Isn't it amazing at how much of the Old Testament lines up with what happens today with salvation? In this section, Moses starts by telling the people to remember what God has given them - things in which they don't deserve. He then tells them to worship this God, and this God only! The God who gave them something they did not deserve. Then he goes on to say that when their sons ask them why they are so diligent in keeping these commandments that they should say that it is because of what God delivered them from.
Wow! Isn't that so true today?! God has given us something that we don't deserve - Christ - and this is the One that we should serve only! This God that loves us so much as to give up so much so that we may live. And then when people ask why we serve God so much, our reply is that we serve Him because of what He has brought us out of. For me, He brought me out of a many great sins and I am forever greatful. He released me from the bonds of addiction and set me free! Because of that, I trust Him and serve Him only. That is our reply, much like the reply of the Israelites. This Book just keeps getting better!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Enough Said - Deuteronomy 4:29-31
"But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them."
Don't tell me the God of the Old Testament was one of wrath, and not one of Love! All God has ever wanted was for His children to follow Him on their own free will, and even when they didn't, or turned away, He is always waiting for them with arms wide open. That is a merciful God. That is a loving God. That is the God of grace. That is my God!
Enough said...
Don't tell me the God of the Old Testament was one of wrath, and not one of Love! All God has ever wanted was for His children to follow Him on their own free will, and even when they didn't, or turned away, He is always waiting for them with arms wide open. That is a merciful God. That is a loving God. That is the God of grace. That is my God!
Enough said...
The Outsiders - Deuteronomy 4:1-14
What a great passage to keep in your heart! Here, Moses is telling the people why it is important to follow God's laws. For one, it brings life. We know from Romans that the price for sin is death - well, death is simply the absence of life. Everytime we sin, we lose life. It's a deep concept and one I am not going explicate on any further.
The second, and the one I want to look at, tells why God gave such strict rules and laws to follow: it was to separate the people from everyone else. God wanted it so that when people saw the Israelites, they could see God. They would see that something was different about them, and therefore they would believe on God because God would be the only one that could provide that kind of power over the flesh. Nothing has changed! God wants to the same thing for His people - Christians - today! He wants it so that when people look at us, they see Him. When people look at us, they should see something different - something more! - and should want it. This is why some of the laws may seem redundant, stupid, or downright outrageous, but God wanted it to be known that He was in control and that His people were going to be different than the rest of the world!
The second, and the one I want to look at, tells why God gave such strict rules and laws to follow: it was to separate the people from everyone else. God wanted it so that when people saw the Israelites, they could see God. They would see that something was different about them, and therefore they would believe on God because God would be the only one that could provide that kind of power over the flesh. Nothing has changed! God wants to the same thing for His people - Christians - today! He wants it so that when people look at us, they see Him. When people look at us, they should see something different - something more! - and should want it. This is why some of the laws may seem redundant, stupid, or downright outrageous, but God wanted it to be known that He was in control and that His people were going to be different than the rest of the world!
The Power - Deuteronomy 3:23-29
Isn't it great that we live in an age where we can be reconciled with God? Before Christ, the people had to pay pricy penalties for their sin! In this case, Moses was not allowed to see the promise land. And while there are still consequences for our sin, it is so awesome to know that nothing will ever change God's love for us (Rom. 8:38-39)! Because of the sacrifice of Christ, I can approach God's throne as one that is Holy - that is a powerful thing! Someone that is a sinner like me to be able to enter the throne room of God AS ONE THAT IS HOLY is a big deal! That is the power of the blood of Christ! Here, in Deuteronomy, is Moses - whom is considered one of the greatest prophets! - and I am better off than he was! Is that not amazing! Oh, the power of the sacrifice! If I had a million mouths, I couldn't thank God enough for it.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Spring Break 2008 - Beach Reach Panama City
This past week has been the most amazing of my life thus far (minus the time I was saved!). When i went into the week, I was really skeptical. My thoughts were that these people were there to party and if i tried to share the Gospel, they would probably deck me one. I couldn't have been more wrong!
On the night we arrived, we went for a prayer walk around the main drag of Panama City Beach as everyone rolled into town. We were yelled at, cussed at, and talked about - and I was getting pretty nervous! I was thinking "Man, God, is this what I have to put up with all week??!!". Well, anyways, we went back to our room to get a good nights rest (only one of the week btw!), and got up Sunday for our training. Sunday night was our first night to hit the streets - and it was the most amazing thing!
Throughout the week, I rode in the van. I was the back seat guy and got to talk to a lot of people. God really opened my eyes to see that these people were just that - people - and that they weren't "evangelical projects". I was just supposed to love these people and if the Holy Spirit compelled, well then share Christ with them. To my amazement, between the whole group (11) the Gospel was shared A LOT!
Our group was able to witness 6 people come to know Christ, and 1 person rededicate their life during the week. God was amazing! It was so awesome to step into the spiritual warfare and actually watch God win! It was so amazing!
(My favorite conversation during the week was when I was talking to a guy named Eddy at the Pancake Breakfast one morning. He was sitting by himself so I sat down and just chatted with him. Well, God allowed the convo to turn spiritual and so I began to talk to him about Christ. After sharing with him what a personal relationship with Christ has done for me, he looked at me and in all seriousness asked, "A Personal Relationship with Christ? Well, how in the Hell do I get that?!")
I simply thank God for letting me be there, because the week has totally changed my outlook and has ignited a fire in my heart that I never want to burn out. If you have nothing to do next Spring Break - go to Beach Reach for a life-changing experience!
On the night we arrived, we went for a prayer walk around the main drag of Panama City Beach as everyone rolled into town. We were yelled at, cussed at, and talked about - and I was getting pretty nervous! I was thinking "Man, God, is this what I have to put up with all week??!!". Well, anyways, we went back to our room to get a good nights rest (only one of the week btw!), and got up Sunday for our training. Sunday night was our first night to hit the streets - and it was the most amazing thing!
Throughout the week, I rode in the van. I was the back seat guy and got to talk to a lot of people. God really opened my eyes to see that these people were just that - people - and that they weren't "evangelical projects". I was just supposed to love these people and if the Holy Spirit compelled, well then share Christ with them. To my amazement, between the whole group (11) the Gospel was shared A LOT!
Our group was able to witness 6 people come to know Christ, and 1 person rededicate their life during the week. God was amazing! It was so awesome to step into the spiritual warfare and actually watch God win! It was so amazing!
(My favorite conversation during the week was when I was talking to a guy named Eddy at the Pancake Breakfast one morning. He was sitting by himself so I sat down and just chatted with him. Well, God allowed the convo to turn spiritual and so I began to talk to him about Christ. After sharing with him what a personal relationship with Christ has done for me, he looked at me and in all seriousness asked, "A Personal Relationship with Christ? Well, how in the Hell do I get that?!")
I simply thank God for letting me be there, because the week has totally changed my outlook and has ignited a fire in my heart that I never want to burn out. If you have nothing to do next Spring Break - go to Beach Reach for a life-changing experience!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Fear Not- Numbers 33
I am sitting at Laguna Beach Christian Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida, and it is 11:59 pm as I type this sentence. I am recapping todays' events as i reel in my head what I read from the Bible tonight. I am currently on a mission trip here at Spring Break 2008 in Panama City Beach because there are tens of thousands of college age kids from around the country here that do not know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Tomorrow, we will begin giving rides to drunk people so as to keep them off of the road and maybe share things with them in the mean time. We wlll also be sending out Street Evangelism teams to be talking to people on the street.
As I was going over this, Jesus' words popped in my head: "I am sending you out as sheep among wolves."
I'm not going to lie; I am nervous about tomorrow! I am scared - not about sharing my faith - but for my own and the groups personal safety. These people are drunk and belligerent, and may react in a harsh way to us because Satan has such a stronghold on their lives. However, as I sat down to read tonight's passage of scripture from Numbers 33, it began recapping where God had brought the children of Israel, and suddenly my faith grew even more in the fact that God really will protect me. He brought me here, and I should have nothing to fear. "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." I am going to try and step out boldly as God commanded the children of Israel, and will do it knowing God has my back. "And if God is for us, who shall be against us!"
Keep us in your prayers as we have a long week ahead of us.
As I was going over this, Jesus' words popped in my head: "I am sending you out as sheep among wolves."
I'm not going to lie; I am nervous about tomorrow! I am scared - not about sharing my faith - but for my own and the groups personal safety. These people are drunk and belligerent, and may react in a harsh way to us because Satan has such a stronghold on their lives. However, as I sat down to read tonight's passage of scripture from Numbers 33, it began recapping where God had brought the children of Israel, and suddenly my faith grew even more in the fact that God really will protect me. He brought me here, and I should have nothing to fear. "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." I am going to try and step out boldly as God commanded the children of Israel, and will do it knowing God has my back. "And if God is for us, who shall be against us!"
Keep us in your prayers as we have a long week ahead of us.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Whole Kit-and-Caboodle - Numbers 32
This chapter, yet once again, shows us a great insight into the character of God. This is important because, as many of us fail/forget to realize is that the God of the Old Testament is the same God as the new. Though the covenants are different, the character is the same. It is as if you make a deal with someone, and then years later make another that builds upon the old deal. Your personality and character doesn't change with the new deal. And the character that is revealed in this chapter is one of the most important: God wants people to be whole-hearted about their service to Him.
Verse 11 says God became angry with the people of Israel "because they have not wholly followed me". God wants His people to be His 110%. He doesn't want 10%, 50%, or even 99.9999-%. God wants it all. God deserves it all. He did not say that He was angry at the people because they did not follow Him at all; He says He was angry because they didn't give Him their whole heart. They didn't give Him their 100%, they only gave some of it.
This character of God is echoed throughout the Bible in both Testaments. The fifth beatitude of the sermon on the mount shows Jesus telling the crowd that the people who are "pure in heart" (pure in their service to God/giving 100%) were blessed and will see God. In the Revelation of John, he writes that God says He will spit the "lukewarm" out of His mouth. Straddling the fence doesn't cut it with God. He wants it all or nothing.
Now some would ask why He would rather you give nothing than to just give some. Well, the answer is quite simple: He doesn't want you ruining the name of His followers (as has happened a lot in the last century). To be called a Christian should be an honor, but to many around the world, it can actually be an insult. The reason for this is because so many who only followed God half-heartedly has ruined the reputation. Because they proclaim Christ and live like the world, they hurt the witness of all Christians. We are probably guilty of this at some point in our life, but the question is in the present: Are you giving God 100% right now?
If the answer is yes, then great! You are giving God's people a good name, and it should be a encouraging to do so.
If the answer is no, then you should know that it is not too late. Commit 100% to God right now, and start fixing what has been broken. "Through Christ, all things are possible" (Phil. 4:13).
God's judgement is not pretty on someone who has only given some of themselves. God wants the whole kit-and-caboodle. He wants everything you have and He wants it all the time. In the words of Paul, run this race worthy of the calling you have received. It is easy to become a Christian; anyone can profess it - living like it is where it counts!
Verse 11 says God became angry with the people of Israel "because they have not wholly followed me". God wants His people to be His 110%. He doesn't want 10%, 50%, or even 99.9999-%. God wants it all. God deserves it all. He did not say that He was angry at the people because they did not follow Him at all; He says He was angry because they didn't give Him their whole heart. They didn't give Him their 100%, they only gave some of it.
This character of God is echoed throughout the Bible in both Testaments. The fifth beatitude of the sermon on the mount shows Jesus telling the crowd that the people who are "pure in heart" (pure in their service to God/giving 100%) were blessed and will see God. In the Revelation of John, he writes that God says He will spit the "lukewarm" out of His mouth. Straddling the fence doesn't cut it with God. He wants it all or nothing.
Now some would ask why He would rather you give nothing than to just give some. Well, the answer is quite simple: He doesn't want you ruining the name of His followers (as has happened a lot in the last century). To be called a Christian should be an honor, but to many around the world, it can actually be an insult. The reason for this is because so many who only followed God half-heartedly has ruined the reputation. Because they proclaim Christ and live like the world, they hurt the witness of all Christians. We are probably guilty of this at some point in our life, but the question is in the present: Are you giving God 100% right now?
If the answer is yes, then great! You are giving God's people a good name, and it should be a encouraging to do so.
If the answer is no, then you should know that it is not too late. Commit 100% to God right now, and start fixing what has been broken. "Through Christ, all things are possible" (Phil. 4:13).
God's judgement is not pretty on someone who has only given some of themselves. God wants the whole kit-and-caboodle. He wants everything you have and He wants it all the time. In the words of Paul, run this race worthy of the calling you have received. It is easy to become a Christian; anyone can profess it - living like it is where it counts!
Monday, March 10, 2008
Newtonian Sin - Numbers 27
Numbers 26 and 27 can be long and boring in a sense because it is basically a census and is more of a historical record. However, what I find most amazing is in the latter part of Numbers 27 when God tells Moses to pass on the leadership to Joshua. Now, there is a lot to be learned here in the fact that God will not let His people go without guidance, but that is not what I picked up on most. The major thing that God said to me through this is how He still uses people.
Moses had committed a sin against God. He rebelled. He disobeyed. God passed judgement. And while the judgement was a major one - Moses couldn't see the Promised Land - He still did not jerk Moses right out of service! People in the ministry mess up. It's a fact! People of God mess up. It's a fact! The amazing thing that I think God shows us here is that, even though there are consequences to pay for our sin, He still loves us. Moses had to pay the consequences, but yet he still did not get exactly what He deserved. The payment of sin is death. Moses should have been struck down right then, but God didn't do that. He paid the earthly consequence, but He still did not have to pay the fullest of judgements. I guess what I am trying to point out here is the graciousness of God. He is saying, "Yes, sin has consequences - both earthly and spiritual - but I still love you!"
God did not jerk Moses' title away completely, He just made him pay his debt. He allowed Moses to still pass on His leadership and still ultimately used Moses, and allowed Moses to talk to Him after the sin. When we do things, God is not going to compeletely save us from the consequences every time. There are still debts to pay. But He never takes His love away from us!
I am reminded of a recent news headline in which a Youth Minister somewhere here in America confessed to a crime he committed decades ago before he was a Christian. (I believe it was a robbery.) The man still had to pay his earthly debts. He was sentenced to prison. God had forgiven him of all of his sins, but the man still committed the crime nonetheless and there was a debt to be paid. We must know that sin carried consequences and that is why we should avoid it at all costs. A law of physics says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Sin causes things to happen on Earth, and in the spiritual sense. Sin is not a minor thing, no matter how minor we think the sin may be. Whenever we do something that is sinful, there is going to be a reaction, and that reaction is probably going to be a bad one. God still loves you because He is love, but God is also Just, and He is fair, and there is still a debt to be paid. Jesus paid the debt in the spiritual realm, but He can't do our prison sentences for us (or whatever else the debt may be)!
Moses had committed a sin against God. He rebelled. He disobeyed. God passed judgement. And while the judgement was a major one - Moses couldn't see the Promised Land - He still did not jerk Moses right out of service! People in the ministry mess up. It's a fact! People of God mess up. It's a fact! The amazing thing that I think God shows us here is that, even though there are consequences to pay for our sin, He still loves us. Moses had to pay the consequences, but yet he still did not get exactly what He deserved. The payment of sin is death. Moses should have been struck down right then, but God didn't do that. He paid the earthly consequence, but He still did not have to pay the fullest of judgements. I guess what I am trying to point out here is the graciousness of God. He is saying, "Yes, sin has consequences - both earthly and spiritual - but I still love you!"
God did not jerk Moses' title away completely, He just made him pay his debt. He allowed Moses to still pass on His leadership and still ultimately used Moses, and allowed Moses to talk to Him after the sin. When we do things, God is not going to compeletely save us from the consequences every time. There are still debts to pay. But He never takes His love away from us!
I am reminded of a recent news headline in which a Youth Minister somewhere here in America confessed to a crime he committed decades ago before he was a Christian. (I believe it was a robbery.) The man still had to pay his earthly debts. He was sentenced to prison. God had forgiven him of all of his sins, but the man still committed the crime nonetheless and there was a debt to be paid. We must know that sin carried consequences and that is why we should avoid it at all costs. A law of physics says that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Sin causes things to happen on Earth, and in the spiritual sense. Sin is not a minor thing, no matter how minor we think the sin may be. Whenever we do something that is sinful, there is going to be a reaction, and that reaction is probably going to be a bad one. God still loves you because He is love, but God is also Just, and He is fair, and there is still a debt to be paid. Jesus paid the debt in the spiritual realm, but He can't do our prison sentences for us (or whatever else the debt may be)!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Three Characters; One Point - Numbers 25
This short, 18-verse chapter really tells a lot about the character of God. It reveals certain aspects about Him, and how He thinks and feels. I want to run over a few of these quickly.
The first is that our God is a jealous God (vs 1-5), and why shouldn't He be! He is our creator. The very essence of our being. If I created something that could think and feel, and it worshipped something else, I would probably be pretty upset too! It would be like getting a puppy, and being really excited about it. You go and buy it all of the nicest toys and beds and food and snacks - and then it runs off to the neighbors house and will not come back. It doesn't even like you! That would hurt. Or even worse, lets say you find someone and put your heart on your sleeve, and take this person as your spouse because you love them so much - and they run off with someone, and does not even love you. Things like that hurt! And with God, when we turn from Him and give something else our worship - our love - it hurts Him too! We see examples of this throughout the Bible, and God makes it known that He loves us very much, and doesn't want us to leave Him.
The second character that stands out is in verses 6-15. God reveals that He loves it when people are zealous for Him. In the same way (using the same example as above), when we love someone with all that we have, we want them to love us back. And if they do love us back, we want them to show it. God feels the same about us. He wants people to love Him with all they can possibly muster - not because He demands it, but because that is how He loves us! He loved us enough that He even gave up His own Son so that we may live and unite with Him again; that is powerful love! It was because of Phinehas' zealous love for God that God turned back His wrath from Israel and allowed them to live. Because of his zealous love for God, God made atonement for Israel, and also made of covenant of peace for Phinehas and his family. It's just an example given to us of how God loves us, and how He wants us to love Him back with everything that we have - and in all that we do!
Finally, in the last three verses, God shows us another character of His: His protection for those He loves. God was pretty upset that someone had messed with Israel, and so for that He turned His wrath upon them. He told Moses to attack them and strike them dead. Now, at first glance, this sounds horrible! When we think of God, we don't like to think of a God who wants us to strike people down! But look deeper -- the reason He wants to strike them down is because they hurt someone He loved deeply! Not to beat a dead horse, but lets look at our analogy one more time. Let's say you finally get that spouse, and that spouse really does love you as much as you love them -- and then someone tried to hurt them badly enough to kill them! You would be pretty upset with that person, and would probably put your wrath against them as well. What looks on the surface to be mean, nasty anger is actually beautiful love that God shows for His people! What is even more beautiful is that through Jesus Christ, God opened up His family to even more people - us - and loves us with the same zeal as He did the Israelites. It gets me excited to think that I am love by God this much!
All three of these characters of God point to one thing: His love! If you don't think God really loves you, just pick up a Bible and start reading. It won't take you long to figure out that He loves you more than you could ever imagine! Why do you think Satan attacks us so much?! It's not because it is fun for him or anything like that - it's because he knows how much God loves us and that is his only way to hurt God. He hates God, and the very sight of us (since we are created in God's image), repulses Satan and he wants to destroy us. This should make you hate sin even more! When you realize that your sin actually hurts the God that loved you so much as to send His own Son to die a brutal death, it makes you think twice about doing it! It is a powerful love that I don't deserve in even the least, and I think God that He decides to continue to love me so.
The first is that our God is a jealous God (vs 1-5), and why shouldn't He be! He is our creator. The very essence of our being. If I created something that could think and feel, and it worshipped something else, I would probably be pretty upset too! It would be like getting a puppy, and being really excited about it. You go and buy it all of the nicest toys and beds and food and snacks - and then it runs off to the neighbors house and will not come back. It doesn't even like you! That would hurt. Or even worse, lets say you find someone and put your heart on your sleeve, and take this person as your spouse because you love them so much - and they run off with someone, and does not even love you. Things like that hurt! And with God, when we turn from Him and give something else our worship - our love - it hurts Him too! We see examples of this throughout the Bible, and God makes it known that He loves us very much, and doesn't want us to leave Him.
The second character that stands out is in verses 6-15. God reveals that He loves it when people are zealous for Him. In the same way (using the same example as above), when we love someone with all that we have, we want them to love us back. And if they do love us back, we want them to show it. God feels the same about us. He wants people to love Him with all they can possibly muster - not because He demands it, but because that is how He loves us! He loved us enough that He even gave up His own Son so that we may live and unite with Him again; that is powerful love! It was because of Phinehas' zealous love for God that God turned back His wrath from Israel and allowed them to live. Because of his zealous love for God, God made atonement for Israel, and also made of covenant of peace for Phinehas and his family. It's just an example given to us of how God loves us, and how He wants us to love Him back with everything that we have - and in all that we do!
Finally, in the last three verses, God shows us another character of His: His protection for those He loves. God was pretty upset that someone had messed with Israel, and so for that He turned His wrath upon them. He told Moses to attack them and strike them dead. Now, at first glance, this sounds horrible! When we think of God, we don't like to think of a God who wants us to strike people down! But look deeper -- the reason He wants to strike them down is because they hurt someone He loved deeply! Not to beat a dead horse, but lets look at our analogy one more time. Let's say you finally get that spouse, and that spouse really does love you as much as you love them -- and then someone tried to hurt them badly enough to kill them! You would be pretty upset with that person, and would probably put your wrath against them as well. What looks on the surface to be mean, nasty anger is actually beautiful love that God shows for His people! What is even more beautiful is that through Jesus Christ, God opened up His family to even more people - us - and loves us with the same zeal as He did the Israelites. It gets me excited to think that I am love by God this much!
All three of these characters of God point to one thing: His love! If you don't think God really loves you, just pick up a Bible and start reading. It won't take you long to figure out that He loves you more than you could ever imagine! Why do you think Satan attacks us so much?! It's not because it is fun for him or anything like that - it's because he knows how much God loves us and that is his only way to hurt God. He hates God, and the very sight of us (since we are created in God's image), repulses Satan and he wants to destroy us. This should make you hate sin even more! When you realize that your sin actually hurts the God that loved you so much as to send His own Son to die a brutal death, it makes you think twice about doing it! It is a powerful love that I don't deserve in even the least, and I think God that He decides to continue to love me so.
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Truth Shall Set You Free - Numbers 23 and 24
I think Balaam has just been added to my list of heroes. Here is a man, whom God had to use a literal ass to finally get through to him, but once He did, Balaam gave Him everything He had. He would not waiver in the sight of riches and gold, he would not waiver in the sight of fear -- nothing stopped him from proclaiming only what God wanted to be said.
If only I could do that more! If only I didn't feel like I had to "butter up" a message, or not say certain things for fear of being politically incorrect. What is wrong with me! I should be proclaiming God's Word just as it says it in the Bible. If it is God's Word, it is good enough -- err, it's better than good enough! I should not be sweetening God's Word just to make people feel better. I need to proclaim it as it says and nothing more. That is a new goal I have set out for myself. I am going to speak the truth and only the truth.
If only I could do that more! If only I didn't feel like I had to "butter up" a message, or not say certain things for fear of being politically incorrect. What is wrong with me! I should be proclaiming God's Word just as it says it in the Bible. If it is God's Word, it is good enough -- err, it's better than good enough! I should not be sweetening God's Word just to make people feel better. I need to proclaim it as it says and nothing more. That is a new goal I have set out for myself. I am going to speak the truth and only the truth.
God Uses Asses - Numbers 22
In one of his last concerts before his untimely death, the contemporary Christian artist Rich Mullins said, "And never forget that God used an ass to talk to Balaam, and He has been using asses ever since."
This is one of my favorite Bible passages, because as a minister, it helps to keep me humble. Sometimes, us in the ministry really start getting the big head, and the pride starts welling up. We start to realize that God is using us to get His Word out, but then I simply remind myself that God used a donkey to talk to Balaam, and that I should not think so highly of myself. I am nothing; God is everything. He is going to use whatever it takes to get people to hear Him, and I am just a voice to be used. Period. And in all reality, that is the way I truly want it. I hate being prideful (even though I struggle with it A LOT), because when I am prideful I am saying that I am worthy -- and that is the last thing I am!
That is one of the main themes of this passage, but there are also a couple more. One of those themes is that we should respect anyone who is giving the Word of God, even if it is just an ass (pun intended). Anyone is being capable of transmitting the Word of God to us and we should be conscious of all of those mediums. A lot of people say that only "special" people could be used to bring us God's prophecy, but I don't believe that. I think the truth is, God can use anyone and anything to get through to us. On Facebook just today I noticed where a friend wrote a note saying that God really speaks to him through movies. We should always be aware that God is talking to us and trying to tell us things, we just need to look for it more. There is a hit by George Strait that is out entitled "I Saw God Today" and it is about picking up on God's voice in the normal, mundane things of life. And just as the song says, we need to look and listen a lot more than we do.
This leads me into the final theme I picked up on in this passage. It was a sin for Balaam to not pick up on what God was saying to him. A sin! That puts it into perspective how much we really should be listening to God and searching for what He is telling us right now! When you stop listening and looking for God, you are bound to step out of His Will, and anything that goes against God is sin. Plain and simple. Search for God, listen to what He has to say, and do it. You follow that, and I think you will then really have life and have it more abundantly.
Now, just as a side note, after reading this today I really find it amazing about how true and real God's Word really is. It seems like my daily quiet time just fits right in with what is happening in my life. Nothing else I could have read could hit more close to home than this passage with what has happened in my life today. It answered so many questions for me and was so in my face that it was like God slapped me on the back of the head and said, "Open your eyes, son!". God truly is amazing, and it makes me hunger and thirst for His Word even more because it helps me to see just how alive His Word truly is. Thank you, God!
This is one of my favorite Bible passages, because as a minister, it helps to keep me humble. Sometimes, us in the ministry really start getting the big head, and the pride starts welling up. We start to realize that God is using us to get His Word out, but then I simply remind myself that God used a donkey to talk to Balaam, and that I should not think so highly of myself. I am nothing; God is everything. He is going to use whatever it takes to get people to hear Him, and I am just a voice to be used. Period. And in all reality, that is the way I truly want it. I hate being prideful (even though I struggle with it A LOT), because when I am prideful I am saying that I am worthy -- and that is the last thing I am!
That is one of the main themes of this passage, but there are also a couple more. One of those themes is that we should respect anyone who is giving the Word of God, even if it is just an ass (pun intended). Anyone is being capable of transmitting the Word of God to us and we should be conscious of all of those mediums. A lot of people say that only "special" people could be used to bring us God's prophecy, but I don't believe that. I think the truth is, God can use anyone and anything to get through to us. On Facebook just today I noticed where a friend wrote a note saying that God really speaks to him through movies. We should always be aware that God is talking to us and trying to tell us things, we just need to look for it more. There is a hit by George Strait that is out entitled "I Saw God Today" and it is about picking up on God's voice in the normal, mundane things of life. And just as the song says, we need to look and listen a lot more than we do.
This leads me into the final theme I picked up on in this passage. It was a sin for Balaam to not pick up on what God was saying to him. A sin! That puts it into perspective how much we really should be listening to God and searching for what He is telling us right now! When you stop listening and looking for God, you are bound to step out of His Will, and anything that goes against God is sin. Plain and simple. Search for God, listen to what He has to say, and do it. You follow that, and I think you will then really have life and have it more abundantly.
Now, just as a side note, after reading this today I really find it amazing about how true and real God's Word really is. It seems like my daily quiet time just fits right in with what is happening in my life. Nothing else I could have read could hit more close to home than this passage with what has happened in my life today. It answered so many questions for me and was so in my face that it was like God slapped me on the back of the head and said, "Open your eyes, son!". God truly is amazing, and it makes me hunger and thirst for His Word even more because it helps me to see just how alive His Word truly is. Thank you, God!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Our Serpents, Our Hope - Numbers 21:4-9
This was a really amazing read for me, but not at first glance. The passage simply goes that the people were whining once more about God and Moses, so God sent judgement upon them and sent a slew of snakes that were poisonous. People started dying, and then they ran to Moses to apologize. Moses prayed, and God told Moses to build a bronze statue of a snake and if someone was bit, they could simply look upon it and be healed. Simple story, right? Well, I thought so too at first glance, but then I realized: God didn't remove the snakes, He just provided a way out of dying from them.
What a great analogy to us today! God sent judgement upon sinners (death, snakes), but then sent Christ to die for our sins (life, the bronze statue). God could have just fixed things with the snap of a finger and removed all sin, but He didn't - He simply provided a way to be healed of it. The people that were bitten were going to die, and all they had to do was look on a bronze statue. They had a choice of looking and living, or not and dying. The same goes for us today. God is not going to make the choice for us, He is going to allow us to do that. We can simply sit back and die from our sin, or we can look upon Jesus and live with Him! It is really amazing that people can know this and still sit back and do nothing. The question is: Are you dying? Or have you looked upon your Savior?
What a great analogy to us today! God sent judgement upon sinners (death, snakes), but then sent Christ to die for our sins (life, the bronze statue). God could have just fixed things with the snap of a finger and removed all sin, but He didn't - He simply provided a way to be healed of it. The people that were bitten were going to die, and all they had to do was look on a bronze statue. They had a choice of looking and living, or not and dying. The same goes for us today. God is not going to make the choice for us, He is going to allow us to do that. We can simply sit back and die from our sin, or we can look upon Jesus and live with Him! It is really amazing that people can know this and still sit back and do nothing. The question is: Are you dying? Or have you looked upon your Savior?
God's (Painful - sometimes) Will - Numbers 20:14-29
Sometimes when things go wrong, we instantly put the blame on Satan. But, sometimes, I think Satan takes the blame when it wasn't actually his doing - it was God's! Now, I'm not trying to have sympathy for the devil or anything, it's just that sometimes God's Will is not exactly what we had in mind. Moses thought that he would take the Israelites and simply pass through Edom, and everyone would be happy. However, the king of Edom said a big fat, "No!". He even said that if they tries, he would send his army to destroy them.
Now, God could have just softened his heart and allowed them to pass through, but He didn't. Why? Because God had already passed judgement and said that Moses and Aaron would NOT be going into the Promised Land. So, He didn't want them to get there any faster. It was all part of His Will!
God's Will is not always roses and sunshine; sometimes it is not what we want at all! However, we are not called to make up His mind for Him, we are just called to follow what He says. Remember: He is God. We are not.
In my own life I have been faced with opportunites (that I created) that fell through and I was truly upset about it. However, looking at where I am now, I realize that what happened was for the best, and that it was all in God's amazing Will. We have to learn to trust Him more and stop sobbing over things when we don't get it our way, and start rejoicing when God gets His! His way is much better than ours could ever possibly be. It is amazing that we know this and yet still want our way so badly. It is one of the paradoxes of humanity, really.
So, the next time one of your plans fall through, or you don't get your way, or things just don't seem to be happening like you planned - just remember that it may not be going the way you planned, but it is probably going the way God planned; and for that, rejoice!
Now, God could have just softened his heart and allowed them to pass through, but He didn't. Why? Because God had already passed judgement and said that Moses and Aaron would NOT be going into the Promised Land. So, He didn't want them to get there any faster. It was all part of His Will!
God's Will is not always roses and sunshine; sometimes it is not what we want at all! However, we are not called to make up His mind for Him, we are just called to follow what He says. Remember: He is God. We are not.
In my own life I have been faced with opportunites (that I created) that fell through and I was truly upset about it. However, looking at where I am now, I realize that what happened was for the best, and that it was all in God's amazing Will. We have to learn to trust Him more and stop sobbing over things when we don't get it our way, and start rejoicing when God gets His! His way is much better than ours could ever possibly be. It is amazing that we know this and yet still want our way so badly. It is one of the paradoxes of humanity, really.
So, the next time one of your plans fall through, or you don't get your way, or things just don't seem to be happening like you planned - just remember that it may not be going the way you planned, but it is probably going the way God planned; and for that, rejoice!
To Err is Human - Numbers 20:1-13
Alexander Pope once said, "To Err is Human...". How true this is! When I read this passage I am amazed at how one of God's greatest prophets - Moses - had made a grave error before the Lord. He was told to speak to the rock to bring forth water, instead he decided to take matters into his own hands and spoke poorly against the people and struck the rock with his staff/rod. This error caused God to bring forth judgement upon Moses and Aaron, and they were not allowed access into the Promised Land.
This is not the only example of God's chosen people making big mistakes. David, whom God had said was a "man after His own heart", slept with a woman then killed her husband to cover up for it. That's a pretty big mistake! Peter, whom God used to build His own church, denied Christ three times in one night. Throughout the Bible, we see people messing things up, and God still using them. I think this shows us that God realizes we are in a fallen state. He understands that we are not capable of living a perfect life. That is why He sent Jesus!
Does this mean that we are free to do whatever because we're going to mess up anyway? Absolutely not! A quote I use with my youth a lot is this: "We are not called to be perfect; we are just called to strive for it!". God knows we are going to miss the mark every once in a while - or more realistically every day - but He still chooses to love us. That is the amazing thing! We are no-good, law-breaking, lying, thieving, little wild children that live in a sin-filled, sin-loving world; but yet Christ still died for us. That shows the love of God in one action. We will never be able to comprehend the love that He has for us. That would be almost like a Jew dying to save Hitler's life. Or like a victim of 9/11's family member dying to save Osama Bin Laden's life. It is incomprehensible - yet it is reality!
God loves us that much - you and I - and that in itself should be enough to strive as hard as we can. The full quote goes like this: "To Err is human; to forgive, divine." How true it is!
This is not the only example of God's chosen people making big mistakes. David, whom God had said was a "man after His own heart", slept with a woman then killed her husband to cover up for it. That's a pretty big mistake! Peter, whom God used to build His own church, denied Christ three times in one night. Throughout the Bible, we see people messing things up, and God still using them. I think this shows us that God realizes we are in a fallen state. He understands that we are not capable of living a perfect life. That is why He sent Jesus!
Does this mean that we are free to do whatever because we're going to mess up anyway? Absolutely not! A quote I use with my youth a lot is this: "We are not called to be perfect; we are just called to strive for it!". God knows we are going to miss the mark every once in a while - or more realistically every day - but He still chooses to love us. That is the amazing thing! We are no-good, law-breaking, lying, thieving, little wild children that live in a sin-filled, sin-loving world; but yet Christ still died for us. That shows the love of God in one action. We will never be able to comprehend the love that He has for us. That would be almost like a Jew dying to save Hitler's life. Or like a victim of 9/11's family member dying to save Osama Bin Laden's life. It is incomprehensible - yet it is reality!
God loves us that much - you and I - and that in itself should be enough to strive as hard as we can. The full quote goes like this: "To Err is human; to forgive, divine." How true it is!
The Mundane - Numbers 19
When I first started reading this passage, I was thinking, "Man, this is just another long boring section of the Old Testament." However, two things jumped out at me as I was reaching the end of the passage: it is important to God that we stay clean, and that it is all for our protection.
First of all, we see throughout the whole Law that it all has to do with cleanliness, and that all sin produces uncleanliness. God wants us to be pure, and that is the bottom line! He has called us above and beyond the world, and He wants us to be "worthy of our calling". It is important to God that we stay clean. So, while it may seem mundane to us, there is an underlying reason (which leads me to the second point)...
God does it all for our protection.
He loves us. We are His children. And like any good parent, He wants to protect His children. This passage may seem mundane, and in today's terms, touching a dead body is not a bad thing. Many people when they pass by a casket at a funeral either give a loving touch, or even kiss the body on the forehead. It is common today. However, in the day this was written, dead bodies meant disease. Just being in the same tent (vs. 14) could mean catching the disease. So, it was for the people's own protection that until they were proven clean after seven days that they be cut off from the people. It was not so much a punishment, per se, as just a healthy plan.
You see, the same goes today. God doesn't give us rules and laws to abide by just to quench our fun. He does it because He knows that the things of this world is not healthy for us. He knows what they produce - spiritual death - and He wants us to steer clear of all uncleanliness so that we can live healthy, happy lives. Now, I do not mean to sound like a Health & Wealth Televangelist who promises fortune and to never be sad again, but I do think God ultimately wants us to have joy. Throughout the Bible, we read how God wants us to have "joy from our salvation", and how "God is our joy". He knows that a pure life is the only truly happy one, and that's why it is so important to Him - even if it seems mundane to us!
First of all, we see throughout the whole Law that it all has to do with cleanliness, and that all sin produces uncleanliness. God wants us to be pure, and that is the bottom line! He has called us above and beyond the world, and He wants us to be "worthy of our calling". It is important to God that we stay clean. So, while it may seem mundane to us, there is an underlying reason (which leads me to the second point)...
God does it all for our protection.
He loves us. We are His children. And like any good parent, He wants to protect His children. This passage may seem mundane, and in today's terms, touching a dead body is not a bad thing. Many people when they pass by a casket at a funeral either give a loving touch, or even kiss the body on the forehead. It is common today. However, in the day this was written, dead bodies meant disease. Just being in the same tent (vs. 14) could mean catching the disease. So, it was for the people's own protection that until they were proven clean after seven days that they be cut off from the people. It was not so much a punishment, per se, as just a healthy plan.
You see, the same goes today. God doesn't give us rules and laws to abide by just to quench our fun. He does it because He knows that the things of this world is not healthy for us. He knows what they produce - spiritual death - and He wants us to steer clear of all uncleanliness so that we can live healthy, happy lives. Now, I do not mean to sound like a Health & Wealth Televangelist who promises fortune and to never be sad again, but I do think God ultimately wants us to have joy. Throughout the Bible, we read how God wants us to have "joy from our salvation", and how "God is our joy". He knows that a pure life is the only truly happy one, and that's why it is so important to Him - even if it seems mundane to us!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Behold, My Gift to You - Numbers 18:7
As I was reading through Chapter 18, one thing stuck out that I had heard before but I don't think I have ever applied it: To work for God is a gift, not a responsibility (vs. 7).
God doesn't need us. Period. He could do everything on His own if He wanted - but He doesn't. Because He loves us, He lets us take part in His ministry. He lets us do some of the work for Him so that we can have a taste of some of the joy and happiness that comes from it. And this isn't some sort of Tom Sawyer-scheme, this is the real deal!
Yes, God's work is demanding. It was for Aaron and Moses in this passage; but even though it was demanding, it was still a joy to take part in. God's work is tiresome, and in all reality, is somewhat of an uphill battle. We are facing the very Master of Darkness and all of his imps, and that is not an easy task. Paul tells us that we do not battle with flesh and blood, but with principalities of darkness. It is a very real spiritual battle taking place that all of us who work for God are in (and not just ministers - any Christian!), and like any war, it is rough. But we should feel privileged to even be a part of this war, because while the war is rough now, there is still some glory and joy that comes from it (and the ultimate prize is coming soon!)
So, just when you start to feel bogged down by ministry (like I do so often), just remember that God's work is a gift, and we should accept that gift with joy, because that is what it was intended to be.
God doesn't need us. Period. He could do everything on His own if He wanted - but He doesn't. Because He loves us, He lets us take part in His ministry. He lets us do some of the work for Him so that we can have a taste of some of the joy and happiness that comes from it. And this isn't some sort of Tom Sawyer-scheme, this is the real deal!
Yes, God's work is demanding. It was for Aaron and Moses in this passage; but even though it was demanding, it was still a joy to take part in. God's work is tiresome, and in all reality, is somewhat of an uphill battle. We are facing the very Master of Darkness and all of his imps, and that is not an easy task. Paul tells us that we do not battle with flesh and blood, but with principalities of darkness. It is a very real spiritual battle taking place that all of us who work for God are in (and not just ministers - any Christian!), and like any war, it is rough. But we should feel privileged to even be a part of this war, because while the war is rough now, there is still some glory and joy that comes from it (and the ultimate prize is coming soon!)
So, just when you start to feel bogged down by ministry (like I do so often), just remember that God's work is a gift, and we should accept that gift with joy, because that is what it was intended to be.
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