Two kinds of complaints

Nu 9:1 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused.

Nu 9:10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 11 He asked the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? 12 Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? 13 Where can I get meat for all these people? "

There is an acceptable way to complain, and an unacceptable way.

In verse 1, the people complained to each other ABOUT the Lord. They did not speak to Him directly.

In verse 10, Moses complained TO the Lord. He aired his grievances directly to Him, and He answered Him.

Complaining ABOUT the Lord isn't a good thing. It's like badmouthing someone behind his back. Only this time, it's the Lord they're badmouthing -- and He hears everything. Not a good move.

Complaining TO the Lord is something He accepts. When Moses complained TO the Lord -- and I must say, he was very honest -- the Lord gave him the solution to his problem.

Prayer:
Father, teach us to complain TO you, not ABOUT you. Teach us to be people who'll be honest with you. Help us un-learn sinful ways of dealing with our grievances, and learn YOUR way. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

2000 year old boat

Mark 3:9Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him.

Above, the remains of a boat, said to be 2,000 years old. It was discovered in 1986 at the Sea of Galilee. It could be that Jesus sat in one like it.

The paralytic

Mark 2:3

Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.

I visited a friend who was diagnosed with kidney failure just yesterday. It was not surprising that she was still struggling to cope with the news. Finding her in the dialysis centre having her blood cleansed, she spoke of the story of the paralytic. His friends were the ones who saw his need, carried him, and presented him to Jesus.

"I'm the paralytic," she said. Her friends were like his friends -- they were the ones who gave her moral, spiritual and other support at her time of need. As they came, listened to her, and prayed for her, each one of them, in their own unique way, was presenting her to Jesus. She knew that.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, bless us to be good friends in need. Give us the word in season; teach us what to speak, or to be silent, as the case may be. Teach us to know how to give the practical help within our means. Teach us how to pray. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Golgotha

Top picture: This is at "The Garden Tomb", one of the tombs in Jerusalem where Jesus is said to be buried. There are a few of these alleged burial places of Jesus in the city. The doorway is widened for tourists. Traditional doorways are half a man's height, and you have to stoop to go in.

Second picture: The reason why people think this is the burial site. It's near a cliff face which looks like a skull -- Golgotha is known as the "Place of the Skull" (Matt 27:33). This is an old picture. Due to erosion, the present-day cliff face doesn't look so skull-like anymore.

The Do Nots

Lev 18 & 20 have a lot of Do Nots when it comes to sexual behaviour. Our degenerate minds may think of God as a spoilsport, but all the Do Nots are actually manifestations of God's grace towards us. He desires that we might be people who are free from the lust that drives the rest of the world -- the lust for self-gratification that leads to sin upon sin, the dishonoring & perversion of family relationships & the defilement of those who are powerless and, the subsequent increased demonic oppression of both the abused & the abuser.

Lev 19:29: Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.

The above is both a warning and a prophecy. The lands that have not heeded that warning have suffered the consequences.

Prayer:
Father, may we be a generation that heeds your Word, and not the pressures of the world. Have mercy on us. We do not want our land to be filled with wickedness. Let our land be a safe place to bring up the young and innocent. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Cloud of Glory

Exodus 40

34 Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.

I'm learning about the glory cloud. Last Sunday, 8th February, I led 1130am prayer as usual. After inviting the Lord's presence, a still silence settled on us -- soft & palpable to those of us who are more used to the Spirit. There was no need to pray. We all felt it, except for Mei, who is new to Pray Team & is from the traditional service. I said to God: "Lord, you're plunging her into deep water! But... You're God, You'll know what to do."

After half an hour, Mei broke the silence. She admitted to feeling uncomfortable with so much silence. But we assured her, and we went into His silence again. And He ministered to each one of us. One hour after the cloud of glory came in, we could sense that His work was done. The cloud lifted. We broke the silence once more.

Mei was all smiles. She had broken through. "I feel so good. Can I come again for prayer?" Yes, of course.

A Tent of Meeting

Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting"... 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses... 11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Moses pitched a tent to meet with God. I imagine him, everyday, strolling out from the mass of tents in the camp to that ONE tent, that special tent. It was the call of God to meet with Him, and he responded, obediently. It was a call to fellowship, to intimacy. It was a friendship forged through tests & trials, and also through day-to-day conversation. And it became so well developed that Moses dared to ask of Him the most intimate questions. "Who are You? What are You really, really like? Show me." And God shows him.

Prayer:
Father, may I learn to be still before You and hear from You, just as Moses did. May I learn to fellowship with You constantly, just as Moses did. May I enjoy Your presence so much, that I, like Joshua, would stay on, just to bask in Your love. Amen.