Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Machelle McDowell

April 16, 2024

I love flowers! So, today I thought I might incorporate some gardening analogies that may help us to learn a few Biblical concepts: Let’s focus on the Rose!

Roses are so beautiful and they are a perfect lead in to a comical story I want to share with you today:

A teenage granddaughter….we will call her, Rose, came downstairs to meet her date for the night wearing a see-through blouse and no bra! (Stick with me, this is not rated R, I promise).

Her grandmother threw a fit, “Rose, don’t you dare go out like that!”

The rebellious teen looks at her grandma and says, “Loosen up Grams…these are modern times, everybody dresses like this” “You gotta let your rose buds show”……. and out she went.” The grandmother is appalled!

The next day…. Rose comes downstairs only to find her grandmother sitting in her chair with no top on!  The teen cannot believe what she is seeing!

In a panic, she explains to her grandmother that she has friends coming over any minute and that it is just not appropriate for her to be seen like that!

With a big smile on her face, the grandmother says, “ Loosen up Sweetie,”

“If you can show off your rosebuds, I can show off my hanging baskets.”

There is some humor in this story but also a garden full of thorns!

There is nothing prettier than a rose bush in full bloom! It captures our attention. But, when we walk amongst the rose bush before it blooms we see its leaves but our eyes tend to drift to the exposed thorns.

We can learn a lot from a rose bush:

Even outnumbered by thorns..the beauty of the flower stands out for all to see..

Our prayer should be that we would be more like the rose and less like the thorns. Jesus was a rose among the thorns. He stood out… why? Because, He values others more than himself.

Jesus wants us to stand out. He wants others to see Him in us.

We can learn from Paul in Romans 12:2- Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good an acceptable and perfect.

You know, when we begin to think like Jesus, we will begin to act like Jesus…. We have bought into this world and have become numb to the things that cause a stench in God’s nostrils. We have tarnished the sweet fragrance of His garden!

The thorns we bare do not bring God glory but disgrace. Like Rose, the granddaughter in the story, our rebellious nature robs us of God’s greatest blessings.

There is a quote that says:

“Anything in fact will serve as an excuse when the heart is bent on compromise.”

“Loosen up Grams!” “These are modern times.” “Everybody does it!”…….The question we should be asking is, “Does this bring God glory?”

Like the rose, Jesus wants us to stand out. He wants us to be different:

• Our speech should not sound like the world. Our tongue has the power to destroy or to lift up. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouths but that which is good to the use of edifying. Ephesians 4:29.

• Our Behavior- Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. I Tim 4:12-13.

• Our reflection of Christ- the way we love others reflects our adoration for our Lord. Love God, Love Others. Mark 12:30-31 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is the this:  Love your neighbor as yourself.

When our love for others is in full bloom; God is being glorified.

We are not perfect people; we all bare thorns…but even outnumbered by thorns, the beauty of the rose stands out for all to see. Jesus wants to see us in full bloom.

Just like the rose bush, we go through seasons when all you can see is the leaves and the thorns.

When our lives are filled with bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, negativity, to name a few; these are seasons when a good pruning is needed. When the thorns have taken over and choked out the beautiful rose.

• When is the last time you had a good pruning?

• Maybe, you are carrying around unconfessed sin?

• Maybe, You are struggling with unforgiveness?

• Maybe, You have never given your life to the gardener? Jesus Christ

Why would you call Jesus a gardener? I am glad you asked.

Listen to the definition of a gardener and compare it in your mind to our Lord and Savior:

“The gardener is the person who has the skill to maintain the gardens’s design.

The gardener’s labor during the year include planting flowers and other plants, weeding, pruning, grafting, deadheading, mixing and preparation of insecticides and other products for pest control, and tending garden compost”.

Let me explain my thoughts:

• Friends, our Lord and Savior designed us for himself. He is skilled to keep that design.

• He plants us where he wants us to grow our faith and share it with others.

• We are to share the beautiful bouquet of the gospel and let its fragrance saturate the hearts of the sinner.

• God weeds us- He deadheads us so that we can be alive in him and be his disciple, the disciple he designed us to be.

• He prepares us for spiritual battles. Who is our pest?- Satan himself. Satan prowls around like a lion seeking whom he can devour. He wants to destroy the garden.

• He compost us. Improving the health of our soul, recycling the very Word of God over and over in our hearts and minds: our nutrients to prepare us for the droughts to come.

That my friend is our gardener! Our Lord and Savior!

Maybe, you are just going through a period of dry rot? It’s like you have a spiritual fungus:

• It is eating away at your spirit. It is causing decay of your witness.

• It sucking the joy out of your Christian walk.

Christians, We are a rose among the thorns! The thorns are part of who we are but they

do not possess us.

The Bible says, we all sin and fall short. But God loved us so much he sent his son to die for us while we were still sinners! And, if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead- call upon the Lord and be saved!

The cure for all thorns we have ever had, currently have, or will have in the future have been taken care of!

There is a disease that causes a sudden excessive thorn production on a rose bush; it is called rose rosette. It is a virus with no cure! The plant will die within a year or two.

Friends, we have a cure! His name is Jesus! We cannot cure the thorns in our lives. Only God can!

Glory to God

Glory to God

April 10, 2024

Machelle McDowell

I Cor 6:20- “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.”

I celebrated a milestone birthday this year! I turned 62! Yes, I am able to say that outloud now! (LOL)…. Alot of things happen leading up to a 62nd birthday!

One, is looking into a mirror and thinking you may not go outside during Thanksgiving again because someone may mistaken you with a turkey by the “gobbler neck” you now have!

Two, you reflect on your life: there is an old saying, “I’m not 62, I’m 18 with 44 years of experience!” There is some humor in these words but there is also some very real truths in that statement.

There is alot of life that plays out in 62 years. In my mind I can do what I have always done, but my body screams a different message!

God shared a valuable lesson with me on my birthday!

I woke up early on the morning of April 7th, (my birthday), like any other morning, but there was a surreal presence in my bedroom. My mind began to wander.

My first thought was, “I am old enough to retire if I want to.” Just the thought of having the freedom to make that decision was very weird.

Then, something very bizarre happened…I wasn’t allowed to think it but for a moment!

Those words were quickly replaced with these words- “Bring me glory.”

What? I’m not gonna lie, I was a little unnerved by this obvious message from my creator who obviously has something more in store for me…. I got out of bed and headed to my spot where I spend time with Jesus in His Word.

As I reflected on what just happened…. My Bible study that morning affirmed the words I feel God gave me earlier. He directed me to this verse: Deut. 4:24

“The Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace.”  I looked up the meaning of iron furnace and found this: (Hard Bondage).

I have been bought with a price. I am not my own. We don’t retire from belonging to Jesus! We may retire from a place of employment or a career but we do not retire from serving God…. If anything we are promoted!

Yes! Think about it. We spend a great deal of our life in the wilderness as our training ground, just like the Israelites!

As I turn the pages of my life to a new chapter I want to finish well! I don’t want to come to the border of the Promise Land and not be able to go in! I want to be a Caleb and a Joshua. Trusting God completely with my future. I want to bring glory to God for the rest of my life! Whatever that may look like!

Jesus delivered us! He has rights. He did not die for you and me and redeem us so we could do life without him. We don’t retire from doing his will……bringing Him glory!

Our job may look different when we grow older but it should involve bringing God glory!

Now, I understand why God used “old” people to do great things for him. It takes us so long to get it, LOL!

“Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old.”Job 12:12. Now, let’s be honest… it is not growing old that makes us wise and useful for the kingdom.

It is following God through the wilderness of life and submitting our lives fully. With it comes an inner strength that develops from years of experiencing God’s working in our lives.

The Bible is full of senior figures that inspire us:

• Sarah demonstrates that nothing is impossible with God.

• Anna- Oh my, I love this woman! She spent her entire life studying God’s word and hanging out in the temple.

• Naomi- The Godly mother-in-law that walked by example for her daughter-in-laws…and led Ruth to the man whose lineage led straight to Jesus!

Getting older should not be a negative thing in our lives but it should drive us to want to end well. I want to dedicate the rest of my life bringing glory to my God! God sees old age as a blessing! We look it as a curse.

My mom is 79 years old. She is one of the hardest working women I have ever met. When I was a child she worked two jobs most of my childhood. This was a way of life for her. It was so hard for her when she had to retire. Here is the good part!

She has her own ministry now! Technology scares older people. It is constantly changing and updating. I would have never thought my mom would be using Facebook as her ministry platform! She is the greatest prayer warrior/encourager you could ever have as a friend on FB! She prays for people she doesn’t even know! She will ask me questions about people I have never met! LOL. I LOVE IT!

Find your niche! Just because you are retired from a public job or thinking of retiring, don’t retire from God!

Stepping out in faith is doing something that only God can do through you! Step into the promise land knowing you did everything you could to bring Him glory!

Listen to Your Donkey

Listen to Your Donkey!

April 3, 2024

Machelle McDowell

Who is your donkey? Have you ever received a warning or a word of caution from something or someone totally unexpected?

We find a very strange situation in Numbers 22. A donkey is used for a very important mission!

This donkey packed quite a kick! This was no he-ha situation! He was used as a vessel for God’s voice! Yep, you read that right!

The king of Moab, Barak wanted a curse placed on the Israelites and called for Balaam to do the dirty deed for a reward. Keep in mind Balaam is a wicked prophet and his heart was far from God, Balaam practiced divination and other magic arts.

Here is the surprising twist to the story: The Lord spoke to Balaam and told him he could go to Balak under one stipulation… that he would only speak what God told him to say….Balaam agreed. Ironically, Balaam appears to have a weird sense of loyalty to his profession. He prophesies truth but with a dishonest heart/motive. Balaam is all the while plotting on how to get that reward! He knows if he does not curse the people he will go home empty handed.

BUT, God knew his rebellious heart and it made God angry! Balaam had no intention of giving up on his reward Barak offered him…he later finds another way to claim it!

(Found in Numbers 25)  Balaam saddles up his donkey and heads out to MOAB.

Now the story gets really strange!

God sends his angel with a drawn sword to stop Balaam from his journey. Why would God allow Balaam to go and then try to stop him? Was this an attempt from God to allow Balaam an opportunity to change his heart?

Balaam however could not see the angel standing on the road…..but his donkey could!

The donkey tries everything to get Balaam to stop! He even crushed Balaam’s foot against a wall before lying down on the path! Balaam is furious.

He beats the donkey three different times until at last the donkey opens his mouth and speaks, “Why are your beating me?” “Am I not your donkey you have ridden all of your life?”

Just a thought to ponder: Maybe God thought that Balaam would trust advice from his lifelong trusted traveling companion?” Possibly, there was no one any closer to Balaam than his donkey! Just a thought!

Oddly enough, it appears Balaam is not surprised by the talking donkey! He begins to carry on a conversation with him. God speaks through this donkey to try to reach Balaam to stop the journey.

God is known for using whatever measure he can to reach a person!

All of the sudden, God opens Balaam’s eyes and he sees the angel! The angel instructs him that he was only to speak what God tells him to speak.  This did have some effect on Balaam, but not enough to heal his greedy heart. A matter of fact God’s Spirit came upon him to inspire his prophecy in Numbers 24:2.

So, Balaam experiences God’s voice, God’s presence, God’s Power and still remains hardened! This is a scary place to be in friends.

He realized God was in control of the situation. He told King Barak that he would go to the people but He would only say what God put in his mouth….(I can’t help but think Balaam was already plotting a way to get his reward another way as we witness just a few chapters later).

Barak tries multiple times to convince Balaam to go against God’s wishes and bring the curse on the people, But Balaam was not a false prophet, just a greedy one.

Keep in mind, Balaam does not have the power to curse the Isrealites but he knows that he can go about it in another direction that doesn’t directly implicate himself.

Barak is furious with Balaam but Balaam comes up with a plan to redeem himself. He advised the Moabites on how to lead the Israelites into idol worship that involved Baal of Peor and committing fornication with the Midianite women.

Balaam knew God would be furious about this and bring wrath upon the people. It cost the Israelites dearly, 24,000 men died by a plague God placed on them for their unfaithfulness. I guess you could say the deaths of those people were on his head!

Balaam could not curse the people directly but he apparently was responsible for their curse indirectly found in Numbers 25. His advise led them into idolatry and sexual immorality….two vices that still lead people astray today….He did not bring the original curse but was responsible for a later one!

There is literally nothing we can do to disqualify ourselves from being a candidate for whom God chooses to work through! But through human choice a person is free to choose to serve Satan. We have two choices in this world of who we will serve: God or Satan. Balaam had a choice.

Even though Balaam used religion for his own personal gain, God used him to bless the Israelites on the forefront and I believe God gave Balaam every opportunity to choose to use his gifting for the sake of the kingdom, but Balaam chose the world.

What a shame to be used as a tool from the enemy.

Have you listened to your donkey lately?

Two Silver Trumpets

“When the Trumpet of the Lord Shall Sound”

Two Silver Trumpets

Machelle McDowell

March 28, 2024

I recently attended a funeral service for my brother-in-law who received Military Funeral Honors. Experiencing the playing of taps and the folding and presentation of the U.S. flag moved me spiritually and emotionally. The powerful sound from the trumpet that permeated the small space we were gathered in left me standing in awe!

I can only imagine the emotions that were felt when the Israelites heard the two trumpets found in Numbers Chapter 10 calling them to break camp and begin to MOVE towards the Promise Land.

I have been camping out in Numbers 10 with the Israelites this week, LOL! I love how God uses the trumpet to call His people out!

It amazed me to learn that a trumpet makes different sounds/blasts that meant different actions!  My favorite call was when both trumpets were blown in Numbers 10:2 to summon everyone to come together at the entrance of the tent of meeting.

I had never thought about what significance the trumpet makes in scripture! For me, First Thess 4:16-17 takes on a whole new meaning. By the sound of the trumpet, we will be moved to meet the Lord in the air!

God is summoning His people to be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air! He will be moving us to the Promised Land….Heaven!

Can’t you hear it? The sound of the trumpet summoning God’s people that are alive to be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air!!

The Israelites knew how to interpret the blowing of the trumpet. They had it down to an art. It was like trumpet morse code!

Certain sounds of the trumpet meant certain things. The number of times the trumpet was blown would also determine a different response. Short blasts were battle calls whereas long blasts meant they were to report to the tent of meeting.

This old hym describes it so beautifully, “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more, and the morning breaks eternal bright an fair; when the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore, and the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there!”

The Israelites had been at Mt Sinai for quite some time. I guess you could call it a training camp because God was teaching them to trust Him completely before moving them and it appears they needed extra tutoring!

We have to remember, these people have encountered God in extraordinary ways. God rescued them from slavery and bondage. I would have thought witnessing the miracle at Red Sea would have lasted a lifetime in their memory. Even after that, God provided manna from heaven! God provided water from a rock! Come On.

They were no longer slaves to Pharaoh but slaves of the Living God, that is my goal to be a slave to my God, obedient from the heart,  (I love it that Paul calls himself a slave to righteousness found in Romans 6:19).

This was the goal of the past year or so at Mt. Sinai, becoming slaves to righteousness leading to holiness! Are they ready to journey to the Promised Land?  NOT!

Three days into the journey, they began to complain! Just one chapter over….three days after that beautiful trumpet sound….they wanted meat to eat. They had already become tone deaf. They forgot the joy of hearing the trumpet sound calling them to move up yonder. They were on their way to the Promised Land.

Friends, we should tune our spiritual ears to listen in anticipation for the last trumpet call! This call is to assemble us and set us into motion! We are to be ready not complaining about things that do not matter in the big scheme of things.

If we read on into Numbers 11 we find the anger of our Lord kindled. The Israelites were whining because they had no meat to eat. Be careful what you ask for!

God gave them their meat. As they put it in their mouths they also swallowed a plague to go with it!

They didn’t receive the plague because they were eating the meat He provided. They received the plague because He loved them so much He gave them something they did not deserve! Sound familiar?….Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates his love for us in that while were were still sinners, Christ died for us”.

Some died because of their craving. They did not crave God! They craved their bellies. Because they rejected God he told the others they would eat meat until it came out of their nose!

The beauty in this story is that the trumpets only worked effectively if God’s presence was there! They had to wait on the pillar of cloud or fire to show them where to go.

Let’s seek Him with all of our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our strength: that we can celebrate that trumpet blare that moves us into our Father’s arms when He comes to gather His assembled Saints!.

Leviticus- An Appetizer!

Leviticus- An Appetizer!

By Machelle McDowell

March 19, 2024

I love lobster! I can’t eat it often because it is too expensive, so it might be a birthday treat or result from another year of marital bliss! My husband does not enjoy lobster as much as I do. He thinks it is too much work!

When my lobster is set before me, I dread tearing into it. Where do you even start? I know it is going to be messy, difficult, and ultimately ends up being a lengthy process.

And then….it happens! All that effort and meticulous breaking away of the shell with my metal clamps and out comes a delicious, juicy, succulent piece of meat! Mmmm!

My mouth begins to water in anticipation as I dip it into the melted butter and raise my fork to my mouth. I know what’s coming!!

Reading Leviticus is like eating a lobster, but it is certainly not the feast I have in mind! I dread tearing into it! It is a book of instructions on diet, sacrifices, and even social behavior. It’s the appetizer before the real story unfolds.

Leviticus leaves me in a quandary!  Like the lobster, every part of it is important to leading up to that “awe” inspiring moment! I know what’s coming! I have read the rest of the story!

BUT, that certainly does not make it any easier to read through. The Israelites are awaiting the Messiah!

In this week’s reading we have cracked the shell of some pretty disgusting and unbelievable practices. So many offerings, So many feasts, So much symbolism.

Now, let’s get to the meat of the issue! Why Leviticus?

Even though bizarre to us, this book was meant to instruct the Israelites about proper worship! Showing proper reverence to God is something we all struggle with.  Sanctification is a life long process of becoming Holy! Receiving God’s forgiveness should be followed by holy living and spiritual growth.

These people had not experienced Jesus!  They were still waiting! He made it simple for us and we still mess it up!  Jesus became our perfect sacrifice. He took the punishment we deserved. We do not have to wrestle with the horns of a bull.  We don’t have to touch an animal sacrifice and it become our substitute!

Jesus became that for us! This is the meat of Leviticus:

Learning to worship the God who loved us enough to send the perfect sacrifice that ended all of the practices of offering sacrifices. The one and only sacrifice came JESUS…and it is a done deal!

I compare Leviticus to a delicious lobster meal. I try to treasure every bite and enjoy every morsel. Even though it is a pain to eat I fully enjoy the meal!

I have learned to respect Leviticus! Every chapter in the book points to Jesus and His holiness. I like to think of it as if I am learning attributes of God. Learning to worship God and understand how He feels about sanctification helps me to love His son even more!

The process requires a desire or appetite for God’s Word. Do you yearn to know God more intimately? We must read the whole Bible not just the parts that are not offensive to us or just browse through the New Testament. He gave us His Word for a reason- it all points to Jesus.

When cracking a lobster I usually start with a small pick and a claw cracker. Don’t  just dive into Leviticus. Pray that God blesses the reading of His Word. Pray that He show you something about himself in each verse.

Break it down. I like to twist off the claw of my lobster and break the tail off and lay it aside.  The tail is the prized piece! YUM!

If you read each chapter and spend 5 minutes checking off the block…that is all you are going to get out of it…a checked block.

Make your time with the Lord a delectable experience! Dine with Him! Sup with Him! Enjoy His Word. His Word is meant to fill us.

Psalm 34:8-

“Taste and See that the Lord is Good;

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Do You Take Sin Seriously?

Do You Take Sin Seriously?

Machelle McDowell

March 12, 2024

Leviticus 8-

I am not going to lie! I was dreading the day in which our Bible reading plan for the year brought us to the book of Leviticus. The book of Leviticus becomes mundane and boring very quickly…so I thought!

I find myself intrigued. Chapter 8 prompted me to consider just how serious God looks at sin in our lives and how it effects our Christian walk. The whole book reeks of forgiveness and stresses holy living and spiritual growth!

In chapter 8, Aaron and his sons become much more than men & servants of our God. They become consecrated Holy Priests. Ironically enough, we are all a part of the royal priesthood if we claim Jesus as our Savior, (I Peter 2:9). All believers will one day participate in God’s kingdom!

I find a strong correlation in this chapter of Aaron and his son’s being set aside to serve as Priests very similar to what God does in our lives through Jesus:

• We too are set aside for His purpose and will in our lives.

• We too walk through life in a constant state of sanctification, being holy because He is holy is part of our calling as Christians.

It makes me wonder? What was Aaron’s true calling? He left Egypt to be Moses’ right hand man and help lead the Israelites across the wilderness, but in Leviticus 8, he receives his true calling to the holy priesthood.

The tabernacle has been built! Now, it is time to set Aaron and his son’s aside for the purpose and will God had for their lives. There is a lot for us to learn about ourselves through this word, consecrate.

Aaron and his sons stood before the people at the door of the tabernacle and was washed by Moses before they entered in. A humble act of being cleansed of their sins before entering God’s Holy presence.

Praise God, we have been blessed with a New Covenant! Jesus’ work on the cross cleanses us of our sin! He stood in our place and paid the price for our sin.

Reading through Leviticus 8 gives a lengthy step by step process of what it took for Aaron and his sons to become consecrated before they began their Priestly duties. Sanctification is a lifelong process for all of us.

Not only did Aaron and his sons experience the humbling act of being washed of uncleanliness but they had to dress the part.

They were dressed in Priestly attire. This was putting on a garment that consisted of layers of hand sewn beautiful ornate tunic/robe and turban specifically designed for their role. They were to be worn to glorify God.

We experience this symbolism when we accept Christ as our Savior and proclaim it through baptism. 2Cor 5:17- “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are made new.”  Take off the old and put on the new!

Moses then took anointing oil and sprinkled it on the things inside the tent but poured it on Aaron and his boys. This was to symbolize God’s spirit being placed upon them. This act sealed their calling in a sense.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior something incredible takes place. His Spirit comes to dwell within us and we are filled with His power to be set apart for His work on earth!  The moment we receive Christ, we receive the Holy Spirit,

(I Cor 12:13).

Praise God we no longer have to participate in sin offerings (found in Leviticus 2:14-17) as part of becoming consecrated.  Aaron and his sons presented a sin offering by sacrificing a bull! The had to lay their hands on the bulls head to symbolize the transference of any sin they had in their life.  It gets more bizarre- Moses then puts blood on the horns of the altar. This was the process of making the altar holy.

Friends, Jesus took our sin upon His body and bled and died for payment of our sins-all our sins- past, present, and future. He made a way that we can come directly to God and not have to go through any other means. HE was the perfect sinless sacrifice.  He conquered death and He is alive and well! We wait patiently for him to come back and take his saints to heaven to dwell there forevermore.

God leads Moses step by step with specific detailed instructions on the process of consecration and sanctification in this chapter. Nothing was to be omitted.

This convicts me. I feel like we have watered down the seriousness of sin in our lives and service to God. Christianity without sanctification is nothing but a title.

We misstep when we come before His tabernacle. We enter the sanctuary week after week carrying the guilt of sin in our lives. We enter powerless due to that sin and are confused as to why God is not working in our lives. And further still leave the tabernacle unchanged with quenched spirits.

What would have happened to us if we had lived during the days prior to Jesus’ birth?

Something to think about??

How Many Golden Calves do you have in Your Life?

How Many Golden Calves do You have in Your Life?

By Machelle McDowell

March 7, 2024

(Bible Text: Exodus 32)

Psalm 115: “Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.”

How do I become like a golden calf? Can a golden calf hear? Can it speak? Can it move? Can it feel?

Each time we put something in the place of God we step further and further from Him which means we become powerless because we are away from the power source.

It is not long before we cannot hear God speak to us. We cannot feel His presence. We cannot sense Him moving in our lives. We become powerless.

Throughout God’s Word we are warned against idolatry.  God hates it when we become enslaved to gods which are actually not gods at all. They are manmade things that take the place of God.

When we find ourselves spending more of our time, energy, finances, and even our devotion on something that takes us away from the presence of God long term, we have a problem.

Idols are powerless and make us powerless when we put our trust into something that is made by the human hands.

Friends, we can make even our family and idol- our spouses, our children, our grandchildren. Something that is such a blessing must be handled with a sense of priority.

God first should be our mindset, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” but we live our lives based on what we perceive important at the time.

When we choose to put God first- His Word is more valuable than any other message. His will supersedes all else on our agenda. Putting God first means that we strive to keep our lives free from idolatry.

An idol is anything that replaces God in our hearts.  When we think about idols our minds go to the Old Testament and that worshipping idols is something you see happening a long time ago.

We have created modern day idols but struggle to recognize them in our lives.  Some examples we should be cautious about becoming idols in our lives: cell phones, social media, television, sports, money, beauty, food, etc. The list is lengthy.

The Israelites made a costly mistake. They did not fully trust their leader, Moses and they certainly didn’t fully trust God.

While Moses was having a mountaintop experience with God on Mt. Sinai and given the Ten Commandments to share with the Israelites they were busy doubting Moses and taking matters into their own hands.

The people wanted gods to go before them to the Promised Land. Where was Moses? Where was God? It had been 40 days and no word. They knew that God led them thus far but were willing to trust a god they could make to finish the job.

This makes you wonder, did they (really) know God at all? To think, they could create a god that could not see, hear, talk, move, breath, taste, feel, but just exist is frightening to me!

What did they truly believe about the one true God? The all powerful, all consuming, all knowing, all Holy, creator and king of kings, Lord of Lords, so many titles and names and adjectives to describe Him…that the Israelites would diminish him to be a golden calf!

We do the same thing.  We diminish God and elevate things in our life that have captured our devotion.

I have yet to understand why Aaron thought this was a good idea. I am assuming out of impulse Aaron felt he had to do something to appease the people.

To make matters worse not only did Aaron come up with the idea; he created it!  Maybe, he enjoyed the attention it was bringing him from the people?

God knew exactly what they were doing. He was furious. Enough so, that he wanted to wipe them out! His wrath was ignited! God becomes furious with us as well when we choose our manmade idols over Him.

Moses intercedes on their behalf. Moses reminds God that the Israelites were His people and begged Him to deal with them by His grace. God was moved to forgiveness, ( a lesson on how important prayer is!).

Moses comes down and confronts Aaron. His anger consumed him and he broke the tablets. Israel broke the covenant by their idolatry and immorality. Moses burned the calf and made the people drink it.

What did it cost them?  God’s presence or at least being able to sense his presence. God did not abandon them but sent His angel to guide the people but his presence was not felt. There were 3000 people that lost their lives that day due to their role in the golden calf debacle. God takes idolatry seriously.

Each time we put something in the place of God we step further and further from Him which means we become powerless because we are away from the power source.

First Commandment- There is only one God.

Second Commandment- Do not bow down to idols.

These two commandments are at the top of the list of ten. This should shout to us loudly God’s heart. He wants to be all we need or desire.

Idols Always Break the Hearts of their Worshipers- C.S. Lewis

Together is better

      I pray your week has been blessed with much time in the presence of God in prayer and Bible study! We're still in the book of Exodus this week, and man, what an account it is!  What we read in the book of Exodus is cinematic movie material in every sense of the word.  In chapter 18, we read about Moses getting a visit from his father in law, Jethro.  Jethro has heard of what just went down with the people of Israel, which was a large amount of people. Through Moses, God led the Israelites out of 400 plus years of slavery in the land of Egypt.  This was a big deal. It was such a big deal, that Jethro had to come see for himself.  He came to visit Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped out with the Israelites.   One morning during his visit, Jethro watched as Moses sat to attend and minister to the people of Israel.  We're talking thousands and thousands of people.  Some scholars say up to 600,000 plus.  That's a lot of people. Moses would sit from morning to evening and the people would come to him to inquire about God, and bring their disputes to him for direction. Jethro quickly noticed something real quick.  He noticed how much of a task this was, and how much it would soon take a toll on the well being and sanity of Moses.  Jethro gave Moses some godly advice.  He told Moses that all the need he was seeing among the people was too great for one man to handle.  He suggested to Moses to find some able bodied men among the people that could be trusted.  He then suggested that Moses place these men over divided groups of Israelites and tend to each group given to them.  All the small matters would be handled by these appointed men, and Moses would only handle the larger issues.  You know what Moses did? He took Jethro's advice.  And it worked. I assume Moses had a few more less gray hairs after taking his father in law's advice.  He probably slept better at night, and a lot of the burden he was feeling was lifted because He didn't carry it alone any longer.  His burden for the hurting and confused was great, but that day he quick realized he wasn't alone in carrying it.  He quickly discovered that he was surrounded by like minded people that loved God, and had the same burden that he did.   So they joined together in their ministry.  Moses learned that day that together is better.  
     If you're a true follower of Jesus, one thing you notice is how you see things in the world around you in a different light.  The Holy Spirit gives us a new set of eyes.  We began seeing things the way God does.  We see the brokenness and hurt in a way we used to be blind to.  Or, maybe we even used to notice it, but now it breaks our hearts.  And, it may even weigh us down because some days, it feels like we are literally surrounded by pain and heartbreak.  And, we feel called to action.  But, if we're not careful, we can get this spiritual tunnel vision of sorts.  And, what I mean by that, is we can begin to see it as "me against the forces of evil and darkness."  We then attempt to take on this role of rescuer, healer, hero, and the only source of light in this dark world all on our own.  Everybody's problems then become our problems. Everybody's sin issues becomes ours to solve.  Every person we know that makes bad choices becomes ours to help them sort out.  Everyone in need of direction and a word from God becomes our audience to listen to us.  We're then tempted to see ourselves as some Christian superhero.  One of those superheroes that seems to single handedly take on the world of evil around them with no help.  See where we're going with this? 
     As Christians, we will be burdened by the lost, hurting, evil, and sin we see all around us.  But the key to victory in these things, and the only way to not let these things weigh us down to the point of a mental breakdown, is found in the advice of Jethro to Moses.  We can't do it alone.  Ya'll, we were designed to take on the work of ministry all by ourselves.  And, when I say ministry, that doesn't just include pastors and church staff. We're all in ministry. Every single Christian is a minister.  When we develop a Messiah Complex of sorts, which says "if it's meant to be, it's up to me," we will very easily be overwhelmed. Besides, one pice of humbling truth we need to remember is this : God doesn't need us for anything.  He doesn't.  God can take care of the world's problems of evil, sin, and hurting all on His own. He actually did that by sending His son, Jesus, to this earth.  When he died on the cross and was risen from the dead, he defeated death, sin, and evil once and for all.  We are therefore surrounded by things that have already been defeated. It's just a matter of time before Jesus returns and wipes theses things all away for all eternity.  All that being said, God doesn't need us to do His work.  But, in His grace, He has chosen to use us to be His hands, feet, and more importantly, His voice to a world that desperately needs it.  So, take a look around this Sunday morning at church.  These are your brothers and sisters in Christ.  And, they are your coworkers in Kingdom work.  They have the same burdens you do for the world. They hate sin and evil just like you do.  And, they may even struggle with feeling like it's too much for one person to bear. Just like you.  That's because it is.  One Man came down from heaven and has already changed the world, so we don't have to try. We must link arms with those God had blessed us with, the Church, and do the work God has given us together.  We must share our burdens with each other.  We must share the burdens we see in the world around us with each other.  and most importantly, we must do Kingdom work together.  So don't feel like it's all up to you to fix. It's really not.  God has it all under control. His will for you is to take on the darkness along with other Christians, in His power. Together is better.  

-Brandon Walker