“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses…”

            A godly leader is rapidly becoming an endangered species.  No, he is not perfect, but he deserves our love, and respect. We are called to follow and support our leaders in the Lord (Philippians 3:17).

            A true leader is someone who models godliness with his words and deeds.  We should follow his example and honor his authority, without ever making the common mistake of almost worshipping him.

            I know you probably may be thinking:  What about if I don’t agree with my leader? Good communication is the key to success.  You can express your concerns, doubts or disagreements to your pastor or leader.  In other words you can speak to him with love and respect.

            What you must never attempt is to talk against God’s servants.  If you could ask Miriam, she would persuade you to desist, for she spoke against Moses and was immediately covered with leprosy.

            Leprosy is a symbol, not only of sin, but also of the impurities that sometimes invade and expand through our hearts.  A “leprous” heart is very difficult to clean, especially if we believe that we are right or that we have the “right” to hate, slander or criticize our leaders.

            When you find yourself in opposition to the leadership of your church, you have the right to approach them and speak to or with them.   Speak the truth, communicate with love and sincerity, and you will see God solving most, if not all, of the problems.

            A. G.

            “I am not able to carry all these people alone…”

            The ants are famous for their strength and tremendous work ethic.  These little creatures are so strong, that they are able to carry objects weighing several times their own weight.

            A little ant decided one day, to put on a show to showcase her “infinite” strength.  She left the colony alone and on the way she found an enormous (and dead) insect.  At that moment she decided that this was the opportunity that she had been looking for, so she carried the insect by herself back to the colony.  At the beginning everything went better than she planned.  The rest of her colony stood amazed at her display of raw force.  But the trek was long, and the load was heavy, and the “super ant” began to tire.

            Now the colony was looking at the little ant struggling and many began to worry.

            Every new step was slower than the last and finally the ant dropped to the ground and screamed:  “I cannot do it alone! Help me!”

            Moses cried to God for help as he was being crushed under the enormous weight of his responsibilities.  God did not rebuke him for complaining, but provided seventy men to help him.  If you are under pressure and your strength is running out, do not give up.  Keep serving God and keep crying out to him for help.  He knows that you can’t do it alone; He knows that we need him.

            God will help you.  He will send help at the most opportune time.  He will bring people to your life to encourage and support you.  He will also renew your strength and give you wings of eagles to keep flying.  We can’t do it, but God can.

            A. G.

            “…and you will be remembered before the Lord your God.”

            Could I ask you a “tricky” question?

            Yes?

            Well here it goes: 

            Have you ever felt alone and forgotten? 

            Have you ever felt that God has abandoned you? 

            Have you ever felt that there is no light at the end of the tunnel?

            If you are sincere with yourself you will probably admit that perhaps you have felt this way at one time or another.  Trials have a way of debilitating our faith, and our trust is sometimes clouded by doubt.

            My advice to you is not to pay so much attention to your feelings.  The key to my question is based in the word felt.  When you feel inferior, it does not mean that other people are better than you; this is just a feeling or emotional opinion, that most of the time is not based on reality.

            When you feel alone and forgotten by God, remember this is only a feeling, not the truth.  I can testify to this because God has promised his continual presence in several Bible passages.  God is always with us and he will never abandon his children.

            I do not want to trivialize your pain, or minimize the scope of your adverse circumstances and neither does God.  He can empathize with you, because he became a man in order to die for us.  He knows everything about feelings, rejection, and loneliness.

            Do not let feelings control your spiritual life, for controlling is the job of the Holy Spirit.  Keep praying, keep trusting in the Lord and he will reveal Himself to you as never before.  Do not be surprised if you can “see” Jesus better and brighter during, and in the midst of your darkest hour.

            A. G.

           “You shall add oil to it…”

            I enjoy eating bread.  There are many varieties I like, such as Cuban, French, Italian, White Mountain, garlic, etc. I can eat these breads with or without butter, but my favorite additive is olive oil.

            Olive oil (and a little touch of salt or black pepper) brings up the flavor to another dimension.  Any type of bread “anointed” with, or dipped in olive oil becomes a delicacy, a delicious and mouthwatering feast.  Olive oil can transform dry bread into a meal coveted by everyone.

            Oil was indispensable for the grain offerings; without oil they were unacceptable.  The oil was added to the flour, or it was mixed with it, to make unleavened cakes and wafers.  As you know, it is impossible to bake bread or cakes without some kind of oil.

            It is also impossible to be a Christian or live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit.  In the Old Testament, the oil was used for some offerings and to anoint Kings and priests.  In the New, the Holy Spirit replaced this archaic use of oil

            We are anointed with the Holy Spirit today!  To be anointed is to be filled and empowered by the Spirit, to serve God in a mighty way.  We need to pray and ask God to fill us with his Holy Spirit every day, so we can become very effective and powerful Christians.

            Is your life a bit dry and tasteless today?  Ask God for a “touch of oil.” He will not anoint your head with olive oil or give you a second baptism with the Spirit, but he will fill us with his Spirit and we shall become powerful, useful and pleasing to God.

            A. G.

            “…and arrange its setting;”

            The house of God must be in order.  The furniture in the Tabernacle was orderly arranged.  Everything was in its place, whether it was in the outer court, in the Holy Place or in the Holy of Holies.

            An old saying goes like this, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”

            I will say that there must be order in every church, and in every church all things must be done in order.

            When we mention the word “order,” it means something different to different people.  For example, some believe that the sanctuary must be orderly; others perhaps place a strong emphasis either in the organizational infrastructure or in the order of the worship service.

            All the aforementioned concepts are good; nevertheless there are far more important matters.  Our churches must place a high value and maintain the order in the following areas:

1. Doctrinal
2. Moral/Ethical
3. Relational (Love)

            When the above items are in order, there will be no divisions or immoral practices in our congregations.  Divisions and scandals in our churches stem from following “every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14), or by loving this world more than God. Therefore, let’s put our lives in order by following the Word; practicing love; and pursuing holiness.

        A. G.