Destroy Them All

What Would You Do?

The children of Israel dishonored God's promises in utter disbelief so God said okay Moses I will destroy them and start over again with you. 

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me disrespectfully and reject Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the [miraculous] signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence (plague) and dispossess them, and will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”  NUMBERS 14:11‭-‬12

Yes okay God they are a bunch of idiots, destroy them, let's start again with perfect little ole me.   Back up....( Now the man Moses was very humble (gentle, kind, devoid of self-righteousness), more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)  NUMBERS 12:3

Wow what would you do?  Hmmmmm....

God or But

It Is Either God Or But

God has made the promise....but
God said he would be with us all the way....but
God said I will defeat the enemy....but
The spies report sounds like us when we know what God has said.....BUT
They presented themselves before Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the People of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They reported to the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told the story of their trip: “We went to the land to which you sent us and, oh! It does flow with milk and honey! Just look at this fruit! The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, their cities are huge and well fortified. Worse yet, we saw descendants of the giant Anak. Numbers 13:27-28

Leprosy

Leprosy

Leprosy is a slowly developing, progressive disease that damages the skin and nervous system. Leprosy is caused by an infection with Mycobacterium leprae.  Treatable in our world it was a scurge of unfathomable proportions in bibilical days physically, emotionally and socially.
We may not be suffering from physical leprosy but spiritual leprosy can eat away at us very quickly because of a critical whining spirit.  This account in scripture gives us a vivid picture.

"Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And the Lord heard it. (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.) Suddenly the Lord said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, "You three come out to the tent of meeting." So the three of them came out. Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward, He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord , shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the Lord . Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?"  So the anger of the Lord burned against them and He departed. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous." Numbers 12:1‭-‬10

Despondent

Despondent

Ever felt that way?  Circumstances, people, life.... Moses the great patriarch of Israel became so discouraged over whining people he begs God to kill him.
Moses said to God , “Why are you treating me this way? What did I ever do to you to deserve this? Did I conceive them? Was I their mother? So why dump the responsibility of this people on me? Why tell me to carry them around like a nursing mother, carry them all the way to the land you promised to their ancestors? Where am I supposed to get meat for all these people who are whining to me, ‘Give us meat; we want meat.’ I can’t do this by myself—it’s too much, all these people. If this is how you intend to treat me, do me a favor and kill me. I’ve seen enough; I’ve had enough. Let me out of here.”                    Numbers 11:11‭-‬15 MSG

Live life long enough and you will no doubt feel that at some point and maybe several points along life's journey.....BUT don't loose heart

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
Psalms 46:1‭-‬3

The Rabble

Watch Out For the Rabble Rousers

They will rub off on you and you will join the bandwagon.  Run from the Rabble or you will start acting just like them!
The rabble among them [who followed Israel from Egypt] had greedy desires [for familiar and delicious food], and the Israelites wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish we ate freely and without cost in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing at all [in the way of food] to be seen but this manna.”
NUMBERS 11:4‭-‬6

Complaining and Whining

It appears as though God is not real happy with our complaining and whining.  I am so glad God is merciful with us, and doesn't do as He did to the children of Israel in Numbers.  I might have been scorched a long time ago. I promise that singe odor is not coming from me....maybe.  $5 is a pretty cheap price for whining.  Is that you or me I smell?
"Now the people became like those who complain and whine about their hardships, and the Lord heard it; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and devoured those in the outlying parts of the camp."  NUMBERS 11:1

A National Disaster Response

Everyone is clamouring for the answer to the proverbial question...WHY?  In the midst of it all there are families,  communities and even our nation mourning and grieving.  The crisis goes much deeper than what we see on the surface.
We don't have just a killing crisis, just a abortion crisis, just a school shooting crisis, just a pornography crisis, just a violent movie, music and video game crisis, just a sexual harassment crisis, nor just a drunk driving crisis...we have a moral and spiritual crisis!   All of those things are simple symptoms of a far greater problem. Not a single school shooter grew up in a stable, loving, Godly home, where he(notice I said he because we have a man crisis as well, shooters are male) was taught and where he adhered to Godly principles including the gospel that changes the heart and in turn changes action.  What if more friends at school, more neighbors or more concerned parents had been concerned about Nikolas Cruz spiritual condition?  What about all the Nikolas Cruz's that live around us, are we concerned about what matters most?  It's not politically correct to talk about the transformative work of the wonderful gospel of Jesus Christ that will take a depraved, sinful heart and life and make it brand new, giving that life new values, including valuing others lives. 
Am I saying we shouldn't have active shooter training, or metal detectors or armed guards at school or examine our current laws? No!  But the laws already on the books aren't obeyed so, more laws aren't the answer.  We really need tort reform. We need judges and a criminal justice system that will quit slapping criminals on the wrist and instead give them tough sentences rather than a motel suite with better conditions than at home.  We also need dad's and mom's to get their rearends up off the couch and their noses out of their phones and spend time with their children and teach them like Deuteronomy 6:5-9 says. 
I am nearly 57 years old, I grew up in an era when high school boys brought their guns to school in the back window of their pick up truck.  When I was in school we honored God, country the Bible and human life every day before school started by prayer, pledge and reading the Bible....in public school.  The per capita gun ownership when I was a boy is far higher than what it is now.   Look at the stats, 90% of the killing in school shootings have taken place post 1960.  What happened at that time in American history that changed the mindset of our country?  We took the Bible, prayer and the 10 commandments out of the public arena that at least taught a moral baseline.  Honestly I am more appalled at the fact that over 10,000 people in 2016 were killed by drunk drivers....why isn't this generation crying for prohibition?   Where was the outcry over Kermit Gossell?  "Gosnell...America's Most Prolific Serial Killer."  The book and story detail a horrific abortion mill that butchered babies born alive.   The crisis we face today runs beyond the school house and has engulfed our entire culture.  Let's cry out to God, not government for mercy, help and wisdom.

Scatter The Enemy

Scatter The Enemy

The enemy(the devil) is on the prowl seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8), then we have our own wicked flesh that gnaws and screams within us, wanting to be fed and satisfied and the world that is constantly plastering things around us.  HELP!
GOD instructed the children of Israel to blow the trumpet when they battled the enemy, who would attack them (Numbers 10:9) and the chapter concludes with Moses shouting RISE UP OH LORD AND LET YOUR ENEMIES BE SCATTERED! If they are our enemies they are the Lord's enemies.  HELP US LORD TO OVERCOME THE ENEMY!

Pray for India

India has 17% of the world's population and by 2020 will be the largest nation in the world.  Here is a quote I received this morning from Sam(our contact on the ground) in India..."there are 120 million people in my country, in that only 20 million are Christians in that 10 million are Protestant in that very few we can find the real believers brother"
Pray for us as we travel to India in March to share the gospel in evangelistic crusades and Pastors conferences. 
If you would like to participate in supporting the India event inbox me and I will share the financial needs for the trip.

The Glory of God

We really just cannot comprehend the Glory of a incomprehensible, transcendent God.  In A W Tozers little, yet profound book;  The Atrributes of God  THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY (which every Christian should read) Tozer reminds us of who God is in many remarkable, descriptive ways. This little poem by Isaac Watts says it well. 

How shall polluted mortals dare to sing        Thy glory or Thy Grace?
Beneath Thy face we lie afar,
And see but shadows of Thy face. 
Isaac Watts

Divine Appointments

When we think of a Divine appointment, a number of ideas come to our mind.  Maybe one of those "chance encounters" that was really orchestrated by the hand of God.  I was really thinking, after I read numbers chapter 7, of a scheduled appointment when we talk to God. That's what Moses did. 

"When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord , he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim. He spoke to him that way."
Numbers 7:89
What did the Divine God say to you today at you appointment?

Frozen

In an exchange between God and Job, God speaks to Job out of a whirlwind and  reveals He even gives birth to His creation encased with ice and frozen.  What an awesome, spectacular, indescribable God!

“Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? “Out of whose womb has come the ice? And the frost of heaven, who has given it birth? “Water becomes like stone [and hides itself], And the surface of the deep is frozen and imprisoned.
JOB 38:28‭-‬30

Blessing or Cursing?

You will choose today to either bless others or curse them by your words, spoken or unspoken.  James 3:10 reminds us that out if the same mouth comes blessing and cursing, but that shouldn't be so.

Let's be determined to bless others today.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:  The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Numbers 6:24‭-‬26

God Spoke To Me!?

As you read the OT especially you hear this kind of statement over and over again...
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
NUMBERS 2:1
So the debate rages does God still speak?         I love the wisdom of teacher/author/theologian, Henry Blackaby when he said..."every time you open God's Word He is speaking to you". Wow...God spoke to me too! If you ever want to hear the voice of God just open His Word.  Did He speak to you yet today?