Washington Cruize In

Faces were smiling; arms were waving; candy was flying; cars were cruising.  It was a gorgeous evening in Washington, Indiana as the cruise in passed our spot on Warren and Donna Keller's front lawn.  We had good company all around with church friends and the cars were marvelous works of art.  I was blessed to shoot 332 of the cars (missing around 20 or so as I "helped" with candy and kids).  Contact me if you would like me to send you a high resolution image of your car in the parade. 
Here's the slideshow of all the photos I took. 

 

And here is my fav!  I'm a sucker for '69 camaros since my dad owned one when I was a kid.  Enjoy the photos!

The Comma Johanneum

For those looking for more information on 1 John 5:7-8 as mentioned in my sermon today, you can go to a quick easy reference here:
https://bible.org/article/textual-problem-1-john-57-8

Here is an excerpt from the website:
"This longer reading is found only in eight late manuscripts, four of which have the words in a marginal note.  Most of these manuscripts (2318, 221, and [with minor variations] 61, 88, 429, 629, 636, and 918) originate from the 16th century; the earliest manuscript, codex 221 (10th century), includes the reading in a marginal note which was added sometime after the original composition. Thus, there is no sure evidence of this reading in any Greek manuscript until the 1500s; each such reading was apparently composed after Erasmus’ Greek NT was published in 1516."

Living Lesson: The Air Up There

Remember that 1994 feel good movie staring Kevin Bacon "The Air Up There"?  Back then we thought 10-12 feet was high. 

Today Gabriel, Ethan, and Isaac Moeller were blessed to ride with Dave Schwartz and Jack Miles in our first ever small plane ride.  For the three boys this was a first plane trip experience and for me I learned that riding in a small plane isn't that different than a jumbo jet.  Unless of course your pilot decides to bank a full 90 degrees over your church building to give you a better view.

 We were so high up and could see so much going on in the city below us.  It was amazing for myself and the boys.  We could even see my wife, Ashley, vigorously waving in the yard below us on this grand adventure. There was so much to see and so much going on, we just couldn't take it all in quick enough.  I'm grateful I videotaped and photographed at the same time so I can review it later!

Yet this is what God sees every single day and then some.  How does He keep His brain from 'splodin' as He takes in all the business on the earth below?  I don't know, but I'm grateful to have a God that has it all figured out.  The Air Up There reminded me today of just how great our God is!

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9

Waiting was worth it.

Washington Church of Christ and my home.

All smiles after our flight!

Living Lessons: Priceless Thoughts

Living Lessons:  Priceless Thoughts
By: Christopher Wiles

Every time I get Micah out of his crib from a long night's sleep or nap, he gives me a smile.  I love that two-toothed grin that opens up as wide as the day is long. There are so many things that I love about all my children and I've often spent time in my head and effort in my hand remembering and recording them.

I love Micah's energy as he's bouncing up and down on his crib mattress.  I love how he plays the bashful game and hides his face sometimes when he sees me.  I love how he tugs on my pant legs wanting to be held high so he can see the world.  I love his blue eyes and blond hair which are signature marks the he is our child.  I love teaching him new things like how to wave and say "Hi".  I love how strong and healthy he is as we put on his 24month clothes at only 9 months of age.  I love how he frequently listens when I tell him "No" pulling back his hand from forbidden objects.

I love the beautiful baby he was.  I love the budding toddler that he is.  I love man that he will one day become.

I don't have to think long and hard to enjoy priceless thoughts about any of my children.  They come easy to a dad here on earth.  I'll wager they come even easier to our Father in heaven.

Read this passage from Psalm 139:17-18a (NIrV) with a new purpose today.  "God, your thoughts about me are priceless.  No one can possibly add them all up.  If I could count them, they would be more than the grains of sand."  As many priceless thoughts as I have about my children, your Father in heaven has a million times more about you.

Take comfort in knowing you do have a father who loves you, knows you, and cares for you today.

David and Bathsheba - 2 Samuel 11

2^nd Samuel 11:1-10

“David & Bathsheba”

11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her.She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”
22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate.24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”
25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

The Big Picture – Context of 2 Samuel 9

o    David crowned king over Judah (2 Sam 2:1-6)

o    Unrest between Judah & Israel (2 Sam 2:7-4:12)

o    David crowned over all Israel (2 Sam 5:1-5)

o    David brings the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6)

o    Glory of David’s Kingship (2 Sam 7-9)

o    David’s Kingship Weakness & Failure (2 Sam 10-20)

Context Timeline

1025 BC – David anointed

1010 BC – Death of Saul & Jonathon – David is king

999 BC – Solomon born

1001 BC – David & Bathsheba

1003 BC – David king of Jerusalem.

 

Questions about the Text

1.      Who is Bathsheba?  Consider her description and 2 Sam 23:34-39, 1 Kings 1:13-28.

2.      What is the punishment for David & Bathsheba’s transgression according to Leviticus 20:10? 

3.      What is the punishment for David’s transgression against Uriah in Numbers 35:33-34? 

4.      Compare Numbers 35:31 with Matt 20:28 and 1 Tim 2:6. 

5.      How long did the siege against Rabbah take?  2 Sam 12:26

6.      How could a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14) commit these sins?

7.    List all the sins David committed in chapter 11.    

8.   How is Bathsheba portrayed in this video series?  How does that compare with what you read in our text.