365 Reflections

It is no secret that  Israel is a mess by the end of Judges. They have a civil war brewing in the wake of the events of Judges 19. The man whose concubine was killed shares edited details of the story to garner support for a retributive attack on the Benjaminites. Judges 20:4–5 (ESV) And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to spend the night. 5 And the leaders of Gibeah rose against me and surrounded the house against me by night. They meant to kill me, and they violated my concubine, and she is dead. Note the lack of informing them HE offered her to them so he could save his own skin. His statements betray the root problem of Israel - "pride." God is going to her bring low. The tribe of Benjamin, we find out is strong and skilled with slings. They are also fortified in the highland. As the battle commences, we see Israel slowly be humbled by God through a series o...

Psalm 109:1–5 (ESV) Be not silent, O God of my praise! 2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. 3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. 4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. 5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. The Lord WHO is with you is greater than those who come against you. That is the promise of Psalm 109. The Psalmist is in desperate circumstance, hated by people on all sides. He seeks the Lord's help in prayer, praise and fasting. He is diligent to humble himself and call out to the God who saves. Psalm 109 is one of the Imprecatory Psalms wherein the Psalmist calls down curses on his enemies. It is the longest and most intense of those particular Psalms. Notice... Psalm 109:8–10 (ESV) May his days be few; may another take his office! 9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! 10 May his children wa...

Acts 13:2–3 (ESV) While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. These verses are packed with incredible insight into the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit speaks to us in worship and times of fasting. What are we doing in worship? We are exalting God in our mouths and letting Him know how wonderful He is. Worship brings God's voice to our lives. Fasting is denial of self for the purpose of hearing God's Word - the true bread. When we don't know what to do, we should consider both for the sake of hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.  Second, the Holy Spirit speaks in a corporate setting of the church. This didn't happen in the setting of one or two... there were several people from all kinds of backgrounds. Consider that "Simon who was called Niger" was ther...

Mark 9:29 (ESV) And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” A demon possessed boy brought to Jesus' disciples by his father.  The disciples are powerless against the demon.  They cannot drive it out.  They are spiritual failures.  But Jesus, fresh from the Mount of Transfiguration drives it out with a few words.   The reason He gives the disciples for failure?  There are some things that regular devotion to God will not get you over.  Jesus says, "This kind."  There are different spiritual enemies.  There are Goliaths, and there are others. Jesus says their failure is because they haven't prayed (and some manuscripts add) and FASTED. There is no doubt, fasting is Biblical, commanded and practiced by Jesus, and essential to a life of supernatural power and influence.   Why don't we do it? Maybe because we have our wires crossed.  Many of us think the mountain top experience is w...