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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

A Generation That Did Not Know God

Judges 2: 10 - "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers (died), another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel." This theme is repeated throughout the old testament and especially in the book of Judges. Why couldn't the knowledge of God be passed to the next generation? My hearts desire is that I would raise up a generation after me that will know and Follow God even more than I do. Two things I noticed in the reading of Israel as they took the promised land God gave them. The first is that the generation that proceeded the generation that didn't know God was always in a battle. They were fighting to take what God had given them as a result of His covenant with them. Was the next generation involved in the fighting or were they spectators that never experienced a fight nor were they taught to fight. We as the first generation can get so caught up in fighting spiritual battles that we forget to teach the next how to fight. The next generation never learned to know God in the midst of battle. They never experienced His faithfulness to drive out the enemy before His people. They never experienced these things for themselves but were benefactors of the blessing God was given there fathers. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into the captivity to the obedience of Christ. We as Christians are in a warfare and God has given us spiritual weapons that we can and will win with. Are we giving these weapons to the next generation and teaching them to use them or are they sitting back and watching us fight. The other thing I saw is that the first generation didn't fully obey God in that they did not fully drive out the inhabitants of the promised land. One generations disobedience can be the cause of the next generations curse. Future generations will suffer the consequences of the prior generations wrongs. The first generation disobeyed God and consequently began to take on the idolatry of the people they did not drive out. When we become friends with the world through sin and compromise we cause the next generations vision to be cloudy. We introduce them to another god and instead of knowing and experiencing the true God they are introduced and began to know a god we have made with our own hands and imaginations. Rms 1 clearly points this out. Rm 1:21 -"because although they knew God, they did not glorify His as God (did not fully obey Him) nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four footed animals and creeping things." When one generation does not fully glorify God through their lives the progression begins as mentioned in the verse. Futile thoughts and foolish hearts become darkened so that in this condition another god is made that is full of corruption. What is left for the next generation is a god that has been made up from minds that became futile and hearts that were darkened. We must get back to knowing the God of the bible and teach Him and His ways to the next generation. As Christians we have been given the Holy Spirit who will bring revelation to us all as we follow Christ. We must pray as Paul prayed for the generation that would follow him (Eph 1:15-19). Father give us and the next generation the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. Amen!!!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Wisdom Speaks

Over the past few days I have been writing from the topic of treasuring Jesus and His words. Through reading Proverbs 7-9 I have noticed a reoccurring word, wisdom. Wisdom seems to come as a result of having Jesus and His word as your treasure. According to 1 Cor 1:30 Jesus is to us the wisdom from God. As Christ and His word are the center of our lives we can know wisdom. Wisdom is a person. Go through and read Proverbs 8 and 9 and place Jesus in the place of the word wisdom. Prov 8:1 Does not Jesus cry out. We know in Mt 11:30 Jesus cried out come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. We know that he cried from the hill of Calvary "it is finished". (Vs 2) He takes his stand on top of the high hill beside the way where the paths meet. Jesus talked about two paths in the scriptures (Mt 7:14), the broad way that leads to death and the narrow way that leads to life everlasting. He stands at the point of the two paths choose Him and His ways and you choose the narrow way that leads to everlasting life. Reject Him and His ways and you choose the broad way that leads to death. (Vs 3) Jesus is at the door knocking (Rev 3:20), to him that opens that door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens that door Jesus will come in and commune with him. Wow that is powerful. But we must hear His voice and open the door. Our responsibility is to hear His voice and open the door by following and obeying His voice. Fellowship with Jesus awaits all who will hear his voice and obey Him. (Vs 6-9) Listen, for I will speak excellent things and from the opening of my lips will come right things; For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips all the words of My mouth are with righteousness nothing crooked are perverse is in them, they are plain to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge. What a wonderfact that wisdom speaks and what He speaks is always truth never crooked or perverse only righteous. So will be the man who follows the words of wisdom. He will be a man of righteousness, truth and no perverse way. Lord may we be filled with wisdom by being filled with the wisdom from above, Jesus Christ. Amen!!!!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Seductress

Yesterday I shared a word on treasuring The words of Jesus in our hearts. My inspiration came from Prv 7:1. The rest of Prv 7 gives the reason we should treasure and obey His word. Verse 4 say to wisdom, You are my sister and call understanding your nearest kin. Verse 5 - That they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words. When we put the most value in hearing, keeping and obeying His word understanding and wisdom become a part of who we are. True understanding and wisdom can only come from treasuring His word. Now this verse could apply literally to a immoral woman wanting to catch someone in adultery. But I think the meaning is deeper than that because there are things in this world that are continually calling out to us to seduce us into committing adultery against Christ. Seduce means to entice lead astray. Verse 12 At times outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner. The immoral woman can be openly apparent or she can be subtly hidden. Col 2:8 - Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit: according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. This verse describes the things that will seduce us into leaving our relationship with Christ. We should beware and make sure we are not being led astray by other voices that seem right and are very attractive but the end of following them is death. Jesus is the only way to life and peace. There is no other way to abundant life but through hearing and obeying Jesus. In verse 7 of Col 2 we are encourages to be rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as we have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Roots come out of a seed and are the foundation of a plant. The words of Christ are seeds that are planted in out hearts. As these words are planted in our hearts they become nourished and watered by the Holy Spirit and become plants that produce the fruit of Christ in our lives. These words abound inthe life of a faithful christian. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God (Rms 10:17). Lord I pray that we may be rooted and grounded in You and Your words and keep us from the immoral woman. Amen!!!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Where Your Treasure Is There Your Heart Will Be

In Mt 6:21 Jesus states "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also". Jesus said alot about treasures in the scripture. A treasure could be defined as something that you value the most. I was reading this morning in Prov. 7:1 "My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands within you." Solomon is instructing his son to make sure that he treasures keeping his words and commands within him (his heart). This principle is repeated throughout the bible. The foundation of all Christianity is that we are to put the most value in keeping and obeying the words of Jesus. Its the proof that Jesus is Lord of your life. In Lk 6:46--49 Jesus would explain to all that hearing and obeying His words is the paramount way to proof that He is Lord and that we are built on Him as our foundation. The words of Jesus are more valuable than gold that will perish. They give riches that money can never give. His word will never fade away but endures forever (1 Pet 1:25). Jesus said that what you treasure the most is where your heart will be. Mt 6:19-20, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moths nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal". To lay up treasures in heaven is to first treasure His words and His commands and as we obey and follow them we are laying up treasures in heaven. Lord help me to put your word as my greatest treasure on earth. May hearing and obeying it be the center of my heart. Amen!!!

Monday, April 6, 2009

At the Allen's
















































This week we met at the Allen's house. We had a wonderful lunch of ham, baked potato casserole, white beans, and two different desserts; a raspberry torte and a pound cake with strawberries. We talked about hearing the Voice of the Lord. Sara red the children a story that taught them about Jesus's death, burial, and Resurrection.