ABRAM IS ENCOURAGED

Genesis 15 is indeed an exceptional chapter!

It begins with Abram bringing somewhat of a complaint to God.  Essentially, he says (paraphrased):

God, You said I would be a great nation, but I'm getting old and still have no child.  If I were to die right now, my servant, Eliezer of Damascus, would be my heir!  

God - in His great patience - speaks to Abram:

“This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”  He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”  [vs.4-5]

The next words are important! 

Abram believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.   [v.6]

Notice three things:

1. This is the first time the word "righteousness" occurs in our Bible!
2. No law had been given yet!   Abram's righteousness had nothing to do with the Law!
3. Abram hadn't been circumcised yet, which makes him the faith father of us all!

What happens next is both precious and VERY MYSTERIOUS!

God reassures Abram that He is going to give him (and his descendants) the land of Canaan.  When Abram questions this promise, God instructs him to bring a heifer, a goat, a ram (each three years old) along with a dove and a young pigeon.  Understanding an ancient covenant ritual, Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other... [v.10].

Then, Abram fell into a deep sleep as a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.  In this sleep, God whispered to him secrets about the distant future when Abram's descendants would become slaves in Egypt for four hundred years, but would then escape and return to Canaan!

Then it gets REALLY spooky!  Suddenly, a smoking firepot and a blazing torch appear and pass between the sacrificed animals!!!!!! 

God literally showed up!

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

[Hymn:  Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise, 

by Walter C. Smith, 1824-1908]*

Here's the point of this captivating chapter:

God will come to us in our times of doubting with His reassurance and encouragement!  He will show up and remind us that His promises are TRUE!  We must trust His Word!  If we do - it will be counted to us as righteousness!  

*  This is a majestic hymn with a Welsh melody arranged by Van Denman Thompson in 1933.  There are three more verses.  The hymn builds to a crescendo in verse four where the angels veil their eyes from the presence of the Lord of Light!  Look it up and sing it;  I can't get through it without tears filling my eyes!

GIVE GOD A NOD WHEN MAKING BIG DECISIONS

This is the reporting of an event that took place over four thousand years ago.  God called a man named Abram to leave where he was and go to a new land named Canaan that God planned to give to him and all his family (even though Abram didn't have a family yet).  😂  God's stories are always SO unpredictable. 

When Abram left on his journey of obedience, he took with him his wife, Sarai, and his nephew, Lot.  They had some interesting things happen to them during their adventurous travels through the ancient near east.  But God was with them and enriched them so that both men became prosperous with livestock, silver and gold.  

But, as time passed, their number of flocks and herds and menservants and maidservants became quite large.  Quarrels broke out between their herdsmen and also the Canaanites and Perizzites also living off the land.  

Abram, being the elder of the two - and also the one God had called - went to Lot and suggested that they split up due to the size of their entourage.  Being a man who lived to please God, Abram gave Lot the opportunity to choose where he would go.  Abram simply said, "If you go to the left, I'll go to the right;  if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."  [Genesis 13:9 (NIV)]

Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)  So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company:  Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.  Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.  [Genesis 13:10-13 (NIV)]

Many of you are familiar with the end of this story.  Lot's choice landed him in an immoral valley where sexual sin became so horrible that God sent a storm of fire and hail to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah!  This happened AFTER Abram had to come and rescue Lot and his family from a coalition of kings that raided the valley and took Lot hostage along with his family!  

When Lot made his initial decision, we find no indication that he consulted God.  He simply chose what looked the best and would make his life the easiest.  His decision turned out to be DISASTROUS!!!!!!

What looks best from a human standpoint may not always be best from a divine perspective!  Doesn't it just make sense - especially if you consider yourself a Christian - to consult God at points of major decision-making?  In other words:  PRAY!  Ask God to direct your steps and give you wisdom.  Say something like:  "Lord, help me to make a decision here that will honor You and increase my sphere of influence for You!" 

You might just save yourself some grief and have a godly impact on some people's lives that would otherwise have gone without the touch of His grace!  

SAUL

The story of Israel's first king is filled with contradictions and perplexities.  You'll find this history in I Samuel 8f.

The people of Israel approach Samuel (their spiritual leader) and asked him to appoint a king:  "We want a king over us.  Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."  [8:19-20]

Samuel was displeased at their request and prayed:  "...the LORD told him:  'Listen...it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.'"

Samuel proceeded to tell them all that would happen when they had a king:

• "He will take your sons and make them serve..."  [8:11]
• "He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers."  [8:13]
• "He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive fields..."  [8:14]
• "He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage..."  [8:15]
• "Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use."  [8:16]
• "He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves."  [8:17]

But still - they insisted on having a king.

Next, we are introduced to Saul, "...an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites - a head taller than any of the others."  [9:2].  

In his first biblical appearance, Saul is sent out (with a servant) by his father, Kish, to find some lost donkeys.  Margaret Feinberg writes:

"The first mention of someone in scripture often reveals something significant about the person's character.  The first king of Israel, Saul, is introduced as a young man trying unsuccessfully to find his father's donkeys.  This humerous scene hints at Saul's later inability to leads others well."  [SCOUTING THE DIVINE, p.57]

It is also worth noting that the first time around, God chooses a man who looks like a king.  The next time around, God looks on the heart.  [16:7]

We get another hint of Saul's lack of readiness to be king when Samuel comes to anoint him publicly and he can't be found [10:21-22]. 

Shortly after Saul is made king, the Ammonites threaten the village of Jabesh Gilead.  Saul rallies an army of over 330,000 men and wins a great victory.  To his credit, he proclaims, "...this day the LORD has rescued Israel."  [11:13].

Next, the Philistines assembled with a massive army to fight Israel.  Saul had been instructed by Samuel to wait for his arrival to make sacrifices before the battle.  Impatient in waiting, Saul offered up the burnt offering himself just before Samuel arrived.

Samuel said, "You acted foolishly...You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you...now your kingdom will not endure;  the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people..."  [12:13--14]

Saul's record of disobedience goes downhill from this point forward - even building a monument to himself [15:12].  As God favors David - the next king - Saul's rage becomes a decade-long obsession.  Samuel removes himself from Saul's presence.  Saul and his son, Jonathan (David's best friend) eventually die on the battlefield.  A sad ending to a legacy of disobedience.

What do we take away from this lengthy, Old Testament story?

• Good looks or strong stature does not guarantee success.
• One victory does not make an empire.
• Impatience is almost always a bad thing.
• Monuments are best built by others - not you.
• God never stopped being King of Israel;  He simply allowed Saul to be His earthly representative.  Saul never got that.  
• Nothing is more important than obedience to God's Word!  

LEONARD

Yesterday, I wrote a Facebook post and introduced it with a somewhat negative remark about my father's lack of investment in my life.  That comment has bothered me for the last twenty-four hours.  So, I've decided to balance the scales.

My father was born in 1912, and died in 1992 (almost 80).  That means he was a witness to both World Wars, the Spanish flu and the Great Depression.  

He was raised in a small home on 7th Avenue in New Brighton, PA, with his mother, father and five sisters.  His father was an alcoholic.  His mother took in other people's laundry to be able to feed her family.  

He attended school through the eighth grade and then quit.  He lied about his age and was hired at Townsend Company (as a nail-maker) when he was fifteen (around 1927).  He worked for them forty-nine years.  I never remember him missing a day of work.  

On August 17, 1934, he married Hazel Walton.  They took up housekeeping in a home on Mt. Washington in Beaver Falls, PA, that was given to them by Hazel's mother - with the agreement that she would be able to live there with them until her death.  Mrs. Walton was apparently a woman of means since she gave each of her three girls homes on Mt. Washington.  [I never heard my father say a mean word about Mrs. Walton.]

My brother, Ira, and I recently talked about our dad and realized the providence of God in his life.  He was hired right before the Great Depression and apparently worked through that period unaffected.  My sister, Jeannette, was born in 1937, and my brother, Ira, was born in 1940 - both during the Depression!  

My sister, Beverly, came along on today's date, July 25, 1944.  I'm the only baby-boomer in our family, being born in 1952.  

My father was a Christian man who took an extremely active role in the New Brighton Free Methodist Church.  

• Class Leader (many years)
• Trustee (many years)
• Secretary of the Official Board (many years of hand-written minutes)
• Sunday School teacher (boys and later, adults)
• Delegate to Annual Conference (many years)
• Rochester District Campground Trustee (many years)
• Rochester District Secretary
• Member of the Pittsburgh Conference Stationing Committee (over twenty-five years)
• Member of the Pittsburgh Conference Board of Ministerial Education and Guidance (over twenty-five years)
• Pittsburgh Conference Delegate to the Free Methodist General Conference (five times)

Some things I remember about him:

1. He read his Bible every evening in his bedroom.
2. He knelt beside his bed and prayed every night before sleeping.
3. When our family gathered, before anyone left, he would gather us all in the living room where we would all get on our knees and he would pray over us.  

If my dad had a deficiency, it was in showing affection.  Feel free to read another blog article where I talk more about this ["I Taught My Dad To Hug" April 27, 2012].  In spite of this, I have memories:

• I have half-a-dozen memories of him taking me out to play catch - almost always on a Sunday afternoon which must have really bothered my Sabbatarian mom!
• I remember accompanying him when I was about seven to buy some trees and plant them in our yard.
• When we went camping - which we did for nearly two weeks every summer - he would lift me into the car roof carrier and let me load it with wood for our campfires.
• Occasionally, when we were camping, he would play with me in the shallow waters of the lake.
• When I was in college, my brother and I (along with a few other family members) put a new roof on his house.  It was a good time!
• Once, while I was in high school, he took me to a Pitt football game.  Remarkably, they were playing Navy!  Little did we know that I would later have a Midshipman son doing push-ups down on that field...
• He bought a second car when I was sixteen and made it almost fully available to me!
• He paid for a year of my college.

He was NEVER mean or harsh with me!  He was fair!  He was a kind and generous man.  He loved and served the Lord!  He was admired by his larger family.  My mom adored him and partnered with him to make him a better man.  He was a good provider and protector.  

I honor him today and am sorry that I put him in poor light in my post yesterday.  

Thank You, Lord, for my Dad!  Thank You for his faithfulness and for his devotion to You and Your Church!  Thank You that he loved my Mom!  Thank You for the tremendous advantages I've had in my life because I am his son!  I know he's with You today and I rejoice that someday soon, I'll see him (and my Mom) again!  Amen.  

SAMUEL'S SONS

I've always been intrigued by the biblical record of Samuel.  From his mother's pleading for a son to his miraculous birth to his strange rise to authority in Israel as the last judge and great prophet.  To read about him, look at the early chapters of I Samuel - a book that bears his name.

Here's a quick review:

• His mother was loved by her husband, but he also had another wife who was bearing him children, while Hannah was barren.
• During an annual trip to Shiloh, she cried out to God asking for a son and promising to give him to the Lord.
• Eli, the high priest, saw her lips moving as she prayed in her heart and accused her of being drunk.  She explained and he offered her hope that her prayer had been heard.
• She quickly became pregnant and was joyful.  
• After weaning the child, she presented him to Eli to serve in the temple explaining to Eli that he was the child she had prayed for.
• Eli's sons - priests under Eli's direction - were evil due to bullying, ritual abuse and sexual immorality.  Eli tried to restrain them, but they ignored him.
• God called young Samuel one night and gave him a judgment concerning Eli's failure to restrain his sons.
• Shortly after, Eli's sons and Eli died on the same day after a major battle with the Philistines.

I Samuel 3:19-21 (NIV) records:

The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

Samuel went on to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel.  Then, when Saul didn't please the Lord, Samuel followed the Lord's direction and anointed David - the youngest son of Jesse - as the next king of Israel.

As a testimony to his faithfulness, God saw to it that Samuel's 'Farewell Speech' was recorded for us in His Word:  [I Samuel 12:1-5 (NIV)]

Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”

"You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied.  "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand."

 Samuel said to them, "The LORD is witness against you and also his anointed is witness this day;  that you have not found anything in my hand."

 “He is witness,” they said.

This was a highly revered man in the history of Israel, and God used him in signifcant ways to bless the nation of Israel.  Thanks be to God!

However, in chapter 8, we read:  [vs.1-3]

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.  The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.  But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 

How is it that these two godly men - Eli and Samuel - served the nation faithfully, but lost their sons spiritually?

We already know that Eli was simply too tolerant.  He spoke to his sons about their evil ways, but failed to restrain them.  He was soft when it came to his sons.  He had the authority to remove them as priests, but failed to do so.  He apparently wasn't willing to get in their faces and demand compliance.

But what about Samuel?  Was he just on-the-road too much?  Away from home?  Left their mother (never mentioned) to raise them?  Was he effective in the nation but weak in the family?  Did he fail to kick a ball with them.  Did he miss their activities and achievements?  Did he fail to express his love for them?  Did he bounce them on his knee?  Take them for walks?  Include them in his journeys?  Pray over them?  Pray with them?

We'll never know...

Samuel's legacy was well-established - that's clear!  However, it didn't get carried into the next generation - that's sad!

Fathering is hard work!  It takes diligence and T-I-M-E!  It take focus and focused attention!

Now, my kids are raised and most of my fathering is finished now.  I've entered the 'consultant stage'.  😊  But for those of you who are still on-the-job, regardless the age of your kids, I'd suggest you look for opportunities to use these four phrases with your kids when you can do it honestly:

1. "I love you!"  
2. "I'm proud of you!"
3. "You did a good job!"
4. "You can be anything you want to be!"

One last thing:  remember the value of touch and make sure you maximize its positive impact!  

Pass on your legacy - don't let it end with you!

A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE!!!!

During my years of ministry, I often attended church two or three times on Sundays that we were away.  It gave me a chance to see how different churches operated, to experience different liturgies, and to learn from divergent environments.  A side effect was being reminded just how hard it is to be a newcomer at a church! 

• Which door should I enter?
• How do I get to the sanctuary?
• Where are the restrooms?
• How can I look calm and relaxed (when I'm actually quite nervous and uncomfortable)?
• I hope I don't miss any cues that make me stand out from the crowd...

Some churches I attended had greeters that handed me a bulletin and welcomed me.  In other churches, I simply walked through the crowd and quickly found a seat.  Occasionally, if someone noticed that I didn't have a bulletin, they'd give me theirs and go for another [that was nice].  I've also had people hand me an open hymnal (or liturgy book).  [Also nice].  

When the service ended, I was always anxious to get out and return to my family.  

While I served at the Cornerstone Church in Akron, Ohio, I was an associate;  therefore, I had considerable more freedom.  I loved hanging out in the foyer and watching for new people to enter.  I established some solid friendships by being the first warm contact at the church!  

One man eventually told me his progression of attending the church.

1. "The first Sunday, I drove through the parking lot."
2. "The next Sunday, I parked in the parking lot, but didn't come in."
3. "Several Sundays later, I came in and you greeted me."
4. "I've been here every Sunday since and God is turning my life around!"

The following is a quote from Robert Whitlow's novel, A HOUSE DIVIDED, (pp.406-407)

Sunday morning Corbin attended the service at the Hopewell church.  He sat with Jimmy and his family in the middle section of the sanctuary.  It was the first time since his wedding day that Corbin had walked through the doors of a church with a sense of positive anticipation.  He noticed a few sideways glances in his direction as they settled into their seats.

"Do people suspect I'm here because of AA?" he asked in a low voice.  

"If they do, it's not because I told them.  Would it matter?"

"Maybe."

"Well, it's probably because you're a new face.  Church folks are like cows in a pasture.  Anyone unfamiliar arouses their curiosity." 

Corbin chuckled and relaxed.  With his guard down, he was surprised how much he enjoyed the service, and mentioned it to Jimmy as they stood to leave.

Now, I know how inappropriate this is going to sound in a Covid-19 world, but how much better this story would have read if several congregants that recognized Corbin would have stepped up to welcome him and tell him how glad they were to see him there [even though he was a known alcoholic in the community.  They're welcome in our churches, aren't they?].

Is the church a museum for saints or a hospital for sinners?  For forty years, as a pastor, I tried to keep that balancing act.  For a season, I would preach to those who were established and try to help them keep growing [knowing that I was shooting over the heads of newer believers].  Then, I would lower my aim for a season and preach messages to help newer believers grow [knowing that I was reviewing material that was well-known by more mature believers.]  FRUSTRATING!!!!

Anyone who's been part of a church I've led will recognize this as a topic I frequently hit on.  When our churches start meeting physically again (which some have), as regular attenders we need to be SUPER AWARE OF PEOPLE WHO APPEAR TO BE NEWCOMERS!

While attending the Springfield Church of God, a woman stepped up and welcomed me as a newcomer (I'd been attending for over a year).  I rarely sit in the same general area - it's in my nature to move around and steal other people's seats!  😂  She didn't recognize me and so greeted me as a visitor.  Guess what?  I wasn't the least bit offended.  I met a new person as a result of her reaching out!

I've now been attending Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church for nearly two years.  I've attended Sunday School several times.  We're pretty regular in attendance (except for trips we make).  It's a friendly church and we've felt welcomed;  however, I would still estimate that I only know the names of about 15-20 people (and a bunch of them are family).  😁  It's hard becoming part of a congregation!  Can I get an 'Amen'?  I know people's faces and I appreciate their friendliness, but how am I supposed to learn their names?

Years ago I worked for six months as a prison guard at a minimum security prison in Kentucky.  Part of my job was to take residents to the weekly AA meetings.  I remember one time I spoke out and said, "Hi.  My name is Hal and I'm not an alcoholic."  They all laughed at me!  😂🤣  Typically, their response would be a universal and hearty "Hi Hal!"  No one is rejected!  Everyone is accepted.  No one is forced to participate or speak.  They're just genuinely glad you're there.  They've all been where you are!

It seems the church could learn a lot from Alcoholics Anonymous!

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost!  He was not willing that any should perish but that all  should come to repentance!  He's the One who left 99 sheep secure while He went out in search of the one that was lost!  His Church needs to have this same heart!  ESPECIALLY to sheep (saved or lost) that happen to wander into His Church!