03/29/21 FOLLOW THE LEADER #2 (1 Sam.14:6-23)

Studying the Scripture now, let’s see how the Hebrews won a God-sized victory in the face of DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES and OVERWHELMING ODDS. Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart. Ask Him to show you, tell you what HE wants YOU to do. I’m EXCITED to see WHAT GOD WILL DO!

But, first, I want to INTRODUCE you BRIEFLY to my FAVORITE technique for PREPARING to TEACH, PREACH or STUDY ANY Bible passage: It’s an ACRONYM… R.E.A.P.: READ, EXAMINE, APPLY, PROVE

1.READ (WHAT Does It SAY?)

2.EXAMINE (WHAT Did & Does It MEAN?)

3.APPLY (HOW Does It WORK?)

4.PROVE (PUT it into PRACTICE in Your PERSONAL Life, Family, Job, Church)

TRUST ME; IT WORKS! It’ll revolutionize your ability to understand and obey God’s Word. I URGE YOU—GIVE IT A TRY!

03/26/21 FOLLOW THE LEADER #1 (1 Sam.14:6-23) [ NOTES from a recent message of mine ]

FOLLOW THE LEADER—A Children’s Game: Do Exactly as the Leader Does OR You’re OUT of the Game! But what we’re talking about here today is DEFINITELY NOT A GAME!

With Covid, Civil Unrest and Violence, “Cancel Culture,” Brutal Cold and so on, we’ve been reminded just how WEAK we are, We are DEFINITELY NOT IN CONTROL! It sure seems like NEARLY EVERYTHING is BROKEN—our Government, Justice, Economy, Agriculture, Environment, Air, Water, Schools, Medicine, Science, Businesses, Families, Marriages, our Way of Life and EVEN OUR CHURCHES seem to be IN SHAMBLES! You name it, OUR SIN has broken it, seemingly beyond fixing! WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

Eons ago my Richmond, VA HS Football team was UNDEFEATED, State Champions… The Fourth Quarter was OUR Quarter; NOT Tired; NEVER Knelt, Drank Water, or Unbuckled Our Chin Straps. “Fourth Quarter!”—a CHALLENGE for OUR Team and a WARNING to our Opponents. No matter the score, we are STRONG, FIT and READY TO GO, PEDAL TO THE METAL! WE WILL WIN THIS GAME! Break the Huddle—HUA!

Well, FOR YOU AND ME TODAY, it’s the “FOURTH QUARTER!” And our “TEAM” is WAY BEHIND! There’s NOT Much Time left; We MUST Get to WORK A.S.A.P.! The STAKES ARE TOO HIGH — WE MUST WIN THIS BATTLE! (MORE to come…)

 03/22/21 PITIFUL EXCUSES and GOD’s PATIENCE and PROVISION #8

Exodus 6:6-9 (ESV) 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I AM THE LORD, AND I WILL BRING YOU OUT from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I WILL DELIVER YOU FROM SLAVERY to them, and I WILL REDEEM YOU with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I WILL TAKE YOU TO BE MY PEOPLE, and I WILL BE YOUR GOD, and YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I WILL BRING YOU INTO THE LAND THAT I SWORE TO GIVE TO ABRAHAM, TO ISAAC, AND TO JACOB. I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU FOR A POSSESSION. I AM THE LORD.’” 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, BUT THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO MOSES, because of their BROKEN SPIRIT AND HARSH SLAVERY.

God instructed Moses to remind Israel of what they had previously been told: of God's remembering the covenant with Abraham, of His seeing their misery, of His delivering them from it, of His granting to them the land of Canaan, and thus taking them there. The repetitive "I WILL" (7 TIMES!) marked GOD'S PERSONAL, DIRECT INVOLVEMENT in Israel's affairs. Bracketed, as they were, by the declaration, "I AM YAHWEH," denoted CERTAINTY OF FULFILLMENT.

“BROKEN SPIRIT AND HARSH SLAVERY”: The bondage was so great that it blocked out even the stirring words Moses had just delivered to them (vv. 6-8). (adapted from The MacArthur Study Bible)

03/19/21 PITIFUL EXCUSES and GOD’s PATIENCE and PROVISION #7

Exodus 4:13-17 (ESV) But he said, “OH, MY LORD, PLEASE SEND SOMEONE ELSE.” 14 Then THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS KINDLED AGAINST MOSES and he said, “Is there not AARON, YOUR BROTHER, THE LEVITE? I KNOW THAT HE CAN SPEAK WELL. Behold, HE IS COMING OUT TO MEET YOU, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 YOU SHALL SPEAK TO HIM AND PUT THE WORDS IN HIS MOUTH, AND I WILL BE WITH YOUR MOUTH AND WITH HIS MOUTH AND WILL TEACH YOU BOTH WHAT TO DO. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and YOU SHALL BE AS GOD TO HIM. 17 And TAKE IN YOUR HAND THIS STAFF, WITH WHICH YOU SHALL DO THE SIGNS.”

“OH, MY LORD, PLEASE”: Moses' fifth and final statement, notwithstanding the opening supplication, was a polite way of bluntly saying, "Choose someone else, not me!" The anger of God toward this overt expression of reluctance was appropriate, yet the Lord still provided another way for His plan to move forward unhindered. Providentially (v. 27), Aaron would meet his brother Moses, and positively respond to being the spokesman.

“AND I… WILL TEACH YOU BOTH”: The plural pronoun "you" means that God had promised to assist both of them in their newly appointed duties.

“YOU SHALL BE AS GOD TO HIM”: Aaron would speak to the people for Moses, even as Moses would speak to Aaron for the Lord.

“THIS STAFF, WITH WHICH YOU SHALL DO THE SIGNS”: Moses, despite God's anger at his unwillingness, retained superiority in that he had the instrument by which miracles would be done so that it was identified as "the staff of God" (v. 20). (adapted from The MacArthur Study Bible)