1 Ch. 29:13 “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee,
and praise thy glorious name.
(A monthly meditation considering our God)
Untangle Me
I watched a movie tonight and there was a line that really stuck in my head. “I don’t want to fear anything except Almighty God”. I don’t think I fear God as much as I used to. I think that in some respects I have gotten too comfortable in my ways. When I was little I had a respectful fear that if I did wrong and Jesus returned, I’d be left behind. That fear kept me from a whole lot of sin. There was another scene in the movie where a young man washed the feet of his friend, who had taken a beating for a boy who wanted out of a gang. I got to thinking, “when was the last time I washed anyone’s feet in such a Christ like fashion?” My answer would have to be “never”. There are several people I admire greatly in our body, who’s feet I would gladly wash because of their faithful service and love for God. Would I be so glad if God asked me to wash the feet of someone I thought unworthy? To fear God in such a way as to actually “DO” what it is He asks, comes from a heart that has tasted and seen that the Lord, He is good. One of the factors I believe, in losing the fear of God, is the entanglement of the world. By that I mean taking on the ideas and ways of those around me, who, perhaps know the Lord but are yet carnal in their thinking, or those who don’t know Him at all but their way of thinking is so persuasive, that I or you, can fall victim to the lie. Over time, if this is not dealt with and repented of it will result in disrespect toward God. I can say this because I have experienced this. But thank God, He loves you and me so much that He chastens and leads us to repentance and holy fear. We can wash the feet of those around us by esteeming them “as better than ourselves”, showing the love of God in simple gestures of kindness and words of encouragement. But what if …..? Well, that’s where I pray, “Lord, help me!” I don’t want to fear anything or anyone except Almighty God. My prayer, “untangle me Lord from the things of this world, that I may not be consumed in its deceptiveness or ripped apart by its lies.” Amen... (D.M)
Scripture
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Proverbs 10:27 The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened. Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. 1Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Why does Elisha call two bears to maul a group of kids?
2 Kings 2:23-24 is a fascinating and in some ways worrisome passage, especially as it is represented in many translations of the Bible. There is a more reasonable explanation for the violent event than simply removing things from their context and imagining that Elisha simply used a couple bears to kill some children who were mocking him. It's important to note that at this point in history, the northern kingdom of Israel has taken upon itself the identity of Canaan. Centuries earlier, Joshua had led the people of Israel out of the wilderness, over the Jordan, and into the land of Canaan at God's mandate. Israel was simultaneously reaping the promise of blessing with which God had privileged them and acting as the arm of God's divine judgment against a people who had set themselves up as the enemies of God. As God judges all men, so he here judged the civilizations residing in the land of Canaan (doing so in the earthly realm as a pedagogical tool for future generations) and Joshua acts as his divinely appointed hand. The inhabitants of Canaan perished because they had positioned themselves as the enemies of God. A few hundred years after Joshua's conquer of Canaan, the kingdom of Israel split into two separate nations, the Southern Kingdom of Judah (which comprised Jerusalem and the temple—where ordained worship of God occurred) and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. As the Northern Kingdom had no ordained center of worship, its newly founded king, Jeroboam, decided to create two—rather than risk Israelites heading into the Southern Kingdom in order to worship and falling under Judah's power. To counter Judah's prominence as the center of worship, Jeroboam set up altars in both Bethel and Dan. And yet here he begins to reverse Joshua's accomplishment by inviting the Northern Kingdom to take on the identity of Canaanites rather than as the people of God. In Dan and in Bethel, Jeroboam crafts golden calves, intentionally reminiscent of that prepared by Aaron on Sinai, and invokes Sinai's peculiar Aaronic benediction saying, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 12:25ff). Jeroboam invites the Northern Kingdom to forego worship of God in Jerusalem and sets precedent for them to worship crafted gods, as the Canaanites had. A couple more centuries pass and the Northern Kingdom has fully embraced its identity as being a nation who will have nothing to do with the God who had brought them to the land they inhabit. They have, for all intents, become the enemies of God every bit as much as the Canaanites had been before them. It is into this land and before this people that the story of Elisha insinuates itself. Elisha, like Joshua before him, is operating as the hand of God on earth. He renders judgment and offers mercy as God does. And it is in this capacity as God's servant that he comes to Bethel, one of the centers of pagan worship and headquarters of the enemies of God. And out of the city come the servants of the temple, the officials and leaders of idolatrous worship, to call down curses on Elisha and to threaten his life. These are the self-proclaimed enemies of God and they threaten the life of God's own envoy and servant. It is little wonder they meet with a bad end. But how are we to know that these are servants of the temple? Most translations describe them as children or young men. The word Hebrew translated here as "children" (na'ar) often means official or servant and doesn't necessarily even refer to age at all. Mephibosheth's servant Ziba is referred to as na'ar (2 Samuel 16:1), yet he has fifteen sons. The man that Boaz has positioned as boss over his fieldworkers is na'ar—not a position one grants to children (Ruth 2:5-6). The word na'ar is translated as "servant" over fifty times (roughly a fifth of the times it appears in Scripture). Not only were these men servants of pagan deities, they heard of Elisha's approach and came to meet him with threats. It had been big and recent news that Elisha's mentor Elijah had just vanished from the face of the earth. While Scripture records that he had been taken up to heaven alive and in a chariot of flame, many at the time believed that this was merely a cute story to cover up Elijah's death. In saying "Go on up!" They are both mocking what they presume to have been the death of Elijah and a threatening similar fate (death) to Elisha. These truly are the enemies of God and Elisha. They have willingly taken on the identity of those who Joshua, God's divine hand, was commanded to conquer. They have chosen to be conquered by their choice to oppose the army of the Lord. And so it now seems less drastic, that Elisha should pass judgment on those who, as enemies of God, are threatening the life of the earthly hand of God.
(blueleterbible.com)
Fiery Sermon : A Sermon without a word
A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending service regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the preacher decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The preacher found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his preachers visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The preacher made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the preacher took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead. Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The preacher glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the preacher reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.” We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.
Anonymous
Pleading for and with Youth
Sin has undone our wretched race;
But Jesus has restored,
And brought the sinner face to face
With his forgiving Lord.
This we repeat from year to year
And press upon our youth;
Lord, give them an attentive ear,
Lord, save them by Thy truth!
Blessings upon the rising race!
Make this a happy hour,
According to Thy richest grace,
And thine Almighty power.
We feel for your unhappy state
(May you regard it too),
And would a while ourselves forget
To pour our prayer for you.
We see, though you perceive it not,
The approaching awful doom;
Oh tremble at the solemn thought,
And flee the wrath to come!
Dear Saviour, let this new-born year
Spread an alarm abroad;
And cry in every careless ear,
"Prepare to meet thy God!"
William Cowper
1731 - 1800
Psalm 119:9
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed thereto
According to thy word.
Psalm 67:1-7
God be merciful unto us and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon the earth. Selah. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth.
No Excuses
The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember.
Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
Zacchaeus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer. .AND
Lazarus was dead!
And Don't forget
Jesus Helped them all!!!!
Anonymous
Insufficiencies of Human Religion
Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Matthew 12:36-37 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
a Ministry of Calvary Chapel Vallejo
