DEUTERONOMY 4:1-49
WHAT IS "THE LAND"? Other names are "inheritance", "portion", "allotment", "promise", "in Christ". If we are going to fight giants (magnified troubles) to get "IT”, it would be nice to know what we are fighting for.
(1.) We know from the Hebrews 3 and 4 it is the place called "Rest". (Which is a condition in God of faith and obedience and safety.)
(2.) We also know it is a place called "Plenty" (flowing with milk and honey Ex 3:8; Lev 20:24; De 28:47) also called "all things", "all sufficiency", "riches in glory" (Eph 1:18; 2Co 9:8; John 10:10).
(3.) We also know from Scripture IT IS NOT HEAVEN. (Yes! I am shouting.) For one thing, I do not have to die in order to collect an inheritance - Jesus died and left it to me.). It is entered through rebirth. And we know it is inhabited by "the righteous", "children of light", "children of promise", NO "flesh and blood", people of "faith and patience", "overcomers", the "forgiven", those the Holy Spirit "qualified - made meet", the receivers "of abundant mercy". (Scriptures too abundant to list here.)
We could call it "the Kingdom of God" and be correct. That is the atmosphere of influence. But reading Ephesians, we find that it is a state of being "in Christ". In fact, Eph 1:18 and Isa 19:25 say that WE are HIS inheritance! Actually Ephesians altogether is a great definition of what it means to be "in the Land" or "in Christ". Psa 16:5; 73:26; 119:57; and 142:5 says that God Himself is MY PORTION and MY INHERITANCE. John 17:3 says that "knowing Him" is "LIFE". Jesus came and died to give us God Himself as our inheritance.
POSSESSING THE LAND DEPENDS ON: (Deut chapter 4)
(1) (v.1-2) Stay in the Word (Truth).
(2) (v.3-14) Cling to God through obedience to the Truth. Guard your hearts with Truth.
(3.) (v.15-28) Stay pure, fleeing idolatry. Idolatry is hypocrisy and doublemindedness. It is believing a system of lies (substitutes for Truth), and depending on substitutes for God. God is jealous and a consuming fire and will forcefully remove your substitutes if He has to.
(4.) (v.29-31) Live a life of repentance. Repent every day and return to God as the Source of Life and reconnect.
(5.) (v.32-40) Stay faithful through obedience, knowing there is No One else like Him. He is our Life. Our lives center around Him. He brought us out of the world, and now He will bring us into His throneroom.
RESPONSE: I remember the first time that I found out that God is my inheritance. I was disappointed because I had vengeance in mind, a payback for all my troubles, a real "I'll-show-you" attitude. I was looking for a time and place here on earth where I could get even with my enemies (whoever they were). I didn't understand that my attitude was my enemy. That bitterness and grumbling were keeping me out of my inheritance! I was supposed to inherit "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost! (Rom 14:17) We are opposed by the world, the flesh and the devil. The only one we are told to kill is the flesh! Oh-oh! Something tells me that "crossing the Jordan" might be painful!
LUKE 6:39-7:10
DisObedience: Disobedience is a disconnect from God, and documents self-sufficiency and arrogance. It puts the disobedient one in the position of having to do all sorts of pretending. When disobedience is resident in a "leader", it is doubly bad because now he is leading others into his own pit. Of course, his life will be tested by fruit-inspectors, water, wind and fire (Luke 6:48-49; 1 Cor 3:13; Psa 148:8; Heb 12:26-29, etc). To be obedient is to be submitted; and to be submitted is evidence of "great faith".
RESPONSE: Did you see that? The HEALING was not evidence of "great faith" - but his submission to authority was!!!! Disobedience makes us blind. We not only cannot see to find our way, but we are blind to our own faults too. We can't see Truth; and we can't see our way out of our messes. The only way back is through repentance so we can reconnect with God - and cling to Him.PSALM 68:1-18
Kingdom Psalm #8 - The March of Victory, probably sung as the Ark was moved to Mt. Zion by David. It is compared to God's March through the Wilderness (Num 10:33-36 as the Ark moved out.) to Mt. Sinai and on to Mt. Zion (in Jerusalem). The Presence of God causes the earth AND the heavens to shake. God's Way is the way of victory. In this Splendid Psalm the Names of God are poured out: "Elohim (23x), Adonai, Shaddai, Jehovah". It is all about our irresistible Conqueror and His victory over all the earth. The highly exalted One, who sits enthroned in heaven, rules all history here on earth, and yet takes interest in the lowliest (widows, orphans, prisoners).
Zion: Elohim has chosen Zion as the inaccessible seat of His throne, and God will continue to dwell there forever. Grace is superior to nature, and the Church IS superior to the world.
Women: (Ps 68:11) "Of the female preachers there was a great host." No matter what you may read, these were NOT just tamborine players, either!
PROVERBS 11:28
A withered tree vs a flourishing green tree. Can't trust in anything that's not ETERNAL. Money ain't.
RESPONSE: Whose victory is it anyway? We share in Jesus' Victory over the world, over the devil, and even over our own flesh. The only way WE "get the victory" is when we say "no" to our flesh!
We aren't "marching TO Zion" (like the old song says) - we ARE Zion! We join the rest of Zion when we pray:
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect," Heb 12:22-23
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