Category Archives: Our Journey Into The Promised Land

Persuaded By The Promises!

14 Tuesday Feb 2012

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 Have you been so persuaded by the promises of God that you chose to believe His word above everything else? 

 

Joshua and Caleb were so persuaded from the forty days they spent examining the land, they absolutely knew God’s word was true for the entire congregation.     But  did their conviction persuade anyone else to follow the Lord?  Yes it did.

The fact is Joshua and Caleb persuaded the next generation to come back and take the possession which their forefathers forfeited.

Just two men who believed God were able to persuade  the future generation to believe the promises of God. Lets read their account.

 

 “And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.”  (Numbers 14: 6-9)

 

Joshua and Caleb Were Persuaded

 

Persuaded  means “to convince by argument, to rely by inward certainty, believe, have confidence, trust, yield.”

One of the greatest needs in the body of Christ today is for men and women to be persuaded by the words of God.  Believers need to be won over, convinced, and settled about what God has spoken.

This is faith.  Faith is arriving at the place where each of us is convinced and won over by the Word of God.

 

 

The War of Persuasion Is Waged In the Mind

 

Until a person is persuaded, there is still a struggle.  All our feelings, emotions, and circumstances war against the mind.  It is a war between the word of God and the natural circumstances and conditions that contradict that very same Word.

If you become persuaded by the circumstances and conditions that contradict God’s Word, you will actually begin to stand in direct opposition to the Word of God.

The ten spies allowed the giants and other things they saw convince them that they were unable to take possession of their promised inheritance.

 

What they were saying was… “We are persuaded by what we have seen and heard, not what God has promised.  God has lied to us.”

 

On the other hand, Joshua and Caleb experienced the same events and heard the same words, but they were persuaded by the Word of God and were encouraged.

 

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”  (Numbers 13:30)

 “Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for (they are bread for us): their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.” (Numbers 14:9)

 

Be Fully Persuaded

 

Joshua and Caleb were fully persuaded by the Word of promise.  The Word of God had prevailed in their thinking over every possible enemy.

To Joshua and Caleb it would not have mattered how many giants lived in the Promised Land or how tall the walls of their cities. They were convinced.  They had been won over by the word. They were fully persuaded.

Remember, it is the devil’s job to dissuade you of all the promises God has made.  This includes those promises in the Bible and those promises the Lord has made to you personally. This was the devil’s approach with Jesus when he tempted Him in the wilderness.

 

 

QUESTIONS:  

  • Has the enemy been trying to persuade you God’s Word is not true?   
  • Has the devil convinced you the prophecies and promises of God are not true and will never come to pass?  
  • Has Satan been trying to get you to take his side and believe his evidence that speaks against the Word of God?  
  • Do you believe God’s promises are too hard, too difficult, and impossible to stand upon?

 

Why does satan spend so much time trying to convince us God’s word will not come to pass for us personally?  The devil’s greatest fear is that you will become persuaded God’s Word is true.  These are the people who are truly dangerous in the Kingdom of God.  Nothing is impossible for them!

 

Satan knows when you become fully persuaded, you will look at the dry bone conditions of your life and prophesy your own healing, your own deliverance, and believe for your own breakthrough.

Let the Word of God persuade you today!

  • You are well able to take the land.
  • You are able to defeat sickness and disease.
  • You are able to break Satan’s power over your loved ones.
  • You are well able to fulfill the call of God in your life. 

 

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4)  

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

 

Faith is not a struggle. Faith is rest. Once you are finally persuaded concerning the promises of God for your life, the struggle is over. You may have to walk some things out, but internally there will be a peace and a rest.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

Life Is All About Struggling With Our Process

09 Thursday Feb 2012

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We should understand that many times the struggle, the fight, the warfare, the praying, the waiting patiently, and the enduring is as important as the blessing or reward. While we are focusing on the reward, God is looking at the development that is taking place through our struggle in our process.  God knows that faith is forged in the furnace of adversity.

 

 

There Must Be A Struggle/Fight

 

The first generation coming out of Egypt forfeited their inheritance because they would not fight.  It is better to say that they would not go into battle.  They didn’t have to fight.  The Lord was going to fight for them.

How many of God’s people have forfeited their destiny and their promises simply because they refused to fight for their promise?  When the heat was on they bailed out, backed down, laid down their swords, and conceded to the enemy.

As long as everything was going smooth, they were right there shouting with the rest of the army.  When the struggles arrived, they caved in and gave in to discouragement, fear, and doubt.

 

THE TRUTH

 

In reality – What has made you what you are in the Lord is the struggle itself.

  • You are…What you have had to fight for,
  • You are…What you have had to fight against, and
  • You are…What you have had to overcome.

 

 

The caterpillar goes through a process of metamorphosis by which it changes from an earthbound worm into a beautiful butterfly.  It is a difficult process, but worth the effort…if it really wants to fly.   This process involves a life and death struggle.  If we interfere, cut the struggle short and make it easier, we will rob the butterfly of its destiny.

The baby chick in the egg goes through a process of growth inside of the egg until it begins to outgrow the egg.  In order to graduate out of the egg, it must peck its way free.   This struggle strengthens the baby chick and prepares it for life outside the egg.  Again, if we interfere and cut the struggle short, we would severely injure, if not kill the chick.  Through the struggle, it gains the strength it needs to survive and thrive in it’s new environment.

The Qualification Process

 

In addition, one of the best things about your struggle is that it qualifies you to help others. When you have been through something victoriously, you can help somebody else.   When you’ve stood your ground, fought your battles, and conquered your giants, you are qualified to encourage someone else through their battles.

 

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, (that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God)  2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 

Through your struggles God is bringing you to a place of greater influence and blessing to your brothers and sisters in the Lord.

  •  Are you going through some struggles right now?
  • The better question is, “are you growing stronger in the Lord through your struggles?”
  • Are you developing some spiritual muscles, greater compassion, patience, endurance, and long suffering?

Don’t be praying to get out of your struggles.  Pray for greater strength to overcome and to be victorious.

 

  • Daniel needed the lions’ den (God delivered him through it).
  • David needed Goliath. The children of Israel needed the giants.
  • The three Hebrew children needed the fiery furnace.
  • Sampson needed the Philistines.

 

We all need the struggles as well.  There is no testimony without a test and no victory without a battle.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

11 Reasons God Leaves Giants In Our Lives

08 Wednesday Feb 2012

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You can’t have a decent discussion about the Promised Land without mentioning “GIANTS!”  Giants are the reason the Wilderness Wondering took 40 years instead of 9 months.  Yikes!  The issue of giants needs to be addressed or we too could spend much longer in the desert.  Whatever assumptions or preconceived notions we have need to be replaced with honest spiritual truth.

 

Someone once said, “The spiritual fact is God’s blessings and promises cost what they cost and they never go on sale.”

 

Yes, God wants to prosper you and bless you, but sometimes you’re going to have to go through some things before the blessings arrive.

Sometimes you have to struggle and sometimes you have to fight.  The struggle is by design.  There is something in the struggle that is necessary for us to become all God has ordained us to be.  It is important that we understand this and continue to believe God has our best interest at heart, even though there are giants in the picture.

 

LIFE WITH GIANTS

 

Someone forgot to remove those “giants” before God’s people arrived.  How could God have forgotten that minor detail?  If He had just removed those giants before the spies spotted them, then they could have proceeded, believing the promise without hindrance.

 

Has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God? 

 

It appears that God left those pesky giants in the Promised Land on purpose!  Why?  Here are 11 reasons.

 

#1 God’s People Need to Learn How to Conduct Spiritual Warfare. 

 

Giants were not unlike the previous obstacles Israel faced.  They had to cross the Red Sea, get water from the rock, and rely on manna from God every morning.  These giants shouldn’t have appeared any more daunting to conquer.  Except the children of God pictured themselves fighting the giants alone.   The truth is that God wants us to learn the art of spiritual warfare.  We do not have to fight alone, but learn to fight in the power of His might.

 

#2 Giants Help Distinguish the Difference Between Professors and Possessors.

 

It’s one thing to confess the promises of God. It’s another thing to strap on your sword, go toe to toe with your giants and possess your promises.

 

#3 Giants Expose the Grasshoppers in the Crowd.

 

When giants show up, grasshoppers speak up! Grasshoppers usually blend into their environments but giants uncover them.

Remember that grasshoppers do not eat grapes.  You will never receive by faith a “promised land” with a grasshopper mentality.  God will never give you something you cannot believe in! God would not promise grapes to grasshoppers because grasshoppers do not even eat grapes.

 

 

#4 You Get to Know Yourself in the Struggle. 

 

The real you comes out under pressure. Without the pressure, you wouldn’t know certain facts about yourself.  Caleb and Joshua discovered the truth about their beliefs in God.  The other spies discovered the truth about what they believed or didn’t believe.

Have your struggles brought out the truth about your beliefs?  If they haven’t, they will.

 

#5 You Get to Know Your God Because He Is Your Only Help.

 

The LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”  Numbers 11:23

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.”  Deuteronomy 29:29

 

God doesn’t want to be one of many sources in our lives.  He desires to be our only source.

 

#6 You Discover the Value of Real Strength by Putting Down Roots in God’s Word and Prayer. 

 

Before you can grow-up, you grow down.  Giants cause us to grow down into God and His word.  You will choose to stand on God’s revelation or you will run from your struggles and flee from the circumstances.

 

#7 You Become Aware of the Excesses and Unnecessary Things in Your Life.

 

Giants cause us to take serious inventory of ourselves.  Like Abraham, we discover that some “Ishmaels” have to go if we are to proceed to our destiny.  Giants quickly reveal the Ishmaels we have birthed.

 

#8 Struggles Create a Thankful Heart.

 

Struggling with giants adds value to those things in our lives God has previously provided.  Listen to people who survive tornadoes.   Their house is gone.  Their car is gone.  Yet they are so thankful they are still alive and their family is together.

When you have to fight for what you have… You appreciate it more and you won’t let anyone take it from you.

 

 

#9 Giants Test Your Level of Commitment.

 

The only way to truly gauge your level of commitment is to walk through the struggle and see it to it’s end.

Boxers can attest to this.  They talk of having “the heart of a lion” in the ring.  When you are being punched and punched round after round, you begin to question and gauge yourself, if you want to continue.

 

#10 The Struggle Qualifies You for Rest.

 

 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

“Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.” (Hebrews 4:11)

 

I love rest.  Most people like rest.  It is a good thing.  But the promise only comes after struggles, labor, and laying those heavy burdens aside.  Real contentment comes from believing God’s Word.

 

#11 The Struggle Qualifies You for the Reward.

 

When David heard others speak of a reward, he knew the reward was only for the person who would fight and KILL Goliath.

  “And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.” (1 Samuel 17:25)

 

An interesting map is on display in the British Museum in London. It’s an old mariner’s chart drawn in 1525, outlining the North American coastline and adjacent waters. The cartographer made some intriguing notations on areas of the map that represented regions not yet explored.

He wrote: “Here be giants,” “Here be fiery scorpions,” and “Here be dragons.”  Eventually, the map came into the possession of Sir John Franklin, a British explorer in the early 1800s. Scratching out the fearful inscriptions, he wrote these words across the map: “Here is God.”

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

The High Cost of Low Level Complaining (Part 2) – It’s Contagious!!!

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

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Yesterday I began to talk about the high cost of complaining.  It was noted that God had contempt for those with a complaining spirit because it revealed a heart of ingratitude.  Today we will see that this very same complaining spirit is highly contagious.

 

The Mixed Multitude Began To Mutter

 

“the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting…” (Numbers 11:4a)

 

You might be asking what a “mixed multitude” is exactly.  When I was a kid “mixed company” was a group that consisted of both girls and boys.  But in this case, it is a large group of people consisting of both Egyptians and Israelites.  Yes, there were some Egyptians who followed Israel out of Egypt.  It was this group that went “lusting” or “had longings” for the old days.   The idea here wass simply that the mixed multitude began to vocalize their desires for what they left behind in Egypt.

 

All This Led to the Children Of Israel Beginning To Mourn.

 

“…and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?”  (Numbers 11:4b)

 

Here is the first link in the awful chain of low-level complaining. Let one person start complaining to others about what’s wrong and pretty soon others will link up with the first link of complainers. Complaining is always contagious.  What makes all this worse is they were “crying complainers.”  Yuck! They were whiners who really whined.

 

Mark Twain once said, “Don’t complain and talk about all your problems—80 percent of people don’t care; the other 20 percent will think you deserve them.”

 

It is not good when some of the chief complainers are believers!  If believers are going to complain then the world is definitely not going to give God the praise and adoration He deserves.  Most of our complaints are about the same issues found here… Egypt.  We too want the things of Egypt and start complaining about it!

 

Even Moses Began To Moan.

 

Moses began to complain to God about the complications all this whining was doing to the congregation.  What Pharoah and his armies couldn’t do to the man of God, this mummering multitude did in just a few short days.

 

“And Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased. 11 And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? 12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their father? 13 Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.” (Numbers 11:10-13)

 

Notice the trickle down effect.  Moses’ plate was full!  Moses was now complaining about the people’s complaining.

 “I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. 15 And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.”  (Numbers 11:14-15)

 

God never intended Moses to bear the full load of this people. However, though Moses complained to God, we never read once that he ever complained before the people or spread his malcontent.

Complainers not only accuse God of unjust treatment, but they demonstrate their lack of faith in God by their complaint. Faith and complaining are polar opposites.  If you want to destroy your “faith walk” allow a complaining spirit to grow. They will mutually exclude each other.   Moses’ had become so negative he doubted even God could handle these circumstances.

 

“And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 22 Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23 And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.” (Numbers 11:21) 

 

Have you shortened God’s arms and hands by your complaints?  Most of us do not have the history with God as Moses did.  God basically said to him, “You are going to see My word come to pass in your life.  Nothing has changed Moses. My hands will deliver you.”

 

 

We may think our own issue of complaining against the Lord does not affect anyone but ourselves.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Even if you never open your big mouth to bring accusation against God, it will manifest itself.  As we see with Moses, it begins to eat away at our faith walk.  It is impossible to believe God and walk in faith with a contentious, cancerous complaining spirit eating its way through our belief system.

Do you want to be different from almost every other believer you meet?  Crucify the complaining spirit that wants to raise its ugly head in your life.  Your faith will grow and you will bless the Lord in so many ways.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

The High Cost of Low Level Complaining (Part 1)

05 Sunday Feb 2012

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Complaining is an activity all of us have participated in at one time or another. Most of us utter complaints without even thinking. It seems almost natural to vocalize our displeasure when things don’t quite turn out as we think they should.

If you have occasion to watch the evening news, you get the idea that complaining has become the national pastime. It seems that the largest portion of the news is devoted to the discussion of who is upset with whom. The reason the newscaster has to throw in a story with a happy ending at the end of the newscast is to avert nationwide depression.

 

The Bible has much to say about the practice of complaining. The Scriptures tell us not only what people complain about, but also how it affects others and how God responds to it. We may not take our complaining seriously, but God does. 

 

I have had to learn the hard way that God takes complaining, grumbling, murmuring, criticizing, whining, nagging, objecting, and fault-finding very seriously.

It is interesting to note that the antonym for complaining is praising!

 

Numbers 11 gives us a good idea of just how serious the sin of complaining is before the Lord. When it is all boiled down, complaining is an accusation against God. Complaining accuses God of unjust treatment.

There are several reasons God has contempt for complainers and grumblers.  One of the main reasons is because…

 

Complaining Reveals Our Ingratitude for God’s Care. 

 

“And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” (Numbers 11:1)

 

The type of complaining we’re dealing with here isn’t merely the recognition of obvious problems.  The Hebrew word for complain, anan means, “to mourn.” Their complaining was a whining that stemmed from self-pity.

This type of incessant whining and mourning for the way things used to be “displeased the Lord.” This reveals God was exceedingly grieved and hurt by the complaints of the people. It stirred up the Lord’s righteous indignation.  Wow!

 

 

The People Complained About What They Didn’t Have.

 

“…and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?”  (Numbers 11:4b)

 

Well none of us have ever done this?  Right?

These folks here were not the first to complain about what they didn’t have.  We too will not be the last to complain about what we do not have.  But we do need to know and understand how God feels about those with a spirit of ingratitude.

The point is we need to appreciate what God has provided before we start contemplating upon what is missing from our lives.  If not… it may led us down a dark, dark alley of ingratitude.

 

The People Complained About What They Used To Have.

 

“We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:” (Numbers 11: 5)

 

I have never lusted after “leeks, onions and garlic” but that is not the issue here.  Egypt and the things from Egypt are reminders of our old lost condition. The Israelites were complaining that their old life was better than their new life.

 

Some Christians have said, “I never had this many problems before I got saved!”

 

The Israelites’ choice of words, when describing what they used to eat in Egypt, sounds a lot like today.  They said, “…we did eat in Egypt freely…”  They seemed to have conveniently forgotten about the fact that they were in bondage in Egypt.

Egypt is easy.  Sin is easy.  There is no discipline there.  There is no self-denial.  It’s hard to imagine these people ever actually regretted leaving a state of bondage  because it meant self-denial on their part.

 

 

The People Complained About What They Had.

 

“But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.” (Numbers 11:6)

 “But now our appetites are gone, and day after day we have nothing to eat but this manna” (NLT)

 

Wasn’t it a crying shame? All they had to eat was the heavenly food sent down to them from the very hand of God. But God’s supply was old hat now. They wanted something new and exciting. They wanted T-Bone! (with leeks, onions and garlic of course)

How long was this manna situation gonna last?  (6-9 months)  Remember, they will be spying out the land in the next couple of chapters.   Now all these complaining, murmuring, criticizing spirits will cause them to eat manna for 40 years.

 

The statement that “there is nothing at all, besides this manna” was a gross exaggeration (v. 6). Yes, the Israelites could not have used/eaten their flocks brought out of Egypt on a daily basis without depleting them.  The truth is they did get to eat meat at certain special religious ceremonies and on other occasions.

 

When you totally focus upon what you don’t have, you quickly forget that which you do have.  What you do possess loses all value. 

 

Andrew Carnegie, the multimillionaire, left $1 million for one of his relatives.  In return, he cursed Carnegie thoroughly because he left $365 million to public charities and cut him off with just one measly million.

Samuel Leibowitz, criminal lawyer and judge, saved 78 men from the electric chair. Not one ever bothered to thank him.

 

Many years ago, as the story is told, a devout king was disturbed by the ingratitude of his royal court. He prepared a large banquet for them. When the king and his royal guests were seated, by prearrangement, a beggar shuffled into the hall, sat down at the king’s table, and gorged himself with food. Without saying a word, he then left the room.

The guests were furious and asked permission to seize the tramp and tear him limb from limb for his ingratitude. The king replied, “That beggar has done only once to an earthly king what each of you does three times each day to God. You sit there at the table and eat until you are satisfied. Then you walk away without recognizing God or expressing one word of thanks to Him.”

 

Ingratitude denotes spiritual immaturity. Infants do not always appreciate what parents do for them. They have short memories. Their concern is not what you did for me yesterday, but what are you doing for me today. The past is meaningless and so is the future. They live for the present.

Today you are either appreciative of the Lord’s provisions or you are not appreciative.  If you have not praised and thanked the Lord today for all His blessings, then you are living on the edge of ingratitude.  The real question is whether your complaints or your praise reached the throne of God?

 

Blessings,

Pastor

Moving From Bondage (Slaves) to Freedom (Sons) – Part 5 – Five Ways to Cooperate with God’s Plan

03 Friday Feb 2012

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PROBING QUESTIONS

  • What if we have failed in our faithfulness towards God? 
  • What if we have not passed the tests laid in our path? 
  • What if we are personally stuck at the bottom of the God’s Mountain. 
  • What if we have been through the same test numerous times? 

 

I’ve got some good news for you!  God isn’t finished with you yet.  Don’t give up on yourself because God hasn’t.  It has been said many times…. “It is not how you start the race that matters.  It only matters how you finish.”  Decide today to respond differently to the testings of the desert.

 

 – FIVE WAYS TO COOPERATE WITH GOD’S PLAN –

 

 

#1: Decide to Trust God.

 

Proverbs reminds us… “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

 

When the children of Israel finally stopped seeking to maintain control over their own lives, they relinquished control to God.  Ultimately, the next generation agreed to trust God. It took them forty years of wandering in the desert, but it did happen.  They stopped complaining against the leadership, and began to move together as a family of believers.

Remember this is after baptism.  After salvation we must all make the decision to trust in the Lord “with all our heart.”

 

#2: Plan Ahead to Worship

 

Manna was to be gathered six days a week. On the sixth day they gathered two day’s worth. Get the idea?  No work on the Sabbath, the day of rest and worship.  God has made a plan for us to “get ahead in life” and it includes work, rest and worship.

Worship is the best way for everyone to order their life.  Without real, authentic worship we will ultimately be on our own.  God didn’t just mandate rest for Himself.  He set aside the Sabbath for man regain control of his own life through rest and worship.  This is part of God’s plan for prospering His people.

 

#3: Gather Every Day – Early!

 

Most of us don’t have physical food problems – unless it’s too much food on the menu! The malnutrition most believers face is one of a lack of spiritual nutrition.

 

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

 

We must make certain we have our daily “manna-time” with Jesus. All manna physically and spiritually “melts away” with the heat of the day.  If we don’t get our manna early, it will be consumed with the heat of the day and there is no way of retrieving the manna or the time.

 

#4: Don’t Hoard Your Manna.

 

Actually the word “manna” means “what is it?”  I have gotten many words from the Lord that I didn’t quite understand at first.

When the people finally understood the value of the manna, many of them attempted to go into the MSB – Manna Storage Business. God made sure they couldn’t do it. If they tried to hoard some for the next day (except for the Sabbath requirement) it rotted and turned wormy in their storage pots.

Our spiritual needs are the same. Many folks are attempting to live on yesterday’s manna.

Living on yesterday’s spiritual experiences as if it were today’s food will starve your inner man. It will turn your service for Christ into a wormy leftovers.  Stale bread doesn’t taste good and really doesn’t feed anyone, including yourself.

God gave His children fresh manna every day so they would learn to depend on Him. It is the same with you.  Your daily, spiritual dependence on the Lord is vital to your growth and service.

 

#5: Don’t Grumble – Eat Your Manna.

 

God’s people failed their tests time and time again because they refused to trust God and cooperate with Him. In spite of all God’s provisions and care, they turned to the flesh for answers.

The same is true for us as well.  God’s provision for you can be either a powerful affirmation of your faith as you trust Him without grumbling or it can be a constant reminder of your fears and faithlessness.

The choice is up to you. How big is YOUR God?

  • When you look back at the most difficult moments of your life, what did you learn from those experiences?
  • Knowing what you do now, would you change your life if you could?
  • Would you respond to God differently?

 

A family was sitting around the dinner table one evening waiting for their dad to get in from work. Finally, he came in late because it had been a rough day. When he came in, he sat down at the table and offered thanks for the food. As soon as he finished his prayer, he began to complain and grumble about how awful things were going at work. The boss was a jerk and the workers were lazy. Afterword, his wife brought in the food.

Since he had come in so late, the food that was supposed to be cold was warm and the food that was supposed to be hot was cold. The main dish was overcooked and dried out. The bread was hard. And he made sure and pointed out what was wrong with everything.

Finally, after hearing all the complaints, his youngest daughter asked him a question. “Daddy, do you think God heard you when you prayed a few minutes ago?”

“Well, yes sweetheart. Of course He did.”

Then she asked, “Do you think He heard everything you said after that?”

“Why, yes sweetheart. God hears everything.”

Finally, she asked, “Which one do you think He believed?”

 

What does God believe about you?

 

Blessings,

 

Pastor

Moving From Bondage (Slaves) to Freedom (Sons) – Part 4 – Tests Prove the Faithfulness of God!

02 Thursday Feb 2012

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There is another reason God calls us to the desert for times of testing.  In the desert God proves His faithfulness over and over again.

The story of the journey reveals that as unfaithful as the Hebrew people were, God remained faithful.

 

The Bible reminds us, “If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.”  (2 Timothy 2:13)

 

  •  In spite of the people’s failure,
  • in spite of their rebellion and rejection of his covenant of love,
  • in spite of their unfaithfulness…

God remained faithful to his people. He provided them with food and water in the desert. He sheltered them and protected them. He loved them with an everlasting love.

 

Put your math hat on for just a moment.  Someone calculated the amount of manna the Lord had to provide on a daily and yearly basis to feed the Israelites on their journey from Egypt.

 

 “Now a Conservative estimate of the total number of Israelites who came out of Egypt would be two million.  They had six hundred thousand men able to go forth to war. (Numbers 1:45-46).

An ‘omer’ was to be gathered for every one of these two million souls and an ‘omer’ is the equivalent of six pints. There would be twelve million pints, or nine thousand pounds gathered daily, which was four thousand five hundred tons. It would take ten trains, each having thirty cars and each car having fifteen tons would be needed for a single day’s supply. Over a million tons of manna were gathered annually by Israel.” [Arthur Pink. Gleanings in Exodus. (Chicago, Moody, 1981.) pp. 124-125.]

 

Was God not generous to them?

The Lord did this for forty years, “And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan.”

 

 

Will we go through difficult times? Yes, most certainly.  But will God be faithful in seeing us through those times? Yes, most definitely.

God will ALWAYS be there to guide, comfort, and provide. As we lose control, He will be enabled to take control and work out His marvelous will.

 

Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

 

What he was saying was, “If God can feed all the birds in the world, can’t He take care of you? If he can feed all the plants, insects, fish, and animals, surely he can meet your needs.”

The desert testings will not last forever, but God’s faithfulness will.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

 

 

Moving From Bondage (Slaves) to Freedom (Sons) – Part 3 – Forcing Faith to Grow!

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

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Yesterday we started talking about the reasons God calls us to the desert.  The tests come in the desert because God wants to bring about change.  He wants us to know what is on our heart.  Another reason God tests our faith is because He knows the best way to cause faith to grow is to put it under pressure.

Evidently, God sees the quality of faith as being more important than the quantity of blessings in our lives. God loves to bless us, but he values faith more than fortune.

 

  • How could faith grow if we never had to wait on God?  
  • How would we ever learn to trust him if he met our needs before we realized that we had a need?

 

I love reading about the “faith exploits” of great men and men who walked with God.  It excites and motivates me.  The truth is though, we only learn about real faith when we have to exercise it. We would never learn how to trust God if every prayer was answered immediately and in obvious ways. This is not exercising faith muscles.

If we never tasted failure and only had successes, how would we learn and grow?

 

 Fred Astaire was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. He could sing, dance and act like no one else. In his famous movies like Top Hat and Swinging Time, he danced and crooned his way into people’s hearts all over the world.

But when Astaire was just starting out in 1932, a Hollywood talent judge wrote on his screen test: “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Can dance a little.”  But that review did not defeat him. It was a test of his determination.

 

We have all heard stories like this…people who persevered beyond all hope.

You will face many times in your life when others tell you what you can’t do. They will say that it can’t be done, even with God in the picture. They will discourage you and tell you that you are dreaming to wait on God and trust him. They will make you think that you can’t live by faith.

But it is only a test to see if you will be defeated or determined — whether you will have fear or faith. This is the real test that causes faith to grow.

 

 

God knows best!  He is not trying to hurt you.  God loves you and seeks to promote growth and maturity in your life.  He has your best interest at heart.  His timing is always best, even though when the tests come, we believe it is absolutely the worst time ever.

 

Last week bad storms were rolling through our area.  The truth is I really don’t like experiencing tornadoes in January.  Anyway, these were happening at night.  Around midnight we were under a tornado warning.  At midnight the Emergency Broadcast System thought it was a good time to issue a “test” of the Emergency Broadcast System.  Wow!  It couldn’t have been a worse time for a test of the EMS.  Hopefully the system was working correctly!  The time for testing needed to be complete. 

 

Listen, real storms eventually hit us all.  God knows the day will come when you will need real faith for real problems.  He prepares us early and often to be able to handle all scenarios.  Let Him have his way today, while it is still today.  He loves you and is seeking to bring growth.  The only question is will you participate fully in His process.

 

Blessings,

Pastor  

Moving From Bondage (Slaves) to Freedom (Sons) – Part 2 – What’s Inside Matters Most

31 Tuesday Jan 2012

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When God moves us from bondage to freedom, He leads us to the desert.  He gives us words and promises to hold on to while He works out all the details for our freedom.  We view these times as tests.  But a test is never just a test.  God doesn’t like tests anymore than we do.  It is about change.  God wants to move us from slaves to sons and daughters.  Lets look at the purpose of these desert testings.

 

 

 

Tests of Faith: Reveal What Is Inside Us.

 

The Testing of Our Faith Brings Out the Best or the Worst in Us — Sometimes Both.

 

The Hebrew children failed their test time after time. They grumbled, whined, and complained. They accused God of wrongdoing. They failed to follow God and love Him.

More than once they rebelled against the leadership of Moses and were ready to kill him and choose another leader. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments the congregation was worshiping the gods of Egypt and casting off every moral restraint.

When it came time to enter the land of promise, they refused to go because it appeared too difficult and dangerous.   Once again they forgot the presence, provision, and power of God. It didn’t matter that He had proved Himself over and over.

But these SAME tests brought out the best in men like Joshua and Caleb.  They had gone to spy out the same land the Lord had promised.  They personally saw the same dangers and said, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us” (Numbers 14:7-8).

It brought out the best and the worst in Moses. He kept loving God and loving the people in spite of the hard times. At one point, when God was about to destroy the people because of their rebellion, Moses said to the Lord, “But now, please forgive their sin — but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written” (Exodus 32:32).

On another occasion when the people complained about being thirsty Moses prayed that the Lord would give them water. But when they kept on complaining, Moses became so angry that he pounded on the rock with his staff in frustration, losing his temper…instead of speaking to the rock in obedience.

This act of rage kept him from entering the land of promise.  God was teaching Moses lessons of faith and obedience which were more important than entering the promised land.

So the question should be asked of us personally, “Have we passed the test and do we know the true condition of our heart?”  Passing the test is one issue.  Having the Lord cut away all the fleshly desires from our heart is another.  The quicker we allow the Lord to do His work in us, the quicker we can move along to entering into His rest!

 

 

For Some People these Tests Seem More Like Teasing than Testing.

 

This is especially true in our culture.  We want all the blessings of God and we want them now. We are truly a culture of short-cuts and convenience. Perseverance is not our forte.

But God is not playing or teasing.  We have to learn that life is more than receiving blessings — even if they are blessings God has promised to us. Learning to trust God is more important than any gift He could ever give us.

 

Someone has said, “Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.”

 

The question always remains – will our testings, trials, and circumstances bring out the best or the worst in us?

 A tall young Army officer watched the clock nervously. In just a few minutes he would see the woman who had gotten his name and written to him for the past year and a half — although they had never met. Lt. Blandford had confessed to her in one of his letters that often he felt fear. Only a few days before his next battle, he had received a letter from her which said: “Of course you fear… all brave men do. Next time you doubt yourself, I want you to hear my voice reciting to you: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me.’”

Those words strengthened him for his next battle, and now he was actually going to hear the voice of the woman who had written those words. At four minutes to six a girl passed close to him, and Lt. Blandford’s heart jumped. She was wearing a flower, but it was not the little red rose they had agreed upon. She had refused his request to send him her photograph. She wrote: “If your feelings for me were real, what I look like won’t matter.”

It was one minute to six and once more his heart gave him a start. A young woman was coming toward him. Her figure was long and slim; her blond hair lay back in curls from delicate ears. Her eyes were blue as flowers, her lips and chin had a gentle firmness. In her pale-green suit, she was like springtime come alive. He started toward her, not noticing that she was not wearing a rose. As she moved past, she gave a small provocative smile. “Going my way, soldier?” she murmured.

Then he saw another woman — one wearing a red rose. She was walking directly behind the girl in the green suit, a woman well past 40. Her graying hair was tucked under a worn hat. She was plump, and her red rose was pinned to a rumpled coat. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. Blandford felt exceedingly drawn to the smiling girl, but he had a great longing for the woman whose spirit had touched him so deeply. She was now standing before him, and he could see that though her face was plain and pale, it was gentle and sensible. Her gray eyes exuded warmth. Lt. Blandford greeted her warmly.

He said to himself that this may not be the love of his life, but it would be a very special friendship. “I’m Lt. Blandford,” he said. “And you’re Miss Maynell. I’m so glad you could meet me. May I take you to dinner?” The woman looked at him with a questioning smile and said, “I don’t know what this is all about, son, but that young lady in the green suit, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She told me that if you asked me to go out with you, I should tell you she’s waiting for you in that restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test.”

 

God is testing the quality of our love and devotion. He wants to see what is inside — whether we are real or false. Whatever is inside will come out in the test. It will bring out the best in us or the worst in us, and what comes out will determine whether or not we pass the test.

 

Blessings,

Pastor

Moving From Bondage (Slaves) to Freedom (Sons) – Part 1

30 Monday Jan 2012

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Our journey into the Promised Land continues with a discussion today regarding the dilemma most people find themselves in when they choose freedom over bondage.

         Back in 1997, USA Today reported that the Department of Transportation set aside $200 million for research and testing of an Automated Highway System. The idea was that engineers could relieve traffic congestion with a new “super cruise control” built into our highways.  In cities facing heavy traffic congestion special magnets would be embedded in the road every four feet which would transfer signals between the cars and the D.O.T.’s computer system. Everything from steering, acceleration, and braking would be controlled by sensors, computer navigation systems, and cameras along the side of the road. Control would be returned to drivers as they left at specified exits.  Researchers and government officials claimed they had the capability to address any potential technological problem. But there was one problem they could not overcome.  Mike Doble, Buick technology manager says, “The only thing we can’t do yet is get people to comfortably trust the system. It’s not a technology issue.  People feel out of control while driving closely spaced, at high speeds, through major cities. The problem is not technology, the problem is trust — very few people would be willing to give up that kind of control.”

 

The Human Dilemma –

This is the human dilemma, is it not? Giving up control. Trusting something that you are not in control of, even if that something is better at control than you are.

This was the situation the people of Israel faced. God asked them to give Him control and they weren’t sure they wanted to.

Think about what had happened to them in less than six months. One day they were slaves in Egypt. They were beaten regularly and worked unmercifully from sunup to sunset. The Egyptians were killing every male child that was born.  The Hebrews were huddled in their miserable little squalor huts.

Suddenly a man named Moses appeared and said that God was going to deliver them.  The Bible records “God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them” (Exodus 2:24-25).

Now, almost on a daily basis, they began to see the miraculous power of God working for their deliverance. He fought for them and delivered them. The plagues which were devastating the Egyptians didn’t affect them at all.

Finally, the Lord led them to the Red Sea. But as they looked at the watery barrier before them they turned to see the Egyptian army in pursuit. They were filled with fear and began to cry out to God. Just then, then waters miraculously parted and they were again on their journey toward the promised land, while Pharaoh’s threatening army was destroyed in the retreating waters.  When they arrived on the other side, God miraculously provided them with bread and meat, as well as all their other needs.

 

What Should Have Been Enough Wasn’t Enough –

It should have been enough to convince anyone that God was with them and was able to provide. After all, his presence was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night.  But they were only a few miles out of Egypt before they started complaining. They grumbled to Moses, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” (Exodus 17:3).  It was as though they had forgotten all that God had done for them and the amazing power he had displayed on their behalf. Moses cried out to God saying, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me” (Exodus 17:4).

 

Believe It Or Not, The Miraculous Doesn’t Improve Faith –

The Lord answered Moses saying, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock and water will come out of it for the people to drink.”  Then the Bible says, “So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” (Exodus 17:5-7).

What an incredible accusation! How much evidence did they need to realize the Lord was with them?

So the next time someone says to you, “If there really is a God, why doesn’t He show himself? If He exists, why doesn’t he do some miracle so that everyone will see it and have to believe in him?”

You could tell them that He has already done this and it didn’t work. He demonstrated His love and showed them His mighty power. He was visibly present with them and spoke to them out of heaven, and it didn’t matter.  They still did not believe and their hearts were still full of rebellion. By the way, the same thing was true in the New Testament. God came in visible form in the person of Jesus. He told them He loved them and demonstrated that love with blessings and miracles.  He also powerfully provided food and healings.  Not only did they not believe in him, they killed him.

There is a way to increase your level of faith and learn to trust the Lord more deeply.  But it is not found in seeing more evidence of God’s movements with your eyes.

 Faith increases as we purposefully enter into the desert with the Lord and learn to trust Him.  What was true for the Hebrews is true for all of us today.

God works in a predictable pattern:

  • First, He makes a promise to us.
  • Second, He tests our faith — our ability to believe the promise.
  • Third, He watches for our obedience — our ability to walk in the light of that promise. Fourth, He grants His blessing — the fulfillment of the promise.

As we walk through this process over and over, our faith grows towards the Lord and we become more and more like Him.

This is what the Lord did with Noah. He made a promise. He tested Noah to see if he would believe what He told him, even though the flood did not come for many years. Then He watched for Noah’s obedience, and when He saw Noah’s obedience He gave him the blessing of a brand new world.

God did the same with Abraham. The promise of a son was given. Then the Lord waited to see if Abraham would believe the promise in spite of a long delay. He watched for Abraham’s obedience and finally rewarded him with the son of promise.

This is how God will work with you. He reassures you with a promise of hope for the future. But the promise is sometimes delayed and it may look like it will never happen. God is testing your faith. He watches for obedience, and when you have learned to trust him, He grants the promised blessing.

We will talk more about the testing process tomorrow.

 

Blessings,

Pastor