Listen leaders..... You can lead the kids out of Egypt but you can't stop them from complaining and keeping themselves in the wilderness for 40 years.
Is it time to strike or speak?
Where is your righteous anger? When will enough be enough?
When will the bondage of His children stop?
The Lord told Moses to strike the rock as a sign to the elders. He was obedient. The water flowed.
When the Lord told Moses and Aaron to take Aarons rod and speak to the rock. Moses and Aaron were frustrated with the people. Instead of fully obeying God, and yielding to his exact instruction in the moment, they struck the rock again, (probably because they were big mad, and because it was familiar. It worked before, right?) and water did indeed come forward for the people...But their disobedience to Gods DETAIL in that instruction led to them not being able to enter the promised land.
Then the Lord said to me plainly and clearly. "Just because something worked, or has worked in the past, doesn't mean it's what the I'm calling for this time. Ash. Who is listening?"
Moses let the murmuring and complaining of those he was surrounded by get him out of the will of God. He'd seen miracles, signs, wonders and had always been provided for. The Lord straight up gave him instructions on how to handle this; but his reaction in the flesh and actions in that anger lost him his promise from the Lord.
"Moses lost faith." He lost faith in the Lord's detailed instructions and he didn't give credit where credit was due, to God and Him ONLY.
It changed the plan. It changed the final destination for now but not the final destination for eternity.
How many people in our flocks, or congregations, or on this earth are wandering in the wilderness losing the promises that the Lord has for us in this life, in the NOW; all because they will not listen to the DETAILED instructions from the Lord? How many may be good for eternity but are not good in the now? He died for BOTH.
It's like me shooting myself in the foot and being like pastor can you pray for me to win that marathon?
"I know I went to the store and you told me not to buy that gun. I know you said don't load the bullet in it. I know you said don't point it at my foot and play around. I know you said not to pull the trigger because it's not a game. BUT....I did. But come on, I am a Christian and God knows I need the prize money from winning that marathon to get that big screen TV and my God wants me to be happy, you know the abundant life thing, the works all things out for good thing, so pray for my foot and God will show up and I will win the race and get my TV."
How about I pray for increased discernment for you to not do that dumb thing that the word of God and the Lord himself are adamantly against anyway?
How bout we start there?
How many times do we take this to the Lord and get all frustrated and lose focus on what the Lord spoke to us because of all the negativity and situations and confusion all around us?
How easy we lose faith.
Listen for the details. Listen for the still small voice that says strike or speak. There is a time and purpose for both.
I warn you, do not stand still. We are serving a living God.
The key is FAITH. It's always been. It's faith in Jesus and His living sacrifice. It's faith that His crucifixion and resurrection have paid the ultimate price.
The Lord led me to Matthew 9:28-29 and Matthew 9:21-22.
In both cases the people sought Jesus out and cried out to Jesus in FAITH. They knew that if they had that experience with Him that it would CHANGE EVERYTHING FOR THEM!
They physically put effort into their FAITH to seek His presence.
That is the FAITH that we need.
Faith without works is DEAD.
Strike or Speak in time, but ALWAYS BE LISTENING.
You are responsible for your own wilderness, not theirs.
This is how he LOVES, by providing us ALL EQUALLY with the GIFT of SALVATION and the DETAILED BLUEPRINTS on how to walk this thing out in His WORD.
WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH IT?
Matthew 9:21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
Matthew 9:28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
James 2:14-26 Faith Without Works Is Dead
14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
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