Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23
Luke 8:40-9:6
Psalm 71:1-24
Proverbs 12:5-7
Today's readings remind me so much of both my past and my present. When I was young, there were so many instances when I listened to others who told me different from my parents; I believed them and followed them. Cutting school seemed like a good idea; sneaking out seemed like a good idea; putting that firecracker on top of a Pepsi bottle and lighting the fuse seemed like a good idea. I was, after all, old enough to make my own decisions. I didn't need parents to tell me what I was supposed to do.
Without going into tragic detail, I demonstrated often and at length how much better the ways my parents were trying to teach me were than the ways I chose. I am grateful to have survived all I did with only the consequences I had to suffer, and to have had time to learn the lessons I was supposed to learn.
The ways of my parents did not make sense, from the standpoint of a teenage boy, according to the rules by which a teenage boy was supposed to live his life. They seemed old fashioned when I was a child; today I realize how timeless they truly are, and try to pass them on to my children.
Today's readings illustrate how different God's ways are from ours, and how important it is for us to adhere to His ways. When one claiming to be a prophet and performing wondrous signs called the Israelites to turn away from God, they were not to follow, however wondrous his signs may have been; rather, they were to out him to death. It did not matter that the prophet was a stranger, or wife, brother, son, daughter or close friend. The relationship was less important than God.
When one was looking to raise livestock, and the pig was the easiest to raise, still one was not to do so. When one had worked and harvested, one was to take the first tenth of the harvest, or the firstborn of the livestock, and set it aside for God. When one had lent money to a fellow Israelite, that debt was to be cancelled at the end of seven years. In all these instances, the money, the material possessions, the financial security - they were all less important than God.
And when Jairus's daughter had died before Jesus, who had agreed to come with him, could heal her, and the mourners were in full hue and cry, reality and tradition - they were both less important than God.
Which brings me to my - to our - today. We live in a world where prophets espouse selfish materialism, often at the expense of decency and dignity (hello, reality tv!) and honesty (caveat emptor! buyer beware!). And they seem to rewarded for their actions and beliefs. We live in a world where Christians in name join with others to justify, then espouse, embrace and impose beliefs that run contrary to our Lord's word...we await the Supreme Court's decision shortly on one such matter. There is tremendous secular justification for these arguments....but we forget that these arguments are less important than God. Our Father's ways are better. Always have been, always will be.
How are we to respond under such oppressive pressure? With the bleeding woman's faith, with Jairus's faith...and despite the twelve years of bleeding, despite the cessation of breath and heartbeat, we will see the Lord's victory. In Him we take refuge....in His righteousness we cry out for rescue and deliverance. We pray "deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.". In faith, we "will always have hope.".
How fitting we read this on the eve of the greatest testimony to God's victory...the resurrection of our Lord.
Happy Easter.
Jon Lanuza
Saturday, March 30, 2013
March 31 Happy Resurrection Sunday!
March 31, 2013 Easter Sunday
Luke 9:22 And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
Are you an optimist or a pessimist this Easter? I think I was much more optimistic during the 80's and 90's. Some of my optimism died on 9-11 and I am still having a hard time getting it back. The rapid descent of our culture away from a Biblical worldview has also impacted my joy levels. The craziness of a world with North Korea threatening war saps my enthusiasm. The daily barrage of news on CNN (continual negative news) steals my joy. And the reality that I will never run a 7 minute mile again is a total bummer.
Now I know as a pastor I am supposed to live above circumstances and events of life and have joy all the time but the truth is, it is very difficult. I even have a long list of sermons that tell people exactly how to do this. But knowing how to live the right way, and actually living the right way, are miles apart.
Maybe you are struggling with the same pessimism. So where are we going to find hope in a hopeless world? The very foundation of hope is discovered in an empty tomb. The resurrection of Jesus is, by any objective measure, the most significant event in history. The resurrection replaces the pessimism of Good Friday with hope.
This week in GYRO (our elementary school ministry) I asked, "If Jesus had to die for our sins, how serious is sin?" One of the young people, Thomas, said, "Sin must be very bad if God had to come to earth and die to save us from it. Sin must be very, very bad." Thomas nailed that answer. The world is not OK when God dies. We have such a shallow understanding of the enormity of sin. If the only way to deliver us from it means God had to come to our planet and die for us, then sin must be a very critical issue.
But here is the hope. Jesus didn't stay dead. On that first Sunday morning death and Satan could not hold him. He rose again. Death did not have the final say. Pain, suffering and death don't win. God wins; they lose. So we can't be despairing. Theologian Richard Neuhaus said, "Despair is a sin because Christ is alive."
So here is our answer to the pessimism in our broken world.
We say to Kim Jong-un and his threats…. Christ is Risen!
We say to every terrorist in the world…. Christ is Risen!!
We say to every fresh grave…. Christ is Risen!!
We say to our declining culture… Christ is Risen!!
And finally we say to our outwardly decaying and slower moving bodies… Christ is Risen!!
Tomorrow bright and early we will sing our response to pessimism. "In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song."
Happy Resurrection Sunday!!
Friday, March 29, 2013
March 29th, 2013, day 88.
"Break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. Burn their Asherah poles and cut down their carved idols. Completely erase the names of their gods! "Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place of worship he himself will choose from among all the tribes—the place where his name will be honored." (Deuteronomy 12:3-5 NLT)
Our God is a jealous God. He does not leave room for other gods in our lives, He does not sit idly by and allow the worshipping of other gods to go unpunished. He even says not to worship Him in the same ways that other gods are worshipped! In the past I would have written this off as "Old Testament," and would not have paid much attention to it, but now I am looking for what it means to me now, in this time that we live in. Two things stand out to me here. First, they needed to identify the Canaanite gods, and second they needed to destroy the places that they were worshipped. How can we apply that to our lives. First, we need to look close at what or who we are worshipping, identify it. It could be money, television, food, alcohol, pornography, romance novels, celebrities..... And the list can go on and on. But first we need to identify the gods that we worship. The easiest way to do that is take a step back and look at where we spend our time. God wants to be the focus of our time, not just the afterthought. Our second goal is to destroy the place of worship. This is the hard part, because the truth of the matter is that we probably don't really want to give up worshipping the gods that we have created. We like worshipping them. But God wants us to denounce them, he wants that central place in our lives and if we are chasing after something or someone else, then there is no room for Him. So our goal is to completely erase the names of our gods. And exult His name to the place where it belongs.
God we pray today for this task that may seem daunting to us, but will be so worth it. There is nothing that can fulfill our lives like you, there is nothing that is worthy of that place in our lives where you belong. You created us with a "God-shaped hole" in us that only You can fill. Help us to remove all the junk and invite you into that place in our lives that you want to be in, and deserve.
Sent from my iPad
Our God is a jealous God. He does not leave room for other gods in our lives, He does not sit idly by and allow the worshipping of other gods to go unpunished. He even says not to worship Him in the same ways that other gods are worshipped! In the past I would have written this off as "Old Testament," and would not have paid much attention to it, but now I am looking for what it means to me now, in this time that we live in. Two things stand out to me here. First, they needed to identify the Canaanite gods, and second they needed to destroy the places that they were worshipped. How can we apply that to our lives. First, we need to look close at what or who we are worshipping, identify it. It could be money, television, food, alcohol, pornography, romance novels, celebrities..... And the list can go on and on. But first we need to identify the gods that we worship. The easiest way to do that is take a step back and look at where we spend our time. God wants to be the focus of our time, not just the afterthought. Our second goal is to destroy the place of worship. This is the hard part, because the truth of the matter is that we probably don't really want to give up worshipping the gods that we have created. We like worshipping them. But God wants us to denounce them, he wants that central place in our lives and if we are chasing after something or someone else, then there is no room for Him. So our goal is to completely erase the names of our gods. And exult His name to the place where it belongs.
God we pray today for this task that may seem daunting to us, but will be so worth it. There is nothing that can fulfill our lives like you, there is nothing that is worthy of that place in our lives where you belong. You created us with a "God-shaped hole" in us that only You can fill. Help us to remove all the junk and invite you into that place in our lives that you want to be in, and deserve.
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Thursday, March 28
THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013
Deuteronomy 9:1–10:22
Luke 8:4–21
Psalm 69:19–36
Proverbs 12:2,3
[Jesus speaking]: “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:11–15)
In this passage, we recognize that each person must individually respond to the call of God’s Word. Aided and directed by the Holy Spirit, the “seed on good soil” represents “those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
As I read today, I focused in on those four characteristics of the “good soil”:
1. “Hear the word.” This idea echoes Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Prior to following after the Lord Jesus, we must first receive His self-revelation, either through His Word or another means, including audible sounds or music, dreams, and visions. Because of the human heart’s hardness, however, we do not naturally seek to honor God with our lives (Romans 3:9–20) Graciously, however, we read that God responds to those who are seeking after Him: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
2. “Retain it.” This concept tracks the imperative to “abide” in Christ, on which Jesus Himself taught in John 15:1–17. In John 15:4,5, we learn: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” In a very real sense, then, we receive the Word of God into our lives, and, by His presence, we become grafted into His Kingdom-vine. This commissioning for His service comes of His accord, not ours.
3. “By persevering.” Faithfulness in challenging moments demonstrates the depth of our commitment. For a team with its backs against the wall, the team’s captain should rise up and encourage his or her cohorts to take more repetitions and to give everything for more thorough preparation. The outcome may be uncertain, but true winners will certainly prepare. Likewise, in the Christian life, we make ourselves available for God’s Kingdom purposes, but we cannot carry the burden of persevering on our own. In fact, in our weakness, we will consistently fail, and we lie to ourselves when we believe otherwise. All perseverance or righteousness on our parts comes through the grace of the Lord Jesus, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).
4. “Produce a crop.” The “good soil” produces fruit. Returning to John 15:7,8,16,17, Jesus explains that God prepares us for this blossoming: “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples…. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
Here, Jesus ties together the three basic activities of His church: loving God, loving others, and making disciples. Without love for God and, more importantly, His love poured into our lives, we will not have lasting, deep love for others. And, without that love, our disciplemaking efforts will fall short of God’s best intentions.
While we might think of this expectation to bear fruit as an obligation, it is rather a privilege: an invitation to join in the eternal, sovereign plan of our loving, living God and to bring glory to Him through blessing others. Each person’s “crop” will take a shape unique to his or her character, but each fruit holds great value.
How may you bear fruit in your home? School? Place of work? May we join with Isaiah in offering ourselves for His purposes: “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:6–8)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”
“To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.” (Deuteronomy 10:12–22)
Two questions to ponder:
1. How may we become more certain that His commands are indeed “for our own good?”
2. What does the Lord’s concern for the fatherless and widow suggest about His heart? And, by extension, our commitments?
________________________________________
1) Blog: http://bit.ly/rV1Cw1
2) Facebook: http://on.fb.me/tc6jkS
DEAR PARTNER
Dear partner,
Do permit me to introduce myself briefly; I am Barrister Simon Palmer , A partner at Simon Solicitors in London United Kingdom.Actually, I got your contact information through the public records while searching for a reliable one to partner with me in claiming a deposited estate of my late client by name Late Rolf Eccard, a German who was a business magnate that lived in United Kingdom for Nineteen years died along with his family in a plane crash on 1 June 2009, (Air France Flight 447 Airbus A330-200 ) with other passengers on board. Find the website below before for your perusal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
world-europe-18720915
http://www.airfrance447.com/06/02/unofficial-air-france-447-passenger-list/
Unfortunately they All lost their lives in the event of the accident, since then I have made several enquirers to locate any of my client's extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence I contacted you.
Do not be amazed by this e-mail confidential business proposal. I am contacting you based on Trust and confidentiality that will be attached to this transaction.
Prior to my explaining further, I must first make an apology for this unsolicited mail to you. I am conscious that this is certainly not a predictable way of approach to foster a relationship of trust but because of the circumstances and urgency surrounding this claim I decided to reach you via this media to join me to put claims on this fund before it is seized or confiscated by the authorities. Before the catastrophe; He deposited sum of US$5.8,000,000:00 (Five Million Eight Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only) with a Bank here in United Kingdom.we shall divide the content in the ratio of 50% /50% as our benefit. Each ($2.900, 000.00 for each of us), Endeavor to get back to me whether or not you are willing to collaborate with me or not So that I can further my search for another partner.
I hope to hear from you in no distant time through the email address or phone number below.
Email: bar.simon@live.com
Phone: +44 77 7830 1184
I wait for your quick response.
Best Regards,
Simon Palmer LLP
Do permit me to introduce myself briefly; I am Barrister Simon Palmer , A partner at Simon Solicitors in London United Kingdom.Actually, I got your contact information through the public records while searching for a reliable one to partner with me in claiming a deposited estate of my late client by name Late Rolf Eccard, a German who was a business magnate that lived in United Kingdom for Nineteen years died along with his family in a plane crash on 1 June 2009, (Air France Flight 447 Airbus A330-200 ) with other passengers on board. Find the website below before for your perusal.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
world-europe-18720915
http://www.airfrance447.com/06/02/unofficial-air-france-447-passenger-list/
Unfortunately they All lost their lives in the event of the accident, since then I have made several enquirers to locate any of my client's extended relatives, this has also proved unsuccessful. After these several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the Internet to locate any member of his family but to no avail, hence I contacted you.
Do not be amazed by this e-mail confidential business proposal. I am contacting you based on Trust and confidentiality that will be attached to this transaction.
Prior to my explaining further, I must first make an apology for this unsolicited mail to you. I am conscious that this is certainly not a predictable way of approach to foster a relationship of trust but because of the circumstances and urgency surrounding this claim I decided to reach you via this media to join me to put claims on this fund before it is seized or confiscated by the authorities. Before the catastrophe; He deposited sum of US$5.8,000,000:00 (Five Million Eight Hundred Thousand United State Dollars only) with a Bank here in United Kingdom.we shall divide the content in the ratio of 50% /50% as our benefit. Each ($2.900, 000.00 for each of us), Endeavor to get back to me whether or not you are willing to collaborate with me or not So that I can further my search for another partner.
I hope to hear from you in no distant time through the email address or phone number below.
Email: bar.simon@live.com
Phone: +44 77 7830 1184
I wait for your quick response.
Best Regards,
Simon Palmer LLP
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Deuteronomy 7-8, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalm 69, Proverbs 12:1
Deuteronomy 7-8, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalm 69, Proverbs 12:1
600-800 customers come through my doors on any given day…that's a pretty good amount of people from all walks of life. There is a customer who has come into my store for the last couple years, and I don't know his name, I have an idea of what he drinks, but I know his face well enough. He has been polite, even nice whenever he comes in, but he is very quiet and keeps to himself. Last time I saw him in my store he just sat at one of the chairs for a little while and charged his phone, so that was the last time I saw him until tonight. I was driving home tonight around 930 in the Harbor Point area and I saw him walking alone with a bag around his shoulder in his slow but steady pace. No lie, my first reaction was "huh" and I pulled my lip with an impassive shrug of my shoulders thinking it made more sense now. I shamefully thank God for the conviction that immediately followed and these words just shot though my head, "Lord, help me love others just as you love them." I drove the rest of the way home angry with my self that love and compassion were not the initial emotions and thoughts that came to me when I saw that man. I came home then sat on my computer for more than 4 hours with a blank screen, rereading passages, watching the same news stories over and over again, and being sucked in to everything else than God's word. At 1:15 I told Divan I couldn't do it tonight, started brushing my teeth, and remembered my drive home. I'm now upstairs, D is still working downstairs, and my fingers can't stop moving. Thankful for that.
So what does it mean to love others like Jesus did? Like God did? The chapters today show us what it means and how to do this. Over and over again in Deuteronomy Moses reminds the Hebrew people of the last four decades and how God loved them. "He choose them…loved [them] and kept the oath he swore to [their] forefathers." He would "bless" them and "increase their numbers" with obedience, and it also mentions a few times how God "brought" them out, or saved them from Egypt and the desert. These OT chapters are a written image, or even a love letter to the Hebrews about how and why God loved them and protected them.
In Luke, Jesus shows us what love looks like. This is a well known story about Jesus and a "sinful" woman, most likely a prostitute…a profession that still is looked down on and "sinful" in our society. We see Jesus interacting with her and with the Pharisees…opposite sides of the tracks here. Jesus shows how he loves by welcoming the woman, allowing her to wash his feet, put on the perfume, and kiss his feet. He shows her love by never talking down to her, but the words he tells her are, "Your sins are forgiven…Your faith has saved you; go in peace." That's all he said to her. She was saved by these acts of faith, humility, and devotion. But Jesus also loved the Pharesees. He showed love and mercy to them by the ways he taught them. He didn't roll his eyes at them, pull a face, or cross his arms at them. He taught them though a story that glorified himself and the Father. He was gentile to them and showed both sides of the tracks what it means to love one another. Jesus loved all these people by dying for them all. He didn't love one over the other, because it was all their sins he carried while on that cross. He saves. This is how God shows his love…by saving us. Even looking at Psalm 69, the first words from David are, "Save me, O God." David recognizes that in verse 13, "I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor, in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation."
I see these passages as Love = Cross = Salvation. That is how God loves people. When I ask Jesus to teach me to love others like he loves them, that is what it comes to. The cross. My heart has been burdened this week especially when jumping on to social media, watching the news, and reading the headlines. Our country is going through some big issues and debates now, but I'm praying for our leaders, I pray for my friends, and I pray for my family. I pray that God will be glorified, and I pray that I would love as Jesus did. I pray that God would teach me and mold my heart to love people – all the people that Jesus died for – with a love that He has. I know I will never come close, but I can strive to love. Just like that hymn I remember singing as a little girl, "They will know we are Christians by our love." Continue to pray, continue to love, continue to obey as Moses taught, continue to sturdy and seek God's word. My life has been transformed by it and I can see changes in me even in the last couple weeks. God can truly transform out hearts, minds, and souls if we let Him.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
March 26
Deuteronomy 5-6
Luke 7:11-35
Psalm 68:19-35
Proverbs 11:29-31
Deuteronomy 5:7
"You shall have no other gods before me."
It's very easy for me to get the wrong idea about this commandment. Have no other gods before the Lord. Sounds easy enough, right? I mean, I think it's safe to say that none of us bow down to golden calves or think that Zeus is on Mount Olympus throwing lightening bolts at us. There is one and only one God who created the entire universe and has power over it. Got it, no problem, piece of cake.
Actually, there is a problem. Because the word "god" is not limited to statues or mythical beings. A god can be anything. When we put anything other than God first in our lives, then we have just made it a god. With this definition of god, I have just made the possibilities of endless. Oh no... this commandment is no longer as easy as I thought it was. In fact, I get this wrong every single day. My ambitions, my possessions, my job, my family, my husband, my dog, my house, my time, my favorite tv show, food, drinks, money, acceptance, success, comfort... these are just a portion of the "gods" that I put before God.
Kelly Minter wrote a book called No Other gods: Confronting Our Modern-day Idols. In the first chapter she tells about going to a museum that had an exhibit on ancient Egypt. The museum provided headsets and MP3 players that gave the history of each item with a very pleasant sounding British woman narrating. She stopped in front of a large staute of a sphinx holding a symbol of life. Here is how she tells it:
"As I took notice of every detail, I remember thinking how I couldn't imagine that anyone would ever believe that this lifeless rock could do anything, much less give life. I remember thinking how strange it hit me, how I could never see myself hoping for life to spring from stone. Until the next words that crossed through my mind were 'You do it all the time.' (This was no longer the British woman.) In fact, the words weren't even audible, but every bit as definitive. If you can know a silent voice, I knew this one.
'Lord, I would never look for life from something like this.'
'But you look for life in lesser things than me all the time, every day.'
I was struck. Quiet, I stood before this idol suddenly aware that all the things I had placed my full hope in were not a hair more able."
What gods are you putting in place of God? Ask Him to help you recognize them and then get them out of the way. Looking for life anywhere else will only leave you empty and unsatisfied. He commands us to put Him first because He deserves to be first and also because it's what we need.
"I lift a knife to the thing I love most
Praying You'll come so I can have both
What I need is for You to touch me
What I need is for You to be the thing that I need."
- David Crowder, Let Me Feel You Shine
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Monday, March 25, 2013
March 25, 2013 blog post
March 25, 2013
Deuteronomy 4:1-49
Luke 6:39-7:10
Psalm 68:1-18
Proverbs 11:28
Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. (Deuteronomy 4:1)
Us: God, what exactly do you mean? Are you GIVING us the land or do we have to TAKE POSESSION of it?
God: Yes!
My mom spoke similar words to her often-rebellious teenage son saying, "Kenny, this is your home and you can stay here as long as you want IF you follow my rules." Having enjoyed a warm bed and three meals a day for a little over a decade of my life, I figured I would take her up on her offer. And her "rules" weren't that bad – I just didn't want to follow them all of the time. Communicating my whereabouts, taking out trash, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming carpets, putting gas in the car after using it – this was normal. They actually taught me much about life!
Be responsible.
Consider the person who will come after you.
Be accountable and communicate.
Taking possession of the land (Deuteronomy 4) and building a house that stands (Luke 6) both hinge on the same thing: obeying God's word. God has given us life and blessings beyond what we could ever ask or even imagine, but we can only access it through obedience to His word. Many times we find ourselves asking God over and over again for that which is already available to us through obedience. And in those instances God is saying to us, "I've already given it to you, but you have to take possession of it. I've already promised to keep you from falling and failing, but you have to build your life on the right foundation."
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it." (Malachi 3:10)
Though this verse directly speaks about tithing, I think that the heart of the matter is about trust and obedience. I believe that this promise is transferrable to all obedience in God. If we would be faithful over the few things that God calls us to we would find that what God will release in return – into our lives and the lives of our loved ones – is far greater.
"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
Sunday, March 24, 2013
March 24
March 24, 2013
Luke 6
Growing up in a solid middle class row home in Allentown, Pa. I quickly and effectively learned the cultural values of my day.
Don't get mad, get even.
If someone messes with you, you mess with them. "Go ahead and make my day," was our motto!
If you wanted to rise above dull living, drink Colt 45 Malt Liquor.
Big boys don't cry. Big boys don't even show weakness. My heroes were John Wayne and Superman. You never saw either of them crying. The only guys crying were the bad guys as the bullets bounced off of Superman's chest, a real man of steel.
Movies taught me many cultural values. In the sappy movie, Love Story, released in 1970, Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal taught me, "Love means never having to say you're sorry."
These were the very foundations of my childhood. I was an angry, revengeful, stoic, thirsty-for-a-beer, rugged individual who never had to say I was sorry. All of this created a pretty sad and lost young man.
Then I met Jesus. And when I did, there was an immediate conflict in values. Jesus said that the values of this earthly kingdom were exactly opposite to his eternal kingdom values. In the "Sermon on the Mount" Jesus laid out exactly what He expected of me if I was going to be called his disciple.
I would be blessed if I were broken in my spirit and learned to say, "I am sorry." I would be blessed if I hungered and thirsted after God, not Colt 45 Malt Liquor. I would be blessed if I had a tender heart and not a heart that bullets bounced off of. I would be blessed if I stood up for Jesus even though the whole culture said I was a fool and wasting my life. Jesus' list was a complete transversal of everything I had been taught by my culture. Jesus said that the pathway to happiness, to an abundant life, was not found by buying Noxzema medicated shaving cream, but by believing His values and making them the guide for my life. The pathway to happiness is not an outward purchase of a product; it is an inward commitment of the soul. So prepare for the battle today. You will have to choose between two warring kingdoms. The people from Hollywood and Madison Avenue are trying to convince you to buy more stuff, to make your name famous, to drink more beer, to spend more money so you will be happy. Jesus is calling you to love him more and to invest your life in others. This is his pathway to happiness. You get to decide each day who wins the culture wars. Saturday, March 23, 2013
The Pentateuch, to Luke, to...Antoine de Saint Exupery?
Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46
Luke 5:29-6:11
Psalm 66:1-20
Proverbs 11:24-26
The last name of the title may or may not be familiar. Perhaps his work is better known - he wrote "The Little Prince", a book that formed the high point of my introduction to literature, by a magnificent freshman English Lit professor, and arguably the best professor I have ever had. He was, incidentally, one of the best professors my father ever had, having been HIS freshman homeroom teacher as well.
When he taught us English Lit, he brought it to life, reading, breathing, living the text before us in class, then making us memorize what he called "MPs", or "memorable passages". Many of them were from The Little Prince, one of which was "it is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." What a wonderful lesson for us today - and for the Israelites during Moses's time, and the Pharisees when Jesus preached.
Moses did not look with his eyes. Had he done so, he would have despaired at so many points in his life - when Pharaoh repeatedly refused to release the Israelites, when they were caught between the sea and the Egyptians, when the Israelites rebelled and even got Aaron to create the golden idols. The israelites, on the other hand, looked with their eyes...and they chose to see the giants that inhabited the land God promised them, rather than the power of God; they chose to see the lack of water, the lack of food, rather than the provision of God; they chose to see the absence of Moses and the golden calf rather than the glory of God.
The Pharisees were little different. They read the law, and saw with their eyes. They saw sin, and missed the opportunity for forgiveness when Jesus ate with the tax collectors. They saw doctrine, but forgot mercy when Jesus healed the man with the shriveled hand on the Sabbath.
When we look with our eyes, we look upon the physical realm. Our eyes get fixed upon the material world, its needs, its imperatives, its insistence. When we close our eyes to the physical world, to its values and rules, it becomes easier to recognize God's hand, His actions, His love. When we stop worrying about the Egyptians behind us, we can "see what God has done, His awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot." We can praise Him, for "He has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping." We recognize trials for what they are - His means of refining us like silver. When we walk through fire and water, we can know we are going to a place of abundance.
So I pray today, that my family and I, we learn to see God with our heart, and not the world with our eyes...and live accordingly, giving freely, not withholding unduly, refreshing others.
Friday, March 22, 2013
March 22nd, day 81
"You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel." (Numbers 35:34 NLT)
When I read this verse this morning, it jumped off the page at me. "I live there myself." The God who created the universe, who breathed us into existence, who gave us light and dark, chose to live with us, and dwell among us. As I thought about it more, I realized that this has happened several times throughout God's plan, and in several different ways. Actually, there might not be a time aspect in this, but just a WAY aspect. That, however, is a discussion for another day. We will focus on the latter. First, we see that God dwelt among the people of Israel, and in John, secondly, we see that God came to earth in flesh, through His Son.
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NIV)
The the third way is that God dwells IN US. We who are called by his name, the followers of Christ, actually house the living God within us!
"All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God." (1 John 4:15 NLT)
The fourth is that God's spirit is within our hearts. (I know, #3 and #4 are much the same, but the bible makes a distinction, so shall I!)
"And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." (Galatians 4:6 NLT)
We have a living God, who lives in us, and calls us his children. That is such an awesome thing!
Sent from my iPad
When I read this verse this morning, it jumped off the page at me. "I live there myself." The God who created the universe, who breathed us into existence, who gave us light and dark, chose to live with us, and dwell among us. As I thought about it more, I realized that this has happened several times throughout God's plan, and in several different ways. Actually, there might not be a time aspect in this, but just a WAY aspect. That, however, is a discussion for another day. We will focus on the latter. First, we see that God dwelt among the people of Israel, and in John, secondly, we see that God came to earth in flesh, through His Son.
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 NIV)
The the third way is that God dwells IN US. We who are called by his name, the followers of Christ, actually house the living God within us!
"All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God." (1 John 4:15 NLT)
The fourth is that God's spirit is within our hearts. (I know, #3 and #4 are much the same, but the bible makes a distinction, so shall I!)
"And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." (Galatians 4:6 NLT)
We have a living God, who lives in us, and calls us his children. That is such an awesome thing!
Sent from my iPad
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thursday, March 21
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013
Numbers 32:1–33:39
Luke 4:31–5:11
Psalm 64:1–10
Proverbs 11:22
Two themes jumped out from today’s readings:
1. Choosing a Master. After Jesus proclaimed his mission statement in Nazareth – facing the indignant townspeople’s scorn and shock that a “carpenter’s son” could take such an office – He begins a Galilean ministry in Capernaum. He resolutely displays authority and power over the spiritual realm, commanding and casting out demons. This town recognized His uniqueness: “All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits, and they come out! And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.” (Luke 4:36,37)
Even the demons recognized this authority, declaring Him “the Son of God.” Crowds draw near to Him, hungry for His wisdom and healing. He would not remain long in any one place, explaining: “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (4:43)
While Jesus would indeed minister in many places, principally outside of Jerusalem, the spiritual and political capital of Judea, His ministry would focus largely on building a band of disciples. While Jesus will later declare His work “finished,” Jesus likely meant more than just His salvific sacrifice on the cross. Instead, Jesus had demonstrated a path of faithfulness, discipleship, and following after Him. He employed a rabbinic, life-on-life, on-the-job training methodology and would pass these lessons through teaching, His disciples’ observations, and persistent love. He would then promise the Holy Spirit to indwell and fill His disciples, guiding them into all truth, bringing to light all His teachings, and empowering them to glorify God as Jesus Himself had.
Just as with Peter and the other disciples, we must wrestle with whom or what we will choose to serve. We may serve the flesh, money, power, influence, fame, other people’s expectations, fashion trends, sports, or recreation. Many of these “masters” represent “good” things, but, when they become our focus, idolatry sets in. For the Christ-follower, we must commit fully to glorifying God in the manner of Joshua and Caleb, who “followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” (Numbers 32:12b)
What elements lead us to follow wholeheartedly after the Master, Jesus? As with Peter’s example, we find these underlying principles:
a. Receiving a revelation of His presence and truth
b. Responding to that revelation
c. Listening for His call and direction
d. Following after His heart
e. Receiving consistent encouragement of His presence, even in the face of failure
f. Becoming more convinced of His faithfulness
g. Repeating this process daily, weekly, and monthly
Peter and his compatriots must have returned to shore tired and discouraged that morning and may have been “going through the motions” with regard to cleaning their nets. Yet, they listened to Jesus’s call and committed time and energy to follow His course. The path of discipleship and disciplemaking (“catch[ing] men”) will cost their lives, but the eternal rewards will far exceed these temporary costs. Speaking both to you and to me, let us choose this same path of discipleship.
Lord Jesus, please use us to encourage and share Your truth with hurting friends, family, and neighbors. This world is greatly afflicted and weary from sin and discouragement. Help us to offer life and hope in the midst of darkness. Reveal Your love and presence today, and pour out Your Holy Spirit in our dry land. We need Your move in our hearts and in our communities, O God. Amen.
2. Remembering the path. In Numbers 33, the Israelites recorded the path on which God had directed them. As a historian, I enjoy recalling the pathways on which God has led me and the faithfulness He has shown. At the end of each year, I note several major ways in which God has demonstrated His lovingkindness in my life. What would this list look like for you?
Also, this passage caused me to consider how easily we remember the pains and frustrations we have experienced, to the detriment of remembering God’s goodness. With the benefit of hindsight, we may always find something in our struggles that God used in our lives, even if our stubbornness or rebellion prompted the challenges. What has God shown you through difficult times or happy moments over the past few months? How is He moving in your life?
Please take some moments to consider God’s travel itinerary in your midst. Praise Him for that faithfulness!
Father, we are grateful for Your direction among us. May we recognize Your loving concern, in both upbeat and discouraging moments. Thank You for never leaving us or forsaking us. Thank You that Your faithfulness never ends and that Your mercies become new every morning. As with David, guide us in paths of righteousness for Your Name’s sake. May we live for Your honor and glory. You are the Holy One of Israel and the Only Wise King. Amen.
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