one GOD to worship

Imagine being oppressed each day by your slave drivers.  Imagine what it would be like to fear for your children and spouse’s safety as they would go out to build a new temple or pyramid.  The abuse the Hebrew people had to endure at the hand of the Egyptians is almost unimaginable.  With that said, if you were a Hebrew all you have ever known is Egyptian culture and religion.  Of course you have heard the stories of Abraham and the promise his God made to him, some even keep the faith, but most don’t.  Maybe you feel guilty or maybe you don’t give it a second thought, but you have very little connection to the God of your people.  Imagine what it would have been like when Moses arrived with the announcement that God was about to free them from their oppression.  Follow that with ten amazing plagues that destroyed your Egyptian oppressors economically, culturally, and spiritually.  The Egyptians served many gods and each plague was a direct attack on those gods.  The Nile was worshipped as a god, so God turned it into blood.  The sun was worshipped, so the God darkened it.  Scholars believed that Egypt even worshipped the first born; so God destroyed them. 
Imagine witnessing the destruction of Egypt’s gods followed by God’s miracles of provision in the desert.  So would it have been so difficult to understand that God’s first command to His people was simply “You shall have no other gods before me”. Until Moses showed up, I think that the idea of having only one God was a new concept to the Hebrew people.  But ever since that command God has expected His people to throw away the gods of their past so that they would Love Him with all of their heart, soul, and mind.  What gods are getting in the way of your faith?  What gods do you need to throw away so that you can serve the only one true God?   Vic

The Battle Vs. Sin

The battle for Jericho was a sure thing, God delivered the city into Israel’s hands. It was simple, God spoke, the people listened and served, and the victory was secured. After the battle was won, the Israelites were to gather the treasures of Jericho and bring them before the Lord as an offering. As we know, that didn’t happen completely. An Israelite named Achan and his family decided to keep some of the plunder for themselves, in Joshua 7, Achan said “it was too much to resist”. So he took some of the treasure, and in effect stole from God. The battle for Jericho was a military victory, but was it a spiritual victory? The lost battle against sin. In Ephesians 6 Paul said our battle is not with flesh and blood, but against the dark forces of this world that tempt us to disobey God. Sometimes the activities of serving God can be the easy battle to win, the bigger battle is with the secret sin that so easily entangles us. Whatever battle you are going through, remember that our greatest battle occurs in our hearts each day. So when your heart tempted, that is when more than ever you need lean upon, for with Him the battle will be won! Vic

Find God First!

One of the ugliest events in Biblical history was followed by one of the most beautiful acts of humility. The ugly event I am referring to happened when Moses had been gone from people on Mount Sinai. The people grew impatient and demanded that Aaron make a golden calf for them to worship. The people gave up on the God who saved them from the Egyptians. The events recorded in Exodus 32 are the epitome of adultery and sinfulness. Moses pleaded God, so He did not destroy Israel, but He was still angry because of their rebellion. What happened? They tried to go to the Promised Land without God. It was a costly mistake that had severe consequences. So in Exodus 33 God told Moses, “take the people to Canaan, and I will send an angel to lead them to victory.” Then God said “but I’m not going with you, I don’t want to be with them anymore.” The people along with Moses were heartbroken and overwhelmed with the idea that God wasn’t going to be with them anymore. Moses pleaded with God saying, “we need you, without you we are no different than the rest of world; the best thing we have going is you.” Of course I paraphrased some of that, but you get the idea; without God they were lost. Being with God was the goal, that was their purpose and it did not matter how much land or blessing they had. The promise land was always secondary to that which was primary, being with God is our designed purpose; without Him nothing else matters.


Are we guilty of doing the same thing today? Are we trying to get to the Promised Land without God? We all want to go to heaven, but do we all want to be with God? What makes life, church, and heaven so special is our eternal, powerful, and loving God. Without Him what’s the point? It is God who created us, who loved us, died for us, and forgave us. What makes us special is our relationship with God, because when we are with Him we become more like Him; we too begin to love, sacrifice and forgive. Don’t try to get to Heaven without God, first of all it’s not possible, secondly it’s a destructive way to live. So if you want to get to Heaven, find God first!

Giants Vs. Partiots

Today is the Big Game, two sides trying to occupy the one title of champion.  Who do you think will win, will it be the Patriots or the Giants?  Who knows?  Being a Texans fan I might just say “who cares?”  I only say that because I wish my team had made it this far.  So who will win?  Patriots or Giants?  Maybe we can look to the Bible for the answer?  You might not know this but in the Old Testament there is an epic story of a battle between patriots and giants that was filled with drama and uncertainty, in this story it was the patriots that were outmatched and it was the giants who were overconfident.  And if it hadn’t have been for a last second throw by a rookie, the Giants would have prevailed.  You know the story I’m talking about right?  In 1 Samuel the Israelites were fulfilling their patriotic duty and fighting for their country against the Philistines who were led by their champion, a giant named Goliath.  Israel seemed outmatched in every way possible, the Philistines were technologically more advanced, better funded, and confident; they were also led by a real life giant?  For some reason Israel was weary and afraid, their heart just wasn’t in the upcoming battle; patriotism was just not enough.  Things got worse, the giant demanded a challenger who would settle the battle once and for all between the two sides.  No one from Israel stepped up.  It looked like the Giants were going to win that day, when all of a sudden a young shepherd boy reminded the king of Israel of the real reason why they were fighting the Philistines.  They were not there to just honor their country, they were there to honor their God.  The shepherd boy named David went up to face the giant armed with only a sling shot and five stones.  When David slung the rock, the giant had no chance against it, because on that day it wasn’t a rock, a sword, or an army of patriots that won the battle, it was the power of God working in the life of a young  man who chose to honor His God above all else.  So, in the bible the Patriots beat the Giants.  Whatever giant struggle you are facing, don’t give up, and just remember that the greatest strength comes when we choose to honor our God above all else.