The Next Moses (Part 2)

The Next Moses (Part 2)

Exodus 2:11-3:9

We have no stories from the boyhood of Moses. The storyteller moves us quickly from infancy to adulthood. We read a summary of his childhood under Pharaoh’s daughter and are moved immediately to this statement: “One day, after Moses had grown up” in 2:11.

Moses was forced into exile from Egypt. Having been observed in the act of striking and killing an Egyptian taskmaster, he traveled to the land of Midian. There Moses assumed the life of a shepherd. He married and had several children. Moses’ life was comfortable and relaxed. He grew old in this land, and eventually attained the traditional age of retirement. Old age apparently felt good to Moses. He retained good health and vigor as he approached his ninth decade of life. Moses said to himself, “My life has been good. I am satisfied.”

A settled comfortable life with children and grandchildren was pleasing. However, God had another plan. God intruded with a theophany. A theophany is an experience where God unexpectedly interrupts or encroaches upon the ordinary affairs of life. The intrusion is absolutely unsought. This unsolicited incursion of God into the flow of life is exactly what happened to Moses.

One day Moses was tending his sheep near the foot of a sacred mountain. As he looked into the distance, he saw something burning. The fire did not seem to spread. Neither did it go out. And it did not consume that which was burning. The fire simply burned. Moses decided that he must go and check out this strange sight and his life was radically transformed by that decision. Have you ever made a quick decision that significantly reset the flow of your life?

As he approached the bush, he heard his name being called: “Moses, Moses!” in  Exodus 3:4. Right away Moses no doubt assumed he was in some trouble. Bushes do not call out our names, even burning bushes. “Remove the sandals from your feet,” the voice commanded. “The place on which you are standing is holy ground,” it continued in Verse 5. We can safely assume that Moses kicked off his shoes rather quickly. Moses’ name was called. The command was given. Off came his shoes.
I read that going shoeless on a regular basis increases your life expectancy of up to three years. Perhaps kicking off your shoes under your desk during the day or under the pew in Sunday worship has longevity benefits!

Slowly Moses became aware of who spoke to him. There is no evidence in scripture to suggest that Moses was a particularly religious man up to this point in time. He was not irreligious, nor could he even be considered agnostic. He was probably a passively religious person in his shepherd’s lifestyle.

Gradually Moses recalled the name of the God that his mother whispered in his ear as a small child in the palace of the Pharaoh. Moses thought to himself, “This must be the God of my mother and of my people.” Childhood stories and sacred memories came flooding back. Moses fell to his knees. In a theophany, in an unexpected interruption of life by God, we kneel!

Verse 7 says, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings.”

Moses listened and remembered images of the pitifully wretched conditions of slavery that he had seen so many years ago,

God said, “I know their sufferings. I have heard their cry.” These words affirm the single most dominant part of God’s nature: God does hear the cry, the hurt, and the pain of God’s people. God has a special “ear” for the oppressed. God knows the aching heart of every human being. God knows your occasional fear of dying, the times of emptiness or loneliness, the uncertain sexuality, the hidden abuse in a marriage or a family, or the bouts with depression. God knows. Is not the nature of the God revealed in Jesus Christ right here? Is not the word from the burning bush an anticipation of the very nature of Jesus Christ?

At this point the real measure and impact of the theophany becomes clear in the story: God offered a startling observation: “It is not what am I going to do about it; rather, I am calling you. I’m sending you to confront the oppressor, to speak strong words to Pharaoh, to lead my children out of Egypt.”

Moses began to comprehend the radical dimensions of this theophany. Have you ever thought that God has put you thru what you've been thru to get you ready for something extraordinary? You just might be the next Moses God is calling to lead His people out of personal bondage!

The Next Moses (Part 1)

The Next Moses (Part 1)
Exodus 1

The story of Moses’ birth takes place amid tragedy. A pharoah arose in Egypt who was threatened by the Hebrew people. Even after the Hebrews were forced into hard labor, Pharaoh was still troubled. We do not know why. Perhaps it was sheer numbers. Perhaps it was the Hebrews’ faith in God. Perhaps it was their tenacity of spirit. Perhaps it was their obvious and unwavering confidence in a Lord of history!

Pharaoh may have been an emotionally insecure man. The storyteller wants us to understand that the number of Hebrews was sufficient to threaten those in power. So Pharaoh issued a terrible decree. He ordered that all male infants born of the Hebrew women were to be thrown into the Nile River and drowned. His executive order was given to the Hebrew midwives. The midwives, however, refused. They simply could not or would not comply with such a command. So Pharaoh called them before him in the palace. “Why have you done this,” he cried, “and allowed the boys to live?” (1:18).

The midwives used clever tactics in their response. They replied, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them” (1:19).

Exodus 1:20 says, “So God dealt well with the midwives.” God looked favorably upon these family servants. The message is clear. Sometimes it is important for the people of God to be shrewd. The Hebrew midwives exhibited a bright, quick-witted handling of the situation.

Moses’ mother kept him securely guarded and quiet when he was a very young infant. But once he was three months old, something had to be done. She decided to hide the child.

She built a small basket of reeds from the river. She cemented the reeds together with some kind of tar or pitch. She placed her son in the basket and set it quietly afloat among the tall grasses along the edge of the Nile. She assigned the family baby-sitter to watch over him. Capture this picture in your mind’s eye: a tiny child floating in the Nile and an older sister perhaps fifteen or twenty yards away keeping watch. The setting has an inherent beauty all its own. If the infant Moses could have spoken at this point in our story, he probably would have spoken of the miracle of an older sister who loved him and who stood watch over his basket in the river.

One day the daughter of the pharaoh came to bathe in the Nile. She heard the sound of the baby crying. Moses’ sister was assuredly alarmed at this development, but the baby Moses captured the heart of the princess. In one special moment a daughter of Pharaoh broke the pattern of cruelty that had been ordered in Egypt. The princess knew the edict of her father. But she also knew the innocence of this small child. Her heart claimed him. She would take him home.

Moses’ sister went to the princess and asked, “Would you like me to find someone to nurse and care for the child?” The princess was delighted. Miriam left at once to get her mother. She brought her back to the princess. The princess said, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages” in Exodus 2:9. Moses’ mother raised him in the palace of the Egyptian king. Evidence indicates that she was the one who saw God at work in all of this. The whole scenario could have been coincidence, of course. It could have been blind luck. But Moses’ mother knew better.

This Hebrew mother faithfully told her son of their God. In the midst of a pagan palace of pagan religions, she spoke of God. She told him the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. And during quiet palace nights, she would even whisper in Moses’ ear the sacred name of Yahweh. So Moses knew the sacred name before he was able to talk. His mother told her son who he was and whose he was. 

-Who whispers the name of Jesus to the children today? 

-Who will tell today’s children the stories of Jesus, the stories of faith and hope?

-In the midst of plenty and of privilege, who will keep the name of God alive? 

-In the midst of a host of secular gods, prolific lures, and growing materialistic expectations, who will say, “Remember that you are a child of God. Remember that God alone is your strength”? 

-In the midst of the trappings of luxury and expansive lifestyles, who will whisper the sacred name in the ear of every child?

The message of the storyteller seems clear. God is intimately involved and present in our lives. God is present in the cleverness of the Hebrew midwife. God is present in the softened heart of an Egyptian princess, in the quick thinking of an older sister, and in the religious fervor of a mother. Let us take note that all of these principals are women! It took at least four good women to build one great man!

God is present. God is working out a purpose in history, just as God always has and always will. Could you be the next Moses?

Renewing Your Trust -In Denominations (Part 5)

Renewing Your Trust -In Denominations (Part 5)

Most pastors will acknowledge that the relationship between their congregations and their denominations is weaker than it once was. Most denominations serve only a small percentage of the needs of their congregations. For most congregations, denominational services may be limited to insurance plans, pensions, universities, seminaries, and ministerial credential recognition. On the other hand, more congregations have found few denominational resources essential to their lives and ministries. This is especially true in churches that have a centralized form of government.

One may ask why the relationship between the two is not connected more securely. Why are there more questions than answers when it comes to denominations and local churches? 

-First, the internet has provided access for congregations to more than enough resources for ministry. 

Through this technology, congregational leaders discover curriculum, songs, liturgies, Bible studies and much, much more. Therefore, most local congregations don’t need a denomination to provide such resources or material because they can create their own.

-Second, is the growing diversity of congregational cultures making it difficult for a denomination to service their congregations with resources for ministry. 

Fifty years ago this wasn’t the case. Each denomination looked pretty much the same as did their congregations. They shared the same menu of ministries, ministry context, culture, and more. It was easy, then, for headquarters to serve their churches with curriculum, music, marketing, theological training, and more. More recently, congregations and their ministry contexts within a denomination have increased in diversity. Each congregation exhibits a unique culture in a unique ministry context. Sure there are similarities between the congregations, but each church differs in significant ways from others in its denomination. Such diversity makes it difficult for denominations to provide equal resources.

-Third, the mission of most denominations has been related to but is separable from that of their congregations. 

This denominational mission typically has been something like “doing more together.” While there is nothing wrong with that, the general mission is not necessarily connected to the congregations within a denomination. As a result, denominations launch major marketing plans to convince congregations to join in their mission. So, denominations place themselves on a competitive playing field with countless organizations who just as effectively, if not more so, help congregations and congregants extend their ministry and mission in their communities and throughout the world. The end result is that denominations compete for support from the congregations they serve, and they are losing, as evidenced by decreasing financial support for denominations even when it's required by leadership.

We need denominations to serve as judicatories to protect pastors from churches and churches from pastors, and to oversee the ordination process of candidates for pastoral ministry. But what is the way forward?

People have adopted one of three approaches at a crossroad or, crisis situation. These three options may be summarized as reject, repair, or reform. Clearly, as evidenced by the large number of unaffiliated congregations, many congregations have taken the reject option. Time will tell how well this non-denominational or unaffiliated option works for these congregations. We have seen many churches close due to the lack of denominational affiliation.

Most denominations seem to be taking the repair option. They are busy trying to become relevant to their congregations by refurbishing current structures, improving their brand, expanding their menu of services, increasing their social media presence, and promoting a variety of initiatives. Up to this point, there is little evidence that this approach has been effective in strengthening the tie between congregations and denominations. But, again, time will tell. 

Renewing Your Trust-In Pastors (Part 4)

Renewing Your Trust-In Pastors (Part 4)

Thom Ranier shared this article on his website. If the church is to grow there must be a restoration of trust in pastors across America. Here's what he wrote four years ago in 2014.

"A day does not pass that I do not hear from a hurting pastor. Serving in that role has to be one of the most challenging vocations today. Sure, there are some bad and immoral pastors. But the vast majority of our pastors serve their congregations in a way that honors God and makes a difference in the community.

But both anecdotally and by objective research, we learn that pastors are trusted less and held in lower esteem each year. A recent Pew Research poll found that the favorable view of clergy had declined to 37 percent of those surveyed.

Why are pastors no longer held in high esteem? What is behind the precipitous drop in favorable ratings almost every year? Allow me to offer eleven possible reasons. As you will see, they are not mutually exclusive.

1. The moral failures of a minority of pastors receive widespread coverage. The media loves the sensational stories behind clergy failure. For sure, some stories such as sex abuse should be brought to the public eye. But many people now believe the bad behavior of a few is normative for all pastors.
2. Our nation has marginalized the Christian faith. So it should not be unexpected that leaders in the Christian world are viewed more negatively.
3. Pastoral tenure has dropped significantly over the past few decades. Tenure is up slightly the past few years, but the longer trend is down. Trust is built over several years, not two or three years. Fewer pastors have made it to the point of several years.
4. Some church members have a strong entitlement mentality. They see the local congregation as a place largely to meet their needs and desires, rather than to serve and give. If those needs and desires are not met, the pastor is often the locus of blame.
5. Social media encourages criticism from a distance. There is much commendable about social media. Indeed, I am heavy user of it. But it also is a means for critics to sound off about pastors (and others) without forethought or consequences.
6. A few pastors have poor work ethics. More pastors are just the opposite; they fight workaholism. But the few pastors who are lazy and have little accountability hurt the perceptions people have of other pastors.
7. Pastors are often the scapegoats for fear and change. It is cliché to say the world is changing rapidly. Many church members would like their churches to remain the same every year. Such a reality is not possible, and the pastor is often the scapegoat for the discomfort that comes with change.
8. There is a pervasive cynicism in our society. The reasons behind that reality are many. But congregations and their leaders are not immune from this widespread and pervasive cynicism on society that seems to be growing.
9. There is a failure of some pastors in two key areas: leadership and emotional intelligence. Some pastors are well prepared biblically and theologically. But some have not been taught leadership and healthy interpersonal skills.
10. There are higher expectations today for pastors to be competent, even dynamic, leaders. But, as I noted in the previous point, some pastors have no preparation to be leaders of churches.
11. More churches are dying in America today. I estimate as many as 100,000 churches in America are dying. Many will close their doors in the next few years. Many of the pastors of these churches are blamed for this malady.

I love pastors. Most pastors are wonderful servants of God, yet their plights are often very difficult.

What do you think of these eleven reasons? What would you add?

And allow me one footnote: please pray for your pastor."

Renewing Your Trust-In The Church (Part 3)

Renewing  Your Trust-In The Church (Part 3)

-Maybe it's because the Church looks a lot more like the Pharisees than it does the Apostles.

With the law firmly in mind and mercy abandoned, the modern Christian comes away feeling that because they tithe a few extra dollars in this week's service they're somehow absolved from sin. They aren't interested in helping others or bettering the situations of those around them, but merely of lightening their own conscience. Compare this to the Pharisees of the New Testament and you'll find there isn't a lot of difference overall.

-Maybe it's because the Church says Love and then doles out Hate.

It's true that sin is sin and God does preach that we should hold people accountable, but he also urges us to show compassion and mercy to those we see struggling with sin. It wasn't the Pharisees Jesus chose to dine with, but the prostitutes and tax collectors. After all, "it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick". Instead, we see the Church ridicule the broken who come to their doorstep and act as though their own hypocrisy is somehow more righteous than the struggles of those who come seeking aid. The irony is, of course, only one of these two groups is actually seeking betterment.

-Maybe it's because the times the Church should be doing the most to help are the times it's noticeably the most absent.

When the Church should be compassionate, they're most judgmental. When they should be the kindest, they're the cruelest instead. It's no wonder the broken don't want to come to Church when faced with this reception.

-Maybe it's because the Modern Church isn't about being Godly, but looking godly.

Despite all of the issues mentioned above, the true issue at the heart of the Church can be summed up in this: The Modern Church is no longer about companionship or growth, but instead about the image and status one achieves from their attendance. No longer do attendants go because they want to change their ways, but instead they go so that they can gloat of their righteousness to their neighbors upon their arrival. It's not about growth. It's about image.

Renewing Your Trust-In The Church (Part 2)

Renewing  Your Trust-In The Church (Part 2)

I love the Church and I love the church, yet we'd be fooling ourselves if we said that the Church was perfect currently. We act like society is crumbling because they're turning away from the Church. In truth, it's our neglect to acknowledge how the Church is spiritually failing to meet needs today because this generation is turning away from God. We preach the truth, but we don't practice it. We've turned the church into a country club for Christians rather than a filling station for sinners.

If we're honest, I don't often think God would be very proud of the way the Church is operating in Modern America. So if I can't be proud of us as a Christian then how can I possibly expect an atheist or an agnostic to see any purpose in coming at all? Jesus never instructed us to be country club Christians. Maybe it's about time we stopped acting like them.

-Maybe it's because the Church has become a club, rather than a community.

What was supposed to be a place of worship has instead become a place where Christians attend on Sundays and Wednesdays, give a little offering, and gather into their usual cliques for a feel-good message before they head on home to their regular old lives, unchanged by what goes on in the confines of the sanctuary.

-Maybe it's because the Church is often the first group to judge and the last to forgive, rather than the other way around.

Christians are very good at remembering sins and failures and forgetting about "let him who is without sin cast the first stone." Judgment is their strength, and mercy is a word they like to toss around when it means they can get something in return for it later. Forgiveness to so many isn't a wiped slate, but an IOU ready for collection at the next given opportunity.

-Maybe it's because the Church that's supposed to weed out hypocrisy has instead become the hotbed of it.

"Don't talk about people behind their backs," a regular church member might warn, right before they turn to their friends and start gossiping about what the woman sitting on the other side of the sanctuary did that morning before the service. They expect perfection but demonstrate corruption without remorse, and then act as though the observers around them are somehow in the wrong. 

Renewing Your Trust-In Yourself (Part 1)

Renewing Your Trust-In Yourself  (Part 1)

Psalm 40:4 "Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies."

Renewing your trust in yourself is arguably the most significant benefit of consistently practicing a daily routine.  In fact, what most people lack before they learn to implement daily rituals is the trust that they were actually capable of achieving positive results they desired in their lives.  

Maybe you've failed so many times in the past, and grown so discouraged with yourself, that you began to subconsciously choose procrastination over future attempts to fulfill the promises you made to yourself to heal, grow, and thrive in various ways.

Psalm 37:5 "Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."

When we lose trust in our abilities and ourselves it’s like another person constantly lying to you. Eventually, because of their lies, you stop trusting them.  The same holds true with the little promises you make to yourself that always end in disappointment.  Eventually, you stop trusting yourself.

The solution is that you have to renew your trust gradually, with small promises, small steps, and small victories.  This process takes time, but it happens relatively quickly if you stick to it. It’s undoubtedly one of the most important, life-changing things you can do for yourself and you can become the winner you always expected to be. 

Psalm 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him."