Week 47 Bible Reading Review

Week 47  Acts 14:1 to Romans 4:1

This portion of Acts is mostly about Paul’s journeys.  His blinding vision is recorded 3 times in this book which seems of significance.  His returning to areas of persecution shows he elevated his mission more than his life.  How few are like this today?

Romans 3:5-6  God is not unrighteous to inflict wrath.

Romans 3  Faith brings justification, not works of the law, but faith establishes the law (v31).  This is another way of saying as Yeshua / Jesus did: “if you love me, you will keep my commands.”

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Next Reading:  Week 48  Romans 4:1 to 1 Corinthians 15:1

Week 46 Bible Reading Review

Week 46  John 18:1 to Acts 14:1

John 18:6  Again Yeshua / Jesus demonstrates going willingly to His death as He clearly had dominion over the people and situation.

Acts 4:31  This seems to be a separate filling of the Holy Spirit than the Pentecost event.  Is it a refilling or a different anointing?

Acts 5:5,10  Anania’s and Sapphira’s lie was not tolerated and immediate death resulted.  How would it change the modern church if things like this happened?

Acts 6:2  We can’t do everything.  Delegation is good.

Acts 8:24  Simon’s request for prayer goes unanswered.  Was his request denied or granted?  Just because someone asks for prayer doesn't mean we should automatically pray as they ask.  Better to seek direction from God on what to do.

Acts 9:40  This verse gives a key for us to seek God’s will in a situation before taking action.  (Peter prays before commanding the dead to raise.)

Acts 10:34-35  An important truth:  Whosoever fears God and does righteousness is acceptable to Him.

Acts 13:2  The best leaders are God appointed, not man appointed.

Acts 13:11  Paul commanded blindness to the sorcerer.  He didn’t try to convince him he was wrong, or cast a demon out of him, but simply to stop him in his tracks.

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Next Reading:  Week 47  Acts 14:1 to Romans 4:1

Week 45 Bible Reading Review

Week 45  John 1:1 to John 18:1

John 4:9  “For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.”  The HCSB has 2 footnotes:
1. (or do not share vessels)
2. Some manuscripts omit this.
The footnotes give me a different picture than complete disassociation.

John 5:3-4  This portion about the “magic waters” always sounded fanciful to me.  The HCSB footnote says some manuscripts omit this.

John 5:19-23  Yeshua / Jesus does as the Father or like the Father shows Him.  The difference is important as one way He must wait for every instruction / step from the Father, the other He only mimics as He has been previously shown / taught.

John 14:15 gives a different rendering than some other translations:  “If you love me you will keep my commands” verses “If you love me, keep my commands.”  This HCSB gives a subtle shift from the head to the heart.

John 16:24  Curious verse:  “until now you have asked for nothing in my name”.  Wouldn’t the disciples have been sent out to cast out demons and heal the sick prior to this verse?

John 17:3  Eternal life definition:  To know the Father and the Son.

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Next Reading:  Week 46  John 18:1 to Acts 14:1

Week 44 Bible Reading Review

Week 44  Luke 11:1 to John 1:1

Luke 11:13  Persistently ask for the Holy Spirit.

Luke 11:37+  Yeshua / Jesus was not worried about being politically correct or not offending the one who invited Him to a meal.  Are we this bold?

Luke 12:49+  Yeshua, despite being like a lamb going peacefully to the slaughter, has a true desire to set the world on fire.

Luke 13  Yeshua admonishes repentance.  When we see others perish, we are not to judge them, but consider our own need for repentance.

Luke 22:20  I like Luke’s rendering of the Passover cup being the covenant established by His blood.  Not that it was His blood, as drinking blood is forbidden in Torah.

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Next Reading:  Week 45  John 1:1 to John 18:1

Week 43 Bible Reading Review

Week 43  Mark 13:1 to Luke 11:1

Mark 13:24-27  The elect gathering or “rapture” is clearly after the tribulation in this passage and version.

Mark 13  No one knows the day or the hour of His return, but we should know the season if we are paying attention.

Luke 4:28-30  This passage gives evidence that Yeshua / Jesus went willingly to his death at the right time, for He easily escapes when it is not.

Luke 5  This fills in some missing details from the previous gospels, which merely states Peter and others just leave all and up and follow Yeshua when He asks.  Here they were witness to a miracle and His teachings from their own boat beforehand, giving more sense to why they dropped everything to follow Him.  A point to remember, we are always missing details from what we know and understand.  Let us not be quick to judge.

Luke 6:47  Do we act on God’s words?

Luke 7  The account of the Centurion is quite different from the previous readings in that in one case he was personally there, while in this account he sent others to speak to Yeshua on his behalf.  Despite the differences, the results are the same in that the requested healing took place.

Luke 8:37  Why were the people so fearful?  Perhaps the now freed demons were causing this fear.

Luke 10:4  A good verse to post on the back door for Shannon to read before she goes out shopping for “stuff” at second hand stores…

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Next Reading:  Week 44  Luke 11:1 to John 1:1

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Wisdom for the week

Here is the latest post from Dale Cresap that goes well with the Centurion story in this week's reading.

Precursors

I commended a Centurion who approached me for his great faith, but you can tell by inference that the story didn’t start there. He came on behalf of his servant rather than for himself or his immediate family, indicating that he had compassion and saw the man as more than an economic resource. He further demonstrated humility to come to me in person to place his request, crossing lines of culture, religion, status, and wealth. All of this happened before he recognized that I could heal at a distance. Faith and virtue rarely occur in isolation. If you want to see great acts of faith practice those qualities that precede them.