the chalk short movie but with good message

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b2bVGsR1mw

What Do You have in Mind?

Hello Everyone!
I have noticed most of us don't get to post our comments as we used to. It seemed ,in these past few months, we got caught up doing school works and opt-out to follow the bible reading planner. I though about if we get to reading one chapter a day instead of the two or three, which was on the calendar, that might help us to keep in touch with the daily bible reading planner and also to publish comments daily. It is one chapter a day after all. 
       The actual plan was to finish reading the bible in a year( if I get this correctly) and the calendar we have been using was made for that purpose. If we all agree to this comment or come up with one we can stick to, we will need to make a new calendar. Ayan you will:) Let me know if you guys have something in mind.

Best
Eden

http://www.rethamcpherson.com/RetahsTestimonyFullVersion/tabid/90/Default.aspx

check out true story about 12 years old story. We really need to be ready for a coming King!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8w5rF6UPxI&feature=player_embedded 

Heaven Is Real: A Doctor’s Experience With the Afterlife

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/10/07/proof-of-heaven-a-doctor-s-experience-with-the-afterlife.html

Bible Reading Planner 6th Month

 

Judges Chpater 17

A Levite

Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim ² said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it.”

Reading this passage of the chapter, I wondered if Micah had stolen the eleven hundred shekels of silver form his mother or he just took them, with good intentions, and forgot to mention that to his mother. I am not quite sure about it. I’ve noticed he returned back all of the shekels of silver that he took away from his mother, once he heard her utter a curse, to a person who took them.

After he returned them back to his mother, this is what she did.

⁴ So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.

Why idol? Isn’t she a believer: what about Micah himself, why would he allow an idol to be placed in his house? Later on the chapter, we noticed Micah himself made some gods and installed on his sons to be as his pries.

⁵ Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest. ⁶ In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

In the last paragraph, after Micah has installed the young Levite as his priest, he thought the Lord will now be good to him. Why did Micah thought the Lord would be good to him this time I don’t really know. Could Levite are those who are chosen to become a pries and serve the Lord? Is the Levite descendent of Aaron’s generations (those chosen by the Lord them to serve him in his house)?

I did a little search to find out why Micah had thought the Lord to be good to him this time as a result of his installation of the young Levite.  I found some bible versus that helped to clarify and answered some of my questions. Hope it will help you too as your read this part of the chapter.

¹² Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. ¹³ And Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”

Here is the bible versus that I mentioned above.

The Levites then took on the duty of serving God. "At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day" (Deuteronomy 10:8).

That service included serving the priests.

 "And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary" (Numbers 8:19).

You are good and that your Love endures forever!

Bible Reading Planner 5th Month

Be strong and courageous! Joshua 1

Joshua 1

5“No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6“Be strong and courageous, … 7“Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 8“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

From previous books we have seen how God helped Moses, and delivered Israel. Now the great leader Moses has passed and Joshua is taking his place. Can you imagine how intimidating that could be. God understands and repeatedly tells Joshua to have courage, and to not be afraid. What made a difference with the leadership of Moses is that Moses depends on God and God was with Him.  The task is great for anybody, but only with God we are able to do.

As we go through life, we will face challenges. The challenge could come from other people, situations, or out limitations. Let us use those time to draw even more to God and trust Him. Let us meditate on His word everyday to know His will and approach to the throne of grace for strenth. As God used Joshua to help the Israelites to inherit His promises, may God continually be with us as we invite others to His kingdom.

Joshua 1:9

Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Marrhew 28

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the

 end of the age.”

My Thoughts on Act Chapter 16

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. ² The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

• As I was reading this part, I thought about how ones culture, traditions, custom, ethnic background, upbringings all such and more factors can contribute towards your acceptance in other societies that is totally different from your origination. In most culture, looking back in history, in most culture, a society preferred to accept people who have a common interest or resemblance in culture, customs  or belief system, though they different from them in terms their origination.  Other wise your would be out of the group and most likely not welcomed in the society and loose the freedom to practice your belief in general your rights. This seemed to be what happened to Timothy when he came to join the believers and work with Paul. The believers were in fact people who were saved and teaching the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles (non-believers) that you might think they wouldn’t do such kind of thing. But yeah they too didn’t not accept Timothy, since his father was a Greek man.  That is why Paul knew the intention of the believers and decided to circumcise Timothy so that he would join him in his journey and do the mission of God.

Interestingly, you might wonder why would Paul would do such thing since he knew that wouldn’t help Timothy to be “saved” as to that of what the believers were insisted that the Gentiles had to do. It is a great question to ask. It seemed Paul didn’t want to bring any more conflict in regard to the coming to Timothy in the mission work, with the believers since they already were in dispute with him about the same law, in regard of the Gentiles. It was an easy transition to have Timothy to be circumcised and have him to come along, so the believers wouldn’t have this issue against him.

The influence of Culture in Our Time: Past and Present

Yeah we live in a different culture, at different time period and in different society compared to what were in Paul’s and Timothy’s time. But we still see some customs that are deeply rooted in different culture, not necessary all good ones, in our times and generation as well. We might have come from different cultures and ethnic back ground.  You see such a stunning beauty and marvelous work of God, in diversity, among different nations and nationalities around the globe. However, you also see, in these days, how the spirit of evil one works hard to divided the children of God and have them not to work in love and harmony towards the same goal. That goal is not the “me” goal. It all goes back to only Christ, who is the only center of our life and foundation.  I, you we all are one in him! United we Stand! There is this scripture in the bible that I love so much. And  it says in  Galatians 3:28-29

²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

All United in Christ!

All Sons and Daughters of Christ!

All one in Christ!

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

·        You see the guidance and protection of the Holy spirit as they traveled from city to city and provinces to province, in different contents around the world. And also their obedience to the sprit of the Lord, not to do what he asked them not to.

¹³ On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

• Lidya, “She was a worshiper of God”! Isn’t it lovely to be known to the world that you are a worshiper of God!!! I loved in passage. As I referred back to Lidya, I thought about what it is like to be known and called the “worshiper of God”. Reading this particular part of the chapter, I saw Liday as being symbolized as a woman is in her being is totally after God and he is a worshiper of Him. Her life was like an icon. In you time should you chose to be call the worshiper of God?!

⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

• The fortune-telling lady who were predicting the future had (a spirit )that was enabling her to tell what was yet to come in the future, and earn a great deal of money for her owners. However, we see that the sprit that she had was not the spirit of God. Paul commanded the sprit that possessed her to live her body, in the name of Jesus Christ, and in fact she was set free from it.
• For my own amazement before she was set free, the spirit with in her made her follow Paul and Timothy, for many days, and was making her to testify, to others (people standing by: could be non-believers or believers), that the God these two men serve is the MOST HIGH GOD, and they are telling the way to be saved and take a part in God’s kingdom. Even the evil sprit can not withstand and be quite in the presence of the holy sprit!

Our God is an Awesome God!!!

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. ²³ After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

·        Reading this part of the chapter had brought tears into my eyes.  I kept asking myself who would choose to pray and sing hymns to God being in a place such that of where they were: after being striped down, bitten and tortured: really would I do it. Time: Midnight, place: prison, what they were doing: praying and singing hymns to God. Think of yourself in their place. How many times our heart chose to give thanks to the God and worship him when things went wrong totally in opposite direction in our life? Hmm….

·        Today is a new day and thanks to him he has made all things NEW!!!

·         As I was reading this part of the verse, I clearly saw a key point that is also a way out from what so ever things that surround our life. Worship the Lord all the time!!! If you’ve noticed, when Paul and Silas worshiped the Lord, not only the chains of Paul and Silas loose but also the other prisons who were observes/listeners of the worship that was sang by the two men, not participant. See we have been given a power to go beyond ourselves and even live to save others.

·        ምስጋና!!! Through it all: Never to be forgotten!

³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. ³⁴ The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

• In this passage, you see the complete transformation of the Jailer’s heart, who was once participant of Paul and Silas’s imprisonment, by the holy spirit. He was once probably bitten these man or probably might have said mean things and treated them badly. However, once he knew the true and accepted Jesus Christ to be his Lord and savior, the word of God tells us how he was filled with joy because of he had come to believe in God. He became friends with Paul and Silas and even asked not order them anymore, what he should do to be saved. Act 16:29.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.”

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

• Even though both Paul and Sila’s were citizens of Roman, whom by law supposed to be treated  just like the other Romans and had a trial for them to be placed in a prison, they were tortured and placed in jail, for the name of Christ. It is evident
• It is evident in our century we see this kind of injustice happens all over around the world, and many men and women were given their life for the sake of spreading the gospel of Christ. I pray may the Lord comfort their family and give them strength.

⁴⁰ After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.

• Importance of encouragement and follow up of each other and our brothers and sisters in Christ are important.
• I see how Paul and Silas were determined to do that by choosing to go to Lydia’s house, the lady who was called as the worshiper of God in the above verse, and encourage bothers and sisters whom they had met previously, after what they had been though.

Mission Accomplished!

My thoughts on Act Chapter 15

My Though on Act Chapter 15

In this chapter we see how the grace of God is sufficient to save the Gentiles, despite the custom taught by Moses Law, about one has to be circumcise in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas stood for the Gentiles and got in sharp dispute and debate with the believers who came down from Judea to Antioch, where Paul and Barnabas were at the time, to teach.

            To discuss the matter and resolve the issue with other apostles and elders, the church appointed and sent both Paul and Barnabas, to travel to Jerusalem, and present the mater before them. They went to Jerusalem and gathered in the assembly with more apostles and elders to discuss the matter. Once, Paul had told them about the wonders of God and what God has done through them to the Gentiles, the whole assembly got quite and James spoke up.

“Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

¹⁶ “‘After this I will return
      and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
      Its ruins I will rebuild,
      and I will restore it,
¹⁷     that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
      even all the Gentiles who bear my name,

      says the Lord, who does these things’

¹⁸   things known from long ago.

¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

So we see a complete shift in terms of accepting the Gentiles and they don’t need to fulfill the Moses Law to be saved. Here is what Peter said prior to what Simon had said,

Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

They are accepted by God and they too are given the greatest gift holy spirit!

To sum up thought, the word of God teaches us we all are saved by the Grace not by our works or deeds. So it is very important to know and understand we were saved not by what we have done but by the grace of God, thought the works of his son Jesus Christ.  

Saved By Grace!

See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me

“See now that I myself am he!  There is no god besides me. Du 32:39

Thought on Deuteronomy Chapter 32

When I opened up to read this chapter to read, the verse seemed to be assimilated in a pattern that resembles poetry writing. It is beautiful! No wonder why it said “song’s of Moses” at the bottom of previous chapter (Du 31).

Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;

    hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.

2 Let my teaching fall like rain

    and my words descend like dew,

like showers on new grass,

    like abundant rain on tender plants.

I noticed such a divine authority and power in Moses word when he spoke to the heaven and earth to hear his word. Order!

3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord.

    Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,

    and all his ways are just.

A faithful God who does no wrong,

    upright and just is he.

Truthfully to understand, believe and say God is just in all he has does only come through revelation by the holy sprit. You think of many thing went wrong in life and really wonder if God is Just.  You might question if God is just why all the unjust things happened? I mean really! I have asked these sorts of questions many times in my life and I didn’t just want to hear some mare words that would “comforting” or give me a way out. I wanted to know the truth.  For my own amazement, I give all the glory to God for all his bestowed love up on my life, me asking those questions brought me close to him. I found TRUTH only in him and came to realize he Himself is the Truth!

“Upright and just is He”!    Du 32:4

They are corrupt and not his children;

    to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.

6 Is this the way you repay the Lord,

    you foolish and unwise people?

Is he not your Father, your Creator,[a]

    who made you and formed you?

Note: We shall not forget who our Creator is and got out in the world to be a crooked generation. We are ambassadors of Christ while we live on earth to be the light and salt of the world and carry own our kings legacy!

For the Lord’s portion is his people,

    Jacob his allotted inheritance.

10 In a desert land he found him,

    in a barren and howling waste.

He shielded him and cared for him;

    he guarded him as the apple of his eye,

11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest

    and hovers over its young,

that spreads its wings to catch them

    and carries them aloft.

12 The Lord alone led him;

    no foreign god was with him.

This is not a history that happened once up on a time for a man called Jacob. It is still for you and me People!

·         Do ya really know how much you are loved???....

They are a nation without sense,

    there is no discernment in them.

29 If only they were wise and would understand this

    and discern what their end will be!

30 How could one man chase a thousand,

    or two put ten thousand to flight,

unless their Rock had sold them,

    unless the Lord had given them up?

31 For their rock is not like our Rock,

    as even our enemies concede.

32 Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom

    and from the fields of Gomorrah.

Their grapes are filled with poison,

    and their clusters with bitterness.

33 Their wine is the venom of serpents,

    the deadly poison of cobras

In reading this portion of the chapter, I noticed  how Moses questioned the senselessness and ignorance of Israelites that they didn’t even acknowledge that how could one  man( one of them) were able to chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight? He was asking them question in a sense that how come you don’t wisely see that and understand if it wouldn’t have been the Lord you wouldn’t able to do that.

“See now that I myself am he!

    There is no god besides me.

I put to death and I bring to life,

    I have wounded and I will heal,

    and no one can deliver out of my hand.

Beautiful savior!

There is no one else like you Lord!

Deuteronomy Continue....

Deuteronomy 

“If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entice you, saying“ Let us go and worship other gods’’ Deu 13:6

Here it emphasize how crucial it is for us to have our faith ONLY in our Lord God. He shall be our only god that we worship now and forever. If you do turn away from God and worship other God, God has no mercy. There will be consequences that comes along with the disobedience. This section shows how we should always obey God regardless of the circumstances that includes closest people in our lives. Always LOVE the Lord your God with all our heart.

>>> A Side Note I found in my bible that we can all consider/ponder: How can we love when we don’t feel loving?  In the Bible Love is more than a feeling; it is a decision to serve another person’s interest. Only through God’s help can this decision be made with “all your heart” I just found that inspiring :)

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of the people on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you yo be his treasured possession.” Deu 14:2

Is in it amazing how God thought of each one of us before we were here on this earth. He had plans for us because we are his treasured possession. Wow treasured possession, huh, that's how SIGNIFICANT we are to God (beyond words). God loves us so much, so he thought for us before we thought for ourselves; what is good(clean) and not good(unclean) foods to eat. Our God is so smart, he had strategies on how to go about in making his people live up to his expectations (or should I say fruitful). Whether we live to his expectations is in our hands [don't you think?]

“Be sure to set aside a tenth of all your fields produce each year.” Deu 14:22

Tithes; no matter how successful we may or may not be we should always remember to give back to those who are in need for the sake of GOD. Do we take set aside tenth of our earnings or offerings and take it where our heart desires? Is it where God wants it to be? Is it a place we worship our God(Church)? 

“Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your god is giving you as an inheritance, so that anyone who kills a man may flee there.” Deu 19:3

You would think it's a ridiculous idea to divide the cities into three parts. One area is for those to flee to who has killed unintentionally. Why is that so? Why couldn't justice be done there where the crime was done? Even though it written later; for those who do commit murder intentionally and flee to the far city, they will be brought back for justice. I'm still curious why divide the cities? But then again it's God's will.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Deuteronomy

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

---

An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of The Fifth Book of Moses, Called Deuteronomy
This book is a repetition of very much both of the history and of the laws contained in the three foregoing books, which repetition Moses delivered to Israel (both by word of mouth, that it might affect, and by writing, that it might abide) a little before his death. There is no new history in it but that of the death of Moses in the last chapter, nor any new revelation to Moses, for aught that appears, and therefore the style here is not, as before, The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying. But the former laws are repeated and commented upon, explained and enlarged, and some particular precepts added to them, with copius reasonings for the enforcing of them: in this Moses was divinely inspired and assisted, so that this is as truly the word of the Lord by Moses as that which was spoken to him with an audible voice out of the tabernacle of the congregation, Lev. 1:1. The Greek interpreters call it Deuteronomy, which signifies the second law, or a second edition of the law, not with amendments, for there needed none, but with additions, for the further direction of the people in divers cases not mentioned before. Now, I. It was much for the honour of the divine law that it should be thus repeated; how great were the things of that law which was thus inculcated, and how inexcusable would those be by whom they were counted as a strange thing! Hos. 8:12. II. There might be a particular reason for the repeating of it now; the men of that generation to which the law was first given were all dead, and a new generation had sprung up, to whom God would have it repeated by Moses himself, that, if possible, it might make a lasting impression upon them. Now that they were just going to take possession of the land of Canaan, Moses must read the articles of agreement to them, that they might know upon what terms and conditions they were to hold and enjoy that land, and might understand that they were upon their good behaviour in it. III. It would be of great use to the people to have those parts of the law thus gathered up and put together which did more immediately concern them and their practice; for the laws which concerned the priests and Levites, and the execution of their offices, are not repeated: it was enough for them that they were once delivered. But, in compassion to the infirmities of the people, the laws of more common concern are delivered a second time. Precept must be upon precept, and line upon line, Isa. 28:10. The great and needful truths of the gospel should be often pressed upon people by the ministers of Christ. To write the same things (says Paul, Phil. 3:1) to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. What God has spoken once we have need to hear twice, to hear many times, and it is well if, after all, it be duly perceived and regarded. In three ways this book of Deuteronomy was magnified and made honourable:-1. The king was to write a copy of it with his own hand, and to read therein all the days of his life, ch. 17, 18, 19. 2. It was to be written upon great stones plastered, at their passing over Jordan, ch. 27:2, 3. 3. It was to be read publicly every seventh year, at the feast of tabernacles, by the priests, in the audience of all Israel, ch. 31:9, etc. The gospel is a kind of Deuteronomy, a second law, a remedial law, a spiritual law, a law of faith; by it we are under the law of Christ, and it is a law that makes the comers thereunto perfect.

This book of Deuteronomy begins with a brief rehearsal of the most remarkable events that had befallen the Israelites since they came from Mount Sinai. In the fourth chapter we have a most pathetic exhortation to obedience. In the twelfth chapter, and so on to the twenty-seventh, are repeated many particular laws, which are enforced (ch. 27 and 28) with promises and threatenings, blessings and curses, formed into a covenant, ch. 29 and 30. Care is taken to perpetuate the remembrance of these things among them (ch. 31), particularly by a song (ch. 32), and so Moses concludes with a blessing, ch. 33. All this was delivered by Moses to Israel in the last month of his life. The whole book contains the history but of two months; compare ch. 1:3 with Jos. 4:19, the latter of which was the thirty days of Israel's mourning for Moses; see how busy that great and good man was to do good when he knew that his time was short, how quick his motion when he drew near his rest. Thus we have more recorded of what our blessed Saviour said and did in the last week of his life than in any other. The last words of eminent persons make or should make deep impressions. Observe, for the honour of this book, that when our Saviour would answer the devil's temptations with, It is written, he fetched all his quotations out of this book, Mt. 4:4, 7, 10.

http://mhcw.biblecommenter.com/deuteronomy/1.htm

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 

As I was reading Deuteronomy 2: 33-34 33 “the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army.”  This is what I quickly jotted down on my note pad: Did God give them power and strength to destroy men, women, children? All the path and struggles they endure, Is it to reach the "Promised Land"? Our God is a good God, how can that be?? As I continued to read through, I answered my own question. It’s written in Deuteronomy 7:4 You see God has no mercy for those who turn his people away from his commands and allow them to worship other Gods. He is our LORD GOD and by destroying those who hated him, his love for us lives on forever and ever!!!

Deuteronomy 5 shows the importance of the ten commandments. God mad a covenant with us. In order for us to live a prosperous life, we need to live by his commandments. Our God knows what is best for us, so let us not wonder but walk with him and follow him as he opens our hearts to do what he has commanded us to do. 

Bible Reading Planner 4

Reflection on John Chapter 14

Reflection on John Chapter 14

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

In this chapter we see how Jesus comforts his disciples and tell them he is the only Way and the Truth and the Life, if one wants to come to the father. Both Thomas and Philip asked an interesting question in return to what Jesus told them about where he would be going and who the “Father” is. I found the question asked by Thomas to be intriguing. This is what he said to Jesus when Jesus told them he will go to prepare a place for them.

⁵ Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”⁶ 
And Jesus answered:-
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
And here is the question asked by Philip: ⁸ Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus response:- : “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?
In the following versus I loved how Jesus kept referring back to his father and he was the one who has given him the authority to speak the words he was speaking to his disciples. You might think of he is equally powerful and able to do anything just like his father. And his father is him and him his father. But but…, how beautiful and wonderful he is to ordained all respect, love and glory back to his father. I see how he was so determination to accomplish what his father had sent him for!
The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…

Not only for his disciples but also Jesus has promised us if we believe in him, we can do even more than what he has done and greater things in life.

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

God is able! And his is able and faithful to finish all the work he has began with in us. The word of God speaks to us “be still and KNOW that I am God”. So shall we. Sometimes we might not know what we need to do about some difficult or confusing situations we face in life. We might think really there might not be a way out or it is going to cost us a whole lot more than what we can handle. However, Jesus tells us today

 14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me!

He is indeed the ONLY way! Our redeemer Lives!

“I am the way and the truth and the life.”