Hophni, Phenehas, and the Ark of God

In the time of the Judges in Israel, Eli was the high priest at Shiloh, where the Ark of God was.  He had two sons; Hophni and Phinehas.  They served as priests before God, but they did so wickedly, having neither regard for the law of God nor any love for the people.  They took food from the offerings by force that was not meant for the priests and also had their way with the women.  Eli did not rebuke his sons, nor did they respect their father and God pronounced a severe judgment on the house of Eli.  Now Israel was at war with the Philistines at this time, and the Philistines were winning.  The men of Israel had the idea to bring the ark of God into the battle, so they sent to Hophni and Phinehas to bring it, and they did.  Both sons of Eli were killed during the battle and the Ark of God was captured, and Eli fell and died when he heard the news.  It was at this time that it was said that the glory of God had departed from Israel. 

Well the Philistines did not have a good experience with the Ark of God and sent it back to Israel and it ended up in the city of Kirjath Jearim for twenty years.  It was actually not until the reign of David that the Ark of God was brought up.

The reason I mention this story is I want to look at the way God was being treated.  You see God is alive, and is a being who desires friendship and companionship.  Yet the priests were not treating Him that way.  They did not take God’s presence seriously.  They used their position as a means for personal gain.  Their attitude must have spread through Israel because the men of Israel saw the Ark of God as a good luck charm.  As if God was a puppet or tool to be used by man to gain an advantage.  But God has His own agenda and it cannot be set for Him.  God was present at the battle but it wasn’t to help Israel but to harm them.  Why?  They did not rightly present Him to the nations. 

How is God being treated at your church?  Or by you?  Is he a good luck charm you pull out in times of danger to get you out of trouble?  You see, if the glory of God is not present it is because we don’t fear or revere God.  Like the children of Eli were more interested in what they could get away with because of their position as priests, we use our so-called freedom in Christ to continue in sin asking forgiveness as it seems necessary.  Jesus has become more like a lucky rabbits foot than the risen King of the universe.

I do not know how much time this nation has left, but we have been playing games with God for far too long.  He is real and He is alive and He is holy.  It is time to turn our hearts in reverence to Him.  I encourage you all to search your hearts and really turn to God.  I love you all.

Giving Is Living

As I look out upon the horizon of life, I see that things come and go.  There is no point in holding on tightly to much of anything because it could easily be gone in an instant.  Life is so very precious and yet so very fragile.  When we are holding on we are hoarding and fearing loss, but loss cannot ever be avoided.  We must live in a state of constant letting go to have peace.  It is in letting go that we find true joy and freedom.  By not holding on to people or things we relinquish control and it allows room for both us and them to reach our potential.  When we hold back others or ourselves we are like standing water, we become stagnant and full of disease, but moving water gives life.  We must live to give to others.  Not just the tangible things but the immeasurable things as well.  It is good to give possessions but it is better to give love and possessions.  Jesus gave His life upon the cross for men who hated Him.  He did not count His life as something that needed to be held on to.  What are you holding on to?  It’s time we let go of our attachment to this world and set our eyes on eternity where there is no lack of any good thing.  Bless you all.  Learn to love. 

Psalm 22:22-31

I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard. My praise [shall be] of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever! All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You. For the kingdom [is] the LORD's, And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive. A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the [next] generation, They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done [this]. - Psa 22:22-31 NKJV

Love One Another

In my pursuit after God I find what look like constant setbacks, you know things to do that make it difficult to spend time reading, praying, writing etc.  Right now I am getting ready to head to the grocery store, a necessity I cannot avoid; we need food.  There is work, caring for my son, spending time with my wife, friends, things that need to be done around the house and the list goes on.  We could take the stance that all these things are opposed to our developing a friendship with God, but are they really?  I am learning that loving God is putting others ahead of yourself, and in most cases, my desire to read, write, pray, study and so on are rooted in my desire to serve myself, not others.  God knows how busy life is and He gives us these relationships to bring joy into the lives of our family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances.  These things to do are not intrusions into our Christianity but what God uses to test and prove it.  As we look not only to our own interests but the interests of others we will find our lives being enriched and the depth of our relationships bringing rewards that separation will never bring.  I want to see God move by His Spirit as much as anyone else, but when we consider what that would look like we must see beyond the miracles and the glory into loving one another.  So in our pursuit to love God with all our heart let us remember it is our love for our neighbor that proves it out.

God is my Refuge.

God is my refuge and my strength (Psa 46:1).  Do we really understand this?  Is it true in our hearts or just a title we offer up to our creator without knowing the reality?  What is a refuge?  It is defined as shelter or protection from danger or distress; a place that provides shelter or protection; and something to which one has recourse in times of difficulty.  God is our recourse, our safe and secure place when danger or distress comes into our lives.  We must truly believe this or it won’t work.  He is love.  Sometimes my son cries for unknown reasons, and being only 3mos old he cannot do much to communicate what is going on, why he is distressed.  We can eliminate a few things early, is he uncomfortable or gassy, does his diaper need to be changed or is he hungry.  Usually one of these three items solves the problem but once in awhile he still needs more, he is distressed.  Many times in these situations all he needs is to be held tightly.  His crying is his running to us as his refuge, and we then take care of him and make him safe and comfortable in every way possible.  He knows that he cannot solve his problems in his own strength but needs the strength of another to aid him.  Our heavenly Father desires to help you.  It is time to recognize our weakness and come to Him to receive His strength.  Jesus said,  "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." - Mat 11:28-30 NLT  Come to Him today, cast all of your cares and worries and fears on Him.  Learn to trust.