January 23, Exodus 5:1-8:32

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

^"8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ⁹ “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. ¹¹ Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: ¹² Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³ Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said."

The Plague of Blood

^"14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. ¹⁶ Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. ¹⁷ This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. ¹⁸ The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’” ¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels^[a] of wood and stone.”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.²¹ The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. ²² But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. ²⁴ And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river."

The Plague of Frogs

^"25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. 8 ¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.² If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. ³ The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. ⁴ The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’”⁶ So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. ⁷ But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt."  Exodus 7:8 - 8:7 NIV

The devil has always tried to mimic God and sometimes he succeeds. This is why we can be easily confused. 

CONFUSED is the first key word here. When it looks right, smells right, tastes right, but seems a bit confusing... STOP!!!!! Seek God's face! Especially when it pleases the flesh. Even if you're 99% sure it's right. That 1% will be the deciding factor. If there's a LITTLE TEENY voice telling you somethings not exactly right here, LISTEN! 

LISTEN is the second key word. Tune your ear to the teeny voice inside your head. That's God's voice!

(I'm not talking about the voice that says what if you can't do it, give up, you're a failure, it won't work - usually that voice is the loud one anyway.)

There are many, many churches that seem great! They obviously love God, They follow His word to a certain degree, they do good in the community, but somethings a little off. 

Sometimes you can't put your finger on it exactly. There's something missing, but you're not sure what it is. Just pray and ask God to reveal the problem to you if there IS a problem. Be open. Say, "God is the problem me? If it's me, please change me! But if I'm in a fake church, a church that mimics truth, please show me! Reveal truth to me, Jesus! And lead me to the church You choose for me."

^"3 For the time is coming when [people] will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching [for something pleasing and gratifying], they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own liking and to foster the errors they hold,⁴ And will turn aside from hearing the truth and wander off into myths and man-made fictions." 2 Timothy 4:3,4 AMP

The third word is STUDY. As you listen to God's voice, study His word. Ask Him to reveal the truth of His word to you.

^"15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

The fourth key word is OBEY. This is hard part. Change is hard. Change is uncomfortable. Change is painful. You may be mocked, scorned, or ridiculed. But obeying God's voice is always the right choice.  

I want to go to a church that challenges me to do better, to go deeper, to climb higher, to be a DAILY, LIVING sacrifice for Jesus. Am I always comfortable as the Word is being preached? No. Almost every time I go to church, I feel conviction. Why? Because I'm human and I make mistakes. I'm constantly striving and growing.   

I just want to be REAL. I want to be the same person sitting on the pew as I am at the store, at work, at home. My church emphasizes being a TRUE Christian ALL the time. My church doesn't make excuses for sinful living. And I need that. I need ALL the reminders I can get. Because I'm human.  

^"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:14 KJV

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," Hebrews 12:1 ESV

"An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." 2 Timothy 2:5-7 ESV

"You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" Galations 5:7 ESV

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Cor. 6:19,20 ESV

I was raised on this music and these people and this type of crazy worship. Murrell Ewing is gone now, but this minister of the Word lived for God with everything within him. He lived what he sang and preached. 

"Dear God, I want to be REAL. Every second of every day. When I fall, I want to fall down in humble repentance and worship. Cleanse me from every sin and be my strength when I am weak. I want to live what I sing and preach. I don't want to mimic the Christian life; I want to LIVE the Christian life! I will worship You forever! You deserve my highest praise every day, all day! In Jesus' precious name, AMEN.