08-16-15 Journey Beyond Camp and VBS

Scripture:  Mark 8:14-20         

Diagnosis: Journey Beyond Camp and VBS
Symptoms:

·        A big emotional experience once or twice a year.

·        Feeling like you can hear God’s voice clearly at camp, but cannot hear Him the rest of the year.

·        During Camp or VBS you make a commitment to read your Bible more every year but "fall off the wagon" by the time school starts.

·        Making close friends with the people in your youth group during the summer months but returning to friendships where you are less challenged during the school year.

·        A desire to serve God that does not last.

·        Committing to love your neighbors better and then getting into a huge fight with your parents approximately 1.6 seconds after getting off the church bus.  

I was writing from a college campus this week where a student camp was going on. As I sat in the student union, I kept one eye on my laptop and one eye on the end of camp festivities. Girls were braiding each other’s hair. Fellow campers were signing each other’s camp shirts. I witnessed a couple of long and tearful goodbyes from camp couples who had clearly met and fallen hard for each other in the past week (sigh).

It brought back a flood of memories from my own camp experiences. (I heart church camp 4-ever!) I accepted Jesus as my Savior at camp when I was fifteen. I looked forward to camp all year long for every summer after that. After college I married a youth pastor, and we took students to camp eleven years in a row. I loved watching how God could work when we retreated from normal life.

But I often got mountaintop syndrome. It’s a common condition. It happens when we gorge ourselves on Jesus/the Bible/worship/Christian fellowship once or twice a year and then starve ourselves of those things during the fifty-one weeks between camp experiences. God seems so close to use during camp, but we just can’t seem to keep it that way. 

It’s not a new phenomenon. In fact Peter had a bit of a church camp moment in Luke 9:28–35. Jesus took Peter, James, and John on a mountain retreat. While they were there, Jesus was transfigured before their very eyes. (Oh and Moses and Elijah showed up from the dead to chat with Him.) Talk about a God encounter!

Peter didn’t want it to end, so he said, "Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah."

Peter was saying, "Let’s stay on this mountain, Jesus. I always want it to be this way." He even offered to pitch tents for Moses and Elijah. I doubt they would want to trade heaven for an all dude campout, but it was a nice thought.

We often feel like Peter after mountaintop experiences in our faith. We want to stay where Jesus is easy to see and God’s voice seems loud. We want to live where the heroes of our faith such as our youth pastors, our camp counselors, or our small group leaders are right there with us to keep us from falling short. We want to live in little tents where we are protected from the pressures that make being a Christian hard. But we cannot stay on the mountain.

Jesus didn’t take Peter up on his offer to pitch a tent. He and Peter walked back down the mountain that day because Jesus had work to do—kingdom work that could not be done from the safety of a mountain tent. 

Mark 8:1-20

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."

His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"

"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.

"Seven," they replied.

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it."  Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."

They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread."

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"

"Twelve," they replied.”

"And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"   They answered, "Seven."

Last Supper worship – to denial the next day

Passover / Last Supper / First Communion – went out singing in worship – went to a garden for prayer – Right after worship and prayer Peter is cutting someone’s ear off, Judas is betraying Jesus, Jesus is being arrested and all the disciples are scattering – the commitments made at camp didn’t last long, even a few hours later, Peter who was ready to die with Jesus was denying that he even knew him.

Words to leave Camp by

Proverbs 3:1-4
       My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity. 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

08-09-15 Journey to the Lake

Scripture:  John 4:5-14

INTRODUCITON: “By the Water" by Ellyn Sanna p 13 Summer

          At funerals I always tell a story about Nathan that leads into Psalm 23. He gave me a book 15 years age for my birthday (read intro) and the prayer titled “Summertime” says this (read p 13).  Summer time can be a great time by the Lake which I just had or it can be a time of excessive heat and drought which we also experience.

Drought in US          

Drought in Idaho      

 

Drought in Twin Falls      

 

WATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE

Survivor reality shows – show that the most essential element to have for survival is WATER but often difficult to find (uncontaminated):

TV: Survivor  *Survivor Man  * Dual Survival * Extreme Survival  * Ultimate Survival Alaska  *  The Best Defense: Survival! * Surviving Disaster * I Shouldn't Be Alive  *  Get Out Alive  *  Expedition Impossible   *  Naked and Afraid  *  Man vs. Wild *  Man, Woman, Wild  *  Out of the Wild – In each – water is the main element for survival – without water – we perish!

 

DEHYDRATION DESCRIBED

         As the body becomes increasingly deficient in water, certain symptoms follow in order. At the beginning of dehydration there is thirst and discomfort. Succeeding symptoms, are lassitude, loss of appetite, sleepiness, rise in body temperature and, at about 5 per cent dehydration, nausea. At from 6 to 10 per cent dehydration, the victim will experience dizziness, headache, tingling in the limbs, dry mouth, difficulty in speaking, and inability to walk. At more than 10 per cent dehydration, delirium is common, and the senses fail. Dehydration of 25 per cent is probably fatal at any temperature.

Contrary to those that try to paint a picture of a gentle process, death by dehydration is a cruel, inhumane and often agonizing death.

SCRIPTURE DESCIRPTION OF DROUGHT

Jeremiah 14:1-6

This is the word of the Lord to Jeremiah concerning the drought: "Judah mourns, her cities languish; they wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns but find no water. They return with their jars unfilled; dismayed and despairing, they cover their heads. 4 The ground is cracked because there is no rain in the land; the farmers are dismayed and cover their heads. 5 Even the doe in the field deserts her newborn fawn because there is no grass. 6 Wild donkeys stand on the barren heights and pant like jackals; their eyesight fails for lack of pasture." 

Why does a loving God allow drought?  Is drought God’s fault?

THE DROUGHT IS MY FAULT - BUT GOD BRINGS WATER

Jeremiah 17:4-8

Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever."  This is what the Lord says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.  He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Drought vs. Water is a theme throughout Jeremiah / Go back to Jeremiah 2:13

(Perfect description of throwing away the gift of God because we want control and believe we can do it better than God) "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

WORLD’S LACK OF DRINKING WATER

1.1 billion people has no access to any type of improved drinking source of water. As a direct consequence:

1.6 million people die every year from diarrhoeal diseases (including cholera) attributable to lack of access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation and 90% of these are children under 5, mostly in developing countries;

160 million people are infected with schistosomiasis causing tens of thousands of deaths yearly; 500 million people are at risk of trachoma from which 146 million are threatened by blindness and 6 million are visually impaired;

133 million suffering from high intensity intestinal infections; there are around 1.5 million cases of clinical hepatitis A every year.

Clean drinking water went from 77% per cent of the earth’s population in 1990 to 88.5% in 2015. This means that nearly 1 billion people gained access to improved water sources during this period.

An improvement but still a crisis. Water is essential to life just as Living Water is essential to eternal life.

 

Hindus & Buddists: 900,000,000 - stable in terms of global percentage

Of no religion: 1,100,000,000 - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Christians: 2,100,000,000 - tending to decline in terms of global percentage

Muslims: 1,500,000,000 - tending to increase in terms of global percentage 

Woman Jesus at the well

John 4:5-14

So Jesus came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.  Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.   When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"  8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)  The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." 11 "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?" 13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

This conversation was considered inappropriate by everyone except Jesus.

a)     The woman questioned why a Jew would ask her for a drink.

b)    The disciples marveled that Jesus spoke with her (v. 27).

c)     John even notes that the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 

Jesus will go wherever there is a need to offer sinners new life – the parched – Living Water! (Matthew 9:10-13 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”)

1.    Living water symbolizes eternal life.    (John 7:38-39)   “Whoever believes in me, as

Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”  By this he meant the Spirit.

God wants to give you a gift – NOT steal your fun and joy:  John 4:10

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Living water is a gift of God.

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9     For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.”   LIVING WATER IS A GIFT!

           The Amazon River is the largest river in the world. The mouth is 90 miles across. There is enough water to exceed the combined flow of the Yangtze, Mississippi, and Nile Rivers. So much water comes from the Amazon that they can detect its currents 200 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.

One irony of ancient navigation is that sailors died for lack of water--caught in windless waters of the South Atlantic. They were adrift, helpless, dying of thirst. Sometimes other ships from South America who knew the area would come alongside and call out, "What is your problem?"  And they would exclaim, "Can you spare us some water? Our sailors are dying of thirst!"  And from the other ship would come the cry, "just lower your buckets. You are in the mouth of the mighty Amazon River."

The irony of ancient Israel and the tragedy around us today is that God, the fountain of living water, is right here and parched thirsty people refuse to drink!

John 7:37-39

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 

Revelation 7:13-17

Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes — who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know."  And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water.

07-19-15 As far as it depends on you!

Scripture:   Romans 12:1-21 (18-20)

The Personnel Journal reported this incredible statistic: since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight percent of the time! In its study, the periodical discovered that of 3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years saw peace. Moreover, in excess of 8000 peace treaties were made--and broken. 

Romans 12:1-21

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

          3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

          9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

          14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

          17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."  21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

Romans 12:18-20

18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (The MSG Rom 12:18 If you've got it in you, get along with everybody.) 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 

My kid’s facebook response

Gretchen Ingle

Regardless of what you think about any issue, please stop saying you are unfriending/blocking everyone with a different opinion. Don't call others ignorant, judgemental, or sinful, and then turn around and act the same way towards them. How are things ever going to change if we can't engage in healthy dialogue? Let's seek to understand one another and educate ourselves instead of tearing one another down. Both sides are promoting love (by different definitions), but such actions exhibit hate.

Nathan Cooper

While there have certainly been people on both sides who have used divisive and hateful words in the name of love, the response I have seen on social media from the vast majority of you on both sides of this issue has been graceful. When we treat each other with grace and respect, regardless of where we fall on this (or any) issue, then love does indeed win.

 

VIDEO - HARMONY from Right Now Media

7 STEPS TO LIVING AT PEACE WITH (nearly) EVERYONE

1   BEYOND BITTERNESS       Hebrews 12:14-15

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

2   SEEK & PURSUE PEACE        Psalm 34:14

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

3   WORK AT PEACE        Romans 14:19-20

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

4   MAKE PEACE THE MASTER OF YOUR HEART        Colossians 3:15-16

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

5   MAKE PEACE EVEN WITH YOUR ENIMIES        Proverbs 16:7

When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

6   REWARD FOR PEACE        Proverbs 12:20

There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.

7   REAP WHAT YOU SOW        James 3:17-18

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

 

Greet one another (Rom. 16:16, 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Pet. 5:14)

Comfort one another (1 Thess. 4:18)

Forgive one another (Col. 3:13)

Build one another up (Rom. 15:2; 1 Thess. 5:11)

Serve one another (Gal. 5:13)

Bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2)

Encourage one another (Heb. 10:25)

Meet with one another (Heb. 10:25)

Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward one another (Eph. 4:32, Rom. 12:10)

Receive (welcome) one another as Christ received us (Rom. 15:7)

Care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25)

Minister one to another (1 Pet. 4:10)

Show hospitality to one another (1 Pet. 4:9)

Pray for one another (James 5:16)

Romans 12:18-20

18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (The MSG Rom 12:18 If you've got it in you, get along with everybody.) 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

07-12-15 http://

Scripture:  Luke 9:57-62

SING – accapella – I Have decided to follow Jesus!

I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back, No turning back

The world behind me, the Cross before me

No turning back, No turning back

Though none go with me still I will follow

No turning back, No turning back

          Will you decide now, to follow Jesus?

No turning back, No turning back

The song of my decision – I have not looked back – not for a moment.

 THREE PEOPLE WHO TURNED BACK

Luke 9:57-62

            As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." (Matt 7:21-22 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”) Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." (today you would say let me text, email, Instagram-a-selfie) Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow (http://) and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

EXAMPLES: The Rich Ruler

Mark 10:17-31

            As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good — except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" "Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack, go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

28 Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" 29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Lot’s wife looked back

Genesis 19:15-26 MSG

              At break of day, the angels pushed Lot to get going, "Hurry. Get your wife and two daughters out of here before it's too late and you're caught in the punishment of the city." Lot was dragging his feet. The men grabbed Lot's arm, and the arms of his wife and daughters — God was so merciful to them! — and dragged them to safety outside the city. When they had them outside, Lot was told, "Now run for your life! Don't look back! Don't stop anywhere on the plain — run for the hills or you'll be swept away."

18 But Lot protested, "No, masters, you can't mean it! I know that you've taken a liking to me and have done me an immense favor in saving my life, but I can't run for the mountains — who knows what terrible thing might happen to me in the mountains and leave me for dead. Look over there — that town is close enough to get to. It's a small town, hardly anything to it. Let me escape there and save my life — it's a mere wide place in the road." He said to him, "All right. If you insist. I'll let you have your way. And I won't stamp out the town you've spotted. 22 But hurry up. Run for it! I can't do anything until you get there." That's why the town was called Zoar, that is, Smalltown.

23 The sun was high in the sky when Lot arrived at Zoar. Then God rained brimstone and fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah — a river of lava from God out of the sky! —   and destroyed these cities and the entire plain and everyone who lived in the cities and everything that grew from the ground. 26 But Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.  What did Lot’s wife do? She looked back! She took her hand off the plow!

Lot’s Wife & Others

Luke 17:20-34

         Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." 22 Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

26 "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

28 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot's wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

 

Annanias and Sapphira turned back

Mark turned back

Judas turned back to the Romans

 

Joshua decided HTTP

Saul of Tarsus decided HTTP

Ethipoian Enuch decided HTTP

Adoniram Judson decided / left for life – no turning back. HTTP

07-05-15 Scarlet Cord of Redemption

Joshua 2:1-20
           Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. "Go, look over the land," he said, "especially Jericho." So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

          The king of Jericho was told, "Look! Some of the Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: "Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land."

          4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from. At dusk, when it was time to close the city gate, the men left. I don't know which way they went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them." (But she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the stalks of flax she had laid out on the roof.) So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut.

          8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, "I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.   When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death."

          14 "Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land."

          15 So she let them down by a rope through the window, for the house she lived in was part of the city wall. Now she had said to them, "Go to the hills so the pursuers will not find you. Hide yourselves there three days until they return, and then go on your way."

          17 The men said to her, "This oath you made us swear will not be binding on us unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house. If anyone goes outside your house into the street, his blood will be on his own head; we will not be responsible. As for anyone who is in the house with you, his blood will be on our head if a hand is laid on him. But if you tell what we are doing, we will be released from the oath you made us swear."

Rahab in the Old Testament

        The Biblical text identifies her as a zônāh, a prostitute (Joshua 2:1), The first-century historian Josephus reports that she kept an inn. The consonants that comprise the word “prostitute” in Hebrew are znh, which are the same consonants that comprise the Hebrew word for a female who gives food and provisions.

Zonah is used in Josh 6:1 but in verses 17, 22, 25 the word is hazzownah which more directly refers to a harlot or the term we are most familiar with = prostitute. That title was not looked at with as much distain then as it is today and was sometimes associated with Caananite & Baal temple worship.  Hazownaah - Strongs #2181  zanah (zaw-naw') = a primitive root; to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication)

Rahab in the New Testament

Hebrews 11:30-31
       By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.  31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 

James 2:25-26

       In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
       Hebrews & James use the same Greek word translated prostitute: pornh = A prostitute; a harlot; a woman who sells her body for sexual uses. 

Rahab is saved

Josh 6:20-25
       When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. 21 They devoted the city to the Lord and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it — men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys.

          22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." 23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel. end of vs 25 and she lives among the Israelites to this day.

The genealogy in Matthew’s gospel. Jewish genealogies usually only included the names of men. Surprise- we find four women included in Christ’s genealogy. These aren’t just any women, either. The first woman is Tamar, who disguised herself as a prostitute and bore twin sons by her father-in-law Judah. The second is Rahab [Salmon (one of the spies?) of the tribe of Judah. His father Nahshon was the leader of that tribe during the early wilderness wanderings (Num. 1:7; 2:3). Judah was the leading tribe (Num. 10:14) and Salmon would have taken his father’s leadership spot. Salmon was of the princely line in Judah, the royal tribe of Israel and became the husband of Rahab Matthew. 1:5]. Next is Rahab’s daughter-in-law, Ruth, a Moabitess, descended from a line marred by incest. Then we find Uriah’s wife, Bathseheba, with whom King David had an adulterous affair. Jesus came to save sinners. That foreigners such as Ruth and Rahab are included shows that God’s grace extended beyond Israel to all people.

          Do you see the Scarlet Cord of Redemption?

Exodus 12:7

       Take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses.  Exodus 12:12-13   "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn — both men and animals — and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

Hebrews 9:19-22

       When Moses had proclaimed every commandment of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. 20 He said, "This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep."   21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. 22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Matthew 1:5-6

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.

The Blood of Jesus

John 6:53-57
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.