The Third Plague: Gnats

 Exodus 8:16-19

 

August 25, 2025

 

The Third Plague: Gnats

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’”  And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.  The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So, there were gnats on man and beast.  Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

I can only imagine the problem this caused, gnats all over you morning and evening, in your food, everywhere.   My wife enjoys plants inside and outside of our home, and at times we have gnats.  I read that Perlite over the dirt will keep them out. It helps, also, that you have sink gnats, and there are ways to control them.  But those are just small problems.

I was thinking, has God allowed the evil one, the devil, to plague of fear and hate and evil so that we as a Church would awaken to our need of seeking the Face of God and doing the “IF”.  Many of God’s promises begin with If, the most common one quoted is 2 Chronicles 7:14, ^“ if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

So that brings up the question, who is He addressing then?  The chosen people, the Jewish race.  Who does that apply to in 2025?  First, let us address who it does not apply to, not those who go by the title of Christian, or those who are members of a so-called Church.  Not to any denomination, and not to a person because they were baptized as a child or adult.  Water never dies for anyone, nor has it saved you.

So, what is required to be a people of God?  I believe Scripture tells us it requires faith, that God will give to all who seek truth.  It also states it requires an understanding that you are a sinner and need God’s forgiveness.  An understanding that your good deeds are as filthy rags to a Holy God.  One must come with not one thing to offer God, and receive all that God has promised to be a child of His.

Let us look at the Scriptures;  John 1:12-13,  ^“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  1 Peter 2:9-10,  ^“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

My testimony was a process of being asked to attend a Bible study at a Holiday Inn in Corpus Christi, Tx.  I went in wondering why the man who invited me was going.  For six months, I attended that Bible study, and I began to grasp that the men there knew the God I was only informed about.  For most of those months, I tried to make deals with God about becoming one of His.  God does not make deals; there is only one way, and that is by Jesus. He tells us He is the door to the Father.

Six months later, I’m in Victory, Texas, staying in a hotel, and about 10 p.m. I put the key in the door and heard a voice, it say tonight the last night my Spirit will deal with you.  What did I do? I ran to that hotel Bible, and it opened to Romans chapter 10, and my eyes went to verses 9-10.  This is what it states: because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”  That night in a hotel, I exchanged my identity from Baptist to the start of dying to all that I put before my relationship with God. I confess, I had nothing of worth to offer Him, but I desire to become a son and receive the grace and forgiveness only He could give.  I exchange nothing of value and receive becoming a people of God.  I often go to 2 Corinthians 13:5; you might need to do that.

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Second Plague: Frogs

  

Exodus 8:1-15

 

August 24, 2025

 

The Second Plague: Frogs

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.  But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.  The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”  And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’”  So, Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.  But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”  Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.”  And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.  The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.”  So, Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.  And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.  But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

A request to Pharaoh, and a promise, the request, let my people go, and if you do not, I will send a plague of frogs.  God always keeps His promises, and the frogs covered the land, got into their beds, and the food.  So, what did the source of evil Pharaoh, the magicians, say? No big deal, we can also make frogs come on land, big problem; they had no secret ways to make the frogs go away.  So, all they did was add more frogs.

 

Now, if you want to get a leader's attention, since a plague on his nation, and he is in trouble.   We saw that in COVID, and the evil one used people like Bill Gates and his partners to use their clout to control the global response, with little oversight.  And now we know that the drug they pushed may have made many in the drug business rich, and they did great harm to many, and still are.  We still have magicians, and they know how to harm, but their drugs did not come close to the promises made.

 

We also witness that Pharaoh was a liar, and God had already told Moses the truth.  Do you recall the little man who claimed he was science? He was also a liar.  Not much has changed, we have a source of truth, his name is Jesus, and we still have the ones control by the evil one.

 

“Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.  The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.”  And that's what happens.  Yes, the old is forever new, men lie, and God always keeps His promises.

 

From our Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

  

 

                                                                  ​                                          Exodus 7:14-25

 

August 17, 2024

 

The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.  Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent.  And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed.  Thus says the Lord, “By this, you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.  The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”  And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.  And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.  But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So,  Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.  Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.  And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.

Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

 

Wake up, people, and I’m referring to all people, but especially the USA.  What does God want the Egyptian to understand, and you? “That He alone is God.” But just like in the USA, where Satan guides the hearts and minds of its people through the deception of this world's magicians, they come in many forms, the media, the politician, and they are easy for Satan to control by two of his false gods, money and power.   Today in the USA, we have two people running for the office of  President and Vice President who hate the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and they are trying to deceive the American voter into believing they have changed their spots, but a leopard never changes its spots or desire.  Now, if you are not a believer, you do not believe in Satan or God, and I have only this question: where does evil come from and good?

 

I have wondered why the media, both papers like the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and others, would knowingly tell lies, and it came to me that they like the money, and they obey those who control them.  So once again, we find it is the Love of money, that little god they are bowing down to above all else.   The Bible talks about such people; in fact, Jesus, the source of Truth, tells us it is not money that is evil, but it is the love of money, where a person will give up integrity and morals and choose evil to have money and power.   

 

If the real Church, not what shows up on Sunday, but the Church, would stand against evil and allow Christ to shine in their lives, we might see God withdraw the blood from the Nile of our nation.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

                                                             Exodus 7:1-13

 

August 16, 2024

 

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.  You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land.  But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.  The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”  Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.  Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

 

In the USA, we honor the men, both firefighters and policemen, who ran into the burning Twin Towers to save lives.  Is that not what God is asking Moses to go back to his people, who were slaves in Egypt, and bring them to freedom?

 

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”  So, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.  Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.  For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.  Still, Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

 

I may be in error in saying this, but I never heard of anyone other than Moses and Aaron that God gave this authority, yet how did the magicians and sorcerers do so?  They also were given the authority, but not from God, but the evil one, and he is a created being who has powers to deceive.  Now they were able to make their staffs into serpents, but God always has the last say in matters of His authority over all things.  So, Moses's staff swallowed up their staffs.

 

What is the Application we find in today's reading? It has nothing to do with serpents or staff; it has everything to do with obedience.  “Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.”

Are you about your Father's business, as I start my morning, that is my prayer, let Jesus be seen in me as I go.  Has He not said, ^“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  Many who go by the title of Christian have put that light under a blanket, not on the lampstand where their lives make a difference,

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

 

Exodus 6:14-30

 

August 15, 2024

 

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

These are the heads of their fathers' houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben.  The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon.  These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans.  The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years.  The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations.  Amram took as his wife Jochebed, his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years.  The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.  The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.  Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.  The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites.  Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans.

These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.”  It was they who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.

On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,  the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, all that I say to you.”  But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

 

Often, as we look for application in God’s word, we see the hand of God in the length of life.  Today, without modern medicine, life would be much shorter, and yes, we who look and believe see the hand of God.

But if you are a seeker of truth, you will see the unbeliever not beliving in God but in themselves.  The thing both Morses and Arron would learn is that God never expects anything from them but obedience, and that is the whole truth for all who God used like Moses, to be His man of the hour.  Today, in both the USA  and Israel, we find ourselves under attack.  Israel is at war, and the enemy of hate who came to kill, steal, and destroy is using godless people like the leaders of Iran to be his tools.  We are in a different battle in the United States of America, the evil one is using the media, and men who have great wealth, who hate freedom, the Bill of Rights, and God, to try to destroy us.  What is the tool the evil one is using, money in all cases, and power, to control and rule?   The owner of the media tells those who work for them what to say and not say, so truth is not the goal; it is money.  And the same is true for many in all areas of government, money, and power, and their father is the real enemy, the devil.

 

We have raised a generation of people who have been pampered and self-centered, being fed lies about this nation and Israel, and their god is stuff.  Please pray that the Church will wake up and stand not for a political party, but for Truth. Jesus is the Truth.  

 

Note: Money is not a god you can trust.

 

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Who will I fully know

 

1 Corinthians  13:12

June 13, 2026

 

^“For now, we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”

The first question one must ask is, who will I fully know?  And who will fully know me?  Shall we look at Scripture that will give light to the answer?  Rick Warren quote: “It is not about you, it is about God.” 

Matthew 22:30 

“For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.“ Nowhere does it tell us whether angels are male or female; they seem to show up as male most of the time.

Revelation 21:1-7

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. ⁷ The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.”

I believe often we use earthly terms like emotions, but one must understand, your desire is not to see anyone but Jesus.  Jesus is your new groom, and the Church is His bride.  I do believe a follower ​of Christ needs to know the following: “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9. We also have 2 Corinthians 5;21.

If this verse were that the relationship you enjoy on earth would know all about you, that would bring sin into heaven. This verse is about you seeing clearly the ways of God, and in that you are in Christ, God sees you only as a son.

In 1 Corinthians 13:8–12, Paul speaks to the temporary nature of spiritual gifts and the hope that Christians have for a full, complete, and intimate knowledge of God in the future. This section reminds us that spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues and prophesying are not eternal. Love, however, is eternal and will never fail (verse 8 and verse 13). Therefore, love is what truly matters.

The expression face to face appears in 1 Corinthians 13:12. The full verse reads, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” The event described in this verse is often referred to as the “Beatific Vision” (to see God as He is), promised to Christians when Christ returns: “We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). In our present state, however, we only have an indirect and imperfect knowledge of God’s infinite wisdom, glory, and love. Thus, we cannot see God as He is.

Paul compares our present knowledge of divine things to a dark reflection in a mirror. In New Testament times, a mirror was formed from polished metal, which could only reflect a dim and imperfect image. Yet Paul promises that God will exchange our dim images for a face-to-face encounter with Himself. On that glorious day, the light of God will shine upon us, and we will be free from all darkness. imperfection, and error. We will know Him fully, even as we are fully known by Him. This mutual recognition and understanding is the epitome of a deeply intimate relationship. (The following is from Got Question)

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

God Promises Deliverance

                                                             Exodus 6: 1-13 

August 14, 2024

 

God Promises Deliverance

But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand, he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

 

God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord.  I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name, the Lord, I did not make myself known to them.  I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.  Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel, whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.  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.  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.  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.’”  Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

 

So, the Lord said to Moses,  “Go in, tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the people of Israel go out of his land.”  But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

 

As one who has come to grips with a need for a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, we have been given the Messiah in the flesh, and Jesus said this to Philip: ^“Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”  (John 14:9-11)  As I put that down, this verse came into my mind: John 14:20-21, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”  Do you get it? We have been put in an envelope and sealed with the Father, and the Son, and it is impossible to get to us without the Father and Son’s approval. 

 

God had shown Himself to the patriarchs, who were privileged to know the God who made the covenant, but for them, the covenant was barely fulfilled. The patriarchs knew God as the Maker of the covenant. Moses and the generation of the Exodus would know God as the One who fulfilled the covenant.

i.              The patriarchs knew the name Yahweh (it is used some 160 times in Genesis), but the great application of the name referred to God who kept and fulfilled the covenant: I have also established My covenant with them. “The patriarchs had only the promises, not the things promised.” (Kaiser)

 

ii.             As God Almighty: In addition, though the patriarchs knew God Almighty (El Shaddai), they did not know Him as extensively and intimately as He would reveal Himself to Moses and his generation. They knew the power of God, but didn’t have the same personal relationship and revelation that Moses would come to know. (Morgan)

 

Next, we see the promise of the fulfillment of the promise to the patriarchs, and then Moses coming to grips with uncircumcised lips.  He was not the first man God used; Isaiah had the same issue: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

 

It is a humbling time when we come to this understanding: “I can’t, you never said I could, you can, and you promised you would.”  Philippians 4:13, Philippians 4:13, ^“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

                                                                 

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice