The Seven Streams Method

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Numbers 19-21 We are in the World Stream reading from the World English Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, you led your people into victory and to more. Lead us we pray as we spread the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Amen. 19 - The red heifer sacrifice was of tremendous significance in this culture.  There is much debate and mystery about the reinstitution of this ritual that you are encouraged to do a "search" on.  It has an ominous overtone about it that can be discussed into infinity.  The cedar/hyssop/scarlet is a combination wherein the oils are still used today as powerful anti-septics in medicine. God was very concerned about cleanliness at every level; with the soul being first on the list.  We could say more about the red heifer matter, the next Temple and such but again, the interested will look into that and can immerse themselves in the ongoing debate at will.  The remainder of 19 deals with the handling of the dead for families and for those in proximity to the dead. This is a matter that had to be reinstated anew. They had come from Egypt after 430 years there and Israel was not to be a cult of the dead as Egypt was. The dead ended up being more captivating than the living in Egypt.  In Israel, God wanted them to deal with the dead with issues of purity and the health of the living in mind. Bury them, mourn and call it over with. Hebrews were agents of a culture of life leading to Eternal Life, not death. It's interesting that at one point Jesus replies, "let the dead bury the dead."  He came to give abundant life, not to obsess over the dead. 20 -  Miriam dies at Kadesh (she was 130). Soon there is more complaining in the camp, the food is drab - nothing reminds them of the fresh produce of Egypt, there's an apparent lack of water so they are laying it on thick and Moses/Aaron are having stress. God gloriously appears to them in the tent! He gives specific instructions; this time to speak to the rock.  Mind you Moses has always done exactly what he has been told since being called into ministry. But exasperation took over this time. He doesn't want to appear looney. Think about his sentiment when he suspects every one thinking, "oh great, now Moses is talking to rocks. Now what do we do? Our leader has been out in the sun wayyy too long!" Moses falters, has a tantrum and whacks the rock - twice. Water came, yes, but the disobedience would cost Moses. He was now relegated to die, in the desert too, and not enter the Promised Land. His wanderings would end in...wandering; not in Canaan. Sad stuff.  But that was down the road. Next they request passage through Edom; the Land of Esau for some 400+ years now.  His descendants do not take too kindly to their long lost and returning cousins who were sequestered in Egypt for 430 years. They deny them passage through Edom and are insistent about it. Would God have assisted them had they pushed back against Edom? It was a short route into Canaan.  But the Israelites submitted to the Edomites show of force and went to Mt. Hor.  Aaron's time for passage arrived. His mantel is put upon his son and Aaron dies (at 123).  baby brother Moses would die within a year as well [at 120] but that is not told to us until the end of Deuteronomy.  We'll read that on December 31, in 3+1/3 months. 21 - Next, the Canaanite King of Arad fought and kidnapped some Israelites.  With the Lord's clearance, the Israelites decimated Arad and his people and their cities. It is a marvel that the Israelite farmers of Goshen (the delta of the Nile), turned nomads, then became successful soldiers.  The next journey had them going the long way around. A look at a map will reveal why they were complaining. But let's not forget the larger picture that God wanted them in the Promised Land 38 years prior to their entry; Numbers 13-14. They are still out there because of their complaining - not because of God.  So let's all remember that when we reject God's straight way and opt for our long way, let's not blame God for doing it our way v.s. His Way. The snake bites got their attention and as most beleaguered parents tell their children, "I'll give you something to cry about" - this really got the Israelites attention. The remedy is a daily reminder even today as the symbol for medicine is still a serpent on a pole. You see it on ambulances. That comes from right here in Num. 21. The balance of today's reading, to the end of Num. 21 is filled with travel and cities and more confrontations. The lesson going here and there and ending up [AGAIN] in nowhere [AGAIN] is to not complain so that God can take you somewhere.    Their battle was against the Amorites led by King Sihon.  Sihon was like your neighborhood yapping dog who barks and snarls just because you are walking by. If he could get past the fence he would come and nip at your heel. Yes, this was Sihon. He charged Israel like a dog escaped from his yard. And he received a hound dog's whoopin'.  Sihon lost every one of his cities to Israel.  They also assumed all the land of Bashan from King Og.  The Lord directed against King Og and there were --> no survivors.  The Israelites now possessed the land east of the Jordan.

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I Timothy 4-6 We are in the Church Stream reading from God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

"Lord God of heaven and our hearts: Thank you for Paul's words to Timothy that help US so much. We really want to know you more and imitate you better. This truly helps. Amen" There is a subtle overtone that surfaces in today's reading that reminds us to be especially kind and honoring with fellow Believers.  There is much talk today about safe space, safe places, safe environments and settings.  Well the Church should be the ultimate safe place; shielded from ungodly, putrid etc. and cruelty. God wants it to be a nurturing, encouraging atmosphere.  There are millions of people walking the earth today who went to church in the past but don't go and refuse to return because of how they were treated years ago ... in a Church. It's unfortunate. The treatment was wrong, perhaps accidentally so, but nonetheless- .  Let's be people who create the most wonderful church atmospheres in our home fellowships. There are some who are on their best behavior outside the church because, as they see it, that is where they "have a tesss-ti-mohhhh-nyyyy".  And then at church they are smacky, sarcastic, gruff because, as they see it, "ahhh, this is just 'family' ".  Stop that.  Let's be at our best with family, not our worst. Some console their misgivings by tongue-in-cheek saying, "we only hurt the ones we love." That is illicit. We should not be training everyone around us that the closer you get, the meaner I get.  That is not the Kingdom of God, for it is the opposite of Christ Jesus.  Let's allow Paul's words [to Timothy] sink in to our souls today as we are given guidelines for serving Christ, dealing with others, and living godly lives.

4 - Paul starts by warning Timothy that hucksters and misguided people; agents of darkness were on the loose and attempting to lead people astray. They were not people of the Holy Spirit but duplicitous souls driven by their own twistedness; not of God. The Gnostic group were among these folks. They thought that we were saved by knowledge, not Jesus. The manmade rules they were conjuring were ridiculous and cultic. Be aware of this! 19 centuries later they are still trolling around.     I Timothy 4 continues that we are to be immune to myths, silly tales, and to remain godly. As for Serving Christ, our whole lives are to be a reflection of Christ. Read&share Scripture, teach, lead in worship, be an example for others. This is so we are saved and helping others to be saved also.

5 - As for dealing with other Christians - much of this is family matters - meaning the family of God.  *address each other respectfully,  *care for elder widows in need,  *occupy and meet needs v.s. busybody gossiping, *spiritual leaders who excel are to be paid double and leaders who err are to be corrected publicly, *no playing favorites/ double standards, *ordain carefully and solemnly, *stay pure and godly, *take a little medicine/wine as needed, *know that people's deeds: good/bad - public/hidden will all become obvious to all. 6 - This addresses the ethic of slaves/masters' attitudes.  I.e. work hard, honor one another, and rememberfirst that you are Believers. The greater issue of slavery was later dealt with finally by Christians though it is exacerbated still by nonChristians.  Again, for the immediate, don't treat each other like stray dogs and mask it with resignation-like comments of "oh, he's just a pest from my church - no one important..." [Revere  one  another.]  The balance of this chapter is 'guidelines for godly living' :   The pivotal issues are to love God; not to love arguing.  Love contentment; not riches.  Pursue God and stay on pilgrimage.  Seek your righteousness in God.  Get your confidence from God. Be a joyfully giving and sharing soul...relax--God keeps account.  And lastly, shun fruitless discussions with those who enjoy religious arguments against true Christendom.

The Thread Through the Streams

Looking back over the week, there were things that left us in awe on all spectrums. It is astonishing that people forget who they are dealing with. They must remember who they are dealing with / living under / responding to.  This is ultimate seriousness. ~When God Almighty says in Numbers that you are guilty even though you are ignorant and then offers redemption - listen and do it. When he says no work on the Sabbath, one guy shrugs and gathers wood anyway. He is tried, taken outside, and pelted to death with stones. God means it when He says, "you must rest and not work [to death]". Korah and friends rise up in rebellion. God buries them all.  'You guys forget who you are fighting here. The Priestly duties and quarters are a sacred realm; not a thoroughfare or some Bon Marche Promenade.  Any trespassers will be killed along with those who allow it or fail to supervise against it. ~In Chronicles it's time for the Ark to come back to Jerusalem. It was to be carried by Priests, not hauled by animals. We remember the sobering judgment that affected all including the King. The Philistines have disdain for the Hebrews and their new king David. They march, charge and are routed like rodents. After this the nations then realized who they were being trifle with.  It isn't smart to fight someone who is listening to and directed by God Himself, eh?!  When the Ark is finally brought into Jerusalem, Michal resents such pageantry and worship. So God strikes her infertile. The Priests however have utter reverence for what God has done and lead in rousing worship. God blesses! ~The seven Psalms we read this week: 133-139 show a distinct mindfulness of God's Providence and power and care and love.  There isn't a hint of casualness, "yea, God made the heavens, yea whatever, I'm hungry - where's dinner?" The Psalmist in enraptured with God. The only variation in Psalms this week is the grief told of in Babylon where they lacked the fervor to sing in worship; they missed Zion so much. And they are extremely angry at the Babylonians who struck the children of God. They missed the culture that they themselves had sabotaged.  The seriousness of it all was hitting them now ... finally! ~Lamentations ends yet fully mindful of the horrible cost of disobedience.  Jeremiah KNEW who the Judeans were dealing with, though the Judeans were disgustingly cavalier about it all until it was too late.  Then Ezekiel starts and the immensity of his awesome God hits him right away in an unforgettable vision.  Angels, clouds, fire, lightning, the "wheel within a wheel" apparatus that are segue~ devices (of sorts) that give double-two-way-360 mobility <-- how's that for an attempt to describe the indescribable?! Ezekiel knew that something bigger than he could comprehend was underway. He began to see what was coming for impenitent, and rebellious Jerusalem. This was no time to shrug. His intense assignment had begun. Lord have mercy and give strength! ~Nahum knew that Nineveh's days were numbered. They had no idea that their attack of Israel "put a timer" on their existence. Nineveh was completely against everything even related to the ways of God. And they were about to slaughtered for it. They did not know the seriousness of their fate. Just a decade or so before their being under siege, they were reveling their glory, oblivious to what God was planning for them. Nineveh had no idea what they were about to deal with. Horrors... ~Did you hear Luke this week and think "what on earth are you doing?!" in regards to Judas betraying Christ, Peter swinging a sword at the head of the Chief Priests, the people socking a blindfolded Jesus-the-Savior? It's flabbergasting!  I couldn't accost Jesus for any amount of money. That's because we know who the Savior is.  These people didn't know.  They did not know who they were dealing with.  Pity their souls. ~The reckless souls who were traversing the Empire and doing their dead-level best to undo what Paul and Timothy were building had devilishly arrogant hearts.  We've met a few like this in our ministry and mission travels who think they are doing some service to humanity when in truth they are fighting God. They end up the same place Korah did back in Numbers; buried.  On the other hand, Timothy is fully aware of the tenants and reminders that Paul is sending to him to instill in the churches around Ephesus. Timothy had been with Paul in Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, even to Rome. Timothy knew the vital importance of Paul's instruction and he was faithful with it.  We need to be faithful with it to.  Paul writes the same truth to us today.

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Luke 22:1-65 We are in the Christ Stream reading from God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Oh Dear Jesus, and to think you went right into this and walked through this willingly. You did it all for love...for love of us, so that we could abide eternally with you. As it looks to human eyes, 'the boom' is lowering on Jesus.  He had been too effective in loving people, liberating them and exposing the false hearted religious leaders who neither loved people nor freed them up to worship God.  It's a spooky verse to see that Satan entered Judas. We might add that it was not without invitation. Judas was following Jesus for twisted reasons for most all of the three years. The leaders needed Judas' help in locating Jesus and to do so when their diabolical plans to kill him would not go unnoticed.  Judas facilitated that plan.  He was a turncoat and with this deed he "crossed the Rubicon" and went past the point of no return.  The Last Supper is prepared and eaten together with the disciples.  This started The New Covenant.  This time Jesus was to BE the Passover Lamb, led to slaughter.  It had to be bewildering to be there and hear Jesus utter words that altered the religious landscape forever.  My husband has actually been in that room.  He said, y'can hardly take in what happened there....he said that he couldn't talk for almost an hour after being in the Upper Room. It was a very grave experience for him.  For what it's worth, the parallel stories we go through today are also in Matt. 26, Mark 14, and John 13. It's obvious that Jesus knows who betrayed Him in this hour of darkness.  He always knows who betrays Him today too.  Interesting that as the time to run the gauntlet, a tussle of words breaks out as the disciples argue who is going to be greatest. The selfishness even now makes a startling contrast as to how these disciples became so self-sacrificing after Pentecost clear to the end of their lives.  Their dedication took the gospel fully across Asia; from Portugal to where Shanghai is today by 100 A.D. so let's not rail on them to hard about this "boys will be boys" moment immediately following the Passover meal.  the next 24 hours would be too much for them to bear.    The final words Jesus' spoke shook them all to the core.  Peter pledges his life to Jesus not knowing that he would be frightened to death and deny him. Later that night he would angrily swear that he never even knew Jesus. Think about this: Who knew Peter better? Jesus or Peter? And come to think of it, when we make all kinds of conjectures about how dedicated we are and unflinching we will be in trial, do we know what we are talking about?  It's an open debate, isn't it? Whatever may come in following Jesus, He assures them once again that their needs would be met. They always have been haven't they? Ours always will be too. In the Garden of Gethsemane [Gett-seh-MAH-knee: means "olive press"] the famous prayer session that still inspires Believers today took place. Luke mentions one time the fatigue of the disciples, their sorrow, near depression, that dropped them into sleep.  Matthew and Mark (who were disciples that were actually there) go further to belabor the point that they fell asleep repeatedly and Jesus came back to them over and again to wake them.       When Jesus is arrested Judas approaches him with a kiss that betrays Him by exposing Him which gives Him away to the Chief Priests.  Betrayed with a kiss? Peter was pledging his life to Him earlier and proves it when he lunges and cuts off the ear of the Chief Priest's servant. This was a deed worthy of death, btw, that Peter did! As just mentioned it wasn't long before Peter is screaming and swearing against even knowing Jesus. Pause and ponder this: who would you trust? Judas who kisses you or Peter who screams and swears against you? Who is loyal? Who can you trust? Which will stay with you to the end? You cannot tell. And you also cannot tell the same among whom you think are your friends today.  Just keep that in mind.  By now the trial has begun as they blindfolded and began beating Jesus with what we would call 'nightsticks'.  It was brutal. Before they were done with this viciousness, Jesus would not even be recognizable.  It may do your heart well to grab a hymnal and go through the song, "Oh Sacred Head, Now Wounded." Don't even try to keep it together. Jesus didn't. God didn't either.  It is too much to bear.  That's why he bore this for us. See Isaiah 53 too.

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Nahum 1-2 We are in the Exile Stream reading from God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake W. Travis Nahum adds to the testament against Nineveh.  This sadistic city is going to fall.  It is doomed.  Granted, Jonah reluctantly prophesied against this city and they repented...that generation repented anyway. That was 770 B.C. But as all Christian historians know, each generation needs to be evangelized and Nineveh didn't evangelize the next generation in the God of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David.

48 years later they stormed Israel/Samaria with a diabolical vengeance. Here it is 650 B.C.; 120 years after Jonah preached a very similar message, and Nineveh along with the rest of the Assyrians are deaf to the message as they careen onward toward their own overthrow. Nahum is in credible company with his message as Isaiah [ch. 10], and Zephaniah also speak of the end of Nineveh.  His message may have been ignored in a similar was that Noah's Ark and the flood warnings were ignored, for Nineveh was in its glory days about when Nahum commenced his prophecy. Nonetheless, the Scythian Invasion of 727 B.C. cracked their confidence as well as their insidious arrogance.  In 612 B.C. the fall of Nineveh occurred - God and his spokesmen are right again.

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Lamentations 5 - Ezekiel 3 We are in the Prophetic Stream starting the final book for the stream this year. We are reading from the God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord Jesus, let us be quick to confess, slow to blame, and attentive to you as Ezekiel was. You do call us to speak for you, to be a testament to your good plans for us.  Amen.

Lam.5 - If Charles Dickens had written Lamentations, it would open, "it was the worst of times, it was the worst of times - indeed, it was the worst of times." Jerusalem is unrecognizable. It's a slave camp gone into complete dismay. The fires of the city and the siege have died, yes, but the ash is still everywhere. It was a horror that had simply changed chapters. The occupying enemies have now taken charge and are working them to a stupor; to exhaustion. Meals are not enjoyed. They are struggled for, scraping together meager bits to barely subsist. Food in Judah was like water in the desert: more scorching heat than worth but still fought for just to live.  Luxuries, amenities, simple comforts and pleasures are of not these days.  The Babylonians were raping at will. Hebrews were being tortured. Let's just say, "the music had died." Life was nothing but a dirge. Yet as the book nearly closes, Jeremiah acknowledges that God is God and nothing is going to change that. He also is keenly aware that life in Jerusalem and Judea was wretched these days. The odd matter is that the Judeans do not seem confessional. They are not penitent at this stage of the game. God did not have an anger problem. They have had a disobedience problem and they were reaping what they had sowed.

Ezekiel was taken to Babylon in 597 B.C., during the second Babylonian strike at Judah. Jerusalem had 11 more years before it would be invaded and crushed. Daniel was taken to Babylon (605 B.C.) and was prominent in the palace by now.  However, Ezekiel worked (prophesied) in the countryside. He writes his book from the stunning visions he had. In one vision after another, he hears from God, dictates visions for God, and speaks for God sending messages to the future. Some of Ezekiel's visions hearken forward to generations that are still to come as they yet look forward from today.  This is far more than a 2,600 year old book. It accurately tells of what is coming with laser precision. That means Ezekiel is more "up on the news" than what is streaming on the web, now. It's true. Tune in to this man. He is talking to us. 1 - He begins seeing visions from God and prophesying in 593 B.C.; almost five years after being taken to Babylon, six+ years before Jerusalem fell.  The visions begin. They are arriving angels. They are ominous and huge and powerful and cosmic, and have a resemblance to great beasts. They are   a w e s o m e !!  There's a platform about the angels. On it is a sapphire throne. All this is within a colossal storm cloud with flashes of fire in it that whirl, such as lightning. [Similar literature is seen in Revelation 4.]  All this is setting the stage for Ezekiel commencing upon his 20-year vocation of prophesying for God. 2 - God basically tells Ezekiel to stand at attention and hear what he is to be doing. His life hereon is not going to be a cake-walk. He is speaking to and warning a rebellious people. The environment is going to be hostile but Ezekiel is 'not to fear'. And he must be sure to not become like the rebels he is addressing.  Ezekiel is given a book "to eat..." Meaning he is supposed to completely ingest all of what God is telling him. John has the same assignment in Rev. 10 as he is writing out his visions that are coming down from God ca. 60-90 A.D. some 650+ years later. Both are writing the apocalyptic messages that still have vital teaching for the world.  Ezekiel's assignment of giving messages was good, though the message that had to be delivered was a difficult one to share. 3 - Indeed it was sweet to eat this book as Ezekiel experienced it.  This needed to happen for his assignment to address a stubborn people was going to be fraught with suffering. The Lord carried Ezekiel into this ominous calling and set him up as a watchman who would have the responsibility of speaking for God whether the people listened or not; however they responded or refused him or whatever the outcome was. He needed to speak to them God's message. There was a penalty for not doing so. And there would be times when God demanded silence of Ezekiel. In 3:26; today's reading, but also in 24:27 and 33:22.  Ezekiel must only speak what God has for him to speak; not his own words, nor his own ideas, ever. And looking ahead, since we are in Ezekiel during the entirety of the prophetic stream the rest of the year, here is what we can expect.  Ezekiel is telling of the coming fall of Jerusalem in ch's 1-24. Next he tells of the surrounding nations; enemies of Jerusalem that will be overthrown; Eze. 25-32.  And Ezekiel spends the rest of his book, 33-48, telling of Israel being re-established and its glorious future.

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Psalms 133-139 We are in the Wisdom Stream reading from God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Lord, we want to know you and walk with you and live in the Psalms and be in worship every step, every day.  Amen.

133 - Our working and playing and cooking and learning and worshiping and serving and doing all that we do IN a SPIRIT of TOGETHERNESS is very pleasing to the Lord.  It seems that modern-day urbanites are slightly more impressed with the concepts of "privacy", "personal space", and "my own little world" etc. than God is.

134 - The Psalmist is distinctly impressed with those Levitical servants who work the night-shift without fail . 135 - This is exuberant encouragement to praise the Lord.  Why? Because God is the only true and right God. Allgods are false.  Look what God has done!  His works in nature, His works against our enemies...which are His enemies. GOD is just and compassionate.  All others nations' gods are not even fluff.  They are nothing. They don't exist!  So let's praise Him; our True God. 136 - The verse/phrase; "His mercy endures forever..." is recited repeatedly to redentigrate into people's memories so that it stays there for life. Every reminder becomes a reminder of ... God's eternal mercy. God does wonders, miracles, natural phenomenon-  be they repetitive or in line with answers to prayer for rescue.  God guides, gives victory, he saves, sustains - - - so, what do we do? --> give Him thanks. 137 - It is the 580's B.C. and the Judeans are in anguish; in Babylon and hadn't the heart to sing the boisterous songs to God in worship. The Babylonians would goad them to sing but they just couldn't, they were so demoralized. They remembered Zion and wanted to make sure their hearts didn't change and become settled with /or/ normalized to life in Babylon. Their anger is still fresh against their Babylonian victors and the Edomites who cheered Judea's defeat. Their prayer against their tormentors is about as severe as it gets; wanting the Babylonian babies smashed. This is real prayer though it forgets the truth - that God put the Bab's up to the task of punishing them for what they; the Judeans had done against God. Their anger, understand is almost six centuries pre-Calvary so they don't understand the Holy Spirit and grace and redemption in a spectrum that those who have been following Jesus understand it. All things considered from our "Christian prism", we can understand this anger, without condoning it. [This Psalm was written by Hebrews exiled in Babylon, while Psalm 126 was written shortly after returning to the Promised Land from Babylon.] 138 - is a celebration in itself; a celebration borne from answered prayer that comes bursting forth from grateful hearts. 139 - God KNOWS us - that is the theme here. Skin to bone, every thought, every word, He knows us.  You, Lord are present with us, every step, every day. It isn't possible to flee from our God. He was there for our beginning and orchestrated the creation of us; each of us. God's vast love for us is too marvelous to understand. David feels a deep kinship with those who love God ... and vice versa.  David wants to make sure there is no evil in his heart - not even evil that he is unconscious of. David wants to walk with God and remain in God and to have nothing whatsoever to do with evil or anything/anyone that is evil.

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I Chronicles 13-17 We are in the Nation Stream reading from God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis 13 - the ark is brought back from it's time among the Philistines. It was a joyous reunion. Perhaps they were a tad too joyous in transport.  'Nothing wrong with excitement, but let's get it settled first and then get all wound up in worship. By the way, if you're never seen a Hebrew celebration, you need to. My husband finished college in Jerusalem 30+ years ago and he says it's the first time he's seen a senior citizen do the splits in mid-air! At any rate, there was a gentleman "Uzzah" who paid dearly for touching the ark. His dubious assignment of guarding the ark without getting too close got him removed from the earth. It's an unfortunate warning that had to take place. This was a memo to not turn the Ark into a tourist piece. How many famous carvings/art pieces have you visited in life where the nose or some protrusion is rubbed completely off because all the tourists need to rub it just to say they touched it? An unfortunate reality about travelers. Plymouth Rock is over 90% gone because everyone wanted a piece of it. Eternal Memo: DON'T TOUCH The Ark of The Covenant.  I think this was mentioned before - if y'aren't supposed to touch something like the Ark, what was Uzzah doing less than an arm's length away from it? And as for the blessing upon Obed Edom's house, honor God's Commandments and watch your  house get blessed too.

14 - David's wives grow in number as do his children. The Bible doesn't laud this, it simply notes it. In doing this David created a weak spot in his character that got him hooked via the Bathsheba incident which led to irreversible chaos in his kingdom. Nonetheless, he is king and God used him to greatly establish the nation of Israel.  His exploits against the attacking Philistines are very noteworthy. The reading we went through last week told of the mighty men and acts of valor done by David's soldiers. We read about it before these latest battles. But the Philistines found out about it ... after taking a tremendous beating! [I.e.  Fight a movement that God is in and pay severely] 15 - The process of bringing the Ark to Jerusalem is far more particular and stringent than any parade preparation we ever hear of. If your float doesn't win in the Macy's Parade of the Rose Parade, you don't get a ribbon. If you don't get it right in this parade, you don't go home - you get carried home =>and then buried!  And not for nothing gentlemen, YOU are to transport the Ark - not an ox, for heaven's sake. They had to get it right this time. The preparation, the thousands involved, the music, the Spirit behind all this is Amazing. David is overwhelmed in worship. As for Michal; we better get this spiritual note from God himself: Resentment for worship carries a painful pricetag.  II Samuel 6 reminds us what happened to Michal for scolding the king. She is struck infertile. 16 - The Ark is in place. The worship leading is entrusted to Asaph and relatives. [12 of the Psalms are titled and attributed to Asaph]. The opening worship is sung. The rhapsody is immense as each has his task smartly assigned to execute. The marvelous blessing over Israel is what God has wanted to do for them all along. It ends, "then they all went home. And David went home to bless his family."  Would you like to have the King come home to the palace and bless you? Remember that as we worship The One True God of Heaven, we are David's family. 17 - King David mentions the issue to Nathan the Prophet that he is living in a cedar home while the Ark is in a tent ---> this was bothering David.  It bothers him because he honors the Lord God over himself. [Many are not bothered today that they live in a posh home yet attend church in a frumpy building.] And David raises the matter because he wants to do something about it.  He was a great warrior King who brought in Israel's greatest days. But he wanted to build the Temple too.  Now Theologically speaking, each Bible hero is assigned a task. Abraham receives the greatest calling of all time. Jacob is the embodiment of it being named Israel, Joseph preserves the family through famine, Moses takes them to freedom out of Egypt, Joshua takes them into the Promised Land though the task doesn't get finished for 400 years...   Here's David that wants to add a task to his calling.  It is not to be.  Solomon, his son, will build the Temple.  The exchange between God to Nathan to David and David accepting the Word from God is a wondrous moment in biblical history.  No kicking and pouting or back talk. Just humble submission and more worship. This is why David is the man after God's own heart. This is why he is forever blessed.

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Numbers 15:22-18 We are in The World stream reading from God's Word Translation. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis 15:22ff - when unintentional sins are committed there is still guilt to deal with. That is a rule of the world that applies. Many people die and always have for ignorance of physics. A child cannot protest about a burnt hand because they were not aware that fire burned skin. It's all unfortunate that thousands of traffic tickets get written daily because someone is driving in a different-than-home city and doesn't know the local rules. This doesn't let them off. Politicians may claim that they should be allowed to slide because they didn't violate anything intentionally.  No one else gets to make this fallacious claim.

-the assertion of the Sabbath rule may appear harsh but it had to be reiterated. Whole societies become ill for working 7-days a week. It isn't healthy and God will not permit it. -the tassel concept may seem a cute thing but God just wanted them to remember ... it worked. 16 - The issue here is rebellion. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and must be obliterated. It should never be allowed. They are complaining ultimately in a way that would not be happening if they had already proceeded into the Promised Land like God had already invited/urged/ordered them to go, but they rebelled there and whined and wouldn't go in. God must have been saying "what do you jokers want from me?" They had to go or the whole community would have been corrupted and the children permanently warped beyond spiritual recovery. So God did some cleansing that day.  This purging of rebellion preserved a nation. 17 -  The budding and producing staff of Aaron's is God reminding them again to listen to Moses and Aaron.  God spoke to Moses and Aaron would speak for Moses. This was instituted a while back and God did not changed His mind. This was God telling them for the how-manyTH time just follow, obey and don't complain.  God is this way and He made us this way. What do you feel like doing about the complainers in your neighborhood? at your school? in your family? at your job?  Yeah, right, you'd like to hose them off and/or throw them outside. Complain blurs and blunts even blocks the progress of anything.  So let's all stop the complaining and let God take us to where we are meant to be spiritually and in every other way. 18 - the gravity and tenants of the priestly service are told. This is a serious matter. If faith is not taken seriously and taken so to the core, then eventually (and sooner than some may think) nothing else is taken seriously. We see the crumbling of societies right before our eyes today of lands that took their Christendom much more seriously than they do now. They are paying the consequences for it. And as for the contributions - they needed to be handled very responsibly. Percentages and proportions were to be strictly followed. They are accounting for God; for God's sake.  They can't be acting like the governments of the world that are habitually wasting trillions and trillions.

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I Timothy 1-3 We are in the Church Stream reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Holy Spirit, your marching orders for us are clear and good and simple to follow. Thank you for such plain talk. This church life is for all of us and thank you for speaking to all of us.  Amen. Timothy had been led to Christ by Paul. He joined Paul on his second missionary journey (see the map in the back of your Bible for a refresher).  He was instrumental in assisting Paul with six of Paul letters [II Cor. Philippians, Col., 1&2 Thes, and Philemon].  He plays a large role in the expansion following the founding of Christendom. We remember Paul sending for Timothy to come to Athens [Acts 17:14].  He joined Paul in writing the Thessalonian letters. Their interchanges, collaborations, travels, partings, meetings, tag-teaming (is that a word?!).  Timothy was more Timid than a fellow minister Titus. He was not always well. But he was dearly loved by his church in Ephesus, his family and also by Paul who found Timothy to be a wondrous encouragement.  One fairly reliable source states that Timothy (born 17 A.D.) was 80 years old, was still the main teaching elder in Ephesus at that time late in the first century.  He was preaching the gospel with all fervor when it seemed to be interrupting a procession of the pagan fertility goddess Diana.  The pagans, furious about this, beat, dragged and stoned Timothy to death [this was 97 A.D..]  He had been working here as a contemporary with the Apostle John. One tradition also says that Mary, Jesus' mother, had recently died peacefully in this same area.  Timothy, like the other heroes mentioned in the Bible, we will meet "on the other side of the Jordan."

1 - False teachers had found their way in and were trolling around the hundreds of house churches of Ephesus, deceiving people, harassing and questioning pastors. Paul called them 'wolves' and for good reason.  These and their ilk were the types Titus had to deal with when he ministered in Crete.     Paul isn't talking like a judge with gavel raised in delight to indict.  He knows that grace is everything.  God's goodness is the basis of our calling and salvation.  And yet as for specifics in dealing with trouble in Ephesus, Paul is kicking the door down and naming names: Alexander and Hymenaeus. These two spiritual vandals were leading the charge against Paul to derail the sound doctrine of the church in Ephesus. Paul has nothing congenial to say about them.  There is a strong argument among early church historians that this is the Alexander who later shows up in Rome to testify against Paul in a way that ensures his execution. They were scoundrels that had to be removed from fellowship - and they were.

2 - Paul wants the church to be a praying people, and for prayer to be their top trademark.  The leaders of the world in this era were mostly ignorant and not too privy to Christianity. Don't trash them or criticize them. Pray for them.     Paul wanted men to be men of prayer especially.  To head your families and head the church, prayer is first - and you'll need it.  Plus If it 'catches' with them, it will catch with everyone. Women, who would become the heart of the church, were to be known as good hearted souls, who worshiped, and served and learned and were not disruptive.  The forbidding to teach was spoken to a church wherein women predominantly ceased formal schooling at 12 or 13.  Men had compulsive training and mentoring in all the fields until they were early/mid 20's.  They had normally ten more years of training than women. Hey, women weren't stupid. They never have been. Raising children grants the equivalent of a PhD in psychology, Elem. Ed., nutrition, pediatrics, et al.  I'm being a bit tongue-in-cheek here but the truth is that the church could not become an institution run by women. Once it did, the end is in sight, because the men would pack and go fishing and not return save the effeminate 'males'.  What men do not take seriously, the children do not follow in.  Hundreds of social studies prove this.  This church is to be the most enduring institution and vibrant living organism the world has ever known.  Not a gestational training nest for feminism that, left to itself, turns averse to domestic tranquility.  Those who rail about Paul being anti-women are making juvenile, subjective statements and not seeing the better part of wisdom that Paul is addressing with the long term health of the world in mind.  It's just like a husband and wife riding a horse or a Harley. Someone needs to sit in front and it looks kind of dumb when the woman has the reins/controls with the man sitting in back hanging on to her to find stability.  The church was not to be a wuss-house.  That's all Paul is getting at. 3 - The qualifications for elders/overseers are laid out here.  These are tenants that had to be adhered to. It's an unfortunate setting today wherein most elders are simply the most successful businessmen on the church roster.  Financial competence does not equate with spiritual insight nor biblical knowledge.  A church that is this way just may have a carnal pastor who is controlled by greed.  The church such as this has a sketchy future that is not secure in the kingdom.  It just may keep right on going after the rapture.  And that is not a good thing, Einstein!  Deacons (assistants/helpers/managers) of the church were to be closely marked by a list of godly traits listed here.  The church at Ephesus received this list first.  The Ephesians were the most mature Believers in the first century world.  The Ephesians orders have not changed a bit.  To have a healthy church body in the modern world, the leadership list back then needs to be followed still.  The objective is godliness.  Let's all remember this. The Thread Through the Streams God has thought things through long before we even start to think about pondering what we are to be doing.  When God directs - pausing to muse, doubting, second-guessing, delaying until we can get our emotions under control isn't intelligence. It is rebellion.  Obey NOW. -Numbers tells us about Moses getting opposed by Miriam and Aaron and makes is quite clear and quite quickly that they better stop kicking and whining about Moses and do so now. For their pestering of Moses, leprosy struck immediately. The petitioning/prayer/begging was immediate, and then so was the cure.  The next two chapters prove that when God has a plan (sending spies into Canaan) and lays it out to us we better move on it now. But they wouldn't.  So they stayed in the desert and experienced decades of death in the heat and sand v.s. entering their Land of Blessing. This is crazy sad. -I Chronicles shows Saul dying in a pathetic manner. He was always the one who delayed and/or obeyed afterhe took a few stabs at doing things the wrong way. The Israelites gathered around David immediately. They then marched on Jebus' in Salem and the first to go in is made the general. Timing, expediency, quick responding is lauded here, people. In Ch. 12 did you notice how long it took the soldiers to join David? "...when he was banished from Saul..." They aren't writhing and hand-wringing and groaning, "gee, what do we do? which of these men is God's blessed one? ohhh, I'm so stressed..!" NOT! They know- and they go- straight to David. -Psalms hit's the matter from the first word! 120:1 - "when I was in trouble, I cried out to the Lord." He doesn't pause to do six months of yoga first, or six weeks, or six minutes of it! He calls out as  soon  as -! 122:1 David and Co. says, "let's go up to the house of the Lord." So when do they go? When should they go? How about right now! Today's generation gets told, lets' go worship and many agree - but too many stall: they need to get caught up on emails first, check everything on Facebook first from dinner plate photos to cat photos to latte~ photos, and then messaging, and then pinterest, and then and then and then. By the time they get around to obeying, the worship service has ended.  The same is going to happen to this generation in this era of history -Jeremiah in Lamentations is speaking of a crushed city of Jerusalem; complete dismay. It looks hopeless. But he is quick to remember one thing: God's character; His mercy, and faithfulness keep him from despair.  We can train ourselves to quickly return to this mindset. We are able to be so transfixed on God's goodness that keeping us down would be like trying to hold a beachball under water. When does a beachball return to the surface? How long does that take?! -In a single verse, Micah 7:7 nails the matter this week [even though he is immersed in a population that has completely slouched into crime and rebellion ] "I will look to the Lord, I will wait for God to save me..."  We don't see Micah stalling on God to find a remedy. He doesn't wait a while and spend the next few months hunting for a few good men in Samaria or Judea first. He looks straight to the Lord. -The rulers in Jerusalem ask Jesus a series of trick questions because, well, they didn't want answers, they wanted to trick Him. He replies right out laser-like and it cuts to the quick. The verse at the end of the silly questions is ominous: "and no one dared ask Him any more questions." translation: uh, we better shut up now!   Jesus urges his disciples to be sober and attentive. Those who are sober and attentive are able to respond to the signs and God's call immediately.  Drunk people cannot. They respond far too slowly. -Paul urges Timothy to deal with these terrible heretics who are tearing up the atmosphere at the hundreds of house churches all over Ephesus. These joker-men are like weeds growing in the garden. And when should weeds in the garden be pulled? And when is the easiest time to eradicate weeds in the garden?  1:18 says to Timothy, "I am giving you this order about prophecies... " This is top priority.  Paul wraps up his memo to Timothy (in our reading today) "I hope to visit you soon."  He would be there today if he could but will get to Timothy as fast as he can.  That's when all of us ought get to doing God's will ... as fast as we can.  i.e. starting praising with our next breath.

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Luke 20-21 We are in the Christ Stream reading from Holman Christian Standard Bible. 7streamsmethod.com | @7StreamsMethod | @serenatravis | #7Streams | Donate

Commentary by Dr. Drake Travis

Wow, Lord, give us the mind of Christ, we pray.  Amen.

Jesus is in the final days before the Crucifixion - that He and God the Father know is set to happen before Passover.  However the Priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes and the Turnips (my husband went off script there) are frantic to get rid of this Jesus/pest before the week is up. They were utterly scrambling to accuse a perfectly innocent man - and they end up revealing their own twisted characters.  We just read in the prophets this week that the nation is judged because the Priests and religious leaders led the people into spiritual oblivion. They let it happen and then made sure it happened. Their line of thinking: attempting to make Jesus look like he doesn't have his head together, turns into practical comedy.  It ends up merely displaying Jesus' pure heavenly brilliance, and their spiritual irrelevance.

20 - They ask Him where He gets his authority. You heard the interchange about John-the-Baptist.  The only reason this comes up is that Jesus was walking through Jerusalem with ultimate celebrity status and the illicit "religious board" is having their authority threatened. And they "inquire" of Jesus who responds so that theirmisgivings are exposed. How do they respond? 'they play stupid. Did they have a choice?    The Parable of the Vineyard further exposes their derelict leadership ... (their "how dare you!?" response is lunacy)   as  if  everyone  didn't  already  know!   So they try a "taxes paid to Caesar" question.  Think a minute, did they really want an answer? They hate taxes. They hate Caesar.  If you have any experience in education like husband and I do, there's always the real question from a student who wants an answer and then there's the "stalling for time" question from an imposter who's more-or-less killing time at school because the workforce is too brutal.  These types also offer plenty of deflection questions, distraction questions, digression questions - that makes sure no one else gets their real question in.  The Pharisees have all this deviant thinking mastered. Yet Jesus stings them again.  You gotta love this.  The Sadducees then ask a question based on a concept they don't believe in either; The Resurrection.  Come on, do they even want an answer?  His Messiah- logic-against-what-David-said in Psalms 110:1 hits to the core. The Pharisees are prancing around Jerusalem all this week trying to rumor the crowd into thinking Jesus ISN'T the Messiah. And they think Jesus doesn't know what they're up to, ... Hmm.   KaChow! He got 'em again. We don't mean to ridicule, we ought pity these leaders in Jerusalem, they think they are going to outfox Jesus.  Wake up guys - Jesus went to Law School in heaven [pardon the phrasology]. You're going to lose all these arguments.  Hey, Jesus had to warn the people about these in the 'old boys club'. 21 - Jesus sees people putting money in the Temple Treasury and his assessment still speaks to percentages and offerings and such matters that are occurring today.  We can't buy off God. We need to give to His Work what he has asked of us.  His Apocalyptic teaching in Lu. 21 is a pillar in the doctrine that must be taken into account along with Daniel, Revelation, the other gospels, I Corinthians 15, I Thessalonians 4 & 5, II Thessalonians 1, etc.  It's powerful words coming from our Savior.  Prophesying the destruction of The Temple [by Romans in 41 years] carries symbolism that morphs into the End of Days, Signs of those coming days on earth and in the sky, the Jews returning to Israel wrapped up in the fig tree story, ... This is all loaded material for discussions that are ongoing 19+ centuries later! Jesus ends our time today reminding us to be watchful for the End Times. For messages from God.  We are in the middle of history's most intense week.  And the crowds listening to Jesus grow and grow ... and grow.