Another Night With The Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15

And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

3 and the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs:

4 and the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord.

9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?

10 And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.

11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.

12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.”

One of the biggest conflicts a person has within themselves is procrastination.

Procrastination means: to put off intentionally or habitually the doing of something that should be done.

Procrastination literally is a thief of time.

The dictionary says: Time is a period during which a process or condition exist.
A process is something that is marked by gradual change that leads to a particular result.
So when we think of time we understand that it is a period within our life that there is a process going on which is leading to a particular result.
However, procrastination robs you of time, which means that for that period in your life when there should be progress due to the process there is nothing going on.

Because of procrastination people have missed out on an abundance of things that - if they would have stopped procrastinating then things would have worked out differently.
How many times have you heard someone say or you yourself have been one that has said if I only would have done this or that….., but because I keep putting it off I missed out on that.
If I only would have done it yesterday I could have had it by now. Because of procrastination they missed out.

Well you are familiar with the story - Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the children of Israel go. And the Bible says God caused plagues to come up against and afflict Egypt in order that Pharaoh would see that God is God and he would let the children of Israel go free.

The second plague that came upon Egypt was the plague of frogs.
Moses had done what God said to do and he told Pharaoh to let the people go, Pharaoh refused, so God told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch forth his rod over all the water, the rivers, ponds, streams, and fountains and turn them to blood. In so doing - Pharaoh’s magicians, whom we believe to be Jannes and Jambres also turned some water into blood.
Don’t think the devil doesn’t have power, but he is not omnipotent.
The devil can only deceive you into thinking that he is able to do the things that God can do, but I am going to show you how that is a lie. In turning the water, which is the life-source into blood all the creatures in the water died and caused a great stench in Egypt and after seven days God sent Moses to Pharaoh and Moses said unto Pharaoh, “God said let my people go so they can worship me and if you don’t let them go that He is going to bring upon Egypt a plague of frogs.”

This plague of frogs will be loathsome,
The frogs will extend from border to border,
The Nile River will swarm with them,
and they will come into your houses and into your bed chambers,
and in your beds.
The frogs will be in your ovens and in your kneading bowls.
Every corner of the land will be covered with frogs.
Once again Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused to let the children of Israel go.

The frogs began to be too much, so Pharaoh called Jannes and Jambres to get rid of the frogs,
but Jannes and Jambres were not able to get rid of the frogs and said surely this is the finger of God. You see, the devil caused them to be deceived by causing frogs to appear upon the land also, but when it came time to get rid off the frogs, they were not able to do so, they had been deceived.

Pretty soon Pharaoh got tired of the frogs and he called for Moses to plead with God to remove the frogs and he would let the people go to worship God.
Moses did something here that he didn’t do at any other time during the plagues. He asked Pharaoh when do you want the frogs to go,
you Pharaoh set the time, Pharaoh said tomorrow.

How dumb can you be,
here is his opportunity to get rid of that thing that has been troubling him for some time.
That thing that has been keeping him awake at night, that thing that caused him not to be able to eat.
That thing that is literally sapping every bit of strength from his body.
It was stealing his and his people’s joy,
it was stealing their peace,
and it was causing them to literally loose their ever loving mind.
He had the opportunity to get rid of it right then and there and he said get rid of them tomorrow.
But before we rush to put Pharaoh in a mental institution,
before we call 911 to have him taken away in a straight jacket, let us look at the frogs in our own life. When do you want the frogs in your life to go.

You know the ones,
the frogs of troubles,
the frogs of disappointments,
the frogs of discouragements,
the frogs of anxieties,
frogs of sorrows,
frogs of sickness,
frogs of grief,
loneliness,
and discontentment that plague us morning, noon, and night.

Don’t wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow never comes.
Tomorrow just might be too late.
Why would you want to spend another night with the frogs?

Why would you want to stay in that same old mess any longer then you have to. That habit that you thought you could not break……
you don’t have to spend another night with it.
That burden that you have been carrying around for so time you don’t have to spend another night with it.
That sickness that the doctor said is fatal you don’t have to spend another night with.
You can get rid of that frog in your life right now.
Just like the woman with the issue of blood she made up in her mind that she wasn’t going to spend another night in that same old condition, so she touched the hem of His garment and was made whole,
because she refused to spend another night with the frogs.
Blind Bartimaeus, who was told to keep quiet,
refused to spend another night in that same condition,
he said to himself I refuse to spend another night with the frogs,
so he cried out with a loud voice Have Mercy on ME.

God gave Pharoah the opportunity to choose the day of his deliverance………

Joshua spoke prophetically to us as he spoke to Israel…choose you this day whom you will serve.

2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Choose salvation today

I need to let you know I am updating MY blog, just not with anything I wrote today.
Sometimes in ministry, we get so accustomed to ministering and so used to being THE minister that we forget that we neeed to be ministered to as well.

I want to introduce you to a great man, and I want to introduce you to him through his incredible ability to write. Pastor Mark Edge pastors Bethel Church in Bartlett, Tennessee. He is tremendously gifted and has a great passion for God.

I asked his permission to publish this post from a preachers forum which he authored.
I have read it two mornings in a row before my personal devotion time and have cried both times, and it has led me to a greater desire to be effective in my ministry. I desperately desire a passion to reach people. Read this and if it touches your heart like it did mine, ask God for passion.

Be Blessed.

How Starbucks Saved My Ministry

I have a confession. I am a Barista. Yes, a maker of lattes, cappuccinos, frappuccinos, herbal teas and brewed coffees. Triple Venti White Mochas, Grande Strawberries and Cream Fraps, Tall Vanilla Lattes, Caramel Macchiattos, Venti Passion Tea Lemonades, and a thousand other drink recipes swirl about my head. I've been a Starbucks partner for almost four months now. Now why would a successful pastor of a church with several thousand members get a $7.00 an hour job with Starbucks? Well first of all, I don't pastor several thousand people, and second, I wouldn't say that I am all that successful. Our church is growing and with it the finances are too, but when we accepted the pastorate here seven years ago we also inherited a 1.05 million dollar debt. Pretty hefty for a church of 130. Since that time we have grown to just under 200 and we have whittled away at the debt to just below 800 K. Last August we all visited the dentist and got all the kids caught up on dental care. In the end, with a discount, our dentist told us we were going to need an additional $3500 worth of dental work to correct everything and get us all where we needed to be tooth-wise. I don't have that much money to throw about so I decided to take some action: I applied for a job at Starbucks. I had known for some time that they had great benefits for part-time workers (just work 20 hours a week and you can get full-time medical, dental and optical benefits). I had a little time to wait and then last November I got hired. I had people in our church approach me and say, "Pastor, I hate that you are having to work another job." Others have expressed similar feelings, but I have to tell you, I am really enjoying the experience. I live in the church parsonage. Its a very nice, old Southern style house built back in 1890. We had lived in a 1500 square foot house when we were youth pastors in Ohio, and then we moved into this 4500 square foot place! We were amazed at the room! We didn't have enough furniture or furnishings to fill the place up when we moved into it. The house is located right behind the church. It would be very easy for me to get isolated from the real world. So about six years ago I started to visit the local Starbucks with some regularity. I started meeting people. Dennis, moved down South from Canada because his wife taught at the University of Memphis. Harold, a man who came in every day wearing a Michigan ball cap and a big smile. I met Philip the manager. I met Jeff a Church of Christ youth pastor who was working part time at Starbucks. Buddy and his best friend Danny. Charlie, kind of a recluse guy who would turn his chair around facing the big window behind him and would not talk to a soul. There were dozens more but the point is that Starbucks opened me up to the community; I was meeting people there I would never meet otherwise. Once I was at one of the area hospitals visiting one of our church members and I Iooked up and behold there was Dennis. His mother-in-law was very ill and her situation didn't look good. I had prayer with Dennis and his wife and some family members that were there. They were appreciative. Harold and I would rib each other. His daughter attended the Universtiy of Michigan. She sat next to Chad Henne the Michigan QB in one of her classes. I, being an Ohio State fan, would wear my OSU hat and we would jest and joke about the greatest rivalry in sports. I've got a picture of Harold and me together with his maize and blue hat juxtaposed to my scarlet and grey cap. Harold is a Vietnam Vet who married and had one daughter. His wife got breast cancer. Before she died Harold promised her he would raise their girl and make sure she got a college education. He never remarried. His daughter graduated from the U of M last spring and she came home just in time for Mother's Day. I invited Harold to church and he came to our Mother's Day service proudly introducing his daughter to us. When I asked all of the mothers to stand to receive a carnation for Mother's Day, Harold stood, much to the embarrassment of his daughter and to the shock of our congregation. I knew why he stood. He was standing in honor of his wife, and he was proud of the promise he kept to take care of their daughter. We gave him a carnation and everyone applauded. His daughter is now studying at the Universtiy of Columbia in New York City. Harold has agreed to speak at our Memorial Day Weekend service in honor of America's fallen heroes. Philip sat down next to me one day and said, "Mark, you're a preacher. Tell me what do you think about Bible prophecy?" A conversation ensued about the end times and what the Bible had to say about current events. Philip was really intrigued. He's a great guy, very outgoing and has become a friend. I keep inviting him to church, hoping he will show up with his preacher's daughter wife, Kim. Jeff, the youth pastor asked me one day, "Mark, what denomination are you?" I said, "Pentecostal." He said, "I thought so. Listen, I've got some questions I want to ask you. I've been reading this book written by a former Church of Christ minister..." He proceded to share with me that the man had spoken in tongues (which is not something the CoC recognizes) and then began to tell me he had been questioning a lot of things about his faith. He told me he and his wife believed in these things and were praying for the gift of tongues. I began to share scriptures with him. I refuted the bedrock passage they use against tongues: I Cor. 13. When I shared with him that Jesus was "that which is perfect", he replied, "I've never thought of it that way before." Jeff has since moved to Kansas City but the last time I talked to him he told me they were still seeking the Holy Ghost. I walked into my Starbucks last year and Joy the barista immediately told me, "That was our Buddy, Mark!" My knees weakened. The day before I had heard of a murder at the Kawasaki dealership up the road from the suburb we live in. I knew Buddy worked there. He was a daily regular at Starbucks always sitting with his best friend, Danny, a self-employed painter telling stories and getting his coffee fix before going to work. When I heard that there had been a shooting at the dealership and that someone had been killed I hoped it wasn't Buddy. Sadly it was Buddy. Some young kid, for reasons no one knows, was waiting on a bike he had ordered and had been hanging out at the shop. At some point Buddy had turned his back to him and the kid pulled out a revolver and shot Buddy through the back and the heart killing him instantly. He tried to kill Buddy's coworker but she fell to the floor and he was only successfull in wounding her. A high speed chase ensued minutes later and the young man swerved off the road and crashed into a ditch. The murderer was thrown from his car and was killed immediately upon impact with the ground. He died along with his motives for such a senseless crime. I had invited Buddy to church but to no avail. I regret I didn't try to do more to reach Buddy. His best friend, Danny, had talked to me about the Pentecostal background within his family. I see Danny once in a while. He doesn't show up at Starbucks much anymore. Charlie was a challenge. He didn't want to be bothered. One day I noticed he was reading a conservative political magazine. I started talking politics. He liked my views. He listened to conservative radio. So did I. We began discussing current events and various other hot topics. Charlie, an Irish Catholic from Long Island, New York, stood out like a sore thumb. His heavy Yankee accent gave him away. We became friends. I noticed Charlie walked everywhere. One day Charlie invited me to lunch at a local pizzeria, "New York Pizza Cafe" owned by a Sicilian-born New Yorker named Caesar. Caesar was like a character out of a mob movie. He talked just like Don Corleone from the "Godfather". Nice guy. Great pizza. I found out Charlie was living in one of Caesar's rentals. Charlie was homeless. You would never know it. The guy was always clean shaven, clean clothes, clean hair, didn't smell bad, he just didn't look like someone who didn't have a place to stay. Caesar and his wife got a divorce. He had to sell everything and split it with her. He had to sell the pizza shop and the rentals. Charlie was out on the street. He asked if he could keep some belongings in my garage. One day he stopped by to pick up some things. It was 18 degrees that day. I asked Charlie where he was sleeping. He said in the front of a wrecked pick up at an auto body shop. I thought to myself, "Lord I can't let him stay in the cold, what do I do?" I opened my Bible and the first passage I laid my eyes on was Matt. 25 "I was a stranger and you took me in." I closed my Bible. "Charlie, how would like to sleep tonight in the church?" He agreed. I have a shower in my office, Charlie bathes there. He sleeps overnight and is gone during the day and evenings. He comes to every service. He even raises his hands some times. I never demanded that he come to church as a result of his staying with us. I pray he will get saved. He is planning to move to Kentucky this spring. He says there is a job waiting for him there. Time will tell. So now I get this job at Starbucks. It's a different store than my neighborhood one, but it's the next closest one. In just four months I have connected with my fellow partners and God has opened some doors. One day, a woman who had attended our church a few times when we first moved here went through the drive thru and saw me, recognized me and reminded me of who she was. She has been coming to church since with her three kids the past month. Her twelve year old son asked me about hell last Friday night at a kids lock-in at the church and I shared with him the plan of salvation. Other doors have opened since I started working at Starbucks that I don't have time to tell. I do know this: when the time comes that I won't need the insurance or the church can afford to pay it for me, I won't quit my job. I will work less hours maybe, but I never again want to cut myself off from the outside world. We need to be among the lost, among the hurting, among the needy. We need to be salt and light.

Where do I Come From

I have spent a bit of time the past few days researching my geneology.

Seems there might be a question as to my origin.

It's a rather long story, so I won't go into it right now, but I have been thinking about my roots......Where'd I come from, who are my ancestors, what is my lineage? What about my family tree???????????

Do I have any royalty in my past? Should I be receiving any large inheritance in the near future.....it never hurts to check on these things, you know.:)

I have found that my past and my roots are set, there is nothing I can do about who my ancestors were, where they came from, or what place in society they held. I also discovered, in reality, it has little today to do with who I am or what I can accomplish in my life. As I contemplate my ancestry, and as I have spent a few days researching my past, I am reminded by the Apostle Paul that... And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: as he stated in Collosians 2:10.

Since I met Jesus, my past is not who I am.

Since I met Jesus, my ancestry does not dictate my future.

Since I met Jesus, I became complete in Him.

My past is simply that, it is my past. But Jesus has become my future.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17.

What a thought, when searching my geneology, I am a new creature.

Regardless of my past, regardless of my failures, regardless of my shortcomings, if I have been washed in His blood then I am a new creature.

Jesus said I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (Jn. 15:5)

This is my family tree. This is my lineage and my inheritance. My past does not have to dictate my future. The Lord has set for me a way to escape my past. He has become the vine from which my life can sprout. I am a branch, a new lineage, a new life has been born. No wonder the writer said we were "born again", "old things passed away, behold all things become new".

From the root of David came a Vine that could sustain my life, when my past seeks to tear me in two. When the dark shadows of my past blow in like a windstorm to rip my life from the very roots I thought had established me, Jesus comes and grafts me into his vine and I become a new branch, a new creature in Christ Jesus. I am attached to greatest

stabilizing force the world has ever known, No storm can shake

Him, and because I have been grafted in to His vine, I am safe

in the fiercest of storms.

I'm not too intersted in where I came from any longer, as long as I know where I'm headed to. I'm not near as concerned about who my great, great grandparents were any longer as long as I know who my Father is. I can trust Him. I can depend on Him. He is my Father and my Friend. My Savior and my keeper.

He may not be my past.......but He has become all that can be of my future.

No wonder David could say, I will look unto the hills from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord. The continuation of the eth lets me know that the past can not dictate my future. The help that I need today and tomorrow will come from the Lord.

Why worry about my past, when my future is so bright. What a heritage I now have in Jesus Christ.

I want the world to see Jesus in me.......

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.
But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."
His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.
Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.
Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children..
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one her "teacher's pets."
A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came.. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer -- the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
They hugged each, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

John 12: 21-26
21The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
22Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
23And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

I knew when I read this story..................you've read 'em, the ones that tug at your heart.
This one got me, this is, in my estimation, a clear example of love and servitude. I don't want to be a preacher anymore. I want to be a shepherd. There is much that I could say to be preachy, but as I read the story of Mrs. Thompson, I knew I have to be this lady.

The nameless greek is everywhere. He's is the lady at the cash register, "Sir, can you help me see Jesus?"
The nameless greek is the server at the restaurant where I ate lunch today, "Sir I would see Jesus."
The nameless greek is the mechanic who works on my car, "Sir, I really need Jesus."

Maybe if I can quit "preaching" long enough to glorify Jesus, I can lead someone to Him.

I get so caught up in being a preacher, being a christian, that sometimes I forget, the world doesn't need another christian, they need Jesus. I get so proud of me, I get so consumed with my curriculum......

Can you imagine what Philip thought? He was, after all, a disciple of Jesus. Here come these greeks....."How can I help you gentlemen?" "Sir, we would see Jesus."

They don't want to see me, they don't want me to get behind my desk and lecture the scriptures to them. They want to see Jesus. He's not in traditional catachisms, He's not in dry mechanical church, He's not is chants and bells. We've been there, and we left as empty as we were when we went in.

Sir, we would see Jesus......

Do you know him, Philip? Can you lead me to him, Andrew? Mrs Thompson, teach me...............

Sir, I would see Jesus..........................................