The Prince of Peace

The words we read in Isaiah 9 are well-known to all of us, so I won't pontificate on their meaning, but instead ask a very simple question that I've been researching on and off for the past year or so. As we read of the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace...

DO YOU THINK THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAD ANY IDEA WHAT THIS MEANT?

I don't want to ruin anything for Pastor Warnsholz, but he asked me for a picture he had seen in the little slide show I've been showing at the beginning of our meetings and forums. Here's the picture:

We all know the story, God threw Adam and Eve out of Eden, and as I recall from my childhood days, God promised eventual salvation to Adam and Eve through Christ's sacrifice. However, re-read Genesis 3 and tell me where God explicitly makes this promise to them (or us, for that matter). 

I don't have an answer, but we have the hindsight of 2,700 years to know that Isaiah 9:2-7 are prophecies that were fulfilled through Christ, but read those verses in the true tabula rasa state and see for yourself where the people of Israel should have immediately began to look toward the Messiah. We know it happened, because there's no shortage of New Testament references where people specifically ask Jesus if he's the Messiah, so they had to have some clue that one was coming, but if you had read these words in 750 BC as your country is in the midst of war and chaos, would that meaning be clear?

I've probably brought up more questions than answers with this post, I just want to again make clear what a tremendous leap that salvation through Christ would introduce. It was so counter-intuitive that God began laying the groundwork for it 700 years prior so that the people of Israel and Judah would have time to understand and internalize its import. We, on the other hand, have had all the information we've needed for the past 2,000 years, which means those who don't know of Christ will have no excuse, and we won't be excused for not telling them. It's a job so important that the last thing Jesus shared with his disciples was to spread that message. Of course, that still holds true today.

Scott

Stone Movers (July 1)

Judah's leaders are like those who move boundary stones.  I will pour my wrath out on them like a flood of water.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.

                                From Isaiah 5 & 6 NIV

In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord.
                                2 Chronicles 28:22 NIV

We can consider God's desire for us, to show mercy and to acknowledge Him in all our ways.  He does not desire sacrifice, however sacrifice is needed to restore one to community after sin. 

Leadership of Judah is described in uncomplimentary terms today by comparing them to ones who move boundary stones.  Movers of boundary stones lead to strife, conflict, and war.  These leaders, in their leadership roles, did not nurture fruits of the Spirit.  

King Ahaz is given as a poor example of one who, in times of trouble turned away from the path of the Lord.  We can read in the timeline at the front of our Chronologic Bible that Ahaz reigned for 16 years, sacrificed his own offspring, and nailed the temple door shut.  He was certainly not a stellar example of fear of the Lord. 

How do we act when we have challenges? 

Do we act fairly, remain steadfast in and obey the Lord, or do we try to move boundary stones by turning to something other than Him?

Pray for yourself and leaders to have the strength, courage, and wisdom to turn to the Lord for all challenges.

In Christ,

David P

Atonement

Isaiah feared for his life when he thought he had seen the Lord, at which point a seraph placed a live coal on his mouth and said:

“See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

I had another one of my funny feelings, so I looked up "atone" in Bible Gateway,  and to this point, this is the 97th time it (or atonement) had been used in the Bible. In every previous case, it referred to an act that either the people or the priests performed as a step toward forgiveness, but which is not the case here. This is one of the first times in the Bible that atonement is granted without some activity on the Israelites' part. This is a precursor to the Age of Grace that Christ's death and resurrection would usher in, which frees us from strict observance of the Law as a pathway to righteousness.

Dr. Pratt wrote extensively with regard to Isaiah 6:8, so I won't rehash it, but it is a direct response of Isaiah to the grace from the Lord--he wasn't willing to work out of obligation but instead because of thanksgiving. This is a pretty major change (and one that hadn't been implemented at the time of Isaiah's writing) and the one that will confuse the people the most in the time of Christ. God is introducing the concept of grace--even he knew that a stiff-necked and stubborn people would need some time to understand the message.

Did you ever stop and wonder what made it so difficult for the people of Jesus' time to comprehend and accept this change? Their ancestors seemed to worship idols at the drop of a hat, so switching from one religion to another should have been second nature. We have it easy today--all the work has been done for us, we just need to assimilate it into our lives and thank God for it. And so, as the hymn goes:

If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul

You can tell the love of Jesus, you can say he died for all

If you cannot rouse the wicked, With the Judgment's dread alarms

You can lead the little children, to the Savior's waiting arms

One verse of a hymn gives you five potential service opportunities, and the spiritual gifts Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 gives you several more. It doesn't matter which one you choose, as long as you:

Answer quickly when he calls you, "Here am I, send me, send ME!"

Scott

Stumps (June 30)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
                              Isaiah 7:14 NIV

...and the government will be upon his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
                               Isaiah 10:6b NIV

We read today of Isaiah clearly pointing ahead to Christ's birth.  He foretells the future event of good news of great joy for all people.  However, we do understand from yesterday's reading that not all will see, hear or understand; for peoples hearts would be calloused, ears dull and eyes closed.  Yesterday we read about the remnant, the few remaining faithful that too would be laid waste.  Yet, stumps would remain and that the holy seed will be the stump in the land.

The word "stump" has many definitions, the Concise English Dictionary tells of several, a few are as follow: The base part of the tree that remains after the tree has been felled; A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it; travel through a district and make political speeches; cause to be perplexed or confounded; and walk heavily.

With the holy seed, Christ, being the stump, we can consider Christ as the base of our faith after we are stripped of all...He is still with us as He has promised to be.  He has been raised up in many ways for us, the most important being up on a cross to die, so he could himself raise up above death to atone perfectly for our sins.  He himself during his ministry stumped for God by speaking in parables, teaching, healing and raising from the dead.  We, are totally confused, stumped by His actions and ministry.  It is only by the working of the Holy Spirit that we can clearly understand with the heart, hear with the ears, and see with the eyes what Christ has done. This work of the Holy Spirit equips us to walk with humility and confidence in Christ. 

We also might be stumped by why Isaiah took the job as prophet to people with calloused hearts who would not hear and could not see.  Some of our confusion is removed when we understand that he had good news about a stump.


What kinds of things stump you about your Christianity?  Ask a pastor or ask on the blog "ask anything"?


How do you stump for your Christianity?


Pray for wisdom, guidance, peace, unity and healing.  Pray God wraps his protective, guiding arms around leaders and Christian leaders everwhere.


In Christ,


David P

The Job (June 29)

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I, send me!"
He said go and flee this people:
     "Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
       be ever seeing, but never perceiving."
Make the heart of this people calloused;
    make their ears dull,
    and close their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts,
  and turn and be healed."...

"And though a tenth remains in the land,
    it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and the oak
   leave stumps when they are cut down,
    so the holy seed will be the stump of the land"
                    From Isaiah 6:8-13 NIV

Would you apply for the job Isaiah took?  He starts out by having his lips touched by a live coal to take away guilt and atone for his sin.  This commissioning is to a difficult job, but a job with a promise, the promise of a holy seed.

We will be working our way into Isaiah over the near term.  The book of Isaiah has many messages from God spoken to Israel through the prophet Isaiah.  Consider the first half of Isaiah bringing old testament messages to Israel and the second half of Isaiah bringing new testament messages to Israel.  The close of Isaiah, a portion of our reading on July 22 and July 23, parallels very closely the close of the book of Revelation including a new heaven and new earth and all seeing God's goodness.

Be thankful that when you go and tell the story in your actions and by your deeds, the Holy Spirit is with you and that your participation in the great commission is not quite the challenge given to Isaiah.

Would you have accepted Isaiah's job?

What activities do you participate in and what activities do you try to avoid? 
    
Can one discern by your actions that you are a Christian?

Pray for the Spirit to guide you on your path so that you can be a light for others to help direct them to Christ and not be a stumbling block in their path to Christ.

In Christ,


David P

Jonah

Oh, that we were different from Jonah, the man most famous for being told to go one way who went the exact opposite direction. Oh, that we don't try to run from God, not that Jonah was the first--there's plenty of precedent with Adam and Eve, Hagar, Jacob, Moses, etc. Oh, that we don't need to be reminded not only that we act JUST THE SAME, but that we do it ALL THE TIME.

This shows where Jonah was supposed to go vs. where he went:

Jonah was instructed to go to Nineveh, as any watcher of Veggie Tales knows, and that in itself would have been a major travel, about 500 miles or so. Instead, Jonah heads out for Tarshish, which the NIV Study Bible hypothesizes is in southern Spain, or by my reckoning, about 1500-2000 miles from Israel. We all know what it means, but it bears repeating--Jonah was trying to get as far away from God as he could in order to avoid doing what the Lord commanded.

I've always been interested in the end of the story, where Jonah voices his disappointment in the Lord in sparing Nineveh. First (and completely unsupported by anything written prior), Jonah claims to have attempted to flee to Tarshish precisely because he knew God would eventually show compassion. Even so, he heads out of town to watch the festivities, the fireworks of his day, but that wasn't to be. God was kind enough to provide a vine as shade, but took it away the next day. I never realized how abruptly Jonah ends, with God instructing  Jonah in his ways. We're not privy to how Jonah received this.

Things haven't changed in the modern world. All of us attempt to flee to Tarshish in our own ways, with two important differences:

1. Nobody writes about it (and we keep our anonymity)

2. We do it WAY MORE THAN ONCE

It's pretty obvious that the Lord forgave Jonah, and why not--he forgave a penitent Nineveh, so why wouldn't he forgive Jonah? He'll forgive us too, which means that the next time God calls, we should stay off the boat.

Scott

Mourning Land (June 28)

Because of this the land mourns,
   and all who live in it waste away;
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
and the fish of the sea are dying.
                          Hosea 4:3 NIV

We learn from reading the preceeding verses that the 'because of this' in Hosea 4:3 is no faithfulness, love, acknowledgement of God in the land.  When man walks apart from God, God leaves man up to, or turns man over to man's depraved mind to do what ought not be done.  As a result the whole land mourns, groans; people waste away and beasts, birds and fish die.

With fear of God and creation, there is awesome respect for God, and stewardship of His creation is wisely maintained by following God's instructions, law and guidance.  With such stewardship, beasts, birds and fish can thrive and flourish. Without such stewardship, fields, rivers and air becomes soiled and in many cases, unkind to life.

Webster tells us that a steward is a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.  We, during our lives, are tasked to be stewards of God's creation.

Without God's direction, with man on his own path following worthless idols and false gods, we read that only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultry; they break all bounds and bloodshed follows bloodshed.

Again, we are sinful, we must acknowledge this, repent, and wash ourselves in the death and resurrection of Christ.  We know that God is faithful and just and desires our obedience.  We have read that after we have sinned, when we turn to God in faith, He will listen and guide and direct our paths.

When we love God, we then can love our fellow man.  Jesus tells us that the most important commandments are to love God and love man.  So much flows from those two commandments.

What do you do and how can others see God's love in action through you?

How do your actions show good stewardship?

Pray for wisdom to be a good steward.

In Christ,

David P

Hosea

I'll be upfront and state that when it comes to ANY of the prophets (major or minor), I won't have much to say. In many cases, the WHAT will happen isn't hard to discern, and the WHEN is for the Lord to decide. Since I try not to discuss the obvious, and any speculation on when is nothing more than a complete guess, well, there ya go...

A couple of years ago, I had the bright idea to lead a Bible study on Hosea. In retrospect, it was a pretty stupid idea, since I can effectively summarize Hosea (and most other prophecy) in much less than 10 weeks:

1. You're a sinner

2. Repent

3. Or else

4. Go back to 1 and repeat

I don't recall how I padded that out to 10 hours of discussion, but the funny thing is, I don't recall the group just sitting around and staring at each other. Having said that, there is a point and two verses in particular I want to discuss--one verse today, one tomorrow.

The point occurs in the first chapter. I won't even begin to attempt to understand the Lord's thinking in his instructions to Hosea. As an aside, the NIV Study Bible has an introduction page at the beginning of each book, which follows this structure:

Author/Date

Background

Theme and Message

Outline

In addition to these, for Hosea they added a section called Special Problems. The two Special Problems are:

1. Chapter 1--the NIV experts have no idea what's going on and freely say so

2. The children mentioned in Chapter 3

I only state this because I suspect this might come up, but lucky for us, since we're not meeting next Sunday you'll have forgotten this whole part by Sunday, July 10th AND WON'T ASK ME TO EXPLAIN IT (this is a hint--take it). The part of Chapter 1 that I find interesting is the names of the children:

Lo-Ruhamah--not loved
Lo-Ammi--not my people

I've heard some weird names in my day, and these are pretty high on the list. It's pretty clear that God is attempting to send a clear unambiguous message to the people of Israel.

My verse for today is Hosea 6:6:

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
   and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. 

We've seen some mention of this concept before (i.e., it's not the action, but the thought behind it), but this was important enough for Christ to repeat it in Matthew 9:13 (to a group of Pharisees) and Matthew 12:7 (to a different group of Pharisees). Isaiah will repeat this, but at this point, this is a foreign concept to a people who  believed their salvation was derived from ritualistic observance of the law. Jesus would use this verse to describe how he was the complete 180-degree U-turn from the way the people had lived their lives up to that point. It's a theme I've discussed often previously and will return to over and over again in the coming months, because, quite simply, this verse is the stark difference between Christianity (salvation through Christ) and Judaism (observance of the Law until the Messiah comes and frees us from it). This was Christ's (and Paul's) core message of the New Testament, and I thought it worthwhile to show just how far in advance this notion was initially floated.

Our goal when reading prophecy isn't to predict when it will occur but know that it WILL occur and be prepared at all times. Christ will speak on this at length in numerous parables, but the stage is also being set for the future when the Law will NOT be the cornerstone of salvation. These little nuggets are all over the place in the Prophecy section of the Bible. Do your best (and the same goes for me) to keep your hearts and minds open to when one of these verses makes an appearance.

Scott

Main Points (June 27)

Just for reference, below are prophets and the main point of their writing:

Isaiah: Prophecy of the coming Messiah

Jeremiah: Last prophet bringing effort to save Jerusalem

Lamentations: Writings about Jerusalem's desolation

Ezekiel: Jerusalem's fall, judgement on nations, Israel's restoration

Daniel:  Prophet in Babylon

Hosea:  History of Israel: Idols, wicked, captive, and restoration

Joel: Day of the Lord (judgement day), Promise of God's Spirit

Amos: God's Judgement on Israel, Glorious Kingdom of David

Obadiah: Destruction of Edom

Jonah: Mission to Nineveh

Micah: Israel and Judah will fall, Bethlehem birthplace

Nahum: Nineveh's destruction

Habakkuk: Faith is life for just

Zephaniah: Day of Lord is at hand

Haggai:  Temple rebuilding

Zechariah: Temple rebuilding

Malachi: Last message to disobedient nation

Amos

First, this map is from the NIV Study Bible and can help place where certain events occurred.

I was asked today about Amos, and I can't add more than is written in the Bible--he was a shepherd, and obviously a very learned one. The one interesting note I found in the NIV Study Bible was that he was a Judean who was a prophet to Israel, and that just didn't happen often. You can see where he was  born on the map at Tekoa, but he did much of his ministry at Bethel.

Amos will serve as our introduction to prophecy in general, since the message isn't going to change all that much:

1. Woe to Israel/Judah because

    a. you worship false gods

    b. you worship yourselves

    c. you're licentious and evil

2. There will be judgment

    a. it will be swift and total

    b. it will come from the Lord

3. REPENT

Lucky for us we're not like that today. Lucky for us we obey the Lord totally and completely and have no need of his judgment. Unlike them, we WELCOME the Day of the Lord, when we need to be just as wary of it as they should have been. As with most prophecy, there is a dual nature at work:

1. It is prophetic for their times (i.e., for the times the people were living in)

2. It is prophetic STILL for us today

For example, the Day of the Lord, referred to in Amos 5:18-20, occurred for Israel about 40 years after Amos spoke those words when they went into Assyrian exile. It happened AGAIN about 140 years after that with the people of Judah entering Babylonian exile. It will happen AGAIN at the Last Day, when all of us will be judged before the Lord.

Since we need to have every expectation that an impending judgment is coming, we need to be prepared and make sure we're not doing the same things the people of Israel and Judah were doing. The idols may have changed, but the nature of idol worship is alive and well in the world today. We don't know when the Day of the Lord is, we just know that for CERTAIN, each day on earth brings us one day closer to it--all the more reason to be ever ready and prepared for it.

Scott

Light vs Darkness (June 26)

Woe to you who long
     for the day of the Lord
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?
     That day will be darkness, not light.
                                Amos 5:18 NIV

Christians, do not lose courage, faith, hope or strength as a result of reading the above verse.  The verse was written by the Prophet Amos about  830 BC or 750 BC.  This prophecy of God through Amos was directed at Israel warning them about the coming day of judgement, the day of the Lord.  

Israel had normalized idolatry and wickedness and was walking apart from the path the Lord had chosen.  Israel was wallowing in sin, doing what ought not be done.

Israel was offering sacrifices to God, however these sacrifices were unacceptable (v22).  Isarel was unrepentent.

We read earlier this year in 1 Samuel 15:22 NIV: But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."

God was declaring through Amos a request for a reformation of the heart, a new way of life for Israel, not for sacrifice and maintenance of the status quo.

We can be thankful that in contrast to the Northern Kingdom of Israel who lived under the old covenant and were required to keep the entire law to be saved (an impossible task); we live under the new covenant.  This covenant was given in Christ's body and blood, shed and pierced on the cross for all who believe.

We can be further thankful that it is God's work that earns our salvation for us and His Spirit that guides us to Christ. 

In addition, as a result of God's work through His Son, we can maintain courage, faith and hope while reading a passage like Amos 5:18.

We will fail, we will fall short, we will sin.  We can in confidence look to Jesus, his death and resurrection, and be assured that we are saved; for our eternal salvation has been paid for, and given to us by grace through faith.  We will see light on that great, powerful and terrible day of the Lord.

We need to gently, carefully, lovingly "tell the story" so that all will have at least had the opportunity to see light, not darkness, on that great and powerful day of the Lord.  

What do you think about the day of the Lord?

What kind of concerns do you have about the day of the Lord?  Talk with someone...a mature Christian friend or pastor...

Pray for opportunities, wisdom, courage and love to tell the story.


In Christ,


David P



 

Minor Prophets

We're already starting to jump time with great frequency, and events are going to get more frenetic as we begin to read the Minor Prophets (as well as the Major ones). As is my wont in situations like this, here's a timeline of the Minor Prophets,  when they prophesied and who their intended audience was. I've tagged it "Timeline" so that you can easily refer to it in the future in the LABELS tab about halfway down the right side of the page as you wish.

Jonah	770 B.C.	to Ninevah
Amos	760	to Israel
Hosea	760 - 730	to Israel
Isaiah	740 - 700	to Judah
Micah	737 - 690	to Judah
Habakkuk	630	to Judah
Zephaniah	627	to Judah
Jeremiah	627 - 580	to Judah
Daniel	605 - 530	to Judah
Ezekiel	593 - 570	to Judah
Nahum	593 - 570	to Ninevah
Haggai	520	to Judah
Zechariah	520 - 518	to Judah
Joel	500	to Judah
Obadiah	500	to Edom
Malachi	433 B.C.	to Judah

Our Chronological Study Bible suggests that Amos was the first of the Minor Prophets, and it very well might be. We'll be spending the next 3+ months (the remainder of the Old Testament, at which time salvation unto us will come, in more ways than one...) in the prophecy section of the Bible. On the down side, some of it might be difficult to understand at times, but on the up side, it won't be 2 Kings. 
Scott

Helped (June 25)

In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones.  His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.  But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.  He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
                      2 Chronicles 26:15-16 NIV

Pride comes before fall.  Webster defines pride as: a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in being, conduct, etc.

King Uzziah, a popular king, is successful because he was greatly helped.  One of the ways he was greatly helped was because of God's prospering of his armies and allowing many military victories.  In view of his successes, he becomes proud and considers himself able to be a priest in addition to his role as a king.  He desires to burn incense on the altar of incense. 

81 priests in total confront this popular king with his folly and despite this confrontation, he did not depart and repent, but rather became angry and raged at the priests.

During that confrontation, leprosy broke out on his forehead and he was afflicted with leprosy until he died. As a result of his leprosy, he was separated from his palace, his community and suffered greatly.

Consider the inhabitants of Laodicea, a thriving ancient city located in what is now Western Turkey.  These residents were so proud of their merino wool, their optic balms, their hot and cold running water, and other  accomplishments, that they separated themselves from others by refusing outside help after an earthquake.  Consider the ruin that city is now.

Reflect on how a great start does not guarantee a great finish.  Seeking help in God, prayer, humility, community and service to others might fall by the wayside as pride, separation and self-service creep in.  Pride, or a high opinion of one's dignity or self might tempt us to look only to ourselves for help and thus separate us from God who desires we approach and serve with a humble, thankful, and greatful heart. 


Where do you look for help when you have a project at hand?

Do you pray about your daily projects?

What attitudes do you display as you complete your projects?

Pray for a humble, thankful, Spirit-led, servant's heart as you complete your projects.


In Christ,

David P

What Do YOU Do?

No, I haven't been on vacation or otherwise engaged, it's just been difficult to add anything meaningful to what we've been reading this week. I was going to force myself to write today just to prove I wasn't dead, but luckily (and I think you can infer my thoughts on "luck"), there was something for me today.

Naaman wanted to be healed of leprosy and traveled to Israel to eventually meet with Elisha. He's willing to pay:

10 talents silver           750 lbs.     $416,160

6,000 shekels gold      150 lbs.  $3,616,800

10 sets of clothes                                   ???

And you think health care is expensive today--I don't think Dr. Pratt bills $4 million for a colonoscopy, but then again, I have been to his house...

So, if you're willing to shell out $4 million to be healed, I'm going to assume that you would follow the advice of the healer. Elisha tells Naaman to wash himself 7 times in the Jordan River. In terms of healing, this is pretty easy. Consider some modern-day health issues and their solutions:

Obesity                     Eat less, exercise

Heart disease           Stop smoking, eat better

Lung disease            Stop smoking

Acid reflux                Stop drinking, stop smoking

As far as health solutions go, washing in a river 7 times is pretty easy. Naaman's servants wisely pointed out if he had been asked to do something monumental, he would have done it, so Naaman did the relatively mundane and was cured. This has DIRECT relevance to us today. We can all tell when God wants us to do something. God plants a bug in our ear that will not go away, and often, this is not a major item (become a missionary, sell your home and give everything to the poor), but something minor (call someone, do something at church). As often as not, we act JUST LIKE NAAMAN--we huff and puff instead of just doing the small (not unimportant, just not difficult) task that God asked us to do. In other words, we want things OUR way, just as Naaman wanted it his way.

I wish I could say this will change for us and we'll eventually accede to the Lord willingly, but I doubt that will happen--we're just as stiff-necked and stubborn as ever. No, we'll continue to fight with God, but our job is to constantly ask him to remove the scales from our eyes. If he did it for Naaman, he'll certainly do it for us.

Scott

Axe heads (June 24)

The man of God asked, "Where did it fall?"  When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there and made the iron float.
                                         2 Kings 6:6 NIV


Elisha performs a miracle.  A borrowed iron axe head, probably stuck in the muddy bottom, floats to the surface of the water after a stick is thrown in at that spot.

Elisha by his prayerfulness, courage, faith, example, and his miracles encouraged the remnant in Israel of God's presence, power and attention.

In our lives, we too get stuck in mud.  Of course, most times the mud we find ourselves stuck in is a result of our sinful nature and not because we trod in a swamp, river or lake.  We, as Christians, finding our way out of the mud is not by our own effort, but rather by a miracle of the Spirit working on us in our lives.  The Spirit is a gift from God, from Jesus who died for our sin and who wipes the mud off of us by his death and resurrection.

A lost, borrowed axehead is found today by a miracle.  Our lost, borrowed lives are found the day we accept Christ's work.

Help someone find their eternal life, tell the story of what Christ has done for you.

What axe heads do you have stuck in the mud?

How do you plan on finding those axe heads?

How are you being an example to others?

Pray for the preparation by ministers and of our hearts and minds for the message to be clearly presented, received and adopted into our lives.

In Christ,


David P

Jars (June 23)

When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one."  But he replied, "There is not a jar left."  Then the oil stopped flowing.
                                    2 Kings 4:6 NIV

Many parallels between us, our faith, God and God's blessing can be considered in the above passage.  In Israel, the possession of oil was a sign of possession of God's blessing. 

By faith, the woman followed the instruction to obtain empty jars from all her neighbors.  The oil flowed freely and abundantly to fill the jars.  When the jars were full, the flow of oil stopped.  We, by faith, ask God in prayer to fulfill our needs, to bless our efforts, and for direction.  Our faith is in a sense, the container that God can and does fill with his answer, oil, to our prayer. 

The oil in this passage was free to the woman.  In the same way, eternal life is free to us.  On the other hand, the oil had a value and was able to pay the woman's debts.  In the same way, our debts, sin, was paid for and our eternal life was purchased by the death of Jesus on the cross and by his resurrection for all believers in Him.

God is an awesome, infinite, powerful and abundant God; who desires to have your faith increase or in other words, gracefully fill our jars. 

In sharing the Gospel message; we are by the Spirit in a sense gathering empty jars.  God, by the Spirit can fill those empty jars and give eternal life.

What are you doing to gather empty jars?

How is your jar growing?

What oil are you putting in your jar?

Pray for opportunities to tell the Gospel message.

In Christ,


David P
   

Sacred Offerings (June 22)

Joash said to the priests, "Collect all the money that is brought as sacred offerings to the temple of the Lord--The money collected in the census, the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarily to the temple."
                        2 Kings 12:4 NIV


Instructions were given to the priests to collect the three types of offerings; money collected from the census, from the personal vows, and money brought voluntarily to the temple.  All of these offerings were sacred.

Being sacred, Webster tells us is being dedicated or devoted to a deity.  Certainly offerings brought to God's temple would be devoted to God.

We can consider our devotion to God in many ways, the time we dedicate to Him in various ways, the talents we use during our time dedicated to Him, and the treasure we donate to Him.

In thinking about our offering one might remember some words from a hymn:
                                 Take my silver and my gold,
                                  not a mite would I withhold.



What might one think after a glance at your checkbook  about your devotion to God?


Pray for the Spirit to guide you in generous, joyful giving.


In Christ,


David P

Double Portion of the Spirit

First, a brief comment. If you think that kings behaving badly are things of the past, read this Wall Street Journal article about the ruling family of Tunisia. Once you've absorbed the level of corruption that family placed on its county, you will understand why Tunisia was the first of the Arab countries to rebel this past spring. Yet more proof that things haven't really changed much.

On a much brighter note, there are days when I know exactly what I'm going to write, because I've been waiting for that specific day (or more precisely, that part of the Bible), and this is one of them. We have the famous story of Elijah being taken to heaven in a chariot of fire, but I admire most what Elisha requested when asked by Elijah, which of course, was "a double portion of your spirit" (2 Kings 2:9). What a wonderful thing to ask for.

And we can still ask for it today. I used to add that request in my prayers, but realized that I was probably overusing the concept. We should by all means ask for a double portion of the spirit when we feel ourselves challenged, perplexed or simply confused by what is before us. There's nothing in the Bible to suggest that only Elisha will receive it. 2 Kings is going to be a rough read, and it will end with the people of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) taken captive by Assyria and never to be heard from again, and Judah will go into Babylonian captivity. We're quite a ways from reading about those events, because we're about to see how chronological the Bible is going to become as we jump all over it upon entry into the period of the Minor Prophets. Whenever we need it, we will be blessed just as Elisha was, and I challenge you to pay attention when you request that double portion--if you're like me, you can almost physically FEEL it.

Scott

A Robust Chapter (June 20)

But Elisha said, "As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you."  So they went down to ...
                                       From 2 Kings 2 NIV

Take time today to read 2 Kings, chapter 2.  The chapter is rich with faith, parting of the Jordan twice, wisdom, healing of bad water, and judgement. 

This verse seems to clearly point to the sealing of the Christian by the Holy Spirit and with Elisha's promise of never leaving Elijah and to the great commission with Elijah's traveling to Bethel, Jericho, and to the Jordan.

Elisha, in parting the water and crossing over the Jordan, shows his faith in the Lord to get him out and back into the promised land.  By taking Elijah's cloak, Elisha is performing an action to show his acceptance of the responsibility, the duty, and role of prophet from Elijah.

By healing the bad water, Elijah is showing a new beginning.  A new beginning is something we receive by accepting what Jesus has done for us.  Christ took away our bitterness, our roughness, our original sin and made us acceptable to God.

The mockers are judged at Bethel, a center for idol worship.  God's covenants need to be taken seriously.

What kind of calls have you received?

How does your Christianity show in your response?

Pray for those in leadership to be humble, courageous, and wise in the choices they make.

In Christ,

David P

What Would YOU Do?

First, for those readers who were at my presentation today on Trinity's history, thanks for the kind words, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm going to get it up on the Trinity YouTube site, but I really don't like the way the video turned out, so I'm going to try something different.

The part of today's reading I enjoyed the most is how King Ahaziah kept sending men to Elijah, and God consumed those men with fire. When I read stories like this, I try to imagine what my reaction would have been. If I was the first captain, I would have been surprised since all I did was ask Elijah to come down. If I was the second captain, I would  have been nervous, since I knew what had already happened. If I was the third captain, I would have been TERRIFIED. When God is batting 2 for 2 in the consuming companies category, I'm thinking I'd have little interest in being number 3.

To his credit, the third captain appeared to have something that kept his ears from touching each other, since he immediately appealed to Elijah's mercy. We've already read many instances where man has fought against God, and it hasn't turned out well for man in any instance to date (Jacob, Pharaoh, Baal's 450 priests), and we have more to come (Jonah, Paul), and that's a lesson we all know, but we all need to live. We fight God at our own risk,  and at this point in history, we don't have any excuse--we KNOW better--we have his word, the gift of his Son and 2,000+ years of history. So, the next time someone thinks it's a GREAT idea to go against the will of the Lord, think back to this reading, and remember how it turned out for those who would fight God.

Scott

I Hate Him

In today's reading, we read about a war between Israel, Judah and Aram. David's post describes how this battle ends, but I was more intrigued by 1 Kings 22:8:

"There is still one prophet through whom we can inquire of the LORD,"

That's the beginning of the verse, but not the part I liked--that would be this part:

"...but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad."

That just cracked me up. Imagine if you're the king of Israel (and the Chronicles version states it was Ahab), and you have a court full of toadies who spend their every waking minute telling you what you want to hear, and yet one person continually tells you the opposite. If you're confident in your ways, you ignore that person, but if you have doubts and harbor deep-down thoughts that you're not going down the right road, you get irritated. Why change a perfectly good life of evil just because one prophet is a thorn in your side?

It's really no different today. We don't talk about the Law too much in church, content to tell ourselves that Jesus' death and resurrection freed us from the strictures of the law, but that doesn't change the fact that we still sin, or that the wages of sin is still death. We like hearing the Gospel and how we are saved, but don't consider the fact that it was our own sin that necessitated salvation in the first place. We celebrate Christmas joyously every year, but do we stop to think that the only reason Christ was born was to be the payment for our sin? No, that doesn't make for happy church services...

We still need Micaiahs in our church today to remind us that we are sinners with absolutely no recourse except through the redemption of Christ. The fact we might not like the message doesn't mean we don't need to hear it and live it. Our goal should be to thank the Michaiahs in our lives for pointing out our shortcomings. Mirrors are just as important in bad times as in good.

Scott

Sing Praises (June 18)

After consulting the people, Jehosaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: " Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever."


He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.


He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.


Consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.
                       From 2 Chronicles 20
                                Psalm 46, 47 48 NIV


The verses of today do point to many of God's attributes: love, peace, power, provider and others may come to mind without much effort.


Jehoshaphat, in his victory appoints men to sing praise for God's love does endure forever.  His love is one of the many unchanging attributes of God.


God, in His power, does cause wars to end.  God does break, shatter and burn weapons of destruction.  


He does choose for us our inheritance, and has given us our path to salvation by His Son's death on the cross to redeem us and provide us entry into heaven.


In view of all He has done, we are tasked to tell of His great provision to the next generation, our children.  The battle is not ours, but rather the Lord's.


How do you praise the Lord with your time, talent and treasure?


Where do you look for peace, inheritance?


Do you tell the story to your children?


Pray for the Spirit to guide you through this day.


In Christ,


David P

Drawn Bows (June 17)

But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor.  The king told the chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting.  I've been wounded."
                               1 Kings 22:34 NIV


God is a God of order, peace, control, perfection, and light.  In our fractured world, there is much darkness where randomness, chance, evil, and suffering occur.  Our challenges are not against powers and principalities, but rather against the forces of evil.  


To participate in the battles we face, we must as Paul explains in Ephesians 6, put on the armor of God.  To put on the armor of God, we must remain in God, in Christ, and in Spirit. The word abide, with the meaning to dwell or stay, comes to mind.


In view of this fallen world there are many drawn bows, attractions, or idols that can potentially draw us away from the true path, draw us off the path to the right or to the left.  To remain in Christ, we must rely on His grace, work, and gift of communion for forgiveness of our sin.  


We are told in John 6:56 that whoever takes communion remains in Christ and Christ in him.


It is only by grace that we can remain in the battle.  It is only by grace that we do not have to daily utter the words, "Wheel me around and get me out of the fighting, I've been wounded."


Give thanks for restoration and be vigilant for snares that can entangle.  Put on the full armor of God and with the Spirit's guidance...abide in Christ.


How do you deal with random bow draws or arrows?


What kinds of actions might weaken, or place a hole in God's armor?


What actions might strengthen God's armor?


What are you doing with God's armor?


Pray for guidance and discernment in your daily walk.




In Christ,


David P