Scripture Nugget 5.16.2016

“O Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good: for his steadfast loves endures forever. Say also: ‘Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and rescue us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise. Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.’ Then all the people said ‘Amen!’ and praised the LORD.” 1 Chronicles 16:34-36

Yesterday, we celebrated Pentecost, we remembered the baptism of the Church of Jesus Christ which was born out of the Resurrection of Easter morning. The portion of the psalm above, written by King David is most appropriate for us (believers/followers of Christ) who have in the past few months: 1) journeyed through Lent looking deeply within themselves to discover, admit, confess, ask forgiveness and turn from all we found that separates us from the fullness of the potential of the possibilities available in life with Christ; 2) remembered the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior who was arrested, abused, beaten, suffered the humility of crucifixion and death on the cross, who was sealed in a tomb; 3) celebrated the resurrection of Christ who was not defeated by earthly death, who released the captives and ushered them into eternal life with the Father; 4) remembered the appearances Christ made in his resurrection body then ascended to the father telling his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit; 5) we learned to pray while we wait, to ask for that which God promises and be expectant of the answer; and 6) we see the result – the promised baptism of the Spirit of God upon His church that empowers us as individuals and as the church to go and make disciples; to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, welcome the stranger, care for the sick and the dyeing, visit the prisoner; to gather together in fellowship, to pray, break bread, sing and worship together, to go here, there and everywhere in the name of Jesus Christ exhorting all to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that sins may be forgiven and the gift of the Holy Spirit may be received. It’s the day after Pentecost, am I in the streets? Or still in the Upper Room? Go – share the gift of grace with others, tell the story of Jesus in your life. Simply – before I met Jesus I was __; then I met Jesus; now I am _____. Go, make a difference in someone else’s life today!

Scripture Nugget 5.15.2016

“David said to the whole assembly of Israel, ‘If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send abroad to our kindred who remain in all the land of Israel, including the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasture lands, that they may come together to us. The let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we did not turn to it in the days of Saul.’ The whole assembly agreed to do so, for the thing pleased all the people. … They carried the ark of God on a new cart, from the house of Abinadab, and Uzzah and Ahio were driving the cart. David and all Israel were dancing before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets. When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen shook it. The anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; he struck him down because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God. David was angry because the LORD had burst out against Uzzah; so that place is called Perezuzzah to this day. David was afraid of God that day; he said, ‘How can I bring the ark of God in to my care?’ So David did not take the ark into his care into the city of David; he took it instead to the house of Obededom the Gittite. The ark of God remained with the household of Obededom in his house three months, and the LORD blessed the household of Obededom and all that he had.”1 Chronicles 13:2-4, 7-14

David consulted the assembly for their approval and buy in but was careful to move the ark only if it was God’s will to do so. They began to move the ark with great thanksgiving, however they did so improperly – loaded in a cart, not carried on poles of the shoulders of men. Then Uzzah, in an innocent act, reached out to keep the ark from sliding out of the cart. God struck him down – “the anger of the LORD as kindled against Uzzah”. I think Uzzah took one for the team that day. While God surely was pleased by the outpouring of thanksgiving and praise, God made a point that one doesn’t carelessly nor improperly transport the ark which contained the tablets, the covenant between God and man. Symbolically – we are not to live carelessly or improperly within the boundaries of the covenant. David didn’t need to be afraid of God, he needed priests to remind him of the entirety of God’s instructions, so that he would follow them completely. Blessings abound in God’s presence, it is my desire to be in God’s presence – in the righteousness of God, to be in God’s presence I must be holy and pure, righteous – that can only be when I am completely within the boundaries of God’s truth, God’s desires, God’s law.

Scripture Nugget 5.14.2016

“Ner became the father of Kish, Kish of Saul, Saul of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal; and the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal became the father of Micah. … So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the LORD in that he did not keep the command LORD; moreover, he had consulted a medium, seeking guidance, and did not seek guidance from the LORD. Therefore the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.” 1 Chronicles 8:33-34, 10:13-14

Sin against God, often starts with something small then leads to bigger and bigger actions; don’t be fooled, all of those decisions to act contrary to God’s will, God’s plan, God’s desires are serious sins and all separate us from God. Saul names one son after the god Baal setting an example that Jonathan followed. Given what we know about Saul he was probably attempting to cover all his bases instead of having faith in the LORD God alone. Jonathon learned from him. Ultimately it led to not only Saul’s death but all his son’s death at the hands of the Philistines. No way possible for Saul’s dynasty to continue, for God snatched it away. Saul’s unfaithfulness and will disobedience in little things lead to the same in larger things. God’s judgement of Saul and his sons makes way for David to become king. Will all fathers learn this lesson? Will all leaders of people ever learn this lesson? Will all leaders in the Body of Christ learn this lesson? All of us push the limits of boundaries set by God’s truth is some form or fashion. Comfortably inside those established permanent boundaries is the ability to live a life of righteousness before God. Outside the boundaries established by God’s truth leads to unfaithfulness, willful disobedience and ultimately death. There is no protection. I pray I always remember this and live within God’s truth, not my version of the truth; that I recognize when I push the limits, then ask forgiveness and return safely within the freedom found inside God’s established truth. Please let that be so for me and for all!

Scripture Nugget 5.13.2016

“But Aaron and his sons made offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, doing all the work of the most holy place, to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.” 1 Chronicles 6:49

The people bring their sacrifices to the priest. Those sacrifices were “the first and the best” of that which the people had to offer. The priest then performed the ritual of burnt offering which could be translated “cooked meat”. The priests make atonement by cooking meat on this most holy place, giving thanks to God. Do we realize what happened with this cooked meat? It is given to the people who gather together to receive the meal from the priest. The offering/sacrifice given to God in thankfulness is returned to the people in the form of a community meal. These sacrifices made atonement or covered over the sins of the people. Jesus, our High Priest, offers one final sacrifice, “the First and the Best” once and for all. His sacrifice offers forgiveness, a complete wiping out of sin not just a covering over. He invites all who are need of grace, are in need of forgiveness of sins to his table to receive the body and blood of the sacrifice. Oh Give Thanks to the Lord! God is a giving God, a God of blessing. All any of us has comes from God. God asks that we return a tithe, the first and best ten-percent to Him with thanksgiving, then God gives it back so that we may receive forgiveness of sins. That’s good news! O that I/we always, in every moment, in every instance realize the blessings of God, return the first and best of those blessings to Him in faith, knowing we are invited to receive those blessings again as spiritual nourishment – the forgiveness of sins – sins erased, wiped out, we are made holy and pure and able to be in the presence of God Almighty! O give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever!

Scripture Nugget 5.12.2016

“But they transgressed against the God of their ancestors, and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of King Pul of Assyria, the spirit of King Tilgathpilneser of Assyria, and he carried them away, namely the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manaseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.” 1 Chronicles 5:25-26

Years before these two and half tribes stopped short, they entered the Promise Land only to help the other eight and half tribes to settle in the land that God had given to all of them. After helping, they backed up, retreated to the east crossed back over the Jordan River, thus separating themselves from the rest of Israel. Eventually, progressively they began to worship the gods of the peoples around them; they were carried away. As Dr Tuttle likes to say, “singled out, you get picked off.” O God that I would not stop short of your promise, and that I would enter in, go where you send me, regardless of how “good” the present place looks. I want the faith to go all the way.

Scripture Nugget 5.11.2016

“Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. … Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reau; Serug, Nahor, Terah; Abram, that is Abraham. The sons of Abraham: Isaac and Ishmael. … Abraham became the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel. … These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Isachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. … Nashon became the father of Salma, Salma of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, Obed of Jesse. Jesse became the father of … David the seventh; … 1 Chronicles 1:1, 24-28, 34, 2:1-2, 11-13a, 15b The genealogy of humankind, the family of God, pre and post-flood up to David. A list of names, but more than a list of names. In each name is a story of God’s desired purpose for creation, those who did well and those who went astray. Still a spiritual blood line continues so as to fulfill God’s desires.

                       Wesleyan Life Application Topic – Family

God’s purposefulness guides the generations. For the Chronicler, Adam was no one’s son but an act of God. The fact that there is a subsequent trail of anguish, aging, and death reveals the problem with human existence. God then labored for generations, through Abraham, Israel, David, and Solomon; eventually Jesus reveals God’s relentless grace to set things right. Family chronicles also trace our roots and shoots, our tribes and our allegiance. We research them and hang them in our living room. But do we see the purposefulness of God that ties parent to child over the centuries? Our surname is precious. Our given name is more precious still. (Wesley Study Bible, pg 493)

Scripture Nugget 5.10.2016

“…no one remained, except the poorest of the land. … But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest people of the land to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil.” … In the thirty seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, King Evilmerodach of Babylon in the year that he began to reign, released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison; he spoke kindly to him; he gave him a seat above the other seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes. Every day of his life he dined regularly in the king’s presence. For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion every day, as long as he lived.” 2 Kings 24:14f, 25:12, 27-30

The remnant of the people left in Jerusalem are the poorest of the poorest, yet they are given great task and purpose, to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” (Gen 2:15) A remnant survives, the poorest of the poorest; they are given a holy task, the same task as Adam was given in the garden. These who care for the vines and till the soil have no idea that years later a future king will receive mercy from an enemy. They have no way of seeing the glimmer of hope the providence of God will provide. God’s grace is always present. Regardless of circumstance will I/you live out and into the hope of the promises of God? Will we have faith in that we cannot see or even imagine? Or will we drown in self-pity? Many, many generations after King Jehoiachin is released from prison another future King of Israel will return with his parents from exile in Egypt. He will as a young man return from 40 days and nights in the desert to lead His people. A ray of hope shines bright in the future, even if it appears as only a small sliver of a flickering candle. To God be the glory of the great things He has done, is doing and will do! O that I be the best keeper of the vines and tiller of soil He gives me to take care of.

Scripture Nugget 5.10.2016

“…no one remained, except the poorest of the land. … But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest people of the land to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil.” … In the thirty seventh year of the exile of King Jehoiachin of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, King Evilmerodach of Babylon in the year that he began to reign, released King Jehoiachin of Judah from prison; he spoke kindly to him; he gave him a seat above the other seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes. Every day of his life he dined regularly in the king’s presence. For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, a portion every day, as long as he lived.” 2 Kings 24:14f, 25:12, 27-30

The remnant of the people left in Jerusalem are the poorest of the poorest, yet they are given great task and purpose, to be vinedressers and tillers of the soil. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” (Gen 2:15) A remnant survives, the poorest of the poorest; they are given a holy task, the same task as Adam was given in the garden. These who care for the vines and till the soil have no idea that years later a future king will receive mercy from an enemy. They have no way of seeing the glimmer of hope the providence of God will provide. God’s grace is always present. Regardless of circumstance will I/you live out and into the hope of the promises of God? Will we have faith in that we cannot see or even imagine? Or will we drown in self-pity? Many, many generations after King Jehoiachin is released from prison another future King of Israel will return with his parents from exile in Egypt. He will as a young man return from 40 days and nights in the desert to lead His people. A ray of hope shines bright in the future, even if it appears as only a small sliver of a flickering candle. To God be the glory of the great things He has done, is doing and will do! O that I be the best keeper of the vines and tiller of soil He gives me to take care of.

Scripture Nugget 5.9.2016

“Then the king directed that all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem should be gathered to him. The king went up to the house of the LORD, and with him went all the people of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the LORD. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statues, with all his heart and all his soul to perform the words of this covenant the were written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant.” 2 Kings 23:1-4

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, he reigned thirty-one years, he did what was right in the site of the LORD, walked in the ways of King David and did not turn aside to the right or the left. (2 Kings 22:1-2) Note Josiah made a covenant before the LORD and all the people joined in the covenant. The covenant Josiah made was an agreement with words of the book of the covenant; a covenant authored by God. Josiah didn’t write a new one then agree to keep it. He read God’s covenant then agreed to follow God, to keep God’s commands, God’s decrees, God’s statutes – with all his heart and soul and to do what was written in the book by God. He did not rewrite rules to suit himself or the people, he did not attempt to validate ongoing sin or change the laws of God. O that the people of earth, who are all the people of God whether they realize it or not, would look to the original covenant, and keep that covenant instead of attempting to make up their own rules! O God I am thine, that I will always follow you is my desire.

Scripture 5.8.2016

“Then the prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah, and said to him, ‘What did these men say? From where did they come to you? Hezekiah answered, ‘They have come from a far country, from Babylon.’ He said, ‘What have they seen in your house?’ Hezekiah answered, ‘They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.’ The Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD: Days are coming when all that is in your house, and that which your ancestors have stored up until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left, says the LORD. Some of your own sons who are born to you shall be taken away; they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’ Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?’” 2 Kings 20:14-19

Though Hezekiah was the first king to do what was right in the sight of God, just as David had done, he removed the places of idol worship, he worshiped God and trusted in the LORD. Yet in his old age he didn’t guard his the treasure entrusted to him: That treasure being his own life, the lives of his family and the security of the kingdom, the lives of the people of the kingdom. He gave enemies a tour of his entire house, the temple and palace, he showed them the ways in and the ways out and all that was contained inside. He is more concerned with his own legacy and comfort in his last days than the future the kingdom. He allows his enemies to get close, real close, inside the perimeter of the secure places. O that I/we will always keep the shield of God between me/us and our enemies to protect us from false securities. That I/we not invite our enemy in and give him a tour of my/our vulnerabilities, weaknesses the keys to our strongholds. O God, protect me/us from my/our-selves.