Would you go "outside" the camp to work with a leper? Leviticus 13-15

Leviticus 14:2-3 (NASBStr)

“This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing. Now he shall be brought to the priest, and the priest shall go out to the outside of the camp. Thus the priest shall look, and if the infection of leprosy has been healed in the leper,

To protect the entire nation against a wide spread epidemic God gives them extensive instructions on how to handle infections and the early signs of diseases.   He gives these instructions to the priests, as they were God's ministers during these days of Israel.   In the above passage we see that the priest was to be notified about the leper, who, at the time had already been placed outside the camp to avoid a spread of the sickness.  If you were the priest you understood the instructions and you were ready to obey them.  However, you would have to have a level of faith to step outside the camp into these situations.   Those who minister for God have always had this responsibility ... to go to those outside the camp to minister to them.  They, too, have also had to have faith that God would protect them in these situations when they where asked to minister to the "outsiders."   When God requires the work He protects and enables the faith to do so.   God gave direct responsibility to the priest and they were to step into these situations in exact faith, knowing that God would use them when asking them to do so.   So, too, with us, when we are asked to step on the outside and work with those who are in extreme sickness, diseases, or situations of danger.  God protects His ministers.   

Do you know how to act when your poor or rich? Philippians 3-4

Philippians 4:11-13 (NASBStr)

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

We tend to live our lives in extremes.  We have an all or nothing mentality.   In this passage we see Paul take the two extremes of living in regard to material things and gives us a sense of balance and understanding.   The Christian life is not characterized by the amount of material things we have.   It should be characterized by how we respond to material things.   Wether we are abased or amassed we ought to have the same state of mind:  To know that whichever state we find ourselves in, it is Christ who gives us strength.   Wether we are hungry or have more than we need, the state of our mind and being should be the same, it is Christ who is our all and in all.  He gives us the states we are in.  I have personally been bankrupt and blessed with more money than I could imagine.   In one of those deepest times of my life, without material things, I came across this proverb and it has been my life verse in regard to material things:

Proverbs 30:7-9 (NASBStr)

Two things I asked of You,

Do not refuse me before I die:

 Keep deception and lies far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

 That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or that I not be in want and steal,

And profane the name of my God.

Let us have the mind of this writer and Paul.   Let's make sure that material things don't move us from know that the one thing that is true and necessary is that it is Christ in us that gives us strength and hope.   

Did you know it takes much faith to do much forgiveness? Luke 17-18

Luke 17:5-6 (NASBStr)

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea ’; and it would obey you.

In the context of this passage the above interchange between Jesus and the disciples doesn't quickly appear logically sound.   The disciples were being told to forgive those who sin against them, even if they come and ask repentance seven times.   Yet, the disciples ask nothing about forgiveness, repentance, sin or salvation.    Instead what we read is that they are immediately drawn to ask about faith.   After further examination, however, we see that their question is very logical.  They believed Jesus teaching.   But, to believe His teaching to this extent would require greater faith.  Jesus told them to forgive even if someone repents seven times.   Faith is putting your complete trust in God's Word even though it doesn't seem logically correct.   It is not logical to believe that someone would come back to life from the dead, but by faith we believe it.  It was not logical to believe water would come from a rock, but Moses believed and it did.   It is not logical that we should keep forgiving someone, even if he sins against us seven times.   Forgiveness is about faith in God's Word.  Jesus is telling them to forgive based upon His Word.   Actually, it will be based upon His sacrificial death and atonement, later.   Our forgiveness of others is based upon our belief (faith) that God will produce different results that what the eye and the feelings believe.   To forgive others when they sin constantly against us is to forgive by faith.   Jesus doesn't actually tell them "how" to increase their faith.  He simply affirms their desire for more faith is, indeed, a great request.   Increase of faith can do amazing things, not limited to forgiveness.   Throughout this chapter He will give them ways to increase their faith, but the lesson here is to realize the importance of faith in correlation with forgiveness of others (read the Lord's Prayer again and see the same thing) and that desiring great faith is key to accomplishing much for Christ. 

Do you see the ways God uses us to teach others? Ezekiel 19-24

Ezekiel 24:18-19 (NASBStr)

So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. The people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?”

The life of the Man of God is not always filled with a great big church full of obedient people seeking hard after God and singing His praises faithfully.  Sometimes the Man of God is used for a sign to the disobedient believer and is given a hard life to follow.   Jeremiah spent as much time in the pit as he did in the Palace.    Isaiah found the word of God faithful but the people not but preached faithfully to the end.   In the above passage we see the Ezekiel is given a bitter role to play:  His wife is going to be taken by God AND he is not allowed to mourn over that taking!!   He is to be an example to the nation that God is about to take what they love (their freedom) and they are not to mourn about it, because it, too, is the will of God.   In the case of the nation of Israel, they deserve to have their freedom taken for all the abominations they committed in the land.  But, Ezekiel's wife did nothing.  She and her husband had a greater calling than living their life out in retirement.  They were created to be used as examples to the God's people to convey God's love and judgment.   Think about that in regard to our modern ministry dynamics.  We see "success" in the ministry as packed pews and glorious celebrations.   When we see a Man of God struggling and having difficulty in their ministry we don't even think that maybe God is using this as an example to teach us something.   God uses His people to fulfill His word.   That might look exciting (like Solomon) but that might look dreary (like Ezekiel).   Joseph's life was not a prize we would like to win, yet, he as exactly where God wanted him.    Don't judge success on what you see, but on what God can do with what you see.  

Do you listen to wisdom or folly? Proverbs 8-9

Proverbs 8:34 (NASBStr)

“ Blessed is the man who listens to me,

Watching daily at my gates,

Waiting at my doorposts.

Sitting at Wisdom's door is better than sitting at Folly's table. Wisdom wants to bless us and will do so if we but call and stay close to her house. But, when we cross over the street to the house of Folly we have negative consequences. Although Wisdom is available to all, all don't take advantage of her. Some want the loud and enticing house of Folly. But, it is better to simply be at Wisdom's door (Proverbs 8:34) than to dwell in the house of Folly (Proverbs 9:13-18).  How easy the choice is to pen ... or type out.  How hard is it to live out.   Notice in Romans 7:15-25 that Paul, the great Apostle, struggled to get his flesh to follow hard after righteousness.   King David sat one late night on the roof of the very house these proverbs would eventually be penned by his own son.   Even though God would describe David as a "man after My own heart," David would seek folly that night and sleep with a women married to one of  his soldiers.   Abraham would listen to his wife and instead of believing in the promise of God would sleep with the handmaid, hoping to fulfill God's promise via the flesh way.   It takes great faith to "watch" and "wait" at Wisdom's door.    The flesh will be drawn away to something enticing and exciting.   But, when we sit quietly and listen to wisdom, she promises we will be blessed.   

Do we tempt God with our dissatisfaction? Psalm 78-80

Psalms 78:19-22 (NASBStr)

Then they spoke against God;

They said, “ Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

 “Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out,

And streams were overflowing;

Can He give bread also?

Will He provide meat for His people?”

 Therefore the Lord heard and was full of wrath;

And a fire was kindled against Jacob

And anger also mounted against Israel,

 Because they did not believe in God

And did not trust in His salvation.

How does God feel about our unbelief?  How does He feel about our lack of faith that He can save, through all things?  How does He feel when we are not satisfied with what we have and we want more?   In the above verses of Aspah's 78th Psalm we can see the answer to these questions.   God is not pleased with us when we lack faith.  In Hebrews 11:6 we are told that "without faith it is impossible to please God."   The above verses are exhibit A for that thought and truth.   The nation of Israel, despite the visual signs of God's awesome power, had a disbelief that God could meet their every need.  They had the attitude that sounded like this: "Well, God might be able to have water come from a rock but can He give us meat to eat when we are in this terrible desert?"   That temptation was an act of unbelief.   God had already demonstrated countless times His power.  Yet, they lacked something THEY WANTED and that demonstrated their lack of faith.  God does not take pleasure in our discontentment or our unbelief.   We need to make sure we have faith in God based upon His promises, HIs past practices and the pleasure He takes in caring for His sheep.   There is NO reason to question God or test Him.  We simply need to believe Him.  

Do you believe God can provide enough that you have "some left over?" 2 Kings 1-4

2 Kings 4:42-44 (NASBStr)

Now a man came from Baal- shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “ Give them to the people that they may eat.” His attendant said, “What, will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left over. ’” So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.

This story is a precursor to Jesus feeding the 4,000 and the 5,000.  In the above story the prophet Elisha wanted his attendant, Gehazi, to give twenty loaves of bread to a town of people.   Gehazi, who will eventually prove to lack faith and have selfish motives, questioned Elisha's words.  He didn't have enough faith to know that God will provide more than enough if we have the faith to believe it.  In this section the prophets didn't hear Elisha has for a "double-portion" of the Spirit that was upon Elijah.   The widow only gather a few jars and therefore the oil ran out.   Here, the servant thinks God's provision will run out.  But, Elisha knew he had a double portion of the Spirit.  He knew nothing would run out.   Today we have the Holy Spirit completely indwelling us and yet we are powerless.   We don't believe what we have is enough to give us victory over sin.   When I sin it is because I don't remember to call upon the power that is within, given by Christ though the Spirit of God.   We have to realize that with the Holy Spirit there will always have "some left over."