Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - Studying "One Year Bible"
2:00 pm - March 19 Reading
Numbers 28:16-29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19
New Living Translation (NLT)
Numbers 28:16-29:40
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Offerings for the Passover
16 “On the fourteenth day of the first month,[a] you must celebrate the Lord’s Passover. 17 On the following day—the fifteenth day of the month—a joyous, seven-day festival will begin, but no bread made with yeast may be eaten. 18 The first day of the festival will be an official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day. 19 As a special gift you must present a burnt offering to the Lord—two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 20 These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, 21 and two quarts with each of the seven lambs. 22 You must also offer a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.[b] 23 Present these offerings in addition to your regular morning burnt offering. 24 On each of the seven days of the festival, this is how you must prepare the food offering that is presented as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. These will be offered in addition to the regular burnt offerings and liquid offerings. 25 The seventh day of the festival will be another official day for holy assembly, and no ordinary work may be done on that day.
Offerings for the Festival of Harvest
26 “At the Festival of Harvest,[c] when you present the first of your new grain to the Lord, you must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work on that day. 27 Present a special burnt offering on that day as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs. 28 These will be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts with each bull, four quarts with the ram, 29 and two quarts with each of the seven lambs. 30 Also, offer one male goat to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord. 31 Prepare these special burnt offerings, along with their liquid offerings, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying grain offering. Be sure that all the animals you sacrifice have no defects.
Numbers 29
Offerings for the Festival of Trumpets
“Celebrate the Festival of Trumpets each year on the first day of the appointed month in early autumn.[d] You must call an official day for holy assembly, and you may do no ordinary work. 2 On that day you must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 3 These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts[e] with the bull, four quarts[f] with the ram, 4 and two quarts[g] with each of the seven lambs. 5 In addition, you must sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering to purify yourselves and make yourselves right with the Lord.[h] 6 These special sacrifices are in addition to your regular monthly and daily burnt offerings, and they must be given with their prescribed grain offerings and liquid offerings. These offerings are given as a special gift to the Lord, a pleasing aroma to him.
Offerings for the Day of Atonement
7 “Ten days later, on the tenth day of the same month,[i] you must call another holy assembly. On that day, the Day of Atonement, the people must go without food and must do no ordinary work. 8 You must present a burnt offering as a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 9 These offerings must be accompanied by the prescribed grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts of choice flour with the bull, four quarts of choice flour with the ram, 10 and two quarts of choice flour with each of the seven lambs. 11 You must also sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering. This is in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular daily burnt offering with its grain offering, and their accompanying liquid offerings.
Offerings for the Festival of Shelters
12 “Five days later, on the fifteenth day of the same month,[j] you must call another holy assembly of all the people, and you may do no ordinary work on that day. It is the beginning of the Festival of Shelters,[k] a seven-day festival to the Lord. 13 On the first day of the festival, you must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of thirteen young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 14 Each of these offerings must be accompanied by a grain offering of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts for each of the thirteen bulls, four quarts for each of the two rams, 15 and two quarts for each of the fourteen lambs. 16 You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
17 “On the second day of this seven-day festival, sacrifice twelve young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 18 Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. 19 You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
20 “On the third day of the festival, sacrifice eleven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 21 Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. 22 You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
23 “On the fourth day of the festival, sacrifice ten young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 24 Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. 25 You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
26 “On the fifth day of the festival, sacrifice nine young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 27 Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. 28 You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
29 “On the sixth day of the festival, sacrifice eight young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 30 Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. 31 You must also sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
32 “On the seventh day of the festival, sacrifice seven young bulls, two rams, and fourteen one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 33 Each of these offerings of bulls, rams, and lambs must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. 34 You must also sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
35 “On the eighth day of the festival, proclaim another holy day. You must do no ordinary work on that day. 36 You must present a burnt offering as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. It will consist of one young bull, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 37 Each of these offerings must be accompanied by its prescribed grain offering and liquid offering. 38 You must also sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering, in addition to the regular burnt offering with its accompanying grain offering and liquid offering.
39 “You must present these offerings to the Lord at your annual festivals. These are in addition to the sacrifices and offerings you present in connection with vows, or as voluntary offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, or peace offerings.”
40 [l]So Moses gave all of these instructions to the people of Israel as the Lord had commanded him.
Footnotes:
1. Numbers 28:16 This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late March, April, or early May.
2. Numbers 28:22 Or to make atonement for yourselves; also in 28:30.
3. Numbers 28:26 Hebrew Festival of Weeks. This was later called the Festival of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1). It is celebrated today as Shavuat (or Shabuoth).
4. Numbers 29:1 Hebrew the first day of the seventh month. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in September or October. This festival is celebrated today as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.
5. Numbers 29:3 Hebrew 3/10 of an ephah [6.6 liters]; also in 29:9, 14.
6. Numbers 29:3 Hebrew 2/10 of an ephah [4.4 liters]; also in 29:9, 14.
7. Numbers 29:4 Hebrew 1/10 of an ephah [2.2 liters]; also in 29:10, 15.
8. Numbers 29:5 Or to make atonement for yourselves.
9. Numbers 29:7 Hebrew On the tenth day of the seventh month; see 29:1 and the note there. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in September or October. It is celebrated today as Yom Kippur.
10. Numbers 29:12 Hebrew On the fifteenth day of the seventh month; see 29:1, 7 and the notes there. This day in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in late September, October, or early November.
11. Numbers 29:12 Or Festival of Booths, or Festival of Tabernacles. This was earlier called the Festival of the Final Harvest or Festival of Ingathering (see Exod 23:16b). It is celebrated today as Sukkot (or Succoth).
12. Numbers 29:40 Verse 29:40 is numbered 30:1 in Hebrew text.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
[NLT at Tyndale] [Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.]
Luke 3:23-38
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The Ancestors of Jesus
23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.
Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.
Joseph was the son of Heli.
24 Heli was the son of Matthat.
Matthat was the son of Levi.
Levi was the son of Melki.
Melki was the son of Jannai.
Jannai was the son of Joseph.
25 Joseph was the son of Mattathias.
Mattathias was the son of Amos.
Amos was the son of Nahum.
Nahum was the son of Esli.
Esli was the son of Naggai.
26 Naggai was the son of Maath.
Maath was the son of Mattathias.
Mattathias was the son of Semein.
Semein was the son of Josech.
Josech was the son of Joda.
27 Joda was the son of Joanan.
Joanan was the son of Rhesa.
Rhesa was the son of Zerubbabel.
Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the son of Neri.
28 Neri was the son of Melki.
Melki was the son of Addi.
Addi was the son of Cosam.
Cosam was the son of Elmadam.
Elmadam was the son of Er.
29 Er was the son of Joshua.
Joshua was the son of Eliezer.
Eliezer was the son of Jorim.
Jorim was the son of Matthat.
Matthat was the son of Levi.
30 Levi was the son of Simeon.
Simeon was the son of Judah.
Judah was the son of Joseph.
Joseph was the son of Jonam.
Jonam was the son of Eliakim.
31 Eliakim was the son of Melea.
Melea was the son of Menna.
Menna was the son of Mattatha.
Mattatha was the son of Nathan.
Nathan was the son of David.
32 David was the son of Jesse.
Jesse was the son of Obed.
Obed was the son of Boaz.
Boaz was the son of Salmon.[a]
Salmon was the son of Nahshon.
33 Nahshon was the son of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the son of Admin.
Admin was the son of Arni.[b]
Arni was the son of Hezron.
Hezron was the son of Perez.
Perez was the son of Judah.
34 Judah was the son of Jacob.
Jacob was the son of Isaac.
Isaac was the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the son of Terah.
Terah was the son of Nahor.
35 Nahor was the son of Serug.
Serug was the son of Reu.
Reu was the son of Peleg.
Peleg was the son of Eber.
Eber was the son of Shelah.
36 Shelah was the son of Cainan.
Cainan was the son of Arphaxad.
Arphaxad was the son of Shem.
Shem was the son of Noah.
Noah was the son of Lamech.
37 Lamech was the son of Methuselah.
Methuselah was the son of Enoch.
Enoch was the son of Jared.
Jared was the son of Mahalalel.
Mahalalel was the son of Kenan.
38 Kenan was the son of Enosh.[c]
Enosh was the son of Seth.
Seth was the son of Adam.
Adam was the son of God.
Footnotes:
1. Luke 3:32 Greek Sala, a variant spelling of Salmon; also in 3:32b. See Ruth 4:22.
2. Luke 3:33 Some manuscripts read Amminadab was the son of Aram. Arni and Aram are alternate spellings of Ram. See 1 Chr 2:9-10.
3. Luke 3:38 Greek Enos, a variant spelling of Enosh; also in 3:38b. See Gen 5:6.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
[NLT at Tyndale] [Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.]
Psalm 62:1-12
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Psalm 62
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 I wait quietly before God,
for my victory comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will never be shaken.
3 So many enemies against one man—
all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
or a tottering fence.
4 They plan to topple me from my high position.
They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
but curse me in their hearts.
Interlude
5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge.
Interlude
9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
together they are lighter than a breath of air.
10 Don’t make your living by extortion
or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
don’t make it the center of your life.
11 God has spoken plainly,
and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
Surely you repay all people
according to what they have done.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
[NLT at Tyndale] [Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.]
Proverbs 11:18-19
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18 Evil people get rich for the moment,
but the reward of the godly will last.
19 Godly people find life;
evil people find death.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
[NLT at Tyndale] [Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.]
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Studying "Don't Let the Sins of Yesterday Keep You from Serving Jesus Today"
Evangelism:
The Time Is Now!
Section 4, Chapter 8
Don’t Let the Sins of Yesterday
Keep You From
Serving Jesus Today
Page 1 of 2 pages
Study Questions
What is the worse sin you have ever committed as a born again Christian? Some of you have committed the sin of sexual immorality in the past. Have you ever murdered someone as a Christian? What is the worse sin you have ever committed? King David as a believer committed both of the above sins. Yet despite this, God said about David that he was a man after His own heart who would do all his will.122
If David committed the sins mentioned above, then how could God make such a statement about David. Well, obviously it was not because David was the perfect believer or because he never blew it as grossly as is possible to blow it. God said this about David because no matter how bad he blew it, or how far at times he got away from God, he never stopped trying to live for God. David never allowed the sins of yesterday to keep him from doing the will of God today.
Some of you think your sins of the past are so bad that God can never forgive you or use your life again. But what does the Bible tell us about what became of David because of the grossness of his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband Uriah?123 First, David repented of his sin. After God pointed out to David through the prophet Nathan that his sins did not go unnoticed, David said, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan then said to David after he acknowledged his sin to God and man, "The Lord also has taken away your sin."124
God forgave David for his sins. God’s plan for David did not change. He was still called to be King over Israel. God did, however, still have to discipline David for his sin. Why? Because David had gotten lacks in his relationship with God. He started making decisions without seeking the counsel of God first.
Israel was at war at the time, but instead of David being with his men on the front, he was instead day-dreaming on the roof of his palace where he was open to Satan’s temptations. He had stopped seeking God about how he should be using his time and life. So, yes, God had to re-discipline David so he would only act out of God’s initiative and not his own. Only a man who only acts out of God’s initiative in obedience to God’s Word can rule God’s people justly. David had to learn to only use his time as God was leading him and be diligent in his service to God, but God’s plan for his life had not changed. God’s plan for David was still to be King over Israel.
Several years ago, 1975, God told me to do something with my life and I did not obey Him. I was a good Christian from appearance sake. I went to church, I read my Bible daily, I shared my faith with others whether they wanted to hear it or not, I wasn’t doing anything immoral, but I did not do at the time with my life what God wanted me to do. I disobeyed Him. The Prophet Samuel said as God’s spokesman that "Rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry."125 The Bible puts rebellion right up there with witchcraft, adultery, fornication and murder. Many Christians today try to convince themselves they are okay, I go to church and Sunday School. I pay my tithes regularly. The only thing they do not do is what God wants them to do with their lives.
That was the condition I was in. I was religious, but not doing with my life at the time what God was calling me to do. This is what Jesus was talking about when he said, "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."126 During this time God asked me to do something in relation to where he wanted me to live at the time. He was asking me to move into an unpleasant situation. It wasn’t that I did not want to obey God, I just couldn’t get over some of the fears about it I was having at the time.
When I did not obey what God wanted me to do in this matter, everything in my life came to a stand still. I could not succeed in school no matter how hard I tried. I finally dropped out of school, borrowed some money and went into a gardening business.
I had had a gardening business before and had made good money at it, but what normally took me forty-five minutes to do was now taking me three hours and there was no logical reason for it. This went on for four months until I was deeper in the hole than when I started.
One day I was sitting in a restaurant eating lunch and reading the Bible when I read the following verse: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.127 I prayed to myself, Jesus, what does this passage really mean? He answered back to me through the Holy Spirit,
Dale, when you confess your sin, not only do I forgive you for your sin, but I remove it infinitely before me so that the way I relate to you is just as if you had never committed the sin in the first place.
In other words, even though I had not obeyed him and temporarily this brought his will and plan for my life to a stand still, His will for my life did not change. What I needed to do was confess my disobedience and go back and do what he had called me to do. The Apostle Paul wrote about love in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love "does not take into account a wrong suffered." In other words, God’s relating to us and His plan for our lives is not effected by offenses of the past when once confessed and repented of. God’s plan for our lives remains the same.
I came to realize that God loved me, that he forgave me and that He was just waiting for me to repent and do with my life what he was calling me to do. I did obey Him and go back and do what He had told me to do. Jesus, talking through the Apostle John, said,
"Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent." (Rev 3:2-3)
Some of you think that you have so blown it in the past that God can no longer use you or wants to use your life. God’s love for you never changes. It is a matter of you turning back to him. Because His plan for your life never changes, he is waiting for you to not only return to him, but to fulfill what he has called you to do in the first place. He is not interested in your failures of the past. I’ve got news for you. It won’t be the last time. He wants you to accept His forgiveness and to forgive yourself and to stop letting the sins of yesterday keep you from doing His will today. He loves you. Jesus was already punished for your sins. Every time you use your past failures as an excuse to not do God’s will today, you rob Jesus of what he suffered for you on the cross. Jesus loves you. He forgives you. He is waiting for you to return to Him so he can continue His plan and purpose for your life.
Confess Your Sins
How do you return to him? First, confess your sin or sins to Jesus and accept his forgiveness as an automatic fact according to 1 John 1:9 which states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Resurrender to Jesus as Lord
Second, you then need to resurrender to Jesus as Lord, remake Him Lord of your life. Just pray:
Jesus, I resurrender the Lordship of my life to You and ask You to refill me with Your Holy Spirit, to retake control of my life and to continue to lead me into your will and plan for my life. By faith thank You that it is done according to Your promise to answer any prayer that is according to Your will, in Your name, Jesus, amen.
Accept that He has by faith, not by feelings, because He promises to answer any prayer that is according to His will, and according to Ephesians 5:18 and 1 John 5:14-15 it is His will that you allow Him to be Lord of your life.
Repent of Your Sins
Third, you need to repent of your sins and cry to Jesus for his deliverance from the power of these sins over your soul and flesh. You need to either stop doing what he doesn’t want you to do or go back and do what he has called you to do. You need to stop letting the sins of yesterday keep you from doing the will of God today. You need to stop using the sins of yesterday as an excuse to not do God’s will today. In light of God’s forgiveness, it is not an excuse according to His Word.
Secondly, You need to get down on Your knees and cry to Jesus for his deliverance from the power of these sins over your soul and flesh. Until the resurrection, our soul and flesh are still corrupted by sin and under the power of sin. You cannot overcome sins power through will power. This is because your will, your volition is your soul and your soul is under the power of sin. For this reason Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. The writer of 1 Chronicles and Psalms wrote, Seek Yehovah and His strength, seek His face continually (1 Chron 16:11, Ps 105:4). When you are having a repetitious problem with sin, you need to do more than just confess your sin and thank Jesus for his forgiveness, you need to also get down on your knees and cry to Him for His deliverance from the power of that sin over your soul and flesh. Jesus promises us in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
Depending on what your propensity to sin is, you will find that no matter how long you are a Christian, you will need to do this regularly. I have sin problems I have struggled with for as long as I have been a Christian: 34 years. I find that I need to at least once a week get down on my knees and cry out to Jesus for His deliverance from the power of these sins.
Remove Objects of Temptation
Fourth, remove any objects or things which tempted you and led you to sin in the first place. Demonic forces attach themselves to the unclean objects through which you were tempted to sin in the first place. The presence of these objects will keep you from having victory over sins confessed and repented of. Until the resurrection and transformation of our souls and bodies, the power of sin remains over us especially through these unclean objects. (Deut 7:25-26, 1 Cor 10:19-20, Exodus 32:19-20)
Some obvious examples of objects through which Satan has access to our souls and flesh are porno magazines, liquor, unclean videos and music CD’s, satanic cult games and books, astrology books and prediction charts, etcetera. What ever these objects are that relate to the weakness of your soul and flesh, stimulate and energize your soul and flesh to sin and keep you in bondage to those sins. You will have to pray and ask the Lord to make plain to you what these objects are. When you know, remove them. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Abstain from every form of evil." When Jesus returns to the earth, Peter in 2 Peter 3:10 tells us the first thing Jesus will do is burn up the earth and its works with fire,
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up."
This is because the works of godless men made in the earth encourage and stimulate man’s soul and flesh to draw away from God and to sin. Therefore, when Jesus returns, His first priority of importance is to remove these objects of stumbling from man and heaven’s presence. In light of this, Peter concludes in 2 Peter 3:11-12,
"Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!"
Command Unclean Spirits to Leave
Fifth, bind and command to leave any unclean spirits related to your sins confessed and repented of. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 10:8, "He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks a hedge a serpent will bite him." Satan has no power over us other than the power we give him through sin. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." We have problems with sin in certain areas because this is the propensity of our soul and flesh. Satan knows this and so he assigns demonic forces to hound, harass and tempt us in these areas of our soul and flesh. When we finally give into these demonic temptations and then surrender our soul and flesh to sin, it then results in the attachment of these unclean spirits who make sure we stay in bondage to these sins.
This is why, first, we need to cry to Jesus for his deliverance from the power of sin over our soul and flesh. But then, second, we need to also exercise our authority as believers to bind the unclean spirits which have attached themselves to us as a result of our sin and command them in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to leave and never come back. When you do this they have to leave because Jesus gave us complete authority over unclean spirits. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy and to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and nothing shall injure you." However, this authority is only available to you if you have taken the first four steps of confessing your sins, resurrending to Jesus as Lord, and repenting of your sins with the help of Jesus Strength and power which includes cleansing your life of any objects through which Satan has tempted you to sin in the first place. James, the brother of Jesus, writes in the book of James 4:7-8,
"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-souled."
To be completely free of demonic influence, harassment and control, You must sit down and write down every known sin of your past asking the Holy Spirit to help you remember; especially any involvement with the occult in the past; any sexual sins of the past; and any sins of inheritance, sins of your fathers which has led to demonic influence in your life through your blood line. You need to confess them to God one by one receiving God’s forgiveness and cleansing of them by faith through Jesus’ death and shed blood on the cross. The only basis for deliverance from oppression, harassment and possession is true repentance. Repentance involves one, confessing our sins to God; two, making right our wrongs confessed; and then, three, bringing forth fruit: continued changed behavior in keeping with repentance. This is the Bible’s meaning of repentance. See Matthew 3:1-12 and Luke 3:1-14. If you do not do this, you will have no authority over unclean spirits and they will not go away.
Once you have confessed and repented of your sins, the next step is to then verbally out loud denounce Satan in Jesus’ name in relation to any occult involvement however innocent. This would involve things like going to psychics or séances, using Ouija boards, having your fortune told, the practice of casting spells or incantations of any kind. These are all occult practices. If you have done any of these, these are doorways to demonic influence and even possession. You must confess them to God, apply Jesus’ blood and then verbally denounce Satan for each one of them.
Next, you need to then bind any unclean spirits related to each sin confessed and in Jesus’ name command them to be gone from you forever. You then by faith must accept that they are gone according to Jesus’ promise in Luke 10:19. You must accept this by faith, not as a feeling. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by appearance." God’s word is our authority, not what we feel. You must accept the truthfulness of God’s promises in His Word regardless of how you feel and believe by faith they are gone. Joshua wrote in Joshua 21:45 "Not one of the good promises which Yehovah had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass." Pray like this:
In Jesus’ name Satan I bind you, I bind you hindering forces, I bind you spirits of the prince of the air, I bind you evil forces; In Jesus’ name I bind you. . . (name the specific unclean spirits related to each sin confessed). I command you all to take your hands off of my life, off of my home, off of my family and everyone else who lives here, off of my place of employment and fellow employees. In Jesus’ name and His shed blood I command you to be gone forever! You shall not come back in Jesus Christ of Nazareth’s name, amen.
In the previous Chapter under the subtitle "How to Stay Free of Sin" I explain how to stay free of sin once it is confessed and repented of. You need to read this if you have not already. For a more in depth study of what we have just discussed about deliverance out of the occult, I strongly recommend and urge you to get and read Rebecca Brown’s book titled Becoming a Vessel of Honor.133
The Time Is Now!
Section 4, Chapter 8
Don’t Let the Sins of Yesterday
Keep You From
Serving Jesus Today
Page 1 of 2 pages
Study Questions
What is the worse sin you have ever committed as a born again Christian? Some of you have committed the sin of sexual immorality in the past. Have you ever murdered someone as a Christian? What is the worse sin you have ever committed? King David as a believer committed both of the above sins. Yet despite this, God said about David that he was a man after His own heart who would do all his will.122
If David committed the sins mentioned above, then how could God make such a statement about David. Well, obviously it was not because David was the perfect believer or because he never blew it as grossly as is possible to blow it. God said this about David because no matter how bad he blew it, or how far at times he got away from God, he never stopped trying to live for God. David never allowed the sins of yesterday to keep him from doing the will of God today.
Some of you think your sins of the past are so bad that God can never forgive you or use your life again. But what does the Bible tell us about what became of David because of the grossness of his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband Uriah?123 First, David repented of his sin. After God pointed out to David through the prophet Nathan that his sins did not go unnoticed, David said, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan then said to David after he acknowledged his sin to God and man, "The Lord also has taken away your sin."124
God forgave David for his sins. God’s plan for David did not change. He was still called to be King over Israel. God did, however, still have to discipline David for his sin. Why? Because David had gotten lacks in his relationship with God. He started making decisions without seeking the counsel of God first.
Israel was at war at the time, but instead of David being with his men on the front, he was instead day-dreaming on the roof of his palace where he was open to Satan’s temptations. He had stopped seeking God about how he should be using his time and life. So, yes, God had to re-discipline David so he would only act out of God’s initiative and not his own. Only a man who only acts out of God’s initiative in obedience to God’s Word can rule God’s people justly. David had to learn to only use his time as God was leading him and be diligent in his service to God, but God’s plan for his life had not changed. God’s plan for David was still to be King over Israel.
Several years ago, 1975, God told me to do something with my life and I did not obey Him. I was a good Christian from appearance sake. I went to church, I read my Bible daily, I shared my faith with others whether they wanted to hear it or not, I wasn’t doing anything immoral, but I did not do at the time with my life what God wanted me to do. I disobeyed Him. The Prophet Samuel said as God’s spokesman that "Rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry."125 The Bible puts rebellion right up there with witchcraft, adultery, fornication and murder. Many Christians today try to convince themselves they are okay, I go to church and Sunday School. I pay my tithes regularly. The only thing they do not do is what God wants them to do with their lives.
That was the condition I was in. I was religious, but not doing with my life at the time what God was calling me to do. This is what Jesus was talking about when he said, "Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven."126 During this time God asked me to do something in relation to where he wanted me to live at the time. He was asking me to move into an unpleasant situation. It wasn’t that I did not want to obey God, I just couldn’t get over some of the fears about it I was having at the time.
When I did not obey what God wanted me to do in this matter, everything in my life came to a stand still. I could not succeed in school no matter how hard I tried. I finally dropped out of school, borrowed some money and went into a gardening business.
I had had a gardening business before and had made good money at it, but what normally took me forty-five minutes to do was now taking me three hours and there was no logical reason for it. This went on for four months until I was deeper in the hole than when I started.
One day I was sitting in a restaurant eating lunch and reading the Bible when I read the following verse: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.127 I prayed to myself, Jesus, what does this passage really mean? He answered back to me through the Holy Spirit,
Dale, when you confess your sin, not only do I forgive you for your sin, but I remove it infinitely before me so that the way I relate to you is just as if you had never committed the sin in the first place.
In other words, even though I had not obeyed him and temporarily this brought his will and plan for my life to a stand still, His will for my life did not change. What I needed to do was confess my disobedience and go back and do what he had called me to do. The Apostle Paul wrote about love in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love "does not take into account a wrong suffered." In other words, God’s relating to us and His plan for our lives is not effected by offenses of the past when once confessed and repented of. God’s plan for our lives remains the same.
I came to realize that God loved me, that he forgave me and that He was just waiting for me to repent and do with my life what he was calling me to do. I did obey Him and go back and do what He had told me to do. Jesus, talking through the Apostle John, said,
"Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent." (Rev 3:2-3)
Some of you think that you have so blown it in the past that God can no longer use you or wants to use your life. God’s love for you never changes. It is a matter of you turning back to him. Because His plan for your life never changes, he is waiting for you to not only return to him, but to fulfill what he has called you to do in the first place. He is not interested in your failures of the past. I’ve got news for you. It won’t be the last time. He wants you to accept His forgiveness and to forgive yourself and to stop letting the sins of yesterday keep you from doing His will today. He loves you. Jesus was already punished for your sins. Every time you use your past failures as an excuse to not do God’s will today, you rob Jesus of what he suffered for you on the cross. Jesus loves you. He forgives you. He is waiting for you to return to Him so he can continue His plan and purpose for your life.
Confess Your Sins
How do you return to him? First, confess your sin or sins to Jesus and accept his forgiveness as an automatic fact according to 1 John 1:9 which states, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Resurrender to Jesus as Lord
Second, you then need to resurrender to Jesus as Lord, remake Him Lord of your life. Just pray:
Jesus, I resurrender the Lordship of my life to You and ask You to refill me with Your Holy Spirit, to retake control of my life and to continue to lead me into your will and plan for my life. By faith thank You that it is done according to Your promise to answer any prayer that is according to Your will, in Your name, Jesus, amen.
Accept that He has by faith, not by feelings, because He promises to answer any prayer that is according to His will, and according to Ephesians 5:18 and 1 John 5:14-15 it is His will that you allow Him to be Lord of your life.
Repent of Your Sins
Third, you need to repent of your sins and cry to Jesus for his deliverance from the power of these sins over your soul and flesh. You need to either stop doing what he doesn’t want you to do or go back and do what he has called you to do. You need to stop letting the sins of yesterday keep you from doing the will of God today. You need to stop using the sins of yesterday as an excuse to not do God’s will today. In light of God’s forgiveness, it is not an excuse according to His Word.
Secondly, You need to get down on Your knees and cry to Jesus for his deliverance from the power of these sins over your soul and flesh. Until the resurrection, our soul and flesh are still corrupted by sin and under the power of sin. You cannot overcome sins power through will power. This is because your will, your volition is your soul and your soul is under the power of sin. For this reason Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:10, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. The writer of 1 Chronicles and Psalms wrote, Seek Yehovah and His strength, seek His face continually (1 Chron 16:11, Ps 105:4). When you are having a repetitious problem with sin, you need to do more than just confess your sin and thank Jesus for his forgiveness, you need to also get down on your knees and cry to Him for His deliverance from the power of that sin over your soul and flesh. Jesus promises us in 2 Thessalonians 3:3 "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
Depending on what your propensity to sin is, you will find that no matter how long you are a Christian, you will need to do this regularly. I have sin problems I have struggled with for as long as I have been a Christian: 34 years. I find that I need to at least once a week get down on my knees and cry out to Jesus for His deliverance from the power of these sins.
Remove Objects of Temptation
Fourth, remove any objects or things which tempted you and led you to sin in the first place. Demonic forces attach themselves to the unclean objects through which you were tempted to sin in the first place. The presence of these objects will keep you from having victory over sins confessed and repented of. Until the resurrection and transformation of our souls and bodies, the power of sin remains over us especially through these unclean objects. (Deut 7:25-26, 1 Cor 10:19-20, Exodus 32:19-20)
Some obvious examples of objects through which Satan has access to our souls and flesh are porno magazines, liquor, unclean videos and music CD’s, satanic cult games and books, astrology books and prediction charts, etcetera. What ever these objects are that relate to the weakness of your soul and flesh, stimulate and energize your soul and flesh to sin and keep you in bondage to those sins. You will have to pray and ask the Lord to make plain to you what these objects are. When you know, remove them. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, "Abstain from every form of evil." When Jesus returns to the earth, Peter in 2 Peter 3:10 tells us the first thing Jesus will do is burn up the earth and its works with fire,
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up."
This is because the works of godless men made in the earth encourage and stimulate man’s soul and flesh to draw away from God and to sin. Therefore, when Jesus returns, His first priority of importance is to remove these objects of stumbling from man and heaven’s presence. In light of this, Peter concludes in 2 Peter 3:11-12,
"Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!"
Command Unclean Spirits to Leave
Fifth, bind and command to leave any unclean spirits related to your sins confessed and repented of. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 10:8, "He who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever breaks a hedge a serpent will bite him." Satan has no power over us other than the power we give him through sin. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." We have problems with sin in certain areas because this is the propensity of our soul and flesh. Satan knows this and so he assigns demonic forces to hound, harass and tempt us in these areas of our soul and flesh. When we finally give into these demonic temptations and then surrender our soul and flesh to sin, it then results in the attachment of these unclean spirits who make sure we stay in bondage to these sins.
This is why, first, we need to cry to Jesus for his deliverance from the power of sin over our soul and flesh. But then, second, we need to also exercise our authority as believers to bind the unclean spirits which have attached themselves to us as a result of our sin and command them in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to leave and never come back. When you do this they have to leave because Jesus gave us complete authority over unclean spirits. Jesus said in Luke 10:19, "Behold, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy and to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and nothing shall injure you." However, this authority is only available to you if you have taken the first four steps of confessing your sins, resurrending to Jesus as Lord, and repenting of your sins with the help of Jesus Strength and power which includes cleansing your life of any objects through which Satan has tempted you to sin in the first place. James, the brother of Jesus, writes in the book of James 4:7-8,
"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-souled."
To be completely free of demonic influence, harassment and control, You must sit down and write down every known sin of your past asking the Holy Spirit to help you remember; especially any involvement with the occult in the past; any sexual sins of the past; and any sins of inheritance, sins of your fathers which has led to demonic influence in your life through your blood line. You need to confess them to God one by one receiving God’s forgiveness and cleansing of them by faith through Jesus’ death and shed blood on the cross. The only basis for deliverance from oppression, harassment and possession is true repentance. Repentance involves one, confessing our sins to God; two, making right our wrongs confessed; and then, three, bringing forth fruit: continued changed behavior in keeping with repentance. This is the Bible’s meaning of repentance. See Matthew 3:1-12 and Luke 3:1-14. If you do not do this, you will have no authority over unclean spirits and they will not go away.
Once you have confessed and repented of your sins, the next step is to then verbally out loud denounce Satan in Jesus’ name in relation to any occult involvement however innocent. This would involve things like going to psychics or séances, using Ouija boards, having your fortune told, the practice of casting spells or incantations of any kind. These are all occult practices. If you have done any of these, these are doorways to demonic influence and even possession. You must confess them to God, apply Jesus’ blood and then verbally denounce Satan for each one of them.
Next, you need to then bind any unclean spirits related to each sin confessed and in Jesus’ name command them to be gone from you forever. You then by faith must accept that they are gone according to Jesus’ promise in Luke 10:19. You must accept this by faith, not as a feeling. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by appearance." God’s word is our authority, not what we feel. You must accept the truthfulness of God’s promises in His Word regardless of how you feel and believe by faith they are gone. Joshua wrote in Joshua 21:45 "Not one of the good promises which Yehovah had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass." Pray like this:
In Jesus’ name Satan I bind you, I bind you hindering forces, I bind you spirits of the prince of the air, I bind you evil forces; In Jesus’ name I bind you. . . (name the specific unclean spirits related to each sin confessed). I command you all to take your hands off of my life, off of my home, off of my family and everyone else who lives here, off of my place of employment and fellow employees. In Jesus’ name and His shed blood I command you to be gone forever! You shall not come back in Jesus Christ of Nazareth’s name, amen.
In the previous Chapter under the subtitle "How to Stay Free of Sin" I explain how to stay free of sin once it is confessed and repented of. You need to read this if you have not already. For a more in depth study of what we have just discussed about deliverance out of the occult, I strongly recommend and urge you to get and read Rebecca Brown’s book titled Becoming a Vessel of Honor.133
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010 - Studying "One Year Bible"
9:30 A.M. - STUDYING - "ONE YEAR BIBLE" - MARCH 18 READING
12:00 PM - "LUNCH BREAK" Plan on jogging for 1 hour
SCRIPTURES
Numbers 26:52-28:15; Luke 3:1-22; Psalm 61:1-8; Proverbs 11:16-17 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Numbers 26:52-28:15
52 Then the LORD said to Moses, 53 “Divide the land among the tribes, and distribute the grants of land in proportion to the tribes’ populations, as indicated by the number of names on the list. 54 Give the larger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less land, each group receiving a grant in proportion to the size of its population. 55 But you must assign the land by lot, and give land to each ancestral tribe according to the number of names on the list. 56 Each grant of land must be assigned by lot among the larger and smaller tribal groups.”
The Tribe of Levi
57 This is the record of the Levites who were counted according to their clans:
The Gershonite clan, named after their ancestor Gershon.
The Kohathite clan, named after their ancestor Kohath.
The Merarite clan, named after their ancestor Merari.
58 The Libnites, the Hebronites, the Mahlites, the Mushites, and the Korahites were all subclans of the Levites.
Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, 59 and Amram’s wife was named Jochebed. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Amram and Jochebed became the parents of Aaron, Moses, and their sister, Miriam. 60 To Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they burned before the LORD the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded.
62 The men from the Levite clans who were one month old or older numbered 23,000. But the Levites were not included in the registration of the rest of the people of Israel because they were not given an allotment of land when it was divided among the Israelites.
63 So these are the results of the registration of the people of Israel as conducted by Moses and Eleazar the priest on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. 64 Not one person on this list had been among those listed in the previous registration taken by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them, “They will all die in the wilderness.” Not one of them survived except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
Numbers 27
The Daughters of Zelophehad
1 One day a petition was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad—Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Their father, Zelophehad, was a descendant of Hepher son of Gilead, son of Makir, son of Manasseh, son of Joseph. 2 These women stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire community at the entrance of the Tabernacle.[a] 3 “Our father died in the wilderness,” they said. “He was not among Korah’s followers, who rebelled against the LORD; he died because of his own sin. But he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan just because he had no sons? Give us property along with the rest of our relatives.”
5 So Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 And the LORD replied to Moses, 7 “The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.
8 “And give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If a man dies and has no son, then give his inheritance to his daughters. 9 And if he has no daughter either, transfer his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 But if his father has no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan. This is a legal requirement for the people of Israel, just as the LORD commanded Moses.”
Joshua Chosen to Lead Israel
12 One day the LORD said to Moses, “Climb one of the mountains east of the river,[b] and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, 14 for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters.” (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh[c] in the wilderness of Zin.)
15 Then Moses said to the LORD, 16 “O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. 17 Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”
18 The LORD replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. 19 Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people. 20 Transfer some of your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. 21 When direction from the LORD is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the LORD—to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do.”
22 So Moses did as the LORD commanded. He presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. 23 Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the LORD had commanded through Moses.
Numbers 28
The Daily Offerings
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Give these instructions to the people of Israel: The offerings you present as special gifts are a pleasing aroma to me; they are my food. See to it that they are brought at the appointed times and offered according to my instructions.
3 “Say to the people: This is the special gift you must present to the LORD as your daily burnt offering. You must offer two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. 4 Sacrifice one lamb in the morning and the other in the evening. 5 With each lamb you must offer a grain offering of two quarts[d] of choice flour mixed with one quart[e] of pure oil of pressed olives. 6 This is the regular burnt offering instituted at Mount Sinai as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 7 Along with it you must present the proper liquid offering of one quart of alcoholic drink with each lamb, poured out in the Holy Place as an offering to the LORD. 8 Offer the second lamb in the evening with the same grain offering and liquid offering. It, too, is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
The Sabbath Offerings
9 “On the Sabbath day, sacrifice two one-year-old male lambs with no defects. They must be accompanied by a grain offering of four quarts[f] of choice flour moistened with olive oil, and a liquid offering. 10 This is the burnt offering to be presented each Sabbath day, in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.
The Monthly Offerings
11 “On the first day of each month, present an extra burnt offering to the LORD of two young bulls, one ram, and seven one-year-old male lambs, all with no defects. 12 These must be accompanied by grain offerings of choice flour moistened with olive oil—six quarts[g] with each bull, four quarts with the ram, 13 and two quarts with each lamb. This burnt offering will be a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 14 You must also present a liquid offering with each sacrifice: two quarts[h] of wine for each bull, a third of a gallon[i] for the ram, and one quart[j] for each lamb. Present this monthly burnt offering on the first day of each month throughout the year.
15 “On the first day of each month, you must also offer one male goat for a sin offering to the LORD. This is in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying liquid offering.
Luke 3:1-22
Luke 3
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pontius Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler[a] over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler[b] over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. 2 Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. 3 Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 4 Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!
5 The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.
6 And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.’”[c]
7 When the crowds came to John for baptism, he said, “You brood of snakes! Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 9 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”
10 The crowds asked, “What should we do?”
11 John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
12 Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?”
13 He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”
14 “What should we do?” asked some soldiers.
John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”
15 Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. 16 John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with[d] water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.[e] 17 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.” 18 John used many such warnings as he announced the Good News to the people.
19 John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee,[f] for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. 20 So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others.
The Baptism of Jesus
21 One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.[g]”
Psalm 61:1-8
Psalm 61
For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.
1 O God, listen to my cry!
Hear my prayer!
2 From the ends of the earth,
I cry to you for help
when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3 for you are my safe refuge,
a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings!
Interlude
5 For you have heard my vows, O God.
You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
6 Add many years to the life of the king!
May his years span the generations!
7 May he reign under God’s protection forever.
May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever
as I fulfill my vows each day.
Proverbs 11:16-17
16 A gracious woman gains respect,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
17 Your kindness will reward you,
but your cruelty will destroy you.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - Studying "One Year Bible"
9:30 a.m. - Studying "One Year Bible"
March 17 - Reading
Numbers 26:1-51; Luke 2:36-52; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15;
10:00 p.m. - Planning on doing Hip Hop Abs or Jogging on the treadmill for 30 minutes
New Living Translation (NLT)
Numbers 26:1-51
Numbers 26
The Second Registration of Israel’s Troops
1 After the plague had ended, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, 2 “From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war.”
3 So there on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued these instructions to the leaders of Israel: 4 “List all the men of Israel twenty years old and older, just as the Lord commanded Moses.”
This is the record of all the descendants of Israel who came out of Egypt.
The Tribe of Reuben
5 These were the clans descended from the sons of Reuben, Jacob’s[a] oldest son:
The Hanochite clan, named after their ancestor Hanoch.
The Palluite clan, named after their ancestor Pallu.
6 The Hezronite clan, named after their ancestor Hezron.
The Carmite clan, named after their ancestor Carmi.
7 These were the clans of Reuben. Their registered troops numbered 43,730.
8 Pallu was the ancestor of Eliab, 9 and Eliab was the father of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This Dathan and Abiram are the same community leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, rebelling against the Lord. 10 But the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, and fire devoured 250 of their followers. This served as a warning to the entire nation of Israel. 11 However, the sons of Korah did not die that day.
The Tribe of Simeon
12 These were the clans descended from the sons of Simeon:
The Jemuelite clan, named after their ancestor Jemuel.[b]
The Jaminite clan, named after their ancestor Jamin.
The Jakinite clan, named after their ancestor Jakin.
13 The Zoharite clan, named after their ancestor Zohar.[c]
The Shaulite clan, named after their ancestor Shaul.
14 These were the clans of Simeon. Their registered troops numbered 22,200.
The Tribe of Gad
15 These were the clans descended from the sons of Gad:
The Zephonite clan, named after their ancestor Zephon.
The Haggite clan, named after their ancestor Haggi.
The Shunite clan, named after their ancestor Shuni.
16 The Oznite clan, named after their ancestor Ozni.
The Erite clan, named after their ancestor Eri.
17 The Arodite clan, named after their ancestor Arodi.[d]
The Arelite clan, named after their ancestor Areli.
18 These were the clans of Gad. Their registered troops numbered 40,500.
The Tribe of Judah
19 Judah had two sons, Er and Onan, who had died in the land of Canaan. 20 These were the clans descended from Judah’s surviving sons:
The Shelanite clan, named after their ancestor Shelah.
The Perezite clan, named after their ancestor Perez.
The Zerahite clan, named after their ancestor Zerah.
21 These were the subclans descended from the Perezites:
The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron.
The Hamulites, named after their ancestor Hamul.
22 These were the clans of Judah. Their registered troops numbered 76,500.
The Tribe of Issachar
23 These were the clans descended from the sons of Issachar:
The Tolaite clan, named after their ancestor Tola.
The Puite clan, named after their ancestor Puah.[e]
24 The Jashubite clan, named after their ancestor Jashub.
The Shimronite clan, named after their ancestor Shimron.
25 These were the clans of Issachar. Their registered troops numbered 64,300.
The Tribe of Zebulun
26 These were the clans descended from the sons of Zebulun:
The Seredite clan, named after their ancestor Sered.
The Elonite clan, named after their ancestor Elon.
The Jahleelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahleel.
27 These were the clans of Zebulun. Their registered troops numbered 60,500.
The Tribe of Manasseh
28 Two clans were descended from Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim.
29 These were the clans descended from Manasseh:
The Makirite clan, named after their ancestor Makir.
The Gileadite clan, named after their ancestor Gilead, Makir’s son.
30 These were the subclans descended from the Gileadites:
The Iezerites, named after their ancestor Iezer.
The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek.
31 The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel.
The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem.
32 The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida.
The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher.
33 (One of Hepher’s descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters’ names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)
34 These were the clans of Manasseh. Their registered troops numbered 52,700.
The Tribe of Ephraim
35 These were the clans descended from the sons of Ephraim:
The Shuthelahite clan, named after their ancestor Shuthelah.
The Bekerite clan, named after their ancestor Beker.
The Tahanite clan, named after their ancestor Tahan.
36 This was the subclan descended from the Shuthelahites:
The Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran.
37 These were the clans of Ephraim. Their registered troops numbered 32,500.
These clans of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph.
The Tribe of Benjamin
38 These were the clans descended from the sons of Benjamin:
The Belaite clan, named after their ancestor Bela.
The Ashbelite clan, named after their ancestor Ashbel.
The Ahiramite clan, named after their ancestor Ahiram.
39 The Shuphamite clan, named after their ancestor Shupham.[f]
The Huphamite clan, named after their ancestor Hupham.
40 These were the subclans descended from the Belaites:
The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard.[g]
The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman.
41 These were the clans of Benjamin. Their registered troops numbered 45,600.
The Tribe of Dan
42 These were the clans descended from the sons of Dan:
The Shuhamite clan, named after their ancestor Shuham.
43 These were the Shuhamite clans of Dan. Their registered troops numbered 64,400.
The Tribe of Asher
44 These were the clans descended from the sons of Asher:
The Imnite clan, named after their ancestor Imnah.
The Ishvite clan, named after their ancestor Ishvi.
The Beriite clan, named after their ancestor Beriah.
45 These were the subclans descended from the Beriites:
The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber.
The Malkielites, named after their ancestor Malkiel.
46 Asher also had a daughter named Serah.
47 These were the clans of Asher. Their registered troops numbered 53,400.
The Tribe of Naphtali
48 These were the clans descended from the sons of Naphtali:
The Jahzeelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahzeel.
The Gunite clan, named after their ancestor Guni.
49 The Jezerite clan, named after their ancestor Jezer.
The Shillemite clan, named after their ancestor Shillem.
50 These were the clans of Naphtali. Their registered troops numbered 45,400.
Results of the Registration
51 In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601,730.
Luke 2:36-52
The Prophecy of Anna
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.[a] She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Jesus Speaks with the Teachers
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[b] 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Footnotes:
Luke 2:37 Or She had been a widow for eighty-four years.
Luke 2:49 Or “Didn’t you realize that I should be involved with my Father’s affairs?”
Psalm 60:1-12
Psalm 60
For the choir director: A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune “Lily of the Testimony.”
1 You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses.
You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.
2 You have shaken our land and split it open.
Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
3 You have been very hard on us,
making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
4 But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—
a rallying point in the face of attack.
Interlude
5 Now rescue your beloved people.
Answer and save us by your power.
6 God has promised this by his holiness[a]:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine,
and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
8 But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
and I will wipe my feet on Edom
and shout in triumph over Philistia.”
9 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me victory over Edom?
10 Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?
11 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
12 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
Footnotes:
Psalm 60:6 Or in his sanctuary.
Proverbs 11:15
15 There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.
March 17 - Reading
Numbers 26:1-51; Luke 2:36-52; Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15;
10:00 p.m. - Planning on doing Hip Hop Abs or Jogging on the treadmill for 30 minutes
New Living Translation (NLT)
Numbers 26:1-51
Numbers 26
The Second Registration of Israel’s Troops
1 After the plague had ended, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, 2 “From the whole community of Israel, record the names of all the warriors by their families. List all the men twenty years old or older who are able to go to war.”
3 So there on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest issued these instructions to the leaders of Israel: 4 “List all the men of Israel twenty years old and older, just as the Lord commanded Moses.”
This is the record of all the descendants of Israel who came out of Egypt.
The Tribe of Reuben
5 These were the clans descended from the sons of Reuben, Jacob’s[a] oldest son:
The Hanochite clan, named after their ancestor Hanoch.
The Palluite clan, named after their ancestor Pallu.
6 The Hezronite clan, named after their ancestor Hezron.
The Carmite clan, named after their ancestor Carmi.
7 These were the clans of Reuben. Their registered troops numbered 43,730.
8 Pallu was the ancestor of Eliab, 9 and Eliab was the father of Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. This Dathan and Abiram are the same community leaders who conspired with Korah against Moses and Aaron, rebelling against the Lord. 10 But the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed them with Korah, and fire devoured 250 of their followers. This served as a warning to the entire nation of Israel. 11 However, the sons of Korah did not die that day.
The Tribe of Simeon
12 These were the clans descended from the sons of Simeon:
The Jemuelite clan, named after their ancestor Jemuel.[b]
The Jaminite clan, named after their ancestor Jamin.
The Jakinite clan, named after their ancestor Jakin.
13 The Zoharite clan, named after their ancestor Zohar.[c]
The Shaulite clan, named after their ancestor Shaul.
14 These were the clans of Simeon. Their registered troops numbered 22,200.
The Tribe of Gad
15 These were the clans descended from the sons of Gad:
The Zephonite clan, named after their ancestor Zephon.
The Haggite clan, named after their ancestor Haggi.
The Shunite clan, named after their ancestor Shuni.
16 The Oznite clan, named after their ancestor Ozni.
The Erite clan, named after their ancestor Eri.
17 The Arodite clan, named after their ancestor Arodi.[d]
The Arelite clan, named after their ancestor Areli.
18 These were the clans of Gad. Their registered troops numbered 40,500.
The Tribe of Judah
19 Judah had two sons, Er and Onan, who had died in the land of Canaan. 20 These were the clans descended from Judah’s surviving sons:
The Shelanite clan, named after their ancestor Shelah.
The Perezite clan, named after their ancestor Perez.
The Zerahite clan, named after their ancestor Zerah.
21 These were the subclans descended from the Perezites:
The Hezronites, named after their ancestor Hezron.
The Hamulites, named after their ancestor Hamul.
22 These were the clans of Judah. Their registered troops numbered 76,500.
The Tribe of Issachar
23 These were the clans descended from the sons of Issachar:
The Tolaite clan, named after their ancestor Tola.
The Puite clan, named after their ancestor Puah.[e]
24 The Jashubite clan, named after their ancestor Jashub.
The Shimronite clan, named after their ancestor Shimron.
25 These were the clans of Issachar. Their registered troops numbered 64,300.
The Tribe of Zebulun
26 These were the clans descended from the sons of Zebulun:
The Seredite clan, named after their ancestor Sered.
The Elonite clan, named after their ancestor Elon.
The Jahleelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahleel.
27 These were the clans of Zebulun. Their registered troops numbered 60,500.
The Tribe of Manasseh
28 Two clans were descended from Joseph through Manasseh and Ephraim.
29 These were the clans descended from Manasseh:
The Makirite clan, named after their ancestor Makir.
The Gileadite clan, named after their ancestor Gilead, Makir’s son.
30 These were the subclans descended from the Gileadites:
The Iezerites, named after their ancestor Iezer.
The Helekites, named after their ancestor Helek.
31 The Asrielites, named after their ancestor Asriel.
The Shechemites, named after their ancestor Shechem.
32 The Shemidaites, named after their ancestor Shemida.
The Hepherites, named after their ancestor Hepher.
33 (One of Hepher’s descendants, Zelophehad, had no sons, but his daughters’ names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.)
34 These were the clans of Manasseh. Their registered troops numbered 52,700.
The Tribe of Ephraim
35 These were the clans descended from the sons of Ephraim:
The Shuthelahite clan, named after their ancestor Shuthelah.
The Bekerite clan, named after their ancestor Beker.
The Tahanite clan, named after their ancestor Tahan.
36 This was the subclan descended from the Shuthelahites:
The Eranites, named after their ancestor Eran.
37 These were the clans of Ephraim. Their registered troops numbered 32,500.
These clans of Manasseh and Ephraim were all descendants of Joseph.
The Tribe of Benjamin
38 These were the clans descended from the sons of Benjamin:
The Belaite clan, named after their ancestor Bela.
The Ashbelite clan, named after their ancestor Ashbel.
The Ahiramite clan, named after their ancestor Ahiram.
39 The Shuphamite clan, named after their ancestor Shupham.[f]
The Huphamite clan, named after their ancestor Hupham.
40 These were the subclans descended from the Belaites:
The Ardites, named after their ancestor Ard.[g]
The Naamites, named after their ancestor Naaman.
41 These were the clans of Benjamin. Their registered troops numbered 45,600.
The Tribe of Dan
42 These were the clans descended from the sons of Dan:
The Shuhamite clan, named after their ancestor Shuham.
43 These were the Shuhamite clans of Dan. Their registered troops numbered 64,400.
The Tribe of Asher
44 These were the clans descended from the sons of Asher:
The Imnite clan, named after their ancestor Imnah.
The Ishvite clan, named after their ancestor Ishvi.
The Beriite clan, named after their ancestor Beriah.
45 These were the subclans descended from the Beriites:
The Heberites, named after their ancestor Heber.
The Malkielites, named after their ancestor Malkiel.
46 Asher also had a daughter named Serah.
47 These were the clans of Asher. Their registered troops numbered 53,400.
The Tribe of Naphtali
48 These were the clans descended from the sons of Naphtali:
The Jahzeelite clan, named after their ancestor Jahzeel.
The Gunite clan, named after their ancestor Guni.
49 The Jezerite clan, named after their ancestor Jezer.
The Shillemite clan, named after their ancestor Shillem.
50 These were the clans of Naphtali. Their registered troops numbered 45,400.
Results of the Registration
51 In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601,730.
Luke 2:36-52
The Prophecy of Anna
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four.[a] She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
39 When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. 40 There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
Jesus Speaks with the Teachers
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. 42 When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. 43 After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, 44 because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. 46 Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. 47 All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
49 “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[b] 50 But they didn’t understand what he meant.
51 Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
52 Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.
Footnotes:
Luke 2:37 Or She had been a widow for eighty-four years.
Luke 2:49 Or “Didn’t you realize that I should be involved with my Father’s affairs?”
Psalm 60:1-12
Psalm 60
For the choir director: A psalm of David useful for teaching, regarding the time David fought Aram-naharaim and Aram-zobah, and Joab returned and killed 12,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. To be sung to the tune “Lily of the Testimony.”
1 You have rejected us, O God, and broken our defenses.
You have been angry with us; now restore us to your favor.
2 You have shaken our land and split it open.
Seal the cracks, for the land trembles.
3 You have been very hard on us,
making us drink wine that sent us reeling.
4 But you have raised a banner for those who fear you—
a rallying point in the face of attack.
Interlude
5 Now rescue your beloved people.
Answer and save us by your power.
6 God has promised this by his holiness[a]:
“I will divide up Shechem with joy.
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.
7 Gilead is mine,
and Manasseh, too.
Ephraim, my helmet, will produce my warriors,
and Judah, my scepter, will produce my kings.
8 But Moab, my washbasin, will become my servant,
and I will wipe my feet on Edom
and shout in triumph over Philistia.”
9 Who will bring me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me victory over Edom?
10 Have you rejected us, O God?
Will you no longer march with our armies?
11 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.
12 With God’s help we will do mighty things,
for he will trample down our foes.
Footnotes:
Psalm 60:6 Or in his sanctuary.
Proverbs 11:15
15 There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - Reviewing scriptures and text from Revival
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - "The Christian Race"
Revival - Day 1
3 Classes of Racers
1. Non -Competitor
Hebrews 2:10
Hebrews 2:10 (New Living Translation)
10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.
We are in a competition in this Christian race.
We are competing against Satan for souls.
Instead of talking about people who fall by the way-side, pray for them!
2. Failing Competitor
1 Corinthians 10:15
Summary: Don't worry about what other folks are doing; if they don't sing when they are suppose to, if they don't come to their deaconess meetings when they are suppose to, if they don't come to baptism service, if they don't practice, then YOU DO SOMETHING!!!
THERE ARE SOMETHINGS THAT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN GOD'S SIGHT:
THERE ARE SOME CONDITIONS OF A COMPETITOR/ CONDITIONS OF A RACE
CAUSES OF FAILURES:
Some people fail due to turning or back sliding. Some people trip or slip during this race!
Psalm 78:9
turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
Acts 7:9
9"Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
John 11:10
Revival - Day 1
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New Living Translation)
24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.3 Classes of Racers
1. Non -Competitor
Philippians 3:18-19 (New Living Translation)
18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.Note: Folks that are in the race to see what they can get out of it. You can see it in your attitude, giving, service, talk and your walk that you are not really competing!
Hebrews 2:10
Hebrews 2:10 (New Living Translation)
10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.
We are in a competition in this Christian race.
We are competing against Satan for souls.
Instead of talking about people who fall by the way-side, pray for them!
2. Failing Competitor
1 Corinthians 10:15
1 Corinthians 10:15 (New Living Translation)
15 You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true.Note: This is the competitor that starts a lot of stuff and never finishes anything!
Every time you get in a storm, you quit! Every time the race gets difficult, you quit!
3. Winning Competitor
Ephesians 2:19 (New Living Translation)
A Temple for the Lord
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family.Note: To Be a Winner, you have to get in the race!
You have to be born again to even get in the race.
A. You can't belong to the Skeets Night Club family, "The Mirage", etc
B. You can't belong to the "Drinking Alcohol" family, ..in PT's voice "I don't care what class you teach"..hmm
YOU HAVE TO OFFER YOURSELF UP
Romans 12:1 (New Living Translation)
Romans 12
A Living Sacrifice to God
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b]Note:
YOU HAVE TO OFFER YOURSELF UP
- Bible Class
- Sunday School
- Choir Rehearsal
- Whatever auxiliary you belong to, you need to attend your meetings
- Evening Service
Pastor Twymon said he heard a sermon where the preacher said, "DO SOMETHING, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING"
THERE ARE SOMETHINGS THAT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN GOD'S SIGHT:
THERE ARE SOME CONDITIONS OF A COMPETITOR/ CONDITIONS OF A RACE
I. You have to Stay the Coarse
John 10:9
John 10:9 (New Living Translation)
9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.[a] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.Note: In order to stay the coarse, you have to be born again first to even get in the race and then you need endurance to stay the coarse.
II. You got to strip..{Almost Naked so God Can lead You}
Note: In a race, you can't run successfully or efficiently with a suit on. You need to have very light clothing on to run a race.
Likewise, you need to strip off anything that will cause you not to run the race efficiently.
Strip Off:
- bad relationships
- friends/family
- the alcohol
- the night club
- the nasty attitude
- the way you think that is not of God
CAUSES OF FAILURES:
Some people fail due to turning or back sliding. Some people trip or slip during this race!
Psalm 78:9
Psalm 78:9 (New Living Translation)
9 The warriors of Ephraim, though armed with bows,turned their backs and fled on the day of battle.
Acts 7:9
Acts 7:9 (New International Version)
9"Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
REMEMBER JOSPEH?
When he was sold into slavery, God was with Him!
God is with you too during your race and during the obstacles that are set before you!
Don't give up!!!
John 11:10
John 11:10 (New Living Translation)
10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.”Note: YOU NEED TO RUN THIS RACE DURING THE DAY
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010 - Studying "Sunday School Lesson"
6:00 - 7:00 am - Insanity "Plyometric Circuit" w/ Tanya Banks
9:37 am - Sunday School Lesson
"Pleasing to God"
Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul Remembers His Visit
1 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters,[a] that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. 3 So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.
4 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 5 Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! 6 As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.
7 As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children[b] among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. 8 We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.
9 Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. 10 You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. 11 And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.
13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.
14 And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. 15 For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity 16 as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.
Timothy’s Good Report about the Church
17 Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. 18 We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. 19 After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 20 Yes, you are our pride and joy.
Footnotes:
1. 1 Thessalonians 2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:9, 14, 17.
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some manuscripts read we were gentle.
9:37 am - Sunday School Lesson
"Pleasing to God"
Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Read: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul Remembers His Visit
1 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters,[a] that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. 3 So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.
4 For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 5 Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! 6 As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.
7 As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children[b] among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. 8 We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.
9 Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. 10 You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. 11 And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. 12 We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.
13 Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.
14 And then, dear brothers and sisters, you suffered persecution from your own countrymen. In this way, you imitated the believers in God’s churches in Judea who, because of their belief in Christ Jesus, suffered from their own people, the Jews. 15 For some of the Jews killed the prophets, and some even killed the Lord Jesus. Now they have persecuted us, too. They fail to please God and work against all humanity 16 as they try to keep us from preaching the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. By doing this, they continue to pile up their sins. But the anger of God has caught up with them at last.
Timothy’s Good Report about the Church
17 Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. 18 We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. 19 After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 20 Yes, you are our pride and joy.
Footnotes:
1. 1 Thessalonians 2:1 Greek brothers; also in 2:9, 14, 17.
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Some manuscripts read we were gentle.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - Reading "One Year Bible"
11:30 - 12:30 pm Lunch - Jogged 5 min (warm-up)/Upper-Lower Body Weights
4:00 pm Reading “One Year Bible”
Numbers 24:1-25:18; Luke 2:1-35;
Numbers 24-25:18; Luke 2:1-35; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Numbers 24-25:18
View commentary related to this passage
Numbers 24
1 By now Balaam realized that the LORD was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, 2 where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and this is the message he delivered:
“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,
the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,
4 the message of one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who bows down with eyes wide open:
5 How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob;
how lovely are your homes, O Israel!
6 They spread before me like palm groves,[a]
like gardens by the riverside.
They are like tall trees planted by the LORD,
like cedars beside the waters.
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their offspring have all they need.
Their king will be greater than Agag;
their kingdom will be exalted.
8 God brought them out of Egypt;
for them he is as strong as a wild ox.
He devours all the nations that oppose him,
breaking their bones in pieces,
shooting them with arrows.
9 Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down;
like a lioness, who dares to arouse her?
Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel,
and cursed is everyone who curses you.”
10 King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. 11 Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has kept you from your reward.”
12 Balaam told Balak, “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? I said, 13 ‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD.’ I told you that I could say only what the LORD says! 14 Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”
Balaam’s Final Messages
15 This is the message Balaam delivered:
“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,
the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,
16 the message of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who bows down with eyes wide open:
17 I see him, but not here and now.
I perceive him, but far in the distant future.
A star will rise from Jacob;
a scepter will emerge from Israel.
It will crush the foreheads of Moab’s people,
cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.
18 Edom will be taken over,
and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered,
while Israel marches on in triumph.
19 A ruler will rise in Jacob
who will destroy the survivors of Ir.”
20 Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message:
“Amalek was the greatest of nations,
but its destiny is destruction!”
21 Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message:
“Your home is secure;
your nest is set in the rocks.
22 But the Kenites will be destroyed
when Assyria[b] takes you captive.”
23 Balaam concluded his messages by saying:
“Alas, who can survive
unless God has willed it?
24 Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus[c];
they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber,
but they, too, will be utterly destroyed.”
25 Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes.
Numbers 25
Moab Seduces Israel
1 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove,[d] some of the men defiled themselves by having[e] sexual relations with local Moabite women. 2 These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. 3 In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD’s anger to blaze against his people.
4 The LORD issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.”
5 So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”
6 Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle.[f] 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear 8 and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, 9 but not before 24,000 people had died.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger. 12 Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him. 13 In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me.[g]”
14 The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon. 15 The woman’s name was Cozbi; she was the daughter of Zur, the leader of a Midianite clan.
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, 17 “Attack the Midianites and destroy them, 18 because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor.”
Footnotes:
a. Numbers 24:6 Or like a majestic valley.
b. Numbers 24:22 Hebrew Asshur; also in 24:24.
c. Numbers 24:24 Hebrew Kittim.
d. Numbers 25:1 Hebrew Shittim.
e. Numbers 25:1 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads some of the men began having.
f. Numbers 25:6 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.
g. Numbers 25:13 Or he made atonement for the people of Israel.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Luke 2:1-35
View commentary related to this passage
Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
The Shepherds and Angels
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD.”[a] 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[b]
The Prophecy of Simeon
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Footnotes:
a. Luke 2:23 Exod 13:2.
b. Luke 2:24 Lev 12:8.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
4:00 pm Reading “One Year Bible”
Numbers 24:1-25:18; Luke 2:1-35;
Numbers 24-25:18; Luke 2:1-35; Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Numbers 24-25:18
View commentary related to this passage
Numbers 24
1 By now Balaam realized that the LORD was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, 2 where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and this is the message he delivered:
“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,
the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,
4 the message of one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who bows down with eyes wide open:
5 How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob;
how lovely are your homes, O Israel!
6 They spread before me like palm groves,[a]
like gardens by the riverside.
They are like tall trees planted by the LORD,
like cedars beside the waters.
7 Water will flow from their buckets;
their offspring have all they need.
Their king will be greater than Agag;
their kingdom will be exalted.
8 God brought them out of Egypt;
for them he is as strong as a wild ox.
He devours all the nations that oppose him,
breaking their bones in pieces,
shooting them with arrows.
9 Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down;
like a lioness, who dares to arouse her?
Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel,
and cursed is everyone who curses you.”
10 King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. 11 Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the LORD has kept you from your reward.”
12 Balaam told Balak, “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? I said, 13 ‘Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the LORD.’ I told you that I could say only what the LORD says! 14 Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”
Balaam’s Final Messages
15 This is the message Balaam delivered:
“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,
the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,
16 the message of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who bows down with eyes wide open:
17 I see him, but not here and now.
I perceive him, but far in the distant future.
A star will rise from Jacob;
a scepter will emerge from Israel.
It will crush the foreheads of Moab’s people,
cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.
18 Edom will be taken over,
and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered,
while Israel marches on in triumph.
19 A ruler will rise in Jacob
who will destroy the survivors of Ir.”
20 Then Balaam looked over toward the people of Amalek and delivered this message:
“Amalek was the greatest of nations,
but its destiny is destruction!”
21 Then he looked over toward the Kenites and delivered this message:
“Your home is secure;
your nest is set in the rocks.
22 But the Kenites will be destroyed
when Assyria[b] takes you captive.”
23 Balaam concluded his messages by saying:
“Alas, who can survive
unless God has willed it?
24 Ships will come from the coasts of Cyprus[c];
they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber,
but they, too, will be utterly destroyed.”
25 Then Balaam and Balak returned to their homes.
Numbers 25
Moab Seduces Israel
1 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove,[d] some of the men defiled themselves by having[e] sexual relations with local Moabite women. 2 These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. 3 In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD’s anger to blaze against his people.
4 The LORD issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.”
5 So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”
6 Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle.[f] 7 When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear 8 and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, 9 but not before 24,000 people had died.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger. 12 Now tell him that I am making my special covenant of peace with him. 13 In this covenant, I give him and his descendants a permanent right to the priesthood, for in his zeal for me, his God, he purified the people of Israel, making them right with me.[g]”
14 The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon. 15 The woman’s name was Cozbi; she was the daughter of Zur, the leader of a Midianite clan.
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, 17 “Attack the Midianites and destroy them, 18 because they assaulted you with deceit and tricked you into worshiping Baal of Peor, and because of Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, who was killed at the time of the plague because of what happened at Peor.”
Footnotes:
a. Numbers 24:6 Or like a majestic valley.
b. Numbers 24:22 Hebrew Asshur; also in 24:24.
c. Numbers 24:24 Hebrew Kittim.
d. Numbers 25:1 Hebrew Shittim.
e. Numbers 25:1 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads some of the men began having.
f. Numbers 25:6 Hebrew the Tent of Meeting.
g. Numbers 25:13 Or he made atonement for the people of Israel.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Luke 2:1-35
View commentary related to this passage
Luke 2
The Birth of Jesus
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
The Shepherds and Angels
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.
22 Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the LORD.”[a] 24 So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[b]
The Prophecy of Simeon
25 At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him 26 and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, 28 Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
30 I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared for all people.
32 He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”
33 Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but he will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. 35 As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
Footnotes:
a. Luke 2:23 Exod 13:2.
b. Luke 2:24 Lev 12:8.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
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