by Whitey | Mar 28, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
In this passage, after seeing the Lord’s disapproval at their lack of faith, some of the Israelites changed their minds. They chose to enter the Promised Land after all. But God was not behind this action, and so they failed. They’d missed their opportunity to receive God’s promises. He would not bless their attempts to take the Land in their own strength.
I’m reminded of the time King David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, but God said no. David’s son would have that privilege. Sometimes we want to do great things in Jesus’ name, but not according to His will or timing. The thing we have mind — a ministry, a career choice, a relationship — may be good, but if God is not in it, it will fail. And maybe, once we get past the disappointment of God saying no to our ‘brilliant’ idea, we’ll find He has something a lot better in mind.
The question is, do we really believe that God’s plans are better than ours?
by Whitey | Mar 23, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
God had Moses send spies into the Promised Land. 10 of them came back afraid of the enemies they saw; only 2 of them had faith to believe that God could help them conquer them. How often do I focus on the risks, the needs, the negatives? God would have me focus on His promises, His presence, His provisions.
Israel missed out on God’s best for them because of fear. It would take 40 years before they would enter the Promised Land. An entire generation missed their opportunity.
How often do we let fear control us? How much do we miss out on because we are afraid to take risks?
The current disaster in Japan has been a huge reminder of just how short and fragile life is. Life is too short, the future too uncertain, to let fear hold us back from living the lives God wants us to live.
by Whitey | Mar 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
CRASHって、何ですか？（日本語）What is CRASH? (Japanese with English subtitles)
(posted March 21, 2011)
by Whitey | Mar 11, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“So they shall put my name on Israel, and I will bless them.” (vs. 27)
「こうして彼らがイスラエルの人々のために、わたしの名を唱えるならば、わたしは彼らを祝福するであろう」。
To have God’s name on me. The image in my mind here is of a tattoo or a brand that everyone can see. Only in this case, the brand is on my heart, not my body. May God’s blessing be so obvious in my life that people will see Him when they look at me.
日本語で、その英語と違うイメージですが、同じメッセージがあります。神様の名前によって祝福をいただけます。その祝福をいただいたら、交わりの人々は私たちの生活に神様が見えます。そのような祝福をいただくように。
by Whitey | Mar 8, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“When a man or a woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed.” (vs. 6-7)
In Scripture, there is a definite connection between our relationships with each other and our relationship with God. In this passage, that connection is clear: wronging another person = sinning against God. The sin must be confessed and restitution must be made.
It works both ways: When there are hurt feelings between us and a friend, if unresolved, that will harm our relationship with God. And if we are not in regular communication with God through prayer and the Word, or if there are un-confessed sins in our hearts, that will have a negative impact on our relationships with others. As we saw in 1 John, to truly love others we need to receive God’s love.
Our relationships matter. Lord, please help us to receive and live in Your love today.
by Whitey | Mar 7, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
In this passage, the different clans and families of the Levites received their work assignments for the care of the tabernacle. This does not make for very exciting reading, but there is a lesson to be learned here: everybody had a part to play; each part was important.
I’m reminded of the New Testament teaching that we, the Church, are the Body of Christ. Each of has a unique and important role to play in service to the Kingdom, just as the different parts of a human body has a specific purpose. And while some roles are not very exciting or glamorous, each role is important. Each person is important. God loves us as a body and as individual parts. Let’s not forget that love. Let’s encourage each other as we work together for His Kingdom.
And let’s do the work. Let’s BE the Church, Christ’s Body in the world today. Together we are so much more than on our own.
