Why were the prophets so important to God communicating to Israel? Most of the prophetic words were revealing the sins of the people and the impending discipline and judgment that was going to take place because of their rebellion. Yes, there were prophetic announcements of the coming Messiah and the days of restoration that will eventually take place, but largely God’s words through the prophets contained severe criticism of His people who had turned their back on a faithful God.
What was it that motivated these prophets. As God selected men to speak for Him to the people, and in some cases, to the nations around them, He chose men who would value His words. Jeremiah was a man like this! “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16). Notice the progression in Jeremiah’s personal life: 1. Jeremiah was searching for something from God that would minister to his heart. 2. When God’s words were found, Jeremiah took them into his heart and accepted their instruction and direction, even when it was difficult. 3. Taking God’s words into the inner man results in joy and delight, even when they predicted judgment and discipline. How can this be? It only comes from knowing God intimately. Jeremiah knew that through the threshing process, God would gain a faithful people for Himself; those who would love God because of the discipline. What are you looking for that has lasting value? Are God’s Words bringing joy and delight to your life in spite of the circumstances?
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“I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food” (Job 23:12).
That verse is a real challenge to my heart. Most of us are very careful not to miss a meal or do without one for the sake of spending time reading God’s Word. Job, even with all his faults, was very clear on this point. He treasured the words that came from God more than his regular portion of food. When we look at his life, the losses of family members and wealth, the health issues that would send any one of us to the hospital, and then friends who kept pointing an accusing finger at him, it is a wonder that he felt this way! It shows clearly how he valued what God said to him. Not only that, Job made a commitment to “not depart from the commandment of His lips.” Chapters 38 to 42 are a proof that Job “treasured the words of [God’s] mouth.” God’s rebuke was accepted and Job repented (42:6). This gave God a basis to bless this man above others in his generation. How much do you treasure what God has said? Would you give up comforts and what most people consider as necessary in order to hear from God? If your answer is “yes,” have you kept His Word? In my daily quiet time with the Lord, I have been reading through the Psalms and enjoying them more than I ever have in the past. Some of the Psalms David wrote, drip with delight in the Word of the Lord and His law. I want you and me to esteem God’s Word as our highest treasure; being willing to put aside other priorities, possessions and pleasures so we give proper time to His truth which is “forever…firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89).
There is another analogy David uses about “the law of the Lord.” He says it is “more to be desired…than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter…than honey and drippings of the honeycomb” (19:10). While many people occupy themselves with becoming wealthy and satisfying their hungers with material things, David’s own experience was that God’s Word did both. It provided riches that cannot be counted. It fills our emptiness with sweetness because our souls become more acquainted with the character of God and it strengthens our personal relationship with Him Let us take this a step further. Ten times in Psalm 119, David refers to his delight in the Word of God (14, 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, and 174). It became the governing authority in his life. Though David failed, his heart was tender and easily influenced by the law of God. What would change in your life and mine if this were our love and appreciation for what God has carefully preserved for us in written form? What joy and delight would fill those empty spaces we try to hide? How much clearer would others see Jesus in us if we loved God’s Word more? Only you can answer for yourself. That title could have been “FINDING THE TREASURE,” but it is very true that we each treasure different things in varying degrees. There is a saying that ‘one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.’ This confirms that we each have our own set of values.
Jesus “left the crowds and went into the house” to present parables to “His disciples” (Matthew 14:36, 44-46). Here are two of these parables: ““The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” A parable is like a very short story with a hidden meaning, but contains truth that we must put alongside our lives in order to learn from them. In these two parables, there was “a man” who searched and found a treasure and fine pearls. The value of this treasure and these fine pearls are so great that it is worth giving up what he had to gain what is of extreme value. The ultimate picture in this parable is Jesus Himself. He “emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). “Jesus…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). He saw BEYOND our sinful condition to the treasure he would have through redeeming us by His suffering to gain the Church. The question for us is whether we have a value system based on what God values, and with clear intention and passion, we put aside (sell) things of far lesser value in order to gain what is eternal. I was speaking with someone today who is very concerned about the direction ‘small groups’ and many churches are headed. They seem to be drifting into mere social groups where discussion is more about personal opinion rather than about what the Scripture says and desiring to obey it.
This drove my mind to a period of time in Israel’s history when leadership was more interested in having a meal with their choice of meat than the Word of God. “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision” (1 Samuel 3:1). It had become so bad that Eli the priest did not recognize when a broken woman prayed or when the Lord spoke to Samuel until the third time. One young boy changed the whole course of a nation through listening to God speak to him. “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground…And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord” (3:19, 21). Notice the progression of these verses. Hearing God speak caused Samuel to grow. This growth was confirmed by the presence of the Lord in His life in the form of personal revelation. While verse one says “there was no frequent vision” in those days, God revealed Himself to Samuel simply by His word. This became true of His whole life. Is it true of you? The history of Samuel proves that he valued God’s Word. None of Samuel’s words fell to the ground (or were untrue) because he was speaking what he received from the Lord who spoke to him. This is absolutely critical in our day! Decline in speaking God’s Word is because some have lost their appreciation and appetite for hearing God speak to them His life-giving truth. The days we are in cause great excitement in our hearts. While many seem consumed with fear because of conflicts between nations, terrorism, natural disasters, and persecution, I would rather that you and I focus on what will remain beyond the troubles of the world. When we become occupied with the powerful work of the Spirit, we will have great joy that nothing else can give.
In the last few months, our hearts have been captured with surprise by watching God turn doubt into ecstatic joy. Doors for effective ministry are opening in places and in ways that we never dreamed could happen. Most of these opportunities are happening in places where we cannot share details because it would jeopardize those we are working with. What I can tell you is that there are very hungry souls for God’s Word in many languages. Our new book, God’s Plan for His Disciples, seems to be meeting an urgent need in so many parts of the world. Why would this book be so important? · It is simple and helps believers (new and long-time) ask questions of the Word of God. · It is building a biblical foundation in the soul of believers, giving confidence to their faith. · It is enabling them to speak more boldly of their salvation with others. · It is easy to understand and easy to share with others. · It is creating greater joy in the Lord, His Word, and in the Holy Spirit. After persecution hit the Early Church in Acts 8, “those who were scattered went about preaching the Word…so there was much joy in that city” (8:4, 8). What changes would take place if we all went back to this principle no matter what the circumstances - - “preaching the Word.” That does not require a degree, title or money. It only needs a heart yielded to the Holy Spirit. Doors are starting to open up all over East Asia as we have just completed making the final edits to God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC) in Mand@rin (the largest spoken language in the world). I will be traveling to north to meet with a young couple I met a couple of years ago. They are very dedicated to our Lord and excited about me meeting their family and friends.
As I am writing this, I just learned that our new book, God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) will be ready in the Mand@rin language by the time I arrive. Please pray for a dear sister who works in a hospital, that she will have time to complete this task. This is so exciting because GPHD is fanning the flame of revival right here in US. This tool is a pathway to GPHC; it is a taste or appetizer for GPHC. It is also a test of faithfulness for anyone desiring to complete GPHC as it lays a foundation for GPHC. Just talking about this tool has sparked revival and passion for more. As you know, God is at work in East Asia just like we read about the Early Church in the book of Acts. The Spirit is moving like never before across Asia with tens of thousands coming to Christ daily. These tools, GPHD and GPHC, will help put the movement on a solid biblical foundation so that it will be sustained until all the people groups of the world have heard. I do believe that parts of East Asia, will and is, playing a crucial role in finishing the task of taking the Gospel to all peoples. They are motivated by their love for Jesus and are willing to go to the nations without money and willing to die for their Savior! This is the kind of people we are looking for! Lord willing, I will be with people like this next week. I can hardly wait to be among people that love the Lord with ALL their hearts, souls, minds and bodies. What a privilege! When we find people like this and tell them they have everything they need through the Word of God and the indwelling Holy Spirit, they BELIEVE it and give their all. Thanks for your prayers and making this awesome journey possible. I am truly one of the most privileged servants of the Lord! Pressing on in Christ! (One of our team). As Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria represents 2.4% of the global population. Their rich diversity is beautifully represented in 544 people groups. Striking differences also exist between the majority Muslim and feudal north and the largely Christian and more developed south. Deep ethnic and religious divisions threaten the nation as a whole; lack of discipleship, second-generation nominalism, syncretism, tribal and denominational divisions, materialism, and immorality all threaten the Body of Christ. The false teachings of the prosperity gospel are also rampant. About 18% of Nigeria’s people groups remain unreached, many of which are being rapidly Islamicized. (PRAYERCAST, online prayer guide).
Over the past few months God has opened the door for me to train leaders in Nigeria. Strategically located right in the 10/40 Window, this training has the potential of impacting the most difficult countries of northern Africa. Please pray with me that God will launch new rapid church planting movements throughout the 10/40 Window. From September 4 through late morning September 6, I will be traveling: USA to Abujah to Jos (See the map.) Once I arrive in Jos, my schedule is full. Randy will arrive back home late afternoon on Thursday, September 13. Here are some more general prayer requests for Nigeria from PRAYERCAST: · Pray for the dismantling of widespread corruption which cripples all levels of society – especially the government and including the church. · Pray for an emphasis on discipleship and balanced Bible teaching in the Nigerian church, which continues to experience massive growth but whose teaching is often syncretistic and prosperity – based. · Pray for increasingly persecuted Christians in Islamicized northern states to be characterized by supernatural love and forgiveness. The fire of “The Quito Factor” is still burning, and we pray that its flames will reach beyond Quito to the entire continent of South America. Our trip saw many encouraging signs, with reminders that every movement of God is born and sustained in prayer. There were nine graduates of God’s Plan for His Church, along with some of the key leaders who are doing the training in Quito. Over the past year, these committed believers have met in home groups to discuss how God’s Plan can be implanted in their city. Their strategy is to plant “house churches” all over the city, and that which began with two or three “home groups” has grown to sixteen “house churches.”
After working through Acts and Paul’s letters, this group has determined that the best way for them to reach the 2.5 million people of Quito is to plant a series of “house churches” that keep expanding even beyond the city. They have all been amazed at how simple church planting can be when we do it God’s Way. People are coming to Christ and being discipled like never before! We met one lady who led six people to Christ since joining the house church. Another highlight was to launch the Spanish translation of our latest edition of God’s Plan for His Church. Many faithful people worked on this. Around twenty leaders received the new manual in a very exciting dedication ceremony. During this trip, it was great to see the fire of “The Quito Factor” fanned into flame. But we cannot stop praying now. There are many potential obstacles that they must break through. Let us keep them in our prayers. As we reflect on God’s work in Quito, we are reminded that the prophet’s word is still true today: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zech. 4:6). All down through the centuries, mankind has tried to control temptations with rules and list of do’s and don’ts. The Law of God was given to Moses to prove that by our own determination or strength we cannot perfectly keep any law, especially for making ourselves just before a holy God.
This was a point and question that Paul put before the Colossian believers. “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations? “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:20–23). WHAT IS THE ANSWER? How can we who know what pleases God and what does not? How can we stay away from temptations that violate our relationship with God and blur His image in our lives? Paul gives us God’s wisdom that answers that question. “If [since] then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (3:1–3). Because most of us do not see ourselves as dead with Christ and raised with Him, our “seeking and setting” is weak. In addition, we hush the voice of the Spirit in us (1 Thessalonians 5:19). If this is not your attitude as a Christian, I ask you to get on your knees in repentance and seek the power of the Spirit to work in affirming your place in Christ; alive in Him and seeking His things. His things never bring temptation. They bring joy and delight (Psalm 119:35; Jeremiah 15:16). |
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