Having spent 40 years as a fugitive, the consequence of seeking to do God s will his way, I doubt very much whether Moses was either anticipating or prepared for the call of God when it finally came.  After all the flight from Egypt occasioned by his striking of the Egyptian was not without its compensations; to begin with, there was his striking wife Zipporah. He lived comfortably with his father-in-law Jethro and contented himself shepherding the flock and raising his family.  

Now 80 years of age, his days of adventure were surely behind him and more sedentary life lay ahead.  But then just when you think you have it all figured out God has a way of showing up. I always say that if you want to give God a good laugh tell him your plans for the future. Moses had spent 40 years thinking he was somebody; then he had spent 40 years thinking that he was nobody; then at 80 years of age he was about to enter the most productive 40 year period of his life. But at 80 Moses discovered what God can do with somebody who thinks that he is nobody.  The time had come for Moses to go back to Egypt and say to the Pharaoh, Let my people go that they might worship me.     Of course you know don t you that Egypt is always typical of the world; not the secular world but the religious world. 

Whilst I am not claiming to be Moses, I have struck my fair share of Egyptians and have been living happily in exile outside the religious world these last six years. In that time outside of the religious system I have been unceremoniously drained of self-achievement and self-getting and have contented myself with tending to Jethro s sheep. But now something has happened not quite a burning bush, but a burning passion- I must go back; The Moses mandate has come to me too. 

Few verses better describe growing in grace more profoundly than the contrast of two responses to the call of God in the life of Moses:
  And Moses hid is face, for he was afraid to look at God [Ex 3:6] and The people stood far off while Moses went into the darkness where God was [Ex 20:21].  In many respects that is the pilgrimage that we are all drawn to.   What happens in those intervening chapters [Exodus 3-17] is a wonderful and timely story; and one that I will be reflecting on in the coming days with you as I try to articulate what it is that that the Lord is stirring in my heart.  

Horace Walpole once famously said that Life is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel.   I want to tell you that the more that I wait upon the Lord and hear his heart on the subject of his beloved church the battered bride the more I feel, the more I realise that the condition of modern Christianity is a tragic not comic. I readily confess to you that I have belly-laughed at Christian television.  I can identify with the author John Maxwell when he said that when he needs some light entertainment he watches five minutes of Christian TV and five minutes of the Simpsons.   But to be honest I am not laughing any more. How can I when the House of the Lord lies in ruins?  

When my dear friend Steve McVey wrote the foreword to my book he was kind enough to say:
I predict that The Bonsai Conspiracy will be widely received because the church is ready for this book. We are tired of religious regiment void of life and we are ready for a change. A grace revolution is gaining momentum all across the church. This book is fuel for that movement of God s Spirit. Read if carefully and prayerfully because, if you take its contents to heart, you will likely find your own life being transformed in the process.

I hope you re right Steve because we re coming ready or not!  I know for sure that the Lord has observed what has been done to you [the bride] in Egypt and he promises that he will bring you up out of the afflictions of Egypt and bring you to the land of milk and honey [grace & truth Jn 1:17].   

Once again the Lord is sending a Moses generation to the Pharaoh to say to him Let my people go that they may go out into the wilderness and worship the Lord.
I wonder if the Lord is stirring your heart in these days to be part of this mandate? Are you ready to answer the Moses Mandate?   I would love to hear from you if you are.

Pastors, are you ready to hear the cry of God? -  Let my people go that they might worship God not work for you!  
Pastors are you ready to answer the cry of God? -   Will you labour with us to bring about the liberation of the people?  Please email me paul@thegraceproject.,com 
 

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