Have you ever been in a situation where things seemed out of your control? I don't know the particular details of your situation, but whatever they were you felt helpless? Maybe you were having trouble with a bully, co-worker, supervisor, etc...You seemed to be stuck between a rock and a hard place...I once heard a country preacher say...whenever you find yourself between a rock and a hard place...ALWAYS TURN TO THE ROCK...YOUR ROCK IN TIMES OF TROUBLE IS J-E-S-U-S!!!...
In our Sunday school lesson this week, we find Moses and the Children of Israel sandwiched between an angry Egyptian army and "seemingly" uncrossable Red Sea...we see this week that God offers us His protection in the crises of life...
This blog will focus on Lesson 4...Finding and Giving Protection...the scripture lesson text is found in...Exodus 14: 15-25, 30...check it out...
Exodus 14:15 says...
And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they may go forward;
But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharoah , and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharoah's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord look unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians.
And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
Exodus 14:30 says...
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
Maybe you have never been in a life or death situation like Moses and the children of Israel...but I want you to know that the same God that delivered them out of the hands of Pharoah is the same God that will same you from the ups and downs of life...
There are a few things that I want you to notice from this lesson...the first thing that I want you to see is that God always offers a solution to your desperate situation...verses 15-17 show us God's plan for the Israelites...the second thing I want you to notice is that God will make your enemies into your footstool...(v.18)...notice Moses...in verse 21...He was obedient to the Lord's command...and it was only in His complete obedience that the children of Israel were delivered...(v.22)...and finally we know that Isaiah 55:11 reminds that God's word can not return to Him void...but it must accomplish that which it was set forth to do...verses 23-25,30...tell us exactly what God said would happen to the Egyptians...we should be confident knowing that if God says it...it is going to happen...
God offers His protection to those who are obedient to His word...so stay in His hedge of protection...nothing will ever destroy you while in the arms of the Lord...
Let's pray...Lord we just come thanking you for your protection...for your provision...Lord we ask right now that you forgive us for all of our sins...known and unknown...that we might be able to inherit the blessings of your kingdom...Lord I ask you to help us where we waver...give us the strength and courage to obey your will in desperate situations...Help us to cross over our uncrossable situations...we need you Lord...and we love you...it is in Jesus' name we pray...Amen...
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Recognizing True Authority
I am going to use this blog as a medium to share my notes on the weekly Sunday school lesson with my students...this way they can study with me from their laptops or desktops wherever they are...
This quarter (June, July, and August) we are going to be dealing with...God's Call to His People...In the first Unit (June)...our lessons center around being...Called Out of Egypt...In the book of Exodus...we find the story of Moses and the Children of Israel...
This blog will focus on Lesson Three...Recognizing True Authority...the scripture lesson text is found in the Exodus 5:1-9, 22-6:1...check it out...
Verse 1-9 says..."And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go , we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as hertofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
Exodus 5:22-6:1 says...And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered they people at all. Exodus 6:1 says...Then the Lord says unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
Recognizing True Authority...
This quarter (June, July, and August) we are going to be dealing with...God's Call to His People...In the first Unit (June)...our lessons center around being...Called Out of Egypt...In the book of Exodus...we find the story of Moses and the Children of Israel...
This blog will focus on Lesson Three...Recognizing True Authority...the scripture lesson text is found in the Exodus 5:1-9, 22-6:1...check it out...
Verse 1-9 says..."And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go , we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as hertofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
Exodus 5:22-6:1 says...And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered they people at all. Exodus 6:1 says...Then the Lord says unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
Recognizing True Authority...
What do you think this means? At first glance...it seems like the title of this lesson suggest that we need to not only recognize "true authority", but false authority as well. So what or who has "true authority"? Better yet what does authority mean?
According to several definitions from Webster-Merriam Online Dictionary...The word authority is defined as persons in command or as having power to influence or command thought, opinion or behavior
I can't speak for you, but I have given authority to a lot of the wrong people. I have given authority to my girlfriend, my peers, and even complete strangers at one time or another. At that point, God had never been someone I realized deserved complete authority in my life.
Look at the scripture lesson...what happened under the authority of Pharaoh? We see in the scripture that only bad things came as a result of his authority. God wants to deliver us from our bad situations, but we have to give Him the authority to do whatever it is He wants to do in our life.
Let's pray...Lord, you are so awesome...you know us better than we know ourselves...forgive us Lord of all of our sins...known and unknown...we want to be better Christians...so Lord allow us to submit to your authority...help us to understand that your will for our lives is better than anything we could ever create for ourselves...we need you Lord...we love you...and we ask these things in Jesus' name...Amen
Where I've been...What I've learned...and Where I'm headed...
It has been a while since my last posted...I don't even know when my last post was...I will be sure to do that when I finish posting this blog...I have a lot to say...so we should start talking...
Hey...I may or may not know you...most people that read this blog are my family and friends...I realize that some people have never met me...so I want to introduce myself to you...so that you feel like you know me...okay where to start...I'm 24...I'm a career student (unintentionally)...I've been preaching for 4 years...oh did I mention I have issues...Now these issues may not be your issues...but I have issues...there are things I struggle with...things I don't understand...so a lot of times I find myself on the wrong-side of a bad decision...I have a good idea as to what I want out of life...but I have a hard time "pulling myself up by the bootstraps"...and living my dream...
So I pray...and I pray...and I pray some more...I read the Bible...I study the Bible...and I attempt to live the Bible...which leads me to keep praying....not for just myself but for others too...I hope that you do the same...Intercessory prayer is our greatest weapon in our struggle with Satan...with the evil (not to sound like a Harry Potter novel) forces that seek to destroy our communities...It is important to understand that the world is as spiritual as it is natural...and our Faith can shift things in the spiritual world...that's not me talking that is the Bible...
Ephesians 6:12,18 (NIV) says...verse 12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." and verse 18 says..."And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."...
With that being said...I can get into the blog now...Where I've been...like I said it has been a while since my last blog...I've been growing...I've been away from the computer and bearing my cross...it has been interesting because my blog has always served as an outlet for me...when I wasn't blogging...I was sharing with a friend or a church...and when I wasn't sharing...I wasn't growing...I was sliding backwards...and blogging was the last thing on my mind...I found myself in storm...and the only thing I knew to do was pray and wait...and when that got old...I started to pray and work...
What I've learned is that praying and sitting still doesn't accomplish anything...praying and doing the work of the kingdom is what brings God's blessings...I got off my butt and started visiting the sick...I stopped making excuses about participating in the worship service at my church...I started to do more...teach more...pray and study more...and slowly but surely I found purpose again...and with purpose came passion...and now I am ready...
Where I'm going...I don't have the slightest clue...but that is the great thing about this Faith walk...everything is up to God...all I have to do is pray and live according to His will...and everything I need and want will be made available to me...not by my worrying and stressing...but it will be made available to me in God's time...I know this sounds like a stretch to you right now...but I can only tell you what I've experienced and know to be true...God works...He moves on our behalf...it is His desire that we prosper and live abundant lives...
Let's pray...Thank you God for all that you have done for us...You are so Holy...we want to be just like you...so Lord forgive us of all of our sins known and unknown...we know that You have a plan for us...A plan to prosper us...A plan that leads to true righteousness...Thank you for your Word...for revealing yourself to us daily...God help us where you see fit...make us into the kingdom seekers you called us to be...Bless our families...bless our friends...save us from our flesh...Thank you for offering your Son for us on Calvary...for allowing His great sacrifice to be enough...Help us to trust you...and we ask all these things in Jesus' name...Amen!
Hey...I may or may not know you...most people that read this blog are my family and friends...I realize that some people have never met me...so I want to introduce myself to you...so that you feel like you know me...okay where to start...I'm 24...I'm a career student (unintentionally)...I've been preaching for 4 years...oh did I mention I have issues...Now these issues may not be your issues...but I have issues...there are things I struggle with...things I don't understand...so a lot of times I find myself on the wrong-side of a bad decision...I have a good idea as to what I want out of life...but I have a hard time "pulling myself up by the bootstraps"...and living my dream...
So I pray...and I pray...and I pray some more...I read the Bible...I study the Bible...and I attempt to live the Bible...which leads me to keep praying....not for just myself but for others too...I hope that you do the same...Intercessory prayer is our greatest weapon in our struggle with Satan...with the evil (not to sound like a Harry Potter novel) forces that seek to destroy our communities...It is important to understand that the world is as spiritual as it is natural...and our Faith can shift things in the spiritual world...that's not me talking that is the Bible...
Ephesians 6:12,18 (NIV) says...verse 12 says "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." and verse 18 says..."And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."...
With that being said...I can get into the blog now...Where I've been...like I said it has been a while since my last blog...I've been growing...I've been away from the computer and bearing my cross...it has been interesting because my blog has always served as an outlet for me...when I wasn't blogging...I was sharing with a friend or a church...and when I wasn't sharing...I wasn't growing...I was sliding backwards...and blogging was the last thing on my mind...I found myself in storm...and the only thing I knew to do was pray and wait...and when that got old...I started to pray and work...
What I've learned is that praying and sitting still doesn't accomplish anything...praying and doing the work of the kingdom is what brings God's blessings...I got off my butt and started visiting the sick...I stopped making excuses about participating in the worship service at my church...I started to do more...teach more...pray and study more...and slowly but surely I found purpose again...and with purpose came passion...and now I am ready...
Where I'm going...I don't have the slightest clue...but that is the great thing about this Faith walk...everything is up to God...all I have to do is pray and live according to His will...and everything I need and want will be made available to me...not by my worrying and stressing...but it will be made available to me in God's time...I know this sounds like a stretch to you right now...but I can only tell you what I've experienced and know to be true...God works...He moves on our behalf...it is His desire that we prosper and live abundant lives...
Let's pray...Thank you God for all that you have done for us...You are so Holy...we want to be just like you...so Lord forgive us of all of our sins known and unknown...we know that You have a plan for us...A plan to prosper us...A plan that leads to true righteousness...Thank you for your Word...for revealing yourself to us daily...God help us where you see fit...make us into the kingdom seekers you called us to be...Bless our families...bless our friends...save us from our flesh...Thank you for offering your Son for us on Calvary...for allowing His great sacrifice to be enough...Help us to trust you...and we ask all these things in Jesus' name...Amen!
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