Strange Fire

My sister taught Sabbath School for years and the one thing that always weighed on her mind and that she prayed constantly about was that she would speak God’s word truthfully and in accordance with His will. She never wanted to cause one of her students to stumble or question their faith because of misspoken words.

“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Leviticus 10:1-2 KJV)

Here in Leviticus we find the Israelites in the wilderness after just completing the Tabernacle and having just finished the consecration of it and of the Priests. Nadab and Abihu, decided that the greatness of God was so overwhelming that they would add to the ceremony by offering ‘Strange Fire’ before the Lord.

Their actions led to an immediate punishment, one that brought on their death.

Commentators have speculated about the circumstances that bought on their untimely death. Some of these include:

• ·         They lit the incense, not using the altar fire, but fire from somewhere else.
• ·         They offered incense at a time that was not allowed according to God’s plan
• ·         Some think that they went into the Holy of Holies to burn the incense.
• ·         Some think that it was a combination of these.

One thing is certain they offered "fire which the Lord had not commanded them". And this sin brought them certain and instant judgment.

It is totally possible that they meant no harm by their actions. But as the Expositor’s Bible points out, “For the essence of their sin was this, that it was will worship; worship in which they consulted not the revealed will of God regarding the way in which He would be served, but their own fancies and inclinations.”

Years later King Saul found the same type of issue when he tried to offer sacrifices to cover up his disobedience. Samuel pointed out the error of his ways in that it was better to obey than to sacrifice.

“And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22 KJV)

Why did God deal with them such?

• ·         God will be worshiped according to His will or not at all.
• ·         Trying to do good when it is not in His will is disobedience.
• ·         Their position within the Church gave them no special standing, if nothing else it put them in greater jeopardy.
• ·         Their actions leading to this event was public.

The Congregation as a whole witnessed this. The Priests and their act of presenting something ‘strange’ and out of the instructed process of worship could have had harmful consequences down the road.  

We must be like my Sister and always seek God’s will in our worship. We should never stand before a group and not speak and act according to and pleasing to His will.

Sula Ellen (Richard) Harwood
(1940-2018)

Modeling God’s Love…

Modeling God’s Love…

The most well-known bible verse is probably the most profound; ”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 KJV) God loves us, all of us. No matter our sex, color or height, His love is extended to each of us. And this love brings about the gift of grace. Through His grace we can find salvation and forgiveness of our sins. This grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. In other words we don’t deserve it and there is nothing we can do in our own power to obtain it. It is a gift from a loving God.

We are expected to share His love to those around us in the same way that He shares it to us, to become conduits of His love. As Douglas Jacobson wrote, we need to “externalize the internalized love”.

Our Father God has given us the choice of free will and He stands ever ready to bestow upon us the power and embrace of His love. He never forces the love upon us, but waits for us to come to Him. Hence when we share His love through our words, thoughts and actions we need to remember that His love does not smother the recipient, but enhances them. It is never overbearing because it is welcomed by the recipient. Life proves to us that forced love never brings positive results.

As we learn to reflect His love we need to direct in the same way that He does. It must be appropriate for the situation, desired and needed by the receiver. Care must always be taken that the sharing of love never exposes the neediness of those being embraced. It must always be love offered lovingly.

Of course none of us are perfect and it only logical that we grow in Christ and become more like Him as we work at exercising our faith. We are all works in progress and must remember that God does not call us to be passive in our love, rather active in growing and sharing it. 

Mortal man, stand up...

Mortal man, stand up...

Ezekiel was a prophet of God who lived during the time of the fall of Jerusalem. He lived in Babylon, finding himself there after being captured and exiled. His preaching was not popular because his audience was made up of more exiles that were looking forward to returning to home. His sermons concerned the fall of Jerusalem, telling his hearers not to expect a speedy return home, and that they should learn to live where they were.

Then I heard a voice saying, "Mortal man, stand up. I want to talk to you." While the voice was speaking, God's spirit entered me and raised me to my feet, and I heard the voice continue, "Mortal man, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They have rebelled and turned against me and are still rebels, just as their ancestors were. They are stubborn and do not respect me, so I am sending you to tell them what I, the Sovereign LORD, am saying to them. Whether those rebels listen to you or not, they will know that a prophet has been among them. "But you, mortal man, must not be afraid of them or of anything they say. They will defy and despise you; it will be like living among scorpions. Still, don't be afraid of those rebels or of anything they say. You will tell them whatever I tell you to say, whether they listen or not. Remember what rebels they are. "Mortal man, listen to what I tell you. Don't be rebellious like them. ..”(Ezekiel 2:1-8a GNB)

In verse 1 to 4 God tells Ezekiel he was being called to minister to a people who were rebels, they had turned their backs on God, and they were stubborn having no respect for God. Sound familiar? What is the mental aspect of the people we deal with daily? The society we find ourselves in is filled with people who are self-centered, stubborn and have no desire to live more God centered lives. Many even appear to have no idea who God is.

God then points out in verse 5 that they may or may not listen to him but that he should carry. Our God is loving and would that no one turn away. He gives us freewill to choose Him or to turn away, but he gives us the choice. Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.” (2 Peter 3:9 GNB)

Our God is fair in all His dealings. His is upfront and just. When we stand before Him on the Day of Judgment we will know that in this life we were given every opportunity to choose Him.

God strengthens and lifts him up in verse 6 by telling him not to be afraid and to carry on if they listen or not. Jesus instructed his followers when he sent them out to witness, “And if some home or town will not welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.” (Matthew 10:14 GNB)

God ends the section by warning him to not be like the others and rebel. In the same way Paul warned the Hebrews and us today, “As for us, we have this large crowd of witnesses around us. So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.” (Hebrews 12:1 GNB)

Today we are called to take the light into the world. God knows that the message may not be popular. But He still expects us to stand tall follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and share the Gospel.

Oikos

Oikos

There have been in the last few years a new idea that is actually an old idea, that deals with how we are to reach out to the world with the love of God and how that action can bring on a reaction that could grow our churches. This concept is often known as Oikos. Oikos is a Greek word that is often translated as “household”. Our video game society today would define household as the immediate family that lives within the four walls of our homes. But back in the day it was used to define the realm of your life. Your work, worship, leisure and family time were all part of your Oikos

.

So today it would be the mom’s you share the car pool with, the guy In the cubicle next to you, the girl who checks you in at the gym, the neighbor who’s dog loves your yard more than their own, the people in the pew behind you, the kid you give five bucks allowance to each week… Get the idea? These are the people you could most easily affect by your witness. These are the people Christ wants you to minister to.

Michael Green, in his book, Evangelism in the Early Church points out that,” The early Christians knew when the message of faith was heard and demonstrated by friends and family who were known, then trusted barriers to the gospel were removed and receptivity to the message increased tremendously.”

Dr. Bob Orr on his blog (http://drboborr.blogspot.com/) shares two reasons why these people will be influenced by us more than any other. The two reasons are integrity and life transformation. Who sees if you walk the talk and how you handle your slips? The people of your Oikos! They know you, your actions, your words and where you are in the Lord.

Dr. Bob goes on to share these statistics on what brings people into the church:

• ·         Special Need (Death, Illness, etc)                                             3%
• ·         Walk In                                                                                      3%
• ·         Work of the church staff                                                            3%
• ·         Visitation (Knocking on doors, etc)                                          1%
• ·         Small Groups                                                                             6%
• ·         Revivals                                                                                     1%
• ·         Other Programs                                                                         4%
• ·         Oikos                                                                                        79%

Wow! Right? We can and do reach the lost by a number of different ways, but the most successful is reaching out to and evangelizing those in your own world!

So how do you do it? Start by making a list of people. List three individuals that you are related to, three that you work with, three that you live by or do business with, three you worship with and three that you ‘hang’ with.

Second, get to know them better than you do now. Take an interest in their lives, ask questions, show concern (all without being stalker like).

Third, pray for them, their needs, and their praises. Thank God for placing them in your life. Ask His guidance in ministering to them.

Forth, seek the Holy Spirits guidance in who needs your attention the most, who is ready to hear the Word, whose heart is best prepared for the Gospel.

Fifth, as you continue to seek God’s will begin to minister to them. Show God’s love in your actions and words. Invite them to special events, to worship service and to fellowship gatherings. Let them see the great work that God has done in your life in greater detail.

Lastly, repeat the process.

Want more information?

• Dr. Bob’s blog http://drboborr.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-church-really-grows-oikos-phenomina.html
• The Master's Plan for Making Disciples by Win and Charles Arn
• Oikos Your World Delivered by Pastor Tom Mercer

Thanks to Dr. Bob Orr for the info!

Adherent to?

Adherent to?

I live in Genesee County, Michigan and in 2010 the population of Genesee County was right around 425,000. Of that number, over half reported that they had no religious affiliation. City-Data.com reported that 60.6% or 258,027 of County residents did not consider themselves an adherent to any faith. Add to that another 4.2% or almost 18,000 who are Muslims or some type of Eastern Religion and the results show there are over 275,000 people in our County who we can assume do not know Jesus Christ.

We read in 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (ESV)

We the believers in Christ are the chosen race, we have inherited the Royal Priesthood and with that inheritance we have also been given the task of proclaiming His Excellency. We are to be about the business of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Before our Lord ascended into heaven he left these instructions for us; “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV). 

That’s plain isn’t it? As believers we have the Holy Spirit. He is called among other things the Comforter, the Counselor, the Advocate and in this verse the Power. That power should be the driving force in being His witness to the ends of the earth, even to the edges of Genesee County.

Which of the 275,000 lost are praying for? Which are you inviting to church? Which are you showing acts of Christian love to?

Invite?

Invite?

Why do you invite people to church? Is it for the right reasons?

Chris Swain suggests the following and bout why we should NOT invite people;

• ·        If we are slaves to the numbers and we want those numbers to be really big, or at least bigger than last time.
• ·         If we see our services and events as the highest level of discipleship.
• ·         If we see inviting people to church the same as leading people to Jesus.

He goes on to share why we SHOULD invite people to church;

• ·         Because we want them to connect with biblical community, to worship together, study together, sing, give, serve, and other various connecting-type things.
• ·         Because we understand that people will probably get an invitation to follow Jesus through the sermon, study, or general community environment.
• ·         Because we truly believe that what we have in store will impact their life for the sake of the gospel to help them grow, rest, learn, gain passion, and strengthen their walk with Jesus.

If you stop and think about Genesee County, we are in a sense a community of immigrants. Strangers not from a foreign land, but from a different location. For the most part our ancestors came here from Missouri, or Arkansas, or Kentucky or some other location south of the Michigan Ohio State lines. When they arrived they desired to worship God in the same style and under the same beliefs that they did back home and so they started churches, churches and more churches.

I am of a mind that most churches in Genesee County could be considered ‘Family’ churches, places of worship that were founded and then populated by the same core families for generations. This often meant we didn’t have to actively become involved in sharing the gospel and inviting people to church because we were first of all comfortable with who we worshiped with and had no desire to bring in new or different ideas. Secondly we found ourselves in positions where we didn’t need more attendees. Our ‘families’ provided enough members to cover the active missions and ministries of the church.

So today we find our houses of worship in decline, with many hanging on by a thread ready to close their doors. We could spend countless hours trying to come up with a cause as to why this happened and many denominations have spent large amounts of money determining the reasons. But I challenge you today to leave the past where it is and move forward, spending that time growing the body of Christ rather than mourning the past.

Jesus ministered to the poor, sick, rejected and dejected and while ministering to them shared the love of God. He didn’t do this so that all the seats in heaven would be full; He did it because our God does not want to see one soul lost to hell. He did it because He loved and cared about the hurt that those around Him felt.

Go out into your community, let the world see Christ by your actions and love and then invite them to church because you care about their souls. And I pray that because they have seen the light in you that they will desire to find out more about Christ and accept your invitation.

http://www.lifeway.com/studentministry/2015/03/23/stop-inviting-people-to-church/

A Poke and A Prod

A Poke and A Prod

We had our first of many Men’s Prayer Breakfast this morning and this was the devotion I shared there.

So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good. (Hebrews 10:22-24 GNB)

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (Hebrews 10:22-24 KJV)

We walk through our lives often wondering what’s around the corner, what’s the next hill to climb, why we feel so alone, etc. But God our father is standing, looking at us, His dear children, just waiting for us to notice Him and come running to Him. Can’t you just picture Him looking at us, arms crossed, wingtip shoes tapping, waiting, sighing, waiting. While all those cares and worries we carry can be erased if we only seek His love and His face.

Paul tells us here in Hebrews that God is asking us to draw near to Him with a heart that is sincere and pure. What we need to remember is that coming to Him this way is so much more profound than the first time we ever approached Him. At that time we were seeking His forgiveness and accepting His offer of grace, but now we should draw near seeking something more. We should approach Him with conversation, adoration, worship, dependence, etc. Come into His presence in new and different ways, putting forth effort and seeking Him! This brings us into a more mature understanding of God.

He goes on telling us to hold on to the hope we have, the faith we have, the belief we have in our sovereign God. As babes in Christ it is often easy to lose sight of God because we do not have our eyes firmly planted on Him. But what we will find is that when we learn NOT to doubt in the strength and power of our God and learn to rely more and more on Him, the easier it is to hang on to His love. Growth in the Lord strengthens our faith.

Finally he points out that we need to be aware of our brothers and sisters, to consider them! How often do we never bother to look up and see those around us, only looking at the toes of our shoes as we walk through life. We need to consider them and from what we see in them, provoke them into action. So we should not only show the love of Christ in our lives but poke and prod fellow believers into action.