"Do not just hear the Word of God and think hearing is enough. DO what it says!" James 1:22

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Lesson 7, Servants of God

Joshua 22-24


Our Wrap Up from Mrs. Nelson...

The students were put into groups for the first part of our Wrap Up today.  Mrs. Nelson gave a photo-copied photograph to each of the groups.  The students in each group were instructed to study the photos and then come up with seomthing about the people in the photos.  Mrs. Nelson suggested they even "make up" facts about the people in their photo.  Then she told them to be ready to share with the rest of the group what they had determined about the people in their photos.

Many of the assumptions made by the students were made based solely on how the people looked physically and/or emotionally.  Other assumptions were made purely out of silliness and fun.  It was quite comical to hear some of the made-up "facts" shared by some of our more "creative" students.

Mrs. Nelson presented her Wrap Up with a focus on the confrontation by Israel to the Two and a half Tribes when the Two and a half Tribes built the Altar of Witness at the River Jordan's edge.  Mrs. Nelson pointed out how the behavior of the Israelites in judging the Two and a half Tribes actions to build the altar was very similar to the judgements made over our photos.  We can't truly know the emotions or situations of the people in the photos without hearing directly from the people in the photos.

AFter the Israelites heard directly from the Two and a half Tribes, it was understood that the actions and motives of building the altar were for purposes of PLEASING God and not to disobey Him.  The Israelites chose to WRONGLY JUDGE the Two and a half Tribes before they chose to LOVE their fellow servants of God.

Jesus commands us to love NOT ONLY our neighbors but our enemies as well... "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,"  Matthew 5:44.  Jesus also tells us that we will be judged the same way which we judge others... "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you,"  Matthew 7:2 and "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven,"  Luke 6:37.  Mrs. Nelson related to the students how difficult it is to pray for and love our enemies, especially people who are mean to us.  She presented a question in this... "How do we do that?  How do we do something so difficult as to pray for or even love people who seem to be difficult to love?"

We were directed to Joshua's words in chapter 24 of Joshua...  "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,"  Joshua 24:15.

Will CHOOSE to SERVE the Lord and DO AS JESUS DID by loving instead of judging?


Mrs. Nelson shared some very interesting photos with the entire class from a book titled "Journey's with the Messiah" where Jesus is portrayed as "serving" people with His love.   Here are just a few of these photos...

     

    

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