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

 

 

The Most Excellent Way!

12 Sunday Feb 2012

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My message this Sunday was on love.  It was a Valentine’s Day message.  Below is a story of “love in action” which I used to illustrate my sermon.

May it be a blessing to you,

Pastor

 

 

Doug Nichols went to India to be a missionary.  While he was just starting to study the language, he became infected with tuberculosis and had to be put in a sanitarium.

It was not a very good place to live.  It was not very clean and conditions were difficult because there were so many sick people.  Doug decided to do the best he could in this bad situation.  He took a bunch of Christian books and tracts with him and was determined to witness to the other patients while in the sanitarium.

But when he tried to pass out tracts, they were rejected.  No one wanted them. He tried to hand out books, but no one would take them. He tried to witness, but was handicapped because of his inability to communicate in their language.  In addition to being committed to a sanitarium, he felt so discouraged.

Here he was. Because of his illness he would be there a long time.  It seemed like the work which he had been sent to do would not be done because no one would listen to him.

Because of his tuberculosis, every night at about 2 o’clock he would wake up with chronic coughing that wouldn’t stop. Then one night when he awoke he noticed across the aisle an old man trying to get out of bed.  The man would roll himself up into a little ball and teeter back & forth trying to get up the momentum to get up on his feet. He just couldn’t do it. He was too weak.

Finally, after several attempts, the old man laid back and wept.  The next morning Doug understood why the man had been crying. He was trying to get up to get to the bathroom and didn’t have enough strength. So his bed was a mess and there was a smell in the air.

The other patients made fun of the old man. The nurses came to clean up his bed and they weren’t kind to him either. In fact, one of them even slapped him on the face. Doug said,  “the old man just laid there and cried.”

 

 

“The next night about 2 o’clock I started coughing again. I looked across the aisle and there was the old man trying to get out of bed once more. I really didn’t know what to do.  Somehow, I managed to get up and walk across the aisle.  This time I helped the old man stand up.”

He was too weak to walk. I took him in my arms and carried him like a baby.  He was so light it wasn’t a difficult task.  I took him into the bathroom, which was nothing more than a dirty hole in the floor.  I stood behind him and cradled him in my arms as he took care of himself.”

“Afterward, I carried him back to his bed and laid him down. As I turned to leave he reached up, grabbed my face, pulled me close, and kissed me on the cheek.  He said what I think was `Thank you.’”

Doug said, “The next morning there were patients waiting when I awoke.  They asked if they could read some of the books and tracts that I had brought. Others had questions about the God I worshiped and His only begotten Son who came into the world to die for their sins.”

He gave out all the literature that he had brought.  Many of the doctors, nurses, and patients in the sanitarium came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

He said, “Now what did I do? I didn’t preach a sermon. I couldn’t even communicate in their language. I didn’t have a great lesson to teach them. I didn’t have wonderful things to offer. All I did was take an old man to the bathroom and anyone can do this.”

 

Someone has said, “They will not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

 

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

Posted by in Our Journey Into The Promised Land

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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