Matthew 3-4

• Repent (3:2)
• Uses Isaiah's words in fulfilling prophecy and also description for clothing in fulfillment (v3-4)
• Are the people believing and repenting because prophecy is being fulfilled? (v5-6)
• Why did John reject the Pharisees? Could even he see that are not repenting from the heart? Pharisees must have said we are saved because of being children of Abraham. But He that was so, why would they bother baptising? (v7-10)
• Did OT say there will be baptism?
• Someone mightier is coming. He humbles himself and say the real person that can save is coming. (v11-12)
• John acknowledges Jesus no need to baptise but Jesus says it is to legitimize and to give him "authority" in people's eyes (v13-17)

• 40 days of temptation (4)
• I remember it mirrors the temptation Israel faced in their 40 years outside Canaan. They failed but Jesus conquers
• Shows us if we meditate and remember God's word, then we can overcome temptation
• What did fishers of men mean to the apostles? How could they immediately dropped everything and just go? (v19-20)

Isaiah 7-11

• Wanted to in against Judah (7:1-6) but God promises that plan will fail and explains the falls. (v7-9)
• Prophesised when Immanuel is to come. (v10-25)

• God reminds He is Holy. (8:13) Fear will make people fall and will lead people astray (v14-15) but we should constantly remind ourselves of God's word (v16) Wisdom won't help because God reveals only through trust (v17). There will be those in uncertainties that will start trusting other things (v19). Those with strong faith with God should lead people back (v20-22)

• Further prophesised about their King (Jesus) (9:6-8)
• V10 ?
• Contrasts God's love in providing a King but also contrasts God's wrath will not be dealt with. Something will be done for not repenting (v11-21)

• God will use Assyria to punish but because Assyria is not righteous, It'll be punished in due course. No one get's away. (10:5-12)
• Assyria does not honour God (v13-14), but God uses axe analogy to say they don't know who they are when seen in perspective.
• Fire will destroy Israel. (v16-19)
• But fire refine and the righteous 339 of Israel will survive and continue to honour God. Similar to the parable Jesus uses in the gospels (v20-23)
• This also shows God is serious about punishment of those in His wrath.
• He promises to the faithful bunch that Assyria will get their punishment (v24-27)

• Promises new kingdom, new rule: It will be a descendant of David (11:1-9)
• God promises the exiled people scattered all over the world to return. Is that the country Israel today or Christians today uniting as one body? (v10-12) If so what about v13-16?

Job 3-4

• Job curses his day of birth. Compares it with darkness. Gould not be seen and not remembered (3:1-8) Do not see morning, does not have hope? (v9)
• He is suffering so much why he did not die earlier or at birth (v10-13)
• He is mind baffled why the world has turned upside down. (v20-26)

• Eliphaz says God is hope (4:6), but then goes on to say that something must have been done wrong and hence bad outcomes resulted. (v7-11)
• Prompts the question: Who can say they are righteous before God? (v12-21)

Its my privilege to spend the next 365 days reading the bible with Ivan, Sharon and Jot. Its not easy to be committed, on top of a full time job and church ministries, I thought I have spent more time talking to satan than to God.

Hey satan, you seem to have fun tempting me same time everyday to tell me to do my bible reading and praying tomorrow. And you came back same time the next day saying exactly the same thing to me!! Im sick of hearing your voice, just leave me alone…

This week I have learnt to ‘meditate on his word day and night’ and not let my thoughts depart from His way.

It was interesting to see how God allows satan to go and tempt Job for God knows he is one righteous man!! Job’s heart and faith for God did not change despite he was ‘strike in the flesh and bones’ (Job 2:5). It was even more courageous to see how Job was being called foolish in the worldly eyes while being praised by God someone who has ‘maintain his integrity’ (Job 2:3).

Are we like Job that the world has called us foolish while God saids well done?
Or are we the other way around?

Psalms 3-5

• Many people against David are rocking his faith with God. (3:1-2) However, David is conscious that God is protecting him (v3-4), and he is assured that he could sleep all night to revitalise even when the whole world seems to be against him. God is the source of peace (v5-6)
• His faith is steadfast. Although the pressure is on, there are no hint of David doubting his own faith. (v7-8)

• David knows God's existence. He does not doubt that God does not hear prayers (4:1). He knows his source is the truth (v2)
• The joy and peace you get is much more compared to the earthly ones. (v7)

• Seeks God to listen to his prayers 27 he only seeks God (5:1-2)
• He does not doubt whether God listens to prayer or not. (v3)
• Knows God's will that He dislikes evil. (v4-6) and seeks God humbly for leading him into righteousness. (v7-8)
• The righteous will be protected (v12)

Joshua 6-10

• God fulfills that Jericho is in Israel's hands as promised. (4:2)
• God tells Joshua how God would got Jericho for Israel. (v3-5)
• Joshua and Israel patiently waited and obeyed God's commands for seven days. With their power they could have attacked. (v6-16)
• Joshua warns not to covet when they invade and only do what pleases God. (v17-19)
• God shows His works. To the non-chosen people, they may have thought how powerful, but for Israel, they are well aware that they did nothing in their part. We, 27 Christians should humble ourselves and acknowledge that it is God who provides. (v20-27)

• Achlan sinned. (7:1)
• God leaves Israel (v5) and Joshua does not understand (v6-7)
• Has Joshua lost faith in God? He questions the failure damaging their future success. He already forgot how God did everything to defeat Jericho. If he remained faithful, does image really matter? (v8-9) He should have reflected on whether Israel have done something wrong.
• God gives chance for repentence (v12) but there is still punishment for God's wrath (v15)
• Archan suffers consequences. (v20-26) He didn't own up to it, only when Joshua comes to him.

• Their faith is tested after losing previous battle. Can they pick themselves up and trust God? (8:1)
• Joshua is revealed God's intentions and he warns the chosen men to follow God's way. (v2-8)
• Joshua trusts and obeys God's command. (v18)
• Joshua continued to obey God's word by not sparing Ai (v26-27)
• Gave thanks to God by what he has done for Israel. (v30-35)

• Gibeon thought their earthly wisdom can deceive Israel. (9:3)
• Wineskins (v13)
• They were suspicious (v7) but they did not consult the Lord (v14). Found out in v 16.
• The Gibeons feared death and knew they had to be with God in Israel to spare their lives. (v24)

• Gibeon was better than Ai and still feared (10:2), so Jerusalem was scared too.
• The five kings tried to go against God. (v3-5)
• God reveals his will for Israel to battle the Kings (v8) He fulfills his promise in being with Israel. Again it shows it is God at work, not by Israel's strength. (v9-11)
• The Lord fought for Israel (v14)
• Is there a thing to hang Kings on trees? (v26) Is it the worst form of humiliation?
• Victory because of Israel obeying God's command. (v40)

Genesis 4-7

• First forms of offerings (4:3-4)
• God did not like Cain's offering. Was it because it is just an offering? And not the first harvest?
• God teacher Cain to overcome his sin (v7). God has given Cain a chance to repent. But Cain has chosen to kill out of jealousy (v8)
• Again, God have him another chance but Lies to God and says he doesn't know Abel's whereabouts are. Shows lack of care too. (v9) God punishes (v11) and he thinks it's not just by saying it's too much for him. (v13)
• Enoch (v17)
• Why didn't God say anything about polygamy? (v19)
• Seth (5:3)
• Geneology from Adam to Noah. (v1-29) Promise to save them from God's curse of the land.
• Our age limited to 120 years (6:3)
• Nephilim were evil and God was sorry to see this (v4-6) and wanted to wipe everything out (v7). Noah was found righteous in God's eyes. (v8-9)
• God directs Noah to build ark with all the details. (v14-16) and further revelations and directions (v17-21, 7:1-4)
• Noah followed God's direction. (v22, 7:5)
• Details of flood. (v10-12)
• Fulfilment of what God has said about cursing the earth (v13-24)

Homework

Yes, I am attempting to read it in Chinese.

It's taking a lot of time for two main reasons.
1. my chinese is extremely poor.
2. the chinese version is overall a poor translation.

Some thoughts for the past week's reading:

Why did God make Eve? Because "那人獨居不好" (it is not good for man to be alone).
It's not good for man to be alone??

Curses for the human race:
1. Man is cursed because of Adam's sin. We have to work our butts off.
2. Pains in child birth, And, "你必戀慕你丈夫". Is that a punishment too??

God asked Joshua to bring his people across the River in the strangest way. There were many ways to cross, but God picked a way which tests very very much the faith and trust of the leader. Being of a strategic mind, Joshua must have thought of a thousand strategic ways to cross. Yet he choose to have faith, and obey against his own judgement.

It seems that the gods are playing around with human lives. Like dolls in a plastic house. How can God let Satan do such terrible things to Job? God doesn't need to prove anything to Satan. What was the purpose of this? To the reader. this book seems very very fictional. I had to sit back and remind myself that "this happened to an actual person called Job." Think Again!

In Isaiah, the people made some very bad choices. Is the problem that they are not turning back? God is very angry with them. I wonder if all the people realised this...

The story of Jesus' Birth is amazing. I heard that the name Jesus is common in those time. I didn't know that. and I found it hard to believe. Is it true?? Out of all the people in the bible, only one person is called Jesus. Doesn't seem to me that it's a common name.

I had a debate in small group about the Jews requiring permission from the Roman Government to Stone people to death. I disagreed that they needed permission. Herod ordered all those children to be killed. I don't think he asked the Romans for permission.

Matthew concentrates very much in matching jewish "prophecies" with what is happening on the person of Jesus. i wonder how the jews over the past two thousand years say about these things.

You can see genuineness in Paul's letters. The language he uses is full of love and enthusiasm and excitment. Man ate from the tree of knowledge. He has the ability to differentiate good and bad. All Man kind knows inherently that they have sinned against God. Can anyone claim ignorance on the day of judgement? If you've heard the gospel. you have no excuse.

(some of the chapters I read in English cos I didn't have time to spend on the Chinese.)

Week 2

Mon 05 May 2008	Genesis 4-7
Tue 06 May 2008	Joshua 6-10
Wed 07 May 2008	Psalms 3-5
Thu 08 May 2008	Job 3-4
Fri 09 May 2008	Isaiah 7-11
Sat 10 May 2008	Matthew 3-4
Sun 11 May 2008	Romans 3-4

Week 1 Summary

Praise the Lord we have all been able to stick to our commitment in reading bible in a year in our inaugural first week! Give thanks that we have been able to prepare our hearts, set time aside so we can read, think and let God guide us through His word. I'm glad that in my "spot checks" with my fellow co-bloggers throughout the week, everyone has been staying on path despite the many commitments we already have in our busy lives.

It appears our Friday readings were the greatest challenge this week. It was by far the longest. RL anticipated that and took a head start and read 3 chapters the night before, whereas I took a head start since Wednesday but only managed to read Isaiah 1 in the 2 days leading up, and also having to wake up another 15 minutes earlier on Friday to read chapters 2-5. Sharon resorted to reading the more comfortable Chinese for that particular day.

Jot.. by far has been embarking on the greatest challenge. He is determined to read CUV throughout the year and has already started to re-invent the wheel by creating some 'excel-dictionary'. He has already brought in his actuarial expertise in our 1st week of bible reading. Every part of his life has now officially got some connection with excel somehow or other!

My biggest challenge was Mum plunging into my room Monday morning and seeing me reading my bible, something that she believes is a 'waste of time' (for now). A nice coincidence and a present 'suprise' for her on my first day on this trip of reading the bible in 365 days.

As to blogging, we have informally agreed that we should make an effort to post an entry at least once a week. At least 50% have managed to stick to this arrangement (There is still 2.5 hours to lift the statistics up!). As far as I am aware, there is no agreement for a rolling-average, so counters should reset at the beginning of each week! :P

1 week has passed! A very great start! May our Father in Heaven continue to guide us in the 51 weeks ahead of us in this journey.

Romans 1-2

• Describes himself as servant of Christ for the gospel. (1:1)
• Constantly remember his fellow brothers and sisters in prayer (v10) and to remember to encourage each other. (v11-12)
• Reaping harvest is for BOTH christians and non-christians (v13-14)
• People often to scared to share the gospel because they are afraid of criticisms and rejections, but Paul expresses his attitude towards the gospel by saying he is not ashamed of what he believes. (v16)
• Shows how God has revealed himself (v17- 20) but does not repent. What today has become:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

-- Romans 1:21-25

• Because of this, man's way of living is no longer longer in accordance with God's intentions. (v26-27) Ungodly qualities revealed: unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless.
• Acknowledging what God said is not enough. You have to accept it in the heart and let in of yourself to allow God to change your bad habits, otherwise you are no better than non-believers. (v32)
• Since we all do Ungodly things, Paul affirms what Jesus has said in not judging others and reminds us God will judge fairly. (2:1-2, 11)
• Warns the outcome for those who are self-seeking (v8)
• Would Catholics use this section to justify God's judgment is based on works? (v9-20)
• Challenging us not to be hypocrites, by upholding something and not doing it yourself. (v21-23)
• Paul assures us that what God wants is what comes from the heart, not what deeds are done. (v29)