He's Not with Us

Leviticus 22:17-23:44 Mark 9:30-10:12 Psalm 44:1-8 Proverbs 10:19

 

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” - Mark 9:38 TNIV

 

Sometimes it is easy to think that people used to be more accepting of each other and not so cliquish. That as we get farther from Jesus' teaching, we get more segregated. Not just as Christians from non-Christians, but as Christians of different churches. I've heard people of a number of denominations express pity for all the people who did not have all the truth like they do. Or refuse to listen to any pastor who taught anything different from what they personally believed.

 

The fact is, we Christians believe alike more than we disagree. And, if we are truly Christians, following Jesus is our highest priority regardless of what denomination we belong to. Seeing our differences is easy and stepping forward to correct someone's misunderstood doctrine is a big temptation. Instead, let us come together and see our common ground so we can discuss our different perspectives with the motive to come closer to Jesus rather than just proving to someone how we are right.

 

Lord Jesus, we want to make following You first in our lives today. Teach us to love Your other followers who we don't quite agree with. We want to dig deeper into the Bible to learn Your truth. In the meantime, we want to applaud all those who give of themselves to tell others about You. Amen.

Honestly Talking with God

Leviticus 20:22-22:16 Mark 9:1-29 Psalm 43 Proverbs 10:18

Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” – Mark 10:24 TNIV

It’s a situation we never want to see. Being on the cusp of losing something so precious, something we’d do anything to save, and finding one’s self completely helpless. That is usually when someone suggests praying. How many times has a person prayed about one of these situations, really meaning every word, but feeling deep down in the heart that God can’t or won’t do anything about it?

This is where the father of the demon possessed boy finds himself. Even in his great hope that Jesus can help, the evidence of his doubt comes out. Rather than trying to cover up his doubt and try to convince God there never was any doubt, he appeals to Jesus for help.

Admitting our doubts and weaknesses to God requires a certain amount of vulnerability and honesty with God that most of us are not comfortable with. But this is exactly where God wants to go with us. He is not just about a quick fix and a wave goodbye until the next crisis comes along. He wants a real, dynamic, growing relationship with each one of us. A relationship that goes to that uncomfortable place of vulnerability and honesty.

Father God, we want You to help us with our unbelief, too. It is easy to get distracted by the realities of this physical world and to doubt Your strength and ability to change things in this world. It is even easier to keep our distance from You rather than choosing to let You come close and change us from the inside out. Help us to lower our guards today. Amen.

The Learning Curve

Leviticus 19-20:21 Mark 8:11-38 Psalm 42 Proverbs 10:17

Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible. – Leviticus 20:19 TNIV

Remember Abraham and how he would tell a half-truth to kings that Sarah was his sister? She was the daughter of Abraham’s dad and step-mom. She was also Abraham’s wife. Now, five or six hundred years later, God is sternly telling the people of Israel not to marry or have sex with siblings or even half-siblings. Did God decide to change the rules over time? Was God ok with Abraham doing it because he turned out to be such a good guy?

It’s easy to look at the lives in the Old Testament to determine what is ok with God and what isn’t by the choices they made and how God responds to them. When we don’t see God correcting someone in a specific area or punishing them for certain behavior, we decide He must be ok with it. But is this a good way of following God?

The people of the Bible did not start life knowing everything about God and His ways. They had to grow in their learning and understanding. God works with His people then just as He does now to help us to learn about Him and His ways. God starts with the most important stuff and works to teach us more as we go along. This can only happen as we connect with God, open our hearts and minds to His teaching, and allow Him to transform our lives a little bit at a time over our entire lives.

Father God, thank You for not expecting us to learn and understand everything about You and Your ways all at once. Thank You for being patient with us and working with us as we grow and are better able to understand. We want to take time to learn from You and grow each day. Use this time to make us people who love You and Your ways. Amen.

Hush, Hush

Leviticus 16:19-18:30 Mark 7:24-8:10 Psalm 41 Proverbs 10:15-16

Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God. – Leviticus 18:30 TNIV

All a person needs to talk about or write about to get an audience is sex. Go through line at the grocery store and look at the magazine covers. Unless it is a family friendly aisle, it is difficult not to find at least one magazine that refers to sex in one way or another. Like it or not, our culture in the United States is fascinated with sex.

Christians are often labeled as being sexual prudes. People say we don’t want to hear about it, we don’t want to talk about it, we don’t want to even think about it. In the political arena, there has been a lot of talk about how to define marriage. Truth is, the argument is really about sex. Discussing the topic can be uncomfortable and can quickly become juvenile, but we can be Christians who can talk about sex in a mature way that honors God.

God Himself talks with the Israelites about sex. He lists ways He doesn’t want His people engaging in sex. Which of these is more uncomfortable: Talking about them or experiencing the reality of discovering the reality that someone you are intimate with behaved this way? Would just the behavior be bad enough? Or would contracting an incurable infection make it worse?

God wants us to have happy healthy lives, spiritually, mentally and physically. He isn’t telling His people not to have sex, He’s trying to save them from the pain that comes from using sex in ways He never intended.

Father God, thank You for the gift of sex. Thank You for creating us in a way that we can enjoy the intimacy of another person in such an exhilarating way. Help us to trust that You are looking out for our happiness and to use our sexuality in the way You have designed it to be used. Amen.

Just For Looks

Leviticus 15-16:28 Mark 7:1-28 Psalm 40:11-17 Proverbs 10:13-14

 

But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. - Mark 7:11-12 TNIV

In Leviticus we've read about a number of ways people become unclean and what they would have to do to become clean again. What a person had to do depended on the defilement. A number of these defilements posed a serious health threat to the traveling Israelite community. By isolating or eliminating these threats early on, God saved Israel from who knows how many outbreaks.

Now the religious leaders in Jesus' time followed some of these rules to a fashion. The problem was they had taken these clean and unclean laws and had added to them. The ceremonial washing of the hands was not a healthy scrubbing with soap and water, but a polite dip of the hands into a bowl of water. They missed the point. Clean and unclean laws were not given as an exercise to make people more holy or acceptable to God, they were given to help people have good health. It was a show that made them look spiritual.

But looks can be deceiving. Jesus was able to see past their act to the true nature of their hearts. They did not really care about anybody's well being. For evidence, Jesus refers to the way many treated their parents. They would declare all their belongings to be dedicated to God and His work. Once dedicated, they told their parents, explaining they can not steal from God to give to their parents. This wasn't God's way. God's way is to love Him with all our hearts and to care about others like we care about ourselves. Even so, today we still tend to look at behaviors and rules rather than investing ourselves to really care about others. Until we start caring for other people, we will never be able to follow God's law.

 

Father God, give us hearts that love like Yours. Help us to see others the way You see them. Give us the strength to walk away from our own selfish desires and love in hearts to share with those in need today. Amen.

A Rational Explanation

Leviticus 14 Mark 6:30-56 Psalm 40:1-10 Proverbs 10:11-12

For they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened. - Mark 6:52 TNIV

We've learned a lot over the last 2,000 years. In fact, over the last 300 years or so, we've made leaps and bounds in our understanding of science, medicine and technology. What used to be magic we now know as forces of nature. Rain was once only sent when the gods were happy. Now we study and watch weather patterns. Now when something mysterious happens, we reason that here is a rational explanation for it. We don't believe in magic or miracles anymore. We're too smart for them.

Today when we read the Bible, some of us have the same thoughts about them. Maybe Jesus was an illusionist, like David Copperfield. All this talk of feeding thousands of people with a sack lunch and evening strolls on stormy seas is silly talk--fairy tales. Right?

What happens when we become too smart to believe in miracles? Do we just read over them because we don't understand? Jesus wasn't just showing off, He had a point to make. He wanted to show the people that He had the power to take care of them. Like a parent cares for a helpless newborn. The common people have no problem believing. They're lining up to get their miracle.

We may not understand how God does things, or why. That's ok. As we get smarter, we may understand better. But we can be intelligent people who aim to learn and understand and still have the ability to trust God when we don't understand.

Father God, there is so much we don't understand in this world. Sometimes we try to cover up our ignorance and act like we know. Or reason that someone has a rational explanation. Help us to accept and trust in Your ability to do amazing things to take care of us today. Amen.

It Sounds Good

Leviticus 13 Mark 6:1-29 Psalm 39 Proverbs 10:10

Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. – Mark 6:20 TNIV

“I like this guy. Let’s listen to this for a while.” We were channel surfing on the radio for something that would agree with all three of us. Otherwise, it was going to be a long day of work. ‘This guy’ my partner wanted to listen to happened to be Chuck Swindoll, a popular radio minister. We listened to a number of Christian programs throughout the day. With each program, my partner got more and more pensive. He talked about how his mother used to take him to church and how he really needed to get back into going to church. We worked together for a couple of months that summer, listening to the Christian radio station everyday. At the end of the summer, he was still listening, but had yet to make a change.

Many of us like to hear about God’s love and truth. For some of us, that’s as far as it goes. My partner lamented the fact he did not know God better, and said that he wanted to know Him better, but at the end of the summer, he knew he could not continue to live life the way he wanted to in God’s presence. I hope we all will choose to do more than just listen before we find ourselves being pulled even farther away from God.

Father God, thank You for all the ways You’ve spoken to us in our lives. We want to do more than just listen, we want to respond to You. Help us to let go of the things that come between us so You can transform our lives. Amen.

I’ll Be Back

I’m sorry to say that I did not get a devotional written for today. I apologize for that. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow and continue from there. Next Wednesday is February 29. Our reading schedule does not have a reading for February 29, so we will be back on schedule come March 1.

Thank you for your patience.

The Wisdom of Listening

Leviticus 11-12 Mark 5:21-43 Psalm 38 Proverbs 10:8-9

The wise in heart accept commands,
but a chattering fool comes to ruin. – Proverbs 10:8

I was nineteen. I took a year to live in Colorado after graduating high school and had managed to save more money than I had ever seen at one time in my life. Now, I was on a college campus reunited with my best friends from high school. It was going to be great. Unfortunately, I was too smart for my own good. I looked down on my English professor because I thought I knew more about grammar than she did. I skipped classes I didn’t like or were too easy for me. Homework would only get in the way of my social life, so I didn’t bother with that. It wasn’t long before I was headed home.

It took a few years of working as a house painter to discover that I could learn a lot when I took the time to actually listen to other people rather than determining whether they had anything to offer in just a short conversation. I found that learning from other people’s experience meant not learning it the hard way myself. Now, I am taking advantage of the opportunity to go to a local university and get a degree. Accepting the requirements of different courses and listening to teachers rather have brought me success I did not have before, and will get my degree in December.

Having lived both sides of this Proverb, I can say from my own experience that it is true. Although a college degree is not a certificate of wisdom, I could not get it until I wised up. It took being willing to admit that I am not the smartest guy in the room—to be willing to actually listen and follow directions. This may seem purely practical and not spiritual. But I have found that often times our practical lives are reflections of our spiritual lives.

Father God, help us to be willing to listen to Your instruction and learn. Show us that we are not the smartest people in the room, but that if we are truly wise, we can learn something from just about everybody. Let our experience of learning from You be reflected in learning from others today. Amen.

A Story to Tell

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

Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.  As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. – Mark 5:18-20 TNIV

Isn’t it interesting how the people were more concerned about the pigs than the healed demoniac? This man has been possessed for years. They have tried to control him, to chain him up, but he breaks out and continues to terrorize the community. Yet, when they see him in his right mind and see their herd of pigs are gone as a result, they ask Jesus to leave.

Now, our man has found a new life with Jesus. He is basking in Jesus’ love, soaking up all he can. When Jesus starts to leave, he wants to go, too. He wants to continue to be in Jesus’ presence. But Jesus tells him to stay behind.

Going back to the people of the community, we find a group of people who have just lost a lot of money with the demise of the pigs they were raising to sell. That personal loss was all they could see at the moment. After some time, they hear the possessed man tell his story. A story of a rescue from demonic slavers to freedom in Jesus’ love. Not a theological argument, but an experience that touches the heart, mind, and soul.

We may not have a story as amazing as the possessed man to tell, but if we have experienced God’s love and truth personally, we do have a story to tell. A story that someone relates to and responds to in a way no preacher could.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the way You’ve changed our lives with Your love and truth. More than anything, we would like to just be in Your presence, to feel Your love, and listen to Your teaching. While we are here, give us opportunities to tell our stories to anyone who will listen. Let our experience of Your love and truth resonate with someone we meet this week. Amen.

Hiding Truth or Revealing It?

Leviticus 7:28-9:6 Mark 3:31-4:25 Psalm 37:12-29 Proverbs 10:5

He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,

“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” – Mark 4:11-12

Why does Jesus not want these people to understand and be forgiven? Doesn’t He care? If not, why did He go to all the bother of healing all their sicknesses and wounds? After praying and thinking about these verses, I have come to the conclusion that Jesus does care. The problem is, we are so sure about what we know, we have a hard time listening to anyone else. But, most of us enjoy stories and Jesus uses the story to try to help them understand.

The problem is Jesus will not force people to hear and understand. Throughout the Bible we find people wanting God’s blessings and favor, but not wanting to go deep and really listen to His message and understand His ways. They did not want to listen to God’s prophets or understand their messages. The people in Jesus’ time are no different. Jesus tells them stories that they will think about to figure out what He is telling them. It will be on their minds a lot longer than a simple statement they would reject right away because they don’t agree. As they figure it out, the message calls to their hearts to follow God. But just like Pharaoh, every time we say no to God, the harder our hearts get.

Jesus does care, and He does want us to understand just as He wanted the people of His time to understand. However, He is not a dictator and will not force us to accept Him and His message. He leaves it up to us to decide if we want to turn to Him and ask for His forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, help us to see and hear the messages You have for us. Help us to understand Your ways, to accept that our ways are not Your ways, and that we need Your forgiveness. Let Your stories work on our hearts and show us Your love and truth in a clearer way today. Amen.

The Heart of the Matter

Leviticus 6-7:27 Mark 3:7-30 Psalm 37:1-11 Proverbs 10:3-4

Take delight in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart. – Psalm 37:4

Too often this verse gets mixed around and then people get the wrong idea. People start thinking of the desires of their heart before taking delight in God. Visions of cars and houses, fame and success explode in the mind as one believes God is going to be like a billionaire grandfather who cannot say no to his grandchildren. This person is not focused on God and His love and truth. This person is focused on wants he has been dreaming of for years.

The verse starts by making God our delight. Something magical happens when God becomes our delight. Some things that were so important lose their meaning while others we never gave a second thought become our primary focus. When God comes into a person’s heart, it’s like the person received a heart transplant. God become her treasure and He is what she desires more than anything.

Truth is, all this stuff here on earth will be meaningless when Jesus comes back to get us. If we delight in the stuff here on earth, we are not going to want to leave it to be with Him for eternity. That brings us back to the point of the verse: Do you desire God? If so, you will get what you desire.

Father God, we want You to be our treasure today. Give us heart transplants that see the world from Your perspective. Help us to remember that to be with You means leaving this world along with all the stuff in it. We don’t want it to take us away from You. Amen.

Sin of Silence

Leviticus 4-5 Mark 2:13-3:6 Psalm 36 Proverbs 10:1-2

If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible. – Leviticus 5:1 TNIV

There’s something about gossip that captures our attention. Magazines, web sites and even TV shows are dedicated to gossip about the private lives of famous people. Headlines intrigue with questions about whether this couple are splitting up or whether that actor has a drug problem. We’ve come to accept this as a part of American culture, whether we look into it or not.

Unfortunately, sometimes our churches become gossip centers. It doesn’t take long for someone to share some juicy information that was misheard. We can convince ourselves we are taking the high road by not engaging in the conversation. But here in Leviticus, God tells His people they sin when they say nothing about a misrepresentation.

Sometimes the path of least resistance is the path we take by default. It is easier to stay quiet than to take the time to talk with someone about something they’ve said publicly. But, as God’s people we are called to love. Sometimes that love is a matter of defending someone’s reputation that is being misrepresented. Sometimes love gently corrects someone who has his facts wrong. Either way, love does not remain silent, but looks to bring truth to light in a way that builds others  up rather than standing back while everything is eroded by untruth.

Father God, give us the courage to speak up when someone is being misrepresented. Teach us to speak the truth in love, so we gently point people to You rather than tearing them down with an “I know better than you” attitude. Make us Your agents of truth and love today. Amen.

A Personal Connection

Leviticus 1-3 Mark 1:29-2:12 Psalm 35 17-28 Proverbs 9:13-18

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. – Mark 1:35 TNIV

Jesus planned time to spend alone with God. That became more and more difficult as people learned who He was. His connection with Father God was the source of His strength. This connection not only reminded Jesus of His mission, it kept His whole life in perspective, giving Him the strength, knowledge and experience with God to keep sin out of His life.

Spending time with God sometimes feels like “what I ought to do.” Then looking around at everything demanding its little chunk of time, one discovers he doesn’t have enough time for everything. After a few years of failing to “get around to it" one has forgotten about trying and finds God is a stranger in his life. Like Jesus, this personal time is our connection with God that we cannot afford to lose.

Father God, help us to make an appointment with You each day and keep it. We know we need to be connected to You and it is so easy to let everyday life get in the way. Thank You for making it a priority to meet with us every day. Amen.

Stepping Forward

Exodus 39-40 Mark 1:1-28 Psalm 35:1-16 Proverbs 9:11-12

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” – Mark 1:8 TNIV

“I’ve been baptized eight times,” he said with a smile. “The last time finally took. It’s possible to go down a devil and come back up a wet devil.” His comment reminded me of when a number of my friends decided to get baptized when I was a fourteen. It was popular at the time. We had a new youth pastor and he was concerned when he learned I was not baptized. I agreed to take the class he gave before being baptized, not promising that I would be baptized. My friends did not seem to have a change after their baptism, and I didn’t want to go through the motions without meaning it.

Actions we take do not always reflect our heart condition. We can take a stand for God and be baptized when it is popular. Or, we can sit and wait to feel a certain feeling before taking a stand for God. When we think about it, simply the act of being dipped in water does not save us. So why bother? Why not wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Sometimes a choice to take a physical step leads to a spiritual change. It’s a way of opening one’s heart to God, allowing Him to come into our hearts, even when we don’t act for the right reasons. Even if it takes seven or eight times.

Lord Jesus, we want to take a step, even a ceremonial step, closer to You. Please take advantage of this step to come and speak to our hearts today. We don’t want just a water baptism, but a baptism of the Holy Spirit. Continue to draw us closer to You as we take these small steps closer to You. Amen.

Jesus, Our Valentine

Exodus 37-38 Matthew 28 Psalm 34:11-22 Proverbs 9:9-10

Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” – Matthew 28:10 TNIV

Today is Valentine’s Day. Millions or billions of roses, candy and cards will be purchased by guys looking to make an impression on a special lady. What kind of impression depends on the relationship. Some will be excited to surprise someone. A few romantics may have a more serious proposition to go along with them. Then there are the guys who are trying to stay out of trouble. Still there is always the crowd who forget. And worse, those who say she doesn’t deserve that sort of thing.

So what does this all have to do with Jesus? Thursday night, Jesus asked His closest friends to pray for Him. Instead they slept. On Friday, the disciples abandoned, denied, or backed off from Jesus. It was the hardest 24 hours ever lived by a person. Jesus dies and is buried. The disciples believe He’s gone for good. Now on Sunday morning, Jesus walks up to Mary and Mary and gives them this message. “Don’t be afraid. Have my brothers meet me in Galilee.

These are the guys who didn’t get flowers. Worse, they are the guys who left the one they loved hanging when they were needed most. Most of us today would ask why we would need friends like these. But Jesus loves differently than we do. He brought the roses, candy and cards, even though they didn’t deserve any of it. The truth is, neither do we. We have all been lousy lovers of God. Yet He still wants us for His valentine, even knowing all the ugly things we’ve said and done. So, happy Valentine’s Day! Let’s remember the most amazing love that will live happily ever after.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love that blows our minds. Thank You for giving us a love that is not a fairy tale, but real love that will never die. We want this love to live in our hearts today. Amen.

The Sacrifice

Exodus 35:10-36:38 Matthew 27:32-66 Psalm 34:1-10 Proverbs 9:7-8

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. – Matthew 27:50-51 TNIV

At Mt. Sinai, God gave His people His covenant law. The law that revealed His love and character. The law that shows His people their sin—how they do not love like God does, how their character is not like His. The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 450 years and as time went by, the promise God had made Adam and Eve to rescue His people from the slavery to sin had been forgotten. Now that His people see their sin, He gives Moses instructions to build a Tabernacle. This is God’s house, designed to illustrate God’s plan to rescue His people, to forgive them of their sin and to clean them of that sin.

Jesus is the promised Messiah. Not to free them from being ruled by the Romans as they believed at Jesus’ time, but to free them from the rule of sin. They didn’t realize that the lamb they sacrificed to celebrate the Passover Feast represented Jesus. They didn’t realize that everything about the Temple represented what Jesus would do to rescue His people from the rule of sin.

Now the impossible happens. Jesus, God’s Son, who has always been dies. At that very moment, the curtain going into the Most Holy is torn in two. The One the Temple pointed to had come and accomplished His mission here on earth. From here on out, His people will remember what He has done rather than look forward to it. The Sacrifice to forgive all people, to cover all sins had been made. And this is the evidence that we can be forgiven and rescued from sin eternally.

Lord Jesus, thank You for having a plan to rescue us even before any of us needed to be rescued. Thank You for giving Your people an illustration to help us understand all that You have and will do for us. Thank You for offering Yourself as the perfect sacrifice for us and offering Your life in exchange for ours. Forgive us our sins today and clean our lives of all sin. Amen.

Courting God

Exodus 34-35:9 Matthew 27:15-31 Psalm 33:12-22 Proverbs 6:1-6

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. – Exodus 34:29

Moses was in the habit of meeting with God on a daily basis. He had a tent set up outside the camp, and everybody would watch the pillar of cloud come down to the tent while Moses was in there. Exodus 33:11 says that God would meet with Moses and talk to him like a friend does, sitting together in the same room. Maybe a better description would be like friends talking on the phone because Moses doesn’t get to see God.

Now Moses has come to the place where simply talking as friends is no longer enough. He wants to see God. He has spent forty days on the mountain talking with God alone. He is seeing God’s love and character and how they are woven into every part of the Tabernacle God is designing.

This is like falling in love with someone having only talked with them on the telephone. The person’s character is not hidden by an outside body and you’ve been so taken with who this person is that you want more than anything to see this person and meet them. This is why we take time to read the Bible and spend time with God everyday. After a while, His love will shine on our faces and we won’t even realize it, but people will notice. This is a relationship God wants with every one of us, not just Moses.

Father God, we want to take time to be in Your presence today. We want to meet with You on a daily basis and talk with You like a friend. We want to get to know You, experience Your love, and see Your character. We want to fall in love with You have Your love shine on our faces for everyone to see. Give us what we ask for and spend some time with us today. Amen.

Deserves Got Nothing to Do with It

Exodus 32-33 Matthew 26:69-27:14 Psalm 33:1-11 Proverbs 8:33-36

So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” – Exodus 32:31

The Israelites have come to Mt. Sinai. They have walked through the Red Sea and watched Pharaoh and his army drown behind them. God has given them water in the desert and has left food right outside their doors six days a week. They saw the smoke on the mountain and heard the the thunder and lightening. They were shaking in their boots when they heard God speak the Ten Commandments. Yet after all that God has done for them, they ask Aaron to build them gods—gods they would worship for rescuing them from Egypt.

What would be your reaction? How would you feel if you bailed a friend out of a bad situation, gave him a couple grand, was there day in and day out for him, and he gives the credit to a couple of comic book superheroes? God does what we would expect Him to do. He tells Moses to step back so He can give them what they deserve.

Moses has been in God’s presence for forty days and God’s love is showing through. Moses offers to trade His eternal life for the forgiveness of the people. The fact is, God’s law said they deserved to die. But God’s love said He wanted to forgive His people. Still, He loved them too much to save them from all consequences of their behavior. It gives me hope today because I’m not much different from these Israelites.

Father God, forgive us for not appreciating all the things You’ve done for us. Thank You Jesus for doing for us what Moses offered to do for the Israelites. Thank You for taking our place by taking the punishment we deserve. Transform our hearts with this love today. Amen.

Nonspiritual Gifts

Exodus 30:11-31:18 Matthew 26:47-68 Psalm 32 Proverbs 8:27-32

“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills.” – Exodus 31:2-3

Often times we think of gifts from God being spiritual in nature. A gift of prophecy. Or pastoring. Love, joy, peace. But here is someone God has given the gift to build. Carpenters have never been known as spiritual leaders, necessarily. The thing is, God has a plan to bring heaven to earth. This tabernacle is a replica of God’s house in heaven. Not exact, but about as close as could be made in this fallen earth. For this reason, God is going to pick the very best to build it for Him.

Most of us at church are everyday people. Carpenters, bus drivers, accountants—not trained theologians. It can be tempting to think that God has not given us everyday people any special spiritual gifts. But the truth is He has given each of us a unique gift to use to tell other about Him. He uses us in our different professions to witness like missionaries in different cultures. Carpenters know how to talk with carpenters like Koreans know how to talk to Koreans.

Bezalel could have walked away. He could have said, “No way, I’ll just mess it up and God will be angry with me.” Or, “I’ll do my best and nobody will like it.” Instead he stepped up to the challenge. Will we be willing to go all out for God? Are we willing to invest the gifts, spiritual or practical, to show off God and His glory?

Father God, some of us have been hearing You call us to use a gift You’ve given to witness for You, but we’re stalling, hoping You won’t push us to hard. Others are struggling to find the gift that You’ve given and are wondering how we will use it for You once we find it. Send Your spirit to give us the courage and wisdom to really shine for You this week. Amen.

What’s He Worth to You?

Exodus 29-31:10 Matthew 26:14-46 Psalm 31:19-24 Proverbs 8:14-26

“What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. – Matthew 26:14

Judas was the treasurer of the twelve disciples and the only one who asked to join Jesus rather than being asked. Much speculation has been made as to Judas’ motives for selling Jesus to the religious leaders. Whatever his motives, it seems he wasn’t much of a negotiator. Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a slave. Surely it would cost more to buy someone off in any king’s court. But Judas settled for the price of a slave.

It’s easy to sit here now and pick on Judas and ask incredulous questions as to what he was thinking, slowly shaking our heads declaring how we would never do anything like this. But lets think about this for a second. How much would it cost to buy you or me from Jesus? Maybe it isn’t thirty pieces of silver. Maybe its putting aside worship time with Him for something else. Maybe its selling out for someone’s opinion of us. Maybe its hanging on to something He has asked us to give up for Him. Whatever it is, we must ask ourselves, which do we want more? The stuff in this world here and now? Or Jesus and His Kingdom?

Lord Jesus, we don’t want to see You as a common slave. We don’t want to sell out for any cost. We want You to be our greatest treasure forever. Help us to see where we are tempted to sell out and put You aside. Give us the strength and courage to say no to the buy-out and stick with You. Amen.

Extravagant Love

Exodus 28 Matthew 25:31-26:13 Psalm 31:1-8 Proverbs 8:12-13

A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his (Jesus’) head as he was reclining at the table. – Matthew 26:7 TNIV

It is interesting that this story almost comes right after Jesus telling His disciples to take care of the poor and needy. Anytime we do something for the people who are the least thought of, Jesus considers it done to Him. Now Jesus is eating dinner, leaning to one side in front of a short table, and this woman comes into the room, finds Jesus and opens this alabaster bottle of perfume.

The scent permeates the room. If she had come in unnoticed before, she had everyone’s attention now. There, for everyone to see, she carefully pours some of the perfume on Jesus’ head, smoothing it into His hair. The disciples are quick to point out how she could have used the money to help the poor, just like Jesus told them to do.

They were right. She could have used that money to help the poor and Jesus would have counted it as having been done to Him. However, it is still right to worship God. Her heart was full of God’s love, and this was how her heart showed on the outside. It is always good and right to take care of the poor. But we must not forget that following Jesus is not just about doing good things for other people, but acting out on our love for Him, too.

Lord Jesus, we can get distracted by focusing on doing the right things. It is easy to let what we think others will think to influence what we do. Today we want Your love to fill our hearts and we want act out on this love for You. Amen.

No Shutting Down

Exodus 26-27 Matthew 25:1-30 Psalm 31:1-8 Proverbs 8:1-11

I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. – Matthew 25:24-25 TNIV

When will Jesus come back for us? This is the million dollar question that a number of people have tried to answer unsuccessfully over the years. Some people believe the Mayan calendar predicts Jesus’ coming by coming to an end. Often times, when people believe they’ve figured it out, they go on vacation from life. That is, they quit paying bills, quit going to work, quit all responsibility.

Then there are the people who are afraid of Jesus. They don’t believe they can be good enough for Him, so they never try in the first place. Can you blame them? If a person honestly believes he is doomed to die, why not do whatever is appealing at the moment? At least that way a person would not have to do all that religious stuff they really don’t want to do only to be burned in the end anyway.

The truth is none of us can be good enough for Jesus. That was the reason He came and died for us. It is true that He is coming back for us, but after reading the parable about the money managers, can we really believe He wants us to quit or not even try before He comes back? He saves us because out of the love of His heart, but He will not save us against our wills. In the meantime, He wants us to shine our lights in this dark world and invest our skills to build His kingdom—all the way to the very end.

Lord Jesus, forgive us for the times we have believed You were a tyrant rather than a brother. We want to look forward to You coming back. We want to know there will be a happy ending here. In the meantime, teach us to live for You and to invest for Your kingdom until You actually do arrive. Amen.

Neighbors

Exodus 23:14-25:40 Matthew 24:29-51 Psalm 30 Proverbs 7:24-27

Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. – Exodus 25:8 TNIV

God wanted to live among His people. But there was a problem. His presence, His glory, His perfect character of justice and goodness, would kill His people who were full of sin, injustice, and selfishness. That’s why they were not allowed to come to the mountain of God. There was nothing His people could do to protect themselves from God’s holiness.

Fortunately, God had a plan. A way He could dwell with them and protect them while recreating them into people who could live with Him forever. God would have a tent, just like His people did. But this tent would represent Jesus and all the things He would do to rescue His people. His people would come to His tent to worship Him and to learn about Him and His ways. They would be protected by a curtain that would hide God’s glory and holiness.

God still wants to live among His people. He wants more than just a building we visit regularly, He wants to live in our hearts. We can still look for the messages in the Sanctuary that Jesus is King of the universe with a throne, the light of the world, and our sacrifice. For now, we wait until the day when He comes back and He will live among us without a curtain to hide His glory.

Lord Jesus, we want to be citizens in Your kingdom. We want You not to live just among us, but in our hearts. Thank You for rescuing us from the sin that is destroyed by Your glory. Come soon so we can see You face to face at last. Amen.

Watering the Wrong Garden

Exodus 21:22-23:13 Matthew 24:1-28 Psalm 29 Proverbs 7:6-23

Come, let’s drink deep of love till morning;
   let’s enjoy ourselves with love! – Proverbs 7:18 TNIV

Most people never plan to commit adultery. It’s easy to think of one’s self as being above such a thing. After all, we love our family and never want to do anything to harm them, so cheating is out of the question. The problem is the sin of adultery grows from a small, seemingly harmless seed.

This is the seed. What we do with it determines where we go. The simple person waters the seed without thinking. When we are honest with ourselves, we know where our temptations lie. We know what we do that waters the seed and we know when we need to walk away. The simple person is convinced it is all harmless, that nobody will ever know, and nothing will ever come of it.

When the roles are reversed, and it is your spouse who is being tempted by someone else, does it feel so good and loving? Living life intentionally to love God and to love others, especially our spouses, means choosing to walk away from the innocent, harmless seeds before they take root. It isn’t always easy. There might be one poisonous temptation wrapped in 99 percent clean fun, but that one percent can kill a person.

Father God, we are really good at convincing ourselves we are doing nothing wrong when we are poking our noses down roads of destruction. Confront us with the reality of this counterfeit love so we can see it’s true ugliness. Teach us to live intentionally loving You and our spouses. Amen.

The Ultimate Power

Exodus 19:16-21:21 Matthew 23:13-39 Psalm 28 Proverbs 7:1-5

For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. - Exodus 20:5 TNIV

Jesus said in Matthew that all the Law and the Prophets were based on love for God and love for others. Now we find the Israelites camped at Mt. Sinai encountering God in a very real way. The fire and smoke were one thing, but then God Himself spoke, telling them the Ten Commandments.

Now these Israelites had been slaves in Egypt all their lives. They had almost forgotten God, but were quite familiar with the gods of Egypt. God had to get their attention. He had to show them that He wasn't just another statue, but a God of power and strength. Then He shows them something even more amazing--power under control.

Love is power under control. But the Israelites forgot what it meant to love like God does. So now, He tells them what love does not do. Love does not take from other to their detriment. Rather love looks to give before getting. It's the most amazing power in the universe. Now God describes Himself as a jealous God. More than anything He wants us to love Him in return. He has given us everything, even His own Son. Everything He does is motivated by love for His people, whether they claim Him or not.

Father God, help us to see how Your laws reveal Your love. Teach us to have the power under controlt that You have that enables us to look to give to others before we look to take for ourselves. We want the world to see that we are Your people when they see Your love acted out in our lives today. Amen.

Founded on Love

Exodus 17:8-19:15 Matthew 22:34-23:12 Psalm 27:7-14 Proverbs 6:27-35

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:36-37 TNIV

It sometimes seems that following God is more about what we can’t do than what we can do. Don’t have any other gods. Don’t lie, cheat, and steal. Don’t even want to lie, cheat, or steal. Don’t dishonor your parents. And then, we go beyond the Ten Commandments and we start adding some to guard against accidentally breaking the Ten Commandments. After a while, we get so focused on the rules we lose sight of God and we start thinking of Him as an angry drill sergeant who is just waiting for us to break a rule so He can rub our face in it.

Jesus takes and turns it all around. It’s not about the rules, per se, but about love. The rules were designed to show us how to love. If you love God and your neighbors, then you won’t have other gods and lie, cheat, and steal. You will care about them too much to do these things. When you think about it, would an angry drill sergeant send a son He loves to die for people He can’t stand? God has always been about showing His love for His people and teaching us to live that love.

Father God, thank You for loving us even when we were selfish and focused only on ourselves and what we want. Help us to see that following You is about living Your love. We want Your love to change our hearts so that we want to obey Your rules rather than trying to keep them because we’re afraid of what You’ll do if we don’t. Amen.

Heart Talk

Exodus 15:19-17:7 Matthew 22:1-33 Psalm 27:1-6 Proverbs 6:20-26

One thing I ask from the LORD,
   this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD 
   all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD 
   and to seek him in his temple. - Psalm 27:4 TNIV

There are some texts that speak more to one's heart than others. Or perhaps they speak what is on one's heart more than others. Throughout the Bible there are a lot of texts that are full of theology, teaching us about God and who He is. These are texts that engage our minds and make us think, and this is good.

But God is not all mind and no heart. David's writings often express his heart. He freely tells God about his why he is happy, sad, awed, or depressed. One of David's reoccurring themes that speaks my heart is how he treasures God in his heart. He wants to be close to God, not just spiritually, but physically. This is his primary focus, what he lives for. When I read what David's heart, it reminds me God is not just an intellectual pursuit, or a cold calculating being. God is love and He desires to see love in our hearts, too. So as we continue to walk through the Bible, don't get focused on just the thought provoking verses or the emotion provoking verses, but look for the mix of the two that gives us a more accurate look at who God is, and more and more we will find He is the desire of our hearts and minds.

Father God, thank You for being not just an intellectual, but also a feeling God. We want You to be the desires of our hearts. We want our desire for You to grow as we get to know You and about You more. Help us to see and understand Your heart and mind better today. Amen.

A Candid Conversation

Exodus 13:17-15:18 Matthew 21:23-46 Psalm 26 Proverbs 6:16-19

“There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?” – Matthew 21:28-31 TNIV

”God, I believe You’re real and I believe that You’re God. I just don’t know if I want to follow You right now.” I was walking home after spending the evening at my favorite coffee shop. My head was full of wants and desires. Some of them, one I was focused on at the moment, especially, did not line up with how God asks us to live.

You see, I had been going to church every week, but more because it was expected of me. While I wasn’t necessarily living a bad life, I wasn’t doing what God was asking me to do—keep His commandments in love. I was the second son who was saying ‘yes’, but not following through.

Now, walking home just after midnight, looking up at the stars, I got honest and open with God. It wasn’t what I thought He wanted to hear, but it was on my heart. Being honest with God is a dangerous thing. It can change your life forever. For the first time in my life, I was the first son and told God ‘no’. The result? Within three weeks I was sitting down with a Bible to read it all for the first time in my life. I started doing what God asked me without any promises.

Being honest with God is a dangerous thing. But honestly, can we afford not to? There is nothing I miss about the shame and guilt I suffered when saying ‘yes’ and living ‘no’. God wants more than anything for us to be honest with Him, in our words and in our living. That honesty opens our hearts to the reality of His truth and love.

Father God, we want to be completely honest with You today. But it’s scary to be honest sometimes. We are afraid we will be rejected if we are honest. It’s a dangerous proposition. Come in through the doors honesty opens in our hearts and change our lives forever. Amen.