Restoration of Sacred, Holy Worship - Day 180 Through the Bible

In the cabin garden beneath "Grandmother's Dream" quilt block, part of the Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina - a gift to the cabin owner from me (designed by the owner/artist and based on a family quilt pattern.)  It is named in honor of his mother (and father) for whom the cabin was built, when they came here from Sweden to live out the last years of their lives near their son and his wife.

My Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings

Restoration of the Ark to Jerusalem / Restoration of Holy Worship to God - 1 Chronicles 23 - 25:31- In the last chapters we followed the disastrous first move and successful second move of the ark back into Jerusalem, back into the temple, back into the Holy of Holies.  Now faithful David does the next obvious thing in obedience to God's Word - he restores the prescribed method of worship.  At one point all male Levites over 30 are numbered (38,0000) to help the priests (from the line of Aaron, also of the tribe of Levi) in carrying out "the work of the house of he LORD."  Later a census of every Levite male over 20 is included in a census.  This is not insignificant.  This is the tribe chosen and sanctified by God to minister before Him; this is the priestly lineage from within this tribe chosen by Almighty God as the only one (represented by the High Priest) who was allowed - once a year - into His presence in the Holy of Holies - and this on the Day of Atonement - the sprinkling of blood to atone for the sins of Israel.  Of special note is the attention to music (and musical instruments made by David) for praise and prophecy.

My Lessons and Applications -  So much of the OT account of this foreshadowed the New Covenant that God would usher in through the sacrificial death and resurrection of His beloved Son on our behalves.  We who believe in God through His Son, Jesus Christ, are His chosen New Covenant people.  (Ephesians 1:4). We are brought into His presence - directly to the very throne of God- not through an earthly High Priest interceding for us once a year, but through our heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, whose death on the Cross tore the veil separating the Holy of Holies from the people, granting us direct access to the Father.  We now have a heavenly High Priest who intercedes for us always at the right Hand of God (Romans 8:34).  We no longer have a Day of Atonement, no longer offer animal sacrifices, as Jesus Christ has paid for our atonement by His blood sacrifice once and for all time (Hebrews 10:12). "Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:24)  We no longer worship at a temple; we are the temple, indwelt by the very Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 3:16).  We no longer have an earthly High Priest; we as believers are priests before God(1 Peter 2:5, 9-10).  We are no longer to sacrifice animals before God, but to offer him our bodies and lives as a living sacrifice - Christ having paid our blood sacrifice (Romans 12).  Does my worship and praise honor God or is it for the approbation of men?  Have I offered my life back to God for all He has done for me, for His will, His use in His kingdom work?

God's Intercession / Our Rejection - Psalm 78: 40-55 - "How often they provoked Him...grieved Him...tempted Him...limited Him...did not remember Him...His power...His redeeming them from the enemy...His signs and wonders FOR them.  On their enemies He cast His anger...sent angels of destruction...did not spare their souls from death...gave them over to the plague, overwhelmed them by the sea...destroyed their firstborn.  BUT GOD made His own people to go forth like sheep...HE guided them in the wilderness like a flock...HE led them on safely...so they did not fear...HE brought them to His holy border, to this mountain which HIS right hand had acquired...HE also drove out the nations before them...HE allotted them an inheritance by survey."

My Lessons, Applications, Contemplations How we need these reminders...to "turn our eyes upon Jesus"...to take our focus off of the world, the circumstance that is causing us to fear...to remember... the deep truth and comfort that He is our Good Shepherd.  We hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:27)  Whatever path, trial, tragedy, difficulty we are called to suffer...we remember what Jesus went through on earth (Hebrews 12) and what the heroes of the faith endured on this earth (Hebrews 11), so we will not grow weary and lose heart but will continue forward in faith to His glory.

Seeking to Kill Paul / the Growth of the Church - Acts 9 - The tables have turned.  It is now the Jews who are plotting to kill Paul, and the Hellenists also want the great apostle dead.  Paul was secreted away by the other disciples to Caesarea and Tarsus, "then... the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace...and were edified...walking in the fear of the Lord...and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit...and they were multiplied."

My Lessons and Applications - We saw this result with the bold preaching of Peter and Stephen and now through Paul.  When the church has been persecuted and believers dispersed, this leads to the growth of the kingdom, to the purification of the church, to the multiplication of true disciples and to their edification. their peace ("that passes all understanding") in spite of circumstances, their walking in fear (godly love and respect) of the Lord, with the comfort of the Holy Spirit.  Have we as believers been persecuted, mocked, scorned, cast out, forsaken, plotted against?  We are in good and holy company.  Are we making ourselves available to God for multiplying His kingdom work? Through the study of the OT and the NT, we have watched as God shook His people out of the routine of life into a special calling - a sending-out on His mission work.  Is this happening to any of us?

By the miracle of Redemption, Saul of Tarsus was turned in one second from a strong-willed, intense Pharisee into a humble, devoted slave of the Lord Jesus... Many a soul begins to come to God when he flings off being religious, because there is only one Master of the human heart, and that is not religion but Jesus Christ...It is a matter of indifference to God's grace how abominable I am if I come to the light; but woe be to me if I refuse the light. (See John 3:19-21)

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Pursuing The God of Judgment, The God of Love---Day 179 Through the Bible

                                                Beauty can arise from the ashes of God's judgment 
                                                    just as beauty arose from decaying flora on this woodlands floor.  

Chapter 21 of I Chronicles gives us some insight into the spiritual realm. However, it is important not to read more into these verses than what is actually said. (Remember the warning in Revelation 22:19, not to add to or take away from what God has inspired to be written.We are on earth and God is in heaven--there is more that we do not know than we know.  It is with prayer and humility that I ask God to help me not go beyond what He says in His word as I write these blogs.)

Verse 1, tells us that Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.  God had ordered a census taken in Numbers, however, "this census was taken so David could take pride in the strength of his army" (Life Application Study Bible). Pride was Lucifer's downfall and it is not surprising that he uses our pride to motivate us to do wrong. Life Application Bible makes a very good point: "There is a fine line between feeling confident because you rely on God's power and becoming proud because you have been used by God for great purposes".  We all are subject to pride and must first be aware of it in order to repent and turn from it.  God will show us if we ask. (We might need to ask God to help us not be afraid to ask.)  We should not be surprised that Satan stands up against us.  I Peter 5:8, admonishes us to "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour".  He convinced David to do something that cost the lives of at least 70,000 men. If he could get to David, where does that leave us?  However, verse 9, tells us to resist Satan stedfast in the faith. At that time, David evidently did not resist the temptation to number his army.  He was found putting his trust in the power he had at his disposal, rather than trusting God who whittled down large armies in order to reveal the real source of victory.

The other insight into the spiritual realm comes in verses 12-30 of I Chronicles 21, which speaks of "the angel of the Lord" and his role as "destroyer".  God gave David the choice of three punishments for numbering Israel. He chose punishment at the hand of God rather than at the hand of man or three years of famine. David evidently did not even consider choosing famine as the punishment--women and children are affected by famine and perhaps this was the reason David did not consider it.

It is important to understand that David always returned to God. He suffered under God's judgment more than once, even to the point of God taking the life of his infant son. However, David knew God's love and yet also knew that sin has consequences and exacts a penalty. David recognized his guilt. The effects of sin are rampant today, yet unrecognized as such by most people. Many times God is blamed for tragedies when in fact, He is there to heal and to comfort. The fact that David suffered so much, but always returned to God in repentance, rising from the ashes of God's judgment in many cases, to once again worship the God of Israel attests to not only David's faith, but to God's love. Psalm 78, goes right along with this line of thinking. "When He slew them, then they sought Him. . .then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer".  God is full of compassion and forgives our iniquity.  Yes, many times God turns away His anger from us and is merciful, "For He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again" (verse 39). 

In Acts 9, we are given an in depth look at Saul's conversion. The contrast in Saul's life as persecutor of the church and his life as an apostle is nothing short of miraculous. As we read his writings, it is powerful to consider who Paul was before God got his attention on the road to Damascus. We tend to want to see  the supernatural as well as miracles.  When we see a life that God has turned 360 degrees toward Him--we have seen the greatest miracle of all. Saul's encounter with God changed his life just as it will change our lives.  We are more than lacking in our understanding of God today.

Father, help us as believers to grow in our knowledge of You through this daily Bible study. Help our lives model your principles and enable us to express Your love to those we come in contact with. Help us faithfully pray for those who do not know You that they might come to know You--the God of David and our God. May we joyfully share the Good News of who You are with those we meet. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

The Worth of a Soul - Day 178 Through the Bible

A "Trashformation" birdhouse outside our public library in Burnsville, NC - using found and discarded objects to create art - near Mt. Celo Church

My Gleanings from Today's Readings

Good Repaid With Evil - 1 Chronicles 19 and 20 - Nahash, king of Ammon and friend of David has died.  David sends messengers to comfort Nahash's son, Hanum, as a kindness and tribute to his friendship with the father.  Hanum has surrounded himself with counselors who see the kind act of David as treachery.  "Do you think that David really honors your father because he has sent comforters to you?  Did his servants not come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?"  Hanum despises the offer and humiliates "the messengers by shaving them and cutting off their garments, exposing their buttocks."  David hears about this, and tells the men to wait at Jericho until their beards have grown out.  The response of the people of Ammon is to prepare for war when they realize "they have made themselves repulsive to David."  The Ammonites gather 4 nations to prepare for war.  David, likewise, has his army battle-ready and routs all the opposing forces - killing 7,000 charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers of the recruited Syrian forces alone.  

My Lessons and Applications - This is one of those moments that are almost surreal to the reader. Proverbs 27:10:  "Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not." Perhaps the people of Ammon knew David well enough to know that he would retaliate.  But, what I see here, I have seen in my own relationships and in those of others.  There is so much pride in some of us, that we would rather destroy relationships, marriages, families, than humbly and honestly admit our fault, our humiliation of, our disrespect of, our evil to others - and seek to make amends when possible.  Human sin nature never changes.  We just saw this in the NT readings with the stoning of Stephen and the preaching of Peter.  The hearers were "cut to the heart" - knew they were guilty - but their reaction was rage, not repentance.  What is the underlying cause of my ill treatment of others?  What is my response to those who treat me unjustly?

The Worth of a Soul - Acts 8:26-40 - An angel of the Lord tells Philip to take a certain road into the desert.  There he encounters the eunuch of Ethiopia (modern-day Sudan), who is in charge of all the treasury of Queen Candace.  The eunuch is reading from Isaiah 53, and the Spirit prompts Philip to ask him if he understands what he is reading.  Philip is invited into the chariot and "beginning at this Scripture, preaches Jesus to him."  Then the eunuch believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and asks to be baptized.  Immediately after this, the Spirit of the Lord "caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing."

My Lessons and Applications - The prompting of the Spirit, the intercession of the angel of the Lord was for the salvation of this one soul.  "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."  Luke 15:7  What is our focus in our churches today?  Is it numbers in attendance or tithing, or is it still the salvation worth of each soul for Christ?  One of the most poignant messages I have heard in a long time was by a local layman.  He said that our churches often do a much better job at evangelism than at discipleship.  Are we taking the time as believers and as a church to disciple those who have expressed belief in Jesus?  Are we faithfully expounding the Word of God?

"Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. (Acts 8:30) 

"The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Scriptures, and it is He alone who can enlighten us to understand them correctly.  Thus, we should constantly ask for His guidance 'unto all truth.' (John 16:13)...remember that prayer is your best means of 'study'...use the hammer of diligence and employ the knees of prayer to unlock God's truth...prayer is the lever that forces the iron chest of sacred mystery wide open so you may discover its hidden treasury.

Charles Spurgeon:  Morning and Evening

God Honors Those Who Honor Him - Day 177 Through the Bible

Fishing off of a bridge over the South Toe River - near Mt. Celo Church

My Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings

David Purposes to Honor God, but God Honors David Instead -  1Chronicles 17 and 18 - David has built and is living in his beautiful home.  David's thoughts, sitting in this grandeur, turn not to himself and his own greatness, but to God, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD is under tent curtains."  At first, Nathan the prophet tells David to proceed with His plans - that God is with David.  But God speaks to Nathan in a dream and tells him that David is not to build the house, (because of the blood on his hands from his commission as a warrior for Israel 1Kings 5:3) but that his son after him will do that.  God tells Nathan that He will build David a house forever - establishing the House of David (from which the Messiah will come) and his throne forever.  David's response is to go immediately to the LORD in prayer in thanksgiving, humility and praise of God.  "Who am I, O LORD God?  What is my house that You have brought me this far?...You have regarded me as a man of high degree, O LORD God.  What more can David say to You for the honor of Your servant...O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You...so let it (Your word) be established that Your name may be magnified forever, saying 'The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel is Israel's God."'

My Lessons and Applications - This resonates in my mind as the most unique response of David's true heart for God - above all he has done in His walk with God.  At the time most men fail...when we have been blessed with much wealth, health, and peace...it is then that we tend to replace God with self on the throne...to think that it is was because we are singularly gifted or worked harder and better.  Not David...at the pinnacle of success his mind and heart are upon God.  When God says he does not want David to build his house because of the blood shedding associated with David's many wars, God does allow David to gather the provisions for the house from the spoils of those wars.  He grants David's son the honor of building the temple.  Even more revelatory of David's heart, he then goes immediately to God in a beautiful heart-to-heart prayer - full of the humility before God that is so distinctive of David's walk of faith.  When I am successful, do I give God the glory, do I thank him?  Am I always humble before God, regardless of my status in life or before others?  Is my relationship so very intimate with God that I "go in and sit before Him" to give all the blessing and glory back to Him in adoration?

The Persecution and Spread of the Church - Acts 8:1-25 - Saul, who has witnessed and consented to the stoning of Stephen reacts - at first - as we saw the religious leaders do with Stephen's accusation...with anger and then persecutes the church even more.  "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison." These days will later haunt Saul, who becomes the great Apostle Paul, and will declare himself "the chief of sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15) The result of Saul's persecution is that only the apostles stay in Jerusalem; the other believers are scattered.  BUT GOD uses even this as a means of spreading the gospel.  Philip brought many to belief and baptism "as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." The heart of a sorcerer by the name of Simon is exposed by Peter when the sorcerer attempts to buy the power of the apostles (the Holy Spirit).  But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!  You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.  Repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.  For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."

Controversial Verses - There are many who disagree on the meaning of the baptized believers at Samaria not having received the Holy Spirit.  Other parts of the Scripture clearly state that the Holy Spirit is received immediately upon belief, not later, not by water baptism - the baptism of the Holy Spirit vs. the baptism by water.  This is from enduring word.com: "Whatever the Samaritans experienced, it seems to have been more than the “regular” bestowal of the Holy Spirit at salvation. This is a filling of the Holy Spirit we should always desire and seek." (Bold emphases mine)  John MacArthur goes into the Scriptural references as well as the difference between the bestowal of the Holy Spirit at the moment of faith and subsequent fillings or special anointings of the Holy Spirit in his Fundamentals of the Faith series.

My Lessons and Applications - This is further comfort and encouragement - that God can and will use the trials and tragedies of our lives (that occur even as we walk in faith with Him) to further His kingdom work.  Nothing can thwart His will and purpose (Isaiah 14:27, Job 42:2).  Also noteworthy to me was Peter's comment regarding money to buy spiritual gifts or favor.  How different this seems to be when we look at the power of money to influence the church and special favors today!  We are told the sorcerer Simon believed and was baptized (Acts 8:13).  Union Gospel Mission says "not all belief ends in saving faith." James 2:19 

"We do not need to get more of God or of His Spirit.  His Spirit is calling for more of us - more of our dependence on Him, more our our trust in Him, and more of our obedience to Him."  Union Gospel Mission: Bible Expositor and Illuminator

The First Martyr Gives Rise to the Great Apostle - Day 176 Through the Bible

The South Toe River near Mt. Celo Church

Today's Readings

Hearts Revealed In the Presence of God: Part II - The Return of the Ark to Jerusalem
1 Chronicles 15 and 16 - Yesterday's readings told of David's 1st attempt to return the ark to Jerusalem that ended in disaster and failure.  Uzza was struck dead by God for touching the ark, David was angry with God, then was afraid of God, then refused to move the ark further and left it in the house of Obed-Edom for 3 months, whom God blessed.  David has now defeated the Philistines through His request of, answers from, and exact obedience to the LORD.  The king builds houses for himself and prepares a place for the ark.  David has now gone back to the law to study and follow it carefully (Deut. 10:8).  Instead of 2 men to bring the ark on a cart, it will now be "the Levites, whom God has chosen to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever."  The Levites are told to..."sanctify yourselves...to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel...for because you did not do it the first time, the LORD our God broke out against us...because we did not...consult Him about...the proper order. So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.  And the children of the Levites...bore the ark of God on their shoulders,...by its poles,...as Moses had commanded...according the word of the LORD." (Ellipses are mine and are used as pauses for consideration.)  The singing, music, and dancing before the LORD with great joy continue as with the first attempt to move the ark.  Sacrifices for the LORD's help, burnt offerings, peace offerings, a blessing of the people by the king, and David's beautiful Psalm of Thanksgiving follow this.  It is not an event without opposition, though.  Michal, David's wife and Saul's daughter, despised her husband for his lack of kingly dignity in dancing before the people.

My Lessons and Applications - The ark represents the presence of God with His people. Our hearts and motives - not just our actions - are revealed when we are in His presence.  Michal, David's wife, was more concerned with the world and its traditions than with God and the heartfelt praise and joy of His people in worshipping Him.  Am I guilty of this?  What does this say about our attitudes of the heart during worship on Sunday? Our critical natures of how others express their love and joy in the LORD?
Am I guilty of the sin of the priests and Levites during the first move of the ark?  Do I sanctify myself before the LORD - consecrate, purify, cleanse myself (confession, repentance) - become more Christ-like?  Do I attempt to do the LORD's work in my own power, or through the power of the Holy Spirit? Am I making the mistake David and the Levites did?  Am I using worldly, expedient means to accomplish a spiritual task, or am I following the commands of God and resting and trusting in His power, following His commands?  Am I respecting and honoring the holiness of Almighty God out of godly fear and love?

The First Martyr Gives Rise to the Great Apostle - Acts 7:44-60 - Stephen, the disciple whose face shown like an angel, has reached a state of sanctification and holiness - Christ-likeness - that makes his final hours on earth resonate with even the words of Christ.  In boldness - like Christ - he accuses the religious council of being "stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears!  You always resist the Holy Spirit. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?  You do as they did.  And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.  When they heard these things...they were cut to the heart,...and they gnashed at him with their teeth.  But he...being full of the Holy Spirit...gazed into heaven...saw the glory of God, and...Jesus standing...at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look!  I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man...standing...at the right hand of God."  As they stone Stephen to death, like Christ had called to God, he says, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.  Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice (as Christ did), "Lord, do not charge them with this sin.  And when he said this, he fell asleep."

My Lessons, Applications, Contemplations -  One thing of note and caution here: when hard truth was presented to these people, they knew it - they were cut to the heart - and their way of dealing with that was murderous/destructive rage. I think a "Selah" might be appropriate here in considering this aspect of human nature.  On a more encouraging note, Charles Stanley reminds us that several Bible passages speak of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God after His ascension (Mark 16:19, Col. 3:1, Heb. 1,3, 10:12, 12:2)  "Yet to greet this first Christian martyr, the Lord stood!"  I recall the deaths of so many of the saints and Biblical characters - and especially Jesus' death on the cross - that we have studied as I read this account of Stephen's death. God's ways are not man's ways; nor are His ways our ways. (Is. 55:8)  One of the more salient truths I have learned in my study of the Bible is that God does not view death as we do.  Psalm 116:15: "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints." Yet, even more amazing, the murder of this saint is used by God to bring Saul to himself...to God.  I recall the Parable of the Prodigal Son when "he came to himself" and returned home to his father.  Saul, the great religious Pharisee, who for zeal of God persecuted the early Christian church, is watching and even has the clothes of the murderers laid at his feet. God will use this martyrdom to begin the transformation of Saul to Paul through the power of Holy Spirit - the great apostle to the Gentiles, the author of the majority of the Christian New Testament.  Who is watching me?  Do they see Christ in me?  Am I allowing God's Holy Spirit to transform me into the person He wants for His kingdom work?  Will He stand as I come home to Him or suffer greatly for Him?

Very beautiful is the picture of death which is given here: "He fell asleep." Sleep is death's new, sweet name! What a picture of peace the word suggests, right here in the heart and fury of the mob! In the midst of all the wild scene--Stephen fell asleep!

“Stephen the First Martyr" – J.R. Miller 1909

Teach the Children - Day 175 Through The Bible

A Doe and Her Fawn in Ayles Creek Yesterday - near Mt. Celo Church - a blurred iPhone photo!

Gleanings from Today's Readings

The Day King David Was Afraid of God - 1 Chronicles 13 - Many times I have not been able to understand why God has allowed some tragedy to a good person or permitted an evil person to get away with treachery - (the Asaph dilemma).  In this recounting of the return of the ark to Jerusalem, Uzza is struck dead for putting out his hand to stop the ark from falling when the oxen stumbled.  "Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.  And David became angry because of the LORD's outbreak against Uzza.  It might be noteworthy that just prior to Uzza's rescue attempt of the ark, David and all Israel "played music before God with all their might, with singing, on harps, on stringed instruments, on tambourines, on cymbals, and with trumpets." David had boldly and faithfully decided to bring the ark back to Jerusalem, but after the death of Uzza, he abandoned the plan.  The ark stayed with Obed-Edom in his house for 3 months.

My Lessons/Applications/Contemplations - I have a tiny inkling of how David might have felt.  I had spent hours every day in prayer, study and drawing near to God several years ago.  Then within that time, my world fell apart with tragedy and loss.  Every prayed-out decision seemed to turn to ashes.  We can wonder if Uzza should have trusted God to keep the ark from harm since the Almighty God dwelt in it.  We know very strict commands were given as to how the ark was to be handled.
Was this a violation of the holiness of God?  Why did David allow this and then get angry? Did David err in asking for Israel's opinion to bring the ark back, though it doesn't say he directly asked God?  Why do plans that are done for God and in prayer to God turn against us at times? We can speculate on why this happened, but even David seemed not to understand. This is the only time I recall David being angry with God...not with the punishment death of his first born...not with the incessant threats on his life from Saul...not with his exile...but this - in a moment of faith, rejoicing and honoring God and His sacred ark that is answered with death, horror and God's anger.  Not understanding "why" was even difficult for this faithful king of Israel. For God's answer to this dilemma, read tomorrow's blog post.

Teach the Children - Psalm 78:1-11 - This contemplation of Asaph stresses the importance of passing along the law and Word of God to the next generation.  "We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.  For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers...THAT they should make them known to their children...That the generation to come might know them...THAT they may arise and declare them to their children...THAT they may set their hope in God...and not forget the works of God...but keep His commandments...and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation...that did not set its heart aright...whose spirit was not faithful to God."

My Lessons and Applications:  The summer months bring one of my fondest memories of childhood - Vacation Bible School.  I also look back to the excellent Bible teaching I had from both men and women in Sunday School and the youth groups.  But it is not just - or primarily - the church that should be passing this knowledge of God and His Word on to the children...and not just the mothers.  In fact, the stress in the Bible...the command...is for the fathers to teach the children...about God, about His commandments.  Where does our parental focus have its greatest focus - on academics...sports...awards...?  Are we faithfully passing along essential Biblical precepts to our children and grandchildren as commanded?

The Key to Overcoming When All Hope Seems Lost - Day 174 Through the Bible

One of the few remaining swinging bridges over the South Toe River in Yancey County -near Mt. Celo Church

My Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings

God in the Midst of the Impossible - 1 Chronicles 11 and 12 and Acts 6 - Even the New Testament reading today chronicles God's OT walk with His people.  Stephen, having been seized on false charges of blasphemy against the law of Moses and the temple, addresses the accusing council.  He begins with God's call to their father, Abraham, to leave Ur of the Chaldeans for a land that would be his descendants' possession.   The 400 years of exile of the people due to sin and the return to God are revealed to Abraham. We remember these stories we have studied, and Stephen reminds the council...of the covenant of circumcision..of the promised child Isaac...who is the father of Jacob...who is the father of the 12 patriarchs...one of whom is Joseph who is sold to the Egyptians because of the jealousy of the brothers...of his trials and triumphs through faith...how Egypt forgot the goodness of Joseph...persecuted his descendants...through genocide killed the male children...but Moses was saved that he might save his people for God.  The Chronicles tell of the valiant men that came to support David in his years of exile from Saul, as he is made king, and throughout his reign. God remembers the faithfulness of His people, of their valiant deeds through and for Him.

My Lessons and Applications - All of these were given gifts, training, life experiences (some very hard) that would prepare them for the mission God gave them.  We remember that Abraham was 99 and still childless when told by God he would have a son and be the father of a nation.  He waited 10 more years for the fulfillment of that promise. We recall the 40 years that Moses was raised in the courts of Pharaoh, which would be important when he was sent back to tell Pharaoh to let his people go...of Moses murdering the Egyptian to protect a fellow Israelite, who turned on him.  It was not his time, not in the power of God...of the 40 years Moses spent in the wilderness before the call of God...of the 40 years of leading a complaining, ungrateful people through the wilderness because of their sin...a people who so angered Moses they caused him to sin and lose the privilege of entering the promised land.  We know David was prepared as a young shepherd boy to shepherd his people Israel...how he waited 15-20 years to become king after being anointed by Samuel, spending those years in exile in fear of his life.  Joseph spent 11 years in Potiphar's house, 2 years in prison, 9 years as overseer before his brothers came to him, fulfilling his dream at age 17 that brought about their selling him into slavery.  Stephen now recounts the persecutions that Joseph endured and the greatness he achieved until his death at 110.  Stephen also becomes a great servant of God, but his persecution will lead to his death. The lives of the Biblical saints were never devoid of persecution, usually required many years of waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled, often were given missions that led to their deaths, occasionally sinned against God but whose lives were characterized by an obedient walk and prayer life with God.  Is this also the dominant trait of my life?  Am I trusting in God, waiting through the years for the fulfillment of His promise?  Do I recall the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 to lift up my heart in times of trial?

Key to Overcoming Tough Times - Charles Stanley says, "The key to surviving tough times is learning to live with the continuing awareness of the presence of God...you are always in the presence of Almighty God who is sovereign...loving...all-knowing....faithful." And I would add to this... providential.  Their trials/tragedies were used by / engineered by God in the fulfillment of His kingdom work. Look back at the lives of the saints mentioned above and in Hebrews 11.  There were choices made...a decision to trust God, despite the circumstance...to remain obedient to God, regardless of what others did to them...to keep the faith, even when God's promise was not seen by them on this earth...by faith they overcame.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.  Hebrews 12:1-3