Deuteronomy 15 – Care for those in need

Deuteronomy 15:9-11 “Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you. 10 “You shall generously give to him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him, because for this thing the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all your undertakings. 11 “For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’

The poor are with us still, and it is still our responsibility to care and provide for those in need.

Our hearts should not be filled with thoughts such as: the government will care for them so I do not have to, or if they would just make an effort they would not be poor.

These base thoughts are counter to what God has called us to do. We are to care for those in need regardless of whether we feel they deserve it or not.

We need to give and not let your hearts be grieved in the giving because what we do we do for the Lord. God will bless our work. God will bless us. It is okay if people take advantage of us, because the one they are truly taking advantage of is God. Let God worry about it.

Put all of your energy into caring for others needs, whether they deserve it or not.

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Deuteronomy 13 – Speaking on God’s behalf

Deuteronomy 13:1-5 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. 5 “But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.

False prophets are not a new thing. One of the easiest paths to power is to claim supernatural knowledge from God. I think it is fair to be suspicious of anyone claiming to speak on God’s behalf (this would include pastors). Blind acceptance can and will lead to a horrible outcome.

God does not work in secret and God does not reveal his plan to only one person. If we can learn anything from the Bible it is that God reveals himself over and over again. If someone claims to be speaking a word from God, it is not wrong to wait for God to confirm that word. A degree of cynicism can be good.

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Weekly Meanderings

Here’s some stuff I came across this week…

Picture of the week (found with no attribution)

Have a great weekend!

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Numbers 32 – Make me a blessing

Numbers 32:1-25 Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had an exceedingly large number of livestock. So when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that it was indeed a place suitable for livestock, 2 the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, 3 “…4 the land which the LORD conquered before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” 5 They said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan.” 6 But Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here?…16 Then they came near to Moses and said, “We will build here sheepfolds for our livestock and cities for our little ones; 17 but we ourselves will be armed ready to go before the sons of Israel, until we have brought them to their place, while our little ones live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 “We will not return to our homes until every one of the sons of Israel has possessed his inheritance. 19 “For we will not have an inheritance with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan toward the east.” 20 So Moses said to them, “If you will do this…this land shall be yours for a possession before the LORD. 23 “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out…25 The sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying, “Your servants will do just as my lord commands.”

We are not alone. A God centered life is not a life of “every-man-for-himself”. We have a responsibility to be sure that the physical, psychological, and spiritual needs of others are met.

The tribes of Gad and Reuben discovered the land that God was blessing them with. They were excited with this discovery and wanted to live in God’s blessing. But God was still in the process of bringing about the blessing for the rest of Israel. Gad and Reuben had a responsibility to work for God in bringing about the blessing of others.

When we discover the blessing that God has set aside for us, it is not an excuse to stop doing the work of God in other peoples lives.

When we wallow in our own blessing and ignore what we have been called to do to bless another, then we have sinned against God.

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Weekly Meanderings

The meanderings are a little late this weekend as I spent all last week at the Cornerstone music festival. See if you can find me in this photo  from the Flatfoot 56 show (the theme at the show was “Shark Week”). I’ll be posting on the festival sometime; until then, here’s some stuff I came across this week…

Have a great week!

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Weekly Meanderings

Here’s some stuff I came across this week…

Have a great weekend!

Filed Under Meanderings | Leave a Comment 

Numbers 8 – Random observations on Numbers 8

Numbers 8:5-7 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them. 7 “Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean.”

It never occurred to me how much a purified Levite would look like a Buddhist monk.

Numbers 8:19 “I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”

That’s how Aaron (who was not of the tribe of Levi) and the tribe of Levi are connected. I never knew that.

Numbers 8:23-26 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. 25 “But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more. 26 “They may, however, assist their brothers in the tent of meeting, to keep an obligation, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their obligations.”

I like that ministry retirement plan. Contemporary churches need to look harder that that passage.

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John 6 – Finding balance

“A large crowd followed [Jesus], because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.”

For the most part Jesus did three things while he was on Earth: he preached repentance, he entered into relationship with those around him, and he cared for those in need. These are the same three things the Church is called to do. We need to be sure that our church communities have a healthy balance of these three activities. If we are not preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND living lives in relationship with the lost and the saved AND caring for the needs of others, then we are failing. i need to consciously align myself with people who will enable US to meet all three needs.

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Joshua 22 – A blessing

“‘Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.’ So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.”

This is very similar to the commandment in Deuteronomy and the Gospels to love God with all you heart, mind, strength, and soul. Let’s break it down:

Love the Lord your God and…
1) Walk in his ways
2) Keep his commandments
3) Hold fast to him
4) Serve him with all your heart and soul

With this instruction the Joshua blessed the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

This weekend may you walk in the ways of Jesus, keep his commands, hold fast to Jesus in all your circumstances, and serve Jesus with all your heart and soul.

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Joshua 17 – Caring for those in need

“However, Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. 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.”

The takeaway I get from this story is that the Lord was more concerned with caring for all of the people than with conforming to the social norms. God’s goal is to take care of God’s people, society can figure itself out.

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Joshua 13 – Preparing at the beginning of the end

“Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the LORD said to him, ‘You are old and advanced in years…’”

In every life and in every ministry there comes a time when God leads us to prepare for a future in which we will not take a part. None of us will live for ever and we will all leave behind people who are dependent upon our legacy. We can not continue in a ministry forever and no ministry should be totally dependent upon one person.

In those times when it is the beginning of the end, listen to how the Lord is leading you. What steps are you called to take to prepare for that which will come after you. The beginning of the end is no time to stop listening to God.

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Joshua 4 – Monuments

“Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, ‘When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, “What are these stones?” then you shall inform your children, saying, “Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.” For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.’”

We learn from the monuments of past generations and we have a responsibility to leave monuments for future generations.

There were generations of Christians who have gone before me. These men and women have experienced trials, difficulties, temptations, triumphs that are very similar to what I will experience. If I do not take the time to learn from them then I am wasting my time and their legacy.

At the same time I need to keep on eye on the future and make it easy for those who come after to me to learn from what I have experienced.

I need to visit the monuments of the past and establish monuments for the future; not because the monument is important, but because the life experience it represents is important.

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Joshua 2 – Seeing and believing

“I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.”

Rahab saw what God had done and believed. When we reveal Christ to the world around us it makes it easier for others to believe.

John 20:29: “Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

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Leviticus 19 – Levitical Welfare

“Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.”

This is my favorite law in all of Leviticus. The landowners and the wealthy were to leave odds and ends behind in their fields so that the poor and downtrodden could find food.

This is an amazing form of welfare. The well-off are required to sacrifice for the good of the community. At the same time, those in need are not given a handout, but must work to earn their sustenance.

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Leviticus 10 – Strange Fire

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.”

Strange fire is an offering that was probably intended for good, but was out of line with God’s expectations for us.

I’ve seen “strange fire” place before the Lord. Strange fire is when words of hate are preached under the guise of holiness. It’s when offerings are given with the ulterior motive of gaining favor or power. Strange fire is when a musician’s heart is focused on the show and not on worship. It’s when we meet the needs of people, but fail to show them Jesus. It’s also when we show people Jesus, but fail to meet their needs

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Psalm 41 –We are called to defend the helpless

How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble. The LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called blessed upon the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.

We are called to love and reach out to the helpless amongst us. We need to open our eyes and recognize that we pass suffering people everyday. We have two duties to the world around us; to reveal Jesus Christ, and to meet the needs of others.

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Psalm 26 – Perfectly in balance

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders. I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked. I shall wash my hands in innocence, And I will go about Your altar, O LORD, That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders.

The purpose of being pure is to be a trustworthy witness for God. If we are living lives filled with wrong actions, thoughts, or words then we are not capable of being a witness to the glory of God. We are called to walk in truth, lovingkindness, innocence, and far from evil doers so that when we sing praises to God we can be seen as reliable witnesses.

There is a careful balance that must be maintained in our lives: we are to live with the goal of being perfect while recognizing that we will never achieve our goal and not being discouraged by our failure. When we get out of balance we get in trouble.

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Psalm 21 – Praise God

O LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad, and in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice! You have given him his heart’s desire, and You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head. He asked life of You, You gave it to him, Length of days forever and ever. His glory is great through Your salvation, Splendor and majesty You place upon him. For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence. For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

God may not have made you a king, but he has blessed you. Take time to praise God for his blessing. Write down your praises. Speak them verbally to God. Share your praises with your community. Inspire those around you to recognize the amazing ways God is moving in your life.

I praise God for my wife and family. For a job I love. For the opportunity to study more of God’s Word every day. I praise God for being with us and guiding us through the challenges of life. For using the obstacles we experience to make us more faithful followers of Christ. I praise God for the opportunity to lead others to Jesus at home, at church, and at work. I praise God for the talents I have been blessed with and the opportunity to use those talents to further God’s kingdom.

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Weekly Meanderings

It’s been a quiet week, but here’s some stuff I came across…

Have a great weekend!

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Brief Philosophy of Ministry

• Reliance on the Holy Spirit

We may have the best plans, intentions, or people in the world, but only God can grow his church. Before any action we must spend time waiting on the leading of the Lord.

• Enablement of ministry

Every person has a ministry which God is calling them to engage in. The role of a pastor is to enable each person to find this ministry and be successful in pursuing this ministry.

• Pastors are raised and not imported

It should be the goal of any congregation to raise up its own future leadership.

• Ministry requires training

Any ministry will require some training; one of the marks of being ready to lead is being willing to be trained. To this end a church should commit to offering the best training available for each ministry.

• Reproduction

The ultimate goal of any church is to be able to successfully plant churches which can bring people in the community and beyond to Christ.

• Maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a pastor

Daily enter into a time of individual prayer and Bible reading.

Weekly engage in periods of physical exercise.

Be involved with a small group in a non-leadership capacity.

Explore a Christian discipline each quarter. (i.e. prayer, fasting, service, etc.)

Foster a spiritual friendship.

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