Friday, May 31, 2013 Fruitful in the Land of my Affliction GEN 41:51-52 ESV Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father's house." The name of the second he called Ephraim, "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction." ---------------------------------------------------------- Joseph has had it hard. He was singled out by his father as the most loved of 12 boys. That's gotta hurt! The whole robe thing i...
May 31, 2013•5 min
Thursday, May 30, 2013 Go in, listen to , lie beside, be with Genesis 38:7-10 ESV But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord , and the Lord put him to death. Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his. So whenever he went in to his brother's wife he would waste the semen on the ground, so as not to give offspring to his broth...
May 30, 2013•5 min
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 a silent tsunami crashing the shore without warning. Psalms 34:18 (NLT) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. ______________________________________________ There is a heaviness. It fills the breast and presses in like a weight. It takes your breath away but sometimes slowly crushing and other times coming like a silent tsunami crashing the shore without warning. While trying to shift it you feel guilt for a thing you can not ...
May 29, 2013•3 min
Saturday, May 25, 2013 A few things you may have missed about Abraham Genesis 25:1-18 ESV 1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and whi...
May 25, 2013•8 min
Isaac Bound at Bingham Park by William Bode
May 24, 2013•3 min
Thursday, May 23, 2013 Mistaken identity Genesis 21:1-7 ESV The Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah...
May 23, 2013•6 min
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 A Catch-Up Day Promise I'm currently on day seven of a ten week plan to read through the first five books of the Bible written by Moses. Every week the plan has built in a catch-up day. Here's a bit about the reading plan and an invitation to join me. For today's Bible thought skip to the passage from 2 Timothy. On this catch-up day I decided to add in another reading plan and I have included information about it and have written today's note in response to it. I'll plan ...
May 22, 2013•6 min
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Is God not more just and merciful than you? Genesis 18:32 ESV Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." _____________________ Here in Genesis 18 God debates within himself the appropriateness of telling Abraham his plan to judge Sodom. (v.17) Abraham, most likely thinking of Lot, his nephew, begins to consider the consequences of judgement on Sodo...
May 21, 2013•4 min
Annie Alligator ate Albert Ape’s apples. Billy Beaver broke Bernie Buffaloes’ bat. Charlie Chipmunk chewed Cathy Cat’s cloth. Danny Dog dented Daisy Deer’s door. Eddie Elephant eats Edith Eagle’s egg. Freddie Fish fans Faye Flounder’s fin. Gilbert Gorilla gave Gordon Goat gold. Harry Horse helped Henry Hare hoe. Ingrid Impala installed Irene Ibis’s ipad. Jerry Jackal jumped Joan Jaguar’s jaws. Kim Kangaroo kissed Kevin Koala’s kids. Larry Leopard lost Lucy Lion’s lunch. Mary Mole made Mike Meerk...
May 12, 2013•3 min
Sunday, May 05, 2013 Trickle Down Systemic Sin Ezekiel 22:23-31 NLT Again a message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain. Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no d...
May 05, 2013•4 min
Saturday, May 04, 2013 Not a fairy tale. Not a fairy tale. real people, real places, Ezekiel 20:1-3 NLT On August 14, during the seventh year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, some of the leaders of Israel came to request a message from the Lord. They sat down in front of me to wait for his reply. Then this message came to me from the Lord: “Son of man, tell the leaders of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: How dare you come to ask me for a message? As surely as I live, says the Sovere...
May 04, 2013•2 min
Friday, May 03, 2013 A costly defeat! (First published on 12/19/11, edited and republished 03/05/13) {Middle of the last book of the Bible} Revelation 12:9 This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. ----------------------------- The Devil is real! Here in Revelation chapter 12 you get a great correlation of information, Dragon, Serpent, Devil, Satan, "fallen" Angel all referring to the same...
May 03, 2013•8 min
Thursday, May 02, 2013 Excessive Sin Given Excessive Forgiveness Ezekiel 16:23-25, 42-43, 48-52, 62-63 NLT “What sorrow awaits you, says the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square. On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution. “Then at last my fury against you will be spent, and my jealous anger will subside. I will be calm and will...
May 02, 2013•6 min
Wednesday, May 01, 2013 Look for Unity. https://soundcloud.com/wkbode/sets/blog iTunes:https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/william-bode/id635644278 Ezekiel 9:4-10 NASB The Lord said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst." But to the others He said in my hearing, "Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have ...
May 01, 2013•4 min
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 A Word Study in Abomination Audio Blog iTunes Ezekiel 7:1-9 NASB Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, "And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. Now the end is upon you, and I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring all your abominations upon you. For My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will bring your ways up...
Apr 30, 2013•4 min
https://soundcloud.com/wkbode/sets/blog https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/william-bode/id635644278 Monday, April 29, 2013 The role of a prophet of God. Ezekiel 2:1-10 NLT “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. “Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling ...
Apr 29, 2013•5 min
Originally wrttien 12/23/11 https://soundcloud.com/wkbode/theology101 Psalm 144:3-4 3 O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them?4 For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow. Psalm 144 http://www.youversion.com/bible/nlt/ps/144/3-4 ------------------- The impact of this passage depends to some extent on your theology. Simply, Do you correctly understand who and what God is? God is eternal! That is, God has...
Apr 28, 2013•7 min
Saturday, April 27, 2013 The compatibility of bringing grief and showing compassion. Lamentations 3:31-33 NLT For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. ___________ I've finished reading Jeremiah and Lamentations this week. I've also been preparing a Bible study on Joshua chapter 11. I'm very concerned for you and for me. I think we have ...
Apr 27, 2013•5 min
Friday, April 26, 2013 The tables have turned. Audio Blog iTunes Jeremiah 50:4-5, 20, 31 NLT “In those coming days,” says the Lord, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the Lord with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten. In those days,” says the Lord, “no sin will be found in Israel or in Judah, for...
Apr 26, 2013•3 min
Thursday, April 25, 2013 A dark skinned man brings light to darkest days. Audio Blog iTunes Jeremiah 38:7-13 NLT But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. “My lord the king,” he said, “these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bre...
Apr 25, 2013•5 min
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 Come and learn a lesson https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/william-bode/id635644278 Jeremiah 35:1-19 NLT This is the message the Lord gave Jeremiah when Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah: “Go to the settlement where the families of the Recabites live, and invite them to the Lord’s Temple. Take them into one of the inner rooms, and offer them some wine.” So I went to see Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah and all his brothers and sons—represen...
Apr 24, 2013•6 min
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 Rebellion, gone Listen to the audio blog on SoundCloud or iTunes I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Jeremiah 33:8 We are all prone to giving up. It is so easy to be a quitter. And we have good reason to feel despair We have offended God. In our rebellion, we have broke his every law. We have treated his kindness with disregard and we have flaunted our hard hearts and sin. We think that we will change but we fail. We put o...
Apr 23, 2013•5 min
Monday, April 22, 2013 endless galaxies of your unknown Jeremiah 31:33-34 NLT “But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me al...
Apr 22, 2013•7 min
Sunday, April 21, 2013 God isn't playing God, He is God Audio Blog Now on iTunes as a podcast Awaiting His return! God isn't playing God, He is God Originally posted on Google Groups 1/10/12 ____________________ For the LORD hardened their hearts and caused them to fight the Israelites. So they were completely destroyed without mercy, as the LORD had commanded Moses. Joshua 11:20 _____________________ Joshua 11 is an uncomfortable chapter to read, especially if you do not want to accept God as g...
Apr 21, 2013•8 min
Saturday, April 20, 2013 A heart to know me.-- A Tale of Two Figs. Audio Blog https://soundcloud.com/wkbode/consider-the-following-a-heart Now on iTunes as a podcast : https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/william-bode/id635644278 Jeremiah 24:6-8 NIV My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord . They will be my people,...
Apr 20, 2013•7 min
Friday, April 19, 2013 Social welfare is the strongest defence. Jeremiah 22:3, 13, 16-17 NIV This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his own people work for nothing, not paying them for their labor. He defended...
Apr 19, 2013•5 min
Thursday, April 18, 2013 Dirtbags? Jeremiah 18:1-10 NIV This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord : “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” d...
Apr 18, 2013•5 min
Wednesday, April 17, 2013 Do you really want to be a fisherman? Jeremiah 16:14-18 NLT “But the time is coming,” says the Lord , “when people who are taking an oath will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who rescued the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.’ Instead, they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the people of Israel back to their own land from the land of the north and from all the countries to which he had exiled them.’ For I will bring them back to this...
Apr 17, 2013•6 min
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 The nature of sin. Audio Blog Jeremiah 14:20-22 NLT Lord, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you. For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us. Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wa...
Apr 16, 2013•4 min
Street Musicians at Debenhams by William Bode
Apr 15, 2013•3 min
