Dalgliesh

What i learned from 1 Samuel this week.

2010-01-06T20:28:00.004-07:00

Now for the three of you waiting to read this, please don't get too excited. This is neither deep nor mysterious. I wish i had some deep thoughts for you but i am perfectly content tonight to lay on you some of the great details of 1 Samuel that God finally allowed me to see. (Sometimes i can be very dense)

In 1 Samuel 2 we find out that Eli (the priest) has two very wicked sons (Hophni and Phinehas). They were sleeping with temple prostitutes and taking sacrifices to God as their portions which did not belong to them and various other wicked things. Eli did try to rebuke his sons but wasn't very convincing and in fact the boys "would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death." 1 Sam 2:25. Then later in the chapter God curses Eli and his line to utter destruction (but we'll come back to that).

Chapter four the Philistines whoop up on the Israelites and take the Ark of the Covenant and kill Hophni and Phinehas. Eli hears about it and falls out of his chair and dies of a broken neck (he was a very fat guy). Phinehas' wife is in labor and gives birth to a son, names him Ichabod (which means the glory has departed) and then she dies. It would appear that Eli's line is finished and we won't hear about him again until we jump to.....

1 Kings 2:27 (which says) "So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, thus fulfilling the word of the LORD that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh."

So that is a bit of history... and had always left me wondering what had happened to Eli's line between 1 Sam 4 and 1 Kings 2... NOW HERE IS WHAT I PICKED UP TWO DAYS AGO....

In 1 Sam 14 we find Saul and his army (along with his son Jonathan) going to war against the Philistines. We find a priest going along with them "including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh".

Catch this now: Ahitub was Ichabod's brother. clearly the older brother because remember that both of Ichabod's parents died on the day he was born. Now 1 Sam 4 doesn't mention Ahitub but now we know that it is clear he was there and was likely serving as priest along side his wicked father.

Jump ahead again to 1 Sam 22... Saul is seeking to kill David. David has fled Saul and has spoken to the priests in the priest city. A wicked fellow (and a servant of Saul) sees David talking to the priests and rats him out to king Saul. (this dude's name is Doeg the Edomite). Saul comes to the priestly city with his army and Doeg and has Doeg put all the priests to death: "Then the king said to Doeg, 'You turn and strike the priest.' and Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who whore the linen ephod. And Nob the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant. But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar escaped and fled to David."

So see this; the one guy that gets away is this guy named Abiathar (remember him from 1 Kings?). He will serve David for 42 years (roughly... give or take a month). He is the only guy of Eli's line that survives this slaughter. He is the grandson of Ahitub (Ahitub obviously had two sons at least... Ahimelech and Ahijah ). Ahitub as you will remember was the brother of Ichabod and the grandson of Eli the priest.

Now here is where it gets really cool... why was Doeg such a punk? Why was he even in the priestly city to begin with? Why does the scripture say that he was "detained before the LORD"?

For that answer we have to go back to the curse that God speaks over Eli in 1 Sam 2:

(God talking here to Eli) "Behold, the days are coming when i will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house so that there will not be an old man in your house forever...the only ONE of you whom i shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men."

I'm not sure if you caught all that but basically what we see happening in 1 Sam 22 is a DIRECT fulfillment of what God says in 1 Sam 2. Eli's entire house is cut off. They are all put to death by the sword of man.... furthermore ONLY ONE ESCAPED... and what does 1 Sam 22 say? "But one of the sons escaped!"

We see then that the reason that Doeg was "detained before the LORD" was specifically so that he could be God's instrument in carrying out God's curse on Eli. David would say to Abiathar "I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house." But in fact when we see the entire picture we see that in fact Eli, Hophni and Phinehas are the guilty parties.

I used to hate Doeg and i used to wonder why God didn't say anything about the slaughter of all of his priests... now i get it.

How good it is that the Holy Spirit still teaches us and allows us to understand the bible better.

Sermon Point: WHAT GOD SAYS HE'S GOING TO DO... HE IS GOING TO DO!

I am sure you are disappointed that this isn't ground breaking, but i still love putting the pieces together.

have a great day!

What makes church, "church"?

2009-07-22T13:32:00.002-06:00

i am working on writing a blog on what a church really looks like.

i am concerned that some of the "church" movements of today while effective in seeing people saved are also failing in some of the primary duties of the body of Christ.

I'll be out of pocket for the next few days but soon i hope to have this blog up.

i'd love to know your thoughts as i prepare to write this blog.

so... what makes church, "church"?

My Baby Boy!

2009-05-25T10:36:00.005-06:00

Meet Asher Ethan! 7lbs 3 oz. 19.5 inches. Born 11:12 pm on 5-24-09.

Overdue Update

2009-05-19T10:36:00.002-06:00

So first of all, birthing class wasn't as exciting last week as the week before. I am hoping for some good stuff tonight in our final class.

I spent all last week packing the house. On friday the 15th i picked up the U-haul with the help of Jerry and Jonathan and we loaded most of it. I worked on the house from 8am-10pm with a lunch and dinner break. Saturday i was awake at 5am and up at 5:40 and worked on the house a bit more. Loaded the rest of the U-haul at 9 with some help from the men at church. Michele and a lot of other people from church did the cleaning. My friend Jason drove the U-haul for me to San Angelo while i followed behind in my trailblazer. We unloaded it at the new house in 45 minutes with the help of a ton of great friends in San Angelo. Jason and i drove back in my trailblazer and made it to Weatherford before we were ready for bed about 2:30 in the morning.

Up on Sunday and back to Longview to see my wife and wait for our little boy to be born.

Yesterday, Monday the 18th, we had a Dr. Appt. and found out that even though Michele is 17 days away from her due date it would seem Asher is about ready to be born. Michele was a 2... 50 % thinned out and Asher had already dropped so low into the pelvis the Doctor was quite surprised. He scheduled us to be induced by Wednesday the 27th if Asher hasn't come before on his own. However as we were leaving he mentioned, "You know that i am on call this Sunday the 24th. I get to decide who is in labor and who isn't. If you felt like you were having contractions you could come in Sunday and i could check you out."

I thanked him and we left... as we walked past the nurse's desk she said, "You know what he is saying about Sunday don't you?"

To which i replied, "Sure, if Michele is having contractions we should come in on Sunday."

She says, "No... If you THINK you may be having contractions.... WINK WINK! ... then come on in and we won't let you go home until you have a baby."

So.... IT SEEMS ASHER MAY BE BORN SUNDAY MAY 24TH... WHICH IS VERY EXCITING TO ME.

I'll be sure to keep you updated.

This is Hilarious

2009-05-07T09:04:00.001-06:00

My lovely wife was just drawn to me.

Birthing Classes

2009-05-05T20:46:00.002-06:00

So Michele and i went to birthing class tonight. It was our first of three meetings.

First of all, i sort of want to make fun some of the guys who said they were gaining weight with their wives, they also said that they had "cravings", and headaches, and one guy was even having toothaches. Are you kidding me? How insane is that? It is all in your head. Your body isn't going through any chemical changes, you aren't growing a baby. What is up with that? I think its crazy. I wanted to start laughing at them right then.

The very first note i took was, "I am the Coach!" So i immediately thought i should get a whistle but Michele wasn't keen on that idea.

We watched a video about positions that the mother should take so that they can relieve any discomfort. Coaches were encouraged to massage the mom. One of the things the coaches were told to do was apply counter pressure from behind. We were directed to ask the mom (and i quote) "How hard do you like it and where do you want it?"

Michele and i both started laughing. Yes we are kinda like 12 year olds i suppose. But c'mon, that is funny. Isn't that how we ended up in the delivery room?

One other key thing they said was that when the mom's water breaks we (the coaches) should note what TIME the water broke, what COLOR it was, how MUCH fluid there was, and how the amniotic fluid SMELLED. Hmm... there is plenty of comedic fodder here especially since our teacher was talking about the possibility of the water breaking in the baby isle at Wal-mart.
I can just see the father that takes this too seriously getting down on hands and knees and smelling the puddle after having first measured the diameter of the puddle with his pocket measuring tape. Of course he would take a digital photo of his watch and the watches of two or three passers by so as to have an average time. Without doubt he would hasten to the crayolas and rip open a box until he found the color that best matched his wife's fluid.

wow!

I'm sure i'll have some exciting things to share with you next week. Stay tuned.

People to endorse my new book.

2009-04-29T09:37:00.004-06:00

I almost talked myself out of it but then decided to contact people who are way too busy to respond to me or endorse my book.

Here is the list of people i've asked to endorse my book:

Steven Smith: professor of expository preaching at SWBTS.... he said yes!
John Strappazon: my former college minister and now director of all BSMs in OK.... he said yes!
Colin Smith: only one of my favorite scottish reformed ministers. out of Chicago.... he said no.
Albert Mohler: at southern seminary in Kentucky..... no reply
Matt Chandler: at the Village church.... no reply
John Piper: heck... i love this guy... but i'm way too small for him to have the time.... no reply
Ravi Zacharias: i have a great appreciation for his humility and knowledge..... no reply
Beth Moore: to be fair i thought i would ask one woman... she's a good one.... no reply
Shane Barnard: of Shane and Shane... i know him from my lubbock days.... no reply yet.

If you know of someone i should send it to i would love to hear it.

The Bible must be adhered to!

2009-04-28T21:53:00.004-06:00

Preaching is not preaching unless it comes from scripture. And telling stories just for the sake of telling stories doesn't count as preaching.

Reading one verse and then giving us your thoughts on it is okay ONLY IF those thoughts are coming from scripture.

Sola Scriptura!

Here are a list of some real sermon titles that were preached this past Easter. I hope that the sermons were better than their titles, but i doubt it.

A sermon that explored the “deep” spiritual lessons of the movie Slumdog Millionaire .

A sermon entitled “Beer Babes & Baseball”

A sermon entitled “Livin’ Venti” that encouraged people to live life to the fullest.

A sermon entitled “You Have Come Back Power”

And a sermon entitled “Easter in the Octagon”

How Sad that these sermons have come from some of the nations "best" preachers.
They are not rightly standing in fear of James 3:1.

enough of the soap box tonight.

Let me catch you up.

2009-04-23T12:15:00.002-06:00

Since i've last written:

We have moved ever closer to our little boy Asher Ethan getting here. (he is due six weeks from today, but we are hoping for four weeks)

We decided to move back to San Angelo and have bought our first house. (We actually close on May 1st)

We will be living across the street from our good friends Micah and Cami. We have an awesome pantry and will be leaving part of the shelf for Cami to store her groceries. (really)

I am going to be packing up all of our stuff and moving it all May 16th and 17th. My good friend Jason Williams is going to be helping me get the Uhaul out to San Angelo. Then i will come back to Longview and Michele and i will be living with our friends Terry and Nancy until little Asher is born. When he is born we will make the drive as a family back to Angelo. you wonder why we aren't just moving back to Angelo now. Well partly because we have already paid for the hospital and the doctor and we love our doctor here.

Three days ago i finished writing my second book: THE SHADOW. I am adding a few things to it and cleaning it up a little but hopefully in the next ten days i'll be sending it the new self-publishing company that i am going to use. The book should be available by Christmas with a CD version and iTunes version available early in 2010.

I have been working diligently on my scripture memory and am finding it rather easy. (when i work on it)

My summer schedule finally picked up a bit, but because the spring schedule was so slow Higher Rock is not doing as well financially as we should be. Pray that more opportunities for ministry and preaching will come available.

I'm sure there is something else that is going on but i can't think of it right now.

Have a great day.

ryan

I'm not Dead!

2009-03-23T23:15:00.001-06:00

I've just been busy lately. i'll be back soon.

ryan

What a wretched man I am...

2009-03-04T09:52:00.002-07:00

James 4:17 AGAIN... "he who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, to him it is SIN"

Things i need to be doing more:

1. praying
2. reading my bible
3. fasting (finally making improvements in this one)
4. memorizing scripture
5. serving others

i need accountability. I have plans for all of these. Please feel free to ask me how i am doing in these areas. Pick one this week and see what i've done with it.

I am tired of being a weak pathetic man. I should know the bible better, i should have more scripture in my brain than i do. I should be so much better at praying than i am...

God, work in me! Shape me into the image of Christ!

My Own Worst Enemy

2009-02-18T13:17:00.002-07:00

I have never felt like i identify with Paul so much as i do right now when i consider his words; "I do not understand my actions. For the very things i want to do i do not do, but what i hate i find myself doing." Rom 7:15

Now before you leap to all sorts of conclusions about the meth lab in my attic let me remind you of James 4:17 "Him who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, to him it is sin."

I love the Bible. (wait, that doesn't look right. Let's try this...)

I LOVE THE BIBLE!!!!!! (that's better)

I want to read it. i enjoy reading it. But lately i find it very difficult to do.

I love to write... no really I DO LOVE TO WRITE!

so why am i not?

I love memorizing the scriptures... seriously... I LOVE IT!

So how come that hasn't been happening more? Why do i choose to sleep in or watch T.V. or play silly games on the computer?

I think if i set my jaw more firmly and square my shoulders then i'll do better but i realize it is more than mere determination... it is WAR! My flesh and my Spirit are at odds with each other and it is a violent knock down drag out snot and blood kind of fight.

"Who will set me free from this body of death?"

"thanks be to God through Jesus Christ my Lord!" (rom 7:25,26)

Whew!

I've had enough of this wasted life... how about you?

(any accountability you want to provide on reading, writing or memorizing would be most appreciated... please feel free to kick my butt)

ryan

Cami and K. Booth

2009-02-07T21:11:00.002-07:00

I am pretty certain that you guys are the only ones that read my blog so this is just for you.

I want you to know how much my wife and i both love you and how much we appreciate your friendship.

K. Booth, thanks for sending people to the LN conference... it was awesome!

Cami, thanks for all your wonderful help with the LN conference.

Random other person reading this blog, thanks for reading it.

check out our conference website: www.lovenotesconference.com

also please be aware that i am starting a new blog specifically for the Love Notes Conference...

it is called LoveNotesConference

look us up.

talk to you two ladies soon.

ryan

My Boy Asher Ethan!

2009-01-29T17:45:00.002-07:00

This is my boy and i can't wait until he gets here.

My Cool New YouTube Video.

2009-01-24T11:15:00.002-07:00

this is a promo video for my Love Notes Conferences. I'll figure out how to put it directly in the blog at some point... just don't have time right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUFE6MK9jDw

Books and Babies

2009-01-20T11:29:00.002-07:00

My wife Michele and i live in a small two bedroom rent house in Longview Texas. We are expecting our first child in four months. So far the second bedroom has served as my office (though i usually just sit at the table or in my recliner rather than at my desk) and also as a storage/junk room. This coming Saturday a couple is coming over to look at the "nursery" so they can decorate it for us. I thought it best to be sure the room is ready with only baby things. I have since moved the desk and just finished moving my four bookcases to various other parts of the house. One of the smaller bookshelves now lives in the living room with the desk. The other small shelf found a place next to the dresser in my room. The two tall shelves were moved to the garage where the luggage used to sit. The luggage was moved to the place where the boxes of junk were sitting and those boxes were moved to the attic.

As i unloaded bookshelves, moved bookshelves, and reloaded them (all the while being sure that they stay in their numbered categories) i realized that i still have about 60 books that i've never read. (most of my collection is made up of commentaries handed down to me by pastor friends, but some are just great books i picked up at some point or another that i've forgotten about)

I decided that it should be my goal to get these books read in the next 3 to 4 years. I may or may not but i'm going to try. My problem in the past has been that most of my reading has been just the bible (wait... that's not a problem) and when i found time to read for leisure i would read classic literature. (How can you not enjoy Verne, Wells, Doyle, Dumas?)

I recognize that soon that office will be completely renovated and a baby will be filling the space and there will be even greater demands on my time, but a man can dream of more time can't he?

I'll be happy to finish the bible a few times and to have killed a book or two.

Kudos to you who read a book a week... i'd ask you to play disc golf sometime but i realize you are more disciplined than i am.

ryan (glad to have to make room for a baby)

This is a MUST

2009-01-11T17:56:00.003-07:00

Today i had a six and a half hour drive home from an event i was preaching. I pulled out my ipod and listened to some of the sermons i had podcasted. The best one i listened to today was by John Piper.

It is his sermon titled IF MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU. It was preached January 4th 2009.

This is a wildly encouraging sermon. It will challenge you and bless you. Take 48 minutes to be inspired.

the first 16 minutes of the sermon Piper quotes Psalm 1, Psalm 16, Psalm 103, Part of Matthew 6, Romans 5, Romans 8 and 1 Corinthians 13.

If you aren't blown away by that.... well.... you will be

i plan on listening to it again on my next trip and sharing it with my wife as well.

adios for now.

The Bible IS the standard for living.

2009-01-08T17:43:00.002-07:00

When speaking of the law as Moses prepared to send the people he had cared for into the Promised Land he said; "These are not mere words for you but this is your very life." DT 32:47.

That is still true. The word of God is our very life. How can we expect to grow in our salvation if we are not craving the word of God? "Like new-born babes crave the pure spiritual milk of the word THAT BY IT you may grow in regards to your salvation." 1 Peter 2:2.

We grow in Christ BY TIME IN THE WORD. We prove that we are disciples of the LORD Jesus by abiding in His word. "If you ABIDE IN MY WORD you are truly my disciples." John 8:31.

The word of God is useful to train us and shape us into all that we need to be to honor God. "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK." 2 Tim 3:16,17. How in the world can we expect to have the resources for ANY good work much less EVERY good work if we are not faithfully spending time in the word?

The word of God is valuable for overcoming sin. "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I have hidden Your word in my heart so that i won't sin against you." Psalm 119:9,11. Who among us does not battle the enemy of sin? And how shall we find victory apart from the word of God?

The word of God gives us vitality when we meditate on it. "Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by rivers of water. His leaf does not wither, he bears fruit in season, whatever he does will prosper." Psalm 1:1-3

These are just a handful of the verses i love most about the bible. There are scores of other verses that we must bury in our hearts. But even if we just take these above verses into consideration it causes me to raise the question: When did the Christian decide that the Bible should be bent and molded to suit the situation at hand? Is the Bible the standard for life or isn't it?

(it IS by the way)

How then is it that our churches are full of pastors preaching frivolity? Why do men and women base doctrine and theology on experience and personality rather than scripture? How can we ignore verses that don't fit in with our world view and call that acceptable?

THE BIBLE IS THE STANDARD FOR LIVING.

Let our hearts break at the abuse of the scripture, the ignorance of the word, and the ignoring of truth. Let our battle cry be:

"To the law and the testimony! If they speak any word apart from this they have no light within them." Isaiah 8:20