Revived in His glory!

Exodus 33:18 (NIV): Then Moses said, "Now show me Your glory."

Have you ever wondered why did Moses ask God to show him His glory (Exodus 33:18) at that juncture of his life? I did, and one day, God answered me with two words: 'down' & 'out'. As I was studying Exodus chapters 32, 33 & 34 again, I found it to be very true. Indeed, Moses was 'down' at that time, and his people was 'out'!

Let's go straight to Exodus 32 now. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of God's writing (Exodus 32:16), his heart 'broke' and 'was shattered' when he saw how his own people bowed down and worshiped the gold calf they've recently made. He was also angered that these people had forgotten their very God (who miraculously brought them out of Egypt with great signs not long ago). Obviously he couldn't control his emotion, and he broke the tablets (Exodus 32:19-20). And that's not it yet! He then had to see how three thousand of his own people die by the sword, brothers killing brothers (Exodus 32:27-28). For a man with a shepherd's heart as he was, that was indeed a real big blow! He must have felt terrible, and he must have felt how much a failure he was (in leading God's people). It was definitely a time of 'spiritual low' in his life. Imagine just not too long ago, these dead were some of those who shouted and praised God with songs of victory after the incredible Red Sea crossing! In short, morale was at a low, the leader was 'down', and the people 'out'.

The Bible says at that juncture, Moses just wanted to be alone (Exodus 33:7-9) and away from his people.

Maybe you are now in a similar situation when 'nothing seems to be happening' in your life. Worse still, you have so far been disappointed, and your dreams never seem to come true. Or maybe you are feeling like a failure, thinking that you amount to nothing good. Or you are going through a 'spiritual low' and 'stagnancy' when nothing seems to be 'moving'.

Beloved, take heart. He has not forgotten you. In fact, if you would believe, He's going to 'show up' like you've never seen before.

Let's get back to Moses now. Exodus 33:12-16 says he was already at the 'end' of himself, not knowing what to do anymore. And if God would still not 'go with him', he'd rather not continue! That was indeed the turning point, and it was then that God said Moses had found favor (grace) in His sight. When you've reached a point when you can't by your own, that's when He can! It was then that God assured him: "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14). He wanted Moses to know He hasn't forgotten him, and in fact, He was going to do something unprecedented for him. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, that was indeed a difficult request (as no man, sinful man as he is, can see God and still live; for in Him there's no sin, and the wages of sin is death). However, God in all His love and grace never said 'no' to Moses. He did open a 'way'. Today, you have this 'way' too! (see John 14:6) He then asked Moses to stand on the 'rock' (a 'picture' of Jesus), and as His glory ('kabowd' in Hebrew, meaning 'splendor, weight in a good sense, richness, His very presence') passed by, He'd put him in the cleft ('naqar' in Hebrew, meaning 'crack, pierce, thrust') of the rock and cover him (Exodus 33:21). This is a 'picture' of Jesus' body being broken & pierced on the cross, just for you. Moses saw ('raah' in Hebrew, meaning 'behold, enjoy, have experience of) God's glory! And you know what? Everything changed after that for him! Hallelujah!

Because of Jesus & what He's done for you on the cross, you'll always have hope!

He's reviving you now. He's resurrecting your lost dreams. He's breaking your 'stagnancy'. He's lifting you up from your 'doldrums'. He's breaking every curse that hinders you. And yes, He's bringing you 'life' again! Will you allow Him, the King of Glory (see Psalm 24) in? In spite of whatever wrong you've done in the past, and no matter how you've failed, you can still find grace (like Moses did), and yes, only in Christ your 'rock'. Will you look to Him again? He's a God of 'second chance' & He's opening a way for you again!

Now, as I end this writing, let's see what happened to Moses after that. After the 'glory encounter' at the 'rock', God did ask Moses to go up to Mount Sinai again, and with new tablets in his hands (Exodus 34:4). This time, as he came down from the mountain, things were completely different! Praise the Lord! The Bible says the skin of his face shone (Exodus 34:29-30), radiant & glorious. Nobody's bowing down to gold calf this time, nobody's lost in ungodly revelry, and of course, no anger and no breaking of tablets! A big change indeed, the people were ready, and God's words were released successfully!

Today, as a believer in the New Covenant, the glory of the Lord (& Jesus is the King of Glory) shall be released (& manifested) through you again, touching many more lives, just as in the Old Covenant, the law (which Jesus has already fulfilled perfectly some 2,000 years ago) was released through Moses in his day (Exodus 34:31-32).

Take one day at a time!

Exodus 16:4a,b: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather every day..."

I recently heard these words, and then ministered to someone dear whom I know: "Just because your 'promised land' is not in sight yet, does not mean your 'promised land' never existed!" I believe this is also an assurance for you who are reading this. What is your 'promised land'? It may be a prophecy (that 'you know that you know' is from the Lord), a dream, or a vision that has yet to come to pass.

I then said this to that someone: "Take one day at a time first. Don't worry about your tomorrows. Enjoy your daily manna first, and keep walking."

You may have been asking this same question too: "Will I ever see the fulfillment of that prophecy/dream/vision in my life?" Beloved, never make the same mistakes that Moses' people made! Just because they didn't see any 'promised land' in sight yet, they began to doubt, murmur and complain (Exodus 16:2), when the fact and the truth was 'their promised land has already existed!"

"So, pastor, what should I do now while waiting?"

Exodus 16 brings us to this situation when Moses' people were in the 'wilderness', already out of their Egypt ('picture' of past bondage/hurts), but yet to see their 'promised land'. That was when the Lord spoke to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day..." (Exodus 16:4). The Lord has promised to provide daily for the people, and then on the sixth day, the providence would be twice the normal amount (Exodus 16:5), so the people could rest from 'collecting' manna on the seventh day. Notice God was the One giving them their rest (Sabbath) on the seventh day (Exodus 16:26-30). The number '7' in Hebrew is a number for 'rest, completed work'. For example, God completed His creation work on the seventh day (see Genesis 2:1-2).

So, apart from taking one day at a time and not worry about your 'tomorrows' (Matthew 6:33-34), God has also given you rest on the seventh day, i.e. Sabbath (Exodus 16:29). Will you receive His rest? The secret to 'run and keep on running' (towards your 'promised land') without losing 'steam' is to take a day to rest (to receive refreshing from the Lord) every week. Put aside every form of 'busy-ness', and rest in Him & drink from Him. He is your 'spiritual R&R'. This is God's 'blueprint' for you. You'll then be refreshed and renewed for the week ahead!

And as you enjoy your 'daily manna' (i.e. receiving all the 'daily fresh' goodness of God in your every day life), know that His everyday blessing for you 'contains no worms in it and will not stink'! (Exodus 16:19-20) You know what? It's fresh! It's good! And it's new! The Bible says 'His mercy is new every morning', and no wonder the psalmist sang, 'This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it' (Psalm 118:24). Note that today's 'manna' is NOT for your tomorrow, lest it 'breeds worms and stinks'! (Exodus 16:19-20) Today's blessing is for you to enjoy and cherish today! The blessing can be good health, ideas, favor, wisdom, open doors, and the list goes on. (Note: having said all these, I'm not saying you don't plan for your tomorrows; but I'm saying you don't worry about your tomorrows)

So, people of God, in times when you haven't seen the manifestation of your 'promised land' yet, take heart. It doesn't mean God has forgotten you. In fact, He will never leave you nor forsake you. Complain not. Doubt not. Murmur not. Keep looking to Him. Let's learn from Moses' time. May you be the 'Joshuas' and the 'Calebs' of this end-time! Amen.

Be still, and know that He is God

Psalm 46:10a: Be still, and know that I am God.

We are living in a time with many 'suddenlies', the end-time. With natural disasters one after another on one side, and political unrests in other parts of the world, we can only look to YHWH, the possessor of heaven and earth, and nowhere else.

Psalm 46:1-3 says, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though it's waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling'.

But in spite of all the troubles we see in this end-time, Psalm 46 continues by giving us a real hope and answer. It says in Psalm 46:4: 'There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High'. This is a 'picture' of our 'Yeru-shalayim', which means 'a place founded in shalom peace, and flowing with river of waters' in Hebrew. See also Psalm 91:1-2. The one who dwells in the 'secret place' of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Yeshua (YHWH saves) is your Prince of Peace, your refuge & your fortress; and 'the river of waters' here is always a 'picture' of His Spirit. Psalm 46 then ends with this assurance: 'Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge' (Psalm 46:10-11).

People of God, there's great hope in spite of what you hear in the media. The time has also come when 'the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations' (Matthew 24:14), because only in Him is 'the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6), and only in Him can one find true rest and peace (Matthew 11:28-30).

And in a world of many 'suddenlies' nowadays, one tends to be anxious and uncertain with too many cares, worries, and concerns. But as a believer, Matthew 6:33-34 says it aptly, 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry...'

As you cast your cares (worries & concerns) to the Lord (see 1 Peter 5:7), you are like a soccer player passing the 'ball' to your team mate, your 'big brother' Jesus. Every player knows he is not to keep the 'ball' at  his feet too long (even if he may have the best of skills), lest he'll be 'swarmed', 'cornered', and 'surrounded' by more and more opponent players! Pass it to Jesus! The opponent players here are an 'illustration' of the 'devil' who'll find every chance to 'devour' you (when the 'ball' is still at your feet). The devil will 'press you' & 'stress you'. But when the 'ball' is passed to Jesus, the devil cannot stand against Him. And that's how you become 'un-devour-able' (1 Peter 5:8) & 'un-drown-able' in this end-time. Hallelujah!

Beloved, in times like this, cast your every 'worry', 'care', 'anxiety', and 'concern' to Jesus, and be still (be at rest), knowing that He is still God. In Him, you find refuge & strength, and in Him, you receive your rest & peace (Matthew 11:28-30). 

And finally, rest assured that He, the Lord of hosts, IS (present tense) always with you (Psalm 46:11). Amen!

Casting all your care upon Him

1 Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 

According to Webster's dictionary, 'to cast' means 'to throw'. So, whatever 'care' you face now, or whatever the devil 'throws' at you, 'cast all these upon Jesus', for He loves you and cares for you.

You may ask, "Just how much does God care for me?"

Matthew 10:30 says 'but the very hairs of your head are all numbered'. You know what? God cares for you so much and in such great detail, even the very number of your hair is counted! And as much as I love & care for my daughter Sophia (& hugging her, kissing her, smelling her hair, playing with her hair, etc), I've never thought of 'counting' the number of her hair! But God makes it a point to do so! In fact, He knows every 'minute' detail of every strand of her hair, precisely! That's how much He cares. And what more with any other areas of your life?

In Luke 10:30-35, Jesus shared a story of a good Samaritan on how much God cares. Here was a man who came down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and 'fell among the thieves'. He was robbed, stripped, wounded, and left half-dead (Luke 10:30). No one was willing to help; not even a priest or a Levite who passed by. But a certain Samaritan man then saw him and had compassion (Luke 10:33). So, he bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him (Luke 10:34). Then, on the next day, he gave two denarii (two days' wages) and gave them to the innkeeper, and told him to take care of him till he's back (Luke 10:35).

Let me explain the meaning of all these.

The 'Samaritan' here is a 'picture' of Jesus Himself. Just as a Samaritan was despised and rejected by the Jews, Jesus was rejected by His own too! And 'Jerusalem' here is a 'picture' of 'a mountain' (in fact, in Hebrew, 'Yeru-sha-la-yim' means 'a city founded peaceful, flowing as waters', on a mountain, i.e. Mount Zion), while 'Jericho' is a 'picture' of 'a valley' (in fact, Jericho is near Dead Sea, the lowest point anywhere on earth at 1,300 feet below sea level). Whether you are at the 'mountain' or at the 'valley' of your life, God still cares for you (Psalm 23:4).

And even when you are 'down' (spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc) in your 'valley', He cares to 'bandage your wounds', pour His Spirit (i.e. 'oil'), and His joy (i.e. 'wine') on you. 'Oil' here is a 'picture' of the Holy Spirit, and 'wine' has to do with 'joy or celebration'. The Bible says He turns your mourning into dancing, sorrows into joy! Also, instead of you suffering, He suffered on the cross for you (Isaiah 53:3-6). That's what 'he set him on his own animal' means. Not only that, He brings you into a place of 'safety' (Psalm 91:1-2). Notice 'inn' here is a 'picture' of safety (thieves those days only 'attack' at the streets, but not in an 'inn'), and 'innkeeper' here is a 'picture' of angels. He gives His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways (Psalm 91:10-12), so no evil shall befall you!

Because He cares for you so much, He’s willing to take all your cares upon Himself, big or small. There's really nothing too big or nothing too small (or trivial) for Him to handle.

Will you allow Him to ‘take over’ all those 'cares' of yours? Maybe you are facing a 'challenging' time at the moment. Or maybe it's an 'anxiety' or 'worry' over a business, career, or ministry decision. Whatever it may be, cast this care upon Jesus. 'To cast your care upon Him' is not 'being irresponsible', or 'running away from responsibilities'. After you've done 'your part', leave the rest to Him and let Him do His part. Cast it to Him & see His 'hand' take over. He'll always be, because the Bible says He is your 'ever present help' (Psalm 46:1). Amen!