#why did God lead the Israelites into difficult situations?

[childrensbread]

7 Keys to Spiritual Devotion: Lessons From Pergamum

To the Church in Pergamum

💜 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.

I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in Me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

~Revelation 2:12-17 ✝️

Devotional

The "1 in 60 rule" is an air navigation principle used to calculate route drift for straying aircraft. For every one degree out, a plane will end up a nautical mile off course for every 60 miles traveled. These small shifts add up quickly. For example, a plane from NYC to Tokyo, one degree off, would miss Tokyo by approximately 115 miles.

Put simply: small tweaks in trajectory have a big impact. This is what Jesus warns the church in Pergamum.

Pergamum was a bustling metropolis in Asia. It was a melting pot of pagan spirituality and idol worship. Being a Christian there was difficult. The church was constantly exposed to crushing cultural pressure.

Jesus speaks directly into their situation. After praising the church's faithfulness, He gives them a loving, but clear, rebuke: The church was succumbing to one-degree shifts. It was sliding into spiritual compromise and accepting teachings contrary to the Gospel. Jesus' warning is explicit: You can't compromise on truth. Immediate course correction was required.

Christ's words apply to us too. Like Pergamum, our individualistic culture offers us a glittering multitude of gods and worldviews. While these options may seem attractive, they're contrary to Jesus' message. Jesus tells us He's the way, truth and life: The only option. Nothing else leads to anything meaningful. As Christians, we cannot be deceived by worldly temptations. Christ must remain our cornerstone.

Like the Pergamene Christians, we can all fall foul of the "1 in 60 rule" and slip off course. Spiritual compromise rarely happens in big chunks. It's the unintentional result of many tiny adjustments. None of us is immune.

Today is our wake-up call: We need Jesus, like a skilled air-traffic controller, to diagnose where we've drifted and to bring us home. We need help.

Where do you need Christ's course-correction?

Staying on course in faith is a daily fight, but it's not impossible. With the Holy Spirit as our helper and Scripture as our guide, God's truth is always accessible. Like a measuring stick, it helps us spot where we've strayed. This is why daily devotions, like this one, are so important. They recalibrate us, helping us to hold onto truth amid a confusing culture. Well done for fighting compromise today!

Our third key to deeper devotion this week, then, is this: Stay alert! Consider where you might have drifted in faith and prayerfully seek God's course-correction.

While you're breathing, you're never too far gone. With God's help you can get back on track. You simply need to adjust your direction or, to use Scripture's language, repent. One degree at a time. Jesus awaits you with overflowing forgiveness. As Romans 8:1 declares, "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!" He can lead you home today. 💜🙂🙏

Source: Glorify App

Image:

[ourkd]

Life is a Journey, Exodus 17:1-7

Life is a Journey, Exodus 17:1-7

“Where are we going!?” My oldest son asks as we settle into our van after taking in a Mariner’s game. Weaving in and out of neighborhoods really isn’t the ideal route to the freeway entrance.

“I don’t know, but Google Maps is usually pretty accurate,” I assure him. But so far, Ms. Google seems to enjoy leading us on a wild goose chase. I don’t know why 20 minutes passes before the now obvious…

[pwolfministries]

Satisfied

by Maddie Knudtson

The Bible is full of people that worked for God's people and kingdom. They set examples for us, indicating how to be leaders, servants, and vessels of Christ. Arguably one of the most prominent figures is Moses. He spoke to God, struggled to guide a people prone to sin and doubt, and presented guidelines to the Israelites that still guide the Church today. One powerful illustration of leadership behavior comes from Exodus 18:13-27: The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. When his father-in-law saw all that (1) Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"

Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."

Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and (2) I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. (3a) Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and (3b) appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. (3c) That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home (4) satisfied."

(5) Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided for themselves. 

Then Moses (6) sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.

Hello there, Old Testament! Just because you have old in the name does not mean you are less valid to the present! Let's get down to business and unpack this in six major categories related to this text.

1: Moses actively did things for the people. His leadership was based in service, not focused on standing above others and shouting commandments to them. Moses may have a very prominent position among the Israelites, but he still engaged with them directly, humbly. Do you view leadership as power, or as service to God and humanity?

2: We are called to lead others in faith, both by word and example, but we will always need the leadership of others to truly succeed. People are not capable of going at life alone and unchecked. Jethro doesn't hold any formal power over Moses, but he offers an unbiased analysis of the situation. Constructive criticism benefits us. We need to be assisted by people who are unaffected by proximity. Jethro also entreats God to be with Moses. As much as we'd like to believe that reason or a silver tongue can change a person's mind, they can't. If you've ever experienced a debate, you know that it takes more than a compelling argument to shift someone's stance. Our words do plant seeds, but it takes a stronger power to make them grow. Do you strive to accept advice and assistance? How often do you pray over those with differing perspectives, not for their condemnation but for God to bring them understanding?

3: Ministry and leadership starts with teaching. To allow it to grow is to defer responsibility to others. If we don't equip and allow others to step up, there will be stagnation within the group. There will be burn-out in the leadership. Our world deceives us into believing that those who cannot handle all of the weight are weak, a false statement that produces dead ends. Mindfully acknowledging limits and sharing responsibility is a sign of strength--both individual and collective. There's even a division of labor in the Trinity, different roles deferred to Father, Son, and Spirit, a holy example of how leadership ought to be. After all, an empty cup cannot pour over and over-stretched rubber bands cannot hold systems together. What excess are you holding onto that burdens you? Is it keeping you from being well enough to help not just others, but also yourself?

4: Our work is mean to satisfy. God does not want us to impress everyone--in fact, that's quite the opposite! He intends for us to be satisfied. Allow that word to simmer: satisfied. The most effective way to meet everyone's needs is to walk together in our tasks, reducing individual strain so that we may be satisfied. Do you feel satisfied at the end of the day, or are your responsibilities becoming burdensome, wearing both yourself and others down?

5: Leaders need to listen. Whether in charge of tens or thousands, being receptive to questions, comments, and concerns is important. When Moses listened to his father-in-law, it benefited not only himself, but all of the Israelites. This goes back to the need of humility--without it, we cannot step back to reevaluate and energize. When people give us guidance and pointing out blind-spots, are we genuinely listening and considering what they say?

6: After Jethro told Moses that their system needed to be fixed, he left. He did not storm off muttering, slink off in the middle of the night, or flee. He was not a man undermined or disregarded. They parted peacefully, without drama. On top of that, Moses did not force him to go. Despite the fact that Jethro did not belong to their people, he was made welcome, treated with grace, and treated respectfully for his observations/suggestions. How do you treat people when they offer you constructive criticism? Is your heart open to the discomfort often required for growth?

Leadership, like so many other things in life, is multifaceted. Even when we do not feel like significant leaders, such as Moses, we should always strive to better interact with others. We shouldn't wait to reach a high position before we ask ourselves all of the above questions. No matter where we are in life, it is always time to learn from scripture and go home satisfied.

-Maddie

[dailyaudiobible]

03/16/2020 DAB Transcript

Numbers 24:1-25:18, Luke 2:1-35, Psalms 59:1-17, Proverbs 11:14

Today is the 16th day of March, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian what a joy it is to be here with you as we get ourselves going into this new week. So, let's continue our journey. We’re moving our way through the book of Numbers and we’re also just getting moved into the gospel of Luke. So, we’re reading from the Message this week. Numbers chapters 24 and 25 today.

Commentary:

Okay. So, in the book of Numbers we've had quite the dramatic story unfolding over the last couple of days. The children of Israel have moved north and there's been some battles. They've been attacked, they've been victorious. So, they kind of carved out a little space for them to be in but they're freaking out their neighbors. And, so, the king of Moab, whose name was Balak…and Moab is modern day…the modern-day country of Jordan, at least the area that we’re talking about in this story. And, so, Balak, he's already seen what happened and he can kind of get the idea of what might come next for him and his people if these Israelites aren't stopped. So, he sends a way for this prophetic kind of figure, this person who can bless and curse named Balaam. And from the biblical narrative we see that Balaam hears from God and God tells Balaam when Balak’s people come not to go. And, so, he doesn't go. And, so, the king Balak sends more…more important people to get Balaam and this time God says you can go with them but only say what I tell you to say. This is a super fascinating story because Balaam does go riding on his donkey that he’s had for years. And this is the time that the donkey veers off the path or the donkey just sits down in the middle of the road or the donkey crushes his foot against a wall and he’s beating the donkey until the donkey speaks to him. “What have I ever done to you? Have I ever done anything to deserve this?” And Balaam’s so mad he’s like, “I would kill you if I had a sword”, which I always every year find funny because it’s like, you’re talking to a donkey. Are you…I mean how do you get so mad that you don't realize you’re talking to a donkey? So, there’s this interesting thing that's going on and its bizarre because it's like all Balaam’s doing is obeying God. Why is an angel of the Lord standing in front of the path with a sword that only the donkey can see? What's going on here in this story very quickly becomes about how we try to manipulate situations and try to call it God's will for our lives. So, when Balaam and was first approached to come and curse the Israelites, God spoke to him very clearly, “do not go. Don't go.” When they came back again, God said, “you can go but only say what I tell you to say.” So, this looks like opportunity for Balaam. God wouldn't let him go do the job and get paid the first time, but now He's letting him go, just telling him to only speak what he is told to speak. And so, he's on his way. And then there's this incident with the angel and the donkey three times over. When the donkey asks Balaam why he's being so mean, he reveals his heart, he was embarrassed in front of these important people. So, God is sending Balaam a very strong message. “You might think this is gonna be a big payday. You may think this is gonna be a big moment of honor for you but don't be seduced. Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare say anything that you aren't told to say.” And we do this kind of stuff. We’ll ask God for His direction and say, “I only want what you want in my life. I'm tired of all of the messes that I make. I just want to follow the narrow path. Just show me the narrow path.” But we reveal our own hearts and our motivations because there are things that we desire to happen. And when God begins to open those doors we feel like every doors been open and we know the way and we’re just gonna blast through it all, when all God gave Balaam permission to do was go and say what he was told to say. That’s it. So, Balaam gets to Balak and there's some sacrifices and there's some viewing of the camp of the Israelites. And Balaam’s got the message at this point and he goes and hears from God that…that Israel is not gonna be cursed. Israel is only gonna be blessed. So, the king Balak’s like, “let's go to another place and look at them from a different angle”, right? And, so, they do when they make sacrifices and this all happens again. And, so, Balak the king is like. let’s go to another place.” Basically, “let's keep looking at this from different angles until we get the answer that we’re looking for from God.” And then boom, now we’re in the story, now this is our life too because we have a tendency to do the same thing. We want something and God’s saying, “no.” We wait. We look from a different view. God says, “no.” We wait. We look from a different…we’re just looking for the answer that we want. But Balaam had been severely warned about that. And, so, he blessed Israel. And then we exit that story and it seems like we've switched gears because now we’re back in the Israelite camp, and many of the Israelite men were fraternizing with the Midianite women which they were forbidden to do because it was doing exactly what they had been warned against. It was leading them through sex to idolatry, the worship of the false gods of the neighboring countries. And these are the Midianites and not the Moabites so it’s like we’re talking to different…we’re like in it completely different story when apparently, we’re in the same story. Balaam, in the book of Numbers says he's going home. Like, he can only do what God told him to do. He’s going home. He said that from the from the beginning. What it appears that happened after that is that the king of Moab allied himself with the Midianites and hatched this plan to seduce men away through the Midianite women, which is a heck of seductive plot and it was working. Where did that idea come from? Balaam isn't that big of a biblical figure, but he shows up again in the book of Revelation in the letter to Pergamum, the church in Pergamum. And, so, I’m quoting from Revelation here, “there are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. So, that appears to be the rest of the story. Balaam only spoke what God told him to speak in terms of blessing and cursing. But it seems that as he's leaving, he offered a tip. But before we exit the book of Numbers will find out that things didn't go so well for Balaam after all. He was killed in a battle…a battle with the Midianites. So, there are, you know, it’s a long sprawling story and there are many facets to it and many ways to look at it, that's the nature of the Bible. But fundamentally, I think this story brings front and center into our own lives, our mixed motives and the ways that we try to play both sides of a story sometimes undetected, and the damage that that can do to those around us when we’re not true and the damage that it can ultimately do to our lives because it's not wise.

Prayer:

Father we invite You into that because it hits close to home. We all have areas of our lives where we’ve experienced mixed motivations, conflicts in which we try to participate in the light and the darkness at the same time. And although we may be able to keep up the façade for a while it ends badly every time. it's not true, it's not wise, it's not healthy, it's not godly, it's not holy. And if there's one thing that we’re seeing as we move through the Tora, as we move through the law, it’s that You are holy, and You are drawing Your people into holiness. And, so, we ask Your forgiveness for the way we’ve mishandled our motivations and submit our hearts desires to You. Come Holy Spirit, as we go through this day and bring these things up in our lives as we meditate upon the Scriptures today. Show us the areas that we’re playing in too close to the edge, that we’re running along the cliffs edge and we’re gonna fall off. Come Holy Spirit we pray. In the mighty name of Jesus, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website and its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here as I always say. And it is. So, be sure to stay tuned and stay connected.

Stay connected at the Prayer Wall. Constantly people are asking for prayer. Constantly people are offering prayers. It’s a fantastic resource. Any time that you're feeling like you…you're about to get overwhelmed, you're not alone. There's a way to reach out but one of the ways that kind of brings our equilibrium back in those moments is to realize that we have become very, very self-focused in this because it's painful or it’s difficult. And often when we face outward, when we realize we’re not the only one suffering right now in some way, we’re not the only one struggling somehow in some way. Everybody is struggling in some way all the time. There always challenges. There's always obstacles. So, facing outward and just praying…praying for them, that is so beautiful, so noble, so right, so good. And often it changes the atmosphere in our own lives. It changes the way we’re looking at what's overwhelming us. So, yeah, let's pray for each other and the Prayer Wall is a great place for that. So, check it out.

And there are resources in the Daily Audio Bible Shop for this journey like the Daily Audio Bible Journal and all of the writing utensils that we have. All of these beautiful pencils and all of the paraphernalia just make it…just a loving ritual, something…something that we have and we write down the story of our days even if it's just a paragraph or a couple sentences on some days and pages on other days where we just in our own hand, like not some digital copy, which is fine. I did that for years, but I found like writing things down in my own hand with a pencil I sharpened. I'm taking the time to slow things down and process because life is flying at me and us at warp…there's no way to keep up with it all. So, to almost revolt and go like old tech, old school and go like, I’m gonna sharpen a pencil, I’m gonna sit down here for a few minutes and it’s not gona take me hours. I’m gonna give 10 minutes. I’m gonna give 15 minutes to just slowing things down and processing, like writing it…like writing it out, allowing it to be committed to paper in my own hand and out of me so I’m not carrying it around anymore. And we we begin to see the thread of God's faithfulness as we do that faithfully. All that's available in the Daily Audio Bible Shop, created for this community for exactly this purpose. Everything that we can do to build in all of the rhythms of the daily reading of the word and to strengthen that and make it go deeper in us. That's what we’re trying to do. And, so, these resources are available. Check them out in the Daily Audio Bible Shop.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There’s a link that is on the homepage and my humblest, deepest gratitude for everyone who has ever clicked that link. Thank you. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the given button in the upper right-hand corner. And if you prefer…prefer the mail, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is a number to dial.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

[icephas]

Bitter Waters - The Great Controversy in the Desert

Monday, July 11

“And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.” Exodus 17:1

Perhaps we might not get from God everything we want, but couldn’t we expect to get all that we need? Not what we think we need but what we truly need?

There was one thing the Israelites certainly needed, and that was water. Just after God in the cloud led the Israelites through the Red Sea, they followed Him through the hot, waterless desert for three days. Particularly in the desert, where finding water is so critical, their desperation is understandable. When would they get the water they needed?

So, where does God lead them? The pillar goes to Marah, where, at last, there is water. They must have been excited. But when they tasted the water, they immediately spat it out because it was bitter. “So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’” (Exodus 15:24).

Then, a few days later, God does it again. This time, however, the pillar actually stops where there is no water at all (Exodus 17:1).

Read Exodus 15:22-27 and Exodus 17:1-7. What did God reveal to Israel about Himself at Marah and at Rephidim? What lessons should they have learned?

In Rephidim, what question did the children of Israel ask? Exodus 17:7. Have you ever asked the same question? If so, why? How did you feel, and what lessons did you learn after you had it answered? How many times do we need to get it answered before we stop asking it altogether?

Tuesday, July 12

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.” Luke 4:1-2

Read Luke 4:1-13. What lessons can you learn from this account about how to overcome temptation and not give in to sin?

Temptations can be so difficult because they appeal to things we really desire, and they always seem to come at our weakest moments.

Luke 4 is the beginning of the story of Jesus’ temptation by Satan, and it brings some difficult issues to our attention. At first glance, it appears that the Holy Spirit is leading Jesus into temptation. However, God never tempts us (James 1:13). Rather, as we have been seeing, God does lead us to crucibles of testing. What is striking in Luke 4 is that the Holy Spirit can lead us to times of testing that involve our being exposed to Satan’s fierce temptations. At such times, when we feel these temptations so strongly, we may misunderstand and think we have not been following God correctly. But this is not necessarily true.

“Often when placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has been leading us. But it was the Spirit’s leading that brought Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He has a purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on God’s promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give up to despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we.” The Desire of Ages, pp. 126, 129.

Sometimes, when in the crucible, we get burned rather than purified. It is therefore very comforting to know that when we crumple under temptation, we can hope again because Jesus stood firm. The good news is that because Jesus is our Sin Bearer, because He paid the penalty for our failure to endure that temptation (whatever it was), because He went through a crucible worse than any of us will ever face, we are not cast off or forsaken by God. There is hope, even for the “chief” of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

What temptations are you facing now? Spend some time in prayer, asking the Lord to teach you how to apply the lessons from Jesus’ example in your own life. Remember, you don’t have to succumb to temptation, ever! Remember, too, that if you do succumb, you have a Savior.

[dgtully]

Worship Guide for 9/20/20

{The Facebook Live event begins Sunday, 9/20/20 at 11:00 AM, EDT.}

Order of Worship

(If you have a candle available, light it as a sign of this time being set apart as sacred and as a confession that God, who is our light, is present with us.)

Greeting/Welcome

Call to Worship & Opening Prayer:

Read aloud: 1 Chronicles 29:10b-13

Read (bold) aloud:

Who is like you, O Lord, majestic in holiness and awesome in splendor?

We will sing to the Lord, for God has triumphed gloriously. 

God is our strength, our might, and our salvation!

Pray aloud: 

We sing and speak your praise, O God, grateful for the many ways in which you have directed, upheld, provided for, and healed us. Keep our hearts, our minds, and our spirits open to your ways—in which we might offer healing love for others. We gather together now as one people; seeking your presence and to both be reminded of and recommit ourselves to living your story. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

Song of Praise:

Sing along with the words of the song, “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (displayed on screen) during the Facebook Live event, OR recite /sing the following verse if only making use of this worship guide:

O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace! My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name. 

Confession of Faith:

Recite aloud our proclamation of faith today, from The Apostles’ Creed:

(“In remembrance of our/my baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we/I now make proclamation of you, who in your nature and ways are the foundation of the life we seek . . .”)

I believe in God the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth;

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried;

the third day he rose from the dead;

he ascended into heaven,

and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic* church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

                  *meaning the universal Christian church—all believers in Jesus Christ

                 Prayers of the People

If you are gathered online during today’s Facebook Live event, type in the comments any prayer requests, praises for God’s actions, or concerns you have for yourself or others, that we may all lift them in prayer together. Use this time to bring your concerns and petitions to God, praying along with the leader if you are participating online (Facebook Live) worship, or by yourself if not.

Let us pray:

Lord, your blessings abound in our lives and we lift our voices in gratitude for these gracious gifts from you. We also lift our voices as our hearts cry out our concerns for those who are ill, who mourn, who feel lost. We offer to your both our joys and concerns, so often intermingled in our lives. Be with each of us and with those whom we name with our voices and in our hearts. (Take time for naming people or situations in need of God’s healing love.) For those suffering in sickness, bring your healing touch. Lift the heavy burden of those weighed down in heart and mind. Where there seems to be no way, Lord, clear the path and illuminate it with your light that we may follow where you lead. May we always trust that you are with us and will provide. Through Jesus Christ we pray, AMEN.

Loving God, we your children never pray alone, but only with all your saints in all the world. Therefore, we pray now as Jesus taught us:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory; Both now and forever. Amen

Feasting on God’s Word/Sermon:

Read Exodus 14:1-31

{If you are NOT making use of today’s online service, reflect on the following in light of the reading . . .}

How would you have felt witnessing the events describe in this passage? Would you have had compassion on the Egyptians as you watched them driven into the sea? Why or why not? 

What do you think the Israelites would have learned about God from this experience? What do you learn?

Recall a time you felt God liberated or freed you. How was God with you during this difficult journey?

What might it mean to “fear” the Lord (v. 31)? How does that connect with the belief that God is our hope?

Holy Communion:

With bread and Cup (juice or wine) before you, join in The Great Thanksgiving in preparation of receiving God’s grace through this sacrament (for which our resident Bishop has allowed clergy to consecrate online during this time, for participation at home) speaking what is in bold, or all should you desire:

Invitation

Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

Confession and Pardon

Lord, your grace and mercy are ever-present in our lives, your forgiveness is boundless in mercy when we fail to live in Christlike ways. And yet, we are quick to carry a grudge—quick to find fault, quick to assign blame, quick to harden our hearts toward others. Set us apart, loving God, to extend and model the grace you have shown us by offering grace to others. We pray in the name of the One who died so that we might fully live. Amen.

Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God’s love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Glory to God. Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving

May the Lord be with us. We lift up our hearts to the Lord. Let us give our thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. And so, with your people on earth and all the company of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ is with us; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on we who are gathered in your name, in this and all places your people gather in the union of worship this day, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood

By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. 

Through your Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in you holy church, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever. Amen.

(Share in the bread before you with the words, “The body of Christ, given for us.” Share in the cup before you with the words, “The blood of Christ, given for us.”)

The Devotion of Giving

God has blessed us with an abundance of gifts. We are called to offer all that we are to God—our bodies, our spirits, our minds, our time, and our money. As the body of Christ, we are called to be in ministry with others. With true generosity, let us give of ourselves this day.

Consider making this time your opportunity to give a financial offering to God through his church. There are two ways you can do this through financially supporting the ongoing ministry of Fall Branch UMC:

Mail a check to:

Fall Branch United Methodist Church

P. O. Box 86

Fall Branch, TN 37656

     2.  Online Giving: 

Go to holston.org/churchoffering and fill in your contact information.

Select Appalachian District in the first pull-down menu. Select Fall Branch United Methodist Church—Fall Branch, TN in the second pull-down menu.

Click the blue bar at the bottom to be taken to a secure site to put in your credit / debit card information and the amount of your offering and submit. That’s it!—100% of your offering will go to the ministry of Fall Branch UMC.

Prayer of Thanks & Gratitude:

As a way to show gratitude in our giving, offer the following prayer as a part of your act of worship:

Giving God, all we are and all we have come from you. We offer back to you what has always been yours. As you have entrusted your gifts to us, so we return these gifts to you, trusting that you will multiply them to the great glory of your kingdom on earth. We pray through Jesus who gave his life fully for us. AMEN.

Concluding Prayer of Worship/Devotion:

What part of our worship together did you find most engaging?

Was there something you experienced that pointed you toward greater closeness with God? with other people?

When were you most encouraged? most challenged?

What do you sense God is calling you to be and/or do that helps you better reflect his life and ways?

For what are you most grateful in this time?

Pray yourself, or along with those gathered with you, the following benediction prayer aloud:

Go with the God who can part the troubled waters of your life and lead you through to dry ground.Go with the God who can scatter and subdue all that hinders you on your journey. Go forth in God’s might and in God’s peace. AMEN.

[kingdomofthelogos]

Souls Above Politics

In Matthew 17 Peter is confronted by collectors of the Temple Tax who are hoping to pull Jesus into the sphere of Jewish politics. They come to Peter with a loaded question, hoping to have a “gotcha” moment so they can brand Jesus as being an unlawful teacher. In the midst of this, Peter has an impulse to return home to Jesus.

There will be many who invite the church to step into the political sphere, but we must have an impulse to return home to Jesus and submit to His teachings and not the convictions of others. Jesus did not look at people as groups or political constituencies. Jesus cared for each child of God, with each individual soul having great value. Moreover, Christ cared for each heart to be reconciled to God and liberated from the stumbling blocks of fallen creation.

The best response we can have to an invitation into politics is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ rather than engage in political and social activism. If you truly want to change politics and society, the best way to do so is by transforming the hearts and minds of the individuals that produce politics and culture. Preaching the unabridged Gospel of Jesus Christ is far more powerful than the pettiness of earthly affairs, and it will ultimately change the world more so than engaging the world on the world’s terms.  

Matthew 17:24-27

Matthew 17:24 When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?” 25 He said, “Yes, he does.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?” 26 When Peter said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the children are free. 27 However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me.”(NRSV)

What is this Text Really Saying?

Peter is confronted by people who are requesting that Jesus step into the political sphere. This is clear from the way they have phrased their question. They are not simply asking for a tax collection but have presented a smug “gotcha” question to Peter. Despite their efforts to trap Peter in unproductive discourse, Peter gives a brief response to dismiss them, similarly to how Jesus gave brief responses to the devil in the wilderness. Peter’s instinct is then to return home to Jesus. This is an aspect of discipleship that cannot be overlooked. Peter has a powerful impulse causing him to return to Jesus when he is challenged to weigh in on such an issue.

The term we have translated in verse 27 as “offense” appears in the Greek as “skandalisomen,” which has in it the root “skandal,” where we get our English word for scandal. This is the same root that is used a few verses later in the beginning of chapter 18, when Jesus teaches against causing little ones to stumble. The word often translated as stumble in chapter 18 has this same root, appearing in that chapter as “skandalise.” This word does not mean “offend,” in the modern sense that someone said something that might hurt someone else’s feelings, but rather it means to cause to stumble. This is a word that means to force someone into a scandal, a morally compromising situation.

There is no coincidence that shortly after this word appears in the end of chapter 17, it is used once again in chapter 18. Jesus responds to an invite to the political sphere by pointing us to children and teaching us that we must all change our hearts and come to Him as a child. Furthermore, Jesus warns us that if we do not change our hearts then we will betray God’s design for us as His children. It is immoral to cause another to stumble; furthermore, it is also immoral to cause ourselves to stumble.

Those who are obsessed with the affairs of the earth and earthly leaders are prone to stumbling. Therefore, we must turn to Jesus when we are pressed to engage with earthly affairs. This does not mean that we abstain from engaging the world around us; rather, it means we engage the world with Christ Jesus being Lord of our life.

Jesus is bigger than the kings of the earth and the taxes and tributes they collect from others. Just as God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham, Jesus is able to raise up taxes from the mouths of fish.

What is the Temple Tax?

One of the questions we have regarding this text is the nature of the Temple Tax. Where does it come from, and is it truly moral for Jesus to participate in it? Is Jesus making a compromise when He pays the temple tax? We can go to Exodus 30:13-16 and find the origins of this tax, where the LORD is speaking to Moses.

Exodus 30:13-16

Exodus 30:13 This is what each one who is registered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord. 14 Each one who is registered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord’s offering. 15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you bring this offering to the Lord to make atonement for your lives. 16 You shall take the atonement money from the Israelites and shall designate it for the service of the tent of meeting; before the Lord it will be a reminder to the Israelites of the ransom given for your lives.(NRSV)

From this we can clearly see that Jesus is not compromising anything. The Temple Tax has its roots in Exodus, when God was giving instructions to Moses. God had given the commandment to collect this tax for the upkeep of the tent of meeting, which would later become the Temple in Jerusalem.

Jesus is fully God and fully man. The two natures are simultaneously one, and they have come together for a singular purpose. The man nature of Jesus does not break the laws that were instituted by the God nature. Jesus is ultimately giving glory to God by participating in the Laws that were given directly by God. This is not a legalistic interpretation of the Law that follows the Law in technicality but abuses the spirit of the Law. Instead, this is a very cut and dry following of the Law. All adult men are to contribute a set amount to the upkeep of the House of God. Whether they be poor or wealthy, they all contribute the same amount.

The Impulse to Return to Christ

Peter had an impulse to return to Jesus when others wanted him to wade into difficult waters. Jesus, being fully God and fully man teaches us that we are not to make others stumble, as Jesus does not lead others to places of stumbling. Peter has surrendered himself to Christ and the teachings of Christ. Peter, despite his spiritual struggles, has a belief system centered around Christ, even though he fails to live up to it from time to time. Because of his belief in Christ, his impulse is to pursue Christlike actions when challenged.

The effects of your actions are best predicted by the belief system you hold. Your motives and intentions have less to do with the outcome of your actions than do your belief system. It doesn’t take a lot of experience in life to make one realize that you can make big mistakes even with the best intentions. Moreover, people can do very wicked things while sincerely believing they are operating under good intentions.

This is why New Year’s resolutions fail, and why it is that relationships come apart even though people want to change. Intentions are not enough. We need the power of the Gospel to have truly good intentions, and we can only do this if Christ is Lord of our life.

Our beliefs, rather than our intentions, are the best predictor of how we will respond to the various situations that life throws at us. Peter has organized his life around his relationship with Jesus; therefore, when someone presents Peter with the tantalizing opportunity to weigh in on the politics of the Temple Tax his first move is to return home to Jesus.  

Gospel living is about listening to the teachings of Christ Jesus. Christians must have an impulse that sends us back to Jesus. There will be others, including others in the church, who try to pull us in all manner of ways. Yet, we must be faithful to Christ if we are to be fortified against stumbling blocks.

Engaging the World

What matters more to you, the soul of one of God’s children or the affairs of an earthly nation? The church is always tempted to become activists for different political and social causes. However, this is not the purpose for which the church was commissioned. If a particular cause or movement is of God, and by that I mean we can find that the cause or movement aligns with the Gospel of Christ Jesus that has been revealed to us, it need not be expressed in secular activism or movements because it is simply the work of the Gospel. The morals and values of God are to be embraced because their goodness is derived from God, not because we think we can sell people on their effects.

The Gospel can change and shape cultures, and it does such by transforming souls. This is what we are called to do. This is what really matters. Oddly, this will have a bigger effect on politics and culture than will political and social activism. Why? Because hearts and minds are more important than politics and culture; moreover, hearts and minds are the forces that produce politics and culture, not the other way around.

We live in a day in age when our culture likes many effects of the Gospel but does not want the Gospel to be the source of those effects. Notions such as having value as an individual, having righteousness in your personal life, and the need to be continually transformed and perfected all have their origins in the Gospel. The church has bought into the lie that we can sell people on these effects without teaching the world that the Gospel is the necessary source of these things.

The church is always tempted to wade into the waters of political and social activism. However, Christ Jesus and His Kingdom are bigger than these earthly affairs. Furthermore, what people believe is more important than their intentions. The church has bought into a lie that we need to align ourselves with people who have similar intentions. This is not what the Gospel commands us to do, instead, we are commanded to reach out to people with the testimony of Christ Jesus that they may come to Him and follow the Way of life. Spiritual conversion to a belief in Christ Jesus is far more powerful than mere alignment with motives and intentions.

Jesus was not ignorant of the culture of two thousand years ago, and He is not oblivious to the convictions that our modern culture gives us now. Jesus was not unaware of the sexual proclivities of Roman culture, nor the corruption that went on in the various spheres of politics. Jesus holds these things to exist beneath the Kingdom of God, that they are substantially less important than the individual hearts found in the children of God. Jesus cares about us as individual children, and the state of our souls is far more significant in the Kingdom of God than are the earthly affairs.

The Gospel teaches us against stumbling, and stumbling is a spiritual affair. Placing too much value on earthly affairs makes you prone to stumble, as well as putting you in a position where you can cause others to stumble. This is not the call of the church.

It is wicked to cause stumbling. It is wicked to cause someone else to stumble. It is wicked to cause yourself to stumble. It is wicked to pursue a goal by any means necessary. It is wicked to manipulate people so that you can approach a desired goal. It is to wicked judge people as groups, and it is wicked to apply different standards to different people. These are stumbling blocks, and they are sinful. It is better that someone meet a torturous death than for them to set stumbling blocks before others.

Christ Jesus cares about the souls of God’s children, and we should as well. Our prime directive is to go out into the world to seek the lost that they might accept Christ Jesus as their savior. The Gospel is what we are to preach, and sometimes this requires us to stand up against sins in this world. Whenever we are standing up against sin, and taking action to stop evil in our world, we must be taking action because the Gospel commands us to do so. Furthermore, we must be using the language of Gospel, to call things out as evil and sinful, and to point to the hope of salvation and holiness that is found in Christ Jesus. Whether we are using King James English, or NIV English, we need to be using the language of the Gospel in our lives.

[lewigm-blog]

Newsletter 3.5: With just a few loaves and some fish we can all do the Magis

Published August 22, 2019

 “Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied…”

-        Matthew 14: 13-21

 This one goes out to all those who have fed me when they thought they didn’t have much to give. It is because you give, that I am where I am today. Surely those efforts have helped others out as now it is me who is sharing more loaves of bread and fish than I thought I had.

 During our misa a few weeks ago, Matthew’s gospel passage had me reflecting on the magis, which for those who don’t know is a Jesuit/Latin comparative adjective meaning “the more.” This is something that Saint Ignatius constantly reflected on and challenged others in. At any time, it is to be and give more of yourself to others, yourself and, by nature, God as well. I have had countless opportunities to live out this magis during my time as a JV. I could always give my students and community more attention, a project more of my energy, and be more present during mass or during “Peruvian” meetings. While these are just a few situations in which the litany and struggles of life have tempted me from performing at 100%, I recognize that it is a completely normal thing to experience from time to time.

In the world of a volunteer and, I imagine, a professional, the temptation to be and do “enough” will happen more than once and can affect other areas of our lives. It can sneak into our routines subtly and casually (as sin usually does), but it can also happen all at once through traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, an accident or any other unexpected tragedy. You may very well be experiencing this difficulty in your lives now as Jesus did upon hearing the news of the death of John the Baptist during this past week’s reading. Like Jesus, we may want to retreat from the world to recover from a difficult moment but sometimes God has other plans for us and puts people in our lives that call for us to be more. In this Gospel reading we see that Jesus still tends to the needs of the people, performing miracles and constantly giving more of himself for others even when he may not be at his best emotionally. It is during these experiences that we are tested and pushed to the limit as people. Sometimes it is the people we give all of ourselves to that are the ones goading us, pushing us closer to the brink of giving up.

The children of Israel lamented, “Would that we had meat for food! We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt…But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna.”

*This one does hit home with me literally as the frequency and access to meat was much more readily available back in the states than here in Peru, but I digress…

Oh, how ungrateful the Israelites were! Oftentimes, our service or jobs have us encountering and accompanying people who complain and fail to recognize the love in our labor as Moses experienced. Our children, students or anyone else who depends on us might be crying out for something that we aren’t exactly offering or feel obliged to offer. The hope is that they are seeking the magis, but it usually isn’t phrased or perceived this way. It can present itself as moaning and groaning after the students’ “reward” for finishing their work early is yet another worksheet. It could also be in the form of blank stares of silence and indifference after showing them what you initially thought was interesting or profound. God forbid you try to get your students to think a bit more critically! Maybe it’s just an off day for you and them and they’re not ready to understand why you teach this way. They might not even know what their words or actions are doing to our spirit, but it can be tough to keep moving forward from this. I haven’t had a formal education in teaching so why am I here anyway? All these thoughts have raced through my mind while I’m in school teaching.

“Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the LORD. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people?... Where can I get [meat] (insert whatever applies in your vocation) to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, ‘Give us [meat] for our food.’ …If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.”

Well we certainly don’t want to push Mr. Moses, cause he’s close to the edge (for the song reference click here). In the book of Numbers (11: 4b-15), we see an image of a frustrated, on-the-edge Moses (and at times Luis during 6th grade Catechism classes) going through a difficult experience. I remember feeling this way several times after the initial “new teacher” grace period was over. Some of my students wanted to test me and push me and see what would happen. Thankfully, I didn’t let it bother me too much initially, but after some time and external responsibilities piling up, I began to show my inner Moses.

Curiously enough, my session on the Ten Commandments for my 6th graders in June had me wanting to pull my hairs out. We were about about a month away from the mid-year break and the kids were starting to show their readiness for the vacation. This session was supposed to take only one class, but it spanned two, hour and a half sessions across two weeks. The session seemed simple as I asked the students to find the scripture passage on the Commandments, read it as a group (popcorn style) and then identify 10 or so commandments. A few of the commandments weren’t explicitly written out and this threw them for a loop. Once the 30-minute ordeal was over, I grouped them by table and they were to write on papelón, or big paper, their assigned commandment and provide an illustration of one situation in which people followed the commandment and then one example of people disobeying the commandment. The activity dragged on and the students did not want to cooperate. I was growing frustrated as I struggled to maintain order in class, so I asked them to present their illustrations. The results were sad, but hilarious.

The “Best” of the presentations on the Ten Commandments

           Perhaps not the most kind and loving way to teach, but I am still learning and feel that I have a sense of humor to uphold. After this episode, there were constant breaks in our lessons week to week as events would come up that would leave several weeks between religion classes. It is important to note that we teach religion once a week, which only made matters worse. This lack of organization at Fe y Alegria, my waning patience, and an overall lack of commitment to much of anything brought me into a low and apathetic state. I eventually fell into a trap of copy-and-paste lesson planning. I would provide relatively simple lessons that summarized the celebration, origin of a Saint or an image of Mary that was conveniently packaged into a video that I found the night before, or morning of class. The unoriginal and unengaging sessions could be likened to that of a substitute teacher plan that I had always dreamed and hoped for as a middle schooler myself; It was a shortcut way of “teaching” if one could call it that. In hindsight, this period was when my flame and passion for JVC and teaching flickered and grew dim. Utterly disheartened, inexplicably exhausted and seemingly drained of creativity, I found myself in a power save mode of myself.

This change didn’t happen overnight, and I still struggle to pinpoint its origins, but I realized that it wasn’t healthy place to be. It led to a lack of enthusiasm in many aspects of my life, namely with my JVC community, local relationships with coworkers, and then to family and friends from home. The JVC values of simple living, social justice, spirituality and community were also reduced greatly and often neglected. I was, as some of my Spaniard friends say, in la ubi or a critical point in my life. Thankfully I just had to make it until the mid-year break in order to see my girlfriend and lifegiving force Cat. But even with these brief feelings of excitement, I would wakeup exhausted and knew that I just needed a break. When the opportunity to sign up for the Spiritual Exercises came up, I took them seriously in the hope that it would restore me to the gung-ho, high energy JV I knew I was. I was hoping to encounter God and myself, and thankfully I did.

The 3-day experience of the Spiritual Exercises was a refreshing dive into the deep end of spirituality that came at the right time. I had always been in the pool, but I think I wasn’t doing myself any favors by staying in the shallow end for so long. It helped me reset and reassess what was important to me and let go of anything that wasn’t conducive to my growth and wellbeing. I used Dean Brackley’s The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times as a guide through the exercises and what moved me the most was his chapter on forgiveness. I was having a hard time accepting the fact that we are all sinners and have to ask God for the grace to accept ourselves.

“From a gospel point of view, appreciating God’s healing mercy is more important than fixating on our defects. For what frees us is knowing that we are acceptable and accepted, not as a prize for being good, but in spite of being not so good.” (29)

This quote, among others in the book, helped me to understand the way that God sees us as people in need of constant forgiveness. It might be the reason why Jesus helped out those folks who followed Him even when He wanted to be off by Himself. We are certainly imperfect creatures and it isn’t easy to admit that we are flawed and are in need of forgiveness. This self-forgiveness leads into other areas of our lives and helps us to recognize that those we serve also need forgiveness and patience. It works by both offering it whenever possible, but also accepting it whenever we need it. If you think about your own professions, the same might be said about you! I understand and appreciate this now especially as a teacher myself. Along with my own classes in primary school I also assist with the preschool in the mornings. I am more than aware of the amount of energy and patience is necessary to manage 30 children for several hours at a time! Something that the exercises that helped me reflect the goodness in the day was to review one’s day, week or year in this way:

Where was God in my day today? Where was it easy to find Him? Where was it difficult? How have I helped another? How was my energy or mood in that moment? Where do I draw my energy to continue forward when I begin to grow tired? Is this sustainable? Why or why not? This is simply a way of focusing less on the errors in our ways of teaching and more on the goodness of our service and labor. I am all too aware that I have a hyper-sensitivity and criticalness to how I live out my day and this can bog me down easily.

Something that helped me slowdown and be more was being assigned the chore of taking out the garbage. The unfortunate part about having the garbage chore is that the truck comes on Saturdays and you must unload your garbage whenever the truck arrives (between 6:30-8:00am) or else the company doesn’t pick it up. I took the morning and chore silently as I walked through the main plaza of Andahuaylillas and appreciated the stillness and beauty of the surrounding mountains. While I waited for the truck to arrive, I saw a short elderly woman that I had never seen before getting her garbage out onto the street. She came closer to me and advised me through hand gestures that the truck was on the other side of the street. I realized that she was deaf and tried her best to communicate with me. One of the reflection readings for the Exercises and this moment had me thinking about how Jesus healed the deaf man in (Mark 7:31-37). I also thought about how Jesus was reaching out to the poor and marginalized and gave them the opportunity to feel heard and listened to. I decided to sit down with this woman and let her feel heard, even though I couldn’t understand most of what she was saying.

I began to see and appreciate the way God works through people. It was as if He was telling me to stop and listen to others. It didn’t take much effort, it only took some time, patience and presence for me to be fulfilled in that moment. It might not seem like much, but the magis that I speak of is much like this. The magis isn’t only the great moments that transform the world noticeably, but a simple outpouring of self when you don’t have to. I used to think about how people sometimes seem to be “slowing me down” with a hello or how are you, when in reality these are the opportunities to be more for others. It is an opportunity to lean into someone’s life and be there to ask them the same. It is a habit that builds with time and mindful reflection. The Exercises have taught me to pray for God’s grace to be able to encounter Him more whenever the time or opportunity arises. It seemed foreign to me when I first truly heard about praying for grace, but it has improved my ability to find God in all things, large and small.

An example of how kindness imprints on the heart. Ben, a former JV, being embraced with one of his old students from his time here four years ago

This has changed my outlook and attitude on the kind of teacher I want to be. I feel more capable of giving myself over to the lives of the students and other teachers. I have a newfound source of patience with the kids, and it has already made a world of a difference. That isn’t to say that I haven’t slipped here and there, but I am much more mindful of the moments that we do have a productive session or activity. Even looking back before the Exercises, I realized that I did have fantastic moments of learning and discussion. It has happened less than I would like since working with primary school aged students is (roughly) 75% classroom management and whatever is left over is for learning material. I use learning loosely as it isn’t only about knowing concepts, but also the development of the whole person. Although we can build a tolerance for workloads and social obligations, we need these hiatuses from time to time to turn our low battery mode selves into a high-performance version of ourselves as well. When we are able to reach the 110% range and beyond, we can work and function more creatively and spectacularly for and with others.

The preschoolers are learning to cut hair and take on some adult responsibilities such as reading magazines

Ordering the mass by events! I learned a lot myself by planning this activity.

 It takes constant reflection and humility to be able to discern what our hearts are craving, but we must also ask for God’s grace to develop this skill. We may at times feel that we know what we need to be our full selves, and to an extent we do, but this knowledge is slowly revealed to us by God through people and experiences. We might believe that we crave one thing (type of food or drink), but in reality, what we needed was another (appetizer) that reminds us to stop and savor the moment (food) we are chewing now. I want to thank those who have given me exactly what I needed even when I didn’t know I needed it. These folks are the educators in my life who taught me the invaluable lessons of hard work, reflection, and self-empowerment that have kept me going. This is for all those in the counseling/ after school programs, coaches, family, friends and all my mentors in between. A number of you are on this list and know who you are. Keep on with the magis attitude but also give time for yourselves to rediscover or reignite that flame if you are ever feeling exhausted or overwhelmed with work. Even Jesus needed lunch breaks from time to time, so once again thanks for sharing yours.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied…”

  Matthew 14: 13-21

Peace,

Luis

P.S.

I would like to hear you tales and moments of feelings of burnout and being overwhelmed with life, and how you have moved past this. Teachers of mine! I ask that (if possible) to please share your stories, because I am sure that I have likely been the culprit or source of some of that grief at some point or another. (Whether that be sleeping in the front row of class or something from my time as an angsty teenager!) I look forward to hearing from you!

  For more pics click here! https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ay3FwhQEGCoRQ3oj9

(Full reading here)

[oneshul]

Beshalach: The Egyptian Version

Despite a strong defence and adverse weather All arms combined magnificently together.

--Robert Graves, “The Persian Version of the Battle of Marathon, Greece”

Scene: The Egyptian Bank of the Sea of Reeds, up near the Nile Delta. Off, we hear cries of triumph by Israelites, singing, led by Miriam the Prophet, Sister of Moses. They are celebrating their successful Crossing of the Sea, their general liberation from Egyptian Slavery, and so forth. Before us is a Regiment of Egyptian Light Cavalry“Sobek-the-Crocodile-god,” commanded by Lieutenant Setep-en-re. A MAJOR comes riding up on a dun-colored charger. The lieutenant, only recently graduated from the Royal Egyptian Military Academy (Thebes branch) with a degree in Chariotry, salutes enthusiastically.

Lt: Save Ra! Save our Holy Pharaoh! What is the Major’s pleasure?

Maj (curtly, businesslike): Lieutenant, you are to hold your position here, as Reserve Forces, backing up my command, the Regiment “Horus-the-Killer-Hawk.” I will take my regiment and proceed directly into that breach between the waters (pointing). Depending on the Situation, you will either proceed, or no. Most importantly, wait for my further orders. I repeat: do nothing without orders from me.

Lt: I will hold fast here, as per your orders, Sir! If it please the Major, what is our objective, Sir?

Maj: Our objective? Why, to gather that Rabble of Slaves, killing those who resist, and herd the remaining men, women, and children back to the treasure-cities of Pitom and Ramesses. They will resume their rightful labors, and their wretched lives. Understood, Lieutenant?

Lt: Understood, Sir!

Maj: Very good. Hi-ya!

(He strikes his mount with a quirt and gallops off, heading toward the Sea. The Lieutenant remains behind, as per orders. A Corporal, acting as Charioteer-Driver to the Lieutenant, salutes him and asks:)

Corporal: Sir, begging the Lieutenant’s pardon, Sir. Are we to understand that we are not allowed to engage the Enemy?

Lt (Sighing, eager to fight): Sadly, Corporal, that is correct. We are acting as Reserve, this time. Reserve only.

Corporal (He is in his late teens, and joined the Army to see action): Oh, Sir! How I wish that we, too, could storm into the surf and have at that—that—Hebrew Slave-Gang. How they and their Invisible God have laid waste to our beloved nation!

Lt: That is true, Corporal—hold the horses steady, can’t you? They are disturbed by the salt smell emanating from the waters. Here (He scribbles an order on a slip of papyrus)—send that to Lt. Waset, with my compliments, and tell him to bind cloths around the horses’ mouths, to prevent their smelling the Sea.

Corporal: What if we are ordered into action, Sir? Cloths will make it difficult for the horses to breathe.

Lt (with exaggerated patience): If we are ordered into action, we will take the cloths off.

Voices off: See the three Regiments of Horse enter the surf, there! How their armor gleams in the sun! How magnificent they look—All honor to our Royal Egyptian Cavalry!

Color-Sergeant (from the next chariot over: he is a grizzled veteran of twenty years’ service): Aye, shine like the sun in his glory, my brave boys!When I was Riding-Master in the Luxor Stables, I trained those boys to straighten their lines; I did, indeed! (Under his breath:) There, there you go, Lieutenant Khendjer, there you go, Captain Mernef; smartly, smartly. Hold your lines steady—steady, steady....

Voices: See the horses buck and rear!

Color-Sgt: Aye, well, they are not used to water; they require hard-packed earth to do their job as proper chargers, they do.

(Sound of horses bucking and snorting. Voices: How I wish we were going in, too! Just watch me—I will make those evil Hebrews go down in the depths like a stone. Killing and booty—that’s for me! Oh, hush up, Private Senusret, can’t you? You have never been in battle! etc.

Lt: Hold your lines, Men! We are in Reserve, this mission; do not dare move, unless and until I give the word. Let one man break orders and move his mount forward, and I will see him get one hundred strokes of the cat-o’-nine-tails!

Corporal: Sir, Sir, do you see what I see?

Lt: What is it, Corporal (Shading his eyes)?

Corporal: A strong east wind is blowing, and—and—it is all very curious, Sir. The water—the walls of water—are collapsing upon our men and horses!

Lt: What Israelite sorcery is this?

Corporal: Oh, it is terrible—our bold and brave horsemen, drowned in the Sea!

Lt: Yes, now I see them: all drowned, poor fellows. Wearing that heavy body-armor, steering our heavy chariots—they never had a chance, poor devils.

Corporal: That Invisible God of theirs blew with His wind, and the sea covered our comrades; they sank like lead into the mighty waters.

Color-Sergeant: Woe! Our chosen captains are sunk in the Sea of Reeds.

(The Troopers mutter excitedly: “We must exact revenge”—“Just let me and my horse charge into the surf, and I will slay Hebrews, right and left!”—“Woe! My best friend, Nehesy, was standard-bearer in “Osiris the Afterlife” Regiment, and he is drowned!”)

Corporal: Lieutenant! Begging the Lieutenant’s pardon, Sir, but may we not charge into the fray, and slaughter those thieving, murdering Israelites?

Lt: Listen to me, you mutinous Dog: our orders, delivered by Maj. Wegaf himself, are to hold fast, right here! Until the Major or a superior officer contravenes those standing orders, what can we do?

Color-Corporal (sadly): It matters not, Lieutenant: no orders will be changed. The Major and three Regiments of Royal Egyptian Horse are drowned, all dead....

(A Brigadier General gallops up; all salute.)

General: I am Gen. Hetep, of the King’s Royal Household Guard, “Thoth of Magic.” Listen, you men! We are Egyptian soldiers; we never lose. You survived the greatest battle fought in recent memory. Here is my plan. Regiment—reverse course! We will return to Thebes the Capital, and declare this battle to be a famous Victory!

Lt. (stammering; he cannot believe it): Are those—are those your orders, Sir?

Gen: Yes. Those are my orders. All salute! (They do so) Ra save our beloved Pharaoh, Ramesses the Great!

The Regiment (in one voice): And our Blessed Nation.

Gen: Regiment—forward to Thebes and our Monarch’s palace, for a splendid parade!

(Egyptian Horsemen and Chariots exit, harness-bells jingling and wheels creaking. Israelites continue dancing and singing, on the Sinai bank of the Sea of Reeds.)

Rabbi David Hartley Mark is from New York City’s Lower East Side. He attended Yeshiva University, the City University of NY Graduate Center for English Literature, and received semicha at the Academy for Jewish Religion. He currently teaches English at Everglades University in Boca Raton, FL, and has a Shabbat pulpit at Temple Sholom of Pompano Beach. His literary tastes run to Isaac Bashevis Singer, Stephen King, King David, Kohelet, Christopher Marlowe, and the Harlem Renaissance.

[restorerjourney]

Week 8: Bible Overview

Southern Kingdom: The Assyrians scattered the nation. The Babylonians kept the different cultures intact. Now the questions was, where will they worship God? Will God be with us? Jeremiah told the exiled people that they will be there for 70years. There the synagogue was born where they gather. You have 10 or more Isarelites you can start a synagogue. So if you go to Acts, if you see Paul moving around you saw him going to different synagogue. June 1, 2021

This week was such an enriched week of learning the historical background of the bible in its’ entirety! Conveniently I already was working on my resolution to read the entire bible but to go through all the important facts, purposes, and background of the bible from the beginning the end really solidified my faith and confidence in His word. We had a young couple who are staff at the secondary bible school come and teach us this week, Sunkyung and Joona Sommarberg. I enjoy seeing how each lecturers are unique and creative in their lecture style. Because the lecture has the tendency to be dry they instilled a lot of small breaks, illustrations, body languages demonstration so that you can share despite language barriers, and taped illustrations on the wall so that we could see the entirety of the bible from the beginning to the end.

Here are some random facts that we’ve learned during lecture:

Knowing the bible is Knowing Your History

-All the different signs that Moses did with the 10 plagues were actually  specifically going against the different Egyptian gods. An example is when the last plague against all the firstborn except those with the blood of the lamb on their doorpost was a symbol against pharaoh himself since they believe pharaoh is a God.

-God is holy, he is not like the gods in Egypt that can be manipulated. In Leviticus, it summarizes that God told his people that He is holy so we must be holy = “set apart”.

-Why sacrificial animals? It was to reveal that sin is costly. Sacrificing animals was costly because that’s what they lived on. It also showed the people that on their own they are incapable to live a sinless life on their own.

-In Deuteronomy, we see Saul, who lost his father’s donkeys runs into Samuel, and God says to Samuel that Saul will become King. **God works in ordinary mundane situations. These complete mundane moments could be life changing** Saul was hiding to be king although he was called...how often do you hide behind what God has called you?

- -Israel (Northern Kingdom): 209 years, 10 tribes, Capital: Samaria. All kings were evil and worshiped idolss, many different dynasties, worshipped at the false temples at Bethel and Dan. Taken into exile by Assyria in 722 BC

-Judah ( Southern Kingdom): 345 years: 2 tribes ( Benjamin and Judah), capital: Jerusalem, 20 kings (one was a queen), some kings followed God and some did not. All Kings were from the line of David, Worshipped at the true temple in Jerusalem, Taken into exile by Babylon 586BC

- The Southern Kingdom: The Assyrians scattered the northern kingdom nation but the Babylonians kept the different cultures intact in the southern kingdom. Now the questions was, where will His people worship Him since the temple was destroyed? Jeremiah told the exiled people that they will in exile or 70years. During that time the synagogue was born where they gather to worship God. If you have 10 or more Israelites you can start a synagogue.

Greeks at that time didn’t like the Jews, one of the reason was because Jews practiced circumcision. The Greeks believed that the body understanding of total beauty is the perfection of the little boy’s body.

-Acts: the disciples stayed in Jerusalem for 40 days until the Holy Spirit was sent. Many Jews throughout the Roman community gathered and spoke different languages because they stayed in different parts of the Roman areas. When peter lead them 3,000 people believed in Christ.

-The return of Jesus in NT is mentioned 300 times.

Honestly I wish we as Christians all were taught this because I felt even growing up in the church and being a Christian for so long, I felt I only knew fragments of the bible. This class helped us to have a deeper understanding of the bible as a whole and to see that God fulfills his promises.

Overall this week I was challenged to continue to speak out God’ truth in my life with gratitude and humility despite how I felt. A habit that really helped was reading God’s word before doing anything. Also prayer while kneeling three times throughout the day really helps me to remind myself what who I am living for and to ask for grace and strength for today. Those small habits have changed the direction and perspective of my day within a few days. Our previous lecturer Sam Chang recommended us to read this book called “The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction” by Justin Earley. I’m already reading 1/4th of the book and I highly recommend it.

On Friday we had a talent show in our DTS and it was a lot more comical that I thought. It was seeing the different hidden talents that I would never have expected from people. We saw dancing, singing, more singing, musical talent, and even juggling. I will always remember one of our team member who is autistic sing boldly sing songs that are considered very difficult when you are doing karaoke with freedom and courage...or one of our most reserved staff member dress up in a wife beater shirt, hot pink wig, and sing “She’s gone” by Steelheart...or when we saw one of team member who is a surgeon who was so reserved and depressed when he first came, wear sunglass and moonwalk backwards to pop music. It was so fun to have this experience together. 

During the weekend we celebrated “Woman’s day” which recently started when one of our leader’s wife suggested it to encourage sisterhood amongst the team. We all dressed up, had plumerias hanging on our ear, ate a delicious spread, and enjoyed each other’s company. I was so blessed to see how much effort and thought was put into the decor as there were hanging beautiful delicate flowers in the middle of the room and paper flowers taped all over. It was perfect. Saturday night and Sunday morning and afternoon Hyejae, one of my team members, and I did a spontaneous trip to the beach and Hilo. Since we both live in different rooms, we don’t get that much opportunities to spend one-on-one and despite our differences in age and personalities, it was wonderful to see how much more comfortable and close we have gotten all because of our foundation in Christ. At Hilo we ate poke, went to a farmer’s market, stopped by Coconut Island and grabbed Micky-D’s soft serve cone on the way back. I also was able to catch up with some friends back at home and do my weekly session with Stella and Jo. I’m so blessed and thankful to have such a wonderful support system in my life that despite the location, it’s as if our friendship has not changed.

Prayer Requests:

1) Neck, upper back, shoulders, and irregular cycle: These are still a continual prayer for me and I know that God will heal but in His timing. Please pray for endurance, grace, encouragement, and hope that I trust in His promise.

2) Lack of energy and stamina: I’ve been very tired lately and have been running on caffeine more than usual. There is so much that we are learning and I don’t want to miss out on it. I’ve been sleeping well too. Please pray for strength, grace, and stamina so that I wouldn’t miss out on all that God wants to pour out to me during this trip

3) God to stretch my capacity to love: I’ve been really really convicted how small my love was. My love is conditional, limited to those who are convenient to me, and I need to repent and change. I’ve been convicted to love people as they are before they do anything and to see them the way God sees us. Please pray for wisdom that I would learn to always extend mercy yet know how to have healthy boundaries when loving a neighbor.

Praise God I have raised $5,190 out of $5500! Only $310 left! It’s been a slow trickle but every time I get a notification I am just reminded of God’s faithfulness and how he can move the heart of His people in obedience even when I haven’t reached out to them. Praise God and I am so grateful beyond means. It’s not too late to support if you feel led to since I need to raise this by June 20! You can venmo (@Alicia-Kim-5)

Thank you for your time to read this!

Mahalo- Alicia

[ilovefunreading-blog]

Things That Righteous People Remember

1. RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE REMEMBER IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARIES.

Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest REMEMBER the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

Deuteronomy 16:3

Most people just remember their birthdays. But there are days that are more important than your birthday. The day you were born again, the day you were filled with the Spirit, the day you were healed, and the day you were called to the ministry.

What about the day you came out of a near-death experience?

What about the day someone helped you out of a critical situation?

What about the day someone introduced you to an important person?

What about the day you were helped and the day of your promotion?

And what about the day Jesus was born, the day He died and the day He rose from the dead?

These are important days for Christians to remember.

2. PEOPLE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS REMEMBER THEIR LOW POINTS AND HOW THEY CAME OUT OF THEM.

And REMEMBER that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.

Deuteronomy 5:15

People who are righteous remember exactly who helped them out of their low points.

In this Scripture, the Lord emphasizes that He brought them out of the land of Egypt. It is easy to ascribe honour to someone who didn’t really help you.

Now that you have prospered, you can easily say, “I would have had it any way.” It is easy to forget people who helped you at critical moments of your life.

As the years go by, the critical moments fade from your memory and you forget how vulnerable you were at a point in time. God did not want the Israelites to forget how vulnerable they were in the land of Egypt and how He saved them in that moment.

Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Deuteronomy 6:12

3. PEOPLE WHO REMEMBER ARE ABLE TO OVERCOME THEIR FEARS.

Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well REMEMBER what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;

Deuteronomy 7:18

People who do not remember are filled with fear. If you remember what the Lord has done for you through the years you will be filled with faith. You will know that all things are possible! You will know that He can do it again.

When you forget the great things that the Lord has done, all kinds of irrational fears grip your heart. Those fears can lead you on a journey of destruction.

4. PEOPLE WHO ARE RIGHTEOUS REMEMBER THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD.

Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

Deuteronomy 8:11

A good employee always takes a notebook and starts writing when the boss starts speaking. Why does a good employee write things down? Everybody forgets instructions they don’t write down. If you do not make the extra effort you will soon forget things the Lord has asked you to do.

God will speak to you through His servants. There are special words or phrases that must stay in your spirit. God will use those sentences to guide your life.

Beware of Voices of Haste

One day, a man of God facing a crisis was presented with an ultimatum. He was asked to resign from his position by signing an apparently harmless letter.

Under pressure, he decided to sign the letter and by that decision he inadvertently lost his entire ministry. Years later, he could not understand why he had done something as foolish as that.

He described how he had attended a conference as a younger preacher and heard a minister make a statement that had left an indelible impression on his heart and mind.

The statement was: “beware voices of haste.”

This is a scriptural statement because the Bible says he that believeth shall not make haste (Isaiah 28:16). That statement had stuck in his spirit and he knew that it was an important word of wisdom for him. Somehow in the heat of his crisis he forgot that statement. Forgetting that statement cost him his ministry. If he had remembered these words, he would not have hastily signed that document and handed over his ministry to strangers.

This is why the Lord said, “You shall remember the words which the servant of the Lord commanded you.” There are certain words spoken by God’s servants that you must remember.

Righteous people remember what God tells them to remember even if it doesn’t make sense. God asked the children of Israel not to forget what Amalek had done to them.

REMEMBER what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

Deuteronomy 25:17

Remembering the wickedness of certain people may be important for your safety. Time has a way of erasing the memory of certain evils. There are relationships that will always be stumbling blocks to your life. There are relationships God wants you to stay away from both today and in the future.

That is why God wanted His people to remember what Amalek had done.

Forgetting Amalek is like forgetting all the potential dangers and killers of your ministry. “Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not FORGET it” (Deuteronomy 25:19).

5. RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE REMEMBER THE OLD DAYS.

REMEMBER the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.

Deuteronomy 32:7

Young people often make the mistake of thinking that everything old is useless. Remembering the days of old is what we call studying history. I know of no subject that is more important than the study of history! History repeats itself in cycles!

Events just repeat themselves. History repeats itself. Studying history will help you know the future. The future is not determined by what you expect or by the principles you have put in place.

Lions have natural instincts that they follow mindlessly. Following these natural instincts create the cycles of lion life such as hunting, killing, mating and bringing forth cubs.

When human beings follow their instincts mindlessly, they create cycles and trends of their own. The trends of human life are difficult to predict except you study history.

Human history is determined more by man’s jealousies, hatred, lust and malice than by anything else. These invisible “rivers” lead to certain patterns that are difficult to predict unless you study history.

A study of the history of man simply reveals a pattern of strife and war. People who watch the History Channel are amazed to find that much of man’s history is simply wars that repeat themselves. History reveals that the surprising outcome of human instincts is strife and war.

Anyone who does not study history will be surprised at life.

This is why God’s instruction is to remember the days of old.

6. RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE REMEMBER THE BENEFITS OF THE LORD

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits

Psalms 103:2

Why is it important to “forget” not all his benefits? It is important to see that the benefits are from the Lord. It is important to see that every good and perfect gift comes from above.

The ability to see and to remember the benefits of serving the Lord is necessary if we are to walk with Him.

When you don’t remember benefits you become a murmurer. Evil spirits inhabit murmurers! Without the ability to remember benefits, discontentment sets in. Read your Bible and discover what happens to murmurers and complainers.

Forgetful people must never attempt to work for God in full-time ministry. There will be too many things to complain about. Full-time ministry is reserved for people who can see benefits, remember benefits and be grateful for the smallest benefits.

If you can remember that every benefit is from the Lord, you will have the right attitude when you are promoted. You will remember God when you are promoted! You will remember those who helped you when you are promoted! You will even remember those who suffered with you when you are promoted! The thief on the cross knew that Jesus would remember those who suffered with Him.

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, REMEMBER ME WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THY KINGDOM.

Luke 23:42

The thief on the cross knew that Jesus was just about to be promoted. He begged Jesus to remember him when the promotion came. Is this not what we pray for when our friends are lifted up? Jesus promised to put the thief in paradise.

Unfortunately, when an ordinary person is promoted through politics, marriage or football they do not remember the commoners anymore. Please remember us in the day you are promoted.

7. RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE REMEMBER WHAT GOD DOES TO PEOPLE JUST LIKE THEM.

Remember Lot’s wife.

Luke 17:32

Remember what the Lord did to Lot’s wife. Jesus urged His followers to remember Lot’s wife. Lot’s wife speaks of someone who looks backward instead of forward. She represents all who follow the Lord but whose hearts are somewhere else.

I have seen missionary wives who lived with their husbands on the mission field but whose hearts were not on the field. Lot’s wife was looking back at where she came from. She wanted to go back. Lot’s wife was a missionary’s wife who wanted to go back home!

Lot’s wife did not deserve to be among the few that were saved. That is why she turned into a pillar of salt. Every minister should remember Lot’s wife. Every pastor’s wife should remember Lot’s wife. Every Christian should remember to serve the Lord without looking back.

Also remember what the Lord did to Miriam. Remember what happened to someone just like you!

Remember what the lord thy God did unto Miriam …

Deuteronomy 24:9

Whenever something happens to someone just like you, you must take note of it. It is a message from the Lord for you.

That could have been you but God spared you and chose to warn you instead. The Lord told the Israelites to remember what happened to Miriam. What happened to Miriam could happen to anyone.

8. RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE REMEMBER THE POOR AND THE PRISONERS.

Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

Galatians 2:10

You do not have to be urged to remember the rich. It is natural to remember those who are prominent amongst you.

The poor man, on the other hand, comes to you laden with problems and needs. He needs your help and he wants to get as much as he can from you. Most of us turn our eyes away from the endless needs of the poor. The Scripture is clear that poor people should be remembered and included in our plans.

Prisoners are part of our society but they are out of sight. It is also easy to forget them. It is easy to forget that they even exist. The Scripture tells us to remember the people in prison. Every church must have a prison ministry. Every pastor must preach in the prisons of his country.

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Hebrews 13:3

9. RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE REMEMBER GOD’S SERVANTS.

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Hebrews 13:7

Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

1 Corinthians 11:2

We must also remember the servants of the Lord. Many church members have stable and normal lives because of the direction and inspiration they receive from their church. Yet the pastor is often the last to be remembered. Sometimes people speak of their new jobs, new contracts and salary increases. Often, all we see is a new car, a new house and more celebrations.

The pastor is often not considered in the new dispensation of prosperity. Actually, when he dares ask support for the ministry, he is told about the mortgages, the loans and the other bills that have to be paid.

The pastor is also informed about how certain contracts and payments have not yet materialized. He is then promised that he will be remembered when things work out. When people do support the ministry, they often do not support the pastor himself.

The righteous person will remember the pastor who labours spiritually for them.

10. RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE REMEMBER WHAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED.

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Revelation 3:3

Sometimes we forget the different gifts that we have received. If God gave you five talents you will be judged for the use of all five. Many people have forgotten what they have received. Some of us have put aside our gifts. Some of us have trivialized certain gifts thinking them to be nothing.

A great prophet described a vision in which he saw the Lord.

He told of how the Lord had rebuked him for not using the prophetic gift as much as he should have.

The Lord told him that his life would be shortened if he did not repent and use his gift. Remember what you have received because you will account for every single gift you were given.

by Dag Heward-Mills

[iamastrongchristian-blog]

The Voice of the Anointed

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; HEAR YE HIM.

And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Matthew 17:1-6

God will go to great lengths to make you to listen to the anointed, because of the anointing he is carrying. Almighty God went to great lengths to make the disciples listen to the voice of Jesus the Anointed Saviour. The whole transfiguration experience was simply to get the disciples to listen to the voice of Jesus. The only message that came to the disciples was “Hear ye him!” Hear ye him! Listen to him! Listen to his voice! Hearing a voice can change your life!

It is important for you to develop a culture for hearing the voice of the anointed. You can have the sound of the anointed with his anointing all the time. The disciples were taken all the way to the top of the mountain for them to know that they should listen to Jesus.

To be anointed is far different from being appointed. What we need is the anointing, not the appointment. You can be appointed but not anointed. When people aim for the appointment, they stop listening to the anointed and then they lose the connection to the anointed and his anointing by their disobedience.

Aim for the anointment and not the appointment! The anointing is what will make room for you. If you want to walk in the anointing, you must listen to/hear the anointed for years.

The anointed is in your life with his anointing when you are listening to him. The closer you are to the anointed, the more pieces of anointing will drop on you.

The Blessedness of the Anointed Voice

1. The voice of the anointed carries honour and glory for you.

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when THERE CAME SUCH A VOICE TO HIM FROM THE EXCELLENT GLORY, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

2 Peter 1:17

Jesus Christ received honour and glory when there came to him a voice from the excellent glory. Do you not want to receive honour and glory in your ministry? Jesus Christ received honour and glory when this great voice came to Him from the excellent glory. Hearing the voice of God will make all the difference to your ministry. Hearing an anointed voice can equally have great impact on your life and ministry. Why would hearing the voice of a man have any impact on another man? It is because God also speaks by His prophets and anointed men. He actually uses them to speak.

I HAVE ALSO SPOKEN BY THE PROPHETS, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets... And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.

Hosea 12:10, 13

From today, you must watch out for the voice of the anointed person. God is also speaking by these prophets. Carefully and cautiously handle the preaching, speaking, chatting and conversations of the anointed. Most of the famous teachings of Jesus came from His discussions with the disciples

The voice of the anointed carries the blessing of God. As you expose yourself to the voice of the anointed, you can expect honour and glory to be imparted into your ministry. All preachers who do not expose themselves to the anointed voice are missing out on the honour and glory that they could have received on their lives and ministry. And that is why you must expose yourself to it carefully.

2. The voice of the anointed carries the gift of the Spirit.

And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

Ezekiel 2:2

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all THEM WHICH HEARD THE WORD.

Acts 10:44

The voice of the anointed will bring you to the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel received the spirit when the voice spoke to him. The house of Cornelius received the Holy Spirit when Peter preached to them. As they listened to the voice of Peter the Spirit descended on them. This is what happened to me in 1988 whilst I listened to the anointed voice of Kenneth Hagin. As I listened to his voice the Spirit entered into me and I became anointed to teach and to preach. I heard a voice coming to me and saying, “From today you can teach.” Through that anointing to teach and preach, I have written several books.

3. The voice of the anointed carries promotion.

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt HEARKEN DILIGENTLY UNTO THE VOICE of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

Deuteronomy 28:1

After the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, God asked Moses and the Israelites to listen to His voice. He promised them that listening to his voice would guarantee them being lifted to a higher level, above the nations that had surrounded them. All your promotion in the ministry depends on your ability to hear and obey the voice of God.

4. The voice of the anointed carries establishment for you.

And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, HEAR ME, O JUDAH, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, SO SHALL YE BE ESTABLISHED; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

2 Chronicles 20:20

The voice of the anointed prophet brought establishment to king Jehoshaphat as he listened to and obeyed the voice of the prophet. You will need a push forward in your life and ministry. This forward push will come to you through the voice of the anointed. The voice of the anointed carries the spirit of counsel and direction that will lead to your establishment.

Jehoshaphat was faced with a very difficult situation. Several kings were about to attack him and his nation was in crisis. He had called for a prayer meeting; much prayer had been offered to the Lord. At the end of the prayer meeting, one of the pastors, Jahaziel gave a prophecy. He prophesied that they were going to win the war. He predicted that God was going to fight for them and that everything was going to be okay.

Jehoshaphat, a church member, exhorted the rest of the congregation to believe in God as well as God’s anointed men. This famous speech teaches us a very great lesson. The first lesson is that believing in God will lead to establishment. The second lesson is that believing in the prophet will lead to prosperity.

Because of his great faith in the man of God, Jehoshaphat made the choir march out in front of the army. That was a very dangerous move! But he believed in both God and the prophet – and it paid off! At the end of it all, Jehoshaphat and his followers had more blessings than they could carry away. God blessed them with more than they could carry!

And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, MORE THAN THEY COULD CARRY AWAY: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

2 Chronicles 20:25

The Hebrew word translated “established” in 2 Chronicles 20:20 is the word “Aman”. It means “to nurture”, “to foster as a parent”, “to build up” and “to nurse”. This teaches us that as you believe in God, you will be nurtured and nursed by God. He will build you up in the faith and you will receive a strong foundation that only a parent can give.

 But the Scripture also teaches that when you believe in the prophets you will “prosper”. The Hebrew word translated “prosper” is the word “Tsalach.” It means “to push forward”, “to go over”, “to come mightily” and “to break out!” “Aman” and “Tsalach” are two very different experiences.

 Being nurtured and having a mighty breakthrough in your life are two very different experiences. 

God will nurture you and build you up. He will nurse you like a baby in a cradle. He will foster you like a parent and encourage you until you are well developed. But you will need a push forward in life. You need to break through mightily in this life. You need to break out into the fullness of your calling. God wants you to go over every wall and obstacle in your life. 

The question is, “How will you receive this push forward in life?” After you have been nurtured and fostered by Almighty God, what is the key to coming mightily to the front in life? The key is to believe in the man of God. 

Some people have difficulty in believing in the man of God. They say, “I can believe in God, but I can’t trust these men.” They say, “I cannot put my trust in the arm of flesh.” What you must realize is that you are not putting your trust in a human being per se. You are supposed to believe both in God and in the man of God. One without the other will not get you where you need to go.

Believing in God without believing in his prophets will help you to be nicely built up in Christ. But you will not have the push forward that you need. Believing in the man of God without believing in God is also very dangerous! You could easily make a mistake and follow the errors of a human being. That is why the two go together!

All through the Bible, you are encouraged to believe in God and also to believe in His servants, the anointed ones. God hardly does anything without using these anointed people. He anointed them for that purpose and raised them up to speak His words. They are not words of mere men. They are words from above.

5. The voice of the anointed carries doctrine, correction, reproof and instruction.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Peter 1:21

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Timothy 3:16

The voice of the anointed carries the Scripture. As the voice carrying the Scripture comes to you, you will receive instructions, reproof, correction and doctrine. The Scripture is equally a prophecy and is heavily anointed. As you receive the voice that carries the Scripture, expect to receive instruction, reproof and great wisdom for your life.

by Dag Heward-Mills

[yoonsora1912-blog]

w17 October pp. 26-30 mejs.audio-player 00:00 Chariots and a Crown Safeguard You “It will occur—if you do not fail to listen to the voice of Jehovah your God.”—ZECH. 6:15. SONGS: 61, 22 HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER? Of what does Zechariah’s final vision assure God’s people? How do the two copper mountains and the chariots provide encouragement for us? How do you feel about the greatest building work going on today? 1, 2. At the close of Zechariah’s seventh vision, what was the situation of the Jews in Jerusalem? AS Zechariah’s seventh vision closes, the prophet has much to think about. Jehovah had guaranteed that he would hold dishonest people accountable for their wicked deeds. This promise surely strengthened Zechariah. Yet, nothing had really changed. Dishonesty and other wicked practices were still present, and the rebuilding of Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem was far from complete. How could the Jews have abandoned their divinely appointed task so quickly? Had they returned to their homeland simply to further their own interests? 2 Zechariah knew that the Jews who moved to Jerusalem were men and women of faith. They were the ones “whose spirit the true God had stirred” to leave behind the security of their homes and businesses. (Ezra 1:2, 3, 5) They left a land that was familiar to them in order to move to a place most of them had never seen. If the rebuilding of Jehovah’s temple was not important, they would not have made the difficult journey of some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) through a harsh land. 3, 4. What obstacles did the returning Jews face? 3 What would that journey have been like? As the Jews traveled along, they no doubt spent many hours thinking about their new home. They had heard how beautiful the city of Jerusalem once was. The oldest ones among them had seen the former glory of the temple. (Ezra 3:12) If you had traveled with them, how would you have felt when you first caught sight of Jerusalem, your new home? Would you have been saddened when you saw the ruined buildings overgrown with weeds? Would you have compared the massive double walls of Babylon with Jerusalem’s broken-down walls, with large gaps where gates and watchtowers once stood? Yet, the people took heart. They had already seen Jehovah’s saving hand in their behalf throughout their long trip homeward. The first thing they did upon arriving was set up an altar on the site of the former temple, and they began to offer daily sacrifices to Jehovah. (Ezra 3:1, 2) In their initial excitement, it seemed that nothing could discourage them. 4 In addition to the temple work, the Israelites had to rebuild their cities. They had houses to restore, fields to plant, and mouths to feed. (Ezra 2:70) The work before them seemed overwhelming. Then the opposition came—hard and fast. Although they initially took a firm stand, 15 years of hostility took their toll. (Ezra 4:1-4) A crushing blow was dealt in 522 B.C.E. when the Persian king banned further building in Jerusalem. The future of that city seemed uncertain.—Ezra 4:21-24. 5. How did Jehovah respond to the inactivity of his people? 5 Jehovah knew what his people needed. God gave Zechariah a final vision to assure the Jews of His love and appreciation for all that they had done so far and to guarantee protection for them if they would return to His work. In connection with rebuilding the temple, Jehovah promised: “It will occur—if you do not fail to listen to the voice of Jehovah your God.”—Zech. 6:15. A CAVALRY OF ANGELIC FORCES 6. (a) How does Zechariah’s eighth vision begin? (See opening image.) (b) Why are the horses of different colors? 6 The last of Zechariah’s eight visions may perhaps be the most faith-strengthening. (Read Zechariah 6:1-3.) Picture the scene: Charging forward “from between two mountains . . . of copper” come four chariots, likely fitted for battle. The horses pulling the chariots are of different colors. This would help to distinguish one rider from the next. “What are these?” asked Zechariah. (Zech. 6:4) We too want to know, as this vision directly affects us. Jehovah still uses his angels to protect and strengthen his people 7, 8. (a) What do the two mountains represent? (b) Why are the mountains made of copper? 7 In the Bible, mountains can represent kingdoms, or governments. The mountains in Zechariah’s account are similar to two mountains described in Daniel’s prophecy. One mountain represents Jehovah’s universal and eternal rulership. The other mountain represents the Messianic Kingdom in the hands of Jesus. (Dan. 2:35, 45) Since Jesus’ enthronement in the autumn of 1914, both mountains have been present and have played a special role in the fulfillment of God’s will on earth. 8 Why are the mountains made of copper? Like gold, copper is a metal that is highly valued. Jehovah directed that this shiny metal be used in the construction of the tabernacle and later in the temple in Jerusalem. (Ex. 27:1-3; 1 Ki. 7:13-16) Appropriately, then, the copper of the two symbolic mountains reminds us of the excellent quality of Jehovah’s universal sovereignty and of the Messianic Kingdom, which will provide stability and blessings to all mankind. 9. Who are the riders of the chariots, and what is their assignment? 9 Now back to the chariots. What do they and their riders represent? The riders of the chariots are angels, likely groups or divisions of angels. (Read Zechariah 6:5-8.) They are going out from “before the Lord of the whole earth” with a special mission to fulfill. What assignment are they given? The chariots and their riders are sent out to care for specific territories. Their responsibility is to protect Jehovah’s people, particularly from “the land of the north,” Babylon. Jehovah would make sure that Babylon would not enslave his people again. What comfort this must have brought to the temple builders in Zechariah’s day! They did not have to worry about interference from their enemies. 10. What assurance can God’s people today draw from Zechariah’s prophecy about the chariots and their riders? 10 As in Zechariah’s day, Jehovah of armies still uses his angels to protect and strengthen his people. (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 1:7, 14) Ever since spiritual Israel was released from symbolic captivity to Babylon the Great in 1919, the expansion of true worship has been unstoppable despite relentless opposition. (Rev. 18:4) Because we have angelic protection, we need not fear that Jehovah’s organization might go through another time of spiritual oppression. (Ps. 34:7) Instead, we can be sure that God’s servants worldwide will continue to flourish spiritually. As we reflect on Zechariah’s vision, we do not doubt that we are safe in the shadow of the two mountains. 11. Why do we not need to fear the coming attack on God’s people? 11 Very soon the political powers of Satan’s world will form a coalition that is bent on the destruction of God’s people. (Ezek. 38:2, 10-12; Dan. 11:40, 44, 45; Rev. 19:19) Ezekiel’s prophecy describes these forces as covering the land like the clouds and coming up against us in a fury, riding on horses. (Ezek. 38:15, 16)* Do we have anything to fear? Not at all! We have a cavalry on our side. At that critical moment during the great tribulation, the angelic soldiers of Jehovah of armies will come together to protect God’s people and destroy those who oppose his sovereignty. (2 Thess. 1:7, 8) What a day that will be! But who takes the lead among Jehovah’s heavenly army? JEHOVAH CROWNS HIS KING AND PRIEST 12, 13. (a) What action is Zechariah now told to take? (b) Explain how the man named Sprout is prophetic of Jesus Christ. 12 Zechariah has had eight visions that he alone observed. Now he participates in a prophetic act as an encouragement to those who are restoring God’s temple. (Read Zechariah 6:9-12.) Zechariah is told to collect silver and gold from Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah—three new arrivals returning from Babylon—and to make “a grand crown” out of the contributions. (Zech. 6:11, ftn.) Is Zechariah told to place the crown on the head of Governor Zerubbabel of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David? No. Observers must have been intrigued when he placed the crown on High Priest Joshua. 13 Did the crowning of High Priest Joshua make him a king? No, Joshua was not from the royal line of David and thus did not qualify to be king. His crowning was prophetic, pointing to a future and eternal king and priest. The high priest who is made king is named Sprout. The Scriptures clearly indicate that Sprout is Jesus Christ.—Isa. 11:1; Matt. 2:23, ftn. 14. What work does Jesus take on as King and High Priest? 14 Acting as both King and High Priest, Jesus is the leader of Jehovah’s heavenly army. As such, he works diligently so that God’s people as a whole may dwell in security despite living in the midst of this hostile world. (Jer. 23:5, 6) In the near future, Christ will take the lead in conquering the nations in support of God’s sovereignty and in defending Jehovah’s people. (Rev. 17:12-14; 19:11, 14, 15) Before executing judgment, however, Sprout has a great work to accomplish. HE WILL BUILD THE TEMPLE 15, 16. (a) What restoration and refining work has been accomplished in modern times, and by whom? (b) What will result by the end of Christ’s Thousand Year Reign? 15 In addition to being commissioned King and High Priest, Jesus was assigned to “build the temple of Jehovah.” (Read Zechariah 6:13.) In modern times, Jesus’ building work involved liberating true worshippers from Babylon the Great and restoring the Christian congregation in 1919. He also appointed a “faithful and discreet slave” to take the lead in directing the work in the earthly courtyards of the great spiritual temple. (Matt. 24:45) Jesus has also been busy refining God’s people and helping them to render worship that is clean.—Mal. 3:1-3. 16 During the Thousand Year Reign, Jesus and his 144,000 associate kings and priests will bring faithful humans to perfection. When this is accomplished, only true worshippers of God will be left on the cleansed earth. Finally, true worship will be fully restored! TAKE PART IN THE BUILDING WORK 17. What reassurance does Jehovah next give the Jews, and how does his message affect them? 17 How, though, did Zechariah’s message affect the Jews in his day? Jehovah had guaranteed stability and protection for their work. His assurance that the temple would be built must have brought hope to their tired hearts. But how would just a few accomplish so much work? Zechariah’s next words remove any remaining fear or doubt. In addition to the support of faithful ones like Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah, God tells of many others who would “come and take part in building the temple of Jehovah.” (Read Zechariah 6:15.) Confident of divine backing, the Jews quickly swing into action, resuming their building work despite the ban. Soon Jehovah removes the mountainlike obstacle of the official ban, and the temple is completed in 515 B.C.E. (Ezra 6:22; Zech. 4:6, 7) The words of Jehovah, however, describe things far greater for our day. Jehovah will never forget the love that we show for him! (See paragraphs 18, 19) 18. How is Zechariah 6:15 being fulfilled in our day? 18 Today, millions join in true worship, and they are moved from the heart to contribute their “valuable things,” which include their time, energy, and resources in support of Jehovah’s great spiritual temple. (Prov. 3:9) How can we be certain that Jehovah values our loyal support? Remember that Heldai, Tobijah, and Jedaiah brought the materials for the crown that Zechariah made. The crown then served “as a memorial,” or “reminder,” of their contribution toward true worship. (Zech. 6:14; ftn.) Likewise, the work and the love we show for Jehovah will never be forgotten. (Heb. 6:10) They will remain forever, cherished in Jehovah’s memory. 19. What effect should Zechariah’s visions have on us today? 19 All that has been accomplished for true worship in these last days is tangible evidence of Jehovah’s blessing and Christ’s leadership. We are part of a stable, secure, and everlasting organization. Jehovah’s purpose regarding pure worship “will occur.” Cherish your place among Jehovah’s people, and “do not fail to listen to the voice of Jehovah your God.” Then you can remain under the protection of our King and High Priest and of the heavenly riders of the chariots. Have as full a share as possible in supporting true worship. As you do so, you can be certain that Jehovah of armies will keep you safe and secure during the remainder of this system of things—and for eternity! For more information, see “Questions From Readers” in The Watchtower, May 15, 2015, pp. 29-30. English Preferences Copyright © 2017 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania Terms of Use Privacy Policy JW.ORG

[moucheries]

Positive Belief

[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, so [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah’s [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God, fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

—Romans 4:18–21

The story of Abraham amazes me no matter how many times I read it. It’s not just the birth of a son when he was a hundred years old. That’s a miracle. But just as amazing is the information that he waited twenty-five years for the fulfillment of the promise. He was seventy-five when God promised him a son.

I wonder how many of us would believe God and live in expectation for twenty-five years. Most of us probably would have said, “I didn’t really hear from God.” “Oh, I guess maybe God didn’t really mean that.” Or, “I need to go somewhere else to get a fresh word from the Lord.”

Sarah and Abraham did have problems holding on to that promise. As a means of attempting to get what they wanted, they had Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar, bear him a son, but God let him know that wasn’t the way it was going to be. I believe their actions delayed the arrival of God’s promised child.

In our impatience, we often take matters into our own hands. I say we get “bright ideas”—plans of our own, which we hope God will bless. These plans open the door for confusion and chaos. Then their results must be dealt with, which often delays our miracle.

When Moses came down from Sinai after having received the Ten Commandments from God, He saw the wickedness of the Israelites who had become impatient in waiting. In anger, he broke the tablets on which God had written the commands. Although we can understand Moses’ anger, we must remember that it was not initiated by God. Therefore, Moses had to ascend Mount Sinai again and once more go through the process of obtaining the Ten Commandments. Moses may have enjoyed a momentary emotional release, but it cost him a lot of extra work. This is a good lesson for all of us. We must pray first and agree with God’s plan, not plan and pray that our plan will work.

It’s often difficult to believe God and hold on year after year after year.

Sometimes my husband tell many bad and sad stories. I encourage him to become positive and upbeat. Sometime he will listen to every word I say, nod, maybe even smile, and then he say the most negative word of all: “But . . .” With that single word, he is negating everything I’ve said. That’s not the spirit of Abraham.

The Bible gives us promises, hope, and encouragement. God promises good to those of us who serve Him. Despite the adversity of our circumstances—and some people have absolutely terrible situations—God still promises good. Our sense of goodness, however, may not be the same as God’s. Getting what we want immediately may not be best for us. Sometimes waiting is the best thing because it helps develop the character of God in us.

The Lord chooses to do good to us and to make us happy; the devil chooses to do wrong and to make us miserable. We can remain patient and keep believing God’s promises, or we can allow the evil one’s whisper to fill our ears and lead us astray. Too many of us have ignored the fact that God is the originator of miracles. He specializes in doing the impossible: He provided a son to barren Sarah; He opened the Red Sea for the Israelites to walk across on dry land; He destroyed Goliath with a single stone from a slingshot. Those are miracles. That’s the Holy Spirit at work, defying the laws of nature (He made the laws, so He can break them).

Hebrews 11 is a chapter about faith and the people of God who dared to believe the promises. “But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]” (v. 6).

As I consider that verse, I can see how the devil creeps in. He says to us, “Yes, that’s true. Those were special people. You are nobody. God won’t do anything special for you. Why should He?”

That is a satanic lie—and one that too many easily accept. God loves each of us, and the Bible says He’s our Father. Any good father loves to do good things for his children. God wants to do good things for you and for me.

Expect a miracle in your life. Expect many miracles.

Positive belief in God’s promises yields good results because the Good One sends them to us. Refuse to give up, and you will see the result of your positive belief.

Dear Father in heaven, forgive my lack of belief. Forgive me for allowing Satan to deceive me or make me think I’m worthless or unworthy of Your miracles. I am worthy because You made me worthy. You are the God of the impossible, and I ask You to help me wait on You and never give up. In the name of Jesus Christ my Lord, I pray. Amen.

[dailyaudiobible]

12/14/2017 DAB Transcript

Jonah 1:1-4:11, Revelations 5:1-14, Psalms 133:1-3, Proverbs 29:26-27

Today is December 14th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, like I've been every day, every day as longs I can remember. And, I guess I'm just reminding myself every day, as if you hadn't figured it out by now. Here's the thing though, there’s new people, new friends every single day. So, I'm Brian. I'm introducing myself. It’s good to be here with you today and I'm excited for where we’re headed into the Scriptures today. We will read the entire book of Jonah today before moving into the New Testament book of Revelation.

Jonah:

So, let's talk about Jonah because Jonah is one of the books of prophecy in the Scriptures, but it's got a twist. Jonah was a man who lived around the eighth century BC. So, many centuries before the New Testament times. And he lived just north of Nazareth, which at the time, would've put them in the northern kingdom. Right? So, this is the time where the kingdoms have split. You’ve got the southern kingdom of Judah in the northern kingdom of Israel. And, so, he's living in the northern kingdom during the reign of Jeroboam. And, although he was a prophet, his mission wasn't to call Israel back to repentance or to remind them of their covenant or anything like that. It wasn't to forecast the destruction of Israel's enemies either. His mission is to leave his homeland, go into the land of Nineveh, people who were enemies of Israel enemies of God, and to call them to repentance. So, Jonah's not happy about this, and his pride and fear of his fellow countrymen have them on a ship, sailing in the other direction, quickly. And, obviously, the story of Jonah and the whale is a famous story. Jonah ends up in the belly of a great fish. And after three days of repentance he’s then spit out on the shore alive. And, so, there's obviously a foreshadowing here. And many see it as a foreshadowing of Christ in this story. And there are also obvious parallels in our own lives. When we allow fear and pride to lead us into disobedience, which is similar to the proverb we were talking about yesterday. Right? The fear of man is a snare, is a trap, but those who trust in the Lord will be protected. So, when we allow fear and pride, anxiety to lead us into disobedience, we find ourselves quickly on the run, but running away from God is a pretty difficult thing to do because He has decided not to surrender us, which is the story we have been reading all year long. God loves us enough to never stop pursuing us. And, although Jonah found himself in the belly of a great fish, it became his salvation. He would've drowned in the open sea. And, although the journey must have been unspeakably uncomfortable, God used the great fish to deliver him alive and well on the shore. And we may find that our journeys look similar. And it’s important to consider the fact that maybe God isn't punishing us. Maybe we’re in a really uncomfortable situation because we’ve been running, but maybe what's happening right now is that we’re being rescued. And, so, we begin. Jonah chapter 1 verse 1 through 4:11. And we’re reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible this week.

Commentary:

Okay. We read the entire book of Jonah and we need to talk about Jonah, just a little bit, since we have only this one day in the book of Jonah because it's a story that's meant to hit us on a number of levels and to cause us to examine our thoughts and words and deeds. So, when we are talking about Jonah at the beginning, before we read it, we gave a little bit of the backdrop, that Jonah is a prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel, but he's being sent to prophesy to his enemies. And Jonah knows God’s reputation as a merciful, compassionate God. So, we have Jonah's personal struggle inside himself, he does not want to go to the people that he considers his enemies and see anything but God's judgment descend upon Nineveh and destroy it. But he also knows how compassionate and long-suffering God can be and that he's being sent to prophesy repentance to them. And what if they actually listen? Then God will be merciful. And he doesn’t want Nineveh to receive God's mercy. He wants them to be destroyed because of their history. Nineveh was a very, very powerful, influential city. The prophet Nahum prophesies against the city of Nineveh. So, here is Jonah being sent there. He’s got to go on a 500 mile journey and he doesn't want to do this, not only because of his own feelings, but what's he going to tell everybody? Hey, my fellow prophets, hey, my fellow Israelites, I know I've been prophesying around here, but I'm going to head to Nineveh and deliver the word of the Lord to our enemies. Hopefully they don't listen any better than we do, and that they receive judgment, but who knows. I mean, if Jonah goes to Nineveh and Nineveh repents and turns toward God, then how can he go home? So, instead he gets on a ship and he's heading for Tarshish. So, he's like going 2500 miles in the other direction, if he can succeed. He doesn’t want the reputation of being the prophet that went to Nineveh. And, so, he runs in the other direction, which gives us ample opportunity to look at how were running right now, and why, and what patterns this brings up, and how we've been running for so long. So, as the story goes, Jonah’s not successful in running from God. He finds himself in the stormy seas to drown and he's swallowed up by a fish and you can only imagine…I mean…you can only imagine that experience because there aren’t very many fish we would sign up to be swallowed by to find out what this is really like. This cannot be anything but terrifying. And, so, Jonah is praying, as you would expect a person who's been swallowed by a great fish to be doing, because Jonah realizes at some point, he's not dead. He may have been in the belly of the fish thinking, okay, I'm dead, like, I don't what…this is the afterlife. But, at some point, he begins to call out to God saying, like, in my distress You answered me, in the belly of death of Sheol You heard my voice. I know that everything is happening is happening because You had a mission and I didn't listen. But if I return to the daylight, like, if I return to the land of living then I will. And that's how it happens. Jonah is spit on dry land and one can only imagine what a person would look like after they've been in the belly of a great fish for three days. He probably looks similar to what Hollywood would depict as a zombie, come back from the dead. Like, he doesn't look right, and the word probably begins to spread. And Jonah's got to finish his journey and go to Nineveh, which is a very big city. And he walks in a day and he gets somewhere, you know, in the thick of the city, and gives the message and the people respond. And they respond in a way that Jonah, still, after all that he's been through, still does not want to see. He does not want their repentance. He wants their destruction. And he's obeyed God and he’s seeing God at work in the city of Nineveh, and he doesn't want to see this. And he’s outside the city, kind of waiting to find out what the final verdict is - will God spare this city or will God destroy this city? And he’s just like, I knew this was going happen, like, I knew this is how it was going to go down. This is why I didn't want to come here in the first place. And God asks him a simple question, a simple question that we should hear in our own head, a lot of times. ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’ Because Jonah’s just sitting out there going, I want to die. It would be better for me…like...I can't deal with Your mercy for these people. I knew you were going to do this. Just take my life. And God’s like…’is it right for you to be angry?’ Of course, then, you know, this plant comes and shelters him and then the plant goes away the next day. And he's so mad, Jonah’s so mad, because it looks like Nineveh is going to be spared and his shade is gone. And God asks him, ‘is it right, Jonah, that you should be angry about the plant?’ And Jonah's like, it's absolutely right, I should be angry about the plant. I'm so mad I want to die. And it's here that God speaks the final words in the book of Jonah on the lesson that we all need to pay attention to. God tells Jonah, you didn't do anything to make the plant grown give you shade. I did that. You don't have any right to be angry that it went away. You didn't have anything to do with it in the first place. And as for these people in the city, they don't know what they're doing. They don't their right hand from their left. And basically, who are you to tell me who I should care about. You don't have a voice in this judgment. You don't have anything to do with it. You didn't make this city. And this should give us pause because we judge all the time. And it finds its way into nearly every aspect of our lives. And as we do it, we can't imagine that that God doesn't feel the same way that we do. And then we run into brick walls, like the book of Jonah, realizing that were sitting in judgment of things that we don't have anything to do with. Or walling ourselves off from people that we don't agree with and with that we can’t imagine that God feels any different. We even do this inside the Christian faith, who understand things differently than we do. The book of Jonah is showing us in a very, very dramatic story what we do all the time in all kinds of ways in all kinds of contexts. And when we find ourselves going to these places, we need to remember God's question. Is it right for you to be angry? Jonah thinks he has every right to be angry. His culture and his history are telling him to be angry. The problem is, he's angry about what God is doing in a redemptive way. And as God points out, he has no right to be angry. He’s looking at the Ninevites through the lens of his culture, but God wants to give them a chance to repent. And they do for a while and they are spared. So, we have to wonder how many times we have judged something or been angry about something that, ultimately, God was in and doing. And this invites us to be a little bit more patient and a little bit more observant and a little less judgmental about things we don't have anything to do with. Thank God that He is merciful and that He is long-suffering and that He is patient or we would all be toast. And if God wants to be merciful and long-suffering and patient in situations that we would rather that He just, you know, send fire from heaven and consume in judgment, then is it right for us to be angry, which is the ultimate question God poses to Jonah.

Prayer:

Father, we invite Your Holy Spirit into that because the truth is, if we could just step outside of ourselves and observe ourselves for a day, we would see they were judging a lot of things, wanting a lot of things that happen, so that they will happen in our favor. And it brings us to anger when it's not like that. And so often we find ourselves in anger without even asking the question, are You in this, are You doing something that I cannot see. So, we invite Your Holy Spirit into that. We need You in those places within us. Come, Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what's going on around here. Plenty of Christmas time things are going around here.

The Daily Audio Bible Christmas Box for 2017 is available and can still arrive to you for Christmas, if you're in the United States. If you're outside the United States you can certainly order it. We will certainly ship it. We’re not sure it will arrive in time, but there's still some time inside the United States, basically just through the weekend. So, check those out.

The More Gathering for women that's coming up this April that we been talking about here for last week and half, early registration is available for the event. And you can find out all of the details that you would want to know at dailyaudiobible.com in the Initiatives section or you can just go to moregathering.com and that will get you there as well.

The Daily Audio Bible journals along with the pairing of the Black Wing pencils and the sharpener and all of the kits, the different bundles, are available. Perfect time to set up to journal your way through your life and through the Scriptures next year, but also a really, really wonderful gift idea as well. So, you can find those in the Daily Audio Bible shop, in the Lifestyle section. So, check that out.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible here at the end of the year, you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link, it's on the homepage. If you prefer the mail, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that's it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer Requests and Praise Reports:

Hi Daily Audio Bible. This is __ from Arizona. I’m calling for a prayer request for tomorrow. I have a surgery scheduled. We’re pregnant with twin girls and they were diagnosed with ___ syndrome and they’re doing a laser surgery in utero. And I just would just ask for your prayers, that God would sustain their lives and bring them forth in the physical bodies to full term in my womb and continue to knit them together __ that I would hold them together one day. I pray that you would ask God for strength and hope and __ through this whole process. __ that He would hold hearts ___ that we would look to Him in all of it and that we would trust Him and know that he’s good for everything. I genuinely appreciate your prayers.

Hello. Merry Christmas from Becca in Arizona. I just want to say hello everyone, Daily Audio Bible. The reason I’m calling is to wish you Merry Christmas. I just got the Christmas Box. I absolutely love it. I haven’t tried the coffee yet but I can’t wait. I gave a copy of Sneezing Jesus away. I listened to the Advent CD, which is awesome. And I’m about to listen to the Christmas CD. And then I am giving the Advent CD to the pastor of our church. And just thank you so much. I haven’t tried out the pencil yet either, but I really love the podcast and I just thank you for bringing the Bible to everyone. Love you.

Good morning. This is Unis from New Jersey and I am a Daily Audio Bible listener and I think this is the second time I’ve called. And I really need your prayers. I’ve been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and I’m traumatized and just in shock and it is like a nightmare, suffice it to say, it’s like a nightmare. I believe in prayer and I believe that all things work for good for those who believe in God and love God. It’s been really hard on me and my family and so many things have been revealed. Cancer has a way of revealing the truth about your life and about the people around you. I really ask my Daily Audio Bible family for prayers, that God give me the strength that I need in order form me to carry this through. I believe in healing if it’s His will, I will be healed. It doesn’t matter what the graphs say or what the CAT scans say or what anything else say…if it’s God's then I will be healed and if it isn’t and I die with this illness then let it be God’s will. Thank you so much. Thank you audio family.

Hello Daily Audio Bible. This is Rebecca from Michigan and I wanted to share something with you because I asked you to pray that I have a great Christmas. I got something new that just happened. Like, today is December 10th and I went to this pantry restaurant. They like serve a lot of breakfast and lunch. I had like a breakfast and this person went by me and said Merry Christmas and then the next thing you know, the waitress came to me and said, somebody paid for your breakfast, you’re free to go after you get done eating. So, I just want you to know, somebody paid for my breakfast today and I’m like, I’m already having a merry Christmas just because that guy said Merry Christmas. So, I thought I’d share that moment with you and let you know how things are going so far on my Christmas. It’s just awesome. God is so awesome, how He just reaches out His hand and does stuff for you. And I’m like…I mean…I’m working on being thankful and I’m been praying God will help me clean up my clutter, my life. You know, my spiritual life, my physical life. Everything about me, I just want God to renew, restore my life and make me a brand-new person in him. So, Daily Audio Bible. Thank you for praying for me. I love you. I hope you all have merry Christmas’s too. And I hope God blesses you guys too. Thank you.

Hello everybody. This is Pelham in Birmingham calling because I need some prayer. The owner of the food truck that I work on needs…or worked on...needs prayers. They just had his third child and they have major medical issues. And, so, he’s having to shut down the food truck that I work on. And, so, I don’t have a job any more and I have rent and bills and I can’t be unemployed and I’ve been… we’ve got a…it’s quite frightening here in Birmingham in the Morris household. So, please pray for the Morris’s and Hagen’s for their baby. For God to give us peace and joy, that we know that he has right in the palm of His hands and He’s got us right where He wants us, that He wants me to find a new job.

[icephas]

To the Promised Land via a Dead End

Sunday, July 10

“And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.” Exodus 14:10

Have you ever been set up, led into a trap or to a dead end? Sometimes it can be nice, like walking unexpectedly into a room of waiting friends who all shout “Surprise! Happy birthday!” At other times it can be quite a shock, even a very unpleasant one. It may have been bullies when you were at school, or a work colleague who unexpectedly tried to make you look bad.

From the day the Israelites left Egypt until they reached the Promised Land, “the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21). Every part of their journey was led by God Himself. But look at where He led them first: to a place where the sea was before them, mountains were on either side, and Pharaoh’s army was within eyesight right behind!

Read Exodus 14. Why did God bring the Israelites to a place where He knew they would be terrified?

Following “the pillar” doesn’t assure us of being happy all the time. It also can be a hard experience, because training in righteousness takes us to places that test our hearts, which are so naturally deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). During these difficulties, the key to knowing when we are truly following God is not necessarily the absence of trials or pain but, rather, an openness to God’s instruction and a continual submission of our minds and hearts to His leading.

What lesson did the Israelites learn from this experience? Exodus 14:31.

Why is trusting God sometimes so hard, even though we may know many of the wonderful promises He has for us? Recount some difficult situation you believe the Lord led you into in order to teach you to “believe” in and to “fear” Him.