MOSES’ FINAL TASK

If you read the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy in a ‘user-friendly’ version such as The Message Bible, you will see that we’re essentially reading from Moses’ journal!

To follow my thinking here, you may need a refresher:

·        Moses and the children of Israel [Jacob] travel across the wilderness and arrive at the outskirts of Canaan – on the eastern shore of the Jordan River.

·        At the people’s suggestion, Moses sends twelve spies into Canaan to bring back a report.

·        Upon their return, ten spies indicate that it will be impossible for them to conquer this land and people!

·        Two spies – Joshua and Caleb – simply make a faith statement: God will give it to us, just don’t rebel against God! And don’t be afraid of those people. Why, we’ll have them for lunch! They have no protection and GOD is on our side. [Numbers 14:8-9 – All quotes from The Message unless otherwise noted]

·        The people immediately begin to complain and ask why Moses brought them to this place to be destroyed.

·        God’s anger broke out and sentenced the entire generation to die in the wilderness without entering the Promised Land!

·        The people repent and try to go to war against Canaan on their own strength. They are easily defeated.

·        Moses leads them back into the wilderness to wander for nearly forty years until that entire generation [under the age of 20] dies out! Only Joshua and Caleb will ever see the Promised Land.

Okay, if you’re still with me, then you realize that Moses has a final task of teaching a whole new generation of Israelites the history of:

Ø their deliverance from Egypt

Ø God’s faithfulness in providing for their needs

Ø God’s protection against foreign enemies

Ø God’s Word delivered from Mt. Sinai

Ø The repeated grumbling and complaining of their parents” generation

It was an in surmountable task! So much to cover! Moses had to be convincing since this younger generation had no [or very little] memory of actually experiencing God’s power and manifestations!

If you read these early chapters, you will see Moses’ determination to bring a whole new generation up-to-speed regarding their history and DESTINY!

Their parents had been unfaithful and unbelieving! Their parents did NOT leave them a legacy of faith! This new generation had to face the future with a major deficit of faith and trust in God!  Moses stood in the gap and made a valiant effort to infuse them with faith by telling them the history of God’s faithfulness!

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We are living in a day that reflects strongly the same dilemma. Since the 1960’s, the Church has been undermined by a radically changing culture!

I’m old enough to remember a time when the local ministerial group had major influence. In my hometown – New Brighton, PA – if the clergy spoke out about an issue, it carried a GREAT DEAL OF WEIGHT!

During the 1960's some teachers either allowed us to observe a "moment of silence" or read a verse of scripture. We began every day by standing and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States!

This was a period when the Church owned Sundays and Wednesday evenings! Schools and sporting groups didn’t DARE to infringe on those two time-frames! Gradually, however, they whittled away at Wednesdays by scheduling occasional games. Then, of course, they became regular! And guess what? The parents didn’t squawk! They – perhaps reluctantly – conceded! And Wednesday nights were lost as a stronghold of Christian education!

Then the teams and organizations set their sights on Sundays!  Games and practices were scheduled that competed with Sunday School and Morning Worship! And guess what? Parents didn’t draw a line by saying: “My kids will NOT be there on Sunday mornings!” So – Sundays were lost to the power of a godless culture!

Is it any wonder that churches have lost their influence?

Is it any wonder that the Church – in America – is in SERIOUS DECLINE?

Is it any wonder that sexual confusion gains favor in our culture?

Is it any wonder that violence is beyond belief?

Is it any wonder that schools are no longer safe-havens?

Although prayer in schools was banned in 1962, someone has smilingly stated that as long as they give tests in school – there’ll be prayer in school!  😄

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More than at any time in our American history, the responsibility for extending the Christian faith into the future is on parents!

It has ALWAYS been our responsibility! Remember Deuteronomy 6:5-9,

 Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!

 

Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

The pathway to rectifying the diminishing of our faith in America is actually quite simple. We – as parents – must speak to our children about our faith! We must – like Moses – try our best to make it real to them! We must encourage them to develop a strong faith and trust in God! Regardless of their age!

If you dropped the ball in earlier years or were distracted by work, goals and other diversions – MAKE UP FOR IT NOW! If you have a legacy of faith – PASS IT ON!

I am the self-appointed ‘story-teller’ in the Haire family! I take every advantage of telling stories to my kids and grandkids! I want them to know that they have a history of faith! In the case of our children, both the Whippos and the Haires raised their families in the faith! What a blessing for our kids! The same is true of our grandchildren. Both the Kerstetters and the Haires raised their families in the faith!

This is an established legacy! We must make every effort to see that it continues strong and committed into the future! 

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FOREVER FORGIVING GOD: Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

 Those of us who were raised in-the-faith are grateful!

We thank You for being the Lord of our homes and our lives!

 

Thank You for faithful parents who raised us to love and honor You!

Thank You for the churches that joined them in teaching and maturing us in our faith!

Thank You for role models that cared about us and encouraged us!

Thank You for spiritual mentors who guided, corrected and encouraged us!

 

Give us courage to speak openly about our faith in any setting!

Give us a renewed determination to challenge our own children – regardless of their age – to stand strong in the faith and preserve this legacy of faithfulness to You and Your Word!

 

Help us to be a force that counters a misguided culture!

Help us to be an anchor that refuses to yield to the migrating of faith that is common today!

Help us to maintain a daily walk with You that transforms us and keeps us heading toward Heaven and its eternal joys!

 

AMEN!

WHAT KIND OF LEGACY ARE YOU LEAVING?

God starts teaching us about the importance of legacy from the very beginning and continues throughout His Word.

He begins in the lives of the first sons born to Adam and Eve.  Cain ends up getting very jealous of his brother, Abel, and kills him.  In time, Adam and Eve have another son and name him Seth.  Seven generations after Cain, comes a descendent named Lamech.  Lamech killed a man who wounded him.  A legacy of anger and jealousy was embedded.  However, seven generations after Seth, came a man named Enoch.  Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him [Genesis 5:24 TM].  Clearly a righteous legacy was established in Seth's line.

But God was persistent about teaching this principle.  Twenty chapters later, we read about Jacob and Esau.  Esau was Isaac's oldest son and he loved Esau.  But Esau was foolish and impetuous.  The birthright of a firstborn was a very special blessing in his day.  However, he sold his birthright to his younger brother, Jacob, for a bowl of stew when returning from a hunting trip.  Rebekah loved Jacob, revealing unhealthy parenting of these two boys.  This man - who wrestled in the womb with his brother - became a deceiver and suffered much for this trait.  Eventually, however - and this is very significant - Jacob wrestles with God and experiences a transformation!  Through this divine intervention, he is renamed 'Israel' and becomes the father of the twelve tribes!  

The lesson we learn here is that God can interrupt and change the effect of a legacy - IF WE ALLOW HIM!

David is another illustration of the power of legacy.  Being a man after God's heart, we see him chosen by God to be king of Israel.  However, he chooses adultery and conspiracy to commit murder.  His legacy turns bitter as a result!  Incest haunts the royal palace and his sons scheme to kill one another.  A legacy that started out so well and enjoyed the blessing of God, in a short time turned sour and became a sordid story of violence and perversion.

A legacy is a delicate yet critical pattern of behavior.  What most of us fail to understand is that all our actions, decisions, habits and responses contribute to the formation of our legacy.  Even those secret, hidden thoughts and actions!  The formation of legacy is knitted into the fabric of living more deeply than we tend to realize.  Everything we think, do and say contributes to our legacy.  We see our idiosyncrasies begin to surface in our children when they're quite young.  By adolescence, their course has been partially determined by our influence in their lives.  Free will still exists!  They - like us - get to make decisions that could alter their course.  

There are many factors that come into play:  free will, God's Will, reason, desperation, prayer, divine encounters and many more.  

Regardless of our age or stage of life, we must systematically evaluate the impact of our lives on others - especially those closest to us!  

Gracious God,

Each of us creates and sustains a legacy.

None of us are completely satisfied with the legacy we've established.

We have regrets.

We harbor secret thoughts and actions.

We conceal meanness, jealousy, hatred, envy and so much more.

We want to do better.

We have Your living, Holy Spirit within us who never fails to point out sinful thoughts and behaviors. Help us to listen and heed His promptings.

We want to leave a godly imprint on those we influence every day!

For the Kingdom's sake.  Amen.

LEONARD

Yesterday, I wrote a Facebook post and introduced it with a somewhat negative remark about my father's lack of investment in my life.  That comment has bothered me for the last twenty-four hours.  So, I've decided to balance the scales.

My father was born in 1912, and died in 1992 (almost 80).  That means he was a witness to both World Wars, the Spanish flu and the Great Depression.  

He was raised in a small home on 7th Avenue in New Brighton, PA, with his mother, father and five sisters.  His father was an alcoholic.  His mother took in other people's laundry to be able to feed her family.  

He attended school through the eighth grade and then quit.  He lied about his age and was hired at Townsend Company (as a nail-maker) when he was fifteen (around 1927).  He worked for them forty-nine years.  I never remember him missing a day of work.  

On August 17, 1934, he married Hazel Walton.  They took up housekeeping in a home on Mt. Washington in Beaver Falls, PA, that was given to them by Hazel's mother - with the agreement that she would be able to live there with them until her death.  Mrs. Walton was apparently a woman of means since she gave each of her three girls homes on Mt. Washington.  [I never heard my father say a mean word about Mrs. Walton.]

My brother, Ira, and I recently talked about our dad and realized the providence of God in his life.  He was hired right before the Great Depression and apparently worked through that period unaffected.  My sister, Jeannette, was born in 1937, and my brother, Ira, was born in 1940 - both during the Depression!  

My sister, Beverly, came along on today's date, July 25, 1944.  I'm the only baby-boomer in our family, being born in 1952.  

My father was a Christian man who took an extremely active role in the New Brighton Free Methodist Church.  

• Class Leader (many years)
• Trustee (many years)
• Secretary of the Official Board (many years of hand-written minutes)
• Sunday School teacher (boys and later, adults)
• Delegate to Annual Conference (many years)
• Rochester District Campground Trustee (many years)
• Rochester District Secretary
• Member of the Pittsburgh Conference Stationing Committee (over twenty-five years)
• Member of the Pittsburgh Conference Board of Ministerial Education and Guidance (over twenty-five years)
• Pittsburgh Conference Delegate to the Free Methodist General Conference (five times)

Some things I remember about him:

1. He read his Bible every evening in his bedroom.
2. He knelt beside his bed and prayed every night before sleeping.
3. When our family gathered, before anyone left, he would gather us all in the living room where we would all get on our knees and he would pray over us.  

If my dad had a deficiency, it was in showing affection.  Feel free to read another blog article where I talk more about this ["I Taught My Dad To Hug" April 27, 2012].  In spite of this, I have memories:

• I have half-a-dozen memories of him taking me out to play catch - almost always on a Sunday afternoon which must have really bothered my Sabbatarian mom!
• I remember accompanying him when I was about seven to buy some trees and plant them in our yard.
• When we went camping - which we did for nearly two weeks every summer - he would lift me into the car roof carrier and let me load it with wood for our campfires.
• Occasionally, when we were camping, he would play with me in the shallow waters of the lake.
• When I was in college, my brother and I (along with a few other family members) put a new roof on his house.  It was a good time!
• Once, while I was in high school, he took me to a Pitt football game.  Remarkably, they were playing Navy!  Little did we know that I would later have a Midshipman son doing push-ups down on that field...
• He bought a second car when I was sixteen and made it almost fully available to me!
• He paid for a year of my college.

He was NEVER mean or harsh with me!  He was fair!  He was a kind and generous man.  He loved and served the Lord!  He was admired by his larger family.  My mom adored him and partnered with him to make him a better man.  He was a good provider and protector.  

I honor him today and am sorry that I put him in poor light in my post yesterday.  

Thank You, Lord, for my Dad!  Thank You for his faithfulness and for his devotion to You and Your Church!  Thank You that he loved my Mom!  Thank You for the tremendous advantages I've had in my life because I am his son!  I know he's with You today and I rejoice that someday soon, I'll see him (and my Mom) again!  Amen.  

SAMUEL'S SONS

I've always been intrigued by the biblical record of Samuel.  From his mother's pleading for a son to his miraculous birth to his strange rise to authority in Israel as the last judge and great prophet.  To read about him, look at the early chapters of I Samuel - a book that bears his name.

Here's a quick review:

• His mother was loved by her husband, but he also had another wife who was bearing him children, while Hannah was barren.
• During an annual trip to Shiloh, she cried out to God asking for a son and promising to give him to the Lord.
• Eli, the high priest, saw her lips moving as she prayed in her heart and accused her of being drunk.  She explained and he offered her hope that her prayer had been heard.
• She quickly became pregnant and was joyful.  
• After weaning the child, she presented him to Eli to serve in the temple explaining to Eli that he was the child she had prayed for.
• Eli's sons - priests under Eli's direction - were evil due to bullying, ritual abuse and sexual immorality.  Eli tried to restrain them, but they ignored him.
• God called young Samuel one night and gave him a judgment concerning Eli's failure to restrain his sons.
• Shortly after, Eli's sons and Eli died on the same day after a major battle with the Philistines.

I Samuel 3:19-21 (NIV) records:

The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord. The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.

Samuel went on to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel.  Then, when Saul didn't please the Lord, Samuel followed the Lord's direction and anointed David - the youngest son of Jesse - as the next king of Israel.

As a testimony to his faithfulness, God saw to it that Samuel's 'Farewell Speech' was recorded for us in His Word:  [I Samuel 12:1-5 (NIV)]

Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”

"You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied.  "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand."

 Samuel said to them, "The LORD is witness against you and also his anointed is witness this day;  that you have not found anything in my hand."

 “He is witness,” they said.

This was a highly revered man in the history of Israel, and God used him in signifcant ways to bless the nation of Israel.  Thanks be to God!

However, in chapter 8, we read:  [vs.1-3]

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.  The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.  But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. 

How is it that these two godly men - Eli and Samuel - served the nation faithfully, but lost their sons spiritually?

We already know that Eli was simply too tolerant.  He spoke to his sons about their evil ways, but failed to restrain them.  He was soft when it came to his sons.  He had the authority to remove them as priests, but failed to do so.  He apparently wasn't willing to get in their faces and demand compliance.

But what about Samuel?  Was he just on-the-road too much?  Away from home?  Left their mother (never mentioned) to raise them?  Was he effective in the nation but weak in the family?  Did he fail to kick a ball with them.  Did he miss their activities and achievements?  Did he fail to express his love for them?  Did he bounce them on his knee?  Take them for walks?  Include them in his journeys?  Pray over them?  Pray with them?

We'll never know...

Samuel's legacy was well-established - that's clear!  However, it didn't get carried into the next generation - that's sad!

Fathering is hard work!  It takes diligence and T-I-M-E!  It take focus and focused attention!

Now, my kids are raised and most of my fathering is finished now.  I've entered the 'consultant stage'.  😊  But for those of you who are still on-the-job, regardless the age of your kids, I'd suggest you look for opportunities to use these four phrases with your kids when you can do it honestly:

1. "I love you!"  
2. "I'm proud of you!"
3. "You did a good job!"
4. "You can be anything you want to be!"

One last thing:  remember the value of touch and make sure you maximize its positive impact!  

Pass on your legacy - don't let it end with you!

WHAT LOOKS BEST ISN'T ALWAYS BEST

In Genesis 13, Abram and Lot (his nephew) were traveling through the land of Canaan.  They had each become wealthy and owned much livestock.  Together, they became a burden on the land.  Rivalry broke out between their herdsmen.

Abram suggested that they part company to maintain peace and preserve the land.  He gave Lot first choice of the land:  (13:10-11,13  LB)

Lot took a long look at the fertile plains of the Jordan River, well-watered everywhere...the whole section was like the Garden of Eden...So that is what Lot chose...the men of this area were unusually wicked, and sinned greatly against Jehovah.

Lot did nothing wrong.  He was given a choice and he chose what looked to be the easiest and most fruitful area.

However, he failed to consider the impact that the area would have on him and his family spiritually!  This is a common mistake of younger people.  There is a tendency to think that the easy path is the best path.

Abram took the mountainous region.  This implied frequent moving and adversity.  Margaret Feinberg writes [in the organic God, p.116]

"God isn’t a fan of shortcuts when it comes to spiritual growth.  God places us in positions that are sometimes tougher than we would naturally choose, but they’re designed to make us stronger and healthier than we would otherwise be.”  

The next chapter tells of Lot being caught in a war and taken captive.  Uncle Abram had to come and rescue him!

Then, of course, eventually, God decides to wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah.  But, thanks to Uncle Abram's prayers, Lot and his family are rescued.  

Lot's legacy is filled with rebellion and incest.  Abram's legacy is a path of obedience and faithfulness.  

What looks best isn't always best!  Learn to hit the 'pause button' when it comes to major decisions!  Listen carefully to see if God is trying to guide you! 

WE'RE DOING OUR KIDS A HUGE FAVOR!

We have accumulated so much stuff over our nearly thirty-nine years of marriage!  I recently came across a box that I brought to our marriage in the beginning, have moved it through every transition without ever looking inside!  I sorted it last week.  It held all twelve report cards from my school days along with all of my junior high and high school notebooks.  I was impressed with the quality of education I received from the New Brighton school system! 

We are trying to sort a little every day to make the job easier.  I have personally filled the dumpster at least twice!  The hardest things to part with are things that belonged to my parents!  Next would be things from my own childhood.  Then, of course, things that have sentimental value! 

I also struggle with things that have practical value.  What about those old 'boom boxes';  the tape deck doesn't work, but it can still be used as a radio?  Or that box of plumbing parts - what if I need one of those next week?  And how about those souvenier books from Washington, D.C. - wouldn't those be helpful to our grandkids if they ever had a school project to do? 

Are you getting the picture? 

It has helped us to know that we are doing our kids a HUGE favor!  When we leave all this stuff behind and move on to Heaven, our kids won't have the time to go through this junk!  They'll have a big fire in the backyard and burn it all!  Meanwhile, they'll stand around and laugh, saying, "Why did Dad and Mom keep all this junk?" 

Steve Green's "Find Us Faithful" captures my sentiments precisely:

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness passed on through godly lives

CHORUS:
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover and the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them to the road we each must find
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

In case you'd like to hear it: 

GOLD

I have one item made of gold.  It's a pocket watch that belonged to my father.  I don't remember when I received it or how it was given to me.  However, I have always prized it.  It has a secret compartment on the back that is suitable for a picture.  I purchased a gold chain to use in clipping it to my belt loop.

I haven't worn it in years.  I keep it hidden away in a tie box. 

It reminds me of a few lines from O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi,

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's...Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

I value my pocket watch because it was my Dad's.  I loved and respected him.  When I handle it, I know that he once wore it and handled it.  It connects me to him!

Gold is still a great gift today!  It's value is consistent.  It's beauty is always appreciated.

Gold was an appropriate gift for a king!  Jesus was a King! 

It is likely that this gift of gold funded Joseph and Mary's trip to Egypt and back.  It was God's way of providing for their needs! 

God still provides for the needs of His children!

Why not wear something gold today to remind you of how precious Jesus is to you?  If you see me today, ask for a glimpse of my pocket watch!   :-)