Bible 365: Week 41

Monday, Monday, Monday.  The reminder of this year is moving full steam ahead.  This weekend was a weekend full of the sickness.  I got sick Friday.  Moo was playing nurse and helping me out.  Then, Saturday morning we woke up and my little nurse had a cold too.

And Sunday, JJ woke up at 6 AM with a runny nose and sneezing.  Thankfully, the Mr had to work this weekend and didn't have to be around us too much.  The last thing we need is EVERYONE to be sick.  I definitely think that this sudden drop in temperature and the chilly winds are the cause of our colds.  I've officially pulled out the fall jackets with hoods.

Now on to the Week 41 recap.  We finished up the book of Luke and started the first few chapters of the book of John.  Now, a little interesting tidbit that I found out while doing a little background research is that John was actually one Jesus' best friends.   Yes, Jesus had friends.  And I imagine that His friends played a big part in helping Him stay calm throughout His journey to cross.  Let's be real, if you had to wake up day in and day out knowing that one day was going to be your last, you'd need a friend or two to help you deal as well.  Let's talk about what else I learned in Week 41.

1-"And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away!  Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" (John 2:16)  Last year, I got into a small debate on Twitter about my dislike for churches that charge for everything and are constantly selling something.  I understand that the physical building itself requires money for its upkeep and you have to pay the pastor for his/her service and maybe, even the musicians.  And if you're not making enough on tithes and offering, I can understand a little fundraiser here and there.

But there are some churches that have truly turned church into a commercial experience.  And that should not be so.  As Jesus said, the church should never get to the place where it is looked upon as a piece of merchandise in which the congregation and pastor can make money off of it.

2-"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)   At the end of the day, Jesus was sent to us to help us make it to Heaven.  However, just like back then, in today's society a lot of us don't take advantage of the gift that has been extended to us.  We make all kinds of excuses about why we can't walk in line with God's word. We day it's too hard.  We say we're not perfect, but at the end of day an excuse is an excuse.

3-"Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." (John 5:19)  Like father, like son.  People were getting mad at Jesus and not thinking that they were also in turn getting mad at God.  Jesus was only doing what He was sent and commanded to do. Also, we can apply this scripture to everyday life as parents.

So many of us have this do as I say and not as I do approach to raising our kids.  Then, we wonder why they continue on and do the exact opposite of what we just told them not to do.  Listen actions speak louder than words.  Even the Bible tells us that faith (words) without action is dead.  We have to be willing to lead by example and not by lip service!

4-"Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." (John 6:27)  We are such a materialistic generation.  We work to pay bills, but after the bills are paid, we want to shop, shop and shop.  The reality is that instead of constantly focusing on making more and more money to afford materialistic things, we need to be putting in overtime to feed our spirits God's word.  We need to be doing things to help others because that what Jesus was all about.

If there was someone who was hungry, He feed them.  He healed the blind.  He pulled people back from the grips of death.  Jesus was the ultimate Good Samaritan and humanitarian.   We definitely should be striving to pass this torch of giving back and being a service to others from generation to generation.

What is your favorite way to give back?  And are you more of a lip service parent or do you lead by example?

Week 42 Readings

10/14: John 7-10

1015: John 11-12

10/16: John 13-14

10/17: John 15-16

10/18: John 17-19

10/19: John 20-21

10/20: Acts 1-4

Bible 365: Week 40

Happy Monday!!  Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.  We did! Saturday, we hit up Ikea and I got lost in all the wonderfulness of looking at the bathroom setups.  Nothing like daydreaming about your dream bathroom, right?  I also got started on a blanket.  Sunday, I had a mini meltdown in Verizon because they couldn't port my 1021 photos from iPhone to my Samsung G4.  I uploaded as many pictures as I could to Flickr and Photobucket, but the kids got antsy and the Mr was getting on my nerves.

That made me get frustrated and I was like screw it.  So, out of 1021 pictures that were on my phone I think I managed to save about 200.  And I started to get pissed about it but after looking FB and Instagram, I realized that some of the most important pictures had already been saved on those sites.  Needless, to say I'm happy to be Team Droid and have a memory card to save my photos again!!  I've learned my lesson with iPhones and their wanting to milk your wallet dry by making you purchase more memory. I take way too many home photos and videos for that.

Now, let's talk about Week 40 of this Bible 365 Challenge.  Can y'all believe we have just 12 more Mondays left before this year over?!!  I'll be doing the Week 52 on Tuesday since that's the last day of the year and I will have read my reading at midnight.  So, in the Week 50 recap, I'll have to include the readings for both weeks 51 & 52 for those who will read early in the morning too.  If not, I'll also include Week 52 readings in that Monday's post and then you can just check the blog after you've read on Tuesday for the recap.

So, of course Luke was another retelling of the works of Jesus and his parables.  However, if you've been reading Matthew, Mark and Luke, you'll notice that there are some differences.  Some of the key verses are worded differently and some parables and happenings are not retold in each of these books. It's been interesting to see what Luke, Matthew and Mark each saw as important and how they documented their journey as Jesus' disciples.  And more interesting is seeing how some verses and passages below stuck out to me despite having read a similar version in Matthew and Mark.

1-"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will opened" (Luke 9-10).  A lot of times we have not because we ask not.  Sure God knows what we need, but that doesn't mean that we don't have to ask for Him for His help to get it.  Whether it be more time in the day for Bible study or an increase in pay to keep your family afloat, God is always there waiting for us ask for what we need.

2-"But He knowing their thoughts, said to them, 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls'." (Luke 11:17)  You can't make any progress if everyone is on a different page.  Jesus can't be on one page and we're on another if we're going to make it in to Heaven.  Likewise, within our homes and marriages, we should strive to be on common ground with our spouses and families.

3-"He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters." (Luke 11:23)  Enough said. Jesus wants us to be ride or die when it comes to our faith.  After all, we're always talking about how we're ride or die for our mates.  Doesn't He deserve an even higher level of commitment?

4-"But He said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it'." (Luke 11:28)  We all fall short, but it is possible to become more and more godly if we put forth a sincere effort.  There are different levels of blessings.  I don't know about you, but my goal in life is to unlock them all!

5-"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12:7)  Does God care about us?  Of course, He does.  He cares so much about us that He's taken the time to count the hairs on our heads.

6-"Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses... Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing." (Luke:12:14, 23)  We all heard Jesse J say it's not about the money or the bling and God agrees.  Life is not about seeing who can collect the most red bottoms or fancy cars or who can eat the finest restaurants.  We are called to a purpose way more higher and of more substance than that.

7-"For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:48b)  We are indeed our brother's and our sister's keeper.  This is verse is exactly why I take a step back to reevaluate the messages I put out here on my blog.  I know that my blog is read by more than just myself and it is my duty to make sure that I'm not on here tearing someone else down or encouraging wrongdoing.

What are you seeking and asking God for this week?

Week 41 Readings

10/7: Luke 22
10/8: Luke 23
10/9: Luke 24
10/10: John 1-2
10/11: John 3
10/12: John 4
10/13: John 5-6

Bible 365: Week 39

Before I get into my Bible 365 Week 39 recap, I just want to say Happy Wedding Anniversary to my loving and wonderful husband!!  Today we celebrate 3 years of wedded bliss.  I know that I am truly blessed to have you as my life partner, the father of my children and the person who often talks me off the ledge.  You are simply amazing and I thank you for taking this leap despite all that we had to go through before committing our lives together and making a vow before God to remain as one until death does us part.  I love you more than any words can ever express!

Now, I hope everyone had a blessed and delightful weekend.  This weekend the kiddies and I got out of house and picked up an anniversary present for the Mr.  Then we enjoyed some playtime at the park before it got too windy out.  We even got to have some bonding time with the Mr before he headed off to work.  I'm always grateful for those moments.

Anyways, week 39's readings did retell just about everything we read in Matthews and Mark.  It talked about the gathering of the disciples, told of Jesus' many miracles and of course the crucifixion.  I don't know about you guys but reading about how the people and the supposed 'leaders' of the church turned on Jesus makes me a little mad.   After all the miracles he performed for them, how could they act like such savages finding enjoyment in killing him?  Here are a few lessons I've been mediating on:

1-"Let the little children come to Me and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it" (Mark 10:14-15).  We can learn a thing or two from children.  Children can teach us as Christians how to humble ourselves to God and trust Him to do what His word says He will do for those who believe wholeheartedly in Him.

2-"And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slaves of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:44-45).  I hear a lot of people talking about how they want to be leaders or bosses and often times I've seen them get frustrated when they feel like they aren't moving up the leadership pole fast enough or at all.  You see being a leader or a boss isn't just about being the position to give orders.  Its true essence and meaning is to be servant or helper to others.  

Think about it.  Even as powerful and magnificent as Jesus was and still is, He was sent here to earth to die for us!  So, while He was a great leader not only to the disciples but to all those around Him, Jesus ultimately was a servant of God sent here to serve man through healing them, preaching the word to give them wisdom and understanding and dying on the cross to save their souls.

3-"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angel in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is" (Mark 13:32-33).  The signs of the coming of Christ (Mark 13:7-8) couldn't be more evident in our society today.  However, we don't know the specific time or day.  Therefore, you don't want to be caught slipping or caught up in things that are not of God.  So, heed the warnings that God has laid out for us on how we should conduct ourselves, watch for the signs of the coming and pray that God guides your actions so that you may be found holy and righteous.

4-"He took Peter, James and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.  Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch" (Mark 14:33-34).  I think that Jesus handled the knowledge of His upcoming death very well.  But here we see that on the night Judas turned Him over to His enemies that He began to get anxious.  The heaviness of what was going to happen to Him started to weigh on His spirit.  A lot of times, we feel out of touch with Jesus (and God) because the Bible talks about Him as being perfect and without sin.

So, we often question how can He relate to us and how are we suppose to be able to relate to someone who was so great and who set such a high standard?  Well, here we see just how human Jesus was as He awaits His crucifixion.  I don't know anyone who would be at ease knowing first that they were going to be killed, knowing that it would be painful and not knowing how long it would last.  I can imagine that He probably worried about His loved ones and the pain they would feel watching Him die, the people who still rejected God and whether or not His disciples had strong enough faith to continue His work and teachings.

My heart hurts a lot for Jesus knowing the burden He bore because humans couldn't get right.  As a mom, my heart hurts for His parents, especially Mary.  I'm thankful for God's sacrifice, but knowing how much God loves us, I can only imagine how much He loved Jesus and how painful it must have been sacrifice His own son for a bunch of ungrateful people.

5-"He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise" (Luke 3:11).  We know that God loves a cheerful giver.  And we need to strive to be givers not just on Christmas or Thanksgiving but whenever we see another in need.  At the end of day, you can't take your riches, your furs, your diamonds or your fancy cars to Heaven (or Hell).  Therefore, if you can bless a person, do it without hesitation or expecting anything in return.

I'm definitely striving to instill this trait into my children.  I don't want them to see all the problems of the world and keep on walking.  I want them to be moved to do their parts. To be part of the solution.  To be a blessing and a light to those during their troubled or hard times.

When was the last time you helped someone in need? And could you have handled knowing you were going to be crucified?

Week 40 Readings

9/30: Luke 10

10/1: Luke 11

10/2: Luke 12

10/3: Luke 13-14

10/4: Luke 15-16

10/5: Luke 17-19

10/6: Luke 20-21