Recently, I learned a valuable moral from studying the opposing attitudes and behaviors of Mariam and Aaron towards Moses and the consequences that followed. I hope that this lesson blesses you as well.

 

In Numbers 12 of the Bible, Mariam and Aaron began to criticize Moses because of his Cushite wife, as he had married a Cushite woman. The Lord heard their complaints and summoned all three of them to the tent of meeting. Mariam and Aaron questioned Moses' authority, asking if the Lord had only spoken through him and not through them.

 

It is worth noting that Aaron, Mariam, and Moses were siblings who all played significant roles in the history of the Israelites. Aaron, as the older brother, was appointed as the first high priest of Israel, while Mariam was their sister and a prophetess. Moses, the youngest of the three, was chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land.

 

Perhaps Aaron and Mariam felt entitled to criticize and judge Moses due to their own significant roles. However, God heard their complaints and summoned all three to the tent of meeting. As they came forward, God spoke to them, stating that He reveals Himself to prophets through visions and dreams, but with Moses, He speaks face to face, clearly and without riddles. God questioned why Aaron and Mariam were not afraid to speak against His servant Moses.

 

God's anger was evident, and when the cloud lifted from above the tent, Mariam's skin became leprous and as white as snow. Aaron witnessed this and immediately pleaded with Moses for her healing. Moses, being humble, cried out to the Lord on behalf of his sister.

 

In response, the Lord said to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days, and then she can be brought back." Thus, Mariam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the Israelites did not continue their journey until she was brought back.

 

My takeaway from this story is the following:

 

Lessons to learn from Moses:

1. The Bible does not mention that Moses reported Aaron and Mariam's complaints to God. Instead, God fought Moses' battle for him.

2. God recognized and considered Moses because of his faithfulness and reliability in leading His people.

 

Lessons to learn from Aaron and Mariam's behavior:

1. As believers, we are called to a position of glory. Let us not allow unnecessary battles or criticisms to push us into shame or disgrace.

Whatever you dwell on will dominate you

Defend your mind!

#mentalwellbeing

#detoxwithabi

Being Followers of Jesus

Making a decision to follow Jesus guarantees strength needed for a change.

John 10:3-5; Luke 5:10-11

A Christian is a follower of Jesus!

What does it look like to be a follower of Jesus?

-1. Daily following Luke 9:23-25

-2. We follow on His terms not ours Matt 11:28-30

-3. We follow whatever the cost

-4. We follow knowing he is with us all the way . Knowing Jesus is knowing His presence, knowing His promises - abundant life, joy, peace, contentment, purpose, new identity, rest, freedom from anxiety, true freedom 💥

-5. We follow by living as Jesus lived

“If you want to live as Jesus lived, we have to adopt the lifestyles of Jesus.”

How did Jesus live?

-He was always present - (never in a hurry e.g Lazarus situation)

-He lived simply.

-He always find time to be alone with his Father. Being with Jesus is worth leaving others.

Doing all things in moderation.

Take time to do an overhaul detox of your spirit, soul and body as opposed to focusing on our body alone.

As it is that time of year when many of us revisit the idea of purging, detoxifying, or dieting. With the added calories and over-indulgence that often come with the festivities, it's natural to feel the need to cleanse our bodies.

But while we focus on removing physical toxins, let's also remember the importance of getting rid of other toxins that may affect our spirit and soul. These toxins can come in the form of procrastination, laziness, doubt, worry, fear, and more. In Hebrews 12:1-2, the Bible refers to these as "weights" and "sin."

Let's not forget to be mindful of these spiritual "fats" so that we can successfully navigate the individual race set before us. By doing so, we can strive for overall wellbeing- mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Stay committed to your journey of self-improvement.

Over the course of the nights, as well as on various other occasions, I encouraged our children to reflect on all the things they are grateful to God for. One particular moment stood out to me when our second son reminded us of the gratitude journal we used to have, where we would document all the things we were thankful for.

Honestly, I had completely forgotten about it. He even retrieved it from his drawer, reminding me that he was in year two when we had it. It was truly amazing!

He suggested that we start another gratitude journal for next year, and of course, I am fully onboard with that idea.

Often, the ups and downs of life can cause us to become fixated on what is not going well, rather than appreciating what has gone well and focusing on how things can improve.

I kindly request that you take a moment to pause from whatever activity you are currently engaged in.

And think about God’s love for you and yours over this year - Jan - Dec

- the good

- the not so good

- the beautiful

- the ugly moments

Next, please ponder on these scriptural verses

“O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name! O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing! He forgives your sins—every one. He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—saves your life! He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭MSG‬‬

If you feel all of these benefits mentioned are not ticked this year

Please ponder on this Scriptural verses-

“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18

“And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭AMP‬‬

In rounding up-

Think about God’s love and mercy

Think about His goodness that has brought you till this day

Praise Him

Worship Him

Him alone deserves your praise

I know for sure, that Father will crown your year with His goodness.

In the last episode - episode 319, when I mentioned how our response to God’s sacrificial love and mercy for us should lead us to surrendering ourselves to God - to be his holy, living sacrifices by dying to self. I felt I should explain what “dying to self means”.

So today, we will be learning about what it means to die to self.

To "die to self" means to surrender our own desires, egos, and self-centeredness to follow Jesus Christ and submit to God's will. It involves putting aside our own selfish ambitions, pride, and personal agendas in order to live in obedience to God and serve others selflessly.

When we die to self, we no longer seek to gratify our own desires but instead submit to the authority of God and follow His commandments.

You need to understand this truth - that the sacrifice of Jesus delivered us from the penalty of sin and it is only our daily death to self that will deliver us from the power of sin.

Sin will continue to lord over our lives (our sinful nature) when we prioritise our own desires over God's will.

However, when we choose to daily die to self and let God take control over our will, prioritising His will and plans over our own desires, His Spirit will daily empower us to overcome sin.

1. Luke 9:23-24: "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.'"

2. Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Romans 12:1-2: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

5. Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

6. Colossians 3:5: "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."

As we daily choose to deny our own desires, thoughts, and behaviors that are contrary to God's will and wholeheartedly surrender ourselves to follow Christ and live according to His teachings, we continue to be vessels for God's purpose and are able to serve others in love and humility.

What do you intend to give back for God’s Love?

What do you intend to give back for the sacrifice Jesus made for you and I?

In the last podcast - Episode 311, the focus was on praising God for sending His son Jesus as a permanent sacrifice to bridge the gap between man and God.

Jesus was sent to reconcile us back to God. Halleluyah!

Today, we will be moving from Receiving to Giving mode.

We have received God’s best gift - Jesus! His life! His blood! His love! His Holy Spirit!

What are we required to give back as a proof of our love to our Father?

What should be our proper response to God’s marvelous mercies?

Our response is to surrender ourselves to God to be his holy, living sacrifices just as Jesus did.

This time around- we die to self, we daily die to desires contrary to God’s will. We choose to live in holiness by the help of the Spirit of God.

Rom 12:1 will give a better explanation

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I love the MSG Translation-

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Remember, as the priests were required to make a daily sacrifice of lambs, for them to enjoy God’s daily abiding and manifest presence and power, so we must daily die to self- Taking our everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and placing it before God as an offering so we can reign as God’s priests and kings as God intended.

Episode 311

Reading through the various offerings the Israelites were mandated to carry out, in the book of Exodus, I could not but imagine how rigorous and bloody the various rituals and daily rituals must have been.

For instance, for the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests, there were instructions concerning the specific type of animal offerings and sacrifices that must be adhered by, for seven good days.

Aside this,

two 1 year old lamb must be daily sacrificed by the priests - One in the morning and one in the evening from generations to generations.

““This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before God, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That’s where I’ll meet you; that’s where I’ll speak with you; that’s where I’ll meet the Israelites, at the place made holy by my Glory. I’ll make the Tent of Meeting and the Altar holy. I’ll make Aaron and his sons holy in order to serve me as priests. I’ll move in and live with the Israelites. I’ll be their God. They’ll realize that I am their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am God, your God.””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭29‬:‭42‬-‭46‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Reminiscing on Jesus’ sacrifice for mankind, all I could say is ‘Thank You Father for the blood of Jesus.

Thank You for the freedom and boldness to access Your presence because of the blood of Jesus

Thank You for reconciling us back to God through the blood of Jesus Your son.

Do something!

There are times when we need to stop!

Stop praying and do something!

There are times, all that is required of us is to do something!

Make an attempt!

Move forward!

Retreat to refire!

Instruct!

This is exactly the story of Moses and the Israelites, as the Lord impressed “Do Something” in my heart!

God had just delivered the Israelites from the oppression of the Egyptians.

Some hours later, after their exodus from Egypt, king Pharaoh changed his mind about releasing the Israelites. And he followed after them so as to capture them.

The Israelites- now caught up in between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea were sore afraid.

They started ranting-

Exodus 14:10-12

“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them—Egyptians! Coming at them! They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’””

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Meanwhile, Moses encouraged the Israelites. He also must have been praying ‘cos in verse 15, the Lord told Moses to quit praying and do something!

Vs 15-18

Here’s my paraphrase of what God said-

-Tell the Israelites to go forward toward the sea

-To lift up his rod , stretch it to part the sea

-The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.

-While you are walking ahead, as instructed, I’ll make sure the Egyptians continue with their stubborn chase

-I’ll use Pharaoh and his entire army- his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God.

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬-‭18‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Meaning, do what you can, and must do; and I will do what only me can do!

In rounding up?

Quick question?

Have you been praying and praying; and it seems God is silent on you?

Could it be God had given you an instruction, and waiting on you to do something so He could do His own part?

I’m here to charge you today- do something! Quit praying and step out!

I pray for renewed strength for you today to Do Something about what you have been praying for. Take a step of faith because faith without works is dead.

Remember, Do Something!

There was  a marriage in Cana of Galilee.

Jesus’ mother was invited.

 

Also, Jesus and his friends- his followers, were invited.

 

At a time, during the feast, the party organisers ran out of wine.

 

Learnt in John 2:3 that when the guests wanted wine, Mary told Jesus her son about the lack.

 

From Jesus’ response, it seems he was not ready as he responded with in Vs 4 with “Dear woman, why come to me? My time has not yet come.”

‭‭

I feel Mary must have had an intuition or even witnessed extraordinary acts of her son – Jesus as she did not back down to her son’s response.

 

I also feel Jesus understood and respected the authority of his parent for him to have yielded to his mother’s request; for in vs 6, Mary said to the servants “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do”.

 

 

The servants listened to Mary’s instructions! – vs 5-7

 

For in Vs 7- when Jesus said to the servants to fill the jars with water. They filled the jars to the top as instructed.

Next, Jesus said to them, “Now take some out and give it to the master of the feast.” So the servants took the water to the master. When he tasted it, the water had become wine. He did not know where the wine came from. But the servants who brought the water knew. The master of the wedding called the bridegroom and said to him, “People always serve the best wine first. Later, after the guests have been drinking a lot, they serve the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best wine till now.””

‭

This is awesome!

The servers’ prompt obedience paid off! The bride and groom; and their guests benefited from their prompt obedience. (vs 8-11)

 

Take-Home lesson for me, which I pray God opens your eyes to as well.

I am a link to need and solution.

My decision will determine continued gap between the needs being met, or change answered.

 

Certain people’s blessings are contingent to my prompt obedience to God’s Word.

In rounding up, the verse that stood out for me most is ves 5 where Mary said “Whatever Jesus tells you to do, do it!”

As you read and study the Word of God, just do what Jesus says.

Jesus’ Word brings light, ITimothy

If the Word corrects – Do it!

And as you are prompt to obey God’s Word, being filled with His Word, by the Help of the Holy Spirit, your life will be poured out to others through graceful, holy, pure and thankful words, acts and deeds.

 

Remember Jesus is the Word John 1:1

 

Remember, whatever He tells you to do, just do it! As certain people’s change and blessings depend on your prompt obedience to God’s Word.

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