Jackass: The Sermon“Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’” (Numbers 22:28) With the surprise box office success of a stupid movie like Jackass: The Movie and the MTV show of the same name featuring Johnny Knoxville and his gross-out gags and stunts, this ministry must respond to the barrage of Hollywood filth from the Word of God with lessons that we too can learn from a jackass or donkey. Many of us want to succeed at any price that we sometime fail to listen to the inner voice trying to warn us by leading us on a different path. Balaam started out as a man of God, but then he became a prophet-for-hire. God was mad with Balaam’s willingness to honor Moabite king Balak’s request to curse Israel. Balaam should have known better that he could not curse what God has blessed. As Balaam rode his donkey, God sent an angel to oppose him. Balaam did not see the angel, but his donkey did. Three times the donkey turned around and three times Balaam struck the poor animal. The donkey finally turned around, and to Balaam’s surprise, became a real Jackass and began speaking, admonishing her master for beating her. The donkey warned Balaam of the angel of death who was standing with a drawn sword and a license to kill, ready to whack Balaam if he continued on his wicked way. God is trying to tell us that there is no business like donkey business, and He can even use a Jackass to speak to us, to humble us when we stray from God’s way of doing things. There are times when trying harder like Avis or manipulating people or circumstances is not the right thing to do. We are not at Burger King, where we can have it our way. God may be trying to have us consider our ways when we are faced with an obstacle that Balaam faced. May be God’s timing is not the same as ours, and He wants us to mature spiritually or refine us to be more loving and giving like Him. May be God wants other godly people to help us, and the circumstances are not ripe for them to enter. May be God is blocking our path to protect us from harm’s way. Or may be, just may be, God is using the whole process to develop the power Twins of faith and patience in us. In situations like these, we must daily meditate on the Word of God and rely on the comfort and guidance of the Holy Spirit to know what to do, lest we make a Jackass of ourselves.Copyright © 2002 Eddy Ministries. All rights reserved. Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
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