Amorites

"When the Lord your God brings you in-to the land...and has cleared away...the Amorites...you shall not make a coven-ant (treaty) with them..." (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

This week I'll define the Amorites, and talk about how to destroy them.  Today's post may hit close to home.  Just try to remember John 8:32, "Then you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."   

1.  Amorite means bitter. Most of us would balk if someone asked if we had bitterness in our life, but let me phrase it another way.  If you looked into the deep recesses of your heart, could you find a place of pain from an experience that happened years ago? If the answer is yes, whether we want to admit it or not, bit-terness has [more than likely] settled in. 

Bitterness means:  hard to bear, grievous, distressful; causing pain, piercing, sting-ing.  Bitterness can often lead to anger as a protective emotion; we don't like feeling hurt so we get angry because it's a less vulnerable emotion.  

Ephesians 4:31-32 says, "Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger) and quarreling and slander be banished from you..." 

But you say, "I was wounded; I'm the vic-tim."  Yes, I get that, but allowing pain to stay in your heart becomes bitterness. Harboring bitterness (hurt) is like drink-ing poison and expecting it to kill the other person.  It doesn't work that way; you're the one it kills.    

So what's the remedy for being so deeply wounded [bitter]?  Verse (32) tells us, "And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compas-sionate, understanding), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you."  It's often easier said than done, but this is the only way to destroy this Amorite.  

2.  An Amorite is a rebel.  We may not think we're rebellious, but if we're only partially obedient to what the Word of God tells us to do, then we are.  What a-bout the Scripture above?  Do we know to forgive, but refuse to do it? 

Can we handle hard truth this morning? The Bible says, "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft" (1 Samuel 15:23). This is exactly what the prophet Samuel said to King Saul after he disobeyed God. How do we defeat a rebellious spirit? Obedience.  "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."  (1 Samuel 15:22).

3.  Babbler; express publicly. Do we gos-sip?  An Amorite is a babbler; one who expresses publicly the business of a-nother; a talebearer. 

Proverbs 11:13 says,"He who goes about as a gossip reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy and faithful keeps a matter hidden."

God takes gossip seriously;"Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly, I will destroy..." (Psalm 101:5). The harsh re-ality is, we'll stand before the Lord and "give an account for every idle word we speak." (Matthew 12:36).  

4.  Unity. Amorites destroy our unity;     
"a house divided cannot stand".  (Mark 3:25). 

We must walk in unity with one another, but how do we do that? Walking in the Spirit, love and harmony; everyone play-ing their own note in tune, at the right time, like an orchestra.  "Fill up and com-plete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in pur-pose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention."  (Philippians 2:2).

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (2)It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron, that came down upon the collar and skirts of his gar-ments [consecrating the whole body]. (3)It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has com-manded the blessing, even life forever-more." (Psalm 133:1-3).

Verse (2) says, "it is like the precious ointment poured on the head..." This ointment  represents the anointing. We all want to be anointed, but often don't realize there's an anointing that comes from dwelling together in unity. This a-nointing flows down from our head (Spir-itual authority; Pastor), down upon the collar and skirts of his garments (the church body; us), covering and consecrat-ing us.  

If you continue reading, it says, "for there the Lord has commanded the blessing..." If we want to tap into the blessing of God, we need to walk in this harmony He talks about; unity within the body of Christ.   

As you can tell, the Amorites are an ene-my to our soul (mind, will, emotions) and conduct.  In order to defeat them, we have to be brutally honest with ourselves.  Ac-cepting God's unconditional love for us, walking in love toward each other, and obedience to God's Word are the keys to taking our land.   





Join me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word

Girgashites

Last week we talked about having Hittites in our promised land.  If you missed that Post, I encour-age you to go back and read it, as it lays the foun-dation for our study. This week, let's deal with the Girgashites, the second enemy listed in our focus Scripture (see Deuteronomy 7:1-2).  First, let's define them; Girgashite means:

• warfare
• strive, strife, to stir up strife, contention
• quarrel
• agitate
• opposition
• neck, throat
• to dread
• be very afraid, terror

Do you feel like you're under attack in some area of your life? Do you have strife or contention in your family? Have you run into opposition at eve-ry turn; does it feel like life has you by the throat? Do you dread getting out of bed in the morning?Are you afraid of what tomorrow might bring? You may be battling Girgashites.  

Although there are many topics we could discuss,   I want to focus on warfare.  Let's read these ver-ses, then take a deeper look.  

"Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up a-gainst all the schemes and the strategies and the de-ceits of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11).

(14)"So stand firm and hold your ground,  having tight-ened the wide band of truth around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm- footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. (16)Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (17)And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  (18)With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all persever-ance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all God's people." (Ephesians 6:14-18)

The first thing I want us to see is that Paul begins by saying, "His precepts are like the splendid arm-or". This whole passage can be summed up by say-ing, obey God's Word; learning and doing it IS putting on the armor of God.  

Now, let's break down each piece of armor listed in verses 14-18.  I'll start with what the pieces are, then give Scripture you can pray to put them on. 

For example, the belt of Truth:

1.  The Band (belt) of Truth:  personal integrity and moral courage. "Let integrity and uprightness protect me, For I wait [expectantly] for You." (Psalm 25:21).  

When you think of putting on the armor of God, start with the belt of truth; it's your integrity. David prayed his integrity would protect him. I love the picture of having moral courage; when you do, you've got the belt of truth fastened tightly a-round your waist (loins). Your loins represents your future; your destiny.   To put on the belt of truth, simply walk in integrity.  Integrity is who you are when you think no one is looking.

Let's move on to the second piece of armor:

2.  Breastplate of Righteousness:  an upright heart. "He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God..."  (2 Corinthians 5:21). 

To put on the breastplate of righteousness, we simply receive (by faith) what this Scripture says God did.  We choose to believe we ARE the righ-teousness of God in Christ. 

3.  Feet Shod With the Gospel of Peace: the good news. "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked ...but his delight is in the law of the Lord, And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.  And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its sea-son; Its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity]."  (Psalms 1:1-3).  

Where do you go for advice?  Do you go to the 'wicked' (secular)?  We can go to Christian friends or books, but better yet, we're to go to the Bible and "meditate on it day and night."  To meditate on the Word means to mutter it.  Delight in the Word; study it, think on it, speak it.  Doing so will make you firm-footed to stand your ground against the enemy.

4.  Shield of Faith:  believing God, not your cir-cumstances; not denying them, but choosing to believe God's Word will prevail. "But My righteous one [the one justified by faith] shall live by faith [re-specting man's relationship to God and trusting Him];  And if he draws back [shrinking in fear], My soul has no delight in him."  (Hebrews 10:38).  

We quench the enemy's firey darts with the shield of faith; fear is the opposite of faith.  As you keep your feet shod with the gospel of peace, you'll have the strength to hold up your shield.  

5.  Helmet of Salvation: protection for your mind; your thoughts. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed and progressively chang-ed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2) 

What you [continually] think on matters.  "As he thinks, so is he..." (Proverbs 23:7).  You can't stop thinking negative or depressed thoughts by telling yourself you're not going to do it anymore. You can only fight thoughts with thoughts.  "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and con-firmed by God's word, whatever is pure and whole-some, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any ex-cellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things." (Philippians 4:8) 

6.  Sword of the Spirit: the Word of God. "All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspir-ation] and is profitable for instruction, for convic-tion [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learn-ing to live in conformity to God's will, both publicly and privately - behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage];" (2 Timothy 3:16).  

Jesus overcame the temptations of satan (in the wilderness) by using the Word; we overcome him the same way.  But we have to know the Word before we need it.  This verse also says the Word will instruct, convict (not condemn), correct, re-store, and train us how to behave publicly and privately.  It will help us walk in integrity; this circles us back to the belt of truth.  All pieces of armor refer back to each other. 

7. Pray With all Prayer and Petition at all Times: prayer is simply talking to God. "If you remain in Me and My Words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you." (John 15:7).  

Prayer is an offensive weapon and we're to do it at all times, under all circumstances; not just for our-selves, but for others.  When we're totally united with Christ, He knows we're not going to pray for irresponsible, selfish things; we can have confi-dence our prayers will be answered. Just remem-ber, sometimes the answer is 'no'.  

We need to take our land from the enemy; to do so, we'll have to do spiritual warfare.  We'll have to put on God's armor; walk in integrity and keep the Girgashites out of our lives. 

Join me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word

Hittites

Deuteronomy 7:1-2

"When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you are entering to possess, and has cleared away many nations before you, the Hittite and the Girgashite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the  Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than you, (2) and when the Lord your God gives them over to you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall not make a covenant (treaty) with them     or show mercy and compassion to them."

We read this passage and think these are just ar-chaic Old Testament instructions to Israel, but I think a closer look at the nations the Israelites were commanded to dispossess will reveal rele-vance for today. Because there are seven, and I really want to develop their identity, I'll break these down over a few weekly posts so we don't get overwhelmed. This will also provide time to pro-cess each "ite" as they relate to us individually.  

So what could this passage possibly have to do with us?  Let's say that Israel represents you, and living the life God planned for you is your promised land, but everything seems pretty messed up right now and you don't know what's going on; the mess is the enemy. Here's the first point I want to make: you can't dispossess an enemy you can't define. 

Let's start with the Hittites; it's important to know what they represent, then determine whether or not they're squatting in your life. The Hittites were far more than just some ancient evil nation.  Their name has meaning; meaning and practical application. 

So, what is a Hittite?

Hittite means: 

• to be broken, shattered or dismayed
• terror, destruction, or ruin.  

Let's break that down a little more. 

• Dismayed: breakdown the courage of completely as by sudden danger or trouble
• dishearten 
• thoroughly disillusion
• loss of courage
• agitation of mind 
• Dishearten: depress the hope, courage, or spirit of, discourage.  
• Disillusion: free from belief, idealism, or conviction; disenchantment. 
• Disenchantment: sadden, dismay, frustrate, dishearten, deceive, disconnect, fail, mislead.  

Have you ever felt brokenness in your life; felt like your dreams have been shattered?  Have you been dismayed, battled fear; been depressed? Have de-struction and ruin swept through your emotions like a tornado?  What about being disillusioned?  Has life ever thrown something at you that shook your convictions, your belief system; caused a cri-sis of your faith? Have you been disenchanted; frustrated? Felt like a disconnected failure de-ceived and misled by life, itself?  If you've answer-ed 'yes' to any of these questions, keep reading, there may be Hittites possessing your promised land, stealing your peace, joy, health, and destiny.  

The first step to rousting these enemies out of your life is to acknowledge they're there. Sometimes we don't like to admit we're struggling.  We put on masks that portray we've got life under control when Hittites are terrorizing and breaking us down.  I know I have.  But "you can't conquer what you won't confront." (Paula White).  

In the beginning of this Scripture, God tells the Israelites that He's, "...cleared away many na-tions...the Hittite..." Before Israel is told to go take their land, God tells them He's already cleared away the enemies.  So, if God's cleared them away, why are they still there?  What's meant by God clearing them away, is that He's removed their defense (Numbers 14:9), He's defeated them be-forehand; it was a fixed fight.  All Israel had to do was trust God and obey Him.

What I'm basically saying is, you're not going to live life without a fight, but the end has been de-termined from the beginning  (Isaiah 46:10). So you don't have to let the Hittites overtake your life; you don't have to be dismayed (Isaiah 41:10).  If God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31).

Once you've acknowledged there's an enemy, you need a battle strategy.  I can't give you a set form-ula for that. I can give you some helpful advice, but the bottom line is, you'll have to hear from the Lord for yourself. Before you say that you can't, trust me, you can.  His sheep know His voice, and the voice of another they won't follow, (John 10:4-5).  

My suggestion is that you spend time in praise and worship.  Also start by spending some time reading the book of Psalms; out loud. "...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10:17).  This will help with the brokenness and emotional dismay (depression, disillusionment, etc), and fear you may be dealing with.  Read these Scriptures daily and get them from your head into your heart; I think you'll find they bring peace to your soul.

Don't be surprised if you continue to have negative feelings for awhile. Just because you feel defeated doesn't mean that's how the story ends.  God has the final Word. Look at Scriptures that deal with His plan for your life; it's a good one. (Jeremiah 29:11). 

The more you bathe yourself in praise and wor-ship, the Scripture and prayer, the more your thoughts and emotions will begin to line up with the Truth of God's Word. Don't get all religious about prayer.  Prayer is simply talking to God in honesty of heart.  Yes, be reverential, but talk to Him in your normal voice, not "Tho most holiest Fatherest..." Face it, we don't talk that way. You're His child; come to Him as one, knowing that He loves you. Doing these things on a con-sistent basis, without condemnation if you miss a day, you'll begin to possess your promised land, and see those Hittites leave.  It's a process; it doesn't happen overnight.  Don't give up at the first sign of opposition.  It will be a fight, you just have to remind yourself it's fixed and you're the winner, if you don't throw in the towel.  

As you embark on this new year, make a deter-mined purpose to shake yourself free from every-thing that prevents you from walking in freedom from Hittites. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power, love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7).

Join me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word

Of Man or God (Repost)

"Nevertheless, even many of the leading men believed in Him [as Savior and Messiah], but because of the Pharisees they would not confess it, for fear that [if  they acknowledged Him openly] they would be put out of the synagogue (excommunicated); for they loved the approval of men more than the approval of God."  (John 12:42-43).  

We've all learned the Scripture,"For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and the glory of the [heaven-ly] Father and of the angels." (Luke 9:26). Like gentle lambs, we follow near and far; you are counted among them. But isn't our faith in view of the unbeliever intended to be beyond initial identification with salvation? 

The problem isn't renunciation of faith in front of the lost; we claim Christ, and that's great. Thesinfulness of our condition is that we deny Him among each other.  We shrink back from following Him, not to the cross [we have died to sin] but in the completion of our experience in His victorious resurrection and ascension.  We recoil because we're afraid of looking like fools in front of other believers.  

We shun walking in the power of the Holy Spirit [lest we be put out of the synagogue], so we reason things out in our own minds concern-ing His work in the earth.  Weren't we told when we got saved, "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well." (Mark 16:17-18).

"They will"; He commanded it.  Yet for fear of their faces, we have turned back; traditions of men making His Word to no effect. (Mark 7:13). It's not my intention to make the gifts of the Spirit our aim, merely that we walk in the full provision of both the cross and resurrection. It's His will.  We know that love is the more excellent way; do everything with unselfish hearts bathed in the love of God. But from love...do. "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."  (James 2:17).  Faith worketh through love. (Galatians 5:6).

So it's not the power we pursue but Jesus, the giver of all good things, and His unconditional love. "By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another." (John 13:35). But while we're seeking, let there be an expectation of finding Him in His glorified condition. Find Him in the unhindered power He wills to work in and through you; don't be afraid to walk in the boldness of it. 

Do you live a life in the demonstrative power of the resurrection of Jesus? If your life is luke-warm, devoid of power, He will surely spew you out. Does your faith hide in the shadows so as to draw no undue attention? "But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he draws back [shrink-ing in fear], My soul has no delight in him." (Hebrews 10:38).

If you've come to Jesus at night like Nicodemus, step boldly from the cover of darkness into His marvelous light and be baptized into new life.  Abide in Him as He abides in you.  Be one with Him as He and the Father are One.  Ask what-ever you will in His Name, and the Father will give it to you. (John 15:7). Ask that you would live and move in the full provision of His passion and resurrection, His ascension and intercession.

John me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word

Alpha and Omega [Beginning and End]

John 11:1-6, 34, 41-44

1"Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick.  He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.  2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, he [our brother and Your friend] whom You love is sick."

4 "When Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glori-fied by it."  5 "Now Jesus loved and was concerned about Martha and her sister and Lazarus [and considered them dear friends]. 6 So [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed in the same place two more days."

34 "...and Jesus said, "where have you laid him?"  They said, Lord, come and see."

41 "So they took away the stone.  And Jesus raised His eyes [toward heaven] and said, "Father, I thank You that You have always heard Me.  42 I knew that You always hear Me and listen to Me;  but I have said this because of the people standing around, so that they may be-lieve that You have sent Me."  43 When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"

44 "Out came the man who had been dead, his hands and feet tightly wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] cloth wrapped around his face.  Jesus said to them, "unwrap him and release him."  Some of the bystanders were converted; some became angry."

As we come to Jesus in our great time of need we approach Him, not on the con-dition of merit nor public stature but on      the basis of our relationship with Him, "...Your friend, whom You love...". But don't be deceived, the Lord hasn't pro-mised to come immediately when we call Him; because He loved, "...He stayed..."  Yet as Omega, He speaks, "...this sickness shall not end in death."  

When you pray, listen for His voice, wait expectantly for Him to show Himself strong on your behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9). Don't be dismayed if it's His deter-mined purpose to linger before embark-ing on His journey. There's always a di-vine destiny in His discomforting delay.  "...for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." 

Don't grieve when the situation appears dead; He's overcome the grave. Immed-iately obey His instructions; go to the tomb, roll away whatever obstructs resurrection.  When He calls forth the matter, cut away everything that opposes life.  Don't look at anyone but Christ; though some may rejoice in your victory, God's power will always bring controversy.   





Join me next Friday for another Devotional In His Word