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Marcus Beecham
Hold Your Brother's Hand --- 2/4/2007

Exodus 17 8. The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.
9. Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands."
10. So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.
11. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
12. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up one on one side, one on the other so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
13. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
14. The Lord said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
15. Moses built an altar and called it the Lord is my banner (Jehovah nissi).
16. He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

When I first read this chapter it really struck me. I begin to read it over, and over, and over again. It was like there was something there, but I just wasn't getting all of it. Finally, I began to understand the importance within these few verses. The passage deals with submission to authority, foundation, support, and the power in worship and surrender. The text also reminds us to build altars of remembrance for our victorious battles.

In verse 9 Moses commands Joshua to gather men and prepare to fight the Amalekites. Joshua did not question the man of God. He simply did what was asked of him. Joshua was submitted to the authority that God had placed in his life. He understood that though he could not see what is ahead he would trust his leader and his God. He had faith that Moses had heard from God.

In verse 10 Moses begins to go UP. In my personal belief, I believe that not only did Moses go up physically but he began to go UP spiritually by exalting and worshiping God. I do not imagine that he simply stood there hands raised and no worship coming from his lips; for we are victorious through our worship and praise. "And when he lowered his hands the Amalekites were winning." So in the battle praise cannot cease. In order for victory praise and worship must be offered to God. David said in Psalm 63 that "because your love is better than my life my lips will praise you." Praise him in your battles and you will leave victorious because ALL things are working for your good.

Verse 12 speaks of Moses becoming tired but he was not willing to let his praise cease because the battle was not yet won. So Aaron and Hur set a ROCK underneath him. This is not a coincidence. A rock is a FIRM foundation. The Lord built his church on a rock. A rock is unmoving. It is solid and firm. It will not break under pressure, and it will not sway with the wind.

In the same verse it says that "Aaron and Hur held his hands up one on one side, one on the other- so that his hands remained steady till sunset." Sometimes we become tired in our battles. We become weak and our bodies ache. That's how we were created, but that's the reason for the church. The church helps the needy, the broken, the tired, the helpless, and that's exactly what Aaron and Hur did. They saw the need that Moses had. They saw that he began to grow weary and physically could not do did by himself any longer. So they held his hands until the battle was won. They were not going to be defeated because of their lack of worship!

Lastly, Moses built an altar in remembrance of the victorious battle over the enemy. He gave God all the glory for the defeat over the enemy. He would not let it be forgotten what God did for him, and how God had delivered him once more. I believe that he visited that altar daily thanking God for the victory.

So you may be wondering how all this ties together. Just know that if you see your brother struggling to be victorious hold his hand. Worship and rejoice with him.

Alyssa Bishop
Holding on to Faith --- 2/4/2007

I was just recently taking some notes from different things and it turned into a lesson that I wanted to teach. Instead I am going to express the burden for this through this blog. After I wrote this I found out that one of my friends was going through a situation like this and it increased my desire to write the blog.

Everyone has a point in their life where they will take a fall. We fall to temptations of the flesh and when we do they tear us down spiritually. In Psalm 95:8 it says, “Harden not your heart as in the day of provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness.” When we fall our hearts are hardened and we cannot worship. How can we hold our faith without worship? Not just faith as in believing, but our faith, what we were built upon. It is what we stand for and who we are. It is imperative for us to worship and hold our faith.

It hurts me to watch girls cut their hair. The precious glory that God blesses them with. All because they were tempted to fit in with everyone else. Girls have a world that is influencing them and saying its okay to not be modest. We were meant to be separate ladies. God gave us our glory; we have power with angels. Our modesty and our uncut, untrimmed hair is a worship unto God. Worship produces faith. It produces your faith- what you believe in. When girls lose their modesty they lose their worship, and without worship there is no faith.

In James 1:12-15 it says, “12-Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him. 13- Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14- But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15- Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

So many people fail and think that they can’t get back up again. That is a result of lost faith. They’ve forgotten how to worship after falling to temptations, and slowly their faith dwindles. God doesn’t want us to give up. He doesn’t want you to lose the very thing we were built on - our faith. Hold the faith and withstand temptation.

LeeAnn Hall
Will vs. Willing --- 2/4/2007

I believe the words will and willing mean two very different things. In my mind, the word will implies definite future action, whereas the word willing implies voluntary, potential action that needs some sort of a stipulation (example: I’m willing to A, if you will B). I have found myself multiple times telling God that I am willing to do this or that, and just recently I believe He spoke to me and said, “Yes, but will you?” Needless to say, this was a wake up call for me. I have to turn my voluntary promises into definite action that God can depend on. The Lord doesn’t have to give me a reason, either. I want to find it within myself to rise above the ordinary and do something great for Him.

This wake up call also got me to thinking about Matthew 26:41 which says “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” I find it interesting that this verse is placed where Jesus is praying in Gethsemane before his crucifixion. I think that Jesus may have been talking to us and His disciples, as well as Himself. Jesus was battling His flesh just as we do. He must have been tempted to run and hide from the inevitable, but for our sakes, he found strength and willed himself to go through with the cruxifiction. At some point on the road to Calvary, He must have wondered if people would ever really look to Him for salvation. He knew the choice was ultimately ours.

I am so grateful for His sacrifice for my salvation and for the encouragement it brings to me. Jesus was more than willing to die for me. He actually did. I know He resurrected and is alive, but where would we all be had He not carried out the bigger plan? One man’s sacrifice impacted the whole world. I’m tired of my pathetic willingness and potential to matter. I will without pretense.