Exodus 13:18 – “But God led the people by the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I saw a progression that encouraged and enlightened me.   In Exodus 12, as Israel was preparing for their deliverance and exodus from bondage, the ceremony of the Blood was revelatory.

The blood of atonement and protection (grace) was applied, marking the house as a safe zone, a place of safety.  The blood saved them from destruction.   To enjoy that safety and security, they had to stay in the house.  Outside, the blood was death; inside, it was life.  This is a picture of salvation and the Christian life.

Salvation is the beginning, the first step, not the whole picture.   They had to go out of Egypt and be trained in the wilderness.  A very interesting statement is found in Exodus 13:18, “They went up ARMED!”    They had been in bondage with no opportunity or training for war.  However, they left Egypt ARMED!    

As they left bondage, they had the equipment but not the training to use it.   That would be part of their development in the wilderness.   At salvation, all the weapons are available, but we do not know how to use them.   We need to be trained!

They had been set free by God’s supernatural power.    They were armed but still did not know who they were by knowing the God to whom they belonged!

Exodus 14:10 – “And when Pharaoh drew near (in the wilderness), the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and saw the Egyptians marching after them; and they were terribly afraid, and the children of Israel prayed before the LORD.”

They saw (their focus was on) the enemy.  They feared, and they prayed before the LORD.   Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but their focus produced fear and controlled them.   They saw the Egyptians as a threat, failing to remember God’s deliverance. 

They prayed before the LORD.    They did not simply pray to, but before the LORD.    Ritualistic praying does not produce faith but is a seedbed for doubt.   We need to fill out hearts and minds with Who God is.  We then pray to Him!

God said something to Israel through Moses that He is saying to us.  Exodus 14:15 – And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you pray before Me?  Tell the children of Israel to go forward…”

Sometimes, we pray for God to do something when He is telling us to do it.  He won’t do for us what He has commanded us to do.  He gives us the grace, which includes the equipment and ability, and sends His presence before us to enable us.  Yet, we cry, “LORD, do it for us!”  He says, “You do it!”

We have been redeemed by the Blood of Jesus, armed by the Grace of God, empowered by the Spirit of God, and commissioned to do it, so let’s do it!

Hebrews 13:8 – “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever!”  

Nothing is impossible for God, and we are in Him, so nothing is impossible for us.  He is saying – JUST DO IT!

Lord, train our hands for war, teach us to use the weapons of warfare You have given!

Exodus 3:2 – “The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from within a bush. He looked, and the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed!”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I heard a captivating and challenging question in my heart.   “Who is God?”   As I read in Exodus about the encounter of Moses at the burning bush, the question came.    It was expanded as I meditated. “Who is God to you?” That personalized it powerfully.   It reminded me of Jesus’s question and Peter’s response to the disciples.

In Exodus 3:2, an angel of God appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in the bush.   Fire in the desert would consume and reduce to ashes all it touched.   The fire of God illuminates but does not destroy the obedient.

God called Moses and commissioned him with a gargantuan task—to deliver Israel.   Moses asked, “What is the name of the one by whom I am sent? What name do I tell the people?”   They believed in the God of Abraham.   People today believe in the God of the Bible, at least as a concept.

In Exodus 3:14, in the Aramaic to English translation, God’s answer to Moses was, “I am AHIAH ASHAR HIGH (that is, THE LIVING GOD); and He said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel: AHIAH has sent me to you.”

That’s where I was challenged.  Who is God to me?   Is He truly THE LIVING GOD living in me, operating through me, and being my All, or is He a concept or theory that I profess belief in but without the manifestation of His power?

Moses tried diligently to convince God that he (Moses) was inadequate for the task.   That was one of the reasons God could use him.   He was not filled with his own importance but dependent upon God.   Moses left that encounter having been transformed from believing in the historical God of his ancestors to a faith in THE LIVING GOD experientially.   That transformation is necessary for us to become who He says we are.

The question is, “Who is God? Who is God to us personally?”     Is He THE LIVING GOD? Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that Jesus is eternally the same.   We also read that He resides in our hearts by faith.   We read that the life we now live in the flesh we live by, with, and through the Son of God. Christ in us… Christ through us… Christ with us…

THE LIVING GOD waits to be THE GOD WHO LIVES to us so that He can be THE LIVING GOD through us.

Are you tired of being defeated by the devil?   Then, let the Holy Spirit open the eyes of your heart to see Him as AHIAH ASHAR HIGH – The Living God!    The Living God is undefeatable, and those in Him are undefeatable. Who is God to you?

May the God Who is and Who Lives be the Living God to you!

Titus 1:15-16 – “All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted. ¹⁶ They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, genuineness became my focus. Immediately, my thoughts went to numerous places in Scripture that depict genuineness and its lack.

As I read Titus 1, Paul gave instructions and warnings to his son in the faith.   In vv. 15-16, he says, “To the pure, all things are pure…”   We could stop there and find a challenge so great it would consume our focus for a lifetime.   How do we see people and life?   Our view of others, events, and things is filtered through our view of God and the condition of our hearts.

He continued, “But nothing is pure to those who are defiled and faithless; even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but in works, they deny Him, and they are abominable and disobedient, condemning every good work.”

Here is what exploded in my heart and mind: “Profession is not Possession.”    Romans 1:18-25 speaks directly to the idea of genuineness.   In v.22 – “And while they thought within themselves that they were wise, they became fools.”

The Pharisees professed their faith, but their lives revealed a lack of genuineness.   Profession but not possession.  If our actions and attitudes are contrary to the faith we profess, we demonstrate a lack of genuineness. 

Sadly, too many are like those Jesus spoke to in Matthew 25, as He contrasted the genuine, proven by fruit, with the insincere, proven by fruit.  Words without action are like rain on a tin roof, just noise!   Just going to church, being a member, and doing stuff doesn’t make one a Christian any more than being born in a garage makes one a car.   

Love is a verb requiring action to evidence it.   Faith requires action to evidence it.   For the Profession of Christ to be transformational requires a changed heart, and a changed heart changes the actions and attitude.

Profession is not Possession!   It is not those who say, Lord, Lord, that will be received, but those who do God’s will.   Possession is professed in words and deeds.

My prayer for you and me is, “LORD, help us to know You experientially and transformationally. Change us from the inside so that we possess what we profess and that it is evidenced by our fruit!”

I want to possess what I profess!   Help me be quick to hear and quick to respond to You.   Please help me be pure in thought, word, and deed.

Let us live our lives viewing life through the Filter of God’s Word and Love!

Titus 1:15-16 – “All is pure to those who are pure. But to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their minds and consciences are corrupted. ¹⁶ They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, genuineness became my focus. Immediately, my thoughts went to numerous places in Scripture that depict genuineness and its lack.

As I read Titus 1, Paul gave instructions and warnings to his son in the faith.   In vv. 15-16, he says, “To the pure, all things are pure…”   We could stop there and find a challenge so great it would consume our focus for a lifetime.   How do we see people and life?   Our view of others, events, and things is filtered through our view of God and the condition of our hearts.

He continued, “But nothing is pure to those who are defiled and faithless; even their mind and conscience is defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but in works, they deny Him, and they are abominable and disobedient, condemning every good work.”

Here is what exploded in my heart and mind: “Profession is not Possession.”    Romans 1:18-25 speaks directly to the idea of genuineness.   In v.22 – “And while they thought within themselves that they were wise, they became fools.”

The Pharisees professed their faith, but their lives revealed a lack of genuineness.   Profession but not possession.  If our actions and attitudes are contrary to the faith we profess, we demonstrate a lack of genuineness. 

Sadly, too many are like those Jesus spoke to in Matthew 25, as He contrasted the genuine, proven by fruit, with the insincere, proven by fruit.  Words without action are like rain on a tin roof, just noise!   Just going to church, being a member, and doing stuff doesn’t make one a Christian any more than being born in a garage makes one a car.   

Love is a verb requiring action to evidence it.   Faith requires action to evidence it.   For the Profession of Christ to be transformational requires a changed heart, and a changed heart changes the actions and attitude.

Profession is not Possession!   It is not those who say, Lord, Lord, that will be received, but those who do God’s will.   Possession is professed in words and deeds.

My prayer for you and me is, “LORD, help us to know You experientially and transformationally. Change us from the inside so that we possess what we profess and that it is evidenced by our fruit!”

I want to possess what I profess!   Help me be quick to hear and quick to respond to You. Please help me be pure in thought, word, and deed.

Let us live our lives viewing life through the Filter of God’s Word and Love!

Genesis 39:2 – “And the LORD was with Joseph…”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, my focus was drawn to the story of Joseph. His life can be viewed as a progression of faith and maturity. God revealed Joseph’s destiny while he was a teenager. His dream became a thorn in his brother’s side.

He was sold by his brothers as a slave.  His dream appeared dead.  He had been treated treacherously by his own brothers.   He was purchased like an inanimate object or a subhuman creature.  He was suffering the ultimate devaluation.  His dream seemed impossible.

Then, in Genesis 39:2, we read, “And the LORD was with Joseph…”   That is ironic!  He had been abandoned by his family, sold into slavery, his dream was dead, and we hear, “And the LORD was with Joseph…”   You could have fooled me.  If we consider his visible situation, it would appear that God had abandoned him, rather than being with him.

The evidence of God’s presence became visible.   He was promoted by his owner.   THEN, the owner’s wife tried to seduce him, then lied about him.   He was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit.

In Genesis 39:21, we read again, “But the LORD was with Joseph…”   Wow!   On the surface, it would appear that he might want to say, “LORD, if this is being with me, please stop.”   But he was elevated to a position of favor in prison.   Favor, but the dream was nowhere in sight. His situation has worsened.   He was farther from fulfillment than ever as far as the natural mind could comprehend.

Then, he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream and was elevated to a position equivalent to Prime Minister.  He saved his family and preserved the Messianic line. The LORD was with him!

In life, we progress through obstacles and difficulties, wrestle with God as Jacob, and overcome hate and the thirst for retaliation. If we embrace God with us, we become who we must become to fulfill our destiny.    We would never have heard from him again if Joseph failed any of those trials or tests.  The devil would have won a significant victory.

Each of us has a divine destiny.   To reach that destiny, we have to navigate the troubled waters of tests, trials, and temptations.   Fail, and we either make another lap around the mountain or relinquish our dream and embrace the misery of failure.

Joseph embraced the truth, “God is with me.”   He believed the dream, trusted God’s promises, and persevered. He fulfilled his purpose, and we can, too!   An old preacher said, “God can pull you through anything, if you can stand the pull.”

When the LORD is with you, you succeed!  

Genesis 22:1-2  – “Some time after these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham replied. ² God said, “Take your son—your only son, whom you love, Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah! Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you.”

I believe that Isaac is a type of Christ.   When the angel directed Abraham to offer Isaac, the angel said in Genesis 22:2, “Take your son, your ONLY son Isaac…”   He was directed to go to the mountain to sacrifice him.    Preparation was made, and on the third day, he saw the mountain and said to his servants, in verse 5, “The boy and I will go there and worship and return to you.”

In Genesis 25:5, we read that Abraham gave everything to Isaac.   The Father has put all in the hands of Jesus.    Later, when Isaac obeyed God and stayed the course God had chosen, he was blessed.   But something leaped out at me as I read the account.

The Philistines had polluted the wells of Abraham.  The Pharisees had polluted the wells (teachings) of Abraham.   Isaac’s servants dug new wells, and the herdsmen of Gadar quarreled with them, claiming the wells.

The well was named Aska (difficulty).   They dug another well, and the same thing occurred.    They called the well Satana (adversary).   They moved on and dug another well, and there was no quarrel.   The name of the well was Rehoboth (to enlarge).

In Christ, we face difficulty; we have to battle with the adversary before coming to the place of enlargement.   We do not get to Rehoboth without difficulty and battle.  But if we persist, we reach the place of promise.

Jacob, a picture of the victorious Church, received the blessing of Isaac. But to obtain, inherit, and possess that promise, he faced difficulty battling the adversary.   He wrestled with God, changing his nature to obtain His promise and be Israel (a prince with God) rather than Jacob (a flesh-driven man).

Stay the course, persist, and you will receive your inheritance promise from God. It is more than getting to heaven someday; it is Victory now!  1 Thessalonians 5:15-24 gives a pattern and a key to victorious living.     Pursue sound doctrine (truth). Bear one another’s burdens, strengthening the weak, encouraging, and patient.

Do not retaliate and give tit for tat.   Let Joy flow from deep inside.   Pray continuously with thankfulness.   Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, listen to the prophetic voice, proving or testing everything by the Word.   Stand unwaveringly for truth and good, avoiding all appearance of evil.

The result is that God’s sanctification and peace will preserve you until Jesus returns.  Life is not easy, but on the other side of difficulty is enlargement (the place of promise).   1 Thessalonians 5:24 – “Faithful is He who has called you, and He will keep His Word.”   Difficulty, Adversity, and Enlargement.   Don’t stop short of the victory.

May your day be one of perfect peace because you are fully trusting in Jesus and rolling all your care on Him!