Atypical Behavior

6 When the Lord commanded the man in linen, “Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim,” the man went in and stood beside a wheel.7 Then one of the cherubim reached out his hand to the fire that was among them. He took up some of it and put it into the hands of the man in linen, who took it and went out.  Ezekiel 10

Sometimes, directions from God don't make a lot of sense to us.  The man in linen was told to take fire in his own hands.

Take your BARE HANDS and grab some fire.  Yeah, sign me up for this.  The point is, he did it, even though it may have been weird and out of character.

A picture went viral earlier this week.  A rapper took a picture of himself in a public restroom cleaning breast pump parts for his wife.  He captioned it that this is what he does after his shows #thuglife

It was a completely out of the norm photo for this man - and it blew up in a very positive way.  I looked a little through his posts and the previous picture he posted of himself at a concert had a measly 45 likes, but this breast pump part picture was well into the tens of thousands of likes.  There's no telling then how many people saw it and didn't comment or like it (such as me).

Why does this relate to the verse?  A man did something out of the ordinary for God's purpose.  Did I mention earlier that this was a Christian rapper?  That's right, his lyrics are about Christ and he uses his music as a means to spread God's word.  That one picture went viral and was shared among a demographic that probably has never heard of him but now people are listening and checking him out.  

God doesn't always call us to do huge, life-changing things outside of our normal realm.  Sometimes, it's small, like taking a picture and posting it online.  The result doesn't have to impact thousands, it may only impact one person.  Trust in God when you do something our of your norm.  He has you in his hands, and he has a plan.

Thurs Devo: Lesson Learned?

Numbers 16:41-45  ⁴¹ The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people,” they said.

⁴² But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the tent of meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. ⁴³ Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴ and the Lord said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

Wow! I can’t believe the Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron for killing Korah, his clan, and his 250 followers. They aren’t giving God the credit and are giving too much credit to mere humans, Moses and Aaron. Plus, haven’t the Israelites learned their lesson yet? We’ve seen God step in each time the Israelites opposed Moses. God also stepped in when Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses. So, it’s no wonder God stepped in when Korah decided to challenge Moses and Aaron’s authority. We saw how full of pride Korah was, with no ounce of humility or repentance.

Each instance of opposition was really rebellion against God, His plan, and His choice of leaders. If I’m counting correctly, this is now the third time God has told Moses He plans to wipe out the Israelites, yet spare Moses. God knows the hearts of the people. Yet, each time, Moses appeals to God’s compassion and humbly pleads for mercy.

Are you and I more like the Israelites or Moses?

Do we keep learning lessons the hard way, over and over again?

Or, do we know and trust God’s holiness and His character, and humbly approach Him?

Alice

Finding Mercy

Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.  Matthew 18:33-35

Patience truly is a virtue. I say this thinking over the events in Charleston, SC this past week. You see, I grew up in a historic and traditional AME church much like the church in Charleston. In a world that I continually am color blind to, I was given a sad reminder that many others still see color differently, and would want to do harm to me simply because I am different. I wanted to say something more about it, but I did not have the words nor felt a feeling that perfectly described my sense of innocence lost. In the midst of waiting, God’s glory was revealed. As the killer was being arraigned, each of the victims’ families did not cry for vengeance nor utter a word of hatred. Instead, they prayed for mercy and spoke of forgiveness. It was the perfect response because it forced others to ask two questions. First, it started the discussion on God as others asked the question, "How can someone have love and mercy for one who murdered their loved one?" Second, others had to ask, "What do these people have that is missing from my life?" It was a Godly and right response.

Forgiveness is mandatory for us as Christians. There is a reason that God put love and mercy above many other things. When we were given grace through Jesus Christ, we gained so much by having a true authentic relationship with God. Thus through forgiveness, we stand to gain and not lose. That is why Jesus felt strongly about mercy through the parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 18:21-35). In listening to each family member of the Charleston church ask for mercy and forgiveness on the person who had done such an evil act, my spirits were uplifted, and others who questioned whether God truly makes a difference in one’s life could not deny His power then. Furthermore, the ripples of what one might call the ‘Devil’s work’ turned into another moment where God’s light shined brightly. Through mercy, we become a light for as Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12b)

We serve a loving and merciful God. While our natural instinct may call us to rush to judge and seek punishment when personally wronged, we must trust God to handle it. Romans 12:19b says, “For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.” Let us focus on the power of forgiveness for that is a sure way God’s glory is revealed to others. Who must you forgive today? How can you be more merciful in your walk of faith? My prayer is that we find mercy for those who do not deserve as much for we too were first given mercy. Amen.

Tues Devo: Firm on a Foundation, Part 3

Hello,

I wanted to spend one final week on this topic of a firm foundation. A critical piece of the foundation that we haven’t gone into is the mental side. I can’t even count how many times I have heard people talk about getting old and being more concerned with having a sharp mind than a physically fit body. We understand the importance of having mental acuity and sharpness. Keeping our mind in the right spot is a key element of a firm foundation. Without it, we are prone to attacks that begin to make us doubt our foundation – and that un-surety will render us less useful for the cause of Christ.

So, how do we keep our mental side where it needs to be? Try Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” (NASB)

Dwell on the right kind of things – find the things and people that help put those types of thoughts in the forefront of your brain.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

Every Step I take

Psalm 121:7-8

The Lord will keep you from all harm—

    he will watch over your life;

the Lord will watch over your coming and going

    both now and forevermore.

We have all heard these verses before and sometimes hear them used to question God.  Why God did you not protect me from harm?  David wrote this from a way to direct and encourage us to repose ourselves and our confidence in God.  We are by faith to put ourselves under his protection and commit ourselves to his care.  This does not mean we will never face harm.  It’s more that in those times that we do, that we trust the Lord to take care of us. 

I think the entire Psalm 121 is a great Psalm to meditate on regularly.  Remind ourselves that the Lord is the Maker of Heaven and Earth and that He is watching over us.  He sees our every steps. 

Is every step you make something that you’d want the Lord to see?  We sure want His protection over every step so let’s make every step pleasing to Him.

Plant the Seed

4 and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”  Ezekiel 9

It's more punishment from God (this group of people had a ton of problems), but this time there are some who are spared.  They are spared because they "grieve and lament over all the detestable things."

We all see sin - every day in fact.  What is your reaction to it?  Do you give it any thought, do you sigh and shake your head, or do you grieve and lament?  Do you pray for that person?

Everyone has an opinion about something and someone.  There will be people who sin right in front of you.  You can either roll your eyes and mutter that they're an idiot and wonder why they can't see the harm they're doing or you can grieve and lament for them and share your concern for their future.  

I've talked to people who say that we only need to "plant the seed" with non-believers.  I disagree.  I believe that we need to constantly demonstrate living a life for Christ and talking to those non-believers about Christ.  That seed needs cultivation.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred,sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”  Matthew 13

Thurs Devo: God, Honored as Holy

After the earth swallowed Korah, those with him and all his belongings, how would you expect the rest of the Israelites to react?

Number 16:34-40       ³⁴ At their cries, all the Israelites around them fled, shouting, “The earth is going to swallow us too!”

³⁵ And fire came out from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense.

³⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ³⁷ “Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to remove the censers from the charred remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy— ³⁸ the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before the Lord and have become holy. Let them be a sign to the Israelites.”

³⁹ So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers brought by those who had been burned to death, and he had them hammered out to overlay the altar, ⁴⁰ as the Lord directed him through Moses. This was to remind the Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before the Lord, or he would become like Korah and his followers.

I had a couple questions when studying this passage. First, why did the Israelites fear being swallowed? They had been warned to stay away from Korah, Dathan and Abiram and their tents. So, if they heeded the warning, why were they afraid? God can be trusted. He wouldn’t accidentally swallow more than He intended.

Second, why did God consider the censers holy, when they were last used by sinful, prideful, and rebellious individuals? In re-reading verse 38, God said they became holy because they were presented before Him. He declared them holy, in spite of the fact that they were presented in an unholy and disrespectful way.

Earlier, when Aaron’s sons approached the Lord in a disobedient way, Moses reminded Aaron of God’s previous words:

Leviticus 10:3           ³ Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“‘Among those who approach me
    I will be proved holy;
in the sight of all the people
    I will be honored.’”

We can either voluntarily honor God as holy, or He can gain honor in spite of us. I’d rather enjoy the blessings of honoring God voluntarily, wouldn’t you?

How might you and I be approaching God in a dishonoring way? How will you and I approach our Holy God this week in an honoring way instead?  

Alice

Follow the Path

So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.  And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.  Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith).  Acts 6:2-5

Over the past couple of months, I have felt challenged in different ways.  In those challenges, it feels that another path is being opened, and I have begun to pray what that might mean for me in the future.  That makes me nervous as no one truly knows what the future has in store.  When dealing with such uncertainty, there are two things I have come to rely on.  First comes from Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”  The second, Philippians 4:13, says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”  These are powerful reminders for me that while I do not know what the future has in store, I should trust God fully for there is nothing that I cannot handle through Christ. 

We must always walk faithfully the  path that God has set before us.  Today’s verses focus on the story of Stephen, who was about to take on a far different path than what was supposedly set for him.  He was one of five given the task to run a food program.  That would seem uninspiring.  However, Stephen's path would lead him to perform miracles, be falsely arrested, be an unyielding testifier for Christ, and see God and Jesus in the heavens before being killed.  Now sure, we might look at it as, “Hey!  He got stoned to death, and that’s not good, right?”  But through simply choosing to follow his path, he did things that even most of the Apostles did not do and saw God and Jesus prior to going up to Heaven.  How many of you would make that trade (live an incredible God inspired life and seeing both God and Jesus near the end)?  Had he not been faithful and followed what was asked of Him, none of this would have happened.  The Book of Acts is full of stories where people made the choice to follow the path God had laid out for them, and from Peter to Paul to Cornelius and others, their lives were changed and blessed along with furthering God’s Kingdom. 

God has laid out our path to a greater understanding of His will for our lives.  We may not fully understand it and we may be hesitant to pursue it.  However if we fully trust in Him and faithfully walk it, we, like Stephen, will have a fully blessed life.  What path is God presenting you with?  How can you trust in Christ to courageously overcome your fear of pursuing it?  My prayer is that we trust in God and Jesus Christ, and then simply follow the path.  Amen.

Firm on a Foundation, Part 2

Matthew 7:1-5 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” (NASB)

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?  But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” (NASB)

Hello,

Last week I talked about the dangers of leaving the Biblical foundation for what is right/wrong. This week I want to extend that discussion a bit further to a common topic – judgment.

I believe we have a major definitional issue with the word judgment and how we use it (or in many cases how it is used towards us). There is a difference between making a judgment and making a statement.

The Bible warns us about judging others or pronouncing judgment many times – the verses from Matthew 7 above are perhaps the most well-known.

However, the Bible clearly states that we are to label sin for what it is – sin.

So, how are these different? Judgment involves the heart, a statement is an objective measurement against an agreed upon standard.

In Matthew 7, the warning about judging is clear – it will come back. However, what is often overlooked are the verses which follow in the same thought pattern. Notice that after we address the log in our eye – we are still to take the speck out of the brother’s eye?! – we are instructed to label things that are sin as sin, and address them. What we are to be careful is judging motive, intention etc – those things do not move towards removing sin. We are to address our sin issues, and then also address those of our brothers/sisters near us.

1 Corinthians 5 gives even more precision/clarity – God will judge those who do not claim Him…that time is coming! But those on the inside of the church who do claim God, we are to hold to the Biblical standard and not tolerate sin. We are to help one another break free of sinful addictions, and keep focused on doing what is honoring to God.

So – why does the world view things as judging, when we don’t feel we are judging? I believe it is because we make a statement that measures against the Bible as our standard…..but that standard is not accepted by others. When those we talk with do not have the same standard, that makes our statement appear to be judgmental.

I believe there are two challenges for us in this today:

1.      Call sin for what it is according to the Bible and deal with it, get rid of it. (Yes, we must read our Bibles regularly to stay in touch on this one – and also remember our motive for labeling sin and dealing with it is not out of pride, but out of love for what Jesus did on the cross)
2.           When you are discussing scenarios with those who may be non-believers, communicate the standard you are using (we cannot use any other standard – see last weeks devo to tie that together). This will add clarity, and provide an opening for a critical end of the conversation – who is God.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

The Father rejoices

Proverbs 23:22-25

Listen to your father, who gave you life,

and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Buy the truth and do not sell it—

wisdom, instruction and insight as well.

The father of a righteous child has great joy;

a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.

May your father and mother rejoice;

may she who gave you birth be joyful!

With Father’s Day coming up, I thought it would be nice to talk about Father’s today.  I didn’t always have the greatest relationship with my Dad, however I am grateful for the relationship we have today.  Throughout the Bible we see it said to listen to your parents.  This is a lesson that my husband and I are always working on with our 2 year old.  Lately, it’s actually been getting better. 

Yesterday I watched as my husband played on the floor with my son.  My son climbed up on Daddy, gave him a huge hug and told him that he loved him and that he was the best Daddy!  This just melted my heart.  It also got me thinking, how often do we sit with our Heavenly Father and tell him that we love him and that he is the best?

The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.  Do we bring our Heavenly Father great joy because we are righteous?  Does he see us as wise?   Let’s make our Heavenly Father proud with the way that we live our lives each day.