THE LONE RANGER

Numbers 11:16-17
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Moses Chooses Seventy Leaders

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle[a] to stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone.

Even ‘The Lone Ranger’ had Tonto, his American Indian guide and companion, and Silver, his trusty horse. ‘The Lone Ranger’ was not successful alone.

God calls individuals to ministry but He does not call them to try to be Lone Rangers. Twelve disciples … Paul and Silas … the three Hebrew boys … Peter, James and John … Aquila and Priscilla … Moses, Aaron and Miriam … Moses and Seventy Leaders. Seldom do you find one called by God, going it alone.

God calls individuals but we don’t have to minister the Good News as individuals. Pray for your team … those you minister with.

ORDER

1st Corinthians 14:33, 40
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

A Call to Orderly Worship

33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.

40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.


According to Scripture, God has instituted authority structure in the spheres of marriage, parenting, the church and the state. While self-centeredness has led to frequent abuse of authority within these spheres, these structures have proven necessary to stem the tide of anarchy and lawlessness that would otherwise prevail in a society of fallen people.

Where is it that you need to show more respect and honor for the authority structure which God is currently using to keep the peace? Where might your self-centeredness be abusing the power given you within a defined structure, which God does not intend?

WORTHY TO BE PRAISED

Revelation 4:8b-11
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Worship in Heaven

Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say,

11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.

For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

When we get to heaven, it will be all about worship. The troubles and trials of this world will be left behind. Those things that we get so concerned about; think are so important; won’t matter at all.

I think we better get ready. As you think about your worship practices here, are you getting ready to bow before the throne of the Almighty!

WISE COUNCIL

Exodus 18: 5a, 14,23-24
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Jethro’s Visit to Moses

5 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, now came to visit Moses in the wilderness…
14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, “What are you really accomplishing here? Why are you trying to do all this alone while everyone stands around you from morning till evening?”…
23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.”
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law’s advice and followed his suggestions.

I praise God that I always had wise ‘in-laws’ to guide me. I cannot think of a single case where advise they gave was unwise. I can think of cases where I was too immature to follow it.

That being said, we ought to be more like Moses and his father-in-law. Read Exodus 18 for the full story. It is a picture of a wonderful story … the kind of relationship that God would have ‘in-laws’ and children to have.

“In-laws’ have gotten a bad rap. Where necessary, let’s reassess these relationships.

FACTS OF LIFE

Psalm 23

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.


The first step toward healthy stress is to define the problem. The best definition of a problem is that a problem is something I can do something about. If I can’t do anything about it, it is not my problem. It doesn’t become my problem until I can do something about it. If I can’t do anything about it, it’s my fact of life. I have to constantly be able to recognize facts of life, accept them, live with them and not consider them problems. I can’t solve things that can’t be solved; therefore I don’t spend time thinking about them. (Fred Smith, ‘Dissecting Sense from Nonsense: Insights from a Layman’, p. 105)

Our “facts of life” are in the Shepherd’s hands.

STRESS MANAGEMENT FROM THE WORD

Philippians 4:4-9
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Words of Encouragement

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.


Paul teaches us how to turn pressure to our advantage, an essential for anyone under pressure. Paul teaches us about stress avoidance, not stress management. He was not just an idealistic do-gooder. He was a man who worked under tremendous pressure with great success. He is well qualified to teach us today how to endure pressure without being crippled or killed by the stress that accompanies it.

Rejoice (v. 4), be gentle (v. 5), trust God (v. 5-7) and live ethically (v. 8-9) … the principles to manage stress.

GOD’S POSITION ON HEALTHCARE

Ezekiel 47:1; 12
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

The River of Healing

1 In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. …

12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.”

I think God’s Word gives us direction on where He would be and what our position should be on any given issue. As clear as scripture is on abortion, it is likewise as clear on healthcare.

Pick any link … you decide.

Matthew 4:23 Matthew 9:35 Luke 6:19 Luke 9:6 Luke 9:11 John 7:23 Act 3:16 Acts 10:38

HANDLE YOUR STRESS

1 Peter 2:21-24
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

22 He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. 23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. 24 He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

Jesus is the example of how we are to handle stress. First, He suffered sinlessly; His pain was not a consequence of His own sin but of the sins of others. Second, He suffered silently; instead of shouting threats of vindication or retaliation, He entrusted Himself to His Father’s will. Third, He suffered as a substitute; His grief was redemptive and brought great benefit to others.

In these verses we observe Christ’s response to stress and suffering. They give us a model to emulate. Handle your stress ... sinlessly … silently … sacrificially.

DEALING WITH STRESS

1 Samuel 18:7-11
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Saul Becomes Jealous of David

7 This was their song:

“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”

8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Next they’ll be making him their king!” 9 So from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.

10 The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice.

Stress is the way the body responds to perceived or actual danger. Blood pressure skyrockets … muscle strength increases … we are ready to fight or fly off the handle. Stress isn’t the cause but rather the effect.

Sensing that David was a threat to his position, Saul’s blood pressure skyrocketed, his heart rate increased and his muscles tightened. Overcome with rage he hurled his spear at David.

Christians must learn how to manage stress … both their own and that of others around them. This was a shortcoming with Saul. Don’t let it be with you. Call on the Holy Spirit and use that fruit of the Spirit called self control.

THE PEOPLE

Genesis 41:53-57
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Joseph Made Ruler of Egypt

53 At last the seven years of bumper crops throughout the land of Egypt came to an end. 54 Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted. The famine also struck all the surrounding countries, but throughout Egypt there was plenty of food. 55 Eventually, however, the famine spread throughout the land of Egypt as well. And when the people cried out to Pharaoh for food, he told them, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you.” 56 So with severe famine everywhere, Joseph opened up the storehouses and distributed grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout the land of Egypt. 57 And people from all around came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph because the famine was severe throughout the world.

Read Genesis 39-41.

Joseph was put in charge of everything in Egypt, managing all the resources there. He was the steward that God put in place.

What God deems most important, the greatest resource is people. Yes, Joseph had charge over the storehouses and the grain. It was all in God’s plan to save the people. Joseph is an Old Testament ‘type’ of Jesus Christ. God used Joseph. God sent Jesus. What role are you playing in God’s plan? How is He using you to be a steward over His most important resource? Not buildings. Not bank accounts. Not storehouses. You must accept accountability for the people God has entrusted to your care.

SMART

Luke 16:1-8
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Parable of the Shrewd Manager

Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. 2 So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

3 “The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. 4 Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

5 “So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ 6 The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’

7 ‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’

8 “The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light.


I must admit, I have never heard a sermon based on this parable. At first glance, the message is strange … confusing.

Note, however, in verse 8 that the rich man’s admiration is of the manager’s shrewdness, NOT his dishonesty. As stewards of the resources God has placed in the hands of the children of light (believers), God admires when we handle them shrewdly … smartly, NOT dishonestly.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Genesis 1:28-30
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

The Account of Creation

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

29 Then God said, "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

A steward manages the possessions of another. We are all stewards of the resources, abilities and opportunities that God has entrusted to our care, and each of us must one day give an account of the manner in which we have used them. It is humbling to realize that nothing we are or possess is really our own. The time, talent, material possessions and relationships we have been given are merely consigned to us by God for a few decades.

Have you developed a “stewardship mentality” – a growing awareness that you will one day give an account of how you have used the trusts you have been granted?

FIRST TO LAST

Psalm 104:1; 33-35
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

1 Let all that I am praise the LORD.

O LORD my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.

33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the LORD.
35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.

Let all that I am praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!

The psalmist begins his inspired poetic meditation on the wonders of God’s world, praising God Himself. He concludes the psalm in the same way. From beginning to end, from first to last, we too ought to praise the LORD. He is worthy to be praised.

Read Psalm 104 to catch a glimpse of the many reasons we ought to praise the LORD.

THE GOOD STEWARD

Matthew 25:14-16, 19-21 (selected portions)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Parable of the Three Servants

14 … He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, … —dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more …

19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. …

Read Matthew 25:14-30 for the complete context.

Consider that everyone on earth has the same amount of time in every day ... exactly twenty-four hours. What differentiates people is the manner in which they exercise their gifts and talents within the available time. That’s what stewardship is about: faithfully developing and using our gifts, talents and resources within the amount of time God has allotted to us. Consider how you are investing the resources God has placed under your trust.

OPPOSITION

Nehemiah 6:15-16
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

The Builders Complete the Wall

15 So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. 16 When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.


Read Nehemiah 4-6 for context.

Satan will oppose the plans of God. The good that God has planned for His people will come to pass but there may be struggles … bumps in the road … along the way. Nehemiah and the Jews remained focused on the task, not letting their enemies get them off track.

Stay the course, whatever the task. Don’t let the enemies of God distract you. Most of all, be confident that as God did with Nehemiah, He will be there to help.

LIFTED HANDS

Exodus 17:8-13
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Israel Defeats the Amalekites

8 While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. 9 Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”


10 So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 11 As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.

Lord, I lift your name on high…


As long as Moses lifted his hands and was able to keep them up, God showed Joshua and the Israelite army favor. Because I desire the Lord’s favor, I don’t hesitate to lift my hands and praise His holy name.

FLEXIBILITY

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Paul Gives Up His Rights

19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.


How flexible are you? The Apostle Paul could relate to the Jews or the Gentiles because he purposed to be flexible. He could “…find common ground with everyone...” Note that he was able to do this without giving up his faith. “…I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.”


Are you willing to be flexible in your relationships with people who are different from you or do you take a hard line stance? Must it be your way or no way? Lets learn to let Paul’s flexibility be a model for our interpersonal relationships. Ohhh … to be as successful as Paul in winning souls to Christ!

DISCIPLINE AND MERCY

Exodus 32:25-30
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

The Gold Calf

25 Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the LORD’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him.
27 Moses told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” 28 The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day.
29 Then Moses told the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the LORD, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing.”
30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the LORD on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.”


Read Exodus 32 & 33 for the full context of the situation.

Moses was a masterful leader in this crisis which could have resulted in total annihilation of the nation. He called them to account for their behavior as well as sought out God on their behalf. Such balance of discipline and mercy is vital for leaders at all levels … from the family to the top of the nations.

THE APOSTLES

Luke 6:12-16
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

12 One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. 13 At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Here are their names:

14 Simon (whom he named Peter), Andrew (Peter’s brother), James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

15 Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (who was called the zealot),

16 Judas (son of James), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).


I have heard this title, apostle, tossed around more casually than it ought to be. Jesus had (has) many followers (disciples). I pray, that’s you and me. From among His first disciples, He specifically called The Apostles.

An apostle is one called by the living Christ, who walked with Him … was trained by Him, and was sent by Jesus with a mission given by Him.

To this list of apostles, only Judas Iscariot is missing and only Paul (because of his Damascus Road experience) can be added.