Moses- Part 3

“And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.  They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ “And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.” 

But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, with evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’! Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’ “And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.” 

Exodus 32:7-14

Good morning, as we take a look at this scripture we understand why this conversation took place between God and Moses. God had just delivered Israel from Egypt, they had crossed the Red Sea and took up camp near Mount Sinai, where Moses would then go up for 40 days and spend time with God. While Moses was up on the mountain he received the 10 commandments. During this same time the people of Israel grew weary and tired of waiting.  They asked Aaron to build them a god to worship, so Aaron built them a golden calf. This is what led to the anger of God towards His chosen people.

As I look at this scripture I see two things, the first one is how impatient we are as humans. And believe me, we have gotten worse over the years.  Our society now is an ASAP society (as soon as possible), our daily lives are this way and so is, many times, our faith. They grew impatient on waiting for God. Now let’s stop and think about where we have seen it in our own lives.  Much of the sin that we get involved in or tangled up in is not because of the enemy, but rather our impatience and us. 

Now let’s look at the second part, we find Moses pleading with God. When I see this, I see our Savior standing at the right hand of God the Father pleading our case, pleading for God’s mercy on us when we grow impatient.  I see the Jesus saying “I took their punishment; I took the cross for them.”  I you keep reading further in Exodus, you see how frustrated and angry Moses got. I personally believe Moses was brokenhearted.  Wouldn’t you be? He just pleaded with God to save them and not kill them and he comes down from the mountain to find them dancing, singing, and worshiping a golden calf (an Idol). It makes me stop and think how often we break our Lord’s heart when he pleads before the Father on our behalf, and looks at what a mess our lives are. 

Be patient in your walk with God. Trust in Him.  May the cross be on your mind continually, and may you remember what was done for you.  Why we are even able to go up to heaven.  The only way we have ever lasting life is because of what Jesus did on the cross for us. 

Let us pray: Dear Father, I just want to thank you for everything in my life Lord.  I want to apologize and ask for forgiveness for my impatience when it comes to serving You. Lord give me strength to trust in You and wait upon Your word and guidance. Father let everything I do bring glory to the Kingdom, let it glorify Your name. Help me remember the cross and what Your Son has done for me. In Jesus name. Amen.

David Wiggins

Youth Pastor

www.nbcornerstone.com

Moses- Part 2

“And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh King of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly.” Exodus 14:8

Good morning, let’s first look at where we are so far in the story of Moses. At this point the 10 plagues have already taken place, and Pharaoh has just given the Israelites their freedom. Now, God has decided to harden Pharaoh’s heart and have him attack the Israelites. It is interesting to look at, why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart? I personally believe there are two reasons, and both these reasons go together. The first reason I would like to mention is God was punishing the Egyptians for keeping the Israelites in slavery. The second reason I believe this happened was so that God could give His people a deeper look into who He is. God showed His people that not only will He deliver them from captivity but He will punish those who held them in captivity.

Let us look on how we can relate this to our lives today. Often it seems like we are in a constant battle. I am always in counsel with young Christian men who want to take matters into their own hands and want to take revenge on those who wronged them instead of forgiving and letting God take control. 

“Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.” 

Deuteronomy 32:25 

We must remember that vengeance is God’s. We didn’t see the Israelites after being freed go and attack the Egyptians. No, they moved on and followed where God led them. It is time to stop letting our anger control us. It’s time to show love and let God take control. I believe if we do that, if we start showing love and allow God to take over, we will see His love for us more. We will see and understand God more.

Let us pray, dear father allow me to show your love to everyone even those who wrong me. Allow me to put all my trust in You, and learn to follow You further.

David Wiggins

Youth Pastor

www.nbcornerstone.com

Moses- Part 1

“And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”” Numbers 14:4

Good morning, let us take a deeper look into this morning’s scripture. At this point the Israelites are tired, they have been freed from bondage and they have been wondering around in the desert but not too long because this scripture was in response to the bad report they received about who controlled the promise land. The people were then scared and felt it better to return to Egypt and to slavery than to take the land as God had commanded them to do.  It was because of this act that they were stuck wondering around the desert for 40 years. 

I will not be talking about how we need to follow God’s instructions no matter how impossible they seem. Even though that is a point we should look at. But instead I want took look at what happens to many Christians through their walk. Many times during our walk we get discouraged and we want to go back to our Egypt. We want to return to our former lives and become slaves again to sin.  We see this happen more than once with the Israelites during their long 40 year walk in the wilderness. Instead of focusing on the things God has provided for them, the miracles God made to make them free, they focus and complain on the small things and the issues at hand. We need to get to the point where our walk with God is not focused on the bad things in our lives but rather our walk should be based on giving God praise, glory, and honor for the bondage he delivered us from. We need to leave the past back in Egypt and move free in God and trust in God. And when He commands us, we listen and we follow.  

I heard it said once that when you come to crossroads in your life that is when you make the decisions that will affect you forever. There are many who are at a crossroad in their walks with Christ right now they are at the point where it would be easy for them to return to the land of Egypt to their old lives their lives of sin. I just recently found out of a young man who was walking with Christ, a young man that I personally know, who has decided to give his walk up with the Lord to return to his old life of sin. So I want to encourage anyone right now who is at this crossroad in life, where they are struggling to the point where they would rather go back to their Egypt than to continue their walk with God. Though it may be tough and it may be a long road, stay strong, trust in God, the promise land is far better than living as a slave in Egypt.

Let us pray, Dear Father we come to you in prayer this morning asking you to give us strength to fight the battle, to give us strength to move on with our walk with Christ.  In Jesus name Amen. 

David Wiggins

Youth Pastor

www.nbcornerstone.com

I'm On Vacation... -Part 5

This is it!  The last day of my Vacation is coming to an end.

WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

Time is so fleeting. The days just fly by.

Life is like that. Here today and gone tomorrow.

The brother of Jesus wrote about this in James 4:13-15.

¹³ Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— ¹⁴ yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

What is it that the Lord wills us to do?

Let’s read James 1:26-27.

²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: ‘to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.’

After all, what is it that God does all the time in His holy dwelling?

Psalm 68:5-6

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

And by the way be sure to work in cooperation with your Christian brothers and sisters as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22.

¹² We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³ and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle,^[c] encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. ¹⁵ See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast what is good. ²² Abstain from every form of evil.

At the end of your days Jesus will ask you what you did during your short time on earth.

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,^[f] you did it to me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Oh My God! My Heavenly Father!

Please show me your will.  I want and need to do the things that you want me to do.

Give me strength and the knowledge to do those things in your Holy Name.  Amen

Cdr. Myron Burrows

Royal Rangers Leader

www.nbcornerstone.com

I'm On Vacation...- Part 4

It’s the fourth day of my Vacation and last night I decided to sleep-in this morning. 

Then early this morning it happened!

My eyes popped open and I sat up in bed, wide awake with a start.

A terrifying thought had just crossed my mind.

IS GOD ASLEEP?

With nervous anxiety I reached for my I-Phone and thumbed in the Bible app; “Does God Sleep?”

Within seconds, there it was, much to my relief, the answer to the question.

Psalm 121:2-4

² My help comes from the Lord,
 the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
 he who watches over you will not slumber;


⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
 will neither slumber nor sleep.

Thank you Lord for watching over me.

I Love You.

Your servant prays in the Holy Name of Jesus.

Amen.

Cdr. Myron Burrows

Royal Ranger Leader

www.nbcornerstone.com

I'm On Vacation...- Part 3

I was reading His Holy word today and this passage jumped out at me.

Isaiah 45: 20-23

²⁰ “Assemble yourselves and come; 
draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
 They have no knowledge
 who carry about their wooden idols,
 and keep on praying to a god 
that cannot save.
²¹ Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! 
Who told this long ago? 
Who declared it of old? 
Was it not I, the Lord?
 And there is no other god besides me, 
a righteous God and a Savior; 
there is none besides me.

²² “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
²³ By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return: 
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.'

I am speechless. He has said it all!

Dear Savior,

Help me to fully understand what I just read.

Send me to those whom you want me to “Declare and present your case.”

I love you, God.

Amen

Cdr. Myron Burrows

Royal Rangers Leaders

www.nbcornerstone.com

I'm On Vacation...- Part 2

In our last devotion we discovered that God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Now, Let’s put the shoe on the other foot.  Your Foot.

When God calls you what does He hear?   “I'm on Vacation.  Leave a message at the beep.”

Do we get so busy with our play that we forget to pray?

We must remember that when we are on Vacation we are out of our normal environment and we are exposing ourselves and our loved ones to a lot more danger than we realize.

This is when we really need God’s protection and yet we forget to ask.

We not only overlook our own need for God help and love, but we get so distracted with our play that we overlook the needs others have for God.

Let’s make an all-out effort to put God first in everything we do on our Vacation.  After all, He is on Vacation with us.  Isn’t He?

Here are some things that you may do on your Vacation to help you to not forget your Lord.

Hold family devotions in the morning at breakfast.  John 13:34-35

Visit a soup kitchen, or mission, or homeless shelter in the town you are visiting.  Matthew 25:31-46

Give thanks at every meal including at the restaurant.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Thank you Lord, for Your Divine Protection.

Lead us each day in the way You want us to go while we are on Vacation together. Amen.

Cdr. Myron Burrows

Royal Rangers Leader

www.nbcornerstone.com

I'm On Vacation...- Part 1

Oh Yes, summer is here and it is time to take a family vacation. 

Hmmm. Let’s see.  Where should we go?

We could go to the beach or we could go to the mountains.

We could go to Disneyland or Bush Gardens.

We could even go visit Great Grandmother.

Decisions, decisions, this vacation thing can be quite taxing.

Have you ever wondered, “Does God leave on Vacation?”

Sometimes, when we pray, we feel God is not answering our prayers.  There is just silence.

There is not even a voice mail telling us to, “Leave a message at the beep.”

But God gave us words of reassurance in Deuteronomy 31: 6 and 8, Joshua 1: 5, and Hebrews 13:5 when he has said,

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

God will be with you no matter where your vacation plans take you.  Just be sure to keep praying.

If you find that silence again, you know it is probably the way we pray that causes the silence.

Try praying the words in Psalm 51:10-12

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, 
 and renew a right spirit within me.
¹¹ Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Cdr. Myron Burrows

Royal Rangers Leader

www.nbcornerstone.com

Refocus- Part 5

Paul wrote in Romans 3:10.

¹⁰ as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

Read Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1

Paul wrote in Romans 3:23.

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Paul wrote in Romans 5:8.

⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God made the first move by focusing His Love toward us.

Paul also wrote in Romans 6:23.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So how do we refocus our minds to receive this free gift?

We should start by praying to the Lord Christ Jesus.

Paul wrote in Romans 10:13.

¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Paul wrote in Romans 10:9.

⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We must renew or refocus our minds.  How do we do that?  We do it by praying unceasingly, by reading and studying God’s Holy Word and by witnessing to all mankind.  By training our minds to think of Jesus we allow God to refocus our lives.

We do not, by ourselves, have the ability to refocus our lives to a Godly or moral standard.  We fall far short of that mark, but there is one who can refocus our lives, if we let Him.

Paul wrote in Titus 3:4-6.

“ ⁴ But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

This pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit gives us the ability and power to live our lives for the Lord Christ Jesus.

Read Acts 1:8.

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

There it is again.  We refocus by witnessing to all mankind.  Wow, is that not the Great Commission?

Read Matthew 28:19-20.

¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Oh Gracious Heavenly Father,

Thank You for loving me and giving you Son as a ransom to pay for my sins that I may live with You forever.

I Love You, God!

I praise Your Holy Name, Amen.

Cdr. Myron Burrows

Royal Rangers Leader

www.nbcornerstone.com