Turning Point

A series on meeting God – Moses
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Exodus 19-20:2 

[We all have a story about how we met God. Some are more miraculous than others, but none more amazing than the mere fact that the Living God, our Creator, reached out to bring us into relationship with him. In this series, we will be looking at how people in the Bible met God, and what that means to you today.]

  

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? I was in a meeting when someone’s pager went off. His wife told him that a plane had flown into one of the towers at the World Trade Center in New York City.

 

I can still remember watching the TV reports as first the south tower crumbled and then the north. Before collapsing, you could see people jumping from the towers to escape their fiery death. The images were horrific, unbelievable and surreal. It was a turning point for the United States, as well as the world.

 

The Israelites also experienced a turning point in the life of their nation. For 430 years, the Egyptians had enslaved them. But then the Lord called Moses to lead them to freedom… to the Promised Land.

Sixty days after they escaped Egypt, the Israelites entered into the wilderness of Sinai where they stopped at the foot of Mount Sinai. This wasn’t by chance. It was providential; a divine appointment orchestrated by the sovereign God.

 

The Lord was about to confirm his covenant and to give the Israelites a new identity and purpose as a nation. Not as slaves, but as free people to serve a holy God. Speaking to Moses, the Lord gave him this message.

 

⁵ Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. ⁶ And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”           NLT

 

Following this, the Lord told Moses that he was going to come to him in a dense cloud so that the Israelites would hear him when he spoke to Moses. But before doing that, Moses needed to consecrate, or prepare, the people for the Lord.

 

On the morning of the third day, “thunder roared, and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain". In fact, Mount Sinai shook violently. 

“As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply”. Although consecrated, the Israelites were terrified!

 

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.   NIV

 

Like 9/11, this was a dramatic turning point not only for Israel, but for the whole world for ALL generations to come. In fact, almost fifteen hundred years later, the Lord sent his Son to establish a new covenant.

 

This new covenant included everyone everywhere. Because of this, God’s word spoken to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, today applies to all who believe and follow Christ. Peter put it like this.

 

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.            NIV    1 Peter 2

 

Like he did with the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the Lord has freed us and given us a new identity in Christ. He has chosen us to be his priests, his holy nation and his special people.

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

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Only Go Forward

A Series on Living in the Wilderness
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
1 Samuel 17:32-51

 [In this series, we will be looking at people in the Bible who lived in the wilderness. Not necessarily a wilderness of natural creation, but the metaphorical wilderness of life. In fact, there are times when we all feel like we are living in the wilderness. During those times, it’s important to remember that the Lord is always with you.]

  

This blog was posted on Saturday, September 11, 2021; twenty years to the day when nearly 3000 people died in the World Trade Center. My wife and I watched a six part series on the National Geographic channel documenting many of the stories of that day. One of the stories was about a marine by the name of Jason Thomas.

 

He was dropping his daughter off at the home of his mother on Long Island when she told him planes had struck the towers. Having left active duty in August 2001, Thomas quickly put on his Marine uniform, sped to Manhattan, and parked his car just as the North Tower collapsed.

 

When he arrived at Ground Zero he didn’t have a plan, but soon ran into another Marine veteran. Together, they decided to look for survivors. While walking on the rubble, firemen called out to them to come back because it was too dangerous. Thomas responded by saying, “We are U.S. Marines. We never go back. We only go forward”! As a result, they saved the lives of several people that day.

 

Jason Thomas was not looking to become a hero. He only responded to the situation and the calling he believed he had as a Marine. In the same way, David responded when Samuel visited his father Jesse to anoint David as King of Israel.

 

David never asked to be a hero when he volunteered to fight Goliath. He never asked to be the soothing musician that calmed King Saul’s tormented soul. He never asked to be the anointed King of Israel.  And he definitely never asked to be hunted down like an animal, while living in the wilderness, with the most powerful man in Israel trying to run a spear through him.

 

David never asked for any of these things, but he embraced them with the faith of a man after God’s own heart. And because of that, he was able to endure the wilderness. The wilderness where he ran for his life; he hid in caves; he pretended to be insane; and he prayed to the Lord for deliverance.

 

Sometime you may find yourself wandering in the wilderness. When that happens, be ready to respond by going forward with confidence like David did when he faced Goliath.

 

⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied… ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”       NIV

 

Be ready to respond to the needs of people; to the Spirit of God; to God’s calling.

 

Copyright 2021 Joseph B Williams

 

 

 

Defining Moment

A Series on the Milestones in Jesus’ Life

Matthew 27:32-56

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2027%3A32-56&version=NIV;NLT

 

Do you remember where you were when you first heard the news about 9/11? It was eighteen years ago this week when two passenger planes started it all by flying into the Twin Towers in New York City killing 2606 people, not including the terrorist.

 

 

9/11 was a defining moment in American history, if not world history.

 

Following Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, events moved at hyper speed. Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin to be mocked and judged; Peter, afraid for his life, swore he didn’t know him; Judas, wracked by guilt and shame, hung himself; Jesus, in a mockery of justice, was condemned before Pilot; and finally, crucified.

 

He could have stopped the whole process at any time, but he chose not to, because this was his mission in life. Being crucified was his horrific milestone to reach. But it wasn’t just a milestone; it was a defining moment in history.

 

It was when he called out to his loving Father in agony, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”! And then, with his dying breath, “It is finished”.

 

It was when a hardened Roman officer said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” While religious leaders mocked Jesus by saying, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!”

It was when the curtain of the Holy of Holies was torn in two from top to bottom. And when “the earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open”.

It was when the men on either side of him were defined as criminals; but Jesus was defined as the Son of God.

 

In the book, The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11, Garett M. Graff tells the stories of people who survived 9/11 because of a “lucky” decision they made. One such man lived because he went back to his hotel room to change his tie, while the rest of his co-workers went up into the north tower. It was a defining moment.

 

We all have defining moments. What are yours? Here is the chorus of the song titled, “Defining Moment”, that gives a great answer to this question.

 

When you believe He's all you need…
that will be your defining moment.
As you live your life walking in His light,
trusting Him completely…
that will be your defining moment.         by New Song

 

May this be your defining moment… and mine.

 

 

(The link below is for the song “Defining Moment”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqCmPSHxJRM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whom Shall I Send?

Matthew 28:16-20

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028%3A16-20&version=NIV;GNT

  

Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001? I do. I was in a meeting when one of the members got word of a plane flying into the World Trade Center. According to the History Channel website, President George W Bush spoke to America that night from the Oval Office declaring:

 

“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”

 

Later, in a reference to the eventual U.S. military response he declared, “We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”

 

As a result, the United States military was sent to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network. With the authority of President Bush, our men and women engaged in this mission.

 

¹⁸ Jesus drew near and said to them, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.     GNT

 

With these words, Jesus sent his disciples into action; into battle really. He could do this because all authority had been given to him. It was with that authority, that the disciples turned the world upside down.

 

Being “sent” is a very familiar concept in the Bible. God sent Abraham to a land he had never seen. God sent Moses to Egypt to lead His people. The prophets were sent to speak God’s word. God sent Jesus to bring salvation. In turn, Jesus sent his disciples to make disciples. And now, God sends you and me.

 

He sends us to our work place; to our neighborhood; to our church; to our community; and to our family. Wherever we are, there we have been sent to make disciples with the promise that Jesus will be with us always.

 

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”                       Isaiah 6:8 NIV

 

 

It’s time for us to go now. For we have been sent.

 

 

 

 

 

9/11

Matthew 15:1-9

 

 

Do you remember where you were when the news broke about 9/11? I do. I was in a meeting. At first nobody realized the magnitude of what was happening, but as details were released it became clear. The United States had been attacked by Islamic terrorists resulting in over 3000 deaths. Unbelievable!

 

How could people rationalize or justify such evil behavior? In reality though, the human condition has rationalized behavior since the beginning of time, and then blamed someone else. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake; but both justified their rebellious actions. Not much has changed since then.

 

Consider then, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law in today’s passage. “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?” (Have you ever noticed how a why question is actually an accusation?)

 

According to my NIV study Bible, the “tradition of the elders” was developed “after the Babylonian exile, when the Jewish rabbis began to make meticulous rules and regulations governing the daily life of the people. These were interpretations and applications of the law of Moses, handed down from generation to generation.”

 

It seems then, that in the beginning there may have been good intentions in the “tradition of the elders”. Ultimately though, it became a tool to rationalize and justify sinful behavior.

 

Here is Jesus’ response to their question above. “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” Jesus was good with why questions too. He didn’t pull any punches.

 

If we are honest with ourselves, we recognize that we justify and rationalize our behavior. Granted, we may not fly a jet into a building killing thousands; we may not rebel against God’s causing humanity to fall into sin; but we justify and rationalize our sinful behavior every day.

 

Jesus condemned the Pharisees. Are we any better? No. However, I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Romans: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord... Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

 

9/11 was the epitome of the pain and damage that rationalization and justification can do. In light of our sinful nature and what it is capable of, Paul’s words bring us great hope. They are words filled with life not death; words to help us turn from our sinful nature to become a new creation in Christ. Thanks be to God.