How to make an appeal

Numbers 14: 11-21         interceding
filling earth with the Glory of God
Percieve the problem
• 11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be until they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?
• 12 I will strike them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of you a greater nation and mightier than they.
  Your welfare
• 13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou brought up this people in thy might from among them;)
• 14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud stood over them, and that thou g before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
  save face of person making petition to
• 15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of you will speak, saying,
  reputation
• 16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
• 17 And now, I beseech you, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
  Answer my prayer because it will improve your interests
• 18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
  make the petition
• 19 Pardon, I beseech you, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy,
  pledge to remain faithful regardless of the decision
• and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
• 20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
• 21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
• 22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
• 23 Surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
• 24 But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land wherein to he went; and his seed shall possess it.
• 25 (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.

Church Growth

I see the church today as a compendium of many different people with many different levels of knowledge and commitment. To visualize a spiral where the person just now introducing Himself to Jesus the savior, is on the last spot of the tail. What ever might be the worse problem of the life is simply removed. For about two years the new believer has a honeymoon where he is permitted to learn and grow in faith as fast as possible with almost no interference from the evil one (except that which is provided by other people in the person's world.) Then after the two years little problems challenge the new believers status quo. In general circumstances require additional growth and unselfishness. Some of these new- bees are interested in History, for them the history of the church steps from and center. Other people grow in grace and knowledge in other areas, like missions, evangelism, children's work, etc.

As knowledge and faith are gained,, the person gradually circles and progresses to the center of the spiral. For these a great step may be taken to shorten the critical path to the center. That step would include some bible classes, or curriculum concentrated to gain as much knowledge as possible. The person on the out side may not attend every week on the weekend service. The next level in would attend regularly, but maybe not take any additional leadership responsibility. The next level in would take this responsibility but not to the point of full time service. This progression begins actually not at the place where conscious knowledge of God affects habits and patterns of living. Instead it starts back where some one else began to share the gospel and some one else began to pray for their welfare.

The person at the center of the spiral some would call the origin would be the person with the greatest faith, the person who first had the idea to start a particular fellowship. Some times this person is a person of prayer, sometimes a person of action with the prayer person close by. As the numbers grow the level of faith/knowledge of this first few people limits the size of the over all fellowship. In order for the overall fellowship to grow, the person/s at the center must increase in love and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. When these persons take an additional step of faith it leaves a "place" for the next and each person can take a step forward in the place vacated by the one before. In this way the tail grows longer as each new person steps into the spiral to take their own place. 2Cor 10:12 suggests that we should not compare ourselves among ourselves, but the "substance of Faith" is measurable and can grow. Speaking of comparison, at times the person closer to the center resists the person further out in the spiral exceeding him in faith and love of the Lord. This picture is similar to the process by which people sit in the same seats or seats similar in location relative to the pulpit. Over time this seat gets the designation as "so and so's seat." Other people respect this location as each one has their own seat location as well. A new person must needs find a seat, but "woe to be " should he inadvertently claim "so and so's seat!" It is precisely this pressure that inhibits the "growth in the size of the fellowship."

"Love of the Lord:"

Love is an interesting word to define. Every one knows when they have it, or think that they do. Yet who can say if they have it or if the thing that they have is or is not the same as that held by another, especially if the other is the object of the first person's love. Suffice to say it is a strong and positive feeling of affinity a person might have for another person, place or thing. Love can grow over time and change the nature of it's emotion. A spiral of intensity and degree could also describe love as well. Starting with the first introduction to a person, a person would have "surprise." As a second experience or interaction takes place a progression of knowledge leads to recognition of the sort; "I have seen you before." Repeated exposure develops short term recall. Additional experiences and interactions over time develop a "long" term recall. At some point the person "moves the object of their love" to a deep place in their mind, heart, soul or being. At this location the object is desired on a subconscious level. This kind of love bubbles into the "dream life" to a place where their thoughts are automatic and out of conscious thought. The method in which each of these thresholds of love is transversely is by the tongue and the words of the mouth.

It is like the words, "I love you" have a double edged force. On the one hand they tell where the person is in the spiral; on the other hand they point a light to the next step in the progression. In this the words "I love you" some how tell the inner being, I need to develop more love for this person, place or thing! The emotions follow lead of the words and over time reinforce these words with attendant emotions that we typically call Love. In order to develop more Love of the Lord one must simply say "I love you Lord Jesus!" After a while this feeling will grow to substantiate the heard directives of the soul. Sadly it works the other way as well. If a person says that "My love is not as strong as it used to be," the feelings back off in intensity as well. This same process works between people. The simple effect of an "I love you," is to cause the "felt Love" to grow over time. Works the same with "I love your law!" It has the cleansing effect of causing the speaker to want to walk closer to the path "the Law" prescribes.

In a fellowship the increased "Love of the Lord" has a drawing quality, whereby it draws other pilgrims in the path of life into the spiral describing the fellowship. Jesus said "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." Most people have a "God shaped hole" they are forever trying to fill with everything that they come across. When they finally find God for which the hole was created in the first place, They are at peace. Seeing some one else who obviously found this wonderful object also gives hope that maybe some day they also might find this great joy!

I Love your Law Ps 119

In our strenuous aversion to "Legalism," this society seems to have "thrown the Baby out with the Bath water..." when it comes to Torah, the Law and the OT in general. Deut 28:1-2 outlines a more proper interpretation of the role of the law in our lives. "If you will hearken to the voice of the Lord your God..." Hearken simply means to listen to (with the intent of obeying.) The entire blessing of the OT (Jewish) believer was "merited simply by listening to the laws and ordinances." Incidentally these when taken as a whole today yield a more healthful stress free life. I am not advocating that a person attempt to earn the salvation of the Lord by keeping these "rules for life." I am however thinking that the basic principles are a very good idea or plan for successful living. In other words we don't keep the law in order to earn eternal life, but instead permit the Holy Spirit to "live out" the law that abides within our hearts. We approach keeping the law because we have that law written into our hearts. Because we walk in the fleshly body, no one keeps the whole law all the time. Simply living right, however takes us closer than we ever would get by not even considering the law. Also in between the Lines the Holy Spirit lives to give us the life that we need to fill our cup back up.

Prayer or Relationship???

Last night as i was having a little delay going to sleep, i decided to look up the Gatewaypeople.com web site. after a while I matriculated to the Freedom page. Glancing down the list of downloads, and ran across a one hour teaching by pastor Marcus. I love the sound of his voice so I listened to it for a while. He was teaching on healing and how our prayer life gives a silhouette of our view of God. Is God the magic slot machine in the sky? or Is he a friend who cares intimately for his friends (of which i consider my self one?) I believe that Pastor Marcus was presenting the idea that the money, health, job relationship, etc or what ever the presenting problem might be; was not the "REAL" focal point. The focal point is Kononia; that would be relationship. Relationship implies inter relating (in other words back and forth.) If God's part is to heal, set free, provide; well: what is the part of the other half? (that would be me!) (Don't remember what Marcus said next.) Must have dosed off or more likely daydreamed, but seems to me that the next thought would be to really Love God. From time to time, I have people who come to me with a scarcely transparent "what can I get out of you attitude;" I really have a time overlooking my own "flesh response," and was wondering how God felt at times like that between me and Him. Ha ha! His mercy endures for ever with all the times I have turned the beggar to him!

Bottom line is this: What is God saying to you in the frustration of this situation, and crisis of faith that it presents. When I get into a "Jam" of circumstances, I

"redouble my scripture reading, with an emphasis on increasing my faith."

I try to see if there is someone that I can help: good word of encouragement, practical help, or a coin.

In short I apply my self to the things that I know that my Father is interested in (James 1:27.) He has made some promises to certain types of persons, and I find that attending to those "promisees," hastens the relief that I need.

He Said not a word!

Matt 27:11-26

• 11 ¶ And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou said.
• 12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
• 13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hear thou not how many things they witness against thee?
• 14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
• 15 Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
• 16 And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barnabas.
• 17 Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barnabas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
• 18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
• 19 When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
• 20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barnabas, and destroy Jesus.
• 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barnabas.
• 22 Pilate said unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
• 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
• 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
• 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
• 26 ¶ Then released he Barnabas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus stood. So important to not run, not attack or not to retreat. Example of how to deal with the accuser of our lives. Paul described the spiritual armor as covering the front. None of the protection covers the back, so we must face the enemy in order to be safe. We overcome the accuser (Rev 12:11) by the word of our testimony, the blood of the Lamb, and that we love not our lives to the death. Revelation also indicates that the accuser is the Devil, and we infer that any who accuse us are inspired by the same. Jesus' testimony was who he was, in answer to the question,"Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus simply said, "You said it!" This is both a statement of Identity, and a challenge to Pilate, "Who do you day that I am?" If Pilate had replied "you are Lord," He would have made a confession unto salvation. When we identify ourselves in righteousness as being "in Jesus," The accuser has no hold on out hearts. The word of our testimony is that We are "in him," and his righteousness is ours. This removes the power of guilt from the accuser. It defang's the snake! We notice that the goal of the accuser is to impute guilt, for it is this guilt that controls our actions, attitudes and lives. Seems that the control itself is the principle thing.

The adroit manner in which Jesus shifts his response from person to person is so captivation to me. Responding to a sincere inquiry with a truthful if not confronting question from Pilate, Jesus answered the question with a question. But with the lawyers trying to trap him or at least indulge in a "tar-baby" fight; Jesus said nothing. Ignoring the emotion and vergence in the hearts of the priests and members of the Sanhedrian, Pilate inspects the face of the charges. Hoping that he might be able to determine innocence in the charges, thereby releasing Jesus from the mob, Pilate inquires of Jesus. With no answer this is like no court subject he has ever observed. How could someone be so comfortable within himself in the face this abuse, that he did not answer a single charge. So Pilate attempts a different angle. Let Jesus be the one released this year for the pardon and parole process. This would be a passover gift to the people from the governor. The crowd would have none of this, instead called for a notable "son of the Chief Priest of the Sanhedrian. " This "son of a preacher man" instead of following the example of the father, he "went bad." History reports that he personally murdered several in the course of attempting to rebel from the Roman rule. A zealot and leader of zealots his release would become an affront to the Roman government that Pilate represented.

It would have been enough!

Matthew 27:33-56
• 33 ¶ And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
• 34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted of it, he would not drink.
• 35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
• 36 And sitting down they watched him there;
• 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
• 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
• 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
• 40 And saying, You that destroys the temple, and rebuilds it in three days, save thyself. If you be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
• 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
• 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
• 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
• 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
• 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
• 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
• 47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calls for Elijah.
• 48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
• 49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.
• 50 ¶ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up The Spirit.
• 51 And, at the same time , the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
• 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
• 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
• 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
• 55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
• 56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.

Reading this passage over and over, the phrase "it would have been enough!" jumps out at me! The passover story that every Jewish child recites once a year on this same night that Jesus is enduring the most horrific and und just death in recorded history has a section that repeats this refrain, "It would have been enough!" It is a 'sing song' emphasis of the depth of thankfulness each person feels at the reception of the gift of the passover. It starts with a simple statement "If only God had delivered us out of the hand of the Egyptians (the world,) It would have been enough!" But no, He also passed judgement up on the cruel torturers. Then once again, "if he had only passed justice on those who were so cruel, it would have been enough;" but no He also destroyed the idols that were central to their torture. Then again, "if He had only destroyed the idols, it would have been enough;" but no He smite their first born! If only He had smitten the first born, it would have been enough;" but no he sent them out with the wealth of Egypt. Then again "if only he had rewarded the children of Israel with the wealth of Egypt, it would have been enough; but no he also sent them out on dry land!

This sequence continues sometimes with up to fifteen additional reasons to be thankful for the great grace of Passover and all that it represents in each individual life. The parallel is the same with our Passover Lamb; Jesus the Righteous! It would have been enough that the sinless one died in my place, but no, he was scourged with 40 lashes less one! This earned in addition to our eternal salvation, complete healing of all the diseases listed in Deuteronomy 28; the result of man's disobedience to the laws and ordinances listed previously in the Law. It would have been enough that by his stripes we are healed; but he also was sold for the price of a common slave, that we might be free to serve God in spirit and truth. It would enough that we experience freedom because of His death on the cross, the hill that He was slain upon covered the secret crypt that hid the same "mercy seat" from the original temple; so that the blood mixed with the rain water and washed down the crevices of that hill washing upon the mercy seat so that the complete requirement of sprinkling of the blood on the mercy seat was fulfilled for the final "Passover!" Incidentally the annual sacrifice of animals were no longer needed and after approximally seventy years ceased to be made. In addition to these every single prophesy ascribed to the Messiah of Israel and every last detail of the "types and shadows" was fulfilled in the Passion story!

Thinking of this striking parallel of the Passover celebration that is celebrated to this time between the Dayanu of 4000 years ago and the passion of 2000 years ago and the re-enactment of the holiday in 2012 brings tears to my eyes and heart, to think that in so may details Jesus completely fulfilled the propitiation (Rom 3:25' IJohn 2:2) of every sin that could ever be committed against the righteousness of God! In no way did he "come up short in this sequence of time." How great is the salvation He has purchased for us.