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God’s message to me: Never forget God whom you serve. Never forget His other servants. Never forget to stand with those who stand with God. Never place yourself above others who serve God. Never stand against those who serve God. Never, Ever, ever forget God’s chosen people Israel. There is no replacement of the covenant with Israel. We are grafted into the family of God and joint heirs with the family of Abraham but, we have not replaced them. They are our brother. They were born to the family, we are adopted. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, pray for the strength of Israel.
Promises: God will give you the desires of your heart, He will give you ease, rest, wealth, health, supply and comfort and all the rest. He will clear your enemies from before you and give you the power to strike such fear in them that one of you can chase 1,000 of them, so long as you serve and love Him. Turn from the path of faith, serve false gods and betray your faith in Jehovah, and He can swiftly bring on you the destruction He brought on those who refused Him and stood against you in the past.
Commands: Choose today, whom you will serve. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Timeless principles: In times of ease, it is easy to forget the Powerful Hand of God which brought you through the times of turmoil. It’s convenient to adapt to what is around you and easy to fall into false worship. It’s easy to forget worship altogether. It’s easy to forget God’s commands and look to enrich yourself at the expense of your tithes, offerings, and following the moral behaviors God set down for you. That is when God will punish your actions and bring you to misery in order to refocus your attention on the One who can bring you out of trouble.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: The world is filled with tempting ideas. Tendrils of false religion pretending to be acceptable within the true faith. Astrology, yoga, transcendental meditation, “biblical evolution” and so many more. Make no mistake, these are false religions serving false gods. An image you set up in your mind of a god that does not match the God of the bible is a false god and graven image. The loving god incapable of dooming anyone to hell is a false god. The god who uses evolution to accomplish his goals instead of simply speaking things into existence is a false god. Recognize and reject false gods and false religions. Choose to follow I AM unequivocally, and do not turn from that path. Do not turn your worship to any false methods that are not in keeping with what is commanded in the bible.
more to learn for in-depth study: These passages start by describing the events following the wars to conquer the promised land. The Tribes which had land on the other side of the Jordan River were given leave to return to their homes after the land had been conquered for the other tribes. They built an alter to be a reminder that they were indeed part of the tribes of Israel and followers of Jehovah just as their brethren in the promised land were.
The next portion is a description of the events around 25 years later just before Joshua dies. He reminds the Israelites that they serve a jealous God. Those who choose to serve God and then turn away to follow false gods can expect swift revenge from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israelite history starts with the father of Abraham in the land on the other side of the Euphrates. There the serving of false God’s was common. Abraham was brought into the promised land and traveled through out it as did his son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob. Jacob’s brother was given the mountain lands which is now Edom while Jacob, then called Israel, moved his family to Egypt. where other false gods were served. God brought them out of Egypt, through the wilderness and into the promised land where He fought for them and overcame the enemies in the land so they could inherit it. He drove out the others because they followed false gods, and some still dwelt in the land that followed false gods. Jacob warned the Israelites to choose to follow the One, True God, Jehovah or be brought down by Him for disobedience.
Finally, the passage reminds us that the bones of Joseph were brought out of Egypt with the Israelites. They are finally buried in the tomb of the patriarchs which Abraham purchased in the land to bury His wife and later became the burial place for Himself, Isaac, Isaac’s wife, Jacob’s wife and Jacob himself in a funeral attended by the royal guard of Egypt. Joseph made the Israelites promise to bury him there as well when the time came that God brought them out to inherit the land He had promised them.
tomorrow: Judges 1-3
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Joshua 19-21
God’s message to me: Life is not an endless struggle. God gives us an inheritance which we must claim. It may be a ministry, a job, a business or something else. We have to go out and take it. This fits a classic saying I heard from someone I used to work with. “Work really hard for 10 years and manage your finances through it and you will never need to work again.” The man was a financial advisor and knew his job well.
We will need to work for what is ours and, that begins with knowing what is ours. God intended us to do great things but discovering which great things involves a little study, prayer and soul searching. Once we know our destination we can start heading there and once we arrive we can enjoy it in peace. The Israelites fought several years of war to take their land and then rested on it in peace. The priests and Levites worked until a certain age and then retired. The people, generally, spent several years building their business or developing their lands and then could enjoy their wealth afterward.
Today we work until retirement and then rest. Many see retirement as 65 or older but the truth of what my friend told me is inescapable. The bible has something like 4 verses on money management for every verse it has on prayer. If we manage our money properly and are willing to work hard to earn it for a few years we can retire much sooner. Some are able to find a job doing what they love and, as such, they never feel like they are working. Such people rarely retire. Some will feel a duty to continue for others. First responders, soldiers, doctors and the like may feel they need to continue as long as they can be effective. The rest of us will retire as soon as the finances say we can.
Consider this, starting when you begin to work, you should look to save money for your future. Most young people have the retirement at 65 so ingrained that they don’t even think they can do otherwise unless they hit the lottery. Savings isn’t a priority. If the work statement is true a young person with a decent job at 18 could retire at 28-33 years old and spend the rest of their life financially free and capable of pursuing interests that they love. Some of those interests may even be profitable. I have seen the results of this with military people. Joining the military at 18 they pursue a 20 year career and retire with a military pension and benefits at 38. Still quite young they take advantage of military finance programs to get business loans with easy terms and start a second career without a boss. 20 years of military discipline tends to make them a little more successful than average and whether they pursue the new business for 10 years or longer they never have to concern themselves to much with money. Imagine retiring from your first career after 20 years with a pension and substantial retirement savings because you had low expenses in the military or, as a civilian, you worked more than one job and pushed to make the extra money. Your 38 years old and have nearly $1.5 million in your retirement account. That’s calculated starting from a part time minimum wage job with 5% growth in income per year for 20 years. That barely beats inflation and the savings went from 20% at 18 down to 5% at the end of 20 years assuming a drop in savings as the person moves into their own place, gets married and has kids. God can do it for you and for your children.
Promises: God will give you rest. When the Israelites obeyed His will they had to fight for their goals a few years and then could rest from battle and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Fields they didn’t plant, homes they didn’t build, fortunes they didn’t seek all earned through the efforts to claim the land God gave them and remove the ones God rejected from the land. Is that so different from working a few years in a job.
Commands: Claim what God has intended for you. You can never enjoy the gifts of God until you claim them. Salvation by grace is the greatest gift of all but until you accept it and claim it for your own you will never see the gates of heaven.
Timeless principles: I mentioned it earlier and I’ll repeat it. “Work hard for 10-15 years and manage your money and you will never have to work again.”
How can I apply what I’ve learned: The bible is filled with advice on stewardship and there are plenty of resources available in the secular world as well. Find the job that God intended you for and do it. Don’t be worried about failure, if you do what He wants you cannot fail. Manage your resources and your finances(don’t forget your tithes and offerings) and prepare for the future. You will find rest. Remember the lesson of Joseph. By setting aside 20% of the crop during the years of plenty Egypt had enough food to keep it’s own people and those of surrounding countries fed during 7 years of famine. They sold their stockpiles at profit so that at the end of those 14 years they were among the richest kingdoms on earth.
more to learn for in-depth study: These chapters complete the promise of the promised land. The remaining land is divided among the Israelites, Joshua Inherits the choice city he spied out and the cities of the Levites are given to them with the cities of refuge assigned. The tribes conquer all enemies and are given rest with no enemy willing to stand against them. The tribe of Dan even takes territory outside the assigned boundaries when a neighboring country starts a bit of a skirmish and looses. The tribe of Dan conquered the neighbor took the city and inhabited the land.
tomorrow: Joshua 22-24
We will need to work for what is ours and, that begins with knowing what is ours. God intended us to do great things but discovering which great things involves a little study, prayer and soul searching. Once we know our destination we can start heading there and once we arrive we can enjoy it in peace. The Israelites fought several years of war to take their land and then rested on it in peace. The priests and Levites worked until a certain age and then retired. The people, generally, spent several years building their business or developing their lands and then could enjoy their wealth afterward.
Today we work until retirement and then rest. Many see retirement as 65 or older but the truth of what my friend told me is inescapable. The bible has something like 4 verses on money management for every verse it has on prayer. If we manage our money properly and are willing to work hard to earn it for a few years we can retire much sooner. Some are able to find a job doing what they love and, as such, they never feel like they are working. Such people rarely retire. Some will feel a duty to continue for others. First responders, soldiers, doctors and the like may feel they need to continue as long as they can be effective. The rest of us will retire as soon as the finances say we can.
Consider this, starting when you begin to work, you should look to save money for your future. Most young people have the retirement at 65 so ingrained that they don’t even think they can do otherwise unless they hit the lottery. Savings isn’t a priority. If the work statement is true a young person with a decent job at 18 could retire at 28-33 years old and spend the rest of their life financially free and capable of pursuing interests that they love. Some of those interests may even be profitable. I have seen the results of this with military people. Joining the military at 18 they pursue a 20 year career and retire with a military pension and benefits at 38. Still quite young they take advantage of military finance programs to get business loans with easy terms and start a second career without a boss. 20 years of military discipline tends to make them a little more successful than average and whether they pursue the new business for 10 years or longer they never have to concern themselves to much with money. Imagine retiring from your first career after 20 years with a pension and substantial retirement savings because you had low expenses in the military or, as a civilian, you worked more than one job and pushed to make the extra money. Your 38 years old and have nearly $1.5 million in your retirement account. That’s calculated starting from a part time minimum wage job with 5% growth in income per year for 20 years. That barely beats inflation and the savings went from 20% at 18 down to 5% at the end of 20 years assuming a drop in savings as the person moves into their own place, gets married and has kids. God can do it for you and for your children.
Promises: God will give you rest. When the Israelites obeyed His will they had to fight for their goals a few years and then could rest from battle and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Fields they didn’t plant, homes they didn’t build, fortunes they didn’t seek all earned through the efforts to claim the land God gave them and remove the ones God rejected from the land. Is that so different from working a few years in a job.
Commands: Claim what God has intended for you. You can never enjoy the gifts of God until you claim them. Salvation by grace is the greatest gift of all but until you accept it and claim it for your own you will never see the gates of heaven.
Timeless principles: I mentioned it earlier and I’ll repeat it. “Work hard for 10-15 years and manage your money and you will never have to work again.”
How can I apply what I’ve learned: The bible is filled with advice on stewardship and there are plenty of resources available in the secular world as well. Find the job that God intended you for and do it. Don’t be worried about failure, if you do what He wants you cannot fail. Manage your resources and your finances(don’t forget your tithes and offerings) and prepare for the future. You will find rest. Remember the lesson of Joseph. By setting aside 20% of the crop during the years of plenty Egypt had enough food to keep it’s own people and those of surrounding countries fed during 7 years of famine. They sold their stockpiles at profit so that at the end of those 14 years they were among the richest kingdoms on earth.
more to learn for in-depth study: These chapters complete the promise of the promised land. The remaining land is divided among the Israelites, Joshua Inherits the choice city he spied out and the cities of the Levites are given to them with the cities of refuge assigned. The tribes conquer all enemies and are given rest with no enemy willing to stand against them. The tribe of Dan even takes territory outside the assigned boundaries when a neighboring country starts a bit of a skirmish and looses. The tribe of Dan conquered the neighbor took the city and inhabited the land.
tomorrow: Joshua 22-24
Monday, March 9, 2009
the other resolution
Weighing in at 234.2# this week. Not much of a loss but, I usually weigh in before getting into the coffee. That way I’m retaining as little as possible for the day. I’ve already gone through half a pot before I got on the scale today. Not the best way to start the day I know but, I’m a caffeine fiend. I also have done a lousy job with my diet this week. Eating to little some days and to much on others, not consistent on breakfast or drinking water. The fact is I’m probably lucky to loose the pound I did.
Like the lesson for the day, I'm not going to reach my potential until I get control of my eating habits.
Like the lesson for the day, I'm not going to reach my potential until I get control of my eating habits.
Joshua 16-18
God’s message to me: Interestingly, this passage was used in my pastor’s sermon yesterday. He discussed the children of Manaseh, one of the sons of Joseph, had been allotted an inheritance which they failed to take. They saw the enemy and decided it wasn’t worth the fight. Then they came to Joshua and the High priest wanting to know why they didn’t have enough land for their large tribe.
Joshua asked them why they hadn’t taken what was theirs. The local inhabitants had repelled them with little or no fighting. Joshua told them to take the land and not be afraid of the locals because God had given them the land and they couldn’t fail.
The pastor was teaching on living up to your potential. The tribe of Manaseh was not living up to their potential because they let fear and laziness get in their way. In addition to that lesson this was a time for Joshua to see the other tribes were growing as well. Several tribes had no inheritance yet because much of the land had not been conquered yet.
Joshua sent spies into the unconquered land to survey it and divide it in lots so that the remaining tribes could have their tribal lands. When they returned with the map divided into seven regions for the seven remaining tribes Joshua and Eleazar cast lots to decide which territory would go to which tribe. From there it would just be a matter of conquering the land and moving that tribe into it. This passage ends halfway through describing the borders of the lots and which tribe inherited each.
Promises: God has given us the potential to do great things. We don’t get to sit around waiting for it, we need to find out what it is and take it. The bible is filled with God’s promises to us. Only by studying it can we learn what we are supposed to have and supposed to be. If it is promised to you in the bible it is yours for the taking and nothing can stand in your way.
Commands: Once we have learned what God has in store for us it is our job to take it. This isn’t a tough or dangerous chore but it does require action. If you won a mansion on 80 acres of land in California you wouldn’t have any reason to complain about not getting it while you continued to sit in your New York apartment. You can’t have what you won’t take. You would have to go to California and claim it.
Timeless principles: You will never live up to your potential until you act on that potential. No one gets elected to the presidency of the United States by sitting on their couch and complaining about public policy. They must get up and take action, sharing their opinion, forming policy plans and campaigning for the office. Ross Perot did a great job of pointing out the problems the country faced while most other politicians were trying to keep attention off the real problems. The major reason he didn’t get elected is that he was doing an advanced version of sitting on the couch and complaining. He pointed out many problems but proposed very few solutions. The solutions he did propose were not much different from what others proposed. Mr. Perot did half the job. If he had completed the job and developed strategies for fixing the problems he may have been one of the most influential men of the 20th century.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Find out what I am meant for and do it. God has a plan for each of us and has promised a great many things to all of us. By studying the bible we can find out what we are meant for. By actively going out and taking what we have been promised we can prosper beyond our wildest dreams. This doesn’t mean stealing and it doesn’t have to mean war. If you do what God designed you for you will win. If he meant you to be a truck driver then get in a truck and do your best, you will prosper and do well as long as you keep trucking, at least until God shows you that He wants you elsewhere. If he meant for you to be an executive then learn what it takes to be good at the job and look for a place to work where you can demonstrate your ability. You will soon find yourself moving up the ladder of advancement to the position of authority and prosperity God meant you for.
more to learn for in-depth study: This section and those around it give the borders of the land of Israel and the borders of each tribal land as well as the cities they inherited. For those interested in the details it wouldn’t be hard to figure these out using a map of the region and a little research. Many of the cities are still there in some form and a little research can find the locations of those that no longer exist.
tomorrow: Joshua 19-21
Joshua asked them why they hadn’t taken what was theirs. The local inhabitants had repelled them with little or no fighting. Joshua told them to take the land and not be afraid of the locals because God had given them the land and they couldn’t fail.
The pastor was teaching on living up to your potential. The tribe of Manaseh was not living up to their potential because they let fear and laziness get in their way. In addition to that lesson this was a time for Joshua to see the other tribes were growing as well. Several tribes had no inheritance yet because much of the land had not been conquered yet.
Joshua sent spies into the unconquered land to survey it and divide it in lots so that the remaining tribes could have their tribal lands. When they returned with the map divided into seven regions for the seven remaining tribes Joshua and Eleazar cast lots to decide which territory would go to which tribe. From there it would just be a matter of conquering the land and moving that tribe into it. This passage ends halfway through describing the borders of the lots and which tribe inherited each.
Promises: God has given us the potential to do great things. We don’t get to sit around waiting for it, we need to find out what it is and take it. The bible is filled with God’s promises to us. Only by studying it can we learn what we are supposed to have and supposed to be. If it is promised to you in the bible it is yours for the taking and nothing can stand in your way.
Commands: Once we have learned what God has in store for us it is our job to take it. This isn’t a tough or dangerous chore but it does require action. If you won a mansion on 80 acres of land in California you wouldn’t have any reason to complain about not getting it while you continued to sit in your New York apartment. You can’t have what you won’t take. You would have to go to California and claim it.
Timeless principles: You will never live up to your potential until you act on that potential. No one gets elected to the presidency of the United States by sitting on their couch and complaining about public policy. They must get up and take action, sharing their opinion, forming policy plans and campaigning for the office. Ross Perot did a great job of pointing out the problems the country faced while most other politicians were trying to keep attention off the real problems. The major reason he didn’t get elected is that he was doing an advanced version of sitting on the couch and complaining. He pointed out many problems but proposed very few solutions. The solutions he did propose were not much different from what others proposed. Mr. Perot did half the job. If he had completed the job and developed strategies for fixing the problems he may have been one of the most influential men of the 20th century.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Find out what I am meant for and do it. God has a plan for each of us and has promised a great many things to all of us. By studying the bible we can find out what we are meant for. By actively going out and taking what we have been promised we can prosper beyond our wildest dreams. This doesn’t mean stealing and it doesn’t have to mean war. If you do what God designed you for you will win. If he meant you to be a truck driver then get in a truck and do your best, you will prosper and do well as long as you keep trucking, at least until God shows you that He wants you elsewhere. If he meant for you to be an executive then learn what it takes to be good at the job and look for a place to work where you can demonstrate your ability. You will soon find yourself moving up the ladder of advancement to the position of authority and prosperity God meant you for.
more to learn for in-depth study: This section and those around it give the borders of the land of Israel and the borders of each tribal land as well as the cities they inherited. For those interested in the details it wouldn’t be hard to figure these out using a map of the region and a little research. Many of the cities are still there in some form and a little research can find the locations of those that no longer exist.
tomorrow: Joshua 19-21
Weekly Assignment
Monday: Joshua 16-18
Tuesday: Joshua 19-21
Wednesday: Joshua 22-24
Thursday: Judges
Friday: Judges
Saturday: Judges
Sunday: Judges
Mondays post is late and these Sunday posts are really late. I need to go back to reading ahead so I can keep these posts on time. I guess that's my project for today.
Tuesday: Joshua 19-21
Wednesday: Joshua 22-24
Thursday: Judges
Friday: Judges
Saturday: Judges
Sunday: Judges
Mondays post is late and these Sunday posts are really late. I need to go back to reading ahead so I can keep these posts on time. I guess that's my project for today.
Joshua 12-15
God’s message to me: The idea that people deteriorate as they age is a human failing. For those who followed God and stood strong for Him, the bible shows us long lives of good health. Moses and Aaron both walked to their own funerals. Despite being in their 80’s Joshua and Caleb were still as healthy and strong as when they had been in their forties and younger. Both were still capable soldiers who could go into, fight, survive and walk out of a battlefield not only safe but victorious.
Promises: God delivers. He promised Joshua and Caleb they would inherit the land they spied out because they wholly followed the Lord. Alone ,out of the people of Israel who came from Egypt, These two survived to enter the Promised Land. They had been spies at the age of 40, they had wandered with the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, they had fought in the promised land for 5 years. Caleb asked for the mountain which was Kirjath Arba, named for the Father of Anak whose name is the origin of the name Anakim which refers to Giants. This mountain was still under control of the Giants but, Caleb was still as capable a warrior at 85 as he had been at 40 and he knew God would let him overcome the giants because he had been promised the land as his inheritance. He overcame Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, Giants of the sons of Anak and named the land Hebron.
Commands: Do what God commands and prosper. God told the Israelites to conquer the promised land but, they chickened out and wound up wandering the wilderness for 40 years until that generation died. A few tried to change their minds but were immediately defeated in battle. When the next generation went into the promised land they had no trouble defeating each and every enemy they encountered. They conquered the enemies, enjoyed they spoils of war and divided the land amongst themselves to form the country of Israel. 12 tribes inhabiting land once ruled by over 30 kings. That’s no small nation. God prospered the Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just as He had promised. The best part was that He wasn’t close to finished.
Timeless principles: God delivers in due time. The population of Israel had grown large and they took a lot of land as their inheritance but, they did not take all they had been promised. God gave them what they could manage at their current size then allowed a time of peace in which they were not attacked and did not attack others so that they could grow and prosper some more until they were ready to expand into the rest of the promised land.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Never doubt God. Few people, even the if they were the most die hard devil dog Marines, would consider trying to attack and conquer a mountain kingdom ruled and inhabited by giants. Caleb asked for exactly that opportunity because he knew that God had promised him he would inherit the land he had spied out. That mountain full of giants had been one of his assignments and he wanted it.
more to learn for in-depth study: Before entering the promised land, Moses led the children of Israel to victory over Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan a rephaim giant. The lands of these kingdoms were divided between the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, who saw it as good grazing land and land to raise livestock. These tribes had a large amount of livestock and saw this as the perfect land for them.
The rest of the Israelites settled inside the promised land on the other side of the Jordan after defeating: the Hitites the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. They also had to defeat the kings of Jericho, Ai Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, Lasharon, Madon, Hazor, Shimron Meron, Achshaph, Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jokneam in Carmel, Dor in the heights of Dor, the people of Gilgal, and Tirzah. 31 kings and their armies and peoples.
They weren’t nearly finished. As God had promised He allowed them to conquer what they could handle and left the rest for when they had grown enough to make use of the land. Still to conquer was all of the Philistine territory and that of the Geshurites. The land from Sihor, east of Egypt to the border of Ekron in the north which is considered Canaanite territory. The five lords of the Philistines, the Gazites, Ashdodites, Ashkelonites, Gittites, Ekronites and Avites. All the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek to the border of the Amorites and the land of the Gebalites and all of Lebanon toward the east from Baal Gad below mount Hermon to the entrance to Hamath also where left to conquer. In fact, they also still needed to take the mountains of Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth and all of the Sidonians.
Balaam son of Beor is mentioned here again. Balaam was hired to curse Israel but God made him bless them instead. Balaam accepted money to do something God wouldn’t let him do. He could have, and even started to, turn down the job but, he accepted the money and went to work. God took control and blessed Israel through him but, for accepting the commission to curse them Balaam was marked among the enemy and killed in that war.
The Israelites failed to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites during this first series of wars. The rest of the territory and how it was devided between the tribes is described in detail in these passages.
tomorrow: Joshua 16-18
Promises: God delivers. He promised Joshua and Caleb they would inherit the land they spied out because they wholly followed the Lord. Alone ,out of the people of Israel who came from Egypt, These two survived to enter the Promised Land. They had been spies at the age of 40, they had wandered with the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, they had fought in the promised land for 5 years. Caleb asked for the mountain which was Kirjath Arba, named for the Father of Anak whose name is the origin of the name Anakim which refers to Giants. This mountain was still under control of the Giants but, Caleb was still as capable a warrior at 85 as he had been at 40 and he knew God would let him overcome the giants because he had been promised the land as his inheritance. He overcame Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, Giants of the sons of Anak and named the land Hebron.
Commands: Do what God commands and prosper. God told the Israelites to conquer the promised land but, they chickened out and wound up wandering the wilderness for 40 years until that generation died. A few tried to change their minds but were immediately defeated in battle. When the next generation went into the promised land they had no trouble defeating each and every enemy they encountered. They conquered the enemies, enjoyed they spoils of war and divided the land amongst themselves to form the country of Israel. 12 tribes inhabiting land once ruled by over 30 kings. That’s no small nation. God prospered the Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just as He had promised. The best part was that He wasn’t close to finished.
Timeless principles: God delivers in due time. The population of Israel had grown large and they took a lot of land as their inheritance but, they did not take all they had been promised. God gave them what they could manage at their current size then allowed a time of peace in which they were not attacked and did not attack others so that they could grow and prosper some more until they were ready to expand into the rest of the promised land.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Never doubt God. Few people, even the if they were the most die hard devil dog Marines, would consider trying to attack and conquer a mountain kingdom ruled and inhabited by giants. Caleb asked for exactly that opportunity because he knew that God had promised him he would inherit the land he had spied out. That mountain full of giants had been one of his assignments and he wanted it.
more to learn for in-depth study: Before entering the promised land, Moses led the children of Israel to victory over Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan a rephaim giant. The lands of these kingdoms were divided between the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh, who saw it as good grazing land and land to raise livestock. These tribes had a large amount of livestock and saw this as the perfect land for them.
The rest of the Israelites settled inside the promised land on the other side of the Jordan after defeating: the Hitites the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. They also had to defeat the kings of Jericho, Ai Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, Eglon, Gezer, Debir, Geder, Hormah, Arad, Libnah, Adullam, Makkedah, Bethel, Tappuah, Hepher, Aphek, Lasharon, Madon, Hazor, Shimron Meron, Achshaph, Taanach, Megiddo, Kedesh, Jokneam in Carmel, Dor in the heights of Dor, the people of Gilgal, and Tirzah. 31 kings and their armies and peoples.
They weren’t nearly finished. As God had promised He allowed them to conquer what they could handle and left the rest for when they had grown enough to make use of the land. Still to conquer was all of the Philistine territory and that of the Geshurites. The land from Sihor, east of Egypt to the border of Ekron in the north which is considered Canaanite territory. The five lords of the Philistines, the Gazites, Ashdodites, Ashkelonites, Gittites, Ekronites and Avites. All the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah of the Sidonians as far as Aphek to the border of the Amorites and the land of the Gebalites and all of Lebanon toward the east from Baal Gad below mount Hermon to the entrance to Hamath also where left to conquer. In fact, they also still needed to take the mountains of Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth and all of the Sidonians.
Balaam son of Beor is mentioned here again. Balaam was hired to curse Israel but God made him bless them instead. Balaam accepted money to do something God wouldn’t let him do. He could have, and even started to, turn down the job but, he accepted the money and went to work. God took control and blessed Israel through him but, for accepting the commission to curse them Balaam was marked among the enemy and killed in that war.
The Israelites failed to take Jerusalem from the Jebusites during this first series of wars. The rest of the territory and how it was devided between the tribes is described in detail in these passages.
tomorrow: Joshua 16-18
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Joshua 10-11
God’s message to me: When God is for you, none can stand against you. This synopsis of the initial conquest of Canaan reads like the recent history of Israel. The enemy comes with overwhelming force and God protects His people so that they defeat their enemies quickly and with minimal loss ending with their possession of the enemies territory. The major difference between then and now is that Israel keeps bowing to international pressure to give back the territory which just gets used to attack them again.
Promises: God will never let you fail. So long as you stand with God, His name is with you and He will not allow others to overcome His name. No matter the odds you will win.
Commands: Don’t Back Down! You are a child of the King and He will not let you fail. As long as you are standing on the promises of God you are unable to fail. Claiming, in the name of God, that which is not yours will not work any more than it helped Achan when he took the spoils that were meant for the treasury. Claiming what God has promised, you cannot fail, just as the rest of the Israelites claimed the booty of Ai and so many other cities that were overcome afterward.
Timeless principles: God doesn’t lose face. Despite the efforts of so many to point out disasters and claim God failed, the facts of history do not bear them out. The miraculous victories of modern Israel, the defeat of the Taliban by American forces in months when the Soviets couldn’t even slow them down in 10 years of war. The survival of Christian missionaries in war zones, even after capture by Muslim extremists sworn to kill them. The miraculous survival of various evangelists in assassination attempts. God does not allow defeat for those who represent Him.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Read and learn the Bible. It is the guidebook to what you can claim. If God has promised it you can claim it and He will grant it that your joy may be full. This is the promise of God, repeated by Christ, and reiterated throughout the bible.
more to learn for in-depth study: The treaty with Gibeon was a mistake caused by not waiting for God’s opinion. As the people of Israel were ordered to offer peace to any city they came against it is likely they would have spared their lives anyway. Their fear of Israel would likely have resulted in immediate surrender without a fight. As it is, they became the bait in God’s trap for the Amorites. While the five kingdoms of the Amorites were intent on eliminating the Gibeon army, which they considered strong and didn’t want allied with Israel, The Israeli army ambushed them by surprise and routed them. God provided the mobile artillery as he pummeled the fleeing army with hailstones as they ran. More Amorites died from hail than were killed in direct battle.
This is one of the more unusual events in the bible. As the battle against the five armies began Joshua commanded the sun and moon to remain in place. God, fighting on the side of Israel, stopped the sun and the moon for about a day. Adding an extra 12-24 hours to the available fighting time.
The book of Jasher is mentioned here. You won’t find this book in the bible even if you use a Catholic bible with apocrypha. Jasher is a book of Hebrew history. It’s not of vital importance to your study but, like the Talmud (and it might be part of the Talmud for all I know) it could provide some historical perspective. For newer Christians, I encourage you to concentrate on scripture. The reason the Talmud and Apocrypha are not included in scripture is because they are books of history, including myth and legend, and not even the rabbi’s who passed them along consider them the inspired word of God.
For those already familiar with the scriptures and interested in learning more, I recommend consulting a Hebrew scholar. Rabbi’s are a good start, I would try and find someone who is a Messianic Jew as this provides you with common ground from which to begin. There are several websites dedicated to education by Messianic Jewish organizations which could prove useful.
After defeating the 5 armies of the Amorites, Joshua led the attack on the other kingdoms of the region. The Israeli army conquered the armies and the cities they came from that had allied against it. Joshua conquered the mountain country and the Negev region, the lowlands and wilderness and all the kings and kingdoms in that region from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon. All of this territory was conquered in one continous assault because God was with them in battle and they could accomplish it all in a short time with minimal effort.
When the conquest was done the Israelites camped in peace until another coalition force came against them. This coalition of many kingdoms came to their camp seeking to eliminate the threat but, God was with the Israelites and they defeated the attack force the next morning. Moving on they eliminated the rest of those armies, killed their kings and destroyed their capital cities keeping the lesser cities and the soils of war and livestock for themselves. The war was long but fruitful and the Israelites grew rich from the spoils and gained both land and the livestock to raise on it, not to mention the houses they didn’t build and the gardens they didn’t plant, just as God had promised. They even cut off the giants and killed off all of the giants who
remained in their lands.
tomorrow: Joshua 12-15
Promises: God will never let you fail. So long as you stand with God, His name is with you and He will not allow others to overcome His name. No matter the odds you will win.
Commands: Don’t Back Down! You are a child of the King and He will not let you fail. As long as you are standing on the promises of God you are unable to fail. Claiming, in the name of God, that which is not yours will not work any more than it helped Achan when he took the spoils that were meant for the treasury. Claiming what God has promised, you cannot fail, just as the rest of the Israelites claimed the booty of Ai and so many other cities that were overcome afterward.
Timeless principles: God doesn’t lose face. Despite the efforts of so many to point out disasters and claim God failed, the facts of history do not bear them out. The miraculous victories of modern Israel, the defeat of the Taliban by American forces in months when the Soviets couldn’t even slow them down in 10 years of war. The survival of Christian missionaries in war zones, even after capture by Muslim extremists sworn to kill them. The miraculous survival of various evangelists in assassination attempts. God does not allow defeat for those who represent Him.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Read and learn the Bible. It is the guidebook to what you can claim. If God has promised it you can claim it and He will grant it that your joy may be full. This is the promise of God, repeated by Christ, and reiterated throughout the bible.
more to learn for in-depth study: The treaty with Gibeon was a mistake caused by not waiting for God’s opinion. As the people of Israel were ordered to offer peace to any city they came against it is likely they would have spared their lives anyway. Their fear of Israel would likely have resulted in immediate surrender without a fight. As it is, they became the bait in God’s trap for the Amorites. While the five kingdoms of the Amorites were intent on eliminating the Gibeon army, which they considered strong and didn’t want allied with Israel, The Israeli army ambushed them by surprise and routed them. God provided the mobile artillery as he pummeled the fleeing army with hailstones as they ran. More Amorites died from hail than were killed in direct battle.
This is one of the more unusual events in the bible. As the battle against the five armies began Joshua commanded the sun and moon to remain in place. God, fighting on the side of Israel, stopped the sun and the moon for about a day. Adding an extra 12-24 hours to the available fighting time.
The book of Jasher is mentioned here. You won’t find this book in the bible even if you use a Catholic bible with apocrypha. Jasher is a book of Hebrew history. It’s not of vital importance to your study but, like the Talmud (and it might be part of the Talmud for all I know) it could provide some historical perspective. For newer Christians, I encourage you to concentrate on scripture. The reason the Talmud and Apocrypha are not included in scripture is because they are books of history, including myth and legend, and not even the rabbi’s who passed them along consider them the inspired word of God.
For those already familiar with the scriptures and interested in learning more, I recommend consulting a Hebrew scholar. Rabbi’s are a good start, I would try and find someone who is a Messianic Jew as this provides you with common ground from which to begin. There are several websites dedicated to education by Messianic Jewish organizations which could prove useful.
After defeating the 5 armies of the Amorites, Joshua led the attack on the other kingdoms of the region. The Israeli army conquered the armies and the cities they came from that had allied against it. Joshua conquered the mountain country and the Negev region, the lowlands and wilderness and all the kings and kingdoms in that region from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon. All of this territory was conquered in one continous assault because God was with them in battle and they could accomplish it all in a short time with minimal effort.
When the conquest was done the Israelites camped in peace until another coalition force came against them. This coalition of many kingdoms came to their camp seeking to eliminate the threat but, God was with the Israelites and they defeated the attack force the next morning. Moving on they eliminated the rest of those armies, killed their kings and destroyed their capital cities keeping the lesser cities and the soils of war and livestock for themselves. The war was long but fruitful and the Israelites grew rich from the spoils and gained both land and the livestock to raise on it, not to mention the houses they didn’t build and the gardens they didn’t plant, just as God had promised. They even cut off the giants and killed off all of the giants who
remained in their lands.
tomorrow: Joshua 12-15
Friday, March 6, 2009
Joshua 6-9
God’s message to me: Doing what seems to be right is a really good way to get into trouble. Prayer and seeking God’s guidance in all things is the only right way to do anything. God has given us guidelines which we can look to but, for those things which are questionable we should always seek His council.
It takes no great leap of faith to stop at a red light. We are following the law and acting out of prudence as God has instructed. We know that murder is forbidden and there isn’t much reason to ask God if it is right to kill our neighbor, He has already told us it isn’t. Because war is more ambiguous it is something we should consider prayerfully. Governments are directed by God and by their basic function to fight against those who attack us but, there are occasions when it is necessary to be the aggressor. While the reasons for attack may seem just and obvious, such aggression should never be initiated without seeking God’s council. We cannot say that we have God on our side if we never asked His opinion. Likewise, it is unwise to enter into treaties without seeking His council.
Promises: God will never steer us wrong. When we act on our own without seeking His council we are open to disaster but, when we act on what God leads us to do we cannot fail. The first attack against Ai should have worked from a tactical standpoint but, when God laid down the battle plan it included the entire army rather than the small portion sent the first time. By the same token, Gideon was sent to fight against a far larger army, too large to be counted in fact, with only three hundred men. Based on the tests by which they were chosen these were not even the best soldiers but, were in fact, the least capable of the lot. Despite that fact, by following God’s plan, Gideon destroyed the enemy army completely without loosing a single soldier. God’s plan, no matter what it is, will always work.
Commands: God can not abide the presence of sin. No amount of grace will get you into heaven if you are not willing to ask God’s forgiveness and accept the sacrifice of Christ, on your behalf, to atone for your sin.
Timeless principles: The story of Achan and the defeat at Ai is an example of God’s view of sin. while God is a loving and forgiving God who wishes only the best for His people, He cannot abide the presence of sin. The spoils of war at Jericho were meant for the general treasury of Israel and not for individual enrichment. Achan took some of the treasure for himself and, in doing so placed sin in the camp that God could not support. As a result the Israeli army, which should have easily won the battle, was defeated by Ai because they did not have the support of God. Only when the sin was confessed and purged from the camp was God prepared to return and bless the efforts of Israel.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Had Achan been patient at Jericho he and his family would have lived to take personal spoils of war and livestock for themselves as the spoils of this battle were given to the people individually. God will give you the desire of your heart and fulfill your needs in His own time. Taking what isn’t yours before that time can only bring disaster.
When the people of Israel made treaties with some of the inhabitants of Canaan they accepted the word of liars without asking for the Lord’s council. As a result, people who God had commanded them to eliminate were left safe under the oath the Israelites took before God not to harm them. These people would be a thorn in the side of the nation of Israel for many generations to come because they followed their own ideas instead of asking God for guidance.
more to learn for in-depth study: This passage begins with the story of the fall of Jericho. The inhabitants of the city had barricaded themselves within the walls in fear of what the Israelites had proven capable of with other kingdoms. When the Israelites followed God’s battle plan He miraculously destroyed the walls of the city, ending the siege and making the attack against it’s inhabitants easy. Because Rahab had protected the Israeli spies and, in doing so, proved she would side with the Lord, she and her family were spared with all their belongings. The cities treasure was given to the treasury of Israel and all the rest was destroyed.
The second battle of Ai demonstrates several military tactics that are in use to this day. These tactics were ordered by God so that the Israelites would have an easier fight. Using their prior defeat to advantage, the attacking force ran away as the army of Ai attacked, drawing them out of their defenses. The flanking force destroyed their city defenses preventing a siege situation and then attacked from the only direction left to the Army of Ai for retreat. This pincer movement ensured total victory.
Notice at the end of the passage we are told that Joshua did what was commanded before. He wrote the law on the stones of the mountains surrounding the entrance to the promised land. He read the entire law before the children of Israel and he made the leaders of the tribes bear witness to the writing and the reading so that no one could claim not to know it. I’ve repeated this again and again. This is a WRITTEN RECORD, not an oral tradition.
tomorrow: Joshua 10-11
It takes no great leap of faith to stop at a red light. We are following the law and acting out of prudence as God has instructed. We know that murder is forbidden and there isn’t much reason to ask God if it is right to kill our neighbor, He has already told us it isn’t. Because war is more ambiguous it is something we should consider prayerfully. Governments are directed by God and by their basic function to fight against those who attack us but, there are occasions when it is necessary to be the aggressor. While the reasons for attack may seem just and obvious, such aggression should never be initiated without seeking God’s council. We cannot say that we have God on our side if we never asked His opinion. Likewise, it is unwise to enter into treaties without seeking His council.
Promises: God will never steer us wrong. When we act on our own without seeking His council we are open to disaster but, when we act on what God leads us to do we cannot fail. The first attack against Ai should have worked from a tactical standpoint but, when God laid down the battle plan it included the entire army rather than the small portion sent the first time. By the same token, Gideon was sent to fight against a far larger army, too large to be counted in fact, with only three hundred men. Based on the tests by which they were chosen these were not even the best soldiers but, were in fact, the least capable of the lot. Despite that fact, by following God’s plan, Gideon destroyed the enemy army completely without loosing a single soldier. God’s plan, no matter what it is, will always work.
Commands: God can not abide the presence of sin. No amount of grace will get you into heaven if you are not willing to ask God’s forgiveness and accept the sacrifice of Christ, on your behalf, to atone for your sin.
Timeless principles: The story of Achan and the defeat at Ai is an example of God’s view of sin. while God is a loving and forgiving God who wishes only the best for His people, He cannot abide the presence of sin. The spoils of war at Jericho were meant for the general treasury of Israel and not for individual enrichment. Achan took some of the treasure for himself and, in doing so placed sin in the camp that God could not support. As a result the Israeli army, which should have easily won the battle, was defeated by Ai because they did not have the support of God. Only when the sin was confessed and purged from the camp was God prepared to return and bless the efforts of Israel.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Had Achan been patient at Jericho he and his family would have lived to take personal spoils of war and livestock for themselves as the spoils of this battle were given to the people individually. God will give you the desire of your heart and fulfill your needs in His own time. Taking what isn’t yours before that time can only bring disaster.
When the people of Israel made treaties with some of the inhabitants of Canaan they accepted the word of liars without asking for the Lord’s council. As a result, people who God had commanded them to eliminate were left safe under the oath the Israelites took before God not to harm them. These people would be a thorn in the side of the nation of Israel for many generations to come because they followed their own ideas instead of asking God for guidance.
more to learn for in-depth study: This passage begins with the story of the fall of Jericho. The inhabitants of the city had barricaded themselves within the walls in fear of what the Israelites had proven capable of with other kingdoms. When the Israelites followed God’s battle plan He miraculously destroyed the walls of the city, ending the siege and making the attack against it’s inhabitants easy. Because Rahab had protected the Israeli spies and, in doing so, proved she would side with the Lord, she and her family were spared with all their belongings. The cities treasure was given to the treasury of Israel and all the rest was destroyed.
The second battle of Ai demonstrates several military tactics that are in use to this day. These tactics were ordered by God so that the Israelites would have an easier fight. Using their prior defeat to advantage, the attacking force ran away as the army of Ai attacked, drawing them out of their defenses. The flanking force destroyed their city defenses preventing a siege situation and then attacked from the only direction left to the Army of Ai for retreat. This pincer movement ensured total victory.
Notice at the end of the passage we are told that Joshua did what was commanded before. He wrote the law on the stones of the mountains surrounding the entrance to the promised land. He read the entire law before the children of Israel and he made the leaders of the tribes bear witness to the writing and the reading so that no one could claim not to know it. I’ve repeated this again and again. This is a WRITTEN RECORD, not an oral tradition.
tomorrow: Joshua 10-11
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Joshua 1-5
God’s message to me: Trust God to deal with the problems. All to often I hear that “God helps those who help themselves”. For 40 years in the wilderness God fed people who did not plant, tend gardens harvest or store food. When His people entered the promised land they ate of the fruit that was already growing and enjoyed the supplies set aside by those who opposed God. God helps those who trust and love Him and believing that you must do something to earn it defies the gift.
Promises: God protects us. The Israelites had not continued circumcision while in the wilderness so all the males entering Canaan were uncircumcised. Camping just at the border of their enemies land, they circumcised all the males and trusted God to protect them while they healed. They celebrated the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread with the fruit of the land of Canaan and from their first eating of the produce of the promised land the miraculous provision of manna and quail ceased. God fed them with food from heaven until they could eat the food of the promised land. They were eating food in the time of harvest when they had not been there during the planting. Eating from fields they did not plant as God had promised.
Commands: Trust God to fulfill His promises and provide you with all you need to gain all He has promised. You can’t do it on your own. You are more likely to mess things up by even trying to do it for yourself. Trust God and He will do it all, you just need to praise Him and let the world know you serve the God who does it all for you.
Timeless principles: Even if people refuse to follow God they have no trouble recognizing Him. The people living in Canaan worshiped all manner of false gods but were left quaking in their boots by the power of Jehovah working through His people.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Never get so arrogant to believe you are successful because of your own abilities. Give God the glory for your success and credit Him for the talents and abilities He does give you to help your success.
more to learn for in-depth study: The miracles witnessed by Israel were no secret. From the plagues of Egypt to the drowning of Pharaohs army. From crossing the sea on dry land as God parted the waters to their survival in the wilderness and all their miraculous victories against overwhelming odds. all of this was known to the surrounding countries and they feared facing Israel in battle because they knew God gave them victory over all who stood against them.
God repeated the parting of the sea for Joshua as the Israelites crossed the Jordan at Jericho. As the priests feet touched the water the water stopped flowing and stood up in a heap up stream while the land immediately dried so that the Israelites walked across on dry land. This occurred during the harvest time when the river is always at flood stage and overflowing it’s banks. The Children of Israel crossed the toughest river at the worst time of year without even getting their feet muddy.
The representatives of the tribes each took a large stone from the middle of the river bed to their first camp and set them up as a reminder of how they were miraculously allowed to cross. Joshua took 12 stones from outside the river and set them in the midst of the river to prove they had passed that way. When all this was done and the people had crossed, the men carrying the Ark of the Covenant were finally allowed to finish crossing and the river returned to flowing.
tomorrow: Joshua 6-9
Promises: God protects us. The Israelites had not continued circumcision while in the wilderness so all the males entering Canaan were uncircumcised. Camping just at the border of their enemies land, they circumcised all the males and trusted God to protect them while they healed. They celebrated the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread with the fruit of the land of Canaan and from their first eating of the produce of the promised land the miraculous provision of manna and quail ceased. God fed them with food from heaven until they could eat the food of the promised land. They were eating food in the time of harvest when they had not been there during the planting. Eating from fields they did not plant as God had promised.
Commands: Trust God to fulfill His promises and provide you with all you need to gain all He has promised. You can’t do it on your own. You are more likely to mess things up by even trying to do it for yourself. Trust God and He will do it all, you just need to praise Him and let the world know you serve the God who does it all for you.
Timeless principles: Even if people refuse to follow God they have no trouble recognizing Him. The people living in Canaan worshiped all manner of false gods but were left quaking in their boots by the power of Jehovah working through His people.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Never get so arrogant to believe you are successful because of your own abilities. Give God the glory for your success and credit Him for the talents and abilities He does give you to help your success.
more to learn for in-depth study: The miracles witnessed by Israel were no secret. From the plagues of Egypt to the drowning of Pharaohs army. From crossing the sea on dry land as God parted the waters to their survival in the wilderness and all their miraculous victories against overwhelming odds. all of this was known to the surrounding countries and they feared facing Israel in battle because they knew God gave them victory over all who stood against them.
God repeated the parting of the sea for Joshua as the Israelites crossed the Jordan at Jericho. As the priests feet touched the water the water stopped flowing and stood up in a heap up stream while the land immediately dried so that the Israelites walked across on dry land. This occurred during the harvest time when the river is always at flood stage and overflowing it’s banks. The Children of Israel crossed the toughest river at the worst time of year without even getting their feet muddy.
The representatives of the tribes each took a large stone from the middle of the river bed to their first camp and set them up as a reminder of how they were miraculously allowed to cross. Joshua took 12 stones from outside the river and set them in the midst of the river to prove they had passed that way. When all this was done and the people had crossed, the men carrying the Ark of the Covenant were finally allowed to finish crossing and the river returned to flowing.
tomorrow: Joshua 6-9
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Deuteronomy 33-34
God’s message to me: Bless others, bless your children, bless Israel and remember that anything God has promised is yours for the taking. You only need to ask God for it and claim the prize.
Promises: God blesses His people. God blesses those you speak blessings for. God’s blessings are spelled out in His word and you need only claim them for yourself and others to obtain them. God wants to HEAR from you. Speak the blessings into the lives of those around you. Pray for the blessings God has promised you. Claim the promises of God and don’t be afraid to repeat yourself.
Commands: Bless others. When God tells us we should be a blessing, it doesn’t just mean our actions. God gives plenty of examples of how to bless someone. Praying over someone, speaking aloud the blessings that should fall, leaning on God to know what He has planned for their life and knowing the promises of God so that you cn claim them on behalf of others and speak them into existence in their lives.
We, as Christians, give up to much power to our lack of faith. God gave us the power to bless and the power to call things into existence in His name. The power to heal and be healed is in our hands. What we bind in earth is bound in heaven and what we loose on earth is loose in heaven. God gave us the power we merely need to claim it. I want to repeat myself on Jews blessing their children. The success of so many enterprises owned and run by Jews is the direct result of Jewish parents understanding the example they have been given of blessing their children. The huge number of Hollywood and Washington DC elites that have Jewish surnames is no accident. It is the hand of God in their lives as a result of the prayer and faith in blessing from their parents.
Timeless principles: God blesses those whom He loves. The Israelites as a whole and by tribes have had a number of blessings spoken over them on the record so far. Each has been prophetic in both the good and ill that would come of the tribes actions. Every one has carried the promise of good things for them which we will see come to them in the coming books.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Learn, understand, claim and enjoy God’s promises for your life. You cannot claim what He doesn’t give and it’s hard to claim what you don’t know has been given. If God has promised it, you should have it, because He wants to give us everything that our joy may be full.
more to learn for in-depth study: Moses lived 120 years and walked to his own funeral. (yes I borrowed that from Hagee). Moses lived in the will of God and did what he was supposed to. When he died at 120 years old he still had the youth and vigor of a young man. His physical abilities were not diminished in any way throughout his life. When I see news stories of some person still active at more than 100 years old and I hear them give credit to God for keeping them so, I know that it is the truth. In fact I don’t know of to many people in that age range who have not led a faithful life and given credit to God and to faith for keeping them healthy so long.
tomorrow: Joshua 1-5
Promises: God blesses His people. God blesses those you speak blessings for. God’s blessings are spelled out in His word and you need only claim them for yourself and others to obtain them. God wants to HEAR from you. Speak the blessings into the lives of those around you. Pray for the blessings God has promised you. Claim the promises of God and don’t be afraid to repeat yourself.
Commands: Bless others. When God tells us we should be a blessing, it doesn’t just mean our actions. God gives plenty of examples of how to bless someone. Praying over someone, speaking aloud the blessings that should fall, leaning on God to know what He has planned for their life and knowing the promises of God so that you cn claim them on behalf of others and speak them into existence in their lives.
We, as Christians, give up to much power to our lack of faith. God gave us the power to bless and the power to call things into existence in His name. The power to heal and be healed is in our hands. What we bind in earth is bound in heaven and what we loose on earth is loose in heaven. God gave us the power we merely need to claim it. I want to repeat myself on Jews blessing their children. The success of so many enterprises owned and run by Jews is the direct result of Jewish parents understanding the example they have been given of blessing their children. The huge number of Hollywood and Washington DC elites that have Jewish surnames is no accident. It is the hand of God in their lives as a result of the prayer and faith in blessing from their parents.
Timeless principles: God blesses those whom He loves. The Israelites as a whole and by tribes have had a number of blessings spoken over them on the record so far. Each has been prophetic in both the good and ill that would come of the tribes actions. Every one has carried the promise of good things for them which we will see come to them in the coming books.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Learn, understand, claim and enjoy God’s promises for your life. You cannot claim what He doesn’t give and it’s hard to claim what you don’t know has been given. If God has promised it, you should have it, because He wants to give us everything that our joy may be full.
more to learn for in-depth study: Moses lived 120 years and walked to his own funeral. (yes I borrowed that from Hagee). Moses lived in the will of God and did what he was supposed to. When he died at 120 years old he still had the youth and vigor of a young man. His physical abilities were not diminished in any way throughout his life. When I see news stories of some person still active at more than 100 years old and I hear them give credit to God for keeping them so, I know that it is the truth. In fact I don’t know of to many people in that age range who have not led a faithful life and given credit to God and to faith for keeping them healthy so long.
tomorrow: Joshua 1-5
Announcement
I must apologize again for missing a day. There was a bit of Excitement I would like to share with you.
I am proud to announce the birth of my nephew:
John Wesley Waldenville, son of Ina Caroline and Gary Wayne Waldenville.
At 8 pounds 8.2 ounces and 21 inches long, Johny arrived at 9:06 pm on
Monday, the second day of the month of March in the year of our Lord 2009.
I'm an Uncle!
I am proud to announce the birth of my nephew:
John Wesley Waldenville, son of Ina Caroline and Gary Wayne Waldenville.
At 8 pounds 8.2 ounces and 21 inches long, Johny arrived at 9:06 pm on
Monday, the second day of the month of March in the year of our Lord 2009.
I'm an Uncle!
Deuteronomy 32
God’s message to me: It is only a matter of time before God takes His revenge on those who stand against Him. I am among the first to, mistakenly, become jealous of the prosperity enjoyed by people doing things wrong. It never fails to aggravate me when I see some lazy, dope smoking leach on society who lives off welfare because he’s to high to work and he lives better than me. When I see some young punk doing nothing right sit in front of His plasma TV playing on his X-Box 360 while I work my but off and barely scrape by in one of the countries best paying professions I get mad. Over time I have learned that it is unnecessary.
Their lifestyle is unsustainable and those who live off crime and fraud are doomed to early death, prison terms, suffering and victim hood in the end. God is not mocked. Your enemies will be defeated before you and they will not prosper over you. Accept this and place your faith in God for your prosperity and you will see them on the bottom when you are living the life of pleasure.
When the prosperity God promised comes, you must not forget God’s part in it. If you take your leisure and forget the source. When you turn your worship from the Provider to the provided you will quickly find yourself on the bottom with all the other losers who stood against God in their prosperity.
Promises: God will defeat your enemies and bring you prosperity beyond theirs.
Commands: Never forget the Source of your victory and prosperity. God will not be forgotten and His reminders are not pleasant. If you only remember Him in times of crises then times of crises are all you will live.
Timeless principles: God can take you from the desert of failure and set you as the jewel of nations that everyone looks up to. “The shining city on a hill” is not a Reagan-ism it is a biblical image of what God can do for those who do not lose sight of Him.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Trust God for my victory and my prosperity. Know that He will provide all my needs and protect me from all harm. never forget the source of my strength when I am brought to the prosperity that God has desired for me.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 33-34
Their lifestyle is unsustainable and those who live off crime and fraud are doomed to early death, prison terms, suffering and victim hood in the end. God is not mocked. Your enemies will be defeated before you and they will not prosper over you. Accept this and place your faith in God for your prosperity and you will see them on the bottom when you are living the life of pleasure.
When the prosperity God promised comes, you must not forget God’s part in it. If you take your leisure and forget the source. When you turn your worship from the Provider to the provided you will quickly find yourself on the bottom with all the other losers who stood against God in their prosperity.
Promises: God will defeat your enemies and bring you prosperity beyond theirs.
Commands: Never forget the Source of your victory and prosperity. God will not be forgotten and His reminders are not pleasant. If you only remember Him in times of crises then times of crises are all you will live.
Timeless principles: God can take you from the desert of failure and set you as the jewel of nations that everyone looks up to. “The shining city on a hill” is not a Reagan-ism it is a biblical image of what God can do for those who do not lose sight of Him.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Trust God for my victory and my prosperity. Know that He will provide all my needs and protect me from all harm. never forget the source of my strength when I am brought to the prosperity that God has desired for me.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 33-34
Monday, March 2, 2009
the other resolution
Did you ever have one of those weeks were bad news just kept coming? I weighed in a couple of days ago after being ill all week with a weight of 230#. This morning the scale says 235.8#. Obviously it’s been a weird week but, I can’t say I’ve entirely gotten my appetite back yet either so this isn’t making much sense. I suppose I will just have to roll with it and expect that next Monday will be equally shocking.
With the weather improving my walking routine will be getting more routine, I’m doing better with the water already and I guess a few days of starvation will confuse the body. Given those factors I will be anxious to see next week’s results.
With the weather improving my walking routine will be getting more routine, I’m doing better with the water already and I guess a few days of starvation will confuse the body. Given those factors I will be anxious to see next week’s results.
Deuteronomy 29-31
God’s message to me: God never goes back on His word. Even when the Israelites rebelled against His law, and were sent into captivity in foreign lands as punishment, falling victim to the curses we have read, God’s promise was to return them to their inheritance. When Israel was broken apart in the first century under Roman rule it’s people were scattered to the ends of the earth for nearly 2000 years. In 1948 their homeland was restored and their nation reborn. Since then God has been fulfilling His promise to gather them from the ends of the earth and return them to their home.
Promises: God has made many promises and never, Never, NEVER, failed to fulfill even one. It is impossible to ever lose that which God has promised you because, even though He will chasten and correct us when we are wrong, God is incapable of ever reneging on His word.
Commands: Follow God’s commands that you may live under the blessings and have the curses applied to your enemies.
Timeless principles: Deuteronomy 31:9-11 “So Moses wroth this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.”
Not only was the record a written record, it was kept on record and, at appointed times, including the Feast of Tabernacles which is a yearly celebration, the record had to be READ(as in looked at in a book and quoted directly from the page) to all the people.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Bless the people of Israel, Love the land of God’s people, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, stand united with God and with His people against all who would take from them the land that God Promised them as an eternal inheritance.
more to learn for in-depth study: God made a habit of reminding people of the past. One of the political complaints in the United States is that the collective memory is so short. People gloss over the past after only a couple of years and sometimes in a matter of months. The good and the bad are both forgotten in favor of the new. We just don’t seem to learn from history. The Israelites weren’t much different.
In spite of all the miracles they had witnessed the Israelites kept losing faith and turning from God. Through Moses, God kept reminding them of what they had seen. Just as Moses reminded Israel of the plagues on Egypt, the parting of the sea and drowning of Pharaohs army in that sea, the manna, the water from the rocks, the clothes that never wore out and many more miracles the Israelites took for granted, the Apostles had a reminder job of their own. Throughout the New Testament they told of the miracles of Jesus and reminded their audiences that, many of the people listening to the story had seen the events as well. When historians and legal scholars judge the New Testament, they find this evidence most compelling: When speaking of the resurrection and the times Christ was seen after it, the Apostles always mentioned that the audience, also, had been witness to the events. NO ONE Ever denied it. Given all the times they challenged people to remember what they had seen for themselves it is amazing that no one ever tried to claim that any of the miracles of Christ, particularly the resurrection, didn’t happen. The only conclusion available is that there were enough eyewitnesses to put down any dissent. In fact there are over 500 written affidavits attesting to having seen Jesus after he rose from the grave. It’s enough that, Simon Greenleaf, the creator of our rules of evidence for the United States and founder of the Harvard School of Law, wrote that the testimony of the witnesses alone was sufficient to prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, the validity of the New Testament record.
Given the evidence before us it should be impossible to lose faith or fall away from following God. Our memory is short and we fail anyway. Even Moses, who regularly spoke to God and heard God’s voice directly in reply, occasionally worried that things would not work out because, he forgot the power of God. We all need occasional reminders.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 32-32
Promises: God has made many promises and never, Never, NEVER, failed to fulfill even one. It is impossible to ever lose that which God has promised you because, even though He will chasten and correct us when we are wrong, God is incapable of ever reneging on His word.
Commands: Follow God’s commands that you may live under the blessings and have the curses applied to your enemies.
Timeless principles: Deuteronomy 31:9-11 “So Moses wroth this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.”
Not only was the record a written record, it was kept on record and, at appointed times, including the Feast of Tabernacles which is a yearly celebration, the record had to be READ(as in looked at in a book and quoted directly from the page) to all the people.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Bless the people of Israel, Love the land of God’s people, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, stand united with God and with His people against all who would take from them the land that God Promised them as an eternal inheritance.
more to learn for in-depth study: God made a habit of reminding people of the past. One of the political complaints in the United States is that the collective memory is so short. People gloss over the past after only a couple of years and sometimes in a matter of months. The good and the bad are both forgotten in favor of the new. We just don’t seem to learn from history. The Israelites weren’t much different.
In spite of all the miracles they had witnessed the Israelites kept losing faith and turning from God. Through Moses, God kept reminding them of what they had seen. Just as Moses reminded Israel of the plagues on Egypt, the parting of the sea and drowning of Pharaohs army in that sea, the manna, the water from the rocks, the clothes that never wore out and many more miracles the Israelites took for granted, the Apostles had a reminder job of their own. Throughout the New Testament they told of the miracles of Jesus and reminded their audiences that, many of the people listening to the story had seen the events as well. When historians and legal scholars judge the New Testament, they find this evidence most compelling: When speaking of the resurrection and the times Christ was seen after it, the Apostles always mentioned that the audience, also, had been witness to the events. NO ONE Ever denied it. Given all the times they challenged people to remember what they had seen for themselves it is amazing that no one ever tried to claim that any of the miracles of Christ, particularly the resurrection, didn’t happen. The only conclusion available is that there were enough eyewitnesses to put down any dissent. In fact there are over 500 written affidavits attesting to having seen Jesus after he rose from the grave. It’s enough that, Simon Greenleaf, the creator of our rules of evidence for the United States and founder of the Harvard School of Law, wrote that the testimony of the witnesses alone was sufficient to prove, beyond any reasonable doubt, the validity of the New Testament record.
Given the evidence before us it should be impossible to lose faith or fall away from following God. Our memory is short and we fail anyway. Even Moses, who regularly spoke to God and heard God’s voice directly in reply, occasionally worried that things would not work out because, he forgot the power of God. We all need occasional reminders.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 32-32
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Weekly Assignment
Monday: Deuteronomy 29-31
Tuesday: Deuteronomy 32
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 33-34
Thursday: Joshua 1-5
Friday: Joshua 6-9
Saturday: Joshua 10-11
Sunday: Joshua 12-15
Tuesday: Deuteronomy 32
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 33-34
Thursday: Joshua 1-5
Friday: Joshua 6-9
Saturday: Joshua 10-11
Sunday: Joshua 12-15
Deuteronomy 26-28
God’s message to me: Every bad thing can be turned to blessings through God if I serve Him as He commands. Every good thing can be turned to a curse if I refuse to glorify God in it.
Promises: Deuteronomy 27:15-26 Deuteronomy 28:1-68 The promises of the Lord are both blessing and curse. For those that love Him and honor His commandments the good of every promise is theirs to claim. For those who fail to serve him with gladness in abundance the opposite of every good promise will be their reward and they will instead serve others in bondage and despair.
Commands: The rules regarding distribution of the tithe get a little complicated under Hebrew law where much of government was handled through the temple. There were many offerings and tithes and per person fees paid to support the temple, the Levites and the priests and each was budgeted in it’s own way to serve those needs as well as charity. As Christians, we simply bring our tithes and offerings to the church and the church leadership is responsible to God for their stewardship of those funds. I have heard people, including pastors, refer to handling the congregations money. This is wrong. The money belongs to God, not the church or it’s congregation and only He is judge of what is right or wrong in it’s handling. This is why we choose good and God fearing men to lead us then trust in God to lead them.
Timeless principles: Most people think they are good and believe they are doing their best to follow God’s commands. They admit to lying, the occasional curse word and maybe a little lust but they think they do OK beyond that. It pays to know and understand God’s word.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Read it, Study it, write it down, post it in obvious places and commit it to memory. “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Even knowing all the rules it is impossible for man to obey them completely without God’s help and intervention. Want a little proof? Take the good test.
more to learn for in-depth study: Deuteronomy 27: 3 “YOU SHALL WRITE...” I know I’m repeating myself and I don’t care. Not only did God carve the law in stone, and command the law and the history to be documented in writing; God also commanded billboards to be made at the entrance to the promised land so that all the people could plainly see the words of the law in print as they entered and when they passed back and forth to the lands of the tribes who established their territory before the Jordan river.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 29-31
Promises: Deuteronomy 27:15-26 Deuteronomy 28:1-68 The promises of the Lord are both blessing and curse. For those that love Him and honor His commandments the good of every promise is theirs to claim. For those who fail to serve him with gladness in abundance the opposite of every good promise will be their reward and they will instead serve others in bondage and despair.
Commands: The rules regarding distribution of the tithe get a little complicated under Hebrew law where much of government was handled through the temple. There were many offerings and tithes and per person fees paid to support the temple, the Levites and the priests and each was budgeted in it’s own way to serve those needs as well as charity. As Christians, we simply bring our tithes and offerings to the church and the church leadership is responsible to God for their stewardship of those funds. I have heard people, including pastors, refer to handling the congregations money. This is wrong. The money belongs to God, not the church or it’s congregation and only He is judge of what is right or wrong in it’s handling. This is why we choose good and God fearing men to lead us then trust in God to lead them.
Timeless principles: Most people think they are good and believe they are doing their best to follow God’s commands. They admit to lying, the occasional curse word and maybe a little lust but they think they do OK beyond that. It pays to know and understand God’s word.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Read it, Study it, write it down, post it in obvious places and commit it to memory. “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Even knowing all the rules it is impossible for man to obey them completely without God’s help and intervention. Want a little proof? Take the good test.
more to learn for in-depth study: Deuteronomy 27: 3 “YOU SHALL WRITE...” I know I’m repeating myself and I don’t care. Not only did God carve the law in stone, and command the law and the history to be documented in writing; God also commanded billboards to be made at the entrance to the promised land so that all the people could plainly see the words of the law in print as they entered and when they passed back and forth to the lands of the tribes who established their territory before the Jordan river.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 29-31
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Deuteronomy 22-25
God’s message to me: Do not show favoritism. Be evenhanded in all dealings. Be fair and just.
Promises: Life will be well with you so long as your dealings are honest, fair, and even handed.
Commands: If you see something wrong you have a duty to help. Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away. Considering it someone else's business just isn’t helpful to anyone.
Timeless principles: We see some basic civil rules here as well. Rooftops were typically flat and a parapet is a low wall around the roof to prevent accidental falls. Without one the owner is liable for harm to those who do fall.
Times change, civilization advances, people get new attitudes but, SEXUAL SIN REMAINS THE SAME. No amount of political correctness will change God’s view on this. “The world is different now” is not an excuse. It’s not different. The Old Testament is discussing the same issues 6000 years ago that we are claiming should change our views since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. Adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, bestiality, child molestation, and the list goes on. These are not new, they are not reasonable or natural and they are always sin.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: A man in the western US recently followed the principle of the gleanings. Having taken only the base portion of his harvest he left the field and arranged a day when people could come and gather the remainder. Thousands showed up and picked the fields clean, grateful for the opportunity to gather food for their families. Imagine if every US farm followed this practice, what would be left of our hunger problems.
more to learn for in-depth study: This section is filled with commands as the law of Israel is repeated and extended. The book of the law is a separate text but it would be easy to recreate it by simply gathering the laws written in the first five books of the bible. Keep in mind the bible is not intended to give you a comprehensive picture of Israel at the time, but to provide you with the details God wanted to pass on for the purpose of teaching us truth. Israel’s history, legends and a lot of details not useful to our study but, interesting historically, can be found in the Jewish Talmud.
Edomites were the children of Esau, twin brother to Jacob who was named Israel by God. they were to be considered brothers to the nation of Israel. Egypt was the nursery in which the young nation of Israel was reared and they were to be considered friends.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 26-28
Promises: Life will be well with you so long as your dealings are honest, fair, and even handed.
Commands: If you see something wrong you have a duty to help. Ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away. Considering it someone else's business just isn’t helpful to anyone.
Timeless principles: We see some basic civil rules here as well. Rooftops were typically flat and a parapet is a low wall around the roof to prevent accidental falls. Without one the owner is liable for harm to those who do fall.
Times change, civilization advances, people get new attitudes but, SEXUAL SIN REMAINS THE SAME. No amount of political correctness will change God’s view on this. “The world is different now” is not an excuse. It’s not different. The Old Testament is discussing the same issues 6000 years ago that we are claiming should change our views since the sexual revolution of the 1960’s. Adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, bestiality, child molestation, and the list goes on. These are not new, they are not reasonable or natural and they are always sin.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: A man in the western US recently followed the principle of the gleanings. Having taken only the base portion of his harvest he left the field and arranged a day when people could come and gather the remainder. Thousands showed up and picked the fields clean, grateful for the opportunity to gather food for their families. Imagine if every US farm followed this practice, what would be left of our hunger problems.
more to learn for in-depth study: This section is filled with commands as the law of Israel is repeated and extended. The book of the law is a separate text but it would be easy to recreate it by simply gathering the laws written in the first five books of the bible. Keep in mind the bible is not intended to give you a comprehensive picture of Israel at the time, but to provide you with the details God wanted to pass on for the purpose of teaching us truth. Israel’s history, legends and a lot of details not useful to our study but, interesting historically, can be found in the Jewish Talmud.
Edomites were the children of Esau, twin brother to Jacob who was named Israel by God. they were to be considered brothers to the nation of Israel. Egypt was the nursery in which the young nation of Israel was reared and they were to be considered friends.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 26-28
Friday, February 27, 2009
Deuteronomy 18-21
God’s message to me: Many are turned to false beliefs by unintentional lies. They are told that fortune tellers and mediums are all fakes and witchcraft has no power. When they learn this isn’t true they seek the truth the wrong way.
King Saul went to see a witch who was a medium. The spirits warned her he was the king of Israel and she called up the ghost of a prophet of God who told Saul what would happen to him for disobeying God. These were real things but they were not God’s way of doing things which is why they were wrong. People think they can employ fortune telling, astrology, witchcraft and other things in the service of God. God has forbidden these things to His people and so they are wrong.
Promises: God will give you victory over your enemies if you simply follow His rules of engagement. Offering peace to the enemy does not mean offering surrender to their views. In fact it means the opposite. When offering peace it is in exchange for surrender to you.
It makes no sense to demand Israel offer land in exchange for peace with those who want them destroyed. The results of such folly are always the same and can be seen in Gaza. Israel left Gaza and everything they built there. The Palestinians could simply come in and run the businesses and use the supplies to create one of the most popular and prosperous tourist traps on the planet. Instead they used the land to launch rockets at Israel for the entire 3 years of the ceasefire until Israel, at the end of the ceasefire, went back in and stopped them.
It should have gone like this. If “Palestinians” want peace, they must immediately surrender and end all hostile actions. They must pay taxes to the Israeli Government and make themselves subject to that government. Any attempt to resume hostilities will result in immediate and total annihilation of the hostile force.
Commands: Forget all the false paths offered by the New Age religions which are really nothing but recycled paganism. Follow what God has told us to do and how God has told us to worship. It is true that some in the past have used these other ways in their worship of God and it is also true that they are no longer among us. That is because they did what was wrong, no matter the reason. Jewish astrology, Christian mediums, Godly psychics, etc. they are all false paths which need to be ignored in favor of what the bible tells us to do.
Timeless principles: When a person uses fraud to gain another's property or have another person punished for something they didn’t do then the person using fraud should have done to him what he intended to do to the other.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: There are a number of subjects here but eh key one is in regard to worship. Worship only as God has commanded and do not try to “improve” your worship by following the rituals of others. God has laid down specifically how he wants us to worship Him and made it clear that going outside those guidelines is the path to death.
more to learn for in-depth study: Another test of false prophets. What they predict does not come true. Prophecy is not an either/or situation. It happens. God’s prophecies have always been fulfilled and fulfilled literally. He doesn’t “prophecy” what will happen “if”. His prophecies are what will happen and why. If a prophecy doesn’t come true it is not of God. Remember also that a prophecy that does come true but is intended to make you do something god otherwise forbids then it is a test and you should still not sin by doing what God has forbidden.
The refuge cities were given for protection of those who did not kill intentionally. Israel was also commanded to build highways to these cities so that the person running for his life would find his was easily and quickly.
DETERRENTS They claim that the death penalty does not deter crime but, statistics show a marked decrease in crime where civilians are permitted to carry and use weapons in defending themselves and a further decrease where the castle doctrine allows people to protect their property. If the death penalty and prison terms are not deterrents why do criminals go so far to avoid getting hurt or killed. Homes where the owner is known to be armed are less likely to be burglarized than those without a gun. The young hoods targeting German tourists in Florida did so because local residents had the right to carry guns and they didn’t want to get shot. When the bible talks of putting evil away from yourself and ensuring that those remaining hear and fear it is talking about deterrents. Such deterrents are the key to maintaining civilized behavior, not the sign of uncivilized behavior.
HE WHO IS HANGED IS CURSED OF GOD. If a hanged man remains in the tree overnight the land surrounding is cursed. This law is VITAL. Christ was hung on a cross and made a curse for our sake. Judas hung himself at sunset and wasn’t found until morning. The land was cursed and could not be used for farming so it was purchased as a graveyard. That land belonged to a potter which is where we get the term “potter’s field” to refer to the grave yard used for burying the poor and indigent.
Innocent blood must be avenged. If the guilty cannot be determined then a sacrifice was made by the elders of the nearest city. Christ is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins but, the duty of government to uphold the law and protect society does not change. It is still the responsibility of Government to punish crime. While we are taught to turn the other cheek our government authorities are told to punish the persecutor and the persecutor is warned that “if thou doest evil, be very afraid, for he bareth not the sword in vain” regarding government agents and law enforcement.
Blessing of war:
hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Who goes to war:
new home owners who have yet to dedicate their house do not
those who have planted a new vineyard and not tasted of it’s produce do not
men engaged to be married do not
anyone afraid to go into battle does not go
Rules of engagement:
Always offer peace first in exchange for surrender placing them under tribute
Cities outside the land of inheritance which choose to fight will be conquered and the fighting men killed with the plunder of the city taken as a gift from God.
Cities within the promised land that fight will be utterly destroyed with all people killed.
Never use food trees for siege works. Only trees not useful for food can be used to build siege works and all food trees are to be left intact.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 22-25
King Saul went to see a witch who was a medium. The spirits warned her he was the king of Israel and she called up the ghost of a prophet of God who told Saul what would happen to him for disobeying God. These were real things but they were not God’s way of doing things which is why they were wrong. People think they can employ fortune telling, astrology, witchcraft and other things in the service of God. God has forbidden these things to His people and so they are wrong.
Promises: God will give you victory over your enemies if you simply follow His rules of engagement. Offering peace to the enemy does not mean offering surrender to their views. In fact it means the opposite. When offering peace it is in exchange for surrender to you.
It makes no sense to demand Israel offer land in exchange for peace with those who want them destroyed. The results of such folly are always the same and can be seen in Gaza. Israel left Gaza and everything they built there. The Palestinians could simply come in and run the businesses and use the supplies to create one of the most popular and prosperous tourist traps on the planet. Instead they used the land to launch rockets at Israel for the entire 3 years of the ceasefire until Israel, at the end of the ceasefire, went back in and stopped them.
It should have gone like this. If “Palestinians” want peace, they must immediately surrender and end all hostile actions. They must pay taxes to the Israeli Government and make themselves subject to that government. Any attempt to resume hostilities will result in immediate and total annihilation of the hostile force.
Commands: Forget all the false paths offered by the New Age religions which are really nothing but recycled paganism. Follow what God has told us to do and how God has told us to worship. It is true that some in the past have used these other ways in their worship of God and it is also true that they are no longer among us. That is because they did what was wrong, no matter the reason. Jewish astrology, Christian mediums, Godly psychics, etc. they are all false paths which need to be ignored in favor of what the bible tells us to do.
Timeless principles: When a person uses fraud to gain another's property or have another person punished for something they didn’t do then the person using fraud should have done to him what he intended to do to the other.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: There are a number of subjects here but eh key one is in regard to worship. Worship only as God has commanded and do not try to “improve” your worship by following the rituals of others. God has laid down specifically how he wants us to worship Him and made it clear that going outside those guidelines is the path to death.
more to learn for in-depth study: Another test of false prophets. What they predict does not come true. Prophecy is not an either/or situation. It happens. God’s prophecies have always been fulfilled and fulfilled literally. He doesn’t “prophecy” what will happen “if”. His prophecies are what will happen and why. If a prophecy doesn’t come true it is not of God. Remember also that a prophecy that does come true but is intended to make you do something god otherwise forbids then it is a test and you should still not sin by doing what God has forbidden.
The refuge cities were given for protection of those who did not kill intentionally. Israel was also commanded to build highways to these cities so that the person running for his life would find his was easily and quickly.
DETERRENTS They claim that the death penalty does not deter crime but, statistics show a marked decrease in crime where civilians are permitted to carry and use weapons in defending themselves and a further decrease where the castle doctrine allows people to protect their property. If the death penalty and prison terms are not deterrents why do criminals go so far to avoid getting hurt or killed. Homes where the owner is known to be armed are less likely to be burglarized than those without a gun. The young hoods targeting German tourists in Florida did so because local residents had the right to carry guns and they didn’t want to get shot. When the bible talks of putting evil away from yourself and ensuring that those remaining hear and fear it is talking about deterrents. Such deterrents are the key to maintaining civilized behavior, not the sign of uncivilized behavior.
HE WHO IS HANGED IS CURSED OF GOD. If a hanged man remains in the tree overnight the land surrounding is cursed. This law is VITAL. Christ was hung on a cross and made a curse for our sake. Judas hung himself at sunset and wasn’t found until morning. The land was cursed and could not be used for farming so it was purchased as a graveyard. That land belonged to a potter which is where we get the term “potter’s field” to refer to the grave yard used for burying the poor and indigent.
Innocent blood must be avenged. If the guilty cannot be determined then a sacrifice was made by the elders of the nearest city. Christ is the ultimate sacrifice for our sins but, the duty of government to uphold the law and protect society does not change. It is still the responsibility of Government to punish crime. While we are taught to turn the other cheek our government authorities are told to punish the persecutor and the persecutor is warned that “if thou doest evil, be very afraid, for he bareth not the sword in vain” regarding government agents and law enforcement.
Blessing of war:
hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them; for the Lord your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Who goes to war:
new home owners who have yet to dedicate their house do not
those who have planted a new vineyard and not tasted of it’s produce do not
men engaged to be married do not
anyone afraid to go into battle does not go
Rules of engagement:
Always offer peace first in exchange for surrender placing them under tribute
Cities outside the land of inheritance which choose to fight will be conquered and the fighting men killed with the plunder of the city taken as a gift from God.
Cities within the promised land that fight will be utterly destroyed with all people killed.
Never use food trees for siege works. Only trees not useful for food can be used to build siege works and all food trees are to be left intact.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 22-25
Deuteronomy 14-17
God’s message to me: Love your neighbor as yourself and do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Simple Ideas but, God promises prosperity to those who follow them. He promised that doing so would ensure that his people were lenders and not borrowers and rulers but not ruled. how clear can God be. Forgive debt at a reasonable time and give to the poor and you will be RICH.
Promises: Do you want prosperity? GIVE. Do you want debt freedom? FORGIVE. The poor will always be among you(this was not a call to socialism but to charity).
Commands: The Easter season is starting and that means that the time of Passover is coming. God appointed a number of feasts for the Israelites to always celebrate and Passover is the first. It is one we Christians see as the foreshadowing of Christ’s death on the Cross for our salvation. With all the debate over the origins of Easter we must not forget what it is we are commemorating as Christians. The Easter Bunny didn’t rise from the dead. Easter Eggs don’t grant salvation. Jelly beans can’t wash away our sins. The Son of God was Born as a man, lived a perfect life, was murdered brutally to be a sacrifice for all our sins, was buried and rose from the dead victorious over death, hell and the grave.
Timeless principles: The tithe belongs to God. PERIOD. With the spreading of the Israelites across the land it would become difficult to haul grain, produce and livestock to the temple from some locations. For that situation God permitted the tithe offering to be sold and the money for it taken to the temple where it could be used to purchase other produce, grain and livestock for the tithe. No excuses were given for not bringing the tithe. If you couldn’t bring the original product you could bring the durable cash it bought.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: When a slave was set free, in the year of debt forgiveness, his owner sent him away well supplied with food and wine and livestock. No slave was kept longer than 6 years unless owner and slave both chose to stay together as family rather than as master and servant.
more to learn for in-depth study: Chapter 14 gives a partial list of clean and unclean animals in regard to Kosher laws. Deuteronomy 17:18 hundreds of years before the Israelites even asked for a king, God mad it law that such a king would be required to copy all the law in writing and read it and keep it. He would be required to copy it from the written book of the law that was before the priests. In other words, once again, we clarify that these laws and books were in written form from the beginning and kept by the leaders and priests of Israel in written form. THIS IS NOT AN ORAL TRADITION!!!!
Here is a thought. Where do you think the US got the idea for a law that clears things from your credit record after seven years. More importantly, isn’t it interesting that the governments financial situation with deficient, debt and instability worsens dramatically the more it tries to exempt itself and it’s allies from this debt forgiveness.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 18-21
Promises: Do you want prosperity? GIVE. Do you want debt freedom? FORGIVE. The poor will always be among you(this was not a call to socialism but to charity).
Commands: The Easter season is starting and that means that the time of Passover is coming. God appointed a number of feasts for the Israelites to always celebrate and Passover is the first. It is one we Christians see as the foreshadowing of Christ’s death on the Cross for our salvation. With all the debate over the origins of Easter we must not forget what it is we are commemorating as Christians. The Easter Bunny didn’t rise from the dead. Easter Eggs don’t grant salvation. Jelly beans can’t wash away our sins. The Son of God was Born as a man, lived a perfect life, was murdered brutally to be a sacrifice for all our sins, was buried and rose from the dead victorious over death, hell and the grave.
Timeless principles: The tithe belongs to God. PERIOD. With the spreading of the Israelites across the land it would become difficult to haul grain, produce and livestock to the temple from some locations. For that situation God permitted the tithe offering to be sold and the money for it taken to the temple where it could be used to purchase other produce, grain and livestock for the tithe. No excuses were given for not bringing the tithe. If you couldn’t bring the original product you could bring the durable cash it bought.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: When a slave was set free, in the year of debt forgiveness, his owner sent him away well supplied with food and wine and livestock. No slave was kept longer than 6 years unless owner and slave both chose to stay together as family rather than as master and servant.
more to learn for in-depth study: Chapter 14 gives a partial list of clean and unclean animals in regard to Kosher laws. Deuteronomy 17:18 hundreds of years before the Israelites even asked for a king, God mad it law that such a king would be required to copy all the law in writing and read it and keep it. He would be required to copy it from the written book of the law that was before the priests. In other words, once again, we clarify that these laws and books were in written form from the beginning and kept by the leaders and priests of Israel in written form. THIS IS NOT AN ORAL TRADITION!!!!
Here is a thought. Where do you think the US got the idea for a law that clears things from your credit record after seven years. More importantly, isn’t it interesting that the governments financial situation with deficient, debt and instability worsens dramatically the more it tries to exempt itself and it’s allies from this debt forgiveness.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 18-21
Deuteronomy 10-13
God’s message to me: Certain religious traditions, many of them Christian, have, in the past, made a habit of incorporating the practices of other religions and cultures into their own system to reach others and out of a desire to improve their own worship. While the Goals are lofty the method is all wrong.
God isn’t honored by worship in the style of false religions no matter how beautiful or uplifting their ceremonies may be. These religions were abominations to Him before and their practices are still abominations now, even if they are done in His name.
Promises: God provides us the good of the land and does not hold it back. Eating meat wasn’t just a religious practice reserved for temples, wild game and cattle slaughtered for meat but not for sacrifice could be killed, butchered and eaten at home.
Commands: Do not do anything which follows after false Gods. Here is a command opposite of what we do and think. When conquering the enemy, destroy all temples, religious art, religious artifacts, religious icons and writings, worship sites, alters and anything else having to do with the false religion. Do not adopt their practices no matter how good they seem. Do not use their religious sites no matter how beautiful they are. Do not salvage their artifacts and paraphernalia no matter how nice or valuable it seems to be. I’ve said it before, the Taliban made us all look bad when they had the guts to destroy the giant Buddahs in the mountain on their land. The followed their religion and, despite the fact that our religion teaches the same thing, we condemned them for it.
Timeless principles: Why do we go to church? That question could develop a lot of study and detail but the basics start here. God set aside places which where to his name where people could go to worship and bring sacrifices. The Tabernacle and the local temples of the tribes were the proper place for the religious practices. Religious ceremonies like sacrifices that were held elsewhere were considered worship to false Gods, with only rare exceptions(e.g. Passover). As we see in the teachings of the New Testament, He caused His people to gather at certain locations to ensure what God calls “the fellowship of the saints”.
Having a place of gathering causes believers to come together for mutual strengthening rather than living apart and unconnected. The Way of God is not a solitary path but one of community. Each member of the church has certain abilities, talents and gifts to bring to the table and only together can they be effective. No one has all the abilities within themselves and that is because God wants us to work together.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Signs and wonders cannot replace knowledge of the bible. Chapter 13 describes clearly the idea of being told to do something you shouldn’t. God never contradicts Himself. Let’s create an example based on the chapter.
Pastor Christian Pilgrim of Christian Heritage Ministries has a Television ministry that has become a worldwide phenomenon. In two years he went from a local congregation of 50 members to a world wide TV ministry to over 1.5 billion viewers and has safely secured TV ratings better than any other Sunday broadcast. Reverend Pilgrim comes on the air on the first Sunday in January and says that he has received the world of the Lord. He says that God told him everyone who truly loves God and wishes to go to heaven should purchase a small statue of Jesus from his ministry for $1 and pray to that from now on. He also says that they should not do so now. Instead, he says that God will provide proof that what he says is true. He says that God has promised a great wonder, to prove Himself and that on the first Saturday in February it will snow in Tahiti. If the sign does not come then he is false.
Just under a month later, for no reason anyone can explain, the tourists in Tahiti wake up to find the temperature has dropped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and there is 3 inches of snow on the beaches. The next morning the preacher demands everyone recognize God’s sign and worship the statuettes of Jesus.
God forbade us to make statues of Him or to Him. He would not let the Israelites see anything but a pillar of cloud or fire so that they would have nothing to make statues or images of. God commanded us to never worship any such image. Given the sign of the snow compared against the Word of God, how would you worship? Deuteronomy 13:3-4 should give you your answer.
more to learn for in-depth study: Isn’t it harsh to say, Kill the false prophet? Consider this. for the past year you have been hounded by a local hoodlum. He hasn’t much power and his gang is of about 8 people but he has become a criminal mastermind in that he never seems to get charged, let alone arrested for his crimes. You see him, on average, twice a month. You don’t intend to but, it’s impossible to avoid him completely in the small city in which you live. Every time he sees you he tries to kill you. What do you do?
The false prophet is trying to lead you from the path of life eternal in Jesus Christ and in the presence of Almighty God to the eternal death and damnation of separation from God and eternal torment in the lake of fire. Left to his own devices, Rev. Pilgrim will do whatever it takes to keep his place of power and wealth and lead much of the world to Hell. Would you preserve the life of someone who wiped out 1/6 of the worlds population? What about someone who led 3,000,000 to the gas chambers, that’s about 10% of the US Population. 37,000 people is about .01 percent of the population of the United States. Is it reasonable to assume that atheists have led 1/100 of one percent of the population to hell? What would you want to see happen to someone who killed the entire population of Minot, ND as an act of terrorism. The population of Minot is less than 37,000 according to the 2000 census.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 14-17
For the record, I'm feeling a lot better today and hope to finish these studies for you by the end of the day so that we are caught up for the week and continue in the morning from where you should already be.
God isn’t honored by worship in the style of false religions no matter how beautiful or uplifting their ceremonies may be. These religions were abominations to Him before and their practices are still abominations now, even if they are done in His name.
Promises: God provides us the good of the land and does not hold it back. Eating meat wasn’t just a religious practice reserved for temples, wild game and cattle slaughtered for meat but not for sacrifice could be killed, butchered and eaten at home.
Commands: Do not do anything which follows after false Gods. Here is a command opposite of what we do and think. When conquering the enemy, destroy all temples, religious art, religious artifacts, religious icons and writings, worship sites, alters and anything else having to do with the false religion. Do not adopt their practices no matter how good they seem. Do not use their religious sites no matter how beautiful they are. Do not salvage their artifacts and paraphernalia no matter how nice or valuable it seems to be. I’ve said it before, the Taliban made us all look bad when they had the guts to destroy the giant Buddahs in the mountain on their land. The followed their religion and, despite the fact that our religion teaches the same thing, we condemned them for it.
Timeless principles: Why do we go to church? That question could develop a lot of study and detail but the basics start here. God set aside places which where to his name where people could go to worship and bring sacrifices. The Tabernacle and the local temples of the tribes were the proper place for the religious practices. Religious ceremonies like sacrifices that were held elsewhere were considered worship to false Gods, with only rare exceptions(e.g. Passover). As we see in the teachings of the New Testament, He caused His people to gather at certain locations to ensure what God calls “the fellowship of the saints”.
Having a place of gathering causes believers to come together for mutual strengthening rather than living apart and unconnected. The Way of God is not a solitary path but one of community. Each member of the church has certain abilities, talents and gifts to bring to the table and only together can they be effective. No one has all the abilities within themselves and that is because God wants us to work together.
How can I apply what I’ve learned: Signs and wonders cannot replace knowledge of the bible. Chapter 13 describes clearly the idea of being told to do something you shouldn’t. God never contradicts Himself. Let’s create an example based on the chapter.
Pastor Christian Pilgrim of Christian Heritage Ministries has a Television ministry that has become a worldwide phenomenon. In two years he went from a local congregation of 50 members to a world wide TV ministry to over 1.5 billion viewers and has safely secured TV ratings better than any other Sunday broadcast. Reverend Pilgrim comes on the air on the first Sunday in January and says that he has received the world of the Lord. He says that God told him everyone who truly loves God and wishes to go to heaven should purchase a small statue of Jesus from his ministry for $1 and pray to that from now on. He also says that they should not do so now. Instead, he says that God will provide proof that what he says is true. He says that God has promised a great wonder, to prove Himself and that on the first Saturday in February it will snow in Tahiti. If the sign does not come then he is false.
Just under a month later, for no reason anyone can explain, the tourists in Tahiti wake up to find the temperature has dropped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit and there is 3 inches of snow on the beaches. The next morning the preacher demands everyone recognize God’s sign and worship the statuettes of Jesus.
God forbade us to make statues of Him or to Him. He would not let the Israelites see anything but a pillar of cloud or fire so that they would have nothing to make statues or images of. God commanded us to never worship any such image. Given the sign of the snow compared against the Word of God, how would you worship? Deuteronomy 13:3-4 should give you your answer.
more to learn for in-depth study: Isn’t it harsh to say, Kill the false prophet? Consider this. for the past year you have been hounded by a local hoodlum. He hasn’t much power and his gang is of about 8 people but he has become a criminal mastermind in that he never seems to get charged, let alone arrested for his crimes. You see him, on average, twice a month. You don’t intend to but, it’s impossible to avoid him completely in the small city in which you live. Every time he sees you he tries to kill you. What do you do?
The false prophet is trying to lead you from the path of life eternal in Jesus Christ and in the presence of Almighty God to the eternal death and damnation of separation from God and eternal torment in the lake of fire. Left to his own devices, Rev. Pilgrim will do whatever it takes to keep his place of power and wealth and lead much of the world to Hell. Would you preserve the life of someone who wiped out 1/6 of the worlds population? What about someone who led 3,000,000 to the gas chambers, that’s about 10% of the US Population. 37,000 people is about .01 percent of the population of the United States. Is it reasonable to assume that atheists have led 1/100 of one percent of the population to hell? What would you want to see happen to someone who killed the entire population of Minot, ND as an act of terrorism. The population of Minot is less than 37,000 according to the 2000 census.
tomorrow: Deuteronomy 14-17
For the record, I'm feeling a lot better today and hope to finish these studies for you by the end of the day so that we are caught up for the week and continue in the morning from where you should already be.
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