May 8

According to Biblical sources, Eli was a good and pure man. He acted as priest and judge in Israel for over 40 years. Yet, what we read in 1 Samuel 2 is not the telling of such a man. It’s the ultimate undoing  of a weak and wavering man.  This is the story of man who had lost the fear of a God whom he once love and adored. It is very sobering and important to note what transpires in the heart of a man whose heart becomes void of the fear of God. Let’s read verses 22-29 again and see exactly what happens based on the life of Eli. #1 -We lose our love and concern for people. One of the primary functions of a priest is to act as the mediator between man and God. We see in verse one that although Eli knew of the harmful affect his son’s sin were having on the people, he didn’t feel it was necessary to remove them from their position of authority. Instead, he allowed the people to become vulnerable to the perverse ways of religious men. #2-We exploit people for our own pleasure and gain. We can see from verses twenty-two and twenty-nine that Eli and his sons personally profited from sincere sacrifices the people brought to God. They were stealing what was God’s and saw nothing wrong with it! #3-We begin to regard Christ’s sacrifice cheaply. You may say, “Lauryn, now that’s a bit harsh.” But, my friend, it’s the truth. In verse twenty-nine, God asks Eli, “Why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings?” Wow! Eli and his sons had literally come to a place where they regarded the sacrifices and offerings of God as worthless. God responds to Eli’s sin with just discipline. We can learn from the life of Eli that God will humble those who think “lightly” of Him and take advantage of His people. He will do whatever it takes to bring one in rebellion back to a place of wholeness. Wholeness in Christ and intimacy with him always requires a reverent fear of His glory and honor of His name. Ultimately, Eli’s compromise led to the forfeiting of his destiny, the aborting of his legacy and the loss of God’s provision for him and the generations that followed. May this text provide great encouragement to us as we continue to pursue the God we love and may it serve as a reminder of the great importance God put’s on His honor and house. Be blessed Antioch Church! -Lauryn *Historical information given on Eli was found using the Zondervan Bible Dictionary.

April 18

The Searching Sinner Luke 19:1-10

In verse 3 we notice that while Zacchaeus is very wealthy and successful by the world’s standards, he knew something was missing. Even people today, if they are honest, will eventually admit that there’s more to life than just trying to make money and obtain possessions.

Notice that it doesn’t say that Zacchaeus just wanted to see Jesus. No. He wanted to see who Jesus was. He was drawn to this man who had just given sight to the blind beggar. Zacchaeus had at least two problems that day. The first was that he was a short man. I picture him bouncing up and down on his toes, trying to see above the taller guys in front of him. His second problem was spiritual ­ his sins were keeping him from Jesus. Isaiah 59:2 says that “our iniquities have separated us from God.” Not only was Zacchaeus of short stature, he, like us, was not able to measure up to God’s standards. He came up far short in a spiritual sense of ever entering into a relationship with God. He was short on integrity and tall on sin. Good place to say amen :)

Zacchaeus did not allow anything, not the crowd or his condition, to stand between him and his desire to see the Lord. Jesus took note of Zacchaeus, although we are not told why. He stopped, looked up, called him by name, and told him that He must come to his house. Again we see that while Jesus has set his face toward the Cross, he stops and ministers to a searching sinner. He knew right where Zacchaeus was because He knew all about him­ and He was filled with compassion toward him.

This is how it always happens. Jesus makes the first move by coming to the dead sinner and offering life through Himself. We would never be able to come to Jesus unless He came to us first. The mission of Jesus is very clear: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. Let this devotion today encourage your heart to keep praying for your loved ones that do not know Jesus as their Savior, or that person the Lord has you ministering too. . Jesus is still on a search and save mission.

His Servant,
Shaun Estrada

April 11

Jesus wants followers not fans
#teamJesus
Luke 14:7-35

Fans are finicky. When things are going good for the team we fill the stands and cheer them on. But, when the chips are down we criticize every play. We bad mouth the players and the coach. We talk about the way it used to be. Fans come in frenzies. They feed on the excitement and vanish when the difficult times come.

The sad truth is that many Christians today resemble football fans. They rally around the excitement and they run from the work. They encourage in the good times and criticize when things are not going so well. They fill the pew and wait to be entertained.

Jesus understood this. We find Him on His way to Jerusalem and a crowd has gathered around Him. In fact the Bible says that "great multitudes" were all around Him. When Jesus saw these multitudes He turned and said to them in essence, "I’m not looking for fans; I’m looking for followers."

Jesus is saying to us today what He said to those multitudes in His day. It’s easy to be a fan. Fans are here today and gone tomorrow. Following takes commitment. Following takes sacrifice. Unfortunately the church today is filled with fans rather than followers. We have people in our pews that are fans of the building they gather in. There are those in church today who are fans of the preacher or the worship leader. There are those who are even fans of Jesus, but they have never made the transition to become a follower of Jesus. It is time for us to declare our loyalty. It is time for us to decide if we are going to be a fan or a follower of Jesus Christ.

Shaun Estrada
#followerofChrist

April 10

Joshua 1-2:24

Recently, the underlying theme of my writings have to do with God bringing us into His place of promise. Perhaps the reason for this is because I cannot seem to step away from these passages without being inspired and challenged as I see the parallels in Israel’s struggles and my own. It’s so vital for us not only to read Scripture but to plant ourselves inside the story and try to become carefully acquainted with the each character.

Let’s get acquainted with Joshua.

Joshua was the son of Nun, an Ephraimite. His name means “Jehovah is salvation”. The meaning is a bit ironic when we consider his roots-he was born a slave in Egypt. It became the perfect fit however, because even though Moses led the Israelites to the Promise land, the Lord ordained Joshua to bring them into it. This man was literally the instrument through which God carried out the salvation of Israel! We know that Joshua was Moses’ assistant and that he represented the tribe of Ephraim in spying out the land of Cannaan. He and Caleb were the only men who came back with a good report. And Israelites wanted to stone them for it.

Let’s get inside the story.

1.

Joshua rallies the people together.

In verse 10 we read that Joshua commanded the officers to tell the people to get ready to move into the promise land.Perhaps Israel felt that because they were so close to Canaan that God would allow them to live there with His blessing. Instead, Joshua called them out of the place of compromise and into a place of action. He commanded that they leave behind the old and once again set their focus (and their feet!) towards the promise.

2.

Joshua called upon his brothers.

Joshua knew that the victory of Israel couldn’t happen without all of Israel. Sometimes, we foolishly believe we can overcome our struggles on our own. When we decide to go into battle alone, we leave ourselves exposed to the enemy’s blows. Then we are injured and have no one to cover us and carry us to safety. We must reach for ourbrother’s hand for victory. Joshua had no problem calling upon the “strong warriors” of the other tribes to help him fight.

3.

Joshua sent spies to scout out the land.

Joshua was a planner and strategist. Likewise, must also be strategic in our plan of attack. This strategy involves not only the help of brothers, but the eyes of the trained. We must allow wise believers to “scout” out the strongholds of our lives. Without their insight, our knowledge is limited and we may enter the enemy’s territory unprepared for what’s on the other side.

We know thanks to our Sunday school teachers and the wonders of the flannel board, that Israel conquered Jericho. What was once a fascinating story for a curious child is now a serious call to action. Let us rely on the wisdom and obedience of Joshua for the strength we need to march out of our compromise and into victory.

*All historical information given on Joshua was found using the Zondervan Bible Dictionary.

Warmly,

Lauryn Everett

April 4

Stressed or Blessed?

Luke 10:38-42

"Martha, Martha ," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Life has many distractions that can overwhelm us, even divert us from fully sensing Jesus’ peace and presence. Our scripture gives us a good example for facing life’s obstacles. We can either be Blessed or Stressed. That was the difference between Mary and Martha. Mary was occupied with Jesus and was Blessed, Martha was preoccupied with her situation and was stressed. She was worried and upset about many things, however worry accomplishes little. Proverbs 12:25 says "An anxious heart weighs a man down." That’s all worry accomplishes. It’s like sitting in a rocking chair. Lots of energy used, yet no forward progress.

No matter what our circumstances, we CAN be set free! We may need to adjust our priorities and eliminate some things, which consume our time and clutter our thoughts; but true worship at His feet is worth it ALL. What one thing is needed? The answer is found in Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.

Here is a little wisdom my Dad shared with me for days when I feel more like Martha....

If you want to be distressed -- look within.

If you want to be defeated -- look back.

If you want to be distracted -- look around.

If you want to be dismayed -- look ahead.

If you want to be delivered -- look up too Jesus!

Which will you be? Stressed, or Blessed? Our choice makes all the difference.

Lets be BLESSED!
Shaun Estrada

April 3

Recently, while having a discussion with a group of beautiful young ladies, it was mentioned that it’s very easy for a person to feel that their heart is in the right place. However, once put to the test, their heart’s true condition is revealed.

I was reminded of this truth when reading this story in Luketoday.

The story lists four different characters: a Jewish man, a priest, a temple assistant and a Samaritan. Let’s flip back to the part of passage where the Jewish man has been left for dead on the side of the road. The first man who discovers his condition is the priest. According to Zondervan’s Bible Dictionary, “a priest indicates one who is consecrated and engaged in holy matters.” Surely, this man assumed his heart was in right standing before God. However, when confronted with the filth of life’s harshrealities and the opportunity to make a wrong right, his heart remained unstirred. Instead, his response was to cover his eyes and remove himself from the situation all together by walking on the opposite side of the road.

The second man we see was a temple assistant. In one Bible translation, he is referred to as a “religious man”. In another, he is referred to as a “Levite”. Essentially, this was a man who accompanied the priests in matters that pertained to God’s house and his people. Notice that when this man saw the victim hewalked over to him. It appears that this man was curious and maybe even concerned over the state of the man lying in the road. But, instead of taking action, he withdrew to the opposite side of the road just as the first had.

The third man we read about was a Samaritan. I’m sure many of you have heard some history on the Samaritan. You probablyalready know that Samaritans were descendants of tribes who had intermarried with the Israelites. Let me share some information that I gathered from the Zondervan Bible Dictionary. Did you know that at the time when this story was told, enmity between the Jews and Samaritans was at its peak? In fact, since the post-exilic period the term “Samaritan” has often been used by Jews as an abusive term for “rebel”. Even so, this Samaritan’s heart was stirred for the enemy that layhelplessly before him.

Before I go further, I want to go back again and point out the response of the two men who came before the Samaritan. Remember that when these “good men” saw the disparaged man, they only saw inconvenience and social disgrace. Both men rejected what they saw because they couldn’t deal with the severity of their own heart’s condition. They couldn’t even bear to walk on the same side of the road because it reminded them of the man they had left behind!

On the other side, the Samaritan saw the man and “felt compassion for him.” He “soothed his wounds…and bandaged them.” Then, he delivered him out of the place of his defeat and into a place of restoration.

Friends, let’s ask God to show us what’s really inside, even when it’s painful. Let’s ask Him to place people in our lives andgive us an opportunity to be stirred with compassion and ultimately deliver them into a place of restoration.

Blessings,

Lauryn Everett

March 27

I believe that most Christians are even familiar with the concept of God bringing them not only into saving grace, but a life of abundance while here on this earth. Even so, while reading this passage, parts of it penetrated my heart. I had a difficult time reading past verses one and two because they were so illuminating for me!

These two verses point out that God’s plan for Israel had to do with Him not only bringing them out of Egypt, a house of bondage, but into Canaan, the land of promise. We also see that the land of promise is occupied by Israel’s enemy and God commanded them to rise up and take the land.

As soon as you and I grasp God’s promise for our lives, a battle will quickly ensue. The enemy of our souls doesn’t want our hearts to abide in a place of fruitful abundance. The enemy of our souls doesn’t want to give up a single inch of territory.

Perhaps there are enemies in your own life that you feel are unshakeable. Is there territory that you feel you’ll never re-claim? Let’s go back to the pages of God’s word and see what God told Israel to do.

It may seem uncanny but God told His people to go into the land where their enemy’s dwelt and to take possession of it. They were weak and these nations were greater and stronger than them. However, the first thing we need to realize if we desire to live in the realm of God’s promise for our lives is that we must take action. Let’s be honest, you can’t be healed of depression by pretending it doesn’t exist! If you desire freedom, you must journey to the place of your bondage. And you don’t travel alone. His presence is with and He will keep you.

The enemy paralyzes us with fear because he knows that if we step into action, his demise within our lives is impending.

The second thing we must do is reframe from compromise. In verses two and three God commands, “You shall make no covenant with them or show mercy to them.” The enemy is great at convincing us that a little is enough. We walked around with a mindset where the concept of living completely victorious is unattainable. We are sadly content what little peace, joy, or freedom we have because we assume that heaven is the only place abundance is possible.

How does compromise happen? Here’s what I think: amidst the battle for victory, we get tired. We don’t “feel” like much progress is being made and we can’t see the finish line. So, we decide to rest. Now I’m not slamming rest by any means. God commands us to rest. However, the “rest” we often give ourselves can easily become laziness in our mindset towards the enemy.

We let up and so does he. This is the place where he wants you and I to remain.

We compromise when we doubt the outcome.

Imagine you are playing a game of chess and the prize for winning is a $50 gift card to your favorite store. Before the game starts, you are told that the entire game has been set up in such a way that you will be the winner. You are not told how long the game will last or given any information on your competitor. Now, since you are 100% certain you will win the game, there is absolutely no way at any point, that you would make a compromise with the other player. On the other hand, if the game goes longer than anticipated or becomes really difficult, you may start to doubt what you were told. At that point, a compromise may seem like a smart move.

If you do strike a deal, you will have essentially robbed yourself of two things: victory and reward.

We must not compromise!

Friend, Christ has assured you and me of victory in this life and He always rewards us for obedience!

Let’s move forward and take the land!

Victoriously,

Lauryn Everett