Tuesday, September 30, 2003

When Moses was coming down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments he had his heart broken by what he saw and heard. He immediately threw down the tablets and they shatter at the foot of the mountain. One of the fascinating insights of this story is the conversation between Moses and Aaron. Moses wanted to know what had the people done to Aaron to cause him to act this way. He blames Aaron for bringing great sin into the camp.

What is fascinating to me is Aaron's response. He said that the people wanted a god to lead them and that they asked him to get them one. Aaron condemns himself by what he says next, "Whoever has gold, let them tear it off." He does not take a stand but encourages them in their rebellion. The people respond and give him the gold and he threw it into the fire. Then Aaron comes up with one of the most ridiculous lies of all time when he say, "out came this calf." It is hard to believe that a rational man could be so irrational at this point. But Aaron is trying hard to protect himself from Moses. Aaron is a man who is afraid of others.

How was the calf made? Exodus 32:4 says, "He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.""

Moses records that at the time of this incident, the people were out of control. Why were they out of control? They were out of control because Aaron did not take a stand when it was needed. Truth suffers when we cannot stand truthfully at critical moments in life. When fear dictates our response, truth suffers and the community will move in rebellion against the Lord.

The church will be the salt and the light in the community when we learn to be truthful in all aspects of our life. Paul said to the church at Ephesus, "Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are cmembers of one another.

Monday, September 29, 2003

One of the great preachers in America was George Whitefield. He had a major impact on all who heard him preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Benjamin Franklin in a letter to Noble Jones, the Secretary of the Council of Georgia, said, "I knew Whitefield intimately upward of 30 years: His integrity, disinterestedness and indefatigable zeal in prosecuting every good work, I have never seen equalled, I shall never see excelled." Later Franklin wrote "Mr. Whitefield used to pray for my conversion, but never had the satisfaction of believing that his prayers were heard."

George Whitefield was driven by a passion for the Lord Jesus and a desire to be pleasing to the Lord. In his Diary he had a list of criteria which he used each night as a basis of judging himself on his actions during the day. The list is as follows:

1. Been fervent in private prayers?
2. Used stated hours of prayer?
3. Used sudden statement of prayer ever hour?
4. After or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might tend to God's glory?
5. After any pleasure, immediately given thanks?
6. Planned business for the day?
7. Been simple and recollected (composed) in everything?
8. Been zealous in undertaking and active in doing what good I could?
9. Been meek, cheerful, affable in everything I said or did?
10. Been proud, vain, unchaste, or enviable of others?
11. Recollected (composed) in eating and drinking? Thankful? Temperate in sleep?
12. Taken time for giving thanks according to William Law's rules?
13. Been diligent in studies?
14. Thought or spoken unkindly of anyone?
15. Confessed all sins?

He was a man who took seriously each day that God gave him and because of that he made an impact on our country. How serious are you in examining your life each day to make certain that you have given your best for the Lord Jesus. Paul told the church at Colossae, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Maybe a checklist each day would help you in your walk with the Lord!

Friday, September 26, 2003

I am always looking for information that will help me to understand the world in which I live and to walk in a manner pleasing to the Lord. I have found a magazine that meets that need. The magazine is World. You will find great articles on culture, politics, international events, and current events. Each article is always written from a world view that is very Christ centered. I hope that you will take time to browse this web sight. I believe you will find it very helpful in understanding the world in which we live.

Thursday, September 25, 2003

On Sunday afternoon as we were all taking it easy, a major project of NASA was coming to an end. The Galileo Spacecraft was crashing into the surface of Jupiter. This was bringing an end to a 14 year mission that was doing the first detailed study of Jupiter. This space project has brought back some of the most amazing pictures of space that we have ever seen. We now have close up pictures of the Great Red Spot. We have learned that there appears to be thunderstorms surrounding the Great Red Spot. We have made an educated guess that winds are blowing at over 300 mph on the planet. We become frightened on earth when our weatherman begins to warn us of a possible approaching category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico (winds greater than 155). Jupiter experiences winds double what we see here on earth. The forces at work in the universe at stunning.

But even after all the work that has been done, we still have only scratched the surface of God's creation. But each discover should cause us to be in awe of the power and wisdom of the Lord God. Genesis simply says that "God spoke" on the fourth day and the sun, moon and stars were created. Genesis says that God saw that it was good. The power to speak into existence the universe in all of its glory ought to cause us to walk in a quiet trust in the power of God to take care of us his children.

We ought immediately be taken to Psalms 8. The Psalmist David says, "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! Youu make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas."

As awesome and overwhelming as the universe is, the greatest of God's creation is man and he has given us the awesome responsibility to serve Him in His creation. When was the last time you stop to consider our Lord's heavens and the work of His fingers?