Simply Gathering

We’ll be simply gathering at our home to watch some excellent Christian Movies / Documentaries over the coming months.
Just a simple time to be with brothers and sisters in Christ. Watch a film, chill out, enjoy each others company and just be together. If you’d like to come along then send us an email or if not just turn up.

Wednesday 23rd September – call in after 7pm and we’ll start at about 7.45
“The Life & Death of a Hippie Preacher”

Imagine if John the Baptist came of age during the 1960s counter culture, the charisma of Jim Morrison flowing from the mantle of an Old Testament prophet. Meet Lonnie Frisbee, a seeker turned Jesus freak evangelist who compelled thousands towards a profession of Christian faith. It was during a trip into a canyon that Frisbee claimed that God gave him a vision of his future as an influential evangelist to the hippie generation.

Four years later the vision would be fulfilled as pictures of Lonnie baptizing teenage converts were splashed across the pages of Time and Life magazines forever celebrating him as an icon of the Jesus movement.

Despite the stories of spiritual prowess that surround his life, his enduring struggles overwhelmed him. And even though he was the charismatic sparkplug igniting the rise of two worldwide denominations (Calvary Chapel & Vineyard), his name has all but been removed from their histories. Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher is the powerful story revealing the risk-taking nature of God, aligning himself with the most unlikely of characters as if to send out the message (yet again) that everyone is invited to participate.

This film / Documentary is a real challenge. Lonnie fell into sexual sin a number of times and as a result his name is all but removed from the histories of two of the biggest denominations. Why would God use a man like this? these are questions that we might ask but never really be able to fully answer. Here’s an opportunity to challenge our understanding of the working of God.

www.lonniefrisbee.com

Wednesday 7th October – call in after 7pm and we’ll start at about 7.45
“Faith Like Potatoes”

Based on the autobiography Faith Like Potatoes, this inspiring film tells the story of Angus Buchan, a South African farmer who suffers a series of seemingly insurmountable losses, but through an unlikely friendship with his Zulu farmhand and God making Himself known through miraculous events, discovers the key to healing and learning to accept others lies in his unwavering belief in Jesus Christ. “The Seed for a great miracle lies not in difficulty, but impossibility.” – Angus Buchan

www.faithlikepotatoes.com

Wednesday 21st October – call in after 7pm and we’ll start at about 7.45
“The Law Of Love”

An incredible story of how one woman brought healing and hope to drug addicts and the most desperate. Twenty-two-year old Jackie Pullinger graduated as an oboe student at the Royal College of Music in England and then boarded a slow boat to China, praying for guidance about where to get off. She ended up in Honk Kong. The Law of love is a documentary about Jackie’s work that started in the drug-driven vice and violence of the old Walled City in Honk Kong. She started a youth club for heroin addicts, gained the respect of the notorious Triad leaders who controlled the Walled City and instiuted the St. Stephen’s Society for curing drug addicts. Jackie’s courage and strength shine through in this candid documentary that shows humanity at the edge of existence and how tenderness and love, accompanied by the Gospel of Christ, can transform lives. Previously broadcast on British TV.

Wednesday 4th November 2009 – call in after 7pm and we’ll start at about 7.45
“The Keith Green Story”

On July 28, 1982, there was a small plane crash and Keith went home to be with Jesus. The crash also took the life of his three-year-old son Josiah, and his two year old daughter, Bethany. Melody was home with their one year old, Rebekah, and was also six weeks pregnant with their fourth child, Rachel. Keith was only 28 years old.

Although Keith is now with Jesus, his life and ministry is still making a huge impact around the world. His songs and passionate delivery are still changing lives. His writings are translated into many languages. Keith once said, “When I die I just want to be remembered as a Christian.” It’s safe to say he reached his goal, and perhaps, a bit more.

Keith Green was simply a man of conviction. When his convictions led him to an eternally worthy object in the person of Jesus he sold all that he had—ambitions, possessions, and dreams—to possess His love. In so doing he became a man of devotion. He also became a man remembered, and still missed, by millions around the world.

www.lastdaysministries.org/

We’ve got more movies to follow and all being a great excuse to “gather” in Love – greveson@blueyonder.co.uk

2 Kings 4:8-43

2 Kings 4:8-43
8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food. 9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly. 10 Please, let us make a small upper room on the wall; and let us put a bed for him there, and a table and a chair and a lampstand; so it will be, whenever he comes to us, he can turn in there.”
11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. 12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?”
And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway. 16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.”
And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”
17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers. 19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!”
So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. 21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out. 22 Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.”
23 So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.”
And she said, “It is well.” 24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.” 25 And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman! 26 Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’”
And she answered, “It is well.” 27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me.”
28 So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”
29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”
30 And the mother of the child said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. 34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. 35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. 36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

Introduction
Tonight we are going to look at an event that occurred in the Book of 2 Kings during the ministry and Elisha the prophet.
Tonight I want us to look at four lives in particular
The life of Elisha
The life of a woman from shunem
The life of a man and husband of the woman from Shunem
These are the lives that I want us to look at from an account in 2 Kings
Yes I did say FOUR lives and only three are from scripture.
The other life is OURSELVES. Tonight we need to be prepared and willing to be searched by the Spirit of God. We need Him to reveal to us “are inward self” the real “me” not my mask.
Psalm 139:23 (New King James Version)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
(((Prayer)))
As we hear the Word tonight we must look upon our subjects and ask ourselves
“Is this me” “Do I share some characteristics, Good or Bad” “Can I learn from the lives of these three individuals” “Can I make changes or find encouragement for my life”
Tonight I want us to bear in mind that in our story two of our subjects experience change whilst one does not.

In 1987 whilst searching the New Testament I came to a living faith in Jesus Christ and my life changed – that change has been continual. I have learnt that just when I think I’ve got it all together and understand the grace and mercies of God I am so often astounded, confounded and grounded by the reality of my weakness and his ever great mercy.

Let each one of us be open to the reality of present and future change – a change wrought powerfully by the Almighty One.

Historical Setting
Our story is taken from 2 Kings 4:8-37
· It takes place during the ministry of Elisha (60 years between 892-832 BC) who held the of “Prophet in Israel”
· Elisha’s ministry started his prophetic ministry during the reign of Johoram and Jehoshaphat in Judah
· During the period of the Assyrian threat under Shalmanasar III
8 Now it happened one day that Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a notable woman, and she persuaded him to eat some food. So it was, as often as he passed by, he would turn in there to eat some food.
Elisha the great Prophet who had received a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah passes through Shunem on his way to either Carmel or one of the school’s of prophets situated in the region.
Shunem was not far from Mount Carmel which Elisha visited and lay on its way to Samaria, Bethel and Jericho, places he often visited the schools of the prophets being there.
This women of Shunem is mentioned in the MIDRASH – (Midrash is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exergesis of the biblical text and can refer to Midrashic teachings and commentary on the Jewish Bible). This women is said to have been the sister of Abishag, the Shunammite and mother of Iddo the prophet mentioned in 2 Chronicles 9:29 and 13:22
She is also mentioned in the Jewish Targum – (Targum is an Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Bible written during the Babylonian Captivity from Second Temple Period through into the middles ages. In the Targum she is referred to as “a women of great credit and reputation on all accounts.”
In the Chaldee she is a woman fearing sin and in the Arabic a woman eminent for piety before God
It is probable that this woman was a God fearing women of high regard amongst those of her community, probably very religious and acknowledging the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.
Elisha would have been well known amongst the people for he was the leader of the Prophets of God and this God fearing women would have surely known of him.
Maybe to her Elisha was like one of today’s great religious leaders “Billy Graham” etc etc
She often persuaded Elisha to stop at her home to eat bread and he would agree to her hospitality. Prehaps like many in Israel “She believed that she would earn merit before God” for this act of hospitality.
The Doctrine of Merits – This was a prevalent doctrine that existed in Judaism and that still exists today. In fact this doctrine underpins most religions and is “religion itself” the belief that by are deeds we can earn credit before God and that merit could be transferred from others ie Abraham. It was this doctrine that had to be powerfully rebutted by Paul in his letter to the Romans. It is this belief that our good works, good connections, and possibly our heritage can weigh the scales down for merit rather than demerit.

LOOK AT OURSELVES: Our like her secretly expecting merit and demerit.
The very fact that we expect “demerit” indicates a religious tendency towards our relationship with God

9 And she said to her husband, “Look now, I know that this is a holy man of God, who passes by us regularly.
The woman identifies Elisha as a Holy Man to her husband. She prepares the ground for her next request, she was a women of influence and clearly of a woman of great influence on her husband. She is preparing to ask her husband to allow an extension to be built on their home.
Her request is granted and a room is provided and equipped with all Elisha’s needs. The women has secured a accommodation for Elisha and secured her ongoing connections to the Prophet of Israel.
LOOK AT OURSELVES: We like her can seek to accommodate ministries, people, leaders.
Our so called spiritual life can be concentrated on a accumalation of ministry titles, connections to Christian leaders.
We need to secure ourselves only to “Christ”
11 And it happened one day that he came there, and he turned in to the upper room and lay down there. 12 Then he said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite woman.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13 And he said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Look, you have been concerned for us with all this care. What can I do for you? Do you want me to speak on your behalf to the king or to the commander of the army?’”
She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”
Elisha has considerable influence in the Northern Kingdom having direct access to Kings and the Commander of Israel’s army. He asks the women if he can do anything for her and makes suggestions of representations to possibly assure justice or further land. She responds that she has no need and is content with her position being secure amongst her own people.
Could she have not asked for the Spiritual and improved her present religious state.
LOOK AT OURSELVES: contentment, failure to seek the Lord or recognise our Spiritual state.

14 So he said, “What then is to be done for her?” And Gehazi answered, “Actually, she has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 So he said, “Call her.” When he had called her, she stood in the doorway.
The woman stands in the doorway and maintains her distance. Her communication had been through Gahazi until this time. She remains reverent and perhaps remembers the miracles and deeds of Elisha. He was a Prophet to be feared and not treated irrevelantly as the young men found out in 2 Kings 2:23.
16 Then he said, “About this time next year you shall embrace a son.” And she said, “No, my lord. Man of God, do not lie to your maidservant!”
Although a God Fearing woman, her level of faith, if any, and confidence in God is now revealed as lacking. Despite knowing the miracle of Isaac’s birth by barren Sarah and Abraham being like her husband “old in years” she refuses to believe for her greatest need “a son and heir”
But more than this she reveals an even greater need of FAITH in God himself the faith that answers :
Luke Chapter 1:38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
LOOK AT OURSELVES: Here is the crucial test. Despite her knowledge of God she displays no faith in God.
Our we like this women. Knowing so much of the Lord, having read the scriptures and yet having never found faith.
It is very similar to our knowledge of the Queen and yet complete lack of relationship – despite!

17 But the woman conceived, and bore a son when the appointed time had come, of which Elisha had told her.
18 And the child grew. Now it happened one day that he went out to his father, to the reapers.
The boy was probably about 6 or 7 years of age but the scriptures are unclear. This was probably during the time of the May / June Harvests and at a time when the temperature would have been about 70 C or more
19 And he said to his father, “My head, my head!” So he said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
It is possible that the boy was suffering with severe sunstroke but the scriptures gives no other information. The father wrapped up in his work and seemingly unconcerned about the boy tells his servant to take the boy to his mother. He remains at work “reaping”
LOOK AT OURSELVES: Our we like the husband, surrounded by God and His works and yet oblivious to the reality of His prescence. We may be compliant and agreeable to the faith. But we have no real faith in God! Our faith is in our own strength. We keep on reaping
We work each day missing the work of the Almighty and failing to hear the call He makes upon our lives.
20 When he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
This is the woman’s place of meeting with the God of Israel, our God.
Like the events recorded in this woman’s life there will moments, times and seasons when the Lord will meet with us so that he can reveal himself in order that we might meet Him and find faith in Him rather than just an acknowledgement of his existence and a dead religious experience.

LOOK AT OURSELVES: Brothers and Sisters will you take up the moment of suffering in order to embrace the revelation of God. Will you sit faithfully with you problem on your knees.
Will watch all that you placed your earthly hope in die before your very eyes
And yet find the place of meeting with the Almighty, Illustrious, Glorious ………………..
It is not always in times of trouble but it is often in these times that find ourselves prepared to listen and it is at this time that the women finds herself ready, willing and desperate to hear.
Will we need a moment of great distress to cause us to listen and hear!!
We see this women of little or any faith suddenly becoming a giant of faith.
Why !!! because during that morning of grief and concern for her dying son she did what any mother would have done with no other resources upon which to call.
She prayed and sought the God of Israel, Our God the God of Elisha.
Will we like her turn to the Almighty God!!
How do we know she did this?
Was she distraught and weeping, speaking negative words, running about in distress with no apparent answer to this great problem, this awesome loss?
Let us look at her actions.
21 And she went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, shut the door upon him, and went out.
The journey was about 16 miles from Shunem to Mount Carmel – the practice of buriel in the land of Israel is not of great difference than today. The climate being hot (70C) would not enable the body to be stored for long periods as decomposition would set in resulting in a bad smell and far worse…………the body was generally buried within 24 hours
Notes of decomposition
Although her son is dead she takes his body to a place where he will not be found (prior to this time she had not entered the room of Elisha perhaps no one did) in order that no member of her household would proceed to bury the boy whilst she is away. It is possible that her husband and servant would have demanded the burial of the boy. Is her action in accordance with her faith in the word of God spoken to her in prayer?
22 Then she called to her husband, and said, “Please send me one of the young men and one of the donkeys, that I may run to the man of God and come back.”
Here again a clear plan of action is demonstrated and once again her husband is oblivious to the Spiritual event that is underway. It appears that he is passed by failing to see the revelation unfolding.

LOOK AT OURSELVES: Husband – do you want to be passed by….. do you want to miss the revelation of the Almighty.

23 So he said, “Why are you going to him today? It is neither the New Moon nor the Sabbath.”
And she said, “It is well.” 24 Then she saddled a donkey, and said to her servant, “Drive, and go forward; do not slacken the pace for me unless I tell you.”
The husband is locked into a religious outlook – why would you go to meet the brethren except on a Sunday!!!!
In contrast the word of faith of the women is proclaimed for the first time “It is well”
This word of faith and her precise and clear plan of actions reveal that she acts in FAITH and in accordance with clear instructions.
· She lays her son on the Prophets bed
· She shuts the door
· She calls her husband
· She asks for transport
· She asks for her servant to accompany her
· She tells her husband that she will travel to the Prophet
LOOK AT OURSELVES: Have you heard the Lord with regard to some matter that you have set before Him. Has He spoken. Will you declare as the women “It Is Well”
How beautiful are the words of Faith from those who find salvation and the lordship of the Almighty.
IT IS WELL
Our we like her able to say “It Is Well”
In the day of suffering, persecution, failure, joy, success – in all things are we able to say “It is Well”
The Song “It is well with my soul” – Horatio G Spafford, 1873
1.When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul.

2.Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and hath shed his own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)
This hymn was written after several traumatic events in Spafford’s life. The first was the death of his only son in 1871, shortly followed by the great Chicago Fire which ruined him financially (he had been a successful lawyer). Then in 1873, he had planned to travel to Europe with his family on the S.S. Ville du Havre, but sent the family ahead while he was delayed on business concerning zoning problems following the Great Chicago Fire. While crossing the Atlantic, the ship sank rapidly after a collision with a sailing ship, the Loch Earn, and all four of Spafford’s daughters died. His wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram, “Saved alone.” Shortly afterwards, as Spafford traveled to meet his grieving wife, he was inspired to write these words as his ship passed near where his daughters had died.
25 And so she departed, and went to the man of God at Mount Carmel.
So it was, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to his servant Gehazi, “Look, the Shunammite woman! 26 Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’”
And she answered, “It is well.”
The Shunammite is met by Gahazi and once again asked for a reason for her approach, her response allows no stopping as her aim is to reach Elisha for he also will learn and see change today!!!
According to her faith the women declares “It is well” – she has travelled 16 miles and doesn’t know what is taking place at home – perhaps many questions flooded her head “have they found the boy”
27 Now when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet, but Gehazi came near to push her away. But the man of God said, “Let her alone; for her soul is in deep distress, and the LORD has hidden it from me, and has not told me.”
28 So she said, “Did I ask a son of my lord? Did I not say, ‘Do not deceive me’?”

Look now at the women’s boldness, once she would not enter the room of Elisha but now she takes hold of his feet as a bold yet reverent form of restraint.
LOOK AT OURSELVES:
Will we like her take hold of the Master for life and salvation, will we hold onto him for life!
Will we have a faith that allows us to approach Him -
Hebrews 10:19
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,
29 Then he said to Gehazi, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child.”

This woman has challenged Elisha as God instructed……..Elisha unprepared “because of the hidden nature of the problem” acts without the word of God and send Gahazi on ahead.
It is possible that Elisha desired to remain ritually clean as touching a dead body would cause defilement under Mosaic law NUMBERS 19:11
Elisha wanted to remain detached from the problem and therefore set his servant with his staff.

LOOK AT OURSELVES: Spiritual Man or Women of God – have you like Elisha been blessed with great ministry, perhaps power and gifting in the Spirit.
Yet have you sought to remain “detached” from needs “even within your own flock” in order to retain a position or place of status.
It is time to consider the way of the Servant. It might be an occasion to get your hands dirty and touch the unclean thing.
But the woman of faith, having heard the Lord, Believed and obeyed His Word refuses to accept Elisha’s way and demands that he come.
30 And the mother of the child said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you.” So he arose and followed her. 31 Now Gehazi went on ahead of them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, “The child has not awakened.”
32 When Elisha came into the house, there was the child, lying dead on his bed. 33 He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD.
Elisha despite his greatness, like the woman of Shunem, needs to seek the Lord for instruction.
Elisha confronted with this sight “shuts the door on the outside world and PRAYS”
LOOK AT OURSELVES:
Spiritual Man or Women of God – have you pressed on with “this is how its always been done”
“this is how the Lord has worked before”
It is time for you to seek the Lord and ask for revelation, and obey!
It time for you to change!
34 And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm.
God’s way is different from the way of Elisha and involves close physical contact with the then dead body.
Elisha had to be prepared to become ritually unclean by becoming closely connected to and involved with others in order to see life restored. Not morally unclean!
35 He returned and walked back and forth in the house, and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
Having been instructed by the Lord we see persistence, resistance and a defeat of death. Likewise when the Lord has clearly revealed His will and instructed us we can persist until the blessing is achieved.

36 And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” 37 So she went in, fell at his feet, and bowed to the ground; then she picked up her son and went out.

SUMMARY:

We have seen three characters in this story – two – the Shunammite and Elisha experienced revelation and changed.

The other – the husband – was passed by, he missed the time of God’s visitation.

LOOK AT OURSELVES:

You who are Spiritual – do you need to change and connect with the those who are struggling in the body.

Maybe tonight you find yourself identified with the Husband you need to grasp hold of the Lord

You know if this is for Salvation

If tonight you find yourself identified with the Shunammite, you might be religious and yet missing out on a relationship by faith you need to hear the call of the Lord

Gospel!

Finally we see that this woman of great faith eventually outlived her Husband and had a son on whom to depend. Her faith saw her through difficult times, times that caused her great loss.
2 Kings 8:1-6
1 Then Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, “Arise and go, you and your household, and stay wherever you can; for the LORD has called for a famine, and furthermore, it will come upon the land for seven years.” 2 So the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God, and she went with her household and dwelt in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 It came to pass, at the end of seven years, that the woman returned from the land of the Philistines; and she went to make an appeal to the king for her house and for her land. 4 Then the king talked with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, “Tell me, please, all the great things Elisha has done.” 5 Now it happened, as he was telling the king how he had restored the dead to life, that there was the woman whose son he had restored to life, appealing to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, “My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him.
So the king appointed a certain officer for her, saying, “Restore all that was hers, and all the proceeds of the field from the day that she left the land until now.”

LOOK AT OURSELVES

Have you like this woman – come to faith and lost much of the blessing – Its now time to reappear before the King and request a restoration of that which was lost.

House Church Teaching Day

Having returned from a day in Epping to attend the House Church Teaching Day I’m once again inspired and confident that for me, a return to the New Testament Practice of gathering saints is the only way forward. Any other way would be either a walk backwards or a sitting down and just giving up. Beresford Job from the Chigwell fellowship made a comment that confirmed this…”can you go on in the institutional church after understanding and agreeing to New Testament practice and sleep at night, I know I couldn’t” although not an exact quote this is near enough what he said and I for one, have to agree. I can’t go back and I’m not going to sit down, so the only way is forward, into the practice of the New Testament.

The day began with an introduction by Steve Atkerson of NTRF (www.ntrf.org) which included an empty bottle of wine and a full bottle too. At first a bit strange but soon a realisation that we were going to be looking at the “wineskin” rather than the wine. This picture lesson made it very clear that the wine needs the right wineskin and this was our launch into the wineskin of biblical church practice.

Beresford Job then introduced us to “an irreducible minimum” for biblical church practice. Elders/leaders raised from within with decision making by consensus, meeting in homes with gatherings that are numerically small that multiply, Participatory and spontaneous gatherings, the love feast as a full meal.

This was then followed by “The Lord’s Supper – Feast or Famine” – Steve Atkerson gave a very clear and scriptural teaching on the Lord’s Supper. Although I’d heard this before on the audio teachings at NTRF I was still amazed that this wonderful celebration of the promised return of my Lord and Master had been missing from my church life for the past 21 years. I’ve always done the looking back and never looking forward. I’d always done the famine version with a thimble of juice and a scrap of bread. Amazing – I’ve missed so much!

After a lunch and great fellowship with many other brothers and sisters we listened to Beresford Job presenting “Church Governement & Leadership” – This is the real place of challenge. Once you’ve managed to grasp that we’ve being “doing it like the gentiles” with men lording it over us and not as Jesus trained, taught and established. You realise that to take hold of this, takes you not only outside of the institutional church, but places you in opposition to the system. Without a doubt your not going to be appreciated by leaders if you share this amongst your brothers and sisters. It’s nearly as bad as saying “Tithing isn’t biblical”. Both threaten the salary and position of the Company Director.

The final session covered “Open and Participatory Gatherings” – Steve Atkerson discussed the manner in which we gather and its purpose and practice.

Throughout the day time was given for questions and very often these were challenging with people having real concerns about “how its done”. One of the most interesting questions was “what your asking is very difficult, in fact really hard, your asking us to turn our existing church practices upside down” ……. I loved the truthful and simple answer, it could have been a lengthy response designed to “cushion the blow” ….. Beresford’s response was simple “yes we’re asking you to turn it on its head”.

Over the last few months I’ve been teaching on a weekly basis at a church in West Bromwich and everything has always come back to “the body of Christ”. I’ve realised that the church, the bride of Christ is to manifest Christ to the world. She is to do this by “loving one another” and then the world will know that we are His disciples. If the wineskin is not “the biblical wineskin” then this manifestation of love amongst us is hindered and at worst removed altogether. How can we love each other in word and deed in gatherings that number a hundred or more! I understand John’s statement in 1 John 2:7-8

Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

Yes this “new command” is actually an “old command” – it’s new in the sense that despite being there from the beginning the present system has hidden it or masked its appearance. How wonderful that this journey into Biblical church practice has brought that “old command” to love my brother back as a wonderful “new command” that I’m equipped and able to obey. Wonderful!

The Way of Cain

Jude 1:11

11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

The message of Jude speaks warning against those false brothers who have entered the assembly of believers in order to secure position, profit and pleasure.

The first reference is made to the “way of Cain”

What is this “way of Cain” – the scriptures make reference to Cain in only a few parts of the Old and New Testaments.

1 John 3:11-12
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

In 1 John we find that Cain did not “love” and was “of the wicked one” murdering his own brother.
The question is clearly asked “why did he murder him?”

Because the works of Cain were evil and his brother’s works were righteous.

This does not speak of a single act of antagonism by Cain against Abel for the offering of an “acceptable” sacrifice.
It is evident that Cain’s works “plural” were evil. Here was a man who practiced sin
He is also spoken of as being “of the wicked one” his father being the devil.

John 8:40-46
40 But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the deeds of your father.”
Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.”
42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

If Cain had been of God he would have loved. Because he was of his father the wicked one he was not able to listen to or understand the Word of God.
Cain had the same desires of the wicked one – the wicked one was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth being a liar.
It is interesting that Cain commits the first act of murder, just as the wicked one murdered from the beginning.
So we see that Cain was already at spiritual enmity against his brother because spiritually they were of two differing fathers.

We know that Abel was a prophet and spoke the Word of God and His will for the family of men on earth.

Matthew 23:35
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Luke 11:49-51
49 Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ 50 that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

Therefore the account of Cain and Abel must be understood to occasion a conflict between the “righteous of God” and the “unrighteous of Satan”. Clearly these two brothers had not lived in harmony together for the scripture tells us that there is little in common between the righteous and the unrighteous.
As a prophet Abel would have spoken and revealed the Word of God to the family. Hebrews tells us that he was a man of “faith” that by faith he acted righteously.

Hebrews 11:4
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
How could he have acted by faith unless he had heard the Word of God.

Romans 10:17
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We can safely assume then that Cain was not ignorant of the “Word of God” but was rebellious and in his rebellion and wicked desire, was unable the listen to the Word that Abel proclaimed as a prophet of Yahweh.

Genesis 4
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.”

Adam and Eve through sexual union bring forth their first son “Cain”. This son would have the first place in the family and be the only son who for a time would not share the affections of his mother and father.

2 Then she bore again, this time, his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Their second son Abel is born and becomes a sharer of the time, affection and love of two parents. It is said that Abel was a keeper of sheep. At this time animal flesh was not eaten and the first slaughter of animals was in order to provide clothing for Adam and Eve after they had fallen into sin and rebellion. It was the shedding of blood and the covering of the skins that covered their sin and shame. It is therefore assumed that Abel kept sheep for sacrificial purposes and for the clothing of the family. It draws a clear connection between the death of other life in order to provide a covering for men and women, at that time a daily reminder of the grace and mercy of God and His promised redeemer. They would have daily put on “Christ” as these items of clothing always connected to sacrifice.

Cain is said to be a tiller of the ground or farmer. We know this would have been hard work and that his labour was cursed “in toil and sweat of face”.

Genesis 3:17-20
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“ Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”
20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Cain may have looked on daily as he struggled to produce food for the family whilst his brother Abel tended the flock.

3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Abel as a prophet may have carried out a sacrificial offerings on behalf of the family on a regular basis but in the course of time Cain decided that he would intervene and introduce an offering that was of his own efforts and work. It is possible that Cain had never offered up the fruit of the ground prior to this, as such an offering would not have involved the shedding of blood. If Cain had wished to make an offering as an individual he could have easily traded produce for an animal if this had been required.

We are told that the LORD respected Abel’s offering but not that of Cain.

Hebrews 11:4
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

It is evident from this passage that Abel’s offering was according to faith and therefore his offering was more excellent. It is his faith that still speaks!

Hebrews 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

For Cain it was impossible for him to offer a pleasing sacrifice even if it had been a sheep from Abel’s flock because Cain did not have faith and therefore it was impossible for him to please God. He had not listened to the Word of God that his brother Abel proclaimed as a prophet and therefore could not have faith!

We often see this passage as a reference to the faith of “believing in the existence of God” but this is not the understanding of the passage. We must have the obedience of faith to please the Almighty One.

6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

Here we see the grace and mercy of God meeting Cain and offering a way into the place of acceptance. God declares that if he will “do well” according to faith he will yet be accepted.

Cain has a chance to rectify his offering and is able to come in faith and “try again” with the promise of acceptance.

If he does not take this opportunity, he is told, that “sin lies at the door”. This tells us that the choice to open the door is given to us, there is not simply an open doorway for sin. Cain will either welcome sin in or refuse its entry. It lies in wait because its desire is to master Cain but he should be the one that rules or lives above sin.

Sin lies at the entry point of life, it waits at the doorway of choice seeking to influence every coming and going of man.

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother;[a] and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

We do not know the content of this conversation but when they were away from the family, in the field, Cain killed his brother.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

God knew where Abel was and knew the circumstances of his death but mercifully gives Cain opportunity to confess and repent for his actions. How often we are told of the merciful God of the New Testament and the God of wrath in the Old. But here we have a merciful act of God, giving the first murderer opportunity to repent.

He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Here is the response of the wicked, “I do not know” – Liar, “Am I my brother’s Keeper?” the answer is “Yes” we are all responsible for the welfare of our brothers. Those who follow the “Way of Cain” will lie and negate their responsibility to love others. Their refusal to love results in “murder” for where there is no love there is only “hate” – The Apostle John made this very clear.

1 John 3:15
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

If Cain’s labour was hard and difficult before it is now even harder and he will no longer be able to find his livelihood from the profits of agriculture. The blood of Abel cries out to the Lord for justice. This is the case of all those who are righteous and have had their blood shed. They shall be given justice.

Revelation 6:10
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

God declares that Cain shall be a vagabond and fugitive on the earth.

13 And Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear! 14 Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”

Rather than repent and humbly accept the punishment of God Cain moans and complains that the punishment will result in his death. God again in mercy marks Cain in an unknown manner to prevent the vengeance of others who would seek to punish Cain further.

15 And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch.

Cain leaves the presence of the Lord and establishes a City. How then can he be said the be a vagabond and fugitive on the earth when he establishes a city. This speaks of a settled existence rather than that of a fugitive and vagabond. Yet when a man leaves the presence of the Lord he, despite his wealth or status is no more that a vagabond and a fugitive from God.

Oh sinner, you who have fled from the presence of the Living God. You are but a vagabond and fugitive and you cannot settle and find true life until you return to the Master, the Lord your only saviour.

Back slider have you an unresolved dispute with the Lord, have you left His presence. Do you not realise that you also are a fugitive and a vagabond on this earth. Come back in repentance to the God of your salvation, for until you do your spiritual poverty and aimless wandering in life will be your continued existance.

18 To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.
19 Then Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillah. 20 And Adah bore Jabal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the father of all those who play the harp and flute. 22 And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23 Then Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech!
For I have killed a man for wounding me,
Even a young man for hurting me.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,
Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh.[c] Then men began to call on the name of the LORD.

The Prayer of Jehoshaphat

This prayer finds its place in 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 and is hailed by many if not all scholars as a prayer of great depth and integrity.

Before we look at this prayer in order to glean instruction and edification we must look at the background of the prayer, what prompted its occurrence, its purpose and the one who offered this prayer.

This account in Chronicles takes place during the reign of Jehoshaphat in Judah and Ahab in Samaria.
Israel is a divided nation.

The southern kingdom of Judah is threatened by advancing nations of considerable military power. The situation is such that King Jehoshaphat is fearful of these advancing forces, which if successful will bring an end to Judah as a nation.

The chapter gives an account of the nation seeking the help of the nations God “Yahweh”

The prayer that we are about to study is spoken forth by King Jehoshaphat and the end result of this prayer and the nations actions is deliverance from the Lord.

So we may ask

Does the answering of a prayer by God endorse the purity or perfection of a man’s prayer or the man himself.

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Was Jehoshaphat a Righteous Man, perfect in deed and action. The answer with respect to his deeds and actions is clearly NO! He was a man who seemed easily manipulated and easily flattered. He made some terrible choices that brought him into conflict with God’s will and he displayed some choices that would make us question his ability to apply common sense. He may not have been consistent in his relationship with God and yet clearly he WAS a righteous man.

2 Chronicles 17:3-6
3 Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. 5 Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance. 6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.

2 Chron 19:3 Nevertheless good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God.”

2 Chronicles 20:32

32 And he walked in the way of his father Asa, and did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the LORD.

This would also be the case with King David, who, despite making some terrible choices and clearly having sinned against the Lord maintained as the major directing focus of his life a heart seeking after God.

I’m not trying to condone sin, I believe that the believer is someone whose life is being lived with its main course of direction away from sin. We are Saints with the ability to sin rather than Sinners. The word Sinner implies by its very nature someone who is continually sinning. If we are sinners continuing in sin then we are not Saints.

1 John 3:4-9

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

When we study this prayer we understand that :

1. The scriptures do not present this as a model prayer (unlike the Lord’s prayer)

2. It is not referred to anywhere else in scripture

3. When we study a prayer in scripture we must remember that it comes forth out of anothers heart!

4. We must be careful to avoid taking a prayer and making it or any other prayer a “Religious Ritual”

5. We have only one incident in scripture of prayer being recorded as taught and this was by Jesus to His followers. “The Lord’s Prayer”

6. We are able to use “The Lord Prayer” as a means of guidance and measuring.

7. What we are not told may be important in our understanding of the text.

1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, “A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria, and they are in Hazazon Tamar” (which is En Gedi).
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

This prayer arose as a matter of necessity not as part of a regular prayer meeting. It was an extraordinary event. There are always times in the life of the Church and in the lives of its individual members that an extraordinary event will occur that requires us to “seek the LORD” for a specific answer to our need or the need of others.

Jehoshaphat begins to deal with this event by “setting himself to seek the Lord” proclaiming a fast throughout all Judah designating this time for Israel as being of supreme importance.

In modern society we would not appreciate the affect of a National time of fasting, but in an agricultural economy such as in Israel and Judah a fast of this magnitude would have clear implications on the economy.

We must also consider the implications of a fast on the military ability of a nation. This in natural terms is a negative strategy and in a complete admission of defeat. Have you heard the expression “an army marches on its stomach!

Napoleon of course originally said this in French – “une armée marche à son estomac”. It is normally translated into English as “An army *marches* on its stomach”. He meant that an army’s success depends on logistics; however brave and dedicated the soldiers are, if they have no food they cannot march or fight.

Well, to proclaim a national fast would have meant a decline in military strength and in the strength of the people.

Paul encourages the sailors to eat, Acts 27:33-36 Elijah is fed by an Angel 1 Kings 19:5,

4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
The Word says that the people gathered “Themselves” together “even” out of all the cities of Judah “they came” to “seek the Lord”

There seems to be no indication that the people were instructed by the King to gather, instead they gather themselves and even out of all the cities of Judah.

Just as Jehoshaphat reduces his own military strength by proclaiming a fast now that people reduce their own ability to defend themselves by leaving the place of natural defence “the cities”

2 Chronicles 17
1. Then Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his place, and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 And he placed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had taken.

We too when seeking the Lord may need to put aside our natural positions of strength and rely on the Lord rather than on ourselves.

This must have been a considerable movement of people and travelling some distance they come to Jerusalem to “seek the Lord”

How often will the elders of the church struggle to gather the Lords people for prayer. Urging the people, telephoning, emailing, praying that hearts will be moved!

Jehoshaphat had not called and neither had rules been put in place for this time of unified prayer for when the people came they came as a family with the youth of the community and even the nursing children.

Had anything else occurred prior to this event to have influenced the hearts and minds of a community to prepare themselves for such immediate and committed action.

Yes — we read in the proceeding chapter that he established Justice in the land through the administration of the law – through Spiritual means.

2 Chronicles 19:4-11

When Justice is established in the community of believers, when the Word is preached and faithfully taught, when all are encouraged to turn away from sin and warned against a heart of violence the results are evident.

Preparing to Seek The Lord

Preparation in prayer is of vital importance – for we present our petitions before the Lord – prepared! We do no come into the prescence of the King and ask Him to wait whilst we decide on what we will pray. We come prepared!

Jehoshaphat had a time of preparation whilst the people travelled to Jerusalem

The people had time to prepare as they journeyed to Jerusalem.

5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

This prayer was made by a King – One who stood over the people.

So what can those who have leadership functions learn from the actions of Jehoshaphat.

This prayer was “in the congregation” not before or infront but IN – and he stood – He was in the temple.

Jehoshaphat – was in the right place spiritually and amongst the right people

He identifies himself with the people and in a measure STANDS DOWN from his place of authority and so from within the congregation he assumes his place before God and therefore God assumes the rightful place of RULER of Israel.

“A lesson in prayer for leaders”

When we are given the duty and blessing of leading prayer we are best “serving” the body by leading from within the congregation.

This is not to be taken to the extreme of legalism – a leader must pray from the middle of the group. The spiritual dimension is important, it is the heart of leadership that identifies itself with the brethren and assumes a status alongside them in humility. Giving God His rightful place of headship.

This act of humility demonstrates his acknowledgement that the LORD is KING.

Jehoshaphat prays amongst a great multitude and God is able to speak from out of that great mutitude.

What would have happened in no one had turned up! What happens if our coming together for prayer is a small affair. Every member of the body presenting himself or herself for the service of corporate prayer presents opportunity for God to minister.

“If one man holds his tongue then God will set loose a tongue to utter”

We know that at this time three other recorded prophets lived, Jehu, Elijah and Elisha but we will consider this later.

Taken without considering what is not said we might assume that this was a fairly quick meeting as no other prayers are recorded. But this was probably not the case and it may have been that after some time Jehoshaphat was moved to pray from within the congregation.

Not a prayer of questioning but of proclamation!

Proclamation to God in expression of faith! To the people to build faith!

Declaration of Truth: – the people are presented with statements of truth that will foster faith. Verse (6)

6 and said: “O LORD God of our fathers,

Jehoshaphat’s opening statement agrees with Lord’s prayer

Matthew 6:9
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
are You not God in heaven,

The people must realise that their God is not a God of a given locality “the God of the plains or the Hill Country”

1 Kings 20:22-24
22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”
23 Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they.

but He is the One God who occupies Heaven, the heaven that engulfs the whole earth. Omnipresence

and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations,

The people must realise that their God, despite the views of the other nations who declare this god or that god to rule them are actually ruled by the God of Israel. He is the ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. He can call forth a kingdom to judge others even Israel

Isaiah 10:5-6
5 “ Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger and the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation, and against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge, to seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

he can raise up a kingdom and tear it down

Jeremiah 18:6-9
6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! 7 The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, 8 if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. 9 And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,

This does not mean that all wickedness the takes place in a given kingdom is caused or endorsed by God but that ultimately God has control over a Kingdom.

We often think of the national powers that have no acknowledgement of the true God, we are encouraged to “fear” In the 70’s past “The Soviet Union” and today “China or Iran” but we should not forget that our God rules the nations

Job 12:23
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them.

they stand or fall on His command.

and in Your hand is there not power and might,

“In your hand” – within your control and essential to your nature – there is Power & Might – attributes possessed by God in complete measure

In contrast to the two Bulls in Northern Israel (1 Kings 12:28) the ancients believed that the Bull was a symbol of power and that God was to be worshipped as riding on or above the Bull.

It is “In Christ” that our Power and Might is found (Ephesians 1:19) no artefact, symbol or picture holds any power and God does not ride on or above such things – these things hold no power in themselves and attract no power from without.

so that no one is able to withstand You?

Psalm 147:5
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.

This power and might is above all other powers and his mighty beyond any others might and so “NO ONE” is able to withstand.

This does not speak of the controlling of will but speaks of a “conflict” of power and might in which God, despite resistance is always the victor.

7 Are You not our God,

“Our Father who art in Heaven” (Matthew 6:9)

who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel,

acknowledgement of God’s prior victories, “how often we fail to acknowledge the working of God in our prayers – was this just a thing of the past – can we not declare his mighty deeds amongst us – the testimony of the Lamb

Revelation 12:11
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

Joshua 4:1-24 – memorial stones

Jehoshaphat pin points Abraham – Not Moses, Nor David or Soloman, but Abraham and refers to him as “God’s Friend” this is the first reference to Abraham as a friend of God.

Jehoshaphat recognises that Abraham was an eternal friend “ a friend by faith”

The people are able to identify with Abraham – he was a man of “Faith” not of kingly splendour or one who worked great miracles like Moses. He was a man of “faith” made certain by obedience, it was this that made him “A Friend”

8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,

The people are reminded that THEY are the descendants of Abraham and this only by natural birth, what of us here tonight, his spiritual descendants all being of the faith of Abraham and FRIENDS of God for we like him do not speak through a priest, vicar, pastor or other intermediary but as a Priestly nation we all have personal access as FRIENDS.

Here I am reminded of my failings in prayer, I recognise that the privilege of entering into the very presence of God was bought for me at great price. That to talk with God the creator of the Universe is surely greater than any other experience – and yet I so very often fail to take advantage of such a wonderful gift from God. That He would wish to talk with me!

9 ‘If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.’

There is reference made to the prayer of Solomon at the Dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 6:14-42)

and it is stated in remembrance that if disaster comes as a result of

Sword – the assault of other nation against Israel in battle
Judgement – the assault of other nations against Israel in battle as a result of sin
Pestilence & Famine – Judgement

They will be delivered.

Jehoshaphat reminds the people that it is the people who are to stand (not just a priest or king) but the people themselves who are to stand before the Lord and cry out.

The people are to cry out “in our affliction” and God will hear and save

There is no repentance in this prayer and therefore we can assume that this is the AFFLICTION OF SWORD and not of judgement. God has not brought these nations in judgement against Judah and therefore the people are able to appeal to the JUSTICE of God

We cannot appeal to Justice if we are afflicted because of Judgement – for the believer this would be the discipline of the Lord. In that case we would need to appeal to the Grace and Mercy of our God in humble repentance.

It is therefore essential that we seek the Lord for guidance on how we should pray.

Let me give and example, in the congregation a brother has forsaken his wife and is engaged in an affair with a female member. This is a secret sin and yet he suffers with some affliction. If the church comes together and fasts and prays for this mans deliverance, will the Lord hear and answer?

So very often we decide in our pray meeting “what we want God to do, rather than to ask him what He wants to do and pray accordingly”

10 And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir—whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them—

Jehoshaphat states facts: These nations were not destroyed by Israel after the departure from Eygpt. Duet 2:5 and Israel was not able to touch their land

11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.

Jehoshaphat states facts: That these nations have come to undo that which God had worked so powerfully to put into place.

The will of God is clearly understood and Judah’s case is presented as if to the Judge and His jury. In prayer we are able to present a case of fact with confidence and are able to use the promises and will of God as revealed in scripture to direct our prayer for justice.

We are also able to appeal to the fact that this action or event is primarily an affront against God rather than us ——– throw us out of OUR land —NO! throw us out of YOUR possession which YOU have given.

Believing wife – how do you pray for your unbelieving husband. Do you pray that his stand against God upsets you and yours or do you appeal on the basis of the affront to HIS NAME.

12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”

The declaration of dependence on God. That the nation of Israel looks to God to judge acknowledging its lack of power and inability to even know what to do. Despite this their eyes are not on the problem and a resulting panic of fearful response, but their eyes are on the Lord.

There is no refugee exodus, no fortification of cities or preparation for battle. Instead the men of Judah had come to one place with women, children and little ones. In the midst of such a great threat and a national disaster the family is drawn to prayer. Not just the men, not just the women but the family, little ones and children.

During the time of Elijah Elisha and Jehu a man nowhere else mentioned in scripture in any prophetic role is the subject of prophetic gifting and the one that announces the decreed deliverance of God. The response is one of complete faithful obedience on the part of the people and as a result the Lord goes out before Judah and defeats the enemy without Judah entering into battle and only as a result of the praise of faith.

To move against an enemy in the early hours with praise and worship is humanly speaking a strategic blunder of great magnitude. Yet victor was assured.

2Ch 6:34 If Your people go out to war against their enemies by the way that You shall send them, and if they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name,

Let this account of the prayer of Jehoshaphat should cause us to question are engagement with prayer.

Religious Observance – or – Fearful Dependence

Ritualistic Prayer Meeting -or- Gathering of Seekers of the Lord

Unprepared Directionless -or- Prepared and Directed Prayer

Performance & Power -or- Humility in Unity

Praying the will of Man -or- Praying The Will of God

Expecting the Expected -or- Expecting the unexpected

Philomen

Philemon (AD61-63-Rome)

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

Paul is believed to have written this letter whilst a prisoner in Rome and so his use of the term “prisoner of Christ” is not to be understood as a forced attachment to Christ but that he is a prisoner because of his relationship to and servant to Jesus himself. He attaches the name of Timothy as one who is a brother and is in agreement with this message. It is worthy of note that Paul does not refer to himself as “an apostle” which due to the nature of the letter is interesting. Paul could have asserted his position of authority in the church but instead he communicates as a friend and fellow worker. Those with any form of authority should note Paul’s method and realise that our requests of a brother or sister can be better made through the bond of friendship rather than authority.

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:

The letter is sent to Philemon “the name meaning affectionate or beloved” Colossians 4:9 indicates that Onesimus was from Colosse and we can therefore assume that Philemon was a resident of this city and was a man of considerable wealth and influence in the church in that region with a congregation meeting in his home. Archippus is also referred to in Colossians 4:17. Paul extends his letter to the church as a whole which acknowledges that Onesimus’s actions may have had a wider impact than just upon the household of Philemon and it also points to the fact that Onesimus is to be returned to “the church” as a brother in the Lord. We can assume the possibility that Apphia is the wife of Philemon and Archippus is either a son or other household member. It is also worth noting that the church met in “his home” and despite the financial ability to hire a building we find the Christians in the place of first beginings.

3. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s salutation that appears in other epistles, declares his desire for grace and peace to extend to the church.

4. I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5. because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Paul expresses his thanks to God for Philemon as he remembers him in prayer. How probable it was that Paul’s remembering of all the congregations that he had established was a constant source of inspiration for prayer and demonstrates his apostolic fatherhood of these churches established throughout the empire. He states that his thanks is stimulated by two things – “your faith in the Lord” and “your love for all the saints” – how wonderful that it is these two activities that promote his thanks and that these are the fulfilment of the law. Loving God and others.
Paul prays that Philemon may be active in sharing his faith, and that as a result of his active sharing he will have a full understanding of every good thing possessed in Christ. Other translations indicate that this active sharing is a expression of all the good things we have in Christ made know to others. The activity is not just a sharing of our faith verbally but an outward expression of our love and compassion to all. We know that Paul is addressing Philemon as in verse 7 he refers to “because you, brother” is in the singular.

Paul acknowledges Philemon’s love which has encouraged Paul and given him great joy and that he has refreshed the hearts of the saints. We should also note that Paul again does not revert to authority but continues with a conversation of friendship which is very positive and encouraging.

8. Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9. yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10. I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

Paul hints that he could refer to his position of authority but that his appeal is on the basis of love for this is the relationship which Philemon has with Paul and the church. Paul approaches Philemon as “Paul” an old man and prisoner for Christ rather than “an Apostle”.
This should be a point of reference especially for church leaders and all servants of the Lord who can take example from Paul’s approach to Philemon.
Paul appeals to Philemon – In the original Greek the order of words would have been different. In the original, the name Onesimus comes last in the sentence. The order of the Greek is this: “I appeal to you for my son who became by son while I was in chains – Onesimus.” This order of words is important as Philemon would have been introduced to a son and a son converted by Paul himself. The appeal was for Paul’s son in the faith.
Onesimus whose name means “useful” is declared by Paul to have been useless but now useful to both Paul and Philemon. Paul states that prior to his conversion and whilst in the house of Philemon he was in fact useless and now having been converted he has become useful.

12. I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do will be spontaneous and not forced. 15. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— 16. no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

Paul states that his intention is to send him back to Philemon, and this would be the legal requirement as Onesimus held the status of a slave. Therefore it only right that Paul send him back to his master. Yet paul indicates that he would be of assistance to Paul. Paul also indicates that Onesimus term of slavery may have been limited in years and therefore now on his return as a brother in the Lord this would go beyond the term.
Our understanding of this situation is greatly helped by an appreciation of slavery during this period and its relationship to the working of the Roman empire. When we hear the word slave we tend to think within our own time frame of history and personal experience. We think of “shackles slavery” best exemplified in the enslavement of the Black African. Yet this would lead us to a less than accurate view of slavery in the New Testament period.
The condition of slavery might result from war, piracy, exposure of a child, sale of a child, sale of self to pay debts, by order of the courts or birthing by a slave mother. The slave had not legal status and was regarded as a “thing”. Paul says that he sends back a “man”. The slave was able to earn an income and was therefore able to purchase their freedom.

17. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus as he would welcome Paul and tempers this with an offer to make right any damages caused. Paul states that he writes this with his own hand and that he will pay back any loss caused by Onesimus but indicates that it was Paul who was instrumental in the salvation of Philemon.

Paul invites Philemon to bless him and enforces this invitation with an expectancy that goes beyond these requests.

22. And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
Paul asks for a room to be prepared for him as he hopes to be able to return to the church in Colosse in answer to Philemon’s prayers. It is probable that Paul was referring to the first release from his imprisonment in Rome.
23. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. 24. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
25. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Jude

Jude
1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Jude refers to his readers as “Beloved” demonstrating a warm affection and love for his brothers and sisters in Christ. He has previously written to them on matters concerning their common salvation and he expresses the fact that he has been diligent in these this instruction. Yet even so he now finds it now of vital importance to “Exhort” them to “contend earnestly” for the faith which was “once for all” delivered to the saints. The Gospel was proclaimed and made known to them in its pure and perfect form, which need no additional elements. The exhortation to contend earnestly presupposes a threat to the faith of the saints. Jude proceeds to reveal the threat that the saints face.

4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude tells them that certain men have crept in unnoticed; these men therefore had the appearance and obviously acted as if they were of the saints. Their actions were planned and they entered the church by stealth with ungodly intent. We are told that they will be condemned for their actions, that they are ungodly and that they use the means of grace as an excuse for “lewdness” and by doing so they deny the Lord. They obviously did not openly deny the Lord by word of mouth as this would have not enabled them to enter into the congregation but their actions in regard to “grace abuse” was in fact a denial of the Lord Jesus Christ.

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

Jude wants to remind them of these things. To remind them that by joining themselves to the rebellion of these men there is a punishment that awaits.

Jude reminds them of the fact that God despite having saved a multitude out of Egypt eventually destroyed those who did not believe.

We read throughout the history of Israel’s journey in the wilderness and continued rebellion of a refusal to obey and come under divinely appointed authority, speaking evil of Moses and Aaron, both divinely appointed dignitaries.

He reminds them of the angels who rejected authority and did not keep their proper domain having rebelled and left their own place of abode and as a result are reserved in chains for judgement.

Jude also reminds them of those who rebelled against the natural order and engaged in sexual immorality, defiling the flesh and as a result suffered the punishment of eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

Jude tells us that in the same manner these men who are in the church also defile flesh, reject authority and speak evil of dignitaries.

Jude having given us such clear insight into these matters enables us to look at the issues of rebellion in more detail.

Rebellion – Defiling the Flesh: (Flesh)
A person who is rebellious will generally reveal rebellion in three areas, the flesh, the Spirit and the Heart or Soul.

Rebellion – Rejecting Spiritual Authority (Spirit)

Rebellion – Speaking evil of those in Authority (Heart)

Rebellion – Rejecting the natural order (flesh) 

There will be those who enter a congregation to sow the seeds of rebellion and then there will be those who have become rebellious through contact and the influence of these workers of rebellion

Defiling the Flesh in Rebellion:

A person who is rebellious will struggle to bring the flesh under any form of authority and will struggle to control fleshly desire. They may be able to subdue the flesh at appropriate times but this will be with great effort. There will be a secret submission to the flesh and this will become evident especially in matters of sexual immorality.

Jude affirms that this rebellious action will be judged and judged severely as in the case of the people of Sodom.

Defiling the spirit in the rejection of spiritual authority

The rebellious defile their spirit in the rejection of authority, both earthly and spiritual authority. This rebellion consists in a desire to order their own lives rather than submitting themselves to the authorities that have been established by God. These authorities include earthly rulers and spiritual leaders especially within the body of Christ.

The rebellion against authority especially spiritual authority will attract an equally severe punishment as in the case of those angels that left their places of God given authority to establish an authority of their own.

Defiling the heart in speaking evil of those in authority

Jesus taught that the heart produces all manner of evil and it is from the heart that a man or woman speaks. The rebellious heart cannot help but speak evil of those in authority. This is evident in destructive rumours, misquoting the words of leaders and the destructive criticism of those who have been given responsibility for shepherding the flock.

Very often a conflicting “truth” or “way” will be presented in order to attract the sheep and discredit the ministry of others.

Once again Jude draws from Israel’s history and reminds them that despite being saved out of Egypt those who challenged the authority of Moses suffered the fate of destruction in the wilderness.

It is probable that these men who had entered the church by stealth had introduced ideas connected with the books that Jude quotes from “The Book or Enoch” and “The Assumption of Moses”.

In debates with Muslim’s we can very often quote the Quran to establish a point or either “truth” or “contradiction” and again we can use the opponent’s text to expose them and prove the falsehood of their position.

9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. Using the text of the “Book of Enoch” Jude makes mention of the fact that Michael the Archangel did not dare to bring “reviling accusations” against the devil but left the authority of rebuke with the Lord.

In contrast Jude tells his readers that these rebellious men speak evil of things of which they have no understanding, these are spiritual things and in contrast they corrupt themselves “like brute beasts” in the things they know naturally “in the flesh”. It is common for people to discredit or belittle the things that they do not understand in order to assert their knowledge for they feel it unnecessary to understand these “trivial” things.

11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, – offering of the flesh, destruction of brothers flesh

have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, - Balaam rejected the Lords authority and for profit attempted to assert his authority over Israel.

Numbers 22:5 – Balaam hired to curse Israel but prevented by the Lord. Yet later in Number 31:16 we see that Balaam uses other methods to come against Israel and with success.

and perished in the rebellion of Korah. – The rebellion of Korah was a rebellion that spoke evil of Moses and Aaron Numbers 16:1 it was a rebellion that demanded status and dominion

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves.

These are spots or sunken reefs which implies that these men are a hidden danger to the brethren, they feast without “fear” having no regard for the welfare of others, in fact everything they do ultimately is in order to serve themselves.

They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Duet 32:2 indicates that the doctrine of God was considered as water, yet these individuals were assuming positions of influence and appeared to be those that might provide instruction but as far as Godly doctrine is concerned they were dry and barren. With no stability they were subject to be carried about by any new thing!

They fail too bear fruit and are truly dead with no root in the truth, their very actions result in an increasing of their shame, they are wandering stars have no authorative place other than the reserved blackness of darkness which they will suffer forever.

Stars are very often used for those who have positions of authority rather than a star in the literal sense.

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly
deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Jude quotes from “The Book of Enoch” and again this may have been as a result of its usage by those individuals who had infiltrated the congregation. The connection that Jude makes is very clear, that these people will be judged with great severity

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
The traits of rebellion are made manifest in – grumbling, complaining, walking according to their lusting flesh.

They very often have an ability to speak, flattering people in order to gain advantage.

17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
Jude mentions that these things were predicted by the apostles and especially Peter – see 2 Peter 2.

The main consequence of their being amongst the brethren is “division”

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Jude gives the believers a clear alternative – that they pray in the Holy Spirit, remain in the love of God, look for mercy in Christ.

22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction. 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
In all regards the rebellious can be brought to repentance, for some this will be with compassion but for others it will mean stern and definite action to reprove and bring to repentance.

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Saviour,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.

The letter is concluded with a refocus on the Almighty One, on Christ who alone is to be the One who is “only” sought as a means on continuing in our walk of faith. It if He who will present us, yes usher us into the place of Glory. Amen

Balaam – Prophet for Profit – Part Two

Numbers 22:31-41

 ³¹ Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. ³² And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. ³³ The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

 Balaam the great gentile Prophet is spiritually blind to what is taking place in his life. He without fear sets himself against the will of the Almighty and is not even expecting rebuke, the very fact that his donkeys actions are misunderstood indicates that he “had no fear of the Almighty” and therefore he was not wise in accordance with true wisdom.

 It is interesting to note that despite the fact that his donkey was female the scripture tells us that the donkey spoke in a male voice!

 It is also interesting that this travelling party included the Princes of Moab and that his two servants probably would have been involved in directing his donkey – showing the donkey’s resistance to the chosen pathway.

 2 Peter 2 v 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

We also learn that Balaam was considered mad in his actions.

He was so mad or infactuated that he allowed neither reason, nor conscience, nor the will of God, to control him!

 How common this is when a man sets himself of a course which any right minded individual can see will lead to failure and worse still destruction.

 And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

Here his madness is further revealed, Balaam attributes his sin to the fact that “he did not know” and yet we know that this was not his sin. His sin was that his whole course was rebellious. Despite having known the will of the Almighty in this matter he asks “if it displeases You”

Then the Angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

 Balaam is given permission to go with the princes of Moab. It must have been strange for the servants and the princes who may have witnessed some of these events although possibly not hearing the voice of the donkey or seeing the Angel. This would have given those looking on a very strange sight and would not have been in keeping with the reputation of Balaam and certainly given the appearance of madness.

 ³⁶ Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. ³⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”

 Balak obviously finds Balaam’s actions somewhat confusing and of considerable concern. The actions of Balaam are clearly not in keeping with his reputation and Balak can only link his failure to come with immidacy to his possible disbelief in Balak’s ability to “pay the fee”. This again indicates that Balaam had a reputation as a mercenary prophet, someone who loved honour and wealth and would usually respond to an offer of payment.

 ³⁸ And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” ³⁹ So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. ⁴⁰ Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

 Balaam by his answer to Balak demonstrates frustration and does not want to give account of the events that had taken place. Balaam claims that only the word that God puts in his mouth is that which he can speak. This sounds commendable but in reality he either promotes his own ability as a prophet in that all those words he speaks are of God or he prepares the situation in case of possible failure.

 We know that Balaam attempted to manipulate God, not seeking God’s will and voice but asking God for an outcome that was of his own desire and design.

Joshua 24:8-10

⁸ And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan, and they fought with you. But I gave them into your hand, that you might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you. ⁹ Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. ¹⁰ But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.

 Note: God would not listen to Balaam which indicates that Balaam asked God to fulfil the will of Balaam. We know that Balaam desired to bring about the downfall of Israel, the text tells us that God delivered Israel “out of his hand”.

Joshua 24:10

¹⁰ But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.

Deuteronomy 23:3-5

³ “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD forever, ⁴ because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia,^[a] to curse you. ⁵ Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

Footnotes:  Deuteronomy 23:4 Hebrew Aram Naharaim

 ⁴¹ So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.

Balak takes Balaam to the high places of Baal so that he might see the people of Israel and from here the next stage of the conflict begins.

Numbers 23

 ¹ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”
² And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. ⁴ And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

We know that Balaam desired the wages of his craft, he desired to curse Israel and in order to do this he sought to manipulate God. It is said of Balaam in the sources external to the bible that he had the ability to know when the wrath of the God’s was against a people and that he could bring the divine anger against those to be cursed.

Balaam instructs the building of seven alters and the preparation of seven bulls and seven rams. It is possible that Balaam offered an alter to each on the national dieties of the region with Israel’s God being included. This might be connected by the fact that the final oracle cursed the nations around Israel in the region. This being done both Balaam and Balak make burnt offerings on each alter.  Balaam distances himself from Balak in order to meet with the LORD.

When at a desolate height God meets with Balaam – Balaam immediately tells God that he has prepared the alters and made the burnt offerings. Balaam was using a formula to manipulate God, to try and induce God to listen to him and his curse against Israel.

It is possible that the practice of Balaam was to utter a curse to God that spoke evil of the target people in order to induce the wrath of God.

Nehemiah 13:2

² because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Balaams practice may have been to make sacrifices to the Diety and then to utter a curse against the people. In this sense it is probable that this is why God would not “listen” to Balaam and that the uttered curse was turned into a blessing.

⁵ Then the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” ⁶ So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

⁷ And he took up his oracle and said:

      “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.      ‘ Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’
 ⁸ “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
      And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

 ⁹ For from the top of the rocks I see him,
      And from the hills I behold him;
      There! A people dwelling alone,
      Not reckoning itself among the nations.

 ¹⁰ “Who can count the dust^[a] of Jacob,
      Or number one-fourth of Israel?
      Let me die the death of the righteous,
      And let my end be like his!”
¹¹ Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”
¹² So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?”

It is also possible that Balaam had no option but to speak this oracle,

The word of God was put in his mouth and he had to utter this before Balak.

   ¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.” ¹⁴ So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
¹⁵ And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet^[b]the LORD over there.”

 Balaam has not given up and he resorts again to the practice of making burnt offerings and then proceeding to meet with the Lord in order to utter his curse. Once again the Lord does not listen and put a Word into the mouth of Balaam.

 16 Then the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” ¹⁷ So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?”
¹⁸ Then he took up his oracle and said:

      “Rise up, Balak, and hear!
      Listen to me, son of Zippor!

 ¹⁹ “God is not a man, that He should lie,
      Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
      Has He said, and will He not do?
      Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

 ²⁰ Behold, I have received a command to bless;
      He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

 ²¹ “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
      Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.
      The LORD his God is with him,
      And the shout of a King is among them.

 ²² God brings them out of Egypt;
      He has strength like a wild ox.

 ²³ “For there is no sorcery against Jacob,
      Nor any divination against Israel.
      It now must be said of Jacob
      And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’

 ²⁴ Look, a people rises like a lioness,
      And lifts itself up like a lion;
      It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
      And drinks the blood of the slain.”
²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”
²⁶ So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the LORD speaks, that I must do’?”

The frustration of all concerned is evident and Balaam defends himself by pointing out that he has had no choice in the matter of the oracle spoken.

²⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” ²⁸ So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland.^{[c] 29} Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” ³⁰ And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

Balaam is still stubborn in his approach and again resorts to his ritual process of inducing the deity to hear his curse and to bring wrath on the cursed peoples.

Numbers 24

 ¹ Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. ² And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

“Now Balaam saw” he understood that he could not manipulate God and that his method of sorcery, the cursing of the peoples before God was totally ineffective, therefore he simply set his face towards the wilderness and raised his eyes, seeing Israel encamped. Now in a place of defeat and having “seen” that he could only submit the prophetic to the Almighty, the Spirit of God comes upon him.

³ Then he took up his oracle and said:

      “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
 ⁴ The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
      Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
      Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

 ⁵ “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
      Your dwellings, O Israel!

 ⁶ Like valleys that stretch out,
      Like gardens by the riverside,
      Like aloes planted by the LORD,
      Like cedars beside the waters.

 ⁷ He shall pour water from his buckets,
      And his seed shall be in many waters.

“His king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.

 ⁸ “God brings him out of Egypt;
      He has strength like a wild ox;
      He shall consume the nations, his enemies;
      He shall break their bones
      And pierce them with his arrows.

 ⁹ ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
      And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’^[a]

  “ Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

Here we have the unrighteous, rebellious and sinful prophet Balaam experiencing the “coming upon” of the Holy Spirit and as a result uttering a prophetic oracle which includes “Messiahanic references of great significance” It is also different in its format as in this case he states that he is one who “has his eyes wide open”

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! ¹¹ Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the LORD has kept you back from honor.”

Balak is angered by this defeat, how can his military leaders go to battle knowing of the continued blessing of Israel.

¹² So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, ¹³ ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I must speak’? ¹⁴ And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”

Balaam is not telling the whole truth and seeks to escape the anger of Balak. We know that he did not go to his own people but stayed with the Mideanites. In the statement “If Balak……..Balaam doesn’t call the Lord “my God” any longer and implies that even if he willed to do good or bad he could not do it. His first statement claimed obedience to the Word of God, in this statement he claims that despite being willing he is forced to go by the Word of the Lord.

Balaam advises Balak what the Israelites will do to Balak’s people in the latter days.

 ¹⁵ So he took up his oracle and said:

    “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
 ¹⁶ The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
      And has the knowledge of the Most High,
      Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
      Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

 ¹⁷ “I see Him, but not now;
      I behold Him, but not near;
      A Star shall come out of Jacob;
      A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
      And batter the brow of Moab,
      And destroy all the sons of tumult.^[b]

 ¹⁸ “And Edom shall be a possession;
      Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
      While Israel does valiantly.

 ¹⁹ Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,
      And destroy the remains of the city.”
²⁰ Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

      “ Amalek was first among the nations,
But shall be last until he perishes.”
²¹ Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,
And your nest is set in the rock;
 ²² Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.
      How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”
²³ Then he took up his oracle and said:

      “Alas! Who shall live when God does this?
 ²⁴ But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus,^[c]
      And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber,
      And so shall Amalek,^[d] until he perishes.”

²⁵ So Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

Balaam Prophet for Profit – Part 1

Balaam – Prophet for Profit – Part One

Background Balaam

Immediate facts Balaam – mentioned in 8 books of the Bible, 5 OT and 3 NT
Jeremiah mentioned in 8 books 7 OT and 1 NT

· Balaam – was a teacher – he taught Balak – taught error

· Balaam – was a soothsayer of International fame, great amongst the gentiles in his day.

Ambrose, and Augustine have regarded him as a wizard and false prophet, devoted to the worship of idols, who was destitute of the true religion, and was compelled by God, against his will, to give utterance to blessings upon Israel instead of curses.

Tertullian and Jerome have supposed him to be a genuine and true prophet, who simply fell through covetousness and ambition.

The Talmud tells us that earlier Balaam had been an adviser to the pharaoh who enslaved the Children of Israel and sought to destroy their male children. In fact, the plan to destroy the Israelites was masterminded by Balaam.

In Rabbinic Literature Balaam is represented as one of seven gentile prophets; the other six being Beor (Balaam’s father), Job, and Job’s four friends (Talmud, B. B. 15b). In this literature, Balaam gradually acquired a position among the non-Jews, which was exalted as much as that of Moses among the Jews (Midrash Numbers Rabbah 20); at first being a mere interpreter of dreams, but later becoming a magician, until finally the spirit of prophecy descended upon him (ib. 7).

The Alexandrian Jews made Balaam an object of popular legend as a great sorcerer.
Philo (“De Vita Moysis,” i. 48) speaks of him as “a man renowned above all men for his skill as a diviner and a prophet, who foretold to the various nations important events, abundance and rain, or droughts and famine, inundations or pestilence.”

Josephus (“Ant.” iv. 6, § 2) calls him “the greatest of the prophets at that time.” The story of Moses’ war with the Ethiopians, as related by Josephus (“Ant.” ii. 10) after Hellenistic sources, was in olden times brought into connection with Balaam.

The third century BCE Greco-Egyptian historian, Manetho, also mentions that it was the prophet-adviser to the pharaoh who instigated the enslavement of the Jewish People.
Not only did Balaam reside near the land of Moab and in Egypt, but Midrashic sources also place him in Aram modern-day Syria, and in the Aegean isles and in Cush, modern-day Ethiopia.

Balaam was an itinerant prophet with a far-reaching reputation who probably possessed residences in various localities. Due to Balaam’s renowned pre-eminence, we would expect that some mention of Balaam would be found in some ancient nation’s records.
Archaeologists believe that the Jordanian hill called Tel Deir Alla is the site of Biblical Succoth. And, it was here in Tel Deir Alla that evidence of Balaam was found.

So what about this man Balaam – what can we learn from the account and subsequent references to him in scripture.

Balaam is the type of a teacher of the church who attempts to advance the cause of God by advocating an unholy alliance with the ungodly and worldly, and so conforming the life of the church to the spirit of the flesh.

Let us consider the biblical record of Balaam

Revelation 2:14

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Balaam taught Balak – to cast a stumbling block, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication. Some in the church held to “doctrine of Balaam”. This doctrine or persuasive teaching implies the acceptable practice of eating things sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality.

Jude 1:11

¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Balaam was a teacher of error and was motivated by profit, both in desire for status, reputation and wealth.

2 Peter 2:15

¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness – this is a way of life other than the life in Christ. Those who have followed this “way” has forsaken the “only” other way.

Micah 6:5 

⁵ O My people, remember now
      What Balak king of Moab counseled,
      And what Balaam the son of Beor answered him,
      From Acacia Grove^[a] to Gilgal,
      That you may know the righteousness of the LORD.”

Nehemiah 13:1-2

On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, ² because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Joshua 24:9-10 

⁹ Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose to make war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. ¹⁰ But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.

 Balaam was not listened to by God and therefore we know that Balaam must have spoken to God regarding Israel.

Joshua 13:22

²² The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.

Deuteronomy 23:4-5

⁴ because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia,^[a] to curse you. ⁵ Nevertheless the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.

1. Deuteronomy 23:4 Hebrew Aram Naharaim

 Numbers 31:16  

 ¹⁶ Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 

 Numbers 31:8 

⁸ They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.

Numbers 22:1-30

Numbers 22
 ¹ Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.
² Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. ⁴ So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. ⁵ Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River^[a] in the land of the sons of his people,^[b] to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! ⁶ Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
⁷ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. ⁸ And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

 We see that a coalition of Midian and Moab in fear seek the destruction of Israel by the curse of Balaam. It seems that only the Princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹ Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
¹⁰ So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, ¹¹ ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’”

 Again we do not see the Midianites mentioned and only the those of Balak remained.

¹² And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

 Here in this command is no condition – he is to simply tell them he cannot go.

 ¹³ So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to give me permission to go with you.”
¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”
¹⁵ Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they. ¹⁶ And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; ¹⁷ for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’”

 Balak appeals to the very “way of Balaam, appealing to his love of honour and wealth

¹⁸ Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more. ¹⁹ Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.”

 This is presumptious of Balaam – he has already been told the will of God and he indicates that money cannot sway him to disobey the command of God. But he assumes that this fresh offer may change the situation and therefore he asks them to remain once again.

²⁰ And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” ²¹ So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

 God commands Balaam to go only if “the men come to call you to rise” and then only the word of God is to be spoken.

 It is evident that this venture cannot go the way of the two kings for God has already said “they are blessed”

 It also evident that the reward is dependant on the “curse”

Balaam is not called to rise but rises himself, saddling his own donkey. The saddling of his own donkey is the key as he had two servants who yet had not risen.

22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

It is not unusual that the most unexpected individual, with little academic ability or bible school training will be the one to notice the Lord and His will in a given situation.

It’s so often the case that these individuals who point out the folly of a given course of action become the subjects of rebuke and disdain and even abuse.

24 Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

In the first case the donkey moved out into a field which was possibly a selfish action of disobedience to gain grazing. So it is with those who move out and way from the pathway of error. They are often viewed as selfish and going in a specific direction as an act of selfish rebellion.

In this case the donkey pushes herself against the wall and crushes Balaam’s foot. Here we find the donkey actually hurting her master and again this is so often the case when a faithful servant of the church in an attempt to move away from evident danger hurts those travelling the path of destruction.

In blind misunderstanding this individual is beaten down!

26 Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

The way becomes even more constrained and now the donkey cannot turn and so she sits. How often it is that our spiritually aware brother or sister can nolonger walk along the path we take and so appears to give up.

28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”
30 So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”
And he said, “No.”

The attempts of the faithful servant to avoid the error and danger of this action have resulted in them being struck and yet it is the view of the stubborn that they themselves have been abused. Their anger is such that they would strike the individual casting them away as an enemy.

The donkey points out the simple simple truth that Balaam has known him as a trustworthy beast of burden and that this action was unusual. Balaam acknowledges that the action of his donkey have always been faithful.

House Church Visit – Chigwell CF

Having been invited to visit a house church in the London area to experience a biblical gathering of believers the family set out early on Sunday to see just what they do.

We recieved a warm welcome as family in the Lord and spent sometime just chatting before a number of people started to arrive at about 3pm. Sitting in the front room together the gathering just began in a spontaneous and participatory manner. Who was leading the meeting? I can only say “the Spirit of the Lord”. Everyone was free to bring a song, prayer, spiritual gifts, words of edification and teaching. Surprising for me the teaching was between 5-10 minutes and was brought by several of the men who just shared truth from the Word. Everyone was able to participate, not in a selected time slot but throughout this gathering together. It was beautiful to see Jadon enjoying the freedom of this setting, his learning difficulties unaffecting his time with the family of God.

After this time everyone spilled out into the garden and just fellowshipped together. At about 5.30 the “Love Feast” began. What’s that all about? We were invited into the kitchen to help ourselves to food, a wedge of bread and grape juice. This was a celebration and a lot different from the somber practice of a bit of bread and a thimble of juice. We celebrated being “saved” into a family by the death & resurrection of Christ and the promised return of our Glorious King.

All that was left for us to do was to continue “Loving One Another”

A great day and we’re looking forward to the Biblical Church Training Day in July 2009