"But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 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. 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." -Exodus 7.3-5
Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and the work of the people was increased. Moses is wondering why God even sent him at this point because things have only gotten worse. And as he seeks God's direction, signs are promised. God says He is about to act. Here we find one of those verses that has given many people trouble over the years. God tells Moses that He will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I think people have trouble because they don't read the rest of the verse. Why is God going to harden Pharaoh's heart? So that He can multiply His signs and wonders. God is going to harden Pharaoh's heart so that He can display His power.
Israel hasn't known God for centuries. They have heard stories of Him passed down, but He is always referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And if you think about it that's how He was always referred to. He has been the God of one man at a time, never a nation. And for four hundred years they have been slaves, which God told Abraham would happen, but they haven't heard from Him or learned about Him in that time. They don't know who He is, or what He is capable of. How are they to trust Him? God is going to make it easy, He's going to show them His power.
Men, sometimes God does things that don't make complete sense to us in order to show us what He is capable of doing. Sometimes God allows hard times to take place so that we can learn to trust Him more. And sometimes He allows us to experience hardships so that we come to know Him. He said that the Egyptians, a polytheistic pagan culture, would know He was the Lord. Sometimes it's only at the bottom that we can clearly see Him.
What are you going through right now? What hardships or struggles are you facing? What is God trying to teach you? Financial issues? God could be teaching you to have faith in Him to provide for your needs. Family issues? God could be allowing them to help you mend relationships, or maybe sever them. Trouble at work? God could be preparing you for something else, something that excites your heart. What is it in your life?
God is trustworthy. Not everything He does will make sense to us, but everything He does has a point, and ultimately that point is to show us that we can trust Him.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, May 12, 2014
Sunday, May 11, 2014
When it Gets Worse
"Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.' But 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?' Then 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 6.10-13
Israel's workload has been increased. They have to produces the same number of bricks each day, but now they must do so without being provided with any straw. The Israelite foremen are being beaten, and so the heads of Israel go to speak with Pharaoh. His ears are closed, and he sends them away with still with no straw to make bricks. As they leave they meet up with Moses and Aaron, and they aren't too happy with the pair. They accuse Moses of their new hardships, and Moses turns to God asking why he was even sent because the problem has just gotten worse for the people.
But then God shares the promise that He made with Abraham. Canaan will belong to Israel, God will be their God and they will be His people. He will lead them out of bondage and redeem them. This is His promise and He will keep it. He instructs Moses to go again and tell Pharaoh to let the people go, and it comes as no surprise that Moses isn't thrilled with this. He points out how his own people have not listened, so why would Pharaoh. And again we see him bring up his weakness. But then God speaks to him and Aaron, and gives them a charge, He entrusts them with a task, of bringing His people out of Egypt.
Up to this point things have only gotten worse. At first Israel was on board with the plan, God finally seemed to be concerned about them, but after the first attempt things go from bad to worse, and suddenly they aren't so gungho. Moses was already hesitant with the task, imagine how he must have felt in that moment.
Men, sometimes, often times, bad things get worse before they get better. You go into a rough situation with energy and enthusiasm, expecting to see God turn everything around right away. But rarely does it happen that way immediately. Most of the time bad things get worse before they get better. What do you do in those moments? Do you give up? Does one attempt that didn't go as planned break you? Would it break a warrior?
Or do you not focus on the "failure" but on the commission you've been given by God. If you're in the center of His will, you can endure the worse, because you can rest in His promise that it will end. Redemption and restoration are coming with God, but in order to experience them, we have to endure the worse. This is why we have to be warriors.
I'm thinking of a song quote from Rocky 4, "In the warrior's code there's no surrender. Though his body says stop his spirit cries never! Deep in our soul a quiet ember, knows it's you against you, it's the paradox that drives us on. It's a battle of wills. In the heat of attack it's the passion that kills. The victory is yours alone."
That is the attitude we must have. We never quit fighting for truth and righteousness. We never surrender. We stand firm on the charge God has placed on our lives. We trust Him to see us through the worse and bring the victory. Things will often get worse before they get better. Let's man up, let the warrior arise, and battle through it.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Israel's workload has been increased. They have to produces the same number of bricks each day, but now they must do so without being provided with any straw. The Israelite foremen are being beaten, and so the heads of Israel go to speak with Pharaoh. His ears are closed, and he sends them away with still with no straw to make bricks. As they leave they meet up with Moses and Aaron, and they aren't too happy with the pair. They accuse Moses of their new hardships, and Moses turns to God asking why he was even sent because the problem has just gotten worse for the people.
But then God shares the promise that He made with Abraham. Canaan will belong to Israel, God will be their God and they will be His people. He will lead them out of bondage and redeem them. This is His promise and He will keep it. He instructs Moses to go again and tell Pharaoh to let the people go, and it comes as no surprise that Moses isn't thrilled with this. He points out how his own people have not listened, so why would Pharaoh. And again we see him bring up his weakness. But then God speaks to him and Aaron, and gives them a charge, He entrusts them with a task, of bringing His people out of Egypt.
Up to this point things have only gotten worse. At first Israel was on board with the plan, God finally seemed to be concerned about them, but after the first attempt things go from bad to worse, and suddenly they aren't so gungho. Moses was already hesitant with the task, imagine how he must have felt in that moment.
Men, sometimes, often times, bad things get worse before they get better. You go into a rough situation with energy and enthusiasm, expecting to see God turn everything around right away. But rarely does it happen that way immediately. Most of the time bad things get worse before they get better. What do you do in those moments? Do you give up? Does one attempt that didn't go as planned break you? Would it break a warrior?
Or do you not focus on the "failure" but on the commission you've been given by God. If you're in the center of His will, you can endure the worse, because you can rest in His promise that it will end. Redemption and restoration are coming with God, but in order to experience them, we have to endure the worse. This is why we have to be warriors.
I'm thinking of a song quote from Rocky 4, "In the warrior's code there's no surrender. Though his body says stop his spirit cries never! Deep in our soul a quiet ember, knows it's you against you, it's the paradox that drives us on. It's a battle of wills. In the heat of attack it's the passion that kills. The victory is yours alone."
That is the attitude we must have. We never quit fighting for truth and righteousness. We never surrender. We stand firm on the charge God has placed on our lives. We trust Him to see us through the worse and bring the victory. Things will often get worse before they get better. Let's man up, let the warrior arise, and battle through it.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Buried with Work
"So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, 'You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, "Let us go and sacrifice to our God." Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.'" -Exodus 5.6-9
Moses arrives in Egypt and meets with the elders of Israel. Aaron speaks to them, and Moses performs the signs God gave him, and they believe and worship God. Stage one is accomplished, now it's on to stage two, talk to Pharaoh. The get an audience with him and tell him that God has commanded him to let Israel go and worship Him in the wilderness. Pharaoh does not know God and therefore refuses to obey Him.
Pharaoh has noticed that Israel has stopped working because of the words they have heard from Moses, and immediately does something about it. Just as a Pharaoh acted in paranoia to enslave the people, this Pharaoh, who has gotten accustomed to slave labor building his cities, does what he can to ensure they don't mess everything up. He adds to their work. No longer will they be provided with straw, but will have to gather it themselves. And then we see a key phrase.
"Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words." Pharaoh knows that the women and children are not threat to him. What are a bunch of women and children going to do against armed soldiers? But men, men are strong. Men are warriors. If men decide to act they can be difficult to put down. Pharaoh wants to put them down before they rise up. If he can't keep Moses from talking, he'l bury them with work so that they have no time to listen or process what has been said.
Men, the enemy does this all the time. He doesn't want us to rise up and take a stand because he knows that a determined and driven man is a serious force to be reckoned with. He knows that it's much easier to take out a threat before it can become a threat. In Exodus 1 the Pharaoh tried to do this by killing off the male babies. If the enemy can overwhelm us with work, or battles, so that we have no time to breathe, or focus on our passions, he can keep us from becoming a threat to his rule.
We cannot allow ourselves to become so buried that we focus on nothing else. It's not easy to do, but it's part of the warrior training we are put through. Everything we encounter in life is preparing us for battle, even the things that try and prevent us from preparing for battle. We must be disciplined and determined to always seek the voice of God. We must focus on our passion, and the calling He has placed on our lives, and always be striving for it, even if it's only baby steps at a time.
Right now I'm finding myself very overwhelmed. At times it's difficult to even write this blog. Right now it's 11:42 PM, and I tried to sit down and write this at 8:00 AM today. I have a desire to begin to sit down and think and pray through where God is leading my life in the next chapter. Right now I'm in a time of preparation, a time of training. And in this time I am learning how to balance my life, and even if need be, go on less sleep in order to be able to do everything I need to do.
The enemy will bury us with whatever he can to keep us from rising against him. Don't let him.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses arrives in Egypt and meets with the elders of Israel. Aaron speaks to them, and Moses performs the signs God gave him, and they believe and worship God. Stage one is accomplished, now it's on to stage two, talk to Pharaoh. The get an audience with him and tell him that God has commanded him to let Israel go and worship Him in the wilderness. Pharaoh does not know God and therefore refuses to obey Him.
Pharaoh has noticed that Israel has stopped working because of the words they have heard from Moses, and immediately does something about it. Just as a Pharaoh acted in paranoia to enslave the people, this Pharaoh, who has gotten accustomed to slave labor building his cities, does what he can to ensure they don't mess everything up. He adds to their work. No longer will they be provided with straw, but will have to gather it themselves. And then we see a key phrase.
"Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words." Pharaoh knows that the women and children are not threat to him. What are a bunch of women and children going to do against armed soldiers? But men, men are strong. Men are warriors. If men decide to act they can be difficult to put down. Pharaoh wants to put them down before they rise up. If he can't keep Moses from talking, he'l bury them with work so that they have no time to listen or process what has been said.
Men, the enemy does this all the time. He doesn't want us to rise up and take a stand because he knows that a determined and driven man is a serious force to be reckoned with. He knows that it's much easier to take out a threat before it can become a threat. In Exodus 1 the Pharaoh tried to do this by killing off the male babies. If the enemy can overwhelm us with work, or battles, so that we have no time to breathe, or focus on our passions, he can keep us from becoming a threat to his rule.
We cannot allow ourselves to become so buried that we focus on nothing else. It's not easy to do, but it's part of the warrior training we are put through. Everything we encounter in life is preparing us for battle, even the things that try and prevent us from preparing for battle. We must be disciplined and determined to always seek the voice of God. We must focus on our passion, and the calling He has placed on our lives, and always be striving for it, even if it's only baby steps at a time.
Right now I'm finding myself very overwhelmed. At times it's difficult to even write this blog. Right now it's 11:42 PM, and I tried to sit down and write this at 8:00 AM today. I have a desire to begin to sit down and think and pray through where God is leading my life in the next chapter. Right now I'm in a time of preparation, a time of training. And in this time I am learning how to balance my life, and even if need be, go on less sleep in order to be able to do everything I need to do.
The enemy will bury us with whatever he can to keep us from rising against him. Don't let him.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, May 9, 2014
Family and Ministry
"So 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." -Exodus 4.20
Moses is finally on his way to Egypt, but he isn't headed there alone. He takes his wife and his sons. He doesn't leave his family behind as he goes off on a mission, but he takes them with him. He takes his wife so that he can continue to provide for and protect her. He takes his sons so that he can continue to teach and guide them. He doesn't neglect his family for the work of God.
Men, too many have made this mistake. They put the work of the Church before their families. They invest their lives in strangers while their wives are lonely and their children drift away from God. They gain the church at the expense of their families, are you willing to pay that price? One day you will have to stand before God and give an account for the husband and the father you were, do you want to have to explain to Him why you ignored them as they cried out to you?
The work of God is why we are here. Loving our wives and children, and guiding them in the paths of righteousness, is our primary work of God. They are our primary ministry, and we cannot neglect them. And it is crucial for our families to see that though they are vitally important to us, our lives are caught up in something bigger. Our wives need to see us passionately following God and fighting for His kingdom. The warrior is who they fell in love with, and the warrior fighting for the kingdom of God is trained and ready to fight for her heart. Our children need to know, that though they are our most precious possessions, they are not the center of our universe. They need to see that our lives revolve around God. They need to see us in action, battling evil and standing for truth.
Moses gave his family that chance. He took them with him. He was a warrior for God, and a husband and father. IF God has blessed you with a family, don't neglect them, and don't idolize them. Serve God and serve your family. Family and ministry, we have both to do, so let's do them well.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses is finally on his way to Egypt, but he isn't headed there alone. He takes his wife and his sons. He doesn't leave his family behind as he goes off on a mission, but he takes them with him. He takes his wife so that he can continue to provide for and protect her. He takes his sons so that he can continue to teach and guide them. He doesn't neglect his family for the work of God.
Men, too many have made this mistake. They put the work of the Church before their families. They invest their lives in strangers while their wives are lonely and their children drift away from God. They gain the church at the expense of their families, are you willing to pay that price? One day you will have to stand before God and give an account for the husband and the father you were, do you want to have to explain to Him why you ignored them as they cried out to you?
The work of God is why we are here. Loving our wives and children, and guiding them in the paths of righteousness, is our primary work of God. They are our primary ministry, and we cannot neglect them. And it is crucial for our families to see that though they are vitally important to us, our lives are caught up in something bigger. Our wives need to see us passionately following God and fighting for His kingdom. The warrior is who they fell in love with, and the warrior fighting for the kingdom of God is trained and ready to fight for her heart. Our children need to know, that though they are our most precious possessions, they are not the center of our universe. They need to see that our lives revolve around God. They need to see us in action, battling evil and standing for truth.
Moses gave his family that chance. He took them with him. He was a warrior for God, and a husband and father. IF God has blessed you with a family, don't neglect them, and don't idolize them. Serve God and serve your family. Family and ministry, we have both to do, so let's do them well.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Someone Else
"But he said, 'Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.' Then 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. 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. 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. You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.'" -Exodus 4.13-17
Out of questions, and out of excuses, Moses flat out says it, "God, send someone else." Here we have the oldest person in the world introduced, Someone Else. The answers God has given haven't given Moses confidence, and the signs and promises haven't filled him with courage. He's afraid to step out in faith and trust God to use him, and so he straight up asks God to get someone else to do the job.
God is angry. He tells Moses that his brother, Aaron, is coming to meet him and that Moses will speak to Aaron, God will be with their mouths and will teach them what to do. Aaron will be the one to speak to the people, but Moses will be the one to communicate between God and Aaron. And Moses will perform God's wonders. By asking for someone else to be sent Moses doesn't get off the hook, just a backstage view of it all. Aaron is going to play the lead role in the play Moses was to star in.
Men, when we ask God to send someone else to do our job, to play our part, we see that He will. But we also see that it doesn't free us from the task. Instead, we watch them do what we did not have the courage to do. We watch them do our public work and point others to God and direct praise and glory back to Him.
This is your part in the story. This is your role to play. Don't defer it someone else.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Out of questions, and out of excuses, Moses flat out says it, "God, send someone else." Here we have the oldest person in the world introduced, Someone Else. The answers God has given haven't given Moses confidence, and the signs and promises haven't filled him with courage. He's afraid to step out in faith and trust God to use him, and so he straight up asks God to get someone else to do the job.
God is angry. He tells Moses that his brother, Aaron, is coming to meet him and that Moses will speak to Aaron, God will be with their mouths and will teach them what to do. Aaron will be the one to speak to the people, but Moses will be the one to communicate between God and Aaron. And Moses will perform God's wonders. By asking for someone else to be sent Moses doesn't get off the hook, just a backstage view of it all. Aaron is going to play the lead role in the play Moses was to star in.
Men, when we ask God to send someone else to do our job, to play our part, we see that He will. But we also see that it doesn't free us from the task. Instead, we watch them do what we did not have the courage to do. We watch them do our public work and point others to God and direct praise and glory back to Him.
This is your part in the story. This is your role to play. Don't defer it someone else.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Excuses
"Then 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.' The 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? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.'" -Exodus 4.10-12
Moses is running out of excuses. Everything he has brought up God has countered. He's given him a location, a name, and signs to perform. And even with these Moses is still unwilling to jump in with both feet. For some reason there is still fear and timidity, and so he starts making excuses for why he can't do this thing that God has asked. "I can't go, I don't speak well, never have." God's response is simple, "Who made your mouth? I did. God and I will be with you and show you what to say." God promises to be with him even in the area's of his physical limitations.
Men, what excuses are you making to God? Lack of time? Lack of money? Lack of help? Lack of... fill in the blank? What is your excuses? Now ask yourself, is that really the issue, or is it the security blanket you're holding on to, hoping God will change His mind? Think of what your fear is costing you.
First, it is costing you the chance to be part of something epic. God has a part for you in His story, a part only you can play, and fear is keeping you from it. Second, it's costing you time. The older I get I realize how short life is and how fast it goes by. I don't have time to waste being scared.
Third, fear costs us the opportunity to watch God do something great. Every shortcoming, every hindrance we see as preventing us from going, are just opportunities to see God work. A time issue is the opportunity to gain discipline, and watch God cut the unnecessary from our lives. A money issue is the chance to watch God come through and provide in ways we never imagined. A help issue is the chance to trust God and watch Him come through, and call others to use their gifts. Whatever your excuse is, it is the chance to watch God work wonders, and fear is keeping your from it.
God doesn't provide Moses with the words at that moment. He doesn't immediately become an eloquent communicator. God simply says, "I made your mouth. I will be with you. Trust me, and I will teach you what to say." Yet again there is the call to faith in God.
Without faith in God we cannot be part of His story. Without faith in God we cannot accomplish the epic. Without courage from God we cannot follow Him in faith. God has promised to be with us, and He will handle every excuse we can make if we'll trust Him.
What is keeping you from following? What are your excuses?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses is running out of excuses. Everything he has brought up God has countered. He's given him a location, a name, and signs to perform. And even with these Moses is still unwilling to jump in with both feet. For some reason there is still fear and timidity, and so he starts making excuses for why he can't do this thing that God has asked. "I can't go, I don't speak well, never have." God's response is simple, "Who made your mouth? I did. God and I will be with you and show you what to say." God promises to be with him even in the area's of his physical limitations.
Men, what excuses are you making to God? Lack of time? Lack of money? Lack of help? Lack of... fill in the blank? What is your excuses? Now ask yourself, is that really the issue, or is it the security blanket you're holding on to, hoping God will change His mind? Think of what your fear is costing you.
First, it is costing you the chance to be part of something epic. God has a part for you in His story, a part only you can play, and fear is keeping you from it. Second, it's costing you time. The older I get I realize how short life is and how fast it goes by. I don't have time to waste being scared.
Third, fear costs us the opportunity to watch God do something great. Every shortcoming, every hindrance we see as preventing us from going, are just opportunities to see God work. A time issue is the opportunity to gain discipline, and watch God cut the unnecessary from our lives. A money issue is the chance to watch God come through and provide in ways we never imagined. A help issue is the chance to trust God and watch Him come through, and call others to use their gifts. Whatever your excuse is, it is the chance to watch God work wonders, and fear is keeping your from it.
God doesn't provide Moses with the words at that moment. He doesn't immediately become an eloquent communicator. God simply says, "I made your mouth. I will be with you. Trust me, and I will teach you what to say." Yet again there is the call to faith in God.
Without faith in God we cannot be part of His story. Without faith in God we cannot accomplish the epic. Without courage from God we cannot follow Him in faith. God has promised to be with us, and He will handle every excuse we can make if we'll trust Him.
What is keeping you from following? What are your excuses?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Equipped for Epic
"Then 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."' The Lord said to him, 'What is that in your hand?' And he said, 'A staff.' Then He said, 'Throw it on the ground.' So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But 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— '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.'" -Exodus 4.1-5
Moses still isn't sure about all of this, and so he keeps bring up "what ifs" to God. Now he asks straight up, "What if they don't believe me or even listen to me?" God asks what he has with him, and he replies that he has his staff. God takes the ordinary that he possesses and turns it into something extraordinary. He uses what Moses has and then shows him how to use it for the task God has called him to.
God doesn't call Moses and send him to figure it out, God equips him for the epic story. And it isn't just with one thing, God gives Moses several. First it's the staff, then He allows him to make his hand leprous and heal it. And if neither of these two work, God gives him turning some water of the Nile into blood on dry ground. God doesn't send him empty handed, nor does He reveal all of the powerful things He will do.
He doesn't tell Moses that the magicians of Egypt will turn their staffs into snakes, or that Moses' snake will consume them. He doesn't tell him that the entire Nile will be turned to blood, or about any of the other plagues that will be sent on Egypt. I think knowing that would have been a little overwhelming, and knowing all of that wouldn't have required as much faith and trust. Just as God doesn't reveal everything about the journey to us at the beginning, He doesn't reveal all that we are equipped for at the beginning either. We journey, we trust, and God does amazing things.
Men, don't worry when God calls you to something epic, He will equip you for it. God created you to be part of His story, and He wants you to do well in your role for His Kingdom. He isn't going to leave you unprepared. He's given you gifts and abilities, and He'll show you how to use them. Don't shy away from the challenge because you feel unprepared, god will equip you for the epic.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses still isn't sure about all of this, and so he keeps bring up "what ifs" to God. Now he asks straight up, "What if they don't believe me or even listen to me?" God asks what he has with him, and he replies that he has his staff. God takes the ordinary that he possesses and turns it into something extraordinary. He uses what Moses has and then shows him how to use it for the task God has called him to.
God doesn't call Moses and send him to figure it out, God equips him for the epic story. And it isn't just with one thing, God gives Moses several. First it's the staff, then He allows him to make his hand leprous and heal it. And if neither of these two work, God gives him turning some water of the Nile into blood on dry ground. God doesn't send him empty handed, nor does He reveal all of the powerful things He will do.
He doesn't tell Moses that the magicians of Egypt will turn their staffs into snakes, or that Moses' snake will consume them. He doesn't tell him that the entire Nile will be turned to blood, or about any of the other plagues that will be sent on Egypt. I think knowing that would have been a little overwhelming, and knowing all of that wouldn't have required as much faith and trust. Just as God doesn't reveal everything about the journey to us at the beginning, He doesn't reveal all that we are equipped for at the beginning either. We journey, we trust, and God does amazing things.
Men, don't worry when God calls you to something epic, He will equip you for it. God created you to be part of His story, and He wants you to do well in your role for His Kingdom. He isn't going to leave you unprepared. He's given you gifts and abilities, and He'll show you how to use them. Don't shy away from the challenge because you feel unprepared, god will equip you for the epic.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, May 5, 2014
Something Epic
"'Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.' But 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?' And 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.' Then 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?' God 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."'" -Exodus 3.10-14
God has gotten Moses' attention and now He begins to reveal the role He has for him in the epic story He's writing. It's a big role, and Moses is immediately overwhelmed and feeling inadequate. He wonders who he is to undertake a task like this. Why would God ever choose him? Was he capable of doing this thing that God was asking? But God promises to be with him, and says that he will bring the people to this very mountain to worship him. He gives him a familiar place, a destination he knows, as a sign that he is being sent.
Still not convinced, he raises another question, and God shares His name with him. God gets personal and intimate. For the first time we have God share His name. He doesn't identify Himself as the God of Abraham, but uses His name. In the remaining verses of chapter 3 God shares more of what's going to take place. Moses feels inadequate, and so God works to reassure him and give him confidence.
Men, we are called to be part of an epic story. God has a role for each of us that might seem overwhelming at first, but if we're willing to trust God, He will reassure us. He doesn't go into the specifics of the task, but He'll give us a few details so that we can get a vision for what He's about to do. And just as He got intimate and personal with Moses, He does so with us. Just as He promised to be with Moses, He promises to be with us.
God is calling you to be part of His epic story, are you willing to play your part? It may seem scary and overwhelming at the beginning, but God is writing this story, and He will not abandon us. He is calling us to be part of something epic, do you accept?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
God has gotten Moses' attention and now He begins to reveal the role He has for him in the epic story He's writing. It's a big role, and Moses is immediately overwhelmed and feeling inadequate. He wonders who he is to undertake a task like this. Why would God ever choose him? Was he capable of doing this thing that God was asking? But God promises to be with him, and says that he will bring the people to this very mountain to worship him. He gives him a familiar place, a destination he knows, as a sign that he is being sent.
Still not convinced, he raises another question, and God shares His name with him. God gets personal and intimate. For the first time we have God share His name. He doesn't identify Himself as the God of Abraham, but uses His name. In the remaining verses of chapter 3 God shares more of what's going to take place. Moses feels inadequate, and so God works to reassure him and give him confidence.
Men, we are called to be part of an epic story. God has a role for each of us that might seem overwhelming at first, but if we're willing to trust God, He will reassure us. He doesn't go into the specifics of the task, but He'll give us a few details so that we can get a vision for what He's about to do. And just as He got intimate and personal with Moses, He does so with us. Just as He promised to be with Moses, He promises to be with us.
God is calling you to be part of His epic story, are you willing to play your part? It may seem scary and overwhelming at the beginning, but God is writing this story, and He will not abandon us. He is calling us to be part of something epic, do you accept?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Holy Ground
"Then He said, 'Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' He said also, 'I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." Exodus 3.5-6
Moses has given in to curiosity, and now he has come face to face with God. And God tells him not to come closer, but to remove his sandals from his feet because he is on holy ground. He identifies Himself as the God of Moses' ancestors, and as Moses realizes what's going on he hides his face in fear of looking at God.
Men, do we have this kind of reverence? Most likely we haven't encountered God speaking to us through a burning bush in the wilderness, but we can enter into the presence of God and stand on holy ground. And when we come before God it is crucial that we do so vulnerable and humble.
I'm amazed at the arrogance and casual attitudes people take with God, or spiritual matters in general. How many times have you heard, or personally, referred to God as "The Big Guy" or "The Man Upstairs"? How often have we come to God with a front we've built trying to dominate? How often do people joke casually about Hell and Satan, almost making it seem as if they are looking forward to going there? There is no reverence for the spiritual realm, and with that no reverence for God.
When we seek to come before God we do it on His terms. We come to him "barefoot", open and exposed, vulnerable and just as we are. We don't come to God as posers and try to convince Him that we're something we're not. He says "Take off your sandals" come before Me as you are. Show Me that you're willing to be open and honest with Me.
And when we enter the presence of God we must do so with complete reverence. This is the creator of the universe; He spoke galaxies into existence, and yet He takes the time to converse with us. We are unworthy to look at Him, unable to stand before Him, and yet we are invited into a personal relationship with Him.
We are invited onto holy ground to meet with God, are you willing to take off your sandals?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses has given in to curiosity, and now he has come face to face with God. And God tells him not to come closer, but to remove his sandals from his feet because he is on holy ground. He identifies Himself as the God of Moses' ancestors, and as Moses realizes what's going on he hides his face in fear of looking at God.
Men, do we have this kind of reverence? Most likely we haven't encountered God speaking to us through a burning bush in the wilderness, but we can enter into the presence of God and stand on holy ground. And when we come before God it is crucial that we do so vulnerable and humble.
I'm amazed at the arrogance and casual attitudes people take with God, or spiritual matters in general. How many times have you heard, or personally, referred to God as "The Big Guy" or "The Man Upstairs"? How often have we come to God with a front we've built trying to dominate? How often do people joke casually about Hell and Satan, almost making it seem as if they are looking forward to going there? There is no reverence for the spiritual realm, and with that no reverence for God.
When we seek to come before God we do it on His terms. We come to him "barefoot", open and exposed, vulnerable and just as we are. We don't come to God as posers and try to convince Him that we're something we're not. He says "Take off your sandals" come before Me as you are. Show Me that you're willing to be open and honest with Me.
And when we enter the presence of God we must do so with complete reverence. This is the creator of the universe; He spoke galaxies into existence, and yet He takes the time to converse with us. We are unworthy to look at Him, unable to stand before Him, and yet we are invited into a personal relationship with Him.
We are invited onto holy ground to meet with God, are you willing to take off your sandals?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Are You Willing to Look
"The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, 'I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.' When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.'" -Exodus 3.2-4
Moses took to the road, saved some shepherdesses, met their father who gave him one of his daughters. He settled down, started a family, and became a shepherd himself. His days were spent outdoors looking after livestock. He was alone in the wilderness with his thoughts, honestly it wouldn't be all that bad of a life. No one was after him, and every day he came home to a wife and son. Each day was the same routine, and I imagine he was pretty content.
But then one day something caught his eye, there was a flame in the distance. At first he probably didn't pay much attention to it, figuring it would die down as soon as the fuel source was burned up, but the flame didn't diminish. The more time past, it continued to burn, and it began to peak his curiosity. And so he turns aside to take it in. And in that moment his life was about to be turned upside down. As he drew close to the bush he heard his name, and os he responded "Here I am."
Moses turned aside to see this marvel, and because of it his path was altered. He might have been content as a shepherd, but God had other plans, bigger plans, in store for Moses. He did something out of the ordinary to get his attention and then he got personal. And because Moses was willing to look, he got to speak with God, and be used greatly by Him.
Men, are you willing to turn aside and look? Are you willing to set responsibility, obligation, and distraction down for just a moment in order to examine something that grabs your attention? What is so important that you can't take a moment to simply marvel at something wonderous? And what if that thing that peaks your curiosity is God trying to get your attention? What if it is Him trying to awaken your true passion so that you can take up your part in His epic story?
Are you willing to look and maybe be awakened to your true calling? Or are you content to be a shepherd who looks after some stupid sheep every day? God created each of us to play a part in the epic story He is writing. Somewhere along the way we've gotten distracted and become misguided. God is trying to get our attention so that He can redirect us, but in order for Him to be able to get personal, we have to be willing to take a look.
Are you willing to look?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses took to the road, saved some shepherdesses, met their father who gave him one of his daughters. He settled down, started a family, and became a shepherd himself. His days were spent outdoors looking after livestock. He was alone in the wilderness with his thoughts, honestly it wouldn't be all that bad of a life. No one was after him, and every day he came home to a wife and son. Each day was the same routine, and I imagine he was pretty content.
But then one day something caught his eye, there was a flame in the distance. At first he probably didn't pay much attention to it, figuring it would die down as soon as the fuel source was burned up, but the flame didn't diminish. The more time past, it continued to burn, and it began to peak his curiosity. And so he turns aside to take it in. And in that moment his life was about to be turned upside down. As he drew close to the bush he heard his name, and os he responded "Here I am."
Moses turned aside to see this marvel, and because of it his path was altered. He might have been content as a shepherd, but God had other plans, bigger plans, in store for Moses. He did something out of the ordinary to get his attention and then he got personal. And because Moses was willing to look, he got to speak with God, and be used greatly by Him.
Men, are you willing to turn aside and look? Are you willing to set responsibility, obligation, and distraction down for just a moment in order to examine something that grabs your attention? What is so important that you can't take a moment to simply marvel at something wonderous? And what if that thing that peaks your curiosity is God trying to get your attention? What if it is Him trying to awaken your true passion so that you can take up your part in His epic story?
Are you willing to look and maybe be awakened to your true calling? Or are you content to be a shepherd who looks after some stupid sheep every day? God created each of us to play a part in the epic story He is writing. Somewhere along the way we've gotten distracted and become misguided. God is trying to get our attention so that He can redirect us, but in order for Him to be able to get personal, we have to be willing to take a look.
Are you willing to look?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, May 2, 2014
Stand Up for the Weak
"Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand... Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock." -Exodus 2.11-12, 16-17
Moses is out among the people of Israel, and he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. I'm guessing this was more severe than the typical wiping to get them to work harder. Moses looks around and sees no one, and so he acts. He steps up and kills the Egyptian to save a Hebrew who cannot stand up for himself. He hides the body in the sand, but there was a witness who saw it, maybe the Hebrew he saved, and since the matter has become known he flees to Midian.
There he is, resting by a well when seven women come out to water their sheep. Some shepherds come and push them out of the way, and once again Moses stands up and defends them. These women cannot stand up for themselves, and so Moses comes to their rescue. In both situations there has been someone in need of help that was unable to stand up for themselves, and so Moses, a strong and capable man, stands up for the weak.
Men, what do you do? I'm not suggesting we go around killing people, but there are other ways to save lives. There are times when women are pushed around and taken advantage of, what do you do then? There are times when the defenseless are abused, do you stand up and come to their aid?
Men, we need to act, and we need to stand up for the defenseless. God has given us strength to use in service to others. He has given us strong arms and courageous hearts so that we can stand up for the weak. Are you willing, or will you allow evil to triumph by doing nothing?
Stand up for the weak.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Moses is out among the people of Israel, and he sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. I'm guessing this was more severe than the typical wiping to get them to work harder. Moses looks around and sees no one, and so he acts. He steps up and kills the Egyptian to save a Hebrew who cannot stand up for himself. He hides the body in the sand, but there was a witness who saw it, maybe the Hebrew he saved, and since the matter has become known he flees to Midian.
There he is, resting by a well when seven women come out to water their sheep. Some shepherds come and push them out of the way, and once again Moses stands up and defends them. These women cannot stand up for themselves, and so Moses comes to their rescue. In both situations there has been someone in need of help that was unable to stand up for themselves, and so Moses, a strong and capable man, stands up for the weak.
Men, what do you do? I'm not suggesting we go around killing people, but there are other ways to save lives. There are times when women are pushed around and taken advantage of, what do you do then? There are times when the defenseless are abused, do you stand up and come to their aid?
Men, we need to act, and we need to stand up for the defenseless. God has given us strength to use in service to others. He has given us strong arms and courageous hearts so that we can stand up for the weak. Are you willing, or will you allow evil to triumph by doing nothing?
Stand up for the weak.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Wise or Paranoid
"Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, 'Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.' So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses." -Exodus 1.8-11
Joseph has died, as have all the people who knew him, but the children of Israel continue to multiply. The new Pharaoh sees a large group of people and immediately assumes the worst. There are more of them than us, and if a war breaks out they will join with our enemies and wipe us out. His solution, enslave them so they can't revolt. Taskmasters are appointed, and the ISraelites are put to work. And I have to wonder, was this really the best solution?
I think Pharaoh was paranoid, and in his paranoia he acted rashly. Really, the best option is to enslave a group of people? What about a peace treaty? What about some alliance where both sides benefit? But slavery is the option he comes up with. Think about what these two nations could have accomplished together as friends. But because Pharaoh saw a potential threat, he suppressed it by enslaving it.
Men, what do you do when you see a potential threat? When someone enters your company and has gifts and potential that is different than yours, what do you do? When someone joins the sports team your on and has more talent than you, what is your reaction? If some young intern, or youth pastor, shows up at your church with new ideas that shake things up (in a good way, different but good), how do you act?
Too often we become paranoid and seek to take out the threat. Too many young men have been hindered, and shut down, because older men are afraid of change, or losing their power. They slander them to damage their reputation. They hide them away and never give them a chance. They assign them impossible tasks that doom them to failure. That's the paranoid response.
The wise man sees the potential and helps to develop it. He knows that he cannot do this forever, and he knows that if he wants the work he's started to continue, the time will come when he has to hand it over. He knows that the world is changing, and though the message of the Gospel doesn't change, the means we deliver it does. He helps him develop and guides him into leadership. A wise man works with him.
When we become paranoid and work to shut down a potential threat to our position, we do a lot of damage. We hinder future leaders and we halt progress for the present. But when we act wisely, knowing that we cannot do what we do forever, and that we cannot continue to reach new heights on our own, we can accomplish great things.
Will you be wise or paranoid?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Joseph has died, as have all the people who knew him, but the children of Israel continue to multiply. The new Pharaoh sees a large group of people and immediately assumes the worst. There are more of them than us, and if a war breaks out they will join with our enemies and wipe us out. His solution, enslave them so they can't revolt. Taskmasters are appointed, and the ISraelites are put to work. And I have to wonder, was this really the best solution?
I think Pharaoh was paranoid, and in his paranoia he acted rashly. Really, the best option is to enslave a group of people? What about a peace treaty? What about some alliance where both sides benefit? But slavery is the option he comes up with. Think about what these two nations could have accomplished together as friends. But because Pharaoh saw a potential threat, he suppressed it by enslaving it.
Men, what do you do when you see a potential threat? When someone enters your company and has gifts and potential that is different than yours, what do you do? When someone joins the sports team your on and has more talent than you, what is your reaction? If some young intern, or youth pastor, shows up at your church with new ideas that shake things up (in a good way, different but good), how do you act?
Too often we become paranoid and seek to take out the threat. Too many young men have been hindered, and shut down, because older men are afraid of change, or losing their power. They slander them to damage their reputation. They hide them away and never give them a chance. They assign them impossible tasks that doom them to failure. That's the paranoid response.
The wise man sees the potential and helps to develop it. He knows that he cannot do this forever, and he knows that if he wants the work he's started to continue, the time will come when he has to hand it over. He knows that the world is changing, and though the message of the Gospel doesn't change, the means we deliver it does. He helps him develop and guides him into leadership. A wise man works with him.
When we become paranoid and work to shut down a potential threat to our position, we do a lot of damage. We hinder future leaders and we halt progress for the present. But when we act wisely, knowing that we cannot do what we do forever, and that we cannot continue to reach new heights on our own, we can accomplish great things.
Will you be wise or paranoid?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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