both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. You and I not only stand at a chronological crossroads today, we also stand at a cultural crossroads. It’s the very same crossroads the children of Israel faced in Egypt. Would they remain slaves to Pharaoh, or would they become free through the blood of the Passover lamb? For them it was literally a life-and-death issue—just as it is for us today! The spiritual and moral decisions we make at this juncture can largely determine the moral and spiritual destinies of generations to come, just as they did for the Israelites. The decision they made that defining night in Egypt sealed the fate of their children and their children’s children—even to this very day! As we stand at the start of a new year, will we turn back to the “ancient paths,” to the “good way” that leads to “rest for [our] souls”? Or, will we take a dangerous detour from God’s ancient paths that have provided safe travel for generations from the patriarchs to the present? Will we go further and further into Egypt and allow Egypt to go deeper and deeper into us? Will we continue to chase every new fad of Egypt? Or will we make a clean break for the Promised Land? How will you live in the new year? Are you seeking for the world’s happiness or for God’s holiness? Remember that happiness is always a by-product of holiness. Without holiness, there cannot be any lasting happiness. It is also important to remember that God’s New Year does not just last 12 months, two centuries, or two millennia. It lasts for eternity!
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