From parrisdc at gmail.com  Tue Mar  1 17:41:18 2011
From: parrisdc at gmail.com (Don Parris)
Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2011 17:41:18 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Church Accounting Software??
In-Reply-To: <1297354356.11294.4.camel@rob-E6510>
References: <1297014151.7621.38.camel@rob-E6510>
	<1297050294.7137.0.camel@P-733-Lin>
	<1297053167.5081.5.camel@rob-E6510>
	<8e12fbf6f227d3ef6e34ccb56417fa71@localhost>
	<8CD96FC15D57FD0-648-4BF3@web-mmc-m03.sysops.aol.com>
	<1297354356.11294.4.camel@rob-E6510>
Message-ID: <AANLkTikfMzcYad5DTMA6g75YCdRNz_8Vb6K-kf+pMi0A@mail.gmail.com>

chaddb only has the most rudimentary beginnings of financial capability -
and remember, it never really got developed.  All that really exists is some
SQL and maybe a bit of PHP or Python.

Signed,
Your friendly neighborhood CHADDB project founder and deserter

:-p

Blessings,
Don

On Thu, Feb 10, 2011 at 11:12, Rob Matlack <okie2003 at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, 2011-02-10 at 00:39 -0500, shengchieh at linuxmail.org wrote:
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Raoul Snyman <raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za>
> > To: Linux for Christians <linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net>
> > Sent: Sun, Feb 6, 2011 9:00 pm
> > Subject: Re: [Linux4christians] Church Accounting Software??
> >
> > On Sun, 06 Feb 2011 22:32:47 -0600, Rob Matlack <okie2003 at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > >> > Churches need to keep track of accounts such as Gen Fund, designated
> >
> > >> > gifts, VBS, Awana, missions, etc. plus donor records for end of year
> >
> > >> > reports for tax purposes. Does anyone have a template for gnucash
> for
> >
> > >> > this or know of some good software that can easily do this?
> >
> > >>
> >
> > > Thanks for the response. I think I have figured it out in gnucash. I
> >
> > > will work with it a bit more and report back.
>
> >
> > > Sorry that I'm late to the party, but did you look at KMyMoney2 or
> >
> > > Skrooge? KMyMoney2 has a number of sets of accounts for different
> purposes,
> >
> > > and I think there might be one or two for non-profit organisations,
> which
> >
> > > might fit a church better.
>
> >
> > I'm even later.  Take a look at these two - I don't know if they
> >
> > have accounting in it.
>
> >
> > http://chaddb.sourceforge.net/ (CHADDB [Database])
> >
> > http://www.churchdb.org/ (ChurchInfo [Database])--
> >
> > Also surf thru the long list of accounting softwares in
> > http://shengchieh.50webs.com/tuxslinks.html
> >
> > -> softwares
> >
> > -> accounting
> > Sheng-Chieh
> >
>
> > Raoul Snyman, B.Tech IT (Software Engineering)
> >
> >
> > Saturn Laboratories
> >
> >
> > m: 082 550 3754
> >
> >
> > e: raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za
> >
> >
> > w: www.saturnlaboratories.co.za
> >
> >
> > b: blog.saturnlaboratories.co.za
> >
> Thanks. I will.
> Rob
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Linux4christians mailing list
> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians
>



-- 
D.C. Parris, FMP LEED AP O+M
Minister, Security/FM Coordinator, Free Software Advocate
https://www.xing.com/profile/Don_Parris
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dcparris
http://www.facebook.com/don.parris
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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Tue Mar  1 20:50:24 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:50:24 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - 2 Kings 21
Message-ID: <4D6DA260.4010304@bibleseven.com>


    Wednesday


      2 Kings 21



Manasseh's Reign over Judah

21:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned 
for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hephzibah. 21:2 He did 
evil in the sight of the Lord and committed the same horrible sins 
practiced by the nations whom the Lord drove out from before the 
Israelites. 21:3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had 
destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like 
King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky 
and worshiped them. 21:4 He built altars in the Lord's temple, about 
which the Lord had said, "Jerusalem will be my home." 21:5 In the two 
courtyards of the Lord's temple he built altars for all the stars in the 
sky. 21:6 He passed his son through the fire and practiced divination 
and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld 
spirits, and appointed magicians to supervise it. He did a great amount 
of evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 21:7 He put an 
idol of Asherah he had made in the temple, about which the Lord had said 
to David and to his son Solomon, "This temple in Jerusalem, which I have 
chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home. 21:8 
I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors, 
provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law my 
servant Moses ordered them to obey." 21:9 But they did not obey, and 
Manasseh misled them so that they sinned more than the nations whom the 
Lord had destroyed from before the Israelites.

21:10 So the Lord announced through his servants the prophets: 21:11 
"King Manasseh of Judah has committed horrible sins. He has sinned more 
than the Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by 
worshiping his disgusting idols. 21:12 So this is what the Lord God of 
Israel says, 'I am about to bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah. The 
news will reverberate in the ears of those who hear about it. 21:13 I 
will destroy Jerusalem the same way I did Samaria and the dynasty of 
Ahab. I will wipe Jerusalem clean, just as one wipes a plate on both 
sides. 21:14 I will abandon this last remaining tribe among my people 
and hand them over to their enemies; they will be plundered and robbed 
by all their enemies, 21:15 because they have done evil in my sight and 
have angered me from the time their ancestors left Egypt right up to 
this very day!'"

21:16 Furthermore Manasseh killed so many innocent people, he stained 
Jerusalem with their blood from end to end, in addition to encouraging 
Judah to sin by doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

21:17 The rest of the events of Manasseh's reign and all his 
accomplishments, as well as the sinful acts he committed, are recorded 
in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 21:18 Manasseh 
passed away and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzzah, 
and his son Amon replaced him as king.

Amon's Reign over Judah

21:19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned 
for two years in Jerusalem. His mother was Meshullemeth, the daughter of 
Haruz, from Jotbah. 21:20 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, just 
like his father Manasseh had done. 21:21 He followed in the footsteps of 
his father and worshiped and bowed down to the disgusting idols which 
his father had worshiped. 21:22 He abandoned the Lord God of his 
ancestors and did not follow the Lord's instructions. 21:23 Amon's 
servants conspired against him and killed the king in his palace. 21:24 
The people of the land executed all those who had conspired against King 
Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.

21:25 The rest of Amon's accomplishments are recorded in the scroll 
called the Annals of the Kings of Judah. 21:26 He was buried in his tomb 
in the garden of Uzzah, and his son Josiah replaced him as king.



      Prayer


Lord, how endlessly foolish can humankind be, even though the 
consequences of rebellion are as well-known as they are terrible. May I 
be ever-mindful that You know all things, that You are holy, and that I 
therefore should never presume upon Your mercy or Your patience.



      Commentary


Manassah ruled Judah for fifty-five years and reversed all of the good 
that his father Hezekiah had done. He restored all of the prior places 
and rituals and symbols of the false gods and added more.

The Lord God declared "I will wipe Jerusalem clean ... I will abandon 
this last remaining tribe among my people ... they ... have angered me 
from the time their ancestors left Egypt right up to this very day!"

Manassah died and his some Amnon followed in his evil ways for two years 
until he was murdered. His killers were executed and his son Josiah 
became king.



      Interaction


        Consider

There is an implicit principle, beyond the power of the king's bad 
choices to bring harm upon the nation, that the people are culpable both 
for that (because they demanded a human king "like the nations around 
them"), and because they did not refuse to participate in his urging of 
them to do evil before the Lord God.


        Discuss

Why would Manassah behave so irrationally and venally given the 
blessings of God for his father's early faithfulness?



        Reflect

Had Hezekiah set his son and grandson up to fail because of his 
foolishness? They were, of course, responsible for their own choices -- 
the Lord God has withdrawn from a punishment when presented with a 
faithful person.


        Share

When have you observed the child of or the successor of a positive 
leader behave in opposite ways?



      Faith in Action



        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where choices you are 
making may be creating problems for others.



        Action:

Today I will prayerfully listen closely for the prompting of the Holy 
Spirit. When I discover how I may be a poor witness and/or somehow 
creating an environment of compromise I will confess, accept 
forgiveness, repent, and be restored by the Lord God. It may be a poor 
role model to a child, friend, or other associate, or it may be choices 
I am making to tolerate something I should not which allows evil to 
enter or flourish when it need not have been -- but whatever it is I 
will purge it -- both for the sake of my right-standing before the Lord 
and for the sake of others.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Thursday's text will be:


      2 Kings 22 -- 23:30



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Wed Mar  2 19:31:33 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:31:33 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Thursday_-_2_Kings_22_=96_23?=
	=?windows-1252?q?=3A30?=
Message-ID: <4D6EE165.2050901@bibleseven.com>


    Thursday


      2 Kings 22 ? 23:30



Josiah Repents

22:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for 
thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jedidah, daughter of 
Adaiah, from Bozkath. 22:2 He did what the Lord approved and followed in 
his ancestor David?s footsteps; he did not deviate to the right or the left.

22:3 In the eighteenth year of King Josiah?s reign, the king sent the 
scribe Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, to the Lord?s temple 
with these orders: 22:4 ?Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him 
melt down the silver that has been brought by the people to the Lord?s 
temple and has been collected by the guards at the door. 22:5 Have them 
hand it over to the construction foremen assigned to the Lord?s temple. 
They in turn should pay the temple workers to repair it, 22:6 including 
craftsmen, builders, and masons, and should buy wood and chiseled stone 
for the repair work. 22:7 Do not audit the foremen who disburse the 
silver, for they are honest.?

22:8 Hilkiah the high priest informed Shaphan the scribe, ?I found the 
law scroll in the Lord?s temple.? Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan and 
he read it. 22:9 Shaphan the scribe went to the king and reported, ?Your 
servants melted down the silver in the temple and handed it over to the 
construction foremen assigned to the Lord?s temple.? 22:10 Then Shaphan 
the scribe told the king, ?Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.? 
Shaphan read it out loud before the king. 22:11 When the king heard the 
words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 22:12 The king ordered 
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan 
the scribe, and Asaiah the king?s servant, 22:13 ?Go, seek an oracle 
from the Lord for me and the people ? for all Judah. Find out about the 
words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord?s fury has 
been ignited against us, because our ancestors have not obeyed the words 
of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.?

22:14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to 
Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shullam son of Tikvah, the son of 
Harhas, the supervisor of the wardrobe. (She lived in Jerusalem in the 
Mishneh district.) They stated their business, 22:15 and she said to 
them: ?This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ?Say this to the man 
who sent you to me: 22:16 ?This is what the Lord says: ?I am about to 
bring disaster on this place and its residents, the details of which are 
recorded in the scroll which the king of Judah has read. 22:17 This will 
happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other 
gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. My anger will 
ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!?? 22:18 Say this 
to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: 
?This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have 
heard: 22:19 ?You displayed a sensitive spirit and humbled yourself 
before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its 
residents into an appalling example of an accursed people. You tore your 
clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,? says the Lord. 22:20 
?Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace. You will not 
have to witness all the disaster I will bring on this place.???? Then 
they reported back to the king.

The King Institutes Religious Reform

23:1 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. 23:2 The 
king went up to the Lord?s temple, accompanied by all the people of 
Judah, all the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets. 
All the people were there, from the youngest to the oldest. He read 
aloud all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been 
discovered in the Lord?s temple. 23:3 The king stood by the pillar and 
renewed the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow the Lord and to 
obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, by 
carrying out the terms of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the 
people agreed to keep the covenant.

23:4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, 
and the guards to bring out of the Lord?s temple all the items that were 
used in the worship of Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. The 
king burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces of Kidron, and 
carried their ashes to Bethel. 23:5 He eliminated the pagan priests whom 
the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices on the high places 
in the cities of Judah and in the area right around Jerusalem. (They 
offered sacrifices to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the 
constellations, and all the stars in the sky.) 23:6 He removed the 
Asherah pole from the Lord?s temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the 
Kidron Valley, where he burned it. He smashed it to dust and then threw 
the dust in the public graveyard. 23:7 He tore down the quarters of the 
male cultic prostitutes in the Lord?s temple, where women were weaving 
shrines for Asherah.

23:8 He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined the 
high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer 
Sheba. He tore down the high place of the goat idols situated at the 
entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of 
the city gate. 23:9 (Now the priests of the high places did not go up to 
the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened cakes 
among their fellow priests.) 23:10 The king ruined Topheth in the Valley 
of Ben Hinnom so that no one could pass his son or his daughter through 
the fire to Molech. 23:11 He removed from the entrance to the Lord?s 
temple the statues of horses that the kings of Judah had placed there in 
honor of the sun god. (They were kept near the room of Nathan Melech the 
eunuch, which was situated among the courtyards.) He burned up the 
chariots devoted to the sun god. 23:12 The king tore down the altars the 
kings of Judah had set up on the roof of Ahaz?s upper room, as well as 
the altars Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the Lord?s 
temple. He crushed them up and threw the dust in the Kidron Valley. 
23:13 The king ruined the high places east of Jerusalem, south of the 
Mount of Destruction, that King Solomon of Israel had built for the 
detestable Sidonian goddess Astarte, the detestable Moabite god Chemosh, 
and the horrible Ammonite god Milcom. 23:14 He smashed the sacred 
pillars to bits, cut down the Asherah pole, and filled those shrines 
with human bones.

23:15 He also tore down the altar in Bethel at the high place made by 
Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. He burned all the 
combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including 
the Asherah pole. 23:16 When Josiah turned around, he saw the tombs 
there on the hill. So he ordered the bones from the tombs to be brought; 
he burned them on the altar and defiled it. This fulfilled the Lord?s 
announcement made by the prophet while Jeroboam stood by the altar 
during a festival. King Josiah turned and saw the grave of the prophet 
who had foretold this. 23:17 He asked, ?What is this grave marker I 
see?? The men from the city replied, ?It?s the grave of the prophet who 
came from Judah and foretold these very things you have done to the 
altar of Bethel.? 23:18 The king said, ?Leave it alone! No one must 
touch his bones.? So they left his bones undisturbed, as well as the 
bones of the Israelite prophet buried beside him.

23:19 Josiah also removed all the shrines on the high places in the 
cities of Samaria. The kings of Israel had made them and angered the 
Lord. He did to them what he had done to the high place in Bethel. 23:20 
He sacrificed all the priests of the high places on the altars located 
there, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

23:21 The king ordered all the people, ?Observe the Passover of the Lord 
your God, as prescribed in this scroll of the covenant.? 23:22 He issued 
this edict because a Passover like this had not been observed since the 
days of the judges; it was neglected for the entire period of the kings 
of Israel and Judah. 23:23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah?s 
reign, such a Passover of the Lord was observed in Jerusalem.

23:24 Josiah also got rid of the ritual pits used to conjure up spirits, 
the magicians, personal idols, disgusting images, and all the detestable 
idols that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. In this 
way he carried out the terms of the law recorded on the scroll that 
Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the Lord?s temple. 23:25 No king 
before or after repented before the Lord as he did, with his whole 
heart, soul, and being in accordance with the whole law of Moses.

23:26 Yet the Lord?s great anger against Judah did not subside; he was 
still infuriated by all the things Manasseh had done. 23:27 The Lord 
announced, ?I will also spurn Judah, just as I spurned Israel. I will 
reject this city that I chose ? both Jerusalem and the temple, about 
which I said, ?I will live there.?

23:28 The rest of the events of Josiah?s reign and all his 
accomplishments are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the 
Kings of Judah. 23:29 During Josiah?s reign Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt 
marched toward the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King 
Josiah marched out to fight him, but Necho killed him at Megiddo when he 
saw him. 23:30 His servants transported his dead body from Megiddo in a 
chariot and brought it to Jerusalem, where they buried him in his tomb. 
The people of the land took Josiah?s son Jehoahaz, poured olive oil on 
his head, and made him king in his father?s place.



      Prayer


Lord, You know the hearts of every person among even a huge nation of 
people, so even the right heart of a single king now and then cannot 
redeem a people bent upon rebellion. May I constantly check my 
heart-condition with Your Holy Spirit so that I never drift into a 
rebellious mind-set.



      Commentary


During his thirty-one years as king Josiah restored the faithful 
leadership of his grandfather, Hezekiah, following the rebellious 
leadership of his father Manasseh.

Josiah destroyed every evil thing that Manasseh had built and located 
and destroyed that which even his grandfather had missed.

Josiah instructed that the Temple be repaired and during that process 
the Scrolls were located. Upon reading them Josiah was heart-sick and 
commanded the people to gather and renew their vow of obedience before 
the Lord God. He also restored the Passover celebration which had been 
neglected during the entire period of the kings.

He asked that a prophet be located by the priests for an oracle from the 
Lord God. He was informed that God's patience had run out for Judah, as 
it had for Israel, but that God's destruction of Judah would be withheld 
until after the faithful-Josiah had died.

In his thirty-first year as king Josiah led his forces against the kings 
of Assyria and Egypt and was killed in battle. Josiah?s son Jehoahaz was 
made king by the people.



      Interaction


        Consider

Josiah was zealous for the Lord even before he read the scrolls.


        Discuss

What might have prompted Josiah to choose the path of his grandfather 
rather than that of his father?



        Reflect

The scrolls provided Josiah the information he needed to fully restore 
the practices of the Israelites, and he did so, but at least David and 
Solomon had access to them ? why would those practices have been abandoned?


        Share

When have you discovered something about the Lord, that you had not been 
taught in discipleship, and tried to live it out?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something from the Word about which 
you have had either a wrong understanding or no awareness at all.


        Action:

Today I will celebrate what the Holy Spirit has illuminated in my mind 
from the Word. I will be jealous in searching the Word for the 
most-complete Holy Spirit-inspired understanding and will be equally 
zealous in applying the combined knowledge and understanding to my life 
as transforming-wisdom from the Lord God.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Friday's text will be:


      2 Kings 23:31 ? 25:7



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Thu Mar  3 18:58:59 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:58:59 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Friday_-_2_Kings_23=3A31_=96_?=
	=?windows-1252?q?25=3A7?=
Message-ID: <4D702B43.5020109@bibleseven.com>


    Friday


      2 Kings 23:31 ? 25:7



Jehoahaz?s Reign over Judah

23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he 
reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal the daughter 
of Jeremiah, from Libnah. 23:32 He did evil in the sight of the Lord as 
his ancestors had done. 23:33 Pharaoh Necho imprisoned him in Riblah in 
the land of Hamath and prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem. He 
imposed on the land a special tax of one hundred talents of silver and a 
talent of gold. 23:34 Pharaoh Necho made Josiah?s son Eliakim king in 
Josiah?s place, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. He took Jehoahaz to 
Egypt, where he died. 23:35 Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh the required amount 
of silver and gold, but to meet Pharaoh?s demands Jehoiakim had to tax 
the land. He collected an assessed amount from each man among the people 
of the land in order to pay Pharaoh Necho.

Jehoiakim?s Reign over Judah

23:36 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he 
reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zebidah the 
daughter of Pedaiah, from Rumah. 23:37 He did evil in the sight of the 
Lord as his ancestors had done.

24:1 During Jehoiakim?s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked. 
Jehoiakim was his subject for three years, but then he rebelled against 
him. 24:2 The Lord sent against him Babylonian, Syrian, Moabite, and 
Ammonite raiding bands; he sent them to destroy Judah, as he had warned 
he would do through his servants the prophets. 24:3 Just as the Lord had 
announced, he rejected Judah because of all the sins which Manasseh had 
committed. 24:4 Because he killed innocent people and stained Jerusalem 
with their blood, the Lord was unwilling to forgive them.

24:5 The rest of the events of Jehoiakim?s reign and all his 
accomplishments, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the 
Kings of Judah. 24:6 He passed away and his son Jehoiachin replaced him 
as king. 24:7 The king of Egypt did not march out from his land again, 
for the king of Babylon conquered all the territory that the king of 
Egypt had formerly controlled between the Brook of Egypt and the 
Euphrates River.

Jehoiachin?s Reign over Judah

24:8 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he 
reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother was Nehushta the daughter 
of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. 24:9 He did evil in the sight of the Lord 
as his ancestors had done.

24:10 At that time the generals of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon 
marched to Jerusalem and besieged the city. 24:11 King Nebuchadnezzar of 
Babylon came to the city while his generals were besieging it. 24:12 
King Jehoiachin of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his 
officials, and his eunuchs surrendered to the king of Babylon. The king 
of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, took Jehoiachin prisoner. 
24:13 Nebuchadnezzar took from there all the riches in the treasuries of 
the Lord?s temple and of the royal palace. He removed all the gold items 
which King Solomon of Israel had made for the Lord?s temple, just as the 
Lord had warned. 24:14 He deported all the residents of Jerusalem, 
including all the officials and all the soldiers (10,000 people in all). 
This included all the craftsmen and those who worked with metal. No one 
was left except for the poorest among the people of the land. 24:15 He 
deported Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with the king?s 
mother and wives, his eunuchs, and the high-ranking officials of the 
land. 24:16 The king of Babylon deported to Babylon all the soldiers 
(there were 7,000), as well as 1,000 craftsmen and metal workers. This 
included all the best warriors. 24:17 The king of Babylon made 
Mattaniah, Jehoiachin?s uncle, king in Jehoiachin?s place. He renamed 
him Zedekiah.

Zedekiah?s Reign over Judah

24:18 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he 
ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother was Hamutal, the 
daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. 24:19 He did evil in the sight of the 
Lord, as Jehoiakim had done.

24:20 What follows is a record of what happened to Jerusalem and Judah 
because of the Lord?s anger; he finally threw them out of his presence. 
Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25:1 So King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his 
whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around 
it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year of 
Zedekiah?s reign. 25:2 The city remained under siege until King 
Zedekiah?s eleventh year. 25:3 By the ninth day of the fourth month the 
famine in the city was so severe the residents had no food. 25:4 The 
enemy broke through the city walls, and all the soldiers tried to 
escape. They left the city during the night. They went through the gate 
between the two walls that is near the king?s garden. (The Babylonians 
were all around the city.) Then they headed for the Jordan Valley. 25:5 
But the Babylonian army chased after the king. They caught up with him 
in the plains of Jericho, and his entire army deserted him. 25:6 They 
captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, 
where he passed sentence on him. 25:7 Zedekiah?s sons were executed 
while Zedekiah was forced to watch. The king of Babylon then had 
Zedekiah?s eyes put out, bound him in bronze chains, and carried him off 
to Babylon.



      Prayer


Lord, You place boundaries on Your patience, rebellion is not tolerated 
endlessly. May I remember to not presume upon Your patience with 
repeated sin.


      Commentary


Jehoahaz was king for three months and did evil ? so Pharoah Necho 
imprisoned him, levied a heavy tribute on the people, and installed 
Josiah?s son Eliakim king in Josiah?s place, and changed his name to 
Jehoiakim ? he ruled for eleven years.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked and made Jehoiakim his subject 
for three years, but Jehoiakim rebelled, so the Lord sent Babylonian, 
Syrian, Moabite, and Ammonite raiding bands to destroy Judah for 
generations of rebellion - highlighted by Manasseh's extreme evil.

Jehoiachin ruled for three months and did evil ? so the Lord God allowed 
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to besiege the city and take the king and 
his royal court and ten thousand people prisoner, installing Mattaniah, 
Jehoiachin?s uncle, king in his place. He stripped the palace and temple 
of valuables and renamed Mattaniah to Zedekiah.

Zedekiah ruled for eleven years when, following his rebellion against 
them, the Babylonians breached the city walls and destroyed the 
siege-impoverished city. They killed Zedekiah's sons as he watched, 
gouged-out his eyes, then took him away in chains.



      Interaction


        Consider

Each of the kings who followed Hezekiah and Manasseh had the choice as 
to which they would copy, all but Josiah followed Manasseh evil pattern 
? leading their people into disaster.


        Discuss

Knowing the trouble that flowed from Hezekiah's late-in-life 
foolishness, followed by the curse that flowed from Manasseh's evil, why 
would other kings follow the worst of the kings rather than Josiah and 
Hezekiah ? the best of them?



        Reflect

As Judah followed Israel into oblivion, because of their rebellion 
against the Lord God, nations all around them rose and fell ? Egypt, 
then Assyria, and then Babylon.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed someone in leadership choosing to 
follow the path of a failed leader, despite the obvious high-probability 
that they also would fail?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something that you are copying from 
a parent or other source of influence that is destructive.



        Action:

Today I will ask at least one fellow believer to be my accountability 
and prayer partner as I turn away from that which the Holy Spirit has 
shown me is destructive in my life.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Saturday's text will be:


      2 Kings 25:8-30



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Fri Mar  4 23:11:11 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Fri, 04 Mar 2011 23:11:11 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - 2 Kings 25:8-30
Message-ID: <4D71B7DF.3060108@bibleseven.com>


    Saturday


      2 Kings 25:8-30



Nebuchadnezzar Destroys Jerusalem

25:8 On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of 
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal 
guard who served the king of Babylon, arrived in Jerusalem. 25:9 He 
burned down the Lord's temple, the royal palace, and all the houses in 
Jerusalem, including every large house. 25:10 The whole Babylonian army 
that came with the captain of the royal guard tore down the walls that 
surrounded Jerusalem. 25:11 Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, 
deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had 
deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. 25:12 
But he left behind some of the poor of the land and gave them fields and 
vineyards.

25:13 The Babylonians broke the two bronze pillars in the Lord's temple, 
as well as the movable stands and the big bronze basin called the "The 
Sea." They took the bronze to Babylon. 25:14 They also took the pots, 
shovels, trimming shears, pans, and all the bronze utensils used by the 
priests. 25:15 The captain of the royal guard took the golden and silver 
censers and basins. 25:16 The bronze of the items that King Solomon made 
for the Lord's temple -- including the two pillars, the big bronze basin 
called "The Sea," the twelve bronze bulls under "The Sea," and the 
movable stands -- was too heavy to be weighed. 25:17 Each of the pillars 
was about twenty-seven feet high. The bronze top of one pillar was about 
four and a half feet high and had bronze latticework and pomegranate 
shaped ornaments all around it. The second pillar with its latticework 
was like it.

25:18 The captain of the royal guard took Seraiah the chief priest and 
Zephaniah, the priest who was second in rank, and the three doorkeepers. 
25:19 From the city he took a eunuch who was in charge of the soldiers, 
five of the king's advisers who were discovered in the city, an official 
army secretary who drafted citizens for military service, and sixty 
citizens from the people of the land who were discovered in the city. 
25:20 Nebuzaradan, captain of the royal guard, took them and brought 
them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. 25:21 The king of Babylon ordered 
them to be executed at Riblah in the territory of Hamath. So Judah was 
deported from its land.

Gedaliah Appointed Governor

25:22 Now King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of 
Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over the people whom he allowed to 
remain in the land of Judah. 25:23 All of the officers of the Judahite 
army and their troops heard that the king of Babylon had appointed 
Gedaliah to govern. So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The officers who 
came were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son 
of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite. 
25:24 Gedaliah took an oath so as to give them and their troops some 
assurance of safety. He said, "You don't need to be afraid to submit to 
the Babylonian officials. Settle down in the land and submit to the king 
of Babylon. Then things will go well for you." 25:25 But in the seventh 
month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was a member of the 
royal family, came with ten of his men and murdered Gedaliah, as well as 
the Judeans and Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. 25:26 Then all 
the people, from the youngest to the oldest, as well as the army 
officers, left for Egypt, because they were afraid of what the 
Babylonians might do.

Jehoiachin in Babylon

25:27 In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of 
Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, King 
Evil-Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned King 
Jehoiachin of Judah and released him from prison. 25:28 He spoke kindly 
to him and gave him a more prestigious position than the other kings who 
were with him in Babylon. 25:29 Jehoiachin took off his prison clothes 
and ate daily in the king's presence for the rest of his life. 25:30 He 
was given daily provisions by the king for the rest of his life until 
the day he died.



      Prayer



Lord, Your sovereign will is sometimes administered by non-believers who 
are unaware that they serve Your purpose. May I be watchful for Your 
action in this world, always remembering that your means to an end are 
always the most-perfect possible.



      Commentary



Nebuchadnezzar sent his forces to destroy everything of significance in 
Jerusalem, including the temple, the royal palace, all of the larger 
houses, and the protective city walls. The remaining members of the 
kings court were found and executed and everyone but the poor were deported.

Gedaliah was appointed governor of the remaining people and invited the 
remnant military in hiding to join him now that things were safe and to 
submit to the Babylonians. A few months later they returned and killed 
him, then the remaining people fled to Egypt for fear of the 
Babylonian's revenge.

King Evil-Merodach of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, pardoned 
King Jehoiachin of Judah and allowed him to join with him at the royal 
table for the remainder of his life.



      Interaction


        Consider

Nebuchadnezzar wanted to remove any remaining national symbols from Judah.


        Discuss

Might it have been the Lord God Who had some mercy on Jehoiachin and 
prompted the king of Babylon to be kind to him?



        Reflect

Gedaliah misjudged the remnant military when he thought they'd willingly 
accept the dominance of Babylon and serve them.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed unexpected kindness from an enemy 
toward a weaker person?



      Faith in Action



        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone over whom you have power 
and to whom you may offer a small measure of grace.



        Action:

Today I will be an agent of the Lord God's grace and do a unexpected 
kindness in His name to someone who least expects it.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________


             Sunday's text will be: 1 Chronicles 1 - 9



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Sat Mar  5 20:16:08 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Sat, 05 Mar 2011 20:16:08 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Sunday - 1 Chronicles 1 - 9
Message-ID: <4D72E058.7080300@bibleseven.com>


    Sunday


      1 Chronicles 1 - 9



For the study of 1 Chronicles the text will not be included as it is too 
lengthy for most of the days.

Please consult your printed Bible text or visit 
http://classic.net.bible.org/bible.php?book=1Ch&chapter=1

There is also an "argument" or structural overview of first and second 
Chronicles here:

http://bible.org/article/argument-first-and-second-chronicles



      Prayer



Lord, the detailed genealogies in Your Book remind us that among many 
other wonderful attributes You are a God of details, and You want us to 
know that. May I never believe the lie that You are far away or 
disinterested in the affairs of Your creation.



      Commentary


The genealogy documents the lines of Saul and David and many other lines 
which populated the world around the developing nation of Israel.

Among the details are interspersed brief comments for context and 
perspective; 1 Chronicles 9:1-2 is one such, observing that "The people 
of Judah were carried away to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness."

Other observations include 1 Chronicles 7:21-24 where the natives of 
Gath (perhaps associated with the giant Goliath and his brothers) killed 
Ephraim's sons then he had another son and a daughter. The daughter's 
name was Sheerah and remarkably, for the times, she is described as the 
one "... who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon, as well as Uzzen 
Sheerah." In 1 Chronicles 8:8 and 8:33 we read that Shararaim, who 
divorced his two wives (replacing them with Hodesh), appears to be in 
the line of Saul.



      Interaction


        Consider

While the Lord God is aware of the details He allows humankind to make 
free choices, good an bad, and He works in the consequences thereof. He 
is never the author of sin, though He sometimes intervenes to mitigate 
the consequences of sin, He generally allows sin to serve as a teaching 
tool for the teachable and a punishment for the unteachable.


        Discuss

Since the Israelites maintained a detailed genealogy they would also 
have maintained a detailed national history, so why would it not have 
been obvious which choices were blessed and which were not?



        Reflect

The Lord God allowed the history of Israel to work itself out through a 
long a often winding road, including divorce, murder, polygamy, rape, 
and rebellion. He used men and women, people of great faith and of 
little faith, and He sometimes even used His enemies (those who 
worshiped false gods and refused Him) are tools in His great plan.


        Share

When have you paused to reflect, or heard someone else do so, and 
recognized the difficult path that had been taken when obedience to the 
Lord God might have made the way less troubled?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a path you are on that is, or has 
been, less straight than it could or should be, or have been.



        Action:

Today I will confess and repent and accept forgiveness for not listening 
to and obeying the Lord God along my life-walk. I will prayerfully 
communicate with Him more-constantly so that my path is according to His 
will and not my own, or not what the world apart from Him pressures me 
to take, and I will share with at least one fellow believer the clarity 
and blessing that such obedience brings to me.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Monday's text will be:


      1 Chronicles 10 - 12



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Sun Mar  6 19:40:18 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:40:18 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Monday - 1 Chronicles 10 - 12
Message-ID: <4D742972.1090607@bibleseven.com>


    Monday


      1 Chronicles 10 - 12



Saul's Death

10:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel. The Israelites fled 
before the Philistines and many of them fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 10:2 
The Philistines stayed right on the heels of Saul and his sons. They 
struck down Saul's sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malki-Shua. 10:3 The 
battle was thick around Saul; the archers spotted him and wounded him. 
10:4 Saul told his armor bearer, "Draw your sword and stab me with it. 
Otherwise these uncircumcised people will come and torture me." But his 
armor bearer refused to do it, because he was very afraid. So Saul took 
the sword and fell on it. 10:5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was 
dead, he also fell on his sword and died. 10:6 So Saul and his three 
sons died; his whole household died together. 10:7 When all the 
Israelites who were in the valley saw that the army had fled and that 
Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. The 
Philistines came and occupied them.

10:8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip loot from the 
corpses, they discovered Saul and his sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. 
10:9 They stripped his corpse, and then carried off his head and his 
armor. They sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines 
proclaiming the news to their idols and their people. 10:10 They placed 
his armor in the temple of their gods and hung his head in the temple of 
Dagon. 10:11 When all the residents of Jabesh Gilead heard about 
everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 10:12 all the warriors went 
and recovered the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to 
Jabesh. They buried their remains under the oak tree in Jabesh and 
fasted for seven days.

10:13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not 
obey the Lord's instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld 
spirits. 10:14 He did not seek the Lord's guidance, so the Lord killed 
him and transferred the kingdom to David son of Jesse.

David Becomes King

11:1 All Israel joined David at Hebron and said, "Look, we are your very 
flesh and blood! 11:2 In the past, even when Saul was king, you were 
Israel's commanding general. The Lord your God said to you, 'You will 
shepherd my people Israel; you will rule over my people Israel.'" 11:3 
When all the leaders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, David made an 
agreement with them in Hebron before the Lord. They anointed David king 
over Israel, just as the Lord had announced through Samuel.

David Conquers Jerusalem

11:4 David and the whole Israelite army advanced to Jerusalem (that is, 
Jebus). (The Jebusites, the land's original inhabitants, lived there.) 
11:5 The residents of Jebus said to David, "You cannot invade this 
place!" But David captured the fortress of Zion (that is, the City of 
David). 11:6 David said, "Whoever attacks the Jebusites first will 
become commanding general!" So Joab son of Zeruiah attacked first and 
became commander. 11:7 David lived in the fortress; for this reason it 
is called the City of David. 11:8 He built up the city around it, from 
the terrace to the surrounding walls; Joab restored the rest of the 
city. 11:9 David's power steadily grew, for the Lord who commands armies 
was with him.

David's Warriors

11:10 These were the leaders of David's warriors who helped establish 
and stabilize his rule over all Israel, in accordance with the Lord's 
word. 11:11 This is the list of David's warriors:

Jashobeam, a Hacmonite, was head of the officers. He killed three 
hundred men with his spear in a single battle.

11:12 Next in command was Eleazar son of Dodo the Ahohite. He was one of 
the three elite warriors. 11:13 He was with David in Pas Dammim when the 
Philistines assembled there for battle. In an area of the field that was 
full of barley, the army retreated before the Philistines, 11:14 but 
then they made a stand in the middle of that area. They defended it and 
defeated the Philistines; the Lord gave them a great victory.

11:15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to David at the rocky cliff 
at the cave of Adullam, while a Philistine force was camped in the 
Valley of Rephaim. 11:16 David was in the stronghold at the time, while 
a Philistine garrison was in Bethlehem. 11:17 David was thirsty and 
said, "How I wish someone would give me some water to drink from the 
cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate!" 11:18 So the three elite 
warriors broke through the Philistine forces and drew some water from 
the cistern in Bethlehem near the city gate. They carried it back to 
David, but David refused to drink it. He poured it out as a drink 
offering to the Lord 11:19 and said, "God forbid that I should do this! 
Should I drink the blood of these men who risked their lives?" Because 
they risked their lives to bring it to him, he refused to drink it. Such 
were the exploits of the three elite warriors.

11:20 Abishai the brother of Joab was head of the three elite warriors. 
He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame along with 
the three elite warriors. 11:21 From the three he was given double honor 
and he became their officer, even though he was not one of them.

11:22 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a brave warrior from Kabzeel who 
performed great exploits. He struck down the two sons of Ariel of Moab; 
he also went down and killed a lion inside a cistern on a snowy day. 
11:23 He even killed an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. The 
Egyptian had a spear as big as the crossbeam of a weaver's loom; Benaiah 
attacked him with a club. He grabbed the spear out of the Egyptian's 
hand and killed him with his own spear. 11:24 Such were the exploits of 
Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who gained fame along with the three elite 
warriors. 11:25 He received honor from the thirty warriors, though he 
was not one of the three elite warriors. David put him in charge of his 
bodyguard.

NOTE: The genealogy in 11:26-47 has not been included here.

Warriors Who Joined David at Ziklag

12:1 These were the men who joined David in Ziklag, when he was banished 
from the presence of Saul son of Kish. (They were among the warriors who 
assisted him in battle. 12:2 They were armed with bows and could shoot 
arrows or sling stones right or left-handed. They were fellow tribesmen 
of Saul from Benjamin.) These were:

12:3 Ahiezer, the leader, and Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; 
Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth;

Berachah,

Jehu the Anathothite,

12:4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, one of the thirty warriors and their leader,

(12:5) Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, Jozabad the Gederathite, 12:5 (12:6) 
Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, Shephatiah the Haruphite, 12:6 
Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, who were Korahites, 
12:7 and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham from Gedor.

12:8 Some of the Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the desert. 
They were warriors who were trained for battle; they carried shields and 
spears. They were as fierce as lions and could run as quickly as 
gazelles across the hills. 12:9 Ezer was the leader, Obadiah the second 
in command, Eliab the third, 12:10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the 
fifth, 12:11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12:12 Johanan the 
eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 12:13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai the 
eleventh. 12:14 These Gadites were military leaders; the least led a 
hundred men, the greatest a thousand. 12:15 They crossed the Jordan 
River in the first month, when it was overflowing its banks, and routed 
those living in all the valleys to the east and west.

12:16 Some from Benjamin and Judah also came to David's stronghold. 
12:17 David went out to meet them and said, "If you come to me in peace 
and want to help me, then I will make an alliance with you. But if you 
come to betray me to my enemies when I have not harmed you, may the God 
of our ancestors take notice and judge!" 12:18 But a spirit empowered 
Amasai, the leader of the thirty warriors, and he said:

"We are yours, O David!

We support you, O son of Jesse!

May you greatly prosper!

May those who help you prosper!

Indeed your God helps you!"

So David accepted them and made them leaders of raiding bands.

12:19 Some men from Manasseh joined David when he went with the 
Philistines to fight against Saul. (But in the end they did not help the 
Philistines because, after taking counsel, the Philistine lords sent 
David away, saying: "It would be disastrous for us if he deserts to his 
master Saul.") 12:20 When David went to Ziklag, the men of Manasseh who 
joined him were Adnach, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and 
Zillethai, leaders of a thousand soldiers each in the tribe of Manasseh. 
12:21 They helped David fight against raiding bands, for all of them 
were warriors and leaders in the army. 12:22 Each day men came to help 
David until his army became very large.

Support for David in Hebron

12:23 The following is a record of the armed warriors who came with 
their leaders and joined David in Hebron in order to make David king in 
Saul's place, in accordance with the Lord's decree:

12:24 From Judah came 6,800 trained warriors carrying shields and spears.

12:25 From Simeon there were 7,100 warriors.

12:26 From Levi there were 4,600. 12:27 Jehoiada, the leader of Aaron's 
descendants, brought 3,700 men with him, 12:28 along with Zadok, a young 
warrior, and twenty-two leaders from his family.

12:29 From Benjamin, Saul's tribe, there were 3,000, most of whom, up to 
that time, had been loyal to Saul.

12:30 From Ephraim there were 20,800 warriors, who had brought fame to 
their families.

12:31 From the half tribe of Manasseh there were 18,000 who had been 
designated by name to come and make David king.

12:32 From Issachar there were 200 leaders and all their relatives at 
their command -- they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.

12:33 From Zebulun there were 50,000 warriors who were prepared for 
battle, equipped with all kinds of weapons, and ready to give their 
undivided loyalty.

12:34 From Naphtali there were 1,000 officers, along with 37,000 men 
carrying shields and spears.

12:35 From Dan there were 28,600 men prepared for battle.

12:36 From Asher there were 40,000 warriors prepared for battle.

12:37 From the other side of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half 
tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 men armed with all kinds of weapons.

12:38 All these men were warriors who were ready to march. They came to 
Hebron to make David king over all Israel by acclamation; all the rest 
of the Israelites also were in agreement that David should become king. 
12:39 They spent three days feasting there with David, for their 
relatives had given them provisions. 12:40 Also their neighbors, from as 
far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali, were bringing food on 
donkeys, camels, mules, and oxen. There were large supplies of flour, 
fig cakes, raisins, wine, olive oil, beef, and lamb, for Israel was 
celebrating.



      Prayer


Lord, You allow leaders to come and go, guiding the process both as a 
response to the choices of individuals and nations and in accordance 
with Your larger plan. May I never worry that You are not aware of the 
evil and the goodness of those in power because You know and You will 
not permit them to interfere with Your sovereign plan.



      Commentary


The terse summary of the end of Saul's term as king gave emphasis to the 
reason that not only he but also his sons were allowed to be killed by 
the Philistines "10:13 So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the 
Lord and did not obey the Lord's instructions; he even tried to conjure 
up underworld spirits. 10:14 He did not seek the Lord's guidance, so the 
Lord killed him and transferred the kingdom to David son of Jesse."

David had previously been called an anointed as the next king so the 
people recognized and followed him.

The text reviews the military men who accompanied David while he was 
being hunted by Saul, describing their great feats, and the rewards they 
received when he became king as a result of their bravery and loyalty.



      Interaction


        Consider

Choices have consequences. Although the Lord God allowed Saul to serve 
as king for many years his rebellion eventually destroyed him and his 
family.


        Discuss

Why did the Lord God allow David to be tested so severely, along with 
those around him, for so many years prior to him becoming king?



        Reflect

Those around David earned the right to trusted authority and responsibility.


        Share

When have you experienced of observed someone being tested by the "fire" 
of challenging experiences prior to being promoted?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where the Lord God is 
testing you through challenges, and/or has done so in the past, as 
preparation for the future.



        Action:

Today I will celebrate the Lord's preparation of me, even as I remember 
that during the time of testing I was not happy about it, and I will use 
that experience to encourage myself as current and future testing 
(trials) prepare me for the future.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Tuesday's text will be:


      1 Chronicles 13 - 16



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Mon Mar  7 17:41:38 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:41:38 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Tuesday - 1 Chronicles 13 - 16
Message-ID: <4D755F22.6070704@bibleseven.com>


    Tuesday


      1 Chronicles 13 - 16



Uzzah Meets Disaster

13:1 David consulted with his military officers, including those who led 
groups of a thousand and those who led groups of a hundred. 13:2 David 
said to the whole Israelite assembly, "If you so desire and the Lord our 
God approves, let's spread the word to our brothers who remain in all 
the regions of Israel, and to the priests and Levites in their cities, 
so they may join us. 13:3 Let's move the ark of our God back here, for 
we did not seek his will throughout Saul's reign." 13:4 The whole 
assembly agreed to do this, for the proposal seemed right to all the 
people. 13:5 So David assembled all Israel from the Shihor River in 
Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 13:6 
David and all Israel went up to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim) in 
Judah to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who sits enthroned 
between the cherubim -- the ark that is called by his name.

13:7 They transported the ark on a new cart from the house of Abinadab; 
Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart, 13:8 while David and all Israel 
were energetically celebrating before God, singing and playing various 
stringed instruments, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. 13:9 When they 
arrived at the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to 
take hold of the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 13:10 The Lord was so 
furious with Uzzah, he killed him, because he reached out his hand and 
touched the ark. He died right there before God.

13:11 David was angry because the Lord attacked Uzzah; so he called that 
place Perez Uzzah, which remains its name to this very day. 13:12 David 
was afraid of God that day and said, "How will I ever be able to bring 
the ark of God up here?" 13:13 So David did not move the ark to the City 
of David; he left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 13:14 The 
ark of God remained in Obed-Edom's house for three months; the Lord 
blessed Obed-Edom's family and everything that belonged to him.

David's Prestige Grows

14:1 King Hiram of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs, 
stonemasons, and carpenters to build a palace for him. 14:2 David 
realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that 
he had elevated his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

14:3 In Jerusalem David married more wives and fathered more sons and 
daughters. 14:4 These are the names of children born to him in 
Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 14:5 Ibhar, Elishua, 
Elpelet, 14:6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 14:7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

14:8 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king of all 
Israel, all the Philistines marched up to confront him. When David heard 
about it, he marched out against them. 14:9 Now the Philistines had come 
and raided the Valley of Rephaim. 14:10 David asked God, "Should I march 
up against the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The Lord 
said to him, "March up! I will hand them over to you!" 14:11 So they 
marched against Baal Perazim and David defeated them there. David said, 
"Using me as his instrument, God has burst out against my enemies like 
water bursts out." So that place is called Baal Perazim. 14:12 The 
Philistines left their idols there, so David ordered that they be burned.

14:13 The Philistines again raided the valley. 14:14 So David again 
asked God what he should do. This time God told him, "Don't march up 
after them; circle around them and come against them in front of the 
trees. 14:15 When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the 
trees, then attack. For at that moment the Lord is going before you to 
strike down the army of the Philistines." 14:16 David did just as God 
commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army from Gibeon to 
Gezer.

14:17 So David became famous in all the lands; the Lord caused all the 
nations to fear him.

David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem

15:1 David constructed buildings in the City of David; he then prepared 
a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 15:2 Then David 
said, "Only the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord chose 
them to carry the ark of the Lord and to serve before him perpetually. 
15:3 David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring the ark of the 
Lord up to the place he had prepared for it. 15:4 David gathered 
together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:

15:5 From the descendants of Kohath: Uriel the leader and 120 of his 
relatives.

15:6 From the descendants of Merari: Asaiah the leader and 220 of his 
relatives.

15:7 From the descendants of Gershom: Joel the leader and 130 of his 
relatives.

15:8 From the descendants of Elizaphan: Shemaiah the leader and 200 of 
his relatives.

15:9 From the descendants of Hebron: Eliel the leader and 80 of his 
relatives.

15:10 From the descendants of Uzziel: Amminadab the leader and 112 of 
his relatives.

15:11 David summoned the priests Zadok and Abiathar, along with the 
Levites Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab. 15:12 He 
told them: "You are the leaders of the Levites' families. You and your 
relatives must consecrate yourselves and bring the ark of the Lord God 
of Israel up to the place I have prepared for it. 15:13 The first time 
you did not carry it; that is why the Lord God attacked us, because we 
did not ask him about the proper way to carry it." 15:14 The priests and 
Levites consecrated themselves so they could bring up the ark of the 
Lord God of Israel. 15:15 The descendants of Levi carried the ark of God 
on their shoulders with poles, just as Moses had ordered according to 
the divine command.

15:16 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint some of their 
relatives as musicians; they were to play various instruments, including 
stringed instruments and cymbals, and to sing loudly and joyfully. 15:17 
So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; one of his relatives, Asaph 
son of Berechiah; one of the descendants of Merari, Ethan son of 
Kushaiah; 15:18 along with some of their relatives who were second in 
rank, including Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, 
Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, and 
Jeiel, the gatekeepers.

15:19 The musicians Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze 
cymbals; 15:20 Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, 
Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play the harps according to the /alamoth/ 
style; 15:21 Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel, and 
Azaziah were to play the lyres according to the /sheminith/ style, as 
led by the director; 15:22 Kenaniah, the leader of the Levites, was in 
charge of transport, for he was well-informed on this matter; 15:23 
Berechiah and Elkanah were guardians of the ark; 15:24 Shebaniah, 
Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer the priests 
were to blow the trumpets before the ark of God; Obed-Edom and Jehiel 
were also guardians of the ark.

15:25 So David, the leaders of Israel, and the commanders of units of a 
thousand went to bring up the ark of the Lord's covenant from the house 
of Obed-Edom with celebration. 15:26 When God helped the Levites who 
were carrying the ark of the Lord's covenant, they sacrificed seven 
bulls and seven rams. 15:27 David was wrapped in a linen robe, as were 
all the Levites carrying the ark, the musicians, and Kenaniah the 
supervisor of transport and the musicians; David also wore a linen 
ephod. 15:28 All Israel brought up the ark of the Lord's covenant; they 
were shouting, blowing trumpets, sounding cymbals, and playing stringed 
instruments. 15:29 As the ark of the Lord's covenant entered the City of 
David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked out the window. When she saw King 
David jumping and celebrating, she despised him.

David Leads in Worship

16:1 They brought the ark of God and put it in the middle of the tent 
David had pitched for it. Then they offered burnt sacrifices and peace 
offerings before God. 16:2 When David finished offering burnt sacrifices 
and peace offerings, he pronounced a blessing over the people in the 
Lord's name. 16:3 He then handed out to each Israelite man and woman a 
loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake. 16:4 He appointed some of 
the Levites to serve before the ark of the Lord, to offer prayers, songs 
of thanks, and hymns to the Lord God of Israel. 16:5 Asaph was the 
leader and Zechariah second in command, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, 
Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jeiel. They were to 
play stringed instruments; Asaph was to sound the cymbals; 16:6 and the 
priests Benaiah and Jahaziel were to blow trumpets regularly before the 
ark of God's covenant.

David Thanks God

16:7 That day David first gave to Asaph and his colleagues this song of 
thanks to the Lord:

16:8 Give thanks to the Lord!

Call on his name!

Make known his accomplishments among the nations!

16:9 Sing to him! Make music to him!

Tell about all his miraculous deeds!

16:10 Boast about his holy name!

Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

16:11 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives!

Seek his presence continually!

16:12 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,

his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,

16:13 O children of Israel, God's servant,

you descendants of Jacob, God's chosen ones!

16:14 He is the Lord our God;

he carries out judgment throughout the earth.

16:15 Remember continually his covenantal decree,

the promise he made to a thousand generations --

16:16 the promise he made to Abraham,

the promise he made by oath to Isaac!

16:17 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,

to Israel as a lasting promise,

16:18 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan

as the portion of your inheritance."

16:19 When they were few in number,

just a very few, and foreign residents within it,

16:20 they wandered from nation to nation,

and from one kingdom to another.

16:21 He let no one oppress them,

he disciplined kings for their sake,

16:22 saying, "Don't touch my anointed ones!

Don't harm my prophets!"

16:23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Announce every day how he delivers!

16:24 Tell the nations about his splendor,

tell all the nations about his miraculous deeds!

16:25 For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise,

he is more awesome than all gods.

16:26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless,

but the Lord made the heavens.

16:27 Majestic splendor emanates from him,

he is the source of strength and joy.

16:28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!

16:29 Ascribe to the Lord the splendor he deserves!

Bring an offering and enter his presence!

Worship the Lord in holy attire!

16:30 Tremble before him, all the earth!

The world is established, it cannot be moved.

16:31 Let the heavens rejoice, and the earth be happy!

Let the nations say, 'The Lord reigns!'

16:32 Let the sea and everything in it shout!

Let the fields and everything in them celebrate!

16:33 Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth!

16:34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good

and his loyal love endures.

16:35 Say this prayer: "Deliver us, O God who delivers us!

Gather us! Rescue us from the nations!

Then we will give thanks to your holy name,

and boast about your praiseworthy deeds."

16:36 May the Lord God of Israel be praised,

in the future and forevermore.

Then all the people said, "We agree! Praise the Lord!"

David Appoints Worship Leaders

16:37 David left Asaph and his colleagues there before the ark of the 
Lord's covenant to serve before the ark regularly and fulfill each day's 
requirements, 16:38 including Obed-Edom and sixty-eight colleagues. 
Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were gatekeepers. 16:39 Zadok the 
priest and his fellow priests served before the Lord's tabernacle at the 
worship center in Gibeon, 16:40 regularly offering burnt sacrifices to 
the Lord on the altar for burnt sacrifice, morning and evening, 
according to what is prescribed in the law of the Lord which he charged 
Israel to observe. 16:41 Joining them were Heman, Jeduthun, and the rest 
of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord. (For 
his loyal love endures!) 16:42 Heman and Jeduthun were in charge of the 
music, including the trumpets, cymbals, and the other musical 
instruments used in praising God. The sons of Jeduthun guarded the entrance.

16:43 Then all the people returned to their homes, and David went to 
pronounce a blessing on his family.



      Prayer


Lord, Your Word is sovereign and You expect it to be obeyed, the 
consequence of disobedience is sometimes discomfort but can lead to 
death. May I be careful to both know and obey Your Word.



      Commentary


David gathered his military leaders and made plans to relocate the ark 
of God to Jerusalem.

During the process the cart carrying the ark of God was allowed to dip 
into a rut and the ark threatened to topple. Uzzah, not a priest 
authorized by the Lord God to have any contact with the ark, reached out 
to steady the ark and was struck dead -- according to the rules God had 
dictated about the ark.

David was angry with the Lord God and refrained from continuing the 
relocation process for a while.

King Hiram of Tyre offered to assist David with artisans and resources 
to build a palace.

The Philistines heard that David had become king and marched against 
him. David consulted the Lord God and was told that He would deliver him 
the victory, and so it was.

David decided to complete the relocation of the ark of God, this time 
obeying the rule of the Lord God, only allowing the Levitical priests to 
handle the ark.

The priests and ark were accompanied by the military leaders and led by 
David, dancing with great joy, as they entered the city. One of David's 
wives, Michal -- daughter of Saul -- saw him and felt humiliated.

Once the ark was safely in Jerusalem David gave thanks to the Lord God 
with a lengthy prayer and a great time of celebration and worship. Then 
David returned to his home to bless his family.


      Interaction


        Consider

David was right to desire to transport the ark of God to Jerusalem, and 
correct to note that during the reign of Saul the Lord had not been 
consulted, but nothing in the text describes David consulting the 
priests or the Lord God prior to moving the ark of God.


        Discuss

Why would David have been so careless as to forget to assign 
responsibility for the ark of God to the Levitical priesthood on the 
first occasion?



        Reflect

Saul had neglected the centrality of the Lord God and David was 
attempting to set things right.


        Share

When have you experience or observed the right thing being done in the 
wrong way -- with at least partially-negative results?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to either something of God that has been neglected 
that you can restore, or something you are doing which appears to be 
right but which violates the Word of God in some way.



        Action:

Today I will make things right before the Lord God, either restoring 
something neglected or fixing what I have been doing incorrectly. It may 
be gathering together in fellowship more consistently, reading His Word 
and praying more frequently, sharing His truth with people who appear to 
be open -- rather than shrinking from the task for fear of conflict, 
giving to His ministry, serving in His ministry, avoiding crude and 
crass joking and language, avoiding situations that tempt me to sin, 
refraining from gossip or substance abuse, attending worship more 
concerned about my physical appearance and the approval of man than 
celebrating the Lord God, etc.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Wednesday's text will be:


      1 Chronicles 17 - 18



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From fmiller at lightlink.com  Tue Mar  8 11:14:07 2011
From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller)
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:14:07 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] OT: Catholic Horses. . .
Message-ID: <4D7655CF.9060804@lightlink.com>

Catholic Horses. . .

One day while he was at the track playing the ponies and all but losing
his shirt, Mitch noticed a priest who stepped out onto the track and
blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race.

Lo and behold, that horse - a very long shot -  Won the race before the
next race, as the horses began lining up, Mitch watched with interest
the old priest step onto the track. Sure enough, as the 5th race horses
came to the starting gate the priest made a blessing on the forehead of
one of the horses. Mitch made a beeline for a betting window and placed
a small bet on the horse.  Again, even though it was another long shot,
the horse  the priest had blessed won the race. Mitch collected his
winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the priest would bless
for the 6th race.

The priest again blessed a horse. Mitch bet big on it, and it won. Mitch
was elated.. As the races continued the priest kept blessing long shot
horses, and each one ended up coming in first.
By and by, Mitch was pulling in some serious money. By the last race, he
knew his wildest dreams were going to come true. He made a quick dash to
the ATM, withdrew all his savings, and awaited the priest's blessing
that would tell him which horse to bet on.

True to his pattern, the priest stepped onto the track for the last race
and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was the longest shot of the
day. Mitch also observed the priest blessing the
eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag. Mitch knew he had a winner and
bet every cent he owned on the old nag. He then watched dumbfounded as
the old nag come in dead last. Mitch, in a state of shock, made his way
down to the track area where the priest was.

Confronting the old priest he demanded, 'Father! What happened? All day
long you blessed horses and they all won. Then in the last race, the
horse you blessed lost by a Kentucky mile. Now,  thanks to you I've lost
every cent of my savings -- all of it!'.

*The priest nodded wisely and with sympathy.* *'Son,' he said, 'that's
the problem with you* *Protestants, you can't tell the difference
between a simple blessing and the* *last rites.'*

-- 
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it 
tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Tue Mar  8 20:50:16 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Tue, 08 Mar 2011 20:50:16 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - 1 Chronicles 17 - 18
Message-ID: <4D76DCD8.1050102@bibleseven.com>


    Wednesday


      1 Chronicles 17 - 18



God Makes a Promise to David

17:1 When David had settled into his palace, he said to Nathan the 
prophet, "Look, I am living in a palace made from cedar, while the ark 
of the Lord's covenant is under a tent." 17:2 Nathan said to David, "You 
should do whatever you have in mind, for God is with you."

17:3 That night God told Nathan the prophet, 17:4 "Go, tell my servant 
David: 'This is what the Lord says: "You must not build me a house in 
which to live. 17:5 For I have not lived in a house from the time I 
brought Israel up from Egypt to the present day. I have lived in a tent 
that has been in various places. 17:6 Wherever I moved throughout 
Israel, I did not say to any of the leaders whom I appointed to care for 
my people Israel, 'Why have you not built me a house made from cedar?'"'

17:7 "So now, say this to my servant David: 'This is what the Lord who 
commands armies says: "I took you from the pasture and from your work as 
a shepherd to make you a leader of my people Israel. 17:8 I was with you 
wherever you went and I defeated all your enemies before you. Now I will 
make you as famous as the great men of the earth. 17:9 I will establish 
a place for my people Israel and settle them there; they will live there 
and not be disturbed anymore. Violent men will not oppress them again, 
as they did in the beginning 17:10 and during the time when I appointed 
judges to lead my people Israel. I will subdue all your enemies.

"'"I declare to you that the Lord will build a dynastic house for you! 
17:11 When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your 
descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish 
his kingdom. 17:12 He will build me a house, and I will make his dynasty 
permanent. 17:13 I will become his father and he will become my son. I 
will never withhold my loyal love from him, as I withheld it from the 
one who ruled before you. 17:14 I will put him in permanent charge of my 
house and my kingdom; his dynasty will be permanent."'" 17:15 Nathan 
told David all these words that were revealed to him.

David Praises God

17:16 David went in, sat before the Lord, and said: "Who am I, O Lord 
God, and what is my family, that you should have brought me to this 
point? 17:17 And you did not stop there, O God! You have also spoken 
about the future of your servant's family. You have revealed to me what 
men long to know, O Lord God. 17:18 What more can David say to you? You 
have honored your servant; you have given your servant special 
recognition. 17:19 O Lord, for the sake of your servant and according to 
your will, you have done this great thing in order to reveal your 
greatness. 17:20 O Lord, there is none like you; there is no God besides 
you! What we heard is true! 17:21 And who is like your people, Israel, a 
unique nation in the earth? Their God went to claim a nation for 
himself! You made a name for yourself by doing great and awesome deeds 
when you drove out nations before your people whom you had delivered 
from the Egyptian empire and its gods. 17:22 You made Israel your very 
own nation for all time. You, O Lord, became their God. 17:23 So now, O 
Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become 
a permanent reality! Do as you promised, 17:24 so it may become a 
reality and you may gain lasting fame, as people say, 'The Lord who 
commands armies is the God of Israel.' David's dynasty will be 
established before you, 17:25 for you, my God, have revealed to your 
servant that you will build a dynasty for him. That is why your servant 
has had the courage to pray to you. 17:26 Now, O Lord, you are the true 
God; you have made this good promise to your servant. 17:27 Now you are 
willing to bless your servant's dynasty so that it may stand permanently 
before you, for you, O Lord, have blessed it and it will be blessed from 
now on into the future."

David Conquers the Neighboring Nations

18:1 Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath 
and its surrounding towns away from the Philistines.

18:2 He defeated the Moabites; the Moabites became David's subjects and 
brought tribute.

18:3 David defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah as far as Hamath, when he 
went to extend his authority to the Euphrates River. 18:4 David seized 
from him 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000 infantrymen. 
David cut the hamstrings of all but a hundred of Hadadezer's chariot 
horses. 18:5 The Arameans of Damascus came to help King Hadadezer of 
Zobah, but David killed 22,000 of the Arameans. 18:6 David placed 
garrisons in the territory of the Arameans of Damascus; the Arameans 
became David's subjects and brought tribute. The Lord protected David 
wherever he campaigned. 18:7 David took the golden shields which 
Hadadezer's servants had carried and brought them to Jerusalem. 18:8 
 From Tibhath and Kun, Hadadezer's cities, David took a great deal of 
bronze. (Solomon used it to make the big bronze basin called "The Sea," 
the pillars, and other bronze items.

18:9 When King Tou of Hamath heard that David had defeated the entire 
army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, 18:10 he sent his son Hadoram to King 
David to extend his best wishes and to pronounce a blessing on him for 
his victory over Hadadezer, for Tou had been at war with Hadadezer. He 
also sent various items made of gold, silver, and bronze. 18:11 King 
David dedicated these things to the Lord, along with the silver and gold 
which he had carried off from all the nations, including Edom, Moab, the 
Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek.

18:12 Abishai son of Zeruiah killed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of 
Salt. 18:13 He placed garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became 
David's subjects. The Lord protected David wherever he campaigned.

David's Officials

18:14 David reigned over all Israel; he guaranteed justice for all his 
people. 18:15 Joab son of Zeruiah was commanding general of the army; 
Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was secretary; 18:16 Zadok son of Ahitub and 
Abimelech son of Abiathar were priests; Shavsha was scribe; 18:17 
Benaiah son of Jehoiada supervised the Kerethites and Pelethites; and 
David's sons were the king's leading officials.



      Prayer


Lord, You respond to humble obedience with blessings. May I remember to 
keep my heart humble before You.



      Commentary


David felt guilty that he lived in "... a house made of cedar" while the 
ark of God was in a mere tent. He asked Nathan the prophet who 
encouraged him to seek the Lord God's will.

The Lord reminded him that He had not asked for a house for His ark. He 
then promised David that his son would build a temple.

The Lord God also promised David that He would bless his descendants and 
that He would provide peace and prosperity to the kingdom through David. 
David responded with grateful praise and worship.

David's armies conquered enemies all around and received gifts from 
enemies of his enemies and he joined those with the plunder of war and 
dedicated it all to the Lord God. Then to keep the peace he appointed 
his key officials.



      Interaction


        Consider

The two books of Chronicles repeat a great deal of the content of prior 
text, primarily emphasizing the events rather than other details.


        Discuss

Why would it be so important to David that his descendants would be royalty?



        Reflect

Despite the bad decision of the Israelites to demand a mere human king 
when they had the Lord God as their King the Lord God chose to bless them.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed the Lord God bless despite a poor 
decision?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a situation where you have made a 
poor decision but that the Lord God has found a way to bless you, or 
others through you, despite it.



        Action:

Today I will celebrate the Lord God's redemption of something good 
despite my poor decision(s). I will share that story with a fellow 
believer as an encouragement.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Thursday's text will be:


      1 Chronicles 19 -- 22:1



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Wed Mar  9 21:18:31 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:18:31 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Thursday_-_1_Chronicles_19_?=
	=?windows-1252?q?=96_22=3A1?=
Message-ID: <4D7834F7.90500@bibleseven.com>


    Thursday


      1 Chronicles 19 ? 22:1



David?s Campaign against the Ammonites

19:1 Later King Nahash of the Ammonites died and his son succeeded him. 
19:2 David said, ?I will express my loyalty to Hanun son of Nahash, for 
his father was loyal to me.? So David sent messengers to express his 
sympathy over his father?s death. When David?s servants entered Ammonite 
territory to visit Hanun and express the king?s sympathy, 19:3 the 
Ammonite officials said to Hanun, ?Do you really think David is trying 
to honor your father by sending these messengers to express his 
sympathy? No, his servants have come to you so they can get information 
and spy out the land!? 19:4 So Hanun seized David?s servants and shaved 
their beards off. He cut off the lower part of their robes so that their 
buttocks were exposed and then sent them away. 19:5 Messengers came and 
told David what had happened to the men, so he summoned them, for the 
men were thoroughly humiliated. The king said, ?Stay in Jericho until 
your beards grow again; then you may come back.?

19:6 When the Ammonites realized that David was disgusted with them, 
Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents of silver to hire chariots 
and charioteers from Aram Naharaim, Aram Maacah, and Zobah. 19:7 They 
hired 32,000 chariots, along with the king of Maacah and his army, who 
came and camped in front of Medeba. The Ammonites also assembled from 
their cities and marched out to do battle.

19:8 When David heard the news, he sent Joab and the entire army to meet 
them. 19:9 The Ammonites marched out and were deployed for battle at the 
entrance to the city, while the kings who had come were by themselves in 
the field. 19:10 When Joab saw that the battle would be fought on two 
fronts, he chose some of Israel?s best men and deployed them against the 
Arameans. 19:11 He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the 
army and they were deployed against the Ammonites. 19:12 Joab said, ?If 
the Arameans start to overpower me, you come to my rescue. If the 
Ammonites start to overpower you, I will come to your rescue. 19:13 Be 
strong! Let?s fight bravely for the sake of our people and the cities of 
our God! The Lord will do what he decides is best!? 19:14 So Joab and 
his men marched toward the Arameans to do battle, and they fled before 
him. 19:15 When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before 
Joab?s brother Abishai and withdrew into the city. Joab went back to 
Jerusalem.

19:16 When the Arameans realized they had been defeated by Israel, they 
sent for reinforcements from beyond the Euphrates River, led by Shophach 
the commanding general of Hadadezer?s army. 19:17 When David was 
informed, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and marched 
against them. David deployed his army against the Arameans for battle 
and they fought against him. 19:18 The Arameans fled before Israel. 
David killed 7,000 Aramean charioteers and 40,000 infantrymen; he also 
killed Shophach the commanding general. 19:19 When Hadadezer?s subjects 
saw they were defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became 
his subjects. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.

20:1 In the spring, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, Joab 
led the army into battle and devastated the land of the Ammonites. He 
went and besieged Rabbah, while David stayed in Jerusalem. Joab defeated 
Rabbah and tore it down. 20:2 David took the crown from the head of 
their king and wore it (its weight was a talent of gold and it was set 
with precious stones). He took a large amount of plunder from the city. 
20:3 He removed the city?s residents and made them do hard labor with 
saws, iron picks, and axes. This was his policy with all the Ammonite 
cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

Battles with the Philistines

20:4 Later there was a battle with the Philistines in Gezer. At that 
time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Sippai, one of the descendants of 
the Rephaim, and the Philistines were subdued.

20:5 There was another battle with the Philistines in which Elhanan son 
of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, 
whose spear had a shaft as big as the crossbeam of a weaver?s loom.

20:6 In a battle in Gath there was a large man who had six fingers on 
each hand and six toes on each foot ? twenty-four in all! He too was a 
descendant of Rapha. 20:7 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of 
Shimea, David?s brother, killed him.

20:8 These were the descendants of Rapha who lived in Gath; they were 
killed by the hand of David and his soldiers.

The Lord Sends a Plague against Israel

21:1 An adversary opposed Israel, inciting David to count how many 
warriors Israel had. 21:2 David told Joab and the leaders of the army, 
?Go, count the number of warriors from Beer Sheba to Dan. Then bring 
back a report to me so I may know how many we have.? 21:3 Joab replied, 
?May the Lord make his army a hundred times larger! My master, O king, 
do not all of them serve my master? Why does my master want to do this? 
Why bring judgment on Israel??

21:4 But the king?s edict stood, despite Joab?s objections. So Joab left 
and traveled throughout Israel before returning to Jerusalem. 21:5 Joab 
reported to David the number of warriors. In all Israel there were 
1,100,000 sword-wielding soldiers; Judah alone had 470,000 
sword-wielding soldiers. 21:6 Now Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin, 
for the king?s edict disgusted him. 21:7 God was also offended by it, so 
he attacked Israel.

21:8 David said to God, ?I have sinned greatly by doing this! Now, 
please remove the guilt of your servant, for I have acted very 
foolishly.? 21:9 The Lord told Gad, David?s prophet, 21:10 ?Go, tell 
David, ?This is what the Lord says: ?I am offering you three forms of 
judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them.??? 21:11 Gad went to 
David and told him, ?This is what the Lord says: ?Pick one of these: 
21:12 three years of famine, or three months being chased by your 
enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down 
by the Lord, during which a plague will invade the land and the Lord?s 
messenger will destroy throughout Israel?s territory.? Now, decide what 
I should tell the one who sent me.? 21:13 David said to Gad, ?I am very 
upset! I prefer to be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is very great; 
I do not want to be attacked by men!? 21:14 So the Lord sent a plague 
through Israel, and 70,000 Israelite men died.

21:15 God sent an angel to ravage Jerusalem. As he was doing so, the 
Lord watched and relented from his judgment. He told the angel who was 
destroying, ?That?s enough! Stop now!?

Now the Lord?s angel was standing near the threshing floor of Ornan the 
Jebusite. 21:16 David looked up and saw the Lord?s messenger standing 
between the earth and sky with his sword drawn and in his hand, 
stretched out over Jerusalem. David and the leaders, covered with 
sackcloth, threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. 21:17 
David said to God, ?Was I not the one who decided to number the army? I 
am the one who sinned and committed this awful deed! As for these sheep 
? what have they done? O Lord my God, attack me and my family, but 
remove the plague from your people!?

21:18 So the Lord?s messenger told Gad to instruct David to go up and 
build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the 
Jebusite. 21:19 So David went up as Gad instructed him to do in the name 
of the Lord. 21:20 While Ornan was threshing wheat, he turned and saw 
the messenger, and he and his four sons hid themselves. 21:21 When David 
came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David; he came out from the 
threshing floor and bowed to David with his face to the ground. 21:22 
David said to Ornan, ?Sell me the threshing floor so I can build on it 
an altar for the Lord ? I?ll pay top price ? so that the plague may be 
removed from the people.? 21:23 Ornan told David, ?You can have it! My 
master, the king, may do what he wants. Look, I am giving you the oxen 
for burnt sacrifices, the threshing sledges for wood, and the wheat for 
an offering. I give it all to you.? 21:24 King David replied to Ornan, 
?No, I insist on buying it for top price. I will not offer to the Lord 
what belongs to you or offer a burnt sacrifice that cost me nothing. 
21:25 So David bought the place from Ornan for 600 pieces of gold. 21:26 
David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt sacrifices and 
peace offerings. He called out to the Lord, and the Lord responded by 
sending fire from the sky and consuming the burnt sacrifice on the 
altar. 21:27 The Lord ordered the messenger to put his sword back into 
its sheath.

21:28 At that time, when David saw that the Lord responded to him at the 
threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. 21:29 Now 
the Lord?s tabernacle (which Moses had made in the wilderness) and the 
altar for burnt sacrifices were at that time at the worship center in 
Gibeon. 21:30 But David could not go before it to seek God?s will, for 
he was afraid of the sword of the Lord?s messenger.

22:1 David then said, ?This is the place where the temple of the Lord 
God will be, along with the altar for burnt sacrifices for Israel.?



      Prayer


Lord, You stand with Your people against enemies but we must never 
presume that You will overlook our failure to stand righteously before 
You. May I be attentive to the things You have asked of me so that I am 
a suitable vessel for Your blessings.



      Commentary


The Ammonite king died but when David sent messengers an adviser to his 
son, the new king, gave him the poor counsel that they were spies. They 
treated them disrespectfully and sent them home, only to discover that 
David was now an angry adversary, so they massed for war and paid the 
Arameans to join them.

The Arameans were frightened by the approaching Israelites and fled to 
safety. The Ammonites then hired ore mercenaries and again massed for 
war. David joined his armies and they routed the Arameans who negotiated 
peace and became David's subjects.

Joab defeated the Amorites and devastated their cities, bring back the 
people to serve in manual labor for Israel.

The Philistines also attacked and lost, even the giant relatives of 
Goliath from Gath were killed.

David perceived a threat against Israel from a force not identified in 
the text, so in reaction David demanded a census of the men available 
for the army, despite the objections of his military advisers.

The Lord God was angry because He had forbidden that and brought a 
plague against Israel. The plague stopped at Jerusalem and David 
sacrificed at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. He bought the 
site from Ornan and established it as the location for future sacrifices 
because he was fearful of God's wrath at the Tabernacle in Gibeon.



      Interaction


        Consider

The Ammonite king was badly served and should have known that David 
meant no harm.


        Discuss

David was neglecting the Passover celebration and had neglected 
consultations with God prior to conducting a census, why would he be so 
careless when God had blessed him so much?



        Reflect

David's fear of God's wrath must have flowed more from a guilty 
conscience than anything he knew about the Lord God.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed a wrong thinking about the Lord God?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place in your life where you are 
making decisions without consulting the Lord God.



        Action:

Today I will confess, repent, and accept the Lord's forgiveness. I will 
ask a fellow believer to be my accountability and prayer partner, 
challenging me when necessary, encouraging me always ? as I bring every 
decision before the Lord God in prayer.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Friday


      1 Chronicles 22:2 - 27



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From treed873 at gmail.com  Thu Mar 10 06:21:15 2011
From: treed873 at gmail.com (Todd)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 06:21:15 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
Message-ID: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>

Greetings brothers,

I am in search of a professional grade bible study and sermon 
preparation software that will either run natively on Linux (preferred), 
or one that will run well with Wine. My son is getting ready to go off 
to bible college and he is in need of it. I checked on the wineHQ site 
and there doesn't seem to be much (perhaps lack of testers). Do any of 
you run this type of software? I already run Xiphos and, although it is 
feature rich, it lacks some key features for sermon preparation. Any 
help would be appreciated. Love in Christ Jesus,


Todd

From gorkon at gmail.com  Thu Mar 10 06:33:28 2011
From: gorkon at gmail.com (Joel Mclaughlin)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 06:33:28 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <AANLkTimFz-Mh0E=fy3p3JYXPEhJD=pYH2=F7wqeYDUZv@mail.gmail.com>

I don't know of any specifically, but I would definitely check out
Youversion.com and Biblegateway.com.  As for sermon preparation, I
would probably just type up notes in a Libreoffice application.

The pastor I work with doesn't use anything specifically for preparing
a sermon except his Bible, those two web sites and God.  That and a
good powerpoint,



On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 6:21 AM, Todd <treed873 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Greetings brothers,
>
> I am in search of a professional grade bible study and sermon preparation
> software that will either run natively on Linux (preferred), or one that
> will run well with Wine. My son is getting ready to go off to bible college
> and he is in need of it. I checked on the wineHQ site and there doesn't seem
> to be much (perhaps lack of testers). Do any of you run this type of
> software? I already run Xiphos and, although it is feature rich, it lacks
> some key features for sermon preparation. Any help would be appreciated.
> Love in Christ Jesus,
>
>
> Todd
> _______________________________________________
> Linux4christians mailing list
> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians
>



-- 
Joel McLaughlin
Life in Ohio Podcast
life.in.ohio.pod at gmail.com
gorkon at gmail.com
http://lifeinohio.libsyn.com
joel at geardiary.com
geardiary.com

From okie2003 at gmail.com  Thu Mar 10 10:47:16 2011
From: okie2003 at gmail.com (Rob Matlack)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:47:16 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <1299772036.8391.51.camel@rob-E6510>

On Thu, 2011-03-10 at 06:21 -0500, Todd wrote:
> Greetings brothers,
> 
> I am in search of a professional grade bible study and sermon 
> preparation software that will either run natively on Linux (preferred), 
> or one that will run well with Wine. My son is getting ready to go off 
> to bible college and he is in need of it. I checked on the wineHQ site 
> and there doesn't seem to be much (perhaps lack of testers). Do any of 
> you run this type of software? I already run Xiphos and, although it is 
> feature rich, it lacks some key features for sermon preparation. Any 
> help would be appreciated. Love in Christ Jesus,
> 
> 
> Todd
> _______________________________________________
> Linux4christians mailing list
> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians

This is a sad state of affairs. I have run BibleWorks for years and if
your son is going to study in the original languages I highly recommend
it. The philosophy of BibleWorks is a little different than Logos. Logos
focuses more on commentary resources and BW focuses more on language
resources. Examine their websites. For quite a while I had a BW wine
install which I would refer to for quick reference. However, some of the
features are not available and the icon toolbar is one of them. For  new
user this would be very frustrating.

So I also kept a virtualbox install of BibleWorks and The Theological
Journal Library, which is based on the Libronix Digital Library system
which I am pretty sure is the heart of Logos. Libronix will not even
begin to run in wine.

I switched to Linux in 2004 because I could not afford the hardware and
software upgrades Windows required. Therefore my use of Linux is more
practical than philosophical. However, I would not go back to MS. Point
being that for year I ran Mepis with the virtualbox arrangement
described above on 2000-2002 hardware -- not the fastest, but it worked.
My old hardware had a Win 2000 license so I used that in virtualbox. Win
2000 does not allow for proper export of unicode Hebrew from BibleWorks,
but the wine install did.

I was recently blessed with a Windows 7 Pro (or Ultimate or something)
Dell Latitude E6510 laptop (i7-620M 2.67; 4GB RAM; 1920x1080, nvidia
NVS3100M, 500 GB) which has replaced my old desktop. The 2008 version of
Mepis balked at the new hardware, so I switched to Mint (notice I do not
run Windows). With this hardware the virtualbox install is fast enough
that I did not bother to install BW in wine. I run a virtualbox as a
seamless window and most people would never know that BW and Libronix
are not running in Mint.

Links you might want to check out:
http://www.bibleworks.com/
http://bibleworks.oldinthenew.org/?page_id=214
http://www.bibleworks.com/forums/showthread.php?69-BW-and-Linux&highlight=linux
http://www.bibleworks.com/forums/



From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Thu Mar 10 11:31:04 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:31:04 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <1299772036.8391.51.camel@rob-E6510>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com> <1299772036.8391.51.camel@rob-E6510>
Message-ID: <4D78FCC8.9080504@bibleseven.com>

Go to http://bible.org

They offer many Bible study resources, including many downloads
for laptops and handheld devices.

>> Greetings brothers,
>>
>> I am in search of a professional grade bible study and sermon
>> preparation software that will either run natively on Linux (preferred),
>> or one that will run well with Wine. My son is getting ready to go off
>> to bible college and he is in need of it. I checked on the wineHQ site
>> and there doesn't seem to be much (perhaps lack of testers). Do any of
>> you run this type of software? I already run Xiphos and, although it is
>> feature rich, it lacks some key features for sermon preparation. Any
>> help would be appreciated. Love in Christ Jesus,
>>
>>
>> Todd
>>      

-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


From okie2003 at gmail.com  Thu Mar 10 11:37:52 2011
From: okie2003 at gmail.com (Rob Matlack)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 10:37:52 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <1299772036.8391.51.camel@rob-E6510>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com> <1299772036.8391.51.camel@rob-E6510>
Message-ID: <1299775072.8391.104.camel@rob-E6510>

On Thu, 2011-03-10 at 09:47 -0600, Rob Matlack wrote:
> On Thu, 2011-03-10 at 06:21 -0500, Todd wrote:
> > Greetings brothers,
> > 
> > I am in search of a professional grade bible study and sermon 
> > preparation software that will either run natively on Linux (preferred), 
> > or one that will run well with Wine. My son is getting ready to go off 
> > to bible college and he is in need of it. I checked on the wineHQ site 
> > and there doesn't seem to be much (perhaps lack of testers). Do any of 
> > you run this type of software? I already run Xiphos and, although it is 
> > feature rich, it lacks some key features for sermon preparation. Any 
> > help would be appreciated. Love in Christ Jesus,
> > 
> > 
> > Todd
> > _______________________________________________
> > Linux4christians mailing list
> > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians
> 
> This is a sad state of affairs. I have run BibleWorks for years and if
> your son is going to study in the original languages I highly recommend
> it. The philosophy of BibleWorks is a little different than Logos. Logos
> focuses more on commentary resources and BW focuses more on language
> resources. Examine their websites. For quite a while I had a BW wine
> install which I would refer to for quick reference. However, some of the
> features are not available and the icon toolbar is one of them. For  new
> user this would be very frustrating.
> 
> So I also kept a virtualbox install of BibleWorks and The Theological
> Journal Library, which is based on the Libronix Digital Library system
> which I am pretty sure is the heart of Logos. Libronix will not even
> begin to run in wine.
> 
> I switched to Linux in 2004 because I could not afford the hardware and
> software upgrades Windows required. Therefore my use of Linux is more
> practical than philosophical. However, I would not go back to MS. Point
> being that for year I ran Mepis with the virtualbox arrangement
> described above on 2000-2002 hardware -- not the fastest, but it worked.
> My old hardware had a Win 2000 license so I used that in virtualbox. Win
> 2000 does not allow for proper export of unicode Hebrew from BibleWorks,
> but the wine install did.
> 
> I was recently blessed with a Windows 7 Pro (or Ultimate or something)
> Dell Latitude E6510 laptop (i7-620M 2.67; 4GB RAM; 1920x1080, nvidia
> NVS3100M, 500 GB) which has replaced my old desktop. The 2008 version of
> Mepis balked at the new hardware, so I switched to Mint (notice I do not
> run Windows). With this hardware the virtualbox install is fast enough
> that I did not bother to install BW in wine. I run a virtualbox as a
> seamless window and most people would never know that BW and Libronix
> are not running in Mint.
> 
> Links you might want to check out:
> http://www.bibleworks.com/
> http://bibleworks.oldinthenew.org/?page_id=214
> http://www.bibleworks.com/forums/showthread.php?69-BW-and-Linux&highlight=linux
> http://www.bibleworks.com/forums/
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Linux4christians mailing list
> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians

As a follow-up here is a thread that might clarify the differences in
Logos and BibleWorks
http://www.bibleworks.com/forums/showthread.php?3079-Critical-Commentaries...




From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Thu Mar 10 20:24:11 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:24:11 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - 1 Chronicles 22:2 - 27
Message-ID: <4D7979BB.3060107@bibleseven.com>


    Friday


      1 Chronicles 22:2 - 27



22:2 David ordered the resident foreigners in the land of Israel to be 
called together. He appointed some of them to be stonecutters to chisel 
stones for the building of God's temple. 22:3 David supplied a large 
amount of iron for the nails of the doors of the gates and for braces, 
more bronze than could be weighed, 22:4 and more cedar logs than could 
be counted. (The Sidonians and Tyrians had brought a large amount of 
cedar logs to David.)

22:5 David said, "My son Solomon is just an inexperienced young man, and 
the temple to be built for the Lord must be especially magnificent so it 
will become famous and be considered splendid by all the nations. 
Therefore I will make preparations for its construction." So David made 
extensive preparations before he died.

22:6 He summoned his son Solomon and charged him to build a temple for 
the Lord God of Israel. 22:7 David said to Solomon: "My son, I really 
wanted to build a temple to honor the Lord my God. 22:8 But the Lord 
said to me: 'You have spilled a great deal of blood and fought many 
battles. You must not build a temple to honor me, for you have spilled a 
great deal of blood on the ground before me. 22:9 Look, you will have a 
son, who will be a peaceful man. I will give him rest from all his 
enemies on every side. Indeed, Solomon will be his name; I will give 
Israel peace and quiet during his reign. 22:10 He will build a temple to 
honor me; he will become my son, and I will become his father. I will 
grant to his dynasty permanent rule over Israel.'

22:11 "Now, my son, may the Lord be with you! May you succeed and build 
a temple for the Lord your God, just as he announced you would. 22:12 
Only may the Lord give you insight and understanding when he places you 
in charge of Israel, so you may obey the law of the Lord your God. 22:13 
Then you will succeed, if you carefully obey the rules and regulations 
which the Lord ordered Moses to give to Israel. Be strong and brave! 
Don't be afraid and don't panic! 22:14 Now, look, I have made every 
effort to supply what is needed to build the Lord's temple. I have 
stored up 100,000 talents of gold, 1,000,000 talents of silver, and so 
much bronze and iron it cannot be weighed, as well as wood and stones. 
Feel free to add more! 22:15 You also have available many workers, 
including stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and an innumerable array of 
workers who are skilled 22:16 in using gold, silver, bronze, and iron. 
Get up and begin the work! May the Lord be with you!"

22:17 David ordered all the officials of Israel to support his son 
Solomon. 22:18 He told them, "The Lord your God is with you! He has made 
you secure on every side, for he handed over to me the inhabitants of 
the region and the region is subdued before the Lord and his people. 
22:19 Now seek the Lord your God wholeheartedly and with your entire 
being! Get up and build the sanctuary of the Lord God! Then you can 
bring the ark of the Lord's covenant and the holy items dedicated to 
God's service into the temple that is built to honor the Lord."

David Organizes the Levites

23:1 When David was old and approaching the end of his life, he made his 
son Solomon king over Israel.

23:2 David assembled all the leaders of Israel, along with the priests 
and the Levites. 23:3 The Levites who were thirty years old and up were 
counted; there were 38,000 men. 23:4 David said, "Of these, 24,000 are 
to direct the work of the Lord's temple; 6,000 are to be officials and 
judges; 23:5 4,000 are to be gatekeepers; and 4,000 are to praise the 
Lord with the instruments I supplied for worship." 23:6 David divided 
them into groups corresponding to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and 
Merari.

NOTE: The rest of Chapter 23 and through Chapter 27 are scribal records 
which may be viewed in any Bible.



      Prayer


Lord, You are a God of detail, and if we listen we will hear from You. 
May I be careful to make time in prayer and study and quiet-time to seek 
Your guidance.



      Commentary


David explained to his young son, Solomon, why the Lord God did not 
allow him to build the Temple -- but He had instructed that Solomon do 
so. David had spilled too much blood whereas Solomon would lead a 
kingdom at peace.

David informed Solomon that he had gathered resident foreigners in 
Israel and categorized them by trade so that the skilled artisans could 
be assigned tasks in the construction of the Temple.

David had also acquired massive quantities of brass, gold, iron, and 
silver along with cedar and other materials. Solomon was encouraged to 
add more but he had a huge start to the project.

David installed Solomon as king and then assigned the Levites to their 
responsibilities during the construction and operation of the tabernacle 
and the temple.

The balance of Chapter 23 and through Chapter 27 are scribal records of 
David's Levitical, military, and other organizational assignments which 
may be viewed in any Bible.



      Interaction


        Consider

David had not only shed much blood in battle, an honorable act, yet one 
that would render one temporarily unclean in a ceremonial sense.


        Discuss

Could it be that the innocent blood David shed in the sad matter of his 
initial relationship with Solomon's mother, Bathsheba, was what cost him 
the blessing of building the Temple?



        Reflect

David instructed young Solomon "... may the Lord give you insight and 
understanding when he places you in charge of Israel, so you may obey 
the law of the Lord your God.", perhaps priming him to request the gift 
of wisdom when the Lord God asked. It is notable that he did not need 
for money or power as David had handed that to him.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed a door being closed to an 
opportunity as a consequence of a past poor choice?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something that He wants you to do 
and for which He has already amassed the resources.



        Action:

Today I will prayerfully seek that task which the Lord God has laid out 
for me, and for which He has gathered the resources, and I will pursue 
it will dedication and devotion.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Saturday


      1 Chronicles 28 - 29



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From daustin at bible.org  Thu Mar 10 20:51:04 2011
From: daustin at bible.org (David Austin)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:51:04 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] Linux4christians Digest, Vol 83, Issue 7
In-Reply-To: <mailman.434.1299804642.3398.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
References: <mailman.434.1299804642.3398.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
Message-ID: <4D798008.8070703@bible.org>

A lot of pastors use www.bible.org and the study environment 
http://netbible.org
the study environment has over 700 years of theology journals as well as 
it searches the bible and bible.org as well as having dictionaries and 
Greek and Hebrew built in.. see http://bible.org/NBSEoverview for NET 
Bible Study Environment Overview
and http://bible.org/videos/commercials for several others

David Austin (Executive Director www.Bible.org ) 1 Cor 15:58
  


From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Thu Mar 10 20:54:35 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:54:35 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Bible Study Apps [Was: Linux4christians
 Digest, Vol 83, Issue 7]
In-Reply-To: <4D798008.8070703@bible.org>
References: <mailman.434.1299804642.3398.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
	<4D798008.8070703@bible.org>
Message-ID: <4D7980DB.30503@bibleseven.com>

Our daughter just loaded some study apps from bible.org on her
iPod Touch and was impressed.  (She's teen, so that's unusual.)

http://bible.org/NETBibleMobile

>  A lot of pastors use www.bible.org and the study environment
>  http://netbible.org the study environment has over 700 years of
>  theology journals as well as it searches the bible and bible.org as
>  well as having dictionaries and Greek and Hebrew built in.. see
>  http://bible.org/NBSEoverview for NET Bible Study Environment
>  Overview and http://bible.org/videos/commercials for several others
>
>  David Austin (Executive Director www.Bible.org ) 1 Cor 15:58


-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From tbutler at ofb.biz  Thu Mar 10 21:50:53 2011
From: tbutler at ofb.biz (Timothy Butler)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:50:53 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
Message-ID: <7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>

In my understand (and experience), there are basically two Bible software packages that are "professional grade:" BibleWorks and Accordance. They feature the exegetical resources, grammatical tools, and both application and technical commentaries necessary for serious study. I'm an Accordance user myself. It will run in a Classic Mac emulator, so I'm pretty certain you could get it running in Linux -- I know some people run it on Windows that way. BibleWorks, I'd guess would run via Wine.

If your son has aspirations for seminary eventually, or if it is a particularly rigorous Bible college with emphases on languages, you'll want one of these two, since they have not only the standard academic Greek and Hebrew texts, but also the accompanying standard lexicons.

I like that Accordance seems to be able to switch roles from scholarly to personal Bible study very seamlessly. I use it for everything. I don't get the sense BibleWorks is quite as good at "stepping down" from the scholarly mode, but I'm not sure I can really offer a fair critique of it...

	-Tim

On Mar 10, 2011, at 5:21 AM, Todd wrote:

> I am in search of a professional grade bible study and sermon preparation software that will either run natively on Linux (preferred), or one that will run well with Wine. My son is getting ready to go off to bible college and he is in need of it. I checked on the wineHQ site and there doesn't seem to be much (perhaps lack of testers). Do any of you run this type of software? I already run Xiphos and, although it is feature rich, it lacks some key features for sermon preparation. Any help would be appreciated. Love in Christ Jesus,


From okie2003 at gmail.com  Thu Mar 10 23:20:01 2011
From: okie2003 at gmail.com (Rob Matlack)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:20:01 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
	<7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
Message-ID: <1299817201.8391.130.camel@rob-E6510>

Todd, some more links for your evaluation:

http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/index.php?page=tyndale-tech&add=http://tyndaletech.blogspot.com/2009/06/getting-best-out-of-bible-software.html

http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/index.php?page=tyndale-tech&add=http://tyndaletech.blogspot.com/2009/09/getting-best-out-of-bible-software.html

http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/index.php?page=tyndale-tech&add=http://tyndaletech.blogspot.com/2010/12/accordance-tips.html

By the way, if you son is going to Bible college he might want to check
out their IT policies. When my daughter went to college we had some
interesting moments. She was used to Linux, but the IT department would
not let her on the network with it. So now she runs virtualbox with a
legal copy of Win XP to handle the schools security software and then
she does everything else in Linux. Most than one person has thought she
is a computer science major ;-) 


From okie2003 at gmail.com  Thu Mar 10 23:21:07 2011
From: okie2003 at gmail.com (Rob Matlack)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 22:21:07 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
	<7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
Message-ID: <1299817267.8391.131.camel@rob-E6510>

and one more

http://www.bsreview.org/



From webservant at trinitybclaramie.org  Thu Mar 10 23:29:05 2011
From: webservant at trinitybclaramie.org (Peter B. Steiger)
Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:29:05 -0700
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
	<7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
Message-ID: <AANLkTimQz_FgVqKtBjV64jQ4qg=J8=gob8Oon5JJNZBy@mail.gmail.com>

One that I like a lot is the free study Bible from scripture4all.org.  It
has a feature not found with most of the others I have tried: A direct
word-for-word translation of the earliest possible Hebrew and Greek sources,
with a Strong's dictionary and a pronunciation guide, all of which is
displayed in parallel with an English translation (I think KJV is the only
one currently available, at least on the free version; I don't know if they
have other translations for purchase).

Unfortunately it's only for Windows, although they say it runs OK in Wine
for Linux.

 On Mar 10, 2011, at 5:21 AM, Todd wrote:
>
> > I am in search of a professional grade bible study and sermon preparation
> software that will either run natively on Linux (preferred), or one that
> will run well with Wine. My son is getting ready to go off to bible college
> and he is in need of it. I checked on the wineHQ site and there doesn't seem
> to be much (perhaps lack of testers). Do any of you run this type of
> software? I already run Xiphos and, although it is feature rich, it lacks
> some key features for sermon preparation. Any help would be appreciated.
> Love in Christ Jesus,
>
>
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From proyectopuente at hotmail.com  Fri Mar 11 11:25:31 2011
From: proyectopuente at hotmail.com (Proyecto Puente Internacional, A.C.)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:25:31 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTimQz_FgVqKtBjV64jQ4qg=J8=gob8Oon5JJNZBy@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com><7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
	<AANLkTimQz_FgVqKtBjV64jQ4qg=J8=gob8Oon5JJNZBy@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <SNT124-DS14EF7619E386F3238C359BD9CB0@phx.gbl>

Wow, Peter! That is a great program! Thanks for the info.

Dr. Steve, central old Mexico


__________ Informaci?n de ESET Smart Security, versi?n de la base de firmas de virus 5945 (20110311) __________

ESET Smart Security ha comprobado este mensaje.

http://www.eset.com

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From okie2003 at gmail.com  Fri Mar 11 13:00:28 2011
From: okie2003 at gmail.com (Rob Matlack)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 12:00:28 -0600
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <SNT124-DS14EF7619E386F3238C359BD9CB0@phx.gbl>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>
	<7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>
	<AANLkTimQz_FgVqKtBjV64jQ4qg=J8=gob8Oon5JJNZBy@mail.gmail.com>
	<SNT124-DS14EF7619E386F3238C359BD9CB0@phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <1299866428.2152.28.camel@rob-E6510>

On Fri, 2011-03-11 at 10:25 -0600, Proyecto Puente Internacional, A.C.
wrote:
> Wow, Peter! That is a great program! Thanks for the info.
>  
> Dr. Steve, central old Mexico
> 
> 
> __________ Informaci?n de ESET Smart Security, versi?n de la base de
> firmas de virus 5945 (20110311) __________
> 
> ESET Smart Security ha comprobado este mensaje.
> 
> http://www.eset.com
> _______________________________________________
> Linux4christians mailing list
> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians

I agree. This is an interesting find. I will probably add it to e-Sword
as a resource for people who want a free study aid. It does have some
unique features. 

A quick glance also shows the the site has some helpful information. It
is interesting that they chose to display the Greek text in uncial
script instead of minuscule script which is common for published Greek
tests today--both printed and electronic. Their explanation that it was
what was used in the 1st century is accurate and it can be helpful for
evaluating textual differences. However it will be strange to a person
who has had a smattering of Greek.

One could quibble with: "During the period of criticism and revision of
the New Testament Text, the struggle between the 'Received Text' and 'a
critical text' has been waged, with the latter emerging as the victor.
While scarcely a modern scholar defends the superiority of the Received
Text". In the past 20 or so years there have been two Greek NT published
that are based on Majority Text theory (Hodges & Farstad by Nelson Pub.,
1985 and Robinson-Pierpont Majority Text, 1995). The Robinson-Pierpont
Majority Text is found in several Bible study software titles including
e-Sword and BibleWorks.

Also while the "Concordant Method" has much helpful and useful
information one must be careful not to fall into the trap of the "root
fallacy" in determining the meaning of a word in a particular passage. 

But a great find. Thanks for sharing it.


From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Fri Mar 11 21:58:57 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:58:57 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - 1 Chronicles 28 - 29
Message-ID: <4D7AE171.5030300@bibleseven.com>


    Saturday


      1 Chronicles 28 - 29



David Commissions Solomon to Build the Temple

28:1 David assembled in Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, including 
the commanders of the tribes, the commanders of the army divisions that 
served the king, the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, 
the officials who were in charge of all the property and livestock of 
the king and his sons, the eunuchs, and the warriors, including the most 
skilled of them.

28:2 King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers 
and my people. I wanted to build a temple where the ark of the Lord's 
covenant could be placed as a footstool for our God. I have made the 
preparations for building it. 28:3 But God said to me, 'You must not 
build a temple to honor me, for you are a warrior and have spilled 
blood.' 28:4 The Lord God of Israel chose me out of my father's entire 
family to become king over Israel and have a permanent dynasty. Indeed, 
he chose Judah as leader, and my father's family within Judah, and then 
he picked me out from among my father's sons and made me king over all 
Israel. 28:5 From all the many sons the Lord has given me, he chose 
Solomon my son to rule on his behalf over Israel. 28:6 He said to me, 
'Solomon your son is the one who will build my temple and my courts, for 
I have chosen him to become my son and I will become his father. 28:7 I 
will establish his kingdom permanently, if he remains committed to 
obeying my commands and regulations, as you are doing this day.' 28:8 So 
now, in the sight of all Israel, the Lord's assembly, and in the hearing 
of our God, I say this: Carefully observe all the commands of the Lord 
your God, so that you may possess this good land and may leave it as a 
permanent inheritance for your children after you.

28:9 "And you, Solomon my son, obey the God of your father and serve him 
with a submissive attitude and a willing spirit, for the Lord examines 
all minds and understands every motive of one's thoughts. If you seek 
him, he will let you find him, but if you abandon him, he will reject 
you permanently. 28:10 Realize now that the Lord has chosen you to build 
a temple as his sanctuary. Be strong and do it!"

28:11 David gave to his son Solomon the blueprints for the temple porch, 
its buildings, its treasuries, its upper areas, its inner rooms, and the 
room for atonement. 28:12 He gave him the blueprints of all he 
envisioned for the courts of the Lord's temple, all the surrounding 
rooms, the storehouses of God's temple, and the storehouses for the holy 
items.

28:13 He gave him the regulations for the divisions of priests and 
Levites, for all the assigned responsibilities within the Lord's temple, 
and for all the items used in the service of the Lord's temple.

28:14 He gave him the prescribed weight for all the gold items to be 
used in various types of service in the Lord's temple, for all the 
silver items to be used in various types of service, 28:15 for the gold 
lampstands and their gold lamps, including the weight of each lampstand 
and its lamps, for the silver lampstands, including the weight of each 
lampstand and its lamps, according to the prescribed use of each 
lampstand, 28:16 for the gold used in the display tables, including the 
amount to be used in each table, for the silver to be used in the silver 
tables, 28:17 for the pure gold used for the meat forks, bowls, and 
jars, for the small gold bowls, including the weight for each bowl, for 
the small silver bowls, including the weight for each bowl, 28:18 and 
for the refined gold of the incense altar.

He gave him the blueprint for the seat of the gold cherubim that spread 
their wings and provide shelter for the ark of the Lord's covenant.

28:19 David said, "All of this I put in writing as the Lord directed me 
and gave me insight regarding the details of the blueprints."

28:20 David said to his son Solomon: "Be strong and brave! Do it! Don't 
be afraid and don't panic! For the Lord God, my God, is with you. He 
will not leave you or abandon you before all the work for the service of 
the Lord's temple is finished. 28:21 Here are the divisions of the 
priests and Levites who will perform all the service of God's temple. 
All the willing and skilled men are ready to assist you in all the work 
and perform their service. The officials and all the people are ready to 
follow your instructions."

The People Contribute to the Project

29:1 King David said to the entire assembly: "My son Solomon, the one 
whom God has chosen, is just an inexperienced young man, and the task is 
great, for this palace is not for man, but for the Lord God. 29:2 So I 
have made every effort to provide what is needed for the temple of my 
God, including the gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, as well as a large 
amount of onyx, settings of antimony and other stones, all kinds of 
precious stones, and alabaster. 29:3 Now, to show my commitment to the 
temple of my God, I donate my personal treasure of gold and silver to 
the temple of my God, in addition to all that I have already supplied 
for this holy temple. 29:4 This includes 3,000 talents of gold from 
Ophir and 7,000 talents of refined silver for overlaying the walls of 
the buildings, 29:5 for gold and silver items, and for all the work of 
the craftsmen. Who else wants to contribute to the Lord today?"

29:6 The leaders of the families, the leaders of the Israelite tribes, 
the commanders of units of a thousand and a hundred, and the supervisors 
of the king's work contributed willingly. 29:7 They donated for the 
service of God's temple 5,000 talents and ten thousand darics of gold, 
10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents 
of iron. 29:8 All who possessed precious stones donated them to the 
treasury of the Lord's temple, which was under the supervision of Jehiel 
the Gershonite. 29:9 The people were delighted with their donations, for 
they contributed to the Lord with a willing attitude; King David was 
also very happy.

David Praises the Lord

29:10 David praised the Lord before the entire assembly:

"O Lord God of our father Israel, you deserve praise forevermore! 29:11 
O Lord, you are great, mighty, majestic, magnificent, glorious, and 
sovereign over all the sky and earth! You have dominion and exalt 
yourself as the ruler of all. 29:12 You are the source of wealth and 
honor; you rule over all. You possess strength and might to magnify and 
give strength to all. 29:13 Now, our God, we give thanks to you and 
praise your majestic name!

29:14 "But who am I and who are my people, that we should be in a 
position to contribute this much? Indeed, everything comes from you, and 
we have simply given back to you what is yours. 29:15 For we are 
resident foreigners and nomads in your presence, like all our ancestors; 
our days are like a shadow on the earth, without security. 29:16 O Lord 
our God, all this wealth, which we have collected to build a temple for 
you to honor your holy name, comes from you; it all belongs to you. 
29:17 I know, my God, that you examine thoughts and are pleased with 
integrity. With pure motives I contribute all this; and now I look with 
joy as your people who have gathered here contribute to you. 29:18 O 
Lord God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, maintain the 
motives of your people and keep them devoted to you. 29:19 Make my son 
Solomon willing to obey your commands, rules, and regulations, and to 
complete building the palace for which I have made preparations."

29:20 David told the entire assembly: "Praise the Lord your God!" So the 
entire assembly praised the Lord God of their ancestors; they bowed down 
and stretched out flat on the ground before the Lord and the king.

David Designates Solomon King

29:21 The next day they made sacrifices and offered burnt sacrifices to 
the Lord (1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, 1,000 lambs), along with their 
accompanying drink offerings and many other sacrifices for all Israel. 
29:22 They held a feast before the Lord that day and celebrated.

Then they designated Solomon, David's son, as king a second time; before 
the Lord they anointed him as ruler and Zadok as priest. 29:23 Solomon 
sat on the Lord's throne as king in place of his father David; he was 
successful and all Israel was loyal to him. 29:24 All the officers and 
warriors, as well as all of King David's sons, pledged their allegiance 
to King Solomon. 29:25 The Lord greatly magnified Solomon before all 
Israel and bestowed on him greater majesty than any king of Israel 
before him.

David's Reign Comes to an End

29:26 David son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 29:27 He reigned over 
Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years and in Jerusalem 
thirty-three years. 29:28 He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long 
life, wealth, and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him. 29:29 King 
David's accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the 
Annals of Samuel the prophet, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the 
Annals of Gad the prophet. 29:30 Recorded there are all the facts about 
his reign and accomplishments, and an account of the events that 
involved him, Israel, and all the neighboring kingdoms.



      Prayer


Lord, You bless the humble and obedient, and you provide all that we 
need to serve You. May I be attentive to the keeping of my 
responsibilities in our relationship, my Lord and King.



      Commentary


David calls the leaders of the kingdom together and reviews the 
preparations made for Solomon to build the Temple. He explains why the 
Lord God did not permit him to do so then celebrates all that the Lord 
had done to bring him out of his humble existence as a boy-shepherd and 
through forty years as king.


David commissions Solomon before the leaders to take all of the designs 
and materials and workers and to build God's earthly Temple. He donated 
a huge amount of gold, above what he had gathered, and challenged the 
leaders to do the same -- which they did generously and gladly -- then 
they celebrated that the Lord had so blessed them that they could give 
so much back to Him.

David warned Solomon that to maintain the peace and prosperity that he 
must live before the Lord God as David now was, humble and obedient, 
because to do otherwise would risk the loss of God's blessings.

They again anointed and celebrated the installation of Solomon as king.



      Interaction


        Consider

David was careful to link God's blessings to his current state of 
humble-obedience rather than indulge in a false declaration that he had 
always lived that way before the Lord.


        Discuss

Why would David believe it was necessary to warn Solomon about the need 
to be constantly humble and obedient before the Lord?



        Reflect

There was a great emphasis on Solomon's immaturity and youth, massive 
resources provided to him so that he had no needs, and great power -- it 
all seemed a bit much to ask a young man who was unused to the process 
of making good choices to manage this well.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed someone immature and young who 
received great wealth and/or power. Did they handle it well?



      Faith in Action



        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to identify a young person in ministry who needs 
encouragement, help, and prayer so that they are not overwhelmed and 
then compromised by the enemy.



        Action:

Today I will pray for the young person you identify to me. I will 
respectfully encourage them, and I will help them as is appropriate.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________


             Sunday's text will be: 1 Chronicles 1 - 6



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Sat Mar 12 20:16:09 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:16:09 -0500
Subject: [Linux4christians] Sunday - 2 Chronicles 1 - 9
Message-ID: <4D7C1AD9.4040801@bibleseven.com>


    Sunday


      2 Chronicles 1 - 9



The Lord Gives Solomon Wisdom

1:1 Solomon son of David solidified his royal authority, for the Lord 
his God was with him and magnified him greatly.

1:2 Solomon addressed all Israel, including those who commanded units of 
a thousand and a hundred, the judges, and all the leaders of all Israel 
who were heads of families. 1:3 Solomon and the entire assembly went to 
the worship center in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God was 
located there, which Moses the Lord's servant had made in the 
wilderness. 1:4 (Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath 
Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent 
for it in Jerusalem. 1:5 But the bronze altar made by Bezalel son of 
Uri, son of Hur, was in front of the Lord's tabernacle. Solomon and the 
entire assembly prayed to him there.) 1:6 Solomon went up to the bronze 
altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up a 
thousand burnt sacrifices.

1:7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Tell me what I 
should give you." 1:8 Solomon replied to God, "You demonstrated great 
loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. 1:9 Now, 
Lord God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have 
made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. 
1:10 Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this 
nation. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this 
great nation of yours."

1:11 God said to Solomon, "Because you desire this, and did not ask for 
riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, and because 
you did not ask for long life, but requested wisdom and discernment so 
you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you 
king, 1:12 you are granted wisdom and discernment. Furthermore I am 
giving you riches, wealth, and honor surpassing that of any king before 
or after you."

1:13 Solomon left the meeting tent at the worship center in Gibeon and 
went to Jerusalem, where he reigned over Israel.

Solomon's Wealth

1:14 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses. He had 1,400 chariots and 
12,000 horses. He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. 1:15 
The king made silver and gold as plentiful in Jerusalem as stones; cedar 
was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in the lowlands. 1:16 Solomon 
acquired his horses from Egypt and from Que; the king's traders 
purchased them from Que. 1:17 They paid 600 silver pieces for each 
chariot from Egypt, and 150 silver pieces for each horse. They also sold 
chariots and horses to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of 
Syria.

Solomon Gathers Building Materials for the Temple

2:1 Solomon ordered a temple to be built to honor the Lord, as well as a 
royal palace for himself. 2:2 Solomon had 70,000 common laborers and 
80,000 stonecutters in the hills, in addition to 3,600 supervisors.

2:3 Solomon sent a message to King Huram of Tyre: "Help me as you did my 
father David, when you sent him cedar logs for the construction of his 
palace. 2:4 Look, I am ready to build a temple to honor the Lord my God 
and to dedicate it to him in order to burn fragrant incense before him, 
to set out the bread that is regularly displayed, and to offer burnt 
sacrifices each morning and evening, and on Sabbaths, new moon 
festivals, and at other times appointed by the Lord our God. This is 
something Israel must do on a permanent basis. 2:5 I will build a great 
temple, for our God is greater than all gods. 2:6 Of course, who can 
really build a temple for him, since the sky and the highest heavens 
cannot contain him? Who am I that I should build him a temple! It will 
really be only a place to offer sacrifices before him.

2:7 "Now send me a man who is skilled in working with gold, silver, 
bronze, and iron, as well as purple, crimson, and violet colored 
fabrics, and who knows how to engrave. He will work with my skilled 
craftsmen here in Jerusalem and Judah, whom my father David provided. 
2:8 Send me cedars, evergreens, and algum trees from Lebanon, for I know 
your servants are adept at cutting down trees in Lebanon. My servants 
will work with your servants 2:9 to supply me with large quantities of 
timber, for I am building a great, magnificent temple. 2:10 Look, I will 
pay your servants who cut the timber 20,000 kors of ground wheat, 20,000 
kors of barley, 120,000 gallons of wine, and 120,000 gallons of olive oil."

2:11 King Huram of Tyre sent this letter to Solomon: "Because the Lord 
loves his people, he has made you their king." 2:12 Huram also said, 
"Worthy of praise is the Lord God of Israel, who made the sky and the 
earth! He has given David a wise son who has discernment and insight and 
will build a temple for the Lord, as well as a royal palace for himself. 
2:13 Now I am sending you Huram Abi, a skilled and capable man, 2:14 
whose mother is a Danite and whose father is a Tyrian. He knows how to 
work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stones, and wood, as well as 
purple, violet, white, and crimson fabrics. He knows how to do all kinds 
of engraving and understands any design given to him. He will work with 
your skilled craftsmen and the skilled craftsmen of my lord David your 
father. 2:15 Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, 
olive oil, and wine he has promised; 2:16 we will get all the timber you 
need from Lebanon and bring it in raft-like bundles by sea to Joppa. You 
can then haul it on up to Jerusalem."

2:17 Solomon took a census of all the male resident foreigners in the 
land of Israel, after the census his father David had taken. There were 
153,600 in all. 2:18 He designated 70,000 as common laborers, 80,000 as 
stonecutters in the hills, and 3,600 as supervisors to make sure the 
people completed the work.

The Building of the Temple

3:1 Solomon began building the Lord's temple in Jerusalem on Mount 
Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. This was the 
place that David prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. 
3:2 He began building on the second day of the second month of the 
fourth year of his reign.

3:3 Solomon laid the foundation for God's temple; its length (determined 
according to the old standard of measure) was 90 feet, and its width 30 
feet. 3:4 The porch in front of the main hall was 30 feet long, 
corresponding to the width of the temple, and its height was 30 feet. He 
plated the inside with pure gold. 3:5 He paneled the main hall with 
boards made from evergreen trees and plated it with fine gold, decorated 
with palm trees and chains. 3:6 He decorated the temple with precious 
stones; the gold he used came from Parvaim. 3:7 He overlaid the temple's 
rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative 
cherubim on the walls.

3:8 He made the most holy place; its length was 30 feet, corresponding 
to the width of the temple, and its width 30 feet. He plated it with 600 
talents of fine gold. 3:9 The gold nails weighed 50 shekels; he also 
plated the upper areas with gold. 3:10 In the most holy place he made 
two images of cherubim and plated them with gold. 3:11 The combined wing 
span of the cherubs was 30 feet. One of the first cherub's wings was 
seven and one-half feet long and touched one wall of the temple; its 
other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched one of the 
second cherub's wings. 3:12 Likewise one of the second cherub's wings 
was seven and one-half feet long and touched the other wall of the 
temple; its other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched 
one of the first cherub's wings. 3:13 The combined wingspan of these 
cherubim was 30 feet. They stood upright, facing inward. 3:14 He made 
the curtain out of violet, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and 
embroidered on it decorative cherubim.

3:15 In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined 
length of 52? feet, with each having a plated capital seven and one-half 
feet high. 3:16 He made ornamental chains and put them on top of the 
pillars. He also made one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments and 
arranged them within the chains. 3:17 He set up the pillars in front of 
the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. He named 
the one on the right Jachin, and the one on the left Boaz.

4:1 He made a bronze altar, 30 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 15 feet 
high. 4:2 He also made the big bronze basin called "The Sea." It 
measured 15 feet from rim to rim, was circular in shape, and stood seven 
and one-half feet high. Its circumference was 45 feet. 4:3 Images of 
bulls were under it all the way around, ten every eighteen inches all 
the way around. The bulls were in two rows and had been cast with "The 
Sea." 4:4 "The Sea" stood on top of twelve bulls. Three faced northward, 
three westward, three southward, and three eastward. "The Sea" was 
placed on top of them, and they all faced outward. 4:5 It was four 
fingers thick and its rim was like that of a cup shaped like a lily 
blossom. It could hold 18,000 gallons. 4:6 He made ten washing basins; 
he put five on the south side and five on the north side. In them they 
rinsed the items used for burnt sacrifices; the priests washed in "The Sea."

4:7 He made ten gold lampstands according to specifications and put them 
in the temple, five on the right and five on the left. 4:8 He made ten 
tables and set them in the temple, five on the right and five on the 
left. He also made one hundred gold bowls. 4:9 He made the courtyard of 
the priests and the large enclosure and its doors; he plated their doors 
with bronze. 4:10 He put "The Sea" on the south side, in the southeast 
corner.

4:11 Huram Abi made the pots, shovels, and bowls. He finished all the 
work on God's temple he had been assigned by King Solomon. 4:12 He made 
the two pillars, the two bowl-shaped tops of the pillars, the 
latticework for the bowl-shaped tops of the two pillars, 4:13 the four 
hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments for the latticework of the two 
pillars (each latticework had two rows of these ornaments at the 
bowl-shaped top of the pillar), 4:14 the ten movable stands with their 
ten basins, 4:15 the big bronze basin called "The Sea" with its twelve 
bulls underneath, 4:16 and the pots, shovels, and meat forks. All the 
items King Solomon assigned Huram Abi to make for the Lord's temple were 
made from polished bronze. 4:17 The king had them cast in earthen 
foundries in the region of the Jordan between Succoth and Zarethan. 4:18 
Solomon made so many of these items they did not weigh the bronze.

4:19 Solomon also made these items for God's temple: the gold altar, the 
tables on which the Bread of the Presence was kept, 4:20 the pure gold 
lampstands and their lamps which burned as specified at the entrance to 
the inner sanctuary, 4:21 the pure gold flower-shaped ornaments, lamps, 
and tongs, 4:22 the pure gold trimming shears, basins, pans, and 
censers, and the gold door sockets for the inner sanctuary (the most 
holy place) and for the doors of the main hall of the temple.

5:1 When Solomon had finished constructing the Lord's temple, he put the 
holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and all 
the other articles) in the treasuries of God's temple. Solomon Moves the 
Ark into the Temple

5:2 Then Solomon convened Israel's elders -- all the leaders of the 
Israelite tribes and families -- in Jerusalem, so they could witness the 
transferal of the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David 
(that is, Zion). 5:3 All the men of Israel assembled before the king 
during the festival in the seventh month. 5:4 When all Israel's elders 
had arrived, the Levites lifted the ark. 5:5 The priests and Levites 
carried the ark, the tent where God appeared to his people, and all the 
holy items in the tent. 5:6 Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who 
had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more 
sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered.

5:7 The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its 
assigned place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy 
place under the wings of the cherubs. 5:8 The cherubs' wings extended 
over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and 
its poles. 5:9 The poles were so long their ends extending out from the 
ark were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could 
not be seen from beyond that point. They have remained there to this 
very day. 5:10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moses 
had placed there in Horeb. (It was there that the Lord made an agreement 
with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt.)

5:11 The priests left the holy place. All the priests who participated 
had consecrated themselves, no matter which division they represented. 
5:12 All the Levites who were musicians, including Asaph, Heman, 
Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives, wore linen. They played cymbals 
and stringed instruments as they stood east of the altar. They were 
accompanied by 120 priests who blew trumpets. 5:13 The trumpeters and 
musicians played together, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. 
Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they loudly 
praised the Lord, singing: "Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal 
love endures!" Then a cloud filled the Lord's temple. 5:14 The priests 
could not carry out their duties because of the cloud; the Lord's 
splendor filled God's temple.

6:1 Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that he lives in thick 
darkness. 6:2 O Lord, I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where 
you can live permanently." 6:3 Then the king turned around and 
pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood 
there. 6:4 He said, "The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because 
he has fulfilled what he promised my father David. 6:5 He told David, 
'Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not 
chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which 
to live. Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel. 6:6 But 
now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place to live, and I have chosen David 
to lead my people Israel.' 6:7 Now my father David had a strong desire 
to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. 6:8 The Lord told my 
father David, 'It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a 
temple to honor me. 6:9 But you will not build the temple; your very own 
son will build the temple for my honor.' 6:10 The Lord has kept the 
promise he made. I have taken my father David's place and have occupied 
the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for 
the honor of the Lord God of Israel 6:11 and set up in it a place for 
the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites."

6:12 He stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire 
assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 6:13 Solomon had made a 
bronze platform and had placed it in the middle of the enclosure. It was 
seven and one-half feet long, seven and one-half feet wide, and four and 
one-half feet high. He stood on it and then got down on his knees in 
front of the entire assembly of Israel. He spread out his hands toward 
the sky, 6:14 and prayed: "O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like 
you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty to your 
servants who obey you with sincerity. 6:15 You have kept your word to 
your servant, my father David; this very day you have fulfilled what you 
promised. 6:16 Now, O Lord God of Israel, keep the promise you made to 
your servant, my father David, when you said, 'You will never fail to 
have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, provided that 
your descendants watch their step and obey my law as you have done.' 
6:17 Now, O Lord God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant 
David be realized.

6:18 "God does not really live with humankind on the earth! Look, if the 
sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple 
I have built! 6:19 But respond favorably to your servant's prayer and 
his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer the desperate prayer your 
servant is presenting to you. 6:20 Night and day may you watch over this 
temple, the place where you promised you would live. May you answer your 
servant's prayer for this place. 6:21 Respond to the requests of your 
servant and your people Israel for this place. Hear from your heavenly 
dwelling place and respond favorably and forgive.

6:22 "When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the 
latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in 
this temple, 6:23 listen from heaven and make a just decision about your 
servants' claims. Condemn the guilty party, declare the other innocent, 
and give both of them what they deserve.

6:24 "If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they sinned 
against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to 
you, and pray for your help before you in this temple, 6:25 then listen 
from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back 
to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.

6:26 "The time will come when the skies are shut up tightly and no rain 
falls because your people sinned against you. When they direct their 
prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, and turn away 
from their sin because you punish them, 6:27 then listen from heaven and 
forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly you will 
then teach them the right way to live and send rain on your land that 
you have given your people to possess.

6:28 "The time will come when the land suffers from a famine, a plague, 
blight, and disease, or a locust invasion, or when their enemy lays 
siege to the cities of the land, or when some other type of plague or 
epidemic occurs. 6:29 When all your people Israel pray and ask for help, 
as they acknowledge their intense pain and spread out their hands toward 
this temple, 6:30 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive 
their sin, and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of 
their motives. (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate 
the motives of all people.) 6:31 Then they will honor you by obeying you 
throughout their lifetimes as they live on the land you gave to our 
ancestors.

6:32 "Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come 
from a distant land because of your great reputation and your ability to 
accomplish mighty deeds; they will come and direct their prayers toward 
this temple. 6:33 Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and 
answer all the prayers of the foreigners. Then all the nations of the 
earth will acknowledge your reputation, obey you like your people Israel 
do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you.

6:34 "When you direct your people to march out and fight their enemies, 
and they direct their prayers to you toward this chosen city and this 
temple I built for your honor, 6:35 then listen from heaven to their 
prayers for help and vindicate them.

6:36 "The time will come when your people will sin against you (for 
there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry at them and 
deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to 
their land, whether far away or close by. 6:37 When your people come to 
their senses in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent 
and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, 'We 
have sinned and gone astray, we have done evil!' 6:38 When they return 
to you with all their heart and being in the land where they are held 
prisoner and direct their prayers toward the land you gave to their 
ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, 6:39 
then listen from your heavenly dwelling place to their prayers for help, 
vindicate them, and forgive your sinful people.

6:40 "Now, my God, may you be attentive and responsive to the prayers 
offered in this place. 6:41 Now ascend, O Lord God, to your resting 
place, you and the ark of your strength! May your priests, O Lord God, 
experience your deliverance! May your loyal followers rejoice in the 
prosperity you give! 6:42 O Lord God, do not reject your chosen ones! 
Remember the faithful promises you made to your servant David!"

Solomon Dedicates the Temple

7:1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and 
consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the Lord's splendor 
filled the temple. 7:2 The priests were unable to enter the Lord's 
temple because the Lord's splendor filled the Lord's temple. 7:3 When 
all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the Lord's splendor over 
the temple, they got on their knees with their faces downward toward the 
pavement. They worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, "Certainly 
he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!"

7:4 The king and all the people were presenting sacrifices to the Lord. 
7:5 King Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. Then the 
king and all the people dedicated God's temple. 7:6 The priests stood in 
their assigned spots, along with the Levites who had the musical 
instruments used for praising the Lord. (These were the ones King David 
made for giving thanks to the Lord and which were used by David when he 
offered praise, saying, "Certainly his loyal love endures.") Opposite 
the Levites, the priests were blowing the trumpets, while all Israel 
stood there. 7:7 Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that is 
in front of the Lord's temple. He offered burnt sacrifices, grain 
offerings, and the fat from the peace offerings there, because the 
bronze altar that Solomon had made was too small to hold all these 
offerings. 7:8 At that time Solomon and all Israel with him celebrated a 
festival for seven days. This great assembly included people from Lebo 
Hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt in the south. 7:9 On the 
eighth day they held an assembly, for they had dedicated the altar for 
seven days and celebrated the festival for seven more days. 7:10 On the 
twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people home. 
They left happy and contented because of the good the Lord had done for 
David, Solomon, and his people Israel.

The Lord Gives Solomon a Promise and a Warning

7:11 After Solomon finished building the Lord's temple and the royal 
palace, and accomplished all his plans for the Lord's temple and his 
royal palace, 7:12 the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to 
him: "I have answered your prayer and chosen this place to be my temple 
where sacrifices are to be made. 7:13 When I close up the sky so that it 
doesn't rain, or command locusts to devour the land's vegetation, or 
send a plague among my people, 7:14 if my people, who belong to me, 
humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful 
practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal 
their land. 7:15 Now I will be attentive and responsive to the prayers 
offered in this place. 7:16 Now I have chosen and consecrated this 
temple by making it my permanent home; I will be constantly present 
there. 7:17 You must serve me as your father David did. Do everything I 
commanded and obey my rules and regulations. 7:18 Then I will establish 
your dynasty, just as I promised your father David, 'You will not fail 
to have a successor ruling over Israel.'

7:19 "But if you people ever turn away from me, fail to obey the 
regulations and rules I instructed you to keep, and decide to serve and 
worship other gods, 7:20 then I will remove you from my land I have 
given you, I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my 
presence, and I will make you an object of mockery and ridicule among 
all the nations. 7:21 As for this temple, which was once majestic, 
everyone who passes by it will be shocked and say, 'Why did the Lord do 
this to this land and this temple?' 7:22 Others will then answer, 
'Because they abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors, who led them 
out of Egypt. They embraced other gods whom they worshiped and served. 
That is why he brought all this disaster down on them.'"

Building Projects and Commercial Efforts

8:1 After twenty years, during which Solomon built the Lord's temple and 
his royal palace, 8:2 Solomon rebuilt the cities that Huram had given 
him and settled Israelites there. 8:3 Solomon went to Hamath Zobah and 
seized it. 8:4 He built up Tadmor in the wilderness and all the storage 
cities he had built in Hamath. 8:5 He made upper Beth Horon and lower 
Beth Horon fortified cities with walls and barred gates, 8:6 and built 
up Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to him, and all the 
cities where chariots and horses were kept. He built whatever he wanted 
in Jerusalem, Lebanon, and throughout his entire kingdom.

8:7 Now several non-Israelite peoples were left in the land after the 
conquest of Joshua, including the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, 
Hivites, and Jebusites. 8:8 Their descendants remained in the land (the 
Israelites were unable to wipe them out). Solomon conscripted them for 
his work crews and they continue in that role to this very day. 8:9 
Solomon did not assign Israelites to these work crews; the Israelites 
served as his soldiers, officers, charioteers, and commanders of his 
chariot forces. 8:10 These men worked for Solomon as supervisors; there 
were a total of 250 of them who were in charge of the people.

8:11 Solomon moved Pharaoh's daughter up from the City of David to the 
palace he had built for her, for he said, "My wife must not live in the 
palace of King David of Israel, for the places where the ark of the Lord 
has entered are holy."

8:12 Then Solomon offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord on the altar of 
the Lord which he had built in front of the temple's porch. 8:13 He 
observed the daily requirements for sacrifices that Moses had specified 
for Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and the three annual celebrations -- 
the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of 
Temporary Shelters. 8:14 As his father David had decreed, Solomon 
appointed the divisions of the priests to do their assigned tasks, the 
Levitical orders to lead worship and help the priests with their daily 
tasks, and the divisions of the gatekeepers to serve at their assigned 
gates. This was what David the man of God had ordered. 8:15 They did not 
neglect any detail of the king's orders pertaining to the priests, 
Levites, and treasuries.

8:16 All the work ordered by Solomon was completed, from the day the 
foundation of the Lord's temple was laid until it was finished; the 
Lord's temple was completed.

8:17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and to Elat on the coast in the 
land of Edom. 8:18 Huram sent him ships and some of his sailors, men who 
were well acquainted with the sea. They sailed with Solomon's men to 
Ophir, and took from there 450 talents of gold, which they brought back 
to King Solomon.

Solomon Entertains a Queen

9:1 When the queen of Sheba heard about Solomon, she came to challenge 
him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a great 
display of pomp, bringing with her camels carrying spices, a very large 
quantity of gold, and precious gems. She visited Solomon and discussed 
with him everything that was on her mind. 9:2 Solomon answered all her 
questions; there was no question too complex for the king. 9:3 When the 
queen of Sheba saw for herself Solomon's extensive wisdom, the palace he 
had built, 9:4 the food in his banquet hall, his servants and attendants 
in their robes, his cupbearers in their robes, and his burnt sacrifices 
which he presented in the Lord's temple, she was amazed. 9:5 She said to 
the king, "The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings 
and insight was true! 9:6 I did not believe these things until I came 
and saw them with my own eyes. Indeed, I didn't hear even half the 
story! Your wisdom surpasses what was reported to me. 9:7 Your 
attendants, who stand before you at all times and hear your wise 
sayings, are truly happy! 9:8 May the Lord your God be praised because 
he favored you by placing you on his throne as the one ruling on his 
behalf! Because of your God's love for Israel and his lasting commitment 
to them, he made you king over them so you could make just and right 
decisions." 9:9 She gave the king 120 talents of gold and a very large 
quantity of spices and precious gems. The quantity of spices the queen 
of Sheba gave King Solomon has never been matched. 9:10 (Huram's 
servants, aided by Solomon's servants, brought gold from Ophir, as well 
as fine timber and precious gems. 9:11 With the timber the king made 
steps for the Lord's temple and royal palace as well as stringed 
instruments for the musicians. No one had seen anything like them in the 
land of Judah prior to that.) 9:12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba 
everything she requested, more than what she had brought him. Then she 
left and returned to her homeland with her attendants.

Solomon's Wealth

9:13 Solomon received 666 talents of gold per year, 9:14 besides what he 
collected from the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and the 
governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon. 9:15 King 
Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; 600 measures of 
hammered gold were used for each shield. 9:16 He also made three hundred 
small shields of hammered gold; 300 measures of gold were used for each 
of those shields. The king placed them in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest.

9:17 The king made a large throne decorated with ivory and overlaid it 
with pure gold. 9:18 There were six steps leading up to the throne, and 
a gold footstool was attached to the throne. The throne had two armrests 
with a statue of a lion standing on each side. 9:19 There were twelve 
statues of lions on the six steps, one lion at each end of each step. 
There was nothing like it in any other kingdom.

9:20 All of King Solomon's cups were made of gold, and all the household 
items in the Palace of the Lebanon Forest were made of pure gold. There 
were no silver items, for silver was not considered very valuable in 
Solomon's time. 9:21 The king had a fleet of large merchant ships manned 
by Huram's men that sailed the sea. Once every three years the fleet 
came into port with cargoes of gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.

9:22 King Solomon was wealthier and wiser than any of the kings of the 
earth. 9:23 All the kings of the earth wanted to visit Solomon to see 
him display his God-given wisdom. 9:24 Year after year visitors brought 
their gifts, which included items of silver, items of gold, clothes, 
perfume, spices, horses, and mules.

9:25 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses. 
He kept them in assigned cities and in Jerusalem. 9:26 He ruled all the 
kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines as far 
as the border of Egypt. 9:27 The king made silver as plentiful in 
Jerusalem as stones; cedar was as plentiful as sycamore fig trees are in 
the lowlands. 9:28 Solomon acquired horses from Egypt and from all the 
lands.

Solomon's Reign Ends

9:29 The rest of the events of Solomon's reign, from start to finish, 
are recorded in the Annals of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah 
the Shilonite, and the Vision of Iddo the Seer pertaining to Jeroboam 
son of Nebat. 9:30 Solomon ruled over all Israel from Jerusalem for 
forty years. 9:31 Then Solomon passed away and was buried in the city of 
his father David. His son Rehoboam replaced him as king.



      Prayer


Lord, You have been consistent from the beginning, pouring out Your 
blessings upon the humble and obedient. May I be humble and obedient so 
that I become a useful instrument of Your blessing poured through me 
into the lives of others.



      Commentary


The Lord God asked Solomon what he desired as the new king of Israel, 
and as David had encouraged, he asked for wisdom to lead -- which the 
Lord God granted, along with fame, power, and wealth -- because Solomon 
had not asked for those.

Solomon builds the Temple and the Levites relocate the ark of God. 
Solomon leads a massive service of praise, sacrifice, and worship.

One of Solomon's wives was the daughter of Pharaoh, so he did not permit 
her to live in David's palace -- because holy articles had been there -- 
but he moved her into the new palace instead.

The queen of Sheba came to see if all she had heard about Solomon's 
great wisdom was true and she discovered that it was beyond the stories.

Solomon amassed great wealth and embarked upon massive construction 
projects.



      Interaction


        Consider

What Solomon lacked in life experience he made up for in wisdom from the 
Lord God.


        Discuss

Might it have occurred to Solomon that there may be a future problem 
when one of his wives could not live in David's palace because holy 
objects had been there?



        Reflect

For a brief moment, during the reign of Solomon, the Lord God showed the 
Israelites the fullness of the blessings He had promised them in the 
promised land.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed blessings from the Lord God but 
discerned that a decision or decisions being made were likely to lead to 
trouble?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a decision you have made which is 
creating an opportunity for the enemy to make mischief where the Lord is 
blessing.



        Action:

Today I will humbly receive the warning of the Holy Spirit and will take 
immediate action to reconcile my decision with His perfect will. This 
may require me to reconsider something about my job, school, home, 
hobby, fellowship, or relationships. As is appropriate I will consult 
someone who meets the Biblical qualifications of an "elder".


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Monday's text will be:


      2 Chronicles 10 - 16



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From treed873 at gmail.com  Mon Mar 14 06:24:01 2011
From: treed873 at gmail.com (Todd)
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:24:01 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] pro bible study software
In-Reply-To: <1299866428.2152.28.camel@rob-E6510>
References: <4D78B42B.7010801@gmail.com>	<7136F2CB-4FD8-41F0-B427-BF801620C193@ofb.biz>	<AANLkTimQz_FgVqKtBjV64jQ4qg=J8=gob8Oon5JJNZBy@mail.gmail.com>	<SNT124-DS14EF7619E386F3238C359BD9CB0@phx.gbl>
	<1299866428.2152.28.camel@rob-E6510>
Message-ID: <4D7DECC1.5000702@gmail.com>

Thank you everyone for all the great info! I think what I'll do with my 
son is point him to all the online resources, then in a couple of years, 
I'll look into buying him either Bibleworks or Accordance. Thanks again,

Todd

Rob Matlack wrote:
> On Fri, 2011-03-11 at 10:25 -0600, Proyecto Puente Internacional, A.C.
> wrote:
>   
>> Wow, Peter! That is a great program! Thanks for the info.
>>  
>> Dr. Steve, central old Mexico
>>
>>
>> __________ Informaci?n de ESET Smart Security, versi?n de la base de
>> firmas de virus 5945 (20110311) __________
>>
>> ESET Smart Security ha comprobado este mensaje.
>>
>> http://www.eset.com
>> _______________________________________________
>> Linux4christians mailing list
>> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
>> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians
>>     
>
> I agree. This is an interesting find. I will probably add it to e-Sword
> as a resource for people who want a free study aid. It does have some
> unique features. 
>
> A quick glance also shows the the site has some helpful information. It
> is interesting that they chose to display the Greek text in uncial
> script instead of minuscule script which is common for published Greek
> tests today--both printed and electronic. Their explanation that it was
> what was used in the 1st century is accurate and it can be helpful for
> evaluating textual differences. However it will be strange to a person
> who has had a smattering of Greek.
>
> One could quibble with: "During the period of criticism and revision of
> the New Testament Text, the struggle between the 'Received Text' and 'a
> critical text' has been waged, with the latter emerging as the victor.
> While scarcely a modern scholar defends the superiority of the Received
> Text". In the past 20 or so years there have been two Greek NT published
> that are based on Majority Text theory (Hodges & Farstad by Nelson Pub.,
> 1985 and Robinson-Pierpont Majority Text, 1995). The Robinson-Pierpont
> Majority Text is found in several Bible study software titles including
> e-Sword and BibleWorks.
>
> Also while the "Concordant Method" has much helpful and useful
> information one must be careful not to fall into the trap of the "root
> fallacy" in determining the meaning of a word in a particular passage. 
>
> But a great find. Thanks for sharing it.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Linux4christians mailing list
> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians
>   


From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Mon Mar 14 00:07:03 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:07:03 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Monday - 2 Chronicles 10 - 16
Message-ID: <4D7D9467.50407@bibleseven.com>


    Monday


      2 Chronicles 10 - 16



The Northern Tribes Rebel

10:1 Rehoboam traveled to Shechem, for all Israel had gathered in 
Shechem to make Rehoboam king. 10:2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard the 
news, he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon. 
Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 10:3 They sent for him and Jeroboam and 
all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 10:4 "Your father made us 
work too hard! Now if you lighten the demands he made and don't make us 
work as hard, we will serve you." 10:5 He said to them, "Go away for 
three days, then return to me." So the people went away.

10:6 King Rehoboam consulted with the older advisers who had served his 
father Solomon when he had been alive. He asked them, "How do you advise 
me to answer these people?" 10:7 They said to him, "If you are fair to 
these people, grant their request, and are cordial to them, they will be 
your servants from this time forward." 10:8 But Rehoboam rejected their 
advice and consulted the young advisers who served him, with whom he had 
grown up. 10:9 He asked them, "How do you advise me to respond to these 
people who said to me, 'Lessen the demands your father placed on us'?" 
10:10 The young advisers with whom Rehoboam had grown up said to him, 
"Say this to these people who have said to you, 'Your father made us 
work hard, but now lighten our burden' -- say this to them: 'I am a lot 
harsher than my father! 10:11 My father imposed heavy demands on you; I 
will make them even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; 
I will punish you with whips that really sting your flesh.'"

10:12 Jeroboam and all the people reported to Rehoboam on the third day, 
just as the king had ordered when he said, "Return to me on the third 
day." 10:13 The king responded to the people harshly. He rejected the 
advice of the older men 10:14 and followed the advice of the younger 
ones. He said, "My father imposed heavy demands on you; I will make them 
even heavier. My father punished you with ordinary whips; I will punish 
you with whips that really sting your flesh." 10:15 The king refused to 
listen to the people, because God was instigating this turn of events so 
that he might bring to pass the prophetic announcement he had made 
through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

10:16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, the 
people answered the king, "We have no portion in David -- no share in 
the son of Jesse! Return to your homes, O Israel! Now, look after your 
own dynasty, O David!" So all Israel returned to their homes. 10:17 
(Rehoboam continued to rule over the Israelites who lived in the cities 
of Judah.) 10:18 King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, the supervisor of the work 
crews, out after them, but the Israelites stoned him to death. King 
Rehoboam managed to jump into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 10:19 
So Israel has been in rebellion against the Davidic dynasty to this very 
day.

11:1 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he summoned 180,000 skilled 
warriors from Judah and Benjamin to attack Israel and restore the 
kingdom to Rehoboam. 11:2 But the Lord told Shemaiah the prophet, 11:3 
"Say this to King Rehoboam son of Solomon of Judah and to all the 
Israelites in Judah and Benjamin, 11:4 'The Lord says this: "Do not 
attack and make war with your brothers. Each of you go home, for I have 
caused this to happen."'" They obeyed the Lord and called off the attack 
against Jeroboam.

Rehoboam's Reign

11:5 Rehoboam lived in Jerusalem; he built up these fortified cities 
throughout Judah: 11:6 Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 11:7 Beth Zur, Soco, 
Adullam, 11:8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 11:9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 11:10 
Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron. These were the fortified cities in Judah and 
Benjamin. 11:11 He fortified these cities and placed officers in them, 
as well as storehouses of food, olive oil, and wine. 11:12 In each city 
there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. Judah and 
Benjamin belonged to him.

11:13 The priests and Levites who lived throughout Israel supported him, 
no matter where they resided. 11:14 The Levites even left their 
pasturelands and their property behind and came to Judah and Jerusalem, 
for Jeroboam and his sons prohibited them from serving as the Lord's 
priests. 11:15 Jeroboam appointed his own priests to serve at the 
worship centers and to lead in the worship of the goat idols and calf 
idols he had made. 11:16 Those among all the Israelite tribes who were 
determined to worship the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem 
to sacrifice to the Lord God of their ancestors. 11:17 They supported 
the kingdom of Judah and were loyal to Rehoboam son of Solomon for three 
years; they followed the edicts of David and Solomon for three years.

11:18 Rehoboam married Mahalath the daughter of David's son Jerimoth and 
of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse's son Eliab. 11:19 She bore him sons 
named Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham. 11:20 He later married Maacah the 
daughter of Absalom. She bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 
11:21 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than his other 
wives and concubines. He had eighteen wives and sixty concubines; he 
fathered twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

11:22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as the leader over his 
brothers, for he intended to name him his successor. 11:23 He wisely 
placed some of his many sons throughout the regions of Judah and 
Benjamin in the various fortified cities. He supplied them with abundant 
provisions and acquired many wives for them.

12:1 After Rehoboam's rule was established and solidified, he and all 
Israel rejected the law of the Lord. 12:2 Because they were unfaithful 
to the Lord, in King Rehoboam's fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt 
attacked Jerusalem. 12:3 He had 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen, and an 
innumerable number of soldiers who accompanied him from Egypt, including 
Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites. 12:4 He captured the fortified cities 
of Judah and marched against Jerusalem.

12:5 Shemaiah the prophet visited Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who 
were assembled in Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, "This 
is what the Lord says: 'You have rejected me, so I have rejected you and 
will hand you over to Shishak.'" 12:6 The leaders of Israel and the king 
humbled themselves and said, "The Lord is just." 12:7 When the Lord saw 
that they humbled themselves, he gave this message to Shemaiah: "They 
have humbled themselves, so I will not destroy them. I will deliver them 
soon. My anger will not be unleashed against Jerusalem through Shishak. 
12:8 Yet they will become his subjects, so they can experience how 
serving me differs from serving the surrounding nations."

12:9 King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and took away the 
treasures of the Lord's temple and of the royal palace; he took 
everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. 12:10 King 
Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned them to the 
officers of the royal guard who protected the entrance to the royal 
palace. 12:11 Whenever the king visited the Lord's temple, the royal 
guards carried them and then brought them back to the guardroom.

12:12 So when Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord relented from his anger 
and did not annihilate him; Judah experienced some good things. 12:13 
King Rehoboam solidified his rule in Jerusalem; he was forty-one years 
old when he became king and he ruled for seventeen years in Jerusalem, 
the city the Lord chose from all the tribes of Israel to be his home. 
Rehoboam's mother was an Ammonite named Naamah. 12:14 He did evil 
because he was not determined to follow the Lord.

12:15 The events of Rehoboam's reign, from start to finish, are recorded 
in the Annals of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that include 
genealogical records. 12:16 Then Rehoboam passed away and was buried in 
the City of David. His son Abijah replaced him as king.

Abijah's Reign

13:1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jeroboam, Abijah became 
king over Judah. 13:2 He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother 
was Michaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah.

There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 13:3 Abijah launched the 
attack with 400,000 well-trained warriors, while Jeroboam deployed 
against him 800,000 well-trained warriors.

13:4 Abijah ascended Mount Zemaraim, in the Ephraimite hill country, and 
said: "Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel! 13:5 Don't you realize 
that the Lord God of Israel has given David and his dynasty lasting 
dominion over Israel by a formal agreement? 13:6 Jeroboam son of Nebat, 
a servant of Solomon son of David, rose up and rebelled against his 
master. 13:7 Lawless good-for-nothing men gathered around him and 
conspired against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an 
inexperienced young man and could not resist them. 13:8 Now you are 
declaring that you will resist the Lord's rule through the Davidic 
dynasty. You have a huge army, and bring with you the gold calves that 
Jeroboam made for you as gods. 13:9 But you banished the Lord's priests, 
Aaron's descendants, and the Levites, and appointed your own priests 
just as the surrounding nations do! Anyone who comes to consecrate 
himself with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of these fake 
gods! 13:10 But as for us, the Lord is our God and we have not rejected 
him. Aaron's descendants serve as the Lord's priests and the Levites 
assist them with the work. 13:11 They offer burnt sacrifices to the Lord 
every morning and every evening, along with fragrant incense. They 
arrange the Bread of the Presence on a ritually clean table and light 
the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. Certainly we are 
observing the Lord our God's regulations, but you have rejected him. 
13:12 Now look, God is with us as our leader. His priests are ready to 
blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. You Israelites, 
don't fight against the Lord God of your ancestors, for you will not win!"

13:13 Now Jeroboam had sent some men to ambush the Judahite army from 
behind. The main army was in front of the Judahite army; the ambushers 
were behind it. 13:14 The men of Judah turned around and realized they 
were being attacked from the front and the rear. So they cried out for 
help to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets, 13:15 and the men of 
Judah gave the battle cry. As the men of Judah gave the battle cry, the 
Lord struck down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 13:16 
The Israelites fled from before the Judahite army, and God handed them 
over to the men of Judah. 13:17 Abijah and his army thoroughly defeated 
them; 500,000 well-trained Israelite men fell dead. 13:18 That day the 
Israelites were defeated; the men of Judah prevailed because they relied 
on the Lord God of their ancestors.

13:19 Abijah chased Jeroboam; he seized from him these cities: Bethel 
and its surrounding towns, Jeshanah and its surrounding towns, and 
Ephron and its surrounding towns. 13:20 Jeroboam did not regain power 
during the reign of Abijah. The Lord struck him down and he died. 13:21 
Abijah's power grew; he had fourteen wives and fathered twenty-two sons 
and sixteen daughters.

13:22 The rest of the events of Abijah's reign, including his deeds and 
sayings, are recorded in the writings of the prophet Iddo.

14:1 Abijah passed away and was buried in the City of David. His son Asa 
replaced him as king. During his reign the land had rest for ten years.

Asa's Religious and Military Accomplishments

14:2 Asa did what the Lord his God desired and approved. 14:3 He removed 
the pagan altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and 
cut down the Asherah poles. 14:4 He ordered Judah to seek the Lord God 
of their ancestors and to observe his law and commands. 14:5 He removed 
the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. The 
kingdom had rest under his rule.

14:6 He built fortified cities throughout Judah, for the land was at 
rest and there was no war during those years; the Lord gave him peace. 
14:7 He said to the people of Judah: "Let's build these cities and 
fortify them with walls, towers, and barred gates. The land remains ours 
because we have followed the Lord our God and he has made us secure on 
all sides." So they built the cities and prospered.

14:8 Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, equipped with large 
shields and spears. He also had 280,000 men from Benjamin who carried 
small shields and were adept archers; they were all skilled warriors. 
14:9 Zerah the Cushite marched against them with an army of 1,000,000 
men and 300 chariots. He arrived at Mareshah, 14:10 and Asa went out to 
oppose him. They deployed for battle in the Valley of Zephathah near 
Mareshah.

14:11 Asa prayed to the Lord his God: "O Lord, there is no one but you 
who can help the weak when they are vastly outnumbered. Help us, O Lord 
our God, for we rely on you and have marched on your behalf against this 
huge army. O Lord our God, don't let men prevail against you!" 14:12 The 
Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 
14:13 and Asa and his army chased them as far as Gerar. The Cushites 
were wiped out; they were shattered before the Lord and his army. The 
men of Judah carried off a huge amount of plunder. 14:14 They defeated 
all the cities surrounding Gerar, for the Lord caused them to panic. The 
men of Judah looted all the cities, for they contained a huge amount of 
goods. 14:15 They also attacked the tents of the herdsmen in charge of 
the livestock. They carried off many sheep and camels and then returned 
to Jerusalem.

15:1 God's Spirit came upon Azariah son of Oded. 15:2 He met Asa and 
told him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin! The Lord is 
with you when you are loyal to him. If you seek him, he will respond to 
you, but if you reject him, he will reject you. 15:3 For a long time 
Israel had no true God, or priest to instruct them, or law. 15:4 Because 
of their distress, they turned back to the Lord God of Israel. They 
sought him and he responded to them. 15:5 In those days no one could 
travel safely, for total chaos had overtaken all the people of the 
surrounding lands. 15:6 One nation was crushed by another, and one city 
by another, for God caused them to be in great turmoil. 15:7 But as for 
you, be strong and don't get discouraged, for your work will be rewarded."

15:8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he 
was encouraged. He removed the detestable idols from the entire land of 
Judah and Benjamin and from the cities he had seized in the Ephraimite 
hill country. He repaired the altar of the Lord in front of the porch of 
the Lord's temple.

15:9 He assembled all Judah and Benjamin, as well as the settlers from 
Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had come to live with them. Many 
people from Israel had come there to live when they saw that the Lord 
his God was with him. 15:10 They assembled in Jerusalem in the third 
month of the fifteenth year of Asa's reign. 15:11 At that time they 
sacrificed to the Lord some of the plunder they had brought back, 
including 700 head of cattle and 7,000 sheep. 15:12 They solemnly agreed 
to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with their whole heart and 
being. 15:13 Anyone who would not seek the Lord God of Israel would be 
executed, whether they were young or old, male or female. 15:14 They 
swore their allegiance to the Lord, shouting their approval loudly and 
sounding trumpets and horns. 15:15 All Judah was happy about the oath, 
because they made the vow with their whole heart. They willingly sought 
the Lord and he responded to them. He made them secure on every side.

15:16 King Asa also removed Maacah his grandmother from her position as 
queen mother because she had made a loathsome Asherah pole. Asa cut down 
her Asherah pole and crushed and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 15:17 
The high places were not eliminated from Israel, yet Asa was 
wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord throughout his lifetime. 15:18 He 
brought the holy items that his father and he had made into God's 
temple, including the silver, gold, and other articles.

Asa's Failures

15:19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.

16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa's reign, King Baasha of Israel 
attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to 
prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah. 
16:2 Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of 
the Lord's temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad 
of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: 16:3 "I want to 
make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made. See, I have sent 
you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he 
will retreat from my land." 16:4 Ben Hadad accepted King Asa's offer and 
ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel. They 
conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim, and all the storage cities of Naphtali. 
16:5 When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying Ramah and 
abandoned the project. 16:6 King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to 
carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah. He 
used the materials to build up Geba and Mizpah.

16:7 At that time Hanani the prophet visited King Asa of Judah and said 
to him: "Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the 
Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. 
16:8 Did not the Cushites and Libyans have a huge army with chariots and 
a very large number of horsemen? But when you relied on the Lord, he 
handed them over to you! 16:9 Certainly the Lord watches the whole earth 
carefully and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him. You 
have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war. 
16:10 Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail. Asa also 
oppressed some of the people at that time.

Asa's Reign Ends

16:11 The events of Asa's reign, from start to finish, are recorded in 
the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 16:12 In the thirty-ninth 
year of his reign, Asa developed a foot disease. Though his disease was 
severe, he did not seek the Lord, but only the doctors. 16:13 Asa passed 
away in the forty-first year of his reign. 16:14 He was buried in the 
tomb he had carved out in the City of David. They laid him to rest on a 
bier covered with spices and assorted mixtures of ointments. They made a 
huge bonfire to honor him.



      Prayer


Lord, You bless the faithful and allow calamity to come to the 
unfaithful. May I remember that blessing is conditioned upon my choice 
to be faithful -- You are a holy God Who does not reward rebellion.



      Commentary


Rehoboam followed Solomon and was immediately challenged to reduce the 
heavy burdens Solomon had imposed to support his massive building 
projects and his luxurious lifestyle and 1,000 concubines and wives.

The older advisers from Solomon's court recommended that he curry favor 
with the people by lightening their burden but Rehoboam rejected their 
counsel and instead listened to his peers who said to increase their burden.

The Lord God had decided to punish Israel for their drift into worship 
of false Gods and other sins and was encouraging Rehoboam in his arrogance.

All of the tribes, other than Judah and Benjamin, rebelled. Jeroboam 
became the leader of Israel -- less Judah and Benjamin -- and Rehoboam 
the leader of the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin.

Jeroboam refused to allow the Levites to serve as priests, instead 
appointing others to administer pagan rites, so the Levites moved to the 
territory of Judah and Benjamin.

Rehoboam attempted to conscript the rebellious workers and they killed 
his foreman. Rehoboam gathered his army to attack but the Lord God 
stopped him through the prophet Shemiah, saying that He had caused the 
division of Israel. Rehoboam then heavily fortified Judah and Benjamin 
and solidified his rule as king.

Those who desired to continue to follow the Lord gathered in Judah and 
Benjamin and left Israel, but as soon as Rehoboam felt secure in his 
power he turned away from the Lord God and, like his father Solomon 
began to worship the false gods of his concubines and wives.

The Lord God allowed King Shishak of Egypt to attack and capture the 
fortified cities of Judah and to take treasures from Jerusalem, but to 
leave a humbled Rehoboam as a subject-king.

Abijah succeeded Rehoboam and attacked Israel in an effort to reunite 
the kingdom. His army was out-numbered 800,000 to 400,000 but he trusted 
in the Lord and Jeroboam was delivered to him. 500,000 Israelite solders 
who followed Jeroboam in worshiping false gods were killed, as was 
Jeroboam, and several cities taken.

Asa succeeded Abijah and he purged Judah of most of the pagan places of 
worship, except for the high places Solomon had built.

He was attacked by the Cushites, out-numbered -- as Abijah had been -- 
this time 1,000,000 to 580,000. he cried out to the Lord and the Lord 
destroyed the Cushites. Asa's army captured several cities and gather 
huge amounts of plunder -- offering large sacrifices of plunder to the Lord.

Later in his life Asa was attacked by the king of Israel, Baasha, but 
instead of crying out to the Lord God he sent gold and silver to the 
king of Syria -- an ally of Israel -- bribing him to instead attack 
them, which Syria did.

The prophet informed Asa that because he had chosen Syria as his rescuer 
rather than the Lord God that he would spend his remaining days at war. 
Asa had the prophet jailed and abused the people. He was stricken with a 
foot disease but refused to ask the Lord God for healing, only the mere 
human doctors, and so he died.



      Interaction


        Consider

Chronicles brings a stark reminder of the simple relationship between 
obedience and blessing and disobedience and trouble.


        Discuss

Why would Asa have turned away from the Lord God after experiencing 
God's mighty hand in the battle with the Cushites?


        Reflect

Despite all of the blessings of the Lord God Solomon left a destructive 
legacy; pagan worship and an obsession with Pharaoh-like construction 
projects.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed a time of blessed obedience 
followed by a time of trouble due to a drift into disobedience?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place in your life where 
priorities are out of God's-order.



        Action:

Today I will humbly submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and 
restore the balance in my life to God-first and everything else afterward.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Tuesday's text will be:


      2 Chronicles 17 -- 21:1



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Mon Mar 14 22:02:23 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2011 22:02:23 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Tuesday_-_2_Chronicles_17_=96?=
	=?windows-1252?q?_21=3A1?=
Message-ID: <4D7EC8AF.1050006@bibleseven.com>


    Tuesday


      2 Chronicles 17 ? 21:1



Jehoshaphat Becomes King

17:1 His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king and solidified his rule 
over Israel. 17:2 He placed troops in all of Judah?s fortified cities 
and posted garrisons throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of 
Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.

17:3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor 
David?s footsteps at the beginning of his reign. He did not seek the 
Baals, 17:4 but instead sought the God of his ancestors and obeyed his 
commands, unlike the Israelites. 17:5 The Lord made his kingdom secure; 
all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he became very wealthy and 
greatly respected. 17:6 He was committed to following the Lord; he even 
removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

17:7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, 
Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of 
Judah. 17:8 They were accompanied by the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, 
Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and 
Tob-Adonijah, and by the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 17:9 They taught 
throughout Judah, taking with them the scroll of the law of the Lord. 
They traveled to all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

17:10 The Lord put fear into all the kingdoms surrounding Judah; they 
did not make war with Jehoshaphat. 17:11 Some of the Philistines brought 
Jehoshaphat tribute, including a load of silver. The Arabs brought him 
7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.

17:12 Jehoshaphat?s power kept increasing. He built fortresses and 
storage cities throughout Judah. 17:13 He had many supplies stored in 
the cities of Judah and an army of skilled warriors stationed in 
Jerusalem. 17:14 These were their divisions by families:

There were a thousand officers from Judah. Adnah the commander led 
300,000 skilled warriors, 17:15 Jehochanan the commander led 280,000, 
17:16 and Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered to serve the Lord, led 
200,000 skilled warriors.

17:17 From Benjamin, Eliada, a skilled warrior, led 200,000 men who were 
equipped with bows and shields, 17:18 and Jehozabad led 180,000 trained 
warriors.

17:19 These were the ones who served the king, besides those whom the 
king placed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

18:1 Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an 
alliance by marriage with Ahab, 18:2 and after several years went down 
to visit Ahab in Samaria. Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to 
honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him. He persuaded him to join 
in an attack against Ramoth Gilead. 18:3 King Ahab of Israel said to 
Jehoshaphat, ?Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?? Jehoshaphat 
replied to the king of Israel, ?I will support you; my army is at your 
disposal and will support you in battle.? 18:4 Then Jehoshaphat added, 
?First seek an oracle from the Lord.? 18:5 So the king of Israel 
assembled 400 prophets and asked them, ?Should we attack Ramoth Gilead 
or not?? They said, ?Attack! God will hand it over to the king.? 18:6 
But Jehoshaphat asked, ?Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, 
that we may ask him?? 18:7 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, 
?There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord?s will. But I 
despise him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always 
disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. Jehoshaphat said, ?The king 
should not say such things!? 18:8 The king of Israel summoned an officer 
and said, ?Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.?

18:9 Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting 
on their respective thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the 
threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets 
were prophesying before them. 18:10 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron 
horns and said, ?This is what the Lord says, ?With these you will gore 
Syria until they are destroyed!?? 18:11 All the prophets were 
prophesying the same, saying, ?Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; 
the Lord will hand it over to the king!? 18:12 Now the messenger who 
went to summon Micaiah said to him, ?Look, the prophets are in complete 
agreement that the king will succeed. Your words must agree with theirs; 
you must predict success!? 18:13 But Micaiah said, ?As certainly as the 
Lord lives, I will say what my God tells me to say!?

18:14 Micaiah came before the king and the king asked him, ?Micaiah, 
should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?? He answered him, ?Attack! You 
will succeed; they will be handed over to you.? 18:15 The king said to 
him, ?How many times must I make you solemnly promise in the name of the 
Lord to tell me only the truth?? 18:16 Micaiah replied, ?I saw all 
Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then 
the Lord said, ?They have no master. They should go home in peace.?? 
18:17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ?Didn?t I tell you he does 
not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?? 18:18 Micaiah said, ?That 
being the case, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his 
throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his 
left. 18:19 The Lord said, ?Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he 
will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?? One said this and another 
that. 18:20 Then a spirit stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He 
said, ?I will deceive him.? The Lord asked him, ?How?? 18:21 He replied, 
?I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.? 
The Lord said, ?Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have 
proposed.? 18:22 So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the 
mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster 
for you.? 18:23 Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the 
jaw, and said, ?Which way did the Lord?s spirit go when he went from me 
to speak to you?? 18:24 Micaiah replied, ?Look, you will see in the day 
when you go into an inner room to hide.? 18:25 Then the king of Israel 
said, ?Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash 
the king?s son. 18:26 Say, ?This is what the king says: ?Put this man in 
prison. Give him only a little bread and water until I return safely.??? 
18:27 Micaiah said, ?If you really do return safely, then the Lord has 
not spoken through me!? Then he added, ?Take note, all you people.?

18:28 The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth 
Gilead. 18:29 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ?I will disguise 
myself and then enter the battle; but you wear your royal attire.? So 
the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle. 18:30 
Now the king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders, ?Do not fight 
common soldiers or high ranking officers; fight only the king of 
Israel!? 18:31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, 
?He must be the king of Israel!? So they turned and attacked him, but 
Jehoshaphat cried out. The Lord helped him; God lured them away from 
him. 18:32 When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of 
Israel, they turned away from him. 18:33 Now an archer shot an arrow at 
random and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. 
The king ordered his charioteer, ?Turn around and take me from the 
battle line, for I am wounded.? 18:34 While the battle raged throughout 
the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. 
He died in the evening as the sun was setting.

19:1 When King Jehoshaphat of Judah returned home safely to Jerusalem, 
19:2 the prophet Jehu son of Hanani confronted him; he said to King 
Jehoshaphat, ?Is it right to help the wicked and be an ally of those who 
oppose the Lord? Because you have done this the Lord is angry with you! 
19:3 Nevertheless you have done some good things; you removed the 
Asherah poles from the land and you were determined to follow the Lord.?

Jehoshaphat Appoints Judges

19:4 Jehoshaphat lived in Jerusalem. He went out among the people from 
Beer Sheba to the hill country of Ephraim and encouraged them to follow 
the Lord God of their ancestors. 19:5 He appointed judges throughout the 
land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah. 19:6 He told the 
judges, ?Be careful what you do, for you are not judging for men, but 
for the Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial decisions. 
19:7 Respect the Lord and make careful decisions, for the Lord our God 
disapproves of injustice, partiality, and bribery.?

19:8 In Jerusalem Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and 
Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the Lord and to settle 
disputes among the residents of Jerusalem. 19:9 He commanded them: 
?Carry out your duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and with 
pure motives. 19:10 Whenever your countrymen who live in the cities 
bring a case before you (whether it involves a violent crime or other 
matters related to the law, commandments, rules, and regulations), warn 
them that they must not sin against the Lord. If you fail to do so, God 
will be angry with you and your colleagues; but if you obey, you will be 
free of guilt. 19:11 You will report to Amariah the chief priest in all 
matters pertaining to the Lord?s law, and to Zebadiah son of Ishmael, 
the leader of the family of Judah, in all matters pertaining to the 
king. The Levites will serve as officials before you. Confidently carry 
out your duties! May the Lord be with those who do well!?

The Lord Gives Jehoshaphat Military Success

20:1 Later the Moabites and Ammonites, along with some of the Meunites, 
attacked Jehoshaphat. 20:2 Messengers arrived and reported to 
Jehoshaphat, ?A huge army is attacking you from the other side of the 
Dead Sea, from the direction of Edom. Look, they are in Hazezon Tamar 
(that is, En Gedi).? 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid, so he decided to seek 
the Lord?s advice. He decreed that all Judah should observe a fast. 20:4 
The people of Judah assembled to ask for the Lord?s help; they came from 
all the cities of Judah to ask for the Lord?s help.

20:5 Jehoshaphat stood before the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the 
Lord?s temple, in front of the new courtyard. 20:6 He prayed: ?O Lord 
God of our ancestors, you are the God who lives in heaven and rules over 
all the kingdoms of the nations. You possess strength and power; no one 
can stand against you. 20:7 Our God, you drove out the inhabitants of 
this land before your people Israel and gave it as a permanent 
possession to the descendants of your friend Abraham. 20:8 They settled 
down in it and built in it a temple to honor you, saying, 20:9 ?If 
disaster comes on us in the form of military attack, judgment, plague, 
or famine, we will stand in front of this temple before you, for you are 
present in this temple. We will cry out to you for help in our distress, 
so that you will hear and deliver us.? 20:10 Now the Ammonites, 
Moabites, and men from Mount Seir are coming! When Israel came from the 
land of Egypt, you did not allow them to invade these lands. They 
bypassed them and did not destroy them. 20:11 Look how they are repaying 
us! They come to drive us out of our allotted land which you assigned to 
us! 20:12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless against 
this huge army that attacks us! We don?t know what we should do; we look 
to you for help.?

20:13 All the men of Judah were standing before the Lord, along with 
their infants, wives, and children. 20:14 Then in the midst of the 
assembly, the Lord?s Spirit came upon Jachaziel son of Zechariah, son of 
Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of 
Asaph. 20:15 He said: ?Pay attention, all you people of Judah, residents 
of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says to you: 
?Don?t be afraid and don?t panic because of this huge army! For the 
battle is not yours, but God?s. 20:16 Tomorrow march down against them 
as they come up the Ascent of Ziz. You will find them at the end of the 
ravine in front of the Desert of Jeruel. 20:17 You will not fight in 
this battle. Take your positions, stand, and watch the Lord deliver you, 
O Judah and Jerusalem. Don?t be afraid and don?t panic! Tomorrow march 
out toward them; the Lord is with you!??

20:18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face toward the ground, and all 
the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem fell down before the 
Lord and worshiped him. 20:19 Then some Levites, from the Kohathites and 
Korahites, got up and loudly praised the Lord God of Israel.

20:20 Early the next morning they marched out to the Desert of Tekoa. 
When they were ready to march, Jehoshaphat stood up and said: ?Listen to 
me, you people of Judah and residents of Jerusalem! Trust in the Lord 
your God and you will be safe! Trust in the message of his prophets and 
you will win.? 20:21 He met with the people and appointed musicians to 
play before the Lord and praise his majestic splendor. As they marched 
ahead of the warriors they said: ?Give thanks to the Lord, for his loyal 
love endures.?

20:22 When they began to shout and praise, the Lord suddenly attacked 
the Ammonites, Moabites, and men from Mount Seir who were invading 
Judah, and they were defeated. 20:23 The Ammonites and Moabites attacked 
the men from Mount Seir and annihilated them. When they had finished off 
the men of Seir, they attacked and destroyed one another. 20:24 When the 
men of Judah arrived at the observation post overlooking the desert and 
looked at the huge army, they saw dead bodies on the ground; there were 
no survivors! 20:25 Jehoshaphat and his men went to gather the plunder; 
they found a huge amount of supplies, clothing and valuable items. They 
carried away everything they could. There was so much plunder, it took 
them three days to haul it off.

20:26 On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, where 
they praised the Lord. So that place is called the Valley of Berachah to 
this very day. 20:27 Then all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned 
joyfully to Jerusalem with Jehoshaphat leading them; the Lord had given 
them reason to rejoice over their enemies. 20:28 They entered Jerusalem 
to the sound of stringed instruments and trumpets and proceeded to the 
temple of the Lord. 20:29 All the kingdoms of the surrounding lands were 
afraid of God when they heard how the Lord had fought against Israel?s 
enemies. 20:30 Jehoshaphat?s kingdom enjoyed peace; his God made him 
secure on every side.

Jehoshaphat?s Reign Ends

20:31 Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty-five years old when 
he became king and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His 
mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi. 20:32 He followed in his 
father Asa?s footsteps and was careful to do what the Lord approved. 
20:33 However, the high places were not eliminated; the people were 
still not devoted to the God of their ancestors.

20:34 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat?s reign, from start to 
finish, are recorded in the Annals of Jehu son of Hanani which are 
included in Scroll of the Kings of Israel.

20:35 Later King Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with King Ahaziah 
of Israel, who did evil. 20:36 They agreed to make large seagoing 
merchant ships; they built the ships in Ezion Geber. 20:37 Eliezer son 
of Dodavahu from Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, ?Because you 
made an alliance with Ahaziah, the Lord will shatter what you have 
made.? The ships were wrecked and unable to go to sea.

21:1 Jehoshaphat passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the 
City of David. His son Jehoram replaced him as king.



      Prayer


Lord, You pattern is consistent, when mankind chooses to follow You they 
are blessed and when they rebel you withdraw Your blessings and allow 
the natural fallen state of evil to have its way. May I not forget that 
it is You-alone Who holds-back the evil from my doorstep.



      Commentary


Jehoshaphat, as king of Judah, followed the Lord and even removed the 
high places, he sent priests throughout the kingdom to teach about the 
worship of the Lord God, and God blessed him with victory in battle, 
great wealth, and respect.

Asa, as king of Israel, was not faithful to the Lord God and surrounded 
himself with 400 false prophets and had an adversarial relationship with 
the only remaining prophet of God in Israel, Micaiah.

Asa asked Jehoshaphat to join him in a battle and Jehoshaphat agreed, 
but requested an oracle from God. Asa consulted his false prophets but 
Jehoshaphat asked for a true prophet.

Asa complained that Micaiah always prophesied trouble but Jehoshaphat 
insisted. Micaiah arrived and after toying with Asa a bit prophesied his 
death in battle.

Asa and Jehoshaphat ignored him and went ahead, while the Lord God 
protected Jehoshaphat when he cried-out (because Jehoshaphat had been 
faithful as king), but Asa was killed as was prophesied.

When Jehoshaphat returned home he was confronted with the Lord God's 
displeasure through the prophet Jehu who challenged him ?Is it right to 
help the wicked and be an ally of those who oppose the Lord??

Jehoshaphat continued to teach the people to serve the Lord and he 
appointed judges, separating decisions related to worship and obedience 
of the Lord God from matters related to the governance of the kingdom. 
?You will report to Amariah the chief priest in all matters pertaining 
to the Lord?s law, and to Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the 
family of Judah, in all matters pertaining to the king.?

Judah was threatened with attack and Jehoshaphat appealed to the Lord 
who told him not to fear, that He would fight for him. Jehoshaphat 
trusted the Lord and gathered the people to tell them to come and see 
what the Lord would do. As they approached the battle they sang praises 
to the Lord and He caused the enemy to fight one-another until they were 
all dead.

The people took three days to gather the plunder and they praised and 
worshiped the Lord.

Late in his reign Jehoshaphat of Judah made an alliance with the evil 
King Ahaziah of Israel to build ships. The Lord God sent his prophet 
Eliezer to inform Jehoshaphat that he had once-again allied himself with 
an evil leader and then God caused the ships to be destroyed.



      Interaction


        Consider

Jehoshaphat made a wise choice to obey the Lord God, and wiser still to 
teach the people to do the same.


        Discuss

Why would Jehoshaphat have twice made alliances with the evil kings of 
Israel when it was clear that the Lord God disapproved?



        Reflect

God's purpose in blessing is always clear, always purposeful, and never 
random.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed and otherwise faithful leader 
choosing to ally with other leaders whose faithfulness to the Lord is 
questionable?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a source of teaching or other 
association where your walk with the Lord may be compromised either by 
bad teaching or your contribution to the cause of someone (or some 
organization) not aligned with the will of God.



        Action:

Today I will seek one who meets the Biblical qualifications of an 
?elder? and agree to pray and search the Word and to listen for the 
guidance of the Holy Spirit as I discern and repent of any alliance or 
association which is objectionable to Him.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Wednesday's text will be:


      2 Chronicles 21:2 - 28



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Tue Mar 15 21:48:48 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:48:48 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - 2 Chronicles 21:2 - 28
Message-ID: <4D801700.1030406@bibleseven.com>


    Wednesday


      2 Chronicles 21:2 - 28



Jehoram's Reign

21:2 His brothers, Jehoshaphat's sons, were Azariah, Jechiel, Zechariah, 
Azariahu, Michael, and Shephatiah. All of these were sons of King 
Jehoshaphat of Israel. 21:3 Their father gave them many presents, 
including silver, gold, and other precious items, along with fortified 
cities in Judah. But he gave the kingdom to Jehoram because he was the 
firstborn.

21:4 Jehoram took control of his father's kingdom and became powerful. 
Then he killed all his brothers, as well as some of the officials of 
Israel. 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he 
reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 21:6 He followed in the footsteps 
of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab's dynasty had done, for he married 
Ahab's daughter. He did evil in the sight of the Lord. 21:7 But the Lord 
was unwilling to destroy David's dynasty because of the promise he had 
made to give David a perpetual dynasty.

21:8 During Jehoram's reign Edom freed themselves from Judah's control 
and set up their own king. 21:9 Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his 
officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, 
attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. 21:10 So 
Edom has remained free from Judah's control to this very day. At that 
same time Libnah also rebelled and freed themselves from Judah's control 
because Jehoram rejected the Lord God of his ancestors. 21:11 He also 
built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of 
Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord and led Judah away from the Lord.

21:12 Jehoram received this letter from Elijah the prophet: "This is 
what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: 'You have not followed in 
the footsteps of your father Jehoshaphat and of King Asa of Judah, 21:13 
but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You 
encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be 
unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. You 
also killed your brothers, members of your father's family, who were 
better than you. 21:14 So look, the Lord is about to severely afflict 
your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own. 21:15 And you will 
get a serious, chronic intestinal disease which will cause your 
intestines to come out."

21:16 The Lord stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines and the Arabs 
who lived beside the Cushites. 21:17 They attacked Judah and swept 
through it. They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, 
including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his 
youngest, Ahaziah. 21:18 After all this happened, the Lord afflicted him 
with an incurable intestinal disease. 21:19 After about two years his 
intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very 
painful death. His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they 
had done for his ancestors.

21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he 
reigned eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death; he was 
buried in the City of David, but not in the royal tombs.

Ahaziah's Reign

22:1 The residents of Jerusalem made his youngest son Ahaziah king in 
his place, for the raiding party that invaded the city with the Arabs 
had killed all the older sons. So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of 
Judah. 22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king and he 
reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the 
granddaughter of Omri. 22:3 He followed in the footsteps of Ahab's 
dynasty, for his mother gave him evil advice. 22:4 He did evil in the 
sight of the Lord like Ahab's dynasty because, after his father's death, 
they gave him advice that led to his destruction. 22:5 He followed their 
advice and joined Ahab's son King Joram of Israel in a battle against 
King Hazael of Syria at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated 
Joram. 22:6 Joram returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he 
received from the Syrians in Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of 
Syria. Ahaziah son of King Jehoram of Judah went down to visit Joram son 
of Ahab in Jezreel, because he had been wounded.

22:7 God brought about Ahaziah's downfall through his visit to Joram. 
When Ahaziah arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, 
whom the Lord had commissioned to wipe out Ahab's family. 22:8 While 
Jehu was dishing out punishment to Ahab's family, he discovered the 
officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah's relatives who were serving 
Ahaziah and killed them. 22:9 He looked for Ahaziah, who was captured 
while hiding in Samaria. They brought him to Jehu and then executed him. 
They did give him a burial, for they reasoned, "He is the son of 
Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with his whole heart." There was no one 
in Ahaziah's family strong enough to rule in his place.

Athaliah is Eliminated

22:10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she 
was determined to destroy the entire royal line of Judah. 22:11 So 
Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah's son Joash and 
sneaked him away from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be 
executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers 
were stored. So Jehoshabeath the daughter of King Jehoram, wife of 
Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah so she 
could not execute him. 22:12 He remained in hiding in God's temple for 
six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.

23:1 In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact with 
the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael 
son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and 
Elishaphat son of Zikri. 23:2 They traveled throughout Judah and 
assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the 
Israelite family leaders.

They came to Jerusalem, 23:3 and the whole assembly made a covenant with 
the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada said to them, "The king's son 
will rule, just as the Lord promised David's descendants. 23:4 This is 
what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty 
during the Sabbath will guard the doors. 23:5 Another third of you will 
be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the 
Foundation Gate. All the others will stand in the courtyards of the 
Lord's temple. 23:6 No one must enter the Lord's temple except the 
priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are 
ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned 
service to the Lord. 23:7 The Levites must surround the king. Each of 
you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple 
must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes."

23:8 The Levites and all the men of Judah did just as Jehoiada the 
priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during 
the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada 
the priest did not release his divisions from their duties. 23:9 
Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King 
David's spears and shields that were kept in God's temple. 23:10 He 
placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They 
lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood 
near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 23:11 Jehoiada and 
his sons led out the king's son and placed on him the crown and the 
royal insignia. They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his 
head. They declared, "Long live the king!"

23:12 When Athaliah heard the royal guard shouting and praising the 
king, she joined the crowd at the Lord's temple. 23:13 Then she saw the 
king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters 
stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating 
and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were 
leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, "Treason! 
Treason!" 23:14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the officers of the units 
of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and ordered them, "Bring 
her outside the temple to the guards. Put the sword to anyone who 
follows her." The priest gave this order because he had decided she 
should not be executed in the Lord's temple. 23:15 They seized her and 
took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses' 
entrance. There they executed her.

23:16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the 
people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord. 23:17 All the people 
went and demolished the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and 
idols. They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 
23:18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord's temple to the 
priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord's temple. They 
were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and 
music, according to the law of Moses and the edict of David. 23:19 He 
posted guards at the gates of the Lord's temple, so no one who was 
ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 23:20 He summoned the 
officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, 
and all the people of land, and he then led the king down from the 
Lord's temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and 
seated the king on the royal throne. 23:21 All the people of the land 
celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah.

Joash's Reign

24:1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for 
forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer 
Sheba. 24:2 Joash did what the Lord approved throughout the lifetime of 
Jehoiada the priest. 24:3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him 
sons and daughters.

24:4 Joash was determined to repair the Lord's temple. 24:5 He assembled 
the priests and Levites and ordered them, "Go out to the cities of Judah 
and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on 
the temple of your God. Be quick about it!" But the Levites delayed.

24:6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, and said to him, 
"Why have you not made the Levites collect from Judah and Jerusalem the 
tax authorized by Moses the Lord's servant and by the assembly of Israel 
at the tent containing the tablets of the law?" 24:7 (Wicked Athaliah 
and her sons had broken into God's temple and used all the holy items of 
the Lord's temple in their worship of the Baals.) 24:8 The king ordered 
a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord's temple. 
24:9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the 
people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God's servant, imposed 
on Israel in the wilderness. 24:10 All the officials and all the people 
gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was 
full. 24:11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal 
accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and 
the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it 
back to its place. They went through this routine every day and 
collected a large amount of silver.

24:12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen assigned 
to the Lord's temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the 
Lord's temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze 
to restore the Lord's temple. 24:13 They worked hard and made the 
repairs. They followed the measurements specified for God's temple and 
restored it. 24:14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the 
silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the 
Lord's temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt 
sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout 
Jehoiada's lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the 
Lord's temple.

24:15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. 24:16 He was buried 
in the City of David with the kings, because he had accomplished good in 
Israel and for God and his temple.

24:17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and 
declared their loyalty to him. The king listened to their advice. 24:18 
They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors, and 
worshiped the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, 
God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 24:19 The Lord sent prophets 
among them to lead them back to him. They warned the people, but they 
would not pay attention. 24:20 God's Spirit energized Zechariah son of 
Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, 
"This is what God says: 'Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? 
You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has 
rejected you!'" 24:21 They plotted against him and by royal decree 
stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord's temple. 24:22 King 
Joash disregarded the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and 
killed Jehoiada's son. As Zechariah was dying, he said, "May the Lord 
take notice and seek vengeance!"

24:23 At the beginning of the year the Syrian army attacked Joash and 
invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the 
people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 
24:24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord 
handed over to them Judah's very large army, for the people of Judah had 
abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians gave Joash what 
he deserved. 24:25 When they withdrew, they left Joash badly wounded. 
His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to the son 
of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus he died and 
was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. 
24:26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) 
and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).

24:27 The list of Joash's sons, the many prophetic oracles pertaining to 
him, and the account of his building project on God's temple are 
included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings. His son Amaziah 
replaced him as king.

Amaziah's Reign

25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he 
reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddan, 
who was from Jerusalem. 25:2 He did what the Lord approved, but not with 
wholehearted devotion.

25:3 When he had secured control of the kingdom, he executed the 
servants who had assassinated his father. 25:4 However, he did not 
execute their sons. He obeyed the Lord's commandment as recorded in the 
law scroll of Moses, "Fathers must not be executed for what their sons 
do, and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do. A man must 
be executed only for his own sin."

25:5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah and assigned them by families 
to the commanders of units of a thousand and the commanders of units of 
a hundred for all Judah and Benjamin. He counted those twenty years old 
and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age 
equipped with spears and shields. 25:6 He hired 100,000 Israelite 
warriors for a hundred talents of silver.

25:7 But a prophet visited him and said: "O king, the Israelite troops 
must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or any of the 
Ephraimites. 25:8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will 
defeat you before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating." 
25:9 Amaziah asked the prophet: "But what should I do about the hundred 
talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?" The prophet replied, 
"The Lord is capable of giving you more than that." 25:10 So Amaziah 
dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them 
home. They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed. 25:11 
Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt, where he defeated 
10,000 Edomites. 25:12 The men of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They 
took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over. All the captives 
fell to their death. 25:13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had 
not allowed to fight in the battle raided the cities of Judah from 
Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off a large 
amount of plunder.

25:14 When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back 
the gods of the people of Seir and made them his personal gods. He bowed 
down before them and offered them sacrifices. 25:15 The Lord was angry 
at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said, "Why are you following 
these gods that could not deliver their own people from your power?" 
25:16 While he was speaking, Amaziah said to him, "Did we appoint you to 
be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!" So 
the prophet stopped, but added, "I know that the Lord has decided to 
destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to 
my advice."

25:17 After King Amaziah of Judah consulted with his advisers, he sent 
this message to the king of Israel, Joash son of Jehoahaz, the son of 
Jehu, "Come, face me on the battlefield." 25:18 King Joash of Israel 
sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, "A thorn bush in 
Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to 
my son as a wife.' Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled 
down the thorn bush. 25:19 You defeated Edom and it has gone to your 
head. Gloat over your success, but stay in your palace. Why bring 
calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?"

25:20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning, for God wanted to hand them 
over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom. 25:21 So King 
Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other 
on the battlefield in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 25:22 Judah was defeated by 
Israel, and each man ran back home. 25:23 King Joash of Israel captured 
King Amaziah of Judah, son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, in Beth Shemesh and 
brought him to Jerusalem. He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the 
Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate -- a distance of about six hundred 
feet. 25:24 He took away all the gold and silver, all the items found in 
God's temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom, the riches in the royal 
palace, and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria.

25:25 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after 
the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel. 25:26 The rest of the 
events of Amaziah's reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the 
Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 25:27 From the time Amaziah 
turned from following the Lord, conspirators plotted against him in 
Jerusalem, so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him and 
they killed him there. 25:28 His body was carried back by horses, and he 
was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.

Uzziah's Reign

26:1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and 
made him king in his father Amaziah's place. 26:2 Uzziah built up Elat 
and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah had passed away.

26:3 Uzziah was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 
for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah, who 
was from Jerusalem. 26:4 He did what the Lord approved, just as his 
father Amaziah had done. 26:5 He followed God during the lifetime of 
Zechariah, who taught him how to honor God. As long as he followed the 
Lord, God caused him to succeed.

26:6 Uzziah attacked the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, 
Jabneh, and Ashdod. He built cities in the region of Ashdod and 
throughout Philistine territory. 26:7 God helped him in his campaigns 
against the Philistines, the Arabs living in Gur Baal, and the Meunites. 
26:8 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah and his fame reached the 
border of Egypt, for he grew in power.

26:9 Uzziah built and fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, 
Valley Gate, and at the Angle. 26:10 He built towers in the desert and 
dug many cisterns, for he owned many herds in the lowlands and on the 
plain. He had workers in the fields and vineyards in the hills and in 
Carmel, for he loved agriculture.

26:11 Uzziah had an army of skilled warriors trained for battle. They 
were organized by divisions according to the muster rolls made by Jeiel 
the scribe and Maaseiah the officer under the authority of Hananiah, a 
royal official. 26:12 The total number of family leaders who led 
warriors was 2,600. 26:13 They commanded an army of 307,500 skilled and 
able warriors who were ready to defend the king against his enemies. 
26:14 Uzziah supplied shields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and 
slingstones for the entire army. 26:15 In Jerusalem he made war machines 
carefully designed to shoot arrows and large stones from the towers and 
corners of the walls. He became very famous, for he received tremendous 
support and became powerful.

26:16 But once he became powerful, his pride destroyed him. He disobeyed 
the Lord his God. He entered the Lord's temple to offer incense on the 
incense altar. 26:17 Azariah the priest and eighty other brave priests 
of the Lord followed him in. 26:18 They confronted King Uzziah and said 
to him, "It is not proper for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Lord. 
That is the responsibility of the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who 
are consecrated to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have 
disobeyed and the Lord God will not honor you!" 26:19 Uzziah, who had an 
incense censer in his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and 
raving at the priests, a skin disease appeared on his forehead right 
there in front of the priests in the Lord's temple near the incense 
altar. 26:20 When Azariah the high priest and the other priests looked 
at him, there was a skin disease on his forehead. They hurried him out 
of there; even the king himself wanted to leave quickly because the Lord 
had afflicted him. 26:21 King Uzziah suffered from a skin disease until 
the day he died. He lived in separate quarters, afflicted by a skin 
disease and banned from the Lord's temple. His son Jotham was in charge 
of the palace and ruled over the people of the land.

26:22 The rest of the events of Uzziah's reign, from start to finish, 
were recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. 26:23 Uzziah passed 
away and was buried near his ancestors in a cemetery belonging to the 
kings. (This was because he had a skin disease.) His son Jotham replaced 
him as king.

Jotham's Reign

27:1 Jotham was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he 
reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jerusha the 
daughter of Zadok. 27:2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his 
father Uzziah had done. (He did not, however, have the audacity to enter 
the temple.) Yet the people were still sinning.

27:3 He built the Upper Gate to the Lord's temple and did a lot of work 
on the wall in the area known as Ophel. 27:4 He built cities in the hill 
country of Judah and fortresses and towers in the forests.

27:5 He launched a military campaign against the king of the Ammonites 
and defeated them. That year the Ammonites paid him 100 talents of 
silver, 10,000 kors of wheat, and 10,000 kors of barley. The Ammonites 
also paid this same amount of annual tribute the next two years.

27:6 Jotham grew powerful because he was determined to please the Lord 
his God. 27:7 The rest of the events of Jotham's reign, including all 
his military campaigns and his accomplishments, are recorded in the 
scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah. 27:8 He was twenty-five years 
old when he began to reign, and he reigned for sixteen years in 
Jerusalem. 27:9 Jotham passed away and was buried in the City of David. 
His son Ahaz replaced him as king.

Ahaz's Reign

28:1 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 
for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what pleased the Lord, in 
contrast to his ancestor David. 28:2 He followed in the footsteps of the 
kings of Israel; he also made images of the Baals. 28:3 He offered 
sacrifices in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom and passed his sons through the 
fire, a horrible sin practiced by the nations whom the Lord drove out 
before the Israelites. 28:4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense on 
the high places, on the hills, and under every green tree.

28:5 The Lord his God handed him over to the king of Syria. The Syrians 
defeated him and deported many captives to Damascus. He was also handed 
over to the king of Israel, who thoroughly defeated him. 28:6 In one day 
King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel killed 120,000 warriors in Judah, 
because they had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. 28:7 Zikri, 
an Ephraimite warrior, killed the king's son Maaseiah, Azrikam, the 
supervisor of the palace, and Elkanah, the king's second-in-command. 
28:8 The Israelites seized from their brothers 200,000 wives, sons, and 
daughters. They also carried off a huge amount of plunder and took it 
back to Samaria.

28:9 Oded, a prophet of the Lord, was there. He went to meet the army as 
they arrived in Samaria and said to them: "Look, because the Lord God of 
your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have 
killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice. 28:10 And now you 
are planning to enslave the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Yet are you 
not also guilty before the Lord your God? 28:11 Now listen to me! Send 
back those you have seized from your brothers, for the Lord is very 
angry at you!" 28:12 So some of the Ephraimite family leaders, Azariah 
son of Jehochanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jechizkiah son of 
Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai confronted those returning from the 
battle. 28:13 They said to them, "Don't bring those captives here! Are 
you planning on making us even more sinful and guilty before the Lord? 
Our guilt is already great and the Lord is very angry at Israel." 28:14 
So the soldiers released the captives and the plunder before the 
officials and the entire assembly. 28:15 Men were assigned to take the 
prisoners and find clothes among the plunder for those who were naked. 
So they clothed them, supplied them with sandals, gave them food and 
drink, and provided them with oil to rub on their skin. They put the 
ones who couldn't walk on donkeys. They brought them back to their 
brothers at Jericho, the city of the date palm trees, and then returned 
to Samaria.

28:16 At that time King Ahaz asked the king of Assyria for help. 28:17 
The Edomites had again invaded and defeated Judah and carried off 
captives. 28:18 The Philistines had raided the cities of Judah in the 
lowlands and the Negev. They captured and settled in Beth Shemesh, 
Aijalon, Gederoth, Soco and its surrounding villages, Timnah and its 
surrounding villages, and Gimzo and its surrounding villages. 28:19 The 
Lord humiliated Judah because of King Ahaz of Israel, for he encouraged 
Judah to sin and was very unfaithful to the Lord. 28:20 King 
Tiglath-pileser of Assyria came, but he gave him more trouble than 
support. 28:21 Ahaz gathered riches from the Lord's temple, the royal 
palace, and the officials and gave them to the king of Assyria, but that 
did not help.

28:22 During his time of trouble King Ahaz was even more unfaithful to 
the Lord. 28:23 He offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he 
thought had defeated him. He reasoned, "Since the gods of the kings of 
Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to them so they will help me." 
But they caused him and all Israel to stumble. 28:24 Ahaz gathered the 
items in God's temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the Lord's 
temple and erected altars on every street corner in Jerusalem. 28:25 In 
every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to 
other gods. He angered the Lord God of his ancestors.

28:26 The rest of the events of Ahaz's reign, including his 
accomplishments from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the 
Kings of Judah and Israel. 28:27 Ahaz passed away and was buried in the 
City of David; they did not bring him to the tombs of the kings of 
Israel. His son Hezekiah replaced him as king.



      Prayer


Lord, had warned Israel not to demand "... a human king like the nations 
around us", prophesying the troubles that would bring. They demanded so 
You turned them over to the consequences of their rebellion. May I never 
be demanding before You Lord but rather humbly seek Your will and obey.


      Commentary


Jehoram was an evil king who killed all of his brothers, and many of his 
father's advisers, and consolidated power. He returned to the ways of 
prior evil kings.

Elijah prophesied his downfall, the destruction of his family, and great 
harm to Judah. When he died he was not mourned and was not buried in the 
royal tombs.

Ahaziah was rebellious like his father and was killed by Jehu while he 
visited Joram of Israel who had been injured. Jehu was in the process of 
destroying Ahab's entire family.

Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah tried to murder his family line but one 
child was hidden from her. Then Jehoiada, the priest, coordinated with 
the military leaders and the Levites to protect the child while they 
arranged to crown him. When Athaliah heard she rushed to challenge him 
and was executed.

Joash was only seven years old so Jehoiada assisted him greatly in 
purging the land of false idols. When Jehoiada died Joash listened to 
the bad counsel of members of his court and turned-away from the Lord God.

Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, delivered the Lord's challenge to him and 
Joash had Zechariah stoned to death. As he died Zechariah asked the Lord 
God to take notice and punish Joash. God empowered the weaker Syrians to 
overwhelm the army of Judah and Joash was badly injured. Joash was 
murdered in his bed for killing Zechariah. He was not buried in the 
royal tombs.

Amaziah began his time as king in loyalty to the Lord God but after the 
Lord gave him victory over the Edomites he brought home their false 
idols and worshiped them. When a prophet of God challenged him he was 
threatened with execution, so the prophet did not trouble him further, 
other than to inform him that God had decided to end his reign and his 
life badly.

Amaziah challenged the king of Israel and despite warnings attacked, was 
badly defeated, was captured, and the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed. 
He was in captivity many years and then assassinated.

Uzziah followed God during the lifetime of Zechariah but then turned 
away. His pride led him to charge into the Temple to offer incense and 
as Azariah the priest warned him the Lord struck him with a disease on 
his face and he remained isolated the rest of his life, his son Jotham 
served as king in his stead.

Jotham was generally loyal to the Lord God, though the people were not, 
and the Lord God gave him military victory and otherwise blessed his reign.

Ahaz was unfaithful to the Lord God as king of Judah so he was handed 
over to his enemies, who took his wealth and many captives, Israel also 
took 200,000 wives and others but the prophet challenged the leaders of 
Israel who challenged the army who then released them. Ahaz multiplied 
false worship throughout Judah but when he died he was not buried in the 
royal tombs.



      Interaction


        Consider

The pattern of blessed loyalty to the Lord God versus troubles for 
rebellion continued for the kings and the people of Israel and Judah.


        Discuss

Why would the kings, sons of blessed kings, choose the path of rebellion 
and trouble rather than that of faithfulness and blessing?



        Reflect

The prophets had a tough time of things, sometimes kings and other 
leaders listened, and sometimes they were ignored -- and even killed -- 
in their service to the Lord.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed someone speaking-up for the truth 
of God, only to be ignored, and/or punished by those who claimed to be 
followers of Christ?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone who is being faithful to 
the Lord and who faces challenges as a result.



        Action:

Today I will diligently pray for, and as is appropriate, otherwise 
assist the one to whom the Lord God directs my attention. They may be 
domestic or foreign missionaries, leaders or members in a local 
fellowship, or activists within the larger community of faith.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Thursday's text will be:


      2 Chronicles 34 - 35



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From yenovklazian at yahoo.fr  Wed Mar 16 04:28:08 2011
From: yenovklazian at yahoo.fr (Yenovk Lazian)
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:28:08 +0000 (GMT)
Subject: [Linux4christians] Mozilla Firefox under Linux
In-Reply-To: <mailman.506.1300240993.3398.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
Message-ID: <144172.51803.qm@web25607.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>

Dear beloved,

I have a question. I run Mozilla Firefox under Linux. The interface language is UK English. 

How can I switch to another language, provided all the packages are duly installed. 

There is nothing in Preferences, nor in Tools => Add Ons. The screen font can be chosen, but not the current interface language.

Thanks in advance,

Yenovk 


      

From d.kuntadi at gmail.com  Wed Mar 16 05:33:59 2011
From: d.kuntadi at gmail.com (David Kuntadi)
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:33:59 +0700
Subject: [Linux4christians] Mozilla Firefox under Linux
In-Reply-To: <144172.51803.qm@web25607.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
References: <mailman.506.1300240993.3398.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
	<144172.51803.qm@web25607.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
Message-ID: <AANLkTi=R1c31VjRXSKRYY=sGATRUdSpehA2RyrSyF-RU@mail.gmail.com>

On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 3:28 PM, Yenovk Lazian <yenovklazian at yahoo.fr> wrote:
> Dear beloved,
>
> I have a question. I run Mozilla Firefox under Linux. The interface language is UK English.
>
> How can I switch to another language, provided all the packages are duly installed.
>
> There is nothing in Preferences, nor in Tools => Add Ons. The screen font can be chosen, but not the current interface language.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Yenovk

Follow instruction on below link:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2315722_change-language-packs-firefox.html

DK

From usacomputertech at mindblowingidea.com  Wed Mar 16 19:30:16 2011
From: usacomputertech at mindblowingidea.com (USA COMPUTER TECH COMPUTER RESCUE)
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:30:16 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Linux4christians] Welcome to the "Linux4christians" mailing
	list
In-Reply-To: <mailman.0.1300316244.7674.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
References: <mailman.0.1300316244.7674.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
Message-ID: <121142.1150.qm@web1108.biz.mail.sk1.yahoo.com>

Hello. I'm the guy who did JULinux. I've had a lot of flac from the atheists, 
Jehovah's Witness, and Microsoft but my distribution is gaining ground. I 
believe we had over a million new users this year. 

www.justuselinux.com

My distribution is all about compatibility and providing the gospel. JULinux8 is 
a great example of that. JULinux8.5 is beta and so it has rough edges right now. 
I'm still uploading it to my second mirror. Once it's up you can check it out.

Find me on facebook by looking for Justin Breithaupt.

Please keep me in prayer. I have (had) a Christian Youth Centre here. 
(non-denominational) but because of a lack of donations and support this month I 
had to close. The Denominational Churches are getting religious and I don't feel 
comfortable there. I've been persecuted by the Church a lot for my 
non-denominational beliefs of just following the Spirit and the Bible. I'm in 
the North West. It feels like the people are stoning me. A Pastor contacted me 
recently and said he would do everything he could to get people to donate. 


I finally found a non-denominational house Church here but I'm not sure if they 
are faking it or not. There are a lot of other people like me in the North West 
and we are having a meeting in Lewiston ID March 30th for 3 days. We are all 
isolated from people who encourage us. 2/3 of the people in this area left their 
churches last year. The whole thing makes me sick. 





________________________________
From: "linux4christians-request at thelinuxlink.net" 
<linux4christians-request at thelinuxlink.net>
To: usacomputertech at mindblowingidea.com
Sent: Wed, March 16, 2011 3:57:24 PM
Subject: Welcome to the "Linux4christians" mailing list

Welcome to the Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net mailing list! The
reason I started this list is because, as a Christian, I felt is was
VERY difficult to talk about anything even remotely Christian on your
average Linux list.  Shoot, I could hardly ask about Bible software
without a multi-day diatribe about how horrible and stupid Christians
are which would lead up through the crusades, etc., ad nauseum.

I am trying to avoid that kind of thing here altogether.

To that end, I really do not mind talk about Christian subjects at
all, and I highly encourage the discussion of Linux here.  Let's be
the brothers and sisters here we are supposed to be.  Granted, I do
not always agree with my siblings choices, but I love them just the
same.

Please use some sort of identifier for an off-topic (non-linux
oriented) post.  I would suggest at least using the OT: indicator,
however, there are probably others that are equally obvious like PD:
for a political discussion, etc..  This way we can all stay on the
same list and the vast majority of the readers here will still be
relatively happy. Thanks for your support and cooperation in this
matter.

-- Reverend Linc.


To post to this list, send your email to:

  linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net

General information about the mailing list is at:

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If you ever want to unsubscribe or change your options (eg, switch to
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You can also make such adjustments via email by sending a message to:

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with the word `help' in the subject or body (don't include the
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You must know your password to change your options (including changing
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Normally, Mailman will remind you of your thelinuxlink.net mailing
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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Wed Mar 16 21:45:11 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:45:11 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Thursday - 2 Chronicles 29 - 33
Message-ID: <4D8167A7.4060106@bibleseven.com>


    Thursday


      2 Chronicles 29 - 33



Hezekiah Consecrates the Temple

29:1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he 
reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Abijah, the 
daughter of Zechariah. 29:2 He did what the Lord approved, just as his 
ancestor David had done.

29:3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the 
doors of the Lord's temple and repaired them. 29:4 He brought in the 
priests and Levites and assembled them in the square on the east side. 
29:5 He said to them: "Listen to me, you Levites! Now consecrate 
yourselves, so you can consecrate the temple of the Lord God of your 
ancestors! Remove from the sanctuary what is ceremonially unclean! 29:6 
For our fathers were unfaithful; they did what is evil in the sight of 
the Lord our God and abandoned him! They turned away from the Lord's 
dwelling place and rejected him. 29:7 They closed the doors of the 
temple porch and put out the lamps; they did not offer incense or burnt 
sacrifices in the sanctuary of the God of Israel. 29:8 The Lord was 
angry at Judah and Jerusalem and made them an appalling object of horror 
at which people hiss out their scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 
29:9 Look, our fathers died violently and our sons, daughters, and wives 
were carried off because of this. 29:10 Now I intend to make a covenant 
with the Lord God of Israel, so that he may relent from his raging 
anger. 29:11 My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen 
you to serve in his presence and offer sacrifices."

29:12 The following Levites prepared to carry out the king's orders:

 From the Kohathites: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah;

from the Merarites: Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel;

from the Gershonites: Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah;

29:13 from the descendants of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel;

from the descendants of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah;

29:14 from the descendants of Heman: Jehiel and Shimei;

from the descendants of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel.

29:15 They assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves. Then 
they went in to purify the Lord's temple, just as the king had ordered, 
in accordance with the word of the Lord. 29:16 The priests then entered 
the Lord's temple to purify it; they brought out to the courtyard of the 
Lord's temple every ceremonially unclean thing they discovered inside. 
The Levites took them out to the Kidron Valley. 29:17 On the first day 
of the first month they began consecrating; by the eighth day of the 
month they reached the porch of the Lord's temple. For eight more days 
they consecrated the Lord's temple. On the sixteenth day of the first 
month they were finished. 29:18 They went to King Hezekiah and said: "We 
have purified the entire temple of the Lord, including the altar of 
burnt sacrifice and all its equipment, and the table for the Bread of 
the Presence and all its equipment. 29:19 We have prepared and 
consecrated all the items that King Ahaz removed during his reign when 
he acted unfaithfully. They are in front of the altar of the Lord."

29:20 Early the next morning King Hezekiah assembled the city officials 
and went up to the Lord's temple. 29:21 They brought seven bulls, seven 
rams, seven lambs, and seven goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, 
the sanctuary, and Judah. The king told the priests, the descendants of 
Aaron, to offer burnt sacrifices on the altar of the Lord. 29:22 They 
slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and splashed it on 
the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and splashed the blood on the 
altar; next they slaughtered the lambs and splashed the blood on the 
altar. 29:23 Finally they brought the goats for the sin offering before 
the king and the assembly, and they placed their hands on them. 29:24 
Then the priests slaughtered them. They offered their blood as a sin 
offering on the altar to make atonement for all Israel, because the king 
had decreed that the burnt sacrifice and sin offering were for all Israel.

29:25 King Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the Lord's temple with 
cymbals and stringed instruments, just as David, Gad the king's prophet, 
and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these 
orders through his prophets.) 29:26 The Levites had David's musical 
instruments and the priests had trumpets. 29:27 Hezekiah ordered the 
burnt sacrifice to be offered on the altar. As they began to offer the 
sacrifice, they also began to sing to the Lord, accompanied by the 
trumpets and the musical instruments of King David of Israel. 29:28 The 
entire assembly worshiped, as the singers sang and the trumpeters 
played. They continued until the burnt sacrifice was completed.

29:29 When the sacrifices were completed, the king and all who were with 
him bowed down and worshiped. 29:30 King Hezekiah and the officials told 
the Levites to praise the Lord, using the psalms of David and Asaph the 
prophet. So they joyfully offered praise and bowed down and worshiped. 
29:31 Hezekiah said, "Now you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord. 
Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the Lord's temple." So 
the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and whoever desired 
to do so brought burnt sacrifices.

29:32 The assembly brought a total of 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs 
as burnt sacrifices to the Lord, 29:33 and 600 bulls and 3,000 sheep 
were consecrated. 29:34 But there were not enough priests to skin all 
the animals, so their brothers, the Levites, helped them until the work 
was finished and the priests could consecrate themselves. (The Levites 
had been more conscientious about consecrating themselves than the 
priests.) 29:35 There was a large number of burnt sacrifices, as well as 
fat from the peace offerings and drink offerings that accompanied the 
burnt sacrifices. So the service of the Lord's temple was reinstituted. 
29:36 Hezekiah and all the people were happy about what God had done for 
them, for it had been done quickly.

Hezekiah Observes the Passover

30:1 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote 
letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord's 
temple in Jerusalem and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God 
of Israel. 30:2 The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in 
Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. 30:3 They 
were unable to observe it at the regular time because not enough priests 
had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in 
Jerusalem. 30:4 The proposal seemed appropriate to the king and the 
entire assembly. 30:5 So they sent an edict throughout Israel from Beer 
Sheba to Dan, summoning the people to come and observe a Passover for 
the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a 
nationwide scale as prescribed in the law. 30:6 Messengers delivered the 
letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.

This royal edict read: "O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, 
Isaac, and Israel, so he may return to you who have been spared from the 
kings of Assyria. 30:7 Don't be like your fathers and brothers who were 
unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors, provoking him to destroy 
them, as you can see. 30:8 Now, don't be stubborn like your fathers! 
Submit to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently 
consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his 
raging anger. 30:9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons 
will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord 
your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you if you 
return to him."

30:10 The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of 
Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed 
them. 30:11 But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled 
themselves and came to Jerusalem. 30:12 In Judah God moved the people to 
unite and carry out the edict the king and the officers had issued at 
the Lord's command. 30:13 A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe 
the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month. 30:14 They removed 
the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and 
threw them into the Kidron Valley.

30:15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the 
second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated 
themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord's temple. 30:16 They 
stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of 
Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the 
Levites handed it to them. 30:17 Because many in the assembly had not 
consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered the Passover lambs of 
all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their 
sacrifice to the Lord. 30:18 The majority of the many people from 
Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet 
they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law. For 
Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: "May the Lord, who is good, forgive 
30:19 everyone who has determined to follow God, the Lord God of his 
ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the 
standards of the temple." 30:20 The Lord responded favorably to Hezekiah 
and forgave the people.

30:21 The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of 
Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests 
were praising the Lord every day with all their might. 30:22 Hezekiah 
expressed his appreciation to all the Levites, who demonstrated great 
skill in serving the Lord. They feasted for the seven days of the 
festival, and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord 
God of their ancestors.

30:23 The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; 
so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. 30:24 King Hezekiah of 
Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the assembly, while the 
officials supplied them with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests 
consecrated themselves. 30:25 The celebration included the entire 
assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of 
those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners who came from the 
land of Israel, and the residents of Judah. 30:26 There was a great 
celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem 
since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel. 30:27 The priests 
and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord 
responded favorably to them as their prayers reached his holy dwelling 
place in heaven.

31:1 When all this was over, the Israelites who were in the cities of 
Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah 
poles, and demolished all the high places and altars throughout Judah, 
Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh. Then all the Israelites returned to 
their own homes in their cities.

The People Contribute to the Temple

31:2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do 
their assigned tasks -- to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings 
and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord's 
sanctuary.

31:3 The king contributed some of what he owned for burnt sacrifices, 
including the morning and evening burnt sacrifices and the burnt 
sacrifices made on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other appointed 
times prescribed in the law of the Lord. 31:4 He ordered the people 
living in Jerusalem to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests 
and Levites so they might be obedient to the law of the Lord. 31:5 When 
the edict was issued, the Israelites freely contributed the initial 
portion of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of 
their fields. They brought a tenth of everything, which added up to a 
huge amount. 31:6 The Israelites and people of Judah who lived in the 
cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as 
well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the Lord their God. 
They brought them and placed them in many heaps. 31:7 In the third month 
they began piling their contributions in heaps and finished in the 
seventh month. 31:8 When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the 
heaps, they praised the Lord and pronounced blessings on his people Israel.

31:9 When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, 31:10 
Azariah, the head priest from the family of Zadok, said to him, "Since 
the contributions began arriving in the Lord's temple, we have had 
plenty to eat and have a large quantity left over. For the Lord has 
blessed his people, and this large amount remains." 31:11 Hezekiah 
ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Lord's temple. When this was 
done, 31:12 they brought in the contributions, tithes, and consecrated 
items that had been offered. Konaniah, a Levite, was in charge of all 
this, assisted by his brother Shimei. 31:13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, 
Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah worked 
under the supervision of Konaniah and his brother Shimei, as directed by 
King Hezekiah and Azariah, the supervisor of God's temple.

31:14 Kore son of Imnah, a Levite and the guard on the east side, was in 
charge of the voluntary offerings made to God and disbursed the 
contributions made to the Lord and the consecrated items. 31:15 In the 
cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and 
Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their 
fellow priests according to their divisions, regardless of age. 31:16 
They made disbursements to all the males three years old and up who were 
listed in the genealogical records -- to all who would enter the Lord's 
temple to serve on a daily basis and fulfill their duties as assigned to 
their divisions. 31:17 They made disbursements to the priests listed in 
the genealogical records by their families, and to the Levites twenty 
years old and up, according to their duties as assigned to their 
divisions, 31:18 and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of 
the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they 
faithfully consecrated themselves. 31:19 As for the descendants of 
Aaron, the priests who lived in the outskirts of all their cities, men 
were assigned to disburse portions to every male among the priests and 
to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.

31:20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the Lord 
his God considered good and right and faithful. 31:21 He wholeheartedly 
and successfully reinstituted service in God's temple and obedience to 
the law, in order to follow his God.

Sennacherib Invades Judah

32:1 After these faithful deeds were accomplished, King Sennacherib of 
Assyria invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities, intending to 
seize them. 32:2 When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and 
intended to attack Jerusalem, 32:3 he consulted with his advisers and 
military officers about stopping up the springs outside the city, and 
they supported him. 32:4 A large number of people gathered together and 
stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the 
district. They reasoned, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find 
plenty of water?" 32:5 Hezekiah energetically rebuilt every broken wall. 
He erected towers and an outer wall, and fortified the terrace of the 
City of David. He made many weapons and shields.

32:6 He appointed military officers over the army and assembled them in 
the square at the city gate. He encouraged them, saying, 32:7 "Be strong 
and brave! Don't be afraid and don't panic because of the king of 
Assyria and this huge army that is with him! We have with us one who is 
stronger than those who are with him. 32:8 He has with him mere human 
strength, but the Lord our God is with us to help us and fight our 
battles!" The army was encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

32:9 Afterward King Sennacherib of Assyria, while attacking Lachish with 
all his military might, sent his messengers to Jerusalem. The message 
was for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of Judah who were in 
Jerusalem. It read: 32:10 "This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria 
says: 'Why are you so confident that you remain in Jerusalem while it is 
under siege? 32:11 Hezekiah says, "The Lord our God will rescue us from 
the power of the king of Assyria." But he is misleading you and you will 
die of hunger and thirst! 32:12 Hezekiah is the one who eliminated the 
Lord's high places and altars and then told Judah and Jerusalem, "At one 
altar you must worship and offer sacrifices." 32:13 Are you not aware of 
what I and my predecessors have done to all the nations of the 
surrounding lands? Have the gods of the surrounding lands actually been 
able to rescue their lands from my power? 32:14 Who among all the gods 
of these nations whom my predecessors annihilated was able to rescue his 
people from my power? 32:15 Now don't let Hezekiah deceive you or 
mislead you like this. Don't believe him, for no god of any nation or 
kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of 
my predecessors. So how can your gods rescue you from my power?'"

32:16 Sennacherib's servants further insulted the Lord God and his 
servant Hezekiah. 32:17 He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel 
and insulting him with these words: "The gods of the surrounding nations 
could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah's god 
rescue his people from my power." 32:18 They called out loudly in the 
Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying 
to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city. 32:19 They 
talked about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the man-made gods 
of the nations of the earth.

32:20 King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this 
and cried out to heaven. 32:21 The Lord sent a messenger and he wiped 
out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of 
Assyria. So Sennacherib returned home humiliated. When he entered the 
temple of his god, some of his own sons struck him down with the sword. 
32:22 The Lord delivered Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem from 
the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the other nations. 
He made them secure on every side. 32:23 Many were bringing presents to 
the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From 
that time on he was respected by all the nations.

Hezekiah's Shortcomings and Accomplishments

32:24 In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness. He 
prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that 
he would be healed. 32:25 But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud 
attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and 
Jerusalem. 32:26 But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem 
humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry 
with them for the rest of Hezekiah's reign.

32:27 Hezekiah was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made 
storehouses for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, and all his 
other valuable possessions. 32:28 He made storerooms for the harvest of 
grain, wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all his various kinds of 
livestock and his flocks. 32:29 He built royal cities and owned a large 
number of sheep and cattle, for God gave him a huge amount of possessions.

32:30 Hezekiah dammed up the source of the waters of the Upper Gihon and 
directed them down to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah 
succeeded in all that he did. 32:31 So when the envoys arrived from the 
Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that 
occurred in the land, God left him alone to test him, in order to know 
his true motives.

32:32 The rest of the events of Hezekiah's reign, including his faithful 
deeds, are recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, 
included in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 32:33 Hezekiah 
passed away and was buried on the ascent of the tombs of the descendants 
of David. All the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem buried 
him with great honor. His son Manasseh replaced him as king.

Manasseh's Reign

33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned 
for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. 33:2 He did evil in the sight of the 
Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations whom 
the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites. 33:3 He rebuilt the high 
places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for the 
Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky 
and worshiped them. 33:4 He built altars in the Lord's temple, about 
which the Lord had said, "Jerusalem will be my permanent home." 33:5 In 
the two courtyards of the Lord's temple he built altars for all the 
stars in the sky. 33:6 He passed his sons through the fire in the Valley 
of Ben-Hinnom and practiced divination, omen reading, and sorcery. He 
set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed 
magicians to supervise it. He did a great amount of evil in the sight of 
the Lord and angered him. 33:7 He put an idolatrous image he had made in 
God's temple, about which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, 
"This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of 
Israel, will be my permanent home. 33:8 I will not make Israel again 
leave the land I gave to their ancestors, provided that they carefully 
obey all I commanded them, the whole law, the rules and regulations 
given to Moses." 33:9 But Manasseh misled the people of Judah and the 
residents of Jerusalem so that they sinned more than the nations whom 
the Lord had destroyed ahead of the Israelites.

33:10 The Lord confronted Manasseh and his people, but they paid no 
attention. 33:11 So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the 
army of the king of Assyria. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his 
nose, bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. 
33:12 In his pain Manasseh asked the Lord his God for mercy and truly 
humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 33:13 When he prayed to 
the Lord, the Lord responded to him and answered favorably his cry for 
mercy. The Lord brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then 
Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God.

33:14 After this Manasseh built up the outer wall of the City of David 
on the west side of the Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish 
Gate and all around the terrace; he made it much higher. He placed army 
officers in all the fortified cities in Judah.

33:15 He removed the foreign gods and images from the Lord's temple and 
all the altars he had built on the hill of the Lord's temple and in 
Jerusalem; he threw them outside the city. 33:16 He erected the altar of 
the Lord and offered on it peace offerings and thank offerings. He told 
the people of Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 33:17 The people 
continued to offer sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord 
their God.

33:18 The rest of the events of Manasseh's reign, including his prayer 
to his God and the words the prophets spoke to him in the name of the 
Lord God of Israel, are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 
33:19 The Annals of the Prophets include his prayer, give an account of 
how the Lord responded to it, record all his sins and unfaithful acts, 
and identify the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah 
poles and idols before he humbled himself. 33:20 Manasseh passed away 
and was buried in his palace. His son Amon replaced him as king.

Amon's Reign

33:21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned 
for two years in Jerusalem. 33:22 He did evil in the sight of the Lord, 
just like his father Manasseh had done. He offered sacrifices to all the 
idols his father Manasseh had made, and worshiped them. 33:23 He did not 
humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done. Amon was 
guilty of great sin. 33:24 His servants conspired against him and killed 
him in his palace. 33:25 The people of the land executed all who had 
conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.



      Prayer


Lord, when You bless the faithful You expect them to continue in their 
faithfulness and to not become prideful, living then as if You were 
unimportant. May I never take Your blessings for granted, may I remain 
humble before You for every day, and may I encourage others to live the 
same way.


      Commentary


Hezekiah cleansed the temple and offered great national worship. He 
removed many of the altars to false gods and celebrated Passover -- but 
later than scheduled as not enough Levites were ceremonially clean to 
lead. He also asked, and received the Lord God's forgiveness for many 
who chose to celebrate, even though they were ceremonially unclean -- 
God mercifully allow it as their hearts were inclined toward Him.

King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded with a great army and laid siege to 
Jerusalem. His leaders insulted the Lord God and told the citizens to 
ignore Hezekiah and to listen to them. Hezekiah and the prophets cried 
out to God and He struck down the Assyrians. When the Assyrian king 
returned home in defeat his sons killed him.

Hezekiah was dying and pleaded to the Lord God for a longer life, based 
on his faithfulness, and was granted the favor of fifteen more years. 
Hezekiah was prideful, thinking that he truly deserved a longer life and 
no longer needed to follow the Lord God. He amassed great wealth and 
indulged in a great show of it to foreigners, not to the glory of God, 
but for his own glory.

Manasseh followed his father, Hezekiah, but took only his prideful and 
not his faithful role model to heart. He was evil in every way, 
increasing the worship of false Gods among the people and for himself, 
so the Lord God brought the Assyrians to place him in chains.

Manasseh recognized the evil of his ways and repented so the Lord God 
restored him to Jerusalem where he restored the temple worship and was 
faithful in his remaining years.

Amnon followed Manasseh but followed only his evil ways. He was king for 
two years when his servants killed him and Josiah became king.



      Interaction


        Consider

The Lord God demonstrated great flexibility and mercy in forgiving those 
celebrated the Passover despite their technical lack of "ceremonial 
cleanliness" - because He knew their hearts and that was more important 
than the details of the regulations.


        Discuss

Why would Hezekiah become prideful after a life of faith?



        Reflect

Manasseh had to be dragged out of Jerusalem in chains before he "... 
realized that the Lord is the true God."


        Share

When have you experienced of observed a leader becoming prideful after 
his faith-based work has been blessed by the Lord God?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you may be taking the 
Lord God for granted.


        Action:

Today I will humbly repent of any demandingness and/or pridefulness 
about the blessings I have received and will surrender again everything 
to His Lordship.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Friday's text will be:


      2 Chronicles 34 - 35



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From mITw at shaw.ca  Wed Mar 16 23:45:23 2011
From: mITw at shaw.ca (Georges)
Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:45:23 -0700
Subject: [Linux4christians] L4cD Vol 83,
	Issue 13 - Mozilla Firefox under Linux
In-Reply-To: <mailman.528.1300331703.3398.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
References: <mailman.528.1300331703.3398.linux4christians@thelinuxlink.net>
Message-ID: <1300333523.1475.19.camel@Leysin.pleinsoleil>

Le mercredi 16 mars 2011 ? 23:15 -0400,
linux4christians-request at thelinuxlink.net a ?crit :
> I have a question. I run Mozilla Firefox under Linux. The interface
> language is UK English. 
> 
> How can I switch to another language, provided all the packages are
> duly installed. 
> 
> There is nothing in Preferences, nor in Tools => Add Ons. The screen
> font can be chosen, but not the current interface language.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Yenovk 

I run Firefox under Ubuntu 10.04, en fran?ais, but do not change
languages. Still, perhaps, one or another of the following links may be
of some help to you.

http://support.mozilla.com/fr/questions/784104?s=langue&as=s (Please do
note that Switzerland has four, not three, official languages.)

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Preferences_not_saved 

http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Preferences%20are%20not%20saved 

I do frequently spell check in whichever of our two official languages I
am using in Evolution, gMail via Firefox, or LibreOffice, but I do keep
as many of my applications in French as possible.  All this to assist my
ageing mind to neither rust nor rot.

Georges



From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Thu Mar 17 19:18:00 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:18:00 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - 2 Chronicles 34 - 35
Message-ID: <4D8296A8.2070608@bibleseven.com>


    Friday


      2 Chronicles 34 - 35



Josiah Institutes Religious Reforms

34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned for 
thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 34:2 He did what the Lord approved and 
followed in his ancestor David's footsteps; he did not deviate to the 
right or the left.

34:3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began 
to seek the God of his ancestor David. In his twelfth year he began 
ridding Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, 
and images. 34:4 He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down, and 
broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah 
poles, idols and images, crushed them up and sprinkled the dust over the 
tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. 34:5 He burned the bones of 
the pagan priests on their altars; he purified Judah and Jerusalem. 34:6 
In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and 
in the ruins around them, 34:7 he tore down the altars and Asherah 
poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars 
throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

34:8 In the eighteenth year of his reign, he continued his policy of 
purifying the land and the temple. He sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, 
Maaseiah the city official, and Joah son of Joahaz the secretary to 
repair the temple of the Lord his God. 34:9 They went to Hilkiah the 
high priest and gave him the silver that had been brought to God's 
temple. The Levites who guarded the door had collected it from the 
people of Manasseh and Ephraim and from all who were left in Israel, as 
well as from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the residents of 
Jerusalem. 34:10 They handed it over to the construction foremen 
assigned to the Lord's temple. They in turn paid the temple workers to 
restore and repair it. 34:11 They gave money to the craftsmen and 
builders to buy chiseled stone and wood for the braces and rafters of 
the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into 
disrepair. 34:12 The men worked faithfully. Their supervisors were 
Jahath and Obadiah (Levites descended from Merari), as well as Zechariah 
and Meshullam (descendants of Kohath). The Levites, all of whom were 
skilled musicians, 34:13 supervised the laborers and all the foremen on 
their various jobs. Some of the Levites were scribes, officials, and guards.

34:14 When they took out the silver that had been brought to the Lord's 
temple, Hilkiah the priest found the law scroll the Lord had given to 
Moses. 34:15 Hilkiah informed Shaphan the scribe, "I found the law 
scroll in the Lord's temple." Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. 34:16 
Shaphan brought the scroll to the king and reported, "Your servants are 
doing everything assigned to them. 34:17 They melted down the silver in 
the Lord's temple and handed it over to the supervisors of the 
construction foremen." 34:18 Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, 
"Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll." Shaphan read it out loud 
before the king. 34:19 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, 
he tore his clothes. 34:20 The king ordered Hilkiah, Ahikam son of 
Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king's 
servant, 34:21 "Go, seek an oracle from the Lord for me and those who 
remain in Israel and Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that 
has been discovered. For the Lord's fury has been ignited against us, 
because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord by doing all 
that this scroll instructs!"

34:22 So Hilkiah and the others sent by the king went to Huldah the 
prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the 
supervisor of the wardrobe. (She lived in Jerusalem in the Mishneh 
district.) They stated their business, 34:23 and she said to them: "This 
is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'Say this to the man who sent you 
to me: 34:24 "This is what the Lord says: 'I am about to bring disaster 
on this place and its residents, the details of which are recorded in 
the scroll which they read before the king of Judah. 34:25 This will 
happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to other 
gods, angering me with all the idols they have made. My anger will 
ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!'" 34:26 Say this 
to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: 
"This is what the Lord God of Israel says concerning the words you have 
heard: 34:27 'You displayed a sensitive spirit and humbled yourself 
before God when you heard his words concerning this place and its 
residents. You humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes and wept 
before me, and I have heard you,' says the Lord. 34:28 'Therefore I will 
allow you to die and be buried in peace. You will not have to witness 
all the disaster I will bring on this place and its residents.'"'" Then 
they reported back to the king.

34:29 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. 34:30 
The king went up to the Lord's temple, accompanied by all the people of 
Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the Levites. All the 
people were there, from the oldest to the youngest. He read aloud all 
the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the 
Lord's temple. 34:31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the 
covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow the Lord and to obey his 
commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, by carrying 
out the terms of this covenant recorded on this scroll. 34:32 He made 
all who were in Jerusalem and Benjamin agree to it. The residents of 
Jerusalem acted in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their 
ancestors. 34:33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the 
areas belonging to the Israelites and encouraged all who were in Israel 
to worship the Lord their God. Throughout the rest of his reign they did 
not turn aside from following the Lord God of their ancestors.

Josiah Observes the Passover

35:1 Josiah observed a Passover festival for the Lord in Jerusalem. They 
slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day of the first month. 
35:2 He appointed the priests to fulfill their duties and encouraged 
them to carry out their service in the Lord's temple. 35:3 He told the 
Levites, who instructed all Israel about things consecrated to the Lord, 
"Place the holy ark in the temple which King Solomon son of David of 
Israel built. Don't carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your 
God and his people Israel! 35:4 Prepare yourselves by your families 
according to your divisions, as instructed by King David of Israel and 
his son Solomon. 35:5 Stand in the sanctuary and, together with the 
Levites, represent the family divisions of your countrymen. 35:6 
Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves, and make 
preparations for your countrymen to do what the Lord commanded through 
Moses."

35:7 From his own royal flocks and herds, Josiah supplied the people 
with 30,000 lambs and goats for the Passover sacrifice, as well as 3,000 
cattle. 35:8 His officials also willingly contributed to the people, 
priests, and Levites. Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, the leaders of 
God's temple, supplied 2,600 Passover sacrifices and 300 cattle. 35:9 
Konaniah and his brothers Shemaiah and Nethanel, along with Hashabiah, 
Jeiel, and Jozabad, the officials of the Levites, supplied the Levites 
with 5,000 Passover sacrifices and 500 cattle. 35:10 Preparations were 
made, and the priests stood at their posts and the Levites in their 
divisions as prescribed by the king. 35:11 They slaughtered the Passover 
lambs and the priests splashed the blood, while the Levites skinned the 
animals. 35:12 They reserved the burnt offerings and the cattle for the 
family divisions of the people to present to the Lord, as prescribed in 
the scroll of Moses. 35:13 They cooked the Passover sacrifices over the 
open fire as prescribed and cooked the consecrated offerings in pots, 
kettles, and pans. They quickly served them to all the people. 35:14 
Afterward they made preparations for themselves and for the priests, 
because the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were offering burnt 
sacrifices and fat portions until evening. The Levites made preparations 
for themselves and for the priests, the descendants of Aaron. 35:15 The 
musicians, the descendants of Asaph, manned their posts, as prescribed 
by David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king's prophet. The guards at 
the various gates did not need to leave their posts, for their fellow 
Levites made preparations for them. 35:16 So all the preparations for 
the Lord's service were made that day, as the Passover was observed and 
the burnt sacrifices were offered on the altar of the Lord, as 
prescribed by King Josiah. 35:17 So the Israelites who were present 
observed the Passover at that time, as well as the Feast of Unleavened 
Bread for seven days. 35:18 A Passover like this had not been observed 
in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of 
Israel had observed a Passover like the one celebrated by Josiah, the 
priests, the Levites, all the people of Judah and Israel who were there, 
and the residents of Jerusalem. 35:19 This Passover was observed in the 
eighteenth year of Josiah's reign.

Josiah's Reign Ends

35:20 After Josiah had done all this for the temple, King Necho of Egypt 
marched up to do battle at Carchemish on the Euphrates River. Josiah 
marched out to oppose him. 35:21 Necho sent messengers to him, saying, 
"Why are you opposing me, O king of Judah? I am not attacking you today, 
but the kingdom with which I am at war. God told me to hurry. Stop 
opposing God, who is with me, or else he will destroy you." 35:22 But 
Josiah did not turn back from him; he disguised himself for battle. He 
did not take seriously the words of Necho which he had received from 
God; he went to fight him in the Plain of Megiddo. 35:23 Archers shot 
King Josiah; the king ordered his servants, "Take me out of this 
chariot, for I am seriously wounded." 35:24 So his servants took him out 
of the chariot, put him in another chariot that he owned, and brought 
him to Jerusalem, where he died. He was buried in the tombs of his 
ancestors; all the people of Judah and Jerusalem mourned Josiah. 35:25 
Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah which all the male and female 
singers use to mourn Josiah to this very day. It has become customary in 
Israel to sing these; they are recorded in the Book of Laments.

35:26 The rest of the events of Josiah's reign, including the faithful 
acts he did in obedience to what is written in the law of the Lord 35:27 
and his accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the 
Scroll of the Kings of Israel and Judah.



      Prayer


Lord, You allow us to choose to repent -- turn away -- and to return to 
You, and You bless us when we do. May I be faithful to respond with 
humble repentance every time your Holy Spirit shows me where I have had 
any part in disobedience.



      Commentary


Josiah became king at the age of eight. By the time he was sixteen he 
was inquiring about the expectations of the Lord God and therefore went 
throughout the land to remove the altars to the false gods.

Josiah instructed the priests to gather and melt silver for the repair 
of the temple and as the construction progressed and the silver was 
removed they discovered a scroll.

When the scroll was read aloud to Josiah he discovered that the Lord God 
was angry with Israel and Judah for rebellion. He tore his clothes and 
wept, then instructed the priests to get an oracle from the Lord via a 
prophet(ess) of God.

The prophesy was that the Lord God did intend to bring complete disaster 
upon the people for their rebellion but because Josiah responded 
righteously to the contents of the scroll he would not see that terrible 
day.

Josiah called the leaders to gather for worship, then he re-instituted 
the Passover celebration.

King Necho of Egypt marched and Josiah, without consulting the Lord God, 
went out to oppose him. Necho tried to explain but Josiah refused to 
listen and was struck by the arrows of the archers. He returned to 
Jerusalem where he died. The prophet Jeremiah celebrated his 
God-honoring leadership as king with songs that were sung for a long 
time after his death.


      Interaction


        Consider

Between the age of eight and sixteen someone must have been discipling 
Josiah so that he knew at sixteen the right things to do.


        Discuss

Why would Josiah have neglected to consult the Lord God before 
challenging Necho?



        Reflect

God chose to use the Egyptians to punish the remnants of Israel and Judah.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed an otherwise faithful Christian 
making a choice or choices and setting out upon a path that proved, upon 
reflection, to be against God's will -- all because they did not pause 
to ask Him first?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you think that you 
are making the right choices but are wrong because you failed to consult 
Him first.



        Action:

Today I will repent of the choices I have made, and/or am making, 
without first consulting the Lord God. I will humbly pray and redirect 
my way.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Saturday's text will be:


      2 Chronicles 36



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From fmiller at lightlink.com  Thu Mar 17 23:12:27 2011
From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller)
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:12:27 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Ubuntu Linux and GNOME: The Disputes continues.
Message-ID: <4D82CD9B.3070602@lightlink.com>

Linux is the supercomputer operating system of choice
<http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/661>; thanks to Android, Linux
is becoming the most popular smartphone operating system
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/android-to-control-half-of-smartphone-market-say-analysts/38881>
of them all;and Linux continues to make gains in the server market
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/idc-dollarwise-windows-still-leads-the-server-market/8825>.
But, when it comes to the desktop, no matter how you measure it, Linux
has never how more than a tiny share of the desktop market
<http://practical-tech.com/uncategorized/is-the-linux-desktop-dream-dead/3186>.
Why? Well, I can give you lots of reasons, but one that Mark
Shuttleworth founder of Canonical <http://www.canonical.com>, the
company behind the popular Ubuntu <http://www.ubuntu.com> Linux
distribution, has pointed out that there's a lot of disorganization and
disorder in Linux desktop developer circles.

The specific problem that started the current discussions roiling the
Linux desktop waters was explored by Dave Neary, a member and former
director of the GNOME <http://www.gnome.org/>, in a commentary on how
Canonical and Ubuntu people claimed that "We offered our help to GNOME,
and they didn't want it.
<http://blogs.gnome.org/bolsh/2011/03/07/has-gnome-rejected-canonical-help>"

[More]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/ubuntu-linux-and-gnome-the-disputes-continue/8469


-- 
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it 
tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown

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From fmiller at lightlink.com  Thu Mar 17 23:18:25 2011
From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller)
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:18:25 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Red Hat turns on Oracle and other Red Hat Linux
	clone-makers
Message-ID: <4D82CF01.7020909@lightlink.com>

Red Hat <http://www.redhat.com> has decided it's no going to be Mr. Nice
Linux anymore for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
<http://www.redhat.com/rhel> clone makers such as Oracle
<http://www.oracle.com> and CentOS <http://www.centos.org>. Sure, in
open-source, you share the code. That's rule one. But, that doesn't mean
you need to make it /easy/ for your rivals.

What Red Hat has done, for the last several months, is release its
version of the Linux kernel with all its own patches incorporated into
the RHEL code. Before that, pre-RHEL6, which was released in November
2010
<http://practical-tech.com/infrastructure/red-hat-announces-red-hat-enterprise-linux-6/3249>,
Red Hat released the vanilla Linux code with its improvements and fixes
in separate patches. This method made it very easy for an Oracle or
another Linux distributor to see exactly what Red Had had done and thus
made it easy for them to pick and choose which patches they'd adopt.
Now, it's much harder both to do this and to copycat RHEL.

As Joe Brockmeier aptly put it, "It's sort of like asking someone for a
recipe for the family's chocolate chip cookies, and getting cookie
batter instead. <http://www.linux-mag.com/id/8414>" Sure you can tease
out what the ingredients are, but it's not easy.

[More]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/red-hat-turns-on-oracle-and-other-red-hat-linux-clone-makers/8485


-- 
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it 
tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown

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From gorkon at gmail.com  Thu Mar 17 23:42:41 2011
From: gorkon at gmail.com (Joel Mclaughlin)
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 23:42:41 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Ubuntu Linux and GNOME: The Disputes
	continues.
In-Reply-To: <4D82CD9B.3070602@lightlink.com>
References: <4D82CD9B.3070602@lightlink.com>
Message-ID: <AANLkTi=L2vzxj+JSJCogb_wg=N66LBgpmEMTuiejaiL9@mail.gmail.com>

They bring up some interesting points.  We, the Linux Community, need
to worry LESS about changes like Unity and more about making the Linux
desktop easy to use.  Doing that is not going to stop you from loading
Openbox, Enlightenment, Gnome or KDE.  In fact, you can do that on
Ubuntu if you want.  You don't have to.  As long as the terminal hangs
around, I don't care.



On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 11:12 PM, Fred A. Miller <fmiller at lightlink.com> wrote:
> Linux is the supercomputer operating system of choice; thanks to Android,
> Linux is becoming the most popular smartphone operating system of them
> all;and Linux continues to make gains in the server market. But, when it
> comes to the desktop, no matter how you measure it, Linux has never how more
> than a tiny share of the desktop market. Why? Well, I can give you lots of
> reasons, but one that Mark Shuttleworth founder of Canonical, the company
> behind the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, has pointed out that there?s a
> lot of disorganization and disorder in Linux desktop developer circles.
>
> The specific problem that started the current discussions roiling the Linux
> desktop waters was explored by Dave Neary, a member and former director of
> the GNOME, in a commentary on how Canonical and Ubuntu people claimed that
> ?We offered our help to GNOME, and they didn?t want it.?
>
> [More]
>
> http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/ubuntu-linux-and-gnome-the-disputes-continue/8469
>
> --
> "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it
> tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown
>
> _______________________________________________
> Linux4christians mailing list
> Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians
>
>



-- 
Joel McLaughlin
Life in Ohio Podcast
life.in.ohio.pod at gmail.com
gorkon at gmail.com
http://lifeinohio.libsyn.com
joel at geardiary.com
geardiary.com

From fmiller at lightlink.com  Fri Mar 18 00:38:05 2011
From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:38:05 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] OT: Woman and a Fork
Message-ID: <4D82E1AD.8010506@lightlink.com>

*/_Woman and a Fork _/**/ /**/ /*
 

     */There  was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a
    terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as
    she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and
    had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final
    wishes./*

    */She told him which songs she  wanted sung at the service, what
    scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be
    buried in. /*

    */Everything was in order and the  Pastor was preparing to leave
    when the young woman suddenly  remembered something very important
    to her. /*

    */'There's one more thing,' she  said excitedly../*

    */'What's that?' came the  Pastor's reply./*

    */'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be
    buried with a fork in my right hand.' /*

    */The Pastor stood looking at the  young woman, not knowing quite
    what to say. /*

    */That surprises you, doesn't  it?' the young woman asked./*

    */'Well, to be honest, I'm  puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor. /*

    */The young woman explained. 'My  grandmother once told me this
    story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its
    message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement.
    In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember
    that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone
    would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.'  It was my
    favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like
    velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful,
    and with substance!' /*

    */So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork
    in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?'  Then I
    want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork..the best is yet to come.' /*

    */The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the
    young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he
    would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young
    woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better
    grasp of what heaven would be like that many people twice her
    age, with twice as much experience and knowledge.  She KNEW that 
    something better was coming./*

    */At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's
    casket and    they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed
    in her right hand.  Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 
    'What's with the fork?'  And over and over he smiled.  /*

    */During his message, the Pastor  told the people of the
    conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. 
    He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to
    her.  He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the
    fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop
    thinking about it either./*

    */He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it
    remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. /*

    */Friends are a very rare jewel/**/ /**/, indeed. They make you
    smile and encourage you to succeed.  Cherish  the time you
    have, and the memories you share.   Being friends with someone is
    not an opportunity, but a sweet responsibility. /* 

     *Send  this to everyone you consider a FRIEND...and I'll bet
    this will be an E-mail they do remember, every time they pick up a
    fork!  *

    */And just remember...keep your fork! /**/ /*

    */The BEST is yet to come!/*

-- 
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it 
tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown

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From usacomputertech at mindblowingidea.com  Fri Mar 18 00:41:11 2011
From: usacomputertech at mindblowingidea.com (USA COMPUTER TECH COMPUTER RESCUE)
Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2011 21:41:11 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: [Linux4christians] Ubuntu Linux and GNOME: The Disputes
	continues.
In-Reply-To: <4D82CD9B.3070602@lightlink.com>
References: <4D82CD9B.3070602@lightlink.com>
Message-ID: <646719.94957.qm@web1110.biz.mail.sk1.yahoo.com>

Just Use JULinux and there isn't an excuse not to use Linux on the Desktop




________________________________
From: Fred A. Miller <fmiller at lightlink.com>
To: Linux for Christians <linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net>
Sent: Thu, March 17, 2011 8:12:27 PM
Subject: [Linux4christians] Ubuntu Linux and GNOME: The Disputes continues.

Linux is the       supercomputer operating system of choice; thanks to Android,        
Linux is becoming the most popular smartphone operating system of them all;and 
Linux        continues to make gains in the server market. But, when it     
comes to the desktop, no matter how you measure it, Linux        has never how 
more than a tiny share of the desktop market.     Why? Well, I can give you lots 
of reasons, but one that Mark     Shuttleworth founder of Canonical,     the 
company behind the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, has pointed out that 
there?s a lot of     disorganization and disorder in Linux desktop developer 
circles. 

The specific problem that started the current discussions roiling       the 
Linux desktop waters was explored by Dave Neary, a member and       former 
director of the GNOME,       in a commentary on how Canonical and Ubuntu people 
claimed that ?We          offered our help to GNOME, and they didn?t want it.?

[More]
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/ubuntu-linux-and-gnome-the-disputes-continue/8469
 
-- 
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it 
tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown
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From fmiller at lightlink.com  Fri Mar 18 00:42:27 2011
From: fmiller at lightlink.com (Fred A. Miller)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:42:27 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Ubuntu Linux and GNOME: The Disputes
	continues.
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTi=L2vzxj+JSJCogb_wg=N66LBgpmEMTuiejaiL9@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4D82CD9B.3070602@lightlink.com>
	<AANLkTi=L2vzxj+JSJCogb_wg=N66LBgpmEMTuiejaiL9@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <4D82E2B3.7020003@lightlink.com>

On 03/17/2011 11:42 PM, Joel Mclaughlin wrote:
> They bring up some interesting points.  We, the Linux Community, need
> to worry LESS about changes like Unity and more about making the Linux
> desktop easy to use.  Doing that is not going to stop you from loading
> Openbox, Enlightenment, Gnome or KDE.  In fact, you can do that on
> Ubuntu if you want.  You don't have to.  As long as the terminal hangs
> around, I don't care.

Ease of use is #1 in my book!

Fred

-- 
"Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it 
tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown

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From mwmcmlln at mnsi.net  Fri Mar 18 01:15:36 2011
From: mwmcmlln at mnsi.net (Mike McMullin)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:15:36 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Ubuntu Linux and GNOME: The Disputes
 continues.
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTi=L2vzxj+JSJCogb_wg=N66LBgpmEMTuiejaiL9@mail.gmail.com>
References: <4D82CD9B.3070602@lightlink.com>
	<AANLkTi=L2vzxj+JSJCogb_wg=N66LBgpmEMTuiejaiL9@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <1300425336.7543.15.camel@P-733-Lin>

  To me the big thing with Unity is losing Xorg, not that I'm married to
it, but will ATI and/or NVidia put out drivers for it that work with
older hardware, for it's replacement?

On Thu, 2011-03-17 at 23:42 -0400, Joel Mclaughlin wrote:
> They bring up some interesting points.  We, the Linux Community, need
> to worry LESS about changes like Unity and more about making the Linux
> desktop easy to use.  Doing that is not going to stop you from loading
> Openbox, Enlightenment, Gnome or KDE.  In fact, you can do that on
> Ubuntu if you want.  You don't have to.  As long as the terminal hangs
> around, I don't care.
> 
> 
> 
> On Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 11:12 PM, Fred A. Miller <fmiller at lightlink.com> wrote:
> > Linux is the supercomputer operating system of choice; thanks to Android,
> > Linux is becoming the most popular smartphone operating system of them
> > all;and Linux continues to make gains in the server market. But, when it
> > comes to the desktop, no matter how you measure it, Linux has never how more
> > than a tiny share of the desktop market. Why? Well, I can give you lots of
> > reasons, but one that Mark Shuttleworth founder of Canonical, the company
> > behind the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, has pointed out that there?s a
> > lot of disorganization and disorder in Linux desktop developer circles.
> >
> > The specific problem that started the current discussions roiling the Linux
> > desktop waters was explored by Dave Neary, a member and former director of
> > the GNOME, in a commentary on how Canonical and Ubuntu people claimed that
> > ?We offered our help to GNOME, and they didn?t want it.?
> >
> > [More]
> >
> > http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/ubuntu-linux-and-gnome-the-disputes-continue/8469
> >
> > --
> > "Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it
> > tougher for sober people to own cars." - Unknown
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Linux4christians mailing list
> > Linux4christians at thelinuxlink.net
> > http://www.thelinuxlink.net/mailman/listinfo/linux4christians
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 



From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Fri Mar 18 23:38:28 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 23:38:28 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - 2 Chronicles 36
Message-ID: <4D842534.7070901@bibleseven.com>


    Saturday


      2 Chronicles 36



Jehoahaz's Reign

36:1 The people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and made him 
king in his father's place in Jerusalem. 36:2 Jehoahaz was twenty-three 
years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 
36:3 The king of Egypt prevented him from ruling in Jerusalem and 
imposed on the land a special tax of one hundred talents of silver and a 
talent of gold. 36:4 The king of Egypt made Jehoahaz's brother Eliakim 
king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. Necho 
seized his brother Jehoahaz and took him to Egypt.

Jehoiakim's Reign

36:5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he 
reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the 
Lord his God. 36:6 King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked him, bound 
him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. 36:7 
Nebuchadnezzar took some of the items in the Lord's temple to Babylon 
and put them in his palace there.

36:8 The rest of the events of Jehoiakim's reign, including the horrible 
sins he committed and his shortcomings, are recorded in the Scroll of 
the Kings of Israel and Judah. His son Jehoiachin replaced him as king.

Jehoiachin's Reign

36:9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he 
reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight 
of the Lord. 36:10 At the beginning of the year King Nebuchadnezzar 
ordered him to be brought to Babylon, along with the valuable items in 
the Lord's temple. In his place he made his relative Zedekiah king over 
Judah and Jerusalem.

Zedekiah's Reign

36:11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he 
ruled for eleven years in Jerusalem. 36:12 He did evil in the sight of 
the Lord his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, 
the Lord's spokesman. 36:13 He also rebelled against King 
Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him vow allegiance in the name of God. He 
was stubborn and obstinate, and refused to return to the Lord God of 
Israel. 36:14 All the leaders of the priests and people became more 
unfaithful and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the 
nations. They defiled the Lord's temple which he had consecrated in 
Jerusalem.

The Babylonians Destroy Jerusalem

36:15 The Lord God of their ancestors continually warned them through 
his messengers, for he felt compassion for his people and his dwelling 
place. 36:16 But they mocked God's messengers, despised his warnings, 
and ridiculed his prophets. Finally the Lord got very angry at his 
people and there was no one who could prevent his judgment. 36:17 He 
brought against them the king of the Babylonians, who slaughtered their 
young men in their temple. He did not spare young men or women, or even 
the old and aging. God handed everyone over to him. 36:18 He carried 
away to Babylon all the items in God's temple, whether large or small, 
as well as what was in the treasuries of the Lord's temple and in the 
treasuries of the king and his officials. 36:19 They burned down the 
Lord's temple and tore down the wall of Jerusalem. They burned all its 
fortified buildings and destroyed all its valuable items. 36:20 He 
deported to Babylon all who escaped the sword. They served him and his 
sons until the Persian kingdom rose to power. 36:21 This took place to 
fulfill the Lord's message delivered through Jeremiah. The land 
experienced its sabbatical years; it remained desolate for seventy 
years, as prophesied.

Cyrus Allows the Exiles to Go Home

36:22 In the first year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, in 
fulfillment of the promise he delivered through Jeremiah, the Lord moved 
King Cyrus of Persia to issue a written decree throughout his kingdom. 
36:23 It read: "This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: 'The Lord God of 
the heavens has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has 
appointed me to build for him a temple in Jerusalem in Judah. May the 
Lord your God energize you who belong to his people, so you may be able 
to go back there!"




      Prayer


Lord, You have been perfectly consistent in fulfilling your prophesies, 
blessings for obedience and troubles for rebellion. You have used the 
faithful and pagans as instruments of Your sovereign plan. May I never 
forget that everything belongs to You, that You permit humankind great 
liberty to make choices, but in the great scheme of things Your 
sovereign will shall be done -- with or without my agreement or my 
willing participation -- but may I be inclined to make myself Your 
instrument of blessing.



      Commentary


Jehoahaz son of Josiah became king but only for a few months.

The king of Egypt made his brother Eliakim king instead and changed his 
name to Jehoiakim. King Necho took Jehoahaz away to Egypt

Jehoiakim was king for eleven years but was evil before the Lord so 
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, took him captive along with some of the 
items from the temple.

His son Jehoiachin was king for three months and four days, he was also 
evil, and Nebuchadnezzar took him and more items from the temple to Babylon.

Zedekiah was king for eleven years during which even the priests did 
evil, defiling the temple, Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and the 
temple -- taking the remaining treasures and those who were not killed 
as servants in Babylon -- fulfilling the prophesy given through the 
prophet Jeremiah.

After the prophesied "desolation" of seventy years the Lord God moved 
King Cyrus of Persia, the new great empire in the region, to build a new 
temple in Jerusalem.



      Interaction


        Consider

The foolish experiment with human kings, which the people of Israel had 
demanded of the Lord God, began and ended badly -- just as He had warned.


        Discuss

Why is it that Cyrus, a Persian, heard and obeyed the Lord God when so 
many of the kings of Israel and Judah did not?



        Reflect

The Persian people are Elamites, descendants of Elam, the first born son 
of Shem, one of the sons of Noah.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed someone outside of your 
denomination, or other fellowship which holds to an acceptable doctrine 
-- as you view it -- seemingly able to hear from and obey the Lord when 
some in your denomination/fellowship fail to do so?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you have struggled to 
hear from and/or to obey the Lord God -- and that you may find 
encouragement and a role model in an unexpected place.



        Action:

Today I will humbly accept the chastising and teaching of the Holy 
Spirit and I will repent of my failure to listen and/or my failure to 
obey. I will gratefully receive the direct or indirect mentoring of a 
person or perhaps a 'publication' (electronic or print) which comes from 
an unexpected source as it faithfully leads me to truth (without 
presuming that anything else from that same source is necessarily correct).


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________


             Sunday's text will be:  Ezra 1 - 2



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Sat Mar 19 22:13:01 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2011 22:13:01 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Sunday - Ezra 1 - 2
Message-ID: <4D8562AD.9000301@bibleseven.com>


    Sunday


      Ezra 1 - 2



1:1 The Decree of Cyrus

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the 
Lord's message spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord stirred the mind of 
King Cyrus of Persia. He disseminated a proclamation throughout his 
entire kingdom, announcing in a written edict the following:

1:2 "Thus says King Cyrus of Persia:

"'The Lord God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He 
has instructed me to build a temple for him in Jerusalem, which is in 
Judah. 1:3 Anyone from his people among you (may his God be with him!) 
may go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and may build the temple of 
the Lord God of Israel -- he is the God who is in Jerusalem. 1:4 Anyone 
who survives in any of those places where he is a resident foreigner 
must be helped by his neighbors with silver, gold, equipment, and 
animals, along with voluntary offerings for the temple of God which is 
in Jerusalem.'"

The Exiles Prepare to Return to Jerusalem

1:5 Then the leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and 
the Levites -- all those whose mind God had stirred -- got ready to go 
up in order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 1:6 All their 
neighbors assisted them with silver utensils, gold, equipment, animals, 
and expensive gifts, not to mention all the voluntary offerings.

1:7 Then King Cyrus brought out the vessels of the Lord's temple which 
Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem and had displayed in the 
temple of his gods. 1:8 King Cyrus of Persia entrusted them to 
Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the leader 
of the Judahite exiles.

1:9 The inventory of these items was as follows:

30 gold basins, 1,000 silver basins, 29 silver utensils,

1:10 30 gold bowls, 410 other silver bowls, and 1,000 other vessels.

1:11 All these gold and silver vessels totaled 5,400. Sheshbazzar 
brought them all along when the captives were brought up from Babylon to 
Jerusalem.

2:1 The Names of the Returning Exiles

These are the people of the province who were going up, from the 
captives of the exile whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced 
into exile in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his 
own city. 2:2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, 
Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.

The number of Israelites was as follows:

2:3 the descendants of Parosh: 2,172;

2:4 the descendants of Shephatiah: 372;

2:5 the descendants of Arah: 775;

2:6 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (from the line of Jeshua and Joab): 
2,812;

2:7 the descendants of Elam: 1,254;

2:8 the descendants of Zattu: 945;

2:9 the descendants of Zaccai: 760;

2:10 the descendants of Bani: 642;

2:11 the descendants of Bebai: 623;

2:12 the descendants of Azgad: 1,222;

2:13 the descendants of Adonikam: 666;

2:14 the descendants of Bigvai: 2,056;

2:15 the descendants of Adin: 454;

2:16 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah): 98;

2:17 the descendants of Bezai: 323;

2:18 the descendants of Jorah: 112;

2:19 the descendants of Hashum: 223;

2:20 the descendants of Gibbar: 95.

2:21 The men of Bethlehem: 123;

2:22 the men of Netophah: 56;

2:23 the men of Anathoth: 128;

2:24 the men of the family of Azmaveth: 42;

2:25 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth: 743;

2:26 the men of Ramah and Geba: 621;

2:27 the men of Micmash: 122;

2:28 the men of Bethel and Ai: 223;

2:29 the descendants of Nebo: 52;

2:30 the descendants of Magbish: 156;

2:31 the descendants of the other Elam: 1,254;

2:32 the descendants of Harim: 320;

2:33 the men of Lod, Hadid, and Ono: 725;

2:34 the men of Jericho: 345;

2:35 the descendants of Senaah: 3,630.

2:36 The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of 
Jeshua): 973;

2:37 the descendants of Immer: 1,052;

2:38 the descendants of Pashhur: 1,247;

2:39 the descendants of Harim: 1,017.

2:40 The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (through the 
line of Hodaviah): 74.

2:41 The singers: the descendants of Asaph: 128.

2:42 The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of 
Ater, the descendants of Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the 
descendants of Hatita, and the descendants of Shobai: 139.

2:43 The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of 
Hasupha, the descendants of Tabbaoth, 2:44 the descendants of Keros, the 
descendants of Siaha, the descendants of Padon, 2:45 the descendants of 
Lebanah, the descendants of Hagabah, the descendants of Akkub, 2:46 the 
descendants of Hagab, the descendants of Shalmai, the descendants of 
Hanan, 2:47 the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, the 
descendants of Reaiah, 2:48 the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of 
Nekoda, the descendants of Gazzam, 2:49 the descendants of Uzzah, the 
descendants of Paseah, the descendants of Besai, 2:50 the descendants of 
Asnah, the descendants of Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, 2:51 the 
descendants of Bakbuk, the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of 
Harhur, 2:52 the descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the 
descendants of Harsha, 2:53 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants 
of Sisera, the descendants of Temah, 2:54 the descendants of Neziah, and 
the descendants of Hatipha.

2:55 The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of 
Sotai, the descendants of Hassophereth, the descendants of Peruda, 2:56 
the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the descendants of 
Giddel, 2:57 the descendants of Shephatiah, the descendants of Hattil, 
the descendants of Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and the descendants of Ami.

2:58 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of 
Solomon: 392.

2:59 These are the ones that came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, 
Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify their family 
connection or their ancestry, as to whether they really were from Israel):

2:60 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the 
descendants of Nekoda: 652.

2:61 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the 
descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had taken a 
wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by 
that name). 2:62 They searched for their records in the genealogical 
materials, but did not find them. They were therefore excluded from the 
priesthood. 2:63 The governor instructed them not to eat any of the 
sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

2:64 The entire group numbered 42,360, 2:65 not counting their male and 
female servants, who numbered 7,337. They also had 200 male and female 
singers 2:66 and 736 horses, 245 mules, 2:67 435 camels, and 6,720 
donkeys. 2:68 When they came to the Lord's temple in Jerusalem, some of 
the family leaders offered voluntary offerings for the temple of God in 
order to rebuild it on its site. 2:69 As they were able, they gave to 
the treasury for this work 61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of 
silver, and 100 priestly robes.

2:70 The priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the 
gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the 
rest of Israel lived in their towns.



      Prayer


Lord, You decide when to revive drifted and stale believers, and when to 
bring spiritual awakening to the lost. May I never presume upon Your 
sovereign plan but rather invest myself in faithful obedience day by 
day, ready to celebrate Your miracles of revival and spiritual awakening 
when You bring them.



      Commentary


King Cyrus of Persia obediently followed the prompting of the Lord God 
and granted permission to the Israelites to return and to rebuild their 
temple in Jerusalem.

Cyrus also instructed their neighbors to provide for the Israelites the 
resources of food, water, transportation, animals for food and work, 
silver, gold, and tools.

The valuables from the former temple that Nebuchadnezzar had displayed 
among the other artifacts of his multiple false gods were entrusted to 
the Israelite treasurer.

The text recorded the families of the various cities and of the Levite 
priest who returned home.



      Interaction



        Consider

The rebellious Israelites, who refused the first opportunity to enter 
the promised land, spent forty years wandering in the wilderness until 
all of the adults had died. The rebellious Israelites who were kicked 
out of the promised land spent seventy years in Babylonian captivity, 
purging all but the youngest children, before they were allowed to return.


        Discuss

Would the Israelites, in captivity to a Persian king who listened to the 
Lord God, have learned to be themselves keen to listen and obey -- 
unlike their previous generations under Israelite kings -- prone to 
refuse to listen or to obey?



        Reflect

Just as when they left Egypt the host people gave to them many resources.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed a second chance after a time in 
discipline?



      Faith in Action



        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you and opportunity He is providing to 
rebuild His temple in your life.


        Action:

Today I will praise the Lord God for His prompting to rebuild his temple 
in my life. His expression of care and of love is exciting. His Word 
says that my body, perhaps my soul/spirit is the temple of His Holy 
Spirit. Rebuilding His temple means to cleanse myself of things that 
offend Him, fill myself with things that give Him joy, and taking care 
of my physical body supports those other activities.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Monday's text will be:


      Ezra 3 - 4



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Sun Mar 20 22:00:15 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:00:15 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Monday - Ezra 3 - 4
Message-ID: <4D86B12F.50506@bibleseven.com>


    Monday


      Ezra 3 - 4



The Altar is Rebuilt

3:1 When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites were living in 
their towns, the people assembled in Jerusalem. 3:2 Then Jeshua the son 
of Jozadak and his priestly colleagues and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel 
and his colleagues started to build the altar of the God of Israel so 
they could offer burnt offerings on it as required by the law of Moses 
the man of God. 3:3 They established the altar on its foundations, even 
though they were in terror of the local peoples, and they offered burnt 
offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings. 
3:4 They observed the Festival of Temporary Shelters as required and 
offered the proper number of daily burnt offerings according to the 
requirement for each day. 3:5 Afterward they offered the continual burnt 
offerings and those for the new moons and those for all the holy 
assemblies of the Lord and all those that were being voluntarily offered 
to the Lord. 3:6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to 
offer burnt offerings to the Lord. However, the Lord's temple was not at 
that time established.

Preparations for Rebuilding the Temple

3:7 So they provided money for the masons and carpenters, and food, 
beverages, and olive oil for the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they 
would bring cedar timber from Lebanon to the seaport at Joppa, in accord 
with the edict of King Cyrus of Persia. 3:8 In the second year after 
they had come to the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month, 
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak initiated 
the work, along with the rest of their associates, the priests and the 
Levites, and all those who were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They 
appointed the Levites who were at least twenty years old to take charge 
of the work on the Lord's temple. 3:9 So Jeshua appointed both his sons 
and his relatives, Kadmiel and his sons (the sons of Yehudah), to take 
charge of the workers in the temple of God, along with the sons of 
Henadad, their sons, and their relatives the Levites. 3:10 When the 
builders established the Lord's temple, the priests, ceremonially 
attired and with their clarions, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) 
with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the 
instructions left by King David of Israel. 3:11 With antiphonal response 
they sang, praising and glorifying the Lord:

"For he is good;

his loyal love toward Israel is forever."

All the people gave a loud shout as they praised the Lord when the 
temple of the Lord was established. 3:12 Many of the priests, the 
Levites, and the leaders -- older people who had seen with their own 
eyes the former temple while it was still established -- were weeping 
loudly, and many others raised their voice in a joyous shout. 3:13 
People were unable to tell the difference between the sound of joyous 
shouting and the sound of the people's weeping, for the people were 
shouting so loudly that the sound was heard a long way off.

Opposition to the Building Efforts

4:1 When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin learned that the former 
exiles were building a temple for the Lord God of Israel, 4:2 they came 
to Zerubbabel and the leaders and said to them, "Let us help you build, 
for like you we seek your God and we have been sacrificing to him from 
the time of King Esarhaddon of Assyria, who brought us here." 4:3 But 
Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the leaders of Israel said to them, 
"You have no right to help us build the temple of our God. We will build 
it by ourselves for the Lord God of Israel, just as King Cyrus, the king 
of Persia, has commanded us." 4:4 Then the local people began to 
discourage the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building. 4:5 
They were hiring advisers to oppose them, so as to frustrate their 
plans, throughout the time of King Cyrus of Persia until the reign of 
King Darius of Persia.

4:6 Official Complaints Are Lodged Against the Jews

At the beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus they filed an accusation 
against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 4:7 And during the reign 
of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of their 
colleagues wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia. This letter was first 
written in Aramaic but then translated.

[Aramaic:]

4:8 Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter 
concerning Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows: 4:9 From Rehum the 
commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their colleagues -- the 
judges, the rulers, the officials, the secretaries, the Erechites, the 
Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, the Elamites), 4:10 and the 
rest of nations whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and 
settled in the cities of Samaria and other places in Trans-Euphrates. 
4:11 (This is a copy of the letter they sent to him:)

"To King Artaxerxes, from your servants in Trans-Euphrates: 4:12 Now let 
the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to 
Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are 
completing its walls and repairing its foundations. 4:13 Let the king 
also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no 
more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury will 
suffer loss. 4:14 In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, 
and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should 
sustain damage, we are sending the king this information 4:15 so that he 
may initiate a search of the records of his predecessors and discover in 
those records that this city is rebellious and injurious to both kings 
and provinces, producing internal revolts from long ago. It is for this 
very reason that this city was destroyed. 4:16 We therefore are 
informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are 
completed, you will not retain control of this portion of Trans-Euphrates."

4:17 The king sent the following response:

"To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their 
colleagues who live in Samaria and other parts of Trans-Euphrates: 
Greetings! 4:18 The letter you sent to us has been translated and read 
in my presence. 4:19 So I gave orders, and it was determined that this 
city from long ago has been engaging in insurrection against kings. It 
has continually engaged in rebellion and revolt. 4:20 Powerful kings 
have been over Jerusalem who ruled throughout the entire Trans-Euphrates 
and who were the beneficiaries of tribute, custom, and toll. 4:21 Now 
give orders that these men cease their work and that this city not be 
rebuilt until such time as I so instruct. 4:22 Exercise appropriate 
caution so that there is no negligence in this matter. Why should danger 
increase to the point that kings sustain damage?"

4:23 Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was 
read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their 
colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped 
them with threat of armed force.

4:24 So the work on the temple of God in Jerusalem came to a halt. It 
remained halted until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia.




      Prayer


Lord, You allow those who are Yours to choose obedience or disobedience, 
and those who do not know You to cooperate or to refuse to cooperate -- 
and although You are patient Your sovereign will is always fulfilled. 
May I choose to be obedience and not become frustrated when others are 
disobedient and the lost temporarily interfere.



      Commentary


The Israelites started the reconstruction of the temple with an altar 
constructed according to the instructions of Moses. Then, despite fears 
of attack from the non-Israelite population, they offered many 
traditional sacrifices.


Zerubbabel led the reconstruction of the temple in the second year of 
the edict of Cyrus and the Levites celebrated with praises as described 
by King David.


Enemies of Judah and Benjamin, brought to Jerusalem by the Assyrians, 
reported that they had been sacrificing to the Lord God since their 
arrival and asked to assist with the construction of the temple.


Zerubbabel refused to allow them to participate and so they began to 
harass the project in a variety of ways, finally filing a complaint that 
accused the Israelites of a plan to declare independence with the new 
king of Persia, King Artaxerxes, who called for a halt to the construction.



      Interaction



        Consider

The inhabitants of Jerusalem and the region worshiped many false gods 
and had been taught to include token worship of the Israelite God among 
them. They did not understand that He was the only true God.


        Discuss

How could Artaxerxes have failed to be aware of Cyrus' order, and 
provisions, for the Israelites to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem?



        Reflect

The local inhabitants were being spiteful when they lied about the 
intentions of the Israelites but Artaxerses was ignoring the Lord God 
and was listening only to his fear of threats to his power.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed a new leader completely ignoring 
the commitments of a prior leader, and for apparently selfish reasons?



      Faith in Action



        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a task which He has assigned to you 
-- one which includes some risk of criticism from unbelievers.



        Action:

Today I will boldly obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit for the 
ministry to which I have been called and not fear the criticism of 
unbelievers.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Tuesday's text will be:


      Ezra 5 -6



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Mon Mar 21 21:39:48 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:39:48 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Tuesday - Ezra 5 -6
Message-ID: <4D87FDE4.3060405@bibleseven.com>


    Tuesday


      Ezra 5 -6



Tattenai Appeals to Darius

5:1 Then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied 
concerning the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the 
God of Israel who was over them. 5:2 Then Zerubbabel the son of 
Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to rebuild the temple of 
God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

5:3 At that time Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, 
and their colleagues came to them and asked, "Who gave you authority to 
rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?" 5:4 They also asked 
them, "What are the names of the men who are building this edifice?" 5:5 
But God was watching over the elders of Judah, and they were not stopped 
until a report could be dispatched to Darius and a letter could be sent 
back concerning this.

5:6 This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai governor of 
Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and his colleagues who were the 
officials of Trans-Euphrates sent to King Darius. 5:7 The report they 
sent to him was written as follows:

"To King Darius: All greetings! 5:8 Let it be known to the king that we 
have gone to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God. It 
is being built with large stones, and timbers are being placed in the 
walls. This work is being done with all diligence and is prospering in 
their hands. 5:9 We inquired of those elders, asking them, 'Who gave you 
the authority to rebuild this temple and to complete this structure?' 
5:10 We also inquired of their names in order to inform you, so that we 
might write the names of the men who were their leaders. 5:11 They 
responded to us in the following way: 'We are servants of the God of 
heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously 
built many years ago. A great king of Israel built it and completed it. 
5:12 But after our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he delivered 
them into the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who 
destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon. 5:13 But in the 
first year of King Cyrus of Babylon, King Cyrus enacted a decree to 
rebuild this temple of God. 5:14 Even the gold and silver vessels of the 
temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem 
and had brought to the palace of Babylon -- even those things King Cyrus 
brought from the palace of Babylon and presented to a man by the name of 
Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed as governor. 5:15 He said to him, 
"Take these vessels and go deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem, and 
let the house of God be rebuilt in its proper location." 5:16 Then this 
Sheshbazzar went and laid the foundations of the temple of God in 
Jerusalem. From that time to the present moment it has been in the 
process of being rebuilt, although it is not yet finished.'

5:17 "Now if the king is so inclined, let a search be conducted in the 
royal archives there in Babylon in order to determine whether King Cyrus 
did in fact issue orders for this temple of God to be rebuilt in 
Jerusalem. Then let the king send us a decision concerning this matter."

Darius Issues a Decree

6:1 So Darius the king issued orders, and they searched in the archives 
of the treasury which were deposited there in Babylon. 6:2 A scroll was 
found in the citadel of Ecbatana which is in the province of Media, and 
it was inscribed as follows:

"Memorandum: 6:3 In the first year of his reign, King Cyrus gave orders 
concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem: 'Let the temple be rebuilt as 
a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be set in 
place. Its height is to be ninety feet and its width ninety feet, 6:4 
with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber. The expense 
is to be subsidized by the royal treasury. 6:5 Furthermore let the gold 
and silver vessels of the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar brought 
from the temple in Jerusalem and carried to Babylon, be returned and 
brought to their proper place in the temple in Jerusalem. Let them be 
deposited in the temple of God.'

6:6 "Now Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar Bozenai, and 
their colleagues, the officials of Trans-Euphrates -- all of you stay 
far away from there! 6:7 Leave the work on this temple of God alone. Let 
the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this temple 
of God in its proper place.

6:8 "I also hereby issue orders as to what you are to do with those 
elders of the Jews in order to rebuild this temple of God. From the 
royal treasury, from the taxes of Trans-Euphrates the complete costs are 
to be given to these men, so that there may be no interruption of the 
work. 6:9 Whatever is needed -- whether oxen or rams or lambs or burnt 
offerings for the God of heaven or wheat or salt or wine or oil, as 
required by the priests who are in Jerusalem -- must be given to them 
daily without any neglect, 6:10 so that they may be offering incense to 
the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king 
and his family.

6:11 "I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this directive a beam 
is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be raised up and impaled 
on it, and his house is to be reduced to a rubbish heap for this 
indiscretion. 6:12 May God who makes his name to reside there overthrow 
any king or nation who reaches out to cause such change so as to destroy 
this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given orders. Let them 
be carried out with precision!"

The Temple Is Finally Dedicated

6:13 Then Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-Bozenai, and 
their colleagues acted accordingly -- with precision, just as Darius the 
king had given instructions. 6:14 The elders of the Jews continued 
building and prospering, while at the same time Haggai the prophet and 
Zechariah the son of Iddo continued prophesying. They built and brought 
it to completion by the command of the God of Israel and by the command 
of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia. 6:15 They finished 
this temple on the third day of the month Adar, which is the sixth year 
of the reign of King Darius.

6:16 The people of Israel -- the priests, the Levites, and the rest of 
the exiles -- observed the dedication of this temple of God with joy. 
6:17 For the dedication of this temple of God they offered one hundred 
bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and twelve male goats for 
the sin of all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 
6:18 They appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by 
their divisions over the worship of God at Jerusalem, in accord with the 
book of Moses. 6:19 The exiles observed the Passover on the fourteenth 
day of the first month. 6:20 The priests and the Levites had purified 
themselves, every last one, and they all were ceremonially pure. They 
sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their colleagues 
the priests, and for themselves. 6:21 The Israelites who were returning 
from the exile ate it, along with all those who had joined them in 
separating themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to 
seek the Lord God of Israel. 6:22 They observed the Feast of Unleavened 
Bread for seven days with joy, for the Lord had given them joy and had 
changed the opinion of the king of Assyria toward them, so that he 
assisted them in the work on the temple of God, the God of Israel.



      Prayer


Lord, Your temple was built because You declared that it would be so, 
and those who tried to resist were swept aside. May I never have a 
moment's doubt as to Your sovereign power to cause the continued 
unfolding of Your great plan.



      Commentary


Although the reconstruction of the temple had been halted during the 
time of the Persian king Artaxerxes the prophets Haggai and Zechariah 
had, at the prompting of the Lord God, motivated the Israelites to begin 
again once Darius had assumed the throne.

The locals challenged their authority to engage in the reconstruction 
and Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates petitioned Darius for the truth 
of the Israelites' assertion that Cyrus had granted them authority and 
provided the resources.

Darius discovered the record from the time of Cyrus and not only did he 
forbid any interference he ordered that the tax collections of the 
Trans-Euphrates region be used to provide for every need of those doing 
the reconstruction. He made the seriousness of his orders exceptionally 
clear, writing "I hereby give orders that if anyone changes this 
directive a beam is to be pulled out from his house and he is to be 
raised up and impaled on it, and his house is to be reduced to a rubbish 
heap for this indiscretion. 6:12 May God who makes his name to reside 
there overthrow any king or nation who reaches out to cause such change 
so as to destroy this temple of God in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have given 
orders. Let them be carried out with precision!"

The temple was completed in the sixth year of the reign of the Persian 
king Darius and the Israelites celebrated with many sacrifices and 
joyful praise and worship, including the celebration of the Passover.



      Interaction


        Consider

The Lord God is patient and flexible, the flow of created time seems 
like a big deal to mere humans but is nothing in His reality, so across 
the time of human kings and the span of human generations He guides His 
great plan of redemption.


        Discuss

Might it have seemed very odd to the people of that region for the 
Israelites to be permitted to return and to rebuild their temple?



        Reflect

Since there was little to gain and considerable potential risk to Darius 
to allow the historically troublesome Israelites to rebuild Jerusalem it 
seems clear that it was the prompting of the Lord God that would have 
caused him to endorse, to fund, and to protect their enterprise.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed the support of a faith-based work 
from a highly unexpected source?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a time in the past or present where 
He has, or is, providing for you (or a ministry with which you are 
somehow associated) through an unexpected source.



        Action:

Today I will pause and give praise to the One true and sovereign God 
Whose great plan is being constantly worked-out and Who has chosen to 
include me as one small instrument in His work.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Wednesday's text will be:


      Ezra 7



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Tue Mar 22 21:43:51 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2011 21:43:51 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Wednesday - Ezra 7
Message-ID: <4D895057.4050804@bibleseven.com>


    Wednesday


      Ezra 7



The Arrival of Ezra

7:1 Now after these things had happened, during the reign of King 
Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. Ezra was the son of 
Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah, 7:2 who 
was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of 
Ahitub, 7:3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who 
was the son of Meraioth, 7:4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the 
son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki, 7:5 who was the son of Abishua, 
who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son 
of Aaron the chief priest. 7:6 This Ezra is the one who came up from 
Babylon. He was a scribe who was skilled in the law of Moses which the 
Lord God of Israel had given. The king supplied him with everything he 
requested, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7:7 In the 
seventh year of King Artaxerxes, Ezra brought up to Jerusalem some of 
the Israelites and some of the priests, the Levites, the attendants, the 
gatekeepers, and the temple servants. 7:8 He entered Jerusalem in the 
fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 7:9 On the first day of the 
first month he had determined to make the ascent from Babylon, and on 
the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, for the good 
hand of his God was on him. 7:10 Now Ezra had dedicated himself to the 
study of the law of the Lord, to its observance, and to teaching its 
statutes and judgments in Israel.

Artaxerxes Gives Official Endorsement to Ezra's Mission

7:11 What follows is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to 
Ezra the priestly scribe. Ezra was a scribe in matters pertaining to the 
commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

7:12

"Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect 
law of the God of heaven: 7:13 I have now issued a decree that anyone in 
my kingdom from the people of Israel -- even the priests and Levites -- 
who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem. 7:14 You are 
authorized by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning 
Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your 
possession, 7:15 and to bring silver and gold which the king and his 
advisers have freely contributed to the God of Israel, who resides in 
Jerusalem, 7:16 along with all the silver and gold that you may collect 
throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the 
people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in 
Jerusalem. 7:17 With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, 
rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate meal offerings and 
libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God 
which is in Jerusalem. 7:18 You may do whatever seems appropriate to you 
and your colleagues with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping 
with the will of your God. 7:19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the 
vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God. 
7:20 The rest of the needs for the temple of your God that you may have 
to supply, you may do so from the royal treasury.

7:21 "I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of 
Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly 
scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you -- 7:22 up to 
100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths 
of olive oil, and unlimited salt. 7:23 Everything that the God of heaven 
has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of 
heaven. Why should there be wrath against the empire of the king and his 
sons? 7:24 Furthermore, be aware of the fact that you have no authority 
to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the 
musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at 
the temple of this God.

7:25 "Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you 
possess, appoint judges and court officials who can arbitrate cases on 
behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of 
your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught. 7:26 Everyone 
who does not observe both the law of your God and the law of the king 
will be completely liable to the appropriate penalty, whether it is 
death or banishment or confiscation of property or detainment in prison."

7:27

Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who so moved in the heart of the 
king to so honor the temple of the Lord which is in Jerusalem! 7:28 He 
has also conferred his favor on me before the king, his advisers, and 
all the influential leaders of the king. I gained strength as the hand 
of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go 
up with me.



      Prayer


Lord, You bring blessing to the hopeless and the powerless as mercy is 
one of Your many attributes, and Your great plan includes keeping Your 
people connected to You through praise and worship no matter their 
worldly circumstances. May I recognize Your blessings in my life and 
never fail to respond with praise and worship and service.



      Commentary


While the Persian king, Artaxerxes, had earlier suspended construction 
in Jerusalem he was not entirely resistant to the prompting of the Lord God.

The prophet Ezra was called out of Babylon to Jerusalem to promote 
worship in Jerusalem and to draw other Israelites there.

Artaxerxes issued a decree permitting the travel of Israelites to 
Jerusalem and the exchange of funds to support the worship. The text 
does not mention new or renewed construction.



      Interaction


        Consider

The residents in the region surrounding Jerusalem had included the 
worship of the God of the Israelites in addition to their many false 
gods, so this would have been an amplification of that worship, rather 
than something entirely new.


        Discuss

Might Artaxerxes have responded to the prompting of God from a 
fear-based motivation? Local history would have reported that the early 
non-Israelite re-settlers of the region surrounding Jerusalem had 
suffered calamity until they added worship of the God of the Israelites 
to the worship of their pagan false gods. Artaxerxes had stopped the 
reconstruction because the locals had appealed to his fear of conflict.



        Reflect

The captive Israelites received favorable treatment from the Persians 
despite their own powerlessness -- due to the irresistible prompting of 
the Lord God.


        Share

When have you observed an apparently powerless person or group of 
persons receiving favors from an unexpected source?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place and time in your life where 
He blessed you -- when you were feeling hopeless and powerless.



        Action:

Today I will pause and praise the Lord God for His blessings and I will 
prayerfully seek the right response -- the reason why He has chosen in 
the past, and is choosing in my present, to bless me.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Thursday's text will be:


      Ezra 8



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From l4c at thelinuxlink.net  Wed Mar 23 18:17:30 2011
From: l4c at thelinuxlink.net (Lincoln Fessenden)
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:17:30 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] A *Little* notice.
Message-ID: <4D8A717A.5030908@thelinuxlink.net>

I was just informed by my provider that my server will be moved tonight 
between 9pm and 5am mst.  This will affect tllts.org, linuxplanet.org, 
freelinuxbox.org, linuxforchristians.org and lincgeek.org websites and 
services.

-- 
-Linc Fessenden

In the Beginning there was nothing, which exploded - Yeah right...


From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Wed Mar 23 20:40:34 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:40:34 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Thursday - Ezra 8
Message-ID: <4D8A9302.5000107@bibleseven.com>


    Thursday


      Ezra 8



The Leaders Who Returned with Ezra

8:1 These are the leaders and those enrolled with them by genealogy who 
were coming up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

8:2 from the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;

from the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;

from the descendants of David, Hattush 8:3 the son of Shecaniah;

from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were enrolled by 
genealogy 150 men;

8:4 from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and 
with him 200 men;

8:5 from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with 
him 300 men;

8:6 from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;

8:7 from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 
70 men;

8:8 from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and 
with him 80 men;

8:9 from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 
218 men;

8:10 from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with 
him 160 men;

8:11 from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 
28 men;

8:12 from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with 
him 110 men;

8:13 from the descendants of Adonikam there were the latter ones. Their 
names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;

8:14 from the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai, and Zaccur, and with them 70 
men.

The Exiles Travel to Jerusalem

8:15 I had them assemble at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we 
camped there for three days. I observed that the people and the priests 
were present, but I found no Levites there. 8:16 So I sent for Eliezer, 
Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and 
Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were 
teachers. 8:17 I sent them to Iddo, who was the leader in the place 
called Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, who 
were the temple servants in Casiphia, so they would bring us attendants 
for the temple of our God.

8:18 Due to the fact that the good hand of our God was on us, they 
brought us a skilled man, from the descendants of Mahli the son of Levi 
son of Israel. This man was Sherebiah, who was accompanied by his sons 
and brothers, 18 men, 8:19 and Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah from the 
descendants of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, 20 men, 8:20 
and some of the temple servants that David and his officials had 
established for the work of the Levites -- 220 of them. They were all 
designated by name.

8:21 I called for a fast there by the Ahava Canal, so that we might 
humble ourselves before our God and seek from him a safe journey for us, 
our children, and all our property. 8:22 I was embarrassed to request 
soldiers and horsemen from the king to protect us from the enemy along 
the way, because we had said to the king, "The good hand of our God is 
on everyone who is seeking him, but his great anger is against everyone 
who forsakes him." 8:23 So we fasted and prayed to our God about this, 
and he answered us.

8:24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with 
Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers, 8:25 and I weighed out 
to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels intended for the temple of 
our God -- items that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all 
Israel who were present had contributed. 8:26 I weighed out to them 650 
talents of silver, silver vessels worth 100 talents, 100 talents of 
gold, 8:27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and two exquisite vessels 
of gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold. 8:28 Then I said to them, "You 
are holy to the Lord, just as these vessels are holy. The silver and the 
gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 8:29 
Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before 
the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in 
Jerusalem, in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord."

8:30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the 
gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to 
Jerusalem to the temple of our God.

8:31 On the twelfth day of the first month we began traveling from the 
Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he 
delivered us from our enemy and from bandits along the way. 8:32 So we 
came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there for three days. 8:33 On the 
fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold, and the vessels in the 
house of our God into the care of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest, and 
Eleazar son of Phinehas, who were accompanied by Jozabad son of Jeshua 
and Noadiah son of Binnui, who were Levites. 8:34 Everything was 
verified by number and by weight, and the total weight was written down 
at that time.

8:35 The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt 
offerings to the God of Israel -- twelve bulls for all Israel, 
ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, along with twelve male goats 
as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 8:36 Then 
they presented the decrees of the king to the king's satraps and to the 
governors of Trans-Euphrates, who gave help to the people and to the 
temple of God.





      Prayer


Lord, You called Your people back to Jerusalem and You provided their 
needs and their protection. When I hear Your call may I not worry about 
Your provision.



      Commentary


Ezra gathered many of the families of Israel to travel to Jerusalem. 
When they were gathered he discovered that there were no Levites to 
serve as priests among them.

When the Levites were located the Lord God blessed them with a family of 
Levite musicians.

Ezra had assured the king that they would be protected in their travels 
by the Lord God, so they stopped to fast and pray and ask His 
protection, rather than solicit the protection of Persian horsemen/soldiers.

The gold and silver was delivered to the priests already there in 
Jerusalem, weighed-out and distributed in the precise amounts with which 
they had begun.

The people stopped and gave thanks and presented sacrifices.

Ezra delivered the papers from the king to his local officials who then 
provided assistance to the Israelites in the reconstruction of the temple.



      Interaction



        Consider

Ezra was assembling a representative population from among the dispersed 
people of Israel. While the Biblical text records that many gave in 
support of the ministry -- it was the faithful obedience of Ezra and 
others which resulted in the work really getting done.


        Discuss

Why would Ezra not have asked the king to provide protection?



        Reflect

The text still makes no reference to rebuilding gates or walls or any 
part of the city of Jerusalem; the emphasis of Ezra at this point was 
entirely on the temple.


        Share

When have you sensed that the Lord God was calling you, or a fellowship 
with which you are/were associated, and you stepped-out with confidence 
as he provided along the way?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a ministry to which He has called you.



        Action:

Today I will step out in faith, trusting in the Lord's provision, to 
serve in the ministry to which He has called me.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Friday's text will be:


      Ezra 9



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Thu Mar 24 21:17:06 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2011 21:17:06 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - Ezra 9
Message-ID: <4D8BED12.9000200@bibleseven.com>


    Friday


      Ezra 9



A Prayer of Ezra

9:1 Now when these things had been completed, the leaders approached me 
and said, "The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not 
separated themselves from the local residents who practice detestable 
things similar to those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, 
the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the 
Amorites. 9:2 Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives 
for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has become 
intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the 
officials have been at the forefront of all of this!"

9:3 When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and my robe and ripped out 
some of the hair from my head and beard. Then I sat down, quite 
devastated. 9:4 Everyone who held the words of the God of Israel in awe 
gathered around me because of the unfaithful acts of the people of the 
exile. Devastated, I continued to sit there until the evening offering.

9:5 At the time of the evening offering I got up from my self-abasement, 
with my tunic and robe torn, and then dropped to my knees and spread my 
hands to the Lord my God. 9:6 I prayed,

"O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God! 
For our iniquities have climbed higher than our heads, and our guilt 
extends to the heavens. 9:7 From the days of our fathers until this very 
day our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities we, along with 
our kings and priests, have been delivered over by the local kings to 
sword, captivity, plunder, and embarrassment -- right up to the present 
time.

9:8 "But now briefly we have received mercy from the Lord our God, in 
that he has left us a remnant and has given us a secure position in his 
holy place. Thus our God has enlightened our eyes and has given us a 
little relief in our time of servitude. 9:9 Although we are slaves, our 
God has not abandoned us in our servitude. He has extended kindness to 
us in the sight of the kings of Persia, in that he has revived us to 
restore the temple of our God and to raise up its ruins and to give us a 
protective wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

9:10 "And now what are we able to say after this, our God? For we have 
forsaken your commandments 9:11 which you commanded us through your 
servants the prophets with these words: 'The land that you are entering 
to possess is a land defiled by the impurities of the local residents! 
With their abominations they have filled it from one end to the other 
with their filthiness. 9:12 Therefore do not give your daughters in 
marriage to their sons, and do not take their daughters in marriage for 
your sons. Do not ever seek their peace or welfare, so that you may be 
strong and may eat the good of the land and may leave it as an 
inheritance for your children forever.'

9:13 "Everything that has happened to us has come about because of our 
wicked actions and our great guilt. Even so, our God, you have exercised 
restraint toward our iniquities and have given us a remnant such as 
this. 9:14 Shall we once again break your commandments and intermarry 
with these abominable peoples? Would you not be so angered by us that 
you would wipe us out, with no survivor or remnant? 9:15 O Lord God of 
Israel, you are righteous, for we are left as a remnant this day. 
Indeed, we stand before you in our guilt. However, because of this guilt 
no one can really stand before you."



      Prayer


Lord, You chose to gather a remnant to rebuild Your temple, because You 
determined that a remnant was to be preserved. You also forgave them for 
yet another offense against You, committed even as You had gathered 
them, and You provided a way of redemption. May I never fear that there 
is no way back to You from sin -- You are the way and You make a way.



      Commentary


Ezra was informed by some of the leaders that many of their fellow 
leaders, and the general population of Israelites, had both intermarried 
with the local peoples and mixed their pagan religions in with their 
right-worship of the Lord God. He was shocked and tore his clothes, 
hair, and beard and then sat silent the rest of the day.


At the time for the evening offering Ezra cried-out to the Lord God his 
remembrance of all that He had done for Israel, the many offenses of 
Israel, His recent restoration of Israel to rebuild the temple, and now 
the latest offense of Israel against Him.



      Interaction



        Consider

There were two waves of Israelites who returned to the Jerusalem area 
for the purpose of rebuilding the temple, those before the time of Ezra, 
and those whom Ezra gathered.


        Discuss

Given all that they had experienced why would the Israelites have been 
so foolish as to mingle with the pagan locals, both with their false 
religion, and to marry them?



        Reflect

The Lord God's patience is amazing, partly because that is one of His 
attributes, and partly because He chooses to use fallen humankind in His 
great plan of redemption.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed someone getting a second chance 
and still making the same old bad choices?



      Faith in Action

Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where you have been given a 
second chance but where you are repeating some of the errors of the past.



        Action:

Today I will give thanks for a second chance and I will confess and 
repent and receive the Lord God's forgiveness for repeating errors of 
the past. It may be financial assistance but I am still being careless 
financially, relationship restoration but I am still being careless 
relationally, it may be extra-credit to make up missing school work but 
I am not giving it my best effort, it may be a job when I had been fired 
or laid-off but I am being late or lazy or otherwise less-than-grateful 
and responsible to a Biblical standard. Whatever it is I will step-up to 
a Biblical standard, doing my best and giving my best, to bring glory to 
God.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Saturday's text will be:


      Ezra 10



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Fri Mar 25 22:11:58 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:11:58 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Saturday - Ezra 10
Message-ID: <4D8D4B6E.5000202@bibleseven.com>


    Saturday


      Ezra 10



The People Confess Their Sins

10:1 While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself 
to the ground before the temple of God, a very large crowd of Israelites 
-- men, women, and children alike -- gathered around him. The people 
wept loudly. 10:2 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, from the descendants of 
Elam, addressed Ezra:

"We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the 
local peoples. Nonetheless, there is still hope for Israel in this 
regard. 10:3 Therefore let us enact a covenant with our God to send away 
all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my 
lord, and that of those who respect the commandments of our God. And let 
it be done according to the law. 10:4 Get up, for this matter concerns 
you. We are with you, so be strong and act decisively!"

10:5 So Ezra got up and made the leading priests and Levites and all 
Israel take an oath to carry out this plan. And they all took a solemn 
oath. 10:6 Then Ezra got up from in front of the temple of God and went 
to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he stayed there, he did 
not eat food or drink water, for he was in mourning over the infidelity 
of the exiles.

10:7 A proclamation was circulated throughout Judah and Jerusalem that 
all the exiles were to be assembled in Jerusalem. 10:8 Everyone who did 
not come within three days would thereby forfeit all his property, in 
keeping with the counsel of the officials and the elders. Furthermore, 
he himself would be excluded from the assembly of the exiles.

10:9 All the men of Judah and Benjamin were gathered in Jerusalem within 
the three days. (It was in the ninth month, on the twentieth day of that 
month.) All the people sat in the square at the temple of God, trembling 
because of this matter and because of the rains.

10:10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, "You have behaved 
in an unfaithful manner by taking foreign wives! This has contributed to 
the guilt of Israel. 10:11 Now give praise to the Lord God of your 
fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the local residents 
and from these foreign wives."

10:12 All the assembly replied in a loud voice: "We will do just as you 
have said! 10:13 However, the people are numerous and it is the rainy 
season. We are unable to stand here outside. Furthermore, this business 
cannot be resolved in a day or two, for we have sinned greatly in this 
matter. 10:14 Let our leaders take steps on behalf of all the assembly. 
Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an 
appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, 
until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter."

10:15 Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah were 
against this, assisted by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite. 10:16 So 
the exiles proceeded accordingly. Ezra the priest separated out by name 
men who were leaders in their family groups. They sat down to consider 
this matter on the first day of the tenth month, 10:17 and on the first 
day of the first month they finished considering all the men who had 
married foreign wives.

Those Who Had Taken Foreign Wives

10:18 It was determined that from the descendants of the priests, the 
following had taken foreign wives: from the descendants of Jeshua son of 
Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah. 10:19 
(They gave their word to send away their wives; their guilt offering was 
a ram from the flock for their guilt.)

10:20 From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.

10:21 From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, 
and Uzziah.

10:22 From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, 
Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

10:23 From the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (also known as Kelita), 
Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.

10:24 From the singers: Eliashib. From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, 
and Uri.

10:25 From the Israelites: from the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, 
Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah, and Benaiah.

10:26 From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, 
Jeremoth, and Elijah.

10:27 From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, 
Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.

10:28 From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and 
Athlai.

10:29 From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, 
Sheal, and Jeremoth.

10:30 From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, 
Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.

10:31 From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, 
Shemaiah, Shimeon, 10:32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.

10:33 From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, 
Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.

10:34 From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 10:35 Benaiah, 
Bedeiah, Keluhi, 10:36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 10:37 Mattaniah, 
Mattenai, and Jaasu.

10:38 From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, 10:39 Shelemiah, Nathan, 
Adaiah, 10:40 Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, 10:41 Azarel, Shelemiah, 
Shemariah, 10:42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.

10:43 From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, 
Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.

10:44 All these had taken foreign wives, and some of them also had 
children by these women.


      Prayer


Lord, there seems to be no end to Your mercy, though we know it ends at 
the Final Judgment -- where Justice takes it's final and full measure. 
May I never presume upon Your mercy but rather live in obedience to Your 
perfect loving will for my life.



      Commentary


The high priest confessed the sin of the people to Ezra and proposed 
that they separate from their foreign spouses. All of those of Judah and 
Benjamin were required to gather within three days or lose fellowship 
and property. They gathered, trembling in a cold rain, and with an even 
greater trembling before an offended God.

Their leaders asked for time to make arrangements for their foreign 
wives and three months later the process had been completed.



      Interaction


        Consider

The text does not discuss what happened to the spouses, nor the 
children. It is left to one to presume that the request for more time 
was to make provisions for them.


        Discuss

May Ezra have known that publicly displaying his heartsick grief before 
the Lord God would cause the Israelites to confess and to repent?



        Reflect

The text does not say if Jonathan, Jahzeiah, Meshullam, and Shabbethai 
objected to the delay, the divorce in the families, or to any mercy at all.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed a very difficult choice being 
mandated to resolve a sin that was discovered in the fellowship of 
believers?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you something that you need to deal 
with in your life which will require a painful choice.



        Action:

Today I will courageously and humbly confront the circumstance in my 
life where a sinful choice has created an environment which is 
unacceptable to the Lord God. Within the boundaries of Your Word and the 
limits of my capacity to do so I will make things right. As is 
appropriate I will consult one who meets the Biblical qualification of 
"elder" for prayer and counsel and accountability.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________


             Sunday's text will be: Nehemiah 1 - 2:10



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Sat Mar 26 21:26:15 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:26:15 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Sunday_-_Nehemiah_1_=96_2=3A1?=
	=?windows-1252?q?0?=
Message-ID: <4D8E9237.6040004@bibleseven.com>


    Sunday


      Nehemiah 1 ? 2:10



1:1 A Prayer of Nehemiah

These are the words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:

It so happened that in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year, I was 
in Susa the citadel. 1:2 Hanani, who was one of my relatives, along with 
some of the men from Judah, came to me, and I asked them about the Jews 
who had escaped and had survived the exile, and about Jerusalem.

1:3 They said to me, ?The remnant that remains from the exile there in 
the province are experiencing considerable adversity and reproach. The 
wall of Jerusalem lies breached, and its gates have been burned down!?

1:4 When I heard these things I sat down abruptly, crying and mourning 
for several days. I continued fasting and praying before the God of 
heaven. 1:5 Then I said, ?Please, O LORD God of heaven, great and 
awesome God, who keeps his loving covenant with those who love him and 
obey his commandments, 1:6 may your ear be attentive and your eyes be 
open to hear the prayer of your servant that I am praying to you today 
throughout both day and night on behalf of your servants the Israelites. 
I am confessing the sins of the Israelites that we have committed 
against you ? both I myself and my family have sinned. 1:7 We have 
behaved corruptly against you, not obeying the commandments, the 
statutes, and the judgments that you commanded your servant Moses. 1:8 
Please recall the word you commanded your servant Moses: ?If you act 
unfaithfully, I will scatter you among the nations. 1:9 But if you 
repent and obey my commandments and do them, then even if your dispersed 
people are in the most remote location, I will gather them from there 
and bring them to the place I have chosen for my name to reside.? 1:10 
They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your 
mighty strength and by your powerful hand. 1:11 Please, O Lord, listen 
attentively to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your 
servants who take pleasure in showing respect to your name. Grant your 
servant success today and show compassion to me in the presence of this 
man.?

Now I was cupbearer for the king.

Nehemiah Is Permitted to Go to Jerusalem

2:1 Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King 
Artaxerxes, when wine was brought to me, I took the wine and gave it to 
the king. Previously I had not been depressed in the king?s presence. 
2:2 So the king said to me, ?Why do you appear to be depressed when you 
aren?t sick? What can this be other than sadness of heart?? This made me 
very fearful.

2:3 I replied to the king, ?O king, live forever! Why would I not appear 
dejected when the city with the graves of my ancestors lies desolate and 
its gates destroyed by fire?? 2:4 The king responded, ?What is it you 
are seeking?? Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven 2:5 and said to 
the king, ?If the king is so inclined and if your servant has found 
favor in your sight, dispatch me to Judah, to the city with the graves 
of my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it.? 2:6 Then the king, with his 
consort sitting beside him, replied, ?How long would your trip take, and 
when would you return?? Since the king was amenable to dispatching me, I 
gave him a time. 2:7 I said to the king, ?If the king is so inclined, 
let him give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates that will 
enable me to travel safely until I reach Judah, 2:8 and a letter for 
Asaph the keeper of the king?s nature preserve, so that he will give me 
timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple 
and for the city wall and for the house to which I go.? So the king 
granted me these requests, for the good hand of my God was on me. 2:9 
Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, and I presented to them 
the letters from the king. The king had sent with me officers of the 
army and horsemen. 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the 
Ammonite official heard all this, they were very displeased that someone 
had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.



      Prayer


Lord, You can cause even powerful human kings to be kind to those Whom 
You choose to bless. May I never doubt that when You call You provide.


      Commentary


Nehemiah, cupbearer to the king of Persia, Artaxerxes received word that 
the exiles were despondent and Jerusalem was in ruins. He fasted and 
prayed and wept.

When it was time for him to bring wine to the king his depression was 
obvious and the king inquired as to the cause. Nehemiah was afraid as 
death, prison, or other punishment could come to anyone who displeased 
the king.

Nehemiah pleased his case to be permitted to travel to Jerusalem in 
Judea to repair the gates and walls and temple and the king agreed.

When Nehemiah presented the kings papers the local officials were angry 
as they opposed any reconstruction of Jerusalem.



      Interaction


        Consider

As the king's cupbearer Nehemiah personally validated the quality and 
the safety of the wine served to the king, and he delivered it himself. 
It was a position of great risk, as an effort to poison the king would 
first poison him, and of great privilege and trust ? to be in the 
presence of the king and to bring him his wine.


        Discuss

Why would Artaxerxes care if Nehemiah showed symptoms of depression?



        Reflect

The local officials in Jerusalem were jealous and suspicious.


        Share

When have you been the beneficiary of unexpected sensitivity from a 
superior?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a task He has for you for which you 
will need permission

from an unlikely source.


        Action:

Today I will boldly, humbly, and prayerfully step out in faith and 
request permission to embark upon whatever task the Lord has set before 
me. In school it may be to begin a ?gather at the pole? prayer time, in 
the workplace it may be to offer a small lunchtime Bible study, in a 
fellowship it may be to offer a new and Biblically-challenging 
discipleship group.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Monday's text will be:


      Nehemiah 2:11 - 4



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za  Sun Mar 27 17:30:05 2011
From: raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za (Raoul Snyman)
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 23:30:05 +0200
Subject: [Linux4christians] OpenLP 2.0 beta 1 released!
Message-ID: <201103272330.06156.raoul.snyman@saturnlaboratories.co.za>

Hi folks,

A quick note to let you know that today the OpenLP project released their 
first beta of the new version 2.0 line of OpenLP.

OpenLP is an open source church presentation application, used to display the 
lyrics of songs in a church service. OpenLP 2.0 has been rewritten from 
scratch in Python in order to be as open source as possible, as well as cross-
platform.

You can read more about the release here: http://is.gd/F662p2


-- 
Raoul Snyman, B.Tech IT (Software Engineering)
Saturn Laboratories
m: 082 550 3754
e: raoul.snyman at saturnlaboratories.co.za 
w: www.saturnlaboratories.co.za 
b: blog.saturnlaboratories.co.za

From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Sun Mar 27 21:37:42 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2011 21:37:42 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Monday - Nehemiah 2:11 - 4
Message-ID: <4D8FE666.4010000@bibleseven.com>


    Monday


      Nehemiah 2:11 - 4



Nehemiah Arrives in Jerusalem

2:11 So I came to Jerusalem. When I had been there for three days, 2:12 
I got up during the night, along with a few men who were with me. But I 
did not tell anyone what my God was putting on my heart to do for 
Jerusalem. There were no animals with me, except for the one I was 
riding. 2:13 I proceeded through the Valley Gate by night, in the 
direction of the Well of the Dragons and the Dung Gate, inspecting the 
walls of Jerusalem that had been breached and its gates that had been 
destroyed by fire. 2:14 I passed on to the Gate of the Well and the 
King's Pool, where there was not enough room for my animal to pass with 
me. 2:15 I continued up the valley during the night, inspecting the 
wall. Then I turned back and came to the Valley Gate, and so returned. 
2:16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had been 
doing, for up to this point I had not told any of the Jews or the 
priests or the nobles or the officials or the rest of the workers. 2:17 
Then I said to them, "You see the problem that we have: Jerusalem is 
desolate and its gates are burned. Come on! Let's rebuild the wall of 
Jerusalem so that this reproach will not continue." 2:18 Then I related 
to them how the good hand of my God was on me and what the king had said 
to me. Then they replied, "Let's begin rebuilding right away!" So they 
readied themselves for this good project. 2:19 But when Sanballat the 
Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard all 
this, they derided us and expressed contempt toward us. They said, "What 
is this you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" 2:20 I 
responded to them by saying, "The God of heaven will prosper us. We his 
servants will start the rebuilding. But you have no just or ancient 
right in Jerusalem."

The Names of the Builders

3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest and his priestly colleagues arose and 
built the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and erected its doors, working 
as far as the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 3:2 The men 
of Jericho built adjacent to it, and Zaccur son of Imri built adjacent 
to them.

3:3 The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and 
positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 3:4 Meremoth son of 
Uriah, the son of Hakoz, worked on the section adjacent to them. 
Meshullam son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel worked on the section 
next to them. And Zadok son of Baana worked on the section adjacent to 
them. 3:5 The men of Tekoa worked on the section adjacent to them, but 
their town leaders would not assist with the work of their master.

3:6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah worked on the 
Jeshanah Gate. They laid its beams and positioned its doors, its bolts, 
and its bars. 3:7 Adjacent to them worked Melatiah the Gibeonite and 
Jadon the Meronothite, who were men of Gibeon and Mizpah. These towns 
were under the jurisdiction of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 3:8 
Uzziel son of Harhaiah, a member of the goldsmiths' guild, worked on the 
section adjacent to him. Hananiah, a member of the perfumers' guild, 
worked on the section adjacent to him. They plastered the city wall of 
Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 3:9 Rephaiah son of Hur, head of a 
half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section adjacent to them. 3:10 
Jedaiah son of Harumaph worked on the section adjacent to them opposite 
his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah worked on the section adjacent 
to him. 3:11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab worked 
on another section and the Tower of the Fire Pots. 3:12 Shallum son of 
Hallohesh, head of a half-district of Jerusalem, worked on the section 
adjacent to him, assisted by his daughters.

3:13 Hanun and the residents of Zanoah worked on the Valley Gate. They 
rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its bolts, and its bars, in 
addition to working on fifteen hundred feet of the wall as far as the 
Dung Gate.

3:14 Malkijah son of Recab, head of the district of Beth Hakkerem, 
worked on the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and positioned its doors, its 
bolts, and its bars.

3:15 Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, head of the district of Mizpah, worked on 
the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it, put on its roof, and positioned its 
doors, its bolts, and its bars. In addition, he rebuilt the wall of the 
Pool of Siloam, by the royal garden, as far as the steps that go down 
from the City of David. 3:16 Nehemiah son of Azbuk, head of a 
half-district of Beth Zur, worked after him as far as the tombs of David 
and the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors.

3:17 After him the Levites worked -- Rehum son of Bani and after him 
Hashabiah, head of half the district of Keilah, for his district. 3:18 
After him their relatives worked -- Binnui son of Henadad, head of a 
half-district of Keilah. 3:19 Adjacent to him Ezer son of Jeshua, head 
of Mizpah, worked on another section, opposite the ascent to the armory 
at the buttress. 3:20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai worked on another 
section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high 
priest. 3:21 After him Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, worked 
on another section from the door of Eliashib's house to the end of it.

3:22 After him the priests worked, men of the nearby district. 3:23 
After them Benjamin and Hasshub worked opposite their house. After them 
Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, worked near his house. 3:24 
After him Binnui son of Henadad worked on another section, from the 
house of Azariah to the buttress and the corner. 3:25 After him Palal 
son of Uzai worked opposite the buttress and the tower that protrudes 
from the upper palace of the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah son 
of Parosh 3:26 and the temple servants who were living on Ophel worked 
up to the area opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the 
protruding tower. 3:27 After them the men of Tekoa worked on another 
section, from opposite the great protruding tower to the wall of Ophel.

3:28 Above the Horse Gate the priests worked, each in front of his 
house. 3:29 After them Zadok son of Immer worked opposite his house, and 
after him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard at the East Gate, worked. 
3:30 After him Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of 
Zalaph, worked on another section. After them Meshullam son of Berechiah 
worked opposite his quarters. 3:31 After him Malkijah, one of the 
goldsmiths, worked as far as the house of the temple servants and the 
traders, opposite the Inspection Gate, and up to the room above the 
corner. 3:32 And between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate 
the goldsmiths and traders worked.

Opposition to the Work Continues

4:1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he became 
angry and was quite upset. He derided the Jews, 4:2 and in the presence 
of his colleagues and the army of Samaria he said, "What are these 
feeble Jews doing? Will they be left to themselves? Will they again 
offer sacrifice? Will they finish this in a day? Can they bring these 
burnt stones to life again from piles of dust?"

4:3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was close by, said, "If even a fox 
were to climb up on what they are building, it would break down their 
wall of stones!"

4:4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised! Return their reproach on their 
own head! Reduce them to plunder in a land of exile! 4:5 Do not cover 
their iniquity, and do not wipe out their sin from before them. For they 
have bitterly offended the builders!

4:6 So we rebuilt the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up 
to half its height. The people were enthusiastic in their work.

4:7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of 
Ashdod heard that the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem had moved 
ahead and that the breaches had begun to be closed, they were very 
angry. 4:8 All of them conspired together to move with armed forces 
against Jerusalem and to create a disturbance in it. 4:9 So we prayed to 
our God and stationed a guard to protect against them both day and 
night. 4:10 Then those in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers has 
failed! The debris is so great that we are unable to rebuild the wall."

4:11 Our adversaries also boasted, "Before they are aware or anticipate 
anything, we will come in among them and kill them, and we will bring 
this work to a halt!"

4:12 So it happened that the Jews who were living near them came and 
warned us repeatedly about all the schemes they were plotting against us.

4:13 So I stationed people at the lower places behind the wall in the 
exposed places. I stationed the people by families, with their swords, 
spears, and bows. 4:14 When I had made an inspection, I stood up and 
said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "Don't be 
afraid of them. Remember the great and awesome Lord, and fight on behalf 
of your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your families!"

4:15 It so happened that when our adversaries heard that we were aware 
of these matters, God frustrated their intentions. Then all of us 
returned to the wall, each to his own work. 4:16 From that day forward, 
half of my men were doing the work and half of them were taking up 
spears, shields, bows, and body armor. Now the officers were behind all 
the people of Judah 4:17 who were rebuilding the wall. Those who were 
carrying loads did so by keeping one hand on the work and the other on 
their weapon. 4:18 The builders to a man had their swords strapped to 
their sides while they were building. But the trumpeter remained with me.

4:19 I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, 
"The work is demanding and extensive, and we are spread out on the wall, 
far removed from one another. 4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the 
trumpet, gather there with us. Our God will fight for us!"

4:21 So we worked on, with half holding spears, from dawn till dusk. 
4:22 At that time I instructed the people, "Let every man and his 
coworker spend the night in Jerusalem and let them be guards for us by 
night and workers by day. 4:23 We did not change clothes -- not I, nor 
my relatives, nor my workers, nor the watchmen who were with me. Each 
had his weapon, even when getting a drink of water.



      Prayer


Lord, faith and wisdom are not separate, while we trust You to provide 
and to protect when You send us -- we are expected to behave wisely. 
Though I trust You I am responsible so far as in my power to not leave 
doors open, to temptation, or to human enemies.



      Commentary


Nehemiah secretly surveyed the ruins of Jerusalem and determined that 
the gates and walls needed to be rebuilt. When his plans became known to 
the locals they expressed disdain, suggesting that they were in 
rebellion against the king. Nehemiah informed them that they had no 
ancient right to Jerusalem and that the Lord God would prosper the work 
of reconstruction.

As they continued their work the locals became increasingly angry and in 
addition to deriding them they agitated the Samarian army against them.

Nehemiah prayed to the Lord God for protection and though he was certain 
of His protection he posted guards day and night.



      Interaction


        Consider

Nehemiah knew that he had to be cautious with the locals, while they 
held the power, He was beginning the reconstruction of the heart of what 
was once a great and powerful nation.


        Discuss

Why would Nehemiah feel it was important to rebuild the gates and the 
walls as well as the temple?



        Reflect

It must have been frightening to be exiles surrounded by unfriendly 
foreigners as they attempted to fulfill the task placed before them.


        Share

When have you been asked to accomplish a task despite resistance from 
many all around you?



      Faith in Action



        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a place where He has, or is, 
providing and protecting as you complete(d) a task He has (had) given to 
you.



        Action:

Today I will give thanks for His past provision and protection and 
celebrate what He has done. If my ministry is current and future I will 
boldly step-out in faith to serve without fear.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Tuesday's text will be:


      Nehemiah 5 - 9



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Mon Mar 28 21:40:07 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 21:40:07 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Tuesday - Nehemiah 5 - 7
Message-ID: <4D913877.3070404@bibleseven.com>


    Tuesday


      Nehemiah 5 - 7



Nehemiah Intervenes on behalf of the Oppressed

5:1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives 
against their fellow Jews. 5:2 There were those who said, "With our sons 
and daughters, we are many. We must obtain grain in order to eat and 
stay alive." 5:3 There were others who said, "We are putting up our 
fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain 
grain during the famine." 5:4 Then there were those who said, "We have 
borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our 
vineyards. 5:5 And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our 
fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still 
we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. 
Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are 
powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other 
people."

5:6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 5:7 
I considered these things carefully and then registered a complaint with 
the wealthy and the officials. I said to them, "Each one of you is 
seizing the collateral from your own countrymen!" Because of them I 
called for a great public assembly. 5:8 I said to them, "To the extent 
possible we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the 
Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, so 
that we can then buy them back!" They were utterly silent, and could 
find nothing to say.

5:9 Then I said, "The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not 
conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach 
of the Gentiles who are our enemies? 5:10 Even I and my relatives and my 
associates are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this 
practice of seizing collateral! 5:11 This very day return to them their 
fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with 
the interest that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, 
the new wine, and the olive oil."

5:12 They replied, "We will return these things, and we will no longer 
demand anything from them. We will do just as you say." Then I called 
the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear to do what had 
been promised. 5:13 I also shook out my garment, and I said, "In this 
way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who 
does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and 
emptied!" All the assembly replied, "So be it!" and they praised the 
LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.

5:14 From the day that I was appointed governor in the land of Judah, 
that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King 
Artaxerxes -- twelve years in all -- neither I nor my relatives ate the 
food allotted to the governor. 5:15 But the former governors who 
preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from 
them, in addition to forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also 
domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my 
fear of God. 5:16 I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even 
purchasing a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work.

5:17 There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely, in 
addition to those who came to us from the nations all around us. 5:18 
Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, 
and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I 
did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was 
demanding on this people.

5:19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for 
this people.

Opposition to the Rebuilding Efforts Continues

6:1 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies 
heard that I had rebuilt the wall and no breach remained in it (even 
though up to that time I had not positioned doors in the gates), 6:2 
Sanballat and Geshem sent word to me saying, "Come on! Let's set up a 
time to meet together at Kephirim in the plain of Ono." Now they 
intended to do me harm.

6:3 So I sent messengers to them saying, "I am engaged in an important 
work, and I am unable to come down. Why should the work come to a halt 
when I leave it to come down to you?" 6:4 They contacted me four times 
in this way, and I responded the same way each time.

6:5 The fifth time that Sanballat sent his assistant to me in this way, 
he had an open letter in his hand. 6:6 Written in it were the following 
words:

"Among the nations it is rumored (and Geshem has substantiated this) 
that you and the Jews have intentions of revolting, and for this reason 
you are building the wall. Furthermore, according to these rumors you 
are going to become their king. 6:7 You have also established prophets 
to announce in Jerusalem on your behalf, 'We have a king in Judah!' Now 
the king is going to hear about these rumors. So come on! Let's talk 
about this."

6:8 I sent word back to him, "We are not engaged in these activities you 
are describing. All of this is a figment of your imagination."

6:9 All of them were wanting to scare us, supposing, "Their hands will 
grow slack from the work, and it won't get done."

So now, strengthen my hands!

6:10 Then I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of 
Mehetabel. He was confined to his home. He said, "Let's set up a time to 
meet in the house of God, within the temple. Let's close the doors of 
the temple, for they are coming to kill you. It will surely be at night 
that they will come to kill you."

6:11 But I replied, "Should a man like me run away? Would someone like 
me flee to the temple in order to save his life? I will not go!" 6:12 I 
recognized the fact that God had not sent him, for he had spoken the 
prophecy against me as a hired agent of Tobiah and Sanballat. 6:13 He 
had been hired to scare me so that I would do this and thereby sin. They 
would thus bring reproach on me and I would be discredited.

6:14 Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in light of these actions 
of theirs -- also Noadiah the prophetess and the other prophets who were 
trying to scare me!

The Rebuilding of the Wall Is Finally Completed

6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in just 
fifty-two days. 6:16 When all our enemies heard and all the nations who 
were around us saw this, they were greatly disheartened. They knew that 
this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.

6:17 In those days the aristocrats of Judah repeatedly sent letters to 
Tobiah, and responses from Tobiah were repeatedly coming to them. 6:18 
For many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him, because he was the 
son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah. His son Jonathan had married the 
daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah. 6:19 They were telling me about 
his good deeds and then taking back to him the things I said. Tobiah, on 
the other hand, sent letters in order to scare me.

7:1 When the wall had been rebuilt and I had positioned the doors, and 
the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 7:2 I 
then put in charge over Jerusalem my brother Hanani and Hananiah the 
chief of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than 
many do. 7:3 I said to them, "The gates of Jerusalem must not be opened 
in the early morning, until those who are standing guard close the doors 
and lock them. Position residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their 
guard stations and some near their homes." 7:4 Now the city was spread 
out and large, and there were not a lot of people in it. At that time 
houses had not been rebuilt. 7:5 My God placed it on my heart to gather 
the leaders, the officials, and the ordinary people so they could be 
enrolled on the basis of genealogy. I found the genealogical records of 
those who had formerly returned. Here is what I found written in that 
record:

7:6 These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity 
of the exiles, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had forced into 
exile. They returned to Jerusalem and to Judah, each to his own city. 
7:7 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, 
Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The number of Israelite men was as follows:

7:8 the descendants of Parosh, 2,172;

7:9 the descendants of Shephatiah, 372;

7:10 the descendants of Arah, 652;

7:11 the descendants of Pahath-Moab (from the line of Jeshua and Joab), 
2,818;

7:12 the descendants of Elam, 1,254;

7:13 the descendants of Zattu, 845;

7:14 the descendants of Zaccai, 760;

7:15 the descendants of Binnui, 648;

7:16 the descendants of Bebai, 628;

7:17 the descendants of Azgad, 2,322;

7:18 the descendants of Adonikam, 667;

7:19 the descendants of Bigvai, 2,067;

7:20 the descendants of Adin, 655;

7:21 the descendants of Ater (through Hezekiah), 98;

7:22 the descendants of Hashum, 328;

7:23 the descendants of Bezai, 324;

7:24 the descendants of Harif, 112;

7:25 the descendants of Gibeon, 95;

7:26 The men of Bethlehem and Netophah, 188;

7:27 the men of Anathoth, 128;

7:28 the men of the family of Azmaveth, 42;

7:29 the men of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743;

7:30 the men of Ramah and Geba, 621;

7:31 the men of Micmash, 122;

7:32 the men of Bethel and Ai, 123;

7:33 the men of the other Nebo, 52;

7:34 the descendants of the other Elam, 1,254;

7:35 the descendants of Harim, 320;

7:36 the descendants of Jericho, 345;

7:37 the descendants of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721;

7:38 the descendants of Senaah, 3,930.

7:39 The priests:

the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua), 973;

7:40 the descendants of Immer, 1,052;

7:41 the descendants of Pashhur, 1,247;

7:42 the descendants of Harim, 1,017.

7:43 The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel, through the line of 
Hodaviah), 74.

7:44 The singers:

the descendants of Asaph, 148.

7:45 The gatekeepers:

the descendants of Shallum, the descendants of Ater, the descendants of 
Talmon, the descendants of Akkub, the descendants of Hatita, and the 
descendants of Shobai, 138.

7:46 The temple servants:

the descendants of Ziha, the descendants of Hasupha, the descendants of 
Tabbaoth, 7:47 the descendants of Keros, the descendants of Sia, the 
descendants of Padon, 7:48 the descendants of Lebanah, the descendants 
of Hagabah, the descendants of Shalmai, 7:49 the descendants of Hanan, 
the descendants of Giddel, the descendants of Gahar, 7:50 the 
descendants of Reaiah, the descendants of Rezin, the descendants of 
Nekoda, 7:51 the descendants of Gazzam, the descendants of Uzzah, the 
descendants of Paseah, 7:52 the descendants of Besai, the descendants of 
Meunim, the descendants of Nephussim, 7:53 the descendants of Bakbuk, 
the descendants of Hakupha, the descendants of Harhur, 7:54 the 
descendants of Bazluth, the descendants of Mehida, the descendants of 
Harsha, 7:55 the descendants of Barkos, the descendants of Sisera, the 
descendants of Temah, 7:56 the descendants of Neziah, the descendants of 
Hatipha.

7:57 The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of Sotai, the descendants of Sophereth, the descendants 
of Perida, 7:58 the descendants of Jaala, the descendants of Darkon, the 
descendants of Giddel, 7:59 the descendants of Shephatiah, the 
descendants of Hattil, the descendants of Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and the 
descendants of Amon.

7:60 All the temple servants and the descendants of the servants of 
Solomon, 392.

7:61 These are the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, 
Addon, and Immer (although they were unable to certify their family 
connection or their ancestry, as to whether they were really from Israel):

7:62 the descendants of Delaiah, the descendants of Tobiah, and the 
descendants of Nekoda, 642.

7:63 And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, the 
descendants of Hakkoz, and the descendants of Barzillai (who had married 
a woman from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by 
that name). 7:64 They searched for their records in the genealogical 
materials, but none were found. They were therefore excluded from the 
priesthood. 7:65 The governor instructed them not to eat any of the 
sacred food until there was a priest who could consult the Urim and Thummim.

7:66 The entire group numbered 42,360, 7:67 not counting their 7,337 
male and female servants. They also had 245 male and female singers. 
7:68 They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 7:69 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys. 
7:70 Some of the family leaders contributed to the work. The governor 
contributed to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 bowls, and 530 
priestly garments. 7:71 Some of the family leaders gave to the project 
treasury 20,000 gold drachmas and 2,200 silver minas. 7:72 What the rest 
of the people gave amounted to 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minas, 
and 67 priestly garments.

7:73 The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the 
people, the temple servants, and all the rest of Israel lived in their 
cities.



      Prayer


Lord, You ask us to be faithful one day at a time and to not worry about 
the distractions and threats of this world, and when we are faithful we 
will see that You will have done great things through us. May I strive 
to serve You faithfully in the little things, day by day, and celebrate 
when You choose to show me where Your hand has reached through me in 
some small way to make a difference for Your great plan.



      Commentary


By appointment of the king, Nehemiah served as governor of the area 
around Jerusalem, and was confronted with the abuses of Jews toward 
fellow Jews.

Wealthy Jewish landowners and officials had been imposing taxes on 
others, extracting money, and causing them to place their land up as 
collateral for loans to pay for the taxes.

Nehemiah called them in and chastised them, demanding that they restore 
what they had taken and release the property-liens, and if not they 
would face the wrath of God. They did as instructed.

Nehemiah also refused to use monies collected from the Jewish people for 
the government to pay for his food as a role-model of sacrifice.

Local enemies of Nehemiah send multiple messages to Nehemiah inviting 
him to a meeting, but he knew it to be an ambush and replied that he was 
busy about his work, so they hired a false prophet about whom the Lord 
also gave him discernment.

The work of the gates and walls was finally completed but the 
aristocrats had allied themselves with Tobiah because of his local 
political connections and there were additional threats to the Jews 
inside of the gates and walls, so Nehemiah assembled a list of the 
families and assigned responsibility for the guarding of the gates.



      Interaction


        Consider

The Lord God called a remnant home to rebuild the temple, gates, and 
walls in order to renew His relationship with them.


        Discuss

Why would the Jewish officials and wealthy take advantage of their 
fellow Jews knowing all they they had suffered together?



        Reflect

Despite all of the threats the Lord God kept them safe and supplied 
until the task had been completed.


        Share

When have you experienced of observed members of a community taking 
advantage of other members even while everyone in the community was 
suffering?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a task that He has for you where 
there will be opposition but that you are to trust and obey despite your 
fears.



        Action:

Today I will step out in faith, believe the Lord God for His calling and 
promises, and complete each day's steps toward the completion of His 
assigned ministry. It may be parenting a difficult child or being a 
child in a difficult family, it may be sharing Christ with someone whom 
the Holy Spirit has prepared but who is likely to respond with wide 
swings of positive and negative reactions, it may be saying no to a job 
or a promotion or some other opportunity that the world says is 
important because He has given you a different ministry. As needed 
access fellow believers for accountability, encouragement, fellowship, 
and prayer.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Wednesday


      Nehemiah 8 -- 9:15



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Tue Mar 29 23:15:39 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:15:39 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] =?windows-1252?q?Wednesday_-_Nehemiah_8_=96_9?=
	=?windows-1252?q?=3A15?=
Message-ID: <4D92A05B.2010906@bibleseven.com>


    Wednesday


      Nehemiah 8 ? 9:15



The People Respond to the Reading of the Law

When the seventh month arrived and the Israelites were settled in their 
cities,

8:1 all the people gathered together in the plaza which was in front of 
the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law 
of Moses which the LORD had commanded Israel. 8:2 So Ezra the priest 
brought the law before the assembly which included men and women and all 
those able to understand what they heard. (This happened on the first 
day of the seventh month.) 8:3 So he read it before the plaza in front 
of the Water Gate from dawn till noon before the men and women and those 
children who could understand. All the people were eager to hear the 
book of the law.

8:4 Ezra the scribe stood on a towering wooden platform constructed for 
this purpose. Standing near him on his right were Mattithiah, Shema, 
Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masseiah. On his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, 
Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 8:5 Ezra 
opened the book in plain view of all the people, for he was elevated 
above all the people. When he opened the book, all the people stood up. 
8:6 Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people replied 
?Amen! Amen!? as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and 
worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

8:7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, 
Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah ? all of whom were Levites 
? were teaching the people the law, as the people remained standing. 8:8 
They read from the book of God?s law, explaining it and imparting 
insight. Thus the people gained understanding from what was read.

8:9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priestly scribe, and the 
Levites who were imparting understanding to the people said to all of 
them, ?This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.? For 
all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the law. 
8:10 He said to them, ?Go and eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and 
send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is 
holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.?

8:11 Then the Levites quieted all the people saying, ?Be quiet, for this 
day is holy. Do not grieve.? 8:12 So all the people departed to eat and 
drink and to share their food with others and to enjoy tremendous joy, 
for they had gained insight in the matters that had been made known to them.

8:13 On the second day of the month the family leaders met with Ezra the 
scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to 
consider the words of the law. 8:14 They discovered written in the law 
that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should 
live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 
8:15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this 
message in all their cities and in Jerusalem: ?Go to the hill country 
and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle 
trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary 
shelters, as it is written.?

8:16 So the people went out and brought these things back and 
constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in 
his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple of God and in the 
plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. 8:17 So all 
the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary 
shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days 
of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great 
joy. 8:18 Ezra read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the 
first day to the last. They observed the festival for seven days, and on 
the eighth day they held an assembly as was required.

The People Acknowledge Their Sin before God

9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of this same month the Israelites 
assembled; they were fasting and wearing sackcloth, their heads covered 
with dust. 9:2 Those truly of Israelite descent separated from all the 
foreigners, standing and confessing their sins and the iniquities of 
their ancestors. 9:3 For one-fourth of the day they stood in their place 
and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God, and for another 
fourth they were confessing their sins and worshiping the LORD their 
God. 9:4 Then the Levites ? Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, 
Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani ? stood on the steps and called out loudly 
to the LORD their God. 9:5 The Levites ? Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, 
Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah ? said, ?Stand 
up and bless the LORD your God!?

?May you be blessed, O LORD our God, from age to age. May your glorious 
name be blessed; may it be lifted up above all blessing and praise. 9:6 
You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, 
along with all their multitude of stars, the earth and all that is on 
it, the seas and all that is in them. You impart life to them all, and 
the multitudes of heaven worship you.

9:7 ?You are the LORD God who chose Abram and brought him forth from Ur 
of the Chaldeans. You changed his name to Abraham. 9:8 When you 
perceived that his heart was faithful toward you, you established a 
covenant with him to give his descendants the land of the Canaanites, 
the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the 
Girgashites. You have fulfilled your promise, for you are righteous.

9:9 ?You saw the affliction of our ancestors in Egypt, and you heard 
their cry at the Red Sea. 9:10 You performed awesome signs against 
Pharaoh, against his servants, and against all the people of his land, 
for you knew that the Egyptians had acted presumptuously against them. 
You made for yourself a name that is celebrated to this day. 9:11 You 
split the sea before them, and they crossed through the sea on dry 
ground! But you threw their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into 
surging waters. 9:12 You guided them with a pillar of cloud by day and 
with a pillar of fire by night to illumine for them the path they were 
to travel.

9:13 ?You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You 
provided them with just judgments, true laws, and good statutes and 
commandments. 9:14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath; you issued 
commandments, statutes, and law to them through Moses your servant. 9:15 
You provided bread from heaven for them in their time of hunger, and you 
brought forth water from the rock for them in their time of thirst. You 
told them to enter in order to possess the land that you had sworn to 
give them.



      Prayer


Lord, when we listen You remind us of the contrast between Your 
faithfulness and our unfaithfulness, and we are brought to our knees in 
repentance. May I prayerfully reflect daily to be certain that I view my 
choices through Your holy eyes and not the imperfect perspective of this 
fallen world.


      Commentary


The people were called to a great assembly and Ezra the scribe read the 
book of Moses to them. As he did so Nehemiah and the Levites joined him 
in explaining the words to them and the people began to praise the Lord 
God and to weep.

Ezra and Nehemiah and the Levites instructed them, saying ?This day is 
holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.? but to instead be 
joyful and celebrate ? and so they did.

The people returned and Ezra read some more during which time they 
re-discovered the Festival of Shelters and so they gathered resources 
and created temporary shelters where they lived for seven days as Ezra 
read and taught some more ? then they gathered again in a great assembly.

Those of true Israelite heritage stepped forward and the leaders recited 
the history of God's relationship with Israel and their many offenses 
against Him, concluding that their slavery in the Promised Land was a 
result of their rebellion, and that they now made a covenant of 
faithfulness ? even written down in a Levitical document.



      Interaction


        Consider

Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites invested a great deal of time in 
assisting the people in a clear understanding of the law of Moses.


        Discuss

Why did the Lord God cause them to read the history until it caused them 
to weep, then to celebrate, then to begin observance of the Feast of 
Booths (temporary shelters), then to stand as their leaders recited the 
history?



        Reflect

The Jews had agreed to covenants with the Lord God before, alongside the 
desert, at the mountain. This time, however, there was nothing about a 
Promised Land ? they were captives there ? instead it was about their 
relationship with the Lord God and nothing else.


        Share

When have you experienced or observed a fellowship reciting its history 
in order to acquire perspective as to their purpose?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a choice or choices you have made, 
or are making, which has placed you in a less-than-optimum position in 
your relationship with the Lord God ? and fellow humans.



        Action:

Today I will confess my poor decisions, acknowledge that the 
consequences are my responsibility, repent and accept the Lord God's 
forgiveness, and covenant (contract) with Him to live a walk of 
faithfulness to Him. I will share this with a fellow believer and ask 
them to pray in-agreement with me for the strength to stay that course.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Thursday's text will be:


      Nehemiah 9:16 - 10



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Wed Mar 30 21:31:52 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:31:52 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Thursday - Nehemiah 9:16 - 10
Message-ID: <4D93D988.3090408@bibleseven.com>


    Thursday


      Nehemiah 9:16 - 10



9:16 "But they -- our ancestors -- behaved presumptuously; they rebelled 
and did not obey your commandments. 9:17 They refused to obey and did 
not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, 
they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in 
Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, 
slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. You did not abandon 
them, 9:18 even when they made a cast image of a calf for themselves and 
said, 'This is your God who brought you up from Egypt,' or when they 
committed atrocious blasphemies.

9:19 "Due to your great compassion you did not abandon them in the 
desert. The pillar of cloud did not stop guiding them in the path by 
day, nor did the pillar of fire stop illuminating for them by night the 
path on which they should travel. 9:20 You imparted your good Spirit to 
instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths; you 
provided water for their thirst. 9:21 For forty years you sustained 
them. Even in the desert they never lacked anything. Their clothes did 
not wear out and their feet did not swell.

9:22 "You gave them kingdoms and peoples, and you allocated them to 
every corner of the land. They inherited the land of King Sihon of 
Heshbon and the land of King Og of Bashan. 9:23 You multiplied their 
descendants like the stars of the sky. You brought them to the land you 
had told their ancestors to enter in order to possess. 9:24 Their 
descendants entered and possessed the land. You subdued before them the 
Canaanites who were the inhabitants of the land. You delivered them into 
their hand, together with their kings and the peoples of the land, to 
deal with as they pleased. 9:25 They captured fortified cities and 
fertile land. They took possession of houses full of all sorts of good 
things -- wells previously dug, vineyards, olive trees, and fruit trees 
in abundance. They ate until they were full and grew fat. They enjoyed 
to the full your great goodness.

9:26 "Nonetheless they grew disobedient and rebelled against you; they 
disregarded your law. They killed your prophets who had solemnly 
admonished them in order to cause them to return to you. They committed 
atrocious blasphemies. 9:27 Therefore you delivered them into the hand 
of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their 
distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant 
compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from their 
adversaries.

9:28 "Then, when they were at rest again, they went back to doing evil 
before you. Then you abandoned them to their enemies, and they gained 
dominion over them. When they again cried out to you, in your compassion 
you heard from heaven and rescued them time and again. 9:29 And you 
solemnly admonished them in order to return them to your law, but they 
behaved presumptuously and did not obey your commandments. They sinned 
against your ordinances -- those by which an individual, if he obeys 
them, will live. They boldly turned from you; they rebelled and did not 
obey. 9:30 You prolonged your kindness with them for many years, and you 
solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still 
they paid no attention, so you delivered them into the hands of the 
neighboring peoples. 9:31 However, due to your abundant mercy you did 
not do away with them altogether; you did not abandon them. For you are 
a merciful and compassionate God.

9:32 "So now, our God -- the great, powerful, and awesome God, who keeps 
covenant fidelity -- do not regard as inconsequential all the hardship 
that has befallen us -- our kings, our leaders, our priests, our 
prophets, our ancestors, and all your people -- from the days of the 
kings of Assyria until this very day! 9:33 You are righteous with regard 
to all that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully. It is we 
who have been in the wrong! 9:34 Our kings, our leaders, our priests, 
and our ancestors have not kept your law. They have not paid attention 
to your commandments or your testimonies by which you have solemnly 
admonished them. 9:35 Even when they were in their kingdom and 
benefiting from your incredible goodness that you had lavished on them 
in the spacious and fertile land you had set before them, they did not 
serve you, nor did they turn from their evil practices.

9:36 "So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors 
to eat its fruit and to enjoy its good things -- we are slaves! 9:37 Its 
abundant produce goes to the kings you have placed over us due to our 
sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they see fit, and 
we are in great distress!

The People Pledge to be Faithful

9:38 "Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant in 
written form; our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have affixed 
their names on the sealed document."

10:1 On the sealed documents were the following names:

Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, along with Zedekiah,

10:2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

10:3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,

10:4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

10:5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

10:6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

10:7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

10:8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.

10:9 The Levites were as follows:

Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel.

10:10 Their colleagues were as follows:

Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

10:11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

10:12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

10:13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

10:14 The leaders of the people were as follows:

Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

10:15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

10:16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

10:17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

10:18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

10:19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

10:20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

10:21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

10:22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

10:23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

10:24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

10:25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

10:26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

10:27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

10:28 "Now the rest of the people -- the priests, the Levites, the 
gatekeepers, the singers, the temple attendants, and all those who have 
separated themselves from the neighboring peoples because of the law of 
God, along with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all of 
whom are able to understand -- 10:29 hereby participate with their 
colleagues the town leaders and enter into a curse and an oath to adhere 
to the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and 
to obey carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, along with 
his ordinances and his statutes.

10:30 "We will not give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring 
peoples, and we will not take their daughters in marriage for our sons. 
10:31 We will not buy on the Sabbath or on a holy day from the 
neighboring peoples who bring their wares and all kinds of grain to sell 
on the Sabbath day. We will let the fields lie fallow every seventh 
year, and we will cancel every loan. 10:32 We accept responsibility for 
fulfilling the commands to give one third of a shekel each year for the 
work of the temple of our God, 10:33 for the loaves of presentation and 
for the regular grain offerings and regular burnt offerings, for the 
Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the appointed meetings, for the holy 
offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for 
all the work of the temple of our God.

10:34 "We -- the priests, the Levites, and the people -- have cast lots 
concerning the wood offerings, to bring them to the temple of our God 
according to our families at the designated times year by year to burn 
on the altar of the LORD our God, as is written in the law. 10:35 We 
also accept responsibility for bringing the first fruits of our land and 
the first fruits of every fruit tree year by year to the temple of the 
LORD. 10:36 We also accept responsibility, as is written in the law, for 
bringing the firstborn of our sons and our cattle and the firstborn of 
our herds and of our flocks to the temple of our God, to the priests who 
are ministering in the temple of our God. 10:37 We will also bring the 
first of our coarse meal, of our contributions, of the fruit of every 
tree, of new wine, and of olive oil to the priests at the storerooms of 
the temple of our God, along with a tenth of the produce of our land to 
the Levites, for the Levites are the ones who collect the tithes in all 
the cities where we work. 10:38 A priest of Aaron's line will be with 
the Levites when the Levites collect the tithes, and the Levites will 
bring up a tenth of the tithes to the temple of our God, to the 
storerooms of the treasury. 10:39 The Israelites and the Levites will 
bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to 
the storerooms where the utensils of the sanctuary are kept, and where 
the priests who minister stay, along with the gatekeepers and the 
singers. We will not neglect the temple of our God."



      Prayer


Lord, You are always righteous and always faithful, yet we repeatedly 
disrespect, disobey, and dishonor You. May I remember Your righteousness 
and faithfulness daily as a reminder of the high and perfect standard 
You set and my obligation to reach toward that goal.



      Commentary


Nehemiah and Ezra led the people in reciting the history of Israel as a 
confession of rebellion as their priests placed their names on a written 
covenant of obedience.

They declared the following truths "You are righteous with regard to all 
that has happened to us, for you have acted faithfully. It is we who 
have been in the wrong! Our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our 
ancestors have not kept your law. "

As had been the historical practice the covenant included "... a curse 
and an oath to adhere to the law of God which was given through Moses 
the servant of God, and to obey carefully all the commandments of the 
LORD our Lord, along with his ordinances and his statutes. We will not 
give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring peoples, and we will 
not take their daughters in marriage for our sons." They also agreed to 
a series of Sabbath practices and other religious celebrations.



      Interaction


        Consider

The people were comparing their most-recent offenses to those of 
historic Israel and were pleading for the Lord God to grant them mercy 
yet one more time.


        Discuss

Why would the people think that after bringing them back to Jerusalem as 
a remnant, still in slavery to Assyria, God would forgive them for the 
same old disobedience?


        Reflect

The process of including blessings and curses gives clear justice to 
consequences for rebellion and to blessings for obedience.


        Share

When have you pleaded for mercy after repeating the same offense 
multiple times?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a pattern of disobedience in your life.



        Action:

Today I will confess, repent, and accept the Lord God's forgiveness. I 
will covenant with Him, in the presence of at least one fellow believer 
as a witness, to intentionally refrain from that sin.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Friday


      Nehemiah 11 - 12



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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From dcolburn at bibleseven.com  Thu Mar 31 20:50:46 2011
From: dcolburn at bibleseven.com (dcolburn at bibleseven.com)
Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2011 20:50:46 -0400
Subject: [Linux4christians] Friday - Nehemiah 11 - 12
Message-ID: <4D952166.8010803@bibleseven.com>


    Friday


      Nehemiah 11 - 12



The Population of Jerusalem

11:1 So the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, while the rest 
of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to settle in 
Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remained in other cities. 
11:2 The people gave their blessing on all the men who volunteered to 
settle in Jerusalem.

11:3 These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem. (While 
other Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple attendants, and 
the sons of the servants of Solomon settled in the cities of Judah, each 
on his own property in their cities, 11:4 some of the descendants of 
Judah and some of the descendants of Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.)

Of the descendants of Judah:

Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son 
of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, from the descendants of Perez; 11:5 
and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, 
the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, from the 
descendants of Shelah. 11:6 The sum total of the descendants of Perez 
who were settling in Jerusalem was 468 exceptional men.

11:7 These are the descendants of Benjamin:

Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of 
Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, 
11:8 and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai -- 928 in all. 11:9 Joel son 
of Zicri was the officer in charge of them, and Judah son of Hassenuah 
was second-in-command over the city.

11:10 From the priests:

Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jakin, 11:11 Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of 
Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, 
supervisor in the temple of God, 11:12 and their colleagues who were 
carrying out work for the temple -- 822; and Adaiah son of Jeroham, the 
son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of 
Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, 11:13 and his colleagues who were heads of 
families -- 242; and Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son 
of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, 11:14 and his colleagues who were 
exceptional men -- 128. The officer over them was Zabdiel the son of 
Haggedolim.

11:15 From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the 
son of Bunni; 11:16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, leaders of the Levites, were 
in charge of the external work for the temple of God; 11:17 Mattaniah 
son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the praise leader who 
led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his colleagues; 
and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. 11:18 
The sum total of the Levites in the holy city was 284.

11:19 And the gatekeepers:

Akkub, Talmon and their colleagues who were guarding the gates -- 172.

11:20 And the rest of the Israelites, with the priests and the Levites, 
were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own property.

11:21 The temple attendants were living on Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa 
were over them.

11:22 The overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the 
son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. He was one of 
Asaph's descendants who were the singers responsible for the service of 
the temple of God. 11:23 For they were under royal orders which 
determined their activity day by day.

11:24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah son 
of Judah, was an adviser to the king in every matter pertaining to the 
people.

11:25 As for the settlements with their fields, some of the people of 
Judah settled in Kiriath Arba and its neighboring villages, in Dibon and 
its villages, in Jekabzeel and its settlements, 11:26 in Jeshua, in 
Moladah, in Beth Pelet, 11:27 in Hazar Shual, in Beer Sheba and its 
villages, 11:28 in Ziklag, in Meconah and its villages, 11:29 in En 
Rimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth, 11:30 Zanoah, Adullam and their 
settlements, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its villages. 
So they were encamped from Beer Sheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

11:31 Some of the descendants of Benjamin settled in Geba, Micmash, 
Aija, Bethel and its villages, 11:32 in Anathoth, Nob, and Ananiah, 
11:33 in Hazor, Ramah, and Gittaim, 11:34 in Hadid, Zeboim, and 
Neballat, 11:35 in Lod, Ono, and the Valley of the Craftsmen. 11:36 Some 
of the Judean divisions of the Levites settled in Benjamin.

The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem

12:1 These are the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son 
of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 12:2 Amariah, Malluch, 
Hattush, 12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 12:4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, 
12:5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, 12:6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 12:7 
Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests 
and their colleagues in the days of Jeshua.

12:8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and 
Mattaniah, who together with his colleagues was in charge of the songs 
of thanksgiving. 12:9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their colleagues, stood 
opposite them in the services.

12:10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of 
Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada, 12:11 Joiada was the father 
of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

12:12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests who were leaders of 
the families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 12:13 of Ezra, 
Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 12:14 of Malluch, Jonathan; of 
Shecaniah, Joseph; 12:15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth, Helkai; 12:16 of 
Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 12:17 of Abijah, Zicri; of 
Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai; 12:18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, 
Jehonathan; 12:19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 12:20 of 
Sallu, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 12:21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, 
Nethanel.

12:22 As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and 
Jaddua the heads of families were recorded, as were the priests during 
the reign of Darius the Persian. 12:23 The descendants of Levi were 
recorded in the Book of the Chronicles as heads of families up to the 
days of Johanan son of Eliashib. 12:24 And the leaders of the Levites 
were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their colleagues, 
who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks, one contingent 
corresponding to the other, as specified by David the man of God.

12:25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were 
gatekeepers who were guarding the storerooms at the gates. 12:26 These 
all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and 
in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priestly scribe.

The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated

12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the 
Levites from all the places they lived to bring them to Jerusalem to 
celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs 
accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. 12:28 The singers were also 
assembled from the district around Jerusalem and from the settlements of 
the Netophathites 12:29 and from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba 
and Azmaveth, for the singers had built settlements for themselves 
around Jerusalem. 12:30 When the priests and Levites had purified 
themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

12:31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I 
appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on the top 
of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate. 12:32 Going after them were 
Hoshaiah, half the leaders of Judah, 12:33 Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 
12:34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 12:35 some of the priests 
with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son 
of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 
12:36 and his colleagues -- Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, 
Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani -- with musical instruments of David the man 
of God. (Ezra the scribe led them.) 12:37 They went over the Fountain 
Gate and continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the 
ascent to the wall. They passed the house of David and continued on to 
the Water Gate toward the east.

12:38 The second choir was proceeding in the opposite direction. I 
followed them, along with half the people, on top of the wall, past the 
Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 12:39 over the Ephraim Gate, the 
Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the 
Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

12:40 Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations in the 
temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me, 12:41 
and the priests -- Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, 
Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets -- 12:42 and also Maaseiah, 
Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The choirs 
sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah. 12:43 And on that day they 
offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. 
The women and children also rejoiced. The rejoicing in Jerusalem could 
be heard from far away.

12:44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the 
contributions, first fruits, and tithes, to gather into them from the 
fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests 
and the Levites, for the people of Judah took delight in the priests and 
Levites who were ministering. 12:45 They performed the service of their 
God and the service of purification, along with the singers and 
gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and his son Solomon. 
12:46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been 
directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God. 
12:47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all 
Israel was contributing the portions for the singers and gatekeepers, 
according to the daily need. They also set aside the portion for the 
Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.



      Prayer


Lord, when You set apart the remnant and called them to righteousness 
You stirred their hearts to love one-another, and to worship You. May I 
be stirred to righteousness every day and give You praise every moment 
that You accepted me as Your child.



      Commentary


The leaders lived in Jerusalem. Ten percent of the population of the 
remnant of Israel, who resided in the region, were chosen by lot to also 
live in Jerusalem. The spirit of God upon the people was such that those 
who were chosen were blessed by those who were not.

There was a great celebration of the completion of the walls. Levites 
were recruits from the region to come and to lead the praises in two 
great choirs.



      Interaction



        Consider

The Jews were still surrounded by displeased locals who both feared and 
hated what they were doing in Jerusalem.


        Discuss

Why would they have chosen ten percent of the population to live inside 
the newly rebuilt walls of Jerusalem?



        Reflect

They had kept detailed records of the generations of Levites and other 
families and tribes, despite the battles and deportation.


        Share

When have you given praise to the Lord despite the disapproval of people 
around you?



      Faith in Action


        Prayer:

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you a way that He has blessed you.



        Action:

Today I will pause to give praise to the Lord God and all that He has 
done for me.


        Be Specific ______________________________________________________



    Saturday's text will be:


      Nehemiah 13



-- 

Draw nearer to the Lord and He will bless you,
Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!
David M. Colburn, DMin. MaCo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Site: http://bibleseven.com
Bible Resources: http://bible.org
Teacher's Verse: John 7:16
Defend free speech or lose your freedom.
I don't google I SEARCH! http://ixquick.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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