“During the time Herod ruled Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to Abijah’s group. Zachariah’s wife, Elizabeth, came from the family of Aaron. Zacharia and Elizabeth truly did what God said was good. They did everything the Lord commanded and were without fault in keeping the law” (Luke 1 vs. 5 – 6)
Interestingly, even in biblical times which is thousands of years ago, there were people who were obviously confused about what was right. If not, why would the bible identify someone or some people as doing what God said was right? It implies that there were other ‘right doings’ that were not from God that may be was politically correct and politically acceptable.
In our time today, there is a very blurring line about what is true and what is politically correct. People seem to be confused, or want to be confused. Young children are caught in between the debates that rage on TV screens and online daily about these positions. Parents are also caught up in the confusion so they cannot even teach what is right.
In the passage above, Zachariah and Elizabeth, the bible records were not part of the confusion of their time. They truly knew what God said was good and what was not acceptable to the one whom they knew had the ultimate authority in all the matters relating to mankind.
As Christians we should not be confused about who sets the standards. We should not be confused about where to find the rules and constitution that govern our behaviors. It is unfortunate and somewhat disheartening that even among Christians there are people who want to be politically correct because according to them, Jesus Christ did not reject or cast anyone away. They forget that He never compromised and never dilly-dallied about calling sin, sin and a sinner a sinner.
It seems to me that there are things that seem right and may be right before men who are polically judging all things and they are not what God said is good or right. It is important that we are not caught up in being all things to all men and being so concerned with being accepted by all and loved by all groups that we lose sight of who we are and whose we are.
When it sounds so ‘right’ it will help if we can check with the only true source to see if it is truly what God says is good before we jump into it. It may sound right, feel right but not truly what God said but what deemed good.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
When Delayed Obedience is no Obedience
Moses addressing the Israelites towards the end of his mission starts to recall the events of his leadership right at the start of the book of Deuteronomy. Beginning with leaving Egypt to all the events in the wilderness that turned a 21 days journey to a whooping 40 years, comes to the spying of the land and how he asked the people not to be afraid following the report from the 10 spies and to be move up to the mountains because God had already spoken and has given them the land. “But you still did not trust the LORD your God even though He had always gone before you to find places for you to camp. In a fire at night and in a cloud during the day, He showed you which way to go”. (Deut. 1 vs. 32 – 33)
The rebellion of Israel is a well known story. However, the striking thing in this passage is in Deuteronomy 1 vs. 41. When God had made a u-turn because of their disobedience and said that they should head back towards the red sea, they now realized the graveness of their disobedience they told Moses that they will go up and fight. Of course we know the end of that mission God said do not bother anymore since you did not listen the first time, forget it!
Moses said to the leaders and the people in vs. 43 “So I told you (not to go to war) but you would not listen…you were proud and you went up into the mountains… They chased you like bees… you came back and cried before the LORD but the LORD did not listen to you. He refused to pay attention to you. So you stayed in Kadesh a long time.
In my life I can recall several times when I have little Holy Ghost nudges to something but I explained it away or to give something which I conveniently forgot and God does not desert me or scream from heaven. Sometimes the nudging dies off and I believe that at such times, God just finds another vessel that is ready to obey and to be used. As I reflect on this passage today, I cannot help but wonder how many times I have stayed long in kadesh.
I remember at different times when I will pray that LORD I want to move on in my life and that whatever lesson there is to learn in that situation that I had learnt it. So many times, we are where we are as if marking time in one spot, not making much progress because we refused to take God at His word and move at His command so he leaves us a long time in kadesh.
Has God been speaking to you to do something, to move up to the mountains because he had already taken care of the Amorites?
Do not hesitate. Do not delay because he may just move on and no longer be interested if you are not willing to obey or get rid of the fear that paralyze you. Remember that it may be too late if you delay or allow unbelief to take away your blessing. Not only will you stay long in kadesh, you will also push your inheritance and blessings years and years down the road and you will wallow in pain and anguish.
The rebellion of Israel is a well known story. However, the striking thing in this passage is in Deuteronomy 1 vs. 41. When God had made a u-turn because of their disobedience and said that they should head back towards the red sea, they now realized the graveness of their disobedience they told Moses that they will go up and fight. Of course we know the end of that mission God said do not bother anymore since you did not listen the first time, forget it!
Moses said to the leaders and the people in vs. 43 “So I told you (not to go to war) but you would not listen…you were proud and you went up into the mountains… They chased you like bees… you came back and cried before the LORD but the LORD did not listen to you. He refused to pay attention to you. So you stayed in Kadesh a long time.
In my life I can recall several times when I have little Holy Ghost nudges to something but I explained it away or to give something which I conveniently forgot and God does not desert me or scream from heaven. Sometimes the nudging dies off and I believe that at such times, God just finds another vessel that is ready to obey and to be used. As I reflect on this passage today, I cannot help but wonder how many times I have stayed long in kadesh.
I remember at different times when I will pray that LORD I want to move on in my life and that whatever lesson there is to learn in that situation that I had learnt it. So many times, we are where we are as if marking time in one spot, not making much progress because we refused to take God at His word and move at His command so he leaves us a long time in kadesh.
Has God been speaking to you to do something, to move up to the mountains because he had already taken care of the Amorites?
Do not hesitate. Do not delay because he may just move on and no longer be interested if you are not willing to obey or get rid of the fear that paralyze you. Remember that it may be too late if you delay or allow unbelief to take away your blessing. Not only will you stay long in kadesh, you will also push your inheritance and blessings years and years down the road and you will wallow in pain and anguish.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Getting our Inheritance
“On the plains of Moab by the Jordan River across (opposite) Jericho, the LORD spoke to Moses. He said “Speak to the Israelites and tell them “When you cross the Jordan River and go into Canaan, force out all the people who live there… Take over the land and settle there because I have given this land to you to own…”( Numbers chapter 33 vs 50 – 53 NCV)
Beginning with Abraham several generations behind, God promised “the land”… Isaac heard, waited, Jacob heard, waited, Joseph even said they should take his bones since he will definitely not live to see or inherit the land but they all believed without a doubt. Multiple generations and several years later, Moses will have this onerous responsibility of leading the people of Israel to the Promised Land.
Obviously some promises that God has made to us will come to us generations after and that is why our actions today will affect not one or two or three generations after. It is not only our sins and our evil deeds that God will visit generation after generation to the fourth and fifth generations. The blessings of God are also dispersed in the same token. But this is not the main focus of this write up today.
So here is a generation that has heard over and over that God will give them the land of Canaan for an inheritance. They endured hunger, thirst, panic, watched their loved ones die in the wilderness all in the journey to the Promised Land.
In numbers 33, the bible recounts the stop overs which were about 40 different camps and locations. They camp and move and finally they arrive at the plains of Moab and can see the promised land and instead of walking in, they now have to ‘force people out’ and fight for what has been promised to by Almighty God for donkey years. Surely that is not fair by any standard.
The ways of God re not our ways and as I look at my life and the life of many I know who are walk in the promise and grace of God, I see that God demands not only that we believe Him and His word but also to be ready to ‘act’ and ‘fight’. No wonder Paul in writing to us through the letter to the Ephesians says that “Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of evil in the heavenly world…And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing”
There are several instances in my life that I know that God has spoken, confirmed his blessings personally and yet it would be “struggle” before it will come to pass and I use ‘struggle’ because that was what it felt like at the time but in retrospect, it was just wars that needed to be fought and some of the time as I got to the plains of my Moab just in the face of the promised land, I had to ‘force out’ all the people who live there before I can take over the blessings God had predestined to me.
Sometimes, we doubt the ferocity of God’s word when we are surrounded by the Amorites and the kings and kingdoms of Edom of this life and we turn the other way, there are not one but five kings of Midian and you cannot but ask “Did I really hear from God?”
Remember at such challenging times and situation that God has already given the challenges a knock. He has already caused the ‘people’ to be afraid and has weakened their army so that when you step into action, take the step towards the city gate, victory is assured just like the Israelites. Who would have believed that singing and shouts of praise will bring down the walls of Jericho? C’mon! That was God in action. Can you imagine if they have stayed back in the plains of Moab because of fear? And we know what Moab stands for, not only would they have cut themselves short of their inheritance but they would have been destroyed.
Beginning with Abraham several generations behind, God promised “the land”… Isaac heard, waited, Jacob heard, waited, Joseph even said they should take his bones since he will definitely not live to see or inherit the land but they all believed without a doubt. Multiple generations and several years later, Moses will have this onerous responsibility of leading the people of Israel to the Promised Land.
Obviously some promises that God has made to us will come to us generations after and that is why our actions today will affect not one or two or three generations after. It is not only our sins and our evil deeds that God will visit generation after generation to the fourth and fifth generations. The blessings of God are also dispersed in the same token. But this is not the main focus of this write up today.
So here is a generation that has heard over and over that God will give them the land of Canaan for an inheritance. They endured hunger, thirst, panic, watched their loved ones die in the wilderness all in the journey to the Promised Land.
In numbers 33, the bible recounts the stop overs which were about 40 different camps and locations. They camp and move and finally they arrive at the plains of Moab and can see the promised land and instead of walking in, they now have to ‘force people out’ and fight for what has been promised to by Almighty God for donkey years. Surely that is not fair by any standard.
The ways of God re not our ways and as I look at my life and the life of many I know who are walk in the promise and grace of God, I see that God demands not only that we believe Him and His word but also to be ready to ‘act’ and ‘fight’. No wonder Paul in writing to us through the letter to the Ephesians says that “Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of evil in the heavenly world…And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing”
There are several instances in my life that I know that God has spoken, confirmed his blessings personally and yet it would be “struggle” before it will come to pass and I use ‘struggle’ because that was what it felt like at the time but in retrospect, it was just wars that needed to be fought and some of the time as I got to the plains of my Moab just in the face of the promised land, I had to ‘force out’ all the people who live there before I can take over the blessings God had predestined to me.
Sometimes, we doubt the ferocity of God’s word when we are surrounded by the Amorites and the kings and kingdoms of Edom of this life and we turn the other way, there are not one but five kings of Midian and you cannot but ask “Did I really hear from God?”
Remember at such challenging times and situation that God has already given the challenges a knock. He has already caused the ‘people’ to be afraid and has weakened their army so that when you step into action, take the step towards the city gate, victory is assured just like the Israelites. Who would have believed that singing and shouts of praise will bring down the walls of Jericho? C’mon! That was God in action. Can you imagine if they have stayed back in the plains of Moab because of fear? And we know what Moab stands for, not only would they have cut themselves short of their inheritance but they would have been destroyed.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Mission of Moses
The mission of Moses seemed straightforward when God called him while he was in exile tending to the herd of his father-in-law saying “… Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt”. That seemed straight forward enough although in retrospect, Moses probably had inkling about the enormity of this job because he gave God enough reasons why he is not the best candidate for this. We all thought that it was mainly because he was a wanted man in Egypt. Eventually he grudgingly accepted and that was the beginning of a very difficult assignment.
To start with when God told Moses that Pharaoh will resist, I doubt that he envisaged the drama that went on in Egypt before the Israelites finally left Egypt. As you read the plagues and the frequency and severity of it, one wonders how Moses was being dribbled by the Pharaoh man and yet each time God says “go tell Pharaoh, let my people go” he goes and each time the plague comes Pharaoh begs Moses to beg his God and the drama was endless.
Now we get to the people for whom mosses had taken so much stress and given so much of his life and their rebellion over and over again on their way to the promised land to the point that God will wipe out a whole generation over the age of twenty for disobedience and doubt about the capability of God to fulfill his promise to His people. Then we come to the wars… it was one war after the other to even get close to the promise land.
It is amazing for short of a better word that in leading the people Moses became not only a political leader but also their spiritual leader until God set apart Aaron and the Levites to reduce the role and one recalls that even when his father –in-law visited them as they came out that he observed that he was doing a lot and asked him to find some assistants. Later he will lead them again into wars and that is really what struck me about this assignment, the job kept expanding and getting more difficult but Moses held on… yes there are a few cases such as when he struck the rock and when the tablets dropped for which he paid for by not getting into the promise land. I remember thinking “common God, for a guy who did all these, you could at least have forgiven him and let him enter the promise land instead of just seeing it”.
Another intriguing thing is that with the difficulty of managing the Israelites, the rebellions, the deaths, the wars, Moses still managed to marry another wife along the way to the point that even his sister complained about the woman and God came to his rescue.
Apparently, when God gives us an instruction to do something, we truly do not know the assignment in its entirety until we obey and set out. As we walk and work with him, he reveals the demand of the assignment step by step and phase by phase. All He demands of us is full trust that he is able to do that which He said He will do. Also, before God sends anyone on any mission, He first reveals who He is and that would be the point of reference for the messenger … an encounter that one can never forget and the one that will be the bedrock for the messenger.
Has God sent you on a mission? Have you had an encounter with God resembling the burning bush? One that takes away the doubts and the fears and one that will be the reason you will face Pharoah confidently and not panic when you see the red sea?
To start with when God told Moses that Pharaoh will resist, I doubt that he envisaged the drama that went on in Egypt before the Israelites finally left Egypt. As you read the plagues and the frequency and severity of it, one wonders how Moses was being dribbled by the Pharaoh man and yet each time God says “go tell Pharaoh, let my people go” he goes and each time the plague comes Pharaoh begs Moses to beg his God and the drama was endless.
Now we get to the people for whom mosses had taken so much stress and given so much of his life and their rebellion over and over again on their way to the promised land to the point that God will wipe out a whole generation over the age of twenty for disobedience and doubt about the capability of God to fulfill his promise to His people. Then we come to the wars… it was one war after the other to even get close to the promise land.
It is amazing for short of a better word that in leading the people Moses became not only a political leader but also their spiritual leader until God set apart Aaron and the Levites to reduce the role and one recalls that even when his father –in-law visited them as they came out that he observed that he was doing a lot and asked him to find some assistants. Later he will lead them again into wars and that is really what struck me about this assignment, the job kept expanding and getting more difficult but Moses held on… yes there are a few cases such as when he struck the rock and when the tablets dropped for which he paid for by not getting into the promise land. I remember thinking “common God, for a guy who did all these, you could at least have forgiven him and let him enter the promise land instead of just seeing it”.
Another intriguing thing is that with the difficulty of managing the Israelites, the rebellions, the deaths, the wars, Moses still managed to marry another wife along the way to the point that even his sister complained about the woman and God came to his rescue.
Apparently, when God gives us an instruction to do something, we truly do not know the assignment in its entirety until we obey and set out. As we walk and work with him, he reveals the demand of the assignment step by step and phase by phase. All He demands of us is full trust that he is able to do that which He said He will do. Also, before God sends anyone on any mission, He first reveals who He is and that would be the point of reference for the messenger … an encounter that one can never forget and the one that will be the bedrock for the messenger.
Has God sent you on a mission? Have you had an encounter with God resembling the burning bush? One that takes away the doubts and the fears and one that will be the reason you will face Pharoah confidently and not panic when you see the red sea?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Mission Accomplished
Yesterday I read John chapter 17 and left my page marker at the page where it ended and today as I opened my bible it naturally fell open where the page marker was and it was John chapter 18 and immediately it opened my eyes went to the title on the page and it says "Jesus completes his mission". I thought how awesome. I also rememebered Paul's declaration that he has fought the good fight and indeed completed his mission with great sense of accomplishment.
St Paul could look anyone in the eyes like Jesus and say "I have completed my duty and fulfilled my mission". I then asked myself, will I be able to boldly declare that I have completed my duty towards God, that my mission has been fully carried out and successfully too? Like Paul, I now await the crown?
It was a stark reminder to all of us that we are here for a purpose and this is the time to fulfill our mission for will not be here again.
Jesus said "I must work the works of He who has called me while it is day for the night cometh when no man can do any work". This verse tells us unequivocably that the work, our mission is for an appointed time.
I once heard a man of God say that God can only wait for a man for so long and then He moves on because the work needs to be done. Once God has given a person the opportunity, He can only struggle with you for so long before He finds another willing heart and ready vessel to carry out His mission.
Are we working while it is day today?
Can God depend on you and I?
If God calls us home today, can we boldly say "Father, I completed my mission?"
St Paul could look anyone in the eyes like Jesus and say "I have completed my duty and fulfilled my mission". I then asked myself, will I be able to boldly declare that I have completed my duty towards God, that my mission has been fully carried out and successfully too? Like Paul, I now await the crown?
It was a stark reminder to all of us that we are here for a purpose and this is the time to fulfill our mission for will not be here again.
Jesus said "I must work the works of He who has called me while it is day for the night cometh when no man can do any work". This verse tells us unequivocably that the work, our mission is for an appointed time.
I once heard a man of God say that God can only wait for a man for so long and then He moves on because the work needs to be done. Once God has given a person the opportunity, He can only struggle with you for so long before He finds another willing heart and ready vessel to carry out His mission.
Are we working while it is day today?
Can God depend on you and I?
If God calls us home today, can we boldly say "Father, I completed my mission?"
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