So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.
It takes courage to speak the truth. If you live your life as a Christian today you will be scorned and mocked. A Christian who believes in the Bible and acts it out in their life is a rare thing, and expect to be hated for it.
Forgiveness. How much does that word mean to you? There is nothing you can do, nothing outside of cursing the Holy Spirit, that is so bad that God will not reach out to you. Manasseh ... what a monster. A man who burned his own children to false gods. He was a man who not one of us today would have mourned his passing.
And he turned back to God and was forgiven. So don't sit there thinking that what you have done is so bad the no one would want you. That you can't be forgiven. God loves you and will forgive you. Just turn away from your sin and take God's hand.
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
And this is how far the LORD went to get you to turn back to Him. He reached out all the way to take our sins upon Himself. To take our punishment upon Himself.
For us, all that is left it to accept His sacrifice, to accept that our sins put Him there, to accept that He is God, to ask for forgiveness, and to take hold of His forgiveness and our salvation.
Sometimes I find myself coasting. I know enough of what is "right" and "wrong", not just in my heart, but in the eyes of others. So you learn to talk the talk. You spend time speaking on how to live for the LORD and not enough time actually living for the LORD.
This is a real risk for those that lead in the church and those that teach. Mainly because we know more than enough to coast for a very long time. If your car engine is idle and out of gear you may go a ways before problems come upon you. And at the first hill that shows up a coasting life will be very easy to see. Because you will not make it over.
LORD ... engage my life. Help me to look first to you and tap into the power you have for me.
I don't like cleaning. Strangely, I do like to vacuum. My wife likes to clean though.
We were going through our house and cleaning out all the drawers with junk in them and under beds and in the storage room and in the closets and on and on. Of course to me the stuff she was going through and throwing away wasn't junk ( yes ... it was ... I just don't like to admit that ). And thinking about it, the reason it really bugged me was because I didn't want her to see all the junk I did keep instead of getting rid of.
It is the same with God and the sin in my life. You don't want to deal with it and expose it to God. But your body is God's temple. Unlike your salvation keeping it clean isn't a one shot deal. Cleaning out the mess of your life is a continual process. As the temple in Jerusalem was cleaned and repaired time and time again. So we need to work on our spiritual life. Open up the windows and throw out the trash. That amazing feeling you have standing in your cleaned up room is nothing compared to standing before God with a cleaned up soul.
We have grape vines in our backyard that I need to clean up. Part of that is finding the branches that no longer produce and cutting them from the vine. And another part is finding the ones that do produce and shaping them, by cutting them back, to become healthier.
The LORD is our vine dresser. He cuts away that which doesn't bear fruit and cuts into those that do as well. We may focus on the parts that are cut away and cast into the fire, yet it is what is left that interests me. Being fruitful in the LORD isn't about being left alone. It is about being pruned. To be cut into the shape the is best for us and is most pleasing to God.
This isn't an easy process. Pruning stresses the branch so that it will do what the vine dresser desires. Likewise God will allow many painful events into our lives. Nothing that will break us as simple branches in His faithful hands. But events that will rather shape us to produce the fruit He desires from us.
... and said to the judges, “Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality or taking bribes.”
How much more justice would be in our culture today if the law was still based on the above. That those in the jury and those in the robes had the fear of the LORD upon them. There really is no injustice with the LORD and neither should we act unjustly.
Once it was true that men understood truth and justice came only from God and that everyone answers to Him. And all laws had to conform that the justice of God. Then just over 100 years ago that changed. It changed from the justice of God to laws being based on previous decisions and cases. And the wisdom of man and "case law" became the disaster we have today.
I wonder when God calls us to labor for the victory and when we are called to stand back and watch His hand work. The easy example is that you don't stand in the street praying: "Oh LORD. Deliver me from the bus rushing down the street to kill me!" The answer is obviously: "MOVE!"
Thinking about this I guess my only idea was to trust in God and go out to battle. If His hand works a miracle ... stand and be amazed. If He calls you to fight ... fight with all that you have.
By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Love each other as you love your family. For your children are of your blood and you love them. Your parents are of your blood and you love them. And you brothers and sisters are of your blood and you love them (sometimes).
But, as Christians we are family by the Blood of Christ. A blood that is deeper and stronger than the flesh of which we are made.
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin.
It isn't much to ask of us. If you want God to hear and forgive ... humble yourself, pray, seek God, and STOP DOING WRONG.
I just had a talk today with a coworker about the people that humble themselves, pray, and seek God. And that is it. They just continue to sin and continue to do wrong.
I know a family councilor who is now working as a middle school teacher. All because he could give good advise. The people would understand and agree that it was good advise. Then they would go home and keep on doing the same sin over and over.
And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam ...
God is on our side and who can stand against us? .... No ... that isn't right .... How about: We are on God's side and who can stand against Him?
It isn't right for me to think that God is for me. Rather I need to seek what God wants. And then stand for that. God is on the side of the poor, the weak, the abused, the honest, the prisoner, of Truth, and of His Word.
I just need to seek out where He would have me stand.
So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
And again we see people who would rather see the man than the miracle. I know I have talked about this before, but it deserves to be pointed out in our lives. I myself find myself struggling at times when someone mentions a miracle in their life.
What do I do with the man who goes to the doctor and who is then surprised to see the cancer gone?
What do I do with the pound of meat the feeds dozens?
What do I do with the whispers of God to brings me to the right place at the right time to act?
Should we continue in the way of the world and deny the truth that is rightfully Gods? No. Praise God and believe. Be reborn with the faith of a child.
When I pray with my sons at night this is one thing I tend to always cover. That tomorrow they will listen to God as He speaks to their hearts.
Snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails are what little boys are made of. We, men and boys, tend to be creatures of action. Of running and feeling the moment. Not of listening to the pull of the Spirit upon us in the moment.
So I'll continue to pray with my sons for us to listen when God speaks.
We may want to be great. To have wealth and power. To be liked and loved. To do great things that will be remembered.
But, none of that can happen without ability and action. An athlete wouldn't dream of doing well by putting on 15 pounds of fat and sitting on the couch all day every day. Likewise we can't just do nothing and then ask God to fulfill our desires.
Solomon asked for the ability to do the task set out for him. For the tasks in your life what abilities do you need from God? Then ask for them and follow it up by using them.
"I don't believe ... I don't believe ... I don't believe ... I can't believe ..."
Ever been faced with a miracle? Do you sit there afterwords with your eyes closed and fingers in your ears crying "I don't believe".
Do not be so insistent on your own strength that you will deny God's power. God works in your life and in the life of others. In ways that make you sit back and be amazed. In ways that are foolishness to the world.
