Are YOU an Apostle?

The word "apostle" is derived from the Greek word, apostolos, which
means messenger, ambassador, literally a "Sent One." Although the
term is most often used to describe the Twelve Apostles, certain others,
including Paul and Barnabas, were also referred to by this term
according to God's purposes at any given time.

Theirs was NOT a title; it was a function.

NOTE: Apostles were ALL Disciples but not all Disciples were
Apostles Disciple is derived from the Greek word, mathaytes, which
means learner, or student. Generally, apostles have always been chosen
from among the disciples (Matthew 10:1), therefore, there have always
been far fewer apostles than disciples.

By definition, an apostle of God is a messenger of God. Even Jesus
Himself is referred to in this way: "Therefore, holy brethren, who share
in a heavenly call, consider Jesus, the APOSTLE and high priest of our
confession. He was faithful to Him Who appointed Him," (Emphasis
mine, Hebrews 3:1-2 RSV).

Notice that Jesus was, Himself, a SENT ONE.

In John 20:21 (RSV), "Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent Me, even so I SEND you," (Emphasis mine, ).
Again, notice that Jesus SENT the disciples, thus making them SENT
ONES, too.

True apostles were, and still are, traveling itinerant ministers. They
are those SENT by the Lord, and often by The Church* itself to plant
new Christian communities (House Churches; Simple Churches) and
strengthen the Body of Christ. Often, these Sent Ones are actually
called-upon, just as Paul was, in the vision he received of the man
from Macedonia. In other instances, they will go to a place where there
already exists some Believers in Jesus (Acts 16:11-15) who may need
training and encouragement. At other times, their mission may be to
establish The Church from scratch. My wife and I, for example, will be
leaving for a weekend in mid-May to do exactly this with a group in
California. Two other groups in Africa and two in Texas have made
similar requests this month. I, personally, know several ministers who
are criss-crossing the nation in an effort to build into the Body of Christ
in exactly this same manner. I believe God is raising up more and more
Itinerant Ministries such as this - people who willfully and obediently
leave the comforts of home and family to fulfill the Great Commission as
the Spirit leads. In fact, I will be attending an important meeting of such
Itinerant Ministers who will be gathering in California soon. If you are a
traveling minister who reads this and feels led to join us, write me for
information. Please intercede for this gathering of men and women.

Perhaps your current situation is not permitting you to travel...kids in
school, a demanding job, etc. There are often many reasons why we
Christians CAN'T do something but there is ALWAYS one REALLY
GOOD reason why we SHOULD. The Great Commission is one of
those reasons. I know a woman in Denton, Texas who is married with
four children. She has embraced an online ministry to Chinese students
who desire to improve their English skills via computer. The
government-sanctioned book they're studying - believe it or not - is
"The Purpose-driven Life" by Rick Warren. With 80% of the Chinese
students becoming Christians as a result of their online participation,
this woman is conducting 4 classes each week from the comfort of her
home and is asking for help. Please let me know if you are interested.

*Please note that, when I use the word "Church", it does not pertain to
a building or an institution that is officiated by a man called "pastor"
who preaches sermons. That’s not the Church as described in the New
Testament. The New Testament Church was (still is) simply a
community of believers that gathers under the Headship of Jesus Christ
- a family where every member participates in the meetings, develops
their gifts, is trained to function in ministry, taught about and developed
a "Kingdom mentality," and participates in the decision-making process
as any family member would. They understood that they were children
of the same Father, a God who wasn't seated on a cloud in Heaven, but
One who made His dwelling place WITHIN each of them. God says:
'I will dwell in them, walk in them, and I will be their God' (Leviticus
16:12; 2 Corinthians 6:16; ). 'Know ye not that your bodies are the
temples of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you?' (I Corinthians 3:16). "Let
the Word of Christ dwell in you richly..." (Colossians 3:16).

TRUE APOSTLES

A true apostle will focus upon "enabling" The Church, building it from
the ground up if necessary. Their focus is first upon the foundation in
accordance with Ephesians 2:19-20, "...you are no longer foreigners
and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone."

True apostles help the Church to stand on its own two feet. Ideally, a
true apostle understands the early Church-style expression of Church
life as non-leaders before they were sent out to plant churches and
bring them to maturity. Sadly, I've never personally met a self-
proclaimed, "titled" apostle who plants churches that gather according
to New Testament guidelines.

On the other hand, I HAVE met individuals who can EASILY be
described as "apostles" because they are functioning as such but are
NOT recognized as such by the Church at large because they don't find
it necessary to receive a title.

I wish I could say that I knew of a church that was planted by a so-
called apostle that is gathering under the Headship of Jesus Christ
without all the "churchy" manmade trappings, where the members
know one another intimately, love each other unconditionally, and are
experiencing a depth in Christ, where decisions are made by the
community with no one "lording' over another, where lives are being
transformed and where every-member functions without any
individual's control. Such is the fruit of TRUE biblical, apostolic
ministry (1 Corinthians 9:2; 2 Corinthians 3:1-4).

Far too often, titled "apostles" in today's so-called "apostolic movement"
are clinging to practices that are rooted in manmade and even pagan
tradition, things that have hindered the Headship of Jesus Christ and the
advancement of His Kingdom for over 1700 years.

Final thoughts on true apostles: An apostle can be a prophet and a
prophet can be an apostle. An apostle can be TRAINED to function as
an apostle, but only by exposure to other apostles. Many Christians can
and should become apostles, I believe, allowing themselves to serve
as additional "sent ones," in other words.

A major hindrance to our understanding of true apostleship is that our
understanding is simply too grandiose. Christians have elevated the
office of "Pastor" to such significance that an apostle must be greater
still.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/545881

Creating a Leadership Team in the Small Church

I have written frequently about the need for churches to be led by teams instead of just one person. A number of pastors and lay leaders have asked how they should go about creating such a leadership team. Though each church will have to weigh the situation of their individual church, the following steps can serve as a guideline for how a pastor or lay leader might gather a leadership team in his church.

1. Pray and seek the will of God to determine if this is the right style of leadership to pursue for your specific church at this specific time. Though healthy churches should be led by teams, sometimes the timing is not right and pastors have to put off creating a leadership team for a short period while they deal with others issues. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you if this is the right time to move forward with this idea.

2. Spend three to six months teaching the congregation why this leadership style would be right for your church at this particular time. Do not just make an announcement on a Sunday morning and expect people to adopt a new leadership style without time to think it through. Preach from a number of scripture passages that demonstrate team leadership. Do not assume that everyone in the church will get on board after one sermon. Preach about it several times before moving forward with changes to the church leadership structure.

3. Ask the congregation to test out this leadership style for one year before actually making any changes to the church constitution or bylaws. People tend to resist structural change when asked to do something they have never done before. Therefore, remove that barrier by asking the congregation to simply experiment with the idea for a while. If the concept does not work, the old way will still be there to go back too. The structure may have to be tweaked a few times anyway, so do not set it in stone until it is worked out. Once the new leadership structure is working effectively, then make the structure official in whatever ways are appropriate.

4. Ask the congregation to set aside those individuals who will be a part of the leadership team. Pray over the group and ask God to give them wisdom as they move forward. Ask God to give them flexibility as they try a new way of leading. Ask God to help them be willing to change mid-stream if the system adopted is not working as well as it should. Elect the individuals to this leadership team if that is what your congregational polity calls for.

5. Create a pastoral care schedule that includes each person on the team. The goal is to spread out the visitation and ministry duties so that the pastor is not doing it all. This not only makes the congregation healthier, but it gives the pastor a break in order to avoid burn-out. Any system that meets that goal will be a success but these options might be considered: splitting the entire congregation up into groups with each team member assigned a group, giving each team member one week a month to do whatever visitation needs to be done, having the team members make any visits that arise on the pastor's day off or when out of town, or having one week a month when the pastor makes no visits and the rest of the team makes all the visits.

6. Create a preaching schedule that includes each person on the team. The schedule can be any system that works for the team, but a suggestion would be that the pastor preaches three Sundays a month and one of the other people from the team preaches one Sunday a month. In a month that has five Sundays, a second person from the team would preach one time. Or, if the congregation prefers that the pastor do most of the preaching on Sunday mornings, then assign mid-week Bible studies and other teaching times to the other members of the team so the pastor can focus on making his Sunday morning sermon the best it can be. This is particularly important if the pastor has to work a second job and has limited time to devote to sermon preparation.

7. The leadership team should meet at least once a month to plan sermon topics and update each other on whom in the congregation received a visit and who still needs one. Spend a day together once a year to plan the major annual focuses of the church.

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Women's Role in Church Leadership

As there is much debate about the role of women in the church, I believe that we should, as in all circumstances, rely on the Word of God to instruct us as to God's will. In many religious circles, this is a hot-button subject and everyone will not easily accept this teaching. Nevertheless, because it has become a church dividing issue, it demands an appropriate review.

First, let me say that God is a God of order. In His written word, He has laid out a specific order for all things. In 2 Tim 2:15, Paul instructs us to rightly divide the word of truth. Until we rightly divide ALL of His word, we cannot claim to know the truth.

In the beginning, God created Adam, then the Garden of Eden and placed Adam in the Garden then He created Eve. In Gen. 1:28, God gave them dominion over all the earth. By this passage we can see that God saw Adam and Eve as equals, I do not believe God loved, or held Adam in any higher regard than Eve. God loved them the same but had different functions for each. The fact that God created Adam first is very important because the Apostle Paul refers to this in 1Tim. 2:12-14.
"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."
By this passage Paul makes it clear that because Eve was the one that fell to Satan's temptation, she could not be trusted to make the important decisions regarding the church. Also, in this passage, the word authority comes from the Greek word "authenteo" which means to dominate. One crucial point I'd like to make here is Paul was referring to behaviors inside the church. There is no indication that this premise was to extend in a political or social environment. On the contrary, Judges Chapter 4 talks of Deborah who was a prophetess and judge. Some say that she "usurped authority" over men because she was a judge. This is true in a social climate but not in the church. And as we know, a prophet or prophetess has no known authority in church.
Many believe that there were deaconesses in the early church such as Phoebe mentioned in Romans 16. Paul simply refers to Phoebe as a servant of the church and to read anymore into that would be in error. The word deaconess does not appear in the King James Bible and a woman would not meet the requirements that Paul spelled out in 1 Tim. 3:10-12 and in Titus 1:5-9.
1Tim 3:10-12 - And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Titus 1:5-9 - For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

By these passages Paul made it abundantly clear that the positions of deacon and elder were to be held by the male gender.

God is a God of order and balance in our families and in church. According to God's Word, the family order is Jesus, husband, wife, and children. (Gen. 3:16; 1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18-21)
Furthermore, not only did Paul require leadership to be of the male gender, but also spoke of their abilities to be church leaders in 1 Tim. 3:1-5.

"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)"
As we see in this passage of scripture, Paul required the leadership to be able to rule his own house (wife & children). Paul's point here is if a man cannot govern and be the spiritual head of his own house, he should not be afforded the responsibility of leading the church. Many leaders in today's churches have wives that are unbelievers or are in a back-slidden condition. If these leaders are unable to govern and provide spiritual leadership in their own homes, how can we expect them to provide spiritual leadership in the church? I believe this is exactly the thought Paul was conveying in 1 Timothy.

Some say that taking this position about women in leadership belittles women. I do not agree with this at all. Being subservient in no way belittles anyone. Jesus was given his authority by God the Father (Matt. 28:18). He was sent by God (John 6:38). He said the Father was greater than He (John 14:28). Did this belittle Jesus? Of course not! Jesus understood that there is a chain of command in the home, church, and even within the Trinity. The Father sent the Son (John 6:38) and both the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me," (John 6:38). It is clear that God is a God of order and structure. Does the wife's submission to the husband mean that she is less than or inferior to the husband? Absolutely not! Does not having a leadership position in the church mean that she is less important or less of a person? Again, absolutely not! All are equal in God's eyes. God has gifted everyone with specific abilities according to His will. Because God never contradicts Himself, it is illogical to believe that He would place a call on a woman that caused her to "usurp authority" over a man. That is not to say that women are not an important part of the church or God's plan; it simply means that everyone has a specific purpose and it is our responsibility to determine what our call is, keeping in mind that our call cannot contradict God's written word. Simply put, God has set up an order of hierarchy in the home as well as the church. Anytime we deviate from God's plan, we open the door to Satan's attacks. There are female pastors that I believe love their congregations and have a heart to serve the Lord, and firmly believe that God has called them to the office of a pastor. In lieu of the previous scriptures, I cannot agree. I believe they are basing their theology on experience instead of the Word of God.

Also, in the Old Testament, priests were mentioned over 700 times and in every case they were males. This is important because priests were ordained by God to hold a very important office of ministering the sacrifices. This was not the job of women then, and I can find no New Testament scriptures indicating that has changed.

The women's liberation movement that began in the late 60's and persisted through the 70's was by far one of the most destructive acts of Satan regarding the church. This movement "implanted" the idea that women should hold any position that a man could hold. As I stated before, this idea has validity in the social and political arena, but this theology has spilled over into the church as well. And as we can see through the scriptures, this contradicts God's divine order for His church. In today's churches we have become overly sensitive to political correctness to the point that we have allowed the world's ideas to penetrate and taint the church of Jesus Christ. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:19). The church needs to remember that it is OK to be different from the world and it is OK that our views and beliefs are different because we have been chosen "out of the world".

The biggest problem that this theology has caused in the church is it has swung the door wide open and allowed the Spirit of Jezebel to take root. This is a powerful demonic spirit that leads God's children astray by manipulation. As you recall, Queen Jezebel controlled King Ahab by various methods. She ordered the murder of Naboth to obtain a vineyard for Ahab. She introduced the Israelites to pagan worship and had enough control over Ahab that he ordered pagan temples to be built for the worship of Baal. This spirit will use any method necessary to distract God's people. She seeks power and control. I believe this is why it has never been God's plan for a woman to be put in a position that she could usurp authority over a man. This spirit has infiltrated the church and has caused the church to embrace many different idols such as ungodly music and money. She has been given free access to the church by way of political correctness. Too many men are afraid of being labeled a "male chauvinist". Some will say that no such spirit exists, but they do not take into account that although Queen Jezebel lived in Elijah's time (520bc), Jesus' message to the church in Thyatira included Jezebel. "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." Rev. 2:20

God's word clearly tells us that the elder is to be the husband of one wife. A woman cannot qualify for this position by virtue of her being female. Whether we accept it or not, the fact is, this is what the Bible teaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8707617

Theology in Africa - A Reflection

The book is about Christian theology in Africa even though the writer cannot presume a first-hand knowledge of the Church in all its shapes and forms in every African country. Dickson realistically observes that no serious study of Christian theology in Africa can with any justification ignore independent churches and their life and thought. The writer divides this invaluable text into three parts : theology in the shaping, theological uncertainty and experimentation and implications for theological education. Theological articulation has been done in the west for a long time, and theological education in the Third World has traditionally assumed the inviolability of the theological insights emanating from the west. In the first part, the writer restated several facts. Since every Christian theologizes, Dickson argues that the African too theologizes, a view that is contrary to popular thought. He examined the relevance of Christian theology, as traditionally conceived, in the Church in Africa. The role of the Scriptures, experience, tradition and culture is analyzed. The writer challenges the view that no one should believe that the concept of God is a borrowed one in the religious belief of the Africa.

Dickson gives a detailed historical account of Christianity in Africa before and after the colonial period, analyzing the effect of the polices of the western powers. There is the fact of the colonial past which remain s in some respects a present reality. Evidence of influences from outside is to be encountered everywhere ? in the schools, colleges and universities; in the civil service, military, Church etc. In the second part, Dickson analyses theological uncertainty and experimentation. Christian evangelism as it was carried out by European missionaries in the early days of missions in Africa, and also by those African preachers whom the missionaries had trained as their co-workers, tended to assume the destructiveness of African religion and culture. Missionary preaching, especially in nineteenth century Africa, reveals not only a lack of appreciation of African life and thought, but also a presentation of the Christian message that sometimes detracted from the fullness of its meaning and significance.

Expressions such as adaptation, indigenisation, translation, Africanisation and naturalization (terms often used interchangeably) have been pressed into service to describe the nature of the theological task facing the church in Africa. Perhaps the best known of these terms is indigenisation which holds that western cultural elements should give way to elements of African culture, thereby placing the gospel message in a relevant setting. Dickson guides against a loose use of the term African theology and explains demonstrates how it should be interpreted as Christian theology in Africa. He assesses the contributions of Black and Liberation theology.

Commenting on the cultural continuity with the Bible, two unavoidable guidelines are realistically presented : it is important to know the biblical story as it is; and, the exegete should come to the Bible armed with questions relevant to his circumstances. No matter what the cultural perspective of the Christian might be, the matter of Christ''s death and its significance cannot but be considered most central; Christians everywhere, from whatever cultural background, must react to this central belief. To achieve this, it is necessary, Dickson argues, to examine the New Testament material on the subject, and then, given the history of the Church in Africa, raises the question of relevance of the theological understanding of the cross which the Church in Africa has inherited. He analysed several ways in which African life and thought could be recalled to great advantage, having in mind the teaching of the New Testament on the subject. Dickson relates the African belief that death binds up relationships in society and compares with Paul''s language about the cross (I Cor. 10:16-18) which clearly adumbrates this kind of understanding. Dickson finally shows the relationship between the theology in Africa and the seminary, congregation and the community.

REFLECTION

Theology is done most meaningfully in particular setting: the cultural particularity is indispensable because theology is done by flesh and blood. The quest for authenticity or selfhood is only at its initial stages as far as the articulation of Christian thought in Africa is concerned. Africa has a place in the universal body of Christ since diverse tongues complement one another as they express the Lordship of Christ.

One of the most important assumptions under situational reality is that theology is meaningfully done only in context, or with reference to a situation or set of circumstances. A biblical fact of which theology must take account is that if God indeed is concerned with all peoples, then there is a theological continuity between the people of Israel and others. It is necessary to give culture a meaningful role in Christian theology in Africa. He observes that the environment has a special meaning for the Africa. Of course there is the animistic in African religion, as there is in other religions, but this does not make Africa religion deserve the description of animism, any more than does Christianity.
The unenlightened nature of the theological stand adopted by some missionaries to Africa has had some consequences for the Church; in particular, it has resulted in a lack of cohesion in the Church''s thinking and vision. Indeed, Africans have been theologizing all along, even if not in any formal way. Singing and dancing are a very important feature of life in Africa. Independent churches are seekers after ways to satisfy their people''s spiritual longings. The development of these churches cannot be dismissed as a spurious development. It is a truism that the Church in Africa must respond to Christ in such a way as to give recognition to the dignity of Africans as God made them and he comes to them in Christ. This is indeed a crucial task for the church.

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Church Leadership - Leading Change in Your Church

The purpose of this article is to help the Church Leadership to think about developing some systems that leaders need to chart their church's course to a dynamic, kingdom-advancing future. Holy Spirit directed planning for the future is a powerful tool you can use to help your church grow and to help you develop your church into a high impact ministry accomplishing its life-changing mission.

Like most pastors, you probably entered ministry as a response to a deep sense of personal calling from God. But now that you've been leading for awhile, you recognize the need for some tools to help you mobilize your church body to collectively reach unbelieving people and disciple them into fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ who minister to one another and the world. The value of understanding Change Management can't be overstated; yet, most pastors have little training in the skills required to bring about effective change.

Strategic Planning, helps you anticipate the future God has for you, but Leading Change allows you to accomplish the future God has for you.

"...God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you..." Genesis 50:20-2

Churches that make an impact don't just happen. It takes more than a strategic plan to make a difference. It requires Church Leadership and leaders who possess an ability to bring about the necessary changes that will empower their people to overcome barriers and seize opportunities.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Church Leadership that is Leading Change includes:

* determining where you are now

* determining where God wants you to go

* determining how you're going lead people to get them there.

"Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." John 12:26

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2920502

Principles Of Multiplying Ministry (Each One-Teach One)

By the grace of God, I will sharing with you a Biblical principle to how you can effectively disciple your members and put ministry burden on them. These principles I will be sharing is very detailed and cannot put everything into writing, but I look forward that one day, you would have me in your ministry, conferences and seminars and I can teach this in detail. This principle is applicable in all grounds of life: business, ministry or in an organization.

Taking our teaching from Exodus 18:13-22 "And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses sat to Judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning to evening. So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?" And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire of God. "When they have difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and his laws." So Moses father-in-law said to him, "The thing you do is not good. "Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. "Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel and God will be with be with you: stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. "And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way to in which they must walk and the work they must do. "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. "And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you."

Amen! What a wonderful divine counsel Jethro, Moses' father-in-law gave to him. So I will be relating my teaching to these. Ministry cannot be fulfill isulation, we all need the help of others to fulfill the ministry. This was the case of Moses, he was the only one that was called, and he knew God, his law and statutes and he attend to his people all alone.

I have been to a ministry before where everything is done by the Senior Minister, the wife leads the Praise and Worship session, and the Senior Pastor does the preaching, reading of the announcement. He did that every Sundays of about three services. Then the father-in-law looked at the minister (Moses now), he said "What you are doing to yourself is not good". He said "Both you and you people will easy wear out for this work is too much for you".

And he gave Moses five principle that we will be considering towards effective building of a new team to help in the work God has called us to do. This principle is called "Principles of multiplying ministry" utilized by Jesus and the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. When we are trying to do the work God has called us to accomplish by ourselves without the counsel or help of others defines the essence of this teaching. The solution to this is building a team. Invest your time and resources in the team. Let the team help you with the work God has called you to do. You will succeed in team-building if you follow the principles given to Moses by God and his father-in-law, Jethro. Without these, Moses would have failed. Without them, you will fail as a church leader.
We will now examine the five principles given to Moses.

• TRAIN OTHERS TO HELP

"I am not able to bear this entire people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if you deal with me, kill me, I pray you..." Number 11:14, 15.

Moses was taking to God to kill him because of the problems resulting from the burden of ministry on him. To help him with this problem, God was talking to Moses in Numbers 11. In Exodus 18, Jethro (Moses father-in-law) was also talking to Moses and saying the same thing. When Moses listened to God and Jethro, here is what he found out. The solution to this problem began with training others. "And the Lord said to Moses, gather to me seventy men... whom you know to be elders of the people, and officers over them..." Number 11:16.

"In addition, Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. "And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you."

The scripture verses which follow teach us that the leadership gifts were to do the work of the ministry. This was the purpose of Moses' ministry. He just didn't know it. The leader's job is to train and equip the members of the church who have leadership potentials. These members would then do the work of the ministry.

"When Jesus ascended up to heaven... He gave some, apostles; some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for training and equipping the saints, so members of the church would do the work if the ministry, and then build up the body of Christ" Ephesians 4:10 12.
1. Each One- Teach One
Paul teaches in the above verses the primary purpose of church leaders is to train others. Paul explained this to young Timothy. His job as a church leader was to train others. He was to take the training he received from Paul and pass it on to other faithful men. These in turn were also to teach still other faithful men.

"And the things that you have heard of me among many witness, the same commit to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" 2Timothy 2:2; following Paul's principle of training others would set off a chain reaction of multiplication that would cause the gospel to be spread quickly over the world. The following explains what would happen if you would take ONE other faithful man and spend ONE year training him. The second year, you and the one you trained would each train one other. If you kept this process up for thirty-three years, look what would happen.
This illustrates the Bible principle of EACH ONE-TEACH ONE.

• TEACH THEM THE BIBLE

"And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way to in which they must walk and the work they must do"

In most Church seminaries today are ware that most teach every subject but the Bible. The Theulogical Seminaries too frequently become "Cemeteries"- where hundreds of potentials church leaders' spiritual life is buried.

A basic choice was presented to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden "... the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge..." Genesis 2:9. Eating the fruit of the tree of Knowledge would produce sin and death. Despite this biblical warning, the Church returns continually to this tree for the training programmes. What is the result? The Apostle Paul put to simply: "Knowledge puff up, but love edifies according to 1Corithians 8:1"

Training programmes that do not use THE BIBLE as the primary reference work produce arrogant, spiritual dead, impotent leaders whose only achievement after graduation is to pastor a church that gets smaller every year. That which has no life cannot and will not grow. The tree of knowledge only produces death.

Jesus answered in Matthew 22:29 and said to them, you are in error because you do not know the scriptures. The scripture keeps us from error and produce life- for flesh profit nothing; the words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life. It is the words of God the father and God the Son (Jesus) recorded in the Bible that brings life to us.

• Academic Achievement is not the Goal

Training programmes based in intellectual achievement with emphasis on academic degrees will not produce the leadership needed to win lost souls to Christ or build growing churches. The greater emphasis on academic, the less capable the leadership. Teach the Bible, train church leaders in the Bible. Let the Bible be the center of your training curriculum.
2. SHOW THEM THE WORK TO DO
"... and show them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do"
The Luke the Apostle began the Book of Acts with these words: "The former treatises have I made... of all that Jesus began both to do and teach" Acts1:1.

• Get them Involved

It is not enough to teach the trainee. The trainer must immediately involve the student in DOING and TEACHING. If you teach the student "Soul-wining"- then immediately send them out to win souls. If you teach them how to heal the sick and cast out demons, immediately send them out to do this. That is what Jesus did.
"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease and he sent the twelve out..." Matthew 10:1-8.

• Short-Term Training is the Best

Note that the training was short-term with both the twelve apostles and the seventy disciples that Jesus commissioned. He demonstrated what they should do, and then sent them out to do the same things he did. The longer the training programme, the less effective the graduates; training should be kept to six months maximum- then the trainee should be sent out full time to do the work. If necessary, they can be brought back for further training a year or two later.

• Keep it Practical

The short term training should be 50 percent TEACHING and 50 percent DOING. What is taught should be immediately put into practice (doing). Don't train the head, train the hands. Keep the emphasis on Practices (Practical training). The training should be Bible-centered, short-term and practical. Academics are not emphasized. Dedication and commitment to Christ, purity of character and an emphasis on practical training (immediately doing what is taught) - these should be the kind of training that is encouraged.
It is biblically based training that yields the desired results.
3. TRANSFER THE ANOINTING
"And the Lord said to Moses, gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel... and bring them to the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand thee with you, and... and I will take of the spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you that you bear alone" Numbers 11:16, 17.

• The Anointing is Essential

This is probably the most important (but most neglected) principle in leadership development. Without the power of the Holy Spirit (the anointing) coming upon a leader, he has no chance of succeeding. Jesus never sent anyone to represent him that he did not first empower. The anointing was essential for Jesus to fulfill his ministry and likewise is essential for you.

• Anointed Leaders should train others

Let us not miss the vital principle involved, the key leader was anointed and passed his anointing on to those he trained. In contrast to this, it is noted often that the training in Seminaries are staffed by those who failed in the ministry. Those who went out to pastor a church or to evangelize and failed in the process are often brought to the Seminary to train those with leadership potentials. Such approach is doomed to produce others who fail. The law of Harvest is clear. "And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruits after his kind..."

We reproduce what we are. If failed leaders train, their students will be a failure. Successful leaders, who carry a strong anointing of the Holy Spirit on their lives, should be involved in the training of leadership. They will reproduce others who will carry a strong anointing and be successful.

• Anointing is to shared

The anointing transferred from Moses to the leaders who were to share in his ministry. The anointing transferred from Elijah to Elisha who was to share his ministry. The anointing Jesus to his disciples who were to share in his ministry; the same stand still holds, the trainee shares in the anointing of the trainer. Hence, those who do the training should be those who carry the strong power of God in their lives. The laws of Harvest will work. They will bring forth after their kind.

• Who transfer the anointing?

God said, "And... I will take of the spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them..." It is under the guidance and sovereignty of God that this takes place. God is the one who chooses the recipients and directs the key leadership in this blessed transfer.
4. TRANSFER THE BURDEN
And the Lord said to Moses, gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel... and bring them to the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand thee with you, and... and I will take of the spirit which is upon you, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you that you bear alone" Numbers 11:16, 17.

If you see a man reaching for responsibility, promote him! That man will be a blessing to the Lord's work. If you see a man reaching for authority, be on guard! That man will damage the work of the Lord..

• Leadership is not Lordship.

Praise the Lord! I believe this piece of summarized e-training material would enhance your ministry. Let me hear from you and will welcome invitation to conference and seminar on this and several other ministerial key subject. God bless you abundantly.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5597864

The Essential Teachings and Messages of the Bible, the Word of God

What are some of the core truths or messages of the Bible? Every Christian has the responsibility to study the Bible for its teachings, precepts and principles on their own, but here, I'll provide an outline of the core teachings of God's Word. Be sure to check all the Biblical references I cite.

Yahweh (from YHWH in Hebrew) Is the only true God (Isaiah 45:5; John 17:3). Yahweh ("Jehovah" in English) is the Creator of everything that is good, both the physical and spiritual, and created things from nothing (Genesis 1:1, 31; Hebrews 11:3). Yahweh is eternal, self-existing, omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and the only one who is purely good and holy (Exodus 3:14; Psalm 139; Matthew 19:17; Isaiah 6:2). Since Yahweh is the only true God and is purely good, only He alone deserves our sincere worship and complete obedience (Revelation 4:11).

Jesus is the divine only begotten Son of Yahweh who originally existed as a Spirit Being, the firstborn of all creation through whom Yahweh created the world (Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:15-16; John 1:1-3, 18). He is the exact image of Yahweh, having the same spiritual qualities as God (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15). Jesus and Yahweh are one spiritually. It is this oneness that Jesus desires all Christians to share and enjoy with one another and with him and his Father (John 14:20; John 17:11). Two thousand years ago, Jesus was miraculously "transferred" (for lack of a better word) into the womb of the virgin Mary by God's Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26-35). By this means, Jesus was born into the world as a human being to fulfill his mission as the Messiah (the "Appointed One," which "Christ" also means). As the Christ, Jesus was sent by Yahweh to be a willing sacrifice to die in the place of sinners to pay the penalty for their sins, so those who actively trust in him will be forgiven of their sins and receive eternal life to be lived with Yahweh and Jesus (John 3:16; Hebrews 9:26-27; Hebrews 10:4-22). After Jesus was executed, he was resurrected by God on the third day, and then forty days later ascended back to heaven where he currently reigns only second in line to Yahweh and waits for his enemies to be made the footstool for his feet (1 Corinthians 15:1-9; Acts 1:1-11; Hebrews 10:12-13; Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27). On Yahweh's appointed day, Jesus will return to Earth to establish his 1000-year reign over Earth (Acts 1:11; Revelation 20:4-8). Afterward, he will hand the Kingdom back to Yahweh (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).

The Holy Spirit is Yahweh's creative power that He uses to perform His deeds, including the creation of the world and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead (Genesis 1:2; Romans 8:11). Yahweh gives His Holy Spirit to each genuine Christian upon their sincere profession of faith in Jesus Christ; the indwelling Spirit then helps the Christian to live a life that is pleasing to Yahweh (John 7:37-40; Titus 3:5-6). To walk by the Spirit is to submit to the Spirit's guidance according to God's will (Galatians 5:16-21). The Spirit will develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the Christian which is a bundle of Christ-like qualities such as love, goodness, peace, meekness, and faith (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit given to a Christian acts as the guarantee that he or she will inherit the Kingdom of God and all His blessings (Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

The entire Bible, from Genesis in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures called the Tanakh) to Revelation in the New Testament (Greek Scriptures), is written ("God-breathed") by Yahweh God Almighty, and is therefore His very word (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 3:15-16; Revelation 1:1-3; Revelation 22:18-20). Since the Bible is written by Yahweh through His chosen "secretaries," then His Word must be read, studied, taught, and followed by all, as it contains timeless truths, principles, and precepts for righteous living according to God's will (Psalm 119; Psalm 1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Only when we study the Bible will we be able to learn who Yahweh and Jesus are, how we can properly worship and serve Yahweh, what Yahweh plans for humanity, how we can please Him and enjoy a sacred relationship with Him, and what we must do to fulfill the purpose for which we are created. The Word of God answers life's colossal questions such as "Where have we come from" and "Where will we go?" Since the Bible is the Word of God, no one should add to it (Proverbs 30:6). It is the only authorized written Word from God.

The first two humans, Adam and Eve, were created by Yahweh "very good," which meant that they were sinless (Genesis 1:31). They were created in the image of Yahweh, so they had some of the spiritual attributes and capabilities like God, such as having the ability to love, to hate, get angry, and think and reason (Genesis 1:26-27). It also meant that they were granted with free will, the freedom to make moral choices, such as to obey God or to disobey God. In order to enable them to exercise their free will, Yahweh gave them a single law for them to obey or disobey: "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17, WEB) The penalty for disobeying this law was death. By their free will, Adam and Eve chose to disobey this law by eating from the tree, so Yahweh punished them with death (Genesis 3:19).

Sin is the violation of God's laws, as crimes are violations of manmade laws (1 John 3:4). All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17). Those who commit sins are called sinners or transgressors of the Law (James 2:9-11).

The fall of humanity occurred when Adam and Eve disobeyed Yahweh. From then onward, sin entered into humanity, as each person born since then has inherited a sin nature from Adam and Eve when they fell into sin (Romans 5:12). Yahweh has established that the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). This means that anyone who is ever born will be punished with death, as the sin nature causes a person to sin. No one has been able to perfectly obey the laws of God (Romans 3:10-12, 23).
Death is the state of non-existence; it is the same condition as before one is born. when people die, their bodies return to the dust as God had said (Genesis 3:19). Those who have died do not know anything and have no thoughts (Psalm 146:3-4). Death is compared to "sleep" in the Bible (Daniel 12:2) because like a long, unconscious period of time during sleep, every person will "wake up" (be resurrected) to receive judgment. Thus, this is what Hebrews 9:27 refers to: "appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment." So every person dies once, and then upon resurrection, they receive judgment: eternal life or eternal death.

Salvation through genuine faith in Jesus is the gift Yahweh has presented to humanity to undo the affects of the fall of humanity (Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:9-21). In this plan of salvation, Jesus offered himself as a willing sacrifice to die in the place of the sinner to pay for the penalty for their sins so they themselves will not have to die eternally (Hebrews 9:26-28; Isaiah 53:4-5, 10). Once a person confesses their sins, repents, and trust in Jesus for their salvation from eternal death, that person will receive the Holy Spirit which helps the new Christian live in accordance with God's principles and precepts (Matthew 4:17; Acts 2:38; Acts 26:20; Acts 16:30-31; John 3:16; Titus 3:5-6). By this, the Christian is born again into a new creation, with a new life and heart that aims to please Yahweh (2 Corinthians 5:17). Without Yahweh's salvation, every human being will be destined to die eternally, since every person is a sinner and that the penalty for sin is death.

Biblical faith is active trust in Yahweh and Jesus, not a passive belief in their existence. This faith is like a "title deed," a legal document you have that proves that you will certainly own what you don't see yet (Hebrews 11:1). It is this faith in God and in Jesus that makes a person justified in God's sight and is required for salvation (Genesis 15:16; Romans 5:1; Romans 3:21-31). A person who does not trust Yahweh will not please Him (Hebrews 11:6). Genuine faith is proven by our actions, for faith without works is dead or meaningless (James 2:20). Even demons believe God (James 2:19), but their faith is the passive kind that simply believes that God exists, not the active kind that trusts in God at all times at all costs. Therefore, we must avoid the faith the demons have. We must live out our faith daily. The way to do so is to study the Bible, apply its principles to our lives, and instruct others in its teachings (2 Timothy 2:2, 24-26; 2 Timothy 4:1-5).

The resurrection is the event where Yahweh will raise up all the dead from death to be judged by Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:12-23; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:5-16). The righteous (those who put faith in Yahweh and in Jesus) will receive immortality, while the wicked will receive eternal death (John 5:28-29; Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:52-54). The resurrection of the righteous will occur upon Jesus' return to Earth at his second coming, right before he begins his thousand-year reign over Earth (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:23). The righteous, particularly those appointed by Christ, will reign with him during the Millennium (Revelation 20:5-6; Luke 22:28-30). The resurrection of the rest will occur at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20:13-15). Any person who is not found in the book of life will be sentenced to the second death, which is eternal death (the first death is temporary and is what every person goes through prior to Jesus' return) (Revelation 20:13-15).

The rapture of genuine Christians will occur immediately following the resurrection of the righteous upon Jesus return to Earth. The rapture is simply the act whereby Christians are caught up into the sky to meet Jesus as he returns. From then onward, Christians will live with Yahweh and Christ forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Will you put Biblical faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation to be part of the rapture and the resurrection of the righteous unto eternal life? If you haven't already, begin studying the Word of God to deepen your understanding and relationship with Yahweh and Jesus today, and you'll discover the true purpose of life!

Learn the Entire Bible in Depth from Genesis to Revelation via E-mail with Dr. Shirley Cheng:
Would you like to know your Creator, understand your origin, and fulfill your purpose? Do you desire to obtain true, enduring wealth, happiness, and wisdom? Then embark on your path to wisdom by learning about your Creator and His will from His Word, the Bible, and apply His principles to your life, as the fear of Yahweh God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).

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Moses and the Way God Used Him

Moses - Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. Dt. 24:10

During a time when the Israelites were slaves in the land of Egypt, a new king began to fear the increase of the Israelites' numbers. In an attempt to control the Hebrew population, he ordered two Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. When they refused to obey, the king ordered his own people to drown the babies in the Nile River.

In Exodus 1:19-21 it says that Pharaoh asked the midwives, Why have you let the boys live? The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.

So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
It was in this tumultuous setting that Jochebed and Amram of the tribe of Levi gave birth to a son. Jochebed hid her son for three months, but when he grew more active, she put him in a basket made of papyrus and waterproofed with tar. Ironically, she stationed the little basket among the reeds of the Nile, the death site for Hebrew baby boys, while the baby's older sister Miriam kept watch.
While I am writing this I am sitting here watching a tv show on abortion. There have been over 50 million baby's aborted. I sit here and think about all those baby's that could have been great men and women of God. If they would of had a chance for life, they could have been used by God just like Moses.

The baby boy was found by Pharaoh's daughter, returned to his mother for nursing, and later adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, who named him Moses because she drew him out of the water.
Now that's pretty awesome that God made away for Moses mother to be able to take care of him. Moses was an extraordinary child and he was raised and educated as a member of the royal household.
Forty tears after his birth, Moses visited his own people as they toiled under the hands of their Egyptian slave masters. Seeing an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrews, Moses put his Hebrew roots above his political position and murdered the Egyptian, hiding the body in the sand. This is another example how God can use a person that is not perfect. Moses was a murder and God still used him. Also, if you think about it he wasn't even saved and God still used him. Moses was on earth before Jesus was even born. Therefore he didn't have the savior to be saved.
But what Moses thought was a secret act of justified revenge turned out to be the demise of his high position in Egypt, for a Hebrew had witnessed the killing.

Fearing he would be executed for the murder, Moses fled to Midian. There he befriended seven sisters at a well by driving away a group of shepherds that were harassing them. He married one of the seven and began a life as a shepherd. One day, as he was leading his flock by Mt. Hored, an angel of God appeared to him in the fire of a burning bush. As Moses came near the bush, God spoke directly to him, warning him not to came any closer and to take off his sandals, for he was standing on holy ground, the ground where God had chosen to appear in all his glory. Moses took off his sandals and hid his face, afraid to look at the almighty God.

The Israelites, in their despair, had cried out to God to be released from slavery. He heard their cries and decided to execute their deliverance though his servant Moses. But Moses was not sure he was the man to make it work. Moses did not realize at the time that it was God who was going to do the work through him. He questioned God time and time again, which prompted God to perform miracles so Moses would believe. Moses saw his staff become a snake and the snake become a staff again. He saw his own hand turn leprous, and he saw it restored. God told Moses how he would be able to turn water into blood before Pharaoh. Still, Moses hesitated, saying he was not a good enough speaker for the job, so God allowed Moses's older brother Aaron to go with him and speak for him.

I think Moses was still not sure that he could do what God called him to do. He kept making excuses, I think he was trying to get out of being used by God. Some times we all make excuses why we can not do things in life. But we need to remember that if we put our trust in God we can do anything.
In spite of Moses's lack of self-confidence, he was still a man who obeyed God. After securing a leave of absence from his shepherding job, Moses took his wife, sons, and Aaron to Egypt, carrying with him the staff that God would use against the Egyptians. Then began the series of requests to let the Israelites go, the recurrence of Pharaoh's flat denials, and the string of ten plagues meted out exclusively on the Egyptian people. Moses set the stage for an incredible display of God's power over the deadly forces of nature in order to convince Pharaoh and the other Egyptians of the foolishness of opposing the Hebrew God.

God allowed Moses and Aaron to be the initiators of the first nine plagues that had transformed the Nile into blood, covered the land with frogs, changed the dust to gnats, produced dense swarms of flies, massacred the Egyptian livestock, festered boils on all people and animals, dispatched a devastating hail storm, canopied the land with locusts, and dipped Egypt into total darkness. But for the last and most devastating plague, God was the initiator, God struck down all the Egyptians' first born sons, and there was loud wailing and utter anguish in every Egyptian household that night.
These are all prime examples why you do not mess with God's people. God says in his word that he will protect his people. If you love God and are serving him and obeying him. He will go to great lengths to save his people.

This is why it is awesome to serve him because he will take care of you. He might ask you to do somethings that you don't think you will be able to do. But with him backing you up you don't have to worry. Remember you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.
The Israelites were spared the havoc of the plague by displaying blood on their doors.
The blood on their doors is what saved them. Just like the blood of Jesus saves and protects us when we apply it in our lives. There is awesome and mighty power in the blood of Jesus.

Moses and Aaron were summoned in the middle of the night by Pharaoh himself, whose own son died. So great was his anguish that he told them to leave quickly with the Israelites.
Moses led a host of Israelites out of Egypt. Shortly after their departure, Pharaoh lusted for vengeance and pursued them with his army. He caught up with them when their backs were to the vast Red Sea. Apparently trapped and sure to be captured, the Israelites blamed Moses for leading them to destruction. Responding to God's directive, Moses raised his staff over the waters and parted them to create a path of escape.

When I was studying about Moses I read in Exodus 14:15-16 that the Lord said to Moses," Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. God gave Moses an instruction and he had to obey it. When he did what God told him to do the Red Sea parted. When the Egyptian soldiers attempted to pursue, the waters rushed together and drowned them.
As Moses led a grumbling, complaining nation across the desert to Canaan, God provided water, manna, and quail for them. God also used Moses to give out his Law on Mt. Sinai, which was possibly the greatest appearance God made in the Old Testament. God knew Moses's high level of obedience to him, and with confidence, he entrusted him with his Law - standards that would reveal the sinfulness of the human race. After warning the people they would die if they touched the mountain, Moses climbed Mt. Sinai in the middle of a thick cloud, with thunder and lighting on all sides, and smoke billowing up from it. The mountain was shaking violently and the sound of a trumpet was growing louder as Moses spoke. And then God himself spoke directly to his humble servant. He spoke his commandments, his principles for life, and his measurements for the sins of humanity. Moses spent 40 days and nights alone with God, whose presence caused Moses's face to shine so brightly that the people could not look directly look at him and made the mountain itself shine for seven days afterward.
When Moses came down from the mountain, he had the Law, written with the finger of God, on tables of stone, and he had the instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle, the place where God would dwell with the people in the desert. But at the bottom of the mountain, Moses discovered a golden calf that the people had built and worshiped in their impatience for his return. Moses broke the two stones of God's Law and then fell prostrate and fasted 40 days and nights, begging God not to completely destroy the people. God spared the Hebrew people and later gave Moses an identical set of stone tablets. Moses challenged the people to take a stand for God.

After many years of wandering, Moses effectively led the rebellious Israelites to the edge of the Promised Land, but on one occasion, the people complained that there was no water. God provided for them again by telling Moses to speak to a rock so that it would produce water. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck it with his rod. His years of faithfulness and obedience were tainted by this single disobedient act, and he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Moses died in the desert of Moab after spending another private time with God, who showed him a panoramic view of the Promised Land, the land he would never walk upon, from the top of Mt. Nebo. His epitaph at the end of Deuteronomy gives tribute to Moses, who performed miracles and showed God's mighty power more than any other in Israel.

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