Scripture
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and…They do not look to the Holy One of Israel and they do not seek the LORD.
~Isaiah 31:1, CSB
Quote
Man says, “show me and I’ll trust you,” God says, “trust Me and I will show you.”
~Image Quotes
In scripture, Egypt is a type of the ‘world.’ In a crisis, the Israelites had a tendency to turn to Egypt for help. Many of Israel’s kings made the fatal mistake of relying on Egypt instead of God. If you study the history of the Israelites, the Egyptians either enslaved them or betrayed them but never were they substantial help. In spite of Egypt’s poor track record, the Israelites put their trust in them again and again. How many times does the one we trust have to betray us or disappoint us before we learn not to rely on them at all. As believers and followers of Jesus Christ we must guard against putting our trust in the world or the flesh. Peter learns, as have I, that the flesh is not reliable. It will disappoint you every time. We dare not trust the flesh, ours or that of another. I have no confidence in the world system that crucified Christ. I have no confidence in the present world that is Antichrist.
As a churchman, I don’t even like to borrow money from a bank. I firmly believe that it is going to Egypt for help. Unfortunately, very few people agree with me. The money to do whatever God has called us to do has always been available within our membership; the problem is twofold–Greed and lack of faith. We don’t need to borrow money for a play ground or a parking lot or anything else: we need to practice good Christian stewardship. Joe David ask for 100 families to give a measly $600 per year to missions. I have no idea what the numbers look like but I would guess than we have less than 30 families on track. We don’t have a money problem; we have a giving problem and a faith problem. God has convicted me more than once about looking to Egypt first and then coming to Him when Egypt fails: isn’t that what we do when we get sick. We go to Egypt first and then when they fail we turn to God. Why not turn to Him first. I don’t think He has a problem with you going to a doctor as long as your faith is in HIM and not the doctor. Are we guilty or what!
- If any man on the planet needs to give God praise, it is your truly. I do not want another week like last week and I was only a medic, it was not one of the front liners who took a hit. The 39 year old widow with three small children in Pensacola is the one who felt the grief and lost most. She and the mother in Ardmore and then John and his family. I cannot speak for them but as for me, I must say, GOD’S GRACE WAS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT, IT WAS MARVELOUS. I have never felt the Spirit of God any stronger than at Autum’s COLS and it was almost the same Wednesday at Ardmore. As I was preparing for Sunday morning on Saturday evening, a wave of panic came over me because I could not find some old notes. I had been rehearsing my message all week and it was firmly fixed in my mind I thought but suddenly it left me. I thought, “Oh no, I don’t have a message and it is Saturday night.” Finally, about 6:00 in the evening, I stopped looking for the notes and sat down and prayed. God graciously answered my prayer and the message became clear once again. Now I know that most of you don’t understand but Joe David will: If God doesn’t speak to us, we have nothing worthwhile to say. THANK YOU JESUS FOR SPEAKING.
- I though with school restarting, attendance would go back up but it didn’t help. We did have some very special guest yesterday morning at GRACE POINT: Ralph and Mary Alice Nelson graced us, honored us with their presence. When you have friends like Ralph and Mary Alice, you are blessed.
- I don’t like to eat out for Sunday lunch because I don’t like to wait and since Big Mama has retired from Sunday dinners, she wants to come home and eat a tomato sandwich which is hard to get excited about when you have them every morning for breakfast: Thank God for Aunt T, she understands her daddy; she fixed Sunday dinner and I loved it.
- You are not going to believe what I did yesterday evening: I watch a golf tournament with June. Is their a media bias or what–the media darling did not win. It was good entertainment. June is sorry that I got into it because I was getting into it. She said, “I thought surely you could watch golf without talking to the TV.”
- I hope you have a great day and a blessed week. RTR and GTG.