Numbers 17:8-9
On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff.
Truth: God chooses leadership and affirms it
The above passage is the story of God's once and for all leadership decision. On a number of occasions the people of Israel rebelled against Aaron and Moses' leadership. They thought, at several times, that "others" should be able to lead. They wanted to turn an Theocratic society (where God ruled), into a Democratic society (where they selected who ruled). Since this had happened a number of occasions already, God instructed the one person from each tribe should bring a staff (long, walking type stick) to the Tabernacle. Moses would put all them into the Holy of Holies, along with Aaron's staff. Aaron was God's choice. Moses told them whichever staff was "made alive" with green leaves would be God's statement as to who He wanted to lead this group. Aaron's staff didn't just come back with leaves, but with buds, flowers and ripe almonds. God performed a miracle to indicate who He wanted to lead. God places into leadership His choices, not ours. We might think we have something to say about the process (especially in a democratic society), but it is God who places one leader above another. Notice what the writer of this psalm says about the same subject of God's sovereign rule over leadership:
Psalms 75:7
but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
There is NO level of leadership given to chance. God puts people in the positions He gives them and wants them. When we envy others positions we fight against God and sin against God. We may not like the leadership we have and we might voice our thoughts to them. But, that needs to be done with the understanding that God will use that leader the way He wants. We only have to look at the leaders of Babylon, Assyria and Rome to see how God did that in His Word. Don't fight the leadership and envy their jobs and attempt to undermine their roles. God takes that sin very seriously. It is God who chooses leadership and affirms it.
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Truth #245 - We will suffer in the ministry - it is part of God's plan - 2 Timothy 1-2
2 Timothy 2:3-7
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Truth: We WILL suffer in ministry - it is part of God's plan
Somewhere along the line the Christian Church (along with societies interpretation of the Christian Church) the picture has been painted that to become a Christian (and, especially a Christian minister) is rosy and wonderful. We have been convinced that when we come to Christ we have all the things we want and not only is our spirit changed and our destiny changed, but also our circumstances have changed. We have been convinced that if we have suffering in our life it is directly related to sin in our lives. Christians aren't supposed to have sin and therefore should not suffer. Paul is writing to his young student, Timothy, who at this time is the Elder in the Church at Ephesus. Ephesus is the home town of the goddess, Diana. The town was in an uproar ever since Paul was there to spread the Gospel. The more the Gospel took root, the more the people saw the worship of Diana as a flaw and the more they quit spending money on her. That loss of money put the power brokers in a bind and that increased the suffering of those leading the Christian Church ... i.e. Timothy, who Paul left there to build the church. Paul's second letter to Timothy was sent to encourage him despite that suffering. Paul uses three metaphors to let Timothy know suffering is normal with those who have a mission given to them. He uses the picture of soldier, the athlete, and the farmer. These are not three different word pictures. Each of the three illustrations have these areas of character in common: All three (soldier, athlete and farmer) have made a commitment towards something; all three have suffering that comes as a result the field they have pursued; all three will receive some reward once they get through the suffering. Suffering is part of training for war ... war is suffering. To train for the "games" in Paul's day it was a ten-month commitment for the athlete to push yourself (today it is a year round project for four years). To farm is to deal with the difficulties of unexpected droughts and/or too much rain and/or pestilence and/or, in Paul's day, thieves. If we are going to serve Christ we must come to the understanding that we will have suffering. Paul tells Timothy to "think over what I say" and to trust God because "the Lord will give you understanding in everything." Enduring in suffering, however, is unlike the soldier, the athlete and farmer. They do it, in the world, through their strength of their own will and even boast about that thought. We do suffering through the strength of Christ in faith, only He can provide. Suffering is part of our mission to serve Christ. The greater we serve the more suffering we ought to experience.
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Truth: We WILL suffer in ministry - it is part of God's plan
Somewhere along the line the Christian Church (along with societies interpretation of the Christian Church) the picture has been painted that to become a Christian (and, especially a Christian minister) is rosy and wonderful. We have been convinced that when we come to Christ we have all the things we want and not only is our spirit changed and our destiny changed, but also our circumstances have changed. We have been convinced that if we have suffering in our life it is directly related to sin in our lives. Christians aren't supposed to have sin and therefore should not suffer. Paul is writing to his young student, Timothy, who at this time is the Elder in the Church at Ephesus. Ephesus is the home town of the goddess, Diana. The town was in an uproar ever since Paul was there to spread the Gospel. The more the Gospel took root, the more the people saw the worship of Diana as a flaw and the more they quit spending money on her. That loss of money put the power brokers in a bind and that increased the suffering of those leading the Christian Church ... i.e. Timothy, who Paul left there to build the church. Paul's second letter to Timothy was sent to encourage him despite that suffering. Paul uses three metaphors to let Timothy know suffering is normal with those who have a mission given to them. He uses the picture of soldier, the athlete, and the farmer. These are not three different word pictures. Each of the three illustrations have these areas of character in common: All three (soldier, athlete and farmer) have made a commitment towards something; all three have suffering that comes as a result the field they have pursued; all three will receive some reward once they get through the suffering. Suffering is part of training for war ... war is suffering. To train for the "games" in Paul's day it was a ten-month commitment for the athlete to push yourself (today it is a year round project for four years). To farm is to deal with the difficulties of unexpected droughts and/or too much rain and/or pestilence and/or, in Paul's day, thieves. If we are going to serve Christ we must come to the understanding that we will have suffering. Paul tells Timothy to "think over what I say" and to trust God because "the Lord will give you understanding in everything." Enduring in suffering, however, is unlike the soldier, the athlete and farmer. They do it, in the world, through their strength of their own will and even boast about that thought. We do suffering through the strength of Christ in faith, only He can provide. Suffering is part of our mission to serve Christ. The greater we serve the more suffering we ought to experience.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Truth #244 - When God speaks, those who KNOW Him, hear Him - John 10-11
John 10:4-6
When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Truth - When God speaks, those who KNOW Him hear Him and follow Him
Hearing a familiar voice is very comforting ... especially to children. A baby might be confused by the voices around them, but they are suddenly soothed when their mother or father speaks. When we hear the voice of our loved one over the phone after a long separation, we are suddenly and wonderfully calmed. At creation we have been programed with a highly technical and highly competent voice recognition system. The same is true spiritually. God has a distinct voice. He has a voice known to those who know Him. Those who do not know God and/or walk contrary to God, do not know His voice. When we don't know Him we don't know His voice (His Word) and that is when we mistake other voices for His authoritative Word. Note what God says through two of His prophets in regard to this thought, when they speak to a rebellious Israel that had, for a long time, forgot who God was:
Hosea 8:12
Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
they would be regarded as a strange thing.
Daniel 11:32
He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
Notice, especially in the Daniel passage, that when we "Know" God we will not be seduced by the "flattery" of this world. This is what Jesus is talking about in the above passage out of John 10. At this point in Jesus' teaching, even the disciples didn't understand this type of speech. They will, however!! John is now writing about this teaching of Jesus and admits, at the time, "I" didn't get it either. This theme of knowing God's voice and, therefore, following God's voice will become a central theme in John's first epistle. When we know God's Word we are not lead astray by the words that flatter us and attempt to seduce us. The story of Eve in The Garden with that snake Satan is a great example of being lead astray by flattering words and failing to hear God's Word over the sounds of dissonance. Christ is telling us that if we KNOW Him we will KNOW His voice and follow that voice ... like a small child.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Truth - When God speaks, those who KNOW Him hear Him and follow Him
Hearing a familiar voice is very comforting ... especially to children. A baby might be confused by the voices around them, but they are suddenly soothed when their mother or father speaks. When we hear the voice of our loved one over the phone after a long separation, we are suddenly and wonderfully calmed. At creation we have been programed with a highly technical and highly competent voice recognition system. The same is true spiritually. God has a distinct voice. He has a voice known to those who know Him. Those who do not know God and/or walk contrary to God, do not know His voice. When we don't know Him we don't know His voice (His Word) and that is when we mistake other voices for His authoritative Word. Note what God says through two of His prophets in regard to this thought, when they speak to a rebellious Israel that had, for a long time, forgot who God was:
Hosea 8:12
Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
they would be regarded as a strange thing.
Daniel 11:32
He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.
Notice, especially in the Daniel passage, that when we "Know" God we will not be seduced by the "flattery" of this world. This is what Jesus is talking about in the above passage out of John 10. At this point in Jesus' teaching, even the disciples didn't understand this type of speech. They will, however!! John is now writing about this teaching of Jesus and admits, at the time, "I" didn't get it either. This theme of knowing God's voice and, therefore, following God's voice will become a central theme in John's first epistle. When we know God's Word we are not lead astray by the words that flatter us and attempt to seduce us. The story of Eve in The Garden with that snake Satan is a great example of being lead astray by flattering words and failing to hear God's Word over the sounds of dissonance. Christ is telling us that if we KNOW Him we will KNOW His voice and follow that voice ... like a small child.
Friday, August 28, 2015
Trtuh #243 - Our response to God's Word determines the frame of our lives - Hosea 8-14
Hosea 8:12
Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
they would be regarded as a strange thing.
Truth: Our response to God's Word determines the frame of our lives.
God is speaking through the prophet Hosea and telling Israel why He is destroying them. They had forsaken His word and gone after man-made gods and worshipped silver and gold and power and prestige. God is saying to them, in the above verse, it would not have matter if He would have given them 10,000 verses of Scripture, they would have not understood it and would have looked at it as a strange thing. The word in this verse for "strange" is translated 70 times in the Old Testament and it is often translated as "foreign." What God is saying in this verse concerns how they understood God and came to know Him and what HIs plan was for them. God is saying that if He would have given them countless prophets, who wrote and spoke countless words the Word would have been foreign to them. We might imagine traveling to another country, which speaks a different language. Think of going to Russia and trying to navigate the world around you, only being able to speak English. If someone spoke 10,000 Russian words to you, you would still not know where the nearest restaurant would be located. God is telling us that if we hope to have changed lives we must be able to properly respond to God's word. Think of Josiah, the King of Judah, when they discovered the "law" while cleaning the temple. It was like a new discovery. Josiah brought reforms and repentance to the nation because he heard the Word and took it to heart. He mixed the Word with Faith and the result was holiness and living for God. In the passage above, God is showing what happens when His Word is heard but not mixed with faith ... it is as if God is speaking a foreign language.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Truth #242 - Only God is qualified to judge evil - Proverbs 20
Proverbs 20:22
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
Truth: God is the only one qualified to judge evil
It is natural to want to fight back. But, before Christ or Paul ever uttered words about not rendering evil for evil, Solomon had already given us quite powerful words. In this proverb Solomon gives us one line as a precept and another as a principle. We are not to pay back wrong for wrong. The reason for that is the principle that God will deliver us from the wrong. We are to wait on Him to deliver us. That must be one of the hardest things we ever do. We are to wait! We seldom can wait at the drive-up window at the fast food stop. But, God wants us to wait for Him to deliver us from the wrongs done to us! This is a great verse to commit to memory. Are you hanging onto anger for a wrong done to you and you want to get your vengeance? Wait … That is God’s job. We’re to let God take care of wrongs done to us.
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!”
Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
Truth: God is the only one qualified to judge evil
It is natural to want to fight back. But, before Christ or Paul ever uttered words about not rendering evil for evil, Solomon had already given us quite powerful words. In this proverb Solomon gives us one line as a precept and another as a principle. We are not to pay back wrong for wrong. The reason for that is the principle that God will deliver us from the wrong. We are to wait on Him to deliver us. That must be one of the hardest things we ever do. We are to wait! We seldom can wait at the drive-up window at the fast food stop. But, God wants us to wait for Him to deliver us from the wrongs done to us! This is a great verse to commit to memory. Are you hanging onto anger for a wrong done to you and you want to get your vengeance? Wait … That is God’s job. We’re to let God take care of wrongs done to us.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Truth #241 - God is our supplier and sustainer - Psalm 102-104
Psalms 104:27-30
These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
Truth: God is the supplier and sustainer of all things.
The above truth is very similar to what Paul wrote the Colossians in his letter:
Colossians 1:15-17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
In both these passages we see the sustaining power of God. Not only did God create all things, but it is by His voice He holds all things together. The word, "These" at the beginning of these verses refers back to all the things the writer previously stated that God created and sustains. The animals, the oceans, the heavens and even man's work are all mentioned and therefore included in this term "these." All these things "look to" God for food. God simply opens His hands and we have "good things." God can "take away their breath" and their life is ended. God can take away all that is, and then, through His Spirit, create all new again. God is the sustainer and supplier of all we need or could ever want. This passage is what makes jealous, envy and want an act of sin. God gives us exactly what He wants us to have. He never supplies anything less. He never supplies anything more. God gives us exactly what He wants to both endure (through strength in His Son) and what He wants us to enjoy (again, through strength in His Son). We ought not to look at our lives in want of something. We ought not look at our lives in jealousy of what others have. We ought not look at our lives in the desire for more. God knows what we need, can handle and gives us blessings accordingly.
These all look to you,
to give them their food in due season.
When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
Truth: God is the supplier and sustainer of all things.
The above truth is very similar to what Paul wrote the Colossians in his letter:
Colossians 1:15-17
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
In both these passages we see the sustaining power of God. Not only did God create all things, but it is by His voice He holds all things together. The word, "These" at the beginning of these verses refers back to all the things the writer previously stated that God created and sustains. The animals, the oceans, the heavens and even man's work are all mentioned and therefore included in this term "these." All these things "look to" God for food. God simply opens His hands and we have "good things." God can "take away their breath" and their life is ended. God can take away all that is, and then, through His Spirit, create all new again. God is the sustainer and supplier of all we need or could ever want. This passage is what makes jealous, envy and want an act of sin. God gives us exactly what He wants us to have. He never supplies anything less. He never supplies anything more. God gives us exactly what He wants to both endure (through strength in His Son) and what He wants us to enjoy (again, through strength in His Son). We ought not to look at our lives in want of something. We ought not look at our lives in jealousy of what others have. We ought not look at our lives in the desire for more. God knows what we need, can handle and gives us blessings accordingly.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Truth #240 - God is making us what He wants us to be - 1 Chronicles 15-19
1 Chronicles 17:7-8
Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
Truth: God makes us what He wants us to be and not, we, ourselves.
We live in such a corrupt society. From brith on we are taught to learn, to excel, to advance and to conquer. We are indoctrinated with plausible teachings that we can make something out of ourselves. Young children are taught they can perform because they are smart, athletic, and even because they are beautiful and charming. We are taught to work hard and good things will happen. Study hard and get a degree and that is the path of fortune and fame. Non-believers are more dedicated to these truths than believers, but believing parents teach the same things and then add the addendum, "Do it to the glory of God." In the above text we have God's initial response to David making the statement he is going to build a temple for God ... to take God out of the tent and into a real building. In the preceding chapter David had just returned the Ark to its proper place in the Tabernacle and then went home to bless his house (16:43). Once home, however, he realized that he was living in a nice home and the Ark of God was in a tent. He forgot, however, that this is where God wanted the Ark to be and God, in this chapter, reminds him. In that reminder, God also tells David that he is what he is because God made him the way he was. It is so, so easy for us to clam what little fame we have as something we have done. Yet, God is in the process of making us what He wants us to become. We are to accept that form and fashioning of our lives in humility and in praise. God can bring us low (think of King Nebuchadnezzar suddenly eating grass like a cow), or, He can take a poor shepherd boy and turn him into a giant killer and king! God took twelve disciples who were fishing one day and leading a movement of faith the next. He took a simple tax collector and made him an author of a great Gospel book. He took a muderer and made him the leader of His people (Moses) and He took one and made him the pillar of teaching in the church (Paul). In the above verse God says, "I took you ...". God does that for all of us. He takes us from the place we are and puts us in the place He wants us to be. Rejoice in that thought; worship that truth; in humility rest in that knowledge. You are not a mistake. You are exactly what God is fashioning you to be.
Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.
Truth: God makes us what He wants us to be and not, we, ourselves.
We live in such a corrupt society. From brith on we are taught to learn, to excel, to advance and to conquer. We are indoctrinated with plausible teachings that we can make something out of ourselves. Young children are taught they can perform because they are smart, athletic, and even because they are beautiful and charming. We are taught to work hard and good things will happen. Study hard and get a degree and that is the path of fortune and fame. Non-believers are more dedicated to these truths than believers, but believing parents teach the same things and then add the addendum, "Do it to the glory of God." In the above text we have God's initial response to David making the statement he is going to build a temple for God ... to take God out of the tent and into a real building. In the preceding chapter David had just returned the Ark to its proper place in the Tabernacle and then went home to bless his house (16:43). Once home, however, he realized that he was living in a nice home and the Ark of God was in a tent. He forgot, however, that this is where God wanted the Ark to be and God, in this chapter, reminds him. In that reminder, God also tells David that he is what he is because God made him the way he was. It is so, so easy for us to clam what little fame we have as something we have done. Yet, God is in the process of making us what He wants us to become. We are to accept that form and fashioning of our lives in humility and in praise. God can bring us low (think of King Nebuchadnezzar suddenly eating grass like a cow), or, He can take a poor shepherd boy and turn him into a giant killer and king! God took twelve disciples who were fishing one day and leading a movement of faith the next. He took a simple tax collector and made him an author of a great Gospel book. He took a muderer and made him the leader of His people (Moses) and He took one and made him the pillar of teaching in the church (Paul). In the above verse God says, "I took you ...". God does that for all of us. He takes us from the place we are and puts us in the place He wants us to be. Rejoice in that thought; worship that truth; in humility rest in that knowledge. You are not a mistake. You are exactly what God is fashioning you to be.
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