Listen to this episode on your iPod or mp3 player. Click Here: http://www.mindblowingidea.com/OSCC/OSCCEP12ReceivingGodsPromises.mp3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9EARReMPEA
Receiving God's Promises
How is it that we can doubt what God has done, what He has said, His promises, and the Call on our lives, because a majority decides to reject it? How can we get deceived so easily and discouraged? Sounds like I have another episode for OSCC.
Moses lead the Israelites threw the desert, from Egypt where they were slaves, to the Promised Land, God had promised them, after doing many signs and miracles for them, parting the read sea, providing for them, and traveling with them. So now Moses is sending 12 spies into the promised land that God promised them, to see what they are up against, so they can take the Land God promised them.
“Numbers 13 1-3, 17-33
Exploring Canaan
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
3 So at the LORD’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)
21 So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo Hamath. 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. 25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
Report on the Exploration
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
”
“Numbers 14
The People Rebel
1 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”
13 Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, LORD, are with these people and that you, LORD, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 ‘The LORD was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20 The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”
26 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”
36 So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the LORD. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.
39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the LORD promised. Surely we have sinned!”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the LORD’s command? This will not succeed! 42Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”
44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD’s covenant moved from the camp. 45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
”
So looking back on this,
1. God promises His people, that He will lead them into the promised land and give it to them.
2. He leads them out of Egypt, and preforms many signs and miracles letting the people know He is God, and that He will deliver on His promises.
3. The people get impatient several times in the desert, and feel entitled to getting more from God, and complain to Him for more.
4. Despite the complaints God still provides, and takes care of His people.
5. They reach the Promised Land, and send in 12 spies.
6. 10 of the spies don't trust God to give them the land, because of the enemy occupying the land, and the strongholds there.
7. 2 spies give a good report and trust God to lead them to victory.
8. They cry aloud: “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Because they did no trust God's promises.
9. The people threatened to kill the leaders God sent them.
10. When the two spies said “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” The people wanted to stone them, for giving a good report and trusting God.
11. God gives Moses the option of starting over, by wiping out all the people who did not obey God but had contempt, and allowing Moses to re-populate the nation, but Moses pleads for the people's forgiveness.
12. God said: 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” (because the people asked to either be sent back to Egypt or die in the wilderness)
13. What is Contempt: Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonoured; disgrace, and an open disrespect or wilful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body. So the people thought of God as inferior or worthless; they were despising, dishonouring, and disgracing God, and displaying an open disrespect and wilful disobedience of His Authority.
14. God didn't break His promise, He still allowed the descendants of those who were disobedient to Him to enter the promised land after those who treated Him with contempt finally died.
15. After God told them He would no longer allow them to take the promised land, they still wanted to try to take it.
So the question is how can we as Christians, and non-Christians still not believe, and trust God today. Why do we listen to God's promises, and treat Him with Contempt? What is the consequence of doing such a thing?
Every day I see people who are not enjoying their lives. They try to find fault with everything I do, and say, or seek justification from me for their actions as a Christian. They want me to justify their disobedience to God, so that they can some how ease the guilt they feel inside. Any time someone has a Word from God that is specifically for them, they do not want to hear it. These would be modern day Pharisees.
Often times in the Public School System children will misbehave, and the school will discipline them, and then the children run home to their parents and scream and yell until the parents call the school, and complain about their children being disciplined. When the parents reject the authority of the people at the school who are doing their jobs, it usually results in wearing the public school officials down over time, and eventually they give in, letting the children do what they want to. God doesn't work that way. When we treat God with Contempt and challenge His authority, we have discipline ahead we can not escape, without repenting, asking for forgiveness, and changing our ways.
We have to make the Statement to God “I am wrong” or “I was wrong”, and we have to admit it to ourselves too.
People often blame God for the bad things that happen as a result of their disobedience, however disobedience is sin, and sin is a package that has death, sickness, and punishment in it already. When you accept the package you have to accept or sign for all it's contents. You will get all the pleasures packed inside, along with all the consequences, however the pleasures you think you will get, can be disappointing.
So what are the signs that you are treating God with contempt in your life? What are the things the Israelites did in the desert?
1. You try to figure it out yourself without seeking God, listening to Him or asking Him.
2. You reject God's plan, and or make adjustments to it.
3. You reject people in your life who speak to you on God's behalf.
4. You reject prayer.
5. You don't pray at least once a day.
6. You don't read your Bible even once a week (outside of Church).
7. Every time you hear Christian TV programs, Radio Broadcasts, someone reading the Word of God, or a concerned Christian with constructive criticism you find yourself rejecting it.
8. You assume that when someone opens their mouth, whatever they say will upset you, and you only want them to answer your questions, and never speak their mind, or have an opinion.
9. You believe that only certain parts of your life require seeking God first, and talking to Him, and that there are only certain people you should talk to about God.
10. You believe you are independent of God.
The original sin in Genesis is attempting to become independent of God, and not rely on Him constantly, for everything. Satan's lie was that if we became like God we could be independent of God, when the truth is that to become like God we have to become dependent on the Blood of Jesus, His Spirit, and His Truth the Word of God. Without this dependence on God we are disobedient and in sin. At the tower of Babble, the people tried to build a tower without depending on God, and so He confused them with other languages.
Trying to be independent of God, is the same as thinking you are God, or claiming to be God. I am some times accused of thinking I'm God, because of the miracles God does in my life, however that only happens because I'm dependent on God, and I know where miracles come from. The truth is that the people who make these accusations, do not depend on God, but rather depend on themselves, and their own common sense, making themselves the God of their own lives, and the lives of others around them.
They make themselves God over the lives of others by using their own intellect, and common sense to tell others what to do, without seeking God, and asking Him first.
So to receive God's blessings we need to ask Him to be our God, and be completely dependent on Him and stop challenging His authority, and trust Him all the time, and listen the fellow believers in our lives, who He speaks threw, and if anyone is filled with the Spirit of God, He will speak threw them to you.
Some people refer to Pentecost, and speaking on other tongs, as speaking a different language, however even if you speak the same language, your tung may be different, because it's not the tung driven by your intellect, and common sense, but rather by God who fills your mouth with His words, by the power of the Spirit. If God's words are not in your mouth, who's words are they?
Download the music track in this video here: http://www.mindblowingidea.com/OSCC/JesusLiftedHigh.mp3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9EARReMPEA
Receiving God's Promises
How is it that we can doubt what God has done, what He has said, His promises, and the Call on our lives, because a majority decides to reject it? How can we get deceived so easily and discouraged? Sounds like I have another episode for OSCC.
Moses lead the Israelites threw the desert, from Egypt where they were slaves, to the Promised Land, God had promised them, after doing many signs and miracles for them, parting the read sea, providing for them, and traveling with them. So now Moses is sending 12 spies into the promised land that God promised them, to see what they are up against, so they can take the Land God promised them.
“Numbers 13 1-3, 17-33
Exploring Canaan
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
3 So at the LORD’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
17 When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? 20 How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)
21 So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo Hamath. 22 They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 When they reached the Valley of Eshkol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshkol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. 25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
Report on the Exploration
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
”
“Numbers 14
The People Rebel
1 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
10 But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The LORD said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”
13 Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, LORD, are with these people and that you, LORD, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 ‘The LORD was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.’
17 “Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
20 The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. 21 Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, 22 not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— 23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. 25 Since the Amalekites and the Canaanites are living in the valleys, turn back tomorrow and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea.”
26 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: 27 “How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.”
36 So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— 37 these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the LORD. 38 Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.
39 When Moses reported this to all the Israelites, they mourned bitterly. 40 Early the next morning they set out for the highest point in the hill country, saying, “Now we are ready to go up to the land the LORD promised. Surely we have sinned!”
41 But Moses said, “Why are you disobeying the LORD’s command? This will not succeed! 42Do not go up, because the LORD is not with you. You will be defeated by your enemies, 43 for the Amalekites and the Canaanites will face you there. Because you have turned away from the LORD, he will not be with you and you will fall by the sword.”
44 Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the LORD’s covenant moved from the camp. 45Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and attacked them and beat them down all the way to Hormah.
”
So looking back on this,
1. God promises His people, that He will lead them into the promised land and give it to them.
2. He leads them out of Egypt, and preforms many signs and miracles letting the people know He is God, and that He will deliver on His promises.
3. The people get impatient several times in the desert, and feel entitled to getting more from God, and complain to Him for more.
4. Despite the complaints God still provides, and takes care of His people.
5. They reach the Promised Land, and send in 12 spies.
6. 10 of the spies don't trust God to give them the land, because of the enemy occupying the land, and the strongholds there.
7. 2 spies give a good report and trust God to lead them to victory.
8. They cry aloud: “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” Because they did no trust God's promises.
9. The people threatened to kill the leaders God sent them.
10. When the two spies said “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” The people wanted to stone them, for giving a good report and trusting God.
11. God gives Moses the option of starting over, by wiping out all the people who did not obey God but had contempt, and allowing Moses to re-populate the nation, but Moses pleads for the people's forgiveness.
12. God said: 28 So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the LORD, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: 29 In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. 32 But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. 33Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. 34 For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ 35 I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will surely do these things to this whole wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” (because the people asked to either be sent back to Egypt or die in the wilderness)
13. What is Contempt: Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonoured; disgrace, and an open disrespect or wilful disobedience of the authority of a court of law or legislative body. So the people thought of God as inferior or worthless; they were despising, dishonouring, and disgracing God, and displaying an open disrespect and wilful disobedience of His Authority.
14. God didn't break His promise, He still allowed the descendants of those who were disobedient to Him to enter the promised land after those who treated Him with contempt finally died.
15. After God told them He would no longer allow them to take the promised land, they still wanted to try to take it.
So the question is how can we as Christians, and non-Christians still not believe, and trust God today. Why do we listen to God's promises, and treat Him with Contempt? What is the consequence of doing such a thing?
Every day I see people who are not enjoying their lives. They try to find fault with everything I do, and say, or seek justification from me for their actions as a Christian. They want me to justify their disobedience to God, so that they can some how ease the guilt they feel inside. Any time someone has a Word from God that is specifically for them, they do not want to hear it. These would be modern day Pharisees.
Often times in the Public School System children will misbehave, and the school will discipline them, and then the children run home to their parents and scream and yell until the parents call the school, and complain about their children being disciplined. When the parents reject the authority of the people at the school who are doing their jobs, it usually results in wearing the public school officials down over time, and eventually they give in, letting the children do what they want to. God doesn't work that way. When we treat God with Contempt and challenge His authority, we have discipline ahead we can not escape, without repenting, asking for forgiveness, and changing our ways.
We have to make the Statement to God “I am wrong” or “I was wrong”, and we have to admit it to ourselves too.
People often blame God for the bad things that happen as a result of their disobedience, however disobedience is sin, and sin is a package that has death, sickness, and punishment in it already. When you accept the package you have to accept or sign for all it's contents. You will get all the pleasures packed inside, along with all the consequences, however the pleasures you think you will get, can be disappointing.
So what are the signs that you are treating God with contempt in your life? What are the things the Israelites did in the desert?
1. You try to figure it out yourself without seeking God, listening to Him or asking Him.
2. You reject God's plan, and or make adjustments to it.
3. You reject people in your life who speak to you on God's behalf.
4. You reject prayer.
5. You don't pray at least once a day.
6. You don't read your Bible even once a week (outside of Church).
7. Every time you hear Christian TV programs, Radio Broadcasts, someone reading the Word of God, or a concerned Christian with constructive criticism you find yourself rejecting it.
8. You assume that when someone opens their mouth, whatever they say will upset you, and you only want them to answer your questions, and never speak their mind, or have an opinion.
9. You believe that only certain parts of your life require seeking God first, and talking to Him, and that there are only certain people you should talk to about God.
10. You believe you are independent of God.
The original sin in Genesis is attempting to become independent of God, and not rely on Him constantly, for everything. Satan's lie was that if we became like God we could be independent of God, when the truth is that to become like God we have to become dependent on the Blood of Jesus, His Spirit, and His Truth the Word of God. Without this dependence on God we are disobedient and in sin. At the tower of Babble, the people tried to build a tower without depending on God, and so He confused them with other languages.
Trying to be independent of God, is the same as thinking you are God, or claiming to be God. I am some times accused of thinking I'm God, because of the miracles God does in my life, however that only happens because I'm dependent on God, and I know where miracles come from. The truth is that the people who make these accusations, do not depend on God, but rather depend on themselves, and their own common sense, making themselves the God of their own lives, and the lives of others around them.
They make themselves God over the lives of others by using their own intellect, and common sense to tell others what to do, without seeking God, and asking Him first.
So to receive God's blessings we need to ask Him to be our God, and be completely dependent on Him and stop challenging His authority, and trust Him all the time, and listen the fellow believers in our lives, who He speaks threw, and if anyone is filled with the Spirit of God, He will speak threw them to you.
Some people refer to Pentecost, and speaking on other tongs, as speaking a different language, however even if you speak the same language, your tung may be different, because it's not the tung driven by your intellect, and common sense, but rather by God who fills your mouth with His words, by the power of the Spirit. If God's words are not in your mouth, who's words are they?
Download the music track in this video here: http://www.mindblowingidea.com/OSCC/JesusLiftedHigh.mp3
No comments:
Post a Comment