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Be Strong and Courageous, 03MAR
We who lead must follow! Be not afraid – God goes before us.
Jesus – His name – His Word – His leadership calls us to follow. We can connect the dots between Old and New Testament teachings to find passages from BOTH which will shine the LIGHT on how we are to LIVE and to LOVE… When we follow our Leader, the Lord, we can see bible lessons come alive in our own lives – we can connect the Word to us in the world.
Throughout the Old Testament, we learn of human leaders who were crucial to others serving the Lord, their lives were prophetic and purposeful… Joshua (scripture text below) took over from Moses in a necessary progression of the Lord’s plan – Moses was a leader led by the Lord… Joshua continued… the Lord wants everyone to follow His command. All who lead must follow.
In fulfilling His Own plan, God sent Jesus at His appointed time. Jesus was and is a leader who walked the earth and also Jesus was/is fully God. Yes, even as God, Jesus was still led by and answered to the Lord, His Father. Jesus gave credit for every miracle to His Father – who is Our Father too. Jesus always looked to Our Father for guidance, we should too… When earthly Jesus left His disciples 40 days after His Resurrection, He told of the Holy Spirit continuing to lead them – this is the ultimate Heavenly guidance – for them and for us. Jesus asks us to follow God’s command… The Holy Spirit will allow us to follow thru. Jesus said: we are not alone – the Holy Spirit will always guide us…
We are God’s chosen people, led by the Lord, instructed by Jesus, moved by the Holy Spirit… we ourselves must be courageous… we then serve as examples, using our lives, to lead the others who see our actions. Whether people understand the Lord’s system or not, we are still called to be leaders in our own communities because of our chosen status – our skills are our equipment for serving the Lord – He does not call the equipped, He equips the called!
Often leading means we are called to drop our pride, reduce our own worldly ambitions and agendas, and acknowledge His… This is best accomplished by praying, knowing His Love and Loving His children.
If Ash Wednesday reminds us that from ashes we came and to ashes we will return – then how important it must be for us to be the SPARK burning bright for the Lord right now, in between our ashes stages. If we fuel our faith, our faith will fuel us.
Jesus kept moving forward towards His death, instructing as He went, therefore we can move forward towards LIFE, living within His plan. Even the leaders like Moses, Joshua, and especially Jesus followed God’s plan… we can too.
Be Courageous – Listen – Keep Moving – Lead the way by learning to follow…
Amen
Be Not Afraid
Old Testament
Joshua Installed as Leader
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
10 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 11 “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.’”
12 But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said,13 “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them 15 until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey it, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!”
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New Testament
John 14:15-31 (NIV)
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
15 “If you love me, keep my commands.16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you.26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
“Come now; let us leave.”
Debbie Upper 