We are on day 5 of blogging through the Bible using the Murray M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Genesis 5

People matter to God, that’s why they get named. You matter to God!

Enoch is the most remarkable person in this list. He “walked with God” is repeated – it is such an unusual feature for life before the flood, in the increasingly sin filled world. He trusted God, oneyed God, loved God so the Lord spared him physical death and took him straight home to heaven! Enoch makes it to the faith hall of fame in Heb 11:5-6. The only other person who was spared death was Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).

Enoch’s great-grandson also “walked with God”, so he left a great legacy. What’s you legacy going to be like?

Ezra 5

Andy King picked up on the most significant thing in this passage in our half night of prayer last night. The prophets stirred action! In chapter 4 the people of God had been oppressed into inaction. The prophets got them going again. Prophecy is not just to tickle our fancies, but to stir us to courageous action! And to help (v2)

Lord we eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy – which strengthens, encourages, comforts (1 Cor 14:1-3), instructs (1 Cor14v31) and convicts unbelievers (1 Cor 14:26)

Acts 5

This is a power packed chapter of Acts starting with the uncomfortable story of Ananias and Sapphira. How could the God of grace kill two people? It’s easy to forget that God hates sin and hates lying. Those two had no concept of the power of God and that the Lord would expose their covetously hypocritical lying. Ouch. It’s a lesson that God is still Almighty not almatey and that he is Holy and sin is serious.
An awesome fear comes upon the Church – we can’t muck about with God! Don’t be a hypocrite and don’t test God!

Immediately after Luke emphasises the grace of God in healing many people. The anointing on the apostles is so great that even their shadow carries healing power. It must have been an awesome time to have been in the Church.

However at times of great revival are times of great persecution – the apostles are thrown in jail again – although an angel frees them. Courage was needed as they continued to preach and heal even after another flogging. They “filled” Jerusalem witheir teaching Acts 5:28 and went daily house by house proclaiming Jesus is the Christ!

I’ll do Matthew 5 later!