Something Greater

Established Forever! I don't long to be ruled by a king. In my social studies class in high school, I was never drawn to the idea of a monarchy or an empire. I considered such forms of government to be oppressive, impractical, and impersonal. My first year of college brought me into close contact with people much different than I...different skin color, different social rules, different spiritual journeys. The only constant preference that drew us together was the fervent belief in democracy, in representative government, in collaboration and the right of the individual. I became a Christian during that first year of college. It was an inexplicable change of heart and mind that I often wonder at even today. The foundational truths of this new faith were to be found in The Holy Bible, which often referred to God as "King of kings, Lord of lords." "I charge you in the presence of God...he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of

The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part Four: A Mother in Anguish My Name Does Not Matter "You do not want to be God's enemy." Note: The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part One introduced a story of faith, love and salvation, told through the lives of two remarkable women: Deborah and Jael. Part Two imagined Deborah telling her story, as if she were speaking to us all now, face-to-face. Part Three focused on the story of Jael, a woman living in the same region as Deborah, but in very different circumstances. Jael's story was not epic, and it was not pretty. But it was ruthless in its honesty and in its pursuit of what matters most to a person. These women remind us that God desires that we fully rely upon what he says, God desires that we fully love what God loves, and hate and what God hates, and God desires that we fully live with him. But there was a third woman in the story...a woman who is not named...a woman who did not love what God loves. This wo

The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part Three: Jael My Name is Jael "Trust God and deal ruthlessly with enemies." Note: The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part One introduced a story of faith, love and salvation, told through the lives of two remarkable women: Deborah and Jael. Actually, the story depends as well upon a third woman, unnamed, a mother in anguish. Part Two imagined Deborah telling her story, as if she were speaking to us all now, face-to-face. These women remind us that God desires that we fully rely upon what he says, God desires that we fully love what God loves, and hate and what God hates, and God desires that we fully live with him. Now we will hear from Jael, a woman much different in many ways than Deborah. I've been asked to explain why my story is in the Bible, and how it connects with you all. That's going to be a bit difficult. I was not blind, and I was not a fool. My name means "wild goat", and I risk much to ga

The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part Two My Name is Deborah "Follow God and fight for what he fights". Note: The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part One introduced a story of faith, love and salvation, told through the lives of two remarkable women: Deborah and Jael. Actually, the story depends as well upon a third woman, unnamed, a mother in anguish. Together, these three women remind us that God desires that we fully rely upon what he says, God desires that we fully love what God loves, and hate and what God hates, and God desires that we fully live with him. Here is Deborah's story, told from her viewpoint, as if she were able to speak to us now, face-to-face. I've been asked to explain why my story is in the Bible, and how it connects with you all. That's going to be a bit difficult. I grew up knowing God's promise, that he had chosen us to be his people, and he would settle us in a land of our own, that we would be a blessing for the entire worl

The Story of Deborah and Jael, Part One What if this story were made into a movie? If the Book of Judges were a movie, this would surely be part of the trailer: Judges, Chapter Two: (Judges 2:1, 11-15, 16-19) God chose a people and gave them a promise God's people abandoned him God raised up champions and leaders to rescue his people Judges Chapter Four: Verses 1-3: Twenty years of cruel oppression Verses 4-7: God raised up Deborah, "The Bee", "The Woman of Splendor", to be a judge Verses 14-16: Deborah led an army to victory, killing 10,000 cruel, oppressive enemies Verses 17-20: Jael, "The Wild Goat", faced a dilemma: Sisera - friend or foe? Verses 21-22: Jael makes her choice Judges Chapter Five: Deborah sings A mother wails in anguish What are the lessons learned from this story? God desires that we fully rely upon what he says God desires that we fully love what God loves, and hate what God hates God desires that