datethewordtest

Tag: 3-10

  • You Are The Answer

    Exodus 3:10 “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”
    On the backside of the desert standing shoeless, Moses is listening to God as God tells him that He knows about the horrible conditions the Israelites are in as slaves to the Egyptians. It was worth reading the verses that will lead to God’s calling – assigning – Moses to be the deliverer.

    Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 “So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.”

    This had to thrill the heart of Moses to hear that God was concerned about the Israelites. It had to thrill his heart that God was going to deliver them out of slavery. It had to thrill his heart to hear that God was going to bring them to a good and large land.

    I trust you can picture the scene being played out. Do your best to visualize the face of Moses as he is hearing what GOD is going to do for the Israelites. Got it?

    Now imagine what his face looks like as he hears, “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” What do you think Moses is thinking as he hears that he is God’s answer to deliver God’s people?

    Because we do know what verse 11 says, (But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”) the look on the face of Moses has gone from smiling to a look of shock. While he was thrilled that God was going to work to help the Israelites, he is filled with fear that he can do the assignment that God has assigned him. He can’t believe he is the answer.

    I wonder if you have had a “Moses Moment?” You are thrilled to hear that God wants to save people but you are scared to death when challenged to witness to the one He wants to save. You are thrilled to hear that God wants to help the helpless and give hope to the hopeless but when you are called to give help to the helpless and hope to the hopeless you are seized with fear, and you know without a doubt you can’t DO IT. You know you are not the answer.

    Friends, you are God’s answer. You are His vessel for letting others know that God wants them to be delivered from darkness and an eternity in hell. It is not just that He wants this to happen He wants you to deliver the message. You are the ANSWER!

    So are you going to make excuses why you can’t or are you going to execute the plan that God has for you to be His witness?

    Continue Strong fulfilling HIS assignment,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • The Mind and Heart of the Apostle Paul

    Philippians 3:10 “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”

    Paul’s letter to the Philippians is incredibly personal. Because of all that Christ has done and provided to the one who was passionate about destroying Christianity Paul now wants to know Him, know Him personally and experientially.   This is the passion of Paul’s mind and heart.

    That I may know…. What is it that you want to know? 

    That I may know…. Who is it that you want to know?  

    As we go deeper I must say that Philippians 3:10 is one of those verses that stands out like a brilliant sunset over the Gulf of Mexico as it is difficult to put into words.  What the apostle Paul wanted to know of Christ is so powerful and so beautiful yet hard to truly describe.   

    He wanted to know the power of His resurrection.  One may ponder that phrase for hours and not come close to comprehending all that is there.  One thing is for sure to know the resurrection of Christ is the most hopeful information we have.  With the certainty of death (unless the rapture happens first) we can look at that frightful event with hope.  “Our great Redeemer has burst the bands of death; has brought life and immortality to light, and has given us the pledge that our bodies shall rise.” (Barnes)  What is there to dread with death when we have such a promise?  

    And then Paul wanted to know the fellowship of His sufferings.  His mind and heart were not on worldly fame and earthly possessions but on participating in suffering as Christ had suffered.  Paul, in Colossians 1:24, rejoiced in his sufferings.  Peter wrote to believers to rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.  (1 Peter 4:13)  Paul so wanted to participate in the suffering of Christ that we wanted to be conformed to His death.  In other words, he was willing to live and to die for Christ. 

    There is no doubt that Philippians 3:10 is a beautiful verse.  It is easy to quote and desire “that I may know Him.”  To know the power of His resurrection does give us tremendous hope.  However, this is a very challenging verse. Can we say we want to know the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death? 

    What is your mind and heart desiring?  What do you want to know?  Who do you want to know? 

    A March to Remember

    For March 10, let us remember Romans 5:10.  Romans 5:10 says, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

    On March 10 we encourage you to read Matthew 10 and John 10 to recall our Lord’s work and who He is.  You can find the Bible reading plan on the Date the Word app.

    Continue Strong this March Remembering our Savior,
    And remember to DATE the Word