Category Archives: Exodus

Should we drown our enemies?

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I randomly ran across a blog post by what appeared to be a very sweet young couple who were worship leaders in their church. They had a dilemma and were asking their readers for input.

While leading a praise song, one of the lines spoke of “drowning their enemies.” As they sang they began to wonder, “Is it right for Christians to want to ‘drown their enemies.’” They wanted to know what their readers thought.

I decided to not respond because my initial thoughts were not very kind. They were: Continue reading →

Christians and Combat on Memorial Day

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Turn the other cheek. Thou shalt not kill. Love and pray for your enemies. First century Christians opposed military service. There are those who refuse to serve in the military today because of religious convictions. So what about those who do serve? Who is right?

1.The Bible says “Thou shalt not kill”.  Participation in the military supports death and killing. Continue reading →

The Great I AM not

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i amIn Exodus 3 God referred to Himself as I AM. Grammatically that leaves a blank that I want to fill in. I am … what? And the words that we could use to fill that blank are nearly endless.

He is love. He is joy. He is peace. He is patient. He is kind. He is holy. He is faithful. He is …

In worship this morning I was thinking of all that He is and realizing that if He is the Great I AM, then I am the great I am not.

He is Holy. I am not. He is always kind. I am not. He is always faithful. I am not. He never fails. I do. He does not judge by outward appearance. I do. He always thinks the best. I don’t. In every area where He is the I AM, I am the I-am-not. Continue reading →

Should Christians serve in the military?

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In honor of Memorial Day and all who served I’m offering this ENCORE POST

Should Christians serve?Some Christians refuse to serve in the military on religious grounds.  So what of those who do serve?  Are they disobeying God?  Let’s look into God’s Word and see what HE has to say.

Note: Because this is such a complex issue and because the topic so deeply impacts the lives of many men and women who are serving in the armed forces, this topic deserves greater attention and this post is much longer than most.

1. What did Jesus say?
John the Baptist and Jesus both spoke to soldiers in an army that was oppressing God’s people.  Certainly, if it was wrong to serve in the military, it would be extra wrong to serve in an army oppressing God’s chosen people and either John or Jesus would have addressed the issue.  Neither John nor Jesus said the soldiers should change careers.  In fact, soldiers specifically asked John what they should do and he never mentions getting out of the military.

Luke 3:14
Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”  He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely — be content with your pay.” Continue reading →

Math and Muddy Shoes

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Stepping out or Stepping inWhen Israel was delivered from Egypt the people stood safely back while God dried the path they would use (Exodus 14:21). Now, 40 years later, another water obstacle, a flooded river, and God requires the people to step into the water before He takes any action.

Joshua 3:13 NLT
“The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord,… As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”

At salvation – which Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is a picture of – nothing is required of us. We cry out to God. He does a miracle. We stand amazed as He sets us free and we cross over to begin walking in a new land, a new life.

Entering the Promised Land – the fulness of God’s peace, joy, provision, etc – is another matter. That requires we step out of our comfort zone, that we obey the Lord even if it seems foolish or impossible. “Walk into a cold, muddy, raging river …. then I will do a miracle for you.” Continue reading →