Judges 6:25-32 "Take a Stand"

"Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height." ~Judges 6:25-26

Gideon's family had taken to worshiping foreign gods, and God wanted Gideon to do something about it. He must tear their altars down and build new ones to the one, true God. Gideon did it, but he was so afraid of what his family would think, he tore them down at night. He still had some growing to do in his trust of God, but he was experiencing a very real human fear of rejection for his beliefs and for following God's ways.

We're experiencing the same things today. We're not tearing down Asherah poles -- at least I haven't lately. But there are other altars that have been built into our lives that we must tear down and replace with the altar of the one, true God. Maybe we have allowed the god of complacency to enter into our lives. Or the deceiver. What about laziness or anger. Maybe it's a person who is taking all our time and thoughts. Maybe an activity or hobby. Sometimes very innocuous activities that in and of themselves are fine can begin to take a top drawer position in our priorities. There are all kinds of "gods" we allow to take over our lives and maybe we don't even realize it is happening. But when we allow those things to creep in, we are slowing and surely, pushing God aside.

Our God is a jealous God. He does not take being replaced lightly. The very first commandment God gave to Moses was, "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) Too often we hear that and think, "Well, I don't worship other gods. I worship just God. I go to church; I pray to God." But whenever we place anyone or anything above God in our hearts, we are worshiping that person or thing. God must take top priority in our lives -- in all our thoughts, actions, motives, emotions, decisions..... He wants to be in every part of our being. And if he isn't, He will encourage us to tear down the altars and build the right one.

He may demand our respect and attention, but it is for our own good. If He is not Lord of our life, if anything else steps in the place where He belongs, we are choosing a path that is outside of His will. It may be unpopular, but we must take a stand. He will be Lord with or without me. I choose to stand with Him.

Further Thoughts:

1. Do you stand for God and His truth, or are you letting other things take priority?
2. What causes us to veer away from standing firmly with God?
3. How can we prevent straying from placing God first in our life?
4. What price do I need to pay to stand with God? Am I willing?

Father, I believe it is going to get harder and harder to stand with You. The world's philosophy is like a giant magnet enticing me to attach and conform. But my heart remains with You. Keep me close, Father. Even though it may be difficult, help me to stand in Your truth and as Your servant. Amen.

Matthew 11:20-24 "Warning: Remain Unstoppable"

Read Matthew 11:20-24.

"But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you." NIV

This is a little discussed passage that I believe has an important message for us today. Jesus is actually cursing these towns for their unbelief. Why them?

Bethsaida, Korzin and Capernaum make up the "orthodox triangle," a concentrated area of devout Jews. It was in this region that Jesus spent a great deal of time during His ministry and performed many miracles.

Korazin housed a Jewish temple and a piece called "Moses' seat." Jesus refers to this in Matthew 23:1-3 when He is condemning the religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Near Korazin is where it's believed that Jesus gave His Sermon on the Mount.

Bethsaida was the seat of the monarchy and had a cult temple to Julia. Miracles in and near Bethsaida were the feeding of the 5000 and the healing of a blind man.

Capernaum was Jesus' hometown during his ministry years. It was also the home of several of the disciples, including Peter's large home where scholars believe the miracle of the healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof occurred. Jesus also healed the demoniac, the centurion's servant, and gave the sermon on the bread of life in the synagogue.

Although Jesus did travel outside of this region, these three cities form the heart of his ministry. And yet they are the ones that He rebukes as unbelieving.

I can't help but make comparisons between these three cities and the United States. We are a powerful nation (Bethsaida) and although we consider ourselves a Christian nation (Capernaum), hypocrisy reigns in many forms and religions. (Korazin) We have been blessed for over 200 years with a freedom, unlike many other nations, to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ. His values have dominated our government and society as a whole. But I fear this era is coming to a close. The window is narrowing year by year as we entertain other ideologies and practices. We can no longer rest in the comfort of a Christian belief system, but must fight for our religious rights. Political correctness and tolerance are afforded everyone but the Christians. Will we go down as a nation to the depths (vs 23)? Jesus has just commanded his twelve disciples to go out with courage knowing they will face opposition (Ch. 10). We as believers in the USA in the 21st century must continue to display that same courage. We must be cloaked in the armor of the Lord and fight with courage and resolve. Our numbers are few and we have lost several battles, but the war is not over yet. And we have Christ as our supreme commander -- we know the outcome. But getting through the opposition, pressing forward against compromise, tenaciously resisting the temptation of defeat, we move on.

Our nation as a whole is in trouble, but we mighty few can make a difference for some. We can begin with our own families, then to our neighbors, our city, .... The Great Commission is not squelched because of the depravity of the whole. The holiness and courage of the few will march on in the power of Jesus Christ.

Further Thoughts:

1. There are multiple times that God's people have been outnumbered but prevailed. Read about Moses and the Hebrew children against the Egyptians, Joshua and the battle of Jericho, Gideon and his army of 300. Never underestimate a Mighty God empowering a devout few -- they are unstoppable.
2. Do further research about these 3 cities. Do you see the same comparisons to the USA that I see?
3. We see miracles happening around us all the time, but we simply do not take note. Keep a journal of the miracles you experience in your life and the lives of those around you. When feeling overwhelmed or in doubt, these accounts are what you come back to for strength from God's faithfulness. He has not stopped working in and through our lives. Don't stop being faithful to Him.