Teaching Time Trials Begin Soon
Greetings in the Lord~ Today's word comes from Exodus 17 and Acts 17, and I will keep it short and with coded meaning. In a nutshell, these passages talk about how the burgeoning Israelite community and Church came under persecution from enemies. In Exodus, these were the descendants of Amalek. They attacked Israel in the desert at Rephidim, after they had just fought with Moses about not having any water to drink. In fact, they allowed their complaining to go so far as to doubt his leadership and the Sovereign will of God. Not good. They had to go through this ordeal, however, including the attack of the Amalekites, as they were learning to depend and call on God for both protection and provision. And, the Amalekites became cursed for all time because of their cruel and opportunistic behavior in attacking Israel when they were tired and thirsty. In Acts 17, we read about Paul and Silas in Greece. While in the sophisticated and affluent city of Thessalonica, their preach