The Seven Streams Method

Download

Ezra 3-8 We are in the Nation Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, our faith needs to be built, sometimes rebuilt. We can learn from Ezra today.  Don't let us weep for what was [once upon a time] "back when".  We want to build the Kingdom with you today.  Amen. 3 - Seven months after returning to Israel and Jerusalem, everyone joined in and the Hebrews got the altar built. They offered sacrifices continually. It was worship, yes, it was also for fear of the non Hebrew people who had migrated in while the Jews were away.  The work plans went through at a feverish pitch. Offerings were gathered and provided for the specialized workers who were getting things done.  Zerubbabel, the deceased King Jehoiachin's grandson, had been appointed Governor of Judah,  and was at the center of all this.  13 months after being home, the work on the foundation of the Temple started.  It progressed uninterrupted until it was laid in place.  The pageantry was full scale and the rejoicing was exuberant. The young had never known such a thing. The old, however, wept as they recalled Solomon's Temple from 900 B.C.  Emotions were in overdrive! It was a beautiful day. 4 - The squatters in Judah, who were not Hebrews, wanted the Temple to not be built.  First they infiltrated and feigned it to be teamwork hoping to "build" on the Temple together. Zerubbabel smelled their duplicity and refused to let them in on it.  Then the hagglers discouraged the work.  Then they wrote devious documents and worked out the translation and got the King of Persia to come stop the Temple construction.  He did so by force.  The work was stopped for 15 years! Shameful isn't it?  Folks, holidays are coming and there will be exacting folks with the same contrarian attitudes who aren't thankful, who don't want to see Baby Jesus or "Merry Christmas" signs. Don't yield.  You celebrate our Savior !  Never succumb to those who want a de-Christianized world. Because once they get it, they still despise God and you for loving Him.  Live your faith.  Everyone loses when you don't, especially you. 5 - The next Persian King, Darius I, came to power and he changed the decree back and the Temple project resumed after 15 years in silence and chagrin. Haggai and Zechariah were there to encourage the process. [We read Haggai last month and are reading Zechariah now in the "Exile Stream".]  Then adversaries came from "beyond the river" (this is the Tigris/Euphrates, not the Jordan) and questioned Zerubbabel as to who gave clearance for the Jews to rebuild their Temple.  A quest; a team goes back to Darius to find if their work was cleared by the former king.  This is a set back again. However, they are being slightly more civil about it.  Doesn't make the delay anymore enjoyable. 6 - Darius then does agree to confirm that Cyrus did indeed decree that the Hebrews were allowed to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.  Once they find Cyrus document and confirm that the Jews are in the right, and realize that those who are being agitational to the Jews while trying to appear hyper-vigilant, Darius makes his decision. He (likely bothered at the unnecessary setback) takes funds from the Persian treasury and put up the cash to pay for the rest of the Temple to be built. And orders anyone else who stops progress to be executed.  Amazing how a set back turns out to be a very fortunate development for the Jews rebuilding their Temple!  It's done in 1/2 dozen years and the dedication ceremony is wondrous.  Soon thereafter the Passover is celebrated and there is joy in Jerusalem!  It is 515 B.C.  It's another one of those, y'wish you could be there seasons. [It's important to know that there is almost a 60 year interval between the end of chapter 6 and the start of chapter 7.] 7 - Ezra finally makes the trek to Jerusalem in 458 B.C. [Most of ch's 7 and 8 are prep for this event.]  Artaxerxes I is king. He happens to be Queen Esther's stepson.  He also is favorable to the Jews.  He realizes there is blessing in blessing them and he does.  Ezra is being sent back to teach the law of God, to bring beautiful items to adorn the Temple, and to oversee the services that are to take place in the Temple.   The opening of Ezra 7 makes it abundantly clear who Ezra is, who he is related to, that fact that he is very adept in the Law, and that God was upon him.  He's the man for this historical job.  Artaxerxes is so taken with this whole development that he sees to it that Ezra is stocked to the hilt for this journey and assignment.  Ezra returns to Jerusalem with items for service, for the Temple and wealth that required a squadron of men to haul it all, plus staff to provide for all else that is needed. 8 - The extensive list of those who went back to Jerusalem with Ezra is itemized.  It's almost a subtle hint to all of us: learn the scriptures - really learn then - and you will simply have all that you need.  Ezra makes particular effort that there are enough Levitical priests for the journey. He takes steps to make sure they are spiritually prepared for this epochal trip.  The items for the Temple are given to each apportioned man to transport to the Temple with all reverence.  They arrive from the 900 mile trek after roughly four months in transit.  The items are delivered in the house of God.  The process is declared to be unopposed on all fronts.  Halelujah.

Download

Deuteronomy 12-15 We are in the World Stream reading from the New American Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, we are born to worship you, to live consecrated unto you, hear our heart and prayers as we live for you. Amen.

These were the laws, rules, reminders, ordinances that must be followed in order to remain in the land; to remain in God's good graces.

12 - Moses was raised in complete idolatry the first 40 years of his life. The next 40 he is in the desert getting honed by God to lead the greatest event and turn of events in the Old Testament period; the Exodus through the Red Sea and to take the people to the Promised Land (not in; but to it). Then, in the last 40 years, he is teaching, training, mentoring Joshua/Caleb, and preaching to the people constantly to be free of idols; have nothing to do with them or the people who possess them.  Avoid idolatry, honor the Levitical priests, be joyful and happy in what you do. They are told to be joyful three times in ch. 12 and eight times in Deuteronomy.  There was a light review of some diet laws, but they must be careful to pour blood out on the ground when they were slaughtering. Don't be enamored with the color 'red' in this way. Most of the cults in the region would ingest blood in their cultic rituals, not you, however.  Destroy any all and all remnants of false Gods. Follow me carefully 13 - Anyone who attempts to lure people away to other gods, execute them. Doesn't matter who they are, even a relative. Execute anyone who tries to lead you away from monotheism; your one true God. People in other cities who try to lure you away get the same treatment. Finish them off and burn all their cultic material, pocket none of it. Idolatry must go. Get accustomed to saying this and living this way.  If you get weary of hearing "flee idols", why is that? Is it because you are doing idols now?  Never weary of what is right.  When you do, the immediate danger of idolatry is 'at your door'. 14 - Pagan laws and diet laws along with tithing laws fill this chapter.  No cutting yourself and no mohawks is what is said from the start. The pagan religions around them did this. They were not to take part. Note that the farther away any culture is from Christ, the more they ink/ and cut/scar/poke themselves. And zany 'rooster style' hairstyles are far more noticeable. These people are to be wholly God's possession. They were to reflect God and God is not a freakshow.  As for diet, the sharpest delineation is that the animals they are allowed to eat were vegetarian animals. Animals that eat animals or garbage or feces have compounded toxins in them.  This is not healthy. Do not eat them.     They were to be hospitable, tithing to God regularly, charitable, and to care for the priests without fail. 15 - Debt was not to be a matter of strangulation. There came a time to drop accounts and start anew.  Btw, this is a law that once was in play in the USA.  No mortgages went past seven years. Did you know that? Once politicians thought it coy to remove God from government 30+ year mortgages became common place. 40+ year mortgages are being discussed as of recent. God has better ideas always. There are countries today, [majority nonChristian], where there are now 100 year mortgages. One class of people has permanent sway over another class of people for four generations.  This isn't right.  Enough collateral comment. They were to be compassionate to the poor, not mean. God is watching!  There was servanthood, and slaves in cases and there were laws regarding this. No one was to be treated as a despised animal. More items and reminders about tithing and offerings and what God wanted them to be mindful of. And another reminder about blood. Don't cook with it, don't drink it like devil worshippers. Pour it on the ground.

Download

I Peter 5:1 - II Peter 3:18 We are in the Church Stream reading from the New Living Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Jesus, you talked to Peter, you talk to us. Thank you for this great fellowship and learning. The people of your Temple are your Temple. We are where you dwell, and we are grateful to be the house where you live. Amen. Today we completed Peter's first and second letters. This is the final word from this boisterous and beloved apostle.    He died a martyr's death in Rome. The last weeks of his life he was so overcome with joy in Jesus, [though held under guard in prison] that he led dozens of others to Christ [we were told 49] and he baptized them. He was a voice of heaven that intercepted people condemned to die.  My husband and I were blessed to be in Rome and see all these quarters where Peter was held, where he wrote his final writings, and where he was executed. [heavy sigh] The next we hear from him straight up will be when we meet him at the gate of heaven. Maybe he will take us for a walk on the Crystal Sea . . . I Peter 5 - Peter's heart for pastoral care really comes out here.  He urges the elder ones in the church to care for the younger and remain tutorial in tone and demeanor; don't act put out as you care for others. As for the younger, pay attention and be teachable, honoring those above you.  Keep alert. Nero's recent edict against Christians has Peter to give illustration of the devil prowling like a lion to devour Believers. This was all too real for the young and persecuted church. Peter urges all to hang on and endure. The suffering would end soon. He sends greetings from a sister church "here in Babylon".  Peter was in Rome and equating it with the legendary Babylon that was equally pagan. II Peter 1 - Peter greets his friends in the churches and then encourages them to grow in the faith.  The qualities he wants us to add to our character are listed in perfect order. You can hear the love and faith Peter has hoping we grow in grace as we hang on to Christ. Peter is so very endeared to all those he cares for.  Peter ends the chapter urging the flock to keep attentive to scripture.  It's real, true, authentic, it's what we can rely upon.  Peter clearly recalls the experience on the mount with Jesus when Moses and Elijah appeared and God spoke.  This is as real as it gets. It changed Peter forever, and it changes everything for us too. God's servants don't die! 2 - Jesus, and Paul, and now Peter is warning about false teachers, liars, charlatans, wolves in sheep's clothing coming into churches to take advantage of Believers.  They are hucksters, thieves, adulterers, sinners, users, losers and they need to be identified, rooted out, booted out.  The Devil is their motivation and they have no place in the church. Left to abide among you, their selfishness will destroy what is good among you.  This chapter sounds like the book of Jude - another stern warning we will read the first week of December. 3 - a chapter about God's timing: some are questioning if Christ is returning.  According to when Peter is writing, it's been 38 years since Jesus ascended into heaven.  The scoffers were saying Jesus hasn't come back because He isn't coming back. These same scoffers are ignorant of creation, the flood, ignorant of Christ, God's timing and the peculiar thing is that they enjoy the ignorance. They're "willfully ignorant" as one translation says. Peter warns of this problem; these people. God isn't slack, He's forgotten nothing.  He doesn't use our clock.  If you perceive a delay and God is indeed "delaying", He's delaying so that there is more time for people to repent and find Christ. That's a good thing. Peter reminds us to not be thrown off by those apostate ones - they are going down.  You remain holy in Christ, in the Word, and in fellowship.

Download

John 10:22-11:57 We are in the Christ Stream reading from the New Living Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Jesus, we believe in you our Resurrected Lord.  Amen. Today's reading contained the greatest claim ever made in all of literature; that He; Jesus is ONE with God the Father in Heaven.  It also contains the greatest resurrection narrative outside of Jesus' resurrection in biblical history.  Some are thrilled about this, and some are murderously disturbed about this. Where is this going to lead? 10:22-42 - Two months prior Jesus gave His talk about being the Good Shepherd.  That was in what we call "October."  It is winter in Israel now, two months have passed. Jesus had been back to Galilee during the autumn interval.  Jesus has about four months out before the Passover wherein HE would be the sacrificial lamb.  He is 33 years old by now. It is winter of 29 A.D.  The Feast of Dedication is in process. It is just after what Matthew 17:1-8 tells us about the Transfiguration. Jesus is walking in Jerusalem among some regal architecture and makes it clear who he is.  They would dismiss Him with a chuckle except for the miracles that prove that what He is talking about is authentic.  That is something that needs to be asked anytime there is tension in dialogue: are the disturbed people all roused up because what was just stated is false or because it's true?  They are ready to kill Jesus! And is it because he is telling fairy stories? If He's all off base, there's no tension because He's a looney tune with a jaded mind. BUT, they are livid with Him - the leaders are.  And yet the people continue to gather and listen and receive Him and are touched in the heart. Jesus spent the next two months (the remainder of winter) east of the Jordan among many people where the Sanhedrin had no authority or jurisdiction. 11 - Here comes the point of no return; the raising of Lazarus.  It is springtime. Lazarus is the third person Jesus raised from the dead (1-Jairus' daughter, 2-son of the widow in Nain).  There is less than a month before Calvary occurs and this resurrection truly sets the stage for setting off a cultural wildfire in Jerusalem. Jesus is informed of Lazarus' death when He was in Jericho (at the Zacchaeus event). But Jesus waits two more days for timing's sake (He knew what He was doing). He wanted more to gather before He entered the stage.  Mary and Martha and Lazarus were a popular set of siblings in the area, btw, and Jesus is going to go up to Bethany to provide the ultimate blessing.  Jesus marches the 11 miles, plus the 3500+ ft. climb and arrives four days after Lazarus died. The people are hopeless, grieving. The thought of Lazarus coming back to life is no where in anyone's thinking. Mary contests opening the tomb because of the smell. She can't envision a resurrection happening. Who could? Today, who could? And then it happens: Jesus calls Lazarus back from death. Notice He orders to take the grave clothes off of him and "let him go." Did you catch that? Death had him as it is coming for us all.  This gives us hope of resurrection against what haunts all of humanity; that all are headed for death.  At any rate, hundreds saw the resurrection of a beloved man from a prominent family.  News spread like a flash flood (this is pre-cell phone days, folks!)  The population wants to make Him king immediately and yet the leaders in Jerusalem want to kill Him immediately. Caiaphas' words about one dying for the whole country is prophetic.  It's an educated man making an accurate statement and doing so for a completely selfish and power-motivated reason.  Right words - wrong heart. This finalized the decision to kill Jesus.  Jesus knew what was developing.  So he and His disciples headed north about 12 miles to basically hide out and rest up a bit.  Back in Jerusalem a high stakes and threatening game of pay-offs and hide-n-seek was well underway.  Do you wish you could have been there and experienced all of this?  The steps of all this can be retraced in Jerusalem and Bethany and Ephraim and Emmaus and Bethlehem even today.  Whatever we do let's keep reading until we all meet in the New Jerusalem.

Download

Zechariah 5-6 We are in the Exile Stream reading from the New Living Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, you feel about us the same way we feel about everything we care about - you just want us to be clean.  The cleaner we are, the closer we can become to you. Thank you for sending Jesus (the Joshua) for our cleansing.  Amen. Just a brief review as we are approaching the middle of Zechariah.  His prophecy is a two-year period that occurred within the four-year period of rebuilding the Temple.  This was in the 530's B.C.  The tone of Zechariah here is that sin drove you out of this land. Don't even think of resorting to going back to it. Sin has got to go.   You all "had to go" 70 years ago because you were more committed to sin than to God.  Remember what causes what and let God have His Way in cleansing His people; you. Cling to God, not sin, and live His joy. 5 - The vision of the flying scroll means that God has no patience with thieves and liars. They will be crushed, not just them, their whole property will be crushed along with them.  The vision of a flying basket with a woman named Wickedness in it that is carried away by two other "women" who resemble storks with wings...? What of that? What's being said here. is that the sex cults, the Asherah poles, the prostitution, the divorcing and wife-swapping ... knock it off, all of you and don't ever have that be in my country again, says the Lord. I ran you away to Babylon and let you think about your sinful ways for a few decades.  Don't be thinking, "ok, we're home now, let's get back to a favorite old vice of ours...NO, NEVER.  That trash IS "Babylon", and it doesn't belong here in my land.  The two women who take this Wicked woman back to Babylon? What's the deal?  One scholar says that it is a grand scale picture of the source of sin and the cure for sin.  The Sin of the earth entered the world through the transgression of one woman; Eve. No man forced her to do this.  The Savior also enters the world through one woman; Mary. No man was involved in this endeavor of bringing the Savior to earth. So the problem needing to be removed and the one removing the problem of sin, all three are women here - symbolic of the problem and solution. 6 - remember the horns/nations and the craftsmen in ch. 1 of Zechariah? This is a thematic allusion to that in ch. six. The people who have terrorized the Hebrews, the people that have come from the north, will experience severe retribution. The Crowning of Jeshua is the balance of the chapter from v. 9 to the end.  The Branch, the person who brings the matter of Salvation to within reach, will be one who comes to Jerusalem and is perfect in the building of the Temple, of being King AND being Priest.  King Saul illicitly tried to be both [and more] as Israel's first king. His crazed ineptitude revealed itself.  No one could pull this together (being King and Priest and Savior) except for the Savior Himself.  This Savior is coming.  Did they know this even with Zechariah's message to them? Were they even able to understand this in Zechariah's day? Would they understand it when the Savior actually did arrive*?!

Ezekiel 30-32 We are in the Prophetic Stream reading from the New Living Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @serenatravis | Donate Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, Jesus, let us not be troubled about the giants in the land who are against you. Let us not be taken by their size, or might, or threats. You know what to do with them.  I pray we would lift up our eyes to you and realize that our help comes from the Lord.  Nothing can separate us from your love.  Amen. We finished Ezekiel's prophecy that Jerusalem was in trouble; Ezekiel 1-24.  Now we are well into the prophecy against Egypt.  They too were going to fall due to their minds being set against Israel for basically their entire existence. Ezekiel gave six distinct visions against Egypt.  We read the first one tast week. Today we read the second through the sixth. 30 - Ezekiel is speaking that Egypt is about to be swarmed upon by Babylon. As we read last week, they are finishing a 13-year campaign that decimated Tyre but yielded very little pay. They are victorious leaving Tyre and heading to Egypt, but they are unsatisfied and longing for a paystreak. So they will enter Egypt doubly eager to strip Egypt and will do so shortly.  They will leave bodies of Egyptians everywhere. Neighboring towns will be flattened, nations who befriend or do commerce with Egypt will suffer also.  "The Prince" will not be found. The idols will be smashed.  Everything burnable will be burned.  For hundreds of miles all up and down the Nile, there will be death and fires burning everything. All men will die and all the women will be taken away as slaves. The Egyptians will scatter. The Lord has spoken.  The "broken arms of Pharaoh" is the army that will be conquered, and rendered useless.  Pharaoh's defense will be gone. This occurred in the spring of 587 B.C.  This event is told of in Ezekiel's second and third visions [Jerusalem had barely over a year before it too would be emptied out.] Jeremiah 37:5-9 is a contemporary story that is concurrent with these chapters., btw. 31 - In His fourth vision; God is speaking as Ezekiel is writing and Egypt is being compared to Assyria.  The trees are tall, strong, green and lush.  The water is plentiful. The place is fruitful and the people are powerful. Assyria was perceived as so powerful and Egypt had admired Assyria.  Egypt thinks it is mighty like Assyria too. ... and Assyria fell like a crumbled building when Babylon rushed in.  Guess what Egypt - you are going down too.  Your pride and arrogance and lofty attitude is going to get cut down and swiftly so.  Babylon is being unleashed on you. And you will die by the sword. 32 - It seems that the first 16 verses are a permanent funeral march for Egypt.  It's a dirge of the gravest sort.  Think of their history. Abraham was in Egypt some 1400-1500 years prior.  The pyramids outside Cairo stand today as memories of this era; The Old Kingdom. Some the the Pyramids there predate Noah's flood!  There's the Middle Kingdom 500+ miles up the Nile.  They were overthrown by Hyksos as was spoken of in Exodus 1:8 after which there arose a new Pharaoh in a New Kingdom who did not know Joseph.  This New Kingdom was 1550 - 712 B.C.  This remnant of Egypt, however, that Babylon would overrun and leave as food for birds, would be the end of Egypt. They would never rise to world prominence again.  What's left of them even today are stones and artifacts and a few gems that enamor the world.  We'll grant them that, but it is a banished empire that is at its end. They have been arrogant against the God of Abraham and are therefore over with soon.  The 15 final verses are that of Egypt being relegated to the realm of the dead.  The coffins, the embalming rooms, the pyramids [of which all were tombs] were Egypt's obsession with the dead.  And dead they would be.  Remember Jesus saying to "let the dead bury the dead"?  He is the God of the Living.  Egypt's culture was all about the dead.  It had to go.

Download

Proverbs 24-26 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading from the New Living Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord God, we want to think what you are thinking, love what you love, shun what you shun, and live as you want us to live.  Amen. Proverbs is a collection of three books by Solomon.  24 is the end of Book 2 and 25 is the start of Book 3.

24 - Don't envy evil people - they have trouble coming. And for what it's worth, don't rejoice when they 'crash' in life. Just build your world on wisdom, for therein is strength. Wisdom is also sweeter than honey. Congregate with leaders who are wise, and step up to provide justice when you are able to. There is amazing depth and resilience from the Lord in godly people living godly lives. Be careful to be just and right, to plan your work fastidiously, to be gracious v.s. vindictive. And know that laziness is the path to the certain trap of poverty.

25 - Impurities in your work and wicked people in society - both need to be removed. Here's civic wisdom we can use: Do well, then be invited "upward" - don't "grandstand", don't betray secrets, cut gossip (it stirs anger), speak and hear timely advice, receive helpful criticism, be a trustworthy messenger, deliver what you promise, mind to your business v.s. being a trolling nuisance, encourage appropriately, ladies - let's not be quarrelsome, do not comply with wicked people, remember self control provides great protection. 26 - Fools: they have no honor, curse senselessly, need a beating, engage in mindless arguments, can't be trusted, twist words, talk stupid, deserve scorn, shun responsibility, and they just keep going with all of it.  The lazy: (btw, just as much a nuisance in society as fools) they have the dumbest reasons for not working, they churn and turn on their beds, they're even too lazy to eat right ... and they think they are smart?!  yeesh.  Do not : trick people, pick fights, spread rumors, smooth-talk or lie in any way, Do not set traps for people. All this is because God keeps account.

Download

II Chronicles 5-Ezra 2 We are in the Nation Stream reading from the New Living Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Dear Lord God, even when punishment needs to be delivered, and it is hurtful, even then you are planning restoration.  We are grateful that you are always planning to redeem and restore us.  Amen.

In our reading today, the inevitable occurs. The southern kingdom, the core of God's agenda, the ones who have known Him the most and the most dynamically, they have taken God past the edge of His grace and patience. Jerusalem falls.  It cannot be healed as is. Not with these people and their deep commitment to stray from truth.  The Babylonians arrive to pillage. Then we jump about 50 years to a new era when the exiles are returning.

35 - We are in the middle of Josiah's reign.  His reforms were marvelous and right to the utmost.  His celebration of the Passover was, a "show stopper" (forgive the Broadway verbiage).  It was immense and complete.  Josiah was committed in this sense.  When God asked Josiah "for a buck" - he gave three.  The zeal is good, though it gives him problems at the end.  At any rate, Josiah does it big for God.  And remember that he pulls off this Passover celebration as a leader and he is 26 years old. Many 26 year olds don't even have their studio apartment furnished past "refugee status" at 26!  And here was Josiah celebrating (leading!) the Passover in the greatest way it had ever been commemorated in 500 years.  Josiah is a legendary.   And yet his dreadfully unfortunate death tells us something that was not a yielded matter in his heart.  He was king at 8. He was not eager to learn from mommy, memorize his times tables, he is King.  It's too much power too young. But what do you do about timing at this stage of the game? If he had not had a core attitude of "hey, I'm king!" that goes back as far as he could remember, perhaps he would have listened to the advice of one older who knew better. He had no fight with the Egyptians. He had latent commitments to Assyria that were not right to have, but he did. He thinks Assyria will honor him for attacking their attackers.  But it turns out to be a fool's move.  It's dumb as jumping off a dock  to save a stray cat that accidentally fell into a feeding frenzy of sharks.  You get killed and save nothing! 36 - The son of Josiah is made king and quickly removed and taken to Egypt by Pharaoh Neco. Jehoiakim is installed as king in Jerusalem by this same Pharaoh Neco. Being installed by a pagan, he has no impetus to do anything but act pagan - and he does.  His reign was dark and tumultuous. He deserved all the rough treatment he got from those who oppressed him. Jehoiachin, the son, was on the throne for just a number of weeks before being hauled to Babylon. Zedekiah assumed the final kingship as the last ruler of Jerusalem.  He was there 597 to 586 B.C.  He was duplicitous; honest with no one.  He always had secondary deals going, like a politician, and when Babylon finally stormed in at the end, they were doubly determined to make Zedekiah suffer.  They did.  We didn't cover the brutal details of this last 23 years in Jerusalem. That is in II Kings'  final chapters.  You can review that if you wish.  It's gory stuff.  Ungodliness always leads to such horror. Jeremiah 26 &36 contains some insight into how wretched these final kings were. Jump forward from 586 B.C. to 538 B.C. and King Cyrus of Persia is releasing tens of thousands of Jewish souls to return to Jerusalem.  Since Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, they too have been overthrown. Persia is now the grand force in the Middle and Near East.  And Cyrus, fond of the Jewish story, has a heart to allow them to return to Israel. Ezra 1 -  The process of returning to Israel/Jerusalem begins.  Remember, God spurred this to happen and Jeremiah had prophesied this would happen.  The planning, packing, taking inventory, returning of valuables to Hebrews for the trip home, all this is well underway. 2 - Here is the "packing list" of all the leaders and groups and their numbers heading back to Israel. They are the families, priests, Levites, gatekeepers, Temple servants, and more.  There are nearly 50,000 people commencing upon a 900 mile walk.  What a sight!  Imagine running a convenience store along the way back!

Download

Deuteronomy 7-11 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading from the New Living Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord Jesus, thank you for making your plans for us to follow so clear. We want to be following you clearly and you have made the way very clear for us.  Thank you. Amen. This is a salient section of the grand pep-talk  Moses is giving prior to entering Canaan.

7 - can a bride [wearing a wedding dress] work a shift on a commercial fishing vessel right before walking in to be married? Can she spend a day working on an oil rig (in her wedding dress!) and then head straight to the altar for her vows? Can she, wearing her white gown, help the guys pour a concrete courtyard (the rubber boots should keep her dress from dragging in it, right?!) and then be fresh for the ceremony? a 1,000 times "no!" Neither can the Israelites associate with the ghastly pagan peoples that inhabit Canaan - not in any way. Remove them or you will become them.  And consequently, if you become them, God cannot use you..and you will be disposed of without a whimper.  So after you remove the Canaanites, et al., flatten their world and structures as well.  Do not be enamored with any of it.-dispose of it all.  Following God is going to have comprehensive blessings for you and yours and everything you work with and everything you own. You will be utterly victorious at every turn, in farming, animal husbandry, and in battle.  Follow ME and thrive!

8 -Moses recalls for all of them the fascinating, miraculous, and particular care the Israelites received during the sojourn through the desert.  They were fed, clothed, watered, healed, shielded, doctored, protected, led, blessed and more.  For 40 years without fail, God never even looked away.  And God's careful guidance would not leave them in the future, provided they obey.  Any questions? No, skip it, He's not fielding any questions on this. 9 - They were soon to be heading in across the Jordan to a wondrous land set up for them to readily occupy. Giants? Who's afraid of giants? They will fall like severed reeds at God's command. And as the Israelites go in they were not to think of themselves as paragon privileged prissies. God is using them because God is gracious.  They needed to be forgiven of so much while in the desert. Their rebellion and penchant to stray was incorrigible. Never forget that and start acting like the snot-nose brat who is owed something.  And they were to be grateful for Moses' pastoral care standing in and pleading their pathetic cause after each sin.  I.e., You are going into Canaan because God is good, not because you are good. So keep that in the fore of your thinking, and remain grateful. 10 - Next Moses recalled for them the ordeal at Sinai wherein the second set of Commandment Tablets was made for them.  Yes, God isn't the only one who is angry and disappointed with your rebellion! You remember the other sundry matters from those days, ok ok - the clincher is this: you know what God requires of you. Don't act like you can't read the map or find the map or that you cant' remember that you even have a map to follow.  You don't get coupons or credit of any ribbons for playing stupid with God.  YOU KNOW what God wants from you. Look at yourselves....there are millions of you now. You used to be a band of 70, yet I blessed you. And the huge army of Egypt before the Exodus? Where are they now? I sunk them.  Take a hint here and don't be stubborn with God.  He can do whatever He wants with whomever He wants. And YOU KNOW how to stay on His good side. 11 - is a great chapter as is Deut. 6 & 28 that recites the blessings for obedience, devotion, and living by God's Word.  The blessings will be national as well as personal and detailed, provided the Law is followed. It must be followed deliberately, completely, and permanently.  This not a nonchalant matter by any means. Don't be deceived or grow lax. Evil could pounce in a moment if you stray.  Your obedience will affect you, and the land, the harvest, the weather, your health and families, domestic tranquility, everything.  There is blessing for following God. There is cursing for following another.  And remember, no coupons are given out for playing stupid.

Download

I Peter 1-4 We are in the Church Stream reading from the Modern English Version. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, what an inspiration Peter provides us with. Peter knew you personally.  We want to know you deeply as well.  Teach us your way, oh Lord.  Amen.

Peter was a sinful man called to serve Christ in a much larger role than feeding the population around Galilee their needed fish ration.  He was the most vocal and eager of the disciples. He was one who "wore it on his shirtsleeve" laying it all out there.  His trademark was to jump in first and think things through later.  His fervent heart, eager spirit, and reckless commitment to Jesus had him to be among Jesus' inner circle.  He writes this first of his two letters to the churches of "Asia Minor".  Paul worked tireless to bring these congregations along.  Peter writes these vital and rich letters to these congregations to add his poignant perspective to what they must know to be growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Suffering was mounting and the days ahead were about to grow more difficult.  Peter's joy in his Savior was a trait that needed to be infused into Believers.

1 - Peter reminds them of the marvelous hope and glorious future they have in Christ.  The hope of this glory is in fact so marvelous that the sufferings being endured at present are practically 'inconveniences' by comparison. What is coming for those who believe is so worth it - so guard yourselves against the world that so badly wants to drag you into it's culture.  The eternal wonders of Christ are great and the holiness that is going to be rewarded is unimaginable.  So let's attach ourselves to Christ who shall never perish.  It is Peter who talks about being elected. The doctrine of "election" pivots heavily from I Peter 1.  We understand where this comes from for Peter. It was he who was stared our Lord straight in the face when Jesus ordered him, "follow me".  Christ chose Peter. It was a moment that never left Him. 2 - Stop all evil and do what you must to grow in Christ. Let Christ nourish you is what Peter is saying. Let Christ Jesus help you grow. We either want that or we don't - we're in or out. What do we want?  - as for the flesh v.s. spirit war inside of us, Peter encourages us to 'call it over with', yield to Christ, and be a good and honorable testimony among the lost souls in this world.  Let doing right be your weapon in this world. Then the criticism aimed at you will remain hapless - if you always do what is right. This entails honoring people and respecting God.  Please realize and exercise the power that is demonstrated in submission.  [Peter is speaking to Christians who were slaves as well.]  Ugly retaliations were never in line with faith.  Christ endured far worse. We too can endure for the sake of remaining a gracious testimony for Jesus. 3 - Wives honoring their husbands was a powerful witnessing tool. It was not long before word got out and men across the Empire wanted a Christian wife. This too brought men into the Kingdom....millions of them!  [Ugly- hearted women work against the Kingdom.]  And men are to cherish and protect their wives like the priceless jewels that they are. What has been the result of men following this maxim?  The Christian women of this world are the most gracious, insightful, attractive, empowered, wealthy, and engaged women on earth.  And all this even though they do not belabor their appearance.  The beauty of Christ merely shines through.  The passage that Christ preached to the spirits in prison - this is what happened in the time between the crucifixion; Christ's death and the Resurrection on the third day.  He testified to even those who had been gone. There were 4,000 years between Cain/Abel and Christ's arrival.  Those scores of generations that lived in between those times needed to hear from Christ. So He told them. It's a single passage doctrine and we cannot construct a huge theology around this concept. So we will drop that matter and finish chapter three with Peter's note about baptism. Baptism cleanses. It washes away the former and starts us anew. It is a blessing. There are too many arguments about 'First baptism/ second baptism, first Baptist this and that, Southern Baptist yada yada, water baptism sprinkle baptism.  Hey, let's just let God bless us with baptism and share this blessing v.s. arguing over it. 4 - With tremendous reverence for his Savior, Peter again encourages us to be ready to deepen our discipleship as suffering was intensifying here in the 60's A.D..  Nero in Rome was particular to use the Christians as his scapegoats. Nero, an excessively sadistic and pagan man, especially enjoyed burning Christians to death. The Christian church in this part of the world was a mere 35-or-so years old. Would this end the church? Strangely enough it only made the church grow! The compassion this suffering caused, the love that the young church had for eachother as they huddled and worshipped (sometimes fearfully) was the phenomenon of the first century.  It's a truth of history, those who suffer together are more endeared to each other. This suffering purified the church. And a purified church is a powerful church! The Thread Through the Streams The thread that was sewed through the week was, "you better suit up for this. A greater covering is needed." -Deuteronomy 4-6  they better cover their lives with obedience. Do whatever you need to do to make sure you remember what I've commanded of you. Put things on your hands, foreheads, houses. Cover yourselves with these Ten Commandments and God will cover you. Strip them from you and YOU will be exposed to great evil.  Loving God and your neighbor will cover everything in God's eyes. -II Chronicles 30-34  Hezekiah remembered the cloud that covered Israel by day, the fire by night, the blood on the door posts that covered them during the Passover, the Exodus that covered over the Egyptians.  It was time to spiritually cover the Judeans again and have Passover.  After that enough offerings came in to cover everything.  When raging Assyrians had surrounded Jerusalem Hezekiah covered the matter in prayer. God told them to not suit up for war - he would cover this matter.. God shielded them from decimation.  After him, Manasseh cloaked himself, his city, and every hill with unspeakable evil before he did the opposite in humility. Josiah was suited as king at 8 years old. He stripped the evil and covered the land with blessing. -Proverbs 21-23 tells us to suit up our hearts with humility, and to cover our words in humility.  And to cover your lives with wisdom, be sure and cover your destiny with your father's teaching.  Be diligent to suit up your children and so cover your future.  And as a reminder, if you give yourself to alcohol you won't be suited for anything. -Ezekiel 27-29 says that the Babylonians were swooping down on Tyre and they would cover the place.  What is Tyre's covering? 28:13 said "...every precious stone was your covering." Well Tyre got stripped bare; nothing left! Their lives were covered in sin as was Sidon. Babylon uncovered everything and left them ghost towns. Israel, however, would one day dwell in safety.  That would suit them perfectly.  And Egypt was going to be laid out and barren across the desert. It's wealth, it's animals and even it's fish were going to be strewn in the desert. I bet they would be covered in vultures! -Zechariah 3-4 is the vision when "Joshua" the Savior is covered in filthy robes; our sin. And they are changed to regal clothing; a suit of righteousness when Christ covers us by his sacrifice that changes everything in a day! -John 9-10 Christ covers the blind man's eyes and he can soon see. The healed man had best be warned to suit up for the hailstorm of hostility that would shower on him. His parents couldn't cover him from the criticism. -I Peter 1-4 warns the Christians to basically get emotionally suited up to endure great hatred from the Romans.  This would require a great covering of humility and perseverance and a heart of love. They would need to cover each other in prayer and cover for each other.  This they did as the Holy Spirit covered them to do mighty things in this first century church as the gospel then covered Europe and Asia from one end to the other before the close of the 1st century.