Five Desperate Women

By John Stallings

Numbers 27:1-11

Recently I read the top ten reasons God made woman.

10. Adam seemed to always be lost in the Garden.
9. Adam needed someone to hand him the T.V remote, not to see what was on but to see what else was on.
8. When Adam needed a new fig-leaf, he’d never order one without a wife.
7. Adam would without question forget garbage night.
6. Adam would never make a doctor's appointment for himself.
5. Adam would have never gone through the pain of childbirth.
4. With Eve, Adam would have someone to blame if things went wrong.
3. Men left alone get into all kinds of trouble.
2. Adam would never remember where he kept his garden tools.
1. After making Adam God said, “I can do better than that.”


In Numbers 27, after the forty years in the wilderness, & toward the end of Moses’ life, there is a fascinating story of five sisters, Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, the daughters of a man named Zelophehad. This man was of the tribe of Manasseh who died during the wilderness journey.

He had five daughters but no sons. In order to perpetuate their fathers name by means of the allotted share of the Promised Land that would have gone to him, & then to his sons if he had any, Zelophehad’s daughters approached Moses & asked if the land might be given to them instead.

Up to that time there was no provision made in the law for property or possessions to be passed down to women when there were no living male sons.

These daughters were facing the stark reality that the system & its policies were set up in such a way that some were going to be left out of the promise from the very start, & that included them. They came because Israelite customs threaten to erase their father’s memory. Their claim is both affectionate & courageous.

The story is interesting first of all because it wasn’t customary for women to approach Moses in this way. These women came to petition Moses to change things, indeed to if necessary make a new law that would do away with this injustice which in truth made second class citizens of women. These young women were women of faith & came to Moses in such humility & presented their case so convincingly, that Moses had to take the matter to God for directions on how to handle it. God told Moses the women were right & that a new law should be written to see to it that in such future cases, women would receive the same benefits that man received when it came to family inheritance.

Let’s consider five specific stand-out principles that could work for us all when it comes to seeing change effected in our lives & our world. The first thing about these daughters of Zelophehad was;

1.THEY KNEW THEIR IDENTITY.

They not only knew who they were from a human standpoint, they knew they were daughters of covenant. They knew who they were in God & they knew God is not a respecter of persons. They were daughters of the Most High God & approached Moses with Faith.

They knew before the verse was written the meaning of 1 Peter 2:9—But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an Holy nation a peculiar people that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

THEY WEREN'T CONFUSED ABOUT A GENDER GAP.

What an example they set for women & as a matter fact all people. It’s always been sad to me to see women who feel somehow they're second class citizens. To be frank, in the 21st century, women are in many quarters, underpaid, under valued & under appreciated. You see women almost everywhere wearing t-shirts that carry the message that they are sexual objects. They seem to feel that if they don’t pass the test of sensuality they need to have re-constructive surgery so that they can measure up to what men & society think they should be.

Sadly many young men also seem to be plagued with an identity crisis. Though I’m not an expert on the subject, I’ve heard that the style of wearing their trousers hanging so low [pants on the ground] they seem in danger of falling off came from prisons where the men have to wear hand-me-downs. Another explanation for the style would be, God forbid,- it transmits to other males their availability for sexual contact.

I doubt that the naive kids who style & profile through the Malls have the slightest clue of where the style they are wearing really comes from. But again it points to a confused generation of youth who haven’t a clue who they are & were meant to be.

These five daughters of Zelophehad knew who they were and set a good example for all women to come by recognizing who they were as daughters of God, made in His image & commanding every bit as much respect as men.

They knew the meaning of Galatians 3:28……..For in Christ there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ.

Romans 8: 16-17 says,-The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs; and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.

They understood;

2 Corinthians 5:20 which says,--Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ……

They understood;

1 Peter 2:9,--But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people……


2. THESE WOMEN TOOK THE INITIATIVE.

The five sisters saw a challenge when they realized that property rights were passed on through males of the same ethnic clan. They saw that whatever was about to be celebrated by the allotting of land to the people, it didn’t include them. When their father died, if they had been sons they would have inherited his portion of the land. If they had been brothers they’d have been able to share in their brothers’ land. If they had been married they’d have gone to live on their husband’s land. If they had been widowed their husbands family would have taken care of them. But being that they had no father, no brother, no husband & no in-laws, they had no rights to any land. They were coming into the land of promise but it was clear that they didn’t count for anything & they’d remain forever disconnected from the land & from sustainable life.

They looked through the dark foreboding window of the future & realized that they were invisible, at least when it came to possessing any earthly goods.

They approached Moses & Eleazar the priest at the door of the Tabernacle in front of the congregation. What makes this so spectacular is that there was no forum for Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, to voice their grievance. A woman’s place was in the home. For them to act outside the system was to take a great risk, the risk of being rejected by the rest of the community. Even Moses’ own sister was stricken with leprosy for daring to question her brother’s judgment as God’s spokesman.

Some might have seen this request as confrontational, out of order or disrespectful but God judged their motive. They were doing their part in preserving the inheritance of their father.

How did these girls know their rights as heirs to their father’s inheritance? I believe it was because they spent time at their father’s feet as he shared with them the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob. God had promised to preserve the legacy. They were assured of their birthright because of the time spent with their father. Zelophehad had built faith in his daughters that God would keep His word.

They understood Hebrews 4:16 before it was written,--Let us come boldly therefore the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

These five sisters with no precedent, no rights, no authority & no testosterone go ahead & take action & initiative. They had the right stuff to go before Moses & take on the legal system in the most public place possible with imagination & grace.

Everyone heard them plead their case to Moses. These women respected the Shekina Glory in the tabernacle but it didn’t cause them to be intimidated. They knew they were right in what they were requesting so they proceeded.

INITIATIVE MEANS SEEING A NEED & DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT WITHOUT WAITING TO BE PRESSURED.

They approached Moses with boldness not arrogance, & with confidence not pride. They didn’t have the attitude of militant feminists nor were they presumptuous.

A little boy had played in the mud until he was almost covered with it from head to toe. As he entered his house his mother playfully asked, “Who’s that little boy coming in my house?” The boy answered, “Well the lady next door was right. She said I was so dirty my mother wouldn’t recognize me.”

These five daughters didn’t have an identity crisis. They recognized exactly who they were & without being cocky about it, they took the initiative. They took action. And not only did they approach Moses with no fear, they were successful & actually got things changed. There was no anger in what they did. They weren’t all worked up & in a rage. Had they done that, nothing would have changed as a matter of fact they would have set their cause back.

James 1:21says –For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

1 Peter 3:4 says—But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek & quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price.

These women weren’t pushy & brassy. They had courage but they also were in possession of their emotions & they showed humility. Have you noticed that we can’t get much done of any consequence if we’re angry? Anger just makes other people angry. If you & I aren’t being successful in getting our ideas implemented we should stop & ask ourselves if we’re going about it in the right way. We also should realize that not much will happen in our lives until we move on our ideas.

I heard the story of an immigrant who came to America years ago. He’d never seen a cafeteria before so he walked into one & sat down, waiting to be served. A man was watching him & figured he was confused so he walked up & told him how a cafeteria worked. He could just go up to the buffet & get anything he wanted & then go pay for it. The man later said he then understood what America was all about. He could have anything he was willing to pay for but no one was going to get it for him. He’d have to go get it himself.

That’s what initiative is all about. Just do it.

3. THESE WOMEN BROKE WITH TRADITION.

There can be no question that while their father was alive, they were going to have an inheritance & they had probably dreamed about what their share of land would look like. However when he died, all that evaporated & since no mention is made of a mother, they were now no doubt orphans. The girls had probably spent a lot of time talking about their plight; this seems to me to be a valid female approach to dealing with things of importance. In their discussions it probably came up that the land was being given to Israel by God so in truth no one was earning their share. Grace was involved here much more than law & they had faith to believe that God was going to work for them in the matter. But they were smart enough to realize that a few "sacred cows" would have to be slaughtered if they were going to have any chance at all in an inheritance. The definition of a sacred cow is: Once a rule is in place it's very difficult to replace that rule even though the original reason for the rule has disappeared."

It wasn’t customary for women to go to Moses. There was nothing in the law to pass an inheritance down to women so in essence they were asking that another law be written. How nervy can you get? Obviously pretty nervy. But it worked. They got Moses so shook-up that he had to go & pray about it. Long before women actually had any rights at all these women were asking for equal dignity for women. Long before the phrase was coined, they were asking Moses to “think outside the box.”

I read about a young married woman who was cooking a ham for her family. As she proceeded to cut the ham in two, her little girl came by & asked her why she was doing it. The mom confessed that she didn’t know but she’d go call her mom & asked why she always cooked ham that way. Her mother said she didn’t really know either; her mom had always cut hams in two before cooking them. The mother called the grandmother who was quite old & asked her why she’d always prepared a ham by cutting it two pieces & she answered, “Oh, the reason I always cut hams in two was because I didn’t have a pot large enough to cook a ham in one piece.”

So a tradition was born in that family & people were going through the motions not recognizing there was no longer a valid reason to be doing it.

These daughters of Zelophehad knew nothing had been written about their need so everyone was just following a tradition; a tradition that needed changing.

Sometimes people will pray for supernatural discernment when all that is needed is a little common sense. The sisters knew that there was the written law but there was also such a thing as the spirit of the law & the spirit of the law said they should be treated as fairly as anyone else. We can get so hung-up in our traditions that we don’t realize how silly we look doing things just because that’s the way we’ve always done them.

In 2 Corinthians 3:7 Paul said, “Who has made us able ministers of the New Testament; not of the letter but of the spirit: for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life.

Legalists will write a rule for everything. When that happens, everything gets in bondage & boxed in to rule keeping, consequently all joy evaporates. The Bible doesn’t speak on every little issue we face; if it did it would be so big it would take a box-car to carry it. What God expects us to do in those cases is use our sanctified common sense & follow the spirit of the law. If a person accidentally shoots another person & it is very obvious that it was an accident, a judge isn’t going to treat it like a murder. If it’s demonstrable that it was an accident the judge will use the spirit of the law to judge the person. Intent & motivation are always carefully examined.

If you want to see a depressed group of people, go into a church that’s bound up by laws, rules & regulations & you’ll see the saddest sight you can imagine. Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty & joy in the Holy Ghost. There’s no need for God’s people to get all bound up with legalism when all we have to do in cases where there’s no written direction is read the intent of God’s law.

If you want to know what legalism really looks like read Matthew 23 & you’ll not only read the best description available anywhere about what makes legalists tick. You’ll also see Jesus excoriating the Pharisees until you can almost smell the hide burning. He scolded them because all they could think about was their traditions. If you haven’t read that chapter lately you should re-read it.

In the book of Revelation we hear Jesus speaking to the seven churches about hearing-- “what the spirit is saying to the church.” Yes- God’s written word is true. Yes -it’s all written under the Spirit’s directive. Yes -it’s all profitable to living victorious lives. But Jesus is saying that God is still speaking to the churches in the 21st century & we need to have keen listening ears.

These women motivated Moses to think & to pray. You have probably observed that women have a talent for building fires under men.

4. THEY MOTIVATED LEADERSHIP

When these women got through presenting their petition; all Moses could do was go pray. When I think about these sisters I can’t help but think about Barak & Deborah. Mention is made of Barak in Hebrews eleven. When I think about them it also brings to mind Abigail & the way she confronted David when he was on his way to kill her weak husband & probably all the males in her family. Abigail confronted David & taught him mercy, saving him from untold regrets.

In 1859 a woman by the name of Sarah J. Hale petitioned the Government to have a special day of Thanksgiving. She had to jump through a lot of hoops but the bottom line is that today we men have a full day of eating turkey & watching football because of this woman.

My mother was, by any standards a very strong woman. When my sister & I were in junior high & high school the pressure was constantly put on us to learn to dance. My mothers answer to that was, “you teach my kids reading, writing & arithmetic & I’ll teach them the social graces.” Though she was called on to confront several school systems in several different states she always prevailed & her children never graced a dance floor.

My wife Juda has taken my mothers place & she stands as a sentry in my life calling me to do more than I think I can do. She often throws me out of the boat and says “walk.” When you look at my life don’t give me too much credit. The credit goes to great women who saw in me more than I ever saw in myself & pushed me to excel.

How often have I heard the admonition-“you’re thinking too small?”

5. THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD'S ACTION BENEFITED OTHERS.

It would have been risky to approach Moses in private. It would have looked like they were trying to get a better, maybe secret deal for themselves. [Don’t you just despise those back-room secret deals?] By coming to him publicly their petition becomes an action to effect change on behalf of the whole community. These sisters were using their heads & being extraordinarily creative, & along the way, filing one of the earliest law suits on record.

Notice that Moses came out of his prayers & announced- “These women are right.” What they started has benefited women across the ages up to this day.

I think of Rosa Parks. In 1955 she’d had it up to her neck with being treated like a poodle dog so she refused to move to the back of the city bus. History will show that by taking the stand she took, all women were blessed. Frankly the entire human race was blessed because she refused to be treated like a second class citizen that day in Montgomery Alabama. Likewise, the daughters of Zelophehad didn’t do what they did for strictly selfish reasons. They knew what they were doing would help women of many coming generations.

These daughters knew that they and all others were priests under God & because of their persistence a new law was written not only for them but to secure rights to property for generations to come.

Thank God for women & thank God for the differences that are woven into our lives by our creator. Without these differences life would be rather lack-luster. Thank God for the woman’s touch even though it historically has been somewhat underappreciated. As for me, I’ve appreciated women since I first found out they weren’t men.

I recently wrote an article in my blog called-“I hope you dance.” It was inspired by the country song of the same name. Dancing in the song was really synonymous with being engaged with life, not sitting on the sidelines letting life with all its opportunities pass us by.

Life isn’t meant to be feared, it’s meant to be lived with gusto. I’m always amazed when I read Christ’s parable about the talents that a business man gave his servants. When he returned he expected to see that they had invested his money & made it grow for him. The servant who was given one talent went & hid it while the others immediately went & put the money to work to see an increase. When the master returned he commended the ones who’d wisely invested his money & chastised the one who’d played it safe & put the money in a hole in the ground.

The reason it surprises me when I read this parable is that you just wouldn’t think Jesus, being so spiritually oriented would have financial investments on his mind. Of course the parable, like all of Christ’s parables has many shades of meaning. Not only was He stressing wise money management, He was reminding us that God expects a return on the talents & abilities He’s given us, whatever they may be. If we don’t use what we’ve been given we’ll have to face God someday & explain why we allowed His investment in us to stagnate.

The daughters of Zelophehad were shining examples of being engaged with the realities of life. They had the courage & initiative to take the bull by the horns -as it were -& effect change, not only for themselves but for future generations. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, didn’t change everything but they did make a significant difference in their rights as well as others that would be beneficiaries of this legal change.

The book of numbers doesn’t record the reaction of the sisters when they won their case but I think I know what it was. Of course, they danced.

What is it you believe that God has called you to do? Have you been sitting at your father’s feet daily? Are you waiting for your next assignment? Don’t let any man, women or world system intimidate you or victimize you into believing you are only a woman. You are a daughter of Zion. Arise & shine for your light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you -Ish.60:1-2. Take your rightful place & claim your God given heritage. Your reward will be great because you’ll receive your inheritance & that will be time well spent.

In closing here’s a poem to mothers, wives, & all the loyal, loving hearted women who have graced our lives & made them richer; women who’ve indeed been- the wind beneath our wings. It’s called;

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN’T LOOKING.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator & then I knew how proud you were of me.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw you feed a stray cat & I thought how wonderful it was to have such a kind heart.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I noticed you baked my favorite cake & I was so glad you were my mother.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw tears come from your eyes & I knew you had a soft heart & it made me love you more & I said I wanted to be just like you.

When you thought I wasn’t looking I saw how much you cared for me & all our family & I wanted to say thanks for all the things you did,

---when you thought I wasn’t looking.

Blessings,



John

Just Do It!

By John Stallings


Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. John 5:14--NIV

A successful young lawyer was driving one day & a policeman pulled him over for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. The young man argued technicalities for a living so he thought he’d engage the young cop in some of his courtroom expertise.

The lawyer said, “I slowed down & no one was coming, & I moved on after looking both ways, why isn’t that enough?” The young man was doing what I see drivers do every day & that’s the “rolling stop.”

The lawyer said, “Why don’t you give me a good, practical reason why it’s so important that I come to a complete stop when I can slow down to a “snails pace,” look carefully & move on with great caution?” The educated to the hilt lawyer was asking the unsophisticated policeman to give him an illustration of the difference in slowing down, almost stopping, & coming to a complete stop.

The policeman asked the man to step out of his vehicle & when he did he proceeded to pull out his Billy-club & began hitting the young man repeatedly. As he swung the Billy-club across the back of the lawyer’s neck he asked, “Now, -- you tell me the difference in stopping & just slowing down.”

Some of the better truths in the story of Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda happen after the man was healed & entered the temple, encountering the Pharisees.

In John 5:14, Jesus later found the man in the temple & spoke to him. Jesus had already dealt with the man in “grace” & now He applied “truth,” telling him to stop sinning or something worse would happen to him. Notice;


JESUS FOUND THE MAN IN THE TEMPLE

The narrative seems clear to me that Jesus went looking for the man He’d recently healed. It’s amazing how Jesus can always find us. Though we sometimes want to feel we went looking for Him, the fact is, God came searching for us. Do you know why it’s often said that Christianity isn’t a religion? Answer; religion is defined as, “Man’s search for God.”

In the strictest sense, a person can be praying to a bird or the Sun & be said to be practicing religion. Mankind is & has always been on a cosmic search for God.

But in Christianity, man wasn’t searching for God, but rather God came searching for man. It was happening all through the Old Testament through the prophets & other phenomenon, & it culminated in Christ coming to earth to dwell among men & die on the cross.

Paul said in Romans 3:11, --there is none that seeketh after God.

The Psalmist said in Psalm 14:3—there is none that doeth good, no not one.

Over & over it’s been demonstrated that when an individual sinks so far into sin all seems hopeless, --“man’s extremity is God’s opportunity,” & God finds that person.


WHEN JESUS FOUND THIS MAN IN THE TEMPLE, HE SAID, “STOP SINNING OR SOMETHING WORSE MAY HAPPEN TO YOU.”


STOP-SINNING!! Here’s one of the most profound theological commands ever uttered. Are you ready?

STOP IT!!

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the YOUTUBE video on STOP IT with comedian Bob Newhart. If not, take six minutes & watch it. He’s at his funniest, stuttering, brilliant best.

Newhart plays a very different kind of Psychiatrist who charges five dollars for a five minute session. A woman comes into his office & unburdens her phobia about being buried alive in a box. Newhart asks her if anyone had ever threatened to bury her in a box or if there was any real basis for the fear & she says there isn’t. Then he looks at her & says; STOP IT!

Newhart’s finished in three minutes but he can’t break a five dollar bill for the woman so she stays for two more minutes to get her monies worth. She tells him she doesn’t think his advice is going to work for her, & he says, “O.k. if the two words aren’t enough for you I’ll give you ten words,

“STOP IT OR I’LL BURY YOU ALIVE IN A BOX.”

That little skit is humorous but in reality it speaks volumes.
We could read the Bible through & memorize every word of it but until we, as an act of our will make the decision to forsake sin & put it to death, we’ll never be victorious over sin. At some point we have to stop the action, habit or sin because no one else can do it for us.

Are you thinking negatively? STOP IT!!
Are you over-spending? STOP IT!!
Are you overworking? STOP IT!!
Are you gossiping? STOP IT!!
Are you judging others? STOP IT!!
Are you obsessive/ compulsive? STOP IT!!
Do you think your opinions are always best? STOP IT!!
Do you lose your temper? STOP IT!!
Are you overeating? STOP IT!!
Are you indulging in a secret sin? STOP IT!!

It’s like the man who went to the Doctor & told him when he lifted his arm a certain way it hurt. The Doctor, said, “Stop lifting it like that.”

I heard about a man who was having trouble with his voice. He went to a throat specialist, & after a long series of tests, the doctor told the man, the only thing I can tell you is; you talk too much. Stop it!”

Years ago I heard comedian George Burns, nearly one hundred at the time, tell about developing a condition that caused him to constantly clear his throat with a little short cough. He’d been doing it for thirty years & mentioned to his doctor that he was concerned about the cough especially since he smoked cigars. The doctor told him he could easily get rid of the cough for him & gave him instructions, “Stop doing it.” Burns said “that was fifty years ago & I’ve never coughed since.” They aren’t making doctors like that any more.

Here’s the best way I’ve ever found to lose weight; STOP EATING SO MUCH!!

You can do it the low-carb way, which is the way we’ve done it for the last few years, or you can eat 1,000 to 1,500 calories a day but however you do it, you’ve got to STOP EATING SO MUCH.

You may have a problem that isn’t a sin-- it’s just a bad habit but you can handle it the same way, JUST STOP IT!!

DON’T TRY TO MODIFY OR REDEFINE SIN, OR SLOW IT DOWN, JUST STOP IT!

In the seventies Dr. Karl Mennineger wrote a very good book called, “Whatever became of sin?” He talked about this problem of rationalizing sin or calling it by another name. Over thirty years later the problem has grown exponentially. Our society now has a hard time labeling things right or wrong. When President Ronald Reagan called The Soviet Union an evil empire, it upset a lot of people because they couldn’t come to terms with calling certain things or nation’s evil.

When I read Dr. Mennineger’s book in the mid-seventies, I humbly answered his question thusly; “Sin went to the doctor & was diagnosed as a disease. Sin went to the psychiatrist & was diagnosed as a dysfunction.” Some people choose to try to modify their sin or cut down on it, like ordering a half-order of something in a restaurant. But the edict of heaven is still, STOP IT.

Jesus tells the paralyzed man,--SIN NO MORE!

You may think a Christian can’t sin but as long as we have a robe of flesh we will have a bent toward sin. The Lord’s Prayer says-- forgive us our sins; it doesn’t say –forgive them their sins.

You can be saved, sanctified & filled with heaven’s sweet Holy Ghost but you still have to STOP SINNING!! You can pray until your hair turns green but you still have to STOP SINNING!!

You can fast until you are skin & bones & God will certainly grant you His grace & power but at some point you’ll still have to make the decision to STOP SINNING!!

In Romans 8:13 Paul says, --For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh ye shall live. The word mortify comes from the same word that we get the word mortician. This is what must be done to sin.

It’s possible to be “too spiritual,” expecting to sit passively by while God comes in & takes the evil desires & temptations out of our way. He won’t do that but He’ll always create an escape hatch for us to escape the temptation. Of course we’ll have to take the time to look for His way of escape.

Listen how Paul handles a situation where a person has a problem with stealing;

Does he say to the person: “You know, stealing is so ingrained in you & you’ve been so defeated by it, the only hope you have to being victorious over stealing is to have the Lord come in & deal with it for you?” No! What does Paul say? Listen to Ephesians 4:28;

Let him that stole, steal no more! --- JUST STOP IT! Now that’s some deep theology, wouldn’t you agree?

Paul deals much the same way when it comes to growth in grace & spiritual maturity. He tells us in 1 Corinthians that he was at one time young & immature like everyone else. There were the same weaknesses & childishness in Paul’s life that all of us know about.

But did Paul say, “Well, I went to a great revival meeting & went forward & do you know what? God came & instantaneously took away all my childish ways in a heart-beat?”

No. What did Paul say? He said, -When I became a man I put away childish things.-1 Cor.13:11

Paul is saying that as an act of his will, he put away from him the juvenile things that were holding him back.

Paul also tells us how he was able to deal with his day by day attitudes. But he didn’t say;--“You know, I had such a problem with my attitude, I didn’t know what I was going to do.” He didn’t say; “I was always miserable & constantly complaining about my accommodations, the food, and the beverages & really just about everything in my life. But, you know, one night in prayer, God just came into the room & touched me. And since that night, I’m just as contented as one of those old contented cows, anywhere God puts me.”? No! Paul didn’t say that.

What Paul said was;

……For I have LEARNED, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Phil.4:11

Paul didn’t get his sweet disposition in a miraculous manner. No Sir! He had to cultivate it. He had to learn it. Have you seen these spiritual babies that are waiting for God to work a miracle & transform them from a miserable Christian to a happy camper? God isn’t going to do for us what, through prayer, study of His word, & bringing our flesh into subjection, we should be doing for ourselves.

AN OLD TESTAMENT WAY OF DEALING WITH SIN

In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel anointed Saul & gave him instructions to kill all the Amalekites. While God doesn’t need me to come to His defense, there was a reason for this seemingly cruel order to be given. These folk, a nomadic race & descendants of Esau, were the mortal enemies of the Israelites. This was the people who attacked Israel in the famous battle when Aaron & Hur had to hold up Moses’ arms. God had already told Moses he would utterly blot out the memory of these people from under heaven.

The bloody Amalekites were one of the reasons the Israelites disobeyed God & balked at entering the Promised Land. God’s anger burned against these people because they hated Him & detested Israel. In short, the Amalekites were very bad people & Saul was to be God’s instrument to execute judgment on them.

As we know, Saul didn’t obey the clear command of God & motivated by covetousness he kept all their best possessions & actually spared their king, king Agag. Maybe Saul’s pride led him to want a “king on a string.”

The disobedience by Saul was so serious to God that He sent Samuel to tell him God was taking the throne of Israel from him & his descendants forever. We don’t usually think of Samuel, that great prophet of God who was called as a youngster under the tutelage of Eli, as a harsh & vindictive man.

But what Samuel later did about this miscarriage of God’s justice is shocking. He coolly said, “Bring me Agag!” Agag thought he was safe & came to Samuel & cheerfully told him he was glad the threat of death had passed. Obviously Samuel wasn’t amused. Do you know what Samuel did then? He took a sword & cut Agag to pieces. 1 Sam.15:32-33.

This might seem cruel & merciless, but let there be no mistake; this was an act of divine judgment to show the holy wrath of an indignant God against a cruel & incorrigible people.

For proof, you only have to go to the end of the book of 1 Samuel not long afterwards, to see the reinvigorated fragments of the Amalekites were still running around the countryside, eating, drinking & pillaging & still causing trouble for Israel. It was they who raided David’s town Ziklag & took his family captive. David caught up with them & got his family back, fighting them all night long into the next morning killing all but four hundred of them.

I can’t think of a more perfect illustration of what sin can & will do if not dealt with harshly. Like the Amalekites, sin if not mortified has a way of reviving, regrouping & launching new & unexpected attacks at the worst times & in the most unexpected ways.

Let’s be real here; living a pure life is difficult today & sexual temptation is one of the strongest. Did Jesus talk about that? Yes He did & He gave us three ways to break the power of sin in our lives.

1. LOOK AWAY

In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus said;

Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, “Thou shall not commit adultery: But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a women to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Jesus is saying that looking at someone lustfully is just as detrimental to our heart & soul as if we had physically committed adultery. If you allowed contempt & hate to build up in your heart against a person it would create a barrier between you even if you never acted on those feelings. Likewise, having lustful thoughts hurts us spiritually if we never act on them because seeing someone as a sexual object builds the wrong feelings & motivations. We realize that thoughts precede actions & thinking about something paves the way to acting it out.

Look away, divert your eyes. Looking refers to one who continues to look with deliberate intent. We can’t live in a world without visual temptations but we don’t have to stare. We can always get up & leave a theater. We can put a book aside & not finish it. Even though we rented a movie, if it gets weird we don’t have to watch it.

If you go on a diet the last place you need to go is to the Dairy Queen or Wendy’s. If you’re counting calories the last thing you need is to go somewhere they have luscious pictures of Lobster Primavera on the menu. Then Jesus said;

2. CUT IT OUT.

If your eye or hand offends, put them away from you. Now we know Jesus isn’t actually speaking of mutilation here, He’s speaking figuratively. What He’s saying is whatever causes you to sin, get rid of it.

I’ve heard of good honorable people who can’t have a computer because of the temptation to log onto a porn channel. Not having a computer prevents them from communication with relatives, checking their bank accounts, checking news stories, driving directions to different locations, purchasing things conveniently, using the spiritual materials that are available online, knowing what’s happening to ministries around the world, & a multitude of other good things. But they can’t trust themselves to have those conveniences because it could open a door for a temptation they feel might be their spiritual downfall.

There are others who can’t have cable T.V because they don’t trust their ability to change the channel. Some people won’t listen to certain kinds of music & even terminate romantic relationships that are leading them into tempting situations.

There are people who haven’t had a drink for years & won’t go places where alcohol is served because it’s a temptation they don’t want to have to deal with. We might look at these folk critically but the bottom line is; whether it’s canceling AOL, having cable television disconnected, transferring to another department at work, whatever is necessary to keep out of a situation that causes temptation to sin, it’s wise to cut it out. It’s better to go dateless, have no television, not get a promotion & forego the knowledge the internet could supply than to be trapped in sin.

3. GUARD YOUR HEART

David said; Create in me a pure heart O God….Psalm 51:10

I realize that temptation is a matter of the heart not just our surroundings & certainly our heart must be dealt with but in the case of many people, they feel by eliminating certain sources of temptation they get along better & give themselves the opportunity to focus on the real issues, the state of their heart.

God wants to purify our hearts so that dating isn’t a problem, surfing the internet isn’t a problem or working with an attractive member of the opposite sex isn’t a problem. But we have to do our part. In order to be victorious, we’ve got to eliminate certain distractions, learn to look away from temptations, learn to avoid sinful situations, & learn to focus on the work he wants to do in us.

Please understand the Christian life isn’t a cut & dried proposition, a life that we live in our own strength. While It’s true that we can never abandon our responsibility to mortify our own sin, as Christians, God’s Spirit is always with us working in us, both to will & to of His good pleasure. Phil.2:13. If we have a desire to do right in the first place, it’s God’s spirit that has come along side us to give us that desire.

In a very real sense, it’s as simple as this; “Walk in the Spirit & you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. Gal.5:16.

Let us therefore cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. -- 2 Cor.7:1

“When we all get to heaven” we’ll be rid of the flesh, but like the Amalekites, until totally eradicated, sin can always come screaming back with hellish fury when least expected.

Paul said, -But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Cor.9:27.

We might as well accept the fact that we have a stalker named sin & it’s our duty, with the daily faithful assistance of the Holy Spirit, to mortify it, until we rest in gloryland.

Blessings,

John

How To Stop A Fight

By John Stallings


I heard about a man who was standing in court in front of a judge.

The poor man was cut, had two black eyes, [that’s the limit] a broken nose & various other scrapes & bruises all over his body. The judge asked him if he’d please describe the man who beat him so brutally.

This man who was obviously hurting all over said, “Judge, if it’s alright with you, I’d rather not describe the man. That’s what I was doing when he beat me up.”

Carnal men simply are unable to live in peace. The Bible says…the way of peace have they not known. Romans 3:17.

One of the greatest churches in America is presently being torn apart by strife & infighting. To make things even worse, the family who founded the church is at the forefront of the battle.

I speak of The Crystal Cathedral in Orange County California. My understanding is that the son of the founding pastor Rev. Robert H. Schuller—Rev. Robert A. Schuller, who was on track to take over for his father soon has left the church under fire from other family members who serve in various positions in the church.

Recently I saw the younger Schuller interviewed on The Pat Robinson Show & it was difficult for him to hide his hurt with what has transpired. Of course I’m not privy to what has gone on behind the scenes there. All I know is that this break-up not only makes me feel terrible for them but has disappointed millions of others around the world. One headline I saw was…

It’s clear that the elder Schuller’s carefully orchestrated leadership transition, planned over a decade has stumbled badly.”

Pastor James tells us;

Those conflicts & disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something & you don’t get it so you’re prepared to kill for it. You have ambitions that you can’t satisfy so you fight to get your way by force.-James 4:1-3

My first thought is, to stop a fight….

1. AVOID THE FIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE

How much happiness & joy do we derive by debate, bickering & fighting? Not much! Many people insist on having the “last word” in an argument. The real winner is the person who just doesn’t get into the fight.

Authorities inform us that one of the characteristics of this age is the unwillingness on the part of many to admit they could be wrong.

The Bible speaks of such a generation. Could it refer to this age? –This is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. Proverbs 30:12.Proverbs 14; 12 says—There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 12:15 tells us—The way of a fool is right in his own eyes but he that hearkens unto counsel is wise.

To save face seems to be the most important thing to many & they’ll defend their view at any cost, even if it’s wrong. To contend with people like this is futile. We need to have a proper perspective of the real values of life & that doesn’t include winning arguments.

No one ever really wins a fight. Have you ever noticed that? What good have two people done if they have a fight & both lose a couple of teeth & have to be taken to the hospital? Only the most primitive type of people could see any sense in that.

One of my favorite Old Testament scriptures is Psalm 133: 1-Behold how good & pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

The Bible instructs—If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18.

In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said…Blessed are the peace makers. Matt.5:9. He didn’t say, blessed are the –peacekeepers. It’s fairly easy to keep the peace when you already have it, but making peace is something altogether different.

Neither did Jesus say, -- Blessed are the peace-fakers. Some people will look at a situation coming apart at the seams & say, -Problem? I don’t see a problem.” Denial isn’t what’s called for when war or the danger of war looms around us. Honesty is called for.

You may remember that well before the Second World War, English Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain visited Germany & met Hitler. He came home & said;

“Sure he’s building planes, he’s building bombs, he’s building artillery & everyone is goose-stepping in black shirts but he’s really a nice guy.” History reveals that Chamberlain was a –Peace-faker.

Hitler was a peace-breaker & he was getting ready to try to roll his war machine all around the world & put people under the jack-boot of despotism.

Secondly, to stop a fight we must….

2. RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF PEACE

We live in a world baptized in greed & dedicated to treachery. Into this world filled with violence, hate & selfishness Jesus sends us to be peacemakers. As bad as things are, this is the only world we have & if we’re going to be true to our Lord, we must be peacemakers.

I heard about a lady who was always stirring up trouble who died & her pastor was conducting her funeral. As the funeral was about to start, the pastor stepped to the lectern & just then there was a great thunder-clap that shook the whole building. The preacher looked up & said, “Well, she arrived.”

DEBATE

I know we live in a country where debate is considered a good thing, & within certain perimeters it is. But if we’re not careful debate can be taken too far. You & I should strive to be as agreeable as possible. What does it mean to be an “agreeable person?” It just means you’re not always taking the opposite of things to try to show you’re the smartest person in the room.

Did you know the Bible puts people who have a debating spirit in a class of undesirables? Romans 1:29 says—being filled with unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, DEBATE, deceit, malignity, whisperers….

Have you ever met a person who always takes the opposite viewpoint of everything you say? I call them –“Black-whiters.” If you say black, they’ll automatically say white.

My dad was a good man & a very good father but he had a habit that really rubbed me the wrong way. If I’d make a statement, he’d say the very opposite. He didn’t mean anything by it, it was just a habit he’d let himself get into. If I said, “This hot weather is killing me,” he’d invariably say, “Well I’d rather it be hot than to be freezing to death.” If I said, “I really love Buicks, he’d blurt out, “But the Pontiacs are a little better car.” On & on it went.

One day we were fishing in a small boat. I made a casual statement, & you guessed it, dad came out with something to counter what I’d just said.

With a voice choked with emotion, I said, “Dad, have you noticed that you always say just the opposite of everything I say, & I while I’m at it, you do mom & Barbara [my sister] the same way. I know you love us but it’s getting very irritating & it makes a person feel like never again saying anything in your presence.” Guess what he said. He said, “I don’t do that!” I said, “See, you just did it again.”

My dad was old-school, meaning, if you were his kid you didn’t get sassy with him. But he was also big on attitude. He knew I loved, respected & had a healthy fear of him so I got by with it. I wish I could tie a pretty bow on it & say he changed that day, but that might be exaggerating just a bit. To be very honest, I wasn’t keyed in to his immediately changing, I was opening my heart to him.

In retrospect, I think I became a man that day in dad’s eyes, though he never mentioned it again. I also know that as the decades went by we had a good relationship & if I may say so, I think he went to his grave very proud of the son he raised.

Some might feel I went too far. But my feeling was that I was being a peacemaker, & I think by the grace of God it turned out that way because my heart & motivations were right.

Most people desire to live in peace & have a strong aversion to an atmosphere of contention. If we sincerely love & want to live in peace & our hearts are right before God, there’s a way to settle our differences without compromising our convictions, all the while avoiding hostile situations that can arise because of trivial issues.

3. CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES

The first thing to consider when an issue arises is-how important is the issue at hand---really? If one can accurately evaluate that, he will be far ahead of the curve on the way to achieving real peace-a goal the Bible teaches is a tremendous blessing for all involved.

Over the past holiday season, Juda & I enjoyed several family gatherings. One Christmas party especially stands out in my memory.

The subject came up of Tiger Woods. This shouldn’t be too surprising to you. We’ve all been subjected recently to this panoply of human frailty. We all had our opinions about Tiger & how he failed- etc.

During the discussion, a family member said only half-way joking “Well, personally I like the words of the wise philosopher, old Hank Williams; “Mind your own business.” I had to agree. I remember that song from nearly 60 years ago.

Does this mean that I can close my eyes to what Tiger apparently did? A thousand times no! As I see it his wife has Biblical grounds to wash him out of her hair. I don’t hesitate to say were I his wife I’d be outta-there. But again, what business is it of mine? I’m busy keeping my life & attitudes right. God could take Tiger, turn his life around & use him mightily. I pray He does.

4. BE WILLING TO ASSUME HALF THE RESPONSIBILITY IN ANY ISSUE.

Often when two people are arguing, fully believing the other party is wrong; a neutral arbitrator can hear them out & find that both parties are at fault. Yet both parties refuse to accept the fact that they could be at least partially at fault.

I’ve observed over the years that the one who believes they’re right 100% & won’t give an inch will never have peace. Again, matters of spiritual conviction should never be compromised but many of the things we fight about don’t involve spiritual matters.

During the Christmas Holidays I visited with a young lady who was forced to leave her husband, at least for the time being. I said all I felt I could say to comfort her, but in the final analysis, I was very careful not to say too much because I don’t know all the facts. What I will say is that any man or woman who stays in the house with someone who’s out to harm them or perhaps kill them is very foolish.


5. EMOTIONAL CONTROL IS A KEY TO DWELLING TOGETHER IN PEACE.

I’ve seen people go off the beam & completely lose control of their emotions. Those types of outbursts aren’t to be taken lightly. All you need to do is watch 15 minutes of news a week & you’ll know that dealing with disagreements in that way often leads to bloodshed. They may only be kicking & screaming now but Satan hitch-hikes on emotional fits & is very capable of causing a person to pick up a gun & start shooting. Just this week two well known basketball players pulled guns on each other. If it weren’t so tragic it would be sort of funny.

These volatile emotions occur because of real or imagined wrongs & the Bible has many warnings to avoid this. Listen to Ecc.16:22

…..be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

One of the many characteristics of a fool is the inability to control emotions. It’s a downright shame for a person to allow their emotions to cause them to have fussing & cussing fits.

Listen to Proverbs 12:16, A fool’s wrath is presently known but a prudent man covereth shame.


6. DON’T HOLD GRUDGES

The individual who continues to nurse a grudge will never find peace & will be a constant walking powder-keg ready to explode.

Jesus made it plain;- For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt.6:14-15

We think we can talk about people behind their back & it won’t get back to the person but that’s just not the case.

Have you ever heard the expression—“A little bird told me?” Did you know this comes from the Bible? Listen,

Curse not the king, no not in thy thought: and curse no the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Eccl.10:20.

The Bible strongly emphasizes the importance of putting hard feelings behind us & not holding a grudge.

7. PRAY FOR THE MIND & SPIRIT OF CHRIST.

The natural mind --the mind we were born with doesn’t exactly revel in the things of God. Paul tells us;

They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life & peace. Because the carnal mind is at enmity with God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:5-7

To be able to live up to what God expects of us we must not be moving in the flesh but in the Spirit. We may have good intentions & desire to do wonderful things but we may as well face the fact that we can’t do them on our own. Jesus even told His disciples—The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Matt. 26:21

Paul also says—let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God; But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.-Phil 2:5-8

Let’s face it. Getting along & having peace with people can be a taxing ordeal. We all have the capacity to be whiny, self-centered, illogical, uncaring nincompoops. Our response can often be to just hunker down, find a few people we can tolerate & leave the rest to fend for themselves. We defend this approach by saying that we’re just not patient & wish we had a bigger heart like others seem to have.

We are capable of placing people on the shelf & saying they’re just too difficult to deal with. But this isn’t an option for the Christian. Jesus gave us a commandment to love one another with no exceptions. He didn’t tell us to love others unless they are irritating, annoying, disagreeable, or unpleasant.

In 2010 you & I need to work on loving one another. But we can’t just “gut it out” & try to do it in our own strength. If we do this we’re sunk before we begin. The love of Christ however gives us hope.

REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH

Listen to Isaiah 58:12…..And thou shall be called, The repairers of the breach, The restored of paths to dwell in.

Jesus said--Peacemakers shall be called the Sons of God.

In other words, God looks at them & says, - “That’s one of my boys/girls.” You & I know that peace is hard to make & even harder to keep. It’s easier to walk away from the problem.

Or we give it the old college try & get rebuffed or even attacked & criticized for our efforts. So we tend to despair & give up before we get started.

We all can do sometime in the area of peacemaking.

You’ve got a phone. Make a call.
You’ve got paper. Write a letter.
You’ve got a computer. Send an email.
You’ve got a kitchen. Make a meal.
You’ve got a wallet. Give some money.
You’ve got two hands. Put them to work for others.
You’ve got two feet. Go visit someone in pain.
You’ve got two ears. Listen for the cries of the wounded.
You’ve got two lips. Preach the gospel of peace.

You’ve probably heard this little poem;

I am only one, but I am one.
I can’t do everything, but I can do something.
What I can do, I ought to do.
And what I ought to do, by the grace of God,
I will do!

He was the greatest peacemaker of all time…and they crucified Him. He was called The prince of peace, yet He hung on a Roman cross. He preached the Gospel of Peace & died in an act of cruel violence.

Because of Adam’s fall, we were in a fight with God. He sent His son to stop the fight.


Peacemaking is expensive. It cost God His only Son!



Blessings,


John