Judges 20 ~ Tell us how this awful thing happened

Judges 20 (New International Version)

1 Then all the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba and from the land of Gilead came out as one man and assembled before the LORD in Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand soldiers armed with swords. 3 (The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, "Tell us how this awful thing happened."

4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, said, "I and my concubine came to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night. 5 During the night the men of Gibeah came after me and surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They raped my concubine, and she died. 6 I took my concubine, cut her into pieces and sent one piece to each region of Israel's inheritance, because they committed this lewd and disgraceful act in Israel. 7 Now, all you Israelites, speak up and give your verdict."

8 All the people rose as one man, saying, "None of us will go home. No, not one of us will return to his house. 9 But now this is what we'll do to Gibeah: We'll go up against it as the lot directs. 10 We'll take ten men out of every hundred from all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred from a thousand, and a thousand from ten thousand, to get provisions for the army. Then, when the army arrives at Gibeah in Benjamin, it can give them what they deserve for all this vileness done in Israel." 11 So all the men of Israel got together and united as one man against the city.

12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What about this awful crime that was committed among you? 13 Now surrender those wicked men of Gibeah so that we may put them to death and purge the evil from Israel."

But the Benjamites would not listen to their fellow Israelites. 14 From their towns they came together at Gibeah to fight against the Israelites. 15 At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred chosen men from those living in Gibeah. 16 Among all these soldiers there were seven hundred chosen men who were left-handed, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fighting men.

18 The Israelites went up to Bethel and inquired of God. They said, "Who of us shall go first to fight against the Benjamites?"
The LORD replied, "Judah shall go first."

19 The next morning the Israelites got up and pitched camp near Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went out to fight the Benjamites and took up battle positions against them at Gibeah. 21 The Benjamites came out of Gibeah and cut down twenty-two thousand Israelites on the battlefield that day. 22 But the men of Israel encouraged one another and again took up their positions where they had stationed themselves the first day. 23 The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?"
The LORD answered, "Go up against them."

24 Then the Israelites drew near to Benjamin the second day. 25 This time, when the Benjamites came out from Gibeah to oppose them, they cut down another eighteen thousand Israelites, all of them armed with swords.

26 Then the Israelites, all the people, went up to Bethel, and there they sat weeping before the LORD. They fasted that day until evening and presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the LORD. 27 And the Israelites inquired of the LORD. (In those days the ark of the covenant of God was there, 28 with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, ministering before it.) They asked, "Shall we go up again to battle with Benjamin our brother, or not?"

The LORD responded, "Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands."

29 Then Israel set an ambush around Gibeah. 30 They went up against the Benjamites on the third day and took up positions against Gibeah as they had done before. 31 The Benjamites came out to meet them and were drawn away from the city. They began to inflict casualties on the Israelites as before, so that about thirty men fell in the open field and on the roads—the one leading to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

32 While the Benjamites were saying, "We are defeating them as before," the Israelites were saying, "Let's retreat and draw them away from the city to the roads."

33 All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at Baal Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place on the west of Gibeah. 34 Then ten thousand of Israel's finest men made a frontal attack on Gibeah. The fighting was so heavy that the Benjamites did not realize how near disaster was. 35 The LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel, and on that day the Israelites struck down 25,100 Benjamites, all armed with swords. 36 Then the Benjamites saw that they were beaten.

Now the men of Israel had given way before Benjamin, because they relied on the ambush they had set near Gibeah. 37 The men who had been in ambush made a sudden dash into Gibeah, spread out and put the whole city to the sword. 38 The men of Israel had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city, 39 and then the men of Israel would turn in the battle.

The Benjamites had begun to inflict casualties on the men of Israel (about thirty), and they said, "We are defeating them as in the first battle." 40 But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the smoke of the whole city going up into the sky. 41 Then the men of Israel turned on them, and the men of Benjamin were terrified, because they realized that disaster had come upon them. 42 So they fled before the Israelites in the direction of the desert, but they could not escape the battle. And the men of Israel who came out of the towns cut them down there. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them and easily overran them in the vicinity of Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand Benjamites fell, all of them valiant fighters. 45 As they turned and fled toward the desert to the rock of Rimmon, the Israelites cut down five thousand men along the roads. They kept pressing after the Benjamites as far as Gidom and struck down two thousand more.

46 On that day twenty-five thousand Benjamite swordsmen fell, all of them valiant fighters. 47 But six hundred men turned and fled into the desert to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months. 48 The men of Israel went back to Benjamin and put all the towns to the sword, including the animals and everything else they found. All the towns they came across they set on fire.

My son came home from Baylor University as a freshman and we were eating a family meal, carefully prepared, in our dining room. It was a family occasion. We were asking the usual questions about classes and Alexander says, "Oh, Mom, I have a question about my Religion class. My teacher gave us Judges 20. Why is it in there? This seems very awful."

This is one of the chapters of the Bible the people who do not love the Bible love to bring up. There will be times in our lives we have to deal with situations we'd rather run from than be responsible and live, work, find faith even in the depths of it.

These chapters of the Bible are disturbing and often brought up in discussions on shocking portions of the Scriptures. It is comforting to know when we are in circumstances far from pleasant, the circumstances of life thrust upon us as being part of a sinful and fallen world, God has seen this before. And helps those seeking Him. Most of the participants in this chapter have circumstances they did not create or ask for.

Do you know, or are you one of the millions, who like to sing to "Alice’s Restaurant"? The song, written by Arlo Guthrie in 1967, lasts 18 minutes and 34 seconds. It was written & is a true story of Arlo and his friend Richard Robbins arrested for illegally dumping some of Alice's garbage after discovering that the town dump was closed for the holiday.

Much, much, much later in the song Arlo is called for a draft summons. He is asked by the Sergent if he has ever committed a crime. When he explains yes, for the garbage dumping, the song says:

“Kid, I want
you to go and sit down on that bench that says Group W .... NOW kid!!"

And I, I walked over to the, to the bench there, and there is, Group W's
where they put you if you may not be moral enough to join the army after
committing your special crime, and there was all kinds of mean nasty ugly
looking people on the bench there. Mother rapers. Father stabbers. Father
rapers! Father rapers sitting right there on the bench next to me! And
they was mean and nasty and ugly and horrible crime-type guys sitting on the
bench next to me. And the meanest, ugliest, nastiest one, the meanest
father raper of them all, was coming over to me and he was mean 'n' ugly
'n' nasty 'n' horrible and all kind of things and he sat down next to me
and said, "Kid, whad'ya get?" I said, "I didn't get nothing, I had to pay
$50 and pick up the garbage." He said, "What were you arrested for, kid?"
And I said, "Littering." And they all moved away from me on the bench
there, and the hairy eyeball and all kinds of mean nasty things”

The song is a riot, and pardon me for picking out just one section. If we know we don’t want to spend time in jail, or on bench W, with Mother rapers, Father stabbers and Father rapers, it is amazing to me that God wants to love us and wade into the midst of the humanity. I look over the list of Leviticus 20 and some of those things just aren’t part of my life! Because God loves us, He has placed Himself in a position of Father to some pretty awful things that I hope never to have to tell my kids, “Don’t do that!"

In the midst of terrible circumstance, God gives us the ability to do what is needed.

The Light Still Shines in the Darkness.




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Luke 15:1-10

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. ² And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”        
 
  ³ So he told them this parable: ⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? ⁵ And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

⁸ “Or what woman, having ten silver coins,^{[ drachma was a Greek coin approximately equal in value to a Roman denarius, worth about a day's wage for a laborer]}  if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? ⁹ And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”    
       

This man receives sinners and eats with them. 

 he calls together his friends and his neighbors

 she calls together her friends and neighbors  

Jesus was criticized for being with the wrong crowd because Proverbs tells us several times what Corinthians repeats.
   
1 Corinthians 15:33 
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good  morals.”  

Jesus reaches out to sinners. We have our hearts warmed by the thought of Jesus finding a lamb. What do the Scriptures tell us of our lives, how does God search for us in our stage from childhood, adult hood and all stages. He does tell us.

Luke 1:13
your prayer has been heard

Luke 5:13
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”

Luke 5:20
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 5:31-32
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:37-38
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”


Jesus is part of our lives

Luke 7:6-10
So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Luke 7:13
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

Luke 8:50
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

Luke 10:21
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

Luke 15:20
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.



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Hebrews 5 ~ he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.

Hebrews 5

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3 Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

5 So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,

“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;

6 as he says also in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Doctor, My Eyes

Songwriters: BROWNE, JACKSON

Doctor, my eyes have seen the years
And the slow parade of fears without crying
Now I want to understand
I have done all that I could
To see the evil and the good without hiding
You must help me if you can
Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long
'Cause I have wandered through this world
And as each moment has unfurled
I've been waiting to awaken from these dreams
People go just where there will
I never noticed them until I got this feeling
That it's later than it seems
Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what you see
I hear their cries
Just say if it's too late for me
Doctor, my eyes
Cannot see the sky
Is this the prize for having learned how not to cry

Today was one of those days. The desire to be emotion free over a dinner party to
a new group. With not a lot of response. The desire to be in control of my own
destiny and not emotional. That just didn't work. Instead there was a compassionate
response born from knowing we all have those times, and to be who we are is
actually good for us. Who needs a crowd when what you actually grow from
those, acting as Jesus, willing to sit and participate with you.

In Jesus Christ we have an example of someone willing to be themselves. In Jesus Christ we see Him in those willing to reach out.

deal gently

he himself is beset with weakness

no one takes this honor for himself

did not exalt himself

called by God

learned obedience through what he suffered

hard to explain

basic principles

constant practice to distinguish good from evil

Discomfort limits life. The plain unwillingness to plunge in. I feel that way about cold water in the summer during swimming season. Yet we have new research saying this actually makes all of our smallest of blood vessels more durable and alive. Suffering exercises our compassion ability. Like a flower opening. We are willing to open our hands and say with open hearts. Here I am, Lord, send me.

Father God, allow me to be willing to open my hand. Send me, Father God, send me.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


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Revelation 14:14-15:8 ~ behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud

Revelation 14:14-15:8

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia.[About 184 miles; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters]

15 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.

2 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. 3 And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations[ages]!
4 Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

5 After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent[tabernacle] of witness in heaven was opened, 6 and out of the sanctuary came the seven angels with the seven plagues, clothed in pure, bright linen, with golden sashes around their chests. 7 And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, 8 and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.




Heaven like the clouds? We sometimes laugh about clouds in Heaven and yet this passage says clouds are part of Heaven. We could see this passage as frightening, let's look instead at this as an entrance to eternity.

The plagues would have been terrifying to live through. My son and I spent an evening watching a documentary on the plagues. We were about to go out to dinner - after about 15 minutes of watching, standing up, we sat and watched the end of the documentary. One village in England kept immaculate records. The survivors married again and had more children, leaving descendants today. DNA records revealed the DNA simply did not hold the plague. The survivors were untouched physically. We could call that a predestination DNA.

One of the chapters in Revelation says our great oceans are not part of the new heaven and earth. This records there is a large body of water like glass. This is reassuring and very pleasing to those of us who love water, as a thing of beauty in His creation.

Jesus' disciples record when they did not recognize the risen Messiah, suddenly their hearts grew warm within them, as they began to recognize Him. To me, I love the old Hymns, mingled in with new music, I love to hear the old Hymns are sung. Like a Hymn. W r i t t e n by Moses. This makes my heart warm to hear this.

and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power

Earth is a "seeing through a mirror dimly." We know this from this verse in this passage, Solomon witnessed the Temple of God fill with this smoke. We would wonder how God hears all of our prayers, Revelation also records God inhales our prayers and He hears. His ways are not ours. His are Holy. 



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Deuteronomy 6 ~ Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Deuteronomy 6

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.


Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."

If you say a study of Deuteronomy, people are going to cringe usually. And we are usually pretty familiar with the phrase Honor your father and mother. Yet Deuteronomy speaks Words of Life. Beautifully telling us Father God seeks to bless us with His Word.

Deuteronomy 6 tells us to teach our children and grandchildren about the nature of God's Love and His Commandments.

God tells us His Words and living His Words brings life.

Deuteronomy 5:33
You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.


4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.



10 “And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, 11 and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, 12 then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— 15 for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.


Jesus was given a garden He did not deserve in the Garden of Gethsemane. He bore our sins and knew no iniquity.


16 “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you, and that you may go in and take possession of the good land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers 19 by thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has promised.



John 6:68
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life


20 “When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21 then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23 And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. 24 And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. 25 And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.






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Luke 12:22-31 ~ the body more than clothing

Jesus and the Body of Christ, art by Sarah, Missionary from Tanzania

Luke 12:22-31


22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his[God's] kingdom, and these things will be added to you.


Return with me, back with me the days of yester yore; when we drew pictures for our parents and learned faithfully not to worry. When we experience God's peace, we know this passage to be fruit of God's Word.  These beautiful Words of God's are sunshine on the days God's Heavenly will is done on earth as in Heaven. When all is right with the world.  And these words we can put as the Rock upon which we lay our cornerstone.

Romans 14:4
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Jesus is in the Holy Business. The LORD, The GOD of Salvation is about making people whole. When Isaiah saw Jesus 700 years before His birth, we learned of the lame walking. Scriptures go on to say walking and leaping in the Book of Acts.

There are days we cannot Stand in Luke 12. And the beautiful, amazing, powerful words of God just say to us - I cannot reach the place of not worrying.  I have seen people with cancer stricken over Luke 12. 

Rick Warren said life is like two trains all the time. One is one path marked Trouble, the other train says Peace, Problem Solved.  The Word of God is living and active.  Sometimes we deserve the rebuke. One of my Grandmother Anita's favorite saying was "Rise above it." Jesus told us many times to have faith.


John 5:2-9 
 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. ³ In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. ⁵ One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” ⁷ The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” ⁸ Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” ⁹ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.



Matthew 15:29-31
Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.


Mark 9:23-24,27
 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 

 ²⁷ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
 

We have seasons in our life. I would say that lately my season has been this passage in Luke 12.  Sometimes this means some abundance, sometimes this means shopping in thrift stores (this is a very green option as well as being fun), sometimes creative finance and repair options. In all of this, I've felt an expectation of the willingness of God to bless in abundance and in problem solving. A feeling of joy and gratitude.


Psalm 31:21-24
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from your sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.

23 Love the Lord, all you his saints!
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!
 


Psalm 21  A Psalm of David
O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart's desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.



For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 Instead, seek his[God's] kingdom, and these things will be added to you.






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Acts 12 ~ And he did so.

Freeing of St Peter from Prison. Painted by Stanza di Eliodoro


Acts 12


About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers [and sisters] Then he departed and went to another place.

18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain [trusted personal attendant] they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.  *

24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.



Acts 12 is the witness of the Emerging Church. Jesus spoke of this Church before the Church existed in Caesarea saying His Church would never be defeated. We love additional witnesses to the Scripture and feel warm in our hearts with confirmation. I doubt seriously God is displeased over our pleasure. The Judean general Josephus became a world reknown historian to 3 different Caesars. Josephus faithfully records the death of James. With a disputed phrase recorded twice, one declaration more disputed than the other, of proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. Josephus carefully records others proclaiming their leadership as Messiah, saying they disbanded whereas followers of Jesus did not.

Acts 12 opens and closes with historical accuracy. Historians say Herod was eaten by worms, possibly Fournier's gangrene.

We are all presented with situations we personally can not solve. We sometimes feel very guilty.  Peter, obviously, did have that situation, he was in over his head far beyond his capabilities.  God intervened to help Peter, and yet the angel did not dress Peter. God gives us hands and feet to help ourselves, but sometimes situations can only be solved by Father God. We do well to remember we cannot save ourselves.

Prayer. Only the open invitiation to hand our difficulties to HIM. We do well to Thank Him for His Help.  And today, we are like Peter and have trouble sometimes deciding when He has intervened for us. How can we ever displease HIM to thank HIM from our hearts. Peter did well to wonder and so did the people who heard of Peter's escape.  
 

But the word of God increased and multiplied.

400 years of Roman persecution did not stop Scripture from being available to you today. Even Herod's household held followers of Jesus. 

Luke 8:3
and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.


Luke 24:10
Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostle




25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

Mark's Gospel is the Word of God increasing and multiplying for millenniums.

Praise to You, Lord God, help us each day to wonder and bless you for the benefits you load upon us daily. In the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.



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Romans 12 ~ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Romans 12:4-13

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. ¹³  Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.



The Saints are gathering. Plans are being made.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Angels. What is an angel? Part of that characterization is - the "el". Messenger of God, the Father, the Almighty. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael.


Luke 2:8
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

1 Peter 2:25
For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Keeping Christ in Christmas

Luke 2:15
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”


Sunday, December 2nd 4:30 until...

HopePointe Anglican Church

3333 S. Panther Creek Drive

The Woodlands, Texas 77381

Office Phone: (281) 362-1144


Philemon 1:7
Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

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John 4:46-54 ~ Jesus had said to him

John 4:46-54

So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. ⁴⁷ When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. ⁴⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Unless you ^[plural] see signs and wonders you will not believe.” ⁴⁹ The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

⁵¹ As he was going down, his servants ^{[bondservants]} met him and told him that his son was recovering. ⁵² So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” ⁵³ The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. ⁵⁴ This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

So many times, in the Bible Study,  "Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed" (Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, Kay Arthur) - David records asking the Lord what he should do. What is striking about David is this, he does what the LORD says he should do. Because, more importantly, David believed God and acted in faith.

Galatians 3:6
just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Matthew 9:28
When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

Mark 5:30
And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?”

Mark 9:23
All things are possible to him who believes



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Psalm 4 ~ know that the LORD has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.

Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!

2 O men,^{[O men of rank]} how long shall my honor be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.

4 Be angry,^{[be agitated]} and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.

6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
7 You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.

8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.



We live on the Gulf Coast. The weather reports are always inaccurate, because the wind of the vast ocean is unpredictable. So unpredictable the weather might say 100% chance of rain and we might not see rain for 3 weeks. The cities further inland do not have this struggle with weather forecasts.

We cannot say do not take your umbrella. However, we can say with gratitude, Lord God Almighty, Father, if You never do another thing for me, I thank You for Your Salvation provided to me in Jesus Christ the LORD.

Life does give us storms. Anger. Pondering in long nights of sleeplessness. Times when it seems the silence of God is unrelenting. 

Yet we have a complete guarantee. God our Father hears us, and in this life, we will see prayers answered. Daily. 

In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 116
I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.

Psalm 65:4
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple

Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.

Psalm 31:23
Love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full.





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2 Timothy 4:1-8 ~ will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing

2 Timothy 4:1-8

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound ^[healthy] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

In the rather depressing film, "City of Angels", Seth and Nathaniel Messenger (both angels who have given up their immortal status to roll the dice as mortal humans) agree over and over to this statement about human faith and human doubt: "Some things are true whether you believe them or not."

Unfortunately, that's the extent of the correct theology there! 



Speak the Truth, for God is always present.

Preach the Truth, sometimes use words.

Reprove, rebuke and exhort ~ this is the deal, usually this is Encouragement.

Patience and teaching with Love.

Avoid new myths, not of Scripture. Check your Bible.  biblegateway.com has excellent key word search.

Be level headed.

Fulfill! The ministry given to your talents, given to you by GOD. Do the good works God predestined you to do. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.



Do not hold back. Even in just the small parts of building up the body of Christ.

The good fight. The adventure Paul spoke of, and Jesus, in "give us this day." Paul says he is constantly "seeing how that will go with me." Expectation of God.

Kept the faith. Paul uses the phrase also in prayer saying realistically "when I am remembering you in prayer." Paul had a lot to pray about.

The Crown of Righteousness - Paul has been to the 3rd level of Heaven. As he spoke of in his letter to the Corinthians.

Ephesians 3, families in Heaven. Paul does not anticipate Heaven as being uniquely his. Imagine Paul sits in a very key position in Heaven and he longs for those he loves to be with him. Ephesians 3 is the promise Families live together in Heaven.

Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.


Mark 12:26-27a
6 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living

Psalm 133:1
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity





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Psalm 130 ~ Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
2 O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
6 my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

7 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
8 And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

Jesus told us this:

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

Just like the old Hmm "On Christ, the Solid Rock I Stand" this is where Christians really want to stand.

Yet when we look at the disciples we see men who would throw Jesus a party, like Matthew, and invite sinners. We see disciples bickering over powerful placement like the two seats next to Jesus. We see disciples who are really rather confused and fearful quite often. And... the part we can take great comfort in... they were looking straight at Jesus with blessed eyes  -taking in His life.

We have times in life we would Really like to stand without worry. And then we must remember this about Jesus who would not bend a reed or

Isaiah 42:3
a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice



Matthew 14:25-33
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Advertising, marketing, putting our best foot forward - we live in a media age. We all are familiar with 'Fake it Till you Make it' and with the LORD -The One who loves us, created us, declares we are precious to HIM. Beloved! The Lord says we can only come to HIM as we actually are. And before we sink, He will immediately reach out His hand to us.

Effective fervent prayer - knowing He hears us and will listen with Love. Expecting the best from HIM. This belief that when we Can Not Reach Up High enough, HE reaches us Where we are. This is JESUS. The Son of God. Amen.







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