Faith Madison

Do you know anyone who faithfully (?) attends church on Sunday and, perhaps, does a few good deeds during the week and believes he or she is a good Christian? Here is something to think about.

Would you consider someone who claimed to be a vegan (eats plant food only) , but ate only plants on Thursday and was very diligent about it, a true vegan if he or she ate meat the rest of the week?

Would you believe someone truly loved animals if he or she treated them with great care on Tuesdays but beat and starved them the rest of the week?

God loves you and wants to be in fellowship with you every day and all day. He loves you so much that Jesus suffered and died on the cross for your sins. His resurrection guarantees that by grace are you saved through faith. This grace is a gift from God. We can do nothing to earn a place in heaven.Your place in heaven is certain if you believe Jesus died and rose for you.

If we truly love Jesus, we will want to follow him and keep his commandments every day all day. Our lives will be changed, but we won't be perfect because our human nature is sinful. When His grace covers our sins, we get to got to heaven.

When someone is very ill, physically damaged or mentally damaged, relatives, friends, neighbors and strangers often pray for a complete cure. When it doesn't happen, the victim or family often ask, "Where is God in this? Why isn't my prayer being answered?"

From an earthly point of view, the question is valid.

The question people are really asking is, "Why isn't God doing my will?" Why should he? His ways, thoughts and concerns are higher and better than ours. He cares about our eternal welfare. For Christians, that answer is heaven. What could possibly be better for us?

The Devil doesn't care about your WELFARE. He helps you earn your HELLFARE. He constantly tempts you to put other things --money, power, prestige, sex, sports, etc.-- ahead of God in your lives. These other things become your gods.

Who Were the Moabites?

Lot, his wife and two daughters fled the city of Sodom after an angel warned of its coming destruction. Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Lot and the daughters fled to a cave in the mountains. The daughters were upset that no men were available. They got their father drunk and slept with him. The older daughter became pregnant and gave birth to Moab, the father of the Moabite nation. The younger gave birth to Ben Ammi, the father of the Ammonites. (Genesis 19)

When the children of Israel were heading from Egypt to the promised land, God forbade them from bothering the Moabites even though the Moabites refused to let them pass through Moab (located east of the Dead Sea and the Jordan River).

For about 300 years there was no war between Israel and Moab. In fact, the Moabites were too friendly, using their women to entice the Israelite men into idolatry.(Numbers 25)

At the time of the Judges there were wars with the Moabites. At times, the Moabites were used to punish the children of Israel for their wicked ways. The Moabite conquest ended when the Judge Ehud assassinated King Eglon of Moab. (Judges 3)

Saul also fought against Moab. But at least part of the time, relations were peaceful. Naomi, who had earlier moved to Moab with her husband, brought her daughter-in-law Ruth back after all the men in the family died. Ruth, the Moabite, married Boaz and became an ancestor of David and of Jesus. (Ruth)

While the languages were similar, the religions were very different. The Moabites were polytheists (many gods). Their chief god was Chemoch. Ashtar was his consort. Sexual sins were part of their worship, as was child sacrifice. In addition, they worshiped Baal of Peor.

Moabites continued to appear in Biblical and other historical accounts for many years. Even in Roman times, Moab was still a great nation. "Moab" disappeared from history about 380 AD.

Note that the sins of Lot and his daughters led to many problems for God's chosen people. Note also that God chose to put one of their descendants (Ruth) into Jesus' ancestry.