Good Morning,

Over week ago we had a circulating pump motor begin to make a racket down in the basement of the church in the boiler room.  I called the company that works on our equipment and he came in on Saturday to make sure we had heat for Sunday.  The coupler was replaced and some rubber mounts needed to be ordered and replaced as well.  When Monday came around the motor was still sending noises out so I called the company again to look at alternatives.  After a search was made by the company lead man, Chris, he stated that he was looking into another motor with another company.  The previous company had parts that were not coming in quickly and the pumps were expensive.  A long story short, we purchased a new pump from another company yet the total amount for replacement will be over $1,000.  We praise the Lord for heat!!!

How is your O’BOB reading coming along?

THE CHAPTER IN THE BIBLE – DEUTERONOMY 7

As I read this chapter, I would call the first eleven verses “A Call to Holiness.”  God was planning to send His people, Israel, into the land of seven nations who were very wicked at this time.  God was going to go before the Jews and deliver the enemies of God to them and allow the Israelites to conquer all seven nations.

God wanted to prevent any tarnishing of sin in His people so God gave them commands to keep them holy before the Lord.  Here are three specific warnings that God gave to Israel:

1. They were not to make any covenant (promises, agreements) with the people of those nations and show them no favor or grace.

2. Israel was to make sure that their children would not intermarry the sons and daughters of the people of Canaan.

3. The people of Israel were to make sure to tear down their altars, their sacred pillars, their Asherim and burn any graven images with fire.

If any of these commands were not followed, the people of the land and their idols would turn them away from following the LORD.  God chose Israel to be HIS people and to be a holy people.

God then shares some of the promises that He gave to Israel so that they would know that were His chosen people.  If Israel was obedient there were many promises that God would fulfill on their behalf.

Is it worth following the Lord today?  Yes, we are not like the nation of Israel who are either blessed or cursed by our actions, but God still deals with His children in a fair and just way.  God does care for us above the average person in this world.  But, God will chasten us if we are disobedient to His will for our lives.

God has chosen us individually and given us a position that is special in His sight.  Yet, God does discipline us as His children as a father would a son (Heb. 12:3-11).  God desires us to walk a holy walk and talk a holy talk.  But, it is our free will to choose the way in which we talk and walk.  How are you doing in your Christian life?  Are you responding to God’s Word and His will for your life?  Are you living a godly lifestyle before HIM?

In His love,

Pastor Les