March 31

Here are my thoughts on today's reading:

I love reading about David.  BIG SCREW UP, yet AWESOME outcome.  A lot of the times we read stories and only retain the beginning and the end.  The beginning usually begins with an introduction, and the end usually ends with 'happily ever after'.  The bible is not a fairy-tale.  There are lots of stories, which start bad, have no happy ending and/or are not pleasant.  

David, a handsome musician, is not perfect by no means.  We will learn much about David in the next several days.  

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

David = Youngest, shepherd, and last to be considered as the anointed one.

David goes from a humble and lowly position, to a hero of the town.  

In today's society, we do a lot of dumb things to impress people.  The people whom we usually try to impress are usually people whom we don't even like or care for.  Sometimes the people whom we try to impress are people who we do not even know and/or will ever know.  Appearance is everything in today's world, but it is not in God's world.  Stories like these should make you ask your self, 'where is my heart in the midst of my trials?' and/or 'If God stood in front of me, what would he say about my heart?'  All our issues and our sin comes from the heart.  Your actions all derive from your heart.  What are you doing to protect your heart and to keep it on God's track?

March 30

1 Samuel 14,15

The Dangers of Peer Pressure

1 Samuel 15:24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.”

Ruth Burrenda and Associates did an experiment with teens a few years ago. The plan was to break up into groups of 10 and ask which was the longest of three lines.

Line 1 -------------------------------------

Line 2 ---------------------------

Line 3 ------------------

The catch was they had told 9 of the kids to vote for the second longest line every time. And these lines were obviously different. The issue was to discover how many teens would withstand peer pressure and vote for the correct line. The results of this experiment are scary. In 75% of the votes, the nine would raise their hand for line 2 and the stooge would look around, frown, and then raise their hand 75% of the time!!
The experiment proved that people would rather be accepted than be right.

King Saul also shows us this truth in this passage. The people were leaving the campaign. They were getting antsy and packing their bags. So rather than waiting for the prophet to come and make the sacrifice, Saul did what was expedient and offers the sacrifice himself. That was a colossal mistake on Saul’s part.

So what is the antidote to peer pressure? How do we swim against the tide?

1. Live for an audience of one. Live to please God and not people. Remember that we work for the Lord not for our boss. Remember that the Lord is with us at every moment of the day.

2. Discern what is right and wrong from God’s word. That is one of the greatest benefits of reading through the Bible this year. We will all have a clear understanding of what God expects from us.

3. Learn to hate what is evil. We laugh at sin when we should hate it. Sin is not a joking matter. Sin destroys life. It destroys marriages, relationships, churches and people’s lives.

4. Develop “Guts” or if you are a proper person “Intestinal Fortitude.” It takes courage to stand alone and do the right thing. Don’t wimp out and follow the 75% just to be accepted.

5. Take your stand early. The earlier we take a stand the easier it will be. The longer we wait the harder it was be.

If we Christ followers are going to have an impact on culture we are going to have to stand alone for what we believe in regardless of how may stand against us. In my analysis of society I see that middle ground is rapidly disappearing. We are locked in the cosmic battle between good and evil. Our generation is going to have to take a stand for right.

March 29: 1 Samuel 13,14

No sooner does Saul become king over Israel before we start to see the cracks in his personality. Just as Israel has rejected the LORD as king, the nation will suffer under times where its kings abandon the LORD. Through the many cycles of the kings, we will see that God values humble obedience and a contrite hard much more than gold and silver, military triumphs, or grand display of power. In short, God views the kings much in the same manner that He looks at you or me: He looks at the heart. Indeed, God will anoint and empower some rather unlikely leaders in Israel's history, starting with Saul. Saul comes from the Benjamites, who had risen up in rebellion at the end of Judges, perhaps a generation ago. His selections stand in the face of earthly wisdom and bring to mind two treasured verses:

1. 1 Samuel 16:7: "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

2. Romans 4:16-18: "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring -- not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: 'I have made you a father of many nations.' He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were."

With obedience as our guide of true greatness, we can see how Samuel retains a voice over the new king Saul. In Chapter 13, we read about an upcoming battle, in which Saul has chosen an army of 3,000 men but the Philistines approach with a far larger army: "three thousand chariots, six thousand chariots, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore." The Israelites begin hiding in fear, and Saul grows nervous himself as the men begin to scatter. In order to curry the Lord's favor in this desperate situation, Saul makes an offering to the Lord, in place of Samuel, who appears to have been delayed. Samuel rebukes Saul for his jumping the gun, and we can see in Saul's words that his motives may not have been completely pure. (This exchange sets a strong precedent: You don't want to have to explain yourself to a prophet! They have already read your heart.) Saul then learns that his family will not rule over Israel in perpetuity because of his willful disobedience. Even for the king, sin has strong consequences.

Saul's son Jonathan then shows great valor and leadership in starting a rout of the larger Philistine army, ostensibly through the empowerment and leading of God. Jonathan's faithfulness and trust in God stand in contrast to Saul, and he will later become one of David's strongest companions, even as Jonathan's father Saul pursues David. Saul appears rattled by Jonathan's leadership (he feeds the hungry army) and military exploits, and we may see further evidence of Saul's jealousy and concern for his own power. These selfish motivations will ultimately lead to mental illness (paranoia), but he brings the conditions on himself through his sin. Jealousy brings nothing but a sick heart and a defeated spirit because we are rejecting the unique creation that God has made in us.

QUESTIONS

1. Who is your king today? Why have you chosen to serve Him?

2. If you were in Saul's position with the larger Philistine army gathering around you, how might you have approached the situation differently?

March 28

A long read today I Samuel 9-12

Hope for “Nobodies”

1 Samuel 9:21 Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

Have you ever wondered if your life has an impact on the universe? We are just one individual out of 6 billion, on a small planet floating around in a 250 million star galaxy in the midst of 100 billion galaxies. It is easy to think we are nobodies, just one grain of sand on the countless beaches of the world.
Perhaps you can identify with Saul who looked at himself and only saw smallness. The vast majority of us will never make it on the cover of Time Magazine or even the front page of the Advocate. Most of us were not elected home coming king or queen. We are just ordinary, run of the mill people living out our lives in quiet desperation, as Henry David Thoreau wrote.
But just wait one minute, with God there are no “Nobodies” there are only “Somebodies.” Saul goes from hiding in the baggage to the king of Israel in a nanosecond. How does this occur? It occurs when he allows God’s Holy Spirit to come upon his life. This transition has nothing to do with college degrees, elections, athletic achievements or any human strategies. It has everything to do with God changing his heart. The principle is clear; a nobody becomes a somebody when God is working in their life.

If you view yourself as a nobody... turn your life over to God.
Spending one day with God as the king of your life will have more of an impact than you being king of your life for 100 years.

Some factual information about the changes that will occur as we move from “Judges” to “Kings” in Israel:

1. Dynastic Succession
2. Central location of power – One man in charge.
3. Privileged class, before it was a classless society.
4. Transition from Bronze Age poverty to Iron Age wealth.
5. Transition from subjected people to conquerors. David will expand Israel's territory some ten times over.
6. Transition from decentralized worship to centralized worship, with one city as both a political and religious capital. Jerusalem will now become a world class city.

March 25

Read Judges 19-21

Friday the 13th and the 10 Commandments

Friday the 13th is a horror movie about a serial killer named Freddie. I have never seen the movie nor do I intend to in the future but I am aware of some pop culture. But the movie is of the genre called “Slasher.” This particular genre of movies enjoys death and gruesome forms of violence. Well, here is our “slasher” chapter in the Bible. This chapter makes the lawlessness of the Wild West look like a Baptist Sunday School picnic. The levels of depravity reached in these chapters is staggering. How the people of God could fall to these lows should cause all of us to consider that subtle and dangerous slide of sin. “Think about it,” is the reminder from the author. No one starts out at this level. It is a slow gradual slide into hell. Here is the commentary on why Israel sank to this level of depravity.

Judges 21:25 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.

This is the recipe for moral anarchy. We are told no less than five times that the idolatry, debauchery, and atrocities recorded here happened during a time when Israel had no king. The implication is that because there was no king, everyone did whatever they wished. But wasn’t the Lord their king? Didn’t the Lord give them the 10 commandments to live by? Whenever there is an absence of moral authority (God), a vacuum is created in which nothing but chaos can reign. For either a higher moral authority is in charge, or we are. There is no moral middle ground.

We in the USA in 2009 actually believe that we can live without a King. We can just throw the king out and live life according to our own plans. We have thrown God out of our schools, our families, our hospitals, our courts, our bedrooms and we have even thrown him out of the church in recent days.

A society is little more than the sum of its parts. If you want to know the future of America without a king just turn on Jerry Springer. As you watch Jerry Springer you get to see a nation where everyone did as he saw fit. And for us in Stamford we are now about to bring the Jerry Springer show to our fine city. Think about it!!

I hate to sound like a prophet of doom and gloom but the way we are refusing to follow God and his ways only leads to a horrible ending. Think about it!!

Thought for today:
Everyday we need to bow our knees before the King and follow his paths of righteousness; otherwise all that will be left for us is a Nightmare on Elm Street.

I won’t be able to do the blog for the next two days...... keep reading and I will check in with you on Saturday. Congratulations on completing another book of the Bible.

March 24

Here are my thoughts on today’s reading:

Read Judges ch 17 - 18

The bible has if not all, then a lot of the issues/temptation that people face in everyday life. In some instances, it has more than we can imagine. Some of the stories might be a little hard to grasp, yet they always have reasons and purpose for being there. The bible is not a book of mistakes and myths, but rather truth and light. The book of Judges is filled with ‘hard to understand’ stories. So when you don’t understand, don’t quit; rather, pray and seek answers.

For those people who love being in the water and swimming, this story is like open water swimming. If you swim when the current is heavy and strong, you are more than likely going to get pushed around involuntarily. If we don’t follow God and allow him to be our foundation, we are probably going to get knocked around by the world.

The world and society have a strong influence on us, whether we like it or not. From the things we see, to the things we hear, the world always tends to rub off on us. The worst part is, we mostly only take the bad qualities rather than the good.

In today’s reading, we meet Micah. Micah lived in a kingless world. Since Israel had no king or Godly leader, they did as they thought felt right. Micah thought it would be a great idea to own an idol, and attempt to find favor in god by hiring a young levite as his priest. At this point you don’t know whom to slap first, the levite for accepting Micah offer and ignoring his idol, or Micah for thinking he would find favor with God by only hiring a levite priest rather than following his ways.

There were a lot of things that shouldn’t have been done, here’s a few examples:

1) Micah used an ephod, household gods, a carved image and a metal images for idolatry vs 17:3-5

2) Lures a Levite into serving him as his private priest. Priests were meant for public service instead of private service.

3) He appointed his own son as a priest. His son was neither a descendant of Aaron OR a Levite, as they were supposed to be.

4) Jonathan (the Levite priest) gets bribed by the Danites and without hesitation accepts. He was not focused on God, but rather on himself.

5) No leadership in all of Israel. Bad qualities easily catch on, but good qualities take time to develop. Israel easily fell in the pit of bad qualities.

6) The Danites go and attack Ephraim. In another words, a civil war broke out within Israel due to lack of leadership and Godlessness within people.

That is just a handful examples of the SIN that manifested in Israel. Now take into consideration the influence that Micah sin had on the Danites. If they had any Godly influence, it went out the window due to the domino effect of Micah sin.

Doesn’t this happen on a daily basis? Do you realize that you influence people on a daily basis? EVERY movement, act and even what you say is observed. From the toddlers around the house to your co-workers, everyone and anyone can be influenced by what you do. The worst part is, when we actually realize that we are being observed, we tend to justify by saying things like: “God won’t be mad, I went to church” or “I do good things, what’s one bad thing gonna do?” or “isn’t God all holy and stuff, he’ll forgive me”. Those excuses will get you nowhere.

As Israel had no king or foundation, we must learn from Israel’s mistakes. We don’t necessarily need the type of king they needed, but we do need God to be the foundation in our lives. Much like the swimmer I spoke about earlier who has no foundation or anything under him/her to keep him steady and on course, neither did Israel. Do you? Are you confident that you have a steady foundation holding you up? Or are you swimming in strong current water w/ no lifesaver, making impulsive decisions and influencing the world? Our simple everyday life decisions and actions can influence others beyond our imagination. It happened to Micah, will it happen to you?

Hope my thoughts were of some benefit to you.

March 23

Read Judges 13-16

Today is accountability day. Samson was never accountable to anyone and look where he ended up.

Combining yesterday and today’s readings gives us the ability to see the contrast between love and lust. In Ruth you have a love story and in Samson you have a lust tragedy. One experienced a love for a lifetime and the other experienced lust for a night. Ruth has the story of Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends, memories of the wonder of Christmas mornings with young children, the excitement of summer vacation at Camp Spofford, daily cups of coffee with her lover on the back porch and long walks on the beach during marriage renewal weekends.
Samson has the one night flings with sexual partners whose last names he doesn’t know, conflicts, betrayal, heartbreaks, loneliness, prison and the eventual loss of his eyesight.
What do you want in your life, one night or a lifetime of love? We must show people and tell people about the true love that is found in following God’s way.

4 wrong choices Samson made on the pathway of lust:

1. He focused on the wrong goal. Judges 14:1-2 "I have seen" He focused on pleasing himself rather than pleasing God. We can’t trust our senses in the sexual wilderness of the culture. “If it feels good” doesn’t make it “right.”

2. He didn’t take God seriously 13:4,5 14:3 God had given him a mission statement for his life. He was to be a Nazirite. But he didn’t take this mission seriously. Samson was an average, garden variety Jew, whose strength was not in his muscles but in a vow he had made before God. Perhaps that contradicts images of him which we've held in the past but it is clear he wasn’t the big, burly, Arnold type. This is underscored by the constant desire of those about him to learn the secret source of his strength.

3. He hung around with the wrong crowd 14:8-14 Samson didn't have a chance morally because of the crowd he hung around with. It never mentions in the text that Samson spent 10 minutes with his own people. It never mentions accountability Monday with his Bible reading group. He spends a week telling jokes with a group of “friends” who would love to see him fail. Samson was truly the lone ranger. He didn’t have a small group. Never had a mentor or a close friend. The friends he picked were working against him, not for him. Wrong choice of friends and relationships will pull you down.

4. He fooled around with temptation 16 Samson’s IQ must have been on the level of a clam. Why is he fooling around with Delilah and her drama queen performance? Notice each answer he gives gets closer and closer to the truth. Eventually he tells her everything. He wasn’t tricked; he was self-deceived. He really believes he is above the consequences of his sin. He has gotten away with fooling around so much he really believes even he can play with fire without being burned. That is what sin does to us.

A few action steps for us in our lives:
1. Admit our weaknesses. We live in a sexually saturated culture and anyone can fall. Sexual sin is never defeated; it is simply dormant. Until we live with the reality of our own vulnerability we are simply an accident waiting to happen.

2. Avoid temptation by purchasing a good pair of running sneakers. Don’t put yourself in situations where you know you’re vulnerable. Have a plan for early detection and early exit from the temptation.

3. Ask for help. It’s not enough to just admit and avoid temptation. We also need to ask for help. When we think we can fight this battle alone that is when we are in danger. Ask God for strength and team up with other believers.

4. Assimilate God’s truth into your life. Read God’s Word and put it into practice. Psalm 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” It’s absolutely imperative that we stay connected with God and with others. Left to ourselves, it’s just a short walk to becoming a Samson. Cultivate your relationship with Christ and commit yourself to a small group.

5. Acknowledge forgiveness for the fallen. There is a way of forgiveness. Thank God for his grace and mercy. Corrie Ten Boom said, “There is no pit so deep that the love of God is not deeper still.” No matter how far you run away from God, no matter how deep the pit you fall into, you can never go so far that God can’t find you.

March 22: Ruth

The reading takes a break from Judges to focus on the life of Ruth, a Moabite woman who originally married the son of Naomi. Ruth's faithfulness to Naomi and God provides some helpful guidance for living out our faith today. Below, I offer four key lessons from Ruth's life:

1. Be committed. In the face of great tragedy and an uncertain future, Ruth confidently stands with her mother-in-law Naomi, even when the widow of Naomi's other son decides to turn back. We see that, after counting the cost, Ruth looks forward to following God and living in the land of the Israelites. Although she will be a stranger in a strange land, she, like Moses, chooses to stand with God. Her vow of commitment to Naomi and the Lord is one of the most beautiful and stirring in all of Scripture: "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

When we commit to something, we may respond in different ways. Sometimes, we may panic and wonder how we will ever live out our commitment. Or, we may look at the commitment as a burden once the honeymoon period has worn off. Yet, God calls us to keep our commitments and to see each activity in life as an opportunity to honor Him (Colossians 3:23). If we are seeking to live a vigorous and engaged Christian life, we may commit to things that force us to depend upon God. That's fantastic! Then, we may truly see God glorified, as our resource only carry us so far.

2. Be intentional. After making her commitment to Naomi, Ruth sets her mind to finding out how best to live in her new environment. In consultation with Naomi, she figures out how to make a living from trolling the fields for leftover grain. She recognizes that she will need to "find favor" in the eyes of the Israelites, but this potential hurdle doesn't thwart her moving forward. Later on, she goes to visit Boaz in the evening, essentially asking him to redeem her. Through the course of Ruth's plan, we see Boaz's falling in love with her because of her "noble character." The phrase reminds us of the praise of the "wife of noble character" in Proverbs 31. Ruth lives wisely and blesses those around her.

How can you work toward seeing something happen that God has placed on your heart?

3. Be industrious. Ruth didn't just create a clear plan; she lived it out. As the sign currently reads, "Small deeds beat great intentions." Ruth works hard in the fields, showing her commitment to Naomi and to becoming integrated into her new environment. Though she faces poverty, she trusts that God will provide for her and Naomi. There were no handouts in this time, but Ruth didn't sulk in her sorrow. She decided to press forward.

The passage reminds me of a short snippet from _Facing the Giants_, where a man tells about two farmers. The farmers lived far apart but were both facing drought conditions at the start of the growing season. Both farmers hoped and prayed for rain, but only one farmer began plowing the fields. Which one would God more likely bless?

4. Be others-minded. Ruth shows great concern for both Naomi and Boaz. She seeks to bless first, not manipulate. We may ask ourselves: "Am I seeking this person's best interests, or am I focused on enriching myself?"

For her concern, God richly blesses her. Boaz, a foreshadow of our Redeemer, lives out his role as a kinsman-redeemer and saves Naomi and Ruth from bankruptcy. The story takes place near Bethlehem, which will in time become the City of David and the birthplace of our Savior.

March 21

Read Judges 10-12

Judges 11 Jephthah’s Vow

The book of Judges stands in stark contrast to the book of Joshua. In Joshua an obedient people conquered the land through trust in the power of God. In Judges, however, a disobedient and idolatrous people are repeatedly oppressed by their enemies. There are 12 judges found in the book and they ruled Israel for a period of 400 years. The 7 cycles can already be seen.... when skies were blue the nation would leave the Lord. Then storms clouds would roll in and the people would be oppressed. A judge would arise to set them free from the bondage and the sun would come out again. The theme of this book is found in the last verse, "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Today we see one of the more unusual, yet greatly misunderstood stories of this book. These stories will get more bizarre so prepare yourselves. Today we study the life of a fellow named Jephthah. He is a judge, warrior and father who is called to fight a decisive battle. He makes a foolish vow to God that if he won this battle, whatever would come out of his front door to meet him he would sacrifice. You have to ask yourself, who did Jephthah think would come out of that door? The candidates include a pet, but pets can’t open doors, or servants, but they wouldn’t run to the master. How about his wife, maybe things weren’t so good between Mr. and Mrs. Jephthah? My last suggestion is his mother-in-law who overstayed her Christmas visit by a few months. We don’t have any definitive answer to the question of expectation but we do have disappointment when it turns out to be his daughter.

Our second question centers on the sacrifice. What type of sacrifice is this? At first glance it appears to be a human sacrifice but Jephthah was familiar with God’s law concerning that. God makes his will known 4 times in the Law that human sacrifice is strictly forbidden. No priest in the land would have helped him do this. If he did sacrifice his daughter he would not have been included in the “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11.

This was a vow of sacrifice for a life of dedication to the Lord’s service. That is why she was allowed to go on Spring Break for two months, not to bewail her approaching death, but rather to lament over her permanent virginity. She was her father’s only child and because of that her father’s line would die out.

Further evidence that this was not human sacrifice is found in Judges 11:39 “After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.”

This remark about being a virgin would have been pointless and inane if she were in fact put to death.

In the end we have Jephthah acting as a man of honor in carrying out his promise and presenting his daughter as a living sacrifice to the Lord. His commitment to God outweighed even family loyalty and personal happiness. Lesser men would have renounced the vow the moment they saw their precious daughter walking through the front door.

Be careful in vowing before God. But when you do make a vow, keep it at all costs.

March 20

Develop your conflict resolution and leadership skills

Read Judges 8,9

Judges 8:1-3 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, "Why have you treated us like this? Why didn't you call us when you went to fight Midian?" And they criticized him sharply.
2But he answered them, "What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren't the gleanings of Ephraim's grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? 3God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" At this, their resentment against him subsided.

Picking up on a lesson from the last paragraph of yesterday’s reading.

Gideon was a reluctant leader but God gave him an amazing victory. With 300 men they were able to defeat an army described as “thick as locust.” It is clear that God blessed him. Yet Ephraim’s leaders felt left out because Gideon had not called them to join the battle. They felt slighted because they were only called in for “mopping up” operations. So they criticized Gideon sharply in an angry confrontation. While Gideon wasn’t much on bravery he was great on conflict resolution skills and leadership. Rather than strike back, give them the silent treatment or battle with them, he was gracious to them, because of his confidence in God. He diplomatically points out that the rear guard actions were actually greater than his own actions. WOW!!
Four lessons for us…
1. When we lead there is no way to avoid criticism. Leading means we will take heat. In our leadership we must have pleasing our God as our motivation. We must do every action to please an audience of one. We will have to wait until the judgment day to have a review of our leadership. A leader must have the heart of a dove and the hide of a rhino.
2. When criticized show grace. The pull of the human heart is to strike back…. God wants us to show grace. A great leader shows grace and can build a team even when people are criticizing.
3. Just because a job is highly visible it doesn’t make it more important. There are no second class roles in God’s kingdom. A cup of water given in Jesus’ name is as vital as preaching before thousands. Pride causes people to think they need to be up front and visible. We need to encourage people to be faithful in working even when no one sees except God.
4. One additional lesson on leadership found in today’s reading is the legacy you leave behind. Abimelech usurps the throne, kills his 70 brothers and becomes the leader of Israel. But what is his mission? His mission is to make a name for himself. At the city of Thebes that mission comes to an end. A woman drops a millstone on Abimelech’s head and cracks his skull. He says to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed me’.” So his servant ran him through, and he died. His mission to make a name for himself even dominates his death. Some very interesting words then appear. “When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home.”
“Well, that mission is over. I guess I have to go home and vacuum the house and wash the chariot today.”
Great leaders have a mission that is eternal, that transcends our lives. The mission of great leaders is not to make our names known but to make God’s name known. Otherwise when you die, people will come to your funeral, eat some potato salad, and go home to vacuum their houses.

March 19

Judges 6-8

Daring to dream again

One of my favorite films is “October Sky.” It’s the true story of Homer Hickam, who grew up in the mining town of Coalwood, West Virginia during the 1950s. Everyone believed the sons of Coalwood were destined to be coal miners. The only exceptions were the lucky few who made it to college on a football scholarship. But young Homer had a different dream for his life. On an October night in 1955 Homer saw the Soviet Sputnik satellite in the night sky orbiting high above the earth. That single event changed Homer’s life forever. Seeing Sputnik sparked a dream of flying rockets. As the movie unfolds, Homer chases his dream of launching his very own rocket. For Homer, living his dream meant lifting his eyes beyond the confines of Coalwood and looking skyward.

How about you? What dreams do you have for your life? In our present economy the dreams of today are to hold onto your job and keep your house. But I think God wants us to have bigger dreams than that. I am talking about dreams that count for eternity. Big, scary, out of the box dreams that attempt to change the world.

Today in our reading we stumble upon a man hiding in a winepress threshing his wheat. What is interesting about the encounter with the Lord is the address. “The Lord is with you, MIGHTY WARRIOR!!”

That greeting is a huge oxymoron. There is Gideon, the picture of defeat and discouragement, a man living in the pits, and the Lord is calling him, “Mighty Warrior.” That was the purpose of the visit of the angel of the Lord (Preincarnate Jesus). He came to Gideon to call him to a new dream of living in freedom from Midianite oppression. God had a dream of liberation… he needed to find someone who would share this dream on earth.

New dreams start with a new identity. God saw Gideon differently than Gideon saw himself. There are 2 ways to view every individual.....
Some see Clark Kent but God sees Superman
Some see Peter Parker but God sees Spiderman
Some see childless Abraham but God see the Father of nations.
Some see “Foot in Mouth Peter” but Jesus sees Rocky.

If your dreams have faded or even died.
If the pain from the past has crushed all hope of a better future.
Even if you have become resistant to the idea of dreaming again.
Ask the Lord to Lord to allow you to become a dreamer. Lift your eyes above the pit and see that with God we can be all be “Mighty Warriors.”

Thought for today: Write out your dream in 6 words. I would love to have you send me those dreams when you complete them.

March 18

Judges 4-5 The Reluctant Leadership

Judges 4:9 "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman."

Deborah (whose name means “honeybee”) was both a prophetess and a judge (she was leading Israel).
The Bible records several women who held national leadership positions, and Deborah was an exceptional woman. Obviously she was the best person for the job, and God chose her to lead Israel. God can choose anyone to lead his people, young or old, man or woman. Don’t let your prejudices get in the way of those God may have chosen to lead you.

How about Barak? Was he a coward or just a guy with shaky faith? We don’t know Barak’s character, but we see the character of a great leader in Deborah, who took charge as God directed. Deborah told Barak that God would be with him in battle, but that was not enough for Barak. He wanted Deborah to go with him. Barak’s request shows that at heart he trusted human strength more than God’s promise. A person of real faith steps out at God’s command, even if he or she must do so alone.

So how did Deborah command such respect? What accounts for her leadership?

1. She cared about the people. She wanted justice which many times goes in favor of rich and powerful people. She was the original Judge Judy in that people came to her to have disputed cases adjudicated. This is amazing because the structure of culture was decidedly patriarchal.
2. She was in touch with God. God spoke to her and she relayed the message to Barak.
3. She was not afraid of the iron chariots. If you remember from the recent past, this was an issue for the tribe of Judah. She had her eyes focused on God and not the chariots.
4. She was motivated to action by the decline in her country. In her song in chapter 5 she reveals her passion for victory. The nation was so crippled by their enemies that people had to sneak about on winding pathways; they would not drive on route 95. These enemies also brought in new gods and yet 40,000 men did nothing about it. They abandoned their position as leaders and as a result, up to the plate steps this soccer mom.

The story of Deborah and the courageous woman, Jael, demonstrates what God can obviously do through women. They are certainly capable of doing whatever task needs to be accomplished. Yet the reason for her having to step up to the plate was that the men had neglected their role as spiritual leaders.

The question for both men and women is: Am I fulfilling to the best of my ability whatever role God may have given me?

March 17

Here are my thoughts:

A lot of Christians tend to ignore the old testament because they feel it is more of a history book than anything else.  Let me tell you something, these chapters make me feel as a Christian a whole lot better about myself.  Israel are God's chosen, but they sure don't act like it.  One minute they are God's #1 fan, and by the next minute they are on to a different God.  My life isn't anywhere as drastic and spontaneous as theirs, but I am a sinner.  These passages at least let me know that there is hope for sinners, from their time all the way until now.  

Israel was a lot like a disobedient child.  They fell far from God, God then punished them, they cried out to him, and finally he'd send someone to rescue them.  Only problem is the cycle repeated more than one.  If you make a mistake, you learn a lesson.  If you continue to keep making this mistake, shame on you.  Well, shame on Israel!!  These people saw the hand of God working for them in ways that I might never get to see, yet they fell so far from him, and yet God loved them.  God's love is one of the most amazing and indescribable things around.  

The book of Judges will take us through Israel roller coaster history.  The high ups and the sudden plunges in faith.  Through it all, God displays his love for them AND his anger towards disobedience.  We need to learn from the example of Israel that: God is everywhere and you can't fool him, Disobedience doesn't pay, and that God loves you for who you are but loves you too much to let you stay that way.  In life we either love God wholeheartedly or love the world but as Israel shows you can't keep swaying back and fourth, we have to choose one.

March 16

Monday is accountability day. Send me an email informing me of where you stand. If you have fallen behind don’t quit. Simply mark those passages not read and continue with today. Satan wants you to get discouraged and drop out of the race. This is a marathon not a 100 meter sprint.

Judges 1:19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots.
This is what you call “irony.” Irony (from the greek meaning hypocrisy, deception, or feigned ignorance) is a literay or rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity or discordance between what one says or does and what one means or what is generally understood. Irony shows us the huge gap that existed in the men of Judah. The incongruity between what they knew and how they acted.
The Lord was with the men of Judah and they took possession of the hill country.... now this is making perfect sense to us since we have just read the highlights of the conquest but then comes the irony. But they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had iron chariots. What is going on?

Could it be a problem of vision? In the hill country they saw an enemy who they were pretty confident they could defeat but when they looked to those iron chariots, they said, “No way Jose.” The sight of the iron chariots caused their vision of God to become very blurry.

It is easy to trust in God and sing the hallelujah chorus when we are up against an enemy on even terms. But the true measure of our faith is seen when we find ourselves in a battle where the odds are against us.

What we need in battles against iron chariots is faith. Faith says .... “It is so.”

Tony Evans, one of our speakers this weekend, has a great practical definition of faith: “Faith is acting like it's so even when it's not so, in order that it might be so, just because God said so."

Maybe you're saying, "That sounds like I'm supposed to pretend something's real when it isn't." No. We're
talking about believing that what God says is true, even when there's no evidence available. And the way we show we really believe in when we act on it. We are called to live by faith. To act on what “God says is so, even if it not so.” God’s vision is much better than ours. Believe him. Act as if God is telling the truth.

Where are you facing iron chariots today? This is your chance to develop your faith.

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14,15)

Joshua's words to the Western Tribes (but clearly valid for the entire people of Israel) mark his solemn commission to the people as he is about to "go the way of all the earth." A long time has passed since the initial conquest of the land, and Joshua urges the people not to turn aside from following the Lord.

Indeed, Joshua rightly judges that, while the military conquest of the land has reached a near-term conclusion, each generation will need to have a new spiritual conquest. Or, put more personally, each of us must decide daily (and sometimes momentarily) whom we will serve. As Bob Dylan sang, "you gotta serve somebody." In Joshua's words, we see an dichotomy of intentionality -- that, by choosing not to follow the Lord, the people will inevitably fall into serving the pagan gods of the conquered regions. In truth, we face the same dichotomy: we will choose to serve the Lord, or we will end up serving the "prince of this age," the world, or the flesh. Whom will you choose to serve?

The paramount importance of this decision speaks of why our love for the Lord must awaken our hearts, minds, and souls. If our hearts, minds, and souls are not fully engaged in loving God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, then we will lose our drive. We must become more intimate with Him by cultivating our relationship; otherwise, we will move away from Him. Our society, perhaps best represented through Oprah theology, believes that we may dabble in various faith traditions to satisfying personal effect, but this smokescreen obscures the truth of the passage above. The dichotomy does not disappear, even with modern-day "progress." In The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer wrote: "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God."

The passage also points to the problem of how a nation at "rest" -- spread out over many square miles, instead of living communally -- can continue to follow the Lord in unison. Joshua urges in 22:5: "But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul." The nation's commitments are ultimately to God, not man.

The nation, in time, will come to rest on its laurels and fall away from the Father. How could they have avoided this? In one sense, through remembrance: By recalling the words of Moses and Joshua and the punishment of Achan. As Scott wrote earlier, we must see that our personal sin ultimately has repercussions within our families and throughout the entire society. (As a small example, while lust primarily wars against my own body, its effects cause me, in my pride, to diminish the value of others. Multiply this effect over thousands of times, and you have a society that speaks of gender equality but believes in a highly sexualized femininity.) In fact, the Israelites' corporate morality will fall away from this point forward through the time of the Judges because there is little to no personal accountability and insincere commitment from the people to the Lord. God is living, active, and He desires to renew our relationship daily.


QUESTIONS

1. How can you motivate yourself to follow Joshua's words? Whom can you enlist in fighting the battle with you?

2. What lies have you believed about your own sin over the past week? How can you learn and relearn of God's goodness?

March 13

Joshua 13-17

Growing older on purpose

Caleb is my hero. Caleb says in our text today, "Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."

How does an 85 year old have this spunk in his life? Most people 85 are bitter and have already lost their passion in life? How did Caleb do it?

1. He followed God wholeheartedly… verse 9. The mission kept him in the game. It is all about Jesus.
If you were to summarize your mission in a sentence what would it be?

2. He had a great resources… the Lord helped me… verse 16 With God nothing is impossible.

3. He had great faith… I will drive them out… verse 16 Without faith we will fail.

4. He must have stayed in shape.. just as vigorous. Took care of his body… exercise and diet. Put down that donut as you are reading this and go out for a walk.

What I find amazing is this guy wanted the hill country. I am a road biker, the kind you pedal, and I hate hills. Taking my 230 pound body up a hill is not fun. Going down is great but the climb is terrible. I am put to shame here by an 85 year old guy who wants the hill country. No flat lands for him.

So what can we do to grow old on purpose? Do exactly what Caleb did.

When we are 85 let’s have a race up Bear Mountain, NY.

I will be at the Iron Sharpens Iron conference tomorrow so there will not be an email. Pray for us as 3000 men gather to praise and worship our Lord.

March 12

Keeping your promise even when it hurts

Read Joshua 9-12

A quick note today... the nation did not pray about the Gibeonites. They showed up in Halloween costumes and carrying moldy bread and they pulled a fast one on Joshua and the leaders. Some times leaders make big mistakes. The mistake Joshua made was not praying. Verse 14 says, “they sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.” Big slip-up ... pray about everything.
Three days later they arrive in the hood of the Gibeonites. Now what? The Gibeonites deceived the Israelites. That is true but giving your word is a powerful commitment. It is so powerful that the Israelites did not touch them.
Sometimes keeping your word costs you dearly but it is worth every penny. Be a person of your word. Let your “Yes” mean “Yes” and your “No” mean “No.” Be a truth teller.

March 11

Read Joshua 6-8

How much is your sin going to cost me?

Joshua 7:1 But the Israelites acted unfaithfully in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel.

Wait a minute. It says here the Israelites acted unfaithfully. I thought it was Achan who sinned? We gain an insight of the cost of sin in this story. What Achan did ended up infecting, or affecting, the entire group. In the end 36 families had to have funeral services, 36 families lost a loved one and would have to live their entire lives with a huge hole in their hearts. That is a tremendous cost for a single sin. It also says that the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. So there was also a vertical disconnection with God because of this sin.

Now if you are saying this is unfair, this just isn’t right you, you are looking at it from an American point of view. We live in a radical individualistic culture where the individual reigns supreme. We even advertise it “Have it your way” or we sing “I did it my way.”

But in eastern cultures the family and community is tightly bound together. You don’t live individually you live as a group. For one person to bring shame upon themselves is to bring shame upon the family name or the entire group.

What we need to learn from this story is that we are all tied together. No one sins in isolation. The eastern culture is a clearer picture of the true cost of sin.

When I sin I hurt my wife, my children, my church and my community. They might not even know what is going on but my sin will impact them because it impacts me. We are not just individuals we are also groups. This should help us in our fight against sin and temptation.

The opposite is just as equally true. We need to make good decisions so that we become pillars of strength to those around us. Today make good, godly choices and then become a pillar of strength to your family, church and community.

Some Lessons from today’s Reading:

1. Secret sins are not really secret.

2. Look at the pattern of sin..... I saw ... I coveted.... I took...... I hid. Sin starts in the heart.

3. Every sin has a tremendous price tag on it. Think ahead when you are tempted to sin.

4. Make a commitment to be a positive influence in your family today. Live a holy life.

March 10

Here are my thoughts on todays readings:

Joshua (a modern leader w/ little to no experience in leading large groups) sends out a recognizance team(special ops) to search out the land, which God promised them.  Due to their dedication and obedience they accomplish the mission, but it was not easy.  Joshua receives the information he needs, and assembles a platoon of men to prepare an attack.  He crosses the river and brings his men closer to their target.  At that point he takes time to worship God and seek him.

The difference between Joshua and today is: he sought after God's input.  One thing that is very neat about Joshua is that he maintained a humble attitude.  God showed favor to Joshua (4:14) by exalting him and making him a worthy leader.  

In the beginning God instructs Joshua reaffirming him over and over by telling him "be strong and courageous".  Joshua 1:9 "Have i not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  It seems that God addresses Joshua's fears before he even has a chance to bring it up.  Joshua said nothing to God, but God still asks "have I not commanded you?".  His fear is addressed by reminding him: you are going war and God is going to be with you no matter what.

The same questions that Joshua probably would have asked ... we ask.  Is God going to be with me today?  Will he leave me?  Is this too big for God?

Joshua had to lead a few million into a promised land after being exposed to the sun and all kinds of skin cancer for 40 years.  Long story short, Joshua had to lead a few million bitter people into a promised land.  Our problems probably won't ever compare to his, yet God still made him a promise.  The promise to be strong and courageous b/c he won't ever leave our side.  That promise still carries to this day.  God's promises have no expiration and he loves it when we know them and hold close to them.

March 9

Send me a quick email to let me know where you are in your Bible Reading.

Last Words reveal a lot.

Read Deut 33, 34

For every person, there will come a last meal, a last breath and, of course, a last statement. And in many ways, what we say in the end is a real insight into what we were in life, what we stood for and what we lived for. Generally, we die as we have lived.

Here are some last words.
American patriot Nathan Hale "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."
Princess Diana, following that horrific car accident in a Paris tunnel, was heard to say, "My God, what happened?"
Voltaire the renowned atheist said to his physician, "I am abandoned by God and man. I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months of life. Then I shall go to hell and you will go with me, oh, Christ, oh, Jesus Christ!"
P.T. Barnum the circus man said, “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?”
John Maynard Keynes the economist who got us into our current financial mess said, "I wish I'd drunk more champagne."
Gandhi said “My days are numbered. For the first time in 50 years I find myself in the slough of despond. All about me is darkness...”
Karl Marx said, "Go on, get out. Last words are for fools who haven't said enough."
Elvis Presley “I hope I haven't bored you." (Concluding what would be his last press conference.)
Dylan Thomas "I have just had eighteen whiskeys in a row. I do believe that is a record."
Henry David Thoreau in a discussion with his aunt on his death bed was asked by her, “Have you made your peace with your God?” “I never quarreled with my God.'” “But aren't you concerned about the next world?” ”One world at a time.”
Oscar Wilde "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do!"

What a difference faith makes.
Todd Beamer a man of faith and a passenger on United Flight 93, September 11, 2001. “Are you guys ready? Let's roll.”
Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, in the closing months of his life said to a friend, "I am so weak. I can't read my Bible. I can't even pray. I can only lie still in God's arms like a little child and trust."
The great evangelist D. L. Moody, on his deathbed, said, "I see Earth receding and heaven is opening. God is calling me."

Roll the clock ahead 1400 years. See Jesus hanging on a Roman Cross. What will his last words be?
Toward the end of that terrible day – from about noon until three o'clock in the afternoon – an ominous darkness fell across the land. There in the darkness of the hour Jesus cries out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" This is the title for Psalm 22 which Jesus wanted us to read since he could not preach a sermon on the cross. But as Jesus hung there he was enduring hell so that we wouldn’t have to. He was bearing the sins of the world. He was dying as a substitute for others, suffering the punishment for those sins on their behalf. Last words do reveal a lot about a person’s life.

March 8: Deuteronomy 31,32

Today's passages continues the discussion of blessings and curses from yesterday and reveals much about God's character and the people's path upon inheriting the land.

In the beginning, we see the transition of authority from Moses to Joshua. Both men demonstrated a humility and consecration that should define Godly leaders. They did not exalt their own standings or call upon their positions in order to "lord over" others. Instead, they looked to serve the Israelites, as God had directed them. Much as David claimed God's presence as his source of confidence, Moses urges the people: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6) God then commissions Joshua for service and declares His support: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you." (Deuteronomy 31:23)

The next section includes a "song of unfaithfulness" that God places into Moses's mouth. The song and the passage preceding it foretell of the people's coming unfaithfulness, despite Moses's clear admonitions to the contrary. God explains that the people will turn to Him in recognition of their separation from Him and the song He shares with Moses will serve as a "witness" to this truth. The song highlights how God has shown faithfulness to the Israelites in the desery but that the people will abandon God to pursue other foreign gods upon coming into the land; this spiritual adultery will then cause God to "heap calamities upon them/ and spend my arrows against them." (Deuteronomy 32:23) God then indicates that "they are a nation without sense;/ there is no discernment in them." (Deuteronomy 32:28)

Still, despite the people's unfaithfulness, God stays faithful and will have "compassion on his servants/ when he sees their strength is gone." (Deuteronomy 32:36) God's justice comes in His timing, and it will reveal His goodness and awesome power: "See now that I myself am He!/ There is no god besides me./ I put to death and I bring to life,/ I have wounded and I will heal,/ and no one can deliver out of my hand." (Deuteronomy 32:39) While the people have let God down, He will protect them from their enemies.

In the end, Moses points to the great value in the Scriptures: "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you--they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." (Deuteronomy 32:46,47)

QUESTIONS

1. In what areas of your life do you need more discernment?

2. While we live in challenging days, how have you seen God's faithfulness in them? How can the remembrance thereof spur you on during discouraging moments?

March 7

Read Deut 28 to 30

Deut. 30:15-20 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. ........ 19This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

What is with God? He has to tell people to love him and follow his ways, over and over again? What kind of god commands people to love and praise him?
We all know people with inferiority complexes that have to have people around them constantly telling them how many people love them. We usually think there is something wrong with people like that. So how about our God? Is our God like the wicked queen in Snow White, who stood before the mirror and said, “Mirror, mirror the wall, who is fairest of us all?”
It that the kind of God we have? If so, I seriously suggest you stop your Bible reading today and join a 1960’s hippie commune. There are still a few up in Vermont.

Consider for a moment.... have you ever seen a great movie, read a fantastic book or visited a wonderful vacation spot? What do you instinctively do when you finish that experience? You tell everyone what you have just experienced. You don’t have to tell a young man to praise the virtues of his girlfriend. That’s doing what comes naturally. You don’t have to tell a hiker to praise the countryside or a sailor to praise the sea. People always praise what they enjoy.

What God is telling us to do here is to choose to enjoy him. You can’t force anyone to love anyone else. Love is a choice. And we have the opportunity to choose to love and enjoy our God. When we do that we will experience life and prosperity.

God is the only person who will satisfy the longing and thirst of our souls. Nothing on this planet can take his place.
William Temple, archbishop of Canterbury (1942-1944) said this:
“Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.”
This is where life is found…. Submitting to, quickening by, purifying of, opening to and adoring of God.
St. Augustine: Thou hast made us for Thyself and the heart of man is restless until it finds rest in Thee.

Francis Schaeffer: Man, made in the image of God, has a purpose ‑ to be in relationship to God, who is there.
Man forgets his purpose and thus he forgets who he is and what life means.

Choose life today.... choose to love God with all your heart. You will find your purpose on earth.

March 6

Blessings and Curses

Leviticus 26

You have finished the book of Leviticus!!! Congratulations!!!

Principles for the blessing of a nation: If the Israelites obeyed God and followed his Word there would be peace in the land. If they disobeyed, disaster would follow. God used sin’s consequences to draw them to repentance, not to get back at them.

Here is a list of the blessings of a nation following God:
1. Rain for the crops
2. Abundant harvests
3. Peace and safety in the land
4. Chasing away of enemies
5. God walks with them
6. They walk with heads held high

Here is a list of the curses of a nation that refuses to follow God:
1. Fear of sudden terror
2. Disease drains away life
3. Enemies defeat them
4. No strength for life, live in fear
5. Poor harvests
6. Cities in ruin
7. The nation eventually perishes

There is hope in these verses... verses 40-42 “'But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers ...... I will remember the land.”

When God’s people realize that God is in the disaster, and they humble themselves before him, then God will hear from heaven and heal the land. There is hope for every nation. Our hope lies in our relationship with God. Only 10 righteous people could have saved Sodom and Gomorrah. The greatest danger we face in the USA is that the people of God are not calling the nation to repentance. I do not expect our President to say to the nation, “It is time to pray.” I do expect that every Christian will say this. There is no hope for our nation coming from Washington. The hope for America lies in its churches.

2 Chron. 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

It is time to pray!!!

March 5

Lev 19 Deut 20

The Small Stuff Matters

Our passage today completely shakes up our “God in the Box” view of an angry and hostile God. The heart of God and his desire for his people to be kind and compassionate is revealed. Look at these incredible laws...
-Take care of the mother birds
-Don’t cut down fruit trees
-Treat the alien with respect and dignity
-Show esteem for the handicapped and elderly
-Have compassion for the poor
-Feed the less fortunate
-Take care of the orphans and widows

When we traveled to Russia in 1994 one of the top conversations we had with people were the steps necessary for them to become like the USA. They all wanted St. Petersburg to become the next New York City. We talked about the differences between capitalism and socialism. What I discovered was they had an inadequate view of the strengths and weaknesses of capitalism. They believed that if you just plugged in a capitalistic form of government you would get instant prosperity. But capitalism only works when you have moral and compassionate people practicing it. Capitalism cannot change the hearts of people to be kind and compassionate, only God can do that. The ugly side of capitalism has the rich taking advantage of the poor and the inevitable class envy that develops. Our founding fathers realized this and spoke to the importance of this moral foundation.

John Adams in a speech to the military in 1798 warned his fellow countrymen stating, "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence said. "The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be aid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments. Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind."
Noah Webster, author of the first American Speller and the first Dictionary said, "The Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. . . . and I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion have not a controlling influence."
Right now we are in a period where people are reacting to the abuses of capitalism. The political solution is for the US to become socialistic. The spiritual solution is for the US to experience a revival and for us to become kind and compassionate people. We stand at the crossroads this very day. Choose carefully what pathway you want to go down.

Thought for today.... Take 5 minutes out of your day and show compassion to someone. Maybe it will be buying a cup of coffee for someone, making a phone call, stopping by someone’s house to say “hello.” God has called his people to be compassionate.

March 4

March 4, 2009

Leviticus 11

Leviticus 11:47 You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.

I am a member of the Jewish Community Center and every time I walk into the gym, I pass the deli. On the front of this deli is the word “Kosher.” This means they serve food in line with these dietary laws we read today. It is clear that these laws drew a distinct line between “clean” and “unclean.” Now I don’t know all the reasons for these distinctions, some of them are for health reasons, The Maker’s Diet is a book about the benefits of these laws. I thought the book was great until the author recommended I eat dirt. There are also spiritual reasons for the laws because God wanted his people to avoid the dietary practices of the pagan in Canaan. Whatever the reason, the laws were a constant reminder that Israel was to be separated from the uncleanness of the world.

How does this apply to us as we live in 2009? Should we say “no” to those delicious pork chops that will be cooking on the grill soon? What about the way we prepare our meals, no cooking meat in milk? What sets us apart from the world today?

Here are the words of F. Lagard Smith, “What sets us apart from a godless world might be our dress, or perhaps food and drink from which we abstain. Modesty and sobriety and self-control are increasingly rare virtues. Yet dressing oddly doesn’t necessarily make us separate – only odd. And eating strangely doesn’t make us separate – only strange. If we truly want to be seen as separate, it will come in our conversations and values, in our material possessions and financial priorities. In what we listen to and what we watch. Interesting, isn’t it? Even today there’s a recognizable difference between “clean jokes” and “dirty jokes,” between “good clean fun” and “just plain filth.”

Do you ever consciously distinguish between what is “clean” and “unclean”?
Today would be a great day to throw out some of the dirt in our lives.

March 3, 2009

Here's some thoughts on todays reading:

Personally, i've been enjoying reading some of these laws, especially todays.  When you read the bible there are times when you sit there and ask your self: how in the world can i relate?  these people seem like they are nothing like what we are today.  Todays reading brings that back to reality.  These people dealt with all kinds of diseases.  To be honest with you, these people were pretty dirty.  The fact that it was instructed to wash themselves rather than it just being a normal instinct tells you some of the ways they lived.  On the other hand a lot of the things that they faced, we still deal with all the time.  Since then until now, the treatments have changed drastically (thank the Lord).  Let's face it, who wants to stand outside of Stamford for seven days until you are clean, then have pastor Taylor evaluate you.  To top it all off, he could potentially send you back out to the outer skirts for another seven days.  

These people were powerless.  What i mean by that is, they did not have the technology that we have now.  All they had was God and a priest.  Today we are often so slow to pray to God to help us with our daily needs, including our body needs.  These people were quick to pray and found it necessary to follow all of the instructions God has shown them, that included standing isolation.

Nowadays, we don't have to stand in isolation, however, that does not excuse us from prayer.  Praying is a very humbling thing.  Although once you realize that it is not a chore, but rather a simple way of communication no different, and even better than todays technology.  You will learn to appreciate the humbling act of prayer.  The Israelites were not perfect and we sure aren't either.  We need God and we need prayer!

Hope my thoughts made sense and were helpful to you.

March 2

Today is accountability day. Send me an email with your status.

The bulk of the verses come from Leviticus 18 and 20

Sexual Boundaries

Leviticus 18:24 Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.

Things have changed a lot in my lifetime. In my high school days the TV regulators did not allow you to show the belly button of “I Dream of Jeannie.” The revealing of a women’s belly button was considered indecent. Over the next 40 years all of the sexual boundary fences have been knocked down and labeled as out of date. It is now impossible to even make people blush anymore. We have labeled ourselves free, but I wonder if what we have today is bondage? Is it possible for us to remain faithful to one person for a lifetime?
God is very precise on the sexual boundaries. He does not hesitate or mince words on the topic. He is so precise that our reading today ends with God’s clear command not to cross dress. How about that for a current topic?
Now why is God so down on our sexual freedom in the year 2009? It is because he loves us. God’s plan is for one man and one woman to be committed to each other and enjoy a lifetime of sexuality within the boundaries. He is not down on sex, he invented it!!! He just wants to protect it.
There couldn’t be more of a contrast between God’s view of sex and the worlds. The world says it is just an act… just like drinking water... God says it is a covenant. From God’s perspective sex must be connected to a promise. Without the promise it is just lust. With the promise it is love. One is for a night the other is for a lifetime.
Inside all of us we are longing for a lifetime of love. When we follow God’s boundaries we will discover it.

Lord, protect all of us from the lies of the world. We trust in your wisdom and your plan.

March 1

Today's passages cover a number of laws that involve property, contracts, and inheritance. Since these laws cover a broad swath of civil life, I would like to focus on the overriding principles that God sets forth through these laws. It is clear that God places a high premium on our stewardship.

In the first subsection, we read the principle of making restitution for wrongs: "When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the LORD, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged." We are to honor others' property: All property ulimately comes from the LORD; we are merely short-term stewards thereof. Cf. Psalm 50:10: "for every animal of the forest is mine,/ and the cattle on a thousand hills." This stewardship extends to protecting others from the dangerous wiles of our livestock and our homes; we are to consider others' interests first.

God also desires protection and compassion for the poor and the enslaved. God proclaims freedom for indentured servants (at their discretion) after seven years (the number seven points to a completeness). God desires that lenders not take advantage of the poor, saying: "If you lend money to one of my people among you is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate." In addition, blessing the poor will prove a source, in itself, of blessing for the Isralites: "Give generously to him [the poor man] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land." A society that oppresses its poor does not honor God's will.

In all these laws, God calls His people to see and appreciate the value in others and in their possessions. We have the bases here for modern contract law, which is the very support for all private-sector economic activity. While all these laws are quite commonsense, and their benefits are largely straightforward, we can sense how challenging it is to honor God in our own strength. As Paul writes, the law ultimately draws us to God, as we recognize our inability to keep it: "7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'Do not covet.' But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead." (Romans 7:7,8)

Furthermore, the law points our need for redemption and forgiveness: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:19-24)


QUESTIONS

1. Are there elements of God's will for your life, including prescriptions from His Word, that you are taking too lightly?

2. How can you better honor the value of other people in your life? How can you specifically celebrate one other person tomorrow? (Some thoughts: Give them a call; make them an e-card; or shovel their driveway.)