Drink from the river

Exodus 17:1-7

“Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink. So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.” (Exodus 17:6b)

“All of them at the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ.” (I. Cor. 10:3-4)

Summer is quickly approching us and many people will hit the rivers, ponds, and pools to be refreshed from the heat. Water brings refreshment to our bodies and it gives us life! Without it we would die!
Can I ask you when is the last time you drank from the river of life? How often to you “strike the rock” which is Christ and drink from His Spirit? Without His Spirit we will die? Many people are dry and thirsty and are in need of refreshing times. God is saying take the time and drink from the river! Drink from the fountain! Drink from His Spirit and you will never die! His fountain, His river, and His Spirit will never ever run dry!

Lessons out of Egypt

“So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law. He bowed low and kissed him. They asked about each other’s welfare and then went into Moses’ tent. Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt on behalf of Israel. He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way and how the Lord had rescued his people from all their troubles. Jethro was delighted when he heard about all the good things the Lord had done for Israel as he rescued them from the hand of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 18:7-9)

As Moses met up with his father-in-law Jethro, he discussed everything God had done for Israel and how God delivered them out of Egypt. I’m sure he told Jethro of God’s faithfulness, power, and miracles he performed to deliver them from their bondage. One thing that really stood out to me was the next verse. “He also told about all the hardships they had experienced along the way…” I’m sure the people of Israel may have thought once God delivered them from the land of slavery that everything would be “peaches and cream” from here on out but it wasn’t. There were still trials and there were still tests-all to prove God’s faithfulness and to see if they would obey God’s instructions. Sometimes that’s how we are as believers. We tell of God’s faithfulness of how he saved us and delivered us from “our Egypt” but we must realize we WILL HAVE HARDSHIPS ALONG THE WAY EVEN AFTER EGYPT! My question is. What will you do when those hardships come? Go back to Egypt? We will experience hardships in every area of life. How will we respond? How will we respond when we hit hard times at church? Leave or walk it out? What about marriage? Leave or walk it out? What about other important relationships? Give up or walk it out? We can’t just rejoice out our deliverence from Egypt but rejoice in God’s goodness as he brings us through troubles as well.

New Student Ministry Blog!

We have a new blog site for the E3 Student Ministry of Family Church in which I have the priviledge of serving and leading. Check it out!

www.e3students.blogspot.com

I wonder...

We just wrapped up a two week series entitled, "The Unseen World" and we've been talking alot about fighting the fight of faith. We spoke to our students last night concerning the full armor of God and how we are engaged in a daily spiritual battle. As I was praying in the E3 Room this morning I looked out and saw all the empty chairs left over from last night. Last night there were students in those chairs. Last night they were worshiping God, there was loud music, and young people that filled the room. This morning in the room it was much different. I was the only one in there-the room was quite and the chairs were empty. The truth is, those students went out into the battlefield. Some of their battlefields are at home. Some of their battlefields are in school, and some of their battlefields are very private. I couldn't help but ask myself, "I wonder if they really got it last night?" "I wonder if they took to heart what we talked to them about?" "I wonder that if today they applied to thier lives what we talked about last night?" "Did they put on their armor today and fight the fight of faith? I wonder?

"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." (James 1:22