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the-christian-walk · 3 years ago

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INSEPARABLE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to [email protected] In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

“As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’”

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:35-39

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Good news abounds in the eighth chapter of Romans.

We learn that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

We’re assured that the Holy Spirit is at work interceding for us in the midst of our weakness and that God is always working things for the good of those who love Him, those called according to His purposes.

And we’re reminded that God is with us and for us because of our belief in Jesus and because of this, no one can stand against us as He justifies and pardons us from our sins.

Indeed, we are victorious through our faith and trust in Jesus as Savior and this is the final piece of good news we find as we close this chapter. Look again at these final words from Paul, words that serve to buoy us up in abundant, everlasting hope:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

“As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’”

Friends, we all should proclaim, “Hallelujah!” in response to these verses. For the scriptures, which are inerrant and perfectly true, tell us that nothing in this world can pull us apart from the love of God we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Not trouble or trials.

Not hardship or difficulty or challenge.

Not persecution, injustice, or inequitable treatment.

Not famine, drought, or lack of any basic need like clothing, shelter, or food.

Not a single threat or danger.

Not death or life, the present or the future.

Not angels or demons.

Not any worldly powers or principalities.

No height, no depth, or anything else in all of creation.

Nothing means nothing, for not one thing can ever separate us from God’s love as expressed to us through Christ Jesus, the One who makes us more than conquerors. This is because Christians triumph in ways non-believers can’t. They overcome death and the grave to enter into a new eternal life with God and Jesus forever.

In other words, Christians have an inseparable bond with their Father God and His Son Jesus, the One through which they are saved.

Let us give thanks for this final bit of good news, now and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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wristwatchjournal · 5 years ago

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Hands-on – IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 Boutique Edition

It’s a big year for the Portugieser over at IWC, the iconic watch that was launched in 1939 and has become a perennial favourite among watch lovers. Along with the unprecedented Portugieser Automatic 40, there were two new Portugieser Automatic 42 models; one in steel and one Boutique Edition in 5N gold with a blue dial. Recently, we were lucky enough to have the Boutique Edition IW500713 for our hands-on session and here’s what we found.

Not only in boutiques

I have to admit that when I saw the ‘Boutique Edition’ suffix I figured that this rose gold model was a boutique-exclusive-limited-production deal. Well, I was wrong. Boutique Editions refer to models that combine rose gold cases and blue dials and are not limited in production. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to trek out to an IWC Boutique to buy this particular model. You can view it online and then order it over the phone. I tested the procedure online and in seconds an assistant popped up, answered my questions and then offered to have it delivered to my address following a phone call confirmation.

Background Portugieser automatic 42

The Portugieser is one of the oldest collections at IWC created at the behest of two Portuguese businessmen who wanted the precision of a marine chronometer in a wristwatch format. In 1939, the 43mm Portugieser wristwatch (the iconic ref. 325) was born, its large dimensions for the day attesting to the fact that it was equipped with a hand-wound pocket watch movement, calibre 74. Its clean, simple, legible design has withstood the test of time and is the salient feature of this family today. Following a period of scant supply, the IWC Portugieser made a grand return in 1995.

The large diameter and wide dial opening are key elements of the Portugieser’s design.

The Portugieser Automatic 42mm joined the Portugieser family in 2000 and was known as the Portuguese 2000. Its distinguishing features, the small seconds at 9 o’clock and the power reserve at 3 o’clock and its formidable dimensions pointed to the incorporation of IWC’s landmark calibre 5000. Designed to mark the change of the millennium, calibre 5000 was a formidable 38.2mm movement composed of 286 parts and IWC’s first automatic movement with an impressive 7-day power reserve. In 2015, calibre 5000 was replaced with calibre 52010, the same one used today in the Portugieser 42mm family.

Pocket watch dimensions

Larger than the Portugieser Chronograph (41mm) but smaller than the original 1939 model (43mm) and roughly the same size as the new Perpetual Calendar, the Portugieser Automatic has a diameter of 42.3mm and a height of 14.1mm. It is a large watch, no doubt about it, but it captures the essence of the Portugieser to perfection. Frank’s 18cm wrist was used for the photographs and it looks great on a larger wrist. The finishes on the 18k 5N gold case include brushed casebands and polished top surfaces. Thanks to the relatively thin bezel, the dial is the star of the show.

Expansive dial

The combination of pink gold and blue dial is simply striking and works great in the Portugieser context.

The intense blue dial is captivating and recalls the colour of the deepest parts of the ocean – a maritime association IWC likes since it taps into the history of the first Portugieser. The sunray pattern on the dial emanates from the centre and gives the dial a lovely sheen. All the hallmark traits of the Portugieser have reported for duty: the railway track chapter ring on the periphery and on the small seconds counter; the elegant applied Arabic numerals; the slim feuille hands; and the clean, amenable layout of the elements. To match the luxurious rose gold case, the numerals are made from 18k gold and the hands are gold-plated.

The horizontal layout of the two sub-dials – small seconds at 9 and power reserve at 3 o’clock – creates a pleasing balance. There is nothing jarring or superfluous, even the date window at 6 o’clock is artfully integrated with a background matching the dial colour.

Calibre 52000 and Co.

When the calibre 5000 was replaced with the calibre 52000 family in 2015, many fans of the brand wondered what could possibly be improved on the famous 7-day automatic movement. Basically, the robust power reserve on the new generation 52000 calibres was spread across two barrels instead of just one, for a better distribution of the torque. The Pellaton bidirectional winding system was improved and the winding pawls and automatic wheel were made from ultra-resilient, virtually friction-free zirconium oxide ceramic. Other changes included an increased frequency from 2.5Hz to 4Hz combined with a Breguet spring and a reduction in the size of the balance wheel. On the aesthetic front, the rotor was partially skeletonised, as were the bridges, to improve the view. The overall finishes were also upgraded with bevelled edges on the bridges, Geneva stripes, perlage etc.

Powered by calibre 52010, the reverse side of this Portugieser Automatic 42 offers a generous view of the automatic movement. Thanks to the dimensions of the watch and the movement (38.20mm) the view is extremely satisfying. The large rotor features an 18k gold medallion and although the decorations are more than sufficient, don’t expect Haute Horlogerie flourishes here. After all, the founder of IWC – the American F.A. Jones – was a pioneer in incorporating modern production methods used in the American watch industry resulting in an industrial approach that enabled higher volume and more cost-efficient production.

Thoughts

Balanced, elegant and large are adjectives that go hand in hand with the Portugieser collection so there is no point bemoaning the dimensions: they are as much a feature of the Portugieser as its clean, legible dials. The combination of rose gold and navy blue is very smart, a bit like the uniform of a commissioned naval officer with the navy blue jacket and gold brocade. It’s the kind of watch that will get noticed for all the right reasons.

As a Boutique Edition, you might have expected an increase in price. Well, the Boutique Edition costs exactly the same as the regular gold Automatic 42. Fair enough, it is more expensive than the smaller Automatic 40 model, but you are getting a formidable 168-hour/7-day power reserve over the 60 hours of the 40mm model.

Strap and price

The IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 Boutique Edition IW500713 comes with a handsome blue alligator strap made by Santoni. The price of this handsome gold and blue dial version of the iconic Portugieser is EUR 23,100 (incl. taxes and shipping).

For more information, please consult iwc.com.

The post Hands-on – IWC Portugieser Automatic 42 Boutique Edition appeared first on Wristwatch Journal.

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#watches #luxury watches #wrist watches

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soccerstl · 7 years ago

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Jr. Sam Cary heads clear a ball into the Howell North box in a win at Howell Central on April 19, 2018

This week’s Llywelyn’s Player of the Week is Sam Cary, Howell North is a young woman I first noticed as a U14 club player, a member of the SLSG Missouri 2001 ECNL team. There’s a picture in the small gallery below that will help you see the strides she’s made in building her game and her body for the coming rigors of Big 10 soccer for the Iowa Hawkeye’s. Beside’s her game she also exhibited an early ability to communicate with adults that made it easier for me to get to know her and her game.

My choice for Player of the Week because she can offer your child and wonderful example as an outside back, having developed the skill set that is in demand now and down the road. Her ability to get up and down the wing with her technical ability, pace and knowledge of the positions requirements. Need to defend speedy forwards? Check. Need to get into the attack? Check. Create offensive opportunities? Amen as Sam consistently delivers crosses into the box, while on the run, allowing her to shed defenders and give her team dangerous plays inside the 18. Her strength in this regard, especially with her left foot that makes her even more valuable, has led to her becoming the primary set piece provider on corners and free kicks. She can put a ball into the six yard box from 40 yards.

Get out and see her this Spring and take your kid along to see just how the position should be played.

Cary joined the St. Louis Scott Gallagher ECNL Program under the direction of Ralph Richards when she was 13 years old. Her ECNL team has qualified for ECNL Nationals 5 times and will be the top seed going into Nationals in June when her High School career ends and Club begins anew. With an undefeated conference record for the last two years, her ECNL club team has earned two consecutive ECNL Midwest Conference Championships. Through the ECNL, Cary has also been invited to two Midwest Player Identification Development Programs.

During Cary’s freshman season at Francis Howell North, FHN won their Class 4 District Championship with Cary being the leading goal scorer for her team as a left forward. She earned GAC First-Team All Conference, Class 4 First-Team All Region, and Class 4 Honorable Mention All State Honors. Cary once again earned First Team All-Conference, Class 4 All-Region and Class 4 Second Team All-State Honors as a leading scoring forward during her sophomore year. This year as a junior at FHN, Cary has moved into a defensive role as the team’s left full back. She helps organize the backline and the team’s set plays. As one of the team’s captains, Cary intends to impact her high school program by passing down her work ethic and commitment to the game to her teammates in the program. “When I started playing soccer I was never considered to be the most skilled or most technical player”, said Cary, “But by practicing intensely at every team practice and on my own I steadily improved. I hope to show others that hard work really does pay off.”

Cary is verbally committed to play soccer at the University of Iowa and will be signing her letter of intent this fall as she plans to graduate high school a semester early to start her training for the Hawkeyes in the spring of 2019. She currently intends to major in health and human physiology with the intention of ultimately becoming a soccer coach. “I’m excited for the opportunity to begin college a semester early for it will help me grow as a player and person and give me experience at the college level before my first Big Ten season.” Being on an extremely skilled and talented ECNL team gave Cary the opportunity to be seen by many colleges at ECNL national events. It has always been a goal of hers to play Big Ten soccer and she chose Iowa over numerous other offers because Iowa has the right academic and soccer fit for her. “Iowa felt like home”, said Cary. “It’s the place I can grow academically while making a contribution to their rising soccer program”.

Cary’s intensity and competitiveness on the field have been deeply rooted in her by her family. Although they were not athletes, her parents instilled a competitive drive and a high work ethic in her. They encouraged her to go out to the fields for additional practice and have been more than willing to help her train. This attitude has also led her to add extra training into her schedule such as strength, conditioning and weight training sessions before school on top of her after school practices.

Cary is not only a player but also spends many hours as a soccer referee. As a referee, she earned recognition as the 2016 Missouri Youth Referee of the Year and in 2018 Cary earned her Referee Certification for the Development Academy. Most weekends Cary refs DA and ECNL games in the St. Louis Area. She also has been a referee for Missouri State Cup the last two years and was invited to ref at USYSA Regionals last year in South Dakota. “Being an active referee helps me as a player because it keeps me constantly around the game of soccer and it helps me see certain decisions on the field to improve my tactical ability as a player.”

In addition to soccer, Cary serves as a sports photography editor in FHN’s nationally-recognized journalism program. She has also been inducted into the National Quill and Scroll Society, the honors organization for high school journalists. Besides photography Cary is a part of FHN’s live stream team and she writes articles for FHN’s yearbook and newspaper. In the last two weeks, Cary has received two individual national awards for her photography. A 12 year girl scout, Cary also recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award and now serves on the Eastern Missouri Girl Scout Regional Board of Directors. Cary tied her passion for soccer into her Gold Award project by teaching local youth soccer players about nutrition and ways to stay healthy while being active. She has been an active participant in Youth Leadership St. Louis and is a member of her school’s International Thespian Society and National Honor Society. Despite her active schedule, she has consistently maintained a 4.7 GPA in high school.

FHN is currently 4-6-1 on the season.

[table] HOWELL NORTH Year, Goals, Assists 2016, 11, 3 2017, 8, 9 2018, 3, 3 [/table]

Sam Cary (Howell North 2019/SLSG ECNL) centers a U14 Boys Group match at the 2016 Summer State Cup

Sam Cary 2017

Sam Cary 2018

Thank you to Llywelyn’s for their sponsorship. It’s an organization I’ve been visiting since my early post-college days and continue to enjoy. Can’t wait for their outdoor patio in O’Fallon when the facility they are building at the Missouri Rush facility opens this Summer!

Llywelyn’s Pub offers a comfortable, private space for your next event. While their menu boasts a wide variety of options – including team packages, traditional fare, delicious entrees and exquisite desserts – their standard of service will put your mind at ease. Visit www.llywelynspub.com to find a location near you.

Llywelyn's Player of the Week: Sam Cary, Howell North @HowellNorthsoc @SLSGmoECNL This week's Llywelyn's Player of the Week is Sam Cary, Howell North is a young woman I first noticed as a U14 club player, a member of the SLSG Missouri 2001 ECNL team.

#Francis Howell North Knights #Llywelyn&039;s Pub Player of the Week #Sam Cary #SLSG MO 2000 ECNL

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the-christian-walk · 7 years ago

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IMPROVING NOT REPLACING

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:17-20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever had a radical change come into your life?

I know I have.

Maybe that change is for the better; maybe that change brings challenge and hardship to us but two things are sure about radical change:

1. You can be certain it’s going to happen at some time or another.

and

2. It’s usually something we don’t like to deal with, especially when it changes things for the worse.

So why don’t we like change?

Because at the core of our human selves, we like structure and routine. It’s true, right?

Our days are typically structured. We know when we like to wake up. We know how we like to get prepared for our day. We prepare ourselves, eat, and usually depart to do what we do each day at the same time and in the same way. If we work, we go to our jobs, get done what needs to be done, and then go home, usually with an idea of things we want to do there which includes a certain time that we like to shower and get ready to sleep for the next day’s events.

Yes, we are definitely creatures of habit who like to keep schedules and follow certain patterns and ways.

This is why we are so adverse to change. It alters the status quo for us and that’s something we’re not comfortable with. It’s true today and as we will see in this devotion, it’s something that was true in the days of Jesus as well. Before I get to that, let’s look again at these verses from the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus continues teaching during His Sermon on the Mount:

Think about how much things changed when Jesus started His ministry. It was definitely a radical change within the Jewish nation of Israel which had a set way of conducting spiritual business for years. That spiritual business was grounded in the scriptures which were referred to here by Jesus as “the Law or the Prophets”. These scriptures dictated the way Jewish believers were supposed to live and these scriptures were taught by appointed teachers of the law and enforced by Jewish religious authorities like the Pharisees and Sadducees who ensured the Jews complied with the many statutes contained within the Law. Now with Jesus on the scene, He was bringing new teachings within the synagogues, teachings that were acknowledged by the Jewish listeners as having special authority, authority that they had never heard before. This teaching, as well as the healing and driving out of demons He performed, had drawn crowds of people to Him from all over Israel, and this in turn drew the attention of the Jewish religious authorities.

Surely, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the teachers of the law were nervous because they saw Jesus as a threat to their system. They were unnerved by thinking that Jesus had come to completely change the Law, to replace their current decrees with His own and in doing so, make them irrelevant within the Jewish religious culture.

Perhaps Jesus sensed this angst and tension within the hearts of the Jewish religious leaders because He took time to give the matter attention early within His first extensive teaching to the masses, the aforementioned Sermon on the Mount. Jesus wanted to make it clear that He had not come to abolish the standards that the Jews had been following for generations before He was born. In fact, He promised that He wouldn’t even edit the Law (“not the least stroke of a pen”). He even went on to promise reward (greatness in the kingdom of heaven) for anyone who “practices and teaches” the commands within the law and judgment on anyone who would try and modify or amend it saying that anyone who did so would be considered “the least in the kingdom of heaven”. The former statement should have appeased the Jewish religious authorities, showing them honor for their godly fervor; the latter statement should have shown everyone that Jesus was serious when He promised the Law or the Prophets would not be abolished.

But note that while Jesus was saying these things, there’s one thing He didn’t say. He didn’t say that He wouldn’t be enhancing the Law or the words of the Prophets through His own teaching. He didn’t say it because His teaching was all about improving and as we will see in a series of devotions beginning tomorrow, taking the Law of God to the next level, teaching in a way that would lead His followers to a righteousness that would exceed that of the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.

As mentioned, we’ll see Jesus elevate the ideals within the Law to new heights when I begin a new series tomorrow. See you then.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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the-christian-walk · 7 years ago

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LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON (AND DAUGHTER)

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

For this reason they tried all the more to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him.”

John 5:18-23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

You look so much like your father.

It’s something I have heard more than a few times and I guess it’s inevitable when you are genetically connected.

In fact, there has even been a saying that was born out of the relationship between a parent and male child that goes like this:

Like father, like son.

Of course, this saying intends to go well beyond looks. It typically includes behaviors, attitudes, and actions as well. And I can honestly say that I often find myself saying things or even thinking things that remind me of the way my father thought and spoke.

Well, as we turn to our scripture passage and continued study of the aftermath of Jesus’ healing of a paralytic by the pool of Bethesda, keep in mind this matter of a son being like his father because it is central to this passage and devotion. Look again at these words from the fifth chapter of John’s Gospel:

For this reason they tried all the more to kill Him; not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

You’ll recall that the paralyzed man who had received the gift of healing from Jesus had spilled the beans to the Jewish religious authorities who had inquired as to who had told him to get up and carry his mat on the Sabbath. This in its own right had angered the Jewish leadership enough to begin persecuting Jesus about what He had done.

With this, Jesus went on to let the Jewish leaders know that God was His Father who was always working and thus He was doing likewise, thus why He was healing on the Sabbath.

In other words, like Father, like Son.

Well, this really incited the Jewish religious leaders who shifted their focus from persecution to murder because not only had Jesus worked on the Sabbath but now He was committing an act of blasphemy in their opinion, calling Himself God’s Son and in doing so “making Himself equal with God.”

Knowing their thoughts, Jesus decided to set them straight on who He was and expand on His earlier words, saying:

“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent Him.”

In providing a defense argument for Himself, Jesus was simply telling the Jewish religious authorities that He had no other choice than to do what He was doing because He was bound to do what God, His Father, was doing. Jesus wasn’t on His own program. Rather, He was following God’s lead, plain and simple. God, Jesus’ Father, showed His Son what to do out of love for Him. He wanted Jesus to do all the right things and so He showed Him the way. All Jesus had to do is be obedient to His Father and walk in His footsteps.

But God had done more than just be a holy role model for His Son to follow. He also had great things in store for Jesus as He would display works that would leave everyone amazed, including the Jewish leaders. This would include not only resurrections (later Jesus would be included in this number) but the power of salvation that would be delegated to His Son along with the authority to judge. The intent was that Jesus would garner the same honor and respect that God had, an honor and respect that was expected lest someone be convicted of not honoring and respecting God Himself by proxy.

In other words, like Father, like Son.

Imagine how the heads of the Jewish religious leaders were spinning at this point as their blood pressures elevated to dangerous heights.

For Jesus not only said He had the right to work on the Sabbath because God, His Father, did so, that He and God were one, and that His actions were completely dictated by God who Jesus was following religiously. Not only had Jesus said all these things but now He was telling the Jewish authorities that God had actually passed down the authority to grant salvation and judge others, adding that the same honor and respect given to God was to be given to Jesus.

How would the religious leaders respond?

As we know from the story of Jesus’ life, they never stopped in trying to do away with Him, even though He was speaking the truth.

Indeed, the Son was just like the Father.

As I think about this passage and its present day application, I’m drawn to these words from Paul’s letter to the Galatians:

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. Galatians 3:26

God’s word is perfect truth and this word tells us that if we are Christians (or in other words, if we are in Christ Jesus), then we are children of God. We are His sons and daughters. And as long as we do as we should as Christians, strive to live in every way as Jesus did, then we will be following the lead of God the Father, until that day when He calls us to His side to live with Him and Jesus forever.

Or in other words, like Father, like His sons (and daughters), not just for now but forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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the-christian-walk · 8 years ago

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A CONTINUING COVENANT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. “My covenant was with him, a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him; this called for reverence and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.”

Malachi 2:4-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s devotion, the first from the second chapter of Malachi, we found the Lord admonishing the priests who were accused of not listening to God and turning away from Him, providing false direction to the Israelites and thus causing them to stumble. Basically, God summed up His displeasure by charging the priests with violating His covenant with Levi, the progenitor of the priestly tribe.

Note here that it was the priests who broke the covenant, not God who always perfectly keeps and fulfills His promises. This is important for us to remember as we continue to look at the Lord’s words regarding the priests and the Levite covenant in today’s passage. Look again at these words here:

So what is this Levitical Covenant, the agreement God made with His priests, all about anyways?

Well, you have to go back to the days of Jacob who we covered in the opening devotion of this book. You will remember that Jacob’s name was changed to Israel and then he bore twelve sons who would become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. The third of those sons, born to Jacob and Leah, was Levi and as we said earlier, he was the founder of the tribe sanctified and set apart to serve as God’s mediators between Him and His people.

Well, if you look at the family tree of Levi, you will learn that Moses and his brother Aaron were a part of the tribe of Levi. And if you look at Aaron, you will find he had a son named Phinehas who was center stage in handling a matter while performing his priestly duties. Look at this passage from the 25th chapter of Numbers here:

While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped; but those who died in the plague numbered 24,000.

The Lord said to Moses, “Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned My anger away from the Israelites. Since he was as zealous for my honor among them as I am, I did not put an end to them in my zeal. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.” Numbers 25:1-13

In this chapter, we quickly get to the crux of the issue at hand with the Israelites, sexual immorality, an issue that you know was a common sin for them throughout their history, In this instance, the scriptures tell us that the Israelite men were having sexual relations with Moabite women who in turn enticed their mates to offer up sacrifices to pagan gods, specifically the god Baal. Their actions drew the Lord’s anger and He called on Moses to impose the death penalty on any men who had “yoked themselves” to Baal, an order that Moses delegated down to the judges.

Note here that the priests are not mentioned or tasked but that didn’t stop Aaron’s son, Phinehas, from taking action when an Israelite man decided to be bold, bringing a Midianite woman right into camp in plain sight of everyone. Basically, the man was sending the message that he could do whatever he wanted to do, no matter what God had commanded within the law. Phinehas would show him and the woman that they would not get away with their transgressions for after the couple entered a tent, Phinehas followed and plunged a spear through them both. The priest’s quick action served as atonement for the Israelites, stopping God’s anger against His people as well as the associated judgment.

God couldn’t have been more pleased with Phinehas, so much so that He made a covenant of peace with the Levite priest as a reward for his zealous efforts in honoring God and upholding His law.

What did the covenant include?

We read where God vowed to allow Phinehas and his descendants to have a lasting priesthood and indeed that priesthood did persevere through the ages, right up to the days of Malachi where the priests were doing anything but honoring God with their actions.

So would God break His covenant as a penalty for the ways the priests were dishonoring Him?

The answer is “no” because God Himself stated that He desired that the covenant continue. He wanted the priests of Malachi’s time to repent, turn from their sinfulness, and adopt the qualities that made Phinehas special in His sight, qualities which included reverence and truth, peace and uprightness. He longed for His priests to turn others from sin, not lead them into it.

It was a timely word, one intended to get the priest’s attention and turn them back toward the right direction, back to the place where their work would be pleasing in the Lord’s sight, a place where they would keep their end of the Levitical Covenant.

Friends, through this message, God is reminding us that He stays ever faithful to His promises and He expects us to do likewise. And we know He didn’t break His promise of life and peace through the priests because of our Savior Jesus, His Son, who He appointed as the last High Priest ever needed, the One who was reverence and truth personified, the only One who ever lived in perfect peace and righteousness, the One who served as the last initiator of atonement for all mankind.

God did indeed continue His covenant, the One He made with Phinehas, and took it to new eternal heights through His Son.

Won’t you give thanks for His eternal promises that spanned the ages to save you this very day?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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the-christian-walk · 8 years ago

Text

RESPONDING IN PRAYER

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

“Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

“God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and His praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from His hand, where His power was hidden. Plague went before Him; pestilence followed His steps. He stood, and shook the earth; He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed—but He marches on forever.”

“I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. Were You angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode Your horses and Your chariots to victory? You uncovered Your bow, You called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw You and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of Your flying arrows, at the lightning of Your flashing spear. In wrath You strode through the earth and in anger You threshed the nations.”

“You came out to deliver Your people, to save Your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, You stripped him from head to foot. With his own spear, You pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters. I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled.”

“Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.”

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It had been quite an exchange between God and Habakkuk, an exchange that spanned the first two chapters of this book You’ll recall that the prophet twice filed complaints with the Lord and in both instances, the Lord provided a response to the grievance.

Would Habakkuk grumble a third time?

Not exactly, for as we see in the final chapter of this book bearing the prophet’s name, there was nothing left for God’s messenger to do except come before the Lord and respond to Him in prayer. Look again at these words here:

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

“Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.”

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments. Habakkuk 3

God’s reputation preceded Him, definitely well before this documented dialogue with Habakkuk. In fact, God’s past accomplishments, underscored by His mighty signs and wonders, were known by the prophet who stood in awe of the Lord’s deeds, asking for a repeat performance in his time. Ultimately, Habakkuk prayer for the Lord to remember mercy and eventually extend it to the Israelites who were soon to be in the midst of God’s wrath.

What did that wrath look like?

Habakkuk returns to the days of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the exodus to Canaan that followed. God traveled with His people from south to north, His splendor “like the sunrise”, His glory covering the heavens, and His praise filling the earth. It’s incredible imagery highlighting the divine magnificence of the God of Israel.

Well, it wasn’t just glory and splendor that preceded the Lord as He led His people to the Promised Land. The scriptures tell us that elements of judgment were present as well, elements like plague and pestilence, earthquakes that shook the earth and made the nations tremble. Just ask Egypt during the time of the Israelite captivity. Even the mighty waters of the sea were no match for God’s power which divided them so to rescue the Israelites from harm before crashing the sea walls down upon Pharaoh and his Egyptian forces. As the Israelites traveled the wilderness, former enemies like Cushan and Midian found themselves unable to withstand God’s might. And even the sun and moon stood still as the Israelites defeated the Canaanites during the tenure of the judge Deborah.

In sum, all nations who stood in opposition to God would perish as He threshed them in judgment.

As we know from earlier in this book, Judah was soon to be on God’s threshing floor and would be beaten by the Babylonians. Nothing was going to take away the punishment the Israelites had earned through their worshiping of false gods and idols and he committing of a litany of social injustices, all in direct disobedience to what God had commanded.

Habakkuk knew this was coming and yet he was willing to accept what was ahead, enduring God’s imposed judgment while waiting “patiently for the day of calamity to come” on the Babylonians, the nation who would invade. And while Israel and Judah would be devastated and destroyed, losing everything they held dear, Habakkuk vowed to still “rejoice in the Lord” and “be joyful in God” his savior. Further, the prophet had this to say about the God who had selected him to be a messenger:

“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.”

Judgment was coming. It was going to be extremely hard for a very long time as things changed for the worse in a big way. But Habakkuk knew he would make it through, not by his own strength and power, but rather the strength and power of the Lord, a strength and power he tapped into by prayer.

Friends, Habakkuk is showing us the only proper way to respond to God, no matter the circumstances?

For it’s all about prayer. It’s all about communicating with the God who is always ready to listen and respond.

Think about it in these three contexts:

If someone does something nice for you, you would thank them. Thus, because God is always blessing us in amazing ways, we should always respond with prayers of thanksgiving.

If you do something wrong to someone, you should confess your mistake and say you’re sorry. Thus, because we are all sinners and have done wrong in the Lord’s sight, we should confess our transgressions to Him in prayer, repent, and let Him know we’re sorry.

Finally, if you love and cherish someone, you would always do whatever you could to let them know how you feel about them. Thus, since we should love and cherish no one above the Lord Himself, then we should come before Him in prayer and express our total adoration and devotion.

To communicate His feelings to the Lord, Habakkuk responded in prayer. We would be well served to follow His lead.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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the-christian-walk · 8 years ago

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DON’T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE!

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Look! The Lord is coming from His dwelling place; He comes down and treads on the heights of the earth. The mountains melt beneath Him and the valleys split apart, like wax before the fire, like water rushing down a slope. All this is because of Jacob’s transgression, because of the sins of the people of Israel.”

“What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem?”

“Therefore I will make Samaria a heap of rubble, a place for planting vineyards. I will pour her stones into the valley and lay bare her foundations. All her idols will be broken to pieces; all her temple gifts will be burned with fire; I will destroy all her images. Since she gathered her gifts from the wages of prostitutes, as the wages of prostitutes they will again be used.”

Micah 1:3-7

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Think about all the sin and wickedness you see going on in your communities, your state, your nation, and/or the world around you. It’s enough to trouble anyone unless you choose to ignore it all.

Want another reason to be troubled about it all?

The Lord is watching everything going on and He is not about to ignore it all. In fact, I can almost hear Him rendering the following warning:

“Don’t make Me come down there!”

Just imagine what that would be like, if the omnipotent Lord God Almighty came to earth to bring judgment on sinners. It wouldn’t be a pretty sight, right? And yet, we find people just committing evil like there are no consequences for their transgressions, almost daring God to do something about it.

As we look at today’s scripture passage and our second look at the Book of Micah, we find that we have a lot in common with the Old Testament Israelites of Micah’s day. For as we read these verses, we see that they had pushed God to the limit of His patience, to the place where He was ready to come down from His dwelling place in the heavens and hold them accountable for their iniquities.

“What is Jacob’s transgression? Is it not Samaria? What is Judah’s high place? Is it not Jerusalem?”

First, we find the prophet readying the Israelites for what was to come. For the full wrath of the Lord was on its way as He descended from “His dwelling place” to bring destruction against those who sinned against Him, living in willing and wicked disobedience in Samaria and Jerusalem.

What were the people doing that caused such consternation from the Lord?

It really hinged on their worship practices more than anything else.

Well before the Israelites in Micah’s day, God had commanded His people to have no other gods before Him. He was to be God and God alone to all people but especially His chosen people of Israel. God made sure everyone knew He was a jealous God and would not stand for any competition. The Israelites were not to bow down to any other gods or idols, period.

But unfortunately, the Israelites broke this commandment more than any of the others.

It started when they failed to drive out all the native peoples of Canaan as they took possession of the land God had promised them. You’ll recall God had told them to leave no one else in the land because He knew of the idolatrous worship practices of the other peoples and suspected the Israelites would be adversely influenced if they did not eliminate all who worshiped false gods and idols. But the Israelites disobeyed God, allowed some of the native groups to remain and the rest was history because things unfolded just as God had feared. His people were boldly and blatantly unfaithful to Him, committing adultery by giving their love and devotion to idols. They showed no regard or respect for God.

And so God, after sending warnings through the prophets that sent the implied message “Don’t make Me come down there!”, did indeed come to bring judgment on His people. He promised to “make Samaria a heap of rubble”, to “pour her stones into the valley”, and to “lay bare her foundations”. He guaranteed He would break all idols into pieces, burn all the temple gifts, and destroy all images. And all the money collected through the worshiping of false gods and idols would be taken from Samaria by her attackers, the Assyrians, who would use them in support of their own idol worship (what the scriptures refer to as the “wages of prostitutes”).

It wasn’t going to be a pretty scene and it wasn’t a pretty scene when the Lord came down from His heavenly dwelling to bring the Assyrians against His people. We know how the story ends. Most if not all of the Israelites taken from the northern kingdom by Assyria, never returned again after their part of the country was left in utter ruin.

Friends, this is the outcome when the Lord comes from His dwelling place with judgment in mind. We had better pay attention and heed His certain warning if we allow ourselves to fall into sin, a warning that might sound something like this:

“Don’t make Me come down there!”

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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the-christian-walk · 8 years ago

Text

NEVER OUT OF REACH

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The vision of Obadiah.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom—We have heard a message from the Lord: An envoy was sent to the nations to say, ‘Rise, let us go against her for battle—See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised.’”

“The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.

“If thieves came to you, if robbers in the night—oh, what a disaster awaits you!—would they not steal only as much as they wanted? If grape pickers came to you, would they not leave a few grapes? But how Esau will be ransacked, his hidden treasures pillaged! All your allies will force you to the border; your friends will deceive and overpower you; those who eat your bread will set a trap for you, but you will not detect it.”

Obadiah 1-7

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today we begin to look at the Book of Obadiah who, as we see within the mere 21 verses in this book, received a vision from the Lord pertaining specifically to the nation of Edom. Look at the first seven verses here:

The vision of Obadiah.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to know a whole lot about Obadiah but it’s believed he either lived during the time of Elisha or Jeremiah. We do know that God thought enough of this man to give him an oracle of what was to come regarding the nation of Edom. And while the Lord does give us details about the nation in Obadiah’s day, it’s important to first revisit Edom’s origins as it directly associates to Israel and provides us insight as to why God was sending judgment on it.

To find a clue as to where Edom was rooted, we look at our scripture passage and find it also referred to as Esau, yes, the same Esau who was born to Isaac and Rebekah, the same Esau who had a brother named Jacob.

You remember the story, right?

Rebekah was carrying twins and Esau was the firstborn followed closely by Jacob who emerged from the womb clasping his brother’s heel. It would become an omen of things to come for Rebekah, favoring her younger son Jacob, devised a ruse that tricked a nearly blind Isaac to give Jacob his birthright, the birthright that rightfully belonged to Esau. Jacob would go on to bear the name Israel and have twelve sons who would represent the twelve tribes of Israel. Esau, after first wanting to kill his brother but then choosing reconciliation instead, Esau settled in the hill country of Seir, southeast of Israel proper, and the nation became known as Edom because it was Esau’s nickname as he was known for making a delicious red stew.

From that point on, there were consistent conflicts that happened between the Israelites and Edomites, as the Edomites could not get past their historical heritage and the fact that Israel had taken the birthright their founding father rightfully deserved. Further, and a point critical to our passage from Obadiah, the Edomites refused to come to the aid of the Israelites as the southern kingdom was attacked by the Babylonians. In fact, they gloated over the misfortune of God’s people, even though they were related to them.

So God was going to send judgment on Edom. We know so because the first seven verses of Obadiah tell us so, revealing that “an envoy was sent to the nations”, calling them to rise up for battle against Edom who the Lord planned to make “small among the nations” and “utterly despised”.

Of course, Edom thought they were bulletproof, that they were protected from attack because they lived among the “clefts of the rocks” and made homes “on the heights”. Their pride deceived them into thinking they were untouchable, even being so bold to ask:

“Who can bring me down to the ground?”

Soon they would learn that the Lord Almighty can reach wherever and whoever He wants. They would discover that no one is ever out of reach of the hand of the Lord. For even though they believed they could soar like the eagles and nest among the stars, the Lord promised He would bring them down. He would see to it that they were ransacked just as Judah was with all their hidden treasures pillaged (it’s believed the Edomites concealed their treasures within the rocky crags).

In the end, Edom would be deceived and overpowered, victimized and trapped before being ultimately destroyed, finding themselves forcibly related to their kin to the north through judgment.

Today, I think we have a lot of people who adopt the same attitude as Edom. These people feel they can do whatever they want to do and violate whoever they choose to without consequence. Perhaps they would be well served to take a look at this small book in the Bible that packs a big message, a message that says no one is beyond the judgment of God, no one who is ever out of His reach.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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the-christian-walk · 8 years ago

Text

FINDING GOD THE HARD WAY

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to [email protected]. In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God. He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals His thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is His name.”

Amos 4:12-13

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I’ve always been a believed that we all will come to God one way or another. No one will ever go through life avoiding Him. It’s impossible to do so.

Given this, since we all will come to meet God in life, then we need to know that it will come under two conditions:

We can come to meet Him the easy way or we can meet Him the hard way. Which way we meet Him is entirely up to us.

Let’s look at the easy way first and then the hard where we will use our scripture today as an example of how not to find God in life.

The easy way of meeting God is when we do it willingly and willfully. We turn to Him because we believe in Him and trust that He is true to His promises. And we live in a way that shows we respect God enough to honor Him with all that we think, say, and do.

God favors this way of encountering Him because we are taking the initiative, seeing Him as our Supreme Maker and Master, the One we should be bowing down to, the One we should be submitting our will to, the One who is more than able to meet any need that we have. When we seek the Lord with our fullest conviction and dedication, we send the message to Him that He is all that matters in life to us and He responds to that message with His blessing and provision.

Now let’s turn to the hard way and it would be easy to say that it’s just the opposite of the easy way but it’s really not as simple as that and the scriptures from Amos, Chapter 4 show us why.

First of all we need to remember that the Israelites were giving every outward appearance that they had placed their trust in God, worshiping Him with their sacrifices as prescribed. One would believe in observing them that they were pious and holy, devoted to the God they bowed down to.

But sometimes looks can sometimes be deceiving and this certainly was the case with the Israelites in Amos’ day.

I say this because the Israelites were not giving their full loyalty to God and God alone as He commanded (Exodus 20:3-4a). Rather, they were bowing down to other pagan gods and idols, sometimes behind the scenes but also even being so bold as to worship these false entities in God’s holy temple. As we saw in yesterday’s devotion, God had tried over and over and over again to get the attention of His people through various forms of punishment. He impacted their food and water, He sent blight and drought to destroy their crops, and He even sent plagues similar to the ones that He attacked Egypt with but none of them had the desired effect. None of the penalties had resulted in the Israelites repenting and turning back to Him.

In other words, the Israelites wanted to find God the hard way and God was ready to oblige them. Look at today’s verses, the closing words of Amos 4:

The Israelites didn’t want to come to God willingly and willfully so God would impose His will upon them. They would feel the full brunt of the Lord’s almighty power, the Lord who had the might to form mountains, create wind, and reveals His thoughts to mankind. Indeed, the Israelites were going to see God reveal Himself to them in a big way.

For we know that first the Assyrians and then the Babylonians attacked the northern kingdom of Israel and southern kingdom of Judah respectively, laying the entire nation to waste and leaving it in ruin before carrying off the Israelites into captivity. There would be no doubt that the people of God had brought God’s judgment upon themselves, no doubt that they had found Him the hard way.

The whole account of what happened to the Israelites will be forever sad to me because it never had to be that way. They never would have had to endure the hardship of God’s consequences if they had only chose to submit to Him in obedience, giving Him and Him alone all the honor, glory, and praise He deserved through their worship.

Hopefully, we can learn something from their mistakes today as we look at their story. Because we all need to remember that we’re going to meet God in our life. Whether it’s the easy or hard way is completely our call.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to [email protected]

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