Adventure Day 16 - 3/9/09

Well, we are approximately a third of the way through our 50 Day Spiritual Adventure together. I believe these weeks can be a pivotal moment for our church family, and I thank so many of you who are taking the Adventure seriously and adding your own personal study to my weekend messages.

You'll find our Bible reading assignments this week are from the Old Testament book of Numbers, chapters 13,14 and 16. They will provide context for next Sunday's message, and since they are somewhat unfamiliar passages, I believe most of us will find them to be both interesting and fresh material.

As I was saying in my message yesterday morning, living faithfully as a Christ follower will likely get only more difficult as we move into the Last Days prior to the Lord's Return. If the last 40 years are any indication, those who come after us - our children and grandchildren - will likely face an increasingly hostile culture toward Christ and his followers. The majority voice will find the Faith too restrictive, too demanding, too difficult.

As you read today's Scripture passage [Read Numbers 13:1-2, 17-33], you'll discover the majority voice lacked faith in God's promise "...to give the land of Canaan to God's people, Israel (v.1)." Two of the spies, however, named Caleb and Joshua, had a different perspective or world view. Yes, there were giants (Nephilim) in the land, but somehow they remembered their God was bigger.

Think about this...were both sides reporting to Moses and the people accurately? I'd say yes, wouldn't you? Then, why were the majority calling for retreat, while the two were calling for advance? What can we learn from Caleb and Joshua to help us face the "giants" you and I may face today or in the coming days?

Following Christ, trusting in his promises, is often counter intuitive (i.e., those giants are big!), but doing so is always more adventurous and life-fulfilling than the alternative.

Stay on the Narrow Road today, my friend...

Pastor Paul