Fruit is a great thing. It is one of those foods that I rarely get sick of, and I can eat almost any fruit. The great thing about fruit is that after I am done eating it, I feel good to go. I don’t feel sluggish or like my soul just got taken from me. In general, fruit is good and good for you. Except for bad fruit.
Bad fruit can be deceptive. A lot of the times it does not look like it is bad. For instance, melon generally looks good until you take a bite out of it. The important thing is being able to tell the difference, and to be able to spot the inconsistencies. For instance, bananas begin to brown. Kiwis get really wrinkly. Melons give off a vinegar smell. There are distinct signs of bad fruit.
So you might ask, “what does this have to do with your blog?” Well, Christians can be like that too! Recently, I have gotten in a few discussions with people about salvation. I am not God, nor do I claim to be his judge, but there are certain characteristics that demonstrate that Christ is alive in you and alive in others. These are the fruits of the Spirit that Paul writes about in Galatians 5: 22-23…
Love- Am I willing to do what is for others and take care of myself or am I only out for myself?
Joy- Happiness is predicated on circumstance, joy is consistent state of being happy. Can I be committed to being happy even when “sea is rough”?
Peace- can I be at harmony with myself and with others?
Patience- can I delay gratification and endure hardship?
Kindness- can I be generous and compassionate when called upon?
Goodness- will I be virtuous when called upon?
Faith- will I have confidence in what I can not see?
Gentleness- can I be mild in the face of violence?
Self-control- can I restrain my feelings and actions?
When I read this out loud, I do not do this 100% of the time. I know that the Holy Spirit is alive in me because when I am not bearing those fruits, it bothers me to no end.
If I was okay with not doing that, then we would have to be concerned. That list is found in Galatians 5:19-21. These are the works of the flesh. Many people rationalize these, but to that I ask, “what good is it doing?” “When you do these actions, how does that bless or give life to anyone?” As with most sin, it has a tendency to rob or hurt others. This is the list that is given, and as I look through it, I can not see much good that comes out of any of these actions…
Sexual Immorality
Moral Impurity
Promiscuity
Sorcery
Hatreds
Strife
Jealousy
Outbursts of anger
Selfish ambitions
Dissensions
Factions
Envy
Drunkenness
Carousing
I wish I could say that I am free of all of those, but I have committed works of the flesh at times. Nothing that was too serious, but none the less, it interfered with my relationship with God and my relationship with others.
I would like to encourage you to pursue God fearlessly and to seek the fruits of the spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit to discern the good fruit and the bad fruit in your life because in all honesty, who wants to eat bad fruit? I know that I don’t particularly enjoy it! That being said, remember that if you give too much bad fruit, no one will trust the good fruit that you give them! This is why we as Christians must be committed to become Christ like and to produce good fruit.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
From Lack of Vision to God's Vision
Proverbs 29:18- Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the law.
When I read this scripture recently, I thought about the times in my life where things got rough. One common denominator is that I lost vision in some regard. Whether it was because I stopped seeking God’s wisdom, whether I forgot who I was, or that I let my circumstances overwhelm me, I realized that I did not have the right focus. The thing is, I don’t think that I am the only person out there who has fallen victim to distraction.
There are a lot of things out there that causes those distractions, and I am going to go through a few of the common ones. As always, I hope this is not preachy, because honestly I have had to get through a lot of these myself and my intent is to encourage and challenge people and redirect our vision. So, instead of…
Seeking Value from Others, realize that God views you as valuable. In Christ, no one is supposed to be viewed more valuable than the next. So next time you feel that you are not adding up to what someone else wants of you, remember people are not your audience. God is. He has placed you somewhere because you are valuable there (1 Corinthians 12: 15-26). Then we will see that God views us as valuable.
Worrying about provisions, remember that God will provide. It may seem rough right now, but if you are responsible with your finances God blesses you. I know from experience (as of right now). He takes care of things that are less valuable than ourselves, so how much more will he take care of us! (Luke 12:22-31) When we see (and remember) God’s provision, we will not fear tomorrow.
Trying to obtain more “stuff”, be content with what we have. Learning restraint and control in life is important because greed, addiction, and self-centered pursuit leads to ruin. Solomon learned that it is fruitless (Ecclesiates 2:10-11) and that envy is dangerous (Proverbs 14:30). It is tough in a materialistic world, but I remind myself that my possessions will not possess me… and that I am a steward of what God gives me. When we understand this principle, we see possessions for what they are: things.
Trying to hurry into marriage, focus on preparing yourself for marriage. This is why we should focus on becoming loving people (1 Cor 13:4-7, 8a), and ask God to take desire away for anything other than who he wants us to be with (Song of Songs 3:5). In doing so, we seek his vision for marriage rather than a hurried and chaotic approach that generally leads to negative results.
Acting on biases, try to understand the situation. What I have found is that if someone is mad at Christians (for example), they will LOOK for a reason to validate their biases. Proverbs describes this behavior as foolish (Proverbs 18:2), there is even an instruction to avoid people who are fools since they scorn wisdom (Proverbs 23:9). Proverbs 24:23 also mentions that judging with partiality is bad. This is why we must seek to righteously see people and situations the way God would see them.
Blaming others, examine what I can fix myself. One thing that I noticed is that men will blame women for dressing inappropriately, but they will not train their own mind to look away even if the person is modestly dressed. We have to give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12), and I remind myself that everyday. As a teacher, I have a stricter call that keeps me motivated to keep a good example (James 3:1). In doing so, I honestly seek to see myself through God’s lens.
Getting angry and hurting people, try to bring peace and understanding to a situation (Proverbs 29:11). How somebody acts when they are distressed is a good view of their character. This is a hard lesson for some, and I had to learn that anger will not master me, I will master it. In doing so, we see that emotions can be controlled and not control us.
Remembering how people hurt you, find ways to forgive them. This one can be tough, but we are reminded to forgive others so that we too may be forgiven (Mark 11:25). Holding back forgiveness is poison to our souls, so it is important to let God deal with judging the sins of others. It is also a great feeling when you can release those burdens. I have also learned that the “Goliaths” in life are often times pathetic people who use their size, rank, and other advantages over those that are disadvantaged. When we see this, we can see how sad these people really are and have pity on them.
Feeling Worthless compared to others, know that God has made you unique and that you were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). You may not feel great all the time, but know that God wants you to be you and not anybody else. When we understand this, we see that we are important people after all!
“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the law.”
All of the bold phrases above demonstrate lack of vision or faulty vision. This is when we direct our sight somewhere it should not be. But the good thing is that we have scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide us and show us who we really are.
Is it easy? Not always. Is it desirable? Not always? In fact, sometimes the world thrives and reveres some of those negative attributes. But God calls us to be different than that! God calls us to rise above that! In closing, my hope is that you will join me as I try to reassess where my vision lies. Join me as I seek to see the world through God’s lens rather than my faulty lenses. This week, find an area of your life that makes you feel discontent, and ask God to guide you to a healthier view of yourself. Thank you for reading, and may the Lord bless you!
When I read this scripture recently, I thought about the times in my life where things got rough. One common denominator is that I lost vision in some regard. Whether it was because I stopped seeking God’s wisdom, whether I forgot who I was, or that I let my circumstances overwhelm me, I realized that I did not have the right focus. The thing is, I don’t think that I am the only person out there who has fallen victim to distraction.
There are a lot of things out there that causes those distractions, and I am going to go through a few of the common ones. As always, I hope this is not preachy, because honestly I have had to get through a lot of these myself and my intent is to encourage and challenge people and redirect our vision. So, instead of…
Seeking Value from Others, realize that God views you as valuable. In Christ, no one is supposed to be viewed more valuable than the next. So next time you feel that you are not adding up to what someone else wants of you, remember people are not your audience. God is. He has placed you somewhere because you are valuable there (1 Corinthians 12: 15-26). Then we will see that God views us as valuable.
Worrying about provisions, remember that God will provide. It may seem rough right now, but if you are responsible with your finances God blesses you. I know from experience (as of right now). He takes care of things that are less valuable than ourselves, so how much more will he take care of us! (Luke 12:22-31) When we see (and remember) God’s provision, we will not fear tomorrow.
Trying to obtain more “stuff”, be content with what we have. Learning restraint and control in life is important because greed, addiction, and self-centered pursuit leads to ruin. Solomon learned that it is fruitless (Ecclesiates 2:10-11) and that envy is dangerous (Proverbs 14:30). It is tough in a materialistic world, but I remind myself that my possessions will not possess me… and that I am a steward of what God gives me. When we understand this principle, we see possessions for what they are: things.
Trying to hurry into marriage, focus on preparing yourself for marriage. This is why we should focus on becoming loving people (1 Cor 13:4-7, 8a), and ask God to take desire away for anything other than who he wants us to be with (Song of Songs 3:5). In doing so, we seek his vision for marriage rather than a hurried and chaotic approach that generally leads to negative results.
Acting on biases, try to understand the situation. What I have found is that if someone is mad at Christians (for example), they will LOOK for a reason to validate their biases. Proverbs describes this behavior as foolish (Proverbs 18:2), there is even an instruction to avoid people who are fools since they scorn wisdom (Proverbs 23:9). Proverbs 24:23 also mentions that judging with partiality is bad. This is why we must seek to righteously see people and situations the way God would see them.
Blaming others, examine what I can fix myself. One thing that I noticed is that men will blame women for dressing inappropriately, but they will not train their own mind to look away even if the person is modestly dressed. We have to give an account of ourselves to God (Romans 14:12), and I remind myself that everyday. As a teacher, I have a stricter call that keeps me motivated to keep a good example (James 3:1). In doing so, I honestly seek to see myself through God’s lens.
Getting angry and hurting people, try to bring peace and understanding to a situation (Proverbs 29:11). How somebody acts when they are distressed is a good view of their character. This is a hard lesson for some, and I had to learn that anger will not master me, I will master it. In doing so, we see that emotions can be controlled and not control us.
Remembering how people hurt you, find ways to forgive them. This one can be tough, but we are reminded to forgive others so that we too may be forgiven (Mark 11:25). Holding back forgiveness is poison to our souls, so it is important to let God deal with judging the sins of others. It is also a great feeling when you can release those burdens. I have also learned that the “Goliaths” in life are often times pathetic people who use their size, rank, and other advantages over those that are disadvantaged. When we see this, we can see how sad these people really are and have pity on them.
Feeling Worthless compared to others, know that God has made you unique and that you were fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). You may not feel great all the time, but know that God wants you to be you and not anybody else. When we understand this, we see that we are important people after all!
“Where there is no vision, the people perish; but happy is he who keeps the law.”
All of the bold phrases above demonstrate lack of vision or faulty vision. This is when we direct our sight somewhere it should not be. But the good thing is that we have scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide us and show us who we really are.
Is it easy? Not always. Is it desirable? Not always? In fact, sometimes the world thrives and reveres some of those negative attributes. But God calls us to be different than that! God calls us to rise above that! In closing, my hope is that you will join me as I try to reassess where my vision lies. Join me as I seek to see the world through God’s lens rather than my faulty lenses. This week, find an area of your life that makes you feel discontent, and ask God to guide you to a healthier view of yourself. Thank you for reading, and may the Lord bless you!
Monday, August 6, 2012
Exodus Part 2: Little Gods
Previously, on “I love Jesus and Oreos”…
We found out why God hardened Pharaohs heart and why God seemed to orchestrate some evil deeds. As promised, I wanted to dive into the concept of the plagues and the deeper meaning behind it. Plus, I found that it is very applicable to our life… strictly inspiration, not meaning to pass it off as doctrine. Without further adieu, lets look at the different plagues…
Turning the Nile to Blood- Anyone that knows anything about Egypt is that the country is a ginormous desert. The main source of life is through the Nile. Hence, like a lot of primitive religions, they worshipped the source of their life. So what does God do? Takes the very thing that gives them their sense of existence and makes it untenable.
The Plague of Frogs- The frog was a symbol of fertility to the Egyptians, and it was worshipped. Like many cultures, having children is really important and the Egyptians are no different. God had a unique way of defeating this “god”, by amassing enough of this “god” that it stunk up the entire nation.
Plague of Gnats- Moses struck the ground and stirred up a swarm of gnats that harassed the men and animals. It becomes a nuisance to themselves.
Plague of Flies- God tells Moses to give Pharaoh the option of letting the Israelites go or he will further the plague. Pharaoh opts for the plague, and this time a swarm of flies attacks the Egyptians only, and subsequently destroys the land. It does not attack the Israelites.
Plague on the Livestock- Since Pharaoh continued to be obstinate, God decided to start attacking the wealth of the nation. Since livestock was a key indicator of wealth, God sent a plague on the livestock that eventually killed all of the horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, camels, and cattle.
Plague of Boils- The Lord told Moses to throw soot in the air and spread this disease. The sickness was so strong that the magicians could not even stand in the presence of Moses and the Pharaoh. This is a direct attack on the health of the people and remainder of animals, and for practical applications sake (don’t take this as gospel), vanity.
Plague of Hail- To start with, hail is a very rare occurrence in Egypt, but when it does occur it is very violent. So God decides to send a hail storm that will ruin the remainder of the livestock (the plagues did not happen in a week, they probably happened over months… which is why the livestock repopulated) and kill the slaves. Hail also destroys crops, so these types of storms do considerable amount of damage to the finances of the country.
Plague of Locusts- Locusts were feared among ancient civilizations, due to the fact that they have the ability to decimate crops. The migration of locusts was normal, but not always detrimental. But this was the biggest storm or locusts ever, and nothing that was green was left. Yet again, God is attacking their food and resources.
Plague of Darkness- Like many primitive tribes, the sun was worshipped. The Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs were descendants of Ra, the Sun God. So by creating darkness, this was a direct attack at their God and demonstrated that both their God and their king were impotent.
Plague on the Firstborn- The first born child is significant in most cultures, even today. So what better way for God to get his point across than to wipe out the first descendants of an entire nation?
Now that we look at everything that happened… what does that say to us today?
The first thing that comes to mind is that whenever I have had “gods” in my life, it ruined my life. That thing that gave me a sense of identity got taken away (like the Nile turning red), and it no longer gave me life. Or hobby that I never had enough of eventually became an obsession and it started hindering functionality of life (the frogs). These are just some examples, but lets think about it…
The Nile- Have I become dependent upon a job, title, relationship, etc. to keep me living? What will happen when it is taken away from me? Will I go crazy or know that God is good and will provide something else?
The Frogs- Is there an addiction or a negative presence in my life that is hindering my finances, my friendships, my family, etc? Is something stinking up my life because there is just too much of it?
The Gnats- Is the very thing that should be giving me life (with the Egyptians, the earth) the same thing that has become a nuisance and frustrating my existence?
The Flies- Am I allowing someone or something (a “god”)into my life that is destroying it systematically?
The Livestock- Am I putting too much emphasis on my money? Is the love of my money outweighing the love of people? Am I hoarding rather than sharing within my means?
The Boils- Am I obsessing over my health and worshipping my appearance? This is something that a balance must be struck, but obsession leads to dangerous results.
The Hail- How much do I emphasize my “stuff” that I own. Slaves, livestock, crops were all “stuff” to the Egyptians, and God took them away by means of a natural disaster. How will I react if my “stuff” gets taken from me?
The Darkness- The Lord overcame the Sun God and exposed him and the Pharaoh as weak. What will happen when I am overcome, am I humble enough to admit that I am not perfect and that I am not able to do everything?
The Firstborn- Since I never married and never had kids, I can’t speak in first person. But what I have seen is that when parents elevate their child past their spouse and past God, bad things happen. As with anything in life, yes there is a mourning period if someone is lost (death, ending friendship, disowning, etc), but it should never define who you are. The Egyptians let the first born define who they are, and when they were gone, it was the breaking point.
So that is some food for thought! Thank you for reading this, and hopefully I will have some new posts very soon. God is definitely teaching me a lot lately that I want to share. Hope you all are doing well!
We found out why God hardened Pharaohs heart and why God seemed to orchestrate some evil deeds. As promised, I wanted to dive into the concept of the plagues and the deeper meaning behind it. Plus, I found that it is very applicable to our life… strictly inspiration, not meaning to pass it off as doctrine. Without further adieu, lets look at the different plagues…
Turning the Nile to Blood- Anyone that knows anything about Egypt is that the country is a ginormous desert. The main source of life is through the Nile. Hence, like a lot of primitive religions, they worshipped the source of their life. So what does God do? Takes the very thing that gives them their sense of existence and makes it untenable.
The Plague of Frogs- The frog was a symbol of fertility to the Egyptians, and it was worshipped. Like many cultures, having children is really important and the Egyptians are no different. God had a unique way of defeating this “god”, by amassing enough of this “god” that it stunk up the entire nation.
Plague of Gnats- Moses struck the ground and stirred up a swarm of gnats that harassed the men and animals. It becomes a nuisance to themselves.
Plague of Flies- God tells Moses to give Pharaoh the option of letting the Israelites go or he will further the plague. Pharaoh opts for the plague, and this time a swarm of flies attacks the Egyptians only, and subsequently destroys the land. It does not attack the Israelites.
Plague on the Livestock- Since Pharaoh continued to be obstinate, God decided to start attacking the wealth of the nation. Since livestock was a key indicator of wealth, God sent a plague on the livestock that eventually killed all of the horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, camels, and cattle.
Plague of Boils- The Lord told Moses to throw soot in the air and spread this disease. The sickness was so strong that the magicians could not even stand in the presence of Moses and the Pharaoh. This is a direct attack on the health of the people and remainder of animals, and for practical applications sake (don’t take this as gospel), vanity.
Plague of Hail- To start with, hail is a very rare occurrence in Egypt, but when it does occur it is very violent. So God decides to send a hail storm that will ruin the remainder of the livestock (the plagues did not happen in a week, they probably happened over months… which is why the livestock repopulated) and kill the slaves. Hail also destroys crops, so these types of storms do considerable amount of damage to the finances of the country.
Plague of Locusts- Locusts were feared among ancient civilizations, due to the fact that they have the ability to decimate crops. The migration of locusts was normal, but not always detrimental. But this was the biggest storm or locusts ever, and nothing that was green was left. Yet again, God is attacking their food and resources.
Plague of Darkness- Like many primitive tribes, the sun was worshipped. The Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs were descendants of Ra, the Sun God. So by creating darkness, this was a direct attack at their God and demonstrated that both their God and their king were impotent.
Plague on the Firstborn- The first born child is significant in most cultures, even today. So what better way for God to get his point across than to wipe out the first descendants of an entire nation?
Now that we look at everything that happened… what does that say to us today?
The first thing that comes to mind is that whenever I have had “gods” in my life, it ruined my life. That thing that gave me a sense of identity got taken away (like the Nile turning red), and it no longer gave me life. Or hobby that I never had enough of eventually became an obsession and it started hindering functionality of life (the frogs). These are just some examples, but lets think about it…
The Nile- Have I become dependent upon a job, title, relationship, etc. to keep me living? What will happen when it is taken away from me? Will I go crazy or know that God is good and will provide something else?
The Frogs- Is there an addiction or a negative presence in my life that is hindering my finances, my friendships, my family, etc? Is something stinking up my life because there is just too much of it?
The Gnats- Is the very thing that should be giving me life (with the Egyptians, the earth) the same thing that has become a nuisance and frustrating my existence?
The Flies- Am I allowing someone or something (a “god”)into my life that is destroying it systematically?
The Livestock- Am I putting too much emphasis on my money? Is the love of my money outweighing the love of people? Am I hoarding rather than sharing within my means?
The Boils- Am I obsessing over my health and worshipping my appearance? This is something that a balance must be struck, but obsession leads to dangerous results.
The Hail- How much do I emphasize my “stuff” that I own. Slaves, livestock, crops were all “stuff” to the Egyptians, and God took them away by means of a natural disaster. How will I react if my “stuff” gets taken from me?
The Darkness- The Lord overcame the Sun God and exposed him and the Pharaoh as weak. What will happen when I am overcome, am I humble enough to admit that I am not perfect and that I am not able to do everything?
The Firstborn- Since I never married and never had kids, I can’t speak in first person. But what I have seen is that when parents elevate their child past their spouse and past God, bad things happen. As with anything in life, yes there is a mourning period if someone is lost (death, ending friendship, disowning, etc), but it should never define who you are. The Egyptians let the first born define who they are, and when they were gone, it was the breaking point.
So that is some food for thought! Thank you for reading this, and hopefully I will have some new posts very soon. God is definitely teaching me a lot lately that I want to share. Hope you all are doing well!
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Why does a loving God harden Pharaoh's Heart?
One story from the Bible that always disturbed me was the story of the plagues in the book of Exodus. No matter how grueling the plagues were and how much chaos they created, I was more disturbed by the fact that God was making Pharaohs heart hard. I though to myself, “If this is a loving God, then why would he force a man who seems to be repenting of his sin to keep his heart hard and punish his innocent people?” I know that I am not the only person who thought this. One day when I was reading this for my Old Testament class, multiple details hit me as I asked these questions.
1. Why are the Israelites even in this position if God loves them so much?: The answer to this question is that God was disciplining his people. They turned away from him, worshipped other Gods and did things that any parent would consider to be disrespectful from their child if they were to do it to them. So what did he do? Disciplined them. It eventually came to a point where he needed to punish them and remind them that he is their parent. Just as a good parent will discipline their child because they love them and want to save them from hurting themselves, God did that to the Israelites. It was only temporary, not meant to be permanent. But that meant that eventually they had to be freed from Egypt.
2. Why were the Egyptians punished for what Pharaoh was saying or doing? You have to understand, the ancient civilizations did not exactly practice freedom of religion. This was a nation that worshipped their king and worshipped many other Gods, none of which were Yahweh. It wasn’t like they were going to support the survival of the Israelites, rather the exact opposite was more likely to happen. If the Israelites remained in Egypt they could have been annihilated. To prevent that, God punished the Egyptians for their abuse of his chosen people. If Israel was destroyed, then the Savior would have never come to pass.
3. Why did God have to use the plagues that he did? That will be my next post, but in short, God was conquering the Egyptian “Gods.” You see, in ancient warfare, when one tribe conquered another tribe, they destroyed their opponents God or Gods to demonstrate victory. Since this section has a ton of personal application, I will talk more about it later!
4. What was it that Pharaoh did to deserve his heart getting hardened over and over again? When you look at Exodus 5:2, Pharoah asks, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and will not let Israel go.” Did you catch that? He asked who the Lord was in an arrogant tone… and that opened him up to a whole world of trouble. With that, the Lord gave him a full demonstration of his power as he conquered all of Pharaoh’s gods and then went after his livestock and first born. God ultimately bankrupted him for his arrogance. Pharaoh was the premier king of his time, and had the most powerful empire... and God showed Pharaoh that his empire is no match against the power of the God of Israel.
5. But wasn’t he going to submit, if so, why didn’t God give him grace? If you notice, there were times in the story where God hardened Pharaohs heart. Why did God not relent? Because he wanted to fully discipline the King. He wanted him to fully understand the consequences of his actions. It would be like a parent bailing their child out of every traffic violation or credit card debt. Instead of having to fully face the consequences, the child will realize that their parents are there to bail them out. Second, if you ever put someone in a tight spot, often times they will submit to make the pain stop. Knowing that people are weak like that, God made sure that Pharaoh would endure the consequences of his actions.
I know that God’s wrath or punishments are not exactly the easiest of subjects to discuss, but it helped bring me peace. It helped me understand God’s love for his people a little bit better, and it helped me understand why he would do something that looks terrible. Ultimately, it reminded me that God is sovereign and he is willing to thoroughly answer the simple question of “who is the Lord?” to the most power leader of the time.
My next post, I am going to talk about the different gods and idols that the Egyptians had, and how it applies to us today. So stay tuned for the next part of this two part series!
1. Why are the Israelites even in this position if God loves them so much?: The answer to this question is that God was disciplining his people. They turned away from him, worshipped other Gods and did things that any parent would consider to be disrespectful from their child if they were to do it to them. So what did he do? Disciplined them. It eventually came to a point where he needed to punish them and remind them that he is their parent. Just as a good parent will discipline their child because they love them and want to save them from hurting themselves, God did that to the Israelites. It was only temporary, not meant to be permanent. But that meant that eventually they had to be freed from Egypt.
2. Why were the Egyptians punished for what Pharaoh was saying or doing? You have to understand, the ancient civilizations did not exactly practice freedom of religion. This was a nation that worshipped their king and worshipped many other Gods, none of which were Yahweh. It wasn’t like they were going to support the survival of the Israelites, rather the exact opposite was more likely to happen. If the Israelites remained in Egypt they could have been annihilated. To prevent that, God punished the Egyptians for their abuse of his chosen people. If Israel was destroyed, then the Savior would have never come to pass.
3. Why did God have to use the plagues that he did? That will be my next post, but in short, God was conquering the Egyptian “Gods.” You see, in ancient warfare, when one tribe conquered another tribe, they destroyed their opponents God or Gods to demonstrate victory. Since this section has a ton of personal application, I will talk more about it later!
4. What was it that Pharaoh did to deserve his heart getting hardened over and over again? When you look at Exodus 5:2, Pharoah asks, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and will not let Israel go.” Did you catch that? He asked who the Lord was in an arrogant tone… and that opened him up to a whole world of trouble. With that, the Lord gave him a full demonstration of his power as he conquered all of Pharaoh’s gods and then went after his livestock and first born. God ultimately bankrupted him for his arrogance. Pharaoh was the premier king of his time, and had the most powerful empire... and God showed Pharaoh that his empire is no match against the power of the God of Israel.
5. But wasn’t he going to submit, if so, why didn’t God give him grace? If you notice, there were times in the story where God hardened Pharaohs heart. Why did God not relent? Because he wanted to fully discipline the King. He wanted him to fully understand the consequences of his actions. It would be like a parent bailing their child out of every traffic violation or credit card debt. Instead of having to fully face the consequences, the child will realize that their parents are there to bail them out. Second, if you ever put someone in a tight spot, often times they will submit to make the pain stop. Knowing that people are weak like that, God made sure that Pharaoh would endure the consequences of his actions.
I know that God’s wrath or punishments are not exactly the easiest of subjects to discuss, but it helped bring me peace. It helped me understand God’s love for his people a little bit better, and it helped me understand why he would do something that looks terrible. Ultimately, it reminded me that God is sovereign and he is willing to thoroughly answer the simple question of “who is the Lord?” to the most power leader of the time.
My next post, I am going to talk about the different gods and idols that the Egyptians had, and how it applies to us today. So stay tuned for the next part of this two part series!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
God has not forgotten us...
Life is pretty overwhelming at times. I am not going to lie. The good thing is that life is not overwhelming right now for me! But a little while ago, I had an experience with God when I was overwhelmed that totally blew me away.***
For those of you that are still getting to know me, I am one of those people that seem to find myself getting into uphill battles more than downhill battles. I push through it anyway and hope for the best. During one of these periods, I was very stressed about my situation and I asked God how long will this continue to go on. Things got darker and I became discouraged, but he answered shortly after.***
I was going through the book of Psalms, and I was reading Psalm 12 and 13. I will let you read it on your own, but 12 focuses on one struggle I had and 13 was a different one. With 13, it starts out with David asking, "How Long, Oh lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" I had to laugh. The chapter talks about feeling left alone by God as his enemies easily find success. Yet it ends with David saying that he is trusting in God's love and will praise him and sing to him because he is good to him.***
The fact that this was the exact topic I was thinking of when I read it reminded me that God HAS NOT forgotten me. It also reminded me that David, his beloved King, felt the same exact feelings... so it is quite normal. It also reminded me that even though my situation may not be ideal right now, it is temporary and he is good to me. It reminded me to persevere when trials are tough and that God will take care of me. I can trust man, but I should never give them the burden of fulfilling my hopes or desires. Only God can do that, and he will do that if my heart is aligned with his will. Until I see it come to pass, I had to remind myself to praise him for my soon to be answered prayers.***
The next day, as I was sitting in my room, I got a phone call that answered the main prayer request that I had. I had felt that I was forgotten as I was striving to get answers for this next stage of my life. What I did not stop to think was that even though I was not getting communications returned, the situation was still under control. Everything went through like it was supposed to, but I was not waiting patiently for the final answer. In the end, I realized that God remembered me.***
So my encouragement to you today is that if you feel forgotten by God, be patient. Just because it is not an immediate yes, does not mean that it is an immediate no. It could be, "Wait for my perfect timing." It is completely normal to feel forgotten by God, but remember that he has not forgotten you.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Not Taking Short Cuts
When I sat down to write the other day, I was intending on writing something different... but this was too prominent for me to pass up. As I was watching the opening of the Oklahoma City/Miami series (NBA Finals), OKC's big screen was showing words that were meant to capture the ethos of their team. One of which was "Not taking short cuts", which is something that jumped out at me that can totally preach. In a world where people want everything yesterday, peer pressure is very strong, family expectations can be borderline destructive, and finances are tight, it is easy to want to take the short cut, but we have to have integrity and patience.*** I can remember times when I tried to take short cuts. One scenario that comes to mind is when I tried to break into the ministry. I had some great offers that would give me experience and give me a title, but the long term effects would have been damaging. In my hurry to to take the offer while it was still on the table, I felt pressure to just say yes. I quickly contacted my friends who knew the church, and found that no one was saying anything positive. They were lukewarm answers. I also realized that the pastor barely knew me from Adam and was offering me a job. I declined the job, and came to find out that it was the best option for me. After I declined, people began to tell me how they really felt and I realized that if I would have hurried, I would have been in a very bad place.*** One thing that I have learned is that if something is too easy to get, then you have to be careful. For instance, if something is free on the internet, usually there is something wrong with program. If you are being offered a job quickly and the place has a high turn over rate, there is probably a good reason. This is why it is important to take the time and look at the situation before jumping into it.*** When I think about scripture, I think about what Jesus did. He could have made life a heck of a lot easier on himself. He could have placated the crowds and grew popular, but instead he spoke the hard truth. He could have sucked up to the Pharisee's and got their favor, but instead he called them out. He could have lived a life as a miracle worker/teacher/prophet, but instead he agreed to be the sacrifice for the father (and trust me, he was not happy about that). What I begin to realize is that Jesus took criticism for doing things the right way, but in the end doing what was right was the sacrifice needed to give us salvation.*** When I look back at my life, a realize that many of my hardest times were due to trying to take short cuts. Whether I tried to hurry something rather than being patient, tried to buy something before I had the money, or that I was "just trying to get through" something, I was not taking the time to think things through properly and weigh the pros and the cons. Usually, it bit me in the butt!*** Now back to basketball. The reason why Oklahoma City did not take short cuts is because they did not blow money needlessly on one player (which cripples their ability to resign their stars), they let their teammates grow together and understand each other rather than putting together a smattering of players and demand perfection, nor did they bring in flashy or egotistical players that draw a lot of attention to themselves, instead they brought in well rounded team players whose talent attracted attention. Thats the way it is in life, if we live with in our means, put in the honest work and grow stronger and wiser, and let our work ethic speak for our ability, we will build a life that will endure the long haul. Yes, we will have to endure our lumps in the road (OKC had three miserable seasons), but the reward is sustained success.*** In conclusion, think about the Roman roads, the layers upon layers that they used to build those roads. It took time, effort, and money, but they are still in use today. We can either chose to build roman roads or settle for cheap asphalt that will have to be replaced frequently. With me, I am trying to build a Roman road. Thats why I got my Masters of Divinity. Thats why I am getting my Masters of Counseling. Thats why I am doing an internship. Thats why I am becoming a Navy Chaplain. Because in order to do ministry well, I need to put in the time and effort to acquire both knowledge and wisdom. Whether it is what I learn, what I go through in life, or who I meet, I want to put in the honest work to become the best minister that I can be. Yes, it can be frustrating at times, but at the end of the day I can say that I did not use the quick fix approach and that I am built to last.***
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Do Numbers Mean Everything?
One of the main things that bugs me about this new blog set up is that whenever I sign in, it tells me how many times my blog is viewed. In all honesty, I really don’t care about the numbers, because all they make me do is become self-conscious. I generally take that approach to anything in life, whether it is my blog, my life groups, or other ministries I have been involved with. To me it has always been about quality rather than quantity.***
A few years back, I was working with a man in ministry who talked with me about one of my friend’s life groups. I told him that there is definite growth, and that numbers should not be a direct indicator. His response was numbers is indicative of his ability to be a leader, and that if it was not growing, than someone else should run the group. I felt that it was not fair, but the good thing was that the numbers picked up and the group kept going.***
The thing that I always think about with the idea of numbers is, “what if Jesus took that same approach?” If you read quite a few of his stories, his lessons were life giving (John 6:68) but hard to take sometime. For instance, John 6:66 reads, “From this time many of his disciples turned their back and no longer followed him.” This was because the crowd had a hard time with the truth of his message. I would hope that he would have continued to do his father’s will, but if he thought like some number-driven church leaders, he would have either changed his focus to bring more people into the synagogues or he would have said that his ministry was not worth his time because there were not enough people. Any which way, life would be a lot different for a lot of people (understatement of the year).***
Also, what if we looked at Jesus the way we look at our blogs or life groups? Both his peers and his family rejected Jesus as Messiah, his family actually claimed that he was out of his mind (Mark 3:21). Does that ruin his relevancy? A lot of disciples left Jesus because he spoke the truth that was hard, but many people grew because of it. That being said, He should definitely not be thrown out because people disavowed him back then.***
Also, what if we looked at the Western church the same way. Numbers are dwindling in most western societies… does that mean that Christianity on a whole is relevant? It irked me one time when I had a customer tell me that the church is no longer relevant and that it is dying since numbers are decreasing. I told her that I wish that people would know about the movements in Africa and Asia, where Christianity is growing constantly. That is why we can’t call Christianity irrelevant, it is growing in places that most people would not think of… and it is changing their societies. Over here, the church may not be growing quickly, but from my own experience, I know that we are still able to make a difference in people’s lives.***
So my question today is, “why do we do ministry?” Are we in it for the numbers or are we in it to be Christ-like towards other people? Sometimes we will be in front of the masses, other times it will be a small number. But when it is a small group, will we quit because we feel that the small numbers make us feel irrelevant? My hope is that instead of seeing the small venue as a failure to be on the big stage, that you would be able to see it as an opportunity to intimately change people.***
That is the way I try to use every small opportunity that God gives me. There are times where I have felt the pressure to stop because it seemed that nobody cared, but it is not about me or about my ego or about my resume. It is about loving God and loving others. Whether it is a packed sanctuary or a living room, I have to remember that the message I give may be one that changes someone’s life.
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