Category: leaders

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Meeting the Needs of others

Mark 2 The Sabbath

God established the Sabbath as a day of rest, but that did not mean that the people were to ignore the needs of others on that day. If these religious leaders really believed that truth, then why did they seek to trap Jesus into healing? Why are their hearts so hard? Why have they not treated this man with the withered hand with kindness? Truly, Jesus asked them is it good to let this man continue on in his suffering when you have the opportunity to help? But, Mark records that they were silent when asked. They were more concerned about their place in society than their place with God. 

Today seek to do good to those who are suffering. Job’s friends came and sat with him for 7 days silently. These Pharisees came and sat in the synagogue silently. The friends of Job had hearts of kindness, but these Pharisees had hearts of stone. The contrast is clear: when the need arises, touch the hearts of those who are needy. 

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Do not presume ahead of time!

ACTS 25 Paul has certainly had many opportunities to speak for Christ before these Roman puppet leaders and he has remained “cool.” as we say. He has not changed his story but the Jewish leaders heap charge upon charge. They have no evidence and no witnesses, yet they are persistent. That is the way of our enemy, the god of this world. He will not quit, but provides his unbelieving followers with lies and ignorance to further his cause, yet God will prove Himself faithful.  Be forewarned beloved believer that even though you may be charged falsely, He who is faithful will be by your side. Not only will He be by your side, He will give you the right words to say in your defense…at just the right time just as Jesus told the disciples prior to his death. Your job, beloved believer, is to model Jesus. “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” [1 Peter 2:23]

Here’s our mandate: Luke 21:14  “Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” 

Praise be to the Father who has given us this example in the life of Paul. May we remain steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Knowing your work is not in vain. [1 Cor 15:58] 

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Promises

Promises are to be kept

Joshua 16-18 A Promise made is a Promise Kept
Gentle reminders! Have you made a promise, and it is forgotten in the midst of busyness? So, God gives us this story to remind us that a promise made is a promise to be kept.

Zelophehad had no sons but only daughters and not just one but five! Earlier, these savvy sisters went to Moses to claim the inheritance of their father, but amid busyness, the leaders needed a gentle reminder of this promise. So, they go to Joshua to claim their promise, and Joshua doesn’t blink an eye. They were bold amid the leaders and the men. Here’s what it says: They came near before Eleazar, the priest, and before Joshua, the son of Nun, and before the leaders, saying, “The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brothers.” So according to the command of the LORD, he gave them an inheritance among their father’s brothers.” [Joshua 17:3-6]

There are lessons here: If you make a promise, keep it. Secondly, Sisters, stay strong and claim your inheritance. This is ours today that we can claim: God is a promise keeper! 1Jo 2:25 Now this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.

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Questions and Answers

If you have questions

Gen 10-12 God is radical. He asks us to do things that seem so out of character, but we must remember the prophet Isaiah’s words: God’s plans are higher than ours. [Is 55:9]We can only see what is before us, but He can see beyond that to the purposes He has planned.

Question: Why would a loving God take the life of the firstborn? Why do children die? Why, why, why? We may never know all that God has planned, but He has a higher purpose, and it may be this: As a loving God, He wanted to protect the firstborn from what He knew lay ahead. I don’t have the answers, but I do know this: Pharaoh is stubborn and resistant to the Lord. With each advancing plague, the magicians are proven false. Even they admit this is the finger of God–translated, Pharaoh; you had better listen up and obey! But, Pharaoh is like many even today, unwilling to submit to God. The NT reveals that same attitude in John 9 about the story of the blind man. The Pharisees were like Pharaoh, seeing the evidence but refusing to believe.

A radical God often asks us to do what seems radical, extreme, or unreasonable, but if we submit and trust Him, we see Him at work.

Trying to put myself in the shoes of the Israelites, Moses, and Aaron, and then in the shoes of the Egyptians. Am I stubborn like Pharaoh or submissive? Do I trust and believe God can and will, or do I still think my way is best?

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Saying and Doing are very Different Things!

You can say you believe but it is in the doing that proves it

John 10:22-42, Luke 10-11, Do I “truly” believe that Jesus is the Son of God?

A “whoa and loaded” question! The scribes and Pharisees just couldn’t wrap their mind around the works that Jesus did as proof of who He was, and so they came “once again” to test him. Into that scene, we find them stumbling over their questions and words, and Jesus listens with great patience, but you can tell he is tired of their frivolous words, their testing, their on and on questions. So, when a lawyer, probably one of them, comes and asks:” “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [Luke 10:25] Jesus asked him what the Law said, and the lawyer responded: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” [Luke 10:27]

You know we can know what the Law says, we can say we believe, but our belief is proven by what we say and do. Perhaps that is why James said so eloquently, do not merely listen to the message, go and do likewise because faith without works is dead. [James 1:22; 2:14-19]  So Jesus told him to find a neighbor and show him mercy.

Where can I show others I believe God and the Son whom He sent?

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I Won’t!

Will you obey

Jeremiah 43: There is a phrase that says: “There is a sucker born every minute.” It seems that in Jeremiah’s day that statement was more than true. Having seen the devastation of the land, the temple, and the carrying off of prisoners, the ones left still did not trust their faithful prophet, Jeremiah. Over and over he had said to yield to their captors, trust God and you will live but they would not. And so we see that the fools decided the words of Jeremiah were untrue, packed up and went to Egypt, and sure enough, trouble followed them. They never returned to Israel, just as God said. They were of the Dennis the Menace generation. I am sitting down on the outside but standing up on the inside. I refuse to admit I am wrong, I refuse to obey, yet are the first to complain when trouble comes their way. 

Today the gospel is free but many refuse to listen and submit to God’s ways. They still think that their works are better than God’s ways. Clearly, as Paul wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [Eph 2:8-9]

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God’s Most Unlikely Characters

Pray for men to lead

Judges 3:7 to 5 If given the opportunity, who would you like to meet from the pages of history? Would it be Abraham Lincoln, Adoniram Judson, or Deborah and Jael from today’s reading? As we browse the pages of this book, we come face-to-face with Joshua’s challenge of Israel’s men to lead. To a man, they said they would, but Joshua warned them that they would not and so it came to pass.  As we wander these chapters, we want to put it aside, for it is the book with the most violence, and we meet the most unlikely characters.

First is the woman Deborah who sat under the Date Palm Tree, solving disputes. What happened to the men’s leadership? We aren’t told. In this chapter, we learn about the man Barak whose name means lightning, but he does not live up to his name. He is, in fact, fearful of many things and will only go if Deborah accompanies him. She reminds him that he may be victorious if she goes, but the glory will go to a woman. And who is this woman but Jael, who is a Kenite, not even an Israelite.

What is the lesson we are to glean? When men do not lead, God will allow another to get the glory. Pray today for the men of our families and our nation. Pray that they are strong and courageous, just as God told Joshua.

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The Measure of Greatness

This is one characteristic God loves and honors

Joshua 19 “Humility”

What are the marks of a humble person? They are willing to wait on God’s plan and timing. Joshua is such a man; a picture of true humility. He had waited over 47+/- years to achieve a place of rest since leaving Egypt’s slavery. He had seen the wonders of God at work in Egypt; he had been a faithful spy at Kadesh Barnea and had been a faithful servant of the Lord under Moses. He then led the children of Israel over seven years as they conquered the land and until every one of the Lord’s faithful promises to the family of Israel was completed. He waited patiently for his inheritance. He didn’t ask for land but only a city. Humble people are satisfied with the least and are willing to wait until others have their share. Humble people are those who do not seek glory or honor but only that which pleases the Lord. Joshua only wanted what the Lord wanted. God has placed this man for us to study and to learn exactly what God requires and desires. God “has told you…to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.” [Mic 6:8]

Today may we take our lesson from this man and learn from him how to please God.

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How to Honor Authority

if we want to be blessed

Numbers 36 “A Sticky-Wicket Problem or Not?

Zelophehad had been a devoted father, but he had no sons, only daughters. We know he was faithful because the daughters eulogized him in chapter twenty-seven; “Our father died in the wilderness, although he was not part of the company of those that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the company of Korah but died for his own sin, and he had no sons.” [Num 27:1-11] Because the tribal lineage passed through the male line, they learned that their father’s name would be lost from among his family. So they asked Moses to rule regarding Zelophehad’s inheritance.  In chapter thirty-six we find that the heads of their tribe came to Moses with a “sticky-wicket” problem of marriage. If these daughters married outside their tribe, then the inheritance would pass to the new husband and the new tribe which also included husband’s land.

 Moses concurred with the men that these girls should only marry in their tribe so that there would not be a problem with the land inheritance in the year of the Jubilee. The girls agreed, and they went on to marry men of their tribe.

God placed this long tale here and in three chapters of Numbers and Joshua to show how God honors obedience, decisions, and choices.

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The Proof Tests

Gods Word is our standard

Numbers 5 &6: Why so much given to the innocence or guilt of the woman and not the man? Is this not one-sided? But to help us see the bigger picture we must recall the warning in Prov 6:34. Men are more prone to retaliation than women. Second, her womb must be preserved; unlike today. Thirdly, God has put into place that which will protect her from the accusations from her husband. Lastly, is the warning from Eccl 5: if you make a vow, be sure to keep it otherwise you are seen as a fool. [Eccl 5:4]

Fast forward to the NT and we see how Jesus used this law to protect the Samaritan woman  [John 4] who had been used by unscrupulous men, even up to 5 of them! Then the woman caught in adultery [John 8:10] and the Pharisees in their self-righteousness are exposed because they too were “jealous” and their sin exposed as Jesus wrote on the sand. Did he write this passage? We don’t know but one by one they left beginning with the eldest to the youngest. Jesus asked her where are your accusers and she said there is no one. In his most gracious and loving way he said, neither do I condemn you, but go and sin no more. He acknowledged her sin but forgave her.

So what is our takeaway? Purity is held to a high standard in God’s eyes. Be ye pure so God can bless you. We are cleansed by Jesus.  It is interesting that Numbers  6 includes the Aaronic Blessing which is in summary form was what Jesus offered to the woman caught in adultery. 

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