Journey Thru the Bible | Exodus 31:13 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on January 29, 2012

Exodus 31:13
“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.’”

Not long ago, I visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The experience was very moving. As we took in the sights, I tried to imagine the emotions of the immigrants as they saw Lady Liberty after weeks at sea. What were they thinking and feeling as they walked up the steps to enter the immigration building on Ellis Island, to begin the process of becoming citizens of the new country? These were special people who, with little or no money, made their way in the new world.

But when it comes to our relationship with God, no person can make his or her own way. We are sinners to the core and our best effort on our best day is far below God’s standard. We can’t pull ourselves up by our own spiritual bootstraps, because when it comes to a relationship with God, we have no spiritual boots!

Only God can make us holy. Maybe that has been one of your struggles. You have been trying to make yourself good enough for God. Good luck with that. But here’s the Good News—Jesus came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus died for our sins so that through our trust in Him we could be made holy. Jesus walked in our boots and pulled us up by His sacrifice on the cross. Trust in Him as the One—the only One–who makes you holy.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son. I pray for the person trying to make himself or herself good enough for You. I pray that you will help them to see the futility of their efforts. I pray that they will trust in Jesus today as the One who makes them holy. In His name. Amen.

Journey Thru the Bible:

Through the Bible in a Year:
Exodus 28-31

Through the New Testament in a Year:
John 20:1-15

 

Check out Ron’s book–Ignite.

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Journey Thru the Bible | Exodus 29:45-46 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on January 28, 2012

Exodus 29:45-46
Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

What god but the living God says to humans, “I will dwell among” you. Gods of religion are so far removed from creation that man spends his life in a futile effort to somehow work his way to the deity. But God says, “I’ll come to you. I want you to know me. I want you to know how much I love you. I want you to know the things I do for you. I want to live among you.” Amazing!

Religions of the world focus on man working his way to God. But Christianity is not a man-centered religion, but a God-centered relationship. Religion is all about man. Christianity is all about God. A personal relationship with the living God is initiated by God the Father, made possible by God the Son, and enabled by God the Holy Spirit. Amazing!

God so loved the world that He sent His Son. Jesus—fully-God and fully-man—died on the cross as the penalty for our sin. When we trust in the Son, the Father accredits Christ’s righteousness to us and declares us “Not Guilty.” God the Spirit takes up residence in us and enables us to live a life that pleases God. Life with God is amazing! What are you waiting for?

Father, for anyone reading this who does not know Jesus as Savior, please bring that person to Yourself today. Show him his sin and separation from You. Show her the utter futility of trying to be good enough for You. Let them see Your amazing promise that You will take up residence in Your people and will never leave them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Journey Thru the Bible:

Through the Bible in a Year:
Exodus 28-31

Through the New Testament in a Year:
John 20:1-15

 

Check out Ron’s book–Ignite.

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Journey Thru the Bible | Knowing God Question

Posted by ronmoore on January 27, 2012

Hi Pastor Ron!

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question again… I’m looking forward to sharing your response with my small group. I already posted this question in the small group’s “Knowing God” discussion board.

So here it is…

I’m in the middle of reading chapter 5… am I understanding correctly that in the Triune of God, Jesus is the Word and therefore the work of God?? So, Jesus is then the agent of creation? And then that is also the reason why Jesus took human form too??? Because he is the “work of God”???

I know I mentioned this to you after class but I just wanted to share again that… MAN am I LOVING this book!!! The more I am learning about God the bigger God continues to get. It is amazing! GOD IS AMAZING!!!

Thank you, in advance, for your insight and I look forward to hearing back from you!

Jill

Jill,

Thanks for your email. Really glad you and your small group are reading through Knowing God. Very cool. So to answer your questions….

You are right in saying that Jesus is the Word of God and that Jesus is the “agent” of creation. In Genesis 1 we are introduced to God the Father (1.1), God the Holy Spirit (1.2) and as God’s Word goes forth in Genesis 1:3 we are introduced to God the Son. John tells us that “the Word” (Jesus) was with God in the beginning and, in fact, “was God.” John then confirms that Jesus was the “agent” of creation when he writes, “through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3).

I would not describe Jesus as the “work of God.” This phrase seems to say that Jesus was created by God. But Jesus—God the Son—is not created, rather he, like God the Father and Spirit, is an uncreated and eternal.

Jesus is not only the agent of creation, but the agent of our re-creation. In Jesus, God become man (Incarnation). Jesus was fully-God, fully man. Man is a sinner and cannot save himself. The penalty of his sin resulted is spiritual and eternal death. But God so loved the world that He sent His Son to remedy the situation. Only the death of Jesus could pay the penalty. Being God His death was not for His own sins and being man He could die as a perfect substitute on man’s behalf. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the “power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

God is amazing! And you are right—the more we learn about Him the bigger and more amazing He gets.

Thanks for your great questions.

Ron
 
 

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Journey Thru the Bible | Exodus 25:1-2 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on January 27, 2012

Exodus 25:1-2
The LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart prompts them to give.”

God’s instructions to build the tabernacle were detailed and precise. God said, “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you” (Exodus 25:9). Then, in the following chapters, God clearly explained the measurements and needed material. But notice in today’s passage that the contributions were left entirely to the worshipper.

God did not command people to give, nor did He provide a suggested donation. The monies to build the tabernacle and furnishings were to come from “everyone whose heart prompts them to give.” Giving is an act of worship and forced worship is not worship at all.

This worship principle is repeated in the New Testament. As Paul collected an offering for the struggling church in Jerusalem, he instructed each person to “give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). From the Old Testament to the New, giving is an act of individual worship. Giving out of compulsion, legalism, manipulation, or force is not worship at all.

Father, remind us that You own all things. All we have is a gift from You. All we have is to be used for You. Help us to give back to You willingly and cheerfully. Help us to truly worship You in our giving. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Journey Thru the Bible:

Through the Bible in a Year:
Exodus 25-27

Through the New Testament in a Year:
John 19

 

Today on The Journey: Fully Devoted (Overflowing). Listen to today’s broadcast!

Check out Ron’s book–Ignite.

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Journey Thru the Bible | Exodus 2:18, 3:1 Question

Posted by ronmoore on January 26, 2012

Jennifer asks:
A family discussion came up about Moses’ father-in-law. Exodus 2:18 says his name is Reuel, but as you move on to Exodus 3:1, his father-in-law is Jethro. Is it the same guy, different names or two different guys and we just missed something?

Jennifer,

Great observation! Reuel means “friend of God.” His other name, Jethro, means “his excellency” and probably was a title as opposed to a given name. Great question!

Ron
 
 

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Journey Thru the Bible | Exodus 23:24 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on January 26, 2012

Exodus 23:24
Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.

Other gods have always been a problem for God’s people. Beginning with the first commandment, God clearly warned against spiritual adultery. Bowing down before other gods is foolish, of course. They are temporal images made of stone, wood, metal, and sometimes, skin and bones. So why are the gods of this world so tempting?

Well, for starters, humans have a problem with any god, even God. Sin has short-circuited God’s wiring in our hearts. Sin turns our original purpose of honoring and serving the Creator into the worship of ourselves and the creation. The living, personal, eternal God is a threat. But we can control the gods of the world.

So the question for today is: Are you bowing down before any god other than God? That god can come in the form of a person, possession, or position. It may be something you are living with, living in, or living for. Whatever it is; it’s a pathetic substitute for the real thing. Get rid of it and bow before the One who loves you so much that He sent His Son to die on your behalf.

Father, show me what I am really bowing down before. Help me to demolish my worship of that thing and bow down before You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Journey Thru the Bible:

Through the Bible in a Year:
Exodus 21-24

Through the New Testament in a Year:
John 18

 

Today on The Journey: Fully Overflowing (Overflowing). Listen to today’s broadcast!

Check out Ron’s book–Ignite.

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What you don’t say is just as important as what you do say

Posted by ronmoore on January 25, 2012

 
Information is power. Sharing it, or not sharing it, can change the course of a person’s life. Refusing to share needed information is as much of a sin as sharing false information. That’s what pro wrestler Andre Davis found out.

Davis, better known as “Gangsta of Love” in wrestling circles, knowingly had sex with numerous women and didn’t tell them about his HIV-positive status. “I am a loving and compassionate man,” Davis said. “I am not a monster.” But the prosecutor disagreed. “He’s a manipulative man and a liar,” the prosecutor said. “What about the poor…victims.” The judge agreed with the prosecutor, and on Monday, January 23 sentenced Davis to 32 years in prison.

Remember, what you don’t say is just as important as what you do say.
 

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Journey Thru the Bible | Exodus 19:4 | Devotional

Posted by ronmoore on January 25, 2012

Exodus 19:4
You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

For a young eagle, flying is an acquired skill with some potential failures along the way. Learning to walk is treacherous enough, but a stumble simply sends the toddler to the ground. A “stumble” for a young eagle learning to fly sends it plummeting to a deadly landing. So the mother eagle flies under her young with her wings spread out in order to catch them when they “stumble” or tire.

God uses that beautiful picture of love, care, and protection to describe His relationship with Israel. God reminded Israel of His powerful acts in Egypt and how He demonstrated the same love, care, and protection as the mother eagle in delivering them from slavery and through the Red Sea.

Our spiritual flight has many ups and downs. The wind currents of life lift us up and drag us down. The atmosphere of sin causes us to stumble and fall. We grow weary from the journey and start a dangerous descent. But God is there every time. Like the mother eagle, He carries us on His all-powerful wings.

Father, thank You for bringing us to Yourself. And thank You for never letting Your children plummet to the ground. Thank You for Your constant love, care, and protection. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Journey Thru the Bible:

Through the Bible in a Year:
Exodus 19-20

Through the New Testament in a Year:
John 17

 

Today on The Journey: Fully Dead (Overflowing). Listen to today’s broadcast!

Check out Ron’s book–Ignite.

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Video Blog: Should we allow the Spirit to empower us, or follow the will of God in the flesh?

Posted by ronmoore on January 24, 2012


 
 

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What are you chasing?

Posted by ronmoore on January 24, 2012

 
Muhammad Ali just turned 70 years old on January 17. There’s a big birthday bash in Las Vegas on February 18. I am sure you’re invited. Let me know how it goes. Whether you love him or hate him, Ali has become a sports icon appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated thirty-eight times!

Today, the man who branded himself with his non-stop poetic boasts, seldom speaks. Decades of battling Parkinson’s disease drastically diminished the body that floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee. Age, disease, and a brutal sport have taken their toll.

Several years ago, not long after Ali retired from the ring, sportswriter Gary Smith caught up with the former champion at his home. Ali escorted Smith to his training facilities in a barn-like structure next to his farmhouse. Leaning against the walls were mementos of Ali in his prime. There were photos and portraits of the champ punching and dancing, sculpted body, championship held high in triumph. But on the pictures were white streaks—bird droppings.

Smith said that Ali looked into the rafters at the pigeons who had made his gym their home. And then Smith said, maybe as a gesture of closure or a statement of despair, Ali walked over to the row of pictures and turned them, one by one, toward the wall. He then walked to the door, stared at the countryside, and mumbled something so low that Smith had to ask him to repeat it. Ali did.

“I had the world,” Ali said, “And it wasn’t nothin’. Look now.”

The fleeting illusive power of man is nothing. Whatever you are chasing and however good you’re feeling about it right now, one day you’ll agree with Ali. But God’s power in your life changes everything. Don’t wait till it’s too late. Make sure you are chasing the right thing today.
 
 

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