Insults = Blessings?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: I Peter 4:12-19 TO CHEW ON: "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." I Peter 4:14 Which of these things has happened to you because you are a Christian?- called names- left out- teased- made fun of It’s not fun going through things like that. But it shouldn’t surprise us. People in the past were insulted and persecuted because they trusted in God: "Goliath" - Artist unknown David’s older brother made fun of him when David came to the battlefield and started asking questions about why no one was challenging Goliath when he insulted God. (1 Samuel 17:28) "David" - Artist Unknown Nehemiah was teased by Sanballat and Tobiah when he began rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. They made fun of his work, joking, “..if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones.” (Nehemiah 2:19; 4:3). Jesus said that his followers would be arrested, persecuted, even killed (John 15:20)....

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Tags: write true/false persecution Nehemiah Jesus friendship David 1 Peter

Instruction Manual

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 20:1-17 TO CHEW ON: "And God spoke all these words..." Exodus 20:1 Suppose you got a new wristwatch. The advertising on the package says it can not only tell the time but it’s also an alarm clock and a stopwatch. You take it out of the package. You put it on your wrist. But when you look at it a few minutes later, it isn’t even showing the right time, let alone doing all that other stuff. What do you need to do to get it working? a. Push and press the stem and buttons to see if you can get it to work.b. Talk to the watch, telling it what you want it to do.c. Read the manual, then follow the instructions on how to set and use it. Just like we need to read manuals (c.) to find out how to use our tools and gadgets, we also need a manual to tell us the best way to live. God has given us this manual in the Bible. One of the important places in the Bible where God clearly tells us how to live is in the Ten Commandments. When God came down on Mt. Sinai, the people had to stay...

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Tags: rules Moses God’s presence God’s holiness Exodus advice

In Love

TODAY’S SPECIAL:2 John 1-13 TO CHEW ON: "I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." 2 John 5-6 To “walk in love” means different things to different people. To some it means having a crush on a special person. To others it means having a best friend who is always there for you. To still others it means constant reminders of someone’s love in the form of gifts and nice things. But really loving each other is not nearly as soft and fuzzy as the things above would make us think. It’s all about choices. It’s about not doing the unloving thing and doing the loving thing. It’s about actions. It's about loving things that we do whether or not we feel loving. I Corinthians 13:1-13 tells us some of the difficult things a person who lives a loving life does or doesn’t do. Which ways to “walk in love,” below, are hard for you? Being patientNot being rudeBeing kindNot getting angryNot boastingProtecting othersNot being proudTrusting othersNot looking after my own interests firstBeing hopeful (positive)Not remembering bad things done...

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Tags: obedience love God’s help God’s character choices 2 John

Impatient Saul

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 13:7-14 TO CHEW ON: "He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, 'Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.' And Saul offered up the burnt offering." 1 Samuel 13:8,9 One day after Saul had been king for a while, Saul’s son Jonathan attacked a Philistine outpost. This was like poking a stick into a wasp’s nest. Immediately the Philistines gathered their army and came against the Israelites to fight. Saul’s army was only two thousand men. In a panic he sent trumpeters through the land to call back the rest of the army and anyone else able to fight. Then he and his men waited. They waited for more soldiers to come. They also waited for Samuel, the prophet and priest, to offer a sacrifice and ask for God’s help. Saul knew that it would be useless to go to war without that. Meanwhile every day the Philistine army grew larger. It swelled to three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers and thousands upon thousands of soldiers. The men in Saul’s army watched and grew more terrified by the hour. Soon they lost...

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Tags: Saul Samuel memory verse impatience God’s timing disobedience consequences 1 Samuel

I’m Sorry

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 51:1-19 TO CHEW ON: "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." Psalm 51:17 After Nathan had talked to David, he felt terrible. Now he knew how seriously God took what he had done. It wasn’t just some little "mistake." It was sin – adultery, lying, murder. He felt guilty. He felt dirty. He felt sad. He felt afraid that God wouldn’t be his friend any more. He was very sorry. David wrote his thoughts and feelings in Psalm 51. 1. Even though David had killed Uriah, whom had he sinned against the most? ____ (Psalm 51:4)...

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Tags: sin Psalms obedience disobedience David consequences confession

I’m Not Allowed

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 4: 1-13 TO CHEW ON: "Jesus answered, 'It is written ...' ... Jesus answered, 'It is written ...' ... Jesus answered, 'It says ...'” Luke 4: 4, 8, 12 Has this ever happened to you? Your friends are getting involved in an illegal or dangerous activity. Your parents have forbidden you to join in. One day your friends really put big pressure on you to join them. But you don’t want to. What is the best thing for you to do?- Discuss and argue with your friends about why it’s not a good activity?- Simply tell them, “ My parents say I’m not allowed”? The last way is a bit like what Jesus did. After Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led Him into the desert. There He stayed by Himself for days, fasting (not eating). "Christ in the Wilderness" by Ivan Kramskoy - 1873 But He wasn’t alone. For Satan was with Him, tempting Him to sin. After forty days, when Jesus was famished with hunger, Satan’s temptation was especially strong. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread,” he said....

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Tags: temptation Satan Luke Jesus God’s word

I’ll Do it My Way!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 16:1-13 TO CHEW ON: "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." 2 Chronicles 16:9 When Asa had been king for a long time, Baasha the King of Israel blocked the border between Israel and Judah. 1. The last time King Asa was faced with a problem (2 Chronicles 14:11) he had: (choose the correct answer):a] asked for help from Egypt.b] asked for help from God. 2. This time he (2 Chronicles 16:2):a] asked for help from Ben Hadad of Aramb] asked for help from God. Shortly after that, the prophet Hanani came to him and asked, “Why did you make your own plan instead of asking for God’s help? Didn’t God help you in your fight against Cush? God is always looking out to help anyone who depends on Him. What you did was foolish. From now on you’ll always be at war.” What Hanani said made Asa so angry, he put Hanani in prison. After that Asa stubbornly refused to ask for God’s help with anything. A few years later when he got a disease in his feet, he only went to doctors. He ignored God completely....

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Tags: rebellion problems Israel God’s help God’s care faith disobedience 2 Chronicles

I need a drink

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 15:22-27 TO CHEW ON: " He said, 'If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.' ” Exodus 15:26 Think of a time you were very thirsty. What did it feel like? What did you want more than anything? After the Egyptian army drowned in the Red Sea, Moses led the people into the desert. A desert is a dry place. It is often hot. As the people walked through the desert, they took sips from their water bottles. But soon all their water was gone. And theyfound no water for three days! Walking anywhere for three days with little or no water is bad. But walking through the hot dry desert without water is scary. It’s no wonder when they got to a place with water, they went straight to it. A drink at last! But no. The water tasted bitter. It probably isn’t even safe....

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Tags: water trust Moses miracles grumbling God’s help faith Exodus

Hope!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Zechariah 8:1-12 TO CHEW ON: "This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there' " Zechariah 8:4-5. After winter comes ________After night comes _________After sadness comes _________ The Israelites had had years of sadness when they lived in Babylon. Now some of them had returned to Jerusalem. There was much to do – a city to clean up, homes to build, a temple to rebuild. Would things ever get back to the wonderful way they had once been? God sent Zechariah, another prophet, to encourage everyone. His message was as hopeful as spring after winter, morning after night, joy after crying. “Jerusalem won’t always be like this,” he said. “Exiles from all over will come home. Then old men and women will visit in the streets. Boys and girls will play there. "Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. The city streets will be filled with boys and...

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Tags: Zechariah temple prophecy hope drawing discouragement

Hidden But Not Secret

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Joshua 7:10-25 TO CHEW ON: “Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.” Joshua 7:11 Have you ever done something sneaky – stolen something, told a lie, or cheated on an exam? Achan did such a thing when he went into Jericho. He had heard Joshua’s command about what to do with the loot. But when he saw a beautiful robe, some silver coins, and a wedge of gold, he sneaked these things home, dug a hole inside his tent and hid them in the ground. A few days later Joshua sent scouts to Ai, the next city. “It’s a small town,” the scouts reported when they got back. “We’ll only need part of the army to capture it.” But the people of Ai chased the Israelites from their city, beat them and killed many soldiers. Joshua and the people were stunned. Joshua fell on his face before God and asked, “Why didn’t you help us?” “Get up!” God told him. “There’s sin in the camp. Someone has stolen and lied. You need to deal with...

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Tags: trickery sin memory verse Joshua disobedience consequences choices

Helpless But Not Hopeless

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 20:1-19 TO CHEW ON: "Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him." 2 Chronicles 20:3,4 What is the first thing do when:- the school bully and his friends are after you?- your Mom loses her job?- someone steals your bike? King Jehoshaphat’s big problem was a huge army coming to fight him. When he heard this, he was worried. But he didn’t do things like make his army bigger, call for help from another king or panic. Instead he asked everyone to join him in fasting and praying to God, till he got God’s instructions of what to do next. Many families came to Jerusalem from all over Judah to pray. They met outside the temple. Grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, girls and boys stood there while Jehoshaphat prayed aloud. No sooner had Jehoshaphat ended his prayer by telling God how helpless he felt than God’s Spirit gave Jahaziel, one of the Levites, a message. What three things did God say to Jehoshaphat through Jahaziel? (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)...

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Tags: trust prophecy prayer Judah faith 2 Chronicles

Heart Idols

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ezekiel 14:1-6 TO CHEW ON: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Ezekiel 14:3 The Israelites in exile soon discovered that Ezekiel heard from God. They came to him often to find out if God had something to say to them. One day when some of Israel’s leaders had come to Ezekiel in this way, God gave him private information about them. “These men have idols in their hearts,” God told Ezekiel. “Tell them, ‘Don’t think I am going to give you messages from Me knowing all the while you are worshiping something else. You need to get rid of these idols before I will tell you anything.’” In the past the people of Israel had worshiped actual idol statues. Here God showed that idols don’t have to be physical things at all. They could be anything people admired, or trusted in, or relied on more than God. Even though these people may not have been going to actual shrines and praying to figurines, the idols were there just the same in the attitude of their hearts....

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Tags: worship trust prophecy idols God’s word Ezekiel

He’s My Neighbor?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 10:29-37 TO CHEW ON: "...so he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'” Luke 10:29 One day when Jesus was teaching in the province of Judea Mr. Scripture Expert came to Him with a question. He looked proud of himself as he asked, “What do I do to get eternal life?” “What’s written in the law (Bible)?” Jesus asked. “Love the Lord with all your heart ...and love your neighbor as yourself,” Mr. Expert replied. “Do this and you’ll get that life,” Jesus told him. “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered that question by telling a story (today’s “Read”). In it bandits robbed and beat up a Jewish man. As he lay unconscious beside the road a priest came along. He saw the beat up traveler and crossed to the other side of the road. A Levite did the same thing. Then along came a Samaritan....

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Tags: parable Luke love Jesus God’s plan friendship

Hard Times

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 39:7-23 TO CHEW ON: “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” (Genesis 39:20b,21) Have you ever been blamed for something you didn’t do? That’s what happened to Joseph. At first everything went well. When the Ishmaelites who had bought Joseph got to Egypt they sold him to Pharaoh’s servant Potiphar. Joseph liked his job and did such good work, Potiphar soon put him in charge of everything he owned. But Mrs. Potiphar liked Joseph too – in a sexual way. She tried over and over to get him to sin with her. Over and over, Joseph said, “No.” One day she tricked him. She got him alone in the house. “Come to me,” she said to Joseph. Again Joseph said, “No!” Then he ran out of the house. Mrs. Potiphar was angry and humiliated. “Joseph tried to rape me,” she lied. Immediately Potiphar arrested Joseph and put him in the king’s prison. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, Joseph got right back to work helping the jailer. In no time the jailer put him in charge of all the prisoners....

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Tags: trickery problems Joseph Genesis Egypt

Happy Father’s Day!

Today is Father's Day in some parts of the world. Don't forget to tell your father, or the person who is like a father to you, that you love them. Tell them 'thanks' for all they do for you. Thank God that even if you have no earthly father, He is a father to the fatherless....

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Tags: Psalms parents God’s care

Happy Easter!

This is Easter Sunday - the day we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead. Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!...

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Hang in there!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Philippians 3:10-14 TO CHEW ON: But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13b, 14 Each member of your baseball team has to sell 20 boxes of chocolates as a fund-raiser. But after tramping the neighborhood for an hour and hearing “No thanks” at every door, do you feel like giving up? When you keep going in spite of everything it’s called “perseverance.” We can learn a lot about perseverance from some Bible characters. Which person: 1. Begged Pharaoh many times to let his people leave Egypt? (a. Jacob, b. Joseph, c. Moses). 2. Prayed for years before God gave her a son? (a. Mary, b. Hannah, c. Eve) 3. Prayed, and then sent his servant to check six times before he saw a rain cloud? (a. Elijah, b. Nathan, c. Samuel)....

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Tags: Saul/Paul prayer Philippians perseverance

Handsome Inside

TODAY’S SPECIAL:1 Samuel 16:1-13 TO CHEW ON: "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people looks at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'” 1 Samuel 16:7 For a long time Samuel felt sad about Saul and way he had turned out as king. One day God said to him, “Stop feeling bad about Saul. Today I want you to anoint a new king.” Then God told him where to go (Bethlehem) and which family the new king would come from (Jesse’s). When he got to Bethlehem, he invited Jesse and his sons to join him and other people in offering a sacrifice to God. Then he asked Jesse to introduce him to his sons. The first son, Eliab, was tall and handsome – just like a king. But God said, “Don’t judge by his height and good looks. I see his heart, and I have rejected him.” The same thing happened when Jesse’s second son met Samuel, and the third, and the fourth, all the way to number seven....

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Tags: Samuel obedience David 1 Samuel

Hands Off!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 26:1-12 TO CHEW ON: "But David said to Abishai, 'Don’t destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed and be guiltless?'” 1 Samuel 26:9 Messengers came running to Saul. “We’ve seen David,” they said. “We can tell you where he is!” So Saul took three thousand soldiers and went to the place the messengers had said. David had his own spies. They knew exactly when Saul arrived and where his army was camped. One day David went to the hill overlooking Saul’s camp. As he peered down, he saw Saul asleep in the middle of all the soldiers. Even his bodyguard, Abner, was asleep. After dark, David and his friend Abishai crept down the hill and into the camp. They tiptoed right past all the sleeping soldier to the place where Saul lay. “Here’s your chance,” whispered Abishai. “God is giving Saul into your hands. Let me kill him for you.” “No!” David said. “He’s the king that God chose. It’s up to God whether he lives or dies. I won’t lay a hand on him.” But David took Saul’s spear and the water jug that was close to his head. Then they left the camp as quietly as...

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Tags: Saul respect leaders God’s timing David 1 Samuel

grumble Grumble GRUMBLE

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 16:1-12 TO CHEW ON: "The Lord said to Moses, 'I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ” - Exodus 16:11-12 Yesterday the Israelites grumbled about no water. Today they are grumbling about not enough food. In fact, they are in such a bad mood, they’re ready to go back to Egypt for just one of those great Egyptian meals! God heard the people. He told Moses what He would do (Exodus 16:11,12): unscramble the words.1. In the evening God would send (tmea) __________.2. In the morning He would rain down (debar) __________. Gathering manna by James Tissot The bread God sent the Israelites every morning was called manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey (Exodus 16:31)....

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Tags: thankfulness prayer Moses grumbling Exodus

Green-eyed Monster

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 18:1-16 TO CHEW ON: "Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. 'They have credited David with tens of thousands,' he thought, 'but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?' And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David." 1 Samuel 18: 8.9 David’s victory over Goliath sparked a big celebration. All the women in towns along the road from the battlefield to the palace came out to cheer. They had tambourines and lutes and sang a song: “Saul has slain his thousandand David his ten thousands.” When Saul heard this, he grew very jealous. They were praising David more than him. Next they’d want to crown David king. Because David was now a famous warrior, Saul invited him to stay at the palace. David had actually been at the palace before, to play the harp for Saul. He did this to calm Saul when an evil spirit bothered him. The day after they got back, the evil spirit came to Saul again and he asked David to play his calming music. This time, though, Saul’s jealousy was too strong. As David was playing, Saul took up a spear and threw it at...

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Tags: sin Saul jealousy David 1 Samuel

Greedy Lying Gehazi

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 5:15-27 TO CHEW ON: “When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, 'Where have you been, Gehazi?''Your servant didn’t go anywhere,' Gehazi answered" - 2 Kings 5:25 Naaman offers gifts to Elisha After he had left, Elisha’s servant Gehazi couldn’t get the thought of Naaman’s gifts out of his mind. My master was too easy on Naaman, he thought. But I’d sure like some of those things. He ran after Naaman’s carriage, caught up to it and said, “My master has changed his mind. He has visitors and could use some of your gifts.”...

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Tags: sin lies Israel Elisha consequences 2 Kings

Good Riddance

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 21:12-20 TO CHEW ON: "Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. He passed away to no one’s regret...." 2 Chronicles 21:20 One of the first things Jehoram did when he became king was kill all his brothers! This oldest son of Jehosphaphat did that so no one would try to become king instead of him. Next he married the daughter of evil King Ahab. Finally, he again started worshiping idols instead of God. Prophet Elijah from Israel sent him a letter. “Because you are doing so many bad things, God will be against everything that is yours. You yourself will get sick and die.” And that’s what happened. The Philistines and other hostile neighbors raided Judah and left with beautiful things from the palace. They kidnapped Jehoram’s sons and wives. Then Jehoram got sick. Only eight years after becoming king, he died of a painful disease....

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Tags: wisdom Judah death 2 Chronicles

Good News!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Kings 7:1-9 TO CHEW ON: "Then they said to each other, 'What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.' ” 2 Kings 7:9 What do you do when you have good news?- Make very sure no one finds out.- Write about it only in your journal.- Email, phone, text-message and tell all your friends. Chances are, you do the last. We all love good news – and love even more to share it with others so they can be happy with us. Four lepers living outside Samaria didn’t have good news very often. Lately life was even worse than usual because they were starving. Their family members who usually brought them food were locked inside the gates of the city. Standing guard outside the gates and surrounding the city walls was the army of Aram and King Ben Hadad. He wanted Samaria as his own. He was determined to stay as long as it took to capture the city. He was sure that when the Israeli people and their king...

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Tags: Israel good news God’s plan Elisha drawing 2 Kings

Gold God

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 32:1-6 TO CHEW ON: "He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' ” Exodus 32:4 Moses was on Mount Sinai for a long time. When he didn’t come back, and didn’t come back, the Israelites camping at the bottom of the mountain wondered what was taking so long. Maybe God had destroyed Moses in the fire that rested on the top of the mountain. Maybe a wild animal had killed him. Who could help them if Moses never came back? They remembered Egypt. There the people had prayed to statues or idols. The people went to Aaron. “Make us a god idol!” they demanded. “Give me your jewelry,” he said. Then Aaron melted the gold he collected and cast it into the shape of a calf. “This is our god,” the people shouted to each other. “This is the god who brought us out of Egypt.” They offered sacrifices to the idol and then they began to party. Israel celebrating around the calf idol - Artist unknown Which statement, below, tells why this...

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Tags: worship trust Moses idols faith Exodus disobedience

Gold Frappuccino

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 32:7,8, 15-26 TO CHEW ON: "They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt'.... And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made." Exodus 32:8, 35 While the people were worshiping and celebrating around the idol, God told Moses, “It’s time for you to go down. The people are doing something bad.” So Moses went down the mountain, carrying the tablets of stone on which God had written. But even God’s warning hadn’t prepared him for the sight that met his eyes when he got back to camp. There, in the middle of everything, was the gold calf idol. Around it the people were dancing, singing and celebrating. Moses stormed into camp. He threw down the stone pieces he was carrying and they shattered. "Moses Breaks the Tablets of Stone" from Treasures of the Bible (Moses) Then he tore the calf idol off its stand and heaved it into a fire....

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Tags: sin puzzle Moses judgment idols Exodus disobedience consequences

God’s Mobile Home

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Exodus 25:1-9 TO CHEW ON: “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.” Exodus 25:8,9 Do you go to church on Sunday? What is your church like? Churches can be big or small, fancy or simple, a special set-apart building or a building that is used for other things the rest of the week. Again God told Moses to come up to Him on the mountain. So Moses put Aaron and Hur in charge of the people. Then he took his assistant Joshua and again climbed Mount Sinai. God’s presence covered the top of the mountain with a glory cloud while God talked to Moses about many things. In today’s Bible reading, we read how God told Moses to build Him a church or sanctuary. But this building wouldn’t be like the churches most of us know. This church would be a tent called a ‘tabernacle.’ It would be light and movable, like tents are....

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Tags: worship tabernacle Moses memory verse Holy Spirit Exodus

God’s Fiery Smile

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Leviticus 9:1-5, 22-24 TO CHEW ON: "Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people." Leviticus 9:23 On the first day that the priests sacrificed animals to take the place of sinful people who deserved to die, Moses explained what God had said to him on the mountain. His brother Aaron was to be the person in charge of making these sacrifices. Helpers for Aaron were to be from his family or tribe - the tribe of Levi. They were called ‘Levites.’ They had to wear the special priest costumes we talked about on this day. On the first sacrifice day, Aaron brought animals to pay for his sin. Moses told him how to make each type of sacrifice – the sin offering, the burnt offering, the peace or fellowship offering and the grain offering. Different animals were needed for each one. These animals had to be perfect male animals (goats, lambs, calves or oxen) from the peoples’ own flocks. Choosing animals for sacrifice (Graphic courtesy CC-Art.com) As Aaron and his sons brought and slaughtered the animals, the crowd watched. The sight of...

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Tags: worship sacrifice respect Leviticus God’s presence God’s holiness

God’s Workman

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 2:1-7, 15 TO CHEW ON: "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 Would it be possible to be a bank teller without knowing how to do math and use a computer? Could you be a gardener without knowing about plants. What about being a doctor without knowing about the human body, diseases, and medicines?To do a job well, you have to learn about your job or business. Once someone is trained to do a job, they have to be willing to do the hard things in their job. If a person is an athlete, she has to keep her body fit and play by the rules of the sport.If a person is a nurse, he has to be prepared to work with sick people, give needles, and sometimes work the night shift.Someone who is a teacher has to be willing to prepare lessons and mark homework....

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Tags: work serving Saul/Paul prayer God’s plan 1 Timothy

God’s Parties

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Leviticus 23:1-8 TO CHEW ON: "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.' ” Leviticus 23:2 What do you do on special days? Match the holiday with an activity that may happen then: God also gave the Israelites special days to celebrate. They were called feasts. In some ways they were a lot like our holidays. The Israelites were to take the day off work and they often ate special food. But these feasts were also different. Most of our celebrations are only a day or a weekend long. Some of the Israelites' feasts lasted a whole week or longer. And while our celebrations are often all about us – what gifts we’ll get, what we’ll eat, how much fun we’ll have – the Israelites’ holidays helped them focus on God....

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Tags: worship thankfulness rules Leviticus joy God’s plan giving atonement


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The Journey of Abraham
Moses and the Exodus
Joshua and the Land
The Kingdom of David
The Kingdom of Solomon
Israel in Jesus' Time
Paul's First Journey
The Land of Israel
The Land of Egypt
The Land of Assyria
The Land of Babylon
The Land of Persia
The Land of Greece
The City of Rome
Noah's Ark and Mt. Ararat
The Tower of Babel
The Old Testament World
The New Testament World
Ancient Empires
Moses and the 10 Plagues
Ancient Peoples
The 10 Commandments
The 12 Tribes of Israel
The Ministry of Jesus

Bible Stories with Maps

Daniel in the Lions Den
David and Goliath
Baby Moses
Jesus and the Little Children

Coloring Book Images

Coloring Book
Donkey
Camel
Lamb
Noah's Ark
Noah's 3 Sons
Abraham
Sheep
Lion