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What on Earth Am I Here For?
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Thursday, September 11, 2003
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God who is not satisfied with sharing Your love, grace and blessing, only with a few, but with all of creation! I pray that You will give me the same heart to tell others about You, that Your Son, Jesus demonstrated during His life here on earth. I pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit in my life today, so that all that I say and do may draw others closer to You. I pray that as the Israelites drew others to You by their words and actions, so may my life do the same. Use me however You desire today, that You may be glorified and may receive the honor due to Your holy name. This I pray in Jesus’ name, and for the sake of His coming Kingdom. Amen.
Bible Verses*
Exodus 12:31-38
31Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Leave us!” he cried. “Go away, all of you! Go and serve the LORD as you have requested. 32Take your flocks and herds, and be gone. Go, but give me a blessing as you leave.” 33All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”
34The Israelites took with them their bread dough made without yeast. They wrapped their kneading bowls in their spare clothing and carried them on their shoulders. 35And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed and asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. 36The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So, like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians!
37That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. And they were all traveling on foot. 38Many people who were not Israelites went with them, along with the many flocks and herds.Reflecting on Evangelism
Do you have a greater influence for Jesus on other people through what you say or what you do? How do you know?
Exploring Evangelism
What was Pharaoh’s ultimate decision regarding the Israelites according to today’s reading? (12:31-33)
How did the Egyptians treat the Israelites as they were leaving Egypt? (12:34-36)
According to the reading, were all of the folks who left Egypt that night Israelites? (12:37-38)
Understanding Evangelism and My Purpose
Why do you suppose that there were others who left Egypt with the Israelites who were not Israelites?
If you were an Egyptian in the days of the Exodus, why might you have been led to believe in the God of Israel?
Applying Evangelism to My Daily Life
What do you learn about evangelism as a “lifestyle” through today’s Scripture?
Moses and Evangelism
To say that Moses was an evangelist would be to force a title on him, that was not a reality of his life. Moses was not an evangelist, per se. He was a prophet and a leader sent out by God with the particular purpose of delivering the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The effect Moses’ ministry had on Egypt, though, was that of an evangelist. As Moses allowed God to work through him, as miracle after miracle was demonstrated to Egypt through Moses and Aaron, the heart of the Egyptians was turned to the Israelites. In fact, our Scripture tells us that the Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on Israel. When the Israelites finally received Pharaoh’s permission to leave Egypt, the people of Egypt gave the Israelites their gold, silver and other belongings. Today’s scripture reading tells us that in this way Israel “plundered Egypt.” Imagine one nation “plundering” another, but that the plundered nation gave up everything voluntarily! We also read that as the Israelites left Egypt, “many people who were not Israelites went with them.” This is an amazing example of evangelism in a most unusual manner—through the direct intervention and mighty works of God! The Egyptians saw first hand that the God of Israel, was indeed, the one, true God. They wanted that kind of power and authority in their own lives, so they left their homes and traveled with the Israelites. In our lives, we don’t always have to talk about Jesus, although we must always be ready to tell others of the faith that lies within us. Often the best form of evangelism is the life lived for Jesus, and the demonstration of the Spirit’s power through our prayers, through our actions, through meeting the needs of people. In the end God is the one who converts each of us. The task of evangelism is to share the Good News of Jesus with others through words, deeds and acts of God’s power. The task of conversion belongs to God alone. May our lives attract others to the God we serve today!
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