Bibledoorajar: United

     I saw a news report last night about two superlative distinctions that mankind now has since he "evolved" from monkeys. The first is our ability to understand deeper meanings of words and secondly, our ability to hear the various tones of music. I had to laugh about the monkey part but I was thrilled to hear anew that our response to the two witnesses that God left in the earth are being recognized for their high function indeed.
     This bears out in our Bible citation about entering the land. God in control, Moses and his many words and his songs of praise and Joshua responding with valor to lead the people into the land. And the strength behind it all: A wonderful God who has determined to have a family composed of all who wish to respond to His plan and submit to His control, choose to obey the mighty words, praise Him in song and move out with Jesus. What words and songs are we listening to today? Are we on the correct route?

Bibledoorajar: Reading and Singing

Two aspects of Joshua's leadership were assured by God through Moses. Those aspects were the reading of the law that Moses had written down and that was housed with the Ark and the singing the song that Moses (with Joshua) wrote just before his death. God declared that these two aspects would be a witness for Him in the land. Each aspect when heard would serve to move the hearts of the people to continue their trust in God and to make sure their youth heard the witness too.
     Listening closely to the witness (word or song) is important to keep the trust. Paul discussed the Word at length with the church in Rome. He pointed out that the law points to the Good News of the Messiah. It calls for belief (commitment) and trust. Of course, he said there was a problem if it is not paid attention to and obeyed. The law has consequences whether it is known or not known. But if attention is paid to it, God will write it on hearts so that trust can continue. The law remains a witness.
     Jesus repeatedly said "It is written" and, though the due recipient of worship ,He  also sang hymns with His disciples. Singing just after the institution of the Lord's Supper is one recorded incident. The hymn was a witness of the Father's goodness and provision and contributed to trust.
     The song that Moses wrote includes verses about future failures that the people would make but it also underscores the beauty of repentance and returning to God. It was and is a witness. Though all did not receive the witness, there remained a remnant which did. Today it is the same. Not all appreciate the witness in the earth through the hearing of the Word and songs, but there remains a remnant which does.

"Sing on, ye joyful pilgrims. 

While here on earth we stay. 

Let songs of home and Jesus

 Beguile each fleeting day. 

Sing on the grand old story

Of His redeeming love. 

The every\lasting chorus

That fills the realms above."

Fannie Crosby

Bibledoorajar: Mighty Men of Valor

Before Moses died he had selected two and one- half tribes composed of valiant men to be the tip of the spear as the people moved into the land. They were to maintain their protective position until every tribe was in the land. But Moses had died. How were they to view their previous commitment?
When Joshua asked, they were quick to say they would still gladly accept the responsibility. They believed in the leadership of this great commander as much as they had in Moses. Joshua must have spoken with the same authority given by God as Moses had. The mighty men believed. They would be willing to take on assignments even though Joshua would not be present with them.

In Bible class this morning we were examining the interactions of Jesus with his disciples just before His death. John records that as they talked, the disciples seemed to see Jesus in a different way and they saw God in a different way too. They said Jesus was speaking much more clearly about spiritual things and that they did not have to question so much. Jesus saw mightiness arising and exclaimed that finally, they believed in the authority God had given to Jesus and that He had given to them. This was a good thing because Jesus told them that shortly they would all be scattered to their own homes and He would not be available in the flesh. Even though this was to happen, they were to maintain their protective positions for each other. And this was the lesson for the class to take to heart. We are to maintain our protective positions for each other even though we are scattered to our homes. None of us can "save the world" but we must pray for and assist our fellow believers. A local fellowship is a place for Christ' authority to accomplish much. God gave us to Jesus and He shares Himself with us so that we can be enabled to share with each other and help each other. Jesus prays for us. Amazing. For God so loved......

Bibledoorajar: What God Knew About Joshua

     I am going to pick up my 13- year- old autistic great nephew after school today and introduce him to some beginning work tasks as he is interested in earning some money. His grandmother could not remember when that was going to take place so Clay told her, "it is Tuesday, Oma." He further counseled her that she needed to work on her listening skills! She was reporting all of this to me when she called to verify. That started me thinking about Joshua and what God knew about him.
     I think God knew that Joshua had good listening skills. It seems God thought he would try his best to separate the right messages from the wrong. How very valuable he would be to God. I was telling my Bible class yesterday that I can remember the "old folks" of my youth praying in Jesus name for Jesus sake. It was important to them that whatever "work" was to be accomplished as a result of that prayer would bring glory to Jesus and not to the humans involved. That is something that we should all try to remember. Good works to God are those that proceed from holy principles and that are regulated and monitored by righteous rules. They keep the right end in view.....glory to God. It is not necessarily wrong to want to be appreciated, but it is wrong to take all the glory, forgetting where the ability came from in the first place and for whom we were made to glorify. With God's help, I hope to get some of that through to Clay today. Maybe we will talk about Eric Liddell, the Scottish preacher who ran for God's glory while Harold Abrahams, a Jew, ran to oppose racist thoughts against the Jews without thinking of glorifying HIs God. Perhaps my young autistic boy can catch the idea. Lord, make Him your chariot of fire in Jesus name for Jesus sake. Amen.

Bibledoorajar: The Commander

"Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people:  “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own." Joshua 1:10 ff

Joshua was truly a great and confident commander. He did not establish a steering committee or ask for ideas. He simply told his army officers to spread the word with preparation details.  Several things come to mind as I read this. One is that Jesus did not consult with flesh and blood as He lead his disciples. He waited for the Father to speak to Him and said He did nothing without hearing from Him. And then there was the apostle Paul. In Galatians, he said that he was" an apostle not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead." He further said that "the gospel he preached was not received from man not taught by man, but that it came by revelation of Jesus Christ". He did not consult with flesh and blood about his gospel. Galatians 1 ff. Paul added that after three years he went to Jerusalem to consult with Peter. It is good that we know our proper relationship with our commander. One unknown wrote of it in part in this way....

I am a soldier in the army of God

The Lord Jesus Christ is my commanding officer

The Holy Scripture is my code of conduct

Faith, prayer and the word of God are my weapons.

Bibledoorajar: Confidence and Courage

There were two things that God made clear and underscorably clear to Joshua. He was to put all of his confidence in God and His law and he was to courageously fear no man. There were no other elements of their discussion. 1) Trust me only and 2) fear no man. This at a time when Joshua faced strong peoples with other gods. He had seen Moses have to take this stance many times but the test was now for him and for the nation that he would be leading. If Joshua was to be confident in God and courageous against evil men then so was the nation he was to lead. Somehow in thinking about this point of their history. I feel better about God and Joshua than I do the nation. It makes me wonder just how well the Christian nation is doing in this regard and me a member of it.

In John, we read of Jesus saying  He could not entrust Himself to some folk because he knew they would betray Him. The Psalmist says it is better to put your confidence in God than man (118) and the prophets in later times were always sending this message to Israel and Judah. It seems it is a hard lesson for we God knowing people to learn deep within our soul. Usually, it is because we have put too much of our trust in the men around us and less in God and our heavenly Joshua. It's just that our situations can be so iffy, isn't it? Yesterday we were discussing the disciples' plight at a given point. Jesus had just told Judas to leave the room (he had all the money). Jesus, who could do the supernatural, had just announced he would die very soon. He said He would send another Helper but nobody in the room knew when. If one did not feel the strong attraction to Jesus and His love one could be tempted to feel a little bereft and look around to men for help. But praise God they did feel that love and stayed the course. It is a prayer for strength and wisdom we all need to make.

"Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to Thee 'til death"
                                                                                         Frederick Faber   

Bibledoorajar: Leadership

Bibledoorajar is in Dallas this week supporting hundreds of young leaders from fellowships across the Southwest. Young people that willingly spend time doing bulletin boards, scrapbooks, speeches, poems, art mediums, puppeteering, Bible readings, signing for the deaf, song leading, choruses and more, meet to be judged by their elders. It is really quite a production. The events are designed to assist the youth in becoming more comfortable as they think of taking on leadership roles within the Christian community. The hope is that they will desire with all their hearts to continue to be as good attendants to Jesus as Joshua was to Moses. Many have prayed for, encouraged and assisted them in making their presentations possible but each young person has had to meet strict criteria for their age group on their own. May they always be willing to serve Him. One thing is for sure. He is in control and someone will. Below is a picture of the mighty group from our small fellowship. The care and concern that they have for each other makes the heart swell. Each will find out what medal they won in each of their categories when they get back home. Thank you, Lord, for every one of them and for their courage and sacrifice!

"Lord of heaven and earth. Lord of all creation. Lord of heaven and earth. Lord of all creation, of water, earth and sky, the heavens are Your tabernacle; glory to the Lord on high.
 God of wonders beyond our galaxy. You are holy, holy; the universe declares Your majesty. You are holy, holy; Lord of heaven and earth, Lord of heaven and earth...."
                                                     Lyrics by Marc Byrd

Bibledoorajar: About That Name

When the new generation was complete and the old had passed away God looked to Joshua, Mose's attendant to complete the job of leading the unique and now self- contained people into Canaan. It begins the most distinctive part of their life to date----a new generation, out of Egypt entering a completely new realm under new leadership. They have been through the wilderness of sin and trembled at the demands of the Law and have now put their trust in Joshua. This was God's provision--Joshua would lead them in. But first, back up and remember a few things about Joshua before we start that process. The first thing we learn about Joshua was that his name of origin was Hoshea which means salvation. Remember, this is the man who went up to the mountain with Moses to receive the Law and who stayed in position for 40 days and nights without wavering. And when he came down from the mountain with Moses he did not speak badly about the noise he heard with the calf debacle. He expected the best.  Further, he was one of the two spies who believed the land could not only be taken but was excellent and for which they should be striving. This man was going for God! Salvation is a great name but it could lead to the belief that a man could accomplish salvation alone. At any rate, God had Moses change the name to Joshua which, though similar in how it is written in Hebrew, denotes a great difference;  GOD is salvation. If I had been Joshua even though I had believed in strength coming from God I would have felt truly blessed and encouraged by that name change. Moses could already see that Joshua trusted God and now his name would reflect it ever more clearly.
      I once went to a Bible study in a private home in another state. The only people I knew were the hostess and the two sisters with whom I had attended. The brother who was teaching had never met me. At the second meeting the brother referred to me by an attribute that he had sensed. I smiled politely not exactly knowing what to do when just then the two friends spoke up and said that is exactly right---you have her pegged! It was a nice thing to be blessed and encouraged to know that the body has such giftings and that God graces us to share them as He wills. Here's the lesson: if we Christians are going to call names lets at least use the ones that express what God plans to give the body through another rather than concentrate on the weaknesses we all have.

Bibledoorajar: The Attendant Leader

 “Now, My servant Moses is dead.” This is an interesting comment since the Camp had been mourning the death of Moses for thirty days. However, the forward word in the sentence is the “now” or as some translations put it “and”. In other words, God’s work is going to continue on and the man to lead the way is going to be Moses’s attendant or his great supporter, Joshua. The man who had worked alongside Moses was to successfully conclude all that Moses had done before for the people by leading them out of bondage and successfully through the wilderness wanderings.  But NOW, Joshua would lead the people into the land. What a great honor it was for Joshua to carry the people into the promised inheritance. And He was to do it courageously and with great strength bringing the people in according to all the law. “The book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shall meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:7-8). “Do all that my servant Moses commanded”.
There were commandments and requirements. This was still the will of God. Joshua was to magnify the law and lead by it. Remember the people had told Moses that they did not want to talk to God directly. And remember that God had declared that they were right. They could not do it because they did not have a heart for God. They had a terrible weakness and God understood it and He bemoaned the fact that such a heart was not there. But that did not mean that the Law did not stand and that is why God made so many just and holy provisions for the faithful to seek cleanness.

Now. Here we are all these years later and how are we to apply this lesson to our lives in these New Testament times? Well, if you want to understand the importance of the Law, read Galatians. If you want to understand God’s redo for needy people who deserved His wrath read Ephesians. If you want to understand why a great apostle could boast in all his weaknesses read Paul’s testimony (1 Corinthians 11). If you want to read about The Truth becoming apparent in the earth read the book of John. You will find that the grace given by Jesus Christ was not opposite the Law but was complimentary. The law stands but the Leader named Jesus whom God sent understood(stands) the weakness of the human heart. He died to give a new one to all who would believe. This new heart can be recognized by one that appreciates and desires to speak to our Holy Father in all HIs rightness and Law. In our weakness, our new hearts can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  The triumph of the Gospel lives in the hearts of believers. We serve Him, not in any way we please, but truthfully with joy and gladness because Jesus fulfilled ALL of the Law. Praise God for the Great Attendant of the Law and all that He made possible for you and for me. Every time you have a successful victory over some sin contrary to God’s law you can boast in Him. For every struggle not yet bested you can boast in Him for the privilege and position you have through His grace and mercy. It’s the truth; He is Truth. We take the land with Him and Him alone.

Bibledoorajar: Wait, Just One More Thing

     I cannot let us go into the Land without discussing one more great Levitical ceremony that was given by God. We discussed the Pascal Lamb that took away sin and we discussed the Scapegoat that got away while the other goat paid the price for sin. But God also instituted another great gift when He gave the Levites the responsibility of the slaying of the red heifer. The red heifer was the only female sacrifice in the Levitical system. It is thought that she was selected by God to represent the ability to give life. She had to be perfectly red, eyelashes, nose, hooves, all. If they thought they had bred one but found as little as two non-red hairs, she was not a candidate. This emphasis on red hair and body was so that the dehydrated blood at death could not be easily seen. Further, she could never have been yoked or worked.
     When the heifer was killed for the good of the people, the Levite priests had to take it outside the camp. There the blood was collected and the priest would take the hyssop and soak it in the blood. He would return to camp and sprinkle it before the Tent of Meeting seven times. This obsolved the nation as a whole from guilt. That priest would have to change clothes and clean his body. Another priest would burn the body of the heifer completely until only ashes remained. The ashes would be mixed with water (living) and individuals needing purification would be anointed. The priest would completely dispose of the ashen water outside the camp and would change clothes and clean his body. The priests, having cleaned themselves ,would remain unclean until dark. The death of the heifer, a giver of life, was needed to take away the guilt of sin that destroys individual conscience and that of nations. The historian Josepheus says that no one but Moses really understood the efficaciousness of the red heifer ceremony. It was a mystery. But Jesus makes the mystery known through His death. As He hung on the cross He was able to tell the thief that he would be with Him in Paradise because He hung there until dark and became clean for believers. The thief's guilt was gone. It was a miraculous dark that could not be explained by solar or lunar events. It was the work of God.
     And so, on Sundays when I share the Lord's Supper with my Fellowship, I am also atONEment with the Father who miraculously over time cleans me up and sanctifies me. Do I have regrets about some of my actions in my past? Yes, but I have no guilt because my Saviour saw to it that that would not  happen to His disciples. I can serve the Lord with gladness. My works will not be dead (useless). Hallelujah !!!

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  Hebrews 9:13-14

"GOD MOVES IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY, HIS WONDERS TO PERFORM" 
                                                              William Cowper, 1773 

Bibledoorajar: So What About The Rest?

     Now we have arrived at a place where it looks like the people of God are ready to enter the Land.
God Himself will be glorified because He alone is the true Leader. Good. They have a leader who has the courage to lead them to victory. Good. If they are truly repentent and have faith they seem to be in a good position to succeed because of God's mercy. Good. But what else? Were there other preparations that were of Supreme importance? Well, yes, and yes indeed. Lest we forget all of those priests and the High Priest and all those days that the truly faithful were to come before the Lord, we must remember for these are the rest of the story. We must remember the Pascal Lamb ceremony. The pure and unblemished lamb slain for sin. And we must remember the Day of Atonement when one goat was set free and the other was spit upon, beaten and ultimately spilled his blood. Then the High Priest would take that life giving blood of that goat and apply it to the Mercy Seat and the faithful were cleansed or covered until the next Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Time will not allow us to speak of all the preparations available to the faithful people through the Priestly system to overcome the difficulties they faced in this fallen world. Now our picture is much more complete for the entry into the Land.
      I guess we all have our reasons why we choose our christian fellowship communities. Does the group glorify God as the one true God? Do they follow the courageous Leader, Jesus Christ? Do they speak of faith and faithfulness and the need of repentence and baptism? I am sure many from  many different persuasions would answer with a resounding yes and they would be right. But what else? For me, it is the frequency of the Lord's Supper. I want to remember each Sunday that my Lord set me free and took my beatings and withstood the wrath of God and paid the price of my redemption fully and completely. My picture of my position in Him is just more complete that way. I am at ONE ment with the Father and it is good.

Bibledoorajar: Having Entered, Then What?

     Moses had died and his last speech lingered in the hearts and minds of the Israelites. The speech was clear; live according to the law and be blessed or live the opposite and be cursed. And if you take the time to go back and read those chapters listing the blessings and curses it is enough to make one shiver. But still, a people who would inherit the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob included awareness of and participation in the guidelines of a righteoous people. Joshua testified of that again. And even though future apostasy was predicted, God was presented still as a God of promise. The taking of the Land would end in victory because of rhe Lord.  Meanwhile in front of them were peoples that did not live that way; people who worshipped alien gods and did terrible things in the exaltation of sin. The Hebrews were to be different and were to be willing to help anihilate the most gross of evil.
     God now planned to move toward completion. The people were going in. But details had to be attended to first. The Jewish nation needed a human leader who would be in the mold of Moses in terms of the law and allegience to God but who would also have the mindset of a conqueror. God setttled on Joshua who had been born a slave in Egypt but who would end his life remembered for conquering. This unique band of people who awaited going in, however, were a new generation who basically had been living a nomadic life in the Wilderness listening to Moses share about the nature of their God. But God knew that a visible sign was necessary for this new generation that was born in the wilderness to show forth their commitment. They needed to be circumcised as had the previous generations. And so one of Joshua's first orders was to gather the men and get that done.
     We know from other scriptures that this outward circumcision was really to be a reflection of the heart. This would be God's work of knowing their commitment. Even today, it is not always easy to tell if a second generation has experienced true conversion, especially if they have grown up in Sunday School and church culture and that is all they have known. Like Moses, we teach, we describe, we hold up, but still that personal circumcision of the heart is not always manifested later in a life of faith. The great joy of occupying until our JOSHUA comes to lead us in  the final victory depends so much on whether our children really come to see their great need for heart circumcision. For this, we testify, we witness with our lives and we trust the Spirit of Truth to hold our hearts aright and help the next generation to not base their future on history alone.
     I live in a town where there are quite a few churches. Today, there is one that bears an historical marker on its' building that is now up for sale. Others are occupied by ever reducing numbers. It becomes clear that people and churches cannot live on history alone. (Romans 9:24-29). The question becomes having entered, then what?

Bibledoorajar: Commenting on the Future

After surveying the Promised Land from a distance Moses returned to the people and made some observations. He revealed that the Lord had told him he was no longer able to lead the people and that he would also not be going into the Land with them. I am sure everyone immediately started murmuring among themselves. Who would be leading them? Many probably immediately thought Joshua, right? He would be the one to protect them and lead them over the Jordan. Moses told them they were right but only in part. Joshua would cross over ahead of them but behind their primary leader. God Himself would be their commander in chief and He would be out in front of them. They were to trust this Leader to do just what He had done for them before. He would destroy the nations who were enemies and deliver the new start land to the people. If they doubted, they could remember what happened to Sihon and Og along the way. But then Moses said an interesting thing. They were to be strong and courageous and were not to be afraid or terrified of the enemies that God Himself was going to take care. What the people had to understand was that they were going to be involved in the fight along the way. They would have a leader who would not leave them or forsake them but they were still going to be in the fight. Moses even counseled that Joshua, the bravest among them, would also have to be courageous. Moses said this courage was a must because the land was their inheritance. They were supposed to reframe their fears in this way to help them offset feeling forsaken or feeling discouraged as they took on the unknown.

Years later, Jesus sent out 72 of the disciples who followed Him and the men the Word later describes as apostles. He spoke to the 72 and gave them some guidelines that would help them to not feel forsaken or discouraged. When they returned to Him with their report the Word says that Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit and He praised God because of what had happened---something that the Father was pleased to do. (See Luke 10). In the face of possible rejection or feelings of discouragement, the Commander-in-Chief was pleased to lead the 72. Baseline report: The Spirit of Truth had led 72 men to sow seed about life in Jesus with success and their fears and tribulations were reframed with eternity in mind. Thank you Holy God for still making Him known in truth and reframing our fears so that our witness in the world gives Him and You joy.

Bibledoorajar: Moses signs off With Faith and Faithfulness

Before Moses handed over the leadership of Israel to Joshua, he convened the people and said:

     "For the commandment  that I command you today---it is not hidden from you amd it is not distant. It is not in heaven [for you] to say, 'Who can ascend to the heaven for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?' Not is it across the sea, [for you] to say, 'Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it.'
Rather, the matter is very near to you----in your mouth and your heart----to perform it.
     See----I have placed before  you today the life and the good, and the death and the evil, that which I command you today, to love your God, to walk in His ways, to observe His commandments, His decrees, and His ordinances; then you will live and you will multiply, and your God will bless you in the Land to which you come, to possess it. But if your heart will stray and you will not listen, and you are led astray, and you prostrate yourself to the gods of others and serve them, I tell you today that you will surely be lost; you will not lengthen your days upon the Land that you cross the Jordan to come there, to possess it. I call heaven and earth today to bear witness against you: I have placed life and death before you, blessing and curse; and you shall choose life, so that you will live, you and your offspring----." Deuteronomy 30:11-19

As a Christian it is clear from the Word that we obtain our salvation through faith and that that faith is composed in part of belief, hope and trust. However, we all have to learn that a complete understanding of faith leads not to just hope and trust but to true faithfulness to Him. Our heart turned to God will impact our speech and our deeds. As He is faithful so we must be. As He has heartfelt love for us so we must have heartfelt love for Him. The apostle James teaches us that our steadfastness can have a full effect. We can be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. And if our steadfastness includes persevering under trial and we endure, God will proclaim that we have stood the test. There is a crown of life reserved for lives lived this way (see the book of James).  Sound good? Not hidden or distant? If it does seem hidden or distant, we have today to rethink our choices. He is near but we must draw near to Him. Listen to your mouth and heart.

Bibledoorajar: The value of fruit

     This week we have all watched Venezuela with horror thinking of the struggle of the people who are being denied food to eat that is right there within reach. But the terrible man in charge will have nothing to do with the olive branch extended by the caring world. It is beginning to look as if a seige may have to take place to save the people. This reminded me of how God told Moses to prepare the warriors of Israel for taking land in which enemies ruled. First, they were to send envoys to extend the hand of peace. Perhaps the enemies would choose to work for the Israelites and thus continue to benefit from the land and its' resources. But, if not....
^""When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them?  However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls." Deuteronomy 20:19-20

    When John the Baptist came as a forerunner to Christ he preached repentence. He responded to the Pharisees and Sadduccees that were coming at him. He called them a brood of vipers and asked who had warned them to flee from the coming wrath. He then told them that since they were under siege they should produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And then he said, "do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

     In Mark 11 we read this...."The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again". And His disciples heard Him say it." Later we read that the disciples saw the tree and it was completely withered as if an ax had been taken to it. A tree with just leaves was of no good to a hungry Jesus. It accomplished a work for the making of fruit but not bearing fruit the leaf work was worth little. Jesus went on to teach the disciples that fruits produce powerful leaves (works like moving mountains) but a work (leaf) without fruit cannot move things like mountains (or the mind of God).
     Some people are deceived and feel like they will see God because of their beautiful leaves (works) and that He will applaud them,  But God values the leaves associated with the fruits of the Spirit. Being of greater value they will not be not be subject to the ax. Through them, the Christ, Israel's Messiah, is glorified.

......."down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."      Rev. 22:2


 

Bibledoorajar: Standing Before God

     As Moses addressed the people about their latest covenant with God, the Bible says they all stood before Moses as he talked(Deuteronomy 29). But Moses was more than anything trying to help them understand that they were standing in the presence of their Holy God. This same God had laid upon them a law that entailed both blessings and curses. This was not a call from Moses for the people to take a seat, relax and experience joy and safety before the Lord unless they first came to grips with this new culture. They would have no separate dignity among the nations unless they demonstrated that their God was infinitely Holy and that His law showed forth that all the evil in men would end in meaningless death. It would be in the merits of the law and their keeping of it that they could stand. God wanted it inscribed on their hearts in such a way that it impacted their behavior. God did not need a people for a people's sake for indeed He had created all men. He needed a people who would see the value of addressing the laws of God, its' condemnation, and His plans for rescue from it. Many hours were spent perfecting the sacrificial laws that would support them before the living God until Messiah would come. The High Priest carried a great responsibility. All of the requirements were meant to make a great impression on them not just in knowledge but in conviction of heart. He would not be a saving God unless they believed His requirements; they would not be His people without taking Him to heart. This was the aim of the law. Keep it, be justified; do not keep it, be condemned. Without this understanding all the wars, triumphs and losses they would endure would end in no good result.

     Today, we who believe in this same God have seen a great Light. The Holy Spirit has impressed us with the Holy and beautiful image of Jesus Christ, the Great Messiah. We all stand in His presence awaiting a coming judgement day. But for those of us who are aiming at holiness in Jesus we can also feel the dignity of being His people justified and radiating the light of the Lord to the nations. We have sought to renounce every dependence on any thing or any one but our Savior. We are a dignified people because of the merits of Christ. The apostle Paul says that we will all one day stand before God to be judged as to what we have done in the body. Thank God that Jesus will make that a moment, though humbling for sure, one of great joy. A grateful heart standing before God. It is a happy picture.

     Yesterday I saw such a happy heart. A brother, three years out from surviving cancer, stood before a grateful congregation. Moved by the Spirit in heart, he encouraged us all to pray for those battling illness and in need of healing. We knew he meant it because his tears showed us it was a request engraved upon a grateful heart. So, to all in need of healing, I lift you up to the Goodness of our God and Savior and in the gratitude of your fellow believers..

    

   

    

 

Bibledoorajar: Healing

     Thanking God for healing among His people. I am a candidate for relief from a head cold that has stilted my thinking and my desire to hold up my head. So, Bibledoorajar will return next week. To all who need healing, I stand with you in prayer!

Bibledoorajar: Yet another covenant

     I remember when the time came for me to graduate from college. I thought I had arrived. Ready. I was shocked when my major professor told my class that upon graduation we would now be prepared to start learning! Now looking back I realize how those diplomas and continuing education certificates built on each other. But I also realized there were a lot of things I wished I understood more definitely.
     God had to take the same approach as He taught His people just who He was and what He wanted in a relationship. In Deuteronomy 29 Moses recorded the content of yet another covenant, one in addition to the one He had sealed them with in Horeb. In his speech, Moses declared that he had led them for forty years in the Wilderness; their garments did not wear out and their shoes kept trucking. They did not gorge on their own food or drink intoxicating drink. In that way they learned that their God had supplied their every need. Interestingly they had seen deliverance and miracles but Moses stated that God did not give them eyes to truly see nor ears to truly hear until that day. But with new sight and new hearing they fought a battle and won land for two tribes and half enough for another.
     It is hard to know just when God give us eyes to see and ears to hear in a deeper way. But we can all probably remember a time when we, like Paul, said we know without a doubt whom we have believed. That, after all, was what God was after all along. And He still is.

Open our eyes, Lord,
we want to see Jesus,
to reach out and touch him,
and say that we love him.
Open our ears, Lord,
and help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord,
we want to see Jesus.

         Robert Cull

Bibledoorajar: A Great Compliment

     My family had a new baby born on yesterday. As I held her, I wondered if she would live and prosper as God would have her prosper in this world of decay. We did what we knew to do. We prayed that we, her family, would be wise and hold before her His ways and decrees. We honored Him for the gift of her and appealed to Him to help her be His. Help us Lord, her believing family, to be true to hold You before her in the same way we hold her father and mother, her grandparents and her great grand parents. Forgive us when we get "put out" at family shortcomings and help us show Your love and requirement for respect at all times.
     Moses told the people of God and taught them ALL the decrees and ordinances that God required to be upheld in the new land into which they were going. They were not to leave out one thing nor were they to add one thing. The old among them probably remembered them as they were declared, but many of the young were hearing them for the first time because they had not been passed down and honored. For all of them, they heard Moses say, "Beware for yourself and greatly beware of your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have beheld and lest you remove them from your heart all the days of your life and make them known to your children and your children's children..." Deuteronomy 4.

    God wanted the people of faith to be commended as wise in the ways they honored their God. It was to be the greatest of compliments.

God give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God give us Christian homes;
God give us Christian homes!

Baylus McKinney

Bibledoorajar: The Value of God's Plans

     In one of the addresses Moses made to the people of God, he spoke of how he had asked God to let him participate by going into the Promised Land with the people. To show the people how much he wanted that privilege he said he implored with God. To implore is to insistently ask. But finally God told Moses enough. Stop! What I have for you is enough and my plan must be valued as more perfect than your desires. Moses could remember the glories of his past but could not see all that God had planned for him even after his death. God made it clear that His plans alone were perfect. Moses had to let go of regrets and any dependency he had on continuing his leadership role with Israel.How did he know at the time he was imploring God that it was God's intent to "roll away the reproach" of Egypt from His people through the leadership of the next leader Joshua? (Joshua 5) How was Moses to know that one day he would be seen walking and talking with his Lord and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration?
     I think we would all agree that it is difficult sometimes to trust God and be in agreement with His plans especially if it involves what we perceive to be a loss. But we cannot be ignorant and we cannot demean the value of them. It was a disgrace for God's people to be caught in slavery in Egypt and God intended to right that wrong at the crossing of the Jordan using Joshua. Moses got to watch the greater Joshua right the eternal wrong of the hold of sin on people. We cannot become arrogant and make assumptions or become presumptive. When Paul wrote to the church in Rome he was very concerned about them maybe becoming arrogant or presumptive about how God felt about the Jews. He said the Romans were subject to arrogance if they did not understand. And so he proceeded to tell them God's plan to bring Gentile and Jew into "one new man." Paul admitted it was a mystery but the value of the plan had to be accepted. The timing of, and our participation in, the will of God is perfect. And our acceptance must never waiver.

Bibledoorajar: Old Truths Respoken

     I recently told a dear sister who is about to start a chemotherapy protocol following the removal of a tumor that I wanted to be kept informed of when she actually started chemo. She was told that although I had been praying all through the surgery and healing process, I wanted to begin what I called "high octane" prayers for the chemo process. That is, during this time, I wanted to bombard heaven with all the promises and reports in the Word of how God uses our difficulties to purify our lives for our next steps. It is not that God doesn't know about what she is to go through, He does, but I want Him to know how much I am believing in what He has ESTABLISHED for those of us who are dedicated to Him. That means much more scriptures will be a part of the prayers to come for her for therein lies the strength for the days ahead.
     The book of Deuteronomy opens with Moses taking time to preach some "high octane" sermons about the law to a young new generation who were about to take the land. They were small when so many of God's people had refused to believe God by faith and had refused to follow His laws. The results of not being obedient were clear. Those people had now all passed from the scene. They were not going forth into the Promised Land. The reason the sermons had to be "high octane" was because Moses knew this generation would not be able to make it without a better knowledge and belief of the law than their forefathers. And so He began the sermons. It was these same sermons that Jesus referred to when He went through His greatest trials when Satan sorely tempted and wrestled with Him. Jesus fell back repeatedly on the "high octane" statements made by Moses in his sermons. And each time that He spoke and established again the truth of God, He was sustained.
     There is great power in speaking the Word of God and reestablishing it in our prayers. It gives us the strength to go down whatever path God has for us with greater faith and courage. We can reach a place like the apostle Paul who found the strength to endure. To speak the scriptures is to acknowledge the Living Word, the Logos of God who is worthy to be both quoted and praised.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. ... John 1:1

"If your sons will keep My covenant And My testimony which I will teach them, Their sons also shall sit upon your throne forever." Psalm 132:12

Bibledoorajar: Journeying and Going Forth: Differences

     As I left my hometown this morning to bring a friend to the hospital for a procedure, we both looked ahead. There was a bit of fog and the clouds lay low on the horizon. As we rose up the slightest of hills it looked as if we were going to ascend into mountains and into the start of an exciting journey. But, alas, it was all an illusion of a great journey and instead we were going forth on a small journey to get a medical procedure and possible heart repair done.
    God instructed Moses to keep adequate records of everywhere His people went on their way to the Promised Land. Their journeys, along with every rest stop, are detailed in Numbers. When God told Moses it was time for them to continue on their journey, He told him to tell the people to go forth. For the people it might have just been another journey or an illusion of one, but for God it was a time for them to go forth. If you stop and think about it, they were to go forth in the same spirit as their father Abraham had done. God had called him to "Go forth out of thy land and out of thy kindred, and out of the house of thy father, and come into the land which I will shew thee." Genesis 12.
     To go forth in God's mind is to move out leaving all the past as done and go forth to things completely new as God has planned for us. He holds the power for the result of going forth. If I stop and think I can remember some of the journeys I have been on that I was aware of the "go forth" component. They are the best memories of all because I am so aware of Him and of how He lead the way.  Some people go forth to far flung places on the earth and others of us go forth with God not too far from the places we have always known. Either way, if we are aware of the "go forth" part we are at peace because of Him and His great power and interest in our journey. It is really wonderful to think about, don't you agree?

"Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me."

                                 Joseph Henry Gilmore written during time of the Civil War in the United States