Discipline / Correction, Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Love, Loving / Kind, Sin

We Are To Be Judged For Our Actions And Intent

Jehovah knows that even His people will continue to sin. That does not mean he endorses or approves of it, but He does prepare for it. Jehovah established ordinances for His people to help govern them. Much of legal system in the United States can trace its heritage back to Judeo Christian values. Our Father provided thoughtful guidance for us to govern by, knowing that people would sin.

Exodus 21:12-36

Personal Injuries

      12“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 13“But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14“If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.

      15“He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

      16“He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.

      17“He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

      18“If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but remains in bed, 19if he gets up and walks around outside on his staff, then he who struck him shall go unpunished; he shall only pay for his loss of time, and shall take care of him until he is completely healed.

      20“If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod and he dies at his hand, he shall be punished. 21“If, however, he survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property.

      22“If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. 23“But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

      26“If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye. 27“And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth.

      28“If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. 29“If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30“If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him. 31“Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule. 32“If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

      33“If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his.

      35“If one man’s ox hurts another’s so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox. 36“Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his.

One of the things that stands out to me as I read is that Jehovah puts emphasis on “intent”. Look at the difference between verse 13 and 14. Jehovah judges both actions and intent and measures out justice based on both.

     12“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 13“But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. 14“If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die.

So, too, with reference to the ox. If the owner was negligent, knowing the ox had a tendency to gore things… the punishment is different and more harsh.

It is simple and straightforward to summarize that both our actions and our intentions matter to Jehovah and we are to be held accountable for both.

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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.

Compassionate, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Love, Loving / Kind

Law of God Is Based on Love For God and Others; It Is Not Bondage

Many look for ways to interpret God’s laws as harsh or irrelevant. Let us be careful not to begin with a biased opinion based on what is taught by man about God’s law. Instead, let us read God’s word to understand what He shows us about His law. The law and commands of God are based on loving God and loving others.

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.”

The law of God is not bondage from which we must be set free. May it never be. The law is perfect. It sets us free from sin!

Psalm 19:7

   7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

Psalm 119:44-45

     44So I will keep Your law continually,
Forever and ever.

      45And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.

Obeying God’s law leads to blessing; rebelling against it to a curse. The law is provided for our benefit, to guide us in the right ways… not as bondage!

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

     26“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: 27the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; 28and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.

Let us look at an example in Exodus 21. God spoke to His people about slavery. This scripture is often misunderstood. We think of slavery as cruel and forced bondage without hope. The slavery we are familiar with in the United States is different than that from Israel’s past. Without dwelling on that detailed study here… just watch how God’s focus is protecting the rights of those who may be subjected to slavery. God was providing protection and a path to freedom, if desired. God’s law provided amazing consideration for how to treat slaves for their protection.

Exodus 21:1-11

      1“Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:

      2“If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. 3“If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. 4“If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. 5“But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ 6then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.

      7“If a man sells his daughter as a female slave, she is not to go free as the male slaves do. 8“If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He does not have authority to sell her to a foreign people because of his unfairness to her. 9“If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10“If he takes to himself another woman, he may not reduce her food, her clothing, or her conjugal rights. 11“If he will not do these three things for her, then she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

God’s law was not telling people to have slaves, but protecting and caring for those individuals who may find themselves in that situation. Providing hope and a path to freedom and care for their families. God’s law showed the Israelites how to love one another in that circumstance.

Let us prayerfully reflect on the love of God and love of others that is the solid foundation of all of God’s laws and commands. Let us not be quick to discard His law, but rather seek to understand it in proper context.

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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.

Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing

How Do I Find Happiness?

Most of us would prefer to be happy than sad. Why is it so common then, that people are more often sad than happy? When we stray from the path our heavenly Father prepared for us we lose perspective and drift… seeking satisfaction and happiness in all the wrong places. The writer of Ecclesiastes spend a tremendous amount of time and effort seeking purpose and subsequently happiness in his life. In the end our only lasting accomplishments are what we invite Jehovah to do through us. Everything else will fade in time.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-14

   12I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; 13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God. 14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

It is good to rejoice. God wants us to have joy in life. He wants us to have abundant life. However, we must be careful not to lose sight of the context. It is not just about rejoicing and having a fun, party life. It is rejoicing and doing good. Let us remember how we define “good”, lest we be to quick to let the world define it for us.

Mark 10:17-19

  17As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19“You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’”

Jesus defined “good” to be acting according to God’s ways. So in this we have more clarity in terms of rejoicing and doing good in one’s lifetime. Verse 13 is very precise as well.

13moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

All of us who eat and drink (as a result of our labor) should be able to see the blessings of God in our labor. He is providing for us through our labor! Verse 14 reminds us that we need not add to or take away from what God has done. What He does is eternal. He is worthy of fear and reverence.

14I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.

Let us each live according to God’s instruction and rejoice in how He provides for us and loves us. Let us obey Him and find joy in doing so! Show our Father in heaven proper respect, reverence, and yes… fear.

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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.

Guide, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law

There Are Still 10 Commandments… They Did Not Expire

Mainstream Christianity still teaches the ten commandments, but often teaches them as if they no longer are relevant because of the grace of Christ. Many teach “we don’t have to obey the commandments, or at least not all of them, because we are under grace”. The most problematic part of this logic is that to be under grace we must accept Jesus as Lord of our lives. How does one claim to submit to and disciple after Christ and then disregard following all of God’s commands. Jesus was in fact the Word made flesh to dwell among us. He lived obedience to God’s word and taught the same. He rebuked those who changed God’s instructions to suit themselves.

John 1:14

   14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Paul puts it quite plainly and straightforward in Romans 6.

Romans 6:1-2

    1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

People have been trained to focus only on “getting to heaven”. They count heavily on grace and indeed grace is the key. However, one who wholeheartedly seeks after Christ is not just concerned with “getting to heaven” but also with obeying the Lord’s commands and instructions. This is how we show love (and respect) to Jehovah. If we truly believe Jesus is the Messiah, why would we not follow all that He taught, which was completely consistent with all of the Old Testament laws and commands from Jehovah?  Who are we to pick and choose which commands we will follow and which we do not?

Let us read what Jehovah Himself said about the commandments. Read carefully and we will review some key words further below in the article.

Exodus 20

The Ten Commandments

      1Then God spoke all these words, saying,

      2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

      3“You shall have no other gods before Me.

      4“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

      7“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

      8“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

      12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.

      13“You shall not murder.

      14“You shall not commit adultery.

      15“You shall not steal.

      16“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

      17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

      18All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” 20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” 21So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

      22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23‘You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. 24‘You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 25‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. 26‘And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.’

Reflect on the words below from Jehovah and prayerfully consider them when you consider whether or not to follow His commands.

3“You shall have no other gods before Me.

 5“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Note how loving God is naturally paired with keeping His commandments. Note that He brings iniquity or lovingkindness depending on our choices to love or hate Him. Do not think of idols only as false religion. Consider as example, any think or activity you place before God in your heart. Measure not by your intentions but by your observable actions of how you spend your time, talent and treasure. One clear example is to observe how much time some invest in watching and following sports compared to how little they invest in relationship with God. It can also be love of money or power or other types of pursuits besides sports.

7“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

Yes. It matters. It still matters. It is wrong and upsetting to God to use the name we use to refer to His holy presence as an offhanded expression or even curse word we say in anger. Jehovah said He will not leave that person unpunished. He sounds serious to me. He has not changed His opinion. Show Him the respect He is due.

8“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Very clear. Very specific. It still applies. Only man has decided to ignore it because of his desires. On a more detailed point, Sabbath as observed by Jesus was actually Friday night to Saturday night by the way we currently observe our calendar. Man moved it to Sunday and changed the way in which the calendar is observed so that the “24 hour period we call a day” no longer starts with sunset.

The others are fairly straight forward and still generally accepted, though often not practiced. The whole concept we see where people spend way more than they can afford just for status or to “keep up with the Jones'” is actually basic culture of coveting what others have instead of finding joy and contentment with what God has provided us. There is a powerful transformation that we can each experience personally if we commit to fully obey the word of God in our lives. I have found it to be difficult at times but completely rewarding in my life to change directions from the false doctrine that is often taught in many churches and pursue truly understanding and living according to God’s instructions.

Come and be a true disciple of Christ. Live in obedience to the full revelation of God’s word from front to back… Old Testament through New Testament.

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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.

Loving / Kind

I Learned A Lot From A Bible Study I Could Not Finish

1 Comment

There are many great Bible studies that we can learn from and use to grow closer to Jehovah. We can study on our own and supplement with other resources from sources we validate as genuine followers of Christ. Typically we expect to finish a Bible study when we begin it. After conducting quite a few, I found one I could not finish. I was searching for all the places where the Bible references love so that I would study and compare and reflect on God’s love for us, the love He calls us to have for one another and for Him.  After quite some time I realized there seemed to be limitless references to love throughout scripture. I actually started to feel disappointed that it would be so hard to finish.

It was then that God showed me I was missing the point. As I contemplated if and how I would finish studying all application of “love” in scripture, the Spirit spoke to me. That was the point. God’s love is so boundless that even just to study it and try to understand it reveals to us how great His love is for us. I continue to study God’s love, but now I do so in more manageable increments… I still have not run out of scripture to study about God’s love. When I get through it all, I can study it again and learn even more. Our heavenly Father is truly wonderful!

1 John 3:1

1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.

1 John 4:7-13

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. 13By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

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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, Father / Yahweh, Hearing from God, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Prayer, Through Prophets, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Those Who Consecrate Themselves To His Purposes Will Draw Near To Him

Those who come closest to Jehovah are those consecrated to Him… that is to say dedicated and set aside for His use for His purposes. Jehovah reveals to us this truth through scripture as we see examples of those who dedicate themselves fully toward His purposes are often those whom He calls to serve as prophets or missionaries or leaders for His people. In Exodus, Jehovah calls forth Moses and Aaron, who are called to His purpose. He also calls for the priests to consecrate themselves, dedicating themselves to His purposes. The rest of the people remain at a greater distance from Him.

Exodus 19:18-25

The LORD Visits Sinai

      18Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. 19When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. 20The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21Then the LORD spoke to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, so that they do not break through to the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 22“Also let the priests who come near to the LORD consecrate themselves, or else the LORD will break out against them.” 23Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24Then the LORD said to him, “Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break forth upon them.” 25So Moses went down to the people and told them.

Whether we discuss priests and prophets in scripture or those who follow Jehovah today, the principle is the same. Those of us who separate ourselves from the world and dedicate ourselves genuinely and wholeheartedly to our Creator will be allowed to see and experience more of Him. Those who refuse to die to their own desires and the ways of the world but claim to follow Him will remain at a distance from Him.

Prayerfully and humbly pray to Jehovah that He would help you to dedicate yourself to His purposes, surrendering your desires and preferences and living out His instead.

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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.

Father / Yahweh, Holy, Humility, Learning To Pray Effectively, Obeying God, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Prepare Yourself For The Presence Of God

Our heavenly Father is amazing. He created the entire universe and holds it together… all powerful, present at all times and places, all knowing. Yet He is mindful of each one of us. He creates each of us and loves each of us as our Father. It is too easy to develop a casual attitude when we come before Him in prayer. Casual, open, and honest relationship with our Father is welcome as we grow closer and closer to Him. It is not difficult to see in scripture how those who were closest to Jehovah such as Moses or Elijah or David may have had this relationship with Him.  However, we do well to also remember that He is an awesome and powerful Creator, worthy of reverence. He is holy. Our only interactions with Him should not be while we drive or shower or “multi-task”. These behaviors are ok to engage our Father more often, but we should not neglect to also set aside time with proper reverence and focus to come into His presence focused solely on Him.

Exodus 19:10-16

      10The LORD also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; 11and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12“You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13‘No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people, and they washed their garments. 15He said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

      16So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Challenge yourself to set aside dedicated prayer time to come into Jehovah’s presence this week… and every week. Start with 15 minutes if that is all you have, then seek to expand and grow this dedicated prayer time. It is still ok to also talk with Him at other times, even while we are busy… but we should set aside dedicated time to know Him. We would never imagine we could build a meaningful relationship with a spouse by only talking to them while multi-tasking… so we should take care not to treat Jehovah this way also.

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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.

Father / Yahweh, Guide, Obeying God, Speaking, Through Prophets

If You Will Obey My Voice and Keep My Covenant

Even those of us who follow Jehovah as disciples of Jesus Christ do not often, if ever, experience Him in the direct and powerful manner in which He addressed Moses. Our Father performed many might miracles to set the Israelites free from bondage in Egypt and then begin to help them learn to follow Him. He used this time to communicate in a very direct and clear manner many instructions and guiding principles which endure forever. We do well to study them and remember that they still apply, even after Jesus Christ lived, died, and was resurrected.

A foundational element of our Father’s covenant with His people is the following… “if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be my own possession among all the peoples”. We do well to remember this core, foundational element to our relationship with our Father in Heaven. He calls us to obey Him. He does not even call us to agree with Him… so it is ok to obey even if or when we do not fully understand why He tells us to do something a certain way or not to do something at all.

Exodus 19:1-8

   1In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2When they set out from Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain. 3Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. 5‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; 6and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

      7So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD had commanded him. 8All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD

We are called first to obey Him in order to be His people. To obey Him, of course, we must study and pray for His help to understand His word properly. Then we must separate ourselves from the world sufficiently to lead our lives Jehovah’s way, in submission to Him rather than our own control and agenda or that of the world and culture around us. For us to “be to [Him] a kingdom of priests and a holy nation”, we must be different from others and set aside for and willingly submitted to Jehovah’s ways and purposes.

I encourage each of you to prayerfully reflect on your lives. Don’t rush this activity. Give it time and attention. Involve someone you trust to be honest and submitted to Jevovah, someone who will not just tell you what they think you want to hear. Are you really submitted to Him? Do you do everything His way? Do you obey all that He commands? None of us is perfect, but do not use glib expressions like that one to allow complacency to remain in your sin and stop changing your life to become more like that of Jesus Christ.

We must continue for our lifetime on the journey to study and become more like Christ. We will never “get far enough”. If we truly love the Father we will not choose to stop pursuing Him any more than we would claim to love our spouse and then say… “We have been together for 20 years, so now I no longer have to show love to him or her because I have done that already. I no longer need or want to consider how to please them more. I will just continue doing whatever I am doing my way, even if I know it hurts them.”

Our journey to become more like Christ, if genuine, lasts our entire lifetime and we never complete it…but it transforms us over time to be more and more pleasing to the Father. Continued obedience, as a sign of our love for Him, is how we fulfill our covenant with 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.

Anger (unrighteous anger), Grace / Patience, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Righteousness / Serving God

Be Quick To Hear, Slow To Speak, And Slow To Anger

All of us have experienced the opportunity to react in anger. Probably all of us have also responded wrongly in anger at some point or other in our lives. I certainly have. I can see the evidence of the Holy Spirit working in me in how He has led me over the past few years to respond less in anger and more with patience. How we respond to a situation does not have to be completely dependent on whether or not we are right. We can react gracefully and honor Christ in us even when someone treats us wrongly and we are right.

James 1:19-20

19This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

Being quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger can truly distinguish us as disciples of Christ from others around us. It helps us achieve the righteousness of God.

Prayerfully consider how you react even in frustrating situations when others that confront you are wrong and even rude. Pray that the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you as a true follower of Christ, would help transform you to be more like Christ Jesus and less like the world. Experience how much a patient and peaceful response on your part can diffuse a difficult situation and help you remain calm in the face of adversity… not to mention the opportunity it may open to share Christ with someone who may otherwise not listen.

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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, Discerning / Judging, Help / Serve Others, Humility, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Teachable, Wise

Listen To Wise Advice And Work With Others

Moses was chosen by Jehovah to lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. After many miracles and a deepening relationship with Jehovah, it would seem easy for Moses to be vulnerable to pride and not be open to the wise council and advice from someone else. However, Moses deserves credit for listening to and following the advice he received from Jethro.

Exodus 18:1

Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law

      1Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Moses’ wife Zipporah, after he had sent her away, 3and her two sons, of whom one was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” 4The other was named Eliezer, for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

      5Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was camped, at the mount of God. 6He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” 7Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9Jethro rejoiced over all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10So Jethro said, “Blessed be the LORD who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11“Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed, it was proven when they dealt proudly against the people.” 12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

      13It came about the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood about Moses from the morning until the evening. 14Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand about you from morning until evening?” 15Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16“When they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

Jethro Counsels Moses

      17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18“You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. 19“Now listen to me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. You be the people’s representative before God, and you bring the disputes to God, 20then teach them the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 22“Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be that every major dispute they will bring to you, but every minor dispute they themselves will judge. So it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you. 23“If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all these people also will go to their place in peace.”

      24So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens. 26They judged the people at all times; the difficult dispute they would bring to Moses, but every minor dispute they themselves would judge. 27Then Moses bade his father-in-law farewell, and he went his way into his own land.

When Jehovah gives us a responsibility to serve Him, we absolutely want to take it seriously and work hard at doing it right. However, we must be careful that we do not wear ourselves out by taking on too much of the burden on our own. We must learn to listen to wise advice and take it, whether from Jehovah or from man. We have greater and longer lasting impact when we can lean on others who can be trusted and let them help us do our Father’s work.

Are there any situations in your life that are putting a heavy burden on you? It can be work or family or even ministry… as in Moses’ case. Pray for Jehovah to send you help and wisdom on how to do His work most effectively and sustainably.

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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.

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