tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80890244109689211692024-03-13T15:07:32.640-07:00Thoughts of ProvocationThese posts will be thoughts to challenge assumptions in the Christian's daily walk in the faith.Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-7542114125514915532020-11-11T17:02:00.001-08:002020-11-11T17:02:30.657-08:00Honor to a Veteran<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TPDmDJvstlADVoCPZcx8zeqwRl-66lt77M5I2f7Ll0w-w7afJIhcmFkviUpI6JwfUchPM8_O4aDxFKWdyDHYJw1OIk4Vm9fHsQUMAB-rWZThfXuFa3r_6WjpZMRznbjbsiizYGRGq9-z/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="473" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9TPDmDJvstlADVoCPZcx8zeqwRl-66lt77M5I2f7Ll0w-w7afJIhcmFkviUpI6JwfUchPM8_O4aDxFKWdyDHYJw1OIk4Vm9fHsQUMAB-rWZThfXuFa3r_6WjpZMRznbjbsiizYGRGq9-z/" width="191" /></a></div>Today, though I was off, my boss asked us for a picture of a veteran (thank you all who have served), and why we are thankful for that vet. Here is what I sent to her:<p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">The veteran I chose to honor is this man, Alvin. When I met him, he had two cats, named Simon and Theodore. Why am I thankful for and honor him? </span></p><div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #201f1e; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web (West European)", "Segoe UI", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Is it because he went to Viet Nam two times? Is it because he served in the US Army, like my own dad? Is it because I don't have a pic of my dad in his service uniform? (Yes, actually. Sorry, Dad.) Is it because when I met him, he looked like a member of ZZ Top? Is it because he loved riding Harleys? Is it because he allows me to call him Neanderthal? Is it because he assaulted me, twice? He really did, and yeah, I get it. I understand why, and it's not because I called him Neanderthal. These aren't the reasons.</div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Look closer at the pic. Look behind him to the left. See the little girl with the yellow and white jumper? That's why I honor this man. After his second tour, he was shipped to Korea where he met my mother in law and they had my now bride (which subsequently caused me to have a 4 hour security interview, for my job, focused on my ties to Korea.) </div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As for the assaults, my FIL Al is a big man, well he was 25 years ago. He wore biker's leathers. I am told when a guy came to pick up my sister in law for a date, he ran when Al answered the door. (Think of Lurch when he answered the door in the original series Addams Family.) When Al answered my knock, I didn't flinch. The next date, he met me at his drive way, picked me up by my shirt and slammed me into his garage door, a bit harder than he needed. My head dented the door. I didn't flinch. To this day he shows that garage door with pride. The next date, he came after me with a full size lumber axe. (He was 6'4"and proud of his Viking heritage.) I didn't flinch. He then gave me his blessing to date his daughter to which I requested his blessing to instead marry his daughter.</div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I figured early on, while my feet were dangling as I was against his garage door, that he was only trying to intimidate me away from his daughter; to make me prove myself worthy of his treasured princess; he was being protective of her, just like I had always planned to be with my daughter(s) when that day comes. The old axiom applies, girls marry guys like their dads, of which my bride loves to point out the similarities. </div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank you, Al, for your service, and your daughter. (She approved this post.) </div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanks for reading my abbreviated homage.</div></div></div>Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-41578286221262312282020-07-23T20:42:00.001-07:002020-07-23T20:42:09.024-07:00I Understand. I Care. I Can't.<p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">This post was inspired to a reply to another post of masking up. I have since pondered this, what I want to say, how to say it, and how might it be received. Know that this is not a knee-jerk reaction. I am now long to think, slow to speak, or type in this case. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">From watching what is going on in our society, I recall that in the beginning, as New Mexico allergens were sprouting and my bride was making masks for her and my eldest for pollen, we saw that as the threat was growing, masks weren’t effective, so don’t. Now they are. I am not going to argue that here and now. That is for another article that I may not ever write or express more than I have here. The reason I point this out is that there are “two sides” to this debate. Most articles, and all that I have read, only have those who wear masks and those who will not because masks are effective. What is being assumed is that if you wear a mask, you care. If you do not, you are the lowest of spectrum of life. The other side says, “I won’t wear a mask because I don’t live in fear.” Do not trip over that. I am not to debate that. I am merely summarizing the debate as I have seen it through the lenses of mainstream and social media. I have seen good brothers and sisters in the faith say that as Christians, we should care and it’s no big deal to wear a mask, but it is actually a mark against our Christian witness not to wear a mask. That attitude wounds me, to be honest.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">I work with people. I love working with people. I have listened to both points of view. I understand and will not dismiss either’s concerns. Yes, there is a fear. Yes, there is my witness that I should consider. Yes, I also see that there is more going on than a virus that has not performed as promised back in February. And yes, I know several of you have lost friends and family to this virus. I understand that. I understand that each side is full of passion, and apart from this virus,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">I also understand some of the political angles, mainly from my New Mexico filter. Our governor has mandated masks. Violation subjects one to a fine. She is coming on strong to have law enforcement agencies to enforce this. Now some say that she is not allowed to do this action. But she is. There have been citations to previous actions of the NM Legislature back when another was governor that could be applied. But then I believe that this last emergency session of the Round House (our state legislation), gave the governor fiat power to see us through this pandemic. She can pass civil punishment for not complying with the masks. Whether or not she can get people like Sheriff Kim Stewart of my own Dona Ana County, as well as others across the state, to enforce it, that is for them to decide between themselves. I understand that an approach of one size fits all solution is not a solution. New Mexico is not New York, praise God. You see the entirety of New Mexico can fit in one of the 5 boroughs of New York with room to spare. And yet our population is crammed into the space that is easily three times the size of New York State. I also understand that this little post does not begin to cover what is being overlooked.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">Let me come back to my Christian witness. I have had one well-meaning person, more, tell me that as Christians, we are to obey the laws of the land. The reference is Romans 13. Peter’s letters tell us that we should live our lives so that Jesus is appealing. So yes, I should wear a mask.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">Naturally, that brings me to the second charge, that of not caring. I heard this when last month I posted a math problem. It was the number of active cases divided by the population of New Mexico. The answer was less than half of one percent. I like simple math. Unfortunately, my use of it has called into question my sympathy. Why? Math is hard because it is cold. But if you know me, you know that I am very caring. God even blessed me with a larger heart than most. My cardie is concerned about that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">Seriously though, I do care about people. I want to help those who need help. The idea of my hurting someone unintentionally makes me ill. It brings no comfort to the person hurt. And it brings shame to my witness, to my Heavenly Father. My aim is to encourage, to offer hope.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">And yet I feel left out. I feel ostracized by society. I know I am not alone. I am a member of a quieter group, a group that seems to be ignored. I saw our governor address my group, but not in a hopeful or helpful way. You see, I am part of the group that Can't. Mind you, not all of us are of the same mind. Some of us would wear a mask if we could, but as many would not wear a mask if they could wear a mask. Whatever our reasons, we are united in that we cannot wear a mask. Some have medical reasons such as myself. Some have psychological or mental health reasons that are ever as valid as my own reasons.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">Here, I will divulge information some have advised me not to because it really is not anyone’s business. The other week I posted about wearing my mask to Sam’s Club. In the time it took me to walk to the back of the store, gentle gait in no hurry, I was dizzy. By the time I knelt and took off my mask, I was already losing coherence. I nearly passed out. A friend suggested that it could have been sparked by deep-seated anxiety. She has a valid point that I did not want to dismiss. I was slow in my answer to her, but that question still lingered, because I was upset at how drastically we have changed as a nation, as a community, and mostly by how ugly people were being to one another. Could this have been an anxiety attack? Maybe. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">A week later, I had several appointments in a single day because my specialists were finally able to keep the appointments that I made for April. During one visit, I asked the nurse if I could try something. My O2 levels are great, generally at 99. Within a few minutes, my O2 dropped to 94. At five it was at 86 and I became dizzy. Then he put a stop to the experiment. (I think he did not want to explain to my doctor or his supervisor why I was allowed to collapse.) But that was just sitting there, no exertion, with my simple bandana, unlike the proper cloth mask that I wore to Sam’s while walking. One of my other specialists gave me the documentation I would need to carry to carry out my job duties without wearing a mask. It was not anxiety, but an actual issue compounded by my A-Fib. (At least my heart knows how to salsa dance!)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">And there is more. As a minister, my weakest point of ministry was hospital calling. I do not like to make hospital calls. It is not that I do not care about the people. It is that whenever I visited people in the hospital, I would spend the next two days sick. Why? Because my birth was a bit early, I have compromised immunity. I have no ability to retain antibodies. (At least I will never grow resistant to antibiotics.) Back in February, my son was out and about, as my teens are prone to be. He came home and became ill. After a couple of days, thinking it was safe, I went into his room and upon taking my only breath in his foul air, I knew I was in trouble. In an hour, I was sick. I had a cold. It was the most painful cold I have had. Come to think, it was the first cold I have ever had. For that weekend, I was sick. I fought it with vitamin C. I fought it with diet. I fought it with prayer. The illness was only a few days, praise to our Father. Was it COVID? Who knows? I cannot be tested because that is my nature. I had mumps, a childhood disease that should only be a one and done, twice that I can recall because I did not build a resistance. I got sick easily. I still do.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">So, know that when you see me in public, I am very circumspect in my actions and where I go and who I see. I deeply appreciate your concern for my vulnerability. I do not make light of it; I will not dismiss it. I have done my own research and have drawn my own conclusions. Because of our Christian witness, half our family wear masks. Also, if you appear to be less than par, I will not approach you. I will keep you beyond arm’s length. This is something that I have had to live with for decades.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">Here is what I want you to take away from this: Some may wear a mask. Some may not wear a mask. Some may not be able to wear a mask. When you see someone doing something different than yourself, think of a way to be an encourager. “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” – Colossians 4.6<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">Thank you for reading my thoughts. May the Father’s blessings shower upon you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #f0f2f5; color: #050505; font-family: "segoe ui historic", "segoe ui", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><o:p><br /></o:p></div>Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-72785264216147876552020-04-01T00:08:00.000-07:002020-04-01T06:40:53.501-07:00Finding the Blessings in the Storm<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOzezYhp1exanCnzdUM8TG0HVPlDxBLmumPPzsC1ddSvK1FYSC22tndUxMOnqp-R1YnCDbFTR7EiyMJVsiY_HEDXIgi0GxW3AzqUbCjADt_BtRD3pH999argWMCD-u8ush4C8z7DT-Wz2/s1600/20161228_124442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOzezYhp1exanCnzdUM8TG0HVPlDxBLmumPPzsC1ddSvK1FYSC22tndUxMOnqp-R1YnCDbFTR7EiyMJVsiY_HEDXIgi0GxW3AzqUbCjADt_BtRD3pH999argWMCD-u8ush4C8z7DT-Wz2/s200/20161228_124442.jpg" width="200" /></a>This is my old car, Sally. She was a fast car. She was until the day that her oil pump went out. Now she is sitting in someone's driveway waiting to be salvaged in East El Paso. She died on 3/10/2020, just before the world went nuts!<br />
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What was I doing when she died? I was on my way out of town to work in Hobbs, NM for the week. I do that a bit. Back in January, I calculated that I have spend 1/3 of my new job away from home. That of itself isn't easy, but by the Father's grace, I have been able. I could focus on the bad that is happening, or I could focus on the positives that I see around me. Someone once observed that I always see the positive, assume the best of a person as soon as I meet them. I believe that is accurate. What you focus on, you will see.<br />
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For example, when I first got that car back a couple of years ago, I started noticing other Malibus. To that end, there are 6 other Malibus in Las Cruces that is the same color as mine. One of which lives two doors down from me. Of those 6, one is tinted nearly as dark as mine and lacks the antennae, It is a near perfect clone. It is the same when I was wanting a Bronco. My kids ceased to be amazed at how I could spot a Bronco and know that I wasn't looking at the grill of an F150 or the shell of a K5 Blazer with minimal context. I still can.<br />
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Needless to say, I started driving a Malibu, and I saw Malibus everywhere. I wanted a Bronco, and now still can see Broncos everywhere. Oh, that desire was killed by my horde hauler, my Sequoia, of which I see a bit around town, including one that's the same color with similar sun damage to the clear coat on the passenger side.<br />
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Let me get back on point. I choose to look for the positive in others. I choose to look for the blessings in the storm because that's what Paul encourage the Philippian Church, "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable - if there is anything praiseworthy - dwell on these things." (Philippians 4.8 CSB). We are to look for these things. I believe this is also for us to look to see the blessings.<br />
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And what blessings are there? For me, this hit me hard. I hate being a one car family. We were one car early in our marriage. She would drive the car to work in the day, and I would drive it to work at night. Sometimes, however, I would need the car during the day, and that found Carol walking home from work because I fell asleep before I would go in to work. I never thought I would see that day again. And now with us having a horde instead of being just a couple...alrighty then.<br />
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The car broke down 60 miles outside of Carlsbad. Carol had to come and pick me up. My roadside assistance didn't handle "more than 12 miles". Did I mention that Carol had to work the next day? We got home at 1 am. Now my company is great, but I still had the work to do, and I promised that I would maintain reliable transportation. The company, rightly so, couldn't help me, other than to allow me to claim the time I drove home as well as the miles Carol spent rescuing me. But that meant that I had a problem to solve. How does Carol get around Las Cruces while I am away? Or how do I do my job without my car?<br />
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As I waited on the side of the road, that was the first blessing. My car came to a stop along a road in what appear to be a saddle going up the Guadalupe Pass. That saddle not only has a beautiful view of the valley leading to El Paso to the west, and of the valley heading to the Pecos River to the east, but that saddle of a stop, I had 2 bars on my phone for service. Normally driving that highway, I would listen to my Pandora app offline since I couldn't get radio stations, and most of that highway has no reception. (One time, a few miles back from where I stopped, I saw a man sitting up on his big U-Haul trying to get a signal for his phone. Since I was on company time, I couldn't stop to offer help. But I am confident that he had help coming. The car carrier he was towing looked freshly unloaded.) I was not only able to call Carol, my boss, roadside assistance as well as my insurance agent, I was able to look up rentals. I figured since I was heading to Hobbs, NM, I could rent a car. Sadly, the rental store had a two hour window that began at 10 am, which was too late a start for me. So then I figured maybe rent a car.<br />
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Blessing 2 came on its heels. Carol had arranged with her co-worker to hitch a ride to work so that I can take my Toy to Hobbs. No problem. Then Friday the 13th came, and Carol was out of work. COVID 19 shut the schools down. Though it was part time, every bit helped. Now she didn't need but a ride for a couple of days and my taking the truck on Sunday through Tuesday wasn't a hardship so much. She still needed a ride to the store, that ride of course provided by a dear friend. Then Monday I received a call telling me that my TDY, and everyone across the board was cut short. I found myself driving between Las Cruces to Lordsburg to Silver City, to Truth Or Consequences. Monday the 23rd, we started home bound. I would venture out for interviews and records only as needed. So the blessing was that I was able to use my truck and the work changed so that we are not really affected by having only one vehicle. To this writing, since the 23rd, I have only needed to head into two three times counting tomorrow.<br />
<br />
My job has been at-home traveling into public. Now it's changed so that I am at-home calling into public. So there's the third blessing. I am not putting myself at risk, except when I need to venture to the store for essentials.<br />
<br />
And the fourth is that I received a promotion just a couple of days ago. The difference is that now Carol is unemployed, my increase covers what she was bringing in. She can now focus on her soap business, as well as making masks for those who want one.And she's made half a dozen to point. I guess there's another blessing.<br />
<br />
I want to encourage you, Reader, to look for the blessings. It is hard. With all that is hitting us from the media, from social media, it is so easy to see the fear. Hear me, I am not saying to downplay the COVID 19. Play it smart, play it responsibly. But personally, I am tired of all that I see that I have tuned out anything COVID related. I want to encourage you to tune out the negative and look to our Father. Yes, it's scary. God never promised that the storms wouldn't hit us. He never promised that He would only give us what we can handle. I can't handle the storms. I am not big enough (last checked, I am pretty BIG). But the Father wants you to look for him. In John 6 beginning verse 16, the disciples are in a boat, rowing in a storm, and are scared by something they saw. Jesus then calmed them, and THEN he removed them from the storm. In Acts 21, the Father warned Paul, gave Paul advanced warning of the storm that was heading his way. Yet Paul told the Church in Corinth that in Paul's weakness, God strengthened him. To the Church in Rome, Paul gave this promise, "God will work all things to the good of those who love Him." - Romans 8.28.<br />
<br />
And finally, to make a long post short, which is a little late now, all storms pass. Again, this storm, like others before it, shall pass. Looking to the Father, focusing on His love for us, you'll soon find this storm finished.<br />
<br />
Hey, thanks for reading along. May the Father's blessings shower richly upon you.Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-80969461889154541692018-04-04T00:26:00.000-07:002018-04-04T07:30:41.233-07:00Deer Stream Enterprise<p dir="ltr">Thank you for reading this post. I would like to introduce you to my pet project. I will write this in a question/answer format. Feel free to leave your question(s) in the comments, or email me at DeerStreamEnterprise@gmail.com.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>1. How did you come by the name, Deer Stream? </b><br>
Family is important to me. So when it came to naming this, it was an easy selection. My name is Gaelic translated as deer in a field. My wife's maiden name is Nordic that translates as oak by the stream. So take the first noun of my name, deer, and second noun of her name, stream. (Oakfield is common. And developing an email address for this, so are things Deer Stream, apparently.) That is how Deer Stream Enterprise came about. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>2. When and how did this idea come about?</b><br>
I was working for a company before it went through a restructuring. Because I was moved down to temporary status, I began looking for other work. But my work, though a social services nature, was deemed by many potential employers as not. It was medical field. Odd. And the same employers also deemed ministry, of which I have over 25 years experience, as not, as well. Many jobs that I believe I would fit, I didn't because of the lack of specialized education. So in a night of frustration, back several months ago, I started toying with this idea.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>3. Why don't you work on one of those specialized degrees to remain in social work?</b><br>
Let me answer this with a story from one of my ministries. There was a woman who wanted to be an educator in the public schools. At best, she was only a substitute teacher. So in hopes that she would become a full fledged teacher, she earned her bachelor's. None of the local districts would hire her. She then was advised to get her masters. She did. She still wasn't hired. So keeping to the advice of making herself appealing, she went and earned her doctorate. I met her when she was 63 years old with close to a 6 figure debt. She wasn't hired because by this time, age had become a factor.  I don't want that gamble. If I am going to to advance my degree, it will be a degree with something I have a passion. Helping people is my passion. Listening is a strength. Therefore, the degree I will seek will allow me to become a counselor. Concierge Counselor seems to be the <u>better</u> plan.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>4. What does this enterprise actually do?</b><br>
I am a minister who is a tent-maker by trade. That means that the church doesn't pay me, but I still serve the church. In order to help the church, I have taken many jobs, in retail management, acting and producing, car sales, other sales, teaching, tutoring, optical field, medical field, and even property management and planning.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What I likely will do while going back to school is tutor, drive for Lyft and Uber, network funeral homes for assistance with bereavement, likely network with businesses that are in food industry or in cosmetology for servicing their bladed equipment. I will even sell for you if you have a product that needs to be sold.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>5. Since you are with a church presently, why not umbrella under the church?</b><br>
There are a few answers to this question. The first being that though funerals and potentially weddings do fall under the church, by keeping it apart from the church would protect the church should I do or say something that's not taken well, or is misconstrued. Another reason is that the with the networking for blade honing, and as an independent salesman, I need a business license to operate at the Farmers Market and for tax purposes. This, if I'm in error (except the FM, which they require as per their written policy), I'd rather safe than fined when it comes to taxes and conducting business. Finally, being apart from the church allows it to be portable.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>To conclude</b>: I hope that I was able to answer some of the questions. If there is something else you'd like to know, then please ask me in the comments or email me at the address above. Since this is a new venture, I will likely modify this blog posting from time to time. Thank you for reading about my project.</p>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-72008692539967392132017-11-26T19:54:00.000-08:002017-11-26T19:54:29.534-08:00Raising the Bar by Command - Matthew 14.22-33<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
I know that I
tend to use this parable, along with the widow’s offering, more than any other
account in the Scripture, but it appeals to me. It’s versatile. There are so
many applications. That parable is the one of the Servants and the Talents. You
know it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
A man is going
away for a spell. He calls in his ranch hands to let them know of his extended
absence. While he is gone, he has a project for each of them. He gave the first
ranch hand $500 and said, “son, see what you can do with this.” Then he gave to
the second ranch hand $200 dollars telling him the same thing, “son, see what
happens with this here 200.” To the last ranch hand he gave just $100. Again,
the Rancher tells the hand, “son, here’s a $100. See where this leads you.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Of course, there
was no further instruction. The sums each came with carte blanche. After a few
seasons, the Rancher returns and looks over the spread. Pleased with what he
saw, he called his three ranch hands to come in and give an account to their
sums of money. After they retrieved their books and money, they appeared before
the Rancher. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The first hand
comes up and says, “Hefe, you didn’t tell me what to do, so I got into some
stuff. Here’s your original 500 back, and 500 more.” The Rancher gave him praise for his work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The second hand
comes up and says, “Sir, I thought I might have lost it, but I worked hard.
Here’s 400 and more to come.” The
Rancher also had praise to rain on his faithful hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
The last cowpoke
came up, a bit sheepish, hat in hand. “El Hefe, Sir, I know you are an exacting
man. I didn’t want to risk losing what you gave me. I couldn’t afford to
replace it out of my paltry pay if I even worked for next five years free. So I
put it under a fence post in the back 40. Here it is. I didn’t lose a penny of
it.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Of course we
know that the Rancher had no praise but proceeded to tell his hand how lazy he
thought the hand was. The hand could have played the safe route and invested in
a savings account during his absence. Everyone knows that when a post is
disturbed, likely there is hidden cache of money that the person wanted to keep
safe and away from the banks. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Why this parable
is appropriate this morning is that there were no instructions given. Each hand
was freely given the money. And it was that the last man had no faith in the
faith that the Rancher had in him. Think about that for a moment. The Rancher
had faith in the hand that he gave the hand $100. But the hand had no faith in
himself or in the Rancher. He didn’t have a clear directive what to do with the
money so he didn’t do anything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Isn’t that how
it is with us as Christians? Take stock for a moment. Do you have faith in the
Father’s faith in you? Do I trust that the Father’s faith in me will yield
fruit for the kingdom? You see he’s given each of us the Holy Spirit by whom we
live. But the Holy Spirit is only our guide. He doesn’t command us. He doesn’t
rule us. Those aren’t his jobs. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
I think we tend
to overthink things really. Been that way since back in the Garden with the
original couple. They had a simple directive. Don’t eat. That’s it. Only one
law in the entire judicial system. Don’t eat. But surely it couldn’t be that
simple. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
They added a
rule to protect themselves. Don’t eat. Don’t touch. But that wasn’t the
command. With only one command, there is quite a bit of freedom to do anything
one might imagine. But we over thought it and added to it. Satan challenged us
on the law. He called the bluff. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
And that’s not a
contradiction either. God did say they would die when they ate it. But until
that time, man was innocence personified. They were immortal in that they ate
from the Tree of Life. When they were expelled, they ceased eating from the
Tree of Life, and therefore death entered. The couple started dying. Remember,
the Tree of Life was blocked by a flaming sword. Man is now no longer immortal
but terminal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Now in Christ,
we are overthinking once again. It’s an argument that has been taking place at
least from near the beginning of the church. It became an issue with the new
Gentiles coming into the faith. Some wanted all to embrace the way of Moses and
the Law. Others said that how is that fair when even the Jews themselves were
unable to keep the law <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
So the Apostles
and the Elders of Jerusalem thought it over and came to a decision. There would
be 3 simple rules: 1) Abstain from sexual misconduct. 2) Don’t eat meat
sacrificed to idols (idol worship), and 3) Don’t eat meat strangled or its
blood. In other words, they were to respect life, worship God, and stay
sexually pure. Everything else is freedom. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
But we don’t
like such freedom. We want someone telling us what to do, and I think this is
why. So that should anything fail, we can pass it back or pass the blame on to
someone else. It’s where Peter was in our passage this morning. He wanted something,
but instead of acting on his own, he wants Jesus to tell him directly. He
didn’t want to just be told, he wanted to be commanded. Does Jesus listen?
Let’s read the text: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead
of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. After dismissing the
crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He
was there alone. But the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by
the waves, because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning, He
came toward them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the
sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be
afraid.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to
You on the water.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">“Come!” He said. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water
and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid.
And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Immediately
Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little
faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then
those in the boat worshiped Him and said, “Truly You are the</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Son of God!” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Peter wanted to
play it safe. He wanted Jesus to prove himself to him. But this isn’t going to
happen. Instead, Jesus gives Peter a little lesson as to whom Jesus really is.
That is why Jesus stayed after sending the disciples away. He needed to remind
them, remind us that though he’s living totally as a man, he is still the Great
I, the Creator of the Universe. But God doesn’t want mind-numb obedient robots
to love him. He has the angels for that. Instead he wants us to have the
freedom to love him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Jesus did, in
this interaction, give commands, but never so much to Peter about walking on
water. Instead Command 1 was to have courage, that Jesus is with them. Peter
and the rest were afraid because Jesus was acting in a manner that they
couldn’t wrap around their minds. Jesus was doing something different and
unexpectedly. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Instead, Jesus
told the disciples to be courageous. Yes, the two are in the same verse, but
they are different commands. They are related but not the same. Courage has
been often defined as doing something despite the fear one might have.
Firefighters for example are courageous running against the flow of people. But
the firefighters are still afraid of the fire. Here in the sight of the Son of
God, or God with us, the disciples are being told not to be afraid. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Then there is
the command to not be afraid. Perhaps the disciples knowing where they were
spiritually, being in the presence of someone so holy, it was fearful. Every
time that the Angel of the Lord appeared, every time any angel appeared to
people, any time something supernatural from God happens, the person or
audience is immediately told not to be afraid, with the exception of the Angel
of the Lord appearing to Balaam. At that moment, his sins gave him good reason
to be afraid. In this moment, Jesus walking on water is supernatural. And Jesus
tells them to not be afraid of him, not to be afraid of God. He is with them.
He is with us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Finally, what
about Peter wanting Jesus to command him? If Peter were to fail, then whose
fault would it be? The one who failed, or the one setting him up for failure.
We tend to pass the buck. How often have we heard, “we were just doing what we
were told/taught”? If someone else tells us to do something, then I can say
that I was set up for failure. But if I have the freedom to do something on my
own, then my failure is mine. But that’s situation ethics. You are told to do
something, and if you know it’s a wrong or bad command, then obeying makes you
as guilty for following through. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
“Peter, if you
want to walk on the water, then you are free to walk on the water.” That is
what Jesus was saying when he said, “come”. Peter, trust Jesus. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Let me bring it
home to us. We want to be told what to do. The problem with being told what to
do, once we start looking for such direction, our faith becomes ritual. It
ceases to be faith. God has told us to love him with all our being and to love
our neighbor as ourselves. All the law and the prophets hang on these two
commandments. But what does that look like?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Jesus answered
that it is being a servant to all. But what does that look like? It’s
ambiguous, by design. God wants us to love Him with our mind, so we are free to
imagine how we might show love to Him and to our neighbor. There is a preacher
who has a dream of eliminating poverty. What will that look like? He’s still
working on it. Will it eliminate it through out the community he lives in? He
doubts it, but hopes that perhaps one day, it will bring glory to God. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
That is a
courageous step on his part. What are you thinking about for the kingdom on how
to love God and to love your neighbor? Let your imagination soar. Dream. How
might you bring glory to His name?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
What keeps us
from dreaming? Fear? You know how sinful you are, and can God use you with your
brokenness? You bet he can and will. Do you fear God? Why? Through this
passage, through the word of God, we are promised that if we are seeking Him,
looking for him, we will find him and we don’t need to fear him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
He has set this
up so that we might be saved, that we might come to him crying Abba Papa. That
is what he wants. He wants to hear those precious words from our lips, from
your lips. Papa, I love you. He’s so not looking to get us. He wants to love
you. He desires to know and forgive you. And he freely does when we accept the
work that Jesus did, to taste eternal death so that you and I won’t taste it.
My prayer is that you do oft say, “I love you, Abba Papa.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
Then what might
you do with such praise and affection? Perhaps it will be greater than walking
on water. Listen to His word and come to him with courage free from fear. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-78550909018362279872017-07-12T17:32:00.002-07:002017-07-12T17:32:26.417-07:00Have I lied? A beginning thought...<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Thought
of Provocation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">It
has been a while since I have written on this blog. For a while I made some
quick videos. It was novel. I do enjoy making the videos, along with the
bloopers of my own mistakes. But all in all, I have been given a gift of words.
It truly is an amazing gift that the Father has given me, especially since Mr.
Roboto was my nickname in school. (After all, I could not talk at a normal pace
without stutter. Instead, I talked really slow and monotone.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Words
give me the ability to create pictures, worlds, EVEN LIFE itself. No, I am not
blaspheming the Holy Word. God said that I am created in HIS image. He is a
creator who has bestowed me with the ability to create as well. But I have my limitations. What I create with
my words are but an inkling of what life is like sustained by our loving
Heavenly Father. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"> But what do I do with my words, this is what
changes for me. I have seen my words be a source of hurt. I have seen my words
as a source of passion. I have seen my words as a source of comfort. I have
seen my words as a source of change. I
am a wordsmith who enjoys his gift.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Right
now, I am in the middle of a couple of writing projects. One is a project to
introduce a real person to a group of people who want to know more about him. No,
they won’t be able to come and meet him. They are relying upon my ability to
use my words to reveal more than what people tend to see when they see him. I
am almost done. Its deadline is on the horizon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">My
other word project is a repeating one. It’s due every couple of weeks. I use my
words to encourage a flock of God, a church family. This is the preaching
schedule. I preach 26 weeks of the year, which gives me a lot of time to
reflect on the words that I will use, and what it is that I am trying to say to
the congregation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">On
Sunday nights, we have been travelling through the Prophets in the Old
Testament. After all, Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus that the
Prophets tell of Jesus. Actually, reading the prophets, I find a lot of overlay
between the time of the prophets and what is happening in our time today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">First,
I am not saying that in any way that America, particularly the United States, is
the new Israel, or the New Chosen People. We are not. Also, I am comparing preachers to prophets in
that they are both responsible for the bringing of a message from God, through
His Word. There is some comparison between the two roles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">So
this is what we had covered: Jeremiah 14.14. (It’s an easy address to
remember.) Actually, back up a verse to 13. “Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets
say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I
will give you assured peace in this place.’” And the Lord said to me, “The
prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken
to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing,
and the deceit of their heart.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Imagine
the word, “preacher”, in that small passage. Too often I see, I hear preachers
telling people how basically good they are. But how good are we? Am I doing
what I need to be doing, am I preaching messages that equip and challenge my
brothers and sisters to dig into the Bible because we as a nation are not ok.
Our morality is going down rather quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Do
I have the courage to tell you that you are wrong? No, I am not being
judgmental. I, too, struggle with what I should not. I know what is right, what
is good. I know what is wrong. Too often, I find myself doing the wrong. How
long will God put up with me? (This was also Paul’s struggle, as he shared in
Romans 7.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Let
me bring this home for you. Are you struggling with doing what you know you
ought not do? Thankfully, Jesus, the Messiah, rescues you from your struggle,
from your dying flesh. (Romans 7.25) But let’s try something: Since there is no
condemnation for us who are in Jesus Christ, let us put off the yoke of slavery
to our physical wants. Let us draw upon the Spirit within us, the Holy Spirit,
to strengthen us to live according to the adoption that we have received. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">This
post is rather short, and might even raise more questions. I encourage you to
ask me. Let me encourage you. Allow me to answer those questions, not as
someone who is perfect, but as your fellow saint. (Oh, you do know that is how God
sees us, if we are in Christ Jesus.) I am there with you, struggling with the
same sin nature. By His Spirit, we will get through this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Thank
you for allowing me to share with you from my heart. The Father’s blessings be
yours. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-17691179444158489812016-08-27T23:06:00.000-07:002016-08-27T23:06:15.875-07:00Hey! We're OLD!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
So I sit here, reflecting upon a facebook war, if one might call it
such. Robert started it. He said everyone but him was looking old. Robert, you
don’t look as old because you shave your head, ya cheat! Anyway, this isn’t
about attacking anyone, at least not in the serious form. This is about us
getting older. Having a laugh.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
We become painfully aware of it with tragedies. We jokingly are
reminded when we see a sports star our own age have his midlife crisis in front
of the cameras as he signs his “Hail, Mary” contract. (Dude, take a page from
the book of Elway and buy an auto dealership and enjoy life. But one must
wonder what Minnesota was thinking. Isn’t this where Steve Young retreated, as
well?) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Robert’s comments were not the only reason this has been on my mind of
late. Truth be told, we are not old. I can’t be. I don’t shave my head like
some, and I don’t invest in “Just For Men” like others, but I have less gray
today than I did at the 10-year reunion, (though seriously, I have no idea who
is using. Care to confess? About using JFM?) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Last month, we had our nieces from Albq visiting us for a few weeks.
IT’s always a blast having them here with us. Well maybe not this time. My
Candice said, “Uncle Steve, you’re old!” Thanks, Lil Princess. Why do I call
you my “favorite niece” again?!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
That’s not it alone. There is more. There is a Shell Food Mart where I
enjoy the best tap Dr. Pepper around. Everyone there knows me. Everyone there
really doesn’t know me, I learned. One of the girls working there said, “I have
been meaning to ask you: those boys that occasionally come in with you, are
they your grandchildren?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
OUCH!! THAT HURT! OUCH!! Still smarting over that. I went back to talk
with one of the few there that I have known going on years. “Actually, we all
thought that they were your grandsons.” Did I say, “OUCH!”? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
So then we go off to a store in Flagstaff. Winslow is limited on where
one goes to buy clothes for my <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>SONS</u></i></b>. Walmart. Fantastic
selection of girls’ clothing. (Yeah we lack the selection for boys.) So back to
the store in Flagstaff. We had someone at the register ringing up our
purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looked like he was 50-ish. “Sir,
I must compliment you on your well-behaved grandsons.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say it with me: “OUCH!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Being a preacher, I usually can’t keep my mouth shut. I thought I
would share these events with my congregation. Since the mean age of the
congregation is 60, AFTER we include my family’s ages, I thought I would be
told, “Preacher, you don’t look old.” (Hey, I wanted some ego boosting.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
“Gramps! That is too funny!” Hey! Again, my favorite chorus of this
note: (Say it with me.) OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! Seeing this 80 year old lady calling
ME: “Gramps”. OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
I thought I would get sympathy from my dad since he called to let me
know he misses his grandchildren who do not live in Yuma. Nope! Not gonna
happen. HE had a hoot. We got to talking about the whole event. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Until my friend Kevin moved to 26<sup>th</sup> Place, my dad was the
oldest dad around. Seriously, he was. I didn’t want to be a senior citizen at
my boys’ graduations. I got married earlier. But we could not have children
until… Well, I am going to be a senior citizen at my kids’ graduations. Oh
well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
The point of these funnies, you must ask? Aging. I really don’t feel
old. I don’t see much differences from the pictures of the 20 year reunion from
what I saw at the 10 year reunion. I even still remember Uncle Gene’s Black 40
party. HE still looks the same.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Oh yeah, back on aging. I remember when I was younger. I was in
college. I wondered why people made a big deal about aging. I thought, “just
embrace it, move on.” Now I am there, seeing myself, forcing myself to embrace the
fact that I may not be as young as I used to be. (Though I can still walk a 15
minute mile and run it in 7. And I am now 7” taller than I was at high school
graduation.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
One might say, “Steven, you are failing to make your point.” Yeah, I
know. I am having fun rambling. I used to ramble too much on Sunday morning, so
I have to have an outlet for it, so here we are. What was I saying?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
Oh yeah, aging. I am… Well I did have a point that I was in the process
of making in the long drive of it all. But I got lost. Sorry about that. Enjoy
this time & thanks for reading! Gramps Steve</div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-46364124339522756302015-09-01T21:29:00.002-07:002015-09-01T21:29:38.416-07:00War on Law<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_jVuv4b7QTyUcYU2IgWKOkogPJGU6BtuzGC5mckWBlmFiSIvOM1xd3ZR24JCG9Za-WryVK9xIKZOM0vXTNLpcFoqQF_zbzUP4utoLNFbAEVeKbhm4LDxeW1NRLfZs-62zYLp2ICmjcjj/s1600/EOW+Service.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_jVuv4b7QTyUcYU2IgWKOkogPJGU6BtuzGC5mckWBlmFiSIvOM1xd3ZR24JCG9Za-WryVK9xIKZOM0vXTNLpcFoqQF_zbzUP4utoLNFbAEVeKbhm4LDxeW1NRLfZs-62zYLp2ICmjcjj/s320/EOW+Service.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I wonder about the news of late. I try not to follow Yahoo News due to their obvious disdain for our finest in blue (and brown). I saw a poster from a lady who use to teach me Bible in high school youth group. Her poster was made this past weekend, 7 officers executed in the last week of August, Then I saw another person post of more officers killed in the last 3 days.I don't know how many have been slain. One is too many to count.<br /><br />Being that I am a preacher, I look at things from both sides. I see a spiritual side that often is overlooked. We are in a spiritual war. We tend to only see the physical because we cannot perceive the spiritual. <br /><br />Yet Paul, the apostle, gives us an indication of what might be happening<br /><br />No, I am not saying that the man of lawlessness has been revealed, but I am seeing that our time is increasingly becoming more and more lawless. It seems to have begun with the war on our peace officers, our veterans, our military, and our heroes who place their lives on the line for our safety, our security. We are in a crossroads in history. <br /><br />And I want to encourage you with this. Stand firm in your faith in Jesus Christ. Let us pray for those who serve us. Let us encourage them when we encounter them. (I always ask if I might take their cruiser around the block. One officer actually let me. But all of them tend to smile and have their day brightened.)<br /><br />Let us continue to fix our eyes on the finish line, of living for Him who saved us.</div>
in 2nd letter to the church of Thessalonica. In this letter, the second chapter (2 Thessalonians 2), Paul addresses the rumors of the Day of the Lord had already occurred. Yet Paul said that the Day of the Lord (the second coming, His return), will not happen until the time of lawlessness comes, and the man of lawlessness has been revealed. Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-72694471140066868062015-05-27T18:59:00.001-07:002015-05-27T18:59:15.186-07:00Recapturing Pentecost - Acts 2.42-47<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As I think about it, I don’t believe
I can recall the last time there was a double holiday weekend. The closest I
have seen in the past has been when our wedding anniversary falls on Labor Day
weekend. But tomorrow, as you know, Memorial Day, a day of sober remembrance of
those who gave their lives on the battlefield for us. But for the average
American, tomorrow is the first holiday of Summer, even though there is still
most of a month of Spring before Summer officially starts. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And if you haven’t realized it, seven
weeks have passed since we celebrated Easter. It has been seven weeks and a day
since the Passover. So by the Jewish calendar, today is the day that starts the
Jewish festival, Feast of weeks, a celebration of the harvest of the first
grains. It is a joyous celebration before the Lord, a celebration where what is
given to the Lord is not mandated, other than to give with joy and
thanksgiving. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I guess today’s holiday
is much like tomorrow’s. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just as Jesus was the lamb for the
Passover, so today marked the birth of the church. Consider what the people
saw, what they heard. First it started with wind, not the actual movement of
air, but merely the sound of it. It was loud. It was heard through the streets
of Jerusalem to the point that people gathered to where the disciples were
staying. Then God’s presence was revealed in the tongues of fire descending
upon each them, enabling them to speak the Great News in different tongues so
that all who came to see heard the news proclaimed in his or her native tongue.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They started questioning it. Some
were amazed. A few scoffed, blaming alcohol. Yet from there, Peter had their
attention. He proclaimed Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. He demonstrated how
He fulfilled Scripture and how the people rejected him and had him killed.
God’s Son murdered by their hands. And they knew it. They asked what must be
done.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Repent and be baptized for the
forgiveness of your sins and to receive the Holy Spirit. And with these and
many other words, Peter pleaded with the people to save themselves from this
corrupt generation. The response was phenomenal. Approximately 3,000 were baptized
and added that day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Not only was this the start of the
church, but it was something totally new. It was a newness of attitude, a
newness of the heart. It was a new transformation. And look how it manifested
itself beginning at Acts 2.42 and following.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">All the believers devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including
the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and
the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers
met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their
property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They
worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper,
and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God
and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to
their fellowship those who were being saved.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So the question that we ponder this
morning is how do we recapture Pentecost? I am not so much talking about this
day as much as I am referring to what started this day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our passage is weeks, months, even years past
this day. How do we recapture Pentecost? </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Devotion to
Study and Worship</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This past week, I had an interesting
discussion about faith, the Word. The quote this person left me with, “I don't
need some book to tell me how to live or know god. As if anyone has the right
to tell someone else that he knows god better (than me).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless to say, at that point our short
conversation ended. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yet it got me to thinking about what
this person said. Do I need some book? If I want to be able to do my taxes, I need
a book. As I restore my truck, I definitely need a book to tell me how. If I
want to practice medicine or law, I need a book. Well I would need lots of
books. Even philosophers and self-help gurus are always pushing their books so
that the reader can know how to live a better life.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Basically we study books, other
teachers if you will, until we've mastered the subject. But even then, living
for God, following Christ's example is so counterintuitive that mastery is
nearly impossible given every turn we're told that Self is most important thing
in life. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yet another conversation is that if
we want to win “x”-religious person to Christ, we need to read that person’s
literature and fully understand where the person is coming from. This person
even used Paul in Athens where he saw the idol to the unknown god, just in case
they missed one in their pantheon of worships.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But Paul stated that in his ministry, he claimed to know nothing but
Jesus and Jesus crucified alone. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Just as a person who handles money
for a living doesn’t take time to know the counterfeits, but instead spends
time studying the real. This allows him or her to spot the fake money when it
appears. So we too, are to handle the Word, to know it so fully that when
something comes along that is fake, we can spot it and avoid it. This is why it
is so important to be devoted to the Word, to study.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As simple as I make it seem, I know
that it’s not as easy to do. This is why I need your help, this is why I come
to worship with you today, so that you might encourage me in my walk, just as I
might encourage you in your walk. And there is something about singing
together, praying together, reading the word that unites us. The more we invest
in one another, invest in the Word, the more we want to be around one another.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Fellowship
with One Another</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We become concerned for one another.
We find ourselves spending time together. Yesterday, I was trying something new
at the Farmer’s Market, “An invitation to sit and talk.” A few were tempted to
sit with me. Mike and Cathy did. They were believers. And we encouraged one
another because we were able to unite around our common faith, and the
struggles we see within our community, within our culture. Before I knew it, an
hour had passed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is something that I enjoy each
Sunday, a time of fellowship with you. Now as for congregations in this
country, by comparison, we fellowship more than most. Some congregations have
lunch out each week. But we have a light lunch in. But what if we were to
increase that to meeting more often, perhaps if not for food, then perhaps for
talking about the Word. We don’t have the Temple to meet in anymore, but we do
have our buildings. We have our dining rooms. We have the place to make the
opportunities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ministering
to Others</span></i></b></div>
<div style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Which leads
to being able to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters, and even to
others. Can you imagine a time that no one has any financial burdens, that all
their needs were met? Are all your needs met?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When we have
a changed attitude from being in the Word, being around one another, then what
we have takes a new values. God has entrusted me with this. How can I use my
blessings to bless someone else? We realize that we are merely stewards of what
the Lord has entrusted to us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some say
that the key to winning someone to the Lord is to show him or her that you
care. Often that might mean we meet their worldly needs before we can meet
their physical needs. And as part of the Church of Arizona, we will have that
opportunity soon enough.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Also this
week in the news, state lawmakers and the governor passed a new law concerning
public assistance. The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) will
be pared down to helping individuals/families for one year and then no more,
ever. With it estimated that 40% of Arizonans are on such assistance, once that
assistance runs dry, where will these people turn?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Once upon a
time, a person in need would turn to the Church for help. Then came the
Depression and government came alongside to assist the Church in meeting needs.
I am not sure when it happened that the government became a person’s first
place for help and the church became last, but now history is coming back
around that we will once again be in a position to help others. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: double windowtext 2.25pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And as we
become the hands and feet of Jesus, sharing God’s good news, love, and grace,
we might once again see God act in supernatural wonders. We will see the Church
of America, perhaps at least the Church of Bisbee start to grow. As we are
loyal to our calling, the God will bless us and add to us those who are being
saved. Let us see the fields ready for the harvest.</span></div>
</div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-56226139453594157752015-05-20T15:20:00.001-07:002015-05-20T15:20:01.581-07:00When Bad News Comes 2 Kings 19<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q6HyD05AJ0I" width="459"></iframe>Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-32185301787601397472015-05-17T19:34:00.004-07:002015-05-17T19:39:35.370-07:00The Story 16 Hezekiah: When Bad News Comes 2 Kings 19<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">At Wednesday’s Dinner and Discussion,
we continued with our journey of The Story. This week was on Hezekiah, the 13<sup>th</sup>
of 20 kings of the tribe of Judah. He is a bit of a wonder, coming from a
father who closed the worship of the Temple of Solomon altogether. He was
raised in an idolatrous family. Yet as soon as he became king, he started
reform. He returned to the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">His first reform was the consecration
of the Temple, opening it up, cleaning it up, making it holy so that the Lord’s
anger might turn from God’s children.
Once the Temple was consecrated, sin sacrifices were made for not only
himself but for the entire nation of Israel, I believe to include the northern
tribes that were already in captivity. Of course to their shame, not enough
priests and scribes had thought to consecrate themselves, though not a few
fellow Levites were prepared and took up in aiding the offerings for this first
sin offering. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Upon the completion of the offering,
he sent out invitations for the celebration of the Passover. People came as far
as Dan to celebrate this. But during this time, it was brought to his attention
that the people hadn’t properly consecrated themselves. The priests made sure
that this time, they were properly prepared for their service, but not so much
for the people. So Hezekiah prayed for them. He prayed that the Lord forgive
their ignorance and uncleanness before his sight. And the Lord did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Once the Passover was completed, it
is at this point that all the people, according to 2 Chronicles 30, that the
people themselves went out and destroyed all the idols. The people were once
again worshipping God, having put away the idols. And then it came, the bad
news.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">After restoring the Temple, the king
of Assyria comes demanding a tribute. The gold that Hezekiah put on the Temple
is stripped to pay this final tribute. It wasn’t enough for Sennacherib. He
wanted more. First he sent his emissary to the gate to talk in the hearing of
the soldiers and the people inside the walls while this king set camp
outside. I like the words that Hezekiah
tells his men at this point: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><i><span style="line-height: 107%;">“Be strong and courageous. Do not be
afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with
him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the
arm of flesh, but with us is the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>
our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence
from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. </span></i></b><span style="line-height: 107%;">– 2 Chronicles 32.7-8<b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Of course the Lord protected him and
the people of Jerusalem. The king was called away. Yet as he was called away,
he left a letter that had one fact and one claim. The fact is that no nation
that stood against Assyria was still standing. And the claim was that he would
be back. But as Hezekiah had said, they have the Lord God to help them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Still, we give Peter a hard time
about losing focus on Jesus because he became distracted and took his eyes off
of Jesus. But was Hezekiah any different? He had seen great things that the
Lord had done. Still the letter distressed him to the point that the Lord sent
Isaiah to encourage him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">After the miraculous deliverance,
Hezekiah receives more bad news. Whatever is ailing him, though it sounds like
cellulitis, is killing him. He turned once again to the Lord who in turned
blessed him with another 15 years. A sign to prove that he wasn’t hallucinating
was that the sun would move back 10 steps. Some say that this is about a few
hours. And it wasn’t just local to Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">People came from as far as Babylon,
curious as to why the sun stood still. We’re not sure how they traced it to the
promise of Hezekiah, but came they did. And when they arrived, he forgot
himself. He opened all that he had acquired, forgetting that the Lord had
blessed him. Then when confronted with the sin, because the Lord wasn’t willing
to turn his word on Hezekiah, Hezekiah thought, “At least the punishment won’t
happen while I am alive to see it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">So in a nutshell, Hezekiah was a man,
a king, who though he struggled with arrogance and pride, that he lost focus on
the Lord. Through him, the Lord teaches us what to do when bad news comes. And
bad news tends to come. Some examples of bad news is the dissolution of marital
vows, a medical diagnosis that wasn’t wanted, or perhaps death of a loved one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Our neighbors also deal with bad
news. It isn’t just for the believer, or as judgment against the unbeliever. Yet
knowing how to handle bad news when it comes will allow us live a life that
serves as testimony of faith, that glorifies our Heavenly Father. Knowing how
to handle bad news will also allow us to speak grace and hope to our neighbors,
and perhaps bring them close to the Father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Our first response to bad news is to humble ourselves before the Lord.</span></b><i><span style="line-height: 107%;"> When King Hezekiah heard their report, he tore his clothes, covered
himself with sackcloth, and went into the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>’s
temple.</span></i><span style="line-height: 107%;"> – 2 Kings
19.1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">When the letter stating that nations
haven’t stood before Assyria, that their gods were destroyed, even the king was
in sackcloth. Who was he to stand before the Lord in his own royal finery with
this concern? He knew that compared to God, he was nothing better than he
lowest peasant, and that was how he appeared before the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Humbling ourselves can be in that
attitude. It is also an attitude of self-inspection, a personal inventory. It
means that perhaps there is something that you’ve overlooked and need to get
right, maybe even a sin that needs to be repented. When we humble ourselves
before the Lord, we become bare to Him. Nothing can be hidden. Even Adam
learned of this when he tried hiding himself from the Lord, even covering parts
of himself with leafs. God is able to see to our core. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Our second response is to trust it to God.</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> <i>“Hezekiah
took the letter from the hand of the messengers, read it, then went up to the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>’s temple, and spread it out before
the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>. <sup> </sup>Then
Hezekiah prayed before the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>.”</i>
– 2 Kings 19.14-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Hezekiah. When they received the
letter, the king laid it out before the Lord at the temple. He then prayed over
it. That is what we are to do. When the bad news is received, it doesn’t do
good to dwell upon it, rather just to turn it over to the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Now don’t misunderstand. This isn’t
something that we do just once. It is something that we are to do until we
receive an answer. Jesus told of a woman who was always seeking justice and
finally the judge finally gave in. Of course our Father isn’t worn down by our constant
prayers. But are we as steadfast to pray over that bad news? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">David, when he was told that the
child that came from Bathsheba and him was going to die, David kept praying and
fasting until he received an answer. It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but once
he had the answer, then he stopped praying. This is how our prayers should be,
steadfast, faithful, and sincere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;">Now the final lesson is to be Isaiah.</span></b><span style="line-height: 107%;"> <i>“Then Isaiah
son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “The <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>,
the God of Israel says: ‘I have heard your prayer to Me about Sennacherib king
of Assyria.’ This is the word the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>
has spoken against him: He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow there or
come before it with a shield or build up an assault ramp against it. He will go
back on the road that he came and he will not enter this city. This is the
Lord’s declaration.”</i> – 2 Kings 19.20, 21, 32, & 33</span><sup><span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></sup></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Hezekiah was praying over the
situations, the sieging of Jerusalem, the letter, and his coming death. From
those prayers, Isaiah was sent to give him a word of encouragement. The Lord
will not allow the Assyrians to take this city, much less enter it. And the
Lord has heard your prayer and you will live an additional 15 years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">When we are praying over the
situation, are we open to hearing from the Lord? Sometimes He answers us
through His Word. Sometimes, He answers us through someone else. This last week
on Focus on the Family, a woman who grew up in South Africa, daughter of
missionaries, was raised with the ideology that women’s sole purpose was to be
mothers, tending house. She was torn because she loved Jesus, but she vowed
that she wouldn’t be that type of woman, a mom.
So in college, Lisa-Jo Baker started dating this young man. After
church, a stranger turns to them and tells them that even though she isn’t sure
about motherhood or being a lawyer to change the world, God still loves her,
that it didn’t matter which she chose. For her, this stranger was her Isaiah. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Now that brings me to the close. In
the face of bad news, we humble ourselves and turn it over to our Heavenly
Father. But perhaps you aren’t facing bad news, but you know someone who is.
Isaiah wanted to be a messenger for the Lord. My challenge to you, then, is to
be open as Isaiah was. If there is someone who is facing bad news in her life,
be willing to share God’s love and grace. But to be prepared for this, Isaiah
saw the revelation that motivated him. So we should be in the Word now, so that
we can develop that discernment, to develop the eyes that Jesus wanted us to
have when he said the fields are ripe to harvest but the workers are few. Pray
that the Lord of the harvest sends out workers.
To see such opportunity is my prayer.<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-53551531810005921592015-05-16T14:05:00.000-07:002015-05-16T14:05:16.548-07:00The Story 15 - Naaman's Question 2 Kings 5.1-14<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In a way, I can relate to Naaman.
Here is a general, albeit of the enemy, who is afflicted with some skin
disease. Perhaps it was eczema like I have, which makes working with the hands
problematic. Perhaps is was psoriasis. Maybe something else. It distressed him
to the point that a girl whom he captured from Israel, told him where he could
find hope. This hope easily grabs his king’s attention to the point that there
is a small processional going with him. I wonder if the king thought, “If
Naaman is this good handicapped, how formidable would he become healed?” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Leading this small parade, he
arrived in Israel, appearing to the king, then only to be directed to where the
prophet Elisha lived, who in turned used one of his butlers as his emissary to
the general. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy. What did he come to see?</div>
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<br /></div>
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That is the question that he
wanted answered. He was expecting something great. He expected a few events.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <b> </b></span></span></span><b>He
expected a grand welcoming</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Prophet
didn’t bother to greet him. Naaman was too proud. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
Yet what Naaman
learned was something of what faith is. Though he came in pomp, he was to come
to God. Too often we can begin to think more of ourselves than we ought. God is
not lucky to have us. Rather, we are blessed that He welcomes us, just as we
are. Perhaps the reason that the servant met Naaman instead of the prophet was
that Naaman was unclean with his skin disease. It may not have been a matter of
arrogance.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
Don’t dismiss
how we come before God. Pride always comes before the fall is what the Proverbs
teach us. Paul taught the church in Corinth that love is not proud. Jesus said
blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. When we first accepted
Christ, wasn’t it from the point of our realization of our needs, our
brokenness before the Lord?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <b> </b></span></span></span><b>He
expected a grand showing.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b> </b> </span>God doesn’t
serve us. We are to serve and honor Him.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
Naaman expected
the prophet to come out, to command the healing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t understand the nature of God. God is
not some genie. God is great, holy being. In previous chapters we saw Elisha’s
predecessor, Elijah, have a battle of the gods, if you will. The prophets of
Baal and Asherah called on them to consume the offering. Yet nothing happened.
For all that great show, not even an ember appeared. Yet for Elijah, a small
prayer and God showed His glory, because Elijah’s prayer wasn’t for his
benefit. It wasn’t so people would revere him but would turn back to God.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
People today say
that if God is God, then let him continue to prove it. Stop the wars. Stop the
natural disasters. Yet we missed it. How did Elijah hear God? It wasn’t in
power, but in the small whisper. God’s miracles often come through quiet
prayers and are only seen when people look for them. Today, God uses His
children to be instruments of healing and grace. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <b> </b></span></span></span><b>He
expected a grand feat</b>. Yet his task was simple. Dip in the Jordan River 7
times. Again, we can look back at how religions tend to work, through feats of
prayer, through posturing, through offering. They tend to be done because the
worshipper is seeking his god’s favor. Yet our God doesn’t ask us to make a
showing. Jesus tells us to pray in our closets if that is needed to keep our
prayers focused on God and not ourselves. He dismissed the offerings of the
wealthy and honored the mites of the poor woman. He condemned the babbling
prayer of the righteous man and honored the prayer of the penitent man. It is
the attitude and obedience in the simple that God honors.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> <b> </b></span></span></span><b>But
then God did something grand. </b>When Naaman realized what was being required,
doing things in God’s way, his flesh was like that of a boy, strong and supple.
His joy was great when he realized the mercy and grace of our Heavenly Father.
He tried to gift the prophet who refused.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify;">
It is the same for
us this morning. So often we seek the great things to happen, that we forget
about obeying the simple. Love God. Will the decision I make bring honor to
God?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I seeking His will in what I am
about to do, in what I am asking to have happen? Love your neighbor as
yourself. Do you give of yourself not only to your family, but also to
strangers? Even when they raise your ire, or have a completely different faith
set, do you look for ways that you can show them God’s love?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Another take home comes from not
only Naaman but also his servant girl. Her prayer was likely to be restored, to
be able to go home to her family. Yet that prayer didn’t get answered. Yet
despite being where she didn’t want to be, she still honored God and proclaimed
him by telling her master of the prophet in Israel. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
From Naaman, he knew where he was
returning. Sometimes there will be a situation not in our control, such as when
the king wants to worship his idol and have his fiercest warrior kneeling next
to him. Even in that moment, his heart is pure before God. </div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-50055931978718011992015-05-10T12:00:00.003-07:002015-05-10T12:06:31.587-07:00Mom, Like God (A Mother's Day Sermon)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">When
you were younger, did you ever play a game of comparison? One such game went
like this, “My dad is bigger than your dad because he can do this.” It’s a
silly game of trying to one-up the next person. One time I played my one-up for
the victory. My mom is bigger than your dad. And usually that was truthful
statement. She stood 5/11, 6/2 if she was dressing up. So if she was bigger,
than how much more so was my dad. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Her
height helped me once. I was a paper boy of all of Kael’s age. The way that
worked, you would purchase the paper from the newspaper office and then turn
and sell the papers to your customers. You never bought more than you needed.
But once a month, we were given enough papers to blanket every house or
apartment on our route. Yet this day wasn’t that day. It was a day that I only
carried a paper for each of my paying customers. And if I didn’t call the
miscount in immediately, I would have to go to the store and pay full price for
each paper that I was short. And to a 12 year old, a dollar was a bit of money.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">You
see, the neighborhood bully met me in the apartment complex and wanted a paper
for himself and his friends. The store was only a half block away so it wasn’t
a big deal for me to offer to sell the papers to him. Yet he insisted that I
give them. When I wouldn’t budge, he took my papers, I was nearly done, as well
as my bicycle. Then he boxed my ears. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">I
went home battered, unable to finish my route and no way of doing so the next
day. Then Mom took action. She marched me back, with me protesting how
embarrassing it is for her to be doing this. She found the bully, picked him up
and held him against the wall with his feet dangling. She said that she would
give him a spanking with my dad’s belt if he didn’t immediately return my bike,
bags and the papers neatly folded and banded so that I could finish my route.
Funny thing is, I don’t recall being bullied again. Mom was taller than the
average dad. No one messed with her. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">One
night I was sleepless when I discovered another one of mom’s habits. She waited
until everyone went to bed before she would start cleaning the house. It was
never a problem, never woke us. Ranch style house had a hallway with the rooms
off either side. She was in the front so with the bedroom doors closed we never
heard the sink run. The clothes washer was outside. And Yuma of course had
natural heat dryer that worked even in the heart of midnight. I asked her why
she cleaned so late at night. It was the only time that she was able get the
house clean because she didn’t have time the rest of the day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">She
was busy with her politics, with scouting, with pop warner football for my
brother. She worked along side dad during tax season and kept the books for all
the organizations that she was involved. In the evening, she spent it with us
watching Dallas, Falcon Crest, and sometimes Dukes of Hazard, if the other
shows were doing reruns. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">All
of this is to say that being today is Mother’s Day, I want to honor mom, and
look at how mothers are a type for God, an example, a shadow of His character. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">The
first example of Moms being like God comes from the 10 commandments, Exodus
20.8-11:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: You are
to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your
God. You must not do any work — you, your son or daughter, your male or female
slave, your livestock, or the foreigner who is within your gates. For the Lord made
the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then He
rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day
and declared it holy.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;"> </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">And
that was it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Did
you see how moms are like God here? She is missing from the list of those who
are to keep the Sabbath holy. There is something about a mother’s work is never
done. As soon as one project is completed, another comes along. Sometimes a
chore, such as laundry, is never ending. Kids make a lot of dirty clothes, and
if you have a lot of kids… This assumes of course that life in the family is
going great. No one is experiencing trouble with homework, or of the heart, and
that everyone is sound health.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Moms
work. They want their atmosphere to be inviting, warm, full of love. I have
seen it with my own mom, and I see it again repeated with my children’s mom. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">When
the disciples were busted for harvesting and milling grain, ie they picked a
stalk for a very light snack, Jesus replied that man wasn’t created to serve
the Sabbath, but that the Sabbath serves us. It was given to us to rest from
our labor, to worship the Lord during this rest. Yet our Heavenly Father is at
work now. He is apart from time. Our Lord Jesus said to his disciples that he
was going away for a time to prepare for us a place, and that he would return
when it was ready. In the words of Keith Green, “If he has been working on
heaven for 2,000 years, what glory that shall be.” </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Another
way moms are like God comes from Isaiah 66, the last chapter, where the Lord is
telling us through the prophet that even though people are turning away from
Him, though they are suffering the storms from their choices, a time is coming
that He will once again comfort and nurture His children. Nurture is the
mother’s form of discipline. Dads discipline, train and mostly without mercy
and grace. We expect the kids to immediately catch the ball, get the hang of
riding a bike. We have little patience, generally speaking. Paul even tells us
men not to provoke our children. He doesn’t chide mothers at all, but stays
silent on that topic. Why? Because moms are wholly different. Their
patience is boundless. They are willing kiss a scrape before they bandage the
child. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Nurturing
is also guiding the child into adulthood. Consider how Paul praises Timothy’s
mom and grandma for Timothy’s knowledge and faith in Christ Jesus. They raised
him to know who Jesus is, the fulfillment of the old covenant, the savior of
our sins, our way to the Father. As they guided Timothy in the faith, doesn’t
our heavenly Father do the same for us when He sealed us with the Holy Spirit
when we were clothed in Christ? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">And
though I do not have a scriptural reference for this last character of moms, we
can see it time and again. That is the picture of Grace. Moms excel in grace.
They see the best in the child, unless you’re that one mom who was given video
evidence that her son had gone astray. You have surely seen the video of mom
disciplining her son for his riotous ways. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">Yet
even now, I wonder if she hasn’t already forgiven her son. It is the same grace
that he was from our Heavenly Father. Because of our faith in Christ Jesus, we
are declared righteous. That is grace, free of guilt, of condemnation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">So
what is the take home this morning? It is a short simple one. The application
isn’t so much as how we treat one another. The blessings and hard labors of
love that I have seen displayed here has been a treasure to my family and me.
Yet, Paul encourages Titus as to how we are to treat one another, the older
women as mother figures, the younger as sisters. In our world today, there are
some moms who are having a rough go of it. They are battling storms of various
degrees and types. Some are trying to help make ends meet, and some are solely
making ends meet. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif;">How
would it look if you offered to help a mom struggling by just offering her a
few hours respite? For the couple, why not offer a date night that you can
watch the children while they catch a show that would make their older kids
envious. Oh wait, I shouldn’t provoke my sons. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">As
each day passes it seems that the family is becoming more fractured. The
church, in turn, becomes more fractured. So it starts with a couple of people
who are mature in the faith to take a young family and mentor them. We need to
celebrate family more, and help mothers to be the women that honors God. After
all, how a child views his parents tends to shape how he views his Heavenly
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<![endif]-->Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-74404083992918823392015-04-19T23:51:00.000-07:002015-04-19T23:51:27.819-07:00The Story of Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRk99JAuzfVyEBvDt7Lk7DY7Z3lcshRhCtCVVcsg7j9Memv9FnqMwRpJtQVVITqFQdGGiv9nN_G5mWL0CPofWCisHnzRSoGGB66LucUv8Czfn2PC_ys3VYVOgFet04EWGXm-LSoApO__5o/s1600/Grandma+and+LiLi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRk99JAuzfVyEBvDt7Lk7DY7Z3lcshRhCtCVVcsg7j9Memv9FnqMwRpJtQVVITqFQdGGiv9nN_G5mWL0CPofWCisHnzRSoGGB66LucUv8Czfn2PC_ys3VYVOgFet04EWGXm-LSoApO__5o/s1600/Grandma+and+LiLi.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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This is perhaps one of the hardest
writing assignments that I have had to undertake in recent years, if ever.
Yeah, let’s go with “if ever”. This is the hardest writing assignments. How did
I get it? I’m the preacher in the family. I have experience writing, and of
telling stories.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Yet, this isn’t about me. This is
about a lady I call “Mom”. She died the other day. It was an interesting day,
one of her choosing I believe, if the nurse, who told dad, who told me, who is
telling you, my reader, is accurate. When she woke that morning, she said she
was going to die that day. She did. April 15, 2015. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
It was a blessing, really. Mom was
diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. She was watching her sister from afar
suffer through. And though she herself was suffering as well, her medication
kept it at bay, mostly. Imagine a dam built. It doesn’t block all the water,
but most of it. But then when it is removed, that water wasn’t drained away. It
was still there, and now it was flooding. 7 years’ worth of HD rushed her in 6
weeks. She was proud, shuddered at the idea of suffering and being a burden to
anyone.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She was born December 27, 1941,
just shy of 2 weeks after Pearl Harbor. She’s told me a few times that her name
was almost Pearl. It would have been if Grandpa listened to the War Department.
Her name, however, was Carolyn Rae Harbour, or Carrie to those she loved and
who called her friend. She was born in an odd place if you are a bit younger.
It wasn’t anything like Phoenix Children’s Hospital, or St. Joseph’s Hospital.
No, she was born at <i>The Stork’s Nest</i>
in Phoenix, Arizona. See? It’s an odd name for someone such as myself, or those
even younger than myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
I know that she was living in
Tucson when she met Dad. They were at a Young Republican meeting of sort. She
loved politics, though she never ran for office. She was a behind the scenes
type woman. She was out there campaigning for the candidates. She was out there
being a right proper precinct committee person, knocking on doors, making sure
people knew about who was running, even if that candidate had a “d” next to the
name. People needed to register to vote and then they needed to vote. Come the
county fair, you knew that she would be at the GOP booth. She would call out to
people she’d not met. Then she would register them to vote.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Her love for politics spilled into
her home life as well. Oh, perhaps I should mention that shortly after Mom and
Dad married, they moved to Yuma where Dad started his business. Mom would be
there helping, serving as his accountant. She was sharp with the money. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But as mom involved with politics,
there were so many files that she kept track. “Didn’t you go to the meeting
last night?” She would tell me that that meeting was the Republican Precinct
Committeeman Meeting. Tonight is the Young Republican Meeting. Next week is the
regular Republican Meeting followed by the Women’s Republican Meeting, and when
I turned 13, she helped sponsor the founding of the Teen-Age Republicans. I
think I may be missing a couple of groups, but I am not sure. But she loved
working behind the scenes, and instilled in me a love for politics.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Mom wasn’t just involved in
politics, though another club she belonged to was a bi-partisan group, a
watch-dog group for Yuma called, Governmental Affairs Forum. They met at Tate’s.
Again, this was a behind the scenes group that watched and kept the local
governments, be it school boards or city council, in check. If something needed
to be done and wasn’t, Mom was one of those passing the petition.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
From there, she was involved in
Scouting. She was my den mother in Pack 90. She and her friend Elsie were both
involved in Cub Scouts long after my brother and I advanced to Boy Scouts. She
loved the social setting. She loved being a homemaker. She slept little, I
think. Most of the house work was done after we were in bed so that for at
least a few hours, while we slept, the house would look clean and neat. During
the early mornings, she would be outside keeping the yard looking nice, not
only the front, but the back yard as well, even though there was a 6 foot block
wall keeping away prying eyes. She loved getting her hands dirty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Which was good because she also
loved being part of the Yuma Women’s Rod and Reel Club. I don’t think she
passed many opportunities to fish. There was one contest once that the fishing
was slow. She put in a minnow, baby bass really, because that was all that bit
her line. It was to be a joke, the smallest fish caught. But at the close of
the weekend, the smallest fish was the only fish. There were a few other fish
hooks to share if you ask. But Mom never fished alone. If no one at home wanted
to fish, she would call on her mentor and friend, Bea Strong. (Yeah, I never got
tired of the pun material her name gave me.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
But that just furthers Mom being a
socialite. She loved being around people. She loved going out to lunch with her
husband at the busiest time of day for Brownies. She loved going to El Charro on
Friday nights. She loved Gene’s and various other establishments that are/were
around Yuma. And while we ate, she would talk. When we finished eating, she
would begin. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
When Mom and Dad bought a new home,
it had something that we kids had wanted for a long time, a swimming pool. Of
course, we kids were now grown. But that didn’t stop her from making friends
with the youth ministers and opening her backyard so that the youth groups had
a place to meet and enjoy a time of refreshing cool water in the hot desert
sun. But it wasn’t just the kids from church she had in her pool from time to
time, but also she enjoyed teaching her grandchildren to swim, playing with
them splashing them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
At the holidays, and whenever she
could get us all home, she expected her dining room to be crowded with family. And
with as many grandkids as she had, the dining room table was full, the card
table was full, the sofas in the living room were full, and the table at the poolside
was full of people enjoying the company. She really shined with a full house
underfoot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Now Mom is at rest. She was
preceded in death by her mom, Eva June Cramer, her dad, Marion Edward “Ray”
Harbour, and her step-mom, Rose Margaret Harbour. She is survived by her
husband of 44 years, Patrick Harvey, her daughter Michelle Harvey, her sons
Steven (Carol) and John “Jack” (Dawn) Harvey, her sisters Peggy (Don) Murray
and Patricia (Roger) Emeigh, and by 19 grandchildren. (I told you there were a
lot!) <o:p></o:p></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-59186381208538119562015-04-10T14:07:00.003-07:002015-04-10T14:07:51.411-07:00The Story 13 - Finishing Well - Proverbs 1.1-7<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Let us talk about
Solomon this morning. His story is a bit of a sad story. Oh, like the kings before him, he started
fine. Well, maybe not. As king, the first action he took that is recorded is
that he wed Pharaoh’s daughter to forge an alliance with Egypt. But still, he did have a heart after God. He
knew what was right and what was wrong. God even appeared to him, asking him
whatever he wished, as if the Lord Almighty was a bit of a genie.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Solomon
acknowledged God and what He had done for Solomon’s father, David. He
acknowledged that he was leading God’s people, a great nation, but because of
his youth and lack of leadership, he sought wisdom to judge properly God’s
people. Oh not just wisdom, but wisdom that comes from an obedient heart. Could
it be that in marrying the daughter of Pharaoh, he already knows his weakness?
1 Kings 3.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
That’s a pretty good start
for a king. God was pleased with this answer. Verse 10 goes on to say that God
granted him his request and because Solomon didn’t ask for long life, riches,
or fame, God would make him a king unlike any other before or since Solomon.
And if Solomon was to walk in the way of his father, David, then also Solomon
would be given long life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
This is where we
get our proverbs. Solomon collected 3,000 of them. Though we don’t know all
that Solomon had, he put these together, it is held at the beginning of his
reign. Yet verse 11 makes me wonder otherwise. However, let’s read the text
this morning: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 1.3pt 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<b><i>The
proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: For learning what wisdom and
discipline are; for understanding insightful sayings; for receiving wise
instruction in righteousness, justice, and integrity; for teaching shrewdness
to the inexperienced, knowledge and discretion to a young man – a wise man will
listen and increase his learning, and a discerning man will obtain guidance –
for understanding a proverb or a parable, the words of the wise, and their
riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and discipline. </i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
So of the purpose
of the collection that we have, is that we would develop a discipline, learn
righteousness, integrity, and discernment. These are some of the
characteristics that Solomon had as king. And yet, the sad part of Solomon’s
story is how he finished. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
1 Kings 11
records that his heart was turned from the Lord because of his many wives and
lovers. He would embrace their beliefs, culture and idols. He would collect proverbs not just from
following God, but also looking at other cultures. Though I am not sure of the
writing of the Song of Solomon, a.k.a. Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes seems to
come from life’s reflection, looking back, and the king sharing his mistakes.
Apart from a relationship with the Lord, everything under the sun is worthless,
meaningless. Then Proverbs perhaps from a sense of urgency. Son! Be quick to
listen. It’s not too late. Do what I say, not what I do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Of course all of
the noble characteristics that are mentioned in the first 6 verses were
displayed in one hearing. 2 women come before him, fighting over a baby. Both
claim to be his mom. So Solomon put out a test to determine the real mom. For
the real mom would rather know that her son is alive and watch from a distance
than to kill him to satisfy justice, for that really isn’t justice. So when
Solomon is done with the case, mom has her son back.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt 0.5pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 35.5pt;">
Yet, Solomon gave up
his discipline of learning about God. Reverence of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge, but a fool despises wisdom and discipline. It makes me wonder if
perhaps he has passed judgment upon himself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
To start, these
characteristics are not how others perceive us, but how God sees us. Without
reverence of the Lord, you cannot be a righteous person. Righteousness comes
from doing what is right before God. Integrity is knowing who you are before
God, being honest with God. And of course, the wise would increase his
knowledge, knowledge of the Lord. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Solomon wed a woman outside the faith. This is
why he asked for a faithful heart. With such a prayer before him, one might
wonder how did his heart change since God gave it to him? The Bible tells us
that his many wives and lovers were able to turn his heart, yet how did he get
to that place where they could? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
His fall came
from pride, something he would write about later in this book. It is easy to
see, he is famous, world renown. People come from all over just to hear some of
his teachings, of creation, of love, of mathematics, of design. You name the
subject, he would share his knowledge. Even though God appeared to him twice,
he still took his focus from his Lord and put it upon himself. He ceased his
following, he stopped his habit of looking to the Lord. The Lord’s Temple,
planned by his father David, took 7 years to build. But his palace would take
nearly twice as long, 13 years, to build. He was a proud king. So he lost his
focus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
So let’s turn
this toward home. What is your integrity before the Lord? Paul tells us that we
all fall short of the mark. Jesus tells the multitude that integrity comes from
having a broken spirit before God, seeking him. Apart from Christ, we cannot be
honest before God. I know people who, because of their storms, not only blame
God but hate him, saying, “if he truly was God, then the storm would have never
happened.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Yet we live in a
fallen world. Storms happen. Bad things happen because the world is more and
more selfish and sinful. I know I am a sinner. I have no problem echoing Paul’s
words to the Romans, I know what is right and what is wrong. I want to do right,
but oft I find myself doing what is wrong. Lord, Save me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Praise be to God
our Father! Time and again, we see in Scripture that when we call upon the
Lord, he rescues us, calms us in the storm. Sure, we may still have the storm
to deal with, but we have the assurance of getting through it. That is the good
news. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
I cannot be
honest, likely won’t be honest before God, and therefore I cannot stand before
God on my own. But for being clothed in Christ, in calling on Him daily, Paul
tells us that we are made righteous, not a process, but a declaration by God. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Yet sometimes, we
might become distracted by wants and desires of the eyes. We take our focus
from God and tell ourselves, “God has done some amazing things in my life.” We
tend to focus on what has happened. One church I once served I was told how
great the young adult program was in the 70s. If only we were still like that.
Well, why aren’t you?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Pride has us
settle where we are. We forget again Paul’s words to keep pressing forward. To
not consider what has happened, good or bad. Our goal is to look to Christ, a
goal that is not yet obtained this side of glory, but a goal ever pursued. Are
you pursuing God? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 2.1pt 0.0001pt -0.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.25pt;">
Create in me a
clean heart, Father. Continue to renew a steadfast spirit that I will always
look to you, to praise you, to seek you, to tell others of your wondrous love
and grace. Thank you, for the gift that Jesus paid so that we might call you,
the Lord God Almighty, heavenly papa. Thank you for loving us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-55630417242085919592015-04-10T13:55:00.000-07:002015-04-10T13:55:40.140-07:00A Race of the Lifetime - An Easter Sunrise Sermon<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">That fateful Friday so long
ago. Can you imagine what it must have been like for the disciples, for the
crowd, for the religious leaders? Here is Jesus, accused of blasphemy, though
any excuse to rid them of this upstart, this threat to their powerbase, would
have worked. He stood there silent.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">He went before the
authorities. Pilate talked with him, attempted to. “I have power of life over
you.” “Only because my Father has allowed you that power.” What was Pilate to
do? One hand his wife pressured him to have nothing to do with him, with his
execution. Then on the other hand, the religious leaders were bent on having
their way. They wanted Jesus dead.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">He turned to the crowd, as a
good politician does. He said to the crowd he figured was hailing him as king
would take Jesus’ freedom over the scoundrel that was Barabbas. What shall I do
with Jesus? Crucify him!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Can you feel the vitriol,
the hatred for him? Imagine being there, being one of his disciples watching
this take place, watching the finality of Jesus’ fate on the cross. Can you see
the severity of his beating. It’d been a mercy had he fallen to it as so many
have. He struggled with the cross, climbing the Hill of the Skull. Then there
was the crucifixion. For 3 hours, darkness covered the sky. John watched him
die. John watched as a spear punctured his side, his heart, and watched as his
life essence flowed out of the hole. There was a finality as they took him
down, as they quickly wrapped him and laid him in a tomb, as the Roman guard
took position around the tomb.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Saturday, they cowered, the
disciples. Would Jesus’ fate be like the rest? Little did they realize that
Saturday would be like preparation for a race of a lifetime. It was as if
“Runners, take your position!” Because as Sunday dawned, we would see a few
races. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The first one was actually
the last one run. The women who went out, not knowing that Jesus was quickly
prepared already, to prepare his body, even after being in the grave. They
loved him that much. So when they returned saying that He’s alive, the
disciples, Peter and John, couldn’t believe it. They ran to where he was
buried, and though John being faster, he had seen the finality of death. He
stopped short, in case the women were mistaken in grief. He couldn’t go in.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Peter had no problem going
in. He saw the linen folded neatly. But he wondered about it. John couldn’t
believe it. But he did. Though he saw the brutality of Friday, he knew that the
linen meant that today was the Greatest of Great Days. Peter still couldn’t
understand, not yet, but he would.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">This first race is alive
today. Jesus in the Letter to the Church of Laodicea, calls those who do not
trust, who do not take a stand, wishy-washy. They are worse than lukewarm water
that is spewed from the mouth. People in this race believe that perhaps Jesus
is a facet on this universal deistic model, that as long as a person is
sincere, they will be ok. Ah, that is close to what the second race is about.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The second race was actually
the first race. Imagine that you and 24 of your friends are guarding the tomb.
It’s a bit trying, but being good military soldiers, you stand your ground.
Then a supernatural earthquake not only knocks you down, but also knocks you
out. When you and your comrades come awake, you see the impossible. The tomb is
no longer sealed, but now open and empty. You quickly return to the ones who
hired you because you don’t want to report failure to your commanding officer.
So if anyone knew what to do in this situation, it would be your boss, the
Religious Leaders of the day.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And this is where it becomes
weird, interestingly so. When they report what had happened, those who hired
them totally believed it. They didn’t doubt what had happened. Perhaps they had
spent the week studying the Scriptures to see that Jesus could well be the
Messiah. But as the Messiah, they would be out of a job. So they further
commission the soldiers into lying with the promise of squaring it with their
commanding officer. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jesus being exclusive, it’s
his way to the Father, to eternal life, or it’s eternal suffering and death,
doesn’t make people feel too good about themselves. They want to deny Jesus’
existence, deny that he was really more than a good teacher. Yet the Gospel
shows that it was a mere commission to lie about the truth that was known to
the enemies of Christ back then.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">This brings us to the last
race, which was really the second race. That is the one with the women. They
knew that they were not able to do anything for Jesus on Saturday since it was
the Sabbath, so as soon as it was first light, it was safe to go and care for
the Rabbi who meant so much to the world, or to them and the rest of the
disciples, he was the world. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">When the women arrived at
the tomb, they saw the linen, and then as they were wondering, an angel
appeared to let them know that one should not look for the living among the
dead. Then they remembered His words, “destroy this temple and on the third day
I shall raise it again.” They knew that Jesus was talking about this moment.
They were excited so they hurried back to tell Peter and the rest.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Unfortunately, the disciples
were slow to believe. Peter in Luke is said to be perplexed, not understanding
the meaning of what the women have said. Yet here is the good news that comes
from this race.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Not only did Peter come to
believe, once he saw Jesus, but that God uses the unlikely sources to spread
His good news. It wasn’t the religious leaders whom Gabriel announced God’s
plan, for they were not looking, not caring. It was too an old woman, barren
now to be with child. It wasn’t to celebrities that Gabriel revealed the plan,
but to a young maiden named Mary, by now from a no count lineage of David. And
it wasn’t to the same religious leaders that the angel appeared and announced
Jesus’ rise from the dead, but it was to the women who came to minister to him.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Just as it is today, yes
there are great preachers out there who appear to reach many people, who appear
to bring many people to the decision of salvation, of faith in Jesus. But more
times than not, those who make a decision at such a preaching event, a concert,
whatever venue, people make a decision based upon the witness of their
Christian friend, family, neighbor. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">You don’t have to be some
fancy preacher, some great church leader, to be used by God. And more times
than not, He wants to use you, just as you are. Because you may be the only one
who will reach certain people. So let me close with this question: Which race
are you running? The one you run will be the race of your life.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-35045506013331937932015-04-10T13:47:00.000-07:002015-04-19T16:24:00.030-07:00Missed Opportunities - A Palm Sunday Message - John 12.12-19<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Ever have one of those arguments, you
are going back and forth, making your points. Perhaps even more, someone
resorted to insults. Then after it was over, you realize you could have made a
great point. It was a missed opportunity. Another one, early in our marriage,
we started looking into relocating out of El Paso. Jobs were hard, my ministry
with both the church and the mission concluded. Then I had a call from my new
uncle-in-law. He had an opportunity if I was willing to relocate to Korea.
After being in Yuma for a year, he called one last time to offer that to me. It
was a missed opportunity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Today, we are celebrating Palm
Sunday. It is the time that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a beast of burden. It
hasn’t been broken, yet… It was fulfilling Zechariah, fulfilling Isaiah. But it
was also a time of missed opportunity. Let’s read from John’s Gospel, 12.12-19:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">The next day,
when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming
to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet Him. They kept
shouting: “<b>Hosanna!</b> <b> He
who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One</b>—the King of Israel!” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Jesus found a
young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: <sup> </sup><b>Fear no more,</b> <b>Daughter Zion. Look, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.</b><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">His disciples
did not understand these things at first. However, when Jesus was glorified,
then they remembered that these things had been written about Him and that they
had done these things to Him.<sup> </sup>Meanwhile, the crowd, which had been
with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead,
continued to testify. This is also why the crowd met Him, because they heard He
had done this sign. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Tahoma",sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Then the
Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look—the
world has gone after Him!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Nearly two thousand years ago, the
gates were open. The Lord came on a donkey that had never been ridden. Two
thousand years ago, people lined up from the gate leading out to the Mount of
Olives. Can you imagine what that day must have been like? People all over
Jerusalem has heard that Jesus is coming to town. Many go out with palm
branches and others are busy making sure that the way of the Lord was clean by
putting some branches down, but also putting their robes on the road as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">This wasn’t just an ordinary king’s
parade. This is one that took all day to make it from the western gate into the
city to the Temple complex. Mark’s Gospel said that it was the next day that he
cleaned the temple. The other two do not offer anything that is contradictory.
For a single man, the streets are lined with onlookers. And in front of him are
those acting as troubadours, bards declaring him. “Save us!” they cried. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">After the parade, already mentioned
that Jesus went into the Temple courts and drove out the market. John is the
only one who places this event at the beginning of the ministry. All others
have it after he rode in on the donkey, on the foal. A contradiction? No, more
likely that in the 3 and half years of ministry, he cleansed the Temple. Maybe
he did it just twice. But he had to cleanse it. The market kept many from
drawing close to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">But not everyone appreciated this.
Luke records that the religious leaders rebuked Jesus, “tell your disciples to
be quiet.” Ah but if that were to happen, even all creation would cry out. Paul
writes that creation was in pain, that Jesus came to reconcile all of creation.
So the stones were waiting for their chance to cry out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">This parade also sparked jealousy. Oh
they knew all right. The religious leaders knew that the messiah would come in
this fashion. They knew because a week later, when the Roman guards come back
and report the supernatural earthquake that knocked them out, a couple of dozen
soldiers mind you, the leaders didn’t bat an eye. They knew what that meant.
Say that his disciples overpowered you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">It was a missed opportunity for the
leaders of Israel. Rather than to accept he whom they were looking, they turn
on one another. Who are you? Seems you’ve lost your disciples to him. A plot to
kill him ensues. Oh, but I wonder, a mere 5 days later, how many of those who
shouted “Lord, save us!” would then shout, “Crucify!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">But the leaders were not the only
ones to miss the opportunity here. Others missed it as well. Remember, the
crowd was shouting, “Lord, save us!” That was exactly what he was doing. The
people were looking for a military salvation. Yet from the beginning of the
parade, he was declaring a salvation of peace between God and them. This day,
his beast of burden would not be one of might, but of love and grace, the hope
of eternal life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">That is not to say anything of the
lament Jesus had for the city of Jerusalem. Oh a time was coming, not but 35
years later or so, Jerusalem would be razed to the ground. Nothing would
remain. Yet even as this parade concludes, I wonder if the majority of the
residents were clueless to the historic week that was unfolding before their
very eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Even today, we have missed
opportunities. We have missed opportunities when we are like the Pharisees.
Consider what they were facing. They knew who the messiah would look like. Yet
they rejected the Messiah because they were comfortable where they were. They
liked being on top. They liked telling people what to do. Jesus undermined
them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Today, the church is majoring in the
minors with opportunities. The culture is changing, and we forget that as
culture changes, as people become more hostile to the Gospel of Christ,
sometimes we need to learn from those who’ve gone before us. Consider Paul who
was beaten without a trial, both of which are illegal to inflict on a Roman
citizen. Yet Paul saw and used both as opportunity to proclaim Jesus to the
city of Philippi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">With society telling us that what is
wrong is really good, we miss that opportunity to share the Gospel when we
declare that we will not deal with those who disagree with us. We forget that
apart from God, people are blinded and believe the lies. What an opportunity we
miss when we cling to rights instead of using the opportunity to share the love
and grace of the King.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">We miss the opportunity when we are
like the crowds. One moment they call out to the king. The next moment, they
reject him. This can be harsh pill to swallow. Yet when we accept Christ, we
are clothed in the Holy Spirit, God wants to clean out his temple of anything
and everything that keeps us from worshipping our Heavenly Father. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Yet we can develop an attitude that
says, “I’ve done my God-thing for the week (church), now the rest is my time.”
It’s like saying that God, you can clean my temple, but these two rooms? No,
don’t worry about them. I will just keep that door locked. It’s such closets
that can get us into trouble. They can become gateways for sin to grow, to take
over. Consider the warning to Cain: sin is crouching at your door waiting to
devour you. And devour him it did. In jealousy over God’s approval, Cain
murdered his brother Abel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">At some point, keeping our closets,
we live the words that Paul calls a perversion, to allow sin to reign so grace
may abound more. The writer of Hebrews warns that of such an attitude, there
will be a time that we will lose the grace because we are crucifying Christ all
over again, bringing about public shame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Finally, we miss the opportunity when
we are like Jerusalem. The time is coming and soon will be here for God is not
slow in keeping his promises as some understand slowness. For with him a day is
like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. But God’s patience
means salvation. Those are Peter’s words.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">We live in a world that is hurting,
even downright headed toward death. People are constantly looking for something
better, for some great cosmic meaning. Others have bought into the lie that
they are a cosmic joke, a fluke that came from pond scum. Believing themselves
no better than animals, they live lives that are self-destructive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">You know, only in Christ, if I might
call Christianity a religion, do we put others first because we serve a God who
put us first. All other religions are merit based. Only Christianity is grace
based. Imagine coming across someone who has been through a pain, made to feel
worthless and being able to tell them that God desires to know him or her? Yet
time is short. Because nearly 2,000 years have passed, we’ve lost our sense of
urgency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Because with the Good News, that
Christ died so people can be loved by God, the bad news comes as well. If you
aren’t of the crowd shouting, “Lord, save us”, you will be in the crowd that
walks into hell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">But let me conclude on a positive. We
can capture opportunities if we realize that we serve the King who, unlike
world leaders, will hold us accountable. If we surrender all that we are, we
will see opportunities. If we see the world as Jesus saw the world in Luke 10,
the fields are ripe for the harvest. Pray to the Father to send out workers.
When we start seeing people as God sees them, lost and need of grace, then we
can be his instruments of love. We will regain our sense of urgency. And when
we do miss opportunities, consider what Paul wrote to the Romans, “I know what
is right and what is wrong. I know the difference between them and I want to do
right. But too often, I do wrong. Who will save me? Praise be to God the Father
that through Christ, we have the hope of salvation.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">As we enter this Holy Week, let us be
mindful, let us look anew, for opportunities so that others might also say,
“Lord, save me.”<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-88359062643907895722015-04-10T13:39:00.000-07:002015-04-10T13:39:37.350-07:00In Remembrance of Him - An Easter Message<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a little bit, we will be observing
the Lord’s Supper. Since Easter, a word that is closer to an Old Slavic word
meaning “Great Day”, and our monthly observation of the Lord’s Supper falls on
the same day, I thought I would take time to focus more closely at the command,
“As often as you do this, do this in remembrance of me”, and Paul’s statement:
“We proclaim the Lord’s death.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is fitting because as we proclaim
the Lord’s death, we proclaim why He had to die. And because we proclaim why he
had to die, we can’t help but to tell the rest of the story as why his death is
so significant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My passage this morning picks up where the Scripture Reading
left off. I will be reading from 1 Corinthians 15.21-26:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<b><i><sup><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">20 </span></sup></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But now Christ has been raised from
the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. <sup>21 </sup>For
since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through
a man. <sup>22 </sup>For as in Adam
all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. <sup>23 </sup>But each in his own
order: Christ, the firstfruits;
afterward, at His coming, those who belong to Christ. <sup>24 </sup>Then
comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He
abolishes all rule and all authority and power.
<sup>25 </sup>For He must reign until He puts all His enemies under
His feet. <sup>26 </sup>The last
enemy to be abolished is death.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Our partaking of the Lord’s Supper is
the proclamation in a world that needs a bit of good news today. This week
alone, we have had a great share of bad news, of loss of life, of tragedy. In
Kentucky flooding, a mom and her baby were swept away. Hundreds needed to be
evacuated as waters rose quicker than expected. In Kenya, Muslims targeted a
university because of its rich Christian student population. Last I checked on
Thursday, the death toll was sitting at 174. That’ just 2 of the many world
events. I can’t even begin to describe personal struggles and storms. I can
think of loved ones who once daily called on the Lord turn their backs all
because of the storm that hit their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“If God is good, then why does this
happen?” they ask. It goes back to the garden, to Adam. That is when sin
entered the world. With sin, death came in. With death comes sickness of the
body, sickness of the mind. People become more selfish. Despite the world
supposedly becoming better, think back to when you were growing up. How many of
your neighbors called you by name? Today, how many children do you call by
name, aside from your own? Our concern for one another is waning. We are
becoming more selfish. Prisons are filling with people who’ve lost respect for
others or have made bad decisions as they seek their own happiness, and all
because of our sin that we allow to remove us from God, further away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yet, God was not content in allowing
this ever growing rift. That is the mission of Jesus’ life. He came to mend
that rift that we are able to once again be in His presence. Now mind you, as
the rift is mended, though we were created to worship and fellowship with him,
accepting Christ’s gift will not spare you storms in your life, nor the
consequences of your past actions prior to coming to Christ. He does promise to
give you the ability to weather the storms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adam gave us death. Jesus gives us
life. This life isn’t a better life in this world, but to allow us to look
forward to a better life apart from this world. This life, we see that we have
brothers and sisters suffering. We see our neighbors searching. But in Christ,
we will have life because this day, He conquered the last enemy, death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In remembering Christ, we look
forward to His return. First there was his resurrection, he is the firstfruits.
Then those who belong to Christ will be made alive as well. Then there is the
end. Some may see that this is a second interval, a second second-chance. But I
see it as the time of judgment before the Father. It is at this time, those who
do not belong to Christ will bow their knees and confess that Jesus is the
Christ and the Lord.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yet we belong to Christ and we
proclaim his goodness, his mercy, his grace and his love. So as we remember
this morning what this day means, what Christ has done, allow it to create an
urgency, because that last enemy is already defeated. His return is closer now
than it has been. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">At the Sunrise this morning, I
pointed out that people come to Christ more times not because of fancy, polished
preachers, or from the moving music, but because of the Christian witness that
they see in their Christian friend, co-worker, family, or neighbor. You may be
the only person who can reach the people in your sphere of influence. So
proclaim not just today as we take the Communion, but proclaim tomorrow,
proclaim on the good days, proclaim in the midst of your storm. Praise the
Father and proclaim the Great News of this Great Day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-68154533883273388192015-03-15T15:41:00.003-07:002015-04-10T18:55:44.335-07:00The Story 12: When You Cast the Storm (Psalm 51)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Can
you imagine your life having grown up on the lake? You are out there, the wind
too choppy for the sails to work, so you must sail the boat to safety. You’ve
been at it for hours. The lightning flashes allowing you to see an aberation
coming towards you, a man walking on water. As the lightning shows him slowly
getting closer, you noticed that he’s bid you to come out to him. How far do
you make it? Do you walk 10 feet, or 20 feet? Then you remembered the storm
that has been working against you. Before you know it, you’ve plunged into the
water, overwhelmed, wishing to be able to breathe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Yet
not all storms will be of natural makings. More times than not, the storms we
face are from factors we have little to no control over, such as the shift in
the economy, or the actions of others, or even mistakes you’ve made. How we
respond to such storms defines, or reveals, our true character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Let
me tell you about one man-made storm nearly 2500 years ago. He was a man who
had a hard youth. He joined the military much younger than normal, 14 or 15
years old, barely a teen. Before long, he is the object of the people’s
affection. He will be king one day. He will be lauded. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Yet
sin was crouching at his door, waiting. How would he respond? I use to think
until rather recently that David didn’t go to war with his army because in 2
Samuel 21, he almost fell to the sons of Goliath so his men said that he should
never again be on the battlefield. Then I realized that I had jumped forward in
time, further along than when David cast his storm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Sin
often is the rod that is used to cast our storms. Speculating, but perhaps the
sin was coveting what was not his, the 10th commandment. He saw someone who was
wed to not just someone else, but wed to one who could be counted as a dear
friend. But who can say no to the king?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">He
summoned her. She bore the fruit of his sin, so he summoned his friend home.
When he would not unwittingly help cover his sin, Uriah was sent back to the
front line, unwittingly holding his execution orders. He died, and the child
was born. David wed Bathsheba. His storm was full strength.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Then
came along Nathan. “There were two neighbors, one wealthy holding hundreds in
his flocks and herds, and one who had a sole lamb that he would harvest the
wool from a couple of times a year to help make ends meet. In turn, the poor
man kept his sheep as a dear pet, even allowing it inside the house. But when a
traveling friend came to visit the rich man, he hosted the friend by taking and
preparing the poor man’s lamb. The poor man’s family was devastated. What
should be done, O King?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">“The
rich man should be put to death!” One really must put thought to what he
or she says before he or she says it. Words are not so easy to swallow once
given life and voice. For Nathan accused him of being that rich man, and
Uriah, the lamb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In
the midst of the storm that David cast, he realized that he had stopped looking
to God, that his sin is neck high threatening to either drown or choke him to
death. This storm would cost him dearly. First, his newborn son would die. Then
later, one of his other sons would commit the same sin, but publicly rather
than in the cover of night as with David.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">It
is when he realizes that he was no longer focused on God that he wrote the 51st
Psalm. It is a Psalm seeking forgiveness, a psalm of repentance. It is a psalm
of hope, a psalm of healing. Let’s read it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Be gracious to me,
God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion. Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me.
Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So
You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Indeed, I was guilty
when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Surely You
desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> Purify me with
hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let
me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Turn
Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">God, create a clean
heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not banish
me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore the joy
of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. Then I will teach the
rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You. <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Save me from the
guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of
Your righteousness. Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your
praise. You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased
with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">What
do we learn from David’s prayer? Let’s talk about forgiveness. All to often,
people are afraid to turn to God, believing that God will not forgive them
their stupid choices. It’s easy to think that the incidental sin can be
forgiven, but the willful one? David didn’t accidentally come across her. He
skipped a campaign for her. David didn’t accidentally kill Uriah, but
deliberately executed him. His focus was so far off God that a year had passed.
But even then, God forgave him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Now
God’s forgiveness should never be mistaken for escape from consequences. No.
David will still have those. But here is what he did, according to Psalm 51, to
receive the forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">He asked for forgiveness and grace.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Now after all these
things, David turns to God. He seeks forgiveness. He does so with a humility,
not from an attitude that it’s a given that God will forgive him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This also includes
confessing and owning your sins. This is harder in that as much as we our sins
seem to affect others, Uriah his life, for example, sin affects our
relationship with God. Our purpose is to worship him, to be in fellowship with
him. Yes, sin in my life will affect others, just as sin in your life does. But
this, David is saying, that we are His children, and holiness on our part is
for Him, not for our spouses, our children, our bosses, or even neighbors. Sin
ultimately is rupturing our relationship with our Heavenly Father.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">He sought God’s help.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Some would call this
the petition part of prayer. Here he is seeking to be renewed, to be different
from the sinner he just saw. He wants to refocus on God alone. He doesn’t want
to lose the Holy Spirit in a time that not all people had the Holy Spirit. But
because he was the Lord’s anointed, like Saul, he realized that he did have the
Holy Spirit. He realizes that if he continued on, he would risk losing that
blessing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">He promised to praise. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Then he would rejoice
in the Lord, telling others of his marvelous wonders. In a way, this overlays
nicely with the model prayer we pray each week. It started focusing on God as
David confessed. Then there was the petition, give us our bread, forgive us,
and deliver us. Then the praise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Can it be so simple
to return back to God? If you are in Christ, yes. Absolutely. Paul told the
Romans how he struggled with sin constantly. He would tell them that if we are
clothed in Christ, then God sees us pure, blameless, as if our sins never
happened, as long as we trust him, turning them over to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">And thanks to Christ
Jesus, not only has he redeemed our souls with his sacrifice, but he’s given to
us this Holy Spirit to help us, to guide us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Now allow me to warn
here. The author of Hebrews says that there will be a point that if we continue
to be willfully sinful, that there will be a time that repentance will become
impossible. But for today, if you are truly wanting to return to God, or if you
need to come to God, then this is that time for you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">It is as simple as
returning your focus back to Jesus, regardless of how the storm rages around
you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-91231175706032360112015-03-09T14:03:00.000-07:002015-03-09T14:03:56.994-07:00Goalie Extraordinaire Yesterday, it seemed to be a bit of a grandiose, perhaps even narcissistic, claim on my part. It was posted in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CowboyPreacher/posts/10204775205714748?notif_t=like" target="_blank">comment </a>to a video that a friend shared, and then I shared. It’s an easy video to find. Google, ‘<a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Futahvalley360.com%2F2015%2F01%2F08%2Fteam-c-scott-sterling-scores-big-studio-c%2F&h=-AQEK_KR5" target="_blank">Scott Sterling Goalie</a>’, or just click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F9jXYOH2c0" target="_blank">here</a>. Here is the story of why I would say that my claim is not grandiose.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWW_0CbkKWAGH-ygaGUZQIBzUMbAm7H8mY8snAS2KuIhCgJEMFVA5wHgzQnbcUfGG7fIUyOgMrYHH_dU2D7-KmftF4jhoqdv7aVdb0KXfI62P-iD-r5Kj8RV7sG9RF5GEsWUDXCOq4NsWK/s1600/Sterling+Soccer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWW_0CbkKWAGH-ygaGUZQIBzUMbAm7H8mY8snAS2KuIhCgJEMFVA5wHgzQnbcUfGG7fIUyOgMrYHH_dU2D7-KmftF4jhoqdv7aVdb0KXfI62P-iD-r5Kj8RV7sG9RF5GEsWUDXCOq4NsWK/s1600/Sterling+Soccer.jpeg" height="320" width="320" /></a>As a youth, my parents wanted my brother and I to try sports. All of the sports. Thankfully, my love of sports allowed me to escape the grid-iron for peewee football and I lacked coordination and size for basketball. So by junior high, I had 2 seasons of Babe Ruth Baseball, 2 seasons of wrestling, and the start of 6 seasons of soccer. I really loved soccer.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the same coordination that is needed for basketball is also needed for soccer. I started, like all kids, wanting to make the score. I tried forward, center and wings. I wasn’t great. Dribbling the ball with my feet was difficult back then, though today I can with ease, as I discovered while coaching. So the coach decided to work my way back.<br />
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As half-backs, I still had to do some dribbling, and a bit more passing to the forwards. I had a few passes intercepted. So back I went. Coach Montoya of the John Deere Bucks, tried me for a game at fullback. Surely all I need to do was stop the ball so the half back, or goalie can retrieve the ball. Then I moved over to the bench.<br />
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Yep, I would spend the next season and a half playing bench jockey. I would play the minimal when the coach thought my damage would be inconsequential, if we were losing or if we had such a lead that I possibly blow it. Sometimes in dire emergencies, like a boy failing to show up for the game, I would find more play time.<br />
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I forget the name of the second team I played bench jockey. It was the Allstate Bulldogs led by Coach Watson. He tried to work with me, to help me overcome the reputation for being a poor player. Yet nothing could help. I just ran too stiffly. I moved too gangly, and sometimes just too slow to make a power play.<br />
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Then the second game happened. The goalie twisted his ankle and the backup was home sick. This forced to coach into a hard pressed decision. He needed a goalie, but he also needed the second sub to be able to fill in relief for the other positions. Which risk would he take? Hope that the team can keep the ball away from the goalie, or put in someone who is decent all over the field and lose the offense?<br />
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He took a gamble and hoped that his offense and even defense could keep the ball from the goalie’s box. His gamble failed. The other team’s offense was on fire. 5 times, they moved the ball past the defenders to the goalie. Five times, the goalie stopped that ball and moved it back out. (Why none of my coaches thought to try me here, who knows?)<br />
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You see, the rules for the goalie are TOTALLY DIFFERENT than the rules for the rest of the team. The rest of the team can pass the ball using only their feet, heads, legs and torso. Use of shoulders was iffy because a “hands” call will be heard if the ball hits too low on the arms. The ball can only be dribbled using one’s feet. For the goalie, stop that ball by ANY MEANS necessary. Use any manner to move the ball. I’ve even dribbled the ball like a basketball while waiting for my offenders to get into position. It was a game changer for me.<br />
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I no longer had to use my feet to dribble the ball. I could pick it up if it was in the backfield. I could even charge offenders when they stepped inside my box. Kick me? That’s a penalty! I was brutal. I dove on that ball. I kissed that ball. I caught that ball. I punted that ball.<br />
<br />
Since the preferred goalie twisted his ankle, he was out, and I was in. In the course of time, the goalie I replaced became my backup. For the next 3 season, counting most of the first season, I would play goalie until I aged out at 17. In that time, the ref has pulled me for medical concerns, or the coach as, so I can tend my mouth (I would use my face to stop the ball, and I didn’t allow my braces to hold me back.)<br />
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Now as I enjoyed recalling my journey to being a goalie, I am first and foremost a preacher. I look for spiritual applications, spiritual life lessons as I walk this life. And being the goalie, there is a life lesson.<br />
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Goalies are odd ducks because we are not required to play by the rules. We have a different set of rules. We love it. As a Christian, I noticed that there is more than one set of rules. The world has the rules of do what pleases you, as long as you are happy, until it infringes on someone else’s happy. If that happens, do what pleases you and not get caught infringing on someone else’s happy.<br />
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The Christian has this rule, “Consider others better than yourself” (Philippians 2.3). In a world where selfishness reigns supreme, we are called to be different. We are called to put others’ needs first, because in reality, that is what God did for us. He put our needs first.<br />
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You see our need is to be in fellowship with our Creator, our Heavenly Father. (This is our greatest need despite the lies that we’ve concluded to be truth because we’ve heard them for so long.) But because of our sinfulness, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay our penalty for our sins.<br />
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When we accept that gift, when we are clothed in Christ, that’s our game changer. That’s when we start living a life with a new set of rules summed up, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. And likewise, love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22.37).<br />
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To think about that, those aren’t really rules. But that is our game changer. Let us live any means necessary to love God and to love our neighbor. (Perhaps I’ve been too oft hit in the head with the football.)Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-74101743271722860302015-03-08T14:34:00.000-07:002015-03-08T14:34:15.269-07:00The Story 11: The Problem of Time 2 Samuel 24.1-10<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Time has a problem, in that it is a creation given for us to measure. It is a commodity to utilize, a resource that is far too often wasted. Time is relative. Some seem to have more time, and others have less. Yet we all have the same 24 hours in the day, the same 7 days in a week. I remember when I was in school, it took forever for the clock to strike 3.15. Yet now it seems hard to fathom that 19 years has passed since I met Carol, or that in five days, my youngest turns 3. I am told that time flies even faster the more time that you spend.</b></div>
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<b>And yet, there is an exception to how time flies. For example, you are waiting for something. You are waiting for an answer to a prayer that is pressing on you. You ask when. One of the biggest prayer concerns we had was having children. Several years passed before we started having children. Now hopefully we are finished. That is a new prayer I have. And though most of my friends from college have already sent their eldest off to college, or marriage, mine is still in Junior High. But that is enough down this rabbit trail. Yet consider, what is your pressing concern for which you are waiting?</b></div>
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<b>It causes me to wonder What David thought as he waited for the Lord. After all, Saul was rejected king, and David was anointed king. At some point in the history to come, David will ascend the throne of Israel after King Saul. We know that from 1 Samuel 13.1, and 2 Samuel 5.4, that both Saul and David were 30 years old when they became king. We know that David was most likely a teen, perhaps all of 14 or 15 when he fought Goliath, after he was anointed king. Saul had been king approximately 27 years when David slays Goliath and joins Saul’s court.</b></div>
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<b>That is 15 years of waiting. During this time, David becomes the hero of Israel. He slays a man that made the mighty King Saul quake in fear. The women sing of Saul’s deeds, but then sing of how David is 10 times the man. It makes me wonder if Saul recounted Samuel’s words, “God is giving your kingdom to a man far better than you.” Even Jonathan, the heir apparent became fast, dear friends with this hero.</b></div>
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<b>It comes to a point that during a time that David is providing ambiance for the king, the king tried to kill David. David ends up on the run from the king. Here he is, waiting for God to establish him on the throne, and the king he’s vowed to serve, Saul, still the Lord’s anointed, is now his enemy. Now we are to our text of 1 Samuel 24.1-10. Read with me: </b></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats. He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’ ” Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way. Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, “Why do you listen when men say, ‘David is bent on harming you’? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’</i></div>
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<b>As you can see, our text still has David waiting to become king. He will once again flee Saul and he will even go to the Philistines to hide out. Several more years will pass before Saul and even Jonathan will lose their lives in battle against the Philistines. </b></div>
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<b>Yet it is what he does while he is waiting for the Lord to fulfill His promise. And in case I didn’t emphasize it clearly, he waited. He was given Saul’s life twice. And 1 Sam 24.10, David said that it wasn’t his place to strike the Lord’s anointed. Since the Lord anointed Saul, the Lord will remove Saul. Even when an Amalekite brought news to David of Saul’s death, David rewarded him by having him struck down immediately.” By your own mouth, you condemn yourself.”</b></div>
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<b>David took opportunity to serve and learn. As a teen, he wasn’t prepared to be Israel’s king. He wasn’t the son of a king like Josiah was who ascended the throne at the age of 8. No, David was a mere shepherd. Yet after his victory over Goliath, Saul kept David around. He became part of Saul’s court. He rose in rank as a commander and leader in the army.</b></div>
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<b>And while fleeing Saul, David becomes a bit of a peacekeeper. His troops take to defending the people against raiding parties that were a constant annoyance to the Israelites. At one point, during the rescue of Ziklag, where David and his men and their families were residing, some of his men became too exhausted. He bid them to stay with the supplies while the rest of his army went after the Amalekites, which means Saul lied and didn’t quite destroy them as he claimed. But to those who stayed with the supplies while the rest went after the raiding party, some of the trouble makers wanted to cut them from their share, just return families, but forfeit any recovered belongings. David showed grace, and said those who stayed with the supplies are equal to those who fought. This is not to mention his time becoming a statesman with his gift to elders. David grew and utilized the time as he waited.</b></div>
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<b>So we come now to our take home. God has given us a wondrous promise. He has promised us that if we clothe ourselves in Jesus, accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins so that we can call God our heavenly papa, then we will have eternity with our Father. Someday, the trump will resound and the clouds will be rolled back like a scroll, and it will be well with our souls. Yet this promise seems far in keeping. We wonder when Jesus will return whereas the world believes “if” Jesus will return. The question becomes: how shall we conduct ourselves? </b></div>
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<b>Let me start off with a political statement. Jesus fulfilled the purpose of Israel. Israel was the physical shadow of the Church. I do not see that Scripture teaches that God will work through Israel to reveal further His plan or will for us. What greater revelation can Israel bestow after the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus? </b></div>
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<b>Yet with news that is happening, such as the largest Islamic army in Africa has sworn allegiance yesterday to ISIS, thus making an even larger danger. Israel is one of those nations that is being threatened. As a statesman, Israel has been the USA’s biggest ally in the Middle East, and often, our only ally. As a Christian, David set the example, we should not curse or act against the Lord’s Anointed. Let us pray for Israel, for the threats that they face, that even our Christian brethren face in the Middle East and now Africa. Let us pray that they come to accept the Messiah, as we pray for those nearer us to make the same decision.</b></div>
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<b>Another take home here is with our time. It really is two-fold. Just as David prepared to lead Israel by first serving the king, and serving in the military, so we need to be about preparing. We need to be learning not just what the Word says, but also how to apply it, how to live it. We need to be in fellowship with one another. </b></div>
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<b>David didn’t flee alone, nor did he patrol alone. He had his mighty men. We are not alone either. God has given to each of us one another. We have times of fellowship, we have times to study. Yet we should also seek out each other apart from when the building is open. We should be encouraging one another, which leads us to the second part of this take home, and our final lesson.</b></div>
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<b>Perhaps with the news, the Church of America may increase in her sense of urgency. It is unclear how long we have. Yet Jesus said that as long as it is still called today, we must be about the work of our Heavenly Father. We must be about the business of offering peace, grace, and love to those who don’t know Christ. We need to share the news that we have, to let people know that regardless of what is in a person’s past, or even present, God still wants them to draw near. Our Heavenly Father wants a relationship with them. </b></div>
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<b>This is why we were created. This is why Jesus died for us and then rose from the dead. And this is the only hope there is in the face of all that we see, in the darkness of this world, the senseless violence and selfishness. And He’s trusted this mission to you and me while we wait for His return. </b></div>
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<b>Let me conclude the message by finish reading the end of 2 Peter 3: </b></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.</i></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-44590024007923625122015-03-04T15:16:00.000-08:002015-03-04T15:16:04.508-08:00The Story 10 A New Spirit<div style="text-align: justify;">
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This past week’s study, we considered 2 who had faith to stand strong, and 2 who didn’t. It was the faith of Hannah, who trusted that God would provide for her, would grant her a child. She was a barren woman in a time where having children was a mark of God’s blessing. Yet in the midst of her storm, of her family shaming her, she still trusted, even promising to return her child to the Lord. She not only kept her promise but was blessed with the birth of 3 more sons and 2 daughters.</div>
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It was her first child who serves as the other example of faith. When he was returned to the Lord, he served under the first who failed. Eli was the high priest and judge over Israel, but he had two sons who perverted the offerings and worship of God. Though Eli failed to parent his sons, he happened to raise Samuel, perhaps. Perhaps Samuel, one dedicated to the Lord, had an open heart to listen for the Lord. And heard the Lord he did.</div>
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Even after God sent to Eli a warning, Eli didn’t heed the warning. Even when the warning was wet cement through Samuel’s calling in the middle of the night, the night where Samuel mistook God’s voice for Eli’s. Again, there was the warning. Eli thought, “well God will do what He will do.” It is tragic when God gives warning, and we fail to see the opportunity.</div>
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Eli had opportunity even after the prophet, and even after the Lord talk to Young Mister Samuel. Perhaps it would not have been so tragic had Eli implored God, if he had repented and removed his sons. Yet we can’t play the “what if” game. </div>
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Samuel’s accomplishment was that he turned the people back to God once Eli and his sons were gone. He relied and talked to God. God talked to him in turn. Perhaps Samuel wasn’t too different from Moses. Samuel served God so full heartedly that when the nation Israel asked for a king, he took it as a personal rejection. Perhaps there was some truth. As a father figure, he was akin to Eli. Samuel’s sons were also wicked judges, taken to bribery and favoritism. </div>
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God reminded Samuel that it wasn’t himself that was rejected as leader, but the people, despite the awesome ways that God displayed the deliverance of the enemies into Israel’s hands, the people were rejecting God as their king. That’s the accomplishment Samuel had. He anointed two kings for Israel. First, he anointed Saul, then he anointed David after Saul fell. This morning, we will look at King Saul. </div>
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Hopefully, you are already at 1 Samuel 10. Let’s read: </div>
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<i><b>Then Samuel took a jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head, kissed him, and said, “The Lord anoints you as ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and protect them from all their enemies. And this is the proof to you that the Lord has chosen you to be the ruler of his people: when you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys you were looking for have been found, so that your father isn't worried any more about them but about you, and he keeps asking, ‘What shall I do about my son?’ You will go on from there until you come to the sacred tree at Tabor, where you will meet three men on their way to offer a sacrifice to God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and the third one will have a leather bag full of wine. They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept. Then you will go to the Hill of God in Gibeah, where there is a Philistine camp. At the entrance to the town you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the altar on the hill, playing harps, drums, flutes, and lyres. They will be dancing and shouting. Suddenly the spirit of the Lord will take control of you, and you will join in their religious dancing and shouting and will become a different person. When these things happen, do whatever God leads you to do. You will go ahead of me to Gilgal, where I will meet you and offer burnt sacrifices and fellowship sacrifices. Wait there seven days until I come and tell you what to do.” When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave Saul a new nature. </b></i></div>
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It is here that I want to focus this morning. God gave Saul a new nature, and new spirit, a new heart. And what did that new nature afford him? If you follow along in <i><b>The Story</b></i> by Max Lucado and Randy Frazee, they label Saul as being a jealous, impatient and impetuous man. I disagree. I believe that along the way, he’d forgotten God, he’d forgotten what his obligation to God was. He became impatient, impetuous, and jealous. For now, he had a new heart.</div>
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When he is selected king of Israel, at the coronation, he is found in the luggage, or in the supply wagon, hiding. He did start off with a humility. Yet by the second time he was to go to Gilgal and wait 7 days, for he was 30 the first time, and the time in which God said his line will see the end of the kingship, his son, Jonathan, was already a skilled warrior and commander. </div>
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Saul wanted to do what was right. After his coronation, the Ammonites rose up to make war. They besieged a city and offered terms for the city’s inhabitants. We will accept your surrender if you allow us to blind your men, taking their right eyes. Of course they had 7 days to see if anyone would come to their rescue. So when Saul heard that his people were under attack, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, like the Spirit did for Samson. He raised an army, 330,000 men came to Saul’s command. Yet, Saul didn’t go this alone. His command was in his and Samuel’s name. He relied on Samuel as a spiritual advisor, a leader skilled on the battlefield, a mentor, if you will. In this, he shows wisdom. And God blessed him. He delivered the city, and the coronation was reaffirmed. But that would also be the last Samuel stayed with Saul. He was now king.</div>
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Saul became accomplished on the battlefield. And I think that is where his pride started coming into play. Before long, the Amalekites were creating trouble and God’s time of reckoning was at hand. Moses had written down God’s future judgment for these people because they not only denied passage through their lands during Israel’s wilderness sojourn, but they raided. God, through Samuel, told Saul to totally destroy them. Kill everyone, kill everything. Saul did, mostly. Instead, he spared the king and the best of the cattle for “sacrifices”, plunder but was caught. After Samuel confronted Saul, Saul went to grab for Samuel to plead that Samuel still remain, Samuel’s cloak ripped. “Just as you have ripped my cloak, so the kingdom will be ripped from you and handed to a man far better than you.” </div>
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As I read that passage, 1 Samuel15, Saul stopped following God. Despite his new heart, it grew cold. Saul referred to God as Samuel’s God. Saul, in Carmel, had set up a shrine dedicated to his own glory. He was a god. But he took the king of the Amalekites and the best of the livestock to Gilgal, where he proudly boasted to Samuel of his obedience.</div>
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So what is the application to us today? When you were clothed in Christ, when you were baptized into Christ, do you realize that you were given a new heart? If you are in Christ, you are now a different person than you were before, or at least you should be. You are not just different, you are new. </div>
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According to Paul’s 2nd letter to the Corinthians, we are new creations. Our old nature is gone. He goes on to say in the same passage that God has reconciled us through Jesus, which is why we are new. Think about that for a moment. We are reconciled through Jesus’ blood, and are therefore made new. We are declared spotless, pure, according to Romans.</div>
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Do you realize what this means? We live in a world that is hurting, that is dying, we have the answer to the big question that everyone is asking in their own vocabulary. What is the purpose of life? God wants a relationship with His creation. That is you and me, and our lost neighbors, family and friends. Coming back to our Heavenly Father is our goal in life, despite what the world tells us. And we have that answer. Shouldn’t we be trying to persuade those close to us, be it close in our hearts or close to our homes, about getting right with God?</div>
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Another take home, unlike Saul upon whom the Spirit of God came, we have been given the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit when we clothed ourselves in Christ. And that Spirit is mighty. And that Spirit can strengthen us, if we allow it. Consider the Scripture reading earlier. Do you know that you are a holy people with an eternal hope and inheritance? Do you pray that the Spirit will work mightily through you? We have that same power that raised Jesus from the dead living flowing in us.</div>
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That verse, Ephesians 1.19 continues to be a “whoa” verse. I have to pause every time that I read it. That we may know... the his incomparably great power that He has for us who believe. </div>
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Ah to know that. How? That is the awesome blessings of living in fellowship with one another. It comes from spending time in the Word. It comes from living for God. Living for God, there is a short list in 1 Thessalonians 5. The longer list is Proverbs, the whole book. Then there is following Paul’s example from Ephesians. Prayer. </div>
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Now for the invitation. This is as much for us here as those who will hear this message on the internet. The reason we are following <i><b>The Story</b></i> is because from the beginning of Creation, He has wanted a relationship with you and me. But we now live in an imperfect world brought that way by our sins. Still through Jesus, the reconciliation was paid. Last week we considered Isaiah 55.6, that we can call upon the Lord and he will hear, we can seek the Lord and He will draw near. Now is that time. Come, talk to me. As long as you have breath, our Heavenly Father wants to be yours too, or even again. Let’s now sing our song of prayer. </div>
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Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-24969337409329825912015-02-26T17:32:00.000-08:002015-02-26T17:32:24.535-08:00The Story 9: A New HopeWhen you think of the Book of Ruth, Ruth’s story, what comes to mind? Many theologians call it a romance, a woman in distress, a man who rescues her. I can see that. But to leave it at that is to miss it altogether. And what is it that you are missing?<br />
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In the time line of the Story of God’s redemption, of His mercy and grace, Ruth falls in the period of the judges. It was a time where Israel was going through cycles of God delivering the people, then in turn they love God, then chase other gods, receive God’s discipline, repent, and then delivered, all over again. We are not sure who is the current judge, if there is even one. But whatever the case, this is where Ruth is. The people, through these cycles, aren’t getting any better. At one point in the future, they reject God completely and seek after a king.<br />
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What we have here are two people in two journeys that are about to merge into one. We have a single, overlying verse: Isaiah 55.6, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55 is about having a relationship with God.<br />
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We are not sure about the details of Ruth. We can reason that she was taught the ways of the Lord by her husband and father in law. So when it comes time to return to Bethlehem, for her, it was an easy choice. She would trust the Lord, she would follow Him, she would call upon Him. After all, she is a foreigner, not born of Israel.<br />
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Then there is Boaz. From our text, we can reason that he is an older gentleman. But he, too, is looking to honor God by redeeming Ruth. In a way, Boaz is a type, a taste of something better to come. Let’s read the text:<br />
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><b>At midnight, Boaz was startled, turned over, and there lying at his feet was a woman! So he asked, “Who are you? ”“I am Ruth, your slave,” she replied. “Spread your cloak over me, for you are a family redeemer.” Then he said, “May the Lord bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not pursued younger men, whether rich or poor. Now don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character. Yes, it is true that I am a family redeemer, but there is a redeemer closer than I am. Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, that’s good. Let him redeem you. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, as the Lord lives, I will. Now lie down until morning.” </b><i>(Ruth 3.8-13 NIV)</i><br />
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As you see, Ruth was in a hard place. Sure she was for now able to share in the harvest of the crop, gleaning after the harvesters. But long term, she really had no hope. But the Law of Moses provided for the redemption of someone who was in Ruth’s position. She can become a proselyte, an outsider adopting the ways of the Lord. And the Law also provided for young widows and an inheritance.<br />
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Now the inheritance of the Land wasn’t something that was an end-all. It was a shadow, a taste of what eternity was to be like. We would become heirs of the king. But our sin had to be dealt with. Just as Boaz redeemed Ruth, so Jesus redeemed His Church, His Bride, you and me. But remember, Boaz’s redemption is only a type, a shadow. It’s not an exact representation. Our sins have us separated. Yet, Jesus laying his life down for us, paying the penalty for our sins, we are able to approach God and call Him our heavenly Papa. Jesus took us to be His bride, washing us by His blood, laying down His life so that we wouldn’t taste death. He gave us his name, and a hope for something better, a new hope.<br />
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Ruth and Boaz also demonstrate how we should conduct ourselves as followers of God, of doing what is right. Ruth wanted to look after Naomi, her mother in law. She adopted her life, her faith. And then she conducted herself accordingly. When times were trying, she trusted God. Boaz commended her that she didn’t pursue other men, younger, stronger men. She wanted to honor God by honoring His ways. She was declared noble by Boaz and by the rest of the community.<br />
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Boaz wanted to do what was right as well. Here is a younger woman, a temptation to be sure. Yet he knew that he was second place. It was another’s, perhaps his older brother, or closer relative, to redeem Ruth. Honoring God meant that he would have to allow this other person the opportunity to do so. And I suspect that he was praying that the other would pass.<br />
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Now how were they able to do this? Following the way of God isn’t easy. It’s, if anything, contrary. Again to Isaiah 55, God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are above our thoughts. Yet we can know God’s way because He has revealed it through the Word. It was the Law of Moses that Boaz and Ruth knew and followed, just as now we can read God’s Word today to determine God’s will.<br />
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James says that the religion God finds holy and pleasing is to take care of the widows and orphans, those who are in need. Jesus said to look to the field, it is ripe for harvest. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest that He would send workers into the field.<br />
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And that is our take home. We need to be open to see the opportunities to serve those in need, to share God’s grace and love. The world is hurting, more than just widows and orphans. The world is lost. The world needs redemption and worth, which are already here. All we have to do is to be open to it.<br />
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We are open to it by spending time in the Word, the Holy Bible. The more we read about God’s love and grace, the more we will readily emulate that love and grace, the more it will fill us, and flow through us. Then as we pray for others, do you see the opportunities to serve them, encourage them?<br />
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Now there may be some you will come across who can’t fathom that God would be so forgiving. And that is where the new hope is underscored, that God will draw close. Isaiah 55, as long as we have breath, we can call upon Him.<br />
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Now we will sing our song of dedication.<br />
<br />Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-46126258488048676132015-02-17T16:49:00.001-08:002015-02-17T16:49:46.513-08:00The Story 8 Gideon<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>How would you react if God sent an angel to appear before you? You know that this is a messenger of God because one moment, you are alone, and the next, there he is, standing near you, or perhaps leaning on the wall. He didn’t climb in, he just appeared. Then he tells you that God has something great in store for you. It’s a monumental task. Actually there were two tasks, one a bit more uncomfortable than the second. But both would take you from your comfort zone. Could you gladly accept the assignment?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>As we continue our story of God’s love and grace, this week, we find ourselves in the Book of Judges. Chapter 6 to be exact. Of this book, many characters would be good studies, so it was difficult to decide who would be the best person to look at. Yet Gideon seems to be like you and I today. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The Book of Judges can be called a repetitive cycle. After Joshua dies, Israel stops driving out the people from the Promised Land, and instead, accepts them, first as slave labor and then as equals. Israel even begins worshiping their gods, forgetting about the Lord who delivered them from Egypt, who took them into the promised land. So the Lord burned with anger and allowed the foreigners to become thorns in the side of His children. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>After a time of oppression, the people would wise up, repent and return to the Lord. He would show mercy and deliver them through people called Judges. Then after the judge would die, the nation of Israel would fall back into the sin of idolatry, forgetting the Lord once more. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>This is the setting for our text this morning. Let’s see Gideon in verses 11-16:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Then the Lord's angel came to the village of Ophrah and sat under the oak tree that belonged to Joash, a man of the clan of Abiezer. His son Gideon was threshing some wheat secretly in a winepress, so that the Midianites would not see him. The Lord's angel appeared to him there and said, “The Lord is with you, brave and mighty man!” Gideon said to him, “If I may ask, sir, why has all this happened to us if the Lord is with us? What about all the wonderful things that our fathers told us the Lord used to do — how he brought them out of Egypt? The Lord has abandoned us and left us to the mercy of the Midianites.” Then the Lord ordered him, “Go with all your great strength and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I myself am sending you.” Gideon replied, “But Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least important member of my family.” The Lord answered, “You can do it because I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man.” – <u>Judges 6.11-16</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Why a winepress? First, the winepress is an elevated building. I can see the floors being a good 5-6 feet off the ground. And with the crops and land in ruin, the winepress would be abandoned, full of dust. It was easy for Gideon to hide while he repurposed the building. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So how is Gideon like us? Like him, we are given a mission. His mission was to deliver Israel. Our mission is to share the great news of Jesus, and what he’s done for us. And though we are not oppressed as he was, we are still inundated with multiple cultures and a cry for acceptance and tolerance, which comes to be that we accept and celebrate others while keeping mum on what we believe. (A side note here: Jesus said that He is the ONLY way. He’s not one facet of a deism that comprises all the religions of the world. He is the only God. All others are false gods or idols. Apart from Jesus, there is no assurance, no hope of eternal life.)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Gideon is hiding out. Did you notice that he asked “why”, but the angel didn’t answer him. The reason is not that he was ignored, but that Gideon missed the answer when the prophet came with the news. And also, Gideon knew why. He was changing subjects because he was uncomfortable with the news that God sees value and worth in Gideon. We can see the same thing happen in John 4, the woman in the heat of the day, is shown she has worth, and she is uncomfortable with it. “Lord, where is the right place to worship, here or in Jerusalem?”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>So I must ask, does that news make you uncomfortable? You realize that God saw so much worth in you that Jesus came to die in your place, in my place? From there, all God wants in return, because it’s a gift, not something we’ve earned or hope to earn, is for us to tell others. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>“But how can I carry out this mission? I am the weakest of my family, and we are the least in our tribe.” That was Gideon’s excuse. And there is the solution. God answered him. “Am I not sending you?” God will be there, and He was for Gideon. Gideon went down to the camp to eavesdrop on the enemy, and they were already afraid. So then the Lord tells him to whittle his army of 32000 down to 300 men. And rather be armed with weapons and tools of soldiery, they each were to be armed with a torch, a trumpet and a pitcher. The marvelous part is that tradition tells us that a horn is used per 1,000 men. And with 301 men surrounding the camp blowing their trumpets, that’s 301,000 soldiers in the middle of the night. God was there creating confusion. Midian defeated Midian. God defeated them. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>We’ve the same promise. When we are clothed in Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit. Paul tells one church that he prayed that they would realize that each one has the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. This is why the Scripture reading this morning came from Romans. It is a reminder that if God is for us, then what can’t we do? Because we are enlightened people, do you realize that we tend to not rely upon the Spirit, that we try to do things by our own strength? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But perhaps like Gideon, there is something else present that prevents us from seeing God’s hand in our lives. It’s a four letter word that preachers try to shy from using because using this word can make people uncomfortable. It was true in Gideon’s time, as well as the rest of the Bible time period. It is still true today. That word is sin. Yes, I know that sin is only 3 letters, but the fear of saying it makes it akin to a 4 letter word. Sin doesn’t have to be sexual as our culture is currently looking at. It could be something different, lying perhaps, cheating, maybe even just gossiping. Whatever that sin is, it will hinder us, as sin hindered Gideon and Israel. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Gideon was told to make the land right. He had to tear down the false idols and make an altar to the Lord. He would use the idols’ material as wood for the burnt offerings he made on the new altar. When the people woke the next day, they quickly learned that Gideon tore down the idols. I suspect his dad was the local priest for the idols. And yet even dad knew his son was right. Who will defend Baal? If he’s a real god, let him defend himself. Joash learned and I believe repented that day because of his son’s lesson.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I have had people tell me that they don’t feel God like they use to, that they don’t experience his presence as once they did. I’ve talked with them, and it comes down that somewhere along the way, they’ve allowed life’s storms, many of their own making, to remove their focus from God, from seeing and trusting in Jesus. And I have to ask, if you can relate, is there something in your life that is blocking you from God? Is there a sin that you hold on to that needs to be laid at the cross? As long as you have breath, God has love and grace. Let it go. Allow God to work through you.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Perhaps it’s not sin, but a matter of not knowing where to start the mission. Gideon’s mission started at home. He’s a grown man, and yet he had something to teach his grown family, his father, his brothers, and his neighbors. Our first start is with our family, those closest to us. Then we take the mission further out, to our friends, neighbors, and even community. But once we start, the next step becomes easier. God will bless it. One the same hand, you should probably be prepared to be called nuts.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Now here is where are not like Gideon. Gideon was still timid. He was still afraid, and unsure of himself. So God allowed him to set a couple of tests. Yet we don’t need those tests. Instead Paul tells Timothy in his 2nd letter that we don’t have a spirit of fear, but we have the Spirit of power, love and sound judgment. Let us not be ashamed of our message, of the Gospel. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>That is the mission God does give us. At the end of Matthew, Jesus said, “Go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them everything I have taught you.” This includes the writers of the rest of the New Testament where we are encouraged to live higher than the world around us, all the while sharing the good news, loving the people as God loves us and them, serving them as we have opportunity. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>But a final warning here: We are like Gideon in that we are still prone to sin. Gideon messed up. He made an ephod, a type of idol. It was a snare to him and to Israel for the rest of his life. We must be careful as well. Yet Paul does encourage us, though we fall often, God still declares us in Jesus to be pure. Don’t allow anything to ensnare you. Carry out the mission.</b></span></div>
Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8089024410968921169.post-29839695480680680162015-02-08T09:23:00.001-08:002015-02-08T11:51:51.769-08:00The Story 7 Horrible History?!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Question to begin the message, "Can we put God on trial?" This seems a little out of left field, but it is a legitimate question to consider this morning. It is a question that often the world will ask us when we tell them of their need of Jesus. It is a question that the world is asking given what is happening.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Earlier in the week, ISIS released a video of a Jordanian pilot being burned to death. The King of Jordan on Wednesday, took the lead position in a squadron of fighter jets. The President on Thursday morning had this to say: "Unless we get on our high horse and think this is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ." </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I am not being political. It is not my intention to do so. Yet the headlines gave me a great introduction to one of the hardest to explain books in the Bible. It's difficult because the Church has not undertaken to help us understand the conquests and complete obliteration that God called for. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let’s work our way back to Joshua. Let’s take up the Crusades and what the president has alleged. Yes, we Christians tend to confuse ourselves. Like Moslems who kill one another, our Irish brothers and sisters killed one another because they didn’t belong to the church of Ireland, the Holy Catholic Church. Of course, Irish Catholics have fought against other Catholics. It’s not about Jesus, these wars.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I like how Abraham Lincoln said it when asked which side would God be for. “He said that he hoped that we would be seeking God. More often than not, we seek our own means, our own ways, and then ask God’s blessings, as if it were a bit of a spell, a charm.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The crusades, now. Is this Christians going after other people because land was tight and over populated? It certainly made the 4 call to arms easier to answer. Each of the Crusade periods, however, came from the Emperor of Byzantine asking the Pope for help since Moslems invaded the holy land, and Asia Minor, or the Middle East. These 4 calls resulted in less than 2 dozen major offenses. Hollywood and writers tend to make the Crusades deadlier than they were, though there were rogues out for themselves. Basically, Crusades were about defending brothers in the faith.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now let us move further back in history. Why did God want Joshua and the Israelites to completely destroy those before them? Let us remember, this morning, we read in Paul’s letter to the Romans that God has placed a moral compass within everyone’s heart. There is an innate sense of right and wrong. For those who die foreign to the Gospel and to the Law of Moses, God will judge accordingly. Even amidst the pantheistic Druids, or Celts, there was at the time of Jesus’ birth, a not so small minority of druids who knew that there was one creator, a sole sure swift hand, who is over all things, that all else are his creation. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let us also remember that after the flood of Noah, each people group had the ability to remain faithful to God. Yet no one did. The oral traditions seem to have stopped. People turned away from God. So was it fair for God to have them destroyed? Yes. We were all created for His good pleasures. He wasn’t a post creation construct of a single people of a single region.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In that a farmer who wants alfalfa crop but ended up planting Burmuda grass, then yes, that crop will be pulled and burned and the new seed will be placed. Yet let us be careful. Total, earthly destruction is not an indication of one’s destination for eternity. Jesus is said to have preached to souls who’ve passed apart from his Gospel. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yet here is what I can take home. Jericho was the first city. God commanded that all of it be put to the sword. All treasures put into the tabernacle. And with the exception of one man, they did so. God wants to be first in our thoughts and actions. When He is less than our first thought, trouble abounds. The second city of Ai embarrassed Israel until Israel sought the Lord’s advice.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Jericho, The Lord allowed the Israelites to have the best for themselves. The people are reminded of this. The land is given, houses built that the Israelites didn’t build. Farmlands and herds that Israel didn’t plow of round up. Just as God provided for them, so Jesus tells us that he is preparing such a place for us. This is a rest that we look forward to. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally, let us consider the message that God has sent. If we are seeking to bring glory and honor to God, then He will be with us. He will go before us. And though God has in the past used war as punishment against those who had become blind to him, He did set Paul straight one the Kingdom of Grace was instituted some 2000 years ago. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God wants us to be as forgiving and graceful today as ever. Do you have such a relationship?</span><br>
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Steve Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18301363152748859355noreply@blogger.com0