What Does it Take to Get a Little Milk and Honey Around Here?

In our walk with Jesus we are promised a better life.  As heirs with Christ there are a lot of benefits.  If that is the case why do we still have trials and tribulations?  Last week I wrote about that a bit.  Today I'd like to approach it from a slightly different angle.

Exodus 3:8(NKJV)

8So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. 

In the OT the land of milk and honey was a physical place.  I'd like to use it as an analogy to the better life in Christ that we talk about.  I want to look at the question: What does it take to get a little milk and honey around here?  In other words is there something more required than just believing in Jesus? 

Now let me be very clear.  The only thing required to receive eternal life is accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.  But is that enough to get you a full measure of that Milk and Honey Life in Jesus?  Let's take a look.

Let's start by looking at the highlighted part above.  God has come down to Egypt and He is going to bring them (the Israelites) up from there.  What I want you to notice is that God wasn't bringing the Land of Milk and Honey to them.  I mean if God was gonna take someone's land and give it to the Israelites, why not just take the Egyptians land and give it to them.  After all, they were already there.  It was nice land.  It would have been so much more convenient. 

But nooo, they had to be willing to follow God, trust Him, and go on a journey with Him.  They had to actually make an effort and go through some hardships   before they finally got to enjoy the Milk and Honey.

And as we learned last week in Romans, we are to rejoice in our tribulations.  Another way I think of it is that we are to bear our tribulations with dignity.  Let's look how the Israelites handled it. 

Exodus 14:12(NKJV)

12Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

More like whine and complain.  And what happened to those that whined and complained?  Did they get to enjoy the Milk and Honey?  Nope, they just got to enjoy a lovely 40 year walk in the desert.

What can we learn from this?  If you will truly let Jesus be the Lord of your life He will take you places and you'll do things that you never would have imagined.  If you will just trust Him and take a chance and do some of those crazy things he puts on your heart to do you will be amazed.  When He prompts you to do something that is really scary to you like witnessing, or leading a Bible Study or something, take a chance "on dying in the wilderness" and let God develop new talents and skills that you never knew you had. 

If you will trust Jesus and follow Him anywhere He leads you, you will indeed enter into that Milk and Honey Life in Jesus!

Therefore Take Heart!

Acts 27:25(NKJV)

25Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 

What does the phrase "take heart" mean?  It means to draw or gain courage.  It's real easy to get down when we are going through trials and tribulations.  And yet as I pointed out the other day, how are we told to deal with our tribulations?

Romans 5:3(NKJV)

3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

Here is the definition of glory that I think best fits this usage.

8. (v.i.) glory

to exult with triumph; rejoice proudly (usu. fol. by in):

Their parents gloried in their success.

Pasted from <http://www.definitions.net/definition/glory>

So we are supposed to rejoice that we are going through tough times?  How does that make sense?  Here is how.  Let's go back to the first scripture above.

"for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me."

Do you believe that?  That is the key right there.  Do you truly believe God "that  it will be just as it was told to me?" 

Then there is your answer.  God has given us lots of promises in His Word and we can depend or stand on those promises.  Here is one example. 

Romans 8:28(NKJV)

28And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

We've all heard this scripture before.  These aren't just words in some book.  These words are a promise from God.  Do you believe it?  Notice it doesn’t say life will always be rosy for those who believe.  It says that all things will work out. 

So if you are going through tough times, get in the Word to learn God's promises and then take heart, draw courage from those promises because I can assure you that it will be just as God said!

...That They May Serve Me!

I wrote the other day about What Are You Bound By and I would like to continue with that theme a bit today.  As I wrote the other day, there is no reason to be bound by the enemy (Satan) because God has given all believers a higher authority to appeal to.  We may not get instant relief but God has promised us the we will get it eventually. 

How can we be sure?  Because it is God's plan.  How do I know it is part of God's plan?  Take a look at this passage.

Exodus 8:1(NKJV)

1And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 

I'm going to use the whole Exodus thing as my metaphorical example.  God's people were bound by Pharaoh in Egypt.  They appealed to a higher authority, God.  God sent Moses to Pharaoh to tell Pharaoh to let the people go.  But there was more to it than that.  Why did God want Pharaoh to let the people go?  "...that they may serve me!"

Folks, that is how you can be so sure that God will deliver you.  So that you can serve him!  Notice that even with God in the picture it took a while to get Pharaoh to let His People go, so don't be surprised if it's not instant gratification.  Just take comfort in the fact that you KNOW it will happen. 

"…that they may serve me."

How are we to serve him?  In any way that He calls us to serve.  But one of the most effective ways is to just simply share what God has done in our lives.  You don't have to be a great giver of speeches.  You don't have to be Billy Bible (I once had a lady call me that in Sunday School.  LOL) who has the whole book memorized.  You just have to simply share your faith.  Want proof?  Watch this 3 minute video!

To Do Justly, To Love Mercy, and To Walk Humbly

Micah 6:8(NKJV)
8    He has shown you, O man, what is good;      And what does the Lord require of you     But to do justly,     To love mercy,     And to walk humbly with your God?

What a nice simple message in this passage.  What does the Lord require of us?  God lays it out right there.  But what does it mean exactly.  Let's start with some definitions.

just·ly
    1. in a just  manner; honestly; fairly: Deal justly with the prisoners.
    2. in conformity to fact or rule; accurately.
    3. deservedly; as deserved.

mer·cy
 1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: Have mercy on the poor sinner.
    2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing: an adversary wholly without mercy.
    3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.
    4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor: She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors.
    5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing: It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.

hum·ble
 1. not proud or arrogant; modest: to be humble although successful.
    2. having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience, etc.: In the presence of so many world-famous writers I felt very humble.
    3. low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc.; lowly: of humble origin; a humble home.
    4. courteously respectful: In my humble opinion you are wrong.
    5. low in height, level, etc.; small in size: a humble member of the galaxy.

Seems pretty clear to me.  Any questions?  OK, we know what the Lord requires of us so let's get going!

Under Attack By Satan?

If not, you will be!  Isn't that a cheery thought.  Aren't you glad you stopped by to read today's post?  Got any other good news?

Well actually I do.  I have some very good news and hopefully a paradigm shift. 

Let's walk through this together.  First off, I believe that the more active we are in our faith the more we are a direct threat to Satan and the more we will be attacked. 

Picture Satan sitting there playing Whack A Mole.  If all you do is go to church on Sunday you're really not much of a threat to Satan so he can pretty much ignore you.  You may have accepted Jesus and are saved but other than that you don't really require much of Satan's attention. 

However if you start reading the Bible everyday, start getting involved in your church, start volunteering at the Gospel Mission, whatever; now you've struck your head up and given Satan a target.  Whack! 

Here is where I'd like to introduce the paradigm shift.  Instead of making it this big old scary thing in our minds, treat it as what it is, a minor inconvenience in our service to God.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes what we have to go through will be very painful, maybe physically, maybe mentally, maybe emotionally, maybe all of the above, but when all is said and done, compared to what Jesus sacrificed for us, not even on the same scale.

The mind is a funny thing.  You have to master it and train it.  If you think of the big old scary Satan getting ready to attack you and your overwhelmed and quaking with fear….what message does all of that intense emotion send to your brain?  But if you keep it in perspective, that Satan is really a bit of a punk and we don't need to fear him, our brain interprets that way differently.

But wait a minute.  Isn't Satan really something to be feared?  I mean come on, God vs. Satan, battle between good and evil and all that? 

Nope.  No need to fear him at all.  In fact I think it is of some importance how we deal with the attacks from Satan.  Let me give you a couple of scriptures and I'll wrap this up. 

Micah 7:8-9(NKJV)

8    Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;      When I fall, I will arise;     When I sit in darkness,     The Lord will be a light to me.

9    I will bear the indignation of the Lord,     Because I have sinned against Him,     Until He pleads my case     And executes justice for me.     He will bring me forth to the light;     I will see His righteousness.

In Micah we get this verse of hope.  We can look Satan right in the eye with confidence, not quacking in fear, and say "that all you got?  You may knock me down but you can't keep me down because my Daddy is tougher than you and He's gonna kick your tail!"  In the mean time we are going to have to put up with some crap but when all is said and done, God will deliver us.

Romans 5:3-5(NKJV)

3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 

4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 

5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Now this is one of my favorite passages of Scripture.  One of the things I like about this is that it gives us instruction on how we are to bear the attacks by Satan.  We are to glory in them.  Why?  Because as this passage lays out, there is a vital growth process here.  "Tribulation produces perseverance;  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint"

So folks, instead of fearing attacks from Satan recognize them for what they are, a necessary part of the process.  Bear those attacks with dignity and hope as part of your witness because you know that our God does not disappoint!

What Are You Bound By and Why the Heck Do You Allow It?

Let me set the stage for you.  Paul  has just been seized in Jerusalem.  The Roman guard is taking him into custody.  He asks for permission to address the crowd that has called for his arrest.  He is giving his testimony to the crowd.

Acts 22:17-29(NKJV)
17“Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance 
18and saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.’ 
19So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 
20And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting £to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 
21Then He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.’”
22And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” 
23Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 
24the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. 
25And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”
26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, “Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.”
27Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”
28The commander answered, “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” And Paul said, “But I was born a citizen.”
29Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Here's a question.  What are you bound by and why the heck do you allow it?

Let's take a closer look at Paul's response and how we can use it in our lives.  The first thing I have to point out is that things must have been really different back then.  I have never been in a crowd that got so angry that everyone started tearing off their clothes.  What the heck is that all about?  :)

Here's what I really want to focus on.  Paul is being seized and the commander has just suggested that they tie Paul up and beat the snot out of him to get to the truth.  Does Paul sit there and take it?  Heck no.  He took action, he wasn't passive.  He appealed to a higher authority. 

He knows that there is a higher authority that, because he is a member of a certain group affords him extra rights and protections.  And notice he doesn't just kind of think he might have some extra protection, HE KNOWS.  Now look at  the reaction of those who were seizing Paul. 

29Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Folks, you ever have one of those "Oh crap" moments?  I think that would best describe what these people experienced.  Notice that even the boss was afraid because he knew immediately that he had screwed up.  That's the type of higher authority that I'm talking about.

Can you guess where I'm going with this?  Do we belong to a group that affords us extra rights and protections?  If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you do. 

If you feel bound or under attack by anything, don't just sit there and take it.  Appeal to the higher authority of Jesus, and appeal with confidence and certainty that He will help you.  Take action and ask for his help to get unbound!

And if you haven't yet asked Jesus to be Lord of your life why don't you do it right now?  Just simply pray something like this.  "Jesus I don't really get all of this but I sure could use some help.  Please take over and be the Lord of my life.  Thank you for dying for my sins and please help me learn to depend on you."  If you prayed that prayer or something similar now or in the past you can rest assured that you are entitled to appeal to the higher authority of Jesus!

The will of the Lord be done...As long as we agree with it!

Acts 21:10-14(NKJV)
10And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 
11When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”
12Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 
13Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
14So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”

I have been writing this blog for about 6 months now and it truly has been a blessing.  Most days it's pretty easy.  I spend time in prayer and in the Word.  I allow the Holy Spirit to just lay a message on my heart.  Every now and then it is  a struggle and then every know and then God just  tees one up for me in the first few verses of what I read and I know that is what I am going to be blogging about that day.  Today is one of those days.  Thanks Lord!

Let's look at the story above.  Paul is traveling to Jerusalem and he is determined to get there.  All along the way he is given revelations that things aren't going to be fun when he gets there.  His traveling companions try to talk him out of it and he will not be dissuaded.  Take a close look at the last verse. 

14So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”

Think about that.  It would be one thing if they thought Paul was making a mistake and they were trying to talk him out of it.  But this is much more than that.  They ceased saying "The will of the Lord be done." which to me shows that they believed that it was God's will that Paul should go to Jerusalem.  They didn't like the outcome, that is they didn't want to see anything happen to Paul, so even though they believed it was God's will they stopped praying for it.

God's will, God's will, God's will.  Among Christians this seems to have become a bit of a trite throwaway phrase.  We say we want God's will, but do we?  This is something that I had to confront in a very real way a few years ago. 

When my oldest son was a junior in high school he came to us (his Mom and I) and said "I've had a great life so far.  Been all around the world and now I'm felling God calling me to serve in the military".  Well far be it for us to come between our son and God so we started exploring his options.  He ended up becoming a United States Marine (as did his little brother and his sister married a Marine so you can see we are one big Marine family).

In 2006-2007 his unit was deployed to Iraq where he faced combat on a fairly regular basis.  In fact, here is a picture that we call a Picture of God's Protective Grace.  Luke was driving and there were three other Marines in the vehicle.  They hit an IED with the left front tire and yet all four of them walked away. 

It was during that tour of duty that I had to come face to face with the question of God's will and if I truly wanted God's will or only if I liked the outcome.

It is my belief that it was God's will that my son joined that Marines.   It is my belief that it was God's will that Luke be where he was in Iraq.  I had to face the very real possibility that he could be killed there.   If that happened, was I really going to be OK with God's will?  If I truly believed that he was where he was doing what he was doing because that was God's will for his life at the time, would I really be OK with God's will if he died over there? 

After thinking it through, for me there was only one answer.  Yes!  Would it be easy. Absolutely not.  Would I have been devastated?  Sure.  But the key question had to be am I willing to submit all that I have, including my son, to God's will?  And again for me personally there could only be one answer.

Puts a different perspective on it doesn't it?  So the next time you are praying for God's will in your life, make sure you really want it.  Are you willing to gratefully and graciously accept God's will in your life when the results aren't what you wanted?  Are you truly praying for what God wants in your life or are you really praying for what you think God should want in your life?

And God's will in each and every one of our lives starts with accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.  Have you asked Jesus into your life yet?  If not, why not do it right now.  Just say a little prayer asking Jesus to be the Lord of your life.  Then get ready to experience God's will in your life!

If you pray for God's will in your life can I promise that things will always be rosey?  Nope.  We still live in a fallen world and so bad things happen.  What I can promise you however is that if you will continually seeks God's will in your life it will be worth it!

The 80-20 Rule

How many of you are familiar with the 80-20 rule?  In most organizations 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.  In your local PTA, 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.  In Little League, 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people, and there's a pretty good chance that it is the same 20% that are doing all the work in PTA as well.

The other 80% say they'd like to help but they just don't have the time, or the dog has diarrhea, or whatever, but there is always a good reason why they can't help.  How is it that 20% of the people can always find the time but the 80% can't?  I'll come back to that.

One of the things that has always attracted me to Valley Family Church is the tremendous leadership that we have in Pastors Jeff and Beth Jones.  (http://www.valleyfamilychurch.org/)  What is so impressive to me as a business owner is that not only are they great leaders but they are equally great at developing leadership in others.  That was never more evident than at last nights dinner.

They had a dinner for about 100-150 people who had been identified  by staff as 20%ers.  Not that there aren't more volunteers than that but these were people identified as people that just naturally stepped up and took on leadership in one way or another.   At this dinner Pastors laid out some of their vision for the future. 

Now here is what I thought was the genius part.  This vision is going to take a lot more volunteer  hours.  Most people would assume that you would need to go to those 80% to get those additional volunteer man hours.  But who did Pastors have at the dinner last night?  The 20%.  Why?  Because they know that these are the people that get things done. 

They had a bunch of organizational charts and descriptions of the areas where there was a need.  They laid out the vision, explained the need and then simply said "Anyone want to help?"  We all had a couple of sticky notes and we could go up and post them on the organizational charts if there was something we were willing to help with. 

Now how many of those 20% do you think were coming up with excuses of why they couldn't do anything more?  There was a card that we filled out indicating where we could help.  On the card there was a box you could check if this volunteering would be instead of what you were doing now.  How many of the 20% do you think checked that box instead of just volunteering to do more?

Now back to the question I posed above.  How is it that 20% of the people can always find the time but the 80% can't?  It's a decision.  It's that simple.  Want to serve God?  Then make a decision to become a 20%er. 

"That's easy for you to say but where am I going to find the time?"  Folks, here is what is cool and if you've never experienced it before your just going to have to have faith (where have you heard that before!).  If you will become one of those who is always the first to raise your hand and volunteer, God will find the time for you.  I don't know how He does it but He does.      

Malachi 3:10(NKJV)
10    Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,     That there may be food in My house,     And try Me now in this,”     Says the Lord of hosts,     “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven     And pour out for you such blessing     That there will not be room enough to receive it.

I believe our tithe is more than just money, it also includes our time.  And what does God promise us in Malachi?  Overflowing blessings if we will honor Him with our tithe.  Here is what I love about this verse.  God says "And try me on this".  It's the only place I know of in the Bible where God says "I dare ya, I double dog dare ya.  Put me to the test!"

Folks, I dare you to put God to the test in regards to the tithe of your time.  Become one of the 20%ers and see if your life isn't blessed to overflowing!

 (I realize that in the Gospels Jesus tells us we aren't to put God to the test but in this case it's a direct dare from God so I figure it is OK)

The Miracle of the Spreading of God's Word

As I've written before, the internet has greatly improved my understanding of scripture.   I recently shared a table that showed when the prophets lived.  One of the things that I had not realized was that many times there were more than one prophet alive and prophesying at a time.  For some reason I thought God would dole them out one at a time.

I am reading Micah, one of the Minor Prophets, right now.  Here is a passage from today's reading.

Micah 4:1-3(NKJV)
1    Now it shall come to pass in the latter days      That the mountain of the Lord’S house     Shall be established on the top of the mountains,     And shall be exalted above the hills;     And peoples shall flow to it.
2    Many nations shall come and say,     “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,     To the house of the God of Jacob;     He will teach us His ways,     And we shall walk in His paths.”     For out of Zion the law shall go forth,     And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3    He shall judge between many peoples,     And rebuke strong nations afar off;     They shall beat their swords into plowshares,     And their spears into pruning hooks;     Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,     Neither shall they learn war anymore.£

What I found interesting here is that it is pretty much word for word what Isaiah 2:2-4 says.  Take a look.

Isaiah 2:2-4(NKJV)
2    Now it shall come to pass in the latter days      That the mountain of the Lord’S house     Shall be established on the top of the mountains,     And shall be exalted above the hills;     And all nations shall flow to it.
3    Many people shall come and say,     “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,     To the house of the God of Jacob;     He will teach us His ways,     And we shall walk in His paths.”     For out of Zion shall go forth the law,     And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4    He shall judge between the nations,     And rebuke many people;     They shall beat their swords into plowshares,     And their spears into pruning hooks;     Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,     Neither shall they learn war anymore.

Interesting.   What I had never realized before was that Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries of each other.  They lived at the same time and they were both prophets to Judah.  Isaiah lived from 740 - 700 BC and Micah lived from 737 - 690 BC.  Although there is no scriptural reference that I know of to back it up, it is conceivable that they may have even met or heard each other speak.  Or at least read each others speeches and writings.  How else to explain the word for word prophecy?  (OK, the other explanation is the God supernaturally gave them bot the same exact thing to write!)

This all got me to marveling at the Miracle of the spreading of the Word of God.  Think about it.  When we have questions we just pick up our Bibles or open our Bible software applications and look it up.  We take that for granted.  But back in the days of Isaiah, Micah, and even back in the days of Jesus and the disciples, the printing press hadn't even been invented yet.  Everything had to be hand written.  Only the wealthy had their own copies of Scripture and back then very few people could even read! 

One story I am reminded of is the guy who was from Ethiopia (I think) who was riding in his chariot while studying scripture.  At some point he sees  one of the Prophets, can't remember which one, and invites the Prophet up into his chariot to study and explain the Word of God.  (Or something like that.  I'm going by memory)  The point here is that the fact that this guy had his own copy of Scripture tells us he was pretty well off.

Too me the miracle is how the Christian faith was able to spread around the world like it did in the time in history that it did.  Mostly by word of mouth and personal testimony.  (And there is the link to yesterday's post!)

Again the power of the personal testimony comes through.  What is cool about today is that through the power of the written word and technology, we can now each share our personal testimony with countless people around the world.  How cool is that?

So as you go about your lives the next few days, look for ways that you too can share your faith in your electronic world, and then you too can be part of that continuing miracle!

Come on God, Moses had an unfair advantage!

Check out this Scripture from Exodus!

Exodus 4:1-5(NKJV)
1Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”
2So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 
4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), 
5“that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Dude!  Come on!  I'll bet I could lead a whole bunch of people to Christ if I could do stuff like that!  Think about it.  To be able to witness to people and then to be able to say "You want proof that God is real?  Watch this!" .  To be able to turn a stick into a live snake and back right in front of people!  Come on God, that gives Moses an unfair advantage!

Or does it?

Instead of parlor tricks, we have a much more powerful advantage.  That advantage would be to share the very real and very powerful life changing experience that we have through our relationship with Jesus Christ.  I don't think there are many advantages at our disposal that are more powerful than sharing our own heartfelt testimony of what God has been able to accomplish in our lives.

We have an advantage that would probably leave Moses saying "Come on God, they have an unfair advantage!"  Are you using that advantage to the fullest?

Who Am I That I Should Go?

Exodus 3:11(NKJV)
11But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

You ever feel that way when God puts a new idea or calling on your heart?  "But God, you must have the wrong guy.  Who am I to go?"  It can be a bit unnerving.  But you want to know something?  It can be a lot of fun also.

We all know the Great Commission is to reach the lost.  We have all been commanded to go.  How can we do that best?  For me one of the best and easiest ways is to volunteer to do things both at church and out in the community.  Let others experience the love of Christ through you.

But what if you don’t feel prepared or qualified just as Moses didn't feel qualified?  Who am I to go?  Don't worry about it.  Trust that if God is prompting you to go that He will provide all you need to accomplish the goal He has assigned to you. 

Next time you feel God prompting you, take a step out in faith and go!

What Seems to Bug God the Most?

As many of you know, I spend time in the OT and the NT most everyday.  I love the contrast that I get from the two.  I love the history of the OT.  I think we can learn a lot about the character of God in the OT.

When I finish either the OT or the NT I just go right back to the beginning and start over.  That is where I am now.  I just finished Genesis and I am on chapter 2 of Exodus.  One of the things that has really been enhancing my studies this time through is using Yahoo to get deeper understanding of what I am reading.  As I read that Jacob went from here to there I actually look those places up on maps so I have a better understanding. 

As an example in Exodus Moses flees Egypt for Midian.  Anyone know where Midain is?  It's to the east of the Jordan River in what today would be southern Jordan or northern Saudi Arabia.  The internet is just so cool for this kind of things.

Anyway one of the things that occurred to me today is that I think there are a couple of things that tick God off more than others.  Now I know that goes a bit against what we are taught, that God hates all sin the same.  Now intellectually that may be true but I think realistically there are probably some things that bug God more than others. 

Why do I think that?  As I've written before we are made in the image of God and so I think we get a lot of our characteristics from God.  I know that there are some things that bug me more than others and I think most people are the same way.  Let me give you an example.  We know that murder is wrong.  We don't like it when people murder other people but I especially don't like it when people murder children.

The other reason I think this is by looking at God's reaction to different things.  There are some things that He will overlook for a while.  Some things you get a chance to correct.  But there seem to be other things that God won't overlook or give a second chance on.  

The first thing that I think especially ticks God off is the worship of idols and other Gods.  God sent His people into captivity for hundreds of years because their country had become overrun with the high places and idols, etc.  God gave them chances to change but when the wouldn't the punishment was harsh!  

The second thing that I think really ticks God off is when He takes the time to communicate with us directly and then we turn around and not do what He told us to do.  The example I would use there is Saul.  In a certain battle God told Saul specifically to kill every man, woman, child, and beast.  Saul didn't follow God's instructions and God immediately told Saul that he would be stripped of his kingdom.

So as you follow your walk with God be vigilant that you worship only Him and for goodness sake if God takes the time to communicate directly with you, Do What He Says!

Who Are We to Improve God's Plan?

How many of you are good at following directions?  As an example, when you are making a new recipe do you follow it to a T or do you have a tendency to tweak it? 

Or when you are following directions for putting something together and you see a better way to do it and tweak the directions a bit.

Or when you hire an expert to give you guidance in a certain area and then you take the guidance and tweak it.

Am I the only one that does that or is that a pretty universal human trait?  My guess is that it is pretty universal.  Now is that a good thing or a bad thing?  I can think of many instances when it is a good thing.  Many of the technologies that we enjoy in life today are the results of people tweaking things.  In that case it is a good thing.  However I can think of one area where I don't think it is a good thing.  That area is tweaking God's Word.

Acts 10:9-16(NKJV)
9The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 
10Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 
11and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 
12In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 
13And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 
16This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Seems pretty clear.   Don't contradict or correct God.

But then there is a contention as to whether the Gentiles need to be circumcised to be saved.   When all of the disciples gather to settle the issue they use what God has told Peter as the basis for their ruling that Gentiles don't have to be circumsized.  But look what happens.

Acts 15:19-21(NKJV)
19Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 
20but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from £sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 
21For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

God told us not to trouble them "BUT" we are going to anyway.  Now I am not saying that the things that they added are things that we should be able to do.  What I am calling attention to is that even though God Himself didn't feel the need to amplify what He had told Peter, man couldn't resist the temptation to add to God's instructions.

Let me give another example.  In Acts it was a pretty big deal when the disciples were told to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Why?  Because for centuries it had been against the customs and laws of the Jewish people to associate with  non Jews.  But here is what the Prophet Amos had to say back in around 760 BC.

Amos 9:11-12(NKJV)
11    “On that day I will raise up      The £tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,     And repair its damages;     I will raise up its ruins,     And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12    That they may possess the remnant of Edom,£     And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”     Says the Lord who does this thing.

Now if it was God's plan all along to include non Jewish people in His plan of salvation, does it really make sense that God told the Jewish people to exclude all others or is it more likely that man's desire to tweak things may have reared its head again?

My point is that as we spend time in the Word we need to be aware of our human tendencies to tweak what we read with our own interpretations.  That is why it is so important to start your study with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to give you discernment so that you are able to tell the difference between God's Word and man's tweaking!

"but God meant it for good!"

I just finished the book of Genesis and I really liked this verse towards the end of Chapter 50.  After all that Joseph had been through: his brothers had sold him into slavery, he had been in and out of prison, he had seen the peaks of success and the pits of failure in his time in Egypt.  And yet here is what he said at the end.

Genesis 50:19-21(NKJV)
19Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 
20But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 
21Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

I find it inspiring how he was able to look back and realize that all that he had gone through was necessary to put him EXACTLY where God needed him to be when God needed him to be there, and that it's all good!

Serving God requires sacrifice.  Just because we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior doesn't mean life is always smooth sailing as most of us know.  Now sometimes that sacrifice takes the form of writing a check for a little more than normal meaning you may have to go without a Mocha or two during the week.  Sometimes the sacrifice takes the form of volunteering a little extra time which costs a round or two of missed golf.

But sometimes the sacrifice required is much greater than that.  Sometimes the sacrifice is much harder than anything you've ever gone through in your life.  Sometimes the sacrifice is so horrible you can't understand how a loving God could allow it to happen.  (Like when Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery)  Have you ever experienced sacrifice like that? 

Now imagine what was required of Jesus when He stepped up and volunteered to serve as a sacrifice for all of us.  Imagine what that must have been like for Him.  Kind of makes any sacrifice we are required to make to serve God pale in comparison doesn't it?

My prayer for each and every one who has in the past, is now, or will in the future be required to make sacrifices to serve God is that you will be able to look back on it like Joseph and offer God the praise by seeing that "God meant it for good!"

Judged Yourself Unworthy

One of the things non believers often ask is how could a loving God condemn people to hell?  I found what I think is a great verse to refer to in answering that question. 

Acts 13:46(NKJV)
46Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 

In this verse Paul is speaking to the Jews in Antioch but I think we can apply this verse to anyone who has heard the Word of God and rejected it. 

Take a look at the highlighted part.  "But since you reject it (the Word of God), and judge yourselves unworthy".  As I've written in the past.  The great thing about salvation is that it is available to all.  God offers it freely.  God is the creator and the ruler of the universe.  He gets to set the rules.  Anybody and everybody who chooses to follow the rules God has set for salvation can be saved.  The only ones who are condemned to hell are who?  Those that have chosen to reject God.

Now has God taken away their ability to be saved?  No.  Is it one strike and you are out?  No.  As long as you haven't blasphemed the Holy Spirit, God will always give you a chance to change your mind and accept Jesus.    

So in reality who determines if you are condemned to hell?  You do!  God is a loving God and He has provided each and every person the opportunity to be saved.  That whole free will thing again.  You can judge yourself unworthy and choose hell or you can choose everlasting life.  You choose!

Putting Tow and Two Together

Isn’t it cool how God structured the Bible so that to really know Him you have to work at it a bit?  He could have simply written a book of rules and left it at that.  Would have been easier for us, that's for sure.  But He didn't.  God expects us to be able to put two and two together.  I love this example from Acts of how Peter does it.

Acts 11:15-17(NKJV)

15And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 

16Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 

17If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

Look at the process here.  He goes against hundreds if not thousands of years of Jewish tradition and law by associating and sharing with non Jews.  In the previous verses God had spoken to him through the Holy Spirit.  He remembers Jesus saying something that now seems relevant and he connects that dot.  Then Peter thinks it through using a bit of simple logic or common sense.  "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

I just think that this is a great example of how we need to use all of our resources to try and fully understand God.  We need to be in prayer, we need to be in the Word, we need to listen to the guiding of the Holy Spirit, we need to use our powers of observation, and we have to use our God given intellect together in our quest to grow closer and closer to God.

Seem like a lot of work?  It is!  But here is what is really cool.  It's worth it!

I'm so grateful to be included!

Acts 10:9-15(NKJV)
9The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 
10Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 
11and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 
12In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 
13And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
14But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
15And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 

Acts 10:34-45(NKJV)
34Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 
35But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 
36The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—
37that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 
38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 
39And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom £they killed by hanging on a tree. 
40Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 
41not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 
42And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. 
43To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 
45And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 

As we celebrate this season of our Risen Lord and Savior let's remember to thank Him for including us.  As this passage illustrates, historically the Jews expected the Savior of the world to be just for them.  When you combine these passages with the conversion of Paul and his missionary assignment to take the Word to the rest of the world, we can see that God had a much bigger vision here than just saving the Jewish people.

Take a look at verse 45.  "And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. "

Were they astonished that people were receiving the Holy Spirit?  Nope.  They were astonished that Gentiles were receiving the Holy Spirit.

So may prayer for this Easter season is one of many thanks.

Thank you God for sending your son Jesus to die for our sins.  As a father of three I just can't imagine loving others so much that you would be willing to do that.  Guess that's part of what makes you God and me not!

Thanks you Jesus for voluntarily taking on my burden.  Again as a human being it is hard to imagine doing that when you know all you have to do is say the word and you can stop it.  That was an incredible sacrifice!

And finally, Thank you God for including me and all of the other non Jewish believers from around the world.  Thank you for including me in your salvation plan and thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you in any way I can.  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  Amen!

Now folks if you are in the Kalamazoo area and would like to attend an Easter Celebration like no other, I'd like to personally invite you to join us at Valley Family Church.   You can click on the link below to learn more.

The Doxology Experience - Easter 2012

Don’t miss Easter at VFC! The “Doxology Experience” will be an interactive, musical, multi-media experience where we brush the dust off of some of the good traditions from church history that are worthy of revisiting. The Doxology Experience is literally, and by definition, “an expression of praise to God!” This Easter is our chance to praise God from whom all blessings flow! Invite everyone you know and join us this Easter for “Doxology,” a powerful message and meaningful service where we celebrate the truth that Jesus is alive!

Easter Weekend
Saturday, April 7 | 5pm
Sunday, April 8 | 9 & 11:30am

Behold, the days are coming...

Interesting verse in Amos today.  Now Amos was one of the first prophets after King David and King Solomon.  He was alive around 760 BC and was a contemporary of another minor prophet, Hosea.

Amos 8:11(NKJV)

11    “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD,      “That I will send a famine on the land,     Not a famine of bread,     Nor a thirst for water,     But of hearing the words of the Lord.

A famine of hearing the words of the Lord.  It's pretty easy to imagine that today might be the time that Amos was talking about.  When we look around at how Christian speech is being attacked world wide. 

What I find interesting here though is that God says "That I will send a famine on the land."  He isn't just letting it happen.  He is causing it to happen.  What could be the purpose of that?  I'm not sure.  I thought God's ultimate goal was that everybody has a chance to be saved.  How does sending a famine of the word work towards that goal?

Here is one thought based on the famine analogy.  A famine is an extreme lack of something, usually food.  Now what happens during a famine in regards to people's want of food?  It increases doesn't it?  They become more and more intense in their want of food, which they need to survive, as it becomes more and more scarce.  Maybe that is a bit of what God had in mind here.  People need to word of God just as badly as they need food, they just don't realize it.  Don't know if that really is God's strategy or not but it seemed to make sense to me.

What do we know?  We know that we are charged with the duty of sharing the Word with all.  As the scarcity increases, we are to be God's army out there offering what people are becoming more and more desperate for.  There is a reason churches like Valley Family Church are growing like crazy.  People are searching for the Word.  Let's do everything we can to fight the famine and provide it!

Then and Now

Acts 7:30-34(NKJV)
30“And when forty years had passed, an Angel £of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. 
31When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, 
32saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ £ And Moses trembled and dared not look. 
33‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 
34I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.”’ £

Isn't it interesting how times have changed?  I used the above passage to illustrate how direct interactions with God were characterized back in the OT.  There was fear, and trembling, and they dared not look, etc.  They were always surprised to hear directly from God. 

Contrast that with the relationship that we get to have with God through our belief in His son, Jesus Christ.  We are heirs with Christ.  We can talk to God and through the Holy Spirit God communicates directly with us.  We don't have to fear it.  We don't have to be surprised by it.  In fact it should be a regular event.  We should expect it.  And we can take comfort in it.

Just one more difference being part of the family of God makes.  Would you like to hear from God?  Then accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Are you feeling that tug in your heart that is telling you to accept Jesus although you are still a bit hesitant?  Well guess what?  You are hearing from God.  Now just surrender to God's leading and accept Jesus.  Welcome to being heirs in Christ.    The communication that you just experienced from God is just the tip of the iceberg.   Welcome to the family!

When the path is clear...

Don't hesitate! 

Genesis 43:1-14(NKJV)
1Now the famine was severe in the land. 
2And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.”
3But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 
4If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 
5But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’”
6And Israel said, “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?”
7But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 
9I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 
10For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.”
11And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 
12Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 
13Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. 
14And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!”

Just so we are all on the same page let me recap the events.  Because of the famine, Jacob/Israel sent all but one of his sons to Egypt to buy grain.  The one he didn't send was the youngest.  He didn't send his youngest because he didn't want anything to happen to him. 

Their brother Joseph who they had sold into slavery is running things in Egypt.  The brothers don't recognize him.  He sells them the grain but keeps two of the brothers and tells the other brothers that they have to bring back the youngest brother for Joseph to see before he will let the two other brothers go.

Now here is where it gets interesting.  Jacob leaves his two older sons sitting in  jail in Egypt.  He is so afraid of something happening to his youngest son that he won't send his youngest son down there to get the other two out.  What does this prove?  What those of us who are older siblings have known for years.  They always love the baby the most!  LOL. 

But seriously, here is a situation where the path is clear to Jacob but he continues to hesitate.  He keeps hoping for the situation to change.  For things to get better.  He thinks about this bad thing that can happen or that bad thing that can happen.  How this or that could go wrong.   But in the end, after all of that mental torment and anguish, Jacob is resigned to take that path anyway.  "If I am bereaved, I am bereaved."

There is a life lesson here folks that we have all probably learned at least once in our lives but bears repeating.  If the path is clear, don't hesitate.  Take the path.  For those of us that have gone through this a time or two what do we find?  Nine times out of ten things turn out fine.  All of those things that we feared would happen, didn't.  All of that time and mental anguish was wasted.  And what about that one out of ten times when things turn out badly?  Well at least you get it over with.  You avoid the weeks or months of torment you put yourself through.

So what is the key to dealing with these situations?  Rely on Jesus to be with you through the whole thing.  As long as you have Jesus by your side, when the path is clear, don't hesitate because Jesus will be there every step of the way to help you deal with it!

Delegate, Decline, and Focus

As you know one of the things I try to focus on is what I call practical Christianity.  Things that we get from the Bible that have practical everyday uses.  I ran across this scripture today. 

Acts 6:1-4(NKJV)

1Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,£ because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 

2Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 

3Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 

4but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

I think there is an important lesson here both in the way we serve God and also for our daily lives.

Here is what I mean.  We all have different skills and abilities.  We need to make sure that we focus on using those skills and abilities that are most useful to helping God fulfill His plan for our lives.  We need to learn to Delegate, Decline, and Focus.

We need to learn to delegate things to others so that we can focus on the things that we are best at.  We need to decline to try and do everything.  Sometimes we get such a big heart to serve that we find ourselves volunteering to help everywhere.  We need to learn how to say no.  Say yes to the things we are really good at but say no to the things that we are really average at.  Let someone who is better equipped do those things. 

And finally if we do the first two things it will allow us to really focus the talents and energies that God has given in the most efficient way possible.  So if you truly want to serve God then learn to Delegate, Decline, and Focus!