Numbers Study - 2025-07-30

Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.

If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.

Thank you for joining us today.

Lord, we thank you for each one tonight,

each brother and sister.

Father, we love you, and

we're in love with you, and we thank you so much for a meaningful relationship that we have.

Broaden our relationship, deepen our relationship, and

Father, we will be thankful to praise you for who you are,

what you've done in our lives, and where you're taking us, and

certainly tonight we yield to you afresh, and

Lord, we ask that as

you go, we go. As the cloud moved, Israel moved, and Lord, as you move in our lives,

we want to move with you, not resist you,

not

tell you that there's a different way that you want to go, we want to go, but Lord, that you would

envelop us in such a way that we would have a yielded heart, so when the cloud stops, we stop, and when the cloud of

leading goes another way, we go that way too, and so we thank you for tonight. In the name of Jesus, we ask that

what we share, Lord, will be your heart and not mine. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Yeah, come on up. All right. See, if you're not, if you're back there, I can't pick on you then. I mean, you know.

And I know I'm not doing a good job if you put the earphones back on, right?

Yeah, all right. We'll give it to you. All right. We did a little switching around.

Amir asked me, he said, I thought you weren't on tonight. Well, between the four of us,

vacations are coming,

people are going away in business, and all that stuff,

so I'll be,

I'll be pinch-hitting for a couple, and

then they'll do me in the fall, because I've got some other teaching that I have to do.

So we're talking about chapter 9, and

as you remember, we went off on a divergent path last week, and

I think we had gained some ground and understanding, and tonight we're back on track in

chapter 9 1 through 23.

So

let's look at the outline so we know where we're at in this chapter.

Verses 1 through 5 talks about the command to celebrate the Passover.

We're not going to work the Passover anymore.

I think we did justice to that as we went through Exodus,

but now they're going to celebrate that Passover, and he instructs Moses in the wilderness of Sinai

to have the Israelites celebrate the Passover, so the people obey and celebrate the Passover,

you know, the preparation that they all go through, and the remediation of that which was necessary for sin

to pass over them and not be in their family.

And then verses 6 through 14 is the provision for the unclean and the distant.

So some men are

ceremonially unclean due to the contact with the dead person and

cannot participate. As you know, that was the ritual that they were outside of the camp until they were cleansed.

So they appealed to Moses.

Say, look, I mean we were unclean and we can't participate in the Passover, which I thought was very good

because it shows their interest of

performing the ritual that the Lord Jesus, that God wanted, and

they're appealed to Moses, and then he says that he will seek God for guidance.

So God permits a second Passover on the 14th day of the second month, and I want you to think about that.

Remember, he

instituted what we call the Passover, and now

they require or ask for an adjustment of

that Passover, and what does he do? He gives it to them because they could not participate the first time.

So I want you to think about that, and we'll attack that as a point of discussion.

So those who were unclean, those who went on a distant journey

then are the ones that participate in the second Passover.

However, anyone who is able but refuses to celebrate will be cut off from the community.

That cut off simply means, and I guess we'll wait.

Everybody's turning around and looking, so we'll wait.

Whatever. Hello all.

How are you?

Don't sit back too far.

Michelle, come on up front. In here. There you go. Okay.

Hi, how are you?

Oh, Gordon.

Yeah, look at this. I tell you what.

This is good. After a while, we're gonna overflow. Oh my gosh, I can't believe that.

Walt's back from vacation.

Yes, good to see you.

So we're just going over the outline, so you didn't miss a thing.

So then we go down here. It says, however, everyone who is able but refuses to celebrate

is to be cut off from the community, and that basically means to be excommunicated.

Look, if you didn't do it when you were able,

we're going to excommunicate, and I'm not sure that there was a way back,

but that's what this word has meant to them.

And then some law, the same law abides for those that are Israelites and also foreigners

who wish to observe the Passover.

And as you remember, when they left Egypt, there were some foreigners that went with them.

And they, without getting back into that, so there were other people.

So the third element of what we'll be talking about, the cloud over the tabernacle.

A cloud covers the tabernacle by day and appears as fire by night.

The Israelites move or stay based on the movement of the cloud,

and this symbolizes God's presence and guidance.

And whether the cloud remains for a day or many days, the people obey the Lord's command.

So that's the outline.

Now, what we're going to do is kind of work on this area up here where it talks about

the second opportunity in the Passover to be able to celebrate that.

So we're going to look at that, and then we're going to major most of our time down in here

about the cloud, the aspects of the cloud, what the cloud means to them,

and what the cloud or the archetype means to us.

Okay, here's the first question right out of the bag.

What can we learn from God's nature as he made provision for a second Passover

for some Israelites?

So here's the law.

Now all of a sudden he said, okay, yes, but the law,

but you know, you can participate in it.

What's that say about our Lord God?

He's merciful.

Anybody else?

Merciful is a key word.

Patient.

Anything else?

All right.

And you know what?

God can change his mind.

How's that?

It even says in the scriptures, and again, I can't point to it tonight,

but he changed his mind about a particular thing

where he was going to kill all the people off.

And that was Moses, by the way.

Moses said, no, God, don't do that.

Okay, in Numbers 9, 7 through 10, in verse 10, it says,

speak to the sons of Israel saying, if a man of you

or of your generation shall be unclean because of a dead body

or on a journey, he shall then keep this Passover.

So we now learn that there are exceptions to every rule.

So God provides that exception for us.

So grace was extended.

Much grace was extended.

Even those who temporarily are unfit, are far away,

were still invited to participate.

And that kind of gives you an inkling how God works with us.

Here's the precept.

Here's the goal.

And so often, any hands on this, we fall short.

Yeah.

So in doing so, God allows for his grace.

And so often, we don't appreciate that grace.

And some of us that have been raised in different religions

and backgrounds think that that's a travesty

because we have failed in doing what we do.

God is graceful.

All right.

The ritual was not a closed system then as we see it.

And it rather shows the heart of compassion of God.

He wants everybody to be included in this.

Not just some, but those people that couldn't make it.

So he provides a second Passover.

So fellowship in this case really matters.

He desires fellowship and he honored their desire to belong.

So think about this.

He desires fellowship so much that he created a world.

He put Adam and Eve in it.

He fellowshiped with them in the garden.

There was wonderful, true, honest, wonderful,

all the adjectives that you could ever put.

And then, of course, came the fall of Adam.

And the relinquishing of that fellowship.

And he's getting that back by virtue of bringing his son to the earth

to die for our sins.

We know all these things.

But he is so passionate about the fellowship for one another

and for him that he's made all these things as opportunities for us.

So Revelation 3.20 says,

Here am I.

I stand at the door and knock.

If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,

I will come in, eat with him, and he with me.

So there is an open invitation.

Our fellowship with him really, really matters.

How many have been guilty in the fact that as you go through life

and you look at some of the ups and downs,

fellowship has been sweeter sometimes

and not as sweet in other times

because either you were by the roadside

and sitting down and saying,

gee, I'm discouraged, I'm tired,

or other things that have come into your life,

busyness, work responsibilities, and so forth.

And again, but it matters what we do with our Lord

and how we do fellowship with him.

He is not only in the present with us,

but he is emotionally invested in us

because he paid that price.

He wants to have what you are willing to give.

He'll take anything, even some of a loaf,

even some prayers that tend to be quick,

some devotions that are cut short.

He'll take that.

He desires more and we've talked about that

in that relationship, how we build that.

But again, it is what it is

and we are in flesh and we understand that.

In Zechariah 3.17, it says,

the Lord is your God is with you

and he will rejoice over you with singing.

How about this?

He really makes a fuss over us

just like we do with our own children.

I'm telling you, I did a word study independent of this today

and I looked for all the words

that were descriptors of Christ's love

toward us and I looked at all the verbs.

There was about 28 of them

and then I developed around that a prayer

and I was so blessed in the fact

that God, he loves us so much.

He rejoices over us.

He heals us.

He wants to commune with us

and all these verbs

and I was going to quickly include it,

but getting to 15 and 16 pages

on Wednesday night

is just a little bit too much.

I'm a 14-page PowerPoint guy

on Wednesday night,

but it's the idea that you can rejoice

in all these things

that God's done for us

and as we participate in that fellowship,

what begins to happen?

We're drawn in more and more and more.

My wife, in preparing for today,

I usually set Wednesday aside

and she has ceramics from one to three

and I said, okay, that's good.

Well, I sat down in my chair

and I just loved him the Lord

and I tell you what,

it was such a wonderful experience

just to have about an hour and a half

with him conversing,

listening to what God was saying to me

and I tell you what,

I cherish those things

even more so than I did years ago

because I guess I have the time now to do it.

So I would encourage you

to be able to do these things

so that you can appreciate his love for you.

Another question specifically now,

what insight does this give us about God?

This is on this side now.

What insight is that?

Well, how about this?

Redemption for the outsiders.

The application that we are in fellowship here

but what about those that come into us?

It's your second chance to connect with God.

Even those who are, quote,

impure or physically distant are not forgotten.

They are the ones that need Christ.

We are the ones that should be missional to them,

to understand them,

to encourage them.

Look at this in Jonah 3.1.2

it says,

after Jonah ran from God,

doesn't that sound familiar

in some of our hearts?

The Lord gave him a second chance

to fulfill his mission.

So don't ever be dejected

that, okay, I missed it.

There is possibly an opportunity

as it will come around again.

And so often,

I didn't think I'd get into lawsuits so soon.

Excuse me.

If anyone of you offended,

I got an extra one.

Oh, there.

Really?

Yeah.

All right.

So he gives Jonah a second chance,

he gives us a second chance.

In Luke 15.20 it says this,

about the prodigal.

I just love this.

From a long distance away,

his father saw him coming,

dressed as a beggar,

and great compassion swelled his heart

for a son who now was returning home.

So the father raced out to meet him,

he swept him up in his arms,

hugged him dearly,

and kissed him over and over

with tender love.

Isn't that how God works on us?

And I graphically have to tell you this

in the sense that,

some of you know the story

and I hope I won't repeat myself too much.

Our second son

was a prodigal.

It was so bad that I had to tell him

to leave the home.

My wife cried for about six months.

What did we do wrong?

I said, we didn't do anything wrong.

This is the righteousness

that we stand for.

If you can't abide by that,

you have to find your own way.

Three years go by,

he calls up one day

and he says to his mom,

he says, mom,

he said, I feel like

the little lamb

that was hobbled,

that's now around Christ

and that coming back.

I want to come home

and straighten my life out.

And if he did anything,

he did everything.

So there was a lot of stuff

going through it.

For three years,

he was absent.

I think we saw him

about two or three times

in that time,

but we prayed

and prayed and prayed.

And when I read this,

I am remembering

as a witness

the feelings that I had.

They just all melt away.

The things that he did,

the things that he said,

you know, he's just,

used us to ashes in his mind

because he didn't want we had.

So this is the way

God treats us.

He wants us.

He delights in us.

So God understands

our human limitations.

Illness, grief, travel,

doesn't disqualify anyone

from the covenant.

Hebrews 4.15 says,

for we do not have

a high priest

who is unable

to empathize

with our weakness.

But one who has been tempted

in every way

just as we are.

Yet, he did not sin.

Proverbs 24.16 forth,

though the righteous fall

seven times,

they rise up.

Just reflect on this.

That his divine relationship

is not forced.

He doesn't have to do this.

It's not superficial.

It's tender.

It's persistent.

It's rooted in love

and compassion.

And for that,

we ought to rejoice.

I mean, it's just such

a wonderful relationship.

Okay,

now let's look at

what is the application

for us.

Here we are.

Like the Lord,

then we must make room

for those who feel distant

physically,

emotionally,

and spiritually.

We must recognize

that belonging

extends to all those

who contact with us.

They want to belong.

And graphically,

you can look at

the word belonging,

and you can apply it

to everybody in this world.

Everyone wants to belong.

God built this desire

into our very being.

Think about where you were,

what you did

without the Lord.

You tried to fill it

with things,

vacations,

jobs,

children,

whatever you name it,

you put it in there.

But even worse than that,

without God,

this belonging need

then cannot be fulfilled.

But it then manifests itself

in different ways.

Why do people get in gangs

for the sense of belonging?

Why is there body

mutilation clubs

that mutilate themselves?

Drugs, we know about that.

Usually it's a result

of wanting to be

in the in crowd.

To be loved by somebody,

and especially those

that have had a hardship

in being raised up in a home

that is not loving,

maybe a home that is split,

maybe a home without

a full cadre of parents

and people to help you

in your life.

I can remember one time

we were reaching out

in Norristown,

and we had these three

young boys

that we were picking up

in Norristown.

We'd rotate

and they would come.

And it got so bad

that we had to look

at three different households

to find these boys

Sunday morning

because their parents

didn't care.

They were on drugs.

They may sleep here today.

They may sleep there today.

And it was such

that we bought them bicycles

for Christmas one year

and they were so joyed.

We went back a couple

of weeks later

and the bicycles were gone.

And I said, what's wrong?

He said, my parents

sold them for money.

You know, brutality

at its worst.

I mean, you know,

you talk about

the implanting of attitudes

and things

that people deal with.

Just have no idea.

You know, and the idea

of not having regular meals

and so forth.

So we have these things

that are encumbrances.

But for us,

we must not live

in our bias,

our prejudice,

our stereotype

when it comes

to being inclusive

toward others.

That's the mission.

I always thought

my mission would be

preaching the Lord Jesus

in a bathing suit

down in Florida.

You know, so that was

my idea of hardship.

But that's not the case.

Those that are far off

or naturally unclean

are to be nurtured

into relationship

with empathy.

You know, I have learned

in my life not to go

for the kill

on the front end.

In relational evangelism

as we practice

in our community

is that we make friends

and, you know,

a lot of you know this.

We go and we have dinner

together.

We have associations

together and so forth.

And then the

as the friendship develops,

you begin to ask

them about, you know,

about eternity.

There was one couple

that had been

on our WhatsApp prayer list

that we had been praying for

which was the John

and the Gail.

If you remember,

not you, Gail,

but this other Gail.

And we had dinner with them

in the last interim of time.

And I thought,

okay, Lord,

we had three dinners with them.

It's time to kind of

get to the where we're

gone with this thing.

And I was asking the Lord.

So we went to dinner

all through dinner

in the niceties of life,

yada, yada, yada, yada.

And it was like

coming to the end.

I said, okay, Lord,

I guess this time has passed.

And at the end,

before we got up,

she said one sentence

had changed the whole dynamic.

And it was at the point in time

not making a long story short

that I asked them.

I said,

did you ever think about

what's ahead of you?

What the next step is?

About what death brings.

And none of them

really thought about it.

To me, that's mind blowing.

But anyway, I said,

look, if you'd like to have

a different conversation,

not here, not now,

but sometimes,

so we laid the groundwork out

about what Jesus did.

So that seed is planted.

And that's what we're to do.

To be inclusive

to the point in time saying,

okay, we'll inconvenience

ourselves for the sake of people

that we have opportunity

to administer to.

The goal is always

to be inclusive

and thus build unity

in the body of Christ.

Romans 15, seven says this,

accept one another

than just as Christ accept you

in order to bring praise to God.

In Luke 15, too,

speaking of Jesus,

this man welcomes sinners

and eats with them.

That's us.

Okay, we're going to move on

to the cloud.

Enough about that.

So we have the cloud.

It appears to be Israelites.

The first mention of the cloud

over the Israelites

in the Bible was Exodus 13, 21.

We covered a while back

shortly after their departure

from Egypt during the Exodus.

And it says this,

and Jehovah went before them

by day in a pillar of the cloud

to lead them the right way

and by night in a pillar of fire

to give them light

to go by day and night.

He did not take away

the pillar of the cloud by day

nor the pillar of the fire

by night before the people.

Here are some very interesting

aspects about the cloud.

There was no committee

or decision

and casting a vote

to make the cloud go on.

It was a total aspect

of learning to yield

what God wanted.

Obedience.

Being patient.

And how many times

have we run ahead of God?

I won't ask for a show of hands

because they're probably

in your heart of hearts

everybody would raise their hand.

Yeah, I got it, Lord.

Okay.

They simply kept their eyes

on the pillar of God

resting over the tabernacle.

They didn't have to worry

about what to do next.

They only watched and followed.

And that's how

our Christian life should be.

God executes a plan for us.

There was a calling.

We talked about that.

There was an anointing.

But we don't want to run ahead

of what God wants.

We want to be in sync

how he takes us

and how he unfolds us.

How many realize

that we as human beings

are impatient?

Yeah.

I mean, every hand

ought to go up with that.

We're even saying,

okay, Lord, what about?

What about it was like me

with Gail and John.

You know, it was time.

Lord, we've been at this thing.

This is the fourth meal together.

So let's get on with it.

And he was faithful at the end.

So the pillar of the cloud

provided shade and protection

from the harsh desert and heat.

Typically, the desert around Israel

is 100 to 108 degrees.

Think about that.

What was it today?

96?

Now it's 108.

Clouds provide a natural reduction

of anywhere from 10

to 15 degrees of heat

when you're under the cloud.

A cloud.

Making your skin

and breathing feel refreshed.

And the sand becomes

much cooler to the feet.

So consequently,

there was a natural aspect

to this that they benefited from.

Some of the interpretations

of the cloud and fire

are as follows.

Many Christian scholars

believe that it was one pillar

that appeared as a cloud

by day and fire by night.

The fire was likely

within the cloud

visible only in darkness.

However, on the other hand,

there are Jewish commentators

and scholars that say,

like Rashi and Nechmedadis

would argue that there were

two different distinct pillars.

One of the cloud

and one of the fire

that alternated or worked together.

It really makes no difference,

but it's the idea

that there was provision.

Here's a quick timeline

just to give you a perspective.

The departure from Egypt.

The role of the cloud

guided them by day and night.

At the Red Sea in Exodus 14,

there were protection

from the Egyptian army.

Out Mount Sinai,

and this is where we're still after

beginning to leave God's presence

during the giving of the law.

And over the tabernacle,

God's dwelling and signal

to move or to stay.

And lastly,

during the wilderness journey

in Numbers 9

that we're talking about

indicates time

for the Israelites

to begin to move.

So that's the chronology

of events at this point in time.

Okay, question.

Look at this.

D-O-E-S.

What does the cloud reveal

about God's character

and his desire to dwell

among the Israelites?

What main things

can you think about

that the cloud provides

other than what we talked

about naturally?

Any idea?

Ah, we got some hands here.

Yes.

I said guidance.

All right, key word.

We'll come back to that.

That's one of the words.

You know, you get two points

on your test at the end.

His presence.

That's another one.

You guys are stealing

my fire here.

That's good.

A little bit of community

because people are going

to stay together

instead of scattering.

Yeah, right.

Cohesiveness.

Yeah, that's good.

I would say rest.

Rest?

Okay, that's good.

Anybody else?

Nothing, Roger.

All right, okay.

Confidence and comfort.

Yeah, that's good.

All inclusive.

Okay, let's go

through some of these things.

Okay.

There we go.

It was clear.

It was a clear

and visible sign

that the Lord was

dwelling among his people

and leading them.

There was never a phenomenon

like this before

in the history of the world.

The clouds showed them

confidence again

that God's intentional,

watchful care

and the value of each one

was of his greatest interest.

Now, that's hard to think

when you think of

a million people,

a million men,

plus the mothers,

the wives, and the children.

But think about that.

He cared for each one.

And guidance.

Okay, somebody said that

the cloud led the Israelites

through the wilderness by day.

Well, the pillar of fire

guided them by night.

So that's another one.

The Israelites then

had to learn

to trust in God's pace.

And like we said,

we tend to be impatient

and I don't think

the Israelites

were any different than us.

Although our society

has made us very impatient

and want the now

rather than the later.

In moving them

toward the promised land.

In Numbers 9, 19,

it says,

the cloud tarried long

and the people of Israel

kept the charge of the Lord.

In other words,

at least on the front end,

they were willing to listen

and to be anointed

to the point

where they understood

what God wanted.

So they worked

to set a camp up,

to do all the things

that were necessary,

set the tabernacle up.

And I often think about

what if they do all this stuff?

They prepped,

they made the tents,

they got the fire going.

They made the meat

and all of a sudden

that next morning

you look up

and the cloud starts to move.

Okay, up again.

I don't know that it was

or wasn't it was,

but the idea

that God was testing them

for their obedience.

And then the third one,

protection.

In Exodus 14, 19, through 20,

the cloud moved

between the Israelites

and the pursuing Egyptian army

shielding them.

Okay.

So also the protection

from the harsh desert elements

that we cover.

So now,

let's ask the question.

What are the spiritual principles

that demonstrate

God's presence with us today?

Not then.

We talked about that today.

What do you think?

How is he demonstrating

his presence to us?

Well, I'll give you a hint.

There's the first one.

He's consistent.

He doesn't come today

and go on tomorrow.

He doesn't give you a pamphlet

or booklet

and say read this

and I'll be back later on.

Okay.

He abides with us.

He is always guiding

and comforting

and dwelling with us.

So that's one area.

In John 14, 16,

it says,

then I will ask the Father

to send you

the Holy Spirit

who will help you

and always be with you.

In verse 17,

the Spirit will show you

what is true.

So the Spirit,

if you will,

displaces the old covenant

understanding

of what being with you means.

And I, for one,

we have talked about this before,

appreciate the fact

that I'm born on the covenant

on this side of the covenant

than on that side

because of the Holy Spirit

abiding with us,

being with us.

We do not walk this road alone.

So that's one aspect.

His presence transforms us.

We're not the same.

How many are the same

10, 4, 6 years ago

as you were

when you first came to the Lord?

No.

He transforms us.

How does he do that?

God's presence

doesn't leave us unchanged.

It reshapes our thoughts,

our attitudes

and our behaviors.

He works on the inside of us.

Remember, quick lesson,

we talked about

how we get intuitive knowledge.

We hear the word of God.

We read the word of God.

That gives the Holy Spirit

opportunity to work.

The Holy Spirit speaks

to our conscience

and our conscience

then directs our lives.

So there's a chain of events

that go that are carried on.

So he aligns us closely

with his image

and then purpose.

His presence provides intimacy.

It fosters a relationship

marked by trust, peace,

somebody said that, peace

and communication.

Experiencing God often feels

like being known

and loved at the deepest level.

And I have a picture of this.

Oftentimes, not just today,

oftentimes I get so comfortable

in the fact when I'm with the Lord,

I don't want to break that

and have to get up

and do something.

And of course,

you know, time came that my wife,

she needed help to go

from the ceramics department

back home again.

So I knew that I had about

an hour and a half

set my watch, so to speak.

But I hated to do that.

I mean, not help my wife,

but just the idea of

when you're in the zone,

you're in the zone.

How many experiences is that?

I mean to tell you,

it's just so blessed

I could go on the rest

of my life feeling this way.

But of course, we can't.

We have to do what we do.

We are flush.

But it's just the idea

that those times are so valuable.

And if you don't spend time,

I would just encourage you

to even take a vacation day

and say,

okay, Lord,

I'm not going to do anything else.

But be in your presence

and spend time with you.

And if that's not comfortable

with you,

you'll find 50 million excuses

to do other things.

Oh, I got to go put the coffee on.

I got to take the dog out.

Somebody's at the telephone.

I actually put the telephone on.

It goes beep, beep, beep,

then I hide under a pillow.

So it doesn't bother me.

Because invariably,

you know when you're

in the comfort of the Lord,

you know, all of a sudden

the telephone rings.

Okay.

So again,

I can only encourage you to do that.

His presence brings us

conviction and clarity.

The Holy Spirit gently,

not harshly,

not like we were taught,

many of us,

reveals areas where we need

to grow or heal.

That's another thing

his presence does for us.

Okay, continuing on.

His presence brings us joy

and a divine desire to worship.

Worship is not just an act,

not on Sunday morning,

but in your home,

in your car,

going down the highway,

cleaning the apartment,

whatever, the house.

It is a response

to his divine presence.

You can't help it,

but want to worship.

I guess my question is,

those that know the Lord

that don't have

an outgrowth of worship

like we do,

by comparison,

and I don't mean

that we're better,

but it's just so limiting

to close your eyes

and your hands folded.

And there's a liturgy

and you get up

and then that's it.

I mean, it's so dearth

of that relationship

that you desire.

And once you know these things,

you really can't go back.

When we experience his presence,

there is often an outpouring

of praise, gratitude,

a sense of awe

when we see God's nearness

to us and experience that.

So we have these things

that reinforce it

and all you want to do is mourn.

All right,

his presence brings healing

and freedom,

emotional, spiritual,

and physical healing can flow

from the time spent

in God's presence.

It's where burdens are lifted

and chains are broken.

You know, oftentimes we think

of that in relationship

with others or for others.

It's also for us

spending time strengthening

the inner man.

And he gives us a fragrance.

I ought to asterisk this

and put Chris at the bottom

as a footnote.

He and his fragrance

smelling good on Sunday.

You know, I used to think

about that when I first came.

I said, how does that

all work out?

But, you know, I'm converted

now, Chris.

Like a spiritual aroma,

God's presence in us

can be sensed by others.

It may not be a sense of smell,

but it's a sense.

And we talked about this before,

how people gravitate

or why they gravitate to you.

You know, people,

they want to be your friend

or they want to have you over.

Why is that?

Because they sense

the Godliness in you.

There is an aura.

If you remember Christ ministering

and there was a sense of aura

around him as he walked on,

he has given us these gifts

to really know him

and to substantiate in our life

the meaning of this aroma

that we have

that we give out to other people.

So, consequently,

the idea of people wanting,

desiring and knowing

who is on the throne in our lives

is the hope and the truth

and the transformation

that we pray for everyone.

Okay.

Now we're going to go to guidance.

What are the spiritual principles

that demonstrate

God's guidance to us?

Well, I'll give you one.

God's guidance leads us

step by step,

not with a cloud,

but with his presence

in the Holy Spirit.

Here is,

his guidance provides clarity

in decision making.

How many have a difficulty

making decisions?

Oh, okay.

Let's see.

Is that more men and women?

Okay.

No.

All right.

He gives us clarity

so often

when we worry about

the things of life,

we can't make a decision

and I have a son

that's kind of gets stuck

on that sometime.

He's a follower,

but he just can't make himself

come to a decision point

in his life.

So, when he calls me

on the telephone

and we just happen

to be talking today

and he was at a point

with his one daughter

that's in college

and she just,

she signed a one-year lease

on her apartment

and she found out

that the three

Christian girlfriends

that are apartmenting

with her are cat lovers

and she hates cats.

So, there's the dilemma

right there.

So, we talked about that

a little bit

and I said,

well, you know,

why don't you ask her

and I went on

and gave a litany

of what my wisdom is

because he had asked

in the thing.

But the decision making process

can become easier.

God's guidance

brings a sense of direction

where confusion

often resides

if we don't allow him

to speak to us.

Choices become clearer

and if the path,

even if the path

is not easy.

Remember years ago

we also used to pray.

Lord, take us out

of this circumstance.

How many ever prayed that?

Years ago.

Now it's, Lord,

help us through

the circumstances.

Let us become stronger

by your power.

And oftentimes

he does take the circumstances

and resolves quickly

and other times

we just keep on going.

Okay.

Our need

and his guidance

aligns with Scripture.

Nothing that he ever says

to you is not scriptural

and if it is,

it's not the Lord.

I just want to declare

that tonight.

Verses will illuminate

certain situations

and act as a lamp

to our feet.

How many have ever needed

an answer

or something

and all of a sudden

the Lord begins to open up

the word.

Oh, there it is.

There it is.

And that's the answer.

That's great.

I'm glad you're practicing that.

His guidance often comes

from trusted mentors,

friends,

and spiritual leaders.

Just be willing

to share your burdens,

your thoughts,

your aspirations,

your fears

with other people.

And I was speaking

to someone tonight

about their participation

in,

in hung groups.

And hung groups

is one of the easiest ways

to begin to get started

in that.

There's a smaller grouping

of people.

There's an opportunity

for us to share

and we have brothers

and sisters

that are in need

and that are ministers to us.

So that friendship

that we develop

is very valuable.

Let me just show our hands.

How many

go to a,

a,

a small group?

How many regularly do that?

No, half of you.

Okay, that's good.

All right.

I encourage the rest of you

to try it out.

Proverbs 15 22,

where there is no counsel,

purposes are disappointed,

but in the multitude

of counselors,

they are established.

So that's the proof text

for you.

His guidance enables us

to be patient

and wait for his voice.

We have talked about that

and sometimes guidance

comes through,

again, seasons of stillness,

sometimes where

he doesn't even answer.

He's silent.

The heavens are silent.

You know, and you wait,

and you wait.

Waiting on God

cultivates trust

and again reveals

his timing to us

when he wants to act and do.

It was like the four,

four different times

that we spent with,

with Gail and John.

Psalm 27 14 says this.

Wait on the Lord,

be of good courage

and he shall strengthen your heart.

I say,

wait on the Lord.

Why does he say that twice?

Because we need to hear that.

Wait on him.

Okay.

Now we come to protection.

What are the spiritual principles

that demonstrate protection?

Well, it's like walking through life

with a divine shield.

Again, the armor of God.

We all know that.

I won't pick up on that.

Not one that removes the hardships

but one that assures us

that we are never alone.

His protection covers

and guides our hearts and minds

from fear,

despair and temptation.

His provision

and his protection shields us

from spiritual attacks

and rescues us

from destructive decisions

and pathways.

How many have ever been

in a situation

where you decided

to do something

and you were about to do it

or into it

and the Lord stopped you

and you realized

that that was wrong.

I'll raise two hands on that.

You know, and I kind of think

we have many stories

to share with that

but it's the idea

that he won't let us destroy

ourself.

If we are following the Lord

he will not let us destroy

ourself.

Now there may be lessons in that

but they are redeemable lessons.

Lessons that he wants you to learn.

Understanding

what his character is.

It's always a purpose

behind everything.

I can't stress that enough.

You think, well, this is a casual thing

or, gee, I don't want

to baba beLord about that

or this is infinitesimally.

I mean, I get down to difficulties

with my car.

I mean, I had an instance

with my car not so long ago.

It would just literally stop on me

and I don't mind that.

You know, you put it in neutral.

You start it up

but the engine light came on.

So I thought, okay,

this isn't bad for me

because I can get out

and yada yada yada.

But I've got a wife that's disabled.

How do I get her home

when she doesn't walk?

So I started thinking about this.

I said, look, okay.

So we have a device in our car

that you can put it

on the hinge of the door.

We'll lift her up from inside,

take her out,

put her in her chair.

Well, every time you get a new tool

for that, it's another couple thousand dollars.

I thought, okay.

So I looked at other Volvo's.

There was one down in Florida

for $7,500 beautiful thing.

It was nice.

It was the same year that I had.

And then I got to thinking.

So I went to the dealership

and I asked him,

what do I want to fix it?

Well, he started at $7,000.

I said, okay.

Then I looked at the list of things

and I said, the engine light was on.

I said, what is critical?

Well, there was three different

distribution pump sensors

and so forth

and I won't go into detail.

But that was five.

So I was kind of hesitating

and I thought, well, no.

You know, five is cheaper

than buying another used car

that may have the same problem.

So I went and got it fixed.

Well, I am so happy

that the Lord drew me down that way

because I wasn't inclined to do so.

And he, the car works perfectly now.

I didn't have to spend

but $5,000 to do this thing.

And I'm a happy camper

but I was going to do something else.

And that something else

would have cost me more money.

So the lessons learned

are not just monetarily

but relationally in the family

and all the other things

that go through our life.

In 2 Thessalonians 3, 3,

it says the Lord is faithful

and He will strengthen you

and keep you safe

from the evil one.

I mean, that's a testimony in itself.

His protection brings peace

in the storm.

When chaos surrounds us,

He brings calm.

He speaks like He spoke

to the waters.

Be calm.

Maybe you won't get out of the water

but the water will be calm

so that you can go through life.

Psalm 91 provides provision

and protection in all that we are

and all that we do.

I want to ask you a question.

When you pray for your family,

I want you to consider Psalm 91

because you can pray for your family

with a lot of different ways.

And I'm not saying

this is a template for you.

But what I am saying,

Psalm 91 is so conclusive

for daily protection and provision

for you, each one of you.

Family, if you're single,

if you're dating,

if you're divorced,

if you have family members

that aren't following.

So I want you to think about this.

Joni and I,

when we do our devotions

and prayer and intercession for people,

we go through all the Christian people

in our government.

And I have them listed by name.

I mean, do you know

that there is nine or 10 cabinet members

that know the Lord,

that profess the Lord.

Secretaries of Defense,

Pete Kedzeth and Noam,

Kristi Noam,

she knows the Lord.

I mean, it's just amazing.

And here you have Vance

and here you have Trump.

So every day,

we name the names of the leaders.

We name our children

and their children

and our grandchildren and us.

And I want you to close your eyes

and I want you to listen to this prayer.

Psalm 91.

We live under the protection

of God most high

and stay in the shadow of God

all powerful.

Then we will say to you, Lord,

you are our fortress,

our place of safety.

You are our God

and we will trust you.

Lord, you will keep us safe

from secret traps

and deadly diseases

that you will spread your wings

over us and keep us secure.

Your faithfulness is like a shield

or a city wall.

We won't need to worry

about the dangers at night

or the arrows during the day.

And we won't fear diseases

that strike in the dark

or sudden disaster at noon.

We will not be harmed

though thousands will fall around us.

And with our own eyes,

we will see the punishment

of the wicked.

The Lord Most High is our fortress.

We will run to you for safety

and no terrible disaster

will strike us or our home.

And you will command your angels

to protect us wherever we go.

And they will carry us in their arms

and we won't hurt our feet on stones.

And we will overpower

the strongest lions

and the most deadly snakes.

The Lord says,

if you love me

and surely know who I am,

I will rescue you

and keep you safe.

When you are in trouble,

call out to me.

I will answer

and be there to protect

and honor you.

And I love this especially

at the end.

This is me.

And you will live a long life

and see my saving power.

Now think about that.

I have prayed many prayers

for my family,

but I have found this

to be all inclusive.

So I want you to just think about that

and try it out for yourself

tomorrow or the next day.

It covers many of the things

that you may be praying for.

So I exhort you in that.

We know that we have guidance.

We know that we have protection.

And that's just Psalm 91.

It's the New English version.

And I would just encourage you

to be blessed tonight

to take home something

that we have talked about

in the area of the cloud,

what it does for us

parenthetically

through the Holy Spirit.

And Lord, we ask you tonight

that you would bless us.

You would watch over us

and you would enable us

to encompass

through your Psalm

that which is the protection

and the provision

that's needed daily

for all our loved ones,

those in government,

our wives,

our husbands,

our friends.

Lord, we thank you for this,

we pray.

And everyone said,

Amen.

Thanks for joining us

at Lansdale Life Church

as we praise God

and discuss His word.

Don't forget to join us

for Worship Live Sunday mornings

at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.

Be blessed

and have a great day!