Deeper Furrow

The Problem With Pharaoh Exodus 14:4 “ And I will harden Pharaoh's heart , that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the  Lord . And they did so.” Exodus 14:8 “ And the  Lord  hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. ” Exodus 8:17 “ And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. ”      Man, with all the hardenings, it seemed like Pharaoh and his people were just puppets in the hand of God.  Like God pushed Pharoh’s button, “I hate you.  I hate you.”  Yet a voodoo doll on the shelf of history he was not.      God is ultimately responsible for hardening a man’s heart.  That is His job.  Without God, we could never turn from God.  It is only H

  Strike The Day      The day is like an egg.   If you try to crush it in the palm of your hand, the shell will resist the even force.   However, if you strike the egg on the edge of a pan, its insides will pour out.   Such with the day.      Routine can envelope us.   Trudging through the usual schedule, our minds wonder if we could tackle another hurdle.   Do we have that fighting spirit within us?   Are we able to overcome?   Today is yesterday’s careful forethought.   Tomorrow is the path of least resistance.   Next week falls off the calendar in boredom.      Strike the day!   Do something different.   Take a left, see the sights, and wonder at the new.   Do the goofy and mix it up.   Challenge your mind to solve change.   In so doing, you rock the boat.   You become a fresh breeze to those about. Romans 10:15b “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! ”      Sometimes a whistle precedes those walking wit

  The Merge Romans 12:2  “ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ” The   Second Law of Physics: Two objects cannot occupy the same place at the same time .      The morning commute.   That is the picture.   “Come away from her and be holy.”   None describes it better than the exit ramp.   But how do I get there?      Wake up in the morning.   Shower, shave and such.   Don clothing and eat breakfast.   I look like every other Joe.   Grab the lunch box and head out to the car waiting in the garage.   Cold start and the motor takes a bit.   Out of the alley and onto the street, I follow the usual route taking me closer to the highway.   From casual residential speed I accelerate to the onramp.   Checking over my shoulder twice, I propel my vehicle to merge into traffic.      This isn’t blood.   Not in a capillary.   I do not mix.   Faithfully I keep my

  That’s What Faith Does 1 Samuel 1:18  “ And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad . ” Hebrews 11;1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ”      Hannah was sick, sick to the bone.   Elkanah’s other wife jabbed at her and struck her where it hurt.   “You can’t have any kids!   Hardy dee har har!   You may get double portions, but I give him what he loves.   It’s called children Hannah.”      This was a yearly thing at Shiloh.   C an you imagine the sore thumb on the calendar.   “Oh, it’s sacrificing time again.   Wish I could just stay home.”   Elkanah didn’t know the depth of his wife’s pain.   “Ain’t I’s better than ten kinder to yuh Hannah?”   He then slipped her a bit more grub and thought she could eat her way out of depression.   Didn’t work.      Hannah said no to the food, save the drink, and took her tears to the house of the Lord

  To Each His Own Hebrews 9:27  “ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment : ” 2 Corinthians 5:10  “ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. ”      I work in a place where people make a choice.   Having emigrated from their home country, they can be employed on a visa or become naturalized.   The first gives them permission to work for a fixed time without being a citizen.   On the other hand, naturalization is obtained by a course that grants the person citizenship. Those on visa enjoy the rights as Americans, yet their names are not on the books so to say.   Those naturalized have demonstrated their desire to become legitimate partakers in the new country.       The next class of peoples working in America are illegals.   Those who have emigrated from their country without due process of our government.   They l

  Another Day      “You gotta wake up for something.”   I remember telling my oldest daughter that.   As she lay in her bed, I asked her what that was.   Being a swimmer, I don’t think she said, “Morning practice.”      What gets us out of bed in the morning?   Seriously, does Depression meet us when we open our eyes?   Do the pains and aches of a poor night’s sleep hold us back under the covers?   How about the chill of the bedroom air and a cold floor?   The first hurdle is the biggest.      Something has to buzz through our heads.   Thought coupled with the heart drive must throw our bodies out of the reclined state.   Another day…ugh!      What got Jesus up in the morning?   Caviar and crumpets didn’t make His breakfast plate.   One of the Mary’s doubtfully sang to Him a wake-up song.   “Jesus, oh Jesus, time to wake for dawn is nigh.   Jesus, oh Jesus, time to rise and shine…”   No.      He had to wake up for something like the rest of us.   He knew a hard night’s sleep.

  From Them To Theirs Ephesians 2:12  “ That at that time ye were without Christ , being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: ” Ephesians 3: 4  “ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6  That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs , and of the same body , and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: ”      Inclusion is the buzzword today in America.   Like playing with a big ball of playdough, all little lumps are formed into the whole.   In the end, one cohesive mass is wanted.   But as we know, there are always some pieces that have sat out too long.   As a result, the dried parts do not adhere to the rest, and we end with a chunky clump resisting play.      For thousands of years, we were the dried on

  Why Movies Work      You do realize that Man is the only creature that wears clothing.   Maybe we are the only ones who have something to hide.      The lawn mower buzzes, the leaf blower hums, and the trimmers threaten fingers.   So script we our environs.   We throw money to the curb of our properties.   Subdue the weeds and uproot the unwanted grasses which march across the green flats.   Determine the boundaries neatly set between what is order and what is wild .      Man is the only wild thing on earth.   All other creation obeys its Maker.   Only in Man do we find freewill, the ability to challenge God at His mark.   Hence, we strive to sculpt our surroundings.   We do so to cut our anxieties.   In the wilderness, we fear recompense.   In that testimony, we hear His voice warning us.   In our back garden, His voice is muffled in what we have determined to be reality.      Gate the community!   Obey the sedentary ordinances so given to keep order and ensure all are resp

  There Will Be A God      The next great event the Church will see is the Rapture.   Yes, I'm one of those types of guys.   But what to do with this scripture? Matthew 24:24  “ For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. ”      Who is the elect here?   I postulate He is referring to the ones reigning with Him in the millennium.      How about this one? 1 John 2:18  “ Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. ”      The Antichrist?   Shouldn’t we be looking for him?   Awe!   He be here or there.   No, again God talks of a time very distant from now.   The spirit of the antichrist is already here.   It works in the sons of disobedience leading them in rebellion against God’s Holy Spirit.   No big whoop.      What about this o

  Anne’s Ale      No sugar added.   Harvested just yesterday.   Granddaughters helped pick the clusters.   Some went in their mouths.   Correction, a lot went in their mouths.      It was a make a memory event.   Mom with youngen’s helped Grandma pull in the produce.   From vine to bowl, they serviced.   In the kitchen was another story.   With the stove too hot, little fingers met the boundary.   The juicer worked the magic and yielded forty-two pints of sweet gold.   Down in the pantry they will have their stay being nestle with other jars of love.   Pickles, peaches, pears, and more.   Anne’s busy hands promise our stock be sure.      How fortunate I am to have a wife who is a homemaker!   She surrounds me with comforts and makes me want to rest here.   A dripping facet she is not.   Quietness surrounds her as she works her ministries.      This home eases souls.   Coming in we unravel from this world’s upbraiding chide.   Stayers do not meet criticism here as comfort in rea

  Sojourning Sojourn: a temporary stay Hebrews 11: 8  “ By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country , dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. ”      This indeed is a strange place.   I call my house T.L.A. or Temporary Living Accommodations.   In the Air Force, TLA housed those who were just passing through.   Like airman using the base as a skipping stone to get to their next assignment.   Hotels of sorts, they offered the comforts of home on a smaller scale.      We are a people set in Babylon.   Even in Sodom as we shut the doors as night.   This world so interferes with our being that we look for a better place.   I remember a recent song saying this is no

  What He Meant Genesis 17:10  “ This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. ” Exodus 12:48a  “ And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the  Lord , let all his males be circumcised, ” Deuteronomy 7:6  “ For thou art an holy people unto the  Lord  thy God: the  Lord  thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. ” Romans 2:29  “ But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. ”      What is our mark as Christians?   Formerly, Jews took confidence in a surgical operation.   This after all, fulfilled the divine command, right?   A simple outward showing earmarked a faithful male Jew.   If God uses pictures in the Old Testament to convey spiritual understanding, then this biggie sh

  Bride Philippians 4:8  “ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. ” 2 Corinthians 10:5  “ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; ”      Music is powerful, especially to the ones given to it.   I was introduced to this Christian rock band in approximately 1994.   Since then, they have helped deprogram me.   From  1980 I had lived on a voracious diet of heavy metal music.   So pounded the rhythms through my head that it hit my heels at the Friday night street dance.   The local band, perched on a semi flatbed, blared their screeches as I flung about like a whirling dervish.   My calves hurt the next day.      There was

  Afterward Acts 1:9  “ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. ” Matthew 24:48  “ But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; ” 2 Peter 3: 8  “ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ”      Well, according to the Lord, we may be on day two.   Given a thousand years here or there, we wait for Him in expectation.   Seems like a cruel game to play with His Church.   We look back in Man’s history to see the changes and wonder if He is ever coming back.   Afterward, He has left us, but not as orphans.      We have in us the Great Testimony.   He has sealed us with His Spirit.   His presence

  Fortitude 1 Samuel 14 1 Samuel 14:10  “ But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the  Lord  hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us. ” Genesis 14 Genesis 14:14  “ And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. ”      Fortitude is to display courage in the midst of adversity.   These are only two accounts of ones so possessed it would seem.   In the face of danger, they mounted up their horses and did the killing.   Putting themselves in harm’s way, they won hero status.      Johnathon and Abraham, on the same level.   How about Jael?   She mustered the wherewith and drove the stake.   Barak and Deborah followed closely behind; the glory being taken from Barak since he did not take the bull by the horns.        Consider Caleb in taking the promised land. Joshua 14:12  “ Now therefore give me this mounta