Pretoria Great Commission Bible College

Winning takes more than guts, it takes an attitude that says 'I will.'

Christ is NOT DEAD, but ALIVE – and your purpose, health, career, family, finances, everything the enemy is attempting to steal and kill- IS NOT DEAD, but IT IS ALIVE, IT IS RESURRECTED. I declare it now, if you stand in faith with me.

You need to grab a hold of this, step out in sacrificial faith, and don’t let go. John 10:10 says, “He came to give YOU life, and life MORE ABUNDANTLY.”

Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”

Greater things are yet to come...

Limits are just a state of mind, you can always push yourself to do better, no matter what the cost might be. Keep going at it and you will succeed.

What you choose to think determines how you will feel. Your thought process is powerful.

Isaiah 54:17 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.

Man looks at your sin, your faults and failures. God’s DESIRE for you is that you see your fellow Christians as He sees them. To accomplish this He has given you His Word, His Spirit, and the blood of His Son Jesus. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, took your place. God’s wrath was moved from mankind and placed on Jesus. As long as you live under His protection, Jesus contin­ues to cover your sins. God does not remember your previous sins, nor holds them against you. You remain under this protection as long as you continue to place your faith in Jesus. When you take your eyes off the Creator, and spend more time looking or lusting after part of His crea­tion, you are starting to slip out from under His protection.

Speak the Word! “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” Remember, the Word going into you, and coming out of you, is Satan’s worst nightmare!

All decisions have dilemmas and all choices have opportunity costs. For every win there's a loss somewhere.

Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Hebrews 12:2

It’s insulting to God to suggest that all religions lead to Him. If that were true, then why would He have allowed His Son to go through the suffering of the cross?

Jesus knew there was no other way for our sin to be dealt with. There was no other way for us to experience fellowship with God, from whom we were separated by sin. So, Jesus had to taste death for everyone. He had to go to the cross and die for the sins of the world.

Jesus, being omniscient, knew that His disciples would forsake Him, Peter would deny Him, and Judas would betray Him for thirty pieces of silver. And He knew He would go through unimaginable suffering and pain. So, what kept Him going through it all?

We find the answer in Hebrews 12: “Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne” (verse 2 NLT).

Jesus heard the mob cry out, “Crucify him!” (Matthew 27:22–23 NLT). He endured the mocking and taunting of the soldiers. He made His way through the winding streets of Jerusalem, knowing He was about to die. But He kept going. What kept Him going was the joy awaiting Him.

Jesus told a story about a lamb that went astray. The shepherd went searching for it, found it, put it on his shoulders, and returned with joy. Then Jesus said, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” (Luke 15:7 NLT).

The joy awaiting Him was you. The joy awaiting Him was me. It was the knowledge that we would come into communion and fellowship with Him. He loved us so much that He went to the cross on our behalf.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. Mark 8:34

In the first century, the cross was a scandalous symbol. You wouldn’t have seen a Christian wearing one because the cross was a symbol of one of the worst deaths imaginable.

The Romans didn’t invent crucifixion, but they perfected it as a form of torture. So, wearing a cross would have been the modern equivalent of wearing a miniature hangman’s noose or an electric chair as an accessory.

The cross meant dying a bloody, painful, grueling, and long death.

Yet Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it” (Mark 8:34–35 NLT).

We might refer to afflictions or challenges as our cross to bear, but that isn’t what Jesus meant. Bearing a cross means the same thing for every person. It means dying to ourselves. It means living the Christian life the way Jesus wants us to live it.

Jesus was saying, “If you will get your priorities in order, deny yourself, and take up the cross, then you will find the fulfillment you have been looking for.”

In his letter to the churches in Galatia, the apostle Paul wrote, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT).

Every day we have the choice to either live for ourselves or deny ourselves. If we will seek first the kingdom of God and put our priorities in order, then the rest of life will find its proper balance.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

Though Jesus mentioned many times that He would rise from the dead, it never seemed to pe*****te the minds and hearts of His disciples.

After all, the crucifixion left them dumbfounded. They didn’t know what to do. They weren’t sure where they should go or what they should do. And when they heard that Jesus was alive, it came as a surprise to them.

Mark’s Gospel says, “Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead” (8:31 NLT).

The disciples couldn’t wrap their minds around the idea that the crucifixion was part of God’s plan. How could something like that be a good thing? How could all that suffering and sacrifice have any value? But it was through Jesus’ death that life came.

Jesus was saying, “I’m in control. I know it sounds radical when I say that I will suffer and die. But I’m also saying that I will rise again. This is part of the plan. I know what I’m doing.”

This is what God says to us as well. There are times in our lives as Christians when we may not understand what God is doing. Why did He allow this thing to happen? Why did He allow those problems? Why did He allow that tragedy? And why hasn’t He intervened?

It is hard to know why sometimes. But Jesus is saying, “I’m in control. I know what I’m doing.”

The absolute truth for every Christian is that whatever you give up to follow Jesus will be more than made up to you in this life and in the life to come. It will be worth it all.

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine. Matthew 26:39

From the moment of His birth, Jesus lived in the shadow of the cross. When Joseph and Mary dedicated Him in the temple, the prophet Simeon said to Mary, “A sword will pierce your very soul” (Luke 2:35 NLT).

Simeon predicted what Jesus would go through and what Mary would experience as she watched her son hang on the cross.

Jesus knew this was coming. And He began to aggressively address it at a place called Caesarea Philippi. He was very specific about it.

Matthew’s Gospel says, “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead” (Matthew 16:21 NLT).

Jesus knew, worst of all, that He would experience separation from the heavenly Father as He bore all the sins of the world on the cross.

So, in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39 NLT).

That is a way of saying, “Lord, if I am about to pray anything that is outside of Your will, I am asking You to overrule it. I know that Your plan is better than mine.” Jesus died fulfilling the plan and purpose of God.

Every Christian will come to their own Gethsemane, a time when they grapple with the hard issues of life. It is during those times that we must say, “Lord, I want Your will to be done, not mine.” Our heavenly Father knows best.

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 1 Corinthians 15:20

Easter is not only a celebration of a historical event. Though it took place in the first century, it reverberates to this day.

What is Easter all about? It is the simple yet profound truth that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, defied death and rose bodily from the grave.

Death is the great equalizer. It knocks at every door, whether someone is young or old, rich or poor.

Sometimes it comes when it’s generally expected, after a long and hopefully full life. At other times, it comes abruptly—far too soon in our estimation. Yet there are no guarantees that we will live to an advanced age. We don’t know when death is coming.

The Bible tells us there is “a time to be born and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). And while it’s true that our bodies will cease to function at one point, there is life beyond the grave. Because Christ died and rose, we don’t have to be afraid.

That is the essential message of Easter. The follower of Jesus doesn’t have to fear death.

The apostle Paul wrote, “But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man” (1 Corinthians 15:20–21 NLT).

The phrase “the first of a great harvest” speaks of the first installment of a harvest to eternal life. Christ’s resurrection guarantees that all believers who have died will be resurrected as well.

Jesus said, “Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live” (John 14:19 NLT).

Because Jesus rose, we, too, will rise. Do you have the hope of life beyond the grave?

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ overcame the power of death when He rose from the grave. Join us tomorrow at Risen Life Church as we celebrate Christ's victory over sin and death! Church Service starts with intercession at 09h30 and main service 10h00 every Sunday.

God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son,” Abraham answered. And they both walked on together. Genesis 22:8

Isaac came to his parents, Abraham and Sarah, much later in life. They were far beyond the age of childbearing. Yet God gave them a son as He had promised. And Isaac, whose name means “laughter,” brought much joy to Abraham’s life.

But one day God asked the impossible of Abraham. He said, “Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you” (Genesis 22:2 NLT).

Of course, we know how the story ends. God did not actually require that. He was testing Abraham. As they were making their way up to the place of sacrifice, Isaac asked his father where the sacrificial lamb was. Abraham replied prophetically, “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son” (verse 8 NLT).

Most commentators believe that Isaac was probably between eighteen and twenty years old. So, Isaac could have said, “Now Dad, wait. The way I’m seeing this is that you’re going to offer me as a sacrifice. But I’m young. I have my whole life ahead of me!”

However, verse 8 continues, “And they both walked on together.” To Isaac’s credit, he went along with the plan. Father and son were in cooperation.

This is a perfect picture of what happened at the cross of Calvary. Even the area where Abraham prepared to offer Isaac was where Jesus died for us on the cross.

Yes, Jesus willingly went to the cross, but let’s also remember that God the Father sent Him. The Father had to watch His Son suffer. The Father had to watch as His Son was beaten beyond human recognition.

Father and Son were in cooperation. The Father sent His Son. And the Son willingly went.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.’ Matthew 16:24

What does it mean to be a disciple? Are the qualifications of discipleship different from those of simply coming to faith? I think the answer to that question is yes.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus gave the unique call of discipleship: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me” (NLT).

First, Jesus tells us that if we want to be His disciples, we must deny ourselves. This is a foundational issue.

We hear a lot about the need for a positive self-image, self-worth, self-love, and self-esteem, even within the church.

But does God want us to feel good about ourselves when we are living in sin? Should we have a positive self-image if we are disobeying Him?

James 4:8–9 says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy” (NLT).

This obsession with self is not something unique to our generation. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, where Satan appealed to Eve’s selfish nature (see Genesis 3:1–6).

Everyone has a choice in life. We can either live for ourselves or deny ourselves, ignore the cross or take it up, lose our souls or keep them. We can share His reward and glory or lose them. Or we can invest in our lives and ultimately find them.

The great barrier to being a disciple of Jesus Christ is summed up in one word: self. If you want to be His disciple, you must deny yourself.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

What does it mean to take up the cross? Sometimes people think it means that whatever is bothering them or plaguing them is their cross to bear.

But that isn’t what Jesus meant when He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23 NKJV).

The cross symbolizes the same thing to every person. It speaks of dying to ourselves and putting God’s will before our own. Taking up the cross is exchanging our plans for His plans. It’s when we stop trying to seek life and instead seek God.

So many people today are trying to find purpose in life. What is life about? What is the meaning of it?

The meaning of life, the purpose of life, is to know God. And the best life to live is the Christian life. To live it the most effectively, we must take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ.

The Scottish theologian Samuel Rutherford said of the cross, “Christ’s cross is the sweetest burden that ever I bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or sails to a ship, to carry me forward to my harbor.”

It’s through death to ourselves that we find life. It’s through exchanging our plans for God’s that we find the best. We find life as it was meant to be lived.

The apostle Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NKJV).

When we lay aside our personal desires and ambitions, God will reveal the desires and plans that He has for us.

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.’ Acts 17:6

Some Christians have been raised in Christian homes, while others of us have lived on both sides of the fence. We know what it’s like to live without Christ and how empty and pointless it is.

Then we made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ, and incredible changes took place in our lives. We discovered there is a God who loves us and has a unique, custom-made plan for our lives.

We also discovered that becoming a Christian is more than just saying a prayer and having the assurance of Heaven. We realized that being a Christian means following Jesus not just as our Savior but also as our Lord.

The problem is there are people in the church today who name the name of Christ but haven’t discovered what it means to follow Him. They haven’t discovered that being a Christian is more than just saying a prayer and then going on their merry way.

And sadly, many are settling for a brand of Christianity that isn’t biblical, one that embraces Jesus as Savior but neglects Him as Lord. It is big on self-esteem, but it is small on self-denial. It celebrates success but repudiates suffering. This brand of Christianity is not changing our world.

The church of the first century, the church we read about in the book of Acts, transformed their culture. People described Christians as “these who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6 NKJV). If our faith is not turning us upside down, then it certainly isn’t going to turn our world upside down.

We need to get back to the Christian life as it’s presented in the New Testament, which was a muscular Christianity and not a watered-down, anemic version of it. We need a first-century belief system, the kind the apostles lived and that Jesus taught, the kind that can turn our world around.

Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, Lord, I will follow You wherever You go. Luke 9:57

Some people start their new life in Christ with great promise but then suddenly fall away. Others start off with no apparent promise whatsoever, but they seem to gain strength as time goes by.

The Bible tells us, “The end of a thing is better than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit” (Ecclesiastes 7:8 NKJV).

Nonbelievers can get excited in the emotion of a moment. Maybe they admire a Christian’s commitment, joy, and dedication, so they say, “I like this. I’m going to become a Christian.”

But are they prepared to really be a Christian? Do they understand what it means?

The Bible tells us about a man who approached Jesus and said, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go” (Luke 9:57 NKJV). Matthew’s Gospel tells us that he was a scribe (see 8:19).

That detail may not mean a lot to us today, but it is significant. The scribes were authorities in Jewish law. They were the scholarly class of Jewish society. And typically they were teachers themselves, not followers of other teachers.

So, it was notable for a man of this social position to go to Jesus and say what he said. This is what we might call a celebrity convert. If you looked at Jesus’ ragtag little group at this point, you would have expected Him to say, “Buddy, come on board! I would like you to stand at the front of the line.”

Instead, Jesus said something that almost seemed to repel the man: “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58 NKJV). In a sense, Jesus was checking his motives.

We want the glory, but are we prepared to make the sacrifice? Are we ready to take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ? Are we prepared to obey God?

Yes,’ Jesus replied, ‘and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. Mark 10:29–30

After Abram, or Abraham, separated from Lot, God said, “Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession” (Genesis 13:14–15 NLT).

Then we read that in response to this wonderful promise, Abraham built an altar to the Lord.

This reminds me of the story about the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and said, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17 NLT).

Jesus listed the commandments that he ought to keep, and he replied that he had kept all of them from his youth.

So, Jesus told him, “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (verse 21 NLT). The Bible says that when he heard this, he went away sorrowful because he was very rich.

A discussion between Jesus and the disciples then followed. And Peter, not known for being timid, blurted out, “We’ve given up everything to follow you” (verse 28 NLT).

Jesus answered, “And I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life” (verses 29–30 NLT).

We see this promise vividly illustrated in Abraham’s life. Abraham had given up everything to follow God.

Have you given up something or someone to follow Jesus? God will more than make it up to you. God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him.

Act 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

If you were to sum up your life right now, your purpose on this earth, what truths would you want to emphasize to your friends and family? What regrets would you have?

In Acts 20 the apostle Paul gave his final words to the elders of the church he had started in Ephesus. He essentially was summing up what really mattered to him in life. Among them was this statement: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (verse 24 NKJV).

There’s an important word in Paul’s statement: “joy.” Paul was saying, “I’m looking back on my life and on what I have done here, and one word seems to sum it up well: joy.” This word could be translated “exceedingly happy.” Joy is an operative word in the life of the Christian.

Maybe you’re thinking that things must have been going reasonably well for Paul. But look at the preceding verses, where Paul said, “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me” (verses 22–23 NKJV).

Paul knew what adversity was. He knew what suffering and hardship were. But in the midst of it all, he was saying there is joy.

Sometimes people think Christians live the most boring lives conceivable. But the fact is that the happy life is the holy life, the life lived for God.

Jesus not only promised us life beyond the grave, but He also promised us a dimension of life on earth that is worth living.

So I run with purpose in every step 1 Corinthians 9:26

The Christian life is not only a race that we must run well; it’s also a race that we must finish. It isn’t worth it if we lead the pack for years and then fall back in the end.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! . . . So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:24, 26–27 NLT).

Although we run to win, we must not compete with each other. God gives each of us our own lane, a course to follow. We run for the sake of giving our best to the One who gave His best for us.

Paul said, “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:13–14 NLT).

Here, Paul gives us the image of a runner, perhaps in the last lap of the race. With the goal in sight and every muscle straining, the athlete is determined to cross the finish line.

Sadly, story after story in the Bible tells us about people who had enormous potential, who started well but ended miserably. Don’t let that happen to you. If you need to correct your course, do it now.

We’re about to begin a fresh year with new opportunities. Let’s seize them. Let’s wholly follow the Lord our God.

So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. Joshua 14:9

One of the reasons this world still appeals to many of us is that we lack closeness to God.

When we’re only giving God our bare minimum and our love for Jesus isn’t burning brightly, the ways of the world and the temporary pleasures the world offers will look more and more appealing to us. But if we can get our priorities right, we can see our world for what it is. That was what Caleb did. The Bible says that he “wholeheartedly followed the Lord” (Joshua 14:9 NLT).

Wholeheartedly following the Lord meant that Caleb didn’t compromise. He stood his ground, wanting the approval of God more than the approval of others. Wholeheartedly following the Lord meant that Caleb took God at His Word and stood on it. And wholeheartedly following the Lord meant that Caleb desired fellowship and communion with God, which gave him the strength to continue.

In contrast, it was a lack of fellowship with and closeness to God that caused the children of Israel to turn to idolatry, immorality, complaining, and testing God in the wilderness.

When you’re in love with Jesus Christ, you will see Him for who He is, and you will see this world for what it is. As the hymn says, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full at His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

When you maintain a loving relationship with Jesus Christ, this world will lose its appeal to you.

Caleb wholeheartedly followed the Lord and wanted fellowship, intimacy, and closeness with Him. This sustained him through difficult times. It will also sustain us through difficult times.

May we not be casualties in the spiritual battle. May we be strong as believers living in these last days.

I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. Joshua 14:11

Of all the people who received an inheritance in the Promised Land, only Caleb completely drove out the enemy. And Caleb faced some of the most formidable foes in the entire land.

Caleb was an 85-year-old man. And he had been waiting for 45 years. He had to endure everyone’s whining and griping the entire time. Caleb was there when they cried out for meat and complained about the manna God had provided for them. He was there when they rebelled against Moses. And he had to put up with it.

While others looked back, Caleb looked forward. While others wanted to please themselves, Caleb wanted to please God. And after resisting the temptation to go along with the crowd for so many years, he was ready to receive his reward. He believed that God would keep His promise.

Caleb said to Joshua, “I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then” (Joshua 14:11 NLT).

Being an older guy, Caleb could have asked for a nice, comfortable plot of land where there were no enemies to drive out. But he asked for one of the toughest assignments. He asked for Hebron. This was no garden spot. It was a rugged, treacherous area where there was a powerful enemy stronghold guarded by the strongest men.

I wonder if some of the young men of Israel snickered at this point. Maybe they even laughed. But no doubt, their jaws dropped when Caleb drove out his enemies.

Like Abraham, Caleb took God at His Word. He stood on the promises of God. And we need to do the same.

Caleb’s example gives us hope that it can be done. We can remain people of integrity. We can cross the finish line.

These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. 1 Corinthians 10:11

Of the two to three million Israelites who left Egypt with Moses, only two of the original adults made it to the Promised Land. What caused them to finish well while so many others got lost in the wilderness?

Idolatry was one of the pitfalls of the Israelites who got lost in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. At the root of their problems was a lack of relationship with God, a lack of intimacy with Him. Interestingly, their first idol was Moses. When he was away receiving the commandments of God, they turned to worship a golden calf. They remade God in their image, rationalizing their blatant idol worship by saying it was a feast to the Lord.

People do the same thing today. They give God a makeover, looking to conform Him to our perverse society instead of the other way around. But once we lose that set of absolutes in our lives, all kinds of problems will develop.

Most people today who have fallen away from the Lord and into various problems and sins would be able to trace this to a point in their lives when they began to let go of the Lord. They were no longer walking as closely with Him as they should have been.

The same thing happened to the Israelites. Because God was not on the throne of their hearts and lives, they needed something or someone to take His place.

Then they tested God and complained. They exploited His goodness, pushed Him to the limit, and griped about His provision. As a result, they never made it to what God had prepared for them. They had so much potential and possibility, yet it never came to fruition in their lives.

The Christian life is not a sprint; it’s a long-distance run. We are in it for the long haul. So we need to pace ourselves and persevere.