Bibledoorajar: Numbered to Trust

"Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according
to their father's household, by number of the names, every male according to their head count." Numbers 1:2ff
      There is an honor that went with each Israeli standing before Moses and Aaron and giving his divinely inspired name. It was an "here I am" moment. I count. I have personal virtues because I am made in Your image. I can serve You, my God. I am worth something because in this instance I have been atoned with a half-shekel.  Leaders from each family group (tribal leaders) participated in the counting of his tribe. The leader would have been knowledgeable about each member under discussion. 'Ah, here is one of our young men at least 20 years of age and physically ready to assist with the taking of the land'. The first leader listed is Elizur serving for the tribe of Reuben. Elizur means " God is the Protector." The last leader on the list was Enan. His name means "Having eyes." What great leaders they were meant to be. God influenced the giving of names for them which reflected that Clouds of Glory would guide their way. They may have been born in sin, but obedience to the Torah could change those evil impulses for good. "Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is One God, and thou shall LOVE HIM..." It was never about do's and don'ts, although they were there, it was always about the obedient heart that loves Him and trusts Him.
      My maternal great grandfather is not listed in any American census. I can find his wife and her children (my grandmother) listed in the household  of her father in 1900. Further, my great grandfather's lineage does not seem to correlate with other Culpeppers who came to this land. Benjamin Franklin Culpepper is now listed in Culpepper information as a possible orphan associated with a lineage of Culpeppers. Family lore has him gone from home a lot after marriage. To this day, I know not whether he was of good character or bad. I know not if he loved God. But I do know this. His daughter, Ollie Culpepper McSheridan, was a good mother and a woman who loved God. She married a man who loved God and they served God together and they were there for the coming generations. They counted and I give them honor.

Building in 2018

During this month of December, we beheld Him born in Bethlehem Judah and perhaps we believed either anew or once again. Now,  the New Year is coming in and some of us are resolving as to how we will live in the year of our Lord 2018. This, I think, is a good thing, for this passage comes to mind:

"For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God."
                                                             Hebrews 3

As we set out to build in 2018, I pray that we will all remember that the Great Builder is God. We need His help to sustain our faith to build all the way to the end. Remember that God's children, the Israelites, had faith to be set free, had faith to participate in the miraculous exodus from bondage, but when it came to allowing God to assist them in building the correct path to final freedom and rest their faith waned. Their trust in God evaporated. They tied God's hands with their unbelief and suffered tremendously.

 I don't know about you but I want to keep building toward that place of rest. I am placing my confidence and trust anew in the One who is the Master Builder. In 2018, Lord help me know You and speak of Life to any and all who will listen. Forgive my offenses and fill me again with your Spirit that the one who is me will be fulfilled rightly. May your Name be praised with great understanding by all Your people in  2018.

"Go, let it be for you as you have TRUSTED." Jesus to Centurion, Matthew 8:13

"For it is we who have TRUSTED that enter the rest." Hebrews 4:3

Happy New Year to all and especially to those who wish to explore Truth in 2018!

Bibledoorajar: He Who Shall Achieve it

"To whom will you compare Me? Or, who is My equal? says the Holy One." Isaiah 40

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son....And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth 4

A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah....had a wife who was sterile and remained childless. The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, 'You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son...the boy is to be a Nazarite and apart to God from birth; and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of Philistines. . Judges 13

"Here is My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him and He will bring justice to the nations...In His law the islands will put their hope." The Creator speaking in  Isaiah 42

"And now the Lord says----He who formed Me in the womb to be His servant....to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make You a light for the Gentiles, that You may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." The Savior in Isaiah 49

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant." Mary in Luke 1

"....And wild and sweet, the WORDS REPEAT of peace on earth. good-will to men."  Longfellow.

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2017

Bibledoorajar: And the Generations Shall Be Blessed

"That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born. That they may arise and tell them to their children." Psalm 78

"For David after he had served the purposes of God in his own generation, fell asleep..." Acts 13

"You, O Lord, rule forever.  Your throne is from generation to generation." Lamentations 5

"How great are His signs and how mighty are His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation."Daniel 4

"His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation,,,,,So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherd said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 1 and 2

"Now to Him who is able to far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen"

Pondering the Greatest Gift of all this week. Hope you are treasuring them up in your heart too.!

Bibledoorajar: What's Your Name?

But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel." because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." Jacob said, "Please tell me Your Name."  Genesis 32

"And all day long My Name is constantly blasphemed. Therefore My people will know My Name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I." Isaiah 52

But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying;
        "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests." Luke 2

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given....and His name shall be called Wonderful.." Isaiah 9

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children......Luke 11

"...remembering the words the LORD JESUS HIMSELF said:  'It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20

"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more."  The Grinch in How the Grinch stole Christmas.

Bibledoorajar: Occasions To Remember

     Today's church service was a spiritual occasion to remember. It seemed that the songs were perfectly chosen as if to know that those in attendance would really want to sing out those particular praises to the Godhead. For our little group, we really "raised the roof!" Then, the preacher spoke on occasions to remember, a subject it just so happened the Holy Spirit had led me to blog on today. It was an occasion where it all just came together and was topped off by a fellowship luncheon afterward. So, as I write this blog, how inspired do you think I am???? It was good to be in the household of God.
     In Leviticus 23 God told Moses to speak to the children of Israel about certain occasions which were to be known as His appointed feast times. It seemed that God wanted special times of remembrance and togetherness with His family. They were to all be special and all had their own focus. The one that is on my mind following today's service is the Feast of Tabernacles. The focus of this feast was to be that of celebration. As with our own Thanksgiving, it came at the end of the harvest time. Another name for the feast is Sukkot and it is the last of the High and Holy days of the Jewish calendar year. God listed four species of fruit and vegetation to be brought before Him that symbolized the fruitfulness of the land into which God had led His people. They were told: "Celebrate IN THE PRESENCE of your God for seven days." Lev. 23: 40. They were to dwell those seven days in temporary booths so that they could take their eyes off the cares of work and home and just enter into a time of joyous thanksgiving. Can anyone say THANKFUL? BLESSINGS?
     So gracious a gift of God was Jesus that He brings an occasion to remember each and every day if we would but focus. Paul wrote: In everything give thanks, for this is what God wants from you who have accepted Jesus. (Paraphrased from 1 Thess. 5:18). Any occasion, if pursued in thought and focus, can prove that God has lovingly provided for both our physical and spiritual needs. Or, say it this way, He has provided EVERY need in Jesus. Lest we get too boastful about things we have made, remember it is God's dirt from which all comes. Try making that!
     Today, we sang "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand". It is a Hand that is ever present to bring us to all the occasions for which we can bless His Holy Name. As we enter into a most busy month of the year, I am praying I can see each day as an occasion to have a thankful spirit. It is a challenge for me for I tend to get weary in well doing in December and tend to lose my focus on gratitude. Lord, don't let me let go of your hand. Not this year. Please.

Bibledoorajar: There Ought to Be a Law

     I live in America. We like to call it the land of the free. Did you know that in America there are more laws on the books than anywhere else in the world? We like to say, we may have our problems (as a country), but I would rather live here than anywhere else because "at least I know I'm free." Freedom has come to us because laws have been made to ensure our freedoms. Yesterday, I had the freedom to attend church and share the seed of God's truth (laws) with fellow believers. It is important to separate that truth (law, good seed) from error (lack of law, bad seed) and to determine if I am producing good fruit from a new seed made possible by my new birth. I will be known by my fruit says the Lord God. God help me, I do not want to be a hypocrite, saying one thing but doing another.
     In Leviticus 19, God forbade His chosen people to plant a mixture of seed together in the same field. God said the very soil would be corrupt because corrupted fruit would fall to the ground. In God's world seeds cannot mix for in doing so good and bad become intermingled or as Paul, the apostle said, become corrupt. Paul says that we have been born anew to live uncorrupted lives that began with the catastrophe in the Garden. There were two trees planted in the Garden. One was a Tree of Life (truth) and one was a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God specifically told Adam and Eve to only eat of the tree of Life(truth) and other trees that were pleasant and good for nourishment. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they were not to eat because they would be mixing two very different seeds. And we know from the story, the evil one, the serpent, that beguiling, cunning one, deceived Eve and her husband was with her. Seeing the deception and the breaking of the law was not enough to keep Adam from accepting the mixed fruit (truth). And so the Bible says that sin entered into the world through one man, Adam.
     Jesus said that it was a bad thing when the evil one sneaked into the field and planted the bad seed. Now we have tares and wheat growing in the same field. In Leviticus, we find law after law provided by God to keep His people safe from the law of sin and death. They were admonished to choose life. Jesus said to keep His commandments for the same reason. Spiritually, to know we are free and not enslaved of another, is the most important truth we can pursue.
     Thank God for sin leaving the world through the second Adam, our Lord and Savior, but until He returns we must stay alert.  Our enemy, the shining slick one, still roams the earth to tempt us with mixtures of all sorts. Compare every message with the law (truth, Word) of God. Choose life.