Spiritcode

The empty cup

1Corinthians 10:16 This cup of blessing which we bless…the communion of the blood of Christ
The good thing about an empty cup is that it can be filled. We can have three cups and pour water over all of them. One is filled and the others are not. Why? One is turned upside down and one is filled up with so much matter that it cannot receive water. It is about being willing to receive, being emptied of what doesn’t matter, and always willing, always receiving. The supply does not stop, just our receiving, or being filled up with other matters.

Ephesians 5:18 … be (being) filled with the Spirit…
Acts 4:31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Luke 11:13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
There are many doctrines concerning the Holy Spirit (The baptism, anointing, intercession). We do not need more doctrines of the Holy Spirit, we just need more of the Holy Spirit.

God wants us to receive the Spiritual blessings and they have already been given.
Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Compare the blessings to Jacob and Esau. They represent to two sides of us, our Jacob self and our Esau self. They each wanted different types of blessings. Jacob felt empty until he reached out hungrily for the heavenly blessing. Esau reached out hungrily also, but for a worldly blessing. Jacob was filled and ended up walking with a limp, to remind him of his struggle to go through anything and to wrestle with everything, even God, to receive the blessing. (Isaac/Ishmael, David/Saul, Jesus/Adam.
People cannot relieve the stress of the emptiness of their lives by focusing on emptiness and seeking to fill it with things to have, or things to do, or things to know, but only by having the emptiness filled up with God Himself in the fullness of His Spirit.
How do we deal with evil in the world around us - can we eradicate it? No, we simply do not focus on the evil but we fill our world with the presence of God and his goodness. 
In a similar way, the experience of salvation is not the absence of sin in us but the presence of God. Light removes darkness.
In the same way problems and difficult circumstances exist and are always with us. But they do not dominate our inner being. He does not always take our problems away but gives us the Emmanuel answer. 

How does this make the problems lose their power over us? They simply have to move over because we are not focussing upon them but upon a reality, the greatest reality – the Emmanuel reality. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. We cannot have our focussed attention on the two arenas of activity at the one time. It is from the place of realized Emmanuel presence that we receive wisdom to address the problems with faith and not with fear or unbridled imagination.

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The empty cup

Hearts of flesh

 

Matthew 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold.  
A heart that's warm soft and loving becoming cold and hard....There's
a bit of an obvious warning for us there...Heb_3:8  Harden not your hearts,
as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
I love the verse in Ezekiel 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a
new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out
of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.  

So there is a warning for us not to let the wonderful soft heart of
love....Be hardened through the bad things we experience in this fallen
world...It is quite a warning in the book of Hebrews Heb_3:8  Heb_3:15
Heb_4:7 
When we see evil around us....don't let our hearts be hardened...When
something bad happens to us - don't let our hearts be hardened...If we even
hear the voice of God....and we don't like what He is saying.....Don't
harden our hearts toward Him
1Peter 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy...

Both the Hebrew word qodesh and the Greek word hagios refer to Separation from what is temporal or impure...This aspect of Holiness is what I want to highlight re
God's people....When God says to His people.....'Be Holy'....It has with it
the concept of being separate....When God makes someone or something Holy it
is in effect set apart....from that which is not holy...The Hebrew people
themselves were holy...They were set apart as a Holy nation....
Deuteronomy 7:6  For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God
hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that
are upon the face of the earth.
We are called to be Holy....The way we live should reveal that Jesus has
made a difference...Because our hearts set us apart... God Himself has come to live and abide in us...
Colossians 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of
this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

That is what sets us apart...That is what makes us Holy...That is what
removes a heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh...which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory:...What a blessing!!!
It's hard to believe with such a blessing in our heart that it is possible
to harden our hearts
What is it really that can cause us to harden our hearts
As in the Provocation....what is this provocation?....Well it takes us right
back to Meribah and the water from the rock incident...'........  And he
called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah" (Exodus 17:6-7)....Massah
= testing.....Meribah = quarrelling...For the Israelites this was a time of
quarrelling and testing...Even though they had tasted the goodness and the
Love and Grace of God...They still lacked faith in God's provision...
Just like the Israelites...We too go through life circumstances that
challenge our faith

We go through times of testing if we really believe God...We go through
trials, that even though we know God has been there for us in the
past....Will He be there for us NOW?!  Is He there for us NOW?!
Do you know there is one thing the Lord has not given us when we go through
our trials and tribulations of life...2Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear; 

We don't have to fear...Whatever life circumstances we find ourselves
in...We do not have to fear...Fear will kill your faith....if you choose to
fear...faith will diminish...If you choose fear...In your head and
heart...faith will struggle...That's what fear does....it's the opposite of
faith...In your moments of Provocations...Fear will try and harden your
heart...Fear will try and make your love wax cold...Fear might even make you
feel like threatening others (Moses)
2Timothy 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
What spirit has God given us? ....continuing verse 2Tim 1:7.....but of power, and of love, and
of a sound mind. 
1John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear:
because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We are not to return to our heart of stone....we have our new heart of
love....we are to maintain that heart...we are to protect it...nurture
it..Love God with it...Love our neighbour with it...Even love our enemies
with it...If there is one thing that should set Christians apart...It's the
love of God in us...It's our love for God, one another and our neighbour
I know none of us want a Heart that waxes cold...Or a heart that wants to
harden itself towards God...We have been given a heart of flesh...A heart of
love..It has to be fed...how do we feed it....
Revelation 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes.
It's all about Jesus.....we are His flock...for all time past, present and
future..he tends his flock...Heb_12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne
of God.
Whatever is set before us...Don't let it make our heart go cold...Don't let
it harden our heart...Don't let our heart fear...Whatever is set before
us....allow it to do one thing and one thing only...Allow it to cause us to
look unto Jesus...allow the temptation, struggle, pain etc to lead us to
Christ not away from Him...Allow it to take us to Jesus in faith... To be
fed by Him.
....He will feed us with the bread of life.....and if you are thirsty...he
will even provide living water...He will nurture and maintain our Hearts of
Flesh...if we let Him...because he says...
Matthew 28:20 ............and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of
the world. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOM KIPPUR

 

This is a feast of celebration of the sacrifice of the Day of Atonement. This was the yearly blessing of a new beginning so that the entire Nation of Israel could enter into all the blessings of Abraham. They were cleansed from all iniquity in one day.

Leviticus 16:5 And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering, and one ram as a burnt offering.

He shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for the Lord and the other lot for the scapegoat. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell, and sacrifice it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it, and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness. 21. Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness. 22. The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land(world).

34. This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year

A ram was taken as a burnt offering sacrifice, just like the ram that was substituted for Isaac when Abraham had drawn the knife to offer up his only son. A burnt offering is different to a sin offering. It is an offering of dedication to God and an offering of thanksgiving for all of his blessings. 

One goat is sacrificed for ALL the sins of the people, but the Scapegoat, the ATONEMENT goat disappears (Unseen), alive as it were from the sentence of death, and bearing the atonement, the at-one-ment of God with his people.

But shortly after Jesus was crucified the temple was destroyed and the sacrifice of Yom Kippur ceased, even though the feast day continued to be celebrated. So there was a day, a Yom, but no Kippur or sacrifice of atonement under the Law for Israel. So what is the day of Atonement with no atonement?

This meant that the blessings also ceased – those of the Old Covenant, because the cause (obedience the Law and sacrifices - Hebrews 10:8) of the blessings had changed (The Jubilee Year blessings could not be celebrated until Yom Kippur was properly concluded). 

Jesus on the cross said ‘It is finished’ and became both our sacrificial goat and our atonement Scapegoat with a once for all and forever sacrifice and obedience to his Father. The true Atonement had come through Jesus and a new set of blessings were set in place for all who believed. We share new life with him as our scapegoat, alive from the sentence of death. The Kingdom of God had come to dwell within us and the blessings of the Kingdom are now accessible through our faith. 

THE NEW BLESSINGS

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

So the blessings of the Old Covenant were replaced by the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant. 

THE NEW SACRIFICES

The old yearly sacrifice on one day each year was replaced by one sacrifice for all time that brought the blessings of God for every day of the year. We can now offer up spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus.

1Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Philippians 4:17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

KINGDOM SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS ARE FOLLOWED BY MATERIAL BLESSINGS

Matthew 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the feast of the re-dedication of the Temple at Jerusalem. This feast is not mentioned in the Old Testament as it occurred between the time of the last book (Malachi), and before the time of Jesus. This period of time is often called the 400 ‘silent years’. The Feast of Hanukkah, or Feast of Dedication was instituted in 165 BC when Israel defeated the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes who had desecrated the Temple ten years earlier.

THE LAST SIX MONTHS
However, the Feast of Hanukkah, called the Feast of Dedication, is mentioned in the New Testament (John 10:22). It came in November/December after the Feast of Tabernacles, which was in September/October, and before the Feast of Passover in March/April of the next year.
Jesus made visits to these three Feasts at the Temple at Jerusalem in the last six months of his ministry. Jesus placed an intense focus on the Temple during this time of his ministry, and it was his prophetic statement about the Temple being destroyed that was used to condemn him at his trial.

The first Temple visit was a secret visit when he attended the Feast of Tabernacles where the miracle of the living water that flowed from out of the rock that Moses struck with his rod was celebrated. This was when Jesus stood and invited everyone to come to him to receive the Living Water, thus prophetically declaring the mystery of his being that Rock, and that after he suffered for us on the Cross he would send the living water of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh.

The second Temple visit was an open visit when he attended the Feast of Hanukkah.
John 10:22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Tf
emple, in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

The third Temple visit, to the Feast of Passover was a dramatic and spectacular visit, when he entered Jerusalem on the donkey and the people shouted Hosannah and hailed him as King. He went into the Gentile area of the Temple and threw down the tables of the money changers. After this he was accused of blasphemy by saying ‘destroy this Temple and I will raise it up again in three days’. He then celebrated the Feast of Passover at the Last Supper with his disciples and was afterward arrested, tried and sentenced and crucified - all in that same week.

But let us look at the significance of his second visit to the Temple, at the Feast of Dedication, Hanukkah.
This was the central Temple Feast, and was also central to the heart of Jesus, expressing his dedication to his ‘Father’s house’. This was the Feast of re-dedication, the thing that Jesus came to fulfil in real time. The Temple was meant to be the meeting place between God and man, and during those ‘silent years’ before Jesus it had been desecrated and then re-dedicated. The feast lasted for eight days and it included the miracle of the eight candles being lit. (Jesus=888)

There was much discussion between Jesus and the Jews on that visit to the Temple. They had seen and heard of many of the miracles that Jesus had worked and they wanted him to declare himself as God. They did not believe that he was God or that he came from the Father. They were trying to trap him. He focusses on the works of the Father!
Vs.25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe…Vs.31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
Vs.38 …believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.
Soon after this time, and before the Feast of Passover there came the greatest open miracle of all – the resurrection of Lazarus, the prelude to the resurrection of Jesus.

WE ARE NOW THE TEMPLE
1Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual Temple, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Jesus himself was always the Temple, the meeting place between God and man, and he dedicated that Temple, that ‘house of prayer’ to his Father. From a dedicated Temple flows forth the works of the Father. Everyone would love to see the works of the Father in these days. We are now corporately the Temple.
Does God want there to be a rededication of his Temple so that the works of the Father, the ‘greater works than these’ might be seen in these days

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pain of life

THE PAIN OF LIFE
An act of disobedience and rebellion took away the blessing from all created things. Eve was to suffer pain in childbirth. Adam was to suffer the pain of toil and hardship in tilling the land. The land also lost its blessing and brought forth thorns and thistles. Death had now become part of the experience of mankind. But the curse would not stop life from coming, it just meant that life would come forth in pain and sorrow. Even the growth of a plant involves darkness and struggle before it bursts through to fruitfulness and then to bring re birth and new growth.

Romans 8:28 The whole creation groans with birth pangs waiting for the manifestation of sons of God.

We live in a world of pain and suffering. People don’t generally welcome this reality, but we generally agree that it serves certain purposes. Pain in the body is a signal that something needs attention. Pain and suffering press us into prayer for ourselves and for others. These things have real meaning and significance, while on another level People go through pain and stress to compete in sport and recreation.

However there is a deeper level of the kind of mental and emotional stress of tribulation and affliction that can seem overwhelming and that we understandably find difficult to accept.

There are basically three responses to that deeper kind of pain and suffering.

1. Avoidance and escape – This is a very popular method but simply does not work.
The aim is to kill the pain of life however one can. People can use a variety of different kinds of substances or medications or addictive practices to bring relief, which can often lead to an unhealthy denial of any underlying problems. These avoidance and escape mechanisms only bring temporary and uncertain relief and mostly lead to a cycle of further unnecessary pain and suffering.

2. Restraint and containment of the soul.
There are many self improvement disciplines, and other mindfulness practices to develop control of the soul, that bring a detachment from harmful emotions and appetites. Some of these (like AA) have proven very helpful for people in recovery programs. There are also religions and movements that are devised to promote freedom from suffering.
An example of a religion that is fiercely devoted to relief from personal suffering is Buddhism.
Buddhism promotes the four noble truths;
a) Life is about suffering physical and emotional.
b) Suffering is caused by craving and wrong desires.
c) Suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained by detaching oneself from useless craving and learning to live each day at a time, seeking to attain ‘Nirvana’. 
d) The Noble 8-fold Path – the attributes that lead to the end of suffering.  Right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulnessand meditation, right concentration.
However detachment without attachment can go off into a separated self focussed state of mind.

3. Christianity is spectacularly different. Pain and suffering bring forth the powerful and loving new life given to us through and from Christ. This is more than simply relief from suffering. This is our experience of a risen life that comes through the cross bringing an inner peace that passes all understanding, the true peace of being in oneness with God and in true unity with others.
The pain of life will either become transformed in us or transferred to others.

Pain and sorrow isolate people because who can share it?
Answer = Holy Spirit bears it and shares it.
Paul touched the groaning of the Holy Spirit for us in his prayers for the transformation of the lives of people under his care.
Galatians 4:19 I travail in birth till Christ is formed in you. (also Romans 8:25)

The pain of life is a consistent reminder that we have hope of new inner growth.
Romans 5:3 we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Jesus Christ was born through pain, first in the natural and then in the spiritual through his mighty death and resurrection. Jesus invites us to follow him in his acceptance of the necessary suffering that leads to resurrection life. This is what it means to share the fellowship/relationship of the suffering of Christ and the power of his resurrection. We receive from God the embrace of loving comfort and endless hope.

1 Peter 5:10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

2Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
This is so different to Buddhism or anything else. Paul does not focus on his weakness, he focuses upon the power of Jesus and he can be joyful as he humbly acknowledges his weakness in his own pain and suffering.
So if we suffer with him we are also glorified with him. Where he goes we go. There is no other way.

 

 

You shall be for I am

Psalm 114; Deuteronomy 7 and 28 excerpts; 1 Peter 1:15-16

There is a dynamic and direct nexus between holiness and power. Weakness became the hallmark of mankind after The Fall. Before that event, Adam and Eve moved in concert with the Almighty. There was a symphony of creative activity—a song and dance bringing glory to him. Nothing hindered the power of God flowing into the earth to cause it to bring forth abundantly and profusely! (On earth, as it is in heaven!)

With sin came the frustration of the natural system into a state of discord and non-cooperation against which we found ourselves powerless. This is the ‘vanity’ about which Solomon wrote so eloquently. Decay and death ruled. The second law of thermodynamics became sovereign—the law of entropy; everything is running down, or for laymen like us, ‘you can’t win; you can’t break even, and, you can’t get out of the game’! It’s why billions are spent on herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers…and face cream! These are all provide but temporary answers to the struggle. The curse, ‘from dust you came and to dust you shall return’ could have become the victory cry of the spoiled system and its perpetrator, Satan, had not God had a profound and glorious plan.

He desired to demonstrate, in the midst of this fallen and forlorn condition, a means by which his power could flow back into the ‘broken’ system...making a difference and beginning a mighty restoration which will culminate with new heavens and a new earth wherein righteousness (right order) dwells! (2 Peter 3:13). He chose and called a people through whom to begin to effect this...

1. They were called and brought Out. These people were, in Egypt, a picture of the entrapment of all men under the regime of the fallen state. Just as mankind had become trapped in powerlessness due to the fruit of sin and independence, here was a people under bondage and oppression to a power against which they were weak—in fact, powerless. What was required was an action by someone greater and more powerful than Egypt and Pharaoh to deliver them from what God called ‘the house of bondage’ (eg, Ex. 13:14). 

It was by great acts of power that God showed that Pharoah and Egypt are in fact also weak and powerless (Ex. 6:6). According to Psalm 114 they went out of Egypt and ‘from a people of strange language.’ That which enslaves men does not speak the language of heaven. It speaks the language of the fallen creation and of the flesh. Egypt’s was the language of those who craved fertility, protection, good fortune, prosperity, immortality and an afterlife and sought all these through a panoply of invented gods and preparations. 

2. They were brought out to become. To become what? Effectively God’s presence in the world. Psalm 114:2 states ‘Judah became His apart-ness’ (holiness or sacredness). Some translations say ‘sanctuary’ but here is Wycliffe in his quaint 14th century English: ‘Judee was maad the halewyng of hym; Israel the power of hym’ and here is the Jubilee Bible, ‘Judah was his holiness, and Israel his dominion.’ And, for good measure here is the Targum (a kind of Rabbinic translation/commentary), the congregation of the house of Judah was united to his holiness, and Israel to his power.' 

 

Here we see the reason for God’s action; this was their purpose. To see them was to see the ‘apart-ness’ or holiness and power of Yahweh himself! What a responsibility! The spoiled natural world ‘saw’ it and reacted: the natural world caught a glimpse of its true rulership...and submitted. They represented something new in the earth—the possibility of creation restored as Yahweh made extraordinary promises to them that included being blessed above all peoples, multiplication of fruit, grain, wine and oil, no barrenness, no sickness or diseases, deliverance from oppressors and enemies—the promised bounty went on and on (see for example, Deuteronomy chapters 7 and 28). This was why He chose and called them. ‘Became’ implies process. There was a process involved; it involved the tests Paul has been speaking about! They were (as we are) to become a people of power. His power.

 

3. Their presence was THE Presence and it impacted and changed everything in the natural order. The presence of God and the power of God was carried into the spoiled earth and was seen and felt. It came in and by and through his people. The holiness and the power had left because of the sin and failure of man; it was to return through man—being redeemed! Through a people whose presence meant his Presence. David says, ‘the sea saw it (ie, the Presence—see v.7) and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams.... Tremble, O earth, at the Presence of the Lord, at the Presence of the God of Jacob.’ God desires that his Presence be visible in this earth. When it is, the natural world takes notice and is brought under Government! How will the Presence be seen today? Yes, through the redeemed people; through the Church—which means, THROUGH ME! When his presence is with me, things change—yes, even in the natural order as he causes all things to work together for the good of those who love him and are called. Don’t think you have a call? O yes, you do!

He is reminding us today of the high call of God upon us. He has provided a clear example. We have been called and brought out of oppression and darkness into his glorious light. His purpose is that we become in this dark (and darkening) place, his holiness and his power, visible as it was in Jesus! Can we pray, ‘yes, Lord, I desire to become: I desire that my presence be your Presence, in holiness and power.’ 

 

1 Peter 1:14-16

‘…as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;

 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

 

 

Ian Heard

October 28, 2018

www.until-we-see.com

 

 

Grasshoppers and giants

Numbers 13:26 ; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. But the men who had gone up with Caleb and Joshua said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel an evil report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. They were saw the giants and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” All Israel believed their report. Numbers 14:3 Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” But Joshua the son of Nun (eternity) and Caleb the son of Jephunneh (he who is prepared) who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them. Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome.”
But Israel accepted the "evil report" from the ten spies and an entire generation did not possess the land of their inheritance.
An evil report can be factually true but spiritually false.
The key thought was in how they saw themselves, which was as grasshoppers against giants. This shrinking back because of a false perception of who they were was another example of their unbelief, which kindled the anger of God (see Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 and 10).
Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Even today, as Christians, we are challenged to possess the land, which in the New Testament is the spiritual inheritance of the life of Christ within.
Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will…
So we can fall under the same example of unbelief, taking on a grasshopper mentality, and seeing only our weaknesses and the power of sin, not appropriating Christ within us to strengthen us.

Israel allowed their outer journey to become greater that their inner journey to walk with God.
Their judgement was that they were not allowed to enter the land in that generation, and they perished in the Wilderness, and another generation under Joshua went to possess the land. The Lord will always accomplish His purposes, through whatever generation perceives them and believes in them. Everybody alive today can be part of the generation that enters in.

Seeing ourselves as a grasshopper self, means seeing ourselves as a victim of life with everything just too hard for us. Or we can see ourselves as a Joshua or a Caleb, as a son of eternity and as one who is prepared for challenge and change. The wrong mindset creates anxiety and the right mindset takes us out of it. We have the Spirit of life in Christ in us that is ‘well able to overcome’. We find this in the midst of hard times and tough challenges when other people are saying don’t venture out into the unknown, we say we are well able to overcome.

 

The Bronze Serpent

TRIAL NUMBER 9.

Numbers 21:5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents (fiery - from the copper colour plus the poisonous inflammation) among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
So the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take the serpents away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

NOT TRUSTING GOD ALLOWS THE SERPENTS TO BRING DEATH.

‘The Lord sent fiery serpents’. The serpents were already out there – copper coloured poisonous desert snakes. Because the people could no longer trust the goodness of God to them God lifted his protection from Israel and the snakes came in to bite and cause death.
In the Garden of Eden the serpent was also already out there, and God let the serpent in to do his tempting with the forbidden fruit to show that Adam and Eve no longer trusted the goodness of God. And that allowed the serpent to bring death and separation.

The fruit was seen by them as good and pleasant and desirable. But when the desire to grasp and eat the fruit was fulfilled in them the drastic separation of sin occurred. ‘In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’ (Genesis 2:17). The desire for self gratification overcame their desire for God.

GOD SETS ABOUT TO OVERCOME THE SEPARATION OF SIN IN US.

Isaiah 59:2 Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you…
Sin comes from the lurking mindset of separation that was always resident in humanity and causes us to miss the mark, looking in the wrong direction.

Isaiah 45:22 Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
This looking is directed at our minds (Isaiah 12:6 – ‘you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon you).

The Law was designed to get people to walk closely with God and not be separate from him. David loved the Law for this reason - but the lurking separation mindset remained, always at the door. David’s sins came back to bite him. The law was unable to fully deal with the mindset of separation.

THE STRATEGY OF THE SERPENT’S TEMPTATION IS TO BRING SEPARATION AND DEATH
James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires (longing) and enticed (trapped). Then, when desire (longing) has conceived (is grasped), it gives birth to sin (missing the mark, going off course); and sin, when it is full-grown (totally off course – 180), brings forth death (separation)

In this trial (NUMBER 9) he sent serpents to bite them to get them to look in the right direction – to turn back to God and not live in separation from God in their minds and hearts.

We look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2, 2Corinthians 10:5) who became sin for us on the cross and caused the serpent to be judged (John 16:11).

John 3:12 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Looking to Jesus is bringing our thoughts into captivity to him – from separated to non-separated.

 

Angry to gentle

Numbers 20:1 A great mob formed, and they held a protest meeting; "Would that we too had died with our dear brothers the Lord killed! "they shouted at Moses. "You have deliberately brought us into this wilderness to get rid of us, along with our flocks and herds. Why did you ever make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this evil place? Where is the fertile land of wonderful crops--the figs, vines, and pomegranates you told us about? Why, there isn't even water enough to drink!" Moses and Aaron turned away and went to the entrance of the Tabernacle, where they fell face downward before the Lord; and the glory of Jehovah appeared to them. And he said to Moses, "Get Aaron's rod; then you and Aaron must summon the people. As they watch, speak to that rock over there and tell it to pour out its water! You will give them water from a rock, enough for all the people and all their cattle!" So Moses did as instructed. He took the rod from the place where it was kept before the Lord; then Moses and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock; and he said to them, "Listen, you rebels! Must we bring you water from this rock?" Then Moses lifted the rod and struck the rock twice, and water gushed out; and the people drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron," Because you did not believe me and did not sanctify me in the eyes of the people of Israel, you shall not bring them into the land I have promised them!"
Moses and Aaron became angry and shouted at the people they were given authority over to protect and provide for (Devil is in the decibels). The result was that they did not enter into what they could have received of the promise of God. Anger causes us to miss out on what God has for us.

Husbands and wives – The authority that lays down its life
1Peter 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, as heirs with you of the grace of life so that your prayers are not hindered.

Parents and children – The authority that directs corrects and encourages
Ephesians 6:4 And now a word to you fathers. Don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves of, with suggestions and godly advice.

The Church – The authority that nurtures and feeds
1Thessalonians 2:7 As Apostles we could have made demands upon you, but we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So we had such care for you that we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.
There is a selfless protective anger that is directed against the harm that people in our care can be threatened with, such as protecting our family from attack. That is like God’s wrath against darkness.
There are two kinds of wrath.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

One another – The mutual submission of one to another so that all will be blessed
Matthew 5:21 You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not kill. If you do, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! Put in simple terms anger kills relationships.
1Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and gentle. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
“Behold I make all things new” (Revelation/2Corinthians) Behold I make all things NOW.

Overkill

OVERKILL - TRIAL NUMBER 7

Numbers 11:4-6 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our soul is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” This heart and soul attitude is more than just complaining. It is an intense craving to indulge. Israel became tired of eating manna, and remembered seven things they desired from Egypt. (v.5). They said their soul was dried up. They craved seven things (the fullness of self indulgence - Overkill). This was a trial for Moses too, as their murmuring became a great burden for him. (vs.10-15). There were too many needs and too much to do. So God gets him to choose out 70 men to help upon whom he will give his Spirit (That worked out to about 1 helper per 42,850 people).The same provision was made in Acts when the Apostles chose the seven deacons.; Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The Lord decided to give Israel as much to eat as they wanted, till it came out of their nostrils; Numbers 11: 19 Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, He allowed a multitude of quails to fall around them, and when they were eating them God smote Israel with another plague (severe blow) (maka). God can give us what we want, to show us that it brings death and not life. This same word maka is used in Proverbs to show the inward work of cleansing. Proverbs 20:30 Punishment that hurts chases evil from the heart. TLB Ps 106:14 They demanded better food, testing God's patience to the breaking point. So he gave them their demands but sent them leanness (wasting and emptiness) in their souls. The OT displays finality in judgment, while in the NT the new replaces the old. Defqon 1 was 15/9/18 where two died and 700 sought medical assistance. Our current culture has given access to all forms of self indulgence to people of all kinds of different ages and circumstances and the consequences have caused grave torment of the soul. There is also a groundswell of realization and regret as people today observe the damage that this unrestrained indulgence is doing to people of this age in which we live. The problem with an entitlement-based culture is that the lack of restrictions and restraint along with the encouragement of self determination, if not addressed, means that further and greater damage will occur. And the reality is that this behaviour can be curtailed and disciplined with good leadership and wise counsel and social restraints. So the good news is that the wake up call can be heeded and the injury can be redeemed. (The story of the shepherd and the injured lost sheep) The bigger reality is that God wants us to have his best in over abundance, and he has made his best available and accessible; 1Corinthians 3:21… For God has already given you everything you need. He has given you Paul and Apollos and Peter as your helpers. He has given you the whole world to use, and life and even death are your servants. He has given you all of the present and all of the future. Everything is yours, and you belong to Christ, and Christ is God's. We say ‘But Lord I cannot believe that is true’. The Lord says ‘That is why I gave you faith’.