Moses asked God for two things.
God said no to both.
Then Moses died.
Fifteen hundred years later, on a mountain in Galilee, God answered both prayers in front of three terrified fishermen.
Most Christians read this story every year and miss it completely.
Here is what they miss.
Prayer one. Moses asked to see God's face.
"And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live." (Exodus 33:20)
No.
Prayer two. Moses asked to cross into the Promised Land.
"Get thee up into the top of Pisgah... but thou shalt not go over this Jordan." (Deuteronomy 3:27)
No.
Moses dies on the mountain. Buried by God Himself. End of story.
Except it wasn't.
The Mount of Transfiguration. Christ pulls back the veil. His face shines as the sun. And who shows up standing next to Him?
Moses.
"And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him." (Matthew 17:3)
In the Promised Land. Looking at the face of God in the flesh.
Both prayers. Granted.
Not on Moses's timeline. Not through Moses's law. Through the Son.
The no was not rejection. It was redirection.
Every prayer God seems to deny, He is answering through Christ. The Mount of Transfiguration is the receipt.
The face. The land. The healing. The marriage. The vindication.
He is not closing the door.
He is telling you which door.
Through Christ. Or not at all.
Moses found out.
So will you.
Full piece on Substack ↓
[https://t.co/SVYsZfWNs9 link]
This Easter, I invite you to look at Jesus, consider what he said and did, and ask for yourself what I believe is the most important question you will ever answer: Did he really leave behind an empty tomb? And if he did, what does that mean for you?
This video was made possible and in collaboration with my friends at @ChildlikeMedia.
Americans with a purely secular view of life have too much to live with, and too little to live for. Everything is permitted and nothing is important.
- Os Guinness
The most manly guy in your community is not the dude flexing for YouTube or posting about masculinity. It’s the dad driving the minivan to church on Sunday. It’s the retired deacon helping a widow repair her house. It’s the man coach his kid’s soccer team.
You watch a preacher long enough, he will disappoint you.
You attend a church long enough, it will let you down in some way.
You serve in a ministry for some time, you will get hurt.
All of these are true but it does not mean you quit, get bitter or leave.
It does mean that you forgive, stay steadfast and focussed on Jesus.
Pray for your pastor. Be faithful in your local church. Serve others.
Important: When God says "Come now, and let us reason together" (Isa. 1:18), He is not opening negotiations with us.
Our choices are: be "willing and obey" and know blessing (v. 19), or "refuse and rebel" and be destroyed (v. 20).
Jesus in John 15:
"Abide in me...
Abide in me...
Abide in me...
Abide in me...
Abide in me."
Us (most of the time):
"OK, Jesus, but what do we *really* have to do?"
Jesus:
"Okay, let me start over again..."
Around the world Christians are persecuted, because they’re a part of the Church. Discomfort is expected & strengthens their faith.
In the U.S. people walk away from the Church, because our feelings get hurt. Discomfort shocks us & crushes our faith.
We have a lot to learn.
5 characteristics of God's love:
1. God's love is unconditional
(Rom. 5:8).
2. God's love is sacrificial
(John 15:13).
3. God's love is everlasting
(Jer. 31:3).
4. God's love is compassionate
(Psalm 103:8).
5. God's love is transformative
(1 John 3:1).
There's no software update to the gospel.
There's no version 2.0.
There's no call from God to improve the gospel,
change the gospel,
add to the gospel,
edit the gospel,
or overhaul the gospel.
We simply need to PRESERVE, protect, believe, love, and proclaim the gospel.
We don’t need republican or democratic agendas taught from the pulpit. We need a biblical worldview taught from the pulpit.
This will overlap with partisan political perspectives at times but it will be a coincidence and not a result forgetting what kingdom you serve.