Know Your Enemy

 

Know Your Enemy

 

If you do not know your enemy, how will you ever hope to defeat him?  This is one of the biggest problems facing Christians we have no understanding of the enemy of our soul.  By using the life of Esau, the older brother of Jacob, who despised his birthright and gave it to his brother Jacob for a bowl of stew, we will be able to have a better understanding of our flesh and how the Enemy works in our life. 

 

Why was the birthright that Esau despised of such importance?   Major Ian Thomas in “The Saving Life of Christ has the following to say on this subject; “The birthright was this – the promise that God had given to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed, note, as Paul points out in Galatians 3, “…. Seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.”  That is to say, the birthright involved the birth of Christ – the Seed of Abraham in particular, through the seed of Abraham in general, the One who would redeem man from his lost condition, and restore him to his true relationship to God, - making him dependent once more upon the One whose presence is life, and who alone can enable man to behave as man, as God intended man to be “In Esau the spirit of Satan was incarnate. “What do I need of a birthright restoring me to dependence upon God?  I am independent, and I am self-sufficient, and I will be what I am, by virtue of what I am!”  (Page 99)

 

Out of Esau came many nations, one of them was the Amalekites who lived in the desert, south of Canaan around Kadesh.   They came from Eliphaz (Esau’s eldest boy) and were distant cousins to the Israelites.  Amalek makes a good representative of the flesh, and we find in Exodus 17, “then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim.”  In Amalek is a picture of the flesh, seeking at all cost to stop the journey of God’s redeemed people, and keep them from the Land of Promise, and that is the spirit of your enemy.  “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”  (Galatians 5:17) Quoting from “The Saving Life of Christ” “The flesh contests every attempt of the Spirit of God to lead you on into spiritual maturity.  Standing across your pathway from the very outset of your Christian life is Amalek!”

 

On page 101 Major states, “It is the devil’s business to prevent your translation “from the power of darkness . . . into the kingdom of God’s dear Son” and Amalek, imbued with the spirit of Satan, is unrelenting in his opposition to the prosperity of the kingdom of God.”  In the book of Deuteronomy 25:17, 18, “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.”  On page 102, Major states, “That is when Amalek hits you!  It is when you are faint and weary.  It is when you are one of the hindmost.  When you are dragging your feet.  When you are spiritually low, and the sun is hidden, and the skies are dark.  When you have withdrawn yourself from the conflict, because you feel the pace is too much for you.  When you think you are alone – but you are not alone, for Amalek will be there!”

 

“God says that there is something that you do not have the right to remember, because it is something which God forgets.  God says, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17).  It is not that God pretends that you have not sinned.  He does not ignore your guilt.  He says, “I will remember your sins,” but in the light of the shed blood of His dear Son, having remembered your sins – every one of them – He says, “I will remember your sins no more.”  On to page 103, “Sin should and must be confessed to God, and restitution made where the Spirit of God demands it, but “the blood of Jesus Christ (God’s) Son cleanses us from all sin,” and “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

 

“If, however, you do not have the right to remember what God forgets, - you do not have the right to forget what God remembers, - and God remembers Amalek!  Amalek is the dirty well!  Amalek is the poisoned root!  Amalek is “. . . the mystery of lawlessness – that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority”

 

Amalek is the voice that you hear, and it sounds like your voice; it always does one of two things: it attacks your person with thoughts like, “you are a loser, and you have always been a loser,” or you deserve better than you are getting.  These are the words of the spirit of Amalek; they are not the words of the Holy Spirit of God.  God desires dependence, never independence; God desires fellowship never isolation.

 

From Our Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Laws About Slaves

 

Exodus 21:1-32

 

September 20, 2024

 

Laws About Slaves

“Now these are the rules that you shall set before them.  When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing.  If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.  If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone.  But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free, ’then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.  If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.  If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.  If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.  And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.

“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death.  But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee.  But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.

“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

“Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.

“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

“When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed,  then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.

“When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.  But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.

“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine.  But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life,  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,  burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

“When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye.  If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.

“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable.  But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.  If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him.  If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule.  If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

 

Often, we need to read the Law that Israel was required to keep to be in a relationship with God.  I will give you an understanding of what Jesus has done for you.   “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)

 

You are no longer under the Law; you are under grace. Romans 3:20 gives insight to this truth: “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”  Also, in Galatians 2:16, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

 

Grace gives us forgiveness, but to receive grace, one must come to the truth: all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  It also must have the understanding that your good life will not earn you a relationship with God.  He calls them filthy rags, but receiving the atonement of what Jesus did on the Cross by becoming sin, your sins and mine, by His death and the shedding of His blood to cover all sin.   

 

Without understanding, there is no hope, and without seeking a relationship with JESUS, there is no forgiveness of Sin.  It is your choice: what will you do? He told us today is a great day to begin a new life in Christ.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Laws About Altars

 

Exodus 20:22-26

 

September19, 2024

 

Laws About Altars

And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven.  You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.  An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.  If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you profane it.  And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’

To the best of my understanding, hewn stones were cut or dressed stones.  They were to be the real thing, not cut or made by man.  Do you recall Jesus as the stone the builder rejected?  It is referred to in Mark 12:10-11,  ^“Have you not read this scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”  In Psalm 118:22-23, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.^[ This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”  If you read Isaiah 5, you see the cost to a nation that turns from God.

 

As followers of Jesus, we are called Living stones, 1Peter 2:4-8: ^“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”  So, the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. ”They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

That is the good news, but I must tell each of you the bad. Hell was not designed for humans, but for the devil and his angels, or demons.  Jesus makes clear in John 3:-17-18,  ^“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”  We are told to choose today who we will serve. 

 

Please do as I often do: examine yourself, 2 Corinthians 13:5-6, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!  I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.”

 

From our Back Porch, 

Bob Rice

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The Ten Commandments

  

Exodus 20:1-21

 

September 18, 2024

 

The Ten Commandments

And God spoke all these words, saying,

“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

“You shall have no other gods before me.  

 

I have been guilty of allowing many things in my past to take the place that only God deserves.  Things like my job, Sports, my child, and, in recent times, a political party.  Here is the problem, as a follower of Christ, I do not see these things as little gods that I am putting before my Creator, God.  But anything that you give allegiance to over God is a little god.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,  but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

 

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

When I hear someone take my Father's name in vain, it hurts me, and I wonder if they understand that God will not hold them guiltless.  Jan and I have stopped watching many TV programs we had enjoyed in the past because of this.  I will not allow my Lord's name to be taken in vain in my home, on something I have control over, like a TV.   It is sad when a person goes by the title of Christian and does this.

 

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it, you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.  For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

I would say that the Church is very guilty of paying no attention to this Commandment.  For years, we went to Church and came home and worked outside like it was another day. God's Spirit convinced me that I had to stop doing so.

 

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

“You shall not murder.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21-22)

 

“You shall not commit adultery.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

I've been guilty of adultery, guys and gals. It is not worth it, it disgraces your Lord, and it does great damage to those who love you.   I've learn how to not let my flesh or the enemy have this foothold in my life, pray for the lady, in that it is impossible to lust while you are asking God to bless her.

 

“You shall not steal.

In my childhood, the neighbor had Rose bushes and grew beautiful Roses.  My mother was always saying how beautiful those roses were, and so one day this four-year-old went and cut some Roses for Mother.  To my surprise, she was not happy with my stealing the neighbor's Roses and made me take them back.  The lady was not very nice and told me I was a thief and to never come into her yard again and grab the Roses.  Wow, I was trying to give my mother a gift.  But I took something that was not mine.  You would have thought I had learned, but as an adult, I took pens and Post-it notes to use at home, justifying it as for use in my office.  The problem was that they were used for personal use, which was once 

more stealing.  It is easy to justify one action till God's Spirit convicts you.

 

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

It is a wise person who shows love to their neighbors. Jan and I have had a few that it took time and effort, but we have never had one that we did not care for.  The Scripture gives us this advice: “Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.  Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.”

 

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.” (Proverbs 27:10)

Now, when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off  and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”  Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.”  The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.

 

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The Third Day

  

Exodus 19:16-25

 

September 17, 2024

 

 On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.  Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.  Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly.  And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder.  The Lord came down on Mount Sinai to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish.  Also, let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.”  And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’”  And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.”  So, Moses went down to the people and told them.

 

As I read this yesterday to my bride of 59 years, I wonder how we could find application in these verses.  I hit me as I sat in my quiet living room, looking at the back porch, they were preparing to hear from God.  This was the requirement to wash themselves and their clothes.  To refrain from having sex with their wife and come and stand and wait for the lord to speak.  They were at Mount Sinai, and were ordered not to touch the Mountain or they would die; this was serious.

What has God told you and me, in Psalm 46:10, “He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  For me, it requires me to seek Him early in the morning, to ask for knowledge and the ability to allow the Holy Spirit to give me understanding of how to apply what I read in my daily life.  A person I often quote is Blaise Pascal, who spoke to me this morning: “Human beings must be known to be loved; but Divine beings must be loved to be known.”  Are we not told in the Scripture to seek first the kingdom of God?  Matthew 6:33, we have these words from Jesus: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” 

 

I often wonder what “all these things” and it is the basic needs of each of us, it is found in verses 31-32: ^“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” 

 

What is keeping you from seeking first the kingdom? Is it not making an appointment with the Lord to meet Him early, to spend time talking to Him about your desires for your family, your job, and how to manage the fund He has given you?  What keeps you from doing so? Another quote from Blaise, “All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.”

 

If we put anything- family, sports, or job- before God, we have shown we have a love problem, and it is time to wake up two we have not, because we have not loved the Lord our God, to seek Him first, before all else.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice

Israel at Mount Sinai

 

Exodus 19:1-15

 

September 15, 2024

 

Israel at Mount Sinai

On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.  They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There, Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.  Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

So, Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him.  All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.  And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day, the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.  And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.  No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.”  So, Moses went down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments.  And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not go near a woman.”

 

 Has God brought you to Himself?  John 3:16 is often quoted; most children who have gone to a Vacation Bible School have learned it and can quote it.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  And it would not be wrong to replace the world and put your name in its place. I was not taught John 3:17, that only in Jesus will I find life in the full. Shall we look at the 17^th verse?  ^:” For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  Jesus took your place, your sins, and mine. He took the full wrath of God His Father to buy you out of eternal punishment, by shedding His blood for you and me.  It is often referred to as His finished Work on the Cross.  They also did not teach me verse 18,  ^“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”  Many will try to earn what is a gift, but God the Father has stated, Your good act is like filthy rags to me.  That is the bad news, one way, one door, to receive eternal life.

 

But to those who receive Jesus by faith and the grace given by God, they do not become sinless, I can testify to that fact in my own life. I am still a mess, but my heart desires to allow Jesus to be my Master.  The apostle Paul, who God used to write a lot of the New Testament, had this to say in Romans 7:15-20. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”  Paul is referring to a defeated follower of Christ, a person who is allowing their feeling and not the Spirit to control their thoughts and actions.  Many a person who goes by the title of Christian has an identity problem; they have no understanding of who they are in Christ, so they go about doing religious stuff, but do not seek the Holy Spirit to guide them into fellowship with Jesus.  So let me share your true identity.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority,  or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 1 Peter 2:11-15)

 

From our Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Counsel from a father-in-law

  

Exodus 18:13-27

 

September 14, 2024

 

Counsel from a father-in-law

The next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening.  When Moses' father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?”  And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God; when they have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide between one person and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and his laws.”  Moses' father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good.  You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.  Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall represent the people before God and bring their cases to God, and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know the way in which they must walk and what they must do.  Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.  And let them judge the people at all times. Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So, it will be easier for you, and they will bear the burden with you.  If you do this, God will direct you, you will be able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

So, Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.  Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.  And they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves.  Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went away to his own country.

We all need a Jethro in our lives, someone who observes what we are doing and gives us counsel on how to do it better.  As followers of Jesus, we must have people who are wise in the ways of God to give us counsel.  I have shared that one of the greatest blessings one can have is a mentor; I have been blessed to have many.  And we have this counsel in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

You and I need that person who tells you “What you are doing is not good.”  My pastor is that kind of man, and he has addressed that with me when I allow my personal feelings about covid-19, to be part of a document from the Back Porch.  Larry York was my pastor and friend, and I looked to his wise counsel.  I also look to my prayer partner of many years, John Davis, and Forrest Lowry.  Yes, I am a mess, and I need men who love me and will shoot straight with me.  Guess what, you need them also, both men and women, who will give you wise counsel.  Note: Men need men as mentors, and Ladies need ladies.  

Soon, we do not know how long, Jethro went back home but what he did for Moses has changed the way our system of governing people all over the world.  Can you imagine doing what Moses was doing before his father-in-law came to him?

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice