Wed.12.10.14...Connecting with our King... REAP- Read

Yesterday, we considered the importance of asking our Father for his divine favor before we opened his book of life to meet with him. Today we want to begin to learn how to R.E.A.P. from his word. 

R= Read. We need to be people who read and heed God’s word. Ages ago, Christians were known as “people of the book.” I’m afraid many now barely know the book. They rarely read it. What an insult to God who used over 40 different authors, writing in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek), over a period of over 1,400 years to give us the greatest earthly treasure to man- and yet it collects dust. If you were an archeologist, can you imagine finding any greater treasure than the very oracles of God? But today believers treasure their TV shows over the Scriptures. So they don’t read the word because they are “too busy.” I would dare say a king could use that excuse about being too busy to read God’s word. But notice what God expected the kings of Israel to do- “Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes” Dt.17:18-19. Note the connection between reading the word of the Lord daily and learning the fear of the Lord (to honor and obey him.).

The summer before I started attending kindergarten in 1963, the US Supreme Court outlawed the reading of the Bible in public schools. And thus, the most important thing we could learn- the fear of the Lord from the word of the Lord- has not been taught in our schools for over 50 years. Do you think there might be a connection between that and the melt down of morality in our land?

The reading of the Scriptures is of supreme importance. We should know our Father’s book. Jesus various times rebuked the religious leaders who opposed his teaching by slapping their pride saying, “Haven’t you read…?” He expects us to read even end time prophecies found in Daniel. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand—“ Mt.24:15. Even the book of Revelation, which many wrongly avoid, pronounces a special blessing on those who read it- “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy” Rev.1:3. (Would you like to study through Revelation? We will within this coming year!)

So it’s very good that we are daily reading and heeding God’s word. There are times to read for breadth and other times to read for depth. We will do both. At times we will read through an entire book a chapter a day. At other times, we will slow down and look at only a few verses. Often we will combine the best of both, reading a chapter a day, but picking out one verse or praise phrase to put on our 3x5 to meditate on.

1.-Today, let’s read Ps.119:9-16. (Use the prayer you wrote on your 3x5 from yesterday before you begin reading. Make this a holy habit, not just when I mention it, please.) This is one of the most power packed stanzas of the 22 in this psalm in honor of God’s word. Pick and write out one verse and share what you like about it.

2.-Also write your verse on your 3x5 to meditate on it today.  When you did it, write “Did it.”

3.-Hey, the stanza of 119:9-16 is entitled “Beth.” No, that wasn’t his wife or girlfriend he was dedicating the song to. If you have a study Bible, it probably has a footnote for the beginning of Psalm 119 that explains this. By the way, do you have a study Bible? If so, what kind? (There are many good ones out there.) If you don’t have one, let me know and I’ll help you get a good one at a nicely discounted price.

I have a friend who is a Pentecostal pastor. Some people will ask him at times, “Pastor, do you have a word from the Lord for me?”

“Yes, read your Bible! That’s the word of the Lord for you.” Great response!

You all made the pledge to faithfully meet with your Father and King, no matter what. "No scripture, no sleep!" That makes you unstoppable! Way to go! 

		G=God's Word	R	E	A	T
		For Mon.12.8.14
	Alpha Force	100%!
	Fire Team 1
1	Jack Rogers	Y
2	Daniel Contreras	Y
3	Roger Vinlasaca	Y
	Fire Team 2
4	Israel Fuentes	Y
5	John Pallozzi	Y
6	Sam Vargas	Y
	Delta Force	100%!
	Fire Team 3
1	Alvin James	Y
2	Dave Heidekruger	Y
3	Mark Estrada	Y
4	Mike Pagan	Y
	Fire Team 4
5	Eddie Morales	Y
6	Gary Remson	Y
7	Ismael Andrade	Y

Have a Laugh! :)

Okay, if you know me, you know I love to laugh! So what happens when a good ol’ boy named Billy Joe, who doesn’t know his Bible well, is being interviewed to be a deacon? 

“Billy Joe, what part of the Bible do you like best?”
“Well, sir, I like the New Testament best, sir.”
“What book in the New Testament?”
“What book, sir?”
“Yes, what book?”
“I think it’s the book of parables, sir.”
“Would you kindly relate one of those parables to this council?”

Poor Billy Joe knew he was up against it, but there was a possibility that the members of the council knew no more about their Bibles than he did. He decided to make a bold attempt, and proceeded as follows:

“Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves and the thorns grew up and choked the man and he went on and he didn’t have no money and he met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man, sir, a thousand talents of gold and silver and a hundred changes of rainments.

And when he was drivin’ along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him a hanging there. Yes, sir. And he hung there many days and nights and the ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink.

And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah, come along and cut his hair off, and he dropped and fell on stony ground and it began to rain and it rained forty days and forty nights.

And he hid himself in a cave. And the man went out into the highways and byways and compelled him to come in.

He went on and come to Jerusalem and he seen Queen Jezebel sitting high up in the window and when she saw him she laughed at him, so he said, “Throw her down out of there,” and they threw her down. And he said, “Throw her down again, “and they threw her down, seventy times seven and the fragments they picked up were twelve baskets full. Now whose wife will she be in the days of judgment?”

There was no one on the council who felt qualified to question the candidate further, so Billy Joe was welcomed on as a deacon. :)