It is easy to give in to the feeling that we have been abandoned by God. Our circumstances may be bleak, our health gone, our loved ones no longer with us or our path uncertain. In Isaiah the Israelites felt the same way. They had been in captivity in Babylon for many decades. They felt abandoned by God. A Just Punishment But this abandonment they were experiencing was the punishment of a just and righteous God. A God who loved them more than a woman loves her infant (Isaiah 49:15). God informed the Israelites that even though a woman might, though rarely, forget her love for her child He would never forget. Their captivity in Babylon was a punishment that would certainly end in due time. Engraved On His Palms In Isaiah 49:16 God says that He had "engraved them on the palms of His hands." Of course God does not have real, physical hands. This was a metaphor for His relationship with His people. In this time, pagan worshippers often would place marks on their palms to signify who it was they worshipped. In this verse we learn that it is God, the One we worship, who has placed us on the palms of His hands. Engraved With Nails This engraving points to something deeper. In the past it was man who sacrificed to their gods, but in the person of Christ, it was Jesus who made the supreme sacrifice for us. This sacrifice was visible in the nail scars in His hands. How much plainer could God have made it, that His love was so great that He sent His Son to die for us? Engraved Permanently The choice of the word, engraved, which is khakak in Hebrew, means to carve or etch deeply. This was not a superficial mark. This would be similar to what one would see on a tombstone. This was not a mark that would fade with time or wash away. This mark would be permanent. Always Loved We are ever mindful to our God and Father. We are the sheep that our Shepherd tends. Each of us so important, so loved, that He would leave the ninety-nine to search for the one lost (Matthew 18: 10-14). Israel, the Church, and each of us individually, are engraved on His palms and in this we find our great hope. Bound On Our Heart In similar terms the Lord told the Israelites that His words should be in their heart and bound as a sign on their hand (Deuteronomy 6: 6-8; 11:18). The one to whom we are devoted is the one whose name is on our hands and in our heart. In Revelation, the Antichrist places his mark on the hand or forehead of his worshippers (Revelation 13:16; 14:9; 20:4). Never Abandoned We may even believe, collectively, that the church has been abandoned by God as the people of Israel were. Writing almost 200 years ago a famous Bible commentator, John Gill had this to say about the church in the days he was living in, "...because of the low and declining state of the interest of Christ, as it now is; few being converted by the ministry of the word; great opposition made to the truths of the Gospel with success; the ordinances of it perverted or neglected; the presence of God in them very little enjoyed; great indifference and lukewarmness among professors of religion, and discord and dissensions in churches..." The temptation was to believe the church had been forsaken by God. But it has not, nor will it ever be! Never Forsaken We are promised in Deuteronomy 4:31 and in Deuteronomy 31: 6-8 that God will never leave us or forsake us. These words are repeated in the New Testament in Hebrews 13:5. As Christians we may have periods in our life where we don't feel God's presence as strongly as in past times or perhaps we have waited a long time for a promise from God. This doesn't mean God has abandoned us. We are still engraved on the palms of His hands. Remember these words from Psalm 103: 17, "But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children" Enjoy the beautiful song, Never Alone, by Jason Upton, here.

Living in a youth centered culture today it is interesting to look at the Bible and what it has to say about being old. Old people today are usually considered unnecessary. Older people's opinions or advice is often ignored or thought to be uninformed. It is the young who have the knowledge and wisdom to guide us and inform our important decisions. The Bible has a totally opposite view of things. With The Aged Is Wisdom In Leviticus 19:32 we are told to honor the elderly and fear the Lord. Job 12:12 tells us that wisdom and understanding are with the old. In the New Testament, Peter tells us in I Peter 5:1-5 that the young in the church should be subject to the elders. I Timothy 5:17 explains that the ruling elders should be doubly honored. The Wise Heed Advice Perhaps more important even than age is the ability of someone to take advice. Proverbs 19:20 says that to grow wise we should listen to advice and accept instruction. Proverbs 12:15 says that the wise listen to advice but the fool thinks he is always right. Proverbs has much more to say about the difference between the wise and the foolish. Rehoboam Asks For Advice There is a story in the Bible about King Rehoboam who asked for advice (I Kings 12: 1-24). First a little about King Rehoboam. He was the son of Solomon and the first King of Judah (King of the South) after Israel split into two kingdoms. His reign lasted seventeen years. The King was approached by Jeroboam who asked that the heavy load of labor and taxes be lightened on the people of Israel. They had been heavily burdened by Rehoboam's father, Solomon, for the building of the temple in Jerusalem. It was at this point that the King asked for advice. It was a good thing that he sought advice. This is what wise people do. But it is important to be aware of who is giving the advice and why. His older advisers counseled the king to listen to the people and lighten their burden. If he did this the people would be loyal to him. His younger advisers who he had grown up with, perhaps wanting to feed his ego, told him to threaten the people with even harsher burdens. He took the younger adviser's counsel and the result was that the people of Israel rebelled and made Jeroboam their king (King of the North). Rehoboam's story is a good example of why it is a bad choice to surround yourself with what is referred to as "yes men". These are people who, for whatever reason, only tell you what you want to hear. Often times our companions and friends, our peers, will be more likely to agree with our decisions and less likely to challenge us when they think we are making a mistake. God Is The Ultimate Source For Wisdom Is older always wiser? Certainly not! Every old person we meet is not necessarily wise. Any advice we take should be from someone who loves and serves God. Who we ask is as important as how old they are. Even then God is our ultimate source for what is right for our lives. Prayer and Bible study should go with every decision we make. We also have to remain open minded when we receive advice. If we have already made up our mind what we are going to do and only pray or seek advice basically "for show" then it is pointless. Older and Wiser Proverbs 11:12 says that the humble person is a wise person. In the New Testament James says that if we ask for wisdom from God, He will give it to us (James 1:5). It is not so much that a person is old and that is what makes them wise, no, it is that they have learned to listen to God. They have learned humility. Our elders, practically, have learned to take advice from the One who is the Wisdom of the Ages. This is contrasted against the "wisdom of this age" that Paul refers to in I Corinthians 2:6. This is the world's wisdom. This is what Proverbs 14:12 is talking about when it says that there is a way that seems right to a man but it leads to death. Is Pride Stopping You? Pride, ultimately, is what often keeps us from seeking advice from older and wiser people. Pride keeps us from also seeking God's counsel on decisions we make in our lives. Too often we think we can make good decisions alone, with help from no one. We often think we are smarter, perhaps more sophisticated in worldly things, than our elders. Older, godly people have much to offer us. They have learned from God, in their mistakes and in their good decisions. Seek God first and then seek wise counsel because this is God's word to His people. Don't let pride be the reason for bad decisions. Proverbs 16:18 reminds us of what happens to a prideful person, "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."

Touching Others I heard an anonymous quote recently that really touched me, "Someone is standing on the other side of obedience" I don't know about you but for me I often only think of obedience in terms of myself, but that is wrong. We are obedient for a purpose. Our obedience reaches out and touches others in ways we can only imagine. I remember an incident years ago. I was in a diner in a downtown area and saw an older man, rather shabbily dressed alone at a table as I was leaving. I had the overwhelming feeling that I should speak to him. Nothing more than hello, but that I should acknowledge him. I shrugged it off thinking why would I speak to this total stranger, a man I didn't know no less. When I walked out without speaking I never forgot him. Who would imagine that all these years later I would still remember a time, seemingly unimportant, but one where I was disobedient to the call of God. I look back and wonder what difference that small 'hello' could have possibly made to this man but something inside of me, to this day, knows that it would have. How often do we shrug off that quiet voice of God. God asks us to do things that often we would consider to be quite strange. Things that make us feel uncomfortable. Trust and Obey I think the reason for this is that God wants to know if we really trust Him. The old hymn went like this: "Trust and obey For there's no other way To be happy in Jesus But to trust and obey." Think about the times God has asked you to leave your comfort zone and step out for Him. Has he asked you to visit a nursing home or to talk to your dear friend who doesn't know God about your relationship with the Lord or to start a Bible study or to be friends with someone who has none? Sometimes God asks us to build a boat on dry land or speak to people far off about Him even though they are His enemies or walk on water or face a giant. The only way Noah or Jonah or Peter or David did these things was by totally trusting God. Obedience Can Be Small Maybe we obey with seemingly no results, but how do we know what seed has been planted in people? The smallest word can mean so much. Many years ago when I was pregnant with my first child (I was 39) I spoke to a friend about my concerns about my pregnancy and fears for my child. My dear friend said this, "It's a gift and not a test." Seven little words that calmed my soul. I know God spoke through her that day. "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1: 22-25 Created for Good Works Many times our obedience calls us to change our behavior. God seeks for us to be better Christians. Our behavior towards others most definitely matters. When we show more love, more patience, more forgiveness the affects on our family and those around us are incalculable. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 Blessed My prayer for you, and for myself, is that when God speaks I will listen and I will obey. He may speak through a pastor, through His word or through our prayers or however he chooses, but obedience will be blessed. "Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.” Deuteronomy 4: 39-40 Hope In I Peter 1: 13-16 we read: "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." " Our hope is always in God's grace and we as His obedient children must make every effort to be holy. The holiness of our obedience is how someone sees Christ. Those people are on the other side of our obedience.

The Lord has a lot to say about humility and meekness. In the Bible we are given role models for humility and meekness. In Numbers 12:3 the Bible says that Moses was the meekest person on the earth. It is hard to imagine Moses parting the Red Sea and yet still being meek. Moses recognized where the power really came from. The power came not from himself, but from God. In Philippians 2: 6-8, Paul tells us that Jesus, in total humility, chose the cross - for us! The World Doesn't Value Humility And Meekness In the world, humility and meekness are not valued. In fact we are constantly told how we should elevate ourselves above others. We are told we should shout our accomplishments to the world. In Romans 12:3 Paul says, " For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." God provides for us, it is He who gives us the ability to perform those accomplishments. He allows us to be successful, He is our hope and when we fail He helps us to learn to rely more on Him. Humility Is... What is humility? It is putting others interests ahead of ourselves. It is an absence of pride. A humble person doesn't have to announce their good deeds. A humble person doesn't have to say "I did this and I did that" to feel good. The greatest blessing is to do a kind act for someone and never tell anyone. In Matthew 6:2 Jesus tells us to do our good deeds quietly and without fanfare. We are not supposed to seek earthly honor. If we do He says we have already received our full reward. I often think of the famous industrialist Andrew Carnegie (as in Carnegie Hall in New York City). Carnegie in his latter years was a famous philanthropist. He gave away the majority of his fortune before he died. But each library he built, each concert hall, each endeavor had his name prominently displayed. Mr. Carnegie wanted people to know who gave the money. He had his reward. Meekness Is... What is meekness? It is a gentleness of spirit. It is a person who endures offenses patiently, who has a controlled strength. Meekness isn't weakness. When we're weak we can't do anything. When we are meek we have chosen not to do something. Meekness doesn't mean that you allow yourselves to be run over. That's the definition of the world. Meekness acknowledges that we don't know everything. We don't know someone else's heart. Only God knows. Peter tells us in I Peter 3:15 that we should share the gospel with "meekness and respect". We Are Not Like The World In Philippians 2:3 Paul says that we should esteem others as better than ourselves. That doesn't sound much like what the world is telling us does it? Our Lord expects us have humility and meekness on our journey with hope. He expects us to be different.

The dictionary definition of holy is dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred. The word translated holy in the Bible in Hebrew actually means separated or set apart. We are commanded to be holy. Literally told to be set apart for God. It is easy to say that we are Christians but not so easy to live as one. Are You Sober? Where is our holiness? Often, I see people ask for prayer, which is always a good thing, but as I scroll through their social media I will see links to obscene music, pictures of inappropriate behavior, jokes that are off color, exclamations using the Lord's name in a careless way, etc. Where is our consistency? Where is our soberness as Peter tells us? "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”" I Peter 1: 13-16 (NIV) In this verse, sober, means not to be overly influenced by things that can make us stray from good judgement. Sober minded means to have self-control. Grow In Holiness Many of us have had experiences with Jesus, but then we just stop. We remember that one time when we knew we needed to be saved; when we called on Him and we became a Christian. The expectation for a Christian however, is that they will continue to grow in holiness. Paul says to the Corinthians that since we have these promises, we should cleanse ourselves from "the filthiness of the flesh and spirit" and we should perfect holiness while we fear God (2 Corinthians 7:1). In I Thessalonians 4:7 we are told that we are called to holiness, not uncleanness. Set Apart For God We should be separate, noticeably so, from the culture around us. We should be different in every facet of our life. as obedient children we should strive to truly repent and turn from sin, we should avoid placing ourselves in situations that we know will cause us to be tempted to sin, we should pray, we should study the Word "to show ourselves approved" as Paul says in 2 Timothy 2: 15, we should love others, especially those who seem so unlovable to us, we should strive to live a humble life, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Philippians 2: 3, we should show self-control. This is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5: 22-23. We Are Given Power A holy person according to the 2 Timothy 1: 7 has not been given a spirit of fear or timidness but the Spirit "gives us power, love and self-discipline." (NIV) The disciples showed this. They went from hiding in an upper room to preaching to thousands with great power and authority after they received the Holy Spirit. Works Of The Flesh v Works Of The Spirit In Galatians 5 Paul contrasts a life led that only has works of the flesh. He lists these in verses 19-21: "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries". Then he compares a Christian life, a holy life, in verses 22-23. This list is far different from the one above: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. " Do we live a life set apart for God? Paul says in Galatians 5: 21 that those who practice works of the flesh, "...will not inherit the kingdom of God." The Holy Spirit changes us. We should not be the person we were before we became a Christian. We should be transformed. These verses don't say that we will lead a perfect life, but that we will lead a life that strives for holiness. A life that strives to be set apart for God. Our Goal Is Holiness Our goal is to be a light to the nations, a city on a hill, wheat among the tares (Matthew 13: 24-30) that shows the world a better way to live. In fact, the only way to live, if a person desires to know truth. Do we choose love? Do we choose the characteristics of a Spirit filled life that shows the fruits of the Spirit? Do others see Christ in us? This is a choice we make daily in our encounters with others, from the smallest interactions with strangers, to the daily walk we live in our home with our family. "The holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him." ~ C. S. Lewis

Have you ever had the experience of being somewhere very different, very strange. Someplace where you just simply didn't fit in? Maybe their culture was different or maybe their language, maybe they were "northerners" and you were a "southerner", maybe you grew up in the big city and they grew up on a farm. Maybe you felt almost like a stranger in the earth. Most of us have some experience with not fitting in. Peter has something to tell us about this. In I Peter 2: 11-12 he says, "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." Depending on the translations the word may be aliens, strangers, exiles or foreigners. The idea is identical. You (Christians) don't belong here. You are travelers, strangers that are passing through this world. Your home isn't here. You feel almost uncomfortable here. This place is so different from what is "normal" for you that you can sense you don't belong. Our True Home - Heaven Hebrews 11: 8-10 reminds us that Abraham, full of faith, journeyed to a foreign land, to the Promised Land. There he was a stranger, but what was he really looking forward to? He was really looking forward to a city built by God - a Heavenly city. When we look back at the Old Testament, we see in Exodus 2:22 the birth of Moses first born son. The name he is given, Gershom, literally means "a stranger in a strange land". He was born in Midian, not his true home. His home was the Promised Land. Our home also is not here, it is in Heaven with our Lord and Savior. If there ever is a time in your life when you begin to feel at ease here, when you start to feel as if you belong - beware. Peter begs you to not to give into sinful desires because these desires, these lusts, wage war against your very soul. This is a war we must win. Transformed by the Holy Spirit At one time, before the Lord transformed you by His Holy Spirit you did belong. But since you have been changed, since you have become a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5: 17), we can no longer fit in. We should not even try to be part of that old world. But this is hard. We may find ourselves still wanting to sin, but now, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to resist. Peter is encouraging us in our battle against sin. Filled with Good Works The world will view us as odd, perhaps even bad people, for not participating in what is considered normal behavior, but even while these unbelievers are saying this they should be seeing the lives we lead. Our lives should be filled with good works. Our loving kindness towards people who persecute us has an effect on the world. When unbelievers see these good works, some will ultimately glorify God. Be An Example Paul tells Timothy much the same thing in I Timothy 4: 12-13. He tells Timothy to be a an example in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. There is an old expression I am sure you have heard, "Your life is the only Bible many people will ever read." Everything we do is being watched, especially if those around us know we call ourselves Christian. Honorable Conduct Just as the Jewish people exiled in Babylon were "strangers in a strange land" and yet returned to Israel and rebuilt the temple, so today, a small people, of little account and worth, are the ones God chooses to do incredible things. God sees the extraordinary in the insignificant things of the world. He sees the difference we can make when we have, as Peter says, honorable conduct. Overcome Evil with Good In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul calls us "ambassadors for Christ". We are sent out into a world that is no longer ours to accomplish the purpose of the One who we represent. In Romans 12:21 Paul tells us to "overcome evil with good". We don't overcome evil by violence, we don't overcome evil by marching in the streets, we don't even overcome evil by going to church; but we do overcome evil by being the opposite of it, by being good. A Stranger in the Earth When someone travels to a foreign land they usually miss their family they have left behind. They write letters, send emails, or FaceTime so they don't lose the connection to the one's they love. In this strange land we Christians live in how do we keep our connection to our true home. Psalm 119:19 explains how. The psalmist says, "I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me." To stay connected to our true home, the will of God and His word need to be present to us. We need to understand how God would use us in this strange land we live in because we know that where He is is our true home. To overcome evil we have to stay connected to our source of love. In this way we can truly love others and do good to them. Our connection to our Father helps us to win this war for our soul that Peter talks about. Enjoy, This World is Not Home, by the great Jim Reeves.

Jesus Our Ransom Who are God's chosen? It is a question Christians have debated for centuries, yet Scripture repeatedly points us back to God's desire to save all who come to Him through Christ. Those who believe in Him are His chosen ones. According to 1 Timothy 2:4-6 God wants everyone to be saved because Jesus died as a ransom for who? He died as a ransom for all! A ransom is a payment so that someone will be released. The price someone paid to release a person from slavery is an example of a ransom. Why is Jesus referred to here as a ransom? Jesus is our ransom because we were slaves to sin. His death was the price paid to release us from the bondage of slavery that we lived in. Isaiah 53:10 prophesies that His soul would be a sin offering. Who Are The Chosen? If Christ gave Himself as a ransom for all people, the next question naturally follows: Who are God's chosen? John 3:17 plainly says, " For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." God sent His Son so that who could be saved? The whole world. His invitation extends to every person willing to believe, and through Him everyone can escape condemnation. 1 Peter 2:9-10 says we are a "chosen people" belonging to God, brought from darkness into light, who hadn't received mercy but now have. If God's invitation is extended to everyone, another important question arises. Does He force anyone to accept it? Forced To Serve? Are we forced to serve Him? Jesus certainly has the power to force us to serve Him but He chose not to. For Jesus came not to be served, but to serve (Matthew 20:28). He puts Himself in the service of His creatures ultimately by ransoming us through His death and resurrection (Mark 10:45). Since we are all sinners, we are only justified by God's grace which is a gift for all because we have been redeemed by Christ (Romans 3:24) our Redeemer from everlasting. To be redeemed here means to be delivered from sin. And what is grace? Grace is a completely undeserved favor. We aren't forced to accept this gift but it is offered to us. If salvation is offered freely, how do we respond to God's invitation? Seek And You Shall Find Deuteronomy 4:29 says if we seek God, we will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 reinforces this thought that God is found when we seek Him with our whole heart. As someone once said, God should be our whole purpose and our destiny. Those who don't believe have been blinded by the god of this world, Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4). They aren't seekers. God promises that He will draw near to those who fervently seek Him. God sincerely invites all people, draws all people through Christ, and those who believe become His chosen people. When we respond, He places before us an open door of faith, for even our faith is God's gracious gift (Ephesians 2:8). At this point someone may ask, "But doesn't Romans 3:11 say that no one seeks God?" What is Paul saying? Simply that we can't seek God on our own. God must first draw us to Himself. We are only responding yes or no to the call that goes out to all people. Rewarded For Seeking Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God rewards those who "diligently seek Him." In John 6:44 Jesus says no one can come to Him unless He is drawn by the Father first. Later in John 12:32 Jesus says that, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” All will be drawn, but not all will choose to follow. God's drawing and our response are not competing ideas. Responding to His call is not earning salvation; it is accepting the gift He freely offers. Jesus Himself illustrates this truth repeatedly in His parables. Like Lost Sheep In Luke 19:10, Jesus says that He comes to seek and to save the lost. We are all lost in our sins. He comes to save us all. He offers us a free gift which we can accept or reject. In Matthew 18:12-14 and in Luke 15: 3-7, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep,and like sheep we all need a Shepherd. In Luke the focus is on the poor and rejected. All are sought by God, not just the socially acceptable or the powerful. In Matthew and Luke it is clear that even while we may be lost in sin Jesus seeks us. He encourages us through his Holy Spirit to repent and believe. If Christ seeks the lost, what is the responsibility of those He has already found? What Are We Called To Do? As Christians we have a role to play in all of this. We are called "ministers of reconciliation" by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5: 18-21. We are the ones charged with spreading the Good News of salvation to all. Jesus has flung open the prison doors but the world doesn't know it. We are, as Paul calls us, "ambassadors for Christ". We who were once blind can tell those who are still blind who it is that can save them. As I Corinthians 3: 5-6 states it was through the means of Paul and Apollos that the people believed, but it was always God that "gave the increase". Jesus Is... When we truly understand who Christ is and what He has done for us, our response becomes one of worship. The words of St. Louis de Montfort beautifully express that truth: When we seek God with our whole heart, we can agree with St. Louis de Montfort who says, "He (Jesus) is the only teacher from whom we must learn; the only Lord on whom we should depend; the only Head to whom we should be united and the only model that we should imitate. He is the only Physician that can heal us; the only Shepherd that can feed us; the only Way that can lead us; the only Truth that we can believe; the only Life that can animate us. He alone is everything to us and he alone can satisfy all our desires." Enjoy the song "Jesus Is" by Leanna Crawford here.

What is Passover? Passover, one of the greatest of all Jewish holidays, is a time of remembrance when the angel of death passed over the Jewish firstborn in the last of the ten plagues visited upon Egypt by God. Passover was the true beginning of the exodus, the leaving, of the Israelites from Egypt and slavery, eventually to the Promised Land. This redemption of the people from Egypt was so important that time after time in the Old Testament God refers to Himself as "the God who led you out of Egypt". Christ Our Passover Just as the Jewish people were required to place the blood of a perfect lamb on their doorpost to escape the death angel, so too are we, as God's children, required to believe in the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus, and the sacrifice and shedding of His blood that He made for us. Our belief allows us to escape the punishment for sin that we so richly deserve. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 5:7(b), "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." The Ten Commandments The Jewish people did not have to do anything to be freed from their slavery. God provided them a way of escape graciously and out of love. Only after their escape were they given the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 2:2, God begins His list of commandments by reminding them that it was He who brought them out of Egypt and bondage. This covenant, this mutual promise between God and His people, stated that if His people obeyed these commandments they would be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:3-6). We Too Were Enslaved The Jewish people had been enslaved for 400 years at the time of the Exodus. You and I also were enslaved, but to sin. Some of us have been enslaved by addiction, some by sexual sins, some by pride, some by anger but whatever sin had us in its grasp the sacrifice of Christ on the cross was that perfect sacrifice. With His death and resurrection a New Covenant was made between God and man. A New Covenant of Grace This New Covenant was predicted in Jeremiah 31:31-33. This covenant would not be written on stone as the Ten Commandments were, but would be written on our hearts. At the Last Supper, Jesus tells His disciples that the cup poured out for them would be the New Covenant in His blood that was shed for us. Christ offers us a Promised Land of Heaven with Him, as the Jewish people were guaranteed their promised land of Israel. Also, as Ezekiel 36:28-30 foretold, the New Covenant would include a new spirit living within us, the Holy Spirit of God. Hebrews 7:22 tells us this New Covenant is a better one because instead of being under the law we are under grace (Romans 6:14-15). Hebrews 9:15 calls Jesus the mediator, our intercessor, of a New Covenant which promises eternal life with Him since Jesus's death redeems us from sins committed under the Old Covenant. The death of Christ was a sin offering which established a New Covenant of grace. Jesus - The Obedient Son In Exodus 4:22, God calls Israel His first-born son. Where Israel failed to obey the Old Covenant time and time again; Jesus is the example of a complete Israel, an Israel who wholly obeyed God. Jesus is the obedient Son. Jesus is the model of a new Israel. As Jesus escaped from Bethlehem to Egypt to flee from Herod's death sentence on all baby boys (Matthew 2:16), just so, Moses, the great deliverer of His people, escaped from the Pharoah's order to slaughter the young Jewish baby boys (Exodus 1:22). After Jesus's return, we read in Matthew chapter 3 about His baptism in the river Jordan. Moses led his people through the Red Sea to safety which 1 Corinthians 10:2 refers to as a baptism. The very next event in Jesus's life in Matthew chapter 4 was His temptation in the desert. There He stayed for 40 days. While in the desert Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3 when He tells Satan that men don't live by bread alone but by every word from God's mouth. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea only to wander in the desert for 40 years. In Luke 9:31, at the Transfiguration, Moses and Elijah speak of Jesus's departure which in Greek was "exodos" or way out. Jesus's death and resurrection provides us a way out of sin and death. In Hebrew, the book of Exodus is literally titled, "The Book of the Outgoing from Egypt." Jesus Frees Us From The Sins That Bind Jesus is the ultimate Israel. His death and resurrection is His departure, His exodus, from this world to prepare the perfect gift for us to find a way out of our own Egypt. Jesus frees us from the sin that binds us. Sin enslaves us and leads to death. We are as much bound by sin when we were not believers, as the Israelites were bound by the physical chains of slavery. Be Steadfast The generation of Jewish people who left Egypt never saw the promised land. They died in rebellion along the way. The author of Hebrews tells us in chapter 3 verse 14, "For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," As Christians we must remain steadfast to the end unlike the Jews who left Egypt. 1 Corinthians 10:1-11 expresses the same idea. Passing Into Life Finally, I want to leave you with the words of Jesus from John 5:24: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." The Greek word for "passed out of death into life" is metabebēken, which means "to pass over" or "withdraw". Thanks be to Jesus Christ, our Passover, that we have passed over from death into life by hearing and believing in God who sent Him!

~God rewards the faithful~ The beautiful coastal city of Izmir, Turkey is at least 3,000 years old. The ruins of the ancient city it once was lie surrounded by the modern city of today. In Biblical times this city was known as Smyrna. The Greek word Smyrna means 'myrrh'. Smyrna was known for its export of Myrrh. Smyrna and Myrrh Myrrh is referenced several times in the New Testament. It was one of the gifts brought by the Wise Men to the young Jesus, it was offered to Jesus with wine on the cross and it was used in His burial. In the Old Testament it was used as anointing oil for consecrating priests and kings (Exodus 30: 23-25) and in the New Testament it was used for embalming (John 19:39). A Letter to Smyrna Revelation is the only book that specifically mentions the church that existed in Smyrna. It was one of the seven churches that was sent a specific letter. We read this letter in Revelation 2: 8-11. The church is described as being poor and yet rich. It is known for its works and the tribulations it has endured. It begins with a title for God, the First and the Last, and Jesus, who was dead, and came to life. God sees this church and knows it. He sees what it is enduring and how it is suffering. It is a church in action, zealously proclaiming the word of God in the face of persecution. No Criticism Of the seven letters to the churches this was the only letter that does not include a criticism. How wonderful to know that the Lord was pleased with them. As Peter tells us in I Peter 5: 10 after our suffering Jesus will "perfect, establish, strengthen and settle" us. The persecutions that this church endured had perfected, established, strengthened and settled it. Rich With the Knowledge of God The Christians in Smyrna were poor, perhaps because of their persecution. But the letter says they were rich! Why was it rich? Because in spite of a lack of worldly possessions it had the most prized possession of all. It had the knowledge of the saving grace of our Lord. It is an interesting contrast to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:17-18 which was told that, even though they think they have no needs, they are actually "wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked". The Persecuted Church The Christians in Smyrna were persecuted by many. They were persecuted by the Romans who expected them to acknowledge and worship the emperor and by the pagans, the popular culture of the day, who had temples to Cybele and Zeus, as well as temples to Apollo, Asklepios, and Aphrodite. This scripture also tells us that the 'so called' Jews persecuted them. John calls them a 'Synagogue of Satan'. Why did he call them this? Because by not acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah, they had shown who they stood with, and it was not God. Do Not Fear The church received a command, not to be afraid. So many times the Lord in His word tells us to not be afraid. Why does God tell us this? Because as Isaiah 41:10 explains, it is God who strengthens, helps and upholds us. Even in the face of great persecution we shouldn't fear. Blessed Are They Who Endure The letter to Smyrna goes on to inform the church that for a time things will be very bad. The devil will cause some of them to be thrown in prison and even killed. But faithfulness to the end has a great reward. To those who are faithful, even with such great persecution, will come a crown of life! James 1:12 tells us that God promises a crown of life to people who love Him. If persecution comes we need to pray that like the church in Smyrna we too will be faithful and endure to the end. The Holy Spirit Says to Hear The Holy Spirit speaks to the church and the church is instructed to 'hear'. The church was to take heed of what is being said. The Spirit says, to the ones who overcome, the second death will not hurt. Who are the ones who overcome? In John 16:33 Jesus says He has overcome the world. It is through Him that we are overcomers also. Romans 8: 35-37 tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Paul says we are like "sheep for the slaughter" and yet because Jesus loves us we are "more than conquerors." The Second Death And what is the second death that will not affect those who overcome? Revelation 21:8 says: "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Polycarp the Martyr A famous story of persecution during the first century comes from the church at Smyrna. The Bishop of the church there, Polycarp, in about 160AD, was brought before Roman authorities and told to publicly reject Christ and acknowledge the emperor as God. Polycarp had personally known the apostle John. He is quoted as saying, "86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?" He was then burned at the stake and stabbed through the heart according to records of the event. Be Faithful, Fear Not and Hear How wonderful if today our church could hear a word from God and there would be no criticism in it. How faithful are we? Would we be faithful "unto death"? Would we, like the church at Smyrna, "fear not"? Will we "hear"?

Is Serving God Worth It When Others Prosper? Have you ever wondered whether serving God is really worth it? When we see dishonest people prosper while faithful Christians struggle, it can seem as though obedience goes unnoticed. The people of Malachi's day wrestled with the very same question, and God answered them in Malachi 3:16 with one of the most encouraging promises in Scripture. One of the complaints of the people of the prophet Malachi's time was that they felt it was useless to serve God. They did not see blessings on their lives. They saw evildoers prospering and wondered what good it did them to be obedient to God (Malachi 3:14-15). After hearing their complaints, God responded, "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a Book of Remembrance was written before Him..." Malachi 3:16 This same misunderstanding continues today, often appearing in a different form. Preachers of the so-called "prosperity gospel" claim if we are Christians, we will be wealthy. They claim everything good will come our way. But what if it doesn't? Does that mean that God has forgotten us? No! It means that God's blessings are ultimately fulfilled in living with Him eternally in Heaven. There is no instant gratification in the Christian life. Forgotten by God? The Jewish people had a history of feeling as though God had abandoned them. In Psalm 94:7 they accuse God of not seeing or perceiving their problems. In Ezekiel 8:12 they accused God of abandoning them. Today we may feel that God has forgotten us in our sorrow and trouble. But the God we worship is a God who sees me. The Psalmist knew God remembered him. In Psalm 139:16 David says this, "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them." God has never abandoned His faithful. God knows everything about our lives from beginning to end. He sees the good things we do; He sees the bad. He knows where our heart lies - either with Him or against Him. He knows if we truly love. This truth is not just comforting; it is recorded and confirmed in a remarkable way. A Book of Remembrance In Malachi 3:16 the prophet tells the people that God has written a "book of remembrance" for those who fear Him and meditate on His name. The people of Malachi's day would have been familiar with the concept of a book of remembrance. Kings kept such books to remember service that had been rendered to them by various people so they would not be forgotten and would be rewarded. The Book of Remembrance does not suggest that God needs help remembering His people. Scripture often uses human language to help us understand divine truths. The Book of Remembrance is a picture of God's perfect knowledge and His promise that the faithfulness of His people is never overlooked. Every act of obedience, every quiet sacrifice, and every expression of faith is known to Him. God tells Malachi in the next verse that "On the day that I act" He will spare those who fear and meditate on Him and that is when the distinction will be made between those who served Him and those who did not. God remembers His faithful ones. In Psalm 105:45 we are told that even after the Israelites had rebelled and forgotten God that "He remembered His covenant" that He had made with them. They are His people, as are we who love Him. Scripture gives us a beautiful illustration of how a book of remembrance worked in the ancient world. The King Remembers Mordecai In Esther 6:1-3 we read about a king and his "book of remembrance." The King was unable to sleep and called for his "records of the chronicles" to be brought to him. Recorded there was the fact that Mordecai had revealed a plot against the king's life and yet he had not been rewarded. The king declared that great honors be bestowed on him. Earthly kings eventually forget their servants, but our heavenly King never does. His remembrance extends beyond this life into eternity. Heaven is Our Reward In Matthew, Mark, and Luke Jesus tells us our reward is in Heaven. Our desired haven is with Him there. In Luke 10:20 Jesus tells the disciples that their joy should be found in the fact that their names were "written in Heaven." Many times when we are faithful to God we will see heartaches, disappointments, and sorrow but when we persevere in doing good, we will see our reward (2 Corinthians 5:10). The Book of Life Our names are written in Heaven in the book of life, if we are a Christian. Throughout the Bible (Exodus, Psalm, Daniel and Revelation) we read about this book of life. In Revelation 20:12 John says that our names were written in it "before the foundation of the world". The Lord sees us and knows us. He does not forget His children. Revelation 3:5 explains that for those who overcome their names will never be removed from the book of life. In John 16:33 Jesus tells us that He has overcome the world. Although Scripture distinguishes between the Book of Remembrance in Malachi and the Book of Life mentioned throughout the Bible, both remind us of God's complete knowledge of His people and His faithfulness to those who belong to Him. In Revelation 22:12 the Lord says this, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done." God's "book of remembrance" guarantees that when we follow God, even when those around us may not, our names and actions are written there. As 1 Samuel 26:23 tells us God rewards those who are righteous. He rewards the faithful. Our prayer is that the God of recompense sees us as His faithful and righteous children. We may never receive recognition for our faithfulness in this life. Many acts of obedience are seen only by God. Yet Scripture reminds us that nothing done in love for Him is ever forgotten. Our King remembers, and one day He will reward those who have remained faithful to Him. I

God sees and knows our needs. God knows more than anything that in our weakness we need Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 (a) says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." God Will Show Himself Strong If we are sincere and faithful to the Lord He will "show Himself strong" on our behalf. He will defend and provide for us. He will watch over and protect us. Like David before the Philistine giant, God will defend us. David had seen God's hand of protection before. He told Saul that God had rescued him from a bear and a lion and that he would also rescue him from Goliath. David fully trusted God to show Himself strong. If God Is For Us Many times we think God is not for us, that He is against us. When bad things happen we want to blame Him. If we love Him and are faithful, then as Paul says in Romans 8:31, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Paul experienced more suffering than many of us can imagine and yet He concludes that God is for us! No matter the suffering we endure we are not separated from the love of Christ. (Romans 8: 37-39) Elisha's Servant's Eyes Are Opened In 2 Kings Chapter 6 we read the story of Elisha and the Syrian army. The Syrian army came and surrounded the city at night. Elisha's servant seeing the many warriors was worried. What would become of them? Elisha prayed that his servant's eyes would be opened that he could see that His Lord was with him, his God was for him. Then in 2 Kings 6: 17(b)-18 we read what happened, "Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. So when the Syrians came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, and said, “Strike this people, I pray, with blindness.” And He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha." Elisha had no doubts about who was on his side. He knew already who it was that was for him. God is Our Refuge In Psalm 91: 1-2 we are told, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” When we trust totally in God's love and protection then He will be our refuge, the fortress we run to for protection. Why do I know this to be true? Because when my trust is placed fully and completely in Him, He will be faithful, as ever, to His word. The Lord Surrounds His People How blessed are we that our Lord surrounds us. "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the Lord surrounds His people From this time forth and forever." Psalm 125:2 Our Lord lifts us up, lives within us and watches over us forever. We will one day live with Him and our victory over death, made possible by his Son, will be ours. God Protects Us In Job, God describes Job as a "man who fears God and shuns evil". (Job 1: 8) . The Devil speaks up and basically says it's easy for Job to be obedient because, the devil tells God, God had placed "a hedge and around him and his household and everything he has". (Job 1:10). In Biblical times people would literally surround their homes with thorny hedges to keep out animals. This is a metaphor they would understand. God literally can protect us in the same way today if we "fear God and shun evil". Our Faith Protects Us God protects us also through the gift of faith. In Ephesians 6: 16 Paul tells us this, "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." The greater our faith in God the more our shield will protect us. The Holy Spirit Restrains Evil Our greatest gift of protection is found in the Holy Spirit. According to 2 Thessalonians 2: 7 "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way" The restrainer of evil and lawlessness is the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit present in us and in the world, the Devil would have the ability to do evil like we cannot even imagine. God Promises and Does What He Promises The word of God promises, and God does what He promises: He sees our need; God shows Himself strong; He is our refuge; He places protection around us; He blesses us with the gift of faith, our shield against evil; and He gives us the Holy Spirit who restrains evil. Thanks be to the Lord!

Legalism. This word is defined by dictionary.com as dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith. When you stress obedience apart from faith you are left with legalism. No one wants to be called legalistic. However, in 2 Peter 2: 19 Peter says, "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage." In this verse Peter describes false teachers. People in the church who are eloquent speakers and who according to verse 18, entice people with sexual sin without any consequences. To new Christians who have just come to the faith this sounds very good. They can continue in their worldly behavior and don't have to worry about it. These false teachers speak as if obedience to the Word is the same as legalism. A Standard of Conduct We know that God's word has a standard of conduct that we are expected to meet. In I Corinthians 6: 18 Paul tells us to "flee sexual immorality". This includes fornication, adultery, homosexuality, any manner of sexual immorality outside of marriage between a man and a woman. Today, in many churches we are told that it is judgmental to call these behaviors sin. Modesty is considered a laughable, old-fashioned behavior. I Timothy 2: 9-10 says women are to dress modestly and clothe themselves with good deeds. Today purity in music or television is excused as only something to be concerned about for our children (if at all). Slaves of Corruption So to return to 2 Peter 2: 19, what does Peter say happens to people who swallow the lies that sexual sin is nothing that serious? He says they become "slaves of corruption". They are "brought into bondage" by what overcomes them. These new Christians, who have just escaped the bondage of sin, are returned to it by listening to lying false teachers. The Need for Sanctification We are told by these false teachers that God loves us as we are, seemingly forgetting the need for sanctification in our lives. Sanctification is simply the experience of becoming more like Christ as we grow in our faith and knowledge of His word. We become more forgiving, more loving and also, very importantly, more obedient to the will of our Father. Transformed by the Holy Spirit We should always view those outside of Christ with a humble attitude because as Paul says, "such were some of you." (I Corinthians 6:11) We are not better than them, but we are forgiven. We are changed, transformed, by the Holy Spirit who now makes His home in each of us as Christians. If there is no change, then it is doubtful the Holy Spirit has been received. Picking and Choosing Today some of the problem comes from the fact that many people just pick and choose the parts of the Bible that they want to apply to themselves. If it doesn't fit with their own personal idea of what is "truth" then they just reject it. As Christians we profess to believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God. Did you really hear that last part? The word of God! The Creator of the Universe has given us a book, not to dismiss out of hand because we don't like what it says, but to treasure it and keep it close to our hearts. Honesty vs Truth A person can speak honestly about themselves; they love the person they are sexually involved with, or they believe themselves to be gay, or their husband/wife is mean to them and they are seeking love somewhere else but that does not mean they speak truth. The truth we all have to search for is God's truth, not what I think truth should be, but what truth really is. God wants us to find joy in our lives and He knows the best way for each of us to find it, is by being obedient to His will in all things. Obedient to things that are easy as well as things that are hard for us. Forgiveness So if you have fallen into a trap of sin that is leading you into bondage, seek God's forgiveness. He is a gracious God. Pray for the help of the Holy Spirit to overcome the temptations of the Devil and pray that God will lead you in the way of truth. Seek Him while you can.