THE ONE YEAR BIBLE CLUB

      How many times does the Psalmist tell us, "I cried out...."  and he goes on to write, "your word unfolded to me".  This is what our generation would call " ol' school Christianity".  Today's Christian tries to get by by joining themselves to some fancy mega Church, with a dynamic motivational speaker and a dynamic, moving worship concert. They leave that place, Sunday morning, somewhat moved, somewhat enlightened as one who has just attended some kind of seminar, but as the week presses on and they tune in to their favorite T.V. programs, movies, work & other activities, they find themselves in that same place, mentally, emotionally and for sure, spiritually and the cycle goes on.  In between is...divorces, child custody battles, drama, alcoholism, abusive relationships, verbal and sometimes physical....and this becomes what we know to be "the church" today.      The reality is, there is only one kind of Christianity. and it...

  Was the One Year Bible inspired by God so we could read these stories side by side?  Our reading in the Old Testament is about David being told by Ziba that Mephibosheth has turned on David. You can imagine how much this hurt David to hear this news from Ziba, that the one who he extended his arm too, the man who said to David "why do you take interest in a dog like me", this man Mephibosheth, that David cleaned up, gave him his inheritance from his grandfather Saul, made him a member of his own household and had Mephibosheth sit as this table to eat with him, a King.  David is thinking his charity, mercy and grace has all been in vain and in a time when his own son has turned on him, this is just more bad news.  David tells Ziba, "all that was Mephibosheth's is now yours!"  This is exactly what Ziba wanted.  However, as we come to find out later, this was all a deception, Ziba was very impure in his motives and I find it interesting, that we read in...

    The lesson is proven here that we are often much harder on our own family and loved ones; than we would be with strangers. David has no problem having empathy towards this man and this situation which is being brought before him by the woman of Tekoa (which we know is Joab in disguise). This is very wise on Joab’s part to realize that David would not be this harsh in a normal situation. As David hears the story he is able to quickly discern, “the punishment has gone to far”.  This is a lesson not just for David to learn, but also you and I. Compassion and mercy we would offer to others, often is not given to our own family members. We hold grudges for years for offenses that we would have told others, “they must forgive and let go”.  Joab is able to bring out of David, that he knows right from wrong, but Joab allows David to see, that though he may know right from wrong, he’s not exercising it with his own son, Absalom. The mercy and grace we show with other...

    Coincidence or not, you tell me; that the day after we finish reading about David’s transgression with Bathsheba, do we read about David’s son’s transgression with Tamar. David Looked upon Bathsheba with raging lust and had to have her. David inquiries to find out who she is and when he is told it is Uriah’s wife, one of his soldiers, he still persists to sleep with her. Bathsheba was married and not only married, but married to one of his soldiers that was fighting in a war, that David should have been fighting. While David’s soldier is risking his life on the battle field, David is at home having sex with his wife. This is the stuff movies are made up of, but yet this is true life. Why did David do this? According to David, “he could not resist her”, she was too beautiful. Fast forward a few years down the road and we have Amnon, saying those same words about his half sister Tamar, who apparently, was strikingly beautiful, as was Bathsheba. Amnon cannot deprive...

         DAVID is unshaken in his faith, he has always been unshaken in his faith. When running for his life from Saul, he was unshaken in his faith and encouraged himself in the Lord at Ziklag. When faced with a grueling miserable tortuous death, facing Goliath, he was unshaken in his faith and here, suffering in the consequences of his sin, after much fasting and contending to the mercies of God to spare the life of his son, he yet, once again, even when his son dies, is unshaken in his faith. What does David do when he finds out his son dies; that he has just fasted for; our text today says,  "he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped.  Then  he went to his own house....and ate".   You may say, "well what else was he supposed to do?"  Well, certainly not go worship the God who ignored his prayer! Instead he could be angry at God, begin to waiver in his faith and wonder..."is God real, maybe this is all just a joke, ma...

        WE cannot speak enough about David. David is "the real deal".  He is not a Jew trying to practice his religion, he truly is  a man of God  and has a genuine relationship with Jehovah.  "Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?"   And David is not just trying to sound good! He really does want to show God's kindness. God's kindness, shown through God's people will go a whole lot further in our witness than preaching fire, hell and brimstone. Mephibosheth is mentioned to David. He is a disabled man and has now become associated with the rift raft of society. He is a nobody, forgotten by all the "somebody's"  David brings him into his household, restores everything to him that belonged to his grandfather Saul and then adds this,    "And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table" .   Not only am I bringing you into my Palace, but you will...