Mouth of the Lord

I was reading Joshua 9 this morning about the Gibeonites deception in making a league with Israel and the root cause of the success of this deception was that Israel did not ask counsel at the mouth of the Lord.

That phrase - like so many in scripture just stands out. So, using my trusty e-Sword I ran a phrase search and it turns out this phrase is found 11 times in Scripture.

In those 11 verses I think we learn 11 different truths regarding the mouth of the Lord - i'm sure there are many more and perhaps other phrases (like mouth of God - 2x MT 4:4 and 2 Chron. 35:22 etc) that would correspond.

Here they are at a quick glance - commenst, additional insight etc always welcome - just a quick wednesday morning topic study. I am thankful for the word of God this morning, and the ability to search it in so many efficient ways because of technology.

MOUTH OF THE LORD

1. A Christians necessary food – the Bible = the mouth of the Lord
Deuteronomy 8:3 - And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

2. Trouble comes when you don’t seek wisdom, discretion and guidance at the mouth of the Lord
Joshua 9:14 - And the men took of their victuals, and asked notcounsel at the mouth of the LORD.

3. Judgment comes from disobedience to the mouth of the Lord
1 Kings 13:21 - And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee... (look it up)

4. A true preacher/prophet speaks directly from the mouth of the Lord (source and authority)
2 Chronicles 36:12 - And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD.

5. If it comes from the mouth of the Lord, it will come to pass - TRUTH (this applies to all the points of course)
Isaiah 1:20 - But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (goes with #2)

6. The Mouth of the Lord has promised His Return and Rule
Isaiah 40:5 - And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

7. Blessings are available to us at the mouth of the Lord
Isaiah 58:14 - Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

8. The mouth of the Lord has promised us a New Name in Glory
Isaiah 62:2 - And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

9. The mouth of the Lord is looking for those to whom He can speak
Jeremiah 9:12 - Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

10. The mouth of the Lord will clarify who is a true or false prophet
Jeremiah 23:16 - Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

11. Safety and blessing are assured by the Mouth of the Lord
Micah 4:4 - But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Have a thankful day and seek wisdom from the mouth of the Lord - the KJV

Subtlety Sunday

(2Co 2:11) Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

God gave a friend of mine a powerful message to preach a couple years ago in Zambia. That message demonstrated powerfully that Satan is no match at all for our Saviour Jesus Christ. He doesnt compete, he cant win, he cant even be pitted fairly against my Jesus.

Let me ask though, if today there was a broadcast on TV, radio and the papers that advertised the fight to end all fights - a bout that has the entire universe on the line - supreme authority for all of eternity over all of creation -
Yes, Jesus vs. Satan for control of the universe

What do you suppose would be the response?

We know Christ could look at Him, wave His hand, speak or just breathe toward him and it would be the end of this wicked enemy. It is only his longsuffering for the souls yet to be saved that He has stayed His wrath on this enemy and all that will reject Him. Yet I would venture to guess that there would be throngs and throngs of people that would rise up in support of Satan - millions if not billions that would somehow think that this will at least be a difficult fight - endless souls that would analyze the tale of the tape out of concern for who will win and what impact it would have on them...

Can I suggest that this was not the case from creation. Surely when God created Adam and Eve there was no consideration of someone that could challenge the Creator and yet somehow Satan began to sway people.

And as I'm certain we all know - he did it through subtlety.

If today, there are many that would at least think he'd be in the fight (perhaps even many professing Christians) then Satan has been making strides in accomplishing his goals.

Isa 14:13-14 For thou (Satan) hast said in thine heart,

1. I will ascend into heaven,
2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:
3. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
5. I will be like the most High.

Satan has used his subtle attacks throughout the generations to build for himself an army of followers to him, lulled others completely to sleep through false gods - money, cult beliefs, humanism, idolatry of celebrities and sports figures and rendered many of the third party - the saved, less effective through fear, through distractions, through allurements, through worldliness, through shedding doubt on the word of God etc etc.

He has much of the world sold on evolution and a worldview of everyone doing what is right in his own eyes. Past that, he has influenced a watered down Christianity where the souls of men, the thirst for the word and a literal belief of what it says is of little importance. God's word has not changed. Yet even though the words on the pages stays consistent with the KJV (which is always under attack) - the reverence for it and adherence to it have been thwarted. I fear a good part of Christianity would rather find ways to explain things away then study it out and recognize how we need to change.

Satan's will
(2Ti 2:26) And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

His will is to snare people, to take them captive and to bring them under his bondage and control through sin, addictions, worldly pleasures and worship of anything but the One True God

Eph 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Satan desires to keep the lost walking according to the course of the world and to convince the saved that the course of this world is not too bad and that it is ok to still take pleasure in most of it. His most effective strategy for this generation has been just taking the same old worldiness and attitudes, repackaging it and adding some religious verbage and trinkets to it.

God doesnt need snares, He doesnt need allurements - where Satan uses subtlety - God uses the most recognized event (The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ) in all of history to draw people in a clear manner away from the sin that was damning and turning them to that event.

It is that gospel and the living, cutting, sharp, fiery, hammerlike, unbound, true, perfect, preserved, holy, wonderful love letter that will accomplish what God pleases - The King James Bible in the hands of Christians who have the privilege to share it that does the work.

Almost done (purely for my journaling at this point - anyone else checked out 4 paragraphs ago)

Today I was reading in Numbers again and came across a word that I immediately recognized from a commonly quoted verse but I didnt remember having seen it anywhere else.

WILES -

(Num 25:18) For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, which was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake.

WILE, n. A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious artifice.
That ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Eph 6.
WILE, v.t. To deceive; to beguile.

You know the pattern for Numbers and here it is again - no matter how blatent God's power and deliverance was - the disciplines needed to avoid trouble drops, the standards for protecting the eyes, mind, heart and family are forsaken, the flesh starts getting its desires met and left unchecked - sin lieth at the door.

They didnt see it coming, they didnt intend for it to happen...but it did and not just the 2 involved paid the price but 24,000 others...

Why?

because the subtlety of the enemy gradually swayed people from God's will...

Lest Satan should get advantage of us - we must never be ignorant of his devices

Tenderly opening and closing it again and again

Yesterday I was reading in God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew about how a local CHURCH in Bulgaria were given their first Bible. Tears of joy, hugging, patting on the back and outbursts nearly loud enough to draw attention to their underground church abounded.

It made my eyes well up as I thought of those that we gave Bibles, NT or John/Romans to in Zambia and their reaction of overwhelming joy as they took off to a quiet place and sat down to tenderly open and begin reading the pages of God's perfect word.

I immediately wrote some notes that I intend to share in Sunday School. It grieves me that there is such little care and reverence for God's word. People dont remember to bring it to church, they leave it behind, they toss it, spin it on the table like a gumball machine top, scribble in it or just plain never open it. What a tragedy. I do not comprehend how kids raised in Christian homes cant answer trivia questions about how many disciples Christ had, who was known for his wisdom in the Bible and the like. Is that Sunday Schools fault - think again.

IT BEGINS WITH REVERENCE TO GOD'S WORD.

God has magnified His word above His name it says in Psalm 138 (Andy spoke to this on His blog yesterday). www.Hindsey.blogspot.com

What fools we are when we have the answer to every question, the solution to our every problem, the wisdom of the Creator of the Universe, the message of Life Everlasting, the encouragement for the downtrodden and so much more and yet some treat it worse that the $5 video they bought at Walmart and will never watch again. At least that is prominently on display with the rest of their collection on shelves next to the Family Altar (aka TV set).
SHAME on us.

May God do what He needs to do to make the Word of God precious to us as it is to so many without it around the world. It cannot be so long as we want to keep a foot or two in the world.

One of the biggest lacks in modern Christianity (and a key to revival)

As I sat in Sunday School listening to 1 Peter Farrell expound on Deut 6:6-7 and talk about our command to speak the word of God constantly - it was like a quick burning fuse was lit that exploded dramatically into about a billion thoughts and verses.

Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deu 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
Deu 6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

How many times do people read and then could not give you a single thing they learned or perhaps even remembered about their reading? I go a step further and ask the question - HOW OFTEN IS THERE DISCUSSION ABOUT GOD's WORD?

Is this not the key? If I knew I were going to have a test, I would study - if I know there will be accountability time at Home Bible Study, I might be more likely to pay close attention in my reading - if I am preparing a message or a lesson, I have no choice but to study with attentiveness and prayer - if there were Bible quizzing or trivia contests coming up then I would rehearse important facts. Whether the motives were right or not - it would motivate. People read so many times and gain nothing because they do not

• pray that God will open our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of His law
• devote the time and energy to comprehension and meditation
• they do not journal, blog, memorize, take notes, email a friend, converse or in some other way organize what they are reading into thoughts; consider and address the personal implications of what they read and then share them with others

What does Deut 6 and about a hundred other places challenge us to do? To know the word of God - to memorize, to read, to meditate, to apply, to study, to preach, to teach, to provoke others to love and to good works - to be in the Word and let the Word be in you.

Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me - Ps. 119
It is a lamp and a light
It is quick (alive) and powerful, it is sharp and discerning
It is like a fire, it is like a hammer
It is like water to a thirsty soul
It is the sustaining and nourishing bread of life
It is promised to accomplish what God will have it to
When it is in you, it burns and you cant contain it, you must speak the word or you will explode

When hid in your heart, it will be a powerful force in keeping you from sin - 1) it is a means of keeping your heart with all diligence, 2) its presence means there is an absence of something else (something either harmful or at least less profitable than the word), 3) it will be brought to your memory in the midst of temptation and the list goes on.

It is part of the armor of God - the most versatile piece. The sword is used in both offense and defense as well as being the most intimidating part of the armor. Do you know of an enemy vanquished by a helmet, a shield, a breastplate etc - it is the sword that will vanquish the enemy. Is that not what Jesus used to make Satan flee?

We could go on all day about what God says about His word - its power, its prominence (magnified above His name), its promulgation etc. Hundreds and hundreds of verses (and that is just in Ps. 119!)

So why the apathy of "Christian" kids today - why the spinning of the Bible or forgetting to bring it, why so few that claim to have read it even once that week? Why does it require mass entertainment and sports to get them even interested in being there?

Will these kids be a witness? HA
Will these kids resist temptation?
Will these kids love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength - will their parents, will we?

God tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together - this is one rule a good baptist just won't violate (provided there is food)
Why are we to gather...
What did the early church do in their gatherings...
Why did God want the children of Israel to bind the word on their hearts, keep it as frontlets before their eyes, put them on signposts at their homes and to talk of the word when they sit, stand, lie down, walk in the way...

Here is what clicked.
WE ARE TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART SOUL MIND AND STRENGTH
MEANING HE IS ALWAYS ON OUR MIND AND IN OUR CONVERSATION

If we were to commit ourselves to talk of God's word in our everyday conversations and challenge each other in our reading every time we got together I suspect the following would happen

1. We would spend more time reading our Bible
2. We would pay much closer attention to our reading, if for no other reason then that we know it would be discussed and it would be embarrassing not to have an answer for those Christians who ask us what God is showing us. Should that not be a shameful thing for us as children of God?
3. That word that we are reading would begin to work in our lives
4. Our Individual and collective knowledge of the Scriptures will multiply (do we need a list of how this will advantage the kingdom of God)
5. Our children will see this emphasis and realize that no longer are temporal matters our priority, but eternal - this is the perhaps the last and only hope for the next generation since this one is so Laodicaean in nature as a whole.
6. Our kids will care about what we care about - Prov. 22:6 - our kids aren't leaving what they were raised with - the Red Sox are still their team, they still prefer Chevy over Ford, they like camping and barbecue and they still will follow their parents advice in areas of college, career and investing. The Bible - well that was something the preacher talked about, not mom and dad so much... WHAT IF THE OPPOSITE WERE TRUE
7. When our conversations are consistently about the Bible then the result will be that those who don't have a use for the Bible will be forced to either step up "their game" of faking it or they will leave OR they will sense the excitement and moving of God and want to be involved and start digging into the Word in sincerity.
8. When we are used to talking about the word of God to the saved consistently, it will be much more natural to speak the word of God to the lost. (out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh)
9. When we discuss the Word of God consistently with believer and unbeliever alike (as we are commanded) then it seems that the things of God would now be consuming our daily thoughts and actions - this would be the first time that we could honestly start to think that maybe we are close to loving God with all of our being.
10. If God were always on our mind in this way then perhaps we would have desires and dislikes more in line with God's and be less susceptible to sin.
11. We would spend more time in the word and therefore less time and money on selfish endeavors giving us greater resources and motivation to minister to the needy, to spread the gospel and to support our missionaries.
12. Friendships would be created or restored, jealousies would diminish, GOD WOULD BE GLORIFIED

I am certain there would be MANY other benefits.

So where does this start? With beginning a practice of talking about the Word of God. Ballgames, video games, movies, stock investments, car shopping and vacation planning - none of those things will profit us spiritually or matter in eternity so lets meet on our common ground. Lets discuss the one thing that is supposed to bring us all to church and make us one family - Jesus Christ - Lets talk about THE WORD OF GOD and see if it doesn't help our families, our church, our friendships, our work ethic, our victory over sin, our boldness, our prayer lives, our worship, our separation, our attitude, our love for God, our service and the spreading of God's word throughout this lost world.

There are a lot of our, my, I and we statements in that last paragraph - if our desires are God's desires then that is fine because those are the things God wants of us and that give Him pleasure.

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly...ready to give an answer...studied to shew yourself approved...word hidden in your heart...observed to do according to all that is written therein...prepared your heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach...let the words of your mouth and the meditations of your heart be acceptable...walk in the law of the Lord...

We learn of God through His word

We see who He is and who we are

We get our calling and direction
We get our victory over sin
We know of the glory ahead
We know of our great Saviour
We know the promises He has made us
We know the power available to us
We receive conviction of sin and promise of forgiveness
We know God's tremendous love and His burden for the souls of every person He died for (that is everyone)
The list goes on - I THINK THERE IS PLENTY FOR US TO TALK ABOUT - especially if God has said that the Bible contains unsearchable riches

Deu 29:29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

It was John and Charles Wesley that were indited as the holy club and the methodists who were guilty of practicing this premise. I suppose I could think of worse things to be called.