Keeping faith

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching the blog archives for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, where I introduce myself and the blog. As you read, I encourage you to record any reflections or comments you may have, for the entries here serve best as the first remarks in a conversation.

Blessings and best wishes,
Dr. Will


Thursday and Friday, July 22 and 23, 2010
Devotions: Ps 40, 50, 51, 54, 59, 60; Josh 9:3-10:15; Rom 15:1-24; Mt 26:69-27:10

God has rescued me; He put me in a secure place; he put a new song in my mouth, praising God. Blessed are all who trust in YHWH. God, You have given me an open ear and a listening heart. I delight to do Your will, and I share Your testimony at every opportunity. May all who seek You rejoice! God's beauty shines forth from Zion; our God comes in power and majesty. He desires only our love and obedience—He needs nothing we have, but is pleased when we give ourselves to Him. To these God shows Himself and His salvation. May God cleanse me of my sins and wickedness.
Lord, I know You seek truth in the inward being; purge me and make me clean and whole. Fill me with gladness and joy; create a clean heart and upright spirit within me, and restore to me the joy of my salvation. Open my mouth and heart to proclaim Your praise. God is my Helper; He upholds my life, and in gratitude, I give myself to God. My enemies seek to destroy me, but God protects and rescues me from every threat and scheme. I will sing Your praises, my Strength! With His help, I can overcome every obstacle and defeat every enemy. After Israel crossed Jordan and conquered Jericho, Ai and Bethel, the Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites banded together to fight Joshua and Israel. But the Hivites who lived in Gibeon took a different tack: they sent a deputation that fitted themselves to appear as if they had traveled a great distance—worn-out packsacks and wineskines, worn and mended clothing, dry and moldy provisions. They asked for a covenant of peace with Israel. Joshua made peace with them without consulting YHWH. Three days later, the Israelites learned of the deceit, and found that the Gibeonites were near neighbors. So the Israelite leaders resolved to keep their treaty, despite the Gibeonite deceit, and the Gibeonites became woodcutters and servants for the Israelite community. Joshua questioned the deputation why they had deceived him and the elders of Israel, and they answered: 'We learned that YHWH your God commanded Moses to give you all this land and to destroy all the current inhabitants before you; so we had no choice—we were bargaining for our survival.' Meanwhile, the king of Jerusalem called on the kings of Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon, and asked them to join him in attacking Gibeon because that city had made peace with the invading Israelites. So the five Amorite kings gathered their armies and camped against Gibeon to war against it. The Gibeonites called on Joshua to defend them, so Joshua and the warriors of Israel marched forth to defend Gibeon; YHWH assured Joshua that their campaign would be successful, 'For I have given them into your hand; not one man will stand before you.' Joshua and his soldiers marched all night and came upon the Amorite forces suddenly and unexpectedly; YHWH threw the Amorites into a panic, and Israel slaughtered them; God helped by raining down great boulders from heaven. Joshua called on God to lengthen daylight, and the sun stood still for a whole day, and the victory was complete. Paul encouraged the Roman Christians: Like the Messiah, strong Christians should bear with the failings and frailties of the weak, doing good to edify our neighbors. May we live together in harmony, by the grace of the God of steadfastness and encouragement, so that together, we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. For His glory, be hospitable to one another. Christ enables even the Gentiles to glorify his God and Father! I have written you boldly, in accord with my call to be the minister of the Messiah Jesus to the Gentiles, sanctifying them by the Holy Spirit. I seek always to open new fields for the gospel, so they shall see who have3 never heard of Him and they shall understand His truth, just as it is written. My work in Asia Minor is complete, so now I can come to you in Rome; and I hope you will send me along to Spain. Right now, I'm going back to Jerusalem with aid for the saints in that community, contributed by the saints in Macedonia and Achaia. As Peter watched and waited in the courtyard while the Jewish Council was seeking grounds to murder Jesus, a maid came up to Peter saying, 'You were also with Jesus the Galilean.' Peter said, 'I don't know what you men.' He went out to the porch, and another maid saw Peter and said to those gathered there, 'This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.' Again, Peter denied it, with an oath, saying 'I do not know the man.' A bit later, some bystanders approached Peter and said, 'Surely you are also one of His party, for your accent betrays you.' And Peter began to invoke a curse on humself and to swear, 'I do not know the man!' Immediately the cock crowed and Peter remember that Jesus aid to him, 'Before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times.' And Peter went out and wept bitterly. When Friday morning dawned, the Jewish Council and chief priests voted to execute Jesus, and they bound Him and led Him away to deliver Him to Pilate the Roman governor. Seeing Jesus condemned, Judas brought back the thirty pieces of silver he had been paid, to return it to the chief priests and elders. 'I have sinned in betraying innocent blood, Judas told them. They could not have cared less: 'What is that to us? See to it yourself, ' they told him. Judas threw down the silver in the temple, and immediately went out and hanged himself. Realizing that the money was 'blood money,' the chief priests used it to buy the potter's field as a burial ground for Gentiles; it has been called Akeldama, 'Field of Blood,; ever since. Thus Judas perfectly fulfilled a prophecy of Jeremiah [and Zechariah – Zech 11:12-13; Jer 18:-3; 32:6-15].