Power in Obedience

On April 17, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joshua 7: 5              NIV

And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.


So to recap, Joshua is in charge of the nation of Israel. They have crossed over the Jordan River by a miracle of God and enjoyed a supernatural victory over Jericho. Jericho was a strong and fortified city but the Israelites took it without a struggle. Now they have gone up against a small town called Ai. Joshua’s advisors told him that he only needed to send up two or three thousand men because the enemy was few. So Joshua sent up about three thousand men but the text says, “They were routed by the men of Ai” (v. 4). So what has happened here?

After the defeat of Jericho, God gave the Israelites specific instructions regarding the disposition of the spoils of war. Some of the spoils they were allowed to keep but other material was designated for the treasury of God. After the defeat at Ai, Joshua fell on his face before the Lord perplexed at how a small band of men could defeat the nation that took Jericho so easily. Wouldn’t you know, when the army of the Lord entered Jericho some of the men took what belonged to the Lord and kept if for themselves. There they sealed their fate.

This would be an appropriate place to talk about the tithe and stealing from God but there is another facet of this behavior worth considering also. Our behaviors, our hearts condemn us. It is hard to receive from God when your heart tells you that you don’t deserve His mercies and kindness. One might argue in one’s mind that the benefits of being a child of God still accrue to them but their heart will not allow them to receive. True, God still loves us, Jesus still died for us but we separate ourselves from God because of the guilt and shame in our heart of hearts.  

If there is any sin keeping you from full fellowship with the Lord of Grace simply confess it and pour the blood of Jesus over it. You never have to feel guilt over it again. But make sure you renounce it and turn away from it too. You are made clean in the blood of the lamb and in Jesus you can and should enjoy the fullness of the abundant life. Be filled with the loving grace and mercy of our Lord.

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God’s Logic

On April 16, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Joshua 6: 2                 NIV

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”

Score massive points for Joshua. Not only did He register that God had spoken these instructions but he also followed them to the letter. I am glad for Israel that I was not the leader of the nation because I would probably still be sitting there saying, “That can’t be God.”

Sometimes we need to follow the Lord in spite of logic because His instructions do not always make sense to our mortal minds but they will deliver wonders and victory when we follow Him. You know the rest of the story. The priests, on the seventh day, blew the long blast on the trumpet during the Israelites’ seventh circuit around Jericho, the people shouted when they heard the blast and, as the song says, the walls came tumbling down. The soldiers did not have to file through a few gates but rather each person just walked straight up and they took the city with ease.

What do you think distinguishes Joshua from those of us who would have questioned the logic of God’s battle plans? Can you picture Joshua arousing this great multitude of people and getting them to march around the walled city of Jericho for seven consecutive days? He must have been very sure that he had heard from God. If you knew beyond all doubt that God spoke specific directions to you wouldn’t you also find the strength and courage to follow His instructions to the “T” just like Joshua?

In all the years that Joshua followed Moses one surmises that Joshua witnessed what was necessary in order to lead the nation of Israel. He must have observed Moses fellowshipping with the Lord and learned how to separate himself from the fray of everyday life so that he could hear the Word of the Lord. I am also reminded of the advice the Lord gave Joshua when he took Moses’ position. God’s sage advice was two-fold. First, be strong and courageous and second, do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth but rather meditate on it day and night being careful to do all contained therein (Joshua 3: 8 – 9).

In conclusion, having walled cities, or any other challenge for that matter, crumble at your feet comes from precisely obeying the Lord’s instructions. We can only have faith and confidence in those oft times seemingly illogical, nonsensical directions when we know beyond doubt that we have heard the voice of the Lord. That kind of confidence and faith comes only from fellowship with the Lord and in His word but fellowship in the Word and in the presence of the Lord yields the bold courage that frees one to follow uncharted paths, it emboldens the heart to do all that the Lord has spoken and it sees obedient zeal in place of questioning critical thought. It gives an ordinary human being the fortitude to do that which seems unreasonable to the human mind and to do such in confidant assurance of the prize.

So if what God is telling you does not seem to make good sense to your logic center, rejoice. You have joined very good company for no one who has ever done anything great for the Lord has not had to face the same fears, doubt and indecision. Just get alone with your Father and let Him confirm His will to you and don’t worry if His logic doesn’t agree with the world’s. That is where the fun begins.

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Time Away

On April 15, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 5: 16

But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

This passage is speaking about Jesus. As you read the accounts of his life, you will discover that Jesus frequently went off by himself for time alone with his Father. Likewise, we need to learn to get away, alone with God regardless of how busy we are. We will never walk in the way of Jesus without doing the things he did. Surely if he needed time alone with God, then we do too.

I am encouraging you to find time to be alone with God because that is where your intimacy with him is found. No matter how much we go to church or how big our ministries are, the relationship with the Father is built in the quiet times together. Show him how precious he is to you by giving him a few minutes of your time. If you cannot give God some of your time, then how important to you is he really? I promise you that the rewards are well worth the time spent.

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Enemies Defeated

On April 14, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 81: 13-14

 13  Oh that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!
 14 I would quickly subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries.

I well imagine the Lord is of the same mind today; that we would turn our ways to him so that he can subdue our enemies for us. He would squash our problems if only we would let him. We are often so busy trying to fight battles in our own might that we do not leave room for him. We forget to walk in love but rather walk in our own self-centered, self-serving ways. God cannot work in that environment. The bible says that faith works by love. If we would only listen to him, he would solve all of our problems for us. We lie, cheat … whatever we have to do to get our way. It really is too much work. If we would give away what we want, we would receive back many fold that which we desire. How frustrating it must be for God, sometimes, to want to do for us and yet not be allowed to because we refuse to create an environment in which his power can flow. His power flows through love and faith.

Do you want God to subdue your enemies? Do you want Him to turn His hand against your adversaries? Maybe your adversaries are sickness or injury, or poverty or bad relationships or disobedient children. Re-read verse 13 again and substitute your name in place of “Israel.” If you want God to overcome them for you so that you don’t even have to fight those battles for yourself, then listen to him and walk in his ways. It really can be that easy.

 

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Poverty like a Thief

On April 11, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Proverb 6: 9 – 11

How long will you lie down, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man.

God has promised to bless the work of your hands. In fact, in Deuteronomy 30: 9 He promised to “prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand.” The point is, though, that you must set your hand to the plow, as it were. In Colossians 3: 23 Paul teaches that in “whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” 

We were never meant to be idle beings. God created the sloth for that purpose. Even in the Garden of Eden humanity was expected to work and produce. The Garden of Eden was nothing more than a seed garden. Adam and Eve were supposed to take those seeds and create a planet of Eden but they failed miserably. Fortunately, despite our failures God always has an alternate blessing plan. If you read the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy you see that He filled the environment with blessing. About the only blessing you will not find is the couch potato blessing.

Have you heard the expression “work hard, play hard”? Is there a reason that work comes before play in that expression? We must first work and then we play with glee.

Your work is meant to be a source of blessing not just a source of income. As a matter of fact, you may be retired. That does not mean that your work has ended. God may have called you into something new. And work doesn’t have to be a bad word. It is meant to be part of our fulfillment. Meaningful work is a delight. Truth be known, when we dedicate it all to the Lord it is He who does the heavy lifting anyway and we get to walk around in the blessing.

No matter what you are called to do it with all your energy as if your boss is Jesus because in truth he is. Do your work with joy. Your joy comes through the Holy Spirit and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8: 10). You see work doesn’t have to be drudgery. If the Lord has given you something to do, do it with all your might and with joy blessing the Lord that you have something to which to set your hand. There are thousands and millions of people who do not have the opportunities that we have. God is blessing us.

If we do not arise and do what He has called us to do, He will take away what He has given us and give it to someone else to do. Then we will understand that our work was a gift and a blessing. Just a little folding of the hands, just a little laziness and all of a sudden you have moved yourself out of the blessing and into the curse. We have to understand that God has always, since the beginning of time, been trying to bless people. You see it all through the Old Testament. Then Jesus came to bring us abundant life (John 10: 10). You can see the parallel of God’s will in Deuteronomy 30: 9. It has always been about abundant blessing. But there is a thief among us so God began warning us early that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). If we fold our hands and slumber the devil will take free rein with our blessing. Guard diligently what the Lord has given you. He has put all things in your hands for joy and blessing. Don’t let the devil steal your blessing. Instead work diligently with a joyful heart giving the Lord thanks for the multitude of blessings He has given you. Make your work a praise offering to the Lord. Go to work with Him, take Him with you. When you take Jesus with you, then all things are a joy.

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Today is the Day

On April 10, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 13: 10 – 17

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.  She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.  When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are free from your infirmity.”  Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.  Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, “There are six days for work.  So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”  The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites!  Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?  Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”  When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

Proverb 16: 25 reads, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” It is easy to get tied down to our way of doing things and our traditions and no longer serve the cause they were meant to address. Even in our religious service we can lose sight of what is meaningful. So was the case of the ruler of the synagogue. He was willing to do what was necessary to take care of his oxen or donkey and would not have criticized anyone else for doing the same yet he had no compassion for a child of God. He had lost sight of the love of God and even basic logic.

The most amazing thing to me in this passage is that the synagogue official said to the people that there were six days in a week for healing so for them to come be healed on one of those six days. If my math is correct that allows 5634 days for the woman’s healing because she had been bent over and persecuted by the evil spirit for eighteen years. Why didn’t the synagogue official or one of the priests heal the woman on any one of those 5634 days? What a hypocrite!

There was no love of God operating in that official. There was no ministry to the people of God’s heart. I can imagine that Jesus was enraged. It is surprising to me that he didn’t call fire down from heaven right then. What tolerance and patience he had!! 

The synagogue official served the Sabbath but not the people. God did not set up the Sabbath so that people could serve it but rather so that they would remember how much He loves them and how he led them out of Egypt and cared for them, finally leading them into the Promised Land. 

Ultimately the official probably was embarrassed because he realized that he should have healed the woman long ago. Many times criticism does come from guilt feelings and shame. So the message today is that we should be very careful about criticizing others, especially when they are serving the people and secondly, today is the day of healing. Receive your healing today or lay your hands on someone for their healing. There is no better day than today.

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Abundant Life

On April 9, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 10: 10

I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly.

John 6: 63

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

Jesus told the world, in his own words, that the reason for his coming into the earth was to bring us abundant life. He also told us that life comes through the Holy Spirit. So which is it, does life come from and by the Holy Spirit or through and by Jesus? In the last phrase of John 6: 63 Jesus said the words he spoke were both spirit and truth. So, abundant life and the Spirit are ours through Jesus and the words that he spoke.

Just before his crucifixion and death, Jesus told his disciples that it was to their advantage, and hence ours, that he go away so that he could send the helper, the Holy Spirit (John 16: 7). When we read these verses together we realize that this increased life, this life of abundance is a product of the Holy Spirit which is realized in us by Jesus and his words. No one comes to the Holy Spirit but by the son and no one comes to the son apart from his words. The words of Jesus lead us into his saving grace.

The Word of God is the seed that yields life. When we plant this seed in the fertile soil of our hearts it produces all good things in abundance including peace and joy. There is nothing of our carnal life that profits us. Only our investment in Jesus and his word lead us to the freedom in the Spirit which is the deep need of every human soul.

The desire of Jesus’ heart is for us to live in the abundance that his life, death and resurrection bought for us. He is passionate about us attaining to this high life. And it is for that reason that he has given us his words directing us to this fullness of life. Enfold Jesus and the revelation of his words into the tender folds of your heart. There let it nurture the life of plenty and fulfillment.

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