Holy Week Reflections: The Seven Last Words: 2010
(Siete Ultimas Palabras)
WEDNESDAY : THE THIRD: Woman, behold your son.. Behold your mother. Even In Our Moments Of Pain, We Should Not Forget Our Obligations To Family.
John 19:23-27: 23 The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24 They said therefore to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be"; that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots." 25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But there were standing by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.
In the most difficult periods of our lives, the women will often show their strength by being there. Standing by the cross that day were Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene and another lady identified as the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. Joining the women was man who was close to the Lord and the family of Mary: John the disciple, the one who wrote the Gospel of John as well as the 3 letters (1 John to 3 John).
Jesus was in pain but His mind and eyes were clear. He saw His mother Mary with the other women and He also saw John. Note carefully the next words for these were not directed at one person but at two persons in the presence of witnesses: To Mary His mother He said: Woman, behold your son (referring to John) and to John He said: Behold your mother. Mary was the mother of Jesus during His earthly sojourn. That was about to end and Mary should not be left behind without a loving son to take care of her. Apparently Joseph had long died as indicated by the non-mention of his name in the Gospels since Jesus started ministering. Mary was to accept John as son and John was to accept Mary as his mother. Jesus was in pain but He remembers His obligations and He did what had to be done. Lesson: Obligations to our families are sacred duties that must be fulfilled to the best of our abilities. Pains are never acceptable as excuse to neglect our duties to our families. Una ang Diyos, ikalawa ang pamilya. Gagawin natin lahat para sa ating pamilya.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
THE DAY OF ONE'S DEATH: A Good Friday Message
HOW WOULD YOU SPEND YOUR LAST DAY BEFORE DEATH?
THE SEVEN LAST UTTERANCES ON THE CROSS.
A Message Crafted As A Pastoral Theology Presentation.
Introduction:
During the time of the Romans, when a criminal is brought before the judge, a careful and usually fair hearing is conducted. Such was not the case in the Criminal case People of Israel Vs. Jesus Bar Joseph of Nazareth. Because of political considerations, his trial was not fair. It was a foregone conclusion that he would be found guilty and he was.
When the judge finds the criminal guilty, and when his crime is such that it was considered in the category of a heinous crime, his penalty would be crucifixion. The judge intones very solemnly “IBES CRUCEM”, To the cross you go.
The Criminal is then asked to carry the beam of the cross and, escorted by soldiers, led through a procession that will pass through all the major streets of the city. This was a legal requirement. Along the way, if someone raises a hand and says “I have evidence that he is innocent”, the soldiers will take him back before the judge for another trial. In the case of Jesus, some cried, some laughed, some sneered, some were just plain “Uzi” Uziziros, but no one had the courage to say “I have the evidence”.
Along the way, Jesus stumbled and A Cyrenian, a Jew from what is now known as Libya, was forced to help him. According to stories, this person became a believer and founded the first Christian group in North Africa.
At the site of the crucifixion, the upright post of the cross would already be there. The beam or horizontal bar was the one he carried. First, the beam is nailed to the vertical post, while on the ground forming, usually, a capital letter T (no place for the head to rest).
The criminal’s hands are then nailed to the cross. His feet are usually not nailed but tied together. The cross is then hoisted up and usually stands quite low so that the criminal’s feet were only 2 or 3 feet from the ground.
In the hoisting up of the cross, the criminal is very much alive. This was the terror of crucifixion, the pain. The pain was excruciating but not enough to kill. The victim was left to die of hunger and thirst beneath the blazing noontide sun and the cruel coldness of the dark night. Some criminals did not die for a week and was stark raving mad man when death finally and mercifully arrived.
This was how it was in the time of Jesus. It was a time of agony, of rejection, of terror viewed from the human point of view. But, through all of these, Jesus showed us what it means to be a man of dignity, suffering and dying with dignity.
I know that the Good Friday sermons are Theological and Soteriological in nature. I will not do that today. We have heard that year after year. I would like to present what we call a pastoral Theology sermon. Learning from the crucifixion of Christ the lessons for everyday life rather than lessons for our salvation.
When times are really tough, how do you respond? When the heart is bleeding emotionally, when hope seems to be as distant as a rain in the summer, when rejection seems to be constant as traffic of Metro Manila, what do you do? When grief has become your bedmate. When betrayal has become your breakfast, lunch and dinner, what do you do? This is not a Theological nor Soteriological sermon. This is a Pastoral Theology message and listen carefully for personal lessons.
What did Jesus do on the day when everything was dark, seemingly hopeless, difficult?
1. HE DEALT WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S NEEDS.
1.1. NEED OF THOSE WHO OFFENDED HIM. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
1.1.1. The religious leaders who insulted him and mocked him by demanding a proof from him that He was who he claimed he was – Mt. 27:41-42.
1.1.2. The passers-by who insulted him by demanding a proof from him that he was who he claimed he was. – Mt. 27:40.
1.1.3. The Soldiers who were primarily interested in what they can earn even from his suffering and death. – John 19:23-24.
1.1.4. The Criminals on his right and left who poured insult after insult upon him. Mt. 27:44. Later one of them would repent and ask him from him.
1.2. NEEDS OF THOSE WHO NEEDED HIM.
1.3. NEEDS OF THOSE WHO DEPENDED ON HIM.
1.3.1. THE MOTHER FOR A SON TO LOVE AND LEAN ON. Jn. 19:26. “Behold you Son.”
1.3.2. THE TRUSTED DISCIPLE WHO NEEDED GUIDANCE ON WHAT TO DO. Jn. 19:27. “Behold your mother.”
1.3.3. The Criminal who repented of his sin. Luke 23:42-43.
1.3.3.1. The words of the dying Criminal: Remember me when you come into your kingdom.
1.3.3.2. The words of the dying Christ: Today, you will be with me. I will not only remember you. I will take you to be with me.
2. HE DEALT WITH PERSONAL ANGUISH. Mt. 27:46. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
2.1. He admitted his anguish (forsaken)
2.2. He directed his complaint to God (not to people)
2.3. He refrained from commenting against people.
3. HE DEALT WITH PERSONAL DUTIES TO GOD.
3.1. ONE LAST ISSUE OF OBEDIENCE. I THIRST. Jn. 19:28. “So that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.” (Ps. 22:15)
3.2. ONE LAST STATEMENT ABOUT HIS WORK. IT IS FINISHED. Jn. 19:30. Relate this with verse 28. The touching of the vinegar was the last required fulfillment of the Scriptures. He had to obey. After having made the last act of obedience, he knew the required task in obedience is now complete. He can now die. So he said. It is finished. And committed his spirit to the Father.
3.3. ONE LAST STATEMENT ABOUT VICTORY. INTO THY HANDS, I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.
Luke 23:46. He was not in the grave in his spirit. He was not dead as a person for the person is spirit and body. The body died but the spirit was alive. The enemy thought he had killed him. This last statement showed he was not victorious after all.
Note: He started with a conversation with the Father. He ended with a conversation with the Father.
He started with a conviction of God’s mercy on the people, He ended with a conviction of God’s mercy on his own spirit.
He started with a relational affirmation. He ended with a relational affirmation.
THE SEVEN LAST UTTERANCES ON THE CROSS.
A Message Crafted As A Pastoral Theology Presentation.
Introduction:
During the time of the Romans, when a criminal is brought before the judge, a careful and usually fair hearing is conducted. Such was not the case in the Criminal case People of Israel Vs. Jesus Bar Joseph of Nazareth. Because of political considerations, his trial was not fair. It was a foregone conclusion that he would be found guilty and he was.
When the judge finds the criminal guilty, and when his crime is such that it was considered in the category of a heinous crime, his penalty would be crucifixion. The judge intones very solemnly “IBES CRUCEM”, To the cross you go.
The Criminal is then asked to carry the beam of the cross and, escorted by soldiers, led through a procession that will pass through all the major streets of the city. This was a legal requirement. Along the way, if someone raises a hand and says “I have evidence that he is innocent”, the soldiers will take him back before the judge for another trial. In the case of Jesus, some cried, some laughed, some sneered, some were just plain “Uzi” Uziziros, but no one had the courage to say “I have the evidence”.
Along the way, Jesus stumbled and A Cyrenian, a Jew from what is now known as Libya, was forced to help him. According to stories, this person became a believer and founded the first Christian group in North Africa.
At the site of the crucifixion, the upright post of the cross would already be there. The beam or horizontal bar was the one he carried. First, the beam is nailed to the vertical post, while on the ground forming, usually, a capital letter T (no place for the head to rest).
The criminal’s hands are then nailed to the cross. His feet are usually not nailed but tied together. The cross is then hoisted up and usually stands quite low so that the criminal’s feet were only 2 or 3 feet from the ground.
In the hoisting up of the cross, the criminal is very much alive. This was the terror of crucifixion, the pain. The pain was excruciating but not enough to kill. The victim was left to die of hunger and thirst beneath the blazing noontide sun and the cruel coldness of the dark night. Some criminals did not die for a week and was stark raving mad man when death finally and mercifully arrived.
This was how it was in the time of Jesus. It was a time of agony, of rejection, of terror viewed from the human point of view. But, through all of these, Jesus showed us what it means to be a man of dignity, suffering and dying with dignity.
I know that the Good Friday sermons are Theological and Soteriological in nature. I will not do that today. We have heard that year after year. I would like to present what we call a pastoral Theology sermon. Learning from the crucifixion of Christ the lessons for everyday life rather than lessons for our salvation.
When times are really tough, how do you respond? When the heart is bleeding emotionally, when hope seems to be as distant as a rain in the summer, when rejection seems to be constant as traffic of Metro Manila, what do you do? When grief has become your bedmate. When betrayal has become your breakfast, lunch and dinner, what do you do? This is not a Theological nor Soteriological sermon. This is a Pastoral Theology message and listen carefully for personal lessons.
What did Jesus do on the day when everything was dark, seemingly hopeless, difficult?
1. HE DEALT WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S NEEDS.
1.1. NEED OF THOSE WHO OFFENDED HIM. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
1.1.1. The religious leaders who insulted him and mocked him by demanding a proof from him that He was who he claimed he was – Mt. 27:41-42.
1.1.2. The passers-by who insulted him by demanding a proof from him that he was who he claimed he was. – Mt. 27:40.
1.1.3. The Soldiers who were primarily interested in what they can earn even from his suffering and death. – John 19:23-24.
1.1.4. The Criminals on his right and left who poured insult after insult upon him. Mt. 27:44. Later one of them would repent and ask him from him.
1.2. NEEDS OF THOSE WHO NEEDED HIM.
1.3. NEEDS OF THOSE WHO DEPENDED ON HIM.
1.3.1. THE MOTHER FOR A SON TO LOVE AND LEAN ON. Jn. 19:26. “Behold you Son.”
1.3.2. THE TRUSTED DISCIPLE WHO NEEDED GUIDANCE ON WHAT TO DO. Jn. 19:27. “Behold your mother.”
1.3.3. The Criminal who repented of his sin. Luke 23:42-43.
1.3.3.1. The words of the dying Criminal: Remember me when you come into your kingdom.
1.3.3.2. The words of the dying Christ: Today, you will be with me. I will not only remember you. I will take you to be with me.
2. HE DEALT WITH PERSONAL ANGUISH. Mt. 27:46. My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?
2.1. He admitted his anguish (forsaken)
2.2. He directed his complaint to God (not to people)
2.3. He refrained from commenting against people.
3. HE DEALT WITH PERSONAL DUTIES TO GOD.
3.1. ONE LAST ISSUE OF OBEDIENCE. I THIRST. Jn. 19:28. “So that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.” (Ps. 22:15)
3.2. ONE LAST STATEMENT ABOUT HIS WORK. IT IS FINISHED. Jn. 19:30. Relate this with verse 28. The touching of the vinegar was the last required fulfillment of the Scriptures. He had to obey. After having made the last act of obedience, he knew the required task in obedience is now complete. He can now die. So he said. It is finished. And committed his spirit to the Father.
3.3. ONE LAST STATEMENT ABOUT VICTORY. INTO THY HANDS, I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.
Luke 23:46. He was not in the grave in his spirit. He was not dead as a person for the person is spirit and body. The body died but the spirit was alive. The enemy thought he had killed him. This last statement showed he was not victorious after all.
Note: He started with a conversation with the Father. He ended with a conversation with the Father.
He started with a conviction of God’s mercy on the people, He ended with a conviction of God’s mercy on his own spirit.
He started with a relational affirmation. He ended with a relational affirmation.
Monday, March 29, 2010
THE SEVEN SAYINGS: SIETE ULTIMAS PALABRAS
Holy Week Reflections: The Seven Last Words: 2010
TUESDAY: THE SECOND: “And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." The Lord’s Love Is Greater Than Your Past So Your Past Cannot Disqualify You From His Love.
Luke 23:39-43: 39 And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
Matthew tells us that both criminals heaped insults on the Lord. Somehow, in the passing of minutes, one of the two realized that there is something about this man in the middle that is not ordinary. Strange for Him to pray for those who have and were still abusing Him. But, the criminal probably heard clearly the title of the One the Lord spoke to; didn’t He say FATHER FORGIVE THEM? The realization sets in and remorse follows. This is the King we have been waiting for and He will come again in His Kingdom.
Realization generates remorse and remorse generates better realization and ultimately it led the man to present his request: Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom. Then he heard the most beautiful and assuring words he has ever heard in his lifetime: Truly, I say to you, today, you shall be with me in paradise. Request granted. It is very much like the last 2 minutes in basketball and the loser- the criminal- won. Lesson: Do not ever come to the point of concluding that your past disqualifies you from God’s kindness. You can be disqualified by your present stubbornness but not by your past wickedness because repentance erases your past and when you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, all His promises are yours to claim. Huwag kang patatali sa masakit na nakaraan.
TUESDAY: THE SECOND: “And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." The Lord’s Love Is Greater Than Your Past So Your Past Cannot Disqualify You From His Love.
Luke 23:39-43: 39 And one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
Matthew tells us that both criminals heaped insults on the Lord. Somehow, in the passing of minutes, one of the two realized that there is something about this man in the middle that is not ordinary. Strange for Him to pray for those who have and were still abusing Him. But, the criminal probably heard clearly the title of the One the Lord spoke to; didn’t He say FATHER FORGIVE THEM? The realization sets in and remorse follows. This is the King we have been waiting for and He will come again in His Kingdom.
Realization generates remorse and remorse generates better realization and ultimately it led the man to present his request: Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom. Then he heard the most beautiful and assuring words he has ever heard in his lifetime: Truly, I say to you, today, you shall be with me in paradise. Request granted. It is very much like the last 2 minutes in basketball and the loser- the criminal- won. Lesson: Do not ever come to the point of concluding that your past disqualifies you from God’s kindness. You can be disqualified by your present stubbornness but not by your past wickedness because repentance erases your past and when you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, all His promises are yours to claim. Huwag kang patatali sa masakit na nakaraan.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Seven last words: Siete Ultimas Palabras
Holy Week Reflections: The Seven Last Words: 2010
Note:
In many churches in the Philippines, a number of hours on Good Friday is allotted for the explanation of the Seven Last Words (Siete Ultimas Palabras) of the Lord Jesus from the time He was crucified to the time He died at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Somebody once asked why we refer to the seven group of words of the Lord from the cross as WORD when in fact He spoke words not one word. It is good question and a practical one.
There is a good reason for referring to these words as WORD. In English, WORD can refer to a combined group of alphabetical letters to form a sound and a definite meaning. More and more, we use WORD to refer to something that consists of more than one word. For example, the preacher on a Sunday gives THE WORD which is the sermon or message lasting from 20 to forty minutes. Sometimes, a conversation is spoken of as a WORD as in: May I have a word with you? Sometimes, we speak of making a favorable endorsement for someone (which cannot be done in one word) by saying: I’ll put in a good word for you. The Seven last words from the cross are the words of the Lord Jesus compiled and arranged by scholars in such a way that the Bible reader gets a clearer picture of the Lord’s message from the cross. Let’s divide the seven last words into the seven days of this week. Let’s learn and worship Him who died for us.
Monday : THE FIRST: But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." In a most difficult situation, your choice of who to speak to first will make a big difference in handling your difficulties and pains.
Luke 23:32-38: 32 And two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him. 33 And when they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One." 36 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" 38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." NASB
It must have been a tremendously difficult day. The battering of the emotions was increasing in its intensity minute by minute, then hour by hour. The environment was hardly encouraging. Jesus was crucified with two criminals; one on his left and the other on his right. Mark’s Gospel describes both as WRONGDOERS but Matthew’s Gospel uses a stronger word which tells us that the criminals were armed robbers, violent men who preyed on the travelers. The soldiers were casting lots to determine who should get the Lord’s garment. The religious leaders were sneering at Him. The soldiers were also mocking him. The criminals also heaped insults on Him according to Matthew.
What do you in such a situation? Choose the person you would and should speak to first. Would it be soldiers? The criminals? The leaders? The curios onlookers (usisero)? Here is wisdom: The Lord spoke FIRST TO THE FATHER. He spoke to the one who really understands, who really cares. That is wisdom of the highest degree. It affirms His relationship with Father; it acknowledges that the Father is forgiving; it even affirms the miserable condition of those who were taunting Him. He asked the Father to forgive them. Lesson: Next time you become surrounded by what seems like a pack of wild dogs giving you pain and attempting to make you crumble emotionally, remember the principle: Choose the person you should speak to first. It always helps and is safer for you. Huwag basta makipagusap kahit kanino. Mamili ng unang kakausapin.
Note:
In many churches in the Philippines, a number of hours on Good Friday is allotted for the explanation of the Seven Last Words (Siete Ultimas Palabras) of the Lord Jesus from the time He was crucified to the time He died at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Somebody once asked why we refer to the seven group of words of the Lord from the cross as WORD when in fact He spoke words not one word. It is good question and a practical one.
There is a good reason for referring to these words as WORD. In English, WORD can refer to a combined group of alphabetical letters to form a sound and a definite meaning. More and more, we use WORD to refer to something that consists of more than one word. For example, the preacher on a Sunday gives THE WORD which is the sermon or message lasting from 20 to forty minutes. Sometimes, a conversation is spoken of as a WORD as in: May I have a word with you? Sometimes, we speak of making a favorable endorsement for someone (which cannot be done in one word) by saying: I’ll put in a good word for you. The Seven last words from the cross are the words of the Lord Jesus compiled and arranged by scholars in such a way that the Bible reader gets a clearer picture of the Lord’s message from the cross. Let’s divide the seven last words into the seven days of this week. Let’s learn and worship Him who died for us.
Monday : THE FIRST: But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." In a most difficult situation, your choice of who to speak to first will make a big difference in handling your difficulties and pains.
Luke 23:32-38: 32 And two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him. 33 And when they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. 35 And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One." 36 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" 38 Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." NASB
It must have been a tremendously difficult day. The battering of the emotions was increasing in its intensity minute by minute, then hour by hour. The environment was hardly encouraging. Jesus was crucified with two criminals; one on his left and the other on his right. Mark’s Gospel describes both as WRONGDOERS but Matthew’s Gospel uses a stronger word which tells us that the criminals were armed robbers, violent men who preyed on the travelers. The soldiers were casting lots to determine who should get the Lord’s garment. The religious leaders were sneering at Him. The soldiers were also mocking him. The criminals also heaped insults on Him according to Matthew.
What do you in such a situation? Choose the person you would and should speak to first. Would it be soldiers? The criminals? The leaders? The curios onlookers (usisero)? Here is wisdom: The Lord spoke FIRST TO THE FATHER. He spoke to the one who really understands, who really cares. That is wisdom of the highest degree. It affirms His relationship with Father; it acknowledges that the Father is forgiving; it even affirms the miserable condition of those who were taunting Him. He asked the Father to forgive them. Lesson: Next time you become surrounded by what seems like a pack of wild dogs giving you pain and attempting to make you crumble emotionally, remember the principle: Choose the person you should speak to first. It always helps and is safer for you. Huwag basta makipagusap kahit kanino. Mamili ng unang kakausapin.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
HOSANNA !
HOSANNA:
A CRY OF ANGUISH AND FAITH OR A CRY OF AN ANGUISHED FAITH?
(Our Series on the Philippines Elections will resume after the Holy Week)
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
"Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!" Matthew 21:9
THE CROWDS CAME IN MARCHING AND SHOUTING:
It was a day unlike most days. Two separate crowds- both fairly large enough to warrant attention on the part of the citizens and the political leadership- were marching towards the city. Look, listen carefully; they were not only marching. They were doing something else. Many of them were spreading their garments on the road unmindful of the fact that garments were of great value to anyone that bandits often prey on people for these. Others were cutting branches from whatever trees were there within reach and arranging these on the road like decorations fitting for a big event. It must have been a symbolic act; in fact, a highly symbolic act.
The crowds were made up of Jews and Jews were deeply knowledgeable about their history. Spreading cloaks in front of a person as he arrives was their way of welcoming a newly proclaimed king. This was how the ancient Jews greeted Jehu after he was proclaimed king ( 2 Kings 9:13). It would seem that the crowds were welcoming Jesus as the King; their king.
Matthew and Mark tell us that the people cut branches from trees. John tells us that the people cut palm branches (date palm). It appears that both branches of trees and palms were used. This also had a very clear historical reference. When Simon Maccabeus became a hero in Jerusalem (he died in 135 BC), the Jews celebrated with, among others, palm branches. This account is recorded in the book of the Maccabees. “And they entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and harps, and cymbals, and psalteries, and hymns, and canticles, because the great enemy was destroyed out of Israel. (1 Maccabees 13:51). Although recorded in the book of the Maccabees –which is considered by Evangelicals as Apocryphal and therefore not included in the Protestant Bible- the story of Simon Maccabees is an undisputed historical fact. On the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem in what we now remember as the Triumphal Entry Sunday- or Palm Sunday to some- it would seem that the Jews were celebrating not only the entrance of the King but also of the impending defeat of the enemy.
WHO WAS THE ENEMY?
Israel was no longer the nation that it once was when David was king. It had been reduced into a province. In fact, it had been reduced into a small and probably a third class province. We know this because the Roman governor Pilate was a called a Procurator, a title reserved for lower class and smaller Roman provinces. The presence of the Roman governor and his soldiers reminded the Jews that they were a captive people. The desire to be free through whatever means was burning in the hearts of many Jews. The Romans were the enemies but they were not the only ones.
The Jews were under a local king who was under the authority of the Roman Emperor. At the time of the Triumphal Entry, the local king was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great- the king when Jesus was born. Herod Antipas was not strictly a Jew. The Herodian family belonged to the Edomite race which traces it roots not to Jacob but to Esau. Thus, the Herods were never really accepted as kings. They were, for the moment, tolerated by reason of a lack of ability on the part of the Jews to unseat them. Herod Antipas was the same Herod who ordered the cutting off of the head of John the Baptist. The Herods were the enemy.
The Herods stayed in power for quite sometime. Herod Agrippa I is the Herod in the book of Acts. He was the nephew of Herod Antipas being the grandson of Herod the Great. Herod Agrippa II is no longer mentioned in the Bible and is the last of the Herods. The Herodian dynasty ended with his death in 100 AD.
HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST:
What does the word HOSANNA mean? We know it now as a praise word and it is perfectly alright to view it this way as words do change in their meanings in the passage of time. On that Sunday of the Triumphal Entry, what was in the mind of the people when they shouted hosanna? Scholars agree that the Jews used it in relation to Psalm 118:25 where the word hosanna appears. Ps 118:25: “O LORD, do save, we beseech Thee; O LORD, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity!” The words “do save, we beseech Thee” is HOSHI ANNA from where we got the English rendition of Hosanna. In its original usage therefore, Hosanna means SAVE NOW WE BESEECH THEE.
Biblical authorities view hosanna in the same way. The Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary puts it this way: “HOSANNA- save us now” (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986). The New Unger’s bible Dictionary says: HOSANNA -Grk. hosannah, from Heb. hoshi`ana', "save now". (Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)
There is no doubt that hosanna meant SAVE US NOW. That has not been debated in terms of its original linguistic meaning. Were the people shouting out the word with the same meaning when they accompanied Jesus Christ as He made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on the week of the crucifixion?
HOSANNA, THE CLOAKS AND THE BRANCHES:
Yes, hosanna means SAVE US NOW. Yes, they were welcoming someone as king as indicated by the cloaks spread on the road. And yes, they were celebrating a victory – in this case an expected victory- over their enemy. This is indicated by their use of the branches. What is the picture and the message for us?
Hosanna was a cry of an anguished faith. The Jews had longed for the day of David when Israel was a small nation but considered a military giant. They thought of Jesus as the one who will bring their expected deliverance and they were celebrating that victory even before it happened. Let’s make it a bit clearer.
They asked God for help and for deliverance over their enemies (hosanna). They believed it would happen through a king (they spread their cloaks). They believed the victory is already theirs (the branches.) It seems all too simple and wonderful but there is a sad note somewhere. Look at these verses: “10 And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" 11 And the multitudes were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21).
They shouted for help. They welcomed a king. They celebrated a sure victory. But, when the rubber hits the road as the Americans would say, THEY IDENTIFIED JESUS AS THE PROPHET FROM NAZARETH, NOT THE LONG-AWAITED MESSIAH. Before the week is over, the crowds (including some from this welcoming crowd?) were screaming for the crucifixion of the Jesus Christ. No, they were not fickle-minded. They simply did not really know who Jesus was. He was not the Christ to them but a prophet. To this day, the Jews are still waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. It was a Triumphal Entry indeed for the Lord but not for the people. It was a Triumphal Entry because it would lead to the crucifixion where Jesus Christ would take our place. The sinless one went to the cross in place of the sinner. He who was without a crime of any kind went to the cross in place of the spiritual criminal (you and I and everyone else). This is called PENAL SUBSTITUTION, a painful truth with glorious implications for us.
A CRY OF ANGUISH AND FAITH OR A CRY OF AN ANGUISHED FAITH?
(Our Series on the Philippines Elections will resume after the Holy Week)
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
"Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!" Matthew 21:9
THE CROWDS CAME IN MARCHING AND SHOUTING:
It was a day unlike most days. Two separate crowds- both fairly large enough to warrant attention on the part of the citizens and the political leadership- were marching towards the city. Look, listen carefully; they were not only marching. They were doing something else. Many of them were spreading their garments on the road unmindful of the fact that garments were of great value to anyone that bandits often prey on people for these. Others were cutting branches from whatever trees were there within reach and arranging these on the road like decorations fitting for a big event. It must have been a symbolic act; in fact, a highly symbolic act.
The crowds were made up of Jews and Jews were deeply knowledgeable about their history. Spreading cloaks in front of a person as he arrives was their way of welcoming a newly proclaimed king. This was how the ancient Jews greeted Jehu after he was proclaimed king ( 2 Kings 9:13). It would seem that the crowds were welcoming Jesus as the King; their king.
Matthew and Mark tell us that the people cut branches from trees. John tells us that the people cut palm branches (date palm). It appears that both branches of trees and palms were used. This also had a very clear historical reference. When Simon Maccabeus became a hero in Jerusalem (he died in 135 BC), the Jews celebrated with, among others, palm branches. This account is recorded in the book of the Maccabees. “And they entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and harps, and cymbals, and psalteries, and hymns, and canticles, because the great enemy was destroyed out of Israel. (1 Maccabees 13:51). Although recorded in the book of the Maccabees –which is considered by Evangelicals as Apocryphal and therefore not included in the Protestant Bible- the story of Simon Maccabees is an undisputed historical fact. On the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem in what we now remember as the Triumphal Entry Sunday- or Palm Sunday to some- it would seem that the Jews were celebrating not only the entrance of the King but also of the impending defeat of the enemy.
WHO WAS THE ENEMY?
Israel was no longer the nation that it once was when David was king. It had been reduced into a province. In fact, it had been reduced into a small and probably a third class province. We know this because the Roman governor Pilate was a called a Procurator, a title reserved for lower class and smaller Roman provinces. The presence of the Roman governor and his soldiers reminded the Jews that they were a captive people. The desire to be free through whatever means was burning in the hearts of many Jews. The Romans were the enemies but they were not the only ones.
The Jews were under a local king who was under the authority of the Roman Emperor. At the time of the Triumphal Entry, the local king was Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great- the king when Jesus was born. Herod Antipas was not strictly a Jew. The Herodian family belonged to the Edomite race which traces it roots not to Jacob but to Esau. Thus, the Herods were never really accepted as kings. They were, for the moment, tolerated by reason of a lack of ability on the part of the Jews to unseat them. Herod Antipas was the same Herod who ordered the cutting off of the head of John the Baptist. The Herods were the enemy.
The Herods stayed in power for quite sometime. Herod Agrippa I is the Herod in the book of Acts. He was the nephew of Herod Antipas being the grandson of Herod the Great. Herod Agrippa II is no longer mentioned in the Bible and is the last of the Herods. The Herodian dynasty ended with his death in 100 AD.
HOSANNA IN THE HIGHEST:
What does the word HOSANNA mean? We know it now as a praise word and it is perfectly alright to view it this way as words do change in their meanings in the passage of time. On that Sunday of the Triumphal Entry, what was in the mind of the people when they shouted hosanna? Scholars agree that the Jews used it in relation to Psalm 118:25 where the word hosanna appears. Ps 118:25: “O LORD, do save, we beseech Thee; O LORD, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity!” The words “do save, we beseech Thee” is HOSHI ANNA from where we got the English rendition of Hosanna. In its original usage therefore, Hosanna means SAVE NOW WE BESEECH THEE.
Biblical authorities view hosanna in the same way. The Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary puts it this way: “HOSANNA- save us now” (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986). The New Unger’s bible Dictionary says: HOSANNA -Grk. hosannah, from Heb. hoshi`ana', "save now". (Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)
There is no doubt that hosanna meant SAVE US NOW. That has not been debated in terms of its original linguistic meaning. Were the people shouting out the word with the same meaning when they accompanied Jesus Christ as He made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on the week of the crucifixion?
HOSANNA, THE CLOAKS AND THE BRANCHES:
Yes, hosanna means SAVE US NOW. Yes, they were welcoming someone as king as indicated by the cloaks spread on the road. And yes, they were celebrating a victory – in this case an expected victory- over their enemy. This is indicated by their use of the branches. What is the picture and the message for us?
Hosanna was a cry of an anguished faith. The Jews had longed for the day of David when Israel was a small nation but considered a military giant. They thought of Jesus as the one who will bring their expected deliverance and they were celebrating that victory even before it happened. Let’s make it a bit clearer.
They asked God for help and for deliverance over their enemies (hosanna). They believed it would happen through a king (they spread their cloaks). They believed the victory is already theirs (the branches.) It seems all too simple and wonderful but there is a sad note somewhere. Look at these verses: “10 And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" 11 And the multitudes were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matthew 21).
They shouted for help. They welcomed a king. They celebrated a sure victory. But, when the rubber hits the road as the Americans would say, THEY IDENTIFIED JESUS AS THE PROPHET FROM NAZARETH, NOT THE LONG-AWAITED MESSIAH. Before the week is over, the crowds (including some from this welcoming crowd?) were screaming for the crucifixion of the Jesus Christ. No, they were not fickle-minded. They simply did not really know who Jesus was. He was not the Christ to them but a prophet. To this day, the Jews are still waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. It was a Triumphal Entry indeed for the Lord but not for the people. It was a Triumphal Entry because it would lead to the crucifixion where Jesus Christ would take our place. The sinless one went to the cross in place of the sinner. He who was without a crime of any kind went to the cross in place of the spiritual criminal (you and I and everyone else). This is called PENAL SUBSTITUTION, a painful truth with glorious implications for us.
Poor In Spirit: losing everything to gain everything
Text: Mt. 5:3 THE KINGDOM LIFESTYLE: LOSING
EVERYTHING TO GAIN EVERYTHING
“Blessed Are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Introduction:
The face of a 3 year old boy, brightens up considerably with the sight of a favorite candy. A mother smiles contentedly at the sight of her daughter rushing to greet her when she arrives home. A successful business deal brings happiness to the heart of a person. A love note. A kiss. A loving phone call. There are many ways by which men and women find happiness.
And yet, we are also quite aware that the happiness the world offers is often too short-lived and too dependent on circumstances. It is, often, costly and painful in the end. When happiness is acquired through methods and procedures that are considered not pleasing to God, we end up with a lot of regrets and how we wish we can find true happiness.
It is like the lovely daughter of a hard-working couple who was told that it was not yet time to marry her boyfriend because his personality is a bit difficult to understand. But, she would have none of that. The sight of her boyfriend brings smiles to her lips and an expectant sensation in her heart. She was happy with him. Aren’t we supposed to be happy in life? Against her parents’ advise, she had sex with him and ended up marrying him. Two years and two kids later, she woke up one morning with her husband nowhere to be found. She was later told that he was living in with someone else who looked prettier, with much more desirable physical attributes and a slightly bigger bank account.
The world’s happiness is at best, temporary and often, by chance. The word happiness, in fact, reveals its true nature in its root HAP, in the true English English, means chance. Perhaps means, per chance. Happiness is really a product of the accidental twists and turns of life. This is the true essence of happiness.
In the part of the teaching of Jesus called the Beatitudes, He shows us the true nature of happiness and how is it that only some can acquire this. He also instructs us what comes with true happiness and what pre-conditions are there, if any.
Let’s have a short review of the work of Jesus up to the time he preached sermon we are now considering.
Just before Jesus presented the teaching we now call the Sermon on the mount, which begins from Mat. 5 to 7, He was already becoming a known figure. People were already looking for Him. The crowd was building up around him. They have heard about his powerful teaching and powerful works of miracles.
In Mt. 4:17, we see Jesus preaching his first sermon – and his message was “REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.” He was talking about a kingdom that was about to come or about to burst into the picture, a kingdom that was very, very near. Later, in Mt. 12, he would speak of this kingdom as having arrived in the midst of the people.
The Kingdom of God is the Rule of God in the hearts and minds of His people. It is not first of all a territorial kingdom although it can be because God’s people do occupy some kind of a territory. It is primarily God’s rule in our hearts and minds.
So Jesus says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In John 3, he would say that it is necessary for people to be born again otherwise they would not be allowed to see nor enter the Kingdom of God. The Sermon on the Mount is a most important part of the teachings of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. In fact, true happiness is found only for those who have gained access into the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven.
Since He has already asked the people to repent because the kingdom of heaven is near, He would now talk about what kind of people are there in the kingdom, thereby inviting the listeners to consider what we might call as the Kingdom Lifestyle. In chapter 5:2-16, He would describe the character and blessedness of the people in the kingdom. He would describe their relation to the world (salt and light).
Secondly, Jesus would talk about the so-called Righteousness of the Kingdom which means the way of life demanded for those who are in the kingdom (5:17 to 7:12). He would conclude His sermon on the mount with a series of teachings to impress upon the people the need to enter the kingdom or to go under the rule of God.
Beatus – is a part of the Sermon on the mount. Here is Jesus’ invitation to a particular form of a lifestyle, a kind of life that is so different from that which was and which is still being practiced in the world today. A Lifestyle where happiness is true and unfading. Where love is constant and care is ever present. Let’s consider three things to understand why Jesus says, ‘BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.’
I POVERTY OF SPIRIT: ITS MEANING
There are, according to scholars, two words in the Greek that are both translated Poor in the English language. One of the two words is what is used here. The first word, which is not the word used here, refers to poverty but the poor man is able to work, somehow, to provide for his basic needs. It is the word for Poor where the person is not rich but is able to provide for his daily needs. He may be devoid of anything extravagant but he has something. He may not be able to afford Dads or any of the restaurants within Shangri-La Makati, but he is capable of bringing his family to any roadside turo-turo. Angus beef for a steak may be out of reach for him but he can always have his pocket produce some small bills for the chicken feet or Adidas sold almost everywhere.
The Greek word for poor, which is the one used in our verse today, refers to the poor who has nothing. This word refers, both to the absence of wealth, and also to the absence of any ability. He is poor in that he is completely helpless to provide for his own needs. He is completely without any ability or power to make both ends meet. He is helpless, powerless.
POOR IN SPIRIT – Completely helpless and powerless in spirit.
The word spirit here refers, not so much to the actual human spirit but the person’s attitude and conviction concerning his ability to govern his own life. The world believes that the person who has all the ability, all the resources, all the trimmings of power, that is the person who will enjoy life. That is the kind of person who will have happiness.
Whatever happiness the world offers is temporally and soon will pass away, often leaving with it a pain that medicine can’t cure. The way to be happy is not through ability but the absence of it; not the possession of power but the absence of it. When one is completely helpless and without any ability before God, then he becomes qualified for eternal happiness.
II PROMISED EXPERIENCE: BLESSEDNESS
The word blesses is from the Greek Word Makarios and it means happy. However, Makarios is more than just the typical understanding of happiness. It is much more than the seemingly happy sound of a thunderous laughter. It is more than just a scream of pleasure. In fact, the word happiness is quite different from the word Makarios.
The root word of happiness is hap which in True English English means chance. Happiness is based mostly on the chances and accidental twists of events in a person’s life. An unexpected wealth. An unexpected inheritance. A valued gift. This is what most people think happiness is. It is not.
Makarios means more than that. It means joy and satisfaction knowing that all is well and that you are completely protected by the love of someone you can really trust.
Someone who does not have the time for God cannot acquire this kind of joy and satisfaction. Someone whose time is used mostly for his own purpose cannot acquire this. As long as you appear to be the one running your life, providing for your needs. As long as there is any semblance of proud independence from the mercy and provisions of God, then you are not helpless before God and you cannot be referred to as poor in spirit and therefore, can not share in this blessedness or true joy and satisfaction.
Look, you may be earning enough now. You may be of the belief that you are quite able to govern your life and you don’t need to submit your life completely to God’s rule and control. Don’t be deceived, that kind of a spiritual independence will bring you trouble and more troubles in the years ahead of us.
If you say, Lord, I am completely helpless without you. There is nothing I can really do to guarantee my happiness without your direct and personal control. I don’t want spiritual independence. I want to be spiritually dependent upon you, to say to you everyday “Lord, I need thee every hour.”
Is there something in your life that is causing to be spiritual independent from God? That will become Satan’s hold on your life and it will bring you disaster. To lose everything for God is to gain everything from God. To have, not only the things of this world but to have God himself.
To be Poor in spirit is to be rewarded with blessedness and to be granted membership status into the most wonderful kingdom in the whole universe.
III PROMISED REWARD: THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
When one is poor in spirit and therefore, not spiritually independent from God, then he becomes blessed or happy, joyful and satisfied. But more than that, he is ushered into a privileged membership status. He becomes a favored member, not only of any gold club, or other social and sports organization. He becomes a privileged member of the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What does it mean to be in the Kingdom of God?
Salvation from our sins and no longer considered guilty – Rom. 5:1
Freedom from all and any condemnation. Rom. 8:1
Rescued from the dominion of darkness. Col. 1:13
Granted redemption and forgiveness of sins – Col. 1:14
Never to be left alone or be forsaken. Heb. 13:5
To be allowed to call God as Father. Mt. 6:9
To be allowed to understand and obey God’s will.
To be supplied with daily bread.
To be given power over all the power of the enemy.
To be given eternal life.
You do have to say: I trust nothing. I do not depend on anything else. I will not be independent from God. I will not trust my resources. I will give up anything contrary to God’s will and glory.
EVERYTHING TO GAIN EVERYTHING
“Blessed Are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
Introduction:
The face of a 3 year old boy, brightens up considerably with the sight of a favorite candy. A mother smiles contentedly at the sight of her daughter rushing to greet her when she arrives home. A successful business deal brings happiness to the heart of a person. A love note. A kiss. A loving phone call. There are many ways by which men and women find happiness.
And yet, we are also quite aware that the happiness the world offers is often too short-lived and too dependent on circumstances. It is, often, costly and painful in the end. When happiness is acquired through methods and procedures that are considered not pleasing to God, we end up with a lot of regrets and how we wish we can find true happiness.
It is like the lovely daughter of a hard-working couple who was told that it was not yet time to marry her boyfriend because his personality is a bit difficult to understand. But, she would have none of that. The sight of her boyfriend brings smiles to her lips and an expectant sensation in her heart. She was happy with him. Aren’t we supposed to be happy in life? Against her parents’ advise, she had sex with him and ended up marrying him. Two years and two kids later, she woke up one morning with her husband nowhere to be found. She was later told that he was living in with someone else who looked prettier, with much more desirable physical attributes and a slightly bigger bank account.
The world’s happiness is at best, temporary and often, by chance. The word happiness, in fact, reveals its true nature in its root HAP, in the true English English, means chance. Perhaps means, per chance. Happiness is really a product of the accidental twists and turns of life. This is the true essence of happiness.
In the part of the teaching of Jesus called the Beatitudes, He shows us the true nature of happiness and how is it that only some can acquire this. He also instructs us what comes with true happiness and what pre-conditions are there, if any.
Let’s have a short review of the work of Jesus up to the time he preached sermon we are now considering.
Just before Jesus presented the teaching we now call the Sermon on the mount, which begins from Mat. 5 to 7, He was already becoming a known figure. People were already looking for Him. The crowd was building up around him. They have heard about his powerful teaching and powerful works of miracles.
In Mt. 4:17, we see Jesus preaching his first sermon – and his message was “REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.” He was talking about a kingdom that was about to come or about to burst into the picture, a kingdom that was very, very near. Later, in Mt. 12, he would speak of this kingdom as having arrived in the midst of the people.
The Kingdom of God is the Rule of God in the hearts and minds of His people. It is not first of all a territorial kingdom although it can be because God’s people do occupy some kind of a territory. It is primarily God’s rule in our hearts and minds.
So Jesus says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. In John 3, he would say that it is necessary for people to be born again otherwise they would not be allowed to see nor enter the Kingdom of God. The Sermon on the Mount is a most important part of the teachings of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. In fact, true happiness is found only for those who have gained access into the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven.
Since He has already asked the people to repent because the kingdom of heaven is near, He would now talk about what kind of people are there in the kingdom, thereby inviting the listeners to consider what we might call as the Kingdom Lifestyle. In chapter 5:2-16, He would describe the character and blessedness of the people in the kingdom. He would describe their relation to the world (salt and light).
Secondly, Jesus would talk about the so-called Righteousness of the Kingdom which means the way of life demanded for those who are in the kingdom (5:17 to 7:12). He would conclude His sermon on the mount with a series of teachings to impress upon the people the need to enter the kingdom or to go under the rule of God.
Beatus – is a part of the Sermon on the mount. Here is Jesus’ invitation to a particular form of a lifestyle, a kind of life that is so different from that which was and which is still being practiced in the world today. A Lifestyle where happiness is true and unfading. Where love is constant and care is ever present. Let’s consider three things to understand why Jesus says, ‘BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT FOR THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.’
I POVERTY OF SPIRIT: ITS MEANING
There are, according to scholars, two words in the Greek that are both translated Poor in the English language. One of the two words is what is used here. The first word, which is not the word used here, refers to poverty but the poor man is able to work, somehow, to provide for his basic needs. It is the word for Poor where the person is not rich but is able to provide for his daily needs. He may be devoid of anything extravagant but he has something. He may not be able to afford Dads or any of the restaurants within Shangri-La Makati, but he is capable of bringing his family to any roadside turo-turo. Angus beef for a steak may be out of reach for him but he can always have his pocket produce some small bills for the chicken feet or Adidas sold almost everywhere.
The Greek word for poor, which is the one used in our verse today, refers to the poor who has nothing. This word refers, both to the absence of wealth, and also to the absence of any ability. He is poor in that he is completely helpless to provide for his own needs. He is completely without any ability or power to make both ends meet. He is helpless, powerless.
POOR IN SPIRIT – Completely helpless and powerless in spirit.
The word spirit here refers, not so much to the actual human spirit but the person’s attitude and conviction concerning his ability to govern his own life. The world believes that the person who has all the ability, all the resources, all the trimmings of power, that is the person who will enjoy life. That is the kind of person who will have happiness.
Whatever happiness the world offers is temporally and soon will pass away, often leaving with it a pain that medicine can’t cure. The way to be happy is not through ability but the absence of it; not the possession of power but the absence of it. When one is completely helpless and without any ability before God, then he becomes qualified for eternal happiness.
II PROMISED EXPERIENCE: BLESSEDNESS
The word blesses is from the Greek Word Makarios and it means happy. However, Makarios is more than just the typical understanding of happiness. It is much more than the seemingly happy sound of a thunderous laughter. It is more than just a scream of pleasure. In fact, the word happiness is quite different from the word Makarios.
The root word of happiness is hap which in True English English means chance. Happiness is based mostly on the chances and accidental twists of events in a person’s life. An unexpected wealth. An unexpected inheritance. A valued gift. This is what most people think happiness is. It is not.
Makarios means more than that. It means joy and satisfaction knowing that all is well and that you are completely protected by the love of someone you can really trust.
Someone who does not have the time for God cannot acquire this kind of joy and satisfaction. Someone whose time is used mostly for his own purpose cannot acquire this. As long as you appear to be the one running your life, providing for your needs. As long as there is any semblance of proud independence from the mercy and provisions of God, then you are not helpless before God and you cannot be referred to as poor in spirit and therefore, can not share in this blessedness or true joy and satisfaction.
Look, you may be earning enough now. You may be of the belief that you are quite able to govern your life and you don’t need to submit your life completely to God’s rule and control. Don’t be deceived, that kind of a spiritual independence will bring you trouble and more troubles in the years ahead of us.
If you say, Lord, I am completely helpless without you. There is nothing I can really do to guarantee my happiness without your direct and personal control. I don’t want spiritual independence. I want to be spiritually dependent upon you, to say to you everyday “Lord, I need thee every hour.”
Is there something in your life that is causing to be spiritual independent from God? That will become Satan’s hold on your life and it will bring you disaster. To lose everything for God is to gain everything from God. To have, not only the things of this world but to have God himself.
To be Poor in spirit is to be rewarded with blessedness and to be granted membership status into the most wonderful kingdom in the whole universe.
III PROMISED REWARD: THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
When one is poor in spirit and therefore, not spiritually independent from God, then he becomes blessed or happy, joyful and satisfied. But more than that, he is ushered into a privileged membership status. He becomes a favored member, not only of any gold club, or other social and sports organization. He becomes a privileged member of the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
What does it mean to be in the Kingdom of God?
Salvation from our sins and no longer considered guilty – Rom. 5:1
Freedom from all and any condemnation. Rom. 8:1
Rescued from the dominion of darkness. Col. 1:13
Granted redemption and forgiveness of sins – Col. 1:14
Never to be left alone or be forsaken. Heb. 13:5
To be allowed to call God as Father. Mt. 6:9
To be allowed to understand and obey God’s will.
To be supplied with daily bread.
To be given power over all the power of the enemy.
To be given eternal life.
You do have to say: I trust nothing. I do not depend on anything else. I will not be independent from God. I will not trust my resources. I will give up anything contrary to God’s will and glory.
Friday, March 12, 2010
GOD’S PROVISIONS FOR HIS PEOPLE CAN COME FROM A MOST UNLIKELY SOURCE
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
For March 12, 2010
GOD CAN MAKE YOUR ENEMY LOOK AT YOU WITH FAVOR.
Ex 3:20 So I will stretch out My hand, and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21 And I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians."
Background: Moses was now approaching 80 years old. His first 40 years was spent inside the palace in Egypt for he was brought up by an Egyptian princess. Then, at the end of that forty years, he murdered an Egyptian and that became known and he became a fugitive. As a result, he went to Midian to hide and there got married. The story for us was towards the end of his stay in Midian. He was about to go back to Egypt. All in all, Moses lived for 120 years.
CHRONOLOGY OF ISRAEL’S STAY IN EGYPT
JOSEPH SOLD TO EGYPT- 1898 BC
Joseph was second to the youngest of 12 sons of Jacob. He was different from his brothers in many ways and he was also a favorite son of his father. His brothers were jealous of him. Finally, one day, they thought of killing him but then, finally, they opted to sell him to the slave traders, who brought him to Egypt and sold him as a slave.
JOSEPH MADE RULER- 1885. Joseph was in a jail accused of attempted rape when the Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream which nobody could interpret. Joseph interpreted the dream and was made Prime minister, the second ruler of the land. Egypt, under his rule, became prosperous and stable notwithstanding 7 years of famine.
JACOB MOVED TO EGYPT- 1859. A famine brought the other sons of Jacob to Egypt to buy food, got accused of spying and were in jail. Finally reunited with Joseph. Then Jacob also, in 1859, went to Egypt and lived there with his entire family.
HYKSOS RULE- 1730. By this time, Joseph was dead and so were his father and brothers. Egypt was still a friendly people to the Israelites. Then, a people called Hyksos, who were not Egyptians, invaded Egypt and took over the kingdom. They came from the land of Canaan and Syria. The Hyksos started, like Israel, as a foreign community in the northern part of Egypt. When they were of sufficient number, they took over the kingdom. The invading Hyksos were aided by the Hyksos who were already inside Egypt. This started the Egyptian’s suspicion of the foreigners who were living in Egypt. Israel too, became a suspected people because they might also do to the Egyptians what the hyksos had done.
ISRAELITES BECAME SLAVES OF AHMOSE- 1570
Ahmose, an Egyptian fought against the hyksos and defeated them. He drove them out of Egypt. In 1570, he ordered that the once favored race, the Israelites, be made into slaves as brick makers. Ahmose’s reasoning was simple. There were more Israelites than the Hyksos people and the Israelites were wealthy. They can easily afford a rebellion. So, the way to deal with them was to make them slaves.
MOSES BORN UNDER THUTMOSE 1- 1526. Under this atmosphere, Moses was born under the Pharaoh Thutmose 1. Like Ahmose, Thutmose 1 was very suspicious of the Israelites because under him, they have become a very big community. So, Thutmose ordered that all male infants be killed and only the female infants will be spared. This was to prevent the Israelites from increasing in number and to finally dilute the race so that the race will disappear.
The suffering: The special guests have become the slaves. The once joyful community became a community where joy was only a concept never an experience. Fathers do not dream of good future for their children because a the children of a slave will also be slaves. slave will give birth to a slave
Frustration is to be forced to be what you were not meant to be. They came to Egypt and lived as a favored community. Yet, the moment Ahmose became Pharaoh, day after, frustration had become the way of life. As brick makers, they had to continually find the right mud and gather straw to mix with the mud for the brick. The backbreaking task of bending, mixing, molding and drying the bricks, done on a daily basis, is enough to disturb even the most serenely-minded of all men. FRUSTRATION IS LIKE FINDING YOUR GLASSES WITHOUT YOUR GLASSES. But, God is about to change the status, stature and condition of His people. He was about to make them FREE and BLESSED WITH GOODS AND GOODIES! This is the story we will look at in the next few days.
GOD’S PROVISIONS CAN COME FROM THE MOST UNLIKELY OF SOURCES: THE EGYPTIAN WEALTH
The provisions for God’s people will be given by their oppressors who would consider it a good thing to do (to get rid of what was perceived as the reason for their national calamity). From this story we learn the principle we call: The principle of the Egyptian.
The Principle of the Egyptian wealth affirms that God can provide for us even from the most unlikely of sources: from those who have done something bad against us. Nothing is to hard for God.
The principle of the Egyptian wealth reminds us of the concept of REDEEMED BLESSINGS. The Egyptian wealth in the hands of the Egyptians was not for God’s glory. In the hands of the Israelites, it was useful for the people and became an instrument of God’s kindness. God may give you redeemed blessings. How? He will show you how.
The principle of the Egyptian wealth reaffirms that God can make your persecutor your provider. The slave-masters became the suppliers. The wealth-takers became the wealth-givers. Persecution became provisions. Truly, there is nothing is too hard for our God.
For March 12, 2010
GOD CAN MAKE YOUR ENEMY LOOK AT YOU WITH FAVOR.
Ex 3:20 So I will stretch out My hand, and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21 And I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians."
Background: Moses was now approaching 80 years old. His first 40 years was spent inside the palace in Egypt for he was brought up by an Egyptian princess. Then, at the end of that forty years, he murdered an Egyptian and that became known and he became a fugitive. As a result, he went to Midian to hide and there got married. The story for us was towards the end of his stay in Midian. He was about to go back to Egypt. All in all, Moses lived for 120 years.
CHRONOLOGY OF ISRAEL’S STAY IN EGYPT
JOSEPH SOLD TO EGYPT- 1898 BC
Joseph was second to the youngest of 12 sons of Jacob. He was different from his brothers in many ways and he was also a favorite son of his father. His brothers were jealous of him. Finally, one day, they thought of killing him but then, finally, they opted to sell him to the slave traders, who brought him to Egypt and sold him as a slave.
JOSEPH MADE RULER- 1885. Joseph was in a jail accused of attempted rape when the Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream which nobody could interpret. Joseph interpreted the dream and was made Prime minister, the second ruler of the land. Egypt, under his rule, became prosperous and stable notwithstanding 7 years of famine.
JACOB MOVED TO EGYPT- 1859. A famine brought the other sons of Jacob to Egypt to buy food, got accused of spying and were in jail. Finally reunited with Joseph. Then Jacob also, in 1859, went to Egypt and lived there with his entire family.
HYKSOS RULE- 1730. By this time, Joseph was dead and so were his father and brothers. Egypt was still a friendly people to the Israelites. Then, a people called Hyksos, who were not Egyptians, invaded Egypt and took over the kingdom. They came from the land of Canaan and Syria. The Hyksos started, like Israel, as a foreign community in the northern part of Egypt. When they were of sufficient number, they took over the kingdom. The invading Hyksos were aided by the Hyksos who were already inside Egypt. This started the Egyptian’s suspicion of the foreigners who were living in Egypt. Israel too, became a suspected people because they might also do to the Egyptians what the hyksos had done.
ISRAELITES BECAME SLAVES OF AHMOSE- 1570
Ahmose, an Egyptian fought against the hyksos and defeated them. He drove them out of Egypt. In 1570, he ordered that the once favored race, the Israelites, be made into slaves as brick makers. Ahmose’s reasoning was simple. There were more Israelites than the Hyksos people and the Israelites were wealthy. They can easily afford a rebellion. So, the way to deal with them was to make them slaves.
MOSES BORN UNDER THUTMOSE 1- 1526. Under this atmosphere, Moses was born under the Pharaoh Thutmose 1. Like Ahmose, Thutmose 1 was very suspicious of the Israelites because under him, they have become a very big community. So, Thutmose ordered that all male infants be killed and only the female infants will be spared. This was to prevent the Israelites from increasing in number and to finally dilute the race so that the race will disappear.
The suffering: The special guests have become the slaves. The once joyful community became a community where joy was only a concept never an experience. Fathers do not dream of good future for their children because a the children of a slave will also be slaves. slave will give birth to a slave
Frustration is to be forced to be what you were not meant to be. They came to Egypt and lived as a favored community. Yet, the moment Ahmose became Pharaoh, day after, frustration had become the way of life. As brick makers, they had to continually find the right mud and gather straw to mix with the mud for the brick. The backbreaking task of bending, mixing, molding and drying the bricks, done on a daily basis, is enough to disturb even the most serenely-minded of all men. FRUSTRATION IS LIKE FINDING YOUR GLASSES WITHOUT YOUR GLASSES. But, God is about to change the status, stature and condition of His people. He was about to make them FREE and BLESSED WITH GOODS AND GOODIES! This is the story we will look at in the next few days.
GOD’S PROVISIONS CAN COME FROM THE MOST UNLIKELY OF SOURCES: THE EGYPTIAN WEALTH
The provisions for God’s people will be given by their oppressors who would consider it a good thing to do (to get rid of what was perceived as the reason for their national calamity). From this story we learn the principle we call: The principle of the Egyptian.
The Principle of the Egyptian wealth affirms that God can provide for us even from the most unlikely of sources: from those who have done something bad against us. Nothing is to hard for God.
The principle of the Egyptian wealth reminds us of the concept of REDEEMED BLESSINGS. The Egyptian wealth in the hands of the Egyptians was not for God’s glory. In the hands of the Israelites, it was useful for the people and became an instrument of God’s kindness. God may give you redeemed blessings. How? He will show you how.
The principle of the Egyptian wealth reaffirms that God can make your persecutor your provider. The slave-masters became the suppliers. The wealth-takers became the wealth-givers. Persecution became provisions. Truly, there is nothing is too hard for our God.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD? ( Part 7)
The Staff of God or the Staff of Moses?
Ex 4:1 Then Moses answered and said, "What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'" 2 And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." 3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail" — so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand — 5 "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."… 17 And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs." …20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.
THE STAFF OF MOSES:
Moses believed in God (as we do) but he wanted proof that he will be successful and be accepted by the people. Moses carried a STAFF. God told him to throw it on the ground and lo and behold, IT BECAME A SERPENT! Moses was so startled and frightened that he ran away from the serpent although he knew it was his staff that became a serpent. When Moses picked it up again by its tail- as instructed by God- the serpent became a staff again; no more tail, no more fangs, just a very ordinary staff.
THE STAFF OF GOD.
Later God told Moses to take the staff with him when he returns to Egypt. Then, in verse 20, the staff that was really the staff of Moses was given a new name: Staff of God. With it Moses would later perform great miracles and also with it, he parted the red sea to allow the people to walk on dry ground from what was, hours before, a body of water.
THE STAFF OF POWER AND VICTORY.
Did you notice? The Staff of Moses became the Staff of god and with it came the victory of Moses. When something we own is offered to God and used for His glory, it assumes a new name- God’s…. whatever the thing is. Imagine you have a jeep, you offer it to God and it becomes God’s jeep. You can expect success with it. You have a hardware store, you offer it to God; it becomes God’s hardware. Expect success. Anything in your hand that you offer to God becomes God’s property by the reason of it having been offered. God will use it to bless you.
Ex 4:1 Then Moses answered and said, "What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'" 2 And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." 3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail" — so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand — 5 "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."… 17 And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs." …20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.
THE STAFF OF MOSES:
Moses believed in God (as we do) but he wanted proof that he will be successful and be accepted by the people. Moses carried a STAFF. God told him to throw it on the ground and lo and behold, IT BECAME A SERPENT! Moses was so startled and frightened that he ran away from the serpent although he knew it was his staff that became a serpent. When Moses picked it up again by its tail- as instructed by God- the serpent became a staff again; no more tail, no more fangs, just a very ordinary staff.
THE STAFF OF GOD.
Later God told Moses to take the staff with him when he returns to Egypt. Then, in verse 20, the staff that was really the staff of Moses was given a new name: Staff of God. With it Moses would later perform great miracles and also with it, he parted the red sea to allow the people to walk on dry ground from what was, hours before, a body of water.
THE STAFF OF POWER AND VICTORY.
Did you notice? The Staff of Moses became the Staff of god and with it came the victory of Moses. When something we own is offered to God and used for His glory, it assumes a new name- God’s…. whatever the thing is. Imagine you have a jeep, you offer it to God and it becomes God’s jeep. You can expect success with it. You have a hardware store, you offer it to God; it becomes God’s hardware. Expect success. Anything in your hand that you offer to God becomes God’s property by the reason of it having been offered. God will use it to bless you.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD? ( Part 6)
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
OVERCOMING INSECURITIES AND FEARS WITH THE HELP OF OUR D.A.P.
Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 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. 5 "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." 6 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. 7 "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. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 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." 10 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." 11 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? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." 18 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."
Fear Can Make Us Stubbornly Unyielding To God’s Will.
Moses was approaching 80 years of age. He was going about his daily tasks when God spoke to him through a burning bush (bb). Moses was attracted to the bush because of his curiosity: the bush was on fire but it remained unscathed by the fire; it was not being razed down. Sometimes God uses our curiosity to bring us to Him.
Moses approached the bb and was startled when the bb “spoke”. Moses heard a voice coming out of the bb. This was something else. A voice from heaven would be easier to accept and understand but a burning and speaking bush? Wow, this is something new. This is technology beyond my time or as the people now would say “super high tech” and plainly amazing. God may choose to speak to us in the strangest of methods and fashion but it does not change the fact that He is a communicating God and that in itself is a wonderful reality.
The sum total of the discussion between God and Moses was Moses was to go back to Egypt (where he was s fugitive from the law) and speak to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites go (many have lost their heads- literally- for less offensive issues) and tell Pharaoh that this is what God wants. Understandably, Moses was reluctant and in fact, unwilling to obey. He was not an atheist; he was not agnostic’ he was not a bad man; he was simply controlled by his fears and uncertainties. With this mindset, he told God: 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
GOD Sends Moses’ DAP.
This reluctance was annoying even to One who is supremely patient and merciful. Verse 14 tells us that the Lord’s anger burned against Moses. But, here is the majesty of mercy and the wonder of grace: With His anger burning against Moses, God told Moses of a perfectly suitable solution (which removes Moses’ excuses). I will give you someone to help you. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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.
Aaron was Moses’ D.A.P. or divinely assigned person. For all of us who find ourselves unable to accomplish the task that God has given to us, God would usually, because of His grace and mercy, send us our DAP. Moses had Aaron, Adam had Eve, Barak had Deborah, Aquilla had Priscilla, Joshua had his Caleb and many others enjoyed this privilege.
You too have your own DAP. If you do not know who this person is, just tell God that you are having difficulty carrying out your task. Then, in this case, God sends you your DAP. When tells us that He will not forsake or abandon us, that He will never leave us alone, it sometimes means sending a DAP to us. God is not in the habit of leaving His people alone.
OVERCOMING INSECURITIES AND FEARS WITH THE HELP OF OUR D.A.P.
Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 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. 5 "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." 6 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. 7 "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. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 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." 10 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." 11 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? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." 18 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."
Fear Can Make Us Stubbornly Unyielding To God’s Will.
Moses was approaching 80 years of age. He was going about his daily tasks when God spoke to him through a burning bush (bb). Moses was attracted to the bush because of his curiosity: the bush was on fire but it remained unscathed by the fire; it was not being razed down. Sometimes God uses our curiosity to bring us to Him.
Moses approached the bb and was startled when the bb “spoke”. Moses heard a voice coming out of the bb. This was something else. A voice from heaven would be easier to accept and understand but a burning and speaking bush? Wow, this is something new. This is technology beyond my time or as the people now would say “super high tech” and plainly amazing. God may choose to speak to us in the strangest of methods and fashion but it does not change the fact that He is a communicating God and that in itself is a wonderful reality.
The sum total of the discussion between God and Moses was Moses was to go back to Egypt (where he was s fugitive from the law) and speak to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites go (many have lost their heads- literally- for less offensive issues) and tell Pharaoh that this is what God wants. Understandably, Moses was reluctant and in fact, unwilling to obey. He was not an atheist; he was not agnostic’ he was not a bad man; he was simply controlled by his fears and uncertainties. With this mindset, he told God: 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."
GOD Sends Moses’ DAP.
This reluctance was annoying even to One who is supremely patient and merciful. Verse 14 tells us that the Lord’s anger burned against Moses. But, here is the majesty of mercy and the wonder of grace: With His anger burning against Moses, God told Moses of a perfectly suitable solution (which removes Moses’ excuses). I will give you someone to help you. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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.
Aaron was Moses’ D.A.P. or divinely assigned person. For all of us who find ourselves unable to accomplish the task that God has given to us, God would usually, because of His grace and mercy, send us our DAP. Moses had Aaron, Adam had Eve, Barak had Deborah, Aquilla had Priscilla, Joshua had his Caleb and many others enjoyed this privilege.
You too have your own DAP. If you do not know who this person is, just tell God that you are having difficulty carrying out your task. Then, in this case, God sends you your DAP. When tells us that He will not forsake or abandon us, that He will never leave us alone, it sometimes means sending a DAP to us. God is not in the habit of leaving His people alone.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD? ( Part 5)
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Why Is It Difficult To Trust God Completely? The Usual Reason Is That Our Insecurities And Uncertainties Have Taken Over. .
Exodus 3:10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 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. 5 "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." 6 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. 7 "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. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 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." 10 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." 11 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? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." 18 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."
When we disobey God, it normally comes from: 1) a rebellious hardness of our hearts (ayaw ko sumunod, period); 2) Inability to trust God completely; 3) Our insecurity (or fear has taken over). Moses did not have reason # 1 but he did show that he was acting out of his inability to trust God completely and also because his insecurity (or fear) has taken over.
God introduced Himself clearly to Moses but Moses found it hard to obey God. Aside from the fact that he was a fugitive in Egypt- wanted by the law for murder, Moses had 4 specific reasons for not wanting to obey. It is possible that we too, whenever we refuse to obey or reluctantly obey, are under the influence of these 4 reasons:
First Reason: I cannot obey because I am nothing. I have no social stature. Hindi ako bagay. 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" In answer, God told Him, I will be with you. Lesson: When you feel small, insignificant, unimportant, etc., maybe you are. But, the basis of our confidence is never our personal stature but the stature of the one who is with us to protect: God of gods, and King of kings. He is the one who is with. If God is for us as He is also with us, who can be against us?
Second Reason: The people may not believe me. Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" What was Moses actually saying? I am afraid I will fail. We all have that fear from time to time. It is a reasonable fear based on our insignificance. But, based on the truth of God’s presence with us, the reason becomes difficult to uphold because our success depends on WHO IS SENDING US AND WHO IS WITH US not because of whatever strength and power we have.
Third Reason: I Am not eloquent: ." Ex. 4:10 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’s reply gives us a hint of a sharp rebuke: Who gave you your mouth? It’s like saying: Do you have a mouth? Who gave you that mouth? Then God appointed someone else to help Moses in bringing the message to Pharaoh. This really shows us that Moses thought of success or failure as based on what we have as strength, skills or ability. He may not have been eloquent but why would God call someone to speak for Him when that someone is not eloquence? If the work can be successfully completed by man’s eloquence, where is God’s honor? God may ask you to do something that is beyond your ability; There is a reason for it. God would like to demonstrate His power in your weakness.
Fourth Reason: I Am Afraid. Please Send Someone Else: Ex. 4:13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Have you ever made a decision to disobey because your own limitations (like fear) have taken over? Moses was not being rebellious in the usual meaning of the word. He was not anti-God he was simply afraid. His fear took over and it was strong enough to make him attempt to disobey God.
Let’s learn from Moses. We have fears, insecurities and anxieties that are not easy to handle. But, God knows exactly what we are going through. Without condoning our weakness, He provides a way for us to be able to accomplish His will even though we are beset by concerns coming from our insecurities. God is good. Moses turned out to be one of the greatest of God’s servants. But, remember, he stared as a fearful, unsure and anxious servant of God.
Why Is It Difficult To Trust God Completely? The Usual Reason Is That Our Insecurities And Uncertainties Have Taken Over. .
Exodus 3:10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 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. 5 "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." 6 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. 7 "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. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 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." 10 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." 11 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? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it." 18 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."
When we disobey God, it normally comes from: 1) a rebellious hardness of our hearts (ayaw ko sumunod, period); 2) Inability to trust God completely; 3) Our insecurity (or fear has taken over). Moses did not have reason # 1 but he did show that he was acting out of his inability to trust God completely and also because his insecurity (or fear) has taken over.
God introduced Himself clearly to Moses but Moses found it hard to obey God. Aside from the fact that he was a fugitive in Egypt- wanted by the law for murder, Moses had 4 specific reasons for not wanting to obey. It is possible that we too, whenever we refuse to obey or reluctantly obey, are under the influence of these 4 reasons:
First Reason: I cannot obey because I am nothing. I have no social stature. Hindi ako bagay. 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" In answer, God told Him, I will be with you. Lesson: When you feel small, insignificant, unimportant, etc., maybe you are. But, the basis of our confidence is never our personal stature but the stature of the one who is with us to protect: God of gods, and King of kings. He is the one who is with. If God is for us as He is also with us, who can be against us?
Second Reason: The people may not believe me. Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" What was Moses actually saying? I am afraid I will fail. We all have that fear from time to time. It is a reasonable fear based on our insignificance. But, based on the truth of God’s presence with us, the reason becomes difficult to uphold because our success depends on WHO IS SENDING US AND WHO IS WITH US not because of whatever strength and power we have.
Third Reason: I Am not eloquent: ." Ex. 4:10 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’s reply gives us a hint of a sharp rebuke: Who gave you your mouth? It’s like saying: Do you have a mouth? Who gave you that mouth? Then God appointed someone else to help Moses in bringing the message to Pharaoh. This really shows us that Moses thought of success or failure as based on what we have as strength, skills or ability. He may not have been eloquent but why would God call someone to speak for Him when that someone is not eloquence? If the work can be successfully completed by man’s eloquence, where is God’s honor? God may ask you to do something that is beyond your ability; There is a reason for it. God would like to demonstrate His power in your weakness.
Fourth Reason: I Am Afraid. Please Send Someone Else: Ex. 4:13 But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it." Have you ever made a decision to disobey because your own limitations (like fear) have taken over? Moses was not being rebellious in the usual meaning of the word. He was not anti-God he was simply afraid. His fear took over and it was strong enough to make him attempt to disobey God.
Let’s learn from Moses. We have fears, insecurities and anxieties that are not easy to handle. But, God knows exactly what we are going through. Without condoning our weakness, He provides a way for us to be able to accomplish His will even though we are beset by concerns coming from our insecurities. God is good. Moses turned out to be one of the greatest of God’s servants. But, remember, he stared as a fearful, unsure and anxious servant of God.
Monday, March 8, 2010
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD? ( Part 4)
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Yes We Believe In God. That Is Not The Issue. The Problem Is That Although We Believe In God, We Find It Difficult To Trust Him Completely.
Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 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. 5 "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." 6 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. 7 "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. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 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 believed in God. He had always known about the God who revealed Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, with his firm belief in God, Moses found it difficult to agree to what God was asking him to do. I suppose this is true for most of us. We believe in God. We believe in His word. We do not question His majestic status as Supreme Being; God of gods and King of all kings. It’s just that some of His instructions to us are not that easy to comply with or obey. Of course He is always right and we are wrong but the difficulty remains.
Moses heard God spoke about a plan that He wants Moses to implement. Moses should go back to Egypt (where he was a fugitive, wanted by the Egyptian authorities for murder) and tell Pharaoh (who thought of himself as the king of kings and son of a god, and in fact, a god himself) to let the slaves, the Israelites, go to a certain Mountain to worship God.
This was a bit too much for Moses. Confront Pharaoh? Refer to the Israelites as children of the Most High God when the Egyptians consider them as slaves of the lowest kind? Tell Pharaoh about the most God High God when Pharaoh firmly believes that he is a god and protected by all other gods? It was a difficult assignment. So Moses became afraid. He raised arguments hoping to convince God not to go on with the plan.
We sometimes go through something like this. We believe God; yes but some of His instructions are difficult to obey. God tells us to forgive but in our minds: forgive the person who has betrayed me, offended me and made me feel like I am less than a person? Trust Him to take care of us when things are really down and no hope seems to at the horizon? It is often difficult to believe completely. Moses was afraid that the people would not believe him when he tells them that God had spoken to him. Do you know what the real problem was? His problem is also our problem today. Moses trusted God but not all the way. God said GO, Moses raised all kinds of arguments so he could not go. Trusting God but not all the way. This is a weakness common to the many believers. Let’ work on this weakness and give it up altogether by the grace of God. In the end, the true measure of ABSOLUTE TRUST in God is UNCONDITIONAL AND COMPLETE OBEDIENCE. Do you trust God? Enough?
Yes We Believe In God. That Is Not The Issue. The Problem Is That Although We Believe In God, We Find It Difficult To Trust Him Completely.
Ex 4:1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?" 2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied. 3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 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. 5 "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." 6 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. 7 "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. 8 Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 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 believed in God. He had always known about the God who revealed Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. However, with his firm belief in God, Moses found it difficult to agree to what God was asking him to do. I suppose this is true for most of us. We believe in God. We believe in His word. We do not question His majestic status as Supreme Being; God of gods and King of all kings. It’s just that some of His instructions to us are not that easy to comply with or obey. Of course He is always right and we are wrong but the difficulty remains.
Moses heard God spoke about a plan that He wants Moses to implement. Moses should go back to Egypt (where he was a fugitive, wanted by the Egyptian authorities for murder) and tell Pharaoh (who thought of himself as the king of kings and son of a god, and in fact, a god himself) to let the slaves, the Israelites, go to a certain Mountain to worship God.
This was a bit too much for Moses. Confront Pharaoh? Refer to the Israelites as children of the Most High God when the Egyptians consider them as slaves of the lowest kind? Tell Pharaoh about the most God High God when Pharaoh firmly believes that he is a god and protected by all other gods? It was a difficult assignment. So Moses became afraid. He raised arguments hoping to convince God not to go on with the plan.
We sometimes go through something like this. We believe God; yes but some of His instructions are difficult to obey. God tells us to forgive but in our minds: forgive the person who has betrayed me, offended me and made me feel like I am less than a person? Trust Him to take care of us when things are really down and no hope seems to at the horizon? It is often difficult to believe completely. Moses was afraid that the people would not believe him when he tells them that God had spoken to him. Do you know what the real problem was? His problem is also our problem today. Moses trusted God but not all the way. God said GO, Moses raised all kinds of arguments so he could not go. Trusting God but not all the way. This is a weakness common to the many believers. Let’ work on this weakness and give it up altogether by the grace of God. In the end, the true measure of ABSOLUTE TRUST in God is UNCONDITIONAL AND COMPLETE OBEDIENCE. Do you trust God? Enough?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD? ( Part 3)
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
For March 7, 2010
3 GIFTS THAT MADE THE WEAKLING A WARRIOR; TURNED BURDENS TO BECOME BLESSINGS, BARRIERS BECAME BRIDGES, FEAR BECAME FAITH, ANXIETY BECAME AVAILABILITY. NOT EXCUSE NOT TO SERVE GOD.
Ex 3:1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, "I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 And the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain." 13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
Moses must have been startled no end with the burning God and the voice of God that came from within the bush. A bush that burns without being consumed; a bush that speaks! And the bush spoke to him! The voice in the bush told him things he must have dreaded to hear all those years- go back to Egypt and bring my people out. Moses was a fugitive, wanted by the Egyptians for murdering one of their own. Moses did it to protect one of his own people but it became known and he had to run for his life.
Serve God in Egypt? Serve God somewhere else, yes, maybe, but in Egypt? Oh no! Moses was like many of us. We serve God but we choose the place and type of ministry. So we say YES, BUT. In the Lord’s ministry, no ifs, no buts. In the end, Moses obeyed, reluctantly, it seemed, but he obeyed nevertheless.
To help Moses overcome his fear and whatever it was that made him reluctant to serve, God gave him 3 very important gifts (same gifts for us who serve God now).
1. THE POWER OF HIS PROMISE: I will be with you. Ex. 3:12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you,…” God is not in the habit of calling His servants and leaving them hanging. He stays with them. For you, as you read this, have you forgotten that God has given you the Holy Spirit who is in us and will never leave us? We have reasons to fear the world but we a good reason to overcome our fears: God is with us. The Lord Jesus was born as the EMMANUEL to remind us that God is with us.
2. THE POWER OF HIS NAME: I AM. Ex. 3:13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God says He is the I AM. A painful reality in our life is that we have the word WAS in our vocabulary. He WAS with me and he is no longer here. I WAS among friends and then they were all taken away. God is not affected by our time zones and the unending age-increasing revolutions of the earth. He remains I am. At every phase of our life, God is there and time cannot keep Him out of your life. He is I AM and remains faithful as He cannot be unfaithful because He is the great I AM.
3. THE POWER OF HIS COVENANT: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… . Ex. 3:" 6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”… The historical proof of God’s faithfulness to His people is seen in the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Every time God mentions these three, He is saying that His covenant with Abraham (He declared Himself to the God of His people) still exists and that He Himself has nurtured and protected that covenant relationship. His relationship with Abraham was something He faithfully preserved. You know what? Read Galatians 3:29. If you are a believers, you are also a child of Abraham and enjoys the historical faithfulness of God.
There is no excuse not to serve God. There is no excuse not to overcome our fear. With these 3 gifts, all things shall become possible for us. The weakling became a warrior because of these gifts. The burdens became blessings, the barriers became bridges because of these gifts. Go ahead and go forward. Don’t be afraid. He is on our side.
For March 7, 2010
3 GIFTS THAT MADE THE WEAKLING A WARRIOR; TURNED BURDENS TO BECOME BLESSINGS, BARRIERS BECAME BRIDGES, FEAR BECAME FAITH, ANXIETY BECAME AVAILABILITY. NOT EXCUSE NOT TO SERVE GOD.
Ex 3:1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, "I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 And the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain." 13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
Moses must have been startled no end with the burning God and the voice of God that came from within the bush. A bush that burns without being consumed; a bush that speaks! And the bush spoke to him! The voice in the bush told him things he must have dreaded to hear all those years- go back to Egypt and bring my people out. Moses was a fugitive, wanted by the Egyptians for murdering one of their own. Moses did it to protect one of his own people but it became known and he had to run for his life.
Serve God in Egypt? Serve God somewhere else, yes, maybe, but in Egypt? Oh no! Moses was like many of us. We serve God but we choose the place and type of ministry. So we say YES, BUT. In the Lord’s ministry, no ifs, no buts. In the end, Moses obeyed, reluctantly, it seemed, but he obeyed nevertheless.
To help Moses overcome his fear and whatever it was that made him reluctant to serve, God gave him 3 very important gifts (same gifts for us who serve God now).
1. THE POWER OF HIS PROMISE: I will be with you. Ex. 3:12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you,…” God is not in the habit of calling His servants and leaving them hanging. He stays with them. For you, as you read this, have you forgotten that God has given you the Holy Spirit who is in us and will never leave us? We have reasons to fear the world but we a good reason to overcome our fears: God is with us. The Lord Jesus was born as the EMMANUEL to remind us that God is with us.
2. THE POWER OF HIS NAME: I AM. Ex. 3:13 Then Moses said to God, "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" 14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God says He is the I AM. A painful reality in our life is that we have the word WAS in our vocabulary. He WAS with me and he is no longer here. I WAS among friends and then they were all taken away. God is not affected by our time zones and the unending age-increasing revolutions of the earth. He remains I am. At every phase of our life, God is there and time cannot keep Him out of your life. He is I AM and remains faithful as He cannot be unfaithful because He is the great I AM.
3. THE POWER OF HIS COVENANT: God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… . Ex. 3:" 6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”… The historical proof of God’s faithfulness to His people is seen in the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Every time God mentions these three, He is saying that His covenant with Abraham (He declared Himself to the God of His people) still exists and that He Himself has nurtured and protected that covenant relationship. His relationship with Abraham was something He faithfully preserved. You know what? Read Galatians 3:29. If you are a believers, you are also a child of Abraham and enjoys the historical faithfulness of God.
There is no excuse not to serve God. There is no excuse not to overcome our fear. With these 3 gifts, all things shall become possible for us. The weakling became a warrior because of these gifts. The burdens became blessings, the barriers became bridges because of these gifts. Go ahead and go forward. Don’t be afraid. He is on our side.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD? (Part 2)
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
For March 6, 2010
WHEN THE ETERNAL BEING CALLS, OUR AGE CANNOT BE AN EXCUSE.
Ex 3:1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, "I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 And the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
Psalm 90 tells us that God is FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. Even when we try to modernize the words, it still is not easy to explain: God is from ETERNITY PAST TO ETERNITY FUTURE! It is not easy to explain but we know what it means. We cannot talk about God and mention age. Age, the number of years of our existence, applies to us, not to God.
Our modern setup tells us that most people retire from work at age 65, or at least, we acquire the right to use a Senior Citizen’s card, a proof that we are getting older and needs assistance to buy our medicines and other needs. Would you still think of serving when you are already 75? One of our pastors, the Rev. Rizal Asuncion was ordained into the Ministry when he was 73! He is now 77 years old.
This specific account of the life focused on the events of his life when he was ALMOST 80 YEARS OLD. His official duty in relation to the Ministry started when he was 80 YEARS OLD! Ex 7:7 And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh. His first 40 years was spent inside the palace in Egypt for he was brought up by an Egyptian princess. Then, at the end of that forty years, he murdered an Egyptian and that became known and he became a fugitive. As a result, he went to Midian to hide and there got married. The story for us was towards the end of his stay in Midian. He was about to go back to Egypt. All in all, Moses lived for 120 years.
He was almost 80 years and he heard a most startling declaration: Exodus 3:10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"
God told him: Come, (he heard God’s call); I will send you to Pharaoh (he received God’s commission); Bring my people the sons of Israel, our of Egypt. (he hard God’s concern for His people). Moses’ reply was quick, argumentative and resistant in tone: Ex. 3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" Later, Moses would raise more objections but for now, we find it easy to understand. He was almost 80 years old!
Here is the lesson. Your ministry is never dependent on your age (you are not wine that becomes more desirable with age); it is not dependent on your ability (the truth is, we have many disabilities but hardly anything in terms of true ability); it is not dependent on our courage (the courageous often loses his head, literally). Ministry depends on God’s calling. If god calls an 80-year old person, He will and he can empower him just as He can empower a 100-year old or even a 110 year old. The bottom line? There is no excuse for not serving God. He calls, we come. He sends, we go. He speaks, we relay the message. He leads, we follow. What is your excuse for not serving or for serving less than the quality that God expects? NO EXCUSE! NOT EVEN AGE!
For March 6, 2010
WHEN THE ETERNAL BEING CALLS, OUR AGE CANNOT BE AN EXCUSE.
Ex 3:1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, "I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up." 4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." 5 Then He said, "Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." 6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 And the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" 12 And He said, "Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain."
Psalm 90 tells us that God is FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. Even when we try to modernize the words, it still is not easy to explain: God is from ETERNITY PAST TO ETERNITY FUTURE! It is not easy to explain but we know what it means. We cannot talk about God and mention age. Age, the number of years of our existence, applies to us, not to God.
Our modern setup tells us that most people retire from work at age 65, or at least, we acquire the right to use a Senior Citizen’s card, a proof that we are getting older and needs assistance to buy our medicines and other needs. Would you still think of serving when you are already 75? One of our pastors, the Rev. Rizal Asuncion was ordained into the Ministry when he was 73! He is now 77 years old.
This specific account of the life focused on the events of his life when he was ALMOST 80 YEARS OLD. His official duty in relation to the Ministry started when he was 80 YEARS OLD! Ex 7:7 And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh. His first 40 years was spent inside the palace in Egypt for he was brought up by an Egyptian princess. Then, at the end of that forty years, he murdered an Egyptian and that became known and he became a fugitive. As a result, he went to Midian to hide and there got married. The story for us was towards the end of his stay in Midian. He was about to go back to Egypt. All in all, Moses lived for 120 years.
He was almost 80 years and he heard a most startling declaration: Exodus 3:10 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." 11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?"
God told him: Come, (he heard God’s call); I will send you to Pharaoh (he received God’s commission); Bring my people the sons of Israel, our of Egypt. (he hard God’s concern for His people). Moses’ reply was quick, argumentative and resistant in tone: Ex. 3:11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" Later, Moses would raise more objections but for now, we find it easy to understand. He was almost 80 years old!
Here is the lesson. Your ministry is never dependent on your age (you are not wine that becomes more desirable with age); it is not dependent on your ability (the truth is, we have many disabilities but hardly anything in terms of true ability); it is not dependent on our courage (the courageous often loses his head, literally). Ministry depends on God’s calling. If god calls an 80-year old person, He will and he can empower him just as He can empower a 100-year old or even a 110 year old. The bottom line? There is no excuse for not serving God. He calls, we come. He sends, we go. He speaks, we relay the message. He leads, we follow. What is your excuse for not serving or for serving less than the quality that God expects? NO EXCUSE! NOT EVEN AGE!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR GOD?
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
For March 5, 2010- Read Exodus 3
The people, once dignified, honored guests, considered as very important people, have been brought low. They were, at the time of the historical context of this account, slaves of the lowest kind. They were slaves to a power they could not hope to overcome. Are you a slave of anything? They were mistreated, hurt, made to work beyond what is reasonable. Slaves that they were, they were treated worse than slaves. It was a bad time. I wonder if you can relate with their pains and difficulties. Hurt repeatedly, mistreated, dignity taken away, self-esteem completely gone and hope basically a word with no real meaning to the people.
It’s in this context that God spoke to Moses. He says: Ex 3:6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 And the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.
How much to you know about our God? Is He a personal God or just an idea or a concept that is not really easy to understand? Who is He and what He does He do for you and for me? From His conversation with Moses, we learn of several important truths about God.
First, note that God sees what His people are going through. This seeing is an expression of love and kindness. God says: “I have seen the affliction of MY PEOPLE.” This seeing is deliberate on His part and is motivated by His love for His people. God sees what you are going through. He is not blind with regards to what we are facing and going through in life.
Second, note that God hears what His people are saying. There is no word that escapes the hearing of God. He knows every word, whether spoken or not because He loves His people. He hears the very sound of your moaning and groaning. He hears the sound of your sobbing over a painful episode in your life.
Third, He will do something about what He has seen and heard. He told Moses: I have come down. The Lord Jesus did exactly the same. He came down from heaven that we might have life and have it abundantly. This is something that is so wonderful about God. He does not just observe what we are going through. He will do something about it. Never just an onlooker because He is always our Rescuer and provider.
Your pains? These are known to God because He sees and He hears. The mistreatment you have been subjected to? God knows about it because He sees and He hears. The betrayals you have been through? He knows that too. The future that looks uncertain to us? Don’t worry about it. God sees and hears what was in the past, what is here and now and what is still to take place.
He sees, He hears and He will do something about it. What can He do? He is Omnipotent so nothing is too hard for Him. He is Omniscient so He knows exactly what our concerns are and He knows exactly what to do. He is Omnipresent so He is with us everywhere. No place is off-limits to Him. He is all these and HE IS YOUR GOD!
For March 5, 2010- Read Exodus 3
The people, once dignified, honored guests, considered as very important people, have been brought low. They were, at the time of the historical context of this account, slaves of the lowest kind. They were slaves to a power they could not hope to overcome. Are you a slave of anything? They were mistreated, hurt, made to work beyond what is reasonable. Slaves that they were, they were treated worse than slaves. It was a bad time. I wonder if you can relate with their pains and difficulties. Hurt repeatedly, mistreated, dignity taken away, self-esteem completely gone and hope basically a word with no real meaning to the people.
It’s in this context that God spoke to Moses. He says: Ex 3:6 He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 And the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.
How much to you know about our God? Is He a personal God or just an idea or a concept that is not really easy to understand? Who is He and what He does He do for you and for me? From His conversation with Moses, we learn of several important truths about God.
First, note that God sees what His people are going through. This seeing is an expression of love and kindness. God says: “I have seen the affliction of MY PEOPLE.” This seeing is deliberate on His part and is motivated by His love for His people. God sees what you are going through. He is not blind with regards to what we are facing and going through in life.
Second, note that God hears what His people are saying. There is no word that escapes the hearing of God. He knows every word, whether spoken or not because He loves His people. He hears the very sound of your moaning and groaning. He hears the sound of your sobbing over a painful episode in your life.
Third, He will do something about what He has seen and heard. He told Moses: I have come down. The Lord Jesus did exactly the same. He came down from heaven that we might have life and have it abundantly. This is something that is so wonderful about God. He does not just observe what we are going through. He will do something about it. Never just an onlooker because He is always our Rescuer and provider.
Your pains? These are known to God because He sees and He hears. The mistreatment you have been subjected to? God knows about it because He sees and He hears. The betrayals you have been through? He knows that too. The future that looks uncertain to us? Don’t worry about it. God sees and hears what was in the past, what is here and now and what is still to take place.
He sees, He hears and He will do something about it. What can He do? He is Omnipotent so nothing is too hard for Him. He is Omniscient so He knows exactly what our concerns are and He knows exactly what to do. He is Omnipresent so He is with us everywhere. No place is off-limits to Him. He is all these and HE IS YOUR GOD!
APPOINTED BY THE DISAPPOINTED
The seriousness of your spirituality and the impact of your life are demonstrated primarily through the person you have chosen and trained to continue and expand what you have accomplished in your lifetime.
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Deut 34:1 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. 7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. NASB
Verse 9 is as powerful as any verse can get. “9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Moses is dead. But, his impact continues even after he died. A man took over his task of leading the people. His work did not stop at his death. Spirituality does not die when we die. Impact does not end when we leave this world. The secret really is to see to that there is someone who has acquired the spirituality to continue what you have been doing.
Moses may have died as a disappointed man but his disappointment did not negatively affect the work of God. His death did not erase his impact. Somebody was there. Joshua was the person appointed (assigned) and anointed (officially inducted into) to be the successor of Moses. Was Joshua qualified? He was. What was Joshua like? He was “full of wisdom.” The people of Israel listened to him and obeyed him. What was Joshua’s secret?
The text says that Moses LAID HIS HANDS on him. The laying on of hands accomplished the following: 1. Joshua was officially designated to carry on the work of Moses. 2. It was the instrument used in imparting to him divine wisdom. Moses died but he was still alive through the leadership of Joshua. Moses trained someone who was to replace him. He did not approach his death without seeing to it that somebody was there to take over his task.
Are you preparing someone to carry on the vision that God has given you? Are you imparting to and sharing with someone your visions, dreams and ministry skills? Spirituality cannot die with us. Someone must take our place. Who is your Joshua? Who is your Timothy? It would be a sign of weakness of you become productive in your life but does not train someone to continue what God has given you as a task. Moses may have been disappointed but he appointed someone to take his place. He was a very wise man.
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Deut 34:1 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. 7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. NASB
Verse 9 is as powerful as any verse can get. “9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.” Moses is dead. But, his impact continues even after he died. A man took over his task of leading the people. His work did not stop at his death. Spirituality does not die when we die. Impact does not end when we leave this world. The secret really is to see to that there is someone who has acquired the spirituality to continue what you have been doing.
Moses may have died as a disappointed man but his disappointment did not negatively affect the work of God. His death did not erase his impact. Somebody was there. Joshua was the person appointed (assigned) and anointed (officially inducted into) to be the successor of Moses. Was Joshua qualified? He was. What was Joshua like? He was “full of wisdom.” The people of Israel listened to him and obeyed him. What was Joshua’s secret?
The text says that Moses LAID HIS HANDS on him. The laying on of hands accomplished the following: 1. Joshua was officially designated to carry on the work of Moses. 2. It was the instrument used in imparting to him divine wisdom. Moses died but he was still alive through the leadership of Joshua. Moses trained someone who was to replace him. He did not approach his death without seeing to it that somebody was there to take over his task.
Are you preparing someone to carry on the vision that God has given you? Are you imparting to and sharing with someone your visions, dreams and ministry skills? Spirituality cannot die with us. Someone must take our place. Who is your Joshua? Who is your Timothy? It would be a sign of weakness of you become productive in your life but does not train someone to continue what God has given you as a task. Moses may have been disappointed but he appointed someone to take his place. He was a very wise man.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
UNFULFILLED DREAMS: NOT A DEFEAT BUT A CORRECTION OF OUR DREAMS
Understanding God’s Firm Refusal (part 2)
As much as possible we want God to say yes to our dreams; sometimes He says NO.
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Deut 34:1 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. 7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. NASB
For Moses, there was no dream bigger and more important than entering the Promised Land. Moses was brought up to Mount Nebo. From there, God showed him the Promised Land. Wow! Fantastic! This is it, the land flowing with milk and honey! The dream was about to be converted into a most wonderful, greatly satisfying, and soul-comforting reality. Then God spoke to Moses and Moses heard the words in a dream like state for it was not what was in his heart. God said: “4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there."
What did God say? “Moses, this is the dream of your dreams. Now you’ve seen it. It’s there in front of you. But Moses, I have something to say to you: I have let you see it but I cannot and I will not you cross over. You will die on the other side of the Promised land but not in the Promised Land.
Moses may have been greatly disappointed but God showed him something else. Moses’ dream should not have been the Promised Land but the PRESENCE OF GOD! Moses got so focused on the Promised Land that he forgot that the Presence of God is far greater than the Promised Land. So what happened to Moses?
He died but he died in the presence of God. God Himself, we are told, buried Moses. Have you ever heard of God conducting a funeral service and burying a person? Only in this case, actually. God was present when Moses died and God buried him and took his soul to be with God afterwards.
The Promised Land was a great dream. But, it was nothing compared with the personal presence of the Lord. Sometimes, we act like Moses. We focus on a dream and sometimes God says no. When He does, it is because He wants us to realize that there is something bigger and better than our dream. That is what He wants to give us.
When your dream fades away, it is not a defeat; that means God has something better for you. PRAYER: Lord, I may have defined my own dream and it may not be what you have for me. Help me to overcome disappointments and to wait for You. You know the best for me. In the name of Jesus, amen.
As much as possible we want God to say yes to our dreams; sometimes He says NO.
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Deut 34:1 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. 7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. NASB
For Moses, there was no dream bigger and more important than entering the Promised Land. Moses was brought up to Mount Nebo. From there, God showed him the Promised Land. Wow! Fantastic! This is it, the land flowing with milk and honey! The dream was about to be converted into a most wonderful, greatly satisfying, and soul-comforting reality. Then God spoke to Moses and Moses heard the words in a dream like state for it was not what was in his heart. God said: “4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there."
What did God say? “Moses, this is the dream of your dreams. Now you’ve seen it. It’s there in front of you. But Moses, I have something to say to you: I have let you see it but I cannot and I will not you cross over. You will die on the other side of the Promised land but not in the Promised Land.
Moses may have been greatly disappointed but God showed him something else. Moses’ dream should not have been the Promised Land but the PRESENCE OF GOD! Moses got so focused on the Promised Land that he forgot that the Presence of God is far greater than the Promised Land. So what happened to Moses?
He died but he died in the presence of God. God Himself, we are told, buried Moses. Have you ever heard of God conducting a funeral service and burying a person? Only in this case, actually. God was present when Moses died and God buried him and took his soul to be with God afterwards.
The Promised Land was a great dream. But, it was nothing compared with the personal presence of the Lord. Sometimes, we act like Moses. We focus on a dream and sometimes God says no. When He does, it is because He wants us to realize that there is something bigger and better than our dream. That is what He wants to give us.
When your dream fades away, it is not a defeat; that means God has something better for you. PRAYER: Lord, I may have defined my own dream and it may not be what you have for me. Help me to overcome disappointments and to wait for You. You know the best for me. In the name of Jesus, amen.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
UNFULFILLED DREAMS: IS IT THE CRUMBLING OR A CORRECTION OF OUR DREAMS?
Understanding God’s Firm Refusal
As much as possible we want God to say yes to our dreams; sometimes He says NO.
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Deut 34:1 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. 7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. NASB
Other than worshiping God, what is the biggest of your dreams? What is this dream that no other dream can match in terms of closeness to your heart and impact on your soul? What is this dream that outshines all other dreams, clouds into invisibility all other aspirations, shuts out all other longings, raises your hopes to cloud 9, brightens your days with assurance, fills your evenings with a deep sense of excitement for the next day? That is the so-called mother of all dreams. Moses had such a dream. True, it was also the dream of everyone of the slaves who went out of Egypt. But Moses was the appointed leader of that band of brothers and sisters who journeyed from Egypt to the Promised land. He had a clearer concept of the dream more than anyone else. The dream was TAKING THE FIRST STEP INSIDE THE PROMISED LAND AFTER CROSSING THE JORDAN.
The day has arrived. The longing kept warm and alive for forty years is now about to become a reality. They will soon cross the Jordan and take the first step inside the Promised Land. This is it. We have arrived! We made it!
Moses was brought up to Mount Nebo. From there, God showed him the Promised Land. Wow! Fantastic! This is it, the land flowing with milk and honey! The dream was about to be converted into a most wonderful, greatly satisfying, and soul-comforting reality. Then God spoke to Moses and Moses heard the words in a dream like state for it was not what was in his heart.
God said: “4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." What did God say? “Moses, this is the dream of your dreams. Now you’ve seen it. It’s there in front of you. But Moses, I have something to say to you: I have let you see it but I cannot and I will not let you cross over. You will die on the other side of the Promised Land but not in the Promised Land.
The dream of all dreams; Moses waited for it. It’s here and God says: No, you can’t have it. Did his dream crumble or did it get corrected? What about your own dream of all dreams? Have you asked for something so important, so precious to you and then God said no? What did you say to God? Did you interpret that as the crumbling of your dream or a correction of your dream? God is never wrong so He must have a reason for doing this. Come back and visit tomorrow for the next installment of the discussion about crumbling dreams. It will help to read Deuteronomy 34 in its entirety. PRAYER: Lord, a no to my desire, even if it is a no from You, can still be disappointing. I want to understand because I know you don’t just cause dreams to crumble. You do have a good reason. Help me to understand. In the name of Jesus, amen. (Pastor Doy Castillo)
As much as possible we want God to say yes to our dreams; sometimes He says NO.
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Deut 34:1 Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2 and all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 and the Negev and the plain in the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. 7 Although Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye was not dim, nor his vigor abated. 8 So the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; and the sons of Israel listened to him and did as the LORD had commanded Moses. 10 Since then no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. NASB
Other than worshiping God, what is the biggest of your dreams? What is this dream that no other dream can match in terms of closeness to your heart and impact on your soul? What is this dream that outshines all other dreams, clouds into invisibility all other aspirations, shuts out all other longings, raises your hopes to cloud 9, brightens your days with assurance, fills your evenings with a deep sense of excitement for the next day? That is the so-called mother of all dreams. Moses had such a dream. True, it was also the dream of everyone of the slaves who went out of Egypt. But Moses was the appointed leader of that band of brothers and sisters who journeyed from Egypt to the Promised land. He had a clearer concept of the dream more than anyone else. The dream was TAKING THE FIRST STEP INSIDE THE PROMISED LAND AFTER CROSSING THE JORDAN.
The day has arrived. The longing kept warm and alive for forty years is now about to become a reality. They will soon cross the Jordan and take the first step inside the Promised Land. This is it. We have arrived! We made it!
Moses was brought up to Mount Nebo. From there, God showed him the Promised Land. Wow! Fantastic! This is it, the land flowing with milk and honey! The dream was about to be converted into a most wonderful, greatly satisfying, and soul-comforting reality. Then God spoke to Moses and Moses heard the words in a dream like state for it was not what was in his heart.
God said: “4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there." What did God say? “Moses, this is the dream of your dreams. Now you’ve seen it. It’s there in front of you. But Moses, I have something to say to you: I have let you see it but I cannot and I will not let you cross over. You will die on the other side of the Promised Land but not in the Promised Land.
The dream of all dreams; Moses waited for it. It’s here and God says: No, you can’t have it. Did his dream crumble or did it get corrected? What about your own dream of all dreams? Have you asked for something so important, so precious to you and then God said no? What did you say to God? Did you interpret that as the crumbling of your dream or a correction of your dream? God is never wrong so He must have a reason for doing this. Come back and visit tomorrow for the next installment of the discussion about crumbling dreams. It will help to read Deuteronomy 34 in its entirety. PRAYER: Lord, a no to my desire, even if it is a no from You, can still be disappointing. I want to understand because I know you don’t just cause dreams to crumble. You do have a good reason. Help me to understand. In the name of Jesus, amen. (Pastor Doy Castillo)
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