SISTER STUDY . . . Going Through the Bible in One Year
You Gotta’ Believe
ROMANS 9:25 - 10:13
(July 26)
"You gotta' believe" has been a common phrase in my family for many years. When my Emmie was about 8, she would go with me to meetings that I attended with her uncle. Often, she would ask me to take her for a Slurpee after the meeting. And often, I would tell her "No".
She would look at her uncle with those big gray eyes of her and ask him to pray for her that she would get a slurpee. So, he would pray with her that she would get one. Then he would tell her, "You gotta' believe!"
Tell me, Ladies ... what's a mama to do when she is trying to teach her little girl the power of prayer, and she is praying for a slurpee and believing for it?
Well... this mama would get the slurpee. Yes, I caved to the pressure. Yes, I gave in almost every time. But I wanted my little girl to believe in the power of prayer, even if it took something as trivial as an answered slurpee prayer to help her on that journey.
Having that faith, that belief in God, is so important to our Christian walk. Where would we be without it? You see, I could teach her all I could about God, his commandments and expectations, and share scripture with her every single day. But until she had that faith for herself, it was just words.
Paul is giving this same message today about faith. He is reminding the reader that there are no people who don't have access to him. Just because a person knows the bible inside and out and knows the commandments and laws of the Word, doesn't mean they have that faith.
Faith is being sure of what you can't see. It is easy to be sure of what you can see (or read). So, the law of Moses was something the Israelites could be sure of. It was what they were raised to know. But did they truly have faith? Sadly, the number of Jews who truly had faith was small.
Then we have the Gentiles, who did not have the law to live by. They were not considered "God's People", yet they believed. Their faith was strong.
Faith is the true measure of our Christian hearts. It is the only way to a true and lasting relationship with the Lord. There are no limitations placed on race, gender, nationality, or any other factor. Romans 10:9 sums it up so easily for us all,
"If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved."
Verse 13: "Everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved."
Yes, it really is that easy. Yes, it really is that complex. That utter assurance that Jesus is Lord because of the sacrifice made, and that it was made for forgiveness of your sins... it is easy for some to believe and harder for some to wrap their minds around.
No matter how you get to that point ... easily or with struggle ... the hope is that you get to that calm assurance and faith, because that is what unites you with the Lord.
Times may get tough. Pain may come. You may struggle through difficult situations. But joy comes in the morning, so You Gotta' Believe!
Dark Times … Drastic Measures
One Year Bible (July 26)
2 Chronicles 17:1-18:34
Dark Times…Drastic Measures
The ratings at the box office will tell you that our culture just loves a superhero!
Each Marvel movie is just a sell-out!! Even the popcorn tastes better with the good guy winning!
People actually took a vote for the top Marvel Superheroes. Can you guess the top five?
Here’s the countdown: 5) Captain America, 4) Ironman, 3) The Hulk, 2) Thor…. And in First Place, as Mr. Popular Avenger is…. Spiderman.!!!
Every generation needs a hero!
Today, we are going to go back and talk more about “Asa the Avenger” who was a Judean action figure. (Except for the fact that he wasn’t a Comic Character. He was the Real Deal!)
Asa, King of Judah, was Abijah’s son during the DARKEST of TIMES!
“During those dark times, it was not safe to travel. Problems troubled the people of every land. Nation fought against nation, and city against city, FOR GOD, WAS TROUBLING THEM WITH EVERY KIND OF PROBLEM. (2 Chronicles 15:5-6)
Does God cause men to sin? No, absolutely not!
Does he know how to “CLEAN HOUSE”? I will let you read the bolded print for yourself…
What about rest and peace? “For the Lord was giving him REST from his enemies.” (14:6)
Listen to the admonition from God given to Asa during this very dark time, “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” (15:7)
In every dark season, God directs a Deliverer…
Let’s look at what God directs “Asa the Avenger” to do to deliver the people. (14-16)
Destroyed Idols: He removed pagan idols, and foreign shrines, and smashed sacred pillars, incense altars, and Asherah poles. This was “Spring Cleaning” superhero style!
Devoted to Prayer: King Asa SOUGHT the Lord and did what was good and pleasing in HIS sight. (14:2) He CRIED OUT to the LORD his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you.” (14:11)King Asa SOUGHT the Lord and did what was good and pleasing in HIS sight. (14:2) He CRIED OUT to the LORD his God, “O Lord, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! O Lord our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O Lord, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you.” (14:11)
Depended on God: Listen to the advice given to Asa from Azariah through the Spirit of God, “The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.” (15:2)
As King Asa depended on God for directions he “Fortified the Walls” for the people’s protection.
We often think of actual walls and he did just that. We lock our front doors and our cars and protect our computers with security, but what about our hearts and minds?
King Asa learned that there is more to security than just placing a wall around a city. What if the enemy comes from within?
Here is what Asa learned, “For a long time Israel was without the TRUE GOD, without a PRIEST to TEACH them, and without the LAW to INSTRUCT them".
Not only did they need their WALLS FORTIFIED, but they also needed the FOUNDATION OF GOD!
Asa was an Amazing Avenger in “his day”. All the people returned to God and made a whole-hearted covenant to follow in his ways at the threat of death and he removed his grandmother, the Queen Mother because she had made an obscene Asherah pole.
These were DRASTIC MEASURES for DRASTIC TIMES.
Remember the Marvel Super Heroes? I did a little research on their Share Weakness. Pym accomplished weakening ALL of them through…SHRINKING TECHNOLOGY. He played off of a single weakness in EVERY SINGLE ONE of them… EXCESS HUBRIS!
That's a fancy way of saying, “Excessive Pride or Self-Confidence”.
Asa followed God all of his life, but in his later years, he made an unwise alliance with a godless king because he was afraid. He used the temple treasures as a bribe for protection. We are also told that he was confronted and called a “fool’ for this decision and he threw Hanani in prison and put him in stocks for his admonition.
“Pride comes before Fall”. (Prov. 16:18)
Next, he contracted a severe foot disease and sought medical doctors over God’s advice. The medical practice of this day was a mixture of superstition and folk remedies.
This is just another reminder to us of the dangers of EXCESS HUBRIS or PRIDE!
Dark Times Demand Drastic Measures…Every Super Hero is NOTHING...
WITHOUT A SUPERNATURAL GOD!
A Heart Spoken For
ROMANS 9: 1-224
(July 25)
Covered by your divine
Child of the risen Lord
To hear you say "This one's mine"
My heart is spoken for
"Spoken For" is a song by MercyMe that I absolutely love! There is something so sweet and special about knowing that God looks at me ... he looks at you ... and he says, "This one's mine."
Have you ever done that with your own child? I know I have. For years, I was known as "Cody's mom". Everywhere I went, that was how I was recognized. My son was a solid athlete and all-around cool dude, and it was an honor to be known as his mom.
Even after he had long left his hometown for bigger things... I was still "Cody's mom". This went on for years, until one day I walked into 7-11 and someone said, "Hey, aren't you Jovanney's mom?" I just laughed and said, "Yes, I am." Then I went home, called the older boy, and told him he had been ousted by his little brother!
The funny thing about this is that Cody is my oldest biological child. There were four of those little darlings in my life and I thought I was finished with all that. But God had other plans and brought me three little siblings to adopt. Jovanney is the middle one of those three.
So, you see, I was recognized as my biological son's mom, and as my adopted son's mom. There was no difference, no partiality based on who the child was or where he had come from. I am just a mama, and they are both my sons. And my heart is spoken for by both of them.
Paul is trying to tell us that God is not a God of partiality. Even though the people of Israel were his chosen people, they still turned away from him time and time again. But he loved them anyways and he always had a plan for their lives.
God had promised Abraham that his descendants would cover the earth. Did that mean those born to him? Not exclusively. Abraham's descendants weren't necessarily children of God. It was the children of the promise God made to Abraham that were considered to be his children. (You remember that promise ... that Sarah would have a son, even though they were both getting WAAAAY up there in age.) So it was through Isaac that these descendants became children of Abraham.
Paul uses the example of Jacob and Esau (Isaac's sons with Rebekah). God chose Jacob to continue the family line because he knew Jacob's heart was for God. Even though Esau was technically older. This didn't keep Esau from knowing and loving God. It just meant that God chose it to be this way for his own purpose.
God is always working for our good and his purpose, even when we don't understand his reasons.
If you remember from OT reading, God blessed Israel greatly. But even after all those blessings, they still failed. They rejected Jesus and crucified him. Even Paul, in his early days, was guilty of condemning the Christians.
Does this failure of Israel mean that God failed? NO WAY! It just shows us that God is faithful no matter what people do with his work. This shows us that salvation is God's work, not man's. Only God could offer this eternal life to people who had failed him so much.
It is that same God that offers us eternal life, even though we fail him daily in ways big and small. It doesn't matter whose child we are, what the order of our birth is, if we are biological children or adopted. None of us are worth more than the other. The Creator has created each of us for his great purpose. No matter who we are or where we come from, our hearts are spoken for by the one true God.
Surrounded: Overthrow the Foe
One Year Bible (July 25)
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
“Surrounded: Overthrow the Foe”
“It may look like I’m surrounded. But I’m surrounded by You.”
("Fight My Battles" Michael W. Smith)
Abijah’s “War of Words” has left him surrounded on all sides. In fact, I guess you could say that his little four-point sermon fell flat in persuading his enemy, the armies of Israel, to surrender voluntarily. (13: 4-12)
Every homiletically sound pastor has been trained to have a three-point sermon, but Abijah has four. He is an over-achiever it seems.
First, he defended the right of David’s house to rule Israel.
Secondly, he belittled Jeroboam and pointed out “worthless men” who aided in his rebellion.
Thirdly, he called Jeroboam out on their “calf-worship”.
Fourth, he warned Israel that if they fought against the true worshippers of God (The Nation of Judah) they would be defeated.
Was Abijah sound in his preaching? It seems to be “right on” but let’s look a little bit closer. Was he correct when he declared that David’s house had the right to rule ALL of Israel?
No, this was a half-truth. God, himself had divided the kingdom as a discipline and handed a large part of it over to Jeroboam. God had sent two prophets to enforce the division.
( I Kings15:4,5; 2 Chronicles 21:7)
Was Abijah correct when he blamed “two scoundrels” for the takeover of his father’s kingdom? That was also a falsehood. It was actually his father, Rehoboam who inadvertently caused the northern side to rebel when he put unreasonable burdens on the people.
Ultimately it was God’s part to deliver them over to discipline by allowing them to become two kingdoms.
Was Abijah correct in rebuking them for “worshiping the calves”? He was quite right that Jeroboam had established religion of his own making and was supporting their worship of Idols. Right on!
There was only one problem with Abijah’s closing point. He, himself, was not convicted because he allowed similar idol worship in his own land.
Remember my story from yesterday about Paulo in “The Lizzy McGuire Movie”. My daughter was enthralled with his good looks, charisma, and singing. There was only one big problem. While Paulo accused his co-performer of ‘lip-synching”, he was the one who really couldn’t sing!
Abijah is “Lip Synching” the songs of his ancestor David. He knows the right words but is missing the message in his heart. His life lacks validity and his words to Jeroboam lack power, and so he finds his entire city surrounded with NO WAY OUT!
In spite of Abijah’s rousing little speech, the Bible records him as a “Bad King”.
If you were God would you rescue him, and give him a “C” for Convincing?
Let’s look at what happens, “Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the LORD. The priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands.” (2 Chronicles 13: 14-16)
Five hundred thousand choice men of Israel fell that day, a huge price to pay for turning away from God. Abijah acquired additional territory and “grew in strength”, and Jeroboam was later struck down by the LORD. (13:21)
Look at why God rescued his people when they had no hope.
Who cried out for help? God’s people, Judah.
Who led their armies? The priests blew their trumpets. They were spiritually led into battle not by politics but by the men of God who were worshipping and seeking God.
Who won the battle? The Lord Almighty completely rescued his people when they were completely surrounded and without hope.
King Abijah only reigned for 3 Long Years! Perhaps, he went on tour with the Greek Theatre to continue his hypocritical Lip Sync business. As you can see from our reading today, his son, Asa will now rule as a GOOD king for Judah for 41 years.
I see powerful thoughts in this passage. Although they had a king that wasn’t seeking God, the priests and people were seeking him.
Sometimes we may look at our country and feel hopeless because our “Lip Syncing leaders” are not seeking God as they should. This passage should wake us up to the power that we have as believers.
Tony Evans says this, “For Israel, the way things worked in society was determined by the way things worked or did not work in the temple. So, in the event that God left the temple, the problems showed up in the streets.,, We must understand that if God doesn’t see the church getting things right, it doesn’t matter whom we elect to the White House. Both judgment and healing start with the household of God”. (The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, P. 428)
We may be surrounded on every side such as the nation of Judah, but when we lead with worship, praise, and obedience, our God can OVERTHROW ANY FOE!
“It may look like I’m surrounded. But I’m surrounded by You.”
(Fight My Battles. Michael W. Smith)
Just Like Him
ROMANS 8: 26-39
(July 24)
Have you ever been told you are just like your father? Or your mother?
If I had a dime for every time I have heard this in my life! It is typically my behaviors that are thought to be just like my mother. Those crazy sayings passed down from one generation to another. Perhaps my stubbornness and work ethic. And my hands ... most definitely my hands.
I am more like my father when it comes to my abilities. My father was a writer. I am a writer. My faither played the guitar. I love to play my guitar. My father was a dreamer, so am I.
I see some of these attributes playing out in my own children now. Things about me, and those who came before me, that are written in the expressions of their faces, or the behavior played out in their lives.
I am getting such joy in watching my grandson look and act more like his daddy as he grows from toddler into sweet little boy. His smile reminds me of a smile that melted my heart so many years ago (and still does). His behavior mimics that of both his daddy and his uncle so often that I have to chuckle.
This portion of Paul's letter shows us how we are so like our Father in Heaven. He knew us before we were even born, and he chose us to be like his Son, so that when Jesus came to earth, he would be amongst brothers and sisters.
Those whom he chose, he called. Those whom he called, he gave right standing, and by doing so, gave them glory. That is me! That is you! That is all believers!
Nothing can come against us because we are created by the Father, like the Father. Jesus is there, pleading for us in every situation, and there is no condemnation.
Nothing can ever separate us from the love of Jesus. No matter what we go through in this life, he will be there. Not Satan or any other power from hell can keep us down when we have Jesus.
God looks at us with the same love and protection that he looks at Jesus. He loves us just as he loved Jesus. He pours into us through the Holy Spirit, guiding us and directing us, even in our prayers. Why? Because he created us in his own image. He created us to be Just Like Him.
Surrounded: The War of Words
One Year Bible (July 24)
2 Chronicles 11:1-13:22
Surrounded: “The War of Words”
Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “The church is filled with hypocrites.”
I like to think of it like this, "Just because I hang around in a GARAGE doesn't make me a CAR."
The word, “hypocrisy” comes from a Greek origin and means, “acting a theatrical part”.
Do you know the history of theatre?
Several hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Grecian Theatre was carved from a hillside seating thousands. Does this surprise you? It surprised me. I really hadn’t thought of there being theatre before the time of Christ or what influence it had on the culture.
Today in theatres we still see the mask symbols of comedy and tragedy. It all started in the city of Athens in the year 535 BC. The city had just built the first theatre in the world--the iconic Theater of Dionysus. The people stepped on this first stage wearing masks. Ancient Greek actors wore masks in the theater because it was a cultural tradition. The first plays evolved from the rituals of worshipping the god Dionysos.
I tell you this because I believe that it is important for us to realize how much this culture and society was inundated with the worship of idols. They had come to accept them, promote them, and cohabitate with people of idolatry. They were SURROUNDED!
Perhaps, we have been SURROUNDED as well in our culture today… Just follow social media and news channels to hear “The War of Words”. There are “masks” everywhere.
Who and What are we to believe?
When our daughter, Chelsea, was very little, she and her cousin got in a “little disagreement” over a theatre production. The show is called, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie”. The main character is named “Paolo Valisari, who mistakes Lizzie for his singing partner, Isabella Parigi. I must admit that from a little girl’s eyes, this guy is a real “Dream Boat Afloat”. He was suave, “good lookin’” (Chelsea’s word for him), sang, and rode a motor scooter. He was a real catch!
She and her cousin argued for a very long time about whether he was a “good guy” or a “bad guy”. Chelsea’s cousin tried to tell her, “But Chelsea, he tricked Isabella, lip-synced, and tried to frame and embarrass her!” Our little girl was unpersuaded. She had “stars in her eyes" because he was “good lookin’” and soooooo smooth!!
He was a Hypocrite… playing a part!
Today’s message tells of a time when Judah was surrounded by the nation of Israel. There seemed to be NO WAY OUT!
How did they get in this position and how did they get out?
This story starts with a sneak peek at the “BOAM BROTHERS”. (BAMN!)
Now, they are not actual brothers, mind you, but they are related in lineage through the line of David. They are now kings of opposite sides of the fence…
King Jeroboam ruled the Northern Kingdom, and all of their kings were evil. King Rehoboam ruled the Southern Kingdom (the descendants of King David). They had more good kings than bad kings. However, many of them started out well but finished poorly.
Today’s message begins with “The BOAM BRO’S”, Jeroboam and Rehoboam. God sends word to Rehoboam, “You shall not go up or fight against your relatives, return every man to his house, for “THIS THING” is from me.” (11:4)
As you may recall from our study in 1 and 11 Kings, it was God who divided the kingdom due to the sin of the people. He gave over a LARGE part of the kingdom to Jeroboam. “This Thing”-the discipline of a divided kingdom-was from HIS divine hand!
Let’s take a look now at Rehoboam’s family for a minute and in particular at his son, Abijah, who will be the next king of Judah.
'It was that Rehoboam took as a wife, Mahalath, daughter of Jerimoth, the son of David and Abihail… He also took, Maacah, the daughter of Absalom who bore him Abijah."(11:18, 20)
This is not “The Love Boat”; This is “Keeping the Kingdom Afloat”. In other words, his marriages were politically motivated.
Abijah came out of the lineage of David, but he followed in the footsteps of his father, Rehoboam for the most part…(This isn’t a compliment!) I Kings 15 mentions his sin is not “following after the Lord, as David had done”, while Chronicles focuses on this one battle with Jeroboam.
King Abijah was kind of a confusing character as he “says one thing” but does quite another. He acted the "Part" but did not have "The Power". (He was PARKED in the GARAGE, but wasn't a CAR. You see?)
Abijah gives a rousing speech to Jeroboam, but while he is speaking, Jeroboam set an ambush that surrounded all of Judah. (He was an interrupted preacher who didn’t even get to the Invitation hymn!) King Abijah’s “War of Words’ brought him no victory that day. He was surrounded… Now What??
We live in a time where we are also surrounded daily by a “War of Words”...What will we choose to believe and WHO do we serve?
Are we "Parked in the church parking lot" or "filled with the power of a true car"?
Gentlemen (and ladies), START YOUR ENGINES!!!!
Spiritual Adoption
ROMANS 8:9-25
(July 23)
One of the most rewarding, fulfilling acts I have ever done is adopting three siblings. It was scary.
Will I know how to meet their needs?
Am I too old to start over raising kids?
Will I be able to give them the life they deserve?
Those questions, and so many more, whirled in my mind, causing me to doubt my decision. The enemy was trying to work in me.
But God was there, working in my mind and heart, giving me other thoughts as well.
It would be so beautiful to give these kids a home!
How great it would be to unite these little ones under one roof so they can know each other.
What an awesome opportunity to teach these kids about Jesus!
There was a great sense of fulfillment in giving these children a home. They were free from the bonds of foster care, free to live like other children, feeling safe and secure, and free to love Jesus.
In today's reading, Paul is talking about adoption by the Holy Spirit and the freedom and fulfillment we find when that happens in our lives.
When we are adopted by the Holy Spirit, we are free from judgement. Remember what Romans 8:1 told us, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." There are no conditions to meet, for example we don't have to be free of mistakes, failures, and sin.
Think about David who committed adultery, or Abraham who lied about the identity of his wife, or even Peter who tried to kill a man with his sword. They may have suffered consequences for their sins, but they never suffered condemnation.
We are also free from defeat. While the unsaved person lives in the flesh, the believer lives in the Spirit of God. Not only do we have the Spirit, but the Spirit has us. And this, my friends, means VICTORY!
We all, each believer, wait for that beautiful day when God gives us our full rights as his adopted children. What a day that will be!
A Grander Theme: Let Your Praises Rise
One Year Bible (July 23)
2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
A GRANDER THEME: “Let Your Praises RIsel”
Did you know that Solomon wrote: The Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs 1-29, Psalm 72, and Psalm 127?
Not only was he very wise and very wealthy, but he was wealthy with praise…
Listen to some of his wisdom and praise, “Unless the LORD builds the house the builder labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.” (Ps. 127)
“Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.” (Ps. 27)
The Queen of Sheba recounted all of Solomon’s greatness in our passage today. She could not sing highly enough all of his praises. When she saw the palace and all he built, the food on his tables, the splendid clothing, the organizational details, she was overwhelmed!
She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of your great wisdom! It is far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be!” (2 Chronicles 9: 5-7)
The Queen of Sheba could not begin to believe all the wonders that she had heard about him until she met him. He could answer any question that she threw out to him.
Perhaps, the most important question that he ever answered was the question that he was asked by God at the beginning of his rule, “What do you want”?
Let’s go back at this passage. Solomon had called together all the leaders of Israel, the generals and captains of the armies, the judges, and all the political and clan leaders. Then Solomon led the entire assembly to the place of worship in Gibeon, for God’s Tabernacle was located there. Notice that this proceeds the Temple and the Ark of the Covenant being moved.
Why do you think that God appeared to Solomon that VERY night?
Could it be that God inhabits the praises of HIS people and He responds to their praise? (2 Chron.1:7)
Let’s look at God’s question to Solomon, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
Can you begin to imagine God asking you, “What do you want?
What would you reply? “Oh Genie, I want the highest lottery ticket winning available!”
Perhaps you chuckled, but many people would reply with just that answer. The problem is that they can’t take that money with them!
Solomon replies, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. O LORD God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?” ( 2 Chronicles 1:7-10)
I think that we often remember Solomon for his asking for “wisdom” and receiving “wealth” as well, but we don’t remember it in context. The context is VERY IMPORTANT!
God came to Solomon the very night after he led all the people in prayer. Solomon didn’t just ask for “wisdom”, but for wisdom and understanding to lead the people properly. He realized that God’s faithfulness to his father had put him in the place at this exact moment and he needed God’s strength to be the king.
Look at what else this Queen has learned from observing King Solomon, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” (I Kings 10: 9)
This Queen, a foreigner could see from Solomon’s life and actions the glory of the God whom he served!
You see, with all of the amazing things that can be said about Solomon all of those words fail to capture his finest moment…
Solomon stood TALL above all men, kings, and kingdoms. However, Solomon never STOOD as tall as when he kneeled in prayer. Solomon knelt and “LIFTED” his hands in prayer. (6:12)
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (Prayer of Solomon, 2 Chronicles 7:14)
Do you ever feel at a loss for how to bring change in the world we live in today?
Well, I ask you again, what would you ask for if God asked you, “What do you want?”
He answers the prayers of HIS people. So, Let Your Praises RISE! #pray2chronicles7:14
The War of the Mind
ROMANS 7: 14- 8:8
(July 22)
Does your mind fight a constant war, at battle with good and evil? Sometimes, even though we know what is right in a situation, we will do the wrong thing anyways. It is our human nature, this ability to make mistakes and wrong choices. And it happens to all of us.
It even happened to Paul, this man of such value to the growth of the gospel. Even he was not free from this sinful nature and desire to do what is not right. Only one man lived on this earth who was free from sin, and that was Jesus. The rest of us are marked with a nature that causes us to sin, despite our best efforts.
Paul took his time explaining what the law IS and what it is SUPPOSED to do. Now he is explaining what the law is not able to do.
The law cannot change you. Being described as "just, good, holy, and spiritual", it comes from a Holy and perfect God. The law deals with the spiritual aspect of ourselves, along with our outer actions. The emphasis is on how the law relates to our heart. It cannot transform our sinful nature, only make us more aware of it.
2. The law cannot enable you to do good. Paul repeats multiple times that sin dwells in each of us. He is referring to our old nature. But the Holy Spirit also dwells in us, which gives us the ability to live in victory. Our mind will either be controlled by our old nature or the new one (the Spirit).
The law cannot set you free. Our old nature wants us to be a slave to it. As much as our inward self delights in the law of God, our old nature delights in breaking the law of God. Our deliverance from this comes from Jesus. Because we are untied with him as believers, we can find freedom through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The law cannot claim you. Since a believer lives in the Spirit, he is made free from the law of sin and death. Your life in Christ is the guarantee of that.
The law cannot control you. As believers, our righteous life comes from the power of the Holy Spirit, not the power of the law. With the Holy Spirit we are able to walk in obedience to God's will.
As we read these words of Paul, we can see clearly how the Holy Spirit and our relationship with Christ are the power and saving grace of our lives. How grateful it makes my heart that Jesus died for me. How happy I am that his death offers me the possibility of a righteous and eternal life. How liberating it is to know that sin has no authority over me. I may still make mistakes. I may still sin. But that sin will not RULE over me because the Holy Spirit is my power-source.
How do you feel about your superpowers in Christ Jesus? Do you feel strong enough to find victory in the War of the Mind?
A Grander Theme: Let Your Fire Fall
One Year Bible (July 22)
2 Chronicles 6:12-8:10
A GRANDER THEME: “Let Your Fire Fall"
Have you ever worshipped singing, “Lord, let your fire fall”?
Do we as a people know where this originated or what it means?
The Bible is filled with stories involving “Fire” and today’s passage has another powerful message for us bout God's Fire…
All Solomon's work sounded so grand and spectacular. But, in essence, when all was said and done, the priests would “only bring the wood”, the people would bring “the sacrifices”, but God alone held the power of “The Fire”.
Our readings are filled with historical data of even the smallest detail about what Solomon added to the Temple. “Send me cedar, cypress, and red sandalwood logs from Lebanon” …. “A master craftsman who can work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, as well as purple, scarlet, and blue cloth. He must be a skilled engraver”.… (2 Chronicles 2: 7-8) As you can see, he planned out each detail!
As we read this passage today, it is difficult to read because we know how the end of the story turned out for Solomon…
He was a master builder who forgot THE MASTER BUILDER.
When the palace and Temple were completed, Solomon was still building…Unfortunately, he was building idols for his many wives!
This son of David forgot the most important lesson that God had taught his father and then his father’s son…
What good was the ornate detail, the bronze, cypress, and all of the grandeur without “The FIRE” or the presence of God?
What Glory was to be found without “The Glory of His Presence”?
God sent fire from above to consume the sacrifice. “The Fire” in the altar, continuously burned to represent the presence of God in the Holy of Holies of the Temple.
Listen to Solomon’s prayer to God (the longest prayer in the Bible), “Now, I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever.” Does the word, “I” jump out at you? “I became the King, and I sit on the throne, and I have built the Temple…”
Eye Spy a few too many “I’s”.…
Finally, Solomon is on the right track, “But will God really live on earth among people? Why even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!”
Bingo! Now, Solomon is putting into words the true essence behind all of the Temple. The true essence of the Temple resides in the UNLIMITED, UNHINDERED, UNFATHOMABLE POWER OF GOD. God’s presence is described and pictured as FIRE!
First, we see that “THE FIRE” on the Temple Altar was aimed at retaining God’s presence. It would ward off all kinds of evil. This Fire was PURE, RIGHTEOUS, and UNBRIDLED POWER.
Can you see why Uzzah was killed when he caught the falling Ark of the Covenant? FIRE, baby... FIRE!!!! This was God’s PRESENCE and POWER residing with man through HIS covenant!
We also have seen in our OT studies that those who had the “Ark of the Covenant” had PROTECTION, POWER, and BLESSING from God. His PRESENCE resided with HIS people.
In the NT we see The Holy Spirit is described as “a mighty rushing wind that filled the entire house, and then tongues of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them”. (Acts 2)
This was the Day of Pentecost. What a change of direction this was… In the OT, THE FIRE could not even come in contact with a sinful human. But after the Propitiation of sins through “The Blood Sacrifice” man was reconciled to God.
Seeing the OT through NT eyes helps us to see the bigger picture concerning the Temple as we read about it in 11 Chronicles. We see its MAJESTY, MAGNIFICENCE, and MEANING.
But did the people really stop and see the Power of the FIRE of their God?
The book of 2 Chronicles tells a long list of kings who viewed this magnificence but chose to worship idols instead. They turned their backs on God and walked away to serve the power of demons…
Even though they knew “About God’s Power” they were lacking “God’s Power in their Lives”.
Do you remember John the Baptist’s prophecy about the Messiah that He would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire”? (Mt. 3:11-12)
Are our prayers filled with “Eye Spy Big I” or, are we singing, “Lord, let your fire fall”?
Under Law or Under Grace
ROMANS 7: 1-13
(July 21)
I am not an outlaw. I do my best to obey the laws of the land and keep on the right track. But there are times when I DO break the law, even in small ways... rolling through a stop sign, not signaling before a turn, and other small infarctions that seem small in the scope of things. They are, however, still illegal. It is up to me to make sure I am not breaking rules. I hold that responsibility.
I have known people who have broken the law in more extreme ways ... and I have seen the consequences they have suffered. Some are like an episode of Law & Order, where justice prevails end the end and the criminal must pay for the crime.
In this section of Romans, Paul is addressing the relationship of the Christian to the law. And while the laws were given to the Jews, they apply to the Gentiles as well.
Paul breaks this down for us into two categories for today's reading: THE AUTHORITY OF THE LAW and THE MINISTRY OF THE LAW. So, let's take a closer look at those.
THE AUTHORITY OF THE LAW:
Paul uses the illustration of marriage to make his point. When a couple marries, they are united for the duration of their lives, under the law of marriage. But if the husband dies, then the wife is freed from that law and is free to remarry. Death broke off the relationship, making her free from that law.
The wife in this scenario represents us believers. The husband represents the law. If the law dies, we are free. If the wife dies, the only way she could remarry is to come back to life, right? Well, that is exactly the point Paul is trying to make. When we put our trust and faith in Jesus, we die to the law, and we come back to new life in Christ.
The law didn't die. It is still there. But WE died to it, so it no longer has power over us.
THE MINISTRY OF THE LAW:
Paul's opposition comes back at him with this: "What good is the law if we don't need it anymore? Why, a teaching such as yours turns the law into sin!"
Paul replied with a resounding "NOPE!" We need the law, and he breaks down the reasons why.
The law reveals sin. It shows us what we are doing wrong. It's like looking at yourself through a magnifying glass and seeing all your imperfections.
The law arouses sin. We are all human; therefore, we all were born with a sinful nature. Human nature seems to magically make us want to challenge law. The more we try to follow legalistic law, the more problems we will have.
The law kills. Law doesn't give life. It only serves to show the sinner where he is at fault. Because of this, when Christians rely too much on the law, they do not grow or bear the fruits of their relationship with Christ.
The law shows the sinfulness of sin. It is so easy for us, as Christians, to see our sins as "mistakes" or "weaknesses", but they are more than that. God tries to get us to realize our sins, and to understand how sinful they are. It takes this understanding of the severity of sin before we can have a desire to walk away from it and live a life of victory in Jesus.
Oh, victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
(Sorry, my mind burst into song!)
So, Paul's argument is this: (1) the law is not sinful - it is holy and good; (2) but it also reveals sin, arouses sin, and uses sin to come against us (3) The problem is not with the law, but with our sinful nature.
So, every time I roll through a stop sign, or go "a wee bit" over the speed limit, it is ME and MY SINFUL NATURE that is causing the problem.
We can make excuses, we can justify our actions, but at the end of the day, the sin is ours to own.
A Grander Theme: Come Meet With Me
One Year Bible (July 21)
2 Chronicles 4:1-6:11
A GRANDER THEME: “Come Meet With Me"
There is a worship song that I have loved for years. It is called, “Meet with Me” ...
“I’m here to meet with you. Come and meet with me. I’m here to find you. Reveal yourself to me.” (Hiebert)
As I read 2 Chronicles, I hear this song playing in my head, and I am reminded of how much effort God has gone to in order to make it possible for HIS people to “Come to Him”.
While I Chronicles tells a GRANDER SCHEME, “Come Back to Me”...
2 Chronicles tells a GRANDER THEME... “Come Meet With Me”.
This book is filled with the beautiful design and building of the Temple. Special care and description are given to every minute detail. In today’s reading, we hear the details of the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant being carried by the priests into the inner sanctuary of the Temple-The Most High Place. It is placed below the wings of the cherubim.
All the priests purified themselves to “Come and Meet” with the Lord. Now the Levites, who were musicians, were dressed in fine linen robes; they stood at the east side of the altar playing and singing.
Was their music slow and somber?
Were they singing “old hymns”?
Was there a majestic organ playing?
Let’s just read the description of “The Temple Troupe” that day…
There are cymbals, lyres, harps, trumpets, and other instruments. (5:11-13) Does this sound stately and somber to anyone?
The people raised their voices and praised the Lord in unison to GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD.
“He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” (5:13a)
“At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple of God…
I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel.” (5:13-14; 6:11)
The celebration was not a celebration until the Ark of the covenant was brought home to rest in the Temple. The Holy of Holies was not HOLY until God’s presence resided there. Until this moment the Temple was just an empty shell…
However, when the priests purified themselves, the people worshipped to usher in the presence of God, and the ARK resided there… everything changed!
The Thick Cloud filled the Temple…Now there would be a fire and a light that would never burn out…
As we were finishing the study in I Chronicles about ‘The Mercy Seat” I learned something new about the Temple. I had never asked the question or connected the dots before this time.
Do you remember the connection between Abraham and David both encountering God at “the altar” in the very same location?
There was something else very important that both encounters had in common. This commonality is seen in the worship “at the altar” in the Temple as well.
With both Abraham and David, God sent down fire (representing HIS holiness and power). This fire consumed the sacrifice.
But what about the fire that burned day and night, 24/7 on the altar in the Temple? I knew that it was the priests' responsibility to attend to this and that only purified priests could enter this area.
We are told that the priests were to attend to this fire so that it would never go out.
But were they the originators of the fire?
According to the Bible, the fire on the altar was LIT directly by the hand of God and was not permitted to go out. (Leviticus 6:12-13)
No strange fire could be placed upon the altar. It was the priests’ job to put wood on it daily to ensure that it did not go out. However, they didn’t light the fire. God did! I had never thought about that part before…
As we read about all the effort, plans, and intricate details going on in building the Temple by Solomon, I wonder if he realized “Who lights the fire”?
I am reminded that Solomon was given all Worth, Wisdom, and Wealth! Every single intricate detail that we are reading about came through God’s provision in Solomon’s life. It was a time of peace, as well, which enabled him to complete this calling…
Later in his life, Solomon fell into pride and idolatry as did his father before him? Did he forget "where the fire comes from"?
Perhaps, the Chronicler is writing the people coming out of exile this message of their heritage so that they can remember.
What about us? Do we get wrapped up in all the duties?
Do we fail to remember the message of the Mercy Seat?
Who lights "YOUR FIRE"?
And are you watchful to "Attend to your FIRE"?
“The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire…” (Deut. 5:24)
What good is a Temple without God's presence, and what good are we as HIS Temple without the fire of the Holy Spirit constantly shining in our lives?
Come and Meet With Me...
"As I wait, you make me strong. As I long, draw me to your arms. As I stand and sing your praise. You come. you come, and you fill this place. Won't you come? Won't you come and fill this place?"
(Meet with Me, Lamont Hiebert)
Yielding to the Lord
ROMANS 6: 1-23
(July 20)
We got a new puppy about nine months ago. He is a gorgeous apricot goldendoodle that has stolen our hearts. When we first got him, he would crawl under the couch to sleep. Now he can barely fit his nose under the couch. He is a whopping 55 pounds and sometimes I feel like I live with a small pony!
Buster is his name, and he is so much fun. And while he does some adorable things, there is one thing that we are trying to get him to stop. Anyone who walks through our door gets attacked by Buster. When I say attacked, I don't mean in a vicious sense. It is actually the opposite.
Buster has never met a "stranger" and when you walk through the door, he wants to jump up and greet you with his fabulous licks and wet nose. Some people like that ...others not so much.
So, we are trying to get him to yield. We want him to submit to our authority and our demands on his behavior. It is my hope and prayer (and that of my guests) that this 55-pound ball of fur will someday get this idea through his rather large head. Until then...we offer body suits on the porch.
Paul is talking today about our need to yield as Christians. He tells us that Christian living starts with Christian learning. He uses the illustration of baptism to support his idea.
Baptism has two definitions:
To dip or immerse
To be identified with
Paul is actually speaking of both in his description. When a sinner trusts in Jesus, he is immediately baptized with the Holy Spirit. He is able to identify with Jesus. The next step is to be immersed or dipped as an outward symbol of an inward experience.
This means that the believer has a new relationship to sin. For example, if you were addicted to drugs and you died, you would no longer have the addiction because your human body would be dead and would have no desires or cravings. It cannot see the drug or feel the effects of the drug any longer. When we are in Christ Jesus, we die to sin so that we no longer want to act on the sin. And while we are dead to the sin, we are alive in Christ, and we walk in the power of that resurrection. (Pretty cool, huh?)
Is this the case for everyone? Nope. There are many "betweeners". They are saved but never stop looking for more. They believe in Jesus, but never fully enter into the power and glory of the resurrection.
With our new relationship with Christ, we should not want to go back to our old life of sin, because now we have new life. It's a lot like Lazarus. He died to his old life, but Jesus raised him up to a new one. Do you think he would want to go back to the old one?
We have to be careful that we don't serve our sin. It is something we have to be watchful for because sin will come after us, finding a small crack in our armor. Sin has no power over Christ, so we need to remember that as believers, we are in Christ, so sin has no power over us.
Paul is telling us to BELIEVE what God says in his word is true in your life. He isn't asking us to feel that we are dead to sin, or to understand. He is asking us to act on God's word ... to have faith.
This is where the ability to YIELD comes in.
Yielding is an act of the will based on what we know about what Christ has done for us. It is a complete surrender to Jesus, and this will be an ongoing thing throughout our walk with Christ.
We yield for favor, freedom, and fruit. What???? Let me explain.
Favor: We yield because of God's grace given so freely to us. Undeserved, but so willingly poured out.
Freedom: Whatever you yield to becomes your master. Who do you want to be the master of your life?
Fruit: if you serve a master, you can expect to receive the wages. In the case of God, those wages are holiness and everlasting life. Our fruit is not the shame of our past, but the joy of our future, and it brings glory to God.
These instructions need to be followed each day. We have to train ourselves daily to live this new life. It is only then that we get past the "puppy" stage, learn a new way of living, and learn to YIELD our lives to the Lord.
A Grander Scheme: The Place (Part 6)
One Year Bible (July 20)
I1 Chronicles 1:1-3:17
A GRANDER SCHEME: “The PLACE” (Part Six)
The beginning of 2 Chronicles signifies a big change for the nation. King Solomon “took firm control” of his kingdom. This book will focus on the mission left to him by his father to build the Temple.
Before we move into that message, let’s look at “The Charge To Keep” which Solomon was given by his father, David. Another significant part is the Location that is given to Solomon to build the temple. What is the importance of each of these things?
First, let’s look at his “Charge to Keep”, “So now, with God as our witness, and in the sight of all Israel-the Lord’s assembly- I give you this charge. Be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God so that you may continue to possess this good land and leave it to your children as a permanent inheritance. And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind.” (I Chronicles 28: 8-9)
These were the words of a father to his son… Solomon, not only knew the “Charge to Keep” issued by his father, but he knew the Father that made a way for his earthly father when he had not faithfully kept the commandments of God. He knew that he was the one that was instructed to build the Temple, but that God himself had ordained it on ‘holy ground’.
This part of the story is the CULMINATION of God’s Grander Scheme…
In keeping with the “two words” challenge, I have two words for you today that summarize this entire lesson…THRESHING FLOOR.
That’s it. Got it? Sounds simple, but there is much more to this story than meets the eye...
Due to David’s sin, he was given three choices to select as his punishment, and as we discussed yesterday David chose the latter, “Three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land”. ( I Chronicles 21:12) David was in great distress and unable to make a decision, so he said, “Let me fall into the HANDS of the LORD for his MERCY is very GREAT.” (21:13)
Today, we will realize how TRULY GREAT THAT MERCY IS!!
David puts on burlap to show his deep distress and fell face down on the ground and expresses his deep remorse and desire to take the punishment rather than having it afflict his people. He said, “I am the one! Punish me!”
Then, David looked up and saw the angel of the Lord standing between heaven and earth with his sword drawn, reaching over Jerusalem and preparing to destroy it. God tells the angel, “Stop! That’s enough!” (21:15)
Where does all this take place? At the “Threshing Floor of Araunah the Jebusite”.
Where does God instruct the angel to tell the prophet, Gad, to direct David to go and build an altar to the Lord?
He is to go UP to the “Threshing Floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
David goes there to BUY the threshing floor to offer his sacrifice.
He says to its owner, “I will not present burnt sacrifice that has cost me nothing.” (v. 24)
What is the significance of God meeting David’s sin with an instruction to go to a “Threshing Floor”. Notice, that God does not ask him to go to any threshing floor. He is given direct instructions through the angel and the prophet to go to this exact one!
The location is Araunah’s Threshing floor and he is to go UP to get there.
Where is this location?
It is on Mount Moriah, the very place where Abraham offered his son Isaac at God’s bidding and God provided a sacrificial lamb to take the place of man.
Let this first part sink in a bit. God is weaving together a “Someplace in Time” kind of moment and the music is rising…
So, we understand that God is calling David to come to this exact place, but what is the significance of a threshing floor?
A “THRESHING FLOOR” in scripture is a place of separation and revelation.
It was here that the harvest was prepared by separating the grain from the useless chaff…
Separating the ‘wheat from the chaff” is a term for judgment.
Who would separate the “wheat from the chaff” on this day, and how would that be done?
Luke 3:17 says, “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor and will gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.”
It was here on the “THRESHING FLOOR” that David came to atone for his sins and seek mercy at the hand of HIS God for his people who were paying the price for his sin.
Just as mankind had received the sentence of death for the sins of one man, Adam,...In the same way, 70,000 had paid the sacrifice for David’s sin. The number seven in the Bible is a perfect number showing completion.
So, God takes him to the very place where he provided the lamb for Abraham and his son, Isaac.
This is a word picture moment that was inescapable!
Out of God’s great mercy, He had led David to THE PLACE to encounter his perfect sacrifice for sin. What a Grander Scheme… “The THRESHING FLOOR”
Saving Grace
ROMANS 5: 6-21
(July 19)
Have you ever had to "take one for the team"? I remember so well when I was in high school P.E. class. We would be doing some sort of team sport or exercise, and there was always that ONE person who would goof off or cause some kind of trouble.
Now my P.E. teacher was an Amazon Woman who not many wanted to mess with! She was rough and tough, and scary to most. (But on the inside, she was a buttercup.)
When the goofing began, she would give a few warnings. When those warnings were ignored, she would then tell us all to take a lap. Yes, ALL OF US!
Even when she knew who was causing the problem, we all paid the price. It didn't seem fair, and it was very frustrating. But that was the price we paid for one person's sin.
Adam sinned, and when he did, he made us all sinners. All of us! His sin brought death, so death spread to everyone. These sins began long before God put a law in place, long before Moses.
But God is a good and just God. (Aren't you so grateful for that?) He brought law to the world to give us direction. This law was put in place to help people see their sinfulness, to show them the seriousness of their offenses, and to direct them toward God for his grace.
And if that wasn't enough, God later brought us the most precious of gifts ... the gift of Jesus. Through his death and resurrection, we have a free-flowing fountain of grace.
Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's gift of Jesus leads to our being made right with God, even though we sin, and sin BIG!
When we receive God's grace we can then live in victory over our sins, and victory over death through Christ. This is what saves us from death. This is our Saving Grace.
A Grander Scheme: The Provision (Part 5)
One Year Bible (July 19)
I Chronicles 28:1-29:30
A GRANDER SCHEME: “The Provision” (Part Five)
Have you ever found yourself sitting down for dinner at “The International House of…PANIC”?
All you wanted was pancakes! Warm. Soft. Buttery. Syrup-covered pancakes. (Blueberries are a bonus!) Instead, you felt like a big ol’ “flapjack”?? By the way, the origin of the word “flapjack” means “To Toss” and “To Flatten”. Yes, that about covers it!
That describes exactly how David may be feeling about now.
Trust me when I say that he had an entirely different direction in mind. He was headed for “The International House of Promises”.
We find David right at this location in today’s passage, “When David took his census, he did not count those who were younger than twenty years of age, because the Lord had promised to make the Israelites AS NUMEROUS AS THE STARS IN HEAVEN” (27:23)
As you read through today’s “LIST of STARS” (the Israelites returning home), you will see that they do go on for at least a galaxy in this passage alone!
Do you see the problem with David’s ‘International House of Promises”?
Basically, he traded PANCAKES for POOP!
I don’t know how to put this more delicately because the enemy of God succeeded in his temptation of David and now 70,000 Israelites are DEAD because of this DECEPTION!
He started “Counting” instead of “Counting on God”.
Did God need David to count “The Stars in the Heaven”?
David CONFESSES his sin, but this does not eliminate his CONSEQUENCES!
God sends a prophet, (Gad, the Seer) to give David three choices: 1) Three years of famine, 2) Three months to be swept away before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you. 3) Three days of the sword of the LORD, even pestilence in the land. ( 21:12)
This term, “Sword of the Lord” signifies “The Destroying Angel”.
David was in great distress and unable to make a decision, so he casts himself and the nation “into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great.” ( 21:13)
This is the kind of cute verse that we just like to tack up on our mirror for our daily mediation.
However, this verse is really about David being on death row with all of his people who are condemned because of his sin and they are being punished with death while he is walking free.
Why is this you may wonder?
There is an answer that perhaps you have sailed right on by. Yet, It occurred twice in this passage...The words are, “The Sword of the Lord”! ( 21:13) Now, let’s look at the next occurrence.
“The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place of Gibeon, But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was AFRAID of the SWORD of the ANGEL of the LORD.” (21:29-30)
Look at what Hebrews 4:12 tells us about this matter, “The sword is alive, active, and sharper than any sword you can imagine. This sword divides soul and spirit and it can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The problem is that David is guilty, and the sword stands for the justice of God.
Why would a loving God have wrath at unrighteousness?
Can’t he just overlook it? After all, God has no limitations. Right?
Yet, scripture tells us that God limits himself. He is limited to Truth and Righteousness. He must be true to HIS nature. He is Light and in HIM there is no darkness at all. God does not alter his moral character. A JUST God by essence demands JUSTICE!
So, what is David to do? And what will God do now that David has thrown himself into the ‘Hands of God” for His Mercy is GREAT”. (21:13)
At David’s desperate moment, the LORD called HIS angel to “Relax your hand”. The angel was “standing by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite (v. 15)
David doesn’t know it just yet, but just as his father, Abraham, found out when he went to offer his only son at Mount Moriah, Yahweh Yireh (Hebrew for “The Lord will provide”) will make a way!
Tomorrow, we will find out how David’s deliverance was part of a much “GRANDER SCHEME”.
A Promise For the Ages
ROMANS 4:13 - 5:5
(July 18)
Don't make promises you can't keep. Have you ever heard that? Have you ever done that?
All of us, at one time or another, have broken a promise. We fully intended to keep the promise when we made it, but life has a way of getting in the way and we simply cannot keep the promise we made. After all, we are only human.
But God is different. His promises are as certain as his mercies that are new every morning. When we hear a promise from God, we can rest assured that it will come to pass.
I am reminded of the song Waymaker, which refers to God as a miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness.
That is just what he is and just what he always will be. And this didn't start in our lifetimes. God has been a promise keeper since the very beginning.
Paul continues to apply logic and scripture to any and all arguments the Romans can have. He is now dealing with the idea that blessing came through the Jewish law and since the Gentiles didn't know the law, they were cursed.
God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. This promise was not based on some legality, but on the fact that Abraham believed. "Father of many nations" extends far beyond Israel into the whole world to all who believe.
Abraham's faith is what offered this promise from God. Abraham believed God against his human hope. His sense, reason and experience told him that the promise of a son by Sarah could not happen in their advanced ages. In spite of this logic, he believed. He believed in hope, which came from his belief that God was enough, and God would do whatever he promised.
In fact, his faith grew stronger, which brought great glory to God. Because he had such great faith, God counted him as righteous, which is a gift that extends to us today. It assures us that God also counts us righteous if we believe in him.
Knowing this should give us a peace. Christ gave us a place of privilege that we don't deserve when he died for our sins. So even when troubles come our way, we can have joy in our hearts. We can rest in the knowledge that those trials will only strengthen us. They will give us endurance, which will lead to strong character, which will strengthen our confidence in our salvation.
This hope is a wonderful thing because we know how greatly we are loved by God because of the beautiful gift he has given us... the Holy Spirit. We can believe in that, and we can trust in it because of the promise God made to Abraham... a promise for the ages.
A Grander Scheme: The Provocation (Part 4)
One Year Bible (July 18)
I Chronicles 26:12-27:34
A GRANDER SCHEME: “The Provocation” (Part Four)
The concept of a red devil seems to have taken appearance from the Greco-Roman Pan, who was like a horned goat. The singer, Irving Berlin made this red devil with horns quite popular with the 1913 song called, “At the Devil’s Ball”.
Lucifer, the real fallen angel who is called “The Accuser” and Satan throughout the Bible must have been filled with delight with all the notoriety. There is no better way to do your “slimy” work than to work “undercover” in the daylight.
Underwood Ham, a fireworks company, and even squadrons of the military would take the “Red Horned Devil” as their mascot.
Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “The devil made me do it!”
Flip Wilson made a lot of money off this phrase as a comedian, but how is it working for David?
What costume does the Devil wear? Well, his favorite all-time disguise is that of “a lying spirit” and that is how he is “INCITING” David to sin against his God.
2 Samuel 24:1 tells the original story about David and the census. “Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” Who moved David? The Lord did!
The parallel passage to this story is found in our main passage, I Chronicles 21:1: “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.” Who moved David in this passage? It says that “Satan moved him.”
The word used in most passages is “INCITED”.
Why is Satan ‘INCITING” David to sin and what does God have to do with this?
This is paramount to our understanding of the big picture of scripture.
It is helpful to interpret scripture in light of scripture. What do we know about their relationship from scripture?
We have already discussed the fall of Lucifer and his desire to twist the truth just a little bit… 90 % truth with just a 10% slant of deception will do it to cause a man to fall… AGAIN!
Remember Satan’s description in Genesis? It calls him “Crafty”. (Gen. 3:1)
What is Satan’s goal or desire?
I Peter 5:8-9 tells us that, ‘Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to DEVOUR”. His goal for David and for us is to DEVOUR US.
In John 8:44 Jesus describes Satan for us. He says that he is a killer, liar, and devoid of truth. In fact, he is called, “the Father of lies”.
Let’s take a close look at the passage again, “Satan rose up against Israel and caused David to take a census of the people of Israel.” (I Chronicles 21.1)
Did you catch what the real battleground is here? Satan rose up against God’s chosen people, Israel and he is “INCITING” David to sin to harm the Messianic line of David. This plot is bigger than just one person. It is against a people… God’s chosen people.
Where is God’s role in all of this and why does it say that “God moved David”?
Let’s look for just a moment at an active temptation in the book of Job. We see that “the sons of God” came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. It says that the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
Satan replies, “Does Job fear God for no reason?” (v 9) “Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” (Job 1: 6-11).
Do you think that Job is the only man that Satan has asked “to sift like wheat”? No, because that phrase is used to refer to the apostle Peter before he was tempted to deny Jesus.
The enemy had to hate that David was “a man after God’s own heart” and he came in to accuse and attack the people of God. His open door came through David’s anger and pride. God removed the hedge around Job and allowed him to be tempted.
In his sovereignty, he permitted his tempting just as Jesus went through in the wilderness. God was part of this process as He permitted it to happen. Satan provided the temptation and David did not seek God to find deliverance.
Satan’s goals are simple, (The 5 D's for DEADLY)
“Division. Delusion. Deception. Destruction. Death.”
Revelation 12:10-12 tells us more about “The Accuser” of the brethren ( a familiar name for Satan). It says that he “ACCUSES the brethren day and night before our God”. Then it goes on to tell HOW the saints of God will triumph over him. “They triumphed over them by the blood of the lamb.
For a short season, Satan is permitted to test, tempt, and try the Believer, but the ultimate TRIUMPH belongs to the LAMB!
All that come to the Mercy Seat will find MERCY and GRACE!
The Unearned Gift
ROMANS 4: 1-12
July 17
Imagine that you are at your favorite store. You see something that you have been wanting for years, but the price is still out of your reach. It is just too high for you to pay. How would you feel if someone who cared about you purchased that item, wrapped it in beautiful paper and added a bow, then gave it to you?
How special that would be! Owning it would be awesome, but the real beauty would come in the fact that it was given to you out of love and for free.
That is just what God does when he offers us the opportunity for salvation through faith. We don't earn it by any work we do or price we pay. We receive it simply through our belief in him.
This is the point Paul is speaking of in today's section of Romans. He is answering the age-old question... does the gospel agree with the teachings of the Old Testament, and he is using two of the greatest figures in the history of Israel to prove his point. God has made covenants with both Abraham and David. One lived centuries before the law was given, and the other lived many years after. One was justified before he was circumcised, and the other was justified after he was circumcised.
Once again, the conversation turns to circumcision and the Jews. This act was a sign to others that Jews were God's special people.
God gave this command to Abraham, but the ritual did not earn any reward for him. He had been blessed long before the ceremony of circumcision was introduced. It was by faith alone that Abraham found favor with God. This happened when he was 75 years old. The circumcision didn't occur until he was 99.
People are considered righteous, not by their works, but by their faith in a forgiving and gracious God. David mentioned this in his description of the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
"Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin."
Ceremonies and rituals serve as reminders of our faith, and as instruction for newer believers. But they do not give us any special merit before God. They are outward signs demonstrating inward belief and trust.
The focus of our faith should be on Christ and what he did so that we could have salvation. This is the greatest gift we could ever receive, and it is free to all who believe.
A Grander Scheme: “The Problem” (Part 3)
One Year Bible (July 17)
I Chronicles 24:1-26:11
A GRANDER SCHEME: “The Problem” (Part Three)
There is an older worship song called, The Heart of Worship”. If you don’t know it, I encourage you to give it a listen. The words are so penetrating to the soul!
“I’m comin’ back to the heart of worship And it’s all about YOU. It’s all about You, Jesus.” (Redman)
Today’s passage focuses on all of the men who were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the Lord. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God.” (I Chronicles 25:6)
‘The Chronicler” is reminding the people from exile of their calling to return to worship God and to reestablish the responsibilities of the temple.
I Chronicles 21 has a message that “gets to the heart of the matter”...David, “the man after God’s own heart” has sinned greatly bringing a plague of death on 70,000 Israelites.
This humble king who had laid aside his royal robe to dance in a priestly garment worshipping the Lord with all his might while bringing the Ark of the Covenant home to the Temple has fallen into great sin. (2 Sam. 6:14)
In our June 5 post based on 2 Samuel 23: 24-24:25 we looked at how David got “Out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
David had come out of a season of discipline from the Lord because of his sin with Bathsheba. Then he proceeded into another season of discipline from the Lord with his “taking the census”.
It is interesting that the Chronicler who is writing the books of I and II Chronicles completely leaves the details of the “adulterous sin, murder, and consequences” out of this book.
Why do you think he chose to leave this part of the story out?
Not only is he leaving this detail out, but he is also giving new information for us to consider about the census. 2 Chronicles 2:17 says, “Solomon took a census…after the census, his father David had taken…”
Is Solomon in big trouble like his daddy was? How did Solomon’s census compare to his father’s census?
I Chronicles 21 has a message that helps us “get to the heart of the matter”...
First, let’s look at a little background about the census. A census in Bible times was taken for two basic reasons, preparation for TAXES or WAR.
All of the wars that David had won were with a voluntary army and under God’s direction. God had made David “famous”, and now late in his life, David tried to push ahead and expand his kingdom for his wealth or glory without consulting God first. This was his sin.
David did not rise to the place that he held without God, but now he is setting course without God’s guidance.
We also see that there were laws in place about taxing the Israelite citizens vs. foreigners and also about taxing those under twenty years of age, something forbidden by the Torah. ( I Chronicles 27: 23-24). There was also a half-shekel tax per person to be applied. (Exodus 30:11-16)
I think it would be so interesting to hear a Jewish Rabbi teach about what this passage meant to people in this time… Very enlightening!
Here is where the “rubber hits the road”. We may not understand all of the “In’s and Out’s” of the Jewish laws of that day, but EVEN "Jabbing Joab" knew David’s request was SERIOUSLY WRONG!
“Why do you want to do ‘THIS THING’?” This was Joab's very first question to David. This should have given him great pause!
Next, we see that David also knew this was very wrong, “I have sinned GREATLY by taking this census, Please forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing such a foolish thing.” (2 Samuel 23:10)
There is another interesting passage that tells us about David’s mindset in 11 Samuel 23 that is quite intriguing. Here it says that “the anger of the LORD burned against Israel and it incited David against them.”
This tells us that there was some nationwide sin at this time and that David’s motive for his actions may have come out of anger.
Remember Joab’s question to David, “Why do you want to do, "THIS THING”?
“THIS THING” is called PRIDE which is a “heart condition” of all mankind.
David needed rescue, and so do we...This redemption is part of “The GRANDER SCHEME”.
“I’m sorry, Lord for the thing I’ve made it.
When it’s all about You. It’s all about You, Jesus.” (Redman)