31. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Today, we will read the trial of Jesus before Pilate and Herod and how he was found “not guilty” by both authorities yet still sentenced to death. 

Here is our story:

Luke 23: 13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him. ” 18 With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” 22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” 23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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30. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

This week in honor of Holy Week or Passion Week, we are reading certain passages from the last days of Christ.  Today, I have chosen the prayer in the Garden that lead up to his betrayal. 

Here is our story:

Luke 22: 39 And he came out , and went , as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down , and prayed , 42 Saying , Father, if thou be willing , remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done . 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye ? rise and pray , lest ye enter into temptation. 47 And while he yet spake , behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? 49 When they which were about him saw what would follow , they said unto him, Lord , shall we smite with the sword? 50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said , Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out , as against a thief, with swords and staves? 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness. 54 Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together , Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said , This man was also with him. 57 And he denied him, saying , Woman, I know him not. 58 And after a little while another saw him, and said , Thou art also of them. And Peter said , Man, I am not. 59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed , saying , Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. 60 And Peter said , Man, I know not what thou sayest . And immediately, while he yet spake , the cock crew . 61 And the Lord turned , and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow , thou shalt deny me thrice. 62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. 63 And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. 64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying , Prophesy , who is it that smote thee? 65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. 66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together , and led him into their council, saying , 67 Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe : 68 And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go . 69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. 70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am . 71 And they said , What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

Wow…. These passages are so powerful and so humbling.   Every time I read these stories is like the first time which is what I love about the bible.  As you mature in God, you see things differently and each time, it has more meaning.  This book is amazing.

Stay encouraged everyone and Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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29. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Those of you that follow me know that I always break my study to follow the seasons of the church and this week is known as Holy or Passion Week and so I want to share with you some of my favorite passages of this season.

Today, I want you to look at the prayer that Jesus prayed in John the 17^th chapter.  It is in three parts: Jesus first prays for himself, then his disciples and then for the believers to come which would be us.  

I have always been fascinating with the prayers of Jesus.  Think about it.   This is Jesus talking to God right before he is about to be betrayed by Judas.  This would be one of the last recorded prayers and what would Jesus be concerned about and what would he tell God. 

Here is the prayer:  John 17^th chapter..

Jesus Prays for Himself

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. 6 “I have revealed you^a to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name–the name you gave me–so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify^b them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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26. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

As we close the week, our ending story deals with Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother) and Nathan’s plan to ensure that Solomon becomes the next king.  Nathan (the prophet) comes to Bathsheba and they work out a plan.

Here are the details of the plan and its execution as revealed in our text today:

I Kings 1: 11 Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David’s knowing it? 12 Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said.” 15 So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. 16 Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. “What is it you want?” the king asked. 17 She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the LORD your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ 18 But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20 My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.” 22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 And they told the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground. 24 Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25 Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. 27 Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

On, Monday, we will go into details about David’s response to what he has just heard from both Bathsheba and Nathan.

Have a great weekend everyone. 

Thanks for all your prayers.  I am feeling so much better. 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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25. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

Yeah….  We are in the book of Kings.  In our lesson today, David is near death and his oldest son after Absalom which was called Adonijah was trying to take over the throne.   Now, we know that historically the next king of Israel will be Solomon, the son of David and Bathsheba yet Solomon’s rise to power was not a smooth transition.   Let’s look at the story.

I Kings 1: 1 When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2 So his servants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.” 3 Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her. 5 Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses^a ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. 6 (His father had never interfered with him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.) 7 Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei^b and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah. 9 Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal officials, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.

As you see in our opening, David is old and was having problems with staying warm no matter how many covers was placed over him.   He was brought a young concubine to sleep with him in order to raise his body temperature, yet the text is clear that they have no sexual relations.   Some rabbinical literature has even suggested that David being placed in the bed with a beautiful woman and not being able to perform sexually shows that the king was near death.

David’s oldest living son Adonijah seeks allies to proclaim himself as king seeing that his father will be dead soon and gets some very strategic people in David’s court to align himself with him. 

He offers a sacrifice signifying that the kingdom was to be turned over to him.

Tomorrow, we will study both David & Bathsheba’s response to this action.

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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24. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

It’s spring here in Atlanta, and I think I have inherited my beloved mother’s sinus condition.   Whoohhhhhhh…. GOD PLEASE HEAL THIS.   I watched her suffer for years with this condition and the last past week, I felt like I was reliving a scene out of my childhood where I would hear her  cough all night and hack and popping BC powders like it was crack. 

I have had a miserable past week.  I don’t know what it is about this year…  I never get sick unless it is a sinus headache every now and then but the past couple of months have been something else.  

Please keep me in your prayers… and if anyone knows some good home remedies for helping relieve sinus pressure, please send it to my email.   I am currently taking Zyrtec D, Muncinex DM and on some antibiotics prescribed by my doctor for the ear infection that came along with it and some very strong cough medicine to help get rid of the nagging and very painful cough.

My ears feel like they are under water and the pressure feels like I’m on an airplane.  I’m writing all of this because I know that some of you have probably suffered with chronic sinus problems and may have found some natural things that helped with relief of some of the symptoms so I would welcome your suggestions.

Today, we conclude the book of Samuel with David’s response to God after seeing the calamity that fell on his people for his sin of numbering the people.

Here is the text:

II Samuel 24:18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad. 20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his men coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” “To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.” 22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever pleases him and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 O king, Araunah gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the LORD your God accept you.” 24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels^c of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.^d Then the LORD answered prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

One of my my favorite parts in how this story ends is how David refused to accept the land for free for he said “he would not sacrifice to God burnt offerings that cost him nothing.”

David sacrificed to the Lord and David was right in his choice, the Lord had mercy and stopped the plague.

We will continue our journey on tomorrow.  Again, I always like to say it every now and then; I thank you all for following me daily and studying God’s word with me.

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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22. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone:   

In our story today, We learn the choice that David makes concerning the punishment he will receive for his sin of numbering the people. 

Here is our story: 

II Samuel 24: 14 David said to Gad, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” 15 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. 16 When the angel stretched out his hand to destroy Jerusalem, the LORD was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was afflicting the people, “Enough! Withdraw your hand.” The angel of the LORD was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 17 When David saw the angel who was striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? Let your hand fall upon me and my family.” 

Tomorrow, we will see David’s response to God as to what happened to the people. 

Still feeling a little under the weather, that’s why they have been so short the last couple of days. 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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19. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

In our story today, We learn what God has to say about David numbering the people.

Here is our story:

II Samuel 24:10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.” 11 Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer: 12 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.’ ” 13 So Gad went to David and said to him, “Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.”

Monday, we will study which option David chooses and why.

Have a great weekend everyone..  I’m going to lay down all weekend long and see if I can fight this sinus infection.  I love spring but it does not love me.  It’s only the first few days of spring after a while, I’m okay. 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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18. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone: 

In our story today, it appears to be slightly contradictory. 

Here is the story that we posted the other day.

II Samuel 24: 1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.” 2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.” 3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?” 4 The king’s word, however, overruled Joab and the army commanders; so they left the presence of the king to enroll the fighting men of Israel. 5 After crossing the Jordan, they camped near Aroer, south of the town in the gorge, and then went through Gad and on to Jazer. 6 They went to Gilead and the region of Tahtim Hodshi, and on to Dan Jaan and around toward Sidon. 7 Then they went toward the fortress of Tyre and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. Finally, they went on to Beersheba in the Negev of Judah. 8 After they had gone through the entire land, they came back to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to the king: In Israel there were eight hundred thousand able-bodied men who could handle a sword, and in Judah five hundred thousand. 10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O Lord, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”

The text starts off by saying that the anger of the Lord was burned against Israel and “he” incited.  This “he” would appear that it is talking about God.  If you take that approach however, the text becomes problematic. 

For if God told David to take the census and then punishes David for doing it then that becomes problematic.

Joab does not want to do the senses and seems to suggest by saying  “do such a thing” that it is a bad thing to do.

The text says that at the end that David was conscious stricken and said to God that he had sinned greatly in what he had done and pleaded that God would take the guilt away from him, so if this was a command from God there would be no need for begging for forgiveness.

This account is also told in I Chronicles 21^st chapter and it gives us a much clearer translation of what happened.  Let’s look at a couple of verses”

I Chronicles 21: 1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.” 3 But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?”

In this account, it identifies Satan as the one that rose up against David and incited him to take a census.

You may ask what the big deal in taking a census is.  The whole idea is that now David is relying on the talents and military power and numbers in his men instead of depending on God.  God has always been there for David and now David is looking to his own military strength and power instead of looking to God.

Tomorrow, we will study what God’s response will be to David taking this census. 

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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17. March 2010 by Bernice Davis.

Hello Everyone:

I started to just post a scripture and pick up tomorrow but I would love to do justice to this text and it is the end of David’s life so I will pick up tomorrow.  I do not feel well today…..   Whooooooooohhhhhhhh….  Gotta slow down.  I thought I was in Kansas yesterday and was actually in Wichita Wisconsin.          Okay,  going to get some rest.  Will see ya tomorrow in web land.

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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