The Walking Dead: Part Two

Scripture

But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness…In this way, you will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.
~Numbers 14:32-33, NIrV

Quote

Unbelief puts our circumstance between us and God. Faith puts God between us and our circumstances.

~F.B. Meyer

In Galatians 2:20 Paul talks about living dead: dead to self and alive to Christ. My first “Walking Dead” blog was about living dead to self; this one is about being dead in terms of usefulness. The first one speaks of the crucified life, the second, the shelf life. Paul’s greatest fear was to be put on the shelf, to become unusable. Unfortunately, it is not a fear we see often these days.


Although the Israelites had witnessed more miracles than any generation in history, they continually complained about their conditions. They showed no respect for God and thought nothing of disobeying His commands. They refused to obey Him even though they had seen Him do miracle after miracle. When the search committee returned from surveying the land, the majority gave a negative report and spread fear and panic across the camp. The Israelites go to door of the promise land and then refused to go in and take it. God was not pleased with them and He pronounced judgment upon them:
  1. Not one of you will see the land I promised except Joshua and Caleb.
  2. I will do to you the very thing I heard you say, you will die in the wilderness.
  3. Every one of you who has spoken against me will be wiped out.
  4. You have said your enemies would capture your children but I will see to it that your children capture your enemies.
  5. Your children will suffer for 40 years because you were unfaithful. {Wow}
  6. Now you will know what it is like to have ME against you?
  7. You are an evil community and you will meet your end in the desert.

This faithless generation existed for another 40 years but they didn’t live, they merely wondered in circles. Their life had no direction and no purpose. There death certificate did not match the date of their death. They died when they rebelled against God at Kadesh. As far as God was concerned, they were dead. He had no plans to use them. They were the original walking dead. Joe David quoted Billy Graham yesterday concerning the large numbers in our churches who are lost. Dr. Graham says that he fears that 80% of church members are unsaved. I don’t disagree with Dr. Graham often but I do disagree with this statement. The Israelites were not lost but they were disobedient and God put them on the shelf. This is where I believe you find a big part of the 80% Dr. Graham is referring to: they are not dead physically or spiritually but in terms of usefulness, they are dead. There comes a time when God says to rebellious Israelites or Baptist, “Have your own way.”


Another good LORD’s day with two additions and two good worship services. Both sermons were excellent; I enjoyed both. Still a lot of sickness. It looked like we were down a tad but the choir was full. We had only 5 empty seats. News is out about the $500 dollar prize egg in the Easter egg hunt. The weather was very pleasant but I think it is going to cool off tomorrow night. I’ll bet this is our last bitter cold but we will have some more frost and cold weather. My tomatoes are looking good.

Big Mama is making rapid improvement. I caught her making up the bed this morning. She will be washing clothes and the dishes before the day is done. She can’t stand me waiting on her hand and foot. We go to the doctor tomorrow to get the cast removed. She will then get a walking boot and then she will be at Kroger’s and all over the place. I know what you are thinking: “Does she still tell me what to do even though I’m waiting on her?” If you think “Yes,” you would be correct.

Eugene Luther Bailey

Today is Daddy’s birthday. He was born in 1911 so he would be 106. He departed this world July 5, 1995 and I miss him as much as ever. He understood a lot more than I gave him credit for. One of my regrets is that I didn’t listen to him or respect him as I should. I am reaping those oats and I have no one to blame except myself. Daddy love fish and generally we tried to have a fish fry around his birthday. We carried him to Old Greenbrier on his last birthday. He had fish and he loved their onions. He bought a bad to go. When it came time to leave, he couldn’t get up. That restaurant was the last placed that he walked into on his own. Daddy was no highly educated and he didn’t know how to work smart but he worked hard. He finished concrete for 30 years to provide for his family. He never fails us, not once. There were some winters {Christmas} where he had to borrow money to make it but he always did whatever was needed for the family. He seldom wore new clothes and he would eat anything mother put on the table and never complain. I didn’t appreciate my daddy as a teenager; I got a little better in my twenties but I didn’t begin to understand his plight until I was around 40. I tried to make up for lost time but he was promoted when I was 46. Today is one of my heroes.

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