The Seven Streams Method

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I Corinthians 4-6 We are in the Church Stream today hearing the Apostle Paul instruct the church at Corinth. We are using the Common English Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams

The Thread through the Streams

Looking over the terrain of the scriptures, we can almost feel it in our soul when God shows the vision to the 70 elders in Exodus. The Covenant is laid forth, they gather to dine and they see the dazzling blue above as if God opened a window from heaven and let them see in. "Watch this" <--they heard it back then and they saw. It was a spectacular gift of God.

-In II Samuel there is a rebellion getting some scary momentum. Will Ahithophel get away with this? No. Watch this. Will the army of Absalom snuff out King David? No. They are going down today. God will do them in - this rebellion will die in the forest, watch this. -In Psalm 50:15, I can almost hear the question being asked of God and his reply, " cry out to me, I'll deliver you from trouble - watch this!" -In Jeremiah they are justifying themselves thinking they will never be punished. "oh yea? watch this as the harvest doesn't come in, mounted horsemen bent on obliterating you ride. You won't want to watch this, but you will!" -Hosea in ch. 11 especially muses at how frustrating this all is for God to call down punishment on His beloved children. Can they see it? God wants to show them compassion if they would watch for Him instead of looking for ways to err into sin. -Right before Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time, there's a "watch this!" as Jesus heals Bartimaeus of blindness. And think that the deed itself says the same thing to the blind man. Guess what?! He can watch Jesus now! Amazing. -In Corinth there is a fellow engaging is a dark sin that leads to death / not just an ecclesistical inconvenience. He is arrogant about it. Paul almost retorts in his spirit to that man, "you think you are going to get away with this? Keep this up? Stay in the church? avoid evil and love your sin and not encounter grave punishment? Watch this as you get handed over to Satan himself. Let's everyday be watching for what God is going to do - it's terribly marvelous.

Mark 10-11 We are in the Christ Stream today reading about Palm Sunday and more. We are using the Common English Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | @drakewtravis Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for sharing your endless wisdom, your mind, your life and your eternal home with us.  Amen

1 - In case anyone is wondering: Jesus is in the final days - week or two at the most - of His life/ministry before He is crucified. It is the Springtime. If we put our calendar transparently right on top of the local calendar of the era and region we would be calling the month April. If you are into calendars, the Julian and the Gregorian and (it's a laborious study so we will simply mention it here) The year is 29 A.D. -Fascinating little study about the dates. But, on to Jesus' march to Jerusalem. He has just come far south. He is still east of the Jordan and getting mashed in by a crowd again, He is teaching and some Pharisees are there. They ask him if divorce is permitted by law.  It's always amusing when someone asks a question and they are not really on a quest to get their question answered. These Pharisees are tramps! They were the type to divorce and give out easy divorces for ... a wife burning the food, for casually stating "she isn't attractive to me anymore". They treated women below dogs. And so over the years, most of these clowns had turned their wives into skittish, cowering ladies who lived with little value in their own minds so their own husbands were not drawn to them anymore. They don't care that the Law forbids divorce. They are just trying to set up a situation where Jesus seems pitted against Moses. Makes one shake their head to watch these guys get "owned" or exposed like crooks in broad daylight. I like to say that Jesus tied them in a knot and left them baking in the sun. OK, that's not very nice :-( Next we see Jesus blessing little children, and the disciples rebuke this. For them, children are a segue to nothing. They can't be added to the "vital contacts" list. Jesus, always ready to create a teachable moment, does so and portrays "the child" as the ones who access God far more readily for they come to God for love. They come purely. No finesse, no secondary or hidden agenda. No attempt to deceive or be dubious. They just come to Jesus because they want HIM. Adults rarely do that, though children always do. And we better learn something here. ~Then there comes a rich young ruler; he has wealth, youth, time, and power. He wants to add Jesus' wisdom to his arsenal AND have eternal life. Jesus basically says to him, that Jesus is to be the number one priority in his life. We've met people who glance over Jesus' statement here and declare they can never follow Jesus. This is paper-thin scholarship. Just a few verses later Jesus tells his disciples that ALL things are possible with God. Jesus asserts that those who serve Him wholeheartedly will be rewarded accordingly and they can "take that to the bank". -He tells of his Passion again - remember Jesus does this five times during this season of His ministry -  James and Johns' little "I'm #1" squabble is turned into a teaching lesson for service. Interesting that Christians lead the world in service because of this passage right here! -in the blind Bartimaeus story, notice that when Jesus calls to him, he throws off his mantle. This mantle was a cloak that was sanctioned by the government meaning he was 'cleared' to beg. BarT- throwing it away as soon as he hears Jesus' voice means he KNOWS he will be healed. Do we come to Jesus' with that confidence?! 11 - The triumphal entry is the event that is commemorated each Palm Sunday the world over. 'Pretty bold of him to go straight to the Temple and bash all the bookkeepers and kaBoom the bazaar that had developed into an eternal fundraiser. To charge people for praying was disgusting and Jesus' made is statement didn't He.??  The fig tree incident can be analyzed for a lifetime, I'll just pick one facet and say this, "we need to be producing something for God's sake. Jesus is hungry and wants a fig. Are we going to be coming to God empty handed forever? Come on! He tells us to be full of faith and quick to forgive. Let's do what we are told here. -It ends today with the Temple leaders coming to him again with a question that is just a ploy to ensnarl Him. Again, their "question" is no quest. Jesus throws it right back at them and they fall dumbfoundedly silent.  This whole interchange is actually taught in law schools today for it's brilliance and quick reply that exposes what is really going on. -Looking over the two chapters today, let's not come to Jesus with our "educated agenda", let's come like Bartimaeus and the children with our needs before us and excitement to be with Him.

Hosea 11-12 We are in the Exile Stream and reading from the Common English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | @drakewtravis Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Dear Lord,

We know that You are compassionate to those who follow after You. We want to follow You. Help us to stay on the straight and narrow and to not be distracted by the temptations of this world. May Your compassion flow through us to reach more for Your Kingdom. Amen.

Just to pause for some review, Hosea was sent as the final prophet to the North; to Israel.  They split from the south because they were tired of the taxes and of being told by the new young leaders [in the south] that taxes would only go up; way up. To secure the division, the north (Israel) had set up the the golden calf as their national symbol and had immersed themselves in Baal worship. This deliberate paganism was a 200 year run from ca. 920 BC to 720 BC.  During these two centuries God sent Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos and finally Hosea.  All tried to get the northern Kingdom to repent of its idol worship. It was as feckless of results as trying to get dogs to stop digging through garbage or to keep pigs out of mud. ?How to get these people to stop their transgressions? We read Hosea 11 and 12 today and will finish Hosea next week.

11 - begins that God called his son out of Egypt. This is a theme; a motif in the long process of redemption.  Moses was called out of Egypt, the Israelites were called/delivered out of Egypt, Jesus was called out of Egypt as a toddler when the angel told Joseph/Mary to return to Israel now since Herod was gone.  The phrase "Leaving Egypt" can virtually mean to depart from slavery and come into freedom. God had called Israel out of slavery and ... they dove back into it around 920 B.C. and told themselves that they were doing this to symbolize their independence. It's quite the "whirling dervish" mentality and it wasn't taking them where they might have thought it would.

God has cared for them for so long; from the start! and all they do is run away. They are a frustration to God.  And since they think it's their right to dabble in spiritual slavery, they will return to slavery. Assyria will swarm in and when the swords flash all over over their country it won't be some display or Memorial Day exposition.  Swords will flash for their death! Horror of horrors. God really doesn't want to see this happen to Israel, his chosen people. But what is God to do when Israel has chosen wrong? The two mentioned cities of Admah and Zeboiim were sister cities of Sodom/Gomorrah, mentioned in Gen. 10:19. They had joined in S Gs' sin.  They were burned into oblivion too in Genesis along with the other ungodly populations. Again, God doesn't want to treat Israel this way but what choice is Israel's behavior offering to God when they had joined in such diabolical behavior? Their satanic behavior must be addressed. Does God love them? He never stopped loving them. This is pain for the divine one who would so prefer to save them.  However their life of lies cannot go on.

12 - Ephraim, in Israel (remember Absalom and his army perishing in the forests of Ephraim a few days ago?) Ephraim was a cultural center in Israel.  Let's put it this way, they put the "cult" in cultural. At any rate, Ephraim is doing deals with Egypt and Assyria (both menacing countries on either side of them) and they are thinking that they are going to triangulate a clever deal and thereby keep punishment at bay. It is as if they think that some tricky chess playing or maneuvering is going to keep them out of trouble. They were being like Jacob; Israel their forefather who was constantly conjuring something v.s. dealing with matters in a forthright manner. God had dynamically met Jacob at Bethel [Gen. 28] - now that area is "sin-central", they are ungodly in every way.  God has worked so long to establish His people in Israel but they seem to prefer to return to lostness.  They will, - and blood is going to be spilt.

Don't you wish things had gone differently? Yeah. God does too.

Jeremiah 8-10 We are in the Prophetic Stream today spendings some time with Jeremiah, the Weeping Prophet. We are using the Common English Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | @drakewtravis Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God of Heaven, hear us when we pray. We see the mess that comes from disobedience. Let us be tender toward you, and listen.  May we be clay that can be molded in your hands. We do not want to be like those we have read about today. Make us like you.     Amen.

ch. 8 - begins midstream [continuing the thought that began in ch. 7]  One version called it "...The Valley of Slaughter". This is the description of how bad things were in Jerusalem as it was approaching 600 B.C. Human sacrifice had been going on, the priests were agents of darkness and not taking people to God. They had been doing astrology full on; consulting moon and stars like pagans gone amok. So God would see to it that the bones of these false priests would be laid out before the heavens - it was much more like Hindu "theology" for this to happen v.s. Judaic theology wherein the followers are buried at their death v.s. eaten by birds or burned on pyres. Judeans had been playing with false religion so they were going to end up as such.  It's a horror show, folks.  God has been trying to talk to His people, but one may as well try to have a calm conversation with a scared cat!  They run away, listen to lies, they're impenitent, oblivious to the Lord, they lie to themselves, lie about God and reject God outright.  Judah will be stripped bare for what they are doing. The harvest will not come in... but the enemy will come.  They've poisoned what God gave them and now they are poisoned. Healing? not happening. Jeremiah is very pained by all this.

9 - The first verses here is why Jeremiah is nicknamed the Weeping Prophet. What 'once was' compared to 'what is now' has decayed to such a sorry state of rottenness both spiritually and culturally. Deception is everywhere. The desolation they are seeing will soon completely overtake them.  This once beautiful city will soon be worse off than a dog pen. Jeremiah saw distinctly what was coming for these people. He walked among them (for well over a generation of time) and pleaded, practically begged- trying to persuade them - imploring them to turn from wickedness.  Btw, no one "converted" in his 60 years of ministering and prophesying. Jeremiah certainly had a discouraging assignment. The rebellious and callous ungodliness of these people -who had "firstborn" status with God- virtually broke Jeremiah's heart.  There will be so many dead bodies when the Babylonians stomp through Judah! My God, My God, won't these people hear the warnings?! 10 - is a glaring rendition of the pure worthlessness and empty stupidity of idols: either making them, using them, or worshiping them in any manner.  God is true, and living, and powerful, and renders justice, and applies his wrath properly.  He controls all nature - these idol makers are fools; buffoons.  Will you come home to Almighty God?        Since you won't, you may as well get to packing up your things for you are going to be run out of here.  Your injuries, your destroyed belongings, your decimated families ... what did you think would happen for ignoring the Lord's instruction?! Then Jeremiah ends the reading today with a humble prayer that is 'one for the ages.'   "Correct me Lord, but with justice, and not in your anger, or else you will reduce me to nothing."  Jeremiah knew the times he was living in for certain.  

Psalms 49-54 We are in the Wisdom Stream today. Dr. Drake is covering for Serena who is out with laryngitis. We are reading from the Common English Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | @drakewtravis Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God we thank you for the strength, courage and we can draw from these Psalms. These are common men you engaged to have them later speak to us. Thank you.  You lived in them. You live in us. Therefore let us be strengthened in the joy of the Lord. Amen Psalm 49 - opens with a herald of "hear ye, hear ye ..."  It's a memo of all hearts, young/old, rich/poor, wise/fool.  These Sons of Korah (the writers) reverence God and fear nothing in this world. The one thing that always wins on this earth; and has the last say is the grave. All are headed there. So of all the things we are to hope in ultimately is that God will redeem and take us to himself. This hope supersedes all hopes. Riches, wisdom, time - the things that most people spend their lives trying to gain are all destined to pass with us.  So look to God for redemption. 50 - Here is another Psalm that was sung in the Temple. It certainly is regal. God does what He does in all His natural glory and magnificent splendor. God speaks and gathers His own. Amid all He does, God is mindful of us. It's like in this Psalm, He is stopping in to assure and encourage us to keep living for Him, remaining thankful, and honoring Him - for He delivers us from trouble. As for the wicked: The total opposite awaits them. The are unteachable, they steal, visit whores, lie, cheat, even bash their own families! They better reckon and walk right or God will tear them to pieces ---> with no one to rescue. 51 - David's soul has hit bottom (though he was at the top of his world). There wasn't an army he couldn't beat, a territory he couldn't attain, he was honored over the known world. Then during some "down time", he stole a man's wife. When he gets rebuked for it, he confesses and repents. We read this story in the history stream last week; II Sam.11&12 . Of all the great things David did, one wise old preacher said, that this prayer, this confession from Ps. 51 was David's greatest move. He wants mercy and a renewed relationship with God. David knows about God's unfailing love and He calls upon that love with all earnestness. David's broken spirit IS his sacrifice to God. This Psalm that David was transparent enough to utter, has been and still is, an inspiration to billions of Believers throughout all time. 52 - David had learned that an Edomite; Doeg had run and told Saul about David's whereabouts and thus Saul resumed his heated chase to find and kill David.  Well David has a word for Doeg-the-tattler and we find it here in Psalm 52.  The setting of this writing was in I Sam. 21:7 and 22:9.  Doeg's presence was incidental but his obvious commitment to Saul over David is found out and is therefore what birthed this harsh word against him. God would ruin Doeg for this, though David would continue to thrive. 53 - Could this Psalm be called "The Tune of The Athiests"?  The Hebrews knew all about this concept that God's goodness is followed or there is no good found anywhere because man on earth does not manufacture goodness. This phrasing is quoted near verbatim in Psalm 14, Paul says these words 1K/yrs later in Romans 3:10-12.  It's the other end of the spectrum from modern-day pagans and New Agers who we may find chanting, "visualize smiles and loving worlds...visualize random kindness!" [poof]  The godless turn out to be hollow and fearful and they end up scattered. 54 - This Psalm, as in #52, is written in response to people giving away David's location to Saul. This time it was the people of Ziph (far SE of Jerusalem). You can brief that at your leisure in I Sam. 26. David's reaction is to call to God (as he always does) to be saved, defended, and heard in his prayers.  The contrast of the lives and spirit of those who are against God and of those who are for God is so stark. David again ends up victorious in triumph.

II Samuel 16-20 We are in the Nation Stream today and will discover what happens to the battle between King David and Prince Absalom. We are reading from the Common English Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, you preserved David through these difficult years, and we are comforted by your preservation of the King.  We also gain reassurance knowing that you do the same for us.  Amen.

We are in the heart of David's troublesome years. I think the Absalom factor cut David the deepest. Absalom was not in line for the throne, though there may have been generational priority over Solomon. I mean, really, Solomon was the son of Bathsheba - a wife obtained through illicit processes but... Be that as it may, David's affections for his womEn [plural] had created a sequence of events that birthed chaos and pained David the rest of his days.  So here we are in the thick of the skirmish caused by his "pretty-boy" son who felt he deserved even more than was due him.  A strong motif today is seen in how David treats each and every-one.

16 - The revelation of loyalties v.s. disaffections, the treachery and the intrigue of today's reading unfolds as a very high stakes, life and death chess game. We never can tell what each person's next move is going to be.  David is still enroute fleeing Jerusalem -namely Absalom; his rebel son, when he encounters Mephibosheth's aid; Ziba. M- was Saul's grandson whom David was endeared to and took him in. David still honors them despite the national tension. Then Shimei appears. He was a relative of Saul's.  Shimei is a agitated soul and curses David. This was extremely foolish since David is guarded by warriors who could kill Shimei at any moment. Oddly enough David halts any possible retaliation and lets Shimei yap away. This seems to reveal that DAvid is still feeling guilty --> Seriously, the king being treated this way (and musing about it being God's doing) just isn't right. But all things considered, David is being overly gracious these days. Remember, David's attitude toward Absalom is basically, "oh well, let him be King now..." (huh!?) Next Ahithophel reveals how far gone he is by advising Absalom to violate his father's concubines on rooftop in view of all the people.  Absalom obliges. It's like Jerusalem has gone crazy. 17 - Ahithophel then advises that 12K soldiers go hunt down David to scatter the soldiers and isolate David for the kill. Absalom [who's gone amok] loves the plan. Hushai intercepts (at God's prompting) and advises to pull in all Israel "against" David so that David and Co. can annihiliate Absalom's support. Hushai then goes completely stealth to spirit away and warn David of what's coming. Ahithophel learns his advice wasn't followed, so he goes home and hangs himself.  Gee, where did anyone think this turncoat rebel would end up? Meanwhile refreshment and comfort is provided to David's men so they are ready for battle. 18 - David snaps back into warrior-mode. He organized matters brilliantly under his command (On their departure he gives comment about Absalom - that puzzles his men more than anything) --> and off they ride into the battle! David's victory is swift and decisive as 20,000 of Absalom's loyalists (Israelites) are killed. Absalom, fleeing on a mule (not exactly a valiant picture!) gets himself killed/hung by his neck in a tree.  Joab learns of Absalom hanging in a tree unable to get free and he thrusts him through with three javelins (today's translation of "sticks" is a trifle weak). This rebellion ends. The victory is grand though grievous for David as his son was killed. He leaves his men in a bit of a lurch as he mourns Absalom's death in a rather protracted (and pathetic) manner. The victory, for him was an internal conflict that he couldn't resolve. 19 - General Joab's heated monologue of exhortation snaps David out of his mourning.  It seems Joab is perhaps more into David and the Kingdom than David is. A rally cry arises and David is called to return and resume as King of Israel. During the return Shimei comes forward for his sappy apology while falling prostrate before David.  David's graciousness was more than Shimei deserved for cursing the King [back in ch. 16.]  During the journey back to Jerusalem we see David handling many interactions that show his regal character in forgiving Shimei, Interacting tenderly and wisely with Mephibosheth and Ziba, being grateful to Barzillai and Chimham ("KIM-ham"). We see a tussle/argument break out between Israel -the conglomerate of the 10 tribes of the north and Judah -the chief tribe of the south.  It's a virtual harbinger of what is going to happen two generations later when, upon Solomon's death, the north splits away. 20 - Well, we're all heading back to Jerusalem and the rebellion is over, riiiight?  No, Sheba, a Benjamite rallied Israel against David and they followed Sheba against David! David acted quickly, put Amasa on task to assemble Judah to stop this rebellion.  Amasa took too long in the process and who [sensing divided loyalty!], who steps forward to ante-up and kill Amasa and roust the army? Joab!  He was quite-the-Patton we could say [during WWII] or Sherman [during the Civil War]. He was doggedly Patriotic and loyal to David; almost more "Davidic" that King David was! He pursued Sheba, like a cheetah after a gazelle, to where he was ditching out in Abel ["Ah-BELL"]. And Joab did not stop until Sheba's head was thrown over the wall and landed amid Joab's army.  The intervention of a wise woman in Abel was what ended sparing bloodshed on both sides and the city of Abel Beth Maacah ["m'-AH-cuh"] being razed-to-rubble.  Wow, what a read!

Exodus 23-26 We are reading more of the law and the instructions for the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle today. We are reading from the Common English Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord God Almighty, seeing you and experiencing you is why we are alive. Prepare US to meet YOU.  Amen.

23 - The Book of the Covenant (Ex.21-24) continues and we finish that today [23,24] plus read the first two chapters that give directions for the Tabernacle [25,26].  To summarize 23: there will be justice and mercy. do not follow rumors or tell lies or lie as a witness, Justice means no favoritism, follow decency- not sentiment, take no bribes and do not oppress newcomers.  The land needs a Sabbath (ea.7th year), as do you and your slaves (ea.7th day). Follow no other gods. You will have festivals and celebrations in each season and God will be in the middle of them. People may ponder this but of a truth we all know; people either party with God or they will party with the Devil. God is commanding that they keep Him in the middle of their celebrations and He institutes these celebrations to assure the culture be a God-centered culture.      So much can be said about the dietary matters of blood, the yeast, the fat, the cooking process, the prohibition of mixing meat with the milk of that same animal - there is a landmark book titled Purity & Danger by Mary Douglas [1966] that offers a good explanation of the depth of this. It all could be summed up that God wants us to be whole and healthy and well. Many particular meats especially are unsanitary, from disorderly garbage minded-animals, putrid and therein they lend toward insanity and symbolize chaos. They were to avoid them and everything about them.  Each person will bring offerings to God / no one comes empty-handed. God led them via Moses and He was also sending an angel ahead of them (this "Messenger") This angel would protect against enemies, diseases, displacement, or becoming cowardly. They will have security and must avoid false gods.

24 - The Covenant is confirmed in an over-whelming event of effects and visions and fire and smoke and colors and revelations of God this all let the people know that God is abundantly serious and excited about what He is laying down here! The Israelites pledged to God and the elders proceeded into a venue that was most impressive. In case anyone is wondering, the word "lapis-lazuli tiles" is the light effect of azure-blue or sapphire. It's a deep sky color one sees when looking upward from an airplane at a high altitude. Here they are seeing God. My heavens! Moses then goes up into the cloud to listen/converse with God. Keep in mind that as we are reading the next 7 chapters (do not get bored amid the details of ch. 25-31!) Moses is IN the cloud getting these matters noted straight from God as He is talking to him. What an experience.  This time OMG means OMG literally! 25 - The offerings for the Tabernacle are to be gathered. This is very precious material being stored up. The instructions for the Ark are given as are the Table and the Lampstand. It may help to see this better by searching "The Tabernacle of Moses". This opens a series of sketchings. Most impressive is the one with the tall flame above the actual Tabernacle. This is the flame that God brought down along with the cloud that we read of at the end of Exodus 40. This assured that God was with them - that's all anyone needs to know, really.  But at the present there is alot of preparation yet to do to welcome God into their presence in majesty that will help make an impression on these people they will never forget. 26 - The dimensions of the Tabernacle are given.  The details are many and we may feel belabored by all this, but it matters. It matters to God so it needs to matter to us. [Again, searching Tabernacle photos can be helpful]  This is the place where God is going to appear and show his glory.  No house is built without specifications. Homes/Mansions are built and the more important it is, the more details there are. They were to follow these matters every one. Following this was prerequisite for God to appear. Sloppiness here would not be tolerated.  If they were sloppy here, they would be sloppy with everything. Going through Israeli neighborhoods today, the attention to detail is a marvel. Gates, gardens, fences, edging, etc. They get these notions from here in Exodus and it still shows 3,400 years later.  What are we studying and therefore what are we committed to?

I Corinthians 1-3 We are starting a new book in the Church Stream! We are reading from the Easy-to-Read Version this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

God, thank you for caring for us enough to walk us through such matters as we read about today. Church and Christian Fellowship is the best place on earth to find support and comfort, safety, strength, discipleship, and teaching. You certainly love your bride; the church. And we are grateful - because it is us you love. Amen.

Paul wrote this letter from Ephesus to the Corinthian church after he had left the first time. Corinth was along a busy trade route. It was a cultural and wealthy city of influence. Paul was spurred to write the Believers in Corinth because leaders from there had come to visit him in Ephesus as they were in duress and vexed with how to handle troubles, sin, misconduct, plus relational and doctrinal matters back in Corinth. [btw, Olympic trials were held here before Paul arrived and shortly after he had left.] There was an Aphrodite Temple above town. It had been closed by the New Testament era but there were residual effects from it in Corinth, Paul ended up addressing this issue also. It became an influential church and Paul was fervent to see them "aright their ship". For within a century there would be a population of 3/4Million people in the area, so now was the time to set the church straight.

1 - Paul encourages them that they are holy because they belong to Christ Jesus. The Greek culture had a goal of attaining a perfect body and a perfected mind. [E.g. the muscle-bound statues, the 'thinker', etc.] We can still view this art today. This was a Grecian's grid of value. and Paul wanted them to know that their value was that they belonged to Christ. This was news! Churches here (as elsewhere) had not built central meeting places. That happened a couple of centuries after Rome had committed to stop harassing and executing Christians. Churches met in homes, halls, fields, caves and were therefore almost never "all together" as a unified group. The tendency was to become competitive. They were following different factions they had created. Paul reminded them that they were all following Christ, together, so stop bickering. And it was vital that they understand the Cross. Greeks didn't like it because they felt, "why follow a man who surrendered himself to die? I don't want to die. I'll follow Apollos! He's alive..." [or we'll follow Peter or Paul or Aquila].  And then there were the Jews who were taught for 1400 years that a lamb was to be sacrificed, not a human. That was too much like Molech or the pagans in Rome. yuck!  As you see, Paul needed to explain the Cross to them....[and to us!] And because of this Cross, Jesus is your strength, your mind, your justification, your freedom. 2 - It was important that their confidence switch from being rooted in human thinking (mind worship) to confidence in Christ.  THIS is the root of true wisdom.  The Greek mind and language structure was a rather brilliant system - it still affects the way we think and talk even today.  But it is the wisdom of God, found in Christ Jesus, that we access through His Holy Spirit that leads to true wisdom that transforms us and the world.  This is the wisdom that Paul mentors us into finding and living by.  God has such marvels and wonders to share with us and bring us to, but we won't find this life in Him via a human path or cranial activity. We will find it by surrendering to Him, His wisdom, His Spirit. 3 - Paul takes the time to tell them that the teachers that pass through their live are God's Servants - not Their Masters.  Follow Christ, let the teachers guide you, and the arguing and comparing would simply cease - as it needed to!  The Greeks (and Corinth is a city in Greece) were very immersed in learning and growing and perfecting and building. There are structures from centuries before Christ that are still matters to marvel over today.  Paul, amid this thinking, asserts to them that THEY are a temple, Christ is at work on this temple. They must bring Christ into all their thinking and building and activity and hobbies and obsessions. Christ would then therefore be their "obsession". <-- We're saying what Paul is implying though he doesn't word it this way.  Paul simply wants Corinthians to latch on to a totally higher way of thinking, and wisdom and operating that supersedes anything they have ever known before.  Christ owns you and has so much to bless you with. Let Him. The Thread Through the Streams :You will all follow a higher wisdom, what God has laid out, or you will end up killing what you think it is you love. In Exodus, God laid out the plan; the "Decalogue" and numerous subsequent laws. Each persons impulses and passions were not to rule the day. God's Law was the law. What happens in the world, in villages, in families where God's law is not followed? Eventually murder rules and worse. -In II Samuel David is feeling the affects of not following God's 6,7,8, & 10th Commandments. He repented and was restored, yes. But it ends up terrorizing and killing his children however. -In Psalms, the Sons of Korah are at a crossroads many times. They are so down-hearted. Thankfully they choose to look up to God, and His higher wisdom, and to be encouraged and not let their feelings override their faith. -Jeremiah is urging them to follow God's laws and wisdom. But they follow their own vices and darkness - what they think they love.  And it's going to kill them, their towns, and Temple too. -Hosea tells them that they are living wrong (teaching their children wrong too), Your idols, your judges - it's all poison and you will lose everything and be destroyed for turning against God. -Jesus, in Mark, asserts definitively that He must die (so that you/us/we can live.  This is higher wisdom - the plan that God laid out. This must be loved more than our own lives or we won't find life ever.  Our life is found in Jesus' death. [born once/die twice - born twice/die once] -The Corinthian Church will follow Paul's higher wisdom and the Corinthian Church will turn from their selfishness or there is going to be no Christian testimony in this city or this region. Their love for Greek culture and argument and body and mind will be surrendered to Christian codes for living or this church is going to devour itself.  

Mark 8:27-9:50 We are in the Christ Stream today and reading from the Easy-to-Read Version this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Jesus, the wild and varied road of discipleship with you is as exciting as ever. Thank you for including us as your disciples. Heaven is worth it, and so is each moment with you.

Mark 8:27ff - They are walking north from Galilee to Caesarea Phillippi (21 miles straight, rather longer than that on foot). The discussion that ensues needs to happen: "who is Jesus?" The disciples start quoting this guy and that guy and this guy... This was a trademark of Jewish scholarship. Jesus wanted to know what they thought.  Jesus asks us the same question today. And we need to answer it.  Our eternity rests upon our answer of this question. Peter and Jesus' interaction here and in the next story are wedded truths that must both be accepted: Jesus is the Savior and he must be crucified as a sacrifice for us. Learning this --> IS discipleship. It's not an easy truth to ingest. Peter's attempt to correct Jesus gets a swift and stinging rebuttal.  We are to follow Jesus whole-heartedly, single-mindedly, boldly. Getting "on page" with Him is the issue. We are not to try to mold Jesus to fit our agenda and worldview. He shapes ours.

9 - The disciples would witness the coming of the Power of God - Pentecost is what they being assured of in the opening statement of ch. 9. -The Transfiguration is a vital lesson in the revelation of paradise, eschatology (end times study), and Resurrection theology. The Israelites had a notion of heaven and the next world but it is an under-developed segment of theology for them. Most of what we believe about heaven/paradise/the next world we learn from Jesus' teaching.  So here are three of the disciples that realize that Jesus has instant access to other worlds. That the prophets are not dead. They see Elijah - who had "died" 700 years ago, and Moses - who died 1300 years ago. What?! You're alive? You're here?!  Those who work for God and follow His Son do not die.  It's quite a grand testimony, certainly worth telling to the world (when the time is right)! Upon returning, there is another showdown centered around another demon-possession victim. Matthew and Luke tell of this same story in a much abbreviated 6-verse version. Mark tells it in full. The lynch-pin is that the 9 disciples who didn't witness the Transfiguration gave it a go to free the youngster from Demons while Jesus was away. They did not succeed. Jesus' reply to this development was tongue-in-cheek curt response to motivate them to move up to His level. Jesus wants them to be able to expel demons from people. We all hope the reaction was that they insist Jesus teach THEM how to cleanse the demon-possessed and not wither into insecurity because it sounds like Jesus might have insulted them.  Following Jesus in not for the faint of heart, btw. Next, Jesus tells of his crucifixion again.  He did so five times between this session in Galilee and the arrival in Jerusalem. [Mark tells us of four of them]. Talk of his Passion during what we call Easter week wasn't mentioned much prior to this. But Jesus wanted them to be certain of what was coming. However they are still not 'getting it' yet.' -The next verse tale is proof that the gravity of what was coming at Calvary wasn't sinking in at this point --> They are arguing about who's the greatest, [as if Cassius Clay was among them as one of the disciples). Jesus teaching about serving and having a child-like heart is perfect timing again.  It's still shaking up the leadership world today. Awesome. -The word of Jesus and His powerful Name is spreading as someone other than them is ministering in Jesus' name. The disciples aren't sure what to make of this. "Jesus" wasn't going to be a small club of 12 much longer so they best get accustomed to this. -The final teaching is so needed today. We are to be inspiring and raising up and mentoring eachother.  An alarming amount of people today make a living from selling, promoting, and doing things that harm people and leads them into dark and unhealthy things. Jesus asserts that there is a horrid price tag for leading people astray.  The part about maiming one'self [if that's what it takes to stop sinning] is too much to take: the issue is clearly this: SIN is NOT one of your OPTIONS.  Dietrick Bonhoffer explains this better than anyone if you care to look up his commentary on these verses. It is vital and beyond that no one is led astray from our example. We are to affect people in the opposite manner.

Hosea 9:10-10:15 We are in the Exile Stream reading from the Easy-to-Read Version this week. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, let this sorry tale of the northern Kingdom only remind us that you do not play games with the disobedient. Let it remind and urge us to follow you, follow you today, and to follow you fully. Amen.

9 - Israel's love for God has rotted. It started out as affection that was pure but it has become like garbage gone bad "late in the day".  Israel has loved rotten things ... now they have gone totally rotten themselves.  God needs to discard them.           Their future needs to be cut off because a rotten present (that Israel is committed to) signifies a rotten future.

         Nothing signals that there's a future like a baby arriving. Well God is going to end this and Israel is going to have no more babies.  What does survive, God will "take" those babies.  It's too disturbing to describe what the Assyrian soldiers did to Israel's helpless babies during the seige. And you don't want to know.  Email my husband, if you really need to know as this era was his major in college. Believe me, it's bad.  Well, Israel had killed its own faith and done so deliberately and it won't be long now until Assyria kills every Israelite baby they can find. Too rough? Is God being too mean? Willful sin takes things in a far worse direction than the deliberate sinner ever dreamed he would be taken in his worst nightmare.  They would become a homeless nation.  And historically, these tribes of the north were scattered into the "compost heap" of history. 10 - Israel has erred greatly in that they used their wealth and fertile land and blessing to, do what?!, to make idols!  Their aimlessness is turned lunacy.  We've heard the phrase, "wherever, you go, there you are." With Israel, wherever they go in their minds and hearts and sinfulness, "they aren't there either. When someone isn't thinking clearly, we declare, "they're not all there."  This is Israel completely.   They have a king, but they don't - not really, they make promises that they don't keep (so what were they promising?), their judges merely poison everything, they worship a calf - it gets stolen, they make pacts with other countries - with those that hate them and then invade, their altars of worship will turn into piles of weeds ... so what are they worshiping? The nation is crazy. Israel has been sinning and sinning so horribly, so constantly, and for so long.  All these centuries they could have been planting good things that grew into great things.  But Israel planted evil and lies and false hope (in their sinful commitments).   Btw, the man "Shalman" mentioned in Hosea 10:14 was an Assyrian King, His full name was Shall-man-EASE-err.  Whoever completes the conquest of Israel, Israel is going to be fully destroyed.  It's basically over for them.