Jeffrey Dean Blog

Several times this fall I have spoken on Exodus 33. On numerous occasions, I have been asked to blog about my thoughts on this interesting conversation between God and Moses.  I love this passage, particularly how Eugene Peterson explains it in The Message. (I encourage you to spend a few moments reading it before you continue reading my thoughts. If you do not have a copy of The Message, you can go to www.biblegateway.com and search for Exodus 33:7-13 (MSG).

There is so much in this passage that validates God’s desire to communicate intimately with His people. Obviously, Moses understood this. Verse 7 describes how Moses used to take the Tent Of Meeting and set it up outside of camp as a place to go and meet with God. In this passage, Moses then enters the tent and it is here that we are able to have a glimpse into this important conversation he had with God. There are three things I want to point out about this conversation and the take-away for us all.

1. God wants face time with us.

Exodus 33:11 says, “And God to Moses face to face, as neighbors speak to one another.” Imagine such an intimate moment with God! Scripture says that the two of them spoke just as close neighbors do.  This wasn’t a privilege reserved solely for Moses. It is one for you too.  But it requires work on your part. Several times in the verses leading up to this conversation, we read that Moses was active in the process. He went to the tent. He set time aside to be with God. He understood that, even though he was a man of tremendous privilege, power, and position, to be a great leader he first had to be a humble follower…of God.

God wants to meet with you. He desires to talk to you, jut as you would your closest friend. But you have to do your part – take ownership – in spending time with God.

2. God wants us to be bold with Him.

Look at how Moses speaks to God, “Look you tell me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.’ If I am so special to you, let me in our your plans…Don’t forget, this is your people, your responsibility.” Can you imagine? Moses was real and bold as he talked with God. He didn’t hold back. He didn’t sugar-coat his feelings. He told God exactly what he thought…and God listened.

Do you think God knew how Moses felt before Moses even shared his feelings with Him?  Of course He did.  He’s God!  He knew the situation, but He still welcomed the conversation.  Why? Because He longs for a real relationship with His people. He longs for this with you. God knows everything about you, even the situations about you that you don’t fully get or understand. He knows what you will do before you even do it. And, He wants you to bring it all to Him.  Moses was completely comfortable in bringing it all to Him. Are you this comfortable with God? If not, why not give it a try? God can handle it. This story is proof of exactly that.

3. God wants the lead in our lives.

After such a bold demand from Moses, God could have responded in any number of ways.  He says to Moses in Exodus 33:14, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.” Read what Moses says next to God in verse 15. “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now.” Moses understood there would be no success in the journey if God wasn’t the one in the lead. Of course, God knew this to.  He is always in the lead, even when we think we are the ones leading.  But, when you and I come to this realization, God is honored in our willingness to acknowledge His lead, and, we are more the better for it.

Giving God the lead can be one of the most challenging acts to master because it requires sacrifice. But, over time this process becomes easier. This was the case for Moses. When God first appeared to Moses on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 3) and spoke to him through a burning bush, Moses was freaked. He didn’t want to be used by God to stand before Pharaoh.  He wanted God to choose someone else. He wanted to go back to shepherding for his father-in-law.  But, over time, as he learned to trust God more and more, he learned what it meant to give God the lead in his life. The key: Experience.  Personal experience plays a critical role in how you and I trust God. The more experience we have with Him, the more confident we become in trusting Him.

God allowed Moses access to Him in a very intimate and real way. He extends the same privilege to you. So, take ownership in your relationship with Him as you reflect on your experience with Him. If you do, I am confident that you too will see that He can be trusted with it all.  And, the next time you pause to enter into your personal Tent Of Meeting, you will find, as was the case with Moses, God too is waiting to meet with you!

I’m the guiltiest one in the room when it comes to wanting my own way.  I like things the way I like things.  I’m a dreamer, a planner, a strategist, and a goal-setter.  I get set on something, get something in my mind, and often, my mind won’t let the “set” become “unset” until that thing becomes a reality. This can be a really good thing when my desire is to honor God by never compromising, never giving in to the flesh and never saying “quit” for the glory of God.  This can be a really bad thing when I get so set on what I want, that I can’t see when my good intentions succumb to selfishness.

In ministry (and in life,) we have to really be careful not to confuse wanting my own way with pursuing His own way.  Paul warns of this in 1 Corinthians 10:6-8 (MSG) when he writes, “We must be on guard so that we never get caught up in wanting our own way as they (the Israelites) did.  And we must not turn our religion into a circus as they did…” How easy it can be to use the excuse of “ministry” and “religion” to satisfy our own selfish ambitions, desires, and personal need to be known.

I had coffee today with a youth pastor friend of mine in Texas (okay, coffee for my friend, ice tea for me – the non-coffee drinker.)  He spoke of this very thing.  He said that God had really convicted him lately that it wasn’t about him.  His words were, “I had to replace the ‘I got it’ mentality with, ‘God’s got it…I’m just along for the honor of it.’”  How convicting were his words to me personally.  I do believe God has given me a clear vision for ministry in my own life, and, how he desires I use the gifts given to me to bring Him glory.  However, I was reminded today by my friend that though the gifts are mine, they giver of the gifts is still in charge of how it all plays out.  And, it’s such an honor that God chooses to let me be a part of it all.  This is probably what James meant when he wrote in James 4: 13-15 (NIV),  “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Strategy, creativity and implementation are critical to success in life and in ministry.  Of course you know this.  We say all the time at Jeffrey Dean Ministries that we must be about “doing our part.”  I believe there is great responsibility for each of us to do our part and to do it well, particularly when it comes to kingdom work.  But, as I was reminded today, God’s gonna do what God’s gonna do.  He is almighty God.  It all begins and ends with Him!

I hope you’ll take some time to consider these thoughts, and, maybe to ask yourself (as I did today) some hard questions about who really is leading you in your pursuit of all the things for which you are passionate.  Yes, do your part, make your plans and be strategic in your pursuit for success. But, along the way, never forget, “God’s got it…I’m just along for the honor of it.”

Wow!  We had two great weekends at Springhill, IN.  It was so good to see many of you again from last year.  And, it was super cool for me to make many new friends this year.  Now that you are back home living life fast and furious as a junior higher, I hope you’ll take a moment to reflect on all GOD did in your life while at Springhill.  As I shared with you on Sunday AM, the same God who spoke to you all weekend is the same God who wants to keep speaking to you each day.  But you have to position yourself to listen.  Remember the story I told you about “swimming out to the deep” with Him?  Have you done that yet this week?  Picture the deep end – the water, the noise all around you, the sun beating down on you… Now, imagine you dive into the deep, settle to the bottom, and in that quite moment, there God is…waiting…to talk…to listen…to you.

To help refuel your head with all the goodness we talked about last weekend, I have compiled a Top 10 of all I spoke into your life while at Springhill ’10.  I hope you will take some time to read and consider each thought on this list:

1. I am unique.  God loves me so much that He created me unlike any other.  He wants me to use my uniqueness to “reflect” Him to the world.

2. In 1 Corinthians 8:1-6, Paul was saying to those in Corinth (and to me) that I can believe what I choose to believe about many different gods.  But, the truth is: There is only ONE God.  I need only ONE faith to trust in Him.  And, there is only ONE way to Him – Jesus Christ.

3. Sin = Rejection of God.

4. I know when I sin.  I have to make an effort everyday to say “No!” to sin and say “YES!” to living out my purpose.

5. This world celebrates sin.  I have to choose NOT to live in that celebration as Paul challenges in 1 Corinthians 10:11-12.  (Remember the 23,000 deaths and poisonous snakes!)

6. I must accept “my part of the body” (1 Corinthians 12:25-31.)  As I do, I impact culture in the way I was intended to – fearlessly and boldly!

7. God made me beautiful!  Satan works to destroy my beauty.  I must do my part to honor God, even if it seems I am the only one doing so.

8. As a woman, I have to surrender my “It” and be confident, pure, and determined!

9. As I man, it’s not about making out like mad (ha, ha – remember that?)  It’s about praying  for my dates (and with those I date,) my future dates, my friends, my parents, my anger, my lust, my thoughts, and myself.

10. 1 Corinthians 13 says it all:  “It’s about love baby!”  Remember who you need to love – and go do it!

I’m looking forward to being back in Wise County, TX next week.  If you are in the area, hope you’ll make plans now to join me at Forged By Fire Wednesday, September 29 at 7:00 pm at the Decatur Football Stadium.  There will by music, door prizes, and, I will be speaking.  This event is sponsored by Wise Choices PRC and Fellowship of Christian Athletes of Decatur HS.  For more info, call 940.391.7572.

A teen in my community committed suicide this week.  I did not know him.  But after counseling with teens who did, and, after attending a celebration service where I listened for well over an hour as friends and family shared funny and intimate stories about him, I feel like I have known him a lifetime.

I have known three people in my life who ended their own lives.  You too may know someone who has done the same.  Those of us left behind to try and make sense of it all are often left with a mix of emotions and questions for which it seems there are no answers.  There is no way of ever fully knowing why a person chooses to end his/her life.  But, I do know this – in most (if not all) cases, the person choosing to make this horrifically irreversible act is in pain.

Suicide doesn’t have to be the “way out.” If you or someone you know has these feelings, know this: God doesn’t want anyone to end his/her own life.  Never.  Ever.  Not for any reason.  He created everyone for purpose, great purpose.  And, all suicide does is immediately end that purpose.

If you ever have feelings of considering suicide, go talk with someone immediately!  Don’t wait.  There is help.  You can always call The Hope Line: 877.254.REAL.

You may know someone who has talked about suicide.  If so, take what he/she says seriously.  Allow this person to talk.  Listen.  If you are with this person, don’t leave him/her alone.  Make a call and get help for him/her.  Tell a friend, pastor, parent, or teacher.  Call the National Suicide Hotline: 800.273.TALK.

What an amazing summer! Words cannot begin to describe how anointed the past seven weeks were.  If you were at The Great Escapes Lee 1 or Lee 2, The Great Escapes Carolina, Diverge at Springhill, Super Summer in Kansas, The Big Ticket Music Festival in Michigan, or at Mayfield Lake Camp in Washington State then you know what God did that week; you know what God did in your life!

To my knowledge, there were more than 900 teens this summer who gave it all to Jesus and became a christian. Isn’t that phenomenal!  I have heard from countless teens via Facebook and email this summer who were blown away with what GOD DID.  I too have been blown away this week as I have taken some time to reflect on how visible He was at each camp and festival. God showed up in a big way everywhere and I am confident there are thousands of teens and adults (including me) who will never forget experiencing God in a very raw and real way this summer.

Obviously, the challenge at hand now is re-entry.  The camp experience is a unique one with energy and a euphoria almost unlike any other. It’s easy for one to get caught up in it all, let go of inhibitions and feel freedom to worship, pray, and draw close to God. Now that you have returned home, it’s only natural that you may not feel that same “feeling” you felt while at camp. This is why it is important for you to remember those words I gave you at camp: GOD IS NOT A FEELING.  GOD IS A CHOICE.

Don’t search for that same “camp” feeling.  Instead, make the choice that you are going to continue worshipping, praying, and pursuing God just as you did for that one week while at camp.  Read your bible, pray, and spend time with friends who will encourage you to do the same. Do this and do this often.  It may not be realistic for you to do this everyday.  But you can set goals to push yourself to work more each week to spend quality face-time with God.

If you haven’t started this process yet, go to Exodus 33-34 and begin reading the story of Moses and God.  It is a great story of how God revealed Himself to Moses as Moses made the choice to spend time alone with Him.  Exodus 34:30 says that “the skin of his (Moses) face glowed because He had been speaking with God.”  This is proof that when we spend intimate time with God, our lives radiate Him to the world.  Moses didn’t experience a feeling.  He experienced God.  You can too!  But you have to do your part to get alone with God and let Him burn your skin with His presence.

The reality is summer camp is over.  But the experience doesn’t have to end.  God wants to continue speaking into your life, if you will make the choice each day to let Him.  If you read on in Exodus, you will see that Moses often took time to be alone with God. That’s how he knew Him so well. I hope you’ll commit consistently to make the choice, just like Moses, to move past the feeling and step into the presence of the Holy God.