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In Awe

Last week, while visiting New York City, I walked through St Patricks Cathedral.  It is everything you expect.  The building is massively overwhelming and overwhelmingly intricate.  The cathedral’s cruciform shape has an altar prominently positioned in the nave and raised in the direction of heaven.  The altar is enshrined in gold and surrounded by angels.  Throughout the building, you’ll see the saints hosting various shrines, imagery, and relics of heavenly trophies.  It’s amazing.  Awesome, even.  All of it.
I stood at the entrance gazing down the long hall, wondering how many people think about Jesus.  More importantly, how many people considered the sacrifice he made?  How many people came and found God?  That is the risk, of course, that we may go and find awe but miss what really matters.  The hope and solace of Jesus Christ.  This is what Moses is warning us against today.  He knows that we are likely to take these most beautiful things like gold and saints and fantastic architecture and turn them into something they are not.  Beware, he says, “that you may be drawn to them and serve them” (Deut 4:19).  Do you see it?  We are likely to bow down and serve the created thing over the creator.  it’s easier.  It’s tangible.  It feels real.  But, the created things have no power.
Dig a little deeper and review the mission statement of the St. Patricks Cathedral.  There, it says that these things – this cathedral – are brought to us for one purpose.  That it may “call us to respond to our shared humanity – one in the image and likeness of God, saved by his Son, Jesus Christ, in the family of the Church”.

Obedience

Jackson (11), Marshall (7), Gianna (4), and their mother and father (me) have had plenty of opportunities this summer to talk about obedience.  This seems to be a daily topic that usually ends up in a consequence or situation that allows us all to learn.  When I think about my children and how they think they know what they want until things don’t go their way, they throw a fit when things don’t go as planned.  (I know we all have been there. ) As a principal and a coach, I also get additional time to speak to players and students about their decisions and their lack of obedience at times.  These are all moments that help shape our lives. Moments of molding that help decide future decisions. The thought would be that a household of educators would make this obedience command easier.  The phrase first-time listening is used often.

5 See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.

Today’s Reading of Deuteronomy 4;1-14 shows Moses talking with the Israelites.  Moses points them back to the 10 Commandments and the reminder of obedience to the ways laid out for them.  Not more, not less.  I wish I could say I had steller obedience in all things.  The truth is I fall victim to worldly and selfish desires as well.

As you walk along this spiritual journey, follow the path that leads to Him.  (10 Commandments) – Will we get it right all the time? No.  But we will try.  Pray. Repent. We can keep the faith and take steps to draw closer to Him.  Jennifer has posted on our mirror Romans 12:2.  This verse reminds me of our audience of one we should live our life-like.

2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Today I pray that our Heavenly Father helps each one of us. That we feel Your presence as we navigate this side of Heaven.  That we pray and focus diligently on avoiding worldly pleasures. Thankfully we have a God that is bigger than any of our worldly desires.

In his final years, the writer  Amazing Grace, John Newton, wrote, ” I am an amazing sinner, But Jesus is a better saver, “

We all can lean into this message as we work on our obedience today.

Stay Blessed

 

The Second Time Around

Today’s reading Deuteronomy 1:1 – 33

 

It seems to me that God is talking directly to me through these scriptures. In today’s reading Moses is charging the tribe of Israel to go into the Promised Land. This is the beginning of his farewell speech. The sermon that Moses is given is titled Deuteronomy which literally means “The Second Law“. This is the second time God is speaking through Moses to the tribe of Israel to give them God’s commandments. This is at the end of the 40 years that the tribe of Israel since they have been freed from Egypt and has been in the wilderness.

The time that the tribe spent in the wilderness for these forty years was not in vain, this time that they had there was for reflection and understanding God‘s purpose for the people. Actually, God had the Promised Land ready for them directly after they exited Egypt.  Moses sent twelve elders or leaders of the tribe to scout out the promised land.  From the reconnaissance, ten of the twelve hesitated and did not want to go to the promised land because of the perceived risk and dangers( Numbers 13) . Because of the majority of the leaders of the tribe, the people had to endure 40 years of reflection and endurance,  before  they could go to the promised land.

In Deuteronomy, this is the beginning of the entrance to the promised land. This is the second time that the tribe has been given the instructions to go into a claim the promised land. This is a call to action that we must not forget or put aside. God is calling us to do things a second time. We cannot allow others to influence us when God has promised us amazing things. God is calling us to move , get up and go, and keep moving. We may have outside influences that try to stumble us or try to change us, but we have to be aligned and in tune with God to move toward the promise.

Deutoronomy 1: 5-8 

Beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to explain this law, saying, 6 “The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. 7 Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’

 

Time to go: 

  • In this particular passage Moses is giving us time to go. We have to move, we cannot think about any of the risks or dangers. We must act now. We must move now. God has it ready for us and is expecting us to move. The time to go is now.

Get out of your way

  • A lot of times we overthink and over analyze situations. Is this the right time? Do we have enough money? I have to finish these other things first. I’m not healthy enough. What about the lights in the house? Did we turn off the gas to the stove? Who’s going to take care of the yard and take out the trash? I don’t have the right shoes. I don’t have enough clothes…. All of these are obstacles that we place in front of ourselves when God has already planned and provided everything that we would need on the journey and everything that we would need at the end of the Journey. Everything that we could possibly think I’ve got it already thought about that and has had planted and thriving for us before we even knew the journey was going to be made.

Move forward

  • God wants us to move forward. We know what’s in the past. We know where we have come from. We have been practicing for this journey for a long time, the children of Israel practice for forty years. Do you need 40 years to practice when God has it ready for us now?

This is a passage and a message for me in particular. There have been things that I have put on the back burner for quite some time or I have allowed obstacles to slow my progress. But God is showing me that the time is from now to move all these things for the better of me. Is God speaking to you as well? If I’m telling you that is time to move on things that you have put on the side? Has God prepared you for a journey that he’s ready for you to take? Is this the second, third, or fourth time that God has revealed this to you? When will you take his prompts and move forward?

Be blessed

 

God Is With Us

A few days ago I wrote in our Bible Journal about the Pharisees and Sadducees wanting to see a sign from Jesus that He was who He said He was. They believed the sky could predict the weather, but they doubted that Jesus was really the Messiah. Sometimes we are the same. We just want a physical sign that God is real and among us.

In today’s reading Exodus 40, we see the physical sign that God provided to the Israelites. In this final chapter of Exodus, Moses and the Israelites are putting the finishing touches on the tabernacle. It is like when you move and finally have the boxes unloaded and everything organized. You can finally decide where that special decoration, plant, or pillow fit best. Moses had direct instructions on where to place every item in the tent. Once everything was in its place a cloud covered the tent of meeting.

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Exodus 40:34-35

The cloud was a visible sign that God was with them. The cloud was the presence of God in their midst. The cloud would tell the Israelites when to move and when to stay put.

In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would se out; but if the club did not lift, they did not set out=until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.
Exodus 40:36-38

Sometimes I would like to see a physical manifestation of God. Can you imagine seeing an actual fire in a cloud? The news stations would be all over that! But, if we constantly had visible signs of God we would not need faith. We have to look for signs of God in our daily life.

Where do we see Him show up in our experiences?
Where do we see Him show up in our daily interactions with others?            Where do we see Him show up in our Bible reading?
And where do we see Him show up in our worship.
We have to be looking and expecting Him to show up.

We now have the presence of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit is now how we experience the glory of God. We have to be looking for the Holy Spirit to show up. God’s presence is always with us, will you look for Him today?

Warning Sign

Have you ever ignored a very obvious warning sign and paid the price? My mind immediately goes to when I was 18, leaving a ski hill in the hills of rural Missouri after a day of heavy snowfall and low temps. I remember driving by the sign at the ski slope’s exit saying “Watch for Ice,” and thinking to myself “like that’d be a problem for me.” As I found out about 5 minutes later, after sliding down a big patch of ice right off the road down a steep hill, it would indeed be a problem for me. Who could’ve seen that coming?

The message of Hebrews 12:12-29 is a reminder that the warning we’ve been given about living focused on the flesh instead of on God’s kingdom. The author uses the Israelites at Mount Sinai as an example: even with the terrors of facing God’s holiness against their own unworthiness, witnessing “thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast” (Ex 16.19), they couldn’t follow God’s command for them despite their terror. Yet while we don’t encounter flaming smoking mountains too often, we’ve encountered Jesus, “mediator of a new covenant”, offering us the gift of eternal life. And the warning is laid bare: Jesus has told us “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens,” removing what can be shaken, leaving only what can not – what is not of this world. The warning signs we’ve been given are clear as day. Yet, even so, many who hear the warning choose not to listen; be it human pride, obstinance, ignorance, or whatever it is, many choose to ignore what Scripture tells us about a life not talking God’s warnings seriously.

Scripture warns us of the danger facing those who turn away from Jesus’ warning. As Galatians 5:21 puts about those living in the flesh versus living in the Spirit: “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Or 1 Corinthians 6:9 tells of those living immorally and unrighteously to themselves & others: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” Those who live such baseless lives are not only destined to be on the receiving end of God’s wrathful judgement, but do so despite so many warnings & Christ’s offer of redemption on our behalf. We are called as believers not just to live just, righteous lives as God commanded His earliest people (“Be holy, because I am holy” – Leviticus 11:45), but to strive for showing others to Christ’s salvation as well through our words and actions as Hebrews 12:14-15 says.

Remaining ever strong & growing in our faith and vigilant against our desires to do things our own misguided ways is not only a lifelong challenge, but one we must take an active role in always; compared to Esau by this passage, who rejected the blessings laid out for him & “found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” We are called not to be proud & self-reliant as Esau was, but to strive to lean on & serve the Lord, and furthermore, to reflect this in the holiness we demonstrate to others. I pray today for renewal of the strength and perseverance in our walks with the Lord to stay straight on our paths always, and to help & lead others to the Lord as well. I pray that we would take seriously at all times the warnings towards the unrighteousness of man, knowing always that we are to serve the Lord in all we say & do. And I pray for the sharing & growing of the Lord’s kingdom, that His kingdom would continue growing & rejoicing until the day all else is shaken away.

Bread Alone?

Today’s reading is Genesis 28:1-22.

This past Friday we were eating spaghetti and our 4-year-old Hudson was complaining he wanted more garlic bread while we continued to tell him he could not have more until he finished his spaghetti he was not eating. As he carried on and continued to beg, in typical ‘bad dad joke’ fashion, I leaned over and said, “Hudson, man cannot live on bread alone.” This is of course in reference to Jesus’ words in Matthew 4:4 and also in the Old Testament Deuteronomy 8:3.

From our reading today we see God come to Jacob in a dream and give him the land He had promised his grandfather Abraham and also confirm that he would have many offspring spread upon the Earth to again fulfill his original promise to Abraham. In addition, God tells Jacob he will be with him wherever he goes (Genesis 28:15). In response, Jacob says he’s on holy ground where the Lord is which he did not know (Genesis 28:16). Finally, he says in Genesis 28:18-22 that since the Lord is with him and had provided food and clothing, he will build a house of the Lord here and give 1/10 of everything back to God.

I find it very interesting that Jacob’s thanksgiving is not really focused on the ground he received or the many offspring, but instead the most basic needs of food and clothing. When I went on a mission trip to New York City a few years ago, many of the homeless people we approached to witness actually witnessed to us by giving thanks and saying God had given them all they really need. I thought they had nothing, but they were satisfied having God. Instead of focusing on what they didn’t have, they were focused on the one thing they really need which they had…Him.

Embarrassingly, many of my thoughts lately have been focused on what more I want, rather than what I already have. It has been said that one cannot feel stress and anxiety at the same time they are in gratitude. I need to be even more thankful for what I already have. And most importantly I must focus on the fact that I cannot survive on “bread alone.” I always have all I really need which is the promise He’ll be with me wherever I go and His life given on the cross to save me.

Red Skies

Growing up I had the opportunity to do some sailing. My dad had a love for sailing and many of our family vacations involved sailing for a week at a time. I have so many memories of being in a very small space with all 5 of us living on a 30 foot sailboat. One memory that popped to mind when I read through my assigned text for today was what my Dad would say every night as the sun was setting on the water…

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning.”

This is a saying that is actually rooted in today’s reading, Matthew 16:1-12. Jesus actually references the above saying…

He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning,’Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
Matthew 16:2-3

The people of Jesus’s day knew how to read the skies, they believed that the color of the sky would predict the weather. But Jesus points out here that even though they believed in the color of the sky predicting the weather, they couldn’t read the signs of the times.

The Pharisees and Sadducees asked Jesus for a sign from heaven. Jesus had been performing miracles and signs for days. He had just fed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and a few fish. Even if the Pharisees and Sadducees were not present to witness Jesus’ miracles, surely they had heard of them. They were “testing” Jesus. He calls them “hypocrites” as they can discern the sky and predict the weather, but they cannot observe the signs of the times.

A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
Matthew 16:4

What does it mean to discern the signs of the times? Do we notice what is going on around us? Do we see people turning to Jesus or drifting away? Jesus tells them that they will only be given the sign of Jonah. Jesus saw Jonah as a symbol of the Messiah whom He himself claimed to be. In Matthew 12:38-40 he explains how Jonah is a sign.

He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Matthew 12:38-40

Jesus is referring to his coming death and resurrection. Are we like the Pharisees and Sadducees and putting Jesus to the test? Or do we believe what He says and the miracles He performed? He gives us the choice. We have a choice to follow Him and survive the storms of life, because we know that the red sky in the morning may bring severe storms.  Jesus rose from the dead after 3 days so that we may have life and have it abundantly.

 

Faith, Or Something Else?

Matthew 15:21-28

We call God many things like provider, teacher, healer, savior, and father.  The list is long, please add some that matter to you.  Now, consider how each of these things manifests in your life.  For example.  I see Jesus as my teacher.  I know that to be true because he has taught me.  It’s evident in his words, his people, and in my heart.  I have evidence.  What if, God stopped teaching me?  How would I respond?  Honestly?  I don’t know.  But, I do know how I would like to respond.  We see it in the Canaanite woman from today’s reading.
“Hey Jesus,” she shouts.  “I need your help.  My daughter is in trouble.”
Silence.  Jesus does not even bother himself with her.
As Jesus bickers with the disciples, the woman came before him again.  This time, she was kneeling.
At first glance, we may consider her kneeling to be begging.  That would be a mistake.  Jesus would have quickly called her out on that, saying something like “woman, get up!”  Instead, Jesus exclaims the greatness of her faith.  She captures Jesus’ attention, not through the quality of her begging but the depth of her belief in who Jesus is.  In this context, her kneeling is an act of worship.  She falls to her knees because of who she knows Jesus, rather than what he can do for her.  She knew, in the very depth of her heart, that Jesus could not walk away from her daughter.  It’s not in his nature. That’s faith.
Just like the Canaanite woman, God will never stop teaching me as long as I am searching.  Nor will he stop providing, healing saving, or loving.  He cannot.  It’s who he is.  It sounds like it’s time to start worshipping and stop begging.

Do Good

2 Thessalonians 3: 13 “But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.”

I have found myself at times in life disappointed with my behavior.  I am disappointed that I am impatient.  I am disappointed that I am “short” or not engaging with people.  I am disappointed that I assume the worst in people and find myself being impolite or not accommodating.

Why do I do that?  My nature is to protect myself from disappointment or insecurity.  My tendency, at times, has been to be not “too nice” when I fear someone else will not be “nice” back.  Really?  Why does it matter if someone will be “nice” back?  Shouldn’t I just be “nice” regardless of the other person’s reaction?

It amazes me how much I enter social situations and rely on other people’s reactions and attitudes to determine mine.  What I mean is if someone is rude or impatient, I will mirror that same behavior.

Verse 13 speaks to me today in the sense of, do good and do not expect anything in return.  Be nice to the server in the restaurant who is impolite or not overly friendly.  Be kind to the flight attendant who embarrassed you in front of many people.  Be patient with the person in the grocery store who cut you off in line causing you to wait even longer.  Engage with the homeless person on the corner who is asking for help and not be embarrassed to stop and talk to them.

When Jesus was on earth, He had dinner with tax collectors, witnessed to prostitutes, and welcomed sinners of all kinds to be with Him at His table.  The Son of God was kind to every person of all shapes and sizes, all the while knowing He would be killed for doing good.  No matter the sin, Jesus loved all people and made a difference in their lives.

One area of my life that I have worked on very hard is witnessing to homeless people.  I used to dread pulling up to a stop light and seeing a homeless person on the corner.  In the past, I would immediately talk myself out of speaking to them, not even make eye contact, thinking they might be scary.  I would convince myself not to give them money as “they are just going to go buy liquor or drugs.”  I am not proud to admit that.

These days, I pull up to the stop light, roll down my window and ask the person to come to my car, if it’s safe.  I give them money, without judgment or reservation, and I ask them their name.  I cannot tell you the surprise and shock on their faces when I ask them their name.  When they tell me their name, I now call them by their name and tell them Jesus loves them and I will pray for them.  The look on their face is priceless.  The thanks and appreciation always come through.  Never once, have I had a negative reaction being nice to a homeless person.

So please join me in praying for Bobby, who I met in Charlottesville, Virginia today.  Bobby was panhandling on the side of the road with a cast and his arm in a sling.  God loves Bobby like He loves you and me.  Let’s pray for Bobby and all the broken people Jesus loves, without reservation or expectation that we will get anything in return.

Worthy of His Calling

“Two of the most important days of your life: The day you were born, and the day you discover why.” (Author unknown)

Regardless of the author of the aforementioned quote, it is great to think about and a reminder as to why we exist on this planet. Sometimes when I’m feeling a bit lost I realize it is because I’ve become misaligned with my purpose in life. When all of the fun things aren’t as fun as we think they should be, there’s a good reason. It is because “fun” isn’t why we were made (no matter what we think our purpose should be). We will have constant disappointment and even depression if we do not embrace our true purpose, why we were born.

We can better understand our purpose when we dig into two verses from today’s reading of 2 Thessalonians 1:

To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

Regarding our calling:

  • We need his help (hence the prayer for God to make us worthy).
  • He has called us for a reason. He is not random. NLT uses the phrase “your faith prompts you to do.” We can presume this prompting through faith comes from his Holy Spirit, the voice calling each one of us specifically.
  • God’s calling is for good.
  • God’s calling reveals his power (and therefore glorifies him).

From my experience reading the Bible, typically when finding the phrase “so that”, we should pay extra attention as it helps us better understand “the why”. Want to know why God does what he does? Look for this phrase and find out.

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:12)

He calls us:

  • So that Jesus may be glorified.
  • So that we may be the ones glorifying him. Our lives should be a living testimony as to why we have chosen him. Through this we are honored by God, keeping in mind that he should be the only audience we should care about.
  • Remember it isn’t what we do that saves us (hence the word “grace” in verse 12). Our actions should be a reflection of our heart and our gratitude for the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

What do you pray for during hardships?

Paul was writing to people who were being persecuted because of their faith. He did not convey a message praying that the persecution would stop, rather, the message focused on encouragement, love, faith, hope and praise to God. This once again points back to our purpose to glorify God, to have relationship with Him, to share Him, and ultimately to spend eternity with Him.

Father God, forgive me for wandering, for the times when I live as though you do not exist. Further reveal to me today your purpose in my life, one of meaning. Give me courage and wisdom to respond according to your will, to share you with those who do not yet know you. Amen.