The Development of Faith
During the terrible days of the World War II Blitz, a father in London was holding his small son by the hand as they ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard, was a shell hole from a previous bomb. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, "I can't see you!"
The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son, "But I can see you, jump!" The boy jumped, because he trusted his father. The Christian faith enables us to face life, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but we know who does have the answers.
We live in Connecticut during a period of time when faith is seen as weakness. Faith is scorned and even ridiculed these days. Yet I say everyone lives by some sort of faith. The scientist has faith in the lightning striking primordial goop and forming the 4 billion bits of information in the simple cell. The agnostic looks at the 5000 different processes in the human body and says, “coincidence.” But we are the people of faith. And in our reading today, we see four truths about faith.
1. Faith doesn’t make us immune from the difficulties of life. The Philistine warrior Goliath was nearly 10 feet tall. That makes our elder Jim Rumsey look like a dwarf. The difficulties of life make us strong. If you were to go back and examine the times your faith grew the most, it would be during the times of greatest difficulty. The truth is that in the darkness of our classroom we learn the most. Life is like a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up depends on the stuff of which he is made. Charles Haddon Spurgeon the great preacher said, “The Lord gets His best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction." We are all faced with brilliant opportunities that are hidden as unsolvable problems. We need to develop the faith perspective whenever we face these difficulties.
2. Faith endures even when ridiculed. How many times did people try to talk David out of his plan or try to alter it? By my count, there were three attempts. To follow the path of faith means that at times, we will have to walk alone. The faith pathway is rarely walked by the crowd. You plus God, is a majority.
3. Faith is developed not inherited. David wasn’t instantly zapped with faith, his faith was grown. There were small steps of faith before he was asked to take a big one. Faith doesn't exempt us from preparation. David's skill with a sling was developed over many hours practicing out on the hillside. David had two pre‑season games, one was against the Lions the other against the Bears. We won’t jump into the big arena if we are fearful of trusting God in small ones.
4. Finally, faith must rest in the proper place. The object of David’s faith was the Lord. The philosophy of “fideism” is having faith in faith. David had faith in his own skills and abilities, but he ultimately had overwhelming faith in the God who would win the victory. From King Saul’s perspective, Goliath was too big to hit. From David’s perspective, Goliath was too big to miss. So how do we balance confidence in ourselves and faith in God? There are two extremes, one sits around and waits for God to fight their battles. The other goes out and wins the battle in human strength. How do we balance this? The answer is in the reason David fought. David was ultimately concerned about the reputation of God. When we fight for God’s name and not our name, then we have the proper resting place for our faith.
Go out and grow your faith today.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
March 30
Judges 14:46-15:35
Saul is rejected as king.
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
Saul had some qualities that made him a good king. In the first part of today's reading, we learn that Saul had successfully defeated many of Israel's enemies. He recruited many brave, strong fighters and battled Moab, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, and the Philistines.
Although Saul was successful in defending his people against those that once terrorized them, he made major mistakes that ended up costing him the throne. Saul's number one error was not taking God's commands seriously. In chapter 15, the Lord gave Saul specific instructions on dealing with the Amalekites. They were to be punished for their cruel treatment of Israel. God ordered Saul to leave no one alive, not even the animals. Unfortunately, Saul thought his ways were better than God's. He left the Amalekite king alive and he spared the best of the cattle and sheep. When Samuel confronted him with his disobedience, Saul claimed that he followed God's orders exactly. He tried to justify his actions by saying he left the animals alive in order to sacrifice them to God. But God was not pleased at all with Saul's gesture. God prefers obedience over sacrifice because it shows that the person's heart belongs to Him. (In the same way, God was displeased with Cain's sacrifices in Genesis because his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord.)
God doesn't want us to simply go through the motions and He certainly doesn't want us making up our own rules and guidelines. In John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Show God you love Him by following Him with your whole heart!
Saul is rejected as king.
"Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king." (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
Saul had some qualities that made him a good king. In the first part of today's reading, we learn that Saul had successfully defeated many of Israel's enemies. He recruited many brave, strong fighters and battled Moab, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, and the Philistines.
Although Saul was successful in defending his people against those that once terrorized them, he made major mistakes that ended up costing him the throne. Saul's number one error was not taking God's commands seriously. In chapter 15, the Lord gave Saul specific instructions on dealing with the Amalekites. They were to be punished for their cruel treatment of Israel. God ordered Saul to leave no one alive, not even the animals. Unfortunately, Saul thought his ways were better than God's. He left the Amalekite king alive and he spared the best of the cattle and sheep. When Samuel confronted him with his disobedience, Saul claimed that he followed God's orders exactly. He tried to justify his actions by saying he left the animals alive in order to sacrifice them to God. But God was not pleased at all with Saul's gesture. God prefers obedience over sacrifice because it shows that the person's heart belongs to Him. (In the same way, God was displeased with Cain's sacrifices in Genesis because his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord.)
God doesn't want us to simply go through the motions and He certainly doesn't want us making up our own rules and guidelines. In John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." Show God you love Him by following Him with your whole heart!
Monday, March 29, 2010
March 29: 1 Samuel 13 - 14:45
Today we read how Saul and his son Jonathan took different approaches to battle. Saul planned his attack, started executing his plan and when his plan started falling apart he turned to God for help. Jonathan on the other hand, looked for God’s favor and will first and then went to battle, even with a far lesser scale of a plan and much less resources. Together with his faithful armor-bearer, Jonathan approached the enemies looking for a sign from God if two of them should go to battle alone. And when God revealed His direction to them to do so, Jonathan and armor-bearer obeyed and attacked: two against an army as numerous as the sand.
God did a miracle through their faith and obedience. They were only two men and though they did manage to overcome many soldiers, God completed the rest of the battle on their behalf (just as Jonathan had faith that God would.) God defeated the enemy camp by spreading confusion among its soldiers and the battle was won.
So in our life are we more like Saul here or Jonathan? Do we first go headstrong into making life's decisions (especially when we have a lot of knowledge and resources) and pray to God to help us only when things go wrong? Or do we first pray to God to reveal His will and guidance in everything and then follow? I know I’m way more of a Saul in this respect! But again, God is challenging us to live differently: to seek His Will first and obey. And His promise, as always, is too generous and too beautiful, His power too mighty:
“Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." (1 Samuel 14:6)
God did a miracle through their faith and obedience. They were only two men and though they did manage to overcome many soldiers, God completed the rest of the battle on their behalf (just as Jonathan had faith that God would.) God defeated the enemy camp by spreading confusion among its soldiers and the battle was won.
So in our life are we more like Saul here or Jonathan? Do we first go headstrong into making life's decisions (especially when we have a lot of knowledge and resources) and pray to God to help us only when things go wrong? Or do we first pray to God to reveal His will and guidance in everything and then follow? I know I’m way more of a Saul in this respect! But again, God is challenging us to live differently: to seek His Will first and obey. And His promise, as always, is too generous and too beautiful, His power too mighty:
“Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." (1 Samuel 14:6)
Sunday, March 28, 2010
March 28: 1 Samuel 8-12
Today, we read about the passage of leadership from Samuel, the prophet and the last in the series of Israel's judges, to the first king, Saul. Interestingly, God delivers on the people's desires, even though these desires represent a perversion of the original intent: that God would be the true and lasting King for Israel. Despite their disobedience and future pain, the Lord reconfirms His covenant with the people and His ongoing oversight of Israel and its kings.
1) The parallels between kingship and idolatry (sin). Samuel offers the people a clear and fair warning of the negative consequences of anointing a king in 1 Samuel 8:10-18:
"Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.'"
The most intriguing parallel lies in that assertion that "you yourselves will become his slaves." As Bob Dylan sagely noted, "gonna have to serve somebody"; ultimately, we will serve ourselves, the flesh, the world's system, or the Lord (and others for His benefit). Each day and each moment, we have this choice. Most temptation thus revolves around a perversion of the "good" in order to steal us away from the "best." In the decision of choosing a ruler, Israel's kings would provide a measure of stability and protection that the nation had lacked since Joshua's death. Yet, they were neglecting the "best" kingship, that of God Himself.
In the same way, idolatry or sin often comes to life in response to a desire for what is below God. These temptations may take root when we are not seeking and finding satisfaction in God's presence alone. James 1:13-15 tells us: "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Our sinful nature draws us away from finding full satisfaction in God alone and into becoming a slave to sin. This picture is perhaps best illustrated through considering the pattern of addiction. At first, a user of a drug might find relief in the drug or an escape from their circumstances. Over time, however, the drug comes to have a power over the person, drawing them away from relationships and making them a slave to their cravings. Without intervention, the drug will ruin the person.
Sin acts like a drug, intially offering excitement or comfort, but ultimately making us a slave. Praise be to God that Jesus's intervention and sacrifice of Himself on the cross has given us a means of breaking this cycle of slavery and addiction to sin. Romans 6:11-14 prescribes the attitude of the freed Christ-follower: "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
2) The renewal of the covenant. While God had enumerated the shortcomings of the Israelites' desires for an earthly king, He still comes to the aid of the people through Saul. "God changed Saul's heart," and he sets the Holy Spirit upon Saul in order to give him strong leadership ability during the siege of Jabesh Gilead. The Lord will indeed intervene through Israel's kings. In Samuel's farewell address, we hear many of the same exhortations that the Israelites had received from Moses and Joshua. The people recognize their sinfulness, including their asking for a king, yet the Lord offers a gracious path forward: "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." It will be up to the people whether they will choose death or life.
QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever found anything that enslaved you? Why? How did it impact your decisionmaking?
2. How can you choose life today? What does it mean for you?
1) The parallels between kingship and idolatry (sin). Samuel offers the people a clear and fair warning of the negative consequences of anointing a king in 1 Samuel 8:10-18:
"Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day.'"
The most intriguing parallel lies in that assertion that "you yourselves will become his slaves." As Bob Dylan sagely noted, "gonna have to serve somebody"; ultimately, we will serve ourselves, the flesh, the world's system, or the Lord (and others for His benefit). Each day and each moment, we have this choice. Most temptation thus revolves around a perversion of the "good" in order to steal us away from the "best." In the decision of choosing a ruler, Israel's kings would provide a measure of stability and protection that the nation had lacked since Joshua's death. Yet, they were neglecting the "best" kingship, that of God Himself.
In the same way, idolatry or sin often comes to life in response to a desire for what is below God. These temptations may take root when we are not seeking and finding satisfaction in God's presence alone. James 1:13-15 tells us: "When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."
Our sinful nature draws us away from finding full satisfaction in God alone and into becoming a slave to sin. This picture is perhaps best illustrated through considering the pattern of addiction. At first, a user of a drug might find relief in the drug or an escape from their circumstances. Over time, however, the drug comes to have a power over the person, drawing them away from relationships and making them a slave to their cravings. Without intervention, the drug will ruin the person.
Sin acts like a drug, intially offering excitement or comfort, but ultimately making us a slave. Praise be to God that Jesus's intervention and sacrifice of Himself on the cross has given us a means of breaking this cycle of slavery and addiction to sin. Romans 6:11-14 prescribes the attitude of the freed Christ-follower: "In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."
2) The renewal of the covenant. While God had enumerated the shortcomings of the Israelites' desires for an earthly king, He still comes to the aid of the people through Saul. "God changed Saul's heart," and he sets the Holy Spirit upon Saul in order to give him strong leadership ability during the siege of Jabesh Gilead. The Lord will indeed intervene through Israel's kings. In Samuel's farewell address, we hear many of the same exhortations that the Israelites had received from Moses and Joshua. The people recognize their sinfulness, including their asking for a king, yet the Lord offers a gracious path forward: "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will be swept away." It will be up to the people whether they will choose death or life.
QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever found anything that enslaved you? Why? How did it impact your decisionmaking?
2. How can you choose life today? What does it mean for you?
Saturday, March 27, 2010
March 27
One of my favorite movies of all time is "Field Of Dreams." It is the story of Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer who in the middle of his corn field hears a voice speaking to him. The voice says, "If you build it, he will come." The conflict in the movie is how Ray will respond to the voice. Will he obey the voice and take the risk of financial collapse, or will he play it safe and raise corn.
This is not a Christian movie but the parallels are obvious. We are people who have heard a voice from another world. It is a voice from beyond the physical, material, and financially focused world. Not everyone has heard the voice. But we have heard the voice, now what will we do?
94% of Americans believe in God. But does this God still speak? If he does, has he spoken to them? If he has spoken to them, have they obeyed the voice? These are the critical questions that we must each answer.
Samuel was one of the mightiest men of God. It is no coincidence his first assignment from God necessitated that he learns how to hear God's voice. Samuel’s ability to hear the voice was his most important priority.
There are lots of voices speaking to us in 2010. Every day we hear the voices of President Obama or our government officials, we hear the voices of media people. friends, counselors, bosses, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, spouses, children. But is there any more important voice than God’s?
A few observations on the voice of God:
1. It is a real voice that speaks in our language. Not every one hears the voice audibly, but we certainly hear his whisper in our hearts and our conscience.
2. It is a friendly voice. It will not ask you to violate anything in his written Word.
3. His voice is a quiet whisper. We must be silent to hear it. When was the last time you sat quietly for an hour?
4. His voice is blocked by sin.
5. His voice speaks to young people.
6. His voice speaks truth.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to listen. The times I live in are noisy, and my ears are weary with the 1000 raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to you, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Let me hear you speaking to my heart. Let me get used to the sound of your voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of your speaking voice.
This is not a Christian movie but the parallels are obvious. We are people who have heard a voice from another world. It is a voice from beyond the physical, material, and financially focused world. Not everyone has heard the voice. But we have heard the voice, now what will we do?
94% of Americans believe in God. But does this God still speak? If he does, has he spoken to them? If he has spoken to them, have they obeyed the voice? These are the critical questions that we must each answer.
Samuel was one of the mightiest men of God. It is no coincidence his first assignment from God necessitated that he learns how to hear God's voice. Samuel’s ability to hear the voice was his most important priority.
There are lots of voices speaking to us in 2010. Every day we hear the voices of President Obama or our government officials, we hear the voices of media people. friends, counselors, bosses, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, spouses, children. But is there any more important voice than God’s?
A few observations on the voice of God:
1. It is a real voice that speaks in our language. Not every one hears the voice audibly, but we certainly hear his whisper in our hearts and our conscience.
2. It is a friendly voice. It will not ask you to violate anything in his written Word.
3. His voice is a quiet whisper. We must be silent to hear it. When was the last time you sat quietly for an hour?
4. His voice is blocked by sin.
5. His voice speaks to young people.
6. His voice speaks truth.
Prayer: Lord, teach me to listen. The times I live in are noisy, and my ears are weary with the 1000 raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to you, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Let me hear you speaking to my heart. Let me get used to the sound of your voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of your speaking voice.
Friday, March 26, 2010
March 26
Today is accountability day. I would love to hear from you.
In April of 2001, in the midst of the Israeli – Arab conflict, a motorcade carrying the Security Service Chief of Gaza came under bullet fire from Israeli troops. The frightened security official called Yasser Arafat from his car for help. Arafat, in turn, called the US Ambassador, who then called the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Powell then phoned Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, who ordered the shooting to stop immediately. And it did. The Security Chief’s connections eventually saved his life.
In a similar way, Christians have a divine connection to the ultimate power of the universe that can make a world of difference in any situation. The connection is called PRAYER!
One of the greatest weaknesses I have in my life is that I really believe that I will impact my world with my own hard work, power, resources and creativity. I regularly substitute a flurry of activity for the discipline of prayer. The truth is, without prayer, every dream I have will ultimately fail.
Here are 4 principles for empowering prayer to transform your world born out of the story of Hannah.
1. Empowering prayer is always preceded by deep wounds. Hannah lived with the daily wounds of barrenness and verbal abuse.
2. Empowering prayer is born out of desperation. When there is no plan “B” in life, when we’ve exhausted all alternatives, that is a great time to pray. I have found myself in this position many times, and there is no better time to pray than when the lights are turned out in the classroom.
3. Empowering prayer always touches the deepest parts of our heart. Hannah was in touch with the deepest parts of her heart. Out of that pain she prayed. Don’t hide your pain; use that pain as the fuel to drive you closer to God.
4. Empowering prayer opens the way for God to work. Hannah saw the Lord miraculously answer her prayer with the birth of Samuel. The real lesson of Hannah's life and this chapter is that when we work we work, but when we pray, God works. We still serve a God who acts in history. A God, who heals, does miracles, renews the weary, gives hope to the hopeless, changed rebels into saints. The god that we have created in the US is much too small. Only Lilliputian minds and hearts could have diminished God to the infinitesimal size he is today. It's time to again see God for who he really is.
A prayerlessness Christian is like a bus driver trying alone to push his bus out of a rut because he doesn't know Clark Kent is sitting in the front seat.
In April of 2001, in the midst of the Israeli – Arab conflict, a motorcade carrying the Security Service Chief of Gaza came under bullet fire from Israeli troops. The frightened security official called Yasser Arafat from his car for help. Arafat, in turn, called the US Ambassador, who then called the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Powell then phoned Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, who ordered the shooting to stop immediately. And it did. The Security Chief’s connections eventually saved his life.
In a similar way, Christians have a divine connection to the ultimate power of the universe that can make a world of difference in any situation. The connection is called PRAYER!
One of the greatest weaknesses I have in my life is that I really believe that I will impact my world with my own hard work, power, resources and creativity. I regularly substitute a flurry of activity for the discipline of prayer. The truth is, without prayer, every dream I have will ultimately fail.
Here are 4 principles for empowering prayer to transform your world born out of the story of Hannah.
1. Empowering prayer is always preceded by deep wounds. Hannah lived with the daily wounds of barrenness and verbal abuse.
2. Empowering prayer is born out of desperation. When there is no plan “B” in life, when we’ve exhausted all alternatives, that is a great time to pray. I have found myself in this position many times, and there is no better time to pray than when the lights are turned out in the classroom.
3. Empowering prayer always touches the deepest parts of our heart. Hannah was in touch with the deepest parts of her heart. Out of that pain she prayed. Don’t hide your pain; use that pain as the fuel to drive you closer to God.
4. Empowering prayer opens the way for God to work. Hannah saw the Lord miraculously answer her prayer with the birth of Samuel. The real lesson of Hannah's life and this chapter is that when we work we work, but when we pray, God works. We still serve a God who acts in history. A God, who heals, does miracles, renews the weary, gives hope to the hopeless, changed rebels into saints. The god that we have created in the US is much too small. Only Lilliputian minds and hearts could have diminished God to the infinitesimal size he is today. It's time to again see God for who he really is.
A prayerlessness Christian is like a bus driver trying alone to push his bus out of a rut because he doesn't know Clark Kent is sitting in the front seat.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
March 25
Nightmare in the Book of Judges
"Nightmare on Elm Street" is a horror movie about a serial killer named Freddy. I have never seen the movie nor do I intend to in the future but I am aware of some pop culture. This 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 are staggering even to “slasher” fans. 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.
Dostoevsky realized this in his novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” He has Ivan say, "If God does not exist, everything is permitted"
We in the USA in 2010 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 turns 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 the proud host city for the Jerry Springer show. 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.
"Nightmare on Elm Street" is a horror movie about a serial killer named Freddy. I have never seen the movie nor do I intend to in the future but I am aware of some pop culture. This 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 are staggering even to “slasher” fans. 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.
Dostoevsky realized this in his novel “The Brothers Karamazov.” He has Ivan say, "If God does not exist, everything is permitted"
We in the USA in 2010 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 turns 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 the proud host city for the Jerry Springer show. 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.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
March 24
Judges 17:13 And Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest."
There are three types of people in our world.
-Non-religious people... those who do not know or love God.
-Religious people... those who follow a set of rules so they feel good. They obey to get love.
-Lovers of God... those who have a personal love relationship with God. They love God, then obey him.
Micah was a religious person. He was living by a set of moral rules and superstitions he invented himself. His feeling was, if I can just do the right things then I will make God happy and he will love me. In this case it is entirely delusional thinking. Micah builds himself a shrine, puts forbidden idols in it and then hires a homeless priest to preside over it, all of this to earn God’s love and his favor. His entire plan is flawed from the start. All of these actions were clearly prohibited by God. In the end Micah is worshiping himself and his view of God. Religious people are the most difficult people to reach with the truth, because they experience a false comfort from their religious activity.
The greatest danger to the American church today is that we are religious. We obey God to earn his love. We believe if we just jump through these certain religious activities God will be good to us.
Here are 9 questions to test if you have fallen into the Micah syndrome:
1. Did you read today’s passage because you love God, or because of the Friday accountability?
2. If you didn’t read one day, do you expect that God is going to put you into a traffic jam or give you a runny nose?
3. Do you live by faith in the promises of God, or do you live by a code of religious conduct?
5. Why do you obey God? To earn God’s love or because of God’s love.
6. Do you obey to get things from God, or to get God?
7. Do you think of yourself as a good person, or do you get your identity from what God thinks of you?
8. Do your prayers have a lot of “give me’s?”
9. When circumstances go wrong do you think you are being punished for your sin?
Is it possible you have put more trust in your religious activity than in God himself? Don’t repeat the folly of Micah.
There are three types of people in our world.
-Non-religious people... those who do not know or love God.
-Religious people... those who follow a set of rules so they feel good. They obey to get love.
-Lovers of God... those who have a personal love relationship with God. They love God, then obey him.
Micah was a religious person. He was living by a set of moral rules and superstitions he invented himself. His feeling was, if I can just do the right things then I will make God happy and he will love me. In this case it is entirely delusional thinking. Micah builds himself a shrine, puts forbidden idols in it and then hires a homeless priest to preside over it, all of this to earn God’s love and his favor. His entire plan is flawed from the start. All of these actions were clearly prohibited by God. In the end Micah is worshiping himself and his view of God. Religious people are the most difficult people to reach with the truth, because they experience a false comfort from their religious activity.
The greatest danger to the American church today is that we are religious. We obey God to earn his love. We believe if we just jump through these certain religious activities God will be good to us.
Here are 9 questions to test if you have fallen into the Micah syndrome:
1. Did you read today’s passage because you love God, or because of the Friday accountability?
2. If you didn’t read one day, do you expect that God is going to put you into a traffic jam or give you a runny nose?
3. Do you live by faith in the promises of God, or do you live by a code of religious conduct?
5. Why do you obey God? To earn God’s love or because of God’s love.
6. Do you obey to get things from God, or to get God?
7. Do you think of yourself as a good person, or do you get your identity from what God thinks of you?
8. Do your prayers have a lot of “give me’s?”
9. When circumstances go wrong do you think you are being punished for your sin?
Is it possible you have put more trust in your religious activity than in God himself? Don’t repeat the folly of Micah.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
March 23
Judges 13-16
Samson the Strong Man
I remember going to Sunday school when I was a child and learning about famous people from the Bible (Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, Moses parting the Red Sea, etc.). I clearly remember learning about Samson and Delilah. God blessed Samson with superhuman strength, he demonstrates his strength against his enemies, he tells his secret to Delilah, she betrays him, he is imprisoned, God gives him strength on last time to defeat the Philistines, dying along with them.
This is a very well known story that took place a long time ago. There are some important things we can learn that still are relevant to our lives today:
1) God is faithful even when we are not.
2) God uses flawed, sinful people to carry out His purposes, ultimately giving Him glory.
3) God will forgive us, no matter how much we have sinned.
4) We need to be careful who we are influenced by and who we spend our time with.
Samson achieved amazing things that most of us could only dream about, but he could have done nothing without God giving him the strength. Despite his flaws and sins, God blessed him and used him in His plan for Israel. Because of his carelessness he lost his strength for a time, but God never left or gave up on Samson. He was with him until the end.
Samson the Strong Man
I remember going to Sunday school when I was a child and learning about famous people from the Bible (Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, Moses parting the Red Sea, etc.). I clearly remember learning about Samson and Delilah. God blessed Samson with superhuman strength, he demonstrates his strength against his enemies, he tells his secret to Delilah, she betrays him, he is imprisoned, God gives him strength on last time to defeat the Philistines, dying along with them.
This is a very well known story that took place a long time ago. There are some important things we can learn that still are relevant to our lives today:
1) God is faithful even when we are not.
2) God uses flawed, sinful people to carry out His purposes, ultimately giving Him glory.
3) God will forgive us, no matter how much we have sinned.
4) We need to be careful who we are influenced by and who we spend our time with.
Samson achieved amazing things that most of us could only dream about, but he could have done nothing without God giving him the strength. Despite his flaws and sins, God blessed him and used him in His plan for Israel. Because of his carelessness he lost his strength for a time, but God never left or gave up on Samson. He was with him until the end.
Monday, March 22, 2010
(From Galya) Ruth
The story of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz is beautiful. Naomi, who temporarily had lost security in life, was loving and kind to her daughters-in-law. Ruth had developed a heart for the Lord and had faith to stay with Naomi and go in a foreign land: to serve the God of Israel. Ruth had a noble character. Finally, Boaz was compassionate to Ruth, a foreigner woman, just as God had told the Israelites to do.
At the end all three of them are blessed for their faith. Naomi gets a family to take care of her in her old age. Ruth gets a gracious husband, and Boaz gets a wife of a noble character. Aside from the current troubles the nation of Israel is in, it's great to see how God lovingly works in the life of each person and especially how He reveals His faithfulness to those who persevere in their faith.
There is a great song the lyrics of which are based on the story of Naomi and Ruth. It focuses on the moment when one woman kisses her mother-in-law then leaves her, but the other woman stays with her mother-in-law, in faith. We make the same type of choice every time we might feel that we are standing at a crossroad in our faith: to leave or stay and believe.
a kiss
a kiss is a clue to the heart
a window that lets light impart
or hides you away in the dark
the dark can consume and it will
your will an enemy still
and it will be forever until
you kiss and tell
me what you’re thinking
kiss and tell me what you believe
are you brave enough
have faith enough to stay...
truth
truth is the one thing we trust
worthy of all that we must
give up to gain to matter what
what if the road’s not paved with ease
what if storms are all you see
will you kiss and leave
or stay and still believe
don’t trade your inheritance
for a moments worth of pleasure
it only adds to emptiness
a world of worthless treasure
(sang by Crystal Lewis)
At the end all three of them are blessed for their faith. Naomi gets a family to take care of her in her old age. Ruth gets a gracious husband, and Boaz gets a wife of a noble character. Aside from the current troubles the nation of Israel is in, it's great to see how God lovingly works in the life of each person and especially how He reveals His faithfulness to those who persevere in their faith.
There is a great song the lyrics of which are based on the story of Naomi and Ruth. It focuses on the moment when one woman kisses her mother-in-law then leaves her, but the other woman stays with her mother-in-law, in faith. We make the same type of choice every time we might feel that we are standing at a crossroad in our faith: to leave or stay and believe.
a kiss
a kiss is a clue to the heart
a window that lets light impart
or hides you away in the dark
the dark can consume and it will
your will an enemy still
and it will be forever until
you kiss and tell
me what you’re thinking
kiss and tell me what you believe
are you brave enough
have faith enough to stay...
truth
truth is the one thing we trust
worthy of all that we must
give up to gain to matter what
what if the road’s not paved with ease
what if storms are all you see
will you kiss and leave
or stay and still believe
don’t trade your inheritance
for a moments worth of pleasure
it only adds to emptiness
a world of worthless treasure
(sang by Crystal Lewis)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
March 21: Judges 10 to 12
Today's passage continues the story of Israel's judges and focuses primarily on the figure of Jephthah. There are 12 judges mentioned in the book, covering a period of 400 years. In the history of Israel under the judges, we can trace our own spiritual histories: we seek the Lord earnestly during times of trial but neglect Him when skies are blue. Only the coming of further trouble would draw the people back to the Lord. Judges 21:25 tells us: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." God deserved the rightful place as Israel's king, but the people pushed Him aside.
In Chapter 10, we read that the Israelites sought the Lord only out of desperation, having witnessed the Ammonites' approach from across the Jordan. God noted, however, that the Israelites had "forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" Yet, Israel repents, drawing God's compassion for their "misery."
Then, Jephthah arrives on the scene. His brothers had cast out this "might warrior" because "you are the son of another woman." There is an interesting tie between Israel's desperation choice of following God and the people's choice of Jephthah as their commander. His previous betrayal made him cautious in accepting the leadership assignment before receiving their assurances that he would indeed have their support.
Jephthah receives a special anointing, saved for only a few characters in the Old Testament: "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah." God had anointed Jephthah for his service, bestowing wisdom and insight upon him in order to serve the Israelites. Yet, in the same paragraph, Jephthah then seeks to abuse God's blessing through a foolish vow: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."
God does deliver on His end of the vow, and Jephthah faces disappointment when his daughter comes to greet him after the great victory. Jephthah upheld his word, despite the cost.
We do have a puzzling question about the nature of the sacrifice. Did Jephthah offer his daughter as a human sacrifice? Four times in the Scriptures, we read that God disallows human sacrifice, and Jephthah must have had familiarity with the Law. The priests would not have authorized such a sacrifice, and such a blunder would have disqualified him from placement in Hebrews 11's "Hall of Faith."
Instead, Jephthah had vowed or committed his daughter to a life of dedication to the Lord's service. Her two-month wandering allowed her to mourn her inability to marry and bear children, not to mourn her upcoming death. Jephthah's family line would die out with her. The note in Judges 11:39 about her "virgin" status would not make sense in light of a full sacrifice.
Jephthah acted 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.
QUESTIONS
1. How can you seek the Lord in all seasons, even when the skies are blue?
2. Have you committed to the Lord in something and not yet completed it? How can you take steps towards this goal?
In Chapter 10, we read that the Israelites sought the Lord only out of desperation, having witnessed the Ammonites' approach from across the Jordan. God noted, however, that the Israelites had "forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!" Yet, Israel repents, drawing God's compassion for their "misery."
Then, Jephthah arrives on the scene. His brothers had cast out this "might warrior" because "you are the son of another woman." There is an interesting tie between Israel's desperation choice of following God and the people's choice of Jephthah as their commander. His previous betrayal made him cautious in accepting the leadership assignment before receiving their assurances that he would indeed have their support.
Jephthah receives a special anointing, saved for only a few characters in the Old Testament: "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah." God had anointed Jephthah for his service, bestowing wisdom and insight upon him in order to serve the Israelites. Yet, in the same paragraph, Jephthah then seeks to abuse God's blessing through a foolish vow: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."
God does deliver on His end of the vow, and Jephthah faces disappointment when his daughter comes to greet him after the great victory. Jephthah upheld his word, despite the cost.
We do have a puzzling question about the nature of the sacrifice. Did Jephthah offer his daughter as a human sacrifice? Four times in the Scriptures, we read that God disallows human sacrifice, and Jephthah must have had familiarity with the Law. The priests would not have authorized such a sacrifice, and such a blunder would have disqualified him from placement in Hebrews 11's "Hall of Faith."
Instead, Jephthah had vowed or committed his daughter to a life of dedication to the Lord's service. Her two-month wandering allowed her to mourn her inability to marry and bear children, not to mourn her upcoming death. Jephthah's family line would die out with her. The note in Judges 11:39 about her "virgin" status would not make sense in light of a full sacrifice.
Jephthah acted 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.
QUESTIONS
1. How can you seek the Lord in all seasons, even when the skies are blue?
2. Have you committed to the Lord in something and not yet completed it? How can you take steps towards this goal?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
March 20
Develop your conflict resolution and leadership skills
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, demand our rights…. 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 their 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.
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, demand our rights…. 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 their 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.
Friday, March 19, 2010
March 19
Accountability day .... don’t get distracted by the beautiful weather. Make sure to give God time to speak to you. Once you have, send me an email.
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.”
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.”
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
March 18
Judges 4-5 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” or in 2010 terms a “hockey 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
Judges 2:10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.
What do you fear? One of the greatest fears I have as a father is of being greeted in heaven by the many people I have led to the Lord but failing to find my own children there. When I think about that possibility of that occurring it causes me sleepless nights. Now I know that God in his sovereignty is working everything out, but it is difficult from a human position to contemplate the reality. Over the centuries there have been many famous Christian’s whose children have not followed in their footsteps. D.L. Moody, A.W. Tozar, Charles H Spurgeon were men who faced this issue. This was also true for the first generation after the death of Joshua.
My hope on this beautiful spring day is that there are ways to guard against raising children who are spiritual wash outs. The strategy is not to raise perfect children, but children who. when they are older. will choose to love and serve God.
Here is a picture of the spiritual slide in the generations:
1st Generation. See the miracles and workings of God. They choose to live to please God and not people. They pray, read the word and are concerned with reaching outsiders. They are radically generous and have great joy in their walk with the Lord.
2nd generation. They are carried to church and do not see any radical change in their lives. 75% of them are saved before age 14. They don’t have the personal stories of God working mighty miracles in their lives. They never take a risk with God. They play it safe and live in their comfort zone. This generation places materialism in the place of God.
3rd Generation. They come to church but question WHY? It’s boring; it is hopelessly out of touch. The second generation says, “I know, but come to church anyhow.” The 3rd generation watches their parents and sees the inconsistencies and cry out “hypocrite.” When they come to me for counseling the 2nd generation says, “Didn’t I give you everything?” “I did it all for you.” But the third generation says, “I didn’t want your money, I wanted a parent.”
So what is the plan to move our children back to a first generation experience with God?
As parents we must “burn out” for Jesus. There is no place for lukewarm, comfortable Christianity in this world. When we think of the cross and the commitment Jesus made for us, this gives us the fuel necessary to make the radical commitment. “Yawning Christianity” is extremely dangerous. If you want the next generation to catch the Christian virus, we must be contagious.
I don’t know what this contagious Christianity will look like in your life and your family, but it is the only hope for your children. We can turn the tide, but it will only occur one life at a time.
What do you fear? One of the greatest fears I have as a father is of being greeted in heaven by the many people I have led to the Lord but failing to find my own children there. When I think about that possibility of that occurring it causes me sleepless nights. Now I know that God in his sovereignty is working everything out, but it is difficult from a human position to contemplate the reality. Over the centuries there have been many famous Christian’s whose children have not followed in their footsteps. D.L. Moody, A.W. Tozar, Charles H Spurgeon were men who faced this issue. This was also true for the first generation after the death of Joshua.
My hope on this beautiful spring day is that there are ways to guard against raising children who are spiritual wash outs. The strategy is not to raise perfect children, but children who. when they are older. will choose to love and serve God.
Here is a picture of the spiritual slide in the generations:
1st Generation. See the miracles and workings of God. They choose to live to please God and not people. They pray, read the word and are concerned with reaching outsiders. They are radically generous and have great joy in their walk with the Lord.
2nd generation. They are carried to church and do not see any radical change in their lives. 75% of them are saved before age 14. They don’t have the personal stories of God working mighty miracles in their lives. They never take a risk with God. They play it safe and live in their comfort zone. This generation places materialism in the place of God.
3rd Generation. They come to church but question WHY? It’s boring; it is hopelessly out of touch. The second generation says, “I know, but come to church anyhow.” The 3rd generation watches their parents and sees the inconsistencies and cry out “hypocrite.” When they come to me for counseling the 2nd generation says, “Didn’t I give you everything?” “I did it all for you.” But the third generation says, “I didn’t want your money, I wanted a parent.”
So what is the plan to move our children back to a first generation experience with God?
As parents we must “burn out” for Jesus. There is no place for lukewarm, comfortable Christianity in this world. When we think of the cross and the commitment Jesus made for us, this gives us the fuel necessary to make the radical commitment. “Yawning Christianity” is extremely dangerous. If you want the next generation to catch the Christian virus, we must be contagious.
I don’t know what this contagious Christianity will look like in your life and your family, but it is the only hope for your children. We can turn the tide, but it will only occur one life at a time.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 16
In today's passage, we read about Joshua's and Eleazar's death. This is significant because they were a direct link to the Moses and Aaron. Moses named Joshua as his successor and Aaron appointed his son Eleazar as high priest. Unfortunately this means that the nation of Israel will never be as united under God as they once were. God does not communicate to His people in the same way that He did with Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Eleazar. The Israelites slowly start to drift away from the Lord.
This deviation from God's word and commands starts immediately. The Lord commanded the Israelites to completely conquer the Promised Land, driving out all the other inhabitants. God knew the Israelites would be tempted to follow false gods and teachings. If the Canaanites were not removed or eliminated, the Israelites would end up being curious about their religious practices and then possibly stray from the one true God.
In Judges 1, we learn that many of the tribes failed to drive out all of the Canaanites. The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah, Benjamin, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan did not complete the task of thoroughly conquering the land. In Judges 2:1-5, an angel of the Lord informs the people of their wrongdoings. Since they did not obey God, He would not drive the remaining Canaanites out of the promised land. They would be left there and be a thorn in the side of the Israelites.
It's important to understand that God loves his children and always has their best interest in mind. If they had fully obeyed God, the Israelites would have more fully enjoyed the land given to them. Because of their disobedience, they would not live in the promised land free of obstacles and stumbling blocks. Remember that there are always benefits to obeying God (even if we don't see it right away) and there are always consequences for disobeying Him. He knows what's best for us and loves us all very much.
This deviation from God's word and commands starts immediately. The Lord commanded the Israelites to completely conquer the Promised Land, driving out all the other inhabitants. God knew the Israelites would be tempted to follow false gods and teachings. If the Canaanites were not removed or eliminated, the Israelites would end up being curious about their religious practices and then possibly stray from the one true God.
In Judges 1, we learn that many of the tribes failed to drive out all of the Canaanites. The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah, Benjamin, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan did not complete the task of thoroughly conquering the land. In Judges 2:1-5, an angel of the Lord informs the people of their wrongdoings. Since they did not obey God, He would not drive the remaining Canaanites out of the promised land. They would be left there and be a thorn in the side of the Israelites.
It's important to understand that God loves his children and always has their best interest in mind. If they had fully obeyed God, the Israelites would have more fully enjoyed the land given to them. Because of their disobedience, they would not live in the promised land free of obstacles and stumbling blocks. Remember that there are always benefits to obeying God (even if we don't see it right away) and there are always consequences for disobeying Him. He knows what's best for us and loves us all very much.
Monday, March 15, 2010
March 15: Joshua 22-24
We read today of two monuments that were built: one by the eastern tribes and the other by the western tribes of Israel.
1. After they had helped the other tribes in the conquest, the Gadites, Reubenties and half of the Manasseh tribe were returning to their land east of Jordan. On the way they built an impressive altar. When they heard of it, the rest of Israel assumed that their brothers had rebelled against their LORD. But we saw that the reason was quite the opposite, one that pleased everyone. As a sign for future generations of the tribes west of Jordan, the eastern tribes built the altar:
- as a witness between both sides that the Lord is God
-so that the geographic boundary between them would not become a faith boundary
- to show that these two and a half tribes inherited God's promise as well; that they have a share in Him
- to show that the eastern tribes promise to worship the Lord and will continue to fear Him
- so that they will be ready for future spiritual difficulties of their community (the weakening of the faith of future generations)
2. Later Joshua gave instruction to the rest of the Israel tribes on the west side of the Jordan. He gave:
- a recap of Israel’s history and God's faithfulness throughout: God fulfilled all his good promises
- another warning that there would be consequences if they would turn away from the One who protects them
- a challenge to "fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness"
- a reminder that God is a holy and jealous God and cannot tolerate them loving false gods instead of Him.
The western tribes declared that they themselves are witnesses to their commitment to God. So Joshua put up a large stone to commemorate their promise.
I loved both these stories and the faith Israel displayed at this present time of their history. How confident they sounded in their God! They made it clear that they knew God: their Mighty One, the Lord their God. They made promises of faithfulness to God and wanted a permanent reminder of those commitments.
We see monuments in every city today of things that its citizens should remember, we take pictures of moments in our lives so that we would remember, we give 'Things Remembered' gifts on important occasions, we give each other promise rings. But what do we promise God and how do we remember our promises? Have you ever made any vow to Him? Have you ever said to God: My most faithful friend, I will too be faithful! (Ouch! Have I?!) I think we cannot deny that God, sure, asks things of us. We've all felt the tug on our hearts. Sometimes we do make promises to God but then we break them, again and again. Still, He is patient with us. Look how He fulfilled His oath to Israel to give them the Promised Land despite them betraying His trust in the desert. Even though it's hard for us to promise God all our faithfulness, this is what He asks of us. I know we will shortly see again that Israel were not perfect, but in today's reading we see that they are willingly promising faithfulness.
Is God asking you to promise him something (or is He maybe just asking you that two of you start by simply talking?)
"So be very careful to love your God." (Joshua 23:11)
1. After they had helped the other tribes in the conquest, the Gadites, Reubenties and half of the Manasseh tribe were returning to their land east of Jordan. On the way they built an impressive altar. When they heard of it, the rest of Israel assumed that their brothers had rebelled against their LORD. But we saw that the reason was quite the opposite, one that pleased everyone. As a sign for future generations of the tribes west of Jordan, the eastern tribes built the altar:
- as a witness between both sides that the Lord is God
-so that the geographic boundary between them would not become a faith boundary
- to show that these two and a half tribes inherited God's promise as well; that they have a share in Him
- to show that the eastern tribes promise to worship the Lord and will continue to fear Him
- so that they will be ready for future spiritual difficulties of their community (the weakening of the faith of future generations)
2. Later Joshua gave instruction to the rest of the Israel tribes on the west side of the Jordan. He gave:
- a recap of Israel’s history and God's faithfulness throughout: God fulfilled all his good promises
- another warning that there would be consequences if they would turn away from the One who protects them
- a challenge to "fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness"
- a reminder that God is a holy and jealous God and cannot tolerate them loving false gods instead of Him.
The western tribes declared that they themselves are witnesses to their commitment to God. So Joshua put up a large stone to commemorate their promise.
I loved both these stories and the faith Israel displayed at this present time of their history. How confident they sounded in their God! They made it clear that they knew God: their Mighty One, the Lord their God. They made promises of faithfulness to God and wanted a permanent reminder of those commitments.
We see monuments in every city today of things that its citizens should remember, we take pictures of moments in our lives so that we would remember, we give 'Things Remembered' gifts on important occasions, we give each other promise rings. But what do we promise God and how do we remember our promises? Have you ever made any vow to Him? Have you ever said to God: My most faithful friend, I will too be faithful! (Ouch! Have I?!) I think we cannot deny that God, sure, asks things of us. We've all felt the tug on our hearts. Sometimes we do make promises to God but then we break them, again and again. Still, He is patient with us. Look how He fulfilled His oath to Israel to give them the Promised Land despite them betraying His trust in the desert. Even though it's hard for us to promise God all our faithfulness, this is what He asks of us. I know we will shortly see again that Israel were not perfect, but in today's reading we see that they are willingly promising faithfulness.
Is God asking you to promise him something (or is He maybe just asking you that two of you start by simply talking?)
"So be very careful to love your God." (Joshua 23:11)
Sunday, March 14, 2010
March 14: Joshua 18 to 21
Today's passage continues the surveying and division of the land that had begun in yesterday's verses. We see both the commands and promises that the Lord had given Moses coming to fruition in these verses. Please find several noteworthy details below:
1. Casting lots as a Spirit-led activity. Casting lots, much like drawing straws, serves as a means of identifying an order. Sometimes, we may play rock-paper-scissors to determine whom will make a decision or earn the first place. But what does God's will have to do with such luck? We may find the key ingredient in the phrase "in the presence of the LORD." Joshua did not seek to split the land based on his own biased views; rather, he intended that casting lots would reveal and carry out the Lord's will for the situation. In Acts 1:12-26, the 11 remaining Apostles inquire of the Lord whom they should add to their number in order to return to the complete number of 12 disciples by casting lots.
When you face a difficult set of choices, how do you approach coming to the answer? As we have learned in the Israelites' shortcomings, particularly with the Gibeonites' ruse, we will handle such situations poorly if we do not submit the matter to the Lord in prayer. While the phrase "What would Jesus do?" may be instructive, I encourage you to seek the Lord's will for each matter, asking, "Lord, what would You have me to do? How can I best honor You in this situation?" God will honor such an attitude of humility, and your heart will be full of joy as you carry out His will. This joy will not be a result of constantly pleasant circumstances, but rather because you have submitted your heart to serving God and will find rest in that submission.
2. Upholding the words of Moses in the cities of refuge and the division for the Levites. After dividing the land among the remaining tribes, Joshua and the Israelites honored God's commands to create the cities of refuge and to provide land for the Levites. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you quickly made a promise, only to find its fulfillment to cost something in the end? As Scott has written over previous days, we must be people of our word, even when it hurts. From the text, it appears that the Israelites gave this land willingly, but there must have been remorse in some corners as the just-granted land became part of the Levites' inheritance. Honoring the commands of Moses in this manner is much like tithing: God had always remained the ultimate Grantor of the land or any material blessing; the division thereof should ultimately serve His benefit.
3. Seeing the fulfillment of God's promises. While the Israelites had a part in honoring their commitments, God becomes the focal point of the passage, and His faithfulness is worthy of great praise: "So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." (Joshua 21:43-45) These words brought to mind two other parallels from the New Testament:
a. All God's promises are "yes" in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 1:18-22, we read: "But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not 'Yes' and 'No.' For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me [Paul] and Silas and Timothy, was not 'Yes' and 'No,' but in him it has always been 'Yes.' For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Just as God delivered the Promised Land to the Israelites, He has faithfully provided redemption to those who seek Him through Jesus Christ.
b. God will deliver an even greater (and permanent) Promised Land. Revelation 21:1-7 reads:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'
"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'
"He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.'"
QUESTIONS
1. What promises have you seen God uphold in your life this week?
2. In what ways is God calling you to follow Him more closely?
1. Casting lots as a Spirit-led activity. Casting lots, much like drawing straws, serves as a means of identifying an order. Sometimes, we may play rock-paper-scissors to determine whom will make a decision or earn the first place. But what does God's will have to do with such luck? We may find the key ingredient in the phrase "in the presence of the LORD." Joshua did not seek to split the land based on his own biased views; rather, he intended that casting lots would reveal and carry out the Lord's will for the situation. In Acts 1:12-26, the 11 remaining Apostles inquire of the Lord whom they should add to their number in order to return to the complete number of 12 disciples by casting lots.
When you face a difficult set of choices, how do you approach coming to the answer? As we have learned in the Israelites' shortcomings, particularly with the Gibeonites' ruse, we will handle such situations poorly if we do not submit the matter to the Lord in prayer. While the phrase "What would Jesus do?" may be instructive, I encourage you to seek the Lord's will for each matter, asking, "Lord, what would You have me to do? How can I best honor You in this situation?" God will honor such an attitude of humility, and your heart will be full of joy as you carry out His will. This joy will not be a result of constantly pleasant circumstances, but rather because you have submitted your heart to serving God and will find rest in that submission.
2. Upholding the words of Moses in the cities of refuge and the division for the Levites. After dividing the land among the remaining tribes, Joshua and the Israelites honored God's commands to create the cities of refuge and to provide land for the Levites. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you quickly made a promise, only to find its fulfillment to cost something in the end? As Scott has written over previous days, we must be people of our word, even when it hurts. From the text, it appears that the Israelites gave this land willingly, but there must have been remorse in some corners as the just-granted land became part of the Levites' inheritance. Honoring the commands of Moses in this manner is much like tithing: God had always remained the ultimate Grantor of the land or any material blessing; the division thereof should ultimately serve His benefit.
3. Seeing the fulfillment of God's promises. While the Israelites had a part in honoring their commitments, God becomes the focal point of the passage, and His faithfulness is worthy of great praise: "So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." (Joshua 21:43-45) These words brought to mind two other parallels from the New Testament:
a. All God's promises are "yes" in Christ. In 2 Corinthians 1:18-22, we read: "But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not 'Yes' and 'No.' For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me [Paul] and Silas and Timothy, was not 'Yes' and 'No,' but in him it has always been 'Yes.' For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Just as God delivered the Promised Land to the Israelites, He has faithfully provided redemption to those who seek Him through Jesus Christ.
b. God will deliver an even greater (and permanent) Promised Land. Revelation 21:1-7 reads:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'
"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'
"He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.'"
QUESTIONS
1. What promises have you seen God uphold in your life this week?
2. In what ways is God calling you to follow Him more closely?
Saturday, March 13, 2010
March 13
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.” He must have taken care of his body through exercise and diet. So put down that donut and when you finish reading go out for a walk. Be sure to take an umbrella with you today.
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 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.
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.” He must have taken care of his body through exercise and diet. So put down that donut and when you finish reading go out for a walk. Be sure to take an umbrella with you today.
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 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.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
March 11
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.
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.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
March 10
Joshua 1-5 Thanksgiving Memorials
It is a well known fact that the first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1621 to give thanks for their survival in the New World. In 1789, President George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation to commemorate the first Pilgrim celebration. But, Thomas Jefferson the third president discontinued it, calling Thanksgiving “a kingly practice." For the next decades, Thanksgiving was observed by some individual states but there was no uniformity as to when this occurred. Then, in 1828, Mrs. Sarah Hale the author of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" began campaigning for the restoration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She wrote letters and sought appointments with national leaders from the President on down. Time and time again, she was politely rebuffed, sometimes being told it was impossible or impractical to try to legislate. Finally in 1863, President Lincoln listened seriously to her plea that the North and South lay aside enmities and strife on Thanksgiving Day. He proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as the official "National Thanksgiving Day." This day was finally ratified by the US Congress in 1941.
Mrs. Sarah Hale realized the natural tendency of people to forget the works of God in their lives. In our reading today, God also realized this tendency in people. So, God instituted his own thanksgiving celebration with the crossing of the Jordan River.
The event started with a new president of the L.N.T. (Largest Nomadic Tribe) on the planet. Remember our estimates of 3 to 5 million people. Now they have approached the Jordan River which at flood stage swells to 1/2 mile wide. It is always fast moving since it has a 610 foot drop from Galilee to the Dead Sea. So how is the nation to cross this obstacle? God whips up a miracle, very similar to the Red Sea just a bit smaller in scale, to establish Joshua as his man. But God commands something very unusual in the midst of this miracle. It is the collection of the rocks. 12 stones are to be lifted out of the river. What is interesting is that Joshua also made a pillar of rocks in the middle of the river. There is no record that God had instructed him to do this. This was probably a spontaneous act of worship. Joshua already knew what God's purpose was in having them carry the stones from Jordan, so he simply decided to pile up 12 stones in Jordan as a personal testimony to what God had done for Israel in backing up the waters of the Jordan River. The text tells us that these stones are there to this day. The stones described here were probably visible when the Jordan ran low.
These stones served as a permanent call to give thanks for the mighty works of God. It is so easy for us to lose perspective and to forget to give thanks. We tend to spend most of our time asking God and so little of our time thanking him. Today, remember for a few minutes the great acts of God in your life:
1. Victories the Lord has given you in the past.
2. Situations when God has been especially faithful to you.
3. Obvious answers to prayer.
4. Signs of God’s care for you in the storms of life.
If you need some help, thank him for clean water, food, shelter, freedom, Bibles, his faithfulness.
It is a well known fact that the first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1621 to give thanks for their survival in the New World. In 1789, President George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation to commemorate the first Pilgrim celebration. But, Thomas Jefferson the third president discontinued it, calling Thanksgiving “a kingly practice." For the next decades, Thanksgiving was observed by some individual states but there was no uniformity as to when this occurred. Then, in 1828, Mrs. Sarah Hale the author of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" began campaigning for the restoration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She wrote letters and sought appointments with national leaders from the President on down. Time and time again, she was politely rebuffed, sometimes being told it was impossible or impractical to try to legislate. Finally in 1863, President Lincoln listened seriously to her plea that the North and South lay aside enmities and strife on Thanksgiving Day. He proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as the official "National Thanksgiving Day." This day was finally ratified by the US Congress in 1941.
Mrs. Sarah Hale realized the natural tendency of people to forget the works of God in their lives. In our reading today, God also realized this tendency in people. So, God instituted his own thanksgiving celebration with the crossing of the Jordan River.
The event started with a new president of the L.N.T. (Largest Nomadic Tribe) on the planet. Remember our estimates of 3 to 5 million people. Now they have approached the Jordan River which at flood stage swells to 1/2 mile wide. It is always fast moving since it has a 610 foot drop from Galilee to the Dead Sea. So how is the nation to cross this obstacle? God whips up a miracle, very similar to the Red Sea just a bit smaller in scale, to establish Joshua as his man. But God commands something very unusual in the midst of this miracle. It is the collection of the rocks. 12 stones are to be lifted out of the river. What is interesting is that Joshua also made a pillar of rocks in the middle of the river. There is no record that God had instructed him to do this. This was probably a spontaneous act of worship. Joshua already knew what God's purpose was in having them carry the stones from Jordan, so he simply decided to pile up 12 stones in Jordan as a personal testimony to what God had done for Israel in backing up the waters of the Jordan River. The text tells us that these stones are there to this day. The stones described here were probably visible when the Jordan ran low.
These stones served as a permanent call to give thanks for the mighty works of God. It is so easy for us to lose perspective and to forget to give thanks. We tend to spend most of our time asking God and so little of our time thanking him. Today, remember for a few minutes the great acts of God in your life:
1. Victories the Lord has given you in the past.
2. Situations when God has been especially faithful to you.
3. Obvious answers to prayer.
4. Signs of God’s care for you in the storms of life.
If you need some help, thank him for clean water, food, shelter, freedom, Bibles, his faithfulness.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
March 9
Deuteronomy 33-34
Death of Moses.
In today's reading, Moses climbs Mount Nebo to have one look at the Promised Land before he dies. Looking back on his life, we see that Moses accomplished many great things with God's help. He was blessed early in his life, when his mother hid him from harm. He grew up in luxury, as a part of Pharaoh's household. He was chosen by God to lead His people out of captivity. Through him, God's wonders and miracles were displayed. He was the first to hear and record God's law. He lead the Israelites through the desert for 40 years. Moses certainly had a full life. Even though he was far from perfect, Moses's heart was fully devoted to the Lord.
I think it's safe to say that none of us will accomplish as much as Moses did in our lifetimes. Most of us lead pretty normal, uneventful lives by comparison. But it was not all of his achievements that made him a great man of God. It was his willingness to follow God, even if he was afraid. It was his faithfulness to finish the task God had given him. It was giving his whole life to God. These are the things that stand out to God, not the wondrous deeds and miracles. We can all be great and well-remembered like Moses. All it takes are small things, like giving a stranger a cup of cold water (Matthew 10:42). These are the things that show God our whole hearts belong to Him. Think about how our lives can reflect our devotion to God.
Death of Moses.
In today's reading, Moses climbs Mount Nebo to have one look at the Promised Land before he dies. Looking back on his life, we see that Moses accomplished many great things with God's help. He was blessed early in his life, when his mother hid him from harm. He grew up in luxury, as a part of Pharaoh's household. He was chosen by God to lead His people out of captivity. Through him, God's wonders and miracles were displayed. He was the first to hear and record God's law. He lead the Israelites through the desert for 40 years. Moses certainly had a full life. Even though he was far from perfect, Moses's heart was fully devoted to the Lord.
I think it's safe to say that none of us will accomplish as much as Moses did in our lifetimes. Most of us lead pretty normal, uneventful lives by comparison. But it was not all of his achievements that made him a great man of God. It was his willingness to follow God, even if he was afraid. It was his faithfulness to finish the task God had given him. It was giving his whole life to God. These are the things that stand out to God, not the wondrous deeds and miracles. We can all be great and well-remembered like Moses. All it takes are small things, like giving a stranger a cup of cold water (Matthew 10:42). These are the things that show God our whole hearts belong to Him. Think about how our lives can reflect our devotion to God.
Monday, March 8, 2010
March 8: Deuteronomy 31-32
1. Handover of leadership and encouragement.
The law is recorded, the covenant is renewed and now the leadership role transfers from Moses to Joshua. As the comments in the beginning of the chapter point out however, it was God who was the leader of the Israelites, Moses was just the servant. And Joshua is being called to do the same now. How frightening this must have been for Joshua at a critical moment: before the conquering of the Promised Land. Yet, we see Moses encouraging him and 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." (Deut 31:6)
Some of us might be right now at the eve of a battle or already in the midst of one. But God is simply telling us to be strong and courageous. He is promising us that He will fight for us.
2. Song of Unfaithfulness
Next God gives again warning and reminder to the people of their unfaithfulness (contrasting His faithfulness) but the message is in a different form: God gave them a song. The words that stayed with me are
Describing God:
-He is the Rock, his works are perfect
-A faithful God who does no wrong
-Is he not your Father, your Creator who made you and formed you?
-For the Lord’s portion is his people
Describing the people:
-He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior
-You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth
Imagine if God gave you a song today to sing about your relationship with Him, how would it go? I hope our daily songs are ones of hope and redemption, where we don't forget the Rock that fathered us.
The law is recorded, the covenant is renewed and now the leadership role transfers from Moses to Joshua. As the comments in the beginning of the chapter point out however, it was God who was the leader of the Israelites, Moses was just the servant. And Joshua is being called to do the same now. How frightening this must have been for Joshua at a critical moment: before the conquering of the Promised Land. Yet, we see Moses encouraging him and 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." (Deut 31:6)
Some of us might be right now at the eve of a battle or already in the midst of one. But God is simply telling us to be strong and courageous. He is promising us that He will fight for us.
2. Song of Unfaithfulness
Next God gives again warning and reminder to the people of their unfaithfulness (contrasting His faithfulness) but the message is in a different form: God gave them a song. The words that stayed with me are
Describing God:
-He is the Rock, his works are perfect
-A faithful God who does no wrong
-Is he not your Father, your Creator who made you and formed you?
-For the Lord’s portion is his people
Describing the people:
-He abandoned the God who made him and rejected the Rock his Savior
-You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth
Imagine if God gave you a song today to sing about your relationship with Him, how would it go? I hope our daily songs are ones of hope and redemption, where we don't forget the Rock that fathered us.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
March 7: Renewal of the Covenant
Before the Israelites may enter the Promised Land, God renews His covenant with the people: "The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws, and that you will obey him. And the LORD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured posession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations that he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as promised." (Deuteronomy 26:16-19)
Please note the bi-directionality of the covenant. Not only would the Israelites follow after God, but He had promised His love and His esteeming the Israelites as His "treasured possession." By the covenant, both parties declared value in the other. When we hear "covenant" today, it is often associated with "obligation," but we can see that "love" lay very much in the center of this covenant.
Through the next portion of today's reading, we see how obedience would bring God's blessings, in terms of fruitfulness and prosperity. Like a loving Father, His hand would touch the Israelites if they remained close to Him. Yet, God would bring trouble upon the people if they strayed from the covenant, in the form of plagues, oppression, ruin, captivity, disease, and dispersion. In short, their disobedience would bring about many of the conditions and experiences that they had encountered both in the Egyptian bondage and the desert wanderings.
We might potentially look upon these curses as the outgrowth of fickleness on God's part. But, in reality, God would be fully justified in delivering the curses because the Israelites would have failed to uphold their end of the covenant. Sin would lead to their downfall, both in physical pain and spiritual distance from God. In much the same way, our actions today have consequences. We are fortunate that we may see the negative consequences of our poor decisions so that we will stop and turn away from them, in a process called repentance. Those consequences are much like the pain a child feels upon touching a hot stove; the pain of experience helps to refine our character and incline our hearts toward God.
God highlights that these curses would come upon the Israelites and that this covenant would indicate that the consequences had come because of the Israelites' forsaking the covenant. Echoing the concept of Romans 3:20, the covenant would make the Israelites conscious of boundaries and sin.
Two other characteristics of the covenant are noteworthy:
1) The opportunity of forgiveness at repentance. If the Israelites had fallen from the Lord but returned to Him in humility and "obey him with all your heart and with all your soul," He would "restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.... The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul." God offers renewal for each generation that wishes to follow Him. He is holy but compassionate, ready to receive those whose hearts are beating after His.
2) The balance of life and death. The covenant holds great weight. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 offers a beautiful exhortation. May we choose life:
"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For 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.
"But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
"This 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 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
QUESTIONS
1. How does the covenant show God's faithfulness and concern to you?
2. How can you "choose life" in the decisions on your mind today?
Please note the bi-directionality of the covenant. Not only would the Israelites follow after God, but He had promised His love and His esteeming the Israelites as His "treasured possession." By the covenant, both parties declared value in the other. When we hear "covenant" today, it is often associated with "obligation," but we can see that "love" lay very much in the center of this covenant.
Through the next portion of today's reading, we see how obedience would bring God's blessings, in terms of fruitfulness and prosperity. Like a loving Father, His hand would touch the Israelites if they remained close to Him. Yet, God would bring trouble upon the people if they strayed from the covenant, in the form of plagues, oppression, ruin, captivity, disease, and dispersion. In short, their disobedience would bring about many of the conditions and experiences that they had encountered both in the Egyptian bondage and the desert wanderings.
We might potentially look upon these curses as the outgrowth of fickleness on God's part. But, in reality, God would be fully justified in delivering the curses because the Israelites would have failed to uphold their end of the covenant. Sin would lead to their downfall, both in physical pain and spiritual distance from God. In much the same way, our actions today have consequences. We are fortunate that we may see the negative consequences of our poor decisions so that we will stop and turn away from them, in a process called repentance. Those consequences are much like the pain a child feels upon touching a hot stove; the pain of experience helps to refine our character and incline our hearts toward God.
God highlights that these curses would come upon the Israelites and that this covenant would indicate that the consequences had come because of the Israelites' forsaking the covenant. Echoing the concept of Romans 3:20, the covenant would make the Israelites conscious of boundaries and sin.
Two other characteristics of the covenant are noteworthy:
1) The opportunity of forgiveness at repentance. If the Israelites had fallen from the Lord but returned to Him in humility and "obey him with all your heart and with all your soul," He would "restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.... The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul." God offers renewal for each generation that wishes to follow Him. He is holy but compassionate, ready to receive those whose hearts are beating after His.
2) The balance of life and death. The covenant holds great weight. Deuteronomy 30:15-20 offers a beautiful exhortation. May we choose life:
"See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For 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.
"But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
"This 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 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
QUESTIONS
1. How does the covenant show God's faithfulness and concern to you?
2. How can you "choose life" in the decisions on your mind today?
Saturday, March 6, 2010
March 6
Blessings and Curses
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!!!
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!!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
March 5
Accountability day!!!
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.
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.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
March 4
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 to 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 2010? 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.”
The purpose of us reading through the Bible this year is not to satisfy our intellectual curiosity, the purpose is to change our lives. How about removing some “unclean” stuff from your life today? Today is a great day to throw out some of the dirt in our lives. Ask God for strength and then take steps to become clean.
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 to 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 2010? 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.”
The purpose of us reading through the Bible this year is not to satisfy our intellectual curiosity, the purpose is to change our lives. How about removing some “unclean” stuff from your life today? Today is a great day to throw out some of the dirt in our lives. Ask God for strength and then take steps to become clean.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
March 3
Leviticus 13
Today we reach the famous chapter on mildew!! Most people have no idea this chapter is in the Bible.
I just want you to know that today’s reading has declared me a clean man. Leviticus 13 says “when a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.” There you have it, declared by Moses himself over 3000 years ago.
Today’s reading might be one of the most difficult to get through. I am sure you asked yourself several times, why all this fuss about uncleanness? The answer is, uncleanness and infectious disease must be kept in isolation. The strict quarantines are the only way to stop a contagious disease from spreading. So there’s nothing surprising about sending infected people outside the camp. There must also be the shouting of the words, “Unclean, Unclean.” Everyone must know the danger of this disease. All of these actions are for the protection of the community. The surprise comes when Israel is warned to follow the rules precisely, remembering what God did to Miriam! If you recall when Moses’ sister, Miriam, was critical of Moses’ interracial marriage, God regarded it as an open challenge to Moses’ spiritual leadership. Miriam’s punishment was to be kicked out of the camp for a week with leprosy.
The tie between Miriam’s sin and Miriam’s leprosy is significant. Although there is no automatic connection between disease and sin, in this case the connection was direct, and it raises the parallel between how one deals with an infectious disease and an infectious sin. Had Miriam been left unpunished for attacking Moses’ authority, it could have emboldened others who were already predisposed with a critical spirit. When spiritual infection is in the air, the cure is the same as for the physical infection - isolate the disease. But here’s the caution- not forever!! And never are we to do this unlovingly. It is to be done with the spirit for restoration and healing. It’s not the person we are trying to get rid of, only the disease.
How are you dealing with people who have a sin disease? Are you acting too harshly?
Credits to F. LaGard Smith for his insights into this passage.
Today we reach the famous chapter on mildew!! Most people have no idea this chapter is in the Bible.
I just want you to know that today’s reading has declared me a clean man. Leviticus 13 says “when a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.” There you have it, declared by Moses himself over 3000 years ago.
Today’s reading might be one of the most difficult to get through. I am sure you asked yourself several times, why all this fuss about uncleanness? The answer is, uncleanness and infectious disease must be kept in isolation. The strict quarantines are the only way to stop a contagious disease from spreading. So there’s nothing surprising about sending infected people outside the camp. There must also be the shouting of the words, “Unclean, Unclean.” Everyone must know the danger of this disease. All of these actions are for the protection of the community. The surprise comes when Israel is warned to follow the rules precisely, remembering what God did to Miriam! If you recall when Moses’ sister, Miriam, was critical of Moses’ interracial marriage, God regarded it as an open challenge to Moses’ spiritual leadership. Miriam’s punishment was to be kicked out of the camp for a week with leprosy.
The tie between Miriam’s sin and Miriam’s leprosy is significant. Although there is no automatic connection between disease and sin, in this case the connection was direct, and it raises the parallel between how one deals with an infectious disease and an infectious sin. Had Miriam been left unpunished for attacking Moses’ authority, it could have emboldened others who were already predisposed with a critical spirit. When spiritual infection is in the air, the cure is the same as for the physical infection - isolate the disease. But here’s the caution- not forever!! And never are we to do this unlovingly. It is to be done with the spirit for restoration and healing. It’s not the person we are trying to get rid of, only the disease.
How are you dealing with people who have a sin disease? Are you acting too harshly?
Credits to F. LaGard Smith for his insights into this passage.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
March 2
Marriage, Divorce, and Sexual Relations
Today's reading outlines God's guidelines for marriage, divorce, and sexual relations. One may wonder why does God have all these rules and laws regarding this subject? Why does God care? Is God trying to make us live boring lives?
The reason for all these commands is God wants all areas of our lives to be holy like He is holy. He wants our relationships and marriages to be a reflection of His perfect love. The only way for this to be successful is for God to be the center of all relationships.
I was reminded of a book on marriage call Strangers, Lovers, Friends written by Urban Steinmetz (Travis's grandfather). I wanted to include a chapter from his book because I think he simply and clearly explains why we can never hope to make relationships work without the help of a perfect loving God.
Get Yourself a Loving God (from Strangers, Lovers, Friends)
Even among Christians, the gods that we worship come in all shapes and sizes. Often we mistakenly call these gods God and try to use a phony imitation to build a life on.
Much of our Christian world is engaged in the business of telling us about either god or God. Fathers and mothers are usually the first, and they probably teach us what lives with us the longest. Politicians tell us about god as election day approaches. More than 200 different varieties of preachers preach god, and sometimes God. Church schools beat us, bribe us, coax us, threaten us, and love us with an almighty.
The trouble with all these gods is that their press agents are people. Usually these people are sincere and honest. But many of them have not been loved enough. Instead, many of them have been hurt too often by too many people. So they cannot see Love clearly.
People who have been punished often in their lives tend to teach us about a punishing god. People who are afraid to come close to a loving and friendly God tell us about a dim and distant one who can only be approached on our knees. People who are insecure give us an insecure god, forever in need of praises, glories and hosannas. Church builders give us a church-building god, while those who worry about budgets present us with a god who first responds to dollars given. From people in high places we get gods who approve of high places and tell us that we must reverence the high office and not the person who fills it. Bookkeeping types give us bookkeeping gods who chart and graph our good and bad, while church organizations frequently offer us a god who is really an obedient second lieutenant, cheerfully endorsing and cosigning any orders that the great commanders of those organizations decree.
Our world, too, offers us a whole variety of gods, although our society doesn't call them that. But when we are asked to devote our entire lives to gathering money or power, to our profession, to education, even to the church, or to marriage, then we are being coerced to follow false gods. Our God is a jealous God, and he wants our lives committed first to him.
The incessant din of all these gods beats at our head for 20 years or more, and then we marry. Very shortly we discover that no one could possibly live with and continue to love the strange and complicated human being we all seem to marry without the help of that real God who sees things much more clearly than we do.
Unfortunately, that is also when we discover that we have no dependable and loving and real God at all. Instead, four of us enter nearly every Christian marriage: one man and one woman, but both bringing along their own separate and distinct and highly unlikely gods.
Sometimes a couple divorces these useless gods quite early in the marriage. More often, leftovers of these gods hang on, and are themselves the cause of endless, useless bickering. But sometimes - slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully - God is substituted for these ungodly gods. Then the couple is on its way toward a genuine, mature and beautiful love. Now there are three people in the union totally committed to the same business - the business of creating love. And one of these people is mature enough, and wise enough, and caring enough to see through the hurt feelings and the unfeeling relatives and the disgusting habits to the real, loving people underneath.
Because God has been a close, personal and dependable friend for the past 20 years of my life, I have spent a great deal of time trying to tell others about him. Usually I have failed, even with my own children. Now I am facing the reason for that failure.
God doesn't really need another press agent who loudly shouts, "Follow God the Urb Steinmetz way." Too many people are already shouting, "Here is God," and "There is God," and confusing all of us. I am sure, now, that my friend doesn't want me to add to the confusion.
The truth of the matter is that each one of us has to find God individually. That is not as hard as it sounds. All that we need to do is sincerely face ourselves and admit that none of us is capable of loving alone. Then we can turn to God in honest confusion and say to him: "God, I am confused. I have heard so many different things about you that I don't know who you are or what you want from me. But I do know that I need you."
It may not even be important to know who God is. I do not think it is important to me. What is important is that I know that he is my friend, and that I can go to him any day at any hour of the day and he will listen to me, help me.
I am a person who is often afraid and often confused, and I think you are, too. I can't even imagine going through life without a friend who is never confused and never afraid, and who always loves me. I think it is silly to try to meet and love my wife, or my children, or a neighbor, or any other human being without that friend at my side to advise me.
So how do you find God? I guess I believe now that you don't find God. Instead, you approach him many times a day as a little child approaches his father and mother. You approach him in any way that you are comfortable with and tell him that you need him and that you want to do what he wants you to do and that you want to be his friend.
And then God finds you.
Today's reading outlines God's guidelines for marriage, divorce, and sexual relations. One may wonder why does God have all these rules and laws regarding this subject? Why does God care? Is God trying to make us live boring lives?
The reason for all these commands is God wants all areas of our lives to be holy like He is holy. He wants our relationships and marriages to be a reflection of His perfect love. The only way for this to be successful is for God to be the center of all relationships.
I was reminded of a book on marriage call Strangers, Lovers, Friends written by Urban Steinmetz (Travis's grandfather). I wanted to include a chapter from his book because I think he simply and clearly explains why we can never hope to make relationships work without the help of a perfect loving God.
Get Yourself a Loving God (from Strangers, Lovers, Friends)
Even among Christians, the gods that we worship come in all shapes and sizes. Often we mistakenly call these gods God and try to use a phony imitation to build a life on.
Much of our Christian world is engaged in the business of telling us about either god or God. Fathers and mothers are usually the first, and they probably teach us what lives with us the longest. Politicians tell us about god as election day approaches. More than 200 different varieties of preachers preach god, and sometimes God. Church schools beat us, bribe us, coax us, threaten us, and love us with an almighty.
The trouble with all these gods is that their press agents are people. Usually these people are sincere and honest. But many of them have not been loved enough. Instead, many of them have been hurt too often by too many people. So they cannot see Love clearly.
People who have been punished often in their lives tend to teach us about a punishing god. People who are afraid to come close to a loving and friendly God tell us about a dim and distant one who can only be approached on our knees. People who are insecure give us an insecure god, forever in need of praises, glories and hosannas. Church builders give us a church-building god, while those who worry about budgets present us with a god who first responds to dollars given. From people in high places we get gods who approve of high places and tell us that we must reverence the high office and not the person who fills it. Bookkeeping types give us bookkeeping gods who chart and graph our good and bad, while church organizations frequently offer us a god who is really an obedient second lieutenant, cheerfully endorsing and cosigning any orders that the great commanders of those organizations decree.
Our world, too, offers us a whole variety of gods, although our society doesn't call them that. But when we are asked to devote our entire lives to gathering money or power, to our profession, to education, even to the church, or to marriage, then we are being coerced to follow false gods. Our God is a jealous God, and he wants our lives committed first to him.
The incessant din of all these gods beats at our head for 20 years or more, and then we marry. Very shortly we discover that no one could possibly live with and continue to love the strange and complicated human being we all seem to marry without the help of that real God who sees things much more clearly than we do.
Unfortunately, that is also when we discover that we have no dependable and loving and real God at all. Instead, four of us enter nearly every Christian marriage: one man and one woman, but both bringing along their own separate and distinct and highly unlikely gods.
Sometimes a couple divorces these useless gods quite early in the marriage. More often, leftovers of these gods hang on, and are themselves the cause of endless, useless bickering. But sometimes - slowly, thoughtfully, prayerfully - God is substituted for these ungodly gods. Then the couple is on its way toward a genuine, mature and beautiful love. Now there are three people in the union totally committed to the same business - the business of creating love. And one of these people is mature enough, and wise enough, and caring enough to see through the hurt feelings and the unfeeling relatives and the disgusting habits to the real, loving people underneath.
Because God has been a close, personal and dependable friend for the past 20 years of my life, I have spent a great deal of time trying to tell others about him. Usually I have failed, even with my own children. Now I am facing the reason for that failure.
God doesn't really need another press agent who loudly shouts, "Follow God the Urb Steinmetz way." Too many people are already shouting, "Here is God," and "There is God," and confusing all of us. I am sure, now, that my friend doesn't want me to add to the confusion.
The truth of the matter is that each one of us has to find God individually. That is not as hard as it sounds. All that we need to do is sincerely face ourselves and admit that none of us is capable of loving alone. Then we can turn to God in honest confusion and say to him: "God, I am confused. I have heard so many different things about you that I don't know who you are or what you want from me. But I do know that I need you."
It may not even be important to know who God is. I do not think it is important to me. What is important is that I know that he is my friend, and that I can go to him any day at any hour of the day and he will listen to me, help me.
I am a person who is often afraid and often confused, and I think you are, too. I can't even imagine going through life without a friend who is never confused and never afraid, and who always loves me. I think it is silly to try to meet and love my wife, or my children, or a neighbor, or any other human being without that friend at my side to advise me.
So how do you find God? I guess I believe now that you don't find God. Instead, you approach him many times a day as a little child approaches his father and mother. You approach him in any way that you are comfortable with and tell him that you need him and that you want to do what he wants you to do and that you want to be his friend.
And then God finds you.
Monday, March 1, 2010
March 1: Personal Rights and Remedies
God loves order and freedom, and freedom is found in order. The laws we read of today continue to deal with social issues and disputes, providing the Israelites a code of law to help them live in a just society. Every society strives for freedom and justice. But the human is prone to disorder and the importance of 'mine' blinds us to seeing what is right, so we soon enough fight each other over property, money, ownership, etc. But God’s Creation was not only about the human 'me.' God made us to enjoy community with Him and each other in peace. He helped the Israelites with laws on property, inheritance, loans, labor, relationships, etc. God promised them constantly that if they follow His regulations they will receive blessings. However, those blessings may not necessarily be mainly for you and me, but for the overall community. For example, we read today that God gave number of commands on caring for the poor in Israel. In order to receive God’s blessings they had to give away: cancel loans, not charge interest, and give freely to their countrymen. How hard this must have been? But the promise is blessings for all Israel:
However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. (Deut 15:4-5)
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. (Deut 15:7-8)
God does not change. He still wants us to share the same peace and freedom with each other in our families, our nations and our world. He also still wants us to help the needy.
Praying that this week we all appreciate those just laws and freedoms we enjoy in our society today. But I also pray that God will place one thought of what each one of us can do, as small or as big a step it could be, to make a difference and make our society and our world better and more just - as God intends it to be. I know I should be doing more...
However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. (Deut 15:4-5)
If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. (Deut 15:7-8)
God does not change. He still wants us to share the same peace and freedom with each other in our families, our nations and our world. He also still wants us to help the needy.
Praying that this week we all appreciate those just laws and freedoms we enjoy in our society today. But I also pray that God will place one thought of what each one of us can do, as small or as big a step it could be, to make a difference and make our society and our world better and more just - as God intends it to be. I know I should be doing more...
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