The Rabble

Trivia question: How many Israelites left Egypt for The Promised Land? Let's look in the Book of Numbers!

In chapter one God told Moses to count all of the men, 20 years old and above. That number came to 603,550. That's a lot of people! But there were also a great many women, children, and men under the age of 20. A total number is not known. God knows.

Let's assume two million. Two million people walking through the desert. Where did they eat? WHAT did they eat? McDonald's? Nope. God fed them. All two million of them, for 40 years.

After they all left Egypt, it wasn't long before the people complained about having no food, so God gave them manna to eat. Then they got sick of that and complained some more. So God gave them quail to eat. Lots of quail.

"Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” - Numbers 11:4-6

God had provided food to eat for two million people and yet they complained. What's that old saying about biting the hand that feeds us? God was not pleased. At all.

"Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the Lord who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”" - Numbers 11:18-20

God sent the quail. "Two cubits" deep a day's walk in any direction around the camp. And then he sent a plague. A very specific and targeted plague.

"The anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague. Therefore the name of that place was called Kibroth- hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had the craving." - Numbers 11:33-34

God provides many things for us, even today. And yet, we still complain. We don't like the style of worship music, the off-key singing, the brand of coffee used in the fellowship hall, or the color of the carpeting.

We should be grateful for every gift we receive from above, and most of us ARE grateful. But woe to those who God calls "the rabble." And He knows exactly who they are. Don't be part of the rabble and so not complain against God.

Kibroth-hattaavah in the verse above means "Graves of Desire."

The Mannerism Tapes?

If you watched the Green Bay Packers upset the Kansas City Chiefs a few weeks ago you are probably familiar with Keisean Nixon and the interception he made off Patrick Mahomes to save the victory for the Pack. But what you may not know is just how he was able to accomplish it.

In a post-game interview, Nixon told a reporter, "We watched the mannerism tapes earlier in the week. He (Moore #24) tapped his knee." This was a signal to QB Patrick Mahomes that he was going to modify his pass route.

This signal was noted in the Packers' 'mannerism tapes' and Nixon recognized it on the field. He KNEW what play they were going to run. What an advantage!

Think about that for a moment. Humans studied their opponent's signs and actions  to take advantage of them.

Do you think Satan does anything like that with us? Of course he does. He's 'in our head' before even WE are. He plants thoughts in our heads and leads us in directions and actions that God does not want us taking.

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8

If human beings can trap us and take advantage of our thoughts and desires, Satan surely can as well. Be alert!

If someone analyzed OUR tendancies, what would they find? The hidden, secret desires we don't want anyone to know about? We need to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5), find our sinful desires, and purge the evil from within us.

The Book of Deuteronomy, the book Jesus quoted from the most, uses the phrase 'purge the evil from among you' nine times. Do you think that maybe God wants us to not have any evil within us?

What if we turned the tables on the Devil, studied HIS tendancies, and turned his evil plans into living for God's glory instead?

Game over!

Keisean Nixon Interview

How May I Serve You?

"Be careful what you pray for. You just might get it."

Have you ever heard someone say that? I mean, if we pray for something, why would we ever regret receiving what we prayed for? Well.....let me give you an example.

Have you ever prayed to be more patient? God just might give you something that will test your patience. You will struggle, but you will also learn to be patient.

Recently I prayed, asking God how I might serve Him more. I was intentionally not very specific in that prayer, wanting God to choose the way for me to serve. That was Wednesday morning. Thursday afternoon my prayer was answered. 

I can't tell you specifically what happened. Clearly though, God had provided a wonderful way for me to serve Him. And I did so gratefully.

If you are a child of God and you pray earnestly for something dear to your heart, God will answer that prayer.

"Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

How many times do we miss every day opportunities to serve God simply because of our own inability to see them? Or by our own selfish requests in our prayers?

Shouldn't we just pray for God to use is in whatever way He wishes? That's what Jesus prayed for when He said, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

Yes, Jesus did have a personal request in His prayer (take this cup from me), but He ultimately set that aside and prayed for whatever God wanted for Him.

It feels so good to be used by God. It is also an honor. So, why don't we pray that way more often? Good question.

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." - 1 John 5:14

Need vs. Want

How was your Christmas? Did you get everything you wanted? I hope not.

Have you seen the Lexus commercial where the husband and wife give trucks to each other at Christmas? Or the one about the dad who gets a brand new Mercedes with a bow on top?

That's wrong. Those commercials are teaching our children the wrong things about Christmas.

There is a transition that takes place as we grow older between giving and receiving. Between wanting and needing. Sadly, some kids never grow up. And it shows.

My wife and I no longer get gifts for one another at Christmas. Why? We have everything we need. Our wants are few and are usually comprised of things that cannot be purchased. Time together with family, quiet moments together, or alone.

The biggest problem with our society today is that we want everything. Look at all of the democratic presidential candidates. Each one is trying to outdo the other, giving us things. Free healthcare, a free college education. We want free stuff and they're willing to supply it (as long as they can use our money to buy it). But enough of the political.

Those "needs" are all worldly "wants." So, what are our society's needs? How about clean drinking water? Food? Shelter? And what about Jesus?

Jesus is a need in my opinion. What Jesus offers are priceless gifts - eternal life and never-ending love.Those things are "not available in stores."

"He gives us everything we need for life and for holy living. He gives it through His great power. As we come to know Him better, we learn that He called us to share His own shining-greatness and perfect life." - 2 Peter 1:3

Here is my nomination for a new Christmas song. Like most TRUE Christmas songs, it should be sung, not only at Christmas, but always. The chorus goes like this.

"You're all I want. You're all I've ever needed. You're all I want. Help me know you are near."

Jesus should be our every want and every need. So that is my prayer, that Jesus would become everyone's need in this coming new year.

"Help us know You are near."

Draw Me Close - Michael W. Smith

Satisfy Me

Why do foods that are bad for us taste so good? Why do things that are bad for us feel so good? Why do we do the things we do knowing it will get us into trouble later on? There are a couple of reasons. That's easy. We're not thinking about the consequences of our actions and we're thinking about ourselves and our desires.

Think about it. What's the first thing we do when we're born? We cry and complain because someone removed us from our warm, comfortable mommy and turned the lights on! Why?

Chef's like to cook up wonderful tasting things. They taste good and they look good. They also contain a bazillion calories.

When we open the refrigerator door looking for something to eat, why don't we just grab the first thing we see and eat it? I have even opened the door, looked and closed the doors without taking anything out. Why? We're always searching for something that will satisfy our every desire.

Look at our relationships. Why do we continue to "look" when we're already in a relationship? We're always looking for prettier, sexier, more voluptuous, hunkier partners. We're looking for someone to satisfy our sinful desires.

What's the problem? Time to go look in that mirror again.

Have you ever read Romans 1? The whole chapter is quite revealing but I'll just end with the last paragraph.

"28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." - Romans 1:28-32

Where is the hope? How can we end this viciously repetitive cycle of consuming?

Jesus. Pain and simply. Forget self, focus on Jesus and set your self free. Free indeed.

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." - John 8:36

Gimme Gimme Gimme - Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss

Desires of Your Heart

When you are alone, what is it that you think about?  Maybe you're driving in your car or you are sitting in the living room late at night all by yourself, what do you think about? What are your inner most desires? Do they have to do with yourself? Or with God?

Here are five Bible verses. Read them through and then think about their meaning.

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments." - John 14:15

^"30 He must increase, but I must decrease." - John 3:30

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” - Luke 10:27

"Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:8

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35

After reading those five verses, what is it do you think that God wants from us? What should be OUR desire? God wants us to love Him and to love others. That's pretty simple. And in our loving others, God will be made known. So what should be the desire of our hearts?

Should the desires of our hearts have anything to do with us? Read that last verse over again. The one about loving God and loving others. Are WE in there anywhere?

Now read this verse.

^"4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

If our desire is to love God and to love others, God WILL give us the desires of our hearts. And that is to love and to be loved.

I volunteer at a food pantry each month. I have gotten quite close with many of those who come for food. I love them. In volunteering, people demonstrate their love for others, by becoming less.

A woman standing in line looked sad yesterday so I asked her how she was. She said, "It's been a rough week."

"What's wrong?" I asked. She proceeded to tell me how her last remaining child in the area had moved to Colorado and that she was left all alone.

How should I have responded do you think? What could I have done to demonstrate my love for God in this situation? Well, I asked her, "May I pray for you?" She nodded.

The "desire of my heart" was to love others and to love God. I demonstrated my love for God by obeying His commands. I showed my love for my friend by praying for her and taking her to God in prayer. And in return God gave me the desires of my heart - to be loved by my friend and to be loved by my God.

Has God given you the desires of your heart? He will. As long as your desires have nothing to do with you and have everything to do with Him. HE must increase. WE must decrease.

How will we love each other today? How will we demonstrate that love so that God gets the glory? If we can do that, God will give us exactly what we want. And that is an amazing feeling.

 

John7:17 Challenge

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Nichole Nordeman

Being Intentional

Do you ever get those moments in life when something becomes abundantly clear, when before things always seemed cloudy and uncertain? That happens to me quite a bit. What causes the sudden certainty in our lives? Why, and how, do things suddenly become clear?

Perhaps it's some random thought that has been bouncing around in our head for a while and then, one day, we just finally figure out what to do with it. It could be God directing us to do something I guess, where He puts thoughts in our heads? Or maybe it's Satan doing the same thing. How do we know for sure if we should take a leap of faith

I was talking with a friend over the weekend (I think I mentioned this in my last blog post) about being intentional in our lives. What does "being intentional" look like in the world we live in? We can be intentional about taking our the garbage just like we can be intentional about prayer or going to church.

I think that if we are desiring to be intentional about doing something, that desire comes from us NOT doing something. Like eating healthy for example. Nothing makes me want to be intentional about dieting like stepping on the bathroom scale and weighing myself!

What about intentionality in our spiritual lives? Why do we read our Bibles some days and then others we let it slide? Are we too busy? Or are we just unintentional in our reading? And what about our diet? What makes us "tip the scales" in our minds about changing the way we eat or exercise?

I think we want to become intentional when things get bad enough or drift to an extreme to the point we wake up and say, "I have GOT to change something!"

What is the one thing you need to be intentional about? Is it your prayer life? Is it serving others in your community? Or maybe its time to start eating healthy or exercising more than you do. Everybody's got something they could change.

So what's holding us back?

Ourselves.

Our selfish desires.

"That chocolate cake looks SOOO good!"

No!! Be intentional about eating healthy!

I really don't feel like reading my Bible tonight."

Hey, this is God's Word. Perhaps He will reveal something in the scriptures that will change your thoughts . . . like being intentional! LOL!

Can I ask you a question? What made you choose Christ? And, if you haven't yet, why not? What suddenly makes it abundantly clear that we need Jesus in our lives? Are we intentional about seeking Him? Are we intentional in our faith today?

And finally, was there anyone more intentional that Christ? And if we are to become more and more like Him in the things we say and do, shouldn't we also become more intentional in our faith? In our actions? In our love? May we be more intentional today than we were yesterday. And may we be more intentional about sharing God's love and His message today than we have ever been.

Did you ever see the movie Facing The Giants? Remember the scene with the "death crawl"? Brock was intentional about only going a few yards, but his coach was intent on Brock going farther than that. Do you think God is happy with where we are with our faith right now? Or does He want us to be more intentional in the way we do things? DOes He want us to make it to the goal line? Perhaps we should ask Him.

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." - James 1:12

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14

"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." - 2 Peter 1:10

The Intentionality of Christ's Love and The Intentionality of His Death - John Piper

Death Crawl - Facing The Giants