Author Archives: shepherdbryan

Unknown's avatar

About shepherdbryan

My passion is to disciple and see men discipled in every area of their life to see the multiplication principle actually work in a 100 year generational blessing. As go men in the church, so goes the church. As go men in the nation, so goes the nation. Fortunately, because men have often not taken their spiritual role to the limit, God has raised up many godly women to carry the torch where men have laid it aside. May God rapidly raise up men for the next generation of leaders to the Fourth Generation of spiritual leaders! As men lead in a godly way, women will follow in a godly way and that people will be blessed of the Lord.

Book Review: SOS Help for Emotions by Lynn Clark

Posted on by
Reply

Book Review: SOS Help for Emotions by Lynn Clark

“SOS Help for Emotions” follows the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).  This is a well-written tool for dealing with emotions from man’s perspective.  It was suggested that I read this to help me understand how people struggle with their emotions and several tools for dealing with them.  Clark is obviously well-educated, very astute in the realm of observing how people make decisions and creative in teaching a humanistic approach to dealing with emotions. He is engaging and creative.  However, as stated, it is man’s approach and not God’s approach.  “SOS” is the Morse Code for help, and I get that for the title of the book, yet I would politely says that SOS stands for “Self-Oriented-Solutions.”
It’s obvious that Clark has extensive professional experience in community centers, hospitals and counseling agencies.  I’m very confident that Clark is very successful in counseling, because the observations and solutions “make sense.”  The observations are truly what a person would see as people make decisions.  The solutions are tangible ways to make decisions if there were no God and no Scripture that tells us how we are to make decisions.  The closest Clark comes to identifying any solution to a Bible-based solution is St. Francis’ Serenity Prayer. 
He gives hope, but not from Scripture, therefore the hope can only be temporary according to a person’s own strength to make decisions.  He never mentions the good news of the Gospel, any Scripture, the reality of sin, or any reliance upon what God has provided regarding solutions.
He establishes from the beginning that the foundation for SOS is rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) (4).  “Feeling safe” is one of his intended solutions (8), rather than being safe in Jesus (Col. 3:1).  He identifies “Anxiety, anger, depression and contentment and happiness” as core emotions and those are predominant aspects of thinking (9), but his solutions are not according to Scripture. He truly states that “unbridled emotions can also…spike our blood pressure, causing a blood vessel to burst leading to a stroke,” which is true (9).  The challenge is that someone who is not well-grounded in Scripture may not discern truth from error.  He states, “Motivating ourselves to achieve our goals, of course is dependent on knowing and managing our emotions,” (14) which has truth in that we must be aware of our emotions, but the motivation is to please God (2 Cor. 5:9) and managing our emotions comes by putting on biblical thinking through renewing the mind (Eph. 4:22-24).
Clark provides excellent observations about how humans think.  For example, he states, “Various physical conditions (illness, lack of sleep, poor nutrition) can predispose you to be easily upset” (16) and “Our emotions are largely, but not entirely, controlled by our beliefs, the way we think about problems, and our silent self-talk.” (17) These are both true.  He observes, “Emotional stress can cause increased muscle tension…” and “Emotional stress can stimulate the stomach to secrete too much acid which can lead to heartburn and gastritis,” (18) which are both true.  The challenge is, how does the average reader know when Clark is making true observations and when he is making suggestions that are humanistic and not biblical? 
I appreciate his comment quoting Epicticus, “People are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them,” (24) which has great truth in it, because how we respond to situations is the issue, not the situation.  And his principle, “The one thing psychologists can count on is that their clients will talk to themselves and not infrequently, whether relevant or irrelevant, the things people say to themselves determine the rest of the things they do” (27) has truth.  Even Scripture says as we think, so we become (Pro. 23:7) and we DO need to renew our thinking if we are going to be transformed (Rom. 12:2).  However, we must conform our thinking according to Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17), not what seems to make sense or what is expedient.
His charts are helpful to understand his therapy solutions.  “Crooked thinking” that doesn’t include “beliefs and self-talk” certainly will not help people understand why consequences result (29).  His directions to take responsibility rather than blaming (30) is a biblical  approach, but he gives no biblical basis and doesn’t identify any thinking or actions as sin.  A major problem is that he never identifies any solution with the need to be dependent on God, but just develop better “self-talk” (33) and you’ll gain control.
There is truth to some of his analysis of how we get into misery.  We do flip on the “I must, you must or the world must” attitude and then we link those statements to “’condemnation, ‘awfulizing,’ ‘I-can’t-stand-it-itus,’  ‘I’m worthless,’ and ‘always and never’” resulting in bad thinking of anxiety, anger and depression” (40) and those things do happen.  Those kinds of comments engage a person, because the person will say, “That makes sense” or “That’s what I do.”  The challenge is a person may try the suggested solutions, which exclude God’s power, and the person may get temporary relief, but not renewed thinking or a holy lifestyle.
He never identifies any thought or action as sin. He explains and gives great illustrative examples of sin (48, 53, 83), but without identifying the problem as sin, there will be no spiritual solution to unleash God’s delivering power.  He does call problem areas “irrational beliefs and self-talk” (87), but that still places the standard on self, rather than on God (2 Tim. 2:15).
One of his solutions suggested will be different with every person.  For example he states, “Replace Musts and Should with Preferences and Wishes,”(72) so that establishes the person as the standard rather than the unchangeable nature of God and His Word (Heb. 13:8).
This book is like many self-help books; they are about self and how self can help.  Instead of finding strength in self, the Christian ought to find his strength in Jesus Christ (Phil. 4:13).  Too many Christians will read pop books on self-help and because the observations and suggestions seem to make sense, they try them.  The enemy is waiting for this and wants them to buy into the system and live by the humanistic solutions.  That just creates frustrated Christians, who do not tap into the power of God for real transformation (Eph. 1:18-19).  As nice of a person as Dr. Clark is, as much as he wants to help people, as sincere as he is in believing he has solutions through REBT, he will only lead people further away from God and God’s solutions.  At best his solutions are tainted light rather than the pure milk of God’s Word.  Unless you have years of biblical study to discern truth from error, do not open yourself up to these humanistic suggestions.  I’m sure I still miss many.

Words: Overcomers use SPAM®

Posted on by
Reply

Words: Overcomers use SPAM® 

John declares that everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ is an overcomer from the world.  He writes, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4) By making that simple decision of faith, a person overcomes the pull of the world and is an overcomer.  There is an additional aspect of overcoming, which is “overcoming in life.” 

John addresses “overcoming in life” in the next verse, “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5)  Literally, John writes, “Who is he who keeps overcoming the world, but he who keeps believing that Jesus is the Son of God.”  Both verbs, “overcoming” and “believing” are present participles, which emphasizes ongoing action.  It is not a one time decision, but a moment by moment trust in Jesus’ ability to work and rule through the believer.

 In fact, Paul addresses that in Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom. 8:37)  As we confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9) and walk in dependency on the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18), we will overcome the distractions of the world, the pull of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-16), which comes through the rulership of Jesus in our lives (Phil. 4:13).

In order to continue to overcome, you need an “Overcoming Plan.” Use this plan when you determine which life dominating sin you want to have victory over. Remember the acrostic: SPAM®.  Each of those letters stand for an important concept.

S=Specific
P=Personal
A=Applicable
M=Measurable
®=Repeatable 

SPECIFIC

Does it address specific sins not generalities?
Is your plan directed at a specific heart issue?
Are there “baby steps”?
 
PERSONAL

Is this plan for you, not for your neighbor?
Do you think it will work for you? 

APPLICABLE

Have you found Scripture related to your problem?
Does it address TWA (thoughts, words & actions)?
Are your put offs related to put ons? (see the article on put offs and put ons) 

MEASURABLE

How will you know you’ve done it?
What questions could a friend ask to know if you’re making progress? 

REPEATABLE

Can you repeat this plan as needed?

 

            Every one who fails to plan really plans to fail.  These steps will give you guidance for developing a plan to have victory and overcome sin in life.  Remember these steps must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to have Spirit-controlled fruit (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:22-23).

 

 

Q & A: Music to God’s Glory

Posted on by
Reply

Music to God’s Glory
1 Corinthians 10:31

Genesis 4:3-5
Does music matter to God?
1)      Music matters to God
a)      Music is instrumental in worship 1 Chron. 23:2-5; 25:1,6
b)       Music proclaims truth Eph. 5:18-19; Col. 3:16
c)      Music addresses our passions 1 Sam. 16:23; Jam. 5:13
d)     Music expresses the beauty of God  Ps. 19:1
2)      The Bible is sufficient to guide what matters 2 Tim. 3:15-17
a)      Scripture is sufficient for salvation 2 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:8-9
b)      Scripture is sufficient for life 2 Tim. 3;16,17
c)      Does music style matter?
i)        We need discernment Gal. 5:19-21; Heb. 5:14
ii)      We need additional training 1 Tim. 4:7 
Let’s use music to glorify the Lord!

Message Based Discussion Questions

1)      Did you ever take music lessons?  What kind and for how long?
Digging deeper:
2)       According to John 4:24, how are you to worship God? ___________________ As you look at John 4:21-26, what principles can you apply from this passage to music and worship?
3)       Note Leviticus 10:1-3. What happened to Nadab and Abihu? _______________ How or what principle can you apply to music and worship from this?
4)      How would you describe the worship in Malachi 1:6-14; 3:7-14?  __________________ How should principles from these verses apply to both the instrumentalists as leaders and/or the congregation as participants?
Making application from the passage to life:
5)       What are ways that music communicates truth?  What are several specific examples?
6)       Why is having a list of things to do, in any field, a dangerous thing?
7)       Based on the passage, regarding music, what conclusions can you note regarding preferences of music style?
 

Message Based Discussion Questions 

1)      Did you ever take music lessons?  What kind and for how long?

a)      Yes, piano lessons, four years 4th grade to 8thgrade 

Digging deeper: 

2)      According to John 4:24, how are you to worship God? __in spirit and in Truth_ As you look at John 4:21-26, what principles can you apply from this passage to music and worship?

a)      Genuine believers will worship God
b)      Some people will worship and don’t know why
c)      Some worship in the wrong way and don’t know it
d)      God is seeking people to worship Him
e)      God is Spirit, not an idol that can be seen or touched
f)       I am to worship with my entire being
g)      I am to worship according to Truth. What Truth bears on worship? 

3)      Note Leviticus 10:1-3. What happened to Nadab and Abihu? _they were killed___ How or what principle can you apply to music and worship from this?

a)      Approaching God must be done in a sober way.
b)      I can’t approach God in any way I want
c)      I must approach according to how God commands
d)      I must not approach in a common way
e)      Fire devoured them for being common
f)       Worshiping God is serious
 

4)      How would you describe the worship in Malachi 1:6-14; 3:7-14?  __indifferent, complacent, disrespectful__ How should principles from these verses apply to both the instrumentalists as leaders and/or the congregation as participants?

a)      We should be well-prepared 1:6
b)      God cares how we worship 1:7
c)      People may not even be aware of how they are worshiping 1:8
d)      People want God’s favor, but in their own way 1:9
e)      God may not accept my offering or worship 1:10
f)       If I make God’s name common, He will still exalt Himself 1:12
g)      We get bored with how we are supposed to worship 1:13
h)      God wants a holy offering  3:7
i)        I “rob” God by not giving to God 3:8 

Making application from the passage to life: 

5)      What are ways that music communicates truth?  What are several specific examples?

a)      Music carries truth by:
i)        Music carries the lyrics of truth
ii)      Music is a method of carrying order and beauty
iii)    Music has an order by the mathematics of the pitches
iv)    Music can restore the soul 1 Sam. 16:23

b)      Specific examples:
i)        Certain hymns associate with words that are deeply meaningful
ii)      Music orients my soul to reverence or exalting God
iii)    Certain songs carry meaning in themselves
iv)    The types of songs communicate whether they are songs of work, or war, or mourning. 

6)      Why is having a list of things to do, in any field, a dangerous thing?

a)      The list may not be complete
b)      Dependence on the list instead of God will become idolatry or legalism
c)      The list may steer people away from what is important as led by the Holy Spirit. 

7)      Based on the passage, regarding music, what conclusions can you note regarding preferences of music style?

a)      There may be freedom in the preferences, someone will have to choose
b)      My preferences must be for the glory of God, not my preferences
c)      I must use Scripture to define what my preferences are
d)      I may need discernment to know what my preferences are
e)      I may need to work through the process of discerning what is godly
f)       My preferences matter to God, so my preferences need to line up with God’s character.

 

Counsel: Victory Over Failure Worksheet

Posted on by
Reply

 

Counsel: Victory Over Failure Worksheet

based on Eph 4 & Col 3

Many people struggle with the tentacles of sin. Sin is deceitful (Heb. 3:13); it puts people into slavery (John 8: 34); it has only passing pleasures (Heb. 11:25); and it entangles people hindering their walk with the Lord (Heb. 12:1). Humanly, the only solution to sin is confession of sin to God and the empowerment of God the Holy Spirit to overcome its power and presence in life (Eph. 5:15-18).  That will happen only under the ruling power of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:18-19).  Our part is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ by faith in total dependence on His Lordship for every situation of life. 

One of the most wonderful principles we teach in the “Discipling the Heart” course is the Victory Over Failure Worsheet (VOFW).  The purpose is to help you examine yourself biblically (Ps. 139:23-24; Matt. 7:1,5). This process helps you recognize specific biblical put offs and put ons for transformation of the heart to become conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:22-32; Col. 3:15-17).  It helps you develop and implement specific plans for biblical change (Jam. 1:22-25). As you make changes, you will see the victory over the great enemy of sin and life-dominating sins in your life.

There are several steps to this Worksheet.  First, commit yourself to God’s sovereign rule in your life (2 Cor. 5:9).  Determine specific ways you have sinned against God (Rev. 2:5) and confess them to Him (1 John 1:9).  Ask God for wisdom to know what changes need to be made (Jam. 1:5) and forgive anyone who has sinned against you (Mark 11:25-26).  Continue diligent study of God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:15) and pray in every circumstance with dependency upon Him (Luke 18:1; Phil. 4:6-7; 1 Thes. 5:17).  Then do what God says to do (Jam. 1:22-25).

Here’s an example of the Worksheet and the four aspects in each of the four columns.
 

Victory Over Failures Worksheet
 
Specific unbiblical thought, word, or action  (Matt. 7:1-5)
“Put off” and biblical references (Eph. 4:22)
“Put on” and biblical references
(Eph. 4:23-24)
My plan not to repeat this sin and to respond biblically instead (Titus 2:11-14)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

This material is explained in more detail in the “Self-Confrontation: A Manual for In-Depth Discipleship” Supplement 7-8, pages 448-459. It was developed by author John C. Broger.

            The more effort you put into a thorough Worksheet, the more that you’ll gain in spiritual growth.  Two suggestions: 1) when you determine the Put on, from the put off, focus on the put on and the plan to overcome; and 2) make sure your plan includes specific things you can do in the three areas of the thought, spoken word and overt actions.

 

 

Life: Sudden Tragedy for Rick Warren

Posted on by
Reply

Sudden Tragedy for Rick Warren

I give my condolences to Rick and Kay Warren in the loss of their son this week.  How can anyone understand their despair at the moment, but to know sheer anguish, grief and pain?  I pray for Rick and Kay that they will continue to rely upon the Lord as they have for several decades of watching God do miraculous work through them.
There are few people who have their names as well known as Pastor Rick compared to the number of people in the world.  He has used his position to build credibility for the sake of the gospel and provide people hope for life.  So many stories have been told of the saving work of God reading his books and hearing his messages of inspiration, compassion and hope, like the woman who used his book, “Purpose Driven Life” to bring an intruder, murderer, to faith in Christ.1  Warren has used his position to host a political debate in the 2008 election campaign.2  He has publically declared his support to Proposition 8, which bans gay marriage in California, although he has wavered on that support.3  There are few people who have as big a spiritual target as Rick Warren. 
It’s likely that opponents of Rick would use this opportunity to criticize or bash him. This is not a time for criticism or division.  This is a time to reflect on our own humanity and weakness.  As the Apostle Paul wrote, “But by the grace of God I am what I am…”4None of us has the strength to make it through life on our own power and please the Lord in everything.  It is only by the grace of God that we are saved and the grace of God that we are set apart for His work.
I rejoice with Rick and Kay that their son, Matthew, chose to trust in Jesus Christ as his Savior.  I rejoice that one day, they and everyone else who has trusted in Jesus Christ, will be able to forget the hardships of the world and worship before the throne of grace.  I rejoice that one day every tear will be wiped away and joy will completely fill our hearts to His praise.
I sorrow with Rick and Kay for the loss of Matthew.  Too many momentary decisions are irreversible and eternal. And yes, suicide is the wrong choice. I sorrow that Matthew will never be able to rejoin us this side of heaven.  I sorrow that He will not be able to see the power of God working through his life this side of heaven. Yet, who can say they fully understand what he was going through, besides the Lord? Who can utter one word of judgment against Matthew?  We can only weep at the loss of a son, friend and brother.  We can only seek to come alongside others and give them hope from the God of hope, “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.”5
Now is the time to reflect and comfort.  “Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, For that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart.6 Now is the time to be true followers of Jesus and to be known for our love for each other.7

 

1http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=20340
2http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/17/se.01.html
3http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/11/28/1250921/rick-warren-i-regret-coming-out-in-support-of-californias-anti-gay-marriage-proposition/?mobile=nc
41 Corinthians 15:10; 5Romans 15:13; 6Ecclesiastes 7:2; 7John 13:34-35

 

 

Question: Is believing in what Jesus did for us enough for salvation?

Posted on by
Reply

Question: Is believing in what Jesus did for us enough for salvation?

 

This is really a two part question: 1) Is believing in what Jesus did for us and who He is enough for salvation? And 2) What does true conversion look like?   

Salvation is the most basic question and statement of belief for the Christian.  It is essential to clarify and understand what is true regarding salvation.  If your understanding of salvation is wrong, then nothing else matters.  If you believe, for example, that you must know that Jesus was the Son of God and keep certain rules, then you miss the essential truth for salvation.  Let’s begin by noting three things: 1) the bottom line for salvation; 2) the gift of salvation; and 3) how the gift must be received.

First, Paul explains the gospel in his first letter to the Corinthians.  He writes,

            Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you
             received and in which you stand,
             2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you– unless you
            believed in vain.
             3 for I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins
              according to the Scriptures,
 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

Paul is declaring the gospel, which is knowing that Jesus Christ 1) died for your sins; 2) He was buried (that is He showed that the work was done); and 3) He rose again (His work was shown to us that it was accepted by the Father).  That is the gospel, or good news that we must trust.

Secondly, salvation is a gift from God according to Paul, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God…” (Eph. 2:8) The original language of Greek in this verse requires that the word “it” as in “it is the gift of God” must refer back to a neuter noun, because gift is neuter (like many languages, there is masculine, feminine and neuter nouns and pronouns).  Some people have tried to say that the “it” refers to “faith” and therefore they say God gives a gift of faith. In order for it to refer to faith, there would have been a feminine relative pronoun included, but there is not. The gift cannot refer to “faith” according to the original language, no matter how someone might attempt to construe the rationale.  The “it” can only refer to “salvation” as offered by God as a gift.

Thirdly, that gift must be received by faith.  John writes, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)  The person must “receive” Jesus, that is, what He did on the cross.  By receiving Jesus as your Savior, you are “believing” in His name.  John is using two expressions that imply the same thing.

Let’s expand this definition of faith. First, it is not enough to know that Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross for salvation.  Knowledge alone is not sufficient for salvation.  Knowledge is awareness. Knowledge is a cognitive fact. Those who do not welcome the truth may know it, but not trust in it (2 Thes. 2:10). Secondly, it’s not enough to mentally agree with the facts.  The demons believe that God is one, that is, has one plan and has one provision, but they shudder (Jam. 2:19).  They “shudder,” literally “frizzle,” because they are fearful of their eternal destiny.  Thirdly, you must accept the gift of salvation by trusting in Jesus Christ. Trust is dependence upon the object.  It is accepting the gift or relying upon the gift.  It is more than cognitive awareness.  It is proving a chair will hold you up by actually sitting on the chair.  It is actually getting on the plane and buckling up, rather than just hoping from a distance that a plane might take you on a trip.

Now the question, “What does true conversion look like?”  When someone is converted, he is a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). He becomes a branch that must abide in the vine in order to bear fruit (John 15:5).  He must long for the milk of the word (2 Pet. 2:1-2) and eventually desire to grow in order to feed himself (Heb. 5:12-14), so that he can discern truth and error.  A truly converted one will pursue knowing Jesus (Phil. 3:9-14).  He will bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), because he will confess his sins to God (1 John 1:9), and because he desires to walk in fellowship with God and others (1 John 1:6-7). 

However, a believer can act like an unbeliever. Paul writes, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the1 Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, (Eph. 4:17) If they didn’t have to be concerned about walking like Gentiles (unbelievers), Paul would not have warned them.  Paul also writes, “…be filled with the Spirit.” (Eph. 5:18)  If believers were filled with the Spirit all the time, Paul would not have to command that to happen. Furthermore, Paul writes in 1 Cor. 3:1-3,

             And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in
             Christ.
             2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it,
             and even now you are still not able;
 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Cor. 3:1-3)

First, Paul clearly is writing to “believers” (saints in 1 Cor. 1:2) and he calls them brethrenin the above passage.  Secondly, Paul says they are “carnal,” that is, they are living according to the flesh, rather than the Spirit.  The rest of the book of Corinthians reveals just how fleshly they are living.  Thirdly, he reveals their carnal status by identifying the sins they are committing, “envy, strife, and divisions.” And fourthly, he states they are behaving like mere men, instead of spiritual, godly men.

            When a Christian acts in a carnal way, watch out!  Paul admonishes the Galatians believers to not think they can become sanctified by the flesh (Gal. 3:3). When a Christian continues in sin, he will be disciplined by the Lord (Heb. 12:5-6).  He will lose out on intended blessings and rewards (Col. 2:18; 3:24, 26; 2 John 8; Heb. 6:12; 10:35). 

 

MSG: Music to God’s Glory

Posted on by
Reply

This message was presented on April 7, 2013 as the first of four parts on Music and Worship.  This series is to celebrate the introduction of our new Associate Pastor of Worship and Arts.

Music to God’s Glory
1 Corinthians 10:31 

Why are we here? Some people go to church, because their family makes them. Some go, because they truly want to worship God.  Some go because there are economic benefits of looking good in the community.  Some go to find a good gal.  Let me read several passages that explain why we should come:

20 He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, (Rom 4:20)

            Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus  
            Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and
            rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Rom 5:1-2)

7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. (Rom 15:7)

15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. (2 Cor 4:15)

11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phi 2:11)

                  19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  20
                  Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Phi 4:19-20)

An angel flying in heaven 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, (Rev 14:7)

After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! (Rev 19:1)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Rom 3:23)

31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)

 

Did you know that there are over 15k radio stations? A visit to Grace note’s media database shows 97,206,484 songs in the database. Wherever you go, there is music.  It’s not a matter of if you will choose, but what you will choose to listen to.  So how can you make choices that will bring glory to God? Does it matter? Does God care?

We live in a time of humanism, relativism, individuality and pragmatism.  Humanism says it’s all about man. Relativism says there is no right or wrong.  Individuality says it’s all about me. Pragmatism says music is all about the masses so people can make money.  Does it really matter? Does it matter to God?

Right in the beginning with the first family, interesting actions by Cain and Abel are judged by God.  It seems God makes a clear decision that one sacrifice is accepted and one is not.  In Gen. 4:3-5

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,  5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. (Gen 4:3-5)

Why did God accept Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s?  I could walk through the concept of the blood sacrifice, etc., but all I want you to note is that both offered a sacrifice, but God did not accept one.  Why? It mattered to God.  Does music matter to God?  

1)      Music matters to God

a)      Music is instrumental in worship 1 Chron. 23:2-5

Now, we know that God cares about what we give.  There are over 2200 references to money in Scripture.  Did you know that there are over 1200 references to music, let alone the whole book on Psalms is about music. There are work songs, war songs, love songs, songs for entertainment, and songs of mourning.

2 And he gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
 3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand.
 4 Of these, twenty-four thousand were to look after the work of the house of the LORD, six thousand were officers and judges,
 5 four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with musical instruments, “which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.” (1 Chron.  23:2-5)

In David’s time, there were 38,000 Levites and David appointed 24,000 to be take charge of the temple work, 6,000 were officers and judges, 4,000 were gatekeepers, “and four thousand praised the LORD with musical instruments, “which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.” (1Ch 23:2-5)  Any significance?  Only Levites were allowed to be a part of this group and they were for giving praise.

Then note 1 Chronicles 25. The whole chapter is devoted to David’s directions on giving praise.

Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was: (1 Chron. 25:1)

All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king. (1 Chron. 25:6)

We see David organizing his cabinet for temple worship, gatekeepers, Treasury, military and state officials.  Levite fathers trained their children. That’s significant.  What about the New Testament?

b)      Music proclaims truth Eph. 5:18-19; Col. 3:16

The New Testament clearly maintains the importance of music for worship. Paul writes, “be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Eph 5:18-19)  In Colossians, Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Col 3:16)  The passages identify both vocal and instrumental music.  Note, truth is communicated by music.

When you sing, you communicate the importance of truth. When you don’t sing, you are saying you don’t have to communicate truth. When I was in college, I remember when my pastor rebuked us. He saw that during the singing, I was one of several guys who were tolerating the music, but we were not singing.  When the music concluded, before he began with the message, he rebuked those who chose not to sing.  Without calling us out by name, although I knew he was talking about us, he clarified for us why we sing and how it honors the Lord.  He explained that lack of singing was a proud and rebellious heart.  I got the message.

There are many passages of the New Testament that were set to music.  Examples include Philippians 2:6-11, 1 Tim. 3:16, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, John 1:1-18, Ephesians 1:1-11, 2:14-16, Colossians 1:15-20, and Hebrews 1:3.

c)      Music addresses our passions 1 Sam. 16:23; Jam. 5:13

In 1 Samuel 16:23, David was called upon to play music for King Saul.  Saul was greatly distressed and the music restored his thinking, although it did not lead him to repentance.

And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him. (1 Sam. 16:23)

Paul and Silas were in prison, but at midnight, rather than being discouraged, they sang songs to lift their spirits,

24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:24-25)

James addresses the importance of singing for helping others,

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. (Jam. 5:13)

d)     Music expresses the beauty of God  Ps. 19:1

Music is used over and over in Scripture to accentuate the beauty of God. In Psalm 19, it reads, “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Ps. 19:1)  David used music to declare God’s handiwork in the heavens.  We ought to also recognize that beauty is not in the eye of the beholder.  There are preferences, but true beauty is what God describes.  Music is one way to express the majesty of God’s creation and God’s character.

Therefore, music is not incidental to God.  IT matters. This is why we sing to God in corporate worship.  It is not something to be skipped.  For example, if you’re in the cafe, the music begins for the worship servoce and you think, “Oh, I still have 20 minutes before I need to be in the service for the message.” That’s how Cain would think.  It’s about me.  Cain said, “I’ll offer what I want to God.” We might say, “I’ll join the corporate service when I want to join.”

Martin Luther said this about music,

We have put this music to the living and holy Word of God in order to sing, praise and honor it. We want the beautiful art of music to be properly used to serve her dear Creator and [His] Christians. He is thereby praised and honored and we are made better and stronger in faith when [His] holy Word is impressed on our hearts by sweet music.  Martin Luther (1483-1546)

John Calvin wrote,

And in truth we know by experience that singing has great force and vigor to move and inflame the hearts of men to invoke and praise God with a more vehement and ardent zeal. Care must always be taken that the song be neither light nor frivolous; but that it have weight and majesty, and also, there is a great difference between music which one makes to entertain men at table and in their houses, and the Psalms which are sung in the Church in the presence of God and his angels. John Calvin (1509-1564)

And Jonathan Edwards said,

The best, most beautiful, and most perfect way that we have of expressing a sweet concord of mind to each other is by music. Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)

Most people say music is important, but some often say the style is merely preference.  Comments are often made that Scripture doesn’t specifically address what kind of music is appropriate, so therefore any kind of preference is okay.  Why do people say that music style doesn’t matter?  Is music in the ear of the beholder?

So far, all I’ve said is “Music matters; music is important.”  Let me first address that Scripture is sufficient to guide us into choosing the kinds of music to use for the glory of God.  Beginning next week, we’ll begin to look into what Scripture says to guide us into what choices matter.

2)      The Bible is sufficient to guide what matters 2 Tim. 3:15-17

a)      Scripture is sufficient for salvation 2 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:8-9.

Paul writes,

…and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim. 3:15)

Paul declares that Scripture would make Timothy wise for salvation.  Paul explains how,

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

In another passage, Jesus explains how Scripture is sufficient for learning about salvation. “And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the [word]? What is your reading of it?” (Luke 10:25-26)  All you need is found in Scripture.  In Luke 16, the rich man asks Abraham to send someone to tell the gospel to his brothers who are still alive and Abraham says, “They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.” (Luke 16:29).  In other words, they have the Word and that is sufficient to help them understand the gift of salvation. The Word is sufficient.

b)     Scripture is sufficient for life 2 Tim. 3:16, 17.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

There are two major truths to see from this passage.  First, the Bible is God’s authority for life, i.e. it is inspired by God or  “God–breathed.” Secondly, Scripture is profitable (sufficient) for every truth for life (every good work).

When we were blessed by the Lord to have a daughter, I was responsible to raise Katy, but most was delegated to Barbara.  I didn’t tell Barbara what food to give her, but that she be fed and fortunately God provided much of that in the beginning through nursing.  I didn’t tell her how to clothe Katy, but that she be clothed.  I gave her money to insure she was clothed. I didn’t tell her when to bathe Katy, but just that she be kept healthy.  As we raised her, we had the joy of raising a precious life to influence more lives today. Did it matter to me whatKaty ate during the week? No and yes. Did it matter what pajamas she wore? No, just that she did. Did it matter what happened during bath time? No and yes.  She just needed to make sure the water was the right temperature and Katy didn’t fall over and drown.  Actually, Barbara was well ahead of me on that stuff, but I had responsibility.  The point is, she had sufficient wisdom on what to do to raise our daughter Katy in a safe and growing environment and Scripture guided in all areas of child rearing.

c)      Does music style matter?

i)        We need discernment Gal. 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19-21 is a representative list of deeds of the flesh.  It is not the whole list.  If the deed of the flesh is not listed here, does that mean it would not be a deed of the flesh? Does God give guidance for us to learn discernment or does He give every specific rule we need to know?  God wants us to use discernment as we see in Hebrews 5:14, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

ii)      We need training

I painted a bookshelf unit for our daughter Katy when she was about one-year-old.  From a catalog, Barbara cut out pictures of each of the toys so that Katy would learn where to put the toys and keep them neat and orderly.  When we moved to Indianapolis, we didn’t tell Katy how to pick up her toys, because she had the idea of what we wanted and she took care of it.  The Bible is not a list of commands and prohibitions.  It does not contain every instruction for what we are to do.  God wants us to be dependent on Him always seeking to live a more holy life, which comes through dependency on Him.  The Bible doesn’t tell me whether I should buy a Ford or a Chevy.  But it does tell me about handling money and not to co-sign for others, unless I’m ready to lose the money. 

Scripture gives me hundreds of commands and prohibitions from which I can draw principles for everything and profit for every good work.  Scripture does not prescribe everything, but it provides principles for discernment.  What does Scripture say about driving your car? Nothing and everything. What does Scripture say about what to eat at O’Charley’s?  Nothing and everything. What does it say about going on vacation? Nothing and everything.

God wants us to continue to train, so that we’ll be able to discern.  Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:7, “…exercise yourself toward godliness.”  The word for “exercise” is Gumnazo-, which means to exercise diligently. This means we have to make decisions regarding life choices.  Again, Paul writes, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.” (1Tim. 6:11) 

We often get to a point in our walk and get comfortable. For example, if you want to be able to play euchre, you could know what I know. If you want to play like the masters, you have to know it like some of the card masters like Rick Storm, Mike Monfreda or Larry Cooney.  If you want to understand which translation to use, you need to understand the history of translations and the philosophy of each version.  If you want to make a decision on whether you should have alcohol as a beverage, you need to understand the nature of alcohol and the culture in which Scripture was written.   The same is true for music.  You don’t need to understand music like Rich or Gabe, but you’ll need to understand the way music communicates if you are going to apply biblical principles to it. Come next week and we’ll begin to address that. 

Let’s use music to glorify the Lord! 

Many people ask the question, What wrong with this music? The question we should ask is, “What’s right with this music?” Does it glorify God?  How can you tell?  Come next week.

 

Message Based Discussion Questions

1)       Did you ever take music lessons?  What kind and for how long?

Digging deeper:

2)       According to John 4:24, how are you to worship God? ___________________ As you look at John 4:21-26, what principles can we apply from this passage to music and worship?

3)       Note Leviticus 10:1-3. What happened to Nadab and Abihu? _______________ How or what principle can you apply to music and worship from this?

4)       How would you describe the worship in Malachi 1:6-14; 3:7-14?  __________________ How should principles from these verses apply to both the instrumentalists as leaders and/or the congregation as participants?

Making application from the passage to life:

5)       What are ways that music communicates truth?  What are several specific examples?

6)       Why is having a list of things to do, in any field, a dangerous thing?

7)       Based on the passage, regarding music, what conclusions can you note regarding preferences of music style?

 

Question: Do we see Jesus when we die or at the Rapture?

Posted on by
Reply

Question: Do we see Jesus when we die or at the Rapture? 

This is a great question and the study of last things is always fascinating.  The answer to the above question is yes.  Yes, we will see Jesus at death and yes we will see Jesus at the Rapture. We should consider 1) the death of the believer; 2) the order of ascension; and 3) additional passages.  Let’s first look at the death of the believer.

At the death of the believer, the saint will be ushered into the presence of the Lord.  Paul writes, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8)  The context of 2 Corinthians 5 is regarding death and the tearing down of our outward body and receiving a new resurrection body from the Lord.  The above passage states that we can have confidence that when we are absent from the present body, we will be “present” with the Lord.  The word “present” comes from a prepositional phrase that means “face to face” with the Lord.

Secondly, let’s note the order of ascension. At the Rapture, there seems to be a confusing statement that causes some to think that those who die before the Rapture won’t see Jesus until the Rapture.  Paul writes,

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus1.
 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  (1 Thes. 4:14-17)

The first aspect is the order ascension.  The phrase “sleep in Jesus” is a reference to those believers who have died (1 Thes. 4:14).  Paul adds, “We who are alive and remain until the Lord’s coming (Rapture), will by no means precede those who are asleep.” (1 Thes. 4:15)  If those who are dead go first, have they really seen Jesus at death?  The answer is yes, because in order to harmonize 2 Corinthians 5:8, they have in spirit, but they may not have received their resurrection body until the Rapture.  The second aspect is that once we die, there is no time.  In time beyond, everything happens (no time given).  The third aspect is that those who are alive will be together with those who died “to meet the Lord in the air.” The fourth aspect is that “we shall always be with the Lord,” so that the time element will seem instantaneous and we enter right into the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9).

            Thirdly, let’s note several additional passages.  David writes, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” (Ps. 17:15)  David spoke of seeing Christ when he was walking in righteousness, but we should consider that in our perfect righteous state, we will see Jesus.  Jesus said that He would leave to prepare a place for His followers, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3)  Jesus desires that we behold His glory, which will be completely fulfilled at death, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17:24)

            The application is that we want to please Him now! In the verse immediately following the first verse above, Paul writes, “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (2 Cor. 5:9)

God: Jesus, the Great Servant

Posted on by
Reply

Jesus, the Great Servant
 

There is no one in the world like Jesus Christ.  He was well known in the Old Testament, but not identified by name.  God the Father spoke of Him as the anonymous Servant in several passages.  Let’s note several things about the “Anonymous Servant.”

Read below for some application to these truths.
 

1)      God put His Spirit upon Him Is. 42:1

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Is. 42:1)

a)      God put His Spirit upon Him Luke 4:1,14, 18; 5:17; 6:19; 8:46; Acts 10:38

b)      He was filled with the Spirit even at the cross Heb. 9:14

2)      He will bring forth Justice is. 42:1

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. (Is. 42:1)

a)      His justice was removed Acts 8:33

b)      His work brings justification to every believer Rom. 3:24-26

c)      He will bring about justice for all Matt. 25:31-46; Jude 1:14-15

d)     His death brings about justice for all Heb. 9:27-28

3)      He will mediate a covenant with Israel as a light to Gentiles Is. 42:6-7

6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.  (Is. 42:6-7)

a)      He came first to deliver and take away their sins Rom. 11:26-27

b)      God sent Jesus who was known, but rejected to be a blessing Acts 3:21-25

c)      God made the special covenants for His people Israel Rom. 9:4

d)     We have a choice like they did to pursue His agreement Heb. 11:15

4)      He submitted to the Father’s will, even when it meant abuse Is. 50:4-6

4 “The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.
 5 The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.
 6 I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. (Is. 50:4-6)

a)      He submitted specifically to the Father’s will John 5:19

b)      He submitted to the Father at the hands of men Mark 9:31; Luke 9:44

5)      He does not become discouraged by His course for history Is. 50:7-9

7 “For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.
 8 He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me.
 9 Surely the Lord GOD will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up. (Is. 50:7-9)

a)      He kept His eyes on the Father in the face of their rejection Matt. 11:25-27

b)      He overcame the world so that we could have peace John 16:33

c)      He overcame and one day every knee would bow to Him Phil. 2:9-11

d)     He endured the hostility of sinners to set us free Heb. 12:2-3

6)      While rejected by Israel, He will bring salvation to the Gentiles Is. 42:6; 49:5-6

6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, (Is. 42:6)
5 “And now the LORD says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, So that Israel is gathered to Him1 (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, And My God shall be My strength),
 6 Indeed He says,`It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.'” (Is. 49:5-6)

a)      When Israel’s leadership rejected Jesus, He left the house desolate Matt. 23:37-39

b)      Jesus turned from Israel to include the Gentiles John 10:16

c)      While Jesus suffered, He was raised up for all, including Gentiles Acts 13:37-42

7)      He suffered as a substitution (vicariously) for the sins of all Is. 52:15; 53:6

15 So shall He sprinkle1 many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. (Is. 52:15)
 
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:6)

a)      He became sin for us 2 Cor. 5:21

b)      He abolished in His flesh the hostility Eph. 2:13-16

c)      He died that we might live for righteousness 1 Pet. 2:24

8)      He suffered silently Is. 53:7

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. (Is. 53:7)

a)      He did not speak a word at the accusations Matt. 27:12,14

b)      He did not answer the questions Mark 15:3-5

9)      He suffered innocently Is. 53:9

9 And they1 made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Is. 53:9)

a)      No one could convict Him of sin John 8:46

b)      He was a fitting High Priest set apart from sin Heb. 7:26

c)      In Him, there was no sin 1 John 3:5

10)  He would die with criminals, but buried with a rich man Is. 53:9,12

9 And they1 made His grave with the wicked– But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. (Is. 53:9)

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors. (Is. 53:12)

a)      He died between two criminals Matt. 27:44

b)      He was buried by a rich man Matt. 27:57-60

11)  He will be resurrected to an exalted position Is. 52:13

13 Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. (Is. 52:13)

a)      He chose to die, by giving up  His spirit Matt. 27:50

b)      He was seen after His death by many Acts 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:1-6

c)      Every knee will bow to Him Phil. 2:9-11

12)  The Father chose to crush Him Is. 53:10

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. (Is. 53:10)

a)      The Father was pleased with the Son Matt. 3:17; 17:5

b)      The Father send the Son to be the propitiation 1 John 4:10 
 

Many believe their sufferings are great and they often are. It may seem like people aren’t aware of how much you are suffering, and they often aren’t.  However, the Lord does.  He knows every detail about your life.  He knows every pain in and of your life.  You will never go through anything that the Lord does not come to your aid to sustain you through trial.  He went through His trials for you. No one has ever gone through the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He did it all for you.

 

Words: Able to go to War

Posted on by
Reply

Words: Able to go to War

 It’s interesting how God numbered the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt.  Moses grew up in Egypt, but left Egypt when he killed an Egyptian (Ex. 2:14-15). After 40 years in Midian, the Lord provided him desert training to harden him to the great challenge of leading Israel out of Egypt.  How many came out of Egypt?  According to Scripture, there were some 2.5 million people.  We calculate that according to the number of warriors counted in Numbers 1:46.  The number is 603,550 men and then you’d have to add in the women and children.

It’s interesting how the Lord commands Moses to number the people.  In Numbers 1:1-2, it reads,

Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
 2“Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,
 3 “from twenty years old and above– all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. (Num. 1:1-3)

The Lord said to number those who were “20 years old and above – all who are able to go to war.”  The Lord knew what it was going to take going into the new land – warriors.  Life is not about tip toeing through the tulips.  God gave Moses the physical reality that the men needed to be ready.  Unfortunately, they failed the test, when they became afraid about the “giants in the land.” (Num. 13:30-33).

            Are you ready to fight in the spiritual warfare for the Lord? Paul states it very clear that life is about warfare,

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age1, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Eph 6:10-12)

If the devil can get you to think you are not at war, he’ll neutralize you and let you cower in fear every day.  You will be neutralized and too afraid to share the gospel with your neighbors or disciple your children diligently to Jesus Christ. 

            May you be numbered with the warriors of the Lord!