How To Renew Your Mind

The Right Place to Cure a Bitter Root

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

          Hebrews 12:22-24 “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

One of the most destructive sins to every believer is the sin of bitterness. Families are destroyed when the poison of bitterness enters in through sometimes only one family member. Churches are polluted when members spread bitter words and bitter attitudes among each other. Relationships suffer when bitterness goes unnoticed. Bitterness must be recognized before it can be properly dealt with, but it must be dealt with at the right place. The mistake so often made when facing bitter roots is the mistake of going to the wrong place to find a remedy. Where are you going to find the cure for bitterness? We already know that Mount Sinai is the wrong place to find a cure, so where is the right place to cure a bitter root?

Mount Sion is the right place to find His grace to overcome bitterness in our lives.

In our text in Hebrews 12, Mount Sion is associated with the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem, angels, the church, God, the spirits of just men made perfect, and Jesus. At Sion, we will find grace to repent, to forgive, and to be forgiven. At Sion, we will find grace to properly respond to difficult assignments given to us by God. But what is so special about Mount Sion? What exactly is it that makes this the right place to go when bitterness has entered our life or the life of someone we care for? Notice three important actions that take place at Mount Sion:

Mount Sion is a place of sacrifice.

It was at this mountain that Abraham willingly took his only son, Isaac, to offer him as a sacrifice out of his obedience to God. Though it was called Mount Moriah, it was at the same location as Mount Sion. This was a prophetical picture of God’s future offering of His only begotten Son for our sins. This was perhaps the most trying time of Abraham’s life. How could God require such a sacrifice of him? Abraham could have justified becoming bitter over this unreasonable request, but he submitted and made the sacrifice. God often asks us to sacrifice things that are precious to us, and often it doesn’t make sense. The testimony of Abraham teaches us, that, rather than becoming bitter when God chooses to take things away, we should submit to God’s providence for us. What has God taken away that causes feelings of loss or emptiness? Bitter roots can be uprooted as we allow God to fill the void created by sacrifices He asks us to make. 

Mount Sion is a place of worship.

            The city of Jerusalem, or Zion, as it is sometimes called in the Bible, became the center of worship to the faithful Israelites and the earthly picture of what Hebrews 12:22 calls, “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” The heroic men and women of Hebrews chapter eleven saw beyond the earthly city to a heavenly city. It was said of Abraham that “he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10). The Israelites looked ahead to a place of worship instead of looking back to where they came from. “And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned” (Hebrews 11:13). Bitter experiences of the past, when focused upon, prevent us from expressing a genuine worship of God. If we will focus our attention upon the glorious attributes of the One we were created to worship, our past memories, though once embittering, can be forgotten forever.

Mount Sion is a place of reconciliation and grace.

A visit to Mount Sinai condemns us for our wickedness. However, on another mountain, Mount Sion, stands a cross that represents our reconciliation with a just and holy God. Grace and mercy is found at the foot of that old rugged cross. Jesus came to this earth, lived a sinless life, allowed Himself to be crucified on a cross for our sins, and rose again from the dead. It is His shed blood that covers our sin-stained lives and grants us the right to claim God’s grace (God’s work in our behalf). The Christ of Calvary is the person through Whom we may find the grace we need to live free from the fruit of a bitter root.

Sion is also known as “Zion” in the Scriptures. Zion was a mountain located in the city of Jerusalem, but Zion is sometimes used to describe the city of Jerusalem itself. But history reveals to us that when the book of Hebrews speaks of going to a place called Mount Sion, it is pointing us to Calvary, the cross of Christ Jesus! If we are appropriately positioned at Calvary with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the root of bitterness will never take up residence in our heart. Friend, will you come to Mount Zion? Zion is a place of grace! Here you will meet the one Jesus who will give you all the grace that you need to live free of the horrid fruit of bitterness. A personal and developing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will eradicate every bitter root and choke it of its devastating fruit. In Him, we all find our place of great grace!

Where God Guides – God Provides

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

            Once again I’d like to discuss where God guides He provides.  When helping others in a time when basic needs are unmet, one must understand three aspects in effectively targeting solutions to this dilemma.  These include; assumptions that must be made, actions that must be taken, and analogies that must be understood.  First, we will deal with the assumptions that must be made when leading others at a time when they lack certain basic needs.

We all have basic human needs.  These include things like food, water, or raiment (clothing).  At times, we may lack even these basic needs and think, “This shouldn’t happen to someone whose life belongs to the Lord!”  This can be a dilemma in which we find ourselves wondering why the Lord neglected to provide for us, or contemplating where we went wrong with the Lord, causing Him to punish us in this way.

In Exodus, we see the Israelites in a similar situation.  They lacked water upon their arrival in Rephidim, after a trek through the arid, desert wilderness.  Here, God used Moses to fulfill this need.  This Biblical account is pertinent even today, as there are economic tsunamis taking place all around the country.  For instance, as Christian Law Association recently reported, the 2 major issues they currently deal with are; bankruptcy and embezzlement. So, how shall we respond when basic needs are unmet?  Let’s look at what assumptions must be made.

There are three assumptions that must be made when responding to this problem. 

First, we see that obedience to God’s commandments may lead to extreme need.  In Exodus, we see that the Israelites’ lack of water was a result of their obedience.  The Bible says, “…according to the commandment of the Lord.”  God clearly led them to Rephidim, using a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day.  This was visual evidence displaying how God, at times, allows His children to suffer despite their obedience.  Our natural response is to look at a situation and draw an extraneous solution.  We assume that if they were following God’s will, He wouldn’t have led them to a place where they lacked a basic need.  Never assume that God leads you to a place of security and stability where all is provided.  It doesn’t work that way.  Satan would like us to believe that when God allows pressure in our lives, He’s not Who we thought He was or doesn’t really care for us.

The second assumption that must be made is that similar or different problems will eventually occur in our journey through life.  This isn’t the first water problem the Jews experienced.  Previously, in the wilderness, the Jews came across bitter water and subsequently, no water at all.  Just when you think you have a problem solved, another one comes your way.  If we are going to be effective believers, or be led when a basic need is unmet, we have to assume that obedience to God’s commandments may lead to a position of extreme need.  If it were easier to follow the Lord than not to follow Him, our testimonies would be poor and as a result, not glorify the Lord.  He is a Lord of faith, love, and commitment.  God wants you to follow Him, not for what He’s “handing out” to you, but because you love Him.  Love is shown by remaining loyal to Him, despite any negative circumstance faced.

In Exodus 17, it shows how the Israelites received water from the rock, fulfilling a need, followed by involvement in a war with an enemy. (This is a great prophecy lesson, indeed!) They seemed to encounter problems around every corner.  We must accept the problems we face and praise the Lord whenever we don’t have a problem as one is likely just around the corner.  We should not judge one’s love for God on the basis of the presence or absence of problems in his/her life.

The third assumption is that we are not supposed to know what God is doing at any given time.

God doesn’t tell us everything that is going on.  For instance we see in Exodus1:1, the Jews travelled from the wilderness of sin to Rephidim.  However, in Number 33:12, it says, “And they took their journey out of the wilderness of sin and encamped in Dophka…encamped in Alush…encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink.”  Some would say that God’s word has errors in it.   However, God is in the business of telling you what you need to know, when you need to know it.

In conclusion, we need to have complete dependence on the Lord by making certain assumptions.  First, we will have needs that won’t be met, which will strengthen our faith in Christ.  Second, we will encounter many different problems throughout our life.  Third, we must understand that we’ll not know all that the Lord is doing; however, it will be done for the glory of God.  When the Israelites griped, chided, and murmured against Moses, they failed to lay their burdens before the Lord.  They lacked faith.  The Lord requires that we live by faith, not by explanation.  Remember, where God guides-God provides!

Great Needs Are Met by Faith

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:2-6 KJV)

What do you do when you and those you are helping encounter a time when basic needs are unmet? Whether we lead or follow others, complete dependence on the Lord is essential. Recently, we discussed the assumptions that must be made when leading or helping others in stressful times like these. This time we will deal with the actions which must be taken to effectively lead others during this situation. These actions include: passing responsibility on to God; reminding others of how God perceives a situation and how it’s up to Him to respond to it; and crying out to God for guidance.

In Exodus 17, we see Moses in Rephadim, with the Israelites, at a time when they lacked water. Moses responded to their remarks against him saying, “Why chide ye with me?” He simply passed responsibility on to God. The Jews, at this time, were still young believers and didn’t fully understand that Moses wouldn’t be the source of water. Often, we place a false dependence on the person, in our lives, that strongly influences us for the Lord, instead of properly depending on God. Moses passed the buck! Remember, God had brought them there, not Moses. Effective leaders bring God into the equation and do not make excuses for following Him, nor the direction of His leading.

Why do we blame others? One never wants to be accused of chiding (contending/quarreling) with God. However, we often pick out the human leader representing God and chide with him/her.

Next, Moses reminded the people of how God felt about the situation, as well as how God was responding to it. Immaturity often surfaces as one focuses attention on the placement of blame. The Jews were reminded that God was being tempted by their provocation. Moses said that God was becoming upset with their actions, as out of desperation they thought of stoning him. What provoked God was the fact that the Israelites neglected to rely on Him and come to Him first. Despite this, Moses cried out to God. God can lead others to meet our needs even if they are not privy to the specifics.

The last action in effectively leading others is to cry out to the Lord. In Exodus 17:4, “Moses cried unto the Lord saying, “What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.” He could have said, “Why didn’t you just let me continue to be a shepherd? Moses, however, was much more mature than that. He was a problem solver. He said, “Lord, what can I do? How can I help this situation?” In your life, when you see a problem, do you merely complain or are you one to find a solution. Moses was a mature Christian. He didn’t ask how or why, but what he could do to solve the problem. When he was put under pressure, he didn’t complain. He went to the Lord, and implemented God’s instruction. Moses had a clear responsibility to identify the need and act on it. It wasn’t enough to just pray, he had to demonstrate biblical faith.

It took a lot of faith to strike the rock with his staff at Horeb. We knew water would come out, but Moses didn’t. He had to exercise extreme faith. God told Moses to go before the people and take the elders of Israel. God understood that the older people would be a great influence on the youth. The Lord wanted people to witness the water spewing from the rock. Those that would witness this would be great spokesmen for God with respect to trusting and following Him. People in old Hebrew society had great respect for the elders. God wanted Moses to get these elders on board so they may get the “followship” of the other people. It’s important that the people with responsibility are eye witnesses to the miraculous hand of God. Even today, this is what hinders churches. The members fail to see the supernatural hand of God personally. As a result, they often lose the zeal and commitment needed to be effective in Christ.

As important as it is for me to see the hand of God providing, it’s of utmost importance for the young generation to be put to the test and experience supernatural provision for themselves. We will stagnate when we lose a generation of people committed to living by faith and seeing the hand of God in action.

Finally, we need faithful obedience, unto the Lord. To accomplish this effectively, we need to take action. We must pass responsibility on to God, remind others of God’s perception of a particular situation, and cry out for His guidance. Following this plan of action in your life, just as at the rock, you will see that great needs are met by faith.

FROM RESOLUTION TO RESTORATION

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

This is the time of the year resolutions are made. There is nothing wrong with resolutions. It is always good to make a firm decision to do right. I want to encourage you to go past the resolution to restoration, become one with whom you are, the person God made you to be. I received my challenge from Ruth 4:15, “And He shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born Him.” Naomi is promised through Boaz and Ruth to have a kinsmen redeemer. Even as Boaz championed Ruth and Naomi’s cause, the offspring of this union will be the Restorer of mankind and God through the Kinsmen Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. The word I want to emphasize in this passage is “restorer.” It is also found in Psalm 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” The Hebrew lexicon defines “restoration” thusly, “to recover to build, to turn back, but not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point.” 

I see something that I hope you see as well; it means to build, but not meaning you go back to the starting point but you start where you are. In many instances you don’t want to go to a chaotic starting point; you need a fresh vision for today. We need a new step for a new day. God is into starting anew: “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).  God wants to do something that is better than the beginning.

1. Let us be restored in reality with Jesus 

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:31,32). Convert means to turn about. Earlier Jesus asked His disciples whom people thought He was. They replied some thought He was John the Baptist come back to life or Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.  But then our Lord said, “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?”(Matthew 16:15). Our Lord wanted to know what His disciples thought of Him, almost to say, “Am I real to you for who I am?”

Christ only becomes real to those who humble themselves before Him.  Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” In a city in Scandinavia is a famous statue of our Lord, looking down with His arms outstretched. One day a visitor standing before it was very disappointed, and he didn't hesitate to share his feelings with an attendant. "I can't see the face of Christ," he complained. The attendant replied, "Sir, if you want to see His face, you must kneel at His feet." The visitor knelt and he saw!

2. Let us be restored from ruins in relationships.

Joel 2:25 promises, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” This is a promise to Israel in general and Judah specifically. Go to Athens and the tour guides will show you the ruins of a once mighty civilization where the likes of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Philipp of Macedon and Alexander the Great once walked. Take a trip to Rome and they will show you the ruins of the society that once conquered the world and built magnificent temples--now in ruins. God said to Judah, I will bring you back from ruins. That’s the way He deals with His people.

Do you look at any of your relationships in the ruins? Your marriage? Your children? your job? Charles Allen said the saddest word in the English language is the word “hopeless.” I agree with him. Too many of God’s people look at some broken relationships as irrevocably irrecoverable. The Word of God is resplendent with examples to the contrary. The Bible records, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52).  “And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men” (I Sam. 2:26). God is interested in the early formative years of a child’s life that they learn to get along with each other. Once Jacob got right with God after wrestling with the Angel of the Lord all night, God declared a name change, “And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Genesis 32:28). Jacob was promised power with God and man. When we obtain power with God, we simultaneously obtain power with man!

The Lord wants us to take the initiative in getting along with each other, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:18). Husbands are to take the lead in keeping relationship intact with their wife. “Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (I Peter 3:7). God also said John the Baptist would bring parents and their children together. “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:6). When we walk with God in the light of His Word, we tap into this promise: “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:1-4).