Hi Folks:

Thanks to those who sent contact info after I mentioned the idea for an OnFire radio version. I discovered a lot of helpful things. Its going to take some time to pull this all together, but it sounds do-able with the help of some friends. So many have written to tell you how helpful you have found the letter. The aim, then, is to expand the audience so that it can help others also.

Yesterday I pulled a muscle in my right arm. I was supposed to help a friend move. I felt about as helpful as a one-armed paper hanger. Today it is doing a little better. I've had to endure a few jokes about getting older, but I view this as only a temporary setback. At only 38, I don't buy that I'm going to have to start pulling back. Up to a few years ago, my (now) 88 year-old grandfather could shoulder press a 75 lb piece of railroad iron with one arm.

Other than that, we're doing well. Take care.

Troy

-----------------------------------

Joshua 22:10-12 "When they came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan, the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh built an imposing altar there by the Jordan. And when the Israelites heard that they had built the altar on the border of Canaan at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side, the whole assembly of Israel gathered at Shiloh to go against them."*

In the backs of our Bibles, most of us have maps of the division of the tribes in the promised land. If you look, you’ll see that the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh were located on the eastern side of the Jordan River.

Because they were located so far away from the tabernacle where the sacrifices were made, they set up an altar which would never be used. Instead, it would be a reminder to the people that their place of worship was on the other side of the river. The river may have been a physical barrier, but it was not a religious one. (Joshua 22:26-27)

Unfortunately, the people of the other 10 tribes misunderstood and prepared for war. They thought they had set up an altar for false worship.

Their intentions of the 10 tribes were good. They did not want to lose the blessings of the promised land by allowing false religion to creep in. But they very nearly went to war over a misunderstanding. Thankfully, they showed wisdom by sending a delegation of leaders from the tribes to determine the truth. (vv. 13-14)

This reminds me of a joke I heard a few weeks ago. A long-time drinker gave up the bottle. After being sober for years, the town gossip spotted his pick-up outside the liquor store. Soon word spread that he was drinking again.

After some time, the man approached the gossip. "Is it true that you’ve been telling people I’ve fallen off the wagon?"

"Well, your truck was outside the liquor store," she replied.

The man said nothing and left. That night he parked his truck in her driveway for the night.

A number of years ago I became concerned when I saw a lady from the church leave the pastor’s office. Her hair was messed up and she left quickly. It didn’t look good. I couldn’t believe my pastor might be involved with another woman, but what had I seen? I kept my thoughts to myself while privately I questioned his integrity.

I watched and waited for any "evidence" that would either confirm or explain what I had seen. After a few weeks I determined that I should approach him to ask for myself what was going on.

I never did approach him. Over the course of the next few weeks, the lady and her husband parted. Evidently she had been upset the day I had seen her leave the pastor’s office because of the state of her dissolving marriage.

I felt a little foolish. But I was glad I didn’t say anything to someone else. I could have damaged my pastor’s reputation.

Its so easy to go off based on innuendo and rumour, even if the information seems to be reliable at the time. The Hebrew people were ready to go to war based on appearances of wrongdoing. How many family or personal wars have been started over what someone was supposed to have said or done, only to find out later it was all a misunderstanding?

Hope this helps. Be OnFire,

Troy

--------------------------------

ON FIRE is a weekly letter of encouragement by Troy Dennis. This letter published April 30, 2006.