THE ONE YEAR BIBLE CLUB

         The bad guy isn't always the bad guy, sometimes he's the good guy.  It's easy to read this story today and read it dismissing David as the calloused killer, insensitive to the lives that he is affecting by having these innocent people murdered. These parents and citizens must be filled with hatred and animosity towards David. I seriously doubt that this is easy for David to do and the text does make mention to his sparing Mephibosheth from the slaughter. David is simply trying to help Israel, Saul is the culprit and the reason behind why David must do, what to many is, a senseless slaughter of innocent lives. David inquiries to God why the famine (which is also leading to the death of innocent lives) and God's response to David is, “ It is on account of Saul  and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.” Saul is long gone now and David is left with the mess left behind by the previous King. A true leader is one th...

        I may be overstating something here, but there are few scriptures, if any where Jesus compares his love to him, based on whether or not you do something. I thought only my wife did this (lol), but apparently not. Jesus says, "Peter, do you love me....then __________" and at this point we should all have open ears. Recently I ran into a Christian from another church and I asked him what he was up to and his answer to me was, "just luving Jesus man....just luving Jesus..." and he said it with this glazed look in his eyes. As I left that encounter I thought...."wow, that guy really loves Jesus...I think?" Rarely do I walk around with a glazed look in my eye telling people, "I'm just loving Jesus". Do I love Jesus? If it's based off of sentiment and a glazed look in my eye, I might have to say...no! However, if I base it off of what Jesus says love is for him, than I could say..."yes!". There are few things in Christendom th...

        Joab sure gives David a tongue lashing, like nobody else could have. David is mourning over someone who has been trying to kill him (yes, even though it's his own son) meanwhile the men that care for David, love him, risked their lives for him are being dissed, unappreciated and ignored. If only we all had a friend in our times of insanity to come speak to us like Joab does to David. You see a parent give herself so much to the wayward child, while the other child that is loving, barely gets any attention. A woman obsessed in a relationship with an abusive man, while the man that loves her and would treat her right, is ignored and dissed. David is not the only one ever guilty of caring for the wrong people. As the saying goes, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". It seems those that scream the loudest and make the most trouble, get the most attention. A good friend or even the Holy Spirit, whispering to us to "love those that care for you, don't ign...

      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...