Monday, March 29, 2010

Holy Week

For redeemed sinners, every good thing – indeed every bad thing that God turns for good – was obtained for us by the cross of Christ. Apart from the death of Christ, sinners get nothing but judgment. Apart from the cross of Christ, there is only condemnation. Therefore everything that you enjoy in Christ – as a Christian, as a person who trusts Christ – is owing to the death of Christ. And all your rejoicing in all things should therefore be a rejoicing in the cross where all your blessings were purchased for you at the cost of the death of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. [John Piper]

As we head into Holy Week, I would encourage you to really think about what we have been reading in the Old Testament and how that relates to the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ. Please share what you are learning....

Press on friends! He is alive!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Recap of Thursday's meeting

Wow- so much to talk about in Ruth and 1 Samuel!
We had a great meeting today. We spent time reflecting on the story of Ruth- her faithfulness and her great faith. We looked at her family tree and noted that she was the great-grandmother of David.
We also talked about other family "connections" such as Saul being David's father-in-law and the many wives that those men had! We are wondering if anyone knows when the practice of having "multiple wives" ended?
We spent a lot of time talking about prayer-specifically that it is how we stay in communion with God and that it is a live and active discipline. (John 15:5)
I brought a photo timeline that compared other world events happening during the time of the judges and the kings. (i.e., King Tut, Pharoah Ramesses II, the Trojan wars, ) It helped to get a visual picture of the dwellings, temples and statues of those times.

If you have fallen behind in your reading, jump back in ! Catch up by simply reading the overview of each day and then start up again with II Samuel.
Press on friends!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Laura's recap of Tuesday's meeting

Laura is going to post a recap under "comments" of today's great meeting!
Thanks Laura!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Share what you are learning..

The story of Eli and his sons in 1 Samuel 2 and 3 is really profound to me. Eli the priest was a godly man, yet he failed to discipline his sons. Ultimately, this led to judgement on his entire family and the death of his two sons. (2:25) While at times it's really painful to discipline our children, it is imperative that we instruct our kids in holiness and reverence of the Lord and the consequences of disobedience to His laws.

Please share what YOU are learning....

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Why annihilation?

A friend and I were discussing the bloodshed and annihilation that we find in Joshua. This is a great commentary from her Compassion Bible that might shed some light on it for us.

"Many Christians are deeply troubled by the role warfare and genocide play in the book of Joshua. some ascribe the author's perspective to a pre-Christian (and now sub-Christian) stage of moral development that we, in light of Jesus' teaching, are to renounce. But this is the story of how God, to whom the whole world belongs, at one stage in redemption history re-conquered a portion of the earth that the powers of this world had, in reliance on false gods, claimed for themselves. War is a terrible curse that the human race brings on itself as it seeks to possess the earth by its own unrighteous ways. But it pales before the curse that awaits those who don't heed God's testimony to himself, those who oppose his rule and reject his offer of grace. The God of the second Joshua - Jesus (the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua) - also is the God of the first. Though now for a time he reaches out to the whole world with the gospel, his sword of judgement waits in the wings - his second Joshua will wield it (Rev: 1911-16)"

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Answer to Trivia Question: Achan's sin

Several of you guessed correctly! Here's a little more detail for review:

Fresh on the heels of an astounding victory at Jericho, the young Israelite nation, under Joshua's leadership, focused on the next objective in their campaign to capture Canaan - the land promised by Jehovah. Ai, a small town, was next on the list. Upon their return, the men sent to spy out Ai advised Joshua to send only two or three thousand men against Ai "for the people of Ai are few" (Josh. 7:3). The men of Ai turned the battle into a rout, chasing the Israelites back to where they came from, striking down thirty-six men in the process, almost completely demoralizing Joshua and Israel.

Joshua could not understand why God would bring them over the Jordan only to be destroyed by the Amorites. He poured out his heart to the Lord about the matter. Then the Lord revealed the reason for this defeat. Achan had taken spoils from Jericho, which were forbidden of the Lord, and had hidden them among his stuff. This sin had to be corrected before God would permit Israel to continue her conquest of the promised land. Achan, his family, and his livestock were stoned and burned along with the rest his goods.

What a price to pay for one sin. After the matter was corrected, Israel, with the guidance and help of God, defeated Ai. (Read Joshua 7 and 8.) Achan's case illustrates the power of sin. His sin caused a whole nation to suffer.

Trivia question: Joshua

Out of a total of thirty-one battles, Joshua would lose only one. Can you name it?

What was the significance of this loss?

Friday, March 5, 2010

Grab your equipment!

I love the reminder in 2 Timothy 3:16 that "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

The words "all scripture" and "equipped" really jump out at me this week. I realize that the words in Joshua (even though they seem like a lot of time spent on just "setting up camp" are words that God spoke for our benefit. There is nothing added in there that God deemed not useful.

God has given us his Word to equip us for a purposeful and God-glorifying life!

Grab your equipment and let's go!