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| May 24 |
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And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land. |
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Exodus 4:6–9 |
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God had given Moses the ability to herd sheep. In addition to this ability, here we see God gave him a testimony. Leprosy is a picture of sin in Scripture. Therefore, the illustration of a leprous hand made whole is one of being born again. What God has done in each of our lives is a powerful tool in ministry. Share your story. Share your testimony. It’s powerful and cannot be denied.
In addition to ability and a testimony, the third tool God gave Moses was authority. He was to pour water from the Nile River - the river that sustained the entire Egyptian Empire - on the ground, where it would become blood. And in so doing, the people would see that no matter how refreshing their surroundings might be, apart from God, even their best efforts at life were doomed to die.
With regard to ministry, never underestimate the power of telling the truth directly, of saying, “The path you’re on will lead to death. But here’s what God has done: He died on the Cross that you might live. The water you’re drinking will lead to death. But if you drink of Jesus, the Water of Life, you will never thirst again.”
Regarding ministry, a lot of people have gifts, callings, and good intentions. But they never get to the root issue. They never directly say to a family member, neighbor, relative, or friend, “What you’re drinking will kill you. You need to be born again.” When is the last time you truly shared the message of the Cross with a non-believer? As good as simply being nice to people, helping them out, making them feel loved, welcomed, or affirmed might be, these things can’t hold a candle to the power of the Cross. There is nothing more powerful than a clear, simple presentation of the Cross. |
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