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Saturday, 1. February 2003
They Marched Boldly randal, February 1, 2003 at 12:27:00 PM GMT
by Randal Matheny Ten awesome plagues. Pharoah finally gives in to Moses' demand and releases the children of Israel. God grants them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, who give them silver, gold, and clothing. They see appear before them the Lord in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light. Egypt behind them, freedom up ahead. ". . . the sons of Israel were going out boldly" (Ex. 14:8, NASU). What a heady feeling it must have been! Clutching their firstborn children, the Israelites get their first taste of victory and freedom. Until the wind changes quickly. A sudden change of heart whips Pharoah into a rage, who gathers all his horses and chariots and races after his fleeing slaves. "As Pharoah drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord" (Ex. 14:10). And they complain bitterly to Moses, thinking their end has come. When no one is chasing you, you can puff out your chest and feel on top of the world. But when the enemy arms to the teeth and bears down upon you, how will you then hold up? A little verse from Proverbs rings continually in my ears. "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!" (24.10, NIV) When Satan throws all he's got at you, stand up in the strength of the Lord and face him squarely. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (Jas. 4:7b). The time to be bold is when the enemy presses upon you. When the Israelites faltered, Moses roused them to faith. "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent" (Ex. 14:13-14). With the Lord on your side, you may march out boldly, when the enemy is hot on your heels or when all is quiet around you. For you know the battle belongs to him. "The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him. The Lord is a warrior; The Lord is his name." (Ex. 15:2-3) |
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Update on FMag Forthright Magazine continues, more dynamic than ever! We have groups created for FMag on Facebook and the Churches of Christ Network. Announcement blog is up and going on Preachers Files. Email lists about FMag and FPress are available both on Yahoo and GoogleGroups. And, to top it all off, we're twittering for both on Twitter.com. by randal @ 1/20/09, 11:55 AM How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:24--47 How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless Yes, it is popular to say that we are not supposed to judge, but the truth is we all make judgments about many things daily. Otherwise, we would never succeed in life. The real question is what is our guide for judging. Why can we not simply follow the example of our Master and Lord? He said, 30 "I can of Myself ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:08 AM Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read First Chronicles 1--3 Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? Think on the manner, in which the Book of First Chronicles begins, 1 Adam, Seth, Enosh (1 Chr. 1:1). In this way begins the longest genealogy in the Bible. The names continue to the end of the ninth chapter! Were these just names? Adam; who is he? You know there is more in the Bible than the mere mention of his name in ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:05 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:1--23 Jesus healed a man. Praise God! However, Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. Uh oh. Some people were ready to kill Jesus for this perceived violation of the Sabbath Law. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath (Joh. 5:16). Jesus did a good thing. Yet, people criticized Him severely for it. And they were not people ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:03 AM They Were His Servants by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 24 and 25 They Were His Servants As the writer of Second Kings explains whom the Lord sent against Judah, the writer said that this was 2 ...according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servants the prophets (2 Kin. 24:2). Those great men we have honored for centuries were nothing more than servants of the Lord God. What does that make us? Do you do something ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:01 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 4:30--54 The disciples went into a town to buy food while Jesus remained out of the town. There He engaged a woman in conversation. When the disciples returned, here is what happened, 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know" (Joh. 4:31, 32). As you read the Gospel According to John, watch ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:59 AM Having a Tender Heart by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 22 and 23 Having a Tender Heart When Josiah heard the word of God for the first time, he tore his clothes, knowing of the wrath that was upon Jerusalem for the idolatry of his forefathers. Therefore, he sent messengers to a prophetess to inquire of the Lord. He did have a message for Josiah. God said through the prophetess, 19 "...because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:56 AM
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