September 30 a divided nation

 Mt Pisgah. A hymn we enjoy singing is “Sweet Hour of Prayer.”  One verse says, “… Till, from Mouth Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight.” What does that verse mean?  It is written about Moses. At 80 years of age this murderer was called by God to deliver the children of God from their bondage in Egypt. He obeyed God for many years but in a moment of weakness he went against the Word of God and sinned. His sin cost him his ticket into the Promised Land. The Israelites needed water. God said: Exodus 17:6 thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. What a blessing. Water out of a rock in the desert.  Years later they needed water again. God said: Numbers 20:7-8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock…Because Moses was angry with the people he struck the rock. No water. He struck the rock a second time. In His mercy God gave them water. However, Moses was forbidden from going into the Promised Land. Those rocks represented Christ. Jesus would be struck once. From Him comes springs of living water. He will never be struck again. Numbers 20:12  And the LORDspake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. Next the Lord told Moses Deuteronomy 3:27  Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. Moses pleaded with the Lord to change his mind. Finally, the Lord answered Moses.  Deuteronomy 3:26  But the LORDwas wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORDsaid unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. The answer is “NO!”  Don’t ask me again. Later God killed Moses and Michael the archangel buried him. However, centuries later Moses left Heaven to minister to Jesus on a mountain in the Promised Land. Luke 9:30-31 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31  Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.Moses lost his reward of leading the Israelites across the Jordon River into the Promised Land. But he did not lose his salvation. And later after his death he did stand in the Promised Land. And he shall stand there again when Jesus is King of Kings. Will you be there? 

 Unanswered Prayer.  Ezekiel 8:18  Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Christians have power in their prayers. James 5:16 …The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.Adopted into the family of God we have a special place in the heart of God.  All people are invited into the family.  Most will ignore the invitation.  Those in the family have no bragging rights. Mercy saves us. Mercy keeps us.  Lamentations 3:22  It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.You may hear your neighbor’s child’s request, but his request does not carry the weight of your own child. God hears all prayers. Sees all actions. Knows all thoughts. But the first prayer God is obligated to answer is: Luke 18:13 …God be merciful to me a sinner. The Lord told Ezekiel the people will cry unto Him, but He will not hear them because of their rebellion. When caught many transgressors are sorry and promise to be obedient to the law. But most are sorry they got caught. Not sorry they are sorry.  We are all sorry folk. When we realize how sorry we really are and we regret our sinfulness, there is hope for us. God sees your heart. Magic prayers don’t have power.  Words without heart felt repentance do not matter. Another reason God may not hear your prayer is dependent on how husbands treat their wife. 1 Peter 3:7   Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. If the husband-priest of his family is not treating his wife as he should, his prayers may become hindered. Jesus loved the church so much He died for her. So should the husband love his wife. Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;Would you die to protect your wife? Another reason our prayers are unanswered is when we pray outside His will. 1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: Contrary to popular preaching Jesus is not our magic genie in a bottle waiting to grant our every wish.  If you pray outside His will, He will not answer you. Our prayer should be: Matthew 26:42 thy will be done.
 

 Restart. On my windows computer I have several options when I am finished for a while. They are “Sleep”, “Shut down” and “Restart.”  Logic would tell me if I want to shut it down and let it completely reset I should select “Shut down.” But the reality is to completely close all programs I need to select “Restart.”  But if I restart it, I will have to shut it down again.  Then if I restart it, I will have to shut it down again. It seems that selecting “Shut down” would shut the device down and close all programs. But it doesn’t work that way. Logic.  Sometimes being logical can get us in trouble. Logic tells me in order to get God’s attention I must do something worthy of His attention. Fund a new water well in Africa. Donate to an orphanage. Give money to the church. Work as a volunteer helping others.  My kind and selfless actions will draw the praise of those working with me. Surely God will be pleased too. But no, God is not impressed with our good deeds. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.If logical action does not get us into Heaven, does illogical action get us there? Yes. What? What is illogical that gets us into Heaven? It is illogical that God would send His sinless Son to die for us and rise again to save us. How does that work? What kind of work do we have to do to earn his grace?  We must realize we cannot save ourselves. Salvation is a gift. Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The wages I have earned by being a sinner is death. That death sends me to hell, a place of endless torment and anguish. Mark 9:44   Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. A fantasy to some. A reality to billions upon billions.  Once there, there is no escape. Except to leave the flames to kneel before Jesus and hear the words, Matthew 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:It is not logical Jesus would pay my debt. It is not logical that I don’t have to work to be saved. I simply fall before Him and plead for mercy.  We cannot do that unless God’s Spirit is breaking our heart and we are truly sorry we are truly sorry. Is He speaking to your heart? Don’t look to logic. Look to the one who died on the cross in faith and accept His gift of salvation.