Deuteronomy 20 - Battling Enemies

God sent the nation of Israelites into the Promised Land, but things were not smooth sailing as they imagined. They would be charged with confronting the inhabitants and usurping them from the land they occupied. God promised to give them victory but they would have to really trust Him. The enemies were hostile and well prepared to defend themselves. 

God offers up some assurances and cautions for the people as they go to battle:

1. God is on your side (Deut 20:4). The defeat of the EMT was already secure befor the battle began. God had chosen the side of His people. There is no need to fear even if the enemy is intimidating. 

2.  Don't doubt. (Deut 20:5-9). If you have concerns at home and worries that you may not fulfill a commitment, then your faith in God is probably not secure. Go home, God can't really use you. 

3.  Seek peaceable solutions first: if the enemy will surrender, then spare their lives allowing them to continue in peace. But if they refuse, their lives shouldn't be spared. They will only seek to ruin you by having you follow after other gods. 

4.  Don't ruin your future. You may need the fruit trees when ou come into the land. Hey aren't your enemy. Keep them to use later. 

These same principles can be used when we are confronted by financial enemies. We may have lost a job, have unexpected expenses, become overwhelmed by economic conditions. But as Christians who were redeemed by Christ himself, we know that God is on our side. There is nothing that we face that God cannot overcome. The test is, will we trust him when all around things look bleak?  

God can use us in the conflict if we are confident in Him. If we see his as our own battle, we should go home, we have already lost. We need not to give in to negative thinking and doubts. 

In dealing with enemies we should try to negotiate a resolution and gain their support. Calling a creditor or a former employer for a reference may pave the way for less conflict. A proactive approach may leave you with more options. 

We can often ruin our own futures by excessive debt or bleeding off retirement savings when confronted with difficulty. Resist the urge to take from your future. This difficulty is temporary. God can overcome even horrendous situations if we will abide in Him and look to Him for our help. 

When we keep an eternal perspective and stay in right relationship to God there is no enemy too great that cannot be defeated. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

Deuteronomy 19 - Justice and Mercy

When we are confronted with hatred and malice, it doesn't matter if no actual crime has been committed; we can feel that hostility. It is displayed in the mannerisms, the tone of conversation, even the glaring in the eyes. Likewise when God judges sin, He sees more than the outward act - He sees the heart. In this chapter we see that God makes special provision for those falsely accused or who have harmed someone not through malice, but by accident. 

Special cities of refuge are established to protect those who may have accidentally killed someone so their lives may be spared. Murder was punishable by death, but God considers motive when distributing Justice and Mercy. 

Not everyone would get a free pass in the City of refuge, but they would receive a fair trial with at least two or three witnesses to establish guilt or innocence. False witnesses with an axe to grind would my be tolerated, but would receive the punishment they intended for the one they accused. 

God leaves judges and priests to discern truth and apply proper punishment where warranted. We do not see inside ones heart as God does, but we can be discerning in consideration of outward acts that reveal a motive to harm. We can rely on God's Spirit to guide us when we are without wisdom and we can apply His word when acting as His representatives here on Earth. We are not to be quick to judgement, but are to wisely look to God when we are called to give testify or to evaluate right. 

We live in a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred. Those who would live according to their own standard challenge Christians not to judge, but to let them live their way. When others are harmed, we must take a stand for truth and right. We may be the ones who provide God's Justice here for the innocent. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

Deuteronomy 18 - Living Out of the World

For forty years God led the children of Israel through the desert with one primary goal: to teach them to trust God even when circumstances would seem impossible. He wanted them to know they served a God of the impossible and able to overcome anything they may face. He wanted their devotion so that they would not be taken in by the practices of the heathen nations around them. 

God is still a God of the possible. He still works miracles. The greatest miracle is that He saved a sinner like me bound for Hell and covered that sin with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I was bought from prison and made free. I am so free that one day I will be higher than the Angels and will be the bride of Christ forever joined to Him and never experience pain, distress or loneliness again. I am challenged day in and day out to remember whose I am and that even the darkest day is overcome by the light. I am not to live like the unbelievers around me, but to practice in faith the lifestyle God prescribes.  Holy living in the blessed care of my Lord. When we live differently, we witness to the Lord's power on our lives. 

This blog was intended to spell out wisdom for our finances, but our finances are so intertwined with our passions and our lifestyle that they cannot be separated. What we love and how we love determines our financial priorities. Will we live a life focused on the earthly pleasures that can be obtained?  Will we live for stuff, power, leisure or escape?  Or will we lay our lives down and let God choose what is best and follow Him as we live out our days?  

In this chapter we have a foreshadow of Jesus' coming (Deut 18 15-20). Jesus stands as the true leader for God's people in contrast with the heathen gods and the false prophets speaking in the name of God.  We have a guide to discern false prophets. God distinguishes false teaching from true prophesy. There are a lot is false witnesses speaking astounding prophesy and other false witnesses speaking biblical prophesy as if it were new trying to gain for themselves a name. We need to know truth. It isn't found in reading this blog, though I believe I am truthful. The way to know truth is to go to the source, the very word of God and know truth in a way that only God can do. Have that supernatural encounter with God in His word and see the life that can be yours. 

God says if a prophet proclaims some event in God's name and it does not take place that is a false prophet. He is not of God and he has no power over God's people. We can always know a false prophet if they speak against the truth of scripture. If we know scripture we are equipped to judge truth from falsehood. 

I pray you will look up as you live out your days and not dwell on the trials here or the obstacles. God is greater than all of this. Our life is lived for God's eternal glory and we have the assurance that we will be by His side in eternity if we will place our full faith and trust in Him.

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him.  

Deuteronomy 17 - Living Differently in the Land

God knows the hearts of His people and how easily we can fall into the practices of the world around us. In Deuteronomy 17, God warns the people of the dangers  in worship, legal dealings and government that could redirect the hearts of His people. 

Worship

The people of God are not to adopt the practices of worship of the lands they inherit. They are to worship God alone and not entertain other gods. Furthermore, sin among the people must not be ignored, but addressed. God recognized that someone who compromises their worship with the world stands to misdirect others with him. God is also just in that blasphy against God should have a net of witnesses who will lay the charge against him. This was the law that was applied to Jesus as He was being falsely judged for blasphemy. 

Legal Matters

God's people have the best judge of all and do not need to rely on the world's court system. God gave His law, but also places in position godly men to act as judges in cases that cannot be resolved without the intervention of a third party. 

Rulers

God's appointed rulers are not to live high and adopt worldly living. They are appointed to lead the people and he is to keep God's law close. Before God he is no better than the people he leads. He is to remain humble applying God's laws to hawlf as well as the people of the land. Power has the potential to corrupt good men and God wanted to remind the King to keep proper perspective. 

As Christians we are also charged to love differently from the world and be an example to the world of God's power. We cannot entertain ungodly practices and hold ourselves up as people of Gid. Only as we become holy does God get the glory in our lives. We should not reject holiness as unattainable, but seek after it making it part of our practices so that we can be seen differently from the world around us. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

Deuteronomy 16 - Memorials and Feasts

Anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and festivals are events we look forward to each year because they are times of remembrance and commemoration of events past that impact our lives today. We celebrate each year that passes remembering those people, events and achievements that have made us who we are. Celebrations ground us and cause us to take a moment to consider our history. Even sad commemorations like Memorial Day when we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our freedoms help us to value what we have, to recognize that it came at a cost and that we now have the charge to continue the legacy established by these men and women. 

In Dueteronomy 16, God sets up several feasts and remembrances because He wants his people to take time to reflect on the ways He has secured their freedoms and provided for their needs. Each year the people were to remember how God supernaturally delivered them from bondage to Egypt and paved the way to their promised land. He wanted the people to remember their time in subjection and oppression under the domination of Egypt so that they would never return to such a life. He wanted the people to see that their prosperity is directly a result of God's blessing in their lives. The Israelites had much to be thankful for. 

We too can take times out of our year to specifically remember God's hand in our lives. At Thanksgiving we consider the provision God gives us through the year and the abundance we share with food, family, health and friends. At Christmas we consider again the grandeur of God himself taking on human flesh and coming to live with us and experience life as a mere mortal. At Easter we consider the great price that was paid for our freedom from sin and the hope that opened up when our Savior took our place and allowed us to be reconciled to God. These feasts should not be taken lightly or allowed to be secularized. We have a God in Heaven that deserves and craves our remembrance. We should rember throughout the war but take special times to celebrate the greatness of God with our family and friends. Who knows but what these celebrations could be just the tool God uses to bring an unsaved lives one into the Kingdom.

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

Deuteronomy 15 - Lending and Giving

Right on the heels of instructing us about tithing and putting God preeminent in our financial affairs, we receive instruction about dealing with others in finances. Three keys for us today relate to canceling debt, poverty and giving generously; let's explore them together. 

God establishes a relational principle  in dealing with our brethren. In this case He is talking to the Israelites, but I think it also applies to us as Christians. If the Lord has blessed you with abundance, you should not use it as an opportunity to Lord over another. 

Canceling Debt

In relationship to debts, we are to forgive debts if our brother cannot repay after a period of time. In this case the time established is every seven years. After seven years, the debt has bece a burden. We should be forgiving and show lovingkindness to our fellow believers in the same way God demonstrated compassion on our great needs and in recognition that but for the grace of God we would be in the same situation. 

Notice that the act of forgiving debt is on the creditor (Deut 15:2) and not on the borrower. In the United States, bankruptcy law was designed to bring similar relief to the borrower, but it does not depend on the act of the creditor. The courts force the creditor to release debts rather than it being a voluntary act on the part of the lender. 

Notice also that this service was only extended to people outside the lineage of the Israelites (Deut 15:3). You may require payment from the foreigner, but not from a fellow Israelite. Not everyone had blanket forgiveness of debts extended. 

Borrowing is placing oneself in subjugation to another. This is not God's plan for His people. He intends for people to be free to serve Him at his command without being constrained and entangled in earthly bindings. If we hold debt over another, we keep them from the freedom to serve God on command. If we are indebted, we have entangled ourselves, keeping us from responding when God calls. 

Poverty

Similarly, when God has blessed a person with abundance, they are expected to be generous toward  the poor. No one should be placed in a position of indebtedness to the foreign nations. Israel was to take care of her own people. It places them in a position of power among the nations that they would lend to other nations, but they would not borrow. 

God tells us that there should be no poor among us (Deut 15:4). If we take care of the poor, they should not have to go begging to foreign nations. In the same way, I believe this principal applies to the church today. If we as believers care for the poor among us, whey should not need to be dependent on government programs and subject to the philosophies that can be contrary to the faith. Keeping free of earthly entanglements. It is right that the church should lend and give to the poor so they shouldn't suffer. 

We also learn that there will always be poor in the land (Deut 15:11) so we should always be prepared to extend a helping hand to those in need. 

Generosity

God establishes a principle of giving generously without a grudging heart. (Deut 16:10). When we withhold from someone in need we are despising God who has blessed us with abundance. We act as if it were all our effort and all our possession to hoard for ourselves. If we have abundance it is only because God has blessed us. It is all God's to give; our abilities, our opportunities, and our wealth all come from His hand. If we are introduced to a need we have opportunity to act as God's representative in there lives. We are Jesus to that person. We witness of God's benevolence toward us when we give to others. It should be a willing heart and an open hand that characterizes our giving. If we will be generous, God offers to bless our work and everything we put our hand to. God assures the generous person that they will not be left wanting. 

As we recognize God's generosity toward us we are more compassionate toward the needs of others. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him. 

Deuteronomy 14 - Tithing

Controversy seems to follow the concept of tithing. Is it part of Old Testament Law which is fulfilled with the sacrificial death of Jesus and no longer relevant for modern times or is it a principle that goes beyond Salvation and should be applied to every Christian life. 

In this chapter starting with verse 22 to the end, God gives His command to the Israelites. He says, "set aside a tenth of all that your fields produce". You would expect that he would then say "give it to the church or the Levites" but He says, "eat the tithe in the presence of the Lord in the place He chooses". 

God helps us out to understand the purpose of the tithe in verse 23 He puts a big SO in the middle for our benefit. SO you may learn to revere the Lord your God always. God wants us to remember it is His hand at work blessing us to provide for our needs and we are to maintain a sense of gratitude. When we bow our heads to pray before a meal we do much the same. We thank God for His provisions and commend ourselves to His care. Reverence for the Lord's provision is not outdated. 

The Levites are cared for along with the fatherless and the widows when the full tithe is committed to th every three years.

Our tradition of tithing as a churches means  for fund raising doesn't quite fit this passage. What we do see is that the those in service to God  and those without means to care for themselves are to be provided for. The tithe should be sufficient to do that. The US system of mandating taxes to provide for those in poverty is based on this concept. I contend that it is because God's people have abandoned this principle that any need for government intervention exists. 

The ministries of the church would not be funded with this provision except for the salary of the leader and the benevolence to the poor. Our churches have need for facilities, Sunday School,children's ministry, music and so on. This would be provided through the giving of the people beyond the tithe. 

There are two principles at work in the tithe. The first is we look to God and give thanks for His provision. The second is that we consider the needs of others and allow God to use us as His means to provide their portion. When we belong to Christ, we become like Him-generously giving of ourselves for the benefit of His Kingdom. We are about His work wherever we go. 

If we make generosity the goal and Gods measure our own, we will have no need to discuss the tithe ever again. It is all God's and we are merely the stewards of God's provision. 

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him.