THE ONE YEAR BIBLE CLUB

   WE have two instances of relationships gone bad in just one reading. The first part we read about David and Saul and in the latter half we read about David and Abigail. David has the perfect scenario he needs to convince Saul that he is not malicious; and at first it works, Saul calms down but eventually that "proof" is forgotten, it has no lasting effect and the relationship between David and Saul quickly deteriorates back to what it was. Trying to prove we are not "bad' and vindicate ourselves to those whose view of us has been tainted and/or even poisoned, is often a useless exercise. The cleverest argument, the most convincing evidence will have no lasting effect because the real issue is "their heart". When one individual in a relationship does not have a right heart, nothing can be resolved; however the opposite is also true, that when both individuals have a right heart, the worse circumstances can be reconciled.  Anything can ...

   I will be the last person to stand up the religious folks, especially the Pharisees, but it must have been hard to look at some man standing in front of you, claiming to be "The Son of God", miracles or not. I have seen miracles happen but never began to look at the people who performed them and think, "is this God?".  Now you can say, "well we know better today". How many times has God stood before us and we did not believe that it was Him? It's hard to see God and accept that it's God you see. And I mean this as a metaphor, imagine how much harder this is, when it's literal! Even Christians when witnessing a tremendous miracle stand there and say, "can this really be?". We almost try to dismiss, what we have witnessed, "maybe they really didn't have cancer, they were mis-diagnosed?"  We believe..., but we don't believe. I believe in you Lord, just don't stand in front of me and say, "This is me, God...

  Our reading today says,   "Then they kissed each other and wept together— but David wept the most."    I would imagine David wept the most.  David's life used to be simple. He had a family, he had a job that he loved, he had peace and quiet times out in the field, with God and his sheep, he was quite content sitting out in the fields, writing Psalms to God and watching over that flock that he had been assigned to by his Father.  Life was simple, life was carefree, life was good! David had no aspirations for anything else,  but yet God did (look out David!)   This poor, little shepherd boy gets called out of this simple, carefree living into a life of turmoil, hurt & disappointments. He is now very much removed and detached from his family, he is married to a woman who does not at all share his values or his love for God and now he is alone and on the run for his life and I'm sure David thought,  "how I long for when things wer...

   Well we read about dagon favoritism today; I thought God was above all that, after all, isn't He perfect? Well, God is perfect and not only is He not against favoritism, but he is the author of it since He is the author of all, He's the Alpha & The Omega.  We read in Verse 14. "David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him. When Saul recognized this, he became more afraid".  I don't think there is too many reading this today that would disagree of the favor that God had towards David as opposed to Saul. Should the student who talks back, doesn't listen, doesn't care, throws spitballs at the teacher have the same favor as the student who listens, is interested, respects the teacher, sometimes helps the teacher? Most protesters of "favoritism" are most often those that have always found themselves  on the wrong side of favoritism . This is really the issue. When we protest, it's because it affects us, if it d...

    “You will die in your sins” I have heard that mentioned in many altar calls and one on one witnessing but never quite heard it from Jesus, even though I've read over this passage, many times. I looked it up in the King James Translation and there too, it is written, “you will die in your sins”. Dying in your sins….as opposed to……dying outside of your sin? We understand what Jesus means, but do they? Do the people we work with, live with and go to school with? “To die in your sin”, is not a verse of forgiveness. First thing we would say to explain Jesus’ phrase here is, “well basically it means that if you die unforgiven, you will not make Heaven your home”.  Sorry, not the right interpretation! This verse has nothing to do with forgiveness, it has to do exactly with what is mentioned, ‘in sin” as opposed to “out of sin”.  “If you die  in your sin ”. One of the most popular message Christians preach is God forgiveness, but an equally important message is...

   I don't know maybe it's just me, but I can relate to Saul in this story.  I possess all the negative traits that Saul displays in this text, how about you? We are all prone, if we will be honest, to selective listening and partial obedience. Authority, Headship, they are not merely there for "window dressing" as the expression goes. We can become too familiar with authority and become wise in our own eyes, as the years pass on. Never would Saul have argued with Samuel, in the beginning! Never! And never would Saul have thought that "Samuel's way was 100% percent, the best way!".  Saul is even at the point where he begins to argue with Samuel, "that He did do what He was told" and what Saul is really saying here is "I did do what I was told, that was utmost necessary, at least in my opinion. I defeated the Amalekites. The rest, about not keeping the plunder, killing everyone, not so sure about that, to be honest". How many times hav...