Doing God's will

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, in the archives, where I introduce myself and the blog.

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Devotions: Ps 50, 66, 67; 1 Sam 28:3-20; Acts 15:1-11; Mk 5:1-20

The Mighty One, YHWH, summons the earth; He shines forth! Our God comes; He doesn’t hide. He calls and gathers His own. God doesn’t need our sacrifices; He desires our selves. He has given and preserved our free will; it is the only gift we can offer Him. God rebukes the disobedient, allowing them the consequences of their rebellious choices. Bring Him thanks, praise and love! Make a joyful noise to God. Lord, how mighty are Your deeds, and how awesome Your power. Let all God’s people bless him. If we cherish sin in our hearts, God will not listen; but God does listen as we seek to do Him honor. God has heeded and answered my prayers; He has let His steadfast love abide with me. God, let Your face shine upon us; let Your salvation be known to all on earth; and let all the peoples praise You! Let all creation stand in awe and praise our God!

After Samuel’s death, Saul and his armies again confronted the Philistines. But God was silent and did not answer the Urim and Thummim. Previously Samuel had influenced Saul to clear Israel of mediums and wizards, but now the king asked his advisors to point him to a medium. They told him there was a witch in Endor. So Saul disguised himself and visited the woman. At first, she refused, recounting that her life would be at risk, since Saul the king had banished all magicians from the land. But Saul swore no punishment would come to her, and the woman relented. Saul told her to bring up Samuel for him. As she proceeded, the woman suddenly realized that her visitor was Saul, but he reassured her. Samuel appeared, and Saul bowed to him. Saul described his problem: ‘The Philistines are warring against me, and YHWH has turned away. I called you to ask what I should do.’ But Samuel’s answer gave him little comfort: ‘YHWH has done what He told you through me; He has torn the kingdom from your hand and has conveyed it to David—all because you disobeyed God’s directions in the matter of Amalek and its king. YHWH will give this coming battle to your enemies; and tomorrow, you and your sons will be with me, and Israel’s army will be in the hands of the Philistines.’ Saul was prostrate at this news, sapped of strength; and he had eaten nothing all day and night. The woman asked Saul to let her provide him a meal; at first, Saul refused, but his attendants urged him, and he accepted her hospitality. She prepared a fattened calf and unleavened bread for Saul and his servants. They ate and departed.

There was dissension in Antioch when some Judeans came and taught the church that a man must be circumcised in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas disputed with them, and were appointed by the Antioch church to bring the matter before the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. There, they were welcomed by the church, and reported everything that God had done with them. Then the argument was set before the assembled elders and apostles. After much debate, Peter recounted his experience of God bearing witness to His will that Gentiles should hear and believe the gospel and be saved. That God did this, then poured out the Holy Spirit was, Peter argued, proof that God intended to save Gentiles as well as Jews, without distinction. He asked the circumcision party, ‘Why do you try God but putting a yoke on these disciples that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? We believe that all are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus—ourselves and Gentile believers alike.’ The assembly also heard the testimonies of Paul and Barnabas. After all others, James, Jesus’ half-brother, voiced the assembly’s decision, to which all agreed: ‘Simeon Peter’s words and the prophetic scriptures agree that God calls Gentiles as well as Jews. Therefore, we should not trouble Gentile converts with circumcision. We will write them to abstain from worshiping idols, from unchastity, from eating animals strangled in sacrifice to idols, and from eating blood—for everyone everywhere is aware of these customs, as the writings of Moses have commanded from the earliest days of our faith.’

Jesus and His companions landed in Gerasa, on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. As He stepped from the boat, Jesus was met by a man who came out from the tombs, possessed by an unclean spirit. No one could bind the man, even with chains or fetters; no one had the strength to restrain the demoniac. So night and day among the tombs and the mountains of the wilderness, the man would cry out and bruise himself with stones. Seeing Jesus far off, he ran to Jesus and worshiped Him, shouting ‘What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ Jesus had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ Jesus asked, “What is your name?’ And he replied, ‘My name is Legion, for we are many!’ And he begged Jesus not to send them out of the country. A great herd of pigs was feeding on a nearby hillside, and the demons begged Jesus to send them into the swine.’ He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits left the man and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and were drowned. The herdsmen fled and told the Gerasenes what had happened; people hurried out to see, and they found Jesus and the demoniac sitting there, clothed and sane. All this scared the people. They began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As He was getting into the boat, the man He healed was begging Jesus that he might go with Jesus. But He refused, saying, “Go home to your friends; tell them all that God has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.’ So the man went his way and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis [the ‘Ten Cities’ region of Trans-Jordan] how much Jesus had done for him; and all people who heard, marveled.