Friday, May 27, 2011

God's Promises Fulfilled aka God Keeps His Promises, Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23; The Adult Sunday School Lesson for 6-5-11

ATTENTION:  Please note that this is The Adult Sunday School Lesson, God’s Promises Fulfilled aka God Keeps His Promises, on Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23 for the 6-05-11 International Sunday School Lesson.  You will find the 5-29-11 lesson, Tree of Life aka Water of Life, directly beneath this message and on the right side.


Jed




God’s Promises Fulfilled
or
God Keeps His Promises
Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23
International Sunday School Lesson
June 5, 2011



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough



God had a plan whose promises we can begin reading about in Genesis 12:1 when He gave direction to Abraham (then Abram).  Here God instructed Abram, who at the time was already 75, to leave his home and the people he had known all of his life and go to the land of Canaan.  In verse 7 of this chapter we see the promise made, “To your offspring I will give this land.”  And today in our lesson we see the promise fulfilled.
Abraham was forewarned of the enslavement of his descendants but God reminded Him the promise was still in effect that He had made (Genesis 15).  Similarly, we can read how God reminded Abraham’s son Jacob of the promise (Genesis 28) and how Jacob’s son Joseph reminded his brothers what their people had to look forward towards (Genesis 50).
After the period of slavery had passed, just as foretold to Abraham, his descendants, now a nation of people, were ready to be released from bondage as God recalled His promise to Abraham (Exodus 2).
Probably most of us have criticized Israel and how they had so many promises given to them and fulfilled and yet they rebelled and complained.  They were told years in advance of their slavery that it would happen but they were also told how long until their time of bondage would be completed.
The evidence of God’s promise being fulfilled happened before the very eyes of an ungrateful people.  Yes, I am sure most of us have shaken our head and made comments voicing our wonder concerning how they could have behaved in this way.
But, is our behavior any better?  Granted their misbehavior occurred as events were happening live and yet they reacted in this way, but why do we who have all the scriptures as an example seemingly react so stiff-necked ourselves despite all the promises made to us?
Instead of letting their examples of obedience and disobedience guide our choices we seem to be none the better as we anticipate the promises He made that are yet to be fulfilled.
Through our Bibles we get to see that God made a series of promises to Abraham that have all been fulfilled, promises that include our active participation in the grafting in of all of us who are not Jewish.  We get to see the scriptures fulfilled that promised of a messiah and a suffering servant who were one in the same.
To our credit we come to faith not through what we see as they may have but rather what we are told.  But if we have a faith like that why do we not place more importance on the scriptures that concern the rest of the promises, those yet to be fulfilled?
What we have to hold onto is no less more certain to be fulfilled than what the people of Israel would have had to hold onto through 400 years of slavery.  So why don’t more of us live like we do?
The people of Israel were told that they would be enslaved but then released to enter the land that they had been promised.  Despite seeing all that they had seen when they were at the gateway to this Promised Land they rebelled at Kadesh.  No one that rebelled entered that land but were instead punished and died in the desert.
We ourselves have a “promised land” to look forward to.  How close might we be to that gate?  The same scriptures we study in today’s lesson that show us the promises and forewarnings made to Israel also serve as examples that can prepare us.
As we have mentioned in other lessons we are told by Christ in Matthew 24 that one of the signs of the end of the age is that “many will turn away from the faith.”  How similar is that to what the Israelites did in rebellion at Kadesh?
This time the punishment won’t be 40 years spent wandering before death in the desert.  Instead, God forewarns that those who do fall away will receive a powerful delusion and will be condemned.
Everything God says is a promise, everything God promises is fulfilled.



For Discussion:
1.     Discuss why some have chosen to not include verse 20 from chapter 11 in their reading today.
2.     Exodus 23:32 tells us why the people who were in place could not be allowed to live with the people of Israel.
3.     God had long planned the eventual judgment of these peoples (Genesis 15:16).
4.     Numbers 23:19
5.     It is a quick read so go ahead and read chapters 1-11so as to better understand this week and the lesson that follow from Joshua.
6.     Discuss why Gibeon was spared.
7.     Discuss how faith goes hand in hand with God’s promises.

6-12-11:   God Has Expectations (God Expects Obedience) Joshua 1:7-16 or Joshua 1:7-18
6-19-11:   God Protects (God Protects His People) Joshua 2:2-9, 15-16, 22-24
6-26-11:   God is Victorious (God Gives Victory) Joshua 6:2-3, 4b, 12-20 or Joshua 6:2-4, 12-20
7-03-11:   God Responds to Disobedience (God Reacts to Disobedience) Joshua 7:1, 10-12, 22-            26







Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved



Friday, May 20, 2011

Tree of Life aka Water of Life, Revelation 22:1-9 or 22:1-9, 13-17; The Adult Sunday School Lesson for 5-29-11

ATTENTION:  Please note that this is The Adult Sunday School Lesson, Tree of Life aka Water of Life, on Revelation 22:1-9 or 22 :1-9, 13-17 respectively for the 5-29-11 International Sunday School Lesson.  You will find the 5-22-11 lesson, All Things New aka New Order of Things, directly beneath this message and on the right side.


Jed




Tree of Life
or
Water of Life
Revelation 22:1-9
or
Revelation 22:1-9, 13-17
International Sunday School Lesson
May 29, 2011



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough



 “The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight.”  We know this from the beginning when in Eve’s mind after listening to the serpent she thought that if she partook of the Tree of Good and Evil she would gain wisdom.  Since that time man has been hungry and thirsty.  Since that time the choice has been cause for pain and toil.
What will life be like in heaven?  We have often heard or asked that question and question whether there will literally be such things as a river of the water of life or streets like gold.
What we should know with certainty however is that it will be paradise.  That is the meaning according to The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance of the Greek word for heaven used in the New Testament and it comes from the base word for garden.
Before there was that wrong choice in the original garden there was none of this life threatening hunger and thirst that runs rampant in the world today.  Adam and Eve were cared for, God provided all their sustenance.
In heaven we can be certain that it will be the complete opposite of what we and all those who went before have gone through.  In heaven God will again provide all the sustenance we need.  No one will hunger in all the ways that that means and no one will thirst in all the ways that that means.
If you are a Christian, do you already feel that you are partaking?  But if you are like me there is still a hunger and thirst isn’t there?  There is a hunger and thirst for righteousness, a hunger and thirst for people to know God, to accept Jesus as His son and our savior, a hunger and thirst that God will be glorified and a hunger and thirst to be with Him.
Ephesians 3 says that God’s love surpasses our ability to understand.  If God’s love surpasses our ability to understand that does leave us with one very important idea that we can grasp.  That is that there is more than enough love to go around.  Therefore we need to share this good news of the gospel with as many as we can so that they too will partake of the free gift of the water of life!



Shall We Gather At the River?
Words and music by Robert Lowry, 1864

Shall we gather at the river,
Where bright angel feet have trod,
With its crystal tide forever
Flowing by the throne of God?

Refrain

Yes, we’ll gather at the river,
The beautiful, the beautiful river;
Gather with the saints at the river
That flows by the throne of God.

On the margin of the river,
Washing up its silver spray,
We will talk and worship ever,
All the happy golden day.

Refrain

Ere we reach the shining river,
Lay we every burden down;
Grace our spirits will deliver,
And provide a robe and crown.

Refrain

At the smiling of the river,
Mirror of the Savior’s face,
Saints, whom death will never sever,
Lift their songs of saving grace.

Refrain

Soon we’ll reach the silver river,
Soon our pilgrimage will cease;
Soon our happy hearts will quiver
With the melody of peace.

Refrain


For Discussion:

1.      Find scriptures in the Bible relating to the water of life.
2.      Find scriptures in the Bible relating to the tree of life.
3.      Two of the seven beatitudes to be found within the book of Revelation are located in this the 22nd chapter.
4.      Did you sing the song Deep and Wide in your youth?
5.      Read the Invitation to the Thirsty, Isaiah 55.
6.      Discuss among the class the images that they have in their minds of what all this will look like.
7.      Discuss the ways that one “keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.”
8.      If the tree and river are figurative, discuss different ideas for what they can stand for.
9.      Discuss how exciting and wonderful it will be to see God’s face from verse 4.  Some may think that there are instances where someone saw God but in those cases they were only representations of Him, for no one can see God and live.


6-05-11:   God’s Promises Fulfilled (God Keeps His Promises) Joshua 1:1b-6; 11:16-19, 21-23 or Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23 respectively.
6-12-11:   God Has Expectations (God Expects Obedience) Joshua 1:7-16 or Joshua 1:7-18
6-19-11:   God Protects (God Protects His People) Joshua 2:2-9, 15-16, 22-24
6-26-11:   God is Victorious (God Gives Victory) Joshua 6:2-3, 4b, 12-20 or Joshua 6:2-4, 12-20







Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Friday, May 13, 2011

All Things New aka New Order of Things, Revelation 21:1-8 or 21:1-8, 22-27; The Adult Sunday School Lesson for 5-22-11

ATTENTION:  Please note that this is The Adult Sunday School Lesson, All Things New aka New Order of Things, on Revelation 21:1-8 or 21:1-8, 22-27 respectively for the 5-22-11 International Sunday School Lesson.  You will find the 5-15-11 lesson, Heavenly Worship aka Perpetual Praise, directly beneath this message and on the right side.


Jed




All Things New
or
New Order of Things
Revelation 21:1-8
or
Revelation 21:1-8, 22-27
International Sunday School Lesson
May 22, 2011



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough



Newness, clean and pure, that is what we have to anticipate.  Just as all of creation itself groans in anticipation so should we look forward with hope to what is waiting for us.
As we look at today’s scripture in Revelation 21we see that God will be wiping the slate clean.  Look over your head; look at what is under your feet, look out at night, everything will be different and new.
I have had thoughts when I have been places that I truly love in this world that move me and I wonder about this moment to come.  I think about the snowcapped peaks and the places where the sagebrush meets the aspens.  If I said that I am pretty content with their beauty it wouldn’t do justice for what I feel.  But then I think what must the new earth that we will see be like?
I know that events such as the terrible earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan will never again occur.  Nor will the horrific tornadoes and hurricanes cause terrific destruction.  Droughts will not scorch the crops from the ground.  Fires will not reduce trees and countryside to ash.   Floods will not cover the lands.
Nor will the evil that man and satan bring about have a place in this new creation.  No longer will injustice prevail.  War will not have a place.  Dictators will not plunder their countries of their resources.  Persecution will be a thing of the past.
In order to be here, everything will have to be new.  Paul told us in 1Corinthians 15 that those of us here will be raised up with glory, our bodies imperishable.  As with the new heaven and the new earth, we too will be new.  As all that was wrong with the old earth will be gone, so will it be gone from us. 
Do you wake up at night as I sometimes do anxious from the new pain in your body?  Has it kept you from doing things you once could do?  Have you lost loved ones to the ravages of cancer?  No more will these things exist, just the pure.  Just as the Holy City the New Jerusalem will be beautifully dressed, so will we be.  Gone will be those pains and sorrows because God will have wiped them all away.
This thought should give you hope.  This hope as Peter said in 1 Peter 3 is one that you should always have a ready answer for if someone should ask why you hope.  I think about that verse a lot, I prepare myself for the opportunity to answer. 
If we have Christ, then we have hope, without Him there is none.  Those whose hope is not in Christ cannot be here with us for our God is holy.  He cannot look upon sin and without the sinful among us, He will not have to and that is why He will dwell with us.
So much has been written about this book of Revelation and I suppose much more will come, most will prove to be wrong I think.  Authors, preachers and teachers write or speak of their literal teachings when the figurative will prove to be true.  Academia creates positions on the book’s symbolic characteristics when in fact it will prove to be literal.
We can determine what counts though by looking down through the millennia of scripture.  God has consistently shown us what will be literal and there is nothing figurative about God’s promises for our future, for our hope.  The “former things will not be remembered” and what we will have will be the new. 



For Discussion:
1.     Compare and discuss Revelation 20 and 21 with 2 Peter 3.
2.     Discuss why the cowardly will not have a place here?
3.     Share some of the scriptures that deal with this hope we have.
4.     Share some of those scriptures found elsewhere in the Bible that deal with how things will be.
5.     This week again we see a scripture that deals with overcoming (verse 7) be prepared to discuss this.
6.     This hope fulfilled is wonderful, but it would be negligent indeed to only consider the good that is in store for us.  Read and discuss the alternative (Revelation 20:11-15).

5-29-11:   Tree of Life (Water of Life) Revelation 22:1-9 or 22:1-9, 13-17
6-05-11:   God’s Promises Fulfilled (God Keeps His Promises) Joshua 1:1b-6; 11:16-19, 21-23 or Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23 respectively.
6-12-11:   God Has Expectations (God Expects Obedience) Joshua 1:7-16 or Joshua 1:7-18
6-19-11:   God Protects (God Protects His People) Joshua 2:2-9, 15-16, 22-24







Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved




Friday, May 6, 2011

Thankful Worship, Revelation 7:9-17; The Adult Sunday School Lesson for 5-15-11

ATTENTION:  Please note that this is The Adult Sunday School Lesson, Thankful Worship, on Revelation 7:9-17 for the 5-15-11 International Sunday School Lesson.  You will find the 5-08-11 lesson, Heavenly Worship aka Perpetual Praise, directly beneath this message and on the right side.


Jed




Thankful Worship
Revelation 7:9-17
International Sunday School Lesson
May 15, 2011



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough


The Great Tribulation,  The Terrible Suffering,  The Great Testing,  The Great Distress; different versions of the Bible refer to it in these different ways, but Christ in speaking of this time said:
“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.  If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.”  Matthew 24:21-22.

Some would teach us that those who we read about in the verses found in Revelation 7:9-17 from today’s Sunday school lesson are all of those faithful that have lived.  In my opinion, however that would be out of context with the whole apocalyptic nature of the book of Revelation.  As you know, the entire book is revealing instead a progression.  There are starts and stops, looks forward and looks back into what will occur but overall we can view things as a progression.  This progression speeds up until the end comes, to borrow from Daniel, like a flood, and the way I picture it when I read the book of Revelation, it is a flashflood.
From our previous Sunday School studies you may recall that Christ in Matthew 24 warned three times about those that would attempt to deceive those of us that are alive at this time.  He said that “many will turn away from the faith.” 
Christ in that same chapter of Matthew 24 said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”  A preaching of the gospel to the whole world is something I am sure you are well aware could not have happened until our time, a time that we are blessed to live in. 
This reaching of others wherever they are in the world is the work that we who are here, we who are Christians are to be about.  I stress this fact as often as I can.  It is why I have the Work of the Gospel Blog in addition to this one to remind myself and others and it is why I mention it often in these lessons.
The whole world; I think sometimes we forget because of our technology what a big world it is.  I am sure you can guess that the vast majority of the visitors to this blog are American.  But there are also student visitors from a myriad of places around the globe, places as diverse as Russia, the Philippines, South Korea, Germany and so on.  They like you are preparing for the same scripture lessons each Sunday.  I like this reminder that now we truly are living in the time when the kingdom of the gospel can be preached to the whole world.
How many Christians do you suppose there are now in China?  One estimate I just saw in an article concerning a large house church there places the number at a possible 130 million!  What about Vietnam or Botswana, Iran or Barbados?  Visitors from all those places regularly visit this site and I hope that I have helped them in their efforts, but what more could we do?
It is both inspiring and sobering to remember that those we see in today’s scripture who have come through the Great Tribulation are those from all these places I just mentioned.  All our brothers and sisters who are alive at this time will need to be prepared to endure this great testing.  Also remember that Christ said that during this time many would turn away from the faith.  I have stressed that Christ warned us of the deceit that would occur, Paul warned us about this deceit and the apostasy  as well as we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:

 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

Just a moment ago I mentioned preparation to endure, and that reminded me of some of the challenges that I face.  One is that I not oversimplify, if I do that you might lose interest.  On the other side of the scale, I could fail and go the other route and assume you know more than you do and gloss over something I should concentrate on.  Hopefully in the end I serve to give some reminders and some enlightenment.  Together I pray that we serve as a team to help as many of the saints as possible to be prepared to endure, to endure the great testing, to be prepared to recognize deceit.

Go back and look at the letters to the 7 churches in this book of Revelation and you will again notice Christ’s emphasis on this need for us to have ears that hear so that we can endure and to overcome.  We are to have ears that hear the gospel, the great truth, and what it was that Jesus expects from us.  This is the complete opposite of the lies that Paul was warning us about in 2 Thessalonians.

I am sure that I must have mentioned this before, but hey, the more I age the more I tend to repeat things!  I do not feel we can adequately read about the Great Tribulation in today’s scripture and not go back and read what Christ said about it in Matthew 24.  Those that do read it all too often stop at verse 35 but what follows in this chapter is just as important.  What follows is that we have a responsibility to each other.  You and I are the servant in charge in the latter verses of Matthew 24 with a responsibility to our fellow servants.  Let us think of what we can do to reach every tribe including those closest to us so that we can enter the gates of the city together!

Ephesians 6:10-20 
The Armor of God
 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
 19 Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.


For Discussion:

1.     How does what you have been taught affect your interpretation of today’s passage?
2.     I thought it interesting to share the observation made from one of my study Bibles that the praise for God increases as it goes along.  There are three attributes of praise in Revelation 4:11, four in 5:13 and now 7 in today’s 5:12.
3.     I think it is important that we ask ourselves why, given all the sights that are revealed in this book, are we so clearly drawn in to note the significance of these in white robes?  Why do you think it was so important
4.     List all the reasons for Christians to draw hope for their faith from this chapter.
5.     “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Psalm 23:1
6.     Discover the myriad of scriptures throughout the Bible that one can refer to when discussing verse 17 from today.
7.     Please read and consider The Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13 in light of my lesson.  What can you do to help your brothers and sisters to be in good soil?

5-22-11: All Things New (New Order of Things) Revelation 21:1-8 or 21:1-8, 22-27           respectively. 
5-29-11:   Tree of Life (Water of Life) Revelation 22:1-9 or 22:1-9, 13-17
6-05-11:   God’s Promises Fulfilled (God Keeps His Promises) Joshua 1:1b-6; 11:16-19, 21-23 or Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23 respectively.
6-12-11:   God Has Expectations (God Expects Obedience) Joshua 1:7-16 or Joshua 1:7-18






Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved