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Today´s reading:
OT: Judges 11, Judges 12:1-15
NT: John 1:1-28
Ps: Psalm 101
Pr: Proverbs 14:13-14

Gospel Thread - OT:

No direct gospel references in today’s OT reading.

Gospel Thread - NT:

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:1-3 (NIV)

¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:10-14 (NIV)

If any passage in scripture clearly indicates that Jesus Christ was God Who came to earth as man, to die in order to provide man a way out of the bondage of sin, it is this one. This passage is one of my favorites in all of scripture.

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ “

John 1:23 (NIV)

According to the NIV footnotes, this fulfills Isaiah 40:3.

Gospel Thread - Psalms/Proverbs:

The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his.

Proverbs 14:14 (NIV)

In the end, God, the Ultimate Judge, will bring ultimate justice. So often it seems that bad comes to those who are good, and that good comes to those who are evil. While this observation may be true within the limited vantage point of our lives, in the perspective of eternity, the principle in this proverb will prevail.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

With the 242nd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Keyunta Dawson, DE, Texas Tech
(HT: 6′1″ / WT: 268 / 40: 4.62)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
• NFL.com
  

• SI.com
  

  Possessing marginal size/speed numbers, Dawson is a practice squad player and developmental prospect. Best fit is at linebacker in a 3-4 alignment.

• Fox Sports
  

  270 pounders who can move are rare. He’s not a linebacker and he’s certainly not going to be a tackle, like some think he might be. He’s a big end who could be terrific in a rotation as a decent pass rusher and potentially a big run stopper. With room to get bigger, he could grow into a late steal.

• Scout.com
  

  Possessing marginal size/speed numbers, Dawson is a practice squad player and developmental prospect. Best fit is at linebacker in a 34 alignment.

The Colts did not have a pick in Round 6.

With the 169th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Roy Hall, WR, OSU
(HT: 6′2 / WT: 229 / 40: 4.46)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
• NFL.com
  

  Compares To: Kris Wilson, Kansas City Chiefs … Hall might be a better fit at H-back, where a team can line him wide because of his speed, in motion because of the mismatches he would cause against smaller defensive backs or in the backfield, where he is a promising blocker … He does take plays off and concentration issues led to several costly drops over the years, but with his body frame and quickness, he is worth a long look in training camp and could be a nice late draft pick-up.

• SI.com
• Fox Sports
• Yahoo Sports
  

• NFL Draft Countdown
  

  Could project to and get looks as a tight end or H-Back at the next level…He was not invited to the Combine but tore it up at his Pro Day…Someone just may take a flyer on him based on potential alone…Intriguing and a classic workout warrior.

• Scout.com
  

With the 173rd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Michael Coe, CB, Alabama St.
(HT: 6′0″ / WT: 190 / 40: 4.53)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
• NFL.com
  

  Compares To: Cory Webster, New York Giants — Like Webster, press coverage might not suit Coe well. He has good ball skills and takes decent angles at times, but despite his speed he is not a quick twitch-type. He has some value as an emergency punt returner, but did have fumbling issues there in the past. Some experts say Coe can handle press coverage, but he is not as active shooting his hands as one would like. With his functional route awareness and ability to keep plays in front of him, Coe might bring better value as a free safety. The talent is certainly there, but he failed to impress against top-level competition at Arkansas and only one of the receivers he faced in 2006 (Henry Tolbert — Grambling, who missed most of the game with an injury) is considered even a camp prospect at the next level, making it hard to judge his senior performance against such inferior competition.

• SI.com
  

  Transferred from Arkansas so he could play under his father at Alabama State, Coe made big strides last season. A solid special-teams player, he offers possibilities as a nickel or dime back in either a zone system or as a press corner.

• Fox Sports
• Yahoo Sports
  

  An Arkansas transfer that played up to his physical tools as a senior under the guidance of his father and head coach. He was used at both corner and free safety depending on an opponent’s offensive scheme. He has good size, can turn and run with most receivers and plays with a physical flair to his game. He showed up well in his postseason games. He has man coverage ability mixed with very good ball skills. He’s a good wrap-up tackler and ran in the mid-4.4 range at his workouts. He’s a coach’s kid who works hard, which should help him play early in his career.

• NFL Draft Countdown
  

  Played most of his career at Arkansas but transferred to Alabama St. to play for his for his father, head coach Charles Coe…Showed well at the East-West Shrine and the Senior Bowl as well after being brought in as an injury replacement…A guy who quietly emerged as one of the top sleeper prospects in this draft…Has all of the physical tools and could end up going quite a bit higher than most think.

• Scout.com
  

  Transferring from Arkansas in order to play under his father who is the head coach at Alabama State, Coe made big strides last season. A solid special-teams player, he offers possibilities as a nickel or dime back in either a zone system or as a press coverage.

With the 131st overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Brannon Condren, S, Troy
(HT: 6′1 / WT: 208 / 40: 4.48)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
• NFL.com
  

  Compares To: Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee … Look for Condren to make a living on special teams earlier in his career. He is slow to recognize plays developing, but has the burst to close in a hurry when he locates the ball. He peeks into the backfield too long to play strong safety and needs to show better route recognition to handle man coverage assignments. Still, with his athletic ability he is worth a look late in the draft. Just look at what the Titans found in a similar prospect in Finnegan.

• SI.com
  

• Fox Sports
• Yahoo Sports
  

• Scout.com
  

  Analysis: A zone safety with limitations in coverage, Condren is a special teams prospect at the next level.

With the 136th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Clint Session, OLB, Pittsburgh
(HT: 6′0″ / WT: 233 / 40: 4.7)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
• NFL.com
  

  Session got drafted on what he did at Pitt’s Pro Day. He can play outside, he can run and he’s a very, very good special-teams player (that’s what they’re looking for at this point in the draft). He’s 5-11 and 236 pounds, but he has 4.57 speed.

• SI.com
  

  Session is a special-teams player who could back up in a one-gap system.

• Fox Sports
  

  Session is an aggressive prospect who has good quickness and is a big hitter. He reads the play extremely well, and he has the ability to diagnose the play even before the snap. Session can simply take the ball away from the ball carrier and plays with the mean streak teams look for. He has a hard time holding his ground when teams run at him, so adding some bulk would be a wise move for him. He had some durability issues and struggled with injuries for a stertch. If he stays healthy, he could turn out to be one of the steals late in the draft.

• NFL Draft Countdown
  

  Struggled in ‘05 after making the move from inside to outside linebacker but really hit his stride in 2006 and had a terrific senior campaign…Needs to be in the right scheme to succeed but could at least be a backup and special teamer in the pros.

• Scout.com

Today´s reading:
OT: Judges 9:22-57, Judges 10:1-18
NT: Luke 24:13-53
Ps: Psalm 100
Pr: Proverbs 14:11-12

Gospel Thread - OT:

¹⁴ “Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” ¹⁵ But the Israelites said to the LORD, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” ¹⁶ Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.

Judges 10:14-16 (NIV)

It is often very difficult for us to understand the various aspects of God’s character. On one hand, God is holy, and sin cannot exist in His holy Presence. On the other hand, God is love and compassion - so much so, that God would come to earth as man and die to rescue us from our sin. How is it that God can so completely separate our being from our sinfulness and sinful nature? The Israelites continually returned to sin and depravity, yet every time they recognized their sin and cried out to God, He in His compassion rescued them. We see this cycle repeated again and again in Scripture, to the point that one might conclude that God’s patience is infinite; however, Scripture also tells us that the time will come when we no longer have the chance to repent. Paul speaks with such urgency that he refers to the time of God’s favor as “now”, and the day of God’s favor “today” (II Corinthians 6:2).

Gospel Thread - NT:

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Luke 24:44 (NIV)

Jesus mentions the gospel thread! Here Jesus confirms that the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (in other words, all of the Old Testament) refer to and speak of Him. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for the redemption of mankind is the purpose and outcome of the Old Testament.

Though, I must admit that it is incredibly humbling to read the reactions of Christ’s disciples to these events, and to realize that even they were blinded to the truth until Christ opened their eyes. How much do we misunderstand - or of how much are we ignorant - without God’s revelation? Yes, we have the Word; but so did the Israelites. Paul refers to this “great mystery” that God kept hidden until it was fulfilled in Christ (Romans 16:24-25, Ephesians 3:8-10, Colossians 1:25-27). We have the privilege of understanding this mystery, but what remains hidden?

This realization ought to be sufficient to keep each of us in God’s Word daily, earnestly seeking to understand what God wants to teach us through His Word. Every day God reveals more and more to me through His Word: more of my own sin, as well as more of His promises and blessings; more of His principles for living, and more of His character. I pray that I always remember the example of his disciples, and never become too proud or complacent to continue searching His Word.

Gospel Thread - Psalms/Proverbs:

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Proverbs 14:12 (NIV)

Perhaps the single most insidious lie is that no single belief holds truth exclusively. In other words, all religious beliefs are equally true; the mere existence of one’s faith is sufficient for salvation. This lie exists among theists as well as atheists. The problem with this belief is that it is not merely the existence of one’s faith that matters, but also the object of that faith.

An atheist would consider this matter not one of “salvation”, but rather simply one of morality: the definition (or standard) of morality, and that which allows or causes one to uphold that definition or standard. (Note that this understanding works equally well for theists; the only difference being that theists would then tie conformance to the standard of morality to the concept of salvation.)

The problem that then immediately confronts us is that of who or what determines this standard of morality. In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis argues rather persuasively that the existence of a universal moral standard demands the existence of a universal standard-giver. (While I have plans to address this matter in more detail in response to some blogs of a friend of mine, for now and for the purposes of this blog post, I will accept it as the working principle.)

Thus, if we accept this “universal standard-giver” as God, we are left with the myriad theist beliefs that exist. While at times we may be enticed by the idea that “all religions are correct” in the vain hope that this understanding will bring about peace among the adherents of these many religions, we must accept, when we honestly examine the many beliefs, that they cannot all be true.

In fact, Christianity mutually excludes itself, by claiming to be the only truth and the only way to life and to God (John 14:6). It cannot be true that all religions are true. Either Christianity is true, or it is not. The same mutual exclusivity exists at least for the other major monotheistic belief systems (Judaism, Islam) that comprise the vast majority of religious beliefs.

Do not believe the lie that the existence of a faith apart from the object of that faith is sufficient.

The One Year Bible Blog´s comments for today.

With the 95th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Daymeion Hughes, CB, Cal
(HT: 5′10 / WT: 190 / 40: 4.65)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
• NFL.com
  

  Compares To: Ricky Manning, Chicago Bears … Play Hughes as a nickel back or as a free safety in the shallow zone and you might get good production out of him at the next level … He is best when playing the ball in the air, but lacks discipline, especially when asked to stay tight on the receiver in long routes … He is a bit too over confident in his ability to make the play and will gamble, but more often than not this results in the receiver slipping by him to make the big play … Few positions put such an importance on speed and field vision as a boundary cornerback needs … Despite those lofty interception and pass deflection totals, it is “buyer beware” with this boom-or-bust talent … Sure, he won the Pac-10 Defensive Player Award in 2006, but you have to question whether those voters ever saw how Robert Meachem of Tennessee, Steve Smith of USC or Richard Sherman of Stanford basically had Hughes for dinner last year.

• SI.com
  

  A productive college cornerback who consistently comes up with the big play, Hughes is a terrific player. His lack of speed limits the type of systems he can be used in, but he has potential as an immediate starter in a zone-type scheme.

• Fox Sports
• Yahoo Sports
  

  A first-team All-American who has very good ball skills and the savvy of a 10-year veteran. Unfortunately, most 10-year NFL veteran cornerbacks could also still out run the soon to be rookie; ran high-4.5’s to 4.7 at the NFL scouting combine and his pro day. He lacks great suddenness to his game. However, he will take that extra peak at the quarterback’s eyes and put himself in prime position to make the play. His skills set is perfect for a zone coverage team, but he will still get burned on occasion as he lacks the burst to make up for mistakes. The expected early run on corners will still make it hard for teams to pass on him between Rounds 2-3.

• NFL Draft Countdown
  

  Nickname is “Dante”…Had a big senior campaign and ranked among the nations leaders in interceptions…Would probably fit best in a Cover 2 or zone coverage scheme…Is somewhat overrated and really not as good as his reputation would indicate…Where he’s ultimately drafted will depend on how he runs in workouts.

• Scout.com
  

  A productive collegiate cornerback who consistently comes up with the big play, Hughes is a terrific football player. The lack of playing speed limits the type of systems he can be used in, but has potential as an immediate starter in a zone-type scheme.

• Football’s Future
  

  Daymeion Hughes has excelled on the football field, and still has upside left to his game. He is a playmaker and very aggressive on the field. He did not help his stock in the post season however. He measured up shorter than expected and only managed to run between a 4.6 and 4.7. He bounced back with a 4.56 at his pro day, but either way, he lacks the pure speed to be taken in the first round, where many projected him before the draft. His on field ability should be enough to land him in the third round area, and he is a player that could outplay his draft position.

With the 98th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Quinn Pitcock, DT, Ohio St.
(HT: 6′2 / WT: 299 / 40: 4.93)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
• NFL.com
  

  Compares To: Rocky Bernard, Seattle Seahawks … Pitcock is the classic overachieving blue-collar worker who might lack ideal athletic ability, but makes plays on his effort and tenacity … He is a strong bull rusher, who despite good pass rush figures in 2006, still lacks the moves, suddenness and speed to be effective pressuring the quarterback on a steady basis … He doesn’t have the range to make plays outside the box and his frame might be at maximum growth potential, but he understands the defense and is alert to blocking schemes … His instincts and upper body strength are his best assets, but his lack of overall athleticism makes him a potential roster addition, but nothing more.

• SI.com
  

  An overachiever who consistently gives great effort, Pitcock.s level of play has improved. Could be used as a conventional tackle and also offers possibilities as a two-gap lineman.

• Fox Sports
• Yahoo Sports
  

• NFL Draft Countdown
  

  Grandfather, Bill Edwards, played football at Miami (OH) and his younger brother, Jafe, will be playing Division I college football next fall…An overachiever who gets the most out of his ability…Really came on as a senior and totally blew away his previous career highs in both tackles for a loss and sacks…Had shoulder surgery prior to his senior campaign and that will need to be checked out…The type who will never be a star but he’s just very solid all-around and will play for a long time.

• Scout.com
  

  An overachiever who consistently gives great effort, Pitcock’s level of play has improved. Could be used as a conventional tackle and also offers possibilities as a two-gap lineman.

• Football’s Future
  

  Quinn Pitcock may never be a big playmaker, but he is a very solid defensive tackle. His ability to control his gap may make him a good nose tackle prospect. Anyone looking for help stopping the run in the second or third will take a long look at him.

Trading the 126th overall pick and their 2008 first-round pick, with the 42nd overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts take:

Tony Ugoh, OT, Arkansas
(HT: 6′5″ / WT: 301 / 40: 5.06)

Analysis:

• ESPN.com
  

  The only logical reason for the Colts taking tackle is to start grooming a possible replacement for Tarik Glenn. Ugoh played in a run-heavy scheme at the collegiate level and he doesn?t project as a starting left tackle.