Sunday, December 31, 2017
What Is Your Complaint?
Verse
of the day: Exodus 16:2 Then the
whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron
in the wilderness.
Not
long after God won a great victory against Pharaoh and his army, on behalf of
His people, we see the Israelites murmuring against Moses, Aaron, and God Himself.
Three days after He delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians, the
people began to complain because they could not find water, and the waters of
Marah were bitter (Exodus 15:23). God miraculously provided them with sweet
water to drink (Exodus 15:22-25); yet, here they are, once again, murmuring.
Are we one of those “woe is me” Christians who continually complain even though
God is continually blessing us? The Israelites are now recalling the food they
had in Egypt, but forgot the bitter cruelty they suffered as slaves. We must be
careful that we not long for those days when we may have had the things of this
world, but were lost and without Christ. We must guard our thoughts, hearts,
and appetites, so that we are not tempted to return to what God has already
saved us from (Proverbs 26:11; 2 Peter 2:22). We must not allow ourselves to be
slaves to sin, and the devils, now that we are set free in Christ (Romans
6:6-14). God, being a merciful and patient God, in hearing their complaints,
provided the Israelites with manna (bread) from heaven (v. 4). It is amazing
how stiff-necked, and hard-hearted, these people were in that they continually
saw God protecting them, and providing for them, in supernatural ways; yet,
they continually murmured against Moses, Aaron, and God, when they did not get
what they wanted, when they wanted it. Are we any different? Do we overlook God’s
blessings in our lives because we are too busy paying attention to how He is
blessing others? Do we honestly count our blessings each day? Did you wake up
this morning? You are blessed with another day of life, another opportunity to
glorify God, and gain heavenly reward. Did you get out of bed on your own
without the help of someone else or having to use a walker or wheelchair? You
are blessed with health and strength to carry on for another day. Did you wake
up to go to a job that you continually complain about? You woke up with health
and strength to go to a job that someone else would take in a heartbeat because
that person, and his/her family, is suffering because he/she is unemployed and
does not know where the next meal is coming from. Do I need to continue? The
fact of the matter is that regardless of who we are, if we are a child of God,
we are in possession of the greatest blessing that the world cannot provide for
us…eternal life. God provided the Israelites with manna from heaven that
sustained them in the wilderness, but eventually died in the wilderness. The
Israelites cried out for that which sustained the body and life here on earth,
and missed the blessing of appreciating the God who wanted to save their soul
and give them life beyond life on earth. Today, God has provided us with the
Bread of Heaven, Jesus Christ (John 6:51). If God chose to give us nothing
else, we are still blessed more than anyone who possesses all the riches of
this world, but does not have Jesus. We have life eternal in Jesus Christ, and
to add to it, God has promised to provide for our earthly needs, if we will
seek the Kingdom of Heaven first (Matthew 6:25-34). What is your complaint
today? What are you lacking that exceeds what God has already given us in
Christ? Hebrews 13:5-6 reminds us of a great blessing we already possess, Let your conduct be without
covetousness; be content with
such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6 So
we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not
fear. What can man do to me?” We have the Bread of
Heaven who will sustain us in, and guide us through, this wilderness we call
life, on our way to our Promise Land where our Heavenly Father awaits our
arrival.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Holy, Fearful, Wondrous
Verse
of the day: Exodus 15:11 “Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like
You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”
In
this chapter, we read the song of praise that Moses and the Israelites sang to
God after He delivered them out of the hands of Pharaoh and his army. How many
of us can say that we continually have a song of praise in our hearts for our
God? Do we only have a song in our hearts during the good times, or do we sing
praises to Him regardless of what our circumstances look like? Sadly, we are
too much like the Israelites in the wilderness, who one minute are singing
praises to God, but the moment things start going sideways in our lives we
begin to murmur and complain. Now we see them sing a song of praise, but within
three days, they were complaining (v. 24). This particular verse, in this song
of Moses, tells us much in respect to why we need to praise God in both the
good and bad times. We should not let challenging circumstances and
tribulations change our song. “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods?” Who is
like unto our God? What can the other gods in our lives (person, money, social
status, material goods, or whatever other gods we have made for ourselves) do
for us that God has done, is doing, or will do for us? The short answer?
Nothing! Our God is glorious in holiness, or absent of all evil. Our God is
magnificent, honorable, and majestic in His holiness. In other words, our God
is just, perfect, and will never do, or allow, anything in our lives that is
unholy, unfair, or unjust. All that God does, and allows, in our lives is
always for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). There are those time that
we do not understand why God is allowing certain things to take place in our
lives, but this we can know with all certainty: God always has a purpose for
all that He allows us to experience in our walk with Him. He is always with us
through it all (Hebrews 13:5-6), and His plan for our life is perfect, because
He is perfect in holiness. 1 Samuel 2:2 puts it this way, “There is none holy
as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our
God.” Moses and the Israelites have seen the wonderful, matchless, glory of God
leading them, and protecting them. They have witnessed wonders that the gods of
Egypt had not performed, or could ever perform. What other response could they
have to what they have witnessed, and experienced, other than fearfully, and
reverently, praise Him? It is sad to see that today, we have far too many born
again believers that do not reverently praise God. We have allowed the gods in
our lives rob God of the praise that only He deserves. We have become more
dependent on money, riches, material goods, and our own ability to provide for
ourselves, and our families, overshadow the fact that it is God who gives us
the health, and strength, to get up each day to earn those things. We have
allowed the busyness of life blind us to the wonders that God is continually
working in our lives. Our God is still a God of miracles. Every time He answers
a prayer, a miracle has taken place. We have become desensitized to God’s
miraculous wonders in our lives. We have overlooked the small wonders, which
are truly great wonders, because they did not come packaged the way we expect.
Have you ever experienced God’s life giving power? If you have ever witnessed
the birth of a baby, and studied what happens as that baby develops at each
stage of pregnancy, then you have witnessed a marvelous wonder! Have you ever
seen a glimpse of God’s power in nature? If you have stopped and paid attention
during a lightning and thunderstorm, you have gotten a glimpse, on a small
scale, in comparison to other storms, of the power of God that terrifies the
bravest of men. It is a marvelous wonder! Have you ever experienced the touch
of God? If you have ever seen a fluttering butterfly, and have had one gently
land on your hand, then you have experienced that touch. The marvel of a not-so-attractive
caterpillar, transformed into this beautiful, delicate, creature. It is a
marvelous wonder! Our God is glorious in holiness, and will never do, or allow,
anything in our lives that is contrary to His nature. If we would just stop and
look around us, we would see His marvelous wonders all around us. This should
bring us to a place in our walk with Him that causes us to reverently praise
Him for who He is, more than for what He does or does not do in our lives. The
greatest wonder He has performed in our lives that alone deserves eternal
praise is how He has called us out of darkness to His light, in Christ Jesus
(Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9). Just like He parted the Red Sea to make a way for
the Israelites, He has parted the flames of Hell, and made a way of escape for
us in Christ (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). Do we need any other reason to fearfully
praise Him for the wonder of who He is?
Friday, December 29, 2017
Full Circle Justice
Verse
of the day: Exodus 14:27 And Moses
stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea
returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
Once
again we see Moses obediently following the LORD’s direction, and God doing the
work. In this case, we see God’s vengeance finally being executed against Pharaoh
and the Egyptian army. This vengeance came after four hundred years of
suffering. Some would say that it was cruel of the LORD to allow His people to
suffer for so long, but we must not forget that the Israelites themselves had
turned from God in the first place. Each time God has allowed His people to be
enslaved and taken into captivity, it was because of their own rebellion
against Him. So it is today when people are quick to blame God for the “bad
things that happen to good people”, when it was man who sinned against God in
the first place, bringing sin and death into the world. Praise be to our God
that He is merciful, and in spite of our rebellion and hard hearts, He
continues to love us, be merciful toward us, and eventually comes to our
rescue. Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not
consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new
every morning; great is Your
faithfulness.” I had not previously noticed this, but
Pharaoh and his people perished by the same manner in which he tried to keep
the Israelites from growing in population. In Exodus 1:22 we read, So Pharaoh commanded all his people,
saying, “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every
daughter you shall save alive.” Here, we read that God’s vengeance brought
Pharaoh’s own wicked schemes back upon him and his army. Proverbs 26:27 reminds
us, “Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and he who
rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.” Pharaoh paid the price for
his wickedness, and met the same end as those children he ordered drowned in
the river. This should serve as a reminder for each of us that the God who saved
us, and who is still sits on the throne, sees everything, including the moments
when we are mistreated by others. He sees when we are persecuted, and He sees
when we are treated unjustly, even by our own family, or so-called brothers and
sisters in Christ. Nothing escapes Him, and He has instructed us in how we are
to respond to those who mistreat us or persecute us. Jesus said in Matthew
5:44-45, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless
those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in
heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain
on the just and on the unjust.” Furthermore, we are told in
Romans 12:14, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
In Romans 12:17-21 He says, Repay no one evil for evil. Have
regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much
as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge
yourselves, but rather give
place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if
he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap
coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome
evil with good. Sadly, in our pride, impatience, and unwillingness to
forgive, too many of us seek our own form of justice, and vengeance, against
those we are told to love, pray for, and forgive. We waste years “renting space”
in our heads to people who do not give us a second thought, and who go on
living their lives as if they did nothing wrong. All the while, we are the ones
who get bitter, sick, and miss out on the blessings that God bestows upon us,
because we are too preoccupied with thoughts of how God allowed this person, or
that person, do this, or that, to us; and now He is doing nothing about it. God
may delay His vengeance against those who do wrong against us, but the ultimate
goal in His delay may be to teach us patience, how to truly love and forgive as
He does. He wants to teach us to trust Him to do whatever He is going to do, in
His time, not ours. He may even choose us to be the vessel He uses to be kind
and loving when that person suffers under similar circumstances that they put
us through. If they are not saved, we might be the messenger God chooses to
bring them the Gospel message. The bottom line is that we must trust God’s
judgment on how He will mete out His justice on our behalf, even if that justice
is receiving God’s love, forgiveness, and eternal life.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
He Is the One Doing It
Verse
of the day: Exodus 14:16 “But lift
up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the
children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the
midst of the sea.”
Moses
prayed a silent prayer looking for guidance. God’s response was to question why
he was still crying out to Him, and instructed him to tell the Israelites to
move forward. God further instructs Moses to lift up his rod and part the Red
Sea. For so many years, from the time that I became a Christian, even until
today, I hear people say that Moses parted the Red Sea. Well, for those who
still say that, Moses did not part the Red Sea. God parted the Red Sea. Moses
was the instrument that God used to lead His people, but it was God who was
really leading, as Moses obeyed the Lord’s commands. When Moses went before
Pharaoh to demand that he let the people go, it was God who performed the
miracles and brought the plagues upon Egypt. Now, at the edge of the Sea, it is
God who is going to protect them and make a way of escape for them. In verse
21, we read, “Then Moses stretched
out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong
east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided.” Moses accomplished
what he accomplished because he obeyed the LORD. I would like to remind all of
us who are in some type of leadership position, or position of authority, as
Christians; we can only be the best leader, whether in our homes, in our
churches, or anywhere else, if we are following God’s instructions, and His
leading. I have seen a silly bumper sticker that reads, “God is my Co-pilot”. My
first thought is always, “If God is your Co-pilot your plane is eventually
going to crash, because God should be your Pilot.” I cannot say this enough, “A
good Christian leader is one who is following the Lord.” We cannot truly lead
in our homes, in our churches, or in society, and make a difference for the
Kingdom of God, if we are the ones who are taking the lead, as born again
believers. Moses would never have been able to keep the Egyptian army at bay.
It was God who did that (v. 19-20). Moses would have never been able to part
the Red Sea; it was God who did that (v. 21). So it is today that we are
nothing without the Lord. Jesus plainly told us in John 15:5, “I am the vine,
you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears
much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The Apostle Paul
recognized this in his life. He penned these words, by the leading of the Holy
Spirit, in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.” However, too many Christians have taken this verse
completely out of context and used it to proclaim that they will accomplish
things that God never called them to accomplish. They have even used this verse
as a “name it, claim it” verse. What exactly was the Apostle talking about when
he wrote this? Keeping the verse in its context, the Apostle wrote this in
Philippians 4:11-13, in respect to the generosity of the Christians at
Philippi, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have
learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and
I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be
full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all
things through Christ who strengthens me.” In other words, all that God
allowed the Apostle to suffer in the ministry God gave him served as a lesson
on how to depend on God, and how to trust Him to help him get through the tough
times. It was a valuable lesson in contentment, regardless of what
circumstances he found himself in. The Apostle Paul, in his own strength, would
have accomplished little to nothing without Jesus. Moses and the Israelites
would have perished at the edge of the Red Sea without God coming between them
and the Egyptians, and parting the waters. We will fail miserably in our
Christian walk if we insist on doing things our way, or if we insist on trying
to take credit for that which God does, and enables us to accomplish in our
lives. We give room to our prideful self when we insist on bragging about how
much we have done for the Lord, as if He were the One who needed us, when in
reality, we are the ones who need Him. He must increase, and we must decrease
(John 3:30), in our homes, in our churches, at our jobs, and in our social
circles. We must recognize that it is by the grace of God that we are where we
are today, and that we are who we are today; if, in fact, we are doing anything
that is worthy of heavenly reward.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Time to Go Forward
Verse
of the day: Exodus 14:15 And
the Lord said
to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
Yesterday
I said there are two things we can observe from this verse. We observed that
Moses prayed a silent prayer that God heard and answered. Today, I would like
to focus on God’s answer. Oh how often we waste much precious time failing to
move forward. My brothers and sisters, we, as born again believers, must always
be praying and in constant communication with our God. However, there comes a
time when prayer becomes an excuse to avoid action. God sent Moses and Aaron to
the Israelites with a message of deliverance. In spite of Pharaoh’s rebellion,
and hardened heart, God made good on His promise to lead them out of Egypt.
Now, they find themselves at the edge of the Red Sea, with no apparent escape
route. God has already shown them that He was with them and that He will protect
them by appearing to them as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by
night (Exodus 13:21). Yet, they are here murmuring and complaining that it
would have been better to stay in Egypt and serve as slaves than to be in their
present predicament (v. 11-12). How quickly they forgot their suffering and
cruel treatment when they encountered a new challenge in the wilderness,
forgetting, and essentially ignoring, the fact that God was visibly with them.
How often we too have forgotten God’s promise that He will never leave us nor
forsake us, when we are facing new challenges in life (Hebrews 13:5-6). Moses’
response to them is to not be afraid, be still, and see the salvation of the
Lord (v. 13). Today, it would do us well, in some instances, to be still and
know that He is God (Psalm 16:10), when we find ourselves in situations that
overwhelm us. Nonetheless, God’s response to Moses’ silent prayer is this, “Why
do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.” How often God
must have said that to each, and every, one of us. One of the greatest losses
of blessings is experienced by each of us when we delay moving forward, already
knowing that God is with us, and knowing what God’s will is, even before
praying for guidance. Here is what I mean…God has made His will for us, as His
children, known to us. It is written in God’s Word, in black and white. Wherever
God says, in His Word, “this is the will of God”, it means…this is the will of
God! When He gives a command in His Word, it means...this is the will of God!
When God tells us to do good (Hebrews 13:16), be kind and forgive (Ephesians
4:32), love one another and your enemies (John 13:34-35; Matthew 5:44), be pure
(1 Thessalonians 4:3), be at peace with other (Romans 12:18), be thankful in
all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and offer up the sacrifice of praise in all
situations (Hebrews 13:15), we need not have to wait for an affirmative
response from God to do these things. It is already plainly stated in God’s
Word that this is His will for each of us. When we read that we are to tell
others about Jesus, and share the Gospel with every creature (Mark 16:15), we
do not need to wait for an affirmative answer from God to do this. We certainly
should pray for guidance in how we can do these things, such as, “Lord what can
I do to show this person the love of Christ?” “Lord, how can I best present the
Gospel message to my neighbor?” “Lord, how can I show this person that I have
truly forgiven them for their offense against me?” Our prayers need not be, “Lord,
should I show this person the love of Christ?” “Lord, should I witness to this
person?” “Lord, should I forgive this person? What if they hurt my feelings or
offend me again?” I just cannot help thinking that there are far too many
instances in our lives when God is saying to us, “Why do cry to Me? Go forward!”
Sadly, I have seen too many Christians use prayer as an excuse to avoid serving
or giving. “I have to pray about whether or not God wants me to do this, or do
that.” “I have to pray about whether or not I should give to this need that God
has presented me with.” In the end, all we are doing is waiting for time to
pass, and the conviction to do something to fade away, so that we can continue
living life as usual without being inconvenienced, or having to sacrifice something.
Moses, although he had already assured the people that God was going to deliver
them, still silently prayed for guidance. This is good. However, too often we
stand for too long, using prayer as an excuse not to move forward. Oftentimes,
we use prayer to keep us from doing that which we are afraid to do, or to avoid
doing the things that have potential outcomes we cannot control. The time we
have here on earth is short (James 4:14). The return of Jesus is near (I
Thessalonians 5), and there are too many people dying and going into eternity
without Jesus (Luke 10:2). This means that we must be prayerful, but not waste
time using prayer as an excuse to go into action. We must pray, move, pray,
move, and be still only when God tells us to be still. How will we know when to
be still or move…pray, but do not delay.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
He Hears Our Silence
Verse
of the day: Exodus 14:15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children
of Israel to go forward.
There
are two things we can observe from this verse; but today I will only speak in
respect to one of them. God’s response to Moses is an obvious answer to Moses’
prayer. Wait…what prayer? It was an answer to Moses’ silent prayer. We must not
be caught up in the notion that God only hears long, eloquently spoken, prayers
that we often hear people reciting when we get together in our local churches.
Sadly, sometimes we hear people pray these long, Scripture filled, eloquent,
prayers that sometimes only serve to boost the ego of the person praying them.
The honest, and down to earth, truth of the matter is that God does not want
our fancy words; He wants to hear our hearts. Some of the most heartfelt, and
honest, prayers I have heard came from people who were not well spoken, and
sounded even childlike in their conversation with God, but prayed with such
passion and honesty that it brought me to tears. The Word of God tells us to
pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How in the world do we pray
continually? Do we pray out loud wherever we are, regardless of who is around
us or what we are doing? Do we have to pray long prayers? The short answer is “no”.
God hears both our long prayers, and our short prayers. He hears our audible
prayers and He hears our silent prayers. He hears our sighs of despair, our
cries of anguish, and our painful silence. He sees, and hears, our tears. In 1
Samuel 1:12-13 we are told that Hannah spoke in her heart, moving her lips, but
not speaking audibly. In Genesis 24:45, Abraham’s servant recounts the prayer
he silently prayed in his heart in respect to finding Rebekah as a wife for
Isaac, and how God answered. Psalm 56:8 reads, “You number my wanderings; put my
tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?”
When Nehemiah was before King Artaxerxes and was asked what was wrong, he
prayed a quick prayer (details not given), and expressed his request to go back
to Judah to rebuild the city (Nehemiah 2:1-6). When Peter walked on the stormy
waters to meet Jesus, but then took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink, he
pray a short desperate prayer, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30). The bottom
line is that we, as born again believers, should be in constant communication
with our God. We need to be continually praying in our hearts, even when our
lips are not audibly engaged in speaking with Him. May I also remind us that
praying without ceasing is not about always asking God for something? It is
also about giving Him thanks and praise for who He is, and for His undeserved
goodness toward us (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Yes, there will be moments when
we will not know how to pray for a situation, or how to pray for someone who is
suffering. However, God has promised that the Spirit helps us to pray when we
do not know what to pray. Romans 8:26-28 reads, “Likewise the Spirit also helps
in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for
the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that
all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the
called according to His purpose.” It is because the Spirit intercedes on
our behalf, and prays for us in accordance to God’s will, that all things work together
for our good. In verses 13 and 14, Moses reassured the people that God would
fight for them against that Egyptians, but we see that he continued to pray in
his heart for God’s guidance in what to do next. Let us be a people who is
constantly seeking God in our hearts and minds, and be in communication with
Him in good times, bad times, and all the time. The enemy will not like this
and will do all he can to distract us. Nonetheless, let us do those things that
will remind us, encourage us, and keep us mindful of God’s presence in our
lives; like reading and studying His Word, listening to good Christian music,
and solid biblically sound messages. I try to make it my practice to listen to
Christian music, and sound preaching and teaching, while I commute to and from
work; as well as listen to Christian music while I work out. My wife had the
idea to have the Christian radio station playing softly in the background, in our
home, 24-7. It is during some of these moments that I have had some of the
sweetest fellowship with the Lord, outside of the times that I spend in His
Word. It keeps me mindful of His presence, and keeps me in communication with
Him continually, even when the world and the enemy is trying to distract me.
Ultimately, it helps me to deal with circumstances that come as a result of God
allowing life to go sideways in order to teach me something about Him, myself,
and life as a child of God.
Monday, December 25, 2017
Glory to God in the Highest!
Verse
of the day: Luke 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward
men!”
Are
we truly celebrating Christmas? Far too many of us allow the busyness of this
season get the best of us. We get lost in commercialism, prepping meals, and
stressing out over everything that needs to be done before we gather with
family and friends to “celebrate” Christmas. However, how much of our
celebration truly includes the One who we are supposed to be celebrating? Are
we glorifying God in how we celebrate His birth? The angels who appeared unto
the shepherds proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest!” Glory to the God who
loves us, and came to us as a baby, for the sole purpose of giving His life for
us so that we would have eternal life and never perish (John 3:16; 10:28).
Glory to God who came to bring peace on earth! I am not talking about peace
amongst men primarily, as this is obvious from simply watching the news and
seeing the lack of peace that exists all over the world. The peace He came to
bring on earth is peace between God and man (Colossians 1:19-22). This is His
good will, or kindness and good pleasure, toward each of us. So, how do we
celebrate the birth of Christ and what He ultimately did for us on Calvary? We
celebrate it by not making it a one-day celebration. We, as born again
believers, should be celebrating the coming of our Savior by doing all we can
to glorify Him every day of our lives. We can do this by sharing the peace of
God with others, with every opportunity the Lord gives us (and I am sure He
presents us with opportunities every day). This time of year is one of the
easiest times of the year to spread the Gospel message. It is as simple as
including a Gospel tract in a Christmas card, or including it in a gift. It is
as simple as baking cookies or brownies for the neighbors, and including a
Gospel tract. How about taking it a step further, and seeking to be at peace
with those around us, as we are told in Romans 12:18? “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably
with all men.” We can also do this by obeying God’s command to forgive
those who have offended us, and whom we are holding grudges against, and praying
for those who have mistreated us (Colossians 3:12-15, Matthew 5:44). We can
certainly show good will toward others, as we have received God’s good will. A
simple act of kindness, or two, can make the difference in the life of someone
who is feeling lonely, rejected, and hopeless. Who knows, maybe one of those
people that we take the time to bake some cookies for, or buy groceries and a
gift for, during this season of giving (or any time of the year), could make
the different in the life of someone who may even be contemplating ending their
own life. We just do not know how greatly God could use an act of love and
kindness performed in His Name, and for His glory. The bottom line is that we,
who are called by our Savior’s Name, need to get out of our comfort zones, and
go beyond our self-centeredness, and do all we can to share the Gospel message
with others. Our willingness to be kind to others, and share the good will we
have received, by showing them the love of Jesus in how we treat them, can open
doors of opportunity for us to lead other to the One who this season is all about,
Jesus. Let us do more than just celebrate this day once a year. Let us make
every day a celebration of the birth, death, and resurrection of our
life-giving Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men!”
Sunday, December 24, 2017
The Lengthy Paths of Life
Verse
of the day: Exodus 13:17 Then it
came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change
their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
We
said yesterday, that even though God’s people were referred to as “army
organized for war”, they were not ready to face any opposition as they were led
out of Egypt by the Lord. For, as they were leaving Egypt, the Lord took them
on a roundabout way in order to avoid the land of the Philistines, who the Lord
knew would try to fight against the Israelites, on their way to the Promise
Land. In doing so, the Lord took them on a lengthy, and challenging, journey
through the wilderness. Did God actually take them on the best possible route?
Well, that is a rhetorical question because the Lord always leads us down the
best paths in life for each of us. We may not all travel on the same path, but
God always chooses the one that is best for us; the one that will allow us to
know Him best, and the one that will bring Him the most glory. In life, there
are going to be many instances when we will be tempted to take shortcuts. There
will be those times when we get impatient, or those times when we have a “brain
cramp” and think that we know better than God when it comes to making decisions
about our “own” lives. May I remind us right now, that if we are a born again
believer our life is not our “own” life. We belong to Jesus, because we have
been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). Nonetheless, God desires to lead
us, and that we trust Him when He takes us along a lengthy path in life that
may be filled with shortcuts that we might be tempted to take. I remember
living in towns, and working in towns, where there were many alley ways that
were short cuts from one place to another. If you stood at one end of the alley
on a main street, you could see the other main street on the other end. People
would often take them to save time, only to be beaten and robbed when they were
halfway to the other side. You see, we may see the other side of our short cuts
in life (in our own thinking and wisdom), but we do not always see the danger
and challenges that exist halfway to the other side. Sadly, when we choose the
shortcuts in life, we often delay our progress because of unforeseen
circumstances that we create for ourselves as a result of not following the
path God has set for us. Just because a shortcut makes sense to us, does not
mean that it is the wisest way to go. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct your paths.” Proverbs 16:9 tells us, “A man’s heart devises his
way: but the LORD directs his steps.” In the case of the Israelites being led
out of Egypt, God makes it clear that one reason He did not take them through
the land of the Philistines was that He knew they were not ready to see war. God
also knew that Pharaoh and his army would pursue His people, and this would be the
opportunity He would use to take vengeance on them, for His people to see, for
the suffering they endured at the hands of the Egyptians. Deuteronomy 8:2 tells
us that God used this journey to humble them, prove them, to know what was in
their hearts, as to whether or not they would keep His commandments. So often
this is the case with us. God will choose the longer, more difficult, path to
test our faith, to show us (not Himself) whether or not we really trust Him,
and to bring us to a place of humility. Too many of us are so filled with pride
that we think we know, better than God, what is best for us. God had also
promised Moses that he would serve God “in this mountain”, and He was going to
keep His promise (Exodus 3:12). Quite often, what seems to be a detour in life
is actually an opportunity to minister for the Lord. When we choose our own
way, we miss opportunities to minister, we miss blessings, and we miss out on
opportunities to gain eternal reward. The bottom line is that not all shortcuts
in life are the best routes, and God already knows that. We must trust that
whatever route He puts us on is ALWAYS the right one. Psalm 107:7 tell us, in respect
to the path God led His people on, “And He led them forth by the right way,
that they might go to a city of habitation.” Rather than complain and try to
find shortcuts when God leads us down a lengthy and difficult path, why not
respond as the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 107:8, “Oh that men would praise the
LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
Saturday, December 23, 2017
God’s Army
Verse
of the day: Exodus 12:51 And it came
to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt
according to their armies.
When
we think about the condition of God’s people at the time that God led them out
of Egypt, and all the suffering they had endured, I cannot imagine that they
would be much of an army, tactically speaking. Yet, in this chapter, God refers
to His people as “the hosts of the LORD” (v. 41), which is the word for “army
organized for war”. Here in this verse that actual word “armies” is used. I am
sure that there were many that were in no condition to fight, or go up against
any opposing armies at this time in their exodus. This was evident from Exodus
13:17, when God did not lead His people through the land of the Philistines, as
they were not ready to “see war”. Nonetheless, they were God’s army. What made
them God’s people an army of war, even now in their brokenness? It was not
their ability to do anything special. It was not their might. It was not their
knowledge of warfare. Ultimately, they were an army of war because they were
being led by the Lord of hosts. Their God, our God, is the Lord of all heaven
and earth. Today, the church of Jesus Christ is God’s army. The Apostle Paul,
in writing to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:3-4, said, “You therefore must endure hardship as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself
with the affairs of this life,
that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” The Israelites
were about to embark on a journey that would have been impossible to endure in
their own strength, and had it not been for God’s protection and provision,
they would have perished shortly after leaving Egypt. So it is with God’s army
today. Our real battle is against the army of devils that fight us every day.
They use the world, other people, and even other Christians who unwittingly
become tools in the devils hands. However, as soldiers in God’s army, we are
called to look unto that Lord of hosts for guidance, provision, and protection.
It is no secret that when we serve in an army, we will encounter difficult
times as we meet the opposition of the enemy’s forces. The Israelites were
pursued by Pharaoh and his army shortly after leaving Egypt, but it was the
Lord who protected them and guided them as a pillar of cloud by day, and a
pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). Today, God leads His army Himself, as
the Holy Spirit who indwells us, and His Word which is a lamp unto our feet and
a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). When the Israelites found themselves trapped
at the edge of the Red Sea, it was the Lord who rescued them and gave them
victory (Exodus 14). When they had to fight against the Amalekites, it was God
who gave them the victory (Exodus 17). Each of these armies had the strength,
humanly speaking, to defeat and annihilate the Israelites, but it was by God’s
power that sustained them. Throughout their time in the wilderness there was
much murmuring and complaining against God and Moses, and eventually their
unbelief caused them to miss out on the blessing of entering their place of
rest in the Promise Land. Sadly, this is exactly what we still see today in God’s
army, the church. We still complain and murmur about what we do not have, and
what we are sometimes called to endure, rather than be grateful for what we
have already been blessed with. Need I remind us that we do not deserve even
the smallest of blessings; and if God gave us all what we really deserve, we would
all perish for eternity? Our own unbelief is what keeps us in a state of
unrest, and the enemy continually defeats us, because as an army we spend more
time fighting with each other, than we do banding together to face the common
enemy, the devils (1 Peter 5:8-9). Like we read previously in 2 Timothy 2, a
good soldier does not entangle himself/herself in the affairs of the world, but
seeks to please Him who enlisted us into God’s army, the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise
God that He not only enlisted us into His army, but He also provided us with
the armor we need to stay in the battle (Ephesians 6). Now, if only we could
get along, and be unified enough to actually make a difference in this dark
world. Let us band together and, like David (1 Samuel 17:45), have this mindset
when trying to make a difference in this world, and come face to face with the
devils’ army, for the glory of God, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a
javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
have defied.” For what is impossible for us, even as the church, is possible
with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the church and from whom we draw
our power to accomplish what we have been called to do while here on earth.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Rise, Go Out
Verse
of the day: Exodus 12:31 Then he
called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my
people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said.”
The
message Moses and Aaron received, to take the Israelites out from among the
Egyptians, is one that we as born again believers have been given by God, in
respect to coming out from among the world and its ways. Here, Pharaoh, after
being directly affected by God’s final plague against him and Egypt as a whole,
now wants the Israelites gone from among them. Pharaoh’s reason for wanting
them gone is far different than God’s reason for wanting His people gone from
among them. Pharaoh and the Egyptians want God’s people gone because of the fear
and suffering Egypt is experiencing; while God wants to free His people from
the oppression of being in Egypt. This is a picture of what God wants for us
today. In Christ, He has set us free from sin and death (John 8:36, Galatians
5:1), but He has also calls us out from among the world, and the unsaved. God
told the Israelites, in respect to being set apart, in Deuteronomy 14:2, “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special
treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” This was repeated in the
New Testament Scriptures for us, the child of God. 1 Peter 2:9-10 tell us, “But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you
may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light; 10 who once were not
a people but are now the people
of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” The
Apostle Paul reminded us to come out from among the unsaved in 2 Corinthians 6:17,
Therefore, “Come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean,
and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall
be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” What does this mean for us, the
born again believer? This does not mean that we cannot have unsaved friends.
This does not mean that we isolate ourselves, and never have contact with
unsaved people, or never attend functions or events where there will be unsaved
people. The Apostle Paul explained this well in 1 Corinthians 5:9-11, “I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually
immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with
the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a
brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or
a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.” This
is where we, as God’s children, need to use godly wisdom in how we live for the
Lord here on earth. We are to be among the unsaved in order to win them to the
Lord. This means that we must live in a way that glorifies God in the way we
talk, our attitude towards God and others, and our actions toward others, and
how we interact with them. We have been freed from a life of sin; therefore, we
must avoid being re-enslaved by such a lifestyle. The Apostle Peter wrote in 2
Peter 2:20-22, “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world
through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled
in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For
it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness,
than having known it, to turn
from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them
according to the true proverb: ‘A dog returns to his own vomit,’ and, ‘a sow, having
washed, to her wallowing in the mire.’” This does not mean that we cannot enjoy
life here on earth. We can attend weddings, and other celebrations where there
are unsaved people; however, we do not need to get drunk, dance in a manner
that is lewd, or use language that is vile, just because other are
participating in such behavior. Just because it is okay to attend a wedding or
other type celebrations, does not make it right for us to go clubbing, where we
know that there will be alcohol, drugs, and people seeking elicit sexual encounters.
We must not stoop to the levels of sinful behavior that the unsaved will stoop
to, as an excuse to win them. We can work, and earn a living, without living
covetously, becoming materialistic, and sacrificing our relationship with God,
and loved ones, on the altar of status in society. The bottom line is that we
are called to be separated unto the Lord, but we are to use wisdom in how we
live so that we can still enjoy life, yet be mindful of our testimony, and
looking for opportunities to share Jesus with others. The Lord can use our
godly way of living as a means to open doors for us to share the Gospel, and
lead others to Christ.
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
Repentance and Confession
Verse
of the day: Exodus 12:31-32 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise,
go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve
the Lord as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks
and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”
Was
this a genuine change of heart for Pharaoh? Had the Lord finally gotten through
and softened his hardened heart? Most of us know that answer to that because we
have read the account and know what happens after this. In chapter 14 we read
that his heart is hardened once again, and he pursues the Israelites. However,
what I would like us to see today is what happened to Pharaoh, and how he
responded to this final plague. It is what happens to many Christians when it
comes to repentance and confession. God sent Moses repeatedly to ask and demand
that Pharaoh let His people go, but Pharaoh hardened his heart against God, and
God ultimately used it to demonstrate His power in Egypt, and the surrounding
nations. All the while, Pharaoh did not seem to be affected by the plagues God
brought upon the Egyptians, until it affected him directly. Sadly, this is how
far too many Christians behave when it comes to sin, and those moments of
rebellion. Every choice we make, and every sin we commit, affects someone. We
are not an island to ourselves, and the greatest thing affected by our lack of
repentance and confession is our relationship with the Lord (Romans 14:7). Throughout
the account of the ten plagues, Pharaoh took a rebellious stance against Moses,
Aaron, and their God. Now, the final plague has come home and taken the life of
Pharaoh’s firstborn. This became a game-changer. Now there was a personal price
to pay for his rebellion and hardening of his heart. However, there is no real
repentance with Pharaoh, and in my opinion, had Pharaoh truly repented, God
would have accepted his repentance and confession. God does not want our empty
words of confession. He sees beyond our words to what is in our hearts. Too
often, we confess, but we do it with no intention of turning from our sin or our
wrongful behavior. We confess because the consequences of our actions have hit
us up close and personal; prior to this, when it affected someone else, we
merely apologized our weak and pathetic apology, but repeated the behavior.
True repentance comes from a heart that is truly mournful for what we have
done, and with the motivation, and intention, to turn away from the evil we
have committed. The fact of the matter is that God gives us plenty of
opportunities to turn and repent before He takes drastic measures to bring us
to our knees. God gave Pharaoh plenty of time to turn from his hard heart and
let God’s people go. He desires that we would see His goodness to us, and turn
from our wicked ways. Romans 2:4 tells us, “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance,
and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
Like
Pharaoh, too many Christians only end up confessing because the consequences
end up being too painful, or we are praying that God will somehow relieve the
trouble we are now in due to not heeding God’s Word or His warnings. In
essence, we do not mourn for what we did; instead, we are mournful because our
sin was publicly brought into the light. God desires that we see rebellion and
sin as He sees it, and that we confess it for what it is; but part of that
confession is repentance. We must not leave sin unconfessed in our lives. We
must confess it with a heart of repentance, being truly broken, and committing
to allowing God to help us change. God desires the we reject having a heart
like Pharaoh’s, and have a heart like King David’s; which made him a man after
God’s own heart (Psalm 51; 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Jesus Alone is the Answer
Verse of the day: Exodus
12:12-13 “For I will pass through
the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land
of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute
judgment: I am the Lord. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the
houses where you are. And when
I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to
destroy you when I strike the
land of Egypt.”
Exodus,
chapter 7 through 12, records for us the account of the ten plagues that God
unleashed on Egypt to accomplish two things; the first was to show God’s
people, the Israelites, that their God was powerful and could be trusted to
deliver them, and the second was to show both His people, and the Egyptians,
that the heathen gods that they worshiped were useless and powerless. Outside
of Egypt, God parted the Red Sea, and defeated the Amorites, which put fear in
the hearts of the nations that surrounded them (Joshua 2:9-11). Each plague
that we read about is aimed at a particular god(s) that the Egyptians worshiped
and served. The first plague, water turned to blood, was a strike against three
of their gods, Apis, Isis, and Khnum, the god, goddess, and guardian of the Nile.
The second, the plague of frogs, was a strike against Heqet, who was their
frog-headed goddess of birth; just to name a few. All of these plague
progressed until God finally plagued them with the death of the firstborn of
each household, striking a blow, once again, against Isis, who was supposedly
the protector of children. Throughout the time that God brought these plagues
upon Egypt and its people, He protected His people, and those of Egypt that
heeded God’s warnings (Exodus 8:22-23; 9:6-7, 19-26). This is a picture of God’s
mercy and grace toward those who are His, and those who heed His Word, even in
the midst of great tribulation and tragedy. As God establishes the Passover
with the Israelites in this chapter we see the ultimate picture of our being
sealed by the Blood of Jesus, so that we, as God’s children, who have trusted,
and called upon, Jesus as our Savior and Lord, are protected from condemnation
that is to come, when God finally judges the world for its sins (Romans 8:1).
So often we make so many things in our lives our gods. Our money, and status in
society, turns into our saviors when difficulties arise, but money and status
cannot save us from every circumstance. It cannot heal us when we are sick or
diagnosed with a life threatening disease. It cannot protect us from injury or
death. The same applies to relying on people, who are limited in power and
influence in many instances. Who we know, and what influence they have, is
useless to us when a loved one falls ill or is killed as a result of an
accident, or are injured due to a crime committed against them. So it is with
eternal condemnation; our good works, our idols, our earthly gains, or status,
cannot save us from eternal death and condemnation. Just like the Israelites
during their first Passover, if we are not covered, and sealed, by the Blood of
Jesus, we will suffer eternal condemnation; first in Hell, then ultimately in
the Lake of Fire (John 3:18; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-15). One of the
saddest things that I have seen, as a born again believer, is people who have
put some piece of jewelry (cross), statue of some saint or biblical character, animal,
person, job, hobby, child, some object in nature, or anything else, in the
place that belongs only to the Jesus. What god is occupying the throne of our
lives? Only Jesus should be King of our lives, as only He is King of kings, and
Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). God took drastic
measures against Egypt to show both His people, and the Egyptians, who is the
one and only true God. Does He need to take drastic measures against His own
children to remind us that He is the only One we should be worshiping and
holding up in our lives as the only God who can bring true salvation and
eternal life to all who believe on His Name? Let us not wait until tragedy
strikes close to home before we come to the realization that the only answer
for us in any situation or circumstance is Jesus.
Monday, December 18, 2017
Fear of Failure
Verse of the day: Exodus
6:12 And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How
then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”
Once
again we hear Moses’ objection to being sent to speak to Pharaoh? Why was he
still insisting in using his inability to speak eloquently as an excuse to
avoid his God-given charge? In his first attempt, God answered his objection by
sending Aaron with him to be his mouthpiece. Was this motivated by a fear of
Pharaoh? I do not believe this was the case at all, as he had already gone
before Pharaoh once before. Moses’ fear was more a fear of failure. How often
have we felt, and known, that God had called us to minister in some way, or
presented us with an opportunity to share Christ with someone, and we shied
away because of our fear of being rejected or persecuted? Our fear of failure can
cause us to shrink back, and at times deny Christ in our lives by our silence. The
basis for his fear was the rejection he experienced when he went to his own
people the second time. How would an unbeliever who is filled with pride,
anger, and rebellion, heed to a message from God, when His own people have
rejected a message from God? How do we tell others about Jesus being the
answer, when His own people live as if He really is not? We do not think about
how our lack of faith in some instances discourage those who are doing all they
can to carry a message of hope to others who do not know Christ. When we live
like we do not believe what we preach, we hinder the work of others that come
along to share Christ after we have already been there. I have lost count of
the times when I have spoken to people about Jesus, and they have gone on to
relate stories about this Christian or that Christian that they knew, or
encountered, that did this or that, or said this or that, which made them view
Christianity as hypocritical. After a while, we begin to shy away, and fear
that we will experience failure in serving. Maybe our fear comes from what we
view as our inability to do certain things, or not have certain talents or
abilities. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:1, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come
with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.” God already knows
our weaknesses and strengths. His desire is that we trust Him to work through
us, and thereby faithfully carry out His charge to preach the Gospel to every
creature (Mark 16:15). God charged Isaiah to bring a message to Israel, and part
of His message to them in Isaiah 41:10 was, “Fear not, for I am with
you; be not dismayed, for I am your
God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will
uphold you with My righteous right hand.” This principle and truth is
applicable to us today as God’s children. When God sends us out into the world,
He already knows the rejection and persecution we will face (John 15:18-25),
even from those we call “brothers and sisters”. Yet, He still sends us because
He wants us to trust that His Word will not return unto Him void. In Isaiah
55:10-11 God clearly states, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring
forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to
the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing for
which I sent it.” Regardless of how the message is received, whether
communicating it to a fellow brother or sister for encouragement, or to the
unsaved for the sake of their soul, whatever the response, God promised that His
Word will not return unto Him without accomplishing what He desires for that
moment in time, and the future. If we are faithful in serving, then we have not
failed, because success or failure is not dependent on whether or not we get the
outcome we think we should get. If we carry out what God has called us to, by
faith, and simply obeyed the charge given to us, than we have succeeded. Moses
reiterated this excuse once more in verse 30 of this chapter, and God did not
bother to argue the point with Moses in both these instances, instead, He
repeated His “marching orders” to both him and Aaron. We may not have a certain
talent or ability, but what is impossible with us is possible with God; we just
have to get out of His way by putting aside our excuses as to why we cannot do
what He can certainly do, and will do, through us, if we would simply go.
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Trust the Author of the Message
Verse of the day: Exodus
6:9 So Moses spoke thus to the
children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit
and cruel bondage.
How
discouraging this must have been for Moses, God’s messenger. The response of
his brethren was much different than the first time he came to them in Exodus
4:31, “So the people
believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had
looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.” There
are many of us who can relate to what Moses was going through. How often have we
told others about Jesus, shared the Gospel message, and had a positive
response? However, shortly thereafter, the person who accepted the Gospel
message with joy experienced rejection or persecution, or some other hardship
in life, and suddenly they wanted to hear nothing further about Jesus or the
Gospel. In Matthew 13:18-23, Jesus told the parable of the sower, and how His
Word will be received; some will receive it but it will not take root, and when
troubles and tribulations come they will stumble and forsake the message, and the
messenger. So it was with the Israelites and Moses. The first time they heard
God’s message to them, they received it with joy because although they were
laboring, it was not yet at the height of cruelty, causing them the kind of
anguish they were now experiencing. Now that Moses has come back to them, their
hearts are afraid, as they had trusted that Moses’ message from God was one
that would finally bring freedom from their bondage. When the result was that
the level of cruelty increased, they immediately fell into unbelief because
their focus fell on their circumstances. May I caution us in how we share
Christ and His message with others? All too often I hear well-meaning
Christians tell others that by accepting Jesus all their troubles will go away,
and they will experience all kinds of prosperity and happiness. This kind of
message can be so destructive to the person who accepts Jesus on false
pretenses. The fact of the matter is that when we accept Jesus as our Savior,
we gain eternal life, and become children of God, but it is also the beginning of
a lifelong battle that is waged against us by the devils and the unsaved world.
It is in the midst of these challenges that we receive the greatest riches any
of us could ever ask for. We learn how to trust God in the midst of the
toughest circumstances, because we have His peace, His joy, His grace, His
mercy, His forgiveness, His love, and the list goes on. He may choose to give
us earthly riches, and advance us in life, or He may choose for us to remain
poor, by the world’s standard, and use us right where we are currently
stationed, to share a message of hope with those who are suffering, and with
whom we can best relate. The fact of the matter is that our relationship with
Christ can open us up to more suffering, humanly speaking, but do so having a
hope, and a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7); that is a
far more powerful testimony than one of earthly fame and riches. The Israelites
could not see past their current suffering, and situation, and therefore it
became bigger than God in their eyes. The messenger that they received with
joy, and whose message caused them to worship, was now a messenger of false
hope and lies, because they failed to keep their eyes on the LORD. Now, before
we criticize these Israelites, let us stop and think about how often we have
taken our eyes off the Lord, and focused on our problems, circumstances, and “bad
luck”. How often have we been tempted to walk away from God and our faith
because things always seem to go from bad to worse? It is so difficult to have
hope when we find ourselves in the midst of poverty, or homelessness. It is so
difficult to have hope when we, or a family member, is diagnosed with a
terminal illness. It is so difficult to have hope when death comes to take a
loved one. The Israelites were so oppressed at this time, as a result of Moses
going to Pharaoh that they barely had time to breathe. When we bring our
message of hope to those who are in life situations that leave them hopeless
and feeling like they can hardly breathe, let us have compassion, and patience,
and trust God to reveal Himself to them in the midst of their suffering, in His
time. Our responsibility is to bring the message; it is God who is responsible
for the outcome. We must not allow what we see deter us from carrying out our
duty. If we are the one who feels helpless because of our circumstances, let us
not allow our troubles to become bigger than our God. Let us keep our eyes on the
God who later led these same Israelites out of Egypt, and led them across the
Red Sea on dry land. Our suffering is only for the moment (2 Corinthians 4:17).
We have a God who is faithful, and much bigger than any form of oppression we
may be facing now. The Israelites rejected the messenger because they failed to
trust the Message, and He with whom it originated.
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Experience God
Verse
of the day: Exodus 6:2-3 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham,
to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My
name LORD I was not known to them.
How
well do we know God? Do we know Him only based on what we have read about Him,
or do we know Him because we are walking with Him and experiencing His power in
our lives? The reality of having a relationship with the LORD is that we will either
repeat what we have read or heard about God when we tell others about Him, or
we will talk to others about God based on what we have both read and heard, trusting
by faith, and are experiencing in our walk with Him. There is a big difference
between the two. We can tell others that God loves us, but never know what God’s
love really looks like. We can claim that God provides, but be so busy taking
care of ourselves, that we never learn what God taking care of us really looks
like. There are many things we can claim about who God is, but never know it
ourselves up close and personal, by experience; opening the door to doubt in
our own minds, even though we may proclaim His goodness to others. Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, all knew God’s Name, Jehovah (God Eternal; Self Existent). They
believed His promises to them, because they believed He had the power to, and
was faithful to, fulfill His promises to them; thereby knowing Him as
El-shaddai (God Almighty). Hebrews 11:13 tells us, “These all died in faith, not having received the
promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on
the earth.” Yes, they did know His Name, but had not yet experienced the
fulfillment of His promise, even though by faith, they did. In Genesis 17:1, we
read, ‘When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord (Jehovah) appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God (El-shaddai); walk before Me and be
blameless.”’ So, we are told that Jehovah (God Eternal) appeared
unto Abram, but identifies Himself as El-shaddai (God Almighty), because he
(Abraham) would know Him, by faith, as the God who is Almighty, who has the
power to fulfill His promises. Now, God speaks to Moses as Jehovah because he
will see the fulfillment of what God promised Abraham in Genesis 15:13-14, ‘Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be
strangers in a land that is not
theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And
also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out
with great possessions.”’ So it is in our lives, if we are truly
walking with the Lord, that we will know Him, both as the Lord God Almighty and
the Lord God who is eternal who keeps His promises. The ultimate promise that
we will be with Him for eternity we will not see fulfilled until we are either
with Him after death, or Jesus returns while we yet live (2 Corinthians 5:8; John
14:1-6). In the meanwhile, we can experience the fulfillment of some of God’s
promises now, but that means that we have to trust His Word, and live by faith.
It is no secret that in this world we will face all kinds of tribulation. Jesus
warned us of that in John 16:33. However, in the same verse, He also promised
that we will have peace in Him. There will be those times when we will be in
need. However, He promised that He would fulfill those needs (Matthew 6:25-34).
Sadly, there are far too many born again Christians who have called upon Jesus
as Savior, but have yet to experience much of the promises God has made to us
in His Word; mostly because they are struggling or refusing to allow Him to
also be Lord in their lives. We must not only know Him as God Almighty, by
faith, who has the power to fulfill His promises, but also live in submission
and surrender to Him, allowing Him to show us that He is God Eternal, actually
fulfilling His promises to us. This is the kind of thing that real testimonies
are made of.
Friday, December 15, 2017
NOW We Shall See
Verse of the day: Exodus
6:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to
Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he
will drive them out of his land.”
One
of the most difficult things that we can experience in our walk with God is
waiting. When we are in the midst of trying times, and seeking for God’s
relief, it is difficult to be patient and wait on Him to show up. We forget
that in reality He is always with us; because He promised that He would never
leave us, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). When we want quick answers to our
prayers, or we measure a situation by what we know, and what we see, we become
desperate to escape our circumstances. All too often, our impatience causes us
to take rash measures, and even get ahead of God, and we make matters worse.
Remember how Abraham and Sarah made life more difficult for themselves when
they got ahead of God because of their impatience? We are still feeling the
effects of that decision today in the Middle East, and all around the world.
Moses, after things went wrong, from his point of view, complained to God about
how his mission to Egypt turned out. Here, God answers his complaint; and what
I would like us to focus on is the first four words God spoke to Moses, “Now
you shall see”. These four words are still important to us today as we walk
with the Lord. Do we remember what happened when Jesus heard the news regarding
Lazarus’ illness? What was His response? John 11:4-6, When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto
death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through
it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two
more days in the place where He was. There is no doubt that Jesus loved
Lazarus and his sisters, and there was no doubt that Jesus could have gone
immediately, and healed Lazarus. Nonetheless, Jesus delayed responding to Mary’s
and Martha’s message about their brother’s illness because He knew that He
would arrive at just the precise time when His presence would bring the
greatest glory to God, be the greatest test of, and bring the greatest growth
to, their faith. What would have been the greatest miracle they could have
seen, someone being healed or someone being resurrected from the dead? In this
instance, with Moses, God was going to allow Israel to come to the height of
their suffering, where it would seem that there was no hope, and the height of
Pharaoh’s rebellion against God. In doing so, by allowing Pharaoh to “flex his
muscles” and oppress God’s people to a point of desperation, the Lord would
receive the greatest glory He could when He finally moves them out of Egypt;
after He demonstrates to the Israelites that there is no man or god in
existence that is greater than their God. May I remind us today that this truth
still stands in our lives? There is no man or god that is greater than our God.
There is no circumstance or situation that is greater than our God; and in His time…I
repeat…in His time, He will answer our prayers, and see us through whatever
difficulties we may be experiencing today. Our God is never late, and His answers
are always on time. 1 Peter 3:8, But, beloved, do not forget this one thing,
that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
If we trust Him, and patiently wait on Him, no matter how difficult times get,
the greatest thing that can happen is that… “NOW we shall see”.
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