Sunday, August 31, 2014
Joel 2:11-14
GOD's Judgment Day — great and terrible.
Who can possibly survive this?
12 Change Your Life
But there's also this, it's not too late —
GOD's personal Message! —
"Come back to me and really mean it!
Come fasting and weeping, sorry for your sins!"
13 Change your life, not just your clothes.
Come back to GOD, your God.
And here's why: God is kind and merciful.
He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot,
This most patient God, extravagant in love,
always ready to cancel catastrophe.
14 Who knows? Maybe he'll do it now,
maybe he'll turn around and show pity
Hos 13:4-6
I'm still your GOD,
the God who saved you out of Egypt.
I'm the only real God you've ever known.
I'm the one and only God who delivers.
5 I took care of you during the wilderness hard times,
those years when you had nothing.
6 I took care of you, took care of all your needs,
gave you everything you needed.
You were spoiled. You thought you didn't need me.
You forgot me.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Hos 11:1-5
When Israel was only a child, I loved him.
I called out, 'My son!' — called him out of Egypt.
2 But when others called him,
he ran off and left me.
He worshiped the popular sex gods,
he played at religion with toy gods.
3 Still, I stuck with him. I led Ephraim.
I rescued him from human bondage,
But he never acknowledged my help,
4 never admitted that I was the one pulling his wagon,
That I lifted him, like a baby, to my cheek,
that I bent down to feed him.
5 Now he wants to go back to Egypt or go over to Assyria —
anything but return to me!
Dan 10-12:13
In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was made plain to Daniel, whose Babylonian name was Belteshazzar. The message was true. It dealt with a big war. He understood the message, the understanding coming by revelation:
2 "During those days, I, Daniel, went into mourning over Jerusalem for three weeks. 3 I ate only plain and simple food, no seasoning or meat or wine. I neither bathed nor shaved until the three weeks were up.
4 "On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris. 5 I looked up and to my surprise saw a man dressed in linen with a belt of pure gold around his waist. 6 His body was hard and glistening, as if sculpted from a precious stone, his face radiant, his eyes bright and penetrating like torches, his arms and feet glistening like polished bronze, and his voice, deep and resonant, sounded like a huge choir of voices.
7 "I, Daniel, was the only one to see this. The men who were with me, although they didn't see it, were overcome with fear and ran off and hid, fearing the worst. 8 Left alone after the appearance, abandoned by my friends, I went weak in the knees, the blood drained from my face.
9 "I heard his voice. At the sound of it I fainted, fell flat on the ground, face in the dirt. 10 A hand touched me and pulled me to my hands and knees.
11 "'Daniel,' he said, 'man of quality, listen carefully to my message. And get up on your feet. Stand at attention. I've been sent to bring you news.'
"When he had said this, I stood up, but I was still shaking.
12 "'Relax, Daniel,' he continued, 'don't be afraid. From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you. 13 But I was waylaid by the angel-prince of the kingdom of Persia 14 and was delayed for a good three weeks. But then Michael, one of the chief angel-princes, intervened to help me. I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia. And now I'm here to help you understand what will eventually happen to your people. The vision has to do with what's ahead.'
15 "While he was saying all this, I looked at the ground and said nothing. 16 Then I was surprised by something like a human hand that touched my lips. I opened my mouth and started talking to the messenger: 'When I saw you, master, I was terror-stricken. My knees turned to water. I couldn't move. 17 How can I, a lowly servant, speak to you, my master? I'm paralyzed. I can hardly breathe!'
18 "Then this humanlike figure touched me again and gave me strength. 19 He said, 'Don't be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.'
"Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, 'Go ahead, let my master speak. You've given me courage.'
20 "He said, 'Do you know why I've come here to you? I now have to go back to fight against the angel-prince of Persia, and when I get him out of the way, the angel-prince of Greece will arrive. 21 But first let me tell you what's written in The True Book. No one helps me in my fight against these beings except Michael, your angel-prince.
Daniel 11
11:1 "'And I, in my turn, have been helping him out as best I can ever since the first year in the reign of Darius the Mede.'
2 The Kings of the South and the North
"'But now let me tell you the truth of how things stand: Three more kings of Persia will show up, and then a fourth will become richer than all of them. When he senses that he is powerful enough as a result of his wealth, he will go to war against the entire kingdom of Greece.
3 "'Then a powerful king will show up and take over a huge territory and run things just as he pleases. 4 But at the height of his power, with everything seemingly under control, his kingdom will split into four parts, like the four points of the compass. But his heirs won't get in on it. There will be no continuity with his kingship. Others will tear it to pieces and grab whatever they can get for themselves.
5 "'Next the king of the south will grow strong, but one of his princes will grow stronger than he and rule an even larger territory. 6 After a few years, the two of them will make a pact, and the daughter of the king of the south will marry the king of the north to cement the peace agreement. But her influence will weaken and her child will not survive. She and her servants, her child, and her husband will be betrayed.
"'Sometime later 7 a member of the royal family will show up and take over. He will take command of his army and invade the defenses of the king of the north and win a resounding victory. 8 He will load up their tin gods and all the gold and silver trinkets that go with them and cart them off to Egypt. Eventually, the king of the north will recover 9 and invade the country of the king of the south, but unsuccessfully. He will have to retreat.
10 "'But then his sons will raise a huge army and rush down like a flood, a torrential attack, on the defenses of the south.
11 "'Furious, the king of the south will come out and engage the king of the north and his huge army in battle and rout them. 12 As the corpses are cleared from the field, the king, inflamed with bloodlust, will go on a bloodletting rampage, massacring tens of thousands. But his victory won't last long, 13 for the king of the north will put together another army bigger than the last one, and after a few years he'll come back to do battle again with his immense army and endless supplies.
14 "'In those times, many others will get into the act and go off to fight against the king of the south. Hotheads from your own people, drunk on dreams, will join them. But they'll sputter out.
15 "'When the king of the north arrives, he'll build siege works and capture the outpost fortress city. The armies of the south will fall to pieces before him. Not even their famous commando shock troops will slow down the attacker. 16 He'll march in big as you please, as if he owned the place. He'll take over that beautiful country, Palestine, and make himself at home in it. 17 Then he'll proceed to get everything, lock, stock, and barrel, in his control. He'll cook up a peace treaty and even give his daughter in marriage to the king of the south in a plot to destroy him totally. But the plot will fizzle. It won't succeed.
18 "'Later, he'll turn his attention to the coastal regions and capture a bunch of prisoners, but a general will step in and put a stop to his bullying ways. The bully will be bullied! 19 He'll go back home and tend to his own military affairs. But by then he'll be washed up and soon will be heard of no more.
20 "'He will be replaced shortly by a real loser, his rule, reputation, and authority already in shreds. And he won't last long. He'll slip out of history quietly, without even a fight.
21 "'His place will be taken by a reject, a man spurned and passed over for advancement. He'll surprise everyone, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and will seize the kingdom. 22 He'll come in like a steamroller, flattening the opposition. Even the Prince of the Covenant will be crushed. 23 After negotiating a cease-fire, he'll betray its terms. With a few henchmen, he'll take total control. 24 Arbitrarily and impulsively, he'll invade the richest provinces. He'll surpass all his ancestors, near and distant, in his rape of the country, grabbing and looting, living with his cronies in corrupt and lavish luxury.
"'He will make plans against the fortress cities, but they'll turn out to be shortsighted. 25 He'll get a great army together, all charged up to fight the king of the south. The king of the south in response will get his army — an even greater army — in place, ready to fight. But he won't be able to sustain that intensity for long because of the treacherous intrigue 26 in his own ranks, his court having been honeycombed with vicious plots. His army will be smashed, the battlefield filled with corpses.
27 "'The two kings, each with evil designs on the other, will sit at the conference table and trade lies. Nothing will come of the treaty, which is nothing but a tissue of lies anyway. But that's not the end of it. There's more to this story.
28 "'The king of the north will go home loaded down with plunder, but his mind will be set on destroying the holy covenant as he passes through the country on his way home.
29 "'One year later he will mount a fresh invasion of the south. But the second invasion won't compare to the first. 30 When the Roman ships arrive, he will turn tail and go back home. But as he passes through the country, he will be filled with anger at the holy covenant. He will take up with all those who betray the holy covenant, favoring them. 31 The bodyguards surrounding him will march in and desecrate the Sanctuary and citadel. They'll throw out the daily worship and set up in its place the obscene sacrilege. 32 The king of the north will play up to those who betray the holy covenant, corrupting them even further with his seductive talk, but those who stay courageously loyal to their God will take a strong stand.
33 "'Those who keep their heads on straight will teach the crowds right from wrong by their example. They'll be put to severe testing for a season: some killed, some burned, some exiled, some robbed. 34 When the testing is intense, they'll get some help, but not much. Many of the helpers will be halfhearted at best. 35 The testing will refine, cleanse, and purify those who keep their heads on straight and stay true, for there is still more to come.
36 "'Meanwhile, the king of the north will do whatever he pleases. He'll puff himself up and posture himself as greater than any god. He will even dare to brag and boast in defiance of the God of gods. And he'll get by with it for a while — until this time of wrathful judgment is completed, for what is decreed must be done. 37 He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, not even that popular favorite among women, Adonis. Contemptuous of every god and goddess, the king of the north will puff himself up greater than all of them. 38 He'll even stoop to despising the God of the holy ones, and in the place where God is worshiped he will put on exhibit, with a lavish show of silver and gold and jewels, a new god that no one has ever heard of. 39 Marching under the banner of a strange god, he will attack the key fortresses. He will promote everyone who falls into line behind this god, putting them in positions of power and paying them off with grants of land.
40 "'In the final wrap-up of this story, the king of the south will confront him. But the king of the north will come at him like a tornado. Unleashing chariots and horses and an armada of ships, he'll blow away anything in his path. 41 As he enters the beautiful land, people will fall before him like dominoes. Only Edom, Moab, and a few Ammonites will escape. 42 As he reaches out, grabbing country after country, not even Egypt will be exempt. 43 He will confiscate the treasuries of Egyptian gold and silver and other valuables. The Libyans and Ethiopians will fall in with him. 44 Then disturbing reports will come in from the north and east that will throw him into a panic. Towering in rage, he'll rush to stamp out the threat. 45 But he'll no sooner have pitched camp between the Mediterranean Sea and the Holy Mountain — all those royal tents! — than he'll meet his end. And not a soul around who can help!
Daniel 12
12:1 The Worst Trouble the World Has Ever Seen
"'That's when Michael, the great angel-prince, champion of your people, will step in. It will be a time of trouble, the worst trouble the world has ever seen. But your people will be saved from the trouble, every last one found written in the Book. 2 Many who have been long dead and buried will wake up, some to eternal life, others to eternal shame.
3 "'Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.
4 "'This is a confidential report, Daniel, for your eyes and ears only. Keep it secret. Put the book under lock and key until the end. In the interim there is going to be a lot of frantic running around, trying to figure out what's going on.'
5 "As I, Daniel, took all this in, two figures appeared, one standing on this bank of the river and one on the other bank. 6 One of them asked a third man who was dressed in linen and who straddled the river, 'How long is this astonishing story to go on?'
7 "The man dressed in linen, who straddled the river, raised both hands to the skies. I heard him solemnly swear by the Eternal One that it would be a time, two times, and half a time, that when the oppressor of the holy people was brought down the story would be complete.
8 "I heard all this plainly enough, but I didn't understand it. So I asked, 'Master, can you explain this to me?'
9 "'Go on about your business, Daniel,' he said. 'The message is confidential and under lock and key until the end, until things are about to be wrapped up. 10 The populace will be washed clean and made like new. But the wicked will just keep on being wicked, without a clue about what is happening. Those who live wisely and well will understand what's going on.'
11 "From the time that the daily worship is banished from the Temple and the obscene desecration is set up in its place, there will be 1,290 days.
12 "Blessed are those who patiently make it through the 1,335 days.
13 "And you? Go about your business without fretting or worrying. Relax. When it's all over, you will be on your feet to receive your reward."
Dan 9:2-27
I, Daniel, was meditating on the Scriptures that gave, according to the Word of GOD to the prophet Jeremiah, the number of years that Jerusalem had to lie in ruins, namely, seventy. 3 I turned to the Master God, asking for an answer — praying earnestly, fasting from meals, wearing rough penitential burlap, and kneeling in the ashes. 4 I poured out my heart, baring my soul to GOD, my God:
"'O Master, great and august God. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you and do what you say. 5 Yet we have sinned in every way imaginable. We've done evil things, rebelled, dodged and taken detours around your clearly marked paths. 6 We've turned a deaf ear to your servants the prophets, who preached your Word to our kings and leaders, our parents, and all the people in the land. 7 You have done everything right, Master, but all we have to show for our lives is guilt and shame, the whole lot of us — people of Judah, citizens of Jerusalem, Israel at home and Israel in exile in all the places we've been banished to because of our betrayal of you. 8 Oh yes, GOD, we've been exposed in our shame, all of us — our kings, leaders, parents — before the whole world. And deservedly so, because of our sin.
9 "'Compassion is our only hope, the compassion of you, the Master, our God, since in our rebellion we've forfeited our rights. 10 We paid no attention to you when you told us how to live, the clear teaching that came through your servants the prophets. 11 All of us in Israel ignored what you said. We defied your instructions and did what we pleased. And now we're paying for it: The solemn curse written out plainly in the revelation to God's servant Moses is now doing its work among us, the wages of our sin against you. 12 You did to us and our rulers what you said you would do: You brought this catastrophic disaster on us, the worst disaster on record — and in Jerusalem!
13 "'Just as written in God's revelation to Moses, the catastrophe was total. Nothing was held back. We kept at our sinning, never giving you a second thought, oblivious to your clear warning, 14 and so you had no choice but to let the disaster loose on us in full force. You, our GOD, had a perfect right to do this since we persistently and defiantly ignored you.
15 "'Master, you are our God, for you delivered your people from the land of Egypt in a show of power — people are still talking about it! We confess that we have sinned, that we have lived bad lives. 16 Following the lines of what you have always done in setting things right, setting people right, please stop being so angry with Jerusalem, your very own city, your holy mountain. We know it's our fault that this has happened, all because of our sins and our parents' sins, and now we're an embarrassment to everyone around us. We're a blot on the neighborhood. 17 So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are.
18 "'Turn your ears our way, God, and listen. Open your eyes and take a long look at our ruined city, this city named after you. We know that we don't deserve a hearing from you. Our appeal is to your compassion. This prayer is our last and only hope:
19 "'Master, listen to us!Master, forgive us!Master, look at us and do something!Master, don't put us off!Your city and your people are named after you:You have a stake in us!'
20 Seventy Sevens
"While I was pouring out my heart, baring my sins and the sins of my people Israel, praying my life out before my God, interceding for the holy mountain of my God 21 — while I was absorbed in this praying, the humanlike Gabriel, the one I had seen in an earlier vision, approached me, flying in like a bird about the time of evening worship.
22 "He stood before me and said, 'Daniel, I have come to make things plain to you. 23 You had no sooner started your prayer when the answer was given. And now I'm here to deliver the answer to you. You are much loved! So listen carefully to the answer, the plain meaning of what is revealed:
24 "'Seventy sevens are set for your people and for your holy city to throttle rebellion, stop sin, wipe out crime, set things right forever, confirm what the prophet saw, and anoint The Holy of Holies.
25 "'Here is what you must understand: From the time the word goes out to rebuild Jerusalem until the coming of the Anointed Leader, there will be seven sevens. The rebuilding will take sixty-two sevens, including building streets and digging a moat. Those will be rough times. 26 After the sixty-two sevens, the Anointed Leader will be killed — the end of him. The city and Sanctuary will be laid in ruins by the army of the newly arriving leader. The end will come in a rush, like a flood. War will rage right up to the end, desolation the order of the day.
27 "'Then for one seven, he will forge many and strong alliances, but halfway through the seven he will banish worship and prayers. At the place of worship, a desecrating obscenity will be set up and remain until finally the desecrator himself is decisively destroyed.'"
Dan 8:1-27
another vision came to me, Daniel. This was now the second vision.
2 "In the vision, I saw myself in Susa, the capital city of the province Elam, standing at the Ulai Canal. 3 Looking around, I was surprised to see a ram also standing at the gate. The ram had two huge horns, one bigger than the other, but the bigger horn was the last to appear. 4 I watched as the ram charged: first west, then north, then south. No beast could stand up to him. He did just as he pleased, strutting as if he were king of the beasts.
5 "While I was watching this, wondering what it all meant, I saw a billy goat with an immense horn in the middle of its forehead come up out of the west and fly across the whole country, not once touching the ground. 6 The billy goat approached the double-horned ram that I had earlier seen standing at the gate and, enraged, charged it viciously. 7 I watched as, mad with rage, it charged the ram and hit it so hard that it broke off its two horns. The ram didn't stand a chance against it. The billy goat knocked the ram to the ground and stomped all over it. Nothing could have saved the ram from the goat.
8 "Then the billy goat swelled to an enormous size. At the height of its power its immense horn broke off and four other big horns sprouted in its place, pointing to the four points of the compass. 9 And then from one of these big horns another horn sprouted. It started small, but then grew to an enormous size, facing south and east — toward lovely Palestine. 10 The horn grew tall, reaching to the stars, the heavenly army, and threw some of the stars to the earth and stomped on them. 11 It even dared to challenge the power of God, Prince of the Celestial Army! And then it threw out daily worship and desecrated the Sanctuary. 12 As judgment against their sin, the holy people of God got the same treatment as the daily worship. The horn cast God's Truth aside. High-handed, it took over everything and everyone.
13 "Then I overheard two holy angels talking. One asked, 'How long is what we see here going to last — the abolishing of daily worship, this devastating judgment against sin, the kicking around of God's holy people and the Sanctuary?'
14 "The other answered, 'Over the course of 2,300 sacrifices, evening and morning. Then the Sanctuary will be set right again.'
15 "While I, Daniel, was trying to make sense of what I was seeing, suddenly there was a humanlike figure standing before me.
16 "Then I heard a man's voice from over by the Ulai Canal calling out, 'Gabriel, tell this man what is going on. Explain the vision to him.' 17 He came up to me, but when he got close I became terrified and fell facedown on the ground.
"He said, 'Understand that this vision has to do with the time of the end.' 18 As soon as he spoke, I fainted, my face in the dirt. But he picked me up and put me on my feet.
19 "And then he continued, 'I want to tell you what is going to happen as the judgment days of wrath wind down, for there is going to be an end to all this.
20 "'The double-horned ram you saw stands for the two kings of the Medes and Persians. 21 The billy goat stands for the kingdom of the Greeks. The huge horn on its forehead is the first Greek king. 22 The four horns that sprouted after it was broken off are the four kings that come after him, but without his power.
23 "'As their kingdoms cool down and rebellions heat up,A king will show up,hard-faced, a master trickster. 24 His power will swell enormously.He'll talk big, high-handedly,Doing whatever he pleases,knocking off heroes and holy ones left and right. 25 He'll plot and scheme to make crime flourish — and oh, how it will flourish!He'll think he's invincible and get rid of anyone who gets in his way.But when he takes on the Prince of all princes,he'll be smashed to bits — but not by human hands.
26 This vision of the 2,300 sacrifices, evening and morning,is accurate but confidential.Keep it to yourself.It refers to the far future.'
27 "I, Daniel, walked around in a daze, unwell for days. Then I got a grip on myself and went back to work taking care of the king's affairs. But I continued to be upset by the vision. I couldn't make sense of it.
Dan 71-:28
Daniel had a dream. What he saw as he slept in his bed terrified him — a real nightmare. Then he wrote out his dream:
2 "In my dream that night I saw the four winds of heaven whipping up a great storm on the sea. 3 Four huge animals, each different from the others, ascended out of the sea.
4 "The first animal looked like a lion, but it had the wings of an eagle. While I watched, its wings were pulled off. It was then pulled erect so that it was standing on two feet like a man. Then a human heart was placed in it.
5 "Then I saw a second animal that looked like a bear. It lurched from side to side, holding three ribs in its jaws. It was told, 'Attack! Devour! Fill your belly!'
6 "Next I saw another animal. This one looked like a panther. It had four birdlike wings on its back. This animal had four heads and was made to rule.
7 "After that, a fourth animal appeared in my dream. This one was a grisly horror — hideous. It had huge iron teeth. It crunched and swallowed its victims. Anything left over, it trampled into the ground. It was different from the other animals — this one was a real monster. It had ten horns.
8 "As I was staring at the horns and trying to figure out what they meant, another horn sprouted up, a little horn. Three of the original horns were pulled out to make room for it. There were human eyes in this little horn, and a big mouth speaking arrogantly.
9 "As I was watching all this,
"Thrones were set in place and The Old One sat down.His robes were white as snow,his hair was white like wool.His throne was flaming with fire,its wheels blazing. 10 A river of fire poured out of the throne.Thousands upon thousands served him,tens of thousands attended him.The courtroom was called to order,and the books were opened.
11 "I kept watching. The little horn was speaking arrogantly. Then, as I watched, the monster was killed and its body cremated in a roaring fire. 12 The other animals lived on for a limited time, but they didn't really do anything, had no power to rule. 13 My dream continued.
"I saw a human form, a son of man,arriving in a whirl of clouds.He came to The Old One and was presented to him. 14 He was given power to rule — all the glory of royalty.Everyone — race, color, and creed — had to serve him.His rule would be forever, never ending.His kingly rule would never be replaced.
15 "But as for me, Daniel, I was disturbed. All these dream-visions had me agitated. 16 So I went up to one of those standing by and asked him the meaning of all this. And he told me, interpreting the dream for me: 17 "'These four huge animals,' he said, 'mean that four kingdoms will appear on earth. 18 But eventually the holy people of the High God will be given the kingdom and have it ever after — yes, forever and ever.'
19 "But I wanted to know more. I was curious about the fourth animal, the one so different from the others, the hideous monster with the iron teeth and the bronze claws, gulping down what it ripped to pieces and trampling the leftovers into the dirt. 20 And I wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and the other horn that sprouted up while three of the original horns were removed. This new horn had eyes and a big mouth and spoke arrogantly, dominating the other horns. 21 I watched as this horn was making war on God's holy people and getting the best of them. 22 But then The Old One intervened and decided things in favor of the people of the High God. In the end, God's holy people took over the kingdom.
23 "The bystander continued, telling me this: 'The fourth animal is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from the first three kingdoms, a monster kingdom that will chew up everyone in sight and spit them out. 24 The ten horns are ten kings, one after another, that will come from this kingdom. But then another king will arrive. He will be different from the earlier kings. He will begin by toppling three kings. 25 Then he will blaspheme the High God, persecute the followers of the High God, and try to get rid of sacred worship and moral practice. God's holy people will be persecuted by him for a time, two times, half a time.
26 "'But when the court comes to order, the horn will be stripped of its power and totally destroyed. 27 Then the royal rule and the authority and the glory of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the people of the High God. Their royal rule will last forever. All other rulers will serve and obey them.'
28 "And there it ended. I, Daniel, was in shock. I was like a man who had seen a ghost. But I kept it all to myself.
Dan 6:5-24
We're never going to find anything against this Daniel unless we can cook up something religious."
6 The vice-regents and governors conspired together and then went to the king and said, "King Darius, live forever! 7 We've convened your vice-regents, governors, and all your leading officials, and have agreed that the king should issue the following decree:
For the next thirty days no one is to pray to any god or mortal except you, O king. Anyone who disobeys will be thrown into the lions' den.
8 "Issue this decree, O king, and make it unconditional, as if written in stone like all the laws of the Medes and the Persians."
9 King Darius signed the decree.
10 When Daniel learned that the decree had been signed and posted, he continued to pray just as he had always done. His house had windows in the upstairs that opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt there in prayer, thanking and praising his God.
11 The conspirators came and found him praying, asking God for help. 12 They went straight to the king and reminded him of the royal decree that he had signed. "Did you not," they said, "sign a decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god or man except you for the next thirty days? And anyone caught doing it would be thrown into the lions' den?"
"Absolutely," said the king. "Written in stone, like all the laws of the Medes and Persians."
13 Then they said, "Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, ignores you, O king, and defies your decree. Three times a day he prays."
14 At this, the king was very upset and tried his best to get Daniel out of the fix he'd put him in. He worked at it the whole day long.
15 But then the conspirators were back: "Remember, O king, it's the law of the Medes and Persians that the king's decree can never be changed."
16 The king caved in and ordered Daniel brought and thrown into the lions' den. But he said to Daniel, "Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this."
17 A stone slab was placed over the opening of the den. The king sealed the cover with his signet ring and the signet rings of all his nobles, fixing Daniel's fate.
18 The king then went back to his palace. He refused supper. He couldn't sleep. He spent the night fasting.
19 At daybreak the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 As he approached the den, he called out anxiously, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve so loyally, saved you from the lions?"
21 "O king, live forever!" said Daniel. 22 "My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me. I've been found innocent before God and also before you, O king. I've done nothing to harm you."
23 When the king heard these words, he was happy. He ordered Daniel taken up out of the den. When he was hauled up, there wasn't a scratch on him. He had trusted his God.
24 Then the king commanded that the conspirators who had informed on Daniel be thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. Before they hit the floor, the lions had them in their jaws, tearing them to pieces.
Dan 5:13-30
Daniel was called in. The king asked him, "Are you the Daniel who was one of the Jewish exiles my father brought here from Judah? 14 I've heard about you — that you're full of the Holy Spirit, that you've got a brilliant mind, that you are incredibly wise. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought in here to read this writing on the wall and interpret it for me. They couldn't figure it out — not a word, not a syllable. 16 But I've heard that you interpret dreams and solve mysteries. So — if you can read the writing and interpret it for me, you'll be rich and famous — a purple robe, the great gold chain around your neck — and third-in-command in the kingdom."
17 Daniel answered the king, "You can keep your gifts, or give them to someone else. But I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18 "Listen, O king! The High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom and a glorious reputation. 19 Because God made him so famous, people from everywhere, whatever their race, color, and creed, were totally intimidated by him. He killed or spared people on whim. He promoted or humiliated people capriciously. 20 He developed a big head and a hard spirit. Then God knocked him off his high horse and stripped him of his fame. 21 He was thrown out of human company, lost his mind, and lived like a wild animal. He ate grass like an ox and was soaked by heaven's dew until he learned his lesson: that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts anyone he wants in charge.
22 "You are his son and have known all this, yet you're as arrogant as he ever was. 23 Look at you, setting yourself up in competition against the Master of heaven! You had the sacred chalices from his Temple brought into your drunken party so that you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines, could drink from them. You used the sacred chalices to toast your gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone — blind, deaf, and imbecile gods. But you treat with contempt the living God who holds your entire life from birth to death in his hand.
24 "God sent the hand that wrote on the wall, 25 and this is what is written: MENE, TEQEL, and PERES. 26 This is what the words mean:
"Mene: God has numbered the days of your rule and they don't add up.
27 "Teqel: You have been weighed on the scales and you don't weigh much.
28 "Peres: Your kingdom has been divided up and handed over to the Medes and Persians."
29 Belshazzar did what he had promised. He robed Daniel in purple, draped the great gold chain around his neck, and promoted him to third-in-charge in the kingdom.
30 That same night the Babylonian king Belshazzar was murdered
Dan 4:19-37
At first Daniel, who had been renamed Belteshazzar in Babylon, was upset. The thoughts that came swarming into his mind terrified him.
"Belteshazzar," the king said, "stay calm. Don't let the dream and its interpretation scare you."
"My master," said Belteshazzar, "I wish this dream were about your enemies and its interpretation for your foes.
20 "The tree you saw that grew so large and sturdy with its top touching the sky, visible from the four corners of the world; 21 the tree with the luxuriant foliage and abundant fruit, enough for everyone; the tree under which animals took cover and in which birds built nests 22 — you, O king, are that tree.
"You have grown great and strong. Your royal majesty reaches sky-high, and your sovereign rule stretches to the four corners of the world. 23 "But the part about the holy angel descending from heaven and proclaiming, 'Chop down the tree, destroy it, but leave stump and roots in the ground belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow; let him be soaked with heaven's dew and take his meals with the grazing animals for seven seasons' 24 — this, O king, also refers to you. It means that the High God has sentenced my master the king:
25 You will be driven away from human company and live with the wild animals. You will graze on grass like an ox. You will be soaked in heaven's dew. This will go on for seven seasons, and you will learn that the High God rules over human kingdoms and that he arranges all kingdom affairs.
26 "The part about the tree stump and roots being left means that your kingdom will still be there for you after you learn that it is heaven that runs things.
27 "So, king, take my advice: Make a clean break with your sins and start living for others. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out. Then you will continue to have a good life."
28 The Loss and Regaining of a Mind and a Kingdom
All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Just twelve months later, he was walking on the balcony of the royal palace in Babylon 30 and boasted, "Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honor and glory!"
31 The words were no sooner out of his mouth than a voice out of heaven spoke, "This is the verdict on you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your kingdom is taken from you. 32 You will be driven out of human company and live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like an ox. The sentence is for seven seasons, enough time to learn that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts whomever he wishes in charge."
33 It happened at once. Nebuchadnezzar was driven out of human company, ate grass like an ox, and was soaked in heaven's dew. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a hawk.
34 "At the end of the seven years, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked to heaven. I was given my mind back and I blessed the High God, thanking and glorifying God, who lives forever.
"His sovereign rule lasts and lasts,his kingdom never declines and falls. 35 Life on this earth doesn't add up to much,but God's heavenly army keeps everything going.No one can interrupt his work,no one can call his rule into question.
36 "At the same time that I was given back my mind, I was also given back my majesty and splendor, making my kingdom shine. All the leaders and important people came looking for me. I was reestablished as king in my kingdom and became greater than ever. 37 And that's why I'm singing — I, Nebuchadnezzar — singing and praising the King of Heaven:
"Everything he does is right,and he does it the right way.He knows how to turn a proud person into a humble man or woman."
Dan 3:24-27
24 Suddenly King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm and said, "Didn't we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?"
"That's right, O king," they said.
25 "But look!" he said. "I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!"
26 Nebuchadnezzar went to the door of the roaring furnace and called in, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the High God, come out here!"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked out of the fire.
27 All the important people, the government leaders and king's counselors, gathered around to examine them and discovered that the fire hadn't so much as touched the three men — not a hair singed, not a scorch mark on their clothes, not even the smell of fire on them!
Dan 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. 17 If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. 18 But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up."
Dan 2:37-45
The God of heaven has given you the works: rule, power, strength, and glory. 38 He has put you in charge of men and women, wild animals and birds, all over the world — you're the head ruler, you are the head of gold. 39 But your rule will be taken over by another kingdom, inferior to yours, and that one by a third, a bronze kingdom, but still ruling the whole land, 40 and after that by a fourth kingdom, iron-like in strength. Just as iron smashes things to bits, breaking and pulverizing, it will bust up the previous kingdoms.
41 "But then the feet and toes that ended up as a mixture of ceramic and iron will deteriorate into a mongrel kingdom with some remains of iron in it. Just as the toes of the feet were part ceramic and part iron, 42 it will end up a mixed bag of the breakable and unbreakable. 43 That kingdom won't bond, won't hold together any more than iron and clay hold together.
44 "But throughout the history of these kingdoms, the God of heaven will be building a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom ever fall under the domination of another. In the end it will crush the other kingdoms and finish them off and come through it all standing strong and eternal. 45 It will be like the stone cut from the mountain by the invisible hand that crushed the iron, the bronze, the ceramic, the silver, and the gold.
"The great God has let the king know what will happen in the years to come. This is an accurate telling of the dream, and the interpretation is also accurate
Dan 2:26-28
26 The king asked Daniel (renamed in Babylonian, Belteshazzar), "Are you sure you can do this — tell me the dream I had and interpret it for me?"
27 Daniel answered the king, "No mere human can solve the king's mystery, I don't care who it is — no wise man, enchanter, magician, diviner. 28 But there is a God in heaven who solves mysteries, and he has solved this one
Daniel gave the credit to God!
Dan 2:19-23
the answer to the mystery was given to Daniel in a vision. Daniel blessed the God of heaven, 20 saying,
"Blessed be the name of God,
forever and ever.
He knows all, does all:
21 He changes the seasons and guides history,
He raises up kings and also brings them down,
he provides both intelligence and discernment,
22 He opens up the depths, tells secrets,
sees in the dark — light spills out of him!
23 God of all my ancestors, all thanks! all praise!
You made me wise and strong.
And now you've shown us what we asked for.
You've solved the king's mystery."
Friday, August 29, 2014
Ezek 20:5-26
"'On the day I chose Israel, I revealed myself to them in the country of Egypt, raising my hand in a solemn oath to the people of Jacob, in which I said, "I am GOD, your personal God." 6 On the same day that I raised my hand in the solemn oath, I promised them that I would take them out of the country of Egypt and bring them into a country that I had searched out just for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, a jewel of a country.
7 "'At that time I told them, "Get rid of all the vile things that you've become addicted to. Don't make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. I alone am GOD, your God."
8 "'But they rebelled against me, wouldn't listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. 9 Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt. 10 And then I did it: I led them out of Egypt into the desert.
11 "'I gave them laws for living, showed them how to live well and obediently before me. 12 I also gave them my weekly holy rest days, my "Sabbaths," a kind of signpost erected between me and them to show them that I, GOD, am in the business of making them holy.
13 "'But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn't follow my statutes. They despised my laws for living well and obediently in the ways I had set out. And they totally desecrated my holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert. 14 But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out. 15 But I did lift my hand in a solemn oath there in the desert and promise them that I would not bring them into the country flowing with milk and honey that I had chosen for them, that jewel among all lands. 16 I canceled my promise because they despised my laws for living obediently, wouldn't follow my statutes, and went ahead and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. They preferred living by their no-god idols. 17 But I didn't go all the way: I didn't wipe them out, didn't finish them off in the desert.
18 "'Then I addressed myself to their children in the desert: "Don't do what your parents did. Don't take up their practices. Don't make yourselves filthy with their no-god idols. 19 I myself am GOD, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws. 20 Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signaling that I am GOD, your God."
21 "'But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert. 22 But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.
23 "'But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and swore that I would scatter them all over the world, disperse them every which way 24 because they didn't keep my laws nor live by my statutes. They desecrated my Sabbaths and remained addicted to the no-god idols of their parents. 25 Since they were determined to live bad lives, I myself gave them statutes that could not produce goodness and laws that did not produce life. 26 I abandoned them. Filthy in the gutter, they perversely sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. The very horror should have shocked them into recognizing that I am GOD.'
Lam 3:37-41
Who do you think "spoke and it happened"?
It's the Master who gives such orders.
38 Doesn't the High God speak everything,
good things and hard things alike, into being?
39 And why would anyone gifted with life
complain when punished for sin?
40 Let's take a good look at the way we're living
and reorder our lives under GOD.
41 Let's lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time,
praying to God in heaven
Lam 3:25-33
25 GOD proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
26 It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from GOD.
27 It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.
28 When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
29 Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
30 Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.
31 Why? Because the Master won't ever
walk out and fail to return.
32 If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
33 He takes no pleasure in making life hard,
in throwing roadblocks in the way:
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Jer 13:15-16
Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don't stay stuck in your ways!
It's GOD's Message we're dealing with here. the world will turn black
before he turns out the lights,
Before you trip and fall
on the dark mountain paths.
The light you always took for granted will go out
and the world will turn black.
the world will turn black
Jer 13:12-14
tell them this: 'GOD's Message, personal from the God of Israel: Every wine jug should be full of wine.'
"And they'll say, 'Of course. We know that. Every wine jug should be full of wine!'
13 "Then you'll say, 'This is what GOD says: Watch closely. I'm going to fill every person who lives in this country — the kings who rule from David's throne, the priests, the prophets, the citizens of Jerusalem — with wine that will make them drunk. 14 And then I'll smash them, smash the wine-filled jugs — old and young alike. Nothing will stop me. Not an ounce of pity or mercy or compassion will slow me down. Every last drunken jug of them will be smashed!'"
Hmm, sounds like Eternity…
Jer 11:1-4
The Message that came to Jeremiah from GOD:
2 "Preach to the people of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem. 3 Tell them this: 'This is GOD's Message, the Message of Israel's God to you. Anyone who does not keep the terms of this covenant is cursed. 4 The terms are clear. I made them plain to your ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt, out of the iron furnace of suffering.
"'Obey what I tell you. Do exactly what I command you. Your obedience will close the deal.
Jer 9:23-24
23 GOD's Message:
"Don't let the wise brag of their wisdom.
Don't let heroes brag of their exploits.
Don't let the rich brag of their riches.
24 If you brag, brag of this and this only:
That you understand and know me.
I'm GOD, and I act in loyal love.
I do what's right and set things right and fair,
and delight in those who do the same things.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Jer 2:18-19
what do you think you'll get by going off to Egypt? Maybe a cool drink of Nile River water? Or what do you think you'll get by going off to Assyria? Maybe a long drink of Euphrates River water? 19 Your evil ways will get you a sound thrashing, that's what you'll get. You'll pay dearly for your disloyal ways
is an eternity in Hell worth the risk?
Isa 59:21
21 "As for me," GOD says, "this is my covenant with them: My Spirit that I've placed upon you and the words that I've given you to speak, they're not going to leave your mouths nor the mouths of your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep repeating these words and won't ever stop." GOD's orders.
do you keep them?
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Isa 55:8-11
8 "I don't think the way you think.
The way you work isn't the way I work."
GOD's Decree.
9 "For as the sky soars high above earth,
so the way I work surpasses the way you work,
and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
10 Just as rain and snow descend from the skies
and don't go back until they've watered the earth,
Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,
producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,
11 So will the words that come out of my mouth
not come back empty-handed.
They'll do the work I sent them to do,
they'll complete the assignment I gave them.
Isa 52:13-53:12
"Just watch my servant blossom!Exalted, tall, head and shoulders above the crowd! 14 But he didn't begin that way. At first everyone was appalled.He didn't even look human — a ruined face, disfigured past recognition. 15 Nations all over the world will be in awe, taken aback,kings shocked into silence when they see him.For what was unheard of they'll see with their own eyes,what was unthinkable they'll have right before them."
Isaiah 53
53:1
Who believes what we've heard and seen?Who would have thought GOD's saving power would look like this?
2 The servant grew up before God — a scrawny seedling,a scrubby plant in a parched field.There was nothing attractive about him,nothing to cause us to take a second look. 3 He was looked down on and passed over,a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.One look at him and people turned away.We looked down on him, thought he was scum. 4 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried — our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.We thought he brought it on himself,that God was punishing him for his own failures. 5 But it was our sins that did that to him,that ripped and tore and crushed him — our sins!He took the punishment, and that made us whole.Through his bruises we get healed. 6 We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,on him, on him. 7 He was beaten, he was tortured,but he didn't say a word.Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared,he took it all in silence. 8 Justice miscarried, and he was led off — and did anyone really know what was happening?He died without a thought for his own welfare,beaten bloody for the sins of my people. 9 They buried him with the wicked,threw him in a grave with a rich man,Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
10 Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along,to crush him with pain.The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it — life, life, and more life.And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him.
11 Out of that terrible travail of soul,he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,will make many "righteous ones,"as he himself carries the burden of their sins. 12 Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly — the best of everything, the highest honors — Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,because he embraced the company of the lowest.He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,he took up the cause of all the black sheep.
Isa 45:9-12
doom to you who fight your Maker — you're a pot at odds with the potter! Does clay talk back to the potter: 'What are you doing? What clumsy fingers!' 10 Would a sperm say to a father, 'Who gave you permission to use me to make a baby?' Or a fetus to a mother, 'Why have you cooped me up in this belly?'" 11 GOD, The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says: "Do you question who or what I'm making? Are you telling me what I can or cannot do? 12 I made earth and I created man and woman to live on it. I handcrafted the skies and direct all the constellations in their turnings
Isa 42:5-10
GOD's Message,
the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies,
laid out the earth and all that grows from it,
Who breathes life into earth's people,
makes them alive with his own life:
6 "I am GOD. I have called you to live right and well.
I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe.
I have set you among my people to bind them to me,
and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
7 To make a start at bringing people into the open, into light:
opening blind eyes,
releasing prisoners from dungeons,
emptying the dark prisons.
8 I am GOD. That's my name.
I don't franchise my glory,
don't endorse the no-god idols.
9 Take note: The earlier predictions of judgment have been fulfilled.
I'm announcing the new salvation work.
Before it bursts on the scene,
I'm telling you all about it."
10 Sing to GOD a brand-new song,
sing his praises all over the world!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Isa 9:6-7
a child has been born — for us!
the gift of a son — for us!
He'll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
7 His ruling authority will grow,
and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He'll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.
He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this
Isa 8:9-10
face the facts, all you oppressors, and then wring your hands.
Listen, all of you, far and near.
Prepare for the worst and wring your hands.
Yes, prepare for the worst and wring your hands!
10 Plan and plot all you want — nothing will come of it.
All your talk is mere talk, empty words,
Because when all is said and done,
the last word is Immanuel — God-With-Us.
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Eccl 5:1-2
Watch your step when you enter God's house.
Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice,
Doing more harm than good.
2 Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.
Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear.
God's in charge, not you — the less you speak, the better.
God gave Solomon wisdom so he knew…
Eccl 1:3-4
What's there to show for a lifetime of work,
a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?
4 One generation goes its way, the next one arrives,
but nothing changes — it's business as usual for old planet earth.
this is VERY DIFFERENT from what society teaches us! Society doesn’t refer to eternity!
Friday, August 22, 2014
Prov 2:2-8
2 Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom;
set your heart on a life of Understanding.
3 That's right — if you make Insight your priority,
and won't take no for an answer,
4 Searching for it like a prospector panning for gold,
like an adventurer on a treasure hunt,
5 Believe me, before you know it Fear-of-GOD will be yours;
you'll have come upon the Knowledge of God.
6 And here's why: GOD gives out Wisdom free,
is plainspoken in Knowledge and Understanding.
7 He's a rich mine of Common Sense for those who live well,
a personal bodyguard to the candid and sincere.
8 He keeps his eye on all who live honestly,
and pays special attention to his loyally committed ones.
GOD gives out Wisdom free...
Prov 1:25-31
Since you laugh at my counsel
and make a joke of my advice,
26 How can I take you seriously?
I'll turn the tables and joke about your troubles!
27 What if the roof falls in,
and your whole life goes to pieces?
What if catastrophe strikes and there's nothing
to show for your life but rubble and ashes?
28 You'll need me then. You'll call for me, but don't expect an answer.
No matter how hard you look, you won't find me.
29 "Because you hated Knowledge
and had nothing to do with the Fear-of-GOD,
30 Because you wouldn't take my advice
and brushed aside all my offers to train you,
31 Well, you've made your bed — now lie in it;
you wanted your own way — now, how do you like it?
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Ps 145:17-21
17 Everything GOD does is right —
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 GOD's there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
19 He does what's best for those who fear him —
hears them call out, and saves them.
20 GOD sticks by all who love him,
but it's all over for those who don't.
21 My mouth is filled with GOD's praise.
Let everything living bless him,
bless his holy name from now to eternity!
Ps 139
GOD, investigate my life;get all the facts firsthand. 2 I'm an open book to you;even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. 3 You know when I leave and when I get back;I'm never out of your sight. 4 You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. 5 I look behind me and you're there,then up ahead and you're there, too — your reassuring presence, coming and going. 6 This is too much, too wonderful — I can't take it all in!
7 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?to be out of your sight? 8 If I climb to the sky, you're there!If I go underground, you're there! 9 If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, 10 You'd find me in a minute — you're already there waiting! 11 Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!At night I'm immersed in the light!" 12 It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
13 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;you formed me in my mother's womb. 14 I thank you, High God — you're breathtaking!Body and soul, I am marvelously made!I worship in adoration — what a creation! 15 You know me inside and out,you know every bone in my body;You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;all the stages of my life were spread out before you,The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.
17 Your thoughts — how rare, how beautiful!God, I'll never comprehend them! 18 I couldn't even begin to count them — any more than I could count the sand of the sea.Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you! 19 And please, God, do away with wickedness for good!And you murderers — out of here! — 20 all the men and women who belittle you, God,infatuated with cheap god-imitations. 21 See how I hate those who hate you, GOD,see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; 22 I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.Your enemies are my enemies!
23 Investigate my life, O God,find out everything about me;Cross-examine and test me,get a clear picture of what I'm about; 24 See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong — then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Ps 110:1-4
The word of GOD to my Lord:
"Sit alongside me here on my throne
until I make your enemies a stool for your feet."
2 You were forged a strong scepter by GOD of Zion;
now rule, though surrounded by enemies!
3 Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor
on the great day of your conquest,
Join you at the fresh break of day,
join you with all the vigor of youth.
4 GOD gave his word and he won't take it back:
you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.
this is about Jesus!
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Ps 106:14-45
14 They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert,provoked God with their insistent demands. 15 He gave them exactly what they asked for — but along with it they got an empty heart. 16 One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses,also of Aaron, holy priest of GOD. 17 The ground opened and swallowed Dathan,then buried Abiram's gang. 18 Fire flared against that rebel crew and torched them to a cinder.
19 They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb and worshiped the statue they'd made. 20 They traded the Glory for a cheap piece of sculpture — a grass-chewing bull! 21 They forgot God, their very own Savior,who turned things around in Egypt, 22 Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham,who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea.
23 Fed up, God decided to get rid of them — and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have.But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God's anger,prevented it from destroying them utterly. 24 They went on to reject the Blessed Land,didn't believe a word of what God promised. 25 They found fault with the life they had and turned a deaf ear to GOD's voice. 26 Exasperated, God swore that he'd lay them low in the desert, 27 Scattering their children hither and yon,strewing them all over the earth.
28 Then they linked up with Baal Peor,attending funeral banquets and eating idol food. 29 That made God so angry that a plague spread through their ranks; 30 Phinehas stood up and pled their case and the plague was stopped. 31 This was counted to his credit;his descendants will never forget it.
32 They angered God again at Meribah Springs;this time Moses got mixed up in their evil; 33 Because they defied GOD yet again,Moses exploded and lost his temper.
34 They didn't wipe out those godless cultures as ordered by GOD; 35 Instead they intermarried with the heathen,and in time became just like them. 36 They worshiped their idols,were caught in the trap of idols. 37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters at the altars of demon gods. 38 They slit the throats of their babies,murdered their infant girls and boys.They offered their babies to Canaan's gods;the blood of their babies stained the land. 39 Their way of life stank to high heaven;they lived like whores.
40 And GOD was furious — a wildfire anger;he couldn't stand even to look at his people. 41 He turned them over to the heathen so that the people who hated them ruled them. 42 Their enemies made life hard for them;they were tyrannized under that rule. 43 Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned — until finally their sins destroyed them.
44 Still, when God saw the trouble they were in and heard their cries for help, 45 He remembered his Covenant with them,and, immense with love, took them by the hand.
Ps 105:16-45
he called down a famine on the country,he broke every last blade of wheat. 17 But he sent a man on ahead:Joseph, sold as a slave. 18 They put cruel chains on his ankles,an iron collar around his neck, 19 Until God's word came to the Pharaoh,and GOD confirmed his promise. 20 God sent the king to release him.The Pharaoh set Joseph free; 21 He appointed him master of his palace,put him in charge of all his business 22 To personally instruct his princes and train his advisors in wisdom.
23 Then Israel entered Egypt,Jacob immigrated to the Land of Ham. 24 God gave his people lots of babies;soon their numbers alarmed their foes. 25 He turned the Egyptians against his people;they abused and cheated God's servants. 26 Then he sent his servant Moses,and Aaron, whom he also chose. 27 They worked marvels in that spiritual wasteland,miracles in the Land of Ham. 28 He spoke, "Darkness!" and it turned dark — they couldn't see what they were doing. 29 He turned all their water to blood so that all their fish died; 30 He made frogs swarm through the land,even into the king's bedroom; 31 He gave the word and flies swarmed,gnats filled the air. 32 He substituted hail for rain,he stabbed their land with lightning; 33 He wasted their vines and fig trees,smashed their groves of trees to splinters; 34 With a word he brought in locusts,millions of locusts, armies of locusts; 35 They consumed every blade of grass in the country and picked the ground clean of produce; 36 He struck down every firstborn in the land,the first fruits of their virile powers. 37 He led Israel out, their arms filled with loot,and not one among his tribes even stumbled. 38 Egypt was glad to have them go — they were scared to death of them. 39 God spread a cloud to keep them cool through the day and a fire to light their way through the night; 40 They prayed and he brought quail,filled them with the bread of heaven; 41 He opened the rock and water poured out;it flowed like a river through that desert — 42 All because he remembered his Covenant,his promise to Abraham, his servant. 43 Remember this! He led his people out singing for joy;his chosen people marched, singing their hearts out! 44 He made them a gift of the country they entered,helped them seize the wealth of the nations 45 So they could do everything he told them — could follow his instructions to the letter.
Ps 103:8-14
8 GOD is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he's rich in love.
9 He doesn't endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
10 He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
11 As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
12 And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
13 As parents feel for their children,
GOD feels for those who fear him.
14 He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we're made of mud.
regarding God:
Ps 103:3-5
3 He forgives your sins — every one.
He heals your diseases — every one.
4 He redeems you from hell — saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy — a paradise crown.
5 He wraps you in goodness — beauty eternal.
He renews your youth — you're always young in his presence.
Ps 99:6-9
6 Moses and Aaron were his priests,
Samuel among those who prayed to him.
They prayed to GOD and he answered them;
7 He spoke from the pillar of cloud.
And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them.
8 And then GOD, our God, answered them
(But you were never soft on their sins).
9 Lift high GOD, our God; worship at his holy mountain.
Holy. Yes, holy is GOD our God
Ps 95:7-
7 Oh yes, he's our God,
and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.
Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks:
8 "Don't turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising,
As on the day of the Wilderness Test,
9 when your ancestors turned and put me to the test.
10 For forty years they watched me at work among them,
as over and over they tried my patience.
And I was provoked — oh, was I provoked!
'Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes?
Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?'
11 Exasperated, I exploded,
'They'll never get where they're headed,
never be able to sit down and rest.'"
Jesus said to feed His sheep...
Ps 78:5-7
God planted a witness in Jacob,
set his Word firmly in Israel,
Then commanded our parents
to teach it to their children
6 So the next generation would know,
and all the generations to come —
Know the truth and tell the stories
so their children 7 can trust in God,
Never forget the works of God
but keep his commands to the letter.
Do we tell our children?
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Ps 62:5-12
5 God, the one and only — I'll wait as long as he says.Everything I hope for comes from him,so why not? 6 He's solid rock under my feet,breathing room for my soul,An impregnable castle:I'm set for life.
7 My help and glory are in God — granite-strength and safe-harbor-God — 8 So trust him absolutely, people;lay your lives on the line for him.God is a safe place to be.
9 Man as such is smoke,woman as such, a mirage.Put them together, they're nothing;two times nothing is nothing.
10 And a windfall, if it comes — don't make too much of it.
11 God said this once and for all;how many times Have I heard it repeated?"Strength comes Straight from God."
12 Love to you, Lord God!You pay a fair wage for a good day's work!
a fair wage from God is eternal life!
Ps 40:6-10
6 Doing something for you, bringing something to you —
that's not what you're after.
Being religious, acting pious —
that's not what you're asking for.
You've opened my ears
so I can listen.
7 So I answered, "I'm coming.
I read in your letter what you wrote about me,
8 And I'm coming to the party
you're throwing for me."
That's when God's Word entered my life,
became part of my very being.
9 I've preached you to the whole congregation,
I've kept back nothing, GOD — you know that.
10 I didn't keep the news of your ways
a secret, didn't keep it to myself.
I told it all, how dependable you are, how thorough.
I didn't hold back pieces of love and truth
For myself alone. I told it all,
let the congregation know the whole story.
Ps 36:5-9
5 God's love is meteoric,
his loyalty astronomic,
6 His purpose titanic,
his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
slips through the cracks.
7 How exquisite your love, O God!
How eager we are to run under your wings,
8 To eat our fill at the banquet you spread
as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
9 You're a fountain of cascading light,
and you open our eyes to light.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Ps 33:4-9
GOD's Word is solid to the core; everything he makes is sound inside and out. 5 He loves it when everything fits, when his world is in plumb-line true. Earth is drenched in GOD's affectionate satisfaction. 6 The skies were made by GOD's command; he breathed the word and the stars popped out. 7 He scooped Sea into his jug, put Ocean in his keg. 8 Earth-creatures, bow before GOD; world-dwellers — down on your knees! 9 Here's why: he spoke and there it was, in place the moment he said so.
Ps 23
GOD, my shepherd!
I don't need a thing.
2 You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
3 True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through
Death Valley,
I'm not afraid
when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook
makes me feel secure.
5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of GOD
for the rest of my life.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Job 2:11-13
Three of Job's friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country — Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath — and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. 12 When they first caught sight of him, they couldn't believe what they saw — they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. 13 Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering.
this was a very HUGE thing for him to deal with!
Job 2:1-7
One day when the angels came to report to GOD, Satan also showed up. 2 GOD singled out Satan, saying, "And what have you been up to?" Satan answered GOD, "Oh, going here and there, checking things out." 3 Then GOD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my friend Job? There's no one quite like him, is there — honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil? He still has a firm grip on his integrity! You tried to trick me into destroying him, but it didn't work."
4 Satan answered, "A human would do anything to save his life. 5 But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? He'd curse you to your face, that's what."
6 GOD said, "All right. Go ahead — you can do what you like with him. But mind you, don't kill him."
7 Satan left GOD and struck Job with terrible sores
Job 1:20-22
20 Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped:
21 Naked I came from my mother's womb,
naked I'll return to the womb of the earth.
GOD gives, GOD takes.
God's name be ever blessed.
22 Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God.
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