BUILD UP OR TEAR DOWN?

During the exodus while the Israelites were wandering around in the desert we read in chapter 17 how the Amalekites came and attacked them. Moses told Joshua to choose some of the Israelite men to go and fight the Amalekites. He told Joshua that he, Aaron and Hur would go to the top of a hill to watch the battle and that he would take with him the staff of God. Early the next day, Joshua went to battle the Amalekites and Moses took the staff of God to the top of the hill where he could watch the battle, Joshua and the Israelites could look up at any time to see Moses appealing to God for an Israelite victory by holding up his hands toward heaven. “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Ex 17:11-12

When Moses’ hands got tired and he started to lower them, the Amalekites would begin to win the battle, but as long as Moses kept his hands raised up toward heaven, the Israelites were winning. The battle began early that morning and it was obvious that the battle would continue all day. There was no way that Moses could stand there all day and keep his hands raised toward heaven without help. So, his Israelite brothers, Aaron and Hur came to his rescue. They found a stone for Moses to sit on and Aaron stood on one side of Moses while Hur stood on the other side and they each took one of Moses’ hands and held them up to heaven until sunset. Aaron and Hur recognized that Moses was struggling to keep his hands raised and they also realized that in order for the Israelites to prevail, the three of them had to work together in unison.

That brings me around to the build up portion of the title. We, you and I must work together in unison to build up the body of Christ. As Christians, we have one goal, we have the same goal and we will never reach that goal unless we work together as one body with one mind. What is our goal? Our goal is to reach the lost people in our communities. Our goal is to nurture and mature the newest Christians in our churches by giving them the tools and support that they need to grow in Christ. Our goal is to help each other overcome the obstacles that Satan throws in our individual paths and the way we do that is through fellowship and prayer. Our churches depend on each of us to step up and do whatever is necessary to stay Christ focused.

Well now, what about the tear down part of the title? Unfortunately, that also happens in our churches. Even though Christians are sons and daughters in God’s family, we don’t always act like family. “So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” Gal 4:7. Just as a regular family has different personalities, the church is also made up of many people with different personalities and sometimes, these personalities clash. But, what we have to remember is that the lost people in the world are watching us and when they see us stumble because we can’t get along with each other, the world immediately says “what hypocrites, why should I bother going to church?” Recently, I heard this exact reaction to an incident that occurred in a “high profile” church and it broke my heart. This incident not only affected the testimony of a “high profile” person within the church, but it also spilled over giving a Christian school the same hypocritical reputation. Make no mistake, the lost people in the world constantly watch us and are happy to use us as an excuse for them to stay away from church.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7. If you have been born of God and know God....you always have a decision to make.....build up or tear down?

Cindy

Bible Verse taken from the New International Version
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