I was reading Moses prayer (Deut.3:24-28) to God that he be allowed to enter the Promised Land and this statement caught my eye…
"But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me."
Moses attributed God’s refusal to accept his request not to himself and his actions but to the Israelites and their actions.
Hmmm… pretty curious, after all it was Moses that struck the rock at Kadesh Barnea instead of speaking to it as God had instructed.
The answer lies in Deut. 1:34-37.
"Then the LORD heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the LORD fully.'
The LORD was angry with me also on your account, saying, Not even you shall enter there".
Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because of the bad report of the 12 spies and Israel’s acceptance of it. He was lumped together with them and would have to die in the wilderness with that “evil generation”.
So God’s anger that began with this incident continued 40 years later and still burned when Moses requested to be able to physically enter the Promised Land. Moses correctly attributes God’s anger to them… not him.
He was the last of that generation to die. When we last see him, just prior to his death, he is on mount Nebo viewing the Promised land.
When we next see him he is standing on another mountain in the Promised Land where Jesus was transfigured.
Moses received punishment on earth but his eternal destiny with God was secured. I’ve got a feeling that when his spirit left Mount Nebo and was received by God that he was not in the least bit disappointed at not having stepped foot on the Promised Land.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Fosters
This is from Jeff Carr (in part)
I just had lunch with Larry Foster, son of our birthday boy, 99-yr old Hubert Foster.
Larry asked me to pass on this information. Hubert and Ann enjoy going out to dinner and an occasional movie and would enjoy a ride to something like this. ALSO ... they can pay their own way for these things, they simply need transportation.
Right now they are getting meals on wheels delivered and their son who lives in town makes grocery runs for them on a weekly basis.
I just had lunch with Larry Foster, son of our birthday boy, 99-yr old Hubert Foster.
Larry asked me to pass on this information. Hubert and Ann enjoy going out to dinner and an occasional movie and would enjoy a ride to something like this. ALSO ... they can pay their own way for these things, they simply need transportation.
Right now they are getting meals on wheels delivered and their son who lives in town makes grocery runs for them on a weekly basis.
The Failure of Preaching (Ezra 9&10)
Problem: Violation of Exodus 34 and Numbers 32… marrying foreign women.
Extent: The sons of the High Priest had married foreign women.
Identification: It was brought to the attention of Ezra… not the High Priest.
Assumption: The High Priest had not been preaching on the subject.
Fallout: Because of the failure of preaching and the failure of example the violation had spread throughout Judah.
The Fix: Get rid of the wives and their children… tough fix… tougher than not marrying them in the first place.
Conclusion: The “Failure of Preaching” is not preaching the whole of God’s word. When preaching fails people fail and have to go through the sometimes painful process of getting right with God. Preach to prevent problems.
Extent: The sons of the High Priest had married foreign women.
Identification: It was brought to the attention of Ezra… not the High Priest.
Assumption: The High Priest had not been preaching on the subject.
Fallout: Because of the failure of preaching and the failure of example the violation had spread throughout Judah.
The Fix: Get rid of the wives and their children… tough fix… tougher than not marrying them in the first place.
Conclusion: The “Failure of Preaching” is not preaching the whole of God’s word. When preaching fails people fail and have to go through the sometimes painful process of getting right with God. Preach to prevent problems.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Fall Adult Class Schedule
Sunday Morning
Adult 1: David Smitherman, “Hebrews”
Adult 2: Rob Perkins, “Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther”
Sunday Night
Auditorium only: Jeff Carr. Islam and related topics.
Wednesday Night
Adult 1: Shane Torno, “Evidences”
Adult 2: Joey Vaughan, “Mark’s Gospel”
Adult 1: David Smitherman, “Hebrews”
Adult 2: Rob Perkins, “Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther”
Sunday Night
Auditorium only: Jeff Carr. Islam and related topics.
Wednesday Night
Adult 1: Shane Torno, “Evidences”
Adult 2: Joey Vaughan, “Mark’s Gospel”
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Being a Priest
Ezra 9
In this segment, Ezra and the returned exiles have been in Jerusalem for about eight months. He is informed that the previous exiles (including some of the priests and princes) had married women who they had been forbidden to marry… women from idolatrous nations. The people had been warned way back in Exodus 34 that inter marrying with native peoples would lead the Israelites to commit the sin of idolatry. That’s what got them in trouble in the first place and caused God to decimate their nation and send a small remnant into Babylonian captivity. Now after returning from captivity they are repeating the same mistake all over again.
Ezra is very disturbed by this… he plucks hair off his head and his beard and tears his clothes. People gather around him and he words a prayer to God that contains many interesting elements. One of the most interesting to me is this, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to thee, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.”
Even though Ezra is not guilty of this sin and was not even around when it occurred he takes responsibility for it. I’m convinced that he did so because he was a scribe and a priest and it was the responsibility of scribes and priests to teach the people about God and hold them accountable to God’s “statutes and ordinances” (7:10). Ultimately, if the people violated God’s “statutes and ordinances” the scribes were at least partially responsible. So even if Ezra, as a scribe and a priest, had not been around when these marriages were being engaged in, he takes responsibility because he is part of the scribe/priest-hood.
There are similarities with God’s people today. As Christians we are living in a country that that promotes sin. Just like the Israelites living in Canaan surrounded by idolatrous pagan peoples, we could be influenced to sin. In the church we don’t have a sheriff and deputies who police our members. The people have a mutual obligation to “police” each other. We are responsible to each other to help each other grow. Our tools are encouragement (to live better), edification (to build up) and admonishment (to identify sin). We are after all a congregation of priests (Rev. 1:6) and as such have the responsibilities of a priest to each other.
Ezra took personal responsibility for the sins of others. If someone in the congregation is living in sin we too must take personal responsibility for it. After all we are priests just like Ezra.
Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to practice it and to teach his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
In this segment, Ezra and the returned exiles have been in Jerusalem for about eight months. He is informed that the previous exiles (including some of the priests and princes) had married women who they had been forbidden to marry… women from idolatrous nations. The people had been warned way back in Exodus 34 that inter marrying with native peoples would lead the Israelites to commit the sin of idolatry. That’s what got them in trouble in the first place and caused God to decimate their nation and send a small remnant into Babylonian captivity. Now after returning from captivity they are repeating the same mistake all over again.
Ezra is very disturbed by this… he plucks hair off his head and his beard and tears his clothes. People gather around him and he words a prayer to God that contains many interesting elements. One of the most interesting to me is this, “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to thee, my God, for our iniquities have risen above our heads, and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.”
Even though Ezra is not guilty of this sin and was not even around when it occurred he takes responsibility for it. I’m convinced that he did so because he was a scribe and a priest and it was the responsibility of scribes and priests to teach the people about God and hold them accountable to God’s “statutes and ordinances” (7:10). Ultimately, if the people violated God’s “statutes and ordinances” the scribes were at least partially responsible. So even if Ezra, as a scribe and a priest, had not been around when these marriages were being engaged in, he takes responsibility because he is part of the scribe/priest-hood.
There are similarities with God’s people today. As Christians we are living in a country that that promotes sin. Just like the Israelites living in Canaan surrounded by idolatrous pagan peoples, we could be influenced to sin. In the church we don’t have a sheriff and deputies who police our members. The people have a mutual obligation to “police” each other. We are responsible to each other to help each other grow. Our tools are encouragement (to live better), edification (to build up) and admonishment (to identify sin). We are after all a congregation of priests (Rev. 1:6) and as such have the responsibilities of a priest to each other.
Ezra took personal responsibility for the sins of others. If someone in the congregation is living in sin we too must take personal responsibility for it. After all we are priests just like Ezra.
Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to practice it and to teach his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Church News
Raul Christie is back from the Virgin Islands.
Joe Shaw and son Joseph were back in attendance today.
Julian Davila has moved back from San Antonio and will be attending school here.
Virginia Lawler was back at services today after being sick.
Kathy's dad, Travis Keese, is awaiting bone marrow test results.
Sharon Cagle has been out of town for several months and has come back early so her mom, Dot Miller, can be evaluated for a knee replacement procedure.
Next Sunday is Megan, Laura, and Nathan's last Sunday to be with us before they go to Texas A&M (College Station). Whoop!
Joe Shaw and son Joseph were back in attendance today.
Julian Davila has moved back from San Antonio and will be attending school here.
Virginia Lawler was back at services today after being sick.
Kathy's dad, Travis Keese, is awaiting bone marrow test results.
Sharon Cagle has been out of town for several months and has come back early so her mom, Dot Miller, can be evaluated for a knee replacement procedure.
Next Sunday is Megan, Laura, and Nathan's last Sunday to be with us before they go to Texas A&M (College Station). Whoop!
Brandon
This is my "little brother" Brandon who has been attending. He has been helping me and Walker build our new chicken house.
Esteban, Jeff and Oscar
Two of our ESLI students who have been attending. Esteban for Bolivia and Oscar from Coloumbia.
Things Lost
Luke 15
There was a problem between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees would have nothing to do with sinners… they wouldn’t even eat with them, but Jesus “received sinners and ate with them”.
Jesus uses this issue as a teaching opportunity to correct the thinking of the Scribes and Pharisees. He tells three stories; a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. These stories build on each other, the lost sheep is one of one hundred, the lost coin is one of ten and the lost son is one of two. There is a progression from mere possessions to our children, our own physical heritage.
The owners of the lost sheep and the lost coin searched for them diligently, not so with the father who had lost the son. He knew where the son was and knew what he was doing. It wouldn’t do any good to search for the lost son and bring him back. The son had to come back on his own.
The greatest rejoicing was when the son did come back. Certainly there was rejoicing for the sheep and the coin but for the son there was great rejoicing; the best robe, a ring, shoes, a feast, music and dancing. After all our children are the most precious things we have and are our greatest joy.
Jesus used these stories to illustrate to the Scribes and Pharisees how God feels about sinners. Jesus was looking for that which was “lost” God’s children who were lost in sin. They were precious to him. The “kind” of sin did not matter. The Scribes and the Pharisees should have also been looking for these lost ones but had lost sight of their mission and instead were prejudiced against them... they wouldn't even eat with them.
How about God’s people today? We must be about our Father’s business. Minimally that means rejoicing when someone turns to the Lord, but more importantly being involved in the building up of people so they don’t fall and “searching diligently” for those who are lost. Unfortunately a lot of people who are lost aren't very socially acceptable to us.
We need eyes that see like Jesus sees.
There was a problem between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees. The Scribes and Pharisees would have nothing to do with sinners… they wouldn’t even eat with them, but Jesus “received sinners and ate with them”.
Jesus uses this issue as a teaching opportunity to correct the thinking of the Scribes and Pharisees. He tells three stories; a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. These stories build on each other, the lost sheep is one of one hundred, the lost coin is one of ten and the lost son is one of two. There is a progression from mere possessions to our children, our own physical heritage.
The owners of the lost sheep and the lost coin searched for them diligently, not so with the father who had lost the son. He knew where the son was and knew what he was doing. It wouldn’t do any good to search for the lost son and bring him back. The son had to come back on his own.
The greatest rejoicing was when the son did come back. Certainly there was rejoicing for the sheep and the coin but for the son there was great rejoicing; the best robe, a ring, shoes, a feast, music and dancing. After all our children are the most precious things we have and are our greatest joy.
Jesus used these stories to illustrate to the Scribes and Pharisees how God feels about sinners. Jesus was looking for that which was “lost” God’s children who were lost in sin. They were precious to him. The “kind” of sin did not matter. The Scribes and the Pharisees should have also been looking for these lost ones but had lost sight of their mission and instead were prejudiced against them... they wouldn't even eat with them.
How about God’s people today? We must be about our Father’s business. Minimally that means rejoicing when someone turns to the Lord, but more importantly being involved in the building up of people so they don’t fall and “searching diligently” for those who are lost. Unfortunately a lot of people who are lost aren't very socially acceptable to us.
We need eyes that see like Jesus sees.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
A Gored Slave
Zechariah was a prophet in the Old Testament who was inspired by God to encourage the survivors of the Babylonian captivity to complete the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.
In addition to encouraging them in the construction process he encouraged and warned them by revealing some things about the future… the coming of the Christ.
He reminded them of how they had rejected him as a Shepherd.
Zechariah 11:9-13,
“I will not pasture you. What is to die let it die… to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples… and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord. And I said to them, if it is good in your sight, give me my wages but if not, never mind! So they weighed out 30 shekels of silver as my wages. The Lord said to me, throw it to the potter that magnificent price at which I was valued by them… “
Judah was the flock, Jehovah was the shepherd (ultimately). They rebelled against him and so he broke his covenant with them. Some of them realized their mistake and when the Shepherd allowed them to put a price on the value of his work they offered him 30 shekels of silver.
Exodus 21:32 says that if an ox gored a slave the owner of the ox was supposed to reimburse the owner of the gored slave 30 shekels of silver. The gored slave’s value was 30 shekels of silver.
That was the value Judah place on the shepherd work of Jehovah. Jehovah sneered with contempt at the value they placed upon him and threw the 30 shekels of silver to the potter.
In the future Jehovah would send them another shepherd… Jesus Christ. He too would be rejected and valued at the same level as a “gored slave”. Those 30 shekels of silver would go to buy the “Potter’s field”
In spite of Zechariah’s prophetic warning some things never change. Jesus Christ was valued at the same value as a gored slave.
Don’t let that happen today.
In addition to encouraging them in the construction process he encouraged and warned them by revealing some things about the future… the coming of the Christ.
He reminded them of how they had rejected him as a Shepherd.
Zechariah 11:9-13,
“I will not pasture you. What is to die let it die… to break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples… and thus the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord. And I said to them, if it is good in your sight, give me my wages but if not, never mind! So they weighed out 30 shekels of silver as my wages. The Lord said to me, throw it to the potter that magnificent price at which I was valued by them… “
Judah was the flock, Jehovah was the shepherd (ultimately). They rebelled against him and so he broke his covenant with them. Some of them realized their mistake and when the Shepherd allowed them to put a price on the value of his work they offered him 30 shekels of silver.
Exodus 21:32 says that if an ox gored a slave the owner of the ox was supposed to reimburse the owner of the gored slave 30 shekels of silver. The gored slave’s value was 30 shekels of silver.
That was the value Judah place on the shepherd work of Jehovah. Jehovah sneered with contempt at the value they placed upon him and threw the 30 shekels of silver to the potter.
In the future Jehovah would send them another shepherd… Jesus Christ. He too would be rejected and valued at the same level as a “gored slave”. Those 30 shekels of silver would go to buy the “Potter’s field”
In spite of Zechariah’s prophetic warning some things never change. Jesus Christ was valued at the same value as a gored slave.
Don’t let that happen today.
Church News
We had a very encouraging service tonight (Wednesday). Walker designed the service and it was based on the song “Blest Be the Tie”. We had six different speakers who commented on various verses of the song (Glenn, Joey, Shane, David, Ken and Walker). In addition, we had songs that were relevant to the theme. I was very impressed with what the men had to say… it was very encouraging.
I remember the days at Parkway when we had preachers who preached Sunday morning, Sunday night and gave a short talk and offered an invitation on Wednesday night. How different it is now. In my opinion, the change in format is one factor that has led to the development of our men and the type of thought provoking comments that we heard tonight.
I remember the days at Parkway when we had preachers who preached Sunday morning, Sunday night and gave a short talk and offered an invitation on Wednesday night. How different it is now. In my opinion, the change in format is one factor that has led to the development of our men and the type of thought provoking comments that we heard tonight.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
