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55 days down, 310 to go.

Today’s scriptures for my Read the Bible in a Year plan are Leviticus 15:1 – 16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalms 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14.

My thoughts from today’s reading:

1. THE BIBLE AND STD’S
2. INDIANA JONES HAD IT WRONG – God is in you, not a gold box
3. WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS WHAT’S IN YOUR HEART – PART 1
4. POOR AND NEEDY? Talk to God
5. I PITY THE FOOL! – Mr. T had it right

1. THE BIBLE AND STD’S
Just in case you still haven’t figured out yet, there’s nothing new under the sun, and that the bible covers almost every issue you can imagine. From murder to rape to prostitution to adultery to intoxication to drugs to robbery to murder…you name it, it’s in there.

Even STD’s. That’s right. It’s a problem today and it was a problem thousands of years ago.

Nowadays, we can wash our hands whenever we want, and we have medications to clear up things that soap cannot. But even today, if you get that burning sensation, that leakage or that weird rash “down there”, you’ve got some problems.
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52 days down, 313 to go.

Today’s scriptures for my Read the Bible in a Year plan are Leviticus 11:1– 12:8; Mark 5:21-43; Psalms 38:1-22; Proverbs 10:8-9.

My thoughts from today’s reading:

1. DROP THE DISBELIEVERS
2. YOU GOTTA SMELL YOUR OWN FUNK – Feel your sin
3. WISE PEOPLE WELCOME CORRECTION

1. DROP THE DISBELIEVERS
When you’re chasing your dream, you must keep the faith and maintain your focus at all costs. Whether it’s an athletic pursuit, a business idea, or going to the next level in your spiritual life, your faith and your focus must always be protected.

You must avoid the naysayers and the doubters.

Jesus puts this into practice in Mark 5:39-42.

He is going to the home of Jairus to heal his sick daughter, but before He gets there, the girl dies.
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48 days down, 317 to go.

Today’s scriptures for my Read the Bible in a Year plan are Leviticus 4:1 – 5:19; Mark 2:13 – 3:6; Psalms 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2.

My thoughts from today’s reading.

1. DON’T SPILL THE WINE – God wants to stretch you.
2. HAS SIN EVER WHISPERED TO YOU?
3. $100 FOR A LIE & $200 FOR CUSSING - Paying for your sins
4. BAD KIDS ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT AND CRIME DOESN’T PAY

1. DON’T SPILL THE WINE – God’s wants to stretch you
No this post isn’t a defense for Christians to drink wine.

In Mark 2:13-27 Jesus is getting into it with the Pharisees again. They are once again trying to frame Him as guilty of breaking Jewish religious law.

Jesus tells them in Matthew 2:22:
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

This is another one of those parables and analogies that are a bit anachronous for us today, meaning they don’t quite apply to our day and time.

Back then, wineskins held wine, and newer wineskins were more flexible and more able to be stretched than old
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45 days down, 320 to go.

Today’s scriptures for my Read the Bible in a Year plan are Exodus 37:1 – 38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalms 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10.

OK let’s go.

1. THE GREAT COMMISSION – Not just conversion, but also transformation
2. THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM - There are no do-over's in life

1. THE GREAT COMMISSION – Conversion is just the beginning
The Great Commission. Pretty much ever practicing and church attending Christian knows this one. Here it is as stated in Matthew.

Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

However, just as much a part of the Great Commission, but not as often quoted is Matthew 28:20.

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you...

Our job as the church is not just to get people saved, as in converted, but to get people saved, as in transformed. This is the hard part.

Anyone can go down the altar and say a prayer, mean it in their hearts and become a Christian.

What is more difficult, however, is to actually live your life as a Christian.

I first “got saved” when I was only seven years old. I understood what I was doing, and I believed what I was saying.

But as I grew older into adolescence and then young adulthood, I strayed – not in my religious beliefs, but in my lifestyle and behavior.

Why? Perhaps it was because I was so young when I became a Christian, or perhaps because there was no one to disciple me, or be my spiritual mentor, when I entered those teenage years.

Whatever the reason, it happens time and time again with most Christians, at least in America. In fact, if you are reading this, you probably had a similar experience.

You see, having a conversion experience is not enough. That is only the beginning. We must also become disciples of Jesus and live a life of obeying His commandments.

But like I said, this is the hard part. It is so difficult for a person to live a Christian lifestyle. No one can do it on their own. We need each other as fellow followers of Jesus to even just continue to live like followers of Jesus.

The point is that our job as Christians and the church is not just to help other people say the sinner’s prayer and “get saved”, but to help each other become true disciples of Jesus Christ, which means not only getting saved, but also living saved.

Your thoughts?

2. THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM - There are no do-over's in life.

Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...

So does that I have to be afraid of God to be wise?

And what about someone who is not a Christian or does not believe in God? Does that mean they cannot be wise?

Well…..yes….and no….and….

To “fear” God in this context means to have a reverential respect of God, His holiness and His authority.

So if the bible is correct, and if a person does not believe in God and His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, then that person is denying God’s authority. He or she is basically saying

 

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40 days down, 325 to go.

Today’s scriptures for my Read the Bible in a Year plan are Exodus 29:1 – 30:10; Matthew 26:14-46; Psalms 31:9-18; Proverbs 8:14-26.

Ok I know I got out of order with Psalms. Yesterday’s Psalms was supposed to be for today and today’s was supposed to be for yesterday. Sorry about that....but I’m sure you can follow.

1. HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION – BE ALERT & PRAY
2. ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE NOT SO HAPPY PSALMS
3. THE BIRTH OF WISDOM

1. HOW TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION – BE ALERT & PRAY
In Mathew 26:14-46, the reality of His impending crucifixion is weighing heavy on Jesus. He knows that very soon, He will have to endure a horrible and excruciating death.

In fact, if you do a quick word study, or if you know any Latin at all, you’ll discover that the word “excruciating” means “out of (ex) the cross (crux)”. The fact is that the pain endured during a crucifixion was so severe, that a new word was created to describe it – excruciating.
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38 days down, 327 to go.

Today’s scriptures for my Read the Bible in a Year plan are Exodus 26:1– 27:21; Matthew 25:14-30; Psalms 31:1-8; Proverbs 8:1-11.

Superbowl Sunday….let me hurry up and get my blog up before the party.

1. YOUR TALENTS AND GIFTS AREN’T YOURS TO WASTE
2. DO YOU HAVE GOD’S BACK
3. THE VALUE OF WISDOM

1. YOUR TALENTS AND GIFTS AREN’T YOURS TO WASTE
We all have a gift. Some of us are great athletes. Others are gifted teachers. Others are really good at business. Some are talented artists.

Whatever your gift, it is not meant to be yours to simply use as you wish. Whatever money, resources and status your gift brings you, they are not simply for you to live the good life.
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10 days down, 355 to go.

Today’s scriptures for my Read the Bible in a Year plan are

Genesis 23:1 – 24:51; Matthew 8:1-17; Psalm 9:13-20; Proverbs 3:1-6. Here are my thoughts…


1. OLDIE BUT GOODIE
2. STRANGERS FOR LIFE
3. ABRAHAM'S FINANCIAL ADVISOR
4. FINDING MR. OR MRS. RIGHT

1. OLDIE BUT GOODIE
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (KJV)

2. STRANGERS FOR LIFE
In Genesis 23, Sarah, Abraham’s wife, dies at 127. After all this time of living in this land, Abraham still considers himself a “stranger in a foreign land” (CEV).

However, to the people of this land, he was considered “an honored prince among us.” It seems that although Abraham had earned a place of respect and acceptance among these people, he refused to completely assimilate into this culture. Perhaps it was because
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