Greetings again my Brethren. When we think about God and all of the things in God that are not in us we think, well it is because God is spiritual and we are not, and this true. But God’s intention for our lives is to love Him enough so that we will allow Him to judge and deal in our lives bringing us into the spiritual realm. Our nature (without God’s work in our lives) leaves us in the natural realm, of the earth, fleshly. But to step up to the spiritual realm there must be a supernatural phenomena in the way of a supernatural work of God in us. Our expression of God in us and walk with God must be in the supernatural. What is coming out of us and what people see of us MUST be born of the Spirit of God which makes it supernatural. The Children of Israel were held in bondage by God and the Egyptians for 430 years, but when they left “by the mighty hand of God” they just did not pick up their “ole kit bag” and hit the wilderness, oh no they left under the “wonders” and by supernatural phenomena’s. In Exodus we read, “And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will doin the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: 22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourned in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.” (Exodus 3:20-22) Who would have thought the slaves would find favor with the Egyptian people? Who would have thought as the slaves left they would spoil or loot the homes, offices, and treasury of the entire city of all things of value? When I read this for the first time I thought what would the people wandering in the wilderness need of silver, jewels, and gold? Well the LORD knew at Sinai they would sin and build a golden calf to worship while Moses delayed coming down from standing before God. God brought the people to Sinai so He could show them His glory, that is what Sinai means glory. God wanted the people to see His glory, but they were afraid of the thunder and lightning on the mountain and told Moses, you go and talk with God. I find it amazing that even in God’s anger because of the unbelief and sin in the people He knew in advance (He is God He knows all things) this would happen and provided for the golden calf out from the Egyptian spoils. What did they make the items in the temple the wilderness with? That is right the Egyptian spoils. God is our provider. It was no small wonder after the supernatural phenomena of the ten plaques: (in order) blood, frogs, bugs, wild animals, pestilence, boils, hail, locust, darkness, and the last death of the first born that the Children of Israel found favor in the eyes of the Egyptian people. In all these supernatural happenings God was working on the behalf of the Children of Israel. The lesson for us today is, if God will do it for the Children of Israel He will then do it for us. We all like the supernatural and yes we need the supernatural as I previously said moving in our lives, but the focus is not the supernatural our focus MUST be God and not a sign. This example of the supernatural because a problem for the Jewish nation and was one of the main reasons they rejected Jesus and never saw Him as their King. For the Jewish people to believe they could not walk by faith, but had to see a sign. We see this in Isaiah when Jesus was announced to the world,
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) They needed a sign to believe. In John,
“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.’ (John 6:28-32) We MUST not look for a supernatural sign from God to do the work of God in our lives. Yes we MUST be spiritual and God will do supernatural things in us and out from us, but the focus is not the supernatural, but God. Now that is spiritual.
Next month we will begin to look at a very important topic the things in our lives we MUST overcome to be able to answer the LORD’s call in our lives. Do you hear Him calling? Please know God is calling. Walter Beuttler said if you build God a temple He will inhabit it. Have you built God a temple? If you do He will abide and wait for you.
Written by David Stahl
