Dr. Oscar T. Moses

MHMBCOC

May 12, 2019

Matthew 20:20-23

 

Context

In this passage Jesus reminded the disciples of His death burial and resurrection. There is a theme that reoccurs pertaining to the kingdom. The kingdom of God was one of Jesus’ most talked about topics, but it’s hardly a well-grasped concept for believers today. If you asked a group of people to define it, you would probably get a variety of answers. “The Kingdom of God transcends time and space.” It is Gods will in heaven being fulfilled in the hearts of men on earth. “Kingdom” means that there is a King somewhere. The Kingdom of God is where His subjects acquiesce to the will, way, word and wishes of God. It is a place where there is peace, love joy and happiness.

All of the talk about the future kingdom excited the disciples. Immediately, they began “bucking” for position in the future world to come. In Chapter 18 they began inquiring to Jesus about who would be the “greatest in the kingdom”?

In chapter 20, all of the talk about the kingdom and God’s throne became a promotional perk for the disciples. They wanted to be their, in plush position, because they were with Jesus when he got His mission off of the ground. They wanted preferential treatment. They wanted status and prestige. This is how we enter into this text. The disciples wanted fame and notability so much that they would go through great lengths to get it. Some scholars believe that this text is two brothers exploiting their mother as a pawn to gain leverage on their eternal reward. So much so, that they would use their mother to help their eternal influence.

Tell me what you think.  All of this talk about the future glory of the kingdomwas enough to make the disciples ecstatic, so much so that they would engage their mother, as a means of influence to give them status. I tell you, a mother’s love goes a long way!

I have seen mothers lie for their kids, pay money for their kids, end marriages for their kids…. Momma will even put her life and reputation on the line for her kids. Such was the case in our text.

Jesus had been talking about the kingdom, it’s splendor and its prestige and His time of death was drawing near. Imagination suggests, that two of his disciples, James and John had ambition to have seats of honor in the kingdom. One wanted to be Vice-President and the other wanted to be Secretary of State. So pehaps they put their momma up to the arduous task of trying to persuade Jesus on their behalf. Are we clear? So by the time of the text they have already expressed to their momma their hearts desire and any good momma wanted the best for her kids. Lets Fast forward.

As Jesus and the 12 made their way up to Jerusalem, Jesus once again reminded the disciples that he would be severely persecuted, killed, buried but on the third day He would be resurrected from the dead. It was about that time that the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, brought them to Jesus, worshipping himand respectfully asked a favor. Her name is Salome. Jesus asked her, “What is your request?” She said without blinking, “Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand.” Jesus responded, “You have no idea what you’re asking.” And he said to James and John, “Are you capable of drinking the cup that I’m about to drink?” They said, “Sure, why not?” Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. My Father is taking care of that.”

In the earlier part of this chapter Jesus had just taught the disciples that heaven is Gods business… and here comes James and Johns mother asking Jesus for seating privileges. Before we get down on Salome let’s look at the good qualities about her.

Her Demonstration

Number one, verse 20 says she came to Jesus with her sons and worshipped Him. She was a mother that understood that Jesus was worthy of worship. Mothers there should be times when your child sees that you have a relationship with God. They should see you praying sometimes. Salome demonstrated worship before the Lord but she also demonstrates worship before her children. This mother had no problem with worshipping Jesus while her children saw her. You wonder why church is so dry and cold sometimes? Not enough mothers worshipping in front of their children and therefore, the children think that worship is strange. They need to see the visibility of your faith in Jesus. The lesson today is… your children will deem important what you deem important. If prayer, bible study, coming to church, honoring Godly leadership, and praising God is not important to you; it will not be important to them. How you act in front of your child is an investment. I’m tired if seeing mothers out in the street with head rags and shower caps on with skin tight stretch pants so tight you can see every dimple in their behinds, smoking a blunt and cursing like a sailor. You wonder why youth have no respect today? It’s because a childs first teacher is their parents.

The Expectation

            She desired something from the Lord and Jesus asked her, “What do you want?” Her desire (EXPECTATION) was that her sons would be elevated when they got to the kingdom. She wanted them to have a place of honor in the kingdom. Every mother should want her child to be close to Jesus.

The Discussion

A discussion began. Jesus turned to the sons and asked them,“Can you drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”They responded, “We can do that.”They had no idea that they could not withstand one drop of what was in Jesus’ cup. All the sins of the world were in that cup. He concluded this passage by saying, “Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business. My Father is taking care of that.” They both would suffer before they got to the kingdom but their suffering would pale in comparison to Jesus’ suffering. James would be killed and John would be banished to a lonely island. God has the final say as to who will sit by Jesus.

The point is she wanted the best eternity for her children. She loved them beyond the grave. There is some mother here today or mother figure. This passage teaches us how a mother makes an investment in her child.

The question is; What is a good investment for a parent to make for their child; stocks and bonds, top schools of academia; Ivy League or the sophisticated “Black Bourgeoisie” HBCU’s? What about piano lessons, dance lessons, or art lessons that can assist in future career choices; or a 529 plan that helps college students pay off tuition debt or braces to invest in a beautiful smile. Most good parents want the best investment for their children. An investment is made with the idea of a positive future return. You don’t get the benefit of an investment now but you get it later. An investment does not benefit you right away but one day it pays off.

I have seen little babies with diamonds, $200.00 gym shoes, wearing Gucci, Prada and other name brand items but that’s not an investment; that’s an asinine expense. My point this morning is this: Every investment mentioned heretofore and some not mentioned will do a child good as long as they are alive but when they are dead none of those assets will matter; no amount of money, education, skill training or business smarts will matter when the child is dead. The only investment a parent can make that matters after death is salvation.

The question for mother’s today is do you love your child beyond the grave because if you do you would be willing to invest in your child’s salvation. What we need today are godly mothers that love their children beyond the grave; that will not just love their children to death but will love them to eternal life.

Here’s the walk away points.

1. Mothers Don’t Hide Your Faith (Demonstration)– (Don’t be ashamed to worship). Her Faith in Jesus Was Visible:Salome had a relationship with Jesus that was transparent. She worshipped Jesus.
2. Have Eternal Expectations for Your Children (Expectations)– There was a time when mother’s had higher expectations for their children concerning their relationship with Christ. I came from a generation where church was not an option it was mandatory. I came from a generation where parents told their children who Jesus was in hopes that they would establish a relationship with them. Even when I went off to college, no matter how late I burned the midnight oil, I could not sleep on Sunday mornings comfortably because my mother expected for me to get up and tell the Lord “thank you” in the House of the Lord not by watching a television program or Facebook.
3. Love Them Beyond the Grave (Motivation)– She may have been out of line but she was concerned about their eternity. Her love motivated her to want them to get to heaven. Eternal love is sacrificial love. She did not ask for her seat but for her children -– Mother loved them even though they might have urged her to make the request to come before Jesus and just ask; even though they were egotistical, self centered, arrogant. She loved them even when no one else could stand them. This momma demonstrates that she has some interest in her children’s eternal security. What a tragedy it would be for momma to get to heaven and not see her children! She has compassion. (I want to leave the text for a minute with a casual caveat.)  Compassion does not erase Correction.As a matter of fact they go hand in hand. There are some mothers that raise their daughters and love their sons. If you really love your child you must correct them when they are wrong. I come from the school where my mother said, “Wherever you show out I’m going to let you have it right there.”Proverbs 13:24says, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”

Why does this matter? Because…

Your Life’s Demonstration Influences Your Childs Eternal Destination

Don’t miss calvary in this text. Jesus’s death was a demonstrationof love. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that we may have eternal life. We don’t deserve it. Its because of the grace of God. Calvary brought with it expectations.It brought us the hope of holding on in hard times. Calvary brought with it motivation.Jesus loved us beyond the grave. He rose on the third day morning with all power in His hands and because He got up one day we will get up too. Mother, one day we will sit in heavenly places. You don’t have to worry about whether your child sits on the right our left. Here it is! Make sure you get in and your children get in. If you get there before they do tell them don’t look for you on the right or left, that’s up to God.

 

In Him!

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

 

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

December 13, 2018

WHAT SHOULD THE LONELY DO AT CHRISTMAS?

Matthew 1:18-25

God is with us!

During this time of year you can find more lonely people than ever. Loneliness can stem from many things and can be triggered by overdrinking, overeating, overspending and from being in over demand. It has been clinically proven that loneliness does not just make one sick but it can be deadly. People without adequate social interaction can die prematurely. Loneliness impairs immune function and boost inflammation, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, arthritis and heart disease. Loneliness has doubled in recent years: 40 % of adults in 2 surveys said they were lonely. Up from 20% in 1980.  The Gallup Polls says that loneliness affects a third of the population and psychologist say that the figure is steadily on the rise. Loneliness can be one of those symptoms that if we leave unchecked can be deadly. The problem of loneliness arises because we don’t know how to treat it. When we feel hungry we eat. When we feel sleepy we lie down. If you break a bone you can treat that but how do you treat loneliness?

John Cacioppo, in talking about the Lethality of Loneliness,said that we don’t realize is that air pollution increases your chances of dying prematurely by 5%. Obesity increases your chances pf dying prematurely by 20%. Alcohol increases your chances of dying prematurely by 30% but living with loneliness increases your chances of dying by 45%.

It is not unusual for someone to be in a crowd and feel like the only person on earth. However, I have discovered that the true experts on loneliness are not the psychologist, census takers or the Gallup polls; they are the people that we meet each day that we sit next to in church, ride next to on busses, work with on our jobs and live in our homes.

There are a lot of lonely people in the world that feel as though they have no one. One of the loneliest times of the year is Christmas. However, for the Christian, this is the time of year that we reflect on the greatest gift given to the world; God is with us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became like us so we would not have to make this pilgrimage alone.

Matthew 1:23: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

The Christian has the assurance of God’s Presence in times when loneliness surfaces.

What should the lonely do at Christmas?

1. Reflect Within: -Deep reflection within musters a conversation with one’s soul. Psalm 42:1-3 (KJV) – As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? Reflection on God’s grace from your past can bring a sense of assurance of God’s never parting presence.
2.  Look Up: When horizontal relationships fail you the vertical relationship will fulfill you. Psalm 121:1-2 (KJV) – I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. One’s prayer life becomes crucial during times of loneliness. Prayer is a privilege given to us by God that strengthens our relationship with Him and restores us on a daily basis. One hymnologist reminds us of the friend we have in Jesus and “what needless pains we bare” when we do not pray.
3. Reach Out: Your interaction with other people becomes the catalyst to combat loneliness. Resist the urge to cocoon yourself and cut off human interaction. Helps someone that needs your help and that gesture of kindness will take the attention off of you. “Help somebody and you will help yourself.” Isaiah 58:10 (KJV) – And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: Reaching out may challenge you to come out of your comfort zone but the effort and results are worth the challenge. Be certain to surround yourself with positive people who can affirm the presence of Christ in all believers. Finally, never forget that God is With Us!

Wishing you and your family a blessed and Merry CHRISTmas,

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

 

4 Steps To Living Above Your Haters”

1 Samuel 10:26-27

Stop trying to convince people that you are good enough and worthy of their friendship. Focus on the people that God has blessed you with that can affirm you. In life there are some people that are not able to celebrate your success; they hate it or tolerate it.

Such was the case with a young King Saul. He discovered the annointing of God did not come without resistance from “some” people. Saul was annointed by God to be the first king of Israel. On the day of his inaugaration the prophet Samuel publicly affirmed the young king: 1 Samuel 10:24 – “Look at Saul whom God has chosen. He is the best in the country.” When Samuel said this, “some” of the people began “celebrate” and others began to “hate”.

Isn’t that just like life? There are some people who just can’t bring themselves to say, “Congratulations” or “I am happy for you” but they can point out everthing they feel is wrong with you. But don’t miss this! When God annointed Saul King He immediately placed people in his life whom verse 26 says whose hearts God had touched. These were not soldiers but “friends” who just “loved them some Saul” … no strings attached. When God sends “assistance for the assignment” Satan sends “assassins for the assignment.” Observe verse 27: “But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents.”

The Children of Belial are never depicted in a positive light throughout scripture. Belial means worthless men, scoundrels, sons of the devil. It is used to depict people of worthless character. They did not necessarily reject Saul but their rejection was towards God. Their actions said that they did not accept God’s decision. They had an issue with submission to God’s choice. For the record let me clarify haters, tolerators and celebrators:

Haters

Hators despise you. They will launch a smeer campaign to discredit you, disapprove of your every move and openly set traps for your failure. They are assigned by Satan to create and exacerbate tension in your life.

Tolerators

Tolerators endure you. They do not hate you, they just do not want to see you excel past them. They monitor your success and prevent it if they can. They tolerate you because they do not want their true feelings exposed. They will not affirm you.

Celebrators

Celebrators uplift you. They identify you as special and created for a larger purpose. They bring out the absolute best in you and push you towards it. They love you for who you are; bad hair, acne, fat, skinny, short tall or whatever package you came in.

President Barack Obama has been blatantly disrespected by colleagues and critics. It seems as though there are more Americans hating and tolerating the nations first African American President then celebrating him. Yet, he seems to press ahead.

In an interview with Bill O’Reilly, one of his hardest critics, when asked how does he handle the scrutiny, his answer was, “I don’t take it personal.” That seems like a trite response but it really goes a great distance.

I recently discovered an interesting statistic that said 25% of the people you meet won’t like you and never will; 25% won’t like you but could be persuaded to; 25% will like you but could be persuaded not to; and 25% will like you and stand by you no matter what. Take the 25% that accept you no matter what invest in them and “keep it moving.” At the end of the day, it is best to not take the treament of your haters or tolerators personal but personally invest in your celebrators.

How do you handle life when the people you expect to celebrate you hate or only tolerate you?

Step One – “JUST DO YOU”

Remain True To Who God Made You To Be: There is no need to change your identity to appease people that reject a decision made by God. Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Psalms 139:14 says,” I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Step Two – “WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFEE”

Accept The Fact The Some People Won’t Like You and Move On: There will be people that will not like you. You should not waste energy trying to get their approval. You can compliment them, buy them expensive gifts for Christmas and their birthdays and guess what? They still wont like you! There comes a time when we have to accept that fact and move on.

Step Three – “MAKE AN INVESTMENT”

Appreciate The People That Celebrate You: 1 Samuel 10:26: “And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.” An old Egyptian saying of around 3,000 years old that the three worst things in life are (1) to be in bed, and sleep not; (2) to wait for one who comes not; and (3) to try to please, and please not. God sent Saul home with a band of men whose hearts God had touched. God has assigned people to assist you in living out your purpose. He prepares the hearts of people to have a heart for you! Notice that the bible says that God had touched their hearts. Invest in these people.

Step Four – “HOLD YOUR PEACE”

Know When To Ignore Your Critics: The chapter closes with 5 words: “But he held his peace.” Saul didn’t scream “unfair” or jump up and down on a pogo of emotionalism or cry foul but he shut his mouth and turned a deaf ear. The best response to a “hater” is to ignore them. Ignoring them disarms them. Stop trying to convince people that you are good enough and worthy of their friendship. Focus on the people that God has blessed you with. Saul was not the only one to ignore his haters.

How did Jesus handled his haters? Mark 14:60-61? “And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

Jesus knew whatever He said would not change their opinion. There will be people that hate and tolerate you but God sends people that will celebrate you and bring gifts to your party to help you celebrate your life.

Here it is! This passage says “They brought Saul no present or gift.” Saul’s haters did not celebrate him and as an obvious sign of their rejection they brought him “no gifts.” The good news is a relationship with Jesus Christ is never exempt of gifts. Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

“What a friend we have in Jesus”

He saw the best in me when everyone else could only see the worse in me!

Who ya wit?

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

WHEN HELPING YOU IS HURTING ME

Jonah 1:1-15 (KJV)

There comes a time when you must draw a line in a bad relationship. What do you do when the person you continuously try to help becomes the source of your pain? How do you draw boundaries with people who bring storms in your life?

Such was the case with Jonah. God instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach salvation to the inhabitants. Jonah rebelled and ran. He didn’t want to preach to the Ninevites because he knew the Word of God would save even them. The Ninevites were as cruel as they came. Jonah didn’t want to see the Ninevites saved so he fled in the opposite direction and boarded a ship headed for Tarshish attempting to flee the Presence of the Lord. God sent a storm to get his attention.

Isn’t it amazing how many storms we face that are of our own making? Just like Jonah we make decisions that defy God, disobey God, deny God and disrespect God as though He will sit idly by and say or do nothing. The problem is Jonah involved other people in his feud with God and they became additional victims of his storm. The storm almost broke the ship in two. The sailors began throwing cargo overboard trying to get to shore.

Here is the kicker! While the sailors were working Jonah was in the hull of the ship fast asleep. (lol)… The captain woke Jonah and the sailors drew lots to see who had offended the “gods”. The short lot fell on Jonah so they asked him,“What did you do to bring this storm into our lives?” Jonah replied, “I am running from God!” Immediately the storm became worse. Finally, Jonah said, “Alright it’s me! I’m the reason for the storm. Throw me overboard!” The sailors wanted to help Jonah so they began to row harder to get to land but the more they rowed the more the storm raged. They finally prayed to Jonah’s God. “Lord don’t let us die for his sins and don’t hold us responsible for his death if we throw him overboard.” They picked up Jonah and threw him over the ship and the storm ceased.

The story of Jonah is about a man who brought chaos into the lives of others because of his disobedience to God. Here is how it happened:

He Refused His Assignment Of Liberation: God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach salvation and he refused. What is God calling you to do?

He Brought Chaos To A Normal Situation: Normal sailing became chaotic because Jonah tried to hide from God. You can run but you can’t hide!

He Created An Environment Of Desperation: The sailors were in the struggle of their life due to Jonah’s rebellious behavior towards God. Jonah confessed, “I am the reason for the storm.” They ignored Jonah’s admission and suffered the consequences.

Ponder This

How much chaos do you cause in the lives of others because you have failed to do what God has told you to do? Does your family suffer because of your disobedience? How many people with good intentions have become victims of your storm? Or maybe you are trying to help someone through a storm that God has no intentions of calming until they take ownership of their own mess. Consider this:

There Are Some People You Cannot Help

1. You Cannot Help A Person Who Runs From The Word Of God: Jonah ran from the Word of God. A person who refuses scriptural solutions as a means to cease the storms in their life cannot be helped. You cannot support what God rejects even in the life of people you want to help.
2. You Cannot Help A Person That Wants You To Do All The Work: When the storm hit the ship, the sailors worked while Jonah slept. There are some people that will never lift a finger to facilitate their safety. They will let you do all of the work and never learn from their errors because they know that you make all the necessary corrections for them.
3. You Cannot Help A Person That Does Not Respect Boundaries: Boundaries are established to protect you and place responsibility where it belongs. Jonah knew his disobedience would effect the lives of others yet he still boarded the ship. He did not respect the boundaries of others. The sailors kept trying to help Jonah but the storm became worse. They prayed for Jonah and threw him overboard.

Life Application

People like Jonah are insensitive to your peace and imposing with their problems. Jonah was the type of person that never looked for a job, never prayed for a job or never thought about a job but would move in with you while you struggled to make ends meet with your four children. Jonah would eat up everything in the refrigerator, drink up the last drop of kool aid and never replace it. Jonah relaxes around “your” house all day playing video games while you are at work to put food on the table.

Why is Jonah so insensitive? Because you set no boundaries with Jonah and there are no rules and regulations in the relationship and you have become Jonah’s sponsor. This is why “your” Jonah can sleep through a storm because he knows that you will take care of him.

This may seem strange to the mother that still takes care of her grown children and they have never learned to take care of themselves. This may seem strange for the girlfriend that has a small garden apartment, minimum wage job but dates a guy with no job who uses her for sex, cigarettes and beer. This may seem strange to the person who becomes the enabler for the drug addict by allowing them to bring their storms into their life. The truth is, boundaries are necessary! Not only to protect you but to place responsibility where it belongs.

How To Create Boundaries In A Bad Relationship?

1. Ask God The Relevant Questions: Ask God to show you who the person really is. The person may be able to sincerely benefit from your help but not if God is trying to teach them a lesson. When God punishes His children we must get out of the way lest we stand the risk of experiencing the persecution.
2. Listen To What People Say: Jonah said, “It’s me. I am the cause of the storm.” Some people will tell you up front, “I’m no good for you.” Maya Angelou said, “When a person tells you who they are believe them.”
3. Come To Grips With The Fact That You Cannot Help A Person That Will Not Help Themselves: When the storm came the sailors worked while Jonah slept. Some people will not lift a finger to facilitate their safety but they will let you do all of the work. They will never learn from their errors if you make all the necessary corrections for them.
4. Know When To Draw The Line: Boundaries are established to protect you and place responsibility where it belongs. Jonah said, “I am the reason for the storm!” The more the men tried to help Jonah the worse the storm became. They prayed for Jonah and threw him overboard. There comes a time when you must “cut ties” and leave the person in the Hands of God. Ask God for wisdom in your relationship to “Know when to hold em! Know when to fold em! Know when to walk away! Know when to run!”
5. Trust God’s Direction For Your Relationship And Watch These Three Things Happen:

Your Life Will Become Calmer

Your Focus Will Become Clearer

Your Destination Will Become Closer

Draw the line and pray for your Jonah,

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

 

How Not To Hurt The People Who Hurt You!

1 Samuel 24:1-11

How do you handle life when the opportunity arises for you to hurt someone who has been hurting you? When the chance comes to get somebody back who has lied on you, stole from you, made life miserable for you….. what do you do? When the tables have been turned and now their defenses are down and you say under your breath, “I’ve been waiting for this!” What do you do?

In 1 Samuel Chapter 24 David had an opportunity to harm Saul who made his life hell. Saul went into a jealous rage when David became a war hero and the women sung his praise. Saul purposed in his heart to kill David. David fled for his life and Saul took 3,000 men with him to find him. While searching for David, Saul entered a cave alone to “relieve himself” not knowing David and his men were in the cave

David’s men whispered to him, “This is your chance to kill Saul. God has delivered him to you.” David proceeded toward Saul with his weapon and instead of killing him he cut off a piece of his robe without Saul’s knowledge. Saul was clueless that David had been that close in range to him. After David cut Saul’s robe he immediately became convicted in his heart and said to his men, “God forbid that I would do any harm to God’s anointed. God forbid that I should even raise my finger to bring Saul harm.” David steadied his men for they were ready to kill Saul but David would not allow it to be so. Saul left the cave that day not knowing how close he was to deaths doorstep. He went on down the road and when he got far enough away David called out, “My Master!” Saul turned around and David fell on his knees in a act of respect and said, “Why do you listen to those who say I am trying to bring you harm? This day you can see with your own eyes how God had delivered you into my hands. My men wanted me to kill you but I wouldn’t because you are God’s man.” Then he held up the piece of garment that he cut from Saul’s robe and said, “Look I could have cut you but I cut your robe. Here is the evidence! I am not against you! I am not a rebel. I haven’t did anything to you yet you are hunting my soul to kill me.”

What do we learn from this lesson?

1. You Don’t Have To Do Anything For People To Want To Hurt You: There are times when you become an easy target for someone elses issues with God. Saul had issues with God not David. There are some that want to cause you harm when the see God giving you the blessing they believe they deserve.
2. Hurt People See Life Through The Prism of their Own Pain: Saul was king, yet he did not trust God. He perceived others were the enemy when in fact he was his own enemy. It was his distrust in God that led to his own insecurities. Saul’s hurt evolved from his faulty perception of God. His faulty perception of God led to a failing premise as a guide. What he thought was right was wrong and what he thought was wrong was right.
3. Hurting People Hurt People: Because Saul was hurting it became his mission in life to hurt David. His reflexive behavior to resolve his own issues was to inflict hurt on those whom he perceived was the source of his pain. Saul had a knee-jerk reaction to his perception of hurt. “You hurt me! I will hurt you! When bitterness, resentment, and anger surfaces it can bring about unhealthy behavior towards people that are close in relationship.

 Character

David had Saul’s life in his hands. He could have killed him and been done with it! David’s character meant believing and trusting in what God had ordained in his life without compromising the position of Saul’s life. David’s colleagues tried to take David out of character by urging him to kill Saul but David trusted God and was not influenced.

Application

Life is too short to go around trying to tear others down. When you have endured pain from a person that seemingly has no regard for you, you want to get even. You want to make them feel the pain and hurt they have caused. The danger becomes lavish a life stuck in a cycle of “getting even”.

How do you trust God when people are going out of there way to hurt you?

Remember Everybody Needs Love

The racist on your job that does all they can to belittle you needs love. The person who lives to make your life a living hell needs love. The church members who’s name is mentioned whenver there is a problem or working behind the scenes to tear down ministry in the church needs love.

Start Praying For Them Daily

Luke 6:27-28 – “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

Approach At The Right Time/With The Right Spirit

Proverbs 22:24-25 – “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.” David knew that Saul did not like him. He could have confronted Saul in the cave but that would have been controversial. Instead, David waited until Saul was at a distance where there could be no physical confrontation. Secondly, David had the right spirit. He fell down on his face as a show of respect for Saul. He did not want to appear threatening or confrontational. He had a humble spirit. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath but grievous words stir up anger.”

Leave It In The Hands of God

David said, “I will not put forth my hand against God’s anointed.” In other words, David was saying, if I put my hands in this situation I’m sure to make things worse but if I place Saul you in the Hands of the Lord, He will plead my case. David is simply saying, “Although you hurt me, I will let God handle it!”

Peace!

 

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

Useless Days and Restless Nights

Job 7:1

God gives everyone time to complete His purpose for his or her lives. We need time. Time is important. We need time to accomplish goals. We need time to show people how much we love them. We need time to carry out every day chores. The problem is we don’t make the best of time and time spent cannot be recovered. Stephen Covey and Roger and Rebecca Merrill begin their book on time management, First Things First, with a chapter titled, “How Many People on Their Deathbed Wish They’d Spent More Time at the Office?” There are no rewind buttons in life to take us back to a particular time in history.

We waste a lot of valuable time. As a consequence we become useless as it pertains to the plan that God has for our lives. Days become useless and nights become restless. You can’t sleep at night and you wonder why? Maybe God is trying to tell you something. God gives us time to do His will but it is a set time with an expiration date attached with expectations for our lives.

 The story of Job is one of the first clear biblical case studies of a man who was tested by God and came through reevaluating how important his time was on earth. Job was a good man that God allowed Satan to afflict for the purpose of establishing Job’s faithfulness. Job was tested with his family, fortune, flesh, fidelity and friendships. Yet, he never sinned against God. In Chapter three Job asked God the one question, “What’s the point of life?” He requested the Lord to erase his life and rip the date of his conception from the calendar of time. He asked God, “Why didn’t you let me die at birth?” Job’s friends made matters worse. Instead of encouraging Job through his misery they began to blame Job for his misfortune in chapters four and five. In chapter six Job desired to die but he wanted God to answer another question; “Where is the strength to have hope in a situation like this?” From chapters three to seven Job does three signal things:

1. Job questions his existence: Why was I born?
2. Job expresses his resistance: What have I to live for?
3. Job entreats divine assistance: What have I to hope in?

This is the context for chapter 7. Job answered his own questions about the certainty of life in chapter 7:1. Job attempted to excuse what he could not justify, which is his desire to die. Job recognizes simple elementary truths in the two questions asked; “¹ Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? Are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

1. Life is an Appointment: We are born for an appointed time to live and then to die. An appointment has been made; a set time, an established time has been fixed for each person to be here on planet earth. He who sent us placed an appointment on the eternal calendar. Just as we were appointed to be born we are also appointed to die. Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” One thing we know about the judgment is that it cannot be avoided. The second thing we know is the “ books” will be opened and those at the “Great White Throne” will be cast into hell (Revelations 20:11-15). Thirdly, it will be the end of time and the beginning of eternity. There will be no mistakes in judgment because we will be judged by a perfect God that cannot be deceived (Galatians 6:7). Fourthly, “As God the Son, Jesus Christ will be the judge (John 5:22). All unbelievers will be judged by Christ at the “great white throne,” and they will be punished according to the works they have done. The Bible is very clear that unbelievers are storing up wrath against themselves (Romans 2:5) and that God will “give to each person according to what he has done” (Romans 2:6). (Believers will also be judged, at a different judgment called the “judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10), but since Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us and our names are written in the Book of Life, we will be rewarded, not punished, according to our deeds.) At the final judgment the fate of the unsaved will be in the hands of the omniscient God who will judge everyone according to his soul’s condition.”[1] Our judgment will be based on what we did with Jesus. Either we have accepted Him or rejected Him and based upon that there will be a separation of the sheep and goat (Matthew 25:31-46).
2. Life is about Completing an Assignment: We are to work for God. God has expectations from our life. When you work for someone the goal is to do what they hire you for not what you desire to do. We waste most of our time doing what we want to do instead of asking the Lord, “Why did you send me here?”
3. Life is about Hope in God: Job understood the need to have hope in God’s Plan for his life.

The bad thing about time is that it does not respect you. It does not stop when you tell it to stop. It does not listen to your complaints or pause because you’re having a bad day. The good thing about time is that it makes us all equal. There are the same 24 hours in a day whether you are a billionaire or a beggar. What matters is how one manages the time they have.

What do we do with time?

1. Make the best of the time you have left… Don’t spend your days waiting on somebody to make something happen for you but make it happen yourself. “Lord each us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12.

Recognize the value of the time you have as precious. Make good use of every day by living a life that reflects purpose and never lose the vision of eternity. Never lose hope in God. God is speaking today. Can’t sleep at night? You wonder why? Maybe God is trying to tell you something.

Time is winding up!

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

[1] Gotquestions.org. “What happens at the final judgment?”

The Urgency of Now

John 2:1-10

There is no time like now! W. Clement Stone made the phrase “Do it now” the first commandment of success. He would have his employees repeat it every morning. The French statesman Charles Alexandre de Calonne’s response to the Queen’S request, Marie Antoinette was, “We do the difficult immediately the impossible takes a little longer. Civil Rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. speaking about the war in Vietnam in 1967 said, “We are faced with the facts my friend that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late.”

As the New Year settles in take inventory of what needs to be done in your life now. Don’t wait! How much pain would be avoided later if one were to move into action now? Striving to understand the value and importance of God’s timing is an urgent matter. Often God permits us to be confronted with challenging circumstances that appear final when He calls us to move into action. Whatever He commands of you at that time and place, “just do it” and leave the outcomes to Him. What is God calling for you to do now?

Weddings were, and are, a big deal in the Jewish culture. In Jewish custom the marriage feast could endure for days, depending on the wealth of the groom. Many weeks of preparation took place and often the whole town was invited and everybody would come. To accommodate many people, careful planning was needed. One of the main highlights of a celebration of this magnitude was the wine. To run out of wine was more than embarrassing; it broke the strong unwritten laws of hospitality. The host would leave a blot on the family’s reputation.

When Jesus and His disciples arrived at the wedding Mary informed Jesus that they had run out of wine. Jesus said to her, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? My hour is not yet come.” Mary turned and said to the servants, “Whatever he says do it.” There were six waterpots of stone. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. Then Jesus said, “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.” And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine he called the bridegroom and said, “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.”

Consider the Message of God’s Timing

It was the third day

The bible gives several accounts that refer to the third day but the most notable is the resurrection of Christ on the third day. What is evident about the third day is a theme of God’s timing of deliverance, salvation and life. Jesus’ timing is impeccable. He showed up at the right time just when the wine would run out.

It’s not my hour

Jesus really was saying “My dear woman; the timing is not ripe yet. This is not my hour. I do have another hour but this is not that hour.” He had another hour that involved wine where he would take the bread and pass the cup. He knew that this miracle would be the beginning of miracles and no retreat.

Whatever He tells you to do

Mary told the servants, “Whatever he says, do it!” The implication in this passage is that they did not wait but moved with urgency for to run out of wine would be an embarrassment to all parties involved. Jesus told them to fill the water pots up with water and serve wine to the Governor of the feast. This passage teaches us that there is a time of urgency. When God says do it, do it now. The need needed to be met then and there. Jesus could have done it without the aid of the servants but He chose to use them. There are times when we are waiting on God to move and He is waiting on us to do what He said first.

Saved the best till now

Many people read the passage in error. This passage does not say the best was saved for last but that the best was saved for now. Now can never be interpreted as later. Now is all that is presently available. Now is the appointed time.

The “Urgency of Now” applied to everyone in this passage:

1. The guest needed wine to keep the party going.
2. The couple needed to save face and the servants needed to save their jobs.
3. The Governor’s primary duties were to regulate the distribution of wine to prevent excess that would ruin the party. Some might have held him partly responsible for the host’s running out of wine prematurely.
4. For thirty years Mary held on to what the angel said. All of her life there had been some issues surrounding her Son’s birth. She was always making a defense for herself concerning her reputation. Mary had been awaiting vindication from her skeptics. What she was really asking was, “Is it my time yet? I need you to show them who you are for me.” Here was a chance to reassure her faith and reestablish the fact that Jesus was the Son of God.

Here is the point! You Never Know How Bad Someone Needs A “Right Now” Miracle.

Why is this message of the Urgency of Now so vital? All we have is right now. We can’t push a rewind button and change what has already happen because life has nor rewind button and there is no fast forward button in life that moves us into the future. Right now is all that you have and the danger of waiting until someday can be too costly.

This message is for the person who talks about going back to school but never fills out the application. It is for the person who talks about getting in shape but never goes to the gym. It is for the person who needs to mend some relationship but will not pick up the phone. It is for the person who knows that God has called you to serve in a ministry yet you sit week after week in the pew saying, “Some day.”  It is possible that you can miss your “Now” moment.

The relevant question is how do I make the best of now?

Invite Jesus Into Your Now

2 Corinthians 6:2 – (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Do What He Tells You To Do Now

Hebrews 3:15 – While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Leave The Outcomes To Him

Romans 8:28 – And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Do it Now!!!

Dr. Oscar T. Moses

 

Necessary Endings – Part 7

It Ends Tonight – Stop The Killing

Proverbs 18:21

Stop killing yourself with negative talk. Have you ever considered that you are your own worse enemy? Life can be demanding but consider the words of Charles Swindoll: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

The words that come out of our mouths are not just something we do. Words are a reaction that reveals who we are because words are a window into the soul. Words are significant. The old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” simply is not true. According to the Word of God words can hurt more than we realize. Consider the words in Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Consider this proverb. Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived pursued a goal to offer instruction, understanding and wisdom. There is a repeated theme in Proverbs that “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom”. Wisdom is the focus of proverbs with emphasis on developing the Godly character of its reader. Every Christian should strive at becoming more Godly in character. Proverbs 18:21 is no exception. In this passage Solomon highlights 4 major points to ponder.

1. Words Cause Death: Tongues can be weapons of mass destruction. Tongues can kill marriages, families, friendships, churches, careers, and dreams.
2. Words Cause Life: The tongue can be “a tree of life” according to Proverbs 15:4. Tongues can make marriages sweet, families strong, and churches healthy.
3. Fruit is Forthcoming: A person’s words is figuratively called the fruit of his mouth or lips in Proverbs 12:14 and Proverbs 13:2. The positive words from your tongue will Bless your Life in a positive way. The good words that come from your mouth can open doors, uplift you when you are down and create fruitful lasting relationships. However, the negative words that come from the mouth can Bring your Death. Your words will either bring the fruit of life or the fruit of death.
4. Choices Are Crucial: What lies at the foot of this passage is the power to choose. Life is all about choices. We can choose to speak life or choose to speak death. Most of who we are, good or bad, is because of what we have spoken about ourselves. You will either love to talk positively or negatively. Either way, you will choose the outcome.

In 1973 Roberta Flack hit the R&B charts with a song called Killing Me Softly. It was as if the words to a song sung by a young man shone a light on everything that was wrong with her life. “Strumming my pain with his fingers. Singing my life with his words. Killing me softly with his song.” We have a tendency to see ourselves based on what we feel others think about us and we talk our own self into defeat. The man didn’t know her, knew nothing about her pain or her past. Yet, she allowed his words to kill her softly.

Sociologists have a theory called the Looking Glass Self. It was developed by Charles Horton Cooley in 1902 with a premise that a person’s self grows out of societal relationships. The term refers to people that shape their concept of self based on their perception of how others see them. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we see ourselves the way God sees us instead of worrying about how others see us. If that were the case our words would bring life based on the fact that God sees us as His masterpiece.

How do you change negative communication?

1. Pause: Take the time to think before you speak and life will be so much easier. Proverbs 10:19 – “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is” There is an old adage that says, “It is better to be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt.”
2. Pray: Ask God to bring your speech under control. And then rely on His power to transform you. As the Psalmist prayed in Psalm 19:14 is another prayer: “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
3. Practice: Practice kind words and your inward and outward conversations will improve with time. Ephesians 4:29 – Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
4. Praise: Hebrews 13:15 – By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

On the last night of 2015 many people are contemplating New Years resolutions but consider a most viable asset to success in 2016; the tongue. Are you killing yourself with the words that come from your mouth? Let the killing end tonight. Make a vow that negative talk that defeats, depresses and denounces ends tonight!

Because of Him!

Dr. Oscar T. Moses