Chosen to suffer.

God may choose you to suffer. Being special to God does not mean having it easy.

God's plan for you is good.

Do you trust God's good plan for you?

There is only one

Acts 4:7-13 NLT

They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

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I don't know about you but I'm plagued by a terrible recurring case of wanderlust. This malady I must confess has led to me temporarily getting lost or at least going well out of my way. Maybe that is why I grew quite fond of the saying, "All roads lead to Rome." Or my favourite misquoting version of the famous phrase,  "All roads lead to Home."
My wife and children have often fallen victim to my propensity to discover a new way or my inclination to drag everyone up one more hill to see an imagined amazing vista.
To others it can be very wearisome to follow an often failed but doggedly optimistic explorer.

Breathe a sigh of relief!

Unlike Rome and home, salvation, according to God's Word, has only one way.

There is no debate. Our guide has been all of the ways and can conclusively report that, to be saved, only one name will work. Jesus alone can save you. You can turn to no other. You will only get lost and terribly disappointed to go any other way. All other roads lead to destruction. All other saviours are false, incapable frauds.

To add to my list of sins, I'm a lazy trekkie. I like Star Trek. But right from the very get go they lie to you and say they are boldly going where no man had gone before. Jesus has been every where. Jesus created it all. Jesus is present in all places. He also suffered all our anguish, evil, aloneness, rejection and torment on the cross and in death. So he had been there.

Call on Jesus name!

Jesus can categorically tell you that there is only one way and it is through faith in his name.

One way, one name!

Salvation is only Jesus.

Be made right

The guilty can be made right! Read the bible find out how. Romans chapter 3

God is patient with you.

It should mean something to you.

A New Start

Why not start today?

https://www.youversion.com/en-GB/reading-plans/18-new-testament-epistles-and-acts

Written to Shock You!

Deuteronomy 28:56-57

The most tender and delicate woman among you—so delicate she would not so much as touch the ground with her foot—will be selfish toward the husband she loves and toward her own son or daughter.  She will hide from them the afterbirth and the new baby she has borne, so that she herself can secretly eat them. She will have nothing else to eat during the siege and terrible distress that your enemy will inflict on all your towns.

http://bible.us/116/deu.28.56-57.nlt

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Deuteronomy chapter 28 is written as a warning and it is written to shock you!This passage is written to set you up! It is written to lead you into the utter revolting shocking horrific end of our selfishness, disobedience, and sinfulness. We may think someone is good, graceful, and full of poise and culture the very picture of beauty and sophistication, when in fact inside lies the avarice of a cannibal!   And it is revolting! Still this was not fiction. God's people did disobey his commands and they did literally end up in this hideous situation of starvation, mental collapse and cannibalism. Sin is serious. We really don't believe God. We can't accept the warnings on cigarette containers how can we see the reality of where our path is taking us. Drug addiction can steal our mind and turn our young and promising capable bodies into complete walking corpses.I've seen young people with the bodies and minds of septuagenarians due to alcohol and drug abuse. And who hasn't seen families torn apart by people hell bent on greed, pleasure, lies, deceit and hatred. SIN LEADS TO DEATH!
God wants to bless his people but he wants them to know that they will suffer unimaginably if they turn from the source of life. If they seek life from the source of death they will shrivel to less than an animal.
We should thank God for painting the picture so clearly of a heart that has run from Him. We may turn from God and have the outward beauty and grace of a movie star but our selfishness will lead us to devour our own young.
We need to be rescued from the consequences of abandoning the creator of love and life. We need to cling to the fountain of selflessness and sensibility. We need to bask in the safety of HIs Words and clarity of his ways. 
Only in rejecting our own way and in embracing HIs will we avoid the horrific rock bottom gutter existence of our sinful self.
Be warned!

True Justice

Deuteronomy  24:17-22 NLT

“True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow’s garment as security for her debt. Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command. “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.

Cruise Road is a  real welcoming community! (Cruise Road, Sheffield, England UK S11)

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The movement of people is inevitable. Famine, wars, crime, ethnic tensions and many other factors combine to cause people to move. Economic migrants are a constant story in the news. And refugees and asylum seekers never cease to pour across the worlds borders. Then there is the constant expansion and never satisfied commerce that lures people out into unknown worlds and far reaching places only to go bust and become trapped. The poor, the foreigner, the orphan (of which worldwide there are estimated between 120 and 200 million) and the widow will be on your doorstep. 

God has brought them to you! God wants you to take care of them. How can you turn them away? How can you think they are dirty, untrustworthy, or criminal? How can you protect your own jobs, land, privilege and position? Do you think you blessed yourself? Do you think you have it good because you are clever or hard working and they are lazy and stupid? Do you really think your men died defending your country to buy you the right to mistreat the needy? Do you think you can put yourself first? You have no good thing unless God has given it to you! You would have nothing if it were not for God's grace. And grace by the way isn't making you a favorite because you are better! Grace is a gift! Over and Over God reminds his people they were slaves! Over and over you need to remember your country is a country of poor immigrants. Or worse yet your forefathers came and took by brutal and uncaring force the land you call your own. 

Your life must take into account a caring humble attitude for the needy!

If it does not, God says the foreigner, the orphan and the widow have a case before him against you! Do you really want to pick a fight with God? Do you really disbelieve God? Do you know better than God?

How are you taking care of the poor, the needy, the foreigner, the orphan and the widow? In what practical ways are you helping them?

Deuteronomy calls this true justice and James calls it pure and genuine religion. 

So are you just in your attitudes, pure in your trust of God, and genuine in your humility?

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 27Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. James 1:27

What have you chosen?

DEU 11:26-28 NLT

“Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.

Ego Busting Grace

Deuteronomy 9:4-6 New American Standard Bible

"Do not say in your heart when the Lord your God has driven them out before you, 'Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,' but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you. It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.   "Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people.

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God is good. He is leading his people into the Promised Land. The promised land was a good place. Proverbially a land flowing with milk and honey but also a land filled with big bad giants. Giants that had come to the end of their grace period. Giants who would soon be facing the wrath of God. Deuteronomy chapter nine says, "...it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them."

So it wasn't because God's people were more deserving. It wasn't because they were more liked by God or because they were on a better spiritual trajectory due to their deep and unwavering love of God their rescuer.

I've meet lots of nice Christians who would not like to bring up the past sins of another person. And to avoid the unpleasantness of past sin they spiritualize their reasons for politely refraining from looking back. "You know forgiveness remembers our sins no more. they are removed as far as the east is from the west." In the name of Christian love we treat people as if they are righteous, have been righteous, and will continue to be righteous. We all feel much better in this very righteous environment. I suppose many churches today would take issue with the Apostle Paul's, little list in first Corinthians and then the blunt and rather rude statement, "such were some of you."

For the most part God is not like that! God is plain talk'n! " God says here in Deuteronomy chapter nine, "Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people." 

And it is not left just there. Then God rehearses for them the highpoints of their low points and his anger with their rebellious stubborn hearts.

It isn't just to rub their noses in their sin either that God says these things. It is God's good grace that warns them.

Nice Christians in nice churches might very generally acknowledge we were sinners in the past. But it is a major faux pas to use the past to predict the trajectory of the future. Isn't it judgemental to suggest that because you have a track record of stubbornness and rebelliousness that you might be stubborn or rebellious in the future. I mean let by gones be by gone , keep no record of wrongs and emphasis who we are as God's chosen people. We live in the greatest country in the world. God blesses us. We were chosen! We're special!

That's not the way God plays it with his people here in Deuteronomy nine, nor in most of the bible. God calls a spade a spade. God graciously warns his people that they are not getting into the promised land on merit!

They are not more righteous than the other nations. They do not have a good track record and they are most likely prone to pride and sin. There I've said it! I have suggested as God does that you are likely to sin! You are likely to think too highly of yourself. You are prone to thinking you've earn the grace of God! God's good grace gives and warns.

Don't go thinking you have been saved because you are clever, obedient, pretty good, not a murderer, or a child molester. There is every chance that God will save them. 

As God give you a great gift he reminds you that it is just that a gift and he is not being mean spirited or hurtful as he warns you to not get the wrong idea and think you deserve it. 

That is not what grace is about. Promised lands are about God's promises, not good behaviour.

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DEU 9:1-24 NASB

"Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know and of whom you have heard it said, 'Who can stand before the sons of Anak?' Know therefore today that it is the Lord your God who is crossing over before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and He will subdue them before you, so that you may drive them out and destroy them quickly, just as the Lord has spoken to you.   "Do not say in your heart when the Lord your God has driven them out before you, 'Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,' but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is dispossessing them before you. It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.   "Know, then, it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stubborn people. Remember, do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord . Even at Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, and the Lord was so angry with you that He would have destroyed you. When I went up to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord had made with you, then I remained on the mountain forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water. The Lord gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. It came about at the end of forty days and nights that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant. Then the Lord said to me, 'Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made a molten image for themselves.' The Lord spoke further to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people. Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.'   "So I turned and came down from the mountain while the mountain was burning with fire, and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. And I saw that you had indeed sinned against the Lord your God. You had made for yourselves a molten calf; you had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. I took hold of the two tablets and threw them from my hands and smashed them before your eyes. I fell down before the Lord , as at the first, forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sin which you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke Him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the Lord was wrathful against you in order to destroy you, but the Lord listened to me that time also. The Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him; so I also prayed for Aaron at the same time. I took your sinful thing, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it, grinding it very small until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that came down from the mountain.   "Again at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the Lord to wrath. When the Lord sent you from Kadesh-barnea, saying, 'Go up and possess the land which I have given you,' then you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; you neither believed Him nor listened to His voice. You have been rebellious against the Lord from the day I knew you.

Be Careful Blessings Ahead

DEU 8:1-20 NLT

“Be careful to obey all the commands I am giving you today. Then you will live and multiply, and you will enter and occupy the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord . For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good. “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God.
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Everyone wants a blessing.  We want a good life. We want more yield and just a bit better return. We want enough to share. We want to be comfortable. Who doesn't?

We pray for blessing, we ask for protection. We hope for good crops, better wages, longer holidays, sunnier days and plenty of rain, but not when we need to be outside. We love fresh fruit, rich cakes, hearty beer, fine wine, choice tender meats and tasty pastries.

We hope we don't get sick, we pray for healing and we long for a good night's sleep.

On our best days we pray that even our enemies share in the blessings of peace, prosperity and economic growth.

We applaud job creation, advances in technology and miracle cures.

Endcliffe Park, Sheffield

But be careful! Blessing can blind you! Abundance can bind you. Opulence breeds obesity.

And people forget God.

James 1:17 KJV

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Got a raise? It was from God. Did you give him credit?
Healthy? That was from God? Have you thanked him?
Have a good meal? Travel safely? Get a return on your investment? Have a comfortable life? Enjoying the sunshine? Get a choice? Live in peace?

Be careful not to take it for granted. Your freedom wasn't won simply by your clever economics, your superior intellect, or your rigorous education. And you're not blessed because you deserve it.

If you got it GOOD, it was from God!

Be careful to not forget him. Give him credit.

Be careful, blessing can be your undoing.

Don't become proud.
Don't forget God!

Hunter's Bar, Sheffield

Unyielding

DEU 3:21-29 NLT

“At that time I gave Joshua this charge: ‘You have seen for yourself everything the Lord your God has done to these two kings. He will do the same to all the kingdoms on the west side of the Jordan. Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the Lord your God will fight for you.’ “At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said, ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do? Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains.’ “But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me. ‘That’s enough!’ he declared. ‘Speak of it no more. But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River. Instead, commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead the people across the Jordan. He will give them all the land you now see before you as their possession.’ So we stayed in the valley near Beth-peor.
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I've been waiting for more than 13 years for something quite important to happen and 24 years for another thing to happen. Neither thing is trivial and both very much have seemed God's plan.

Moses had been waiting for about 80 years to see God's promise. And for the last 40 years Moses' whole goal was to lead these People into God's promised land.

Now he can't go. Furthermore, his new goal is to prepare his assistant, Joshua, for the job.

This is a hard pill to swallow and Moses begs God to reconsider. I'm not sure how many times Moses had mentioned it. It could be that it is only those few times recorded in Numbers and Deuteronomy or it could have become a repeated refrain of Moses' prayer life. However many times Moses had asked, God has had enough and tells Moses, "‘Speak of it no more."
What must Moses have felt? It seems to me there a only a few things that make this news bearable. And I'm still left with a few questions 

Moses was old and was going to die soon so he'd not have to face this disappointment for long and he'd then be in a much better place.

Moses was confident that God's plan was going forward under Joshua leadership so the people would realise the goal 

Moses at least knew the final word on the matter and could at least not be in any doubt as to God's feelings on the matter.

But why is it that Moses seems to be able to pass the blame for his not being able to enter the Promised Land on to the Children of Israel rather than on his and his brother's disobedience.

Numbers 20:12-13 NLT

But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” This place was known as the waters of Meribah (which means “arguing”) because there the people of Israel argued with the Lord , and there he demonstrated his holiness among them.

Sometimes we get all worked up and begin to identify with someone like Moses in the bible. But this is not Moses story. this is God's story. We are meant to be hearing and identifying with the one who deserves and demands our uncompromising love. This is a story about a compassionate, holy, promise keeping God. A story of hope and redemption a story that leads us to Jesus. Moses is not a saviour. Moses could not finish what he set out to do. Every attempt by man to live up to the standard will fall short. Only Jesus is righteous enough, ultimately only Jesus saves. In the end Joshua begins the next step but he too will be incomplete. But we are promised with Jesus he can finish the work! He can succeed where all other have failed.

Moses in the end is just like you. Just a person who will ultimately fail on their own and not make it to the goal. Only in Christ can you make it to the end!

Thankful

I laughed, I cried, I was blessed as I read about God's way of changing lives.

Please share in my joy and read this short life story of the 2nd Chapter of Acts.

http://www.2ndchapterofacts.com/History.html

Remind God?

Numbers 31:54 NLT

So Moses and Eleazar the priest accepted the gifts from the generals and captains and brought the gold to the Tabernacle as a reminder to the Lord that the people of Israel belong to him.

Numbers 10:10 NLT

Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the Lord your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”

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God knows everything. God made the covenant promises to Abraham and then repeated these to, Jacob, and on then to His People through Moses.

So why is it that these two passages tell God's people to remind God?

Can you think of other places in the Bible that God asks people to remind him?

I've had a look at these passages in two passages in a number of other versions of the English Bible. (NASB, ESV, AMP, MSG, NCV, NIV, )

New Living Translation seems to be the only one with this nuance. Making God the one to be reminded. 

But even if it is a fluke of a less than accurate translation. What caused the translators to make this change?

Does God need reminding?

Didn't effectively Moses remind God of his reputation in Exodus 32 when God was going to destroy his people and Moses pleads with God to save them.

"So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people," (Exodus 32:14, NASB).

Victoria quay, Sheffield UK

In this passage not only does God get a reminder but it appears as if he changes his mind.

And then there is Korah's rebellion in Numbers 16, where it sounds as if God is going to wipe them all out and again Moses pleads with God and God seems to change his declared course.

 20Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,21“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.”22But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”

Are our prayers a reminder to God?

What do you think?

Write me and tell me: wkbode@gmail.com or reply here and make a comment.

Perfection or nothing.

Numbers 27:12-19 NLT

One day the Lord said to Moses, “Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin. When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters.” (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) Then Moses said to the Lord, “O Lord, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the Lord will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” The Lord replied, “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people.
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Moses is trusted by God. If Numbers chapter 12 is to be trusted, Moses " was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth."  (Num 12)

So you might think Moses was safe from judgment. You might think Moses had the inside track. Seeing that Moses knew people in high places so to speak you'd think he'd get a pass.

Of course Moses would get to enter the promised land.

I used to say that the most important thing about a person is what they think about God. And in God's description of Moses that seems to be worthy of a mention, "he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is."

But that didn't get him in.

Moses was humble. Moses knew the Bible. (He did write pretty much all of it up to this point.)
Moses trusted God, Moses was very obedient, Moses prayed a lot, Moses experienced an unprecedented outpouring of God's blessing and gifting. Moses loved his enemies. Moses loved God and his neighbour.

But in the end this doesn't secure his entrance into the promised land.

You and I are not going to get one up on Moses. You and I are not going to queue jump Moses based on our performance record.

Moses' life and death cry out for grace and a Saviour. Moses wasn't enough on his own.

God and Moses' relationship, as good as it was, was not enough.

We need Jesus. We need a perfect Saviour.

You are not good enough. You can't count on your relationship with God. You can't count on you bible reading or writing for that matter. You can't count on your humility but it is a nice touch and by all means keep it up. You can't count on a love for your enemies. You will not get into God's kingdom based on you! I will not get into God's promised land based on my merit.

Be careful what you put your trust in!

Flowers on Graham road wall, S11 Sheffield UK

It is only by the mediation of Jesus, it is only by his perfect life and sinless death you will cross over into God's reward. You can not earn it yourself. Riches and blessing will not secure your place. Your obedience will not earn it.

It is only by Grace!
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Numbers 12:2-4, 7-9 NLT

They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.) So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” The Lord was very angry with them, and he departed.

Last Enemy

1 Corinthians 15:26 NLT

And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
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I got news this morning that a friend died. He was only 51. Premature death came to my life early with the death of my grandfather. And then the life changing, gut wrenching, loss of my best friend and only brother (and only sibling) visited my life when on the 4th of June 1987, Daniel Allen Bode suddenly and unexpectedly died. I was irrevocably changed by these deaths.

Death is inevitable. Death is our enemy.

But death is not the end.

I've pasted in at the end of this note the whole passage from 1 Corinthians 15 about Jesus power over death and his ultimate victory over death.

Another passage that really helped me face death and make sense of it, is found in Hebrews chapter 2.
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Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.
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Death and even more the fear of death has a great power over us. Jesus has a greater power.

I can not make sense of mortality and the ticking clock without lastly hearing Jesus.
The night my father called to tell me my little brother had died, I was stunned. I had been up most of the night studying and was deeply in academic mode and weary. Because of university and work I missed my brother's high school graduation. Luckily, my brother came to visit me in Chicago just before he died.

I told my dad, I'd be right there, a five hour drive. I called back to make sure it wasn't a bad dream or I'd misunderstood. No, it was true. (Thinking about it now makes me feel young, nearly a child again, and very vulnerable.)
I sat at the kitchen table and cried out to God. I had no idea where to turn. My Bible fell open to this passage and these were the words I read :
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John 11:21-26 NLT

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.  Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
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I answered, "I believe!"

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1 Corinthians 15:12-28 NLT

But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.

I'm what you need

Numbers 18:20 NLT

And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment.

Numbers 27:5-7 NLT

So Moses brought their case before the Lord . And the Lord replied to Moses, “The claim of the daughters of Zelophehad is legitimate. You must give them a grant of land along with their father’s relatives. Assign them the property that would have been given to their father.

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Different people different lessons. God's word isn't monochrome. The priests taught us the promise land was first and foremost about the promise giver and His presence with God people. We ultimately don't have to be trapped by the greed of the name and claim it culture often invading Christianity. To be sure the priests were not going without, but thier self sufficiency - live off the land - American dream was severely limited by God. If the people obeyed God then the Tabernacle, sacrifices, and "taxes" would supply an abundance. The people would also have to trust God through the years of Jubilee and even the weekly Sabbath.

But don't think that God is unconcerned with justice in the distribution of land. In Numbers 27 we have a unique and just precident. Women had the same right as men to the ownership of property and this was for the insurance of carrying on the rights of the family. The purpose isn't too reinforce the rights of the individual but rather to insure the rights of the family were protected and that women had the right to claim the property continuance for the family.

This checks and balance system shows God's love for his people. A love that sets the focus of the people on trusting God and that recognised the importance of property but only in the context of family and trusting in God as our ultimate Father and provider.

Sitting One Out

Numbers 12:1-16 NLT

While they were at Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.) So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!” So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. Then the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” he called, and they stepped forward. And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord , would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” The Lord was very angry with them, and he departed. As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses, “Oh, my master! Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth.” So Moses cried out to the Lord , “O God, I beg you, please heal her!” But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had done nothing more than spit in her face, wouldn’t she be defiled for seven days? So keep her outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be accepted back.” So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again. Then they left Hazeroth and camped in the wilderness of Paran.

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Packed full of questions.

A family squabble over a new sister-in-law leads to a major theological incident. Was it her ethnic origin?

Moses the penman for God, must have felt a bit odd writing, "(Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)"

Ultimately this is a story about God's choice of leadership' or maybe even God's choice of friends.

"Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is. So why were you not afraid to criticize my servant Moses?” "

God says he trusts Moses. Moses did not seem very humble when God asked him to speak to Pharaoh. Moses doesn't seem very humble when he does lots of things. But who am I to say. God says he trusts Moses.

I'm not sure how old Aaron is but Miriam is probably about 10 years older than Moses or even more, she was a little girl when Moses is born and she speaks to Pharaoh's daughter when Moses is plucked from the river.

In many ways this possibly 95 year old woman saved little Moses' life.

But my perspective doesn't matter. God chooses. God says Moses is humble. God treats Moses as a friend.

Silver Trumpets

Numbers 10:1-10 NLT

Now the Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp. When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you at the entrance of the Tabernacle.  But if only one trumpet is blown, then only the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—must present themselves to you. “When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east side of the Tabernacle must break camp and move forward. When you sound the signal a second time, the tribes camped on the south will follow. You must sound short blasts as the signal for moving on. But when you call the people to an assembly, blow the trumpets with a different signal. Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, are allowed to blow the trumpets. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation. “When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the Lord your God of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”

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About ten hours ago, when I read Numbers 10 I was excited to read about the silver trumpets. Hearing the trumpets through the camp was to be a regular reminder of God's promise. Sounds of trumpets, sights of the cloud and pillar of fire, and the smells of sacrifice and incense all served to constantly remind the people of God's promises. That coupled with the taste of manna and quail made the life of the Israelites unique and blessed.

But the hearts of men are hard and easily distracted. You'd think they'd not be able to forget God's blessings. But they grumble, they complain, and they imagine a couple of years on from the Exodus that slavery in Egypt was better than living in the presence of God.

But when their mind is going down the negative path of return to Egypt the Silver Trumpets call out and draw their attention in the direction of the Tabernacle. With their gaze now fixed towards the dwelling place of God, they see the pillar of cloud and smell the smoke of sacrifice. The heart is cheered and promise of God the rescuer is remembered.

The same Silver Trumpets that announce a peace offering, is the sound that declares war, and says in the same way, I'll take care of you my children. When the Silver Trumpets welcome the first of the month or when the joy of celebration is echoing through the camp, the Trumpeter is hoping a new event of gladness would call on his services for God encouraged the trumpets to be used at nearly any excuse.

We can't be reminded enough that God keeps his promises.

What sound serves as a Silver Trumpet call for your heart?

We all need a call to prayer. We need reminders every glad time. Listen. Listen and make the sound of birds, hear the call of the shift change at the local factory, hear the bells on Sunday or even the sirens of the city and let these sounds remind you of God's good grace.

What sound will call you to remember and trust your God' your  provider and rescuer?

Followers of God's presence

Numbers 9:15-23 NLT

On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire. This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the L ord ’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the L ord . Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the L ord commanded. Then at the L ord ’s command they would break camp and move on. Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on. Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the L ord ’s command, and they did whatever the L ord told them through Moses.

Early Retirement

(Today I read Numbers chapters 5-8 in the Bible from the New Living Translation, why don't you join me?)

Numbers 8:23-26 NLT

The Lord also instructed Moses, “This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”

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I'm getting a bit older. I've been saying that for years. But since I'm nearly 50 myself and since I'm a priest, maybe I should be considering retirement.

1 Peter 2:9 NLT

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

But before you get to liking the idea too much let's consider a few other relevant facts.
Moses and Aaron and maybe even Aaron's sons were much older and they were working very hard indeed. In fact at this point Moses is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 85 years old and He had lots of work ahead of him yet and he served in the tabernacle. In fact Moses visits with God in the Holiest place in the Tabernacle and hears his voice.

Numbers 7:89 NLT

Whenever Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak with the Lord , he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that rests on the Ark of the Covenant. The Lord spoke to him from there.

Further we get no indication that I know of that in any other area of life and ministry we are to retire. Here in Numbers the Levites still have the possibility of guard duty and this job doesn't seen to come with a retirement age.

So why this specific age range for Levites serving in the Tabernacle?

Numbers 8:7 NLT

Do this by sprinkling them with the water of purification, and have them shave their entire body and wash their clothing. Then they will be ceremonially clean.

The whole regime is meant to differentiate between God and the people. The people are sinful, dirty, flawed, blemished, rebellious, and tainted with stench of death. God is pure, holy, perfect, the very source of life and in all ways righteous.

God wanted reliable men. He wanted men in their prime, capable, clear, and without an outward sign of impurity.

And maybe the most important thing is that God wanted to remind his people that he was not to be taken lightly. Not just anyone could fulfill the role.

That is until Jesus, comes and makes all his people in his kingdom a kingdom of priests.

Revelation 1:4-7 NLT

This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!

So a day is coming when none will be mothballed. There will be no differentiation because we'll all be like Jesus. And old, young, men, women and child alike will be part of the royal priesthood of Jesus.

We are always looking to Jesus and his kingdom. Are you?

Smiled on

Numbers 6:22-27

The Priestly Blessing

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons to bless the people of Israel with this special blessing:

24 ‘May the Lord bless you

and protect you.

25 May the Lord smile on you

and be gracious to you.

26 May the Lord show you his favor

and give you his peace.’

27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”

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Smiles really do make a difference. A smile is a mark of happiness, a sign of joy, a seal of approval. When God smiles on us he is saying he loves us. He will give us what we need, that indeed he loves us! 

We need this blessing. And God knows it. Don't forget it is God who tells Moses that this should be the blessing from God's representatives, Aaron, his sons and the priests to his people!

Look at what God is saying to his people.

Protected Fern

Bless - God intends to do good to his people!

Protect - God is committed to their well being and standing between them and harm!

Smile - God offers approval and joy in them. God is happy with his people. He loves them.

Gracious - God knows the failings, and waywardness of his people but he will provide for them just the same. This blessing is not conditional on the people, but on God's character, which never changes.

Favor - God sees everything but is predisposed to do good to his people. He will conquer their enemies, cause their crops to grow, and give them plenty.

Peace - God rests from conflict with these rebellious people and extends peace. So in a world of fighting and war, God's people will know peace!

and the promise of fulfilling this whenever the priest extends the blessing to God's people!

Maybe it is the promise tacked on the end of this blessing that makes it so powerful! The priest in pronouncing this blessing knowing full well that God is going to fulfil it! That is God's promise. It is as if God is saying listen, when Aaron, his sons, or the priests say these words to you, listen it is my voice. You are hearing the voice of God spoken from the heart of God.

And although this was specific to the Israelites so long ago and Aaron is no longer walking this earth, a better priest by far has come and he still speaks these words of blessing over you. And His Father has promised even greater bounty, and blessing. Jesus is our great high priest and He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing imaginable and far more than you can imagine.

Trust Him and listen to his blessing spoken here through Aaron and now through Jesus!

Hear me friend as I am a priest in God's kingdom and I speak these words of Blessing on you today!