Coming Soon.

Society, community, government, family, and religion expect us to meet certain requirements at all ages in our lives, whether or not we have all that is needed to meet those requirements.

So, how do we meet those requirements?  God!

First, consider the Children of Israel (COI), other OT people, then us. 

Genesis 37 -50
The Children of Israel came to be citizens of Egypt through Joseph, the son of Jacob. 
You've heard the story: 
Joseph's hateful brothers put him in a pit. He was sold twice. The second transaction for his life revealed that the Lord was with him. Weapons were formed against him but they did not prosper. Joseph's gift made room for him. He was favored and made Governor of Egypt, the position that was second only to Pharaoh, King of Egypt. 

Famine hit the land. Governor Joseph, whose King had plenty of food, was glad to care for his brothers when they travelled to Egypt in search of food. His brothers did not know Joseph was Governor before they approached him. Joseph, holding no grudges against his brothers, commanded that his whole family (parents, eleven brothers, spouses, children, etc.) move to Egypt so they would be well during the famine. Joseph's family lived happily and gratefully in Egypt, prospering and growing.

THEN ...
Exodus 1 -
Joseph, his brethren, and all that generation died.
The children of Israel had been fruitful, increased abundantly, multiplied, and were exceeding mighty. The land was full of them! 
A new Pharaoh arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He was intimidated by the multitude of the Children of Israel, who were just happily living life with no plans to revolt.
The new King's fear led him to enslave them, put slave masters over them, and afflict them with the heavy burdens of building cities for him. 

In spite of the enslavement, the COI multiplied. Pharaoh became very afraid of the COI. 

*Does that sound familiar to you? People fear and hate you because you're too happy, peaceful, joyful, unwavered by life's problems or by their attacks against you, etc.

VS 14 - And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service wherein they made them serve, was with rigor (harshness, severity, cruelness).
​
Exodus 5
New Pharaoh ordered the killing of all COI new baby boys, which led to the saving of Moses, who God eventually called to get COI released from Egyptian bondage.
When the time arrived for Moses to step into the shoes God formed for him, Moses asked Pharaoh to allow the COI to go into the wilderness to hold a feast unto God.
Pharaoh was furious, called them idle (lazy) and gave orders that they be given MORE work to do.

The caveat:  Pharaoh also took away the straw needed to make the bricks for all the buildings the COI had to construct for the new cities. In this one thing, The Children of Israel, failed. The search for straw (previously provided by Pharaoh) was time-consuming, futile and brought more punishment, YET, it was the catalyst that brought about their complete escape from Pharaoh through GOD!

TIDBITS of the lesson:

The world wants parents to raise brick solid children so they'll be brick solid adults, but will hold back the necessities to get it done.
 
The world wants us to be brick solid productive members of society, but will hold back and vote against the necessities to get it done.

The world wants you to be a brick solid leader and employee, but will hold back the necessities needed to meet the requirements

The world - meaning society, absent parents, government, politicians, law enforcement, educational institutions - insists on certain results from certain people, but will hold back what is needed to accomplish those results, such as: ... ..

The world requires 'bricks' but withholds the 'straw'...etc.

But GOD! He came through for... 

I Kings 17
II Kings 4
Daniel 6
Acts 12

... To be continued. 

A few weeks ago, someone mentioned a Pastor whose last name is/was Pitts. I immediately remembered him from a college chapel service or class many years ago.

He spoke on Luke 11:24-26 
24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.


Pitts related the scriptures to new babies.  He said new babies are presented by God as 'clean houses' and that it is the responsibility of the parents, and everyone else in the child's life, to keep the new house (baby) clean, or else the demons that plagued the previous generation would see the clean house and would try to enter it with seven times the strength/stronghold/spirits.


Pitts used examples like alcohol, drugs, lasciviousness, anger, violence, pride, envy, lust, etc.  He said whereas the previous generation's issues (Mom or Dad) could drink on the weekends or evenings and be fine, the new clean house - the new baby - could or would be sought out by the same spirit that would have seven others with it, leading to the new baby not being able to handle alcohol 'as well' as the previous generation.  Previous generation - weekend drinkers. A new baby grows up to be an every evening alcoholic or a 24/7 alcoholic unable to properly function in society.  The same with drugs only experimented with by the previous generation but the new house falling victim to drug addiction. The same with lustful activities, for example, the Mom may 'do what she needs to do' to get funds to feed the family, whereas the new house (daughter or son) will be susceptible to the one plus seven spirits that draw them into deeper lasciviousness. Cigarette smokers...... Abusive..... Envious..... Prideful....


You get the meaning, right?  He said o-u-r responsibility with any new one (I would include new anybody - coworker, team member, government employee, etc.) is to make sure they remain the 'clean house' they are when God sends them here on Earth (or to the business, organization, political office, community group, etc.) - make sure they don't become corrupt or MORE corrupt than the 'family' they have become a part of.


​Amen? Amen.      



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