Surefoot Christian Blog

Given

2011-10-13T01:20:00.001-04:00

Forgetfulness about God’s faithfulness to us seems to be a human condition. The Israelites forgot God as soon as they occupied the Promised Land, followed by a cycle of kindness by the Lord and forgetfulness of that kindness as soon as the distress was gone.

We Christians also find ourselves forgetful about all that God has and is doing for each of us. We find ourselves facing trials or suffering allowed by the Lord for our benefit and His glory; we call out to him for guidance and deliverance. He proves His loving care for us and His faithfulness on our behalf; we learn from the experience, and then forget what He has already done when we hit the next snag.

Having found myself in this miserable condition recently, I began to write a list of all the things I could remember that God had and was giving me. As the list grew long, I was ashamed of my forgetfulness. This passage came to mind:

¹ Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
² Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
(Psalm 103:1-2 NASB)

What follows is a list of things that came to mind as I meditated on what God has given:

Breath of Life	Genesis 2:7; Job 12:10; Job 33:4; Isaiah 42:5; Acts 17:25
Blessings of Nature	Psalm 8; Job 12:7-11
A measure of faith	Romans 12:3; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 2:8
Every good and perfect gift	James 1:17

Once to die, and then the judgment	Hebrews 9:27

His only begotten Son	John 3:16

Grace	John 1:17; 1 Corinthians 1:4
Forgiveness	Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 32:1, Psalm 130:4; Daniel 9:9; Matthew 26:28; Acts 5:31

Redemption	Psalm 11:9; Psalm 130:7
Justification	Romans 4:25; Romans 5:18;
Peace with God	Romans 5:1
Peace of God	Philippians 4:7-9
Eternal life	John 3:16; John 3:36
Hope	Romans 15:4, 15:12; 15:13

Adoption into God’s Family	Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:15;
Discipline as God’s Child	Hebrew’s 12:7-9
To suffer for His Name	Philippians 1:29; 3:8

The mind of Christ	1 Corinthians 2:16)

All that Pertains to life and godliness	2 Peter 1:3
My daily bread	Matthew 16:11
Guidance	Psalm 23)
Deliverance from evil	Psalm 23; Matthew 6:13


God’s Word	2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19
God’s promises	2 Corinthians 1:20; 2Peter 1:)

The Holy Spirit as a pledge of things to come for us	Romans 5:1-5; Ephesians 1:13-14 1Corinthians 6:19
Power to be Witnesses of the Gospel	Acts 1:8
Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Self-control, etc.	Galatians 5:22
Gifts of the Spirit	1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Priesthood	Revelation 1:6, 5:10; 20:6
Kingship	Revelation 5:10; 20:6
To be glorified with Jesus when He is revealed in Glory	Colossians 3:4

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

ALERT

2011-09-01T12:49:00.001-04:00

During the Revolutionary War, a loyalist spy appeared at the headquarters of Hessian commander Colonel Johann Rall, carrying an urgent message. General George Washington and his Continental army had secretly crossed the Delaware River that morning and were advancing on Trenton, New Jersey where the Hessians were encamped. The spy was denied an audience with the commander and instead wrote his message on a piece of paper. A porter took the note to the Hessian colonel, but because Rall was involved in a poker game he stuffed the unread note into his pocket. When the guards at the Hessian camp began firing their muskets in a futile attempt to stop Washington's army, Rall was still playing cards.

Without time to organize, the Hessian army was captured. The battle occurred the day after Christmas, 1776, giving the colonists a late present--their first major victory of the war. (From: Today in the Word, MBI, October, 1991, p. 21.)

Jesus warned the disciples, and Paul and Peter both warned the saints to be on the alert. In our distracted, careless society these are important warnings for Christians. So what does it mean to be “on the alert”, and what are we to be alert for?

To be alert means to be: watchful, observant, undistracted, on guard, quick, sharp, vigilant, wary, prepared; in other words aware of what is going on around you.

The opposite condition is to be: sleepy, distracted, unaware, incognizant, careless, sluggish, falsely secure.

According to Scripture, we should be alert:

1.	For the Lord’s coming	(Matthew 24:41-43, Matthew 25:13, Mark 13: 33-35, Luke 12:37)
2.	In prayer	(Luke 21:36; Colossians 4:2, Ephesians 6:17-19)
3.	In teaching the truth and guarding against deceivers	(Acts 20:28-31)
4.	Against temptation	(1 Peter 5:8)
5.	Against an unforgiving heart	(2 Corinthians 2:8-11)

At the same time, we are not to be anxious. Being anxious is not the same as being alert. Instead, staying watchful depends on our being in constant contact with the Lord, our first Love, who is the source of all the strength we need, and staying in His word (which is how we know what He wants). In this way, we can stay both alert and at peace.

What Money Can’t Buy and Death Can’t Take Away

2011-06-11T21:16:00.000-04:00

A pastor friend of mine in Tennessee had a cross-stitched hanging on his living room wall that simply read “PASSING AWAY”. Being in my early 20’s at the time, I thought that was just a zealous saying; impractical to consider. I was just beginning get the things I wanted. But through the years, the experiences of life have enlightened me a bit. Careers, family, friends, finances, health, respect, human love; all seem to live so briefly. They appear and then disappear long before we are ready for them to.
I happened on a radio program last week. The speaker, the late Adrian Rodgers, was encouraging listeners to make a list of all the things (we have) that money couldn’t buy and that death could not take away. I thought on this for a good while and could only arrive at a very short list that met both criteria. Essentially these things would have to be both un-purchased, that is gifts, and eternal. Three scriptures came to mind. The first clearly sets out three things that are eternal: Faith, Hope, and Love:

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13:12, NASB)

The second explains the eternal basis for the first three, the Word of God:

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8, NASB)

The third gives us the benefit of the greatest of Faith, Hope, and Love:

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38, NASB)

So, here is my short list:

God’s love, graciously shown to me when I was without hope, and had no use for Him;
God’s righteousness, freely give to me through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One;
Fellowship with God now, in this life;
An enduring Hope: Eternal life in the presence of the One who has given these gifts.

So, whatever comes my way (or leaves me), I can now rest assured that I have an eternal and loving God and Father, who has first given me Himself and then bestowed on me the finest gifts; practical, strong and enduring—just what I always wanted but couldn’t quite see it.
Scripture Quotations from the New American Standard Bible.

Peace of God; God of Peace

2011-01-04T16:01:00.001-05:00

King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, (other than Christ) wrote:

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. (Ecclesiastes 5:10, NASB)

We may protest that we do not love money in that way, and believe we can excuse ourselves from this futility; but, the implication of this passage, in context with the rest of the book, is that we can substitute anything we want for the word “money” (except, of course God) and the passage still applies.

Solomon was clear that money, sex, knowledge, notoriety, work or status, while not bad in themselves, could not satisfy him; and he had them all in abundance.

Many of us are living troubled, futile and out-of-focus lives because we are still trying to fill ourselves with things that cannot satisfy our real need: to know Christ and His Word, and to live out that Word every day.

Do you feel you have no peace lately? Are you worried, troubled and anxious? Do you believe God is not blessing your efforts, and that everything you attempt ends poorly? Here’s the cure:

⁶Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

⁷And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

⁹Practice what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and model your way of living on it, and the God of peace (of untroubled, undisturbed well-being) will be with you. (Phillipians 4:6-9, Amplified Bible)

To sum up: Are you anxious? Do you lack peace? Pray and be thankful. Do you feel God is not with you or blessing your efforts? Try practicing the things you have learned from scripture.

*End Note: This post is for Christians. If you haven’t believed the Gospel, and don’t know Christ Jesus, peace can’t be yours. But if you will believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for your sins, and rose from the dead, the peace of God will be yours and will grow as you listen to and obey the Word of God.

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE

Is God Glorified Even When We are Disciplined By Him?

2010-05-13T01:12:00.001-04:00

As we are living out and working out our salvation, we may find ourselves in challenging situations or even times when we are being disciplined by the Lord. The Book of Hebrews tells us that this is always for our good. In fact, we have the promise that God causes ALL things (even what we would call the bad things) to work together for good to those who love God, and are called according to His purpose.

In Jeremiah 2, God in His complaint against the people of Israel recounts how he brought them through the desert:

“…through a land of deserts and of pits, Through a land of drought and of deep darkness, Through a land that no one crossed And where no man dwelt…” (Jeremiah 2:6, NASB)

Israel’s desert sojourn was God’s punishment for their disobedience and unbelief demonstrated in their refusal to go into the Promised Land. They were to spend 40 years as nomads in one of the most hostile landscapes on earth; a place that “no one crossed and where no man dwelt.”

Though the punishment was severe, it was not TOO severe; and though punishment was one goal, it wasn’t the only one. What good could come from this? Even in this awful place, while the evil and rebellious died out or were killed by disease or other misfortunes, God still provided for their every need. During that time they were sustained by food directly from heaven; their shoes didn’t even wear out. Even in this, God was being glorified.

This could not have gone unnoticed by nations on either side of the desert. Consider what they must have thought about this people. The Israelites, the refugees of Egypt, were obviously surviving by miraculous means by the hundreds of thousands in a hostile place where no one crossed or lived. Food fell out of the sky for them; water came out of rocks. Flocks of birds flew to their camp. Anyone who attacked them was defeated or destroyed. They were not only surviving, their population was growing.

Consider what the surrounding nations must have thought watching this people become a nation out of nothing, in a place where there was nothing. Is it any wonder that the fear of them was on all the surrounding nations?

Those paying attention to these events would have seen that the God of Israel was worthy of worship as the only true God. They would have seen both His justice and His mercy. God wasn’t just punishing a disobedient people that he scraped out of Egyptian slavery; He was also spreading His fame throughout the area and teaching His own people obedience and endurance. Had those surrounding nations paid attention and understood, they could have shared in the blessings of Abraham.

We can take hope and comfort in this when we are suffering discipline or even just suffering: nothing escapes Gods sovereignty, and nothing happens except by his permission. Even our disobedience, for which we sometimes suffer His discipline, cannot thwart His good purposes or diminish His glory.

Scriptural References: Jeremiah 2; Romans 8:28; Hebrew 12.

Lessons from the Life of Gideon 10: Full Circle

2010-05-08T01:46:00.004-04:00

The battle was over. The Kings and leaders of the Midianite armies were dead and their armies dead or scattered. The Israelite collaborators at Penuel and Succoth had been disciplined or executed.
Because of this miraculous victory the the men of Israel were ready to have Gideon be King over them (Judges 8:22). Gideon refused in accordance with the instructions of Moses, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you. (Judges 8:23).
Then we find one of the saddest words found in the annals of heroes of any era. This word, where it is found in scripture, dealing with the affairs of God and men, usually brings no good with it. The word: “YET”.
Gideon refuses to be made King over the Israelites and take glory that belongs only to God; however, (YET) he decides that he should get something for his trouble, (just to dedicate to God):

²⁴Yet Gideon said to them, "I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil." (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
²⁵They said, "We will surely give them." So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil.
²⁶The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels' necks. (Judges 8: 24-26)

It is with the gold he receives that he makes an Ephod and sets it up in his home town, perhaps to commemorate the victory. But it fell into use by the Israelites as an object of worship.
Pretending not to want to rule, Gideon has begun to deceive himself by degrees. The account further says that Gideon had seventy sons by his many wives, (a sign of a ruler wishing to ensure his continued reign) plus one son by a concubine whom he named Abimelech. The meaning of this name: “Father is King”. This Abimelech, in his lust for power and wealth, has his seventy brothers killed at the same time, and is himself later killed in a battle by a woman who drops a millstone on him.
Even so, God allows Gideon to live to a ripe old age, and Israel has peace for forty years. But as soon as Gideon is dead, the cycle that ends centuries later with the destruction of Israel and Judah begins again:

³³Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, ^(R)that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made ^(S)Baal-berith their god.
³⁴Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;
³⁵nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel. (Judges 8: 33-35)

In this we see the character and fate of the unchanged, un-regenerated heart. No matter what good it may first intend, the end is always the same: evil. Only when God has made us new creatures in Christ Jesus are we capable of not sinning (though we do). And in the end, when we leave this body and live in His presence, we will finally be incapable of sinning.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission

Lessons From the Life of Gideon 9: No Neutral Ground

2010-03-10T22:33:00.001-05:00

Considering the gracious leading and patience Gideon had received from God while in preparation for the great battle, it might seem ironic that Gideon would threaten (and carry out) such severe punishments on the residents of Succoth and Penuel for refusing to supply him and his men while they were pursuing the Midianites.

15He came to the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?'" 16He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. 17He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city (Judges 8:15-17, NASB)

To help understand this, let’s take a look at the scene. First, we see Gideon and his 300 men (note that none had been killed because God was with them), crossing over the Jordan in pursuit of the Midianites. The enemy still fielded a sizable force of 15.000 men, even though 120,000 had fallen from internal fighting and at the hands of the combined forces of Israel that were mustered after the battle began.

Nevertheless they were fleeing before Gideon. The retreating enemy would have been visible to both Succoth and Penuel, even though it may have seemed to them like a vast pride of lions was being pursued by a little flock of goats.

Even so, the men of both cities responded to Gideon’s request for assistance, not with reluctance or even cautious aid, but with taunts. These were Israelites refusing help in the battle or even aid to their countrymen who were in harms way. While they may have believed they were preserving their cities by remaining neutral in the conflict, they actually became collaborators with the enemies of Israel. As a result, after the battle was won, the elders and men of Succoth and Penuel shared, in some measure, the lot of the enemy.

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON PART 8: Grace Learned

2010-03-03T23:40:00.002-05:00

Jezreel Valley where Midian camped

Gideon had called for the people of Ephraim to cut off the retreat of the Midianites. They did so and captured and killed Oreb and Zeeb, two Midianite leaders. They brought their heads to Gideon, but were angry that he had not called them when he first went out to fight the Midianites.

1Then the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they contended with him vigorously. (Judges 8:1, NASB)

We are not told why the men of Ephraim were so angry with Gideon or why Ephraim and Issachar, who each had territory bordering on the Jezreel Valley, were not initially called, when the other territories adjacent to Manasseh (Asher, Naphtali and Zebulun) were.

Instead of rebuking them for their pettiness, Gideon wisely consoled them. The once cynical Gideon had learned by God’s example of patience and grace towards him.

2But he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3"God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that. (Judges 8: 2-3, NASB)

It is important also for us to remember that we Christians have been graced by God, and that we must offer to others who offend us, anger us, or just plain annoy us, the same grace that we have received from God.

“7In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8which He lavished on us.” (Ephesians 1:7-8, NASB)

In Part 9: the aftermath. Why was there no mercy for the leaders of Midian and the two cities that would not help Gideon?

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON: PART 7 The Battle of Harod Spring

2010-02-01T23:35:00.007-05:00

There are times when we must fight. And there are times when we must stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. In either case, we dare not presume, but instead seek what God would have us do; because, in the end, it is the Lord’s will, not ours; the Lord’s victory, not ours; the Lord’s glory, not ours.

God had selected His Three Hundred. They took the provisions and trumpets of the rest of the men and Gideon sent the remaining men home, away from the field of battle. They would not even see it. (Judges 7:8)

After nightfall, the Lord encourages Gideon:

“Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands. But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, and you will hear what they say; and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp. So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp.” (Judges 7:9)

An outpost is, according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, a “security detachment dispatched by a main body of troops to protect it from enemy surprise”. These were usually located some distance from the main camp. The irony of this definition, given what was about to happen should not be lost on us.

At one of the outposts, Gideon hears one of the men relating a dream to a friend that, according to this friend, is clear evidence that God intends to deliver the Midianite army into the hands of Gideon. It is possible that this dread was on the entire camp.

Gideon, now convinced that God is going to do what He has said, first (and this is important) WORSHIPS. He then returns to his three hundred and gives them the news. Dividing the 300 men into three companies of 100 each, he instructs them to do what he does when they reach the outskirts of the camp.

This is the plan: he and the men who are with him will blow the trumpets, and then smash the pitchers in their hands, revealing lit torches, and shout “For the Lord and for Gideon”.

They arrive on the outskirts of the camp, apparently between the outposts and the main body of the camp. The 100-man companies are placed in locations that are unspecified in the scriptures, but obviously not in the path of what would be the Midianite retreat. The time is approximately midnight (the beginning of the middle watch). It is possible that many, if not most of the camp is asleep.

Suddenly, at one end of the camp there is a disturbance. Three hundred rams horns screaming, men shouting and 300 blazing torches suddenly appearing from nowhere. A surprise attack! The outposts were supposed to prevent this!

Gideon’s men hold their positions (verse 21) and “the LORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled…” (verse 22).

After the Midianite army flees in confusion, killing each other as they go, Gideon summons the men from Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh (apparently the ones that he had previously sent home) to join in pursuit of the fleeing army. In the meantime, he also sends messengers to the mountain men that live in the hill country of Ephraim, instructing them to occupy all the watering locations in front of the fleeing army in order to cut them off from their water supply.

In the ensuing battle, two leaders of the Midianites are captured by the Ephraimites and killed. And then….someone’s feelings gets hurt. In Part 8 we will describe the end of the battle and its aftermath.

An entire book could be written using the illustrations about “fighting the good fight” and “standing and seeing the salvation of the Lord” in our daily lives. Applications of these principles would enhance our daily walk and fellowship with God and one another. We must be constantly aware, in every situation we are in, that we are here for the glory of God, and not for ourselves. In everything we must obey Him, whether in resisting evil in our lives or standing still (trusting Him) and seeing Him work His will in us rather than going to war, so to speak, with others on our own behalf.

But there is something far more important to see. In this account, there is an excellent illustration of our own salvation. In short, we, like the Israelites, have nothing to boast about; no strength for our own deliverance. We were lost and without hope in this world. We were rescued because of God’s mercy, and not because we were elite and needed by God. We stood still and saw the salvation of the Lord on our behalf.

6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8, NASB)

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON PART 6: The Water Test

2010-01-02T23:22:00.006-05:00

Picture this: a gang of 450 men invade your neighborhood. You go out to meet them, armed with a flashlight and a band instrument! As ridiculous as this sounds, it is precisely what God was about to instruct Gideon to do. He would take a band of three hundred men against one hundred thirty-five thousand.

A substantial force of thirty-two thousand men had arrived to join Gideon against the Midianites and their allies. God told Gideon there were two many men to give Midian into their hands, so He had Gideon instruct all those who were fearful to go home. (Judges 7:1-3) Two thirds of them, twenty-two thousand soldiers packed up and left for home. There were now 10,000 men left.

Again, God told Gideon that the force was too numerous. This did not represent, as one might suppose, multiple attempts by God to whittle down the forces until He got a number He could live with. This was for Gideon’s sake. Obedience, resulting from faith and trust, was being learned.

The account of the water test to reduce the force of Israel has often been used to encourage Christians to be alert, courageous and obedient, but was this the point of the test? Much has been written and preached about why God chose the men who lapped over the men who knelt to drink.

WAS IT BECAUSE THEY WERE THE MOST ALERT AND COURAGEOUS?

The alert guys, in my mind were the ones who, as they were in plain sight of the enemy, knelt down low to drink, not the ones who, ignoring their enemy put their hands to their mouths to drink. This concurs with Josephus, an Israeli general and historian who indicates that the most observant and alert knelt down out of view of the enemy and the others were tumultuous in their drinking. [Antiquities, Book 5, Chapter 6]

WERE THEY THE ELITE?

The argument that they were the “special forces unit,” falls short because they were outnumbered 450 to one. What difference would it make if they were the elite force against those odds? The elite forces concept would be contrary to God’s plan to remove boasting. The LORD needed these men to do something, and initially at least, fighting was not it.

If we read carefully the description of how the three hundred were to go into battle, we see the following picture: one hand would hold a jar with a torch in it. With the other hand, a trumpet (ram's horn). How would the sword held? As we will later see, in the first part of the battle, when God was delivering the Midianites into Israel’s hands, there was no need for fighting. The battle belonged to the Lord.

DID GOD NEED TO “FIND OUT” WHO SHOULD GO AND WHO SHOULD STAY?

This often gets overlooked: God told Gideon, “I will test them for YOU there.” This was God’s demonstration to Gideon of His sovereignty over the affairs of men. Otherwise, are we to think that God didn’t know how many men there would be that lapped the water? Could we argue that God would say to himself, " I hope we get the right number of men doing the right thing, you know, the elite guys. I'd hate to have to repeat this.”

WERE THE MEN MAKING A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO BE A PART OF THE SMALLEST GROUP?

It had to take some time to water 10,000 men at the Spring of Harod. I wonder if the men saw Gideon separating out this small band of men who had been lapping the water, thinking that those men were going home while the large force would fight. If I was going to fight, I'd want to be a part of the larger division of soldiers, not the smallest. If I was Gideon, I would be tempted to say, "Guys, be careful how you drink!"

GOD AND HIS LITTLE BAND

A close look at the entire battle reveals that after God destroyed the largest force and the Israelites afterwards had joined the battle, the 300 who were with Gideon were tired, yet pursuing. They went on pursuing even though the people in two different towns refused to give them food and water. This took remarkable courage and stamina. God chose a few men who LATER demonstrated obedience, fearlessness and stamina.

WHAT IS THE REAL LESSON?

In trying to use the account of the water test to say something about the men God chose, we lose sight of the real lesson, which is not about the men, but about GOD.

It could be said that God chose the best and most courageous from the non-fearful 10,000; but not because of what was being demonstrated by how they drank. The test was not for God to find out anything about these men. He wanted a small force so the Israelites would not be able to boast. He got the exact number He wanted; no more, no less.

He allowed men to know the joy of having a part in His plan, but this was GOD’S choice, God's deliverance and God's victory brought about by His own supernatural means, for His own glory.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON PART 5: THE SIGN OF THE FLEECE

2009-12-11T00:15:00.005-05:00

Background

As a result of his encounter with the Lord, Gideon did two things: one negative, and one positive. First, he got rid of the idols; then he built a proper altar to the Lord. There is a principle illustrated here supported throughout scripture: we must not just turn AWAY from sin; we must also turn TO God. One without the other means certain failure.

It is at this critical time, after Gideon turns away from the worship of idols and establishes the One true God in his heart, that all of the enemies of Israel (and Gideon) prepare to attack. Now, at the right time to accomplish His purpose, the Spirit of the LORD comes upon Gideon and he blows a trumpet to summon the rest of his clan to follow him. He then sends messengers throughout the area of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him. (Judges 6:33-35).

Notice the difference in the responses to the two summonses. I believe it has a bearing on the reason for Gideon’s unusual request we know as the “Sign of the Fleece”.

Gideon’s own clan answers the trumpet to FOLLOW him. They were already aware that something was happening between him and God because of the affair with the Baal idol. The others in Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali probably knew nothing of this. They came to MEET with him in response to his messengers.

“35He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.” (v6:35)

Why the sign of the Fleece did not put the LORD to a foolish test

First of all, it is doubtful that the residents of these tribes would then follow some unknown man into a battle against a far superior force just because he sounded an alarm. For all they knew, he could be an opportunist intending to sacrifice himself and the armies of the Israel in a deluded effort for self glorification. Secondly, remember the Spirit of the Lord had come upon Gideon. Are we to think that with the Spirit of the Lord upon him, he would put God to a foolish test?

Now, with 32,000 men present, Gideon seeks a sign from God to prove to all present that He will indeed deliver Israel through him. In this famous request for a sign, Gideon first proposes to put a fleece (a tanned sheepskin with the fleece left on) on the threshing floor:

“36Then Gideon said to God, ‘If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, 37behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.’ 38And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water.

39Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.’ 40God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.” (Judges 6:36-40)

The men needed this. Gideon needed this. I believe God granted the sign to confirm Gideon before the people, and because from the beginning, this was part of His plan; not Gideon’s or Israel’s. God was the supreme commander, not a consultant. He was gracious to Gideon and the men with him, understanding their fear, and rewarding their willingness.

How much more empowered, rewarding and successful our lives would be if we would seek to pull along side God and accomplish His plan, rather than asking Him to bless ours!

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON: PART 4

2009-10-25T14:48:00.016-04:00

Letting God Make Our Lives Count

There are some sure signs that God is involved in an endeavor with us:

Our doubt turns to belief and fear to courage.
Things we depend on, or things that take the place of Him in our lives start getting removed. God doesn't let us do great things in his Name while we are giving time and honor to other gods, whatever they may be. They don’t get second place. They get no place.

Ancient Winepress. Photo from Biblewalks.com, used by permission.

Doubt
We find Gideon in a wine press, not sure of who he is speaking with. Whoever this is turns toward him from where he sits under the oak tree, and instructs him to go in the strength he has and save Israel from Midian. Gideon then rightly asks, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the Least in my family.” (Judges 6: 15, NIV).

Belief
The LORD tells him that He will be with him, and that Gideon will strike down all the Midianites together. But Gideon, still skeptical, asks God for a sign that it is really Him speaking with him. Gideon asks the Angel of God to wait while he prepares an offering. Once he brings the offering back, the Angel of God instructs him to put the unleavened bread and the meat on a rock and pour out the broth. When the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the bread with the tip of his staff, fire came up from the rock and totally consumed the meat and bread. NOW Gideon is convinced: “ ‘Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!’ But the LORD said to him, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.’ So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace…”(v. 22-24).

Fear

So, now Gideon was ready to go off and defeat the Midianites, right? Not quite. There was the matter of the family idols, the false gods, still standing in an honored place there. God instructed Gideon to tear down his father’s alter to Baal and to cut down the Asherah pole that was standing beside it, and to build a proper alter to God in their place.

Gideon did so, but at night because he was afraid of the men of his family and the men of the town. He had reason to be fearful. In the morning when the men of the town got up, they found Baal’s alter demolished and the Asherah Pole cut down, and there in its place was a newly constructed altar with a sacrificed bull lying on it!

Courage

The night operation was successful, but the stealth operation failed. Apparently there were a few witnesses, because when the men of the city investigated, someone told them that Gideon was the culprit. They then demanded of Gideon’s father that he hand him over to be killed for this sacrilege. But Joash, Gideon’s father, perhaps taking courage from Gideon’s almost-brave act, answered:

“ ‘Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.’ ” (v.31).

After this courageous and obedient act, Gideon is now ready to go deliver Israel from the Midianites!….right? Well…not quite…

-Surefoot

A Few Essentials

2009-10-07T22:18:00.010-04:00

Offending a brother and then telling him it's because of his pride that he noticed, is like throwing a puppy in the creek and then whipping him for getting wet.

If you've read the Old Testament, you should know that you do not want to be the one whose unjust actions God uses to "prune", "discipline" or "break" another brother. Your time will immediately follow.

I heard this today: "You cannot serve God according to your will; it must be according to His.

Are you discouraged or frightened by your circumstances? God told Gideon to do the equivalent of confronting 450 weapon wielding gangsters in his neighborhood by himself...and with only a flashlight and a band instrument!

Don't wait until the dragon is trying to toast you to try to dig your sword out of the saddlebag.

-Surefoot

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON: PART 3

2009-09-09T20:56:00.022-04:00

Things May Not Be What They Seem

A fable was tossed around the Internet about a blind lady who had her seeing eye dog with her on a flight. The flight was diverted and delayed. Once on the ground, she was asked by the pilot if she would like to disembark briefly. She told the pilot no, but her dog might like to stretch his legs. So the pilot, in his sunglasses, takes the seeing eye dog for a little walk. This was not well received by boarding passengers.

The situation in Israel was dire. Food and livestock were scarce because of the seven-year Midianite and Amalekite oppression. Gideon is threshing wheat (pounding the stalks of wheat to separate the grains from the outer shell and stalks) in a wine press to prevent the Midianite raiders from discovering him and separating him from his food and his head from his body. They had already killed his two brothers at Tabor.

The Angel of the Lord appears, sitting under an oak tree near the city of Ophrah, where Gideon is threshing, and says “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12, NIV). At this, Gideon, not realizing who he is speaking to, cynically answers,

“…if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6:13, NIV)

Gideon was one of at least three sons of Joash, a man of some wealth and standing in Ophrah (within the tribal allotment of Manasseh), who had an altar to Baal and an Asherah pole beside it. The people of the city came to this altar at Joash’s house to worship these idols.

God had just sent a prophet to inform the Israelites of the reason He had given them over to their enemies. From the beginning, God had told them the He was their God, and that they were not to worship the Amorite gods; but they had not listened. And here is Gideon, whose father has an idol worship center at his home, bitter and complaining that God, if He ever did do any miraculous things, certainly doesn’t now, isn’t with them, and has abandoned them to these Midianites.

Can we see anything in this that applies to us? Any similarities in the way God deals with us as His family? Ever been a father? Ever had to discipline your kids? Did you ever wish your kids would realize that you had their well-being in mind when you instructed them? Do you ever blame God for your circumstances? Here are a few things that come to mind from this account:

In Israel’s hopeless condition, when they cried out to God, even while some were still worshiping idols, God reached out to deliver. He did this for His own Name's sake and out of love for them. God's dealing with Israel is instructive to us and serves as a reminder of His first loving us with a love so deep and profound that it culminated in His offering up His only Son for our sins when we had no hope or desire for Him:

“ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8 NIV. See also Ephesians 2:11-12)

When the Angel of the Lord hailed Gideon as a “mighty warrior” He was not being sarcastic, but knew what Gideon was to become in a few days. This was actually an encouragement. Our paths can be radically altered by trusting in God, especially in the midst of fears and doubts.

It is easy to blame God when bad things happen, especially if we are in a condition where He is somewhere near the bottom of our “to-do” list rather than in the preeminent position He deserves. This way we don’t have to face our own condition before a Holy God and deal with the question of whether or not the source of the problem lies within us.

We are going to see that contrary to the way things seemed to Gideon, God was acting for His own Name's sake and out of love for His people and had not abandoned them. We will see Him patiently working with Gideon, a cynical, skeptical, fearful man to radically change his life. The result would be the emergence of a fearless trust in God and the deliverance of an entire nation.

-Surefoot

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON: PART 2

2009-08-25T22:24:00.025-04:00

Setting the Stage

It had been nearly two hundred years of cycles of idolatry, oppression by neighboring enemies and God's deliverance, followed by times of peace. God accomplished these times of deliverance through four judges: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar and Deborah.

Then, Israel again left off serving the Lord and "did evil in the eyes of the Lord" (Judges 6:1) and was now being savagely oppressed by the Midianites. The Midianites, descendants of Abraham through his second wife Keturah (Genesis 25) had been almost completely destroyed by Israel while the nation was still wandering in the desert. Undoubtedly, the Midianites had not forgotten even after two hundred years.

The biblical account (Judges 6: 1-6) tells that raiders from Midian in alliance with Amalekite raiders (Exodus 17: 8) and other eastern peoples, would enter the territory after the crops had been planted specifically to ravage the land; to ruin the crops and destroy all the livestock, not leaving anything for the Israelites to use for food.

"They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it." (Judges 6: 4-5, NIV)"

Once rich from the produce of the land God had blessed them with, they were now reduced to severe poverty. The wealth they had gladly accepted from God (while refusing to acknowledge and worship the source of those blessings) was now, over a period of seven years, being utterly destroyed by those whom God had originally intended to dispossess. Midian sent Israel into such poverty that the Israelites finally (it took seven years of this?) cried out to the Lord for help. So God sent them a prophet to explain the situation.

"This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. I said to you, 'I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.' But you have not listened to me." (Judges 6:7-10, NIV).

"I said.....but you have not listened to me." We can bring many sorrows on ourselves by not obeying what God has said in His Word. We can find many instructions in His word to guide us in our everyday lives, but the foremost, on which all others depend, is to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. (Mark 12: 28-34 and Matthew 22: 36-40) The Israelites were demonstrating their lack of love for God by casting their cares as well as their sacrifices on the altars of idols. We can do the same.

Even as christians, we can sometimes delude ourselves into thinking that we are doing what God wants. We work hard, we persevere, we do not tolerate wickedness, we are so knowledgeable about doctrine that we can immediately spot a fake, and even endure hardship for the name of Christ. These are good things, but, if they don't spring from our Love of Him, we have fallen from the high ground. Take a look at Revelation 2:1-5:

1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."

Our Love for Him comes first; the rest follows. Let's get our focus where it belongs. Love Him. And yet, it's critical that we realize that even our love for God originates with Him, and is a result of His first loving us:

"This is love: not that we loved God, but he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4: 10, NIV)

Image, Baal Ugarit_Louvre (2006)

LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF GIDEON: PART 1

2009-08-12T22:10:00.025-04:00

"Where Am I and How Did I Get in this Hand Basket?

Israel had served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Moses’ servant, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, the General of the armies of Israel. After that entire generation had died, a most amazing thing happened: the Bible says that the next generation after Joshua died grew up with NO knowledge of the LORD or anything He had done for Israel (Judges 2:10).

How is this possible? How, in only one generation (think of the lifetime of your father) could all knowledge of God and his great miracles in Egypt and the Red Sea and Jericho be completely forgotten? The answer is simple and sobering: they didn’t listen to God’s command to teach their children the things of God (Deuteronomy 6:1-20; e.g. v4-7, NIV).

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Wouldn’t it have been a simple thing to tell their kids about the great God, the LORD, and teach them His commands? Yes, but the things of God were not on their hearts; they became preoccupied. The Jewish historian Josephus put it this way:

After this, the Israelites grew effeminate as to fighting any more against their enemies, but applied themselves to the cultivation of the land, which producing them great plenty and riches, they neglected the regular disposition of their settlement, and indulged themselves in luxury and pleasures; nor were they any longer careful to hear the laws that belonged to their political government: whereupon God was provoked to anger, (Antiquities, Book 5, Chapter 2).

As a result of not being taught by their parents about God, that generation began to worship the only gods they knew anything about, the ones served by and talked about by the people that were still in the land that God had intended for them to dispossess. God was angry with the Israelites because of this and actually fought against them when their enemies attacked.

The object lesson for Christian families today should be obvious. The LORD must be mentioned and discussed in our homes with our children; the stories of His miraculous works told and re-told; his Law, accounts of His intervention and involvement in our own lives and the assurance of His love for us in Christ Jesus recognized, lived out and taught daily. -surefoot

Finding God's Will for Me

2009-05-10T19:33:00.020-04:00

I had a friend in college who had their entire life planned out: first undergraduate studies; then Masters Degree, after which a great job; then marriage with two kids, a nice house and a couple of pets; after that, perhaps some doctoral studies. This Christian friend gave no consideration to the will of God in their life, and I assumed expected God to stamp the whole thing “Blessed” and to say “Have a nice life”.

Much has been written and discussed about the question of God’s will for our lives, and is sometimes made more complicated than it needs to be. I hear everything from “No one can know God’s will to “Just say it and get it”.
To the one who loves his Heavenly Father, knowledge of His will is important because we want to please HIM. However, what we usually want to know is limited t0 something like this:

“What does God have for me in my life? Where should I go to school? What kind of job will I have / which job should I take, or to whom should I, or when should I marry?” (Nobody says “whom”; I just put it in because it’s correct grammar; actually, there are usually a few “dude’s” and “like’s” sprinkled in).

As Christians, desiring to know these things is normal; and being concerned about the path God would have us take is admirable, but we should consider a few things about why we want to know God’s will for us. Motives matter.

Sometimes we want to know out of a sincere desire to have a felt need met by God; so we are wondering when or if He plans to grant our desires.

Sometimes we ask so that we can have an outline or blueprint from God as to what our lives will be so we can lie back and let it all happen without worrying about it.

Sometimes we ask God to know His will for us so we can then decide if we want to do it. In other words, we have already decided what we are going to do and want God to be our consultant. One of my favorite cartoons is from B.C., where two men are shown on a raft. The first remarks that they are pretty far out, and says they should head back to land. The second says “Shouldn’t we pray about it?” The first begins to pray “Which way is back?” When we truly desire to know and seek God’s will we are agreeing with the fact that He has the plan and the final say, not just input into the decision making process.

Our reason for seeking God’s will should not be simply out of curiosity, but it should be so that you might know it to do it.

17"If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching,
whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. (John 7:17 NASB)

We should want to know God’s will so that we can please Him in every respect; to be found always engaged in the things He has for us to do while in these bodies. This desire comes from none other that our loving relationship with Him, so we shouldn't expect to hear from God if we are not truly interested in Him and what He wants.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2 NASB)

The scriptures are full of examples and direct statements of God’s will for our lives in general areas. In fact, all instructions to christians in general that we find in scripture may be taken to be God's will for us. So, our first goal should be to obey what we already know. Here is one example:

1Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3For this is the will of God, your
sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. 7For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 8So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. (I Thess 4: 1-8)

This is not to say that we must have obeyed all scripture without fault before God will reveal His will to us. Remember John 7:17. It is the attitude of the heart to want to know and obey God, believing that He hears and will answer. James puts it this way:

5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1: 5-7 NASB)

The challenge of applying what we know His will for us to be in general, and knowing God’s will in particular circumstances, is part of the adventure of the Christian believer’s life, and is one of the reasons prayer can often be a struggle.

So, Find out what God’s word says about what He wants. There are some things that are God’s will for all believers that are found in the scriptures. You have to take the time to read the scriptures to discover them. (The key to studying the Bible: “BTB”, Bend The Binding).

God has a specific plan for your life and will guide you in it:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10 NASB)

8I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 9Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. 10Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, loving kindness shall surround him. (Psalm 32:8-10 NASB)

We are subject to weakness and deception in our thinking, but this is no reason to leave off praying to know His will. God is pleased to give wisdom to the one who asks in faith. (James 1:5-7) In praying to know God’s will in a particular circumstance, remember that what he truly reveals to you in prayer will not conflict with scripture.

God has his own purposes and plans, and may not reveal to you all or any of the details of his plan for you in a single instant. It will more likely be a process; one which requires you to be diligent in prayer and in the scriptures, and to give attention to Him personally. (Let’s not forget the reason we want to know His will). His will for you involves your entire life, now and after you go to be with Him; not just what job you are going to take, and where you are going to go to school. Get this right and you will find that He is guiding you in the other things as well.

What happens if I fail to find or stay on the path God has for me? We have a promise from God. In Psalm 23, inspired by the Holy Spirit, David says “You lead me in paths of righteousness for Your Name’s sake.” We may bounce around a bit within the path, but God will see to it that we find and stay on the right way, and perhaps through many adventures. You can make it easier by reading and obeying the Word. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105 (NASB).

So, be willing to know and willing to do. Trust and Obey.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission

Being Overwhelmed

2009-03-20T23:20:00.022-04:00

Recently I experienced a series of catastrophes, hardships and disappointments. I was not sleeping well; I was worrying and on edge. These came relentlessly in wave after wave.

I can hear it now, "If you had been reading your bible and praying, these things either would not have happened, or at least wouldn't have been as painful." Here's the thing: I was praying. I was reading my bible, and getting more out of it than I had in a long time. I was experiencing some of the greatest fellowship with the Lord that I had ever known. And yet, the hardships began to come in wave after wave; circumstances that were out of my control and that were combining to oppress my waking and sleeping moments.

As things began to slowly fall apart for me, I remember thinking, "I can do this. My soul finds rest in God alone. He will see me through these things." My mind went to passages I had read about the Lord never leaving us or forsaking us. I found comfort in the Psalms, especially Psalm 62, and still the trials continued. I felt like I was trapped on a high tower, and someone was, one by one, sawing off the legs...while my God observed.

The breaking point for me came while I was at work, when because of an equipment failure my company was in danger of losing everything. It was then that I cried out to the Lord:

"ARE YOU TRYING TO DESTROY ME?"

Exactly two seconds after that was out of my mouth, my mind went to the account of the Israelites in the wilderness with Moses. They grumbled against the Lord and accused Him of bringing them out of Egypt and into the desert to kill them. I had always disdained this way of thinking by the Israelites, who had seen God's goodness and might, yet when He allowed things to get tough so that they could be trained by EXPERIENCE to trust Him, they proved to be short sighted and faithless. Can you imagine a friend, your spouse, or your son or daughter accusing you of doing something wonderful for them just so you could take it away again?

So, in the heat of battle, I folded for awhile. Then I began to remember the Lord's words, that whom He loves, He disciplines. It was then that I began to recall my own words that if someone saw me going through a trial, that they would not just pray that I would be saved from going through it, but that I would learn all that God had for me in it.

Some matters that concerned me so much are getting better, and for this I am praising the Lord. Some are still around for me to trust the Lord. And He is trustworthy, and knows how much I can stand.

Here is a list of some things that I am either learning or being reminded of because of these things:

In this life I am assured of trials as well as blessings.
Since I belong to, and am part of the Lord's family, I am treated as such. God is not being cruel to me by trying me.
Trials are allowed by God and are not meant to destroy me, but to train me.
My struggles bring glory to God when I demonstrate my trust in Him and wait for Him instead of acting (and speaking) rashly.
Struggles teach me patience and build character.
Therefore new trials that come my way will not be easier than the last.
My trials should allow me to understand and sympathize with the trials of others.
The comfort the Lord brings me in these times should be the same comfort I use to comfort others going through hard times.
I am never too old or too spiritual to be tried and trained.
Knowing what the Bible says about God's love and fatherly treatment of us must be coupled with a life that has experienced the same. It's one thing to say that God is all we need; it's quite another to find that God is all we have.

Scripture References:

27and you grumbled in your tents and said, 'Because the LORD hates us, He has
brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites
to destroy us. (Deuteronomy 1:27 NASB)
5My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. 6He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalm 62: 5-8)

Preventing Spiritual Failures

2009-03-04T21:50:00.019-05:00

Most of the time I can see it coming. An outlandish thought, followed by a thoughtless plan, followed by a reckless act. I make some attempt (usually I think a valiant one) to resist temptation, but at last I succumb, and end up doing a one-point into the ground.

I tell myself that I'm mature enough in my faith that these temptations should not present much of a struggle. So why do the simplest temptations sometimes trip me up?

This question is as old as the Garden of Eden, and if it were me, eating a good-looking fruit would have seemed to be the right thing to do at the time too. I know God says "X", but I want "Y" so I choose "Y".

Often times I think I allow myself to be lulled to sleep while the enemy camps in my yard, casing my house. I watch him walk to the door, and tell myself "I'll get the gun out later if I need it."
Because of one distraction or another I will leave off reading God's Word (because "I know that; I've read it countless times") and My prayers become routine and thoughtless. I overestimate my own strength, underestimate my enemy, and forget where my help comes from. And I'm definitely not taking seriously the Lord's warning to be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8).

Charles F. Stanley wrote a great article on temptation, "When Temptation Knocks" where he says Jesus' successful approach to resisting temptation is the example for us. He has scripture (what God says) for every temptation readily at hand; not as an incantation to repeat, but as the knowledge and confession of what God says (and therefore supports) about the matter. It tells us About what God thinks about what we are about to do, (so we can flee from that) and who it is we are offending (so we can flee to Him).

"He never drew on his own wit. He never even relied on His own power. He simply responded with the truth of God’s Word. That’s all it took. Nothing fancy. Just the plain truth directed at the deception behind each of Satan’s requests. Jesus verbally confronted Satan with the truth, and eventually Satan gave up and left." (Charles F. Stanley, "When Temptation Knocks")

The Bible is full of passages on this subject because the will of mankind has always been at odds with the will of God. Here are a couple of passages I find helpful:

"6Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 11To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen." (I Peter 5:6-11 NASB)

AND
"10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full
armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For
our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:
10-17 NASB)
"8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. "(I John 1:8-9 NASB)
Don't wait until the Dragon is trying to toast you before you try to dig your sword out of the saddlebag.

When Temptation Knocks http://ww2.intouch.org/site/c.dhKHIXPKIuE/b.3604505/

Our Restless Search for Equilibrium

2009-02-12T23:29:00.022-05:00

It's been said that our bodies are constantly seeking a state of equilibrium or "homeostasis" in a continual attempt to regulate against outside forces so that they remain internally unchanged. Frankly, I'm glad of this, at least as far as my physical body is concerned. For instance, I wouldn't want something like an argument to raise my blood pressure until my head exploded. This is a great mechanism God has built into our systems, but I wonder if this is only part of the picture. There must be a constant battle between our body's quest for balance and outside forces that strain that balance to allow our bodies to grow and become it stronger.

Perhaps this is true in our Christian lives as well. We don't want any outward force to cause any inward turmoil; no questions to disturb our notions; no tribulations wherein we must be patient; no trials that would force us to our knees, calling out to God. We just want equilibrium. If we are not alert, we begin a restless search for the things that we believe will preserve this condition, which is both ironic and sad.

Thankfully, we have a great and loving Heavenly Father that fully understands His children. And He is faithful, if we are really His, not to let us stay in that condition for long. The Book of Hebrews puts it this way:

"3For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
"MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE
LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
6(FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
7It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons;
for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." (Hebrews 12:3-8 NASB)

If we are healthy, we will grow. The tribulations we suffer, when God allows them, will produce that spiritual fruit called patience, and the patience will produce in us PROVEN character, and that proven character will produce Hope (Romans 5:4) But, how will this be accomplished if our focus is on seeking only the things, circumstances and people that will ensure our comfort, while disdaining any and all trials that come our way either as a result of the general human condition or by way of the loving discipline of the Lord?

These trials are vehicles for us to learn of God's great power and great love for us who believe. When we look to Him in these times and trust Him with our lives (as we have with our souls), we learn that He is as trustworthy as He says He is in His word. And God puts a high value on our trusting and obeying Him. In Moses' complaint to the Israelites he says:

"31and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.' 32"But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God," (Deut. 1:31-32 and following NASB)

Instead of looking for that equilibrium by trying to regulate our lives against outside forces, why not trust God to use whatever He desires to produce in us that true balance and rest we need?

Aaran Keyes and Stuart Townsend recently wrote a great song based on Psalm 62: "My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone". You can hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmx9p6vAL1g. Read Psalm 62 before you listen. Also check out "When Trials Come" by Keith and Kristyn Getty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB1cFQcBC7g.

Troubleshooting My Christian Walk

2009-01-01T12:44:00.008-05:00

We sang a song in church when I was a kid that I thought was so corny. The music style seemed like an old Barbeshop tune, and the words didn't seem to have the loftiness of other hymns. It wasn't until recently that I took the time to take a close look at the words.

It was then that I realized how complicated I was making my life as a christian, when it really is as simple as the title of that hymn: "Trust & Obey".

This simple direction can be found throughout the scriptures. Among them, these passages:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on
your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge
Him and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3: 5-6
NASB)
Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. (Romans 1:5 NIV)
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. (I Corinthians 9:13 NIV)
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (I Samuel 15:22 NIV)

So simply put, trusting God comes first, then obedience to His Word. ("Trust & Obey" as the old hymn says) not the reverse (Romans 1:5).

Whenever I see that my growth as a Christian seems stunted, I'm generally unhappy, and when it seems like what I read in the Bible is just words on the page instead of the Living Word, I have to ask myself, " Is there an area in my life where I am disobeying (that includes delaying obeying) what God has already revealed to me from His word? Is there something the Spirit of God has been urging me to do (or stop doing) that I have ignored or put off?

Trust & Obey

(Words John H. Sammis; Music Daniel B. Towner)

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

9 Things God Cares About and Rewards (From Jesus' Sermon on the Mount)

2008-12-29T17:01:00.009-05:00

Acknowledging your true fallen condition before God is rewarded with ownership in the kingdom of God:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". (Matthew 5:3 NASB)
Being truly sorry for your condition is rewarded with true comfort:

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." (Matt. 5:4 NASB)
Acknowledging where your true strength lies (in God), resulting in gentleness (or also translated meekness) is rewarded with the promise of a future inheritance:

"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matt. 5:5 NASB)
Desperation for the righteousness of God (because of 1 and 2 above) is rewarded with righteousness being imputed to us through Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Matt. 5:6 NASB)
Showing mercy to others is rewarded with mercy from God.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy". (Matt. 5:6 NASB)
Being pure in heart is rewarded by admittance into his presence.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:7 NASB)
Being a true peace maker (peace with God first, others second) is rewarded with being called sons of God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Matt. 5:8 NASB)
Being mistreated or oppressed for standing up for righteousness is rewarded with the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, as with the poor in spirit.

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10 NASB)
Being insulted and mistreated and oppressed and being falsely accused because of your association with Jesus Christ is answered with a great reward in heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matt. 5: 11-12 NASB)

First of all....

2008-12-28T23:14:00.003-05:00

While I'm on staff at a local church, I'm not a Pastor, a theologian or even a teacher. I'm just a christian on the same pilgrimage as others who love their Lord and want to please Him. That is not to say that learning from those that have these gifts is unimportant. Having a pastor and/or teacher that accurately handles the Word of God is essential to Christian growth. But having great teachers is not a substitute for digging into the Living Word of God for one's self.

I often enjoy taking my bible with me to lunch. Its a time when work and responsibility fade for a brief time, and I can, even in a crowed restaurant enjoy reading the scriptures.

One of those days recently, I prayed asking God to open the scriptures to me in a way that would go beyond my just gathering more knowledge. I wanted to know God Himself better through His word. I wanted to know the things that He cares about-- the things I should also care about. He began to do just that at that very hour.

What follows is simply a journal of things that I am learning day by day.