Thursday, February 28

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013

Leviticus 22:17–23:44

Mark 9:30–10:12

Psalm 44:1–8

Proverbs 10:19

Humility, trust, integrity, and excellence.  Today’s reading brought to mind four key characteristics around which I am seeking to build my life.  Though I stumble and struggle, I desire that the Biblical truths behind these ideas guide my thoughts, words, and deeds.

 

The world does not celebrate these virtues, aside from excellence.  Yet, as we witnessed in the festivities surrounding the Oscars or the Grammies, the media not only glorifies the performers, but also their glamorous, indulgent lifestyles.  These portrayals bait us into thinking, “He or she must be loving life!”  Our culture celebrates the end results, paying little regard to the means required to achieve them.

 

Yet, God has instructed that the long race that He has established for us involves much more consideration of the process.  He desires not only that we begin well; rather, more importantly, we ought to set our sights on finishing strongly.  Paul encourages us through his Spirit-directed example:  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24–27)

 

I would like to turn to these four characteristics again, examining briefly how they jump out from today’s reading and how we may apply them in our daily efforts to glorify the ever-living God:

 

Humility.  “Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’”  (Mark 9:35)  This clarion call reverses the world’s wisdom – that power, wealth, and status enable us to be served.  Jesus Himself explained His mission in Matthew 20:28:  “’… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

 

We recently read about Jesus’s extremely demanding call to discipleship, which echoes these sentiments:  “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said:  ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?  Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?’” (Mark 8:34–37)

 

Andrew Murray observed that only through this dying to self may we achieve true humility:  “For these two reasons: only humility leads to perfect death; only death perfects humility.  Humility and death are in their very nature one: humility is the bud; in death the fruit is ripened to perfection.”  Jonathan Edwards argued that “nothing sets a person so much out of the devil’s reach as humility.”

 

Humility involves not deprecating ourselves, but rather recognizing the God-stamp on our lives and His greatness.  We view our sinful nature and our propensity to stray from God’s commands as a pride-destroyer and evidence of the awesome power of divine grace.  We may then rejoice in His gifting and empowering, not claiming or finding inherent good in ourselves.  Instead, we recognize the amazing majesty of the King and take on the role of a vessel.  Murray writes:  “The highest glory of the creature is in being a vessel, to receive and enjoy and show forth the glory of God. It can do this only as it is willing to be nothing in itself, that God maybe be everything. Water always fills first the lowest places. The lower, the emptier a man lies before God, the speedier and the fuller will be the inflow of the divine glory.”

 

 

Trust.  After reflecting on our brokenness and bankruptcy before God, we may trust Him both for His salvific grace and His provision in life’s storms:

 

“You are my King and my God,

                who decrees victories for Jacob.

Through you we push back our enemies;

                through your name we trample our foes.

I do not trust in my bow;

                my sword does not bring me victory,

but you give us victory over our enemies,

                you put our adversaries to shame.

In God we make our boast all day long,

                and we will praise your name forever.” (Psalm 44:4–8)

 

 

Integrity.  Integrity involves speaking and living truth and brings wholeness of character and spirit.  It delivers a quiet confidence, again because it rests on God’s commands and character and not on our own strength.  In Psalm 119 and the Beatitudes, we sense the blessedness that God offers to the pure in heart:  that they will intimately know His presence and heart.

 

In today’s proverb, Solomon explains that many words may lead to trouble:

 

“When words are man, sin is not absent,

but he who holds his tongue is wise.”

 

 

Have you ever noticed that we may become extra-talkative during times of high stress or nervousness?  Have you ever found yourself “talking around” a trail of deceit or unethical behavior?  Speaking and living the truth requires far less effort than dancing around delicate lies.  Jesus encourages His disciples to take distractions and sin-producing elements incredibly seriously, both for ourselves and others (Mark 9:42–47).

 

 

Excellence.  Through Moses, God unveils an elaborate worship culture for the Israelites, and He expects them to honor these commitments.  Their faithfulness to God would speak to His worthiness as the only being deserving (rightfully) of worship.  Turning back to the humility passages, as Christ-followers, God desires true commitment.

 

Paul’s letter to the Colossians provides direction:  “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him….  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:17,23,24)

 

QUESTIONS

1.       How may you pursue humility this week?

2.       How may you combine integrity and excellence in your work?

 

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Leviticus 20:22 – 22:16, Mark 9:1 – 29, Psalm 43:1 – 5, Proverbs 10:18

Leviticus 20:22 – 22:16, Mark 9:1 – 29, Psalm 43:1 – 5, Proverbs 10:18

 

            I've always been a history nerd, but it was when I was in high school that I became a romantic and fell in love with history.  During this time one of my relatives was spending time tracing my family's lineage which went back centuries to Spain.  We already knew that, but fun discovery of the Rael family was our roots as Sephardic Jews.  It is believed that centuries ago my family's name was Israel, but in order to escape the Spanish Inquisition the "Is" was dropped, and the Raels immigrated to the new world, eventually being an early Spanish family in New Mexico.  I have always loved Jewish History, so reading the Old Testament gets me excited. 

 

Leviticus 20:22 – 26 is one of those underlined passages in my falling apart Bible.  It is a command and a Promise that God gives the Hebrews that will affect the rest of their history, as recorded on the Old Testament up to today.  God commands the Hebrews to obey…keep His laws and commands.  Yes, there is a long list of do's and don'ts, especially in Leviticus: what to eat, how to act, what to wear, etc.  We read these passages and some of the commands are so strict, and crazy to an extent.  Every time I eat bacon, I wonder how the Hebrews survived without the awesome goodness.  But God also gives the why – the reason for all the laws and commands, so set them apart from the other nations.  In the following verses God sets up the expectations for the priests.  The bottom line is that God demands purity, without blemish.  By obeying they will receive God's promise, the land that would be the "inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey."  This is the land that God promised Abraham back in Genesis.  This is a land that was prepared for the Jewish people, a land that is still the root of conflict. 

 

We know from what happens in the rest of the Bible and from current events today, that the people were unable and unwilling to live by these commands.  Disobedience took them wandering in the desert, wars against other nations, expulsion, and unrest.  When I read these verses I see the importance of God making himself known over and over again, showing Himself as Holy, but also Merciful because he makes us holy.  In the NKJV Leviticus 22:8 uses the word "sanctify," making us set apart, making us holy, a theme that Paul spends a lot of time on in the New Testament.  These laws and chapters in the Torah are the foundations of Jesus and the salvation He brought on the cross. 

 

I want to end with Israel and the promise of their land and salvation.  I follow the news and my heart breaks with the unrest, violence, and absence of peace in the Middle East.  In Romans 11:25 – 27 Paul writes,  "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."  God set up the Promises long ago, and He also set up the Way.  Israel is His chosen people and they will be saved, just like we are.  Keep praying for peace and for salvation.  We have received it from Christ.  In the mean time we must strive and desire to be set apart from the nations.  Putting off the old flesh and living as a new creation.  

February 26

Leviticus 19:1-20:21

Mark 8:11-38

Psalm 42:1-11

Proverbs 10:17

"As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?"

~ Psalm 42:1-2

I think that of all my struggles throughout my entire life and all the sins I've committed can be summed up in this: I put other things before God. He should be number one. I should need His fellowship more than I need water. But I don't live that way. I put other things first and I end up suffering for it. Anxiety, worry, fear, anger, bitterness, discontentment, pride, feelings of entitlement... how many of these struggles would just disappear if I just let God take His rightful place in my life? What if my only worry or concern in life was that I need more of God? 

I've mentioned before that this is the fourth year that I'm reading through the Bible with Grace Church and I am amazed at how much God is speaking to me and how much He is still trying to get me to understand. I pray that all of you are having the same experience. If you ask God to speak to you, He will. You may not always like what He has to say, but it will definitely change you for the better. Look at Psalm 42. The author longs for God more than anything else. Did his pursuit of God lead to an easy, carefree life? No, it didn't. He writes about his downcast soul, people taunting him, his tears being his food. But he put his hope in God and he continued to praise Him... because that's all we really need.

February 25, 2013 - Nothing but the Blood

February 25, 2013

Leviticus 16:29-18:30

Mark 7:24-8:10

Psalm 41:1-13

Proverbs 10:15-16

I grew up going to a predominantly African-American Baptist Church in New Jersey.  Between the end of Sunday School and the beginning of the worship service was "devotion."  One or more of the deacons would stand in front of the gathering, say a prayer, open the floor for testimonies, and sing several songs.  They would sing songs really slow, lengthening every phrase, singing somber sounding notes all across a minor scale till it almost sounded like moaning.  It was the old way of singing hymns and spirituals - the way that they, their parents and their grandparents sang in the tobacco fields and cotton fields of the South.  It sounded so dismal and sad, but there was a strange powerful quality.  At the end of each song there was always this eruption of praise to God and rejoicing with tears.  What in the world were they getting so emotional about?  My elementary mind couldn't seem to figure it out.  But, one song that I heard a lot of was this hymn composed by Robert Lowry, "Nothing But the Blood."

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus

O, precious is that flow that makes me white as snow.  No other fount I know

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

"For the life of a creature is in its blood, and I have given you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life" (Leviticus 17:11).  Centuries after this was written Jesus would be willingly murdered to pay the price for the sins of every person that would accept Him and follow His ways – a debt that no other could ever pay as He did.  Jesus even preached, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53).  He used the metaphor of "drinking blood" to illustrate the taking in of His life to replace our death.  As I've gotten older the old hymns have much more meaning to me personally.  As God has shown me, time and again, the sin in my life I realize how much I need Jesus and the grace of God.  Now I often sing "Nothing But the Blood" with tears and praise.  :) 

--

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)

Kenny Sullivan

(201) 218-0751

שלום

February 23 | Obedience

Leviticus 14:1-57

Mark 6:30-56

Psalm 40:1-10

Proverbs 10:11-12

I am so glad I was not one of the Israelites God freed from slavery in Egypt.  Having read Leviticus this far, I am certain that, by this time, there would have been multiple reasons to have cast me out or killed me. I would have been one of those struggling to keep from sinning for just one day, only to find a skin condition at sunset, or only to wake up the next morning to a moldy scent in my house.  

The intricacy, the degree of detail with which God demands obedience in the Old Testament is intense.  Some of it - emptying the moldy house, cutting out the moldy stone - makes sense.  Some of it - cedar wood, hyssop, scarlet yarn and a live bird, dipped in the blood of a dead bird - does not.  At least, not to me.  (I mean, dipping a live bird in a dead bird - really?) 

The example Jesus gives in the New Testament seems so much simpler, and makes so much more sense, it would seem.  They didn't have a chance to eat, even?  "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."  Your current circumstances causing you worry and fear?  "Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."  The example seems to be the personification of the psalm - "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire - but my ears you have opened - burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require...I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart." Then I  will not depend upon externally imposed, intricate sacrifices.  What I do with God is governed by what is in my heart.  

A question that comes to mind, after all this - why the difference?  I don't know.  But I believe He knows.  He knows why it seems He made obedience so difficult for the Israelites; He knows why He made obedience so puzzling for the Pharisees.  I pray I always have the humility to admit that not only does He know why, He knows better - infinitely better - than I do .  And I pray that I accept His will and His ways in faith.  Then I will be able to wait patiently for the Lord while I am in the slimy pit, in mud and mire.  I will trust in the Lord, not in the proud or in false gods.  

Father, help me today to trust in You, in what you ask, whether or not it makes sense to me, whether You call me to a quiet place, You tell me not to be afraid; whether You tell me to paint my right big toe with blood, or to bathe in the Jordan river seven times.  May my response always be "Thy will be done."

Feb 24

February 24, 2013
One of the great struggles of my life has been performing to earn my acceptance. From early on in my childhood I felt I had to perform to win the love and approval of others. I found myself swinging between two opposite poles as I grew up. When I was keeping the rules and measuring up, I felt very confident in life. But when I was not following the rules, I would feel dejected and sink into despair.
I was basing my entire identity on being a rule keeper. Living this way made my life very challenging. While on the outside I looked like a good guy, inside I was a total mess. I finally realized I couldn't keep the rules and the people I was trying to impress didn't really care. It was at that point I abandoned the church and became a hippie. Hippies never had to follow the rules.
The performance lifestyle has been a popular one for a long period of time. It was addressed by the prophet Isaiah in 700 B.C. and quoted by Jesus in our passage today. (Mark 7:6,7) Here is what the prophet said,
"These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught by men."

The people in Isaiah's day were going to church all the time but all they were concerned about was keeping the rules.
Jesus applied this to the culture of his day. He said the people who atomized God's law into 613 rules were actually nullifying the Word of God. Our relationship with Jesus is not based on our being rule keepers. He doesn't love us more if we keep 589 or 590 rules. Our identity is formed by the knowledge that God loves us as sinners. We know that Jesus is a "friend of sinners." So as long as I admit I am a sinner I know I have at least one friend. And he is actually the most important friend to have. The truth is that Jesus is unconditionally in love with me, no matter where I am on the journey of life. I am far more loved than I can ever imagine.
The reason we like to keep the rules is because it gives us the right to earn our own salvation. See God, I have kept all these rules; now you owe me salvation. The scandal of grace is that it is free. There is nothing I can do to earn it. If you want a more authentic relationship with Jesus today, stop trying to earn it. Just tell him you are a sinner and in need of a new heart. Grace is for the desperate, the needy, the broken, those who cannot keep the rules in life. Grace is for all of us.

February 22nd 2013

"I said to myself, "I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me." But as I stood there in silence— not even speaking of good things— the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words: "Lord , remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath." (Psalms 39:1-5 NLT)

First of all, it has been great going through this journey with you guys. We are now 53 days into this journey. I hope everyone is keeping up. It has been great for me so far.

Now, on with it... When I hear some people talk about how when they found Christ, that not only their actions changed, but they completely stopped using foul language and cursing, it makes me furious. There is nothing that I struggle with more. This Psalm reminds me that I am not the only one going through this struggle, that even King David struggled with his tongue. Here we see the writer of so many awesome songs of praise to God, but he struggles with his tongue. The question I ask both for myself and David, is: how can the same mouth that lifts praises to God in one moment spit out such filth in the next?
Jesus' half brother James answers this question well in James chapter 3.
"Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself." (James 3:2, 5, 6 NLT) James recognized the battle that goes on with the tongue. For some of us, this is an everyday battle, and we win or we lose a little at a time. There is definitely a spiritual aspect to this, even though I mostly see it as environmental. But Paul says that our Battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. (2 Corinthians 10:4) Satan is trying to steal the praise of God from our lips. What is the easiest way for him to do this? Fill our mouths with curses. The only way to get through these battles is to realize that we are helpless on our own, and we have a Savior that we can turn to for help.

I am helpless on my own.


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Thursday, February 21

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2013

Leviticus 11:1–12:8

Mark 5:21–43

Psalm 38:1–22

Proverbs 10:8,9

“I am the Lord who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:45)

 

 

Prior to heaven, we may never fathom the profound depth of God’s holiness.  Originally created in His likeness, He provided us with the capacity for holiness but also endowed us with free will.  In this passage in Leviticus – and clearly throughout the crystal-clear strictures for worship and daily living – we recognize that God takes our duty and responsibility to remain holy eminently seriously.

 

In Psalm 4:3, David writes:  “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;/ the Lord will hear when I call to him.”  This concept of being “set apart,” of consecration, endows us with the purpose of bringing praise, worship, and honor to the living God.  Despite our sinful natures, the Lord Jesus Christ has provided a pathway to the Throne of grace.  We may have confidence in approaching Him in His sanctuary:  “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:19–25)

 

Thus, beyond the great value of following His good, proper instructions for us, we serve others, as we strive for holiness:  “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.  See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Hebrews 12:14,15)  Righteous living involves turning an open ear to God’s Word, but also bringing emotional healing through peacemaking.

 

Through Leviticus, God reveals His heart for setting apart the nation of Israel as His very own.  Their faithfulness to Him would highlight God’s greatness, drawing other peoples to bow in worship.  God promised tremendous blessings to His children, but Israel will frequently eschew God’s path for their own, leading to frequent heartache and frustration.  Similarly, God has “called out” the church universal from those who have stepped into the redemption of the risen Lord Jesus Christ through trusting Him and receiving Him as Lord and Savior.  Even with the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, however, we read that holiness still matters for the Christ-follower.  In the Beatitudes, Jesus explains that “blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8)  Whether now or in heavenly places, we should all desire to see God in all His splendor.  From our reading about Moses, it appears that His glory would truly be overwhelming and unfathomable to our human senses.

 

Despite our attempts to live righteously, “... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  Our attitude in acknowledging this reality drives our next action:  in our desperation, will we run towards or away from our Creator?  As with those seeking healing in Mark 5, we must both trust in His power and desire His intervention, two elements for a warm and vibrant faith.

 

If we are honest with ourselves, we will each have moments where we echo David’s plea in Psalm 38:15,17,18,21,22:

 

“I wait for you, O Lord;

                you will answer, O Lord my God.

 

“For I am about to fall,

                and my pain is ever with me.

I confess my iniquity;

                I am troubled by my sin.

 

“O Lord, do not forsake me;

                be not far from me, O my God.

Come quickly to help me,

                O Lord my Savior.”

 

 

In short, we will face trials and challenges of many kinds, each individual to us.  Our success stems not from the avoidance of these trials and tribulations, but rather in our reactions to them.  Will we continue to exalt the living God and to seek after Him?  As you face struggles, I encourage you to embrace your Father and to pour out your heart honestly.  In the end, His presence will prove your ballast and strength through the storm.  (I must constantly remind myself of these truths!)

 

John 15:5–8 explains:  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

 

QUESTIONS

1.       How may you pursue greater personal holiness?

2.       How have you reacted recently when you ought to have called out to God?

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Leviticus 9:7-10:20, Mark 4:26-5:20, Psalm 37:30-40, Proverbs 10:6-7

Leviticus 9:7-10:20, Mark 4:26-5:20, Psalm 37:30-40, Proverbs 10:6-7         

 

 

I've been reminded of Spain today by a couple separate occasions.  Spain has a very, very special place in my heart and also has a great influence on who I am today.  In the summers of 2000 and 2001 I spent a few weeks there on mission trips and it was the July night in 2000 before I went the first time that I surrendered all to God.  There is a story many of you have heard me tell and I know many will gear it again.   It has had such an impact on me personally and how I look at God and His timing. 

Growing up there were two very influential men in my spiritual grown.  Edu was one of my pastors and was our leader to Spain.  With his family he was a missionary in Spain for many years and you need to know that Spain and much of Europe is considered one of the "spiritually darkest" places in the world.  He invested so much into that country and in those people sharing the Love and Gospel of Christ to these lost and hopeless people.  He eventually left the country to peruse other ministries, but his hurt was discouraged, frustrated, and felt that all those years were a failure.  Of course this was what God intended…for him to come to NM and impact so many people as the way he did in my own life.  As we returned to Spain in 2000 he was very reserved and cautious (spiritually) remembering the hurt and discouragement he felt when he left.  At the end of the trip things had changed for Edu and his family. 

Mark 4:26 – 29 reminded me of Edu and the investment he made.  Edu served God and preached His word.  He planted seeds and seeds.  When he left Espana he felt that it was all a waste because there were not multitudes and multitudes of people who converted, revivals did not happen, and new churches were not necessarily started.  Edu and his family had scattered seeds (the Gospel) all over a rocky ground…he just did not know what had happened all those years in between.  At the end of that first mission trip to Spain, one of the pastors who was close to Edu shared a story of one of these seeds.  Decades ago the church in a small Spanish town was putting on an outreach event and Edu went around to local businesses inviting people and asked to hang up signage.  Little did he know that he entered a shop and planted one single seed.  A couple years later the owner of one of those shops went to church…time continued and this man came to know Christ.  When he was asked what prompted him to come to church in the first place he replied "Fue el hombre con el bigote rojo," "It was the man with the red mustache." Edu was that man with a red mustache that invested so much, loved God, obeyed God, but didn't know God's timing.  The harvest was coming, just not at the pace we expected or wanted. 

We have the opportunity everyday to plant these seeds, even just through our actions alone.  We don't have to be missionaries out there across the ocean.  The darkness can be the halls we walk at work, when we are in a place we don't want to be.  God may be getting the harvest ready according to his time. In Psalm 37, we read today it says, "Wait for the Lord and keep His way.  He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it."  I will never forget this story or the man with el bigote rojo.           

February 19

Leviticus 7:28-9:6

Mark 3:31-4:25

Psalm 37:12-29

Proverbs 10:5

Then he added, "Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given - and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken from them."

Mark 4:24-25 NLT

This is a common scenario that takes place between me and my husband Travis: I will ask him a question. He will answer it. Then a very short time later, I will have to re-ask the question, because I wasn't listening to his answer. Typically, only a few seconds go by between the time I ask him the question and the time he answers. Yet I still manage to get distracted enough to where I miss everything he says. It has become kind of a joke with us now. I come right out and tell him he needs to repeat himself because I wasn't listening to him! I'm sure he thinks there is something seriously wrong with me to where I can't keep focused for more than a second! 

In today's reading, Jesus was teaching a large crowd by using parables. He also warned them to closely pay attention to what he was teaching, because those who are not listening, will miss some very important truths about life and the Kingdom of Heaven. If you do not understand the teachings of Jesus, it is because you are not listening to His voice. Those who listen will be given more understanding. James 1:5 says, "If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking." 

I am definitely one who is easily distracted from listening properly. Listening is important to all our relationship, especially our relationship with God. How can we know His will and His direction if we do not ask or do not pay attention to the answer?

Random fact of the day - Today would have been Nicolaus Copernicus' 540th birthday. He was the astronomer who is famous for discovering that the Earth is not the center of the universe. I think it's good for all of us to be reminded from time to time that we are definitely NOT the center of the universe!

February 18, 2013 Blog

February 18, 2013

Leviticus 6:1-7:27

Mark 3:7-30

Psalm 37:1-11

Proverbs 10:3-4

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:3-4)

Our society follows a rule of life that says, "Follow your heart."  But, it's impossible to follow Christ and follow my heart at the same time.  

My heart says,  "Get more," while Christ says,  "Give more."  

My heart says, "Get even," while Christ says, "Give forgiveness."

My heart says, "Seek happiness," while Christ says, "Seek My Kingdom."

So, it's impossible!  There's no hope for me.  Following Christ means that I have to give everything up, sit around a campfire and sing "Kum-ba-yah" for the rest of my life?

NO…(smh)

The desires for security/safety, love, relationship, good things for my family, joy, purpose/fulfillment, wholeness and freedom all come from God.  He created them in us having already determined how they would be satisfied – by relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 

20-something, driving home from work late with my stomach grumbling, I would sometimes pass by Wendy's or some other fast-food place and be sucked into the drive-thru to get "dinner."  I would eat my meal in the car on the way home and still be hungry – completely unsatisfied.  But, as I got out of my car and opened the door to my mom's house I could smell Heaven – she had cooked dinner!  If I had only waited and trusted that she had already planned to provide for her son I could have had a delicious and satisfying meal for free!  I loved my mom's cooking and I knew that she loved me and loved to cook for me, but my heart lead me to desire things that she hadn't prepared for me – she had better plans that would fill that desire I had in my stomach.

What do you desire that God is not able to give you?

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry." (Psalm 40:1)

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"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:24-26)

Kenny Sullivan

(201) 218-0751

שלום