"However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it." -Deuteronomy 20.12
Peace is the goal, but sometimes a battle cannot be avoided. If a city would not agree to the terms of peace that Israel offered, then they were to conquer it. Peace was to be the first option, but when a city refused, Israel was to take it out in order to protect their faith, and to fulfill God's promise.
Sometimes we seek peace, but the opposition wants to fight, and so we must be ready for the battle in that moment. Other times we are trying to live peacefully, but the battle comes to us. What do you do in that moment? We are to do all that we can to seek peace, but sometimes it just isn't going to happen.
Men, are you ready for the battles that are unavoidable? Is your sword sharp and polishes? Is your shield close at hand? Are you ready to fight in the defense of justice, righteousness, and innocence? There are times we have to go to war, that's why God created men to be strong, fierce, and dangerous. Are you willing to play the part that God wrote for you?
Battle is an ugly affair, physically and spiritually, but that is why we need men to be men. When the battles are unavoidable, we have to be ready and able to fight.
Let us be men who are prepared for battle, but only engage after every attempt at peace has been made. May we never go looking for a fight, but always be ready when one finds us.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy 20. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deuteronomy 20. Show all posts
Monday, December 8, 2014
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Peace is the Goal
"When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace. " -Deuteronomy 20.10
Peace is the goal, it always has been. The Bible says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." (Romans 12.18) Here, as the people are ready for battle, they are first to offer terms of peace. If they agree, then there is no need to fight.
Men, we are after peace. If a battle can be avoided, by all means avoid it. We aren't to go looking for a fight, but to be ready for one when it comes, or when the need arises to protect justice, freedom, and innocence. But peace is the goal. Sadly we live in a world at war, and sometimes peace only comes at the end of hard won victory, so we must be ready for battle, but if we are able avoid one, by all means let us.
Let us be men who seek peace, and let us do all we can to pursue it.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Peace is the goal, it always has been. The Bible says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." (Romans 12.18) Here, as the people are ready for battle, they are first to offer terms of peace. If they agree, then there is no need to fight.
Men, we are after peace. If a battle can be avoided, by all means avoid it. We aren't to go looking for a fight, but to be ready for one when it comes, or when the need arises to protect justice, freedom, and innocence. But peace is the goal. Sadly we live in a world at war, and sometimes peace only comes at the end of hard won victory, so we must be ready for battle, but if we are able avoid one, by all means let us.
Let us be men who seek peace, and let us do all we can to pursue it.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Saturday, December 6, 2014
The Need for Leaders
"When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people." -Deuteronomy 20.9
People need leadership, especially in high stress situations like battle. The officers of the army are to appoint commanders over the people who will aid in leading. Off of the battlefield these commanders will assist in training and development of the soldiers so that they are ready when the time comes to fight.
Today the need for leadership is great. With this, we need leaders to be developed so that they are able to train people and then lead them out for Kingdom work. But one of the key marks of leadership is development of others. Leaders have the role of casting vision, and equipping those who follow them to do works of service (Ephesians 4). If leaders aren't equipping others for, and challenging others to, action, they are failing.
Men, we need each of us to lead. God has created each man to be a king, and therefore each man is called to lead. We've seen how a king's role is to serve those he leads and better their lives. A big part of that is equipping people. When people are equipped they depend on you less. They don't need you for everything, and therefore it frees you up to focus on other areas.
Think of a child. When they are little they literally depend on you for everything. Feeding, changing, dressing, even moving. But as they grow they become equipped to do things themselves. They learn to walk, dress, eat on their own. They still need you, but your attention is not on every single detail of life for them. Eventually they get to the point where they become parents, and begin to lead their own children. This is the goal, for leaders to make new leaders.
We have a world that needs people to step up and lead the church, and their families, into Christlikeness and discipleship. We need officers who will appoint commanders, and commanders that will train soldiers. We need a cycle and system to produce godly leaders.
Let us lead, and may we focus on developing new leaders.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
People need leadership, especially in high stress situations like battle. The officers of the army are to appoint commanders over the people who will aid in leading. Off of the battlefield these commanders will assist in training and development of the soldiers so that they are ready when the time comes to fight.
Today the need for leadership is great. With this, we need leaders to be developed so that they are able to train people and then lead them out for Kingdom work. But one of the key marks of leadership is development of others. Leaders have the role of casting vision, and equipping those who follow them to do works of service (Ephesians 4). If leaders aren't equipping others for, and challenging others to, action, they are failing.
Men, we need each of us to lead. God has created each man to be a king, and therefore each man is called to lead. We've seen how a king's role is to serve those he leads and better their lives. A big part of that is equipping people. When people are equipped they depend on you less. They don't need you for everything, and therefore it frees you up to focus on other areas.
Think of a child. When they are little they literally depend on you for everything. Feeding, changing, dressing, even moving. But as they grow they become equipped to do things themselves. They learn to walk, dress, eat on their own. They still need you, but your attention is not on every single detail of life for them. Eventually they get to the point where they become parents, and begin to lead their own children. This is the goal, for leaders to make new leaders.
We have a world that needs people to step up and lead the church, and their families, into Christlikeness and discipleship. We need officers who will appoint commanders, and commanders that will train soldiers. We need a cycle and system to produce godly leaders.
Let us lead, and may we focus on developing new leaders.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, December 5, 2014
Fear is a Choice
"Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, 'Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.'" -Deuteronomy 20.8
The officers are to address the army and as they do they dismiss various soldiers. Here we see that every man who is afraid is sent home so that his fear does not spread to the others. Israel has dealt with this before, and it cost them four decades in the wilderness. To avoid this happening again while they are in the land, all those who are afraid are sent home from the battlefield. Fear spreads, and so we need to be men of courage.
There was a movie that came out earlier this year called After Earth. To be honest it wasn't one of Will Smith best films, but in it there is this quote. "Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity... Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice." God commands us not to be afraid, and therefore we are able to choose to be afraid or not. Fear is a choice. If fear was not an option, if we felt it all the time no matter what, God would not command us to "Fear not". We can choose to be afraid or not.
If we want to be part of God's army, if we want to join Him in His victory, we must choose not to fear. Danger is very real. Risks are very real, but fear is a choice. We can choose to be courageous, and stand firm against the enemy. Or we can choose to be afraid and flee. I think of Braveheart he asks the men of Scotland if they will fight, to which they say no, they'll run and live. William Wallace responds, "Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live, at least for a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom."
Men, are you choosing to be afraid? Are you choosing to run and live rather than taking the chance to fight courageously and die on the battlefield? I don't mean a physical war, but a Spiritual one. Are you willing to trust God and follow Him where He leads, or do you want to play it safe? What do you want your thoughts to be on your deathbed? As Wallace asked, would you be willing to trade all the days from now to then for one chance to join the battle again? Do you want to live a life of fear that prevents you from really living? Or will you be a man of courage who chooses to fear not?
Let us be men who stand firm. Let us face danger, and show no fear. Fear is a choice, let us choose to be courageous.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
The officers are to address the army and as they do they dismiss various soldiers. Here we see that every man who is afraid is sent home so that his fear does not spread to the others. Israel has dealt with this before, and it cost them four decades in the wilderness. To avoid this happening again while they are in the land, all those who are afraid are sent home from the battlefield. Fear spreads, and so we need to be men of courage.
There was a movie that came out earlier this year called After Earth. To be honest it wasn't one of Will Smith best films, but in it there is this quote. "Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity... Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice." God commands us not to be afraid, and therefore we are able to choose to be afraid or not. Fear is a choice. If fear was not an option, if we felt it all the time no matter what, God would not command us to "Fear not". We can choose to be afraid or not.
If we want to be part of God's army, if we want to join Him in His victory, we must choose not to fear. Danger is very real. Risks are very real, but fear is a choice. We can choose to be courageous, and stand firm against the enemy. Or we can choose to be afraid and flee. I think of Braveheart he asks the men of Scotland if they will fight, to which they say no, they'll run and live. William Wallace responds, "Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live, at least for a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom."
Men, are you choosing to be afraid? Are you choosing to run and live rather than taking the chance to fight courageously and die on the battlefield? I don't mean a physical war, but a Spiritual one. Are you willing to trust God and follow Him where He leads, or do you want to play it safe? What do you want your thoughts to be on your deathbed? As Wallace asked, would you be willing to trade all the days from now to then for one chance to join the battle again? Do you want to live a life of fear that prevents you from really living? Or will you be a man of courage who chooses to fear not?
Let us be men who stand firm. Let us face danger, and show no fear. Fear is a choice, let us choose to be courageous.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, December 4, 2014
When We Go to Battle
"When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'" -Deuteronomy 20.1-4
This chapter opens with the phrase, "When you go out to battle". It doesn't say "If you go" because war is an inevitable thing. At this point Israel was moving to conquer the land, so so there was need to go on the offensive. As seen before the inhabitants are strong, and their cities are well fortified, but they are not to be afraid of their enemies. God is with them. The same God who brought them out of Egypt by His power is going with them to fight against their enemies.
Today we still live in a world at war. There are those who engage in physical battles for the defense of their countries, but all of us engage in spiritual battles every day whether we know it or not. There is a war going on for the souls of humanity, and we are called to play a part in the battles. And when we go to battle we are not to be afraid because God is going with us.
In our battle for souls Jesus instructed us how to fight, "Go and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything that I have commanded you." His commands come with a promise, "As you do, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." God is with us as we fight for Him. We are not to be afraid of our enemy because God is mightier.
Men, are you going out to battle? Do you realize that we are in a world at war, or do you deny that fact? When you do go out to fight what is your attitude? Do you shrink back in fear, or do you boldly follow God as He leads the charge?
Let us advance following God's leading. Let us not fear our enemy, or deny that there are battles to fight. Let us trust God's mighty power to bring victory, and let us add our shield to the phalanx of His army.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
This chapter opens with the phrase, "When you go out to battle". It doesn't say "If you go" because war is an inevitable thing. At this point Israel was moving to conquer the land, so so there was need to go on the offensive. As seen before the inhabitants are strong, and their cities are well fortified, but they are not to be afraid of their enemies. God is with them. The same God who brought them out of Egypt by His power is going with them to fight against their enemies.
Today we still live in a world at war. There are those who engage in physical battles for the defense of their countries, but all of us engage in spiritual battles every day whether we know it or not. There is a war going on for the souls of humanity, and we are called to play a part in the battles. And when we go to battle we are not to be afraid because God is going with us.
In our battle for souls Jesus instructed us how to fight, "Go and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything that I have commanded you." His commands come with a promise, "As you do, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age." God is with us as we fight for Him. We are not to be afraid of our enemy because God is mightier.
Men, are you going out to battle? Do you realize that we are in a world at war, or do you deny that fact? When you do go out to fight what is your attitude? Do you shrink back in fear, or do you boldly follow God as He leads the charge?
Let us advance following God's leading. Let us not fear our enemy, or deny that there are battles to fight. Let us trust God's mighty power to bring victory, and let us add our shield to the phalanx of His army.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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