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<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">“<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Tel:
<a href="tel:253-517-9195" target="_blank">253-517-9195</a> - Email:
<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/" target="_blank">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">August 26, 2011</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
<br></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
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</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>MAY
1 - JUDGES 1:1-3:11 - PROLOGUE: EXPLANATION - PLUS OTHNIEL</b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>1.
1:7 (1:1-10) JUDAH: AT WAR WITH THE CANAANITES. <font style="font-size:13pt" size="3">And
Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big
toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done,
so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he
died there</font> (ESV). </b><span style="font-weight:normal">This
is poetic justice! So often Father, You return to us what we dispense
to others. Help us to walk by the Golden Rule. Help us to submit to
Kingdom principles. </span><b><i>Hallowed be your :name.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>2.
1:13 (1:11-16) CALEB, OTHNIEL AND ACHSAH. <font size="3">“And
Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And
he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">How
open is a father to the requests of his daughter! Father, this is the
way You are to us, the bride of Your Son! We bless You for what You
are and say! </span><b><i>Your :kingdom come.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>3.
1:20 (1:17-36) FAILURE OF ISRAEL TO EVICT THE INHABITANTS. <font size="3">“And
Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said, And he drove out from
it the three sons of Anak.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">We
bless You for Caleb Father, who set such a marvelous example for
Judah! Too bad the rest of the tribes couldn’t have following in
his train! </span><b><i>Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on
earth.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>4.
2:3 (2:1-10) ANGELIC WARNING: CAREFULNESS DURING JOSHUA’S LIFE.
<font size="3">“</font><font size="3">So now I say, I will not drive
them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and
their gods shall be a snare to you.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">How
important for Your people to have strong, godly leaders, Father. How
prone we are to wander without them! Please grant us then, strong
leaders! </span><b><i>Our :daily :bread Give us this day.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>5.
2:12 (2:11-19) APOSTASY, JUDGMENT AND JUDGES: A PRINCIPLE. <font size="3">“And
they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought
them out of the land of Egypt. They went after the gods of the
peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they
provoked the LORD to anger.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Why
are we Your people like this, Father? After Babylon, Israel learned
their lesson; for there You rubbed their noses into idols until they
were sickened of them. </span><b><i>And forgive us our :debts, As we
also have forgiven our :debtors.</i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b>6.
2:21-22 (2:20-3:4) NATIONS LEFT TO TEST ISRAEL. <font size="3">“I
will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua
left when he died, </font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1">22 </font><font size="3">in
order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in
the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.” </font></b><span style="font-weight:normal">Enemies
left in the land: to prove faithfulness and to teach them how to war!
How wise on Your part, Father! </span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">And
bring us not into temptation.</span></i></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><b><span style="text-decoration:none">7.
3:9 (3:5-11) FIRST APOSTASY, SERVITUDE AND JUDGE. </span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">But
when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a
deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son
of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">Here
is the first of the Judges, the first oppressor, and the beginning of
the sequence of judgment for sin, and deliverance for repentance.
Through it all is seen Your Sovereignty, Father. </span></span><b><i><span style="text-decoration:none">But
deliver us from the evil </span></i><span style="text-decoration:none">one!</span></b></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><u><b>NOTE</b></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>:
2:16 (2:11-19) JUDGES: GOD’S COMPASSION ON ISRAEL. </b></span><b><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">“Then
the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those
who plundered them.” </span></font></b><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-weight:normal">You
remember our frame Father, that we are but dust. You do not deal with
us according to our desserts!</span></span></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font size="3">As soon as Joshua
and his elders died - immediately Israel departed from the LORD, and
commenced taking up with the remnant of the 7 Canaanite nations -
that they had failed to drive out.</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">In
Jesus’ first parable of the four soils - in soil 3 He lays out what
</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">the
thorns of the world are to us: “the </span></font><u><font size="3">cares</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
of this age, and </span></font><u><font size="3">the deceitfulness of
riches</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">,
and the </span></font><u><font size="3">lusts</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
of these </span></font><font size="3"><i><span style="text-decoration:none">things</span></i></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful,” Mark 4:19
(4:10-20).</span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">Adam’s
race, of which we are a part, </span></font><u><font size="3">still</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
have this 3-fold temptation facing us! The deceitfulness of riches is
a synonym for </span></font><u><font size="3">covetousness;</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
and covetousness is a synonym for </span></font><u><font size="3">spiritual
idolatry</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">.
We do not like to face up to this truth, for even Jesus’ 12
disciples did not like to hear what He said to the rich young ruler
who turned away!</span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font size="3">Seven times in the
Book of Judges - Israel turned aside because of this 3-fold
temptation. And seven times she repented - and 7 times God in His
mercy raised up a Judge who first delivered them!</font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">Henry
Blackaby first wrote a course for individual believers entitled
“Experiencing God”. But he followed this up with a second course
- looking into the Book of Judges, its 7 Judges - and </span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">t</span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">he
7-fold lessons for you and me.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">I
personally find the Books of Joshua and Judges extremely challenging.
It pays to </span></font><u><font size="3">meditate</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">
over these readings, and like George Muller, allow the Holy Spirit to
transform them from mere lessons - to </span></font><u><font size="3">living
words</font></u><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">, -
burning in our hearts, and lifting us to the level of our Risen Lord!</span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none" align="LEFT">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal" align="LEFT">
<font face="Palatino Linotype, serif"><font style="font-size:11pt" size="2"><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none">And
now - our Psalm for the day: </span></font><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>121:3-4
MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD. </b></span><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>“He
will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. </b></span></font><font style="font-size:8pt" size="1"><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>4
</b></span></font><font size="3"><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>Behold,
he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” </b></span></font><span style="text-decoration:none">Father,
You are the safety and security for all travelers. We can go in and
out in Your Name, and be perfectly secure. We rest in You in Christ.
</span><i><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>Hallowed be your
:name.</b></span></i></font></font></p>
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