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Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends around the world.
What words would you use to describe your uniqueness, your distinctive, as compared to all other people in the world? Your fingerprint, your eye, your DNA, your personal life story?
In these past weeks I’ve been attempting to help us gain a new perspective on how ‘followers of Jesus ‘ should be seen as ‘distinctive’ from the rest of the people in our world. We’ve been in Malachi 3 this week. Listen to this powerful statement from God: “On the day that I act, says the LORD Almighty, they will be My treasured possession…and you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” (Mal. 3:17,18) Oh my, what a statement! What is God’s point? Is there a glaring contrast between ‘the righteous and the wicked’ in your world? Has God done this in past history?
Do you remember when God was working to free the Hebrew slaves from Egyptian bondage He sent great plagues upon Egypt to show His unsurpassed power. But beginning with the plague of flies, God began to draw a clear distinction between His people and the Egyptians. Listen to God’s warning to Pharaoh in Exodus 8:21-23 “If you do not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies…but on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where My people live. No swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I the LORD am in this land. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. And the LORD did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials…”
If you take the time to read through the rest of the plagues God sent against Egypt, to convince Pharaoh of His supreme power, may I point out something interesting? You’ll find with each plague God made a clear distinction between how the plague affected the Egyptians and how it did NOT affect the Hebrews. This one in particular amazes me… the plague of darkness.
In Exodus 10:21-29, we find this description: “…total darkness covered all of Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.” Now, how God controlled the light that way, I cannot explain, but I see another time it happened only a few days later in Exodus 14:19,20 as the Hebrew slaves were running from Egypt, being pursued by Pharaoh’s army: “Then the angel of God who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other side…” What a beautiful evidence of God’s Omniscient, Omnipotence! His full understanding and His unlimited power working together.
Now my “Walking with Jesus” friends, you may recall there was one final plague, the death of the first born, recorded for us in Exodus 11. This time God promised there would be a life & death distinction between His people the Hebrews and the Egyptians, but this time there was a very significant difference. This time the Hebrews needed to do something to participate with God’s miracle and demonstrate their faith in God, and their identification as God’s people, by their obedience to His instructions. They would have to slaughter a lamb and paint the blood on the outside of the door frame of the entrance to their house for all to see, on one particular night. They were to have a feast that night of roasted lamb and other specific things, and be all packed and ready to go, for God promised their deliverance would come that night, as the angel of death would “passover” every blood-stained home, and would bring death to every home which ignored God’s instructions, throughout all of Egypt…. and the Pharaoh would finally expel them from Egypt. I’ve often wondered how many Hebrew homes disregarded God’s instruction and experienced death that night?
Beginning that day, God called His people to LIVE their distinctiveness through their obedience to God’s guidelines for living God honoring lives; their distinctive God honoring worship; their God honoring distinctive marriages and families; and even their distinctive God honoring business practices. The people of Israel were to be a model nation of people living in relationship with and obedience to Almighty, Holy God. Sadly, they did not do it very well throughout their history. But what God intended for them is His intention now for us, His people all around the world in our day… a people of God living distinctively, empowered by the Holy Spirit of God!
When Jesus came, everything changed. No longer was distinctive living achieved through obedience to God’s rules and regulations for a people who shared a common Jewish family tree all the way to Abraham. With Jesus, distinctive living would be through the power of Jesus unleashed in a person, any person, in a life changing way! As Jesus breaks the shackles which hold me in bondage to my sin nature, and as the Holy Spirit takes up residence in me, I am a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and every part of my life is distinctive as I’m adopted into God’s family and I live a Spirit filled, Spirit guided life of distinction!
May I invite you to read today Colossians 3 in the New Testament? And as you read, may I invite you to jot in your journal, what some of the God honoring ‘distinctives’ should be as we look at your life if you are a ‘follower of Jesus’.
Now look around… in every segment of society, in the country where you live, who are the most influential people? What life-style characteristics do you see in them? Are there any among the most influential who fit the distinctive of “God honoring” or “blameless” or “above reproach”? Now look at the young people and the children of your society… who are they enamored with? What do you think God wants to do about this through His people…through YOU my friend, and me… being distinctive in your circle of influence! Let’s talk with Jesus about this.
Lord Jesus we thank You that You make it possible for us to live distinctive lives that point people, any people, to YOU and to Holy God who has changed us!
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: Malachi 3:17-18; Colossians 3. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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