Here's something I thought I would share concerning the crossing of the Red Sea. We read about this miraculous event in Exodus 14. It gives us details of the sea's parting making a passage way for Moses and the children of Israel to escape Egypt and Pharaoh's army. The Bible also says they walked on dry ground and the waters were a wall to them on the right and left (verse 22). Then later in the same chapter, we read about the destruction of Pharaoh and his army as they tried to cross as well.
Of course there are many things to discuss surrounding this powerful act of God's deliverance, but I want to share with you an often overlooked detail. When we look at the next chapter in Exodus 15, we read about the song that Moses and the others were singing how God delivered them. In the lyrics of the song, we find something interesting of how God may have held the water up combined with the 'strong east wind' (14:21).
According to Exodus 15:8, it mentions how the depths were 'congealed.' The word 'congealed' is defined as "to freeze; coagulate---To pass from a fluid to a solid state." So, did God FREEZE the Red Sea to perform this miracle? It appears He may have. But no matter what, God can deliver us anyway He chooses.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
November 10th (The day Paradise was lost according to Ussher)
I wrote in an earlier blog on October 7th about a man named, James Ussher. He studied and determined when key moments in Bible history happened such as the Creation of the world, the Flood in the days of Noah, and the call of Abraham just to name a few. I mentioned in my earlier blog titled "This is the Week of Creation (According to Old Historian)" that he documented his dates and his methods of how he determined them in his work titled The Annals of the World back in 1658.
Well, according to Ussher, November 10th (which is today as I'm writing this) is the day when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden. He calculated that it precisely happened on Monday, November 10, 4004 BC. By the way, today also happens to be Veterans Day. So thank a Veteran for their service to our country and I guess it's ironic since, according to Ussher, this is the day that began all conflicts.
Well, according to Ussher, November 10th (which is today as I'm writing this) is the day when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden. He calculated that it precisely happened on Monday, November 10, 4004 BC. By the way, today also happens to be Veterans Day. So thank a Veteran for their service to our country and I guess it's ironic since, according to Ussher, this is the day that began all conflicts.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
A Poem of the Books of the Bible (interesting)
In Genesis the world was made by God's creative hand
In Exodus the Hebrews march to gain the Promised Land
Leviticus contains the Law, holy, just, and good
Numbers records the tribes enrolled, all the sons of Abraham's blood
Moses in Deuteronomy records God's mighty deeds
Brave Joshua into Canaan's land the host of Israel leads
In Judges their rebellion oft provokes the Lord to smite
But Ruth records the faith of one well pleasing in his sight
In 1st and 2nd Samuel of Jesse's son we read
Ten tribes in 1st and 2nd Kings revolted from his seed
In 1st and 2nd Chronicles we see Judah captive made
But Ezra leads the remnant back by princely Cyrus' aid
The city walls of Zion Nehemiah builds again
While Esther saves her people from the plots of wicked men
In Job we read how faith will live beneath afflictions' rod
And David's Psalms are precious songs to every child of God
The Proverbs, like goodly string of choicest pearls, appear
Ecclesiastes teaches men how vain are all things here
The Song of Solomon exalts sweet Sharon's lovely rose
While Christ the Savior and the King the rapt Isaiah shows
The admonishing Jeremiah apostate Israel warns
His plaintive Lamentations their awful downfall mourns
Ezekiel tells in wondrous words the Kingdom's mysteries
While God's great Kingdom yet to come Daniel in vision sees
Of judgment and of mercy Hosea loves to tell
Joel describes the blessed days when God with man will dwell
Among Tekoa's herdmen Amos received his call
And Obadiah prophesies of Edom's final fall
Jonah enshrines a wondrous type of Christ, our risen Lord
Micah pronounces Judah lost--lost but to be restored
Nahum declares on Nineveh just judgment shall be poured
When Christ our risen Savior shall come to be adored
A view of Chaldees' coming doom Habakkuk's vision gives
While Zephaniah warns the Jews to turn, repent, and live
Haggai wrote to those who saw the Temple built again
Zechariah prophesies of Christ's triumphant reign
Malachi was the last to touch that high prophetic cord
His final notes sublimely show the coming of the Lord
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Gospel story give
Describing how the Savior was born and died that man may live
Acts tells how well the apostles preached with signs in every place
And Paul in Romans proves that man is saved through faith by grace
The Apostle in Corinthians instructs, exhorts, reproves
Galatians proves that faith in Christ alone the Father approves
Ephesians and Philippians tell what Christians ought to be
Colossians bids us live for God and from all sin be free
In Thessalonians we are taught the Lord will come from Heaven
In Timothy and Titus a shepherd's rule is given
Philemon marks brother's love as only brethren know
Hebrews reveals Christ's priestly works prefigured long ago
James teaches without holiness, faith is but vain and dead
While Peter points the narrow way in which the saints are led
John in his three epistles on love delights to dwell
But Jude gives warning terrible of those once who fell
The Revelation prophesies that tremendous day
When all the kingdoms of the earth with noise shall pass away
'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'
Author Unknown
In Exodus the Hebrews march to gain the Promised Land
Leviticus contains the Law, holy, just, and good
Numbers records the tribes enrolled, all the sons of Abraham's blood
Moses in Deuteronomy records God's mighty deeds
Brave Joshua into Canaan's land the host of Israel leads
In Judges their rebellion oft provokes the Lord to smite
But Ruth records the faith of one well pleasing in his sight
In 1st and 2nd Samuel of Jesse's son we read
Ten tribes in 1st and 2nd Kings revolted from his seed
In 1st and 2nd Chronicles we see Judah captive made
But Ezra leads the remnant back by princely Cyrus' aid
The city walls of Zion Nehemiah builds again
While Esther saves her people from the plots of wicked men
In Job we read how faith will live beneath afflictions' rod
And David's Psalms are precious songs to every child of God
The Proverbs, like goodly string of choicest pearls, appear
Ecclesiastes teaches men how vain are all things here
The Song of Solomon exalts sweet Sharon's lovely rose
While Christ the Savior and the King the rapt Isaiah shows
The admonishing Jeremiah apostate Israel warns
His plaintive Lamentations their awful downfall mourns
Ezekiel tells in wondrous words the Kingdom's mysteries
While God's great Kingdom yet to come Daniel in vision sees
Of judgment and of mercy Hosea loves to tell
Joel describes the blessed days when God with man will dwell
Among Tekoa's herdmen Amos received his call
And Obadiah prophesies of Edom's final fall
Jonah enshrines a wondrous type of Christ, our risen Lord
Micah pronounces Judah lost--lost but to be restored
Nahum declares on Nineveh just judgment shall be poured
When Christ our risen Savior shall come to be adored
A view of Chaldees' coming doom Habakkuk's vision gives
While Zephaniah warns the Jews to turn, repent, and live
Haggai wrote to those who saw the Temple built again
Zechariah prophesies of Christ's triumphant reign
Malachi was the last to touch that high prophetic cord
His final notes sublimely show the coming of the Lord
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Gospel story give
Describing how the Savior was born and died that man may live
Acts tells how well the apostles preached with signs in every place
And Paul in Romans proves that man is saved through faith by grace
The Apostle in Corinthians instructs, exhorts, reproves
Galatians proves that faith in Christ alone the Father approves
Ephesians and Philippians tell what Christians ought to be
Colossians bids us live for God and from all sin be free
In Thessalonians we are taught the Lord will come from Heaven
In Timothy and Titus a shepherd's rule is given
Philemon marks brother's love as only brethren know
Hebrews reveals Christ's priestly works prefigured long ago
James teaches without holiness, faith is but vain and dead
While Peter points the narrow way in which the saints are led
John in his three epistles on love delights to dwell
But Jude gives warning terrible of those once who fell
The Revelation prophesies that tremendous day
When all the kingdoms of the earth with noise shall pass away
'Even so, come, Lord Jesus.'
Author Unknown
Monday, November 1, 2010
What to Remember When You Fail God.
Most of us have heard about 'THE GREAT COMMANDMENT' where Jesus was asked by a Pharisee of "which is the great commandment in the law?" found in Matthew 22:36. Jesus responded in verse 37, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind." Then He goes on to say how that is the first and great commandment and followed by a second that is like unto the first which is to love your neighbor as yourself.
Notice that I emphasized the word 'ALL' in verse 37. It is that word that makes me feel like a failure to God when I start to honestly examine myself only to find I don't really love God with ALL my heart, soul, and mind. By the way, in Mark 12:30, Jesus includes to love God "with ALL thy strength." Oh goodness, I definitely don't use ALL my strength for God since there's a lot of demands here on earth that requires attention. Just as our love is divided between God, family, friends, and so on. And you can definitely forget about me honestly loving God with ALL my mind since my mind seems to have a mind of it's own at times.
May I share with you some good news before you give up and throw in the towel? Although Jesus answered this in the New Testament, He was answering what the great commandment was 'in the LAW' (verse 36). He was giving us the 'GREAT COMMANDMENT' according to the OLD TESTAMENT. Be sure and read verse 40 when Jesus said "these two commandments hang ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS." Understand that the law DEMANDED love while grace GIVES love and makes it available to us who fall short in giving God ALL of our whole being.
When we fail to realize this, we will continue to live a continuous cycle of performance-driven Christianity where it's every person for themselves and constantly manipulating others to make ourselves look spiritual in the sight of men. We will continue to put on our facades and never actually show the real person underneath the surface. It's a life lived out of INSECURITY rather than living loved by God. I like how a dear Christian brother, Wayne Jacobsen, states it about how we live our lives based on 'COMMITMENT' rather than love. Just like a married couple can be together just solely based on 'commitment' and really not love each other. As Wayne puts it, "Commitment becomes a substitute for not really loving others or God." It's kind of like the church of Ephesus in Revelation. They had the commitment but they left their 'first love.'
So, if there's a GREAT COMMANDMENT for the OLD covenant then what is the commandment for the NEW? Jesus gives it to us in John 13:34, "A NEW COMMANDMENT I give unto you, That ye love one another; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, that ye also love one another." You see, we love one another when we know we are loved by Him. How much does the Father love you? Jesus tells us later on in His prayer in John 17:23 that the Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Of course, many people will abuse that and use the love of God to live their own way and they will have to answer to Him for that. But this is for the true believer who is struggling with doubts whether God loves them or not (and yes, also to the non-believer who thinks God would never love them).
Just know that He understands when we fall short of our ALL to Him. That's why Jesus paid it ALL by showing His love to us on the cross. And it is that love toward us that makes us want to love Him back with our words and actions rather than being motivated by our 'commitment.'
Notice that I emphasized the word 'ALL' in verse 37. It is that word that makes me feel like a failure to God when I start to honestly examine myself only to find I don't really love God with ALL my heart, soul, and mind. By the way, in Mark 12:30, Jesus includes to love God "with ALL thy strength." Oh goodness, I definitely don't use ALL my strength for God since there's a lot of demands here on earth that requires attention. Just as our love is divided between God, family, friends, and so on. And you can definitely forget about me honestly loving God with ALL my mind since my mind seems to have a mind of it's own at times.
May I share with you some good news before you give up and throw in the towel? Although Jesus answered this in the New Testament, He was answering what the great commandment was 'in the LAW' (verse 36). He was giving us the 'GREAT COMMANDMENT' according to the OLD TESTAMENT. Be sure and read verse 40 when Jesus said "these two commandments hang ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS." Understand that the law DEMANDED love while grace GIVES love and makes it available to us who fall short in giving God ALL of our whole being.
When we fail to realize this, we will continue to live a continuous cycle of performance-driven Christianity where it's every person for themselves and constantly manipulating others to make ourselves look spiritual in the sight of men. We will continue to put on our facades and never actually show the real person underneath the surface. It's a life lived out of INSECURITY rather than living loved by God. I like how a dear Christian brother, Wayne Jacobsen, states it about how we live our lives based on 'COMMITMENT' rather than love. Just like a married couple can be together just solely based on 'commitment' and really not love each other. As Wayne puts it, "Commitment becomes a substitute for not really loving others or God." It's kind of like the church of Ephesus in Revelation. They had the commitment but they left their 'first love.'
So, if there's a GREAT COMMANDMENT for the OLD covenant then what is the commandment for the NEW? Jesus gives it to us in John 13:34, "A NEW COMMANDMENT I give unto you, That ye love one another; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, that ye also love one another." You see, we love one another when we know we are loved by Him. How much does the Father love you? Jesus tells us later on in His prayer in John 17:23 that the Father loves us as much as He loves Jesus. Of course, many people will abuse that and use the love of God to live their own way and they will have to answer to Him for that. But this is for the true believer who is struggling with doubts whether God loves them or not (and yes, also to the non-believer who thinks God would never love them).
Just know that He understands when we fall short of our ALL to Him. That's why Jesus paid it ALL by showing His love to us on the cross. And it is that love toward us that makes us want to love Him back with our words and actions rather than being motivated by our 'commitment.'
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