Stick With The Plan

Its often said the the best for of defence is offence

STAND FIRM

It takes courage, but that’s how God wants you to deal with this world in a spiritual way. If you just try to run away from it and fear it, it will run after you and try to eat you up. The more we let it go and say nothing - the worse it gets. If your children are hanging out with some kids that you know full well are evil, you might think, “oh, maybe we can influence him or her for the better.”

But then, before you know it, he is drinking alcohol and acting like a heathen. Or if your son starts dating a gal that seems to dress with her body parts hanging out on all sides, you can’t assume he’ll behave himself. Before you know it, she will be pregnant. You can’t just assume these things will go away. You’ve got to put your foot down at some point and address the evil behavior or even the APPEARANCE of it.

It takes courage and judgment, but evil has to be exposed and hung out to dry - confronted straight up - because that’s the only thing that it will listen to - the law.

THE WORLD OPPOSES US

But for some reason we’ve been contaminated with this modern day idea that evil can be gradually steered into good with a lot of nice talk and “counseling”. We’re turned into spiritual cowards - afraid to make people angry. Instead of calling sin “sin” we would rather diagnose it as a disease and throw drugs at it. It’s less messy and more excusable.

Pharaoh wasn’t about to listen to sweet talk, and God didn’t give him any. He said, “do it or else!”

PHARAOH REACTS

So how did Pharaoh - deal with this threat? He became angry and said,

“YOU ARE NO LONGER TO SUPPLY THE PEOPLE WITH STRAW FOR MAKING BRICKS; LET THEM GO AND GATHER THEIR OWN STRAW. BUT REQUIRE THEM TO MAKE THE SAME NUMBER OF BRICKS AS BEFORE; DON’T REDUCE THE QUOTA. THEY ARE LAZY; THAT IS WHY THEY ARE CRYING OUT, ‘LET US GO AND SACRIFICE TO OUR GOD.’ MAKE THE WORK HARDER FOR THE MEN SO THAT THEY KEEP WORKING AND PAY NO ATTENTION TO LIES.” (EX 5:7-9)

Instead of backing down, Pharaoh became more aggressive and tried to make the Israelites lazy and the LORD be the bad guy. As a result, the Israelite foremen came to Moses and 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 5:21)

OUR RESULTS

Unfortunately, when Christian parents and leaders fight evil, the very people they are trying to protect sometimes become angry with them.

Kids will say to parents, “don’t you love me! How could you do this to me! Nobody will want to be my friend if I don’t get to go to this party!”

Pastors will be told, “who are you to tell me what’s right and wrong! Do you think you’re God! It’s none of your business! I can do what I want.”

OUR DESPAIR

How did Moses respond to this? Moses returned to the LORD and said, EX 5:23

“O LORD, WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT TROUBLE UPON THIS PEOPLE? IS THIS WHY YOU SENT ME? 23 EVER SINCE I WENT TO PHARAOH TO SPEAK IN YOUR NAME, HE HAS BROUGHT TROUBLE UPON THIS PEOPLE, AND YOU HAVE NOT RESCUED YOUR PEOPLE AT ALL.”