Matthew 18:10

Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 29^th & 30^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

What the church reclaims in the city is the priority of the child, as the hands of Jesus placed on children to bless and to pray.

Zechariah 8:9

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets said who were present when the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD Almighty.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 29^th & 30^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Zechariah speaks from the very early chronology of Temple-building, not at the time when city building is even in view. He speaks “ahead of the curve,” as it were, in order to remind Judah that the completion of the Temple isn’t the end of the program.

Zechariah 8:4-5

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”

From Background Notes [BN] for June 29^th & 30^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Then the prophet reads the mind of his audience: Isn’t such a future for restored Jerusalem nearly

impossible? “Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me?”

 

Nehemiah 2:12

I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 29^th & 30^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Nehemiah did what he did because “God had put [it] into [his] heart.” In the Hebrew, the text literally says “God gave to my heart [what] to do for Jerusalem…” God’s leaders rely on the gift He places in their hearts in order to carry out the work He assigns them to do.

Isaiah 5:8-9

Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The LORD Almighty has declared in my hearing: "Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 29^th & 30^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Here is urban monopoly and gentrification to the nth degree. Equally graphic are portraits of cities like Babylon that serve as a metaphor for any city:

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

From Pastor Wangler’s June 14th blog post:

My prayer is that God will give me the courage to go in, to go deeper, to embrace the struggle and head into the fight.

1 John 4:18

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

From Pastor Wangler’s June 14th blog post:

Critical thresholds can hold paralyzing fear. Every leader has to pass through them to become who God destined them to become. So do churches. Far too many times the church doesn’t go forward because leaders lack the courage to lead forward.

Joshua 24:15

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

From Pastor Wangler’s June 14th blog post:

I do know I’ve reflected on the “threshold moment” when difficult situations arose, and difficult decisions had to be made. I’ve thought about my Father when making ministry decisions that crossed a threshold and could easily have cost me my job, but that were the right thing to do.

Isaiah 35:3-4

Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

From Pastor Wangler’s June 14th blog post:

That night, I remember lying in bed at 809 Central in Tilton, Illinois thinking about the day. I was flooded with two emotions; pride and shame… Shame, because I stayed outside when he went inside. Dad never said a word to me about it, and I doubt if he ever thought about it, but I did. I was afraid. I hated that feeling…

Isaiah 41:12-13

Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

From Pastor Wangler’s June 14th blog post:

That night, I remember lying in bed at 809 Central in Tilton, Illinois thinking about the day. I was flooded with two emotions; pride and shame. Pride, because my Dad was brave. I saw it. I watched it. No one ever called him a hero, but they should have. He was there. He was willing.

1 Corinthians 7:39 (NIV)

A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NIV)

To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV)

Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Corinthians 5:11 (NIV)

But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.

John 16:7-9

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me;

From Background Notes [BN] for June 8^th & 9^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Through the Spirit, the Voice takes the up the cause of the kingdom, and in so doing engages in the following: “Prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.”

Zephaniah 3:2

It has listened to no voice; it has accepted no correction. It has not trusted in the LORD; it has not drawn near to its God.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 8^th & 9^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In the last text above we have the common ingredients for this week’s study in the phrases: “Listened to no Voice” in conjunction with “accepted no correction.”

Revelation 2:14

But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and practice fornication.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 8^th & 9^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

We could say that Balaam commoditized the divine Word, treating it like merchandise to be received freely and sold at a price. Had he succeeded in manipulating the Word as a sorcerer might, cursing rather than blessing Israel, there was no doubt a bonus in the bargain with Balak. Failing that, he collected his pay, and then went on to a new project, less direct, more oblique, to tempt God’s people in subtler ways.

Numbers 22:13 (NIV)

The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”

From Background Notes [BN] for June 8^th & 9^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

A word of caution here. Before we conclude that Balaam is this really spiritual man, let’s not forget the nature of his business. He is a soothsayer, a paid contractor who listens to the Voice with his own agenda in mind.

Numbers 22:4-5a

The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land.

From Background Notes [BN] for June 8^th & 9^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Since Moab had no stomach for battle, the king decided to pay a preacher to give a really good sermon against the advancing the Israelite “horde” (see 22:4).