Live from Wisconsin-It's Open Blog Weekend!
Sorry about this post being late.
Last night weekend amazing, well actually the whole day was amazing. I have been able to truly relax and retreat. (usually doesn't happen when you are leading the retreat) I was able to connect with the women before they arrived through our 2 hour prayer session where we prayed for all 235 women by name. It was awesome!
My message went great then we had so fun. Ya'll last night I lined danced in high heel cowboy boots! I know, I can't believe it myself. I will post some pictures. Oh, and God arranged for me to me one of Read the Bible sisters, Luann. Yea-I did not have to wait until I got to heaven. Isn't He so good?!
Thanks for the continued prayer. Tomorrow will be a long day of teaching and travel. I will see you on Monday. Have a super weekend!
15 Comments:
You go girl! I love me some Cowboy boots. Loved the reading over the last two days and God has taught me more than I can hardly stand. My nugget for today is:
Do "only" what the LORD tells me to do. Listen for his small still voice!
Psalm 46:10 Be STILL and know that "I Am" God.
Love you girl and will continue to pray that God uses you in a powerful way.
Hugs,
Gloria, NC
Eeeeehaaaaa Wendy! Sounds fun!
Well, due to weather delays....my husbands' family is FINALLY having our Xmas get-together. All 35 people are able to be there, so that should make for a fun, fellowship-filled weekend.
I had forgotten that God first told Balaam to go with Balak's men, and then right after that it says God was angry that Balaam was going. I read a commentary that explained that Balaam was really a pagan prophet who was out for money. In verse 12 God is clear: "Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed". But in hopes of getting some of the riches, Balaam kept questioning God. Stay tuned to find out how God deals with Balaam and how Balaam really didn't care about divine purpose; he cared about himself.
Safe travel Wendy...and blessed weekends to all my GIG's!
Morgen
So, Wendy I’m just tickled pink that you are kicking those heals of yours up! God is answering all of our prayer’s and “smil[ing] on you…and show[ing] you his favor” (Numbers 625 & 26). I’m praying for continued good health, strength and peace that comes from abiding in Him. Extra prayer's for your family as well.
Today dear friends, don’t ya just love the most amazing prophetic revelation that God gives us in Numbers concerning the coming of the Messiah!? 24:17 I love how He reveals Christ in the O.T.
Today we see how easily sin can blind us when we lose our focus on God and get side-tracked with what the world has to offer. Balaam should have refused the messengers from Balak right of the bat! When he said, “Stay here overnight,” he was just opening himself up (22:8) ---as he placed himself in the position of losing his focus. He coveted the rewards that were offered him. We covet when we do not place Christ and His Truthful values at the top of our list.
My To Do: Daily, we seek to abide in Christ. LORD, help us not go wayward in the way of Balaam:
“They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness” (2 Peter 2:15).
“Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;” (Jude 1:11).
“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14).
eNjOy SAtUrDaY, dear sisters! Thank you for blessing me this past week. I’m so enjoying studying God’s Word with ya’ll!!! Hugs, Lori
Hi Everybody,
Go Wendy!! Yhea Whoooo!! Happy Saturday everyone. Finally getting some warmer temps.
Lori I'm with you loving how he reveals Christ in the OT.
Numbers 24:17, I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.
Many people have believed that the “star” referenced in his prophecy is somehow linked to the star of that year in the sky at the time of Christ’s birth (Matthew 2:1-12). Interesting to note that Balaam lived along the Euphrates River in Babylon (Numbers 22:5) — and it is certainly true that the country of Babylon and the ancient order of the Magi were connected in some way. Were the Magi aware of this prophecy and also looking for a “rising star”?
We also see that according to the prophecy a reference is made to a “staff”. This reminds us of Isaiah 11:1 — that the Messiah is the “shoot” or “staff” from the stump of Jesse.
This prophecy reminds us that, as we read sacred Scripture, we must be on the lookout for those places that might speak of Christ — because the Scriptures truly speak of Christ everywhere, if we have “ears to hear.”
Isaiah 11:1, But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
Have a great weekend everybody.
Rhonda
So glad you are being blessed, Wendy, and having some fun, rest, and relaxation!
Balak is such a stubborn, selfish, non-listening fool. How often am I also Balak when God is trying to tell me something?! We see that when we are headed down the wrong path, such as Balaam in 22:32 that the Lord tries to get our attention, sometimes through drastic measures. There are events in my life that with 20/20 hindsight I can say the Lord was certainly trying to get my attention to turn me around. PTL, I finally did!
Have a great weekend all!
Gaylene
Happy Saturday, all! Wendy so flad things are going well. Looking forward to those pics.
We're heading to LA for my nephews bday party & DS1 happens to be down in the area too because of a school competition so we have the added blessing of seeing him again! Though they say there's a 50% chance of rain.
This reading never fails to make me smile. The donkey talking and Bakamarguing with it! It just shows that God can use anything to get our attention.
The Courson commentary said Balam was mentioned in Scripture at least 3x of what not to be. "In 2 Pet. 2:15 he was a man given to covetousness, Jude 11, his misunderstanding that God wanted to curse His rebellious ppl and he did not factor in the Cross that was obvious fr where he was standing. In Rev 2 Jesus said Balam placed the stumbling block in Israel's path by telling Balak to have his women seduce the Jewish men, thereby bringing a curse upon themselves when they incorporate idol worship in the seduction."
I hear the rain now. Well, have a good day everyone!
Hello All! Wendy - Way to go, girl! Love the cowboy boots - can't wait to see pictures!
Thank you for your prayers for Blair and John yesterday. John's surgery went well & it'll be a few days before the pathology report comes back. I know he was surrounded by prayer and I am thankful.
I am also thankful to you all for providing the commentaries explaining this crazy Balak/Balaam thing. I did not understand at all why God was angry w/ Balaam for going when he had said, "Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them." After reading your comments are rereading this passage, I see that Balaam did not obey God's first order. He was like a child pleading to his parent, hoping to change their mind. Can't you all see a Disney movie being made out of this with the talking donkey? What a riot!
Have a blessed rest of your weekend. It's sunny and getting warmer in VA! Hooray! Well, for a few days at least...
Kate
Well, it's Sunday dear friends. Wendy, your retreat sounds enriching and fulfilling! Safe travels home!
In Basel spring left us and we are back in mid-winter snow.
Today I focused on the worship of Baal. Matthew Henry and David Guzik as well as Fausset's Bible Dictionary ascribe the luring of Israel to sin in this way to the counsel of Balaam (this I did not know before: ref. Rev. 2:14 ).
Essentially, after his failure to curse Israel, Balaam said to Balak: “I cannot curse these people. But you can get them to curse themselves through enticing them to rebel against their God. Send your prettiest girls among them, and tell them to entice the men of Israel to immorality and idolatry.” And it worked (D. Guzik).
Phinehas, though, showed great daring in the face of extreme contempt. When Zimri flaunted the immoral acts RIGHT IN FRONT OF MOSES AND GOD as if to say "I dare you to do something about it," Phinehas did. He followed right into the tent and gored both Zimri and Cozbi, thereby saving Israel again. Matthew Henry says: " He put an honour upon Phinehas. Though he did no more than it was his duty to do as a judge, yet because he did it with extraordinary zeal against sin, and for the honour of God and Israel, and did it when the other judges, out of respect to Zimri’s character as a prince, were afraid, and declined doing it, therefore God showed himself particularly well pleased with him, and it was counted to him for righteousness."
My take away; "lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the POWER and the glory forever and ever. Amen"
The power of Satan does not have lasting effect on me if I bind myself to Christ. But if I turn away and willfully sin, I can be destroyed.
I am a bit techno-challenged. I have moved my blog to Blogger but obviously cannot figure out how to comment with my new blogger account. Let's try again. Oh how I wish I understood computers more.
In Him!
Janet
A blessed Sunday all!
We see in chapter 25 the death of the last of the generation, minus Moses, Caleb, and Joshua, who had left Egypt. Now the census of those to enter into the Promise land.
God has blessed me with such a wonderful Sabbath: a great church service with my husband in attendance, eating a meal I so enjoyed, a ride in the country as the sun was shining down! He is is so good to me!
Loving Him,
Gaylene
As I listen to the readings in church each week, the old testament comes alive to me like never before! This journey in the Word has opened up my heart to the beauty of all the Bible's adventures and God's many lessons and promises within them. Thank you Wendy for your ongoing dedication to us, and to all for the daily enrichment and contagious enthusiasm for God's Word!
Blessings,
Jacque
What a wonderful gift you have to be able to reach out to other women out there who love encouragement and devotion time centered on Christ! I would love to be able to do that one day if God calls me to do so. I love that I have stumbled upon your blog. I look forward to the entries to listen and read. Blessings and safe travel!
Oh thank you all for providing scripture references and commentary. I now have a much better understanding of the Balak/Balaam thing. My take aways before reading your comments are:
My mode of transportation (my will) sometimes is blocked by God for reasons I may not understand or because (like Balaam) I am being disobedient. When I force my will upon a situation, I may very well suffer physical/emotional consequences. My will has to be completely submitted to the LORD. The God will meet me there and tell me exactly what to do or say.
To do:
Lie down/get on my knees before God Almighty and completely submit; wait for the Lord to meet me; the do only what He tell me.
Love all, Dawn T.
I'm one of those women from the Fox River Retreat and joining for the first time today. I've thought before about doing a One-Year Bible, but it seemed so lonely. I'm thrilled to find and join this group so that we can go through this together.
Onward . . .
Hi Wendy,
I'm so glad you were our retreat speaker! Seeing you at SheSpeaks and your love for the Word, I just knew the ladies would be blessed by you. I have to tell you, you were ON FIRE during Sunday morning's message. I have heard from so many ladies how your whole message touched them. Thank you, thank you for being God's instrument.
Sisters,
Debbie Giese
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