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Today is Sunday March 1, 2009 and we are beginning our studies on the book of Deuteronomy. Please read chapters 1 & 2 in your Bible, you can also Click Here to read them. If the link dies not work you can copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%201-2&version=9

Today's Message: Facing Giants
The giants of these turbulent economic days are fearsome and, only by reading and obeying the Word of God will the Holy Spirit guide and bring us through.

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Old Testament and contains thirty-four chapters. The author of the book is Moses and it was written to the Israelites. The purpose of the book was to restate the law to the new generations of Israelites born since Mt. Sinai. What we are to learn from the book is that obedience brings blessing, but disobedience brings judgment.

In his first message to the new generation Moses reminded the Israelites that they were about eleven days journey from Horeb. This message marked the fortieth year of their being in the wilderness, " These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab. (There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.) And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;.............Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them." (Deuteronomy 1:1-3,7-8). The new generation probably wondered if they would ever move out of the wilderness and into the promised land. Would they take choose God at His Word and live by faith or will they follow in their ancestors footsteps?

The older generation despite their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, sinned against the Lord by not believing that He would give them victory over the Canaanites. By faith, the promised land could have been theirs, but they failed to receive it because they saw giants (hardships) ahead. They did not recognize that their hardships were designed to test their faith and prepare them to defeat the Canaanites. As a consequence of their sin of unbelief, that first generation failed to accomplish the will of God and wasted their lives wandering in the wilderness until they all died except for Caleb and Joshua.

Moses reminded them of how God had blessed them in the wilderness even after they had been disobedient. "For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing." (2:7). How different the history of Israel could have been if they had trusted the Word of God instead of believing the report of the ten spies.

We too have a choice, we can choose to be like the many Israelites who found fault with everything. Or we can choose to be like Caleb and Joshua whose faith in God's Word overcame all fears and frustrations. In the midst of giant problems, the Holy Spirit is available to all who put their faith in the Lord to overcome their giants. " Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" (Ephesians 6:14-18).

Today's Psalm: 40:10
"I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation."

Have a wonderful and blessed night/day.
God bless,
Christina

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