Oppressors To Be Judged

Bobservations Column

By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

In Numbers 13 and 14, we read of the spies of the Lord, sent into the land to possess it. One spy from each of the 12 Tribes went in to search out the land and weigh the strength of those heathen peoples that occupied it. Among those heathens were Canaanites, Amalakites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and the descendants of Anak, who were known to be giants. Moses writes the testimony of the spies: “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” (Numbers 13:33). For the Israelites to take the land from all these became a formidable task! It would be impossible without God’s help. 

But the Israelites did take the land, with God fighting the battles with them. God never failed them when they sought Him for victories over His enemies. 

Once in the land though, they became complacent in their relationship with God. They left some of the enemies of God alive, and incorporated them into Jewish culture, but those survivors brought heathen practices into Israel. Was it the mercy of the Israelites? Was it due to compassion? Was it foolish? Probably “yes” to these questions, but these were in disobedience to God. 

In Luke 1:37 we read Gabriel’s words, “For nothing is impossible with God.” Looking at that verse conversely, we understand that we can do nothing without Him. Our own abilities will die with us, and our deeds are not lasting. 

Now one of those spies was ready to act presumptuously, and begin to attack the heathens in the land. His name was Caleb, and he was rebuked by all the other spies. Caleb was of the Tribe of Judah. 

When there is a task facing us, no matter how simple, or how difficult, we should never act presumptuously. Seek the Lord. Seek other Godly people for their opinion. Take heed to their encouragement, or be warned by their doubts. Take even their facial expressions to the Lord and seek Him in all things. Maybe it’s just an issue of timing, but let even the Lord’s timing glorify Him, in wisdom, in love, and in hope. For those in His will...

“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ ”
- Hebrews 13:5

Examining Fruit

Bobservations Column
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

In the Apostle Paul’s instruction to the Corinthians regarding Communion at the Lord’s Table, we are encouraged to examine ourselves, so as to not partake of the emblems in a sinful, or unworthy state (1 Corinthians 11:27-34).

Examining his own heart is something that King David was in the habit of doing (Psalm 139:23,24), and he stayed in close enough contact with Jehovah that it was written that David “had a heart after God.” It is a great help to examine ourselves with God in order to maintain a healthy and open relationship with the Lord Jesus. He already knows us inside and out, so it’s impossible to hide anything from Him. The examination is not for His benefit, but for ours, that we might know our own weaknesses! 

In Jeremiah 24 this week, it becomes clear that the Jews of Judah had either not learned that lesson, or the habit of examining one’s own heart had fallen by the wayside, for all were righteous in their own eyes. But God sees through us, knowing the thoughts and intents that can fill the human heart if we are not careful to check. 

In today’s chapter, the fig tree comes up, figuratively representing the nation of Israel, and specifically the Tribe of Judah in Jerusalem. The human heart can justify anything if we let it. Call it rebellion, or peer pressure, or just following the leader, we can quickly fall out of favor with our Almighty Father. 

Unchecked, and left uncorrected we can become a Judas without being overtly aware of it. It’s one subtle step off Jesus’ path, and then a second, and a third. Then we wonder why God seems so far away. But the truth is, God did not move, we did. 

Stay close to Jesus, and He will stay close to you. If He is your goal, then let nothing get in the way of your line-of-sight to Him. Accept no blockages; avoid pitfalls; and if something happens and you do lose sight of Him, bring yourself to a halt, and look diligently for Him, resetting your sights on Him. 

Doing this is a benefit of the Holy Spirit’s gift of temperance. It is self-control mixed with commitment, developing self-discipline to stay the course and be His Disciple. 

When I speak of self-discipline, I cannot help but be reminded
that discipline and disciple come from the same root word.

Judgment For Scatterers

Bobservations Column
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Last week, at the beginning of Jeremiah 23, the Lord God pronounces woe to the Pastors that scatter His sheep. The Hebrew "ra`ah (rah-ah’)" is the primitive root word meaning to graze, or to pasture. More specifically, a pastor is shepherd, a leader of sheep. One does not think about a flock without calling to mind the shepherd also. A pastor is that shepherd that leads God’s flock to fresh grazing, and good provender, providing protection and comfort as well. 

Israel was being led astray by false shepherds, by errant teachers and their bad teachings, by errant prophets and their false prophecies. The first half of chapter 23 was directed to the flock. Verses 10 and 11 tell us that the land was full of adulterers because the prophets and priests were all profane.

Today as we cover the second half of Jeremiah 23, the Lord directs Jeremiah to address the problematic sheep that are willing to graze on garbage, rather than healthy spiritual food; and to those prophets who speak presumptively in the name of the Lord, but who so far have not heard from the Lord at all! Their “Thus saith the Lord...” is nothing more than a lie, conjured up in their own minds. Insecure in their own faith relationship, they speak “popular things,” because 1) they want the flock to like them, and 2) because they do not want the flock to turn against them. That’s pride, based in a fear of man, rather than truth due to a healthy fear of the Lord! 

The Lord does not raise up shepherds, priests, and prophets for any reason other than to lead His flock, whom God knows have a tendency to wander. They are aloof and unprotected as they wander away from the flock. Sheep wandering away from good grazing become vulnerable to predators that will drag them further from the flock, and then tear them apart. 

Being a shepherd is not about being popular, it’s about faithfully tending to God’s flock. Warnings, corrections, teachings and instruction is good spiritual food. But not all good foods are easily chewed, digested, or liked! 

Perhaps you remember a least favorite food
that was doctored up so that you would eat it.
(for me, it was broccholi !)

SCATTERED TO BE GATHERED

Bobservations Column
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

When hardships come along, even Believers will sit back to ask God what's going on, and when the troubles start to pile up, we can begin to doubt God and those that He has sent to encourage us.  It seems incongruous that we are being encouraged even as we are being torn down.  Humanly, we find ourselves in untenable situations.  When two people tell us two different things about the same situation, it makes sense that one is lying to us.

But which one?  Until that question is resolved, we must consider them both to be liars.  We don't have to declare that to them, and in fact, we should not.  To speak those words to them risks losing the friendship with the one that is not lying to us.  But in the meantime, it's best to lay low and wait for God to bring the resolution.

In Jeremiah's day, their priest and teachers were telling them everything was alright, while Jeremiah was bringing warnings of losing everything.  By adhering to the "nicer" message of the priests, the Jews of Jerusalem laid themselves wide open for God's vengeance on their nation and tribe.

But what a merciful God, and in spite of His judgment! Today we read of His promise to return them and to supply new pastor/shepherds to them who will feed them properly!  Additionally, God reiterates directly to them the Promise of the Redeemer/Savior who will come from their Tribe, a King Who shall reign and rule over the Earth!  He shall reign in righteousness, restore them to their land, with all their fellow Tribes!

Before that happens the Lord must take them through a time of purging, and getting rid of their idolatrous habits.  The time in Babylon for the Jews will give them a hunger for their own country,  their own Jehovah, His teachings and His righteousness.

This is the message of that Christian standard, the poem "Footprints."  That single set of footprints carries us securely to the place He wants us to be.

We doubt due to our poor perception, but they are God's footprints in the sand, not our own.  Unable to walk, or stand ourselves, Jesus carries us.  

~ He will carry you through all your troubles. ~

The House of the Lord

Bobservations Column
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Being a “Believer” should be a truly cherished thing, and a protected possession. With the label comes an identity as a “child of God,” following His Word and looking forward to seeing Him face-to-face, and living with Him on into eternity. Being a Believer means that a person is “of the House of the Lord.” And from Jeremiah 22:5, we find that if a dominant number of professing believers are drawn away into the world, the House of the Lord will be left in desolation. (Jer. 22:5) 

While it’s true that every Christian is a sinner-saved-by-grace, that should not be an identity we are comfortable with, for it re-enforces our identification with our “old man.” If one is born-again, then our “old man” in considered dead by Christ, and He affords us the new identity described in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” 

That is the goal of Christ Jesus for all of mankind, that we would embrace Him, and embrace our new identity, leaving the old one behind. The natural man is a sinner; the Spiritual man is a New Creature in Christ. The writer of 2 Corinthians gives us insight in his letter to the Philippians in 3:13: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward unto those things which are before” 

If you detect Paul’s struggle, then you can identify with him. Even within the House of God, the world is always trying to draw us away. We are the devil’s preferred target. Be prepared. Be forewarned.

“Be sober, be vigilant, for adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8