Frogs Legs

Not what they’re cracked up to be…

(Exodus 8:1-15) We now have the second judgment of God, in the form of frogs. “Why frogs,” you may ask. Well, in (Revelation 13:16) we get an answer. “And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.” To the ancient Egyptians, frogs were a symbol of fertility. Egyptian mythology contained a frog-goddess named Heqet, who represented fertility. They even had some gods who represented primordial darkness; one, named Kek. The Ogdoad, meaning eightfold, were eight primordial deities worshipped by them in Heliopolis. They were described as having heads of frogs, with their female counterparts having heads of serpents. This information comes from Wikipedia .

Moses told Aaron to stretch his staff out over the waters, and when he did, the frogs came up out of the rivers, canals, and pools, and covered the land. They were everywhere! Pharaoh’s magicians did the same by their magic arts. Oh, oh! Nobody could eat that many frogs legs. Here’s the kicker. In verse 8, Pharaoh said to Moses, “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 asked when Pharaoh wanted them to do this, and his reply was, “Tomorrow.” WHAT?! We have to eat frogs legs for dinner again tonight?! Moses and Aaron pleaded with the LORD the next day to get rid of the frogs, and He did. When Pharaoh saw the land was relieved of the frogs, he hardened his heart again. He refused to let the people go.

When Jesus talked about unclean spirits (Matt. 12:43-45), He said they return. (Matt. 12:29) “Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.”

There’s a double lesson in this story of the frogs. Unclean spirits include envy, spite, lewdness, even gluttony. If we don’t deal with them immediately, they will cover everything in our lives. They multiply and spread through our entire lives. Our families are affected, our jobs can be affected, even our health can be affected. An unclean spirit, left unchecked, can destroy your body and soul in hell. Oh, yes! First, it can turn your life into a living hell. Then, it can rob you of your life, literally killing you. Thank you, Jesus, for taking the keys of hell into your hands. That’s no guarantee, however, that we will escape. Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow.” We need to always say, “Right NOW, LORD! Right NOW!” Even if it’s something as seemingly insignificant as a little feeling of irritation and , “I’m always the one who has to…”, we need to nip that in the bud right now. That’s an unclean spirit trying to come in and set your family up for bitterness and divide your household. Next time you hear “Ribbit, ribbit,” rebuke that frog in Jesus’ Name, and kick it out; NOW!

Love you from Café du Mondieu

Water And Blood

(Exodus 7:14-26) (ESV) Now come the judgments (Exodus 7:4) of God on the land of Egypt. God tells Moses and Aaron to go back in the morning, spread Aaron’s staff over the water, and turn the water into blood. They did this, and all the water in Egypt was unfit to drink; even that they had stored in vessels. Pharaoh’s magicians did the same by their magic arts, and his heart remained hardened. Seven full days passed, and nobody could drink water anywhere in Egypt.

Remember, Pharaoh had ordered all the male children of the Hebrews to be drowned in the Nile. Not only that, but how many Hebrew slaves had lost their lives building Egypt for Pharaoh? In ( (Genesis 4:10) God told Cain, “your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” God takes life very seriously. Remember, the life of everything is in its blood. (Lev. 17:11)

It could also be, that God was, in effect, baptizing all those Hebrews who had died in the land of Egypt. Baptism had not been required yet, was not even heard of yet, but would be later in time. It is how we are saved from our sins. Through baptism into Christ Jesus, which makes us heirs with Him, we are cleansed by His righteous blood. (1John 1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (Titus 2:14) (1John 5:6, 8) (Gal. 3:27)

Spiritually, this is a sobering message. There’s a big difference between water and blood. When I think of my years before I got saved, I can remember not even really understanding what some of the stuff I held to as truth meant. During my early years as a Christian, I went back and forth, back and forth. I’d do well for a while, then slip right back into that mindset and/or sin. I never really thought about the dangers of a lot of things I did when I was younger. As I got older and more mature, I began to think a little more seriously about choices and consequences. The “Christian” or “New Me” had a little more substance. That’s the blood; the life. That life comes from the blood of Jesus Christ. Water can wash off the mud and grime and all that other filth. But the blood of Jesus washes it out; out of your heart, mind, soul, and body. Yes, you truly do become a new creation. That’s why Jesus said one has to be born again. Because then, you are a new creation, and that divine nature God intended for you to have from the beginning. That’s what Jesus came to restore to us; that divine nature. Dr. Miles Munroe taught some lessons on our being water and dirt. That’s been a long time ago, but it’s still true today. We are dirt and water. It is God’s life that is breathed into us, and flows through us. And, if and when we allow it to, it truly does bring that divine nature to life. (Romans 12;2) (Gal. 1:4) (Eph. 4:23-24) (Psalm 51:10) (Col. 3:10-12)

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Oh, Too Awesome

(Exodus 5) (ESV) Here we have the first confrontation with Pharaoh over the people of Israel. Moses did as God bid him to do, and said, to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh refused to let the people go. Not only this, but he told his taskmasters to make the Israelites get their own straw with which to make bricks. The tally of bricks was not to be less than before. Of course, it was, and so the Israelite foremen were beaten. The people blamed Moses and Aaron for Pharaoh’s hardened heart. In verse 22 Moses goes before God and asks Him why He’s done this evil to the people.

(Exodus 6:1-10) God sends Moses and Aaron back to the people to assure them that He will bring them out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, take them to be his people, and He will be their God, etc. Moses and Aaron do this, but the Israelites won’t listen to them. Then, God sends them in to tell Pharaoh, again, to let the people go out of Egypt. Moses replies that the people won’t listen to him, so how will Pharaoh listen to him? He calls himself a man of “uncircumcised lips,” meaning he is not qualified to speak to Pharaoh.

(Exodus 7:1) And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.” Moses and Aaron were not young men when God called them to do this. Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron was 83. When they went to Pharaoh, he told them to prove themselves by working a miracle, Aaron cast his staff down and it became a serpent. Pharaoh’s wise men and magicians did the same with their staffs. They turned into serpents as well. But, Aaron’s serpent ate up all the other serpents.

What’s interesting about this story is that it really hadn’t dawned on Moses or Aaron yet, that the power of God was on them. God was making his own bricks in these encounters with Pharaoh. Aaron and Moses were God’s bricks, God was the straw. Pharaoh’s magicians and wise men were bricks made without straw. Pharaoh had said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey his voice?” Obviously, bricks made with straw are going to be a little weightier and stronger. As those wise men and magicians found out, you can’t overpower God. You can’t out maneuver God either. Magic tricks are just that; tricks. God’s power is real; unbeatable, and unstoppable. (Romans 8:31) “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

I’ve seen amazing things from people who had the power of God on them. I’ve amazed myself at times. I’ll be the first one to say, too, that wasn’t me. I know it was all God! There’s great encouragement in this story, for all of us. It’s strengthening in regard to our faith. It’s also humbling. If we find ourselves feeling like that in the midst of some adversity, or a victory, I believe we’re right on course. It is God to whom the glory belongs, after all. But, how awesome to know that the creator of all willingly works His power through us…little ol’ you and me.

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They Weren’t Alone There

Neither are we here…

(Exodus 4:27-31) (ESV) This is where Aaron is let in on what’s going to happen. He meets Moses in the wilderness. The two of them go and gather the elders together and tell them all that God has commanded them to tell them. They believed Aaron and Moses, and they bowed their heads and worshipped God when they heard that He’d come and had seen their affliction there.

It is so easy to just stay in the drudgery of your bondage, when you don’t think anybody sees, hears, or cares. Hope flees the scene eventually. We can even forget who we are; who we are meant to be, who and what God called us to be. Remember that covenant happened long before Joseph ended up in Egypt. Whether it’s addiction, an abusive or otherwise adverse situation, even a chronic faltering and failing in class…we can remain trapped in that hopeless and detached mindset for years and years. We also end up passing that same mindset down to our children, when that’s the case.

Thank God for those who passed on the good news of the Word of God from one generation to the next. And, thank God for the ones who left us written accounts of the works and words of God, and our Lord, Jesus Christ. No one needs to be trapped in hopelessness, detachment, or despondency any longer. If you’re in a situation like those I described above, don’t despair. God loves you, He knows what you’re going through, and He’s ready, willing, and more than able to bring you out. Egypt represents bondage and affliction in the Bible. But God has said, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” We are his sons and daughters because of Christ Jesus. He’s calling you today. Just like Jesus called Lazarus out of that tomb, saying, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus had been dead four days, and was wrapped in linen cloths from head to toe; but, Lazarus came out. He came out alive; and he stayed alive for some time after that. That addiction, that situation you’re trapped in, that’s your tomb. Come out! Come out and live! (John 11:43-44) The Israelites never even thought that God might be watching; that He might be right there with them. We are never alone.

Today is Martin Luther King Day. I’m sharing this song with you, in honor of Dr. King, and to remind you, that you are not alone either. God loves you, and so do I. I pray for you all daily.

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First Things First

(Exodus 4:18-31)(ESV) Moses’ father-in-law gives him leave to go, so Moses sets out for Egypt with his wife and children. A couple of interesting things happen in this passage of scripture. First, in verse 21, God says to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power.” He tells him that He’s going to harden Pharaoh’s heart, and then let him know that if he doesn’t let his firstborn son, Israel go, He will kill Pharaoh’s firstborn son. Now, Moses is on his way with his family, and, in verses 24 -26, the LORD, at a lodging place on the way, met Moses and sought to put him to death. Zipporah, Moses’ wife, took a piece of flint, circumcised one of the boys, and touched Moses feet with the foreskin. She said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” God let Moses go, and this time, Zipporah said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. What?! God just called Moses and commissioned him to go to Egypt and set the people free! Why would he seek to kill him? And, even before he got there?!

First things first is one of the things you learn as a child of God. The covenant of circumcision was given to Abraham. (Acts 7:8) “And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.” Remember, Moses is a Hebrew, or Israelite by birth, so he would have been circumcised on the eighth day of his life. Apparently, he didn’t think it important, or didn’t know he needed to circumcise his son, and hadn’t done it yet. When you think about the covenant God made with Abraham, you know He wasn’t playing. It’s meant to be kept. Covenant involves both parties. I can understand that God wouldn’t want his prophet’s son to be uncircumcised, and not under that blood covenant. Moses was his prophet. (Genesis 17:11) (Deut. 18:13)

It’s that same blood covenant that we now have in and through Christ Jesus. And, God still takes it seriously. That’s the blood covenant that gives us the power to rebuke Satan and his minions by the blood of Jesus, and in the name of Jesus. So why does God tell us to, instead circumcise our hearts? Because when it comes to living, that’s where it starts, that’s where it’s done, and that’s where it ends. (Matt. 15:18-20) (Genesis 6:5) (Deut. 10:15-17) (Deut. 30:6) (Jeremiah 4:4) (Jeremiah 9:25-26) (Jeremiah 23:7) (Proverbs 4:23) (Romans 2:26-29)

The choice to seek God comes from your heart. The choice to serve God is made in your heart. The choice to do, or not to do, something is weighed out in one’s heart. You know right away if this is something you should or shouldn’t do, don’t you? Yes, God has put something called conscience inside us. It’s either right, or it’s wrong. It it’s right, we don’t have any problem, do we? No. But if it’s wrong, and you’re trying to do it anyway, isn’t that where everything starts to go crazy? Now, you’re afraid of being caught, you’re sneaking around, you can’t look people in the eye, etc. All that stuff weighs your spirit down. All that stuff draws you away from God. That’s why it’s so important to keep our hearts open to God, and to His Word. That’s why it’s so important to put up that standard and that boundary. “Nope,” I say, “I am not going to even entertain that thought; because I’m not that person anymore.” See, it started and ended right there in my heart. When we always put God first, God always comes through, because He doesn’t make mistakes. He’s already had us covered from the beginning. We want to stay under the protection of that blood covenant. We do this by striving to keep our hearts pure before God. The way we do that is by obedience to God. First, last, and always. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matt. 5:8)

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Saturday Scrumptious

January is the month for easy-peasy dinners and wonderful desserts. This is one of my faves. That lemon pound cake is out of this world! Of course, Betty Crocker is a winner every time!

Saturday Super Supper

Family size box of Chicken flavored Rice a roni

One can 14 oz. Chicken broth

12.5 ounce can of chunk chicken breast

2-3 Cups finely chopped Broccoli

1 envelope Pioneer Country Gravy mix

Prepare the Rice a roni according to the package directions, except use chicken broth instead of water. Stir in the broccoli and chicken breast, once the rice and vermicelli is browned, and the water added. Continue cooking as directed on the package. Meanwhile, mix the country gravy mix in a small saucepan, until it begins to thicken. *you can use chicken broth instead of water to mix the gravy mix, as well. Pour it into the Chicken rice and broccoli mixture. Stir it all together well to blend, and continue cooking until heated through. Serves 4-6

A wonderful supper like this wouldn’t be complete without a fabulous dessert. One of my favorite desserts is a Lemon Bundt Cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. It’s absolutely wonderful in the cold months of winter! I’ve posted the link to Betty Crocker’s Lemon Pound Cake recipe below. Just bake it in Bundt Cake pan. And, now, you just might have a slice or two to take to work with you on Monday. Enjoy!

Betty Crocker Lemon Pound Cake

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Um, You Can’t Win, Buddy

(Exodus 2:23) tells us the king of Egypt (Ramses II) died during the time Moses was in Midian. We get the story of Moses’ first encounter with God in (Exodus 3). When I read this, I felt so much better! I realized that I’m wasn’t the only one who tries to argue with God. The first thing Moses did was to say, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Verse 11) I love this, too. God says, “But I’ll be with you.” Okay, Dad, that makes me feel better. The whole Egyptian army will be against me; but you’ll be with me. When I read this, for some reason, I think of my mother after a scary movie, and Dad was gone at work. She’d make me go ahead of her to make sure the “bogy man” who wasn’t there wouldn’t get her. Sure, take me, Mr. Bogy!

See, Moses didn’t know who God is, or that He’s all powerful. Remember, he’d been exposed to the gods of the Egyptians growing up. Apparently, there hadn’t been much communication between God and the children of Israel in that time. We don’t read anything about a prophet during their years of bondage. Okay, so now we’re in verses 13-21, where God does not help his case with Moses. Look what he says in verse 19 –“But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.” WHAT?! You mean there’s going to be trouble?! LORD!! In Exodus 4:1 Moses says, in effect, “No way! They’re going to call me a liar!” So God turns Moses’ staff into a snake. Moses ran from it! Somehow, God got him to take the snake by the tail, and it became a staff again. Then He has Moses put his hand in his cloak and pull it out-not once, but twice. The first time, it came out leprous, and the second time it was healed. Um, those magic tricks are real cool, but you’re talking about Pharaoh! In verses 10-12 Moses is still trying to get out of going, and argues with the LORD, until God’s anger is kindled. In Verses 14-16 God appoints Moses’ brother Aaron (he’s still in Egypt) and doesn’t have a clue what’s about to happen to him) to be the one who will speak what God wants him to. Moses has only to tell him what to say. (Exodus 4:15) See, you cannot win an argument with God.

I finally learned that; and, when I did, I became a happy little camper. I wasn’t always happy with having to obey Him, but I always ended up being happy that I did. Sometimes it’s hard to be obedient to the LORD. There’s so much that goes on, even in just one day, here on Earth. But, the more we do line ourselves up with God’s Word, and live the way He wants us to, the stronger we become spiritually. The stronger we become spiritually, the easier it becomes, not to “choose to obey,” but to not even be swayed, or moved, by all that stuff in the first place. You can just keep on doing what you do, what you do…and praising the LORD becomes a way of life. You can literally feel your praise in every step, every breath, your whole being. That is what it’s about.

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He Helps Our Unbelief

(Exodus 2:11-15) gives us the story of Moses, now grown, killing an Egyptian because the Egyptian was beating one of Moses’ people. By this, we know that Moses knew he was a Hebrew by birth. The next day, he tried to intercede between to Hebrew men who were arguing. They let him know that they knew he killed the Egyptian. Now, Moses was afraid. When Pharaoh found out, he wanted to kill Moses. Of course, Moses fled. He went to the land of Midian, where he met and married Zipporah, the daughter of Reuel, the priest of Midian. Moses and Zipporah had a son, and named him Gershom, which sounds like Hebrew for “sojourner.” (Exodus 2:16-22) For Moses said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

In (verses 23-25) the king of Egypt died, God heard the groaning of the people of Israel, God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God saw the people, and He knew it was time to bring them up out of the land of Egypt.

Don’t ever think, for one minute, that God doesn’t know exactly what’s going on with you. He usually knows even before we do. I’ve been proof of that time and time again. He does hear our cries; even the silent ones. He does know what His promises to us are. He does act on our behalf.

One of the hardest things to do, especially when we’re hurting, is to acknowledge the pain. We try to act like it doesn’t bother us, or like we’re okay anyway. We end up getting in our own way, as well as in God’s way, when we do that. What we have to do is acknowledge the pain, and then, we need to remember God’s promises to us. That’s what we will stand on. Remember that song, “The bible, yes, that’s the book for me…I stand alone on the word of God, the bible. It doesn’t mean you’re alone, standing on the word of God. It means you’ll stand solely on the word of God. When we do that, we activate our faith, which then activates that miracle-working power of God. In the Gospels, there are many examples of Jesus not performing miracles in certain places, because they people did not believe him, or believe in him. God can’t act on your fear and denial. He can’t do anything with them. But He can, and will act on your faith. (Luke 17:6) This is why it’s important to acknowledge the pain, anger, and even the fear, or doubt. When we do that, we can give it to God, and He can strengthen us. Remember the man who asked Jesus to save his son? He also asked Jesus to help his unbelief. (Mark 9:24) God knows our hearts; and he remembers that we are frail and fragile souls. (Psalm 103:13-14)

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God’s Around The Corner

(Exodus 1) (ESV) begins by telling us that Joseph and all his brothers died in the land of Egypt. That whole generation was gone, but their descendants multiplied and became exceedingly numerous. They were also very fruitful. Unfortunately, a new king, or Pharaoh, came into power in verse 8. He began to fear the Israelites. He’d put harsh taskmasters over them, but, still they were fruitful and flourished.

In verse 15 the Pharaoh orders the two Hebrew midwives to kill every male child born to the Hebrews; but, they were to let the daughters live. I like verse 17! The Hebrew midwives feared God, so they refused to kill the male children. So Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw the male children of the Hebrews into the Nile, letting only the females live.

According to scholars and Egyptian records this new Pharaoh was Ramses II. The scripture tells us that he did not know Joseph. (Exodus 1:8-10) Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.” The footnote with verse 10 says, “take the country.” Apparently, he’d never heard of Joseph either, nor of all that he had done. But, by the scripture telling us that the more oppressed the Israelites were by the Egyptians, the more they flourished and multiplied, we can see that God was still with them. He never leaves nor forsakes us. And, He had promised Jacob that He would bring the Israelites out of Egypt and back to the promised land.

(Exodus 2) gives us the story of Moses birth to the son and daughter of the house of Levi. This is important because it will be the house of Levi that serves as priests to the LORD later. Again, we can see how God is working out the future already. His mother hid him placed him in a little basket of reeds and put him in the Nile, hoping to save his life. The daughter of Pharaoh pulled that little basket of reeds out of the Nile; and, she is the one who gave him the name, “Moses.” It sounds like the Hebrew term meaning “ to lift out.” This is also interesting, because God lifted the Israelites out of bondage when He sent Moses back to Egypt to free them. But that comes in a later chapter. Pharaoh’s daughter raised Moses as her own son; so, he grew up as an Egyptian prince.

What I got from this part is that God has perfect timing. He does know the end from the beginning; because He is the Alpha and Omega (beginning and end) He also already has your future worked out. It’s easy to get frustrated, fearful, and become depressed and despondent over the circumstances we may find ourselves in. But, Jesus tell us to look up, for our redemption draws nigh, especially, in those times. He said, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” When we’re in troubled times, adverse circumstances, and barely hanging on to the “end of the rope,” seeking God’s face and delving into His Word are especially important. Don’t give up, because you’ll be around the corner any minute now.

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Oh, How He Loves!

(Genesis 50:1-13) Joseph, his brothers, and a multitude of Egyptian servants went to mourn Jacob/Israel, and carried his body back to Canaan to bury him with his fathers. Pharaoh had given them leave to do so. This is not the same Pharaoh that Moses dealt with. According to scholars, and Egyptian records, that was Ramses II.

(Genesis 50:15-21) Joseph’s brothers feared that since their father was now dead, Joseph might take revenge on them. What do they do? Again, with the deception! They told him that his father had commanded them before he died, saying, “Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” -What is it?! They couldn’t just go to him and say that from their own hearts? Apparently they didn’t think very much of their relationship with Joseph, did they? Otherwise, they might have known that he truly loved them, and had forgiven them. Joseph wept, they wept, and all was well. Joseph knew that God’s hand had been on them all from the very beginning. He told them, in verse 20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Joseph lived to be 110 years old. Before he died, he made them swear to take his bones up from Egypt to the land of Canaan. He also told them God would bring them up out of Egypt and back to the land of their fathers.

When I read these accounts of how these people related to one another, I see deception, manipulation, and fear. It’s very easy to fall into those practices; especially when there is envy and favoritism. We learn what we live, and we live what we learn. When we treat each child, each person in the family, actually, with respect, protecting their dignity, and rejoicing with them in their victories, we make them people who value themselves. They have a sense of worthiness. This empowers self-respect and integrity. You should not be afraid to tell the truth. You should not be afraid to say, “I made a mistake,” or, “I should not have done that, and I apologize.” People do make mistakes. People are human and sometimes, we get the better of ourselves; we get in our own way. Again, this is where sowing to what you want to reap comes into play. Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; for this is the law (reap what you sow), and the prophets.” For those of you who don’t know, the prophets are filled with examples of the evil people do to one another, the results of exalting ourselves against God and being disobedient, and also of God speaking from His heart to us. When you see how much He really does love us, your mouth will drop wide open like mine did.

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