Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

Why?
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get the other side, right? (Okay, you can stop laughing now.) Why did God  part the red sea? So the Israelites could get to the other side, right? Wrong. Why did God part the red sea? To trap Pharaoh's Army...maybe? Not quite.

The Passage Begun
Let's take a look at the passage. Exodus 13:17 says, "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, 'lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.' Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt."

No Accident
One of the things that we learn from this passage is that God intentionally lead the Israelites "around by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea". It was no accident that they came to the Red Sea; God led them there to fulfill His purposes. 

Ready For Battle
I also found it interesting that, "the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt." They were ready to fight, and there would indeed be a fight. The battle would not be fought by them, however. Once again Pharaoh changed his mind and decided that he was not going to let the Israelites get away that easily. Pharaoh and all his army went with him in pursuit of the Israelites, but God had a plan.

The Passage Continued
Exodus 14:10-18 says,"When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, 

"'Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.'  And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.  The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'
"The Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.' "

"I will get glory"
Within chapter 13 and 14, God mentions getting glory three times. In Exodus 13:4 He says, "I will get glory over Pharaoh."Again in 14:17 God says, "I will get glory over Pharaoh." Yet again He says in 14:18, "When I have gotten glory over Pharaoh." The recurring theme in this passage is God's glory. Yes, this is the main reason God parted the sea. He was going to deliver the Israelites, and He was going to triumph over the Egyptians. More than that though, He was going to get glory, and the Egyptians would, "Know that [He] [was] the LORD," This is why God parted the red sea.

God the Deliverer, God the Destroyer
Before I draw this to a close, I have two more point to make. First, God was not only glorified in delivering His people but also in destroying those who were not His. His love and mercy were shown by providing a divine way of escape for the Israelites, and His power and righteous judgement was shown in destroying the Egyptians.
Secondly, In the same way that God was glorified by delivering some and destroying some, He will one day receive glory in condemning some to Hell and saving those who repent and trust Christ. This is  a difficult thing to understand. Isaiah 55:9 says,"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Sometimes we cannot understand God's ways, but who are we to question Him?

"You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, "Romans 9:19-23

It is true that God's glory is His main objective in all His actions, and His glory should also be our main objective in all our actions. Whose glory are you seeking?

Unthinkable Forgiveness

The Unexpected Reunion

There she was. I could not believe my eyes! I had never thought I'd see her again, but she was standing in front of me! I was shocked and lost myself in the mixed emotions I felt from my past. It had been nine years, but I still remembered so many things. This woman had hurt me and many other students in my class. I had struggled with scars from this woman my whole life, and now I was staring into her eyes. Did she know the grief she had caused me? Did she know how much I had struggled? Had she changed? Did she even remember me? One million thoughts were running through my mind.  As I stood face to face with her, I stood face to face with all the past pain, memories, and struggles she had caused me. I looked into her face with sorrow, but not bitterness. I looked into her face with a smile and forgiveness. I looked into her face with a deep longing for her to know the one who had offered me unthinkable forgiveness and who enabled me to forgive her when the thought of forgiveness seemed unthinkable to me.

The Unexpected Blessing

I was too young to know how to handle her abuse and thought I must deserve it. When my parents found out what was going on, they removed me from the school. I remember to this day what my mom told me. She told me,"This can make you bitter, or this can make you better. This experience can help you or it can hurt you." She encouraged me to forgive her and to have compassion for her. She also encouraged me to let the experience shape me into a more compassionate person. 

I do not regret having the experience that I had in first grade. If I had never been hated, I would not understand true love. True love enables you to love your enemies and to pray for those who mistreat you. I would not be able to sympathize with others in the same way that I can now if I had not had those experiences. I know how it feels to be hated, and I am determined to love others with Christ' love. God has used what man intended for bad in my life to work together for my good. He has turned my pain into progress and my grief to gratefulness. 

The Unthinkable Forgiveness

Forgiveness seemed unthinkable to me until I thought about something. I had sinned against the God of the universe and violated His holy laws. My just penalty was to receive God's wrath, but He did the unthinkable! The creator of all things humbled himself and became like the creature! Jesus Christ, the one and only son of God, bore God's wrath in my place on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin! Philippians 2:5-8 says ^"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." This forgiveness is incomprehensible and incredible!

The Unthinkable Empowerment
Because I have been forgiven everything, I can forgive anything! In Matthew 18:21-35 we read, ^"Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus *said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

 ^'For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.  When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.  But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and beganto choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.  So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

The Unthinkable Offer

Have you been forgiven for your sins against God? The Bible says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The Bible also says the wages of sin is death. We are all going to be judged by God and we will either get our just wage of death, or we will receive His mercy if we have been forgiven through his blood. Call out to Him, and He will save You! God offers you unthinkable forgiveness! If you trust Christ, God will grant you eternal life and give you a new heart. He will give you the power to forgive the unthinkable!

You Can't Buy Insurance for Tomorrow

I think one day I'll meet the man
I've prayed for, and we'll united.
I think we'll buy a piece of land
And start our own home site.

I think we'll have many children
Who will run around my house.
I think God will graciously save them,
And they'll one day meet a spouse.

I think I will have many grandchildren,
And they'll ask what I believe.
I'll share the gospel with them, and then
I'll pray they will receive.

I that think I will watch them grow
And even raise their babies.
I think these things, but I can't know.
God may have other plans for me.

I think that I will live to be
As old as one hundred years.
I'll think that I'll be all wrinkly,
And may loose my ability to hear.

But God may have planned that I'd die
After one more year's gone by.
Maybe my life will be much harder.
Maybe He's planned I'll die a Martyr.

What if he wants to show his power
 In teaching me how weak I am.
Pain might teach to trust each hour
I may walk alone in this land.

I may not live until tomorrow!
I may die this very night!
There is no time that I can borrow!
No time to rest during this fight.

Christ could return before I die.
I want to be faithful in His sight.
We may not have much more time.
Christ will return as a thief in the night.

How old do you think you will live to be?
How long do you think you'll live?
You'll find you'll live accordingly
Wasting time if there's time to give.

You can't insure time on this earth,
But be sure if you trust Christ
He'll give you second birth.
In Him there's insurance for life.

Trust Christ and don't waste today counting on tomorrow.


Our Condition
*We are guilty before God of breaking his laws. (Romans 3:23)
* The just sentence for our sins,law breaking, is death. (Romans 6:23)
* We will go to "court" and stand before a righteous judge. (Hebrews 9:27)
* He cannot overlook our sins justice must be satisfied. (Isaiah 45:21)

Breaking News
BUT GOD IS MERCIFUL AND NOT JUST, JUST! How can God be both just (which is giving us what we deserve, hell) and merciful (which is giving us what we don't deserve, heaven) at the same time? He satisfied justice for us. The price still had to be paid, but He paid it in full for those who repent and place their faith in Him! By Jesus' death on the cross, He took our guilt upon Himself, He satisfied God's wrath against sinners, and He made a way to righteousness for us.  Righteousness means a right standing with God, the Judge. Jesus is the only way to salvation! (John14:6, Acts 4:12) If you put your faith in Christ and ask him to forgive you, you will be saved!( John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8, Acts 16:31)

Faith and Repentance are Inseparable
True faith is trusting in Christ alone for your righteousness, and it is always accompanied by repentance (forsaking and hating your sins and submitting to God). You will still sin sometimes as a Christian, but if you confess your sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:9) However, there is a difference between believing in God's existence and true faith. James 2:19 says " You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and shutter." Even Satan and the demons believe in God's existence, but they do not have a surrendered heart to Him. When you are saved, God gives you his Holy spirit to dwell in you. The holy spirit gives you power to overcome sin. Demons do not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. You are not saved by turning from your sins, but turning from your sins is a result of salvation. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone.

Your Servant in Christ,

Dallas