Focal Passage: Exodus 18:9-11, 14-21 

A burning bush, a split sea, broken tablets before an idol of gold. When one considers the life of Moses it is likely that one of these iconic biblical scenes comes to mind. Moses is one of the most well-known people in the entire Bible and the key figure in some of the most dynamic and important parts of the Old Testament. 

One of the more inconspicuous, yet essential characters in the Exodus narrative is Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. The passages we are considering cover two conversations between Jethro and his son-in-law. Let’s explore these passages and notice helpful principles for our relationships today.

The first kind of relationships that many Christ-followers struggle with involves friends or family members that are unbelievers. Many Christians find it easier to be evangelistic with complete strangers.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Numbers 12:1-15 

Being unduly critical, without warrant and grace, is sin. In fact, the Bible calls believers to put away all kinds of attitudes, behaviors, and speech. As Ephesians 4:29-32 notes we are to put away filthy talk, bitterness, anger, slander, malice, and gossip. If most people followed this biblical admonition they would say very little.

Through the story of Moses recorded in Numbers 12 we see what God thinks about criticism and how to deal with it. In brief, God hates the sins of criticism, gossip, slander, and backbiting. 

Comparison leads to criticism (Numbers 12:1-3). Miriam and Aaron were bring critical of Moses. Why? For two reasons. 

First, they disagreed with Moses’ choice of a wife. She was a Cushite woman, an easy target for the hyper-critical. Cowards go after the family members of leaders. 

Second, they were jealous of Moses’ role and relationship with God as God’s main mouthpiece. In other words, Moses thought he was so special that God could only speak through him and not Aaron or Miriam. Yet, Moses never made this distinction, God did. 

Notice two responses as noted in verse 3. First, God heard these criticisms. This means that when we are being unfairly criticized we can rest assured that God hears and knows about the gossip. Second, Moses’ response was masterful — he remained humble. Moses did not retaliate.

Shrum

Criticism questions God’s work (Numbers 12:4-9). God alone knows why He chooses the people, places, and events of life in order to accomplish His will. If God chooses to bless someone that is His prerogative. 

God called Aaron and Miriam to account for their critical attitudes. He reminded them that while God does speak in other ways to other people and prophets in all times, He spoke directly with Moses in a special and unique way. 

God chose Moses because, though not perfect, he was faithful. Rather than speaking in riddles and mysteries as God so often did to many of the prophets, God spoke directly and openly with Moses. Further, God’s anger burned against Aaron and Miriam. 

When we criticize others, especially when they appear to be spiritually successful and we’re not, we are questioning how God works. God is the one who chooses whom He will bless. 

Confess and repent of a critical spirit (Numbers 12:10-15). As God confronted Aaron and Miriam, the text notes that Miriam’s skin began to be diseased, resembling snow (maybe leprosy). 

When Aaron saw what God did to Miriam he asked for mercy from God. Further, he asked God to not hold this sin against them. 

In an act of mercy, God used Moses to heal Miriam. Miriam was moved outside the camp for seven days after which she was healed and the people of God were able to move on.

Living with a critical spirit is unnecessary. It is small-minded, rude, despicable, immature, callous, and rooted in jealousy. Gossip and slander in a family and in the church is damaging, detrimental, and divisive. 

If you have a critical attitude that is not helpful and does not ultimately seek God’s glory and the best for others, you need to repent and start anew. Your family and the church can ill afford to live with people who cannot control their own tongues (James 3:1-12). B&R 

Focal Passage: Ephesians 6:10-18 

Temptation is real. So real that we must be on constant guard against falling into temptation. 

But how does one guard against temptation? What tools or resources has God given us to ward off the temptation to sin? The good news is that God has given us every resource we need. We call these resources the armor of God.

The armor of God is of little usefulness unless we fully suit up and deploy the arsenal of weapons God has given us that enable us to overcome our own flesh, the enticements of the world, and the snares of Satan. How do the pieces of the armor of God function? Three aspects of the armor are essential: standing, equipping, and believing. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Psalm 32:1-7 

Can a person who has sinned be restored to usefulness in the kingdom of God, especially a Christian leader? 

This has been an age-old question in the church since the Donatist controversy of the fourth century — does the efficacy of the work of the church (the ordinances) solely depend on the character of the minister or does their efficacy reside in and of themselves? The answer is not as easy as one might think.

The power of the gospel is self-reverential. Yet, we know that the character of the minister can greatly discredit the gospel message. The character of the minister must coincide with the content of the gospel. This is why we must get the issue of restoration right. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 6:10-15; Matthew 4:8-11  

We love people, places and things. We rightly love people, we cherish places, and we rightly enjoy the good things of life. Yet, when we love people, places, and things more than we love God we have committed a form of idolatry that is dangerous and deadly. We are prone to idolatry.

Sixteenth century theologian John Calvin fought the battle of idolatry when he wrote in his famous Institutes of the Christian Religion, “Man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols … Man’s mind, full as it is of pride and boldness, dares to imagine a god according to its own capacity; as it sluggishly plods, indeed is overwhelmed with the crassest ignorance, it conceives an unreality and an empty appearance as God.” (Institutes, 1:108) [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 6:16-25; Matthew 4:5-7 

To say that we trust God is one thing, but to deliberately put God in a position where He must prove His trustworthiness without necessary warrant is sin. 

In other words, we can trust that God will take care of us as we obey His commands. 

Yet, it is sin to deliberately “set God up” in such a way to show others that God will care for us as if God must act on our command. 

In the past, such an attitude was called the sin of presumptuousness, where someone would “blindly walk off the end of the pier,” so to speak, to show that God must protect that person from an otherwise foolish and unwarranted act. And when God doesn’t save us when we fall, we blame Him instead of the laws of gravity and our own foolishness. Risk-taking faith is essential; stupid faith is not. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Deuteronomy 8:2-10; Matthew 4:1-14 

We are self-assured, aren’t we? We think we can handle just about anything on our own. Sadly, many Christians think this way. In fact, I would argue that many Christians think that the course of the Christian life goes something like this — I trust Jesus for salvation, but the rest is left up to me. 

Salvation belongs to God, but we are on our own when it comes to our sanctification. Right? Wrong! The greatest temptation is self-governance apart from the enabling power of God. What are our resources? [Read more…]

Focal Passage: James 1:13-18  

To be tempted to sin is the universal experience of humanity, both for Christians and non-Christians. 

The difference between the two is that the Christian has the awareness and the tools to overcome a variety of temptations, the unbeliever does not. Let’s do an autopsy on temptation through James 1:13-18 so that we might see how it works in order to conquer those temptations that come our way. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 20:1-2, 11-18 

Christianity is a historical religion. While there are many historical events recorded in Scripture for our benefit, two events form the basis of the Christian faith — the substitutionary, atoning death of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. Apart from these two historical events there is no Christian faith. 

As I Corinthians 15:12-19 notes, if Jesus has not been raised from the dead: (1) Jesus is still dead, (2) our preaching is meaningless, (3) our faith is in vain, (4) we are still in our sins, (5) all who died believing were fooled and are still dead and 6) we are to be pitied among all people. But then, in I Corinthians 15:20, Paul writes, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (died).”  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 19:16-19; 28-30, 38-42 

The great Puritan theologian John Owen once wrote that through the death of Jesus Christ the death of death has been accomplished. 

Even more, because of the death of Jesus Christ the sins of all who would believe — past, present, and future — would be forgiven. The One who knew no sin bore the penalty for our sins so that we might be given the righteousness of God (II Corinthians 5:21). It has been called the “great exchange” — our sin for His righteousness.  [Read more…]