Saturday, March 10, 2007

Title: True Lies / Topic: Miracles

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 14; Deuteronomy 15; Galatians 1

Scripture: Deuteronomy 13:1-3
1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Observation: Liars can do miracles. Just because someone can pull off a miraculous sign or wonder is not guarantee that they speak the truth. Now I like and long for miracles as much as the next guy -- I mean I really want to see miracles! But miracles, in and of themselves, can be a tool used by Satan against God's kingdom. I just find it interesting that God, through Moses, acknowledges that miracle power resides in the evil part of the spiritual realm. Miracles are great, but they must be coupled with truth.

Application: This requires a grounding in the scriptures, the historical church, accountable relationships, and being under authority. What I mean is that knowledge of the word is essential, because the written revelation through the Bible gives us the foundation of understanding of God's nature. But that alone is inadequate -- most cult leaders had great biblical knowledge. One has also to add the other three factors. An understanding of and appreciation for the historical church helps to keep me from thinking more highly of myself than I ought. I love what my spiritual predecessors experienced and accomplished as they went before me. We stand on their shoulders. To reject what went before with a "we need to start fresh" notion is pure folly. We know now what we know because of the trial and error of the historical church. I cannot function independently of it for without it the opportunity to function progressively would not exist. Second, accountable relationships are essential. I must have people who truly know and love me, but who don't worship me. These are true friends who aren't afraid to ask the tough questions, or challenge me, or call me on the carpet. They will help keep me level-headed and true to my convictions. Third, I require a structure of authority over me. Lone ranger, independent types face a kind of danger that will almost always manifest itself in some kind of significant unhealth or imbalance. There are loads of people out there preaching the kingdom who are a law unto themselves. It is not hard for these to begin building their own kingdom instead of God's in these circumstances.

Bottom line: True miracles can be performed by false ministers and can confuse and lead people astray. Stay centered in God with the word, relationships, and submission to authority as your partners.

Prayer: Lord, I ask for miracles and truth. Help us to find and excel in both.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Title: Precision Prescription / Topic: Worship

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 10; Deuteronomy 11; Deuteronomy 12; Mark 16

Scripture: Deuteronomy 12:8, 13-14, 17-18
8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit...
13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. 14 Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you...
17 You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. 18 Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose...

Observation: Worship is prescribed carefully by Moses. What to do, when to do it, how to do it, who is to do it, and where to do it are all laid out with precise detail. Worship of God was not to be a "do your own thing" proposition. The idea that a person could "get creative" with his own style of worshipping God is not in the cards. In fact, the one time that a couple of priests "got creative" got them killed. Moses says, speaking for God, do it exactly this way. Period.

Application: We tend to be a little too casual in our approach to God, I think. We can learn something from these scriptures about obedience, and seriousness and intensity in worship. I don't think this takes the joy out of worship. I think it makes worship stronger and more impactful. It's about Him. It's not about us. Let's press in to know and worship the Lord better.

Prayer: Lord, that's my prayer: to know You and worship You better. Show me what to do to make it happen.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Title: The Selfless Servant / Topic: Intercessory Leadership

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 7; Deuteronomy 8; Deuteronomy 9; Mark 15

Scripture: Deuteronomy 9:25-27
25 I lay prostrate before the LORD those forty days and forty nights because the LORD had said he would destroy you. 26 I prayed to the LORD and said, "O Sovereign LORD, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin.

Observation: I just marvel at Moses. Here he is giving his farewell address to the nation. And he reminds them of their history of rebellion against God and against Moses himself. But what gets me about Moses is how he always intercedes for the people. He has the heart of a servant to stand between God and the people, even offering himself as a sacrifice to save them. He is the picture of a true selfless intercessor. In this passage, he interceded with fasting before the Lord for 40 days. Amazing.

Application: Moses is an inspiration to love people -- imperfect people (which is the only kind there are), and to love them at great personal cost. I can get complainy and fall into self pity when I don't feel as appreciated or supported as I would like. But Moses is a challenge to that kind of self-focused thinking. He really took his people's well being as his greatest priority.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be a better intercessor and a more consistently self-sacrificing servant. You have called me to a great privilege. I choose to, with Your empowerment, become a great leader and intercessor and servant to those You have called me and blessed me to serve.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Title: Pay Attention / Topic: Reminders

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 5; Deuteronomy 6; Psalm 43; Mark 14

Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 12
6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates...
12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Observation: The instruction here is impressive. The list of ways to reinforce the commandments into our lives ongoingly is significant. God has gone through the effort to give us His commandments -- His ways to live that truly bring life. Now it's up to us to inculcate them into our minds and hearts and lives.

Application: Be careful. That the bottom line. We must engage care -- we must be intentional if we are to keep what God has said to us front and center. There are a myriad of distractions any one of which can divert our focus and compromise our attentiveness to the direction that God wants us to live. So we must surround ourselves with reminders of what He has told us. God's revelation must be central to our lives, our families, our conversations, our thoughts, our everything.

Prayer: Lord, help me to keep You in the bulls eye of my mind's focus. Help me to establish reminders in my life to keep me from distractions and diversions. I want my life to be about You and Your will for me.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Title: The Assignment / Topic: God's Will

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 3; Deuteronomy 4; Psalm 36; Mark 13

Scripture: Mark 13:34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

Observation/Application: As I read this, I noticed that each of the man's servants has an "assigned task." It makes me wonder if I am on task. I mean, if tasks are assigned, I want to be staying on task -- I want to be all about completing whatever it is that God wants me to do. It would do no good to be doing great at something that God doesn't want me to be doing at all.

Prayer: Lord, I want to do what You want me to do. Help me to find it and do it. If what I'm doing isn't it, let me know so I can get on it.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Title: You're Blessing Them? / Topic: Big God

Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 1; Deuteronomy 2; Mark 12

Scripture: Deuteronomy 2:4-6, 9
4 "...'You are about to pass through the territory of your brothers the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir. They will be afraid of you, but be very careful. 5 Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on. I have given Esau the hill country of Seir as his own. 6 You are to pay them in silver for the food you eat and the water you drink.' "...
9 Then the LORD said to me, "Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession."

Observation: It is interesting that God, in directing His "chosen people" to their promised land, warns them to not bother some other people because they are the recipients of blessings from God. Both the descendants of Esau and the descendants of Lot are singled out as having special protection and provision from God. Interesting...

Application: I tend to think that God's a certain exclusivity to certain groups, like the nation of Israel and Christian people. So if you don't belong to one or both of these groups, too bad for you. But God here not only has extended territorial blessing to these people, He warns the Jews to give them a wide berth or they will suffer.

This just reminds me that God can bless whomever He pleases. He is not restrained to my BOX. Whenever I feel a little bothered with God's choice and I want to ask, "You're blessing them?", I need to remember that He is God and I am not, and I am asking God to help me to become bigger so I can get out of my BOX.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that You are so grand and so expansive. You go way beyond my ability to grasp even the possibilities. So help me to be bigger, like You, and understand the boundless nature of Your love. Help me to love like You do.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Title: Invisible But Deadly / Topic: Spiritual Pollution

Today’s Reading: Numbers 34; Numbers 35; Numbers 36; Mark 11

Scripture: Numbers 35:33-34
33 "'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. 34 Do not defile the land where you live...'"

Observation: This idea that "bloodshed pollutes the land" is a scary one to me. We live in a pretty violent society where there is so much violence and bloodshed. And the verse goes on to say that the only remedy is the death of the perpetrator. Our culture has turned away from capital punishment and it makes me wonder what spiritual pollution has been loosed on us all. Is it any wonder that our moral foundations appear to be crumbling around us?

Application: This reminds me of the words of Paul, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Ephesians 5:15-17)

And we need to intercede for our nation. It is time for the church to take this role of intercession much more seriously.

Prayer: Lord, have mercy on us for our many failings as a nation. Lord, I confess the bloodshed and violence that has become so common in our land, Lord. I ask You to bring Your power to bear to stem the tide of violence and bloodshed. May a new generation that shuns such offenses rise up, a generation that seeks You anew. May our land have a renewal by a new spiritual awakening in our people. Lord, send revival and heal our land.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.