No Need To Worry

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-12)

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

During yesterday's sermon in Bronx Bethany's Ministerio Latino, Pastor Martha shared from the intersection of Deuteronomy 6 and Matthew 6:

• We serve the Lord, who has a track record of providing for His people.
• We have the privilege and the responsibility to reflect on the word of God, covering our household with the remembrance of who He is and what He does.
• We, because of Him, can live every day without worrying about temporal needs.

God has not changed. In our moments of need, we can be encouraged that the Lord who fed ancient Israel in the wilderness will feed us; the Lord who brought water out of the rock can satisfy our thirst; the Lord who caused Israel’s clothing not to wear out can clothe us (see Deuteronomy 8:1-10). We can claim the prophetic promise and move from the land of servitude to the land of supply.

As we wait for God's promises to show up in our circumstances, how ought we pray? Instead of continually asking God to do things for us, let’s choose to thank God for what He has already done in us. He is our Father. He is trustworthy. God is not worried. His Spirit, who lives in us, is the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (see Galatians 5:22-23a). May His character inform our conduct today.

Speak God’s word to yourself and to others.

Seek God’s kingdom and righteousness.

See God’s hand of miraculous, abundant provision.

Celebrate God's eternal faithfulness.

Family-Community Relations

In Sunday's sermon, Pastor Martha shared with us about the ministry of Noah to his family and community.

Have we considered the importance of consistent, long-term ministry to those who are closest to us?

Family relationships. Our pastor referred to the passage from Deuteronomy 6: "Hear, O Israel; the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Community relationships. Noah, in obedience to God, built an ark and warned his community of the flood to come. By his actions and his words he was a living testimony of God's love for the world. As we live our lives in the areas where God has caused us to live (see Acts 17:26), let us also be consistent in our testimony of His love and provision of safety. Though the people of Noah's day refused to heed him, he never stopped speaking to them.

Pastor Martha said that though some of us are called to international ministry efforts, none of us are exempted from local ministry efforts. Where does it begin? In our own home, and on the streets where we live and work and shop.

Do your family and community know where your faith stands?

Midnight Refrigerator Raid.

Some things to remember from this past Sunday's sermon:

*The way we live affects the generations that follow.
*God's wrath extends to the third and fourth generation, but God's love extends to thousands of generations.
*God has two categories concerning Himself: we are free to love Him and express that love through obedience, or we are free to hate Him and express that hatred through disobedience.
*God took the first step and offered us exhaustive love. He expects our exhaustive love in return.
*God has zero tolerance for idolatry.
*One generation's compromised love can subvert the next generation's destiny.
*One generation's commitment love can appropriate grace on their children's destiny.

Blessings and Peace, and a safe weekend to all.

Every Day, People.

The Shema.

For devout Jews, the Shema is a daily reminder of God's love for His people. Their recitation of "Sh'ma Yisrael" ("Hear, O Israel") is a personal testimony: they speak in agreement with the commandments of God found in Deuteronomy chapters 6 and 11, and Numbers chapter 15.

I invite us to meditate on the Shema today.
Blessings and peace to you.


Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord [the only Lord]. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might. And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets (forehead bands) between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates.


Deuteronomy 11:13-21
And if you will diligently heed My commandments which I command you this day— to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being— I will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, that you may eat and be full. Take heed to yourselves, lest your [minds and] hearts be deceived and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, And the Lord’s anger be kindled against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the land will not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly off the good land which the Lord gives you. Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your hands and as forehead bands between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates, That your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.


Numbers 15:37-41
And the Lord said to Moses, Speak to the Israelites and bid them make fringes or tassels on the corners in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and put upon the fringe of the borders or upon the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. And it shall be to you a fringe or tassel that you may look upon and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, that you may not spy out and follow after [the desires of] your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to follow and play the harlot [spiritually, if not physically], That you may remember and do all My commandments and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am the Lord your God.

(The Scripture passages are from the Amplified Bible.)

Interlude.

You must not put the LORD your God to the test as you did at Massah. (Deuteronomy 6:16)

(Moses) called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contending of the Israelites, and because of their testing the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7)

What would cause a person to challenge God's authority?

a. Fatigue
b. Thirst
c. Hunger
d. Anger
e. Sheer stupidity

As tempting as it might be to say that a person must be stupid if they're accusing God of not being present, choice "e" is not the answer to the question. It's "b".

In Exodus 17, we see that the Israelites contended against Moses (and by extension, according to Scripture, against God). Now, it was not unusual for the people to be cantankerous. They had been complaining for a long time. But the incidents of Massah and Meribah stood out, so much so that they're mentioned several times in Scripture (Numbers chapters 20 and 27; Deuteronomy chapters 6, 9, 32, and 33; Psalms 81, 95, and 106; Hebrews 3).

These were two major occasions involving a need for water (I will not count the third, Marah, in which water was present but undrinkable due to its bitterness). On the first occasion (Exodus 17:1-7), Moses struck the rock as he was instructed and water flowed. On the second occasion (Numbers 20), Moses was instructed to speak to the rock but instead disobeyed in two ways:

*He did not speak to the rock, but struck it instead.
*He attributed the miracle of water not to God, but to himself. (I must credit Pastor Sam here, as it was he who turned my attention to Moses's statement "Must we bring water out of this rock for you?")

That was then, and that is now. Times are hard. And we are thirsty. There is a strong temptation to question whether God is aware of our plight. In light of God's goodness, greatness, and His track record of provision, what shall we do? What do we say as He takes us on this walk through the wilderness?

He knows you don't have any water. Praise Him anyway.

Swan Song.

But God was angry with me because of you and the things you said. He swore that I'd never cross the Jordan, never get to enter the good land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance. This means that I am going to die here. I'm not crossing the Jordan. But you will cross; you'll possess the good land. (Deuteronomy 4:21-22, The Message)

Moses knew he would not step into the promised land. But he remained faithful in his leadership assignment: he taught the people the law of the LORD and implored them to obey Him.

He also instructed them to teach their children about the goodness and greatness of God. "...the Lord showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household; He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers." (Deuteronomy 6:22-23)

In effect, Moses modeled the behavior that the people of ancient Israel were to imitate. He was not perfect. But he left them some valuable keys. Here are a few from Deuteronomy 6:

*Hear, observe, and obey God's commands.
*Love the LORD with every fibre of your being.
*Teach your children about God's wondrous works.
*Remember what the LORD has done for your people throughout the generations.

Moses knew that his days were numbered. While he lived, he did all he could to teach God's people.

How about you?

In Full Effect, Part Two.

[Guest blogger: Rev. Ronald Benjamin]

We are rather cautious about the subject of riches, especially when it is connected to godliness. Jesus has said some of the most cutting things about the potential of material possession. He was not apologetic or afraid that others would be offended when he said "You cannot serve God and money".

You can tell what one's god is by the place it is given in conversation and thought. "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also." The sin of idolatry has not disappeared. The gods are increasing and more people are pledging their allegiance to them.

What is rather tragic is the embracing of idolatry under the guise of Christianity. Simply put, when one desires the blessings instead of the "Blesser"; sees the things received as more valuable than the One who has given them; is grateful for the product instead of being thankful to the Provider, that person is in the throes of idolatry. No apology.

RB

In Full Effect.

And it shall be, when the LORD Thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not, and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)

Reverend Cole made an interesting statement regarding the above passage. He said: "Sometimes we end up in a better place economically, but a worse place spiritually." Amen.

Verse eleven gives us an important phrase. "When thou shalt have eaten and be full...beware." It is a thought echoed again in a famous quote from the book of Proverbs. Agur, speaking prophetically, says: "Feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the Lord'?"
(Proverbs 30:8b-9a)

And perhaps this is why Jesus reiterated to His disciples that it is so difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. The presence of surplus is, it seems, a precursor to self-destruction. We are happy, though, for the encouragement of Christ: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

Lord, cause us to crave the fullness of Your Spirit and abandon the excess of the world.

Won't You Help To Sing?

During Sunday's sermon, Reverend Cole used alliteration to describe the condition of ancient Israel following the exodus from Egypt. The people of God were:

*Free, and wandering;
*Free, and wasting;
*Free, and wanton.

They had been liberated from captivity. But, as was shared on Sunday, they became bound in other forms of slavery. They wore the chains of grumbling and complaining against God and His leaders. They wore the chains of longing for the land and culture of their oppressors. They wished they'd remained in captivity.

I find myself reluctant to pull this text into the present, because I don't know anyone who enjoys being indicted. But we must contemplate the Egypt in us.

Have we preferred feasts to fasts?

Is prayer a regular habit, or is it reserved for "Red Sea" emergencies?

Are we still embracing the things (or people) that God has urged us to leave?

The worship team, in one of their songs, sang the refrain "I'm never going back!" Amen. God has set us free. Why go back to slavery?

A Question From The Real Director Of Worship Arts.

I don't usually discuss service music on this blog. However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the way in which God orchestrated the musical choices of the worship team and choir which were on duty this past Sunday.

On a human level, there was no coordination nor consultation. The worship team rehearsed on their own; the choir director independently chose the selection that his group sang; the organist played the hymns that had been designated for the day. No one knew what the guest speaker had prepared as the theme of his sermon.

The Spirit of God, though, had a message to send to the people of God. And it is He who guided the music and preaching decisions in light of that message. End result? A service of worship carefully knit together by a loving God, who used our sung and spoken words to confront Bronx Bethany with a question He has asked us before.

Do you love Me?

Our guest speaker, Reverend Donovan Cole, spoke on the wantonness of ancient Israel during the exodus from Egypt. In spite of the goodness of God shown through deliverance and provision, the people indulged themselves in idolatry, immorality, and excess.

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century. As was indicated by Pastor Sam during the altar call, there are persons who have logged many a year in their beloved church pew. They have eagerly absorbed the benefits of God's grace without surrendering their lives to Him.

Do you love Me?

We are perhaps (in a sense) cursed with talent, good music, and good looks. We can "do worship" and it seems to be anointed and authentic. Bronx Bethany is among the highest-ranked churches in the Metro New York district, according to the standards of men. But God, once again, is asking us to join with Him in a real love relationship. How sad that He has to keep asking. God help us.

Do you even like Me?

L.P.

This past Sunday's sermon was based on Deuteronomy 6. Today, let's consider the first two verses of the chapter.

Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgements which the LORD your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.


Lands Possessed. God promised the children of Israel a geographical inheritance. "A land flowing with milk and honey" has long been regarded as a metaphor symbolizing God's favor, displayed through His provision of fertile land as an inheritance.

Lives Prolonged. The experience of long life is shown here as a consequence of obedience to the commandments of God. While we are familiar with the commandment "Honor your father and your mother" and its association with longevity (See Deuteronomy 5:16), the opening verses of chapter six imply that this blessing also extends to those who keep all the commands and laws set into place by God.

Speak, Lord, Your servants are listening.