Listen Up!

Posted on by March 26, 2015
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Deuteronomy 6:4-6 — Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

These verses are the start of the central prayer if Judaism, known as the “Shema”. It begins “Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad” — ” Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord”. The whole prayer is composed of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Deuteronomy 11:13-21 (Vehayah) and Numbers 15:37-41 (Vaiyomer).

The Shema, or at least its opening, is not just central to Judaism. It should be a key part of every Christian’s faith. Jesus Himself puts it there …

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. (Mark 12:28-30)

The Lord our God is one Lord. He is God alone, indivisible. That unity is one of God’s attributes — unity, wholeness, integrity … From that flows the notion that the law is one, and the notion that mixing unlike kinds of thing is wrong. The concept of mixing, and the associated concept of separation, are a good indication of sin and its consequences.

Thou shalt love the Lord with all your heart. Of course .. what other response would be appropriate? It’s not so much a command as a simple description of fact. God is God, the only God, the United God. Of course you will love Him with everything that is in you. You cannot reasonably do anything else.

These words shall be in your heart. The prescription for maintaining our love for the Lord. How shall we keep His words in our hearts? The completion of the first part of the Shema provides the instructions:

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

We must teach the words, talk about the words, place them all around us. Our lives must be full of scripture. Store God’s word in our hearts, the words will drive our love for God, because He is the only thing!

 

Have Faith In God

Posted on by March 25, 2015
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Psalm 56:3-4 — What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. 

So how about you? Are you ever afraid? I am. 

Most people are afraid of something. Sometimes some of other people’s fears might not seem very important. Then there are things we can all — mostly — agree on. But most of us have things that do frighten us. That’s why I love these two verses in Psalm 56.

The first thing that appeals to me is that David says “when I am afraid”. There’s no false bravado here. It’s not “well, if ever I should be afraid — even if that’s unlikely” it’s “whenever I’m afraid … and I certainly am”. This, remember, is David who killed Goliath. Not a scaredy-cat!

The second thing I love is something I read in a study of the Psalm by Alexander Maclaren:

But so far as an examination of the Old Testament avails, I find that David was the first that ever employed the word that is here translated, I will trust, with a religious meaning. It is found occasionally in earlier books of the Bible in different connections, never in regard to man’s relations to God, until the Poet-Psalmist laid his hand upon it, and consecrated it for all generations to express one of the deepest relations of man to his Father in heaven.

Isn’t that a wonderful insight? No wonder David was “a man after God’s own heart”!

Then there is a third beauty. What is it about God that fills David with trust? Is it God’s performance. Not especially.  This psalm, in fact, was written when David had fled to the Philistine city of Gath, when He was being persecuted by Saul. No, David’s faith was based in God’s word — in all the scripture then available. He was prepared to take God at His word.

The last wonder in these two short verses is the outcome of David’s faith. Confidence replaces fear. He might be on the run from Saul and living among enemies, but in the end they are only “flesh”. David’s faith is transcendent — no enemies or circumstances will ever overcome his trust in God.

So how about you? Are you afraid of the dark, or spiders or death, fire, or disease, of poverty or enemies of failure? When you are afraid, put your trust in God.

Succession Planning

Posted on by March 24, 2015
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Deuteronomy 3:27-29 — Get thee up into the top of ??Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. But ??charge Joshua, and ??encourage him, ??and strengthen him: for ??he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see. So we abode in ??the valley over against Beth-peor. 


God is really good at succession planning. I found a good definition on Wikipedia — “Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the potential to fill key business leadership positions in the company. Succession planning increases the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to assume these roles as they become available. Taken narrowly, ‘replacement planning’ for key roles is the heart of succession planning.“

You might say it’s an odd thought, but the notion popped into my mind this morning when I read God’s instruction to Moses : “charge Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him.” One of God’s companies has always been “Israel Limited”, and for a long time He took particular care to provide leaders. Moses and Joshua are not the only great examples of mentor and pupil. We could think of Elijah and Elisha, or Samuel and David … But Moses and Joshua set the pattern.

Joshua first makes an appearance as the military commander under who defeats the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8–13). He spent a lot of time serving as Moses’ assistant, spending a lot of  time in the tent of meeting.

Moses took care over Joshua’s training. When Joshua told him about Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp instead of with the elders in the tent of meeting. Moses was quick to correct him saying, “Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord ‘s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them.” (Numbers 11:29)

Joshua was also chosen for important tasks. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses at the giving of the law on the stone tablets (Exodus 24:13). When Moses sent the spies into Canaan, Joshua was one of them (Numbers 13:8) and he and Caleb were the only two who brought back a good report.

Before his death, Moses asked God to appoint a man over the congregation of Israel to lead them and God named Joshua as Moses’ successor, stating that His Spirit resided in him.

It’s something we need to consider — in work, in family wealth management, and above all in ministry. How are we going to make sure that anything the Lord allows us to do continues when we are gone. There’s a process — selection, education, testing and anointing. We can see it clearly, time and again in the Bible. So how about it? Are your succession plans going ok?

Moving Day

Posted on by March 23, 2015
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Deuteronomy 1:6-8 — The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates. Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

“The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount.” The Israelites had been in the dry district; “the parched or burnt region” in the plains of Moab for about a year. God had been using that time to give them the legal framework for their life in the promised land. There was more to it than that though …

The Israelites, you may recall, were on a “time out”. They had rebelled against God and He had put them in the “naughty corner” until every one of the rebellious generation had died. There was more to it than that though …

“The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, …turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites.” The Lord makes His wishes very clear. Three times He commands the Israelites — this time there is to be no hesitation, no spying out, no turning back … they are to go in, and possess the land. It’s not going to be easy though. But they are ready. They have been prepared. They have been long enough in the mountain, and long enough in the wilderness … It is time to go in and possess the land.

So how about you? Have you missed your way somehow? If you are one of God’s children you should know that He has plans for you. Just as God promised a land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He has a promised land for you. We are “the children of the promise”.

Does it seem that you are wondering from place to place? Does it even seem that you are in a harsh, dry, mountainous place. Be assured, there will come a moment when God will say “Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: turn you, and take your journey…”

Aimless Wandering

Posted on by March 22, 2015
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These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. … And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjeshimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab. (Numbers 33:1, 49).

Chapter 33 of Numbers lists the starting and stopping points of the Israelites on their journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab. Actually it doesn’t list them all — Exodus provides a few more. Altogether, there were almost fifty. It doesn’t matter, there’s quite enough in this chapter to make the point. There was a lot of wandering. It’s not really clear what the route was. A straight course might have been two hundred and fifty miles. The Israelites might have gone twice as far, and they certainly went around at least one circle. Even so, five hundred miles in forty years was slow going! So what are we to make of all this? Three warnings, perhaps.

I’m sure you know the story. If not, you can read all about it in Numbers 13 and 14. The Lord brought the people to the Wilderness of Paran in only two years. Then, instead of entering in to Canaan they rebelled and entered into thirty eight years of futility.

The point is pretty obvious isn’t it? If God makes it clear what he expects you to do, and makes it possible for you to do it, you’d better get on with it. If you don’t, you might spend a long time wandering aimlessly around not getting anything useful done! Let that be the first warning. 

There’s more to it than just a simple case of disobedience, however. Why did the Israelites disobey? It seems that the news brought back by the party sent to explore Canaan — at least as presented by ten of them — was sufficient to outweigh their trust in God. Numbers 13:1-2 suggests that God instructed the Israelites to send out the twelve spies, but Deuteronomy 1:22 puts it in a different light — “And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come.” Perhaps that can be our second warning — If God tells you to do something, it’s better to get on and do it, instead of checking it out to see if He knows what He’s doing. It seems that the Israelites had a faith deficit!

Surely the events of the Exodus should have been sufficient to build their faith? Perhaps we should not forget that they and their forefathers had been four hundred years in Egypt. I am inclined to think that their “faith” might have been very superficial, and polluted by their exposure to foreign God’s. Their behavior with the daughters of Moab (Numbers 25:1) might add weight to such an idea. And there is our third warning. We need to be very careful of the influences that might affect our faith. There is no doubt that we can be exposed to influences just as damaging as those that afflicted the Israelites!

So there we are — three lessons from thirty eight years of aimless wandering. Let’s try to profit from the Israelite’s experience!

No, Marie, We Don’t All Think The Same

Posted on by March 21, 2015
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Galatians 4:22-25 — For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

I need to make two very clear statements at the start of what will be a long piece. This is nothing to do with politics — and everything to do with evangelism. Secondly — this will be a very long piece …

What started me thinking is something a lady called Marie Harf — deputy spokesperson for the United States Department of State and a former spokesperson for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) — said in an interview recently:

We’re killing a lot of them, and we’re going to keep killing more of them. So are the Egyptians, so are the Jordanians — they’re in this fight with us. But we cannot win this war by killing them. We cannot kill our way out of this war. We need in the medium to longer term to go after the root causes that leads people to join these groups, whether it’s a lack of opportunity for jobs.

The statement brought a hail of (mainly right wing conservative) derision on M/s. Harf’s head. It really wasn’t fair. As she rightly said, later, she was only saying what many others had already said. The derision was unfair — but her statement reflects a tragic and wrong-headed delusion. The only thing that will persuade Muslims to live, in the long run, side-by-side with non-Muslims is to bring them into the Christian fold. 

It would be as foolish to blame every Muslim for the actions of ISIS as it would be to blame every Christian for everything ever done in the name of Christianity — but it’s important to listen to those who have knowledge of the matter. Here’s one commentary:

Assertions, therefore, that Islamist terrorism has nothing to do with Islam are as nonsensical as claims that the Crusades had nothing to do with Christian beliefs about the sanctity of Jerusalem or that the exponential growth of Israeli settlements on Palestinian lands are not rooted in the beliefs of certain fundamentalist Jewish groups about the God-given rights of Jews to live in their God-given homeland. Indeed, there is an explicitly religious civil war driven by terrorist groups such as ISIS, al Qaeda and Hezbollah unfolding in the Middle East in countries such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen that pits ultrafundamentalist Sunnis against ultrafundamentalist Shias. This war could well replicate the religious Thirty Years’ War that tore apart 17th century Europe in both viciousness and length. Already hundreds of thousands have died in these conflicts. — Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst.

The idea that religious fundamentalists of any kind “think like we do” is a dangerous “feel good” folly that has been embodied in institutions like the United Nations and its precursor, the League of Nations. I wanted to show what a masterpiece of wishful thinking the charter of the United Nations is. I was spoiled for choice in making my selection. In the end I chose Article 13:

The General Assembly shall initiate studies and make recommendations for the purpose of : a) promoting international cooperation in the political field and encouraging the progressive development of international law and its codification;  b) promoting international cooperation in the economic, social, cultural, educational, and health fields, and assisting in the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.

People aren’t like that! (Surprise!). 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7-8 KJVA)

Look. This is the way of it. Most of the people in the world are not Christians. Even some Christians don’t buy in to the idea that capitalism and democracy are the only way to run the world. They never will — but all of us can be redeemed from our natural wickedness. That’s as true for Muslims as it is for anyone else. When they become Christians the lust for the destruction of Jews and Christians will go — “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

No Marie, we don’t all think the same. …

Git R Done!

Posted on by March 19, 2015
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Joshua 18:2-3 — And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the Lord God of your fathers hath given you? (Joshua 18:2-3)

I can’t honestly recommend the work of Larry The Cable Guy. Too much “R-rated” material! But his catch phrase is one that resonates with me.

Yesterday I mentioned the idea that God often wants us to do what we’re doing, but to do it right! Sometimes though, we haven’t even got that far. Sometimes we know what we’re supposed to be doing — but we just haven’t got started! (I keep saying “we” — if this doesn’t ever apply to you, you’re excused).

This story of the allocation of land to the remaining seven tribes of Israel is a great case in point. The people knew that they were supposed to divide the land and go and claim it, but it seems there were several excuses (which no doubt they called “reasons”) for not getting started.

First, the process of allocating territories had been interrupted by the selection of Shiloh as the new center of national worship, and the associated mass transfer from Gilgal twenty miles to the Southeast. I suppose we should let that reason stand. But with the transfer complete, the process of division and occupation of the land was still not resumed.

It seems the people of Israel were pretty happy in the lush land they found themselves in. I’ve put things off pretty often myself when I was feeling comfortable and happy. It’s an excuse that even sounds reasonable — “I’m doing fine here — why should I change anything?”

The next issue seems to have been that the seven tribes had got accustomed to the aimless wandering life that the previous generation had condemned them too by their lack of faith in God. Well, I have to confess that their have been times when the lack of clear goals has allowed me to get involved in some pretty purposeless activities.

The last issue that I think might have allowed the Israelites to not “Git R Done” was the fact that they didn’t have a deadline. It’s all to easy to delay when there isn’t a timetable. (Actually, if you’re an expert procrastinator like me, you might delay starting to the last moment anyway!)

The Israelites did have one thing going for them. Joshua did have a sense of urgency. He wasn’t getting any younger, and he wanted to see the job finished before he died. It’s provides a good example. When you have a job to do, it’s great if you can let somebody know, so that they can be your taskmaster.

One last thing … You might wonder what prompted me to write this today. I’m not going to tell you! But I’ll Git R Done … I promise!

A Voice Crying In The Wilderness

Posted on by March 18, 2015
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Luke 3:7-14 — Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

On Sunday we were blessed by the preaching of David Platt, recently appointed President of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. We were interested to discover that reactions to his message were mixed. I found the same was true of his books. What was surprising too me was the amount of criticism focused on his style, and not the content of his message.

The message, in all truth, might be sufficient to stir up controversy. In essence, it is that we all owe God a “blank check”; we should be prepared to commit time, property and life itself if He demands it — it is our “reasonable service” in helping to reach the unreached.

Reading this passage about John the Baptist, this morning, put me in mind of Pastor Platt and the mixed reception to His message.

John’s style wasn’t exactly cozy either. I’m sure that he got a mixed reception — especially from scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. His message was not an easy one for his hearers.

First of all, he calls them out for their behavior — suggesting that,  like desert vipers smelling a fire, they 

“smelled” the coming judgment and were coming out of their holes to find some safety.

Next, he makes it clear that being God’s chosen people, having Abraham as their father, would not protect them from judgment — a good thought for anybody today who thinks they are one of “God’s children”!

John moves beyond the need for repentance to the duties of life. He encourages the sharing of wealth with those who have none. 

Finally, John turns to the idea of service. His is an interesting perspective. When the tax gatherer and soldier ask him what they should do, he doesn’t say “go on a mission trip” or “be super faithful and religious”. He says “do what you at doing, but do it as it should be done”. It’s a thought I have shared with a few people over the past year. We are often waiting for God to call … while all along all He expects of us is to do the work He has already given us to do — but to do it right!

In some ways, John’s message was a forerunner of Pastor Platt’s. Be prepared to repent, be ready to give your resources and your service to God … and never mind the style, it’s the message that matters!

Safe!

Posted on by March 17, 2015
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Psalm 46:1-3 — God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Yesterday I was moved to write about the peril that I feel God’s people are facing in an increasingly dark world. Today, I feel moved to write about the “yes but”. “Yes, but God is looking after us.”

Psalm 46:1 was my first ever “favorite verse”. It came back to me today, and reminded me of the security I felt when I read it after I got saved. 

The  Book of Psalms has so many reminders of Jehovah Roi — “God our Shepherd”, the God who watches. As I contemplated that it seemed to me that of all the faithful, David is one of the greatest. It’s no wonder that he made it into the “Hall Of Fame Of The Faithful” in Hebrews 11! Here’s just a few verses from Psalms to call on when insecurity strikes.

But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. (Psalm 3:3) — when David was fleeing from Absalom.

But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. (Psalm 13:5) — the occasion is unknown, but as Spurgeon says, “If the reader has never yet found occasion to use the language of this brief ode, he will do so ere long, if he be a man after the Lord’s own heart.“

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. (Psalm 18:2) — when the Lord rescued David from all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) — another psalm celebrating no special event, but surely the result of a time of great piece!

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. (Psalm 28:7) — another of David’s psalms that could have been sung at many times.

Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy. (Psalm 59:17) — a prayer for protection from enemies when Saul sent them to watch the house and kill David,

David was so often in danger, or in want, or alone — and just as often it seems he had a word of faith. No those words of faith are ready for us to call upon in our times of need, or loneliness, or fear. No matter how bad things seem, God is our shield, our salvation, our rock, our defender, strength, high tower, our shepherd … God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble even in these dark days.

Hallelujah. Amen.

Are We In Trouble Now!

Posted on by March 16, 2015
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Deuteronomy 28:15-19 — But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

As the Israelites are about to enter the Promised Land God, through Moses, lays it out very plainly: Blessings, or curses. There is no doubt what the options are. Follow God’s rules, be blessed. Don’t listen to God and follow His rules, be cursed.

“So what,” you might say, “what’s that got to do with us?”. That’s a fair question. Let’s look around. 10,000 dead of Ebola. California running out of water, false religions rampant, political and moral confusion running riot … Read the curses in Deuteronomy. Do they look, at all, like any of the things you see happening around you?

Perhaps we are not suffering the full range of punishments that God warned that His people would face — but we are surely well on the way. That leads to a natural question. Have we failed to listen to God’s word and obey His commandments.

My question is a painful one, because it applies to us, the people of God — not to the world.Are we, God’s people,  not listening to Him, not doing His commandments and statutes? I have to believe that’s true.

There’s an interesting tension here. On the one hand, God is “merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” but on the other hand He “will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7). How go we resolve this? Surely a gracious God will forgive His repentant people? I think that perceived conflict is based on a misunderstanding. Forgiveness does not mean the elimination of consequences. We are going to suffer the earthly consequences of our disobedience before we pass on to eternal joy.

Yes … We are in trouble now, and it’s going to get worse. God’s people need to get back on track!