The Seven Streams Method

Matthew 26 We are in the Christ Stream as we lead up to the crucifixion of Jesus. We reading from the God's Word Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com | #7Streams | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

The plans to kill Jesus have passed the point of no return.  Jesus knew it was coming within 48 hours. He tells his disciples of it again - whether they heard it this time or not... who knows.  Jesus is about to have his last night of sleep.  The parallel narratives are in Mark 14 and Luke 22.  John follows a different order if you feel like comparing in Jn. 13 and 14.  The journey of this almost last day of Jesus' life in this state is as such:  He prophesies of his death, the schemers confer on how to arrest him AND make it look like Jesus is a problem to be treated via the "final solution", a girl with a shady past anoints Jesus' feet in Bethany - and Jesus turns the event into a sermon for the ages, Judas planned his betrayal for pay, preparations for the Last Supper are made, Jesus informs of his betrayer and his prevenient knowledge of it, their Last Supper is served, Peter pledges his loyalty and gets updated on the coming reality of his own denial of Jesus/Peters' relationship, Jesus and 11 of the 12 are in Gethsemane by now and Jesus prays in anguish...the Disciples keep falling asleep, Judas arrives with the armed crowd from the priests and leaders of Jerusalem and Jesus gets arrested in dramatic fashion, the Disciples scatter and Jesus goes before Caiaphas; the High Priest, the illicit trial is carried out against the Law (as they had planned it) and the abusing of Jesus begins.  btw, the High Priest and his crew broke 19 of their own Jewish laws in arresting, trying and crucifying Jesus in the manner that they did it.   Then again, how else are they going to condemn an innocent man to death?  The chapter and reading today ends with the scene of Peter following along at a distance and denying Christ. Peter's revelation of his unfaithfulness hits him harder than it hits anyone else.

Daniel 11:36-12:13 We are in the Exile Stream and will finish the book of Daniel as we read from the God's Word Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com | #7Streams | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

-11:36 ff. This part of this chapter in Daniel is about Antiochus Epiphanes - the worst menace of the time; the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Some have called these four centuries "the silent years".  They were not silent at all.  A.E. was beyond horrible. His life was a murder spree aiming at genocide. Verse 41, "he will invade the beautiful land and tens of thousands will be defeated" is when he went into Israel and Jerusalem and killed 80,000 people just because he was mad.  And he was mad because of his failures to be victorious in other countries - so he vents his rage at the Jews. He was so completely treacherous that by the time his end comes, no one comes to his aid. That's why it ends (chapter 11 and his life) it says. "no one comes to help him."  He really was a bad bad man. That section of scripture in some ways is an overlay of the Anti-Christ.  It refers to Antiochus Epiphanes AND the antichrist at the same time. 12 - This is the End Times; no mistaking or multiple meanings. Michael, is Michael the Archangel. Also in v. 1 "everyone written in the book." is the Lamb's Book of Life more definitively spoken about in Revelation 21:27. The trouble and distress spoken of certainly is what is seen and growing today. But far worse is coming. Verse 2 speaks of the great resurrection and the judgment that is coming for unbelievers.  V. 4 talks of increased travel and knowledge.  That is certainly today. A journey that took weeks and months all through history is now taken in hours. Anyone anywhere in the world can be on the farthest part of the earth less than 24 hours later. As for knowledge increasing - one patent attorney was describing the process and its acceleration as being dizzying. The process of inventing and learning about new things is going way far faster than it ever has.  Some products, especially in technology, as soon as they reach the shelf at the stores, there is already another product going through the patent process that will make the prior invention obsolete. The learning and revelation process is happening that quickly now!  Messages were taken across the U.S. by rail train and it took days and days. Messages are sent in seconds to anywhere on earth now. Satellites relay information at the speed of light. Daniel is being told this over 2500 years ago. The 1290 days is 3 + 1/2 years and it refers to tribulation.  The timing of it all, who is inflicted, who is protected from it, Christ's Return, the Millennium, all this is further and more completely explained in Revelation and by Jesus.  To understand the end times requires a cross comparison of Daniel, Revelation, and Jesus words about the end times; the apocalypse. Jesus comments are found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. God tells us what is coming because He cares about us, He wants us to know that He is in charge and that there is nothing to fear. God is this way because he loves us. The intent of this apocalyptic literature is not to frighten - it is written to assure. Let's let it affect us this same way. Let's let it make us more loving. Let' s also resist the urge to get into arguments and get ugly toward others.  Too many have declared that anyone who views the end times differently than they personally do, THAT person is a heretic, and needs to be put out of THEIR church.  This is the wrong way to immerse into end time studies.  Let's let end time studies make us more loving people.  It does finish well for us.  Daniel is told, "go on until the end. You will rest, and you will rise to receive your inheritance at the end of time."  Our finale~ is as glorious as Daniel's and this is cause for rejoicing.  The angel was talking to Daniel who is talking to us.  This is Amazing!

Isaiah 46-49 We are in the Prophetic Stream in the book of Isaiah today reading from the God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | #7Streams  | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Pausing to look at the big picture, the northern Kingdom has been hauled off by Assyria and scattered.  This was, by now a generation or two prior.  Babylon is going to capture the south in about a century or so.  God is going to let Babylon seize Jerusalem and Judah/the southern Kingdom since they will not yield and obey God.  He makes it plain in the first section of ch. 46 that He has the whole picture in mind. 46 - Babylon, with their false gods is going to rule for a bit and execute their plans over Israel.  It's almost like God is telling the Hebrews, "...So,you like dabbling with false gods, huh? Well guess where that will lead you... to being overtaken by a nation who really follows their false gods.  Let me know how you feel as false gods and their frothing followers bust into your homes, towns, and your whole lives!"  Isaiah has a skill for keeping the fate of the wicked ever in front of us, the Lord's impatience with rebellion, HIS faithfulness that will redeem - these things continue to be juggled in the literature and we are reminded of them throughout Isaiah's writing.  "I am God, and there's no one like me." is especially good in v. 9 47 - Babylon's day is coming too. [remember we are looking about a century ahead] They have done their deeds against the Jews and here's what's next for them:  They will be thrown in the dirt, dethroned, stripped, driven away, destroyed, they will be widowed, bereft of children, their witchcraft will betray them, Babylon had been a refined and decorated culture, a powerful and wealthy Kingdom. But God is done with Babylon. Their deeds and behavior have come full circle (by the time this prophecy is fulfilled and they will be well on their way to being an archaeological site.) 48 - This chapter reads like a visit to an incarcerated person you knew when they were once free. God tells His children (while captive in Babylon) what they need to hear before they are to be released from Babylon.  People who are not reformed before they are freed again simply go back to what they were deviant in and perhaps are even worse in their ways.  But God has some beautiful and sobering reminders of what the destiny of His nation is. As they return, the Lord will teach them, and guide them, there will be worship.  And they must remember their LORD and follow Him and not stray again.  This ends Isaiah's run of prophecies that have gone on for nine chapters simultaneously. The point being driven at is that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God to go to for answers and direction.  The rest of the gods are false and lead people on the road to nothing. 49 - The thinking that encompasses 49-55 is the "Servant of God".  The Messiah concept and the nation of Israel both feather together intermittently to reveal this truth. Messiah will come and serve God- Isaiah is saying this 650-700 years before Jesus arrives. And Israel's role of serving God is ongoing.  The assignment for those who serve God is to come to God and bring others also who will serve Him. The Servant brings back the Tribes to God, he is also a Light to the nations.  The task of serving God and being served by Him involves faith, favor, salvation, freedom, supply, satisfaction and comfort.  The faithful will be brought to God, reunited like a family, This will be the mighty work of God

Psalm 9-17 We are in the Wisdom Stream today while using the God's Word Translation this week.

In Psalm 9, David is thankful for victories; victories that he personally has experienced and also those that affected Israel, his nation.  Miracles have happened, there is joy and music and praise.  The Lord has been true and the enemies of the Lord are in a bad way and going down further.  God triumphs and the truth of this is evident to those who look to God for their refuge. In Psalm 10, David starts the Psalm feeling that God is far off and that the wicked get to have their run of things.  David lists the things he sees about oppressors. They boast, rob, curse, oppress, deceive, they pounce, and crush.  David calls for God to arise and deal with them justly and to do so as the God who is able to.  David seems to be encouraging himself with the truth that he knows God to be v.s. the justice that may seem delayed as he is witnessing it. The Psalm ends with a mighty praise about God's encouragement and protection for the orphan and the oppressed. For Psalm 11 and following: The next three Psalms are David asking desperate questions and feeling very troubled about wicked people who seem to be everywhere and running everywhere and behaving with ill will.  He was running from Saul during these times [ I Sam. 18-26 ].  He is vexed when he sees enemies all around.  He is at the same place blessed when he is able to pause and look to God knowing of His righteousness

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I Samuel 13:23-16:23 We are in The Nation Stream today as we continue the story of King Saul and his courageous son Jonathan. We are reading from God's Word Translation today. 7streamsmethod.com #7Streams @7StreamsMethod @serenatravis   Commentary by Drake Travis The battle between Israel and the Philistines is an over-arching backdrop for the reading today.  Saul's hollow and selfish character is fully revealed and as the phrase goes, "the handwriting is on the wall" as to what's IN THE AIR where things are going and what needs to happen to get the nation to where God can glorify Himself through this nation of Israel. In chapter 14, Jonathan shows his cagey and intelligent nature as a battle strategist and defeats the Philistines in the first battle described here. Remember what is developing: in the prior chapter, Jonathan wins the battle, and Saul his father, declares that he:Saul had won the battle [I Sam.13:3-4]. So without saying or doing anything to "right" this mis-perception, Jonathan goes right ahead, without Saul's knowledge, and marches into [and wins!] the next battle.  Keep in mind that Israel does this without legitimate war material, arms or weapons.  It was truly the hand of God stepping in to give victory in spite of Saul-the moral hot-air balloon / turned control freak obsessed with being Mr. Everything...  The man has paltry management skills and tries to compensate this through trying to monitor all matters like a school marm who forgot to retire 25 years ago. Next he orders an ill-timed fast that all must follow - or be executed.  And who violates the illicit fast unwittingly? His son Jonathan, who is spared only by the level-headed soldiers around him. Yes, Saul has battle victories throughout his life. We'll grant him that, but the victories had almost nothing to do with Saul; absolutely nothing - almost. In chapter 15, Saul errs again when he doesn't finish the job in decimating Amalek.  They brought some of the animals back so they could, uh, "sacrifice them to God" uh-hum, yeah right!  Saul is an ante-example of how not to obey the Lord.  The LORD doesn't need our version of obedience in order for us to obey Him. God needs to obeyed precisely.  Again, Saul can't do what he is told. Samuel's famous words, "to obey/follow instructions is better than sacrifice" still is relevant now and always will be.  Saul reveals his weakness of character again in v. 24 "...I was afraid of the people and listened to them."  Saul is a typical politician that does not listen to wisdom or prophets or God. He consults the people; !he takes a poll! v.s. asking of God what to do. Samuel finishes a gruesome task and 'does in' the last of Amalek in front of Saul and the LORD. Saul again stands corrected.  btw, Samuel never saw Saul again. God and Samuel left him. Think of it, why would God and Samuel try to stay around and communicate with a king who has his "fingers in his ears"? In Chapter 16, Samuel is assigned to find and anoint the next king.  After a process that piques the interest of anyone literate, David is chosen and the Spirit of the LORD comes over David.  He has nice skin, bright eyes, is handsome and talented - sounds like a catch for sure!  It isn't long before his musical skill takes him right to King Saul and it turns out Saul needs David to give him peace of mind amid the evil Saul has given himself to.  It is very intriguing the way God orchestrates a contrast between Saul and David. It's these encounters that reveal the completely stark characters that emerge between these two men from different generations.  Saul and David - this is just the beginning - the showdown continues next week!

Genesis 46:1-49:28 We are in the World Stream. Israel reunites with Joseph takes the time to bless his grandsons and his sons. We are reading from the God's Word Translation this week. 7streamsmethod.com #7Streams @7StreamsMethod @serenatravis

Acts 25:1-27:26 We are in the Church Stream today as we follow Paul on his 4th missionary journey. We are reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com #7Streams @7StreamsMethod @serenatravis Some photos taken in Caesarea during our 2013 Israel Tour. [gallery columns="2" ids="401,402,403,404"]  

Matthew 24-25 Today we are in the Christ Stream as we learn more about Jesus and the Kingdom. We are reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com #7Streams @7StreamsMethod @serenatravis

Isaiah 43-45 We are in the Prophetic Stream today. We will cover several very familiar verses about God. We are reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible this week. 7streamsmethod.com #7Streams @7StreamsMethod @serenatravis