NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FROM THE WORD OF GOD

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and advise one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:12-17

Several years ago, I was asked to deliver the message at a church service just before New Year’s Day. The Lord placed the following on my heart as I was thinking about what He would want our resolutions to be for the New Year. He gave me ten resolutions from Paul’s words to the church in Colosse. I pray they will be a blessing to you as get set to enter 2008. Feel free to share with others and may the Lord richly bless you and yours in all things. I will continue our journey through Exodus tomorrow.

Ten resolutions for 2008 from the Word of God:

10. Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

How many of you are very selective in the things you wear? Most people are. Dressing properly takes time and careful consideration over style and color of what we’ll don. We want to ensure we look the best as we enter a world where others will see us.

So how well do we also select the way we clothe ourselves with our attitudes and demeanors? Do we take as much time to properly prepare ourselves before we go out and let others see what we look like on the inside? Look at the things that God’s word says should be part of our inner wardrobe:

- Compassion which consists of affection, tenderness, pity, and mercy
- Kindness which can include courtesy, favor, good deeds and goodwill
- Humility…a spirit of mildness, humbleness, surrender and modesty
- Gentleness which involves sensitivity, friendliness and politeness
and
- Patience…one’s ability to remain calm, composed, cool under pressure

So how well dressed are you on the inside? In this new year, maybe a makeover might be in order.

9. Bear with each other

What does it mean to bear with one another? Can you think of someone right now who just seems to get under your skin? Someone who annoys you to no end?

Resolve in the new year to be more tolerant. To respect others. To stop looking so closely at a person’s shortfalls in spite of ignoring all of yours…for we’re all flawed and imperfect when we get down to the truth of the matter.

So seek to be more understanding of others and strive to resolve differences when they occur. Seek to rebuild bridges instead of burning or tearing them down. Pray for those who you differ with and seek reconciliation in the year ahead.

8. Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

We all know what forgiveness is…putting it into action is often the real problem.

If left to our own devices, we could easily wiggle our way out of forgiving some people by deciding who we wanted to forgive and who we didn’t want to. We would turn forgiveness into a selective process.

That’s why scripture had to put down strict guidelines to govern our forgiveness. Hear the word of God from verse 13: Forgive as the Lord forgave you. WOW! This takes all the guesswork out of forgiveness. For we must forgive everyone without exception. If you doubt that, then I ask if there has been anything you have done that the Lord has not forgiven you for? The first steps to inner healing when you are burdened with anger or hatred toward another is to say the words I forgive, then resign to pray for that person as being just like you…a sinner who is only saved through the amazing grace of God through Jesus Christ. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

7. Over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity.

The package of prior resolutions all revolve around love which is central to the greatest commandments of Jesus. Remember His answer when asked about the greatest commandments? He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength." Then He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36-40)

If you truly love God with all that you are, you will easily embody compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with and forgiving one another, all in the name of love through the One who showed and taught us what love is all about. So when you unwrap the gift of this new year, take off the ribbon of love that is on the gift of Jesus and see what is inside the package. In it are priceless treasures in and of the Savior…the Christ who we should be seeking to be like in every way. And the first thing we see when we look at Him is love. So put Him on your heart…wear Him with pride…and let love rule supreme in you this coming year.

6. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts

In a world full of violence, confusion, problems and constant change, peace is sometimes very hard to come by, isn’t it? I think that’s why we were given the words of God found in Philippians 4:6-7:
"Do not be anxious about anything but give your concerns to God in prayer and petition and with thanksgiving. So you might find the peace of God that transcends all understanding and your hearts and minds will be guarded in Christ Jesus."

In 2008, God would want us to remember that He is the only One who is fully able and ready to handle any problem we have. And when we truly lay our burdens at His feet and allow Him to work awesome miracles in our lives, then we can fully experience that peace that transcends all understanding...a peace that will ensure our hearts are guarded by Christ Jesus. I pray that peace will rule your hearts and the hearts of all creation in the new year.

5. Be thankful

There’s a popular saying that says, "Count your blessings...and when you get done, count them again." Too often, we lose sight of all the great and awesome things the Lord has done in our lives. In fact, just me being here writing this and you being where you are reading it is a blessing in its own right and something we should be greatly thankful for.

For it’s only due to God’s love and mercy and grace that we are here, even though we are all undeserving sinners before Him. It’s easy in life to curse our circumstances at any one time but if we truly stop and take an account of how very blessed we have been in our life, we can keep our attitude focused and centered on thanksgiving and praise unto the One who gives us every good and perfect thing from above.

Be thankful…in all circumstances.

4. Let the word of God dwell in you richly

How good are you at time management? Our days seem to get ever more busier as we run from obligation to obligation…from event to event. There seldom seems to be enough time in the day. In fact, too often as we arrange and prioritize our time, we schedule so much that we squeeze the most important things out…like quiet time with the Lord in prayer and scripture reading.

For God blesses us with time. We all get 24 hours a day and He expects us to invest it wisely. Yet, too often we skip giving some of that time to Him every day and jump into life lacking the wisdom, guidance and strength we need to make it through situations we encounter. We often sit in dismay and depression…lost and in need of help, even when that help is just a few minutes of prayer or bible reading away.

Friends…all the wisdom, strength and guidance we need is fully found in the bible...God’s Holy Word…His instruction manual on life given to us to help us make it day by day by day. When we read it, study it, and pray over it, then it comes to dwell in our hearts and minds, illuminating our path as we walk down the path of life. I believe that God would say to us in 2008...make time for my word so you know what you’re doing with the life and time I have provided…and let that word live in your heart and mind forever more.

3. Teach and advise one another with all wisdom

We can only do this if we have wisdom within us. And that wisdom is not our own wisdom or worldly wisdom but the wisdom that comes from the Father above.

This resolution only happens when we adhere to the last resolution and let God’s word dwell richly within us. Our study of Holy Scripture will lead to spiritual wisdom as it takes hold within our hearts. Then, God would say, "Don’t keep My word to yourself but rather take the learning you have received from Me and use it to teach one another." In fact, Jesus gave us that instruction in His Great Commission. He told us to "teach others to obey all that He had commanded." (Matthew 28:20)

So we learn His commandments and understand His expectations only by reading the Bible, meditating on our reading and then putting it into action. The call in 2008 is for us to be proactive in our teaching others about Jesus using the wisdom God places within us.

2. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God

Do you have a favorite song? What is it about that song that makes it your favorite? Most often, it is because the song makes you feel good. It has a way of elevating you above whatever might be happening in your day and brings joy to you for the moment you listen to it.

Personally, I have found that music has an effect on the soul unlike any other medium. Whether it is a praise and worship song, a contemporary Christian song or a classic hymn, spiritual music is a gift from God that brings us into the attitude of worship and adoration unlike any secular song can. In 2008, examine the music you’re listening to. Does it glorify God? Does it edify you spiritually?

My prayer would be that you truly sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart toward God. And when you lift your voice up, do so in a way that the Lord will feel your fullest gratitude. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

1. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him

Is there anymore suitable number 1 resolution that God would have for us in 2008 or any other year for that matter?

For in this resolution, there is no gray area…no exception…just the requirement for us all to do everything in the name of Jesus and all the while giving thanks to God for the indescribable gift of salvation and eternal life through His Son who He gave freely to pay the price for our sins.

Once again I ask, is there any greater resolution we could make for the new year? And is there any more challenging resolution for us to carry out in such a sin-filled world?

The good news is that we can meet this challenge…just as we can meet any challenge…through the power and strength of the Christ within us. Truly, we can "do all things through Christ who strengthens us." (Philippians 4:13).

In this new year, I pray we will live out the verses of this word of God from Colossians. For if we do, we will find ourselves in the very spirit of God’s will for us in Christ Jesus!

I look forward to a great year ahead in the Lord and wish all of you a very Happy New Year!

In Christ,

Mark

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AN UNCOMPROMISING RESOLUTION

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"Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.' " Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working." Exodus 5:1-5

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are. " 'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.' " And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land." But Moses said, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us." Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me." Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord." Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord, and the Lord did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go." Exodus 8:20-32

After the onslaught of gnats, Pharoah still refused to give into God. So God refused to let up on His pressure on Pharoah and the Egyptian people. This time, He once again sends Moses to confront Pharoah and to give him the following message:

"This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are. But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow."

Well, as expected, Pharoah refused to let Israel go and so the Lord sent "dense swarms of flies…into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies." Can you imagine a plague of flies? I mean, one or two can be pesky and drive a person crazy but swarms and swarms of them had to create a situation that was unbearable. You know flies like to land on things…like people and food…and some flies are of the biting variety. Just as the gnats had gnawed at the spirit of Egypt, so now did the flies. And it did something that we hadn’t seen up to now. Pharoah decided to allow the Israelites to carry out their sacrifices without expecting anything in return.

But we see that Pharoah isn’t ready to concede completely. The request from the Lord through Moses was for the people to be allowed to journey three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to God. Not allowing them to do so would lead to possibly being struck by plagues and this had become a reality for Egypt. But Pharoah still wanted his own way. He tells Moses and Aaron that they can go and "sacrifice to your God here in the land." Moses argues against Pharoah’s idea saying, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?"

Whether he knew he was doing it or not, Pharoah’s proposal would have placed the Israelites in grave danger for they would be sacrificing the very animals that the Egyptians worshipped. As soon as the Egyptians saw them killing these sacred animals, they would carry out the death penalty on the Israelite people. And so this is why Moses insists that "we must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us." Just as Moses had told Pharoah in Chapter 5 of Exodus, so again he tells him. Moses is unwilling to sacrifice the desires of God in order to appease the mighty ruler Pharoah.

Well, we could almost script how this encounter will end without reading the scriptures. Pharoah agrees to let Moses and the Israelites go into the desert for their festival and sacrifices to God and then wants Moses to pray for him…hoping once again that he might get rid of the current plague through the intercessory prayers of Moses. And again, the prayers worked as the flies disappeared. And, as we have seen before, Pharoah goes back on his word and does not allow the Israelites to go to the desert to conduct their festival of sacrifice unto God.

There are several matters that stand out in this passage that have broad application to our daily Christian walk:

First, God sets apart and protects His people in accordance with His will. We see as the plague of flies rained down on Egypt that the people of Israel are not afflicted likewise. This is because the place where they lived, Goshen, was not affected by the swarms. Surely Pharoah took notice of this and we should as well. Always keep in mind that we serve a Lord who loves us and watches over us…in good times and in bad.

Second, never underestimate the power of intercessory prayer. For the second time now, we see how Moses is able to pray to God on behalf of Pharoah and the Egyptians, petitioning for mercy and helping elicit an end to a time of great difficulty, first from the frogs and now from the flies. As we lift up the needs of others, God does listen and He does answer in accordance with His will.

Finally, we see that we are expected to stand firm on God’s commands. Moses was commanded to lead the Israelites on a three day journey into the desert to hold a festival with sacrifices offered before God. Pharoah countered that proposal with one that would have had the Israelites conduct their sacrifices in Egypt. This offer was not just unacceptable because it created a potentially dangerous conflict between the Egyptian and Israelite peoples. It was simply unacceptable because it wasn’t what God wanted done.

Question: How often do we face circumstances where someone tries to get us to compromise our Christian values? How often are we tempted to go along with the ways of the world, turning away from the commandments of the Lord?

The truth is that we are under constant attack. Satan wants to do nothing more than get us to compromise ourselves and invalidate everything we do in the name of the Lord. As Christians, we are always under the microscope as others watch to see what we do, what we say and how we think. Giving into the world really shows that there isn’t anything that separates us from it. In other words, one might wonder, "What makes a Christian any different than anyone else?" And thus, one might also wonder, "Why should I be interested in this Christianity thing?"

We simply can’t allow ourselves to waver from God’s word and will in our lives. We can’t afford to live any differently than Jesus Himself lived. For at the root of the word "Christian" is the word "Christ". How are you doing in showing others that you seek to live like Him without compromise? As we get set to enter a new year, may we commit ourselves to be an uncompromising people when it comes to living just as Jesus did. There couldn’t be a better resolution to make.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE FINGER OF GOD

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"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said." Exodus 8:16-19

Lying in the face of God is never a good idea. Pharoah didn’t quite understand that when he promised to let the people of Israel go to conduct sacrifices to God if Moses would pray for God to remove the curse of the frogs. We know that Pharoah never intended to make good on his promise and he didn’t. Moses prayed, God delivered and all the frogs died but Pharoah continued to harden his heart and hold the Israelites captive. So God just continued to punish Egypt as we see in today’s scripture.

This time, God didn’t warn Pharoah about what was to come. He just told Moses to have Aaron once again use the powerful staff to "strike the dust of the ground", turning "all the dust throughout the land of Egypt" into gnats which swarmed and "came upon men and animals". Imagine how this must have been for Egypt. Hordes and hordes of swarming, flying, biting gnats, as plentiful as the grains of dust …everywhere. There was no escaping them. It had to make the bloody water and frog invasion seem almost tolerable by comparison. But there was something else very different about this latest curse from God…something that sent a powerful message to Egypt that seemed to register with everyone except…you guessed it…Pharoah.

For no matter how hard they tried, the magicians of Pharoah could not "produce gnats by their secret arts". They had been able to reproduce the water changing to blood and the creation of frogs but could not come up with the gnats. So they went to Pharoah with only one explanation for their inability to replicate what had happened. They told him, "This is the finger of God." In other words, there was no other explanation for what had happened than God. The God…Lord of the people of Israel…and Lord of the Egyptians, even if they didn’t understand or acknowledge it. Still…despite the evidence present in the gnats that bit away at him, his family and his people…despite the inability of his magicians to duplicate what God had done...despite the magicians’ testimony that the gnat invasion was from the finger of God…despite all this…Pharoah still hardened his heart and would not listen…just as the Lord had predicted.

Yes…the magicians realized it and we should as well. The finger of God is powerful and able to do the miraculous.

This very same finger will inscribe the two stone tablets of the testimony before they’re given to Moses by the Lord on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 31:18). These tablets will list the commandments of God that Moses will deliver to the Israelites…what we better know as the Ten Commandments.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus mentioned that He drove out demons by the finger of God while telling His listeners that the kingdom of God had come to them. (Luke 19:20) And indeed, through Jesus it had, just as He comes to us today.

Question: Do you ever consider the finger of God and the power it holds in your life? This finger that wrote commandments on a stone tablet can write a new way of life onto a stone-hard heart. This finger that drove out demons can still do it today. What is demonizing your spirit today as we get set to enter a new year? Illness? Financial issues? Relationship problems? Addiction? Don’t you want relief? Then turn to the only One who can help…One who is Almighty, All Powerful, All Able, All Willing and All Loving…the One who promised He would never give you a burden you couldn’t bear…as long as you turn to Him and His strength…a strength and power that can come with just a touch from His finger. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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FALSE GODS

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"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.' " Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.' " So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord." Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile." "Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God. The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile." After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said." Exodus 8:1-15

Well, seven days of blood in place of Egypt’s water wasn’t enough to convince Pharoah to heed God’s commands so the Lord sends Moses back to Pharoah saying, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.' " And so the frogs did come in great numbers just as God has said they would after "Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt." Scripture tells us they "covered he land." And this led Pharoah to ask Moses and Aaron to pray and ask for the frogs to be taken away in exchange for him allowing the Israelites to go and offer sacrifices to their Lord.

Well Moses, after telling Pharoah that he will "know there is no one like the Lord our God" after "the frogs…leave you and your houses, your officials and your people," cries out to the Lord the next day and we read where the frogs all died "in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields." The Egyptians "piled (the frogs) into heaps, and the land reeked of them." You would think that these events would have been enough to sway Pharoah but, once again, he "hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said." He also didn’t keep his promise to allow the Israelites to offer their sacrifices. Two plagues were obviously not enough…and the Lord had further plan for Pharoah and his wickedness.

Maybe you’re wondering…why did the Lord choose frogs? Well, just as the Nile was sacred to the Egyptians, so were frogs. They were thought to possess divine powers and the Egyptians actually worshipped a goddess named Heqet who had the form of a woman but with a frog’s head. They believed that she breathed life into the bodies created by her husband, the god Khnum, from the earth’s dust. Thus, it was against Egyptian religious law to kill a frog and now they had more than they knew what to do with. God had once again turned one of the Egyptian false gods into a curse against them.

This made me think a little bit about us and our culture today. How many false gods do we worship today and does God use these false gods as a curse against us? Consider these points and ponder:

We are a society obsessed with money. Typically, people are not very good stewards of what the Lord has blessed them with and actually, most people don’t even acknowledge that their money is gift from God in the first place. Well, we have worshipped money so much that we can it even when we don’t have it. It’s a little thing called credit. So we spend and spend and spend and get more and more in debt. Soon, we can’t buy anything else because our credit has worn out and we can’t pay our credit because we don’t have enough real money to pay off the borrowed money. Our worship of money as a false god becomes a curse to us.

And I could add possessions under this category as well because typically, we’re using our credit to get anything and everything we want. Notice I said "want" and not "need." There is a distinct difference even though most people don’t see one today. Everything is a need whether they really need it or not. And before long, a person will learn that unchecked, possessions will end up possessing you.

Let’s look at another false god…alcohol and/or drugs. We’re near a new year and most people will be ready to go out and party. You can bet that alcohol or drugs or both will be enjoyed in mass quantities as we usher in a new year…a year full of hope but also a year that will see the carry over of any unresolved issues of the year prior. Maybe debt has piled up…maybe a broken relationship is lingering…maybe you’re unemployed…whatever the issue, it doesn’t disappear with the new year. Yes, we are a people who have our share of problems. Too bad we rarely turn to the only One who can truly help us. Instead, we often turn to substance abuse…seeking escape from all that burdens us. We’re so desperate to feel good that we turn to a drink or a hit or a toke…anything to help us get that high. And when we get over that high, we find that our problem are still right there waiting for us so maybe we do a little more to feel better. And as our body gets acclimated to the alcohol and drugs, we find we need more and more to reach that high…and soon we find that we can’t live without artificial stimulants…in other words, we’re addicted to them. Worshipping to the false gods of alcohol and drugs leads to the curse of addiction.

And let’s add sex to this category as we can obsess over it so much that we end up seeking it any place we can get it…often leading to broken relationships, venereal diseases, AIDS…any of a number of problems. We have taken something God intended to be beautiful and we have abused it…cheapened it…and worshipped it. And the false god of sex has led to people who can’t get away from pornography …people who turn to rape to satisfy their sex addiction…people who can’t stay faithful in relationships.

I could keep going but I think the point has been made. We’re worshipping just as many false gods today as they did in the days of the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. And know that God is no more pleased with people today than He was back then. He might not be turning our waters into blood or sending frogs across our nation but He has other ways to send us signs. Maybe you are experiencing those signs in your own life.

Question: Are you worshipping any false gods in your life? If so, now is the time to turn to the only One worthy of worship…the only One worthy of praise…the only One who can show you true joy, peace and contentment in life...the only One who can help you in whatever your circumstance. Won’t you come to the Lord today and worship Him and Him alone? Won’t you come to Him and accept His only Son Jesus as your personal Savior? Today is the day you can turn your life in the right direction forever. And there isn’t a better way to start the new year than with God and Jesus first and foremost in your life.

In Christ,

Mark

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LIVING WATERS

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"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. Then say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.' " The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs'-and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars." Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river. Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile." Exodus 7:14-25

Moses and Aaron have just performed the first of what will be several magnificent acts of God intended to convince Pharoah to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. You’ll recall that the staff of God was cast down in front of Pharoah and became a snake which then swallowed up all the other snakes that came from Pharoah’s wise men, sorcerers and magicians. Yet, despite what he witnessed, Pharoah refused to allow Israel free. So the Lord sends Moses and Aaron to show yet another sign of His Almighty Power, this time turning the Nile and all streams, canals, ponds, reservoirs…into blood. They were instructed to wait until Pharoah goes out into the water and then change it. So Moses and Aaron do just as God commanded and all the water in Egypt turned to blood.

Can you imagine this? Think of what it must have been like to have no water to drink…just blood. We also read where all the fish died. Water and fish, two life sustaining resources were now gone. Scripture also states that the waters and dead fish gave off a terrible stench. Indeed, death was in the air as Pharoah’s stubbornness had brought great suffering on his people. The blood of Israel, so harshly treated under Pharoah’s oppression, was now visible to all, represented in the bloody waters of Egypt.

Another important point to consider is that the Egyptians worshipped the Nile. They treated the river as a god and now their god was rendered useless by the true God. What once was full of life and promise was now full of death and destruction. And this is what happens to those who choose to worship false idols today as well. God always has the final word and exposes the powerless nature of any other purported power.

Well, despite the mighty sign that God had sent, we read where the "Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts" leading to Pharaoh's heart hardening once again. He "would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said" and "instead…went into his palace and did not take even this to heart." Just as Pharoah had been unimpressed by the staff turning into a snake and swallowing all the created snakes, neither was he impressed by the waters of blood. We’re told that his magicians were able to do the same thing but senses it was all a farce. If the magicians had true power, couldn’t they have turned the waters back into water from the blood. The truth of the matter was that the magician were just that…illusionists who could turn a good trick but did nothing of substance.

So Pharoah returned to his palace, no doubt where he had some clean water stashed away to drink. He need not be concerned about his people as long as he and his family were cared for. Such is the attitude of someone with a hardened heart.

Question: Do you know someone who has a hardened heart? Maybe you have had one at some time in your life. I know I have. A hardened heart refuses to allow you to love another. A hardened heart takes a person into a bad attitude about life. A hardened heart can create a selfish spirit…one with little or no compassion for the welfare of others. And a hardened heart can lead one to refuse to trust in the only one who can take their hardened heart away.

Pharoah’s hardened heart took away the life sustaining water needed by the Egyptian people. Our hardened heart today takes away Jesus from our life…the only One who can bring us life sustaining water…the only One who can quench our thirst for life and lead us to help others to the water as well. For we are doomed in death without the living water found in Christ Jesus. For Jesus said, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." And the woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." (John 4:13-15)

Question: Where are you in your life today? Are you closer to Pharoah’s hardened heart and the bloody, death-filled, stenching waters of Egypt? Or have you found the living water of Jesus Christ…through which you will never thirst again…through which you will find eternal life? Come to Jesus who has just come to us in Bethlehem…and live forever. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said." Exodus 7:8-13

Earlier in Chapter 7, Moses and Aaron had been sent back to Pharoah by God, this time with more than just a request to let the Israelites go to participate in a sacrifice to God. This time, they were to "tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country." In other words, leave for good. God further tells them that "though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he (Pharoah) will not listen to you." In other words, despite their best intentions to convince Pharoah…despite God’s best efforts, he would still stubbornly refuse to listen. God then promised to "lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord…" There had been enough talk...enough words spoken. God was ready to begin acting.

As we pick up in chapter 7, we see the first actions begin to happen. God commands Moses and Aaron to throw down the staff of God before Pharoah. Of course, Moses knew already that this staff carried with it special power. Recall that it turned into a snake at the burning bust when Moses met God. Now, the staff was once again used to show God’s almighty power.

For we read that "Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake." Undaunted by this, Pharoah then summons his "wise men and sorcerers and the Egyptian magicians" who "did the same things by their secret arts." Each one summoned by Pharoah threw down their own staff and they also became snakes. Surely at this point, Pharoah was puffed up and gloating that he had showed up these two men who said they had been sent by God. He had to be thinking that this God was no more powerful than his gods and the magic his men could work. But he was soon to witness how very wrong he was.

Because just as the staffs of the wise men, sorcerers and magicians turned into snakes, they were swallowed up by the snake from Aaron’s staff. God’s power had reigned supreme over Pharoah’s. Actions had spoken louder than words. Yet we read that Pharoah didn’t relent just as God had predicted. We read that his "heart became hard and he would not listen to them." The stage was set for God to up the ante and the pressure on Pharoah to comply with His wishes.

Question: Have you ever faced someone like Pharoah…someone that refused to believe in God despite the awesome works of His power being done around them? Maybe you have been like that at sometime in your life. For we seem to have a difficult time believing mere words and expect God to show us signs, just as people did throughout the bible. We seem to be more like Thomas…wanting to put our fingers into the holes in Jesus’ hand and side before we believe. All this despite God and His Son continuing to do miracles all around us every day.

So…where do you stand in your faith? Are you like Pharoah, refusing to believe despite God’s best efforts to display His power and majesty? Or are you living each day in wonder and awe of our Father who reigns and rules with omnipotent authority over all His creation? How does God see you right now in regard to your feelings toward Him? When He looks into your heart, what does He see? For you can talk a good game but remember He can see inside to your heart…something no one else can do. And when He does, remember your actions speak louder than words. May He find us all genuine in our faith and trust in Him.

In Christ,

Mark

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NEVER QUIT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." But Moses said to the Lord, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it." Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh." Exodus 6:9-12, 7:1-7

God has spoken once again to Moses at the beginning of Chapter 6 and reassured him that he would do as he said He would. For He was a God who kept His promises and he referenced Abraham, Isaac and Jacob of examples of ancestors who He saw through difficult times. This time would be no different with the Israelites as they bore the burden of the Egyptian oppression.

So Moses goes back to the people of Israel to tell them what God has told him but he has to be disappointed as the Israelites "did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage." I often wonder if this doesn’t happen to us as well today. We try to encourage others who are going through difficult times and hope to help them be uplifted and encouraged only to be rebuffed. The pain and anguish from the person’s particular suffering is too much for them to overcome and no person is going to make them feel any better. Maybe you have been there yourself at some time in your life. I know I have. So I can understand how someone would not be terribly receptive to words of encouragement that offer little more than faith in something that is yet to come. Yet…we, as servants of God are not to give up even as we face discouragement…even as we face rejection. We are never to quit in carrying out what God wants us to do.

For Moses, after he is rejected by the Israelites, is immediately approached by God again who commands him to "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." But Moses has had enough. He cries out to the Lord, ""If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" Moses doubted himself and his ability to properly carry out what God asked him to do.

Question: Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever felt inadequate in carrying out God’s will? I can tell you that this is the weapon that Satan uses against us more than any other when it comes to attempting to thwart us in carrying out the Great Commission and helping minister to others. For Satan wants us to feel inadequate…like we don’t size up…like we don’t have the skills to succeed.
He gets us to forget that we’re not doing anything by our own strength but only the strength of the Lord within us. He gets us to feel like we’re in this ministry all alone, trying to make us forget that the Lord is right there with us. He wants us to feel ineffective when people reject our attempts to minister and blinds us to the reality that everyone has a free will and their rejection of us isn’t an indicator of our inadequacy but rather a person’s stubborn resistance to trust in the Lord to take care of their problem. Satan would say give up. God says, "Never quit…no matter what."

We see that the Lord never quits on Moses, even when he quits on himself. He tells Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it." In other words, Moses and Aaron will speak a lot of words that Pharoah will reject but God will have the last word…and it is His word that will gain the final victory of deliverance for Israel…just as His final word grants us victory today.

For Jesus is born today in the town of Bethlehem…born not only to live and teach us all we could ever hope to learn about living life the way God expects…but also born to die, bearing our sins on the cross, defeating death and opening the way to eternal life through His resurrection. God, through Jesus had the final word over Satan, as He conquered death and the grave, entering into life forever at the right hand of the Father. The good news is that through Jesus Christ who comes to us this day, we need never lose hope…for we all have the victory now and forever.

So on the Christmas day and for every day forth as we enter a new year and beyond, stay encouraged in your work for the Lord. Stay empowered by His strength to make it through whatever challenges might come your way. And never….never quit. God is with you, no matter the circumstances…no matter the difficulties. Trust and believe in the victorious Lord you serve and thanks be to Him for the gift of His Son Jesus…our Savior, Redeemer and Friend. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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BLESSED ASSURANCE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." God also said to Moses, "I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord." Exodus 6:1-8

In Chapter 5 of Exodus, we saw where Pharoah didn’t know God by his own admission and the Israelites and Moses didn’t trust God by their actions. Moses concludes the chapter asking God why He has brought additional trouble to the people of Israel while not showing up to rescue them.

At the start of Chapter 6, we see the Lord’s response to Moses…one of blessed assurance. For God reaffirms that Moses will see what the Lord will do to Pharoah and notice that God says that Pharoah is the one who will let the people go. In other words, it won’t be God doing the releasing but Pharoah himself. God would just make things so miserable for Pharoah that it will be in his best interest and the interest of his people for Israel to be allowed to leave.

God also reminds Moses of His track record through Jewish history and how He was with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob…all ancestors of Moses. He reminds Moses how He was with them and how He remembered His covenant with them, delivering them to the land of Canaan, just as He had promised He would do with the Israelites after rescuing them from their Egyptian bondage.

In fact, the Lord makes special mention of the suffering Israelites in Egypt saying, "I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant." He tells Moses to go back to the Israelites and speak for Him, reminding them of His promise. Moses was to tell them God said, "I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord." In His words, God provided a blessed assurance for the people of Israel and for us as well. Specifically, He promised:

1. That He remembered His covenant. Always remember that God remembers His promises. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised us that He would never allow us a burden we couldn’t bear. He has promised to always be with us. He has promised us that nothing is impossible with Him. And He has promised to never destroy us, even though through our sinfulness we deserve it…just take a look next time after a rain and look for the rainbow…a still visible sign of the covenant He made with His people after Noah, the ark and the great flood, well over 2,000 years ago.

2. That He is the Lord. Almighty. Omnipotent. All willing. All able. All loving. He is Creator and Miracle Worker with nothing being beyond the work of His hands. Although the Israelites thought they could never escape their captivity…although Pharoah thought that no power could exceed his own…although Moses doubted that God would actually do what He said He would do…God is God and will work in His own time and place in accordance with His will. He will ALWAYS prove His nay-sayers wrong and show that He and He alone is God.

3. That He will deliver and redeem. He promised He would deliver the Israelites out of the bondage of the Egyptians just as He promises to deliver us from the bondage of sin today. Our promise of redemption came through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ… the same Jesus we will celebrate tomorrow as He is born to Mary and Joseph in a lowly manger in Bethlehem. This Son was born to save…to die for our sins and bring the chance for eternal life…to bring hope to a hopeless world. The good news, my friends, is that He still brings hope today. Thanks be to God and Merry Christmas.

In Christ,

Mark

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DO YOU KNOW GOD?

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"Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.' " Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working." That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw. Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.' " So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw." The Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's slave drivers were beaten and were asked, "Why didn't you meet your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?" Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why have you treated your servants this way? Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." Pharaoh said, "Lazy, that's what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, "You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day." When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, "May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." Moses returned to the Lord and said, "O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." Exodus 5

Chapter 5 of Exodus starts with Moses and Aaron going before Pharaoh after meeting with the Israelite elders as God had commanded. They tell Pharoah, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'" And Pharoah responds with "Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go." But we read that Moses and Aaron persist and they repeat their words to Pharoah saying, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues or with the sword." Notice that the second time Moses an Aaron add specific consequences that could come if they disobeyed God. Pharoah wasn’t impressed. He sarcastically replies, ""Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!…Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working." In other words, Pharoah was saying, "What part of ‘no’ did you not understand? Stop wasting my time and holding up your people from their work." But he was about to do something even worse than just speaking some crass words.

For we read that Pharoah began to oppress the Israelite people even more. He ordered his "slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people" to "no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies." The Israelites had been tasked with making bricks to build the structures for Pharoah’s empire and had always been given the material to do the work. Now, Pharoah ordered straw withheld from the Israelites forcing them to find their own to make sure the bricks could be made. Further, they still had to maintain the same quota of bricks. All this was intended so the Israelites would "keep working and pay no attention to lies." Pharoah thought they were lazy and were using the proposal to go and offer sacrifices to God so they would not have to work. So the orders were carried out and conditions worsened for the people of Israel. Something had to happen to relieve the situation.

So the Israelite foremen decided to go to Pharoah and issue an appeal on behalf of the Israelites. They asked Pharoah, "Why have you treated your servants this way? Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people." Once again, Pharoah showed no sympathy and told the foreman, ""Lazy, that's what you are—lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' Now get to work. You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks." Rebuffed by Pharoah, the foremen go to Moses and Aaron, expressing their anger and frustration over the increased oppression of Pharoah. The foremen tell them "May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." In other words, what was currently happening was all the fault of Moses and Aaron. Had they not went to Pharoah in the first place, none of this would have happened. Their words definitely had an adverse impact on Moses.

For Moses then went before the Lord and said, ""O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all." In other words, Moses wants to know why God sent him there to do this. There has been no positive outcome and instead of rescue, there has only been increased hardship.
In this chapter, we see three main players and all three have the same problem: they don’t truly know and trust God.

Pharoah is intentionally bringing hardship on the Israelite people because he fears their numbers and wants to keep them under control so they can’t threaten his rule. By his own admission as he speaks to Moses and Aaron, he doesn’t know the Lord. And it’s obvious. Because if he did, he would have listened to Moses and Aaron. He is soon to find out that there is a God and a God who will bring as much hardship to Pharoah as he is bringing to God’s chosen people. Pharoah doesn’t know God now but he is going to know him soon in a big way.

The Israelite foremen also didn’t really know and trust God. They showed a problem that many people of faith have had throughout the ages. For it’s easy to have faith when things are going right but the challenge in life is maintaining faith when times get hard. Those who truly know and trust God never waver in their faith, no matter how hard it gets. The foremen not only falter after being rejected by Pharoah but then rain curses down upon Moses and Aaron hoping the Lord would judge them. Perhaps they should have been just as concerned with the Lord judging them for their unfaithful attitude.

And then we have Moses. You’ll remember that Moses wavered when God told him that he was to go and lead His people of Israel out of Egypt. There were already clear signs that Moses didn’t truly trust God in his heart, even though he had been closer to God than anyone else in this current matter. And yet we see Moses, rattled and bothered by the visit from the Israelite foremen, going before God and questioned God. In essence, he asked God where He was in the midst of all this. After all, hadn’t Moses and Aaron done what He told them to do. And yet, things had gotten worse, not better…and Moses wondered why God had not appeared to rescue His people yet. Moses showed an impatience that is not uncommon. We want God to do everything right away and when we want Him to act. And in doing so, we miss the things He is trying to do in and through us in the midst of suffering and hardship.

Question: Do you know God? I mean, do you really KNOW God? Do you trust in Him fully…knowing and trusting in all His assurances and promises as found in His word? Do you even know His word so you can know His promises? My prayer, this holiday season and into the year to come, is that we all come to KNOW God better. That we learn through His word that He is always with us and is doing a good work even when we’re going through tough times. I pray for stronger faith, enduring patience and a steadfast faith that doesn’t waver but instead stays firm, no matter what our circumstances.
Do you know God? Only you hold the answer to that question for yourself.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE ONLY APPROPRIATE RESPONSE

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"The Lord said to Aaron, "Go into the desert to meet Moses." So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform. Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped."
Exodus 4:27-31

How do you respond when you realize that the Lord has cared for you in the midst of difficult times? In our scripture today, we see the only appropriate way to respond as we study the actions of the elders of Israel.

We pick up in Chapter 4 right after Moses narrowly escaped death at the hands of an angry God who saw Moses as disobedient because he had failed to circumcise his son…a violation of the covenant God made with Abraham years earlier. It took the quick action of Moses’ wife Zipporah to save him as she quickly circumcised the son with a flint knife…an action that led God to allow Moses to live. He departs Moses and we see where He immediately appears to Moses’ brother, Aaron.

The Lord tells Aaron to "go into the desert to meet Moses" and Aaron obeys meeting Moses "at the mountain of God" where he greets his brother with a kiss. Moses then shares with Aaron everything that the Lord had told him, including "all the miraculous signs he had commanded him to perform." You’ll recall that Moses had the "staff of God" in his possession.

Then Moses and Aaron go to the elders of the Israelites just as God had commanded and we read where it was Aaron who spoke to the elders sharing with them "everything the Lord had said to Moses." Moses meanwhile "performed the signs before the people," using his staff, showing his hand in and out of leprosy as he took it in and out of his cloak and turning the water of the Nile to blood." Scripture tells us that after the words and actions of Aaron and Moses, "they believed…and bowed down and worshiped" hearing and understanding that "the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery." The elders rejoiced in a God who cared for them enough that He would deliver them from their hardship.

Question: Do you know this same God…the God who cares and loves you…the God who wants the best for you…the God who sees everything you’re going through and is with you in good times and bad? Do you know He hears your every cry, your every praise, and your every prayer? Do you know that He knows your every need and is ready to deliver you in due time in accordance with His will and purpose?

If the answer to these questions is no, then I pray for you and hope you will turn your heart, mind, soul and strength over to God. He will show you His love and lead you to the place of worship…trust in that.

If the answer to these questions is yes, then you, like the Israelite elders, should be believing in Him, bowing down before Him and entering into an attitude of unending worship and praise unto Him…a holy attitude or gratitude. For this and this only is the appropriate response to God for His goodness…for His grace and mercy…and for the gift of His Son, soon to be born as our Savior in the lowly manger in Bethlehem. Alleluia!

In Christ,

Mark

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EXPEDIENT ATONEMENT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well." Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. The Lord said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.' " At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met {Moses} and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched {Moses'} feet with it. "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me," she said. So the Lord let him alone." Exodus 4:18-26

God has sent Moses back to Egypt to act as His spokesperson, first to the elders and people of Israel and then to Pharoah. Before he returned, Moses went to his Midianite father-in-law, Jethro, and tells him to "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." We read that Jethro allows him to go and heads back to Egypt with his wife and sons on a donkey and the "staff of God in his hand." God instructs Moses that "all the men who wanted to kill you are dead" in Egypt. He also tells him that "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do." God then tells Moses that He will "harden (Pharoah’s) heart so that he will not let the people go" and Moses will tell Pharoah "'This is what the Lord says: ‘Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'" Through His words, we see where God is forecasting the future to Moses. But there is one part of the future that God fails to mention and it is in Moses’ immediate future.

For we read that "at a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him." Is this not an amazing reversal of attitude that God shows for Moses? I mean, in one instance, He’s talking about all the important things that He wants Moses to do in the future but then completely reverses field and wishes to take away Moses’ future all together. What could possibly cause God to be so angry? At the heart of the matter is disobedience.

You see, Moses failed to follow one very important aspect of Hebrew religious custom when his son was born for he failed to circumcise him. You’ll recall from Genesis 17 that circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with His people and God said in verse 13 that "Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." Obviously, Moses’ son was too young to dictate his own circumcision so God’s wrath fell on Moses. What could save Moses from God? Well, it took some quick action by his wife.

We read where Zipporah "took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it, saying, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me." You see, circumcision was not part of Midianite culture and the act was repulsive to Zipporah. Yet, she loved Moses enough to save him through conducting the circumcision herself. Her actions led to the Lord letting Moses alone. He was spared.

Our scripture today offers us some critical life application points:

1. We are to stay obedient to God’s commands. Moses knew the Hebrew culture and customs. Yet, he decided to not adhere to them, possibly because he was in the midst of a different culture. Nonetheless, God expected him to stay true to the covenant and when he failed to, he ended up in poor favor with God. This leads to point 2.

2. God hates disobedience. God didn’t just want to punish Moses. He met Moses and "was about to kill him." Yes, we serve a loving God but He is also our Supreme Judge and can issue the death sentence if He so chooses. Thus, if you’re openly sinning in disobedience to God’s word and will, you had better turn it around quickly or else. And this leads to point 3.

3. Expedient atonement can save you. I think I can say with full confidence that without Zipporah’s actions, Moses would have been killed and we would have seen someone else lead Israel out of Egypt. Her quick and decisive action in circumcising her son appeased God and saved her husband.

Question: In what ways are you being disobedient to God’s will, word and way for your life? Do you take for granted the power of God…a power that can be exhibited in wrath and anger just as easily as it can be shown in love? Do you not think that God could meet you somewhere and kill you because you chose to disrespect Him?

Like Moses, we too live in a world that has a completely different set of principles and customs than what God expects us to have as His servants. And just as Moses was influenced adversely by living amid the Midianites, so too can we be affected adversely by living in the world and for the world vice being in the world but not a part of the world’s principles because we have a higher set of standards…God’s standards. If you’re living in violation of God’s will, turn from your ways immediately. We saw in Zipporah’s quick circumcision of her son an expedient atonement. She quickly righted the wrong and God honored that. What do you need to expeditiously atone for today? Don’t delay in getting right with God. Your very future could be at stake.

In Christ,

Mark

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TRUST THE LORD

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"Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. "This," said the Lord, "is so 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." Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was leprous, like snow. "Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. Then the Lord said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground." Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." Exodus 4:1-17

Moses had a problem and it is a problem that is not uncommon in believers and non-believers alike. He didn't believe that God could truly do what He said He could do. Moses had witnessed the bush that burned but never was singed, a sign of God's miraculous power…a power that made the unconventional conventional…the impossible possible. He had heard the voice of God speaking directly to Him, assuring Him that He would be with him as he went to Egypt to carry out His will and showing Moses that He had a plan to ensure that Moses' work would be a success. Yet, despite all this, we read Moses saying to God, ""What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" God has said to Moses, ""The elders of Israel will listen to you." He didn't say, the elders may listen to you. He said they WILL listen. But Moses was the one who wasn't listening very well. Yet, we see a very patient God dealing with him in the midst of his unbelief…or at least the Lord was patient initially.

Question: How much are you like Moses…still unwilling to trust and believe despite all of God's promises and assurances found in His word…and despite all the power He reveals every day in the miracles and wonders He performs?

Well, as Chapter 4 of Exodus begins, we see that the Lord continues to show Moses the depth of His miraculous power in an attempt to get Moses confident that he could carry out what the Lord was asking him to do. He tells Moses to throw down his staff and we read where the Lord turns it into a snake and then back into a staff as Moses grabs it by the tail. He then tells Moses to stick his hand into his cloak and then withdraw it. Moses does so only to find his hand afflicted with leprosy which miraculously disappears when he sticks his hand back into his cloak. Two miracles…two awesome displays of the Lord's ability to make anything happen that He wishes. And still He gives Moses a third option if the first two don't work. He tells him to "take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground." Surely, this would have been more than enough to convince Moses. But it wasn't.

For Moses comes up with another excuse as to why he can't do what the Lord wants, saying "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The Lord has yet another response to Moses telling him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." In other words, God made Moses and every other man and woman in creation. He was the One who crafted every part of the body to carry out special functions…He was the One who ordained them to work in harmony to carry out His will. So as He tells Moses, "Who gave man his mouth?", He's talking to us as well. We need only seek Him to get the words to speak from the mouth He gave us. We need only seek the path He wants us to walk with the feet He placed under us. We need only trust in Him to do whatever he wants to do in and through us…and know that it will always work out to His glory.

And yet, we, like Moses, still fail. We allow our fears to overcome our faith. We're afraid to speak about the Lord to others because we're afraid that we might be rejected or ridicules or persecuted. And so we remain silent even though the Lord wants us to speak out. We're also afraid to go where the Lord wants us to go. The way ahead is sometimes so uncertain with potential dangers. Once again, we allow our anxiety and fear to get the best of us. We stand still when the Lord is wanting us to move forward. I'm sure that we, like Moses, get the Lord angry…so much so that He burns against us because of our stubborn refusal to let go and let Him have control.

The Lord, angry and frustrated, finally tells Moses that He would speak through his brother Aaron as well as him, adding that anything that Aaron said would still be received as if it came from Moses himself. In other words, the Lord's will is going to get done whether one person speaks His words or another. Trust and believe that if you stubbornly refuse to trust the Lord to use you to accomplish His will, then He will just find someone to use instead. His will is going to be accomplished one way or another. I don't know about you but I don't want to let the Lord down…the same Lord who gave us everything, including His only Son so we might be saved from our sins. If He gave us His all, shouldn't we be willing to give Him our all as well. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind. Know He will never lead you anywhere to do anything and not be right there with you. You are not alone. God has a plan. Surrender yourself to Him and His purpose.

In Christ,

Mark

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GOD HAS A PLAN

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"But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain." Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.' "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.' But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians." Exodus 3:11-22

God has spoken to Moses from the burning bush, telling him he is going to be the one to lead the people of Israel from bondage and oppression to freedom and a "land flowing with milk and honey." When Joseph asks, ""Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?", you’ll remember that God assures him that he won’t go alone for He would be with him. Then God does something else for Moses. He gives him a plan.

For Moses, still doubting he could pull off what God wanted him to do, asked, ""Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" And God replied, ""I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you’…Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation. " Notice where God uses the famous forefathers of the Hebrew faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to validate who He is to the Israelite people. This would help Moses gain their confidence and cooperation. For God now was about to give Moses His plan.

Note that Moses doesn’t have to devise how he will carry out God’s will. God tells him exactly what to do. And He will do the same for you as well.

God tells Moses to "Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.' "The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.' But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him. So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go. "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."

God instructs Moses and at each crucial step, he assures him what will happen. He tells Moses to go and gather the elders of Israel, sharing the message that God gave him. And God already guarantees Moses that ""The elders of Israel will listen to you." God and only God knows what will happen in the future before it happens. This is what also enables God to tell Moses to expect Pharoah’s rejection of his proposal…a rejection that will lead to God to "stretch out (His) hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that (He) will perform among them." This, God reassures will cause Pharoah to let Moses go and lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. So in the midst of Moses’ confusion, God entered in with a detailed plan for success.

Question: Are you going through a confusing time in your life? Are you wondering how God will use you to get through that time? Have you truly turned to God and asked Him to reveal His plan for you…the plan He wishes to use to see you through the confusion and to a place where you have endured the challenge and persevered to victory, not through your own works but through His work and guidance in your life? Rest assured of this, God has a plan. He has a plan for everything…and just like He was with Moses to see the plan through, so too is He with you…every step of the way. That’s good news.

In Christ,

Mark

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YOU ARE NOT ALONE

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"During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" And God said, "I will be with you." Exodus 2:23-25, 3:1-12b

Moses remained in Midian with his new family, an alien in a foreign land. We read that he has continued to help the Midianite family that took him in, "tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest…"

Meanwhile, we read that the Pharoah that wanted Moses dead has died himself but this had not brought relief for the people of Israel. Scripture tells us they still "groaned in their slavery and cried out" to God for help. And we read that God heard their cry and "remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob." Concerned about His chosen people, God decided to act. He would need someone to go forth for Him and He chooses Moses, deciding to get his attention in a most unique way.

For we read that as Moses "led the flock to the far side of the desert," he "came to Horeb, the mountain of God." And "there the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush." Seeing that the bush aflame but not burning up, Moses says, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." It’s then that the Lord speaks to Moses from the bush telling him to "not come any closer" and "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." God then tells Moses, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." And at this we read that Moses "hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God." What a moment this had to have been for Moses…a God moment just as his forefathers had experienced. Now it was his turn to be used in powerful ways.

God goes on to tell Moses that He has heard the cries of His people who have been oppressed by the Egyptian enslavement. God is fed up with seeing His people suffer and now intends to rescue them but not by just applying His power alone to Pharoah and Egypt. No, He tells Moses, "I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt."

Wow! Can you imagine hearing this? Put yourself in the place on Moses. He couldn’t even save himself from the murderous intentions of Pharoah, instead having to run away to survive. And now, God was telling him that he was going to go and face Pharoah head on to save all of Israel. It’s no wonder that Moses is a little apprehensive and in disbelief. I mean God doesn’t tell Moses He will place a great army at Moses’ disposal to carry out this task of overthrowing the Egyptian oppression. No…there is no great army…just an army of one…Moses. We can understand Moses when he says, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" I’m certain any of us would have asked the same question. It’s God’s reply that is meant to grant Moses the strength to carry out His will…and His words are intended for us as well as we seek to carry out His will today. For God proclaims, "I will be with you."

Question #1: How is God calling to you today? Are you actively seeking for His signs for you every day? He may not burn a bush in front you but God does seek to get our attention through other abstract ways. Will we recognize Him when He seeks to communicate with us? Will we see everywhere that He takes us as possibly being sacred ground? For where ever God is present, that place is sacred and holy.

Question #2: If God is calling to you and you are listening, how well are you staying obedient to what He is calling you to do? How are you responding to His call for you to accomplish something that seemingly is impossible? Do you truly believe with all your heart in God’s promise that nothing is impossible with Him? (Luke 1:37)

Just keep in mind this truth from today’s scripture for it is one of the absolutes in scripture. In other words, it’s one thing we can always count on. Here’s the truth: God the Father and His Son Jesus are always with you. God the Father promised us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. He reaffirms this in His words to Moses as He says, "I will be with you." Jesus, at the end of His Great Commission, tells us that He will be with us even until the end of the age. Are these not awesome words of assurance and hope for us? How can we ever feel alone, forsaken, abandoned, or unloved if we always remember that we are never alone and never unloved by our Heavenly Father and His Son, our Savior, Jesus?

God was with Moses and He is with you and I as well. And this is good news for today, tomorrow and forever more. Rejoice and be glad in it. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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AN ALIEN IN A FOREIGN LAND

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"Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock. When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, "Why have you returned so early today?" They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock." "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land." Exodus 2:15b-22

The word had gotten out. Moses had killed an Egyptian and Pharoah wanted an eye for an eye. He orders Moses to be killed and Moses is able to flee Egypt, finding refuge in Midian. As he sits down by a well, he has an encounter with seven daughters of a priest of Midian who had come to "draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock." While doing this, they are harassed by shepherds but we read that Moses "came to their rescue" and then even "watered the flock" for them.

The daughters return to their father and share what Moses had done. After hearing of Moses’ act of bravery, he asks, "And where is he?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat." The father was obviously upset that his daughters had not expressed any gratitude for what Moses had done for them. He feels the least he could do is offer some hospitality in return for what Moses had done to protect his daughters.

So he invites Moses to join the family and he agrees. In fact, we read that Moses received far more than just a meal and a few night’s stay. For the priest gives Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage and they in turn have a son who they name Gershom. All seemed like it was going fine for Moses but there was something wrong. We read at the end of the scripture passage that he felt like "an alien in a foreign land."

We get a sense that Moses really yearned to return to Egypt. Although he was staying in Midian, he was not a Midianite at heart. And although he had come from Egypt and the Midianite hosts believed he was an Egyptian, he wasn’t an Egyptian at heart either. For we know that Moses had a heart for his Hebrew brothers and sisters…the ones who were back in Egypt still under oppression and hardship. It had to be extremely hard for Moses to feel good about his relatively good and safe conditions when he knew of the suffering that was happening back where he had fled. And so his heart was unsettled.

Question: Have you ever felt as if you were an alien in a foreign land? Maybe you were forced into a change in your work…your relationship…your living arrangements…anything that took you into new and uncharted territory...anything that removed you from your comfort zone and moved you into a place that was unknown and made you feel unsettled…a place that left you alone and isolated…a place that left you uncertain of what the future held. Maybe you can relate to some of the feelings that Moses must have felt.

The good news is that we, like Moses will soon discover, serve a God who has a way of putting us where He wants us to be. Sometimes, this requires us to go to places where we might be an alien in a foreign land. After all, when we made the choice to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we became a new creation…what was in the past was gone and everything after our rebirth became new and blessed. We were no longer expected to be of the world, although we were in the world. In other words, we became aliens in a foreign land...disciple who now lived in a land of future eternal hope. For in Christ, we stand for principles and values that place us at war with the world and its sinfulness. And thus, we are on a quest through the Great Commission to help alienate others from their sinfulness and draw them into a righteous new existence with the Father and His Son.

So I ask again but now from a spiritual perspective as opposed to a worldly one: Are you an alien in a foreign land? In Christ, we’re supposed to be as we walk through this world seeking to make others alienated from it…drawing them into a relationship with the Savior who delivers them from death to life…from a dark world into a new land of light and hope and love…a land of eternal life through Christ Jesus.

In Christ,

Mark

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GOOD TRIUMPHS OVER EVIL

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"One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known." When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well." Exodus 2:11-15

We fast forward from Moses being plucked from the Red Sea and adopted by Pharoah’s daughter in infancy to his being "grown up." He has witnessed the terrible oppression suffered by Israel at the hands of Pharoah and we get a sense in this part of Chapter 2 in Exodus that he has seen enough. Why else would Moses take matters into his own hands and kill an Egyptian who he witnessed beating a Hebrew. Scripture tells us that Moses then buried the Egyptian in the sand. His actions give us some indicators that he would be used by God for greater purposes than saving a single Israelite.

First, Moses showed a contempt for abuse, especially against Israel. Although he grew up with the luxuries of being part of Pharoah’s family, Moses didn’t forget his roots. His love for his fellow Hebrews was evident in his actions against the Egyptian assailant as he stepped into rescue a brother Israelite.

Second, Moses showed great courage to intervene and save the Hebrew. It couldn’t have been easy to step in. In fact, scripture tells that Moses glanced "this way and that…seeing no one." There was a lot at stake and Moses knew he would be put to death if Pharoah ever discovered that he had killed an Egyptian. And yet, the desire to save another was greater than saving himself. And so Moses took action. His courage and willingness to save would be used by God on a much bigger stage later.

So Moses had saved a brother Hebrew from the abuse of an Egyptian, killing the Egyptian and burying his body. No one had seen him and so he thought this would be the end of the issue. But we see where the matter was not over. For the Hebrew Moses saved must have went back to his fellow Hebrews and told them what Moses had done…as he was soon to discover as he once again chooses to intervene in a matter.

This time, scripture tells us that Moses sees two Hebrews fighting one another. It wasn’t bad enough that the Hebrews were being subjected to beatings from the Egyptians but now we read that they are beating on one another as well. Moses steps in and confronts the aggressor…the "one in the wrong"…saying, ""Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?" I’m sure Moses was just trying to diffuse the situation peacefully but the one in the wrong verbally assaults Moses asking, ""Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" The Hebrew aggressor refused to be willing to admit he was wrong in his actions. Instead, he went after Moses and lets him know that he knows he killed an Egyptian. Moses, who stepped forward in courage to try and correct an injustice, now saw that courage replaced with fear. He knew that the word was spreading about what he had done and indeed, we read where Pharoah tried to kill Moses after he heard what had happened. But Moses, once again, escaped death at the hands of the Egyptian ruler. This time however, he wasn’t in a papyrus box. Instead, we read that he fled to Midian.

Question: Have you ever had someone turn on you when you were trying to help them? In the Hebrew aggressor, we see a distinct flaw in our human nature and we all have done it at one time or another. For, we have a hard time just admitting we are wrong. In the case of Moses and the fighting Hebrew, Moses was trying to get the Hebrew to realize his actions were wrong. All the Hebrew would have needed to do is say, "You know, you’re right. I got upset and I shouldn’t have started hitting my brother. I’m sorry." But we know that this didn’t happen. Instead, the Hebrew successfully deflected the blame off himself by placing blame on Moses. In essence, he was asking Moses…"who are you to tell us to not fight?"…"are you in charge of us?" And then he plays his moneyball…one he was sure would get Moses out of the way…as he asks him if he was going to murder him like he did the Egyptian. I can see Moses looking at the man with a shocked look in his face. And I can also see the Hebrew looking at him and saying to himself, "That’s right…I know all about it. Now go mind your own business." Do we not get equally vindictive sometimes? Do we not seek to deflect blame from ourselves vice have to admit we are wrong?

Thus our scripture gives us a look into the good and bad of humanity.

In one case, we see the courage to stand up for what is right and save another, even at the expense of oneself. And this was what Jesus did as well, except the life He sacrificed for the cause of peace and salvation was His own.

In the other case, we see the destructive nature of a vindictive, non-repentant attitude. The Hebrews caustic, hateful response to Moses was meant to hurt him just as he was hurting the Hebrew he was fighting.

Yet we see how God steps into the gap when His chosen are facing danger. For what the Hebrew intended for evil as he asked Moses if he planned to kill him as he killed the Egyptian, ended up for good as Moses was warned that the word was out. Thus he was able to flee and remain safe, despite Pharoah’s murderous intentions. God still had much for Moses to do.

Keep all this in mind as you walk this Christian walk day by day. Because you will inevitably run into others who will want to do evil unto you and feel in every way that they will succeed. The good news is, like Moses, we are servants of a God who wishes to use us for good. In shaping us in righteousness, he watches over us and protects us from sinister actions. The good news is that Satan will never get the upper hand against the Lord. Good triumphs over evil. Draw ever closer to the Lord and you will draw ever father away from the evil one. Trust in that. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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DELIVERED TO DELIVER

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"Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live. Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."
Exodus 1:22, 2:1-10

You’ll remember that in the latter chapters of Genesis, Jacob’s son, Joseph, was second in command in Egypt, just under Pharoah. His position and standing with the Egyptian ruler allowed for his Israelite family to be cared for during the seven year famine and beyond. After Joseph and his brothers die, a new Pharoah takes charge and things drastically changed for the worse for the people of Israel. In fact, the new Pharoah felt so threatened by the ever growing Israelite population that he ordered the Hebrew midwifes to kill all Hebrew boys that they helped give birth to. You’ll remember that they refused to do this out of their fear for God. As we see in today’s scripture, Pharoah was not ready to give up.

For we read where Pharoah orders his people to throw every boy born "into the Nile" where they would drown to death. The girls would be allowed to live. His request was a horrific act of genocide and we read where at least one family, a Levite family, was able to save their child. But this was no ordinary child. This child, placed in a papyrus basket, set sail on the Nile, and discovered and saved by Pharoah’s daughter, was Moses…the man who would deliver the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt and lead them on an exodus to the Promised Land.

As I was praying over these verses, I began to see parallels between Moses, Jesus and our own lives.

First, Jesus. You’ll remember that after King Herod had failed in his attempt to trick the Magi into revealing to him the location of Jesus, he had all boys two or younger killed in town of Bethlehem. Little did Herod know that Joseph had been warned in a dream and had taken Mary and Jesus to Egypt. So God instructed Moses to lead and deliver His people from Egypt and then later would instruct Joseph to lead and deliver His only Son Jesus to Egypt…both for the purpose of survival and salvation.

Now…consider us. For we too were once threatened by danger as Satan sought our destruction through exploiting the sin within us. Floating through life just as Moses floated in the Nile…in danger of being slain by evil just as Jesus was in Bethlehem, we were doomed without someone to save us. Then came Jesus who took us in, adopted us and offered us salvation and eternal life through His death and resurrection. He was and is the Savior of the world.

So this Advent season, as we once again excitedly anticipate the coming of the Savior, may we also remember and celebrate the coming of Moses, who was delivered to become the deliverer of God’s people, hand-chosen by the Father to do great things by way of His power. And may we also see ourselves as deliverers of God’s people as the Lord empowers us to tell others about His Son Jesus, the Babe born in the manger in Bethlehem…the only One by which anyone can be saved. Thanks be to God.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE FEAR OF GOD

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"Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, but the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them. Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. "Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly. The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?" The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own." Exodus 1:6-21

At the end of the book of Genesis, first Jacob and then his son Joseph passes away. The rest of Jacob’s sons and their families remain in Egypt until the sons pass away as well. As we enter the book of Exodus, we find that God’s promise of plenty to the Israelites coming to pass. For we read that "the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them." All was going well but that was about to change.

Question: Have you ever gone through a season of joy, peace and plenty only to have that time disrupted by change? Sometimes that change comes in the way of circumstances. Still other times, change can come though people around us. This ended up being the case with the people of Israel in Egypt.

For scripture tells us that a change in leadership occurred with a new Pharoah coming into power. Unlike the prior leader who blessed the Israelites because of the status of Joseph, this ruler saw the people of Israel as a potential threat and he decided to do something to nullify it. His insecurity is evident in his words as he says, "…the Israelites have become much too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country." Pharoah had at least part of his vision right because the Israelites would leave his country but it wouldn’t be them he would go to war with…it was to God.

The maltreatment of Israel started as Pharoah appointed "slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh." Pharoah had intended to stunt the growth of Israel by breaking the people down through enslavement but the scriptures reveal his efforts were fruitless for the "more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread" In return, Pharoah treated them even more harshly and "made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields." And as if hard labor wasn’t enough, Pharoah also summoned the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, and gave them an order saying, "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." It wasn’t enough to just oppress anymore. Pharoah sought to sanction murder as a way to stop the growth of Israel. In doing so, he underestimated the people of God. For the Hebrew midwifes did not carry out his order because scripture tells us they "feared God."

Question: Do you fear God? Do you seriously consider everything you do against whether it will or will not be in accordance with God’s will…and do so with a concern for the consequences that come through willful disobedience to Him? Too often, I think God is disrespected and disregarded.

Sure we typically wouldn’t ever think of doing something like killing another person but we don’t hesitate for a moment to hate someone. Both are sinful…and sin is sin to God. Yet we discount some sins as being less significant and adopt the attitude that somehow God will give us a pass for some wrongs over others. That’s not the way it works. It’s no wonder that Jesus would teach that anger and hatred for someone was just as subject to judgment as murder. The fear of God begins with a zero tolerance for wrongdoing out of respect for Him and the power He possesses…power that can easily punish any of us into oblivion. The Hebrew midwifes weren’t willing to test God even if they were being ordered by a Pharoah who could kill them for their disobedience to him. Disobedience to God would have been far worse. We should learn from their actions.

When Pharoah calls the midwifes to him and inquires as to why they hadn’t carried out his order, they tell him, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive." Their actions saved the lives of countless Israelite baby boys so God blessed them likewise and "gave them families of their own" because they feared Him. Once again, we see how God blesses the obedient. The midwifes stood firm on the side of righteousness when presented with a situation where they were expected to sin. Their choice not only saved the lives of others but brought an abundant blessing unto their own household. And it all happened because they feared God more than anything the world could place before them.

Question: Are you ready to stand firm like the midwives, willing to fear God enough that you refuse to allow the world to draw you into anything that you know as being sinful against God? Psalm 110:11 gives us the perfect closing for today’s devotion. It states, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." A lot of people deemed intelligent by the world’s standards have fallen because they lacked the wisdom to fear God. Where do you stand?

In Christ,

Mark

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ARE YOU IN THE PLACE OF GOD?

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"After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father. When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" So they sent word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said. But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father's family. He lived a hundred and ten years and saw the third generation of Ephraim's children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph's knees. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place." So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt." Genesis 50:14-26

Jacob has died and received his burial in Canaan, just as he requested with full traditional honors from his Israelite family and the Egyptians as well. He had quite a life and left behind twelve sons who would form the framework of Israel…the heads of the twelve tribes. The nation of Israel would be in their hands with God as their guide. They had a lot of challenges ahead of them now that their father had passed. We read where their immediate concern is whether they will now survive the perceived wrath of Joseph…the brother they wronged so badly.

We catch a glimpse of their anxiety in our scripture as the brothers think, ""What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" The brothers believed that Joseph only showed them mercy before because Jacob was still living but now that he was dead, there was nothing holding Joseph back from exacting his revenge. Would he put them into prison like he was so they could get a taste of the isolation and confinement he suffered through? Would he make them slaves to the Egyptians so they might experience the bondage he endured as they sold him away? The questions were racing through their minds so much that they couldn’t face Joseph themselves right away. Instead, they sent a message to him as a preamble to them going to him.

The message was simple and to the point, stating "Your father left these instructions before he died: 'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father." Their words contained three key points:

1. The advice to ask for forgiveness came from their father. Jacob, before he died, had told his sons to ask for forgiveness from Joseph. This was the first step to seeking reconciliation. Humbly coming forth to ask for pardon.

2. The brothers confessed to having sinned. The brothers admitted that what they did to Joseph was sinful and wrong. Their treatment of him was bad and unwarranted. It was inexcusable and they make no excuse for their actions.

3. They profess themselves to be servants of God. This showed the greatest change of heart in his brothers. For no one truly serving God would have wronged him the way they did. But now, he had seen them before him genuinely humble and changed. Truly, there had been a positive outcome from his suffering. Just as he realized that God had brought him on this journey to achieve a greater purpose for Him, so too does he see where God brought his brothers along on the journey for a reason as well. To draw them to Him so He could use them just as He had used Joseph.

Well, the message reached Joseph and his heart was touched. Scripture tells us, "he wept." Their words, coupled with the work of the Spirit within Joseph, had laid the groundwork for forgiveness and the repair of a fractured relationship.

Question: Are their any relationships in your life in need of repair? Do you face challenges where your heart struggles to forgive another for the wrongs they have done to you?

Joseph’s brothers now come to him and we read where they "threw themselves down before him" and said, "We are your slaves." They don’t wait to see if their message was received favorably but instead immediately throw themselves at Joseph’s feet professing their unworthiness. They are fit to do nothing else but be enslaved to him to repay the debt of their wrongdoing.

Question: Are we not all like Joseph’s brothers? Can we truly approach God with any sense of confidence that we are worthy of His favor? Should we not always be coming to Him with the sense of unworthiness, throwing ourselves at His feet as His slaves?

The truth of the matter is that none of us can stand before Him on our own merit. It’s only through His grace and mercy found in the sacrificing of His Son Jesus in our place that we even have a chance at redemption. We should humbly come before Him in thanksgiving and praise.

And since none of us can stand before Him, that means that none of us are worthy to judge either. Yes…we certainly love to assume this role. Satan loves to get us puffed up and believing we’re somehow superior to another. The truth is that we’re all the same when it comes down to it…all sinners in desperate need of God’s forgiveness. And since He so freely forgives us through Jesus…so too are we to forgive one another.

This is how Joseph could so easily say to his brothers, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." Joseph’s words need to resonate within the chambers of our hearts and minds today and forever more. Listen again as he says, "Am I in the place of God?"

Joseph realized it wasn’t his place to judge. Only God has the honor and authority to do that.

Joseph also realized that it was his obligation to forgive. For God expected that.

Question: How about you? Do you realize it isn’t your place to judge another? Do you see now how God expects us to forgive others in grace and mercy, just as He forgives us? We are not in the place of God when we judge and condemn. We are, however, in the place where God dwells when we adopt the Spirit of reconciliation and mercy and love. And who doesn’t want to dwell in the place where the Father dwells, in this life and in the one to come. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A MATTER OF LEGACY

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"Then Israel said to Joseph, "I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers. And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow." Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it. "Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel. "Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk." Genesis 48:21-22, 49:1-12

After Jacob finishes blessing Joseph and his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, he calls the rest of his sons to be with him. All twelve gather around him as Jacob addresses each, one at a time, and prophecies what their tribe will be like in accordance with the characteristics of the son…the tribe’s namesake. In his prophecy, we can learn something about the importance of the word legacy.

First up, Jacob addresses Reuben…the eldest son…the firstborn…the one that deserved Jacob’s blessing. Instead, he earned his curse as Jacob predicted that his son "will no longer excel." Why? Because Reuben had committed adultery with Bilhah, Jacob’s wife, something that Jacob never forgot. So Reuben lost his chance to be blessed and left behind a legacy of deceit and infidelity…all because he decided that fulfilling his selfish needs were greater than staying true to God’s will and way. His one night stand cost him a lifetime of honor and respect.

Question: How about today? How often do we see people who seemingly have everything going for them throw it all away over pursuit of their own selfish desires vice doing what is right? It only takes one impropriety to wipe away years of work in establishing a solid reputation. And once you lose it…you may never regain it. If you went back and asked Reuben whether he thought it was worth it, I’m pretty sure he would have said it wasn’t. There are many people today who have erred similarly who would say likewise.

Next, Jacob addressed Simeon and Levi. Like Reuben, they had everything going for them as well. After Reuben’s fall, they would have been next in line to receive their father’s blessing. But there was that matter at Shechem. You’ll remember that Shechem himself lusted after their sister Dinah and ended up raping her. In revenge for their sister’s rape, Simeon and Levi tricked the men of Shechem into getting circumcised, promising that they would be allowed to marry the Israelite women if they did. But they really wanted to enter Shechem and murder all the men of the town before plundering the entire town. Their murderous rampage left Jacob angry and disgraced evident in his words to them as he said, "Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel!" So Simeon and Levi left a legacy of revenge and bloodshed. Their killing spree cost them any chance of gaining what Reuben had thrown away before them.

Question: How about today? How many people get so overcome by anger and rage that they give in to murderous thoughts and kill others? Too often I’m afraid. The death that results from the fierce anger and accompanying fury truly is a curse and a tragedy on every occurrence.

Well, this would be a bad news devotional if it weren’t for Judah. Where the other three brothers had fallen from grace with their father, Judah was elevated to a state of honor. We read in Jacob’s words that how Judah will command respect ("your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons will bow down to you"), reign in power ("the scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his") and be successful (he will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk). Why did Judah gain this level of honor?

Well we can see in scripture how Judah was the brother who was willing to sacrifice himself for the good of his youngest brother Benjamin if there arose a problem where he was not allowed to return home from Egypt. You’ll recall that Jacob was apprehensive about sending Benjamin but Judah stepped in to put him at ease.

You’ll also remember that it was Judah who spoke up and interceded for Benjamin and the rest of his brothers when Joseph had his silver cup planted in Benjamin’s bag. Judah’s impassioned plea showed his willingness to exhibit courage and honor during a crisis. It showed that he was willing to put himself on the line for the ones he loved.

Question: So what is your legacy? Is it one of sinful living and a bad reputation? Or is it the opposite? Are you respected and revered for your ability to stand up for what is right and to live a life that is driven by God’s will, not your own? It really is a matter of choice, you know. We all have the capacity to be as good or as bad as we want to be. It’s called free will. But there’s a catch. For exercising free will on your terms is often costly. Just ask Reuben…or Simeon…or Levi…or countless others today who fell and fell hard from their sinful actions. The Lord grants us free will but expects that will to be His will so we can be set free to accomplish His purpose. And there can be no greater legacy than one that followed God’s way from start to finish. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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FINISHING SECOND

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"Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years, and the years of his life were a hundred and forty-seven. When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, "If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." "I will do as you say," he said. "Swear to me," he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. Some time later Joseph was told, "Your father is ill." So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him. When Jacob was told, "Your son Joseph has come to you," Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed. Jacob said to Joseph, "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me and said to me, 'I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.' "Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine. Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers. As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem). When Israel saw the sons of Joseph, he asked, "Who are these?" "They are the sons God has given me here," Joseph said to his father. Then Israel said, "Bring them to me so I may bless them." Now Israel's eyes were failing because of old age, and he could hardly see. So Joseph brought his sons close to him, and his father kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too." Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the Angel who has delivered me from all harm—may he bless these boys. May they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they increase greatly upon the earth." When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. Joseph said to him, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations." He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' " So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh." Genesis 47:28-31, 48:1-20

Chapter 47 ends with Jacob (also named Israel) near dying. He calls Joseph and makes him take an oath to not "bury me in Egypt, but when I rest with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me where they are buried." Joseph swears he will carry our Jacob’s wish.

Soon after this, Jacob becomes ill and Joseph is summoned. He goes to his father with "his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him." Jacob sits up in bed and does something very peculiar. He adopts Joseph’s sons saying, "Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine." Then Jacob asks Joseph to bring them to him so he might bless them. We read where Joseph carefully positions the boys in accordance with their age. Manasseh was the oldest so by custom was the firstborn and deserved the birthright. He was placed to Jacob’s right. Ephraim meanwhile was placed on Jacob’s left. It would be a simple matter of Jacob reaching out his right and left hands onto the heads of the boys and blessing them appropriately. But things didn’t go as planned. Jacob crossed his arms when he reached out and thus placed his right hand on the head of Ephraim, the youngest. His left hand fell upon the head of the oldest, Manasseh.

This caused Joseph to be "displeased" so he "took hold of his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head" and said, "No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." But Jacob "refused" and said, "I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations." He blessed them that day and said, "In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: 'May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.' " So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh."

And so it was. The oldest son who was supposed to finish first finished second. Joseph had a problem with that. Why? Because Joseph perceived what was happening on worldly terms…not on the Lord’s. He only saw the switch as Manasseh losing his birthright…something his father Jacob knew all about. After all, he and his mother Rebekah deceived Isaac to give him the birthright that was rightfully Esau’s. Esau ended up finishing second to his younger brother. Now history was repeating itself as Ephraim, the younger, moved ahead of Manasseh, the elder.

Question: How well do you handle finishing second? I don’t know about you but I have had my difficulties. We seem to be very competitive by nature. Winning is everything. Nobody remembers the runner up. And so we end up obsessing over being first…so much so that we are willing to do almost anything...even sin...to avoid coming in second. And in its worst sense, we can become like Cain and murder our brother Abel out of envy over his favor over us. We can sell someone off into slavery like Joseph’s brothers just so we might garner the preference of the brother we got rid of. And I could go on and on using biblical examples of people not handling second place very well. But I don’t have to go back that far to find examples. There’s plenty of real life examples happening every day in our society…and even in our churches.

We simply need to shed this need for being first in everything. The Body of Christ isn’t about any one part of that body being any greater than the other. Instead, all the parts of the body are equally important to carry out the Will and Purpose of the Father. We are all subordinate to God when it all comes down to it. He’s first and we’re second…always. And none of us rank any better than the next. We’re all sinners who are without hope short of the salvation that comes through the crucified and risen Savior, God’s only Son, Jesus Christ. It’s through Him that we all finish first at the end of this race called life. So in the final analysis, it’s not important who finishes first while we’re in the world. It’s only important that we finish the race together…all in first place when we cross the finish line into the awesome glory of heaven with the Father and the Son.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE GIFT OF EVERYTHING

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"There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh's palace. When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, "Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up." "Then bring your livestock," said Joseph. "I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock. When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, "We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate." So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land. Joseph said to the people, "Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children." "You have saved our lives," they said. "May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh." So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh's. Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number." Genesis 47:13-27

The seven year famine raged on. And although there was plenty of food to feed everyone because of the plan God has given Joseph in Egypt, a problem arose. For people started to run out of money to pay for the food. The people brought the problem before Joseph saying, ""Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up." Joseph responded by telling them to "bring your livestock…I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone." And so the people brought Joseph their livestock and in exchange received their food. We read in scripture that this went on for a year.

But soon another problem came up. The people had exhausted their supply of livestock and were once again in a place where they could not pay for their food. So they came to Joseph with a request saying, ""We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate." Joseph accepts their proposal and buys "all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh's, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other." But Joseph didn’t bring all the people into bondage and force them to leave their homes. He allowed them to stay where they were, work their land, and gave them seed to grow new crops. His only requirement was that a fifth of the crop go to Pharoah. This 20 percent asking was well below the average. Most rulers demanded 40 percent or greater from their people.

So while allowing people to become servants and taking ownership of their land seems harsh in our present day terms, it really wasn’t as harsh as it seems in the days of Genesis. For then, it wasn’t unusual for the people to live in servitude to a ruler. In fact, the Egyptian people were already servants of Pharoah anyways and their land could be taken by him anytime if he decided to take it.

So what happened was actually an act of mercy by Joseph. Many rulers of the time may have let their people starve to death but he was willing to make a way so everyone could eat while Pharoah’s kingdom still thrived. The people came to learn that in life sometimes we have to be willing to give everything in order to survive.

This whole account got me thinking about myself and us as well. We go through each day looking to be provided for. We have our desires and dreams but in the end, we just wish to have a roof over our head and food on the table. Like Egypt over 2,000years ago, we face our own personal famines…times in life when things aren’t going so well…times when we wonder if we’re going to have enough to survive from one month to the next and sometimes from one day to the next. We find ourselves crying out like the Egyptians for help…willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary to make it through the times we’re going through. And as we cry out, we can always count on God being there for us…like Joseph, ready to help us but not giving us everything freely. For like Joseph, God expects that we give Him everything we have…our possessions and ourselves.

Now go with me to Bethlehem and a lowly manger where a young couple named Joseph and Mary bring a young baby boy into the world…the baby Jesus…God’s only Son who came as the Messiah…the Savior of the world. Seeing a world that was starving from sin…a spiritual famine that would choke the very life out of man…God chose to give up everything He had including His one and only Son Jesus…so that all of mankind…so that you and I could be saved.

This Advent season, as you await the coming of the Savior…Jesus the Christ…won’t you come to the manger in Bethlehem bearing your own personal gift…the gift of yourself. Won’t you be willing to give yourself for Him just as He later in life gave Himself for you. Won’t you invite Jesus into your heart this Christmas and embrace Him as the greatest gift ever given…God’s gift of His everything for everyone. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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HONOR YOUR FATHER

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"All those who went to Egypt with Jacob—those who were his direct descendants, not counting his sons' wives—numbered sixty-six persons. With the two sons who had been born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob's family, which went to Egypt, were seventy in all. Now Jacob sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen. When they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." Then Joseph said to his brothers and to his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians. Joseph went and told Pharaoh, "My father and brothers, with their flocks and herds and everything they own, have come from the land of Canaan and are now in Goshen." He chose five of his brothers and presented them before Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" "Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." They also said to him, "We have come to live here awhile, because the famine is severe in Canaan and your servants' flocks have no pasture. So now, please let your servants settle in Goshen." Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you, and the land of Egypt is before you; settle your father and your brothers in the best part of the land. Let them live in Goshen. And if you know of any among them with special ability, put them in charge of my own livestock." Then Joseph brought his father Jacob in and presented him before Pharaoh. After Jacob blessed Pharaoh, Pharaoh asked him, "How old are you?" And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence. So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children." Genesis 46:26-34, 47:1-12

From as early as I can remember, my parents always stressed the matter of respect as they raised me. They taught me to respect my siblings, to respect others, to respect myself but, most of all, to respect them. They were the parents, they were the adults, they had the life experience and they were in charge…and I was to listen, obey and learn. In return, they took care of me, my needs and watched out for my best interests…even though there were times when I wondered if my interests weren’t better. Funny how much smarter our parents become as we get older. I think that’s true in most cases.

So today, more than ever, I respect my parents. They played a large role in making me the man I am today and for that I am eternally grateful. My mother introduced me to God and His Son Jesus. It was that spiritual introduction that has blossomed into full adult maturity and allowed me to minister to countless others. The roots of my faith are not only in the Lord but her as well. What a blessing she is.

And now I have adult children who are on their own and learning all about life’s challenges. My prayer for them both is that they never depart from their foundation of faith that my wife Grace and I established within them during their upbringing. I pray as well that they never forget the premise of respect that we taught them, just as our parents had taught us. There’s little wonder that when God handed down the Ten Commandments through Moses, He listed "Honor Your Father and Your Mother" as the first commandment in dealing with people. It’s that important.

It was important to Joseph in our scripture lesson from Genesis, Chapters 46 and 47. For as Jacob and all his family (which "numbered sixty-six persons") got close to Egypt, we read that Jacob "sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen." We read further that "when they arrived in the region of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father and wept for a long time. Joseph, first reunited with his youngest brother Benjamin, now gets back together with his father. Jacob’s first son born of Rachel was not dead but very much alive. He was minus the "richly ornamented robe" he had given him in his younger years (Genesis 37:3) but how much more treasured was Joseph now. So much so that "Israel (or Jacob) said to Joseph, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." Jacob was at peace and ready to go to the Father now that he knew Joseph was fine.

Well, Joseph didn’t stop showing respect for his father by reuniting with him. For we read that he takes his father to meet the great Pharoah, ruler over all Egypt and the one who had granted Joseph permission to bring his family out of Canaan so they would not perish from the famine. You’ll remember that Pharoah promised Joseph’s family "the best of the land of Egypt and…the fat of the land." (Genesis 45:18) So just as Pharoah blessed Jacob and his family, so too do we read that Jacob blesses Pharoah (47:10). In return, "Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children."

In closing, I will mention what hasn’t been mentioned yet…and it’s the most important thing to remember about respect. For when we honor our father and mother, we honor our Father in Heaven…the One who ordained all fathers and mothers, appointing them guardians over His precious little children. Joseph, in honoring his father and family, did so not just because he loved his father and family but because he loved his Lord…and loved Him so much that he remained obedient to Him in good times and bad. In the end, as we have studied, Joseph realized God’s greater plan for him…that he had endured hardship to be placed in a position where he not only would save his family but all of Egypt and Canaan. In the final analysis, we can’t possibly expect to properly respect our father and mother without first respecting the Father above…the One who created, defined and first commanded respect. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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CERTAINTY IN THE MIDST OF UNCERTAINTY

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"So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, "Jacob! Jacob!" "Here I am," he replied. "I am God, the God of your father," he said. "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes." Then Jacob left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt. He took with him to Egypt his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring." Genesis 46:1-7

As Genesis, Chapter 46, begins, Jacob sets out for Egypt with "his sons and grandsons and his daughters and granddaughters—all his offspring." Much like his ancestor Abraham, he left his home behind to go to a new and unknown territory…Egypt. He also went to be reunited with a son he though had died. Many years had passed since Jacob had laid eyes on his favorite son. He had to wonder if things would be the same now. So much uncertainty…so much anxiety had to be coursing through Jacob’s veins.

Question: How about you? Are you going through uncertain times in your life? Maybe there has been some disruption like an illness or broken relationship? Maybe you are facing having to moving or have lost a job? One thing is certain and that is that we will at on time or another in life face uncertainty.

Well, we read in scripture that Jacob stopped at Beersheeba on his way to Egypt and "offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac." You’ll recall that Beersheba is where a treaty was made between Abraham and King Abimelech and reconfirmed by his father Isaac and Abimelech later. Now Jacob pays tribute to God at Beersheba and God comes to him in a vision saying, ""I am God, the God of your father …Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph's own hand will close your eyes."

What an awesome assurance for Jacob in the midst of uncertainty! God words immediately grant comfort as He says to Jacob, "Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down to Egypt with you and I will surely bring you back again." In other words, God is saying "Be at peace and do not let your soul be troubled…I am with you and will make everything work out." Armed with God’s promise, Jacob "left Beersheba, and Israel's sons took their father Jacob and their children and their wives in the carts that Pharaoh had sent to transport him. They also took with them their livestock and the possessions they had acquired in Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt."

The good news for us in the scripture today is that we have the same assurance that Jacob had. In the midst of our uncertainty, we can be certain that God is with us and ready to guide us in the way He wants us to go. In the midst of our fear and anxiety, God says to us, "Do not be afraid…", ever seeking to calm our troubled hearts and souls. We only need to trust Him and seek is will for us. Are you ready to find a place of peace and serenity today? Turn to the only One who always offers us certainty in the midst of uncertainty…the certainty that He is always with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. Thanks be to God.

In Christ,

Mark

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PURPOSE, SPIRIT, TRUTH

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"And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance…When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come, Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Tell your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.' "You are also directed to tell them, 'Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.' " So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts, as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey. To each of them he gave new clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes. And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey. Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, "Don't quarrel on the way!" So they went up out of Egypt and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan. They told him, "Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt." Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them. But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. And Israel said, "I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die." Genesis 45:5b-7, 16-28

Joseph has finally revealed his identity to his brothers and reconciled himself to their actions toward him, seeing that it was all part of God’s greater plan for him. Joseph professed that God had sent him ahead of his brothers to Egypt to save lives. In other words, God had a purpose for everything that happened to Joseph.

We should keep this in mind as we go through our day-to-day living. For every day is a chapter in God’s plan for us and we should always be asking the question, "God…for what purpose are you doing things in and around me?" Trust and know that He will reveal that purpose to you as long as you stay open to receive it.

Joseph saw his ultimate purpose as saving lives in Egypt. He told his brothers that the famine was not anywhere near over…in fact, 5 years remained and the preservation of his brothers, his father and their families was contingent on them coming to Egypt. Pharoah cemented the invitation by saying, "Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours." With Pharoah’s blessing, Joseph gave "each of them…new clothing" and to Benjamin "he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothes." Joseph, through the prior testing of his brothers, knew he could favor his youngest brother without worrying whether the brothers would become jealous and envious yet again.

Additionally, Joseph sent goods to his father, giving him "ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey." Joseph’s actions were to help validate what his brothers were about to tell Jacob…for he would be hard pressed to believe them when they share with him that Joseph is still alive.

And indeed, Jacob did not believe them after they told him upon their return but scripture tells us that "when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived." This led Joseph to proclaim, ", "I'm convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die."

Of note here is what helped validate the story the sons had told Jacob. Relying on his own understanding, he failed to believe what was true when told Joseph was alive. But through the Spirit, Jacob was convinced and knew that what was said was truth.

We can glean a lot of wisdom from this as we deal with matters of discernment. We too often are faced with matters that can be very confusing and complex. We find ourselves awash in trying to figure everything out. Sometimes the absolute truth seems completely unattainable. But through the help of the Spirit, we will always be guided to the truth. And just like Jacob, we can be absolutely convinced that the truth is just that…THE truth.

So two important matters of application come to us from the final verses of Genesis, Chapter 45.

First, we should always keep in mind that God has a purpose for us. For Joseph, it was to save lives and deliver his family to Egypt. We should likewise keep in mind that we know at least one purpose for all who believe and trust in the Father and His Son Jesus. For Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19-20). By carrying out His command, we too are serving as instruments of deliverance…helping other move from death to life…from the famine of unrighteousness to the plenty of godliness…from hell to salvation.

Secondly, we need to keep in mind that the Holy Spirit will always validate truth. As we seek to see understand things that are happening in our lives, we can always know with absolute confidence that the Lord will NEVER allow us to be deceived when we are turning to Him for guidance. For Jesus said, "…when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." (John 16:13) Validate everything through the Spirit and you WILL find truth.

In Christ,

Mark

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REALIZING GOD'S PURPOSE

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"Now Joseph gave these instructions to the steward of his house: "Fill the men's sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each man's silver in the mouth of his sack. Then put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." And he did as Joseph said. As morning dawned, the men were sent on their way with their donkeys. They had not gone far from the city when Joseph said to his steward, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.' " When he caught up with them, he repeated these words to them. But they said to him, "Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves." "Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. Then the steward proceeded to search, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. At this, they tore their clothes. Then they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city. Joseph was still in the house when Judah and his brothers came in, and they threw themselves to the ground before him. Joseph said to them, "What is this you have done? Don't you know that a man like me can find things out by divination?" "What can we say to my lord?" Judah replied. "What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt. We are now my lord's slaves—we ourselves and the one who was found to have the cup." But Joseph said, "Far be it from me to do such a thing! Only the man who was found to have the cup will become my slave. The rest of you, go back to your father in peace." Then Judah went up to him and said: "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word to my lord. Do not be angry with your servant, though you are equal to Pharaoh himself. My lord asked his servants, 'Do you have a father or a brother?' And we answered, 'We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' "Then you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me so I can see him for myself.' And we said to my lord, 'The boy cannot leave his father; if he leaves him, his father will die.' But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. "Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.' But we said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' "Your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. One of them went away from me, and I said, "He has surely been torn to pieces." And I have not seen him since. If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery.' "So now, if the boy is not with us when I go back to your servant my father and if my father, whose life is closely bound up with the boy's life, sees that the boy isn't there, he will die. Your servants will bring the gray head of our father down to the grave in sorrow. Your servant guaranteed the boy's safety to my father. I said, 'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!' "Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord's slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? No! Do not let me see the misery that would come upon my father. Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. You shall live in the region of Goshen and be near me—you, your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. I will provide for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise you and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.' "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is really I who am speaking to you. Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly." Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him." Genesis 44:1-34, 45:1-15

After finishing treating his brothers to a meal, Joseph sends them back toward Canaan with a new supply of grain. He orders his steward to once again, return their silver coins to the sacks but orders one other thing. He tells the steward to place his "cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one's sack, along with the silver for his grain." This would make it appear that the cup had been stolen from Egypt and would be viewed as a terrible crime, especially in light of the hospitality shown to the Hebrews by the Egyptians. So the steward carries out Joseph’s command and the brothers are sent on their way home.

After they departed, Joseph then orders his steward to, "Go after those men at once, and when you catch up with them, say to them, 'Why have you repaid good with evil? Isn't this the cup my master drinks from and also uses for divination? This is a wicked thing you have done.' So the steward does as he is told. He goes after the brothers and, after catching up to them, he accuses them of stealing the sacred silver cup of his master. The brothers deny the charge and say, ""Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that! We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master's house? If any of your servants is found to have it, he will die; and the rest of us will become my lord's slaves." The steward agrees to their challenge but modifies it because Joseph would never want to see his youngest brother die. So the steward says, ""Very well, then," he said, "let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it will become my slave; the rest of you will be free from blame." The stage is set for the final testing of Joseph’s brothers.

For Joseph was interested in seeing if his brothers would repeat their mistakes of the past. He had seen some signs that they may have earned their lesson but there was more at stake now. If one of the brothers had the silver cup, then they would be enslaved while the others brothers would return home. Would the brothers actually allow another brother to be taken off into slavery? How would they respond when it is Benjamin who is discovered to have the cup, especially after they had vowed to their father to ensure his safety? Would they return to Jacob and lie about what happened to Benjamin like they did with Joseph? Remember that Jacob still believes Joseph is dead and this is why he was so adamant about not allowing Benjamin to leave his side. What would happen? Well, our scripture holds the outcome.

For the steward does find the silver cup and it’s in the sack of Benjamin. The brothers’ response is a first great indicator that their hearts and attitudes have greatly changed. For they immediately "tore their clothes", a sign of deep mourning, sorrow and repentance. No doubt, the brothers believed God was still punishing them for their sins against Joseph. So by the prior decree, Benjamin was to return with the steward as a slave. But the brothers didn’t abandon him. Instead, we read that "they all loaded their donkeys and returned to the city" where they entered the house of Joseph and "threw themselves to the ground before him." Once again, Joseph’s dream had come true but even more significantly, the brothers were proving that they indeed had changed.

After Joseph chastises them for what has occurred, Judah makes a heartfelt appeal to Joseph. He recaps all that has happened, reiterating that one brother was already dead (the assumed death of Joseph himself) and that the death of Benjamin would leave his father ready to die. Judah then explains that the father was reluctant to send Benjamin to Egypt on this trip but Judah assured him he would protect the boy. To repair the situation, Judah asks to take Benjamin’s place. He would agree to remain as a slave and allow his youngest brother to return home to his father. This was the depth of Judah’s love and willing sacrifice for his brother…the love and sacrifice that was not present when Joseph was sent off to slavery. This was the final indicator for Joseph that all had changed. The brothers had not only passed his test…but God’s test as well.

Joseph sends his Egyptian servants out of the room and then reveals his true identity to his brothers who "were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence." The man they had treated so harshly and condemned to a life of hardship now was in a position of power that could have them all killed. They realized the precarious situation they were in but they received something completely unexpected…something that had to complete the transformation of their hearts and souls.

For Joseph tells them to "Come close to me" and then restated that "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." What awesome words of comfort and grace and wisdom. Joseph is saying that the events that happened were all part of God’s greater plan…that God had intended to send Joseph ahead to save lives, including those of his own family in Canaan. He seals this amazing passage with the following words: "God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God." The brothers were vindicated by Joseph’s words. He saw their actions as part of the journey God had him on. A journey that had now reunited him with all his brothers with his particular love for his father and Benjamin coming through as Joseph says, "Tell my father about all the honor accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my father down here quickly." Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Afterward his brothers talked with him." The family was restored, better than it was before and ready to move forward in the spirit of love and unity.

Question: As you have gone through trials in life, have you ever stopped to think that it might be part of God’s plan for you? Have you ever considered that even when someone does wrong to you, it may be a part of a greater plan God has in store? In the story of Joseph, we can see that sometimes we will go through many trials and also many rewarding times to reach our final destination…the place where God wants us to be to carry out His will and way. Through our scripture today, we’re reminded to stay patient, keeping our eyes wide open to all possibilities that God may have for us. Never underestimate what He can do in and through you. Know and trust He has a purpose for you.

In Christ,

Mark

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LESSON LEARNED

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"The steward took the men into Joseph's house, gave them water to wash their feet and provided fodder for their donkeys. They prepared their gifts for Joseph's arrival at noon, because they had heard that they were to eat there. When Joseph came home, they presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground. He asked them how they were, and then he said, "How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living?" They replied, "Your servant our father is still alive and well." And they bowed low to pay him honor. As he looked about and saw his brother Benjamin, his own mother's son, he asked, "Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?" And he said, "God be gracious to you, my son." Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there. After he had washed his face, he came out and, controlling himself, said, "Serve the food." They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. The men had been seated before him in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest; and they looked at each other in astonishment. When portions were served to them from Joseph's table, Benjamin's portion was five times as much as anyone else's. So they feasted and drank freely with him." Genesis 43:24-34

Joseph’s brothers had come back to Egypt with Benjamin as Joseph had requested. Simeon was released and so all brothers were once again together, reunited for the first time. Of course, the other eleven brothers did not recognize Joseph and still thought he was gone. They acknowledged him as the powerful ruler he was, only one notch below Pharoah himself.

Scripture says that they "presented to him the gifts they had brought into the house, and they bowed down before him to the ground." Once again, this was a fulfillment of the dream that Joseph had before his brothers schemed to get rid of him. Interestingly enough, this ruler the brothers feared was very interested in their welfare and the welfare of their father. This should have seemed very unusual to the brothers because the Egyptians held great disdain for the Hebrews. In fact, we read where they refused to eat at the same table with them. This "Egyptian" however seemed different. He cared and "asked them how they were" and then asked about their father, wondering if he was still alive. The father that favored Joseph so much was indeed alive and this had to lift Joseph’s heart. Oh how he must have yearned to see his father again. That time would soon come.
Joseph was also thankful to see his youngest brother, Benjamin. In fact, Benjamin was the only brother he addressed personally saying, "God be gracious to you, my son." The blessing he placed on Benjamin was followed with a sudden outpouring of emotion. Scripture tells us Joseph went to "his private room and wept there." You’ll remember that Joseph and Benjamin were the only two sons born from Jacob’s love Rachel. Joseph held a special place in his heart for his brother and it’s obvious he had missed him. After composing himself, Joseph returns and orders the food to be served.

The meal offered a few other clues that something unique was going on in Egypt. The brothers were "seated before (Joseph) in the order of their ages, from the firstborn to the youngest." We read where this astonished them all. How could this Egyptian have known their birth order? We, the readers, know and soon so will the brothers.

The other clue comes when the food is portioned out. We see where Benjamin gets a portion "five times as much as anyone else's." It was obvious that Benjamin was being specially favored but instead of the rest of the brothers being envious of his good fortune, we see instead where they "feasted and drank freely with him." This was just another indicator to Joseph…and to God as well…that the brothers had learned their lesson.

So we see radical changes in the actions of Joseph’s brothers. They have gone from being prideful, selfish and self-centered to being humble, respectful and sacrificing. They have grown tremendously and Joseph has to be feeling like he’s ready to be a part of the family again. On the surface, it would appear that Joseph is testing the brothers but I am more inclined to think that God was testing them and using Joseph…just as He had used Joseph up to this point to get the brothers to realize their wrongs and turn toward being more righteous in their living. Through God, they had eventually learned their lesson.

Question: What mistakes have you made in life? How have those mistakes effected others? Have you hurt others through your actions?

Question: What actions have you taken to correct your mistakes? How pro-active have you been in correcting your sinful attitudes and actions? Have you sought to reconcile with those you have hurt?
If you have trouble answering any of these questions, you only need to turn to God. He will show you the wrongs you have committed but He will also show you the way to overcome your sinfulness and lead you to the place of reconciliation with those you have hurt. Turn to Him…and He will always lead you to where you, like Joseph’s brothers, can learn your lesson. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE GREATEST TREASURE EVER GIVEN

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"So the men took the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin also. They hurried down to Egypt and presented themselves to Joseph. When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." The man did as Joseph told him and took the men to Joseph's house. Now the men were frightened when they were taken to his house. They thought, "We were brought here because of the silver that was put back into our sacks the first time. He wants to attack us and overpower us and seize us as slaves and take our donkeys." So they went up to Joseph's steward and spoke to him at the entrance to the house. "Please, sir," they said, "we came down here the first time to buy food. But at the place where we stopped for the night we opened our sacks and each of us found his silver—the exact weight—in the mouth of his sack. So we have brought it back with us. We have also brought additional silver with us to buy food. We don't know who put our silver in our sacks." "It's all right," he said. "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." Then he brought Simeon out to them." Genesis 43:15-23

As Jacob’s sons return to Egypt with "the gifts and double the amount of silver, and Benjamin", they "presented themselves to Joseph." Notice that Joseph was not interested in the gifts or the doubled sum of money. His sole interest was in seeing his little brother Benjamin. What a joy it must have been for Joseph to see him. In fact, Joseph immediately instructs his steward, ""Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." The steward obeyed and carried out the instructions.

You would have thought at this point that the sons would have felt blessed. They had feared that they would be accused of being thieves as well as spies upon their return. But instead of a curse, they received a blessing. But there was only one problem. They didn’t recognize it because they had allowed their fears to take over and overcome their trust in God. Just as their father had been reluctant to show faith in God to deliver his sons from harm while in Egypt, now the sons failed to have faith and trust God to deliver them once they were there.

Question: How well do you realize and acknowledge the many ways that God is blessing you every day? Like Jacob’s sons, do you miss the very things he is doing in and around you because you are afraid or fearful of your life circumstances?

Well, I think we all have been guilty of forgetting God’s awesome assurances…that He would never leave us nor forsake us…that He would never give us a burden we couldn’t bear…that if he is with us, who can be against us. And when we forget, it seems that God always seems to place someone in our path to remind us. Maybe this blog will serve that purpose for you today. For the brothers, it came from a very unexpected source.

We read that Joseph’s steward who gets the brothers pointed back toward the true source of their good fortune. After they, in their fear, tell the steward that they don’t understand how the money found its way back into their sacks after they had left Egypt the first time, the steward tells them, "Don't be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver." He then blesses them further and returns Simeon to them from his imprisonment.
"Do not be afraid." Let those words enter your heart and mind right now. Allow the God that is ready to take away your burdens have them and find a peace that transcends all understanding…a peace that can only be found in Him. Indeed, He takes away our fears and reveals us His blessings and glory. Turn your eyes toward heaven, toward your Father who grants you every good and perfect gift from above.

Over 2,000 years ago, shepherds were standing in their fields and minding their flocks at night. They gazed into heaven and suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared unto them. The glory of the Lord shone around them. And…they were terrified. But the words of the angel, just like the words of the steward, were "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." The shepherds respond by saying, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." And they hurried to the little town of Bethlehem where they found Mary and Joseph, and the baby Jesus, who was lying in the manger. What a wondrous gift that had been given that night…the Gift that never stops giving.

This Advent season, we once wait with eager anticipation for the greatest treasure God has given any of us…the Babe Jesus who will be born in a lowly manger in Bethlehem…the Babe who brings us a hope everlasting. Are you ready to receive Him this year? Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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A RELUCTANT FAITH

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"Now the famine was still severe in the land. So when they had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy us a little more food." But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' " Israel asked, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?" They replied, "The man questioned us closely about ourselves and our family. 'Is your father still living?' he asked us. 'Do you have another brother?' We simply answered his questions. How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" Then Judah said to Israel his father, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die. I myself will guarantee his safety; you can hold me personally responsible for him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him here before you, I will bear the blame before you all my life. As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice." Then their father Israel said to them, "If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once. And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." Genesis 43:1-15

The seven year famine that had struck Egypt and surrounding Canaan was still in progress as Chapter 43 opens and the grain that Jacob’s sons brought from their trip to Egypt had been eaten. This prompted Jacob to order his sons to "Go back and buy us a little more food." We read where Judah reminds his father about the edict issued by the man they had encountered in Egypt…the man that was none other than his lost son Joseph. This prompts Jacob (scripture uses his other given name Israel) to ask all of his sons, "Why did you bring this trouble on me by telling the man you had another brother?" His remarks show us that Jacob is still fighting the inevitable. He knows that he will have to send Benjamin away in order to get food for his family and to secure the release of Simeon but he lacks the faith to trust God fully to watch over and protect his youngest son.

In reply to their father’s question, the sons explain that they were interrogated by the man they referred to as "the lord of the land" in chapter 42. They finish their defense by saying, "How were we to know he would say, 'Bring your brother down here'?" We then see where at least one of the brothers gets frustrated at his father’s stubborn refusal to release Benjamin so they could return to Egypt. For Judah guarantees Benjamin’s safety and says, "Send the boy along with me and we will go at once, so that we and you and our children may live and not die….As it is, if we had not delayed, we could have gone and returned twice." The grain is gone. People will start starving is more grain is not delivered. They have delayed long enough. This is the crux of what Judah is saying to his father.

What is interesting about Judah’s remarks is that he also fails to mention the one key point he needs to make…the one that would have helped his father more than anything else. He failed to lift up the name of the Lord in the situation. In other words, he never said, "You need to trust that God will be with us father…and He will not allow any harm to come to us." Those words could possibly have been the encouraging words that could have changed his father’s mindset on the matter. The father may have responded, "You are right. I have lacked faith in God on this matter. Be on your way and I place you in the hands of God." In a perfect world, that would have been the way it went. But we don’t live in a perfect world…do we?

After Judah makes his statement, Jacob says, ""If it must be, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your bags and take them down to the man as a gift—a little balm and a little honey, some spices and myrrh, some pistachio nuts and almonds. Take double the amount of silver with you, for you must return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks.
Perhaps it was a mistake. Take your brother also and go back to the man at once." Jacob realizes that he has to send Benjamin but still lacks the faith in the Lord to just surrender his will and allows God’s to be done. Instead, Jacob sends his sons off with gifts for the man in Egypt to include doubling the silver…silver that will pay for the grain. You’ll recall that the silver was returned to the sons with their grain by Joseph as his brothers left Egypt but the brothers, no knowing it was a gesture of goodwill, were afraid that they would be accused of being thieves as well as spies. So the double portion of silver was intended to ensure they weren't charged with stealing. As I stated, Jacob is still trying to control this matter with his own reasoning instead of the Lord’s.

So Jacob sends his sons off saying, "And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man so that he will let your other brother and Benjamin come back with you. As for me, if I am bereaved, I am bereaved." For the first time, we see Jacob calling on God to grant them mercy but understanding that the matter is out of his hands and he may end up being more bereaved than he already is. We sense that he fears the worst already. His faith is a reluctant faith.

We’re going to see that the gifts really meant nothing to the man in Egypt. Joseph wanted only to see his youngest brother who meant more to him than anything else. Had Jacob just turned to God in prayer, I’m certain God would have assured him that all would be fine...that he should send the sons off and know that they would return. God would have assured Jacob that this was all part of His plan…His will.

Question: How often do we show a reluctant faith? Do we truly turn toward the Lord when we’re faced with difficult situations, trusting that He will guide us through in accordance with His will and plan for us?

It’s important for us to keep in mind that we serve a God who is all Powerful, all Mighty, all Willing, all Loving and all Able to do anything and everything. And this one true God has a plan for you…and for me…and for us all. We need just trust in Him to make things happen in our lives in accordance with His Will...a Will that requires our surrender…our sacrifice…our faith.

Question: What is it that you are concerned about today? What circumstance are you reluctant to surrender? Do yourself a favor and save yourself a lot of undue stress. Just trust God. Lay your burdens down at His feet in prayer and petition…and experience a peace that transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). Be set free to live in joy and service to the Father. Today is the day of your liberation.

In Christ,

Mark

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WEIGHING RISK

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"Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, "What is this that God has done to us?" When they came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they told him all that had happened to them. They said, "The man who is lord over the land spoke harshly to us and treated us as though we were spying on the land. But we said to him, 'We are honest men; we are not spies. We were twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is no more, and the youngest is now with our father in Canaan.' "Then the man who is lord over the land said to us, 'This is how I will know whether you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers here with me, and take food for your starving households and go. But bring your youngest brother to me so I will know that you are not spies but honest men. Then I will give your brother back to you, and you can trade in the land.' " As they were emptying their sacks, there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver! When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened. Their father Jacob said to them, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me! Then Reuben said to his father, "You may put both of my sons to death if I do not bring him back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I will bring him back. But Jacob said, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow." Genesis 42:28b-38

Joseph’s brothers return to their father Jacob with not only the grain he sent them for but also the account of what happened to them in Egypt. They describe their encounter with the "lord over the land" (Joseph himself) and his assertion that they were spies. They also explained that in order to prove their honesty, they had to leave Simeon behind in Egypt and then bring Benjamin back after they had returned to Canaan. For the brothers, the solution seemed rather simple. Return with Benjamin to show they were honest and not spies, then get Simeon back from the "lord over the land", and return home. The plan seemed easy enough…but then a couple of complications arose.

First, as they emptied their sacks of grain, "there in each man's sack was his pouch of silver"…the same sack of silver they used to pay for the grain in Egypt. Scripture tells us, "When they and their father saw the money pouches, they were frightened." Why? Because they were afraid that they would now be accused of being thieves as well as spies, unbeknownst that Joseph had returned their money to them as a gesture of goodwill.

Secondly, there was the reaction of Jacob. He was extremely upset over the news from Egypt. Keep in mind that he thinks Joseph is dead. Now Simeon is being held under the charge of spying…a charge punishable by death…and if that weren’t enough, now his sons wanted to take Benjamin back to Egypt to get Simeon back. Jacob’s mind thought the worse…"I have already lost one son. I can’t bear to lose another and Simeon is already in custody. Do I lose him and Benjamin, the only other son I had with my beloved Rachel?"

The entire scenario was too risky for Jacob. He tells his sons, "You have deprived me of my children. Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!" Reuben offers a proposal that had to seem as preposterous as the original, if not more. He would give Jacob his sons so that he "may put both…to death" if Reuben failed to bring Benjamin back. Jacob was unmoved from his stance saying, "My son will not go down there with you; his brother is dead and he is the only one left. If harm comes to him on the journey you are taking, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in sorrow." And so Benjamin stayed…and Simeon remained in the Egyptian prison. That is until circumstances changed which we will see later.

The scripture today offers us an opportunity to look at something we all have to face at some time or another. That is the matter of risk. And when we’re dealing with the matter of risk, we always have to include the matter of acceptability because the two go hand-in-hand.

There are two approaches to acceptability as it applies to risk: the worldly approach and the Christian approach. And only one of the two will always help us to make the right decision every time when it comes to either accepting or rejecting risk.

First, let’s look at the worldly approach. When faced with risk, one assesses the matter either personally or in tandem with advice from external sources. We think we know best or, if we don’t, then we can go to someone or something else to get the proper guidance. Sometimes we foolishly jump into risk without seeking proper consultation, often with disastrous results. At other times, we are led down the wrong road of risk by trusting in the advice of others who we find in the end weren’t quite as wise as we thought. And the more times we err in the way of taking risks, the more and more fearful and apprehensive we get when we have to make them.

The Christian approach to risk acceptability is rather simple…and much easier than the worldly one. As a Christian and faced with a decision involving risk, we need only turn toward heaven and our Almighty, Infinite Father who will ever lead us in the way we should go…and always lead us to the right call. And while we might run the risk of getting varied opinions on what we should do if we ask people of the world, we can rest assured that we will have a consistently correct answer from the Father when we ask Him. We need then only respond in obedience. Therein lies the simple formula for Christian risk assessment. We ask the Father in faith…and we respond to His guidance in obedience. That means if God says, "Do it"…then we’re to do it. Conversely, if God says don’t do it…well…you had better not do it. Remember that it’s His will not yours that matters.

Back to today’s scripture. Jacob weighed the risk of either accepting or rejecting his sons’ proposal, but he did so on his own feelings and emotions. It was his will that would be done in this case…for he was unwilling to part with Benjamin after losing Joseph. Consequently, he allowed his people to get back to the point of starvation as the grain brought back from Egypt ran out. This led him to reassess and relent on his earlier resistance. I believe that if Jacob had just went to God with his matter, the Lord would have put him at ease and taken all the pressure off as to what he should do. But Jacob didn’t do that and we should learn from his mistake.

Question: How do we overcome our fears and anxieties in times when we’re faced with risky decisions? How can we assure that our decisions will always be the right ones? The answer is God. To determine our course of action, we should always pray over it and ask the Lord to guide and direct us. Then after receiving His guidance, we need to step out obediently in faith, knowing He will always lead us to where He wants us to be in accordance with His will. We need to keep in mind that His will might be such that He takes us out of our comfort zone. We shouldn’t be afraid because remember…we never walk this Christian Walk alone. He is always with us. Thanks be to God.

Question: How have you handled or how do you handle matters that require risk? Do you make decisions and choices based on your will or the Lord’s? Are you willing to place your total trust in the One who will never lead you astray…the One who will never leave you or forsake you? My prayer is that today’s devotional will help you as you weigh risks in future decisions. Remember…the key is God.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE BEAUTY OF GRACE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes. Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to put each man's silver back in his sack, and to give them provisions for their journey. After this was done for them, they loaded their grain on their donkeys and left. At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. "My silver has been returned," he said to his brothers. "Here it is in my sack." Genesis 42:24b-28a

Joseph released his brothers from prison after their three day sentence and they decided to leave Simeon behind before being allowed to return home with their grain and then return with Benjamin. You’ll remember from the first part of Chapter 42 that Joseph demanded they bring Benjamin to him to prove they were telling him the truth about having a younger brother and thus showing they could be trusted. All this resulted from Joseph accusing them of being spies. But what Joseph was really interested in was to see his only true blood brother, both born to Jacob by Rachel. Little did Joseph know that his demand was going to cause conflict back home in Canaan.

As his brothers were about to load up and leave Egypt, we read where Joseph does something wonderful for his brothers: he refunds the money they paid for the grain and makes sure they have provisions to return to Canaan. Through his actions, Joseph teaches us an important life lesson about forgiveness, mercy and grace.

You’ll recall that when Joseph’s brothers sold him off into slavery, they not only took away his dignity, but they also took away the thing he valued most…the special coat made for him by his father. Now, faced with an opportunity to do unto his brothers as they had done unto him, Joseph chooses instead to bless them and make sure they would be all right as they returned home to their father…to his father and brother Benjamin who he had to miss dearly. This came after he witnessed his brothers’ remorseful, troubled spirits as they reflected on the sins they had committed against Joseph.

Question: Has anyone done wrong to you and left you like Joseph…betrayed, abandoned, alone and unloved? How would you treat them if you faced them again, especially if they displayed a spirit of regret for what they have done? We can learn a lot from Joseph’s attitude toward his brothers and would be well advised to follow suit. Like Joseph, we should allow God to heal our wounded hearts from the inside so that we might be able to extend His measure of love, pardon and mercy on the outside. Indeed, grace is amazing…and beautiful…both when we experience it and when we give it. Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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AN AROMA OF CHRIST IN SINGAPORE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." 2 Corinthians 2:14-15

I had an awesome experience today and wanted to share it so count this as a bonus blog entry.

As you all know, I have been on a trip halfway around the world this week…a trip that started in Washington DC last Sunday (November 25th) and went to Honolulu, Tokyo, Singapore and the island of Diego Garcia before returning home a week later on Sunday, December 2nd.

This morning, Saturday, December 1st, I arrived back in Singapore after flying through the early morning hours onboard a military transport plane. I had worked all day Friday up to my flight and arrived at the Singapore Hilton exhausted. So I took a short sleep after getting to my room and then ventured out to do a little shopping for Grace and my daughters (I try to come home with souvenirs when I go abroad).

Well, I was looking for a place to shop and found this nice little indoor mall called the "Far East Plaza". Inside, it was a bustling atmosphere with lots of people shopping and Christmas music playing. After working my way up the fourth and final floor, I had been successful in finding some nice items for my family and was about to leave and get something to eat. The fourth floor seemed to be just a lot of restaurants and nothing more but just as I turned to leave and head down the escalator. Something caused me to look to the end of the hallway where I was standing. I couldn’t see what was at the end of the hall but I felt the urge to walk down to the end to see what was down there.

Well, as I walked past this long line of restaurants and approached the store at the very end of the hall, I heard music coming from the story…music that was saying in English, "I love you God…" It was a praise and worship song and the store was a Christian book store! J And what a wonderful store it was.

I found my tired body and soul reenergized as I shopped around and listed to the wonderful praise music playing. I found a great book to read on my long flight home and then had to tell someone in the store about how blessed I felt to find their store. This led me to Ming.

Ming and I had a wonderful conversation as I thanked her for having such a wonderful store and telling her how much it blessed my heart. We shared several minutes of fellowship and then I told her about The Christian Walk ministry. She took my URL and I told her I intended on writing about my experience today. I look forward to hopefully continuing communication and promised her a free copy of my first book which I plan on getting to press sometime in 2008.

Why do I share this story with you? Because it testifies to what we are assured by in the scriptures. God is always with us…no matter where we go. His presence is revealed in so many different ways. Today, it was at the Christian Book and Gift Corner in the Far East Plaza in Singapore off of Scotts Road…a beacon of light to all.

In closing, Paul’s words from Second Corinthians rings so true in my experience today. For truly God led me down that mall hallway "in triumphal procession in Christ" and "through (Ming and her store) spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. What a blessing this place was for me…the weary traveler with a slight cold who needed an injection of Vitamin C (Vitamin Christ). Ming, I hope you read this for you "are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." God bless you!

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

PS 2: Would you like to send Ming encouragement? Her e-mail address in Singapore is crestchristian@pacific.net.sg

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