When Close isn't Enough

"You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you." Exodus 25:9 NLT

God repeatedly reminded Moses to lead the Israelites to build the Tabernacle exactly as He showed them (see also Ex. 25:40; 26:30). The Tabernacle represented God's presence to the Israelites. The way that it was set up with outer court, sacrificial altar, holy place, and most holy place reminded them of God's holiness and how they were to approach Him. They must not deviate from God's plan or else they would fail to honor and experience the presence of God in their camp.

People sometimes say "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." This certainly applies with obedience to God's Word. God does not invite us to take the general idea of His commands and then improvise to suit our desires. He calls us to obey Him absolutely without deviation. His commands guide us to live in fellowship with Him and if we deviate from them we will fail to truly know His presence and the fulfillment of His purpose in our life.

Is there any command of God where you have settled for close rather than absolute obedience? Deal with that disobedience before God until you come to the place of absolute surrender and obedience.

Father, reveal to me any area in my life where I have settled for less than full obedience to Your command. Grant me the spiritual strength through Your Spirit to bring all my life into full obedience to You.

I'm praying for you.

Pastor Mark

CONSECRATED

"You shall be consecrated to me." Exodus 22:31a (ESV)

On the surface, Exodus 22 is just a list of (some of the) rules given by God to the Israelites, but hidden in verse 31 is this wonderful line which explains why God gave His people these rules. God desired to mold their character to be a people devoted to Him: basically, if He was going to be their God, then He expected the people to be completely loyal to Him.

That was God's desire then and it's still His desire now. Nothing has changed (with God).

A number of months ago, my son introduced me to a song called "You Won't Relent" (sung by Misty Edwards). The opening phrase is sung to the Lord: You won't relent until You have it all. My heart is Yours. As I reflected on Exodus 22:31, "You Won't Relent" began to play in my head.

God is totally committed to me being totally committed to Him. He'll do (you could say has done) everything it takes to make me His fully devoted follower. This is good news, because I'll never make it without God's help.

Father, thank you for being relentless in bringing me into a right relationship with You. I want to be fully consecrated to You, set apart as Yours. Guide me to make progress today in becoming more devoted to You.

Jim Barker

On Eagle's Wings

"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me." Exodus 19:4-5 NLT

The only reason Israel was able to come out of slavery in Egypt to a life of freedom was because God delivered them. God's purpose in delivering them was not only to free them from slavery but to bring them into relationship with Himself. The Lord reminded them, "I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself." What a beautiful expression of God's saving work!

The only reason you or I are able to come out of slavery in sin to a life of freedom in Christ is because God has delivered us. His purpose in delivering us was not merely to save us from sin and its penalty but to bring us into a relationship with Himself as our heavenly Father. He could just as well say to us, "I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself" or our Lord Jesus might say to us, "I carried you on my back and brought you to the Father." How great is our salvation! How great is the relationship we know have with God!

Father, I rejoice in Your great salvation and thank you for including me in it. I'm grateful for deliverance from sin but pray that I will not stop short of the rich relationship with You for which I have been saved. "Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord."

I'm praying for you.

Pastor Mark

Fearing God

"Don't be afraid," Moses answered them, "for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!" Exodus 20:20 NLT

God revealed His awesome holiness to Israel on Mount Sinai. He did this so that they would know His glory and live in a healthy fear of Him. So great a God is not to be trifled with nor are His commands to be taken lightly.

One motive for obedience is love. If we love God we desire to please Him and so we obey Him. But another equally Scriptural motive for obedience is fear. God hates and judges sin. Sin brings Him great displeasure. Fearing God means watching our step so that we do not arouse His anger or dishonor His name by our sin. The fear of God is not just an Old Testament concept that accompanies the law. The fear of God is also found on the pages of the New Testament and it accompanies grace. "And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as 'foreigners in the land' (i.e. your days on earth)" (1 Peter 1:17 NLT). Let us both love and fear the Lord that we may please and not dishonor Him.

Father, open my eyes to more clearly see Your awesome holiness and to understand Your attitude toward sin. Help me to cultivate in my life a holy, healthy fear of You that motivates me to obey and honor You in all things.

I"m praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Winning through Prayer

"As long as Moses held up the staff with his hands, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites gained the upper hand." Exodus 17:11 NLT

Moses' staff (the staff of God used to part the sea) raised toward heaven was symbolic of prayer and dependence on God. As the Israelites had needed God's power to open the sea and deliver them from the Egyptians so now they needed God's power to give them victory over the Amalekites. As Moses remained strong in prayer the Israelites prevailed. When Moses' wearied and became slack in prayer the tide turned against them. Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses to help him hold his arms up in prayer and "As a result, Joshua and his troops were able to crush the Army of Amalek" (Exodus 13:13 NLT).

We must learn that spiritual victories are won by spiritual power. We defeat our enemies and live victoriously when we learn to persevere in prayerful dependence on God. "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places....Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere" (Ephesians 6:12, 18 NLT). Keep on praying.

Father, I am so foolish to struggle in my own strength against enemies that You alone can defeat. I long to become more prayerfully dependent on You that I might walk in the victory that You desire. Remind me to pray when the enemy attacks and give me strength to persevere in prayer until the victory is won.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Bad Luck or Providence?

"But Moses told the people, 'Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.' ... When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the LORD had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses." Exodus 14:13-14, 31 NLT

When the Israelites found themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place with the pursuing Egyptian army on one side and the Red Sea on the other side it was by God's design (see 14:1-4). God led them into this "trap" so that He might once again display His glory and strengthen Israel's faith for the journey that lay ahead. With great power and wisdom God parted the waters to deliver the Israelites and He defeated the Egyptian army. As a result Israel "put their faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses [God's appointed leader]."

If we find our self between a rock and a hard place it might be that something more than rotten luck is at work [I don't believe in luck]. God may have in fact led us to this place so that He may show us His power and increase our faith. So when the picture looks bleak hear Moses' words, "Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today." "Stand still" does not mean do nothing. It means look to God in faith anticipating His faithful action on your behalf and move out in obedience as He leads. Our tight spots are God's moment to shine His glory into and through our lives.

Father, You have shown your faithfulness time and time again so I pray when trouble comes help me to remember to look to You in faith rather than panicking in fear. Shine the light of Your glory into the darkness of my difficulties.

I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark

Self-Serving Confessions

¹⁶ Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you,” he confessed. ¹⁷ “Forgive my sin, just this once, and plead with the Lord your God to take away this death from me.” - Exodus 10:16-17 (NLT)

After suffering the Lord's judgment in the plague of locusts Pharaoh pleaded with Moses and Aaron to ask God to make the plague stop. He admits his sin, and for a moment it seems as though his hard heart is softening. But Pharaoh is not truly repentant. His confession was motivated by his desire to escape the consequences of his sin. Pharaoh still had no interest in obeying God's command to let the Israelites free.

Our hearts often respond the same way. Once we've made a mess of our lives we ask for God to forgive our sins and remove the painful consequences of our decisions without any real intention of following him in full surrender. We would be better served to suffer the full consequences of our sins if they led us to true repentance. God forgives us of our sins so that our relationship with him can be restored. We insult him and make a mockery of his mercy when we seek forgiveness and then continue to live for ourselves, ignoring his will for our lives.

Father, I confess that I am guilty of seeking your forgiveness out of a selfish and unrepentant heart. Be patient with me and forgive me as I learn to trust you. Lead me to love you more fully today.

Seeking after Him,
Matt