Answered Prayer. First Kings 3-4; Acts 16

May the mumbling commence!

There’s nothing like answered prayer.  Sometimes, we feel like we wait forever and get no answer either way.  Sometimes, we feel like the answer is yes – sometimes no.  

And sometimes – sometimes we miss the Lord’s answer because we do not look for it in the right places.  Sometimes the Lord answers our prayers in a way that we do not expect.  Let’s carefully look at the exchange between Solomon and the Lord early on in Solomon’s reign as king of Israel.  Read from First Kings chapter three:

Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the instructions of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local altars.  The most important of these altars was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed one thousand burnt offerings.  That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!" 

Solomon replied, "You were wonderfully kind to my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued this great kindness to him today by giving him a son to succeed him.  O Lord my God, now you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his way around.  And here I am among your own chosen people, a nation so great they are too numerous to count!  Give me an understanding mind so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great nation of yours?" 

The Lord was pleased with Solomon's reply and was glad that he had asked for wisdom.  So God replied, "Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people and have not asked for a long life or riches for yourself or the death of your enemies – I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding mind such as no one else has ever had or ever will have!  And I will also give you what you did not ask for – riches and honor! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!  And if you follow me and obey my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life." 

Then Solomon woke up and realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem and stood before the Ark of the Lord's covenant, where he sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he invited all his officials to a great banquet. (Verses 3-15)

Solomon walked in the footsteps of his father David.  That’s great – mostly.  But, there is an exception.  Isn't there always an exception?  Solomon did not come into the presence of the Lord when he made sacrifices.  He went to Gibeon.

Still, God came to Solomon in a dream.  And the Lord gave Solomon a blank check.  Solomon could have anything that he wanted from God.  Youth often request immediate stuff – like riches, long life or the death of enemies.  And Solomon was young.  He knew it, so he asked for an understanding mind so that he could do his job as king of Israel. 

Solomon asked for wisdom.  And the Lord gave him wisdom immediately… along with riches and honor and long life.  Solomon immediately took advantage of his newfound wisdom and proceeded to return to Jerusalem to worship before the Ark of the Lord’s covenant.  No longer was he straying from the ways of his father David, a man after God’s heart.

Wise decisions take some tact and discernment.  Wisdom calls for a careful balance.  Paul had vehemently denied that Gentiles needed to obey the entire Law of Moses.  He insisted that all people are saved by faith in the grace of the Lord Jesus.  Yet, he did make some concessions.  Read from Acts chapter sixteen:

Paul and Silas went first to Derbe and then on to Lystra. There they met Timothy, a young disciple whose mother was a Jewish believer, but whose father was a Greek.  Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.  Then they went from town to town, explaining the decision regarding the commandments that were to be obeyed, as decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.  So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew daily in numbers. (Verses 1-5)  

Timothy’s father was a Greek.  Everyone knew it.  Paul wanted to remove a potential stumbling block for people by circumcising Timothy.  

Circumcision preceded the Law, but Paul also argued there was no value in circumcision.  Yet, Paul conceded to the Jews of the area the need for Timothy’s circumcision.  

All of these concessions to ensure that the Good News was preached to everyone!  What wisdom!  

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out 

Legacy. First Kings 1-2; Acts 15

May the mumbling commence!

What legacy will we leave our children?  It’s an important question.  Let’s look today at the final instructions that David gave to his son Solomon, who was ascending to the throne of Israel.  Read from First Kings chapter two:

As the time of King David's death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon:  "I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man.  Observe the requirements of the Lord your God and follow all his ways. Keep each of the laws, commands, regulations, and stipulations written in the law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.  If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me: 'If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.' 

And there is something else. You know that Joab son of Zeruiah murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with the blood of war.  Do with him what you think best, but don't let him die in peace. 

Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests of the king, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom. 

And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the Lord that I would not kill him.  But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him." (Verses 1-9)

How does David start?  Take courage.  Be a man.  These are words that all young people need to hear.  Take courage. Act with maturity and wisdom.  

But, how are we to do that?  David told Solomon and the answer is no different for us.  Observe all the ways of the Lord.  Then, success will come – not success as defined by the world, mind you, but success in relationship with the Kingdom of God.

What a great way to start!  But, then, it seems like mostly a downer from there on.  David talks about revenge for a couple of people in his life – Joab and Shimei.  Don’t let him die in peace… give to Joab what he has given others.  Arrange a bloody death for Shimei, for he cursed the Lord’s anointed.  

These are harsh words, indeed.  But, when we take into account that David was king with all the power associated with it, David did not seek immediate execution for these men shows something.  Many kings before and after David did not hesitate to kill those who they thought were standing in their way. 

David allowed these heated issues to cool down for a generation.  I wonder what our world would look like today if people did as much as David did for his rivals and enemies.  Likely, the world would be a better place.  

And David also asked Solomon to continue to honor the people that honored him in his life.  Basically, start with God’s guidance and decide relationships through that divine guidance.  The roots of wisdom!  

And let us be wary of passing along a burden to others that we could not carry ourselves.  Read from Acts chapter fifteen:

When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported on what God had been doing through their ministry.  But then some of the men who had been Pharisees before their conversion stood up and declared that all Gentile converts must be circumcised and be required to follow the law of Moses. 

So the apostles and church elders got together to decide this question.  At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.  God, who knows people's hearts, confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave him to us.  He made no distinction between us and them, for he also cleansed their hearts through faith.  Why are you now questioning God's way by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?  We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special favor of the Lord Jesus." (Verses 4-11)

The Law is fulfilled through Christ Jesus.  We need only to have faith in him and seek to follow him.  Indeed, we aren’t saved by the Law, we are saved through the special favor of Jesus.  

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

Offerings that Cost Us. Second Samuel 23-24; Acts 14

May the mumbling commence!

When we bring our offerings to the Lord it is important that they cost us something – whether the offerings are of money or talents or time.  If they don’t cost us anything, then we are not offering the worship and praise to the Lord that we are made to offer.  Read about David’s offering after his sin of ordering a census taken and after the plague that struck the people of Israel.  Read from Second Samuel chapter twenty-four:

That day Gad came to David and said to him, "Go and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." 

So David went to do what the Lord had commanded him.  When Araunah saw the king and his men coming toward him, he came forward and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.  "Why have you come, my lord?" Araunah asked.

And David replied, "I have come to buy your threshing floor and to build an altar to the Lord there, so that the Lord will stop the plague." 

"Take it, my lord, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. "Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing tools and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar.  I will give it all to you, and may the Lord your God accept your sacrifice." 

But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on buying it, for I cannot present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that have cost me nothing." So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen.  David built an altar there to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer, and the plague was stopped. (Verses 18-25)

Araunah offered David to give him everything that he would need for the altar building and the sacrifice.  David was doing what the Lord had called him to do.  God said nothing to David about him buying the threshing floor or the offerings. 

Yet, David knew that the altar and the offering would be greatly diminished if he did not give something of himself.  From his wealth, David bought the site and the offering and the materials to make the altar.  David knew that it was his sin that started this plague, so he was bound and determined that it cost him something to bring the plague to a halt.

And the Lord listened to the prayer of David.  The plague ended.  Praise God!

Ministry for the Lord often means investing and reinvesting with our own resources.  But, may we always remember that all that we have we owe to God.  Look at how Paul and Barnabas invested and reinvested in the people of Derbe, Iconium, Lystra and Antioch.  Read from Acts chapter fourteen:

After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned again to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.  Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust. (Verses 21-23)

They returned again.  They returned to strengthen the believers in these ancient cities.  They doled out strength through encouragement in faith against great odds and against great persecutions.  They appointed elders for the churches.  They poured themselves out in prayer and fasting.  They modeled how to turn worries and cares over to the Lord.  Talk about reinvestment!  May we be as careful with our spiritual investments!

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out 

Be the Change You Want to See in the World. Second Samuel 21-22; Acts 13

May the mumbling commence!

God is especially good to those who show the Lord faith and integrity.  Purity is essential to walking the path that we should.  Humility is another way to reflect our Lord Jesus.  These attitudes are the seeds sown for growing the blessedness that Jesus refers to in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) and the Sermon on the Plain (Luke).  We see this in David’s song of praise to the Lord after David was given rest from his enemies.  Read from Second Samuel chapter twenty-two:

"To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity. 

To the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the wicked you show yourself hostile. 

You rescue those who are humble,

but your eyes are on the proud to humiliate them. 

O Lord, you are my light;

yes, Lord, you light up my darkness. 

In your strength I can crush an army;

with my God I can scale any wall.” (Verses 26-30)

You see, it is not about the Lord being on my side.  It’s about me being on the Lord’s side.  To be faithful is to be on the Lord’s side.  To be pure is to be on the Lord’s side.  To be humble is to be on the Lord’s side.

When we do these things and have these attitudes of the heart, then the Lord will light up our darkest nights.  The Lord will grant us strength to conquer the mightiest enemy.  Yes, God will give us the strength to conquer even the person that we see in the mirror each morning.

May we be the change we want to see in the world.  May we seek the Lord’s side rather than claiming the Lord’s blessings on our own agendas.  Without these actions, all the Bible study in the world will not help us.  Read from Acts chapter thirteen:

"Brothers – you sons of Abraham, and also all of you devout Gentiles who fear the God of Israel – this salvation is for us!  The people in Jerusalem and their leaders fulfilled prophecy by condemning Jesus to death. They didn't recognize him or realize that he is the one the prophets had written about, though they hear the prophets' words read every Sabbath.  They found no just cause to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway. 

When they had fulfilled all the prophecies concerning his death, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.  But God raised him from the dead!  And he appeared over a period of many days to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem – these are his witnesses to the people of Israel.” (Verses 26-31)

O God, you raised Jesus from death.  Raise us up now into new life in Christ.  Help us to embrace the change you lay down before us.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Deep Compassionate Listening. Second Samuel 19-20; Acts 12

May the mumbling commence!

After spending the afternoon studying deep compassionate listening, the argument the people of Israel had at the return of David as king seems to be missing in feuding sides listening to one another.  Read from Second Samuel chapter nineteen:

But the men of Israel complained to the king that the men of Judah had gotten to do most of the work in helping him cross the Jordan. 

"Why not?" the men of Judah replied. "The king is one of our own tribe. Why should this make you angry? We have charged him nothing. And he hasn't fed us or even given us gifts!" 

"But there are ten tribes in Israel," the others replied. "So we have ten times as much right to the king as you do. Why did you treat us with such contempt? Remember, we were the first to speak of bringing him back to be our king again."

The argument continued back and forth, and the men of Judah were very harsh in their replies. (Verses 41-43)

He said.  Then, he said.  But no one was listening.  Compassionate complaining was what reigned.  I wonder how David responded.  The Scriptures do not tell us.

The men of Judah could not see the desire of the other tribes to honor King David.  The men of Judah had a selective memory that forgot that the other tribes called David back to be king first.

The men of Israel could not see the desire of close kin to welcome David back.  They could not see that the men of Judah did not get any recompense from David for their treatment of him.

Neither side was willing to look at what else needed to be done and to share in those activities.  Harshness ruled the day.  How sad!  And harshness rules our day as well.  When will we learn to listen to one another?  When will we seek to understand someone else rather than only demanding that we be understood?

It is the largest blemish on all of human history.  And when we try to correct it, we often over steer and get into worse trouble.  Read from Acts chapter twelve:

Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod's country for their food. They made friends with Blastus, Herod's personal assistant, and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.  The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, "It is the voice of a god, not of a man!" 

Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. (Verses 20-23)

When we seek peace with someone else, we still shouldn't lose sight of neither ourselves nor our enemy.  If we try to oversimplify and artificially sweeten the relationship, we will run the risk of poisoning the relationship even further.  The first thing to remember in any try for peace is keeping our relationship with God in the forefront… and remembering to give all glory unto God.

Let us seek to understand before being personally understood.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out 

Garden of Gethsemane, Mount of Olives... Second Samuel 14-18.

May the mumbling commence!

King David had his moment at the Mount of Olives – just like his descendant Jesus.  It was a low moment for both of them.  Read from Second Samuel chapter fifteen:

David walked up the road that led to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the mountain.  When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O Lord, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!" 

As they reached the spot at the top of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, David found Hushai the Arkite waiting for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning.  But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden.  Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice.  Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, are there. Tell them the plans that are being made to capture me, and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to find me and tell me what is going on."  So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived. (Verses 30-37)

David wept.  His head was covered and his feet were bare.  Those with him were also weeping and had their heads covered.  David was betrayed by some people who were close to him – by family even.  Jesus was to suffer the same fate many years later – after all he called his disciples his brothers and sisters and mother.

At the Mount of Olives, David was given a slim hope from Hushai – who was also deeply in mourning over the situation.  Hushai was to be David’s inside man in his son’s fledgling kingship.  Jesus, too found hope in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.  That hope was doing the will of the Father.  David too was resigned to the will of God even as he was being driven from his home.

And David wept for his enemies, just as Jesus did on the cross.  Read from Second Samuel chapter eighteen:

Then the man from Cush arrived and said, "I have good news for my lord the king. Today the Lord has rescued you from all those who rebelled against you." 

"What about young Absalom?" the king demanded. "Is he all right?"

And the Cushite replied, "May all of your enemies, both now and in the future, be as that young man is!" 

The king was overcome with emotion. He went up to his room over the gateway and burst into tears. And as he went, he cried, "O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I could have died instead of you! O Absalom, my son, my son." (Verses 31-33)

Let’s walk in the Way of Jesus, son of David, Son of God.  Let’s embrace our sorrows.  Let’s bend to the will of God.  Let’s care for our enemies as deeply as we care for ourselves.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Facing the Music. Second Samuel 12-13; Acts 11

May the mumbling commence!

Whether we confess our sins or not, there still will be some consequences.  Confession of sins does not totally wipe away consequences.  Ask King David.  He knows.  Look at the aftermath from his sin with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife.  Read from Second Samuel chapter twelve:

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.  The rich man owned many sheep and cattle.  The poor man owned nothing but a little lamb he had worked hard to buy. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.  One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing a lamb from his own flocks for food, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and served it to his guest." 

David was furious. "As surely as the Lord lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!  He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity." 

Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says, 'I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.  I gave you his house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more.  Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah and stolen his wife.  From this time on, the sword will be a constant threat to your family, because you have despised me by taking Uriah's wife to be your own. 

'Because of what you have done, I, the Lord, will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man, and he will go to bed with them in public view.  You did it secretly, but I will do this to you openly in the sight of all Israel.'" 

Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."

Nathan replied, "Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin.  But you have given the enemies of the Lord great opportunity to despise and blaspheme him, so your child will die." (Verses 1-14)

There is the confrontation.  David wanted the man of the parable to give restitution fourfold for the theft and the lack of pity.  He was adamant.

But, when he found out that he was the man because of what he had done with Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, he simply confessed to Nathan his sin against the Lord.  What happened to the restitution?  Uriah was dead, but surely there was someone in his family to confess to and pay restitution. 

And what about Bathsheba – how could David pay restitution to her?  Didn’t she have a say about what she wanted?  Did she really want to become David’s wife?  

It is no wonder that David’s family would be constantly harassed by the sword – even from within, especially from within.  Sin has a way of coming to the surface, even though we may try to hide it.

On the other side of the coin, there are also consequences for following the lead of the Lord.  Ask Peter about that as he visited Cornelius.  Read about the aftermath of that incident in Acts chapter eleven:

Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying.  The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry about their being Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon arrived at the home of the man who had sent for us.  He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, 'Send messengers to Joppa to find Simon Peter.  He will tell you how you and all your household will be saved!' 

Well, I began telling them the Good News, but just as I was getting started, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.  Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'  And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?" (Verses 11-17)

Indeed, we need to choose our battles… really the best choice is the Lord’s battle.  If we are to be called on the carpet as Peter was, it is best to be defending actions taken in following the lead of the Holy Spirit.  

Picking a battle against the Lord is a sure way to loss. 

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

Loyalty Matters. Second Samuel 10-11; Acts 10

May the mumbling commence!

Life is a journey.  It is a series of tests.  How can we remain loyal to what matters most?  From where do we get our identity?  These are important questions when our good faith relations with someone are rudely rejected.  Read a story of David from Second Samuel chapter ten:

Sometime after this, King Nahash of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king.  David said, "I am going to show complete loyalty to Hanun because his father, Nahash, was always completely loyal to me." So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father's death.

But when David's ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, Hanun's advisers said to their master, "Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so that they can come in and conquer it!"  So Hanun seized David's ambassadors and shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their robes at the buttocks, and sent them back to David in shame.  When David heard what had happened, he sent messengers to tell the men to stay at Jericho until their beards grew out, for they were very embarrassed by their appearance. (Verses 1-5)

Ambassadors of sympathy were rudely sent back in shame – beards maligned and clothes ruined.  And all of this happened on the advice of men that should have known better.  This action would cause a rift to form between David and the Ammonites.

Hindsight told King Nahash that his actions were wrong, so he feared retaliation.  Soon there was a buildup of armies that was threatening to the nation of Israel… and war began. 

Let’s pose that question to ourselves again.  How can I remain loyal to what matters most?  What does matter most… my relationships with other people… my reputation… the sovereignty of my nation?  No what matters most is my relationship to God. 

When I am right with God, then all other things will fall into their rightful places.  I get my identity from God, and so do you.  Indeed, so do we.  So let’s listen and obey God – even when it makes no sense to us from the standpoint of tradition.  Read some of Peter’s story from Acts chapter ten:

The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance.  He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.  In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.  Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them." 

"Never, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never in all my life eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws.” 

The voice spoke again, "If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't."  The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven. 

Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found the house and stood outside at the gate.  They asked if this was the place where Simon Peter was staying.  Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you.  Go down and go with them without hesitation. All is well, for I have sent them." 

So Peter went down and said, "I'm the man you are looking for. Why have you come?" 

They said, "We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout man who fears the God of Israel and is well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to send for you so you can go to his house and give him a message."  So Peter invited the men to be his guests for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some other believers from Joppa. 

They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for him and had called together his relatives and close friends to meet Peter.  As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell to the floor before him in worship.  But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a human being like you!"  So Cornelius got up, and they talked together and went inside where the others were assembled. 

Peter told them, "You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should never think of anyone as impure.”  (Verses 9-28)  

It is our attitudes and thoughts and words of actions that either make us pure or impure – not our nationality.  God still looks at our hearts.  May our hearts be pure in the Lord’s sight!  

May we follow the leading of the Lord without hesitation.  Then, we will know who we are and to whom we belong.  We are yours, O Lord.

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

Staying the Course. Second Samuel 8-9; Acts 9

May the mumbling commence!  

Once we have found the Way that Christ has laid before us, it is our job to stay the course – together.  We need one another.  If we try to stand alone, the chances of us wandering off course increase significantly.  

Let’s stay true to one another.  It’s a step toward walking the Way of Christ.  Read Second Samuel chapter nine, where David makes good on his promise to Jonathan and Saul.

One day David began wondering if anyone in Saul's family was still alive, for he had promised Jonathan that he would show kindness to them.  He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul's servants. "Are you Ziba?" the king asked.

"Yes sir, I am," Ziba replied. 

The king then asked him, "Is anyone still alive from Saul's family? If so, I want to show God's kindness to them in any way I can."

Ziba replied, "Yes, one of Jonathan's sons is still alive, but he is crippled." 

"Where is he?" the king asked.

"In Lo-debar," Ziba told him, "at the home of Makir son of Ammiel."  So David sent for him and brought him from Makir's home.  His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan's son and Saul's grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low in great fear and said, "I am your servant." 

But David said, "Don't be afraid! I've asked you to come so that I can be kind to you because of my vow to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the land that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you may live here with me at the palace!" 

Mephibosheth fell to the ground before the king. "Should the king show such kindness to a dead dog like me?" he exclaimed. 

Then the king summoned Saul's servant Ziba and said, "I have given your master's grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family.  You and your sons and servants are to farm the land for him to produce food for his family. But Mephibosheth will live here at the palace with me."

Ziba, who had fifteen sons and twenty servants, replied, “Yes, my lord; I will do all that you have commanded." And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly with David, as though he were one of his own sons.  Mephibosheth had a young son named Mica. And from then on, all the members of Ziba's household were Mephibosheth's servants.  And Mephibosheth, who was crippled in both feet, moved to Jerusalem to live at the palace.

Mephibosheth had a place at the king’s table because of the promise made to his father and grandfather.  What kindness!  And David expected nothing back in return.  In fact, there was little tangible evidence of any gain at all.  David was staying true to his word – even to men who had died.  May our vision be as clear!  Clear our vision of obstructions that we place there – just as the cleared the vision of Saul of Tarsus.  Read from Acts chapter nine:

Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath. He was eager to destroy the Lord's followers, so he went to the high priest.  He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them – both men and women – back to Jerusalem in chains. 

As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him!  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" 

"Who are you, sir?" Saul asked.

And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!  Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 

The men with Saul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone's voice, but they saw no one!  As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind.  So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days. And all that time he went without food and water. 

Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!"

"Yes, Lord!" he replied. 

The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you arrive, ask for Saul of Tarsus. He is praying to me right now.  I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him so that he can see again." 

"But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!  And we hear that he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest every believer in Damascus." 

But the Lord said, "Go and do what I say. For Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.  And I will show him how much he must suffer for me." 

So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may get your sight back and be filled with the Holy Spirit."  Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.  (Verses 1-18)

Regardless of what we may think, only Christ can help us to see clearly.  Help us, O Lord, to help one another.  

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out