I Do!

Scripture: Exodus 20 Key Verse: 20:18-19

"All the people heard the thunder and saw the lightning. They heard the blast of the ram's horn and saw the mountain covered with smoke. So they shook with fear and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, "You speak to us,and we'll listen. But don't let God speak to us, or we'll die!"

Objective:

This chapter is the Ten Commandments. These are the basic rules to live by. According to some scholars many of the Jewish hearers would have heard this as as Ketubah, or wedding vows. This is because of the set up that is told before the commands were given sets up the scene as a Jewish wedding. The groom being God and the bride being the Jewish people.

Application:

It's funny how we want to act as if God wasn't around or at least wasn't around when we did/do bad things. It's as if we only want God to be around when we need him, kinda like our personal Genie. Rub the lamp and *poof* out comes God to answer our wish. For other spiritual matters we want to talk to the middle men. We ask for forgiveness by talking to a pastor or seek guidance by listening to a Sermon. We sound a lot like the Israelites in verse 19, "Don't let God speak to us..."
The problem is that God wants a relationship with us, not just to be our Genie. Its no surprise to me that this is a marriage ceremony, because its all about the relationship between us and God. I think it is time for us to do what Aladdin did with his last wish, and set the Genie free. We need to set God free in our lives. We need to stop holding back from this relationship, and live fully in it.

Prayer:

Lord, I do. I take you as my groom. I yearn for this relationship. I need the two-way conversation. I promise to listen as we as speak. Speak to me directly, I don't want to go through the middlemen anymore.

Keep the Faith

Scripture: Exodus 14 Key Verse: 14:10-14

"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up an saw that the Egyptians were coming after them. Terrified, the Israelites cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, 'Did you bring us out into the desert to die because there were no graves in Egypt? Look what you've done b y bringing us out of Egypt! Didn't we tell you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone! Let us go on serving the Egyptians?' It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than die in the desert!' Moses answered the people, 'Don't be afraid! Stand still, and see what the LORD will do to save you today. You will never see the Egyptians again. The LORD is fighting for you! So be still!'"

Objective:

This chapter could be called, "The Great Escape." This is the final showdown between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The Israelites seem trapped against the Red Sea with nowhere to run, and the Egyptians closing in on them. Then the Lord has Moses raise his staff, and the sea parts making a path to the other side. The Israelites go across and make it to the other side. The Egyptians follow them and Moses commands the sea to flow back to normal engulfing the Egyptian army.

Application:

The first time I went to Universal Studios, Hollywood I was five or six years old. I don't remember much about the trip, except for the backlot tram tour. We got to see the house from psycho, get attacked by a shark, but most amazingly we went through a lake that parted in the middle. The special effects that parted the lake so the tram could drive through were simply amazing to my five-year-old self. how much more amazing would it have been to have seen it done for my survival from the Egyptians. Surely a God that has brought plagues upon my captors, and a pillar of smoke and fire to guide me would continue to protect me and deliver on his promise of a land of milk and honey. It should be pretty easy to put our trust in Him and keep going.
The Israelites had trouble with the whole faith thing. It seems whenever there was the slightest hint of trouble they forgot all that had happened to them before and started to freak out. They started asking why the LORD had done this to them, surely they were better off before this. Then when the LORD provided they remember His power and worship Him.
Its easy to look at the Israelites and say, "can't you see the things God is doing for you?" But at the same time how many times do we question the work of God in our lives. I know that when I begin to lose faith, the reason is usually there is some kind of trouble in my life or the world. Maybe we need to listen to Moses when he says, 'Don't be afraid! Stand still, and see what the LORD will do to save you today."


Prayer:

Heavenly Father, many times you have pulled me out of the fire, and helped me. You have made me the person I am today, by using the good things and the bad things in my life. Please help me stand back and watch you move. I know that I get into the most trouble when I think I can do things on my own. Lord from the good to the bad, help me keep the faith.

Pharaoh, Pharaoh

Scripture: Exodus 10-11 Key Verse: 11:10

"Moses and Aaron showed Pharaoh all these amazing things. Yet, the LORD made Pharaoh stubborn, so he wouldn't let the Israelites leave his country."

Objective:

Beginning in chapter 7 and going through chapter 12, we learn of all God did through Moses and Aaron to free the Israelites. The multiple plagues each getting worse, were done to break the spirit of Pharaoh, who was a prideful man. In chapters 10 and 11 we see the plague of Locusts, Darkness and Pharaoh is told about the Death of The Firstborns. After these events the bible says that God made Pharaoh stubborn so he refused to give in.

Application:

Pharaoh was a stubborn man from the beginning, while the plagues were going on his advisors asked him, how long are you going to keep this going on? Its hard for me to grasp this concept of God hardening the heart of Pharaoh, or making him stubborn, because it seems to fly in the face of free will. I decided to look it up in a commentary for some guidance. Here is a quote from St. Augustine, "God does not harden men by infusing malice into them, but by not imparting mercy to them." In other words if I continuously refuse to receive the mercy and let my heart be softened, then God will stop offering it. According to the commentary, It is but just and right that (God) should withhold those graces which He had repeatedly offered, and which the sinner had despised and rejected.
God has boundaries; He is not codependent. If you want to be stubborn he will let you. There is a choice to be made, do you let God work on your life and help you soften, or do you stay the way you are and by default lose out on all that God has to offer.

Prayer:

Lord, don't give up on me. I know at times I refuse to be softened or grow, but Lord continue to offer your grace and mercy upon me. Help each of us grow, so that we can be come the people you want us to be.

What's GTD?

Scripture: Exodus 3 Key Verse: 3:11

"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?"

Objective:

The story of the calling of Moses to bring the people out of Egypt. We see the Lord speak to Moses through a burning Bush. The Lord tells Moses what to do, and Moses, being Moses, has a ton of questions of clarification.

Application:

Have you ever had a moment where you ask yourself, "Why me?" Maybe it is because you were asked to do something that seems huge, or something bad is happening to you. I can completely understand how Moses reacted here, because it is pretty much the same way I reacted when I felt the Lord call me to ministry. Who Am I to do that? Interestingly God says you are not, I Am. You see God doesn't ask us to move a mountain by 5 o'clock, then leaves only to return at 4:59 to make sure it was done. Even when we don;t realize God standing next to us, it's not because he isn't there. More likely the reason we don't see him, is we are looking in the wrong direction. If you trust and walk with God, then he will prepare a way for you to get things done.
Sometimes the opposite is true. We are asked to do things that are too small for us or at least we think. We ask "why me, I can move so much more than this pebble." Maybe it's because the Lord knows that we are trying to do it on our own. The truth is God is in the small things too.

Prayer:

May we be a people that hears the call of action and rises to the occasion; not on our own power but on your power Lord. May we always remember that you are with us in the big things and the small things. Use me Lord to move a mountain or a pebble. Focus me on getting the things done that you want me to get done.

The Forgiven

Scripture: Genesis 45 Key Verse: 45:4-5

"'Please come closer to me' Joseph said to his brothers. When they did so, he said, 'I am Joseph, the brother you sold into slavery in Egypt!' Now, don't be sad or angry with yourselves that you sold me. God sent me ahead of you to save lives."

Objective:

After a few chapters of build up chapter 45 has the big reveal. This reveal is not what I think we would expect in this situation. Joseph forgives his brothers, and more than that realizes it was God's doing that brought him here. Both Pharaoh and Joseph tell the brothers to go get there families and return to Egypt. They do as told and as promised they receive a great plot of land.

Application:

Why is forgiveness so hard? Why is that we would rather hold grudges, hurt those that hurt us, and talk about people behind there backs? I believe we can learn a bit from Joseph, because he didn't want to forgive them (Gen. 42:7) at first but knew he had to in the end. I think the first reason we don't forgive people is pride. Our pride is on the line when someone hurts us. A far out example of this is how some people are treating the whole Britney Spears fiasco. I was talking to someone the other day who was almost angry about how Britney is acting. As I thought about it this young lady had spent countless hours listening to Britney's music and in general being a big fan. Now all that time seems to have been wasted. This is where the anger stemmed from. I asked the young lady to forgive Britney and pray that she can turn her life around. When we are hurt by someone's actions, our pride gets taken down a bit. The second reason it is hard to forgive is we lose sight that we ourselves need to be forgiven constantly. I think the actions Joseph takes in the previous two chapters, makes him realize that he needs God's forgiveness just as much as the brother's needed his.

Prayer:

Lord, you gave your life on the cross so that we could be forgiven. You have made away for us to be reunited with our Father and our family. I ask that you help us see the people in our lives that we need to forgive and gives the heart to forgive them. Help us put our pride aside and show them the forgiveness you showed us.

Two years ago...

we lost someone very special to us.

we began to hurt more than we ever have.

we struggled to stay afloat.

we felt lost.

Jesus held us close.

Today..

we miss someone very special to us.

we continue to heal, the process is slow.

we live life to the fullest.

Jesus still holds us close.

We miss You Curtis!