Daily Devotions - Entries from December 2009

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WedWednesdayDecDecember30th2009 December 30, 2009
Posted Wednesday, December 30 2009 @ 11 PM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this he became very sad because he was a man of great wealth. Luke 18:22-23

The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life and the formula was given yet he refused, thinking he knew where life came from. How sad for the rich young ruler to refuse the advice of the Savior of the world, the richest man who had ever lived and yet he left it all in Heaven to come for us. Does not his coming to earth demonstrate for us how to find true wealth and riches? If he gave up his home in heaven and all the wealth and position and power and fame among the angels to come to this fallen sin cursed world to rescue his redeemed ones then would we fare better if we chose to live some other way?

Notice the text indicates that the rich young ruler went away sad because he was a man of great wealth. How significant to see that it is not riches that make happiness but the surrendering of our riches that brings us great joy. O if the world could only see and hear these words of our savior there would be much joy in the house of the Lord. But who will go to them and tell them of such truth? Who will go to them and wrest them from the enemy’s poisonous treats?

Just this morning I was reading a biography of C.T. Studd, missionary to China and Africa in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. How he responded to the call of Hudson Taylor to China and left with the famous Cambridge seven. They were all men who had great promise in business and medicine and other interests but they left them all behind in England for the riches of China and the gospel treasure they would find there.

C.T. Studd was the son of a very wealthy merchant in England and news arrived that he was going to inherit a large fortune soon. Attempting to decide what to do with the large sum he decided to find out what would have happened to the rich young ruler if he had given it all away as his Lord had directed, so he began to send large sums of money to Hudson Taylor for the work in China and sent another large sum of money to George Mueller in England for the work among the orphans and a significant sum for mission work in England. After his attempt to give away all his inheritance he had 3400 British pounds left to his name. He would propose marriage to his soon to be wife with this sum and she replied, “C.T. God told the rich young ruler to give it all away so let us make sure we start clean with the Lord.” They entered their marriage penniless and quite happy.

They served together in China for another ten years until ill health required that they return to England. In England they spent their time speaking to students about the missionary call of God, both in England and America. Hundreds of students responded to their influence to go to the mission field. In 1900 they set sail for India and served there for six years. They once again returned to England, this time completely penniless and in ill health, they were refused treatment because they were without the means to pay for the care. The group of businessmen refused to continue to support them as they were speaking of going to Africa, even though they were in ill health.

After four years in England, C.T. and his wife thought it best for him to go to Africa, even though they had little prospect of survival there. They agreed to leave his wife and children in England because the dangers of Africa were only too well known. Many predicted that C.T. would not survive his journey to Africa and they were right, he only lived another twenty one years serving the Lord in Africa, when doctors had said he would not survive the journey let alone the hostile climate in Africa.

C.T. would coin a phrase that has been quoted often since his death, "Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell."
One missionary biographer writes these words of C.T. Studd “ "C.T.'s life stands as some rugged Gibraltar — a sign to all succeeding generations that it is worth while to lose all this world can offer and stake everything on the world to come. His life will be an eternal rebuke to easygoing Christianity. He has demonstrated what it means to follow Christ without counting the cost and without looking back.
May our lives be so influenced to give of our wealth and go with our lives to the places where the gospel has yet to be heard. Let us be found in giving, praying and going to the gospel poorest places on the earth.

Here We are Lord Send us!
TueTuesdayDecDecember29th2009 December 29, 2009
Posted Tuesday, December 29 2009 @ 11 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
"Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?" (David Livingstone, missionary to Africa)

“Now compelled by the Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there I only know that in every city the holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships await me.” Act 20:22-23

I don’t recommend reading the biographies of missionaries unless you want to be convicted of the smallness of your faith and the lagging zeal you have for Christ. But if you desire to be convicted of how much you still need to grow in godliness and holiness then by all means pick up a good biography and read away.

For the past two weeks we have been considering the lives of those who have set the path for us over the last two thousand years of missionary endeavors. Today I want to consider with you for a brief moment the life of one such missionary, David Livingstone.

As a young man he had chanced upon the service where Robert Moffatt, the great missionary to Africa, was speaking and heard him utter these words, "I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been."

It would be these words that would compel a young doctor to leave everything behind and go to the dark continent of Africa to carry the message of Christ. He would suffer great discomforts and face grueling hardships for almost forty years on the African continent as he sought to carry the message of Christ to those villages where the gospel had never gone He would face lions that would tear his shoulder out of joint and leave his one arm almost paralyzed for the rest of his life. He would face the challenges of leaving to return to the comforts of England when circumstances would tell him that he was finished. He would lose the wife he loved to tropical disease eleven years before he would meet her in glory. He would see his children leave Africa and not see them for many years due to the rigors of his missionary endeavors and he would experience the ridicule of those who were at first his best supporters. He would travel through places where deadly pestilence was rampant, and eventually he would die on the soil he came to reclaim for his Savior.

When asked why he followed Christ into such hard and difficult places his only answer was "Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?"

I leave you with this quote for your consideration today. We live in a nation that has more freedom to share the gospel than any other nation at any other time in history. I wonder how we shall fare when we stand next to these our brothers and sisters who have gone before us at that great day when we shall all stand before our Lord to receive the rewards for our labors. I can almost hear the questions of these who have gone to the hard and the difficult places, “Tell me, with such freedom surely you told everyone you saw about the glories of our great God! Surely you spoke often of his magnificent grace to all who came your way. Surely there were many who heard from your lips and life of his redeeming love. Surely you have some scars to show for your labors here below.

I can almost see Doctor Livingstone revealing the scars on his shoulders and scarred feet of his as he walked across deserts that left his feet burned and scarred because he loved his Savior so much and he loved the lost to whom he was sent as well. I wonder what scars we shall have to show for our love for the Savior, I wonder what names we can speak of that we shared our Lord with.

Should we not begin our day each day with these words, “O Love of Christ, carry the feet of this missionary to the places where the Drugs flow free and the terrorists run with boldness and the unbelievers are enslaved. Carry the feet of this missionary to those who do not yet know of the redeeming love that I have so richly been given.”

Let us set our course again for the hard places of our occupations and our neighborhoods and our cities and villages. Let us labor as Livingstone did until our Savior comes for us.

Following the path of those who have gone before us,
SatSaturdayDecDecember26th2009 December 25, 2009
Posted Saturday, December 26 2009 @ 7 PM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Genesis 25:8 (NCV)
8 He breathed his last breath and died at an old age, after a long and satisfying life.

Such could be said about this man named William Carey. Born to a poor family in England, he possessed no possibilities from the human side of ever making much of his life. But not being one to believe the statistics he set himself to the business of learning why he worked. By the age of 31, even though he could not afford a formal education, he had taught himself several languages and learned to translate them all the while he was busy making shoes as a cobbler.

As he began to experience God’s call to the nations unreached he would challenge the churches in England to take up the missionary call but he was often prevented by some well meaning senior member who would say such things as, “Young man sit down when God chooses to save the heathen he will do it without your help or mine.”
Not being one to give up he would follow God’s call to India at the age of 31. He would leave England never to return. In those early days of missions there were no such things as furloughs, when you left for the field you left knowing you would not return. Many missionaries would pack all their belonging in caskets they had made so they would have something to ship their bodies back in when they died on the foreign field.

The lives of those who set the pace for us to follow were not lives of ease but rather the exact opposite. They faced hardship in their own country as they prepared to leave, made to listen to the words of many caring believers who warned them they were not doing God’s will; being laughed at in their voyage to the foreign fields by others who were travelling the same ship; being laughed at or prevented from even landing on solid ground due to the refusal of many foreign rulers who refused the gospel a hearing; being persecuted by pagan religions who saw their ministry an offense to their pagan deities. The late 1700’s and early 1800’s was not of a picnic. No one in their right mind would choose such a calling.

William Carey lived a life of selfless service to our Master. He set the pace for all who would follow him. As the time drew near for his departure he would the one who would preach his funeral, "Mr. Duff, you have been talking about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey; when I am gone, say nothing about Dr. Carey,-- speak about Dr. Carey's Savior!"

May we follow such steps as those that Dr. William Carey laid out for us in this coming year.
SatSaturdayDecDecember26th2009 December 24, 2009
Posted Saturday, December 26 2009 @ 6 PM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment
Acts 20:24 (NIV)
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

“A life aflame for God.” This was David Brainerd’s desire. That his life be lived as a flaming example of a life devoted completely to his Lord. No other hero of the faith writes with such complete transparency as does David Brainerd. It would be his journals that would be used by God to fuel the missionary fires of the greatest missionary movement to hit Christendom.

He did not know that he was writing for anyone other than himself but it has been the writings of David Brainerd that inspired the Wesley’s and the Carey’s and the Judson’s and many others to take the risk of selling all and following their master to the dark regions of the unreached peoples of the world.

David Brainerd lived more in the short twenty nine years than most live in three to four times that many years. It seemed as if every minute was spent in either proclaiming the gospel or praying for its advance among pagans who had no access to it.

As a young man in his twenties he sought to take the gospel to the Indians of New York near the fork of the Delaware river. These Indians were known for their cruelty to outsiders. Once in his travels to share the gospel with a tribe he had not been to before he spent several hours making his way through dense forested woods. Often he would stop and pray for God to lead him, having no knowledge of how to connect with these he was going too minister to.

Without his knowledge several Indians had followed him for hours through the forest and watched from a distance. Once as he began to pray the Indians watched as a rattlesnake made its way close to Brainerd’s body that was prostrate on the ground interceding for the Indians. These Indians watched as they were sure this snake would certainly strike him, but at the last moment the snake just slithered off into the woods.
The next day these same Indians gave testimony to their tribe of this occurrence and the tribe listened with great curiosity to one who risked such travel to come to them. They had met white men before but hey had only encouraged them to drink fire water and sell their lands at a pittance. They had never known a white man who would demonstrate such love and selfless compassion.

David Brainerd would spend the rest of his short life traveling to many remote areas to share the gospel with the Indians who had been abused by white men for years and left without any hope of the gospel. David Brainerd went against the tide of his day and gave his life to reach the unreached Indian populations of New York.

Somew3her in his mid twenties he contracted tuberculosis and would spend the rest of his life in a constant state of pain due to the complications of such a disease. When the disease was beginning to take its toll a church for white folks offered him a nice comfortable salary and a place where he could rest and enjoy some comforts but Brainerd not to be sidetracked refused and continued his work among the Indians, knowing the time of his departure was drawing close.

Jonathan Edwards would say at his funeral that no man had so influenced his life for good as the life of David Brainerd who was half his age.

In answer to the question, "What can be done to revive the work of God where it has decayed?" John Wesley said, "Let every preacher read carefully the life of David Brained”

Among those who followed his advice were William Carey, the father of modern missions; Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia; Robert McCheyne, the first modern missionary to the Jewish people.

Would to God that every one who reads this story be so moved to give their lives to the great missionary enterprise of taking the gospel to all corners of the world.

Send us Out O God,
FriFridayDecDecember25th2009 December 23, 2009
Posted Friday, December 25 2009 @ 9 PM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Acts 20:25-31 (NIV)
25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

As the life of the apostle Paul was being taken in Rome under Nero another life was being born into the world that would continue to carry the flame of the gospel to those in the Roman Empire after Paul’s death.  God never allows the world to go without a witness to his saving grace and the one we turn our attention to this day is the one by the name Polycarp.  He was born in 69 A. D.  The details of his birth no one knows but the story goes that this young man was turned into a common slave

The story goes that a wealthy woman of the church in Smyrna noted for her works of charity among the poor was directed in a vision to go to the city gate and redeem a young man who was a slave of two men.  This she did and promptly brought the young boy she had purchased into her home and gave him a Christian name and began to train him in eh way of Christ.  She formally adopted him and gave him a strong education.

Soon after he entered Callisto’s home he began to give evidence of God’s Spirit at work in his life.  He lived a life of much self sacrifice caring of those less fortunate and was very diligent in witnessing to others about his faith in Christ.

Polycarp soon became a deacon in the church at Smyrna and it was to this work he gave much of his time.  Due to persecution there were many widows in the church who had lost sons and husbands to the Romans sword.   Polycarp soon became a very notable leader at the church in Smyrna.  He served as a means of keeping the church unified during many difficult years of persecution.

Somewhere around 161 A.D. the persecutions by the Roman Empire grew to empire wide.  Christians were not safe anywhere and the cry for the blood of Christians grew.  Polycarp went into hiding but was discovered by a young child.  Several Roman soldiers were dispatched to arrest Polycarp.  When they found him he begged them the privilege of serving them a meal before they took him away.  After the meal he asked for one more pleasure and that was to spend one hour alone in his prayer room, to which they granted him.

His prayers were of such nature that many of the guards were moved to repentance.  After his hour of prayer he rose and met his guards and they took him to the proconsul who then urged him, saying, "Swear and I will release thee;  -  reproach Christ."

Polycarp answered, "You threaten me with fire that burns but for a moment and are ignorant of the fire that burns forever.  Eighty and six yeras have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, who hath saved me?"  At the stake, to which he was only tied, but not nailed as usual, as he assured them he should stand immovable, the flames, on their kindling the fagots, encircled his body, like an arch, without touching him, and the executioner, on seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword when so great a quantity of blood flowed out as extinguished the fire."  (Foxes book of Martyrs)

So it is as we read of those who have gone before us that our way has been lighted by the flames of persecution through the centuries.  We have a very bright path to walk due to those who have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God to those they have lived around.  May we do nothing less in this our time in history.

God help us light the way for all those who need our Christ.
FriFridayDecDecember25th2009 December 22, 2009
Posted Friday, December 25 2009 @ 7 PM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Acts 20:22-24 (NIV)
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Who can ever tell eh impact of one life?  Consider this, one man who was set against the Christian faith at its very outset.  He did everything he could to rid the world of those who claimed the name of Christ. He only saw them as an obstacle to true religion that he had grown up with.  The sacrificial system of the Jewish faith was the only way to see life, to vary from this teaching was certain death and to allow anything other than this teaching to exists was seen as a denial of the true faith if Israel.

This young man had been trained in the best Jewish schools and he had learned the law well.  He could debate with the best of them and he was skilled in argumentation and debate.  He could argue circles around anyone who would oppose him.  He had one of the best teachers of debate to train him in logical argumentation and he was good at it.

His ability to convince others of his viewpoint led him to be accepted as the leader of the group that made its existence to be to rid the world of those who followed Christ.  He had obtained permission to go to Damascus with the intent of destroying those in Damascus who held to the way of Christ and taught others to do the same.

Little did he know that he was on the road to his own conversion.  On the way to Damascus he encountered this Christ he was persecuting and found himself blinded by the light of this one he sought to rid the world of. 

Enter a man named Ananias who came to visit him and proclaimed to him the whole counsel of God.  As this man was proclaiming to him the gospel his eyes were opened and he saw the truth.  This new revelation completely overhauled his life.  Instead of persecuting those who belonged to Christ he became their greatest advocate.  What he had experienced on the road and now in the hearing of the gospel from this man named Ananias would change everything about his life. 

Instead of taking others lives he would now give his life for the very thing he sought to rid the world of.  So began the great missionary imperative of the church, led first by the one who sought her destruction.  We know this man by the name of Paul the Apostle, the one who would be used by God to write over half of the New Testament.

Think of it, the once enemy of Christ now becomes the vessel from which we have over half of the New Testament. Without Paul we would not know of many of our great doctrines of the faith.  We would not understand Justification by faith, we would be lost as to how secure we are in Christ; we would not have much an understanding of our sinful nature or how to be set free from such a nature.

This one man faced more encounters with death before his own it would seem insanity to continue to go through such persecution, unless of course what he believed was really true?  So we see the first missionary force led by one man who was convinced in spite of all his arguments against the truth.  From the writings of this one man thousands of missionaries in the history of the church would be encouraged to go to difficult and hard places because they too had been compelled by the same Spirit that compelled him to go to Jerusalem and beyond.

May we join these noble ranks and find ourselves living for the difficult and hard places where the gospel has not yet penetrated.

Send us O God to those places where the Gospel has not yet gone,
MonMondayDecDecember21st2009 December 21, 2009
Posted Monday, December 21 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Joyous Giving is Contagious

 

1 Chronicles 29:6-9 (NIV)
6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron.8 Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

Spirits are contagious.  If you are negative those around will be infected with your negative spirit.  If you are joyful you may just possibly begin a contagion that sets the church ablaze with great joy.

 

This was the case with King David. When the people saw his willing response to give to the Temple project they were stirred to give as well.  Notice the spirit of those who gave was not a result of manipulated emotions they were genuinely moved by David’s example and they gave freely and willingly.  There was great rejoicing on that day of great giving.

Joyful giving to God’s work by God’s people will always lead to great rejoicing among God’s people.  How about it why not start a great spirit of joyful giving to the cause of the gospel through our international mission offering this month.  Let the others see our joyful response to God’s call to the nations.  I do want you to notice the characteristic of these gifts, they were given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, which led to the leader of the people being filled with great joy.

 

The greatest gift Lakeland could give this pastor is by letting me see your free and willing response to God’s call to give to his missionary call to reach the nations.  Lead me to great joy by giving freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord this month of Foreign Missions.

 

Expecting to be led to rejoice by your gifts,
SunSundayDecDecember20th2009 December 20, 2009
Posted Sunday, December 20 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Providing for he Work of God

 

1 Chronicles 29:2-5 (NIV)
2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God--gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble--all of these in large quantities. 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?"

As leaders we set the pace for those who will follow us.  We must lead by example.  See how David sets the pace for those he leads.  I am so convinced that this is a work of God that I will invest in it personally in great measure.  Listen as David proclaims for all to hear, “With all of my resources I have provided for the temple.” 

 

I am not just talking about it but I am leading the way.  Here now is my retirement account and I am giving it to the Temple project.  I am not only giving out of my surplus but out of my own personal storehouse.  We see in this picture that the resources for the temple are already in the hands of God’s people, they just have to be willing to turn lose of them so God can use them for his glory.

 

We are at a time in our culture when funds are drying up for missionary workers, but we are also at a time in our culture when our houses are overstuffed with stuff that we should get rid of so the nations can hear.  I believe one of the reasons that funds have dried up is because God wants to help us empty our homes of stuff so we will be lighter and freer to give to God’s purposes.  Take a good look around your home and ask yourself the question can I get along without this for the sake of the glory of God? 

 

Let us be like David who emptied his storehouse for the Temple project and empty our stuffed houses for the Gospel of Christ.  Let us give until we feel lighter and let us give until we experience God’s joy in giving.
SatSaturdayDecDecember19th2009 December 19, 2009
Posted Saturday, December 19 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Servants in the Wings

 

I Chronicles 28:21

21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."

When God gets ready to deliver a people he always prepares the leaders and the people who will follow the leaders.  As Solomon sought after God and learned how to know his voice he was given power to understand the plans of the temple and then he was given the ability to communicate that plan to those who were gifted and ready to serve in this position.

We see this lived out in Matthew 9:36-38 when Jesus looks at the harvest and says to his disciples “Look at the fields they are white already for harvest.  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he may send laborers out into his fields.”  God has called us to reach the nations and now he bids us to pray for laborers who are ready in the wings to go to work in reaching the harvest..

 

This is the next step in obeying God, praying for laborers.  None of us can reach the harvest alone so we must pray and ask the Lord for laborers for the harvest.  The temple is great and the work is impossible for this is a work of God and not for man.  So our responsibility is to pray for laborers so let us follow the command of our Lord and set our hearts to interceding that we may have more laborers for the harvest.

 

God raise up those you have already set aside for the harvest and let us use them as good stewards,
FriFridayDecDecember18th2009 December 18, 2009
Posted Friday, December 18 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Obedience is the doorway to accomplishing God’s Work

 

1 Chronicles 28:11-21 (NIV)
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;
18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the Lord.19 "All this," David said, "I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan."
20 David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.
21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."

 

As Solomon sought God, David provided him with the full detailed plans on the temple. Everything was put in writing so there would be no confusion.  God had promised to be with Solomon until the temple was finished.  He would not forsake Solomon as long as he was working on the task that God had called him  for.

 

Here is what I want you to notice about following God.  Solomon discovered that even though he had been called by God to build the temple, once he obeyed the command to be strong and do the work he discovered that God had numbers of skilled craftsmen who knew how to build the temple. They were all waiting to obey his every command.  God had prepared the people who were gifted and he only needed a person who was willing to obey His Word, the rest was history.

What is God calling you to do with your life at this present time?  You may feel completely unqualified, this is as it should be.  He wants you to learn how to look to him when confronted with the impossibility of what he has called you for.  As you look to him you will discover resources you did not know you had until you step out in faith.

 

In our church life at present we are facing the challenge of doing more with less.  Our budget has been shrunk considerably this past year and our finance team has been working overtime in overseeing the budget and expenditures of our tithes and offerings.  Things look more difficult this year than last year, and some may even say they look rather dismal, but this is as it should be for us to set our affections on knowing God and seeking his face.  I am convinced that as we do this we will find the resources we need for the work that God has called us to.

 

Here is the task God has called us to.  The plans have already been distributed in the Scriptures.  “Make disciples of every nation.”  How can we do this since we are young an inexperienced.  Many are fearful of sharing their faith, many others do not know how to answer the questions they will confront as they share Christ.  Let us take encouragement from Solomon.  Let us press on to know God and serve him with willingness and readiness and then stand back and watch as God opens the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing there will not be room enough for.

 

Pressing on to Know God,
ThuThursdayDecDecember17th2009 December 17, 2009
Posted Thursday, December 17 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Qualities of the Foreman

 

1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (NIV)
9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."

David did not leave Solomon without a plan, but his plan was not something from any college of construction I have ever seen.  I can hear the conversation between David and his young son.  

“Dad, how am I going to be able to build this temple for God’s glory when I do not even know how to wield a hammer?”

 

“Don’t worry son God has  way?”

 

“Well Dad what is His way, I need to know.”

 

OK, Solomon, take out your notebook and write these things down.  Here is how you are going to build this temple.  The first and most important thing is that you get to know this God who has called you to build.  This is your first priority.”

 

“Ok Dad I hear you but how do I get to know him?”

 

“Serve him with your whole heart.  Learn of him with all your mind.  This task will call for all of your emotional and spiritual and intellectual energies.  Do not let anything keep you from these most important tasks.”

 

“Ok Dad I get it but when will I learn about how to build the temple?  Sure this is all good and everything but someone has to build the temple and I don’t think these priorities that you have given me are going to help much with stone cutting and metallurgy.  When will I be trained in these things?”

 

“Patience my son, patience.”

 

Some of you reading this are probably saying the same things.  Well you will have to tune in tomorrow to discover how it is these disciplines are used by God to train and equip this young and inexperienced temple builder.

 

Working on Knowing God so I can build His temple,
WedWednesdayDecDecember16th2009 December 16, 2009
Posted Wednesday, December 16 2009 @ 10 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Setting the Pace

1 Chronicles 29:1-9 (HCSB)
1 Then King David said to all the assembly, “My son Solomon—God has chosen him alone—is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the temple will not be for man but for the Lord God.
2 So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold ?articles?, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, ?stones for? mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble.
3 Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house:
4 100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings,
5 the gold for the gold ?work? and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the Lord today?”
6 Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly.
7 For the service of God’s house they gave 185 tons of gold and 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 4,000 tons of iron.
8 Whoever had ?precious? stones gave them to the treasury of the Lord’s house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 Then the people rejoiced because of their ?leaders’? willingness to give, for they had given to the Lord with a whole heart. King David also rejoiced greatly.

For the next several days I want to consider the example we have in King David as he gave to the God’s work.

 

I want to consider first what David said about this work of God in building the Temple.  Who was it that God chose to build the temple?  Solomon, the son of David.  What do we know about Solomon?  He was young and inexperienced.  He knew nothing about building anything.  No temple had ever been built before.  He did not know anything about building or reading blueprints.  I bet when everyone heard who had been selected to direct the building project they must have said, “Are you kidding me, why he does not know the first thing about building a temple.”

 

How just like God this is to pick someone who is the least qualified and put them in charge of such a great task.  Even King David says as much, “My son Solomon-God has chosen him alone- is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the temple will not be for man but for God.”  Oh this is not some ordinary task where you can go out and pick you best contractors, this task will require a complete devotion to God and His word 

It will require men and women who will set their hearts affections on the things of God and not on things of the earth.

 

Think of it, to build a temple with inexperienced and unskilled workers.  Someone said it best year ago when they penned these words, “God does call the qualified he qualifies the called.” 

 

As you are thinking about this upcoming year and beginning now to set some goals for this new year approaching what great tasks does God have for you?  Perhaps you may be called to do something you are completely unqualified for, have no fear.  God is in the business of selecting persons who are not qualified in the eyes of the world.  God has other ways of leading those who are called by God to perform tasks they could never do on their own.

 

Tomorrow we will consider how it is that God qualifies those he calls.  For now suffice it to say that God has called all of us to things much greater than any of us could ever accomplish on our own.

 

Thanks be to God for such a calling as ours.

 

Rejoicing in the Calling of God,
WedWednesdayDecDecember16th2009 December 15, 2009
Posted Wednesday, December 16 2009 @ 9 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Giving to be Free

 

2 Samuel 24:18-25 (HCSB)
18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded.
20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground.
21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”
22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.
23 ?My? king, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24 The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost ?me? nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 20 ounces of silver.
25 He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel ended.

In this day of easy believism and portable loyalties the tendency of the church is to downplay the cost of discipleship and emphasize the benefits of belonging to the Church.  “Come to our worship service and we will make you feel good.  Our messages are contemporary and upbeat and we never ask for money. We may even throw in some nice appealing drama or humorous skits to help the service be more entertaining for you and your children. We do not want you to feel bad .  Our aim is make you feel good.” 

 

Thinking this is the way to reach the culture and build disciples better many churches have succumbed to this type of thinking and as a result have grown shallow disciples who cannot stomach the hard choices of being a true follower of Christ.

 

It is necessary for us to be reminded by King David’s words in II Samuel.  He was offered to obtain the land and the sacrifices he was to make to God for free.  Araunah was already to offer him the supplies he needed and there would not be any cost to him at all.  King David knew something about his own heart and he also understood that anything obtained to cheaply would be esteemed too lightly..

 

Are you looking for  a renewed experience with God?  Do you desire to see your walk with God deepened in this coming year?  Why not follow David’s example and take the high road of sacrifice and offering.  Let us not be those who offer to the Lord that which costs us northing.

 

Consider next what the end of David’s sacrifice and offering was.  The plague on the nation was stopped.  When God’s people esteem God to be worth more than their stuff things begin to happen.  When stuff begins to lose its stranglehold on us we will find that we have more room for God in our lives, we will have money left over to offer to the cause of Christ, more missionaries will be able to be sent to the fields, and we will be lighter and freer. 

 

I pray for us that we will be like King David in this respect that we will not offer to the Lord that which costs us nothing.  Our gifts to missions ought to cost us something.  There should be something that we could have purchased that we could no longer buy because our money has already been claimed by missions.  The question for you and your family to consider prayerfully this December is what part of your pocketbook has been claimed for missions so that you can no longer make the purchases you once did?

 

As we give this Christmas to our International Mission offering may the cost we incur be the opening of the gospel in foreign lands so the curse of sin might be restrained by the preaching of the gospel in those lands. 

 

Dear God, move us to give so the curse of sin in other lands may be stilled for the sake of your glory.

 

Experiencing the cost of living a missional life,
MonMondayDecDecember14th2009 December 14, 2009
Posted Monday, December 14 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)
1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.
2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.
3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others.
4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

One day in the future we will line up next to this woman and see how poor we really were in comparison to her.  She saw the true value of the world and gave it all away.  But there are a few things to notice about this woman that many miss.  First off she was a widow, things did not work out as she had planned.  She had planned to be with her husband longer but he died and left her alone.

 

She did not receive any real good treatment from the priests at the temple who took her money, they were more concerned about other things so she was hardly noticed when she came and went.  How the people treated her did not affect how she gave because she was not giving to them but to God.  How God chose to use her gift was up to Him.

 

So many in our day chose to withhold their gifts if things are not going according to their desires or plans but not this lady she trusted in God’s sovereignty and obeyed even though there were those who would misuse the gifts for other things.  

Take a moment to ask yourself if you have the spirit of this widow woman.  Do you give purely because God has commanded you to give?  Do you give with no strings attached?  Do you give unconcerned about being noticed by anyone other than your Savior?  If you are like me you have much homework in this area.

 

Let us give so no one sees, and let us give without reservation so that we may truly exhibit the Spirit of our God.

 

Giving because I cannot help it,

 
SunSundayDecDecember13th2009 December 13, 2009
Posted Sunday, December 13 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Luke 19:5-10 (NIV)
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Once again we see the indications of true and lasting repentance.  Zacheus had spent his life taking from everyone he met.  Lie was all about him and how much he could swindle people out of.  He had a reputation in Judah of being a cheat and a tax collector.  He had made a good deal of money out of cheating people and taking advantage of others.  But there was something not quite right in his life and he knew it.

Then one day he went to work and heard about Jesus coming to town.  He wanted to see this man that everyone was talking about so he climbed up in a sycamore tree and watched as the parade of Jesus and his disciples passed by.

Something happened while he was up in the tree that day.  This Jesus stopped right underneath his tree and told him that he wanted to eat at his house today.  Here it was that Jesus was inviting, no he was ordering, Zaccheus to come down so Jesus could eat at his house today.

Now this was a good day for the tabloids, “Messiah eats at tax collectors house;  Man up a tree finds Jesus; Messiah forgets about the poor and eats with the wealthy.” But there is 

something the media did not catch nor did anyone report it except the disciples who would write about years later.

“Wealthy Man Emptied Bank Accounts for the poor.  Tax Collector voluntarily give sup his wealth for the sake of Christ.  A Cheat and Liar Comes clean and leaves his wealth behind him for Jesus.” What would be the result of such action on the part of this tax collector?  Was it worth it for Zaccheus to do this?

You be the judge. Hear the response of our Messiah, “Today salvation has come to this house.” 

Giving Away my stuff to make room for the Savior,
SatSaturdayDecDecember12th2009 December 12, 2009
Posted Saturday, December 12 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Exodus 36:6-7 (NIV)
6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary." And so the people were restrained from bringing more,
7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.

The word was they needed many supplies to begin the construction of the tabernacle in the desert.  Where would they get all the supplies for such a tent as this was to be?  What wealthy person would they connect with so they could have the supplies necessary?  What building campaign would they launch to secure the offerings needed?  How many times would the people of God need to be reminded to give to this building campaign?

Stop tape! Rewind!  Something is noticeably absent from this building campaign, there were none of the usual things that accompany building campaigns.  No forced coercion, no talking about if you give this much then you can have your name on this brick or this plaque.  No singling out just the rich to give or leaving out the poor among them.  Everyone was invited to give but only those whose hearts moved them to give would be where the supplies would be found.

 

So the word was published abroad what they needed and then the Spirit of God went to work to call out the supplies necessary for all the work that was commanded by God to be done.  What happens when God’s people are involved in God’s work in God’s way?  There is a distinct move of the Spirit to lead the people to offer willingly and hilariously to the project. 

 

It is now the day of the offering and the people begin to file by the altar to leave their gifts.  Some even went back to their tents and brought more than one offering, many gave more than twice to this project.  Here is where the good stuff comes in, notice what happened as the people gave?  The workers had to go to Moses and tell him to tell the people to stop giving because they already had more than enough o the work required.

 

Think of it, many people showed up with their offerings and were told by the finance team they could not accept any more offerings because the place for collection was already over run with more than enough for the work.  Can you hear the comments of those as they walk away expecting to be able to give?  “If they don’t need my money then I will go somewhere else that needs it;.  I cannot believe they would not take my money, am I not important to this building?;  Last time I bring my offering to this place, just see if they ever get me to give anything again.”

 

Take a closer look at the text , the people were restrained from bringing anything else.  They were longing to give but they were restrained from doing so.  But no complaints only a sense of completion.  God’s people had offered their gifts willingly and joyfully and there was more than enough for all to have.  This is as it should be.  If God’s people offered their gifts willingly and joyfully there would be more than enough for all to do all that God had asked of them.

 

As this year draws to a close you may want to take a few moments and ask the Lord if there is anything else you can give to his missionary purposes.  How shall we fare when we stand before God and we see all the unreached peoples who have not yet heard and  we discover how we have spent our money on other things that do not last.  Let us seek the Lord and obey his voice as he calls us to give of ourselves for the sake of Christ in the nations.

 

For the Glory of Christ I will give,
FriFridayDecDecember11th2009 December 11, 2009
Posted Friday, December 11 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Nehemiah 12:43 (NIV)
43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

How can you tell if you really have been born again?  There are lots of signs we find in the Scriptures that indicate that the regeneration of the Spirit of God is at work in a person, but perhaps we have missed one completely.  The one we see in the text before us today.  Look closely at the language in this passage.  What was the motivation for their great sacrifice?  Was it not the great joy that had been given to them by God?  A person’s true sense of joy in God that gives way to great sacrifice is a primary indicator of conversion.

The people of Judah had returned to the land and had seen the walls rebuilt and the temple restored and God’s people once again reading from and obeying the Law of God.  This was the circumstance of their rejoicing.  God had given them great joy as a result of their labor together with God in the rebuilding of the city and the temple. They had toiled side by side for several days and years and now God granted them what they really were not expecting, a sense of tremendous joy in Jerusalem.

This joy led to great sacrifices being offered. And the circle continued to grow and widen so that the joy in Jerusalem was heard afar off. So here is the pattern we see in the Scriptures, God raises a person from spiritual death to life and they wake up to the things of God and he gives them great joy, greater joy that they ever previously known.  This joy becomes a contagion in the people of God and they begin to look for ways to bring more and more offerings to the temple because their true delight and highest joy is in the things and the person of God.

As their offerings grow their contentment in God grows and joy breaks out from the camp and the noise of great rejoicing begins to echo across the hills of Jerusalem so that even those who were far off could hear the sound.  When is the last time anyone has ever heard the sound of rejoicing coming from the church house?  Let the laughter and rejoicing begin.

Offering my gifts because of the joy I have found,
ThuThursdayDecDecember10th2009 December 10, 2009
Posted Thursday, December 10 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Making a little go a long ways

 2 Kings 4:1-7 (NIV)
1 The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves."
2 Elisha replied to her, "How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?"

"Your servant has nothing there at all," she said, "except a little oil."
3 Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few.
4 Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."
5 She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring.
6 When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one." But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing.
7 She went and told the man of God, and he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left."

Things look bad and now the creditors are at my doorstep.  Isn’t this jus like God to put us in such places so we have no way out but to trust.  What circumstances are you in at this very moment?  Not enough money to make ends meet?  Facing the loss of someone very close to you?  Losing your ability to cope with all that events of your world?  Enter one great Redeemer.

We find a widow woman in such a  predicament in this text today.  Her husband had died and now the creditors were at her door ready to take away her boys as payment for the bills she could not pay.  Observe carefully how this woman considers her problems. First she sizes up her problems and sees she does not have what is necessary, Second she cries out to Elisha as God’s representative; third she confesses her complete inability to meet her needs, fourth she obeys Elisha’s every word.

Her responsibility was to go and collect all the jars she could from those who lived in her village.  She was encouraged to think big and not just collect a few jars but get every possible jar she could.

Jars collected she begins to pour from her oil jar into each of the jars that were empty.  The oil continued to flow until every one of the empty jars in the village were filled completely. 

Now what should she do?  She consults the prophet who tells her to sell the oil and pay her bills and then she and her two sons would have enough to live on until the famine was over.  There are some who read this story and think to themselves, “Nice story, but that does not happen in our day.”  They will be the ones who will not see the hand of God provide because they do not take the steps commanded to trust God.

People God has led you to this very situation in your life today so that you would cry out to him and then obey His Word and do what he says and then you will see the wonderful provision of God for your every need.

It was just a few days ago that I was considering how to afford to take my wife out on a date and I was driving to the other side of town to deposit my paycheck when I heard on the radio an announcement if you were the fifth caller you would win tickets to a Christmas Concert at Shryock Auditorium.  I tried and I was the fifth caller and received two tickets at a value of $78.

Melanie and I enjoyed a great concert and then at the end of the concert the performer said he had five envelopes of $100 each that he was giving to the first five who held up their hands and promised to use it to help minister in some way to this community.  My wife and I have been praying and thinking of some ways we could help assist some of these students and before we really even had time to think about it we were being handed an envelope with $100 in it.  Not only had God provided tickets for a great show but now we had $100 to help others who needed ministry.

If we will just keep obeying God’s Word to give of our resources to share Christ with others we will see God do things we do not normally see.  He is the God who can make a little go a very long way.

Spending my resources for the Glory of Christ,
WedWednesdayDecDecember9th2009 December 9, 2009
Posted Wednesday, December 09 2009 @ 2 PM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Coming Empty and Leaving Full

Ruth 3:15-18 (NIV)
15 He also said, "Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out." When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and put it on her. Then he went back to town.
16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "How did it go, my daughter?" Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, "He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.'"
18 Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."

Ruth drew near to Boaz and her presence woke him. See how Boaz dealt with one who sought him in the midnight hours. Ruth had come at Naomi’s direction but she had no idea of how this wealthy land owner would respond to her coming at such an inappropriate time yet she went anyway.

Once Boaz was awakened and he saw Ruth at his feet and heard her claim to him as her redeemer he took of his bounty and gave her a full six measures of grain.  Why six measures?  What is the significance of these six measures?

This gift of grain to Naomi weighed in at close to fifty pounds.  This would be enough grain for many days of bread.  Some scholars say that six measures was an indication that Boaz was giving this as a down payment indicating to Naomi that he was going to fulfill the purchase price of what she had asked for.

Naomi is beginning to awaken to her redeemer now.  Do you remember what Naomi said when she came home to Bethlehem?  “I went out full but the Lord brought me back empty.” (Ruth 1:20)  What does Boaz say to Ruth as she leaves the threshing floor?  “Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty handed.”

Naomi was empty but now her redeemer was working to bring her to the fullness he desired.  She now sees the provision of her redeemer and she now understands. It is no longer about her working for her provision now for she has understood just who this redeemer is.  Hear what the claiming of her legal rights have now done for her.

“Wait my daughter, until you find out what happens.  For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”  Do you see yourself in this story today?  Go at once to your redeemer and claim the promises of his rescue for he is your redeemer and he will not rest until he has secured for you your deliverance.  Be like Ruth, no longer be ashamed or too bashful to approach your Redeemer with great boldness for you know his word is true and He will work out your redemption you have only to wait at his feet and make your request.  And when you make your request he will not send home empty handed he will load you down with blessing beyond measure so all who see you will see the marvelous grace of your loving Lord.

Go to him at once and stake your claim to his grace and provision and don’t forget to bring a shawl to carry home your bounty.

Running to My Redeemer with an Empty Backpack,
WedWednesdayDecDecember9th2009 December 8, 2009
Posted Wednesday, December 09 2009 @ 1 PM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Approaching God with Confidence

Ruth 3:7-9 (NIV)
7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down.8 In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet.9 "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

We have much to learn about approaching God with confidence but we can learn what wee need to from one young Moabite lady named Ruth.  Ruth goes against all custom and tradition in getting to Boaz.  She is directed by Naomi to go to the threshing floor at night and sleep at the feet of Boaz.  This is not something young women do, it flew in the face of propriety for Ruth to do this but she does nonetheless.

Ruth goes to the threshing floor and finds the place where Boaz is sleeping and lies down at his feet.  Late in the night Boaz wakes up to discover a young woman asleep at his feet.

There are several things that amaze Boaz in this situation; first is that a young woman was sleeping at his feet and not the feet of some other younger possibly more attractive man; second that she was approaching him with great boldness.  To sleep at his feet was unheard of, it broke all the rules of tradition; third she is bold in making her request.

Notice how Boaz receives her.  There is no rebuke for violating the rules of decorum, no voice of condemnation toward her, only a voice that seemed to welcome her approach in this manner.  What was it that led Ruth to act in such a way?  The days of the harvest were fast drawing to a close and soon the food ability to gather food for Naomi and herself would be over. She must find some place of refuge before the harvest was over so she had to act quickly.

Naomi discovers that Boaz is a kind relative and he seems to be willing to act as their redeemer thereby taking them into his care and accepting the responsibility to provide food and clothes and protection for both of them.  The orders are given and Ruth quickly dispenses with her duties. She must secure the refuge of the kinsman redeemer before harvest is over.

Knowing the law of the Kinsman redeemer, Ruth goes to Boaz and makes her appeal.  It does not come in the form of a request but an imperative.  Note the language, “Spread the corner of your garment over me since you are my kinsman redeemer.”  O what power in these words of the one who understands the legal responsibility of Boaz.  She is merely making her claim to redemption based on the Law of Moses which was given by God.

If I could be so bold to encourage each of you to take firm hold on the promises of God and stake your claim to his grace based on your relationship to the Father through Jesus his Son.  Go at once to your redeemer and make your stand on his promises and you will not find him to send you away empty handed.  He is waiting at the threshing floor for you to come and find him by the piles of provisions he has laid up for you.  Come and receive all that he has stored up for you for you are his and he loves to load his children down with provisions that are far more than they could possibly imagine.

Running to the Threshing Floor of my Redeemer,

 
MonMondayDecDecember7th2009 December 7, 2009
Posted Monday, December 07 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

2 Kings 7:1-20 (NIV)
1 Elisha said, "Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria."
2 The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, "Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?" "You will see it with your own eyes," answered Elisha, "but you will not eat any of it!"
3 Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, "Why stay here until we die?
4 If we say, 'We'll go into the city'--the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let's go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die."
5 At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, not a man was there,
6 for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!"
7 So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.
8 The men who had leprosy reached the edge of the camp and entered one of the tents. They ate and drank, and carried away silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.
9 Then they said to each other, "We're not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let's go at once and report this to the royal palace."
10 So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, "We went into the Aramean camp and not a man was there--not a sound of anyone--only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were."
11 The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.
12 The king got up in the night and said to his officers, "I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, 'They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.'"
13 One of his officers answered, "Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here--yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened."
14 So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, "Go and find out what has happened."
15 They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight. So the messengers returned and reported to the king.
16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the Lord had said.
17 Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died, just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house.
18 It happened as the man of God had said to the king: "About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria."
19 The officer had said to the man of God, "Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?" The man of God had replied, "You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!"
20 And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.

I wanted to include the entire passage of this story as we continue to consider offering our lives to God and His work this week.  Elisha had already predicted a tremendous provision for the people who were in economic bondage.  In fact he said that the price of food would fall so drastically by tomorrow that there would be food enough for all who were hungry.

Let me put this in perspective.  If Elijah were here today and made the same sort of prediction it would be equivalent to him predicting that a gallon of gas that sold for $3 today would be about 3 cents a gallon tomorrow.  If anyone ever said that everyone would say that person was crazy. Well this is exactly what an unnamed soldier said when he heard it from Elisha’s mouth. 

This unnamed soldier had forgotten to factor in God’s power and as a result of his speaking unbelief he forfeited the joy of being able to participate in God’s bounty.  He died having seen the fulfillment of the Word of God but he lost the opportunity to enjoy any of it.

Can you believe that God can take a very small offering and use it for his glory?  Stop  right now and start believing that God can take whatever is offered and magnify it for His purposes.  Let us encourage all to give even if they feel they have nothing to give.  Let us grow in this discipline of giving so God will reveal himself in greater and greater ways to us in the days ahead.

Giving my little so God will make much of himself,
SunSundayDecDecember6th2009 December 6, 2009
Posted Sunday, December 06 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

John 6:5-13 (NIV)
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up,
9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Often when the subject of giving comes up there are those who do not have much to give.  If they emptied their bank accounts their offering would be only a few coins in comparison to other gifts. I find it interesting that in most of the examples of giving in the Bible God elevates those who have nothing and speaks of their small gift as though it was the greatest one offered.

Some who are poor are kept from giving because they think they do not have enough to make a difference and that is not true at all.  The fact is that it is those that God elevates in Scripture to demonstrate his marvelous grace.

In the text today we see a small boy who had thought ahead enough to pack his own lunch.  Peter discovers this little boy with his five loaves and two fish and says how this little boy’s lunch would never be enough to feed the crowd that numbered in the thousands.  Peter had not learned what a little boy’s lunch given to God could do.  He was to see soon enough.

Jesus took this boy’s lunch that was given and offered it up to his father and then over 15,000 were fed and there were twelve baskets of bread and fish left over.  Here is what we must understand from this story; God is not limited by the size of your gift. He can take what you give him and multiply it to feed all he desires. God is not limited by our gifts but we limit God working in our lives by withholding our offerings.

I wonder how many people could hear the gospel through your gift to the international mission offering this month.  Could your child’s gift of the price of their lunch be used to share the gospel with 15,000 people?

Giving my lunch for the Gospel,
SatSaturdayDecDecember5th2009 December 5, 2009
Posted Saturday, December 05 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

1 Kings 18:30-39 (NIV)
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel."
32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."
34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command.
37 Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord--he is God! The Lord--he is God!"

We are discussing giving to the Lord this week and I know some of you may be asking the question, “What does this text have to do with giving?”  I am glad you asked.  This text is one of the best texts about the promises God has for those who hold nothing back from Him.

It is important that we understand the context of this text in front of us today.  Remember this event takes place at the end of a three and half year drought in Israel. Elijah had warned Israel that if they did not repent God would withhold rain from them so that they would not have water for their crops.  It would be a long hard dry spell due to their sinful rebellion.  So this event takes place in the land of Israel after it had not rained for three and half years. 

After three and half years of no rain what would be the most precious commodity in the land?  Water! Notice the false prophets of Baal have attempted to get their false god to respond and they have been busy praying for half the day and going to some very great lengths to attempt to manipulate their gods into action.  Around noon Elijah mocks them and ridicules them for their false gods silence.

Now comes his turn to show to the nation the glory of the God of Israel. He builds he altar and places the animal on the altar and then instructs those standing by to pour large quantities of water all over the altar.  They pour out twenty gallons of water the first time and the altar is drenched with water.

Elijah instructs them to do it again and the altar is now completely soaked and the water is beginning to run into the trench that he has just dug around the altar.  Then he has them do it a third time and the trench around the altar is filled.  Elijah has just had the servants waste over 60 gallons of precious life giving water by pouring it out on the altar.  I am sure there must have been those standing by who said, “What a waste, this water surely could have been kept and given to those who were thirsty.”

But those who say such things have not considered what God is able to do. At once fire comes down from heaven and consumes the altar and the water and rocks and all.  God is clearly revealed to all who are standing by and they all proclaim “The Lord He is God!  The Lord He is God!”

What was it that set the stage for the glory of God to be revealed? Elijah taking what was the most precious commodity present and offering it up to the Lord.  When God sees that we are holding nothing back he shows up and sends a blessing there is not room to receive.  If you read just a little further in the passage you will see that God answers Elijah’s offering with a coming downpour of rain from the heavens.

What a picture of God’s promise to those who hold nothing back. I want to be among those who hold nothing back.  Let us take His Word and test His promise in this way, let us give all that we have to the Lord and hold nothing back so He might be revealed among our nation this year.

Pouring the Water on the altar for the glory of God,
FriFridayDecDecember4th2009 December 4, 2009
Posted Friday, December 04 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

What compelling words to write and read.  The apostle Paul speaks from his heart as he encourages those who know Christ to give all of their lives to this great redeemer.  It is if he is saying, “In light of what Christ has done for you how could you hold anything back?  I count it my highest pleasure and joy to give my whole life to Him.  In fact it is my only reasonable act in view of God’s mercies towards me.”

These two marvelous verses contain in them all we need to know about living the Christian life.  The text indicates that if we have a clear grasp of what God has done for us there will be no withholding only a radical compelling to give all that we have to Him. It will not be a forced compulsory sacrifice, it will be a, “I cannot help but give my life’” sacrifice.

There will be those voices that speak to warn you of being too fanatical in your gift.  They will say you must be calculating so you make sure you have enough left over for yourself.  These are the voices of those who do not get it.  What has self ever done for you? Why hold out for self?  Is it not self that led you to sin and rebel against your Maker? Is it not self that has held you captive to corrupt desires and fallen vices?  Does not the Lord tell us unless we deny ourselves we cannot be his disciples? So really now what do you owe to yourself?

This type of thinking is the thinking that is conformed by the world, but we are no longer of the world so we will allow the Word of God to form our thoughts and actions.  There will be those voices that say this is too high a price to pay, you must think about self.  Once again they are the voices that mislead.  They do not want us to experience the promise of God.

Listen to the promises of God as we obey His Word. “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may able to test and approve what God’s good pleasing and perfect will is.”

As we respond to God’s call to give all of our lives as living sacrifices we will be able to see God’s will more clearly and we will be able to speak with confidence that His will is perfect.  How often we hear of those who complain and gripe about the cost of following God but how seldom do we hear of the joy of living fully committed lives for God’s glory.  Could it be the reason we hear so little of such joy is due to the lack of those who really have given over their lives to the complete control of Christ?

Let us be among those who respond to God’s missionary call with all that we have.

For the Sake of His Glory in the Nations I will Give,
ThuThursdayDecDecember3rd2009 December 3, 2009
Posted Thursday, December 03 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Daniel 1:8-17 (NIV)
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel,
10 but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you."
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
12 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see."
14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.
16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

Daniel was offered the best of the king’s provisions but he declined for he had purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the choice foods of Babylon.  As a young man he understood what God could do and he was not moved by the offer of succulent foods of royalty. 

Daniel’s life was to be one of refusing to accept anything but what God had commanded.  He would not violate God’s Word for anything.  What was the result?  God gave him and his friends wisdom far beyond their years and made them rise to the top of the top in Babylon.

Daniel did not live this way only as a young teen, but he carried these disciplines into his adult years and we see him over sixty years later still choosing to sacrifice so he may walk with God.  Check out Daniel 6 and Daniel Chapter 9.

I wonder what would happen if you decided to fast and pray for just one day a week, purposely going without the pleasure of eating so you may give more of your time to seek God through his Word and prayer.

What might be the result of not just one or two in the church deciding to obey God’s direction for prayer and fasting but what would happen if many in the church individually decided to set aside some blocks of time each week to fast and pray for God to be revealed in our midst?  Would you like to find out what might happen?  Consider setting aside some time each week to fast and pray for the work of the gospel to go forward from the ministry of  Lakeland Church.
WedWednesdayDecDecember2nd2009 December 2, 2009
Posted Wednesday, December 02 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Judges 6:17-24 (NIV)
17 Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you." And the Lord said, "I will wait until you return."
19 Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.
20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did so. 21 With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.
22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!"
23 But the Lord said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."
24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon was a small man who was one of the weakest in his clan.  He did not possess any great physical strength; he was not trained in the strategy of warfare.  All he knew how to do was to thresh wheat in a winepress.  Then one day it happened, God spoke to him and called him out.

Hear again the Word of the Lord spoken to a young, frail, small man in Israel. “The Lord is with you Mighty Warrior.”

I can almost hear Gideon and see him as he engages this visitor, “Sorry George, you have the wrong address.  You are not talking to a mighty warrior here; you are talking to a mighty chicken

So how was it that Gideon got over his timidity? He offered to the Lord an offering that was literally way beyond what was called for.  He gave over forty quarts of flour as a grain offering to the Lord.  Note it is important to remember that Gideon and all of Israel were living in a time of great famine subjected on them by the Midianites.  Gideon must have been storing up the grain in a secret hideaway so he would have enough to live off of after the Midianites swept down and carried off their harvest.

He has this meeting with the Lord and then he says wait here while I go and prepare a sacrifice for you.  He comes back and offers his entire private store.  He tosses in everything he had saved up to live off of and it was only then that he saw the Lord and realized it was the Lord.

So maybe we understand now what it is that God is after in our lives when he calls us to test him in this area of tithes and offerings.  Could it be that God desires to show himself to us and he uses this means of offering to reveal himself to us?  O church let us give so that we may see the glory of God revealed in our midst. 

Someone said it well in this quote, “God is not so concerned with how much you give he takes notice of how much you still have left after you have given.” Let us be like Gideon and give out of our private stock and see what God will do.

Nothing held back,
TueTuesdayDecDecember1st2009 December 1, 2009
Posted Tuesday, December 01 2009 @ 5 AM byPhil Nelson Tagged No tags 0 comments Add comment

Malachi 3:6-12 (NIV)
6 "I the Lord do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the Lord Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
9 You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the Lord Almighty.
12 "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the Lord Almighty. Day we

Here we are coming to the end of another year and we are faced with the challenge of what do we invest our money in, and how are we to use the resources that God has given us?  We find a challenge before us in this text today.  The challenge of trusting the Lord when it seems there is not enough to go around.  For the next week I want to take you on a journey through the pages of Scripture to see if God might have a word for us this week.  I am certain that God will speak to you as you seek to obey his word this week.  There are some very specific promises we will explore together and I am excited about the great adventure we have before us as we are challenged to obeying God in greater and greater ways.

We read in our text today that one specific way we have to experience God’s provision for us.  It is only in this passage that we have the specific command to test the Lord to see if His Word is true.  It is only here that we have a very clear word to put God to the test. 

Now some will say you should never do that, but they only say that if they do not read the whole counsel of Scripture.  It is precisely here that God commands us to test His Promises in this one area of offering and tithes.  Some one may venture to ask the question, “What if I do not want to put God to the test in this way?” 

The response that would come from the Scripture would be to say that you are in rebellion from God’s specific command.  So what is the big deal about this issue of tithes and offerings? I thought you said several times that God does not need our money?

The big deal is that God desires that we see Him as he really is, the true provider for all of our needs.  He desires that we see him to be more precious than anything we could ever offer. Only as we free ourselves from our love of things will we begin to see that God is far superior to things.  As we approach the end of the year let us consider how we may give far more than we ever have to the cause of God’s missionary enterprise.  Let us not be found with extra stuff in our bank accounts or homes when there are still billions who have never heard the first word about Jesus, our magnificent savior.

Praying, Giving and going until all have heard,
Daily Devotionsby Devotions for your daily Bible readings written by Pastor Phil Nelson. If you would like a copy of an older devotional, please contact the church office.
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