Hello to everyone !
Sunday morning we’re continuing our study in the life of Moses which gives us INCREDIBLE insight to the “Making Of A Man of God!” I thought I’d give a little preview to this Sunday morning’s message. By the way, for those of you who are following the blog series, “How We Got The Bible?” – more entries are coming soon! J
Exodus 3:3-4 reads “Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
This was certainly a WOW moment for Moses!
A burning bush that was not burning?!
The Lord was undoubtedly trying to get Moses’ attention and there will be times the Lord is trying to get your attention as well. It may be in an unusual event. What we think is a “coincidence”. A WOW experience. Perhaps a tragedy.
In such times it’s good to ask, “Lord, do you want my attention?” “Are you wanting to say something to me?” Why it is good to ask these questions? Because God is alive and active and HE IS OUR FATHER and we are a part of something bigger than ourselves: His Kingdom!
For Moses there was a definite “when” and “then” connection.
Initially, Moses had no idea it was the Lord. It was just a WOW experience: a burning bush that was not burning! But once he stepped aside, out of his routine, the Lord spoke to him and Moses answered, “Hinaynee” (the Hebrew word) which means, “Here I am” –“I’m here”– “It’s me!” Moses was saying, “You have my attention”.
Then Lord then instructed Moses to remove his sandals for he was standing on holy ground. Holy ground? Yes, Moses was in the presence of the Lord. It was a place of sacredness and sanctification. The Lord wanted Moses to step right in. He wanted him in a place where he was sanctified, set apart. As Chuck Swindoll notes, it was as if the Lord was saying, “Moses, I want you to separate yourself from your past. Furthermore, I want you to remove from your mind your immediate responsibilities. Give me your undivided attention. I want you to listen only to what I am saying right now. Separate yourself from every human thing. Draw an imaginary perimeter around yourself and stand still, Moses!”
Aaah, is it time for you to do the same?
To say to the Lord, “Here I am! Lord, you have my attention. You have my life. Here I am! I separate myself for you alone!”
Pastor Greg, Looking forward to being back at church tomorrow and hearing more on this study of Moses. God Bless, Pam Goldbeck
Wonderful! I can’t wait till tomorrow. Sunday morning Bible study has been life changing. Praise the Lord.
Isn’t it amazing how God gets people’s attention. With Moses it was the burning bush, with Saul it was a bright light. But, the common thing in both of these amazing events is the response. “Here I am.” and “What would you have me do?” Thanks so much for teaching God’s truths in a relevant and life changing way. Looking forward to hearing more.
your sister in Christ,
marci
DESERT TIMES
It is interesting how God will take men into the Desert before really using them Publicly – He often takes them to a place where he is able to work in them DEEPLY before using them MIGHTILY
The Colleges of this world cannot equip for the Divine Service for that we must be taught in the school of God – the hand of man can not mold a vessel formed for the masters use. The one who is to use the vessel can alone prepare it”
The case with Moses – place to be forged & fashioned …… of God, for God.
The Bible says that God uses the foolish things to confound the wise – God was going to make Moses a foolish thing –
The Desert would be His place of doing this.
It is interesting how – men such as David / Paul / John the B. / Elijah & John the Apostle all had their times in the Desert.
It part of the Shaping / Revealing times for God’s glory to be displayed.
Interesting though that aside from David we are not given– much insight into their Desert times!
–Why?
There is not Uniform Curriculum in the School of God.
God deals with each person according to his/her individual needs & in accordance with the particular work that God has called them to.
But those times in the Desert are great times of Growth – that end up producing Great fruit – why ?
3 Reasons
1st – It is a place of Reality –
It is a place where we learn that we are not as great as we think – we are / not as together- Humility is learned.
1. It is a place where we learn to be Broken / stripped of self confidence & dependency – growth.
2. Place where right Motives get formed – there is no audience to applaud what we do – instruction.
3. No Position or recognition to be earned – just you & God- one on one counseling.
2nd ¬– It is a Still Place – Desert times & seasons are not busy times / times where you can legitimately be still & know that He is God.
1. You learn what it means to be still & you learn to enjoy the stillness.
2. See the blessing & the value in the stillness – realize later on when things get crazy the need to get back to that place.
3. Time outs are necessary – don’t think penalty box, think rest, renewal & rejuvenation
Desert times are Necessary
Be real & be still –
3rd – it is a QUIET PLACE – No Distractions –limited Noise – a place where you can hear God’s voice – time for quiet determination.
1. Time where we learn to embrace the promises of God – understand the provision.
2. It is in the Desert times that we learn to walk by faith & not by sight or by feelings – understand the process.
3. People who run from the desert times tend to have a roller coaster walk with the Lord – always up & down – understand the principle.
4. Always allowing feelings to dictate lives / always monitoring how we feel rather than what God declares in His Word – understand the provision.
5. God will take us into desert situations to get us to embrace His promises & learn to walk by faith, not sight or feelings. So that our understanding that the process, the principle, and the provision all from God for God.
So Moses was in the back side of the desert for 40 yrs – God wasn’t in a hurry
– why are we at Mt. Horeb, its a Mt. Region / Sinai was the Peak – highest Point v.2
And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
But in a THORNY CURSED BUSH-
I know that I am like a thorny cursed bush, I don’t have it together, I’m not a glorious cedar… a mighty oak-
Yet God chooses to burn in Thorny Bushes like us who bear the marks of the Curse – we are sinners, He wants to Burn in us – not to burn up / but to burn bright- make us shine!
Moody –was asked explain – was so many people came to hear him preach – I just ask God to light me on fire …..watch me Burn !!!
WHY would God want to use a THORN BUSH instead of a mighty tree?
WHY wouldn’t God just appear as a flame of fire apart from a bush?
This is wonderful truth, God has chosen to reveal His POWER, His GLORY, His WORD through thorny bushes because it brings ALL of the glory to God.
Can a thorn bust boast?
The thorn bush on fire not being consumed is a word picture of mercy.
Is God’s mercy speaking to us? To you? To me?
When God uses YOU and ME…. Thorny twisted little bushes… people have to say – “WOW!!”
Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”
So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Note – When Moses turned aside the Lord spoke –
Again we see here the importance of Desert times
If Moses was in Egypt – Busy running all around – involved in this & over seeing that – do you think that He would have turned aside? Sometimes life is so busy we don’t have time to notice the supernatural!
Sometimes people wonder why we don’t hear the Lord’s Voice more ?
1. It could be that you are too busy – running around.
2. Or it could be things are going too smoothly – not seeking.
3. Desert time is needed –
Desert Job ? / Desert Marriage / Desert Situation / Desert Life
– Rejoice It is God’s Chance to reveal Himself in a new way.
Hear from Him – Loud & clear???
Note V. 4 again When God saw that Moses turned aside – He spoke – God spoke when Moses wasn’t on Auto Pilot – Curious
1. Journal – Anticipation – Pen in hand – waiting for my commander to give orders, anxiously taking note of His words!
Did ya ever wonder why Pastor Greg on Sundays and Wednesdays says for those of you who are taking notes?
He knows, we gotta take it down, or we will forget- we get busy, the concerns of life drown out the message and we forget!
Moses Turned aside to see – God Speak – In John 1:12 – Have you turned to see the voice that is speaking; “to as many as received Him” – have you received or just heard?
The Message:
People across our nation, our world, are hurting.
The last few months have been some of difficult times for me.
God is teaching me to turn aside and wait for Him to move.
I have come away from this time with more understanding of how much Jesus loves us.
Even when we don’t do things correctly!
I tend to lean to my own understanding,
I can wait for God’s vision, but then I want to rush into it and make it happen.
I like to be ahead of schedule and come in under budget.
But often I discover I have raced by God.
That’s when God’s reassuring love, with grace and mercy greats me again and again.
Recently in morning prayer, God Spoke to me out of Isaiah 30:18 KJV
“And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you: for the LORD [is] a God of judgment: blessed [are] all they that wait for Him”.
For me, and maybe for you too, we have been facing a time of growth where there is more discipline and the dealings of God have been hard.
God is teaching us to wait for Him.
Sometimes we need to be reassured of His love, mercy, and goodness in the midst of His season of pruning and discipline.
It’s not fun being transformed, it is rewarding, but not always fun!
But, remember, Mercy Triumphs over Judgment! (James 2:13)
God has encouraged me in prayer that the waters of affliction were going to be replaced with rivers of blessings.
Isn’t it true that it’s the kindness of God that leads us to repentance? (Romans 2:4)
During prayer, I am being overwhelmed with the kindness, goodness, and mercy that God is extending toward me even in this most difficult of transformation seasons.
God’s resounding word to me has continually been, “Whatever the enemy tends for evil, God will use for good.” (Genesis 50:20)
Words to Anchor Your Soul
“You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment” Jonah, speaking of God in Jonah 4:2
Isn’t great when the Lord has our attention? It sure draws me close to His heart and I move into really being intimate with Him. It’s a sweet time for me. I can imagine it makes Him feel pretty good too to know how much his kids love Him. I try to tell Him eveyday how much His kids love Him. I also am concentrating on the Holy Spirit and remembering to involve Him more in my life. It’s being available to Him to move through me more and more. Everyone have a great week. Love, Pat
Thinking about 2 things in regards to the past couple of messages –
1. Spending time with the LORD is sacred – and lately I have been treating it as such with suddenly more depth of understanding probably due to a renewed sense of awe – a sense that God is HOLY and that I need to give Him my full, undivided attention.
2. If I spent as much time meditating on who GOD is as I do thinking about myself, I believe that my life would change dramatically – increased faith in Him and faithfulness to Him! It is good to know that God calls us to show up and be available – it is good to look away unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith….
Thanks for the great messages – Bob said he was “riveted”/giving his full attention to the message last Sunday!!!
Wow! God is getting His people, the Jewish people’s attention. Daystar has just received an opportunity to preach the gospel in Jerusalem, in every home. Not for free of course and its the first time any television station has been asked to pay the first year upfront, one million dollars. But there is no recession with the Lord. Amen. Pastor Lamb and Jody are waiting on the Lord and asking for the church to be a part of this awesome opportunity. I think this is a phenominal move towards the Lord’s returning. His very own city for the first time ever to be able to hear the gospel like this. He is on the move to bring His own to Him, and all others too. I am so excited and want to be a part of this opportunity to bless the jewish people. Anyone can call and have a part. Just get ahold of Daystar and join in. See all of you lovely people tonight, early. I am going to be a part of the team by helping teach our kids on Wednesdays. I am sooooo excited and I just can’t hide it. hee hee Love to you all, Pat
Pastor Greg,
I just wanted to thank you, Stephanie, Jeff Martin and many others from our church who came to the aide of the recent fire victims. It was so beautiful to witness the church being the hands and feet of Christ. I felt so encouraged and refreshed during a time it would have been so easy to feel discouraged and weak.
Thank you for standing with us, for standing in the gap.
I thank the fire men/women who risks their lives to save our home, and many others!
Glory be to our Lord!!