The Ten Commandments:
Commandment II

Back when God gave this law, idols were made a lot. They were in places of worship, out in the countryside, even in people's homes. You don't see much of this in the USA in these times, but that doesn't mean that this is a "dead commandment." This just means that we have new things that can become an idol to us. Anything that comes between you and your love for God has become an idol to you. It could be your spouse, house, car, boat, job, friends, or anything else that comes between you and Him. We are to always love God more than we love anything else.

So, where are your priorities? What's important to you? If you lost all worldly possessions, would you be able to hold on, emotionally or would the loss of your precious "stuff" be too much to bear? Think about it!

Yours in Christ,

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Day 2

God wasn't planning to just punish the surrounding nations. He was planning on a punishment that would rock the world due to the immorality of all humans. As this punishment unfolds, the underlying reason is to show the glory of God. He puts the sun and stars to shame with His majesty, and this would be known. There are those out there who worship those cosmic items. There have been almost since the beginning of time! And when the light of our planet's energy source is compared with the one who set it all into motion, all of the cosmos is put to shame!

But He is more than just a source of brilliance. He is a mighty warrior that none can resist. He is a refuge for the downtrodden. He is a shelter for the weary. He is the conqueror of death. He has given us victory over the human frailties that separate us from Him.

What are the constellations in the night sky? Pretty star designs. What's the sun? The source of my sunburn! (That reminds me, I gotta get some sunscreen) That also brings up a valid point. In Iowa, I can get a sunburn during the warm months and that's about it. Certain constellations are only visible at certain times or are clear in certain months. That's not very consistent if you ask me. I prefer to base my faith in the unmoving rock of Christ Jesus.

Day 3

God is the only helper we need. To look elsewhere is to ignore our first commandment and is also a great way to disregard the greatest assistance that could ever be available to us. To reject this aid is to walk a treacherous path that will lead to a ruin that cannot be escaped. Even as a fool attempts their escape, God is still waiting for His call to assist them. If it doesn't seem that your situation is one that He will want to help you with, or if you feel that it's just too difficult, just remember the story of Jonah. Running from God, then waiting three days in the belly of a great fish wasn't anything for God to fix. All Jonah had to do was ask for a second chance.

He wants to be your strength, your deliverer. He does have the right to be your lawgiver and the judge of those laws, for these reasons and more. He created you and me. How could we possibly think our ideas rival His?

Day 4

Judgments and deliverance are the topics again today, only this time, it's not so much specific nations being represented, but the world itself. It does say that the ransomed of the lord will return on the Way of Holiness. Note, this passage doesn't say that those who are good enough will return under holy protection. It says those who are ransomed. That can also mean redeemed, or forgiven. God knows the flaws in human character and has already designed ways for us to be ransomed. This ransom can only be done in blood of an innocent. In the Old Testament times, this meant the blood of a pure animal. Today if is the blood of Christ. All you have to do is accept his gift that is already given to you!

If Jesus Christ is the head of your life, nothing can endanger you. If you love evil and hate goodness, God will not even listen to your prayers. Is senseless lust and greed worth that kind of a life? Sins may be fun for a short while, but nothing compares to the joy of living for He that made you. Let Him fill you with the fruits of the spirit and you will never regret that choice.

Day 5

Another review here. God asks how he had burdened Israel here and the answer is simple. He redeemed them and fought for them every step of the way. Hey, wait, that isn't a burden! What did he require of them, then? That they act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with Him? That sounds like a sweet deal to me. God is a forgiving God, but he is also a hater of evil and detests lying in all of its forms. Because of the dishonesty and other evils of the Israelites, they were to begin their punishment.

An interesting part of this punishment is the scorn of the nations. Hasn't this problem been around for millennia? It is a part of God's judgment and Man is powerless to affect it in any way. Does this mean that the Roadmap to Peace is a powerless idea? Yes. Another note: The land of Israel was promised by God. That land has no place on the bargaining table of human politicians. Thus, it will fail.

Back to the topic at hand, though. God has also promised to bring Israel up from her problems and restore her to her glory once their sins have been forgiven. And then the recent prophecies came to pass. Some would say that if the people knew what was expected of them, they could have just done the opposite to disprove these foretold events. That is silly. God doesn't need my help to carry out His will and there is nothing I could do to alter his timeline.

Day 6

Despite the broken faith of Israel, God was still willing to fight for them to protect His holy name and for the sake of David. The Assyrians were taunting Israel, saying that their faith in God was unfounded, just as the faiths of other peoples was shown to be useless from their military exploits.

For the sake of God's name and the love He had for David, the Lord saw to it that the violence would not reach His people. That very night, an angel went to the enemy camp and decimated their ranks of fighters. Later, after the king of Assyria had escaped to his own lands, he was cut down by his own sons. God keeps His word even to those who will not.

Day 7

Very seldom do we see anyone request their life be extended, but Hezekiah had done a great job as king of Israel and God decided to grant this wish. Hezekiah was a proud man, though, and did not respond well to this kindness. He was a big enough man to repent of this, though. A king who is just humble enough to repent? Israel hadn't seen that in generations! Neither had God, so when an envoy from Babylon came, the time to test Hezekiah had come.

Hezekiah gave them the grand tour of the wealth of Israel, leaving out no information of her blessings or her military strengths... and weaknesses. Isaiah asked him about this and the king answered truthfully that he had been a fool, although he didn't realize that yet. To drive the point home, Isaiah informed him that the Babylonians would take all of this plunder and some of his descendants. He didn't seem to mind, though, because he didn't think any of this would happen until he had passed on. What a jerk! I can't wait to see how his story ends up!

Weekly Link Chick Publications I remember seeing some tracts at church when I was younger. I was drawn to them because I was an avid reader of comic books at the time and these tracts were very similar. There were pictures with the spoken word balloons above the speaker showing the dialogue. These were not stories of super heroes fighting crime in their multicolored tights and capes, though. These were stories of the evils of men and the faith in God that could set them free. I hadn't seen any of these tracts for years (20 or more) until my good friend Scott (the Palestinian Baptist preacher) sent me a link to the site of the week. Many of the tracts I still remember from my youth are archived here and several new ones are here as well. You can see the tracts in their entirety on the site and you can order copies in bulk, with the intention of giving them to others as a non-confrontational way to show your faith. They are very informative and very much to the point. Check out the one about Islam. There is some information about its origins that I never would have guessed! http://www.chick.com/

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Thanks for sharing my goal of reading the Bible in its entirety this year!