The Purah Factor

"If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp" (Judges 7:11). For seven years the Children of Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord. For seven years He gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Bondage to the Midianites was so terrible they held up in shelters made in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. In absolute desperation they began to cry out to God. He heard their prayers and sent a man to deliver them from their oppression. The man he choose was an unknown farmer named Gideon. An angel sent from the Lord showed up and called Gideon "Mighty Warrior" which was by any means a real stretch of characterization from Gideon's perspective. Gideon is not the Lone Ranger in this experience. We all can relate to his insecurity concerning an assignment from God. To add to his bewilderment the Lord reduced his troop size from 22,000 to 300 men. The Lord left no doubt where the victory would come from. Because Gideon was not convinced of victory in this battle God did a couple of things to help ease his anxiety. He told Gideon to go to the enemy camp and listen to what their soldiers were saying. What Gideon will hear will be an encouragement to him. Naturally Gideon is terrified by this idea. Thus the Lord takes another step and sends a trusted friend and soldier named Purah with him. Purah was a trusted person that Gideon could confide in. Purah would prove to be the needed witness of what Gideon would hear the Midianites say. He would be the second witness to what they hear and report to the troops. Several things stand out about Purah. He was older than Gideon. He was more experienced. He was loyal. And He was comfortable with Gideon taking all the credit. Purah was willing to turn success into a legacy to Gideon instead of a monument to himself. We all need "Purahs" in our lives. We need people who will take risks and who can be used by God to bring our faith up to a level of being able to do mighty things in God's Kingdom. Has God called you to such an assignment? Perhaps He has also placed a "Purah" in your life to encourage you. Maybe He is calling you to be a "Purah" in someones life. Don't miss His opportunity to be a "Purah" to another. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Spots and Blemishes

"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him" (II Peter 3:14). Spots and blemishes, we all have them, we don't necessarily appreciate them, we try to hid them, cover them, remove them or just put up with them. When we read about "Spots and blemishes" in the Bible its not talking about warts, moles, scars or liver spots. Its talking about the false teachers who were infiltrating Christianity. These Charlton's twisted the Scriptures "To their own destruction." These false teachers were deceived deceivers who did their best to lead others away from the truth. With this background Peter tells us to make very effort to avoid the shame of the false teachers. How do we do that? By dealing honestly with every personal sin and failure in our lives. Jesus had raised the question "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? He left the question hanging in the air, waiting for each hearer to answer in his own heart. I believe the answer to that question depends on us. The upshot of this Biblical passage is posed in the question, how will we be found when Jesus returns? Will our faith be firmly planted in God and His Promises? The coming of the Lord is a glorious event that should have a present effect upon our lives. The knowledge of the coming blessedness of the Lord should keep us in peace, without spot, and blameless. Peter is saying God's future promises should give us present power for holy living. The prospect of Jesus coming should motivate us to keep seeking Him, and as a result we will stay away from that which would distract us from Christian duty and would seek to disturb our soul. Peter is saying "Stay away from the faith killers". We are challenged with the question, how will He find us when He comes? Lets be found "Spotless, blameless and at peace with Him." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Let's Accept Each Other

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). The Lord is in infinite wisdom allows Christian liberty not for our enjoyment but for His glory. In His earthly ministry Christ's life was one of self-denial. I believe it takes a measure of humility and self-denial on our behalf to accept one-another. Part of acceptance includes bearing the failings of one another. The end result of our accepting one another is the glorification of our Lord. The Holy Spirit that indwells each of us is in agreement with Himself. We can have unity among diversity as we yield to the Lord and each other. Then we who agree in Christ can begin to agree among ourselves. Have you noticed how God makes everything out of the same simple elements but they are always different. Each of us has a nose, two ears, a mouth, a forehead, some hair (more or less), a chin and with these God makes faces. However no two are quite alike. Though we all share the character of Christ, salvation is not a mold that stamps out the same being over and over again. In the body of Christ there is an infinite variety of expression of the beauty and character of our Lord. This is His plan and He began it in eternity past and He won't end it until eternity future. When we focus on the marvelous work the Lord is doing in each of our lives it becomes a lot easier to accept (welcome) one another. We are like the weaver who weaves cloth, and, working from the wrong side of the garment sees a tangle of threads that seems to make no sense at all. But when the process is finished, one can look on the other side, and there is the pattern beautifully worked out. That's what each of our lives are like. When we begin to see each other through His eyes, it becomes a whole lot easier to accept each other. This brings praise to the Lord. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.