There is only answer to my pride, my reputation, my tongue, my time, and my plans. If I desire to bring forth good spiritual fruit in my service to our Lord, It must die. I must die to my pride and whatever self-serving aspect of my flesh that is being catered to. Jesus says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Jhn 12:24 Yes, this may sound rough and harsh, but the closer we come into a clearer grasp of who Jesus is and what He desires to accomplish through us, we see only one conclusion for our flesh. It must die. The challenge is before us, when it comes to the amount of fruit in your life, do you want a little or a lot?

Joash, the king of Israel was troubled with grief, knowing that the man of God, Elisha, was very sick. Elisha instructed Joash to take his bow and arrows and aim out his window pointing East toward the nations enemy Syria. I love how we can take an Old Testament historical account, and apply it spiritually, as the New Testament church today. Syria may not be our physical enemy, but Satan is. Syria had inflicted, harassed, oppressed, and depressed Gods people. Just like our spiritual enemy. Satan has two killer weapons; sin and selfishness. The man of God was offering God’s people deliverance from their enemy. 2Ki 13:17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened [it]. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the LORD’S deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed [them]. 2Ki 13:18 And he said, take the arrows. And he took [them]. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. These arrows, are a picture of the weapons that the Lord has given us to deliver us from our spiritual enemy. The problem though, with Joash, is the same one that can take me off course. 2Ki 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed [it]: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria [but] thrice. The man of God was angry with the king due to the fact that Joash took to the task halfheartedly. He tapped the arrows three times, but should have attempted the task with fervency and expectancy and struck them five or six times. I have fallen short of God’s full deliverance due to halfhearted attempts. The Lord has given us arrows of deliverance so that our spiritual enemy will no longer inflict, harass, oppress, and depress. Let’s discuss, my friends, what are our arrows?

He loved them to the end. Jesus loved his disciples to the uttermost. These are the same guys that messed up big in the past, the same guys that were to mess up in the future, and the same messed up crew that were having the discussion of who would be the greatest in the kingdom of God. He would call them his sheep, his bride, and his body. Jesus loved them unto the end. Jhn 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Do I have the freedom to love like this? Am I haunted by my past? Jhn 13:3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; Jhn 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. Jesus was secure in where He was going and secure where He came from. He was willing to be exposed and vulnerable for others. The enemy will always be there with charges of hypocrisy. He will sow thoughts that you have no business to love or even offer tough love. Tough love is even more difficult to administer. Few come away from administering tough love with our a few bruises of our own. Tough love goes beyond our years, beyond self, and can display the most beautiful act of protective love. We often don’t have the freedom to love, because, we haven’t left our mistakes at the cross. Often our brethren have left it there, Jesus had left it there, but we are the ones that carry on the voyage of past sin. Just leave it there. The cross frees us to love.

The Egyptians and the new Pharaoh were getting concerned as the Hebrew population was exploding. This presented a concern for the Egyptians because of their fear that their neighboring enemy, the Hittites, would come into alliance with the Hebrews to formulate an even larger enemy. This perhaps directed the desire to enslave God’s people and set taskmasters over them. “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” (Exd 1:12) Remember, there is blessing with affliction. Peter writes, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” (1Pe 4:12) The apostle Peter begins to share the necessity of trials and afflictions. These afflictions are not uncommon to the body of Christ. Paul declares a purpose behind the event. “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.” (2 Cor 4:16-18) Our old man may perish, but the inward or spiritual man is renewed each day. Thanks for the reminder Lord!

Have you ever been stirred to bring your Bible into a place where you normally don’t carry your sword (likening your Bibles, the Word of God, to a sword Heb 4:11)? Perhaps carrying it to a restaurant, grocery store, work, or to school? It is always notable on how our flesh can resist and even more notable on how your audience will respond. You may get looks and maybe even a comment behind your back, but this is nothing compared to so many saints that take a heavy hit for the Gospels sake. For many of us, this is a very soft or mild form of persecution. In the first chapter of Exodus, we see the response of the Egyptians in regards to the threat of the presence of God’s people. “And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [so] get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.” (Exd 1:9-11) Persecution is a good sign for the Church. Ultimately people will always feel threatened, as there is an increase in Bible-believing believers around them. Remember what Jesus said? “Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Mat 5:11-12) and (Jhn 15:20) “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” Are you willing to take on a stare today? You never know, you might get a chance to use it. Will you consider carrying your sword today?

I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be sold like a possession, and then imprisoned falsely, yet maintain a soft heart, unblemished character, and display the most incredible gift of leadership. Joseph of Genesis is elevated to the second most powerful position on the earth and then was used to deliver and nourish the people of the nations. What a beautiful picture of the character of Jesus. Although this Hebrew was the man that was the instrument via the Lords hand to preserve Egypt we see that, “ Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.” Exd 1:8 People are quick to forget. We are quick to forget the challenges that we had once faced and the deliverance in our lives. I notice that current comfort can be the most incredible tool of forgetfulness. Perhaps we need to be stirred up every now and again. I find that this stirring or shifting in my life awakens sensitivity, expectancy, and faith in our Lord. How do we please Him anyway?
“But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hbr 11:6 Consider what Paul writes to his spiritual son Timothy, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.” 2Ti 1:6 What is your spiritual gift(s)? There are times when the Lord will stir us up, but would you consider being proactive here and stir up the gift(s)?

I take inventory of our recent graduates and think on those who had had left these walls. Do there lives show the evidence of spiritual prosperity? Reminded that I must ask this question of myself. I am not exempt. I too can loose or not maintain that devotion to the Lord. I need to prepare for the finish. As I Look at some familiar passages, I am challenged with familiarity. 1Cr 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize So run, that ye may obtain. Paul likens our spiritual walk to a running race. Am I running? Or walking? Or do I even know where the finish is? Some people do just take to an event like a marathon or a triathlon just to finish. And that’s just fine. Some will perform the same in the faith. Just finish. We are challenged to train and run the race in a way that we may win. 1Cr 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 1Cr 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 1Cr 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. We have seen so many professional athletes cheat through drugs. Their careers tarnished because of their conduct and impure relationships. Violence and abuse taint their image. The Greek word for castaway means, not standing the test, not approved, that which does not prove itself such as it ought. People become disqualified, Gilligan-Island style, their career and witness banished because of sin. Hbr 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip. Paul writes to us with some sailing terms. He asks, “Do you have an anchor and do you know how to use it?” The word slip, pararreō, means to drift. The words more earnest head, means to use an anchor. If we don’t anchor ourselves to the rock of the scriptures we’ll begin to drift. When I drift, it usually doesn’t happen over night. Often, it happens subtly. In my pride I think I can just cruise through my day. I am trying to sail on spiritual momentum. This always results is a lack of prayer and bible study, I begin to drift. Sometimes this births familiarity. This familiarity makes a place that I had once visited become dull. I start to loose interest. I’ve always love listening to good stories. Admittedly, stories always seem better to me, when I have a part in them. When I anchor myself in the rock of the scriptures, the familiar stories and places in my life, once again become exciting, dynamic, and fruitful. When I anchor my life in the Word that gives life, I will not slip.

The book of Exodus, “Going out” offers a vivid picture book of God’s deliverance, restoration, and redemption for a nation and for an individual. From Genesis chapter 50 to exodus chapter 1 we see a time gap of over 400 years in which the Lord takes a family of seventy and makes them into a nation of 2 to 3 million. Exodus 1:7 “And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.” For a time in Egypt, the land is safe and conducive for the nation to be birthed. We witness the perfection of God’s timing and location. For a duration of time, the warm fertile land gave birth to a people chosen by God, “Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.” We also see that the land that the Hebrews would soon go to was still in the process of being prepared. Gen 15:16 “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full.” The Lord was still being gracious and patient with the Amorites national sin for over 400 years. This is the land that the Amorites had occupied that would be handed over to the Israelites in God’s perfect timing. The Lord was longsuffering with the Amorites even with their messed up culture of child sacrifice and personal torture. But the consequences for an individual and nation that does not repent and take advantage of God’s everlasting grace and mercy through Jesus Christ will have to reckon with the same fate as Sodom and Gomorrah. But look at God’s patience here. 400 hundred years is older than our nation. So many misunderstand God’s judgments and timing. I thank God for his patience with me. I’m thankful that He endured 21 years of a vile heart and self-serving conquest. I thank God for additional 15 years of Him dealing with my vile heart and self-serving conquest. This births a prayer in my heart of patience. Lord, will you grant me a longsuffering patience attitude in my life for this life?