Bibledoorajar: Disobedience to the Max

At this point in the story of the march to freedom, the father-in-law of Moses shows up with the leader's wife and children. He had been caring for them for a long time and it was all because of disobedience on several levels. It seems that the wife, Zipporah, did not think much of God's circumcision requirement for the boys. Moses did not insist so it was not done. But God's requirements should not be overlooked. Following the disobedient acts, God struck Moses with what most scholars believe was a debilitating disease. It must have been clear to Zipporah as to what was the cause of his husband's serious weakness, because she picked up a flint and proceeded to circumcise the child. But there was no humbleness before God and Moses about the matter. She screamed throwing the foreskin at Moses feet, "Surely you are a  bridegroom of blood to me." And there they split company over the issue. Zipporah could not sing of the goodness of obedience to God and the ways of His provision. Zipporah and the boys went to her father's and Moses met Aaron in the desert to start the walk to freedom. It was a sad split.

There are many today who reject the bridegroom of blood whom the Father has given. The shedding of blood is a repulsion to them or, at a minimum, not important. But accepting the bloody Bridegroom and being obedient to Him and His Father is of ultimate importance. He will be the only One who can bring us along on the walk to freedom. Only by accepting the blood, do we get the wonderful help of The Spirit. To try to walk to freedom alone, in our own good works, will avail nothing.  We might as well go on back to our earthly father's house.

"Why did He drink the bitter cup, of sorrow, pain and woe?

Why on the cross be lifted up, because He loved me so."

J.G. Dailey

"In answer to the call of love, He loved me with a cross"

Larnelle Harris

Bibledoorajar: Walk to Freedom

     As Americans stop today to remember the events that led to our independence and freedom from England, it is a good thing for Bibledoorajar to pause and remember that God has engineered a walk to freedom for His people. In our current story, God is, over time, demonstrating His great love and mercy for His people by leading them through the wilderness to freedom. There may be battles, but a Promised Land awaits. Nations may have their problems but those which fight for freedom for their citizens to be free of tyranny is a wonderful thing. Here in America we can sing God bless America without fear of reprisal. And, more importantly, we can stand up and say we hear the Voice of the Lord calling us onward on a specially designed path into the ultimate freedom.
     The apostle Paul writing to the Galatians wanted to make sure they understood the freedom that God had provided to them through the work of Jesus Christ. Many were unclear as to just how to complete the walk to freedom. They were adding a great deal of works to what God had done through Jesus. Paul said that there may be people who were doing that and that that was they choice (freedom), but that it would not pay off for God's people. Jesus was the One and Only Way! There was only one Gospel pleasing to God and it could not be perverted.  He declared that they were included in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was the gospel that sought to honor God for His provision, not man's attempt to provide many other means of providing freedom that in reality just provided more bondage. Paul had "been there and done that" in Judaism and God had authorized him to declare the Gospel of Christ to be very different. He said the perverted way might please men, but not God. Even an angel from heaven could not preach the perverted gospel in a way that would please God!
     So today, Christians can thank God for the freedom we have in Christ. It is a freedom to seek Him for glory and honor and immortality in Heaven. Paul says the glory we experience now in praising God for our freedom to be near Him is just the beginning. We are moving from glory to glory if we are open to the provision. All true messages about our Gospel should deepen our love for Christ's provision  and for our brothers and sisters. Reject all perversions! Happy Celebration of July 4th, yes for Americans, but greater, Happy Celebration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!
    

Bibledoorajar: Fighting Technique

     The Bible says that Amalek picked the fight. It was over water that he wanted. Israel had never picked a fight or fought a battle, not in Egypt and not on their journey thus far. But now battle had arrived. Moses commanded that men be selected to fight Amalek. Joshua was to lead. The way to approach the battle was to trust the efforts of Moses and Aaron and Hur who would hold his arms up if he tired. As long as the arms were up, the Israelites would prevail. The Bible says that Amalek was not totally defeated. The Word says that he was discomfited. He was routed and forced to flee by the edge of the sword. Amalek would be a constant source of trouble for generations of Israel, but God made a promise that he would ultimately be defeated.
     Our preacher this morning spoke of the last verses of Romans 11. In that passage, Paul writes that God recognized that ALL men were disobedient, but His plan to save them would bring Him much glory and praise. The Bible says that the flesh picks the fights. Usually when we are feeling blessed and at peace, it attacks us. Galatians 5 says the the flesh lusts after the spirit and the spirit lusts after the flesh. The question becomes which technique will be used to "discomfit" the flesh?  Christ said that He would send a Comforter to help us. He has given us the Word to read and implement in our lives and He, himself, intercedes with groanings that we cannot understand. Isn't it wonderful to know that He is helping our shortsighted pleas to be full and complete? Meanwhile in Heaven, Jesus takes that effort made complete and intercedes as our High Priest before the Father. If we worry that our prayers are heard, we should be assured that this technique works. Grace and mercy will flow to help us because as the song says, standing on the promises cannot fail. This method of resisting evil will put the flesh on the run if that is what we really desire. The challenge for us is to admit we are in the battle and use the edge of our sword (Word of God) and declare that we have every ability to rout the enemy through Christ. He is trustworthy.

O God, our help in ages past,

our hope of years to come, 

Our shelter from the stormy blast. 

And our eternal home!

Isaac Watts

Bibledoorajar: Let the wars begin

     "Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.....Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted." Paul in 1 Cor. 10: 1ff.

     Three very spiritual things had happened to God's people. According to Paul, they were baptized, ate spiritual food and drank from the Rock, and that Rock was Christ. Once Moses struck the Rock and that spiritual water came forth, the people were God's people. A new nature had been given to them, but it did not take long to see the warfare was to begin. The story reports that Amalek, the grandson of Esau, came on the scene. His name means "war-like" and he began to war with the people. Amalek's behavior and belief system was just the opposite of what God had just bestowed on his people. He operated completely from the lusts of the flesh and found the Israelites an enemy.
     It is a hard concept to explain to a new Christian that he can now expect warfare within. But it does not take long for it to occur. We go from feeling "fresh and clean" to "wilted and unclean" pretty quickly. We learn the battle is on; the mind will need renewing and often. We have to "put off" the flesh and "put on" the spirit. We begin to see the value in the water flowing from the Word of God. We need the Spirit's strength and transforming ability. We learn we have to fight, but the world and our flesh cannot get us down permanently. We will fight on all the way to Glory.

"I've been to the river and been baptized,

All my sins have washed away I've been redeemed.

And that's not all, the Lord and I we got so close.

He went and He filled me with the Holy Ghost.

All My sins are washed away, I've been redeemed."

Unknown

Bibledoorajar: Who's in front?

     God commanded the people to move out as He directed under the leadership of Moses.  They moved forward as a people and together they came to a place and were thirsty. But there was a big problem: there was no water to drink. That is, they found no water when looking on their own. And in their looking they became more and more frustrated. Angry, they forgot who was out front, that is, who was doing the leading.
     Yesterday  I listened to an interview with actor Sean Hayes who is playing God in a hit Broadway show. Hayes said the message of the play was that "people can believe in God or not, but before they appeal to a higher power they should do everything in their own power to solve their problems." There you go again world--anything but God first. But praise the Lord, the Israelites had a leader who sought the Lord and put Him first. Moses' behavior was admirable for he did not complain to God about their criticisms, but simply asked God for help on what to do with them. Unlike Hayes advice, Moses sought the Lord early when no water was found and he sought Him with great earnestness (he cried unto the Lord). And as can expected, the Lord answered.
     Moses was to go in front of the people with elders (witnesses) and with the staff (His God given authority) that smote the Nile. God said He would be standing before them at the rock in Horeb. Moses was to smite the rock. As he did as commanded, water came forth. I wonder how quickly word spread from the elders through the ranks of the Israelites as to yet another miracle wrought by God through the intercession of Moses? How quickly did they realize the importance of who was going in front of them? Why did their ever distrust God? Why do we? Why do we wait so long to ask? Why lean on fluff when we can lean on the Rock? Why do we esteem the Rock who was smitten so lightly? Today, our challenge is to put the Rock out front and keep Him there. Doing this makes moving forward so much better. I can feel the peace already.

"Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee.

Let the water and the blood,

From thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me

from its guilt and power"

  A.M. Toplady

Bibledoorajar: Bread before our God

     God had provided. The manna sustained. When it needed to last through the Sabbath it did. For forty years it provided a door between God and His people. True, there were some of those who came with them (mixed multitude) who tried to draw attention away from the glorious provision of the manna. They spoke of the food that they had to eat in Egypt and demanded that type to eat. But God continued to say there was but one food that would sustain His people all the way out of the wilderness of Sin. To further show His people the glory that was in the manna, He commanded that a portion of it be put in an earthen vessel and placed before Him as a Testimony. The manna remained as a Testimony incorruptible. A Jew could say, "there it is, and it is not decaying even though the days and years have gone by. Surely it is a glorious thing".
     When God placed the Bread of Heaven in an earthen vessel (became human), He declared in Heaven that the glory of the provision would not be corrupted and that He would stand before Him in Heaven as a Testimony. Although beaten and tortured, Jesus's body was not corrupted (decayed) because God took Him into His presence as a Testimony of His faithfulness. And there He is to this day.
     Now faith is being sure of the substance of things unseen (Heb. 11:1). With the eye of faith we can see Jesus there. With faith we can be assured of the Glory involved in the miracle of His being there. With faith we can hear the voice of God assuring us that we will one day be there too if we continue to feed on the Bread of Heaven and reach out for that day. There is but one way out of the Wilderness and Jesus, the Bread of Heaven, has done it. He will provide for us all the way home. Hallelujah! Thank You Father. Blessed assurance. Is it not wonderful?

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full into His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

IN THE LIGHT OF HIS GLORY AND GRACE....

Helen Lemmel

"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine

Oh what a foretaste of glory divine."

Fannie Crosby

Bibledoorajar: Food at no cost

     Tomorrow many of us will take the time to honor the memory of those who sacrificed themselves for the good of the many. On the Main Street of our little town, a sign reads: "All gave some, some gave all." It is good to stop and think of what we have received at no cost to us personally.
      God gave the people of Israel manna to eat at no cost. It was a gift from Him and He gave it freely over and over. Jesus was given by God as Bread from Heaven. He was(is) a gift at no cost. God has ensured that His Word has been sustained in the world by seeing that it has been translated into many, many languages and dialects. Spiritually eating is available to us at no cost. If eaten appropriately, the Bread of Heaven sustains us until we can eat again.
     Tomorrow I will spend Memorial Day with a family who will remember those of their family who served in the.military. One of the main ones on their mind will be the aunt who sacrificed her life in Italy as she cared for wounded soldiers at Anzio. The incoming missed the Red Cross on the tent apparently or perhaps the enemy just did not care. Her fellow nurses called her Tex. She died instantly.
     But tomorrow those of us who are Christians will also remember the ultimate no cost sacrifice that God's Gift made for us. He freely died for you and me that we might survive if we choose to feed on Him and the truth found in His Word.

Happy Memorial Day