A Clean Sweep

I’ve been speaking through the book of Exodus for the last several months.  It has been an awesome study for me.  I just love the Old Testament and I have several really good professors at Reformed Theological Seminary for that.  Ralph Davis always taught me that God was the main character in the Old Testament.  John Currid helped me to see some things in the Old Testament that I never have seen.  In my studies I’ve leaned a lot of Ligon Duncan, who taught me theology and is now the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS.  I owe a lot to all of these men.

We have been studying the plagues of Exodus and are about to come upon the last and most deadly one of them all.  Before it happened God instituted the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  In both He gave very detailed instructions on what to do with both of these ordinances.  God was coming to Egypt in an amazing way in this last plague.  Israel was to be prepared and prepare for his visit much like we prepare for the company of guests in our own homes.  Two things really come out in this Scripture to me.  One, God never wants them to forget that He redeemed them from the slavery of Egypt.  God doesn’t want you and me to forget that He has saved us either.  The second things that pops out at me is that God wanted them to be holy in preparation for his coming.  That is the whole thrust of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  It is clear in the Scripture that leaven represents sin.  Jesus said:  Luke 12:1 (ESV) “In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.”  Paul spoke of it:  1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (ESV) ”Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.  Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”  Leaven consisted of leftover dough from a batch of bread baking.  They would use it much like ladies use starter today in the making of sour dough bread.  Inside that piece of unused dough would be the makings of what would help make the next batch rise. 

In the Feast of Unleavened bread they were to eat unleavened bread for seven days.  If they ate anything leavened then they were to be cut off from the nation.  God was serious about this.  In order for them to make sure that they didn’t have any leaven in their bread they were to do a thorough cleaning in the house first.  There was to be nothing leaven in the house.

God wanted something even greater in the lives of the Israelites.  He wanted them to remove the sin in their lives.  All of it.  They were to leaven none of it.  They were to make a clean sweep because even the least amount of leaven will spread.  The least little sin will do the same.  Sin has a way of spreading and little sins snowball on us in a hurry.

We have begun a 21 day fast at our church.  Different people are fasting various items.  Some are not eating any kind of meat.  Others are fasting TV.  Some are fasting sweets.  I jokingly told everyone that I was fasting cow tongue and tripe.  I am fasting something in my life right now.  Please pray for me.

What do I want out of this fast? I want a clean sweep.  I want God to remove the little areas of compromise and sin that I have allowed to come into my life.  I desire holiness and I desire a deeper and more committed relationship with my wife during this time.  I believe that God is just as serious about my and your holiness as He was about Israel’s.  So tell me…is there anything that you need to clean up?

I end with a quote from Philip Ryken who has been a tremendous blessing for me in this study:

“Even a small sin is dangerous because, like yeast, it wants to spread. This is why God has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sin. Anyone who thinks that some sins can be tolerated misunderstands the whole meaning of salvation. God delivered us from our bondage so that we would make a clean sweep.

Every believer needs to apply this personally. Is there a sin that you have decided to tolerate? Are you nursing a private grudge or indulging a secret lust? Is there something you have decided that it is all right for you to take, even though it doesn’t actually belong to you? Do you think that worry and impatience are not really sins but just bad habits? Is there some area of your personal life where you have decided that it is okay to be undisciplined?

Perhaps you think that it is only a small sin. Perhaps from time to time you tell yourself that you will start to do something about it once it starts to get out of control. If that is what you are doing, then you are in great spiritual danger because sin is like yeast: Once it gets into your life, it will keep growing and spreading until it corrupts everything. Before that happens, God’s Word has something very simple and very straightforward to say about that sin: “Get rid of it!””

—Preaching the Word

In Deep Over My Head

As most of you know I have entered this year into the wonderful world of Insurance.  Yesterday I was out visiting businesses in a nearby town when I came across a huge commercial deal in the making.  I’ve been gathering all the information needed all day in preperation of putting together a quote for this gentleman.  Did I tell you it is huge?  Anyway please be praying for me over the next couple of days while I do this.  Pray that my quote comes in under these guys.  Pray that I don’t make any mistakes that may harm his business in the future.  Just pray!

Asking God For The Right Things

I will admit to you that I do have a prayer life.  It is not perfect.  There is plenty of room for growth in this area of my life.  Let me make this point right here.  One of the greatest tools given to me to help in my prayer life is a friend’s ministry in Mississippi.  I’ve learned more from Kevin Meador than just about anybody.  A lot of his resources are free and can be found at www.prayerclosetministries.org.  Kevin has put together a lot of prayer guides and I use them.  I use them because they help me pray Biblically for anything conernng my marriage, my church, my children, and the list goes on.  I don’t just repeat the prayers.  I use them as a guide in my prayer.  Each item always has a Scripture attached.  I have found that I can pray for an hour easily using these guides.  Kevin has taught me how to pray for the right things.

What made me think of this was the Scripture I read this morning.  In 2 Chronicles 1 God tells Solomon, “Ask what I hall give you.”  Solomon could have asked for a strong army or gold in His coffers.  What he asked for instead was wisdom.  God was pleased with his request.  He responded to Solomon with this:  2 Chronicles 1:11-12 (ESV)  God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked long life, but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.”

Wouldn’t you agree that he asked for the right thing?  Well how do you do that?  You learn to pray the Scripture.  You learn pray for that which God has already willed.  I believe Kevin can help you in this.  Give it a shot.

The Day The Yellowjackets Went To Church

My mom told me a story when I was a kid about how mean her brothers were.  They were always getting into mischief.  They were mean too.  One day they found a yellowjacket nest near their home and came up with an idea of catching as many of the as they could.  What they did was place a coke bottle directly into the nest in the ground.  Quickly the coke bottle was full of angry yellowjackets.  The next question that comes to mean mischievous boys with nothing to do on a farm is what to do next with this bottle of yellowjackets.  A bottle full of angry yellowjackets should not be wasted in their eyes.

Well there was a small church just down the road from their house and they had their annual revival services going on that week.  This was before air conditioning and padded pews.  This church would let the windows up and crank up the ceiling fans.  Well they were just a singing and had no idea that just outside one of the windows were my uncles.  Well you know what they did.  They placed that coke bottle over inside one of the windows and took off the cap.  Yellowjackets went everywhere and the people began to pour out of the building.  Before they could be caught my uncles made it to the nearby woods to take in action.  It was funny to them but not funny to the church folk.  They never got caught.  Three of thoses guys have died and no doubt got a talking to from God.

Well you have heard the story about the Mississippi Squirrel Revival.  Now you have heard one about the yellowjackets.

The Death of an Insurance Salesman…almost

Last night I had an interesting appointment.  I went to this home with the intention of giving the husband a quote on some life insurance.  As I entered I felt a little tension in the room and the husband gave me the impression tha he was not very happy about me being there.  Half way through my questions I was not feeling very good about the appointment.  This guy had to reveal to me that he had his driver’s license revoked, had served time on a felony, and was currently on probation.  I’m immediately thinking that the underwriters are going to decline this application.  This particular policy requires you to be on a bank draft.  Well you guessed it he didn’t have a checking account and he immediately told me that he didn’t want the policy.  Oh well, waisted trip I thought.

Before I left the 71 year old mother in law asked me if i could write a policy on her.  I told her that I would try and immediately started asking her all of the medical questions.  The husband in the mean time when back to where his wife was and turned up his music.   When he did that the battle was on.  She accused him of cheating on her.  He accused her of smoking crack.  The 71 year old mother just dropped her head.  I prayed for my life.  All I can think of is he fact that this guy has done time and I’m a witness to it all.  I just kept asking my questions.  I may die tonight but I would die doing my duty.

Well after about 20 minutes and realizing I was still there they hushed and I could hear her crying.  She told him that she was cold.  “Do you want a blanket?” was his reply.  “No, I want you to warm me up.”  Gross I thought. Mom sign here.  She signed and I was out of there…thankfully…alive.

My Prayer For Sam

I’m sitting here reading 1 Chronicles 29:10f and I’m reading David’s prayer for his son Solomon.  David has been making some preparation for Solomon and the building of the Temple but of course if the Lord doesn’t build the house we labor in vain.  So he prays and it is a very God centered prayer.  He says:

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (ESV)
¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.
¹² Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
¹³ And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

Wow, isn’t that a great way to begin your prayer.  It certainly puts God where He belongs in our prayer attitutude.  I’ve always said that if you want to get your petitions right in your prayer time then you had best get your praise right.

Once you see how great God is then you realize how small you are.  Look how he continues:

1 Chronicles 29:14-15 (ESV)
¹⁴ “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
¹⁵ For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.

He is humbled by the fact that this great God had given them the chance and opportunity to serve and worship Him.  When you truly recognize what the Lord Almighty has done for you, all you can say is, “Who am I…”

But on down is my focus.  My son is 15 and he is driving with his permit now.  He is getting interested in girls (which is better than the alternative…praise the Lord) and he is building friendships.  He is not perfect but Sam is well above average.  In just a few years he will be leaving for college and I can’t believe that.  I’ve been praying for him and his sister a lot here lately but I think David summed up what I desire of Sam.  This is what he prayed:

1 Chronicles 29:19 (ESV)
¹⁹ Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”

My prayer for Sam is that he may have a whole heart for God.  That he won’t just go through the motions of this Christianity stuff but that he might truly have a complete love for God.  Whole is a big word.  It leaves no room for anything else.  That is what I want for Sam.  I want him to be completely the Lords.  Everything else will work itself out if he will just have a whole heart for the Lord.

The next phrase is based upon the first:  “that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all…”  I want Sam to keep God’s commandments, testimonies, and statutes.  His life will go so much better than mine if he would do that.  Lord, please empower him to obey you.

So there.  That is my pray for Sam.  I do not pray for a million dollars for him nor do I pray that he will marry him a trophy wife.  I pray that he will be a Godly man.  The rest will work itself out.

Man…I love my little girl.

My Mom, Dad, and Sister were in this past weekend and we took a few pictures.  Here are a few of my daughter Sydney.  My sister is in one picture.  I got the looks in the family.  Just kidding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Family

For those who check my blog from time to time I thought I would share the latest picture of my beautiful family…dogs and all.

Gatekeeping

In my devotion this morning I came across the Scripture in 1 Chronicles where David is dividing up the priests and he places some as gatekeepers.  Gatekeepers took charge of the doors and gates of the temple.  I don’t know how glamorous a job it must have been because when I was reading this, this Scripture came to my mind:  Psalms 84:10 (ESV)  For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

I’m sure that there were other jobs that the priest would rather do than keep the door or a gate but this was the task that God had placed before them.  When I was thinking through gatekeeping I came across this youtube video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYpu9-55trc.  It is just a simple video about a position that was formed in one church and they call this guy the “GATEKEEPER”.  It made me think of the unsung heroes of our churches who don’t get much notice but play valuable roles.  At this church these men help protect the safety of the children.

The Psalmist said he would rather be a gatekeeper than to dwell in the tent of wickedness.  Serving the Lord is such a wonderful thing.  Praise God for all the  gatekeepers in our churches today who work behind the scenes but do it for the Lord.

 

Investments

These days there is a lot of talk about the stock market and everyone’s 401K.  We still don’t have a clue to how this is all going to work out but this we do know and that it is going to work out for God’s glory and our ultimate good.  Our pastor has made the statement and I agree in that God is grinding the golden calf of America.  You remember the story how the Israelites under the leadership of Aarron make a golden calf to worship while Moses was up on the mountain.  They gave the credit of their release to the golden calf.  Well Moses ground up that golden calf and mixed it with water and caused the people to drink the object of their worship.  That is happening right now in America.  We have leaned on the economy so long for our prosperity to the point that we don’t think we need God.  People in this election will vote more with their wallet than they will their morals.  So yes, a lot of investments are disappearing but that is not what this blog is about.

This morning while reading the Scriptures I came upon the story of David’s plans to build the temple.  His desire was to get he Ark out from under a tent and into a place fit for it.  This was David’s plans but it was not God’s plan.  God pretty much told David that he was not going to get to build the temple and that it would be his son that would get that privilege.  David took it well.  In the very next chapter we see David battling God’s enemies on the battle fields and then I noticed that he was gathering up the spoils.  Why?  He was gathering up the spoils for his son to build the temple.  He may not get to build it but he can help his son build it by building up the necessary supplies.  David is investing not only in the Kingdom of God but he is investing in his son.

I have a son.  His name is Sam and he is not perfect but he is above average.  Sam was a gift from the Lord because his mother miscarried just six months before he was conceived.  When we went to the doctors early on in Candie’s pregnancy we had complications because of blood loss.  The blood was coming from her womb.  The chance of her losing this one was great too.  She didn’t and he is now a 15 year old boy.  Sam has given his heart to the Lord and for the most part makes good decisions.

A few weeks ago he made a decision that was not so wise at least in our eyes.  The thing is that I cannot make every decision for Sam.  All I can do is pour as much of our love for God in him and at some point he has got to make his own decisions.  I’ve been trying hard to have family worship time each evening.  Why?  Just like David I want to invest in my son’s future.  I know that what I invest in Sam and his sister Sydney will not be taken away by a failing global economy.  Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) says:⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.