Coming to the Still Waters

Good Sunday morning to you all.  The heating and cooling systems at the church have switched over.  I have went from hearing the fan of the cooling unity to seeing the steam coming out of the side of the building on my walk over.  It sounds like it might be a little bit of an Indian summer this week but I think it is the last hurrah.  Here is another broadcast and one that introduces some principles about how we approach things that are said of the Bible by looking at the Bible.  I hope you have a great day.  --Adam--

Today's verses are Zechariah 12:1-5, which read, v.1 - The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel.  Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him,... It is interesting that the word used here is "burden."  A burden is something you must carry but usually you don't want to.  It is a responsibility that you have taken on or it has been put upon you because of other's actions.  No matter which way it came about, you are in the position to carry this burden.  God has a burden concerning the people of Israel.  God who created the world.  The God who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation of the earth, and created not only man but his spirit and breathed life into him.  God provided all this for man and there is a God carrying burden from creating what is created and also from the creation not following after His words and ways. v.2 - ..."Beho...

I don't have all the answers.  I am so far from that.  But I am thankful to have a "learner's" heart.  The challenge is to take what we learn and put it into action.  Sometimes what we learn points that we have done something or said something in the wrong way.  Sometimes what we learn means a confession is in order.  What was said unintentionally or something did unintentionally comes to light in the learning and part of the lesson is to take the next step to correct and not just let it slide or resolve to do differently the next time.  How will we do this differently if we don't react to the present situation with a confession?  So in my learning it is leading to a confession, an admission, a revealing in a better way what I should have said or did in the first place.  Confession are always uncomfortable but they are necessary for a conclusion that honors God.   --Adam--

Today is an in between chapter devotional and we will be unto Zechariah chapter 12 on Friday.  Let's go back to another devotional on prayer.  Our first was about the harvest and lets look today about tarrying in prayer.  What does it mean to tarry? Isaiah 40:28-31 says, "Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth.  He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.  He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.  Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint." We all have limitations.  Even the youth and young men get tired and start to stumble because they have expended their reserves but what happens when your reserves are endless?  What happens wh...

Sometimes I really don't know what to make of our world.  Our sin leads us down a road that logically leads to societal breakdown.  An erasing of any type of moral code or better yet, the creating of a new one where both exist produces a tension that won't go away until one side surrenders.  The majority becomes the minority and the minority becomes the majority.  If this happens will the new majority be compassionate to the new minority and their space in the world?  Will the new majority offer the same respect and adherence to the laws to the new minority?  My opinion based on what I see and hear is that the language of equality is there but the actions are very different.  It is because the actions are hard to live out.  Actions of equality need a moral code to guide them to do so and adherents who will live by that moral code no matter what.  This brings me back to sin because that is what affects whatever majority to renege on ...

Today's verses are Zechariah 11:15-17, which read, v.15, 16 - The LORD said to me, "Take again for yourself the equipment of a foolish shepherd.  For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs." In the last passage we were introduced to the Good Shepherd, our Jesus who was destroyed for 30 pieces of silver.  Because the staffs of Favor and Union were broken so was God's favor and union with the Israelites because of their wandering from God and to other idols.  The prophets at times were commanded of the Lord to play a part for the Israelites to see what was going to happen and Zechariah is told to play the part of a foolish shepherd. This foolish shepherd is going to come up among them.  He will not care for the perishing, not seek the scattered, not heal the broken, and not...

The weather has switched in north central Illinois and looks to be this way for awhile.  I am waiting for the leaves to turn and I have my camera ready.  Stephanie will be on the road again by car with me transporting her to the airport, by plane and by train.  Some extra doses of the grandchildren are always a blessing in our lives.  Ministry and discipling children who also go in ministry, either full-time or very active church members does that to you.  Times together are usually spread farther apart but the blessing of knowing on a Sunday morning you are still doing the same thing just in different parts of the country brings joy.  --Adam--

Today's verses are Zechariah 11:7-14, which read, v.7 - So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock.  And I took for myself two staffs:  the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. Zechariah has been told by God to shepherd the flock.  There are other shepherds who are using the flock for their own benefit.  Zechariah is given instruction on how to lead even in times when the flock is being abused or following after the direction of the bad shepherds.  Zechariah has two staffs and many shepherds had two staffs.  One was to ward off anything that would hinder the flock and the other was to guide the flock where you wanted it to go.  You could look at these two staffs named Favor and Union as one for beating off untruth and the other to guide in the way of grace.  One keeps us in God's favor by following the truth and one keeps us in God's union by being in a place to exper...

Good Thursday, September 20th, 2018 to you all.  Below is attached another Bible reading as we go through the Bible in a year.  I am looking at encouraging a book of the Bible next year and doing some journaling with each days reading.  So we will slow down and put down some thoughts.   Also, I am waiting.  I have a hard time waiting.  I think my body responds negatively to waiting.  So in the waiting and go to praying.  May the praying help my body to get back to normal.  Colitis of the colon is no fun but it will pass if I do what is right and part of what is right is to pray while we wait.  --Adam--

Today's verses are Zechariah 11:1-6, which read, 1 Open your gates, Lebanon, and fire will consume your cedars. 2 Wail, cypress, for the cedar has fallen;  the glorious trees are destroyed!   Wail, oaks of Bashan,  for the stately forest has fallen! 3 Listen to the wail of the shepherds,  for their glory is destroyed.   Listen to the roar of young lions,  for the thickets of the Jordan are destroyed. 4 The Lord my God says this: “Shepherd the flock intended for slaughter.  5 Those who buy them slaughter them but are not punished. Those who sell them say: Blessed be the Lord because I have become rich! Even their own shepherds have no compassion for them.  6 Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the inhabitants of the land”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, I will turn everyone over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not rescue it from their hand.” The first three verse...

Our world is getting really messy.  Those who rule our nation are dealing with morality questions in some areas while ignoring morality questions in other.  While the handling of these morality issues is important, is it being raised in a way to use as a tool to protect other morality issues that we wish to continue to ignore?  It is difficult but necessary that we handle issues of morality not based on our agendas but on God's Word.  We need God's Word to be what guides us and establishes what is right and what is wrong.  Will we accept all that is right and all that is wrong?  I think this is the struggle that our national leaders are dealing with.  Just some "day off" thoughts.  --Adam--

Today is another in between devotional and we will be onto Zechariah chapter 11 on Wednesday.  Today lets look again at prayer. What could we pray about today?  Let's pray about God's harvest.  Let's read or listen to these verses.  Hosea 10:12 and 13 says, "Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap fruitful love; break up your unplowed ground.  It is time to seek the LORD until He comes and sends righteousness on you like the rain.  You have plowed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies.  Because you have trusted in your own way and in your large numbers of soldiers," We see that we need to make sure that we are seeking after God's harvest and not our own.  When we seek our own harvest, God's ground goes unplowed.  Neighbors don't get greeted.  New kids in school get ignored.  Visitors to church stay visitors for a long time.  If this is happening then we need to repent because we have o...

Stephanie is home!!!  Well, for a couple weeks and then she is on the road again to see some of the kids and grandkids.  I will be more at home in front of the congregation with her here.  It is amazing how many sermons she has listened to from this guy.  Thanks Honey, I love you!  --Adam--

Today's verses are Zechariah 10:1-12, which read, 1 - Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain—t he Lord who makes the storm clouds; a nd He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man. 2 - For the teraphim speak iniquity, a nd the diviners see lying visions a nd tell false dreams; t hey comfort in vain.   Therefore the people wander like sheep, t hey are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. 3 - “My anger is kindled against the shepherds, a nd I will punish the male goats; f or the Lord of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, a nd will make them like His majestic horse in battle. 4 - “From them will come the cornerstone, f rom them the tent peg, from them the bow of battle, f rom them every ruler, all of them together. 5 - “They will be as mighty men, t reading down the enemy in the mire of the streets in battle; a nd they will fight, for the Lord will be with them; a nd the riders on horses will be put to sh...