General Articles

A Little Help From A Brother :: By Nathele Graham 

Published on: by RR7

“What shall we then say to these things: If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). As we go along our path in life, we sometimes come up against problems. That’s when we need help.

God is always there to help; and if we are walking in His ways, then nothing can stand against us. Things can look bad and circumstances may steal our joy, but a little help from a brother or sister in Christ can change our outlook and make our burden a little lighter. Sometimes God will call us to do a certain task, but we see our weaknesses instead of the strength we have in Christ. This has been true for eons.

Moses is an example of someone who saw his own weakness. God called him to lead the Israelites out of captivity, but Moses only saw the reasons why he couldn’t do what God asked. From a human perspective, he had a point. Moses was born in Egypt to a Hebrew family but was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. There came a day when Moses saw an Egyptian abusing some Hebrew slaves and defended the slaves by killing the Egyptian. That wasn’t a wise decision, and it caused Moses to flee to Midian. God can use us even though we fail, and He chose Moses to free the Israelites from the captivity in which they had been enslaved, and to lead them to the land promised to Abraham.

Moses came up with one excuse after another as to why he couldn’t do what God asked, and God showed him over and over why he could. His first excuse was they wouldn’t believe him. How many times have we kept silent in our Christian witness because we fear what the non-believer might say?

Moses was standing there talking to a voice from a burning bush and could still question God’s power. Like Moses, Christians are called to speak on behalf of God and not worry about the outcome of our obedience. God gave a demonstration of why Moses could trust Him. He told Moses to throw his rod on the ground. Moses did, and it became a serpent! Moses was understandably frightened.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee” (Exodus 4:4-5).

We have nothing to fear when God is with us and we follow His directions. Then God told him to put his hand inside his bosom. Moses obeyed; and when he took his hand out, it was full of leprosy. The process was repeated and the hand was healed. Moses should have been convinced of God’s power, but he continued making excuses. We can criticize Moses, but we are much like him. God calls us to service, and we have one excuse after another for why we will fail.

Moses was convinced he would fail because he looked to his own failings and felt nobody would believe him. His past sins caused him to doubt God could use him. He feared that people would remember the sin and not trust him. His final excuse was that he wasn’t an eloquent speaker.

“And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10).

Like Moses, we can come up with every excuse imaginable as to why we will fail. If God is for you, who can be against you?

God pointed out to Moses that He was the creator of all things, even the human mouth. He would give Moses the words. Still, Moses argued. Even God will not argue with a person forever.

“And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart” (Exodus 4:14).

It was Moses whom God chose to bring the Israelites out of captivity, but Moses needed a little help from his brother, Aaron. Sometimes we also need help from a brother or sister to accomplish the task which God has set before us. Instead of wasting time arguing with God, why not be willing to do the task but humbly accept help where needed. God will provide help. He works through people, and Aaron was willing to do his part.

Together, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and God was with them. After some difficulties the Hebrew slaves were freed, but their journey to the Promised Land wasn’t easy. Doubt and fear caused them to wander 40 years instead of quickly accomplishing what God intended. Moses led the people, but Aaron was there to help. While they wandered, they faced troubles and even war. Exodus 17 describes a battle with the Amalekites.

“Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim” (Exodus 17:8). 

Joshua was to lead the Hebrew soldiers into battle, but Moses would stand on a hill with the rod of God in his hand. This would encourage Joshua and all who fought so that they would not lose heart and fail. And so, the battle began. Moses stood on the hill along with Aaron and Hur. As the battle raged, Moses would hold up his hands, and Israel would prevail; but if he let down his hands, the enemy would begin to win.

Isn’t that true today? We fight in a spiritual battle and begin to grow weary, and our hands lifted to God begin to drop. When we lift our hands to the Lord in praise, the enemy loses.

“But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:12).

There’s an important lesson here. Moses needed his brother’s help so the battle wouldn’t be lost. Do you ever feel as if you are losing the battle with the enemy? Maybe God has called you to His service, but you tire of the battle and your hands can no longer be raised in praise. Brothers and sisters need to help each other in times of need. You may need help, or you may be the one to help someone else. When we lift our hands to God, we praise Him, and our strength is renewed.

Moses is just one example we can follow, and the New Testament gives others. As always, Jesus is our best example. Jesus was God, but chose to enter His creation as one of us. He chose twelve men to follow closely and learn from Him. When He sent them out on mission trips, He didn’t send them one by one.

“And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7).

Why do you suppose He sent them two at a time? Just like Aaron was there to help Moses, we all need someone by our side to keep us grounded in what Scripture teaches. There is safety in numbers, but it’s also easier to keep strong in our Christian walk if there’s someone with us who will prop our arms up when we grow weary in battle.

The men Jesus sent were able to cast out demons and heal the sick. Could they have done it if they traveled alone? Probably, because God was with them. On the other hand, it would have been easy for them to shrink back in fear when faced with a demon. Because they weren’t alone in the battle, they had a like-minded brother to help them if they faltered, and there was a brother to share the joy of what they accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

One of the excuses Moses used was that if he had told the Hebrews about what God had done, they wouldn’t have believed him. With two traveling together, there are two witnesses to the power of God. Another reason for asking a brother or sister for help is accountability. Temptations will come, but if you have a brother or sister near you who cares, they will help you to walk the straight and narrow path. Christians need each other, and we need to be there for each other.

If you’re too proud to ask for help, just look to Jesus. He took His disciples when He taught and when He healed. This was so they could learn. On the night of His arrest, He went to God the Father in prayer, but He asked His friends to be with Him.

“And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch” (Mark 14:33-34). 

He knew what was soon to happen. The trial, the beating, the mocking, and the scourging. Worst of all, as He hung on the cross, He knew that God the Father could not look upon Him. Sin separates us from God; and on that day, Christ, who was perfect in all ways, took our sin upon Himself. He became sin in our place. He offered Himself as the once for all sacrifice for your sin and mine. For the first time ever, Father and Son were separated.

“…My God, my God! Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34b). 

The anguish in that cry resounds through the ages. As He prayed in that garden waiting for the soldiers to arrest Him, Jesus knew what He would face and would have liked to have a friend or two by His side. He asked His friends to watch and pray, but they fell asleep. Too often we are like them and don’t recognize a need in the life of a fellow Christian, and we just fall asleep. We all need to be more aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters around us. We need to hold each other’s arms up as we face the spiritual battles before us.

As we travel this life, we need the help and support of fellow Christians to see us through each day. Sometimes you will need a friend to support your arms as you lift them to the Lord. Sometimes someone will need you to support their arms. In the day of battle, we all need a little help from a brother.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos” – God breathed.

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Lukewarm? :: By John Lysaught

Published on: by RR7

There are two misconceptions that Satan puts on the world. One is that Heaven is available to unbelievers that lead good lives. The second is that hell is only reserved for the worst of the worse. So, the people of the “world” feel comfortable with their generalized beliefs in heaven and hell. How sad.  Even when faced with the truth of the Bible and the need for salvation in Christ, they still believe the lies of Satan.

I see that there are three types of people. The first is those living for themselves, believing the lies of Satan. The second is the lukewarm believer, and the third is the true believer. The first is the easiest to see. These people are selfishly living their lives for themselves without accepting Christ. The second are those who have one foot with Christ and one foot in the world, wanting the benefits of both living for self and Christ. The last, the true believers, are living each day for God, not themselves, and are heaven- focused.

I’ve been all three, in the order listed above. I’ve lived for myself and myself only. I accepted Christ but had one foot in the world, living a lie to myself. And now? And now, I do my best to live for Christ each day with serving Him and being heaven-focused. I want to focus on those that are lukewarm in their relationship with Christ. Being hot or cold is pretty easy to discern in ourselves, but being lukewarm can be a challenge.

Regardless of what you may think, or if you disagree with me, I believe that each person falls into one of the categories I listed above. I want people to know that if they live in the world or are lukewarm, change is possible. What is important is that if you are living lukewarm, you can be all-in for Christ.

Colossians 3:2 tells us to “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” We need to focus on the things above (God) and not this world.  We can do this by keeping our eyes on God and not man or the things of man. When we have Christ in our hearts, our eyes will be on Him and not the things of the world. This has to be constant, not just when we feel like it.

It doesn’t take that much effort, but really, it just takes a change of heart. Matthew 6:21 tells us that where are treasure is, is where our hearts are. The question to ask yourself is what is your treasure? If you want your treasure to be Jesus, then work for that each day.  Don’t give up on yourself.  The Holy Spirit will lead you and convict you to do this if this is what you really want.

Don’t lie to yourself though. Examine your heart to see where it is. Psalm 139:23-24 tells us, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Conduct a thorough exam of your heart; and if there is something in there that needs to be cut out, pray for this to happen.

Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Only with a clean heart and a renewing of our spirit can we fully seek Christ’s marvelous grace and power in our lives. We need to have right hearts to live fully for Christ. Anything less is questionable. We can’t love and hate at the same time. We can’t love parts of the world and love Christ at the same time. We need to turn our backs to the world and turn our faces to Christ.

If we don’t, we are falling short. We can’t be lukewarm Christians. Revelation 3:16 says, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” This statement is very clear and concise. If you are lukewarm, be wary of what you are doing, and change now. Not tomorrow or when you are older or down the road sometime; do it now.

I use this verse to remind myself of the importance of not being lukewarm in my faith. Have I? Yes. Do I still? Sometimes. But when I catch myself being lukewarm, I quickly repent and refocus my mind to Him.  To me it’s a heart thing. If my heart is set on the things above, how can they be muddied by the things of the world? They can’t. It takes a conscious effort to put the things above to the side to satisfy the lusts of the flesh.

Satan wants us to think it is okay to be lukewarm. He wants us to believe we can have the best of both worlds. We can’t though. We need to choose one or the other, and this takes an honest appraisal of ourselves. Don’t believe Satan’s lies. Don’t get tripped up by lukewarm messages at church or lukewarm justifications from others. Open your Bible and see for yourself what it says about being righteous and doing the will of God.

Being lukewarm in our faith is believing the lies of Satan. If you are just floating through life with faith in one hand and serving self in the other, it is wrong. 1 John 3:10 tells us, “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

Ok, so what is righteousness? If you are unsure, it is living justly and is doing the will of God (definition found on Biblestudytools.com- click here for a full definition). What is the will of God? John 6:40 sums it up this way: “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” And, if you believe in Jesus, you will need to follow Him and follow His example in life (1 Cor. 11:1). Here are a few examples of what following Jesus means:

Matthew 16:24, “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

A lukewarm believer does not practice righteousness and is not doing the will of the Father. A lukewarm believer is trying to live in the world and with Christ at the same time. Eternity is not something to mess with or take lightly; and when living a lukewarm life, this is exactly what is happening.

Being all-in for Christ is how we should live. From our waking moments until we go to bed for the night, our thoughts need to be on Him, not self, or in between. This can take effort at first if you haven’t been practicing this, but with a little self-discipline, it will happen. It takes every moment of your day having Christ in the forefront of your mind. It takes keeping Him in the background of your thoughts. After a while, it becomes natural to do this – it becomes a habit.

Brothers and sisters, search your heart of hearts for your standing with being lukewarm. Let the Word reach into your innermost parts to show you where you are. If you are lukewarm, change, and change now; for we don’t know when Christ will take us home.