Talkin’ with God about Kings and Kingdoms

1Samuel 13-14

What happened 3,000 years ago happens today, because humanity can’t get out of its way. These three characters are always at play, and the Bible has a lock on how we work. Can we hear it? It’s eye opening if we can.

Talkin’ with God about Kings and Kingdoms

1Samuel 12

It’s the same old story, all over again. Can humans trust God? God loves us even when he lets the consequences of our actions play out. He always calls us to love Him with all our heart. The major ruled in Israel for a big government that would eventually oppress them, because that’s what governments do. But even our bad decisions don’t keep God from enjoying us as his people who trust Him with all our heart. To God or not to God is always the question. If humans were good like God, no government is necessary. This 3,000 year old episode plays out again and again, now and forever until God puts an end to our nonsense.

Talkin’ with God about Kings and Kingdoms

1Samuel 9-11

Hillariously, Saul seems to be afraid of his new found job and hides in the baggage until God calls him out. When he finally stands up, the people couldn’t be happier with their tall handsome King and Israel is now a bonafide Kingdom. With no castle to govern from Saul heads home to plow fields. When the Ammonites threaten with barbaric cruelty, Saul sends butchered oxen like a Godfather to unify Israel to fight. After the victory, Saul has his moment to put his new God heart on display. This will be his peak.

Talkin’ with God about Kings and Kingdoms

1Samuel 9-11

God tells Samuel to make a king like the people want, but Samuel sends them home. God gets busy when a bunch of donkeys get loose in a series of comedic events leading Saul, God’s king, to Samuel. Samuel makes Saul king in the style of a shotgun wedding, and Saul has a journey home that makes him a believer. Is this the man who would be king? God’s king?

Talkin’ with God about Kings and Kingdoms

1Samuel 8

A 3,000 year old story reads like it fits in the 21st century. Humanity is a sucker for government, and forever setting God aside to have government solve our problems. Oh the humanity. Join Samuel as the people speak, God agrees, and the proverbial foot is shot straight thru.

Talking with God about Kings and Kingdoms

1Samuel 4-7

Judges all over again, Israel’s arch enemy the Philistines defeat them. “What now?” they ask, “Let’s get the Ark to save us.” Ugh. The Philly’s take the Ark too. Is God dead? Will Israel ever learn to know God and love God, or will they just keep thinking that the things God give us will save us? We all raid the glory of the Lord, when will we learn?

Talkin’ with God about Kings and Kingdoms

1Samuel 2:11-3:21

The family is God’s core institution for governing the world. Theocracy in the mind of God is each family raising their kids to know God. God pays no respect to any earthly government except his families. As self governed people, we develop institutions to assist the community in its goals and unity. If the institutions we run are corrupt, then down goes society. It’s on us, not God.

From the beginning God says the solution to evil will come from a son born of a woman. God’s loving quirk is using barren women in his story. Things are going to change in God’s story into the period of Kings. Man struggles with God’s idea of self governance and always chooses bad government. But Hannah knows God personally and we would do well to know God like she does, and her son Uncle Sam.

Talkin’ God with Uncle Luke

Acts 20:18 - The End

Saul, now Paul, earns our affection as our great Uncle Paul. He leads from the front, puts his life on the line and always helps people gather around God’s message in Jesus Christ. Court scenes and high seas adventures land Paul in Rome to be tried, and eventually…to be continued. The message of Jesus Christ is for everyone to pick up and run with. Doers get things done, and these guys and girls are our family. The victory of God’ goodness continues on today.

Takin’ God with Uncle Luke

Acts 18:1-21:16

We all want to find our people and God is making us a people for people to find their people. The journey of Jesus continues thru a myriad of places and we get to come along and meet the people who Jesus picked to grow his assembly of people. Christianity is God’s assembly of people around the grace of God in Jesus Christ revealed in the Scriptures. Good people working hard, giving not receiving, continues to this day. This is my people!