November 6, 2018

"Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear." Romans 13:1-3 MSG

I just realized that with this election I have been a registered voter for 50 years!

Yikes!

Over those five decades I have missed voting in very few elections.  Those were local city or country races that I was too new to the community to be informed or had not been able to register in time. But I have not failed to vote in any Presidential election or Congressional Mid-Term election. Nor will I going forward as long as I am able.

Voting in elections is a main priority of citizenship and good citizenship is a responsibility of Christians. Paul says as much in his letter to the Roman believers and they didn't even have the privilege of voting.

You and I are blessed to have the right to vote by virtue of being born as Americans. And we have to vote to be right as born-again Americans.

There have been a few elections over the years that were difficult to know how to vote. But this is not one of those. The issues are clear and the candidates hold distinctly different views of those issues.

Most Republican Candidates are not nearly as conservative as I wish they were but they are FAR more conservative than their Democrat opponents. There are some Democrats who are disturbingly radical and anti-American in their positions and views.

Part of your responsibility as a voter is to be a well-informed voter! You must know the issues and where candidates stand on those key issues.

I will be voting for those who have the best position on:

LIFE

I will not vote for any candidate who will not or has not supported the rights of unborn children.

ECONOMY

It will only vote for candidates who believe I should keep more of my money and the government should keep less of it. I support tax cuts and less government spending.

JOBS

No economy will be sound unless it is creating a favorable climate for jobs to be created and businesses to grow. Job creation is fueled by lower taxes, fewer regulations, favorable interest rates and good trade policies.

BORDER SECURITY

Without well-defined and well defended borders there cannot be a nation. 

A nation is defined by language, culture and borders. 

You cannot have a strong united nation unless you have a common language that is spoken by your citizens. Just ask Babel about that.

You cannot have a nation unless you have a unique and identifiable culture! Culture consists of a value system, a set of customs, laws, a code of acceptable behavior and a dominant religion.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

Who will support  the best Supreme Court justice nominations? A good Supreme Court Justice is one who believes in upholding the original intent of the Founders of the Constitution.

NATIONAL SECURITY/FORGEIGN POLICY

Which candidate will support legislation and policies that protect the interests of the United States around our dangerous world?

Go vote today!

Do it now!

Shut your lap top or shut down your desk top or your tablet as soon as you finish this article and head to your local polling place.

After you have voted for conservative candidates post a selfie showing your "I Voted" sticker!

November 5, 2018

"Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6

Pastor Gerald made a statement yesterday during his message, "The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed."

Exodus 6 is a good example of that truth. 

Egypt, of course, was a very real nation that played a significant role in ancient history. The Pharaohs of Egypt at times ruled a dynasty and the Hebrew people served as their slaves for 400 years.

But Egypt is also a representation of the bondage experienced in life dominated by the sinful nature. The Hebrews were powerless to free themselves from the power of Pharaoh's dominion. They were destined to be trapped in slavery for their entire miserable existence.

No man existed who had the power or the might to deliver God's people from the bondage of Egypt. So they cried out to Jehovah, their God. For centuries they cried out to Him.

God's promise to Moses was the first ray of hope they had encountered and how amazing it must have been to hear the words, "I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians"! Finally!

Only God could deliver them from the terrible, cruel, monotonous bondage of slavery! And only God's Son can bring you out of the bondage of your sinful nature. That sinful nature that has separated you from God and left you spiritually dead.

Moses was the "type" or the "representation" of Christ but Jesus IS the Christ the Son of God! He is God in the flesh!

Just as the Hebrews only hope of deliverance from bondage was to trust Moses and obey him as God's servant, so is trusting Jesus your only hope for salvation!

You cannot ever, under any circumstances in any way ever free yourself from the bondage of your sinful nature. But God, through Jesus can and will bring you out if you call on Him and trust Jesus! And you don't have to wait 400 hundred years or 400 hundred months or 400 hundred weeks or 400 days or 400 hours or 400 minutes or 400 seconds! You can trust Him right now and He will bring you out!

November 4, 2018

"Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6

God promised to bring His people out of slavery and history records that he did! Using His mighty hand and His acts of judgment and His chosen leader, Moses, the came out of 400 years of bondage bound for the Land of Promise!

But it raises the question, "How did they get into bondage in the first place?"

The answer is a bit surprising and a lot inspiring! 

They arrived in Egypt because God led them in! Because of the favor and influence Joseph has earned during the years of his capable service to the Pharaoh in Egypt he had prepared their nation to survive the devastating famine that ravished the entire region. And to show his respect and appreciation to Joseph, the Pharaoh allowed him to bring his father and his brothers and their families into Goshen which was the most fertile area in all of Egypt!

Here's the record from the Old Testament:

"So Joseph settled his father and his brothers in Egypt and gave them property in the best part of the land, the district of Rameses, as Pharaoh directed. Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their children." Genesis 47:11-12

It is important to note that God led them in to Egypt to save them from the famine and to preserve them as a nation!

If you know the rest of the story you remember that God prospered these people so abundantly that they were becoming numerous and powerful. So when the next Pharaoh came to power and he didn't have the attachment to Joseph he made the Israelites into slaves.

God truly does move in mysterious ways! Wonderful ways! Redemptive ways! But unexpected and unpredictable ways! Except for one predictable truth that you can take away from this thought this morning:

God will never lead you into a situation that He is not able to lead you out of!

No matter how trying or difficult the circumstances you can rest in this assurance - IF GOD LED ME IN HE WILL BRING ME OUT! (And He will be with you in the meantime!)

November 3, 2018

"Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians...." Exodus 6:6

This is the first of the four great and timeless promises God offers to His people. He will bring you out of bondage!

Somehow when I read that promise what came to mind was this New Testament promise:

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31

So, in other words, if God wants to bring you out of bondage He can bring you out of bondage!

There was no more daunting or formidable force in the world at this time than the Pharaoh of Egypt. No nation or army could come against him so none tried to take him on. So, what chance would a group of downtrodden slaves have against him?

None!

But as feckless as the Hebrew slaves were against the Pharaoh the Pharaoh was even less helpless against their God!

I'm sure that over that 400 year period of slavery there were many Israelites who doubted God was with them. In fact, I suspect they believed God had forsaken them. And who can blame them?

I have had those moments when I feel trapped by the circumstances of life. So have you!

But that is why both of these promises are SO powerful and comforting! God said, "I WILL bring you out...." He didn't say, "I might bring you out." Or he didn't say, "Maybe I'll bring you out." Nor did He say, "I sure hope I can bring you out." "I WILL" He said!

And He did!

Because He can anytime He wants to!

And when He wants to nothing can stop Him!

He would do all the heavy lifting all they had to do was believe that He was willing and able to do what He promised!

If you are feeling trapped by the circumstances of your life right now, and you have wondered if God has forgotten you or if He has lost His touch - re-read this post!

Re-read these promises!

He can bring you out of your bondage! He will bring you out! All you need to do is believe that He will and wait patiently until he does!

The Right Master

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6-7

Here's a reality check: everyone of us is in bondage. We all serve something or someone. 

Jesus said as much when He stated, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Matthew 6:24

This profound truth reveals several significant insights about our bondage:

1) Everyone has a master but no one can have two masters.

2) We serve the master we love.

3) It is possible to choose your master.

Now, rewind some 3,500 years to God's first promise to Israel through Moses, "I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians....."

Let me remind you that the Hebrews had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years! They had served one cruel master for four centuries. That's four generations of bondage. That means their great-great grandfather, and their great grand father and their grandfather and their father had all been slaves! And not they were, too.

That's a long time to serve a cruel master that you hate!

So, it is to these people that Moses announces the four promises of God! And the first promise was the promise of salvation.

It had become apparent to them by now that they could not save themselves. If they could they would have long ago! Only the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could deliver them from the mighty Pharaoh.

And He was now ready to do that through His servant, Moses.

But how was it that He planned to save them, to set them free from the bondage of Egypt? By believing His promise! By believing that He could do what they could never do for themselves! And by trusting Him to do it! By making Him their God!

God's plan for saving His people was for them to choose Him as their Master! They were to set themselves apart by choosing Him! For 400 years they had not had that opportunity but now, because of Moses, they did! Now they could choose their Master!

Today, because of Jesus, you can choose whom you will serve. You can choose your master. Will you serve your sinful desires, attitudes and habits or will you trust Jesus to bring you out from under that yoke? Will you choose to love Him more that you love your sinfulness? 

He promises that if you will make Him your Master and serve Him He will do what you can never do for yourself. He will save you! 

Salvation comes from serving the Right Master!

November 1. 2018

"...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I Thessalonians 5:18

One of the earliest lessons we learn as children is to say, "Please" and "Thank You". It is a simple concept, really.

Of course, we are taught to express our thanks whenever we are given something that is nice, or helpful, or valuable, or generous.

However, in this verse, the Apostle Paul instructs us to "give thanks in ALL circumstances". Say, what? Be thankful in "ALL circumstance"? Are you kidding me? How do I do that? Some circumstances are painful and hard and unwelcomed. Am I supposed to be thankful when stuff like that happens? Why is that?

Read the rest of the verse, "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Oh.

Here is the deal. We don't have to be thankful for difficult things that happen to us. Am I to be thankful that I lose a job, or my health, or a loved one? I don't think so! But, what we can be thankful for is that God is in control of our circumstances and He has promised that "all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose" and "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

So, what we can be thankful for is that when troubles come it means that God is at work! Our pain is working for our gain because that is how God works, Who He is and what He does! Thank Him that even what works against us in life works for us because His Kingdom is coming and His will is being done - in us!

The "I Am"

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.  I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:6-7

When God called Moses out of the burning bush on the backside of the desert Moses asked Him, "When Pharaoh asks me who sent you Whom shall I say has sent me?"

God replied, "Say the I AM has sent you!"

Moses did!

The "I AM" comes to Moses with four great promises for the Israelites. In these promises the "I AM" says, "I WILL!"

"I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians!"

AND

"I will free you from being slaves to them"

AND

"I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment"

AND

"I will take you as my own people"

The "I AM" says "I WILL"!

And you know what?

The "I AM" Who said "I WILL" - He did!

God is still the "I AM"!

And when the "I AM" says "I WILL" He still does!

So, He can still bring you out of bondage! 

He can still set you free and keep you out of bondage!

He still has an outstretched arm that can redeem you and restore you to what He created you to be!

He still can take you as His own and bring you into community with His people - others who have been saved and set free and restored and brought into fellowship!

What do you need the "I AM" to do for you today?

He will!