Reading from Wednesday, December 15

Hey dudes. I have one day to do 16 posts. I don't see it happening. I did start on January 10, so technically I have until 1/10/2011 to finish within a year. Sorry dudes.

Reading for December 15
Micah 1:1-4:13
Hey ho - new book.

Micah opens with a strong negative note:

 ² Hear, you peoples, all of you,
   listen, earth and all who live in it,
that the Sovereign LORD may bear witness against you,
   the Lord from his holy temple.

So this is a year-end evaluation for everyone on earth. Doesn't sound like they're getting a raise this year. The first chapter is pretty much about how Israel and Judah's surrounding nations were having a negative effect on their behavior. The interesting bit is right after the verse I put above.

 ³ Look! The LORD is coming from his dwelling place;
   he comes down and treads on the heights of the earth.
⁴ The mountains melt beneath him
   and the valleys split apart,
like wax before the fire,
   like water rushing down a slope.
⁵ All this is because of Jacob’s transgression,
   because of the sins of the people of Israel.

At first it seems like God is coming for some supreme vengeance, but think about these verses in the context of Jesus. Emmanuel, another name for Jesus, means God with us. Also, look at verse 5 - this is all because of Jacob's transgression. Jesus came to save us from our sins so that would make sense.

Then God begins talking about the "last days" and speaks up for the outcasts -

⁶ “In that day,” declares the LORD,    

“I will gather the lame;
   I will assemble the exiles
   and those I have brought to grief.
⁷ I will make the lame my remnant,
   those driven away a strong nation.
The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion
   from that day and forever.

This is something Jesus does in his ministry. He pays special attention to the sickly, the outcasts and the dregs of society. I could be interpreting this wrong, but I think this is that 'softer side' that has been peeking through from God as we've started to near the end of the Old Testament. 

Revelation 6:1-17
So remember that scroll that had seven seals that only Jesus could open which we read about last time? Well now he begins opening it, one seal at a time and after each seal is opened something happens.

• First Seal: a guy on a white horse came out and he was given a crown. He was bent on conquest. Jesus?
• Second Seal: a guy on a red horse came out and he had the power to entice war. Could this be Kratos? 
• Third Seal: a guy on a black horse came out and he held a pair of scales. The judge? 
• Fourth Seal: Death/Grim Reaper came out on a pale horse and was followed by Hades. Hades is Satan right? This tag team had the power to kill everyone on earth with plagues and famines and other nasties. 
• Fifth Seal: Martyrs asked God how long until their deaths were avenged. They were given white robes and then their brothers and sisters were killed. Um...what?
• Sixth Seal: Holy crap...

There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

• Seventh Seal: Everyone on earth hides in fear of what was happening. 

Psalm 134:1-3
This is the whole psalm

 ¹ Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
   who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
² Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
   and praise the LORD.
 ³ May the LORD bless you from Zion,
   he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

 Proverbs 30:1-4
Hm...

 ¹ The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.
   This man’s utterance to Ithiel:
   “I am weary, God,
   but I can prevail.^[a]
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
   I do not have human understanding.
³ I have not learned wisdom,
   nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
⁴ Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
   Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
   Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
   Surely you know!

Reading from Tuesday, December 14

So, I doubt I'm gonna finish by December 31. I'm down helping out with my nieces while Jilly's family goes through what I've been asking for prayers about. I'm gonna do my best, but it looks more likely that I will finish the first week of January. That's the way its gonna be, yo. I need to spend my time where I'm needed, and right now this is the least important thing.

Reading for December 14
Jonah 1:1-4-11
Yes. I love the story of Jonah. I even love the Veggie Tales version that came out in theaters. I went and saw that on opening day with my friend Genesis. We were the oldest people without kids in there by about 30 years - and I was only 20 at the time.

So this is the whole book of Jonah. Let's see what I can discover.

The first chapter is basically half of the story I know, and about 90% of the kid-friendly version. Jonah is called to preach against a sinful land, he doesn't want to and hops on a boat headed for somewhere else. While he was on the boat, a huge storm rose up and Jonah knew it was God's anger because he ran away from God's command. He made the sailors throw him overboard and a whale came and swallowed him - where Jonah lived for three days.

The one thing that I find intriguing is the idea of "casting lots". This was an ancient practice that is the modern equivalent of flipping a coin or rolling dice. The dudes on the boat cast lots to figure out who was resoinsible for the storm and "the lot fell on Jonah." For the skeptic, this is a fairly huge bit of ammo against the existence of God. To determine God's will, you flip a coin? So are we worshiping a God of chance? I suppose you could say that God controlled the way the lots landed, but that's a HUGE stretch. Scholars - what is the verdict on the practice of casting lots?

Chapter 2.
This chapter consists entirely of Jonah's prayer while he is in the belly of the whale, and in a way reveals the purpose of this story. When Jonah is in the whale, he is at the lowest point of his life. No friends, God is pissed at him, some crazy sailors just threw him overboard based on a coin toss, and he was swimming around in whale poo. So we have things like this.

  “In my distress I called to the LORD,
   and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
   and you listened to my cry.

⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
   from your sight;
yet I will look again
   toward your holy temple.’ 

So I think since this story is a fairly unrealistic, I think the focus shouldn't be on whether Jonah actually lived inside a whale for three days, but rather the lessons he learned. This is a common state for a lot of people - feeling alone and abandoned with nowhere to go. This should provide hope to the readers, especially because of Jonah's continued faith:

⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
   the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, LORD my God,
   brought my life up from the pit.

After Jonah prayed his prayer, God commanded the whale to puke Jonah out onto dry land.

Chapter 3.
So Jonah continued to the place where God originally told him to go - Ninevah - and began preaching God's word. Once the king of Ninevah heard the message, he mourned and commanded his whole kingdom to follow God and turn from their evil ways. Because they repented, God called off the destruction he was going to dish out on the land.

Again, this speaks to God's mercy. In the early bits of the Old Testament, God's anger was on the tip of his fingers, just waiting for the slightest mistake to unleash his fury. Now, as we get closer and closer to the birth of Jesus, we see God giving more and more chances to the people of the earth - even outside of the Israelite family.

Chapter 4.
What a baby. So Jonah threw a tempter tantrum because God withheld punishment on Ninevah. Jonah felt that because they were evil all along, the didn't deserve a single ounce of mercy. Jonah goes up on a hillside and waits for God to destroy Ninevah - which never happens. God asks him if it's right to be angry about his mercy and Jonah feels completely justified in his anger. Tell God what it is, basically.

It starts getting super hot so God provides a huge plant to shade Jonah, only to take it away the next day. God again asks him if its right to be angry about the plant. Jonah says

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

Yuk. What a baby.

The book closes with God trying to teach Jonah something through this plant - saying:

“You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. ¹¹ And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

This book displays an incredible amount of mercy from God. This is the same God who struck dead a guy for accidentally touching the arc of the covenant. A God who turned his back while Israel raped and pillaged innocent people. He is giving Jonah limitless chances even when he is openly defiant to God's face, and a nation who had wallowed in evil practices for probably centuries was given an opportunity for mercy - and they took it.

God's heart is changing. Maybe he is test marketing mercy to see how it feels before Jesus comes and gives it to the whole world.

Revelation 5:1-14
OK. Now I'm starting to lose track of what's going on. Let me see if I can figure this out.

So there's a scroll that cannot be opened by anyone on heaven or earth. But finally, what appears to be Jesus comes and is able to open this scroll.

So the obvious question would be - "what does the scroll represent?"

My guess is that it represents the mercy of God which is available to all people. The original covenant with man - where we could all live in peace with God and each other. For centuries no one was able to open it and it caused much anguish and sorrow - which the author represents by his own weeping. But when Jesus comes, he is able to unleash this same mercy that was shown to Jonah and Ninevah.

Psalm 133:1-3
Indeed.

 ¹ How good and pleasant it is
   when God’s people live together in unity!

Proverbs 29:26-27

 ²⁶ Many seek an audience with a ruler,
   but it is from the LORD that one gets justice.
 ²⁷ The righteous detest the dishonest;
   the wicked detest the upright.

Reading from Monday, December 13

Hey friends.

Thank you for your prayers - things are looking good in that area, so I really appreciate the thoughts and prayers from you guys.

Reading for December 13
Obadiah 1:1-21
New book. I wonder if there's a reason why all these short books appear at the end of the Old Testament.

There is some very specific things about specific nations during the time of the writing, but the end gets a little more general. Take a look at this little chunk of text:

¹⁵ “The day of the LORD is near
   for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to you;
   your deeds will return upon your own head.
¹⁶ Just as you drank on my holy hill,
   so all the nations will drink continually;
they will drink and drink
   and be as if they had never been.

Now, in the New Testament, I would take "The day of the LORD" to mean Jesus' return to earth to judge the world. But in the Old Testament, would it be fair to think that the "day of the LORD" means Jesus' death? Allow me to rewrite this with that in mind...

The day of the LORD is near
for all nations.
As you have done, it will be done to him;
your deeds will return upon his head.
Just as you drank on my holy hill,
so my only son will drink continually;
He will drink and drink
and be as if no one had ever seen.

I don't think it's a coincidence that Jesus asked for "this cup" to be taken from him when he was praying in the garden the night before his crucifixion.

If anything, the original version of this text serves as a reminder that the punishment we deserved was piled upon Jesus on the day he died.

Revelation 4:1-11
OK. We see the same vision of God that crazy poo-eating Ezekiel saw back in the Old Testament. A four faced, winged hybrid beast with eyes all over its body. The description is nearly identical which means:

1) Holy crap, that's what God actually looks like. or
2) The author of Revelation knows his biblical history and knows that story of Ezekiel so well that he is seeing the vision of God that was living in his mind based on Zeke's story.

I think for non-believers, it has to be the second one, but for believers it could be either, no? I mean Ezekiel did eat poo poo.

The only thing here is that the crazy four faced God beast isn't actually God. It is something that praises God all day. I would assume that because it has four faces and four everything that it represents all the nations of the earth and they are all praising God after the second coming.

Now - more amateur analysis. This means that after the second coming, either everyone will believe in God - which the Bible leads me to think that's unlikely - or all the non believers will be killed or "removed" somehow. This is not an idea I like, in fact, I hate this idea. But based on all the text of the Bible, this exclusive, closed-door policy God is the God we serve. 

Psalm 132:1-18
Does this still apply?

 ¹³ For the LORD has chosen Zion,
   he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
¹⁴ “This is my resting place for ever and ever;
   here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
¹⁵ I will bless her with abundant provisions;
   her poor I will satisfy with food.
¹⁶ I will clothe her priests with salvation,
   and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.


There are people who go hungry every day - does God care for them, or only poor Jews?

Proverbs 29:24-25

 ²⁴ The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
   they are put under oath and dare not testify.
 ²⁵ Fear of man will prove to be a snare,
   but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.

Interesting how its divvy'd up here. FEAR of man is a snare but TRUST in the Lord will keep people safe. 

Reading from Sunday, December 12

Yup.

Reading for December 12
Amos 7:1-9:15

Hey, this sounds familiar. 

  “I will make the sun go down at noon
   and darken the earth in broad daylight.
¹⁰ I will turn your religious festivals into mourning
   and all your singing into weeping.
I will make all of you wear sackcloth
   and shave your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son
   and the end of it like a bitter day. 

This is a pretty accurate prophecy for the events that occurred on the day of Jesus' death. The sun went black as soon as he breathed his last, it was during the Passover festival - which turned to morning, and let's not overlook that little "only son" bit in there. 

Revelation 3:7-22

I have heard this verse shot around at youth retreats probably a hundred times. 

¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

This is always used to rile kids up to a passionate faith in Jesus. "On the fence" as it's often called, is not a place you want to be, according to America's youth leaders. On the other hand, I would classify my position right now as "on the fence" and I have learned more about God in this time than in my whole life. Granted, it's shaking up my faith and I go back and forth on believing in God, but I don't think we should be encouraged to just blindly have super strong faith in God without any knowledge to back it up. 

I have a feeling that anyone's first solo read through of the Bible would challenge them the way it has challenged me throughout this year.

Psalm 131:1-3
 ³ Israel, put your hope in the LORD
   both now and forevermore.


Proverbs 29:23
It's a vicious cycle...

 ²³ Pride brings a person low,
   but the lowly in spirit gain honor.

Reading for Saturday, December 11

Hey friends. If I could just ask for your prayers for a family situation going on right now. It's fairly serious and all of us here have been praying all day. A few of you guys know what I'm talking about but if you wouldn't mind throwing up a prayer to the big guy, we would all really appreciate it. Even if you don't believe in him - give it a shot. See what happens.

Reading for December 11
Amos 4:1-6:14
So is this a warning against being overly religious? I know a lot of people who find spiritual comfort through strictly regulated, religious rituals. My belief is that God desires our hearts and not our lip service or hand service or going-through-the-motion service.

 ²¹ “I hate, I despise your religious festivals;
   your assemblies are a stench to me.
²² Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
   I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
   I will have no regard for them.
²³ Away with the noise of your songs!
   I will not listen to the music of your harps.
²⁴ But let justice roll on like a river,
   righteousness like a never-failing stream! 

Then again, the first five books of the Bible are FILLED with commands to follow strict religious rituals. 

Revelation 2:18-3:6
So this is where the image of the "Book of Life" comes from:

⁵ The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. ⁶ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

It's such a commonly held image of heaven, I'm surprised its not mentioned sooner in the Bible. Also, the idea of once having your name written in that book - however you achieve that - that it can never be erased is very comforting. 


Psalm 130:1-8
 ⁷ Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
   for with the LORD is unfailing love
   and with him is full redemption.
Proverbs 29:21-22
 ²¹ A servant pampered from youth
   will turn out to be insolent.
 ²² An angry person stirs up conflict,
   and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

Reading for Friday, December 10

Hey gang.

Reading for December 10
Amos 1:1-3:15
This is interesting. This is another "This country is bad because..." book. At least the first two chapters are. Basically God calls out every nation for what they had done, saving Judah and Israel for last.

A couple of interesting bits though - firstly:

² “You only have I chosen
   of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you
   for all your sins.”

God is saying because he specifically chose Israel, he feels that they should have been more faithful and obedient towards him. So when they didn't, they earned their punishment.

Then there's this:

 ⁷ Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing
   without revealing his plan
   to his servants the prophets.

Does this still happen? Are there still prophets of God that can interpret his will? I mean I know people who are super strong Christians who wouldn't even pretend to know what God's plans are. I mean you can have an idea of what God's plan is by reading the Bible and knowing what he has done in the past, but as you have seen in the past - he is a fickle, fluctuating creature with a scary pimp hand, but a loving heart. 

Revelation 2:1-17
Yes. Crazy sweet doom prophecies.

Wow. This is freaking intense.

So this is basically Jesus speaking to the reader - which is so fascinating because we haven't seen the words of Jesus since the gospels, and now he's speaking to you, specifically. There's just something super powerful about that.

So what he does is the classic feedback model. He tells us what we're doing right and then what we're doing wrong. He follows this formula three times and each time presents a reward for those who are 'victorious'. The three things that are available to the victorious ones are the Tree of Life from Genesis, a pain-free "second death" which I can only assume means the afterlife, and finally "hidden manna [and]...a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it."

I could guess and theorize about these things all day. Like - why would we be able to eat from the tree of life now, when it was strictly forbidden back in the perfect paradise God planned for us? Or why is it called a second death? Where is the first death? Are we considered to actually die when we are "born again"? What's the white stone? Is that what Jacob and the Man in Black were playing in LOST?

I need to do some research on that. Anyone got any insight into these things? I really need to start getting Bible study guides.  

Psalm 129:1-8
See, again I completely disagree with this psalm.

⁵ May all who hate Zion
   be turned back in shame.
⁶ May they be like grass on the roof,
   which withers before it can grow;
⁷ a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,
   nor one who gathers fill his arms.
⁸ May those who pass by not say to them,
   “The blessing of the LORD be on you;
   we bless you in the name of the LORD.”

Isn't it the people who aren't doing good which are the ones we should be praying for? Let me answer that: Yes. 

Proverbs 29:19-20

 ¹⁹ Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
   though they understand, they will not respond.
 ²⁰ Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
   There is more hope for a fool than for them.

Reading for Thursday, December 9

Hey guys. Merry Christmas. I hope you all had a good one - and even though the actual day has nothing to do with Christ's birth and the holiday has been commercialized to the point of the antithesis of the entire point of Jesus - I hope you keep his fascinating life and death in mind during this season.

Also, holy crap look outside. There's a million feet of snow out there.

Reading for December 9
Joel 1:1-3:21
Cool, I got two new books here. Joel is yet another short book with only three chapter. I tend to like these shorter books because you have a bunch of great ideas boiled down into a very concentrated message. Let's see what Joel has to say, I've never cracked a page of this book.

This is an incredibly difficult book to digest. I've had to restart like five times before I could fully comprehend what I was reading. The author basically calls the readers to repent and mourn for Israel's own downfall. But even then, as before, the author reminds us of God's good grace.

Return to the LORD your God,
   for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
   and he relents from sending calamity.
¹⁴ Who knows? He may turn and relent
   and leave behind a blessing

I particularly like the highlighted bit there. As much destruction as we are led to believe God is responsible for, there are several instances in the text that tell us it is not something he enjoys doing.

Also, for the scientifically minded folks out there, I realize that I could make just as strong an argument for God being a nasty, exclusive monster, and I'm only highlighting the good parts - but what can I say? I'm an optimist.

Revelation 1:1-20
Hoo. Here we go. This gon' be intense.

Wow. The number seven is repeated a whole bunch of times here. The first scene in Revelation is the author's vision/dream of Jesus. The description is similar to the dreams of kings and pharaohs in the Old Testament - super detailed, and freaking scary:

And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man,^[d] dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

It's obvious that the author is making a point to point out idea of seven. A quick google search revealed that seven is the combination of four and three. Four representing earthly completeness (four winds, four corners of the earth, etc.) and Three representing holy completeness (holy trinity). So seven being the combo of three and four would represent TOTAL completeness - earth and heaven together. In other words "seven" represents the perfect paradise that God had intended from the beginning. Seven represents the new earth that is to come when Jesus returns to rule the place.

We have an explanation of the lampstands and stars at the end of this reading, too:

 ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels^[e] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Doesn't really clear anything up, but thanks for the consideration, Jesus.


Psalm 128:1-6
I think I commented on the same thing the last time around, but I think it bears repeating. This psalm talks about the benefits of following God. Take a look at what these are

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
   within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
   around your table.
⁴ Yes, this will be the blessing
   for the man who fears the LORD.

My observation here is that you would probably want to write something tempting if you were trying to get people to follow God. These two verses show what was a strong desire of a lot of people - a strong family. It seems like today that people just want to get away from their families. Just sit in bubbles of isolation - watching football, playing video games, BLOGGING, shopping whatever - you are apart from your family. The author of this psalm tells us that in God you will have a faithful wife and fruitful children.

I would say that - as with any "goodness" promise in the Bible - you're not guaranteed a good family if you follow God. Just like you're not guaranteed money or cars. But you will be fulfilled.

Proverbs 29:18
This one is sort of one of those self-justification verses in the Bible, but still worth investigating.

 ¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
   but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

Reading from Wednesday, December 8

Ow ow.

Reading for December 8
Hosea 10:1-14:9
This is the final reading for the book of Hosea.

Like the majority of the books in the Bible, there is an obvious contrast between the goodness of God and the wickedness of his people. Between his frightening punishment and his surprising mercy. These last four chapters are the epitome of this distinction. There is a ton of imagery around God's punishment, recounting Israel's history - asking for a King, wishing to return to Egypt after their exile, worshiping foreign gods and so on. But, because God is merciful and loving, he also puts just as much emphasis on his plan for forgiveness.

 ¹⁴ “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
   I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
   Where, O grave, is your destruction?

What's most interesting about this verse is the context. It is after a section where God is talking about his retribution on his people for wanting a king and it's placed before a section which opens with the words "I will have no compassion." If anything, this emphasizes the duality of God which I've spoken about since I've started this project. It's almost as if God has multiple personalities. He goes from turbo rage to shocking kindness and mercy.

The book closes with another verse of hope

 ⁴ “I will heal their waywardness
   and love them freely,
   for my anger has turned away from them.
⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
   he will blossom like a lily.

What I love about verse 5 is that he used the word "dew" to describe God's love for Israel - when only a few chapters ago, he used dew to describe Israel's love for God, but in the negative sense. In this case the dew is seen as nourishing and helpful for his people. Just another instance of God using the bad for good.

Jude 1:1-25
Another one chapter book. This is the second to last book of the Bible - after this - its Revelation, baby. Oh yeah.

This book is intense. Maybe 7 or 8 years ago I attended a church called Jesus Fellowship out in Keansburg and they had a Bible Study where they studied one verse a week from Jude. Now I see why. This stuff is incredibly deep and confusing. It covers a large chunk of Israeli history as well as a ton of future prophecies. I could probably spend a whole week going over this book, but I'll just cover the high points.

⁵ Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord^[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.

It's strange that this author focused on God's wrath rather than his grace - especially after 1, 2 and 3 John which focused so much on God's more palatable qualities.  Even the story of the Israelites' exile from Egypt - instead of focusing on the fact that the Israelis went back and forth - in and out of God's favor, the author of Jude reminds us only of God's wrath on those who didn't believe in him after their miraculous exile.

Then we have verse 6 which is terrifyingly strange. Is this related to the idea that Lucifer was once an angel and tried to become too powerful and God sent him to hell? Either way, scary stuff.

But even this book, filled with God's wrath, closes with a message of mercy and hope.

²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

I think the common reaction to this type of "rah rah - sniff out the sinners" type of message is to run out and accuse people and become all holier than thou, but this book gives an idea as to how you should interact with the "sinners" described here. To be merciful to them, and to love them.

So even a book which was so focused on the awfulness of the world and God's plan to eradicate it, is punctuated with a message of love, mercy and hope. These three things seem to be inescapable in the Bible.


Psalm 127:1-5
Is this true, placebo-true, or completely false?

² In vain you rise early
   and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
   for he grants sleep to^[a] those he loves.

Much of the "wisdom" in Psalm has been shown to be false - even within the Bible itself. Specifically, the books of Ecclesiastes and Job stand in stark contrast to the cheery, saccharine-laden praise and worship from Psalm. 

Proverbs 29:15-17

 ¹⁵ A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
   but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.
 ¹⁶ When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
   but the righteous will see their downfall.
 ¹⁷ Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
   they will bring you the delights you desire.

Reading from Tuesday, December 7

Merry Christmas Eve, friends.

Reading for December 7
Hosea 6:1-9:17
At the end of the last reading, God continued to lay out the awfulness that Israel has progressed to - emphasizing that parallel between Israel and a prostitute because of their consistent infidelity. He also lays out the punishment that will come upon them but - and this is important - he gives a reason for the punishment. God is comparing himself to a lion tearing apart Israel's prey- tearing them apart.

¹⁵ Then I will return to my lair
   until they have borne their guilt
   and seek my face—
in their misery
   they will earnestly seek me.”

Again, we see this message of forced humility that God imposes on his people, and so should we be reminded to humble ourselves. As individuals and as a nation. 

In this reading, we see that it has worked. At least for the writer of this book:

¹ “Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
   but he will heal us;
he has injured us
   but he will bind up our wounds.

But we also see that God is not buying this new found love and admiration. He compares the Israelite's love to the morning dew - there for a short while and then gone. And he also goes into the idea that he wishes for people's hearts rather than ritual and going through the motions:

⁶ For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
   and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.

There is one more small but beautiful verse in this reading:

 ¹⁰ “When I found Israel,
   it was like finding grapes in the desert;

Think about being in a desert and finding fresh grapes. What rapturous happiness you would feel. How you would treasure that finding - this is how God felt when finding Israel. This is somewhat strange because God didn't actually "find" Israel. Maybe this means when he created Adam and Eve he felt this way. Interesting. 

3 John 1:1-14

This is another one-chapter-book. Instead of love, the writer focuses on goodness.

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

Pretty simple. But this brings up the question again - is morality a God-only idea? Can goodness only come from God? I don't think so. I do believe that anyone who truly believes in God and has "seen" him can only be good, but I don't think that type of goodness is exclusive to Christians.

What say you, readers?

Psalm 126:1-6
In the last few books of the Old Testament, we've heard a lot about the punishment God planned to unleash on his people. This psalm shows what happens when God turns back in favor of his people.

 ¹ When the LORD restored the fortunes of^[a] Zion,
   we were like those who dreamed.^[b]
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter,
   our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
   “The LORD has done great things for them.”
³ The LORD has done great things for us,
   and we are filled with joy.  

Proverbs 29:12-14

 ¹² If a ruler listens to lies,
   all his officials become wicked.
 ¹³ The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
   The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.
 ¹⁴ If a king judges the poor with fairness,
   his throne will be established forever.

Reading from Monday, December 6

Hoo boy. It has been a while. Jilly and I moved earlier in the week and between the craziness of moving and the wait to get the internet set up, it's been a little tough to getting around to posting. But now I'm back and ready for action.

I want to get right back into it with a controversial article written by comedian Ricky Gervais called "Why I'm an Atheist" Its a well written piece that doesn't shake a disapproving finger or condemn others for their belief. But perhaps the line that hit me hardest was this one

Why don’t I believe in God? No, no no, why do YOU believe in God? Surely the burden of proof is on the believer.

Yes, exactly. This is what I've been struggling with myself. In fact, I even mentioned this idea in the documentary post from a few months back.  I hope to prove and validate my own faith through the stories of other believers. Ricky had a few other interesting things to chew on as well.

I loved Jesus. He was my hero. More than pop stars. More than footballers. More than God. God was by definition omnipotent and perfect. Jesus was a man. He had to work at it. He had temptation but defeated sin. He had integrity and courage. But He was my hero because He was kind. And He was kind to everyone. He didn’t bow to peer pressure or tyranny or cruelty. He didn’t care who you were. He loved you. What a guy. I wanted to be just like Him.

I love this description of Jesus. It's so spot on to who he was and how he was different and unique from God.  His last paragraph really sold his philosophy, though.

“Do unto others…” is a good rule of thumb. I live by that. Forgiveness is probably the greatest virtue there is. But that’s exactly what it is -­‐ a virtue. Not just a Christian virtue. No one owns being good. I’m good. I just don’t believe I’ll be rewarded for it in heaven. My reward is here and now. It’s knowing that I try to do the right thing. That I lived a good life. And that’s where spirituality really lost its way. When it became a stick to beat people with. “Do this or you’ll burn in hell.”

You won’t burn in hell. But be nice anyway.

It's true. Morality isn't exclusive to Christianity, and I also subscribe to the belief that we shouldn't be saving all our chips for Heaven. We should live this life and experience it to the fullest, because no matter how devout and faithful you are - you can't deny the possibility of there actually being nothing after death. So why waste this life if there is a possibility there won't be another one?

Anyway, you can read his full atheist story here, and I would recommend it. Non-Christians, it's really interesting; Christians, take it as a challenge to your faith to think through and work out.

OK. Back to the Bible.

Reading for December 6
Hosea 4:1-5:15
Hosea is very much about God's "laying it out on the table". Basically giving Israel a full out performance review - and they didn't do well. After telling them how broken they are, God drops this pearl of wisdom on his people

 ⁴ “But let no one bring a charge,
   let no one accuse another,
for your people are like those
   who bring charges against a priest.

This is a command that we still seem to forget as Christians. "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Jesus and God both encouraged us not to rat each other out. Not to picket outside funerals of fallen veterans. Not to tell someone that they're lifestyle can be "cured". Would you feel OK if someone told you, "Your Nationality is wrong and immoral, but don't worry, we can change you."?

Let no one accuse another.

No one.

2 John 1:1-13
2 John is only one chapter, and it appears to be a letter to a specific woman. Well this Biblical author had only one chapter to convey any message he wanted to about Christianity, which one did he choose? Love.

I ask that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 

His command is that you walk in love. His command is for us to love one another. This is the overarching message of Christianity. Love one another because we have been greatly loved.

Psalm 125:1-5
A comforting image:

² As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
   so the LORD surrounds his people
   both now and forevermore.

Proverbs 29:9-11

These proverbs are all fairly self explanitory...

 ⁹ If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
   the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.
 ¹⁰ The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
   and seek to kill the upright.
 ¹¹ Fools give full vent to their rage,
   but the wise bring calm in the end.

What what. Hit up the comments and let me know your thoughts on the Ricky Gervais thing...

Reading from Sunday, December 5

Hey buds.

Reading for December 5
Hosea 1:1-3:5
Hosea's life represents the relationship between God and Israel. God commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute and have children with her. Each child they had together, God provided the name. The first was named Jezreel and here's why God chose that name:

because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.

The second child was named Lo-Ruhamah which means "not loved". Here's why a child was cursed with such a terrible name:

for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them.

The third and final child was named Lo-Ammi, which means "not my people"

for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

During this time, it appears that Hosea's wife was continuing in her adulterous ways and having sex with other men which obviously put a strain on the marriage. God commanded Hosea to make up with her and love her as God loves Israel. Here's what Hosea said to his wife:

“You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

Through Hosea, God was showing what had happened to the relationship between God and his people. God had chosen an adulterous people to lead. They consistently turned away again and again, but he continued coming back, desperately wanting this relationship with them. And he made the agreement, just as Hosea and his wife did to remain "exclusive" with each other. 

1 John 5:1-21
This is something extremely important about prayer:

¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

God will answer our prayers, AS LONG AS it fits in with his will. I realize that is a huge loophole in the idea of answered prayer, but at the same time, there are things that God clearly does not want for us. God doesn't want us to have a $200,000 sports car. God doesn't want us to go and have sex with hundreds of people. God probably doesn't want us winning the lottery - especially people who already have the means to live on their own. So praying for those things is meaningless.

The gray area comes in with the health of a family member. The status of a broken relationship. The existence of a job to support one's family. These are things that gone unanswered can be chalked up to "not part of God's plan". Many times I have taken this route of thinking and months later seen the ultimately beneficial result of things not happening the way I wanted, but other times you're left perplexed. Why, for example, did our three week old puppy have to die, even after praying it would live?

What's the consensus on this? Does prayer matter at all?

Psalm 124:1-8

⁸ Our help is in the name of the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

Proverbs 29:5-8

 ⁵ Those who flatter their neighbors
   are spreading nets for their feet.
 ⁶ Evildoers are snared by their own sin,
   but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.
 ⁷ The righteous care about justice for the poor,
   but the wicked have no such concern.
 ⁸ Mockers stir up a city,
   but the wise turn away anger.

Reading from Saturday, December 4

Yo yo.

Reading for December 4
Daniel 11:36-12:13
This is the last chapter of Daniel, and it contains a prophecy of the end times. This first major philosophical thing to note is what happens to those who are already dead:

There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Meaning that before the event described here occurs, everyone who died, simply died. No afterlife, no heaven, no hell, just death. What the prophecy here says is that those who have died will now be judged and go to heaven or hell for eternity. It is believed that the event being described here is the rapture - the theoretical time when Jesus returns to earth to rescue the believers.

After the initial rapture, it's believed that there will be seven years left of the earth. During those seven years, the people who weren't brought to heaven in the initial rapture would endure a very difficult time on earth, but those who came to faith and remained strong in their faith at the end of the seven years would also go to heaven and the rest of the world would be destroyed.

That's pretty heavy huh? What's everyone's thoughts on this whole end of the world scenario? Should this be taken literally or metaphorically? Every generation has expected it to happen in their lifetime. As I'm writing this I'm wondering if it coincides with the Mayan 2012 prophecy about the end of the world; and I'll bet a lot of Christian's expected Jan 1, 2000 to be the time of rapture with Y2K and all that nonsense. But seriously, scholars and friends, what is your interpretation of these stories?

1 John 4:1-21
More end of the world stuff.

I suppose as each Testament nears the end, its inevitable that a lot of the text will concern the end of things. Here, John mentions the Antichrist. The Antichrist is believed to be a person who will rise to great power on earth - and if I'm not mistaken I think he is supposed to come after the initial rapture occurs. He will win a lot of people to his fellowship and convince a lot of people that he is divine. John tells us what to look out for, and how to tell the real thing from the anti-thing:

² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

It's interesting that he says the spirit of the antichrist is "already in the world". Does that mean he has existed for over 2000 years and he's some immortal super beast that hasn't revealed himself yet, or does it mean that that type of attitude towards faith and Christ already existed at the time of this writing? That second one is probably the more likely case.

What's most remarkable about this chapter is that John goes from warning about the end of the world to once again reminding us to love one another. As if both things are equally important:

 ⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Then he closes with one of the most beautiful lines in all of the Bible, that sort of makes everything make sense:

¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This, I think, is so key. I will admit the possibility that God does not in fact exist. I can't prove he's real outside of feelings and emotions I've experienced. But the thing that makes him "real" is our reaction to his story. I spoke with my friend Pete about this a few months back. In the same way that the Democratic or Republican party doesn't actually "exist" in the sense that you can see and touch it, it exists because of the people who believe in their respective ideals and dedicate their lives to carrying out those ideals; God exists in the same way. I believe he is more than an idea put into practice by people, but for those who do not believe, you can't deny that God exists, even though he doesn't. As long as there are those who believe in him, and more importantly "love one another" he will "exist".

Psalm 123:1-4

so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
   till he shows us his mercy.

Proverbs 29:2-4

 ² When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;
   when the wicked rule, the people groan.
 ³ A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
   but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
 ⁴ By justice a king gives a country stability,
   but those who are greedy for^[a] bribes tear it down.

Reading from Friday, December 3

Yeah.

Reading for December 3
Daniel 11:2-35
There is a prophecy about a great war here that lasts for a long time. There isn't much here from a narrative or "life lesson" perspective so I will skip.

1 John 3:7-24
 ¹¹ For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other.

Yes! I am always excited when the Bible has something defendable I can use to say "Hey, we're not all a%^holes." And this is one of those things. John claims that the message from the beginning has been to love one another. I would make the leap and say that John is claiming that loving one another is the heart of the message of the Bible and at the very center of who God is. He even shows us how to love one another:

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

We should love eachother not just on a surface level but love eachother sacrificially of one self as Jesus did. 

Psalm 122:1-9
Nothing really jumps out at me on this one.

Proverbs 29:1

 ¹ Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
   will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

Reading from Thursday, December 2

Yes yes. Way behind.

Reading for December 2
Daniel 9:1-11:1
Daniel asks for God's forgiveness of Israel. Daniel is the first one to admit that Israel has sinned. He confesses in a very sincere prayer to God that he and his brethren have shamed their creator. He asks for God's mercy, confessing that God is righteous in everything he does, even the punishment of the people.

After this Daniel sees a vision of a man who tells him that he is highly regarded by God and also warns him about impending trouble for Israel from surrounding nations.

1 John 2:18-3:6

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁵ But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶ No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

This is interesting. I don't know a single Christian who is sinless. I believe that it is actually impossible to go a single day without sinning. So how then could we be sinful beings and know Christ at the same time? 1 John says it can't be done.

Maybe what it means is to go on intentionally and consciously sinning, even with the knowledge that its wrong, means that you really haven't experienced what Jesus can offer to you and therefore you are still stuck in the rut of sin.

Psalm 121:1-8

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

This is dangerous stuff here. Sure its lovely to think about a God shaped bubble around you that keeps anything bad from ever happening to you, but its just not the case. You become a Christian and the same challenges from life are still there, you and your family still argue, you're still subject to a crappy job or boss, tripping and falling will not result in finding money, but rather a scraped knee.

I believe that God does watch over us and tries to influence us to go in the right direction, but he doesn't "keep us from all harm" - that's just silly.

Proverbs 28:27-28
 ²⁷ Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,
   but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.
 ²⁸ When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
   but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

Reading from Wednesday, December 1

Here we go. The final month has begun and I officially have only 31 posts left with 17 days to do it. Lord, give me strength.

Reading for December 1
Daniel 8:1-27
This is starting to get really freaking scary. There's just something inherently unsettling about Biblical prophecy of the "end times", and in Chapter 8, Daniel has another vision - this time of a ram being gored by a goat. An angel comes to Daniel to help him interpret the vision and says this before giving an explanation:

¹⁷ As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,”^[b] he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.”

Oh sh**. That would be my reaction, anyway. "I just saw the end of the world? That's heavy, Doc."

In the vision, the goat represented the king of Greece and the Ram represented Media and Persia. Now, I don't know much about these countries nor do I know whether or not the king of Greece attacked Media and Persia at some point in history, but if I hear anything remotely like that on the news, I'm grabbin my apocalypse survival kit.

1 John 2:1-17
This is a common debate I've heard amongst modernist Christians: is it OK to like secular stuff? Like, do I have to throw out my Jimmy Eat World CDs and my copy of South Park Season 7 because they don't carry the prefix of "Christian"? Many Christians in my generation believe that anything secular should be shunned, and this is the verse that backs up that idea:

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father^[d] is not in them.

This certainly makes a case for choosing that lifestyle. Now on a slightly more progressive level, my friend, Kaas majored in Youth Ministry in college and he subscribed to the mantra "Be in the world, not of the world." Meaning - "Be aware of what is happening in the world, and what people are into, but don't actively seek out non-Christian activities." Oh, but the reading has more to say about this:

¹⁶ For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

John lists three specific things that are ungodly that are creations of man: lust for sex, lust for things (I think) and pride. I think anyone who has spent some time with the Bible, or likely any religious text, would agree that those three things are completely destructive to the soul, and sometimes to a society - especially pride.

So in the end, I don't think the point of this was to get you to throw out all your secular CDs and replace them with Christian CDs. The point is to keep your pride and sex-drive in check. And my belief is that keeping these in check is good for you regardless of your belief in God.

What are your guys thoughts on that?

Psalm 120:1-7
More weight on the side of "God actually wants peace and not destruction."

⁶ Too long have I lived
   among those who hate peace.
⁷ I am for peace;
   but when I speak, they are for war.

Proverbs 28:25-26
 ²⁵ The greedy stir up conflict,
   but those who trust in the LORD will prosper.
 ²⁶ Those who trust in themselves are fools,
   but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.

Reading from Tuesday, November 30

::Sigh of relief:: November was the toughest month to get through on here. With the two week vacation at the beginning of the month, I've been stuck way behind for the whole month. Finishing this post will still put me at 10 days back, but at least I'll be in the current month. And I started this thing 10 days behind, so I should be able to catch up quickly.

Gettin real close to the end, yo.

Reading for November 30
Daniel 7:1-28
Daniel has his own dream.
In this dream, Daniel sees four beasts. One of them is more terrifying than the others with iron teeth and a vicious demeanor. He later interprets this dream to reveal that the beasts are four powerful nations across the earth. The iron-toothed monster was of greatest concern to Daniel. This is how that one was interpreted:

‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.

America? Is that you?

1 John 1:1-10
New book.

I took a business trip to Orlando a few months ago and found something very funny about the security line: in that instant everyone was equal. There was a dude who was in front of me at check in and I was like, "Damn, that is one cool dude." Total swagger, total confidence, pretty girl on his arm the whole thing. Then we got to the security line, and I realized he's just like everyone else on line. He had to take his shoes and jacket off just like every other person, and all of a sudden he didn't stand out anymore.

Sin is a lot like the security gate. Everyone is subject to its snares and trickery, no matter how cool you are.

⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Psalm 119:153-176
I don't think this is what Peter meant when he wrote about having mutual affection and love for others.

¹⁵⁸ I look on the faithless with loathing,
   for they do not obey your word.
¹⁵⁹ See how I love your precepts;
   preserve my life, LORD, in accordance with your love.

Proverbs 28:23-24
 ²³ Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
   rather than one who has a flattering tongue.
 ²⁴ Whoever robs their father or mother
   and says, “It’s not wrong,”
   is partner to one who destroys.

Tell the truth, yo.

Reading from Monday, November 29

Yes.

Reading for November 29
Daniel 6:1-28
Daniel in the Lion's Den.

This is one of the better known Old Testament stories, but all I knew about it was that Daniel was put in a hole with lions and they didn't hurt him because he was faithful to God. There's a lot more to it than that. Check it.

So this new king, Darius, issues a decree that anyone who prays to any god or any thing other than Darius himself in the next 30 days will be thrown in with the lions. Daniel, being a faithful servant of God, ignored the decree and continued praying to God. Little interesting detail in here though:

¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Isn't this consistent with the method of prayer amongst Muslims?  Facing their holy land and kneeling down to pray? Maybe that was a custom of all religions of the region...

Anyway, Daniel is caught praying to God and must be thrown in the Lion's Den. The king's guards throw him in a seal the opening with a stone. That night, King Darius couldn't sleep, clearly feeling guilty about what he had done to Daniel, who was very popular in the kingdom. The next morning, he rushed over to the den and called out to Daniel, who to his surprise, responded and came out without a scratch on his body. Yay!

But then the guards who reported Daniel's insurrection were thrown in the den along with their wives and kids, and they were all immediately mauled. That's not fair, they were just doing their jobs. And why the heck would they throw in the wife and kids? That's awful. I'm sure God won't punish this obvious injustice.

2 Peter 3:1-18
A call for holiness as the second coming looms overhead.

As he closes this book, the author reminds us that Christ's return to earth could occur at any time. And because we are waiting for this, why not try to live the best life we can?

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Yeah. Why not?

Psalm 119:129-152
I love the imagery here.

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
   it gives understanding to the simple.

Many times I have found myself feeling this way exactly. And they way he says "unfolding of your words" is perfect, that's just how it feels when you read something for the thousandth time only for it to speak to you in a way that it never has before. 

Proverbs 28:21-22

 ²¹ To show partiality is not good—
   yet a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
 ²² The stingy are eager to get rich
   and are unaware that poverty awaits them.

Reading from Sunday, November 28

I have had a pretty killer week. I was responsible for putting together a photo montage video for my company's annual "Town Hall" meeting. This was usually pictures set to music, but we were pretty low on pictures. So I got the wild idea of video taping people around the office dancing and lip syncing to the song "Dynamite". I was pretty happy with how it came out, but the office loved it. I have been getting stopped in the halls for the past two days with people wanting to tell me how great the video was. This included the big boss, which was a huge honor.

I felt like a nerdy rockstar to a bunch of Client Service Support personnel.

Reading for November 28
Daniel 5:1-31
So in Nebuchadnezzar's exiled absence, his son, Belshazzar, filled his father's role as king. He was holding a huge banquet and praising the gods that god his dad in trouble with God. All of a sudden a floating hand appeared and wrote these words on a wall:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

What. In. The. Hell. As would any of us, Belshazzar freaks out and tries to get anyone at all to decipher the words' meaning. No one can do it, until Daniel comes in. Basically the words mean the same thing that Nebby's tree dream meant - you're too proud and you will be humbled because of it. Especially because you saw what happened to your father and you didn't change your ways, stupid.

Because Daniel was able to determine the meaning, and even though it was unfavorable to the acting king, he was made third in command over all of the Babylonian kingdom. The next night Belshazzar was murdered and another dude took over.

This sounds like 1 and 2 Kings all over again. History repeats itself. Sometimes within a single religious text.

2 Peter 2:1-22
This reading talks about false teachers and how they will be punished by God. I'm not really feeling any of this stuff, so I'ma skip it.

Psalm 119:113-128
It's funny. You would think someone so apparently holy wouldn't need to pray for God's protection, but rather assume it would be given to him. This may be the best example of humility I've ever seen - just a reminder to all of us that it can't hurt to overpray for something.

¹²¹ I have done what is righteous and just;
   do not leave me to my oppressors.
¹²² Ensure your servant’s well-being;
   do not let the arrogant oppress me.

Proverbs 28:19-20
 ¹⁹ Those who work their land will have abundant food,
   but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
 ²⁰ A faithful person will be richly blessed,
   but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

Verse 20 is tricky. It leads you to believe that if you have faith, you'll get a million dollars. I don't think that's the intention. I think it means blessed with a rich life, not money.

Reading from Saturday, November 27

Sup sup?

Reading for November 27
Daniel 4:1-37
Nebby's dreamin again.

This is kinda neat - this section of the book is told from Nebuchadnezzar's perspective. He tells the reader about a dream he has and how Daniel interprets that dream. In his latest dream, Nebby sees a huge tree which reaches up so tall that it "touched the sky" and it was visible from anywhere on Earth.  The tree had beautiful leaves and gave life and shelter to countless animals. As the dream continued, Nebby saw this:

 ¹³ [...]there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. ¹⁴ He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field.

Daniel is summoned to interpret this startling and frightening image for his old pal, Nebby. Basically, the tree represented Nebuchadnezzar. His huge, sprawling kingdom supported thousands upon thousands of people and it was prosperous and healthy. The image of the tree being cut down was a prophecy that Nebby would be rousted from his position as King and be forced to live in the wild until he "acknowledge[d] that Heaven rules." The remaining stump means that once he does humble himself, he will be restored to power and rule over the kingdom under God's authority. Daniel suggests he avoid this whole fiasco by acknowledging Heaven's sweetness right there. Nebby refuses and all of the events played out exactly as Daniel had predicted.

So again, we see a nation, represented by a King that had become too prosperous, and too self reliant, who had to be humbled by God. It's somewhat infuriating to see the punishment for the very same sin of lacking humility was so harsh on the Israelites and so lenient on King Nebuchadnezzar. What is God's point in that disparity? Love your enemies?

2 Peter 1:1-21
This is the most profoundly "Christianese" chunk of verses I've ever read:

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Allow me to attempt to translate

God's ultimate power is really all we need for a good life. Remember, he chose us out of the goodness of his heart. He has promised us some petty sweet things and those promises should give you the strength to strive for God-like perfection, separating yourself from the corruption of man's heart which is caused by evil desires.

It's weird that you have such a complex piece of text to start this book, only to be immediately followed by one of the most straightforward and beautifully simple callings in the Bible:

[...]Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So at the very base level of a Christian, you have faith. In the book of James the author says "You believe that there is one God. Good! But the devil also believes in one God." So faith in God really doesn't have to effect a person in a good way, which is why we have this encouragement here. Adding goodness to your faith is the next step. Now you're a good believer. Next, seek out knowledge to learn the lessons from the ancestral Jews. From there you should develop self control, which will lead you to perseverance from overcoming temptation. Then it gets interesting.

The very next thing after self control is godliness. Godliness! So once you overcome a few sins, you are expected to be god-like. But after god-like there are two more things! Mutual affection and finally, love. I would like to believe that mutual affection means striving to get along with everyone, regardless of beliefs. Then you have love. The single most important and seemingly hardest to obtain trait of a person.

I'm a big gamer, so I tend to think of things in video game terms. I picture these eight traits as power-ups. You start the game with faith and then look around and find goodness which makes your sword stronger. Then up and up until you get to the last boss and you find love, and then you get all glowy and huge and destroy everything. Maybe that's not the best analogy...

Anyway, I think this is something everyone should strive for, regardless of belief system. Athiests feel free to remove faith and godliness and you're good to go as well. These are all things that would make a person simply better. I feel like I'm still in step 3 - knowledge. I will try to make it my life goal to earn all of these power-ups.



Psalm 119:97-112
Inspiration. It always amazes me how much this dude loves God's law.

¹¹¹ Your statutes are my heritage forever;
   they are the joy of my heart.
¹¹² My heart is set on keeping your decrees
   to the very end.

Proverbs 28:17-18
 ¹⁷ Anyone tormented by the guilt of murder
   will seek refuge in the grave;
   let no one hold them back.
 ¹⁸ The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
   but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit. 

Reading from Friday, November 26

Post four for the day.

Reading for November 26
Daniel 2:24-3:30
So Daniel interprets King Nebby's dream. Actually, he not only interprets it, but he tells the king what happened in the dream without Nebby giving so much as a single detail. Because Daniel was able to do this, and because he gave full credit to God, Nebby recognized Daniel's God as mighty and powerful and gave Daniel a high position in his cabinet. Daniel then promoted Rack, Shack and Benny to work under him.

Shortly after this, Nebby set up a gold statue of himself and ordered that everyone in the whole land fall down and worship it. Likely fearing God, Rack Shack and Benny refuse to worship this idol. Furious, Nebby orders that the three be thrown into the furnace and that the furnace be heated to seven times the normal temperature. It was so hot that the flames killed the guards that threw them in. Once they were inside, Nebby peered through a window and saw that there were no longer three men in the furnace, but four and they weren't burning or dying or anything. He ordered them to come out and they did without a single singed hair or crisped garment. Once again, Nebby recognizes the insane power of God and orders that anyone who speaks ill against Rack, Shack or Benny is to be cut into a million pieces and their house burnt to the ground and peed on. I made up that last part.

This all sounds intensely familiar, too. This is the same way that Moses rose to power and he ruled with the enemy army over the enslaved Jews. This is the exact same scenario, except this time it's occurring in the promised land.

1 Peter 4:7-5:14
Some intensely hopeful things here:

 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

There's something so beautifully simple about verse 7. This is one of the most beneficial components to knowing God, at least for me. When I am wise enough to remember, I take whatever worries I have and "give them to God" so to speak. I just say "whatever God wills will happen" and that's the best I can do at that time. But that always makes me feel better when I do that. Knowing that its out of my hands is hugely helpful in my day to day. I would encourage all of you to do the same and see how it improves your worry.  

Psalm 119:81-96
Boom.

 ⁸⁹ Your word, LORD, is eternal;
   it stands firm in the heavens.
⁹⁰ Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
   you established the earth, and it endures.

Proverbs 28:15-16
 ¹⁵ Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
   is a wicked ruler over a helpless people.
 ¹⁶ A tyrannical ruler practices extortion,
   but one who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long reign.

That's four in one day. Crazy.

Reading for Thursday, November 25

Welcome, Daniel.

Reading for November 25
Daniel 1:1-2:23
Sweet. We got some new narrative in Daniel. It appears that the events of Daniel take place shortly after Jerusalem's fall. Some Jews are in exile, while others were held captive by the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. David and three of his friends were in the second category.

King Nebby has his officials gather up all the wisest and strongest Israelites to serve in his court. Four of these are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah whom all had their names changed by Nebby K. to Belteshazzar, Shadrach Meshach, Abednego respectively. Let's keep it simple though and call them Dan, Rack, Shack and Benny.

King Nebby has been having dreams and can't figure out what they mean. He calls upon all the magicians and fortune tellers in his employ to help him interpret these dreams and they say "Hey, we can't do that. No one can - only gods are able to decipher dreams." At this, King Neb freaks and orders the death of everyone ever. Daniel hears about this decree and goes to the King to see if he can help him figure out these dreams.

That's where this reading ends, but I know there's a solid story here. Who's excited for part 2? Me.

1 Peter 3:8-4:6
Following up on the idea of suffering for doing good:

¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats^[b]; do not be frightened.”^{[c] 15} But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

I have never been one to wear my faith on my sleeve. I try to act according to the way I've learned to act through reading the Bible, and hope that people see that as something unique. If someone asks me about it, I'm more than happy to talk about my faith. Excited even. But I always try to do it without disparaging another's beliefs. I usually just say "yeah this is what I believe and this is what works for me." I've never believed that beating people over the head with your faith was any way to spread the message of Christ. "And they'll know we are Christians by our love." 

Psalm 119:65-80
⁷¹ It was good for me to be afflicted
   so that I might learn your decrees.

Again, extremely wise way of thinking.

Proverbs 28:14
 ¹⁴ Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
   but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble. 

Sweet cuppin cakes, yo.