One Year Bible And Commentary for Wednesday, April 27th

Click Here to LIsten to the Readings

Click Here to Read Judges 7:1-8:17

1. The Lord continues to teach Gideon that it is His battle to fight. God wanted to make it really clear to Gideon and the people what was the difference between them and the Midianites. The only way he could do this was to whittle the amount of men down from 32.000 men to 300. 

2. At Gideon's command the 300 warriors blew their horns and broke their clay pots, which ignited their torches. This threw the Midianites into a panic and they started fighting each other. 

3. Unfortunately some of the Israelites refused to feed Gideon and his men. They were prideful and were angry because Gideon hadn't called on them earlier. When Gideon was done finishing off the Midianites, they were punished for their obstinance. 

What does Gideon's victory with only 300 men teach you about how God empowers us when we take on our enemies in his power not our own? What battles are you fighting right now where you are trying to fight in your own strength? As you trust in the Lord like Gideon did, you will be able to conquer the enemies that pursue you!

Click Here to Read Luke 23:13-43

1. Both Pilate and King Herod found nothing in Jesus deserving of the death penalty. While they shared this with the religious leaders, they people started chanting "crucify him". Pilate kept asking "why", as he knew Jesus had done nothing more, but they shouted all the louder "crucify him".

2. So in order to the pacify the crowd, he let Barabbas a known criminal go, while declaring Jesus guilty and deserving of death. 

3. Jesus was crucified between two known murderers who were sentenced and being punished justly for their sins. The two had very different reactions, though they were both equally guilty. One scoffed at Jesus selfishly saying, "If you are really the Messiah save yourself and save us too!". The other criminal knew the difference between him and Jesus. He knew he was deserving of death, and Jesus was deserving of life because he had done nothing wrong.  He rebuked the other criminal and asked Jesus to remember him when he came into His kingdom. And Jesus replied, 

"Today you will be with me in paradise!"

These two men represent all of humanity. We are all guilty and all deserve the death sentence.  Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, died in our place. Some don't see any need to repent and don;'t ask forgiveness thinking they are entitled to eternal life.

Others, like the other thief on the cross, realize that Jesus died in their place.  They realize they deserved death but were given the free gift of life because of  what Jesus did for them. They accept the free gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus by asking Him to remember them. And Jesus says to them the moment they believe, "Today you will be with me in paradise!"

Which person are you? It is never to late too respond like the thief on the cross did. Better late than never! 

Click Here to Read Psalms 97-98  

Click Here to Read Proverbs 14:7-8

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why a...
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the...
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in ...
Read more