My Online Faith Journal

   In Exodus 3:2-3 it says, "And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.  So Moses said, "I must see turn aside now and see this  marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up."     This is such an amazing and unique story to me that I wanted to take a few minutes to share some thoughts about it and what I think is unique about it.  I love the story of Moses, how God took someone from an obscure place and used him to lead his people to the promise land and through many trials.  It seems that God does delight to do that throughout scripture whether it be Jeremiah, David, Gideon or the apostles.     One of the first things that I see in this passage is that God's appearance to Moses was unique.  If this were to happen today, we might expect someone to go out and write a book.  Maybe it would be called "How to Have Your Own Burnin

     Most of us have been shocked at the destruction of the earthquake and tsunami that swept through Japan recently.  The pictures coming in remind me of some of the stories of destruction in the Bible or some of the pictures of England at the end of WWII.  I can't even imagine 30 feet of water rushing in and washing whole towns away.  It reminds me of catastrophic pictures of what will happen in the end times mentioned in Revelations.      As a christian, I think we are to be looking for that day and hour when the Lord will eventually return.  But, the Bible says that we are to be busy until that return.  I recently posted a message on a forum that I am a moderator on about how one group thinks the end of the world will be on May 11, 2011.  They have a set of buses and are going around the country warning people of Jesus return.  People have left houses and families to get on these buses and travel around warning people.      But, that is not what the Bible tells us to do.  B

        When Moses was originally enlisted by God to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, he was reluctant saying that he was "slow of speech".  God allowed Moses to enlist his relative Aaron to speak for him.  But, time and again we see that Moses really did have the courage and ability to speak on his own.  One of these times was in Exodus 34.  Moses had asked the Lord to see his glory, so God comes down to visit him and reveal himself to him.          God specifically told Moses that nobody could see his face and live.  But, he did say that he would pass by and speak his name to him.  So, as Moses stands on the top of Mt.Sinai the Lord appears and says "The Lord, The Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness, and truth, who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives inquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the inquity of fathers on the children and on the grandch

     Just wanted to share a few more of my favorite verses and some that are meaningful to me especially. "My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.   On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God."  Psalm 62:5-7       I have a difficult time with waiting.  I once told someone that I thought hell is waiting room where your number is never called.  I would rather do anything than wait.  Sometimes that has gotten me into trouble.  Sometimes, when I have done what I could, I simply need to sit back and trust God.  Maybe I am in God's waiting room so much because I don't learn that lesson and need reminders.     "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.  As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."  Psalm 103:11-12

     I thought I would do something a little different today and share with you some of my favorite verses and tell you a little about why they are important to me. "Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me."  John 15 4      This is a command from Jesus, probably while he was talking with his disciples in the upper room.  I think this is so important to remember because we have a tendency toward self-reliance, even in our spiritual walk.  I have to remember that I am reliant on Him for everything.  At work, I can pretend that my productivity is a result of my own ability, but if I am to bear fruit eternally, it is going to be because of my relationship with the Lord.  It is of first importance. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28      This do

         I usually don't post thoughts like this, but I was thinking that this could just as easily of been me in the church on a Thursday afternoon.  On different days it has been when I was a pastor.  Some maniac broke into or somehow attacked this pastor Clint Dobson and his assistant Judy Elliott.  They are saying now that robbery may have been a motive.  The pastor is now dead and the assistant is (at the time of writing this) fighting for her life.         It just seems sad that a man who is trying to just do some good for his community can't sit in his own church and work and feel safe.  It reminds me of a time when I was in West Virginia and I found a man who was in one of our Sunday School rooms.  I think he was just looking for a place to sleep on a quiet afternoon.  It was unnerving because I was alone in the church at the time or at least I had thought I was.           My prayers go out to this church and the survivors of this tragedy.

"Michal took the household idol and laid ot on the bed, and put a quilt of goats' hair at its head and covered it with clothes." 1 Samuel 19:13       This quote is taken from the period of time when David is beginning to distinguish himself as a warrior on the battlefield.  God is blessing the people of God with victories and Saul is becoming increasingly jealous and paranoid about David's popularity.   It says that this started when Saul heard the women singing this song,    "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."  1 Samuel 18:7      Instead of feeling flattered that they included him in the song, which he clearly didn't deserve, he becomes paranoid that David is plotting against him.  Saul tries to manipulate the circumstances so that  David will die on the battlefield, but David achieves victories and ends up marrying Saul's daughter Michal.      It is unclear to me how long Michal and David had been married at this po