The desert had a power over men, linking their destinies or pulling them far asunder.”
              –Zane Grey  (Captives of the Desert)

    “And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
              –Exodus 16:3 (NKJV)
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Every so often I get songs going through my head.  They’re there in the night when I happen to wake up, and again in the morning as I yawn and get out of bed.  In between slumber and waking up I find them wandering through my brain.  Sometimes they just occur like a jingle from a commercial.  However, sometimes they bring a real truth and thought to me.  Well, for the last couple of weeks I’ve had a couple of songs running rampant, so whichever is the case I’m going to share one with you.  
    This one was written back in 1908, by Margaret J. Harris.  I have no clue the last time I heard this song, probably way back when I was a kid attending Boulder First Assembly of God.  

         I long ago left Egypt for the promised land,
         I trusted in my Savior, and to His guiding hand;
         He led me out to vict’ry through the great Red Sea,
         I sang a song of triumph, and shouted, I am free!

Yeehaw!  That’s cowboy lingo, for “I am free!”  The people wanted a deliverer and Moses entered the scene, but they were only a few days on the way when they started to complain.  Look at the echo scripture, “we had this in Egypt, we had that in Egypt, woe is us now we are going to die in the wilderness.”  Remember, Egypt is a type of the world in Scripture, a place of sin.  Far too many Christians today are enjoying the pleasures of Egypt.  I wonder how many of them want to be taken out of their pleasures?

         I followed close beside Him, and the land soon found,
         I did not halt or tremble, for Canaan I was bound;
         My Guide I fully trusted, and He led me in,
         I shouted hallelujah, my heart is free from sin.

Yippi-ki-yay!  That’s cowboy lingo, for “Hallelujah”!  When we stay close to Jesus, sin and its allurements will diminish.  No longer will we want anything to do with the lifestyle back in Egypt.  When we trust Him with our lives, the things of this world grow dim.  The more we want of Jesus the less we want of the world.

         I started for the highlands where the fruits abound,
         I pitched my tent near Hebron, there grapes of Eschol found,
         With milk and honey flowing, and new wine so free;
         I have no love for Egypt, it has no charms for me.

The lure and lust of Egypt has gone.  That’s why I get so puzzled when half the time on facebook I see Christians with a bottle in their hands (and no, it’s not sody-pop).  They talk more about their last hangover, or how good this tastes, or what they did over the weekend.  But, that’s not my style.  I want to be close to the Lord; I want to make sure that Egypt has no charm for me.  Remember, the appearance of evil should not be seen around us.  We should not allow things to tempt the weaker brother/sister.

         My heart is so enraptured as I press along;
         Each day I find new blessings which fill my heart with song;
         I’m ever marching onward to that land on high,
         Someday I’ll reach my mansion that’s builded in the sky.

                        You need not look for me, down in Egypt’s sand,
                        For I have pitched my tent far up in Beulah land.

I’m trying to work my way as far as I can away from Egypt’s border.  I’m like the writer of this song, marching onward.  Egypt, get behind me.  Hmmm, instead of sand, I plodding on ground, fertile soil.  Oh, sometimes a rock gets in the way.  It is supposed to be holy ground, so I’m doing my best not to bring any of Egypt with me.  What’s that?  Did you hear it?  There’s no more pounding of nails in my home on high.  Friend, don’t you be lookin’ for me down in Egypt’s sand!
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Today in the Texas Revolution:  Battle of Copano–Gen. Urrea captures the port of Copano.  The Mexicans used it to obtain reinforcements and send the injured and prisoners to Mexico.

Folks who ply the ink-slinging trade haven’t evolved too far past freshwater mussels when it comes to thinking.  Given the slightest chance they’ll get all misty-eyed and weepy over the plight of anyone who can cast themselves in the role of victim.”
              –J. Lee Butts  (Lawdog)

    “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”
              –Exodus 23:2 (NKJV)
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I’m sick and tired of the perversion of justice and morality that I see arising in our land.  I just cannot believe how sick, wicked, and evil some of those who will be running for the office of President are.  The real shame is that many Christians have taken hold and jumped on their bandwagon, listening and drooling at their wagging tongues.  
    I wonder how long the Lord will allow mercy to fall upon this nation of ours.  My doubts are stronger than my optimism in this matter.  The world is becoming more and more evil.  I read the other day, not from a religious source mind you, that the United Notions (I mean, Nations) has declared that there will be a one world government within twelve years.  Hmmm, that is if the world is still functioning for some whackos have said that it will be destroyed by that time.
    Now the push for 16 year olds to vote!  Crazy, they’re barely sophomoric!  That shows the extreme that people will go to just to get an agenda pushed.  An agenda, by the way, that is antichrist!
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However, for the true believer in Christ, I also came across the following admonition by Dave Roever.  This is a time, amidst the great darkness that is coming and hovering over our land that Christians can truly shine.  That is if they are truly separated from the world.

    “Arise and Shine my soul!
     Stammering lips, stop your whimpering.  Lisping tongue, cease your utterance of surrender to a lesser god!  Light the wick of the Spirit and burn.  Burn brightly.  Resist the creeping darkness.  
     ARISE AND SHINE.
     Testify of His battlefield victories.  Remember His formations of might and arise against evil.  Weak knees, buckle not under pressure.  Cease your trembling!  Wade not only into the waters of refreshment but into the enemy’s ranks swinging wildly the scythe, harvesting the yield of a savaged enemy.  Loot the horse and horsemen.  Retake the land lost, the estate of righteousness, an inheritance of the elders preserved in tradition and valor.
     No compromise.
     No conformity.
     No concession.
     RISE AND SHINE!
     Your glory, your victory!  Sing your hymn of liberty!
     The SON has at long last risen on the horzon.  You’re free of the chains of unforgiveness.
     You are Born to live.
     He is for us…not against us!
     ARISE AND SHINE!”

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”  Isaiah 60:1
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Today in the Texas Revolution:  Urrea receives reinforcements; Fannin surrenders.

So dark out there, if a feller lit a match, he’d probably have to light a second one to see if the first one was actually burning.”
              –J. Lee Butts  (Written in Blood)

    “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!”
              –Matthew 6:23 (HCSB)
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I trust you contemplated the first part of Psalm 18 that I left with you last Monday.  I hesitated to copy the second portion as it is a little longer, but then I looked at it and there is so much that David faced and passed on to us.  Take time to go back over this portion of the Psalm.  It will definitely bring you comfort and assurance.  Psalm 18:7-19 HCSB:

         7 Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the mountains trembled; they shook because He burned with anger.
         8 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; coals were set ablaze by it.
         9 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud beneath His feet.
        10 He rode on a cherub and flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
        11 He made darkness His hiding place, dark storm clouds His canopy around Him.
        12 From the radiance of His presence, His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
        13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High projected His voice.
        14 He shot His arrows and scattered them; He hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
        15 The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
        16 He reached down from heaven and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters.
        17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
        18 They confronted me in the day of my distress, but the Lord was my support.
        19 He brought me out to a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

    Jerome, wrote this about this portion of Psalm 18, “Because we are little and lowly and unstable to lift ourselves up to Him, the Lord stoops down to us and in his compassionate kindness deigns to hear us.  In fact, because we are people and cannot become gods, God became man and inclined Himself, as it is written: ‘He bowed the heavens also and came down.'”
    God knows our need.  He knows it better than we do.  We might want this or that to happen when we are in adversity, but because He is all wise, and if we submit to His wisdom and will the provides what is right.  The Almighty is on our side.  Read this section over again and see the power of God and note that it is at work in our lives.
    He will reach down and rescue us.  He knows when and how.  He saves us when we are at our weakest.  For some reason, we simple and sinful men think we can handle all our problems.  Yet, we cannot see behind the veil into the spiritual.  God allows us to expend our energy and strength, and then when we are weak He shows His strength.
    I think it is often hard for us to comprehend that He is on our side.  We sin, we repent and then fail again.  But yet, the Almighty takes delight in us.  In the midst of our catastrophe, whether physical or spiritual, whether the fault of others or self-induced He still delights in us.
    It will be a terrible day when the Lord finally does away with our true enemy.  Remember, friend, today is the day of salvation.  Live and be glad in it.
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This day in the Texas Revolution:  Albert Horton’s cavalry and Urrea’s advance forces skirmish near Fort Defiance.