ANGER MANAGEMENT

In our last blog, we likened Moses as a prophetic picture of Jesus. Moses acted as Savior to the Israelites saving them from destruction as a result of their wicked ways. But first, he acted as deliverer to lead them out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and up to but not into the promised land. Today, I want to focus on the contrast between Moses and Jesus.
What kept Moses out of the promised land? The action which led to his exclusion from the promised land is described in Numbers chapter 20. In verse 8, God instructs Moses to speak to the rock and it will pour out water. Oh yes, Moses speaks; not to the rock, but with an attitude to the people before he strikes the rock twice with his staff. In verse 12, God is forced to deliver the bad news; Moses and Aaron will not have the honor of leading the Israelites into the promised land, nor the pleasure of abiding there themselves.
Moses had a previous experience with a rock in Exodus 17:6. At Horeb, God tells Moses to strike the rock to produce water. Therefore, could Moses have made an honest mistake when he disobeyed God by striking rather than speaking to the rock this time? After all, Moses was in the habit of striking his staff to produce results. Remember when he struck the water of the Nile to produce the plague of blood and earlier in his journey, he threw down his staff so it would transform into a snake before Pharaoh.
I feel bad for Moses and want to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had come so far and dealt with so much, only to be forbidden access to the land of promise. He was only allowed to gaze upon it. Doesn’t your heart break for Moses?
I can only guess the condition of Moses’ heart at that moment of his downfall, but God knows. Did God know Moses, in his anger, would sin if he struck the rock this time? Moses had already displayed his anger in Exodus 2:12 when he killed an Egyptian who mistreated an Israelite slave. Moses also displays anger when he throws the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. I believe God, in his mercy, was trying to prevent Moses from sinning again. Therefore, he was asking Moses to temper and control his rage against the Israelites by speaking to the rock so as not to strike in anger.
Jesus seemingly displayed anger when he toppled tables and drove out money changers from the temple where the gentiles worshiped. The temple intended for worship had become a smelly, loud marketplace for sacrificial animals. Jesus was restoring sanctity and John 2:17 (NIV) refers to this emotion as zeal because we know Jesus was without sin. Ephesians 4:26 tells us to not sin in our anger and Proverbs 29:22 says, “an angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.”
Moses disobeyed God, but I believe anger caused him to disobey and kept him out of the promised land. Later, Moses pleads with the Israelites to obey all the commands because he knows the consequences of disobedience. I have had my share of temper tantrums which have come with consequences, not blessings. Giving full vent to anger can keep us wandering in a wilderness of shame and guilt with loved ones receiving our wrath. There is no promise in the land of anger.
What sin is keeping you from your land of promise? Maybe anger is not a temptation for you. Is it gossip? Is it manipulation or control or overeating? Trust and obey God in your weakness so you can cross over into the promised land.
Blessings,
Theresa Anderson

MOSES IS AMAZING!

Moses is amazing! If you are not familiar with his story, I encourage you to meet this amazing man over many cups of coffee and several days. If you are familiar with his story, read it with fresh eyes asking God for new revelation.

The more I learn about Moses, the more I see a prophetic picture of Jesus through him. The most important reason, Moses repeatedly interceded on behalf of the rebellious and ungrateful Israelites acting as their savior. Deuteronomy 9:25 is one instance where Moses describes how he intercedes to save them from destruction. Jesus acted as our intercessor while he lived with us on earth and continues to intercede at the right hand of the Father after love compelled him to the cross to die for our sins. Jesus saved us from eternal destruction separated from God forever.

Moses delivered the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage equipped with the authority and anointing of God. Jesus was sent to set the captive free and continues to deliver us from evil.

Along with similarities are differences between Moses and Jesus. Visit my blog to stay tuned for more. I can’t go today without saying, the most important difference between Moses and Jesus is: Moses is dead and Jesus is alive! Jesus loves you today and speaks to those who trust Him. If you have never met Jesus, I encourage you to many cups of coffee for the rest of your life with the man of your dreams and the one who died for you.

God Bless you!

WAITING ON A SEED

I love nature. The outdoors invigorates me. Digging in the garden, planting flowers or veggies, and general yard cleanup is great therapy for me. While reading a magazine to help prepare my yard for spring, I found a quote I adore. Henry David Thoreau penned these words: “Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”
Mr. Thoreau was speaking of a seed in nature. As he said, he has great faith in a seed. Why? Rarely does a seed planted in soil disappoint or surprise. Seeds sprout in the toughest of conditions; sometimes in spite of their circumstance. Look around your outside world for evidence. Notice trees growing in a rocky cliff or weeds thriving in your lawn despite heroic efforts to eliminate them. Also, seeds produce their own kind. No surprises. Plant a tomato seed and yield a tomato harvest. Plant a sunflower seed and expect a sunflower. God planned it this way (Gen. 1:11).
This quote has become a great faithbuilder to me in the last couple weeks. I have been consistently doing the right thing in particular for several weeks with no apparent good result. Have you ever been there? Can you feel my pain? I have been planting seeds of persistence, determination, and discipline but have yet to see the fruit of my labor. However, I can rest in the assurance God provides for those who do the right thing. God’s word says in 2 Thess. 3:13, “…do not become weary or lose heart in doing right (but continue in well doing without weakening).” If seeds in nature rarely disappoint, how much more must seeds of the Spirit reap a harvest. If you are like me and keep doing the right thing but haven’t seen improvement yet; keep the faith! Take heart, have courage and rejoice when breakthrough comes. We have planted our seed; therefore, expect wonders.
Blessings,
Theresa

GOOD OLE' GEORGE - PT 2

I have started feeling guilty giving poor ole’ George such a bad rap. After all, he was not responsible for putting his own face on the first $1 note in 1869. However, the symbolism still remains in tact. He is a founding father of this country and the first president. In the April 2009 American History magazine, an article by John Steele Gordon blames Thomas Jefferson for our banking system and our current financial crisis. Facts aside, let me get back to my point; legacy.
What is your legacy? What is your face plastered on for loved ones? We all have admirable qualities but focus on the qualities we are not proud of. While we are still living and breathing, what can we change about ourselves to leave a better legacy? Recently, I have noticed telling my children sorry for speaking unkind. I want to be a loving mother who speaks kindly. I want my children to exude love also; therefore I need to be a role model. I want to leave a legacy of love.

GOOD OLE' GEORGE - Part 1

His face is on the one dollar bill and it passes through our hands all the time. Do you know whose face it is? Of course, it’s George Washington. During these times of economic slowdown which require us to re-evaluate our expenditures, I have given good ole’ George more thought than usual.
I recently made a visit to the library to borrow a book. With call number in hand, I went to the shelf to search but the book was missing. However, another book nearby grabbed my attention. ‘Inventing a Nation’ by Gore Vidal; the title caught my eye and captured my interest. The idea of actually inventing a nation, intrigued me. To receive such a large vision and carry it to fruition sounds like a daunting, yet exciting venture. Despite the stack of unread books on my nightstand, I couldn’t resist and checked it out of the library.
Within the first few pages, I learned George Washington lived above his means with a lavish lifestyle neither his wife’s fortune nor his own could afford. I also learned he could be a generous man. He offered his service and expertise without pay until our country was successful and could reimburse his expenses. Being a famous figure, he often entertained other famous people with the finest food and drink.
By 1787, the states were broke and so was George Washington. This is the likeness and legacy we have plastered on America’s dollar bill. After the latest stimulus bill passed, I asked myself, “When will we learn?” When will we as a people and nation live within our means? When will we buy only what we can afford? When will we save for a rainy day? When will we save for retirement and leave some for our children?
Our country started out broke and over 200 years later, we still find ourselves broke. George Washington had many admirable qualities not to mention the most daunting task of inventing a nation. However, did he leave a legacy of poor financial stewardship for our country and those who followed him?

I WANT THE REAL ONE!

We were leaving the house; me, my four year old daughter, and my seven year old son.
The leaving-the-house ritual ensues. You might have one of your own. Ours looks like this. I bark orders that sound something like, “Quickly, get your shoes on! Don’t just stand there. Grab your coat, its cold outside.”
Yet, in the midst of the chaos time stands still as I watch my children respond to my orders. As my daughter looked for her shoes in the closet, I hear her say, “where are my croqs? “I don’t want those,” she says to her brother. “I want the real ones!”
You see, like every good thrifty mother, I purchased the knock off brand of imitation croqs for my children. Kids grow out of their shoes so fast. My wallet hurts at the prospect of paying high dollar for shoes that become too small before they are well used. Both of my children continued to ask me for Croqs despite having a perfectly good imitation. Once again, like every good thrifty mother I looked for Croqs that were on sale; I never found them on sale.
One day while my husband and I were Christmas shopping, my husband finds both a pink and blue pair of Croqs at full price. It is Christmas after all so we splurge on two pairs of full-priced Croq’s. You can imagine the delight on their faces when they unwrap their gift and open their shoe box on Christmas morning. Finally, the real deal! They never thought it would happen, but their Croq dream became a reality!
As I stood watching this scene with my daughter, I thought to myself, “We are wired for the real thing.” My daughter is four years old. She has no brand sense yet. I, with my thrifty nature have obviously not taught her about name brands. How does she know the difference between a Croq and its imitation and more importantly, why does she care?
We are wired for the real thing. No imitation will satisfy. The void in our souls can only be filled with God; the one true God. The bible says, you are God, there is no other. You are God, there is none like you.
I tried for many years to fill the void in my soul. I chased new age religions like Eckankar and I studied self improvement techniques from men such as Tony Robbins. These methods provide temporary relief. They are a band-aid on a wound that never heals. For years my soul cried out, “I don’t want those. I want the real one!”
I have found the real One in Jesus and because we are wired for the real thing, no imitation will do. Stop shopping for an imitation. No need to be thrifty, Jesus is a free gift.

Blessings,

Theresa

CHILL OUT!

Occasionally, I tell my son, "Chill out, dude." I am attempting to accomplish two things with this comment. One is to lighten up an intense moment. Second, I want to get my point across that it is time to end the drama.
Occassionally, I also need to listen to the instruction I give my son. God often shows me, through my son, the character improvements I need to make. For instance, if my son has trouble with obedience, interesting enough, I also have obedience issues. So it seems, this particular day, God taught me to chill out.
One morning as I backed out of the garage, I heard a noise. It wasn't a loud noise but an unfamiliar one. I noticed it but didn't think much of it. I arrived at my destination, got out of my car, stepped onto the curb, and noticed something out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to look, I noticed a tennis racket sticking out of the grill of my van. Yes, that's right, a tennis racket sticking straight out of my van like it had a tennis match on my short drive to the gym. I laughed out loud as I tugged on the tennis racket to dislodge it from the jaws of my van.
In the past, I might have rolled my eyes and grumbled some inaudible complaint about my kids leaving their toys out. As I thought about how the tennis racket could have gotten there, I remembered my husband pulled the van into the garage the previous evening. He evidently had pulled the van in too far and drove right into our children's sports box. In the past, I might have grumbled some inaudible complaint about the driving and parking incompetence of my husband. However, this time I got a good laugh at the expense of my husband. Bless his heart!
This event was a comical yet apparently insignificant moment in time. However, this was a breakthrough for me. I had officially chilled out! I had taken one of life's mishaps and enjoyed the humor of it rather than get cranky.
If such a breakthrough can happen to me, it can happen to you. What has God shown you that needs improving? Do you need to chill out or do you have other issues? God is in the restoration business and He can restore your humor, innocence, purity, health, reputation, joy, etc. Listen to Him, obey Him, and let Him restore your life.
Blessings,
Theresa