Exodus 32-34 Do you need a revival in your life?
There are 16 revivals mentioned in scripture. This is the second one found in the Bible.
Revivals are always born out of times of darkness. Here is the nation of Israel, who has seen some of the greatest acts of God in history. But Moses is up on top of a mountain for a month and the insanity of sin creeps back in. The people make a calf and decide this is the god who has delivered them from Egypt. This stuff is too amazing to even make up. So is the excuse of Aaron. So they start bowing down to the golden calf and break out into a sexual orgy. You talk about the wheels of the wagon falling off quickly. Well thousands died because of the disobedience and the nation is now aware of their failing before a holy God. This awareness of sin is necessary for revival to occur. There also has to be a longing for God and Moses shows us how to do it.
God had said he was not going with the nation any more but that he would send his angel with the nation. But Moses responds with these words...
Exodus 33:13-15 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."
14The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.
Some observations...
1. Moses wants to know God more than anything on earth. He wants God to teach him his ways. He wants to know God’s intentions and plans.
2. He also wants God’s presence. God has already said he is not going with them. He was going to send an angel with them. But Moses says... no way, if you don’t go with us, I am not taking one more step.
Here is the question for us.... how much do we want God and his presence in our lives?
Do we want God more than money, a solid retirement plan, a promotion, a position, a career, a relationship, sex, entertainment... to have revival take place in our lives we have to want God more than anything on earth. When that is our desire you know the revival has begun.
Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
God will not be a friend to those who seek after him with 50% heart.. 75% ... even 90%.
We need to seek Him with our whole heart.
The very reason you are alive is to have a relationship with Jesus. Enjoy your God today.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
January 30
Read Exodus 29-31 The most segregated hour of the week is Sunday morning at 11:00.
Exodus 30:15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives.
Is this a bribe to God to atone for our sins? You put the money in the offering plate and you can get a free “Out of Hell” card? What is going on?
From the Life Application Bible: The atonement money was like a census tax. It continued the principle that all the people belonged to God and therefore needed to be redeemed by a sacrifice. Whenever a census took place, everyone, both rich and poor, was required to pay a ransom. God does not discriminate between people (see Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:28). All of us need mercy and forgiveness because of our sinful thoughts and actions. There is no way the rich person can buy off God, and no way the poor can avoid paying. God’s demand is that all of us come humbly before him to be forgiven and brought into his family.
We will see in future readings that when it comes to sacrifices and offerings God does have a sliding scale for rich and poor. Yet on this tax, the ground is equal among all peoples.
Here are the thoughts of F.L. Smith ... It is clear that when it comes to this tax everyone is to pay precisely the same half shekel. This tax was associated with the census and made the point that everyone counts. Rich or poor, male or female, priest or servant – everyone of sufficient age to bear spiritual responsibility has an equal relationship with Israel’s God. The rich can’t buy God’s special favor, nor will the poor be robbed of any blessing. Even today the threshold question of who is numbered among God’s people does not have multiple answers depending on one’s economic, racial or social status. Whether then or now, praise God, salvation is for all, on equal terms.
In these days of political class welfare, the church is the one place where race, social status, and economic differences should not matter. Yet sadly, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said 40 years ago, Sunday morning at 11:00 is still the most segregated hour of the week. Only 8% of churches in the USA are mixed.
If God regards each and every person as equal, how can we make class, race or social distinctions? There is no place for prejudice or discrimination in the family of God.
Exodus 30:15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives.
Is this a bribe to God to atone for our sins? You put the money in the offering plate and you can get a free “Out of Hell” card? What is going on?
From the Life Application Bible: The atonement money was like a census tax. It continued the principle that all the people belonged to God and therefore needed to be redeemed by a sacrifice. Whenever a census took place, everyone, both rich and poor, was required to pay a ransom. God does not discriminate between people (see Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:28). All of us need mercy and forgiveness because of our sinful thoughts and actions. There is no way the rich person can buy off God, and no way the poor can avoid paying. God’s demand is that all of us come humbly before him to be forgiven and brought into his family.
We will see in future readings that when it comes to sacrifices and offerings God does have a sliding scale for rich and poor. Yet on this tax, the ground is equal among all peoples.
Here are the thoughts of F.L. Smith ... It is clear that when it comes to this tax everyone is to pay precisely the same half shekel. This tax was associated with the census and made the point that everyone counts. Rich or poor, male or female, priest or servant – everyone of sufficient age to bear spiritual responsibility has an equal relationship with Israel’s God. The rich can’t buy God’s special favor, nor will the poor be robbed of any blessing. Even today the threshold question of who is numbered among God’s people does not have multiple answers depending on one’s economic, racial or social status. Whether then or now, praise God, salvation is for all, on equal terms.
In these days of political class welfare, the church is the one place where race, social status, and economic differences should not matter. Yet sadly, as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said 40 years ago, Sunday morning at 11:00 is still the most segregated hour of the week. Only 8% of churches in the USA are mixed.
If God regards each and every person as equal, how can we make class, race or social distinctions? There is no place for prejudice or discrimination in the family of God.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
January 29
Read Exodus 25-28 God's Moving to the Hood.
We all need a home to live in. In a special way God has a home in heaven and he wanted an exact copy of that built on earth. There are differing views if there is a temple in heaven ... Rev 11:19 seems to indicate that there is. But what is agreed on is that everything in this plan for the earthly temple has a purpose. Everything in the temple would point to the sacrifice that Messiah would make 1400 years later. That is why we have the words ... “according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain.”
The amazing truth about this home for God is that it is to be built on real estate on earth. God wanted to move to the hood. He wants to be close to his people.
Here is the problem I have as I read these verses... I am not a detail person. I do not do wallpaper anymore, I detestation 1000 piece puzzles, and I dislike reading instructions yet God has given highly detailed blueprints for his house. How many times does God tell Moses to build his sanctuary exactly as instructed? There is no independent contracting on this job.
Syncretism is not allowed in this relationship with God. Syncretism is the combination or fusion of differing beliefs. We can’t say to God, I want to have this part of the temple, but I also want a video room or a game parlor for my entertainment. They had to follow God’s precise detail in this construction of this home.
The same is true today .... believe in the God who is revealed not in the God you feel.
We all need a home to live in. In a special way God has a home in heaven and he wanted an exact copy of that built on earth. There are differing views if there is a temple in heaven ... Rev 11:19 seems to indicate that there is. But what is agreed on is that everything in this plan for the earthly temple has a purpose. Everything in the temple would point to the sacrifice that Messiah would make 1400 years later. That is why we have the words ... “according to the pattern I showed you on the mountain.”
The amazing truth about this home for God is that it is to be built on real estate on earth. God wanted to move to the hood. He wants to be close to his people.
Here is the problem I have as I read these verses... I am not a detail person. I do not do wallpaper anymore, I detestation 1000 piece puzzles, and I dislike reading instructions yet God has given highly detailed blueprints for his house. How many times does God tell Moses to build his sanctuary exactly as instructed? There is no independent contracting on this job.
Syncretism is not allowed in this relationship with God. Syncretism is the combination or fusion of differing beliefs. We can’t say to God, I want to have this part of the temple, but I also want a video room or a game parlor for my entertainment. They had to follow God’s precise detail in this construction of this home.
The same is true today .... believe in the God who is revealed not in the God you feel.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
January 28
Read Exodus 19-24 The Law
The purpose of the Law is to Provide and Protect. It provides us with a glimpse of the nature of God. We cannot know the heart of God unless he reveals it to us. We see his holiness, his character and his will. The law shows us what sin is and that we can never be holy enough to make it to heaven on our good works. It teaches us that we need a Savior. It is like a medical thermometer, it shows us that we are sick and in need of a doctor.
The laws provides the best life possible. When we live by the principles of the law we will find that life makes sense. The 10 commandments give us the best possible life in a fallen world.
The law protects us from the dead ends of life. If you want to ship wreck your life, disobey the law of God. I can fill Boyle stadium in Stamford, with people who have crashed their lives by disobeying the 10 Commandments but I have never, ever heard someone say, “I lived by the 10 Commandments and God has ruined my life.”
An illustration from the Book The Country of the Pointed Firs.
Sara Jewett describes a woman writer on the pathway leading to the home of a retired sea captain named Elijah Tilley. On the way, the woman notes a number of wooden stakes randomly scattered about the property, with no discernible order. Each is painted white and trimmed in yellow, like the captains house. Curious, she asks Captain Tilley what they mean. When he first plowed the ground, he says, his plow snagged on many large rocks just beneath the surface. So he set out the stakes where the rocks lay in order to avoid them in the future. In a sense, this is what God has done with the 10 commandments. He said “These are the trouble spots in life. Avoid them and you won’t snag your plow.”
Let me make it very clear.. people were never saved by keeping the 620 laws in the OT. God will never say, “Wow, you really tried hard to live a good life and keep my commandments, so when you die I will invite you into heaven.” Because God is holy we have to be perfect to make it to heaven. There cannot be any sin in heaven, so if you are banking on “The Good Life” plan to make it to heaven, it’s time to abandon that plan.
Is the Law still in effect today? There are three levels to the Law: Moral law, Civil law and Ceremonial law.
Moral Law
10 Commandments
Still in effect today but the day of rest has been changed to Sunday for the church because of Jesus’ resurrection.
Civil Law
Not in effect today. These laws were part of the Theocracy. A Theocracy is a government in which God is the head. We live in a democracy where people argue their position and the voters decide.
The principles of the civil law have been the foundation of 2000 years of the development of Western civilization.
Ceremonial Law
Not in effect today. God told Peter he was changing the rules of the game in the New Testament for the church. You can eat shrimp and pork tonight for dinner.
Enjoy the snow storm today... we are almost finished with January!!
The purpose of the Law is to Provide and Protect. It provides us with a glimpse of the nature of God. We cannot know the heart of God unless he reveals it to us. We see his holiness, his character and his will. The law shows us what sin is and that we can never be holy enough to make it to heaven on our good works. It teaches us that we need a Savior. It is like a medical thermometer, it shows us that we are sick and in need of a doctor.
The laws provides the best life possible. When we live by the principles of the law we will find that life makes sense. The 10 commandments give us the best possible life in a fallen world.
The law protects us from the dead ends of life. If you want to ship wreck your life, disobey the law of God. I can fill Boyle stadium in Stamford, with people who have crashed their lives by disobeying the 10 Commandments but I have never, ever heard someone say, “I lived by the 10 Commandments and God has ruined my life.”
An illustration from the Book The Country of the Pointed Firs.
Sara Jewett describes a woman writer on the pathway leading to the home of a retired sea captain named Elijah Tilley. On the way, the woman notes a number of wooden stakes randomly scattered about the property, with no discernible order. Each is painted white and trimmed in yellow, like the captains house. Curious, she asks Captain Tilley what they mean. When he first plowed the ground, he says, his plow snagged on many large rocks just beneath the surface. So he set out the stakes where the rocks lay in order to avoid them in the future. In a sense, this is what God has done with the 10 commandments. He said “These are the trouble spots in life. Avoid them and you won’t snag your plow.”
Let me make it very clear.. people were never saved by keeping the 620 laws in the OT. God will never say, “Wow, you really tried hard to live a good life and keep my commandments, so when you die I will invite you into heaven.” Because God is holy we have to be perfect to make it to heaven. There cannot be any sin in heaven, so if you are banking on “The Good Life” plan to make it to heaven, it’s time to abandon that plan.
Is the Law still in effect today? There are three levels to the Law: Moral law, Civil law and Ceremonial law.
Moral Law
10 Commandments
Still in effect today but the day of rest has been changed to Sunday for the church because of Jesus’ resurrection.
Civil Law
Not in effect today. These laws were part of the Theocracy. A Theocracy is a government in which God is the head. We live in a democracy where people argue their position and the voters decide.
The principles of the civil law have been the foundation of 2000 years of the development of Western civilization.
Ceremonial Law
Not in effect today. God told Peter he was changing the rules of the game in the New Testament for the church. You can eat shrimp and pork tonight for dinner.
Enjoy the snow storm today... we are almost finished with January!!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
January 27, 2008
Here are my thoughts on today's reading:
It's such an easy thing today "follow directions and you'll be fine" yet it is so hard to actually do. The bible often relates to us as sheep. I don't know how many of you have actually seen or been around sheep in your life, but they are STUBBORN. They do not listen and it is very hard to manipulate them to your ways. I have learned to have the upmost respect for shepherds.
These passages show us exactly how we are sheep minded. God helps the people of Israel and they are happy. Although because they do not physically see the hand of God moving in front of them they quickly become discontent. Much like us today, we are so happy when things are going good that we forget about God. When things are going bad we quickly curse God and sometimes go as far as rejecting him. Why is it that we hold on to the bad things and not the good things? Why is it that if you complement a person 10 times and tell them one bad thing, the only thing that sticks out is the negative? God helps us more than we can ever imagine.
Unlike the Israelites we don't see a pillar of fire going ahead of us through our everyday life, if that was the case people wouldn't want to hand around you. That doesn't mean that God isn't there and he doesn't listen to our prayers.
Prayer, Faith, and patience ... simple words ... hard to obey. This text is not in there for us to read to improve on our reading skills. It's there as an example, for us to see and learn from the mistakes that Israel made. Focus on the good, always focus on God and realize that he's there for us all the time. It's one of the hardest things to do at times, but if done it always pays off.
I hope my thoughts make sense and are grammatically correct. I write them down as i'm reading and sometimes they can be a little hard to understand. Thanks for your patience.
Monday, January 26, 2009
January 26
Today is accountability day. Email me and let me know what chapter you are on. Even if you are behind in the reading I want to hear from you.
Read Exodus 13-15 Don’t just do something, stand there!!!
Exodus 14:13-14 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Being still is so difficult for me. I am an action person. I like to cross things off my “Do List.” I like to see projects finished and work accomplished. The idea of deliverance through standing still grates against my nature. Well on this day the nation of Israel was facing a hopeless predicament. On the one side was the Egyptian army; on the other side was the Red Sea. This is what I would call a desperate situation.
So what is a person suppose to do in desperate situations? Our natural reaction is to fix the problem ourselves. To come up with a solution by our own resources. Well, there are times when there are no good alternatives, nowhere to turn – except God. This was one of those situations.
It is possible you are in a desperate situation today...
- it could be your health
- it could be your job
- it could be your spouse
- it could be your children
- it could be a mistake you made in your past
But no matter what your desperate situation is, there is a way of escape. And the way to find that escape route is to be still before God and watch his rescue. I am not encouraging negligence and apathy here, I am advocating waiting in stillness before God and asking him what the next step is. There are no hopeless situations with our God.
The question for today: Am I thinking it’s solely up to me to fight the battle that only God can fight?
Be still and know that God is God.
Read Exodus 13-15 Don’t just do something, stand there!!!
Exodus 14:13-14 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Being still is so difficult for me. I am an action person. I like to cross things off my “Do List.” I like to see projects finished and work accomplished. The idea of deliverance through standing still grates against my nature. Well on this day the nation of Israel was facing a hopeless predicament. On the one side was the Egyptian army; on the other side was the Red Sea. This is what I would call a desperate situation.
So what is a person suppose to do in desperate situations? Our natural reaction is to fix the problem ourselves. To come up with a solution by our own resources. Well, there are times when there are no good alternatives, nowhere to turn – except God. This was one of those situations.
It is possible you are in a desperate situation today...
- it could be your health
- it could be your job
- it could be your spouse
- it could be your children
- it could be a mistake you made in your past
But no matter what your desperate situation is, there is a way of escape. And the way to find that escape route is to be still before God and watch his rescue. I am not encouraging negligence and apathy here, I am advocating waiting in stillness before God and asking him what the next step is. There are no hopeless situations with our God.
The question for today: Am I thinking it’s solely up to me to fight the battle that only God can fight?
Be still and know that God is God.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
January 25: Exodus 12-13:16
Dear Grace Bible Readers,
After nine substantial and damaging plagues -- over an indeterminate amount of time, but the context would suggest a period of months, not days -- Pharaoh has yet to relent and to release the Israelites to worship God. Moses's persistence and the people's plight have not changed Pharaoh's heart. Indeed, Pharaoh's heart has become even more hardened through the process. Indeed, this hardening of heart ultimately points to God's sovereign plan; by Pharaoh's stubborn rebellion against God, God demonstrated His power and glory.
As the passage opens, God instructs the Israelite people on how to prepare for the Passover, but the mechanism by which the Israelites will be saved is only revealed later in Chapter 12. The passage is rich with symbolism, and the Israelites will look back to the Passover as their great encounter with God. The Lord's grant of freedom from the Egyptian captivity will establish the new nation and bring them into a land of milk and honey.
The Lord indicates that the painting of the lamb's blood on the doorframes of the Israelite houses will cause the "destroyer" to pass over the firstborn of the Israelites. The Egyptians do not have this measure of protection, and both livestock and firstborn children perish in every home. After this event, the Israelites are called to offer their firstborn children in dedication to the Lord and the firstborn livestock as a sacrifice, remembering His faithfulness during the Passover. Please note that the blood over the doorframe did not "earn" the Lord's forgiveness for the Israelites; instead, He offered them the opportunity to participate in His grace ("unmerited favor").
The passage also clearly points ahead to the eternal Passover Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ:
1. Christ's death came at the time of Passover, around the time that the ceremonial Passover lamb would have been slain.
2. This first Passover initiated the sacrificial system of the Hebrew people, while Christ's death brought the system to a conclusion.
3. By His blood painted over the doorframes of our heart, we have forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.
Please take a look at the following Scriptures that highlight Jesus's role as our Passover Lamb. May we worship Him fully today!
1. Isaiah 53:5,7:
"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
"He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth."
2. John 1:29: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
3. 1 Corinthians 5:7: "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."
4. 1 Peter 1:18-21: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for our sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."
5. Revelation 5:6: "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."
6. Revelation 5:12: "In a loud voice they [the saints] sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
7. Revelation 7:9,10: "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."
In Christ,
Steve Edwards
After nine substantial and damaging plagues -- over an indeterminate amount of time, but the context would suggest a period of months, not days -- Pharaoh has yet to relent and to release the Israelites to worship God. Moses's persistence and the people's plight have not changed Pharaoh's heart. Indeed, Pharaoh's heart has become even more hardened through the process. Indeed, this hardening of heart ultimately points to God's sovereign plan; by Pharaoh's stubborn rebellion against God, God demonstrated His power and glory.
As the passage opens, God instructs the Israelite people on how to prepare for the Passover, but the mechanism by which the Israelites will be saved is only revealed later in Chapter 12. The passage is rich with symbolism, and the Israelites will look back to the Passover as their great encounter with God. The Lord's grant of freedom from the Egyptian captivity will establish the new nation and bring them into a land of milk and honey.
The Lord indicates that the painting of the lamb's blood on the doorframes of the Israelite houses will cause the "destroyer" to pass over the firstborn of the Israelites. The Egyptians do not have this measure of protection, and both livestock and firstborn children perish in every home. After this event, the Israelites are called to offer their firstborn children in dedication to the Lord and the firstborn livestock as a sacrifice, remembering His faithfulness during the Passover. Please note that the blood over the doorframe did not "earn" the Lord's forgiveness for the Israelites; instead, He offered them the opportunity to participate in His grace ("unmerited favor").
The passage also clearly points ahead to the eternal Passover Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ:
1. Christ's death came at the time of Passover, around the time that the ceremonial Passover lamb would have been slain.
2. This first Passover initiated the sacrificial system of the Hebrew people, while Christ's death brought the system to a conclusion.
3. By His blood painted over the doorframes of our heart, we have forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life.
Please take a look at the following Scriptures that highlight Jesus's role as our Passover Lamb. May we worship Him fully today!
1. Isaiah 53:5,7:
"But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
"He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth."
2. John 1:29: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
3. 1 Corinthians 5:7: "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."
4. 1 Peter 1:18-21: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for our sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."
5. Revelation 5:6: "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth."
6. Revelation 5:12: "In a loud voice they [the saints] sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
7. Revelation 7:9,10: "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."
In Christ,
Steve Edwards
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