April 2014 – Page 3 – Old Paths Journal

Wasting God’s Power

Joshua 2:10
“For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.”

The children of Israel were at the brink of the Jordan River. Forty years had passed since they were at this point, and now they were ready to go and take the Promised Land.

Just like before, Joshua sent men to spy out the land. As they men toured the land, they saw the bounty that God had for them. Word came to the leaders of the land that there were spies spying out the land, so these men had to hide in the house of Rahab the harlot before they could go back and give their report.

While in the Rahab’s house she said to them, “I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.” This was certainly an encouraging report to hear. She wanted her family saved from the impending invasion, and she told these men that the inhabitants of the land were fearful of them.

Moreover, she continued in the verse above and said, “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.” Hold on! Now she was talking about forty years prior to these spies being in her house. She told them that the land was fearful since the time that God parted the Red Sea.

What this lady said is much different than what the ten spies said to Moses. They said in Numbers 13:28-29, “Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.” What Rahab painted was a much different picture than what these men depicted. This means for forty years God’s power had been wasted. What could have been forty years of God’s power being revealed was wasted because of a lack of faith on the behalf of these ten spies.

I’m afraid that we often waste God’s power in our lives because of our lack of faith. These ten spies should have trusted God’s Word like Joshua and Caleb did, and they would have seen the power of God help them conquer the land. Likewise, our lack of faith in God always wastes God’s power being performed in our lives.

The only thing standing between you and God’s power working through your life is whether you choose to trust God and step out by faith or to trust your flesh. Christian, God wants to work through your life, but you must obey what He tells you to do. When you forsake the paths that God commands you to walk in to try new paths that seem to be more workable for this day, then you are wasting what God will do through you if you will obey. Always remember what God tells you to do may not seem to be feasible, but He has already done the work for your faith just like He did for Israel forty years prior to them coming in.

Don’t waste God’s power in your life. Obey Him and what He commands you to do and you will not have to waste years of your life wandering in faithlessness; instead, you can spend those years experiencing the power of God working through you.

Don’t Avoid Mercy and Grace

Psalm 116:4-5
“Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.”

Most of the trouble in which we find ourselves is our own fault. Certainly there are times when trouble comes our way that we have done nothing to cause it, but the majority of the time our troubles are self-inflicted. When this happens we tend to avoid running to God to ask for His help. The Devil whispers in our ear that we don’t deserve God’s help and that we shouldn’t bother Him with something that we caused. Though the Devil may be right in that we don’t deserve God’s help, that still shouldn’t keep us from going to God to ask Him for help.

The psalmist said in verse 3, “I found trouble and sorrow.” Notice, trouble and sorrow didn’t find the psalmist, but he found it. In other words, he is the one who caused his own trouble and sorrow. Yet, though he caused his own trouble and sorrow, he didn’t avoid the mercy and grace of God. He understood that God would be merciful and gracious if he would simply call upon Him. There are several things we learn about God in this psalm that will is helpful to us.

First, God’s ear is never deafened to His children. Verse 1 says, “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.” God heard his voice when he found “trouble and sorrow.” We often think that God only hears us when we are good, but you must remember that God also hears you when you are bad. God is One Who will help us out of our troubles even when we are the ones who caused them.

Second, God has the tendency to listen intently for His children. Verse 2 says, “Because he hath inclined his ear unto me…” The word “inclined” means, having a tendency. God knows we are going to get ourselves in trouble, so He purposely is listening for our call. Do you understand what this means? God is anxious to help you out of your troubles even if you caused them. This should excite you. This should humble you that God is very gracious to help us, and wants to help us in all our troubles.

Third, God is willing to deliver us out of the troubles that our sin caused. Verse 3 says, “The sorrows of death compassed me…” Remember, according to Romans 6:23, sin causes death. God is saying that even though our sin has caused our troubles, He is still willing to deliver us from them. What an amazing God to deliver us when our own actions of sin have caused our troubles. Just because you have sinned does not mean God doesn’t want to help you. God wants to help you in your troubles even when your sins have caused them.

Friend, God is simply showing that His mercy and grace is available to you if you will call unto Him in your troubles. I don’t know what your troubles are, but don’t avoid the One Who can help you with them. If your sin caused your trouble, then you most certainly cannot get yourself out of the trouble. You need God to help you out of them. Don’t let the Devil steal God’s help from you. Don’t let your pride keep you from getting God’s help. No matter what your trouble is that you face today, call upon the LORD and ask for His deliverance. His grace and mercy is available if you will just ask.

If You Have No Line, Then You Have No Line

by: Dr. Bruce Goddard

The title seems deeply foolish, but let me explain.

Recently, as in the past, we find mockers who act as if you are so stupid for fussing over little things. One recently mocked the lines some have over-pleated culottes or non-pleated. Let me add to that, how about the foolishness of fussing over the hemline, two inches below the knee or two above, or how about six inches below or six inches above. I mean, they are just foolish lines only the ignorant fight over. By the way, whatever your line, have one. I don’t mind your line differing from mine, but be man enough to say where right ends and wrong begins.

Let’s make this more clear, was his foot touching the three point line or not, I mean, it is only an inch or two difference, why is everyone fighting over that? Honestly, why fuss over the goal line, really, it is only a few inches one way or another, why are you fighting over if he crossed the line or not?

Don’t let someone mock you for standing somewhere, for if you are not standing somewhere you are not standing at all. The guy who mocks your stand, has none. The guy who laughs loudest at your fussing over a line between right and wrong has a youth department that does not understand right and wrong. If you have no line, then you have no line and anything goes.

As kids we heard stories of one boy provoking another to a fight saying something like,”Step over that line.”

We hear parents and even law enforcement personnel who have said things like, “They have crossed the line.”

There are of course property lines, state lines and national lines, all of which change jurisdiction of authorities not to mention tax laws, speed limits, commerce and much more. One of my neighbors has his fence slowly curve and eventually take twenty feet of my property. Now ask again why we fuss over lines? You bought the Devil’s line of stupid thinking, and the price was too high. We all understand there are lines in life.

In church circles I use to face the worldly churches, the rock and roll or praise and worship churches who argued with my “legalistic ideas.” People in these evangelical churches or “Come as you are, leave as you were churches” didn’t like the fact that I preached on music, dress, movies, dances etc. They felt it was wrong I drew lines between right and wrong.

What is sad is that we recently visited a well known Baptist church where the pastor said something like this, “We cannot put manmade rules or lines about right and wrong about the beat of music or dress or other things in the same category as the Bible.”

Wow! Did that ever sound like the praise and worship, rock and roll, evangelical churches of the last decade. I was not bothered by the last decade’s evangelicals, though that is what they are, they never did stand for separation. What are we coming to when Baptists of today are borrowing the compromising logic of yesterday’s evangelicals?

Lets help today’s Baptists see themselves in the mirror as I tried the last decade with the contemporary churches.

Is there no line on dress? Of course there is! We would not let someone naked walk into our services. So, we do have a line. We may be too cowardly to say where it is, but there is a line. There is a skirt length that any preacher would eventually say is “too short.”

What about music? Would we allow Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift or Rihanna sing in our church? Maybe some would allow it if it got their crowd bigger, but most of our Baptist brethren would not. So there is a line somewhere that they won’t cross. Wow! These shameful manmade lines! I cannot believe how heretical some preachers can be.

There are lines in music, dress, movies, dating and all kinds of activities. Even the public schools have some lines, though so far down the value list of morality that few notice the line exists.

When a preacher criticizes someone having a line, what he is really doing is trying to make his compromise seem more acceptable. He probably had standards at one time and is now shifting the sands in hopes of not offending people in order to build his crowd. He does not want to look like a compromiser. He still wants to be accepted in his Baptist circles and desires to look fundamental, but in reality he is nothing more than the last decades Evangelical.

Dr. Hyles told the story of a church he preached in every year for over 20 years. One day the preacher stood up and apologized for pushing the people too hard. He said he was wrong to push soul winning, standards, and separation. He also never invited Brother Hyles back. I visited that once great church and was shocked at the dead spirit and empty pews. I wonder what happened to the exciting, vibrant ministry that was once there? That is not hard to see. Hey! Why play ball, if the guy keeps changing where the boundary lines are. I’ll go elsewhere to play where the lines are clear, be it a shoe there and a t-shirt here, and the old tree at the end of the field, but we all played with lines.

Brother Hyles told the story of meeting with Southern Baptist officials at a cafeteria. His church was the fastest growing and most popular in the convention. The summary of the meeting was that he needed to stop naming sin. He could preach against it, but stop naming in specifically. He in turn slammed his hands on the table and yelled that he was not for sale. That day every meeting he had been scheduled to preach at was canceled. Brother Roloff called him and said,”Bro. Jack, you’re dead ain’t you?” Brother Hyles replied, “Yes.” Brother Roloff continued, “Nobody ever got resurrected until they died.” Brother Hyles would joke, the “Three R’s” got him in trouble: Roloff, Rice, and Roberson. What it was that hurt him was the preachers who wanted a crowd without offensive lines.

Don’t be afraid of drawing some lines, you are in good company. Our choice is to associate with the compromising contemporary churches of the last two decades or the men who built our Baptist movement, Roloff, Hyles, Roberson, Rice and Norris. If you need help to explain this more on the wave length of most preachers, ask about the lines in the sweet sixteen ball games. They will understand that even if they don’t understand the Bible.

These Baptist compromisers will stand up in their living room and yell at the ref over a missed call, and if it was or was not across the line, then they will turn around and yell at you for having some lines in your convictions. Don’t let that crowd bother you. They are blind leaders of the blind. Draw your lines.

Bruce Goddard
Pastor
Faith Baptist Church
Wildomar, CA
www.thepreachersfriend.com

Great Start to Revival in Hixson, TN

On Saturday, I flew into Huntsville, Alabama, and rented a car to drive to Hixson, TN, as that was the only flight that could get me there in time to preach a youth rally for Pastor Steve Cape and the Hillside Baptist Church of Hixson, TN. There were several churches represented with the auditorium full. The youth enjoyed the barbecue and activities that the church provided.

After several activities, I got up and preached to a group of young people who were very receptive to old paths preaching. I showed how Eve listened to a voice she never knew over a God Who loved her. I told the teenagers that this story happens over and over again today when teenagers and adults alike will listen to someone who has done nothing for them over their parents, pastor and God who has done everything for them. When the invitation was given, the altars were full with young people getting things right with God. The invitation continued as pastors and youth pastors gathered their groups together around the auditorium and they prayed together to let God be the voice to which they would listen. God gave us 2 saved and 3 surrendering to full-time service in this invitation.

This morning started the revival meeting with the church. The presence of the Holy Spirit was evident from Sunday school throughout the morning service. I preached on The Key to Finishing. When the invitation was given, there were many people at the altars with 2 more accepting Christ as Saviour. Tears were being wiped from faces as God did a work in each individuals heart.

What is very evident is that people truly want old paths preaching. Preaching that is not afraid to name sin, but also preaching that will be the healing balm of Gilead. The old paths have worked since the beginning, and they still work today. They are not just for the old, but it is very evident that the youth of today still desire the old paths.

If you are in the Hixson, TN area for the next couple of days, come be a part of this great meeting. The services will start at 7pm Monday and Tuesday evening. We would love to see you there.

Another

Numbers 23:27
“And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.”

Balaam missed one of the greatest opportunities of his lifetime because he continually listened the another offer from Balak to curse the children of Israel. If Balaam had stood his ground, he may have been able to turn Balak to right. Instead, Balak initially came to Balaam and asked him to come and curse Israel, but because God told him not to go, he sent the servant of Balak away. When they came back with another offer, Balaam accepted it and went, but God interceded and kept Balaam from doing something that he would regret more than he already did. The four offers Balak offered Balaam to justify the sin is the interesting part of this story.

The first offer was to go to another place. It says in the verse above, “I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place…” Balak thought that going to another place would not make something wrong. If something is wrong in one place, then it is wrong in all places. One of the amazing things that I watch Christians do is avoid something in one place because they say it would be bad, but they will do it in another place. Sin is sin no matter where you do it. Going to another place doesn’t make something right. If it would be wrong to smoke a cigarette in the church auditorium, then it would be wrong to smoke anywhere. If it is wrong to curse in front of the preacher, then it is wrong to curse anywhere. You must be careful that you don’t fall for the trap of justifying sin because it is in another place.

The second offer was to give him another position. Balak said in Numbers 24:11, “I thought to promote thee unto great honour…” Just because Balaam would have a higher position doesn’t make sin right. Another problem I often see in Christianity is that we fall for the lie that our position justifies the sin. Again, it does not matter what your position may be, it is never right to commit sin. If it is wrong for the church member to do something, then it is wrong for the pastor to do it. If it is wrong for a child to do something, then it is wrong for the parent to do it. Your position never justifies wrong.

The third offer was to give him another wealth. Balaam said in Numbers 24:13, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord…” Balak thought that he could buy his way out of sin, but money cannot buy you out of sin. Friend, God doesn’t care how much money you have, your checking account balance never justifies sin. Just because you may buy your way out of trouble with man does not mean you can buy your way out of trouble with God. Money never justifies a wrong.

The fourth offer was to give him another fame. Balak said that he wanted to give Balaam “great honour.” In other words, he was going to make him famous. Just because you can have more influence does not justify compromise or sin. If you must compromise or sin to attain more influence, then the influence itself is wrong. You can justify your compromise by saying that if you have more influence you can lead more people to Christ, but that doesn’t justify sin.

Christian, do you find yourself justifying your sin because of one of the other offers? Always keep in mind that sin is sin no matter how you put it. Always do right! Don’t let the offers of this world’s Balak’s cause you to sin. Always do right and let God be the one who promotes you unto honor.

What Do You See?

Numbers 13:17-18
“And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;”

God told Moses to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, to go into the land of Canaan to spy out the land and to come back and tell the people what they saw. For forty days these men were in the land of Canaan and saw the future that God had promised to them. Sadly, when they came back, ten men gave an evil report and two men gave a positive report. Because of the evil report of the ten men, the children of Israel followed the advice of the ten men to their detriment.

It is interesting that these twelve spies saw the same thing, but they really didn’t see the same thing. They all saw the iron chariots. They all saw the huge walls of defense. They all saw the giants of the land. They all saw the grapes of Eschol and the blessing in the land. Yet, they all saw these things through a different perspective. Ten men saw these things through fleshly eyes, while two men saw these things through the eyes of faith. The ten men that saw these things through fleshly eyes had the evil report, while the two men who saw these things through the eyes of faith had the same perspective as God.

Let me give you a friendly warning not to look at things through fleshly eyes. When you look at things through fleshly eyes you will not see the potential of God’s power. Joshua and Caleb saw what God could do in the land of Canaan. They said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” When you see things through the eyes of faith you will always see things in a positive manner of what God can do; however, if you see things through eyes of flesh you will always see the obstacles.

Christian, be careful to look at your church and the works of God through the eyes of faith. Don’t be negative about everything going on in your church. Certainly, there may be things that need to be corrected, but don’t complain and gripe about everything you see in the church. It could be that the reason you see the negative is because you are looking through fleshly eyes. It could be that your eyes of faith are weak and need to be strengthened through the Word of God. You will find that when you look through the eyes of faith that God will change your perspective to see things His way.

I encourage you to daily ask God to help you see things through the eyes of faith. When you find yourself being negative, stop what you are doing and get alone and ask God to help you see things through His eyes. Don’t always assume that you are seeing things correctly. Let the eyes of faith cause you to see the power of God working through the obstacles that the eyes of faith see. Let the eyes of faith cause you to see opportunities and not barriers.

Your perception will ultimately determine what God will do through you. Ten men who could have seen the power of God knock down the walls, crush the iron chariots and defeat the giants never saw it because of the negative their eyes of flesh caused them to see. Is your perception keeping you from see the miraculous? Yield your eyes to God and let Him control them to see through the eyes of faith. It is then that you will begin to see what the power of God can do to remove every obstacle that stands in your way.

The Rest Principle

Leviticus 25:4
“But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.”

This devotional is not for the lazy person. This devotional is for the person who finds themselves guilty because they are not working. There are many people who can feel guilty when they stop to rest, but they must understand that God gives us a rest principle on purpose.

In the verse above, God gives the rest principle when it came to planting crops. He said that every seventh year they were to let their land rest so that it can be more productive. You find that God instituted the rest principle at the very beginning. For six days God worked, but on the seventh day He rested. You will notice that every seventh day or year there is a needed rest. That is what we would call the rest principle.

It is important for your health and productivity to practice the rest principle in your life. You cannot go nonstop without any rest without something breaking down. Either your health, relationships, spiritual wellbeing or productivity will break down if you don’t learn to have a time to rest on a regular basis. Let me share with you several thoughts concerning the rest principle.

First, there is nothing about which to feel guilty when you rest. I’m a person that many would call a workaholic. I find myself constantly working, and even at times will feel guilty when I take time off. I have had to learn to remind myself that God took time to rest. If you are a hard worker, you must not feel guilty about taking time to rest because it is a command of God to have a regular time to rest.

Second, rest only comes after work. In each instance when God commands us to rest, it is always done after work. God worked six days and then He rested. The land is worked for six years and then it is to be rested. You don’t rest and then work, but you work and then rest. The rest principle is only for those who have obeyed God and worked.

Third, rest must be planned. This is so important for those who find it hard within themselves to take time to rest. If you don’t plan a day that you take off, then you won’t do it. If you don’t plan a time to take vacation, then you won’t ever take a vacation. Plan time off on your schedule and obey your scheduled time off.

Fourth, rest must be regular. You will notice that God planned the seventh day to be a day of rest each week. God was establishing the importance of taking a regular time off away from work. Just as it is important to take time off to rest, it is also as important to make it regular. God made your body with a need to rest.

Friend, rest is an important part of your life if you are going to be productive in every area. Church leaders must be careful that they give their people time to rest if they want their church to be productive. Employers must be sure that they require their employees to take time off to rest. Individuals need to have a regular time off to rest. Without rest you are setting yourself up to break down physically, mentally and spiritually. Many people have fallen into sin because they were too tired to fight temptation. Many people have become sickly because they never rested. If the rest principle is followed in your life, you will find that you will have more energy to do what God wants you to do, and that your productivity will increase.

Single…and Loving It

by: Valerie Grande

It’s a big get-together, friends or family it really doesn’t matter. People you saw just last week are mingling with people you haven’t seen since you were in high school.

You circulate the room, giving hugs, asking how the family is doing, all the while bracing yourself for the inevitable.

For some, they will wait a little before popping “the question”. They’ll ask how you’ve been doing, what you’ve been up to, etc. You know…the normal questions you get asked by people you haven’t seen in 4 or 5 years.

Others waste no time and get right to the point.
Now, “the question,” can come in many different ways (trust me, I’ve had them all!)!
“So, we married yet?”
“Hey, how’s the search going?”
“Should I be hearing wedding bells anytime soon?”
“You meet anyone yet?”
“Any luck on finding Mr./Mrs. Right?”

If you are like me, and the answer is a polite, “No sir/No ma’am, not yet.” You are then given the little pat on the arm, the assurance that it’s all right, and that when the time is right he/she will show up. At this point (Lord-willing), they move on to the next topic of discussion. Leaving you to say a silent prayer of thanks that you have survived yet another encounter with “the question”.

Now if you are in college or have been in your 20’s for any amount of time, this scenario is probably very familiar to you, and it probably made you laugh because you’ve had this happen to you on more than one occasion. If I had $1 dollar for every time I have been asked that question or have been told, “I have someone for you to meet,” I would probably be one of the richest girls in the world!

I graduated from college when I was 22 years old. After much prayer and seeking God’s will, I decided to move back home and work for my dad at our church. At that point, I was not dating, or talking to (whatever you want to call it), anyone seriously. In moving back home, I understood that I had two choices to make:

I could accept where I was in my life, that I was single with really no prospects of finding a husband at home, and run with it.
I could go home and spend my days waiting, worrying, and pining away for what “will be someday.”

I chose the first.

I can honestly say that I love my life and I love being single! Wow! Bet I shocked you there, didn’t I? That’s all right.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I would love to meet that special someone, get married, and have a family, but at this point in my life, it is not God’s will for me and I have accepted that. You can too. I think every single young lady and man can come to the point where they enjoy being single.

When I sat down to really think it through, enjoying the single life really boils down to one word: contentment.

The Bible says in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” I know God has a will and a plan for my life. If He wanted me to be married right now, I would be. But I’m not. So that means right now I’m not meant to be married. Simple as that!

We are surrounded by a society that tells us your life is pretty much “on hold” if you are single; that in order to have a completely full and happy life, you have to be married. The Bible tells me, “whatever state” I am in – single or married – I am to be “content.” If I can’t be content with where God has placed me now, doing the things that I am doing, how will I be content later on down the road when the newness of married life wears off? If I am constantly trying to change my circumstances when I don’t like them now, how will that make my future husband feel when I become discontent with the house we live in or the lives we live.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Psalm 37:4-5, “Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him: and he shall bring it to pass.” How do you get to the point of complete contentment with where you are? For me, the answers were found in these two verses right here:

Delight myself in the Lord. The word “delight” means “a strong feeling of happiness: great pleasure or satisfaction.” Fall in love with God! Give Him your WHOLE heart. Make Him the “Love of your life,” your best friend, and the one you give all your worries and cares too.
Commit my way to the Lord. The word “commit” means “to put into charge or trust: entrust”. Put your life in God’s hands. Let Him take care of it. He will do a much better job than we ever could.
Trust the Lord. Put your confidence in God’s ability to guide and direct your life. This one is hard. So many times we want to try and do things “our way” and to “make it happen” so to speak. The only problem with doing things our way, is that the outcome isn’t always as good as it could have been. Sometimes what we think is good, is good, but it’s not as great as what could have been. I would much rather be happily single, than married and miserable.

What I love about these verses are the promises that go with them. If I am able to delight in the Lord, give Him full control in my life, and then trust Him with it; then He promises to give to me “the desires” of my heart and that He will “bring it to pass.” I don’t know what “it” is, but if it’s coming from God, it’s got to be good!

God knows the desires of my heart, and He knows the desires of your heart. My job and your job is to be content, patient, and to put our trust in Him to know when the time is right for the next chapter of our life to begin.

So, next time you are at that big get-together and you have that encounter with “the question,” you can smile and say with a contented and peaceful heart, “No Ma’am/No sir, I’m still single…and loving it!”

Valerie Grande
Church secretary
Faith Baptist Church
Bakersfield, CA

All These Rules

Leviticus 11:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.”

Most of todays Christianity would not survive in the Old Testament times because of all the rules God had for His people. God had rules on what they could and could not eat. He had rules on how they were to dress. He had rules on who they could marry. He had rules on how they were to interact with each other. These rules that God had were not loose by any stretch of the imagination, but they were very strict rules by which they were to live. If they lived by these rules, then the blessings God promised were tremendous, but if they disobeyed them the punishments were severe. As I look at these rules, I learn that there are several things these rules reveal about God’s people today.

First, rules reveal the heart of God’s people. The rules showed whether the people were tenderhearted and wanted to do right, or if their hearts were filled with bitterness and rebellion. The same is true today. God’s rules are restrictive, but they are restricting you from heartache. Those who fight against God’s rules are only revealing their heart. So many preachers today say that you will run people off with the rules of Christianity and they try to loosen God’s expectations of His children. God has these rules and expects us to live by them so that they can reveal our heart to Him and to our leaders. The restrictiveness of rules is not restrictive to the obedient and tenderhearted, they are only restrictive to the disobedient and rebellious.

Second, rules reveal your love for God. John 14:15 says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” When a person fights against God’s rules, they are only revealing their lack of love and respect for Him. For instance, I love my wife and she loves me. We both have rules for each other, and out of love and respect we keep those rules. Likewise the Christian who keeps God’s rules is the Christian who loves God the most.

Third, rules reveal your direction to the world. One of the reasons God set these rules up for Israel was to show to the rest of the world that they were different. God didn’t want Israel to look like and live like the rest of the world. They were God’s people. Likewise, the reason God has rules for His children is because He wants the world to see that you are not going its direction, but your direction in life is to live for God. Sadly, many Christians today look more like the world than they do a Christian. Their lack of obedience to God’s Word is simply showing that their direction is worldly. Those who obey God’s rules are showing they want to be different from the world.

Fourth, rules reveal your desires. Verse 45 says, “For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” God set up these rules to make Israel holy as He is holy. Friend, when you live by God’s rules, you are showing that you have a heart that desires holiness. The more you obey God’s rules, the more like Him you become which results in holiness. Rules simply reveal whether or not your true desire is to be holy.

How do you feel about the rules of God? Do you fight against them and try to lower them? God’s rules do have a purpose, and that purpose is to reveal your heart, love, direction and desires for God. I encourage you not to view God’s rules as restrictive, rather let them give you the freedom to be more like Him.

Preparing for God

Leviticus 9:4
“Also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meat offering mingled with oil: for to day the LORD will appear unto you.”

I fear too often we are very flippant about how we come to God in prayer. Because Jesus died on the cross, we have clear access to God through prayer at any time. This access to God can be taken for granted if we are not careful, which will cause us to come before God unprepared.

The children of Israel were not flippant at all when it came to God’s presence. In the verse above, God told Israel that He would “appear unto you.” You can only imagine the excitement, and yet the fear they had in their hearts to have God appear to them. This was not a common occurrence. To prepare for God’s presence, they were told several things they were to do, and those same things we also should do as we prepare to go into His presence.

First, confess your sin. In verse 2, they were told to take a calf and offer a sin offering. They were going into the presence of a holy God, and in His presence there must be no sin. Before you ever enter the closet of prayer, I believe it is wise to take the time to confess your sin to God. You must not go into His presence with the filth of the world upon you. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the sins in your life, and as He reveals them to you confess them to God so that you may be clean when you enter His presence.

Second, have a place where you meet God. Verse 5 talks about the children of Israel coming close to the tabernacle to meet with God. I believe it would be a good thing that you have a place where you meet with God on a regular basis. Make it a place that is more sacred than others. Certainly, we can go to God at any time and in any place, but that place where you go to daily meet with Him should be a place that is set apart in your mind for Him.

Third, have a set time to meet with God. Again in verse 5, they came together at a certain time to meet with God. Let me again encourage you to have a set time when you regularly meet with God. I believe the best time to do this is earlier in the day, and preferably before you set out to do business. You are going into the presence of God, and I believe there should be a respect of Who He is, and setting a time will help you to do that.

Third, take the time to thank God for the blessings in your life. Throughout this chapter you see God talked often about burning the fat upon the altar. This is symbolic of the blessings of God. There are so many blessings that come our way that we should not have any problems with thanking God for them. This is all to help remind you of your helplessness without an Almighty God.

Finally, don’t take coming into God’s presence for granted. Right after God met with the children of Israel, you see Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire upon the altar. God killed them for this strange fire, for God wanted the fire to ever be burning. I believe what they did was they took for granted that they were in God’s presence, and that is why it didn’t bother them to offer the strange fire.

Though God may not kill you for being flippant in His presence, you should not tempt Him to do so. Always be reverential as you come into His presence. Go into His presence understanding the privilege you have to do this. I believe when you do this you will find your time with God is more sacred and fulfilling. Be sure the next time you pray that you take the time to prepare yourself for God, and you will find a more satisfying prayer life.