Num. 25-27 [The Message]

Moses exhibited a lack of faith when he smote the rock at Meribah instead of speaking to it. The result of his action kept him out of the Promised Land. The works of our flesh can only take us so far … whereas the fruitful actions prompted by our faith qualify us for God’s best.

Faith is not just wishful thinking or hoping. It is acting upon what God has said. Faith to enter into God’s best comes from hearing, knowing, and acting upon The Word. Jesus IS The Word. Trust and faith in Christ is the core and foundation of the supernatural life God wants us to have.

What challenge are you facing right now? Talk to Jesus about it. He has your answer. Include Him in EVERY decision you make. He will give you the faith to make the right choices and take the right steps.

November 13, 2022

Num. 24, 25 [The Message]

The Hebrew men were allured into a sex orgy by the Moabite women. God’s wrath was kindled by their forsaking of His standards of moral purity. He sent a plague among them and demanded that the leaders involved be hanged to death. The plague was finally stopped by the act of Phinehas, the son of a priest, who drove a spear through the bodies of two immoral guilty participants. His deed stopped the plague which had already killed 24,000.

The influence of moral impurity must be mortified. In the way Phinehas put a death strike through the flesh of a moral downfall, so must we deal mercilessly with the sinful nature which only leads to our spiritual decay. Kill it or it will kill you.

Gratefully, the blood of Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

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Num. 22, 23 [The Message]

Three of my children have dogs. I have observed how they become a part of the family. Do dogs see or know things that the humans don’t? Good question.

Balaam had a trusted donkey upon which he rode when summoned by Balak, king of the Amorites, to curse God’s people. The Lord allowed the donkey to see what Balaam should have understood … don’t come against the work of God. God put His angel in the path of the donkey to stop Balaam. Why wasn’t Balaam obedient to God Who had already told him, “Don’t go.”

I guess we can learn and receive from animals, especially when they provide loyalty and obedience that humans sometimes fail at.

Num. 19, 20 [The Message]

Being a leader is not a picnic. The Hebrews were majorly griping and complaining to Moses about having no water to drink. God instructed Moses to “speak” to a large rock at Kadesh in the desert of Zin and water would be supplied. Moses, in his frustration with the discontent of the Hebrews, took his rod and smote the rock. Water DID come out, but God reproved Moses for his disobedience in not merely speaking to the rock. This act of failure to specifically follow God’s instructions was punished by keeping Moses out of the Promised land. God would let him see it from the top of a mountain, but he was disallowed to enter it himself.

Leaders put up with a lot.

Num. 17, 18 [The Message]

Yesterday I told my “Bellyache Story.” It was an example of how God confirms and defends His leaders. God also confirmed Aaron’s leadership when He caused his rod to bud when others didn’t. [Ch. 17]

Aaron and Miriam also learned this lesson when they bucked against Moses’ leadership. God smote them with leprosy and required them to have Moses pray for them that they could be made healthy again. [Num. 12]

If you are a leader, you don’t need to toot your own horn or be touchy about defending your leadership. God will CONVINCINGLY defend you and establish your authority if you let Him.

Num. 16 [The Message]

A rebellious faction openly disputed the leadership of Moses and Aaron. They challenged Moses by implying that God spoke to them like He did to Moses. This was not true. God validated His leadership choice of Moses and Aaron by opening the ground and swallowing up the rebels, all their families, and their belongings. EVERYONE KNEW who God had approved after this horrific display of God’s power. It was a vivid lesson they could never forget.

I recall having a similar, unjustified irritation against my spiritual mentor. For me, it was an open distaste for some of his harmless idiosyncrasies. I opened my big mouth and verbalized my frustration in front of others under his authority. It seems that I was immediately stricken with a horrible bellyache. I remember suffering all evening. It dawned on me that it was a chastisement from the Lord for the way I had neglected to honor him in front of others. God laid it upon my heart to acknowledge my sin one Sunday evening in front of the entire church … about 4-500 … and ask forgiveness. Personally I will NEVER forget that lesson in honoring spiritual leaders.

Num. 15 [The Message]

At the very heart of worship is the desire to please God rather than self. In essence, you can say pleasing self above God is worshiping self.

God KNOWS what pleases Him, and He has spelled it out in His Word. As we become apt students of His Word, we take big steps in worshiping Him and being obedient to His call upon our lives.

When one asks this question of self … “Am I doing this to please myself, or to please God?” … one is making strides in the right direction. The power to actually follow-thru and DO the right thing relies upon God’s grace … “Him working in us both to will and do of His Good Pleasure.” [Phil. 2:13]

Num. 12-14 [The Message]

Some people are optimistic and some pessimistic. Some see a glass half full and some see the glass half empty.

Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land to scout it out. Joshua and Caleb were full of faith and saw the potential of the land. 10 were negative and spread false rumors about the land discouraging many Hebrews. Sadly, the pessimists lost their lives in the wilderness and were withheld from the rewards ahead.

Joshua and Caleb were heroes and were blessed to enter the land and reap its benefits because of their faith. They didn’t merely have a positive attitude. They allowed God to open their eyes of faith to see and embrace the opportunity placed before them.

Num. 9-11 [The Message]

The Hebrews complained about the Manna. They wanted meat to eat. “OK,” said God. You shall have meat. Moses began thinking, “There isn’t even enough flocks and herds here to feed the Hebrews.” He tried to help God out with his own rationale.

Sue enough, God caused quail to blow in upon them in an unprecedented way. THEY FINALLY HAD MEAT!

My point: God had His own solution for them and it did not depend on any human ingenuity or plan. This is why we hold on to what God says to us and leave the planing and execution of the plan to Him.

God doesn’t need our help. He wants our trust and obedience.

Num. 8 [The Message]

The Levites were to go through a process of purification so they could minister to the Lord ie. do His work. It’s the same today. God puts His people through a refinement process that gets them ready to “Do His Work.”

One of the choruses in Handel’s Messiah is taken from Mal. 3 where it says, “He shall purify the sons of Levi THAT they may offer unto Him an offering in righteousness.” It’s a difficult chorus to sing because of the “melismas,” a group of rapidly sung notes on one word of text. In the same way, God’s purification process is difficult to endure, yet ESSENTIAL to become the purified minister He is looking for.

When you see someone who is being used mightily by God, you can be assured that they have gone through the fire of God’s refining purification process.