The word says
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel. 3:17).
Month: September 2007
Knowing you, Jesus is My “Canaan Land” promise
Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21- 24 says; “(21) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (22) But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. (23) But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; (24) yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake”
What does he mean by “to live is Christ”?
Well, earlier in Galatians 2:20 he said: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me”
What Paul’s getting at is this: For those who have chosen to give Christ control of their life, quite literally, living is Christ. They’ve given themselves over to the one who created them in the first place. Fair enough, but what about death somehow being a gain?
Listen again to the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5: “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — for we walk by faith not by sight —-we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.”
If I’m hearing Paul correctly, he’s telling us that those who have relationships with Christ will be at home with him in eternity when they die.
For Paul, and indeed for all Christians, living is Christ, and dying is gain. Either way, they win.
I pray the words of this song by Graham Kendrick will speak to you as it does to me.
All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now, compared to thisKnowing you, Jesus Knowing you,
There is no greater thing
You’re my all, you’re the best
You’re my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, LordNow my heart’s desire is to know you more
To be found in you and known as yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All-surpassing gift of righteousnessOh, to know the power of your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like you in your death, my Lord
So with you to live and never die.
What is the “Canaanite Opposition” that is Causing you to Hesitate?
The opposition to your “Canaan Opportunity” can be ominous and fearsome. The problem with taking possession of Canaan-Land is that it is filled with Canaanites! All of hell, it would seem, fights against our taking possession of what God graciously sets before us. We can only do so in the strength that He provides; and yet, He will provide the victory if we will go forward at His command and take possession.
Tragically, when the great opportunity from God finally came, the people of Israel failed to seize it—because they were afraid of the Canaanites who dwelt in the land. The spies reported to Moses and the people and said,
“We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan” (Num. 13:27-29).
There were two men who stood out from the other ten spies. One was Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim—the man who later became the one who would lead the people of the next generation into the land. The other was Caleb of the tribe of Judah. I believe that Caleb was singled out because he was the most vocal in his dissent from the other ten.
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (v. 30).
But it was to no avail. The other ten countered Caleb’s faithful appeal, and focused on how humanly impossible it would be to do seize hold of the opportunity God was giving them.
But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (vv. 31-33).
These ten spies caused all the congregation to rebel against God and the opportunity that He had placed before them! Imagine; a four-hundred year old promise was now, at last, being kept; and yet, they talked themselves out of trusting God for it because of the Canaanites—as if God had somehow failed to take into account that Canaan-Land was filled with Canaanites!
The Bible tells us that the whole congregation of Israel spent the night weeping. And then, they woke up and, lifting their complaint to Moses, said something unspeakably horrible to say in the presence of God—the very same mighty God who had delivered them from out of their hard bondage in Egypt covenanted to claim them as His own people;
“If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt” (Num. 14:2-4).
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the people. Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes, and made the plea to the people to trust God and rise up and take the land. But the people threatened to stone them to death.
Because they were afraid of the Canaanites, they rebelled against God and refused to take possession of the land. They were more afraid of the Canaanites than they were of God! And what happened as a result? They utterly lost the opportunity God was giving them.
The Bible tells us that God appeared in glory before the people; and it was only Moses’ appeals to God for mercy that prevented Him from slaying them all on the spot. God told him;
“How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you: The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of your infidelity, until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely forty years, and you shall know My rejection. I the LORD have spoken this. I will surely do so to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.’” (vv. 27-35).
You see; God had made a promise, and He was going to keep it. The people of Israel would possess the land that He had promised them. His purpose remained firm. But that first generation had lost the opportunity of enjoying that promise. They would now wander in the desert for forty years—in an area, if you can imagine it, that they easily could have traveled in eleven days! They would wander in dismal circles until that entire generation died out; and it would be their children who would take the land in their place.
Out of that whole generation, only Joshua and Caleb would enter the land. All of the other ten spies who gave an evil report died of a plague before the Lord (14:36-38). And thus, God gave the people what they wanted. They didn’t wish to enter the land; and so they would not.
God has offered a Canaan-Land opportunity to you; but what is the Canaanite-opposition that is causing you to hesitate to seize that opportunity and take possession of all that He is offering you?
Is God calling you to leave some old sinful habit behind and follow him in holiness? If so, you’re going to hear the voices of those who “think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4). The Bible warns that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). Do you fear those voices? Do you fear the names you’ll be called and the rejection you’ll be subject to—and maybe even the physical opposition you’ll receive—if you chose to follow Jesus and turn from sin? Those are Canaanites in the land! Don’t let them rob you of the opportunity to take possession of Canaan!
Is God calling you to leave the comfortable life of the ‘known’ and follow Him into the ‘unknown’ through some new area of ministry? Are you fearful of losing security? Are you fearful of the disappointment or disapproval you’ll feel from family and friends? Jesus said, “. . . [E]veryone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). Don’t ever be disrespectful or negligent of those whom God has entrusted to your care. But at the same time, when you feel the irresistible call of the Lord to follow Him in service, don’t be afraid of the worldly things that it may cost you. Those are the threats of Canaanites in the land! Trust God, and don’t let them stop you!
Or is God calling you to depend upon Him in faith as He takes you into some new level of maturity? Is He calling you to leave the past behind and walk in His strength in wholeness and soundness? Are you afraid of how hard that will be to allow Him to make significant changes in your life, or how painful the changes might feel? It’s as if Jesus walks up and says to, extends a hand to you, and says, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6). And are you too afraid of what it might involve if you were to say, “Yes, Lord; I want to be made well”? Are you afraid of what being “well” might cost you? Don’t listen to that fear! That’s the voice of the Canaanites in the land! Don’t let those fears paralyze you from seizing hold of all that God is offering to you!
Will you Embrace the “Caleb Option” in the face of this Challenge?
When the other spies were hesitating and were saying, “The people who dwell in this land are too strong”, Caleb said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (13:30).
It wasn’t that Caleb was over-confident in the ability of the Israelites to take the land. Rather, he was appropriately confident that the same mighty God who set the land before them was also able to give them victory in taking it. He was fully aware of the Canaanites. He saw them just as much as the others did. But he didn’t have his eyes fixed on the Canaanites of the land. He had his eye fixed on the promise of God . . . and on the God of the promise!
What’s more, Caleb also sought to encourage others. Everyone in the congregation was saying, “If only we had died in Egypt! If only we had died in the wilderness! Why has God brought us out here to die? Why has God made our wives and children victims? Let’s select a leader and go back to Egypt!” But Caleb—along with Joshua—spoke to the congregation and said,
“The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them” (14:7-9).
God commended Caleb for this. He said of that unbelieving generation of Israelites that . . . they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it (14:23-24).
So, in the end, God kept His promise. The people of Israel entered the land and took possession of it—forty years later. That first generation lost the opportunity; and it was given instead to their children.
And would you like to know what the Bible tells us happened at that time? The children of these unbelieving and disobedient Israelites had taken full possession of the land that God promised them under the leadership of Joshua. And we’re told, in the fourteenth chapter of Joshua, that Caleb—strong and healthy forty-five years later; even up to the ripe old age of eighty-five—was given the city of Hebron. Hebron was a chief city very close to the place where the rebellion had first occurred. We’re told,
And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel” (Joshua 14:13-14).
And so, Will you—this day—embrace the ‘Caleb option’ with respect to the challenge that God is placing before you?
FOUNDATION
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Mathew 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
From this passage of scripture, we can glean four important principles.
- There are two types of foundations. There was a “…man who built his house on the rock:” And there was a… 26 “…man who built his house on the sand:” Both of these foundations have value. Both are attractive. Both can draw us in. But only one can sustain us. Only one can protect our efforts. Only one has permanence.
- The problem is NOT in the lack of knowledge of God’s Will, but the problem is the person’s heart that decided not to obey God despite God’s instruction. Look what it says in verses 24 about the wise man: 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them; I will liken him to a wise man…” Compared to the foolish man in verse 26: “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be likened to a foolish man…” The difference between the wise man and the foolish man was NOT that one of them didn’t hear the clear teachings of Jesus Christ. The problem was the heart attitude that was determined to either obeying or disobeying the voice of God.
- Identical circumstances struck both the wise man and the foolish man. In fact, the circumstances are described in identical quotes: For the wise man who built his house upon the rock: 25 “…the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;” For the foolish man who built his house upon the sand: 27 “…the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;” The same circumstances struck both the wise man and the foolish man. Both structures were challenged by what started to be a little rain – that grew into a flood – that evolved into fierce winds and unstable conditions. Isn’t that just like how life is? Sometimes we are able to see crisis come – They start first as rain – that grow into a flood – then become a torrential downpour! And I will tell you from experience, that when problems hit, your spiritual house had better be grounded on a foundation that was built by the unshakable, immovable, unequivocal Word of God! Prov. 10:23 says To do evil is like sport to a fool, But a man of understanding has wisdom. 24 The fear of the wicked will come upon him, And the desire of the righteous will be granted. 25 When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. That foundation is what keeps you anchored in God’s will and in God’s protection. We must build our lives, and our spiritual house, on the foundation of God.
- So, what exactly is the “rock?” What exactly is the “sand?” What exactly is the Lord telling us to build on and not to build on? What exactly is he referring to when he says “the rock” and “the sand?” When Jesus refers to the “rock” and “sand,” he is referring to various philosophies of life and living – various belief systems or ‘world views’ if you will.. The “rock” and the “sand” refer to the hope or various promises that people rest their eternal state on. It is more than a part of their life – it is the foundation of their lives.
NOT I BUT CHRIST
We must commit to “Not I…but Christ.” Ephesians 2:8-9: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
“Jesus Christ, the Builder of His Church” is the only builder who can anchor us in truth. And no one can stand against Him. Jesus says in Matthew 16:15-16, 18 “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ 16 Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Verse 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”
When Jesus said the words “upon this rock I will build my church,” He used the word that referred to “bedrock.” Literally Jesus said in verse 18:…upon this [bed]rock I will build My church…” In other words, “upon this vast expanse…upon this firm foundation…upon this immovable anchor,” I will build my church.
What exactly is this hard, fortified “bedrock” that is to anchor our lives, our church, our families now and in the years to come? Peter’s confession says it all in verse 16 “YOU are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” YOU, JESUS, are the Builder of the Church. YOU provide the only hope for mankind.
Laying a foundation on the rock demands so much of life, energy, time, will, hopes and dreams – THAT is the Solid Rock that we have built this vision upon. THAT is the Solid Rock that we are building this church upon. And THAT is the Solid Rock that we will forever build this church upon! And that same SOLID ROCK is the foundation on which you should build your life! There are many distractions out there today. Distractions that keep you from seeking His will. From following his path. From obeying His word.
We must be passionate about focusing on Him. The author and finisher of our faith. Knowing that only through Him can we find our hope, our joy and our peace. Not I, But Christ!
“Master, speak! Thy servant heareth”
The context is I Samwel chapter 3. Eli, the elderly high priest of Israel is laying on his sleeping mat, snoring deeply.
Nearby lay Samuel, a child left to Eli’s care by a woman so hopeless of ever bearing children for her own pleasure that she had asked to bear one for God’s. Hannah’s wish had been granted, and she had appeared some time ago to Eli and left him with the young lad to be raised in the temple.
At night, Samuel hears a “strange” voice calling his name and he runs to Eli. Eli, a high priest handles his role very well. He teaches Samuel that a proper response to a midnight call is prayer- “Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.”
That call is for us today. The following words of F. R. Havergal are so appropriate for such a call. “Master, speak! Thy servant heareth, Waiting for Thy gracious Word; Longing for thy voice that cheereth, I am listening, Lord, for Thee;
Master, speak! for, oh, Thou knowest All the yearnings of my heart, Knowest all its truest need; Speak! and make me blest indeed.
Master speak! and make me ready, When Thy voice is truly heard, With obedience glad and steady, Still to follow every word. I am listening, Lord, for Thee…..
PRAYER: My heart, I charge thee to follow thy Lord’s command without a moment’s question though He bid thee leave home and friends as Abraham, cross the Red Sea as Moses, or move through Jordan as Joshua.
There is a fountain…..
This is a song I learnt from my grandmother as a teenager early 1980s. My grandpa’ and grandma’ are devout Christians and everytime we visited or they visited, they sang this hymn. My grandparents are now 90+ years old still strong and healthy.
This song is based on Zechariah 13:1- “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.”
This song was written by William Cowper a famous English writer whose father was a minister, and his mother from royalty. As a child we read that he was “physically frail and emotionally sensitive.” His mother died when he was 6; he later remarked that there was never a day he had not mourned his mother’s death. William studied law; but when facing the bar exam, he had a nervous breakdown, attempted suicide, and was commtted to an in insane asylum for 18 months. While there, at age 33 (1764), he read Rom. 3:25 and realized forgiveness. I pray that this song or the words of this song will grow a new passion for the love and work of the Lord in your life.
Verse 1
There is a fountain filled with blood
drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains.
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
lose all their guilty stains.
Verse 2
Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed Church of God are saved, to sin no more.
Are saved, to sin no more, are saved, to sin no more.
Till all the ransomed church of God
are saved, to sin no more.
Verse 3
For since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply.
Redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die.
Redeeming love has been my theme,
and shall be till I die.
Verse 4
When this poor lisping, stamm’ring tongue
lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing thy pow’r to save.
I’ll sing thy pow’r to save, I’ll sing thy pow’r to save.
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing thy pow’r to save.
Erick Chepkwony, TH.D 