Honesty...God's Policy

Deuteronomy 25:13-16  -   "You must use accurate scales when you weigh out merchandise,  and you must use full and honest measures.  Yes, use honest weights and measures, so that you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.  Those who cheat with dishonest weights and measures are detestable to the LORD your God.

There were so many things Moses had observed over the 40 years he had led them through the wilderness…so he allowed God to form his last words into short bursts of random ways to please God in all that we do. He must have seen some problems with honesty…for God allowed Moses to speak these words about the accuracy we must use when buying and selling….to remind them of his previous words in Leviticus 19:35-36.

I don’t think God is talking just about the scales we use to measure our deli purchases here…the concept of honesty stretches far past a simple purchase at our local store. We are called to be honest…when dealing with other people…no matter what...so Satan cannot come in at a later time and convince us somehow that we deserve more than our fair share.

Dishonesty is hated so by God because it shows a character that does not truly love what God loves. God is fair and just…and always gives us more than we deserve. A man who is accustomed to using false weights and measures to cheat people…sure hasn’t allowed God to change his heart. I guess that is why he got so angry at the money changers that day in the temple. He just couldn’t allow the greed and sin to permeate his house.

The anger of Jesus had such an impact on the disciples that all four gospels record the story…one only has to read Matthew 21:12-13… Mark 11:15-18… Luke 19:45-46… and John 2:13-17. It must have been one of Jesus’ most frustrating moments…to see such greed and dishonesty…to see the people he loved be taken advantage of.  His heart was already heavy with emotions…knowing his death was soon…his heart must have ached for us as he realized this was one of the sins he must die for on that cross.

He must have really been happy with those that bought there though….I mean think about it….they all knew that they were being scammed…and they exchanged their money for that pair of doves anyway! They wanted above all things to offer the right sacrifice to God…so they allowed the money changers to be dishonest so that they could please him.

This may be a total stretch…but maybe those of us that pay our taxes without trying to find loopholes and deductions that aren’t quite true…please God because he knows our heart just can’t be dishonest.  God loves us no matter what…but he will bless us if we allow the heart he changes by his love to always show others how to be honest in any matter that involves weights or scales or money exchanges.

Father…I thank you for the reminder that I need to be honest.  Help me to never allow Satan to trick me into thinking that I deserve anything more than what you have allowed.  Let my yes be accountable and always truthful….and let my no be evident when Satan tries to lure me with dishonest thoughts. Show me how to live an honest life…and like Zacchaeus...reveal to me any dishonest dealings I need to make right. Amen.

Are You Leaving Enough Love For Others To Glean?

Deuteronomy 24:19-21 - When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.  When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow.

It was God’s plan to always care for those that found themselves in hard times…especially the foreigner ...the fatherless…and the widow. Moses made sure that he reminded the Israelites one more time…of God’s plan before he left them. Leave some of the grain…the grapes…the olives in your fields for the poor…the needy…the ones that found themselves alone…the ones who were traveling to new places.

Ruth knew this practice well. God led her to the fields of Boaz. As she gleaned his fields ...God also allowed Boaz to be curious about the hard work she did and her background…building a new relationship between them.  God took care of Ruth in full because of this law.

Jesus even gleaned.  In Matthew 12….it retells how he and the disciples picked some grain to eat as they traveled. Jesus knew before he ate it that he was going to use it for a sermon later…when the Pharisees took offense that he did it on a Sabbath. 

I am not a farmer…or even own land with any food….so I must push the definition of gleaning to a deeper level…to apply its meaning to my life. If I apply this principle to my retired life… to everything I do…I could ask myself… “What am I leaving for others to glean from what I do each day?” Quickly…some of the ministries and activities I am involved in come to mind.  Each quilt that is sewn and given away…each card I write to the homebound… every person I pray with at helping hands ( our church food ministry) … evry bag of laundry I have done this summer for the Ministry trainees studying at our church…this week I also helped pray with some local police.  All these things leave seeds of God’s warmth and love for those who don’t know him to glean.

The world must not be leaving enough of Jesus for everyone to glean.  The world is leaving so many  seeds of evil and hate lately that we need to plant double what we are used too to overcome the weeds that grow in the fields of love and generosity Jesus wants us to plant. For me that means doubling what I already do….stopping and asking God to help me find even more ways to plant his seeds of love around my community…my nation…my world.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you need my help to spread your love throughout the world. Forgive me for the times that I have done nothing…or a little as I think I have time.  Open my heart and mind to every way possible that I can use the resources and time you allow in my life to plant more seeds of your love …so more of the lost in this world can know you.  Amen.

Vows Are Serious Business

Deuteronomy 23:21 – 23 -  If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin.  But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty.  Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.

Tucked into chapter 23 are more miscellaneous rules the Israelites needed to keep their lives holy and clean. Included in these directions is a reminder that any vow you make to God is serious stuff.

A vow is simply a promise you make to God.  Whether it be in a moment of extreme pain or anguish…in fear or remorse…. Or in a moment of thankfulness and praise…God remember every promise you ever made to him. He will hold you accountable for each one.

The New Testament agrees with this reminder from Moses.  Ecclesiastes 4:4-7 says. When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.  Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?  For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.

Breaking your promise to God breaks more than just your word.  It breaks your relationship to him. It breaks your relationship with others.  It damages the trust you might have built with others that see and witness your actions. Let’s face it…God hears every vow we make to others.. Just because it isn’t a promise to God…doesn’t mean we have the right to break our word to anyone.

Thank the Lord that Jesus fulfilled all the laws and forgiveness is offered for this sin. I for one would have paid dearly for the breakage of my first marriage vows. And I am sure that I have broken vows I made in the past…so many I can’t remember them all. I needed the penalty paid big time for this serious sin. I sure needed the reminder that it is better not to vow at all than to vow and never keep my word.

Father…thank you for the reminder that my word should be a true measure of my character. Forgive me for the times I have broken promises to you and others in my life.  Thank you for the forgiveness you offer for my sin.  Give me the courage and wisdom  need for you to help me uncover all the broken promises I have made to you and others…and begin to make amends where it is possible….finally coming through with the pledge that I made. Amen

Be An Obedient...Generous...Compassionate Steward

Deuteronomy 22:6-7 - If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life.

This chapter is another collection of miscellaneous commands for these people moving into a more permanent living situation.  Moses wanted them to know that it is a sin to do nothing….a sin to be greedy in taking natural resources….to be careful not to imitate any pagan planting practices….to take measures to protect the ones you hired to build for you…and that genders had specific roles that were not to be imitated by the other.

These rules were not there to limit the Israelites…but to teach them the best ways to show love and fairness in the world.  God shines with pride and love for us when we practice  obedience…compassion… generosity… and show him that we accept the roles he placed us in when we were born. He rewards obedience with blessings…..he rewards our small gestures of complete compliance by trusting us with even more of his world for us to share with others.

I thought of the parable…of the talents... in Luke 19.  Then there is the parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16.  And let’s not leave out the bags of gold in Matthew 25.  Each one of these New Testament teachings of Jesus repeated Moses words here…that those who are obedient with little…those are the ones that God will give even more of his resources to share with others. Matthew 25:28 – 30 says….  “So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

What a great reminder that what God allows us to have in our time here on earth does not belong to us at all.  It all belongs to him….we are called to be the managers of all he put in our hands.  I needed God to remind me of these simple rules.  To not be greedy…to be content with what station in life he has already assigned…to care for others things as if they were my own… to practice fairness…and above all else…to remember to be obedient to God in all things… no matter the earthly cost to me.

Father…thank you for the reminder to practice obedience….compassion…generosity… using what you have allowed us to manage for you to its highest heavenly value. Forgive me for the times that I have mismanaged what you have placed in my hands…and let earthly greed and feelings of entitlement to sway my faithfulness to what you have told me to do.  Help me to seek your wisdom…and guidance in all that I do and say from this day forward…so that I can be a better steward of what you place in my hands.   Amen.

Jesus Paid It All...All To Him I Owe

Deuteronomy 21:3-4 -  Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke and lead it down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck. 

Deuteronomy 21 contains many miscellaneous rules for dealing with the rarer occurrences the Israelites might have encountered. From who offers the sacrifice for a man slain with no apparent person to pin in on…to how to take as a wife a captive form the many battles they would fight.

My first thought was what in the world would God be telling me to work on from these passages.  Then it hit me. Someone had to make atonement for every sin that was committed. The elders of the nearest town must find an unworked heifer…and take it to an unplowed valley…and offer it up to God to atone for the sin that was committed…even when no one could be blamed for the sin.

Jesus came to fulfill this concept…and offered up his life as an atonement for all sins. No death penalty would ever be more sacrificial. No death would ever be required again …for any sin …after his selfless act of love.

What a great reminder of the price paid for my freedom. I am so guilty of taking the gift of atonement Jesus gave me for granted.  I needed a reminder to thank him today for my life…and the lives of all my Christian family that believe.

Thank you father for the gift of love you gave to the world in your son. Forgive me for all the days I have forgotten to thank you. Help me to find new ways to pay forward his gift …so that more people will come to know his love ...and receive this wonderful gift of atonement for sin.  Amen.

Put Away Negative Thoughts

Deuteronomy 20:8-9 -  Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.”  When the officers have finished speaking to the army, they shall appoint commanders over it.

As the people neared a time of battle…Moses gave them specific instructions for each situation they might face in war.  Most of the instructions were directed at what spoils they were allowed to keep…and what must be destroyed.  But Moses made sure to include several verses that gave those with unfinished business…or too much fear…a chance to go home.

I might be stretching my understanding of these verses a bit too far…but I couldn’t help but see a lot of value …in war or other times….in letting our negative emotions get to the point that they begin to affect others.  Negativity breeds more negativity…it says in Galatians 6:1…” Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

I am guilty…as usual….and needed a reminder that when I allow negative thoughts…and especially when I voice them to others….satan loves to take them and plant seeds of discourse. I need to claim Philippians 4:8…which says…”Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I must stay positive…never giving satan a chance to use my negative thoughts against me or anyone else in my pathway.  Forgive me for the many times that I have allowed negative thoughts to harbor…or be voiced at all. Help me to spend so much time with you that I hear your small still voice reminding me of a positive thought …anytime my thoughts turn negative. Amen.

Love No Matter What...Follow The Command to Turn The Other Cheek

Deuteronomy 19:4-7 - This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.

Moses reminded the people that God wanted them to strategically place up to 6 cities of refuge within the borders of the land he was giving them.  God knew there would be accidental deaths among them…and those who missed these loved ones would want to seek revenge on the ones who caused the deaths. These cities would be places where one could run and be protected until the avengers had stopped threatening their life.

In the same chapter is a reminder that anyone found to cause deaths with any forethought…should be put to death as a punishment. Following those instructions is the familiar verse that says…Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. But later on in Matthew 5:38-39…Jesus told them the fulfilled meaning of this law. He said… “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

I am so glad that Jesus fulfilled this Old Testament law with his death on the cross. All the eyes…feet….hands and hearts that broke this law or ever will break this law….were redeemed in that moment that Jesus sacrificed  his perfect life for all sins. We no longer have to judge whether anything is a sin…that is God’s job. And we can be comforted by the fact that very life taken in error or with evil forethought will be given a new…body to live in Heaven…glorifying God and basking in his glory for eternity.

My only job is to love everyone…no matter what. Yes…I admit that this is hard.  One has to view all people alike…even the most evil hearts that we see committing the most recent heinous sins against completely innocent people. One has to rid themselves of all our own perceptions…and clothe our hearts with God’s perfect view of any heart that was created.

In truth…Jesus was the only one to ever do this.  The rest of us get it once in a while…when it is easy for us…or when one of our own family is involved…or sometimes when God just gives us a passion for one soul that he knows can be transformed with the love we can give them…God’s perfect love.

I know in my heart that responding to these evils with hate and malleus is only making it worse.  Hate is multiplied…and the evil is given more territory to spread its destruction. I needed the reminder that my response to all evil acts that I perceive as sin…must be to show so much love of god that the evil will run from this flooded area of God’s light.  Evil can’t handle this holy presence of God…the Bible says in many places that demons were cast out in Jesus name.

Father…thank you for the reminder that love will someday triumph over the evils God allows to manifest in the earthly world.  Forgive for the times that I do not do my part in helping God conquer evil by loving all others no matter what my earthly heart tells me.  Help me to find the strength …courage…and wisdom to show your love in all situations to all people.  Amen.

Love More Abundantly

Deuteronomy 18:9-11 - When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.  Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

Moses had so much to pour into these people before they left him to enter the Promised Land. They needed so many reminders to never stray from God’s ways. Moses knew as they took over the land…they would be tempted to take on many of the pagan ways they encountered. God was not allowing any of the people who already lived there to remain because they worshiped gods other than him.

Jesus changed the rules when he came to die for our sins on the cross. All men are now allowed to live and make their own choices.  The death penalty for any sin paid in full if we believe. We are not to destroy anyone for what they believe anymore…but share the truth in love so they can share in the inheritance God is giving all of us when we pass from this earthly home into heaven. 

I needed the reminder to make sure that I never endorse any of the practices in this list Moses gave them. All of these things exist in the world I have been placed….some I see more than others practiced regularly.  These people…who think that these ways will give them any power…or lasting peace… need so much more than our condemnation.  They need our love…for us to love them…despite the things they have sought to help them in the earthly time we are given. 

 That’s what Jesus taught us in John 10:10.  He said… “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” We need to find more ways to defeat  satan’s power over these false ways to find success…and show God’s full love to these people who have been tricked by so many of these pagan ways.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am called to love all people….all parts of who they are.   Forgive me for the times that I have forgotten that the love I could show them might be all the love they ever see. Help me to listen to you so closely…so you can teach me how I can love others more abundantly.  Amen.

Not To The left OR The Right

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 -  When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests.  It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

Just after Moses reminded the people to seek the counsel of the priests in hard judgments…he reminded them that if they ever felt the need to have a king of the Israelites…he needed to be the one God chose. He needed a copy of the law God had given them…and needed to read it every day of his life…and follow all its commands…not turning to the right or the left.

It was the words…not to the left or right…which Moses put twice in this chapter…that caught my heart this morning. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 …  “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Moses knew the only way to stay focused on that narrow passage was to keep the words of God close….and study them every day. If we stray one bit to the right or the left…we run the risk of being tempted by some worldly thing…and will let it lead us down the wrong path for a time.  We can’t allow our heart to think that this is ever okay…just because God forgives and shows us mercy. We lose valuable time with God…every time we stray off that narrow path. 

I needed the reminder to keep diligent in my study of Gods words…and never be satisfied that I know enough.  The deeper I dig into what God left for me in his Bible…the easier it will be to stay on the narrow path…and serve him daily by staying completely in his will.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to be diligent in my study of the word of God. Forgive me when I have let the world trick me into straying from your narrow path.  Help me to digest easily every word of God that will help me to stay focused on you and the narrow gate that leads to eternal life.  Amen.

Fasting...A Way To Deepen Your Prayers

Deuteronomy 16:3-4 -  Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt.  Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning.

Moses me sure his final words included a reminder that God required them to stop and praise God at certain times throughout the year…starting with Passover… the beginning of their journey as God’s people. During these 7 days they gave up the leaven in their bread…and ate only bread that had been prepared with no type of leaven at all. It was an important reminder of how God moved quickly and swiftly to answer their prayers for God to save them from the harsh conditions of slavery under the Egyptians.

It got me thinking… I have never celebrated a traditional Passover. For me …the New Testament simply doesn’t support keeping these ritualistic celebrations. But as I read this…I couldn’t help but wonder if this kind of radical mindset might just be exactly what God needs to see from those of us that love him and want to see the evil in the world settle down a bit.

It’s called fasting in todays’ terms…and it is most definitely supported in the New Testament. Simply pick the need that is the most urgent in your heart…and give up something…for a period of time that you and God decide….and use the time involved to pray more earnestly than you ever have for God to move in answer to your request. 

You will praise God and make him so happy when he sees your seriousness before him.  And even if his answer is still no when your fast is done…He will be glorified in some way from your actions.  You will be blessed in new ways…and become even more in love with God than you ever dreamed.

Father…..thank you for the reminder that sometimes my prayers need to take the most serious form possible...so you will see the seriousness of my faith in you. Forgive me for the times that I take my time in prayer to you for granted.  Help me to seek you more often…and focus my thoughts on you more intensely by using fasting to show my intense desire for you to move in a situation I pray for. Amen.

Give To Others...As Gods Shows Us Opportunities

Deuteronomy 15: 7-8 - If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them.  Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. 

Moses had much to say about debt and debtors. God had given them a way to prevent anyone from being burdened forever with a large debt. They were to forgive any debtors after 7 years….and not consider how close they were to the 7^th year mark when they gave to each other.  This way the poor would always be taken care of within their camps.  More important in this message is the mandate to be completely compassionate and generous toward anyone who was in need.

This is one command of God that was not dissolved when Jesus came to fulfill the law. Galatians 6 starts out with the same thoughts...and the summary verse 10 says… “ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”  Jesus even modeled for us how to do this…healing….feeding the thousands that came to hear him teach…and ultimately giving his life to  redeem all of us from the death sin demands.

I needed the reminder that giving to others should be a very important part of who I show to the world. I need to listen very carefully to who and where God wants me to use the resources he has placed in my hands. My giving should be willing…even passionate…with no thoughts of when I will receive it back…or what blessing I may receive because I was obedient.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am called to give to others. Forgive me for the times that I have not been generous or held back my resources from doubt or fear that I would not get anything back. Help me to listen to your still small voice inside my heart…so I can hear clearly the ones you need me to help.  Amen.

Tithing...Should Be A True Measure Of Your Love Of God

Deuteronomy 14:22-23 - Be sure to set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce each year. Eat the tithe of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the presence of the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.

Moses spends this chapter discussing the matter of clean and unclean foods…and finishes up with the importance of tithing. We could discuss the food issue for an eternity… even the most avid Bible scholars disagree on this point.  But everyone agrees on the importance of tithing.

Moses reminds us the measure should be at least 10%....but Jesus gave us a deeper understanding of this practice in Luke 21. He watched some rich people give what was probably a very mathematic 10% calculation of their tithe…and a poor widow that gave everything she had as a tithe. He was certainly more touched by that widow.

I am guilty …as usual…of worrying too much about the calculation of my gift…or of paying bills and buying what I want and giving to God out of the leftovers.  The Bible is clear…it says “first fruits.” Exodus 23:19 even says… “The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.”

I needed the reminder that everything thing God has placed in my hands is really his.  I need to rethink this tithe thing…and make it more of a priority in my heart.  I will add that it is very comforting to know  that God loves my meager tithe…even less since retirement….even more than some of the biggest tithes that go in those offering envelopes. I just need to be double sure that my heart is right when I place that amount in the offering plate.

Father…thank you for the reminder that tithing is an important measure of my love for you.  Forgive me for the times when I have skipped the opportunity to give and support your church.  Help me to renew my passion to allow you to decide how the resources you place in my hands are used. Amen.

There Is Only One God

Deuteronomy 13:1-3  - If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods”(gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Moses knew that as they settled in the and God was giving them…an occasional false prophet would rise up among them. His words were clear …even if they were a family member...they were to be purged from among them….so their lies did not spread to others .  He said that these were placed in their path as a test…to see if their hearts and souls really feared and loved God more than anything.

I am so thankful for Jesus death on the cross on this command from Moses.  No longer do we need to put a false prophet to death by stoning. But as 1 John 4:1  says…”Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 

Moses was clear…any dreamer or prophet that says there is any other god but God the father…Jesus the son….and The Holy Spirit he sends to help us till his second coming is not from God.  He would never raise up an earthly creature to do what Jesus his son has already done. We are not to be tricked or deceived into believing in anything or anyone that says otherwise.

We are to make sure that we speak the truth in love to all that believe differently.  Many people we encounter are steeped in other religions from birth. The faith they have in whatever they believe is strong.  We must pray for wisdom and words and the perfect times to present the gospel to these lost souls.

I have been fasting beef and pork for 6 years now…using the times I am presented with these meats as an opportunity to pray for the salvation of two young girls I taught some years ago. They were raised Muslim and Hindu…and the family they were raised in are good people…who taught them their faith well. This year they go to college…separated from daily contact with this strong family. I am even more hopeful that God will send some faith young Christians directly into their path…to teach them the truth.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are the only true God.  Forgive me for the times that I take my salvation for granted and don’t heed your directive to pray for the lost who believe in other gods or no god at all.  Help me to renew my vow to pray for the lost…and allow you to place in me a new wisdom and timing to share what you have taught me with those that are lost. Amen.

Only As God Sees Fit

Deuteronomy 12:8-10 -  You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit,  since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you.  But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.

Moses last speech was a long one.  It has spanned 12 chapters….with no end in sight yet.  This portion deals mostly with where the Israelites were to take their offerings and tithes.  It also reminds them that worshiping God any other way than how God directed them would be completely unacceptable.

The phrase Moses used…you are not to do as we do here today as every man sees fit…really caught my spirit. My heart felt the sting of truth in his words… feeling that surely all the evil bombarding the world today is a direct result of man’s insufficiency in keeping this command.

We have become a nation of hedonistic Christians… each religion stating its own theology and rules. Some are completely Bible based…others are completely founded on other works.  Some Bible based religions take only what they want from the Bible…and stretch the truth so blatantly its distortions are easily caught by a faithful follower of God.  Others stretch the truths so craftily…many are fooled easily by their doctrines.

I needed the reminder that God’s way is recorded for me.. the answer is clear….we have to get back to the basics of the Bible.  The problem is that you will never get all people to agree that this is true. It is simply easier to find a religion that fits your needs…or even make up a new one…than to adjust your thinking to the truth Moses recorded for us here.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you demand my praise and worship on your terms only.  Forgive me for the times that I have allowed anything else to sway my thoughts to ways that are just not your ways.  Help me to cling even closer to the truths you set down for me in the Bible…so my faith will stand strong …even as the world around me is deceived in every way.  Amen. 

Have No Other 'gods' Before The Lord

Deuteronomy 11:16-17 -  Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. 

God had warned them before to be careful of worshiping other gods. They would encounter many new ones as they took over the land God was giving them.  Baal took the lead role…but like any other earth based religions they had gods for fertility… water… crops… and many more. They kept images of them…even burning live sacrifices to some.

Many religions still believe in the worship of gods other than Christ. But my thoughts this morning began to think about another way believers in Christ have let their guard down and began to  think of other things more important than God himself…for anything that begins to take our time and focus off of God’s power and the faith we need to have in his sacrifice on the cross…is in essence one of those gods Moses was warning us about.

Be it money…or shopping…or drugs…or pornography… or sadness…. or gambling … or alcohol … or work… or video games....or TV.... or any number of other things….we must be careful what role they play in our lives.  Any one of these that consumes our time and focus is well on its way to becoming a god in our heart.  we may refuse to call it that….but the fact remains that if we spend more time doing it...God is not getting the time he wants or we promised him when we accepted him as our savior.

I needed the reminder…as usual …to be careful that everything that I let become a part of me…everything that I use to fill my 24 hour day…be a thing that glorifies and magnifies God the father….Jesus his son….and the Holy Spirit God sent to help us in all our daily needs. Prayer….daily Bible study and fellowship with other believers remain my best defense and checks of all that I let fill my days and nights.  All of my activities need to lead to some service of God to others.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to guard against other gods creeping into the relationship I have with you.  Forgive me for the times that I have let the world’s influences draw me even the least bit away from spending time with you…or letting you use me in your service. Help me to claim the first commandment God ever gave us…and have no other gods before him.  Amen.

Circumcise Your Heart

Deuteronomy 10:16-17   and 20-21  -  Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.  For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 

…..  Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is the one you praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes.

Moses speech to the Israelites before they crossed over the Jordan to possess the new land God had promised was quite lengthy. Spanning several chapters…it repeats much of what Moses has already told them. He may not get to go with the physically…but he will leave with them what he hopes will be the words of encouragement and strength to sustain them when they leave him.

He told them that they would need to circumcise their hearts if they were to leave their stubborn….’stiff-necked’ tendencies on this side of the Jordan. He told them that serving God…holding fast to Him would be their only hope of survival in this new land. We will hear these words again in Deuteronomy 30…and Joshua will repeat them later as well.

Romans 2:29 tries to explain it further… “No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.” It sounds complicated…but it’s really not.  God just wants us to peel back the layers of doubt and worldly influence in our lives…and let him have complete control.

I needed the reminder that all I really need is God. My sweet granddaughter asked me this week what my dream home would look like. Knowing deep down that there were a few things I would love to change about the home God had given me…I chose instead to answer her that I was already in it. Sure I would love to have more…but that is the world telling me that. The spirit that God gives tells me that what I have now is all he needs me to have to do his will.  If I need more…he will add it when I need it.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I have everything that I need to love you and serve you with my whole heart. Forgive me for the times that I allow that worldly skin to build up around my heart.  Help me to circumcise my heart anew each morning….with praises to you...the one true God. Give me a thankful heart that wants to serve you and love you more than anything else in the world. Amen.

God Is In Control

Deuteronomy 9:1 and 4 - Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky.

….After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you.

The time had come…they would be crossing the Jordan soon…with God as a consuming fire to go before them. Moses did not get to go with them…so he chose some of his last words carefully.  He reminded them of their many rebellions against God…and his mercy towards them.  He reminded them that they were in no way righteous and deserving of this wonderful gift…that God saw wickedness in the nations they would be driving out.

Day after day I wake to yet another story on the news that shows the level of wickedness that God is tolerating in my own nation. Even in my own hometown an attempted murder/suicide... at the hands of one of my own Sunday School class members…. sent waves of grief and confusion through the remaining members.

I am no scholar…my Bible knowledge is meager…but from what I have read in just Revelation...it’s going to get a whole lot worse. God says that evil will be given its time of reign on the earth…perhaps I am seeing the birth pains of this prophesy.

The Bible also records my only hope is to cling to God...his promise to keep me as his child is my consuming fire.  It is this knowledge that keeps me from sitting up at night…fearful of what might be coming next. Staying focused on him…remembering what he can do for me if  am confronted personally with any of this evil…is what brings comfort and strength to not let this evil claim any of the joy God meant for me to have as his child.

I am not worthy of this….I was born in the same sin that perpetuates this evil. I am saved only by my choice to love and believe in the death Jesus died on the cross….covering all the sin anyone might do in the years before his second coming. It’s this faith that will save me in the end… giving me a permanent home in Heaven someday.

I am reminded that my purpose on earth is not to worry about how bad it is in the world…but to make sure that I model love and try to convince as many as possible to join me in Heaven.  Copied from “Google”… “68% of all the unaffiliated expressed belief in God and out of the whole US population, only 2.4% self identified as "atheist." A 2013 poll by UPI/Harris showed that three-quarters of U.S. adults say they believe in God, down from 82 percent in 2005, 2007 and 2009.” LESS people are joining me in belief in God…no wonder we are seeing an increase in evil.

One last thought…my prayers in this time of craziness are very important.  I can pray the selfish prayer….come quickly Lord Jesus. But all that does it give the ones who don’t believe less time to change their mind. My prayer should be…use all this evil that you are allowing in the world to help convince others to believe in you.

Father…thank you for the reminder that no matter how bad it gets on this earth…you are in control. Forgive me for the times that I only pray selfishly for my own protection and the protection of the ones I love and know. Help me to release any worry or fear I have for what is in the future…and pray for you to use everything that happens in the world to help others come to know you and the love that will ultimately put all of this evil completely out of the picture. Amen.

Spend Time With God...No Matter What

Deuteronomy 8:11–14 -  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

Moses knew that one of the dangers of this wonderful new land God was leading them into…was that it would provide for them so many good things…pride might creep into their heart and plant seeds of forgetfulness of what God had brought them through.  Moses was warning them never to forget God…the one who gave them the season of plenty in the first place.

Moses was not the only man of God to give this important advice. Isaiah 26:3… tells us … “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusted in thee. Proverbs 3:6…tells us…In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Jesus even reminded us of the gift of the Holy Spirit when he ascended to heaven to prepare it for those who believe in him.  He said in John 14:26-27… “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

It’s no secret how to keep God the focus of your life…so the things of the world do not take his place.  You must spend part of each day with him.  Just as God came to visit with Adam and Eve each day in the garden…he longs to send time with you.  Reading his word…praying…listening to encouraging music…taking time to just be still and quiet and let him speak to you. Gathering with other believers for ministry or worship builds your faith and fortifies any gaps you may have in what God in building in your heart. The moment you allow life and its craziness to keep you from God…satan will find one of those gaps…and sneak in for sure…planting some seed of pride…or doubt…or bitterness…or hypocrisy.

I recently took a trip north to KY to see my son. I jumped at the chance to spend time with him fishing…even though I was not dressed properly for the tall grass and mosquitoes that would surely attack me while we lazily stood on the bank of a pond and fished.  I could feel each of the bites …and swatted at each one…but it was futile. I was mauled by mosquitoes…and mostly chiggers…my legs still itch a week later…red marks still very visible.  I was staying to spend time with him...no matter what…but I think I will keep a pair of long pants and a pair of old boots in the car from now on.

I needed the reminder to never let any activity…or busy schedule dictate what time I spend with God.  I need to protect and keep my date with God each morning…getting up earlier than I want if needed…staying up later than I wanted so God can be the last person I talk to each night. If God is the most important thing in my life…I will find the time to vist with him…and seek his will for my life…no matter what.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are my reason for life.  Forgive me for the many times I let life keep me from spending time with you. Help me to claim new verses in the Bible each day that can give me strength to fill any gaps satan might have found in my faith…so I can send him packing like Jesus did in the wilderness. Amen.

Spend Time With God...No Matter What

Deuteronomy 8:11–14 -  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 

Moses knew that one of the dangers of this wonderful new land God was leading them into…was that it would provide for them so many good things…pride might creep into their heart and plant seeds of forgetfulness of what God had brought them through.  Moses was warning them never to forget God…the one who gave them the season of plenty in the first place.

Moses was not the only man of God to give this important advice. Isaiah 26:3… tells us … “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusted in thee. Proverbs 3:6…tells us…In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Jesus even reminded us of the gift of the Holy Spirit when he ascended to heaven to prepare it for those who believe in him.  He said in John 14:26-27… “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

It’s no secret how to keep God the focus of your life…so the things of the world do not take his place.  You must spend part of each day with him.  Just as God came to visit with Adam and Eve each day in the garden…he longs to send time with you.  Reading his word…praying…listening to encouraging music…taking time to just be still and quiet and let him speak to you. Gathering with other believers for ministry or worship builds your faith and fortifies any gaps you may have in what God in building in your heart. The moment you allow life and its craziness to keep you from God…satan will find one of those gaps…and sneak in for sure…planting some seed of pride…or doubt…or bitterness…or hypocrisy.

I recently took a trip north to KY to see my son. I jumped at the chance to spend time with him fishing…even though I was not dressed properly for the tall grass and mosquitoes that would surely attack me while we lazily stood on the bank of a pond and fished.  I could feel each of the bites …and swatted at each one…but it was futile. I was mauled by mosquitoes…and mostly chiggers…my legs still itch a week later…red marks still very visible.  I was staying to spend time with him...no matter what…but I think I will keep a pair of long pants and a pair of old boots in the car from now on.

I needed the reminder to never let any activity…or busy schedule dictate what time I spend with God.  I need to protect and keep my date with God each morning…getting up earlier than I want if needed…staying up later than I wanted so God can be the last person I talk to each night. If God is the most important thing in my life…I will find the time to vist with him…and seek his will for my life…no matter what.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are my reason for life.  Forgive me for the many times I let life keep me from spending time with you. Help me to claim new verses in the Bible each day that can give me strength to fill any gaps satan might have found in my faith…so I can send him packing like Jesus did in the wilderness. Amen.

God Chose EVERYONE To Love

Deuteronomy 7: 6-7 - For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.  The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 

Moses used the time he had left with this great nation of people to remind them over and over just how much God loved them to have chosen them to be HIS people from all the nations on Earth. He chose a single faithful man…  and used everything in his life and the descendants that came from his marriage to Sarah to make the a great blessed nation.  Moses wanted them to never forget that they were chosen…and as much as they had been blessed…God would take it all away if they ever turned against him.

God knew that they would be tempted by everything they saw and experienced as they began to take the land God had promised them.  It was a land possessed by great and mighty nations…that had given their allegiance and loyalties to other gods. They would need to destroy all traces of those gods to keep them from swaying their thoughts against the Lord.

I am so very thankful that God made a way to enlarge his idea of chosen people to include all nations and races. John 3:16 says that God “loved the world”, Hebrews 2 tells us that Jesus “tasted death for everyone”, and First John says that he is the propitiation for “the whole world.” That makes it pretty clear to me that God chose us all.

 God also gave us free choice. He never forces his love on us…we must accept him and believe in the act of love that gave his life to atone for all our sins. I needed the reminder that many temptations still exist in our world to keep my relationship with God from becoming all that it could be.  Jesus death on the cross changed the way we interact with those that do not believe…we no longer called to destroy unbelievers…but show God’s love and mercy to them so that they might believe too.

 Father…thank you for the reminder that you chose me to love. Forgive me for the times that I do not model that love to others. Keep me from temptations that separate me from knowing you as deep as you want me to know you. Help me to always believe in my heart that you are all I need. Amen.

Build A Firm Foundation In God

Deuteronomy 6:10-12 - When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Moses was finishing up his instructions about following the laws God gave them.  He wanted them to learn to love him with all their heart …soul…and strength. He wanted to remind them one more time not to forget the God that brought them to this point.  He knew their tendency to blame God for the tough times they had experienced…and did not want them to forget him when the full blessings of God were poured out on their lives.

What a great reminder to be so consistent in our praise to God that it builds our faith in all circumstances. Moses wanted to make sure that their foundation was always solid…never leaving room for any other god they might encounter to plant any seeds of doubt in their lives. He knew the answer to a consistent faith was a consistent relationship with the one who gave it to us in the first place.

Father..thank you for the reminder to build such a firm foundation that I can claim 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 with ease… “Rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for me in Christ Jesus. Forgive me for the times that I have chosen to leave you out of my routine when ‘my belly is full.”  Help me to build a foundation so strong that nothing can steal the joy you have given me in Christ Jesus my savior. Amen.

Have You Tapped Into ALL Of God's Power Through Faith?

Deuteronomy 5:23- 25 ­- When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders came to me.  And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them. But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.

Moses was reminding the Israelites of the covenant God had made with them all. Part of his retelling included the part where they had ask him to be their interpreter for all of God’s words…they could not take the intensity of God’s presence...and feared death if they stayed in his presence any longer. God’s full presence was too much for the small amount of faith they had.

I couldn’t help but underline these verses… and began to wonder just how often I get close to experiencing the full glory of God that I have done the same thing. For whatever reason… I have stopped short of seeing….hearing… experiencing God in the deepest ways possible on this earth….because my faith lacks something it needs to make me as passionate and committed as Moses was.

Matthew 17:20 records Jesus own words about the power faith can give us to do his work. He said… “He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  If my faith lacks…it must be smaller than that tiny seed he was talking about.  Surely I can find a way to nurture and grow what I do have. .

There is another possibility….my faith may be as big as that mustard seed…but fear…for whatever reason…keeps me from testing its power. I needed the reminder not to let fear …or any other road block that God allows in my life to keep me from searching after God’s full power in my life.

Father…thank you for the reminder that the faith you have given me has untapped power to help me accomplish your will on this earth. Forgive me for the times that I have let fear hold me back from using the faith you have built in me to do your will.  Help me to build the confidence I need to call on you in all situations. So that you can channel your power through me to do mighty things on this earth. Amen.

Show God's Wisdom And Understanding To The World

Deuteronomy 4:6-7 -  Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”  What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 

Moses had much to say to these people he loved so much. He had just finished telling them the full recount of their journey… so their past would give them power to always move forward. Now he begins to tell them some important reasons they needed to always revere the laws God had given them as well.

He gives them many reasons to revere God’s laws…but as I read these verses I was reminded that everything I do and say it heard and seen by others. As a widower…who lives alone…I sometimes forget this fact.  This week however…has been one of those rare times when a young preteen granddaughter has lived with me.

She has seen a mixture of my good and bad traits. I got a little too angry at a manger who did not handle my phone issues to my liking…her presence in the car after reminded me that I needed to quickly find a Bible verse to claim so my day did not ‘domino effect’ into worse anger at everything else that might go wrong that day.

I also modeled some good stuff for her too.  We washed clothes for a group of students who are staying in our town for the summer…working and going to evangelist classes.  We made quilts for foster care children as a part of a sewing ministry at my church.  She helped me serve at church dinner….and went to Sunday school and church with me too.

It makes me proud that my good character traits seem to outweigh the negative as I think back on my week.  Perhaps that is the usual way that others see me as well…but it sure couldn’t hurt to take Moses advice and make sure that I try to use those ten commands to keep God mirrored in my life to others.

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to use your commands to build wisdom and understanding in who you are. Forgive me for the times that I show the world anger…negativity….and complacency.  Help me to grow in understanding and wisdom by keeping your commands in all that I do…so others see you as who you really are…not the twisted version that my imperfect walk with you sometimes shows.  Amen.