Holub Cothran Feud

Timeline

• Before December 24, 1913 - W.L. Cothran had supposedly "tied weights to two men and throwed them in the river"  - no news reports to validate that.
• December 24, 1913 - W.L. Cothran kills Claude Deaton (Deason)
• Deaton was said to be a relative of Joseph Holub 
• I can't find any news report of Deaton's death 
• Later reports say Cothran was indicted
• April 17, 1916 - George W. Jones kills W.L. Cothran
• Said to be revenge for Deaton's death
• The Cothrans believed that Joseph Holub arranged the killing.
• March 14, 1922 - Guy Cothran kills Joseph Frederic Holub
• Indictment - April 11, 1922
• Mistrial - April 20, 1922 
• 2nd Trial - October 9, 1922
• Conviction - October 21, 1922

 December 24, 1913 - W.L. Cothran kills Claude Deaton

 Ancestry.com

(original: https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/53144647/photox/90a80531-6e2d-48e5-8a61-a709610bb313)

April 17, 1916 - George W. Jones kills W.L. Cothran

 Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 18 Apr 1916, Tue · Page 1
 

Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 21 Apr 1916, Fri · Page 2
 

 March 14, 1922 - Guy Cothran kills Joseph Frederic Holub

Little Rock Daily News (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 16 Mar 1922, Thu · Page 1

Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 9 Apr 1922, Sun · Page 1

 

Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 17 Mar 1922, Fri · Page 2

 
Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 20 Mar 1922, Mon · Page 9

Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 18 Apr 1922, Tue · Page 4

Indictment - April 11, 1922

Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 11 Apr 1922, Tue · Page 1

April 20, 1922 - Mistrial

 
Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 21 Apr 1922, Fri · Page 8

 Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 17 Sep 1922, Sun · Page 2

 Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 17 Sep 1922, Sun · Page 2

 2nd Trial - October 1922

 Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 20 Oct 1922, Fri · Page 8

Conviction - October 21, 1922

 Arkansas Democrat (Little Rock, Arkansas) · 22 Oct 1922, Sun · Page 6

test

Prophetic...

Nuthin' but Nyet

The "Church" is always a local Congregation

New Hope Baptist church of Independence, Missouri.

Tyndale got it...

 18 And I saye also vnto the yt thou arte Peter: and apon this rocke I wyll bylde my congregacion. And the gates of hell shall not prevayle ageynst it. 

He always uses "congregation" instead of "church" for ekklesia. Since the single biggest feature of a "congregation" is that they "congregate," he tried w/ limited success to eradicate the "catholic/universal" notion.

Unfortunately the High and Mighty Prince James, was able to undo this bit of clarity in his guidelines for his "authorized" version...

3. The old ecclesiastical words to be kept; as the word church, not to be translated congregation, &c. 

http://kjv.landmarkbiblebaptist.net/kjv-instructions.html

Which the translators followed: "Lastly, wee have on the one side avoided the scrupulositie of the Puritanes, who leave the olde Ecclesticall words, and betake them to other, as when they put washing for Baptisme, and Congregation in stead of Church: "

http://ecmarsh.com/lxx-kjv/kj_account.htm

Look, Listen, And Live

Live

Even though they were baptized (in the cloud and sea), and enjoyed the provision spiritual food and drink, and Christ was was present with them - most of them failed did not please God and they died before they reached the promised land.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:1–5 (NKJV)

We should remember that though we are saved, baptized, participant in the Lord's Supper (and enjoy God's provisions of ordinary food and drink), and Christ is present with them - that we still must choose to do those things that are pleasing to God.

Listen

The Israelites in the wilderness fell to many temptations and suffered greatly for them.They desired evil things and it cost them greatly:

• They committed idolatry (Ex 32)
• They committed sexual immorality and many died (Num 25)
• They tempted Christ and were destroyed by serpents (Num 21)
• They complained and were destroyed by plague (Num 14)

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Corinthians 10:6–11 (NKJV)

Those Old Testament believers serve as examples and their stories are recorded as instructions for us. God's people in the last days can learn a lot from God's people in the earliest days.

Look

Because these things things happened so seemingly easy to the Israelites, we should look hard at ourselves that we do not fall to the same temptations. The temptations that they faced back then were the same as in Paul's day and as in our day.

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 10:12–13 (NKJV)

We will face temptation. But no temptation is overwhelming. We can choose to trust Christ and escape its snares.

Worship - Who Decides?

Can God be worshiped any way we choose? This idea is very popular today. People say things like, "I worship God in my own way." "I can worship God better in a tree stand or on the lake fishing, than in a church house." "I like to worship God this way..."

God has not chosen to be worshiped by admiring nature, interpretive dance, some ball game, or any other thing that has been popularized. He wants to be worshiped in Spirit and Truth. That means setting aside the flesh its desires, to follow after the Spirit. Truth is everything God has said. How has he commanded us to worship? Praising Him in hymns, psalms, and the declaration of His Word.

Exodus 20:18–26 (NKJV) 

Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’

Worship begins with fear. Biblical fear is not simply honor or respect. Its actual FEAR. Sinful man coming into the presence of a Holy God is a frightful thing. When we are doing something scary, we are careful about doing it right. We give it thought and consideration. Irreverence is a lack of fear, and has at its source a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is.

Worship is focused on God. Churches often like to bestow honors on various groups of people and individuals. My question, is why would we take the spotlight off God, even for a minute?

Worship continues in obedience. How should we worship? Exactly like God says. Have a clever idea? Toss it aside and obey God. Think of something more fun? Forget about it and obey God. Our pleasure in worship should come from fulfilling our desire to please God in worship. Too often, the satisfaction of the people has trumped the satisfying of God in what is called worship.

Are You Truly Saved?

You sin. So do I. Even after trusting in Christ we find ourselves sinning. We swear we will never do it again, then bam, there it is... again. Many folks promote the idea that this might mean you weren't truly saved, when you were saved.


Functionally and psychologically this works exactly the same as the false doctrine of "works for Salvation." The only difference is in phrasing the words. The person who believes sin can make you lose your Salvation believes he was saved, but lost it. The person who believes sin indicates you weren't truly saved believes he thought he was saved, but never was. Both are practically identical in denying security of the believer, and in magnifying the works of man while cheapening the work of Christ.


What is a person to do? Well, they can just give up. "I tried to be a Christian, but I guess I just can't do it." Or, they can lie to themselves (and others). "I don't sin." More often they find justification for themselves, while still condemning others. "I sin, but not really bad sins and not very often, and my life is characterized by sin, so my Salvation is good, but those people committing those other sins that I would never do, they are probably lost." These are all wrong. So, what is the right answer?

Trust Christ! You are saved by trusting in Jesus Christ, that he died for your sins on the cross, and that God is satisfied, and has chosen to justify sinful you through faith in him. Trusting in Christ really, truly, eternally saves you.

What about verses like 1 John 3:9? Doesn't this say that someone who is truly saved won't sin?

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
1 John 3:9 (NKJV)

It does. And understanding this verse and others like it require us to make a distinction between the flesh and the spirit. Your flesh has not been born of God. But your spirit has. God's seed is in you spiritually, and it never sins. Ever. Not habitually. Not continually. Not even in isolated incidents. Your flesh is exactly the same as it was before you were saved, wicked and depraved. In fact, there isn't any hope for your flesh. This is why flesh and blood can not inherit the Kingdom of God. It must suffer the wages of sin - death. However, Spiritually you are born born of God, born from above, born again, a child of God, bearing His image through faith in Christ.


Have this dual nature creates a conflict between the wicked desires of the flesh and the holy desires of the Spirit. This is why we are commanded to walk after the Spirit and to bear fruit of the Spirit. The struggle is real for the believer. The unregenerate has no struggle. His nature is wicked both physically and spiritually. The believer has a choice, and we can follow after the Spirit. In practice we fail occasionally and repeatedly, but the choice is always there. And through faith, we can make the right choices more and more.

So, should we just continue to sin, and not worry about it? Should we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God Forbid! But we should be honest about our sin. We shouldn't deny the reality of it or soften the severity of it. We should confess it and repent of it and trust Christ to forgive us of it.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
1 John 1:8–10 (NKJV)

The reality if Salvation is the work of God, we can not doubt our Salvation without doubting our Savior. Are you truly saved? I truly don't know. But I know that Jesus died for you, and if you trust in Him, you are His forever. Truly.

When Churches Eat Themselves

A long time ago a man was traveling across the Alps. Suddenly a blizzard was upon him and he sought refuge in a cave. He was protected from the cold bitter environment, but the storm raged on for days, and he began to hunger. Seeing no escape, he looked at his foot and thought it better to have only one foot than to starve. So numbing his foot in the ice and snow, he cut it off, roasted it, and ate it. He was able to tourniquet off the blood flow, but soon he was hungry again. Remembering how good the first foot was, he prepared and ate the second. Then his whole leg. Then the other.

When the thaw came in the spring, some hikers came across the cave. Inside, they found the man's pack and supplies. They found his diary describing his ordeal. Knowing it would be impossible for a man so dismembered to move himself out of the cave, they looked for his body, but found none.

It seems, he had eaten himself entirely.

Might our churches be doing the same?

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

Galatians 5:13–15 (NKJV)

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29–32 (NKJV)

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Colossians 3:12–15 (NKJV)

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?

But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:

“God resists the proud,
 But gives grace to the humble.”

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
James 4:1–10 (NKJV)

Get Woke

Have A Clean Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)

Gr καθαρότης (katharotēs), cleanness; purity.
Heb  בָרֵ֥י ba-re beloved; also pure, empty:—choice, clean, clear, pure.

A Pure Heart Comes From God

    Who can say, “I have made my heart clean,
    I am pure from my sin”?
Proverbs 20:9 (NKJV)

    Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
    Make me hear joy and gladness,
    That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
    Hide Your face from my sins,
    And blot out all my iniquities.

    Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
    Do not cast me away from Your presence,
    And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51:7–11 (NKJV)

 A Pure Heart Is Required For Worship

    Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
    Or who may stand in His holy place?
    He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
    Nor sworn deceitfully.
    He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
    And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
    This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
    Who seek Your face.
Selah
Psalm 24:3–6 (NKJV)

A Pure Heart Is Manifest In Love

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because

    “All flesh is as grass,
    And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
    The grass withers,
    And its flower falls away,
    But the word of the LORD endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1 Peter 1:22–2:3 (NKJV)

A Pure Heart Does Not Envy But Trusts In the Lord

Psalm 73
A Psalm of Asaph.

    Truly God is good to Israel,
    To such as are pure in heart.
    But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
    My steps had nearly slipped.
    For I was envious of the boastful,
    When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

    For there are no pangs in their death,
    But their strength is firm.
    They are not in trouble as other men,
    Nor are they plagued like other men.
    Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
    Violence covers them like a garment.
    Their eyes bulge with abundance;
    They have more than heart could wish.
    They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
    They speak loftily.
    They set their mouth against the heavens,
    And their tongue walks through the earth.

    Therefore his people return here,
    And waters of a full cup are drained by them.
    And they say, “How does God know?
    And is there knowledge in the Most High?”
    Behold, these are the ungodly,
    Who are always at ease;
    They increase in riches.
    Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain,
    And washed my hands in innocence.
    For all day long I have been plagued,
    And chastened every morning.

    If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
    Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children.
    When I thought how to understand this,
    It was too painful for me—
    Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
    Then I understood their end.

    Surely You set them in slippery places;
    You cast them down to destruction.
    Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!
    They are utterly consumed with terrors.
    As a dream when one awakes,
    So, Lord, when You awake,
    You shall despise their image.

    Thus my heart was grieved,
    And I was vexed in my mind.
    I was so foolish and ignorant;
    I was like a beast before You.
    Nevertheless I am continually with You;
    You hold me by my right hand.
    You will guide me with Your counsel,
    And afterward receive me to glory.

    Whom have I in heaven but You?
    And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
    My flesh and my heart fail;
    But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
    For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish;
    You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.
    But it is good for me to draw near to God;
    I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
    That I may declare all Your works.

Your Need - God's Desire

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
Matthew 9:10–13 (NKJV)

Jesus teaches a short but pointed lesson upon this occasion. His popularity is still on the rise, and upon the call of Matthew to follow him, he is found to keep company with some of the most negatively viewed people in society at that time - tax collectors and sinners. Its important to note that the "sinner" designation did not just mean someone who committed sins, but one who was not living under the law. In some cases, a job that kept one ceremonially unclean would classify someone as a "sinner." But it could be the equivalent of being "unchurched" in modern society. It might not be that they were doing anything especially bad according the standards of mankind, but they also weren't trying to live adhere to the religion of the Old Testament.

Gentiles were considered sinners by default. Paul illustrates this perspective when writing to the Galatians he says, "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles" (Galatians 2:15). And Pharisaic Judaism created a difficult and sometimes impossible barrier to religious life. Jesus said, "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matthew 23:4).

Tax collectors were considered unpatriotic. That is not to say they religious scruples weren't in question. For those who claimed they were looking for God's coming Kingdom, to serve the treasure of the unpopular Roman occupiers was an affront on God. This is illustrated in the attempt to trap Jesus with the question if one should even pay taxes to Caesar.
"Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?..." - Matthew 22:17–19a (NKJV) 

But these that the religious of their world had given up on actually responded to Jesus' message, while those who were the most educated and seemingly godly rejected it. Why? Because they knew they were "sick." They had no errant presumption of righteousness. They were sinners, everyone knew. They were collecting taxes for the enemy of Gods Kingdom. They had no hope in the Legalistic traditional religion of the Pharisees. They had been shut out, or perhaps had just given up.

Because they knew they were in need, they were willing to turn to Jesus for that need. And while the met the icy stares of the Pharisees' judgment and rejection, Jesus reached out to them with mercy.

This is the model. This is the mission. This is the message. The self-righteous have convinced themselves they are healthy. But the Great Physicican only appeals to the "sick."

Why Not You?

We disqualify ourselves from God's service for many reasons. Our past. Our inadequacies. Our challenging circumstances. "Yes, I'm willing to serve, Lord! But alas, I cannot!" But is this accurate? Has God made a mistake in choosing you for service? We know better than that. God has chosen us all to serve, and has made it possible for each of us to serve in just the way He has chosen.

Credibility

Exodus 4:1–9 (NKJV)  
Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ” So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. “Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.”

Ability

Exodus 4:10–12 (NKJV)  
Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

Alternative

Exodus 4:13–17 (NKJV)
But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.” So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

Not Forgotten

God Demands Reverence From His People

   Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exodus 3:1–6 (NKJV)  

What made the ground on Mount Horeb "holy". Holy means set apart, removed from common use. This place was special. But why? Because God was there! The dirt was just dirt. The rocks were just rocks. The bush was just a bush. But God's presence made it special.

The same thing makes us holy. God being present with us... in us. His church is to be separate from the world. His people are called to "come out from among them and be separate." So, the modern goal of making worship more appealing by making it more worldly ultimately fails the reverence test. God defines how he is worshiped. And He is to be worshiped in spirit, that is with hearts set right through faith. And He is to be worshiped in truth, which is consistent with His Word.

If God said, "treat the dirt" as holy. How much more should we set apart the task of coming together to worship Him? God demands that we reverence Him.

God Remembers His People

 And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”Exodus 3:7–10 (NKJV)  

We work on a small timeframe. Days, weeks, when we are thinking really big picture, years. But God's operating on a much larger timeframe. Such that we usually don't catch what He's working while He's doing it. Israel had been in Egypt for 400 years. For 80 years at this point, the leadership didn't know Joseph and was actively trying to reduce through violence the Israelite population. For 40 years, Moses had been in exile, tending a flock that didn't even belong to him. But God was not done with this people. In fact, we know that he was just getting started at this point!

God Sees

God was well aware of what was happening to His people. And though it seemed he had not intervened, he already had the man, the method, and the moment of Israel's deliverance planned out.

God Hears

God heard His people's cries. We tend to pray with our problem, and also tell God the best solution to that problem. When the solution doesn't materialize (the next day), we conclude God has not heard our prayer, or the more spiritually minded might say that God has just denied our prayer. But maybe He heard, and He's got a better and bigger solution to your problem. The Israelites wanted a lighter load. God wanted them to give them their own land. 

God Knows

God not only sees and hears, but he knows what is going on. God is "all-in" with his people. When they suffer, He feels it. That's a really big claim, but its Biblical. Saul found this out on the Damascus road after he had been persecuting the church. The risen Lord asked him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

What do these things tell us? That as His people, God is well aware of what we are are going through in this life, that He hears us even when we cry, and He knows how bad it hurts. He literally feels it. He remembers us.

God Remains With His People

   But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Exodus 3:11–12 (NKJV)  

Moses's question is the same one we all ask. Who am I? I'm nobody right? We're all a bunch of nobodies. But its not so. Because we are God's people, that makes us somebody. What God commands us, we can do, because He is with us. Think of Moses. An exile. Death Sentence. 80 years old. Shepherd. Failure. Surely Moses could have identified with these things. He wasn't someone who could accomplish something great. Maybe once he thought so, but now? Surely he was resigned to living his life simply and uneventfully. It was his lot. 

But it wasn't. God had enormous plans for Moses. He is one of the most well known individuals from all of history. God was about to use him in a mighty way. No one scoffs at the name of Moses today. But from his perspective, he was a nobody.

Friends, God uses nobodies. 

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.
1 Corinthians 1:26–29 (NKJV)

Moses could accomplish everything ahead of him, because God was with him. And he wasn't going to leave him. He would remain with him into Egypt, and back to this very place. You are somebody when you belong to God. He remains with you. He never leaves you.

In a world where too often, the important things are forgotten, and sometimes even God is forgotten, we need to remember. We need to remember that God demands our reverence. And that he remembers us, intimately, and personally aware of all we go through. And that he remains with us, making the impossible tasks ahead of us, possible. 

Raw Spirit Preaching

   And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (NKJV)

Education has value. So does eloquence. But they are also dangerous when it comes to preaching. How? In what way? The danger lies in the ability to construct a sermon solely consisting of that which stimulates the intellect magnified by the manner of delivery. In Paul's day, Greek rhetoric (the art of persuasion) was a popular tool taught and used by Sophists (professional debaters and teachers of debate skills). In the present day, the power of intellectualism is still wielded by fast talking philosophers schooled in the ability to persuade and convince. But what if the message is wrong? No amount of education makes it right if its wrong. No matter how persuasive the argument is, wrong remains wrong.

Paul chose to approach the Corinthians without the intellectual rhetorical toolkit that the Greek speaking world had come to expect, so that the Gospel might not be communicated and believed by these carnal means, but by the power of the Spirit of God. That one might be convinced of the truth of God's redemptive work in Christ with the plain spoken message of the cross was unexpected by the hearers and served as a demonstration of the messages power.

Today the psychology of persuasion is widely studied and applied in business, politics, and advertising. It is also heavily used by those who claim to be the messengers of the Gospel. This can be seen in the empty and false doctrines that are spouted on so many late night television billionaire preaching programs. They are also widely imitated by many legitimate preachers, probably through ignorance, as they repeat and ape what they have seen others do. This is unnecessary and damaging. The Word of God is powerful all by itself. It needs to be delivered without guile, just as Jesus came and brought the message to the world.

Lets not be clever brethren. Lets be clear. And when we step down from the pulpit, lets know with certainty that any lives change were change by the power of God's word, not through the manipulation of our words.

Foolish Wisdom

   Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:10–25 (NKJV)  

Since the so-called Enlightenment, rationality has reigned as a the final arbiter of truth. And indeed our science and understanding has made great strides under this model. We have advanced in a few hundred years more than in the previous few thousand. But it should be noted that this appeal to the natural and material rational understanding of the world can only be valid to the extent that the world is natural, material, and rational.

What if that underlying presumption is wrong? The Scripture says that it is. The Scripture says that God exists above nature. That He is not material. And that His rationality is above ours. In such a world, using only that limited tool box would result in some wrongly answered and unanswered questions.

The Gospel proclaims a message beyond what is natural, material, and rational. The Supernatural God and His Divine Son, Savior, and Redeemer. His Sublime life and sacrifice. His Miraculous Resurrection. A Gospel standing on human reason will sway and fall with human reason. But a Gospel standing on God's Wisdom must stand forever. This is not new for our modern age. It has always been what divides those who rely on God for Salvation from those who are resigned to perishing.

When Jesus Isn't Nice

   Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.”

So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”
But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
John 2:13–22 (NKJV)  

The cleansing of the Temple can seem a little shocking. Jesus throwing over tables and literally whipping people goes against the kind (and sometimes effeminate)  portrayal of Jesus in popular media. But the media is not to be blamed. This is the very same way Jesus is most often portrayed by his own people. The worlds nicest man. But sometimes Jesus wasn't nice. Jesus was confrontational. He offended people, and hurt their feelings. He insulted them sometimes. He was uncompromising. In fact the religious elite conspired, bribed, rigged, and manipulated to have him killed.

What can we conclude from this? That nice isn't godly. That getting along isn't the same as good. Being liked isn't the same as being loving. Remember Jesus perfectly executed the Father's will. Sometimes being obedient to God means that people aren't going to like what you say... or what you do... or what you think. In fact, the Lord said we ought not be surprised when the world rejects us and even hates us. Maybe the opposite idea is true also. When the world loves us and no one is offended or insulted and everyone thinks of us as night, we should ask ourselves if it's because we are not in the Father's will.