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Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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Numbers 19-20; Psalms 28; Mark 5 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Take the staff and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.’…’Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’” Numbers 20:7, 8, 10-12 Moses faced a grumbling, thirsty, Israelite assembly who questioned his leadership and the mission they were on. The Lord commanded Moses to speak to a large rock in front of the assembly, and it would pour out its water. Earlier at Horeb, the Lord asked Moses to strike the rock with the staff of God (Exodus 17:6). Moses, when faced with a similar situation at Kadesh, decided to re...
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A Dry Stick or a Fruitful Branch?

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Numbers 17-18; Psalms 29; Mark 4   “’Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes…The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.’…Aaron’s staff, which represented the house of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.” Numbers 17:2, 5, 8 When the tribes grumbled against the calling of the Levites as priests, the Lord set them apart through a clear sign . This miraculous sign took place in the presence of the Lord as the twelve dry walking staffs spent the night in the tabernacle in front of the Ark of the Covenant. The next day, Aaron’s staff, a dry dead stick, had budded, blossomed, and produced almonds. We, too, might feel like an old, dry stick. However, when offered to the Lord, his presence can transform our lives, so that we, too, are known for our fruitfulness, even in our old age. Too many c...
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Fear, Pride, and Rebellion

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Numbers 14-16; Mark 3   “Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up toward the high hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp…Korah, son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites – Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth – became insolent, and rose up against Moses…” Numbers 14:44; 16:1, 2 This painful chapter in Israel’s Sinai journey exposed the hearts of leaders, including the Levites. The giants witnessed by the twelve spies in Hebron exposed fear in ten of the tribal leaders and in the majority of the community. Their response of grumbling against Moses’ leadership and ultimately their rebellion, led to presumption of action and the deaths of many people. When the warriors went to the “high hill country,” it appears they were trying to secure a strategic location. Presumption in any mission is dangerous! Repentance requires us to ‘stop, wait, and listen (obey)’ before we move forward...
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God’s Anger and Love

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Numbers 12-13; Psalms 90; Mark 2 “’With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’ The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them.” Numbers 12:8, 9 “Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:11, 12 Moses knew God face to face like no other person has known God, other than perhaps Adam and Eve. Moses’ sister experienced God’s anger as she criticized Moses’ leadership and resented his Canaanite wife. The Lord God came to Moses’ defense, and his sister Miriam became leprous. As Moses reflected on what he had learned about God, he wanted others to know the power of God’s anger so they would live with the fear of the Lord and stop sinning. This fear of the Lord was combined with a deep personal and satisfying knowledge of the unfailing love of t...
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The Burden is Too Heavy

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Numbers 10-11; Psalms 27; Mark 1 “’I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.’…The Lord said to Moses: ‘Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people…I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.’” Numbers 11:14, 16, 17 The burden of ministry-leadership is too heavy for one person. Like Moses, many pastors are expected to be all things for all people. God’s answer to Moses’ cry for help was not to remove the burden or change the people; rather, it was to share the burden with seventy other identified leaders and then fill them with the Holy Spirit. However, just finding seventy leaders wouldn’t solve the problem. Those leaders needed to be filled with the same power of the Spirit that Moses walked with. Jesus’ prayer for the disciples in his mission was that they would receive power whe...
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Witnessing About the Kingdom

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Numbers 8-9; Acts 28 “…From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.” Acts 28:23 Paul’s focus in witnessing at the close of his life and ministry was on the kingdom of God and Jesus the Messiah. Are we proclaiming only Jesus, and ignoring our witness of God’s kingdom? When we limit our witness to Jesus and not the broader topic of God’s kingdom, we can limit the gospel to personal salvation from sin and ignore the invitation to life-transformation through God’s kingdom. Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God spoke to humility, right relationships, accountability for our resources, and God’s reconciling mission. Paul wrote that the kingdom of God was not about sacrifices of meat and drink, but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). This gospel of the kingdom of heaven is good news in the midst of the political and cultural wars of our da...
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Who Are We Listening To?

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Numbers 7; Psalms 23; Acts 27 “…So Paul warned them, ‘Men I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss…Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on…’” Acts 27:9, 10, 12 “The Lord is my shepherd…he guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” Psalm 23:1, 3, 4 Paul’s response to the storm at sea was dramatically different from the rest of the ship’s passengers. His warning about proceeding with the journey, and later, his prophetic promise that no lives would be lost, reflected that Paul was listening to his Shepherd. While the ship’s captain was influenced by the majority of the passengers, Paul was led by the Spirit. Even when we travel through the darkest valley, the presence of our Shepherd through his indwelling Spirit is with us. We need not fear. Who are we listening to in our storm or dark val...
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