"Yet you were not willing to go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; and you grumbled in your tents and said, 'Because the Lord hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us." Deut 1:26-27
Contextually, Moses is relating the history of the house of Israel since the Exodus. In this particular passage, he reminds them that though God had given them full assurance that He would be with them as they crossed into the land which He had promised as they moved to take possession of it (and He had a great track record of doing exactly what He said He would do...every time).
As it turned out, the people more readily believed the reports of adversity and challenge than motivation and confidence in the Lord. They rebelled and grumbled amongst themselves.
Beloved we must be careful with our murmurings, which can be indicative of our failure to recognize our blessings and possibly, our lack of faith in God. Note that the people still have their exodus from Egypt and concerns about threats from their enemies on their minds. How quickly they seemed to have forgotten that they were in slavery in Egypt. How quickly they seemed to have forgotten that God had vanquished their enemies over and over again after miraculously delivering them from bondage. They seemed to have forgotten that He gave them food and water out of His own hand, yet still they they felt they had things about which to grumble amongst themselves.
Sometimes we need to take a good, strong, sober look at where we are and what we have compared to where we were and what we lacked. We may not be living in the best of times and conditions but we are by no means anywhere near the worst. We must adopt the attitude of Joshua and Caleb who were confident in the Lord and what they could do in power of His might. This they recognized despite what might seem to the weak in faith as insurmountable odds. Anyone can grumble in a tent. The difference is made by those who are willing to take up the charge, obey God and be part of the solution.
We must choose reward or punishment: "But for all this, you did not trust the Lord your God, who goes before you on your way, to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go. "Then the Lord heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, ' Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the Lord fully.'" Deut 1:32-36
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Filling Half Full Faith-DD 10/19/2001
"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." Rev 2:10
Scriptures like these can have a depressing effect on Christians, particularly those who are either new or weak in their faith. It can give one a "glass half empty" view of the faith. It may cause some to ask if it is worth it to pursue the kind of life that seems to necessarily include suffering.
A more careful view of the scriptures can alleviate some of the concerns brought to bear by passages such as these. First, it is important to know that this particular verse is found in the book of Revelation. Suffice it to say that there are several different ways that people interpret this book. One such way of looking at it is called the "preterist" view. In short, it states that the events in all but the last four chapters of Revelation occurred some 2000 years ago, shortly after John penned it. Therefore, the specific suffering and commensurate jailing by the devil was a warning to the people of that time.
Second, advice and direction is given which will enable those subject to suffering to endure: be faithful, even up to death. When we think about the fact that Christ never faltered in his faith and that he maintained it throughout the entire crucifixion experience, he is our example and encouragement. Though the message was to the people of that time, it represents a transcendent principle that still applies to us today. We are told throughout scripture to maintain our faith.
Finally, we are reassured of an eventual reward for maintaining our faith. The bible records that we will receive a crown of life. We will receive the promises of God that include our salvation, everlasting life and entry into His presence forever and ever. Is this not the goal of leading the Christian life?
Beloved, we are so often blown off course by the things and circumstances around us. We must see past the difficulties that Jesus told us would be ours in order to receive the blessings which he likewise told us would be ours. Most of us know nothing of the suffering endured by our ancestors in the faith. It is not likely that we know or have even heard of anyone who has been martyred. We must therefore then, thank God for His goodness and his protection and look forward to that which He has promised, despite any discomforts that may be associated with living the Christian life. This is not a "glass half full" faith, but one that is in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over!
In Revival,
Lee
Scriptures like these can have a depressing effect on Christians, particularly those who are either new or weak in their faith. It can give one a "glass half empty" view of the faith. It may cause some to ask if it is worth it to pursue the kind of life that seems to necessarily include suffering.
A more careful view of the scriptures can alleviate some of the concerns brought to bear by passages such as these. First, it is important to know that this particular verse is found in the book of Revelation. Suffice it to say that there are several different ways that people interpret this book. One such way of looking at it is called the "preterist" view. In short, it states that the events in all but the last four chapters of Revelation occurred some 2000 years ago, shortly after John penned it. Therefore, the specific suffering and commensurate jailing by the devil was a warning to the people of that time.
Second, advice and direction is given which will enable those subject to suffering to endure: be faithful, even up to death. When we think about the fact that Christ never faltered in his faith and that he maintained it throughout the entire crucifixion experience, he is our example and encouragement. Though the message was to the people of that time, it represents a transcendent principle that still applies to us today. We are told throughout scripture to maintain our faith.
Finally, we are reassured of an eventual reward for maintaining our faith. The bible records that we will receive a crown of life. We will receive the promises of God that include our salvation, everlasting life and entry into His presence forever and ever. Is this not the goal of leading the Christian life?
Beloved, we are so often blown off course by the things and circumstances around us. We must see past the difficulties that Jesus told us would be ours in order to receive the blessings which he likewise told us would be ours. Most of us know nothing of the suffering endured by our ancestors in the faith. It is not likely that we know or have even heard of anyone who has been martyred. We must therefore then, thank God for His goodness and his protection and look forward to that which He has promised, despite any discomforts that may be associated with living the Christian life. This is not a "glass half full" faith, but one that is in good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over!
In Revival,
Lee
Monday, October 18, 2010
Almost Slipped-DD 10/18/2010
"Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, My steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant As I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Ps 73:1-3
To this day, many are concerned with "keeping up with the Joneses." We look at their lives, the possessions they own, the jobs they have and the things they are able to do. We also take note that often, they are not members of the body of Christ. Whether the "Joneses" are luminaries like the Gates' and Oprah, or the guy with the biggest house and the nicest neighborhood, we some how feel that it is all so unfair.
Beloved, we must be careful about thoughts like this. To the Christian, life should not be about the material. Jesus said, that we are not to concern ourselves with earthly possessions, but to store up our treasures in heaven.
Though the wicked may seem to prosper for a time, it is not worth losing our inheritance to do what they did to get what they got. There is a consequence for unrighteousness, be it prosperous or not. The Psalmist further relates, "When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my mind until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!" Ps 73:16-19
Let us maintain our footing in the Lord.
In Revival,
Lee
To this day, many are concerned with "keeping up with the Joneses." We look at their lives, the possessions they own, the jobs they have and the things they are able to do. We also take note that often, they are not members of the body of Christ. Whether the "Joneses" are luminaries like the Gates' and Oprah, or the guy with the biggest house and the nicest neighborhood, we some how feel that it is all so unfair.
Beloved, we must be careful about thoughts like this. To the Christian, life should not be about the material. Jesus said, that we are not to concern ourselves with earthly possessions, but to store up our treasures in heaven.
Though the wicked may seem to prosper for a time, it is not worth losing our inheritance to do what they did to get what they got. There is a consequence for unrighteousness, be it prosperous or not. The Psalmist further relates, "When I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my mind until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!" Ps 73:16-19
Let us maintain our footing in the Lord.
In Revival,
Lee
Friday, October 15, 2010
He Hears-DD 10/15/2010
"Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will heal you."
2 Kings 20:4
Many of us struggle in our prayer life. We sometimes wonder if our prayers make it beyond the ceiling. We sometimes wonder if God is home or if He cares at all. It may be that we feel this way because we don't always get what we want. Make no mistake, it is understood that some of the things we want are entirely and sometimes urgently needful. We pray out of pain, fear, concern for another, worry, imminent danger and other things we consider critical. We are subject to becoming despondent and shaken in our faith if we feel God does not look at things the way that we do.
Beloved, it is our faith that should carry us through the times when it seems that God is missing in action. It is our trust in Him that should remind us that all things work together for good to them that are the called according to his purpose, even and especially when things seem that they are at their worst. We need to remember the agony suffered by God's only begotten in the garden of Gethsemane. Remember that God did not allow that cup to pass. Remember that if He had, there would be no salvation for you and I today. Remember that despite Christ's great suffering at our hands and on our behalf, he is even now at the right hand of the Father advocating for us. We can only hope that the times that God may say "no" would accomplish an end so noble and beneficial. Lastly, remember that God is never absent. He is everywhere at all times knowing all things with every ability. That said, he also has the ability to be silent.
Let us also not forget the times when we have prayed and received an immediate response. Many of us cite those times as proof of His existence in our own minds. Whatever it is that you think, understand that His ways are as high above ours as the heavens are above the earth. God knows exactly what He is doing. We must know that fact too.
2 Kings 20:4
Many of us struggle in our prayer life. We sometimes wonder if our prayers make it beyond the ceiling. We sometimes wonder if God is home or if He cares at all. It may be that we feel this way because we don't always get what we want. Make no mistake, it is understood that some of the things we want are entirely and sometimes urgently needful. We pray out of pain, fear, concern for another, worry, imminent danger and other things we consider critical. We are subject to becoming despondent and shaken in our faith if we feel God does not look at things the way that we do.
Beloved, it is our faith that should carry us through the times when it seems that God is missing in action. It is our trust in Him that should remind us that all things work together for good to them that are the called according to his purpose, even and especially when things seem that they are at their worst. We need to remember the agony suffered by God's only begotten in the garden of Gethsemane. Remember that God did not allow that cup to pass. Remember that if He had, there would be no salvation for you and I today. Remember that despite Christ's great suffering at our hands and on our behalf, he is even now at the right hand of the Father advocating for us. We can only hope that the times that God may say "no" would accomplish an end so noble and beneficial. Lastly, remember that God is never absent. He is everywhere at all times knowing all things with every ability. That said, he also has the ability to be silent.
Let us also not forget the times when we have prayed and received an immediate response. Many of us cite those times as proof of His existence in our own minds. Whatever it is that you think, understand that His ways are as high above ours as the heavens are above the earth. God knows exactly what He is doing. We must know that fact too.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thank Without Ceasing-DD 10/14/2010
"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess 5:18
Have you ever allowed someone to get in front of you in traffic and gotten annoyed at the fact that they did not acknowledge your kindness with a simple waive of the hand? Have you ever held the door for someone who walked through and kept on going without a word?
Beloved, how often to we treat the Lord this way? He who supplies all of our needs so often goes without the gratitude that rightfully belongs to Him. We should thank Him for everything. It is with and because of thanks that we have all things from Him: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil 4:6
It is the most basic courtesy, one taught from the earliest ages, to simply say "thank you" for that which we have received.
In Revival,
Lee
Have you ever allowed someone to get in front of you in traffic and gotten annoyed at the fact that they did not acknowledge your kindness with a simple waive of the hand? Have you ever held the door for someone who walked through and kept on going without a word?
Beloved, how often to we treat the Lord this way? He who supplies all of our needs so often goes without the gratitude that rightfully belongs to Him. We should thank Him for everything. It is with and because of thanks that we have all things from Him: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil 4:6
It is the most basic courtesy, one taught from the earliest ages, to simply say "thank you" for that which we have received.
In Revival,
Lee
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
About Those In Need-DD 10/13/2010
"Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" James 2:5
Have you ever been in traffic and seen one of those unforunate people who are situated at an intersecection with a sign asking for assistance and wishing you God's blessing? What do you think about such people? Some, I'm sure, think about how sad it is. Others wonder if it is all a scam and if they have a nice car parked around the corner somewhere. Still others have blinders on and have conditioned themselves to not notice such people.
I'm reminded of "the poor, the maimed and the halt" who were the eventual invitees to the King's banquet when the "haves" of the world were too consumed with their riches and their attendant blessings to accept His invitation. I'm also reminded of a rich man who dressed in finery and ate well each day while another lay at his gates begging crumbs, experiencing compassion only from dogs that licked his sores. At the end of life, it was the poor man who found riches and the rich who found poverty.
Beloved, there are two lessons we should learn from these references and from that which life shows us daily. First, there, but for the grace of God go any of us. Particularly in this day and age of recession, a down economy, forcloseures and the like, we could find oursleves out of work and threatened with losing our homes. In that we are constantly asking ourselves what Jesus would do, we should stop asking and actually do what he would do. None of us will miss the dollar we give to a person in need. Never mind their motives or true situation. That is between them and God. Our helping another person (or failure to do so) is between us and God.
Second, let us not be so consumed with the blessings from God in this world that we lose sight of the Provider Himself and the even greater blessings available in the next. Focusing on adjusting the onboard entertainment in our vehicles that cause us to miss a person in need can just as easily and just as surely cause us to miss heaven. If we are too distracted to do the work of God, we are too distracted. We are the reason the righteous should never be forsaken nor their seed begging bread.
In Revival,
Lee
Have you ever been in traffic and seen one of those unforunate people who are situated at an intersecection with a sign asking for assistance and wishing you God's blessing? What do you think about such people? Some, I'm sure, think about how sad it is. Others wonder if it is all a scam and if they have a nice car parked around the corner somewhere. Still others have blinders on and have conditioned themselves to not notice such people.
I'm reminded of "the poor, the maimed and the halt" who were the eventual invitees to the King's banquet when the "haves" of the world were too consumed with their riches and their attendant blessings to accept His invitation. I'm also reminded of a rich man who dressed in finery and ate well each day while another lay at his gates begging crumbs, experiencing compassion only from dogs that licked his sores. At the end of life, it was the poor man who found riches and the rich who found poverty.
Beloved, there are two lessons we should learn from these references and from that which life shows us daily. First, there, but for the grace of God go any of us. Particularly in this day and age of recession, a down economy, forcloseures and the like, we could find oursleves out of work and threatened with losing our homes. In that we are constantly asking ourselves what Jesus would do, we should stop asking and actually do what he would do. None of us will miss the dollar we give to a person in need. Never mind their motives or true situation. That is between them and God. Our helping another person (or failure to do so) is between us and God.
Second, let us not be so consumed with the blessings from God in this world that we lose sight of the Provider Himself and the even greater blessings available in the next. Focusing on adjusting the onboard entertainment in our vehicles that cause us to miss a person in need can just as easily and just as surely cause us to miss heaven. If we are too distracted to do the work of God, we are too distracted. We are the reason the righteous should never be forsaken nor their seed begging bread.
In Revival,
Lee
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
That Which He Supplies-DD 10/12/2010
"Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." Deut 6:10-12
God has given us abundantly more than we could ever dream or ask. Think about your life. Consider your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your ability to move about freely and not have to worry about from where you next meal comes. We have so much that we take it for granted. We have so much that we now want things we do not need.
That having been said Beloved, God has promised even more. The things we value do not hold a candle to the things of which our God is capable. He supplies that which we can neither conceive or provide for ourselves.
The key, however, is to remember from whom our blessings flow.
In Revival,
Lee
God has given us abundantly more than we could ever dream or ask. Think about your life. Consider your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your ability to move about freely and not have to worry about from where you next meal comes. We have so much that we take it for granted. We have so much that we now want things we do not need.
That having been said Beloved, God has promised even more. The things we value do not hold a candle to the things of which our God is capable. He supplies that which we can neither conceive or provide for ourselves.
The key, however, is to remember from whom our blessings flow.
In Revival,
Lee
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