1 Corinthians 10:1-6 – “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ⁵ But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness. ⁶ These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the word “Benefit” captured my thoughts.  That word was not found in my reading, but as a result of what I read.

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, we discover that the ‘Rock’ in the wilderness followed Israel, and the identity of that rock.  It was Christ!  Then, we read that the trials and judgments they experienced are recorded as an example for us.  A reminder of the Benefit and Necessity of Obedience!

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we have the incredible promise (Benefit) that no matter the difficulty, God has inserted an exit door. We do not have to be overcome!

In the Communion ceremony (Lord’s Supper), there are multiple benefits for us to utilize and experience.   It is a visual reminder of the Benefit and Blessing of the Cross.  It provides an opportunity for us to do a self-evaluation or self-examination. It is a call to regard the Body of Christ carefully. The word means, “judging between, recognizing, distinguishing.” When we take Jesus’ teaching on interpersonal relationships and Paul’s revelation about the body, we realize that we open the door to evil when we do not embrace the strength of the unified body!

Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24 reveal the benefit of Healing in Christ’s suffering. Why not close the door to needless suffering? Becoming the realized body of Christ brings us strength, fellowship, freedom, and the ability to access God’s fullness.

The human body needs all its parts, cells, and nerves to function best. The Body of Christ needs no less. Imagine if the human body works in harmony and provides blessing; how much more the unified Body of Christ exhibits.

Let’s access the benefits of the Body! Shift focus from us to others!

1 Corinthians 4:6 – “I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God, the thought impressed upon my heart was “Pretense.”  That took me by surprise, but as I read in 1 Corinthians, it became powerfully clear.  I sensed and have been concerned that a significant number of those professing to be Christians are pretending!

I do not mean to come across as super spiritual and holier-than-thou, but I’m concerned that the deception about the acceptable has drawn people into a false sense of security where they (in truth) are pretending.  It is making a profession without the evidence in a demonstrated life.

I fear we sometimes misinterpret the message and go to extremes in both directions regarding tolerance and discernment. The Corinthians had an unbelievably horrific sin blatantly manifested by a member, and they boasted about their tolerance! Today, some go overboard in claiming to have discernment and rip everyone and everything! We deal with sin in the church with the singular motive to restore them.

Bill Gothard said, “What we allow in moderation, our children will do in excess.” We need to remember that although we can does not mean we should.

In 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul warned us never to go beyond the written Revelation of God, but to ensure the scriptures are our guide! Your revelation that does not harmonize and align with the Word of God may be a seed of deception. Be careful.

Pretense may fool everyone around us, but the “fire” of God will test everything. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 makes it painfully clear that every action, testimony, word, and deed will be tested. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 gives a list of people who may claim to be Christians but won’t get in.

If we are born again, let’s pursue godliness with our entire being. Pretending to be right when our hearts know the truth is self-deception. Knowing the language won’t change the heart; only surrender to God will. Honesty with ourselves will enable us to be honest with God. Is our pride and ego worth missing heaven? I’d rather be shamed before people than stand before God and hear, “Depart, I never knew you.”

We must never allow the lie of hell to grip our lives, that once we professed Christ, what we do doesn’t matter. It does! Jesus’ call was for us to abide in Him, and for Him to abide in us. Fellowship cannot thrive in a state of pretense. You can’t fake it ’til you make it in God! It’s all in or not in. If we are lacking, run to Him, confess, and surrender everything to Him.

Lord, help us rid ourselves of all pretense and humbly submit to You. Holy Spirit, come now and shine Your light on us, expose the good and the bad, the pure and the rotten. In Your light let us become light! No more masks. No more pretense. No more deception.

Beware, pretense; it will destroy!

Exodus 33:18 – “And Moses said, ‘Show me Your Glory.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God, I saw the heart of the true shepherd. That heart is utterly self-sacrificing and unrelenting in commitment to the sheep.

In Exodus 32:32, after Aaron’s failure, Moses comes before God interceding for the people.   He was so committed to their welfare and survival that he put himself on the line trying to save them from judgment.  If this had been an attempted coercion, God would have rejected it. It was a genuine expression of the heart, and God honored it.

This led to the amazing request of Moses. Remember, he had seen the burning bush, the miracles in Egypt, and the miracles in the wilderness. He had witnessed the incredible power of God.   Now, in Exodus 33:18, he asked, “Show me Your glory.”  This is the pronoun (seautou) = yourself.  He asked for God to reveal Himself in His fullness!  He asked for a greater revelation of God’s person, nature, and character. Is that our craving?

God said, “I will make My goodness pass before your face.” Goodness, here is a word that refers to appearance. God is committing to honoring Moses’ request.  In verse 23, God says, “You will see My back.” This could mean “aftereffects” of God’s presence. It assuredly indicates the incredible brilliance of the presence and its effect. It brought Moses to another level in his spiritual development.

Romans 11-16 are powerful explanations of our relationship and personal responsibility spiritually.   Renewed minds enable us to see, and in seeing, we are able to do.  We lay aside the old and put on Jesus (the new) in our transformed state. We use our strength to strengthen the weak. We resist judgment (Romans 15:7) and accept others Just As Jesus has accepted us.

How that changes everything!  If we view others with the mind of Jesus, it becomes impossible not to love them and desire to help them. If I keep in mind God’s mercy to me, I find it impossible not to be merciful.

If we view life through the lens of God’s mercy and grace, life shifts from us, our needs, wants, desires, or opinions to the Kingdom of God. Our purpose changes, and the natural result is transformation! We (our flesh and carnal desires) die!  We nail it to the Cross.  Out of that experience, we become real manifestations and representations of Jesus.

LORD, show us Your Glory! Help us to SEE You, because as we see You, we are irrevocably transformed! I live, but not I; Christ lives in and through me!

Exodus 23:29-30 – “^I will not drive them out before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild animals multiply against you. ³⁰ Little by little, I will drive them out before you, until you become fruitful and inherit the land.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I heard the word “Process.”   It was repeated multiple times.   Life is a process and a progression.

In Exodus 23:20-33, God gave directions and promises to Israel. All contingent on trust and obedience. He said that He would send hornets before them to drive out the inhabitants.  Then, a revelatory declaration came in verses 29-30.   There would be no instant provision, but a process of progressive provision.

Why? Because they weren’t capable of handling the fullness of the promise. It would be little by little, inch by inch, and day by day until they became fruitful.  As we mature and have capacity, God releases His blessings; otherwise, we will, in our unprepared condition, suffer because of the inability to tend the crop and care for the inner man. The wild animals (powers of darkness) will multiply against us.   Unprepared, we cannot steward the promise.   As we go through the process of development and maturity, we can handle more and more.   Then, God enlarges our tent and lengthens our borders.

If we are not being expanded, we need first to ask, “Why Not?”   Examine our condition, surrender what needs to be surrendered, and take action to prepare. We also need to realize where we could be by design and learn to bloom where we are planted. Rather than waiting until our ship comes in or our day to shine arrives, do what we can with what we have and grow into a more prepared condition. Never despise small beginnings.

How we view ourselves is a significant factor in our development and progress. If we see ourselves as unworthy sinners, we give power to darkness to dominate our lives. If we see the Finished Work of Jesus and believe that we were crucified with Him and raised to newness of life by and in Him, we progress in the process and become!

Romans 6:5-14 is revelatory! In Christ we have been crucified. Our flesh no longer dominates us, unless we fail to understand the Cross and believe we are poor sinners even after He has cleansed and transformed us. That is an excuse and an insult to Christ! That devalues the Cross. The Cross opens the door to complete freedom.

The process of grace-to-grace must be embraced. Romans 6:21-23 is powerful and liberating.  We are Free from sin and Enslaved to God. That means His blood and grace sanctify us, and the result is eternal life! Romans 6:16-18 reminds us that if we allow sin to dominate, we enslave ourselves to that nature, but that is not who we are “if” we are in Christ.

Through obedience and faith, we are free from sin and enslaved to righteousness. What we focus on, we become. If you see yourself as a sinner, you will be dominated by that nature. If you see yourself Free in Jesus, you will find the strength to live in righteousness. Who are you?

LORD, help us to embrace the process and wait patiently for you to develop us to the place where we can fully live in the call you have given!

Exodus 12:12-113 – “I will pass through the land of Egypt in the same night, and I will attack all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of humans and of animals, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, so that when I see the blood I will pass over you, and this plague will not fall on you to destroy you when I attack the land of Egypt.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, certain aspects of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt captivated me.   In Exodus 12, the provision of life by the blood covering our house caused me to stop and think. God said, “When I see the blood, I will…”

I was reminded that nothing I could ever do would cleanse me or save me. Only the Blood!   Being a good or even moral and kind, benevolent person won’t save us.   It is Only the Blood of Jesus!   Once they left Egypt (Sinful Living), they had the cloud and fire with them perpetually. (Exodus 13-14).

The cloud was their guide in the light of day.  The fire was both a guide and protection in the darkness of the night.  (Exodus 13).   When the Egyptians closed in, the cloud shifted position.  It moved behind them. God is not only our guide but our rearguard.

In Exodus 17:6, there is a revelatory statement.  One I have overlooked previously.   It exploded in my heart as I read, “I will be standing before you there on the rock in Horeb, and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink.”

Think about the Cross.  The Father was standing there on Golgotha’s rock, and Jesus was struck.  From that sacrifice flows the water of life.  But never lose sight of the reality that the Father is there to ensure the completion of our redemption. He loves us that much.

I suggest that thought gives new emphasis and understanding to the Ten Commandments. These are not restrictive taboos but expressions of Love and invitations to fellowship. They are keys to liberty and freedom. They are planks in our wall of protection. They are weapons to silence the enemy. They are all realized as we grasp the power of desire! If we desire God with our entire being, He fills us so completely that nothing offered by the world or demanded by the flesh has any power.

God’s dealings with and providing for Israel give a foundation for confidence in Him and assurance of His dependability. Trust is the natural outflow!  Lord, help us to have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe! The old song, “I surrender all,” is ringing in my heart right now! Lord, we plead the Blood!  We desire to follow Your Cloud and rest in the Light of Your Fire!

LORD, help us to see and receive the Blood of Jesus!