Genesis 37:3
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Genesis 39:3
And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Genesis 39:5
And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
Genesis 39:9
There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
This was the second robe that Joseph had parted with. The first was taken by his brothers. Described as a robe of many colors, it was representative of the possibility that lay before this favorite son of Jacob. The son he desired from the beginning because he was the first son of his beloved wife, Rachel. Joseph had an aura of possibility and gifting surrounding him. He looked ‘Blessed’. Additionally, Joseph would not deny his gifting to keep the peace among his siblings. He was gifted and he knew it. It drove his brothers to such jealousy that they ambushed him, took his robe and sold him into slavery. Ultimately, the robe of many colors, which came to represent authority among his people, did not serve him well. A calling to authority does not immediately qualify you for it. Time, preparation and testing are key ingredients to the construction of quality leadership. This was just a test.
As a slave, Joseph quickly rose through the ranks to a position of authority in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar recognized his gifts and talents and gave Joseph ….a robe. In Potiphar’s house, the robe given to Joseph identified him as the chief person in authority in Potiphar’s house. I’m sure Potiphar had a robe too; he was captain of the guard of Pharaoh’s army. He probably donned his robe (of authority) at work, as most of us do, and removed it upon his return to his home. At work, he may have been referred to a “Mr. Potiphar”, but at home, maybe “Jim”. Reciprocally, when performing his responsibilities in Potiphar’s home, Joseph’s robe identified him as one who was in authority in the moment in that particular place.
Leadership requires character. Character is built through proper training and then testing. This was such a moment for Joseph. There will always be people who, when they recognize gifting and anointing in others, will seek to exploit it for their own selfish purposes. The question becomes: will you compromise your beliefs, your principles when tempted with short term gain or pleasure. Many do. However, when faced with temptation of sexual pleasure with the wife of his master (Joseph was a slave, not an employee), Joseph repeatedly refused. He had been taught well.
There’s one other thing to make note of: Joseph guarded his heart. He recognized that his gifting was from God and he had never taken that fact lightly. Joseph recognized that God had elevated him in Potiphar’s house. He would disregard the favor and protection of God in favor of a few stolen moments of sin.
Finally, Potiphar’s wife, in a fit of passion rejected, grabs his robe. In a moment realization, Joseph recognizes that being ‘head’ of Potiphar’s house is not the final repository for the gifting and anointing on his life, so he leaves ….his robe …again. In doing so, Joseph demonstrated that he would not compromise his character or his convictions. Good for him and …for us.
Beloved, Scripture is full of stories of human weakness and failure. Yea! I am acutely aware of my own shortcomings, my own character flaws. I thank God for Jesus everyday. But, in Joseph’s story we find a wonderful example of someone who manages to resist temptation because of his regard for his relationship with God. As Christians this is the challenge before us daily. We are to be living examples of God’s ability to change lives in a meaningful way. With God’s help and God’s strength we overcome. We don’t conform to the world, we transform it as we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that in all things we may prove what is that good, acceptable, perfect will of God. Joseph went on to do exactly that. So can we, but we must be salt and light in a wicked and perverse generation. The old folks have a saying, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Stand! And when you’ve done all you can do to stand. Stand!
.wb
P.S. - Please allow me to thank you all for your kind support and continued encouragement in this overview of the weekly Sunday School Lesson. I appreciate your feedback and, for those of you that I get to talk to, I enjoy the discussion. May you have a Blessed and Prosperous 2012 and beyond. May God shed his Favor on you all. May He cause His face shine upon you. May you be called ‘Blessed”.
1 Timothy 4:12
Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. 25, 2011: The Lord Keeps His Promise (Luke 1:26–2:7; Galatians 3:6-18)
Luke 1:38
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Mary:
It was time. She was God’s choice. The right person at the right time in the right place; there are no random acts with God. Who might have guessed that a young maiden from such humble surroundings, a sleepy little village called Nazareth would be a vessel for greatness. God can use any one from anywhere to fulfill His purpose. If you’re available, He’ll use you. The possibilities are limitless. You are capable of greatness.
Luke 1:25
“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Elisabeth:
We don’t know how old she was, but we know she was beyond child bearing years. Her moment had passed. The desire of her youth was seemingly lost, opportunity had evaded her. And yet, she remained faithful and…..hopeful. Born to godly parents, raised up with godly principles, married to ….a preacher. Elisabeth had done everything right only to see her dreams of a family unfulfilled. But God! God had heard. God had seen. God is faithful. The old folks say, “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s right on time.” The beauty of this season is that it is a season of hope. You will never be in a place where God can’t reach you and extend His favor. Never. No matter what you’ve done, haven’t done, no matter how you failed or missed the mark. No matter the disappointment you’ve endured, God can and will. Be encouraged.
Luke 1:67
[ Zechariah’s Song ] His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
Zechariah:
There’s a little more to Zechariah than meets the eye. Arguing with angels is pretty heady stuff. Scripture recounts that in his encounter with the angel, Gabriel that he demanded proof that his prayer for the blessing of a child had finally been answered. Imagine that! Standing up to an emissary from God. Little wonder that Gabriel shut his mouth. But months later, when God released him to speak again, we see the same boldness in Zechariah’s song. He did what preachers do: proclaimed the Glory of the Lord boldly. Months of divine attitude adjustment did not break Zechariah’s spirit, it just aligned him with the purpose and plan of God. Whether it is the impudence of Peter or the arrogance of Paul, God can take an abrasive character trait and use it for the furtherance of the Gospel. It takes attitude to preach the Gospel. Attitude aligned with Eternity. God made you the way you are: quirky, jerky or whatever, He makes no mistakes. You are uniquely equipped for His purpose. Let Him use you.
Luke 1:41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
John:
There’s a lot to say about John. This particular passage speaks to a message that God would have us all give heed to: the absolute sanctity of life in the womb. God filled John with the Holy Ghost in the womb. He heard: I’ve heard stories of dads who talked to their children during their wife’s pregnancy and after birth their newborn recognized their voice. There’s another thing to make note of: John liked what he heard. He leapt at the sound of Mary’s words. My response is similar. I rejoice in the hearing of God’s Word. Something leaps on the inside of me when I contemplate the goodness of God: His Majesty, His Mercy, His unfailing Love. I get Joy when I think about what he’s done for me. Don’t you?
Luke 2:7
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger
Jesus:
The Hope of Eternity, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Emanuel, Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Son of God, Lamb of God, Alpha and Omega, the First and The Last, Savior, Redeemer, Covering, Messiah, God Incarnate, God with us. Worship Him. He is worthy of all of our praise, all of our honor, all of our adoration. In this season, as we spend time with those we love, let us reflect, with joy, on the reason we celebrate; the birth of the Christ: Jesus, our Lord. God’s gift of eternal hope to those who had no hope. Rejoice.
Blessings,
.wb
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Mary:
It was time. She was God’s choice. The right person at the right time in the right place; there are no random acts with God. Who might have guessed that a young maiden from such humble surroundings, a sleepy little village called Nazareth would be a vessel for greatness. God can use any one from anywhere to fulfill His purpose. If you’re available, He’ll use you. The possibilities are limitless. You are capable of greatness.
Luke 1:25
“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Elisabeth:
We don’t know how old she was, but we know she was beyond child bearing years. Her moment had passed. The desire of her youth was seemingly lost, opportunity had evaded her. And yet, she remained faithful and…..hopeful. Born to godly parents, raised up with godly principles, married to ….a preacher. Elisabeth had done everything right only to see her dreams of a family unfulfilled. But God! God had heard. God had seen. God is faithful. The old folks say, “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s right on time.” The beauty of this season is that it is a season of hope. You will never be in a place where God can’t reach you and extend His favor. Never. No matter what you’ve done, haven’t done, no matter how you failed or missed the mark. No matter the disappointment you’ve endured, God can and will. Be encouraged.
Luke 1:67
[ Zechariah’s Song ] His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
Zechariah:
There’s a little more to Zechariah than meets the eye. Arguing with angels is pretty heady stuff. Scripture recounts that in his encounter with the angel, Gabriel that he demanded proof that his prayer for the blessing of a child had finally been answered. Imagine that! Standing up to an emissary from God. Little wonder that Gabriel shut his mouth. But months later, when God released him to speak again, we see the same boldness in Zechariah’s song. He did what preachers do: proclaimed the Glory of the Lord boldly. Months of divine attitude adjustment did not break Zechariah’s spirit, it just aligned him with the purpose and plan of God. Whether it is the impudence of Peter or the arrogance of Paul, God can take an abrasive character trait and use it for the furtherance of the Gospel. It takes attitude to preach the Gospel. Attitude aligned with Eternity. God made you the way you are: quirky, jerky or whatever, He makes no mistakes. You are uniquely equipped for His purpose. Let Him use you.
Luke 1:41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
John:
There’s a lot to say about John. This particular passage speaks to a message that God would have us all give heed to: the absolute sanctity of life in the womb. God filled John with the Holy Ghost in the womb. He heard: I’ve heard stories of dads who talked to their children during their wife’s pregnancy and after birth their newborn recognized their voice. There’s another thing to make note of: John liked what he heard. He leapt at the sound of Mary’s words. My response is similar. I rejoice in the hearing of God’s Word. Something leaps on the inside of me when I contemplate the goodness of God: His Majesty, His Mercy, His unfailing Love. I get Joy when I think about what he’s done for me. Don’t you?
Luke 2:7
and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger
Jesus:
The Hope of Eternity, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. Emanuel, Wonderful, Counselor, Prince of Peace, Son of God, Lamb of God, Alpha and Omega, the First and The Last, Savior, Redeemer, Covering, Messiah, God Incarnate, God with us. Worship Him. He is worthy of all of our praise, all of our honor, all of our adoration. In this season, as we spend time with those we love, let us reflect, with joy, on the reason we celebrate; the birth of the Christ: Jesus, our Lord. God’s gift of eternal hope to those who had no hope. Rejoice.
Blessings,
.wb
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. 18, 2011: The Lord Provides (Genesis 22:1-19)
Genesis 22:1
[ Abraham Tested ] Some time later God tested Abraham.
Genesis 22:3
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
2 Chronicles 32:31
But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.
Imagine for a moment that it’s your normal time for prayer. How do you respond normally? For most, it’s a time that is looked forward to; quiet time at the end of your day, time for reflection and meditation before starting your day, a midday reprieve from the stress that envelopes you as you work through the day’s problem. Whatever and whenever, how would you respond in the face of a request like the request made of Abraham, a request by God to sacrifice the son of promise? What happens when God shows up with more than just ‘Holy Ghost goose bumps?” Take a note from Abraham’s response: He got up early the next morning and got about his Father’s business. If there was any doubt, any hesitation, any trepidation, Abraham resolved in the same moment of prayer in which the request was made. After all, what was he going to do? Go pray about it? “Wait just a minute Lord.” “I have to pray about that one.” Right.
God still makes such requests. Not as stark as human sacrifice, but just as monumental: the call to Salvation, the call to ministry, the call to missions, the prompting to witness to a family member or a coworker. The prompting to give. Any of these promptings will change lives eternally: yours or someone else’s as a result of your obedience. Take Abraham’s example to heart. His steadiness in this situation was evident. There’s almost a gusto or zeal in his carrying out of the Lord’s request. No foot dragging. No hand wringing. No procrastination. No fear and trembling, at least not outwardly. No excuses. Abraham rose early and got busy. Scripture tells us, that though he did not complete his task in the manner requested by God, just his belief that God would resurrect this ‘son of promise’ if he did sacrifice him. Scripture also tells us that in so believing, Abraham did indeed redeem his son from death.
What does that mean for you and I Beloved? A great deal actually. You see, God does not do things in a ‘small’ way. It was no ‘light’ thing for God to resurrect Isaac if necessary, thus the request that he made to Abraham was not a small one. When Abraham believed God, he became the vehicle that God, who cannot fail, would use to accomplish His divine purpose. Abraham didn’t know the how, hadn’t questioned the why. He just knew that somehow God would. Would what? Whatever He says He will do. If He calls you to salvation: a saving relationship through the knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Savior, nothing will pluck you out of His hand…for eternity. If He calls you to ministry or missions, whole communities or populations will be affected. If He calls to testify to a friend or a relative, you may literally gain a brother or sister for eternity. If He calls you to give monetarily, your gift may literally move nations. Nothing is too hard for Him. Nothing! Therefore, you can, with confidence; move into the place that God leads you with the assurance that whatever He sets your hand to, whatever purpose He places in your heart will be accomplished to His eternal satisfaction. The key is to operate in faith. We walk by faith, not by sight. We please Him by faith. By faith, all things are possible through Him or rather, the possibilities with God are limitless…literally. How will you respond to God’s call to follow, to serve, to witness, to give. What ever you do for the Lord, do it whole heartedly, cheerfully, believing in the endless possibility that your obedience will unleash. Abraham did. So can we.
Blessings,
.wb
Hebrews 11:19
Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Jeremiah 32:27
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Romans 8:37
… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
[ Abraham Tested ] Some time later God tested Abraham.
Genesis 22:3
Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about.
Deuteronomy 8:2
Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.
2 Chronicles 32:31
But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart.
Imagine for a moment that it’s your normal time for prayer. How do you respond normally? For most, it’s a time that is looked forward to; quiet time at the end of your day, time for reflection and meditation before starting your day, a midday reprieve from the stress that envelopes you as you work through the day’s problem. Whatever and whenever, how would you respond in the face of a request like the request made of Abraham, a request by God to sacrifice the son of promise? What happens when God shows up with more than just ‘Holy Ghost goose bumps?” Take a note from Abraham’s response: He got up early the next morning and got about his Father’s business. If there was any doubt, any hesitation, any trepidation, Abraham resolved in the same moment of prayer in which the request was made. After all, what was he going to do? Go pray about it? “Wait just a minute Lord.” “I have to pray about that one.” Right.
God still makes such requests. Not as stark as human sacrifice, but just as monumental: the call to Salvation, the call to ministry, the call to missions, the prompting to witness to a family member or a coworker. The prompting to give. Any of these promptings will change lives eternally: yours or someone else’s as a result of your obedience. Take Abraham’s example to heart. His steadiness in this situation was evident. There’s almost a gusto or zeal in his carrying out of the Lord’s request. No foot dragging. No hand wringing. No procrastination. No fear and trembling, at least not outwardly. No excuses. Abraham rose early and got busy. Scripture tells us, that though he did not complete his task in the manner requested by God, just his belief that God would resurrect this ‘son of promise’ if he did sacrifice him. Scripture also tells us that in so believing, Abraham did indeed redeem his son from death.
What does that mean for you and I Beloved? A great deal actually. You see, God does not do things in a ‘small’ way. It was no ‘light’ thing for God to resurrect Isaac if necessary, thus the request that he made to Abraham was not a small one. When Abraham believed God, he became the vehicle that God, who cannot fail, would use to accomplish His divine purpose. Abraham didn’t know the how, hadn’t questioned the why. He just knew that somehow God would. Would what? Whatever He says He will do. If He calls you to salvation: a saving relationship through the knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Savior, nothing will pluck you out of His hand…for eternity. If He calls you to ministry or missions, whole communities or populations will be affected. If He calls to testify to a friend or a relative, you may literally gain a brother or sister for eternity. If He calls you to give monetarily, your gift may literally move nations. Nothing is too hard for Him. Nothing! Therefore, you can, with confidence; move into the place that God leads you with the assurance that whatever He sets your hand to, whatever purpose He places in your heart will be accomplished to His eternal satisfaction. The key is to operate in faith. We walk by faith, not by sight. We please Him by faith. By faith, all things are possible through Him or rather, the possibilities with God are limitless…literally. How will you respond to God’s call to follow, to serve, to witness, to give. What ever you do for the Lord, do it whole heartedly, cheerfully, believing in the endless possibility that your obedience will unleash. Abraham did. So can we.
Blessings,
.wb
Hebrews 11:19
Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.
Jeremiah 32:27
“I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Romans 8:37
… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. 11, 2011: The Lord Gives His Promise (Genesis 15)
Genesis 15:1
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Genesis 43:23
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks:
Deuteronomy 3:22
Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Judges 6:23
And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
“After these thing..” What things? What had just happened? An important part of the lesson this week is the set of events which immediately precede God’s appearance to Abram in this passage. In the eleven years since he had had obeyed God’s call, Abram had become wealthy. So had Lot; his nephew. Between them their wealth was so great that they could not dwell together. They decided to go their separate ways. Abram remained in Canaan, the land promised to him by God, while Lot moved to the fertile plain of the Jordan (Sodom). Not a good move. Lot, his household, servants and possessions were captured by the kings who ruled the area. Abram gathered his servants; three hundred and eighteen strong and they ambushed the marauding kings, rescued lot and recovered all of his relatives, servants and possessions. Remember: Abram is around eighty five years old at this time. After the victory, Abram was blessed by Melchizedek, the King of Salem. Melchizedek is regarded by many as a ‘Theophany’: a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. The Bible states that he was ‘Priest to God Most High’. Abram paid homage to God, giving a tenth of all he had recovered to this King of Salem, God’s High Priest.
His problem was the other king, Bera: the king of Sodom. Bera approached Abram immediately after his offering to God and offered Abram a deal. “Keep the stuff, give me the souls”, he demanded. Selah. Your adversary, the devil has stuff, doesn’t he? Satan offered Jesus all of the Kingdoms of the world if Jesus would worship him. Jesus Rebuked Satan. The Hebrew definition for ‘Bera’ is ‘son of evil’. Abram rebuked Bera. But where did that leave him? Bera’s tone was threatening. Abram was getting older. Now he had an enemy (or enemies) on his border. And while God had prospered him, he had not yet provided him an heir. Abram had doubts. He was beginning to think that he was running out of the time and energy required to see the Promise of God worked out in his life.
This is how God found Abram when he appeared to him that day. Sometimes after our greatest victories, we feel the most vulnerable. We overcome one hurdle and find ourselves staring over the horizon in search of the next. How soon we forget that God brought us over the last one; He’ll be there waiting on us when we arrive at the next.
“Fear not!” Is that a command? It sounds like a command. It sounds like an imperative. What does it sound like to you? Did God shout or did He whisper? Would it make a difference? How would you react? Would you shrink in more fear? Fight or flight? Which one are you? God’s next words take the edge off for Abram. “I am your shield,” : protector, guardian, barricade, shelter. “.. and your Exceeding Great Reward”. The same way I blessed you before, I will bless you again.” “I never run out.” “I never dry up.” “I am and will always be more than enough for you.”
Abram was encouraged, but not yet convinced, “But God? What about the heir (son) you promised me?” I can see God smiling as he directed Abram’s gaze toward the heavens. “Son, count the stars, if you can. Your seed will be just as numerous”.
The Bible says Abram believed God in that moment. He believed God. God could see it. He saw his shoulders relax. He saw his eyes curve into that hopeful, childlike smile. In that moment Abram was right where God wanted him, a place where they could see eye to eye. Complete agreement. Abram was ready. He was ready for Covenant. In that day, God no longer regarded Abram as His servant. He regarded him as His friend.
Here’s the good news. We have access by the shed blood of Jesus. God does not call us servants, He calls us friends. More than that, He calls us heirs, joint heirs with Christ of all of the treasure of Heaven. He’s given us an eternal heritage, an everlasting hope. He’s given us all things pertaining to life and Godliness in His precious Son, The King of Peace. King Jesus.
The Holidays can be stressful. Times are difficult. Fear not. God is with you. And because He is with you… you know the restJ (He’s more than enough).
Blessings,
.wb
.
2 Kings 6:16
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
Isaiah 41:13
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Joel 2:21
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Luke 2:10
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear
Revelation 1:17
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Genesis 43:23
And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks:
Deuteronomy 3:22
Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Judges 6:23
And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
“After these thing..” What things? What had just happened? An important part of the lesson this week is the set of events which immediately precede God’s appearance to Abram in this passage. In the eleven years since he had had obeyed God’s call, Abram had become wealthy. So had Lot; his nephew. Between them their wealth was so great that they could not dwell together. They decided to go their separate ways. Abram remained in Canaan, the land promised to him by God, while Lot moved to the fertile plain of the Jordan (Sodom). Not a good move. Lot, his household, servants and possessions were captured by the kings who ruled the area. Abram gathered his servants; three hundred and eighteen strong and they ambushed the marauding kings, rescued lot and recovered all of his relatives, servants and possessions. Remember: Abram is around eighty five years old at this time. After the victory, Abram was blessed by Melchizedek, the King of Salem. Melchizedek is regarded by many as a ‘Theophany’: a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. The Bible states that he was ‘Priest to God Most High’. Abram paid homage to God, giving a tenth of all he had recovered to this King of Salem, God’s High Priest.
His problem was the other king, Bera: the king of Sodom. Bera approached Abram immediately after his offering to God and offered Abram a deal. “Keep the stuff, give me the souls”, he demanded. Selah. Your adversary, the devil has stuff, doesn’t he? Satan offered Jesus all of the Kingdoms of the world if Jesus would worship him. Jesus Rebuked Satan. The Hebrew definition for ‘Bera’ is ‘son of evil’. Abram rebuked Bera. But where did that leave him? Bera’s tone was threatening. Abram was getting older. Now he had an enemy (or enemies) on his border. And while God had prospered him, he had not yet provided him an heir. Abram had doubts. He was beginning to think that he was running out of the time and energy required to see the Promise of God worked out in his life.
This is how God found Abram when he appeared to him that day. Sometimes after our greatest victories, we feel the most vulnerable. We overcome one hurdle and find ourselves staring over the horizon in search of the next. How soon we forget that God brought us over the last one; He’ll be there waiting on us when we arrive at the next.
“Fear not!” Is that a command? It sounds like a command. It sounds like an imperative. What does it sound like to you? Did God shout or did He whisper? Would it make a difference? How would you react? Would you shrink in more fear? Fight or flight? Which one are you? God’s next words take the edge off for Abram. “I am your shield,” : protector, guardian, barricade, shelter. “.. and your Exceeding Great Reward”. The same way I blessed you before, I will bless you again.” “I never run out.” “I never dry up.” “I am and will always be more than enough for you.”
Abram was encouraged, but not yet convinced, “But God? What about the heir (son) you promised me?” I can see God smiling as he directed Abram’s gaze toward the heavens. “Son, count the stars, if you can. Your seed will be just as numerous”.
The Bible says Abram believed God in that moment. He believed God. God could see it. He saw his shoulders relax. He saw his eyes curve into that hopeful, childlike smile. In that moment Abram was right where God wanted him, a place where they could see eye to eye. Complete agreement. Abram was ready. He was ready for Covenant. In that day, God no longer regarded Abram as His servant. He regarded him as His friend.
Here’s the good news. We have access by the shed blood of Jesus. God does not call us servants, He calls us friends. More than that, He calls us heirs, joint heirs with Christ of all of the treasure of Heaven. He’s given us an eternal heritage, an everlasting hope. He’s given us all things pertaining to life and Godliness in His precious Son, The King of Peace. King Jesus.
The Holidays can be stressful. Times are difficult. Fear not. God is with you. And because He is with you… you know the restJ (He’s more than enough).
Blessings,
.wb
.
2 Kings 6:16
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
Isaiah 41:13
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Joel 2:21
Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.
Luke 2:10
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
Luke 12:32
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear
Revelation 1:17
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Friday, December 9, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. 4, 2011: The Lord Calls Abram (Genesis 11:27–12:9)
Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty ; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
God had done it before, but not quite like this. Moved in alongside someone and invited them into relationship. He brought order out of chaos through Adam. Enoch walked with God. What must that have been like? Are you envious at all? Wouldn’t you love to have been privy to those conversations? Then Noah: he built the ark that preserved mankind at the behest of the God of Heaven. Noah built the ark for a rainstorm that was inconceivable to his contemporaries. They scoffed and mocked him as he built it, but he obeyed God and by doing so he preserved all life on earth. But God selected Abram for greatness. We don’t celebrate Adam, Enoch or Noah, but we revere Abram. God promised Abram we would. The very fact that we do so tells us a lot about who we are in God. We identify him as the father of the faithful. We hold fast to the promise he was given. We are the ‘blessed’ of Abram. Subsequently, we identify with the calling of Abram. Abram was called out to come in. Called out of the familiar surroundings of family and locale into relationship; Covenant actually, with God. We, the Church, trace our beginnings to this day: the day that God called Abram.
Talmudic Rabbi’s taught that the call of Abram included a seven fold blessing (God’s number for completion).
God promised:
To make Abram a great nation. (heritage)
To personally bless him (relationship).
To make Abram’s name great. (authority)
To make Abram a blessing to others. (prosperity).
To bless those who blessed Abram. (community)
To curse those who cursed him. (protection)
To bless all people of the earth through him. (dominion)
Beloved, these are the blessing of Abram and they are ours through Christ, our Lord. Be encouraged. What God accomplished for Abram, He will accomplish for you. He promised.
Blessings,
.wb
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Romans 4:18
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Romans 4:3
What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Genesis 6:9
This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty ; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
God had done it before, but not quite like this. Moved in alongside someone and invited them into relationship. He brought order out of chaos through Adam. Enoch walked with God. What must that have been like? Are you envious at all? Wouldn’t you love to have been privy to those conversations? Then Noah: he built the ark that preserved mankind at the behest of the God of Heaven. Noah built the ark for a rainstorm that was inconceivable to his contemporaries. They scoffed and mocked him as he built it, but he obeyed God and by doing so he preserved all life on earth. But God selected Abram for greatness. We don’t celebrate Adam, Enoch or Noah, but we revere Abram. God promised Abram we would. The very fact that we do so tells us a lot about who we are in God. We identify him as the father of the faithful. We hold fast to the promise he was given. We are the ‘blessed’ of Abram. Subsequently, we identify with the calling of Abram. Abram was called out to come in. Called out of the familiar surroundings of family and locale into relationship; Covenant actually, with God. We, the Church, trace our beginnings to this day: the day that God called Abram.
Talmudic Rabbi’s taught that the call of Abram included a seven fold blessing (God’s number for completion).
God promised:
To make Abram a great nation. (heritage)
To personally bless him (relationship).
To make Abram’s name great. (authority)
To make Abram a blessing to others. (prosperity).
To bless those who blessed Abram. (community)
To curse those who cursed him. (protection)
To bless all people of the earth through him. (dominion)
Beloved, these are the blessing of Abram and they are ours through Christ, our Lord. Be encouraged. What God accomplished for Abram, He will accomplish for you. He promised.
Blessings,
.wb
Hebrews 11:8
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
Romans 4:18
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Romans 4:3
What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 27, 2011: Facing Life Without Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
Psalm 55:22
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Job 36:11
If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
It’s Thanksgiving weekend. Happy Thanksgiving! For just a few moments, reflect on what you are thankful for. Or rather ‘who’. Because it boils down to family, loved ones, friends, doesn’t it? Relationship, not stuff. People, not possessions. This is what Jesus invites us to in this passage: contentment in relationship with our Father. Relationship that provides security, comfort, covering, peace. Relationship that finds you sitting at the King’s table. Relationship that eventually leaves you planted, deeply rooted like a tree by living streams: you cannot be moved. In relationship, there are no laws, except the Royal Law of Love. That was the message that Jesus delivered in the Sermon on the Mount that day: that they, his hearers, were loved by God. Beloved, that same message holds true for us today. We are loved by God. He cares deeply for us. He is committed to our success. We can trust Him. Please know that. In the same way that we, as parents, are committed to the well being of our children, Our Father, in Heaven is committed to ours, every moment of every day. Bless His Name! Enjoy the Holidays! Enjoy your loved ones!
Psalm 1:3
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”.
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Job 36:11
If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.
It’s Thanksgiving weekend. Happy Thanksgiving! For just a few moments, reflect on what you are thankful for. Or rather ‘who’. Because it boils down to family, loved ones, friends, doesn’t it? Relationship, not stuff. People, not possessions. This is what Jesus invites us to in this passage: contentment in relationship with our Father. Relationship that provides security, comfort, covering, peace. Relationship that finds you sitting at the King’s table. Relationship that eventually leaves you planted, deeply rooted like a tree by living streams: you cannot be moved. In relationship, there are no laws, except the Royal Law of Love. That was the message that Jesus delivered in the Sermon on the Mount that day: that they, his hearers, were loved by God. Beloved, that same message holds true for us today. We are loved by God. He cares deeply for us. He is committed to our success. We can trust Him. Please know that. In the same way that we, as parents, are committed to the well being of our children, Our Father, in Heaven is committed to ours, every moment of every day. Bless His Name! Enjoy the Holidays! Enjoy your loved ones!
Psalm 1:3
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
1 Timothy 6:6
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 20, 2011: Praying Sincerely (Matthew 6:5-15)
Luke 11:1
... When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray..”
Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father
Luke 11:2
He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father…
By now, the words ‘Jesus’ and ‘multitudes’ began to be spoken in the same breath, with the same breathlessness. The crowds were growing and for good reason: Jesus preached and demonstrated the sudden, seeming ‘nearness of the Kingdom of God. Up to now it had been: “If God..”, or “ When God..”. But Jesus preached the ‘Imminence’ of God, the immediacy of the Kingdom. People marveled, and followed. God was near. When Jesus spoke, they could feel God. Then, on this day came the Sermon on the Mount. In these few moments, Jesus opened the windows of Heaven and invited His hearers access to the Throne. In this sermon, He introduced the Gospel of Grace. Grace whereby God was removing their offence and clothing them in righteousness with the very simple requirement on theirr part that they believe. Believe and be healed. Believe and be saved. Believe and see God.
Scripture tells us that one of Jesus’ disciples had a question. Maybe he was putting it all together. An epiphany of sorts. A revelation that from this day forward, God was doing something different, something new. The un-named disciple asked, “Jesus, (I’m paraphrasing) seeing as how everything is changing, going forward, how do we pray?” Can’t you see him mentally connecting the dots? The thing with connecting the dots is, before you draw the first line, you have no idea what is being hidden. But, as you draw the lines, connecting the dots, the picture begins to take shape. The disciple who qestioned Jesus may have been at that point. Mentally, he was drawing the lines, but the shape was not quite recognizable. Not yet. Jesus’ response illustrated God’s plan. Relationship.
“Father”. Jesus instructed them to call Him (God): Father. And based on His opening of this sermon, anyone could call God “Father”. They and we were being invited to ‘Relationship’, as in ‘relatives’, as in ‘protected’, ‘provided for’, ‘healed’, ‘covered’, ‘Blessed”. David’s words come to mind: “Is there anyone still left of the the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness?:. In those few moments Heaven smiled and continues to smile. On that day, God withdrew wrath and extended Grace. On that day, God, our Creator, revealed Himself as “Abba Father”. Not just Father, but ‘Daddy’. In those few moments, He offered us relationship and intimacy. The same intimacy that He extended to Moses, that caused Moses’ face to reflect His very Glory, He now extends to us. Face to Face.
Jesus said “find a closet”: a private place, where you could have a private personal audience with the ‘King of Glory’. In that private place, much as it is in your own home, there’s no need to shout. You simply speak: quietly, reverently, lovingly, thankfully, gratefully. Find a quiet place. When my earthy father was still alive and I would go to visit, when I would sit down to visit, we would sit close, close enough to grasp hands, close enough to carefully examine one another, to determine how the time that had passed since our last visit had treated us (I’m crying). We sat close enough that we didn’t have to speak loudly, we could whisper. We would laugh and talk. He would lay his hands on my shoulders, I found comfort in the very weight of His touch. The memory of my time with him is precious.
Beloved. Our Father, who is in Heaven, whose Name is Holy, Hs Kingdom has come! His will is being done in these earthen vessels, these bodies of ours that are but His Temples’. His will is being done in us, just as it is in Heaven. Each day, each and every day He personally delivers to us the Bread of Life, His Holy Word. Additiomally, He provides us with our every need according to His riches in Glory, by Christ Jesus. He has forgiven our debts, and they were many, and He strengthens us inwardly to forgive any that may be indebted to us. Let us never accuse Him of tempting us for He protects us from, and gives us power over our true Adversary, Satan. Unforgiveness is but one of the many distractions that the enemy uses to keep your eyes off of your Father. Don’t be burdened by unforgiveness. Forgive, without condition, and be free. Free to worship your Father, in Whom resides the Kindom, Who is All-Powerfil, In Whom rests all Glory. And with whom you have relationship of such an intimate, comforting nature, that time spent with Him, talking to Him, sharing your deepest cares and concerns, sharing and receiving from Him: Hope, Faith, dreams. Can you hear Him speaking to you in whispers: in that ‘still, small voice’? Can you feel the weight of His hand on your shoulder? Do you know how much love and pride reside in His touch? Do you know how much He longs for you? How He longs to draw near? How comforting is that? How encouraging? How empowering? Time spent with your Father in a private, intimate setting, will fill us with the confidence of overcomers, super conquerors that He has purposed in us from befor the beginning. Come and sit at the King’s table beloved, and be Blessed. Time spent with Him is precious!
.wb
2 Samuel 9:13
And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Psalm 42:1
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.
As The Deer
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
(Chorus)
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
... When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray..”
Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father
Luke 11:2
He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father…
By now, the words ‘Jesus’ and ‘multitudes’ began to be spoken in the same breath, with the same breathlessness. The crowds were growing and for good reason: Jesus preached and demonstrated the sudden, seeming ‘nearness of the Kingdom of God. Up to now it had been: “If God..”, or “ When God..”. But Jesus preached the ‘Imminence’ of God, the immediacy of the Kingdom. People marveled, and followed. God was near. When Jesus spoke, they could feel God. Then, on this day came the Sermon on the Mount. In these few moments, Jesus opened the windows of Heaven and invited His hearers access to the Throne. In this sermon, He introduced the Gospel of Grace. Grace whereby God was removing their offence and clothing them in righteousness with the very simple requirement on theirr part that they believe. Believe and be healed. Believe and be saved. Believe and see God.
Scripture tells us that one of Jesus’ disciples had a question. Maybe he was putting it all together. An epiphany of sorts. A revelation that from this day forward, God was doing something different, something new. The un-named disciple asked, “Jesus, (I’m paraphrasing) seeing as how everything is changing, going forward, how do we pray?” Can’t you see him mentally connecting the dots? The thing with connecting the dots is, before you draw the first line, you have no idea what is being hidden. But, as you draw the lines, connecting the dots, the picture begins to take shape. The disciple who qestioned Jesus may have been at that point. Mentally, he was drawing the lines, but the shape was not quite recognizable. Not yet. Jesus’ response illustrated God’s plan. Relationship.
“Father”. Jesus instructed them to call Him (God): Father. And based on His opening of this sermon, anyone could call God “Father”. They and we were being invited to ‘Relationship’, as in ‘relatives’, as in ‘protected’, ‘provided for’, ‘healed’, ‘covered’, ‘Blessed”. David’s words come to mind: “Is there anyone still left of the the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness?:. In those few moments Heaven smiled and continues to smile. On that day, God withdrew wrath and extended Grace. On that day, God, our Creator, revealed Himself as “Abba Father”. Not just Father, but ‘Daddy’. In those few moments, He offered us relationship and intimacy. The same intimacy that He extended to Moses, that caused Moses’ face to reflect His very Glory, He now extends to us. Face to Face.
Jesus said “find a closet”: a private place, where you could have a private personal audience with the ‘King of Glory’. In that private place, much as it is in your own home, there’s no need to shout. You simply speak: quietly, reverently, lovingly, thankfully, gratefully. Find a quiet place. When my earthy father was still alive and I would go to visit, when I would sit down to visit, we would sit close, close enough to grasp hands, close enough to carefully examine one another, to determine how the time that had passed since our last visit had treated us (I’m crying). We sat close enough that we didn’t have to speak loudly, we could whisper. We would laugh and talk. He would lay his hands on my shoulders, I found comfort in the very weight of His touch. The memory of my time with him is precious.
Beloved. Our Father, who is in Heaven, whose Name is Holy, Hs Kingdom has come! His will is being done in these earthen vessels, these bodies of ours that are but His Temples’. His will is being done in us, just as it is in Heaven. Each day, each and every day He personally delivers to us the Bread of Life, His Holy Word. Additiomally, He provides us with our every need according to His riches in Glory, by Christ Jesus. He has forgiven our debts, and they were many, and He strengthens us inwardly to forgive any that may be indebted to us. Let us never accuse Him of tempting us for He protects us from, and gives us power over our true Adversary, Satan. Unforgiveness is but one of the many distractions that the enemy uses to keep your eyes off of your Father. Don’t be burdened by unforgiveness. Forgive, without condition, and be free. Free to worship your Father, in Whom resides the Kindom, Who is All-Powerfil, In Whom rests all Glory. And with whom you have relationship of such an intimate, comforting nature, that time spent with Him, talking to Him, sharing your deepest cares and concerns, sharing and receiving from Him: Hope, Faith, dreams. Can you hear Him speaking to you in whispers: in that ‘still, small voice’? Can you feel the weight of His hand on your shoulder? Do you know how much love and pride reside in His touch? Do you know how much He longs for you? How He longs to draw near? How comforting is that? How encouraging? How empowering? Time spent with your Father in a private, intimate setting, will fill us with the confidence of overcomers, super conquerors that He has purposed in us from befor the beginning. Come and sit at the King’s table beloved, and be Blessed. Time spent with Him is precious!
.wb
2 Samuel 9:13
And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet.
Psalm 42:1
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.
As The Deer
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after Thee
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
(Chorus)
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship Thee
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 13, 2011: Loving Unconditionally (Matthew 5:38-48)
Matthew 5:39
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matthew 5:25
Agree with thine adversary quickly…
Matthew 5:44
‘But I say unto you, Love your __________’
Luke 4:8
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
The Sermon on the Mount, Part III: The Okey Doak
My former pastor used to say, “Free confession is good for the soul.” I’ll go first. For those of you that know Eric, he had the best angle I’ve heard on this passage in a while. Put simply, it was “Love your __________’ (you fill in the blank). Husband, wife, sister, brother, son, daughter, co-worker,,, you get the picture. You see, what that verse speaks to is our natural defense mechanism. If someone hits us, we hit back… reflexively. And that’s normally ok, isn’t it? After all, it really is reflexive. We are born with it. Touch something hot, we withdraw. Touch something sharp, we recoil. It’s a natural reflex. Additionally, we learn to respond to people in the same way at a very early age. If someone hits us, we hit back. If someone speaks harshly to us, we retort with the same tone and fervor or worse. With all of this in mind, who then is my enemy? At a situational level, it’s whoever my opponent is at any given moment. If I argue with my wife or my children, for a few moments, they are my enemy. The same holds true for whoever else fills in that blank, right? Move this to a deeper level. What about people who don’t look like me, don’t worship like me, don’t live where I live or work where I work? What is my ‘natural’ response to them?
Beloved, our loved ones, co-workers, neighbors, or the people from that other religion are not the adversary, not even for a moment. Jesus wants us to Expect, Think and Do Differently (Shout out to PedroJ).No longer are we to respond to every situation reflexively (“Lions, tigers and bears. Oh my!”). Not as emissaries of God. After all, He (God) causes it to rain on the just and the unjust. He loves everyone, not just his own. We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. His love for us started there. Love has to guide us. It starts at home. It has to carry over into our workplace, into our community. At some point, as we mature, we should be able to ask ourselves, almost rhetorically, “Who is my enemy?” The answer: no one. Not one person. After all, they (we) are all created in God’s image and in His likeness. Jesus was affirming this on the mountain that day. The law instructed: ‘Love your neighbor’. Jesus let us know that that bar was too low. In fact, where he was setting the bar was beyond our ability to comprehend. And again, by doing so, He condemned us, and showed us how badly we needed Him (did you get that?).
Nothing is too hard for God though, is it? We have seen in our lifetimes those that have endured insufferable torment forgive their tormentors, have we not? This ‘God kind of love’; Agape, is possible. And when we see it displayed we marvel. We praise God. This Agape, this unconditional love is available to every believer, but it will require practice. You’ll really will have to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, give someone your coat after they’ve sued you for your shirt. It can be done, but you must, we must act against our nature, and yield to the Spirit of God within us.
Let me close with a brief testimony. Both of my children have had issues that could have had serious legal consequences in the last several months. The details are personal and private, but here’s the notable circumstance in each case. The people who forgave them were of a different religion and or nationality and in both cases; those people testified that their religious convictions would not allow them to pursue the individual matters past the point of an apology from my children. Christians.. Brothers and Sisters.. Who is my enemy? Praise the Lord. Love everyone.
.wb
(Whew! This was cathartic. Thank you Lord.)
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Romans 13:10
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:
Petra
Love
Words and music by Bob Hartman
Based on 1 Corinthians 13
Love is patient, love is kind
No eyes of envy, true love is blind
Love is humble, it knows no pride
No selfish motive hidden inside
Love is gentle, makes no demands
Despite all wrong, true love still stands
Love is holy, love is pure
It lasts forever, it will endure
(Chorus)
Love knows when to let go
Love knows when to say no
Love grows in the light of the Son
And love shows the world that the Son of Love has come
Love is loyal, believes the best
It loves the truth, love stands the test
Love is God sent in His Son
Love forgives all we have done
In this world where hatred seems to grow
True love goes against the flow
And becomes so hard to show
In this world where push turns to shove
We have strength to rise above
Through the power of His love
Lord, we need to know the power of Your love
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Matthew 5:25
Agree with thine adversary quickly…
Matthew 5:44
‘But I say unto you, Love your __________’
Luke 4:8
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
The Sermon on the Mount, Part III: The Okey Doak
My former pastor used to say, “Free confession is good for the soul.” I’ll go first. For those of you that know Eric, he had the best angle I’ve heard on this passage in a while. Put simply, it was “Love your __________’ (you fill in the blank). Husband, wife, sister, brother, son, daughter, co-worker,,, you get the picture. You see, what that verse speaks to is our natural defense mechanism. If someone hits us, we hit back… reflexively. And that’s normally ok, isn’t it? After all, it really is reflexive. We are born with it. Touch something hot, we withdraw. Touch something sharp, we recoil. It’s a natural reflex. Additionally, we learn to respond to people in the same way at a very early age. If someone hits us, we hit back. If someone speaks harshly to us, we retort with the same tone and fervor or worse. With all of this in mind, who then is my enemy? At a situational level, it’s whoever my opponent is at any given moment. If I argue with my wife or my children, for a few moments, they are my enemy. The same holds true for whoever else fills in that blank, right? Move this to a deeper level. What about people who don’t look like me, don’t worship like me, don’t live where I live or work where I work? What is my ‘natural’ response to them?
Beloved, our loved ones, co-workers, neighbors, or the people from that other religion are not the adversary, not even for a moment. Jesus wants us to Expect, Think and Do Differently (Shout out to PedroJ).No longer are we to respond to every situation reflexively (“Lions, tigers and bears. Oh my!”). Not as emissaries of God. After all, He (God) causes it to rain on the just and the unjust. He loves everyone, not just his own. We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. His love for us started there. Love has to guide us. It starts at home. It has to carry over into our workplace, into our community. At some point, as we mature, we should be able to ask ourselves, almost rhetorically, “Who is my enemy?” The answer: no one. Not one person. After all, they (we) are all created in God’s image and in His likeness. Jesus was affirming this on the mountain that day. The law instructed: ‘Love your neighbor’. Jesus let us know that that bar was too low. In fact, where he was setting the bar was beyond our ability to comprehend. And again, by doing so, He condemned us, and showed us how badly we needed Him (did you get that?).
Nothing is too hard for God though, is it? We have seen in our lifetimes those that have endured insufferable torment forgive their tormentors, have we not? This ‘God kind of love’; Agape, is possible. And when we see it displayed we marvel. We praise God. This Agape, this unconditional love is available to every believer, but it will require practice. You’ll really will have to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, give someone your coat after they’ve sued you for your shirt. It can be done, but you must, we must act against our nature, and yield to the Spirit of God within us.
Let me close with a brief testimony. Both of my children have had issues that could have had serious legal consequences in the last several months. The details are personal and private, but here’s the notable circumstance in each case. The people who forgave them were of a different religion and or nationality and in both cases; those people testified that their religious convictions would not allow them to pursue the individual matters past the point of an apology from my children. Christians.. Brothers and Sisters.. Who is my enemy? Praise the Lord. Love everyone.
.wb
(Whew! This was cathartic. Thank you Lord.)
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Romans 13:10
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:
Petra
Love
Words and music by Bob Hartman
Based on 1 Corinthians 13
Love is patient, love is kind
No eyes of envy, true love is blind
Love is humble, it knows no pride
No selfish motive hidden inside
Love is gentle, makes no demands
Despite all wrong, true love still stands
Love is holy, love is pure
It lasts forever, it will endure
(Chorus)
Love knows when to let go
Love knows when to say no
Love grows in the light of the Son
And love shows the world that the Son of Love has come
Love is loyal, believes the best
It loves the truth, love stands the test
Love is God sent in His Son
Love forgives all we have done
In this world where hatred seems to grow
True love goes against the flow
And becomes so hard to show
In this world where push turns to shove
We have strength to rise above
Through the power of His love
Lord, we need to know the power of Your love
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 6, 2011: Living in Harmony with Others (Matthew 5:17-37)
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Matthew 5:20
For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:21
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
The Sermon on the Mount, Part II: Everybody else. Everybody!
I have to veer away from the title of this week’s lesson for a few moments. I hope to stay focused enough to find my way back, but this is an important passage of Scripture and I don’t want to change the subject… of the text. You see, Jesus makes a turn at verse thirty seven of this “Sermon on the Mount”, Up to this point, He’s spoken to the poor, the meek, the humble, but now turns his attention to the rest of us. He wants to make sure that no one is left out, no one. But in order to accomplish this, He must first make everyone aware of their need for a Savior. What? That’s correct, one of the key components of the Gospel, the ‘Good News’ is that “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God”. That’s all of us. Or to state it another way, “There are none righteous, No, not one.” How ‘bout them apples? Do you get it yet? Not one of us is worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. No matter our ‘good’ intentions, no matter our ‘good’ deeds, no matter our ‘good’ station in life. Jesus wanted those within the sound of His voice, Pharisees and Sadducees included that they needed a Savior.
For just a moment, think of the people that you run into on a day to day basis, two types really: those who need answers and those who have it all figured out. Of those two groups, which will be harder to reach? People looking for answers recognize their need. They will listen, most every time you approach them with the Gospel. However, the people that have it all figured out, what about them? Beloved, they are blind and don’t know it, deaf, unable to hear the beckoning of the Lord for the blaring of the horn that they are constantly blowing on their own behalf. And yet, God loves them. He loves them and He’s long suffering, not willing that any should perish.
In order for the Holy Spirit to accomplish His work in the hearts of these who are blinded by their own self righteousness, Jesus had to lay the groundwork correctly. These passages accomplish that. In these twenty some odd verses Jesus throws everyone under the bus. He relegates every one to eternal torment and condemnation. Everyone! It’s OK to shout here, if you know what you’re shouting about. You see Beloved, there’s only one Heaven, not two. There’s not a ‘Heaven’ for the poor, the humble, the meek, the persecuted and a separate ‘Heaven’ for those who have never done anything wrong, who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, who always seem to ‘have it together’, always on top of their game. No, God’s one Heaven is only for the poor, the meek and the humbled. Unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the most righteous…!?!? Jesus wants to make sure that everyone is afforded access. He wants everyone to be included, so He has to ensure that everyone understands that they have a need, a need for a Savior.
If I wasn’t impressed before, I’m impressed now. No one likes a big head, a know it all. They tend to gravitate to a rather exclusive club: people like themselves. Yet Jesus in these few short verses extends mercy to the most unmerciful, Grace to graceless. At the same time that He elevates the humble, He humiliates the proud for their eternal benefit if they will only hear. I don’t know about you, but I don’t come away from this passage of Scripture unscathed. Thank God! No, I tumble through these verses with the awareness that if Jesus doesn’t ‘catch’ me here, I’ll tumble right on into eternal torment and shame.
What then? How do I respond to Mercy? By being merciful. How do I respond to God’s humiliation? By remaining humble. “By Grace ye are saved, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” The gift of God: the most important gift, the principal gift, the greatest gift of all. I must stop here so as not to belabor the point.
That person, who has become aware of his own sinfulness and who understands his need for a Savior (and has accepted Jesus as his Savior), that person is now ready to actively participate in God’s Kingdom. Where to start? Verse twenty three offers direction: Here you come with an offering to God, but God puts His hand up and says, “Wait!” “All of the gold and the silver are mine’s, but not all of the people.” God’s Gospel is the Gospel of reconciliation. Reconciliation of man to God. As a new ambassador in His Kingdom, we can start by living the Gospel of reconciliation. If there is anyone with whom we need be reconciled, now is the time. If there’s anyone that needs to know that you’ve been changed, that person you offended in times past: a family member, a former spouse, a co-worker, a one-time friend needs to see that kind of change. You see, that that was between you might be the very thing that is keeping them from God. The bitterness, the hurt, the feelings of betrayal that they may be holding onto because of what you put them through may be the very thing hardening their heart to the point that they are not receptive to the love of God. Put down your gift and go. It was probably you who was at fault. Admit it and go make it right. I know people that have gone to the death bed of someone they’d wronged to try and make it right. That effort on your part might have eternal consequence. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in Heaven..” Amen.
.wb
Matthew 5:24
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
2 Corinthians 5:18
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Colossians 3:13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Matthew 5:20
For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:21
Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
The Sermon on the Mount, Part II: Everybody else. Everybody!
I have to veer away from the title of this week’s lesson for a few moments. I hope to stay focused enough to find my way back, but this is an important passage of Scripture and I don’t want to change the subject… of the text. You see, Jesus makes a turn at verse thirty seven of this “Sermon on the Mount”, Up to this point, He’s spoken to the poor, the meek, the humble, but now turns his attention to the rest of us. He wants to make sure that no one is left out, no one. But in order to accomplish this, He must first make everyone aware of their need for a Savior. What? That’s correct, one of the key components of the Gospel, the ‘Good News’ is that “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God”. That’s all of us. Or to state it another way, “There are none righteous, No, not one.” How ‘bout them apples? Do you get it yet? Not one of us is worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. No matter our ‘good’ intentions, no matter our ‘good’ deeds, no matter our ‘good’ station in life. Jesus wanted those within the sound of His voice, Pharisees and Sadducees included that they needed a Savior.
For just a moment, think of the people that you run into on a day to day basis, two types really: those who need answers and those who have it all figured out. Of those two groups, which will be harder to reach? People looking for answers recognize their need. They will listen, most every time you approach them with the Gospel. However, the people that have it all figured out, what about them? Beloved, they are blind and don’t know it, deaf, unable to hear the beckoning of the Lord for the blaring of the horn that they are constantly blowing on their own behalf. And yet, God loves them. He loves them and He’s long suffering, not willing that any should perish.
In order for the Holy Spirit to accomplish His work in the hearts of these who are blinded by their own self righteousness, Jesus had to lay the groundwork correctly. These passages accomplish that. In these twenty some odd verses Jesus throws everyone under the bus. He relegates every one to eternal torment and condemnation. Everyone! It’s OK to shout here, if you know what you’re shouting about. You see Beloved, there’s only one Heaven, not two. There’s not a ‘Heaven’ for the poor, the humble, the meek, the persecuted and a separate ‘Heaven’ for those who have never done anything wrong, who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, who always seem to ‘have it together’, always on top of their game. No, God’s one Heaven is only for the poor, the meek and the humbled. Unless our righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the most righteous…!?!? Jesus wants to make sure that everyone is afforded access. He wants everyone to be included, so He has to ensure that everyone understands that they have a need, a need for a Savior.
If I wasn’t impressed before, I’m impressed now. No one likes a big head, a know it all. They tend to gravitate to a rather exclusive club: people like themselves. Yet Jesus in these few short verses extends mercy to the most unmerciful, Grace to graceless. At the same time that He elevates the humble, He humiliates the proud for their eternal benefit if they will only hear. I don’t know about you, but I don’t come away from this passage of Scripture unscathed. Thank God! No, I tumble through these verses with the awareness that if Jesus doesn’t ‘catch’ me here, I’ll tumble right on into eternal torment and shame.
What then? How do I respond to Mercy? By being merciful. How do I respond to God’s humiliation? By remaining humble. “By Grace ye are saved, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.” The gift of God: the most important gift, the principal gift, the greatest gift of all. I must stop here so as not to belabor the point.
That person, who has become aware of his own sinfulness and who understands his need for a Savior (and has accepted Jesus as his Savior), that person is now ready to actively participate in God’s Kingdom. Where to start? Verse twenty three offers direction: Here you come with an offering to God, but God puts His hand up and says, “Wait!” “All of the gold and the silver are mine’s, but not all of the people.” God’s Gospel is the Gospel of reconciliation. Reconciliation of man to God. As a new ambassador in His Kingdom, we can start by living the Gospel of reconciliation. If there is anyone with whom we need be reconciled, now is the time. If there’s anyone that needs to know that you’ve been changed, that person you offended in times past: a family member, a former spouse, a co-worker, a one-time friend needs to see that kind of change. You see, that that was between you might be the very thing that is keeping them from God. The bitterness, the hurt, the feelings of betrayal that they may be holding onto because of what you put them through may be the very thing hardening their heart to the point that they are not receptive to the love of God. Put down your gift and go. It was probably you who was at fault. Admit it and go make it right. I know people that have gone to the death bed of someone they’d wronged to try and make it right. That effort on your part might have eternal consequence. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in Heaven..” Amen.
.wb
Matthew 5:24
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
2 Corinthians 5:18
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
Colossians 3:13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Sunday School Lesson for October 30, 2011: Seeking True Happiness (Matthew 5:1-16)
Wayne’s two cents worth
Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The Sermon on the Mount, Part I: The Gospel of Inclusion
Most of you are familiar with these verses. We’ve heard them from the beginning of our travels on this road of Christendom. Jesus’ first major sermon, located in the book of Matthew, this ‘Sermon on the Mount’ tends to be one of the first places we land in Scripture and one of the most familiar in Scripture as we revisit it over and over. Call it accessible, Matthew 5 is accessible. Exactly what Jesus intended. You see, until Jesus began his Ministry, Heaven was for a select few. If you appeared to be ‘Blessed’ on earth, if you were materially well to do, part of the religious ‘in crowd’ in Israel, then surely that would translate to ‘Heavenly Blessings’ as well. On the other hand, if you were poor, sick, destitute, forgotten, guess what? According to the spiritual teaching of the day, you deserved it, God was against you. You’d have had to buy your way in.. or just be left out.
But Jesus! Jesus came with a different ‘Gospel’, a Gospel of inclusion. He wanted to let people know, that God’s love was inclusive, that God was willing to extend Mercy to the least of Israel. Jesus introduced to His hearer’s on that day and to us on this day the concept of Grace: God’s Unmerited Favor. Most of us still have trouble with it, the concept of Grace. We’d like to think we’ve done something or are doing something to deserve God’s Blessing; emphasis on ‘doing’. Jesus changed the emphasis that day. The emphasis changed from ‘doing’ to ‘being’. God looks on the heart, on every heart and He sees … Himself. That’s right! He sees Himself in every heart, in every soul of every child ever born, God sees Himself and extends Mercy. No matter the circumstance, no matter the problem, God so loved the world… Good News! Good News indeed!
The ‘Church folk’ reading this get it, but what about those who aren’t ‘Churched’? Some, who read this may not have a Church home, may not feel comfortable in Church or around Church folk. After all ‘we Church folk can be a little judgmental from time to time, can’t we? God wants you to know that He loves you and that you have a right to access. That’s correct, God grants access to the most neglected among us, the weakest, most unlovable, desperate, sickest, poorest ‘scoundrels’ among us. Anybody can get in. Anybody can get a ‘hearing’. Anybody can be granted access. Feeling ‘shunned’ by family, friends, loved ones? Feeling like a misfit, like you don’t belong? There’s room for you.. room at the Cross. That’s the message that Jesus brought that day. It’s still the message. There’s room at the Cross for you.
Let me close with this: I have two teenagers that I love dearly. Sometimes though, I don’t think they know it as good as I want them to. When I have to correct them (no, they’re not as grown as they think they are) they ‘bow up’, get real stiff-necked, if you know what I mean. Sometimes, they’ll even yell at me, slam doors, storm away in absolute rebellion... . Do any of your children do that? Here’s the deal. No matter how great their rebellion seems at any given moment, I still love them… and they know it.
Beloved, before Christ came into our lives personally, each and every one of us was in stark rebellion against God and God loved us anyway. For you who don’t know Jesus in the pardon of your sin, you’re in rebellion. It’s OK! Jesus’ arms are open wide. He loves you just as you are. Whenever the day comes that you get through trying to do it your own way, God invites you to come to Him and be Blessed!
Shalom,
.wb
John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Luke 14:23
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
The Sermon on the Mount, Part I: The Gospel of Inclusion
Most of you are familiar with these verses. We’ve heard them from the beginning of our travels on this road of Christendom. Jesus’ first major sermon, located in the book of Matthew, this ‘Sermon on the Mount’ tends to be one of the first places we land in Scripture and one of the most familiar in Scripture as we revisit it over and over. Call it accessible, Matthew 5 is accessible. Exactly what Jesus intended. You see, until Jesus began his Ministry, Heaven was for a select few. If you appeared to be ‘Blessed’ on earth, if you were materially well to do, part of the religious ‘in crowd’ in Israel, then surely that would translate to ‘Heavenly Blessings’ as well. On the other hand, if you were poor, sick, destitute, forgotten, guess what? According to the spiritual teaching of the day, you deserved it, God was against you. You’d have had to buy your way in.. or just be left out.
But Jesus! Jesus came with a different ‘Gospel’, a Gospel of inclusion. He wanted to let people know, that God’s love was inclusive, that God was willing to extend Mercy to the least of Israel. Jesus introduced to His hearer’s on that day and to us on this day the concept of Grace: God’s Unmerited Favor. Most of us still have trouble with it, the concept of Grace. We’d like to think we’ve done something or are doing something to deserve God’s Blessing; emphasis on ‘doing’. Jesus changed the emphasis that day. The emphasis changed from ‘doing’ to ‘being’. God looks on the heart, on every heart and He sees … Himself. That’s right! He sees Himself in every heart, in every soul of every child ever born, God sees Himself and extends Mercy. No matter the circumstance, no matter the problem, God so loved the world… Good News! Good News indeed!
The ‘Church folk’ reading this get it, but what about those who aren’t ‘Churched’? Some, who read this may not have a Church home, may not feel comfortable in Church or around Church folk. After all ‘we Church folk can be a little judgmental from time to time, can’t we? God wants you to know that He loves you and that you have a right to access. That’s correct, God grants access to the most neglected among us, the weakest, most unlovable, desperate, sickest, poorest ‘scoundrels’ among us. Anybody can get in. Anybody can get a ‘hearing’. Anybody can be granted access. Feeling ‘shunned’ by family, friends, loved ones? Feeling like a misfit, like you don’t belong? There’s room for you.. room at the Cross. That’s the message that Jesus brought that day. It’s still the message. There’s room at the Cross for you.
Let me close with this: I have two teenagers that I love dearly. Sometimes though, I don’t think they know it as good as I want them to. When I have to correct them (no, they’re not as grown as they think they are) they ‘bow up’, get real stiff-necked, if you know what I mean. Sometimes, they’ll even yell at me, slam doors, storm away in absolute rebellion... . Do any of your children do that? Here’s the deal. No matter how great their rebellion seems at any given moment, I still love them… and they know it.
Beloved, before Christ came into our lives personally, each and every one of us was in stark rebellion against God and God loved us anyway. For you who don’t know Jesus in the pardon of your sin, you’re in rebellion. It’s OK! Jesus’ arms are open wide. He loves you just as you are. Whenever the day comes that you get through trying to do it your own way, God invites you to come to Him and be Blessed!
Shalom,
.wb
John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Luke 14:23
And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for October 23, 2011: Finding True Love (Song of Solomon 4:1–5:1)
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
Song of Solomon 1:15
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves.
Song of Solomon 1:16
How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming!
Jeremiah 2:32
Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
This week’s lesson speaks of the most passionate kind of… intimacy Real intimacy fueled by a love so intense, so passionate that it causes one to blush in the reading of these Scriptures. Scripture? Yes, Holy Scripture. Scripture ordained by God, breathed upon by the Holy Spirit. Pay attention. There are a couple of things that you need to know about the lesson and about this Song of Solomon. Number one: God is not mentioned in this book… at all. Remarkable. One of two books in Scripture where God is not mentioned by name. How could God allow this? Why would he allow this? I surmise that God didn’t want us to be distracted. What? Distracted!? How? This leads to my second point: God gave Man and Woman love, really passionate love and.. sex. “Be fruitful and multiply”, He commanded them. The Song demonstrates the model that God had in mind when He spoke this Word. This man and his bride portray a singular focus and passionate desire for one another. Only one another. This Song of Solomon displays a depth of intimacy so deep that it’s foundations transcend the temporal and drift into the realm of the spiritual. Really? Really! This is the kind of love that lasts. You, the reader, understand innately, that the kind of love being written about her lasts a lifetime. Pay attention. Look around you. Do you know any elderly married couples? If you do, what you normally see in their relationship is commitment, long lasting commitment that started right here, in the garden that Solomon writes of. “For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…. Till…” You know the rest. This kind of love is where life begins. This kind of love is celebrated in every culture, in every language. This kind of love is the very spark of life personified. Love like this is envied, wished for, spoken of in quiet whispers and sung about in ballads and tomes throughout all of history.
No, God doesn’t want to distract you. Scripture is to be read and meditated upon. That means this Song of Solomon too. That’s right. This Book called ‘The Song of Solomon’ or in some cases, ‘The Song of Songs”, this great tome about passionate love and desire is to be read slowly and thoughtfully in quiet contemplation and meditation. Really?! Why? Because God wants to exemplify true intimacy experienced temporally so that you can grow comfortable pursuing real, deep, revealing, lasting intimacy and … desire for Him. Theologians will quickly point out the error in my thinking. They’ll retort that there are three kinds of love spoken of in Scripture, Eros, Phileo and Agape. They’ll tell you that the Eros kind of love, sensual, physical, temporal is to be regarded as the lower form of the three. I’d reply that God fully intended that not one life would be created outside of the Eros kind of love since He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden. Not one! I’d also offer that, when we humans try to subjugate the Eros kind of love for the Phileo kind of love in a relationship we end up with… Hold on. Let me talk about Phileo for a moment. Phileo is defined as the ‘friend’ kind of love. Deep and personal, exemplified by a commonality of purpose. There’s nothing like a best friend. Yet, the Phileo kind of love does not exemplify a lifetime commitment to one another. Not really. Disagree? Friends, good friends don’t leave a job and move across the country because a friend of theirs was relocated. Not normally. But ‘married people’ pack up and go, in most cases, with their spouse, when life’s circumstances demand it. That kind of commitment is fueled by Eros. Phileo in the place of Eros in a relationship (remember: Eros is an expression of love, not lust (a different Greek word) in our culture is akin to ‘Friends with benefits”. No lifetime commitment. No lasting passion.
How then is God’s purpose accomplished in all of this? Beloved, God is Invisible to you and I. We feel something, we experience something, but what about when trouble comes? What about when challenges arise? When those times befall us, and they eventually will, there has to be something that causes you to bend your will, your very instinct for survival toward your Father, God. Time spent passionately pursuing your relationship with Him right now will take you to a place where no matter the circumstance, you stand in confidence that what He has allowed, He’ll deliver you through. Sounds like Faith doesn’t’ it? The very substance of things hoped for. Eros demonstrates that. In their secret garden, this bride and groom build through their desire for one another a hope for one another. A hope that will take them from this moment of paradise to a life that is mutually rewarding, richly fulfilling, long and satisfying, ‘Til death do us part’, a picture of the ‘Eternity’ that our Father has prepared for us. As it turns out, real Eros (sensual love) has some very spiritual overtones, doesn’t it.
Listen, when Jesus said to His disciples, “ Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends” (You know. That song you hear at weddings), He was speaking of Agape love. The God kind of love. Love so foreign and alien to us that we really only barely understand it. He was speaking of His eventual crucifixion. The laying down of His life for all of mankind. From the Phileo side of things, we see demonstrations of this when soldiers, serving a common purpose, sacrifice themselves so that their fellow soldiers can be safe. I’m sure that was mental picture formed in the minds of the disciples as they digested His words. Friends. Remember how uncomfortable they were at ‘The Last Supper’ where these words were spoken? But, I would submit to you, that any married man or married woman truly committed to one another and their children would gladly and willingly accept the challenge that Jesus’ words convey when applied within the context of …family. Family starts with marriage, and marriage starts in the Garden. A garden like the one that Solomon spoke of and… by God, revealed much about God and His Eternal, Everlasting passion and desire for you and I, His Beloved. Enjoy the lesson! When you have time, read the entire Song. It will Bless!
Blessings,
.wb
(did I talk about Him too much? can’t hardly help myself :) )
John 3:29
The bride belongs to the bridegroom.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Revelation 21:9
And there came unto me one of the seven angels …., and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.
Song of Solomon 1:15
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves.
Song of Solomon 1:16
How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming!
Jeremiah 2:32
Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.
This week’s lesson speaks of the most passionate kind of… intimacy Real intimacy fueled by a love so intense, so passionate that it causes one to blush in the reading of these Scriptures. Scripture? Yes, Holy Scripture. Scripture ordained by God, breathed upon by the Holy Spirit. Pay attention. There are a couple of things that you need to know about the lesson and about this Song of Solomon. Number one: God is not mentioned in this book… at all. Remarkable. One of two books in Scripture where God is not mentioned by name. How could God allow this? Why would he allow this? I surmise that God didn’t want us to be distracted. What? Distracted!? How? This leads to my second point: God gave Man and Woman love, really passionate love and.. sex. “Be fruitful and multiply”, He commanded them. The Song demonstrates the model that God had in mind when He spoke this Word. This man and his bride portray a singular focus and passionate desire for one another. Only one another. This Song of Solomon displays a depth of intimacy so deep that it’s foundations transcend the temporal and drift into the realm of the spiritual. Really? Really! This is the kind of love that lasts. You, the reader, understand innately, that the kind of love being written about her lasts a lifetime. Pay attention. Look around you. Do you know any elderly married couples? If you do, what you normally see in their relationship is commitment, long lasting commitment that started right here, in the garden that Solomon writes of. “For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…. Till…” You know the rest. This kind of love is where life begins. This kind of love is celebrated in every culture, in every language. This kind of love is the very spark of life personified. Love like this is envied, wished for, spoken of in quiet whispers and sung about in ballads and tomes throughout all of history.
No, God doesn’t want to distract you. Scripture is to be read and meditated upon. That means this Song of Solomon too. That’s right. This Book called ‘The Song of Solomon’ or in some cases, ‘The Song of Songs”, this great tome about passionate love and desire is to be read slowly and thoughtfully in quiet contemplation and meditation. Really?! Why? Because God wants to exemplify true intimacy experienced temporally so that you can grow comfortable pursuing real, deep, revealing, lasting intimacy and … desire for Him. Theologians will quickly point out the error in my thinking. They’ll retort that there are three kinds of love spoken of in Scripture, Eros, Phileo and Agape. They’ll tell you that the Eros kind of love, sensual, physical, temporal is to be regarded as the lower form of the three. I’d reply that God fully intended that not one life would be created outside of the Eros kind of love since He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden. Not one! I’d also offer that, when we humans try to subjugate the Eros kind of love for the Phileo kind of love in a relationship we end up with… Hold on. Let me talk about Phileo for a moment. Phileo is defined as the ‘friend’ kind of love. Deep and personal, exemplified by a commonality of purpose. There’s nothing like a best friend. Yet, the Phileo kind of love does not exemplify a lifetime commitment to one another. Not really. Disagree? Friends, good friends don’t leave a job and move across the country because a friend of theirs was relocated. Not normally. But ‘married people’ pack up and go, in most cases, with their spouse, when life’s circumstances demand it. That kind of commitment is fueled by Eros. Phileo in the place of Eros in a relationship (remember: Eros is an expression of love, not lust (a different Greek word) in our culture is akin to ‘Friends with benefits”. No lifetime commitment. No lasting passion.
How then is God’s purpose accomplished in all of this? Beloved, God is Invisible to you and I. We feel something, we experience something, but what about when trouble comes? What about when challenges arise? When those times befall us, and they eventually will, there has to be something that causes you to bend your will, your very instinct for survival toward your Father, God. Time spent passionately pursuing your relationship with Him right now will take you to a place where no matter the circumstance, you stand in confidence that what He has allowed, He’ll deliver you through. Sounds like Faith doesn’t’ it? The very substance of things hoped for. Eros demonstrates that. In their secret garden, this bride and groom build through their desire for one another a hope for one another. A hope that will take them from this moment of paradise to a life that is mutually rewarding, richly fulfilling, long and satisfying, ‘Til death do us part’, a picture of the ‘Eternity’ that our Father has prepared for us. As it turns out, real Eros (sensual love) has some very spiritual overtones, doesn’t it.
Listen, when Jesus said to His disciples, “ Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down his life for his friends” (You know. That song you hear at weddings), He was speaking of Agape love. The God kind of love. Love so foreign and alien to us that we really only barely understand it. He was speaking of His eventual crucifixion. The laying down of His life for all of mankind. From the Phileo side of things, we see demonstrations of this when soldiers, serving a common purpose, sacrifice themselves so that their fellow soldiers can be safe. I’m sure that was mental picture formed in the minds of the disciples as they digested His words. Friends. Remember how uncomfortable they were at ‘The Last Supper’ where these words were spoken? But, I would submit to you, that any married man or married woman truly committed to one another and their children would gladly and willingly accept the challenge that Jesus’ words convey when applied within the context of …family. Family starts with marriage, and marriage starts in the Garden. A garden like the one that Solomon spoke of and… by God, revealed much about God and His Eternal, Everlasting passion and desire for you and I, His Beloved. Enjoy the lesson! When you have time, read the entire Song. It will Bless!
Blessings,
.wb
(did I talk about Him too much? can’t hardly help myself :) )
John 3:29
The bride belongs to the bridegroom.
John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Revelation 21:9
And there came unto me one of the seven angels …., and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for October 16, 2011: Growing Old with Wisdom (Ecclesiastes 11:7–12:14)
Psalm 37:25
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Ephesians 4:14
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,
I’ve resisted writing this lesson. Excuse after excuse. The truth is, this lesson makes me uncomfortable. I have to stop and think about…. Aging. There are certain eventualities in life, Aging is one of them. The writer of this week’s lesson, presumably Solomon, progresses through a beautiful alliteration of the onset of old age. I won’t go into each step in the process outlined in scripture, but rather, the warning that he provides both at the beginning and end of the passage: Remember God. The exhortation here is to find God early in life. In all of the getting in your youth, get God. Have fun within the appropriate boundaries, live life to its fullest. Enjoy yourself, but honor God. Honor him in your youth and He can and will guide you into a purpose greater than yourself. Don’t squander your youth, your vitality, your energy and your time on the vanity of seeking pleasure for pleasure’s sake alone. Remember God. Revere God. Learn to Rely on God. These three R’s will serve you well later in life when the eventuality of age begins its onset.
If you remembered Him when you were young, spent some time in His Presence, when your confidence in you begins to wane, your confidence in Him will build. As young Christians, when challenges arise, we go into a kind of ‘Are you there’ mode with God, but over time, we come to know that He is there and He is there for us. Literally an Ever Present Help in the time of need.
Revere God: time spent in supplication and prayer. Time spent in devotion and service. Time spent early on in your Christian experience will build a life of restraint before God because of God and who He is to you. Boundaries are important. One of the most destructive forces of youth is the lack of boundaries. Reverence learned early will protect and preserve you through youth to a place of maturity and preparedness for a place of leadership in God’s purpose.
Reliance. Reliance is the end result isn’t it. Reliance is a major aspect of … Faithfulness. That’s what we tell folks. Leaning on the Everlasting Arm. Reliance. Reliance on God who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you can ask or even think. Reliance on God becomes a fixture as we grow older, if we learned early that God is Reliable, when we are old we rely on Him with a trust that transcends this temporal realm. David said, “I was young, and now I’m old, yet I’ve never seen the Righteous forsaken…”. Paul wrote, “For me to live is Christ, for me to die is gain”.
There is something to be said for ‘Eldership’. Preferred leadership in the Church of God has as one of it’s components: age. Whether it was Paul, the Aged or John, the Elder, faithfulness over time is one of the principal tenets of Leadership in the New Testament. Throughout Church History and into our present day; aged, responsible, mature, faithful leadership continues to ground the Church foundationally, so that we are not tossed to and fro by every whim or trend or fad that comes along. So then, what we find her is that, if God tarries (do you know what tarry means?), we all have something to look forward to: Growing old gracefully. Growing old with Wisdom. He’s been there for you from the beginning. Guess what? He’ll be here with you into Eternity. Good News. Very Good News. Be encouraged! We’ve got some exciting things to look forward to!
Blessings,
.wb
1 Timothy 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
James 5:14
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Revelation 11:16
And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
Philippians 1:21
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Ephesians 4:14
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,
I’ve resisted writing this lesson. Excuse after excuse. The truth is, this lesson makes me uncomfortable. I have to stop and think about…. Aging. There are certain eventualities in life, Aging is one of them. The writer of this week’s lesson, presumably Solomon, progresses through a beautiful alliteration of the onset of old age. I won’t go into each step in the process outlined in scripture, but rather, the warning that he provides both at the beginning and end of the passage: Remember God. The exhortation here is to find God early in life. In all of the getting in your youth, get God. Have fun within the appropriate boundaries, live life to its fullest. Enjoy yourself, but honor God. Honor him in your youth and He can and will guide you into a purpose greater than yourself. Don’t squander your youth, your vitality, your energy and your time on the vanity of seeking pleasure for pleasure’s sake alone. Remember God. Revere God. Learn to Rely on God. These three R’s will serve you well later in life when the eventuality of age begins its onset.
If you remembered Him when you were young, spent some time in His Presence, when your confidence in you begins to wane, your confidence in Him will build. As young Christians, when challenges arise, we go into a kind of ‘Are you there’ mode with God, but over time, we come to know that He is there and He is there for us. Literally an Ever Present Help in the time of need.
Revere God: time spent in supplication and prayer. Time spent in devotion and service. Time spent early on in your Christian experience will build a life of restraint before God because of God and who He is to you. Boundaries are important. One of the most destructive forces of youth is the lack of boundaries. Reverence learned early will protect and preserve you through youth to a place of maturity and preparedness for a place of leadership in God’s purpose.
Reliance. Reliance is the end result isn’t it. Reliance is a major aspect of … Faithfulness. That’s what we tell folks. Leaning on the Everlasting Arm. Reliance. Reliance on God who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you can ask or even think. Reliance on God becomes a fixture as we grow older, if we learned early that God is Reliable, when we are old we rely on Him with a trust that transcends this temporal realm. David said, “I was young, and now I’m old, yet I’ve never seen the Righteous forsaken…”. Paul wrote, “For me to live is Christ, for me to die is gain”.
There is something to be said for ‘Eldership’. Preferred leadership in the Church of God has as one of it’s components: age. Whether it was Paul, the Aged or John, the Elder, faithfulness over time is one of the principal tenets of Leadership in the New Testament. Throughout Church History and into our present day; aged, responsible, mature, faithful leadership continues to ground the Church foundationally, so that we are not tossed to and fro by every whim or trend or fad that comes along. So then, what we find her is that, if God tarries (do you know what tarry means?), we all have something to look forward to: Growing old gracefully. Growing old with Wisdom. He’s been there for you from the beginning. Guess what? He’ll be here with you into Eternity. Good News. Very Good News. Be encouraged! We’ve got some exciting things to look forward to!
Blessings,
.wb
1 Timothy 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
James 5:14
Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Revelation 11:16
And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for October 9, 2011: Valuing True Wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9:13–10:20)
Ecclesiastes 9:13
[ Wisdom Better Than Folly ] I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:
Job 9:4
His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.
I have something to share; a testimony of Wisdom. This testimony however, is not mine’s. It belongs to a friend. A good friend. You see, I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me’J My friend was at home washing dishes, or about to start, when, he told me, he heard the Holy Ghost speak. He told me that he clearly felt and heard the Lord prompt him to stop washing dishes (he really hadn’t started yet, and take out the trash. “Take out the trash?”, he thought. “Lord, I’ll take out the trash when I’m done with the dishes”, he replied inwardly, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that God really was prompting him to stop… and take out the trash. Bless his heart! He told me that he felt convicted enough about it that, after a moment or so, he stopped washing dishes and started obeying God. He gathered his trash and out the door he went.
Let me stop right here. Has anything like this ever happened to you? Probably. Most Christians will confess to having had, in their Christian experience, some prompting or sign or some direction from God at least once. I make such a claim in my own experience. That leads me to the next question: did you obey that prompting? Many have and have reaped the blessing. Some have not and were left wondering what might have been?
Down the steps, across the parking lot, my friend was making his way toward the nearest dumpster, kind of wondering, kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know how it goes. When you take off after God in this way, it’s really an act of faith. You’re kind of stepping out of the boat and onto the water. Your spiritual antennae kind of go up and you find yourself walking and waiting, walking and waiting. Abraham was walking, with Isaac, up the mountain in obedience and waiting on the Lord, faithfully trusting.
As he got closer to the dumpster, (my friend lives in an apartment) my friend told me that he heard something.. a voice… so faint, but he was sure he heard it. He stopped, sat his trash bag down and walked in the direction of the sound. He almost walked past her. A woman, who appeared to be quite elderly, had fallen down between two cars. She apparently had been coming from the apartment mailboxes, stepped off the curb, between cars, lost her balance and fell. She was lying down between the cars crying for ‘Help!”, help. Let me stop here and add a bit of information: this occurred just this past summer, right here in Dallas, Texas, where we had many, many days of plus one hundred degree days. This was one of those days!
He reached down for her. As he touched her arm, he was struck by how frail she really seemed. She had become disoriented, out of sorts. He told me that, he didn’t know how long she’d been lying there, but that here skin seemed dry.. almost brittle. Her mail was strewn between the cars. He gently… you know how it is when you think you’re being gentle, then you’re struck by how fragile what your handling seems, so you become even more cautious?.. got her to her feet, picked up her scattered mail from between the cars and carefully escorted her back to her apartment. He made sure she was comfortable, got her something to drink and then left to return to his chores.
I need a moment….
Take one with me…
Selah
I’m sure my friend needed a moment as well. What had just happened? What might have happened if? Most of the time, when some one testifies, it’s about, “how the Lord blessed me!”. C’mon, you know how we do. “I obeyed God and look how He blessed me!” Right? Everybody shouts and whoops and all of that is OK, but what about a testimony like this? Takes your breath away doesn’t it? This one is humbling. When my friend told it, you could see how he was still affected by it. What if he hadn’t obeyed? Ultimately, we have to believe that God would have made a way. Most certainly, but, testimonies like this really give us pause to, in awesome wonder, consider all the works His hand has made. How great He is! How Magnificent! How Wondrous! How Glorious! How Merciful! What a Might God we serve.
I won’t mention my friend’s name. Some of you know him, but he’s not looking for any acclaim. I don’t blame him. There’s no sharing the stage with God, is there? To God belongs all the Glory. I hope you enjoyed the testimony. Be encouraged. God may come calling soon. Will you be ready?
Blessings,
.wb
Proverbs 24:14
Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me
Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
[ Wisdom Better Than Folly ] I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me:
Job 9:4
His wisdom is profound, his power is vast.
I have something to share; a testimony of Wisdom. This testimony however, is not mine’s. It belongs to a friend. A good friend. You see, I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me’J My friend was at home washing dishes, or about to start, when, he told me, he heard the Holy Ghost speak. He told me that he clearly felt and heard the Lord prompt him to stop washing dishes (he really hadn’t started yet, and take out the trash. “Take out the trash?”, he thought. “Lord, I’ll take out the trash when I’m done with the dishes”, he replied inwardly, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that God really was prompting him to stop… and take out the trash. Bless his heart! He told me that he felt convicted enough about it that, after a moment or so, he stopped washing dishes and started obeying God. He gathered his trash and out the door he went.
Let me stop right here. Has anything like this ever happened to you? Probably. Most Christians will confess to having had, in their Christian experience, some prompting or sign or some direction from God at least once. I make such a claim in my own experience. That leads me to the next question: did you obey that prompting? Many have and have reaped the blessing. Some have not and were left wondering what might have been?
Down the steps, across the parking lot, my friend was making his way toward the nearest dumpster, kind of wondering, kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know how it goes. When you take off after God in this way, it’s really an act of faith. You’re kind of stepping out of the boat and onto the water. Your spiritual antennae kind of go up and you find yourself walking and waiting, walking and waiting. Abraham was walking, with Isaac, up the mountain in obedience and waiting on the Lord, faithfully trusting.
As he got closer to the dumpster, (my friend lives in an apartment) my friend told me that he heard something.. a voice… so faint, but he was sure he heard it. He stopped, sat his trash bag down and walked in the direction of the sound. He almost walked past her. A woman, who appeared to be quite elderly, had fallen down between two cars. She apparently had been coming from the apartment mailboxes, stepped off the curb, between cars, lost her balance and fell. She was lying down between the cars crying for ‘Help!”, help. Let me stop here and add a bit of information: this occurred just this past summer, right here in Dallas, Texas, where we had many, many days of plus one hundred degree days. This was one of those days!
He reached down for her. As he touched her arm, he was struck by how frail she really seemed. She had become disoriented, out of sorts. He told me that, he didn’t know how long she’d been lying there, but that here skin seemed dry.. almost brittle. Her mail was strewn between the cars. He gently… you know how it is when you think you’re being gentle, then you’re struck by how fragile what your handling seems, so you become even more cautious?.. got her to her feet, picked up her scattered mail from between the cars and carefully escorted her back to her apartment. He made sure she was comfortable, got her something to drink and then left to return to his chores.
I need a moment….
Take one with me…
Selah
I’m sure my friend needed a moment as well. What had just happened? What might have happened if? Most of the time, when some one testifies, it’s about, “how the Lord blessed me!”. C’mon, you know how we do. “I obeyed God and look how He blessed me!” Right? Everybody shouts and whoops and all of that is OK, but what about a testimony like this? Takes your breath away doesn’t it? This one is humbling. When my friend told it, you could see how he was still affected by it. What if he hadn’t obeyed? Ultimately, we have to believe that God would have made a way. Most certainly, but, testimonies like this really give us pause to, in awesome wonder, consider all the works His hand has made. How great He is! How Magnificent! How Wondrous! How Glorious! How Merciful! What a Might God we serve.
I won’t mention my friend’s name. Some of you know him, but he’s not looking for any acclaim. I don’t blame him. There’s no sharing the stage with God, is there? To God belongs all the Glory. I hope you enjoyed the testimony. Be encouraged. God may come calling soon. Will you be ready?
Blessings,
.wb
Proverbs 24:14
Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me
Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. 2, 2011: Living an Ordered Life (Proverbs 28:1–29:27)
Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no vision, the people perish…
Two notable ‘visionaries’ of our time passed away this past week: Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and Al Davis, the owner of the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders (Jerry Jones before Jerry Jones was Jerry JonesJ ) Vision is absolutely necessary for the advancement of civilization. Nothing has ever been built without it. Gift from God? Most definitely. One of the many traits that we share with the Father. And because He gives His gifts without repentance and He is not a respecter of persons, this gift of vision is sometimes made manifest in the worst ways imaginable. Nevertheless, vision: the ability to see or conceptualize a finished, completed task, project, entity, etc., is the engine that drives us forward, collectively and individually. Collectively, we build neighborhoods, cities, nations, governments. We fuel growth, entrepreneurship, education, renaissance on every level. Individually, we ‘envision’ our families, our career paths, our dreams, hobbies and adventures. Vision: the engine of civilization. A thought in closing: In this current time of economic and political upheaval many from various sides of the spectrum will refer to the other side’s positions as a zero sum game. Vision, true vision sees past the concept of zero sum game to the continual advancement of civilization. Beloved, Genesis 1:2 describes a place an earth that was chaotic and void, but God saw the possible and spoke it into existence. God said… and since God set creation in motion with the Word, it has never ceased to be or to continue being. Vision is like that. It set in motion the creative inspiration that literally raises up nations out of nothingness. Establishes order from total disorder.
Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
I purposely shifted the context of the verse above in the first paragraph, so as to illustrate the power of vision, one of God’s many gifts to mankind. But there is something else required for the continued well being of mankind. We need revelation, open vision from God about God. About His heart, His love, His plan for us. God’s vision for us sustains us in difficult times. His revealed Word gives us Hope. Hope brings us boldly into His Presence, where His Love is shed abroad into our hearts by His Holy Spirit. When the heavens are open and Revelation is present, we see Him, through the eyes of Faith, and we are healed, nourished, fulfilled, blessed. Lord, open our eyes so that your Glory may be revealed in us. When we, the Church, walked under the unction of His reveled Word, we bless, we heal, we offer life to a world that He so cherishes that He gave us His Son, Jesus; the First and the Last, The very Image of the Father, God’s Heart made manifest for the redemption of all of mankind.
Where there is no open heaven, people lose their consciousness of the things of God. They become consumed with the cares and concerns of the world, they are overtaken by circumstances beyond their control and pretty soon, they are mired in hopelessness. The reverent fear of the Lord is a good thing. If it causes restraint, if it causes humility, if it causes restraint… Halleluiah! If we live a life fully conscious of God’s Presence, then we’ve received the greatest blessing. We’ve received the ability to behold His majesty, to peer in awe at His Glory, to know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. By godly restraint, we walk in His light and Heaven calls us Blessed.
.wb
Isaiah 6:1
[ Isaiah’s Commission ] In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Where there is no vision, the people perish…
Two notable ‘visionaries’ of our time passed away this past week: Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple and Al Davis, the owner of the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders (Jerry Jones before Jerry Jones was Jerry JonesJ ) Vision is absolutely necessary for the advancement of civilization. Nothing has ever been built without it. Gift from God? Most definitely. One of the many traits that we share with the Father. And because He gives His gifts without repentance and He is not a respecter of persons, this gift of vision is sometimes made manifest in the worst ways imaginable. Nevertheless, vision: the ability to see or conceptualize a finished, completed task, project, entity, etc., is the engine that drives us forward, collectively and individually. Collectively, we build neighborhoods, cities, nations, governments. We fuel growth, entrepreneurship, education, renaissance on every level. Individually, we ‘envision’ our families, our career paths, our dreams, hobbies and adventures. Vision: the engine of civilization. A thought in closing: In this current time of economic and political upheaval many from various sides of the spectrum will refer to the other side’s positions as a zero sum game. Vision, true vision sees past the concept of zero sum game to the continual advancement of civilization. Beloved, Genesis 1:2 describes a place an earth that was chaotic and void, but God saw the possible and spoke it into existence. God said… and since God set creation in motion with the Word, it has never ceased to be or to continue being. Vision is like that. It set in motion the creative inspiration that literally raises up nations out of nothingness. Establishes order from total disorder.
Proverbs 29:18
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
I purposely shifted the context of the verse above in the first paragraph, so as to illustrate the power of vision, one of God’s many gifts to mankind. But there is something else required for the continued well being of mankind. We need revelation, open vision from God about God. About His heart, His love, His plan for us. God’s vision for us sustains us in difficult times. His revealed Word gives us Hope. Hope brings us boldly into His Presence, where His Love is shed abroad into our hearts by His Holy Spirit. When the heavens are open and Revelation is present, we see Him, through the eyes of Faith, and we are healed, nourished, fulfilled, blessed. Lord, open our eyes so that your Glory may be revealed in us. When we, the Church, walked under the unction of His reveled Word, we bless, we heal, we offer life to a world that He so cherishes that He gave us His Son, Jesus; the First and the Last, The very Image of the Father, God’s Heart made manifest for the redemption of all of mankind.
Where there is no open heaven, people lose their consciousness of the things of God. They become consumed with the cares and concerns of the world, they are overtaken by circumstances beyond their control and pretty soon, they are mired in hopelessness. The reverent fear of the Lord is a good thing. If it causes restraint, if it causes humility, if it causes restraint… Halleluiah! If we live a life fully conscious of God’s Presence, then we’ve received the greatest blessing. We’ve received the ability to behold His majesty, to peer in awe at His Glory, to know Him in the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering. By godly restraint, we walk in His light and Heaven calls us Blessed.
.wb
Isaiah 6:1
[ Isaiah’s Commission ] In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. 25, 2011: Acting with Discernment (Proverbs 25:1-28)
Proverbs 25:26
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
Proverbs 25:4
Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
Malachi 3:2
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
Malachi 3:3
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,
My son just turned 18 last week. Happy Birthday Jordan! You are a blessing. There’s not much more joy that can be had than the joy of parenthood. However, I think you will agree that parenthood does not come without significant challenges. Over the past couple of years, as Jordan has matured, he has challenged the authority of both, his mother and I. I remind myself during those times, “I’m not done raising him yet.” I’ve told him exactly that: “Son, I’m not done raising you yet!” (Notice the exclamation mark??) J Yes, I’ve repeated it time and time again, I've whispered it, I’ve yelled it, I’ve cooed it gently, I’ve muttered it under my breath as I walked away frustrated. Teenagers! Right?!?! (I have two). But that statement reflects my understanding that: He still has some growing up to do and I still have the blessed responsibility of seeing him through that process. He’s not there yet. Assuredly, he gets closer every day, but he’s not there yet. Neither am I. I pray every day that I continue to recognize that I have yet, a long, long way to go on this road toward my Father’s House. I really can hear him whisper, “I’m not done raising you yet.”
Allow me to explore the imagery from Proverbs 25:4 of the silversmith’s refining of silver. I was discussing this passage with Eric yesterday as I searched for a point of view from which to share this lesson with you today. Focusing in on the refining of silver, we talked about the necessity of heating the silver until the impurities (dross) floated to the top so that it could be removed by the refiner. So then, the refiner applies the heat, and he keeps applying the heat until he gets the desired results. Uncomfortable to think about isn’t it? The implication is, that if God, my Father, is not done ‘raising me’ yet, He will continue to apply more and more….heat, pressure, force, stress, (____ you fill in the blank) until what? I always have trouble with this kind off imagery, don’t you? Beloved, the Word is a Sword. What do swords do? The Word is a Hammer. What do hammers do? Jeremiah said the Word was like Fire, shut up in his bones. What does fire do? Am I making you uncomfortable?
But of course, as always, there’s a shout. Shout out to my brother Eric for pointing out, that in this refining process, the refiner’s expertise comes to fore. You see, the refiner, while refining the silver, stands over the heated silver (you and I Beloved) and He carefully examines it. He stands close and as He heats it and removes the dross afloat on top, He peers down at the molten silver in search of … Himself. You see, the more dross He removes, the the more clearly He is able to behold His own image in the silvery molten liquid. So, He’s not interested in merely seeing a vague, incomplete image of Himself, He knows that in order to gain the most value from the finished product, He has to continue heating and refining the silver until it becomes like a mirror, a mirror in which He can see Himself reflected clearly. It’s OK to Amen right here. It’s OK to shout!
Imagine, just for a moment, no matter what you’re going through, that your Father in Heaven is examining you closely, looking for, with growing anticipation and welling love and satisfaction, His own image … in you! Selah.
Beloved, This passage of Proverbs, verse 1 through 10 speak to the benefit of growing in integrity, wisdom and grace as these words are applied in your life. Let us continually humble ourselves before the mighty hand of the Refiner, our Father, God, so that in due time we will be exalted for His Eternal purpose, reflecting His image, His glory throughout all creation. He’s not done raising us yet!
Blessings,
.wb
John 13:8
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
1 Peter 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Like a muddied spring or a polluted well are the righteous who give way to the wicked.
Proverbs 25:4
Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
Malachi 3:2
But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
Malachi 3:3
He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,
My son just turned 18 last week. Happy Birthday Jordan! You are a blessing. There’s not much more joy that can be had than the joy of parenthood. However, I think you will agree that parenthood does not come without significant challenges. Over the past couple of years, as Jordan has matured, he has challenged the authority of both, his mother and I. I remind myself during those times, “I’m not done raising him yet.” I’ve told him exactly that: “Son, I’m not done raising you yet!” (Notice the exclamation mark??) J Yes, I’ve repeated it time and time again, I've whispered it, I’ve yelled it, I’ve cooed it gently, I’ve muttered it under my breath as I walked away frustrated. Teenagers! Right?!?! (I have two). But that statement reflects my understanding that: He still has some growing up to do and I still have the blessed responsibility of seeing him through that process. He’s not there yet. Assuredly, he gets closer every day, but he’s not there yet. Neither am I. I pray every day that I continue to recognize that I have yet, a long, long way to go on this road toward my Father’s House. I really can hear him whisper, “I’m not done raising you yet.”
Allow me to explore the imagery from Proverbs 25:4 of the silversmith’s refining of silver. I was discussing this passage with Eric yesterday as I searched for a point of view from which to share this lesson with you today. Focusing in on the refining of silver, we talked about the necessity of heating the silver until the impurities (dross) floated to the top so that it could be removed by the refiner. So then, the refiner applies the heat, and he keeps applying the heat until he gets the desired results. Uncomfortable to think about isn’t it? The implication is, that if God, my Father, is not done ‘raising me’ yet, He will continue to apply more and more….heat, pressure, force, stress, (____ you fill in the blank) until what? I always have trouble with this kind off imagery, don’t you? Beloved, the Word is a Sword. What do swords do? The Word is a Hammer. What do hammers do? Jeremiah said the Word was like Fire, shut up in his bones. What does fire do? Am I making you uncomfortable?
But of course, as always, there’s a shout. Shout out to my brother Eric for pointing out, that in this refining process, the refiner’s expertise comes to fore. You see, the refiner, while refining the silver, stands over the heated silver (you and I Beloved) and He carefully examines it. He stands close and as He heats it and removes the dross afloat on top, He peers down at the molten silver in search of … Himself. You see, the more dross He removes, the the more clearly He is able to behold His own image in the silvery molten liquid. So, He’s not interested in merely seeing a vague, incomplete image of Himself, He knows that in order to gain the most value from the finished product, He has to continue heating and refining the silver until it becomes like a mirror, a mirror in which He can see Himself reflected clearly. It’s OK to Amen right here. It’s OK to shout!
Imagine, just for a moment, no matter what you’re going through, that your Father in Heaven is examining you closely, looking for, with growing anticipation and welling love and satisfaction, His own image … in you! Selah.
Beloved, This passage of Proverbs, verse 1 through 10 speak to the benefit of growing in integrity, wisdom and grace as these words are applied in your life. Let us continually humble ourselves before the mighty hand of the Refiner, our Father, God, so that in due time we will be exalted for His Eternal purpose, reflecting His image, His glory throughout all creation. He’s not done raising us yet!
Blessings,
.wb
John 13:8
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Titus 3:5
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
1 Peter 1:7
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Friday, September 16, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. 18, 2011: Teaching Values (Proverbs 15:21-33)
Isaiah 1:19
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Proverbs 15:31
Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.
James 1:25
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
First of all, allow me to thank you all and thank God for all of you. Thank you for your prayers. My wife, Patsy, is fine. The surgery was completely successful and she is home recovering. Her prognosis is the best it could possibly be: all of the suspect tissue was removed. All of the post-op pathology results are negative. In essence, all of the cancer was removed. Halleluiah! Thank God!
We serve. We serve God. We serve God, who cares. We serve God, who cares, and is able. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or even… think!!! According to the power that works within (you and I). {Eph. 3:20 paraphrased). Thank you for unleashing the very heart and power of God toward us (my family) through your thoughts and prayers. Take every good report (this one included) and use it as self encouragement to continue to fight the good fight of faith, to continue to see His Kingdom come and His Will be done in earth and in our own earthen vessels as His Will is done in Heaven. May you be Blessed to Bless. Remember: there’s nothing too hard for God or for God’s people (that’s you BelovedJ).
In this continued discussion of the Book of Proverbs, we find that God approaches us from the perspective of a Father: a Father who sees our past, present and future, all in a single glance, and provides the instruction necessary to avoid life’s pitfalls and complete our journey from our temporary to His Eternity. An example that comes to mind is that of an eagle, whose perspective, from a great distance above the earth, allows him to observe a vast area that you and I can’t enjoy with our feet planted firmly on the ground. From where we stand, at best we can only see from horizon to horizon, a few miles in any given direction. From the eagle’s viewpoint, high above earth allows him to see literally from unseen to unseen. God sees from the unseen to the unseen and asks us to trust Him to guide us, to deliver us unto Himself. If we will hear and obey, He promises that our lives will be fruitful and fulfilling, that we will have success in our endeavors, that we will enjoy His blessing.
From where I stand, if viewed from my perspective, the path ahead seems filled with obstacles and uncertainty. But from where God sits; enthroned on the circle of the Earth, His Word assures me that… everything is under His control. Isn’t that good news? The Bible doesn’t promise us a rose garden. The sinfulness of man has corrupted creation to the core. However, God promises that He will see us through. He promises us that we will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. He promises that nothing can separate us from Him. We have assurances that are interminable, incorruptible, immovable. What He has spoken will absolutely come to pass. These simple proverbs applied will provide spiritual wisdom and enlightenment that will bless you and allow you to bless all within your circle of influence. May His Kingdom come… through you!
Blessings,
.wb
Deuteronomy 32:9-12a
9 For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
10 In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them aloft.
12 The LORD alone led him…
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Proverbs 15:31
Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.
James 1:25
But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
First of all, allow me to thank you all and thank God for all of you. Thank you for your prayers. My wife, Patsy, is fine. The surgery was completely successful and she is home recovering. Her prognosis is the best it could possibly be: all of the suspect tissue was removed. All of the post-op pathology results are negative. In essence, all of the cancer was removed. Halleluiah! Thank God!
We serve. We serve God. We serve God, who cares. We serve God, who cares, and is able. He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or even… think!!! According to the power that works within (you and I). {Eph. 3:20 paraphrased). Thank you for unleashing the very heart and power of God toward us (my family) through your thoughts and prayers. Take every good report (this one included) and use it as self encouragement to continue to fight the good fight of faith, to continue to see His Kingdom come and His Will be done in earth and in our own earthen vessels as His Will is done in Heaven. May you be Blessed to Bless. Remember: there’s nothing too hard for God or for God’s people (that’s you BelovedJ).
In this continued discussion of the Book of Proverbs, we find that God approaches us from the perspective of a Father: a Father who sees our past, present and future, all in a single glance, and provides the instruction necessary to avoid life’s pitfalls and complete our journey from our temporary to His Eternity. An example that comes to mind is that of an eagle, whose perspective, from a great distance above the earth, allows him to observe a vast area that you and I can’t enjoy with our feet planted firmly on the ground. From where we stand, at best we can only see from horizon to horizon, a few miles in any given direction. From the eagle’s viewpoint, high above earth allows him to see literally from unseen to unseen. God sees from the unseen to the unseen and asks us to trust Him to guide us, to deliver us unto Himself. If we will hear and obey, He promises that our lives will be fruitful and fulfilling, that we will have success in our endeavors, that we will enjoy His blessing.
From where I stand, if viewed from my perspective, the path ahead seems filled with obstacles and uncertainty. But from where God sits; enthroned on the circle of the Earth, His Word assures me that… everything is under His control. Isn’t that good news? The Bible doesn’t promise us a rose garden. The sinfulness of man has corrupted creation to the core. However, God promises that He will see us through. He promises us that we will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. He promises that nothing can separate us from Him. We have assurances that are interminable, incorruptible, immovable. What He has spoken will absolutely come to pass. These simple proverbs applied will provide spiritual wisdom and enlightenment that will bless you and allow you to bless all within your circle of influence. May His Kingdom come… through you!
Blessings,
.wb
Deuteronomy 32:9-12a
9 For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance.
10 In a desert land he found him,
in a barren and howling waste.
He shielded him and cared for him;
he guarded him as the apple of his eye,
11 like an eagle that stirs up its nest
and hovers over its young,
that spreads its wings to catch them
and carries them aloft.
12 The LORD alone led him…
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. 11, 2011: Making Right Choices (Proverbs 4:1-27)
Job 12:13
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.
Job 9:4
His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
1 Corinthians 2:7
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
“Common Sense”. As a child, I didn’t have any. I had no inner, guiding ‘beacon’. No innate sense of ‘the right thing to do’. It was hard for me to understand sometimes (sometimes it still is). I can still hear my mom saying,” Wayne, don’t touch that iron. It’s hot!” right as I placed my whole hand on its surface. I still remember the blinding pain that came with that oneL Subsequently, as a child, my parents ‘watched’ me close. I was very ‘accident prone’. I can still hear my dad saying, “One of these days boy, you’re going to step off in a hole and break your @#$# neck!”, something I eventually almost accomplished… twice! In my time, I’ve fallen off buildings, capsized boats, wrecked cars, stumbled and fallen countless times (I’ve got the scars to prove it). I’ve done some dumb stuff and I’m blessed to still be here to tell you about it. For me, listening may have really been a matter of life and death.
God’s Word speaks to us in the same way and with the same intent that my parents words had when they instructed me as a child. Their words provided me a barrier of safety: a refuge of protection, sometimes from myself. They were really concerned for my long term safety and they actively worked to see to it that I made it to adulthood. Similarly, God provides for all of mankind, through His Word, a path to life, abundant life. We tend to go astray, like sheep, following our own whims and desires. We go with ‘what ever seems right’ in our own eyes, what ever feels good. The real problem is: paths of our own choosing will oftentimes lead us to our own … destruction. God knows this and loves us so much that He gave us His Word as a guide.
If we will choose God, if we will choose to obey His Word, He will give us the wisdom necessary for us to succeed in life; He promises us that. I eventually made it to adulthood and I eventually exchanged the guidance of my parents for the Wisdom of God’s Word. I hold it close to my heart, cherishing the intimacy with Him that His Word provides. God has something for each of us Beloved: Wisdom to accompany us along life’s journey. Does that mean that bad things won’t happen? No, not at all. It does mean however, that in the face of difficulty, God will be there with us. If we trust Him, He’ll see us through. The real beauty is that in God’s eventuality, eternal life and blessing await. I made it to adulthood with the guidance of my parents. We will make it to Eternity with God’s guidance. Get Wisdom: it’s the principal thing! Get it from God’s Word! Enjoy the lesson.
Blessings,
.wb
2 Chronicles 1:10
Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.
Job 9:4
His wisdom is profound, his power is vast. Who has resisted him and come out unscathed?
Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
Proverbs 4:7
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
1 Corinthians 2:7
No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
“Common Sense”. As a child, I didn’t have any. I had no inner, guiding ‘beacon’. No innate sense of ‘the right thing to do’. It was hard for me to understand sometimes (sometimes it still is). I can still hear my mom saying,” Wayne, don’t touch that iron. It’s hot!” right as I placed my whole hand on its surface. I still remember the blinding pain that came with that oneL Subsequently, as a child, my parents ‘watched’ me close. I was very ‘accident prone’. I can still hear my dad saying, “One of these days boy, you’re going to step off in a hole and break your @#$# neck!”, something I eventually almost accomplished… twice! In my time, I’ve fallen off buildings, capsized boats, wrecked cars, stumbled and fallen countless times (I’ve got the scars to prove it). I’ve done some dumb stuff and I’m blessed to still be here to tell you about it. For me, listening may have really been a matter of life and death.
God’s Word speaks to us in the same way and with the same intent that my parents words had when they instructed me as a child. Their words provided me a barrier of safety: a refuge of protection, sometimes from myself. They were really concerned for my long term safety and they actively worked to see to it that I made it to adulthood. Similarly, God provides for all of mankind, through His Word, a path to life, abundant life. We tend to go astray, like sheep, following our own whims and desires. We go with ‘what ever seems right’ in our own eyes, what ever feels good. The real problem is: paths of our own choosing will oftentimes lead us to our own … destruction. God knows this and loves us so much that He gave us His Word as a guide.
If we will choose God, if we will choose to obey His Word, He will give us the wisdom necessary for us to succeed in life; He promises us that. I eventually made it to adulthood and I eventually exchanged the guidance of my parents for the Wisdom of God’s Word. I hold it close to my heart, cherishing the intimacy with Him that His Word provides. God has something for each of us Beloved: Wisdom to accompany us along life’s journey. Does that mean that bad things won’t happen? No, not at all. It does mean however, that in the face of difficulty, God will be there with us. If we trust Him, He’ll see us through. The real beauty is that in God’s eventuality, eternal life and blessing await. I made it to adulthood with the guidance of my parents. We will make it to Eternity with God’s guidance. Get Wisdom: it’s the principal thing! Get it from God’s Word! Enjoy the lesson.
Blessings,
.wb
2 Chronicles 1:10
Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Sept. 4, 2011: Pursuing Righteousness (Proverbs 3)
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
September marks the beginning of a new year for the International Sunday School Lesson Standard. I was pleased to find that this year’s lesson schedule starts in the Book of Proverbs. Particularly, Proverbs, Chapter 3. There are several verses within this chapter that contain principles that are foundational in Christian thinking. So much so, that you learn them early, quote them often and recall them first when decision points in life arise. The verse above is one such verse. If there is one critical principle that need be applied in the life of the believer daily, it is intimated in the scripture above; that God is the center of all, and that we should acknowledge Him at every bend in the path of Life.
While discussing the lesson with Eric, I offered an illustration that I’d like to share with you. Last week, my wife and I had an appointment to see her doctor. She has very recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and on that particular day she had a number of tests to undergo as we prepare for surgery (coming next week). The tests ran longer than expected, into early afternoon. In addition, Patsy (my wife) would require further tests in Richardson the next day. We live in Lewisville, and because she is unfamiliar with Richardson, I decided, that rather than return to work, I would take the remainder of the afternoon off and take her to find the testing center in Richardson ahead of time, so that she wouldn’t have to deal with the added stress of trying to find the location in unfamiliar surroundings. I recently purchased a new truck and it is equipped with the ONSTAR navigational system (you think you know where this is going, don’t you? :)). I really enjoy the GPS feature of ONSTAR, I push the button, tell the ONSTAR attendant where I want to go, they download the directions to my vehicle and away we go. In my illustration to Eric, I was describing how that when I use this GPS feature, I don’t ‘think’ anymore about my eventual destination, I just enjoy the journey. I don’t ‘check out’ intellectually, I’m still driving responsibly, still watching the road, observing my surroundings, but I’m not ‘sweating’ my eventual arrival. I know I’ll get there. At this moment my hands are working, I’m searching for the right words, trying to express the thought as best I can when Eric stops me and with a soft chuckle say’s, “ Do you know what you just described?” “What?”, I asked. “Peace” , he replied. The moment he ‘spoke’ it, I ‘felt’ it. A wave of ‘Peace’ swept over me. The very peace I was attempting to describe, or a shadow of it. At that moment I was struck by the feeling I was experiencing versus the day to day stress that I feel as life’s daily challenges roll my way. Eric’s next comment was as profound,. As I was describing this very prescient moment, he said, “You know why you feel that?” “ Because you over rode ….. you!” He was exactly right! Though I claim that I’m some what a mature believer, I can fall prey to succumbing, little by little over time, to the pressure of trying to maintain control of my life and responsibilities. Little by little peace, real peace, the Peace of God escapes me. If I’m not continually focused on God, I can begin to focus on the ‘stuff’ that surrounds me and the Serenity that God promises me in His Holy Word will escape me. What must I do?
Beloved, as we start this year’s sessions, let’s remember to, on a daily basis, spend a few quality moments seeking the face of our Father. A few moments, everyday, to acquire from our Father God the Peace that surpasses understanding, the Wisdom that surpasses knowledge. For a few quality moments everyday, let us taste from the fruit of the Tree of Life, partake of the Fruit of the Spirit so that, as life’s challenges come our way, we may exhibit the character of Christ and experience the Peace He gives to all that will hold on to His unchanging Hand. I’m dancing in the ‘Holy Ghost’ with his sleeves hanging off the ends of my arms:)
Blessings,
.wb
P.S. Please keep our family in your prayers. Patsy has some challenges ahead, but it’s not our first rodeo. The beauty of the Christian experience over time is that God shows up time after time. And, He’s always ‘right on time’. When you’ve walked with Him for a while, you come to know, really know that He’s willing and that He’s able. He’s able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask, or really even think. Isn’t that ‘Good News’? Be encouraged Beloved. We are.
Shalom (Peace) :)
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
September marks the beginning of a new year for the International Sunday School Lesson Standard. I was pleased to find that this year’s lesson schedule starts in the Book of Proverbs. Particularly, Proverbs, Chapter 3. There are several verses within this chapter that contain principles that are foundational in Christian thinking. So much so, that you learn them early, quote them often and recall them first when decision points in life arise. The verse above is one such verse. If there is one critical principle that need be applied in the life of the believer daily, it is intimated in the scripture above; that God is the center of all, and that we should acknowledge Him at every bend in the path of Life.
While discussing the lesson with Eric, I offered an illustration that I’d like to share with you. Last week, my wife and I had an appointment to see her doctor. She has very recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, and on that particular day she had a number of tests to undergo as we prepare for surgery (coming next week). The tests ran longer than expected, into early afternoon. In addition, Patsy (my wife) would require further tests in Richardson the next day. We live in Lewisville, and because she is unfamiliar with Richardson, I decided, that rather than return to work, I would take the remainder of the afternoon off and take her to find the testing center in Richardson ahead of time, so that she wouldn’t have to deal with the added stress of trying to find the location in unfamiliar surroundings. I recently purchased a new truck and it is equipped with the ONSTAR navigational system (you think you know where this is going, don’t you? :)). I really enjoy the GPS feature of ONSTAR, I push the button, tell the ONSTAR attendant where I want to go, they download the directions to my vehicle and away we go. In my illustration to Eric, I was describing how that when I use this GPS feature, I don’t ‘think’ anymore about my eventual destination, I just enjoy the journey. I don’t ‘check out’ intellectually, I’m still driving responsibly, still watching the road, observing my surroundings, but I’m not ‘sweating’ my eventual arrival. I know I’ll get there. At this moment my hands are working, I’m searching for the right words, trying to express the thought as best I can when Eric stops me and with a soft chuckle say’s, “ Do you know what you just described?” “What?”, I asked. “Peace” , he replied. The moment he ‘spoke’ it, I ‘felt’ it. A wave of ‘Peace’ swept over me. The very peace I was attempting to describe, or a shadow of it. At that moment I was struck by the feeling I was experiencing versus the day to day stress that I feel as life’s daily challenges roll my way. Eric’s next comment was as profound,. As I was describing this very prescient moment, he said, “You know why you feel that?” “ Because you over rode ….. you!” He was exactly right! Though I claim that I’m some what a mature believer, I can fall prey to succumbing, little by little over time, to the pressure of trying to maintain control of my life and responsibilities. Little by little peace, real peace, the Peace of God escapes me. If I’m not continually focused on God, I can begin to focus on the ‘stuff’ that surrounds me and the Serenity that God promises me in His Holy Word will escape me. What must I do?
Beloved, as we start this year’s sessions, let’s remember to, on a daily basis, spend a few quality moments seeking the face of our Father. A few moments, everyday, to acquire from our Father God the Peace that surpasses understanding, the Wisdom that surpasses knowledge. For a few quality moments everyday, let us taste from the fruit of the Tree of Life, partake of the Fruit of the Spirit so that, as life’s challenges come our way, we may exhibit the character of Christ and experience the Peace He gives to all that will hold on to His unchanging Hand. I’m dancing in the ‘Holy Ghost’ with his sleeves hanging off the ends of my arms:)
Blessings,
.wb
P.S. Please keep our family in your prayers. Patsy has some challenges ahead, but it’s not our first rodeo. The beauty of the Christian experience over time is that God shows up time after time. And, He’s always ‘right on time’. When you’ve walked with Him for a while, you come to know, really know that He’s willing and that He’s able. He’s able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask, or really even think. Isn’t that ‘Good News’? Be encouraged Beloved. We are.
Shalom (Peace) :)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for August 28, 2011: Caring for One Another (Ruth 4:1-10)
Ruth 4:17
The neighborhood women started calling him "Naomi's baby boy!" But his real name was Obed (Servant). Obed was the father of Jesse (Possessor), and Jesse the father of David (Beloved). ` (parenthesis mine’s)
Lamentations 3:58
You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.
Isaiah 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
Just a moment. This story starts with Naomi. Let’s finish it there. You see, we relate to Ruth’s story: a stranger in a strange land grafted into the Promise, a beautiful picture of us being grafted literally into the Body of Christ, into the well from which Eternal Life springs, into the House of God. But let’s not look past Naomi. Naomi, too, returned from a foreign land, but to what? Without a husband, without sons, what would become of her? An elderly widow with no visible means of lasting support, no immediate family save the foreign born widow of her deceased son, When Boaz approached the near-kinsman redeemer who was closer to Naomi in relationship than he (Boaz), that near kinsman (un-named) was in a win-win situation. Sure he would buy Naomi’s property and, in essence, the responsibility for Naomi’s care along with it. I can’t question his purpose or integrity. He was doing exactly what was required of a wealthy kinsman according to the law. But when Naomi passed, what would remain of the house of Elimelech and Naomi? What would become of their ‘legacy’? Quite simply, the name of Elimelech and Naomi would vanish, as though they had never been.
When faced with the prospect of having to also ‘redeem’ the widow of Naomi’s son and having to, by law, bear a son by her and pass the inheritance of the deceased to that son as a way of continuing the legacy and name of the deceased, it was too much for him take on. He became fearful that he would put his own property, legacy and inheritance at risk. However, when Boaz, stepped in and took on the responsibility of redeeming Ruth and Boaz, he made it a certainty that Naomi and Elimelech would be remembered, a real picture of eternal life promised to us in Christ.
Beloved, when Christ ‘redeemed’ us, He gave us an eternal inheritance. He writes our name in the Book of Life, He throws our sin into the ‘sea of Forgetfulness’ and remembers them no more. When Christ redeemed us, He took us from a place where we had no eternal sustenance and literally plugged us into … Himself. He is the Vine, the Source of all Life. When He saved us, we were hopeless, cutoff and ashamed. Literally ‘Despair-ate’… Desperate! In the moment we believed, He put Heaven in our grasp and all that entails. He Blessed us, and when God, Almighty, Blesses, you are Blessed!
Eternity awaits us, the promise of a Future and a Hope. Rejoice as Naomi did. She was given a ‘son’, a hope, a future, a name that would last. Beloved, you’ve been given the Son (Christ)! Rejoice!
Blessings,
.wb
Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
The neighborhood women started calling him "Naomi's baby boy!" But his real name was Obed (Servant). Obed was the father of Jesse (Possessor), and Jesse the father of David (Beloved). ` (parenthesis mine’s)
Lamentations 3:58
You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.
Isaiah 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
Just a moment. This story starts with Naomi. Let’s finish it there. You see, we relate to Ruth’s story: a stranger in a strange land grafted into the Promise, a beautiful picture of us being grafted literally into the Body of Christ, into the well from which Eternal Life springs, into the House of God. But let’s not look past Naomi. Naomi, too, returned from a foreign land, but to what? Without a husband, without sons, what would become of her? An elderly widow with no visible means of lasting support, no immediate family save the foreign born widow of her deceased son, When Boaz approached the near-kinsman redeemer who was closer to Naomi in relationship than he (Boaz), that near kinsman (un-named) was in a win-win situation. Sure he would buy Naomi’s property and, in essence, the responsibility for Naomi’s care along with it. I can’t question his purpose or integrity. He was doing exactly what was required of a wealthy kinsman according to the law. But when Naomi passed, what would remain of the house of Elimelech and Naomi? What would become of their ‘legacy’? Quite simply, the name of Elimelech and Naomi would vanish, as though they had never been.
When faced with the prospect of having to also ‘redeem’ the widow of Naomi’s son and having to, by law, bear a son by her and pass the inheritance of the deceased to that son as a way of continuing the legacy and name of the deceased, it was too much for him take on. He became fearful that he would put his own property, legacy and inheritance at risk. However, when Boaz, stepped in and took on the responsibility of redeeming Ruth and Boaz, he made it a certainty that Naomi and Elimelech would be remembered, a real picture of eternal life promised to us in Christ.
Beloved, when Christ ‘redeemed’ us, He gave us an eternal inheritance. He writes our name in the Book of Life, He throws our sin into the ‘sea of Forgetfulness’ and remembers them no more. When Christ redeemed us, He took us from a place where we had no eternal sustenance and literally plugged us into … Himself. He is the Vine, the Source of all Life. When He saved us, we were hopeless, cutoff and ashamed. Literally ‘Despair-ate’… Desperate! In the moment we believed, He put Heaven in our grasp and all that entails. He Blessed us, and when God, Almighty, Blesses, you are Blessed!
Eternity awaits us, the promise of a Future and a Hope. Rejoice as Naomi did. She was given a ‘son’, a hope, a future, a name that would last. Beloved, you’ve been given the Son (Christ)! Rejoice!
Blessings,
.wb
Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Aug. 21, 2011: Empowering the Needy (Ruth 2:8-18)
GOD moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Olney Hymns (1779)--'Light Shining out of Darkness'
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Ruth and Boaz: A love Story. Somewhere between all the ‘thee’s’ and ‘thou’s’ there is a very human story with very human interactions, attractions and outcomes. Long story short: Boaz got the girl. That’s really what this part of the Book of Ruth is about. Boaz is attracted to Ruth at first glance (for whatever reason you choose: spiritual or otherwise). He immediately takes steps to bring Ruth and Naomi into his sphere of influence. He tells his workers to see to it that she is treated with dignity, he tells Ruth not to glean elsewhere, but to glean in his fields, and then he sends her back to Naomi’s house with the equivalent of thirty days worth of grain. In my sanctified imagination, I think he was clueing Naomi in on what was on his mind. You may or may not agree with me, but God used very human circumstances to bring about His Providential will.
I asked my brother, the poet (my real brother) to ‘interpert’ this passage, Ruth 2:8:18. I think his offering is tastefully done. I offer it for your perusal…
Blessings,
.wb
Then Boaz said unto Ruth
go not to another field to harvest
but to my field of wheat and grain
reserved only for the maidservants
of my clan
Don't worry about the other men
taking your beauty as a sign
to get out of hand
harvest as much as you can stand
you will not be troubled
for this is my command
take what you must
drink from water already drawn
free from the fields of dust
i am a man and who you can trust
your happiness and well being
is a must
Ruth bowed to Boaz in gratitude
Thank you for your kindness to a mere stranger
what have i done to favor such attitude?
and Boaz answered in kind
I have watched you for a while
i must admit i like your style
the way you watched after your mother in law
after her husbands final fall
is the epitome of loyalty thats all
the Lord taketh away
but he also giveth
to those under whose wings pray
Ruth replied Boaz let me find favor in your eyes
for you have comforted me to no end
even though we are unfamiliar and no kin
And then Boaz declared
well let that be the reason that at meal time
you come to my table
in which to dine
Ruth did exactly that
bread dipped in vinegar
roasted corn simply devine
best feast she had eaten in a long time.
and when she was risen up to harvest
Boaz warned his young man
let her harvest and poach
this woman is off limits, above reproach
and if she falls short of the standard
leave her portion behind
and pay it no mind
speak to her only when spoken to
and always be kind
So Ruth harvested all day
and then went to the city
there she found her mother in law Naomi
Happy, but quite weary
and Ruth shared all that she had
true love for Naomi was all she ever had.
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Olney Hymns (1779)--'Light Shining out of Darkness'
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Ruth and Boaz: A love Story. Somewhere between all the ‘thee’s’ and ‘thou’s’ there is a very human story with very human interactions, attractions and outcomes. Long story short: Boaz got the girl. That’s really what this part of the Book of Ruth is about. Boaz is attracted to Ruth at first glance (for whatever reason you choose: spiritual or otherwise). He immediately takes steps to bring Ruth and Naomi into his sphere of influence. He tells his workers to see to it that she is treated with dignity, he tells Ruth not to glean elsewhere, but to glean in his fields, and then he sends her back to Naomi’s house with the equivalent of thirty days worth of grain. In my sanctified imagination, I think he was clueing Naomi in on what was on his mind. You may or may not agree with me, but God used very human circumstances to bring about His Providential will.
I asked my brother, the poet (my real brother) to ‘interpert’ this passage, Ruth 2:8:18. I think his offering is tastefully done. I offer it for your perusal…
Blessings,
.wb
Then Boaz said unto Ruth
go not to another field to harvest
but to my field of wheat and grain
reserved only for the maidservants
of my clan
Don't worry about the other men
taking your beauty as a sign
to get out of hand
harvest as much as you can stand
you will not be troubled
for this is my command
take what you must
drink from water already drawn
free from the fields of dust
i am a man and who you can trust
your happiness and well being
is a must
Ruth bowed to Boaz in gratitude
Thank you for your kindness to a mere stranger
what have i done to favor such attitude?
and Boaz answered in kind
I have watched you for a while
i must admit i like your style
the way you watched after your mother in law
after her husbands final fall
is the epitome of loyalty thats all
the Lord taketh away
but he also giveth
to those under whose wings pray
Ruth replied Boaz let me find favor in your eyes
for you have comforted me to no end
even though we are unfamiliar and no kin
And then Boaz declared
well let that be the reason that at meal time
you come to my table
in which to dine
Ruth did exactly that
bread dipped in vinegar
roasted corn simply devine
best feast she had eaten in a long time.
and when she was risen up to harvest
Boaz warned his young man
let her harvest and poach
this woman is off limits, above reproach
and if she falls short of the standard
leave her portion behind
and pay it no mind
speak to her only when spoken to
and always be kind
So Ruth harvested all day
and then went to the city
there she found her mother in law Naomi
Happy, but quite weary
and Ruth shared all that she had
true love for Naomi was all she ever had.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for Aug. 14, 2011: Making a Choice (Ruth 1:8-18)
Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Joshua 24:15
, …then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Proverbs 12:26
The righteous choose their friends carefully,
Proverbs 8:10
Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.
We are the sum of our choices. For as long as we’ve been out from under the constraint and control of our parents or guardians who reared us, it’s been our own, individual responsibility to choose our life’s path. This week’s lesson highlights that fact. Elimelech made a choice. He relocated his family to Moab in a time of famine. His sons chose Moabite women for wives. The nation of Israel strayed away from God in the time of the Judges and this is what that looked like. But now Elimelech was dead and his sons were dead, and it was time for Naomi to make a choice. She’d heard that God had visited Israel and brought her bread (sustenance). Should she stay in Moab, a widow, with no support system to sustain her? Or should she return to Israel and place herself at the mercy of God’s sovereign and providential will? Selah.
A good place to pause and reflect: should you or I remain in a place of abject misery and despair or should we throw ourselves at God’s feet and seek His tender Mercy? Many are the choices before us. Among them, the Father beckons. Choose the path He lays before you. In it are the blessings of eternal life. Naomi chose God. Beloved, there are no risks with God. When He beckons to you to step out on faith, be assured that where you step will be a solid place, a sturdy place.
Orpah and Ruth had choices to make. Orpah chose to stay in a place of familiarity. Though she too was a widow, the scripture infers that she had some family that remained in Moab. A new beginning would be tough, but doable. Ruth made a different choice: she chose to remain with Naomi. What fueled that relationship? What inspired Ruth to take on the unknown? I always fall back to the witness of Naomi. Her godly demeanor evoked great love from both of her daughter in laws. Make no mistake, both Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi deeply, and she loved them just as deeply. Separation would be hard. Ruth saw something in Naomi that she wanted more of. Were there more people with the demeanor and temperament of Naomi? Ruth was counting on it. Selah… another moment to pause and consider. What kind of temperament do we display when we meet the new employee in our workplace? A guest of a family member at the family outing? A visitor at Church? The first impression you leave could have eternal consequences. Be nice!
Ruth not only chose Naomi and Naomi’s people (Israel), but she chose the God that Naomi served. She too, had heard that God had visited Israel, bringing Life. Ruth chose Life. God was a stranger to Ruth, but Ruth was no stranger to God. He knew her from the beginning and He had a plan for her: a plan for a future and a hope. As we follow Ruth’s story over the next few weeks, we’ll see how God rewarded her choice. We’ll see that He is Caring, Faithful, Loving and Powerful. We’ll watch as He opens doors for Ruth because of her faithfulness and loyalty. We will find, in God, a Father who always blesses and never curses as He brought Ruth from a place of poverty to a position of honor and blessing in Israel and a place of relationship with Him. Beloved, God wants nothing more than to bless you and to make Himself known to you. He may be or may have been a stranger to you, but He calls you Friend. Don’t be hesitant. He means you no harm, only blessing. Choose His direction at every turn in the path. Naomi did. Ruth did. They found and God demonstrated that He could be trusted entirely. Selah!.. pause and consider. The scriptures were inspired by God, breathed by the Spirit, recorded for our benefit. God left them as a witness of His faithfulness. He demonstrated complete love to a complete stranger: Ruth and He recorded it for our benefit, so that we would know… that we can trust Him. Choose God and Live.
Blessings,
-wb
James 1:16
So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.
Matthew 22:14
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 11:27
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
Ephesians 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Joshua 24:15
, …then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Proverbs 12:26
The righteous choose their friends carefully,
Proverbs 8:10
Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.
We are the sum of our choices. For as long as we’ve been out from under the constraint and control of our parents or guardians who reared us, it’s been our own, individual responsibility to choose our life’s path. This week’s lesson highlights that fact. Elimelech made a choice. He relocated his family to Moab in a time of famine. His sons chose Moabite women for wives. The nation of Israel strayed away from God in the time of the Judges and this is what that looked like. But now Elimelech was dead and his sons were dead, and it was time for Naomi to make a choice. She’d heard that God had visited Israel and brought her bread (sustenance). Should she stay in Moab, a widow, with no support system to sustain her? Or should she return to Israel and place herself at the mercy of God’s sovereign and providential will? Selah.
A good place to pause and reflect: should you or I remain in a place of abject misery and despair or should we throw ourselves at God’s feet and seek His tender Mercy? Many are the choices before us. Among them, the Father beckons. Choose the path He lays before you. In it are the blessings of eternal life. Naomi chose God. Beloved, there are no risks with God. When He beckons to you to step out on faith, be assured that where you step will be a solid place, a sturdy place.
Orpah and Ruth had choices to make. Orpah chose to stay in a place of familiarity. Though she too was a widow, the scripture infers that she had some family that remained in Moab. A new beginning would be tough, but doable. Ruth made a different choice: she chose to remain with Naomi. What fueled that relationship? What inspired Ruth to take on the unknown? I always fall back to the witness of Naomi. Her godly demeanor evoked great love from both of her daughter in laws. Make no mistake, both Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi deeply, and she loved them just as deeply. Separation would be hard. Ruth saw something in Naomi that she wanted more of. Were there more people with the demeanor and temperament of Naomi? Ruth was counting on it. Selah… another moment to pause and consider. What kind of temperament do we display when we meet the new employee in our workplace? A guest of a family member at the family outing? A visitor at Church? The first impression you leave could have eternal consequences. Be nice!
Ruth not only chose Naomi and Naomi’s people (Israel), but she chose the God that Naomi served. She too, had heard that God had visited Israel, bringing Life. Ruth chose Life. God was a stranger to Ruth, but Ruth was no stranger to God. He knew her from the beginning and He had a plan for her: a plan for a future and a hope. As we follow Ruth’s story over the next few weeks, we’ll see how God rewarded her choice. We’ll see that He is Caring, Faithful, Loving and Powerful. We’ll watch as He opens doors for Ruth because of her faithfulness and loyalty. We will find, in God, a Father who always blesses and never curses as He brought Ruth from a place of poverty to a position of honor and blessing in Israel and a place of relationship with Him. Beloved, God wants nothing more than to bless you and to make Himself known to you. He may be or may have been a stranger to you, but He calls you Friend. Don’t be hesitant. He means you no harm, only blessing. Choose His direction at every turn in the path. Naomi did. Ruth did. They found and God demonstrated that He could be trusted entirely. Selah!.. pause and consider. The scriptures were inspired by God, breathed by the Spirit, recorded for our benefit. God left them as a witness of His faithfulness. He demonstrated complete love to a complete stranger: Ruth and He recorded it for our benefit, so that we would know… that we can trust Him. Choose God and Live.
Blessings,
-wb
James 1:16
So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.
Matthew 22:14
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 11:27
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
Ephesians 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
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