Week 38, Day 5: Moses’ Hesitation

Today’s Reading:  Exodus 4:1-31

Some thoughts from the reading…

It is remarkable to me that Moses after seeing these marvelous signs that God gives him to perform before Israel, still has reservations about going back to Egypt.  He says that he is not eloquent.  He is slow of speech and slow of tongue.  The Lord tells Moses that He knows very well what Moses is and what he can do.  But Moses still asks to be passed by on this task.  God’s anger now burns against Moses.  Why?  I think it is because Moses is trying to duck out of work that God knows he can do.  If Moses were determined to do God’s command he could have found a way to get it done (by using Aaron to accomplish it).  But Moses wanted to sit this one out.

Reading this account I sometimes think about how many Christians today want someone else to go.  They want someone else to do the teaching or speaking.  Why?  Is it because they cannot speak?  Is it because they do not know anything about God’s commands?  Hestitation is natural.  Feeling uncomfortable is common.  But we are called to do our best to serve the Master.  He knows what we are capable of and He expects us to serve Him with our all.  Let us not excuse ourselves and just say “I can’t”.  If you are not able to do something then find ways to help others or to supply what might be lacking.  Take up a part of the work load.  Every little bit helps.

Question:  What reasons did Moses have for not wanting to go back to Egypt?

Week 29, Day 1: The Great Flood

Today’s Reading:  Genesis 6:1-22

Some thoughts from the reading…

It did not take man long to turn his thoughts to doing evil.  And man did evil to the extent that it grieved God that He had ever made man.  But there was one man who “walked with God”.  Can you imagine seeing everyone around you following after their corrupt desires.  You alone stand upright and blameless.  People just think they have it tough today!  And yet Noah found a way to remain comitted to God.  Our faithfulness to God does not depend necessarily upon those around us or circumstances.  Let us stand up for what is right no matter how crooked things get or even if we must stand alone.

God tells Noah to build the ark.  This is a good example of someone obeying God fully.  There is no indication that there were rain storms back then like we know them today.  As far as we know flooding was not something that they were accustomed to nor had to worry about.  And yet here Noah is told to build a boat, and not just any boat but a BIG boat.  The ark was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.  The boat’s length was equal to a football field and a half = Massive.  We also do not know what kind of tools Noah had to make this boat with but for certain it would have taken lots of work and persistence.  All the while I imagine that Noah would have been receiving quite a bit of attention from those around him.  What did they have to say about this?  Did they ridicule Noah?  Was Noah the talk of the town, thought of as being crazy?  And yet Noah did all that God had commanded him – he didn’t change any of it and completed the task given him to do.

We are also told that God was going to send the animals to Noah.  “…two of every kind will come to you” vs. 20.  Some skeptics have scoffed at the thought of Noah filling the ark with all of these animals.  Noah didn’t have to go chase anything down, they came to him.  God sent them to him and aided him in completing his task.  God did not command something impossible of Noah.  Some have challenged the feasability of Noah being able to house all of the animals in his ark.  We are not told how it all happened.  I have sometimes wondered if the animals that came were very young.  For example; baby elephants coming instead of their massive parents.  And it would not be beyond God’s power to cause the animals to hibernate while onboard the ark.  The fact is that when people scoff at what the Bible says they simply do not believe that with God all things are possible.  The Bible does not give us every detail specifying how things happened.  But we know that God’s word is true and when it tells us that these things happened, we can know that they did.  Let us not be led into doubt or disarray by the nay sayers.

Week 25, Day 1: The messages to the seven churches

Today’s Reading:  Revelation 3:1-4:11

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

Have you ever considered what the Lord would write to you if He sent a message addressed to you about your labors?  Certainly all of God’s word is intended for our instruction and encouragement but what I am referring to is a message that analyzes and critiques your work.   What would such a message say?  Would it praise you for doing a good job or would it say you are lacking much?  These are some of the question I think about when we come to the message to the seven churches of Asia in Revelation chapter 2.  Here are seven groups of Christians whom the Lord is directly addressing regarding their service. 

But again, if you consider why this letter was given to us; we are to learn and grow through the messages to these churches.  Our times may be different but when we consider what the Lord noted about these churches, we can easily see applications for us today.  Consider this brief summary of what is said to the churches in chapter 2:

Ephesus – Praised for testing what men taught them.  But they had left their first love. 

Smyrna – Praised for undergoing tribulation and remaining faithful.  Told they will endure much tribulation, they must overcome through faith.

Pergamum – Praised for holding fast to His name even though they dwell where “Satan’s throne is”.  But they also allow false teachers among themselves.

Thyatira – Praised for their love, faith, service & perseverance.  Their deeds have increased more than at the beginning.  But they tolerate Jezebel (immorality taught and encouraged by her). 

When we look at the messages given to these churches I hope that we see warning for each one of us in our conduct and what we allow to go on within the Lord’s church.  I hope when we finally do receive that the message telling us how we have done, that we recieve a good report.  The time will come at judgment that we will be told how we did.  But for now we have the opportunity to consider what has been said in God’s word, repent when & where needed and continue to improve in those areas where we lack. 

The things the church should be doing can be seen in what the seven churches of Asia were praised for and what we should fight against is also presented here.  Let us consider carefully and be on our guard.

Week 6, Day 3

Today’s Reading:  Romans 3:1-4:25

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

One of the most famous and popular verses in the book of Romans, and perhaps in the Bible is Romans 1:16.  This verse is oft quoted, and the idea should be at the forefront of our thoughts as Christians.  Think about what Paul is saying in this verse.  He was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.  That meant that he would teach the gospel unashamedly, and would not change that message for anything!  This is obviously not a common thought among religious people today, and sadly even sometimes among those who are in the Lord’s church.  The shame that people have toward the gospel is made manifest in many different ways, but we will just address a couple of them.

First, some will show their shame in the gospel by trying to make changes.  They decide that the gospel message just doesn’t fit our society today, so we need to make some subtle (and sometimes some not so subtle) changes.  Elements that are simply not accepted by people in the world are cast aside so that we can make more converts.  The message of the gospel is watered down to the point that it is nearly unrecognized as that gospel that God revealed in the first century.  See Galatians 1:6-9.  Paul had to deal with this change to the message in the first century!  How often do we hear that elements such as baptism are removed from the gospel plan, simply because people do not want to feel obligated to act in any way to receive the gift of salvation from God?  If we make these types of changes to God’s revealed will, then we are obviously ashamed of the gospel message.  We could introduce several other examples as well.  Consider, for example, the Biblical teaching on women’s roles.  God is clear about what He expects for women, which is a teaching that is not limited by the constraints of a particular culture or society.  In passages such as 1 Timothy 2:9-15, Paul shows the type of demeanor that a woman must possess to be pleasing to God.  That demeanor is required of her, no matter what setting she might find herself in (or put herself in).  Further restrictions are found in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, where Paul shows that women are not allowed to take a leading role in the assembly of the church.  She is not allowed to address the congregation (even when she had spiritual gifts).  We could certainly go on with many more examples, but these will suffice for now.  Are we ashamed of the gospel message, making changes to it when we think that it will not “go over well” with the person we are trying to teach?  Or do we stick with the plain and simple gospel message, regardless of what the outcome may be?

Secondly, some show their shame of the gospel by being unwilling to stand for truth.  There are many who are Christians, who have been baptized into Christ, but refuse to stand up for Christ.  They think that it is someone else’s responsibility to correct the gainsayer, or to teach the uninformed.  They are not willing to defend Christ when their friends are making fun of “those crazy religious people”, or when the cause of Christ is directly assaulted.  This is a problem when false doctrines arise as well.  It is easier to “go with the flow” than it is to stand up for what is right.  We don’t want to “rock the boat”, so we simply keep our mouths shut.  Are we ashamed of the gospel message, or are we willing to take a stand for what is right, for what is true, regardless of what the consequences might be?

Finally, some show their shame of the gospel by trying to hold it to themselves.  They have accepted the gospel message, but they do nothing to share it with others.  Think about what Paul said next in Romans 1:16:  For it is the power of God to salvation.  If we really believe that the gospel is the key to salvation, then how can we hold it to ourselves?  We don’t have the option of spreading the gospel, we have the obligation!  This is the message that can pull people out of sin, and give them the same hope of eternal salvation that we have (Colossians 1:13).  How can we say that we are not ashamed of that message if we are unwilling to share it with those that are around us, lost and dying (eternally) in sin?

The gospel is indeed the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes.  But, the gospel has to be presented in a way that is accurate to scripture, and clearly enough for every person to have the opportunity to believe.  Are you busy spreading this gospel message, so that others can have that same hope of salvation that you have?

Week 2, Day 3

Reading for Today:  Luke 15-16

Some thoughts from yesterday’s reading…

At the end of Luke chapter 14, there is an important passage that has to do with counting the cost of being a disciple of Christ.  Throughout time, people seem to make changes to the gospel message in an attempt to try and make it more appealing to the hearers.  In the process, many have taken out essential elements such as repentance and baptism.  We have to be diligent to teach the “whole counsel of God”, part of which is teaching the need to make sacrifice in our lives to be faithful servants.

The two examples used by Jesus in this chapter have to do with the building of a tower and a king who goes to war.  In both cases, one has to “count the cost.”  You cannot build a house without first knowing how much it is going to cost, and whether or not you can pay what is required.  Imagine how one could be ridiculed because they had not planned properly!  Some of you have probably heard me use this example before, but I will put it in here since it is so appropriate.  I can remember a house that was on a road close to where we lived that was only a foundation with a makeshift roof built on top of it.  It remained that way for years.  The appearance, at least, was that someone had begun to build a home, and didn’t have the money to finish it.  This house was a “talking point”, if not a source of ridicule, for many years.

The military example is certainly one that should be clear.  Leaders have to examine their legitimate chances of winning a battle, and they take into consideration how many casualties that they expect to incur.  If they think that they will lose too many men, or that they will lose the battle, they should not go into the battle.  In Jesus’ example, we see the king sending a delegation to ask for terms of peace if he believes he cannot win the battle.  He has, thus, counted the cost.

Why is this important to us?  We must make a decision as to whether we are willing to pay the cost for being a disciple of Christ.  And, there are always costs involved.  Are we willing to give up whatever stands in the way for us being faithful?  Is it money?  Is it worldly power?  Is it some sin that we are unwilling to get rid of from our lives?  Every person has the right to know what the cost is, even before they make the commitment to be the disciple of Christ.

Unfortunately, I know that many teachers are hiding the cost of discipleship from their students.  They know of sin in their lives, that they will have give up, but the teacher fails to show them these things.  I have known of people living in fornication, or in adultery who have not been taught that they would have to leave those relationships to be a disciple of Chrst.  That simply is not fair.  One has the right to know what being a disciple means, and he has the right to know just how much it will cost him.

Having said all of that, we also should realize that any cost of discipleship is worth it!  How can we think that there is something here and now that is of greater value than the home in heaven that awaits the faithful disciple of Christ?  So, if you have to give up friends, or family, or money, or power, or a job, or any other thing, it is well worth it to have the reward of eternal life when this life is over.  Even if we have to sacrifice health, or life, the sacrifice is worth it.  Be willing to pay the price–whatever price is put on your discipleship!

Week 2, Day 1

Today’s Reading:  Luke 11-12

Some thoughts from Friday’s reading…

I want to look at two things today, both from chapter 9 from our previous reading.  I just have a terrible time narrowing it down to one thing

First, consider the scene on the Mount of Transfiguration in verses 28-36.  Peter, as was his impetuous nature, was quick to come up with a “plan of action” when he saw Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah.  He decided that it would be a good idea to build three tabernacles:  one for Jesus, one for Elijah and one for Moses.  I find it particularly interesting that Luke makes the point that Peter didn’t know what he was saying.  We might say he spoke without thinking, or at least without not thinking enough.

Peter here had the best of intentions.  After all, these were all great “prophets”, and it would be wonderful for them to be able to show proper respect by building these tabernacles in their honor.  But, the problem was that this “idea” was outside of what God had commanded!  Peter had decided what needed to be done, and he didn’t wait for instructions from God.  Of course, God then showed what He wanted in the matter.  He spoke from the cloud, saying of Jesus:  This is My beloved Son, hear Him!  When the cloud lifted, Jesus was standing there by Himself.  The point was that Jesus now had all authority–the Law and the prophets were not to be followed.  They were to now follow the instructions given by Jesus.  And that is the same thing that we are supposed to do.

This reminds me of the following passage:

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
–Colossians 3:17

Far too many people are like Peter when it comes to religious activities.  They decide what they think is good, and they run right in and start doing it.  They don’t stop and think about what God wants in the matter.  But, we need not be so presumptuous!  We need to step back, and hear what God has to say on the matter.  Whatever we are going to do must be authorized by God.  The only way that we can know what it is that He desires is to listen to what He has to say in His word.  He has revealed His mind for us, we just have to open our ears and listen!

The second thing I wanted to take a look at is at the end of chapter 9 (verses 57-62).  Here, we see Jesus calling people to discipleship.  The first says that he will follow Jesus wherever He would go.  Jesus then showed this disciple that the road would not be an easy one.  He had no home to return to for comfort, and that would be the least of the challenges that would lie ahead for Him.  Progressing, Jesus then called another to follow Him, and he asked to first go and bury his father.  Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”  The third man addressed asked Jesus if he could go home and say goodbye to his family.  Jesus said, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

This section really speaks to commitment in discipleship.  When we are called by Christ to be His disciples, there should be nothing that interferes with it.  Don’t let family, inconvenience, discomfort or anything else keep you from doing what Christ wants you to do.  Often, we think that our situation is different from everyone else.  That was the case (it seems) at least with the second man called.  Surely, burying his father was an important enough reason to go back.  But, Jesus was clear that even this “extreme” situation was not enough to excuse this man from service.  This illustrates the need for us to always put Christ, and His cause first in our lives.  May we be the true disciples, who do not allow anyone or anything to keep us from our service to Him!