January 01, 2007 is two hours away - at least where I am just now. I mentioned in Thursday’s Bible Bite that I would send you some information on Daily Bible Reading Plans. Start the New Year off right. Prepare your heart spiritually and your mind psychologically to commit to the regular, consistent and consecutive daily reading of your Bible throughout 2007. The information below is from the email I sent out this time last year. Just delete this, if you were on the distribution list last year.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Some have tried but of course they failed. Had they been successful we wouldn’t have one on our desk or beside our bed. Yes, the enemy from time to time has used its most powerful and sophisticated weapons to wipe it off the face of the earth and to erase it from the minds and hearts of people but the Bible always comes out on top! It has never been defeated nor will it ever be.

[Read the rest of this article...]

“What’s with that guy anyway? He’s like clockwork. He annoys me that he’s so consistent. I’ve watched him and I’m sure he prays at least three times every day to his God.” Someone else chimes in: “Yeah – he doesn’t even pray to our gods but yet he is walking off with all the plumb appointments from the king. He’s getting promoted like crazy. Lucky dog!” A third person agrees: “The guy is squeaky clean. He makes me sick. Even when we did the audit on him – but we couldn’t even find a bone of an old skeleton in his closet – no taint of scandal. Not a thing!”

[Read the rest of this article...]

Have you ever caught yourself justifying your low spiritual state – sort of letting yourself off the hook type of thing? “I’m not doing very well spiritually but I have my reasons. You don’t understand me because you don’t have the same background I have. Things happened to me in the past that have caused me to be the way I am today.”

[Read the rest of this article...]

Jezebel was livid! Could you say ‘frothing’ at the mouth with her fists clenched?! Watch out Elijah! She means business. If her husband King Ahab wimped out, she sure wasn’t going to. Ahab had the confrontation with Elijah at Mount Carmel in 1Kings 18. God demonstrated that He alone is God and Baal was very much a false god. Baal was as ‘dead as a nit,’ unable to respond to the cries of his worshippers. At the impressive display of God‛s power, the people chanted: “The Lord, He is the God!” King Ahab couldn’t deny it. The false prophets were wiped out and a torrential rain marked the end of a long famine.

[Read the rest of this article...]

“It doesn’t seem fair to me. You were at it first. You were getting the big crowds before He stole the limelight. You were preaching and people were flocking to hear you and you were getting results. Thousands were repenting and getting baptized. Now it seems He’s getting all the attention. What’s going on here?” Humanly speaking the potential for jealousy, rivalry and hostility was great.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Have you ever been (or not been!!) cynical when you hear politicians making great promises or doing a 180 policy turn based on what they claim to be ‘solid, expert and scientific research?’ They adamantly deny it has anything to do with polls and popularity: “Our decision is based on deep conviction with a singular eye for the good of the people.” If winning a popularity contest was the most important goal in life, most of us could do it. You don’t have to be a nuclear physicist to get the formula right. Shake enough hands; perform enough favors; remember every birthday and anniversary; be nice to people’s kids; always tell them what the majority wants to hear; smile plenty and if you’re ugly, dish out a few dollars for a facelift.

[Read the rest of this article...]

‘Cradled in his arms’ conjures up images of warmth, love and tenderness. Maybe you’re not in the mood to read something so soft and mushy. Be sure, there’s nothing cuddly about this scene. It’s dark, devious and devilish. The sooner this particular ‘cradle scene’ sinks into our skulls, the greater the distance we will want to keep from much of what comes across our path each day.

[Read the rest of this article...]

“I’m craving a chocolate bar,” she said. Out of bed he gets. Pulls on his clothes and out into the wintry night he went. He delivered the bar to his wife. You say: “That’s nuts. She could have waited until the morning or settled for a kitchen cookie. Or if she wanted one that bad she could have gone and got it herself!” Sounds like your love for her is not very deep.

[Read the rest of this article...]