Obed was the father of my father Jesse, so Boaz and Ruth were my great-grandparents. My name is David, a former shepherd boy from Bethlehem who became Israel’s greatest King. A Bible Study by Jack Kelley After forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan to begin their conquest of the Promised Land. Joshua sent two spies into nearby Jericho to see what the place looked like from the inside, but they were spotted and the King of Jericho sent soldiers to capture them. Rahab, a resident of Jericho, offered to hide the Jewish spies from the King’s men, and in return they agreed to save her and her family from the coming destruction. After the massive city walls suddenly came crashing down in a tremendous display of God’s power, Jericho was defeated. As promised, Rahab was spared and joined the Israelites, having earlier proclaimed her faith in God. Later she married an Israelite named Salmon and they had a son, Boaz. Boaz became a prominent man around Bethlehem and eventually married Ruth, a Moabite princess who had come to live there with Naomi, his widowed sister-in-law. Their son Obed was the father of my father Jesse, so Boaz and Ruth were my great-grandparents. My name is David, a former shepherd boy from Bethlehem who became Israel’s greatest King. One day when I was barely into my teens and out tending our family’s sheep, the great prophet Samuel arrived at our home. He had come to anoint one of my father Jesse’s eight sons as Israel’s next king because the Lord was fed up with Saul’s disobedience. The Lord hadn’t told Samuel which of us He’d chosen, only to show up and follow instructions. After inviting my father and brothers to join with him in sacrificing a heifer to the Lord, Samuel started toward my oldest brother Eliab, thinking that since he looked the part he was probably the Lord’s choice. But the Lord told him He wasn’t interested in physical appearance alone, but the motive of a man’s heart, and had Samuel reject him. He did the same to all my other brothers as well. Finally Samuel asked my father if he had any more sons. “There is still the youngest,” my father replied, referring to me, “But he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him.” When I was brought in, the Lord told Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; he’s the one.” So Samuel opened the horn of oil he had brought and used some to anoint me in the presence of my father and brothers, and from that day on I felt the power of the Spirit of the Lord upon me. Later, when the Lord withdrew His anointing from Saul, an evil spirit came to take its place. Saul’s advisors suggested that someone who could play soothing music on a harp would help him get through his periods of torment. One of them mentioned that he had heard me play and thought I could do the job. So once again I was called away from our family’s sheep. My father put me on a donkey, gave me some food and drink and sent me off to report to Saul. Saul liked my playing, so he made me one of his armor bearers and asked my father to let me stay with him. From then on, whenever Saul was being tormented I would play for him. My playing gave Saul relief and made him feel better, and the evil spirit would leave. Several years later we got word that our enemies, the Philistines, were gathering for war. They’d given us trouble before, so Saul knew to get the Israelite army together for a big battle. The two armies wound up on opposite hillsides separated by the Valley of Elah, about 15 miles west of Bethlehem. It was there that the battle would take place. The Philistines had adopted the strategy of having champions decide the outcome of their battles. It went like this. One man from each army would come to the center of the battlefield, where they would fight each other. Whichever man won would achieve the victory for the army he represented. The army of the loser would suffer the defeat and become subject to the winners. So the Philistines sent a giant of a man, Goliath was his name, to challenge the Israelites. He was huge! Over nine feet tall and possessed of incredible strength. The Israelites were so intimidated that they sat there cowering for 40 days while Goliath came out to taunt them every morning. Even the promise that they would be given great wealth, marry the King’s daughter, and have their family exempted from paying taxes wasn’t sufficient incentive for anyone to risk their lives against this monster. I had left Saul’s service and returned home, but when my three oldest brothers joined the army to fight the Philistines, I sometimes came to the camp to bring them food. One morning I arrived in time to hear Goliath’s daily taunt. I was appalled! “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the Living God?” I demanded. My oldest brother lit into me for that one, telling me to be quiet and accusing me of shirking my duties to come and watch the battle. I think that he, like the others, was embarrassed by the taunts of Goliath. And even though I had been anointed as Israel’s next King, I was still his kid brother. I went off and talked to others and soon word of my comments came to Saul, and he had me brought to him. Because it had been several years, Saul didn’t recognize me as the boy who had played the harp for him, and I didn’t remind him. “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine,” I told Saul, “I’ll go out and fight him.” “You’re just a boy, and this giant has been a warrior since his youth,” Saul replied, “You can’t go out and fight him.” “I’ve saved my father’s sheep from a lion and a bear,” I said, ” and when they turned on me, I killed them both. The Lord, Who protected me from them will protect me from this Philistine.” And so Saul relented and gave me permission to go. Now before you accuse me of an excessive dose of youthful bravado, consider this. The Lord had sent Samuel to anoint me as Israel’s next king. Then he empowered me to kill a lion and a bear, showing me that he wouldn’t let anything happen to me before His promise came true. Plus, Goliath was offending the Lord by taunting His army. Someone had to give that monster his due. Who better than one who couldn’t be harmed? Saul had me try on his armor, but since he stood a head taller than most grown men, and with me just a teenager, it was too big and heavy for me to maneuver in. Finally I took it off and went out with just my staff, my sling and five stones I had picked up in a nearby brook. When Goliath saw me, he laughed at first then became angry that a boy had come to challenge him. It was an insult to his prowess as a warrior, and he threatened me and cursed me in the name of his gods. I shouted back, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” I put a stone in my sling and ran toward him letting it fly with all my strength. It struck him between the eyes and sunk clear into his brain killing him instantly. Then I used his own sword to cut off his head and held it aloft for all to see. Whatever bravery the Philistine army previously had vanished in a flash and they took off headlong, some toward Gath, and others toward Ekron, the nearest fortified cities. Saul’s army chased them all the way and the road was strewn with their dead bodies. And so the Israelites defeated the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. You know, in many ways you’re a lot like me. The Lord has set his seal of ownership on you and anointed you with His Holy Spirit. You too are destined to become a king, and no enemy can take your life before that time. Like me, you’ll have many battles along the way but no matter how big and powerful your attackers are, the Lord is bigger and in His strength you will defeat them all. Next time you’re in one of those battles, remember this. Saul’s entire army cowered before Goliath, but a shepherd boy brought him down with one small stone. Saul’s army represents you in your own strength, Goliath stands for Satan, and I was there as a model of the Holy Spirit. Man at his strongest is woefully outclassed in a spiritual battle with Satan and can only cower before him in fear. But when the Holy Spirit takes charge, it becomes like child’s play. As the Apostle John would one day write, “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) Well, we’re just getting started with the story of my life, so I hope you’ll join me again next time. Shalom
David’s Story Part 1
Table of contents for David's Story
aBibleStorywithJackKelley: "Davids Story" Part 1
BobCaldwell: "TEN COMMANDMENTS"
 FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011 (TOP)TEN COMMANDMENTS (DEUTERONOMY 4:41-5:33)
In chapter four, Moses had called the people of Israel to take seriously who God had set them apart to be on His behalf in the midst of a fallen world. In chapter five Israel is given the commandments that are to set apart Israel as living proof of the wisdom of God. The Ten Commandments are given as the bedrock for human society in both our relationship to God and one another. But to read these commandments and simply agree to their essential necessity for humanity does them and God a great injustice. The fact is, if honestly faced, these commandments will condemn every man, woman, and child ever born. And if you are like the Pharisees in Jesus' day who believed they obeyed them all, please consider the Sermon of the Mount. In that Sermon Jesus exposed the folly of self-righteousness in a way only He could. He went to the secrets of the heart. The seed of murder, he said, is anger, to call a man a fool puts you in danger of hellfire. Adultery is not only an act but it is conceived in the heart and may live unexpressed, yet desired. Marriage is for life, which caused the great Apostle Peter to conclude that it's better then to never marry (Matt. 19:9-10). This is why Paul the Apostle declared, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin"(Rom. 3:19-20). The Ten Commandments ultimately does its best among a fallen humanity when it does two things: First, it keeps us aware of what sin is; second it slays us. It brings us to our knees, seeking God for both forgiveness and divine assistance to keep the law from the heart. The work of the law is to prepare us for Christ. He is the only One who has the power to remove the curse upon us that's the result of our violation of the law once and for all. But not only will Christ do that, He will also give us a new nature. We are given the unmatchable privilege to be born of God. This new nature gives us the capacity to grow and mature into a place where obedience to the law of God from the heart is possible. As we grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ whose life indwells us, we will go from "glory to glory," progressively becoming more and more like Jesus (1 Cor. 3:18). NKJV BIBLE TEXTDeuteronomy 4:41-5:33
41 Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 42 that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, and that by fleeing to one of these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau for the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead for the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan for the Manassites. Introduction to God's Law 44 Now this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel. 45 These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which Moses spoke to the children of Israel after they came out of Egypt, 46 on this side of the Jordan, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel defeated after they came out of Egypt. 47 And they took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan, toward the rising of the sun, 48 from Aroer, which is on the bank of the River Arnon, even to Mount Sion (that is, Hermon), 49 and all the plain on the east side of the Jordan as far as the Sea of the Arabah, below the slopes of Pisgah.
DEUTERONOMY 5 The Ten Commandments Reviewed 1 And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. 4 The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. 5 I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain. He said: 6 'I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 7 'You shall have no other gods before Me.
8 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 11 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 12 ' Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. 16 ' Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
17 'You shall not murder. 18 'You shall not commit adultery. 19 'You shall not steal. 20 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 21 'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.'
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"These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me." -Deuteronomy 5:22
Cities of Refuge East of the Jordan
MarkBalmer: "God’s Bucket List"
Based on “Unlimited Opportunities, Part 1” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 1/8-9/11,
Message #MB446; Daily Devotional #4 - “God’s Bucket List”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): “The one thing I would like to do before I die would be to……..” Most likely, we can all think of something we were never able to accomplish. We may even have regret over that goal we were never able to reach. As time goes on, we may forget about these unaccomplished goals or think of them as unfulfilled “dreams.” There are books, movies, and websites available that will teach us how to create a “bucket list” of things that we would like to do before we die. These various forms of media often include suggestions for travel, marriage, and meeting financial goals. They may also include “personal developments” such as learning to forgive or beginning a project that will bring one “happiness.” “Bucket lists” are often devised from our desire to fulfill our forgotten dreams before we die. But in truth, they will probably do little to provide the fulfillment we are seeking, unless we change the words.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21) There is nothing that we can obtain from this world that is going to fulfill all our dreams. We will not find comfort in the possessions we amass, the travel itineraries we have fulfilled, or the clothing that we are adorned in on the day Lord calls us home. “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-31) Solomon set out to seek understanding through “wisdom, madness and folly” (Ecclesiastes 1:17). He discovered that a life without God, even having great wealth and wisdom, was a life spent “chasing after the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33) God does not deny us earthly blessings, but Jesus tells us not to focus all our time and energy in attaining these things. God will provide them for us if we follow Him. God promises that He will not only reveal His plans for us but also promises to provide us with what we need to accomplish His goals for us. What if we were to change the original statement to say, “If there is one thing I believe God wants me to do before I die, it would be to ………..” Start filling in God’s bucket list.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): 2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 3:20
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DailyLeadership: Do you have established core values? (156-4)
When godly leaders have one set of core values they live by it serves to eliminate competing realities in the workplace. Read Isaiah 58:1-4. Israel’s leaders thought their actions should please God. They were fasting and seeking God for decisions and direction but they had their life segmented into the spiritual and secular and did not allow the values from their spiritual life to spill over into the secular. They were seeking God one moment and exploiting their workers and striking each other with their fists at other moments. They had one set of values when dealing with God and another set of values when dealing with their job. How many leaders today are suffering from the same way of thinking? God is calling leaders to live from His set of values and ethics. Fasting is fine and good but to fast while continuing to harbor destructive thoughts and oppressive attitudes does not reflect godly leadership. God’s Word supplies the foundation for our values. Values supply the power that drives our leadership. With God everything is related and since values drive actions, Christian leaders must have one set of core values that permeate every area of their life. The values of our culture are shallow and subjective, but the moral standards of Scripture reflect God’s absolute and unchanging character. God is aware of a leader’s heart values and, as with the Israelites, rejects right behavior when it is done in conjunction with wrong behavior. Tags: Actions that Please God, Competing realities, Core Valuse, Ethics, Harboring destructive Thoughts,Moral Standards, Secular Life, Spiritual Life, Unchanging Character, Value Driven Actions, Values Trackback from your site.Do you have established core values? (156-4)
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SeniorLiving: "Polar Bears"
Senior Living - Jan 14
According to scientists, Arctic polar bears feed almost entirely on seals. In order to capture their meals, the bears often have to resort to sinister tactics.
For example, a polar bear will actually swim underwater and make a tiny scratching sound on the underside of the ice next to a seal's feeding hole. When an unsuspecting and hungry seal hears this sound, he instinctively dives in for a quick bite to eat…only to become a quick dinner for the polar bear!
If you think about it, this cunning method of hunting is very similar to the way Satan works to entrap us in our Christian walk. So many times we instinctively respond to that familiar "scratching sound," only to become a victim of his evil schemes.
Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that the "thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
As believers, we are the prime targets to satisfy Satan's insatiable and deadly appetite. But the sooner we realize that we have a very real enemy who's looking to devour us, the better able we'll be to avoid becoming a quick meal for the devil.
Be self-controlled, alert, walking in the Holy Spirit, in His Word, and always in prayer, because Scripture says Satan "prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). As you walk daily with Christ, be on the lookout!
PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to help you resist the many temptations this world has to offer. Pray He would help you submit to Him completely, and pray that He would provide a shield around your life to protect you from the devil's schemes.
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DailyHope: Godly Goals Have Eternity in Mind
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Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest