Concord Chronicle

This week, Gwyn and I were supposed to be on a "staycation". Although technically we weren't "in the office," we found ourselves still checking in daily and responding to messages. Our schedule was flexible enough that we could do some personal business too - aka doctor's appointments. And for inquiring minds, like my friend, Patrice, yes, I watched some Netflix too! (My favorite series are Call the Midwife, The British Baking Show, and Blue Bloods.)

It felt like a period of "nesting" - getting things in order - before the busy(er) season quickly comes upon us. Please keep the team in your prayers. In the next few weeks, the workload is going to increase dramatically. Pray that the Lord will give us the stamina and wisdom to get through another Christmas season. But most importantly, pray that we will be a positive influence and shine God's love on the different people we will come across - volunteers, donors, beneficiaries, and clients.

Thank you for your prayer support!

Major AnnMarguerite Jones

In a previous article (https://www.salvationarmyconcordca.org/bitsnpieces/?id=covenants-part-1), we saw how God revealed to Noah that He would never wipe out His creation in another flood. This covenant was the beginning of a series that would demonstrate God’s plan of redemption for humankind that had succumbed to the dark side of the gift of free will. Invariably the belief that man’s will somehow trump God’s will leads to what we call “evil”!

After Adam and Eve’s exile from Eden, the biblical narrative feels grim. In Genesis 4, Cain sides with the serpent, killing his brother in cold blood, and a man named Lamech brags about his murderous, chauvinistic ways. Genesis 5 repeats the refrain “and he died” eight times, revealing how death reigned over humanity. Then there’s this weird story in Genesis 6 that’s meant to show the rapid advancement of evil. So that by the time we come to the story of Noah, sin has enveloped the whole world, sending it back into pre-creation chaos.

In response, God sends a flood, making way for a restored creation that will begin with Noah and his family.

God enters a formal relationship with Noah and all living creatures, promising that, despite humanity’s corruption, he will never again flood the earth. He will instead preserve the world as he works toward keeping his promise to rescue humanity and creation through the “offspring of the woman.” (Genesis 3:15) God then invites humans to partner with him in filling and ruling his world. God’s covenant with Noah is unconditional, and his promise is accompanied with a sign of his faithfulness, the rainbow, to remind future generations of this covenant (Genesis 9:12-17).

However, after God makes a covenant with Noah, evil continues to ruin the world.

Genesis 9-11 traces the downward spiral of humanity, including the aborted attempt to circumvent God by building the great ziggurat at Babel. We’re left to wonder: How will God restore his good world? But God’s rescue plan continues, and he calls Abraham into a covenantal relationship.

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

The things we remember longest and most vividly are usually marked by circumstances with great emotional impact — for example, a whole generation can tell you where they were and what they were doing when the events of September 11, 2001 unfolded. Similarly, if you were alive when President Kennedy was assassinated or a tsunami or major earthquake hit. Your feelings and surroundings are indelibly impressed on your memory.

This may explain why, In the time of Abraham, it was customary to mark a covenant with vivid, gruesome, and emotional acts such as the dismemberment of a sacrifice. Typically the pieces of the sacrifice would be laid on the ground and the parties to the covenant would make their agreement in the midst of it! It certainly would be hard to forget! It is interesting that the Hebrew word for “covenant” (“brit”) is the same word as “cut”. This would help explain why we read in Genesis 15:

But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:8-18 NIV)

The sacrificial animals remind Abraham of the covenant with Noah and humankind’s dominion over the animal kingdom, and the Glory of God stands in the midst of the covenant sacrifice to seal it.

It is unknowable this side of Glory why God chose to honor Abraham. According to the story we read in Genesis 12 he was a cowardly sex-trafficker! But honor him He did, and He even changed Abram’s name to “Abraham” which means “father-of-nations” or “Big Daddy!” Not bad for a man who had no children well into his late nineties!

In a manner similar to the Noahic covenant, this Abrahamic covenant is also accompanied by an outward sign, a reminder to Abraham and his ancestors. God commands the men to be circumcised — in Hebrew “cut” with the same meaning as “covenant” (Genesis 17:9-14). This is to be a symbol that sets Abraham and his family apart and shows that their fertility and future lie in God’s hands.

God tells Abraham to leave his land and follow wherever he leads, train his family to do what is right and just, and practice circumcision in every generation. The covenant is both conditional and unconditional. God and Abraham each have a part to play, but ultimately, God will keep his promise to give Abraham a family who will inherit the land and bless the world.

And so God’s plan of redemption moves forward. Abraham is chosen to participate and the key verse describing him is: “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6 NIV)

We too are chosen to participate. Let’s keep on believing, just like Big Daddy!

More covenants coming up! Stay tuned!

Blessings on you and yours,

Jim Black

SUNDAY

• 9:00 AM - Praise Team Practice - Chapel
• 10:00 AM - Adult Sunday School - Library
• 10:00 AM - Corps Cadets - Classroom 2
• 10:00 AM - Sunday School - Classroom 3
• 10:15 AM - Time of Prayer - Prayer Room
• 11:00 AM - Worship Service - Chapel
• 12:15 PM - Food and Fellowship - Fireside Room
• 12:30 PM - Youth Music Rehearsals

TUESDAY

• 6:00 PM - Men's Bible Study - Fireside Room
• 6:00 PM - Rooted: Small Discipleship Group - Library and Zoom
• 7:00 PM - Songsters Rehearsal - Chapel
• 8:00 PM - Senior Band Rehearsal - Chapel

WEDNESDAY

• 10:00 AM - CAMEO: Living Legacy/Veterans Presentation - Zoom and Library

THURSDAY - OFFICE CLOSED for STAFF APPRECIATION DAY

FRIDAY

• 12:00 - 6:00 PM - Encore Outing - Six Flags

SATURDAY

• 8:00 AM - Food Packing Project - Front of Chapel
• 6:00 PM - Divisional Young Adult Friendsgiving - Captains O'Briens' Home
• NOTE: Reservation required by November 7. Read the information below.

The Youth Department would love to invite all young adults 18-35ish (and their friends) to join us at the Del Oro Young Adult Friendsgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 12th. Friendsgiving will be hosted at Captains O’Briens' house and will start at 6:00 PM. The Youth Department will provide the main dishes and sides, but we would love it if those attending bring a dessert to share!

Please have those interested RSVP by Monday, November 7th, with their name and how many will be attending. RSVPs can be emailed to katharine.phrasavath@usw.salvationarmy.org or completed by filling out this google form https://forms.gle/Mh1r39gjSnHGqbJJ6 (link will be posted on Del Oro Youth social media pages as well).

Katharine Phrasavath

Del Oro Division Youth Program Specialist

Thanks to all who stayed to help with the Trunk or Treat. We are happy to report that it was a success! We had over 300 guests come and they all had a wonderful time. Many of the guests were grateful that we held an event for the wider community. They enjoyed the decorated trunks, games, and interaction with our members. Gospel tracts were given out as they were leaving. One will never know how someone will be impacted by their visit. Only time will tell.

Thank you to Major Willdonna Rich for taking the lead on this event.

This initiative of turning our thoughts and prayers towards the same part of the world at some point in the same week is a beautiful way to unite us as a global Army family and I thank you for the commitment that you each give to this.

The Prayer Focus requests for November 2022. We will be praying for the following territories:

31 October - 06 November 2022 | Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Territory

07 – 13 November 2022 | Mali Region

14 – 20 November 2022 | USA Southern Territory

21 – 27 November 2022 | Norway, Iceland and the Faeroes Territory

MALI REGION

Territorial Leaders: Majors Herve and Naty Ahouanganga

We thank God:

• That despite challenges the Region is going from strength to strength.
• For the implementation of the planned activities up far.
• For the sufficient grace granted to his servants during their furlough: first Majors Haron (Regional Finance Officer) and Lena Wayonyi (Regional Youth Officer) from Kenya West Territory, seconded by the regional leaders, Majors Hervé Michel and Naty Dorcas Ahouyanganga. Finally, the Regional Secretary and RSWM Captains André and Nana F Togo.

Please pray with us for the followings prayers points:

• That unity may be a reality in Mali not just a motto from the constitution that together we may conquer this difficult time the country is going through.
• Pray for the regional leaders as they have come back from their annual leave that the Lord may keep on using them mightily for His glory.
• Pray for the change of name of Mali Region to become Mali & Burkina Faso Region
• Pray for officers and salvationists to be bold enough to preach the gospel in a Muslim context.
• Pray for the finishing works of the RC ‘s quarter construction.
• Pray for the construction of the biggest church hall at Lumbila Out-post in Burkina Faso.
• Pray for the approval OTC of Mali & Burkina Faso.
• Pray for patience of 24 candidates of Mali & Burkina accepted to be trained.
• Pray for the permanent registration of TSA in Mali.
• Pray for the implementation of 2022 mission-support projects.
• Pray for the preparation of the General‘s coming in November combined with the celebration of 15th anniversary of the TSA in Mali.
• Pray for our salvationists to be thirstier of things of heaven.
• Pray for back to school.

Email: annmarguerite.jones@usw.salvationarmy.org
Website: https://www.SalvationArmyConcordCA.org
Location: 3950 Clayton Road, Concord, CA, USA
Phone: (925) 676-6180
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tsaconcord