Category: Blog Posts (Page 52 of 91)

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The story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt is well known. He was born a slave in Egypt himself, but was actually adopted and raised by Pharoah’s daughter. Eventually when he identified with his own people he was forced into the wilderness until called by God to return and deliver them.

With powerful signs and miracles he demonstrated to all of Egypt that his God, Yahweh was the superior god, and that He wanted them free to worship Him! So they began the long journey back to the land that God had promised to their ancestral father, Abraham.

Our story from the Bible begins in Numbers chapter 13, where 12 men were sent to spy out the land they were to possess as their own. The land of the Canaan was described before as “a land that flowed with milk and honey,” and after 40 days of exploration, the spies agreed: this place was truly rich in resources and to be desired. With great enthusiasm they brought back samples of pomegranates and figs, and a cluster of grapes so large it took two men to carry!

However…….

There was something else to report. Besides the Amalekites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, they saw the sons of Anak. These people were so large and fearsome that some of the spies tried to warn the rest of Israel and persuade them to give up on the Promised Land.

Only two of them, Joshua and Caleb believed that they could take the land. The rest even exaggerated the threat. They claimed that they were like grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants, and that they saw themselves as grasshoppers also!

As fear began to spread throughout the camp, the majority of the peoople considered abandoning their quest and returning to Egypt!

“Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of Israelites, and Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among the scouts who had searched the land, rent their clothes, and they said to all the company of Israelites,

‘The land through which we passed as scouts is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense and the shadow [of protection] is removed from over them, but the Lord is with us. Fear them not.’ “
(Num 14:5-9 Amplified Bible)

Because those with faith were so outnumbered by the fearful, only Joshua and Caleb would live to see their people inherit the land we now call Israel. The rest died out during the next 40 years and a new generation was prepared to follow Joshua and Caleb back in. When they did go, in obedience to and with the help of their God, they were not devoured by any giants at all. As long as they were devoted to Yahweh, they were brave and victorious. Faith won out over fear!

Are there any “giants” in the land you hope to occupy? Are there obstacles in your path to fulfilling God’s purpose for you and your family, your church?

Are there giants of deception, temptation, fear, worry, discouragement, hatred and resentment that appear to be more than you can handle? Does our enemy, the devil seem so powerful that our cause is lost, that we are like tiny insects trying to defeat dinosaurs?

Jesus told His disciples that they could do nothing without Him. This is precisely true. So some feel that they are being humble and that others are arrogant to think that the Church of Jesus Christ could crash down the very gates of hell! The fact is that God is looking for those whose faith is not in themselves, but in His purpose and power. “With God ALL THINGS are possible!” (Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23, 10:27).

The 10 unbelieving spies were not commended for their humility. Neither should we commend ourselves for exalting our weaknesses, our sinfulness and our failures as opportunities for God’s Grace. He gives grace to the humble who trust in His promises of victory over all these things!

Not only do we have personal giants to overcome, but there is great evil in this world that threatens our families, friends and associates. Our neighborhoods and towns are under constant attack by gigantic and powerful forces of immorality, death and destruction. Believers in Christ are instructed to hold up His Light that lives within them as a city on a hill. We do this by living lives of personal victory but also by living fearlessly in a world that is hostile to our faith.

This story and many others in both the Bible and the history of Christianity are so important to me. So many terrible things are happening in our world every day. It would be easy to withdraw from the battle, but the testimonies of the faithful who have done their part to shine His Light challenge me. Not only has there been missionary outreach, but the development of orphanages, schools, hospitals and many other positive changes have taken place in the world by people who were not scared off by the giants who tried to intimidate them.

The giants in the land were real back then, and they are just as real today. It would be foolish to deny this fact. But it would be equally foolish to miss the truth that has proven to be true from the dawn of time. Our God is greater than any other force in this universe, and His desire is to fill us with Himself. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, for greater is He who is within us, than he who is in the world! (Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:4).

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Have you ever wondered, “What was I thinking?” Probably the craziest time in my life was my teen years. I had a wonderful Christian mother and was also surrounded by sincere believers in Christ. That, however did not stop me from doing stupid things, like shoplifting, vandalism and even breaking into a store to steal from others. By God’s grace, yes, HIS GRACE, I was eventually caught and punished. Several weeks of incarceration halted my life of crime, but it would not be until several years later that I would return to the wonderful life that Christ had planned for me.

To this day I do not understand how I could have hurt my mother so. How I could embarrass my family and shame myself after all the good things I had been taught and the examples I had seen?

This experience has taught me to be cautious of how I look at others. If God had not intervened for me through the justice system, through supportive family, friends and teachers, what direction my life might have taken? These are things for which I cannot take any credit.

However this cautiousness in itself does not satisfy my concerns for the situations we as a society, a community are in. If I look at a young person whose main activity in life is exploiting other young people by hooking them on addicting chemicals, or if I see the devastation that another young man causes through terrorism, yes, I can say, “there but by God’s grace go I.” Under the same circumstances of course, that could have been me. While this realization may help me, does it help anyone else?

People need compassion and empathy, but they also need the truth. They need direction, like the direction I received as a teen. I fear that in our day we like to take the easy way out. It can be very difficult to find the balance between compassion and lovingly telling the truth. We have to start somewhere. We cannot walk in everyone elses shoes, but we do all have some things in common. We have all sinned and have come short of the glory of God. We can all receive forgiveness and restoration through faith in the work that Jesus accomplished for us in His death and resurrection.

When I remember how obstinate and hard-headed I was as a teenager, I can understand how our youth might be motivated to do stupid things as well. At the same time, my hope is that they do not have to make the same mistakes. This may sound hard on my part, but if they do make these kinds of mistakes, I pray that God’s grace might provide for the helpful kind of discipline that I received back then!

Perhaps you could join with me in praying for the necessary wisdom to reach others with compassion and faith. These are so needed in our time.

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Have you ever considered the difference between faith and presumption, or optimism and wishful thinking? While we understand that these words may represent differing concepts to many of us, we are fortunate to have the Biblical record as a common point of reference. While both optimists and pessimists might see the Bible as a powerful resource for reinforcing their views, we are those who hunger and thirst for living Truth in the Person of Jesus Christ! In Him alone can we possess a confidence that will see us through these troubled times!

In the life of Jesus we see a perfect portrait of the character, grace and love of God. In the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians we also find a powerful and eloquent ballad describing God’s love. Many of the heavenly attributes of God in Christ are put forth in the 13th chapter of this letter. No other treatment of this subject has so powerfully touched the lives of as many generations as this one, which no doubt sprang from Paul’s relationship with Christ Himself.

Optimists should rejoice to read such encouraging statements concerning the Love of our all-powerful God! In fact, His Love is our primary source of optimism! They will find much comfort in the fact that the Love of God in us “believes all things, and hopes all things,” but it is likely that wishful thinkers will cower from the adjacent statements that His Love in us also “suffers long, bearing all things and enduring all things.”

You see, Biblical, Christ-centered optimism is costly. It requires a price that many of our modern self-centered people are not willing to pay. They prefer a “new age” brand of faith that requires nothing of them. But the followers of the Lord of the Universe know their power springs from the laying down of their lives for others in His Name.

It appears easier and more appealing for some to make shallow confessions and affirmations that everything will work out all right. This could be merely cowardice clothed in presumption and wishful thinking. But Biblical optimism is active, and is always accompanied by the appropriate actions which are given by the direction of God Himself.

In the life of Jesus, our supreme example, we see a wonderful combination of faith, courage, and positive action. His optimism was based on His love, willingness and ability to do whatever necessary to bring about that positive result.

During the time of my writing this, an associate and I are working on a decorating project. I have the confidence that this job will be completed and that we will be rewarded for our efforts. We have the needed skills, resources, energy, time and willingness to do the work. But the main reason for my optimism is that WE ARE HERE NOW, doing the work! Likewise, the love of Christ is an active, positive, working force that is committed to the welfare of His loved ones.

Let us observe the life of Jesus of Nazareth, the most positive man that ever lived! Where did He get His limitless source of energy and determination? From the Heart of His Father, of course! Here is the one and only source of unconditional Love and power that all of us must draw from! It was from this Source that He obtained the positive ability to heal, save, and deliver the oppressed.

Jesus’ optimism did not forego the cross which He was born to bear, but it did see Him through to the glorious triumph which was also His destiny! For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, and rose again for our deliverance! Likewise all children of God should know that suffering according to the will of God will only secure our victory in Him! No amount of positive thinking will help us to avoid the distasteful aspects of His plan for us. Our optimism is based on the riches of His glory and grace — not on our present outward circumstances! He alone is our past, present and future victory! Our faith, hope, and confidence towards a final and joyful outcome can only be based upon our relationship with Him!

While some continue to trust in sinful and faithless humans, it would be wiser to place our confidence in an all-knowing, all-powerful and ALL-LOVING GOD! Is this not the more courageous view? Would it not be actually easier to pronounce defeat and death over the creation of God when all outward evidence seems to support this woeful ending?

Who among us will join the ranks of the FAITHFUL, those who pray for and tenaciously live in the expectation of God’s kingdom? Who will draw from the Heart of the Savior Himself, a courageous optimism, one in which they freely and unselfishly participate?

In the same breath I must warn those who smugly proclaim “peace and safety,” being preoccupied with their own personal goals and desires. Woe unto you, says the Lord! Sudden destruction awaits you, for you hunger not for His Reign in the earth! This is not faith in Christ nor Biblical optimism. It is fleshly minds endeavoring to convince themselves of the lie of all the ages. Beware! This thinking may appear to bear fruit for a season, but not the resurrection life of Christ. True victory in Him must always be preceded by the work of His Cross in us. And our positive confessions in Christ can never compromise the Godly principles of honesty, integrity and eternal or experiential truth.

Out of the optimistic heart and mind of God, Christ, and His people, the seeds of a new heaven and new earth are presently being sown. As Jesus believed in the Kingdom of God unto his death at the hands of the Romans, so also is He bringing forth souls who believe and trust in His almighty, unfailing purpose. Their belief is more than merely a mental assent. It is a confidence for which they too are willing to die. While some may find a glorious martyr’s triumph, others will experience the slow and daily working of the Cross in their lives. They too are sustained by an inner joy that only knowing His eternal purpose and gracious Person can provide.

While living in His Joy, and the daily awareness of His Presence, they give themselves to seeing His reign of righteousness, peace and joy in themselves and the world around them. Their hearts are in perfect agreement with His mission to proclaim good news to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, setting at liberty those who are bruised, and preaching the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)

As members of His Body in particular, they contribute to these positive goals by simply functioning in the purpose for which He has created them. How mysterious, how wise and yet how simplistic is His great plan! May everyone of us continue to learn of Him, Jesus Christ, the magnificent Lord of the universe! May we also obtain an optimism and confidence in Him for which we will never be ashamed.

Let us gain courage and hope from the words of the prophet: “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:5-6). Out of our intimate relationships with Him, we are learning that His faithfulness will not fail us, and His kingdom cannot be moved.