Be careful what you ask for

Yesterday proved to be quite hectic.  I hope and pray that it will be a very good (and easier) day today - but sometimes what we think is good may not be, as shown by the passage today.

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 12

約翰福音 12

1.  What was Judas Iscariot's concern when at Mary, Martha and Lazarus' house?
2. In addition to seeing Jesus, what else was causing many to believe in Jesus?
3. What must a kernel of wheat do to preserve its "legacy"?  
4. Though many believed in Jesus, why would they not confess their faith publicly?
5. What was the purpose of Jesus' coming to Earth, according to what Jesus says in this passage?
6. How much was the perfume worth that Mary put on Jesus' feet?
7. The passage about the "Triumphal Entry", as many call it is important.  What significance does it have?

Some other notes that I made myself.

1.  One would think that being brought back to life by Jesus would be a good thing.  However, from Lazarus' example we can imagine that it really was not the greatest thing ever.  After all, now he has Pharisees plotting to kill him and the fact that he still has to die again sometime seems really rough.  "Didn't I already go through that ordeal once?"
2. The above observation really brings us to the realization that God wants us to look at our lives in a very different perspective.  We get this from the comments made about the kernel of wheat.  Why is it that we as Christians so many times still view life the way the rest of the world does?

What's that smell?

Today's weather was beautiful!  I was so happy to get out and enjoy it for a little while, even though it was while working on things that needed to be done around the house.

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 11

約 翰 福 音 11 

1. What were the names of the three people who belonged to the family Jesus went to visit?  耶稣去拜访的这个家庭中三个成员的名字是什么？
2. What did Jesus say Lazarus was doing when he first told his disciples they should go back to see him?  耶稣第一次告诉他的门徒们说他们应该回去看拉撒路时，他说拉撒路正在做什么？
3. What did the disciples think that they were going back to do?他的门徒们以为他们回去是要做什么?
4. How many days had the man been in the tomb?  这个人在坟墓里已经几天了？
5. What did the two sisters say about Jesus' delay?  关于耶稣的耽误，这两位姐妹怎么说？
6. What does Jesus do that shows he really cares when someone hurts?  耶稣做了什么来显示当有人伤痛时他真的关心？
7. Did the Pharisees acknowledge the miracle that Jesus performed?  对于耶稣所行的神迹, 法利赛人承认接受吗？

Some other thoughts and reflections I had while reading this passage:

1. The first part of this passage clearly shows that God does not always just make your tough situations "go away".  In fact, in this case he let Lazarus die so that he could glorify God's name.  Sometimes we need to understand (just as Paul did with his thorn in the flesh - II Cor. 12:7-10) that God allows these things to happen and it may not be His will to end the suffering or difficulty.
2. It is amazing that the Pharisees begin to truly "plan on" killing Jesus after this "ultimate" miraculous sign - the resurrection from the dead.  Even though the evidence is very clear that Jesus is indeed who he claims to be, the leaders do not want it and are willing to work at odds with God's will - an unwinnable battle and a condemning choice.

Listen for the Voice

Today was much less stressful than I had anticipated, simply because I tend to dread things I don't want to do.  Typically, though, once I get into them they're not that bad - and this was no exception.

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 10 

約翰福音 10

Here are some things to ponder as you read through this passage:

1. Jesus again makes claims by saying "I am", in this case twice.  What are the two "I am" statements he makes? 耶 稣又用两次"...我是..."介绍他自己。 这两次他怎么说？
2. What type of life can we have in Jesus, according to this passage? 根据这段经文，在基督里，我们会有什么样的生活？
3. According to this passage, who controls Jesus' life? 根据这段经文，誰掌管耶稣的生命？
4. What passage proves that Jesus always had the ability to elude / escape his aggressors if he so chose? 在这章,我们怎么知道耶稣能保护他自己的生命？
5. What did the Jews want to do to him? 当时的 猶太人想要对耶稣做什么？
6. What is one way you can tell a "sheep" of Jesus'? 我们怎么认出耶稣的羊？
7. What miracle was everyone still talking about in this passage? 在这章, 人人还在讲耶稣所做的哪一件神蹟?

My favorite chapter of John

After a long hiatus, I am back at it.  I have found that unless this gets put on the priority list for my day, it does not make it to the top of the "to do" list until I am getting in bed for the evening - and then I'm usually too tired.

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 9

約翰福音 9

Here are the questions to consider for this chapter:

1. What do the disciples attribute the blind man's condition to? 耶穌的門徒們说这个人眼瞎是什么原因？
2. What does Jesus attribute the blind man's condition to?  耶穌说这个人眼瞎是什么原因？
3. We come to another "I am" statement by Jesus in this chapter.  What is it?  耶穌又讲说＂我是...＂。这次，他说他是什么？
4. On what day did Jesus heal the man born blind? 耶穌医治盲人是在那一天？
5. How did the parents of the blind man respond to the questions from the Pharisees?  Why?  盲人的父母关于他得医治的事,他们怎么回答法利賽人？ 为什么？
6. What did the Pharisees say about Jesus?  法利賽人说耶穌是什么？
7. In this passage, Jesus gives a reason for why he had come into the world.  What is it? 在这段经文中, 耶穌说他来到地球的原因是什么？

Things to think about:

1. Did you ever wonder why Jesus used the mud to heal this man?  He could've just healed him by saying some words.  I am guessing it had something to do with the man finding him again later (because that way the blind man would not know what Jesus looked like).  Either that, or it was so that Jesus could avoid being questioned by the Pharisees about this miracle directly, as his time had not yet come.
2.  I love how Jesus uses this blind man's comments to entirely shame the Pharisees.  While they did not accept what he had to say, the truth was there for all to see.

What are you writing?

It has been quite a few days since I entered anything here.  I apologize for my lack of attention to this; I'll try to do better going forward.

The Gospel According To John - Chapter 8

約 翰 福 音 8

Questions to ask yourself as you read:

1. What did the teachers of the law ask Jesus at the beginning of the chapter? 在这章,文士问耶 稣什么样的问题?
2. Jesus makes his second proclamation ("I am" statement).  What did he say he was? 耶 稣第二次用一句。。我是。。介绍他自己。 这句话是什么？
3. According to Jesus in this chapter, you will die in your sins if you do not believe what fact?  你们必 要 死 在 罪 中如果你没做什么？
4. According to this chapter, how can anyone tell a true disciple of Jesus Christ?  你们就 真 是 我 的 门 徒如果你做什么？
5. What sets people free?  什么东西必 叫 你 们 得 以 自 由?
6. If you keep Jesus' word, what will you never see?  人 若 遵 守 我 的 道 ， 就 永 远怎么样？
7. Complete the statement: Jesus said, "Before Abraham was born,   "  耶 稣说还 没 有 亚 伯 拉 罕 就怎么样？

Things to ponder:

1. I wonder what Jesus was writing in the sand

Are you thirsty?

It was a beautiful weekend, as I mentioned in my last post - at least Saturday's temperatures were amazing, especially after the bitter cold we've had.  However, Sunday it dropped back down and was snowing as I headed home from church.  But spring is just around the corner now.

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 7

1. What did Jesus' brothers suggest that he do?
2. What was the reason Jesus gave for not doing what his brothers suggested?
3. When did Jesus finally go to the Feast of the Tabernacles?
4. What was the reason that Jesus gave that the Jews were trying to kill him?
5. What did Jesus say would happen to those who believe in him?
6. What was the reason that many Jews gave for not believing in him?
7. A couple of times, it records that some wanted to seize him but did not.  What was the reason they could not seize him?

Eating and Believing

It is a beautiful morning!  I hope that you all get a chance to enjoy it today.  Also, I hope you can truly enjoy this passage.  It's a great one!

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 6

1. Why did the crowd gather to see Jesus?
2. How many baskets of food were leftovers?
3. Why did Jesus withdraw to a mountain by himself?
4. Belief in what will cause one to have eternal life, according to this chapter?
5. In this chapter, Jesus stated, "I am the ______".  What did he claim to be?
6. According to this passage, what gives life and what counts for nothing?
7. According to this chapter, was Jesus aware of the fact that He would be betrayed later?

Down at the public pool

Yesterday was a really busy day, which threw me off of my schedule.  Fortunately, today I was able to get back on to things - but it is late as I type this entry in.

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 5

1. What was the physical condition of the man whom Jesus met at the pool?
2. What was the warning that Jesus gave to the man when he saw him later?
3. What were the two reasons given (according to this chapter) for Jesus being persecuted / harrassed by the Jews?
4. According to the passage, how can one be sure that they have eternal life?
5. Jesus did not accept what from men?
6. Who was the accuser of the Jews, according to Jesus?
7. Did Jesus suggest that there would be a resurrection of the dead?

I hope you are still trying to be diligent in reading daily, or at least as much as possible and working towards daily reading.

Food and Water

I hope that all of  you are persisting in your pursuit of the knowledge of our Lord and Savior by reading each day.  I know it is not easy, but it is just a matter of putting the highest priority on this time.

The Gospel According To John - Chapter 4

1. Who was it that was baptizing the disciples of Jesus?
2. What  type of woman did Jesus encounter?
3. What did Jesus offer to the woman?
4. What kind of food did Jesus have to eat?
5. Did Jesus ever claim to be the Messiah?
6. Many of the townspeople believed because of what?
7. What was the second miracle that Jesus performed?

 Keep up the efforts to read.  It will build into your life the habit that we previously discussed - training yourself to be godly (I Timothy 4:7).

Nick and John B.

I hope that your journey through the Gospel According to John is going well so far.  Below are the questions that I think may assist you in your continued study.

The Gospel According To John - Chapter 3

1. When the chapter opens, who is Jesus talking with and what is the man's position / occupation?
2. When was this man having this conversation with Jesus?
3. Why does man love darkness, according to this passage?
4. The man is confused about a comment Jesus makes regarding doing something "a second time" - according to the man.  What is the comment Jesus makes, and what does it mean?
5. What concern did John's disciples have about Jesus?
6. When is a man condemned before God, and based upon what criterion?
7. How can a man experience God's wrath?

Temples and wine

I have decided to begin using this blog again, partly to help those who are trying to follow along with me and the Joe Ruth bible study group as we begin building the habit of daily scripture reading. The other reason is because this media is so much easier to use than emails every day. Our reading for today would be  

The Gospel According to John - Chapter 2 

Some questions to help you get a clear picture and stimulate your thinking:

1. What type of event was Jesus at when he ended up performing a miracle? 
2. According to this passage, who "asked" him to perform this miracle? 
3. According to this passage, what number is this miracle? 
4. What exactly was the miracle that Jesus performed? 
5. In this passage, what did Jesus do that would begin his record of stirring up trouble in opposition to the religious leaders? 
6. Approximately at what time of the year did this event occur? 
7. The passage states that many people believed in his name. Why did he not begin to build up support for "his cause"? 

Comments are welcomed!

God is good!

Yesterday evening I had to take my father to the ER.

For some of my readers, this would seem to be a shock; however, my father always seems to have one health problem or another. So for me this is not a big surprise; on the other hand, the outcome was surprising.

Typically, for as long as I can remember, my father would end up having to spend days or even weeks in the hospital to deal with some ailment. Last night was different.

Before taking him, we prayed that God would give us success in our mission and that he would guide the doctor to know what needed to be done. God answers prayers. We were in the ER a total of just under one hour! He saw the doctor and the doctor knew exactly what the problem was, diagnosed it and wrote a prescription to cover both the symptoms and the underlying cause. Then he even modified an earlier prescription so that Dad could get the generic of a heart med!

We thanked God for his answers to our prayers, and He blessed our mission even further; we pulled out and right nearby was an all-night pharmacy which was able to fill our prescriptions quickly.

Let me assure all of my readers - the hospital was not the key element in the success and expediency of our mission; it was God.

May all His people praise Him for His wonderful acts!

Consequences of Sin

From Ezekiel 4 - 6

1. It appears that God asked Ezekiel to essentially starve himself in front of the Israelites and use (at first anyways) human excrement to heat his food. That is gross and disgusting! However, it was meant to be a warning to the Israelites about what was going to happen. It must have been tough to carry out too, especially laying on one's side for so many days.

2. Consequences of Sin - God definitely was not happy with the Israelites, to curse them to the point that they would be so famished and ravaged that they would be willing to eat their children to keep from dying of hunger. This is horrifying!

3. I do not believe that God would not condemn the nation of Israel to destruction so complete if there were still righteous people living among them - at least, according to how I read this in light of the conversation that Abraham had with the Lord in Genesis regarding Sodom and Gomorrah. Still, I wonder - if there had been a group of people who had set God before them and had not wavered, would God have spared that group from destruction? How would that work? God lets the invaders treat them well? Or God does not let their area be overrun due to certain circumstances? Or perhaps the survivors are those who had trusted God completely.

Marriage Issues Again!

From II Chronicles 17 - 19:

1. Jehoshaphat was a wise leader (at least in the beginning), as he sent out teachers to further instruct the Israelite people in the way they should walk before the Lord. This is important, because just expunging the evil within the country was not enough (by destroying the idols - Asa did this). We have to do the same things in our lives. Not only should we rid our lives of evil habits and sinful behaviors, but additionally, we need to educate and train ourselves to do what is good and righteous. Otherwise we fall right back to doing the evil after a short period of time.

2. Marriage Issues Again! - The story of how Jehoshaphat affiliated himself with Ahab is interesting. First, I think that Jehoshaphat should have not allied himself with such an evil man. Second, I can see the reason that he allied himself with this evil king was due to his marriage relationship. He should not have allied himself through this marriage. God was merciful and did not allow Jehoshaphat to be killed in the battle with the Arameans, even though Jehoshaphat should not have been there at that time.

Finish strong!

From II Chronicles 13 - 16:

1. It is interesting to see how God helped Judah gain the victory over Israel in the battle mentioned in II Chronicles 13. Abijah trusted God and pointed out the error of the way that Israel had taken. He did not ignore the Israelites, but put God first. Even though Jeroboam used the time to set up a superior battle position, he still lost because of a lack of God's help. It illustrates that sometimes, when we are too busy worrying and planning to trust in God and call upon God to help, we still can lose the battle. Alternatively, if we just trust God and do what we can but always put Him first in what we are doing, he will provide us the victory.

2. Abijah, although he was more honorable than Jeroboam, still committed a sin similar to David and Solomon by taking on so many wives - exactly what the Lord told the Israelites not to let their kings do.

3. It is recorded here in II Chronicles 13 that God struck down Jeroboam. It is so sad to see that Jeroboam had the chance to pick up where David / Solomon left off, but instead had to build golden calves. He should have done what was pleasing to God.

4. Finish strong! - Asa started out right by destroying the idols that were leading people away from worshiping the one and only true God. Then, when he went into battle against the Cushites, he also did the right thing by calling upon the Lord at the start and seeking God's help. That is why he was successful in his conquest / campaign against them. Additionally, it also records that at another point he deposed his grandmother as queen mother because of an idol she had erected. However, he did not finish strong because he did not continue to call upon the Lord, instead relying on his own strength. Such a pity!

Did God do this?

From II Chronicles 10 - 12:

1. I wonder why Jeroboam fled while Solomon was alive, but was not afraid to come back during at the beginning of the reign of his son? I mean, when Solomon took the reign from David, David instructed him about certain individuals that were a threat to the kingdom - see I Kings 2:5-10 for a reference. As a result of this, these enemies of the kingdom were put to death when Solomon took over the reign. One would think that Solomon would do likewise and instruct his son about his enemies (these are recorded in I Kings 11:14-40). I am guessing that Solomon had begun to lose the wisdom that God blessed him with. This began when he began following after the gods of his wives. God gives talents and blessings, but many forget that He can take them away just as easily as He gives them (Job 1:20b - "...The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away...") Otherwise one would think that Solomon would instruct his children about who his enemies were (and thus, enemies of the government). Then, when Jeroboam came back, he would have been walking right back to his demise.

2. We can see from Rehoboam and the way in which he chooses to respond that he is following the evil desires of his youth when he decides to follow the ill advice given by his young friends. Psalms 94:3-4 says this: "How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant? They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting." Rehoboam was doing exactly this when he responded to the Israelites, being arrogant and boasting instead of being compassionate. (Psalms 112:4 emphasizes the importance of compassion and how God blesses those who are compassionate.)
Notice that both of the verses that I cited about the situation were found in Psalms. These were (likely) writings from David, or at least were likely available by the time of Rehoboam. Too bad that he did not read them.

3. Did God do this? - In II Chronicles 11:4, God tells the kingdom of Judah (as it would become after this split) not to go to war with what would become the kingdom of Israel. He says it is His doing (the split). Perhaps the appropriate way to phrase this would be that He allowed it because of Solomon's sins (and Rehoboam's subsequent arrogance / boasts). It is important to understand that all good things come from God. This was not a good thing for the Israelite nation, but it was as a result of sin, so God allowed it. This is similar to some of the bad things that have happened recently to the US. The planes that ran into the World Trade Centers were allowed to do this because the US (as a nation) has continued to walk apart from God (and continues to get further away).

4. In II Chronicles 12:13 it records that Rehoboam was 41 years old when he became king. If you refer back to item #2 you will see that Rehoboam acted immaturely and rashly. It is interesting to see how he acted so immaturely at the age of 41. I have always maintained that age is not always the best indicator of maturity, but rather the degree to which one follows God's word is more of an indicator. This is why I Timothy 4:12 instructs Timothy not to worry about his age, but rather to be an example for others to follow.

No Dewey Decimal System

From II Chronicles 7 - 9:

1. Can you imagine making a prayer and then seeing fire come down from heaven and consume the offering that you were making? Wow!!!! I think I would be talking about that for years and years in my testimony!

2. God promised to bless David's descendants. However, what God promised to Solomon (by speaking to him - another thing I would be talking about for years in my testimony) had definite conditions. He had to continue to follow God and not worship idols. God already knew what would happen, because I am sure that by this point Solomon had already begun taking too many wives.

3. I think II Chronicles 8:11 pretty much tells where the problem was going to be, as he built a separate place for his wife from Egypt, in spite of the fact that he had admitted by doing this that she would not be pleasing to God.

4. No Dewey Decimal System - It says that all the things Solomon did were recorded in the records of Nathan the prophet, the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and the visions of Iddo the seer. I wonder what happened to all these records. Did the royal librarian not do their job and keep these accounts safe? Or was it because they did not yet have the Dewey Decimal system?

5. I also wonder why it lists Iddo the seer's account regarding Jeroboam as having information about Solomon.

Indiana Jones Notes

From II Chronicles 4 - 6:

1. II Chronicles 3:18 says that there was quite a large number of bronze items made - to the point that the weight of the items could not be determined. I read recently that a group of archeologists found a place in Israel that was originally a place where there was a large amount of metal processing (perhaps it was bronze - I can't recall) and they directly attributed it to Solomon's time based upon some form of dating / aging.

2. It is interesting that it mentions bringing the Ark of the Lord's Covenant from Zion to Jerusalem. I wonder if that meant from a particular place in Jerusalem (like the forbidden city in China - bringing something into Beijing to there), or if there was some other meaning.

3. It again mentions that the Ark and Tent of Meeting were brought up - not sure from where. Another idea is that (since Jerusalem is on a hill, as I understand it) the Tent of Meeting / Ark were down below - maybe at the base of the hill or something along those lines.

4. It says that the amount of animals sacrificed could not even be counted. Now that is amazing! I wish everyone were as excited about serving God and giving to Him as they were at this time.

5. Indiana Jones Notes - At this point there was only the two tablets contained in the Ark. This might be valuable information if you are Indiana Jones - as you will be able to identify the real Ark vs. a fake.

6. The prayer recorded that Solomon made to God is really awesome. He mentions that only God can see the heart. This goes hand in hand with I Samuel 16:7.

7. It is interesting that Solomon even intercedes on the behalf of foreigners - that they also have the privilege of praying there to God and having their prayers be heard.

Meet Bob, my fireplace! And here is Charlene, our sofa!

From II Chronicles 1 - 3:

1. God was pleased that Solomon was interested in doing a good job with the task he had been given by God - that of being king. It is important that we try to do our best at the tasks that God gives us too, whether they include raising children, being a missionary or minister or working in a workplace somewhere. We should seek to do it with all of our heart, as unto the Lord - so that He will be pleased and His name will be glorified. It was because of this attitude that God blessed Solomon greatly with many other things.

2.Solomon does a great job of being a good witness early on - even the king of Tyre praises God for the fact that Solomon is a wise king. That should be the purpose of us doing a good job - not for our own praise, but rather so that God will be praised.

3. Being an alien in Israel meant hard work. However, I am wondering about this, because later we will see that the people of Israel complained to his son Rehoboam about all the work they had to do for Solomon. I am certain that the number of people listed is aliens, because God would have punished Solomon if he had counted the fighting men that David wanted to count (also the number is too small), but I am wondering what the rest of the Israelite people had to do in this effort (other than supervising).

4. I wonder what is significant about the gold of Parvaim. Is it more pure, of a better quality, or just harder to obtain? Could one tell from inspection that the gold was of this type?

5. Meet Bob, my fireplace! And here is Charlene, our sofa! - I also wonder why the pillars were named. Just suppose that we went around naming architectural features of our houses. What a different world it would be.

A Note and three chapters

I again want to thank my faithful readers for reading more faithfully than I have been writing. I apologize. We will see how long I can sustain the effort to blog this time. God bless.

From I Chronicles 27 - 29:

1. In Chronicles 27:23 it says that David did not take the number of men below the age of 20. That is an interesting fact.

2.I had no idea that David had an uncle named Jonathan who was a man of insight.

3. I also never realized that David had a great hand in the original design of the Temple, though he did not actually build it himself.