Thursday-Friday,
July 31-August 1, 2014
Devotions:
Ps 69, 71, 73, 74; Jdg 4:4-23; 5:1-18; Acts 1:15-2:21; Mt 27:55-28:10Lord, without Your help, I'll drown in this life I'm living now. I have no satisfaction, no rest; I am parched, exhausted, discouraged. And it sounds like I'm feeling sorry for myself. Forgive my grumbles, Lord, and answer me in the abundance of Your steadfast love and mercy. Redeem me, restore me, and direct my path to Your glory. You be the Judge, and I'll do as You direct and enable me. Let Your salvation be my exaltation, and Your strength accomplish the work You have ordained for me. Let all creation praise our God, the Almighty One! You Are my strong refuge, Lord, and my glory all day long. Don't cast me aside in my dotage; stay close, and help me to do Your will. I will join in the mighty acts of our holy God. You have carried me to old age and gray hairs, YHWH. There is no one like You; revive me and increase my honor. I shout for joy at Your kindness, great Lord! I will neither envy nor resent those who act on their own; jealousy and envy, lust and discontent make me stupid and bitter. There is truly nothing I need apart from You, Lord. My flesh and heart may fail, but God Is the strength of my heart, and my Portion forever. Bring it, Lord: Your power and Your righteousness. Defend Your covenant and let the poor and need praise Your holy Name. Destroy Your enemies and preserve Your servants, I pray.
Deborah
judged Israel, sitting under a palm in Ramah in the hill country of
Ephraim. God had her summon and commission Barak, son of Abinoam, a
Naphtalite from Kedesh. She gave him God's word: Summon 10,000
troops from Naphtali and Zebulun, and I will draw out Sisera, the
general over Jabin's army. You will meet and defeat him near the
river Kishon.' Barak agreed but demanded that Deborah accompany his
forces. Deborah agreed, but warned Barak that his demand would
result in Sisera being delivered into the hands of a woman, rather
than his own. And so they proceeded. Barak and his troops routed
Sisera and his forces, and the general escaped and fled on foot
alone. He found himself near the tent of a Kenite named Heber, and
Heber's wife Jael met Sisera and invited him into the tent. She
pretended to hide him and when he asked for a drink of water, she
gave him fresh milk. He soon fell asleep, and Jael took a tent peg
and hammer, and drove the peg through the general's temple as he
slept, pinning him to the ground, and he died. Jael went out and met
Barak as he pursued Sisera and showed him the general's corpse with
the tent peg in his temple. Then Deborah and Barak sang a song of
praise and victory, recounting Deborah's leadership, Barak's military
effectiveness, and the heroism of Jael in delivering Israel under
YHWH's hand.
Peter addressed the assembled Christians, recounting Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Jesus and his suicide, and indicating that this fulfilled Biblical prophecy. Peter advocated nominating possible successors among the apostles, and Joseph Barsabbas Justus and Matthias were nominated, and by lot, Matthias was chosen to take Judas's place among the apostles. Then, when Pentecost came, the disciples were together praying in an upper room, when the Holy Spirit descended upon them, with the sound of a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire resting on each believer. This attracted devout people from many nations who were in Jerusalem to observe the feast of Pentecost, and each heard the Christians speaking in his own language, though the speakers were Galileans and unlettered. Peter arose and explained that the speakers were not drunk, as some were speculating, but were speaking as the Holy Spirit gave utterance—as Joel had prophesied.
Jesus
had been crucified, and among those who observed from afar were
several women who had been among Jesus' closest supporters during his
earthly ministry: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and
Joseph, and the wife of Zebedee, mother of James and John. Joseph of
Arimathea came to Pilot and requested Jesus' body, and Pilate order
the body delivered to him. Joseph wrapped the body in a clean
shroud, laid it in a new tomb Joseph had prepared for himself, and
rolled a great stone across the tomb's entrance to secure Jesus' body
there. The following day, the chief priests and Pharisees came to
Pilate and requested that guard be placed over the tomb, to secure it
against robbers, because they remembered Jesus saying that He would
arise in three days, and they wanted to prevent the theft of His body
and the false legend that His prophecy was fulfilled. Pilate told
them they could post a guard from their own forces, so they sealed
the stone and set a guard over the tomb. Toward dawn on Sunday,
after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the
sepulchre; there was a great earthquake, for an angel from heaven
descended and rolled the stone aside and sat upon it. His appearance
and clothing were bright as lightning and dazzling white. He was so
awesome that the guards were paralyzed with fear and became like dead
men. But the angel said to the women, 'Don't be afraid; I know you
came seeking Jesus Who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen
and is going before you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Now, I
have told you.' So the women hurried away from the tomb with fear
and great joy, and ran to tell His other disciples. Along the way,
Jesus met them and spoke: 'Hail!' They came up to Him and took hold
of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus told them, 'Don't be
afraid; go and tell My brothers to got to Galilee, and there they
will see Me.'
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