Deut. 19:17 - "'Then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.'"
As I was thinking how backwards our judicial system has become, putting the judges first and separating state from "religion", a friend came up and reminded me that the Supreme Court still begins with prayer. I wonder, do the lower courts begin with prayer too? I could be cynical and ask, "Where is the fruit of those prayers then? Why has our country fallen into such immoral allowances? "But I won't! If I compare our nation with others who are lead by such corrupt governments and where the people have absolutely no power whatsoever, I can see where God has protected us in many ways. Our country is very blessed. The ratio of economically poor and destitute is minimal in our country compared to the many others of this world. We do not need to live in fear daily of suicide bombers at the hands of our government, we don't need to negotiate prices for food, or pay off corrupt police men. We don't have men with rifles breaking into our homes threatening us on regular basis, our daughters are not being raped by rebels. Foreigners in our country are not being kidnapped for ransom and Christians, nor any other person of any faith is being imprisoned just because of their faith. God has blessed us, He is the Great judge, as long as we continue to put Him first, we will continue to see His blessings.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Promise 65 from Deuteronomy: 19:8-10
Deut. 19:8-10 - "'If the Lord your God enlarges your territory, just as He has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land which He promised to give your fathers - if you carefully observe all this commandment which I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in His was always - then you shall add three more cities for yourself, besides these three. So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and blood guiltiness be on you.'"
God expands territory and He provides places of refuge. Again, Moses emphasises the conditions for God to keep His promise to the Israelites: "to carefully observe the commandments, to love the Lord their God and to walk in His ways always." If they do that, He will expand their territory, which will enable them to provide more cities of refuge for those who have accidentally killed others. This is the same as the concept of "If you do well with little, you shall be rewarded with much more." Obedience in times of small gain will reap a reward of greater gain. If we are faithful, obedient and follow after God with the small portion that God has given us, then He will bless us with the more, not because we earned it, but because He sees us worthy of deserving it. When our land or portion is expanded, then that enables us to reach out to more people and to provide assistance to more who are in need. When we are faithful, then through our blessing, others are equally blessed.
God expands territory and He provides places of refuge. Again, Moses emphasises the conditions for God to keep His promise to the Israelites: "to carefully observe the commandments, to love the Lord their God and to walk in His ways always." If they do that, He will expand their territory, which will enable them to provide more cities of refuge for those who have accidentally killed others. This is the same as the concept of "If you do well with little, you shall be rewarded with much more." Obedience in times of small gain will reap a reward of greater gain. If we are faithful, obedient and follow after God with the small portion that God has given us, then He will bless us with the more, not because we earned it, but because He sees us worthy of deserving it. When our land or portion is expanded, then that enables us to reach out to more people and to provide assistance to more who are in need. When we are faithful, then through our blessing, others are equally blessed.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Promise 64 from Deuteronomy: 18:18-20
Deut. 18:18-20 - "'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to my words, which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.'"
Prophets need to be anointed by God, to be chosen by Him and blessed by Him if they are going to be carriers of His words, and to be His voice. God said, He will put His words in them and will require it of the prophet to speak His words out. If he likes it or not, Prophets have a huge responsibility, they need to be sure that the voice they hear is God's, so that they can speak His words out accurately. How do they know that it is God's voice they are hearing? Well, God's sheep know His voice. When prophets spend significant time in His presence, they get to know their Father's (Shepherd's) voice very well. If prophets speak on their own accord however, but say it is from God, they are wilfully disobediant and the punishment is death. The prophet is safe though when He remains in His Father's presence and is always plugged into the lifeline of the Father, then His job is easy. He just repeats what he hears the Father saying. God speaks through His chosen prophets, this is a great promise!
Prophets need to be anointed by God, to be chosen by Him and blessed by Him if they are going to be carriers of His words, and to be His voice. God said, He will put His words in them and will require it of the prophet to speak His words out. If he likes it or not, Prophets have a huge responsibility, they need to be sure that the voice they hear is God's, so that they can speak His words out accurately. How do they know that it is God's voice they are hearing? Well, God's sheep know His voice. When prophets spend significant time in His presence, they get to know their Father's (Shepherd's) voice very well. If prophets speak on their own accord however, but say it is from God, they are wilfully disobediant and the punishment is death. The prophet is safe though when He remains in His Father's presence and is always plugged into the lifeline of the Father, then His job is easy. He just repeats what he hears the Father saying. God speaks through His chosen prophets, this is a great promise!
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Promise 63 from Deuteronomy: 18:15
Deut. 18:15 - "'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen (brothers), you shall listen to him.'"
There are many denominations whose theological beliefs say that there are no prophets today. Prophets, in the old testament were the carriers of the message and truth of God. They brought encouragement and warning and revealed things that only God could see. I struggle with that belief; that there are no prophets today, because there are many who God has given prophetic gifts to. These are people who bring Biblical encouragement. They speak out Kingdom truth as it relates to a situation (again, Biblically based) and they can speak out things about yourself that only that person and God would know, because God told them. We need prophets today. Often times we get so wrapped up into a situation that we don't take time or are too stressed to quiet our hearts, so as to hear God's voice speaking into the situation. Sometimes have never stepped into Kingdom presence here on earth, so then we miss seeing things we ought to see and hearing things we ought to hear and believing things we ought to believe (because we are believing other voices instead). God sends us kinsmen, friends and members of the spiritual family, who are living in Kingdom presence, to reveal to us God's heart, eyes and voice into the situations of our lives. I know I've been encouraged by many of those people. God will reveal to you and even send you prophets who are near you. Ask Him today, you never know, He just might put those prophetic gifts inside you so that you can be an encouragement to others.
There are many denominations whose theological beliefs say that there are no prophets today. Prophets, in the old testament were the carriers of the message and truth of God. They brought encouragement and warning and revealed things that only God could see. I struggle with that belief; that there are no prophets today, because there are many who God has given prophetic gifts to. These are people who bring Biblical encouragement. They speak out Kingdom truth as it relates to a situation (again, Biblically based) and they can speak out things about yourself that only that person and God would know, because God told them. We need prophets today. Often times we get so wrapped up into a situation that we don't take time or are too stressed to quiet our hearts, so as to hear God's voice speaking into the situation. Sometimes have never stepped into Kingdom presence here on earth, so then we miss seeing things we ought to see and hearing things we ought to hear and believing things we ought to believe (because we are believing other voices instead). God sends us kinsmen, friends and members of the spiritual family, who are living in Kingdom presence, to reveal to us God's heart, eyes and voice into the situations of our lives. I know I've been encouraged by many of those people. God will reveal to you and even send you prophets who are near you. Ask Him today, you never know, He just might put those prophetic gifts inside you so that you can be an encouragement to others.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Promise 62 from Deuteronomy: 18:12-13
Deut. 18:12-13 - "'For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things, the Lord your God will drive them out before you. You shall be blameless (or have integrity) before the Lord you God.'"
The Lord is very clear about his thoughts toward any type of sorcery or witchcraft. It is "detestable" to Him. Because of this, He wont even allow His people to be bothered by them. He will just remove them or their power from touching His people, nor even be tempted by it. The Lord, Himself goes to bat for the integrity of His people so that they are not defiled by such devilish acts. This is an area we don't have to worry about. He has our backs on this one. We just need to be just as disgusted by it as He is.
The Lord is very clear about his thoughts toward any type of sorcery or witchcraft. It is "detestable" to Him. Because of this, He wont even allow His people to be bothered by them. He will just remove them or their power from touching His people, nor even be tempted by it. The Lord, Himself goes to bat for the integrity of His people so that they are not defiled by such devilish acts. This is an area we don't have to worry about. He has our backs on this one. We just need to be just as disgusted by it as He is.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Promise 61 from Deuteronomy: 18:2
Deut. 18:2 - "'They (the Levitical priests) shall have no inheritance among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them.'"
As a single missionary with no children, I think often about what I could possible leave as a legacy and to whom? I have no estate and no offspring to leave it to, if I had one. I don't have much to leave behind, but I do have a grand inheritance to receive. I'm not talking about the furniture I'll receive from my dad's estate, but a whole kingdom of riches from my Heavenly Father's estate. The Lord, Himself is my inheritance! If I receive my inheritance today (which I have), then I will indeed not only have something grand to leave behind, but even more, to take with me and accumulate after I leave. There is nothing more valuable and more precious than having all the riches of the Heavenly Kingdom as a possession, and nothing more honourable than to pass that inheritance on to others. I am willing to give my inheritance to any and all, but what I don't know is; how many are willing to receive it? The Lord is my inheritance, that is my promise from Him!
As a single missionary with no children, I think often about what I could possible leave as a legacy and to whom? I have no estate and no offspring to leave it to, if I had one. I don't have much to leave behind, but I do have a grand inheritance to receive. I'm not talking about the furniture I'll receive from my dad's estate, but a whole kingdom of riches from my Heavenly Father's estate. The Lord, Himself is my inheritance! If I receive my inheritance today (which I have), then I will indeed not only have something grand to leave behind, but even more, to take with me and accumulate after I leave. There is nothing more valuable and more precious than having all the riches of the Heavenly Kingdom as a possession, and nothing more honourable than to pass that inheritance on to others. I am willing to give my inheritance to any and all, but what I don't know is; how many are willing to receive it? The Lord is my inheritance, that is my promise from Him!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Promise 60 from Deuteronomy: 17:18-19
Deut. 17:18-19 - "'Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes.'"
What does an "ideal" king, or country leader look like? Moses describes that king: vs. 15 - he should be a king that God chooses, he needs to be a countryman (not a foreigner); vs. 16 - he should not multiply horses for himself; vs 17- he shall not multiply wives for himself, he shall not increase sliver or gold for himself; vs. 18 - he shall write for himself a copy of the law on a scroll in the presence of Levitical priests; vs. 19 - he shall read it daily. Why should he do this? "So that he may learn to fear the Lord his God." and verse 20 continues by saying, "That his heart may not be lifted up above his countryman and that he not turn aside from the commandment." And in this "he and his sons will continue long in the kingdom." We have the practical guidelines given here. In each instruction it draws the king's attention from raising him self above anyone and totally keeping his attention on God and the law. In doing this he maintains a fear or reverence for God. The blessing in promise is long life and favour among God and the people. Jesus set such a great example of this as He came so humbly as a babe and walked with no regard for earthly gain, yet in the end, he gained the world, should they yield themselves to Him. As those adopted into the kingdom of God, we have a mandate as royals, as leaders, to put on the Christ-like mantle of leadership, to humble ourselves so that our focus remains on Him and so that we do not put ourselves above others. We too then, will live long in the kingdom.
What does an "ideal" king, or country leader look like? Moses describes that king: vs. 15 - he should be a king that God chooses, he needs to be a countryman (not a foreigner); vs. 16 - he should not multiply horses for himself; vs 17- he shall not multiply wives for himself, he shall not increase sliver or gold for himself; vs. 18 - he shall write for himself a copy of the law on a scroll in the presence of Levitical priests; vs. 19 - he shall read it daily. Why should he do this? "So that he may learn to fear the Lord his God." and verse 20 continues by saying, "That his heart may not be lifted up above his countryman and that he not turn aside from the commandment." And in this "he and his sons will continue long in the kingdom." We have the practical guidelines given here. In each instruction it draws the king's attention from raising him self above anyone and totally keeping his attention on God and the law. In doing this he maintains a fear or reverence for God. The blessing in promise is long life and favour among God and the people. Jesus set such a great example of this as He came so humbly as a babe and walked with no regard for earthly gain, yet in the end, he gained the world, should they yield themselves to Him. As those adopted into the kingdom of God, we have a mandate as royals, as leaders, to put on the Christ-like mantle of leadership, to humble ourselves so that our focus remains on Him and so that we do not put ourselves above others. We too then, will live long in the kingdom.
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