The Way Provided

Have you felt God was leading you and suddenly it appeared you were caught between a rock and hard place? Has it ever seemed as though you were led into a trap? Have you wondered where God is in that moment? Did you rely on God to provide a way out of it?

We often find ourselves backed into a corner. More times than not it is due our own bad decisions. Sometimes those decisions do not reveal their negative results until much later, maybe even years. It is only in hindsight we can see the error of our ways sometimes.

Yet, there are other times when we feel God leading us. We follow along believing he is fully in control, and nothing can go wrong. Then…we run into a brick wall. We don’t even know where it came from. Our options are to continue believing God is leading us and trust him or take matters into our own hands. If we have truly been following God’s guidance, option one is our best choice.

You see, if God leads us to the brick wall, he will provide a way through it, over it, or around it. How do we know this? First, God has promised to never leave us alone. Second, we have the example of the Israelites. God led them to the Red Sea. He knew Pharoah was going to chase them, just like he knows Satan continues to chase us. God had a plan for Israel, and he has a plan for us. He parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could walk across on dry land. If he has led us to a place, he will lead us out of it. It may just be a trial of our faith.

The Israelites were fearful of Pharoah and his army. We are often fearful of other people. However, Moses trusted in God, and we need to trust him as well. When we are following God’s will in our lives, God leads us where he wants us to be. We must trust he is always with us. We must lean on him to pull us through the situation. God always will.

I pray we all follow God’s lead. I pray we put our faith in him at all times and hold onto our faith tightly. I pray each one of us will allow God to take away our fear and lead us to where he wants us to be. Put your trust in God. Follow his lead. Hold onto your faith. Trust God to provide a way.

Exodus 14:26 The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them.

Unified in Spirit

Have you had a very close relationship with someone? Have you experienced being so close to someone you could finish each other’s sentences? Do you seek that closeness with fellow Christians?

Most of us have had very close relationships. It may have been with a spouse. It may have been with a friend. It may have been with a parent. Those kinds of relationships are special. If or when they are broken apart, there is a hole left behind.

We can have a similar type of bond with our fellow Christians. In fact, we should. We all have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit, we can come together in unity to carry out God’s plan for our lives and the church.

Today’s passage is both encouraging and troublesome. It is troublesome when we ponder why we are not being effective in our ministry. It would seem to indicate we are not unified. For if we were unified, our ministry would be blessed by God.

That is the encouraging part, isn’t it? When we are unified in purpose, God blesses us. To be fully unified, we need to be unified in the Spirit. We must set aside our personal preferences and ask God to guide us. When we come together to ask God to guide us and we are open to hearing him, having set aside our personal preferences, he speaks through the Spirit to the group. Yet, if anyone comes with their own agenda, God allows us to wallow in our self-importance.

I pray we all seek to be unified in Spirit. I pray we come together to seek God’s will. I pray each one of us will set aside our personal preferences. Be unified in the Spirit. Seek God’s guidance. Set aside personal preferences. Seek to do God’s will.

Matthew 18:19-20 “Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Godly Conflict Resolution

How do you react to someone offending you? How do you react when someone does something bad to you? Do you immediately strike back? Do you tell everyone you know how bad this person is? Or do you talk with the person privately in an attempt to right the situation?

It seems people are offended every day by someone. People are offended by opinions, false statements, and even facts. If whatever is said doesn’t match their thoughts, they are offended. We have lost the art of debate, compromise, and appreciation for diversity.

During my early adult years, I was a young Marine. I was taught to praise in public and chastise in private. It is a good rule to live by. It is not new guidance nor did the Marine Corps invent it. Jesus gives us the same advice. In fact, He provides a four-step process for conflict resolution.

First, go to the person in private. Discuss what happened. Both listen to the other person and state your viewpoint. Try to work it out between the two of you. If that doesn’t work, step two is to gather a couple more people to talk with the person. These are not to be only those we believe will take our side. They are to be people who are well grounded in Jesus’ teachings. They are to be people who can be trusted by both sides.

The third step is to bring it before the church if there is no resolution. If the person still will not repent, they are to be treated differently. Often, people have looked at the fourth step as one of turning our back on the other person. However, that is not what Jesus says. Yes, we may keep them from being involved in the church community, but we are also to go in mission to them, doing our best to bring them back into the fold.

This method is for significant sin against us. It is not for trivial matters of opinion. The offending person must have committed a sin against us that leaders of the church and the church body would interpret as significant. Unfortunately, we often see splits in churches or relationships over opinions. Might I suggest we cease being offended deeply over opinion and seek to reconcile relationships as Jesus has taught us.

I pray we all seek to follow Jesus’ guidance. I pray we seek to reconcile relationships within the church. I pray each one of us will follow Jesus’ four-step process for conflict resolution. Seek resolution. Follow Jesus’ guidance. Do not allow opinions to rule. Be in mission. 

Matthew 18:15 “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.”

Do It Out of Love

What do you believe it means to follow Christ? What does it mean to you to be a Christian? Do you understand what Jesus is asking of you? Have you read the guidance the apostles have written for you? Once you know, will it make a difference in your decisions?

Many who claim to be Christians don’t really follow what Jesus has commanded. They don’t follow the guidance of the apostles. In many ways, they are like people who want everything given to them without having to work for it. They don’t want to live as Jesus said we should live.

In the early church, meaning the first three to four hundred years, Christians considered the greatest honor being someone who was martyred. In contrast, today most Christians don’t want to face the least trial. They want it to be a bed of roses. At the first sign of someone poking fun at them or questioning if they are in touch with reality, they quickly deny Christ.

Make no mistake about it. It is hard to be counter cultural. Those who stand on the teachings of Christ are called old-fashioned, out of date, and often left behind by friends they have had for years. It is hard to be the one who doesn’t chase worldly desires. It can look like fun to be completely wild and crazy, not having a care in the world. Yet, all payments come due in time.

The Apostle Paul tells us to choose Jesus. He rightly tells us we will be gratified by Christ when the time is right. In fact, we will be rewarded, not only beyond what this world can offer, but beyond anything we can imagine. All that sparkles in this world will pale in comparison to what God has in store for us in eternity. Not only should we follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, but we should do so out of our love for Jesus.

I pray we all lay aside chasing after worldly desires. I pray we commit to following the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. I pray we put Jesus on and allow Him to guide our lives and provide all we need. Choose Jesus over the world. Commit to follow Jesus. Commit to following the apostles teaching. Do it all out of love for Jesus.

Romans 13:12b-14 Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Fulfill the Law

How much do you owe? How much debt have you accumulated? Do you follow the law? Are you legalistic in your view of obeying the law? Do you pick and choose which laws you decide to obey? What if you could follow all the law and owe nothing by following one principle?

We have mortgages, car loans, and credit card debt. We may owe more money than we can make in a year or two. We pay back loans over the course of several years. Mortgages may take thirty years to repay. Auto loans are now extending to six years.

Why does Paul tell the people of the church in Rome not to owe anyone anything? The simple answer is it is a form of slavery. By owing to others, we have no choice but to work to make money to pay off the loans. Don’t misunderstand. In today’s culture, it is rare that anyone can purchase a house or new vehicle without borrowing money to do so.

Perhaps the best we can do is follow his second piece of guidance. We are to love one another. Paul says by loving one another we fulfill the law. For the uninitiated or the one who isn’t thinking through this guidance, it may seem shallow, unrealistic, or simplistic. That viewpoint comes from a lack of understanding of the love Paul is talking about.

The love Paul is telling us to have, is the same love Christ has for us. In v.10, he says that “love does no wrong to a neighbor.” Think about it. Dive deep into what it means to love as Christ loves. It means to care about others, do what is best for them, and putting them ahead of ourselves. We won’t do anything that would hurt them or put them in harms way. If we see others as Christ sees them and love them as He loves them, we will inherently obey the law.

I pray we all strive to see others as Christ sees them. I pray we seek to love others as Christ loves them. I pray each one of us will obey the law by loving our neighbor as ourselves. See others through Christ’s eyes. Love others as Christ loves. Obey the law inherently. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you achieve the love of Christ.

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Sing for Victory

Do you like music? Do you like to dance? Does music move you in ways nothing else can? Does it bring about an emotional response? Does it lift you above the fray? Does it allow you to soar with the eagles, if only for a little while? Do you view music as worship?

Many of us like music. We like various genres of music. Some like hip-hop. Some like country. Some like rock-n-roll. Some like classical. Regardless of the music genre we like, it is almost guaranteed there are songs in that genre that bring about emotional responses.

Our worship music should also move us. We should have an emotional response. We should be lifted on wings like eagles as we sing praises to God. Personally, it is hard for me to sing Amazing Grace without getting choked up at some point in the song. But there are also contemporary Christian songs that evoke an emotional response in me.

The Psalmist tells the Israelites, and us, to make melody to praise God. He used the tambourine and lyre as examples in today’s passage but uses other instruments in the next Psalm. When we sing praises to God, he is happy with us. He sees into our hearts and sees that we are praising him out of love for him and in awe of him.

Notice what God does when we sing in the above manner. He grants victory. Why? Because we have humbled ourselves before him. We recognize his amazing awesomeness. We sing out of love for him and what he has done for us. Again, we have humbled ourselves before our awesome God and it pleases him.

I pray we all humble ourselves before God. I pray we sing joyous songs of praise to God. I pray each one of us sing out of our love for God, in awe of his awesome power, and for what he has done for us. Be humble. Be in awe of God. Sing God’s praises. Sing out of love. Sing in awe. Sing to honor and praise God.

Psalm 149:3-4

Let them praise his name with dancing, 

making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 

For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; 

he adorns the humble with victory.

Celebrate the Lord

Are there special days you like to remember? Do you celebrate them in a special way? Do you throw big parties inviting family and friends to celebrate with you? Are there celebrations that last more than a day? Are any of those celebrations to celebrate what God has done?

All of us have special days in our lives. We celebrate birthdays, first dates, wedding anniversaries, and job anniversaries. As a community we celebrate the anniversary of the founding of a town or the dedication of a building. We celebrate national holidays.

Celebrations of special days are good. For many of us those celebrations break up the normalcy of life. They give us a break from the day-to-day humdrum. Family and friends come together. We grill. We make homemade ice cream. We exchange gifts. We eat pie or cake. On some occasions we eat certain foods, such as black-eyed peas or cabbage.

The Israelites were to eat designated foods on Passover as well. God had given them specific instructions on how to prepare the lamb, the bread, and even how they were to dress and the manner in which they were to eat. They were to conduct a festival to celebrate God freeing them from Egypt. How do we celebrate God freeing us?

Christmas has become so commercialized, even Christians who remember Jesus’ birth still spend exorbitant amounts of money on gifts. Easter has become a time when we feel compelled to buy new clothes to wear on that Sunday. We have become more focused on our celebration than on the reason for the celebration.

Take a few moments to look at how God told the Israelites to celebrate Passover, to remember him. It was an austere celebration. Dressed to leave at a moment’s notice. The lamb was roasted and the bread was unleavened, so they could take the bread with them. They were to mark the doorpost of their house, nothing more.

Do not misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with decorations, clothing, gift giving, nor special foods…unless they become more the focus than God, who is the reason for our celebration. It is only when we fully understand, deep in our heart, that God has blessed us with each day that we will focus on his amazing works in our lives.

I pray we all realize that each day is given to us by God. I pray we give him the honor due him for his amazing blessings. I pray each one of us will focus on God on those special days rather than on ourselves. Give thanks to God for each day. Put your focus on him. Give God the honor he deserves.

Exodus 12:14 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Remember When…

Have you started over? Was there a time of new beginning for you? How did you feel about that new beginning? Is there a new beginning in your future? Is it one you are looking forward to? Have you begun anew with God? Are you continuing in that new beginning?

We have new beginnings from time-to-time. We have our first day of high school or college. Our wedding day is a new beginning. We start a new job. We may experience our first airplane ride. We may experience our first trip to a foreign country.

Firsts or new beginnings happen. But how do those change us? I can remember my first airplane ride. I was a senior in high school. I wanted a window seat so I could look out. I was filled in awe. I had seen airplanes and understand a small bit about how they fly. My first experience exceeded what I had envisioned. Many, many years later and many, many plane rides later, I am no longer as in awe as I once was. Yet, I still like looking out the window and seeing the earth pass below me.

God told Moses and the Israelites a new day was dawning. They were about to be freed from slavery in Egypt. Their entire calendar was going to be based on the freedom God was giving them. How amazing is that?! The way they would mark time from that day forward would be based on God’s actions in their lives.

What if we marked time that way? Perhaps from the day we were baptized. Perhaps from the day we professed Christ as our Savior with our own lips. That day and the counting of time from day until the present could be a new calendar for us. Yet, the real question is this, did we change our outlook on life because of that day? The Israelites did…initially. Then they started grumbling. Perhaps it would be the same for us. We are initially overjoyed on the day we accepted Christ, but it isn’t long before we start grumbling. It still doesn’t change the fact that God acted in our lives, just as he did for the Israelites. He set us free.

I pray we all remember accepting Christ into our lives. I pray we remember how overjoyed we were on that day. I pray each one of us will commit to doing less grumbling and being more thankful for God acting in our lives. Remember accepting Christ. Remember the joy. Be thankful. God has set you free.

Exodus 12:2 This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you.

Gain Your Life

How many have been willing to give up their life for someone else’s? Have you been one of them? Are you still willing to give up your life? Will you give it up so that you may have a new life? Will you trust Jesus’ teaching?

Giving our life for someone else can be easy. Often, we are willing to do so for our family members. Some are willing to give it up for complete strangers. Others prefer to hold onto their life at all cost.

Jesus makes us a promise we probably don’t fully understand. If we did, we would jump on it immediately and wholeheartedly. We value our earthly human life quite a lot. We go to all lengths to stretch it out, live as long as we possibly can. Please do not mistake me. I am not advocating giving up this physical life.

However, I am advocating for giving up our lifestyle. When we pursue being like Jesus with as much, if not more, vigor than pursuing worldly fortune, fame, notoriety, and acceptance, we gain a new life.

What kind of life is it? A life free in Jesus Christ. He stated He came to set us free. Free from the trappings of this world. Free to live the life He desires of us. Free from the worries of this world. Jesus has and will break the shackles we wear daily.

Yes, we wear shackles, even if we do not see them. We are bound by striving to climb the corporate ladder. We are bound by a desire to be popular. We are bound by seeking to be accepted. We no longer need those things when we gain our life in Jesus.

I pray we all ask Jesus to remove our shackles. I pray we are willing to give them up. I pray each one of us will gain the new life in Jesus He is so willing to provide. Trust Jesus’ teaching. Give up your life to gain a new life in Jesus. Be freed from the cares of the world. Live free in Jesus.

Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Think As God Thinks

What occupies your thoughts? Do you think about your troubles? Are you always planning something for the weekend, vacation, or work? Do you continually think about things that need to be done? Are you so preoccupied with the cares of this world that you do not think about God?

We have many, many things on our minds. There are the daily tasks, projects at work, bills to be paid, and goals we strive to achieve. Our thoughts are focused on what is next. We often over commit ourselves, then wonder why we can’t complete it all.

There may be times we question if God is interested in what we have on our to-do list. Perhaps we should ask this question of ourselves, did we include God in our decision-making? Often, we don’t. Far too often we think in human terms rather than in God’s way of thinking. We commit to do something because we want to, then we ask God to bless our efforts and make us successful.

Peter was thinking in human terms when he told Jesus He could not suffer and be killed. Jesus immediately chastised him. Though Peter had been with Jesus for a couple years, he still had not caught on to thinking as God thinks. It would take the coming of the Holy Spirit for Peter to change his way of thinking.

We, too, need to change our way of thinking. We were given the gift of the Holy Spirit when we were baptized. We need to focus on the Spirit and allow the Spirit to guide our thoughts. It cannot be a one-time or pull out in case of emergency way of thinking. It must be a way of life that we think like God thinks. Peter learned this lesson. We should learn it, too.

I pray we all allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thinking. I pray we seek God in all situations. I pray each one of us set aside our human ways to pursue the ways of God. Change your way of thinking. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. Seek God every moment. Learn Peter’s lesson.

Matthew 16:23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”