Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Communal Repentance" by Samantha Chambo for Saturday, 24 February 2018 - 1 Samuel 7:1-12

Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Communal Repentance" by Samantha Chambo for Saturday, 24 February 2018 - 1 Samuel 7:1-12 

Communal Repentance" by Samantha Chambo
1 Samuel 7:1 So the men of Kiryat-Ye‘arim came and brought back the ark of Adonai. They took it to the home of Avinadav on the hill and appointed his son El‘azar to guard the ark of Adonai. 2 From the day that the ark arrived in Kiryat-Ye‘arim a long time elapsed, twenty years; and all the people of Isra’el yearned for Adonai.

3 Sh’mu’el addressed all the people of Isra’el; he said: “If you are returning to Adonai with all your heart, then be done with the foreign gods and ‘ashtarot that you have with you, and direct your hearts to Adonai. If you will serve only him, he will rescue you from the power of the P’lishtim.” 4 So the people of Isra’el banished the ba‘alim and the ‘ashtarot and served only Adonai.

5 Sh’mu’el said, “Gather all Isra’el to Mitzpah, and I will pray for you to Adonai.” 6 So they gathered together at Mitzpah, drew water and poured it out before Adonai, fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Adonai.” Sh’mu’el began serving as judge over the people of Isra’el at Mitzpah.

7 When the P’lishtim heard that the people of Isra’el had gathered together at Mitzpah, the leaders of the P’lishtim marched up against Isra’el; and when the people of Isra’el heard about this, they were afraid of the P’lishtim. 8 The people of Isra’el said to Sh’mu’el, “Don’t stop crying out to Adonai our God for us, to save us from the power of the P’lishtim.” 9 Sh’mu’el took a baby lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to Adonai. Then Sh’mu’el cried to Adonai for Isra’el, and Adonai answered him. 10 As Sh’mu’el was presenting the burnt offering, the P’lishtim advanced to attack Isra’el. But this time, Adonai thundered violently over the P’lishtim, throwing them into such confusion that they were struck down before Isra’el. 11 The men of Isra’el went out from Mitzpah, pursuing the P’lishtim and attacking them all the way to Beit-Kar.

12 Sh’mu’el took a stone, placed it between Mitzpah and Shen, and gave it the name Even-‘Ezer [stone of help], explaining, “Adonai has helped us until now.”

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Individual repentance is powerful, but communal repentance moves God on behalf of the nations.
In 1 Samuel 7, the prophet called on the Israelites to forsake sin, turn away from idols, and come to repentance before God. They responded in obedience; they confessed their sin, and God saved them from the power of the Philistines. Communal repentance is only possible when God moves. In this case, God punished them for their idolatry and the community realized that it was their sins that brought calamity on them. They repented, God forgave them, and He saved the community.
However, one individual can also move God on behalf of the community. This was the case with Samuel, who made an offering that God found pleasing. Samuel’s offering led to deliverance for the people of God.
Communal repentance is still necessary in these times of great social injustices done against the defenseless. This injustice can be the result of our direct consent or by our silence. It is only God who can move to repentance. Our task is to pray for God to bring the nations to repentance. God will respond. Communal repentance has the power to change the world.
Hymn for Today: "Revive Us Again" by William P. McKay

1. We praise Thee, O God!

for the Son of Thy love,

for Jesus who died,

and is now gone above.

Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Hallelujah! Amen.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Revive us again.

2. We praise Thee, O God!

for Thy Spirit of light,

who hath shown us our Savior,

and scattered our night.

Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Hallelujah! Amen.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Revive us again.

3. All glory and praise

to the Lamb that was slain,

who hath borne all our sins,

and hath cleansed every stain.

Refrain: Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Hallelujah! Amen.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory.

Revive us again.

Thought for Today: Seek Adonai, all you humble in the land,

you who exercise his justice;

seek righteousness, seek humility —

you might be hidden

on the day of Adonai’s anger.(Zephaniah 2:3)

Please pray: For the Ruach HaKodesh to empower believers in Eurasia to give generously of their time, talents, and treasure.

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Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living from The Global Church of the Nazarene's The Foundry Publishing in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "A New Time" by Samantha Chambo for Friday, 23 February 2018 - Luke 5:27-39

Luke 5:27 Later Yeshua went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi sitting in his tax-collection booth; and he said to him, “Follow me!” 28 He got up, left everything and followed him.

29 Levi gave a banquet at his house in Yeshua’s honor, and there was a large group of tax-collectors and others at the table with them. 30 The P’rushim and their Torah-teachers protested indignantly against his talmidim, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?” 31 It was Yeshua who answered them: “The ones who need a doctor aren’t the healthy but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the ‘righteous,’ but rather to call sinners to turn to God from their sins.”

33 Next they said to him, “Yochanan’s talmidim are always fasting and davvening, and likewise the talmidim of the P’rushim; but yours go on eating and drinking.” 34 Yeshua said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? 35 The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; and when that time comes, they will fast.” 36 Then he gave them an illustration: “No one tears a piece from a new coat and puts it on an old one; if he does, not only will the new one continue to rip, but the piece from the new will not match the old. 37 Also, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the new wine will burst the skins and be spilled, and the skins too will be ruined. 38 On the contrary, new wine must be put into freshly prepared wineskins. 39 Besides that, after drinking old wine, people don’t want new; because they say, ‘The old is good enough.’”

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Jesus Christ broke into our time, and this has changed everything. This change can be both scary and uncomfortable. The Pharisees were very uncomfortable with message and methods. They could not understand why Jesus would defile himself by eating with sinners, and why He rejected some of the rituals and traditions they held so precious.
Jesus however, came preaching a kingdom that was not controlled by empty rituals, but was centered on the salvation and new life He came to bring. Holiness was shown to be stronger than sin. That is why Jesus could feast with sinners. Sinners were being made holy by Him. Rituals were only useful as far as they were being fulfilled in Christ. If Jesus was present, there was feasting. His absence called for fasting and seeking Him. This new time could not be contained by the old wine skins, the old ways of doing things.
We need to focus on Christ to know what worship means. Jesus changes our relationship towards our world. We live in difficult times, but we are confident because Christ broke into time. This changes everything. He holds time in His hands and His purposes will prevail.

Hymn for Today: "I Love to Walk with Jesus" by Charles F. Weigle

1. O I love to walk with Jesus

Like the publicans of old,

When He gathered them about Him

And the blessèd tidings told;

How He came to bring deliverance

To the captives in distress,

Take away our ev’ry burden,

Giving perfect peace and rest.

Refrain: I will follow where He leadeth;

I will pasture where He feedeth.

I will follow all the way, Lord.

I will follow Jesus ev’ry day.

2. O I love to walk with Jesus

Like the man of long ago

Who had tarried by the wayside

Near the gates of Jericho,

Jesus heard his cry for mercy,

Gave him back his sight that day,

And immediately he followed

Jesus all along the way.

Refrain: I will follow where He leadeth;

I will pasture where He feedeth.

I will follow all the way, Lord.

I will follow Jesus ev’ry day.

3. O I love to walk with Jesus

All the way to Calv’ry’s brow,

Gaze upon that scene of suffering

While my tears of sorrow flow.

There He tells me how He loves me—

Takes my ev’ry sin away;

So I follow Him so gladly,

Lead me anywhere He may.

Refrain: I will follow where He leadeth;

I will pasture where He feedeth.

I will follow all the way, Lord.

I will follow Jesus ev’ry day.

4. O sometime I’ll walk with Jesus

In that land of endless day,

When our journey here is over

And we’ve reached our home to stay.

Then I’ll walk with him forever,

Sing His praises o’er and o’er,

And with all the saints in glory

Love, and worship, and adore.

Refrain: I will follow where He leadeth;

I will pasture where He feedeth.

I will follow all the way, Lord.

I will follow Jesus ev’ry day.

Thought for Today: But God demonstrates his own love for us in that the Messiah died on our behalf while we were still sinners.(Romans 5:8)

Please pray: For the protection of volunteers who travel to minister to Eurasia.

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