one could not exist without the other. With the only thing separating the two is the faith of the sinner.

Day 116 Bible Reading - Psalm 67: 1-2 (ESV)

Joshua 9: 16-27, Joshua 10, Luke 23: 26-56, Psalm 67

Psalm 67: 1-2 (ESV)

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.”

When I read verses 1 and 2 from Psalm 67, I immediately thought of The Blessing Song by Kari Job featuring Cody Carnes because of the line “make his face shine upon us”. In this song, they sing “make his face shine upon you”. I saw Kari Jobe in concert many years ago and I loved her music so much, I bought one of the CDs they were selling at the concert. A friend had invited me to go my first Christian music concert, and Kari was part of the line-up. I had never been to an event like that, and I was stunned to see so many people praising God at a music concert. I think that was the start of my road back to the church, after years of not wanting to ever get involved in a church again because of the politics I had witnessed in a church I had been attending. I’m glad my friend invited me and although we’ve lost touch, I still think of her very fondly.

For your listening pleasure, the live version of The Blessing Song by Kari Job featuring Cody Carnes from Elevation Worship: