When to Move Forward & When to Stand Still

My wife, Mandy, and I have two kids, a 16-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son. They’re very different. But, neither of them can sit still. And, they’ve almost always been that way. For instance, from the time our son was about seven months old until he turned 18 months old, we’re not sure if he ever slept a single night all the way through. Even in everyday moments, he was fidgety. Taking him to a sitting that required a child to be still was like wrestling an alligator! And, now at fourteen, he still is moving all the time. His hands, his feet, his body, or his mind – he can’t sit still!

If you’ve raised any children, you can probably relate to some degree in one way or the other. But, as well, I think all of us struggle with “stillness” in our own way. We’ve all got something child-like going on in our life spiritually when it comes to being still. In some way, I think it is probably directly connected to the enemy’s work in our life. And, here’s why.

One of the MOST FAMOUS passages in the Bible reminds us of the need for STILLNESS:

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand STILL, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today... 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13–14 (NKJV)

Notice, “Do not be afraid.” The implication is that there is something present to fear. But, when we're afraid, the last thing we want to do is stand still. But, I believe one of the things that God is communicating in this passage of Scripture is that you display that you have overcome fear by standing still when there is reason to fear. In other words, don’t run away from your enemy, just to be running. Trust God!

However, there is the potential to get confused in this text because of how the passage reads. In the context of verses 13 and 14, God is telling them to stand still, but in the very next verse, Exodus 14:15, the Lord tells them to GO FORWARD.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Exodus 14:15 (NKJV)

Lord, I need clarity. I thought you just told me to stand still, and now you're telling me to go forward. God, which one is it that you want from me? Do you want me to stand still, or do you want me to go forward?”

If we were honest, many of us are in that same place of tension in our walk with God. We're not sure if we should stand still or keep moving. But, let’s unpackage it for a moment. If you look further into Scripture, you will find God says more than once, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 20:17 also has this exact wording.

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand STILL and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you… Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17–21 (NKJV)

Just like, in the context of the passage, we can see the promise God shared with his people in Exodus 14, he is also decreeing in 2 Chronicles 20: his people will not need to fight their battle! Instead, they will get to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. So, when we put the two passages together, we begin to see a couple of things that match the character of God’s directives: 1) There is a time to go forward. 2) There is a time to stand still.

The purpose of going forward in association with God’s command is so that you can reposition yourself into the vantage point and placement that he prefers for your life. You’re going to get to “see” something! But the main reason God requires repositioning is because he intends to fight for you.

So, how do we know when it's time to be still?

One of the ways it becomes evident it's time to stand still is when we can evaluate our life and determine the only reason we are still moving is that we fear something that is chasing us. God has not given you that spirit or attitude. And, if you are running from relationship to relationship or job to job because you fear betrayal, relapse, or the bite of bitterness, then it may be time to stand still. Ask yourself, “Am I still moving forward because it is a clear instruction from God, or am I doing it because I'm running from something?”

The Israelites needed to go forward because the Egyptian’s had released them from captivity. But, once they started to move forward, they quickly found themselves with a mountain on each side of them and the Red Sea in front of them. If you are familiar with the story, you know that they were trapped. As a result, God parted the Red Sea, and the Israelites walked across on dry ground, escaping impending doom in the process. But, this place in the story is where things get increasingly interesting. Even though the Hebrew people were now on the other side of the Red Sea, their enemy was still chasing them. In response to this tactic of the enemy, the Bible explicitly says that God caused the wheels to come off the enemy's chariots. Meaning the thing that was chasing them couldn't chase them any longer! God was saying through this action, “You can now stand still and see My salvation.” They got the opportunity just to stand still and watch God go to work!

Our God has a way of making old things pass away and making everything new again. We become born again in Christ Jesus, and the result of that monumental event is that things that used to have a hold on us – God takes the wheels off of it. That hurt, habit, or hang-up no longer has permission to chase us. We can stop running!

What’s chasing you? Have you acknowledged that the thing that was chasing you might not be chasing you anymore? Maybe it’s time to consider being still and watch God go to work?

I invite you to view this message in its entirety at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABgZzWZtqHs

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WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE| MESSAGE NOTES

You Can’t Miss This One Thing That Will Bring Wholeness to Your Life...

Do you look like what you’ve been through?

Does your marriage, business, or bank account look like what it's been through?

Does your walk with God look like what it’s been through?

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well (whole).” Luke 17:12-19 (NKJV)

Leprosy is a disease that causes horrible skin sores. One of the symptoms of the disease is reduced sensation of touch, leaving a feeling of numbness and a "pins and needles" sensation over the affected body part. Due to these sensations, it was typical for someone suffering from this horrible illness to rub and scratch at the sores until parts of their body fell off. A leper could lose his nose, ears, or fingers and toes, yet not even fully realize the loss until another body part was gone. The result of this wretched cycle left most lepers disfigured. (References drawn from medicalnewstoday.com).

Often when you see leprosy mentioned in Scripture, it is a type and a shadow of sin:

• The same way LEPROSY works in the physical, SIN works in the spiritual.

When sin begins to function in our souls, it has a way of numbing us to its consequences, and we stop feeling the actual repercussions. Sin can cause us to lose things in our lives without us realizing it. Leprosy tends to disfigure people, and so does sin. Sin will mar your life, relationships, and things that you value the most.

Are there parts of your life that are disfigured? If so, there is a possibility that you have allowed sin to run undiagnosed in your life, and any disfigurement you see could be a direct result.

Another important observation, leprosy is contagious, but sometimes it lays dormant within a body for many years before manifesting symptoms of the disease. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the disfiguring disease breaks out across one's body. This pattern is the same in sin. You can hang out in sinful environments for years before sin reveals EXTERNALLY what it has been doing INTERNALLY. The result is that the disfigurement may appear seemingly overnight, but it was on a path to manifestation many years before the damage was visible.

In the Scriptures above, we see that Jesus is the answer for leprosy. The lepers seek Him out for restoration and healing! JESUS gave these ten men clear commands to follow, and as they began to walk out His commands, they were healed. Through Jesus, the lepers were cleansed entirely of their disfiguring disease! But, only one out of ten came back to Jesus after receiving the cleansing.

One leper returned, worshiping and praising the name of Jesus. He gave Him all the praise and all the glory! His heart was full of gratitude for what Jesus had done for him, and that Word of God had a cleansing effect in his life. That which was once an issue was no longer an issue. The struggle was concluded!

Jesus looked at this one who had returned and said, “Arise...your faith has made you WHOLE!”

That’s an important statement from Jesus. Because during the first encounter with all ten lepers present, Jesus’ command facilitated a way for them to be CLEANSED. This time, engaging with the only leper that had returned to worship Him for His goodness and grace, Jesus states specifically that the man will be made WHOLE!

For a leper, there is a difference between being cleansed and being made whole. A leper that had been cleansed would no longer have an issue with leprosy, but anything he lost due to leprosy remained gone. However, if a leper were to be made whole, he would receive a restoration of everything he lost. For example, if leprosy cost him his nose, he would get his nose back. The same goes for any other physical extremity that he may have forfeited to the disease.

1. A CLEANSED leper would be set free from any struggle with his disease BUT remain disfigured. He would look like what he had been through.
   

2. A leper made WHOLE would be set free from his struggle AND no longer disfigured. He would NOT look like what he had been through!
   

Walk out the commands of God’s word and be CLEANSED but return to God daily with the revelation of worship if you want to be made WHOLE! You need your peace and joy restored. So return to the feet of Jesus and worship Him!

The revelation of worship can change your life. You can be made whole! You don’t have to look like what you’ve been through! Yet, evidently, very few people are willing to walk out the truth of the revelation of worship because -- of ten lepers who were cleansed -- only one was made whole. The reason...only one was willing to return and worship Jesus fully!

Will you BE THE ONE...The one in your family, church, small group, business relationships? Be the one who returns and lays at the feet of Jesus in worship with a heart of overflowing gratitude!

If you worship Him, you will experience God’s restoration ability! He will put you back together! He uses foolish things to confound the wise and weak things to confound the mighty! All you have to do is worship Him.

• It is great to walk out the Word of God and be cleansed as you go, but -- if you want to go to the next level with Jesus -- you first must fall on your face and worship Him.

Maybe, right now, you sense an unction to do just that; fall on your face and worship Jesus. Do it! Be the one! Choose to worship God without restraint or inhibition and watch as the things that were lost to the leprosy of sin are restored in ways that coincidence can not take the credit.

From a heart of repentance, thankfulness, and gratitude, speak this proclamation over your life:

The work of His grace and blood in my life are more than enough to overflow my heart with praise!

I do not look like what I’ve been through!

I’ve been made WHOLE through my worship.

JESUS CHRIST has completely restored me!

I invite you to view a message on this subject in its entirety, “You Don’t Look Like What You’ve Been Through”. Within it, I share some personal stories of God's restoration power that I believe can be a great encouragement to you.

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

I See Dead People

In the movie Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis stars as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a psychiatrist attempting to help a young boy named Cole Sear. A fundamental tension exists throughout the plot’s development as Dr. Crowe doesn’t realize that Cole is also trying to help him. Working their way to mutual revelation, Cole finally breaks the tension eerily with a piercing statement, “ I SEE DEAD PEOPLE.” The plot later reveals that this struggle for Cole is the only reason he can see Dr. Crowe. Dr. Malcolm Crowe is dead. But he doesn’t know it.

One guy sees dead people. The other is dead and doesn’t know it. There is something for us to consider spiritually here from a symbolic perspective.

And He made you alive, who were dead in… sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air... 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind... just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (Ephesians 2:1-5 NKJV)

Do you see dead people?

Or, maybe I should ask if you are dead or alive personally?

I’m not talking about ghosts. Instead, I am referencing the reality that we can be dead due to separation from Jesus Christ and not realize it.

We can become so enthralled with walking after the course of the world that we remain spiritually dead. And, this state of existence is a dangerous place to be! But, thankfully, we all have the opportunity to become alive, despite all of our sins, by confessing Jesus Christ as our Savior!

In this message, I See Dead People, I share why we need to ensure that we are alive. I also share why your answer may change when processing this all-important question: Do you see dead people? Because, here’s the truth, there are dead people all around us, and God created us to bring the light of life into their lives through good works! I want to help you realize that you were made anew through salvation in Jesus Christ to do good works.

We do these good works because of the good things Jesus is doing in us, not because we are good people! Commissioned to spread the Gospel of Jesus to everyone we meet, it’s only through receiving the Gospel that the dead can be made alive, and God wants to empower you as His son or daughter to serve as a laborer for this cause.

Be encouraged through this message that God created YOU to serve a significant role in the Kingdom of God!

Are you willing and ready to be used by God and do something good that leads to someone’s salvation experience? According to Jesus’ own words, “The Harvest is ready, but the laborers are few.” Let’s go to work!

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works… (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)

Check out this message by Pastor Eric and be encouraged to start using your time, talent, and treasure to populate Heaven and plunder Hell!

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

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