GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 11:1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    You know there are some people who live and love to complain. That may not be what they intend to do, it appears however to be in their nature to complain. My dad said some people would rather complain than eat. That never made sense to me since I love to eat. Nevertheless, we all know some who fill this description rather well. Now before we start pointing fingers and waging our heads, remember, we all complain from time to time. Some of you are thinking about complaining about others who are complainers right now. We complain about the weather, the people in front of us paying with pennies at the store, the slow poke on the highway, and the pastor who preaches too long. (NOT ME!) Complaining comes too natural for us all. We may want to think about today’s verse the next time we become too irritable at someone else. Especially if that someone is God.

 

       Our verse said, “when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it.” Granted, Israel was blessed by God in everything and should not have been complaining. If we think on this, are not we all blessed by God in everything as well? What causes the onset of complaints anyway? It is often us not getting our way. The slow poke on the highway may have car problems. The person paying with pennies may be using all they have. The preacher, maybe God’s trying to speak to you, while you are complaining. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    Every complaint is not a sin. Jesus complained about the money changers in the temple, and Jesus never sinned. Yet, it may do us well to consider, why we are complaining. Are we complaining about sin, or to satisfy self? 
 

Would you ask God to help you to complain less?

 

 THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

    This week we watched the children of Israel move from doing what is right, to doing what is wrong. As seen in:

  ● Offered A Choice
  ● Organizing A Crowd
  ● Ordering Of Cleanliness
  ● Offering That Came
  ● Obeying A Cloud
  ● Onset Of Complaints

    Yet in the end, they are still moving onward with God. As God’s children, no matter the trial we too can daily move onward with Christ our Lord.

 

     Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 

 SUNDAYS:

    Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

 

March 6, 2023	Numbers 12-14	Mark 9:1-29
March 7, 2023	Numbers 15	Mark 9:30-50
March 8, 2023	Numbers 16-18	Mark 10:1-31
March 9, 2023	Numbers 19-20	Mark 10:32-52
March 10, 2023	Numbers 21-22	Mark 11
March 11, 2023	Numbers 23-25	Mark 12:1- 27
March 12, 2023	No Passages Assigned

Onward With Christ

 March 3, 2023
 Daily Reading – Numbers 8-9 / Mark 8:1-21

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 9:21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Can you even imagine, watching a cloud and doing what it did. It is like a giant game of “Simon Says.” The Cloud stops, the Children of Israel set up camp, they set up the tabernacle, and arrange all the items in the tabernacle as they are to be. The cloud lifts and moves, pack everything up, and follow that cloud. That is a lot of work. In Number 9:22 it says; “Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.” It would be hard enough in the day, but today’s verse says they moved whether it was day or night. Why not just wait to see if possibly the cloud would come back. The answer is very simple.

 

    The answer is that they needed to be where God was, and God was in that cloud. He was leading them in this wilderness. He was supplying their needs. Their food, water supply, direction, and care were all in God’s hands. When God moved, they immediately followed. They did not want to be anywhere that God was not.

 

    God does not lead by a cloud anymore, instead He has given us the Holy Spirit and His Word. In the good times (by day), or during the trials we endure (by night), God never leaves us nor forsakes us. Choose to always follow Him. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    God still supplies our needs. Everything we have comes from God. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

Are you following God?

 

 

 March 2, 2023
 Daily Reading – Numbers 6-7 / Mark 7

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 7:3 And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    Our church took some time and went through 1st & 2nd Corinthians chapter by chapter. I recall sitting in my office reading over the passage for the week in my bible when I came to the passage in 2 Corinthians 9:7 & 8 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:” It occurred to me that many of the people in our congregation were giving, but they may be missing out on the blessings of giving because of the way they did so. I began to think, have I failed these people because I have not clearly conveyed to them that it was more important how they gave, than what they gave. I purposed in my heart that day to take just a moment before every offering to try to point peoples heart and therefore their offering to God. The only way to give cheerfully is to be mindful of who we are giving to. Remembering, it was God who gave us what we are about to offer back to Him as offering.

 

    The opening line of today’s verse says “And they brought their offering before the LORD.” They physically brought the offerings to Moses in the tabernacle. However, spiritually they brought it to the Lord, and Oh how He blessed all that they brought. It was always enough..

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    Our church may never be wealthy in the eyes of the world. Our people may not be rich according to earthly standards. Yet I believe if they paused, prayed, and praised God each week before giving offerings to Him, well, we always have enough. 

 

Is God’s enough, enough for you?

 

 

 March 1, 2023
 Daily Reading – Numbers 3-5 / Mark 6:32-56

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 5:2-3 Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    If you have ever been around young children who play outside in the summer, or you can remember back to when you were a child, you may remember a conversation that went something like this. Mom – “Go get in the bathtub and clean yourself up.” Child – “I am not that dirty.” Mom – “your hands and face are filthy, now get in the tub.” Child – “I will do it in the morning.” MOM – “YOU WILL DO IT NOW, RIGHT NOW, AND QUIT TALKING BACK.” Child – “ok.” To the child who had been playing in the dirt all day; they could not see the immediate need. This dirt looked ok all day, how bad can it be? To the mother who saw this cloud of dirt and dust swirling through the house, all she could see was dirty sheets, dirty hand towels, dirty pajamas, in fact a dirty anything they came in contact with.

 

    God gives a command to the children of Israel. Those who are defiled, or diseased must be put out of the camp until they are clean. Why? Well, there was the issue of contamination of others. Also, in the desert with no medical facilities to speak of, a real health issue could arise if they are not quarantined immediately. However, there is another reason that is just as important in the last line of Numbers 5:3. It says, “in the midst whereof I dwell.” Simply put, anyone who might come in contact with God’s tabernacle, the place where His glory would rest, must be clean.  

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    Many times, we are contaminated daily by the sin of the world. Sin is around us all day and we may not notice how dirty we are. That is until we read the soul cleansing Word of God. Like the disciples’ feet, we need to wash off the sin of the day by repentance.

 

Is it time for a Holy bath?

 

 

 February 28, 2023
 Daily Reading – Numbers 1-2 / Mark 6:1-31

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Numbers 2:34 And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

    During each year, I have the privilege of organizing a few group retreats. I so enjoy being around those people and seeing God work in their lives. However, it takes some organization to make it all seem to flow. We print literature with schedules on them. We have put the schedule on the back of the name badges. We announce at almost every gathering what the next few events might be. Then after all that, we still have some who come up and say, “what is next?” “Where am I supposed to be?” Or the most asked question… “When do we eat again?” At times it feels as if you are trying to herd a bunch of cats. Organizing a crowd is not always easy.

 

    Now multiply that by over a million people. No printing press to print schedules, no name badges, and no public address system to tell everyone at once, “we are turning left at the next mountain!” God had devised a system to keep things in order. Everyone knew what side of the tabernacle they were to pitch their tents on. They all knew where in this huge caravan they were expected to be. Surprisingly, one of the only things we do not hear the children of Israel complaining about, is where they were supposed to be when setting up camp or in line. No one saying, “I want to pitch on the east this time, you always get that side it is my turn.” No, God had well organized a crowd of people and they actually did what He said. Guess what, IT WORKED! 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

    God has well organized so many areas of our lives. How much better would life be if we were to do what Numbers 2:34 says the children of Israel did? “And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded.”

 

What area of your life will you let God direct?