Category Archives: Obeying God

Doubt / Lacking Faith, Grace / Forgiveness, Obeying God, Provider, Speaking, Through Prophets

The Grace and Provision of Jehovah

Have you ever gone out of your way to really help someone else who was in need. Not just a little help, but fundamentally transforming their lives in a certain area. Perhaps bringing them out of addiction or adopting them to bring them into a loving home or bringing them to know the joy of Jehovah through Jesus Christ. Imagine if all they did was complain and whine about it and say they wish they were back where they started? How would that make you feel?

It is easy to imagine us losing interest in wanting to continue helping this person when they respond that way… ungrateful. How gracious is Jehovah in His love and provision for His people. Even after He has performed many miracles, over and over in the sight of the people, leading them out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom… many whine and complain. Yes, really.

While we may easily be able to understand if Jehovah responded by sending them back to slavery, we see that is not His way. He tests and teaches His people to follow and obey His instruction. He is preparing them to be ready to take the promised land. They are not ready yet.

Exodus 16:1-21

The LORD Provides Manna

      1Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. 2The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

      4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. 5“On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt; 7and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The LORD Provides Meat

      8Moses said, “This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the LORD hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”

      9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10It came about as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the sons of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 12“I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”

      13So it came about at evening that the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew evaporated, behold, on the surface of the wilderness there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. 16“This is what the LORD has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.’” 17The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat. 19Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; and Moses was angry with them. 21They gathered it morning by morning, every man as much as he should eat; but when the sun grew hot, it would melt.

Let us each challenge ourselves to avoid grumbling complaints about where and how Jehovah is leading us. Instead, pray He will help us to trust and obey joyfully. Then let us also help one another by focusing on the good things Jehovah provides for us even when times are tough. Finally, let us obey Him and do things His way even if they do not seem to make sense to us!

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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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

What Does God Require From Me?

Have you ever wondered what God (Jehovah) requires of you? There is much debate among even believers about what God requires of His people. We should look to His word for the answer. God has provided in scripture several summaries to help us get our minds around it. However, in order to properly follow it we must study and pray for God’s help and choose to change our ways and follow His. It is a journey of a lifetime and it is a joy and not a burden to those who love God.

Matthew 22:36-40

36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He [Jesus] said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38“This is the great and foremost commandment. 39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Loving God and loving people. Simple sounding summary but it is often misunderstood because what our society today defines as love is different than what God defines as love. The world tells us that to love someone is to accept them unconditionally as they are… this is not loving God or loving people. Do I show love to my children by letting them do or believe whatever they want? or do I show love to them by instructing and guiding them in truth? I tell my children not to touch a hot stove… I rebuke them and set guidelines for them to steer them in the right way. I show my love for them by guiding and instructing them. They show their love for me by obeying, not by disregarding what I say and doing what they think is right… even when they do not fully understand why I give certain boundaries.

God clearly, and repeatedly, emphasizes obedience to His ways as the answer to “how to love God”. Our motivation is love of God and love of people, but how we demonstrate this through our actions and attitudes is by obeying God’s word.

John 14:15

  15“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

John 14:23-24

23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

God provides another summary of what He requires of us in Deuteronomy 10.

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

   12“Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13and to keep the LORD’S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?

Again we see similar instruction from God. Fear (e.g. respect, revere) God. Walk in His ways and love Him. Do not walk in your own ways or the ways of the world. Serve God with all your heart and soul… not just part of it. Keep His commandments and statutes… for your own good!

Many try to avoid acknowledging the need to obey all God’s commands and statutes as how they should be showing love to God. Instead they want to just call on His name and “have positive thoughts and feelings about Him”. God is displeased by this approach. God wants us to show love by obeying what He has instructed us to do. The first step to doing that is to humbly admit we do not have it all figured out… our society around us and even our church does not have it all figured out. We must pray for His help and study scripture consistently to better understand and apply His instructions to our lives to truly show our love for Him.

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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.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Traditions / Holidays

Look To God Rather Than Traditions Of Men

2 Comments

There are many different holidays across many different nations around the world. Some of them are good, some are bad, and some are just not very meaningful. All of them started based on an idea to help honor or remember someone or something… ok, some were started so they could sell things to people.

Too often we as followers of Christ do not use discernment in terms of identifying which holidays are ok to celebrate, which should be avoided, and which God commands us to celebrate. We just celebrate whatever the local community celebrates. Yes, God commands us to celebrate several “feasts” during the year. No, the command was not just for the “old times” before Christ.

As we read about the Feast of Unleavened Bread, let us compare how God commands us to celebrate this feast in remembrance of His freeing His people from bondage to the traditions you grew up with from your Christian family heritage, Christian church, or local community. Not many Christians celebrate Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread, yet God commanded us to do so “throughout [our] generations” as a “permanent ordinance”.

Exodus 12:13-32

Feast of Unleavened Bread

      14‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. 15‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16‘On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. 17‘You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. 18‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19‘Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. 20‘You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

      21Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb. 22“You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

A Memorial of Redemption

      23“For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you. 24“And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. 25“When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. 26“And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ 27you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’” And the people bowed low and worshiped.

      28Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

      29Now it came about at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. 30Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the LORD, as you have said. 32“Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.”

Do you know that much of the traditions celebrated as part of Easter and Christmas are elements of pagan worship of false gods and offensive to Jehovah? Why is it we have so much enthusiasm to embrace lies and pagan traditions like “Easter Bunny” and “Santa Clause” but we take not the time to celebrate as our Lord God commanded us?  For those of us who genuinely want to follow Him, it is typically because we have been taught incorrectly by our church and our family traditions and it is hard to change. If this is where you are, you should study God’s word more on this subject and obey it, praying for His help. (For more information on Christmas and Easter as a next step, view the Sunburned Part 1 video teaching at 119Ministries.com.)

My family truly finds joy in celebrating according to God’s instruction rather than man’s tradition. Yes it was hard to change but it was worth it to obey God. My wife and I went through some difficult change and now our children are better grounded in truth of God’s word as a foundation for their lives and future generations.

When considering whether or not to celebrate a holiday, look to God rather than the traditions of men… even the traditions of family for generations or Christian churches are usually wrong and influenced by local culture rather than God’s word. Based on God’s instruction, celebrate the holidays He commands in the way He commands. Evaluate both the “what” and the “how” associated with other holidays and traditions based on God’s word to determine whether or not they acceptable or offensive to Him.

This is a difficult topic for many, but for those who wish to submit to and follow God, the burden is light and worthwhile. We trust Him to guide our steps. Pray for His help.

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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.

 

Obeying God, Offering Sacrifices

To Obey God Is Better Than To Sacrifice To Him

Our obedience to God is very important. It means nothing to go through the motions on going to church or paying the tithe if we are not willing to obey the Lord. Writing a check and going to church once a week for an hour will not put is in good standing with God. We are called to submit all of our lives to Him. We are to do so joyfully and His commands will not be a burden to us. In fact they set us free from sin and self and show us what is good and right.

1 Samuel 15:22-23

     22Samuel said,
“Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

      23“For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He has also rejected you from being king.”

When we refuse to submit to and obey God even in some aspects of our lives we are essentially in rebellion to Him. We are either fully submitted or in rebellion to Him. One can not simply say that I am “mostly submitted to God” and hold back certain areas of your life as if He will be pleased with this approach. “Mostly submitted by God” is the same as “in rebellion against God”. We are completely submitted and obey or we are not. It is a binary solution. There is no gray area. This does not mean we are obeying perfectly, but rather than we are submitted fully and in our hearts trying to obey fully. We should not accept any areas of our lives knowingly in rebellion or refusing to submit to God’s instruction.

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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.

Encouragement, Obeying God, Speaking

God, Your Plan Seems Not To Be Working

Have you ever felt God lead you to reach out to someone to encourage them or to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them, only to be disappointed in their response as they dismiss or reject what you have to share? Perhaps you felt led to a particular activity or ministry to serve God, but the results do not immediately seem to encourage you… perhaps they are even downright discouraging.

We may often face disappointing responses to even our best efforts to obey God and do the things we feel He is calling us to do. That, however, does not mean we were not obedient. It may just be that we have not yet seen the fruit of our obedience to God. In some cases, we may never see the results of our obedience, but we are to continue in obedience none the less.

Exodus 6:1-13

God Promises Action

      1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for under compulsion he will let them go, and under compulsion he will drive them out of his land.”

      2God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD; 3and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them. 4“I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they sojourned. 5“Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6“Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7‘Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8‘I will bring you to the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession; I am the LORD.’” 9So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage.

      10Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 11“Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.” 12But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?” 13Then the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Moses was clearly discouraged in the response of the sons of Israel to the message he brought to them from God. They were the very people God was promising to set free and they could not bring themselves to believe due to the difficult circumstances they were experiencing around them.

I am greatly encouraged to see the relationship God has with Moses. He allows His servant to share openly and honestly what he is feeling and ask real questions about the situation.

“Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am unskilled in speech?”

God did not get angry at Moses but rather hears his concern and then reaffirms the message and the mission that Moses and Aaron are to carry out in the name of God. Though Moses and Aaron can not yet see victory, and in fact are experiencing some apparent defeat, they continue in obedience to God to carry out the direction they received from God. Most of us know how the story of Moses ends… (spoiler alert)… God holds true to His word and through many miracles and using Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and out of bondage.

What situations are you facing in your life which may appear discouraging right now, but you feel God was leading you to address?  Be encouraged by knowing that we please God in our obedience and that He is more than able to guide us to victory… but it will be according to His plans and timing rather than our own.

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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.

Discipline / Correction, Hearing from God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Obey God In All Things

I will freely admit that there are sections of scripture that I have often overlooked as I read through the Bible. I read them, but do not linger and thoughtfully consider why God chose to include it in the Bible. Exodus 4 contains one such scripture. We are reading a very exciting record of God’s commissioning Moses to confront Pharaoh and demand he set God’s people free. Moses goes back and forth with God many times until finally God has led Moses to accept the mission before him.  Between that moment and when God tells Aaron to go meet Moses in Exodus 4:27, there are three verses that are easy to skip over when reading quickly.

Exodus 4:24-26

  24Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision.

I will admit again… that I had to read and reread a few times. I remained here and reviewed a few Bible commentaries at BibleHub.com. The message here is actually quite significant.

Moses was appointed to be the leader and lawgiver to God’s people… God’s representative to them in a time of amazing demonstration of God’s power and communication of His commands. Moses had accepted this mission from God and was proceeding on his way. Moses, however, had neglected to circumcise his own son and received a sharp rebuke from God. Circumcision is an important sign of God’s covenant with His people.

We can only speculate about why Moses failed to circumcise, but it may have something to do with being unequally yoked spiritually with his Midianite wife, who appears to be quite unhappy with the concept of circumcising their son. Whether he failed to comply with God’s instruction to please his wife or out of his own carelessness… God was not pleased.

The message for me is quite powerful. God may ask us to take on a mission for Him, but He still wants us to live in obedience to Him in all aspects of our personal lives as well.  It is particularly important for public leaders of God’s people to obey His commands so as to lead by example and maintain a sense of credibility when leading God’s people. Even if you are not a leader in the body of Christ, God still wants you to obey His commands in all aspects of your life. This is how we show that we love Him.

John 14:23-24  23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

Are there aspects of your life that you are not fully complying with God’s instructions? If so, what is holding you back? Prayerfully ask for God’s help to reveal to you any areas you may not recognize and then promptly change your behavior to be in obedience to Him. The desires of God must be first, even before the desires of our spouse or children.

Deuteronomy 6:5  5“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Matthew 6:33  33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

When we seek God first, we do not neglect our spouse or children, but rather we commit do things God’s way and He shows us how to live in right relationship with Him and with our family in a way that is far better than what we would do on our own!

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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.

Can God Use Me?, Father / Yahweh, Hearing from God, Obeying God

Yes… I Really Want You To Do It

As a father of four children, I have great appreciation for the comparison the Bible draws between God’s relationship with His people to a father’s relationship with His children. Clearly the father will understand much more than his young children. The father loves his children and wants to guide them and be patient with them and help them to gain confidence in carrying out the duties or missions to which they are assigned. However, there is a point at which the father expects to be trusted based on a history of faithful guidance to and protection of his children. At some point the questioning must stop and the obedience must start… even if the children do not fully understand how things will work.

It may come as a surprise to many that, of all people, Moses struggled with this in receiving God’s instruction. God provided quite a dramatic encounter with Moses involving a burning bush and an extended discussion with lots of details and answers to Moses’ questions… but Moses was very much afraid to take on the task and just kept challenging God that perhaps Moses was not the right choice for the given task of confronting Pharaoh to release God’s people. God was very patient, but at last grew angry. Still God brought Moses through his insecurity and doubt and sent him on his way to complete the mission.

Exodus 3:10-22

The Mission of Moses

      10“Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

      13Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 16“Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17“So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18“They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19“But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20“So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21“I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22“But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

Exodus 4:1-23

Moses Given Powers

      1Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’” 2The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5“that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

      6The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9“But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

      10Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11The LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12“Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”

Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

      14Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15“You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16“Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17“You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

      18Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.

      21The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23“So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’”

When God gives you a mission, it is ok to ask Him for help and even honestly share your concerns. If you are uncertain about your ability to complete the task, you may even take comfort in knowing that Moses was uncertain and ultimately became a man of great faith and intimate relationship with God. Remember, you are not completing the mission alone. If God gives you a mission, He will provide what is needed to complete it. However, you must accept the mission and get started in order to demonstrate faith and obedience… even if you do not fully understand what will come next.

Is there something you believe God has told you to do, but you are fearful to proceed? First verify what you feel He is asking is consistent with scripture… an important part of ensuring you are hearing from God and not Satan… or your own selfish nature. Then seek God humbly in prayer and ask for help. Then stop coming up with excuses, trust God, and get started.

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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 Knowing, All Powerful / King of All, Can God Use Me?, Courage / Fear, Faith / Trusting God, Hearing from God, Miracles, Obeying God

If God Calls You To A Mission, He Will Help You Complete It

When God calls us to complete a mission, He will often test and grow our faith by challenging us with something outside of our comfort zone. God does this intentionally. It requires no faith if God asks us to go do what we can do on our own. Imagine if God asked us to tie our shoes… does that have any opportunity to bring glory to God? to build our faith? No. It is something we can do by ourselves without God’s help.

When God calls us to a mission that is obviously stretching us beyond our own ability, we must obey and rely on Him to successfully accomplish it. It can be more than a little intimidating, even for those we think of as heroes or legends of faith.

Exodus 3:10-22

The Mission of Moses

      10“Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

      13Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations. 16“Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17“So I said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18“They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19“But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20“So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21“I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22“But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses is immediately intimidated by the instructions. He humbly questions if he is the right person for God to send.

11But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”

God’s response is to reassure Moses that God will be with him and to give specific instructions. God was not upset or surprised that Moses was fearful.

12And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

God continues to reassure Moses that he will not be alone and also shares specific details about what is to come and how Moses will succeed with God’s help.  God will not always share the details with us before the mission begins, but in the case with Moses it was in deed an imposing mission and God took extra care to encourage Moses.

God will not ask each of us to accomplish such an intimidating mission as He asked Moses… but He does call us to obey His word and at times He still gives His people specific missions to accomplish in His name. We can find comfort in knowing that God will be with us and help us to accomplish what He asks of us so long as we obey Him faithfully. We do not have to complete the mission alone on our own strength.

Do you feel like God has called you to accomplish a specific mission, but are afraid to step out in faith and begin the journey? You are not alone. Even Moses was fearful when God asked Him to take on a mission.  Trust in God and obey.

If you don’t believe you have heard from God for a specific mission, then you can start by focusing on the commands He has provided to all of us who follow Him in His word, the Bible.

Identify one specific task you can undertake immediately (today or this week) that is consistent with God’s word, but you have put off because you are intimidated by it. Ask God for help in prayer and get started! (Hint: You do not need to start by confronting Pharaoh, perhaps something simple like sharing your faith with someone or helping someone.)

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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.

Marriage, Obeying God

You Want Me To Follow All The Instructions?

Think of the last time you bought an item with the words “some assembly required” on the box. Was it a bicycle? a play kitchen for your kids? maybe a large Lincoln Logs set? Think of one that was complicated to put together. They provided an instruction manual, right? Did you use it? I sure do. I may be able to figure out how to put things together, but it sure goes easier and comes together more quickly and with less damage and rework when I follow the manual. What is more, I follow the full instructions. I do not just pick and choose which instructions to follow and which ones not to and then expect everything to come out just right. I follow all of the instructions for best results.

So why is it that so many people try to pick and choose which parts of the Bible they want to accept and use to guide their actions and attitudes? God provided the Bible to us to be able to have great insight into God and how He relates to His people. It provides great insight into how we should live our lives. It is like the instruction manual that helps us put together that complicated Lego set. Things usually don’t work out right if you only follow part of the directions. (You are not supposed to run out of or have extra pieces.)

God’s revelation through the Bible may also be compared to the map that shows us how to get through a mine field (a field with bombs hidden below the surface that blow up if you step on them). Would you choose to “wing it” through a mine field rather than follow the map? Would you pick and choose which parts of the map you believe? Would you base which parts you use based on your opinion or that of others about where the mines might be or stick to the map provided by the one who already knows where all the mines actually are?

The Bible is not a “pick list” where we choose which parts we “believe” and which we do not. We either submit to God fully or we do not. We either trust Him or we do not.

The similar consideration should be given for studying and applying what God reveals to us about marriage in Ephesians 5.

Ephesians 5

Marriage Like Christ and the Church

      22Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

      25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30because we are members of His body. 31FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. 32This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Now… for those of you who are getting upset because you do not like what the scripture says, take a moment to pause and reflect. First, consciously strip away what people have told you about this scripture and have told you about the role of husband and wife and try to come into it as a blank slate, just reading what God reveals rather than what others say He does.

God calls husbands to lead, love, and if necessary die for their wives. So too, they should live for their wives. They are called to rejoice in their wives as if they are truly one in body and spirit. They are to be to their wives as Jesus was to the church. Who would take exception to this?

God calls wives to an equally important role, but a different role. Keep in mind that God designed us and He has that in mind when He guides us on our roles. Wives submit to and respect your husbands. Our culture wants to convince women that submitting to their husband is somehow demeaning. I argue it is not. Both men and women are made in God’s image. Which sports team has two coaches with the same role and responsibility and authority for the team? Which organization has two leaders with the same roles, responsibilities and authority? Which army has such a structure? None. Because it does not work. There must be a chain of command. Even in the U.S. Senate there is a tie breaker set up in case votes fall 50 for and 50 against. So why is it demeaning only when God says it about the roles of husband and wife in marriage but not in every other situation where it is necessary?

Now think of these two roles working together with both doing as they are commanded by God. The husband will dwell with understanding and love for his wife and give her full consideration for her desires and needs. They can engage and discuss. Ultimately, he is to consider her equally as if she is his own body and spirit as they are one. At times, he is called to die to self and give her preference to care for her as Christ died for the church. He is under authority to God and thus stays on the right path to lead the family.

The model God lays out works and works really well! Typically, problems come in not with God’s plan, but with the way people fail to execute it properly.

For those who are married, think about where you and your spouse may fall short of God’s plan for you in His commands for your marriage. Focus first on changing your own behavior and then perhaps engage in further discussion with your spouse. Show your spouse how it works through your actions and how you treat them. When they see the change in you and ask… then you share God’s plan with them from Ephesians.

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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.

Character of God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Parables, Sin

Why Does God Allow Sin? Why Does It Separate Us From God?

“Why does God allow sin?”  “Why does sin separate us from God?”

These are two common questions that people struggle with as they try to reconcile a loving God with a fallen world, filled with sin and selfishness and evil. We could explore this topic in several ways. One approach would be to conduct a detailed Bible study and try to explain verse by verse. That is actually an excellent exercise for these topics and I have done that before. I encourage each of you to do the same. As a starting foundation, we should explain that sin refers to “missing the mark”, or falling short of doing things God’s way. We sin when we do things our way instead of God’s way.

For today, let us approach it in parable format as Jesus did many times throughout His ministry to help people more plainly understand key principles on terms they are familiar with.

There was a man who wanted a dog. To begin with, he thought about how easy it would be if only he could find one that would obey perfectly and not create any trouble for him. He found a robotic dog. At first the robotic dog seemed interesting but his interest soon fell. It was not satisfying. It did everything just as it was directed. It had perfect obedience but no free will. It did not obey because it loved the master, it simply obeyed because it could do nothing else. The master soon tired of the toy, it could not love him. There was no satisfaction in it, no real relationship.

Next the man purchased two puppies. Both puppies inherently did not understand the rules of the house at first. In fact, left to their own devices they were quite destructive… constantly chewing things that should not be chewed and “pottying” where they should not. Neither obeyed their master. He quickly found that their disobedient behavior necessarily created a need for separation from Him, even though He loved them so he placed them outside in his yard. He knew that left on their own, they would never learn correct behavior…they were unable to teach themselves. He loved them so he worked tirelessly to train them daily. He yearned to find a way to remove the separation between the dogs outside and himself in the house. Over time, one puppy learned to obey. It followed the rules and did what the master asked. The master rejoiced and brought that puppy inside the house where it was constantly with him and their relationship thrived. The puppy had learned to obey and to show love for the master and thus was brought into closer relationship with the master. The second puppy refused to obey. It rebelled against the master, even growling at him or trying to bite him. He still loved the second dog, but the dog’s behavior continued to create a need for separation from the master. The master tried tirelessly and yearned for the second dog to submit and obey so they could be closer, but it refused.

Whose fault is it that the second dog remained separated from the master? Was it the master because he set rules forth to determine what is good and bad? or the dog’s because it continued to refuse the master and instead chose to do what is bad?

The master is God. The robot dog represents why He gave us a free will… so their could be love… so we could choose Him. Which of us would choose to love a computer that does all we ask because it must? Which of us love others even when they choose to disobey or do harm to us at times? The first real dog is the wise person that hears the master’s voice, listens and obeys… doing things the master’s way. The second real dog represents those who remain in rebellion to God…creating by their actions a need for separation from Him. The master yearned for the second dog to “repent” and had made a way for it to be in relationship with him, but the dog refused. How foolish to blame the master for the separation caused by sin.

To think of it another way… let us consider our wonderful dessert, pick your favorite, but for this story we will call it a piece of chocolate cake. We know exactly what we want in this cake, and may even have a strong desire to enjoy it. What now, if I told you that the cake has small amount of poop in it? Do you still want the cake? It is only a small amount of contaminant. Of course we don’t want it! So it is with God when we sin. He wants to be near to us, but even a little sin is ugly and can contaminate the whole such that we can not choose to enjoy it and be close. It makes no more sense for us to insist that God should be close to those who reject Him and His commands than to insist that we would want to eat the contaminated dessert.

I know that these are perhaps simple examples, but we should not put the emphasis on blaming God that we can not be close to Him when we live in sin, rejecting His commands. Instead, we should put the emphasis on ourselves and our behavior and attitudes as the cause of separation from God. Come humbly before Jesus Christ, ask forgiveness, change our behaviors to be more like His commands as best we can. He will help! Submit our lives to be more like Jesus and He will cleanse us of our sins by way of His death on the cross.  We are a new creation in Christ and can be reconciled to the Master and dwell closely with Him in this life and again in Heaven after we die. Praise God that He made a way to make us clean!

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

In what areas is God speaking to you that you need to make changes in your life to obey His commands rather than rebelling against them? What steps can you take even this week to start moving closer to God in obedience to His word?

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.