The False Prophet Becomes A False Priest

Giving God bigger and better worship will not help you get your way.

Numbers 23:1-3 Then Balaam said to King Balak, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice." 2 Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the LORD will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me." So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill.

In the previous post we learned that Balaam is not at all who he seems to be from a casual reading of his life story in the Book of Numbers. We have to look at all of the scriptures about him to get the rest of the story. This is a double minded man that God will use as a tool to tell us about his chosen people.

After Balaam encounters God on the road he arrives to find that the king is irritated with him for taking so long to get there, this would have been a great opportunity for Balaam to tell the king what happened that caused the delay, instead he suddenly changes the conversation. Maybe he didn't want to give a testimony of what God had done in his life because it may lead to the king changing his mind and canceling the offer to pay him big for his services. (Numbers 22:35-41)

Balaam didn't testify about his experience with God on the road but later he does testify that he cannot say what God doesn't allow. But the king doesn't care about the disclaimer, in the morning Balak took him up to a location that was a good lookout to see God's people. The people of Moab are so involved in worship to false gods that every time the king takes Balaam to a high place it is a location that is used to worship Baal.

The False Prophet

The blessing is the Lord's and a prophet for hire cannot change what God has declared about His people. Balaam is paid to speak the king’s desires, but he is shrewd enough to protect his reputation. If he curses Israel and God still blesses them, his credibility—and future business—is destroyed. Who would hire a prophet proven so wrong?

Balaam demonstrates that even the most extraordinary revelations from God can be squandered by a stubborn heart. God revealed Himself multiple times—sending an angel with a drawn sword, even opening the mouth of Balaam’s donkey—yet Balaam still sought to curse God’s people for profit.

The False Priest

To become more effective as a false prophet, Balaam tries to gain God's favor by also pretending to be a priest, he is probably hoping that he can get a different answer from God after he sacrifices a bunch of animals. Balaam ordered the building of too many altars, and he sacrifices too many animals as if he were trying to impress God with his worship in order to get what he wanted from God.

Balaam seems to know the number seven is used by God to signify that something is set apart as perfect, complete or holy. The number seven shows up hundreds of times in the Bible starting in Genesis with the days of creation and the day set aside for the Sabbath. Seven's continue throughout the Bible to Revelation where there are seven churches, seals, bowls and more.

Balaam tried to give God "better worship" in order to get his way, instead of serving God as a real priest should, this priest is self serving, trying to manipulate God to get the desired outcome. That might work on the other "gods" that he is familiar with but not the God of Israel.

"Better Worship" Didn't Change God's Mind

Numbers 23:20-21 Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! 21 No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the LORD their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.

Balaam has done everything possible to gain favor with God and change God's mind about his chosen people but none of it has made any difference. God sees the heart of his worship and is not impressed, instead of Balaam getting his way, God's will is still going to happen. Balaam will be used as God's tool to confirm and clarify the blessings of God's people.

This false prophet, false priest and the ungodly king are a picture of the opposite of Jesus (anti-type). This unholy trinity will come against God's people but Satan's power is limited in strength and it will only last for a season. (Revelation 12–13 and Revelation 16:13)

Just as God had a plan for his people in the wilderness in the days of Moses he has a plan for his people in the wilderness of today's world. God has declared a blessing in my life that can not be reversed. I can be confident that God will take me to the Promised Land despite the accusations of Satan about all of my shortcomings. 

I Am The Lord

You really should mean it when you call him Lord.

Leviticus 19:1-4 The LORD also said to Moses, 2 "Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. 3 "Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the LORD your God. 4 "Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.

Exodus 20:2-3 "I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 "You must not have any other god but me.

Luke 6:46 "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say?

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Communication is a problem for everyone and God's people are no exception, we have our own language that can easily confuse newcomers, our use of certain words and phrases can be foreign to people outside of Christianity. 

In any culture, language is so individualistic, so much so that people that claim to speak the same language really don't. Just look at America's version of English that obviously came from England yet we insist that Americans are the ones speaking English correctly.

The word "Lord" is seldom spoken outside of religious circles, in a respectful way, and the concept of having a Lord over us is so against our culture that we tend to shy away from the idea. Sure we use the word Lord plenty of times each Sunday but it's meaning and the consequences of having a Lord is lost in the overuse of the word. It's like the word awesome, most of the time we use that word when things are nowhere near causing us to be in awe.

A search in my Bible study software for the short phrase "the Lord" in the New Living Translation comes back with 6,836 matches, found in 60 of the 66 books of the Bible. Perhaps the most significant thing I saw in this search is that God is usually speaking about himself when this phrase is spoken. 

Top ten books to use "the Lord"

1. Jeremiah - 600
2. Psalms - 485
3. Deuteronomy - 447
4. Isaiah - 405
5. Numbers - 358
6. Exodus - 355
7. 2 Chronicles - 304
8. Leviticus - 300
9. 1 Samuel - 238
10. 2 Kings - 225

The story of "the Lord"

God's story begins with the beginning of the Lord's work, it was the Lord that created the perfect world for the first man and his wife to enjoy. (Genesis 2:4) It was the Lord that shared his authority to reign, he gave mankind the authority as lord over the rest of creation, and it was the Lord that walked with mankind in the garden each day until the day that they questioned God's authority as Lord. (Genesis 1:26, 3:8)

It was the Lord that graciously made the first sacrifice to forgive their sins, since the offense was against him he had the authority to decide how the sins would be forgiven. (Genesis 3:21) I find it interesting that Adam, Eve nor the serpent say "the Lord" as they discuss the idea of rebelling against God which is the basis for every sin. (Genesis 3:1-7)

It was the Lord that approached Cain and gave him a choice, he could embrace sin as his parents did or he could learn from their mistake and also from his own sin to embrace God's warning to worship him correctly. (Genesis 4:1-8)

It was the Lord that had the authority to wipeout mankind, the Lord chose Noah to preserve the seed of the coming redeemer while he eliminated the rest of the population because of their wickedness. (Genesis 6:5-8)

It was the Lord that scattered mankind when they rebelled so quickly after the flood. It is amazing how fast the descendants of the flood survivors started living without any thought about the Lord, it seems that they must have known about the recent worldwide flood but they still ignored God's authority as they decided to make a name for themselves. (Genesis 11:1-9)

It was the Lord that chose Abram and even chose which of Abram's (Abraham) many children would be the heir of the promise. It was the Lord that continued choosing a son from each new generation, father Abraham had many sons but the Lord chose Isaac and then he chose Jacob over Esau and then from the 12 sons of Jacob, God chose Judah and then he chose a son from Judah.

We could keep on going through all 66 books of the Bible but it is already obvious from this quick outline of the book of Genesis that someone is in charge and it isn't the humans.

I am the Lord and I will do...

Exodus 6:6-7  “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.  7  I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.

In the book of Exodus, the Lord is about to do something important so he goes to Moses with important information. God told Moses who he is and what he will do for his people, he will do things that only God can possibly do, and he will do it without asking for the approval of the thousands of people that it would affect.

When God was about to take his people out of Egypt, he just did it! This is a very strong argument in favor of God's sovereignty and the election of a chosen people. When our Lord decided that you are his chosen child he didn't extend an offer to you and ask for your consent, he just did it! Our Lord does not answer to anyone and he isn't depending on something that any of us might do.

In fact it is a very good thing that God didn't require a minimum amount of faith or goodness before he took them out of Egypt because they would have never been able to leave. You would probably expect the faith of God's people would have grown during each of the ten plagues that the Lord sent upon Egypt but somehow they didn't learn.

The Lord Gives Us The Perfect Example

John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will."

God didn't just command us to live a certain way he also gave us the perfect example of someone that did live under the authority and reign of our Lord. Jesus submitted to the Lordship of God and obeyed him despite the physical difficulties and the spiritual opposition.

Philippians 2:7-8  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,  8  he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Whatever rights, control or privileges that we think we should have must be given up to please our Lord. If our Lord stooped down from his high position to submit to God's lordship then we must do the same. We need to state the same thing that Thomas declared "My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) and we also need to let it really be true in the way that we live. (Luke 6:46)

God help me to call you the Lord and grasp what it really means and allow you to truly be the Lord. Help me to live like it is really true so that your kingdom will come and your will, will be done in my life for your glory.

RELATED ARTICLES

The Attributes of God and the Power They Hold in Your Life (davidjeremiah.org)

Living Under Authority (ligonier.org)

Authority (redeemer.com)

Saved And Sent

We are sent out to show the world how awesome our God is.

Exodus 12:31-33 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people— and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” 33 All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”

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We have seen God's glory and power on display as he sent the plagues to Egypt, we saw that sometimes he exempted his people from the devastation, but for the final plague we saw that God required his people to do something in order to receive his protection.

God offered his chosen people a way to be saved from the destroying angels if they obeyed him and followed his plan of salvation. God's people were saved by the Passover Lamb and released from their bondage but they still had a long way to go to get to the Promised Land.

God's people were ordered to leave by Pharaoh and the rest of the people of Egypt also urged them to go and willingly gave them their stuff. The great number of people and the amount of livestock and riches that they have are all according to God's promises. It is very clear at this point who is in control and we know that it isn't the earthly kingdom. (Genesis 26:3-4)

God's promise to his people came to pass in God's timing, we cannot comprehend why God allowed thousands of his people to live and die in Egypt before he took them out but when it was time they left in the manner that he said it would happen. It's been a long wait and surely God's people are ready to get to the Promised Land right away but God has other plans that haven't been revealed to them yet.

Exodus 13:17 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

God is in control and he shows it again by directing his people to take the scenic route to their destination rather than taking them straight there. God's route to the new home that he has prepared for his people will force his people to wait on him.

Even with the explanation that scripture gives it is still difficult to understand why God didn't send his people on the short route to their land. He could have intervened and caused their enemies to be afraid of them so that they would not change their minds and return to Egypt. 

God's people want to see results and when it doesn't appear that God is at work we get discouraged. A lot of the time we fail to realize that God's timeline is much bigger than the span of our lifetime. Generations of God's people have lived and died crying out to God to see his plan come to pass without any indication that he had listened to their prayers.

Trust Isn't Easy
A. Trusting in the Lord requires seeing your weakness and need, but His power and provision. B. Trusting in the Lord requires remembering that He always keeps His promises. C. When we trust in the Lord, He gets the glory and we get the blessings. - God’s Means of Salvation (Steven J Cole on Bible.org)

Trusting God isn't easy so we try to make things happen that God isn't ready to do even if he has promised to do it someday. Between the book of Genesis and the first thirteen chapters of Exodus we have seen God work slow and steady in the lives of his people. 

Because God saved his people from the sting of death, the world reacted by sending them away, instead of realizing that God is for real and they should submit to his authority. They chose to ignore all of the evidence and continue to live their lives embracing the powerless gods that they had created.

God's people have been sent out to show the world how amazing God is. Israel was saved from and sent out of bondage to Egypt and likewise we are saved to be sent. They were sent to judge the inhabitants of the Promised Land but we are saved and sent to show the world God's perfect love, mercy and forgiveness on our way to our Promised Land.

The same amazing God that led his children to Canaan will also lead us safely home. The route to get there is long and hard, just like it was for Israel, so that we will learn to trust and glorify our gracious Lord as we get closer to home.

Who Will Be Denied?

Jesus set the example for us by denying himself.

Matthew 26:31-35 On the way, Jesus told them, "Tonight all of you will desert Me. For the Scriptures say, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there."

33 Peter declared, "Even if everyone else deserts You, I will never desert You." 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, Peter--this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me." 35 "No!" Peter insisted. "Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!" And all the other disciples vowed the same.

Mat 26:75 Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me." And he went away, weeping bitterly.

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You may not know it but we are constantly making choices that prove our allegiance to God and his purpose and plan. God will not impose his will on us but despite the freedom that we have God is always in control.

Peter didn't like Jesus words, he felt insulted that Jesus would say these things, certainly their friendship with Jesus for these past three years proved their loyalty. So he declared his allegiance and all of the others agreed but they all failed as Jesus predicted.

They were in a situation that few people in America will ever deal with. Most of us won't ever be a part of the persecuted church, we won't have to be so radical with our faith, we won't have to make a decision that is so huge but we still fail daily.

We are still very likely to deny Jesus in the little things that we tend to dismiss or not realize.

To deny Jesus implies:

• that I am contradicting him, that I am in opposition to his teaching.
• that I refuse to acknowledge him and his claim that he is the Promised Messiah.
• that I reject him as Lord of my life, refusing to be his subject or slave.
• that I am embracing my sin nature and my wisdom instead of putting on the mind of Christ.

To deny myself implies:

• that I need to forbid myself from participating in some of the "pleasures" that this world has to offer.
• that I will refuse to put myself in charge and that I will choose to give him control.
• that I am willing to follow Jesus even when it is painful or humiliating, 

Just like Peter, we take the easy way out, we don't realize how serious a simple little denial can really be. It doesn't seem like a big crime at the moment but later the remorse is usually way bigger.

Mark 8:34-35 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

Crowds of people that had a shallow relationship with Jesus were invited to step in close with the disciples, Jesus lets them know that he wants a deeper relationship. He let's them know what is required to have a real, life saving relationship with him.

To follow requires that you make a choice, you must choose to allow someone else to direct your life, somebody else must control your attitude, your view of the people around you must change, how you treat other races, you must exhibit the fruit of the spirit and be forgiving and kind to those around you.

The life of a winner in this world will be a loser in the next so it is important that I make the right decisions each day. I must give up my self-centered life of rebellion against God (loses his life) for the sake of Christ and the gospel so that I will find everlasting communion with God for eternity.

Jesus made it possible for me to escape death so I should use my life for his glory.

RELATED ARTICLES

Confessing Or Denying Christ (bible.org)
Gun To Your Head, Will You Deny Christ? (desiringgod.org)

How Satisfied Are You?

The pleasures of this world will never satisfy your desires.

Proverbs 27:20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.

Psalms 63:1-3 O God, You are my God; I earnestly search for You. My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have seen You in Your sanctuary and gazed upon Your power and glory. 3 Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise You!

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It seems like every time you get a receipt there is an invite to take a survey and let somebody know about your experience. Most companies that you do business with want to be sure that you are pleased with the experience. If we are unhappy then somebody is going to hear about it.

Sometimes we approach God the same way, we expect him to make us happy and to give us a better life, we expect service from him and if we don't get it then we will be giving him a bad review. God doesn't have any comment cards or online surveys to fill out and there isn't a chance to win a prize for giving him our opinion.

You would probably think that there wasn't any reason for discontent back in the Garden of Eden but you would be wrong. It is difficult to imagine how it was living life before the effects of sin damaged everything. Life in the garden included daily walks with God, no struggle for food and huge beast that meant you no harm.

Even in the most ideal circumstances man's desire to be in control and to get more for himself was still present. As far as we know, there was only one rule to live by in the garden, eat from any tree that you want except for the one that God said was off limits. It sounds easy enough but we have all been led astray just as easy as Adam and Eve were.

God was angry because Adam took the gifts of God and used them for his own purposes, so that he became his own god.

-Tony Evans

We act like God's purpose is to make us happy and content but that is not a priority for him. It sounds absurd to say it but in reality that is the way that we behave. Our consumer mentality follows us to church and we expect the church to serve us.

We want more and more of the things that do not satisfy as if it will someday be enough. We want to control what we have and how much we have instead of looking to him to satisfy.

This lack of contentment is behind our fat stomachs, our adulterous relationships, and our excessive drive to put more money in the bank. Our desire for pleasure is out of control because we do not get our desires fulfilled by the infinite source of pleasure.

Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in Him!

We need to develop an appetite for the one that created our appetites in the first place. If we really know him and love him then we will desire him and let go of our desire to be indulged by lesser things.

I need to be anxious for opportunities to meet with God, to be excited to spend a few more minutes talking to him and studying the Bible, I need to redirect my cravings to the source if satisfaction that my soul longs for.

Psalms 23:5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.

My earthly desires need to fade away as I present myself as a living sacrifice. I will be content with less of the toys that the world seeks to have and I need to be satisfied by giving instead of getting more.

I need to give away my time, talents and treasures for the work of the gospel. I wasn't blessed with all of these things so that I can store them up and use them for myself. I have been given much so that I can accomplish much for the sake of the gospel.

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The Measure (thelife.com)
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My Election Predictions

Some bold predictions about our future.

1. God will still be on His throne regardless of who is elected (Isaiah 6:1).

2. Regardless of who is president, God will control their decisions (Proverbs 21:1: Ezra 6:22).

3. Regardless of who is president, Christians are to pray for them, not prey on them (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

4. Regardless of who is elected, we will get up… go to work… and honor God on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, etc, etc, etc.

5. Regardless of who is elected, it will happen in accordance with God’s will (1 Samuel 2:6-8, Isaiah 46:9-10).

6. Regardless of who is elected, it will not change the call God has given Christians to be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-14).

7. Regardless of who is elected, God’s plan to bring about the return of His Son to set up His Kingdom will be that much closer! (Romans 13:11)

8. Regardless of who is elected, “Do not be anxious for anything (Including a presidential election!), but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philemon 4:6-7)

9. Regardless of who is elected, Christians have no reason to fear or be afraid! (Revelation 2:10)

10. Regardless of who is elected, Christians are to obey the laws of the land (Romans 13:1-7) unless they conflict with the laws of God, then Christians obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).

I borrowed this from Pastor Ron  

Is Jesus The Lord?

The crowds try to make Jesus the servant.

John 6:1-5  After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias.

2  A huge crowd kept following Him wherever He went, because they saw His miraculous signs as He healed the sick.

3  Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with His disciples around Him.  4  (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.)  5  Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for Him. Turning to Philip, He asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?"

John 6:14-15  When the people saw Him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, "Surely, He is the Prophet we have been expecting!"  15  When Jesus saw that they were ready to force Him to be their king, He slipped away into the hills by Himself.

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The crowds that are following Jesus are continuing to grow, and why not? Jesus is doing some pretty cool stuff. After a big disturbance in Jerusalem he moved on to Galilee and he is really gaining in popularity.

In Galilee alone the Centurion's servant has been healed, the son of the widow of Nain is alive again, remember Jairus' daughter, the two blind men, the woman who touched His clothes, a demonic who couldn't speak. All of this has happened right here in Galilee!

Deuteronomy 18:15 Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

This crowd was looking for someone that would save them from the oppression of the Romans, they wanted to see the fulfillment of the hope that Moses gave them that another prophet would rise up to help them.

The crowds were looking for somebody that would make their life a lot easier, they wanted a Messiah who healed and fed them and was a physical earthly Messiah that would help their country. The free lunch and healing Messiah was all they wanted and sometimes Jesus disciples felt the same way.

What Can Jesus Do For Me?
John 6:29-30  Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the One He has sent." They answered, "Show us a miraculous sign if You want us to believe in You. What can You do?"

They were just like a lot of people in our world who want that same kind of Jesus. They want one who will just do everything for them and make no demands. They like the help but they don't want to hear that this Jesus requires something of them. They didn't have any thought of repentance at all.

One test of whether I am truly submitting to God is how I react to my circumstances. Am I grumbling or giving thanks when things don't go the way that I wanted them to go. If God choose this situation that I am in and he did so for my good then who am I to try to take charge.

Who is really the lord of my life? If I am using God then I am promoting myself to the position of lord and I am trying to make him my servant. Jesus does not want followers who use Him for their own purposes, but followers who grow to know Him and trust Him for who He is and allow him to be Lord.

Forgive me Lord for making myself the lord and putting you in the place of the servant. I want to live for your glory and be obedient to you instead of trying to get you to obey me.

Christian vs Christian

You shouldn't have to wear boxing gloves to church.

Romans 14:4, 10-13  Who are you to condemn someone else's servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.

10 So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer?

Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  11  For the Scriptures say, "'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bend to Me, and every tongue will confess and give praise to God. '"  12  Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.  13  So let's stop condemning each other.

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Every organization has it's share of division and strife among the people that are in the group. Whether it is in the military, a social group or a workplace, there is going to be conflict.

That shouldn't be true of the church but unfortunately it is not any better inside the body of Christ. There have always been divisions and fighting despite the fact that Jesus prayed for us to get along with each other and serve each other and to be united together just the same as he is united with God the Father. (John 17:21)

I have never slowed down and allowed this verse to sink in. It is stuck in the middle of a bunch of verses about whether the Gentile believers should stick to the dietary restrictions that the Jews observed under the law. The verse is Romans 14:4 "Who are you to condemn someone else's servants?"

The first thought that came to mind is that I am a servant of God. I am just a slave, I do not have any rights, my life has been redeemed by Jesus and therefore it belongs to him. Since he has purchased me he has all rights to me and my life should be spent making sure that I am pleasing my master.

Second thought that comes to mind is that I am surrounded by other servants of God that he has also redeemed and none of those other servants around me are answerable to me. I don't have any rights and I don't have any authority. As a fellow slave, I have no power or any right to have another slave give an account for his actions.

What if the other servants are doing what God has told them to do? Why am I putting them down? So what if they are not pleasing me when it comes to stuff that isn't an essential part of the gospel. There is one Lord, one Holy Spirit and one God and I am not any of them.

James 4:12  God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

Jesus had the right to walk around this planet and point his finger at everybody that he saw that was wrong and condemn all of them but instead the main characteristic of his life was love. It was love that drew people to him. Without love the gospel doesn't have any power and instead of drawing people in to Jesus we will drive them away.

Help me Lord to be less like the devil with his judging personality and help me to grow more like my loving redeemer.

This Dead Man Is Now Alive

Jesus gives life to those that were doomed to die.

Ephesians 2:1-6  Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  2  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil--the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.   

3  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else.  4  But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much,  5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)   

6  For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

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The best way to describe me before I put my faith in Jesus is that I was dead. Sure I had some life in me, I was walking around and using up oxygen and would probably continue to do so for a little while but even if that life lasted for one hundred years that isn't very much compared to how long I will be dead.

I was just like the rest of the world, living for my own pleasure and making decisions that pleased the devil instead of pleasing God. Ephesians 2:2 is a little bit scary to think about, the thought that I was taking my orders from the devil and doing what pleases him, to consider that I was allowing the "commander of the powers in the unseen world" to be in control of my life is a bit unsettling. I don't like to think that I could be so deceived that I would allow the one that is the source and the leader of all of the wickedness that is in this world and in the unseen world to be my leader as well.

I was doomed in this state of hopelessness because I could not cover the penalty of my sin and I couldn't make better choices and live a better life without God's help. All of us live for self and God has every right to leave us in the dead state that we are in but his mercy and love rose up and made a way for us to avoid his anger and his demand for perfection.

Buried with Christ.
Colossians 2:12-13  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with Him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  13  You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins.

Since I was already a dead man I needed to be buried but I didn't want to stay there for long. I was buried with Christ when I was baptized and then immediately after the burial I was raised from the dead. That's how it was for Jesus, he didn't stay among the dead for long before God brought him back to life, I will not stay dead for long before I begin my new life in heaven with my Savior.

I will live a new life in heaven but I also should live a new life here on earth, I had to make a change, I have taken the controls away from the "commander of the powers in the unseen world" and given them to God.

Thank you Lord for breaking the power of the "commander of the powers in the unseen world" and for giving me new life!

Putting Out Some Traps

The man who couldn't be trapped came to help us because we were trapped.

Luke 20:20-22 Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 21 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Now tell us, is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Luke 20:27-29 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees, religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. 28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. 29 Well, suppose there were seven brothers.

Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

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Jesus has been making a lot of waves in Jerusalem and the religious leaders are out to get him, between the Triumphant Entry, Clearing the Temple and calling them out in the parable about the Wicked Farmers, they are hot. The situation gets worse as Jesus shows up each day at the temple and teaches large crowds of people, who does this untrained teacher think he is, he just keeps showing up at the temple uninvited and without any credentials as a rabbi.

The religious leaders decide that they need to set out some traps so they try and stump Jesus with some difficult questions about political and social problems, that hasn't worked in the past and it doesn't work this time either, Jesus proves that he has the answers. Political and social issues are not his main concern but he does have an answer for the tough questions that we face in every area of our lives.

Jesus vs Traps, Traps Lose

John 10:17-18 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

The religious leaders don't realize that they don't need to use any traps, it is very clear who is in charge of the events that lead up to the crucifixion, Jesus is going to give them what they want... for a while anyway. They didn't realize that Jesus didn't come to Jerusalem to rise to a position of power... yet.

Jesus couldn't be trapped by Satan, Jesus came to Jerusalem to be the Passover Lamb, he was voluntarily giving up his life. The devil trapped us but he could not trap Jesus. We fell to the trap of sin by our own lust and desires but Jesus came to destroy the devil and make the trap of sin and death powerless in our lives. (Romans 6:5-11, 7:24-25)

Are you still trapped in your sins? Accept Jesus’ gift of salvation and enjoy the freedom of life in Christ and eternity with Him. (Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13)

I thank you Lord that you are in control, Satan has been defeated and I can have victory over the devil's schemes, the devil's traps are powerless against you.

Related articles

• Love The Lord (devotionsfordisciples.com)
• Rejecting God's Son Has Severe Consequences (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)
• It's Time To Go Home (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)

Don't Try To Put God In A Box

Jesus disciples turned into Pharisees.

Luke 18:15-17 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.

16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

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It is the parents versus the disciples in the scriptures today. The parents were doing what they should do, we can probably all agree that parents should bring their children to Jesus, but the disciples didn't think so.

Jesus disciples told the parents to get out of the way, Jesus was too important to be bothered with children. It seems to me that in an instant the disciples have become just the same as the Pharisees, with their rules about who could come and do what before God, they were trying to be in control.

Their culture didn't give children much in the way of rights and respect but Jesus rebuked his disciples and told them that they were way off base. He told them that God's Kingdom belongs to the childlike and that you must receive the Kingdom of God like a child.

The disciples didn't learn the first time

Luke 9:46-48 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."

The disciples already had a lesson that included children but they didn't get it. Did you catch what Jesus said in verse forty-eight? They were told in the previous lesson that "anyone who welcomes a child welcomes Jesus" but now they are telling the parents to get the children out of there. Make any sense?

In both of these scriptures we can learn a valuable lesson about the importance of children to our Lord.  Jesus tells us that their demeanor is pleasing to him. Jesus wants us to come to him as an obedient, trusting child, just like a hurt child that comes for comfort in daddy arms, a child that comes in humility to their caring father after they have done wrong. 

Children are anxious to imitate their parents, putting on their clothes and playing dress up, Jesus wants us to be like that as well, impressionable and willing to imitate him with a sincere heart. (Ephesians 5:1, Philippians 2:5)

We can also see how quickly that we can all become religious and act like the disciples did, we like to be in control and have everything just right, problem is our idea of what is just right is usually not what God intended. It is very easy to try and push our own agenda off on God.

I need to be sensitive to your leadership Lord. Help me to resist putting you in the box and help me to stay in the center of your will.

Follow Me

Disciples of Jesus must be followers of Jesus

Matthew 4:19   Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Matthew 16:24  Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.

John 12:26   Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

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Some people are "directionally challenged" I love those people that need help with getting somewhere. It makes me happy when I know the way and there is somebody that needs me to show it to them.

Jesus knows the way and he loves to show it to his disciples, he knows where he is going and he wants to take us along. If we would just obey his command to "follow me" then he will be the light for our path so that we will never get lost.

John 8:12 Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

I like to lead, I don't follow too well, this is something that has caused problems in life. So many times when I was in charge of what direction that I was going to go in usually took me down some dirt roads with some big potholes.

I need to follow the light of the world and be sure to stay off of those roads that lead away from the light.

Jesus forgive me for those times when I was in control and I decided to chart my own course instead of following you.

Broken

It can be a good thing.

Psalms 34:18-22 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 19 The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

20 For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! 21 Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. 22 But the LORD will redeem those who serve Him. No one who takes refuge in Him will be condemned.

Mark 14:32-34 They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." 33 He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He became deeply troubled and distressed. 34 He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me."

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It is human nature to not like broken, broken to us means useless, broken usually means "headed to the garbage can." We don't like our stuff to be broken, we don't want our heart broken and we definitely don't like for our body to be broken.

But there is something about broken that God likes. He chooses to use a lot of broken things, sometimes he is the one that does the breaking, it is just like God to see things from a complete opposite perspective as we do.

Jesus was broken, he was "crushed with grief," his heart was broken, he had the power, he could have dodged being broken he wasn't forced and yet he actually chose broken for our benefit.

1Pe 2:24  He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed.

Broken is almost never the choice that we would make but sometimes we don't get to decide, sometimes God plan is to decide that broken is what we are going to do. Sometimes he breaks our will or our attitude, sometimes it is our pride that he breaks.

But from all that breaking comes nothing but good. Jesus was broken for our good, our will, our attitude and our pride are broken for our good and yet we fight against being broken. Could it be that we need to be just as broken and just as willing to do God's will and be broken as Jesus was? Should our response to broken be the same as his?

Jesus response was prayer, a simple humble prayer that told God how he felt and yet he didn't take control of the situation, he simply told his father "My Father! I want Your will to be done, not Mine." (Matthew 26:39)

Help me Lord to allow your will to rule in my life, sometimes you break us down and I pray that I have learned everything that I needed to learn from the broken times in life.

Psalms 51:17 The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Psalms 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

Surprise!

Jesus wasn't shocked.

Mark 14:10-16 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus. 

12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Where do You want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for You?" 

13 So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: "As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 At the house he enters, say to the owner, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with My disciples?' 15 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal." 

16 So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.

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A few days ago, Jesus was approaching Jerusalem and he told the disciples where to go to get the donkey that he would ride (Mark 11:6) and now he is telling the disciples the signs that will let them know where they were going to stay for Passover. 

Just in case you might get the idea that things are happening to Jesus that are out of his control or taking him by surprise, he tells the disciples to go and follow a man, probably a servant carrying a pitcher of water. When he gets home, ask the owner of the house for the use of his guest room which will be upstairs. 

No doubt, the residents of Jerusalem had rooms fitted up to be used, for this occasion, to those that came out of the country to keep the Passover. It appears that Jesus was to have Passover at a stranger's house, otherwise he would probably have told the disciples to return to the friend's house by name or he would tell them "You know where we used to go." 

Probably he went where he was not known, so that he might be undisturbed with his disciples and perhaps he concealed the location by giving a sign so that the location would not be known to his betrayer Judas, yes Jesus was still in control, he isn't surprised at anything that is happening.

There are a lot of examples in the gospels, times that Jesus was a few steps ahead of the rest of the people around him, he made it clear that he knew the sequence of events and he knew his purpose for being here. 

I have to know that God will supply every need, he knows what the needs are way before I do and he has the solution already prepared.

It is very assuring and comforting to know that you are in control Lord, I want to rely on you in every situation.

I Know Who Is In Control

Everybody likes to be in control, but are we ever really?

Mark 5:1-20   So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. Just as Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came from the tombs and met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him. Then he cried out with a loud voice, "Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God - do not torment me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!" Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "My name is Legion, for we are many." He begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region. There on the hillside, a great herd of pigs was feeding. And the demonic spirits begged him, "Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them." Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.

Now the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind - the one who had the "Legion" - and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs. Then they asked Jesus to leave their region. As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go with him. But Jesus did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, "Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, that he had mercy on you." So he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.

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Who is in control?

The victim wasn't in control, this poor fellow was a wreck, injuring himself, running around and screaming, he probably didn't even get to sleep.
 
The shepherds were not in control, they probably felt uneasy everyday while they were out there with the pigs, wondering what this guy was going to do next and if they were going to get hurt.
 
Satan wasn't in control, how do you think he felt when he saw his demons bow down at Jesus feet and they called him the Son of God.
 
The disciples were not in control, they were probably still sitting in the boat, they may have been jumping overboard and trying to swim away. This is one crazy scene, of all the things that happened while the disciples were following Jesus, this is probably one of the events that they talked about the most.

Jesus wasn't surprised when the crazy demon filled man came running to him and he isn't caught off guard about any of the circumstances of our lives either.
 
Life is full of surprises for us but you are never shocked by what happens to us or what we do to ourselves. Help me to remember that you are in control no matter what is going on.