nothing undone

Just as the Lord had commanded Moses his servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” Joshua 11:15 NASB

In November 1665, at the age of 23, Isaac Newton wrote a manuscript that summarized his discoveries about measuring geometric curves. In the process, he became the first person to grasp the principles that would come to be called “calculus.” But few seemed to grasp the importance of this discovery. In fact, Newton became discouraged and distracted by other interests.

In his book about “calculus wars,” Jason Bardi describes how Newton simply “lost his taste for publishing.” The revolutionary concepts he discovered didn’t seem to matter. He just wanted to move on, not realizing that his lack of initiative would embroil him in controversy.

Meanwhile, in 1675, Gottfried Leibniz developed his own version of calculus. In fact, he coined the word “calculus” itself. However, in contrast to Newton, Leibniz seized the initiative and published his discoveries. As a result, he gained the credit and became known as the father of calculus.

Gradually, a kind of war broke out between Newton and Leibniz (and their supporters). Who, in fact, had invented calculus? Had there been plagiarism? Who should receive the credit? Eventually, Leibniz was recognized for his unique contributions, but it was widely agreed that Newton first developed the basic concepts. But the “war” would never have been necessary if Newton simply had published his discoveries.

How many problems emerge because of things that we have left undone? In contrast, the Bible gives us the example of Joshua, who knew that “he left nothing undone.” He completed all the tasks he had been given.

Today, what has God called you to do? Have you squandered any opportunities, or are you being faithful? Don’t leave anything undone. Dedicate yourself to completing your God-given assignments. Seek to be a faithful servant.

Prayer

Father, open my eyes to all the things You have called me to do. I want to complete the assignments You have given me. Help me to be faithful to Your call. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Pray for God’s anointing

care for the poor

How God Feels about the Poor

Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail. (Amos 8:4) How do you treat the poor? It is important for us to realize how God feels about the poor of this world. I have experienced being poor. My dad died when I was fourteen, and it was up to me to support my mother and sister. I had to secure a special permit to get a job. Then, after I was converted and felt called to the ministry, some folk took an interest in me and helped me get through school. In the days of Amos, God accuses them of even making "the poor of the land to fail." That is, the poor were brought down to such a low poverty level that they never could escape from it. The poor always suffer more acutely in a godless nation - I don't think that statement can be successfully contradicted. Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? (v. 5) God knew what was in their hearts. "The new moon" and "the sabbath" were holy days on which business was not transacted. God is saying that even when the rich went to the temple to praise God, they were so greedy and covetous that they were thinking about business the next day and how they could make more money by cheating their customers. They not only practiced their sin during the week, but they carried it into the temple. What a picture this gives us of Israel in that day - and of modern man as well. That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat? (v. 6) The poor even had to sell themselves into slavery. That was permitted in that land under the Mosaic system. They would buy the needy for a pair of shoes - that's how cheap they were! And they would sell the poor the refuse of the wheat. That means they got the "seconds," the leftovers which an honest dealer throws away. I have never felt right about giving old clothes to help the poor in the church. I have never felt they should be given the leftovers of anything. Remember how David said, "… neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing …" (2 Samuel 24:24). It is no accident that the Lord Jesus, when He was here on earth, sat and watched how the people gave in the temple. Was that His business? Yes. And He is interested in how much we give to Him and how much we keep for ourselves. Maybe the reason I love this man Amos so much is that he talks my language. He was a poor man himself, and he says the thing that I understand. You see, Amos is explaining why Israel was like a basket of summer fruit. The goodness of Israel was just as perishable and just as soon deteriorated as summer fruit. One evidence of this was the way they treated the poor. Dr. J. Vernon McGee began teaching Thru the Bible in 1967. After retiring from the pastorate, he set up radio headquarters in Pasadena, and the radio ministry expanded rapidly. Today the program airs on over 400 stations each day in the United States and Canada, is heard in more than 100 languages around the world and is broadcast worldwide via the Internet. Listen to him now at oneplace.com.

8 ways to beat temptation

8 Ways to Beat Temptation Mark Altrogge

We all face temptations of many kinds. God wants us to beat them. We don’t have to sin, as powerful as temptations feel. Here are 8 ways to gain the victory. 1.  Pray before you are tempted Jesus instructed his disciples to ask God, “Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.” And as he told us to pray, “Give us THIS DAY” our daily bread,” it’s good to ask God to deliver us from temptation and evil THIS DAY. 2. Flee. A good run is better than a bad fall. Stay as far away sin as you can. Don’t think you won’t fall. If you hired someone to transport your most valuable possessions, you wouldn’t tell them to see how close to the edge of a cliff they could drive. In Proverbs 7 a “young man lacking sense” wanders near the house of an woman at twilight, and just “happens” to run into her. She’s dressed sensually. She says her husband’s gone and describes her perfumed bed. Eventually he follows her like an ox going to slaughter. Eve got into trouble by engaging with Satan and looking at how delicious the fruit looked. Flee temptation. Stay out of the car in the park in the dark. 3. Quote Scripture That’s how Jesus overcame the tempter. When you feel like grumbling remind yourself to “rejoice always.” When tempted to give a harsh reply think, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” When rankling against correction remind yourself, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Of course, to quote Scripture when tempted means we must know it first, which means we must regularly take it in. 4. Pray in the midst of temptation. Draw near to the throne of grace for help in time of need. Your sympathetic high priest, who was tempted as you are yet without sin, will help you (Heb 4). 5. Get a brother or sister to pray with you. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” 6. Ask someone to hold you accountable. A friend once said to me, “Mark, when I get back from my business trip this week, can you ask me if I watched TV in the hotel room? When I’m alone on trips I can be tempted to watch bad stuff. Knowing you are going to ask me will help me fight temptation.” 7. Remember God’s faithfulness. “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 CO 10:13). God will never let us be tempted beyond the strength he gives, and if we ask he’ll “provide the way of escape” to get us through it. 8. Remind yourself that sin has consequences. Remember Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” When David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband’s death, God forgave him, but told him the sword would never depart from his house, that his own family members would do him great harm and the child he conceived with Bathsheba would die. (2 Sa 12:10–14). So here’s a quick summary: Pray before you are tempted Flee Quote Scripture Pray in the midst of temptation Get a brother or sister to pray with you Ask someone to hold you accountable Remember God’s faithfulness Remind yourself that sin has consequences Keep fighting the good fight! Mark Altrogge has been senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Indiana, Pennsylvania, since 1982. He has written hundreds of songs for worship, including “I Stand in Awe” and “I’m Forever Grateful.” Mark and his wife, Kristi, have four sons and one daughter. Find out more on his blog, The Blazing Center.