Fall Creek Christian Church

"The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, 'You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.'  When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, and they said, 'May the Lord look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.'"   Ex. 5:19-21 On more than one occasion in my life, as a child and as an adult, I've made every effort to do exactly what I was supposed to do only to find myself experiencing negative consequences.  I expected affirmation.  I received criticism.  I anticipated forward progress only to experience crash and burn.  "What is this all about!?", I asked myself.  I was following the directions, sticking to the plan and then ... Wham! The verses today reveal Moses and Aaron standing in those same pair of shoes.  They told Pharaoh exactly what God told them to say. They pe...

"They said to one another, 'Surely we are being punished because of our brother.  We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this disaster has come upon us."  Genesis 42:21 I don't know why I did it.  Honestly, as a first grader, it was more simple impulse than calculated plan.  My neighbor had a silver dollar collection and I wanted one so I took it.  Like Poe's "beating heart" that coin haunted me until the day I discreetly returned it to its rightful owner.   In this one verse snapshot of a much longer story, Joseph's brothers found themselves in a world of hurt.  Their conclusion? ... We are getting what we deserve for the horrible wrong we have done.  They ignored their brother's cries when they sold him into slavery.  He begged.  He cried.  He pleaded. They didn't care ... then that is.  But now?  They were haunted.  They were steeped in regret.  A...

"Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom.  And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness.  He felt great compassion for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help.  They were like sheep without a shepherd."      Matthew 9:35-38 As a kid, it somehow makes sense to get into a rock throwing fight with other kids.  The story of Goliath should have alerted me to the potentially harmful outcomes of such an endeavor.  Yet, the rock battle was engaged.  It lasted until I, like the unusually large aforementioned Bible character, caught one of those stones with my forehead.  This predictable outcome was followed by a steady stream of blood and terrified panic.  Fortunately, there was a sweet lady who lived near the war zone who opened her door to me and ten...

"Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai, and his grandson Lot and left Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan.  But they stopped instead at the village of Haran and settled there.  Terah lived for 205 years and died while still at Haran."  Genesis 11:31-32 I had a grand vision.  Each and every item on the shelves categorized, organized, and prioritized. Dirt and dust removed. Window scrubbed. Floor immaculate. Tools in their places with bright shiny faces.  After all, a man's garage is his kingdom. The plan continued to take shape as the summer days rolled on by. Unfortunately, distractions and excuses mounted with each passing day. The plan never went forward. I stopped instead. We aren't told why Abraham's daddy decided to got to Canaan, only that he did.  We aren't told why he " stopped instead ", only that he did.  He "died while  still at  Haran."  Hmm ... Given that God showed up after he died and told his son...