1st Timothy

Today we are reading the introduction of 1st Timothy.  A good site for some background info is linked here: http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/1timintr.html

We finished up Joshua and loved every bit of it.  What a word that book spoke about us leaving a land and possessing the thing that GOD spoke to us.  We are to look at Nation Israel and the Biblical Old Testament as EXAMPLES of how we should and should not walk in these days.  God teaches us so much by the successes and failures of others if we will only watch and see the results.

We will begin reading 1st Timothy ch. 1-3 on Tuesday and 4-6 on Wednesday.  Thursday we will look to do background reading on 2nd Timothy and we will go from there!

Have a great week- Stuart

Mundane Reading- Hot Nugget!

As we continue on a reading journey through the book of Joshua what sticks out to my mind more than anything through the middle to late chapters is how the Bible goes on and on about the settling of the land of Canaan.  At first glance I just wanted to race through it and move to a spiritual truth or a more inspiring section.  Yet I felt almost guilty for doing so.  My thoughts led me to that because think about all the nation had been through.  Walking around for 40 years and that on top of 400 years of slavery in Egypt.  I felt that although knowing where Judah would be settling or the tribe of Benjamin at first glance was not that interesting, recognizing all these people had been through, I read line by line to just acknowledge......  THEY MADE IT.  Squeezed in, in the middle of all this historical mid eastern geography lesson is a true nugget.  The scripture reads: "Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass." Joshua 21:45.   Now that is a truth for the ages.  GOD DID WHAT HE SAID.  ALL OF IT.  So many of us will cut out of reading the genealogy portions of scripture, but I tell you, I am learning, there are nuggets tucked away for all those who dig in the Word.  This scripture encouraged me to ask myself."What has God said to me?"  In my "wilderness wanderings," I hear the Lord speaking to me and our church that we have got to go through a land to get to a land.  When I started walking this journey of church planting 8 years ago I thought I would be inhabiting my "Canaan."  Instead I was walking around clueless eating manna from Heaven.  That may sound good to you, but I said the same thing the Israeli kids said in my journey of faith, "what is this?".  That is the literal translation of the word "manna".  I find that it is awesome to be in God's miracle provision but when you get thirsty and there is not water fountain, it can be stressful.  God did for me what He did for Israel, and now I feel like God is speaking to us as a church that He is not "giving" us the land, but it is ours to take now.  We will have to fight for it.  The manna is going to stop falling.  In one day, manna ceased to fall for Israel....but God had provided through the provision of the labor of other nations for Israel to feed off of.  This next season for us I feel will be a fighting season.  Not sure what that looks like, but it isn't wandering.  That is great.  I am ready to "cross over".  Even greater is the example before me in the Word that says, "all came to pass."  I am living in expectancy more than ever for the Lord to give us this land ready for the harvest even now.  Pray for our new building as we look to inhabit that in January....looks like we got to fight to find it first!

Stu

Homeland Security: Old School

Shock and Awe or Shocking Hail?  Which would you prefer for protection as a nation in the days ahead?  Many would take the U.S. military, but I will take hailstones thank you.  Studying through the book of Joshua through chapter 12 we notice that Israel and Joshua only failed twice up to this point.  Both times it was, "but they did not ask council of the Lord." 9:14.  The scripture that is a basic overall trustworthy truth is, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance." Psalm 33:12.  This is a "nice" scripture.  It is a feel good scripture.  Making sure we quote it on veterans and memorial day.  But the truth is, that the nation that fears the Lord will truly have the backing of the Most High.  I read a startling quote about Joshua and the Israeli nation as they crossed the Jordan and began to take over lands that were established by other countries.  I think in God's sovereignty, these nations used their people power, finance and abilities to build just so God's people could come and occupy.  Israel wandered for 40 years in circles because of their unrelenting disobedience, but as Joshua was raised up, the people finally were able to inherit the promise.  As they went forward to "take the land", they did have to fight for it.  In one scene, a nation calls together other nations to protect the raiding band of Israelites to protect their city interest.  What would happen?  The city had been there for years, the other nations had settled and established strength and allies to fight a wandering "terrorist" group.  Terrorist?  No.  God's backing, yes.  As the battle began, the Bible reads, "and it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died.  There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword." 10:11.

Wow.  Homeland Security or Hailstones?  I'll take the Lord's backing thank you.  Let's pray for our leaders.  How the nation rejoices when the righteous rule.  God lead our nation, our leaders....to follow you.  We recognize we are nothing without your protection. 

Love-  Stu

This Week's Reading (Joshua)

We will be reading the book of Joshua.  Steve Vereen picked this one.  Glad to have Kerri joining with us in the reading.  It has been so good and challenging to have accountability and group study in the Word.  I am convinced that the Devil more than anything tries the hardest to keep us out of God's Word and the prayer closet.  If we can read the WORD the enemy is going to shake and quake, because it is ALIVE AND ACTIVE.  For an introductory help you can read (http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/josintro.html ).  Steve, if you could post the Blue Letter Bible site URL that would help for those who would prefer an audio intro.  Tuesday we will read chapter 1-3; Wed: 4-6; Thurs: 7-9; Fri: 10-12 and Saturday: 13-16.  Let's get into the Word so the WORD can get into us.

PS-  when I was 16 years old, I remember being at my grandma Hazel's house.  I was a new driver....ready to leave a family gathering at Christmas.  I will never forget when my Uncle Johnny coming down the driveway and meeting by my car.  He interrupted my quick exit and pulled out a card of his for business.  He had written something on the back and flipped it over to share it with me.  It said, " This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." JOSHUA 1:8-9.  Johnny then handed me that card.  I think I kept it in my wallet for over 12 years before it finally eroded.  How I wish I had laminated it!  My uncle passed away two days ago.  This reading will be special to me as I remember John Alvin Royall through every daily reading.  Thank you Uncle Johnny for sharing with me the truth, even before I was "ready" to receive it.  Your witness seed did bear fruit in my heart and I will see you again soon face to face.  You have finished the race, now receive your reward.  Love you dear brother.  Stuart

JOY!

 Some thoughts from Heather that really speak to our situation:

I was talking to the Lord this week, distraught because He keeps telling me this is the season of JOY & REFRESHING...yet it's been the hardest few months that I've experienced in many, many years. My conversation with Him went a little like this, "Lord, so many wonderful things are happening, yet why do the negative things seem to far outweigh the good? I mean, You are all powerful God..You are so good. Why does the devil's schemes & arrows feel stronger & seem to over take me regularly right now?" The Lord immediately showed me that I was shining the spotlight on the negative and playing into the enemy's tactics by talking about the negative, laying it down only to let it be brought back up by others around me and talking about it some more. I was giving the enemy's tools & traps more power by  not guarding my tongue & redirecting conversations that could potentially rehash the attacks, evil, dark arrows that were directed at the hearts of believers to wear them down.

I read Philippians 1-3 today. Paul talks about Joy alot, yet he was imprisoned, alone, persecuted... How could this be? Because Joy is a fruit of the Spirit of God who lives on the inside of us. If we are filled up with Jesus, keep our minds renewed daily, our Joy can't fade!!! Praise God.

--
Heather Royall

PHILIPPIANS!

Well, this reading thing is moving ahead of my typing, but if you are wanting to stay on track with us, we are zooming on past Malachi yesterday and stepping into the book of Philippians.  Again, I want to encourage each of you to take some time before reading the books that we are studying and focus in on a good commentary/set up of the cultural/historical setting of the book/writing itself.  There are many things we cannot understand from the text simply because of culture, and there are many helps to give us a background of basic information.  I would suggest something very short for the pace that we are on.  One such intro for Malachi would be found at:  http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/mal3v1.html.  Today's reading and Saturdays can be opened up by :  http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/philintr.html.  We are reading Philippians 1-2 today and 3-4 saturday.  Take Sunday on your own study and we will pick back up on Monday.  Remember to post your interactions below!

I would recommend that you study the opening in such a way as to gain basic information.  The goal of a commentary is not to gain all the learning that is to be "got" from the book.  The Holy Spirit is the giver of the real truth and application for your life, the background study is more for a cultural/historical perspective.  For our studies again don't spend too much time on that (unless of course you can).  :)

Enjoy-  Stuart

Today's Bible Reading

Zechariah Chapters 6-9.  If you are tracking with us.  The ongoing dealings of God with His people Israel.  70 years of captivity, and God is ready to bring the people back to blessing.  He continues to pour out His heart to the people through the prophet.

Update on Reading

In all the excitement it has already been discovered that reading together through Zechariah is too fast with 7 chapters  day...so if you are wanting to stay with us...we are going to be reading 3 chapters a day....

Zechariah 1-3 then is where we begin, and 4-6 to catch us up!

Stuart

Rescue The Perishing- William Booth (1829-1912)

"A Vision of the Lost"



by William Booth

William Booth (1829 - 1912) Founder of the Salvation Army

n one of my recent journeys, as I gazed from the coach window, I was led into a train of thought concerning the condition of the multitudes around me. They were living carelessly in the most open and shameless rebellion against God, without a thought for their eternal welfare. As I looked out of the window, I seemed to see them all... millions of people all around me given up to their drink and their pleasure, their dancing and their music, their business and their anxieties, their politics and their troubles. Ignorant- willfully ignorant in many cases- and in other instances knowing all about the truth and not caring at all. But all of them, the whole mass of them, sweeping on and up in their blasphemies and devilries to the Throne of God. While my mind was thus engaged, I had a vision.

I saw a dark and stormy ocean. Over it the black clouds hung heavily; through them every now and then vivid lightening flashed and loud thunder rolled, while the winds moaned, and the waves rose and foamed, towered and broke, only to rise and foam, tower and break again.

In that ocean I thought I saw myriads of poor human beings plunging and floating, shouting and shrieking, cursing and struggling and drowning; and as they cursed and screamed they rose and shrieked again, and then some sank to rise no more.

And I saw out of this dark angry ocean, a mighty rock that rose up with it’s summit towering high above the black clouds that overhung the stormy sea. And all around the base of this great rock I saw a vast platform. Onto this platform, I saw with delight a number of the poor struggling, drowning wretches continually climbing out of the angry ocean. And I saw that a few of those who were already safe on the platform were helping the poor creatures still in the angry waters to reach the place of safety.

On looking more closely I found a number of those who had been rescued, industriously working and scheming by ladders, ropes, boats and other means more effective, to deliver the poor strugglers out of the sea. Here and there were some who actually jumped into the water, regardless of the consequences in their passion to "rescue the perishing." And I hardly know which gladdened me the most- the sight of the poor drowning people climbing onto the rocks reaching a place of safety, or the devotion and self-sacrifice of those whose whole being was wrapped up in the effort for their deliverance.

As I looked on, I saw that the occupants of that platform were quite a mixed company. That is, they were divided into different "sets" or classes, and they occupied themselves with different pleasures and employments. But only a very few of them seemed to make it their business to get the people out of the sea.

But what puzzled me most was the fact that though all of them had been rescued at one time or another from the ocean, nearly everyone seemed to have forgotten all about it. Anyway, it seemed the memory of its darkness and danger no longer troubled them at all. And what seemed equally strange and perplexing to me was that these people did not even seem to have any care- that is any agonizing care- about the poor perishing ones who were struggling and drowning right before their very eyes... many of whom were their own husbands and wives, brothers and sisters and even their own children.

Now this astonishing unconcern could not have been the result of ignorance or lack of knowledge, because they lived right there in full sight of it all and even talked about it sometimes. Many even went regularly to hear lectures and sermons in which the awful state of these poor drowning creatures was described.

I have always said that the occupants of this platform were engaged in different pursuits and pastimes. Some of them were absorbed day and night in trading and business in order to make gain, storing up their savings in boxes, safes and the like.

Many spent their time in amusing themselves with growing flowers on the side of the rock, others in painting pieces of cloth or in playing music, or in dressing themselves up in different styles and walking about to be admired. Some occupied themselves chiefly in eating and drinking, others were taken up with arguing about the poor drowning creatures that had already been rescued.

But the thing to me that seemed the most amazing was that those on the platform to whom He called, who heard His voice and felt that they ought to obey it- at least they said they did- those who confessed to love Him much were in full sympathy with Him in the task He had undertaken- who worshipped Him or who professed to do so- were so taken up with their trades and professions, their money saving and pleasures, their families and circles, their religions and arguments about it, and their preparation for going to the mainland, that they did not listen to the cry that came to them from this Wonderful Being who had Himself gone down into the sea. Anyway, if they heard it they did not heed it. They did not care. And so the multitude went on right before them struggling and shrieking and drowning in the darkness.

And then I saw something that seemed to me even more strange than anything that had gone on before in this strange vision. I saw that some of these people on the platform whom this Wonderful Being had called to, wanting them to come and help Him in His difficult task of saving these perishing creatures, were always praying and crying out to Him to come to them!

Some wanted Him to come and stay with them, and spend His time and strength in making them happier. Others wanted Him to come and take away various doubts and misgivings they had concerning the truth of some letters He had written them. Some wanted Him to come and make them feel more secure on the rock- so secure that they would be quite sure that they should never slip off again into the ocean. Numbers of others wanted Him to make them feel quite certain that they would really get off the rock and onto the mainland someday: because as a matter of fact, it was well known that some had walked so carelessly as to loose their footing, and had fallen back again into the stormy waters.

So these people used to meet and get up as high on the rock as they could, and looking towards the mainland (where they thought the Great Being was) they would cry out, "Come to us! Come and help us!" And all the while He was down (by His Spirit) among the poor struggling, drowning creatures in the angry deep, with His arms around them trying to drag them out, and looking up- oh! so longingly but all in vain- to those on the rock, crying to them with His voice all hoarse from calling, "Come to Me! Come, and help Me!

And then I understood it all. It was plain enough. The sea was the ocean of life- the sea of real, actual human existence. That lightening was the gleaming of piercing truth coming from Jehovah’s Throne. That thunder was the distant echoing of the wrath of God. Those multitudes of people shrieking, struggling and agonizing in the stormy sea, was the thousands and thousands of poor harlots and harlot-makers, of drunkards and drunkard makers, of thieves, liars, blasphemers and ungodly people of every kindred, tongue and nation.

Oh what a black sea it was! And oh, what multitudes of rich and poor, ignorant and educated were there. They were all so unalike in their outward circumstances and conditions, yet all alike in one thing- all sinners before God- all held by, and holding onto, some iniquity, fascinated by some idol, the slaves of some devilish lust, and ruled by the foul fiend from the bottomless pit!

"All alike in one thing?" No, all alike in two things- not only the same in their wickedness but, unless rescued, the same in their sinking, sinking... down, down, down... to the same terrible doom. That great sheltering rock represented Calvary, the place where Jesus had died for them. And the people on it were those who had been rescued. The way they used their energies, gifts and time represented the occupations and amusements of those who professed to be saved from sin and hell- followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. The handful of fierce, determined ones, who were risking their own lives in saving the perishing were true soldiers of the cross of Jesus. That Mighty Being who was calling to them from the midst of the angry waters was the Son of God, "the same yesterday, today and forever" who is still struggling and interceding to save the dying multitudes about us from this terrible doom of damnation, and whose voice can be heard above the music, machinery, and noise of life, calling on the rescued to come and help Him save the world.

My friends in Christ, you are rescued from the waters, you are on the rock, He is in the dark sea calling on you to come to Him and help Him. Will you go? Look for yourselves. The surging sea of life, crowded with perishing multitudes rolls up to the very spot on which you stand. Leaving the vision, I now come to speak of the fact- a fact that is as real as the Bible, as real as the Christ who hung upon the cross, as real as the judgment day will be, and as real as the heaven and hell that will follow it.

Look! Don’t be deceived by appearances- men and things are not what they seem. All who are not on the rock are in the sea! Look at them from the standpoint of the great White Throne, and what a sight you have! Jesus Christ, the Son of God is, through His Spirit, in the midst of this dying multitude, struggling to save them. And He is calling on you to jump into the sea- to go right away to His side and help Him in the holy strife. Will you jump? That is, will you go to His feet and place yourself absolutely at His disposal?

A young Christian once came to me, and told me that for some time she had been giving the Lord her profession and prayers and money, but now she wanted to give Him her life. She wanted to go right into the fight. In other words, she wanted to go to His assistance in the sea. As when a man from the shore, seeing another struggling in the water, takes off those outer garments that would hinder his efforts and leaps to the rescue, so will you who still linger on the bank, thinking and singing and praying about the poor perishing souls, lay aside your shame, your pride, your cares about other people’s opinions, your love of ease and all the selfish loves that have kept you back for so long, and rush to the rescue of this multitude of dying men and women.

Does the surging sea look dark and dangerous? Unquestionably it is so. There is no doubt that the leap for you, as for everyone who takes it, means difficulty and scorn and suffering. For you it may mean more than this. It may mean death. He who beckons you from the sea however, knows what it will mean - and knowing, He still calls to you and bids to you to come.

You must do it! You cannot hold back. You have enjoyed yourself in Christianity long enough. You have had pleasant feelings, pleasant songs, pleasant meetings, pleasant prospects. There has been much of human happiness, much clapping of hands and shouting of praises- very much of heaven on earth.

Now then, go to God and tell Him you are prepared as much as necessary to turn your back upon it all, and that you are willing to spend the rest of your days struggling in the midst of these perishing multitudes, whatever it may cost you.

You must do it. With the light that is now broken in upon your mind and the call that is now sounding in your ears, and the beckoning hands that are now before your eyes, you have no alternative. To go down among the perishing crowds is your duty. Your happiness from now on will consist in sharing their misery, your ease in sharing their pain, your crown in helping them to bear their cross, and your heaven in going into the very jaws of hell to rescue them.

Now what will you do?

Bible Study: Intro to Zechariah ch.1-7

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Have been awol for awhile now.  Been getting ready for a move to a new place and a lot of transition.  Looking for a new church meeting place for 2012 and ready to plant some roots this time.  Keep that in prayer.

As I have been building a great friendship with a dear brother, I heard the complaint, "I just don't know where to study in the Bible, it can be overwhelming."  I just decided that along with adding thoughts about ministry, family and church and stuff, I would add in the posts an opportunity to share findings in the Word of God together.  We are going to try to tear 7 chapters a day and see how that works for a few days.  I would welcome any comments to be shared so that we might help each other walk through the word.  For now we will open up with a breakdown of the book that we are studying and then we will take the study chapter by chapter.

We start then with the book of Zechariah in the Old Testament.  Why?  Because that is where I am studying!  I suggest you start with a Bible that has a great commentary to share the Biblical history and climate surrounding the culture of the writing.   I tooled around and found a pretty good site for this book that I feel comfy with and it is http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/zecintro.html   I am posting this site for a help to you if you don't have a good commentary/intro.  This site will give a basic understanding to the who, what, where, when and why of this message.  I will be the first to comment.  Remember if you want to share the thoughts you have don't just respond to your email, you need to join and make a comment as a reader/friend to the site. 

The main thing we can get hyped up for in this book is that the Israeli's are coming back after a 70 year exile... and God is calling them to do a work.  Many of us can relate.... time to get on point and do the Lord's work.  Hope this study engages you and helps the Living Word come alive!

Peace,

Stuart