01/19/2018
Notes from the Pastor's desk---January:
Exodus 20:18-19---And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. This is an interesting passage of Scripture. We see God's own people, people that He has delivered from slavery in Egypt, people that He has led, aided, protected, and fed in the wilderness telling Moses: we will listen to you, but, we just can't take God's way of speaking to us. It was not that God's way was not interesting and exciting, but that they literally say: "lest we die". "Lest we die" can be rendered: out of fear. They were afraid that God was going to tell them something that they did not desire to do and would therefore bring His judgment upon them when they failed to carry this out. I'm afraid that many, just like these in our reading, hear the Word of God, and want no more of it. They use preachers, books, and other translations of the Bible to give them an excuse to do as these in our story---remove and stand afar off. People have produced an atmosphere where they can get what they want without personal interaction with the "holy" side of God and His real desire for their lives. Many like someone standing and supposedly teaching or preaching the Word of God in a setting where they can decide whether or not they really like it and how they apply it to their lives. One of the signs of the last days---II Timothy 4:3---for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. Yes, many desire a person to speak to them instead of God! They do not want to hear what God really wills and expects from their time here on earth.