Celebrate Jesus

Scripture

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

~Hebrews 10:23, LSB

Quote

The LORD’s faithfulness to His people is the logical basis for their need to be faithful to Him.

~Daniel J. Estes

It is possible for a people, yea even a congregation to have spiritual amnesia and forget who they are and why they exist. God called Israel to be a light to the nations. Isaiah 42:6, “I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate My righteousness. I will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you to My people, Israel, as a symbol of My covenant with them. And you will be a light to guide the nations. Israel failed to live up to the covenant. In other words, Israel was unfaithful, but in spite of this, God remained faithful.

Psalm 105 is a history Psalm featuring Abraham, Joseph and Moses. God made Abraham a promise: to give Him a land, make him a nations and bless all the families of earth through his seed. Two generations later, Jacob is the first patriarch to have multiple sons [12] but they are sojourners in the land of Canaan. Then the LORD sends a famine, of all things, and Jacob is forced to go to Egypt where his son Joseph has become the Prime Minister. When Jacob goes to Eygyt, he goes as a clan of seventy, not a nation by any stretch. The Israelites stay in Egypt for 430 years and they are slaves for the later park of that time. We are talking 24 generations after Abraham and then the LORD gets Israel out of an impossible situation and plants them in Canaan. So God promises Abraham that He would make him a nation and 500 years later He fulfills the promise. Abraham died believing the promise although it was not be fullfilled for another 500 years. God is always faithful and you cannot prove otherwise.

One other insight from Psalm 105. The LORD works in extraordinary ways which are many times undetected by man. Why was Joseph betrayed by his brothers? He was the best kid in the bunch; so why did he have to suffer such abuse, injustice and suffering? Joseph was the first to figure it out, but it was God at work saving Israel from extinction. Why did Israel remian in Egypt for 430 years? God was protecting them, honing them, and growing them. Jacob’s tiny clan of seventy could not capture the land of Canaan: in Egypt the seventy turns into over two million plus. Two million is a small number today, but it was not then. The Egyptians feared their numbers. If we had two hundred million Muslims in America, would you be worried? History came to a point where God, the Israelites and the Egyptian all wanted the same thing: Get Jacob’s kids out of Egypt. God is faithful!

Extra

Sorry about being late, I forgot to post. Jo Ballinger did have the drainage tube put in and as far as I know is still at HH. I have not got a text from Bo in the last few hours.

GP we are in I Thessalonians 2:13-16. It is one other most interesting passages in the Bible. I will tell you why tonight: that is LORD willing.

I hope you have a good day and thanks for reading the blog.

Extra/Extra

I am reading John Philips commentary on Proverbs and it is filled with interesting illustrations and facts. I came across these facts about GAMBLING today:

1. Eight out of ten Americans think there is nothing wrong with gambling. {very disturbing}
2. Americans spent 511 billion dollars last year gambling.
3. Gambling is founded on a lie; the illusion that you can have something for nothing.
4. Gambling is a direct violation of the second great commandment, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” In every draw down, hundreds lose so one can win. Do you want to win at your neighbors expense?
5. Gambling is highly addictive.
6. Gambline undermines the work ethic.
7. Gambling plays on our greed.
8. Gambling is never Spirit lead.
9. Gambling is controls by organized crime.
10. The lottery is a tax on the poor and ignorant.