"I have heard them crying out...."

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 “God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.”  [Exodus 3:15]

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"I have heard them crying out...." 

Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

In tending the flock of Jethro, Moses learned valuable lessons about leading God's people. When he went to Horeb (Mount Sinai), the Lord appeared to him in a bush that burned with fire but was not consumed.
 Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”
 And Moses said, “Here I am.”

 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”  Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

God reassures Moses that He is the God of his forefathers--Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

The Lord promised Moses that He would deliver His people from Egypt and bring them into a land of abundance--that is, Canaan--inhabited by the six heather nations.

God was not oblivious to the plight of His people. God heard and remembered and looked upon the children of Israel and acknowledged their condition. God's response was to bring His servant Moses back to Egypt to lead His people out of that land in the mightiest display of power since the creation of the world.

He is the same God, who listens to His children when they cry to Him.





Burning Bush

 “There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.”  [Exodus 3:2]

Moses



"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." 

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 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”  [Luke 18:13]

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"But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." 

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Since our Father knows the things we have need of, even before we ask Him, then it is reasonable to ask,"Why pray at all?" The reason is that, in prayer we acknowledge our need and dependence on Him. It is the basis of our communicating with God. Also God does things in answer to prayer that He would not have done otherwise.

"You do not have, because you do not ask God." [James 4:2]

“This, then, is how you should pray:

‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one.

For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

     “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,  so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.





PRAYER

 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”  [Mark 11:25]

Praying



Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus

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 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  [2 Corinthians 4:4]

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Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus 

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
What kind of attitude did Jesus Christ exhibit? What characterized His behavior toward others? The mind of Lord Jesus can be described as 1) The selfless mind; 2) The sacrificial mind; 3) The serving mind.
The Lord Jesus consistently thought of others.
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
This is marvelous in our eyes! He obeyed even though it cost Him His life. Obedient to the point of death means He obeyed to the end. Truly  He was the Merchant who went and sold all that He had to buy the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:46).
Even the death of the cross. Death by crucifixion was the most shameful form of execution. And that was the form of death reserved for heaven’s Best when He came into this world. He did all this for you and me.
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
When the Savior humbled Himself, God also  has highly exalted Him. When He did not see a name for Himself, God has given Him the name which is above every name. When He bent His knees in service to others, God has decreed that every knee shall bow to Him.
We should not exalt ourselves but be the servants of others, that God may exalt us in due time.
Those who do not willingly bow the knee to Him now will one day be compelled to do so. Those who will not be reconciled in the day of His grace will be subjugated in the day of His judgment.





Every Knee should bow

 “...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord...”  [Philippians 2:10-11]

Every Knee should bow



The Triumphal Entry - Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

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 “As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them,  “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.”  [Luke 19:29-31]

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The Triumphal Entry 

Jesus had drawn near to the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives en route to Jerusalem. When he came near to Bethphage and Bethany, He sent two of His disciples into a village to get a colt for His entrance into Jerusalem. He told them exactly where they would find the animal and what the owners would say. After the disciples had explained their mission, the owners seemed quite willing to release their colt for use by Jesus. Perhaps they had been blessed previously by the ministry of the Lord and had offered to be of assistance to Him any time He needed it.

The disciples made a cushion or saddle for the Lord with their own cloths. Many spread their clothes on the road before Him as He ascended from the western base of the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem. Then with one accord the followers of Jesus burst out in praise for all the mighty works they had seen Him do. They hailed Him as God’s King, and chanted that the effect of His coming was peace in heaven and glory in the highest. It is significant that they cried “Peace in heaven” rather than “Peace on earth.” There could not be peace on earth because the Prince of Peace had been rejected and was on to be slain. But there would be peace in heaven as a result of the impending death of Christ on Calvary’s cross and His ascension to heaven.

The Pharisees were indignant that Jesus should be publicly honored in this way. They suggested that He should rebuke His disciples. But Jesus answered that such acclamation was inevitable. If the disciples wouldn’t do it, the stones would! He thus rebuked the Pharisees for being more hard and unresponsive than the inanimate stones.
Dear friend, do you recognize Jesus Christ as your Savior, who only can save you from eternal damnation?



Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

 “When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”  “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”  [Luke 19 :37-40]

Jesus rides on a donkey



"...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done..."

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 “...who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time...”  [2 Timothy 1:9 ]

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"...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done..." 

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

An additional obligation of the Christian disciple is that he be ready for every good work. Not all job are honorable-some businesses sell products that are harmful to man's spiritual, mental, and physical health. In all good conscience, these occupations should be avoided.

A Christian should speak evil of no one. What oceans of grief and trouble could be avoided if Christians would obey this simple truth to speak evil of no one! We should be peaceable and avoid quarreling. It takes two to generate a dispute.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

God's goodness and loving kindness appeared to us when we were saved. It was a manifestation of these attributes that He would send His beloved Son to die for a world of rebellious sinners.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

The Lord Jesus is also called God our Savior because He paid the necessary penalty in order that we might be pardoned and forgiven.  He saved us from the guilt and penalty of all our sings--past, present, and future. They were all future when the Savior died, and His death covered them all.

One of the simplest, clearest truths of the gospel is the most difficult for man to receive. It is the salvation is not based on good works; one doesn't become a Christian by living a Christian life. The consistent testimony of the Bible is that man cannot earn or merit salvation. Man cannot save himself by good works; all his righteous deeds are like filthy rags in God's sight.  It is not good people who go to heaven; it is sinners who have been saved by God's grace!

Dear reader, do you trust in your own good works for your salvation, or do you trust in Christ's redemptive work for you on the cross? Are you washed in His precious blood?


Born of water and the Spirit

 “Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.”  [John 3:5]

Throughout the Word of God we read that Salvation is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Baptism is intended for those who have already been saved, but not as a means of salvation. 

Baptism