Good morning,
Praise the Lord. He is our Lord. His name is excellent all over the world. He is the Lord of miracles. He uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary miracles. He uses the things which are earthly and mundane to demonstrate His divine power and celestial authority. He takes "nobodies" and makes them to "somebodies", who trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
In 2 Kings 4, we read that the wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves." 2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?" "Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil." 3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbours for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side." 5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing. 7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."
This widow had been the wife of a prophet who had died. She had reached the end of her rope and had nothing left. She was so poor her sons were being sold into slavery. She cried out to Elisha and he asked what she had in the house. Isn’t that a little strange? Instead of asking what she WANTED he asked what she HAD. He then took what she had and multiplied it.
This is how the Lord often works in our lives. Sometimes we can come to him and ask Him to make us something which we are not. When Jesus multiplied the bread and fish in John 6 (Feeding the 5000) he used what was given to Him. What do you have to offer the Lord. What has God already given you that you can give to him to multiply for His service?
A man was sitting on his porch in the Southern USA. He had recently retired from the post office, and he was sitting there when his first Social Security check was delivered. Very discouraged, He thought to himself, "Is this what life is going to be from now on--sitting on the porch waiting for my check to arrive?" He decided he wouldn’t settle for that, and so he made a list of all of the things he had going for him, including all the blessings and the capacities, the unique things that were in him. The list was long because he listed everything he could think of and in the list was the fact that he was the only person on earth who knew his mother’s recipe for fried chicken. It used eleven different herbs and spices. So he went to a nearby restaurant and asked if he could cook the chicken, and they said yes. It soon became the most popular item on the menu. Thus, he opened his own restaurant, and then others, and a string of restaurants. Eventually Harland Sanders sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise across all of America. He finally retired a second time (all this happened, you remember, after he had retired from the postal service), and he continued in the service of the company as a public relations representative for a quarter of a million dollars a year till his death.
Remember that God can use anything or anyone to accomplish His purposes. History is full of ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God because they used what they had been given. What talent or experiences do you have that God can use? Do you know your spiritual gift – if not then you need to find out what that is.
According to legend, writes Zig Ziglar, a very wise old man lived on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city of Venice in Italy. It was reputed that he could answer any question anyone might ask him. Two local boys figured they could trick him, so they caught a bird and took it to the wise sage. "Tell us," they asked, "is the bird in our hand dead or alive?" The wise man replied, "Son, if I say the bird is alive, you will close your hands and crush it to death. Or, if I say the bird is dead, you will open your hands and it will fly away. The answer is in your hands."
In the busyness of our Christian life it is easy to become so pre-occupied with other things that we become unavailable to be used by God. We can look busy but not really be hooked into Christ and His will for our lives. In order to be filled you must first be available. God often does not move through the most educated or gifted person but through the most available person He can find. Through the one who says, “here am I Lord, use me”.
The jars which the widow brought needed to be not just available but also empty. Jars that were full of something else would have been of little use. You cannot fill an already full thing.
When Jesus gave His sermon on the mount He began with “Blessed are the poor in Spirit”. That is because emptiness is the starting place for filling. In addition to making ourselves available to God we must also must be filled with His Spirit. To have full use and availability of the gifts that God has given we must hand over the control of our life to God.
Ephesians 5:17 "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
God is looking for people who are “under the influence”, whose mind, heart and will is controlled by His Spirit. In the Greek verb “Be Filled” is interesting:
1. It is imperative (a command). This is a non negotiable. It is God’s plan for your life.
2. It is passive. It is not something you do but something that is done to you. God is the one who fills - you simply receive. It is not taking more from God but allowing God to have more of you. You received all of the Holy Spirit when you came to Christ. Now you need to allow that Spirit to have free reign in your life.
3. It is present. It is not something that happened once but something that is continuous. It requires constant attention (every day). The reason for this is that there is constant depletion. No matter how much you eat today you will be hungry tomorrow. No matter how much gas you put in your car, if you drive it eventually it will need more. No matter how much you are filled in a service you have to be filled again - sometimes even before you get to the parking lot. You constantly need to be filled because you are constantly being pulled back into the flesh. Moody was once asked by a woman why he always preached on being filled and why one filling was not enough. He replied "Because Madam, I leak". The more you "leak" the more and more frequently you need to fill.
When you give God control in your life He moves in and starts to change things. Priorities and attitudes change. Nobody can be indwelt by the Spirit of God and keep that Spirit to himself. Where the Spirit is, he flows forth. And where there is no flowing forth, he is not there. -- Bishop William Temple
You have your gifts not so much for your own sake as for the sake of others. You are like an apple tree that produces fruit not for its own consumption but for the consumption of others. Your gifts are given so you can bless others by ministering to them. If even one gifted person fails to function, the body of Christ is deprived of a ministry it needs to function well.
Do you want to be used by God? It means identifying what the Lord has already given you in Christ. It means opening your life and making yourself available to God. It means giving over the control of your life and asking Jesus to use you. It begins with a prayer – “Lord Jesus Christ you can have all of me. I will do anything you ask of me, go anywhere you direct me, give anything you request of me, anytime.”
At the turn of the 20th century, there was a little girl who stood crying near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded. “I can’t go to Sunday School,” she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that night praying and thinking of the children who had no place to learn about Jesus. Some two years later she died in a poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled red purse was found clenched in her hand. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting, which read, “This is to help build the little church bigger so MORE children can go to Sunday school.” For two years she had saved for this offering of love.
When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red purse to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. A Realtor had offered the church a new parcel of land worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. When told that the church could not afford the property he read the newspaper article and he offered the land - for 57 cents – exactly what the little girl had saved.
Church members inspired by the child’s generosity made large contributions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00 – a huge sum for that time. Today that small seed of faith has grown into a mighty tree. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300. Next to it is Temple University.
We heard from Sunita, who has safely landed in Burundi. Pray for her trip there, that He will keep her safely in the palm of His hand and bless others through her.
In Christ,
Brown
“I HEARD THE VOICE OF JESUS SAY”
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was, weary and worn and sad;
I found in Him a resting place, and He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, “I am this dark world’s Light;
Look unto Me, thy morn shall rise, and all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found in Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk, till traveling days are done.
— Horatio Bonar,
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 10-23-07
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and for righteousness." All good and perfect gifts we have, are given to us by our Lord and Savior. He calls us and invites us to become giving and generous people.
American industrialist, Henry Ford, was once asked to donate money for the construction of a new medical facility. The billionaire pledged to donate $5,000. The next day in the newspaper, the headline read, "Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to the local hospital." The irate Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood. The fund-raiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, "Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000." Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: That above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the biblical inscription: "I came among you and you took me in."
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God has given everything for our living, in this life and He has given us what it takes to make it to eternity. The greatest of all gifts is the sacrifice of His son Jesus on the cross. Giving doesn’t get any better than that. No matter how much we give back to God through the church or missions or by any others means, we will never outdistance His giving.
W.A. Criswell a great pastor and preacher of Texas of the last century, told of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he had promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, because it had become too costly.
The pastor replied, "I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, and then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00."
Have you ever heard of Jon M. Huntsman? He is a billionaire who gave $100 million dollars to help find a cure for cancer. Huntsman has gone through two bouts of cancer himself. He had prostate cancer in 1992 and then cancer of the mouth in 1993. It has been said that Huntsman could be a poster boy for old-fashioned values. He grew up in what he describes as a “humble and modest” home in Blackfoot, Idaho, the second of three sons of a schoolteacher and his wife.
HOW DID HE MAKE HIS BILLION DOLLARS? One thing was the “Big Mac” plastic burger box for McDonald’s. I think prior to that it was the egg carton and then came plastic bowls and plates for hospital use. His companies are in 23 different countries. Huntsman said, “I never dreamed that I would be in this position financially someday, nor did our family ever expect it, nor do I think, frankly, that we deserve it.”
“But it’s unfolded in such an incredible way, I feel maybe the good Lord intended me to utilize it for the betterment of human-kind. There’s no better explanation for someone to have picked potatoes as a kid and suddenly have a $4 to $5 billion dollar company in one lifetime.”
Huntsman has done a good thing. His giving has apparently been motivated by a gracious God. And so must our giving be. It’s been said that when we give we are most like God. This may very well be. Giving is one of the hardest things for most people to do, because we are taking away from ourselves, and self is very strong in all of us. SELF OFTEN DOMINATES AND CONTROLS.
Therefore, when it comes to giving in any form, let’s think in terms of becoming more like Christ who has given His all for us and to us.
Some years ago it was reported that Christians in America give 4 billion dollars a year to their churches. SOUND GOOD? It is good, and it sounds very good until you hear that those same Christian people spend something like 34 billion dollars a year on diet and exercise products.
I am reminded of the story about the wealthy, but very selfish lady who died and went to heaven. She was told that she would be taken to the house, which had been prepared for her. She passed by many beautiful mansions and saw in them, people whom in this life had been very poor and somewhat rejected by others. Finally, on the very outskirts of heaven she was shown a very small, rundown house and was told it was hers. She complained and protested, but she was told, “We’re sorry, but this is all we could do for you with the materials you sent up.”
I Timothy 6:18-19 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
What will our giving do? Apparently, we have some kind of account in heaven. The important thing is to make deposits and we do this by giving, not by saving or hoarding. Proverbs 11:24-25, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Goodness and kindness will always come back to you! They have a boomerang effect. What you sow is what you will reap. God will always take care of those who give to others.
J. L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who gave approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."
The Lord loves a hilarious giver. Give with a joyful spirit, because all that we have and all that we are is from our good and gracious Lord.
In Him,
Brown
The Divine Perfections.
How shall I praise th' eternal God,
That Infinite Unknown?
Who can ascend his high abode,
Or venture near his throne?
The great invisible! He dwells
Conceal'd in dazzling light:
But his all-searching eye reveals
The secrets of the night.
Those watchful eyes that never sleep,
Survey the world around;
His wisdom is the boundless deep,
Where all our thoughts are drown'd.
He knows no shadow of a change,
Nor alters his decrees;
Firm as a rock his truth remains,
To guard his promises.
Justice, upon a dreadful throne,
Maintains the rights of God;
While mercy sends her pardons down,
Bought with a Saviour's blood.
Now to my soul immortal King,
Speak some forgiving word;
Then `twill be double joy to sing
The glories of my Lord.
... Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book II, #166
Praise the Lord for "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and for righteousness." All good and perfect gifts we have, are given to us by our Lord and Savior. He calls us and invites us to become giving and generous people.
American industrialist, Henry Ford, was once asked to donate money for the construction of a new medical facility. The billionaire pledged to donate $5,000. The next day in the newspaper, the headline read, "Henry Ford contributes $50,000 to the local hospital." The irate Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fund-raiser that he had been misunderstood. The fund-raiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the following day to read, "Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000." Realizing the poor publicity that would result, the industrialist agreed to the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: That above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the biblical inscription: "I came among you and you took me in."
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
God has given everything for our living, in this life and He has given us what it takes to make it to eternity. The greatest of all gifts is the sacrifice of His son Jesus on the cross. Giving doesn’t get any better than that. No matter how much we give back to God through the church or missions or by any others means, we will never outdistance His giving.
W.A. Criswell a great pastor and preacher of Texas of the last century, told of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he had promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, because it had become too costly.
The pastor replied, "I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, and then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00."
Have you ever heard of Jon M. Huntsman? He is a billionaire who gave $100 million dollars to help find a cure for cancer. Huntsman has gone through two bouts of cancer himself. He had prostate cancer in 1992 and then cancer of the mouth in 1993. It has been said that Huntsman could be a poster boy for old-fashioned values. He grew up in what he describes as a “humble and modest” home in Blackfoot, Idaho, the second of three sons of a schoolteacher and his wife.
HOW DID HE MAKE HIS BILLION DOLLARS? One thing was the “Big Mac” plastic burger box for McDonald’s. I think prior to that it was the egg carton and then came plastic bowls and plates for hospital use. His companies are in 23 different countries. Huntsman said, “I never dreamed that I would be in this position financially someday, nor did our family ever expect it, nor do I think, frankly, that we deserve it.”
“But it’s unfolded in such an incredible way, I feel maybe the good Lord intended me to utilize it for the betterment of human-kind. There’s no better explanation for someone to have picked potatoes as a kid and suddenly have a $4 to $5 billion dollar company in one lifetime.”
Huntsman has done a good thing. His giving has apparently been motivated by a gracious God. And so must our giving be. It’s been said that when we give we are most like God. This may very well be. Giving is one of the hardest things for most people to do, because we are taking away from ourselves, and self is very strong in all of us. SELF OFTEN DOMINATES AND CONTROLS.
Therefore, when it comes to giving in any form, let’s think in terms of becoming more like Christ who has given His all for us and to us.
Some years ago it was reported that Christians in America give 4 billion dollars a year to their churches. SOUND GOOD? It is good, and it sounds very good until you hear that those same Christian people spend something like 34 billion dollars a year on diet and exercise products.
I am reminded of the story about the wealthy, but very selfish lady who died and went to heaven. She was told that she would be taken to the house, which had been prepared for her. She passed by many beautiful mansions and saw in them, people whom in this life had been very poor and somewhat rejected by others. Finally, on the very outskirts of heaven she was shown a very small, rundown house and was told it was hers. She complained and protested, but she was told, “We’re sorry, but this is all we could do for you with the materials you sent up.”
I Timothy 6:18-19 “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
What will our giving do? Apparently, we have some kind of account in heaven. The important thing is to make deposits and we do this by giving, not by saving or hoarding. Proverbs 11:24-25, “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Goodness and kindness will always come back to you! They have a boomerang effect. What you sow is what you will reap. God will always take care of those who give to others.
J. L. Kraft, head of the Kraft Cheese Corporation, who gave approximately 25% of his enormous income to Christian causes for many years, said, "The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord."
The Lord loves a hilarious giver. Give with a joyful spirit, because all that we have and all that we are is from our good and gracious Lord.
In Him,
Brown
The Divine Perfections.
How shall I praise th' eternal God,
That Infinite Unknown?
Who can ascend his high abode,
Or venture near his throne?
The great invisible! He dwells
Conceal'd in dazzling light:
But his all-searching eye reveals
The secrets of the night.
Those watchful eyes that never sleep,
Survey the world around;
His wisdom is the boundless deep,
Where all our thoughts are drown'd.
He knows no shadow of a change,
Nor alters his decrees;
Firm as a rock his truth remains,
To guard his promises.
Justice, upon a dreadful throne,
Maintains the rights of God;
While mercy sends her pardons down,
Bought with a Saviour's blood.
Now to my soul immortal King,
Speak some forgiving word;
Then `twill be double joy to sing
The glories of my Lord.
... Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Book II, #166
Monday, October 22, 2007
Brown's Daily Word 10-22-07
Good Morning.
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us yesterday through worship, fellowship, and the ministry of the Continental singers. It was a glorious day full of His splendor and majesty as the autumn colors were in peak this weekend. Every time I hear the songs of praise and worship by the gifted and talented Continental Singers I get excited about Jesus our Lord. I am provoked to love Him more and serve Him with devotion and self-abandon. Every time I hear the call and the challenge of Jesus in my life afresh and anew I get humbled and propelled to follow Him and serve Him with joy and gladness.
Gideon was a man in the Old Testament who was called by God for a special purpose at a special time, but there were several things that kept Gideon from understanding what God’s purpose was for him and how he fit into God’s plan. These are the same things that keep us from discovering the reason for which we were born. Gideon’s first challenge was the challenge we all face: We have to overcome discouragement. The people of Israel were horribly oppressed. They were starving because the Midianites kept destroying their cattle and crops. There was great suffering and discouragement in the land. Hope was gone. Gideon was hiding in an old wine press that had been dug. He was threshing a few stalks of wheat that he had somehow managed to keep hidden from the Midianites. He was depressed. But the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’” (Judges 6:12). I’ll bet he was tempted to laugh out loud. Mighty warrior? He was a scared young man hiding out in a wine press. But then, God always sees us in a different light than we see ourselves. We see our inadequacies and failures, and use them as an excuse. He sees our potential and what could be.
Gideon’s discouragement came pouring out. He said to the Lord’s messenger, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midianites” (Judges 6:13). The angel did not argue with him, but said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” God promises to be with him, as he does with us. But Gideon was filled with thoughts about his own inadequacy. He said, “But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord simply answered, “I will be with you” (Judges 6:14-16). The answer to your discouragement, as it was with Gideon, is the knowledge that God is with you and makes up for your inadequacies. You don’t have to do it in your own power, or by your own ability. You go in the strength of the Lord.
But Gideon is not sure about this, even though the angel of the Lord is standing right in front of him. We, like Gideon, not only have to overcome discouragement, the second point is that: We have to overcome doubt. Gideon says to the Angel of the Lord who is standing right in front of him: “Give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.” So Gideon prepared an offering to the Lord, and as a sign, the Angel of the Lord touched the offering with his staff, and fire flamed from the rock and consumed the offering. Then the Angel of the Lord disappeared from his sight. Wow. A visit from God and a special sign. That should have been good enough for anybody. But it still was not good enough for Gideon.
The Midianites were encamped against Israel, and Gideon summoned the men from all the towns of Israel to come and protect the land from the invading army. Then the Bible says, “Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised — look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.’ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew — a bowlful of water” (Judges 6:36-38). This is the passage where we get our phrase of “putting out a fleece before the Lord.” What more could you ask. Gideon asked for a specific sign and God gave it to him. But then he thought, “Oh, I made a mistake. That could have been a perfectly natural explanation. The fleece would naturally hold water longer than the ground around it.” So then he said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.” Then the Bible says, “That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew” (Judges 6:39-40). Gideon finally decides to trust God and do what the Lord has been telling him to do.
I find it interesting that many people take this as an example of what we should do when faced with a dilemma — put out a fleece — as though it is a biblical principle. Putting out a fleece was actually a lack of faith on Gideon’s part. He had already been given clear direction by the Lord, and he had received a miraculous sign. But all that is not enough, and now he wants more proof. But there is never enough proof where there is no faith. Evidently, having faith is important to God, for the Bible says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The third point is that if we are going to realize the purpose for which you have been born: We have to overcome obstacles. There will always be obstacles. And some of these will be God testing your faith so it can grow. That was the case with Gideon. As he faces the army of the Midianites, which stretches as far as he can see, he realizes that he is overwhelmingly outnumbered. But God tells him that it is not that he has too few men to win the battle, he has too many. And you remember how this wonderful story goes. God directs Gideon to tell his men that if any are afraid that they may return home. With that, 22,000 men leave, and only 10,000 men remain to fight the hoards of Midianite warriors riding on their camels. But then the Scripture says, “But the Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but if I say, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go’” (Judges 7:4). Then, as the men went down to the water to drink, three hundred of them kept going through the water as they scooped up the water in their hands and drank. All the rest fell to their knees and gulped the water down. And the Lord said, “With three hundred men I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go.”
This is a new obstacle for Gideon. He had a little hope when his men numbered over thirty thousand, but now he is down to three hundred. And as he looked at the enemy, here is what he saw: “The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore” (Judges 7:12). But God was about to introduce unconventional warfare to Gideon. The Lord directed him to have his little band of men go to the edge of the enemy’s camp at night. He gave each man a ram’s horn trumpet and a clay jar. The men were to take a torch and place it inside the jar. At Gideon’s signal they were to break the jar to reveal the fire, blow their trumpets and shout, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” And then God caused a panic in the enemy camp, and those who came to fight against Israel began to fight each other. Those who did not die in the battle fled back to the country from where they had come. They never threatened Israel again during the lifetime of Gideon.
It is a great story of overcoming depression, discouragement, doubt and huge obstacles. But, unfortunately, it is not the end of the story. The fourth thing that is necessary for finding the purpose for which you have been born is: We must remain faithful. Gideon has discovered God’s purpose for him, and God has wonderfully used him. He was used by God to deliver Israel from her enemies. But the reason that Israel was being oppressed in the first place was because she was worshiping foreign gods. In the beginning of the story, the prophet spoke the word of the Lord to Israel saying, “I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).
Gideon let down his guard when it seemed the imminent danger was over. The people of Israel came to Gideon and asked him to rule over them. But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you” (Judges 8:23). Sounds great, but now Gideon wants to please the people. He had taken away the pagan gods, the Baals and Ashtoreths, but now there is a spiritual vacuum. He tells them that the Lord will rule over them, but he asks them to create an ephod so they can consult God. The high priest used to wear an ephod, a sort of breastplate, for this purpose, but there is currently no high priest. The Bible says, “Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judges 8:27). Gideon permitted this religious article to become an idol. It led the people into idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness, and implied in the passage is that sexual immorality became a part of the ritual surrounding this ephod. So, in the end, the very reason that God brought judgment on Israel is going on once again. Even Gideon and his family are caught up in it. Gideon began well. He accomplished some important things that God had called him to do — things he was born for. But he failed to remain faithful. His wealth multiplied. He had many wives. His heart was proud, and he turned away from the Lord. We never hear of any other visitations from the Lord.
If we are going to discover the purpose for which we were born, we are going to have to overcome discouragement, doubt and obstacles. But most of all we have to remain faithful. It is important to finish well. Faithlessness in the end cancels out a lot of good that we may have done.
In Christ,
Brown
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us yesterday through worship, fellowship, and the ministry of the Continental singers. It was a glorious day full of His splendor and majesty as the autumn colors were in peak this weekend. Every time I hear the songs of praise and worship by the gifted and talented Continental Singers I get excited about Jesus our Lord. I am provoked to love Him more and serve Him with devotion and self-abandon. Every time I hear the call and the challenge of Jesus in my life afresh and anew I get humbled and propelled to follow Him and serve Him with joy and gladness.
Gideon was a man in the Old Testament who was called by God for a special purpose at a special time, but there were several things that kept Gideon from understanding what God’s purpose was for him and how he fit into God’s plan. These are the same things that keep us from discovering the reason for which we were born. Gideon’s first challenge was the challenge we all face: We have to overcome discouragement. The people of Israel were horribly oppressed. They were starving because the Midianites kept destroying their cattle and crops. There was great suffering and discouragement in the land. Hope was gone. Gideon was hiding in an old wine press that had been dug. He was threshing a few stalks of wheat that he had somehow managed to keep hidden from the Midianites. He was depressed. But the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’” (Judges 6:12). I’ll bet he was tempted to laugh out loud. Mighty warrior? He was a scared young man hiding out in a wine press. But then, God always sees us in a different light than we see ourselves. We see our inadequacies and failures, and use them as an excuse. He sees our potential and what could be.
Gideon’s discouragement came pouring out. He said to the Lord’s messenger, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midianites” (Judges 6:13). The angel did not argue with him, but said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” God promises to be with him, as he does with us. But Gideon was filled with thoughts about his own inadequacy. He said, “But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” The Lord simply answered, “I will be with you” (Judges 6:14-16). The answer to your discouragement, as it was with Gideon, is the knowledge that God is with you and makes up for your inadequacies. You don’t have to do it in your own power, or by your own ability. You go in the strength of the Lord.
But Gideon is not sure about this, even though the angel of the Lord is standing right in front of him. We, like Gideon, not only have to overcome discouragement, the second point is that: We have to overcome doubt. Gideon says to the Angel of the Lord who is standing right in front of him: “Give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.” So Gideon prepared an offering to the Lord, and as a sign, the Angel of the Lord touched the offering with his staff, and fire flamed from the rock and consumed the offering. Then the Angel of the Lord disappeared from his sight. Wow. A visit from God and a special sign. That should have been good enough for anybody. But it still was not good enough for Gideon.
The Midianites were encamped against Israel, and Gideon summoned the men from all the towns of Israel to come and protect the land from the invading army. Then the Bible says, “Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised — look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.’ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew — a bowlful of water” (Judges 6:36-38). This is the passage where we get our phrase of “putting out a fleece before the Lord.” What more could you ask. Gideon asked for a specific sign and God gave it to him. But then he thought, “Oh, I made a mistake. That could have been a perfectly natural explanation. The fleece would naturally hold water longer than the ground around it.” So then he said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.” Then the Bible says, “That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew” (Judges 6:39-40). Gideon finally decides to trust God and do what the Lord has been telling him to do.
I find it interesting that many people take this as an example of what we should do when faced with a dilemma — put out a fleece — as though it is a biblical principle. Putting out a fleece was actually a lack of faith on Gideon’s part. He had already been given clear direction by the Lord, and he had received a miraculous sign. But all that is not enough, and now he wants more proof. But there is never enough proof where there is no faith. Evidently, having faith is important to God, for the Bible says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The third point is that if we are going to realize the purpose for which you have been born: We have to overcome obstacles. There will always be obstacles. And some of these will be God testing your faith so it can grow. That was the case with Gideon. As he faces the army of the Midianites, which stretches as far as he can see, he realizes that he is overwhelmingly outnumbered. But God tells him that it is not that he has too few men to win the battle, he has too many. And you remember how this wonderful story goes. God directs Gideon to tell his men that if any are afraid that they may return home. With that, 22,000 men leave, and only 10,000 men remain to fight the hoards of Midianite warriors riding on their camels. But then the Scripture says, “But the Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but if I say, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go’” (Judges 7:4). Then, as the men went down to the water to drink, three hundred of them kept going through the water as they scooped up the water in their hands and drank. All the rest fell to their knees and gulped the water down. And the Lord said, “With three hundred men I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go.”
This is a new obstacle for Gideon. He had a little hope when his men numbered over thirty thousand, but now he is down to three hundred. And as he looked at the enemy, here is what he saw: “The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore” (Judges 7:12). But God was about to introduce unconventional warfare to Gideon. The Lord directed him to have his little band of men go to the edge of the enemy’s camp at night. He gave each man a ram’s horn trumpet and a clay jar. The men were to take a torch and place it inside the jar. At Gideon’s signal they were to break the jar to reveal the fire, blow their trumpets and shout, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” And then God caused a panic in the enemy camp, and those who came to fight against Israel began to fight each other. Those who did not die in the battle fled back to the country from where they had come. They never threatened Israel again during the lifetime of Gideon.
It is a great story of overcoming depression, discouragement, doubt and huge obstacles. But, unfortunately, it is not the end of the story. The fourth thing that is necessary for finding the purpose for which you have been born is: We must remain faithful. Gideon has discovered God’s purpose for him, and God has wonderfully used him. He was used by God to deliver Israel from her enemies. But the reason that Israel was being oppressed in the first place was because she was worshiping foreign gods. In the beginning of the story, the prophet spoke the word of the Lord to Israel saying, “I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me” (Judges 6:10).
Gideon let down his guard when it seemed the imminent danger was over. The people of Israel came to Gideon and asked him to rule over them. But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you” (Judges 8:23). Sounds great, but now Gideon wants to please the people. He had taken away the pagan gods, the Baals and Ashtoreths, but now there is a spiritual vacuum. He tells them that the Lord will rule over them, but he asks them to create an ephod so they can consult God. The high priest used to wear an ephod, a sort of breastplate, for this purpose, but there is currently no high priest. The Bible says, “Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judges 8:27). Gideon permitted this religious article to become an idol. It led the people into idolatry and spiritual unfaithfulness, and implied in the passage is that sexual immorality became a part of the ritual surrounding this ephod. So, in the end, the very reason that God brought judgment on Israel is going on once again. Even Gideon and his family are caught up in it. Gideon began well. He accomplished some important things that God had called him to do — things he was born for. But he failed to remain faithful. His wealth multiplied. He had many wives. His heart was proud, and he turned away from the Lord. We never hear of any other visitations from the Lord.
If we are going to discover the purpose for which we were born, we are going to have to overcome discouragement, doubt and obstacles. But most of all we have to remain faithful. It is important to finish well. Faithlessness in the end cancels out a lot of good that we may have done.
In Christ,
Brown
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