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Overwhelmed and Defeated? Try the ‘Samuel Solution’
VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN LIVING:
Overwhelmed and Defeated? Try the ‘Samuel Solution’
Life has always been filled with challenges. Handled correctly, they can leverage you to a better place. Handled unwisely, the demotion can be swift.
What about when the enemies and problems proliferate? Like the ‘verbal bombs’ of the culture war, the spread of violent jihadism, and rise in temperature at global ‘hot spots?’ Why are once great nations being humbled by a much smaller enemy in this asymmetrical war? When the troubles, pressures, and the enemy comes in like a flood (Isaiah 59:19), what do you do?
For the God-fearer, the question should be: Is there a Word from the LORD?
Short Answer: Yes! It’s the ‘Samuel Solution’
Solomon wisely observed that there is ‘nothing new under the sun’ (Ecclesiastes 1:9). What we see in our day has a parallel in Biblical history.
During the time of Samuel, the last judge of Israel, there was great distress in the land. Their sworn-enemy, the Philistines, was winning victory after victory. In one particular incident, they came to Shiloh, their ancient capital where the tabernacle stood. They stole the Ark of the Covenant, destroyed the city, and brought a great slaughter to Israel. Eli the Priest and his sons Hophni and Phinehas were all slain. It was like Armageddon.
Eventually, in their darkest hour, a chastened Israel came to seek counsel from Samuel, the man of God. They looked for, and received, a ‘word from the Lord.’ A couple of powerful insights came from this encounter.
Samuel’s First Principle – Backsliding: The reason Israel was defeated by the Philistines was not because of the strength of the enemy but by the backsliding of the people. God gave generous promises of protection but if the people were unfaithful to the LORD, His protective hand would be withdrawn. In Deuteronomy 28:25 (NKJV), failure to obey the voice of the LORD your God, would bring humiliating results with the enemy.
The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.
Again and again, we learn it is not the strength of the enemy but the strength of our sin that will defeat us.
Samuel’s Second Principle – Revival: There is a promise and prospect of deliverance and victory. The key to this is found in I Samuel 7:3. Samuel told a humbled Israel:
If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.
Can it be any simpler? Deliverance and victory come by doing the following:
1. Return to the LORD with all your hearts;
2. Put away (get rid of) the false gods and unclean things among you;
3. Prepare your hearts for the LORD;
4. Serve the LORD only.
Do these simple principles (even a child can understand them) and God promises to deliver you from the ‘hand of the Philistines.’ You will go from being ‘overwhelmed’ to being an ‘overcomer.’
How did Israel respond to Samuel? They immediately got rid of the Baals and Ashtoreths and served the LORD only (I Samuel 7:4).
Then Samuel called all Israel for prayer at Mizpeh. When the Philistines heard it, they came rushing toward them like a flood. The people of Israel began to panic and said to Samuel to cry out to the LORD to save them. God heard the prayer of Samuel – and noted the repentance of Israel – sent a loud thunder upon the Philistines and they were overcome.
Samuel took a stone and called it ‘EBENEZER,’ meaning ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us.’
Israelite cities which had been taken by the Philistines were restored. Please note I Samuel 7:13:
So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
Repentance, fruit of repentance (put away the false gods), returning to God, and prayer, are part of the Biblical prescription for deliverance from enemies. It is called ‘revival.’ Note that as long as Samuel was the judge, the Philistines – Israel’s relentless enemy – no longer came into their territory.
Today, we need Godly leadership which will position God’s people into a state of blessing and protection, while keeping the enemy at bay: humble-servant leaders, not lordship leaders; shepherds, not CEOs; saints, not superstars.
The problems of the western world will not be solved by national elections, government funding, or trendy ideologies. Only by employing the ‘Samuel Solution’ – prayer for a Holy Spirit revival – with exemplary leadership, will turn the tide. God will hear our prayer, forgive our sin, and heal our land (II Chronicles 7:14).
Be Strong & Of A Good Courage: Why Study the Book of Joshua
Despite so much talk about ‘leadership’ today, there is a curious absence of the most important character quality: courage. Without courage, you cannot go forward, overcome obstacles, suppress fear, and make it safely to your destination. In short, without courage, you cannot lead. Remember that courage is not bravado, bullying, biceps, or bluster. Courage is the mastery of fear, a steeling determination to go forward, to take one’s focus off the obstacles and aim it clearly at the prize. No turning back.
To live as a Bible-believing Christian in an increasingly hostile world takes courage, conviction, and consecration, while willing to turn one’s back on comfort, convenience, and cowardice. In order to become ‘strong and courageous,’ one needs to learn the Bible, God’s Holy Word.
A great inspiration for this is the Book of Joshua. It is the first of a series of historical books in the Bible. The Book of Joshua has a victorious theme: After centuries of exile in Egypt, the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob finally inherit the land promised to their fathers. The exodus is finished, the land is possessed, and the covenant with God renewed in the land.
Here are some points to get you started in your study of Joshua.
Hebrew Name
He came from the tribe of Ephraim and his original name was Hoshea, the son of Nun. Hoshea means ‘salvation.’ In Numbers 13:16, Moses changes his name to Yehoshua or Joshua, which means ‘Yahweh is salvation.’ The diminutive form of Yehoshua is Yeshua, the Hebrew name for Jesus.
Author
While so many Bible books have anonymous authors, this one does not. It says in that Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law (Joshua 24:26). So he is the author of the book that bears his name.
Theme
Possess your possession.
Portrait of Christ in Joshua
1. Scarlet cord: Rahab the harlot and her city of Jericho were scheduled for invasion and destruction. The only thing that would save her and her family was hanging a scarlet coloured cord on the window of their home. Whoever dwelt in the house where the scarlet cord hung when the invasion occurred would be spared (2:18-19). This is similar to an event which happened 40 years earlier in Egypt: The Passoer. The death angel passed over any (Israelite) house in the land of Egypt that had the shed blood of the passover lamb on the window or door. What a powerful metaphor of the blood of Christ cleansing us from all sin (I John 1:7) and delivering us from death.
2. Commander of the LORD’s Army (5:14): On the eve of the invasion of Jericho, the Commander stood before Joshua, who asked him if he was on Israel’s side or their enemies. He answered ‘Neither: I am Commander of the Lord’s army.’ This Commander had to be the Lord Himself because a) Joshua fell on his face and worshipped him and b) He said that the ground was holy.
Jesus Christ is coming back again, not to take sides, but to take over.
Key Verses
Joshua 1:8-9 (NKJV):This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 11:23 (KJV):So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.
Distinctives
• Fulfilled covenant: The Book of Joshua shows the proof that God fulfilled His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give their descendants the land of Canaan. God is faithful to His word (21:43, 45).
• Joshua: A forerunner of Jesus, Who leads His people out of sin and into their promised inheritance;
• Jordan River: Boundary to the promised land. It represents a line of consecration which needs to be crossed.
• Canaan: Represents our inheritance before God.
• Gilgal: Israel’s first camp in Canaan. It represents a place of covenant, where the ‘reproach of Egypt’ was rolled away.
• Conquest of Canaan: We have a glorious inheritance in Christ but we must ‘fight the good fight of faith’ (I Timothy 6:12) in order to receive it;
• Holy and Herem: The land was the holy inheritance of God but there were parts that were ‘herem,’ the accursed thing assigned for destruction. Jericho was one of those places. Failure to completely destroy the accursed brought judgment on Israel (Joshua 7:10-13).
• Supernatural intervention: In the battle of the south and the 5 kings, Joshua prayed that the sun would stand still in Gibeon and the moon over the Valley of Aijalon (10:12). The Scripture goes on to say that there was not a day before or sine, when the Lord obeyed a man, for He fought for Israel. God will move heaven and earth to intervene on behalf of His servants who are doing His will.
• Rest: After the battle, and fighting the good fight of faith, there is rest (Joshua 11:23; 14:15; 21:44; 22:4; 23:1).
Outline of Joshua
Crossing Jordan and Preparation to Invade Jericho 1-5
Conquest of Jericho 6
Sin of Achan 7
Conquest of Ai 8
Treaty with the Gibeonites 9
Conquest of the South 10
Conquest of the North, Kings slain 11-12
Land divided among the tribes; city of refuge 13-21
Reuben, Gad, Manasseh go to Transjordan; Altar of Witness at Jordan 22
Farewell speech, Covenant at Shechem, Death of Joshua 23-24
Joshua is a courageous, overcoming, victorious book. May it help you to become ‘strong and courageous’ in the coming days.
HONEY BAKED CHICKEN BREAST RECIPE
This is a very simple and easy dish which is very tasty. Try it with steamed or roast vegetables. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
3 or 4 chicken breasts, skinned
3 tablespoons of honey
3/4 cup water
1 packet of French onion soup
Instructions
1. Combine all the ingredients in a overproof baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for as long as you can. Turn over.
2. Cover with foil and bake at 160 C (320 F) for 1 hour.
3. Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven. Rest with foil on top for 10 minutes.
5. Serve and enjoy.
ON THE EDGE PART 2
The July 2016 Australian federal election was volatile and took days to decide.
Days before, the British electorate voted for BREXIT, despite the overwhelming support of the elite for BREMAIN.
The US Presidential campaign is the most turbulent in history.
Why is there such political volatility in the western world? How did a nation like Australia, with a reputation for political stability, get into this situation of having 5 prime ministers in 5 years and a knife’s edge election?
There is a simple explanation: a lack of respect for the democratic process.
As mentioned earlier, in 5 years, 3 prime ministers were replaced by a backroom party manoeuvres, not by the electorate. When an elected leader stands and falls because of his/her colleagues, rather than the voters, this is NOT democracy. The Australian voters, who elected the Rudd government in 2007, should have had a chance to vote for or against it in the 2010 Federal Election. The same applies to the Abbott government, who was clearly elected in 2013. Mr. Abbott, not Mr. Turnbull, who should have led his party in the 2016 election (the same applies to the Gillard government in 2013).
Contempt shown for the democratic process eventually brings instability
This erosion of democracy is by no means limited to the Australia. No sooner had the ballots been counted in the UK EU Referendum, than left-wing voices were calling for another referendum. Petitions were signed, protesters marched in London, and a lawsuit was launched. If the electorate chose a clear pathway, demands to undo their mandate are anti-democratic.
What is True Democracy?
Most people think that democracy is merely ‘free and fair’ elections. This is an important facet but there is much more to democracy than elections. As one person put it, it is what happens in-between elections that constitutes a democracy.
Here are some of the components then of a truly democratic society:
1. Free and fair elections at regular intervals: ultimately, the people of the nation are the boss and on the most important matters they should be the final arbiters.
2. Rule of law: This is where parliamentary law reigns, not the whim of a leader. Rule of law means Lex (Law) is Rex (King);
3. Human rights: Respect for basic, universally recognised human rights is fundamental for a true democracy. These include freedom of speech, freedom of conscious, freedom of worship and religious freedom;
4. Independent judiciary: The courts properly interprets the constitution; note: justices interpret, they don’t create laws. They should not be controlled by other branches of government;
5. Free and responsible press: The media should not be controlled by the government but also they should be responsible too, seeking to inform, not indoctrinate, society;
6. Separation of powers: the executive, judicial, and legislative branches must have clear boundaries and be free to exercise their constitutional powers (but no more);
7. Balance of power: no branch of government can have too much power. When any branch oversteps its boundaries, instability comes in (this can include military coups);
8. Separation of church and state: this means that both areas are given due respect but neither encroaches on the other. This separation does not mean ‘freedom from religion’ or marginalising religious belief or ethics in the public square.
9. Basic moral foundations: More about this in a subsequent article.
Undermine one, or more, of the above tenets, and true democracy will begin to erode. Failure to uphold the ‘rule of law,’ a muzzled or biased press, activism in the courts, one branch of government overstepping another, suppressing human rights … all these things begin the rollback of democracy. In our day, moral sounding terms like ‘political correctness,’ ‘tolerance,’ ‘fairness doctrine,’ ‘inclusion,’ ‘deconstruction’ and similar phrases have been used to used to undercut one or more of the above democratic freedoms.
When this happens, political instability begins to take over.
In Part 03, we will see how democracy has been undermined over the years.
TURKEY IN TURMOIL
Oh, No! Another Coup? It was a horrible sense of deja vu. In 1960, 1970, 1980, and a soft postmodern version in 1997, Turkey had military coups. It was the Turkish government’s worse nightmare. Then, on 15 July 2016, it looked like Turkey was experiencing yet again another coup. This time, however, it failed. The toll, however, was high, with 290 people killed and 1,440 wounded.
The Inevitable Crackdown: With great rapidity, the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took strong action in a matter of hours and days to stamp out the ‘coup virus.’ Consider these statistics (courtesy of Incontext Ministries):
• 22,000 people in education suspended;
• 9,000 in the military arrested;
• 2,700 in the judiciary arrested;
• 50,000-60,000 government employees dismissed.
A 3-month state of emergency has been declared in Turkey, giving President Erdogan sweeping powers. The purpose of the emergency, so the government says, is to ‘preserve freedom and democracy.’
Turkey is in turmoil. And this is bad news … not just for Turkey … not just for the Middle East … but also for the world. Why?
Turkish Secularism – Under Threat? Turkey has had three constitutions (1924, 1961, 1982) and all of them have stated that Turkey is a secular, democratic republic. This secular, western-leaning outlook came courtesy of the founding father of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938). Ataturk, one of the most successful revolutionaries in modern times, took the feudalistic backward Ottoman dominated nation and yanked it from the dark ages to the 20th century. His secular legacy is highly appreciated by many modern Turks to this very day. Turkey’s secularism has been held up as a role-model for other Muslim-majority nations; however, the current instability iis clearly a setback for reformists Muslims everywhere.
A secular, western, democratic Turkey helps preserve the balance of power in the Middle East.
Part of the reason the military took over in Turkey in the previous occasions was because secularism and democracy were under threat. Once the takeover was complete and everything settled down, the country was handed back to civilian democratic rulers.
Military coups are the antithesis of democracy and for this reason many countries condemned this coup attempt. Yet the failed plotters, if they were given a microphone, would probably say that democracy was already under threat in Turkey and that’s why they felt the need to step in.
The ascendancy of Erdogan in 2003, along with his Justice and Development Party (AKP), began to change this unswerving commitment to secularism. Erdogan is an Islamist more than a secularist, even though he continues to give verbal allegiance to Kemalist secularism. He still publicly supports Turkey’s application to join the (secular) European Union, though with less enthusiasm than before. Nevertheless, key areas of society – the military, academic, NGOs, and the media – have been under great scrutiny and pressure by the AKP. The hysterical reaction to popular protests, plans for an executive presidency, a shaky economy and risky foreign policy (e.g. Syria), have the Turkish secularists worried.
Watch Turkey: This service has been saying for years to ‘keep your eyes on Turkey.’ Why? Its history, heritage, location, make it a powerbroker unlike any other. Turkey holds the balance of power in the Middle East and as long as it stays secular, there will be a degree of stability. That’s why Turkey is important to the world. But if this nation heads down the road of political Islam, it will upset the balance of power and the tremors will be felt worldwide.
Two trends to watch:
1. Will Turkey go down the Islamist road (not if the millions of Turkish secularists have their way);
2. Will there be a neo-Ottoman empire in the future? Former Prime-Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu spoke his neo-Ottoman ambition to ‘reintegrate the Balkan region, Middle East and Caucasus… together with Turkey as the centre of world politics in the future.’
When Turkey is stable, so is the region. But, as it appears, Turkey is unsettled, then others will be, too.
The Syrian Gamble: Turkey took a gamble when it decided to get involved in the Syrian civil war, with the goal of trying to unseat President Bashar al Assad. They allowed would-be jihadists to cross their territory from Istanbul Airport to the Syrian land border; it gave clandestine support to the so-called Islamic State, then refugees began to flow from Syria into Turkey. Some estimate 2 million Syrians are present in the nation. Then Turkey allowed the migrants to go from its territory into Europe, and then the EU responded with a deal to give Turkey money, visa-free travel, and accelerated EU Admissions talks, for its cooperation in stemming the flow.
Turkey continues to have unrest with the Kurds. Prior to the coup attempt, there have been several sensational terrorist incidents in Ankara and Istanbul, culminating in the attack on Ataturk International Airport (you cannot even walk into the terminal building without going through security twice, however the terrorists detonated outside the building and in the ensuing chaos were able to enter inside and detonate some more).
Turkish Leadership: Turkey has been wired for leadership over the millennia. The Anatolian Peninsula (Asia Minor) hosted the Hittite and Byzantine Empires. The Turks originated in Central Asia and migrated to Asia Minor 1,000 years ago. They led the Seljuk Empire and later the 600 year long Ottoman Empire, dominated North Africa, the Middle East, and SE Europe, while their sultan became the ‘Caliph’ of Islam. The empire collapsed after World War I and was replaced by Ataturk’s secular Turkish Republic. Turkey has become a valued ally of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and recently restored full diplomatic relations with Israel. Erdogan admitted earlier this year that Turkey and Israel need each other.
Other Nations Affected: Already, the Turkish backlash is affecting other countries like Azerbaijan, Armenian, and Turkmenistan. These are Turkic nations, formerly in the USSR, and part of Turkey’s ethnic and linguistic heritage. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have had the same leaders since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and want to enshrine family members into the high echelons of power. Like Turkey, these nations are endeavouring to have centralisation and security crackdowns to ensure stability and protect them from jihadist threats. Indeed, they are taking their cue from Turkey.
All the recent turmoil has weakened Turkey, despite the governmental crackdown. This is bad news for the region. Again we ask: Will Turkey stay secular and western-leaning or will it go Islamists and neo-Ottoman?
Watch this space.
Renee’s Lebanese Rice
This buttery rice with golden noodles makes a wonderful addition to any dish.
Makes 6 cups
3 cups short grain rice
1/2 cup butter
Stock or stock cubes
1/2 cup egg noodles, broken up
1 Wash the rice and soak it for a least an hour, or 2 or overnight. The longer, the better. It will be more nutritious, too;
2 Melt the butter in the pot. Make sure the heat is not too high or it will burn. Lightly brown the broken egg noodles until golden
3 Quickly add the drained rice into the pot and stir until nicely coated with the butter and noodle mixture, add salt as desired and stir again.
4 Add cold stock or water (with stock cubes) until it is 2 cm above the level of the rice (or put your finger on top of the rice and make sure the liquid reaches your first knuckle).
5 Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a minimum. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
6 Can be used aside any dish that requires rice. May also be served with plain yogurt (Greek who Greek, not fat-free, is best). Add a crushed clove of garlic and a teaspoon of mint to to 500 grams of yogurt, stir, and top the rice.
On the Edge: Why is Australia Facing More Political Instability?
First, there was the UK ‘In or Out’ Referendum on European Union membership on June 23, 2016. Despite the support of business, media, major political parties, and the UK Prime Minister himself, the ‘Leave Campaign,’ popularly known as ‘BREXIT,’ prevailed. Immediately, the pound sterling dropped to a 30 year low, the stock market fell, and the global economy was shaken.
On the other side of the world, Australia went to the polls on July 2nd in a ‘double-dissolution’ election. This means that all seats in the Australian parliament, the House of Representatives and the Senate, were up for grabs. By all accounts, the fact that the election was on a knife’s edge for days afterwards, and the prospect of continued political instability, does not bode well for the ‘land down under.’
The ruling Liberal-National Coalition government, led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, asked to be returned to power for a second term. Mr. Turnbull, who was not originally elected as PM, successfully unseated the previous Liberal PM, Tony Abbott, in a party-room ballot in September 2015. It is agreed that Mr. Abbott, who rode to power with a convincing win in 2013, had consistently poor poll numbers and his party colleagues, in a panic, replaced him with Turnbull before the 2016 election.Perhaps that was not such a good idea after all. The Coalition government under Turnbull did not campaign on its strengths: Border protection, stopping the boats with illegal migrants, national security, economic management, counter-terrorism, and warning the electorate of the opposition’s plan to remove negative gearing off investment properties. Instead, Turnbull, who is a ‘social progressive’ (abortion, republic, same-sex marriage), led a party full of traditional values / social conservatives. These people felt alienated and angry by a prime minister they did not even elect, whose values they do not share, and gave their votes to minor parties. This failure to capitalise on their strengths, win the conservative voter base, and unite the party, cost Coalition dearly.
Now that Mr. Turnbull has lost most of the seats his party won in 2013 under Mr. Abbott, any government that is formed will be weak and face obstructionism in the Senate. Serious and necessary reform will be postponed yet again. Gridlock is a real possibility.
What’s worse, Australia faces the prospect of losing its Triple A credit rating. This means the cost of borrowing and doing business will go up; which is not a good thing during times of economic and political uncertainty. If the Labor Opposition under Bill Shorten were to come to power, the prospect of more borrowing, spending, and deficit, places the nation at serious risk of losing this coveted rating.
How did Australia, with its well earned reputation for long-term political stability, get into such a situation? To the world, Australia is known for its kangaroos, koalas, beach lifestyle, as well as freedom and prosperity. No wonder it was one the favoured havens for migrants from around the world. Yet this reputation, like the credit-rating, is under threat. After 11 and 1/2 years under Liberal Prime Minister John Howard (1996-2007), Australia entered into politically uncharted waters. In five years, there has been 5 prime ministers in 5 years, yet only twice was the prime minister change by election. The other 3 times the PM was replaced their own party. Canberra has become the ‘coup capital’ of the western world. This is not a recipe for future stability and success.
There is a simple reason why Australia, like other western nations, is facing continued political instability. In Part 02, we will find out.
Could God Be Behind the Rise of Donald Trump?
When I broached the question: Could God behind the rise of Donald Trump,? I got an impassioned response from one of my readers – this could not be possible! The reader proceeded to list Mr. Trump’s outrageous words, actions, and that it was unthinkable that he could be God’s choice.
Our friend has a point. Mr. Trump, age 70, is a flamboyant businessman who has made money on casinos, married three times, and even bragged about his extra-marital affairs. How could God be behind the rise of a man with such a lifestyle?
These are fair questions. Yet, there is no question that Donald Trump’s rise thus far has stunned the world. In his quest for the US Republican Party nomination and the White House, Mr. Trump has knocked 17 other Republican contenders out of the race. More Republican voters have voted for Trump than any other candidate in any presidential primaries in history, including for the revered Ronald Reagan. He has received some impressive endorsements, including from 91 year old Phyllis Schlafly, a respected pro-life, pro-family, and pro-God conservative icon.
What’s even more interesting – or puzzling – is a prophecy given by American firefighter Mark Taylor in April 2011, while watching Donald Trump give a speech. In essence, Taylor claims the Holy Spirit told him ‘Donald Trump would become President. He would bring honour and respect back to America, the dollar will strengthen. Those who try to stop him and fail. He is God’s choice.’ (for more details log onto http://www.trunews.com/gods-man-firefighter-shares-2011-vision-of-president-trump/).
This is reminiscent of a prophecy given in 1970 given directly to then California Governor Ronald Reagan … that if he fulfilled certain conditions, he would live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC (the address of the White House). Ten years later, Mr. Reagan was ‘In.’
Leaving Trump aside for a moment, Bible-believing Christians have to acknowledge God is Sovereign and, as the Sovereign of the universe, He can do anything He wants. In Isaiah 55:9 God says: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Psalm 75:6-7 is clear: God promotes and demotes whoever He wants. Yet, concurrently, He will never violate His holy character in the process of exercising His sovereignty – He is righteous in all His ways and holy in all his works (Psalm 145:17).
We concede that God choses the the most unlikely vessels to perform His will. This should not catch us off guard. We are told that God chooses the foolish, weak, base, and little things of the world to confound and destroy the wise, strong, exalted and great (I Corinthians 1:27-29). Here are a few examples:
1. Romans 9:17 says that God raised up Pharaoh that He could show His power through him;
2. Three times God called Nebuchadnezzar, a despotic heathen tyrant His ‘servant’ (Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6; 43:10);
3. Cyrus the Great, king of Medo-Persia, who had no track record of Biblical righteousness, was called by God His ‘shepherd (Isaiah 44:28) and ‘anointed’ (Isaiah 45:1);
4. Habakkuk wrestled with God because the LORD chose the bitter, hasty, violent, heathen Chaldeans to chasten a less wicked, backslidden Judah (Habakkuk 1:1-6);
5. The first person on earth whom Jesus of Nazareth gave the revelation that He was the Messiah was not to the priests, the Jewish elites, or even a normal Israelite. His confession was given to a Samaritan (oh no!) woman who was living in a de facto relationship (John 4:26 & verse 18);
6. A hard-headed, mean-spirited bully who did his best to destroy the young Christian church was called God’s ‘chosen vessel’ to proclaim the Name of Jesus to Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. His name? Saul of Tarsus, later called the Apostle Paul (Acts 9:15);
7. Let’s not forget that God even used Balaam’s donkey to speak to the prophet (Numbers 22:28; II Peter 2:16).
If God waited for any of us to be perfectly upright before using us for kingdom purposes, none of us would be in the ministry today. Full stop. Let’s have the humility to admit we are all in God’s workshop as a work in progress.
Romans 13 gives some amazing insight about our attitude to those who are in power. We are, within reason, to be subject to the governing authorities, since existing authorities are appointed by God. To resist authority is to resist God’s ordinance and this will bring judgment (vs. 1-2). This is remarkable considering Paul wrote these words when Nero was the mad Caesar in Rome, cantankerous, unreasonable, despotic, perhaps a bit demonic. Yet the knowledge that all authority comes from God and that ultimately God will have His way helped to influence Paul’s thinking.
We are to obey authorities except when it contravenes our faith, knowing we may have to pay a price for standing firm in our integrity. Even Jesus Himself said we are to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar (implying taxes, respect, compliance) and to also give to God the things that belong to God (Matthew 22:21; Mark 12:17; Luke 20:25). We are told in I Timothy 2:2 to pray for kings and all in authority that we may live quiet and peaceable lives. Wise advice!
Back to our original question: Could God be behind the rise of Donald Trump?
Will the prophecy of Mark Taylor come to pass?
Will there be a populist revolt at the ballot box?
Will Donald Trump be to America what Brexit and the EU Referendum was to Britain?
We will find out on November 8th!
Blessing & Curses: Why Study the Book of Deuteronomy?
Introduction
It was a sobering scene.
Location: The plain of Moab, near the Jordan River, at the back door of the ‘Promised Land,’ near the city of Jericho.
Main character: Moses, the aged and faithful servant of God, was about to give his valedictory speech.
The audience: A large group of Israelites: the younger generation, who were born in the wilderness (‘the wilderness generation’).
The challenge: Moses would need all the God-given communications skills he could muster to reach this younger group of people who knew no other leader but him. After all, if Ronald Reagan, John Paul II and Bernie Sanders, all in their 70s, could connect with younger people, why not God’s anointed prophet? He apparently succeeded.
The setting: It had been 40 years since he led the children of Israel out of Egypt by the power of God. The journey should have taken more or less 40 days. Yet, due to tempting God 10 times (Numbers 14:22, 24-34), the days turned to years. During these forty years the generation that left Egypt with Moses (‘the exodus generation’) had perished in the wilderness; the audience he now faced were their children.
The message; Forty years earlier, Moses received the Law (Ten Commandments) on Mount Sinai. He shared God’s standard with the ‘exodus generation. They disobeyed and perished. Now that they were gone, on the eve of entering the promised land, it was time to share the Law again with the younger ‘wilderness’ generation.
This sharing of the Moses’ law a second time is called Deuteronomy. In addition, the events of Exodus through Numbers are retold. The 10 Commandments are recited and Moses gives his final address to the nation. Moses reminds Israel of God’s love and faithfulness and strongly exhorts them to keep God’s law. If they do, manifold blessings will come and overtake them; if they refuse, then an avalanche of curses will tumble upon them.
As the book ends, Moses gets to view the promised land from Mount Nebo, and then dies and is buried by the LORD. Deuteronomy predicts the rebellion, dispersion, and ingathering of Israel and speaks of a future prophet like Moses, which, of course, is Christ.
During the days of Judean king Josiah, the ‘book of the law’ was discovered in the temple (II Kings 22:8-10; II Chronicles 34:15-19). This book was Deuteronomy, which spawned a nation-wide reformation. Centuries later, Jesus Christ successfully quoted from this book when overcoming the devil in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:13; 10:20). In all this, the goal is to receive the blessings, and avoid the curses, by obeying the Word of the Lord.
Details of Deuteronomy
Name: ‘Haddebharim“The words’ or 1:1 ‘These are the words” also known Mishneh Hattorah ‘or repeating’ of the law. We get our English name Deuteronomy from the Septuagint, where it was known as To Deuteronomian Touto.
Author: Moses is the universally recognised author, including by Christ, the apostles, and the New Testament. Some later scholars have questioned Mosaic authorship, especially Chapter 34; could Moses have written about his own death and burial? Yet throughout the Torah / Pentateuch, it has been estimated that the phrases ‘The Lord says’ or ‘God says’ is used over 500 times. This first part of Scripture has an unmistakable ring of divine authority.
Portrait of Christ: He is the prophet like unto Moses (18:5). He is also known as the Rock of Salvation (32:15). As mentioned earlier, Jesus resisted Satan in the wilderness by quoting from Deuteronomy three times.
Theme: Blessing and Cursing (Deuternomy 28).
Key verses: Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (KJV)
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Time Period: Two months. The first month is Moses and his three sermons. The second month was the 30 days of mourning for Moses.
Outline of Deuteronomy
Sermon One (History): Moses Looks Back 1:1-4:43
12 Spies & their evil report (1)
Edom, Moab, Ammon, and the wars against Amorites (2)
War Against Og; Reuben, Gad, and half-tribe Manasseh settles in Transjordan (3)
Commands of Obedience & Warning against Disobedience (4)
Sermon Two (Legal): Moses Gives the Law Again (4:44-26:19)
Ten Commandments (5)
Israel’s National Creed (6:4)
Call to Obedience & Faith (7-11)
Place of worship & Destruction of Idols (12-13)
Kosher and un-kosher animals & tithing (14)
Debts cancelled in jubilee year (15)
High holidays: Passover, Feast of Weeks, Feast of Tabernacles (16)
Call to Justice (17)
Priests and Levites (18)
Sundry laws on cities of refuge, warfare, murder, firstborn, sexual morality, divorce, levirate marriage, Amalekites, first-fruits (19-26)
Sermon Three (Prophesy): Moses Speaks of the Future
Law on Tablets of Stone – Gerizim is Mount of Blessing and Ebal Mount of Cursing (27)
Blessing and curses: Obedience brings 14 verses of blessing and disobedience 54 verses of curses (28)
Covenant renewed in Moab (29)
The choice: life and death, blessing and cursing (30)
Joshua succeeds Moses; Israel will rebel in the future (31)
The Song of Moses (32)
Moses Blesses Israel One More Time: The Tribes Mentioned (33)
Moses views the Promised Land and Dies (34)