Much like George Carlin, I don't like to celebrate the first annual anything, because it is not annual until at least the second year. I will make an exception for this year's first annual Awana carnival, which was a joy to be a part of! I rushed there as soon as I changed into the official uniform of my red Sparky shirt, jeans and a nametag that says "Mr. Doug." Very cool, indeed!
I got there about ten minutes after the event started and it was in full swing. Because of this, I wandered a bit and helped the other leaders wherever I saw a need. Eventually, I ended up at the bowling game, because two hours of setting up pins on an asphalt bowling alley isn't very gentle on the knees, and nobody else was available to help Donna out. I think she was ready for a change of pace when I assumed a more primary role of setting up the pins. She's not very quick to voice her discomfort, but the look of gratitude told me all I needed to hear.
Looking around the event, there were many returning faces that I recognized and many new faces that will become very familiar to me in the weeks ahead. Drawing from last year's experience, and seeing the growth that we will face, let me share a verse from Matthew with you:
Matthew 9:36-38The harvest of kids from our community is so great and so many of them don't hear about the saving power of the Lord anywhere else. I can't think of any serious church that doesn't have a heart for spreading the gospel in their area, your church being included in that statement. Awana has traditionally shown our best return on investment for local outreach, that it just makes sense for more church members to get involved in this ministry. We need people to cheer the kids in their games, people to listen to a child struggling to learn verses from the word of God and people to give testimony to the caring that they have for their neighbors. If your church has a program like this, I encourage you to stop in one evening to help out. You may find that you can't help but return week after week, and that is the risk you would have to accept. If you don't think your church has a program that could use your help, you are mistaken. Ask a pastor or deacon if they can suggest an outreach program, or any general church function, that could use one more worker and let the joy of serving the Lord take care of the rest. Last year, I left a typical Awana evening a little tired, a bit sweaty, and so joyful and excited that I didn't know how to contain it!
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."
Today's reading is found in Daniel 10:1-12:13, Ezra 4:24-5:1 and Haggai 1:1-15.
Here's something to keep in mind while reading this. The Jews were captives for 70 years. Assuming that Daniel was in his teens when he was taken captive, he was likely in his 80's by this point. This means that he likely had no conviction to join his nation in their return to Jerusalem. That's not to say that he didn't care about them or that he wouldn't want to see his boyhood home again. He likely just had lived his full life and wasn't physically prepared for a journey of this magnitude. Daniel struggled to understand what was told him, and to be honest, I am also. I don't want to read too much into this for fear of giving out the wrong impression. :)
If you do the math, the rebuilding of the temple started about twenty years before this point. The people had turned their efforts toward building their own homes. This shows me that God was no longer first in these settlers' lives. Haggai went to the governor of Judah and set the situation straight in record time. God is the provider of everything! If His will was sought first, everything else would be well with Judah. Amazingly, this did spark the desired reaction and the rebuilding continued again. Sometimes we need a swift kick in the pants, sometimes a gentle reminder. God knows which one is needed at all times. I wish I warranted more gentle reminders, though...
Today's reading is found in Haggai 2:1-9, Zechariah 1:1-6, Haggai 2:10-19, Ezra 5:2, Haggai 2:20-23 and Zechariah 1:7-5:11.
This reading is really about the preparation for a homecoming. God decreed that Jews from around the world would return to Jerusalem and the temple must be ready for them. I see this as a symbolic decree as well. A healthy church is more than a well-built structure. It is God-fearing people that make up a church. The body of Christ is you and me, no matter what the meeting place is. The Lord is our glory and our protection. We need no other arrangements.
We also don't need to listen to the accusations of Satan. You may not have heard any audible things from him, but we all have wondered if we were truly good enough for God to accept. Sure, atonement was made, but what about all the bad things we've done? What about murderers? What about adulterers? We are all burning sticks pulled from the fire. Retribution is there for us, though. It is there by the grace of God, and I remind myself of this whenever I am feeling blue.
Today's reading is found in Zechariah 6:1-15, Ezra 5:3-6:14, Zechariah 7:1-8:23.
Politics is nothing new, and this story is not the first example. Tattenai visited the temple site and immediately questioned what was happening and under who's authority. The letter went to Darius for confirmation, but during this time, the building continued. The response points out what was likely the underlying question that Tattenai had. The coffers of the royal treasury funded the work. Darius confirmed this and also told the observers to stay out of the way of progress under threat of humiliation and death. The Jews had friends in high places. And they still do.
Today's reading is found in Zechariah 9:1-14:21.
Now that's a promise of protection! Israel is promised complete restoration here, as well as a warning to any nation who dares to attack His chosen people. In return, He is asking them to look to him for everything that they need. That sounds like a win-win if I've ever heard of one!
Nevertheless, it is written that one day, Israel would be besieged by the nations of the world. When they are surrounded by impossible odds, that is when the power and glory of God will truly be shown. I read the Left Behind book series and, despite some sketchy theology, I believe that this ultimate battle will be toward the very end of the Tribulation. When faced by insurmountable odds, the time becomes right for God to care for His people. Although Israel is still precious to God, "His people" are not limited to Jews any longer.
Today's reading is found in Ezra 6:14-22, Ezra 4:6 and Esther 1-4.
And so begins the story of Esther. Esther was a beautiful woman living in Persia with her cousin, Mordecai, under the rule of Xerxes. From the beginning of Xerxes' rule, the Jewish people were unliked and she kept her genealogy to herself, especially when she was chosen as a finalist to be the new Queen of Persia. When she was crowned, the secret had to be kept at the potential cost of her life.
Now Mordecai was put into a position to learn of a plot to kill king Xerxes, and that seems to be a minor thing at first, but by alerting Esther of this plot and saving the king, a door was opening for him and for all of the Jews. They just didn't see it yet. When Haman was raised to a high seat of honor, this door became incredibly valuable. Mordecai refused to bow to Haman and in his fury, Haman pushed a decree through that would be a death warrant to all Jews. Queen Esther was their only lifeline.
Today's reading is found in Esther 5:1-10:3.
After three days of fasting, Esther approached Xerxes and Haman, inviting them to a dinner. At the dinner, she didn't tell them her wishes, but invited them to another dinner the following evening, increasing the curiosity. As Haman returned home, he saw that Mordecai still refused to bow to him and was enraged. His advisors and his wife told him that Mordecai needed to be removed and encouraged him to have a gallows erected.
A sleepless night for the king was also a way for God to work on the situation. Xerxes called for the book of the chronicles to be read to him in the hope that he may fall asleep. I didn't do so well in High School history, but it never put me to sleep! That's not the point, though. In this reading, Xerxes discovered that it had been Mordecai who exposed the attempt on his life. Some sort of award was needed for this hero! Who could counsel the king on how such a man should be honored? Haman. This gets a little funny here.
True to his selfish ways, Haman thought he was the one to be honored, so he really played up the reward! Such a man deserves to wear a robe of the king and ride the king's horse before being honored in a parade around the city led by Haman. That makes me chuckle. Haman was forced to do great honor to the man he hated above all. The fury in this man must have been stoked to extreme levels by this time!
At the second meal, Esther revealed her wish and also her lineage to the king. Her people were targeted for extermination and she pleaded with him to avert the disaster. End result: Haman's hatred got the best of him a second time, this time at the cost of his own life on the gallows he had intended for Mordecai. The cherry on top of this sundae is that Mordecai was given the late Haman's position and possessions. Don't forget, though, that an order of the king of Persia couldn't be overturned, even by the king. (You'd think they would have changed that rule)
They could defend themselves, however. Mordecai used his position to make sure everyone knew that and this proclamation had the desired effect to save the Jews from destruction. When the dust cleared, the Jews were whole, but their enemies that insisted on fighting them were killed or captured.
Today's reading is found in Ezra 4:7-23, Ezra 7:1-8:36.
A group of men, collectively known as the men of Trans-Euphrates, wrote a letter to Artaxerxes, king of Persia after Xerxes, imploring a loss of revenue once the city of Jerusalem was rebuilt and the need to stop that from happening. This time, their request was granted and force was used to stop the Jews. So why did Artaxerxes send such a supportive letter to Ezra? It sounds a bit like "separation of church and state," which doesn't say seperation, but let's not go there today. The Jews could build a temple and worship as they pleased, but to consider themselves and their revenue separate from the kingdom of Persia was not to be tolerated.
Weekly LinkIn response to the overwhelming needs of parents and families, Jim Burns founded HomeWord (formerly YouthBuilders) in 1985. HomeWord is a Christian organization designed to provide assistance to adults worldwide as they help young people make wise decisions and lead positive, vibrant, Christian lifestyles. I have been getting the daily devotional from this site for almost a year now, and can vouch for it. This ministry can touch the lives of children and adults with the message of the gospel of Christ. Stop by today and see what you think. Whether you are a child a parent or a grandparent, HomeWord has something for you! |
I hope you enjoyed this e-zine. If you know anyone else who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward this e-mail
to them or direct them to http://www.coffeeswirls.com/weeklybible/
Thanks for sharing my goal of reading the Bible in
its entirety this year!