Commitment

Commitment

Exodus 12: ⁴³ And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. ⁴⁴ But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. ⁴⁵ A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. ⁴⁶ In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. ⁴⁷ All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. ⁴⁸ And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. ⁴⁹ One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

 

⁵⁰ Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. ⁵¹ And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.

 

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GOD prophesied that JESUS would become the sacrificial lamb during the Passover. Now HE gives the commitment level for HIS people to follow.

 

My Observations:

• GOD first told Abraham to become circumcised.
• Circumcision was important to GOD, so HE made sure it was clear that HE wanted this for HIS people.
• GOD was separating HIS people from everyone else.

 

If anyone challenged GOD’s statement with “But what if” statements, GOD provided an answer that was clear. “But what if a stranger comes?” or “Should I force my employee to eat the Passover?” Many other questions could arise about the Passover feast, BUT GOD gave clear instruction about who should eat the meal.

 

Just like telling Moses to remove his sandals as he stood on Holy ground, GOD again, mentions circumcision as a sacred act HE desired for HIS people. Before the children of Israel could leave, GOD needed a commitment, namely circumcision of all males who were HIS followers They obeyed.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD remind Moses about the need for circumcision to eat the Passover meal?
• Have you ever asked GOD for stuff but never considered what commitment HE wants from you?
• What are you doing to show GOD that you are committed to HIS cause?

Influenced

Influenced

Genesis 9: ²⁰ And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. ²¹ Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. ²² And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. ²³ But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.

 

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Decades after the flood, the ark was still there as a reminder of what GOD had done. Some may have studied the design to be ready for another flood, not knowing GOD’s promise. They may have even stolen pieces of the ark to use in their own construction. After a while Noah’s grandson Canaan grew in power, not listening to the stories of the great flood.

 

Canaan had possibly become an influencer, convincing even his own father to participate in rituals and actions that ridiculed GOD. “Who told you that you were naked? “, was the question GOD asked Adam and Eve getting them to self-assess their act of disobedience. Canaan may have ridiculed this question from GOD.

 

My Observations:

• Even when humanity was started over, misunderstandings of GOD took people away from HIM.
• Sin nature caused some people to move away from GOD by his or her own choice.
• GOD loved, provided and showed extreme patience, but humans saw GOD as a set of rules, keeping them from doing as they pleased.

 

“What about Ham?”, one may ask. He was the one who saw his father naked. But Ham may have been influenced by his son Canaan who possibly had spoken against GOD. Shem and Japeth did not seem to be influenced by Canaan or the culture he was building.

 

GOD saw and sees the cultures pull from HIM. HE shows incredible patience and HE meant what HE said about not destroying humanity with a flood anymore. HE allowed humans to do as they pleased for a season, knowing all would have to face HIM.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD keep mentioning Canaan, even though Ham, Shem and Japeth had other children?
• Are there ways and timing of GOD that you disagree with?
• Will you surrender your possible influenced expectations of GOD so HE can guide you to the truth today?

Bound Until Freed

Bound Until Freed

Genesis 3: ¹⁶ To the woman He said:

“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”

 

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What a mess Satan caused. GOD had created a place and people and said “it is very good!” Satan, wanting to be GOD, was thrown from heaven to earth. He tempted the woman by lying and questioning GOD. Unfortunately, she fell for it. She was comparable in intelligence to Adam, and could have said “No” to Satan. But her curiosity got the best of her.

 

My Observations:

• GOD introduced sorrow into the woman’s life.
• GOD introduced pain in childbirth.
• GOD introduced inequity, inequality and bondage.

 

From the time of the garden to the raising of JESUS, inequality ruled the world, and still does to this very day. This is a curse that causes many battles over hierarchy. The fight for who should rule would be one that could not be solved by humans, only GOD. Satan and Adam were standing there during this curse.

 

GOD sees HIS child, not a man or a woman when HE looks at us. HE expects men and women to bow down to JESUS to restore equality. But the curse goes deeper that inequality. Pain and anguish was introduced in childbirth. Not only physically, but pain caused by tyrants who desired power and would execute children to remain in power. Conflict was introduced with only one way out, namely JESUS.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD mention the curse of the woman to Moses?
• Have you ever questioned GOD about the inequality that exists in the world over gender, race or age?
• Will you become part of the equality solution by placing your hope in JESUS today?

Healthy Faith

Healthy Faith

Titus 1: ¹⁰ For there are many, especially the converts from Judaism, who rebel and deceive others with their nonsense. ¹¹ It is necessary to stop their talk, because they are upsetting whole families by teaching what they should not, and all for the shameful purpose of making money. ^12-13 It was a Cretan himself, one of their own prophets, who spoke the truth when he said, “Cretans are always liars, wicked beasts, and lazy gluttons.” For this reason you must rebuke them sharply, so that they may have a healthy faith ¹⁴ and no longer hold on to Jewish legends and to human commandments which come from people who have rejected the truth. 

 

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“Wear a suit because you want to give GOD your best” was a statement told to me so I wore suits to church. But when I went into the neighborhood to invite people to come to church, a person said “I don’t have anything to wear” meaning I can’t dress up like that.

 

• This made me question what rules I was following that were barriers to CHRIST.
• This made me examine the manmade rules for church versus following what GOD says.
• This made me wonder what other lies have I been following that are mixed in with the truth.

 

Paul warns Titus about those who were converting from traditional Judaism to following CHRIST. This was a tumultuous time when followers of JESUS were getting thrown out of communities and, even worse, killed for their belief. Unfortunately there were some who saw an opportunity to make up their own groups to bilk people out of money.

 

My Observations

• JESUS died and was raised from the dead and is now alive reigning over everything.
• My belief in JESUS gives me eternal life and abundant life in the present.
• Following JESUS means loving people versus following rules.

 

“Love one another” was the greatest command given by JESUS. This command broke rules, traditions and reasons to keep people out of the club. This command makes me examine myself versus blaming someone else for what he or she is doing or not doing.

 

Love sets me free from having to follow the rules and gives me thankfulness for being set free from my well-deserved eternal death. I am glad there is a path to healthy faith and that is through JESUS, who sends the HOLY SPIRIT as my guide.

 

Challenge

• What is the warning of the writer?
• What rules are you following or have made for yourself that do not come from GOD?
• Will you examine yourself to see why you sometimes feel far from GOD and determine if you are being too hard on yourself and others today?

Chasing Shadows

Chasing Shadows

Colossians 2: ¹⁶ So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon Festival or the Sabbath. ¹⁷ All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.

 

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When I realized that my life was really, really messed up, I tried to do “right.” I started praying and reduced sins. Soon I found myself living only by “the rules.” When something else went wrong, I wondered which rule I broke to deserve a trial.

 

• I was trying to control my life.
• I was tired of things going “wrong” so I tried being “good.”
• I wound up living for the rules versus living for CHRIST.

 

Paul addressed an issue that is still going on to this very day. People worshipped food and argued over which day was holier than the next. While there may have been some merit in following “the rules” for the individual, it paled in comparison to the one solid truth, namely JESUS.

 

My Observations

• GOD’s Word is there to guide me and comfort me.
• GOD wants me to place my faith in JESUS versus being disappointed when I don’t follow the rules correctly.
• GOD wants me excited enough to tell others about JESUS instead of telling people how to “live right.”

 

JESUS is the destination. I mean, when I get caught up in trying to “be holy” I place more trust in myself, than on HIS forgiveness. JESUS paid it all. All to HIM I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. HE washed it white as snow.

 

M destination needs to change. When I focus on what JESUS did and wants to do, it changes my wants. HE did away with all my mistakes and is in control of all my situations. I gladly live for HIM and know HE is my Savior.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer use “shadow” in the description? 
• Have you ever tried to measure how good you are by the number of rules you follow?
• Will you seek placing JESUS over everything in your life so you can be satisfied with how things are going right now and so HE can reveal people HE wants to draw to HIMSELF today?

 

Make it Easy

Make it Easy

Acts 15: ¹⁹ “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. ²¹ For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

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When I was told the position was eliminated, I was shocked then furious. I mean, I had done all this hard work for years. I was told to “transition” everything to my successor. My first thought was “Do it yourself since you don’t need me!”

• There were times when I did not want to make things easy.
• There were times when I felt justified in making things complicated.
• There were times when I wanted to make things difficult on purpose.

James continued speaking about what Barnabas, Paul and Peter had done. They were speaking to other races about the faith. Though common practice was to teach the many laws of Moses, James suggested they make it easy and teach only a couple of rules. The new followers of GOD would be able to find the law in any city.

• GOD wants me to make it easy for people to follow HIM.
• GOD wants me to remove barriers to following HIM.
• GOD wants me to get rid of any false expectations of others when it comes to “them” having a relationship with HIM.

Removing barriers to GOD is not as easy as it seems. I mean, when I say “All you need to do is believe in JESUS as you Savior”, I sometimes make the mistake of giving a bunch of rules to follow. While the rules are good, they become a barrier to the person discovering their own relationship with JESUS.

GOD wants me to make it easy. Here is the rule HE wants me to give everyone. “Love one another.” That is it. There are no other rules to give after believing in JESUS. HE provides that person with the HOLY SPIRIT who guides with the truth. I am glad JESUS took the responsibility for guiding me.

• Are you making it hard for someone to follow GOD?
• Do you have a lot of rules for others when it comes to following GOD?
• Will you stop adding barriers to JESUS and present “belief in HIM” and “love for one another” as the only “to do” today?

Following the Rules

Following the Rules

Jon 9: ¹³ They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

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“You cannot leave the table until you finish your food” was the rule imposed on me. The problem was, I hated most food at that stage in my life. “How do I get the food off of my plate without it going into my mouth?” was the question I pondered. The answer came to me. I was sitting on a chair with pillows. I lifted up the pillow and shoveled the food under it. Rule followed!

• There were times when I interpreted the rule to my advantage.
• There were times when I did not enjoy the rule so I figured out ways to get around it without breaking it.
• There were times when I felt the rule held me hostage and I had no delight in the rule.

Blind from birth, a man was healed by JESUS. This awesome demonstration of power was met with contempt by the church leaders. Blindly, they overlooked the obvious facts that JESUS was and is GOD, by accusing HIM of doing work on the Sabbath. JESUS encroached on their lifestyle by showing compassion on their day off.

• GOD wants me to look at HIS rules as a guide to bring people to CHRIST.
• GOD wants me to use HIS rules as freedom rather than bondage for those HE wants me to bring to CHRIST.
• GOD wants me to drop my insecurities, doubts and fears so I can have my spiritual eyes opened to follow HIS rules with love.

GOD did not make humans so HE could torture them with rules they could not follow. HE made humans, knowing they would sin. The rules were made as a map back to the right path, which is JESUS, the CHRIST. If I interpret the rule in a way to “get around it” then I will remain lost. I am grateful GOD’s word is a way back to HIM.

• Are you lost?
• Are you making GOD’s word fit “under” your education or human observations?
• Will you place GOD’s word higher than what you learn so you can see HIS power and love daily?

Blinded by the rules

Blinded by the rules

John 5: ¹⁶ For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. ¹⁷ But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

¹⁸ Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. 

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After years of doing whatever I wanted to do, I decided to go back to church. I had enough of “sinning” and I wanted to follow GOD for a change. As I got deeper into reading and attending church, my speech started to change. “Look at THOSE people doing THAT sin.” I mean how dare they sin!

• There were times when I measured people to ‘my’ standard.
• There were times when I looked at what people were doing wrong so ‘I’ could correct them.
• There were times when I felt ‘I’ had arrived because of where ‘I’ had come from.

The church leaders sought to kill JESUS because HE performed a miracle on the Sabbath. JESUS replied with an answer stating HE and HIS FATHER have been working together. This statement grew the rage of the church leaders so they figured they had justification for their legal actions.

• GOD wants me to follow HIS word, knowing I am still a sinner.
• GOD wants me to read HIS word, knowing people need grace.
• GOD wants me to understand HIS heart through observing HIS actions while HE walked the earth.

Over the years I have tried to correct people into salvation from what I can see. If I see the right evidence, then I feel my work is done. BUT GOD says something different. HE wants me to plant HIS seeds and take my eyes off of the person as I give them to HIM.

Strong faith does not require seeing what GOD is doing in “that” person’s life. GOD wants me to recognize what HE is doing in my life so I can drop my complaints, control and conspiring attitude. I recognize I do not follow GOD’s rules, that’s why I need HIM and thank HIM for HIS grace.

• Do you think you are good at following rules?
• Are you busy pointing at those who do not follow the rules well?
• Will you ask GOD to open your blind, rule based eyes and allow HIM to add a measure of grace to your heart today?

Good At It

Luke 18: ⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”

¹³ ‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

¹⁴ ‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

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Slapping the winning card onto my forehead in exuberance for all to see was my goal, but alas I did not know how to play the card game. I studied the rules. I played and played until I was good at it, missing many classes along the way. Now, I too could slap the winning card onto my forehead in a shout of victory! I was very good at that game, if I must say.

• There were times when I wanted to feel that I was “good at something.”
• There were times when I wanted to be better at something than other people.
• There were times when I wanted to be superior at something so other people would look at me as if I were special.

JESUS spoke to the crowd about church leaders who thought they were “good at this god thing.” HE spoke about how proud they were to follow the rules and compare themselves to others.

BUT HE also contrasted this example with a person whom everyone hated because of his thieving profession. The tax collector did not see himself as worthy, but asked for mercy from GOD. The tax collector was the one who JESUS said was the humble one.

• GOD wants me to know I can never be “good” enough to meet HIS standards.
• GOD wants me to tell people about my sins rather than trying to put on a front that I am perfect.
• GOD wants me to show people that sinners like me can be saved without having to “pay” or “do” their way into heaven.

The “Good News about CHRIST” is not really good news if every human can’t achieve it. I mean if JESUS’s gift of salvation is based on how good I follow the rules, then I am in trouble. JESUS points out that I need HIM as my savior. I sin daily and walk away from HIM daily, BUT GOD is my forgiver. I will never be “good at” following HIM. That’s why I love GOD.

• Do you think you can reach perfection by dropping off a few sins?
• Do you look down on other people or complain about how they are running their lives?
• Will you stop comparing yourself to other people and look at JESUS’s perfection as your salvation?
• Will you ask for HIS mercy on your mountain of sins today?

Facing Decrees

Luke 2: And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife,  who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

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As I walked out of the interview, something told me to speak with the official looking person walking towards the parking lot. The company I had just interviewed with was just placed on a global hiring freeze and I felt a bit dejected.

The person in the parking lot confirmed the statement but said something amazing. “Call our company. I am a recruiter.” I called and weeks later began working for that company.

• Some human decrees seem devastating to me.
• Some human decrees seem like they add hurdles to my life.
• Some human decrees seem like snap judgments leaning towards greed.

Joseph and Mary had to do what the government said. Registering with the government meant more money for the government and Joseph complied. Little did he know that this decree was being used by GOD.

• GOD places huge situations in front of me so I can tell it is HIM.
• GOD uses human decrees for HIS good, even when I think the decree is harsh and filled with greed.
• GOD has a plan for me that includes human decrees especially when humans think they are in control.

Whether it is government or work or an of track church, GOD laughs at human plans. “They think they are in control” HE giggles. The reality is GOD is in control. HE knew towns would be flooded with people who would stay at the best hotels, so HE took the lower route and had HIS SON born in a barn and laid in a dirty feeding trough.

GOD sees the enormity of various situations in my life as well. HE knows the barriers before me are laughable to HIM. HE carriers me through the troubles and lays me down beside HIS still waters of peace. GOD is my refuge.

• Are you facing something huge?
• Do you see a huge human decree that seems to be immovable?
• Can you put your trust in GOD today knowing HE has already taken care of your situation in spite of what humans think?