Category Archives: Miracles

Guide, Healer, Learning To Pray Effectively, Miracles, Miracles, Prayer, Seeking God

Don’t Overlook the Importance of Prayer

It is easy to overlook the importance of prayer in our daily lives. Most of my life, I did not fully understand the role of prayer properly. I would tell myself that I don’t want to “bother” God with the details and small decisions I could or should be able to handle myself. To the extreme, I made major life decisions without asking for His guidance or listening for His input. Even if we use the Bible as our guide, which is good, it is no replacement for a close, interactive relationship with the Lord focused through prayer.

The Lord has matured me quite a bit and I stand amazed to watch how interested He is in being actively involved in my life. We should look to Yeshua as our example for how to live our lives. He did not just ask the Father once what His mission was and then go do it… NO! He spent a lot of time in prayer talking and listening with the Father, especially before making key decisions, such as which disciples to choose as His core twelve. He did not simply pray for 5 minutes to mention to Jehovah what He wanted and then go get busy again doing other things. He prayed all night in a solitary location where He could be undisturbed.

Luke 6:12-19

Choosing the Twelve

     12It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: 14Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; 15and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; 16Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

      17Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, 18who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. 19And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.

I have a tremendous amount of growth still to come in regards to maturing my prayer life. This is not an area of strength for me as it is for others who truly seem to be prayer warriors. I am asking Him, though, to grow me in my prayer life and I know He will… if I continue to humbly seek Him and lead my heart to have more time to spend with Him.

I invite you to join me in praying for yourself (and me) in this area.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Angels, Greed, Guide, Humility, Miracles, Obeying God, Provider, Righteous, Seeking God, Speaking, Through Prophets

Lord, Purify Our Motives Even As We Submit To You

Numbers 22 and23 detail a fascinating historical account. After following the Israelites from their perspective on their journey out of Egypt, we suddenly have the opportunity to see part of their journey from another’s perspective. The Moabites are viewing the Israelites as a threat and desiring to defeat them. Fearing their numbers, they seek out Balaam, a prophet whose work is referred to as divination from their perspective.

It is a truly fascinating account. Balaam is clearly not an Israelite, and yet he has a tangible and real relationship with the Lord. He knows from where the power comes and that he can indeed do nothing without the Lord. He even seeks the Lord’s permission before going with the Moabites to curse the Israelites. I find it worth lingering to consider why the Lord was so upset with Balaam, who asked the Lord each time before consenting to go with the Moabites.

Once again, I am drawn to conclude that those who have relationship with the Lord and hear clearly from Him are held to a higher standard than those who may not have as deep a relationship with Him. He knows they know better. The Lord told Balaam “no” the first time and it appears He did not appreciate Balaam asking again. Perhaps it is because of what was in Balaam’s heart in asking the second time… greed rather than submission to the Lord?  (refer to 2 Peter 2) It appears that Balaam’s motives were not pure in his submission to the Lord and that was upsetting to Him.

Balaam was rebuked, but not destroyed. The Lord could certainly have destroyed Balaam, but instead rebuked him, using a talking donkey and an angel. Once Balaam submitted to the Lord, the Lord chose to use Him to bless the Israelites (Numbers 23), which was certainly the opposite of what Balak of Moab had in mind.

Numbers 22

Balak Sends for Balaam

     1Then the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.

      2Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. 4Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me. 6“Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

      7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak’s words to him. 8He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 10Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, 11‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’” 12God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” 13So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” 14The leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”

      15Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former. 16They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; 17for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.’” 18Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God. 19“Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me.” 20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”

      21So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

The Angel and Balaam

     22But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. 23When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way. 24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again. 26The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. 27When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. 28And 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?” 29Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.” 30The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”

      31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. 32The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. 33“But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.” 34Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.” 35But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.

      36When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the Arnon border, at the extreme end of the border. 37Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you?” 38So Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.” 39And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and the leaders who were with him.

      41Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from there a portion of the people.

Let us be humble in our requests before the Lord and ask His help to purify our motives as we come before Him to ask His guidance and help.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Angels, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Humility, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Miracles, Obeying God

Nothing Is Impossible With God

All things are possible with God. We need simply seek Him and submit to Him, then watch Him use us to His glory. Mary remains a glorious example of a humble servant submitting to the Lord.  Surely this was disruptive to her life. She was about to get married, and God’s plan on the surface would certainly seem to create potential disruption to that plan if Joseph were to think she had been unfaithful. She trusted in the Lord.

The Lord even gave her an independent sign that He was at work, by telling Mary about Elizabeth as well. I would think that being able to connect with Elizabeth provided moral support and encouragement for Mary at those times when perhaps her parents may not have believed it was the Spirit that impregnated Mary.

Luke 1:26-38

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

     26Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36“And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37“For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

What is the Lord asking you to do that you may be hesitant to obey? Seek clarity from the Spirit, confirmation in the written word, and ask God’s help for you to obey boldly and with strong faith. Remember, when Mary accepted the Lord’s will and plan, she had no way of making it happen on her own. She was fully trusting in the Lord. We should strive to do likewise.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Angels, Fear / Reverence for God, Miracles, Miracles, Study the Word, Teachable

Find the Treasure Hidden in the Detail of Scripture

Some elements of scripture are so familiar that we already know the story, but it can be all to easy to gloss over the magnificent detail and meaning within. I find the record of the birth of John the Baptist to be one of these. I am familiar with the story, but there are details throughout that are worth pausing to spend time considering.

  • The Lord chose to use Zacharias and Elizabeth, a married couple who “were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.”
  • Despite both Zacharias and Elizabeth being righteous and wanting children, the were very advanced in years and had not had any. Living righteous lives before God does not mean life is easy and we get all we want, but rather we find our joy in the Lord and what He provides.
  • The fact that the scripture states “Elizabeth was barren” implies she could not have children, but God opened up her womb so to speak for His glory and in answer to their prayer.
  • Zacharias heard from the Lord’s messenger while coming before God in His service as He was instructed by the word.
  • Angels are often depicted as pretty young women, but this is clearly not aligned with scripture. The most typical response when even a righteous person meets an angel is fear. Clearly angels are more powerful and intimidating that that.
  • What an incredible report to hear about your child to come… that he will be “he will be great in the sight of the Lord”.
  • The angel also provided instructions to them that the child will be named John and he will not drink alcohol.
  • All these plans were set by the Lord for this child who had not even been conceived yet! Our Lord clearly is present in the past, present, and future with full knowledge of all that is , was, and is to come. He is in control of all. (By the way, they all come true as prophesied.)
  • Note that John”will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb”. Another example of a person being truly alive even while in the womb, every bit as real as after birth. A person is a person from conception and should be treated as such.
  • It is after mention of John’s being filled with the Holy Spirit that we find more about what John will do… “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17“It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” It is the Spirit working through John that enables this to happen… not John on his own effort.
  • Zacharias was a righteous man. He served the Lord. Even he was overwhelmed by this encounter and all this news. He essentially asked for a sign, in spite of the angel standing in front of him talking to him. He got one… I am sure he second-guessed that conversation a few times before John was born and he could talk again. It is interesting to ponder, however, as Gideon under similar circumstances asked for a sign twice and received it. Gideon, however, had a different history with his relationship with the Lord than did Zacharias and he was called for a different mission. The signs Gideon received were not as difficult for him as what Zacharias received. Both were likely helped by the signs in following the call God had given them.

Wow! There is a lot of stuff packed into this collection of verses.

Luke 1:5-25

Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

      5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.

      8Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14“You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16“And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17“It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

      18Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” 19The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20“And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

      21The people were waiting for Zacharias, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple; and he kept making signs to them, and remained mute. 23When the days of his priestly service were ended, he went back home.

      24After these days Elizabeth his wife became pregnant, and she kept herself in seclusion for five months, saying, 25“This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to take away my disgrace among men.”

I hope this can encourage you to dive in deep to every scripture you read. Challenge yourself to explore the treasures hidden in the details and not just skim over chapter after chapter taking in only what seems to be the main story or summary. Then, as always, ask the Spirit to help you apply it to your own life.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Bitterness / Resentment, Complaining, Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Grace / Patience, He Appears Before You, Help / Serve Others, Interceding for Others, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Mercy, Miracles, Offering Sacrifices, Repenting from Sin, Through Prophets, Tongue / Gossip / Slander, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Do Not Choose To Complain When God Calls You To Repent

Korah lead a rebellion in the beginning of Numbers 16. The Lord punished him and his family and those who also led the rebellion. They were swallowed up by the earth in a sign that could only be of the Lord. It was public and visible. One would assume then that the rest of the people who had been spared would be humble and repent before the Lord for their rebellion against Him. They did not. Instead they grumbled and complained, again jealous and blaming Moses and Aaron and never looking inward to judge the hardness of their own hearts in a way that could lead to repentance.

While it seems quite amazing, if you think about it in the lives of people around you every day, even those who say they believe and follow Jesus, you will see it is quite common. People have a tendency to excuse or overlook their sin and rebellion to God and blame others when things do not work out how they like. They do not internalize this issue of rebellion as originating with them… as their fault.

What an amazing response by Moses and Aaron… rather than just stand there and let God wipe out the rebellious people, they spring to action and make an intercessory offering and prayer on behalf of the sinful people. Though the people did not repent, the intercessory prayers of the righteous were enough for God to spare the people further destruction. What a great example of how we as God’s people should respond to those who struggle in their relationship with the Lord. Let us not be vengeful, but rather gracious in seeking to pray on their behalf before the Lord.

Numbers 16:41-50

Murmuring and Plague

     41But on the next day all the congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You are the ones who have caused the death of the LORD’S people.” 42It came about, however, when the congregation had assembled against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tent of meeting, and behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43Then Moses and Aaron came to the front of the tent of meeting, 44and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45“Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” Then they fell on their faces. 46Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it; then bring it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them, for wrath has gone forth from the LORD, the plague has begun!” 47Then Aaron took it as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put on the incense and made atonement for the people. 48He took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. 49But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah. 50Then Aaron returned to Moses at the doorway of the tent of meeting, for the plague had been checked.

When God calls you to repent, do not choose to complain instead. Take care not to be like those who sin and then grumble, always blaming the righteous for what goes wrong and never internalizing your own sin and relationship with the Lord.

Look also for the opportunity to pray for others, even those who would do you harm or say bad things to and about you. What a way to be a light to the world!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Bitterness / Resentment, Complaining, Consequences of Sin, Contentment, Envy / Jealousy / Coveting, Faith / Trusting God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Miracles, Obeying God, Through Prophets

Trust In God’s Calling For You

We are all different. God has made us with different personalities, different passions, different skills, etc. He has made each of us for that which He wishes for us to pursue and accomplish on His behalf as part of the body of Christ. Take care to trust God, seek out His calling for your life, and be content … even joyful… with it. Envy not the role He has selected for others and seek not to force your own way for your own glory. When we focus our thoughts on ourselves instead of the Lord it is too easy to slip into rebellion with the Lord even if we try to position ourselves in ministry or the church.

Numbers 16:1-40

Korah’s Rebellion

     1Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took action, 2and they rose up before Moses, together with some of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, chosen in the assembly, men of renown. 3They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

      4When Moses heard this, he fell on his face; 5and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the LORD will show who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Himself; even the one whom He will choose, He will bring near to Himself. 6“Do this: take censers for yourselves, Korah and all your company, 7and put fire in them, and lay incense upon them in the presence of the LORD tomorrow; and the man whom the LORD chooses shall be the one who is holy. You have gone far enough, you sons of Levi!”

      8Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi, 9is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; 10and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also? 11“Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD; but as for Aaron, who is he that you grumble against him?”

      12Then Moses sent a summons to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab; but they said, “We will not come up. 13“Is it not enough that you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, but you would also lord it over us? 14“Indeed, you have not brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor have you given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards. Would you put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!”

      15Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, “Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them.” 16Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company be present before the LORD tomorrow, both you and they along with Aaron. 17“Each of you take his firepan and put incense on it, and each of you bring his censer before the LORD, two hundred and fifty firepans; also you and Aaron shall each bring his firepan.” 18So they each took his own censer and put fire on it, and laid incense on it; and they stood at the doorway of the tent of meeting, with Moses and Aaron. 19Thus Korah assembled all the congregation against them at the doorway of the tent of meeting. And the glory of the LORD appeared to all the congregation.

      20Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 21“Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them instantly.” 22But they fell on their faces and said, “O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, when one man sins, will You be angry with the entire congregation?”

      23Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24“Speak to the congregation, saying, ‘Get back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.’”

      25Then Moses arose and went to Dathan and Abiram, with the elders of Israel following him, 26and he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart now from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing that belongs to them, or you will be swept away in all their sin.” 27So they got back from around the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the doorway of their tents, along with their wives and their sons and their little ones. 28Moses said, “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. 29“If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30“But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD.”

      31As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; 32and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions. 33So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. 34All Israel who were around them fled at their outcry, for they said, “The earth may swallow us up!” 35Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense.

      36Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 37“Say to Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, that he shall take up the censers out of the midst of the blaze, for they are holy; and you scatter the burning coals abroad. 38“As for the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives, let them be made into hammered sheets for a plating of the altar, since they did present them before the LORD and they are holy; and they shall be for a sign to the sons of Israel.” 39So Eleazar the priest took the bronze censers which the men who were burned had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating for the altar, 40as a reminder to the sons of Israel that no layman who is not of the descendants of Aaron should come near to burn incense before the LORD; so that he will not become like Korah and his company—just as the LORD had spoken to him through Moses.

What more can be said to reinforce the point? Rebellion against God’s will is bad. It angers Him and glorifies no one. Seek righteousness with humility and be content with how the Lord chooses to use you.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

Miracles, Prayer, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Speaking, Through Prophets

Jehovah Will Help You On Your Way To The Promised Land

How often do we turn to our heavenly Father when we are in need, and then, when the immediate circumstances improve, we turn back away from Him and try to do things our own way? Our Father wants not only for us to draw near to Him through difficult times, but also to stay near to Him when those difficult times start to improve. He can not only deliver us out of bondage and suffering, but also deliver us to the land of promise… as He did for His people after leading them out of Egypt.

Exodus 15:22-27

The LORD Provides Water

      22Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25Then he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.
There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26And He said, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”

      27Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

Jehovah did not just lead the people out of bondage in Egypt and then leave them to find their own way. Nor did He force Himself upon them when they grew bitter. Nor did He answer when they complained and grumbled. It was when a righteous man, Moses, asked for help with water that Jehovah responded and provided. Moses did well to turn back to Jehovah when he needed help, even after they had already been delivered from bondage.

How can this same principle apply to you in your life? Do you ask Jehovah for help with the big issues and then once the crisis is past try to do it on your own? Ask Him to help you along your whole journey in life, not just parts of it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Miracles, Protector / Deliverer, Strong in Our Weakness, Suffering / Adversity, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Trust Jehovah Even When All Seems Lost

It seems that we, as humans, have a very short memory at times. We see God acting in our lives and in the world around us and we are fine and stand with faith. However, when that faith is tested, we often fade in our faith in God. We doubt. We fear. We do not trust.

God wants His people to trust Him even when all seems lost by our earthly eyes, when we know the situation is beyond our ability to manage it to the outcome we want. This is when the strength of our faith is truly tested.

The Israelites had just witnessed great miracles as God demonstrated His power to lead them out of Egypt. Over and over again, God demonstrated His power over the Egyptians… over everything really. Yet even after all that, when the Egyptians came after them, they still had so little faith in God.

Exodus 14

Pharaoh in Pursuit

      1Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. 3“For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4“Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

      5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; 7and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly. 9Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

      10As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD. 11Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? 12“Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

The Sea Is Divided

      13But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14“The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

      15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16“As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17“As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18“Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”

      19The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.

      21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. 22The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

      26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. 29But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

      30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31When Israel saw the great power which the LORD had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in His servant Moses.

Take some time to prayerfully consider and perhaps write down some of the things God has done in your life. What has He helped you overcome? What difficult situations has He used to your benefit that you did not realize until after they were over? Take some time to thank Him and praise Him.

Next time you encounter a difficult time, remind yourself of how God is working in your life and that you can trust Him no matter what hardship comes your way.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Father / Yahweh, Miracles, Pride, Through Prophets, Wickedness / Evil

Denial Is Not Just A River In Egypt

Most of us are familiar with the phrase “Denial is not just a river in Egypt.” It is a word play on “denial” and “the Nile”. We all encounter denial in regards to Jehovah’s presence and interaction in this world. It seems that some can find a way to reject Him no matter what signs and wonders He performs. Others, even when He gets their attention with signs and wonders, they quickly fall away again once the sign is past and they begin to rationalize away the power of God they just witnessed.

Pharaoh and his court did this over and over, thus inviting God to continue demonstrating His power to all through more miracles. First, whenever God would demonstrate a sign through Moses and Aaron, the Egyptian “magicians” would attempt to produce a fraud… a trick that mimicked in some way the real sign just demonstrated. They would try to point to something man can do similar to what God did as a way of avoiding admitting that Jehovah was God. After they were overwhelmed by God’s signs they would appear to repent. He got their attention. They were defeated in that sign, like the frogs in Exodus 8. Then Pharaoh would commit to releasing the Israelites. However, once the sign was completed and the threat to Egypt appeared over, his heart was hardened again and he would go back on his commitment.

Exodus 8:1-15

Frogs over the Land

      1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2“But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. 3“The Nile will swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 4“So the frogs will come up on you and your people and all your servants.”’” 5Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7The magicians did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

      8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat the LORD that He remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they may be left only in the Nile?”

      10Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 11“The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.” 12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh. 13The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. 14So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

Often we say to ourselves, “Pharaoh was a rare exception because God hardened his heart. That does not really happen today.” I disagree. It is all around us even today. Consider…

What are some recent examples you have encountered from people, even those identifying as Christian, in which they deny the power or presence of God based on comparing what man can do to what God did? I can think of examples in healthcare… people turn to God for help, He miraculously heals someone and those involved start convincing themselves it was not really God, but rather man’s efforts in medicine alone. (Of course God can work through doctors and medicine.)

Apply the same thought exercise to an event like major hurricanes that have led to devastation in some areas or terrorist attacks. (We can debate in any one case if major events like this are guided by God. However, the reaction we see in people is the same as if it were.)  The event happens. People are in pain emotionally and physically. Some who are not close to God may turn to him in this time of suffering. What happens once the event stops and time begins to pass? Some will continue in deeper relationship with God but many will adjust back to acting as they did before… as if nothing happened. This is essentially what Pharaoh did in Exodus 8 after the frogs were contained.

Now the hard part… you may want to engage a fellow follower or disciple of Christ you trust. Look back at your life and prayerfully consider if there are moments when you too dismiss the power of God that has been demonstrated in your life. Avoid the blindness of pride in this exercise and begin with humbly admitting you are not perfect and are indeed capable of making mistakes. This opens the door to growing in wisdom and applying God’s word in your life. Are there times in your life around big events or small ones that you quickly dismiss the power of God, rationalizing it away as coincidence or activities of man alone? Look for it in your thoughts as you go forward in life. Consider writing down when you feel God is working in your life to keep a record. It is too easy to dismiss what He is doing in our lives while at the same time wondering why He is not active in our lives.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Faith / Trusting God, Miracles, Miracles, Strong in Our Weakness

Do Not Dismiss God’s Guidance In Search Of Your Own

Have you ever found yourself facing situations where you felt like God was directing you to or away from something. Perhaps you prayed even a simple prayer for God to do something in your life.  At times when I have prayed for something, God may answer “yes” or he may answer “no” or he may answer “not the way you want, but my way” or even “not right now”. He does not always answer with words or miracles. Sometimes he just blocks our path as we keep trying to find a way to accomplish our own desires… having convinced ourselves that God must want it for us too.

I have experienced this more than a few times in my life. I have an answer in mind and pray for help. Then I proceed to ignore every improbable barrier that comes in my path, each time convincing myself that God wants to give me the answer I already identified. Sometimes He is giving me a clear answer and I just refuse to listen. In fact, He often seems to be “closing certain doors” and “opening others” I had not even considered or had chosen against. Pharaoh had a similar problem with a hard heart, refusing to acknowledge God and the will of God despite many miraculous wonders.

Exodus 8:16-32

The Plague of Insects

      16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

      20Now the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21“For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they dwell. 22“But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. 23“I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” 24Then the LORD did so. And there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

      25Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27“We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” 28Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make supplication for me.” 29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall make supplication to the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”

      30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 31The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained. 32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.

Each time you pray, challenge yourself to try to look for what God wants you to do, rather than what you want to do. Identify your bias and try to guard against it. Test what you want to do against scripture for guidance and pray for God to help you find His path rather than your own. Then be open to the prompting God provides to lead you and guide you. He will not always send gnats and flies. Sometimes He is much more subtle. When you ask for God’s help, take special care you do not dismiss His answer when He gives it.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.