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A Present and Future Kingdom - Psalm 145:11-13

"They will speak of the glory of Your kingdom and will declare Your might, informing all people of Your mighty acts and of the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; Your rule is for all generations" (Psalm 145:11-13,HCSB).

The creative and redemptive activity of God in His universe is so inexplicable that we have to rely on figures of speech to communicate it. One of the figures of speech used to describe the reality of God’s rule and reign over the universe is to describe it as a "kingdom."

Powerless! - Mark 12:24-25

"Jesus replied, Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven" (Mark 12:24-25, NLT).

The Sadducees based their views on the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, and they were fond of debating about Jewish religious teachings. They didn't believe in the resurrection from the dead and so they asked Jesus a question about resurrection and framed it as a question about marriage.

The Steve Show - Luke 9:23-24

"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it" (Luke 9:23-24, NASB).

I've got a show going on.

I call it The Steve Show.

As you might imagine, I'm the star of The Steve Show. I produce and direct my own show. And, I follow the script that I wrote for my show.

The Steve Show. It's all about me!

When Faith Doesn't Heal - Mark 10:52

"'Go your way,' Jesus told him. 'Your faith has healed you.' Immediately he could see and began to follow Him on the road" (Mark 10:52,HCSB).

This verse is the conclusion to the familiar story of blind Bartimaeus. Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem accompanied by a large entourage of people. He had just left Jericho when He passed by Bartimaeus, a blind beggar sitting by the road.

When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by, he began to cry out: "Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!"

When To Take Matters Into Your Own Hands - Leviticus 24:12

"They kept the man in custody until the Lord’s will in the matter should become clear to them." (Leviticus 24:12, NLT).

During their wilderness wandering, the Israelites took a man into custody who had an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father. He had been in a fight with an Israelite man and during the fight, the man with the Egyptian father blasphemed God.

When this happened, the Israelites took him into custody and brought him to Moses for judgment. While

Moses was waiting to hear from the Lord about the matter, they held him in custody without harming him, not taking matters into their own hands.

Because the man who committed the blasphemy had an Egyptian father, possibly as the result of a sexual assault or intermarriage or some other nefarious act, the Israelites had reason to be prejudiced against him.

And, blasphemy was a particularly egregious crime, a capital offense.

But they waited for God's judgment on the man.

The Israelites exercised restraint and demonstrated trust in God's will. They waited on God instead of inciting mob rule.

Oh, that as God's people we would learn this important lesson both individually and collectively: to exercise restraint and wait for God's will to be clear to us before we take matters into our own hands.

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2, NLT)

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Irreverent Faith - Mark 10:46-52

"And Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him.' And they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.' And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus" (Mark 10:49-50, ESV).

Have you ever heard the saying, "It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease!" This story from the gospel of Mark is a case in point for that saying.

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large entourage, blind Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was approaching, he cried out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Mark 10:47).

Harmony's Blessing - Psalm 133

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! It is like fine oil on the head, running down on the beard, running down Aaron’s beard onto his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord has appointed the blessing—life forevermore" (Psalm 133, HCSB).

While it may be the gathering of God's people at Jerusalem during one of the annual festivals that inspired the Psalmist to write this brief reflection, he assures us that God's blessing abounds wherever brotherly love among God's people abounds.

The Unbelieving Believer - Mark 9:14-29

"And he answered them, 'O faithless generations, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?" (Mark 9:20, ESV)

The story of Jesus healing a boy with an unclean spirit demonstrates the dilemma many Christians face when trying to live out their faith--being an unbelieving believer.

Bad Weather Farmers - Psalm 126:5-6

"Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest" (Psalm 126:5-6, NLT).

Do you sometimes seem to be doing everything right and everything goes wrong?

You are faithful to God, planting seed for His Kingdom by serving and obeying Him in every way. Then, in the middle of your faithfulness and obedience, first one problem or tragedy strikes, then another, and then another.

More - Leviticus 19:23-25

"When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you are to consider the fruit forbidden. It will be forbidden to you for three years; it is not to be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the Lord. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way its yield will increase for you; I am Yahweh your God" (Leviticus 19:23-25, HCSB).

The prohibition from eating the fruit of a newly planted fruit tree may have had to do with the fact that the fruit of a young tree was not well formed and did not taste good in the early stages of its life.

Since the firstfruits belonged to God (see Numbers 18:12-17), the fruit of the fourth year was consecrated to God as a praise offering to indicate that the Israelites recognized that God was the One who gave them the good things the earth produced and blessed them with increased production.

Life Blood - Leviticus 17:10-11

"And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people, for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible."

 These verses explain the theology of substitutionary atonement.

Israel was forbidden to consume blood because blood was symbolic of the life given by God and was reserved as God’s portion of each animal sacrifice.

God had also designated the sacrificial blood as the means of atonement. In other words, God’s grace permitted the life of the animal to be a substitute in exchange for the life of the human sinner.

The sacrifice of Christ on the cross follows this same pattern for substitutionary atonement as described in Leviticus with the exception that Christ's sacrifice, because He was God Incarnate, was once and for all while the sacrifice of bulls and goats had to be made repeatedly.

The Terrified Disciple - Mark 6:49-52

"When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, 'Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.' Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. They were completely astounded, because they had not understood about the loaves. Instead, their hearts were hardened." (Mark 6:49-52, HCSB).

Have you ever read a familiar passage in the Bible and found something new in it? That's what happened to me as I read again this familiar story of Jesus walking on the water.

Admittedly, Mark's version of this story does not include an important element described in Matthew's account (Matthew 14:22-33). In Matthew's version, Peter gets out of the boat and begins to walk on the water toward Jesus until he notices the wind and the waves, and consequently, begins to sink. So Peter's faith (or lack of it) is usually the focus of this story for us.

The Baddest Man In the World - Mark 5:1-20

"And Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, 'Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.' So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea...As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him.And he did not permit him but said to him, 'Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.' And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled" (Mark 5:9-13, 18-20, ESV).

As Jesus was preaching on the east side of the sea of Galilee, He encountered a man possessed or controlled by evil spirits or demons.

This man lived alone in a cemetery and he was so bad that the people living in the region had tried to bind him with shackles and chains but he was always able to break the chains apart.

God Uses Rejects - Psalm 118:22-23

"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord; it is wonderful in our eyes" (Psalm 118:22-23, HCSB).

I am a member of a men's Sunday School class attended by several business and professional men in the community.

I know what you are thinking. You guys just sit around and talk about sports, politics, and business and not much time is spent discussing the Sunday School lesson.

The Good Thing About Death - Psalm 116:15

"The death of His faithful ones is valuable in the Lord's sight" (Psalm 116:15, HCSB).

While Easter is the time we celebrate the Lord's resurrection, we are also reminded that just as Jesus died and was resurrected, the only way human beings enter into eternal life is through the death of the physical body.

The Apostle Paul said, "What you sow does not come to life unless it dies" (I Corinthians 15:36).

Now, maybe it sounds morbid to say that death is the way to eternal life, but the fact is, you have to die to live eternally. As human beings, we strive for eternal life and death and resurrection are the means through which we enter into eternal life.

It's Personal - Matthew 28:18-20

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV).

In these verses that are known as the Great Commission, Jesus articulates to His disciples their mission just prior to His ascension into heaven.

Jesus simply tasks them with the job of making more disciples. And, to accomplish this task, He said He would be right there with them (and us) to help make more disciples.

The Unproductive Disciple - Mark 4:16-19

"The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced" (Mark 4:16-19, NLT).

This well-known parable of Jesus has been taught and preached many times over and most of us know its lessons well.

According to Jesus, when the message of the coming of the Kingdom of God is told, there are four categories of people who hear the message.

I've Got a Secret - Mark 4:10-11

"When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables. He answered them, 'The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables" (Mark 4:10-11. HCSB).

Jesus made this statement to the twelve apostles after telling the all-familiar parable of the sower.

Now, a secret is usually some knowledge or information that one keeps hidden from others. But sometimes a secret is knowledge or information that is unknown to others but should be revealed.

The Discerning Christian - Leviticus 10:10

"You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean" (Leviticus 10:10, NLT).

Moses gave these instructions to Aaron's sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, on the occasion of the fiery death of their two older brothers, Nadab and Abihu.

As Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu served as priests in the Tabernacle. As priests they were tasked with keeping a fire burning constantly on the bronze altar of the Tabernacle and supplying coals from the altar for burning incense in the Tabernacle.

Perhaps careless from drinking wine, Nadab and Abihu took coals from another source. This violation of God’s instructions resulted in God's judgment on them and their subsequent deaths.

Complete Transformation - Mark 2:21-22

"Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins." (Mark 2:21-22, NLT).

Jesus made these analogies in response to questioning from indignant Pharisees as to why Jesus's disciples didn't fast like the disciples of John the Baptist (vs. 18).

Jesus responded that the guests at a wedding celebrate with the groom; they don't fast with the groom (vs. 19).

Jesus was saying that the customs and traditions of the old covenant are incompatible with the arrival of God’s Kingdom.

You've Got to Go Through It - Psalm 107:6-9

"Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He rescued them from their distress. He led them by the right path to go to a city where they could live. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for all humanity. For He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things" (Psalm 107:6-9, HCSB).

Psalm 107 contains a powerful message of God's lovingkindness and deliverance.

The fundamental message of the Psalm is that when people encounter adversity, if they cry out to God for help, He will rescue them from their troubles.

You've heard this message before, many times, but the Psalmist's proclamation of God's faithful love, His covenant loyalty, His chesed, in this Psalm is so powerful that it warrants further consideration.

American Idols - Psalm 106:20-21

"They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull. They forgot God, their savior, who had done such great things in Egypt" (Psalm 106:20-21, NLT).

This Psalm recounts the sin and rebellion of Israel during the exodus from Egypt.

The Israelites committed a major act of idolatry while Moses was on the mountain receiving God's law for His chosen people.

What happened to the Israelites in Egypt can happen to Christians today. It's just that we describe it using different terminology rather than the term "idolatry."

Guess How Much I Love You - Psalm 103:10-12, 17-18

"He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offenses. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us...But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward the grandchildren of those who keep His covenant, who remember to observe His precepts" (Psalm 103:10-12, 17-18, HCSB).

In a popular children's bedtime story by Sam McBratney, father and son rabbits use ever-greater exaggerated measures to quantify how much they love each other until the baby rabbit falls asleep.

"I love you right up to the moon--and back," the father rabbit whispers as the baby rabbit dozes off.

This Psalm uses the same sort of superlatives to quantify how much our Heavenly Father loves us.

Examine Yourself - Leviticus 6:18, 7:21

"Anything that touches the offerings will become holy...If someone touches anything unclean...and eats meat from the Lord's fellowship sacrifice, that person must be cut off from his people" (Leviticus 6:18, 7:2, HCSB).

Leviticus 6:8-7:38 contains descriptions of the five offerings of the ancient Jewish sacrificial system and instructions to the priests in conducting these offerings.

There's an important principle about holiness revealed in these guidelines that's particularly important for spiritual development.

Simply defined, holiness is an attribute of God indicating He is separate or distinct from His creation. God is not defined by His creation, but His attributes may be demonstrated or displayed in His creation.

Be All You Can Be - Psalm 104:1,35

"Let all that I am praise the Lord." (Psalm 104:1,35, NLT)

"Be All You Can Be" was the recruiting slogan of the United States Army for over twenty years. The slogan meant that because of your training and experiences in the United States Army you can become a successful, self-actualized individual. Joining the Army can start you on the path to realizing everything that you have wanted or were meant to be in your career and as a human being.

But the Psalmist had a different take on success and self-actualization. The Psalmist declared that you should devote your whole self to praising God!

Be the Gospel - Acts 26:27-29

"King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe. Then Agrippa said to Paul, Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily? I wish before God, replied Paul, that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains" (Acts 26:27-29, HCSB).

In the book, The King Jesus Gospel, Scot McKnight contrasted how the gospel was presented and what was the message preached by the apostles with how we present the gospel and what we preach today.

The Apostle Paul's presentation of the gospel to King Agrippa in these verses provides a good example of this contrast.

My Desperation and God's Glory - Psalm 102:11-12

"My life passes as swiftly as the evening shadows. I am withering away like grass. But you, O Lord, will sit on your throne forever. Your fame will endure to every generation" (Psalm 102:11-12, NLT).

These two verses contrast the eternal and enduring nature of God with the brief and transitory nature of human beings. They transition this psalm from the topic of human desperation and misery (vs. 1-11) to the topic of God's glory (vs. 12-17).

Have you ever noticed how clearly you can perceive the goodness and greatness of God when you are suffering and in need of His help?

Grace 101: Vicarious Atonement - Leviticus 1:3-4

"If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you may be accepted by the Lord. Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him." ( Leviticus 1:3-4, NLT)

The Hebrew word for "burnt offering" means "what goes up" and refers to the ascent of the animal in flames and smoke (to the Lord).

The burnt offering was an offering for atonement.

God's Catastrophic Health Insurance Policy - Psalm 91:9-13

"If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!"  (Psalm 91:9-13, NLT).

This wisdom Psalm expresses confidence in God as the One Who provides protection against catastrophe for those who take refuge in Him.

His promised protections are like the comprehensive coverage of a catastrophic health insurance policy!

One Thing, No Two, God Cannot Do - Psalm 89:33-35

"But I will never stop loving him nor fail to keep my promise to him. No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said. I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie." (Psalm 89:33-35, NLT)

In this Psalm, the Psalmist restates God's covenant with David as ruler over His people.

Although God foresees the violation of the trust by His people and their subsequent punishment, God nevertheless commits Himself to uphold the covenant.

Lavish Giving - Exodus 36:3-7

"But the people continued to bring additional gifts each morning. Finally the craftsmen who were working on the sanctuary left their work. They went to Moses and reported: The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do! So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough! So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project."

Suppose you went to church one Sunday morning and when it came to the end of the service the pastor announced no offering would be received because people had given so much the church had more than enough money!

God Loves A Cheerful Giver - Exodus 35:21,29

"All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments...So the people of Israel—every man and woman who was eager to help in the work the Lord had given them through Moses—brought their gifts and gave them freely to the Lord." (Exodus 35:21,29, NLT)

What if they took up an offering for a new church building and all the church members were so enthusiastic about doing God's work that everyone in the church contributed financially to the project?

And what if they gave enough in one offering to construct and furnish the new church building?

Need To Know - Acts 21:2-4

"Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. After we sighted Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. So we found some disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem." (Acts 21:2-4, HCSB).

In these verses the Apostle Paul was completing his third missionary journey and had determined to go to Jerusalem. Upon arriving in Tyre some disciples there told Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that trouble awaited him in Jerusalem.

The Glory That Never Fades - Exodus 34:34-35

"But whenever he went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil until he came out again. Then he would give the people whatever instructions the Lord had given him, and the people of Israel would see the radiant glow of his face. So he would put the veil over his face until he returned to speak with the Lord" (Exodus 34:34-35, NLT).

When Moses came down from Mt. Sinai (for the second time) with God's commandments etched on stone tablets, the skin on his face was radiant from God's glory because he talked with God face to face.

At first the Israelites were afraid to come near him because of the radiance of his face, but he called them to himself and told them all that God had said to him on Mt. Sinai.

Holy Ferocity - Acts 20:20-21, 27

"I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus...for I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole plan of God" (Acts 20:20-21, 27, HCSB).

These declarations are from the Apostle Paul's farewell address to the elders of the church at Ephesus (vs. 17-38).

As you study the ministry of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts, you begin to notice that Paul had this amazing capacity to pull himself back together and keep on going in spite of severe opposition and persecution.

Paul says he did not "shrink back." Paul was relentless, even fierce, in his efforts to accomplish God's will to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles.

See the Glory - Exodus 33:19

"He said, 'I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion'" (Exodus 33:19, HCSB).

God spoke these words to Moses in response to his request that God show Himself--His glory--to Moses. Moses made this request because he was concerned that Israel's standing with God was in question.

While Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments and other instructions from God, the Israelites made an idol in the form of a golden calf and offered sacrifices to it. God wanted to destroy them and make Moses and his progeny His chosen people.

People of Distinction - Exodus 33:15-17

Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth. The Lord replied to Moses, I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name" (Exodus 33:15-17, NLT).

After the Israelites had built the golden calf while Moses was on Mt. Sinai meeting with God, God sent a plague upon them to punish them and then threatened to withdraw His presence from among them.

Moses begged for God to go with him and the people of Israel to the Promised Land, speaking the words in these verses.

Fuzzy Faith - Acts 18:25-26

"This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught the things about Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the way of God to him more accurately. (Acts 18:25-26, HCSB)

Apollos was from Alexandria, Egypt, a city of great learning. However, his knowledge of the gospel of Jesus was deficient since he apparently was a disciple of John the Baptist.

Apollos arrived in Ephesus and spoke boldly about Jesus, but it was not enough because you must accurately understand your faith in order to convince others to embrace it.

Touched By God - Exodus 30:17-21

"Then the Lord said to Moses, Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water. Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there. They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the Lord and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the Lord—or they will die! They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation" (Exodus 30:17-21, NLT).

God commanded Moses to have a washbasin and a stand constructed so the priests could wash their hands and feet before entering the holy place of the Tabernacle complex.

Because God is holy--He is distinct from His creation--then what is used for His service cannot be used for any other purpose.

Teach Your Children Well - Psalm 78:1-7

"O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, for I will speak to you in a parable...We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders...He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands"  (Psalm 78:1-7, NLT).

The lyrics of a 1970s folk song say to teach your children well and feed them on your dreams. That's the message of this psalm.

This wisdom psalm exhorts God's people to learn wisdom (God's commands) and then faithfully pass it on to their children.

Has God Forgotten? - Psalm 77:1-15

"I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me... All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help... I am too distressed even to pray....Has the Lord rejected me forever? Will he never again be kind to me? Is his unfailing love gone forever? Have his promises permanently failed? Has God forgotten to be gracious?" (Psalm 77:1-4,7-9, NLT)

Have you ever been so sick or so distressed or both that you don't even have the will to pray?

Isn't praying exactly what you should be doing if you are that sick or distressed?

But, like the Psalmist, at first you prayed and moaned and longed for God's help and help never seemed to come.

Turning the World Upside Down - Acts 17:6-7

"These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, and Jason has received them as guests! They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king—Jesus!" (Acts 17:6-7, HCSB).

In Thessalonica the conversion of a great number of God-fearing Greeks and leading women prompted jealousy among unbelieving Jews. While the Apostle Paul had encountered resistance just about everywhere he went during his missionary journeys, here the Jews organized scoundrels from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot against Paul and Silas.

A Beautiful Life - Exodus 28:2

"Make sacred garments for Aaron that are glorious and for beautiful" (Exodus 28:2, NLT).

God commanded Moses to have the Israelites sew ornamental garments for the high priest to wear during the time he served in the tabernacle.

These garments were designed to be visually beautiful and appealing because the garments represented the glory of God, which is God's Beauty.

The priestly garments were designed to be beautiful because these garments were worn in the beautiful presence of  God as the high priest performed his sacred duties.

The Great Cover-Up - Exodus 25:8-22

"Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them...Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood...place inside it the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you. Then make the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—from pure gold...Then make two cherubim from hammered gold, and place them on the two ends of the atonement cover...Place inside the Ark the stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, which I will give to you...I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark of the Covenant. 
 From there I will give you my commands for the people of Israel" (Exodus 25:8-22, NLT).

After God gave Moses the law, He proceeded to describe the plans for the Tabernacle and its furnishings so the Israelites could construct a place where God could abide among His people.

God's first design specifications were for the Ark of the Covenant, which was the most significant item in the Tabernacle complex. ("Ark" is an an archaic English word meaning "box.") The Ark of the Covenant, or covenant box, was a chest containing the artifacts that signified God's covenant with the Israelites, specifically, the stone tablets containing the terms of the covenant.

Youth Ministry for the Mature - Psalm 71:17-18

"God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still proclaim Your wonderful works. Even when I am old and gray, God, do not abandon me. Then I will proclaim Your power to another generation, Your strength to all who are to come" (Psalm 71:17-18, HCSB)

WANTED: MATURE PEOPLE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY! 

That's the message contained in these verses. The Psalmist exclaims that God needs him for youth ministry even though he is an old man.

The Psalmist reasons that a person of maturity who has known and benefited from God's grace and mercy for a long time is the person best prepared to declare God's power to the next generation.

Trouble Along the Way - Acts 14:6

"And there they kept evangelizing" (Acts 14:6, HCSB).

This is one of those days when I get to the end of the day and find myself really weary. Some would say "weary from well-doing," though I question how much "well" I'm really "doing."

I'll spare you the details of all my troubles because as hard as I think I have it, my troubles pale in comparison to the troubles encountered by Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13 and 14, who were undertaking the task God had assigned them.

Fortunate Misfortunes - Psalm 66:10-12

"For You, God, tested us; You refined us as silver is refined. You lured us into a trap; you placed burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but You brought us out to abundance" (Psalm 66:10-12, HCSB).

The Psalmist indicates that refining is a process meant to purify God's people.

And if these verses allude to God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage, the Psalmist seems to apply Israel's experience personally to us.

Men riding over the heads is a description of oppression, but there also may be an allusion to the chariots of Egypt. Fire and water are used elsewhere in the Old Testament in the context of trials, but they may also allude to God's pillar of fire and the water of the Red Sea.

How to Grow a Church - Acts 9:31

"The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers" (Acts 9:31, NLT).

With the conversion of Saul (vs. 9:1-19), the Jewish persecution of the Church declined and during this hiatus the Church grew in strength and numbers.

There are three principles of church growth we can glean from this verse:

They Will Want What You Have - Acts 13:4,9-12

"So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit...Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye...Then he said....the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind...When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord." (Acts 13:4,9-12, NLT)

Barnabas and Paul’s first missionary journey was undertaken by the leading and in the power the Holy Spirit.

Landing in the town of Salamis on the eastern end of Cyprus, they went to the Jewish synagogues where the Jews could hear and respond to the gospel message. They would also meet converts to Judaism and spiritually hungry Gentiles who were sometimes described as "God-fearers."