Monday, July 22, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Passage:
Isaiah
44:6-23Key Verse:
“This is what the Lord says— Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.” V. 6 (NIV)
In Greece they were called Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis and Dionysus, to name a few. In Egypt, it all started with Atum, the first god to exist. Atum coughed and spat out Shu, the god of the air, and Tefnut, the goodness of moisture. Following were countless gods and centennial dynasties of Egyptian pharaohs, who were (of course) also gods.
Then there was Rome. The first nation to persecute Christians worshipped Jupiter, Neptune, Venus and others. Her emperors were also gods and would not consent the exclusivity of this new “cult” that spread throughout the region and beyond, claiming that there is One, Holy God, His Name is Yahweh and His Son is Jesus. Jealous, Yahweh would not accept other gods. Because of that, His Name has been persecuted throughout the centuries.
And then there is America. And England. And Brazil. And (fill in the blank).
Worship pluralism is greater today than it’s ever been. We may not bow before them, offer sacrifices or worship in their temples. But we worship them, regardless. Their names?
Monday, July 8, 2013
Passage: Galatians 6:1-10
Monday, July 1, 2013
Passage: Joshua 1:1-9
Key Verse:
“Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (V.9)
I had heard of Nik Wallenda’s feats, but had never stopped
to actually watch the man before. Until two weeks ago. We all gathered in front
of the TV and held our breath for 22 minutes and 54 seconds, as Nick crossed
the Grand Canyon balancing on a 1,400 foot wire that Sunday. It was indeed an
amazing sight, one that I will not easily forget. And although everyone could
tell that Nick had moments of fear as unpredictable winds swept across the canyon, I
wanted to shout for joy as I watched him worship His creator at every step, in
front of millions of spectators worldwide. The world may fully credit his amazing
accomplishments to years of balancing on the wires, training and unbelievable control.
But I know better. Although Nick is certainly an accomplished professional and
spent his life preparing for these challenges, I’m convinced that his courage and strength, revealed at every
word of worship and every step he took, came from Almighty God.
I dare say that there is indeed bravery that is based on
faith and faith alone. Not on one’s ability to succeed, or on the odds for a
happy ending of the story. That type of bravery is based exclusively on God’s
character and strength, not ours. That is the bravery that God commanded from
Joshua as He charged him to cross over to the Promised Land:
“Moses my servant is
dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the
land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.” (v.2 )
God’s message was simple: “My work does not depend on any one man, even the greatest. Moses died,
but my work must go on. Moses is gone, but the Power that made him great is
still alive and available to you”.
Joshua knew that he had to lead God’s people into battle
against more numerous and much better prepared armies than Israel. Don’t you
know he was scared! We can actually catch a glimpse of Joshua’s spirit
regarding the task ahead of him by the fact that God commanded him to be strong and courageous four times on
chapter one. In this passage, the Lord of the battle teaches us wonderful truths
that we must remember when we are challenged to do things that we do not
believe we can handle; or when we face the giants of opposition and trials:
Truth #1 – He will show up again
“As I was with Moses,
so will I be with you” (v.5a)
God told Joshua to find strength and courage by remembering
the past. Joshua had witnessed the countless miracles in the wilderness and so
he was reminded that he could trust God to show up again. He understood that he
would not be victorious because of his talents, or his ability to fight the
battles, but because God promised to show up in battle for him, just as in the
past.Truth #2 – You Are Not Alone
God not only promised to be with Joshua as a presence, but
He promised protection and victory. He promised that He would be there
regardless of the circumstances. And so it is with us as we face life’s
greatest challenges and battles: He will not fail us when we are weak, nor will
He forsake us when we are broken. He gives us the task, and He gives us the
power to accomplish it. This is an amazing promise of the Word of God: that
with each task He gives us, He also provides the power to do it – these two go
hand in hand.
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