Moses was born during the time the Hebrews were enslaved to Egypt, and male children were being thrown into the Nile. Because Pharaoh’s daughter had found Moses floating in a basket and raised him as her own, he grew up in the house of Pharaoh. Moses became the product of two cultures; his adoptive mother immediately identified him as Hebrew and found a Hebrew women to nurse him. (Which just happened to be, if you believe in that sort of thing, his real mother.) But he was raised as a prince of Egypt. He had a crisis of identity when he saw a Hebrew being beaten by an Egyptian, one of his own people (Ex 2:11) and he struck and killed the Egyptian. The very next day he tried to resolve a conflict between two Hebrews and was asked who appointed him as judge. “Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” The Hebrews rejected his leadership because they identified him as a member of Pharaoh’s house, and after learning of the Egyptian’s death at his hand Pharaoh sought to kill him. This is when he fled Egypt for Midian, where he laid low for the next 40 years. Continue reading
Category Archives: Christianity
A Seed Must Fall
Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:24 ESV) I’ve heard that verse a couple of times this weekend, so it was fresh in mind when I started reading the Exodus this morning. Let’s first put it in its proper context.
Nearly half of John’s Gospel deals with the events of the Passion week. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is recorded at the beginning of chapter 12, and this verse is spoken by Jesus in reference to his hour having come. A seed must fall into the ground and die just as Jesus must go down into the earth by being placed in the grave. John 12:24 is an illustration of how Jesus must die and be buried in order to rise again with new life. By being obedient to the Father’s will, Jesus will produce much fruit for the Kingdom. God speaks aloud in verse 27 and says that he has gloried Jesus’ name and will glorify it again. Continue reading
Imagine/ Reimagine
John Lennon’s Imagine is a beautiful song. It has more than a meaningless catchy hook; the music, the molody, the lyrics are beautifully composed. It’s one of those songs that has stood the test of time and continues to move audiences today. (Here’s a link if you must.)
I mentioned it is not meaningless, right? The song is beautiful to listen to but it’s the substance that should offend Christian sensibilities. If an angry atheist were shouting on the street corner that there is no God, we would certainly notice. Perhaps argue with him. But Imagine shares the same message – that without religion the world would be a better place – in a much more palatable form. I enjoy hearing the song even though I disagree with it’s philosophy. Many have probably heard it without listening to it. “Imagine there’s no heaven.” I’d rather not.
I submit for your approval Reimagine.
…
Blogger Flagrant Regard (his first name is Martin, but that’s all I know) has taken what we like about Imagine but asks the listener to do the opposite. Realize there is a heaven to gain, a hell to shun, and that Calvary makes all the difference. Hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and realize that he is not the problem but the solution. The Gospel is Good News; it is the cure and not the disease.
Please read the backstory in the author’s own words. Props to our friend Paul for sharing.
Government Mandated Abortion Coverage
I wish more attention were being drawn to this issue. Millions of people lined up at Chick-fil-A back in August to support a Christian business owner’s right to free speech, but the plight of Hobby Lobby and other businesses fighting mandated health care – including chemical abortion – have garnered less support.
The new health care mandates that took effect Jan. 1 require employers to provide access to birth control, including emergency contraception. Plan B is just one such method which causes a medically induced (or chemical) abortion. Beginning on the first day of January, Hobby Lobby was facing a fine of up to $1.5 million per day – one and a half million dollars per day – for refusing to provide abortion coverage to its employees. The new new loop hole buys them some time as the court battle continues. Continue reading
Louis Giglio Will NOT Lead Inaugural Prayer
Louis Giglio is an Atlanta Area pastor that recently became well known for organizing Passion 2013. Some 60,000 college students met at the Georgia Dome to rally against sex-trafficking and slavery. Some of my own friends were there and posted regularly on Facebook, while others were able to view live streams. Giglio, possibly riding the success of Passion, was invited to lead prayer at President Obama’s inauguration on January 21st.
After further investigation, gay and lesbian groups found a sermon from the 1990’s in which Giglio preached the sinfulness of same-sex relationships. The inaugural committee has now released this statement: “We were not aware of Pastor Giglio’s past comments at the time of his selection and they don’t reflect our desire to celebrate the strength and diversity of our country at this inaugural…”
In other words, Pastor Giglio does not support gay marriage and the inaugural committee will look for a “Christian” that does to pray for the president. Read the full story here.
I Hope They Laugh at My Funeral
Sometimes we desire to offer comfort to those that mourn and try to find the perfect thing to say. What we really want to do is make it all better. There often is no perfect thing to say, and sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all. Job’s “friends” accused him of lying, concealing the truth, and having unconfessed sin in his life. But before all of that, the first thing they did was sit down with him in the ashes and rubble and for three days said nothing at all. Those were real friends.
Some Christians get the idea that happiness is the only mood we are supposed to express. God is good all the time, this world is not our home, Jesus is all we need. These are all great truths but that doesn’t mean we will not experience other emotions during this life here. Ecclesiastes teaches there is a time for every activity under heaven, including a time to laugh and a time to cry. After Jesus saw Martha, Mary, and all those with them weeping, John 11:35 says that Jesus wept. He knew ahead of time that Lazarus was dead and that he would be raised; he wept because he empathized with those weeping. Jesus also wept over Jerusalem, and at other times was angry. Revelation 21:4 says that God will wipe away every tear. We live in a broken world, and are surrounded by sin and death. There are times that mourning is called for, and no words can make everything better. Despite our eternal hope, it is not wrong to sometimes be sad. Continue reading
New Year, Same Goal
Happy New Year!
I hope that in 2013 you manage to loose 10 lbs, make it to the gym 3 times a week, quit smoking, and/or finish the great American novel. But for Christians – rather than trying harder to be better people, what we really need to do is be more Christ-like.
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
(Titus 3:1-2 ESV)
Remind them; nothing new, just an encouragement to keep doing the things we already know. Be salt and light, keep building the Kingdom. And don’t worry about turning over a new leaf; if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Welcome to 2013.
The Bible on History
My degree is in history and political science. I taught history for eight years, and if I’ve learned anything it’s this: take what you see on the History Channel with a grain of salt.
UPDATE: Read my review of episode 1 here.
I enjoyed America: the Story of Us so much that I bought the DVD set. I watch Pawn Stars and American Pickers which are entertaining and quasi-historical. But History is also the cable network home of reality series such Ax Men and Ice Road Truckers; and then there’s Ancient Aliens. Everything on History (owned by A&E Networks) is not of equal historical value. Let’s leave it at that.
Which brings me to The Bible. Continue reading
God is On My Side
“God is on my side.” Consider for a moment the arrogance of that statement. We’ve all said it, and probably didn’t mean to infer anything by it. But the implication is that we have a position, a plan for victory, and that God chooses to support our position. The truth is, we don’t even have a side.
Of all the children in a large family, Joseph was the favorite of his father Jacob. (As in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, also known as Israel.) Joseph was also favored by God. When his brothers plotted to kill him, a band of merchants just happened by and one suggested there was no profit in killing him but he could be sold as a slave. That would get rid of him and they could make a little something on the side. Joseph was carried down to Egypt, which was of course all part of God’s plan. Perhaps that traveling merchant caravan didn’t just “happen by” after all. Continue reading
God Loves You. God Hates Sin.
If you want to know how much God loves you, look in the manger.
The Master's Table 