Exodus 30-31

Day 40

Exodus 30-31

Exodus 31:1-3
Then the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills

Isn't it cool that God chooses us, then He fills us with what we need to carry out His vision for our lives...

•I can't do that, I'm not qualified
•I can't do that, I don't have a seminar degree...

Yes you are qualified because God will give you everything you need because He has called you and He will give you the tool and, he will put the people in your life that you need to accomplish it!  His purposes are good and holy and He will finish the work He began in you!  (Philippians 1:6)

Exodus 32-33

Day 41

Genesis 32-33

Exodus 33:12-16
Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"

Are you are struggling with doing something God has asked you to do?

•Maybe He is calling you to start a ministry
•Maybe He is calling you to step out in faith and leave behind the comfortable for the unknown
•Maybe He is calling you lead...

Whatever it is...  Ask God to go with you!  Moses said God if you don't go with us, don't let this even start this journey... If God is for us, who can be against us?  Who can stop His mighty hand?  If He goes with you and His favor rests on you, success is inevitable and victory is guaranteed...!

Exodus 25-29

Day 39

Exodus 25-29

Exodus 25:1-9  
God spoke to Moses: "Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give. These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats' hair; tanned rams' skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. You are to construct it following the plans I've given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings.

OKAY the Israelites are building God’s dwelling place…  The materials are elaborate and the instructions are precise!  I found many parallels here.  I thought about how grateful I am that His dwelling place now is inside of me and I no longer have to go through the process of becoming holy, because Jesus took care of that on the cross.  Praise God!

The second thought I had is Disney World….  Huh…!  Did I hear that right?  Did you say Disney world?  Yep!  Sure did…

Do you think Robert Iger the CEO of Disney World spares any expense to make his Magic Kindom Resort a place where you would want to take your entire family?  Heck to the no!  They spend billions of dollars to ensure that you and your family enjoy your stay and spend your vacation money… 

I hate that church leaders get upset and criticize other church leaders for spending money on things like: LCD stage lights, sound equipment, LCD projectors, speakers, computer equipment, the list goes on and on!  We are trying to reach a generation that has grown up thinking a mouse is cooler than our GOD!  Yet the very same people who criticize church leaders for doing that… can I ask you a question?  How much did your stained glass windows cost?  What about your steeple?  Oh don’t forget about the organ and the pipes… 

Have you ever heard someone say yeah man we go to that church because they have the prettiest stained glass windows…?  No!  The Israelites spared no expense when build God’s dwelling place…  King Solomon did not either!  If your motives are to build His kingdom and you are trying to reach those who are far from God spare no expense…      

Exodus 21-24

Day 38

Exodus 21-24

Exodus 22:22-24

 ^22-24 "Don't mistreat widows or orphans. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure I'll take them most seriously; I'll show my anger and come raging among you with the sword, and your wives will end up widows and your children orphans.

Here it is church leaders…!  I can think of 100 things Christian churches over the last century have divided themselves over.  Speaking in tongues and being slain in the spirit, Predestination and the elect, Pre and Post millennialism…  The list goes on and on and on…

These may enable YOU to worship under the same roof with other believers – BUT it does not prevent YOU from uniting or partnering with other believers to eradicate something we all agree with! 

Hey do you believe we should take care or widows who can’t take care of themselves? – ME TOO…

Hey do you believe we should look after the orphans and the fatherless? – ME TOO…

The government is not the answer for what can change the condition of our nation.  THE CHURCH is the oldest and most powerful organization on this planet; but the more we divide, the more we disagree, the more we make THE CHURCH about us, the more sedentary we become.  Then programs like the government have to pick up our slack!  

IMAGINE… imagine if all the churches just in your city worked together to help the widows, fatherless, and the orphans!  WHAT WE COULD GET DONE WOULD BE FAR MORE THAN ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COULD- BECAUSE WE HAVE SOMETHING THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE…  JESUS!!!

That is just with the churches in your city…  What could we do TOGETHER as a county, state, or country if our churches partnered together.  Not with equal gifts, but equal sacrifice!

Exodus 19-20

Day 37

Exodus 19-20

Exodus 19:8
⁸ The people were unanimous in their response: "Everything God says, we will do." Moses took the people's answer back to God.

What would happen if all of God’s people here in this city had this kind of heart for God?
What would happen if all of God’s people in this state had the same mindset?
What would happen if all of God’s people in this country did the same?

What would happen if YOU decided I am going to LISTEN to GOD and DO
what HE says!

It’s hard to imagine what GREATNESS of what God would do if we would listen to HIM and do what he says…  We could see things in our lifetime that would be just as powerful as they did back in the early church.  Same GOD same POWER...

God still speaks today – Through His word and through His Holy Spirit…  Just like back then I believe the main reason people don’t want to listen to God is they are afraid…

Afraid God will tell them something they don’t want to hear…  We are fearful because we are comfortable where we are!  Listen to how God’s chosen people reacted to Him in verse 18…

^18-19 All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, "You speak to us and we'll listen, but don't have God speak to us or we'll die." ²⁰ Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won't sin." ²¹ The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

Moses had already let go of his comfort…  Through God; Moses overcame his sin of murder, his weakness as a public speaker, and his fear of confronting Pharaoh…  The Israelites on the other hand were comfortable knowing God from a distance.
 
I want to be in the middle of what God is doing.  I want to see and touch the mountain…
I want to let go of the American dream to pursue a much greater one!  One where all of God’s people listen to HIM and DO what HE says!

Exodus 17-18

Day 36
 
Exodus 18-20
 
Exodus 18:13-18
13 The next day Moses solved disagreements among the people, and the people stood around him from morning until night.14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What is all this you are doing for the people? Why are you the only one to solve disagreements? All the people are standing around you from morning until night!" 15 Then Moses said to his father-in-law, "It is because the people come to me for God's help in solving their disagreements. 16 When people have a disagreement, they come to me, and I decide who is right. I tell them God's laws and teachings." 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, "You are not doing this right.18 You and the people who come to you will get too tired. This is too much work for you; you can't do it by yourself.
 
LEADERS - ATTENTION PLEASE!!!  God did not intend for you to do it all by yourself...
 
The previous statement means the following:
1) You must TRAIN UP people and delegate them to help you so you don't BURNOUT!
 
2) Once you delegate it you cannot stress over it and MICRO-MANAGE it, or you will RUN GOOD HELP OFF!!!
 
3) Know your weaknesses!!!  Surround yourself with people who are strong where you are not!
 
4) Don't feel like you always have to know more and be more talented than the people you lead!  YOU ARE NOT MAKING CLONES OF YOURSELF...!  
[If that is what you are doing, YOU ARE the weakest link GOOD-BYE...]
 
(VERSE 19-20) Now listen to me, and I will give you some advice. I want God to be with you. You must speak to God for the people and tell him about their disagreements. 20 Warn them about the laws and teachings, and teach them the right way to live and what they should do.
 
7) Listen to advice only from people who want God's best for you!  Don't waste your time with every critic...  There will always be critics!
Don't look for "YES" people all the time too...  
 
6) Don't expect the people God's given you to KNOW what you have NOT taught them!
 
(VERSE 21-23)  But choose some capable men from among the people—men who respect God, who can be trusted, and who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men officers over the people, to rule over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 Let these officers solve the disagreements among the people all the time. They can bring the hard cases to you, but they can decide the simple cases themselves. That will make it easier for you, because they will share the work with you. 23 If you do this as God commands you, then you will be able to do your job, and all the people will go home with their disagreements solved.

*** God wants the ministry He has called you to run successfully... He called you to it, and He will help you do it! Let His design take you to the next level!

Exodus 16-17

Day 35

Exodus 16-7

Exodus 16:3-4

 They said to them, "It would have been better if the Lord had killed us in the land of Egypt. There we had meat to eat and all the food we wanted. But you have brought us into this desert to starve us to death."  ⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will cause food to fall like rain from the sky for all of you. Every day the people must go out and gather what they need for that day. I want to see if the people will do what I teach them.

Do we act like the Israelites when we get in an uncomfortable situation?  Do we blame others, or wish for the good ole days?  Or… do we look for what God may be trying to teach us through the situation? 

-Are you broke?  Is He trying to show you He is your provider…?

-Are you sick?    Is He trying to show you He is your healer…?

-Are you overwhelmed?  Is He trying to show you He will bare your burden…?

-Are you lonely? Is He trying to show you He is all you need…?

-Are you addicted?  Is He trying to show you He is your hope…?

-Are you grieving the loss of a child?  Is He trying to show you He is your comforter?