Numbers 17

Twelve rods to be put in the Tabernacleverses 1-5

And the LORD spoke unto Moses

saying

Speak to the children of Israel – and take of every one of them

a ROD according to the house of their fathers

                        of all their princes according to the house of

their fathers – TWELVE RODS

                                                write you every man’s name

on his ROD

And you shall write Aaron’s name on the ROD of Levi

            for one ROD shall be for the head of the house of their fathers

And you shall lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation

before the testimony – where I will meet with you

And it shall come to pass – that the man’s ROD

            whom I shall choose shall BLOSSOM

                        and I will make to cease from ME

the murmurings of the children of Israel

                                                whereby they murmur against you             

Twelve leaders put rods in Tabernacleverses 6-7

 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel

            and every one of their princes gave him a ROD apiece

                        for each prince one – according to their father’s houses

even TWELVE RODS

                                                and the rod of Aaron was among their RODS

And Moses laid up the RODS before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness

Aaron’s rod produced ripe almonds overnightverse 8

 And it came to pass that on the morrow Moses went into the

Tabernacle of witness

And BEHOLD – the ROD of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded

            and brought forth buds – and bloomed blossoms

                        and yielded almonds

Eleven rods to their ownersverse 9

 And Moses brought out all the RODS from before the LORD to the

            children of Israel – and they looked

and took every man his ROD

Aaron’s rod remain in Tabernacleverses 10-11

 And the LORD said to Moses

            Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony

                        to be kept for a token against the REBELS

            And you shall quite take away their murmurings from ME

                        that they DIE NOT

And Moses did so – as the LORD commanded him – so did he

Children of Israel afraid of deathverses 12-13

 And the children of Israel spoke to Moses

saying

BEHOLD – we die – we perish

we all perish

Whosoever comes anything near unto the tabernacle of the

LORD shall die – shall we be consumed with dying?

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 5        And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. (977 “choose” [bachar] means choice, acceptable, appoint, selected, preferred, or elect)

DEVOTION:  The LORD didn’t want to leave any doubt in the minds of the children of Israel that HE had elected to appoint the tribe of Levi as HIS representative in the religious practices of the nation. HE also wanted to make sure that they knew that HE had elected Aaron to be the one whose family was to serve HIM in the special place called the Tabernacle in the wilderness and in the future Temple in Jerusalem.

The problem HE had faced and judged was the people could not stop murmuring against Aaron even after HE has come down and judges those who rebelled against the leadership of Aaron.

God knew and wanted them to know that when they rebelled against HIS elect representative that they were really rebelling against HIM. HE was not naive to think that HIS demonstration of the budding rod would end all murmuring or complaining. HE just wanted to give them three witnesses to the fact that HE had elected Aaron and his family to be the priests or religious leaders of the nation.

Even to this time in the history of the church there are people who think that God doesn’t have a system in place to elect HIS leaders for the local church. Are their false leaders in the churches of today? YES!!! Are people listening to individuals who say they are Christian leaders but are preaching a false message? YES!!!

The only way we know whether an individual is a false teacher is the witness of the Holy Spirit in the lives of genuine believers. Sometimes even genuine believers can be fooled for a while but the LORD gives HIS witness to them and between the Holy Spirit and the gift of discernment that HE gives most genuine believers will not follow a false teacher.

Remember that a false teacher receives a greater judgment at the Great White Throne Judgment. False teachers need to be informed of their rebellion against the LORD and told to repent to become a genuine believer.

A sign of a false teacher or believer is that they have a negative spirit whenever they are met with the truth of the Word of God.

CHALLENGE: When in doubt about a false teacher go to the LORD in prayer and ask for discernment. HE answers genuine prayer from a genuine believer.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 8        And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. (5715 “witness” [‘eduwth] means testimony, legal provisions, precept, law, rites, revelation, statute, or the written copy on stone of the regulations of the covenant given to Moses)

DEVOTION:  Have you ever planted some seeds to see if they would grow in the house or in the yard? If you have you know that it takes some time for the plant to come up out of the ground. If you started with a fruit tree you know that it generally takes three years before the fruit comes on the tree.

We have been watering cacti for many years but they didn’t seem to grow very well until we bought special cacti soil and when we planted them in the soil they started to grow like weeds normally do in the yard.

Here we find that they took walking sticks from each of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel and put them in a place where no one could switch them and watched to see what the LORD was going to do.

The next morning there was only one rod that had budded. It was the rod of Aaron to show the people that God had chosen him to represent HIM before the nation. It was the only rod that budded. The other eleven showed no sign of life.

Now the rod not only budded but it blossomed, and produced ripe almonds overnight. Is God able to so such a thing? The answer is yes. HE can do the impossible and we need to expect it from HIM.

This was the final proof that the tribe of Levi was HIS choice and that Aaron was to be the religious leader. It also was shown that any rebellion would be judged.

Now what happened to this rod that budded? It was placed in the holy of holies with a container of manna to remind the children of Israel that God was the one who would bring them from the wilderness into the Promised Land.

We can go to the mercy seat of God in prayer and can expect HIM to answer our prayers sometime in miraculous ways. Do you expect the LORD to perform miracles today? Do you think HE can still do this type of miracle in your life? The Bible says that you should expect great things from HIM through your prayer life if it is genuine.

Remember there are false teachers out there that are promising health and wealth to those who believe and give their money to these teachers. God’s gives are not health and wealth as they teach but practice gifts that show HIS love for HIS genuine followers.

CHALLENGE:  HE is not in the same category as a magic genie!!

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: 10      And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels, and you shall quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. (226 “token” [owth] means sign, signal, a distinguishing mark, miracle or warning)

DEVOTION:  This is the fourth sign the LORD used to show the people that HE was working. The first sign was the rainbow. The second sign was circumcision. The third sign was the blood on the doorposts. This sign was that the children of Israel should know who was to represent HIM in the service of the tabernacle.

The children of Israel were murmuring again against Aaron and Moses. This time Moses was told to take a rod from a leader of each tribe and place the twelve rods in the Tabernacle before the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron’s rod represented the tribe of Levi.

The next morning Moses went into the Tabernacle and took each of the rods out. The only rod that showed life was Aaron’s. His rod had budded, bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds. It had produced fruit overnight. The other eleven rods were given back to their owners as they were the night before – no fruit!!!

The LORD showed the children of Israel who was supposed to represent HIM before the people. HE had instructed them many times before but this was a sign and warning for them not to test HIM again.

Aaron’s rod that budded was to be kept as a reminder of God’s choice. The LORD had warned the children of Israel not to rebel.

In these last few chapters we found that HE opened the earth and swallowed rebels, then HE send a plague to kill the rebels and now HE tells the children of Israel to collect one rod from each of the tribes to show who HE has chosen.

Did the children of Israel stop rebelling? NO!! The problem is that we are supposed to learn from the Old Testament about God and how HE works. We have just read the accounts.

We will never rebel against the LORD because of reading these accounts. Right?? Wrong!! We receive warning signs from the LORD in our life and we still don’t learn, as we should. We receive signals from the LORD as to how we are to use our gifts for HIS service. Where HE wants us to serve, HE opens the doors. Are we listening to the LORD’S warning??? Are we serving the LORD as we should?

CHALLENGE: Learn from past failures. Tell others what the LORD has taught you from your failures. Especially, teach your children your lessons.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 12      And the children of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. (6 “perish” [‘abad] means to destroy, get lost, go astray, to wander, become lost, fugitive, near to ruin, or not exist.)

DEVOTION:  The children of Israel were finally getting the message that the LORD is HOLY and will not put up with their rebellion for very long. During this time period in the history of Israel there were times when the LORD judged quickly and with a large number of people dying among HIS people.

Here we see that the LORD had dealt with a rebellious group and with the general public for their rebellion. Now HE had manifested HIS power by causing the rod to bud that manifested HIS relationship with Aaron.

The people saw all this happening and they thought that another round of deaths were about to happen because of the test regarding which tribe was the LORD’S choice for priesthood.

They came to Moses stating that they thought their death was imminent because of all that had happened recently. They had to be reassured that the LORD was not going to kill them too for siding with the rebellious individuals.

Have you ever felt like you had sided with the wrong people in a church meeting and wondered if the LORD was going to send judgment your way? Do you think that you are under the judgment of God for past sins? It is hard to not feel that way sometimes but the LORD is not sitting up in heaven just waiting for us to make a mistake so HE can judge us.

We need to realize that the LORD was showing love to the children of Israel even in the wilderness. If HE had let the rebellion go it would have just gotten worst. HE had to judge then and sometimes HE has to judge nations even today.

Individuals will be judged if they don’t correct their actions but large groups or nations will be judged if their iniquity is full according to the LORD’S standard. Remember we need to keep short accounts with the LORD. Those the LORD loves HE corrects or prunes. If you are going through a time of pruning it is because HE wants you to be a better servant of HIS. If you are being corrected, HE is trying to help you make a choice to confess your sin and turn back to HIM before HE has to use stronger judgment. If nothing is happening when you are not acting according to HIS standard than you are probably not one of HIS children and it is time to repent and become one of HIS children. CHALLENGE:  Judgment is used to get the attention of those who are rebellious.

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: 13      Whosoever comes anything near to the Tabernacle of the LORD shall die: shall we be consumed with dying? (8552 “consumed” [tamam] means to finish, to come to an end, be complete, spent, be exhausted, be spent, or be destroyed)

DEVOTION:  The children of Israel were a rebellious people. They were following the wrong leaders who were rebelling against Moses and Aaron. They thought that they should all be able to enter the holy of holies and talk for the LORD.

The main rebels had died and the rest of the people who were following their thinking thought the LORD was going to kill them also. They knew they were rebelling against the commands of the LORD.

The rebellious attitude has been in existence since the beginning of time. Adam and Eve were rebellious. We are all sinners by nature and deserve hell for eternity. The LORD had been gracious to those who have lived before us and HE is gracious today with each of us who have turned our life over to HIM through Christ.

Those outside of Christ need to be concerned like these individuals because they are not obeying the Word of God. Here in this verse in the Old Testament and we who are to be followers of Christ in the New Testament time.

It is because of the death of Christ that we have somewhere to turn for salvation and guidance. Here we have a group worried about God killing them all. Today we have people who don’t seem to care that the Creator of the universe gave HIS Son to die on the cross to provide each of us salvation for eternity.

One day all of us will meet the LORD. We need to be prepared to face HIM. The only provision is through Jesus Christ. Obedience is key. It has always been key.

CHALLENGE: Remember that without Christ eternity is going to be spent in a place called Hell. Death is not the end but only the beginning of eternity. Our relationship with Christ determines where we spend eternity!

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Write name on rodverses 2, 3

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

Tabernacle of the congregationverse 4

Before the Testimonyverse 4

Tabernacle of witnessverses 7, 8

Tabernacle of the LORDverse 13

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD (Jehovah)verses 1, 9-11, 13

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead – God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Murmuringverses 5, 10

Rebelsverse 10

Coming near tabernacleverse 13

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Chooseverse 5

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Mosesverses 1, 6, 9-13

Children of Israelverses 2, 6, 9, 12

House of their fathersverses 2, 6

Aaronverse 3

Rod of Leviverses 3, 8, 10

Murmuring of children of Israelverses 5, 10

Rod of Aaronverses 6, 8

Budded

Bloomed blossoms

Yielded almonds

Tabernacle of witnessverses 7, 8

Tokenverse 10

Tabernacle of the LORDverse 13

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

Perishverse 12

Consumed with dyingverse 13

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DONATIONS:

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QUOTES regarding passage 

17:10–13. So they might not forget what they had learned, the Lord directed that Aaron’s staff be retained in front of the Testimony (the most holy place) as a sign (cf. 16:38). This would remind them not to grumble and question the Lord’s ways of leadership. Characteristically the people overreacted and assumed that the presence of the staff would forever endanger anyone who even came close to the tabernacle. On the position of Aaron’s staff see comments on 2 Chronicles 5:10. (Merrill, E. H. (1985). Numbers. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 236). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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A second reminder (vv. 1–13). God would prove once and for all that He had chosen Aaron and his sons to serve as priests, and that any attempts on the part of any other tribe to seize the priesthood would meet with the wrath of God.

The test was a simple one. The leader of each tribe gave Moses a rod (staff) bearing the tribal name, and all twelve rods plus Aaron’s rod were put before the Lord in the holy of holies. The fact that all the tribes were included in the test suggests that all of them had been represented in the insurrection. The rod that sprouted would belong to the man God had chosen to be the nation’s priest. When Moses brought out the rods the next day, everybody could see that only Aaron’s rod had produced life. Aaron’s staff “had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds” (v. 8, niv). What more evidence could the Israelites want?

If Moses put Aaron’s rod back into the holy of holies, how could it be a reminder to the nation that the tribe of Levi was the priestly tribe? For one thing, the rulers of each tribe and many of the people saw the rods and could bear witness that Aaron’s was the only one that produced life. Each day, when the tribal leaders took up their staffs, they would be reminded that God had chosen Aaron’s sons to serve at the altar. Furthermore, the high priest could always bring out the staff of Levi as unchanging evidence that Aaron’s family alone was chosen for the priesthood.

As usual, the Israelites overreacted when they heard the news and concluded that anybody who came near the tabernacle would perish (vv. 12–13; see 14:40–45). At least they had a fear of judgment, but they didn’t have a true fear of God in their hearts. But the presence of the tabernacle in the camp should have been a source of confidence for the Jews, for it meant that Jehovah was present with them. He would guide them through the wilderness, defeat their enemies, receive their sacrifices, and grant them forgiveness. To calm their fears, Moses in the next two chapters explained the ministry of the priests and the importance of the tabernacle of the camp.

The Lord gave Israel three reminders to encourage them to obey His Law and submit to His will: the tassels on their garments, the brass plates on the altar, and Aaron’s rod in the holy of holies. To encourage believers today to be obedient children, the Lord has given us His Word (John 17:17), the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19–20), the Lord’s Supper, reminding us of the death of Christ and His promised return (11:23–34; 1 John 3:1–3), and the interceding Savior in heaven (Heb. 4:14–16; Rom. 8:34). Before we judge God’s ancient people, perhaps we’d better examine our own hearts to see if we’ve submitted to the authority of His Word and of His appointed leaders. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1999). Be counted (pp. 74–75). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub.)

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Ver. 10. And the Lord said unto Moses, &c.] After the rods had been viewed, and every prince took his rod, and full satisfaction was given that the priesthood belonged to Aaron, by the budding and blossoming of his rod, when the rest remained as they were: bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony; before the ark, in which the testimony or law was; here it was placed and continued, but how long cannot be said with certainty; no doubt for many ages; which increases the wonder, that it should, as it probably did, continue with its buds, blossoms, and fruit on it: the apostle speaks of it, as in the holy of holies, with the ark, the pot of manna, and the tables of the covenant, Heb. 9:4 the Jews say, that when Josiah the king ordered the ark to be laid up in that place which Solomon had built, that it might not be carried with the captives into captivity, as it is said, 2 Chron. 35:3 put the holy ark, &c. they hid with the ark the rod of Aaron, and the pot of manna, and the anointing oil, and which were not in the second temple; and they say, particularly of Aaron’s rod, that at the time it was laid up by Josiah it had its buds and almonds: now this was ordered to be put in the most holy place before the ark: to be kept for a token against the rebels; to be a token of their sin and wickedness in rebelling against God, his ordinance and ministers; which occasioned this miracle to be wrought, for the confirmation of the priesthood in Aaron’s family, which they opposed, and to be a caution to others not to attempt any thing against it for the future; so Christ and the Gospel ministry will be swift witnesses against the opposers of him and that; see Mal. 3:5; John 3:19 and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not; quite silence all the murmurings of the people with respect to the priesthood, being so fully convinced by this miracle of the divine authority Aaron and his family had to exercise the priestly office, and they only, and so such destruction of the people be prevented as had been lately made. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 1, p. 791). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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17:10–11 The subsequent set of divine instructions to Moses would establish a symbolic memorial to God’s sovereign decision. Aaron’s produce-yielding almond staff was to be placed in front of the ark of the Testimony as a sign to the present and future generations of this significant encounter with the Almighty. The rod, like the manna in Exod 16:33–35, resulted from a rebellious situation and would serve as a testimony to God’s provision for his people in the Aaronic priesthood. The priests and the Levites represented the people before God in the cult and facilitated their worship of him, and this intermediary role demanded holiness and faithfulness. The succeeding chapter outlines the tithe and offering provisions for this distinct class of religious leaders.

Aaron’s budded staff would serve also as a sign to the rebellious, literally “the sons of rebellion,” so they would no longer murmur and complain against God and thereafter reap the disastrous consequences that had been experienced in previous circumstances. Moses’ compliance as a faithful prophet and servant is no minor response in the structural scheme of the Book of Numbers. This is the last time the phrase is used of Moses before the great lawgiver himself joins the Israelites in their rebelliousness (20:2–13). Eight times previously Moses had carried out the Lord’s commands in faithful adherence to the stipulations. Later at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, the loyal servant would succumb to the temptation to react in an unholy manner toward his God. (Cole, R. D. (2000). Numbers (Vol. 3B, pp. 276–277). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers)

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FROM MY READING: 

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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The Greek Septuagint version translated bachar chiefly by eklegein, and through this word the important theological concept of God’s “choosing” came into the New Testament. The verb is used of God’s or Christ’s “choice” of men for service, as in Luke 6:13 (“of them he chose twelve …”) or of the objects of His grace: “… He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world …” (Eph. 1:4). John 15:16 expresses the central truth of election in both Testaments: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, … that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.…”  (Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.)

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The Post-Church Christian by J. Paul Nyquist and Carson Nyquist 

Paul: 

The church of the future will have a street address but worldwide impact. This will be possible because of every increasing interconnectedness. (p. 123)

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This will create challenges for the church in the future. Privileges enjoyed by the church, such as its tx-exempt status, could be revoked as local, state, and federal governments search for new revenue streams. Hostility to God’s people will become more overt. Traditional marriage will be mocked and family lines blurred. Relativism will reign and those who make exclusive claims of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone will be viewed as bigots. (p. 124)

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God’s people have a notorious ability to lose touch with the surrounding world. (p. 126)

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But if my vision of the future is anywhere accurate, the time is long past for the church to be acting as a country club. (p. 126)

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Many believers today can appear to have shiny faces in church, while suffering shipwreck within. But I believe the reason they wear the plastic smile is not because they are pretending to be something else, but because they have never learned how to be real with others. (p. 127)

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A neutered faith has no message. (p. 128

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Believers who are immersed in their culture act, sound, and think no differently than unbelievers because they have been successfully squeezed into the mold. They offer no threat to the world. (p. 129)

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During a recent prayer gathering on the National Mall, Terry Beatley, a commissioned Colson Fellow and president of a pro-life organization called the Hosea Initiative, reminded the crowd of a story Chuck Colson told in a BreakPoint commentary 25 years ago.

The story, of how God changed the heart of one of our nation’s most notorious abortionists, is about as dramatic of a conversion as Chuck’s was. Yet, it came in the wake of one of the greatest defeats pro-lifers had suffered since the Roe v. Wade decision. Here’s what Chuck wrote, in a commentary entitled “The Ultimate Victory.”

“I was [recently] invited to witness a baptism in the sacristy chapel of Saint Patrick’s cathedral in New York City. About 80 of us sat in a semicircle waiting for John Cardinal O’Connor to arrive.

“While waiting, I couldn’t help but think back to last fall and the Senate’s attempt to override President Clinton’s veto of the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act–an attempt that failed. I remember walking the Senate corridors that day, looking for senators and pleading with them to vote to override.

“One of my most dramatic memories,” Chuck continued, “happened while I was sitting in the Senate gallery, listening to the debate over whether it should be legal to commit infanticide–to kill babies already three-quarters born. The senators fell silent for a moment, and just as they did, a baby’s cry pierced the silence. A poignant reminder to both sides of what was at stake that day.

“After the vote I walked down to the Senate reception room and saw the grinning, almost cheering, crowd of abortion supporters. There was Kate Michelman, president of the National Abortion Rights Action League, surrounded by a crowd of people beaming and congratulating each other. They’d won; they’d scored a tremendous victory for the pro-abortionists. They’d stopped the bill.”

Chuck continued: “Scenes of that day kept flashing through my mind as I sat in that dimly lit chapel at Saint Patrick’s. Why? Because the candidate for baptism was none other than Bernard Nathanson, one of the abortion industry’s greatest leaders, a man who personally presided over some 75,000 abortions, including the abortion of his own child.

“I watched as Nathanson walked to the altar. What a moment. Just like the first century–a Jew coming forward in the catacombs to meet Christ. And his sponsor accompanying him to the altar was Joan Andrews. Ironies abound. Joan is one of the pro-life movement’s most outspoken warriors, a woman who spent five years in prison for her pro-life activities.

“… just above Cardinal O’Connor was a cross. As I reflected on the day when infanticide could not be stopped by the United States Senate, I realized that I was witnessing, this day, the victory. I looked at that cross and realized again that what the Gospel teaches is true: In Christ is the victory. He has overcome the world, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against His church.

“We might have taken a beating in the Senate on partial-birth abortion, but only temporarily. Because there at the altar was a man, who spent three decades in the satanic world of abortion, joyfully accepting forgiveness in Christ.

“And there were 80 people huddled in the catacombs of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, celebrating a victory Kate Michelman could do nothing about: the triumph of the Gospel over evil.”

“This,” Chuck concluded, “is the way the abortion war will ultimately be won: through Jesus Christ changing hearts, one by one. No amount of political force, no government, no laws, no army of Planned Parenthood workers, can ever stop that. It is the one thing absolutely invincible.

“That simple baptism, held without fanfare in the basement of a great cathedral, is a reminder that a holy Baby, born in a stable 20 centuries ago, defies the wisdom of man. He cannot be defeated.”

Those are the words from Chuck Colson from 1996. Amen.  (BreakPoint)

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Ephesians 6

We are to put on the full armor of God to fight and win the spiritual war.
INSIGHT

Satan is a deceiver and a destroyer; he deceives in order to destroy. A part of his deception is to have us believe he is not at work opposing our pursuit of righteousness. To combat his efforts, we must do several things. First, recognize that we must “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”(v. 10), not in our own strength. Second, we must “put on the whole armor of God” (v. 11). Each piece described in verses 14-17 must be in place daily. Third, we must pray at all times Òin the SpiritÓ (v. 18). And finally, having done all that, we must stand firm without fear, knowing we are secure (v. 13).

                         (Quiet Walk)

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Nice Shot?

To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.

Psalm 136:10

READ PSALM 136:10–26

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OUR ADVERSARY

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8
We begin by considering this “adversary,” as he is described (1 Peter 5:8), the devil. The Son of God came because there was a certain state and condition in this world that had been produced by the devil. Now whether we like it or not, the fact is that the whole drama of redemption, as it is outlined in the Bible, simply cannot be understood at all unless you accept the biblical doctrine with regard to the devil. It is an essential part of this message; it is there from the very beginning and right through to the end.
And this is the biblical teaching. The explanation of the problem of mankind and the whole state of our world is to be traced back to this fact about the devil. According to the Bible, God made the world perfect; so what has gone wrong with it? And here is the answer. Someone who is described in various terms and to whom various names are given in the Bible came and spoke to the man and the woman whom God had placed in that perfect world. He is called “Lucifer,” “the son of the morning,” and “the god of this world.” He is called “the serpent,” “the prince of the power of the air,” and “the strong man armed.”
There are various names given in the Scriptures, but they all describe the same person. And according to this teaching, this is the explanation of evil and of sin and of all our miseries in this world. The devil came and spoke to man, and he enticed him to sin. So man went against God; and the result of all this is the state of the world as it has been from the moment that man fell.
A Thought to Ponder: The whole state of our world is to be traced back to this fact about the devil.  (From Children of God, pp. 61-62, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Order and Steadfastness
“For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.” (Colossians 2:5)

Apparently, the church at Colossae had a reputation for structure. No doubt godly elders kept vigilance on their behalf. Perhaps they were guided by the clear rules in Proverbs 4:20-26.

“Incline thine ear unto my sayings.”

“Keep them in the midst of thine heart.”

“Keep thy heart with all diligence.”

“Put away from thee a foul mouth.”

“Let thine eyes look right on.”

“Ponder the path of thy feet.”

“Let all thy ways be established.”

There was an obvious steadfastness to their faith—a “stiffened” and even “obstinate” faith, as the Greek term implies. These believers were not babes in Christ, nor were they easily swayed by “enticing words” (Colossians 2:4). But as important as those attributes were, it was necessary to extend the church atmosphere and function into a lifestyle that each member embraced (Colossians 2:6).
The reader may remember that the disciples were first labeled “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26). The name was meant as a derogatory comment, but it was given because the lifestyles of Christ’s followers reflected His teachings.
The basis for this identity is “that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practice the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7). “Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8). (HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)

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This was great and I couldn’t pass it up:

HUMOR FOR THE DAY…

The old lady handed her bank card to a bank teller and said, “I would like to withdraw $10 The teller told her, “For withdrawals less than $100 please use the ATM.”

The old lady wanted to know why … The teller returned her bank card and irritably told her, “These are the rules. Please leave if there is no other matter. There is a line of customers behind you.”

The old lady remained silent for a few seconds, then handed the card back to the teller and said, “Please help me withdraw all the money I have.” The teller was astonished when she checked the account balance. She nodded her head, leaned down and respectfully told her, you have $300,000 in your account and the bank doesn’t have that much cash currently. Could you make an appointment and come again tomorrow?

The old lady then asked how much she could withdraw immediately. The teller told her any amount up to $3000

“Well, please let me have $3000 now”, she  The teller then handed it very friendly and respectfully to her.

The old lady put $10 in her purse and asked the teller to deposit $2990 back into her account.

The moral of this tale …….

Don’t be difficult with old people, they spent a lifetime learning the skills.

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