Month: June 2018

Digging in Deeper: Joshua 5:13-14 Part 1

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“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand.  And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’  And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord.  Now I have come.’  And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, ‘What does my lord say to his servant?'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

When we prepare to fight the battles we are facing, we draw lines and put people on one side or the other.  We look at each person we encounter as either an enemy or an ally.  This is natural.  People have always done it.  But, as Joshua learned here, while we may be able to do this with people, when it comes to the Lord, we must ask a different question: Are we on His side? Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Judges 14:4

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“His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines.  At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Certainly God can help us by working with or even through us.  But did you know that He can help us and the people around us by working in spite of us?  He can use our character flaws and failings to His glory. Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Judges 11:30-31

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“And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, ‘If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Here we see yet another dark chapter in the record of the judges.  Jephthah was a scoundrel and an outlaw.  When the leaders of Gilead sought him out, they had not sought the Lord.  In fact, although we are told near the end of chapter 10 that the Lord had grown impatient over their misery, He had told them rather explicitly that He was not going to come and save them this time because they had shown over and over again their dogged intention to reject Him.  He does relent a bit and helps the guy they foolishly choose win the battle, but beyond that He does not have a hand in the events here. Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Judges 13:13

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“And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, ‘Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful.'”  (ESV – Read the chapter)

Manoah didn’t believe his wife.  The text doesn’t come right out and say this, but I suspect that’s what was really going on here.  And think about why: In that culture a childless couple was considered cursed by God.  It was a step worse than a couple who couldn’t have a son.  This was the life of Manoah and his wife.  Then she comes to him out of the blue and announces that God told her she’s going to get pregnant and have a son and that the son is going to save Israel from the Philistines who had been oppressing them for a generation.  This would be a little like someone coming and telling you he had a dream that you were going to get that big promotion at work and a big raise and you won the lottery as well.  Naturally, he was suspicious. Read the rest…

Steep Rates

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This past Sunday we began a new teaching series called Hard Sayings.  For the next few weeks we are going to be examining some of the hard things Jesus said to see if we can’t make some sense out of them.  We’ll see if perhaps even though they are hard, they’re also just as important for us to know as some of the easier things like, “For God so loved the world…”  Stay tuned in the weeks ahead as we journey together to see that everything Jesus said is important…even if we don’t like the way it sounds at first.

 

Steep Rates

What are some of your favorite sayings of Jesus?  Just shout them out as you think of them if you are willing.  As I was sitting writing this a few stood out to me: “I am the good shepherd;” “I will be with you always, even to the very end of the age;” “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest;” “Do not be anxious about your life;” “For God so loved the world…” “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do;” “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it;” and there are probably more, but these are what came to mind first.  Those are all really nice and encouraging sayings.  It would be great if the things Jesus said were pretty much limited to these kinds of things.  You know what I’m talking about: things such as, “I love you,” “I’ll take care of you,” “I’ll give you eternal life,” and the like. Read the rest…