Getting Another Perspective on Your Life

Text: Exodus 14

 

Scripture: Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Look for a verse from the passage that particularly spoke to you and write it in your journal.

 

Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp 3 Pharaoh will think, `The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' 4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." So the Israelites did this.

 

Observation: What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words in your journal.

 

Sometimes God allows things to happen to us and the primary purpose of those happenings is not to reveal Himself to us but to our adversaries, enemies, or neighbors. It is God's primary purpose to fulfill His grand design. The world through His eyes would be more than we can comprehend. We experience the assault, the attack, the setback and it challenges our faith, forces us to "cry out" to God. That is how we see it; that is our summary of the experience through our eyes. But it is not God's perspective. In this passage the stated intent was to reveal Himself to the Egyptians. Every plague taught the Israelites, but it also included the Egyptians. God was punishing the pride and hard-heartedness of Pharaoh; but at any time any Egyptian, steeped in idolatry, could have believed, covered their doorposts in the blood of a lamb and been spared the plague. I can't help but think that there were Egyptians who were spared, who turned, who believed. It is a story of God reaching out ; expanding His presence and influence, using His people to accomplish His purposes.

 

 

Application: Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

 
 

I think that we are all tempted to believe that the trials we face are more random than precisely planned.

This passage has challenged me to think outside of my life. It has challenged me to ask for knowledge concerning the bigger picture. It seems that only Moses knew, was privy to the bigger picture. He was the only one asking, talking to God on behalf of his people. I don't want to respond like the simple uninformed masses. I want to meet with God in my adversities and understand all that He hopes to accomplish in and through my life and service. I want to be a willing participant not a reactionary uninvolved benefactor. I want to grow from a babe in Christ to a Servant of the Most High God.

 

Prayer: This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say and journal about it. 

 

I think my application turned into my prayer. In this devotion it definitely encapsulates what I want to pray.

 

Heavenly Father, Please open my eyes to the potential involved in every relationship with the world around me. Help me begin to believe once again that You are involved in every aspect of our world. Help me remember the elusive reality that the world is not revolving around me, it is all about you and what you are doing.

Peace on Earth-2

How did He do it? Where is it? The prophets declared it, the angels pronounced it and Christ, himself admits it. So where is it? Where is the peace He brought 200 years ago?

One way Christ opens the door for peace is with His Father. He offers us peace with God. Romans 8:7 says, “The sinful mind is at war with God. It does not obey God's law. It can't." Some of us have still not embraced the fact that our rebelious natures aggressively oppose God and His laws. Paul also states in Romans that "the wages of sin are death but that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus" (Ro 8:23).

Christ came to bring peace in our world by reestablishing our relationship with the creator of this world.

Once that happens Christ calls us to live in peace with one another (Ro 12:18). Christ destroys the walls of hostility and seperation between us. He put our hatred to death on that cross (Eph 2:14-18). Christ makes peacce possible with one another.

The third way Christ brings the potential of peace is "peace within." After I am living in right relationship with the creator and his creation I am fully free to live in a way that manifests the Kingdom of God, here on earth, as it is in heaven.

Jesus makes it possible for us to live in such a way that people see glimpses of the kingdom of heaven. We are allowed the joy of working once again with God, under His command, as subjects of His realm. And when we do that our hearts find peace like it was meant to be.

When those angels sang "peace on earth" they knew what they were saying. Peace has arrived. Many have not seen or heard. Only those who have seen it and experienced it can share it.

PEACE ON EARTH?

Where is it? Where is this peace the Angels proclaimed in Luke chapter two? And the Prophet predicted in Isaiah chapter 9? I can't ignore the irony of that proclamation with the fact that I have been separated from my family for a year on account of war. As a matter of fact I can't think of one major continent where wars and rumors of wars are not on the cover of the newspapers.

In Jesus day and age, the most powerful man on the planet declared peace. The Roman Emporer declared "The Peace of Rome" to everything under his vast and all encompassing control. But even then people noticed the limits of such a proclamation. One man, Epictitus, a Roman philosopher of the first century, wrote in response to the Emperor’s proclamation...

“While the emperor may declare peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give us peace from our passions, or peace from loneliness and grief. He does not give peace from greed and envy. He cannot give peace of heart, inwardly, which is what man yearns for more than even outward peace”.

It has not gotten better over time. In our day and age it is perhaps even more confusing, the search for peace seems to have intensified.

Today, peace is pedaled on every corner in the market place. Insurance companies sell peace of mind, mattress companies pitch a peaceful nights rest. Makers of burglar alarms promise you a peaceful home. Therapists want to help you discover it and pharmacologists claim to have manufactured it in bottles.

In every place and in every time we can measure and mark the lack of peace that domiates the human story.

So my question, our question, the world's question is, "How has this child brought peace on earth?" How would you answer that to your friends and family who do not know?

The world is becoming increasingly cynical toward us, Our Lord, and our faith. Can you give an answer for the hope at is in you? What do the scriptures reveal about this precious gift of peace brought to us by our Savior?

You think about that with me...I'll continue this in the next blog :)

Walking In His Light

 

There is a common expression used in the US military these days and it is, "We Own The Night."

The United States Army deployed night vision goggles in mass quantities at the beginning of this war. Many times it gave us the advantage we needed in our current theatre of operations. Most of the time insurgents or terrorists do not possess good night-fighting equipment. Foolishly they have tested us when the sun went down and discovered a deadly truth. In our world those walking in darkness cannot compete with those walking in the light.

Spiritual warfare is a lot like fighting at night. Those with the ability to see the spiritual battlefield clearly can locate and defeat the enemy of our souls. Those of us who do not possess good spiritual vision, light to walk in, often stumble around in the dark and present themselves as easy targets for the enemy.

John 8:12, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 9:4-6, "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

John 1:9, "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

Are you walking in the light? By faith? Trusting in Christ?

 

 

Advent Hope

What do you anticipate? When is the last time you longed for something? Many, Many times in the Bible God's people found themselves in a situation that made them long for deliverance from their situation. Many times God's people are portrayed as calling out to Him, seeking him…longing, waiting, hoping.

The first topic, the first focus of the Advent season is hope. We celebrated it this last Sunday. It is always the Sunday preceding Thanksgiving. And so we lit a candle of hope.

What do we hope for? Why in all of Christendom have we lit this candle for all these years? What do you hope for?

Is it presents? A certain present? A little something to make the journey here a little better, a little sweater, a little neater?

The Scriptures that we use as a guide for our lives indicate over and over again that hope and expectation are a part of our journey. Hope is not a concept that we now let go of because Christ has come. We are to be a people filled with hope. Hope because He is coming again. Things are not as they should be. This world is not our home.

As we enter this Holiday season we want to search out hearts to see if we are a people who reflect this hope.

If we have lost hope, if we have stopped looking forward, Why?

Worldliness, a fixation on this age, material possessions, money and joy here in the present may be one reason your life is no longer characterized by hope. We must remember It is foolishness to die holding onto what you cannot keep in exchange for what you cannot loose.

Another reason is sin, guilt and shame. Maybe some of us do not long to see our coming King because we are afraid. We know from the scriptures that there is nothing He does not know. If we have stooped to hiding in the shadows we have begun to fear the brilliance of His light.

It is our admonition that you strike the match and light the candle of hope in your life and world. Let the world see His forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration in your life. Let them see you once again long and look forward to the return of your King.

Let this Advent Season and reflection be a time of renewing the hope that needs to be present in the hearts of His people.

 

Lips and Lives

Read Romans 10:1-13

 

It is easy to demonstrate that actions speak louder than words. We speak volumes about what we believe and who we are through our actions. Even though this is true, "confession with the mouth" (vs 9) must find its place in the life of a true Christian.

 

We can't lose God-given opportunities to speak a word that will allow our command, and subordinates a chance to hear and see the difference God has made in our lives.

 

Failure to "confess Christ" is bound to result in stinted and stagnant life. The Christ-life is one that is described as the abundant life.

 

What we do and what we say must agree. Do you remember when Jesus was described as being "powerful in word and deed" (Luke 24:19); we are encouraged to be the same so that He receives the glory (Colossians 3:17). See also 1 Peter 2:15. Live the effects and preach the cause.

 

One more verse…2 Thessalonians 2:16-17.

Constantly Clarifying the Mission

This was part of my devotion on Halloween morning. It was very appropriate and I wanted to share it. The greater part of it comes from "Experiencing God: Day-by-Day" (devotional).

Colossians 2:15 “ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

As Christians we are not called to defeat Satan. God has already done that in Christ. It is not our position to “bind” Satan. Jesus has already set limits on the extent and duration of Satan’s freedom. Satan, “our ancient foe”, was decisively and completely defeated by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and in his resurrection. With regard to Satan, our assignment is to trust Christ for the victory that He achieved and daily resist Satan with the truth of his defeat, as Jesus did.

Satan is the Father of Lies and a master deceiver (John 8;44). If he can convince you that God has not defeated him, then you will not experience Jesus victory. You will find yourself fighting battles that Christ has already won. You will fear Satan, though he has already been utterly and humiliatingly defeated. Your responsibility is to resist Satan and He will flea from you (James 4:7). When you resist him, you are acknowledging that Jesus has defeated him and given you victory over his influence. God has provided you with spiritual armor that is more than sufficient to with stand any assault by Satan (Eph 6:10-20).

Christians can become preoccupied with battling Satan. This deceives them to invest their time and energy attempting to do something that Christ has already done for them. If Satan can divert you to wage a warfare that has already ended in surrender, he will have illuminated your effectiveness where God wants you. Fearing Satan is fearing a prisoner of war. You have no need or calling to defeat Satan; you need only to apply Christ’s victory in every area of your life and to live the victorious Christian life. As you go about sharing the gospel message with others, Satan and his forces face the reality of their defeat in each life that is claimed by the kingdom of God (Luke 10:17-20).