The purpose is to assist in providing answers to situations we face on a daily basis relating to social conscience, sexuality and religious thought
The mission and ministry is to serve as mediators in our families, church and community as we are empowered by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit
The true story of David and Bathsheba is one for both the perpetrator and the victim.You can see the mercy of God working on behalf of both of them, the perpetrator and the victim.Indeed, his mercy is new every morning for each of us.We do not know the evil that lies within each of us that may one day surface.His strength is made perfect in our weakness.It also provides an illustration of reconciliation, and how it is very relevant for our day and time.
I have no doubt that Bathsheba used her pain as a stepping stone to secure a better future for her son, Solomon, as demonstrated by Nathan when he confronts David with the offense.
Rape is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as the unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent.
This is the reason Bathsheba is referred to as Uriah’s wife because it’s the description of her heart when David seized her from her home.
The issue of the bath that Bathsheba was taking on the rooftop. This was not a routine bath for she was undergoing a purifying ritual after her menstrual cycle as noted in II Samuel 11:4 which reads as follows:
And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
The word washing in Strong’s Concordance is Hebrew 7364 rachats: to wash, wash off or away, bathe as noted in II Samuel 11:2.
The Lineage of Bathsheba
3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
Bathsheba’s lineage tells a lot about the relationship her family had with Saul, and why David both loved and hated her. Not only is Uriah listed as one of David’s mighty men (II Samuel 23:39), but her father is Eliam also spelled Ammiel. Using the cyclopedic index in my bible leads me to II Samuel 9:5 which reads:
5 Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.
It was Bathsheba’s brother who gave refuge to Saul’s family after his death, and David’s subsequent ascension to the throne. Eliam is also listed as the son of Ahithophel in II Samuel 23:34, who was one of David’s counselors, and Bathsheba’s grandfather.
Ahithophel counseled Absalom in II Samuel 16:21 to take his father’s concubines, which he did in the sight of all Israel. Could it be that Ahithophel sought revenge for the way Bathsheba was treated by David?
Looking at II Samuel 11:26-27 Bathsheba was given time to grieve for Uriah, and was immediately taken to David’s house where he married her, and bore the child. In II Samuel 12:14 Nathan tells David that because of his behavior, he has given the great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, and the child will die. It was after the death of the child that David goes into comfort Bathsheba. The only comfort a victim wants from a perpetrator is “I apologize, please forgive me.” In II Samuel 12:24 she is now David’s wife.
To view the entire sermon visit my YouTube Channel or you may order the message from the Breadbox Bookstore at (310) 516-1433. Also please subscribe to me here on Blogger, and leave a comment.
May you grow in the nature of Christ in Jesus name, amen.
By Bishop Noel Jones delivered Sunday, March
20, 2016
at the City Of Refuge in Gardena, California
In
St. Matthew's Gospel Chapter 21 and one of the difficult thing is to speak on an occasion such as Easter and Palm Sunday and, deal with the issues of the
occasion and still be relevant for the contemporary circumstance and
situation that surrounds each one of our lives.
The
difficulty is how do I honor the occasion, but at the same time stay
relevant for the benefit of those who might not even understand what the
occasion is about because everybody who is within the parameters of the walls isn't
necessarily churched to the extent where they understand the ramifications of
the occasion. So it is significant then that somehow in the presentation God
has to help you to cover the tradition, and at the same time affect the
circumstances that exist in the lives of each one of of
us on a day-to-day basis. So with that in mind we're going to attempt by
the grace of God to do both. I would like for you to go to Matthew 21.
"1 And when they drew nigh unto
Jerusalem, and were come to Bethpage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus
two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over
against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her:
loose them, and bring them unto me.
Now,
the audacity of Jesus to send two disciples, didn't send them straight to the
house to inquire of the owner, and then ask of the owner could they have his
donkey, and the donkey's baby. But he sends them to get the donkey, and then he
says:
"3 And if any man say ought unto
you,"
That's
interesting when I think about this. I think about them breaking the roof off
the man's house to lower the man sick with the palsy, and its interesting
that Jesus didn't say anything about them tearing the man's roof down. It would
seem like, why are you tearing the man's roof down? You shouldn't be tearing
the man's roof down. Who is going to pay for this roof? Nobody said anything. The
audacity and the boldness of Jesus again suggests, who he is. You have to
assess who he is. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. So if I
want a donkey, go over there and get that donkey because the donkey does not
belong to the man, it belongs to me.
"3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye
shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway" That's
the common word in Mark, and Matthew is using it here. "and straightway he will send them.
4 All this was done, that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King
cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus
commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put
on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their
garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them
in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and
that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that
cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."
Look
at that person beside you with all the ebullience you can muster, with all the
energy you can find, look them dead in the face and tell 'em, "The Lord
hath need of thee” Congregational Response: The Lord hath need of thee. That
didn't sound too ebullient, with much energy. That sounded real anemic. Amen,
you scared of that person beside you? Look 'em in the face and tell 'em,
"The Lord hath need of thee." Congregational Response: The Lord hath
need of thee." Yes, sounds better now.
There
are certain things, and I had run across the most wonderful Old Testament
scripture that struck me right in the face because I had been reading in that
scripture for a long time and never did see that, and it was Jehoshaphat of
course, and Jehoram who, the son of Ahab, who didn't follow the idolatrous attitude
of his father, but he followed the sin of Jeroboam. And Elijah was called upon
to prophesy. Jehoshaphat said, "Is there a prophet here?" They were
going against the Moabites. And he said, "Is there a prophet in this place
that can prophesy to us?" And someone said, "Yes, there's
Elijah" But Elijah did not like the king of Israel, and he said to him,
"If it wasn't for Jehoshaphat being here I wouldn't even look at you"
And then he prophesied, they sent for the minstrel. This is II
Kings 3:15, they sent for the minstrel, the minstrel played and he prophesied and
when he prophesied, he told them that there was water, some ditches be some
water 'cause there's stuff needed. And then he said, and this is where I liked,
this is just a little thing for the Lord.
So
that's what I intended to come in here with today, but as I was traveling, I
got a text from a young man who is preaching in the city, and he asked me about this text,
and I spent an hour and a half, trying to convince him of the text, and so the
machinations of my mind was so completely taken by this text that I could not
switch it to go back to what I had, so you're stuck with this.
There
are certain things to consider in the text that is interesting because we're
trying to figure out the relationship or the significance of a contemporary
view of the donkey or the ass, and the fact that Jesus could have come in on a
stallion, an Arabian horse, but he chose to come in, in a very meek and lowly,
in a very modest way by choosing an ass.
And
it would seem to me that that dynamic becomes significant because he knew who
he is, and he didn't need to have come in any more glamorously because he was very
conscience of who he is. And it becomes significant for us in a contemporary
environment to realize that it is not our surroundings or what we have, what we
wear, what we drive that gives us any significance about who we are. Many times
we are enamored by the outward circumstance, and the floss, and the flaunt to
give us a sense of importance. But Jesus did not need to come in on a stallion
because he knew who he is. I think sooner or later we have got to come to the
place where we stop feeling like we have got to impress everybody or impress
anybody. Because oftentimes it bites into our self-esteem when we're put in a
place where we feel like we have got to overcome everybody's conceptualization of
who we are, and fail to understand that there's peace and comfort when you see
yourself in the proper light, and understand that nothing around you
embellishes or gives significance to who you are. Because who you are does not
come from the outside, but rather from the inside. So ultimately you can move everything
from around me, and I'll still be me because my strength is not in cars, in
houses, in clothes, in shoes, but my strength is in the fruit of the Holy
Spirit. I think it is importantto understand secondly, just in opening that it is a gracefor him to even choose the donkey. And when I say the Lord has need of thee, you don't have to be a stallion for him to use you, you can just be an ass.
To hear the rest of the message, please view my YouTube Channel or you may purchase the entire message from the Bookstore at NoelJones.org or call nationwide (800) 526-6635 or the Breadbox Bookstore at (310) 516-1433. You may also download the City Of Refuge/Noel Jones Ministries church app.
May you grow in the nature of Christ in Jesus name, amen.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there wan no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
7 He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murders, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
My heart is saddened because of the tragedy at the historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina where Rev. Clementa Pinckney served as pastor and state senator, and was one of the victims. Click here for more information on Rev. Pinckney and how he ministered in his community. It is also a reminder that amid our sorrow and pain, there is much work to do for transformation to occur on earth first with our individual selves, and then with each other. The new Jerusalem is being developed in each of us who believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and who are filled with his life through the Holy Spirit.
Father, we love and adore you. Thank you for the comfort of the Holy Spirit for all families who mourn for their loved ones. Thank you for peace that passes all understanding in Jesus name, amen.
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint (assign) to them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But you shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: you shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall you boast yourselves.
In order to achieve the new Jerusalem on earth I must consult resources already developed by Dr. Myles Munroe. In the book The Spirit Of Leadership, he lists the following attitudes for leaders.
The Leader's Beattitudes
The Spirit Of Resilience - the ability to see failure as temporary and a necessary step to success.
The Spirit Of Courage - the ability to transform one's fear into a motivator for action and change.
The Spirit Of Patience - a belief in the potential of change and the ability to wait for it.
The Spirit Of Compassion - a sensitivity to the worth of others.
The Spirit Of Self-Value - a belief in one's importance to the world.
The Spirit Of Self-Confidence - a trust in one's inherent abilities.
The Spirit Of Perseverance - the ability never to give up or surrender to the context of a situation.
The Spirit Of Strategic Thinking - the ability to plan rather than panic.
The Spirit Of Time Management - the conscious application of time to goals.
The Spirit Of High Tolerance For Diversity - a belief in the beauty and strength of variety.
The Spirit Of Self-Competition - the practice of never comparing oneself to others but only with what one has been or done before.
Father, we delight ourselves in the way, the truth, and the life of the new Jerusalem on earth in Jesus name, amen.
18 The Lord has chastened me sore: but he has not given me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord:
20 This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise thee: for you have heard me, and are become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23 This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.
27 God is the Lord, who has shown us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you: you are my God, I will exalt you.
29 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever.
Father, thank you for the light of your glorious gospel shining in and through us. Thank you our hearts are ever open to receive from you. Thank you for the new Jerusalem on earth. Thank you we are bound with cords of love that cannot be broken in Jesus name, amen.
