A WHOLE MAN

2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. Exodus 35:2 While I love my state (nation) of Texas, we have had some strange laws pass through our legislation. For example, up until 1973, it was illegal to milk another person's cow that was not your own. Some are still on the books though. For example, in Clarendon, TX, it is illegal for a person to dust any public building with a feather duster. Or how about the law which prohibits all dogs from being named after a Kardashian. Ok, the last one is made up, but I think you get the picture. Sometimes we may feel as though the laws should change with the times. In certain cases, that may well be true; however, when considering God's law it is always timely and relevant and true. When you think about the Ten Commandments, they are all pretty straight forward and we would be quick to agree that they are in f...

You shall have no other gods before me Exodus 20:3 Although I grew up in the church, my first exposure to the ten commandments was actually from the 1981 film from Mel Brooks, A History of the World Part 1. And even though the scene only lasted about 10 seconds I have never forgotten it. In the short scene, Moses comes down from Mt. Sinai carrying three tablets in his hands. As he makes the announcement to the people of God he cries out “The Lord Jehovah has given unto us these 15…” then he drops one of the tablets…. “ten, ten commandments.” It is a very funny scene and not exactly what we read in Exodus 20 when God gives His people His law. Being so young, I never really understood the law, couple that with the fact that I was not saved. So, what do the laws of God mean? After several years of evangelism, I have heard a cornucopia of responses to that question. Some will say that they are restrictions to life and evidence of the evilness of God. Probably worse, othe...

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.  Exodus 1:8 (ESV)  Words matter. They really do. They can paint vivid pictures in our minds with just a few words. For example, what do you imagine when I say “she rode without hands”? I’m pretty sure most of you imagined a girl riding her bicycle without holding on to her handlebars. There was no mention of a bicycle and yet this is what we picture. Why? Because words can impact the way we feel, understand, or perceive. We may be having a great day and then hear the words, “I am sorry to have to tell you…” In the opening verses of Exodus we are reminded of the Israelite people. They are in Egypt and God has provided and protected them during the years of famine. And in verse 7 we see an indication that God has been with them and they have been prosperous as we read how they “were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.” (HCSB). ...