By Steven D. Niswonger
King David found himself with a sin problem. He saw Bath-sheba bathing one day and desired her, even though he knew that she was Uriah’s wife, and he had her brought to him. After a time, Bath-sheba sent word to David that she was pregnant…the only problem was that her husband had been away in battle for some time. David thought he could make the situation right, so he called Uriah back from battle so that he could make it look like the child was Uriah’s. Uriah did not cooperate, so David had him killed by sending him to the front lines of battle.
In 2 Samuel 12, Nathan confronted David about his sin. The sin that David committed did not just spring up in an instant…it was not a split-second decision. For the righteous, sin is not part of our nature, so it can’t be a split-second decision. Instead, Satan must sneak into the thoughts and minds of Christians. David wanted to act justly in his walk with God, but he allowed sin to enter in and work through him.
1 John 2:16 lists the three types of sin: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. These three things can each lead to sin by themselves, or Satan can use them together to tempt the Christian. These are Satan’s tools.
David’s sin started with the lust of the flesh. This is the desire to have something that will fulfill a fleshly desire. He entertained the desire…even fantasized about it. It began long before he ever saw Bath-sheba. Any time we entertain any kind of thought, it breeds the possibility that the thought will manifest itself in our lives. Entertaining always breeds possibility. The thought must come before action because nothing happens unless the thought is placed there first.
The lust of the flesh continued to the lust of the eyes. The possibility of sin was entertained, which always leads to opportunity. The lust of the eyes provided an object for the lust of the flesh. David saw Bath-sheba and she became the object for the lust of the flesh.
Once David had an object for his lust, the pride of life took over so that he could feel justified in sinning. The addition of opportunity to desire resulted in justification of the desire. Perhaps David began to think, “I’m the king and I can have what I want”. Whatever David thought, at least for a moment, he unwisely felt above the law of God. Pride of life opposes Wisdom and all that it teaches. Proverbs 16:18 teaches us that pride and haughtiness cause sin to manifest when they are left unexposed. Pride leads to self-justification and then leads to sin. David went from desire to opportunity to pride…this path always culminates in sin.
David sinned and God brought him face to face with the man in the mirror. God strips us of any justification for sin and forces us face ourselves. Pride will lead to sin, and sin will lead to exposure. Numbers 32:23 tells us that we can be sure that our sin will be exposed. Exposure is necessary for reconciliation. Once exposed, it is no longer the sin that matters, but the response to the exposure. The character of a person is defined by his response to sin and that response has everlasting consequences. David’s response to exposure was repentance. That decision changed his life.
The decision makes all the difference. David repented and obtained forgiveness, allowing God to change his heart and desires. Judas Iscariot made the opposite choice when faced with his sin…his choice led to despair and damnation. David believed that God would forgive; Judas believed he was beyond forgiveness. What do you believe?
Man is ruled by his desires: either the desire to sin, or the desire to serve God. If we will let Him, God can change the desires and lusts of our flesh to desire for the things of the Spirit and He will give us the discernment to recognize when sin is trying to overtake us.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Don't Tolerate the Jebusites
The Exodus recounts the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Moses was the man of God that led the children of Israel out of Egypt to the land that God had promised to give them. When they got to the land that was to be theirs they sent spies to check things out. There were twelve spies sent into the land but only two, Joshua and Caleb, gave a favorable report to Moses about their chances to conquer their enemies. The other ten were filled with fear and unbelief and said that the enemy was too strong for them to fight. Their lack of faith in what God had promised doomed them to wander in the wilderness for forty years. All of that generation that did not believe God died before they ever got another chance to take the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb made it through to see the promise. There were, indeed, mighty people that would be an obstacle to Israel, but when God made the promise he also provided the means for them to receive the promise. One of the conditions that God put upon Israel was that they were to drive out all of the inhabitants of the land and not make a “league”, or agreement, with any of them. Joshua 15:63 tells us that they were not able to drive out the Jebusites. The Jebusites were inhabitants of Jerusalem. So we ask the question, “If God made the promise why couldn’t Israel drive out the Jebusites?” As we read on we find that it is because they did make agreements with the people against God’s warning. God is faithful to His word and will never break his promises. We should heed the lesson today; don’t make an agreement with the enemy of our soul. We need to throw down their altars; those things that seek to divert our worship from God. We shouldn’t tolerate the things that pull us away from God into our lives. Because Israel didn’t obey God their enemies would be as thorns in their sides. Their false gods would be a snare unto them.
We find that the disobedience of Israel in driving out the inhabitants of the land cost them their children. God was forgotten in a single generation. I fear that God is being forgotten today. Every generation seems to grow farther away from God. There are so many that just don’t go to church anymore. Most times the churches themselves are to blame. Churches are not relevant to people’s lives in many cases. There are so many that are stuck in a boring ritual. I don’t believe God ever intended it to be that way. When a church is a place of true worship that exalts God you can find that relationship that will set your heart on fire. We desire to be that kind of church at Redemption Ministries. I invite you to visit us and experience that which we have found. Cast the “Jebusites” out of your life. Don’t let the things of this world steal a relationship with God from you. God wants you to live in the land of promise.
We find that the disobedience of Israel in driving out the inhabitants of the land cost them their children. God was forgotten in a single generation. I fear that God is being forgotten today. Every generation seems to grow farther away from God. There are so many that just don’t go to church anymore. Most times the churches themselves are to blame. Churches are not relevant to people’s lives in many cases. There are so many that are stuck in a boring ritual. I don’t believe God ever intended it to be that way. When a church is a place of true worship that exalts God you can find that relationship that will set your heart on fire. We desire to be that kind of church at Redemption Ministries. I invite you to visit us and experience that which we have found. Cast the “Jebusites” out of your life. Don’t let the things of this world steal a relationship with God from you. God wants you to live in the land of promise.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
A Mom’s Blessing to Her Family
Joshua 2:8 through Joshua 2:13
I want to talk to you about a woman that saved her family in time of great trouble as well as became a blessing to every family on earth. God had delivered Israel from 400 years of Egyptian bondage, they had wandered through the wilderness for 400 years, and they had begun taking possession of the land that God had promised to them. They were coming to a city called Jericho that was a great walled city. Before Israel engaged Jericho in battle they sent spies into Jericho to scope out the enemy. A woman named Rahab gave safe haven to the spies and received a promise of deliverance. You may ask, “Why did she do that”? Rahab understood that God had given the land to His people. We need to recognize that God has a plan for our life. God wants to give the best to His people. Serving God brings blessing. Rahab “heard” all that God had done on behalf of His people and wanted to live in the blessing. We need to keep our hearts open to God because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The word of God will lead you to a great revelation of who God can be in your life.
Rahab said “Our hearts did melt” when they heard of how God was blessing Israel and delivering their enemies into their hands. They felt like there was no hope for their situation. We have no hope of blessing today if we resist the tug of God. God wants to touch your heart and speak blessing into your life. Rahab made a wise decision and turned to God for help. She saw that only God could save her and her family. Moms, you need to see that your family can only be blessed with God in your home. Rahab saw that her loved ones needed God and she was going to bring them to a place of God’s blessing. She did what she needed to do to start a generational blessing for her family. Our families can be blessed generation after generation if we will serve God and raise our children in a Godly home.
The inhabitants of Jericho trusted in the walls of the city. Where is your trust today? Where is your faith? What seems secure in this world comes ultimately comes crashing down. Rahab was told to tie a scarlet cord to the window and her and all those in her house would be spared. Death and destruction was all around when the walls of the city came tumbling down but Rahab and her family went into the place of safety.
Rahab found a new direction for her life. She got married and became the mother of a man named Boaz who married Ruth. (See the book of Ruth) The descendants of Rahab include, David and Jesus. That’s right, a prostitute who had faith in God and was changed from hopelessness to hope and was in the blood line of Jesus Christ! Not only was Rahab’s family blessed, but every family in the world was blessed because of her faith. We never know how our lives will bless another.
The Story of Svea Flood.
David and Svea Flood became missionaries to the Belgian Congo (Zaire).
The tribal chief wouldn’t let them into the village for fear of angering the gods.
They made mud huts outside the village and only one small boy was allowed to bring food to them twice a week Svea won that young man to Christ. There was no other breakthrough in their work. Svea was sick with malaria and later became pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter but was so weak she died 17 days later. Her husband David was so angered with God he left the region and gave his daughter away. The daughter, Aggie, was raised by a family in America. When Aggie became an adult she saw an article on Swedish missionaries and saw a picture of her mother’s grave in Zaire. She sought information and found the young man that her mother had won to Christ. The young man won all of the villagers, including the tribal chief, about 600 people. She found that the young man was now superintendent of over 110,000 Christians in Zaire.
Svea sought out, and found, her father, David, who had been bitter for many years. He wanted nothing to do with God. Svea told him of all of the good that had come from what they had done and how Svea was highly respected by all of the believers in Africa. Eventually, his heart softened and he came back to God.
Every soul is important to God. Svea showed God’s love to that little boy in Zaire and people found hope. God has put, or will put, your children in your care to teach them about God. We never know how one little boy or girl, that may be overlooked by almost everyone, will change a nation. You can start a generational blessing for your family by raising your children to love God. Commit your life to God today and you will live in a place of blessing.
I want to talk to you about a woman that saved her family in time of great trouble as well as became a blessing to every family on earth. God had delivered Israel from 400 years of Egyptian bondage, they had wandered through the wilderness for 400 years, and they had begun taking possession of the land that God had promised to them. They were coming to a city called Jericho that was a great walled city. Before Israel engaged Jericho in battle they sent spies into Jericho to scope out the enemy. A woman named Rahab gave safe haven to the spies and received a promise of deliverance. You may ask, “Why did she do that”? Rahab understood that God had given the land to His people. We need to recognize that God has a plan for our life. God wants to give the best to His people. Serving God brings blessing. Rahab “heard” all that God had done on behalf of His people and wanted to live in the blessing. We need to keep our hearts open to God because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. The word of God will lead you to a great revelation of who God can be in your life.
Rahab said “Our hearts did melt” when they heard of how God was blessing Israel and delivering their enemies into their hands. They felt like there was no hope for their situation. We have no hope of blessing today if we resist the tug of God. God wants to touch your heart and speak blessing into your life. Rahab made a wise decision and turned to God for help. She saw that only God could save her and her family. Moms, you need to see that your family can only be blessed with God in your home. Rahab saw that her loved ones needed God and she was going to bring them to a place of God’s blessing. She did what she needed to do to start a generational blessing for her family. Our families can be blessed generation after generation if we will serve God and raise our children in a Godly home.
The inhabitants of Jericho trusted in the walls of the city. Where is your trust today? Where is your faith? What seems secure in this world comes ultimately comes crashing down. Rahab was told to tie a scarlet cord to the window and her and all those in her house would be spared. Death and destruction was all around when the walls of the city came tumbling down but Rahab and her family went into the place of safety.
Rahab found a new direction for her life. She got married and became the mother of a man named Boaz who married Ruth. (See the book of Ruth) The descendants of Rahab include, David and Jesus. That’s right, a prostitute who had faith in God and was changed from hopelessness to hope and was in the blood line of Jesus Christ! Not only was Rahab’s family blessed, but every family in the world was blessed because of her faith. We never know how our lives will bless another.
The Story of Svea Flood.
David and Svea Flood became missionaries to the Belgian Congo (Zaire).
The tribal chief wouldn’t let them into the village for fear of angering the gods.
They made mud huts outside the village and only one small boy was allowed to bring food to them twice a week Svea won that young man to Christ. There was no other breakthrough in their work. Svea was sick with malaria and later became pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter but was so weak she died 17 days later. Her husband David was so angered with God he left the region and gave his daughter away. The daughter, Aggie, was raised by a family in America. When Aggie became an adult she saw an article on Swedish missionaries and saw a picture of her mother’s grave in Zaire. She sought information and found the young man that her mother had won to Christ. The young man won all of the villagers, including the tribal chief, about 600 people. She found that the young man was now superintendent of over 110,000 Christians in Zaire.
Svea sought out, and found, her father, David, who had been bitter for many years. He wanted nothing to do with God. Svea told him of all of the good that had come from what they had done and how Svea was highly respected by all of the believers in Africa. Eventually, his heart softened and he came back to God.
Every soul is important to God. Svea showed God’s love to that little boy in Zaire and people found hope. God has put, or will put, your children in your care to teach them about God. We never know how one little boy or girl, that may be overlooked by almost everyone, will change a nation. You can start a generational blessing for your family by raising your children to love God. Commit your life to God today and you will live in a place of blessing.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Back Home Refreshed
I have missed posting a new blog for a couple of weeks. Last week we spent a few days visiting some of my wife's family in Missouri and Arkansas. Then we attended the Apostolic World Christian Fellowship annual conference in Evansville, Indiana. We enjoyed great worship and preaching at the conference. Every now and then we need a boost and I'm glad we were able to go. Not only did we enjoy the conference we also were able to connect with friends we have made over the years. We got reacquainted with a pastor from Duluth, MN last year at the conference that we had known from pastoring in Minnesota in the early 90's. He was at the conference this year with his wife and one of their daughters. It was great to see them and get a chance to visit. We also connected with friends we met about a year ago from Indiana, Michigan, and Texas. Fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ is refreshing in and of itself. In the book of Acts the early church not only continued in the Apostles doctrine but in fellowship. It is a source of encouragement and strength. In the business of life make time for fellowship. You will be blessed.
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