I was privileged again this year to attend camp meeting in the beautiful rolling hills of Tennessee. For one week we feasted on the Word, as it was brought to us by pastors and theologians
from California, Washington, New York and our Southern University in Tennessee. We had one seminar on the Remnant Lifestyle, one on better communication with each other, we had early morning devotionals, and two mid morning services.
They were all good, all informative, and inspiring. But, to me, the last sermon of the camp meeting was the one that was the most important. It was brought by Pastor Morris Venden, but, it was not the preacher, but the message that made it important. It was important because Jesus was lifted up, as the only Way. I had to ask myself when I had ever heard in our church a real sermon about conversion? We hear the doctrines preached, and end time events, and these are good. But, they are worth nothing unless the center of them is Jesus.
I still must go over my cassette tape again, to give you the real "meat" to this message, and I feel it is too important to leave anything out But, I did take notes, so, how about an overview?
The text was from Numbers 21:5-9, and I wondered why he chose to teach conversion from there. He told the story of the Israelites traveling through the
Arabah, a barren plain strewn with stones and sand and usually hot and dry. And, they were realizing they were marching with their backs turned to Caanan, instead of entering it.
As usual, they were complaining. They said there was no bread, and no water, but, we are told they had an abundance of food, but were rebelling against their heavenly diet. The word used here for the "light" bread, means to hold in low esteem, for the people were thinking of the varied and spicy foods in Egypt, or the pizzas, as Pastor Venden put it.
It is a known fact today that the part of the country through which they were traveling was infested with snakes, scorpions, etc. Deut. 8:15, and every day they were divinely protected from them. But, now, because of the sin of the people; their turning from God, with complaints and ingratitude, He removed His protection from around the people.
Pastor Venden stated that this is the delight of the devil, to do awful things and then blame God. For, if the people had not been listening to Satan's temptings about what they had left behind in Egypt, the protection of God would have not been removed, and the snakes would not have attacked the people. So, as usually happened then, and often does now, when we are in trouble, we become humble and repentent. That is what the people did, knowing their accusations against God were false. V.7. And, as the loving God He is, He accepted their repentence and helped them, and showed a way they could be healed.
The remedy for the awful bites from the snakes seems a strange one, Moses was told by God to make a serpent and put it on a pole, and all who looked at it in FAITH would live.
For He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.2Cor.5:21
Where is the part about conversion? It will come in the next section.
