Keith Frazer

Today is the 38^th day that we have been counting the omer.

As we moved through the end of Deuteronomy, we found that God designated a new leader to lead the Israelites across the Jordan River and to bring them to possess the land that God had promised to their forefathers. That leader was none other than Joshua, the son of Nun. God had used Moses to deliver the Torah and now He commissioned Joshua to take the land.

It took two different leaders to get the job completed. Moses was the teacher; Joshua was the commander of troops. Moses had learned as he went. He argued with God from time to time. He stood in the gap between God and the Israelites particularly when God was ready to destroy the nation and start all over. He told God not to order the people to go forward if He, God, was not going with them. He was loyal and compassionate toward the people. He put up with the grumbling and complaining and became frustrated but instead of giving up, he treated them much as a father would treat children – sometimes being the disciplinarian and sometimes showing mercy and giving grace. At times, he saw them as children and at other times, he saw them as adults. His last instructions to them reflected his understanding that he could tell them the right way to conduct themselves until his last breath, but they would still choose to do their own thing. His personality was critical to bring Israel from the mindset of slaves to a mindset of freedmen.

But his successor had a different personality and mindset. As a military commander, he realized that he had to accomplish his mission to take this multitude from Point A to Point B while at the same time securing all of Points C, D and E. His thought processes were not so much those of a father encouraging his children to grow up as they were of a commander who knew what had to be done to reach the objective. I’m not sure where he learned combat maneuvers, but he was gifted from the first battle while Moses was still in charge, to the last battle in the Promised Land. The whole book of Joshua has a different feel. It was still the same God, but He was working through different personalities.

Both these men were taken by God from lowly beginnings. Moses was a shepherd on the back side of the desert in Midian when God called to him from the burning bush. He had to be poked, prodded and then built up to start the long trek of leading the children of Israel. We don’t see such an obvious uncertainty in Joshua, but if we look carefully, we find that God told Joshua three times and Moses told Joshua once to “Be strong, be bold; for you will cause this people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers I would give them. Only be strong and very bold in taking care to follow all the Torah which Moses my servant ordered you to follow…Haven’t I ordered you, ‘Be strong, be bold’? So don’t be afraid or downhearted, because Yehovah your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9) Both men were uncertain that they were actually the ones who were called to do the work. They had to be reassured that they could do what God had called them to do. And they had to be reassured that God would be with them. But they chose to ask, listen, and follow the word of Yehovah. As a result, they were victorious.

The truth is, no matter the personality, victory is dependent upon courage or faith in God and obedience to His teachings. Our personalities are different, and God has called each of us to different pieces of His mission to expand His Kingdom. But there is one truth that does not change despite our differing personalities. We must know that the only way we can accomplish the task is by building up our faith in God and staying obedient to His teachings. The only way we can keep our faith and stay obedient is by intentionally choosing Him, His word, and developing intimacy daily with the Almighty.

May God help us to intentionally choose Him every minute of the day!

Pastor Ann

May 19, 2020

Today is the 37^th day that we have been counting the omer.

As we come to the end of Deuteronomy, we find Moses blessing all the tribes of Israel individually. This is consistent with the Jewish tradition in which the father, as he nears death, blesses his children. In the 33^rd chapter, Moses points out that the inheritance for the community of Jacob is the Torah, the teachings and requirements of Yehovah. All the blessings that could possibly be experienced will come through the Torah. It is like a treasure box that is jammed full of the best things, both physical and spiritual.

Additionally, Moses looks forward to the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to His people. Deuteronomy 33:5 (CJB) says, “Then a king arose in Yeshurun when the leaders of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together.” (The term Yeshurun is a term of endearment for Israel.) Moses is looking forward to a time that is still to come. He is seeing a time when “the LORD became king in Israel” (NLT). It appears that Moses is referencing the time when Jesus the Messiah will rule over all the tribes of Israel and the world from His throne in Jerusalem.

How do we apply these things to our lives? How do they help us intentionally deepen our relationship with Jesus the Messiah? First, I think that God wants us to see His teachings and requirements to be holy, as inexplicably marvelous promises, filling our days with goodness and richness that can be found in no other place. As our spirits and souls continually seek increased intimacy with the Almighty, He pours out blessings that cannot be numbered! And these blessings are not only spiritual, but they are also physical! Oh, that we would come to the place as David did when he wrote in Psalms 119:97, “How I love Your Torah! I mediate on it all day.” Second, I think God wants us to recognize that the time of Jesus’ return is remarkably close at hand. All the tribes of Israel are back in the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel became a nation in one day, and now their capital is Jerusalem. Time is marching quickly forward to fulfill everything that God said would occur. May the Holy Spirit help us work diligently and deliberately to enlarge His Kingdom up to the very moment of His return!

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Pastor Ann

May 18, 2020

Today is the 36^th day that we have been counting the omer.

Since God knows the end from the beginning, He tells Moses that after he dies, the children of Israel will turn their backs on God. God commissions Moses to write a song. In fact, God tells Moses to teach it to the people and have them learn it by heart, “so that this song can be a witness for Me against the people of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 31:19) Deuteronomy 32 records the song for us. The words are probably unlike words of any other song that we have ever heard. I encourage you to go read the words, for the Song of Moses is a picture of Israel’s history and exile.

He starts off by bragging on the greatness of Yehovah. “For I will proclaim the name of Yehovah. Come, declare the greatness of our God!” Then Moses says, “He (Yehovah) is not corrupt; the defect is in His children, a crooked and perverted generation.” (v 5 CJB) That is a sad commentary about a people who had been chosen by God to be His very own. He had taken them from nothing, guarded them “like the pupil of His eye”, and carried them around even as an eagle carries her young when she flies. Moses went on in his song to tell how they would totally turn their backs on God and would be brought to ruin. But Moses did not stop there for Yehovah is the God of redemption. He revealed that God will take vengeance on those who destroyed the nation and will avenge the blood of His servants. In fact, God will even make atonement for the land of His people.

But the most pointed thing that Moses told the people was this. “Take to heart all the words of warning I have given you today. Pass them on as a command to your children so they will obey every word of these instructions. These instructions are not empty words – they are your life!” (vs 46-47, NLT)

I think God, through the book of Deuteronomy, would tell us, the ones who have been adopted into the family of God, that we must guard ourselves and our children. We must teach in the strongest manner possible the truths of God. We must not get lax or we will fall just as Israel fell. Even worse, our children will fall. The devil will destroy them by dragging them through the deepest and most devastating pits he can find. I think God is telling us very bluntly that He is not playing games. He is a gracious and merciful God, but He does not play games. I believe God would tell us the very same thing He told Israel – Listen up! Take these truths to heart and make sure your children obey every word. For this is NOT A TRIVIAL MATTER for you – these are not EMPTY WORDS; they are YOUR LIFE!

May God give us ears to hear and eyes to see His truths.

Pastor Ann

May 17, 2020

Today is the 35^th day that we have been counting the omer.

One of the greatest desires of every person on this earth is that they would have a great life, a life full of good things and a life of joy and happiness. It seems that everyone is searching for fulfillment. You may have heard of Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist who formulated a theory of psychological health. He was attempting to explain human behavior, defining conceptually the needs of each individual. In his theory, he determined that ultimately everyone is driven to achieve self-actualization. In his mind, that ultimate goal of self-actualization would result in the highest sense of personal fulfillment.

As Moses was giving his final instructions to the children of Israel, he addressed the same basic question that Maslow attempted to answer. However, Moses was a bit more specific in his answer. Maslow theorized, but then left the ultimate answer to each individual. Moses, on the other hand, gave a specific answer to every individual. He said that if a person and even a nation wanted to find their real purpose, they could not look to themselves for the answer. He told the children of Israel that a wonderful life, with all the great benefits and pleasures, was found in “loving Yehovah your God, paying attention to what He says and clinging to Him”. Why? “for that is the purpose of your life!” (Deuteronomy 30: 20)

Moses was right. He spoke the truth that he had seen play out over all the years of leading more than two million people from Egypt, through the desert, and up to the banks of the Jordon River. He laid life and self-actualization, self-fulfillment out for them that day. We may not like what he said, because we have this desire inside of us to do what we want to do no matter what it is, but Moses was not wrong. He was right. Our greatest fulfillment and accomplishment on this earth is wrapped up in one thing – loving Yehovah, paying attention to everything He says, and having an intimate relationship with Him. Nothing else will do.

Pastor Ann

May 16, 2020

Today is the 34^th day that we have been counting the omer.

As I have been continuing to read in Deuteronomy, I have been impressed with two statements that are repeated several times. One of them is, “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt….” When those words are spoken, they refer to how the people were to treat those who were foreigners, orphans, or widows.

The other has to do with the positive and negative consequences of actions – “if … then.” Moses laid it all out for them. He was very clear about things that were right and things that were wrong in the sight of God. He adamantly declared to them that if they would do what was right according to God’s character, then they would be blessed by God. However, if they chose to do what was wrong according to God’s character, then they would be cursed by God. And even with all his effort to ensure that they would choose the right, he told them that he knew that they would choose wrongly down the road.

I think that both of the statements, “remember that you were a slave in Egypt”, and “if … then”, are meant to spur us to think about where we have been, who we are, and who we want to be. Those statements remind us that we were once away from God and were slaves. We made choices that took us deeper into slavery. We were driven to repeat the same stifling, derogatory behaviors, and attitudes.

We hated where we were, and we knew that there had to be a better way. As a result of that central truth, God’s prevenient grace in our lives, we began to seek the way out. God, “who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our sins – it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:4-5) Now, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus the Messiah. We are to remember where we have been and give mercy and grace to those who have not yet found the Truth or are weak. Each day we are to realize that God is still forming Himself within us. We have choices to make that will either polish us to reflect Him more clearly or cloud us over so that His character is not quite recognizable. The choice is ours.

It is my prayer that we will choose to remember where we have been, who we are, and who we want to be and choose God’s blessings each day as we move toward Pentecost.

Pastor Ann

May 15, 2020