A Commander and a Golden Calf

The Book of Hebrews gives us the names and “by faith” achievements of the men and women in the history of God's chosen people who demonstrated faith in action in its highest form. They lived by faith by believing and trusting God despite the situation. All these great people continued living with faith until they died. They did not get the things God promised His people. But they were happy just to see those promises coming in the future. The Bible says they were waiting for a better country - a heavenly country. God was pleased with them and has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

This month we looked at the story of Joshua and his faith-filled leadership in obeying God's commanding orders to march around the walls of Jericho for seven days. Here is an example of what it looks like to believe the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob exists and has the power to deliver, provide, and sustain His people; and how, by faith, Joshua trusted in God’s unconventional way of defeating his enemies and fulfilling His promise.

The bottom line – Joshua trusted God’s ways over his own.

We also looked at a moment in history when the Israelites, after promising that they would not make an image of God, break that promise within 40 days. I'm sure they must've wondered what was taking Moses so long up there on Mount Sinai with Yahweh. Maybe they thought Moses was not going to come back or maybe their impatience got the best of them. Or maybe their faith in God was just too weak. While God was inscribing the 10 rules for righteous living on stone tablets, the Israelites were collecting gold they had brought from Egypt. They gave it all to Aaron to melt and they formed into a golden calf. Imagine God’s disappointment. Imagine His anger! According to the Bible, if it wasn’t for Moses’ intercession, God would’ve destroyed the entire nation of Israel even before they made it to the promised land.

The bottom line - God is a trustworthy promise keeper we are not.

The good news in this story is that Moses, by faith, did for the Israelites what Jesus does for us and for all mankind. Even when we fail to keep our promises to God, Jesus pleads for mercy on our behalf. By faith, we can trust that our God is both just and merciful and that He is for us and never against us.

Family Time

ACT IT OUT! Have fun acting out these two Bible stories with your kids! The battle of Jericho is found in Joshua 5:13 -15 and 6:1- 20. It’s interesting to note the similar ways God communicated and worked His wonders through Joshua, just as He had through Moses. The golden calf disaster is found in Exodus 32. Take a look at the back-story found in Exodus 19:5-8, 20: 22-23, and 24:1-4.

IN THE NEWS! Extra extra, hear all about it. A congressman says, “It all begins with God.”

Here’s a present day man that I would like to add to the Faithfull Hall of Fame. It’s Congressman Steve Scalise. I showed our dancers these two videos so they could see and hear for themselves how a man in a place of great influence told the US Congress and the entire world that what God meant for evil, God meant for good. As soon as a bullet of an angry man had shot him, he put His faith into action.

Watch these short videos and be encouraged!

“I’m Back”

CBN News - Prayers and Miracles (We watched the beginning to 1:59)