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I've always wondered about the fairness of God hardening Pharaoh's heart. Why would He do that? How did He do it without interfering with Pharoah's free will? In a recent study of the plagues, it came to me... In Ex.7:3-4; God talks about hardening Pharoah's heart. In Ex. 7:20 thru 8:7, we see the plagues of blood and frogs. Ex. 8:8 - "Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” Ex. 8:15 - "But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said." The scenario repeats itself in the plague of the gnats and flies - "So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 31 And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go." (Ex 8:28-32) Next we have livestock dying, boils, and hail. During the hail, Pharaoh says, "“This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's. 30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God.” 31 (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the emmer[b] were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) 33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. (Ex.9:27-33). What is pharaoh's response? "But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses." (Ex. 9:34-35). The same scenario is played after the locusts and darkness. Pharaoh says "take away the plague and I will let your people go." Moses prays and God lifts the plagues. Pharoah sees that the plagues are over, and refuses to let the people go. Do you see a pattern here? While the plague is ongoing, Pharaoh's heart softens and he tells Moses that he will let the people go. It is not until AFTER the plagues are lifted that Pharaoh hardens his heart. It is God's mercy in ENDING the plagues that hardens Pharaoh's heart. So it is God's love and mercy that harden's Pharaohs heart, not His wrath. That reinforces my faith in God's love and mercy; as well as reinforces my opinion that Pharaoh got what was coming to him. One less Bible mystery to ponder.

Ellen White was ordained of God to be the messenger to the remnant church. Her work included that of a prophet. She also carried ministerial credentials. She was not ordained by the laying on of human hands. God chose 2 men first. They did not accept the call. She says the Lord said he would use one of His weakest servants (herself). Similar to Deborah, the fact that He used a woman did not honor the men that had turned down the call, or in Deborah;s case, Barak, who refused to lead out without her in battle. So in a perfect world, maybe God would not need to use women to fill these positions, but if he uses women who are prophets, it would appear he may use them in other positions at least at certain times- persecution, war, countries like China, and outlying areas without sufficient ministers which are culturally ready for such a step. I do not say this to agitate the issue but because although I lean conservative I believe it is worthy of study.

Just what is the American dream? ---------------------------------------- James Truslow Adams, in his book The Epic of America, which was written in 1931, stated that the American dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position." (p.214-215) ---------------------------------- Websters says Definition of AMERICAN DREAM : an American social ideal that stresses egalitarianism and especially material prosperity; also : the prosperity or life that is the realization of this ideal. ---------------------------------- Often, people sites American dream is about prosperity . I have not read that book. I did read that tiny article on beliefnet. As American, living in a Third World country on the other side of the planet, I have a different perspective. To me, and to most immigrants ( not the recent influx from Mexico) the American dream is about freedom and opportunity. The first thing I noticed when I came here, was how many very talented poor people there are. I saw a man applying Formica laminate with half a dozen and tools. And I was stunned with the craftsmanship that he used in his work. A man with that much talent in America, would not be poor. Over and over again, I some very talented people, with no opportunities. What most Americans I know take for granted in their freedoms, the rest of the world desires. I doubt that you can find one in 100 Americans who can give you any type of explanation of eight of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Let's start with number one. Freedoms of speech. This is rapidly disappearing in America. They don't throw you in jail, but you could lose your job, lose your social standing or face harassment because of speech. Number two the right to bear arms. Americans and Canadians grossly underestimate how important this is. It completely changes the balance of power between the people and the government. I not advocating that Christians should purchase guns. But the mere fact that a large percentage of Americans own guns, changes the balance of power. Talk to someone who's lived overseas. There are many people who live their life in fear of the government or the local police. It's not as big problem here is is in my neighbor countries. The government and the police have all the guns, and they can do whatever they want. That's not an overstatement. Listen to John McAfee has to say about Belize.

I had lost track of this request, but I'd like to get back to it if you still are interested. Maybe asking a question or more would help to prime the pump. God is Love! Jesus saves!

I look at it something like this. How much effort do I make in keeping the blood flowing through my veins? I can do things that impede it but if I cooperate with my body in my lifestyle, for the most part my body and blood take care of themselves. Only something extremely severe would ever cause me to deliberately stop it from flowing, such as Samson's taking his own life. Such is our dependence upon receiving the life of Jesus. …53So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55"For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.…John 6 11'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'....Lev 17 God is love! Jesus saves!

I really like this sentence. The phrase you underlined really defines what sanctification is. The phrase defines for me what is my duty in my sanctification. No thread of human devising tells me that I am not to choose what sins to "work" on. It tells me that my duty is study Christ and when the Holy Spirit convicts me on some behavior I am to follow His leading. "Thus, my behavior, my "works", have no thread of human devising for I am not acting on my own impulses but am following the leading of God. So is there "nothing" for me to do? No. I must follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. That is my part in sanctification. It has no thread of human devising for none of it originates with me.

http://www.atodayarchive.org/article/2793/news/november/unity-in-diversity-solution-offered-to-ordination-debate

Howard Schultz & Rajiv Chandrasekaran, FOR THE LOVE OF COUNTRY: WHAT OUR VETERANS CAN TEACH US ABOUT CITIZENSHIP, HEROISM AND SACRIFICE. Andrew A. Knopf Publisher, 2014, 211 pages. NOTE: Howard Schultz is chairperson, president and CEO of Starbucks. Rajiv Chandrasekaran is an associate editor of THE WASHINGTON POST. If you are prepared for a 1st hand glimpse of the battles in Iraq & Afghanistan, along with some counter-cultural language, this may be a book for you as it recounts the sacrifices made by the men and women who serve in the U.S. military. If you are not prepared for such, it is not a book for you. Some examples: Orthopedic physician, Bill Krissoff: When his Marine Corps son Nate was killed in Iraq, Dr. Bill Krissoff decided that lhe could best honor his son's memory by enlisting, but, he was far to old, 60 years and both the Navy and the Air force told him that it was impossible. Then the White House called. President Bush wanted to meet with he and the families of other service persons killed in combat. As he stood before the President, Bush asked him: Is there anything that I can do for you. Krissoff responded: Yes, you can assist me in enlisting and honoring the memory of my son. Five days later the Navy recruiter who had told him that he could not enlist telephoned him to start the process of enlisting in the Navy Reserve for a future assignment to a Marine Corps Medical Battalion. Eighteen months later, and 62 years of age, he was in Iraq, having proved his mettle and ability to keep up with the younger Marines. Following his return from Iraq, he was in Afghanistan. Yes, he lived through those deployments. Yes, his surgical skills saved lives and he performed an uncounted hundreds of operations. In serving his country, he gave up a lucrative medical practice and contributed much. Lt. Colonel Kellie McCoy: As a female, McCoy fought against all odds to earn her right to leadership on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. She succeeded only by rising above the men with whom she competed. Her story is one that I will not attempt to abbreviate. It can only be read as written in the book. NOTE: Speaking personally, about the women with whom I served, both in combat and in peace, the majority, due to bias, had to rise above the majority. Just two examples of the many given in the book.

Just like us, Pharaoh had a choice of who to listen to - the Holy One or the evil one. It probably didn't help that Pharaoh grew up being taught that he was a god himself. "Who is this Hebrew God who would dare to usurp my divine authority", he likely thought. The point I am making has nothing to do with the Day of Atonement - it simply has to do with God's love and some people's twisted resomse to it. Many of us (including myself at times) get caught up in the lie that just because divine consequences don't manifest as soon as we sin, that they won't manifest at all. The only thing that keeps us from instant destruction when we sin is God's protection and His gift of love and mercy; not that we got away with something.

I hope that you don't mind if I take advantage of this section to mention that on 1 December 2013 I retired from the Air Force Reserves. I joined active duty Army for 3 years in 1985 then went Air Force Reserves. Have been both enlisted and officer. Was at Desert Shield/Storm, and kept trying to get deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, but never made it. I was deployed to Germany to meet the wounded from mostly Iraq to help them home. I'll write more of my experiences later.