1 CHRONICLES 17:1-20

1 CHRONICLES 17:1-20

After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, " Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent." Nathan replied to David, " Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you." But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying: " Go and tell my servant David,  ' This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another. Whenever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, " Why have you not built me a house of cedar?" ' " Now then, tell my servant David, ' This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies. " ' I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.'" Nathan reported all the words of this entire revelation. Then king David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: " Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men. " What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, Lord. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises. " There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel-the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?

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LUKE 9:18-36

LUKE 9:18-36

Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, " Who do the crowds say I am?" They replied, " Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life." " But what about you?" he asked. Peter answered, " God's Messiah." Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, " The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Then he said to the all: " Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory of the Father and of the holy angels. " Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God." About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, " Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put three shelters- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." ( He did not know what he was saying.) While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice camf=e from the cloud, saying, " This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

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The Hollywood Hills Cross

The Hollywood Hills Cross

One of the most recognizable images in the US is the " HOLLYWOOD" sign in Southern California. People from all over the globe come to " Tinsletown" to gaze at cement footprints of stars and perhaps catch a glimpse of celebrities who might pass by. It's hard for those visitors to miss the sign anchored in the foothills nearby.
    Less well known in the Hollywood hills is another easily recognized symbol-one with eternal significance. Known as the Hollywood Pilgrimage Memorial Monument, this 32-foot cross looks out over the city. The cross was placed there in memory of Christine Wetherill Stevenson, a wealthy heiress who in the 1920s established the Pilgrimage Theatre ( now the John Anson Ford Theatre). The site served as the venue for the Pilgrimage Play, a drama about Christ.
     The two icons showcase an interesting contrast. Movies good and bad will come and go. Their entertainment artistic contributions, and relevance are temporary at best.
    The cross, however, reminds us of a drama eternal in scope. The work of Christ is a story of the loving God who pursues us and invites us to accept His offer of complete forgiveness. The high drama of Jesus' death is rooted in history. His resurrection conquered death and has eternal impact for all of us. The cross will never lose its meaning and power.
    Thank You, Father, for the eternal significance of the cross. Help us to understand and appreciate the love that caused Your Son to embrace His cross for our sakes.
    To know the meaning of the cross, you must know the One who died there.
Please also read 1 SAMUEL 4-6

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1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: " I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: " Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

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LUKE 9:1-17

LUKE 9:1-17

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: " Take nothing for the journey-no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people every where. Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, " I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?" And he tried to see him. When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then he took them with him and they withdrew themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, " Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." He replied, " You give them something to eat." They answered, " We have only five loaves of bread and two fish- unless we go and buy food for all this crowd."  ( About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, " Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. Taking the five loaves of bread and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

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Don't Walk Away

Don't Walk Away

In 1986, John Piper nearly quit as minister of a large church. At that time he admitted in his journal: " I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand." But Piper didn't walk away, and God used him to lead a thriving ministry that would eventually reach far beyond his church.
    Although success is a word easily misunderstood, we might call John Piper successful. But what if his ministry never flourished?
     God gave the prophet Jeremiah a direct call. " Before I formed you in the womb I knew you," God said. " Before you were born I set you apart." God encouraged him not to fear his enemies, " for I am with you and will rescue you."
     Jeremiah later lamented his commission with ironic language for a man with a prenatal calling. " Alas, my mother you gave me birth, a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!"
    God did protect Jeremiah, but his ministry never thrived. His people never repented. He saw them slaughtered, enslaved, and scattered. Yet despite a lifetime of discouragement and rejection, he never walked away. He knew that God didn't call him to success but to faithfulness. He trusted the God who called him. Jeremiah's resilient compassion shows us the heart of the Father, who yearns for everyone to turn to Him.
    Do you sense a call from God? Where in your calling have you encountered discouragement? How do you define success, and how do you react to it when you experience it?
    Beware of giving up too soon. Our emotions are not reliable guides.
Please also read 1 SAMUEL 1-3

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JEREMIAH 1:4-9

JEREMIAH 1:4-9

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, " Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." " Alas, Sovereign Lord," I said, " I do not know how to speak; I am too young." But the Lord said to me, " Do not say, ' I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, " I have put my words in your mouth.

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