Posted by admin on July 22, 2010
We seem to hear a lot in the news about the Christian symbol of the cross. However, most of the news is about taking the cross down for various reasons. One reason many want the cross taken down is because it offends them. Such as the case of the Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial Cross, when one man filed a lawsuit stating that the cross offended him. In 2004 a Federal Judge ruled that the cross be covered by a plywood box while the case was on appeal. We find this type of lawsuit on a fairly regular basis in our great country. So, what is the “problem” with the cross?
In some circles it is offensive because of the way it deals with human wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:18 states, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” Then in verse 25 we read, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
When we get caught up in the philosophy of human reasoning being above God’s wisdom we get offended when we are faced with an absolute truth. The message of the cross is an absolute truth and that is something that many will not tolerate. Those who are offended by the absolute message of the cross are basically saying that they are wiser than the Word of God and that human reasoning and tradition is all that counts. Belief in the simplicity of the cross is out of the question.
The message of the cross teaches us that man cannot save himself. It does away with our human ability and our own strength to get through this life and into life everlasting. Our society teaches us that we can do anything our little hearts desire, we can pull ourselves up by our own boot straps and that there is good within everybody and we just need to bring it out.
The message of the cross says that we are totally depraved and are dead in our trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-4). The Apostle Paul in his struggles with this very issue says in Romans 7:18, “For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.”
George Bennard penned these words “O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, has a wondrous attraction for me; for the dear Lamb of God left His glory above to bear it to dark Calvary. In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, wondrous beauty I see; for ‘twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died to pardon and sanctify me.”
The cross of Calvary is more than a mere symbol of religion or Christianity. Christ dying on the cross, shedding His blood to pay for our sins is the central focus of the Christian faith. The Crimson line of Christ is found from beginning to end in the Bible. Without the message of the cross there would be no Christian faith.
We can also rejoice in that the story does not end with the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The story picks up again three days later when Christ was resurrected from the grave. In the resurrection we see that Jesus Christ conquered death and those who put their trust in Him need no longer fear death. Victory is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord who gave His life a ransom for sin. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
From the beginning our country has been built on the Christian faith and the principles found in the Word of God. Why would we want to remove “in God we trust” from our money or take “One Nation under God” out of the Pledge of Allegiance? It is for the same reason that one man’s intolerance of the cross caused it to be hidden behind a strange looking plywood box. It is because “the wisdom of God is foolishness to them who are perishing.” Just because the cross offends a few does not mean we let the tail wag the dog.
Posted by admin on July 19, 2010
I recently had a number of days to reflect, meditate and talk with the Lord as I waited for my son, Lance Corporal Josh Snyder, to return back to the States from Afghanistan.
I began my travels to 29 Palms, California with the intent of a six day stay as the 3rd Battalion 4 Marines returned home from the War on terror. Unfortunately, a volcano in Iceland spit out some ash that kept our boys from flying out of Kuwait and I ended up extending my stay for an extra five days. A changed airline ticket, longer car rental and five more nights in the motel stretched my budget way past the breaking point. Out of my 12 day stay I was able to spend a total of twelve hours with my son.
I had to ask myself, was it worth it? My answer is a resounding yes! After seven months and numerous missions involving weapon fire, I was able to give my Marine the “man” hug that I so desperately needed.
As I thought about the situation that I found myself in, 2,000 miles away from my lovely wife and great church family, I began to dwell on the mind and what we put into it. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10:5
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
What Paul was telling us is that we need to be intentional about focusing our minds. We need to take charge over what we think about. If we don’t, it will control us. Paul also wrote in Philippians 4:8-9,
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Paul tells us to think about the pure (that which accurately reflects God) and to focus on the right (or the righteous . . .that which pleases God.) It is not natural for us to think godly thoughts. We have to put forth an effort in order to do it. We need to put the correct information into our minds the same way we must put information into a computer before it is of any use to us.
Since our desire is to think about what reflects God accurately, then the place to start is with the Word of God. As we think on God’s Word we are attaching ourselves to a truth that does not change and is not subject to the whims of human opinion. God’s truth is God’s truth yesterday, today and tomorrow. The Bible does not change simply because our culture and society changes. We need to do more than simply read the Bible, we must get to know the Bible. We must think on God’s truth and apply His values and direction to our life.
As I reflected on the circumstances I found myself in, as I waited for my son to return, I decided I could do one of two things. I could either become negative or positive. It would be easy for me to feel sorry for myself and get all down in the dumps. One of the things that causes the greatest anxiety in our lives is drawing premature conclusions to the circumstances in which we find ourselves. I decided instead of getting negative that I would remain positive and take my thinking captive and make it obedient to Christ.
I have long been a believer that we choose the way we respond to any given situation or circumstance. Why should I allow any circumstance to control my mood? We can focus on our inability or God’s sufficiency. It is ultimately our choice how we are going to think.
We do not need to be negative thinkers, we can be godly thinkers. We ought to want to inject life into the circumstances and people around us rather than drain the life out of the situation and ourselves. We ought to desire to stand for what is pure and not lay down for that which is not. We need to stand firm on the Word of God and keep its truth saturating our minds. We need to focus on the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ.
Posted by admin on April 22, 2010
The Nation israel is out in the wilderness for just a short time and they begin to complain to and against Moses because they had it so much better back in Egypt. They saw a full meat pot and bread coming out of their ears. It sure does not take us long before we forget how bad the good “ole days” really were. Irsrael did not have it better in the hands of Egyptian bondage than they do as a free nation under the hand of God. Neither do we! Freedom in Christ under the hand of God is far better and sweeter than any place we could be in life without Jesus Christ, the true Bread out of Heaven (John 6)
The Lord hears their cries and tells Moses that He will give meat at night and bread in the morning to see if the people will follow His commandments. Most of the folkks do what htey are told but there are always some who push the limits. Some gathered more than they should have trying to hoard and save themselves time and the manna gets worms, rots and stinks by the next morning. The Lord says OK on the sixth day gather enough for the Sabbath as well so you have something to eat on that day of worship. Most do but some decide that they will just go our on the Sabboth morning and gather. Sorry, no manna today you should have gathered yesterday for today.
Interesting every pother day if they gathered too much it went bad. So what is the difference on the sit=xth day—-The Lord! He is simply showing the people trhat He is God and they are not.
Posted by admin on April 15, 2010
No sooner do the Israelites get their song of praise out of thier mouths they begin complaining once again. It is amazing how quick we can forget who God is and what He has done for us.
The water was bitter so the people complain to Moses. I realize that this is just the beginning for complaining, murmuring and whining for the Israelites and I have to say that Moses handles it correctly this time. He goes to the Lord and the Lord supplies the answer.
I was eating in a resturant yesterday and saw a sign on the wall “Whining costs and extra $5″ If Moses had charged $5 for every time the Nation whined he could have retired early. Let us try to keep our grumbling down to a dull roar. We will be better off if we remember that God loves us and desires to care for us.
Posted by admin on April 13, 2010
Once God saved the Israelites from the Egyptian army they break into song basically telling the story of their salvation form their enemy.
I think that even if cannot carry a tune in a bucket, when the Lord works in our lives such as He did in these peoples’ lives He also puts a song in our hearts. I believe that the right music helps us to focus on the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus christ. After all He is the One who has saved us and given to us eternal life. We ought to have a song in our hearts.
Posted by admin on April 12, 2010
You have the Egyptian army to the back side and the Red Sea in front and no where to go — you are between a rock and a hard place — what do you do?
The people of Israel raked Moses over the coals and let him know that they were not well pleased with dying in the wilderness — read verses 10 & 11
Moses responds back to the children of Israel with “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD…” Then Moses cries out the the Lord and the Lord gives the way out. Raise your rod and walk on dry land to the other side.
Some have tried to say that the Red Sea was no more than a swampy area where the Israelites could have walked across without God’s help. According to the Scripture that is just not so. First the waters were parted with huge walls of water on both sides. Then the Israelites marched across dry land not some wet marsh and finally when the people of Israel were all across Moses raises his staff one more time and the Egyptian army is completely wiped out under the mass of water drowning them. Just one more miracle of an Almighty God who takes care of His own.
As verse 31 says “Thus Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.”
We also need to respond to God in the same way “praise Him for His marvolous blessings upon out lives through His Son Jesus Christ.
Posted by admin on April 8, 2010
Once Pharaoh let the people go He led them into the wilderness. This was to keep them from changing their minds because they would have seen war in the land of the Philistines. So they went toward the wilderness of the Red Sea and they did it in an orderly fashion. As the people left Egypt they fulfilled an oath they had made to Joseph and took his bones with them.
The LORD led them as a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night. As long as the Israelites kept their focus on the LORD they would be led where He wanted them to go.
Likewise today, as we keep our focus on the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ, he will lead us where He wants us to go. Far to often we want to do things our way in our time when it is always better to do things His way in His timing.
Posted by admin on April 7, 2010
Because the Lord redeemed (set free) Israel from Egypt all the first born males were to be offered to the Lord as sacrifice (vs 15). Since the Lord killed all of the firswtborn of Egypt both man and beast it was only reasonable that all the firstborn of Israel would now belong to the Lord.
I find it interesting the comparison of the donkey to natural man and the provision that is made that the donkey is to be redeemed with the sacrifice of a lamb, and if he is not redeemed, then his neck is to be broken, and death is the result. Praise God that He sent His Son to be our Lamb, so that we would have life. Donkeys were an unclean animal and thus needed a clean lamb to be offered for it. Man in his natural state (thanks to Adam) is also an unclean being and needed a pure lamb to be sacrificed for him as well.
As we know the Lord Jesus Christ left heavens glory to die on the Cross of Calvary for our sins. He was and is the sacrificial lamb of God to pay for out redemption.
Posted by admin on April 6, 2010
Because the Nation Israel had to leave Egypt in such a hurry they did not hav etime to allow their dough to rise. Therefore, they had to prpeare unleavened bread to take with them. In remembrance of their freedom (escape from Egypt) the Lord instituted a feats of the unleavened bread.
In the process of eating the unleavened bread for seven days the head of the household would be required to teach their children why they did this. verse 8 says “…‘This is done because of what the LORD did for me when I came up from Egypt.’”
In like manner I believe we should teach our children and grandchildren why we celebrate certain special days such as Christmas and Easter. Why we go to church every Sunday and why we do this or that for the Lord. If we do not tell them they will get their information from some one else and there is no telling if it will be correct or not.
Posted by admin on April 5, 2010
In these verses the Lord lays out some of the regulations of the Passover.
Interestingly, a servant that was owned could eat it after he was circumcised
but a hired servant or a foreigner could not, apparently, regardless if he was
circumcised or not.
They were not to carry any flesh outside nor break any of the lambs bones.
When Jesus was crucified, hundreds of years later, His bones were not broken
as was the usual custom to make sure of the death of the one being crucified.
A person could stay alive longer on the cross if he could stand up to get breath
when the Romans broke their legs they could no longer breathe.
If a stranger wanted to partake if the Passover Supper thenhe and all his
household had to be circumcised. All the children of Israel did this as a memorial
of their release from captivity as God brought them out of the land of Egypt.
In chapter 13:1-2 the Lord once again speaks to Moses and tells Him that the Nation
of Israel were to consecrate all of their firstborn, both man or animal, to Lord.
He spared their lives and they belong to Him.
