BibleTrekToday.com

Year: 2010

  • Strike the Rock!

    Scripture reading for January 25th: Exodus 16-18

    You would think that God’s people would not grumble against Him!  The Israelites had seen the miracles of the plagues in Egypt and been protected from their effects.  They had been miraculously delivered from the death angel by the blood of the Passover lamb.  They had seen the Lord lead them with a cloud of glory by day and fire by night.  They experienced deliverance through the Red Sea and saw how Pharaoh and his army were drowned.  They had been given loads of silver and gold before they left Egypt and saw God bring manna to feed them in the desert.  Their clothes and shoes did not wear out and not one of them was sick or disabled!  What they experienced of God’s presence and miraculous power would make most of us stand in awe!

    Yet, after being fed with manna and traveling on to Rephidim, they found no water to drink.  They first quarreled with Moses.   (Exodus 17: 1-3)  God’s leadership always takes flack when things don’t go as the people think it should.  The people easily turn on leaders, but God looks at this differently.  They are actually turning on Him!  (Exodus 16:8)  Moses asked them why they were putting the Lord to the test by quarreling with Him.  They responded by blaming Moses for bringing them out into the desert to die of thirst!  It is amazing how short-sighted and forgetful people can become.  Miracles don’t instantly transform people into faith giants!

    To help Mose through this situation, God gave him specific instructions.  He told Moses to walk on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with him.   He was to go to the rock at Horeb and God would stand before him there.  Moses was to strike the rock and God would supply water for the people to drink!   (Exodus 17:5-6)  When Moses obeyed, water gushed out to satisfy the 2-3 million people, and their flocks and herds, as well!

    The New Testament gives insight into this event.  Paul taught that the spiritual rock that the Israelites drank from was Christ.  (1st Corinthians 10:1-6)  He was smitten for us to give us “Living Water”.   He has walked ahead of us and taken God’s rod of judgment on sin!  Drink today from the smitten Rock!  The living water is flowing freely for all to drink!

  • Sunday Rest and Reflection:Moses

    Dear Friends,

    Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ!  Welcome to another day of rest and reflection!  How wonderful it is to be delivered from slavery to sin and enjoy new life in Jesus Christ!

    I want to think about Moses for a few minutes today.  Moses was a man highly favored of God.  His godly parents feared God and were allowed to raise this child after he was miraculously taken out of the water of the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter.  The name “Moses” means “drawn out of the water”!  God often uses water as a medium of spiritual cleansing or new birth.  We are first born through water–from our mother’s womb–born  in sin and under God’s wrath.

    This Moses, eighty years later, would lead all of God’s people through walls of water to deliverance from Pharaoh’s army.  God used the water then to protect His people from destruction and to destroy the enemies of His people.  He used that deliverance to purify them of the slavery mentality and take them to new life in the land of promise.

    In Joshua’s day, God took the Nation of Israel back through the waters of the Jordan River at flood-stage by a miraculous parting.  This was another “baptism” of those who came through the desert experience of 40 years.  This new generation had to go through the waters to prepare them to worship and make war in the promised land!

    One greater than Moses or Joshua, who came through the “baptized” nation of Israel, would go into the waters of the Jordan and be baptized by John the Baptist.  As he came out of those waters, he would receive the Spirit and confirmation of His Father’s approval.  He would become the means by which all peoples of the earth could escape  judgment and receive new birth.   Jesus commanded all who would repent, to believe and be baptized in water!  This baptism helps us connect with people of faith from all generations!  God takes us through the waters to new life in Him!  Take time today to reflect on Moses, Jesus and water!   In His Love, Pastor John

  • The Long Way Around!

    Scripture reading for January 23rd: Exodus 13-15

    Why does God lead His people into impossible situations?  Does He get a thrill out of seeing His people suffer and experience fear?  Why did God lead the Israelites out of Egypt by way of the desert route instead of the shorter route through the land of the Philistines?  God has His reasons and they are all working for the good of His people if they will follow in faith!

    The stated reason why God took these people on the longer route is that they were not ready to fight to possess the land.  God knew that although they were out of Egypt, they still had a slave mentality.  Although they were armed for battle, they did not have the heart for battle! (Exodus 13:17-18)  God led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  (Exodus 13:21-22)  This was a visible evidence of His presence with His people.  One would think that this miraculous visible presence of God would convince the people to follow, but miracles do not always change the heart or transform us! God is preparing us by using impossible situations to display His glory!   His grace and glory transform us!

    Pharaoh, in the mean time, realized what he had done!  He decided to pursue the Israelites with his chariots and army.  The Israelites saw them coming and began to complain and be fearful.  They would be no match for the Egyptians alone!  They were terrified and cried out! (Exodus 14: 10-12)  Moses reassured them that the Lord was with them and He would fight for them.  (Exodus 14:13)  Having a man of faith as a leader is a great comfort and help when the going gets rough!  Moses knew God and obeyed the Lord as He continued to instruct him!  (Exodus 14:15-17)

    God delivered His people through the water of the Red Sea with a miraculous “baptism”.  They walked over on dry land between two walls of water while their enemies were drowned!  This “baptism” would help them to understand God’s ability to do the impossible again and again as they walked with Him!

    If you are in a desperate situation today, take a moment to reflect on God’s presence and power.  Allow Him to guide you through the situation to safety on the other side!  Your trouble can reveal His glory!

  • Go and Worship!

    Scripture reading for January 22nd: Exodus 11-12

    God’s people always have hindrances and battles concerning worship.  There are forces in this world opposed to worship.  Whenever we set ourselves to press in and worship the Lord, a battle ensues.  The battle is often with our own flesh.  The flesh is opposed to the Spirit and the Spirit opposes the flesh.  Other times, this battle is with wicked spiritual forces that refuse to let us go and worship!  This conflict comes to a culmination in today’s reading from Exodus!

    Pharaoh had been particularly stubborn about letting God’s people go and worship.  Through five plagues, he had repeatedly hardened his heart and refused to listen.  Through four more plagues, he had been hardened by God and refused or set limits on how far God’s people could go to worship.  Finally, when the last plague took the firstborn of every household in Egypt, men and animals, Pharaoh decided to listen!  (Exodus 12:30-32)

    God’s people, however, were kept safe from this final plague of death of the firstborn.  They had listened to God’s instructions, taken a lamb for each household, and killed it.  The head of the house took some of the blood and put it on the door posts and tops of the doors.  They had eaten the lamb’s flesh, roasted by fire, while dressed to leave Egypt.  (Exodus 12:6-11)  Preparation for worship always includes a sacrifice to cleanse and heal God’s people.

    This meal was to become a lasting ordinance to be commemorated yearly by the Israelites.  (Exodus 12:17-20)  This meal was being celebrated about 1500 years later by Jesus Christ with His disciples in the upper room right before He was crucified as the final sacrifice for sins.  (Matthew 26:18-20)  At that meal, Jesus revealed to them that the unleavened bread represented His body, broken for them.  The cup represented His blood shed for them for forgiveness of sins.  (Matthew 26:25-28)  His sacrifice would prepare these disciples and all who would believe in Jesus for a life of freedom and worship.  This meal was also to be kept as a memorial, remembering Jesus’ sacrifice until He would come again!

    What a God we have!  He has plans for those who will follow Him by faith!  He desires for us to worship Him and has prepared the necessary sacrifice!  It is complete and we are able to worship Him any time of day or night!  Take a moment and thank Him!

  • Hardness of Heart

    Scripture reading for January 21st: Exodus 7-10

    The story of the ten plagues is an interesting study in human reaction to the miraculous.  We often think that if unbelievers could just see a miracle, then they would believe.  If God would do something spectacular, then the unbeliever would take notice and start to follow God.  However, miracles done in front of the willfully blind have the effect of hardening them even further!

    To most people, Pharaoh was the most powerful man on earth during the time of Moses.  He was the head of the most powerful nation and had a large army with many chariots.  He, himself, was worshiped as a god.  When Moses came before him with just his staff and Aaron his brother to demand that Pharaoh let the Israelites go, Pharaoh was less than impressed.  When Moses threw his staff down before Pharaoh and it became a snake, he summoned his wise men and magicians and they did the same thing with their magic arts.  (Exodus 7:10-13)  Moses’ snake swallowed all their snakes, however.  This miracle only hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to them as the Lord had predicted.

    Hardness of heart comes from hearing truth and rejecting it.  Refusing to listen to God’s word and warning is the root cause of this fatal disease.  The more truth we hear and know, the more responsible we are to respond in faith to that truth.  If we reject the truth God is bringing us, our hearts harden by our own choice and attitude.  We see Pharaoh repeatedly rejecting Moses’ appeal to let God’s people go to worship.  Every time for the first five plagues, Scripture states that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. (Exodus 7:22; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7)  After the sixth plague, the Scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.  (Exodus 9:12)  This tells us we can cross a line with God when we reject His truth.

    The ultimate result of hardness of heart is deception and finally destruction.  Proverbs 29:1 speaks of the person who is stiff-necked after many rebukes.  This person will suddenly be destroyed without remedy.  That is exactly what happened to Pharaoh.  It is wise to give heed to God’s word and His correction.  He will not judge without warning.  He would rather show mercy than wrath.  Don’t let hardness of heart afflict you!

  • The Issue is Worship!

    Scripture reading for January 20th: Exodus 3-6

    A healthy fear of the Lord, a respect for who He is, gives us a desire to worship Him.  Worship is a response to the wonder and majesty of God our Creator and Father!   He is the God who is, was, and will always be!  (Revelation 1:8)  He is the One all of heaven and all of earth will one day bow before and worship.  (Revelation 5:13)  The main issue with each man and woman is worship.  Who will you worship?  Will you worship the One true God?

    After Moses had spent forty years on the back side of the desert tending sheep, God came to him.  He appeared to him in a burning bush and called him by his name, “Moses!, Moses!” (Exodus 3:4)  Moses responded and God told him to remove his shoes, because he was standing on holy ground.  God spoke to him, “I am the God of your father, the god of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6)  Moses hid his face and was afraid to look at God.  God then told Moses of His desire to deliver the Israelites and told him that he was the one to go and bring them out.  The sign that God was with them would be worship of God on that very mountain where Moses was meeting with God!

    Moses asked God how he should answer the Israelites when he went to them and told them of meeting with the Lord.  God responded with a simple name and statement: “I AM WHO I AM”  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14-15)

    God had a relationship with His people.  They were considered His “firstborn son”! (Exodus 4:22-23)  He wanted fellowship with his children, especially his “firstborn son” !  From this people who were marked by God through circumcision, would come God’s actual “Firstborn Son”, Jesus Christ!  This fellowship must be in Spirit and Truth, not in the ways of Egypt or the world!  God’s people must come apart to truly worship Him who is their “I AM”.

    Today the issue is still worship.  The world does not want God’s people to worship!  The issue is still “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him?” (Exodus 5:2)  If you don’t know Him as the great “I AM”, your Father, and have a relationship of separated worship of Him alone, you are lost!

  • Compassion and prayer!

    Scripture reading for January 19th:  Genesis 50, Exodus 1-2, Matthew 15

    Key Scriptures:  Matthew 15:32-35  “Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.  And I am unwilling to sen them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.  And the disciples said, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?”  And Jesus said to them, :How many loaves do you have?:  The said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”  And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples…”

    We notice the compassion that motivated Jesus to take faith action.  He saw the hungry crowds and knew they had need.  He found all available resources and organized the crowd.  He mobilized the disciples to take the bread He had blessed and broken.  As they broke it to the crowd, a miracle happened and all were fed!  Compassion motivated Pharaoh’s daughter as well!

    Exodus 2:5-6, 10  “Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river.  She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it.  When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying.  She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children. . . .”When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son.  She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”” 

    Prayer:  Lord, fill my heart with Your compassion for the needy, hurting and lost!  Let me be flooded with Your love!  In Jesus’ Name.

  • The Blessing of Godly Parents

    Scripture reading for January 19th: Exodus 1-2

    It is a wonderful blessing to have godly parents!  Godly parents seek to follow the Lord and are concerned about what God wants rather than what is convenient.  Godly parents pass the faith that they possess on to their children and pray for them.  God uses godly parents to prepare His children for their part in His saving mission! I know, because I had godly parents and they helped prepare me for my calling as pastor and teacher!

    After nearly 400 years had passed in Egypt, the Israelites had multiplied and found themselves in slavery to leadership that had forgotten Joseph and his contribution to the Egyptian’s welfare.  Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all male babies and let the female ones live.  These women feared God and refused the orders given them.  Because of their faith and their bravery, God took care of them by giving them families of their own.  (Exodus 1:15-21)

    A Levite married a Levite woman and they gave birth to a son.  The woman hid her son for three months in order to preserve his life from Pharaoh’s death squads.  When she could hide him no longer, she prepared an ark from a papyrus basket.  She coated it with tar and pitch, making it waterproof.  Then she placed the baby in the basket and carefully placed it in the Nile river near where Pharaoh’s daughter came regularly to bathe. The baby’s older sister watched as Pharaoh’s daughter approached. Noticing the basket, Pharaoh’s daughter had it brought to her.  The baby inside touched her heart and Moses’ sister stepped forward, volunteering to get a nurse for the baby.  It just so happened that the nurse was the baby’s mother!  What “luck” that was!

    So in God’s providence, He used godly Levites to raise this child, Moses, and placed one of His own people inside the court of Pharaoh.  Moses got to learn the ways of Egypt and yet know his own God through the training of godly parents in this strange relationship.  His education and training concerning Egypt were provided by the one’s who would face him as God’s leader a few years later.  From his parents, Moses learned the promises of God to deliver His people.  Thus, God prepared one of the greatest leaders of the Old Testament for delivering His people!

  • Things to Come

    Scripture reading for January 18th: Genesis 48-50

    Leaders work for God during a time and a season.  (Psalm 75:6-7)  Jacob had lived a full life and he knew his time to depart was near! (Genesis 48:21)  Jacob did not fear death, but had some things he wanted to leave with his children and grandchildren before he left this life.  Great leaders always leave a legacy for their families!  They know how to bless their children and pass on the blessing that they received by faith from the Lord.  We can learn from them how to live successfully and also how to leave successfully!

    “Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, but God will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.  And to you, as one who is over your brothers, I give the ridge of land I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow.”” (Genesis 48:21-22)

    Israel left Joseph a word of prophesy and a piece of land.  God would be with him!  God would take him back to the land of his fathers.  Although Egypt had been a place of refuge from the famine, it would not be his home.  He had property that was given to him in the land of Canaan!  What Joseph did not necessarily see was the nearly four hundred years that his family would dwell in Egypt.  This word was given to him as a leader over his brothers, to inspire faith-filled and God directed leadership.  God’s Word brings vision and is a light for our path! (Psalm 119:105)

    Jacob called for his sons to gather around him so that he could tell them what would happen in the days to come.  (Genesis 49:1)  Jacob’s words to each of his sons brought either rebuke, correction, encouragement or a vision of what was to come.  One son, Judah, was told that he was a “Lion’s cub”.  He would have from his offspring One who ruled and all nations would obey Him!  He would wash his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.  (Genesis 49:10-12)  From the perspective we have, this “ruler” is none other that Jesus Christ!  He is known in heaven as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah”!  (Revelation 5:5)  His robe is dipped in blood and His Name is the Word of God!  (Revelation 19:13)  Surely these are visions of things to come!

  • Sunday Rest and Reflection:Egypt

    Dear Friends,

    Greetings on another day of rest in Jesus Christ!  What a blessing to know that He has delivered us from sin, slavery and death and given us righteousness, freedom, and life everlasting!   All of this is due to His grace and the obedience of  Jesus Christ to follow His Father’s plan to save lives!   We are included in these plans by His grace and by the drawing of the Holy Spirit.

    In our reading this past week we saw God’s people being invited to stay in Egypt.  They were forced by a famine to seek out food there because God Himself had sent Joseph there with the express purpose of saving lives.  God used the world system of Pharaoh’s Egypt to store up grain to feed a multitude during the famine.  God controls the governments of the world and uses the leaders to fulfill His purposes!

    Egypt is a type of the world without a true knowledge of God.  It is a system of humanistic government, business and religious idolatry.  It is a system based on power, wealth, and man’s inner need to worship. Without God, humanity values what can only satisfy the flesh.  Idols come in as a means to satisfy the inner need to worship.  Idols are a form of god crafted by man to try to fill this desire to worship.  By making an idol, man can design a convenient god that allows him to do whatever he wants and at the same time controls others or even shuts them out.  In the end, this system of Egypt is pure slavery, results in what God calls “sin”, and ends in death.

    All men must be born again to escape the power of this system.  God must deliver them and help them to choose to worship Him alone!  People must be willing to escape this system and enter the freedom of knowing the one True God!  God places His people in this system to show a way of escape to those who are trapped by the system!  The blessing of God on our lives should be so evident that the lost ask us for help!

    May your life be marked by willing submission to our loving King, Jesus Christ!  May His provision make you smile with joy every day!  May every trace of Egypt be removed from your soul!

    In His Love, Pastor John