Tag: Identity

Moses – His Start

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

As we continue through Exodus 2, Moses seems to have made a choice to identify with his people, the Hebrews. According to tradition, Moses was being trained and groomed to be the next Pharaoh of Egypt, but here made a conscious choice to identify with his people, God’s people (Exodus 2.11, cf. Acts 7.23). Moses knew who he was, where he had come from, and where he felt the Lord leading him.

Moses knew, do you?

However, he took this identification and emotional attachment too far and killed an Egyptian (Exodus 2.12). Thinking the people would recognise his intentions to deliver them from slavery (Acts 7.25), he then tried to intervene in a dispute between two Hebrews, only to be rejected. 

Moses had identified with God’s people, identified himself emotionally and powerfully, but then overstepped in the actions that he took. He had skipped a really important step – humbling himself before the Lord. Whilst his plans may have had noble intention, they were his plans, not God’s plans (Proverbs 19.21).

Many years later, another Deliverer would be born who was shown favour from birth, who was obviously special as a child, who publicly and powerfully identified Himself with God’s people, who did humble Himself before the Lord before putting plans into action. Jesus is that Deliverer. 

What this means for you is that there is a way out of bondage, slavery, that there is a way out of metaphorical Egypt for you. Jesus has identified Himself with you through taking on flesh, living a sinless life, giving it up for you to satisfy the righteous requirements of a Holy God, and triumphing over sin and death through His resurrection. 

As great as Moses was, as much as he was the man called of God in that time and in that place, Jesus is the truer and better Moses, and He stands ready to offer you a way out of Egypt. Have you taken it?

What Am I?

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Today, Job asks why he is getting so much attention from God.

What is man, that you make so much of him,
and that you set your heart on him,
visit him every morning
and test him every moment?
How long will you not look away from me,
nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?

Job 7.17-19

Job is questioning why God is so intent on pursuing him, why God is constantly concerned over him, why God is even bothered that Job exists (vv.17-18). He wants to know why he hasn’t even a second to himself (v.19). 

There is comfort to be taken from knowing that God is intently and intensely interested in you, that there is nowhere you can go or no situation you can be in that escapes His sight and attention. Here, Job seems to be coming from a negative place (…nor leave me alone…), but the very presence which Job is lamenting here will later be seen for the wonderful, loving, enveloping, protecting, reassuring, providential presence it truly is (42.1-6).

Today, if you feel that you are forgotten, if you are wondering why God would be interested in you, think on the truths of God’s Word.

You are known, you are loved, you are intently and intensely pursued by a God who wants what is best for you, and who gave everything He could to prove this to you.

If you are asking yourself ‘what am I?“, you are the object of God’s tremendous love and there is nothing He won’t do to show you that. 

 

Who Are We?

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

This is the first big question that we encounter in Job. If you didn’t read our introduction to Job yesterday, you can do so here. 

8 And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Job 1.8-12

The first big question is about our identity – who are we?

God gives a pretty good character reference for Job, doesn’t He? Job is described as a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil. However, the Accuser, Satan, basically says ‘OK, well, Job is only like that because you have prospered him. I bet if you take all of that away, his real character will come out and he is not so great.’

So, our identity. Are we willing to take God at His Word and see ourselves as His children, redeemed, ransomed, forgiven, loved unconditionally, blameless in His eyes, justified in His eyes through our faith in Jesus?

The alternative is that we try to forge our own identity on the shifting sands of the culture we live in, how we feel about this or that, or what other people say about us. In Job’s case, that was the Accuser saying that he was not all that, that he was loyal to his blessings, and that he was in this walk with the Lord for what he could get out of it, not because of his firm faith that God is good. 

Where we look for identity, for belonging, for security, for acceptance, for love will impact hugely how we feel about ourselves, how we feel about the world around us, and how we interact with it. I would encourage you to look to the truths of God’s Word to see who He says you are.

Today, consider these truths from the Word about who you are.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Ephesians 1.3-10

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1.9-13

Life Defined

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

All I am
my life defined
By I’ve been crucified with Christ
The life I live
I live by faith
In Jesus Christ who lives in me

Identify seems to be something of a hot topic nowadays, doesn’t it? Everyone seems to be choosing who they are and what they want to be, who they want to be, defining themselves.

I heard someone say recently that at the core of this is a rejection of authority. People don’t want to be told that you are made in God’s image, because they reject the authority and actuality of God. 

People don’t want to be told that your life has worth and dignity and value because of the price paid for you at Calvary, because they reject the idea that they need salvation.

But what about those of us who accept the authority of God, how are we defined?

Our Christian worldview will only make fullest sense when it affects and influences all we are, and our lives are defined by the fact that God is real, He made us, He sent His Son to die for us, and through faith in this we are defined.

The Bible uses many terms to define you, such as;

Adopted son/daughter – Galatians 3.26, John 1.12

Heir – Galatians 3.23-29

Believer – 1 Timothy 4.12

Saints – Colossians 1.2

The church – 1 Thessalonians 1.1

The life we now seek to live in one of faith (2 Corinthians 5.7); faith in God, faith in Jesus, faith in the fact He now lives in us through the person of the Holy Spirit, and faith that any definition of ourselves that we can come up with will never be as good as who He says we are. 

Life Defined starts at 12:00 minutes.

Revelation 6.1-2 – Is it or isn’t it?!

Published on by James TravisLeave a comment

Have you ever waved at someone in the street or in the supermarket or mall before realising, oh, wait, it’s not them? Then you either just go with it and pretend you know them or do some weird back-of-the-head rub as you put down your previously extended waving hand…I did it a while back with one of the friendly and helpful staff where we meet as a church on Fridays. I was driving and saw the car this guy usually drives (forgetting he was on holiday), beeped, waved, remembered, continued waving until his car had gone, and hoped I didn’t look too stupid (my hopes are not high).

Revelation 6 brings an interesting crossroads for us now. You can often tell how much people really know about the Bible, specifically Revelation, by who they see the first rider being (now you’re wondering if you have the right person in mind, aren’t you?!).

Remember the scroll contains (possibly) God’s will and plan of redemption for humanity, the big picture, and only Jesus is worthy to open it and look inside. Before that takes place, the seven seals must be opened, each bringing something for us to read and think about. The first four seals bring horsemen, each a different colour, each representative of something different.

So, the first horsemen…rides a white horse. Given a crown. Came conquering, and to conquer.

Is this Jesus? Or is this not?

1 Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder,

“Come!”

2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

If we are swayed by Hollywood and we have not really read much of Revelation before, we may be tempted to think this is Jesus. White horse, that’s Jesus, right? Jesus does come riding a white horse in chapter 19, have a look how He is described…

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

So here in chapter six, no, this is not Jesus. This one has a bow, not a sword. He is a hunter, picking people off, establishing his own authority through the hunting of others. The best fitting solution in terms of the overall picture of the chapter and the book, and God’s Word, is that this is a satanic dictator. He comes to conquer, comes to hunt people, comes to establish his own ‘rule’ for the time God allows him to do so. He will lead people in an organised rebellion against the way of God, and this goes all the way back to Genesis 10.8-14, wherein Nimrod ruled as a mighty hunter of Babel, offensive to the Lord.

So this is not Jesus, not at all. People might think it’s Jesus, and that’s the point. We need to know, really know, how Jesus will come again; what He will look like, how He will come, what He will come to do, so that when other false Messiahs come, antichrists, we are truly aware of what the real deal looks like.

To train a bank teller to spot fake bills, do you know what they do? They don’t study all the fakes (forgers are forever changing their methods), they intently study the genuine article. For us, that means keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus.

Know Him.

Love Him.

Study His life and ways.

Read the whole counsel of God’s Word to see that, sadly, others will come in His name and claim to be Him, but they are not Him.

There is only One, and we would do well to know as much about Him as we possibly can.

What are you going to know about Him today?