LOOK OUT FOR THE BEAR!

Have you ever been to the far north? I mean like NORTH!! Northern Canada, Alaska, above the 60th parallel north! If you have, then you have seen the signs that warn you about the bears that roam wild in the wilderness. If you speak to old timers and the natives who live there and experienced bushmen/women, they will give you some sound advice. (If you go north, you should take this advice). 

1. Do not climb a tree if you run across a bear. Bears climb trees!
2. Don’t run. Bears can run and they are faster than you!
3. If the bear is brown, curl up in a ball on the ground and don’t move, play dead.
4. If the bear is black, jump around wildly and make a whole lot of noise. They are afraid of noise and they will turn tail and run.
5. If the bear is hungry, pray!
6. Never, NEVER, offer food to a bear!
7. Above all, never get between a bear and her cub(s).
In Hosea 13:8; we read this, “I will meet them like a bear deprived of her cubs”. In this verse God described Himself as being as angry with Israel as a mother bear who has been deprived of her cubs. God had done so much to show His love, but His people had wandered away from Him and taken the path of disobedience. So He disciplined them, while He reminded them of His love for them (Hosea 13:4-6; and Hosea 14:1-9;).
It would be wise for us to learn from what happened to Israel. By so doing we can avoid God’s anger and enjoy His love for us today.
1. Love and worship Him above all. Hosea 13:4;
2. Don’t try to hide your sin, confess it. Hosea 14:1-2;
3. Stay on the path of righteousness. Hosea 14:9;
Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14;). He loves us but He will not tolerate disobedience.
Beware of the Bear!

BITE! BITE! BITE! ENOUGH TO DRIVE YOU CRAZY

Psalm 81:13; says, "Oh that my people would listen to me." Listening is an art. It's an art if you pay attention to what is said. I should have listen before I went fishing. I am a Canadian by birth and a Nomad by virtue of the times I have moved. But still, I lived in my native Canada long enough to learn how to fish and love it. Problem is, I should have listened to my elders before I went fishing. They said I needed, bug repellent or a good shotgun. They said, "the mosquitos are so big they come through the trees sideways so they don't clip their wings", and "the flies will sit on your shoulder and take a bite out of you and sit there and eat the piece they have bitten off you while they defy you to hit them". Also they said I should carry a shotgun to shoot them because they are so big. All the advice in the world did not work. I went without all that protection and sure enough, Bite! Bite! Bite! Enough to drive you crazy. Did you know that the bite of a blackfly creates a wound that swells up, gets red and itches like crazy? One or two bites and you scratch a lot but get a whole bunch and it can drive you nuts!

But the bite of a blackfly or a mosquito is nothing compared to what happened when the fourth plague hit Egypt. (Exodus 8:20-24;). As Moses said would happen, the air was thick with a swarm of flies that invaded Pharaoh's palace and every house of his officials and for that matter all over Egypt. But they were not found in the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived.
By this time Pharaoh should have been listening intently to every word that came out of Moses mouth. But even after the flies were gone verse 32; says Pharaoh hardened his heart. By doing this he set himself and his people up for even more serious judgments from God.
Sometimes the Lord uses drastic measures to get our attention. The "swarm of flies" can take on different forms like trouble, failure, guilt, the hurt looks of people we love. Those are the times we especially need to listen to God.
I would suggest today if you have not been in the habit of listening to God, that you try it while it is still quiet. The flies will come again and they will Bite! Bite! Bite! Until it drives you crazy. Hardening the heart can be worse than hardening of the arteries. Are the flies swarming around you? Post your comment. Have a great day.
Pastor Bob.