World Domination

A series on the Judges of Israel
 – Deborah from the tribe of Ephraim
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Judges 4-5 

[The book of Judges is a roller coaster ride. It’s about the history of Israel following their entry into the Promised Land. Unfortunately, Israel went through cycles of rejecting God and then repenting. Each time, the Lord saved them by raising up a leader who was called a judge. In this series, we will be looking at some of these judges to learn about God’s character as well as our own.]

  

Risk is a board game where winning means world domination. It requires strategic alliances and risky cutthroat moves. The board is a political map of the world that is divided into 42 territories across six continents.

 

Each player starts out with the same number of playing pieces (their army) which they strategically place on the board. From there, you try to capture other territories from your opponents. The goal is to conquer and eliminate all the other players. But in order to win, you have to take risks!

 

In the opening verses of Judges 4, we see Israel's cycle repeating itself. Israel turned from the Lord; the Lord gave them over to Jabin, a Canaanite king who oppressed them for twenty years; Israel cried out to the Lord for help; the Lord sent a judge to deliver them.

 

Deborah was not only the Lord’s judge who led Israel, but also a prophet who settled the disputes of the people. One day, possibly after the people asked her what could be done about Sisera, she sent for Barak with this word from the Lord.

 

^6b “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. ⁷ I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’”                    NIV

 

Even though the Lord promised to give Barak victory over Sisera, he wouldn’t do it unless Deborah came with him. He wouldn’t take the risk. Deborah complied with his demand, but prophesied that a woman would defeat Sisera, not Barak.

 

In the meantime, a spy informed Sisera of Barak’s plans to take his army to Mount Tabor. With this information, Sisera gathered his 900 iron chariots and all his warriors at the Kishon River. With the Jezreel Valley spreading out between the two armies, the stage was set for an epic battle.

 

Chariots were the tanks of the ancient world. So even though Barak had ten thousand fighting men, the Israelites were outmanned. Despite this, upon Deborah’s command, Barak and his army charged Sisera and his chariots, soundly defeating them. How did the Israelites overcome their superior weaponry?

 

God had provided a downpour that caused the Kishon River to overflow its banks making Sisera’s chariots useless in the mud. And when Sisera fled the battlefield and tried hiding in the tent of Jael, the wife of the spy, she killed him by hammering a tent peg through his temple.

 

We may not be in a fight against flesh and blood where we’re overpowered by their weaponry. But we do fight with an even more dangerous enemy. Paul described it as “mighty powers in this dark world”. And Peter gave this warning.

 

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.        NIV

 

Like the game of Risk, the battles we face in life also have great risks, but the rewards are much greater. It’s not for world domination, but for eternal life.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

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How Firm a Foundation

A Series on the parables of Jesus
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 7:13-29 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

In 1978, we bought a house that was literally slanted. During the viewing, our realtor tried to convince us that it wasn’t. But, when my wife laid a marble on the floor, and it rolled from one end of the house to the other… he couldn’t deny it.

 

Otherwise, it was a beautiful house with oak trim everywhere, built-in cabinets and a bay window. Unfortunately, it was built on a landfill, and the foundation was bad. There were huge cracks in the basement walls.

 

This passage in Matthew comes at the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Like any good preacher, he saved the punch line for the end of his sermon. To start with, he gave his listeners this warning.

 

^13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God! —is vigorous and requires total attention.         MSG

 

The ESV translates this as “the gate is wide that leads to destruction” and “the gate is narrow that leads to life”. Those gates are evident with every decision we make and every action we take. We daily choose between life and destruction.

 

To this point, Jesus closed his sermon with the parable of the wise and foolish builders, a parable about building on a solid foundation.

 

^24-25 “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.       MSG

 

Long after we sold our house, it was condemned by the city and demolished. In this parable, Jesus made the assumption that rain, floods and winds - the storms of life - will happen. But he also taught that if you build your house - your life - on the Rock, then you will withstand the storms of life.

 

It may not be pretty. In fact, it may very messy. But in the end, Jesus is always faithful, and his Word is eternal. How firm a foundation is not a question, but a statement.

 

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!

What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

 

***

¹⁵ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

                                                                                                Matthew 11 NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

Miracle at Sea

A Series on the parables of Jesus
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Matthew 24:36-51 

[During the first century, it was common for a rabbi to use parables when teaching their disciples. The parables of Jesus were stories that he told to illustrate spiritual truth using some element from everyday life. Jesus used seeds, fish, trees, bread - things people could easily relate to – for a “teachable moment”.]

  

“In 1941, before America was at war with Germany, a German raider sank the Egyptian liner Zamzam in the South Atlantic. On board of the vessel were more than 120 American missionaries, among them Mrs. Lillian Danielson and her six children.” - From the book “Miracle at Sea”

 

This book is written by Eleanor Anderson, the oldest daughter of Lillian. In it, the author describes her mother as a woman “whose calm faith and quiet common sense kept her six children alive during the harrowing thirty days aboard the Dresden, a German prison ship”.

 

In Matthew 24, Jesus prophesied that the temple would be destroyed. The disciples privately asked him “when will this happen”. His answer? It’s a secret. Only the Father knows.

 

Jesus expanded on this by reminding them about Noah.

 

³⁷ “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. ³⁸ In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat.”  

Jesus then said to his disciples: ⁴² “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.”                NLT

 

Instead of focusing on when future events would come to pass, Jesus focused on how to live in the moment. With this in mind, he told his disciples the parable of the faithful servant.

 

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶ It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.                        NIV

 

By all accounts, Lillian Danielson was an amazing woman, a truly faithful servant. She had no idea what was about to happen to her and her six young children. But when it did, she was ready. 

She remained faithful to Jesus through it all - the attack, being in the open waters of the Atlantic, surviving without proper nourishment and protecting her children.

The truth is, we’re all called to be faithful, even when life is difficult. When you have a still born; when you’re struggling in your marriage; when your world seems to be crumbling around you; when it doesn’t seem like God is with you – be faithful.

 

***

¹⁵ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!

                                                                                                Matthew 11 NLT

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

  

Two of the missionaries that were aboard the Zamzam during the attack were Rev. Robert Williams and his wife Lenora. They were my uncle and aunt who were going to Africa for the very first time with the Grace Brethren Church. They eventually made it and served for thirty-five years as “faithful servants”.

 

 

 

Too Good to be True

A Series on Living in the Wilderness: Part 2
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Luke 1:5-25; 67-80

[This is Part 2 in a series of looking at people who lived in the wilderness. Not necessarily the wilderness of nature, but the wilderness of life. In fact, there are times when we all feel like we are living in the wilderness. During those times, it’s important to remember that the Lord is faithful. That He loves you and is always with you.]

My Dad used to say that if something sounded too good to be true, it probably was. On several occasions, my wife and I have attended travel presentations that promised “too good to be true” benefits. Every time resulted in unmet expectations.

 

The angel Gabriel promised Zechariah something that sounded too good to be true.

 

Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth was unable to have children. And, even though they are described as “righteous in the sight of God”, to be childless in their culture was a disgrace. You were thought to be out of God’s favor, possibly even due to sin. No doubt they felt disappointment at best; anger and shame at worse.

 

Zechariah was a member of the priestly order of Abijah. When it was his order’s turn to provide services at the temple, he was chosen by lot to burn incense in the Holy Place. It was here that Gabriel appeared to him and made these promises.

 

¹³ But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John... ¹⁵ for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. ¹⁶ And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.                 NLT

 

Wow! It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? That’s what Zechariah thought too. After all, they were not only childless, but very old. He doubted and questioned the angel’s authority and ability to make good on such amazing promises.

 

Keep in mind that Zechariah had been a priest his whole life. He knew all the rules and rituals inside and out. In fact, he was really good at obeying the Lord’s rules, but not so good at a personal relationship.

 

You’d think that being in the Holy Place, in the very presence of the Lord; that he would be receptive, if not expectant, to hear from the Lord. But he wasn’t.

 

Consequently, Gabriel made Zechariah mute until his son was born. As a result, he lived in a wilderness of silence for the next nine months. But even before that, Zechariah had been living in a wilderness of religious rules and rituals. He was spiritually dried up and lifeless from the daily routine and life’s unmet expectations.

 

Like Zechariah, there are times when I feel like I’m in a wilderness of religious routine; like the Lord doesn’t speak to me or isn’t working. Zechariah spoke these prophetic words in response to the birth of his son John. Words that are still true today.

 

⁶⁸ “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has visited and redeemed his people.
⁶⁹ He has sent us a mighty Savior
    from the royal line of his servant David,
⁷⁰ just as he promised
    through his holy prophets long ago.   NLT

It turns out that the Lord’s promises to Zechariah weren’t “too good to be true”. In fact, his promise to you and me of a personal Savior in Jesus who loves, forgives and is always with us… isn’t “too good to be true” either.

 

Copyright 2022 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

A Lifetime of Being Faithful

A Series on Women in the Bible

 (Use the link below to read the verses.)

Luke 1:5-25; 1:39-45

[God worked in and through the lives of countless women in the Bible. These women played significant, if not critical roles in the Lord’s plan of Redemption. In this series, we will look at the faithfulness of some of these God fearing women.]

 

 

Father Greg Romanski

Greg Romanski and I grew up about a block apart from each other in Orchard Hills, a subdivision of St. Louis, Michigan. I have many fond memories of Greg as we were the best of friends for many years.

 

That is, until his junior year of high school when he moved to a Catholic school that was about thirty-five miles away. It was his first step to becoming a priest. After that, we visited each other a few times, but otherwise, it has been about fifty years. I had planned to visit him this summer, until I read that he had passed away.

 

By all accounts, Greg had served the Lord faithfully for decades. Although he had his shortcoming, and he wasn’t rich or famous; he did touch the lives of countless people, and loved God. You can’t ask for more than that.

 

The same seems to be true of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Her story unfolds like this.

 

⁶ Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations. ⁷ They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to conceive, and they were both very old.   NLT

 

On one occasion when Zachariah was serving as a priest, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and promised that he, and his wife Elizabeth, would have a child. As unbelievable as this promise was, it came true.

 

²⁴ After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ²⁵ “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”         NIV

 

Luke 1 weaves together the stories of Mary, who gave birth to Jesus, and Elizabeth who gave birth to John. Both of them were pregnant when the following interaction took place.

 

⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear…

⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”       NIV

 

Like Elizabeth, we too will be blessed if we believe that the Lord will fulfill his promises to us. The promise to always love us; to always be with us; to always be faithful to His word. Therefore, let us live a lifetime of being faithful; like my friend Greg.

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

Father Greg and his brother Jim

Rev. Gregory Romanski, a Catholic priest for 43 years, died on Good Friday, April 10, 2020 in Austin at the age of 71. He was born on February 10, 1949 in Alma, Michigan to Alex J. and Helen L. Romanski. Rev. Romanski attended Villanova University and Washington Theology University.
                                                                             
Rev. Romanski was ordained for the Paulist Fathers on May 14, 1977 and served in parishes in New York City and Greensboro, North Carolina before coming to Austin in 1989. He was affectionately known as Father Greg by his parishioners. 

 

 

 

The Strong Silent Type

A Series on Women in the Bible
 (Use the link below to read the verses.)
Judges 4:1-9

[God worked in and through the lives of countless women in the Bible. These women played significant, if not critical roles in the Lord’s plan of Redemption. In this series, we will look at the faithfulness of some of these God fearing women.]

  

When I was growing up, TV shows and movies were filled with the strong silent type. Men like John Wayne, Randolph Scott and Gary Cooper. These men were unflappable, unafraid and undeniable. Nothing could stand in their way.

 

The ancient Middle Eastern culture was similar to this. Men, who were the strong silent type, were the norm. Among them was Moses, who led Israel to the brink of entering the Promised Land, and Joshua, who finished the job.

 

But Israel was not just to inhabit the Promised Land, they were to conquer it. You see, the Promised Land belonged to someone else. People who had their own history, culture, customs and gods that they worshiped. And, they weren’t ready to give all those things up; not without a fight!

 

And when the people of Israel lived among those who they were supposed to have conquered, they adopted their customs and culture. They intermarried and worshipped their gods. In short, they turned their backs on the God of their Fathers. In order to lead them back to Him, the Lord sent judges.

 

This is the context and the culture when Deborah became the judge, leader and prophet of Israel. It was her job to lead the people back to the Lord. But what would it take for a woman to break through a cultural wall like this? To step into the world of the “strong silent type”, and rule with authority?

 

⁴ Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. ⁵ She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.         NIV

 

The name Deborah means “bee”; like a honey bee. According to my NIV study Bible, “Deborah dispensed the sweetness of justice as she held court, not in a city gate where male judges sat, but under the shade of a honey tree.”

 

Although she wasn’t a warrior, she called on Barak, whose name meant “thunderbolt”, to lead the battle against Sisera and the Canaanites. She even accompanied him into their victorious battle. This was a major step in defeating the Canaanites. As a result, Deborah brought peace to Israel.

 

³¹ “Lord, may all your enemies die like Sisera!
    But may those who love you rise like the sun in all its power!”

Then there was peace in the land for forty years.        NLT

 

The Lord works in unexpected ways. In a culture dominated by leaders of the strong silent male types, He chose Deborah. In a world filled with conflict and chaos, He didn’t choose a warrior, He chose Deborah. In a time when Israel had wandered from the Lord, He chose a woman to lead them back to Him.

The Lord takes ordinary people, and has them accomplish extraordinary, unexpected things. How is the Lord at work in your life in unexpected ways?

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

 

The Eleventh Hour

 

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:17-19

 [Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

Life is full of tests. The important question about tests though, is not whether you pass or fail, but how do you handle them.

 

My wife taught school for twenty-three years, and we always depended on her job for our health insurance. When she decided to retire though, there was a deadline of September 30 when the health insurance would run out.

 

She spent the whole summer looking for a job without success. Finally, at the eleventh hour, when panic was beginning to set in, she got a job that would start on October 1. And, unlike most jobs, the health insurance kicked in immediately.

 

Abraham had a lifetime of tests, to many of which, he did not respond well. But, there seemed to be no end to God’s faithfulness as time and again He would reiterate the promise of descendants. However, most of us will never face the final test that Abraham did.

 

² Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”            NIV

 

On that mountain, Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son. He stacked the wood, bound Isaac on top of it, took the knife in his hand and raised it to kill him.  It was literally at the eleventh hour when the Lord provided another sacrifice.

 

¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”         NIV

 

Besides health insurance, the Lord has provided a wife and daughter who have stood beside me during my darkest hours; a church family who supported us when we had our still born; financial support for my twenty-five year career in faith ministry; a retirement portfolio when I never had a 401-k.

 

What is your mountain? Tests, trials, adversity… we all have them. It’s a part of living. But the Lord will provide even when you are in the middle of a seemingly hopeless situation. And like Abraham, we are to live by faith, and trust in the faithfulness of the Lord and His promises.

 

Too Good to be True

A Series on Living by Faith
(Use the link below to read the verses.)

Genesis 12:1-9; Hebrews 11:8-10 

[Hebrews 11 is a recounting of the Heroes of the Faith. Even though they never saw what they had been promised, each person is commended for living “by faith”. At the end of these commendations, Hebrews 12 tells us, “Therefore, because you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses… throw off sin; run with perseverance; fix your eyes on Jesus”. In other words, live “by faith”.]

  

My Dad used to say, “If something sounds too good to be true… it probably is”. Turns out, he was a pretty smart man. My wife and I enjoy traveling, and in the past we’ve been a sucker for a sales pitch involving travel.

 

During a vacation to Mexico, we were promised a $200 voucher for a day trip of our choice. All we had to do was sit through a “brief presentation” at a new resort. We were told the whole thing would take only two hours; no pressure. Four hours later, with a knot in my stomach, they finally relented to our repeated answer of “NO”!

 

We’re not the only ones who are a sucker for a promise. It turns out that Abram was susceptible to a promise of something that sounded too good to be true. All he had to do was move to Canaan.

 

The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a land that I am going to show you. ² I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing.        NLT

 

Funny how the Lord didn’t mention the people who already lived there; who would need to be displaced in order to inherit the land. Nor did the Lord mention the impending famine; Abram’s conflict with Lot; having a child with his servant and the resulting family strife; and, when Abram finally did have a son of his own, the request to sacrifice him. Yes, it sounded too good to be true.

 

When I think back on my own life to when I made my decision to follow the Lord… there were promises. However, with them, the Lord didn’t tell me that living by faith would include struggles and sacrifice; pain and suffering. He didn’t tell me about our still born baby, or the multiple miscarriages; or pulling us out by the roots from a lifetime in Michigan to move to Ohio.

 

As believers in the Living God, we live by faith in His promises, and based on who He is; His character. You don’t need to know everything that lies ahead. You don’t need to know about the pain and suffering that the future holds. You don’t need to know about the temptations and trials that are around the corner.

 

 Let us live like Abraham did. Let us live by faith in what we do not see.

 

⁸ It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. ⁹ And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. ¹⁰ Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God. NLT

 

A Bill of Goods

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Genesis 12:1-9

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2012%3A1-9&version=NIV;NLT

[Preface: How do you know what your calling in life is? Will you know from a big bang experience? Or will it come quietly, almost imperceptible? Will you be inspired by the stories of a visiting missionary; or a book that opens your eyes to the needs of a specific people group; or from your own life experience? This series is about God’s call to ministry for your life; what it means or doesn’t mean.]

Have you ever felt like somebody sold you a bill of goods? I have. And when it happens, I’m always reminded of something my Dad used to say, “If something sounds too good to be true; it probably is”.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

² “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”                NIV

These verses in Genesis are titled, “The call of Abram”. However, it seems like the Lord could have sold Abram a “bill of goods”. Now, before you accuse me of being a heretic, think about it for a minute.

Imagine Abram making a list of pros and cons while trying to decide if this is truly God’s will for his life to uproot his family and go to Canaan.

On the con side are all the risk factors: He would have to leave his Father and all his relatives; his home; and all that was familiar to him. He was already a fairly wealthy man and risked losing all of that. Plus he had never visited Canaan and had no idea what the people were like. It was a huge unknown risk.

On the pro side are all the benefits: The Lord’s promises seemed to indicate that he would gain even more wealth, fame, land and descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; enough to become a nation.

On the unknown future side are all the events that waited for Abram: There would be many hardships and tests that Abram would face. These included famine, conflict, decades of infertility and a test of Abram’s faith to sacrifice his only son.

The truth is, none of us knows what the future holds. So, if you believe that the Lord is calling you to do something, don’t be afraid of the risks. Don’t doubt and think that He is trying to sell you a bill of goods. But remember that the Lord is faithful. He loves you and is always with you.

That may sound too good to be true, but it’s not.