God Promotes the Elderly
Today’s Passage – Numbers 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 13 – 15; Proverbs 18; Psalms 91 – 95)
Scripture Memorization for February – Missions
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 92:1
Read the “0218 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read “Ten Ways to Extend Grace to Hurting People” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.” (Numbers 8:23-26)
God was giving Moses instructions on what He wanted the Levites to do. At twenty-five they were to enter into their public ministry work. This work required bodily strength and stamina. But then God says at the age of fifty they would no longer preform that job, a younger group would take over the position. The older Levites were not put aside in disgrace, but rather to be honored in a new position. They were to minister and train the younger Levites. With age came experience, maturity of judgment, and steadiness of behavior. With a novice there is a danger of being lifted up with pride. Gifts are not always tied to age, but in this case, this is how God settled the affairs of the Levites.
Something I thought about after reading these verses is that God is the one who promotes us from one type of work to another. He knows what we are capable of handling. He’s not preferring one person over another, but we are all working together for His glory. We may quit or even disqualify ourselves from a particular job, but God will never put us aside. God wants to use all of his children in His service.
Another thought is that as time goes on God may not allow you to work as many ‘ministry jobs’ as you once did. Don’t take that to mean God doesn’t want you, but that God is allowing you to have some time of rest. When God has you here, there is always prayer. People and ministries need lots of prayer. With God there is always something to do.
So enjoy your life in Christ and ride God’s wave no matter where He leads you.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by admin with 1 comment.
Does This Mean I Can Retire?
Today’s Passage – Numbers 3 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 4 – 6; Proverbs 15; Psalms 76 – 80)
Scripture Memorization for February – Missions
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “0215 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read “Ten Ways to Extend Grace to Hurting People” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers, From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation, Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore. According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.” (Numbers 4:46-49)
Good morning. I am 60 and 4 days old today. I like it that way: each day brings me closer to my going to be with the Lord. In our text, God told Moses that those from thirty years old to fifty years old are to do the service of the ministry. Does this mean I can retire? No. I’ll retire when the Lord takes me home. There are dangers to quitting. Here are a few verses to consider…
“For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Romans 11:29)
Since the gifts God gives us are to edify others, we both suffer if you quit. And if God’s calling is without repentance (He will not change His mind), well, just look at Jonah and watch out for great fishes…
1) Quitting not only affects you, but others also.
“Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:8)
“There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.” (John 21:2-3)
Peter, and those who followed him, went fishing and caught nothing…
2) Quitting does not glorify God.
“And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time. And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” (1Kings 19:1-4)
“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.” (2Kings 2:9-14)
3) Quitting could end in an untimely demise.
What if? Let me give you this ‘what if’ here. What if Elijah would have kept going, and the Lord performed a few more miracles through Elijah, say five more. Elisha saw Elijah depart, and Elisha did get his request granted and performed twice as many miracles as Elijah. This would mean that there would have been ten more miracles done by Elisha. Considering quitting? Consider the consequences it will have on you and on others.
Peace. (Luke 22:41-44)
Posted in The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.
The Choice Is Yours
Note – The post for today’s reading passage was mistakenly placed on the site yesterday. This post was actually supposed to be for yesterday. The reading schedules, however, are correct for both days.
Today’s Passage – Numbers 1 – 2 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Acts 1 – 3; Proverbs 14; Psalms 71 – 75)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 51
Read the “0214 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read “Ten Ways to Extend Grace to Hurting People” by Pastor Paul Chappell
“If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;” – (Leviticus 26:3)
“But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments;” – (Leviticus 26:14)
In our passage today, in Leviticus 26, the Lord places a choice before His people. In verses 3 – 13, God promises all kinds of wonderful things to His people if they would continue to love Him, and be faithful to Him. Beginning in verse 14, the Lord explains what will happen to them if they forsake Him. You will notice that the latter portion is much larger than the former. God goes to much greater lengths to clearly explain and warn the people of what would happen to them if they were to disobey.
First, let’s look at the blessings. God promised to:
1 Provide for them.
“Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.” – (Leviticus 26:4-5)
Everything they needed, and even much of what they could desire, God promised to give them.
2 Protect them from their enemies, and from natural calamities.
“And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.” – (Leviticus 26:6-8)
3 They would proliferate (multiply)
“For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you.” – (Leviticus 26:9)
4 They would be in partnership with God.
“And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.” – (Leviticus 26:10-13)
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Almost sounds too good to be true, but it was. God held up to His end of the bargain. Unfortunately, the people of Israel didn’t choose to continue to follow the Lord. Slowly, but surely, they began to get away from the comands of God, and go their own way. Eventually the land was filled with idolatry, apostacy, and immorality; and then God was forced to do the things that are listed in verses 14 – 46. The provision and protection that God had once given them was removed, and the people suffered the consequences of their choices.
God has a lot of the same promises to Christians today. He said that He would meet our needs, and that He would never leave us nor forsake us. Yet, many of His churches and children today are forsaking Him, just as the Israelites did. Why are we so foolish? Let’s draw nigh unto God; let’s love Him and submit ourselves to His will for our lives. He has our best interests in mind. Choose God. He is the wise choice.
Posted in Thoughts from Numbers by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
Take a Rest
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 22 – 23 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 15 – 16; Proverbs 11; Psalms 56 – 60)
Scripture Memorization for February – Missions
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34:6
Read the “0211 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read “Ten Ways to Extend Grace to Hurting People” by Pastor Paul Chappell
Read a previous post from today’s passage – “Take Time to Remember“
“Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” (Leviticus 23:3)
I remember as a young girl, my Dad, and sometimes my Mom, would work during the week, Monday through Friday. Sunday mornings was church, then go visit family or we would stay home and have family time. Sunday night we always spent together at home playing games or watching TV. Saturday’s we would go shopping and working around the house because businesses were closed on Sundays.
In today’s society businesses are open on Sundays. People who would attend church are working. Many people work six days a week and feel their rest day does not include attending church.
God has set the example right from the beginning about having a day of rest.
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.” (Genesis 2:2)
Families are falling apart, as a result of not spending time together, and not attending church regularly. If we will follow God’s word, we would not only get the rest we so need but we could build a great relationship with Him and our families.
My thought from today’s reading is short and sweet. After attending Sunday morning, kick back, enjoy your family and rest!
Thank You
1 John 5:13
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The Three R’s – The Saturday Morning Post
Today’s Passages – Leviticus 14 – 15
(Second Milers also read – John 7 – 8; Proverbs 8; Psalms 36 – 40)
“Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.” (Proverbs 8:32-33)
Good morning. Aren’t you glad that God’s salvation is a gift: you don’t have to earn it? In today’s reading of Leviticus 14 and 15, God’s Law is revealed on dealing with leprosy in man, leprosy in houses, and other “issues.” This is what the people had to go through to make themselves and their houses clean. But even back then God had taken care of everything. All those sacrifices had pointed to the one Sacrifice that was to come: the Jews were looking forward to the coming of Christ just as we look forward to His coming when we will meet Him in the air. Galatians 3 tell us…
“Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:21-29)
And Ephesians 2:8 and 9 say…
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So what should we do in our time period? Here are the Three R’s…
1) REALIZE. Realize that you are a sinner without any hope of saving yourself. Twice in Ezekiel 18 God warns…
“Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)
And…
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20)
Romans 3:10 and 3:23 tell us…
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” (Romans 3:10)
And
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)
2) REPENT. Change your mind about how you can get to heaven. Turn from unbelief to belief.
“And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” (Acts 16:23-31)
Romans 10:13 says…
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
3) REMAIN. Being sinners, we are always going to mess up during our life here on earth. 1John 1:9 reminds us that…
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)
Remaining is the easy “R.” Jesus is the one that holds onto us. Jesus said…
“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:37-40)
Peace. (John 3:16)
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.
I’m So Confused
Today’s Passage – Leviticus 5 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click hereto view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – John 1 – 2; Proverbs 4; Psalms 21 – 25)
Scripture Memorization for February – Missions
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read the “0204 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Ignorant But Not Innocent” and “Do You Want to Shine?“
“This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings;” (Leviticus 7:37)
I didn’t tell the truth. What animal do I need? Where do I put the blood? I stole money. Do I need to burn the fat on the rump? What meat do we eat and what meat do we burn? I’m so confused!!!
The children of Israel not only had to learn the law, they had to have some understanding of the sacrifice. If they didn’t own the right animal for that sin, they had to purchase or trade for it. A lot of details were given on how to handle the animal and the blood, for each sin committed.
How simple God has made salvation for us. Believe. Jesus is our perfect sacrifice to atone our sin. The unblemished Lamb who shed His blood for all our sin. But what also gets me confused, most people won’t accept His blood sacrifice. It’s so simple for us. No fuss, no muss, so easy.
This reminds me of Naaman the leper.
“So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.” (2 Kings 5:9-14)
Why do we want thing complicated? God made salvation hard on Jesus but simple for us, but like Naaman we just have a hard time believing it.
Let’s take time today and every day to share the simple road to salvation.
Thank You
1 John 5:13
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Don’t Spare Me The Details – The Saturday Morning Post
Today’s Passage – Exodus 36 – 38 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read –Luke 19 – 20; Proverbs 1; Psalm 6 – 10
Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.” (Exodus 36:1)
Good morning! It always amazes me the amount of people that say they dread reading this portion of Exodus: the building of the Tabernacle, and the items therein. Too many details, they say. But our God is a perfect God, and as the only perfect God, He is concerned about the details. For instance, when Israel complained to Moses that there was no water to drink, God told Moses to smote a rock, and water would come out. Moses did, and life giving water flowed freely from the rock that he smote. God painted a great picture of how Jesus would be smitten, and His blood would flow freely, giving life to all who would drink from this Most Holy Fountain. The next time, the details were marred. God told Moses to only speak to the rock, and water would flow. But Moses didn’t. In his anger at Israel, he hit the rock as he spoke, and once again water flowed. Moses had smudged the painting God was making: the details were ruined. God was painting a picture of Romans 10:13…
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
As a result of him messing up the details, Moses was not allowed to enter into the promised land. God is concerned about the details.
We should be glad that God is concerned about the details too. He knows me and you better than we know ourselves. Just think, a perfect God, who supplied the perfect salvation, is building me the perfect mansion in the perfect place. My mansion is just for me, and it will be the perfect place for me: don’t spare me the details!
According to our verse, God gave wisdom and understanding to those building so they would know the details, and create the items exactly how God wanted them. What were they building?
1) They were building a witness for the Lord.
There is a TV commercial that states how amazing the human eye is. It can see the flickering light of a candle that is 10 miles away. How much more the fire of the Lord by night and the cloud of the Lord by day covering the Tabernacle? Exodus 40:38 tells us that it was in the sight of all Israel. If your eye can see a candle flickering 10 miles away, the surrounding nations may have saw also that God was with Israel.
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)
2) They were building up riches in Heaven.
Jesus said…
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
They gave out of the abundance that the Lord had given them when they spoiled the Egyptians. They gave so much that Moses had to tell them to stop giving (Exodus 36:4-7). I ain’t never heard that one happening in any of today’s churches. God can stretch your 90% more than you can stretch your 100%.
3) They were building a legacy for their families.
The Tabernacle would be the place to worship God, and offer Him sacrifices, for 480 years when Solomon would build the first Temple. That’s five, or so, generations that would meet with the Lord here. What have you built lately? Don’t spare the details.
Peace. (Exodus 40:35)
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.
Daddy and Mommy Know Best by Camille Stahl
Today’s Passage – Exodus 25 – 27 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 11 – 12; Proverbs 28; Psalms 136 – 140)
Scripture Memorization for January – Joy in Serving Jesus
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “0128 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.” (Genesis 26:34-35)
Why should it matter to God whom we marry? What are the consequences of obedience or disobedience in this area of our lives?
When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith, and also Bashemath. This was about the same age that Isaac was when he married, but Esau married two Hittite women. Although they are Hittites, they were in the Promised Land a long time, but they were of a bitter spirit. This brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah. It showed Esau’s continuing unfaithfulness, just as when he sold his birthright, which showed how unfit he was for God’s blessing.
God never intended for believers to marry unbelievers.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
It would be like putting a donkey and an ox behind the plow together. They do not have the same strength. It would be impossible for a mismatched pair to plow effectively together Believers and unbelievers are different and cannot work together in the spiritual realm. For what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? It makes no sense at all because faith has nothing in common with unbelief. I am sure that as good and caring parents Isaac and Rebekah gave both of their son’s ample warning about marrying unbelieving Canaanite women.
Now this may come as a shock to you but sometimes children don’t do what their parents teach them to do. When Esau rebelled against God and his parents they were grieved just as when we rebel. Sometimes as parents you can do all the right things but your child grows up and rebels. At that point all you can do is pray for them and turn them over to the Lord. No one can understand the pain of this, unless you have had a rebellious child.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)
Whether you’re the parent or the young person who is seeking marriage, seek the Lord’s will for your life and pray, pray, pray. Remember Daddy (also Daddy our Heavenly Father) and Mommy know best!!
Thank You
1 John 5:13
Posted in Just for Ladies by admin with no comments yet.
Following Through With Revival Decisions
Today’s Passage – Exodus 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 9 – 10; Proverbs 27; Psalms 131 – 135)
Scripture Memorization for January – Joy in Serving Jesus
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “0127 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Living in Canaan“
“And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.” (Exodus 24:3)
In chapter 24 of our reading today in the Book of Exodus, we see Moses telling the people the words that God had given Him, which included the Ten Commandments. (See Exodus 20 – 23 for Moses account of what God told him to tell the people.) God had given many laws for the people to live by, and the people were very pleased with what the Lord had said, and at the time they committed to cheerfully obey what God had commanded them. However, we will soon discover that when Moses goes back up to meet with God, and is gone for a long period of time, the people will completely forsake God, and create their own idol to worship. (If you want to read ahead, you can see the story in Exodus 32.) The point is that when God was with them and all the excitement of smoke and thunder and lightning was in front of them, they were perfectly willing to follow God, but after 40 days of Moses’ absence, and none of the excitement they had previously experienced, they decided that they would try to create some excitement of their own, but they abandoned God.
Right now at our church, we are experiencing some wonderful days. People are getting saved, and many lives are changing. It certainly is exciting to see and experience what God is doing. His presence has been felt in our services, and I am looking forward to what God is going to do in the days ahead. Right now, it seems that everybody at our church wants to do right and live for the Lord. However, I know that there will come a day when the excitement will recede, and we will have days when the crowds will be smaller and the zeal will not be as strong. My question is this: will the people still want to follow through with the decisions that they made in the exciting times when the excitement goes away?
Our kids just came back from camp and they are excited. God spoke to them in wonderful ways and they made decisions to do right. But, will they follow through with those decisions when the excitement of snow camp is a distant memory?
My point is that we need to develop our Christian character to the extent that we follow through with what God wants for us regardless of the emotional temperature of any given day. We need to do right and continue to follow the Lord’s will for our lives, even when the crowd is not with us, cheering us on, and regardless of how we feel. I hope and pray the spirit of revival continues and increases in the days ahead. I love living on the mountaintop, but I also pray that if I have to go through a valley that I will remain faithful to the decisions I made back on the mountain.
Posted in Thoughts from Exodus by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.
The Wilderness Of Sin
Today’s Passage – Exodus 16 – 18 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Luke 5 – 6; Proverbs 25; Psalms 121 – 125)
Scripture Memorization for January – Joy in Serving Jesus
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Micah 6:8
Read the “0125 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this morning’s reading passage – “Remember Sunday?” and “Sound Advice“
Read a great article by Pastor Paul Chappell – “Walking Through The Valley“
“And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 16:1)
Good morning. Did you know Sin was a real place? It’s located between Elim and Sinai. Sin is a real place: we wander around in it all the time. It’s not a fun place to be. It’s an easy place to get to, but sometimes a very hard place to get out of. And Israel was faced with the wilderness of Sin right in front of them. And they stepped into Sin.
“And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” (Exodus 16:2-3)
As soon as they entered the wilderness of Sin, the sin started. The children of Israel murmured about those in charge. You blame them or others for your troubles, but it was your walk into Sin. So, number 1, Sin brings Sedition.
Number 2, Sin does not bring Satisfaction. When all of Israel were in Sin they were hungry. Sin does not satisfy, and that added to their sedition.
1) Sin brings Sedition
2) Sin does not bring Satisfaction
And thirdly, Sin brings Sacrilege…
“And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.” (Exodus 16:8)
Israel did not have to murmur. Israel did not have to walk around hungry. Israel did not have to blaspheme God. But they did. And God loved them enough that He took care of their needs by giving them quail, and manna to eat. They didn’t have to do all those things. All they had to do was ask God and He would have fulfilled their needs.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Just ask…
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
The next time you decide that you want to take a walk in the wilderness of Sin: DON’T! Just remember…
1) Sin brings Sedition
2) Sin does not bring Satisfaction
3) Sin brings Sacrilege
Peace. (Matthew 12:31)
Posted in The Saturday Morning Post by Pastor Ted Stahl with no comments yet.