PASTOR'S
LETTER
8 November 2001
Dear Shepherds of the Lord's Sheep;
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Chrost. Looking back over the last couple of years, I cna't believe how fast they've flown. I know many others have said it, but time seems to be slipping away faster and faster.
For those who don't know, we've been ministering in Mexico for almost tow years now. I guess that's why I've fallen off writing these letters of encouragement to you. However, God has been dealing with me on this, and I hope to be able to send them out regularly again.
The enclosed teaching is what the Lord had me preach following the terrorist attack on 11 September. The basic three points were something I received from teh Lord a few years ago, but I hadn't put it together as a message before this. It seems appropriate for today, so that's why I'm sending it to you.
Another thing that seems appropriate for today is the scripture 911. Many have commented on the terrorist attack taking place on the day 9/11, and how that is the number used for emergency calls. I prefer the 911 emergency call that we as believers can make to our Lord. That's found in Psalm 91:1
He that dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide in teh shadow of the almighty. And I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.
What a call for today! We need to dwell in that secret place, where God can be our refuge and our fortress. The world may be seeking a place to hide from the terrorists, but we have the only true place of safety.
Blessings to you,
Rev. Rich Murphy
God's System of Correction
Many believers wonder, when they are going through a difficult time, whether it is God trying to get their attention and do something with them, or whether the enemy is attacking them. They don't know whether they should start spiritual warfare, repent, or ask God for help.
Any time that we, as believers, turn away from God, God works to turn us back to him. This process is very obvious in the book of Judges.
The book of Judges is a story of God dealing with the obstinance of the nation of Israel. It seems to be a story that goes round and round in a circle. The Israelites serve God for a while, then turn away from Him into idolatry. Because of their disobedience, God's hand of blessing is removed from Israel, and He allows one of the surrounding nations to take them over. Eventually, Israel gets tired of this, and turns back to God, asking for deliverance. He raises up a judge, and sets them free.
The problem is that this cycle happens over, and over, and over again. They didn't seem to learn the lesson of their disobedience.
To understand the book of judges, we must first understand the Biblical concept of a judge. Here, in the "western world" we think of a judge as one who hears both sides of a court case, and makes a determination of who is right. However, the Biblical concept of a judge isn't a Western judge but a Oriental one.
In the Bible, a judge didn't just determine who was right and who was wrong. The judge was responsible before God to do whatever was necessary to right the wrongs. These judges had the responsibility to make things right.
Jesus told a parable about a judge in the book of Luke18, verses 2 through 5.
There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Notice what the widow asked of the judge; "avenge me of mine adversary." She wanted more than just a judgment against her adversary, she wanted somebody to do something about it. A judgment against her adversary, without correcting the wrong wouldn't do her any good, she needed things made right again.
The judges in the Bible were appointed by God to bring judgment against those who had done wrong. They were to "make right" the wrongs that these other people had done against Israel.
Jesus came to the earth as a judge as well. His death on the cross was an act of a judge "making right" the wrongs that mankind had done. In this day and age, Jesus is represented on the earth by the Body of Christ, who act in His place as judge. We, the believers, are to "make right" the wrongs in the world, by bringing people to the ultimate judge, Jesus.
God has a three step system that He uses in order to deal with His people when they need correction. This system is found in the Old Testament, especially in the books of Judges, Kings, and Chronicles. But, since our God is the same "yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8) He is still using the same system to deal with us today, and to deal with us as a nation.
Step one of God's system is to give us His Word. All through history, even as far back as the garden of Eden, we've had God's Word to direct and guide us. Jude writes:
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Jude 14-16
This quote comes from the book of Enoch, which we don't have today, but apparently existed in the time of the apostles (although the church today doesn't have this book, the Jews have it listed as one of the earlier writings that weren't included in the Bible). Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam, had written a book of prophecy from God. This book was important enough to be quoted in the New Testament, even though we don't have it as part of our Bible today.
Abraham, another ancient believer lived amongst a pagan people, yet He saw in the universe God created signs that God existed. He sought this God who created everything, and found Him. God spoke to him, and he believed God's Word.
There are testimonies from missionaries who have gone to tribes in Africa, or the Pacific to tell the people there about Jesus. Even though these tribes had no contact with the outside world, they knew the story of creation, original sin, and that God had sent His Son to save them from their sins. They only needed to know the name of God's Son.
All through history, mankind has had God's Word. Not necessarily in the finished form of the Bible we have today, but some Word from God where He revealed Himself to man.
The Word of God is to bring change in our lives. By revealing our sin nature and God's holiness, the Word of God shows us our need for a Savior, and also our need to be changed into His image.
In the tabernacle that God directed Moses to build, there was a Brazen Laver within the area known as the courtyard of the tabernacle. This brazen laver was placed in front of the door of the Holy Place so that the priests needed to pass by it before going into the Tent of Meeting. The priests were required to wash themselves in the brazen laver before entering the Holy of Holies to serve God.
Water in the Bible represents God's Word. Just as the priests were washed by the water, we too need to be washed by the Word of God.
The Brazen Laver was made out of the bronze mirrors of the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. That's because God's Word acts as a mirror of our hearts, showing us what is within us.
When we are washed by the Word of God, we are changed. If we are walking outside of God's will, His Word shows us. If we are in disobedience, His Word shows us how to change. If we think we are doing well as a believer, the Word will confirm or deny our thoughts.
God's first step in correcting us is always to give us His Word. If we ignore God's Word to us, He will move on to step two.
Step two of God's system of correction is to send us someone else with His Word. The books of the prophets in the Old Testament are full of warnings that God sent His people when they were in rebellion to Him. Those prophecies weren't the nice "words" we hear in church nowadays, where someone has a "word from God" about how much He loves us and how pleased He is with our worship. They were warnings from God to His people, telling them to change their ways, and repent from their sins.
These books of the prophets were all written during the times of the judges and the kings. The same time periods where the nation of Israel kept turning away from God. Because of His love, He desired to turn them back to Him, instead of allowing them to perish for their sin.
God still has prophets in the church. However, just as their message wasn't always popular in Old Testament times, it isn't always popular today. Often times, we're seeking after someone who can "tickle our ears" with an uplifting message, instead of someone who'll tell us the truth about our ungodliness.
Sometimes these "prophets" aren't really prophets at all, at least not in the sense of someone who is in the office of a prophet. But, for our purposes, they are fulfilling the work of a prophet, speaking God's truth into our lives. They can be a pastor, brother in the Lord, a preacher on television, or even an unbeliever. It isn't important what form they take, what's important is the word they bring us from God.
Most of the time, when someone comes to us with a word of correction, we're quick to discount it. Our "rationalizer" goes into high gear, finding fault with the messenger, comparing ourselves to others worse than ourselves, and finding loopholes in the Word of God.
Even if someone brings us a word that's false, there is often a grain of truth in it. If our heart is truly after God, we should seek out this grain of truth, and allow God to use it to change us.
We should always look at any "negative" word we receive as an opportunity to search our hearts. Things can slip in there that we don't realize, and if we aren't constantly asking the Lord to check the condition of our hearts, we can find ourselves far from Him, without knowing how we got there.
Often times, the words that cause us the most anger are the ones that have the most needed message. Our strong reaction to them is in fact an effort to justify ourselves, instead of an honest appraisal of our hearts.
As a nation, we've had many prophets bringing forth God's warnings to us. Yet, we've ignored these words, saying that those messengers were "out of touch with God's message for today," or that they "were fanatics," or "doomsayers." Instead of listening to them, we've gone seeking the messages that helped us "feel better" and added to our financial prosperity.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we don't need healing of our hearts. Nor am I saying that God doesn't desire to bless His people. The only way the Word of God will reach every tongue, tribe and nation is with God's people providing the money that God gives them. But, we shouldn't ignore the messages of judgment to just seek after the blessings. Both have a place in the life of a believer today.
God's first step in correcting us is to give us his Word. His second step is to send someone else to us with His Word. God's third step is to turn us over to the hand of the Philistines, or the Midianites, or the Ammonites... or, in other words, to turn us over to Satan for the destruction of our flesh that our souls might be saved.
Throughout the book of Judges, the nation of Israel found themselves under the control of these ungodly nations. Every time, it was allowed by God for the purpose of getting them to turn back to Him. Every time, they eventually turned back to Him.
God would much rather have his people listen to His Word and obey Him. But, He is more concerned with the condition of our soul than He is in the condition of our bank accounts. So, if He needs to allow us to go through hardship, He will. He'll do whatever it takes, as our righteous judge, to bring us to the place where we are right with Him.
As a judge, God is interested in making things right. Sometimes that can happen by God using His sovereign power to perform miracles in our lives. Sometimes it is by the Holy Spirit teaching us. But there are times when it happens through God allowing pain and hardship into our lives. Not to punish us, but to use it as a means to bring us to a point of repentance, or other change in our lives.
In the book of Job, God allowed Satan to steal Job's wealth, his family, his health, even his dignity. By the time Satan was through with Job, all he could do was sit on an ash heap, scraping his sores with a broken piece of pottery.
If we read this story, without looking any deeper into it, the story seems to be a contest between God and Job, with Satan as only a pawn in their game. This is almost like the stories of ancient Greek mythology, where the gods were using people for their own benefit. Often times hurting people in their own quest for power or position.
However, our God isn't like that. He is a God of love, who is always looking to our benefit. Yes, at times He may allow Satan to steal from us and put sickness upon us. But, only if it is to our long-term benefit. There is always a greater purpose in teaching and changing us.
It would seem that Job was the perfect believer. Nowhere in the book does it say that he sinned. In fact, it says several times that he didn't sin (Job 1:22; 2:10). God goes even farther than that, saying that he was "perfect and upright" and that he was a man who "feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). If he wasn't in sin, was perfect and upright, feared God, and avoided evil, why did God need to allow him to go through all that hardship? What was God trying to teach him? How was God trying to change him?
The secret of Job's problems can be found in Job's words. Repeatedly, Job talks about his own righteousness, stating that there is nothing wrong in his life. Many times he asks God for a trial. Every time his friends mention something that can be wrong in his life, he responds by talking about his own righteousness.
If nothing else is wrong with Job, the one thing we can see from these words is that Job has a problem with pride. He literally challenged God's righteousness, comparing his own to God's.
Another indication of Job's pride was in his conversations with his friends. Basically Job's words can be boiled down to a justification of himself. Had he been a truly humble man, he would have used his friends comments and accusations as an opportunity to search his own soul. Even if he thought he was just, we should see something of him checking his heart, verifying that there wasn't anything wrong in it.
God used Satan to prepare Job for a cure from his pride. Although it isn't in the story, I think we can safely assume that God had been trying to get Job's attention long before He allowed Satan to attack him. Since Job hadn't received from those lessons, God was prepared to do whatever was necessary in order to cure Job of his problem with pride. Everything that is except kill him.
After Job's friends finish talking to him, God finally speaks. From the very first of God's words, it is obvious that God is demonstrating to Job the difference between the greatness of God and the limits of man.
Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. 4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. 5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof...
Job 38:2-6
Job accepted the lessons contained in this time of correction in his life. In fact, when we look at his final words to God, we see some real repentance and change in his heart.
I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
Job 42:2-6
First of all, we see that Job has recognized that God is greater than himself (vs. 2). He finally understood who this God that he served was. Then he speaks of his own foolishness, proclaiming that his desire for an audiance with God was done without understanding. Thirdly, in verse six, Job shows true heartfelt repentance for his attitude. Finally, he says that he knew of God, but now he has seen God (vs 5). In other words, he went from religion to relationship.
This man who was called "perfect and upright" (Job 1:1) found out who he really was. More important that that, he found out who God was. Through that, God brought about correction and change in his life.
Sometimes God needs to use step three with an individual, other times with a family, or a church. Then there are times when He needs to do this with a whole city, or even a nation. Whatever is necessary, God will allow. His love for us is so great that He will not allow us to continue in the wrong way.
The book of Judges ends with these words:
"In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
Judges 21:25
The nation of Israel had turned away from God so many times, that they lost track of God as their king. Because of their lack of a king, they lacked direction and identity as a nation. Instead of gathering together to worship the Lord, they each went their own way. Unfortunately, that also meant that they went their own way in worshipping idols as well.
First Samuel picks up where Judges leaves off. We can literally say that Judges 21:25 is the first verse of 1st Samuel. Eli, the priest, and later Samuel himself, were in the position of being Judges over Israel.
In 1st Samuel chapter four, we see one more time when the nation of Israel went out to fight the Philistines. Since they weren't serving God, the Philistines killed about four thousand in the first day of fighting. Verse three is very interesting. They asked a good question, but didn't wait for a good answer.
And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
1 Samuel 4:3
Whenever we are in the hands of the Philistines, we need to ask the Lord what we're doing there. But, we don't need to come up with our own answer, we need to wait for the Lord to give us one. They asked, but instead of waiting for the Lord, they made a decision to "fetch the ark." In other words, instead of serving God, they tried to use Him.
In recent years, the church has moved more and more in this direction. We don't preach about serving God, we preach about how to use His power. We don't preach about holiness, we preach about feeling good. We don't search for God's will, we search for His blessings. We don't sacrifice anything for the gospel, we look for God to prosper us financially just because we're His kids.
I'm not saying God doesn't delight in the prosperity of His servants. But the key word in that phrase is "servants." We can't expect God to bless us if we aren't serving Him. We can't use God any more than the Israelites did in 1st Samuel chapter four.
And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. 8 Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
1 Samuel 4:5-7
It seems from these verses that the Philistines understood our God better than the Israelites. The Israelites had forgotten to serve God, but the Philistines remembered the works that God did hundreds of years earlier. They were afraid, not of Israel, but of the God of Israel.
However, their fear was unnecessary, because God didn't move on Israel's behalf. He allowed the Philistines to win, killing 30,000 soldiers of Israel. The Ark of the Covenant entered into captivity.
The story doesn't end there though. The Philistines, thinking that their God, Dagon, had given them victory over Israel, put the ark in Dagon's temple as a trophy. The next morning, Dagon's image was prostrate on the floor, in front of the ark. God may have allowed the Philistines to have victory over Israel, but they didn't have victory over Him. The priests set Dagon upright again, only to find him prostrate again the next morning. To make His point, God broke off Dagon's hands and his head and placed them away from the body on the threshold.
Not only did Dagon suffer, but the Philistines did as well. God caused them to have plagues of tumors and rats, and all sorts of destruction to come upon them. Finally, out of fear, the Philistines returned the ark back to Israel. God made the point that their victory didn't mean that they owned Him as well.
The very first settlers who came to what later became known as the United States, they did so for religious freedom. They were seeking a place where they could worship the Lord, without the interference of the "state religion." When the nation was founded, all the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Christians, with the exception of two people. George Washington was reliable reported to be a praying man. In fact, there's a story about him where a Torrie saw him praying in the woods and said, "We're going to lose this war. There's no way we can win against a man who prays like that."
The early years of the United States were those of a Christian nation, growing strong both physically and spiritually, upon the Word of God. We remained a Christian nation all the way into the early 1900's. After that, a series of events gradually turned the hearts of the people away from God.
· 1940's - World War Two - Morality, especially sexual morality, takes a nosedive.
· 1947 - Television is Invented - Christian ministers declare television as ungodly. So, instead of this being used as a tool for the gospel, it becomes a tool of the enemy. We invite sinners into our house, through this box, to sin in front of our families.
· Mid 1950's to 1975 - the Vietnam War - People start entering the ministry to avoid the draft. Instead of having ministers who are called and anointed by God, the churches become filled with ministers who are doing it as a job.
· Mid 1960's - The Beatles come from England - Along with their music, they bring their Guru from India. The New Age movement is born in the United States.
· 1962 - Prayer is removed from our schools.
· 1973 - Abortion is Legalized - In the famous Roe vs. Wade supreme court case, we lose track of the sanctity of human life, and allow women to kill their unborn babies.
In all of this, we've had God's Word. There are probably more Bibles in the United States than there are in the rest of the world combined. We have more translations that any other people do. The average Christian in the U.S. owns six or seven Bibles, while in some countries they might only have one for a church. There are more Christian television stations, Christina radio stations, and Christian books in the United States than there are anywhere else in the world. We are abundantly blessed with God's Word.
God has also sent us preachers to preach His truth to us. There have been prophets speaking out against the nation, telling us that a time of judgement was coming. We've heard and ignored warnings to turn back to God. Instead of listening to those messages we've looked for those who "tickled our ears" and made us feel good.
On September 11th, the Philistines arrived. They took control of four airplanes, crashing one into the Pentagon, and two into the World Trade Center. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
When King Solomon dedicated the temple, God spoke these words to him:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
1 Chronicles 7:14
I praise God for those who've come into the church since that day seeking answers. I praise God that the secular news is once again speaking positively about the church. I praise God that this horrible event is turning people back to Him. But I want to see more.
We are involved in a new war, a war against terrorism. It's a war that could span the globe before it's done. But it's a war that needs to begin and end in the church. Unless we, the people of God, heed the words that God spoke to Solomon, this war will not be won. Unless we humble ourselves, repent, and seek God's face, we will see many more works of terrorism. This battle belongs to the church.
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Copyright © 1998 by Richard A. Murphy, Maranatha Life All rights reserved.
