Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

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.

Learning To Pray Effectively

Learning to Pray: It’s Not All About Me, It’s About God

It seems many do not know how to pray in a righteous, God honoring manner. Prayer has turned often into a wish list of what I want from God and when I want it. As a response to help people come to better understand a Biblical approach to prayer we are exploring Biblical examples of righteous prayer in our extra Friday articles. These are additional to our daily devotions. Sometimes we are highlighting examples of righteous prayer from Solomon or David or Daniel and, of course, Jesus Christ. Today we explore Psalm 4.

Psalm 4

Evening Prayer of Trust in God.

For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

      1Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

      2O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?

Selah.

      3But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself;
The LORD hears when I call to Him.

      4Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.

Selah.

      5Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the LORD.

      6Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!

      7You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.

      8In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

David provides much helpful insight into prayer throughout Psalms. In Psalm 4, we see some important elements to prayer.

  • Believe that God will answer.
  • Acknowledge that God is righteous rather than man. Any righteousness we can claim originates from God who has set the standard that defines righteousness.
  • Acknowledge God helps us in our distress.
  • Recognize we rely on God’s grace to answer our prayers. It is beyond what we deserve in relationship with our Creator.
  • We can call on God to help us deal with the unrighteousness of men, who come against us because of our honor in submitting to God.
  • God hears the prayers of the righteous and godly, not just prayers of people who call out to Him, but do not submit to Him.
  • We should not treat our submission to God lightly. “Tremble, and do not sin;” We should hold God in some amount of respect, fear, and reverence. We should deeply consider our tendency to sin and turn from it. Bringing this issue before God for His help is worthy of our time in prayer.
  • “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord.” Living righteously according to God’s instruction will have a cost. People will come against us. Sometimes we will make choices that do not benefit us personally but further the kingdom of God. Trust in God and be willing to offer our lives as living sacrifices to God, according to His righteousness.
  • Call out to God to help us when others will not.
  • Praise God for the gladness He brings in our lives.
  • Praise and thank God for the peace He brings to us in our lives.

Stepping back from the many detailed elements… you do not find a shallow, selfish list of wants from David in Psalm 4. You find real issues, focus on and reverence for God, and praise and thanks to God. Take some time to thoughtfully compare this to your prayer life. Challenge yourself to put more focus on praising and thanking God and asking His help for you to live righteously according to His instruction, even when it is hard.

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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, Consequences of Sin, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Obeying God, Speaking, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

God Demands Obedience, Not Compromise

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When God speaks and speaks clearly to us… take heed and obey fully. Do not be so arrogant as to debate or compromise with God. He wants obedience rather than compromise.

Pharaoh discovered this in a memorable way when he again refused to listen to what God demanded. God called for all of the Israelites to go to the wilderness to worship and serve Him and Pharaoh was not willing to obey. He had experienced enough by Exodus 10 to finally agree again to let the men go worship in the wilderness, but would not let all the people go, as God demanded. Pharaoh was not obeying, but rather attempting to compromise with God. It did not work out well for him and for Egypt.

Exodus 10:1-20

The Plague of Locusts

      1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may perform these signs of Mine among them, 2and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”

      3Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 4‘For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5‘They shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They will also eat the rest of what has escaped—what is left to you from the hail—and they will eat every tree which sprouts for you out of the field. 6‘Then your houses shall be filled and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they came upon the earth until this day.’” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 7Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?” 8So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God! Who are the ones that are going?” 9Moses said, “We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.” 10Then he said to them, “Thus may the LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Take heed, for evil is in your mind. 11“Not so! Go now, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desire.” So they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

      12Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, even all that the hail has left.” 13So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very numerous. There had never been so many locusts, nor would there be so many again. 15For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Thus nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field through all the land of Egypt. 16Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17“Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and make supplication to the LORD your God, that He would only remove this death from me.” 18He went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 19So the LORD shifted the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. 20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Have you ever found yourself negotiating or trying to compromise with God? If God tells you to pack up and move to a land far away, it is a wrong answer to simply say I will obey, God, but only rather than going to the land you told me to, I will go to one nearby that is in my comfort zone instead.

God gives us many instructions for us to follow in His written word, the Bible. He is not pleased if we choose to follow “most” of them, choosing which we refuse to obey because we want to do something else. One cannot simply say “I will obey 8 of the 10 commandments, God, and that is enough” or “I have decided that Sabbath is no longer necessary, but I will follow the other instructions” and expect God to be pleased.

God wants us to fully submit to Him and obey Him. This can be a very difficult journey over the course of a lifetime. It is not comfortable or predictable or aligned with what the world values and it is not always in agreement with what we want… but it is what God wants and He is always right.

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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.

Learning To Pray Effectively

Prayer Request: What Do You Pray For?

This week’s prayer challenge is to consider how you pray for yourself and your family. Take a few moments to consider what you ask God for in your life and why. Write down three personal prayers.

Now let us consider the prayer of one whom God answered in a mighty way, Solomon.

2 Chronicles 1:7-13

     7In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.”

Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom

      8Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place. 9“Now, O LORD God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10“Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” 11God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, 12wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you.” 13So Solomon went from the high place which was at Gibeon, from the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem, and he reigned over Israel.

What a tremendous attitude Solomon had as he responded to God’s inquiry! Solomon did not pray for himself or something selfish, but rather he prayed for wisdom to rule wisely over God’s people… thus wisdom to serve God. Take note of the approach Solomon takes in responding to God as well. He does not simply lay out his personal list of wants, but rather starts by acknowledging who God is and what He has already done… with thanks. This is not a complicated prayer, but a simple and genuine request of God for the gift needed to rule wisely.

Take another look at  your personal prayer list. Are you praying for selfish things that benefit only yourself? or are you praying, like Solomon, for God to increase in you the gifts He wants you to use to serve Him and advance the kingdom of God on earth? It is ok to pray for personal needs or wants, but how much better to pray for God to help you accomplish what He has already called you to do. Consider humbly adjusting your prayer life to ask God for His help to give and develop in you the talents and abilities you need to do what He is calling you to do.

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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.

Church / Body of Christ, Help / Serve Others, Humility, Share the Good News

Humility and Unity Enable The Body Of Christ

It is wonderful to see the body of Christ work together toward the common goal of glorifying God. The brethren of Jerusalem received Paul gladly upon his return. Paul met with the elders and told them all about his missionary journey… but note Paul’s humility as he gives glory to God for what occurred instead of pointing toward himself. The elders hear him and also begin to glorify God. Notice that there is no trace of jealousy among them for the wonderful works accomplished through Paul. They are all on the same team! They are aligned only toward the agenda of sharing the gospel of Christ with the world.

So too the elders give advice to Paul on how to dispel the rumors that he does not care for the law. There is no hypocrisy or deceit here. Paul consistently obeys the law throughout scripture. He is sometimes misunderstood. As he taught the Gentiles he focused them on a few important things to get started so they would not be overwhelmed by all of the law at once. Some took that to mean Paul rejected the law. It was always Paul’s pattern to continue teaching those who followed Jesus more about what God commands as they continue to study with him. Paul again demonstrates humility in accepting this advice as an effective communication tool to the Jews in Jerusalem. Paul participates in the ending of a Nazarite vow by others. Paul is not just making a show of it or compromising on his beliefs. In fact, Paul completed what is likely a Nazarite vow himself in Acts 18:18.

The brethren were truly working together toward the common goal of sharing the gospel of Christ. They gave and received advice to one another. They glorified God in the work as it was accomplished. They thoughtfully considered how they could be most effective in reaching their audience (e.g. Jews vs. Gentiles). They proclaimed truth.

Acts 21:15-26

Paul at Jerusalem

      15After these days we got ready and started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples from Caesarea also came with us, taking us to Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple of long standing with whom we were to lodge.

      17After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; 21and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22“What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23“Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 25“But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.” 26Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Humility and working together toward a common goal of sharing the gospel of Christ united the brethren of Jerusalem and Paul in a strong bond. How would it have worked out if the elders were jealous of the success Paul witnessed and began infighting? What about if Paul reacted with pride instead of humility, taking glory for himself and rejecting the advice of others?

Think about personal examples in your own life in which you may need to make some adjustments. Are there areas where you react more with pride than humility? Are you jealous of the success of others in sharing the gospel? Pray that God would help lead and guide you to take on a humble spirit, united with all brothers and sisters in Christ toward the common goal of proclaiming the gospel of Christ. We are not in competition with one another, but rather we are on the same team.

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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, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Strong in Our Weakness

Why Does It Seem Hard To Do God’s Work?

Surely almost all of us at one time or another must have asked the following question?

“Why does it seem hard to do God’s work?”

It seems that even when God tells us what we are asked to do will be hard, we still expect it to be easy. Sometimes we wonder… “Can I be following God the right way if it seems hard?” The answer in a word… YES. Neither Jehovah (God) as revealed in the Old Testament nor Jesus (Yeshua) as revealed in the New Testament ever told us living life the right way, His way, would be easy, not after Adam and Eve were forced to leave the garden for rebellion against God.

We could probably dwell awhile on the significance of the impact of Adam and Eve’s rebellion and how it may play a significant role on this topic. There is another aspect which I want to highlight here today instead. We are often quick to take credit ourselves when we accomplish something that seems easy, rather than giving glory to God who made it easy. In fact, if you pause for a moment and think about the most common Bible stories, the ones even children remember, you can reflect on the fact that the truly memorable ones that demonstrate the power of God were only possible because the situation was very difficult and clearly beyond the ability of the man or woman to accomplish on their own power. It is in these events that we remember the power of our God as well as His sovereignty.

It is not unusual for God to make the situation even harder just to show us beyond a doubt that it was He, and not ourselves, who accomplished it.  I can immediately think of two great examples… one involving Gideon and one involving Moses. We will explore Exodus 7 in today’s article, but I encourage you to read about Gideon as well (Judges chapters 6-8)

Exodus 7

“I Will Stretch Out My Hand”

      1Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2“You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. 3“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4“When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5“The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” 6So Moses and Aaron did it; as the LORD commanded them, thus they did. 7Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Rod Becomes a Serpent

      8Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. 12For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

Water Is Turned to Blood

      14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. 15“Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a serpent. 16“You shall say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now.” 17‘Thus says the LORD, “By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will be turned to blood. 18“The fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will find difficulty in drinking water from the Nile.”’” 19Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

      20So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. 21The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. 22But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. 23Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house with no concern even for this. 24So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the Nile. 25Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

God actually hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that He would multiply His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt so that the Egyptians, and the Israelites, would know that He is God.

3“But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4“When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5“The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.”

When things are difficult in your own life, do not assume you are on the wrong path. In fact, it is at such times that we often draw closest to God and rely most faithfully on His power… when we know our own power is not sufficient. Ask God in prayer for His wisdom and guidance and help. Put your faith in Him. Read scripture daily to come to know Him more fully. If He has spoken to you and given you specific direction, verify it is consistent with scripture and then obey it even when it seems hard or you appear to face defeat. Praise God at all times and thank Him for His lovingkindness. Give Him thanks for who He is and what He does in your life. You will see His mighty power at work and know that He is God and it was He, rather than yourself, that accomplished His work through you.

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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.

Evidence in Scripture, Humility

How Would You Write About Yourself?

Have you ever accomplished a task that you felt was significant and then decided to write about it? Perhaps it was in a personal journal, but some end up writing about their accomplishments in books or public records that will survive long after they are gone.

How would you write about your task? Would you focus on glorifying yourself or in glorifying God?

Many would be tempted to overlook documenting some of the less flattering parts of their journey, such as when them made mistakes or felt scared. They may even embellish the accomplishments or their courage and talent in achieving it.

What if an author actually recorded over and over again their own mistakes? What if they consistently wrote down the record as to show their personal struggles rather than just making it look easy and themselves look good? Would you then be more likely to believe that what they wrote about was real and true? Of course you would.

Let us consider Moses. He was the author of Exodus, and yet over and over again records his personal lack of confidence in the scripture. He does so twice in Exodus 6 alone! What tremendous credibility the Bible has. The authors record accurately even their own faults and struggles. If we can trust them to do that , then we can trust that the rest of what they wrote was accurate as well. Those who would manipulate a record with falsehood for personal gain would do so by first making themselves look good.

Consider also that those who came after Moses and considered him to be a great patriarch of their people also kept the record accurate. They also did not change the record to make him look better than he was. This gives us insight into just how important the people of God believe the accuracy of the scriptures to be. True followers of God will not change it, but preserve it as God revealed it to the original authors.

Exodus 6:10-13

      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.

Exodus 6:28-30

 28Now it came about on the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the LORD; speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.” 30But Moses said before the LORD, “Behold, I am unskilled in speech; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Many will cast doubts on the truth and accuracy of the Bible. They are quick to challenge its truth and historical accuracy, but slow to offer any better alternative. Consider as you read Exodus 6 (just one example) and throughout scripture how often the “heroes” of the faith are shown in their own error and mistakes across the entirety of scripture. This is clearly not a book written with intent to manipulate the message but rather an historical document preserved by the grace of God through thousands of years. It is quite simply the reliable and trustworthy historical record of God’s relationship with His people from beginning to end.

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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.

Church / Body of Christ, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love

Love One Another As Brothers And Sisters In Christ

Many in this world seek to divide people into categories by race, by sex, by nationality, and even at times by the sin they choose to embrace as part of their personal identity. There are many ways for the world to divide itself because of the selfish and sinful nature of those who do the dividing…often for the purpose of their own personal gain. However scripture teaches us that there are only two kinds of people in this world. We are all made in God’s image no matter what the race or nationality or sex.  We are either true followers of Christ or we are not… those are the only categories that matter ultimately.

Galatians 3:28

 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

If we are one in Christ, then the other divisions don’t matter anymore. We should not think of someone first based on nationality, race, or sex but rather look only on them as to understand whether or not they are a true follower of Christ. This requires more than just saying “I am a Christian”, but rather should be evident in the submission of our lives to doing things God’s way rather than our own way or the way of the world.

For those who are our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we should love one another and help one another in the example of Christ, Himself.  We show ourselves to be friends of Jesus when we do what He commands us.

John 15:12-15

      12“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14“You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

We should be devoted to one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and let not other “divisions” or “categorizations” separate us one against another. Yes there is a need to identify false teaching and rebuke wrong behavior, with gentleness and respect. At the very heart of it we love each other genuinely and without hypocrisy.

Romans 12:9-13

     9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; 11not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

We show love to God by obeying His commands. There are many commands and instructions that are all worth studying and applying for each of us in our lives. However it is always good to start with the summary Jesus provided when asked about which command is most important.

Matthew 22:34-40

    34But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37And He 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.”

As you interact with people throughout your day, both in passing and in deeper relationships, reflect on how you deal with them. Do you see yourself as one with your brothers and sisters in Christ? or do you allow yourself to be divided based on others things like race, nationality, sex, or financial status? The distinction of one who is not a fellow believer is real and should be respected. How we interact with non believers is different from believers… though we can show love to all in an appropriate way.

The next challenge is to ask yourself as you go through your day… “Am I demonstrating my love for God and for my fellow followers of Christ through my actions and my attitudes?” Approach this challenge with humility and be willing to recognize when you are wrong so that you will more easily admit it and make the right course correction so that you do show love more fully and consistently. Prayerfully ask God to help you.

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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.