 The Bible Challenge day 297
Daniel 3-4, Psalm 93, Revelation 17
As we've journeyed through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and now find ourselves staring at King Nebuchadnezzar's impressive and seductive golden statue -- symbol of the swollen pride and desire for control of the Babylonian Empire -- I am reminded of the clarity and consistency of the biblical witness: God is the proper and only end of human worship. It's where the ten commandments begin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the bondage of Egypt, you shall have no other Gods but me. Get worship right and blessings ensue; get worship wrong and all hell -- in the form of economic exploitation, sexual infidelity, national and familial strife, to name just a few -- breaks loose.
Sharach, Meshach and Abednego ("Rack", "Shack", and "Benny" to those whose faith was weaned on Veggie Tales) Jewish exiles in Babylon, but also up and coming leaders in the Babylonian bureaucracy confront the challenge to maintain their witness to and worship of the one, true and sovereign God in the face of all the glitter, gold and ritualized pretensions of the Babylonian Empire. These resident aliens embrace the fiery flames of the super-heated furnace rather than compromising their faith. Miraculously preserved by an angelic-like presence, they emerge from the furnace with not even their clothes smelling of the fire. With God's help, they take the heat and even Nebuchadnezzar himself ends by blessing God. Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Chapter 4, which concludes with the king humiliation and extended praise of God, only reinforces the message of God's sovereignty in these two vivid and memorable chapters.
I find that "Resident aliens" is a helpful way to understand what it means for me and all of us to be "in the world but not of the world". God created us to inhabit this beautiful world. We are residents in a creation that God declares "very good." But we find true contentment and abundant life in God and not the ways of the world. In that important sense we are aliens. In every age the call to love God with all our heart, mind , soul and strength confronts the cultural undertow that would pull our defining energies and deepest devotions in a direction other than God. Changing the metaphor back to the biblical story, in such moments we must be prepared to take the heat. As the Psalmist bracingly declares: The Lord is king.
Andrew Sherman
 Daniel 1-2, Psalm 92, Revelation 16
Have you ever have been in a difficult situation where you felt captive; one that limited your freedom; one that went against your morals and religious beliefs?
Well that is exactly the situation of Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They had become young prisoners of war; prisoners of the Babylonians Empire. They were captured, chained and whisked away from their country of Judah and brought to Babylon 500 miles away. Daniel and his friends were forced (or maybe God choose them) as future servants of King Nebuchadnezzar but first they needed to be indoctrinated with Babylonian culture for three years.
This was a difficult situation but Daniel made the best out of it. These four young men stood out among the others in worldly wisdom and understanding. They apparently were at the top of their class (Summa Cum Laude). And Daniel had a spiritual gift of understanding and interpreting dreams.
King Nebuchadnezzar took notice of their gifts. At one point, Daniel’s life was at stake and he prayed to heaven for the answer. He then interprets the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar but makes it very clear that it is the God of heaven who reveals mysteries (2:28). The dream reveals other temporary kingdoms which will follow Babylon. But during that time the God of heaven will set up an eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed.
King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges Daniels’ God as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and then rewards Daniel and his friends.
Isn’t nice to know, that God doesn’t abandon us when we are in difficult situations. He allows us a way out which will glorify and honor Him.
My prayer for you is when the next time you are in a difficult situation, cling to God and see how you can honor and glorify Him.
Serving Christ Together.
+Todd
 Susan R. Beebe
Today we arrive at the end of the book Ezekiel. The journey has been difficult, but it has brought us to a mystically beautiful place.
Remember the valley of dry bones back in chapter 37? Ezekiel prophesied, “Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves… I will bring you back to the land of Israel…I will place you on your own soil.” Today we catch a glimpse of this promise fulfilled. Israel’s borders are established once again as they were in the book of Joshua.
There are a few differences, but for the most part. God’s people are returned to the boundaries of old.
But chapter 37 spoke of more than just restoration to the land. It promised that God’s very presence would remain forever in Israel’s midst: “[I] will set my sanctuary among them for evermore. My dwelling-place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Today’s reading provides a vision of this prophecy fulfilled as well. The temple is established in Jerusalem. An ever-deepening river flows from the sanctuary all the way to the Dead Sea, where it brings life to that which has been stagnant and dead. The book of Ezekiel closes thus: “the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord is There.” The presence of the living God is the greatest gift, and it shall never again be taken away.
Psalm 91 and Revelation 15 speak of God’s presence as well. Revelation reminds us of God’s power as the temple fills with smoke from God’s glory. But the psalmist reminds us of the comfort in drawing near to God as well. We are encouraged to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, where salvation and safety are found.
I am grateful that in Christ Jesus we may draw near to God with confidence no matter where we find ourselves. Today may each of us dwell in that powerful, comforting presence.
 Daily Blog – Day 293, Ezekiel 45-46, Psalm 90, Revelation
14
And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters,
and like the voice of great thunder, and the voice I heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps. And they are singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased for God
from the earth. Rev. 14:2-3
Have you ever wondered what the voice of
God sounds like? Sometimes it is a thought that will be asked of us by a child. Reading these words causes me to ask
myself,“Have I ever heard the voice of God?” It helps me to remember that I have, and I hear it often, especially if I consciously choose to listen.
There are three points about God’s voice that the Book of Revelation makes that I feel are important for us to recollect. The author helps us first to realize it is a voice of power.
Walking the beach when the water is extremely rough illustrates well the
massive sound of the water churning and breaking as it hits the rocks or the
land. It is a powerful and indescribable sound. I am reminded
of the sound of the waterfalls at Niagara Falls, especially when one was able to
walk the path behind them. The magnitude of the sound of power was overwhelming and loud, a continuous roar of grandeur and splendor.
The text also says that the voice is like great thunder.
One biblical scholar refers to this as the “unmistakableness” of the
voice of God. No one can fail to hear it; it is pervasive and able to reach everyone and everywhere.
I happen to love the sound of thunder during our frequent rain and
lightning storms here in south Florida. There is a depth of distance and vastness to the sound as it reverberates through all things, shooting and expanding off into the corridors of the
heavens.
Lastly, the writer says God’s voice is like the sound of many harpists playing. The image is a reminder of the melody of God’s voice, a gentle sweetness and graciousness that envelops the soul, cradles the spirit, and calms the anxious heart. In this modern world which bombards us endlessly day and night with a multitude of sounds, this is the sound for which our souls long, to have the sound of a divine peace, calm, and presence.
The Lamb’s company sings a song that only they can learn.
Such truth this reveals through all of life! To learn certain things we must be certain types of people.
Those who are able to sing the Lamb’s song are able to because they have
passed through certain experiences. They have suffered; there are certain things that only those who suffer can teach. Sorrow can indeed produce resentment, but soon it yields to producing faith and peace and a new song.
The singers of the new song also lived in loyalty. Over the years they drew
close to the Master, and he to them. For the unfaithful or to those who follow only when it suits them, there is never learning or intimate growth. The company of the Lamb experience spiritual growth.
Indeed, a teacher can teach deeper things to a mature student than someone who has just begun to learn. Jesus Christ can reveal more treasure of wisdom and grace to those who
day by day grow in him. May we seek his voice daily, and be led by its call to be a faithful and blessed
people.
Satisfy us in the morning with thy steadfast
love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Ps.
90:14)
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon
us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon
us, yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. (Ps.
90:17)
__________________________________
The Very Rev. Dr. William L. Stomski,
Chaplain and Sacred Studies Educator,
Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School, Boynton
Beach
 The Bible Challenge
Day 292
Ezekiel 43-44
Psalm 89:1-18
Revelation 13
King David’s poetry in Psalm 89 verses 1-18 uses the word “Faithfulness” four times to describe the Lord. “Faithfulness”, what does this word mean to you? Certainly in this rendering it strongly suggests that the God of all Creation, the Ruler of the Universe, is the steadfast God of the people of Israel and David sings God’s praises. Yet, the Israelites’ lack of faithfulness in the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel brings punishment from God. The Prophet would rein in God’s wayward through ordinances and stiff discipline. It seems God punishes, or even abandons, the iniquitous while remaining devoted to the faithful.
Many biblical scholars agree that the Book of Revelation was a compilation of visions given to John during a time of Christian persecution by the Roman government. The imagery of beasts, animals and signs were analogous to the persecutors of the Saints/Christians. The maltreatment of the followers of Christ ranged from economic to physical, even included execution. So, why did the early Christian community receive such treatment? Was the early Christian community unfaithful like the Israelites of old? Or, perhaps, is there another way of understanding God’s relationship with God’s people?
In Hebrews 12:3f we read, “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” This person is Jesus. He came to take our suffering away. He came to forgive us or sins. He came that we might intimately know the Heart of God. He came so that we might become faithful to the One who is Faithful. Whatever suffering you now experience in body, mind, or soul… know that our God does not cause, or will this…. It is the affect of sin… Be free from that burdens that cause you pain… surrender them to Jesus. He will set you free.
In God’s Love and Blessings,
Fr. Bernie+
St. Martin, Pompano Beach
 Bible Blog: A Time to Dance
Ezekiel 41-42; Psalm 89:1-18; Rev. 12
Going to bed at 6:30 p.m. Mauritius time, I crashed, still affected by jet-lag and a twelve hour time difference from our departure airport in the United States. After 7 ½ hours of sleep, I fully awoke at 2:00 a.m. Internet wasn’t working and I laid in bed, wondering what to do. The almost full moon was still bright, shining upon the coconut palm outside my window. A soft breeze whispered early morning quietness and a light rain trickled from heaven.
“Listen in the Silence.” These words came to my mind and I was reminded of a song that a friend in Mauritius wrote just a few weeks before. So, I listened, and God poured an idea from heaven. A musical was born through the darkness.
Not wanting to interrupt the silence, I floundered to my desk in the dark, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. Not wanting to interrupt what God was saying, I wrote in the darkness as I sat in bed, looking at the stars outside my window. A whole storyline of Miaraka: A Time to Dance flooded my brain. I sat mystified, awestruck that all these songs, written by my friend and I, tied together to bring a story of hope and redemption. Written in dedication to the women of Madagascar, Miaraka: A Time to Dance is a modern day musical of Mary Magdalene, presenting the love of Jesus and how God loves her back to life.
Today’s readings remind us of the importance of song. “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” Let us be faithful in proclaiming God’s message through song, celebrating God and spreading joy. With God, life is truly, a time to dance.
 Reflection for Day 290 or October 23 - Ezekiel 39-40;
Psalm 88; Revelation 11
More apocalyptic! Both Ezekiel and Revelation reveal
their authors’ commitment to the ultimate triumph of God over the forces of
evil. In florid and fantastic imagery, we are shown the ultimate destruction of
those who oppose the Almighty. For both the Israelites who suffered in
Babylonian exile and the Christians who struggled under Roman persecution, the words of both of these books brought comfort and hope to those who were helpless
in their particular situations. The destruction of the Temple in 587 B.C., and
then again in 70 A.D. plays a big part in these writings, and its restoration
and re-building served as a symbol of God’s final victory to those who first
read these texts.
What does God’s “triumph” look like today? The phantasmagorical pictures of Ezekiel and Revelation may not serve us as well as they did those of the ancient world, yet the utter and complete
success of God’s reign that is portrayed is not lost on us. The song of victory
in Revelation 11:16-18, and the assurance of God’s mercy and forgiveness in
Ezekiel 39:25-29, ring as true today as they ever did! No matter how great our
sin or disobedience or neglect or self-centeredness, the abiding goodness and
love of God will continue to sustain us in our darkest hour.
Doug McCaleb
Trinity Cathedral
Miami
 Tuesday, October 22, 2013 Day 289 – Ezekiel 37-38, Psalm 87, Revelation 10 Spencer Potter
Along with the 23rd Psalm and John 3:16, Ezekiel 37:1-14 is an iconic Bible passage. The Valley of the Dry Bones, as it is known, is a story of resurrection. It is a story of life coming out of ruins. This illustration of victory resonates with us in the same way that the Cross and Resurrection resonate with us. It is an image that is central to our faith.
And what a powerful image the dry bones are. Dry bones are not only dead, they are very dead. They are without flesh. The idea that life can be found in bones that have been without tissue for so long that they are without moisture seems impossible. Our bodies are made up of 70 percent water. Dry bones do not have the majority of ingredients for life. Even bones are made up of 50 percent water. Without water there is no life.
Yet the rattling and the coming together of the bones shows the presence of God. The growing of flesh on bones shows the power of God and the breathing of life into the bones shows that Spirit of God. If God can bring life out of dry bones, then God can do anything. As you read these words consider your darkest times. Consider your Valley of the Dry Bones. Then consider how God has worked or may be working in your life. Consider how God has or may bring your bones back together with flesh and Spirit.
Keep Reading!
Spencer
 Monday, October 21, 2013, Day 288
– Ezekiel 35 - 36, Psalm 86, Revelation 9
“But you, O Lord are a God Merciful and Gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
Throughout the various books of the Bible there are various themes followed by each of the writers. But there is one over-arching theme of the Bible as a
whole:
CREATION –SIN –
JUDGMENT – AND REDEMPTION.
Each of the Prophets have their own spin on this theme but if you look you will find it in every book
and prophet. In today’s section of Ezekiel we notice two major examples of this.
As chapter 35 begins, through his prophet Ezekiel, the Lord is stating the sin
of the Edomites [the people of Mount Seir], who had helped the Babylonians in
their attack against the city of Jerusalem. This beautiful and lush mountain
area which God had created and given to Essau, Jacob’s brother, has
turned against God and God’s people. God’s Judgment:“I will make
Mount Seir a waste and a desolation…” But where is the “Redemption” here? --- “Then you shall know that I am
the Lord.” The Edomites, and for all God’s people, redemption is knowing God.
For the people of the mountains and mountains themselves will once again
flourish: “But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot out your branches, and
yield your fruit to my people
Israel…”
As we read on in these few chapters of Ezekiel, we see another working of this theme. Other
Prophets, particularly Jeremiah, consider the fact that the exiled people are
paying a price for their sinfulness by having been exiled. But Ezekiel sees it a
bit different. God and only God is in control of all aspects of the Theme
[Creation, Sin, Judgment and redemption.] Even in exile, many were assuming
that God had been overpowered by Israel’s enemies and failed to recognize the
world stage as under God’s control. Ezekiel points out that the people
continued to sin in the foreign land. It is here that we find God’s grace in
the midst of the theme. “Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O
house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my Holy Name, which
you have profaned among the nations to which you came…I will sanctify my great
name…I will take you from the nations … and bring you into your own land… I
will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be cleansed… I will give you a
new heart and a new spirit…Then you shall live in the land I gave to your
ancestors; and you shall be my people and I will be your God. Then you shall
remember your evil ways…[and] Be ashamed and dismayed for your ways, O House of
Israel.”
The spin is that sometimes we need redemption to fully recognize our sinfulness. Sound familiar?
Is this not the gift we now as Christians are living within? Christ has redeemed
us even before we are born and we live into that redemption. The theme is a
circle. Redemption – Creation – Sin – judgment –Redemption –Creation – Sin –
Judgment – Redemption. It is our acknowledgement of God’s Grace, the
thankfulness of Christ’s salvific act and our awareness of the entirety of this
gift through the Holy Spirit that draws each of us forward –living or at least
attempting to live into our fullness as God’s people – a people
redeemed!
“But you, O Lord are a God Merciful and Gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness.”
Tom Bruttell
 October 19, 2013 or Day 286
Day 286 – Ezekiel 33-34, Psalm 85, Revelation 8
A few of us gathered at the beach this past Thursday night to do a field test of what Brian McLaren calls a ‘learning circle’ in his soon-to-be-released book, We Make the Way by Walking. The dusk was magnificent on this eve of the full moon. The readings were primal (Gen 1, Psalm 19:1-14, Mt 6:25-34 as we sat before the ocean with open hearts and minds. While we had an enjoyable prayer time and discussion, what was most sacred for me was dusk that day and the fact of our very existence. To read of Creation there
by the sea, so aware of Light...
as day was becoming night...
under the dome of sky...
on the edge of where land separates from sea...
with fruit, vegetation, and grain in the picnic we’d brought...
basking in the glow of both sun and moon and stars...
acknowledging birds soaring, fish surely present-though-unseen, and signs marking nests of turtles...
hearing dogs in distance...
and humans all around...
brings me to tears and haunts me, really, as I write this Friday morning for Day 286 of our Bible Challenge blog. The miracle and exquisite gift of Creation informs my reflection on the Apocalyptic writings of Ezekiel and John, and the words of our Psalmist is my prayer, “Restore us again, O God of our salvation. Show us your steadfast love. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace to his people.” Ezekiel implores the people of his day to heed the warnings of the sentinels, to have individual responsibility, and to turn to righteousness. For us these writings can also serve as a sentinel to care for one another and, especially now, the care of this fragile earth our island home. He reminds us all that any wrong we do is forgotten by our forgiving Creator God, when we turn to righteousness, turn to do the Lord’s will.
In preparation for our reading of Revelation I read a book I highly recommend by Jean-Pierre Prevost, How to Read the Apocalypse. He teaches us to remember that at the center of this book is Christ and that especially through chapters like today’s (which speak to the travesties of the oppressions in the latter half of the 1st century) to know that the New Creation is already present and the “end of the world is not the destruction of the world, but rather a new creation in which the definitive victory of the resurrection of Christ will be fully deployed.”
“Lord, remind us, please, that when we hear or experience the tragedies of this age to turn to you, to the glory of your Creating power in our midst, and always in the knowledge and love of you in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.”
Wendy Tobias, St. Joseph’s, Boynton Beach
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