http://www.firstdayministry.com/index.cfm?i=4431&mid=25&blogid=9589 I wanted to take a break from Ephesians 3:20 and start a new topic. We will revisit Ephesians, but I want to keep the blog new and interesting, too. There is a gentleman at my church that I look up to as an outstanding man of God. When he has the opportunity to speak, he does so with 'the big picture' in mind. He knows that his life on this earth is short compared to eternity and that we must make the most of our time for kingdom work. This person loves his family very much and talks often on how he has had intentional conversations with his children and grandchildren in shaping their lives for our Lord. My hope is that we can all be that example in our own families. One of the ways he imparts knowledge to others is by teaching character studies through zeroing in on a particular action or character trait that gives us some insight into someone in Bible. We can take these examples of character from the Bible and use them in our own lives as building blocks on the foundation of Jesus Christ our Lord! Radiant WebTools Hannah is one of my favorite people in the Bible. Since Michael and I experienced infertility for about two years, I became very well acquainted with this woman of God in the Bible. God has used her story to encourage me in many ways. We know that Hannah was barren, and her husband had a second wife who had no problem bearing children. Not only did she have children, but she taunted Hannah because Hannah did not. After much grieving and prayer, God answered Hannah's cries and blessed her with a son, Samuel. Samuel would be the last judge of Israel, and he was a priest. She literally surrendered Samuel to God before he was ever conceived. As I have studied Hannah, God has revealed to me a very important mission field that is often overlooked- our children. I feel very blessed that God is using First Day to spread His word all across the globe, but we must never forget to teach His word to those He has blessed us with at home, too. Samuel was born during an extremely dark time in Israel's history. He was the last judge. When you read the book of Judges, one phrase is used repeatedly: '…everyone did as he saw fit.' Just scan the book of Judges and you will read all kinds of terrible acts; it reminds me a lot of our culture today. I often feel overwhelmed wondering how I can raise godly children in our culture. When I look to Hannah and Samuel, I am reminded that it is possible. Hannah surrendered Samuel to God before he was even born. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 1:24 that after he was weaned, she took Samuel to live in the temple. In Biblical times, a child would be weaned between the ages of 3 and 5, so Hannah only had a few short years to spend with him and pour God's word into his sweet, little life. After this time, she visited him yearly at the temple and would take him a little robe that she made for him (1 Samuel 2:19). Don't you know that Hannah thought about and prayed for Samuel as her hands lovingly sewed this clothing for him each year? I believe that the time Hannah spent with Samuel during his early years coupled with her yearly visits with him and prayers for him had a huge impact on his life. Samuel grew up to be a godly man despite the environment he lived in. We know the culture was evil by studying Judges. Unfortunately, even the ones he lived with in the temple weren't great influences. Eli was the priest serving in the temple. Eli was a passive father. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were disobedient. They did not handle the temple sacrifices as they should have, and they slept with women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Eli mildly rebuked them at one point, but that is the only discipline we see. God was greatly displeased with Eli's sons, and they both died an early death on the same day as a result of their sins. In such an environment, was it possible for Samuel to grow up as a godly young man when surrounded by such evil? The answer is yes! When we study chapter 3, we read that Samuel grew up in the favor of God and man. We also read that God was with Samuel and revealed Himself to him at a time when 'the word of the LORD was rare' (1 Samuel 3:1). How can this story encourage us as parents and missionaries in our homes? We see in this book of the Bible that Hannah surrendered Samuel to God before he was born. She was a praying woman. She lived her life in such a way that God blessed her with many children. Even though Samuel grew up in a less than perfect environment, God's presence was with him, and God used him in mighty ways- even to anoint David as king! Like Hannah, we need to realize that our children are precious gifts from God. We cannot take our job lightly. We must train them up in the ways of God. Even though Samuel lived with Hannah a short time, she had a profound influence on his life. It is never too early to pray for our children or to teach them about God. Spend time this week with God in prayer. Maybe you are at a phase in your life where you can go on mission trips all around the world and tell people about God or maybe you are in a stage where He has placed precious little ones for you to teach about Him all day everyday! Each job is just as important! Ask God to show you how you can be a missionary this week. Hannah is one of my favorite people in the Bible. Since Michael and I experienced infertility for about two years, I became very well acquainted with this woman of God in the Bible. God has used her story to encourage me in many ways. We know that Hannah was barren, and her husband had a second wife who had no problem bearing children. Not only did she have children, but she taunted Hannah because Hannah did not. After much grieving and prayer, God answered Hannah's cries and blessed her with a son, Samuel. Samuel would be the last judge of Israel, and he was a priest. She literally surrendered Samuel to God before he was ever conceived. As I have studied Hannah, God has revealed to me a very important mission field that is often overlooked- our children. I feel very blessed that God is using First Day to spread His word all across the globe, but we must never forget to teach His word to those He has blessed us with at home, too. Samuel was born during an extremely dark time in Israel's history. He was the last judge. When you read the book of Judges, one phrase is used repeatedly: '…everyone did as he saw fit.' Just scan the book of Judges and you will read all kinds of terrible acts; it reminds me a lot of our culture today. I often feel overwhelmed wondering how I can raise godly children in our culture. When I look to Hannah and Samuel, I am reminded that it is possible. Hannah surrendered Samuel to God before he was even born. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 1:24 that after he was weaned, she took Samuel to live in the temple. In Biblical times, a child would be weaned between the ages of 3 and 5, so Hannah only had a few short years to spend with him and pour God's word into his sweet, little life. After this time, she visited him yearly at the temple and would take him a little robe that she made for him (1 Samuel 2:19). Don't you know that Hannah thought about and prayed for Samuel as her hands lovingly sewed this clothing for him each year? I believe that the time Hannah spent with Samuel during his early years coupled with her yearly visits with him and prayers for him had a huge impact on his life. Samuel grew up to be a godly man despite the environment he lived in. We know the culture was evil by studying Judges. Unfortunately, even the ones he lived with in the temple weren't great influences. Eli was the priest serving in the temple. Eli was a passive father. His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were disobedient. They did not handle the temple sacrifices as they should have, and they slept with women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Eli mildly rebuked them at one point, but that is the only discipline we see. God was greatly displeased with Eli's sons, and they both died an early death on the same day as a result of their sins. In such an environment, was it possible for Samuel to grow up as a godly young man when surrounded by such evil? The answer is yes! When we study chapter 3, we read that Samuel grew up in the favor of God and man. We also read that God was with Samuel and revealed Himself to him at a time when 'the word of the LORD was rare' (1 Samuel 3:1). How can this story encourage us as parents and missionaries in our homes? We see in this book of the Bible that Hannah surrendered Samuel to God before he was born. She was a praying woman. She lived her life in such a way that God blessed her with many children. Even though Samuel grew up in a less than perfect environment, God's presence was with him, and God used him in mighty ways- even to anoint David as king! Like Hannah, we need to realize that our children are precious gifts from God. We cannot take our job lightly. We must train them up in the ways of God. Even though Samuel lived with Hannah a short time, she had a profound influence on his life. It is never too early to pray for our children or to teach them about God. Spend time this week with God in prayer. Maybe you are at a phase in your life where you can go on mission trips all around the world and tell people about God or maybe you are in a stage where He has placed precious little ones for you to teach about Him all day everyday! Each job is just as important! Ask God to show you how you can be a missionary this week. http://www.firstdayministry.com/index.cfm?i=4431&mid=25&blogid=9589&comments=40383 40383 Wed, 6 Mar 2013 13:37:00 +0000 As we continue through the Bible, we are looking for attributes of different people. The idea is to look at someone's actions to better understand one's character and to build our own character. Today, we will study Naomi in the book of Ruth. As I prepared this blog, I kept trying to write about Ruth, but God kept bringing me back to Naomi. I am excited because He must have a great truth to teach us! In the first few verses of Ruth, we see that Elimelech, Naomi and their sons move to Moab from Bethlehem because of a famine. The famine must have been devastating for Jewish people to move to a foreign pagan nation. In the Ruth 1:3, Elimelech dies and in verse 4, Elimelech's sons marry Moabite women: Ruth and Orpah. Soon after, Mahlon and Kilion (Elimelech's sons) die, leaving Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth as widows. Wow, this is a rough start for an encouraging story. Before we move into the next phase of our story, let's not miss what happened in these verses. Elimelech and Naomi were facing a bad situation, a famine. Instead of asking God what to do, they decided the best course of action was to head to a pagan nation, and in doing so they exchanged one famine for three funerals. Sometimes, we face trials and tests because God purposes them in our lives for our good; sometimes, we create our own trials by moving ahead in an action without asking God His will. In His goodness, He still uses those times for our good. With nothing left, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. Ruth 1:8-9… And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.' Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. Can you imagine? These ladies had been through so much hardship and pain. It seems it would be easy to leave Naomi. It seems Ruth and Orpah could have started over. But, this is where Ruth gives her famous line in Ruth 1:16-17: But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.' Have you ever stopped to think why Ruth did not leave, like Naomi asked? What could possibly keep a Jew and Moabite together? I think it is the investment that Naomi made in Ruth- the time they spent building each other up; the time Naomi spent teaching Ruth around the house and from the Bible. Naomi was someone that Ruth looked up to and respected. Ruth knew that Naomi would always be available for her. Naomi was like a mentor. In the New Testament, we see Paul as a mentor to young Timothy. 2 Timothy 2:2… And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Naomi entrusted Ruth with the Word of God, and Ruth was grafted into God's family- not only spiritually, but also physically because Ruth would become the great-grandmother of King David, in the line of the coming Messiah! As we look at Naomi, we need to ask ourselves, who are we mentoring, encouraging, teaching, discipling, etc? Pray and ask God who He has placed in your life right now that you can spend time investing in. Please know that as you support First Day, you are investing in pastors and people around the world. You may not meet them this side of heaven, but one day you will know the difference you have made in their lives. By being faithful with what God has given you, you are providing for others to be trained in God's word, and they in turn are being faithful to train others! As we continue through the Bible, we are looking for attributes of different people. The idea is to look at someone's actions to better understand one's character and to build our own character. Today, we will study Naomi in the book of Ruth. As I prepared this blog, I kept trying to write about Ruth, but God kept bringing me back to Naomi. I am excited because He must have a great truth to teach us! In the first few verses of Ruth, we see that Elimelech, Naomi and their sons move to Moab from Bethlehem because of a famine. The famine must have been devastating for Jewish people to move to a foreign pagan nation. In the Ruth 1:3, Elimelech dies and in verse 4, Elimelech's sons marry Moabite women: Ruth and Orpah. Soon after, Mahlon and Kilion (Elimelech's sons) die, leaving Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth as widows. Wow, this is a rough start for an encouraging story. Before we move into the next phase of our story, let's not miss what happened in these verses. Elimelech and Naomi were facing a bad situation, a famine. Instead of asking God what to do, they decided the best course of action was to head to a pagan nation, and in doing so they exchanged one famine for three funerals. Sometimes, we face trials and tests because God purposes them in our lives for our good; sometimes, we create our own trials by moving ahead in an action without asking God His will. In His goodness, He still uses those times for our good. With nothing left, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. Ruth 1:8-9… And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.' Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. Can you imagine? These ladies had been through so much hardship and pain. It seems it would be easy to leave Naomi. It seems Ruth and Orpah could have started over. But, this is where Ruth gives her famous line in Ruth 1:16-17: But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.' Have you ever stopped to think why Ruth did not leave, like Naomi asked? What could possibly keep a Jew and Moabite together? I think it is the investment that Naomi made in Ruth- the time they spent building each other up; the time Naomi spent teaching Ruth around the house and from the Bible. Naomi was someone that Ruth looked up to and respected. Ruth knew that Naomi would always be available for her. Naomi was like a mentor. In the New Testament, we see Paul as a mentor to young Timothy. 2 Timothy 2:2… And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Naomi entrusted Ruth with the Word of God, and Ruth was grafted into God's family- not only spiritually, but also physically because Ruth would become the great-grandmother of King David, in the line of the coming Messiah! As we look at Naomi, we need to ask ourselves, who are we mentoring, encouraging, teaching, discipling, etc? Pray and ask God who He has placed in your life right now that you can spend time investing in. Please know that as you support First Day, you are investing in pastors and people around the world. You may not meet them this side of heaven, but one day you will know the difference you have made in their lives. By being faithful with what God has given you, you are providing for others to be trained in God's word, and they in turn are being faithful to train others! http://www.firstdayministry.com/index.cfm?i=4431&mid=25&blogid=9589&comments=39822 39822 Fri, 8 Feb 2013 11:23:00 +0000 As we continue with our walk through the Bible, we are going to stick with the topic of character. Sometimes doubt and worry can affect the way we see ourselves, and this is exactly what happened to one of Israel's brave leaders. Let me set the stage for you. Joshua led the Israelites into the Promises Land. He was supposed to wipeout everyone living in the land. He did not complete his task. Over the years, the Israelites would take on the gods of their neighbors and the people living around them. When the Israelites started worshiping other gods and giving into sin, God would allow a group of people to overtake them. After years of bondage, the children of Israel would turn to the one true God cry out for help. God would hear their cry and raise up a strong leader (a Judge) to defeat the people that were oppressing the Israelites and free them from bondage. The last blog was one of these Judges named Deborah. In Judges Chapter 6, we find the Israelites hiding in caves and the sides of cliffs because they were scared of the Midianites. At one point, the Midianites were all but destroyed in Numbers 31, but some of Israel's men kept Midianite women for their own. The Midianites repopulated so much that they now oppressed Israel. When the planting season came in Israel, the Israelites would plant their fields and the crops would begin to grow. Just as the crops began to peek out of the ground, the Midianites would move into the area and trample the crops. They would put up tents and bring in their herds of livestock. The Bible describes the scene as a swarm of locusts literally destroying all of the crops in the area. The Israelites were starving. Finally, in Judges 6:6 the Israelites turned to God and began to cry out! This is where our hero comes in. This is when God is going to raise up the STRONG leader to take on the Midianites. Judges 6:11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, whichbelonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress in order to save it from the Midianites. Are you getting this picture? Here is Gideon, 'the hero that will lead Israel,' hiding down in a wine press threshing wheat! Wine presses of the day were usually large holes cut out of rock. Can you just imagine Gideon peeking out of the hole in the ground making sure that no one could see him? Could you imagine how frustrating this must have been for Gideon. He was doing an activity that required wind in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. In the wine press, there would be no wind. Judges 6:12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, 'The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.' Excuses me! Is this how you see a valiant warrior? Hiding in a wine press? Scared of what the enemy might do if they find him. Just like Gideon, God has called each of us; we are God's mighty warriors, and He has called us each to a task. For each of us, it is a different task. For some of you, God has called you to full time missions, some of you as pastors, some of you as missionaries in the corporate world, missionaries in your home, etc. How will you respond when God calls you? Let's take a look at how Gideon responded. Judges 6:13 Then Gideon said to him, 'O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.'1. He 1. He Complained When you are faced with a word from God do you complain? There are several men in the Bible that openly complained to God about what God had called them to do. Are we any different today? But God reassured him in verse 14: 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of the Midians' hands. Am I not sending you?' It is almost comical. Gideon is complaining about the Midianites and God is replying, 'Yeah, I know there is trouble, that's why I am sending you!' Judges 6:15 He said to Him, 'O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house.' 2.He Made Excuses We make excuses for everything. If someone asks us for help and we don't want to help, we make up an excuse. There are even excuse apps you can download to your phone if you are not quick enough to figure it out on your own. Our world is so self-centered we make excuses for everything. But once again, the Lord reassured Gideon saying, 'I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.' Judges 6:17-18 So Gideon said to Him, 'If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.' And He said, 'I will remain until you return.' 3. SHOW ME A SIGN! After carrying on a conversation with Yaweh, God, and The Creator of the universe, Gideon says OK…. If it's really you….could you hold on just a minute? I want to offer you a sacrifice… After the sacrifice was prepared and consumed, Gideon knew he had seen the Lord. Judges 6:23 The Lord assured Gideon again and said 'Peace, do not be afraid, you are not going to die.' We say this is funny, or I would not do that, but the truth is we do. When there is a calling in our life, what should we do? Because Gideon was complaining, making excuses, and doubting he could not see what God saw. God saw a strong and brave leader. If you find yourself in Gideon's situation, what can you do? 1. Pray James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 2. Read the Word Isaiah 30:21 And your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left. 3. Be available to answer his call. One call God has placed on all of our lives is to go into all the world and make disciples. We would love for you to partner with First Day as we work together to fulfill this calling! As we continue with our walk through the Bible, we are going to stick with the topic of character. Sometimes doubt and worry can affect the way we see ourselves, and this is exactly what happened to one of Israel's brave leaders. Let me set the stage for you. Joshua led the Israelites into the Promises Land. He was supposed to wipeout everyone living in the land. He did not complete his task. Over the years, the Israelites would take on the gods of their neighbors and the people living around them. When the Israelites started worshiping other gods and giving into sin, God would allow a group of people to overtake them. After years of bondage, the children of Israel would turn to the one true God cry out for help. God would hear their cry and raise up a strong leader (a Judge) to defeat the people that were oppressing the Israelites and free them from bondage. The last blog was one of these Judges named Deborah. In Judges Chapter 6, we find the Israelites hiding in caves and the sides of cliffs because they were scared of the Midianites. At one point, the Midianites were all but destroyed in Numbers 31, but some of Israel's men kept Midianite women for their own. The Midianites repopulated so much that they now oppressed Israel. When the planting season came in Israel, the Israelites would plant their fields and the crops would begin to grow. Just as the crops began to peek out of the ground, the Midianites would move into the area and trample the crops. They would put up tents and bring in their herds of livestock. The Bible describes the scene as a swarm of locusts literally destroying all of the crops in the area. The Israelites were starving. Finally, in Judges 6:6 the Israelites turned to God and began to cry out! This is where our hero comes in. This is when God is going to raise up the STRONG leader to take on the Midianites. Judges 6:11 Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, whichbelonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress in order to save it from the Midianites. Are you getting this picture? Here is Gideon, 'the hero that will lead Israel,' hiding down in a wine press threshing wheat! Wine presses of the day were usually large holes cut out of rock. Can you just imagine Gideon peeking out of the hole in the ground making sure that no one could see him? Could you imagine how frustrating this must have been for Gideon. He was doing an activity that required wind in order to separate the wheat from the chaff. In the wine press, there would be no wind. Judges 6:12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, 'The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.' Excuses me! Is this how you see a valiant warrior? Hiding in a wine press? Scared of what the enemy might do if they find him. Just like Gideon, God has called each of us; we are God's mighty warriors, and He has called us each to a task. For each of us, it is a different task. For some of you, God has called you to full time missions, some of you as pastors, some of you as missionaries in the corporate world, missionaries in your home, etc. How will you respond when God calls you? Let's take a look at how Gideon responded. Judges 6:13 Then Gideon said to him, 'O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.'1. He 1. He Complained When you are faced with a word from God do you complain? There are several men in the Bible that openly complained to God about what God had called them to do. Are we any different today? But God reassured him in verse 14: 'Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of the Midians' hands. Am I not sending you?' It is almost comical. Gideon is complaining about the Midianites and God is replying, 'Yeah, I know there is trouble, that's why I am sending you!' Judges 6:15 He said to Him, 'O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house.' 2.He Made Excuses We make excuses for everything. If someone asks us for help and we don't want to help, we make up an excuse. There are even excuse apps you can download to your phone if you are not quick enough to figure it out on your own. Our world is so self-centered we make excuses for everything. But once again, the Lord reassured Gideon saying, 'I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.' Judges 6:17-18 So Gideon said to Him, 'If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.' And He said, 'I will remain until you return.' 3. SHOW ME A SIGN! After carrying on a conversation with Yaweh, God, and The Creator of the universe, Gideon says OK…. If it's really you….could you hold on just a minute? I want to offer you a sacrifice… After the sacrifice was prepared and consumed, Gideon knew he had seen the Lord. Judges 6:23 The Lord assured Gideon again and said 'Peace, do not be afraid, you are not going to die.' We say this is funny, or I would not do that, but the truth is we do. When there is a calling in our life, what should we do? Because Gideon was complaining, making excuses, and doubting he could not see what God saw. God saw a strong and brave leader. If you find yourself in Gideon's situation, what can you do? 1. Pray James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 2. Read the Word Isaiah 30:21 And your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left. 3. Be available to answer his call. One call God has placed on all of our lives is to go into all the world and make disciples. We would love for you to partner with First Day as we work together to fulfill this calling! http://www.firstdayministry.com/index.cfm?i=4431&mid=25&blogid=9589&comments=38854 38854 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:56:00 +0000 In the last blog, we studied Ehud and how God has made us all different and for a different purpose. After Ehud died, the Bible says that Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. To this point, the Bible has only spoken of three judges, but the behavior of the Israelites is already sounding like a broken record. I we may need to retire the phrase 'broken record' since most people have not used records in 30 years! The Israelites were in a cycle in which they would get away from God, a king would oppress them, and God would raise up someone to deliver them (a judge). The next judge that God used is Deborah. The Israelites turned to her in both times of battle and to resolve local disputes. The Israelites found themselves in the hands of Jabin, the Canaanite king. Israel was scared of the commander of the Canaanites army, Sisera, and his 900 iron chariots. Deborah called on her military leader Judges 4:6-7: 6 Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, 'Behold, the LORD, the God of Israel, has commanded, 'Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. 7 'I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.' ' From just this one passage, we can see into the character of Deborah. One of the signs that Deborah was a great leader was that she listened to God. That is obvious! What are some other leadership qualities that stand out? She delegated responsibility! By delegating the task, Deborah was getting others involved in what God was doing. She was also building bench-strength in her leadership team. Another leadership quality that stands out is that she was not self-seeking. She told Barak that the Lord would give his enemies into his hand. She was not trying to get the credit by stepping in front of Barak. Deborah also shows us that she took time to understand the big picture. She didn't let one facet (900 chariots) of the problem paralyze her with fear. Barak, on the other hand, shows us some poor characteristics in the very next verse. Judges 4:8: 8 Then Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.' After hearing a direct word from God, Barak still wanted the help of Deborah. What is better than God being with you? When we don't follow Gods plan, there are less rewards. Judges 4:9: 9 She said, 'I will surely go with you; never the less, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.' Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. If you are hearing this story for the first time you may think that verse 9 is foreshadowing Deborah as the women that will defeat Sisera. But there is another woman in the Bible that teaches us to stay cool under pressure. When Sisera fled from the battle with Barak, Jael was there to greet him. Judges 4:18-21: 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, 'Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.' And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 He said to her, 'Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.' So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20 He said to her, 'Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, 'No.' ' 21 But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground ; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. In this portion of scripture, we see the characteristics of a good leader. Characteristics of a Good Leader Listens to God Can see and understand the big picture (and not focus on fear) Delegate's responsibility A Servant, not self seeking We also see how fear can rob a person of fulfilling a God-given task. Do you have a task that God has set before you that requires you to lead, trust Him, and not focus on a specific area of fear? Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal to you an area where He wants you to trust Him and to lead. Think about people He has placed in your life that are leaders. How can you support them, encourage them to focus on the big picture, and not to fear? Deborah delegated responsibilities to others and asked them to come alongside her and support her. First Day offers you the opportunity to come alongside us and partner with us as we seek to fulfill God's Great Commission. You can support us through your prayers and financial gifts each month. We appreciate those of you who come alongside us as we seek to lead in the task that God has given us! In the last blog, we studied Ehud and how God has made us all different and for a different purpose. After Ehud died, the Bible says that Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. To this point, the Bible has only spoken of three judges, but the behavior of the Israelites is already sounding like a broken record. I we may need to retire the phrase 'broken record' since most people have not used records in 30 years! The Israelites were in a cycle in which they would get away from God, a king would oppress them, and God would raise up someone to deliver them (a judge). The next judge that God used is Deborah. The Israelites turned to her in both times of battle and to resolve local disputes. The Israelites found themselves in the hands of Jabin, the Canaanite king. Israel was scared of the commander of the Canaanites army, Sisera, and his 900 iron chariots. Deborah called on her military leader Judges 4:6-7: 6 Now she sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, 'Behold, the LORD, the God of Israel, has commanded, 'Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. 7 'I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his many troops to the river Kishon, and I will give him into your hand.' ' From just this one passage, we can see into the character of Deborah. One of the signs that Deborah was a great leader was that she listened to God. That is obvious! What are some other leadership qualities that stand out? She delegated responsibility! By delegating the task, Deborah was getting others involved in what God was doing. She was also building bench-strength in her leadership team. Another leadership quality that stands out is that she was not self-seeking. She told Barak that the Lord would give his enemies into his hand. She was not trying to get the credit by stepping in front of Barak. Deborah also shows us that she took time to understand the big picture. She didn't let one facet (900 chariots) of the problem paralyze her with fear. Barak, on the other hand, shows us some poor characteristics in the very next verse. Judges 4:8: 8 Then Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.' After hearing a direct word from God, Barak still wanted the help of Deborah. What is better than God being with you? When we don't follow Gods plan, there are less rewards. Judges 4:9: 9 She said, 'I will surely go with you; never the less, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.' Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. If you are hearing this story for the first time you may think that verse 9 is foreshadowing Deborah as the women that will defeat Sisera. But there is another woman in the Bible that teaches us to stay cool under pressure. When Sisera fled from the battle with Barak, Jael was there to greet him. Judges 4:18-21: 18 Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, 'Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid.' And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. 19 He said to her, 'Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty.' So she opened a bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him. 20 He said to her, 'Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, 'No.' ' 21 But Jael, Heber's wife, took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground ; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died. In this portion of scripture, we see the characteristics of a good leader. Characteristics of a Good Leader Listens to God Can see and understand the big picture (and not focus on fear) Delegate's responsibility A Servant, not self seeking We also see how fear can rob a person of fulfilling a God-given task. Do you have a task that God has set before you that requires you to lead, trust Him, and not focus on a specific area of fear? Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal to you an area where He wants you to trust Him and to lead. Think about people He has placed in your life that are leaders. How can you support them, encourage them to focus on the big picture, and not to fear? Deborah delegated responsibilities to others and asked them to come alongside her and support her. First Day offers you the opportunity to come alongside us and partner with us as we seek to fulfill God's Great Commission. You can support us through your prayers and financial gifts each month. We appreciate those of you who come alongside us as we seek to lead in the task that God has given us! http://www.firstdayministry.com/index.cfm?i=4431&mid=25&blogid=9589&comments=37378 37378 Mon, 1 Oct 2012 09:35:00 +0000 God has made us all different! Every one of us has different talents and abilities. God uses those talents and abilities to fulfill His will. If we were all alike, we would not be nearly as effective. I remember a friend that I have that witnessed one time to a co-worker. This co-worker was very quiet and introverted. My friend took the time to develop a relationship with him, bought him a book about God, and eventually discussed Christ with him, and he accepted Christ. I am glad that my friend was introverted and could relate to this quiet man and share Christ with him because I would have scared the man to death with my loud, enthusiastic manner! As we continue to look at different character sketches in the Bible, I want to keep moving through the scriptures. Last time we looked at Joshua and how he led with integrity. Under Joshua's leadership, the children of Israel continued to defeat the people inhabiting the Promise Land, but they didn't finish the job that the Lord commanded them. The book of Judges begins with the death of Joshua and with the beginning of a new era for the Israelites. The book of Judges is filled with Christ-types. Each time the Israelites were in captivity, they were delivered by a judge- just as Christ would one day come and deliver us from sin. In Judges, chapter 3 we find the story of Ehud. The Bible begins with the story in Judges 3:12-14. 12 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek ; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees. 14 The sons of Isreal served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. It seems like every time you are reading about the Israelites in the Old Testament the story starts with, 'Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.' But are we really any different? The Lord raised up Ehud to deliver His people. Ehud decided he would bring a tribute to King Eglon. What king could resist a tribute centered on him? Judges 3:15-17: 15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. The Bible is very descriptive. You can almost see the king perched on his chair eating a giant turkey leg. The Bible also describes Ehud as a man that used his left hand. In this time period, people that used their left hand were look at as having a disadvantage. Scholars say most Benjamites were left-handed. Not only was Ehud a left-hander, but he was smart! Judges 3:19b-20: 'I have a secret message for you, O king.' And he said, 'Keep silence.' And all who attended him left him. 20 Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, 'I have a message from God for you.' And he arose from his seat. As Eglon approached Ehud, Judges tells us that Ehud reached with his left hand, grabbed his sword and stabbed Eglon in the stomach. Judges 3 is very descriptive about the incident and has humorous ending; I encourage you to grab your Bible and check it out! Ehud was special in that the Bible said he was left-handed. We can take comfort in knowing that God made each of us individually and different. God has gifted you with talents that he can use to accomplish His will. Are you thankful for the ways God has made you unique and different or are you insecure about them or possibly prideful about them? Everything we have is from God- our gifts, abilities, disabilities, and our every breath! Ask God today to reveal to you how He has made you uniquely and how He wants to use you for His glory. Remember, everything we do is for His glory and not for our own. How are you using your gifts? God has made us all different! Every one of us has different talents and abilities. God uses those talents and abilities to fulfill His will. If we were all alike, we would not be nearly as effective. I remember a friend that I have that witnessed one time to a co-worker. This co-worker was very quiet and introverted. My friend took the time to develop a relationship with him, bought him a book about God, and eventually discussed Christ with him, and he accepted Christ. I am glad that my friend was introverted and could relate to this quiet man and share Christ with him because I would have scared the man to death with my loud, enthusiastic manner! As we continue to look at different character sketches in the Bible, I want to keep moving through the scriptures. Last time we looked at Joshua and how he led with integrity. Under Joshua's leadership, the children of Israel continued to defeat the people inhabiting the Promise Land, but they didn't finish the job that the Lord commanded them. The book of Judges begins with the death of Joshua and with the beginning of a new era for the Israelites. The book of Judges is filled with Christ-types. Each time the Israelites were in captivity, they were delivered by a judge- just as Christ would one day come and deliver us from sin. In Judges, chapter 3 we find the story of Ehud. The Bible begins with the story in Judges 3:12-14. 12 Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek ; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees. 14 The sons of Isreal served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. It seems like every time you are reading about the Israelites in the Old Testament the story starts with, 'Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.' But are we really any different? The Lord raised up Ehud to deliver His people. Ehud decided he would bring a tribute to King Eglon. What king could resist a tribute centered on him? Judges 3:15-17: 15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17 He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. The Bible is very descriptive. You can almost see the king perched on his chair eating a giant turkey leg. The Bible also describes Ehud as a man that used his left hand. In this time period, people that used their left hand were look at as having a disadvantage. Scholars say most Benjamites were left-handed. Not only was Ehud a left-hander, but he was smart! Judges 3:19b-20: 'I have a secret message for you, O king.' And he said, 'Keep silence.' And all who attended him left him. 20 Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, 'I have a message from God for you.' And he arose from his seat. As Eglon approached Ehud, Judges tells us that Ehud reached with his left hand, grabbed his sword and stabbed Eglon in the stomach. Judges 3 is very descriptive about the incident and has humorous ending; I encourage you to grab your Bible and check it out! Ehud was special in that the Bible said he was left-handed. We can take comfort in knowing that God made each of us individually and different. God has gifted you with talents that he can use to accomplish His will. Are you thankful for the ways God has made you unique and different or are you insecure about them or possibly prideful about them? Everything we have is from God- our gifts, abilities, disabilities, and our every breath! Ask God today to reveal to you how He has made you uniquely and how He wants to use you for His glory. Remember, everything we do is for His glory and not for our own. How are you using your gifts? http://www.firstdayministry.com/index.cfm?i=4431&mid=25&blogid=9589&comments=36862 36862 Thu, 6 Sep 2012 22:04:00 +0000 Integrity is defined as 'adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.' Even though we are taking a break from Ephesians 3:20, I wanted to continue on with Joshua and the children of Israel. After the Israelites crossed the Jordan, the city of Jericho and Ai stood in Israel's way. Many of us have read or heard the story of how the walls of Jericho tumbled down and of the surprising defeat at Ai. We know how Achan took some spoils from Jericho and hid them for himself, which was in direct disobedience to God's instructions. (This happens to be another integrity study.) Finally Ai was defeated. We pick up in Joshua 9:3-6: 3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they also acted craftily andset out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, 5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled. 6 They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, 'We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.' The leaders of Gibeon knew they were the next city the Israelites would come to on their conquest of the Promise Land. So, as the Bible says, a group of representatives went out to meet with Joshua in Gilgal. The envoy said that they had traveled for many miles to make this treaty. They explained that their wine skins and shoes were new and their bread was fresh when the journey began! They led Joshua to believe that they may have traveled from land outside of the Promised Land: Joshua 9:16,18 16 It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. 18 The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. Even though the Joshua was tricked, he still kept his promise! We could learn a lesson of integrity just from that response, but there is more: Joshua 10:5-6 5 So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish ,and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it. 6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, 'Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.' So, not only did the leaders of Gibeon trick Joshua and the Israelites into signing a treaty with them not to destroy them, but then when Gibeon came under attack from the Amorites, they turned to Joshua for help because of the treaty they signed. I don't know about you, but I might be a little slow in gathering up my men for this battle. I might tell them I would pray about it. Some people might even discuss a need for a committee…but not Joshua, the man of integrity: Joshua 10:7-8 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.' Joshua was a man of integrity. When he gave his promise, he kept it no matter what the cost. He kept his promise even when it hurt, was inconvenient, or dangerous! Ask God this week to reveal ways that you can be a person of integrity or things you need to do differently. We can show integrity in our workplace by always doing our best and not wasting the company's money or time. We show integrity in our homes by upholding the promises we made in our marriage vows and by doing exactly what we promise our kids we will do. Our integrity can be one way that Christ shines His light through us to a dark world. Please share ways that you have been encouraged by someone's integrity. Integrity is defined as 'adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.' Even though we are taking a break from Ephesians 3:20, I wanted to continue on with Joshua and the children of Israel. After the Israelites crossed the Jordan, the city of Jericho and Ai stood in Israel's way. Many of us have read or heard the story of how the walls of Jericho tumbled down and of the surprising defeat at Ai. We know how Achan took some spoils from Jericho and hid them for himself, which was in direct disobedience to God's instructions. (This happens to be another integrity study.) Finally Ai was defeated. We pick up in Joshua 9:3-6: 3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they also acted craftily andset out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, 5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled. 6 They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, 'We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.' The leaders of Gibeon knew they were the next city the Israelites would come to on their conquest of the Promise Land. So, as the Bible says, a group of representatives went out to meet with Joshua in Gilgal. The envoy said that they had traveled for many miles to make this treaty. They explained that their wine skins and shoes were new and their bread was fresh when the journey began! They led Joshua to believe that they may have traveled from land outside of the Promised Land: Joshua 9:16,18 16 It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. 18 The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. Even though the Joshua was tricked, he still kept his promise! We could learn a lesson of integrity just from that response, but there is more: Joshua 10:5-6 5 So the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish ,and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they with all their armies, and camped by Gibeon and fought against it. 6 Then the men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, saying, 'Do not abandon your servants; come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites that live in the hill country have assembled against us.' So, not only did the leaders of Gibeon trick Joshua and the Israelites into signing a treaty with them not to destroy them, but then when Gibeon came under attack from the Amorites, they turned to Joshua for help because of the treaty they signed. I don't know about you, but I might be a little slow in gathering up my men for this battle. I might tell them I would pray about it. Some people might even discuss a need for a committee…but not Joshua, the man of integrity: Joshua 10:7-8 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the valiant warriors. 8 The Lord said to Joshua, 'Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.' Joshua was a man of integrity. When he gave his promise, he kept it no matter what the cost. He kept his promise even when it hurt, was inconvenient, or dangerous! Ask God this week to reveal ways that you can be a person of integrity or things you need to do differently. We can show integrity in our workplace by always doing our best and not wasting the company's money or time. We show integrity in our homes by upholding the promises we made in our marriage vows and by doing exactly what we promise our kids we will do. Our integrity can be one way that Christ shines His light through us to a dark world. Please share ways that you have been encouraged by someone's integrity. http://www.firstdayministry.com/index.cfm?i=4431&mid=25&blogid=9589&comments=36471 36471 Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:14:00 +0000