Are there modern day wilderness wanderings? Times when the Lord has brought us out of Egypt and loosed the chains of slavery in order to move us to freedom…but the exodus turns into a journey, a wandering in the wilderness? I wonder…
It says in Exodus that the Lord heard the cry of the Egyptians and came to their rescue. What about this cry was different from all the other cries that had been lifted up on their behalf in 400 years? Was it a cumulative effect? Was God just tired of hearing them whine over their conditions? I don’t think so. Although we as parents get tired after hearing the same question 136 times in one day, God doesn’t. He doesn’t go into aggravation mode and shut us out. (You Moms know what I’m talking about: if you didn’t hear, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom”, over and over you might have to check your pulse to see if you had in fact had a Calgon moment or you might start looking for Jesus and streets of gold!) So, what was it that made this time, the time? Just that, time, or more precisely, time-ing. I constantly have to remind myself that God isn’t looking at his watch, or mine for that matter, as He works in my life. I on the other hand have a strong tendency to obsess over my own sense of timing…it seems that the two are never the same…can I get a “Amen?”
So, FINALLY after 400 years in slavery the Israelites are getting their first taste of freedom in a miraculous way! They are seeing seas parted, food falling from the sky and water coming from rocks! Not just that, but they stood idly by as the Egyptians begged them to take their possessions…(“well, if you say so”)..and the same sea that parted for them washed over ALL of Pharoah’s army right before their eyes! I seem to think that if I had seen all of that in one day that I would never question the Lord again. “Overtake giants in the land? Yes, Lord. Conquer a city with a few trumpets? Yes, Lord. Hang out in a fiery furnace? Yes, Lord. Love my neighbor as myself…Yes, Lord?? Give ten percent of all I have…yes..Lord??? Wait on your timing in my life….Lord?”
Aren’t we smart? Aren’t we so quick to cast a stone at the Israelites? But, God desired to teach them a few things first so, it says in Exodus 13:18, “God led the people AROUND by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea.” Just a minor detail that is easily overlooked. However, let’s not miss the fact that God could have taken them straight to the Red Sea but the cloudy pillar led them by way of the wilderness. “Wilderness” is a term that refers to land that contains little vegetation or trees and because of a sparsity of rainfall, it cannot be cultivated. So, basically we are talking about one big desert.
The Israelites spent approximately two years in the wilderness traveling toward Canaan, ie: The Promised Land. During this time God had much to do in reestablishing his covenant with His chosen people. You see, after 400 years in captivity the nation had been assimilated into the Egyptian culture as the older generations died off and new generations were born. The generation that participated in the Exodus was not familiar with anything other than slavery in Egypt. Although some traditions were probably passed down, the freedom to worship was taken away along with all of the other freedoms that a slave is denied.
So, for that initial 24 months the Lord spent time instructing His people, through Moses, on how to live as a holy nation, a chosen people BEFORE He brought them into the land they were to possess. Nothing God does is a coincidence! Therefore, the tiny detail of Exodus 13:18 served a great purpose: God was preparing His people! Why? No doubt if the people had gone straight from the exodus into the promised land they would have been a “little” Egypt. There would have been no distinction, no separation, just a replica of the pagan culture they had been enslaved to and a part of for centuries!
We can easily draw several conclusions from this study:
1) God is never random about anything! He is purposeful when it comes to everything!
2 ) Wilderness wanderings, which seem to have no purpose but to frustrate us, are necessary parts of God’s will for our lives, even today.
3 ) The pagan culture in which we live runs deep and it will take getting away with the Lord to retrain our minds.
4 ) As a Christian, being “set apart” from the world is still just as important as it ever was. Peter reiterates in the New Testament, “You are a holy nation, a chosen people. Therefore, be holy as I am holy.” (1 Peter 2:9; 1:16)
If we were to continue on, we would learn that as soon as the people reached the edge of Canaan, on the very verge of seeing and possessing the promised land, they turned back in unbelief. As a result of their disobedience, the Lord kept them from entering the land for another 38 years and all of the people over the age of twenty, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, died in the wilderness. The very people who saw all of the miraculous moving of the hand of God during the exodus died because of their disobedience.
Can you image making one final decision of disobedience that sentences you to death? Well, if you can’t, then you should. Because the fact is, every single act of disobedience from the first to the last sentences us to death…because it is sin. But God…don’t you love that statement? BUT GOD, in His great grace sent Jesus to pay the penalty in full for our disobedience. We don’t have to die in our disobedience! Praise God!
So, in closing I have two very important questions for us to ask ourselves in light of what we have just read: First, do you trust God? Second, are you thankful for Jesus?
“Lord, keep us from being so focused on the wandering and the wilderness. Keep us focused on you, trusting your plan for our lives even when everything looks desolate. Help us to understand that you have purpose in every part of the journey. Make us thankful for our exodus from slavery and our freedom in Jesus Christ no matter where we wander.” Amen.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Good but not Godly
I have a burden on me the size of Texas as I write to you! I don’t know exactly what else to say that compares to the heaviness of heart that I am experiencing! This post is specifically for single women who are maybe even engaged but not yet married. I pray that this finds its way into your heart and takes strong root.
There is an epidemic among us that is harming our families, stifling our children and bringing lifelong disappointment and strife that can be avoided. Girls, I am talking about marrying good and not godly. I counsel women almost daily that sit across from me and regret that decision. I also sit across from women who are so desperate to be married that they cannot or will not listen to any voice that cautions them against their will.
I can confidently say after almost 13 years of marriage that marriage to a believer is hard but I can’t imagine not having the same life purpose drawing us back together time and again. Do you know why God was so adamant about the nation of Israel staying separate from the nations around them? Because they didn’t have the same purpose! The Bible compares it to two oxen that are headed in different directions. How much work do you think two animals hooked to the same plow will accomplish if one wants to go to the left and the other wants to go to the right? Not much! One will have to consent to the other in order for them to move forward. This whole matter was so serious that God specifically told the Israelites they were not to intermarry. Why? God knew that intermarriage causes assimilation into the culture. It is simply impossible for you to be married to someone but not become part of their families, their lives, their practices. You just can’t remain separate. You are now one flesh but with two different mindsets. You know what we call that? Schizophrenia! Scripture puts it this way, “What fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
As I write I can almost hear the excuses being offered up in your minds. “He says he is a Christian and he isn’t evil like someone of darkness, he’s a nice guy! He’s a good man, he provides and protects and he is very responsible. He’s good to me, he takes care of me and he isn’t opposed to church, he just likes to sleep in on Sundays.” And the list goes on. These are actual things that I hear all the time. I had one girl who said, “He just makes sin not seem so bad plus, he knows the Bible, he’s very strong in his faith.” My heart broke in that moment and I told her as lovingly as I could, “Sweetie, this man doesn’t love you! If he did, his sole purpose in your relationship would be KEEPING you from stumbling not being the block that you stumble over!”
Can you say that? Are you involved with a man that asks you to do things that go against the very fabric of who you are? Are you in a relationship or engaged to a man who is a stumbling block to your walk with the Lord? Maybe you cannot honestly answer “yes” to those questions but can you say this, “The man I am dating or about to marry is leading me toward the Lord. He is actively helping me to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. He is the example in our relationship as a leader not a follower.”
Girls, you were never meant to be the leader, you were meant to be the follower. The Lord is completely able to provide all of what you need in a godly man if you will trust Him and wait for it. Please, I beg you, do not be so anxious to get married that you make a mistake that you will have to live with for the rest of your life! You see, we think that good will eventually lead to godly and on rare occasions it does but mostly it doesn’t. If your desire is to serve the Lord, raise your children in the same way and strive to glorify God then you cannot marry good and not godly! The time to choose wisely is NOW! Seek godly counsel from your Pastor, pray that the Lord would give you clarity by His Spirit and be honest with yourself. If you have to look for evidence of spiritual fruit or if you are continually making excuses for him, if you are the spiritual leader or he has made a profession of faith because you won’t take “no” for an answer then proceed with all caution! After your salvation this is the single most important decision you will ever make, don’t take it lightly and don’t let your heart override your head! Good will not always be godly but godly will always be good!
There is an epidemic among us that is harming our families, stifling our children and bringing lifelong disappointment and strife that can be avoided. Girls, I am talking about marrying good and not godly. I counsel women almost daily that sit across from me and regret that decision. I also sit across from women who are so desperate to be married that they cannot or will not listen to any voice that cautions them against their will.
I can confidently say after almost 13 years of marriage that marriage to a believer is hard but I can’t imagine not having the same life purpose drawing us back together time and again. Do you know why God was so adamant about the nation of Israel staying separate from the nations around them? Because they didn’t have the same purpose! The Bible compares it to two oxen that are headed in different directions. How much work do you think two animals hooked to the same plow will accomplish if one wants to go to the left and the other wants to go to the right? Not much! One will have to consent to the other in order for them to move forward. This whole matter was so serious that God specifically told the Israelites they were not to intermarry. Why? God knew that intermarriage causes assimilation into the culture. It is simply impossible for you to be married to someone but not become part of their families, their lives, their practices. You just can’t remain separate. You are now one flesh but with two different mindsets. You know what we call that? Schizophrenia! Scripture puts it this way, “What fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
As I write I can almost hear the excuses being offered up in your minds. “He says he is a Christian and he isn’t evil like someone of darkness, he’s a nice guy! He’s a good man, he provides and protects and he is very responsible. He’s good to me, he takes care of me and he isn’t opposed to church, he just likes to sleep in on Sundays.” And the list goes on. These are actual things that I hear all the time. I had one girl who said, “He just makes sin not seem so bad plus, he knows the Bible, he’s very strong in his faith.” My heart broke in that moment and I told her as lovingly as I could, “Sweetie, this man doesn’t love you! If he did, his sole purpose in your relationship would be KEEPING you from stumbling not being the block that you stumble over!”
Can you say that? Are you involved with a man that asks you to do things that go against the very fabric of who you are? Are you in a relationship or engaged to a man who is a stumbling block to your walk with the Lord? Maybe you cannot honestly answer “yes” to those questions but can you say this, “The man I am dating or about to marry is leading me toward the Lord. He is actively helping me to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. He is the example in our relationship as a leader not a follower.”
Girls, you were never meant to be the leader, you were meant to be the follower. The Lord is completely able to provide all of what you need in a godly man if you will trust Him and wait for it. Please, I beg you, do not be so anxious to get married that you make a mistake that you will have to live with for the rest of your life! You see, we think that good will eventually lead to godly and on rare occasions it does but mostly it doesn’t. If your desire is to serve the Lord, raise your children in the same way and strive to glorify God then you cannot marry good and not godly! The time to choose wisely is NOW! Seek godly counsel from your Pastor, pray that the Lord would give you clarity by His Spirit and be honest with yourself. If you have to look for evidence of spiritual fruit or if you are continually making excuses for him, if you are the spiritual leader or he has made a profession of faith because you won’t take “no” for an answer then proceed with all caution! After your salvation this is the single most important decision you will ever make, don’t take it lightly and don’t let your heart override your head! Good will not always be godly but godly will always be good!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Modern Day Hitchhiker
When I think back to my childhood I can remember being schooled on the importance of never picking up a hitchhiker. These people, mostly men, skirted the highways and byways of America with a prerequisite unkempt look and an exaggerated thumb stuck out in the wind. I learned from a young age that these were people to be avoided and that most of them spelled “danger” with a capital “D”. So, when I think about the prevalence of hitchhikers these days and the fact that we are so quick to give them a ride, I am more than a little disturbed. Not to mention the fact that many of us ARE hitchhikers and we don’t even realize it!
The dictionary defines a hitchhiker as “someone who travels by obtaining a free ride.” Newsflash! Our churches are filled with hitchhikers!! No, you may not be able to spot them right off because they mask as legitimate vehicle owners but take a closer look and that thumb with an invariable 90 degree bend will be easy to
spot! I want us to look at the characteristics of a hitchhiker to help us further our attempts at examining our own lives to see if this defines us. Let me interject here before we get too deep into discussion to clarify a few things. We are analyzing the stereotype of hitchhikers not anyone and everyone who has ever thumbed a ride because of a broken down vehicle or some sort of unfavorable circumstance that left them without a ride! Let’s begin:
1)Hitchhikers are uninvested. Looking back to the dictionary definition, hitchhikers obtain a “free” ride. They aren’t sharing in the expense of vehicle ownership. They aren’t shouldering the burden of soaring gas prices or annual vehicle maintenance. They are sporting the “W.I.I.F.M.”attitude – “what’s in it for me?” They don’t want to share in any responsibility they are simply along for the ride and when the ride is over they are done.
2)Hitchhikers are uncommitted. The very nature of these people is one of transience. They are moving from one place to the next. When you drop them off they will likely pick up another ride and another and another until they find someplace to settle for a while. Although some have final destinations in mind, most have a general direction but no specific route they are following to get there.
3)Hitchhikers are unplanned. Timeframes and plans are typically not part of the hitchhiker’s daily worries. They are getting as far as they can, stopping to eat when necessary and generally playing it by ear from one day to the next. Let’s just say being intentional and deliberate are not things that are high on their list of priorities.
4)Hitchhikers are unsafe. I can’t even begin to estimate the many stories I have heard about people picking up hitchhikers to their own demise. There is something attractive and convenient about the ability to render oneself untraceable when committing a crime. Many well meaning people have met their end at the hands of a wandering repeat offender.
So, now that you have entertained me up to this point and we are thoroughly schooled on the finer points of hitchhikers you ask, “what does this have to do with me??” I have come to warn you that hitchhiking is on the rise however, you won’t see these people on the side of the road but sitting in your church pews! They won’t look like your average vagabond off the street – they will, in fact, look a lot like you! They will dress like you and speak Christian-ese like you but they have no intention of putting down roots! They are along for the free ride and they
will eventually move on. They love the fact that they can come in and be fed without having to serve. They enjoy a “no strings attached” relationship. They are perfectly content to let you pay for the gas, shoulder the burdens of car maintenance and take on the responsibility of ownership.
Ladies, I love church! I love church for many reasons but first and foremost because it is the BRIDE of my Lord and Savior and I am part of that bride and the body of Jesus Christ. However, I am increasingly heartbroken over people who do not want to take their commitment to the church seriously! I don’t know about you but when a husband thinks about someone mistreating and taking advantage of his bride it makes him angry. We have passed off the fact that committing to a local church is respect for the bride of Christ! I use the word commitment instead of attendance because the commitment of membership entails a deeper,deliberate, intentional choice. You are saying, “I am committed to this body of believers. I find my spiritual food here, I serve here, I worship with other members of the body here, I use my time, tithe, gifts and talents here and I will help to bear the burdens of these people HERE! I’m in it! Not half-way, but all the way! I’m putting down roots and investing my time here.”
The only qualification for finding a church home that is even biblical is the exaltation and Christ-exalting proclamation of the word of God! Not programs, not denomination (because Jesus wasn’t Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian etc; - He was God!), not youth groups or missions projects or the ladies’ quilting guild or the size of the building, the size of the budget or the number of members!
Be sure that if you are committed to joining with a local church and getting your hands dirty that you will have some conflicts because churches are full of hypocrites and people in need of sanctification (along with the rest of the world!). Be sure that you will get your toes stepped on by the Pastor as he preaches the tough things in scripture to keep you from just drinking milk for the rest of your life! Be sure that you will be convicted of sin and challenged to change sinful habits. Be sure you will be tired at times because you have been busy about the work of the church and caring for its members. But know that the bonds of fellowship that are forged in the furnace of suffering and the laughter of rejoicing are eternal bonds that are bought by the blood of your Groom…and He is waiting for the time when He gets to take you, all of you home together!
In summary, there is no hitchhiking in the church of Jesus Christ that pleases the Lord. It isn’t biblical and it isn’t safe. It hurts you just as much as it hurts the church that you are leeching off of. Do take your time to find a good, Christ exalting church, pray about it, take your commitment seriously and then put down roots. Settle in, invest, commit, plan, be safe, ATTEND REGULARLY and keep your thumbs tucked in!
“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves as is the habit of some, but encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25
The dictionary defines a hitchhiker as “someone who travels by obtaining a free ride.” Newsflash! Our churches are filled with hitchhikers!! No, you may not be able to spot them right off because they mask as legitimate vehicle owners but take a closer look and that thumb with an invariable 90 degree bend will be easy to
spot! I want us to look at the characteristics of a hitchhiker to help us further our attempts at examining our own lives to see if this defines us. Let me interject here before we get too deep into discussion to clarify a few things. We are analyzing the stereotype of hitchhikers not anyone and everyone who has ever thumbed a ride because of a broken down vehicle or some sort of unfavorable circumstance that left them without a ride! Let’s begin:
1)Hitchhikers are uninvested. Looking back to the dictionary definition, hitchhikers obtain a “free” ride. They aren’t sharing in the expense of vehicle ownership. They aren’t shouldering the burden of soaring gas prices or annual vehicle maintenance. They are sporting the “W.I.I.F.M.”attitude – “what’s in it for me?” They don’t want to share in any responsibility they are simply along for the ride and when the ride is over they are done.
2)Hitchhikers are uncommitted. The very nature of these people is one of transience. They are moving from one place to the next. When you drop them off they will likely pick up another ride and another and another until they find someplace to settle for a while. Although some have final destinations in mind, most have a general direction but no specific route they are following to get there.
3)Hitchhikers are unplanned. Timeframes and plans are typically not part of the hitchhiker’s daily worries. They are getting as far as they can, stopping to eat when necessary and generally playing it by ear from one day to the next. Let’s just say being intentional and deliberate are not things that are high on their list of priorities.
4)Hitchhikers are unsafe. I can’t even begin to estimate the many stories I have heard about people picking up hitchhikers to their own demise. There is something attractive and convenient about the ability to render oneself untraceable when committing a crime. Many well meaning people have met their end at the hands of a wandering repeat offender.
So, now that you have entertained me up to this point and we are thoroughly schooled on the finer points of hitchhikers you ask, “what does this have to do with me??” I have come to warn you that hitchhiking is on the rise however, you won’t see these people on the side of the road but sitting in your church pews! They won’t look like your average vagabond off the street – they will, in fact, look a lot like you! They will dress like you and speak Christian-ese like you but they have no intention of putting down roots! They are along for the free ride and they
will eventually move on. They love the fact that they can come in and be fed without having to serve. They enjoy a “no strings attached” relationship. They are perfectly content to let you pay for the gas, shoulder the burdens of car maintenance and take on the responsibility of ownership.
Ladies, I love church! I love church for many reasons but first and foremost because it is the BRIDE of my Lord and Savior and I am part of that bride and the body of Jesus Christ. However, I am increasingly heartbroken over people who do not want to take their commitment to the church seriously! I don’t know about you but when a husband thinks about someone mistreating and taking advantage of his bride it makes him angry. We have passed off the fact that committing to a local church is respect for the bride of Christ! I use the word commitment instead of attendance because the commitment of membership entails a deeper,deliberate, intentional choice. You are saying, “I am committed to this body of believers. I find my spiritual food here, I serve here, I worship with other members of the body here, I use my time, tithe, gifts and talents here and I will help to bear the burdens of these people HERE! I’m in it! Not half-way, but all the way! I’m putting down roots and investing my time here.”
The only qualification for finding a church home that is even biblical is the exaltation and Christ-exalting proclamation of the word of God! Not programs, not denomination (because Jesus wasn’t Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian etc; - He was God!), not youth groups or missions projects or the ladies’ quilting guild or the size of the building, the size of the budget or the number of members!
Be sure that if you are committed to joining with a local church and getting your hands dirty that you will have some conflicts because churches are full of hypocrites and people in need of sanctification (along with the rest of the world!). Be sure that you will get your toes stepped on by the Pastor as he preaches the tough things in scripture to keep you from just drinking milk for the rest of your life! Be sure that you will be convicted of sin and challenged to change sinful habits. Be sure you will be tired at times because you have been busy about the work of the church and caring for its members. But know that the bonds of fellowship that are forged in the furnace of suffering and the laughter of rejoicing are eternal bonds that are bought by the blood of your Groom…and He is waiting for the time when He gets to take you, all of you home together!
In summary, there is no hitchhiking in the church of Jesus Christ that pleases the Lord. It isn’t biblical and it isn’t safe. It hurts you just as much as it hurts the church that you are leeching off of. Do take your time to find a good, Christ exalting church, pray about it, take your commitment seriously and then put down roots. Settle in, invest, commit, plan, be safe, ATTEND REGULARLY and keep your thumbs tucked in!
“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves as is the habit of some, but encourage one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25
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