Posts Tagged ‘bible’

Compromise, Justify and Excuses, Conviction, and the Truth.

Posted: April 6, 2025 in Judges
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Under Gods Command.

Compromise, Justify and Excuses, Conviction, and the Truth. 

Do we compromise the commands given by God? Do we engage in activities and visit places where we know we have no right to be, simply to avoid offending a friend or family member? Do we support sinful behavior? Then afterward we me up excuses to justify our actions.  These are the reasons why I read the Bible. Stories like these serve as a reminder to remain steadfast in my adherence to God’s commands. I already struggle at times to maintain my own integrity, and I will not allow anyone else to derail me from my path. 

Gods Command to King Saul

1 Samuel 15:3 NIV Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”

COMPROMISED

1 Samuel 15:8-9: Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt. [8] He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. [9] But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

 Saul and his men did not destroy all the plunder from the battle as God had commanded them to do (15:3). The law of devoting something—setting it aside—entirely for destruction was well known to the Israelites. Anything under God’s ban was to be completely destroyed

(Deuteronomy 20:16-18 However, in the cities of the nations the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. [17] Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you. [18] Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God).

This was set up in order to prevent idolatry from taking hold in Israel because many of the valuables were idols. To break this law was punishable by death (Joshua 7). It showed disrespect and disregard for God because it directly violated one of his commands.

Let’s Bring Home: When we gloss over sin in order to protect what we have or for material gain, we aren’t being shrewd; we are disobeying God. Selective obedience is just another form of disobedience.

JUSTIFICATION AND EXCUSES

1 Samuel 15:13 NIV

When Samuel (Profit of God) reached him, Saul said, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”  

King Saul genuinely believed he was following God’s instructions and acting in righteousness. This is not unique to him; we all do and say things that we later try to justify with the word of God, even when we know we are mistaken.  

1 Samuel 15:14-15 NIV

But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”  

15] Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

1 Samuel 15:16-19 NIV

“Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied. [17] Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel. [18] And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ [19] Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?”

Samuel reminded King Saul of the mission God sent him on. In those days they had the Profits, but today we have the Holy Spirit to convict us with reminding us of the mission God has us on and when we disobey. Its called Conviction. 

1 Samuel 15:18-19 NIV

And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ [19] Why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the LORD?”

When confronted with our actions, we often quickly dismiss them as right. However, sometimes we need to take a step back and reflect on our decisions. Only then will we truly understand the truth behind our actions. 

1 Samuel 15:20-23 NIV

“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. [21] The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”

Now Samuel broke it down to King Saul that obeying is much better than sacrifice.  We have to be careful that the Lord does not reject our prayers behind disobedience.

 [22] But Samuel replied: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. [23] For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.”

After we deal with our in convictions, it will bring out the truth everything. 

CONVICTION BRINGS OUT THE TRUTH

1 Samuel 15:24 NIV

Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.

Sometimes, we fear losing relationships with loved ones, friends, and associates because we refuse to condone their sinful behavior. Saul’s excuses had come to an end, and the time of reckoning had arrived. God wasn’t rejecting Saul as a person; the king could still have sought forgiveness and restored his relationship with God. However, it was too late to reclaim his kingdom.

Lets Bring it Home: If you do not act responsibly with what God has entrusted to you, eventually you will run out of chances to keep it. All of us must one day give an account for our actions (Romans 14:12; Revelation 22:12). At the same time, when we follow God, we may lose our reputations, possessions, or careers, but those are nothing compared to the eternal life we gain.

Time Out

Posted: December 27, 2023 in Uncategorized
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The Book of Joshua

The phase TIME OUT has several meanings. Let’s talk about a couple of them.

  • Take a break while playing a game.  
  • In A form of discipline for a child.

What is that break used for when taking a TIME OUT from a game or any other physical event? 

What happens when a child is put into TIME OUT or sent to their room after doing something they weren’t supposed to do? How can we relate these examples of TIME OUT to the Word of God and our lives? At times, do we need to take a TIME OUT? 

TIME OUT to Witness

TIME OUT to Pray

TIME OUT to Fellowship

Jesus always took TIME OUTS to pray. In what ways does God put us in TIME OUT, and why? 

Did God ever send anyone to TIME OUT in the Bible?

Jonah was given a mission from God:  Jonah Chapter 1: 1-2, the word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai. (2) Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. (3)  But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish, He went down to Joppa where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.  

TIME OUT: Chapter 1:17, Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.  

  • What did he do while in Time Out? Prayed to the LORD (Read Chapter 2)  

 Sometimes, God places us in TIME OUT to humble us, to get our attention, and at times so we do not start taking credit for the victories in our lives.  

  • Moses and Joshua

Let’s read Joshua 1: 6-9: Do you think Joshua was taking a TIME OUT by receiving instruction from the Lord?

Important points:

  • Ver 7 be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.  
  • Ver 8: So not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 

If God is with us, as Joshua, why do we fail or struggle to defeat challenging situations, difficult people, and temptations? 

  • 1 Samuel 17:38-40: David refused to go into battle with Sauls armor because he had not tested or trained with them. He wanted his sling and five stones.  

Hebrews 5: 13, 14 states: Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.  

  • Commitment to Christ moves people out of their comfort zones. We must train ourselves to distinguish good from evil.  

Are we using our TIME OUTS effectively? 

  • Paying attention, praying in faith, or as James says (James 2; 23), walking away from the mirror and forgetting what we heard or learned. Or are we failing to apply what we learned because of a lack of commitment to the primary work of the ministry (to be soul winners for Christ Mat 28:19)?

In Ver 9 of Chapter 3: Joshua tells the Israelites to come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.

  • Joshua gathered the people to hear the words of the Lord. Their excitement was high. No doubt they wanted to rush on, but Joshua made them take a Time Out and listen. We run all day in this fast-paced age where everyone rushes just to keep up. It is easy to get caught up in our tasks, becoming too busy for what God says is most important-listening to his words. Before making plans, take a Time Out to focus on what God wants from all your activities. Knowing what God has said before you rush into your day can help you avoid foolish mistakes. 

Why did Joshua fail to defeat the town of AI the first time around?

Joshua 7:2-5 NIV

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. [3] When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” [4] So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, [5] who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.

  1.  Did Joshua fail to take a (TIME OUT) to consult God or wait for God’s direction before going into battle?  
  2. Sin has entered the camp. How did it affect the entire group?

Chapter 7 Joshua 7:10-12 NIV

The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face? [11] Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. [12] That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction.

  1. (Remember what God told Joshua in the beginning)
    • Chapter 1:7, Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful in wherever you go.  

Is there sin in your camp? Do you need more TIME OUTS? Remember, as Joshua, you are responsible for the sin in your house.

What are some of the things that get in our way of taking TIME OUTS?

Take some TIME OUTS to confess your sins when God reveals them to you (7:19-21), when you fail, refocus on God, deal with the problem, and move on (7:22-25; 8:1). God wants the cycle of sin, repentance, and forgiveness to strengthen us, not to weaken us. The lessons we learn from our failures should make us better able to handle the same situation the second time around. Because God is eager to give us cleansing, forgiveness, and strength, the only way to lose is to give up. We tell what kind of people we are by what we do on the second and third attempts.  

They gave Joshua the city. Yesterday’s defeat became today’s victory. Once sin is dealt with, forgiveness and victory lie ahead. With God’s direction, we need not stay discouraged or burdened with guilt. No matter how difficult a setback sin may bring, we must renew our efforts to carry out God’s will.  

A SET BACK IS A SET UP FOR A COME BACK

The only way to do this is to take more Time Out and spend it with the Lord.

Rob Henry

Army of Christ

Sergeant First Class

United States Army Retired

Proverbs 13:13 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: January 13, 2012 in Acceptance, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command
Proverbs 13:13 He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded.

God created us, knows us, and loves us. It only makes sense, then to listen to his instructions and do what he says. The Bible is his unfailing word to us. It is like an owner’s manual for a car. If you obey God’s instructions, you will “run right” and find his kind of power to live. If you ignore them, you will have break downs, accidents, and failures.