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Hardships…Who’s to Blame?

ByTim Nolte
(Exodus 5:1-23) Initially it would seem that Moses and Aaron weren’t helping matters each time they talked to Pharaoh. The Isrealites even blamed them for making things harder for them. How did Moses and Aaron take that? Well we know that at least Moses in turn decided to blame God for what was happening to the Isrealites. It might seem that both the Isrealites and/or Moses were correct in placing blame, however they were wrong as God had a plan for it all. I think about when things, even small things, don’t go our way we so easily look to place blame. I think it can be so easy for us to lose sight of the possibility that God is working. We can never fully…
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Is God Patient?

ByTim Nolte
(Exodus 4:10-18) Interesting question, it would seem that in this passage in Exodus, that Moses wore out God’s patience. It clearly describes that God became angery with Moses when he refused to follow what God was calling him to. This doesn’t mean that God is completely impatient, however it does go to show that He will work with us for a time and perhaps arrange something entirely different to get us moving. We are stuborn people, if God simply waited on us none of His plans would come to pass I suspect. Are we choosing to live in a manner that continues to try God’s patience, or are we desiring to please Him with how we live our lives? I would hope and pray that…
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Your Attention Please…

ByTim Nolte
(Exodus 3:1-5) So God used a burning bush to get Moses attention. What does He use today to get our attention. I’m reminded of something a pastor said recently, “can we hear God’s whisper in this loud world?”, can we? The world that we live in is definitely busier and louder than in Biblical times. It took a burning bush even then to get Moses attention. Are we ready and willing to hear the whisper of God as He speaks to us? One of my favorite songs right now is “Praise You in This Storm” and part of the chorus goes: As the thunder rolls, I barely hear your whisper through the rain, “I’m with you” That thunder is the things of this world, and…
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Women’s Roles in Church

ByTim Nolte
(1 Corinthians 14:26-40) So as read the topic title for my devotions this morning I thought “Ah, something good today about worship”, but as I got to the third paragraph I couldn’t believe what I was reading. This is what is says: “(33b) As in all the congregations of the saints, (34) women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. (35) If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.” As I read those words I found a passage that seems to be used in many church, even my own historically. The thing…
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Where’s The Line…Freedom in Christ or Good Witness

ByTim Nolte
(1 Corinthians 14:13-25) In my devotion time today, Paul was again talking to the church in Corinth about matters of witness to unbelievers and escentially the freedom found in Christ. The problem for the early church, and I would say that this problem has not gone away, was that for the unbelievers (or even weak or new in faith) there were things that they didn’t understand which easily turned them off to Christianity. The hard part comes in that God has called us, as Christians, to be different than this world. While we are to be different we are also to do so, not in a way that turns people away, but in a way that draws other to Christ. There comes decisions which have…