How do you know if someone is sincere? How do you know if they meant what they said?

Moreover, how do we know if they are sincere in what they say about God? Or even to God? How do we know if someone means what they said in regards to God and faith?

As I have been reading again in Exodus, I have been taking some time to look more deeply at Pharaoh’s responses to God’s message to him through Moses.

In the story of the 10 plagues (Exodus 7-12), Moses is asking Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go free. If he doesn’t, there will be consequences. This sequence continues on for several back-and-forths. By the time we get to the 7th plague (hail) the story has intensified.

As the worst hail storm ever falls on the Egyptians, in Exodus 9:27 we finally hear Pharaoh say this: “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.”

This is outstanding. This is what Moses and Israel had been longing to hear Pharaoh say for 7 straight plagues now. This confession from Pharaoh is a good confession. This confession is what every human being should be saying before God. We have sinned. God is right. I am wrong.

Sounds great, right? But is it? Thats just it. He said the right thing, but did he mean the right thing? Was he sincere in what he said?

Just a few verses later, Moses says to Pharoah in 9:30 “But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.”

Moses somehow knew Pharaoh didn’t mean what he had said. He wasn’t sincerely turning to God.

So then a few verses later we read “But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants.” (9:34)

What Pharaoh is doing in 9:34 does not go along with what he said in 9:27. His actions of 9:34 do not go along with his words of 9:27. Which means that Moses’ observation in 9:30 is correct.

If Pharaoh had really been sorry for his sins in 9:27 then he would have been sorry to sin in 9:34. Even more, he would have been more reluctant to sin in 9:34.

He didn’t mean what he said. It sounded awesome and life-giving and freeing to hear him say that in 9:27. I imagine that Moses and the Israelites would have initially been so thrilled and excited to hear this after all the suffering they endured. But it wasn’t sincere, and so in time they saw that nothing had changed.

What about us? Do we mean what we say? Are we sincere with our words and our confessions and our repentance and our apologies? When we say we are wrong, do we really feel that? When we say we repent, do we really repent?

Let us be reminded of the very words of Jesus when he says “Not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

Saying that Jesus is Lord is nice. But it doesn’t tell us if you really mean it. Do you believe it?

Here is the latest video update from the pastors:

On Wednesday night (via the internet live feed) I preached from James 4:13-16. 

There are many things we are unsure about right now. 

– Will school start back this year at all?

– Are we going to get sick?

– Will people close to use get sick?

– Do I/we have enough money to survive?

– When will we ever be able to meet again?

– Will there be any sports this spring/summer?

And in all honesty and transparency, I don’t know the answer to those questions. It is a very unsettling feeling having to admit that we “do not know what tomorrow will bring.”

But God’s word teaches us that we should never think we know anyways. We don’t know as much as we think we do. It pushes us to depend on the strong truth that God knows. God knows. God surely knows all the things that we don’t know. He knows all things. 

That should settle us. 

Let me show you a great example of this trust and faith. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, the apostle Paul is talking about how weak he is and how God’s grace is sufficient for Him even in his weaknesses. Then he says this “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

He is content in … CALAMITIES. 

A calamity is defined as a great misfortune or disaster. 
This global pandemic Coronavirus is a calamity and hardship. It’s awful and scary. 
And as we admit how unsettling this situation is may we turn our faith and dependence to the Lord Jesus Christ. May we be content in Him. 

For when we are weak, then we are strong!

Trees grow In two directions,
They grow both up and down
And while we know that both are good
Only one is to be found

One is up, colorful and bright,
One is down and has no light
One is open, all through the air,
One is closed with dirt down there

Both have branches, spreading out
Both have growth, there is no doubt
Both are expanding, out and reaching
Both are good, growth is teaching

One is visible, we can see it grow
One is hidden, it grows below
One is producing, leaf and seed
One is consuming, the trees great need

Trees grow in two directions
They grow both up and down
Much growth happens in the unseen
Although we look around

Growth is a peculiar thing
Quite slow but oh so steady
And growth continues on and on
Whether or not we’re ready 

Growth can happen in two directions
And you may not even see it
But like a tree, we know we grow
Let’s go ahead and be it

(I wrote this 8-13-2019 and mailed it to my parents.)

I’m older than my parents were when they were raising me,

And from this view, with heart and eyes, I can start to see.

See my life and how it is, compared to how it was,

How they gave their all for me, a reflection of how God does.

The love and sacrifice, with admittedly some holes,

Not hoping for success stories, hoping for their souls.

People who are growing fast, feelings and emotions,

Countless dreams, hopes and wishes, prayers to fill the ocean.

This view is crystal clear at times, rather foggy sometimes too,

But I find myself referencing back, to being daily loved by you.

How’d you do it? What’s the key? My heart really longs to know,

And these five kids are in a sprint with still much for me to show.

I’m afraid it’s not so simple, and for that I am so grateful,

That you two were such great parents, all the ways you have been faithful.

I’m older than you guys were when you were raising me,

And God is still, still, still, using you two to bless me!

Life is full of sticky situations. Peer pressure, influence, decision-making and so on.

When we are met with challenges, we should consider – is this a temptation or a test?

A temptation is to get you to fail. A test is to get you to pass. A test is to prove your faithfulness.

Teachers give tests in school so students can prove that they know the material. Bad influences tempt us so that we will also do bad things.

Satan tempts. (Matthew 4:1-2) God tests. (James 1:12)

Satan does not test. God does not tempt. (James 1:13)

If we think about life this way, we can recall past moments in life when have given into temptation and failed. And we can also recall moments when we have passed the test.

So, we should desire to not fail, and we should desire to pass the test. And yet, we should acknowledge when we have failed. In our failings, we should turn to the Lord (not away from the Lord) and ask Him for forgiveness. Through Jesus, God forgives.

One last thought – when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, on the second temptation (Matthew 4:5-7), while resisting the devil’s temptation Jesus said this “Again it is written, you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”

The Bible teaches that life is full of tests and that God tests us. But we are never to test God. Why? Because again a test is to prove your faithfulness. God’s faithfulness is not in question. Never has been. Never will be. He is always faithful and true. By faith, may we live faithful to Him. By faith, may we never question or test His faithfulness.

All this month leading up to Christmas, I want to share some meaningful Christmas song lyrics. You can read the previous blog posts for the other Christmas Lyrics.

Christmas music this year has been such a blessing to me. I have been listening more intently.

Christmas Lyrics — December 19th

Lyric — “I have no gift to bring, thats fit to give our king”

Song (Click the song to hear it) — Little Drummer Boy

This very well may be my favorite Christmas Lyrics of this Christmas season.

Everyone knows the song because of the “Pa rum pum pum pum,’ but fewer people actually know the lyrics.

Notice what the song says:

“Come, they told me, a newborn king to see, 
our finest gifts we bring, to lay before our king.
So to honor him, when we come.”

Then it gets to the good part:

“Little baby, I am a poor boy too,
I have no gift to bring, thats fit to give our king.”

That is the Good News of Christmas. The Love of Jesus. We don’t have anything to give Him. We are to receive from Him. God gave Jesus for us.

This Christmas, let us rest in God’s great love. Jesus gave his life so that we can have life.

All this month leading up to Christmas, I want to share some meaningful Christmas song lyrics. You can read the previous blog posts for the other Christmas Lyrics.

Christmas Lyrics – December 3rd

Lyric – “the son of God, here born to bleed”

Song (Click the song to hear it) – Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)

One of the deepest most meaningful parts of Christmas is the truth of why Jesus came. Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus saves sinners by dying on the cross for their sins. Jesus’s blood washes away our sins when we turn to God for forgiveness and trust Him with all of our hearts.

At Christmas time, we remember what this song declares that Jesus was born to bleed.

All this month leading up to Christmas, I want to share some meaningful Christmas song lyrics. You can read the previous blog posts for the others.

Christmas Lyrics – December 2nd

Lyric – “Let earth receive her King”

Song (Click the song to hear it) – Joy to the World

When Jesus was born to the virgin Mary that first Christmas morning, there was a lot going on. Mary and Joseph welcomed their first child. A farm stable had a newborn in it. Old Testament prophecies were being fulfilled.

And the King of all Creation had come to us.

God is King! King over everything. In the incarnation, God took on flesh. God became a human. God came to us. Jesus, the King of Kings, came to earth to save us from our sins.

The song says it well, “Let earth receive her King.”