Jordan - Job 4

Nothing like a friend to knock some sense into you, even when you are at your lowest point!  Close friends are always the first to call you out.  Job is suffering more than anyone could imagine, and he curses the day of his birth.  Eliphaz reminds him of his days of glory when he was very influential.  Little do either of them know how much more influential Job would be in his struggles!

Mark - Job 2

I find it curious that Job's wife was spared when Satan took all of his wealth. Wasn't she seen as
valuable to him? He has lost all his wealth, sons and daughters and now is stricken with a terrible
skin affliction but his wife is still in the picture.

Jordan - Judges 21

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit." (v 25)

What a fitting verse to end a grim tale of humanity!  The pendulem of central government vs the rule of the people is so evident in the world today.  In Haiti, there is chaos because of a lack of a strong government, but in Egypt and Libya they were thrust into revolution after their government shrunk to a dictatorship that was self-serving.  A functioning state works in a equilibrium where both the central goverment and the people feel that they both have control. 

The checks and balances of our government is what makes it so strong, but really, we aren't that old of a country in the grand scheme of things.  Could we ever see the pendulem starting to move?

Jordan - Judges 20

With all my might I want to call the people in these chapters animals.  However, the title of this book makes me think of another verse:  Matthew 7:1:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged."

How much can our world really claim to be different?  When I was a senior in high school, I went with a friend to see Jessie Jackson speak to a union rally that my friend's mom was a part of.  The rally was at a church in a predominantly African American part of Philly.  The speakers were awesome and had me just as excited as the workers around me and it went late into the night.

My friend and I left and walked back to my car.  We past by a group of guys and they started to follow us.  One of them was carrying a stick or a bat, but I didn't make eye contact and we walked fast.  They started asking us what two "white boys" were doin here.  We didn't answer, just walked faster.  The car seemed so far away!  We got to the car and hopped in and I tried to start it and get out of there.  Two guys walked to the back of the car and as I was pulling out "WHACK!!"  One of them smacked the back window with whatever they had in their hands and I thought a gun had gone off.  I sped out of thhere and blew through a few stop signs before I realized that we were fine and the window had not even broken.  Praise God!

My friend and I were so angry on the way home.  Not just because those guys took a swing at my car, but because we had gone from such a powerful feeling of community and euphoria to a feeling of prejudice and displacement.  Those guys didn't care who we were or why we were there, they just wanted us to know that we didn't belong.

Are we really that different from the Benjamites and the Israelites?

Judges 19 Not recommended behavior....

Judges Chapter 19 is clearly not recommended behavior or a reflection of God's moral standard but placed as a historical explanation of the events that take place in Judges 20. One lesson we may take from this chapter is that if we allow ourselves to be influenced by the accepted moral values of today we will not be following God's moral standards given to us in the Bible. In the time of Judges we can see that people had turned away from God and His laws and followed a path that spiraled downward into ungodliness, they had set themselves apart from the Lord and his biblical standards. The same can happen today unless we maintain a steady diet of reading God's word, praying with and for each other and staying in fellowship with God's people.
Romans 15:4 "Whatever things were written before, were written for our learning."

Mark - Judges 19

Gruesome chapter once again. These people are given no names so I'll assume they were your ordinary "joes" of the day. The Levite must know the dangers of travel so why not stay one more night and leave early the next morning? His father in law is a gracious host and is happy his daughter has this man. Instead he uses poor judgement which results in the death of not only his wife but someones daughter. He now wants Israel to avenge her death. Is he not a coward for letting her be taken in the first place? Was she just another possession?

Isn't there another way?!?

"They massacred the people and burned down the city."

God's people, the tribe of Dan, were looking for land and they did whatever they needed to do in order to get it. In fact, God told them to do it.

Remember when Joshua took down Jericho? Everyone in the whole city needed to be killed, so that God's people wouldn't intermarry and fall into worshiping other gods.

Why so violent?

Samson was to break Philistine oppression, by why not in the ways of Gandhi or Martin Luther King?

Even when the deed is done, the Danites set up the god-figure for themselves that they stole from Micah's house. The grooves in the tablets are still fresh and they are violating the very commands God has given them.

Is all of the death and destruction worth it?

Mark - Judges 18

Does the personal priest of Micah worship the one true God? He resides in the home of Micah as his personal priest. Micah has many idols and has contracted this man to attend to them. So this priest manages the false gods that Micah holds precious. Once again there is a disconnect between God and the chosen. The tribe of Dan reaches out to this "priest" and are told the Lord is with them. Is this man guided by the Lord even though he oversees a shrine of plated metal?
Then the courageous tribe of Dan slaughter a defenseless city of people only to rebuild it and begin the worship of false gods. God's patience and understanding are not measurable by human
standards.

Mark - Judges 17

Micah is a thief with a conscience. He steals from his mother a fortune only to be rewarded for it.
His reward, an idol, again more worship of false gods. This on going theme rings from chapter to chapter-the Hebrews worship gods get into turmoil and look for salvation from Jehovah. I can identify, at times my focus is less on were God is directing me and more on were my own selfishness wants to be. Even with these human frailities God still loves his most precious creation.

Mark- Judges 16

For someone who is suppose to judge Samson doesn't seem to possess good judgement. He is harassed to confide the secret to his incredible strength by Delilah but never asked her why she is so interested? He hides it from her again and again as she attempts to take his power. Finally he gives in, tells her, and is in short order ripe for the taking. Was this all pre determined by God?

Where an eye for an eye get you

Samson said, "It was tit for tat. I only did to them what they did to me." In other words, an eye for an eye.

What they did to him: His wife learned the secret to his riddle and told it to his "friends," who won the bet. She betrayed Samson's trust and they benefited.

What he did to them: Samson killed 30 innocent strangers to repay the debt.

What they did to him: His father-in-law gave Samson's wife to his best man and then tried to give Samson his younger daughter.

What he did to them: "Samson then went out and caught three hundred jackals. He lashed the jackals' tails together in pairs and tied a torch between each pair of tails. He then set fire to the torches and let them loose in the Philistine fields of ripe grain. Everything burned, both stacked and standing grain, vineyards and olive orchards—everything."

What they did to him: "The Philistines went up and burned both Samson's wife and her father to death."

What he did to them: "Samson tore into them, ripping them limb from limb—a huge slaughter."

What they did to him: 300 men from Judah came and tied him up. The captured him in order to make him pay.

What he did to them: The Spirit of God came on him with great power and he killed all of them.

What they did to him: After the failed attempt to capture him while he was with a prostitute, they bribed Delilah, "Seduce him. Discover what's behind his great strength and how we can tie him up and humble him. Each man's company will give you a hundred shekels of silver." Some time later, Delilah delivered: "The Philistines grabbed him, gouged out his eyes, and took him down to Gaza. They shackled him in irons and put him to the work of grinding in the prison."

What he did to them: While he was entertaining people at a party, "Samson cried out to God, 'Oh, please, give strength yet once more. With one avenging blow let me be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes!' Then Samson reached out to the two central pillars that held up the building and pushed against them, one with his right arm, the other with his left. Saying, 'Let me die with the Philistines,' Samson pushed hard with all his might. The building crashed on the tyrants and all the people in it. He killed more people in his death than he had killed in his life."

And they all lived happily ever after.

If Samson was really interested in an eye for an eye, he would have been limited in retribution to only what was taken from him. This would never have escalated to this level. 3,000 people died with him, because he lost a bet after being tricked by his wife.

Jesus asks us to not even take an eye for an eye, but instead to turn the other cheek. That's what he did, taking on the cross for our salvation.

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

I'm not sure if we can hear this section of the Sermon on the Mount enough, "Here's another old saying that deserves a second look: 'Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.' Is that going to get us anywhere? Here's what I propose: 'Don't hit back at all.' If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously. You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

That didn't go so well

There are two commands from God that are emphasized over and over again in the Old Testament:
"I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me."
"Care for widows, orphans, and foreigners. You were once foreigners in Egypt."

A good way to not be tempted to worship other gods is to avoid marrying people who believe in other gods. That's why I was surprised to read this, "Samson's parents said to him, 'Isn't there a woman among the girls in the neighborhood of our people? Do you have to go get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?' His father and mother had no idea that God was behind this, that he was arranging an opportunity against the Philistines."

The Spirit of the Lord comes on him powerfully and he kills a lion with his bare hands. This leads to the riddle from which he is to profit greatly.

Samson's real weakness, which will come up again, is a nagging woman.

In his anger over losing the bet due to the threats and cheating of his "friends" (because the people were wary of him, they arranged for thirty friends to mingle with him.), he goes balistic and kills thirty men from a nearby town so that he can pay the debt.

Again, curiosly, the Spirit of God had come powerfully on him.

So that Israel can be freed from Philistine oppression, is God really arranging all of this or is Samson misplaying his hand?

At any rate, he loses his wife to the best man and, along with her, his "in" with the enemy.

Here is a snipet of Scripture from this Sunday's Gospel: Jesus says, "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst."

If only Samson had known...

Foreshadowing Samson's purpose

I have been thinking a lot about purpose lately. Why did God put us on the planet? To be salt and light? What does that look like in Quincy, MA? How does a solo pastor function to help bring that about? How does a church?

Manoah's wife is told by an angel, "You are pregnant right now, carrying a son. The boy will be God's Nazirite from the moment of his birth. He will launch the deliverance from Philistine oppression."

Samson has a clear life's purpose.

Why did this barren woman bear a child? So that the 40 years of Philistine domination would end.

When she is recounting this to her husband, she says, "The boy will be God's Nazirite from the moment of birth to the day of his death."

Hmm...why was that added?

One other thing bothers me...what is this woman's name?!?

P.S. I love the descriptions of the angel: terror laced with glory and sheer wonder.

Awesome...

Judges 11

As I was reading this chapter I couldn't help but think about how Jepthath was quite the diplomat. He was sent away from his family because he was illegitimate. He became quite the warrior and when his brothers were in trouble they sent for him to bail them out. I think he was pretty smart when he made the deal with his brothers that if God delivered the Ammorites to him then he would be head over all who lived in Gilead. I also feel that he had a lot of faith in God that he would use him for this purpose. He believed that he had a purpose in life and that God was going to use him for something great.

The ending of the chapter was a little disturbing however. Having to sacrifice his only daughter must have been excruitiatingly painful for him. His commitment to God however was greater than his love for his daughter.

Isn't that what Jesus speaks about in the New Testament when he says that you have to love God more than anyone? And isn't this what God did when he sacrificed his only son for us all because he loves us and knows that we needed this sacrifice?

Lots to ponder.

In God's hands

Jephthah said, "When I saw that you weren't coming, I took my life in my hands and confronted the Ammonites myself."

In the next breath, he says, "God gave them to me!"

But...I get the impression that Jephthah really thinks he did it on his own.

Many people at Faith have strong ties to their families. My favorite TV show growing up was Family Ties. I've had two stones on my desk for years that say "Faith" and "Family".

However, I come from a broken home. My parents worked all of the time. I was raised by my brother. I raised my sister. Sundays in church and Vikes' games afterward were really the only quality time we got to spend with our mom. Her parents were dead before we were born, our dad's folks lived in Texas, and our step-mom's lived in Montana. We've never gone to church with our parents and grandparents, even on Christmas or Easter.

For the past 16 years and a month, I've been blessed with Heidi and now two amazing children. They are the family I'm tied to.

I would say that I envy those at Faith with several generations in worship, but I don't. I'm just happy to be a part of the extended family, the community with God as our Father, the body of Christ in this place.

We cannot live this life of faith on our own.

I am taking my life out of my hands and placing it in God's hands. I thank God every day for the family that surrounds me.

What different times we live in today.

It has been noted that Jephthah could not have lawfully sacrificed his daughter because it would constitute human sacrifice, something God explicitly forbade. Some have suggested that his daughter remained unmarried and was given to serve the Lord in the temple.

Deuteronomy 12: 31 you shall not behave thus toward the Lord your God, for every abominable act which the Lord hates they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

What different times we live in today; what would happen if I made a vow with God that if he would deliver to me victory over an enemy I would offer my only daughter, who is very bright and just beginning her adult life, as a burnt offering to the Lord. I think we know the answer; our courts, lawyers, news media and press would have a field day, grant me my fifteen minutes of fame just before declaring me insane and put away for all time. My daughter would certainly lament the loss of any part of her freedom, especially her free will to live and serve as she sees fit.

Today we should temper our vows to serve God, to be grateful for his love and forgiveness given to us through the sacrifice of his only son on the cross.

Jordan - Judges 11

Happy Valentine's Day!  For your enjoyment, here is a nice little story about a father who sacrifices his daughter as a burnt offering.  The daughter, who seems far more intelligent than her father, asks that the last two months of her life is spent weeping with her girlfriends because she won't marry.  Really?  That is all this young girl is thinking about?  She is about to die, and marriage is the biggest thing on her mind?  I wonder how this story really unfolded...

Why would you say that?

"If you give me a clear victory over the Ammonites, then I'll give to God whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in one piece from among the Ammonites—I'll offer it up in a sacrificial burnt offering."

What/who did Jephthah think was going to come out of his house? A slave? The dog?

His one and only daughter said, "Dear father, if you made a vow to God, do to me what you vowed; God did his part and saved you from your Ammonite enemies."

You made a vow (or your parents and Godparents did on your behalf).

God has done his part to save us.

Will we keep our vows?

He is our God. Will we continue to be his people in the world or turn and worship our own gods?

Judges 10

Same old Israelites different year. As Mark stated these people continually turn away from God and follow their own ways, to their detriment. Then when they realize that they are in trouble they beg God to get them out of their troubles.

What really amazes me is that God continues to forgive these people and try again. For me it is hard to fathom that God is that forgiving and also that these people are so fickle that they turn from God again and again. It's like the movie "Groundhog Day". The Israelites keep going through the same motions trying to get a different result only to realize that the only way to find true happiness and contentment is to follow their God.

I also wonder at the audacity of the Israelites to just assume that God will get them out of whatever mess they get themselves into. In a way I think that people today are similar to the Israelites. We do not follow Gods laws, we worship other Gods, and then we attend church on Sunday and ask for his forgiveness. Sometimes we even totally turn away from God for months/years at a time and still expect him to be there when we need him.

I wonder if he ever gets tired of the same old thing? Thanks be to God that he is a loving Father who always accepts his children back into the fold. When will we ever learn that following God should not be a chore, it should be something that we do for the pure joy of making our father happy!

Thank you God for being a loving father who always forgives us.

Mark - Judges 10

Is faith this fleeting? It seems to be for the Israelites. Once again they worship false gods for a time and then recognize the error of their ways. They destroy their foreign gods to gain favor with God because they need rescue. They worship the Lord again and He feels for their misery.
How wonderful it is to have such a forgiving Father. Praise God!

Violence boomerangs

Gideon has defeated the Midianites and left 70 sons to succeed him. One born from a concubine (his name is Abimelech) wants to lead the whole bunch. He goes to his people at Shechem and says, "What do you think is best, that 70 men rule you—all those sons of Gideon—or that one man rule? You'll remember that I am your own flesh and blood."

"They were inclined to take him. 'Because,' they said, 'he is, after all, one of us.'"

Really? That was the primary reason? Not his leadership skills or that God was with him, but that he was one of you?

This one kills all the others but one, Jotham, Gideon's youngest son.

Violence boomeranged.

Three years into Abimelech's rule, the people were dissatisfied. Gaal, a leader who the people of Shechem trusted, said, "If I were in charge of this people, the first thing I'd do is get rid of Abimelech! I'd say, 'Show me your stuff, Abimelech—let's see who's boss here!'"

Zebul, the governor of Shechem and Abimelech's "henchman," got angry. This is the pivotal moment in the story. Zebul's response can change the way things turn out. Will he have the integrity to channel that anger into loving action?

Violence continues to boomerang, because he reacts instead. His knee jerks in violence. He sets up an ambush, so that Abimelech, who is on his "side" can defeat Gaal, the "enemy". Remember, these people are all from the same community.

Isn't Zebul the governor of the city, a key leader for moving the people forward?

In the end, because of his reactive behavior, thousands die, Gaal is expelled from Shechem, and Abimelech's skull is crushed by a millstone dropped by a woman in self-defense.

That didn't go so well.

We find out in the end that God is actually the avenger here, paying back Abimelech and all the men of Shechem for the evil they had done.

How could this have turned out differently?

As each of us discovers who we are and together we do the same for this community we call Faith, I would love to have everyone who is in Scripture daily attend our mission area assembly. We will be speed dating with the Bible and discovering who we are as a synod. The event is Sat, Mar 5th, from 9 am-4 pm in Woburn, just north of Boston. Let me know if you can come. So far, it's Jordan, Bill & Laura, Kaity, and me.

The more people who attend, the more likely we'll be able to take this process back to Faith and figure out our purpose, guiding principles, and strategic directions. As I understand more and more about family systems, I can be a non-anxious leader who doesn't flare up in anger like Zebul did. I would like to surround myself with other leaders who can do the same, keeping us focused on the mission we are on the brink of discovering.

Jordan - Judges 8

How many times must God prove himself to the Israelites and forgive them for forgetting about Him?  Seven times?  Or is it seven times seventy? 

"No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals." (v 33).

Then again, how many second chances has God given me?

God rules!

Gideon said, "I most certainly will not rule over you. God will reign over you."

I have said this before and I will say it again (and again), "I am not the head of Faith Lutheran Church...Jesus is."

"You are the body of Christ and individually members of it." I will play my part as pastor, but will not dominate your part.

Let's build the kingdom together!

The LORD said to Gideon,

How times, especially in the old testaments, do we read accounts that the Lord spoke directly and openly. In this chapter of Judges we see four places where the Lord speaks to Gideon and clearly directs his actions and shapes his army to do his will in a way that will leave no doubt who delivered victory to them.

Today, can we hear God's voice with our own ears; see God's work with our own eyes?

I think that if we look and listen closely and carefully, we can hear his voice and see his hand in everything around us. Run your hand over the carefully shaped molding surrounding one of the windows inside the church. It was placed there by a skilled woodworking artisan long ago who worked at the direction and will of people driven to build a temple to honor and worship God. God spoke to them in their time and directed their actions to hire that artisan to make a place where his people could gather and glorify his name. It was not recorded that God spoke to the people who built the church on the rock in Quincy, Massachusetts but if you allow yourself to see his hand, you will hear his voice.

Be who you are

Gideon said to God, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." God said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man."

I am the pastor of Faith Lutheran Church. I am the leader of this congregation. I am humbled by this fact. I bring certain gifts to the table. I will be who I am.

God said to Gideon: "Everyone who laps with his tongue, the way a dog laps, set on one side. And everyone who kneels to drink, drinking with his face to the water, set to the other side." Three hundred lapped with their tongues from their cupped hands. All the rest knelt to drink.

God said to Gideon: "I'll use the three hundred men who lapped at the stream to save you and give Midian into your hands. All the rest may go home."

We have 311 members at Faith. 250 of us are Confirmed teens and adults. You are being set free today to be who you are. If you serve on one of our ten teams, as a team you will define who you are. No more top down definition. I will be in the trenches with you.

Be who you are. See what you have. Do what matters.

Mark - Judges 7

Gideon's army is reduced to three hundred to fight against legions of men and yet God does all the heavy lifting. They trusted in God and defeated overwhelming odds. How is this possible? Through God all things are possible. The most crucial part for me is to show up with an openness
to follow His direction.

Jordan - Judges 6

Gideon is quite the little character.  He talks to God as if God were a magician.  Show me a sign!  Now, show me another one because the first might have been a fluke! 

How often are cookie crumbs that God has placed in my path so obvious and yet, I want to see a huge road sign pointing me in that direction?

Laying out my fleece

I can relate to Gideon.

"The angel of God appeared to him and said, 'God is with you, O mighty warrior!' He replied, 'With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, 'Didn't God deliver us from Egypt?' The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian.' But God faced him directly: 'Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?' Gideon said to him, 'Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter.' God said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me."

I will go in the strength that God has given me.

God did send me here.

God will be with me. I believe with all my heart.

Jordan - Judges 5

"The river Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon. March on, my soul; be strong."  (v 21)

This verse captivated me.  I've gotten that feeling of my soul marching before.  Sometimes it is when I am writing, sometimes it is while I am singing and other times it is when I am in the midst of a great conversation about God or the church.  That zone where your brain is clear and the words come to you effortlessly. 

The Holy Spirit is powerful and subtle.  Moving like an age-old river, it washes over us and carries us in its current to the steady rythmn of God.  What a blessing it is to feel your soul march on.  March on, my soul; be strong! 

Lift your hearts

"We lift them to the Lord."

We say this in church all of the time. This verse reminded me of what we're actually saying: "Lift your hearts high, O Israel, with abandon, volunteering yourselves with the people—bless God!"

We are all in on this God thing, this kingdom movement. Please continue to share who you are with the body of Christ in this place for the sake of the world. Let's give God all the glory.

Jordan - Judges 4

What an awesome chapter with two strong women changing the course of history.  Deborah and Jael get very little recognition, but here Deborah is the leader of the Isrealites and Jael is a weapon in God's army.  What I find nea is that not only are these women leaders, but they are violent which isn't a trait of many Biblical women.

Girl power!

Deborah and Jael step up today to defeat Sisera and his entire army. For God to use women so powerfully in that time was pretty unheard of.

I ate salt with our kids and many of our members yesterday. Not only do we have a stake in each other's lives and God's world around us, everyone has a ministry.

Dyan and I are finalizing our membership numbers for the 2010 synod report. We have 311 members, 250 of which are confirmed.

124 (almost half) of our members know and/or use their gifts in service to the church (and hopefully the world).

78 (63%) of them are women. We need to lift up examples like Esther, Ruth, Mary, Lydia, Deborah, and Jael. Where would our church (and the unfolding kingdom in the world) be without women?

Without the faith my mother passed on to me, I can guarantee I wouldn't be a pastor.

Judges

I completely agree with Mark. My thoughts are these exactly as I read all through Exodux also. Time and again God performed miracles for the Israelites and yet they still faltered. To us these days this seems crazy. Would we, if faced with the same situation, react similarily? It is a question I ponder frequently.

I also feel as Mark does, walking with God and following his lead is a very difficult thing to do. Our busy lives get in the way and we get caught up in the reality of our day to day activities not always remembering or even thinking about God. I feel that it needs to be a conscious effort to keep God in my life, praying daily for his guidance and help along the way. Some days are easier than others but I do feel his presence. Thank you God for all you do in my life and for all the blessings you give me.

Mark - Judges 3

This cycle of straying from the true God to worship idols is crazy. I've always believed the definition of insanity is doing the same act over and over again with the expectation of a different result. Why are these hard headed Israelites not able to get it? Worship the one true God and you are protected. They cry out to the Lord when once again the persecution comes and He saves them. My stubborness bordered on the insanity for a time but although I strayed God always was there for me. Thinking back I know that God's love for me was and is constant. My life and all I have is a gift from God. Today I still struggle at times with giving all the glory to God for what I have in my life and fall back into other patterns. This is being flawed and human. Praise the Lord for always being there and giving me opportunities to serve and worship.

Passing on faith

Youth ministry and outreach aren't just nice things for a church to have. They are essential. The next generation needs to know that God is with us, for our good, for the sake of the world.

"Joshua son of Nun, the servant of God, died. He was 110 years old. They buried him. Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel."

We've heard this story before. From the first chapter of the book we finished on Thursday, "Joseph died, and all his brothers—that whole generation. A new king came to power in Egypt who didn't know Joseph."

Why would you not pass this story on? This story of our king named Immanuel. A king who sends judges, leaders, prophets, even other kings with the message of his love for us.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Wanna talk about a love story? Just open your Bible. See you at our Doing What Matters Bible Study tomorrow at 9 am.

Jerusalem

Judges was written between 1220-1050 BC. This verse captured me today, "The people of Judah attacked and captured Jerusalem, subduing the city by sword and then sending it up in flames."

The pain they caused to the people of that great city would boomerang on them in the centuries to come, once it was their territory. The temple in Jerusalem, according to Wikipedia, refers to one of a series of structures located on the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem. Historically, it functioned as the center of ancient Jewish worship.

The First Temple was built in 957 BC by King Solomon. As the sole place of Jewish sacrifice, the Temple replaced the portable sanctuary constructed in the Sinai Desert under the auspices of Moses (sound familiar?). It was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC when they sacked the city.

Construction of the Second Temple began in 538 BC, and it was dedicated 23 years later, in 515. According to the Book of Ezra, rebuilding of the Temple was authorized by Cyrus the Great and ratified by Darius the Great. It suffered desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 BC, but was rededicated under Judas Maccabaeus in 164 BC. Over a century later in around 20 BC, the building was renovated by Herod the Great and became known as Herod's Temple. During the Roman occupation of Judea, the Temple remained under control of the Jewish people. It was later destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD during the Siege of Jerusalem.

It is believed that only part of the Western Wall of the complex remains standing. During the last revolt of the Jews against the Romans in 132–135 AD, Simon bar Kokhba and Rabbi Akiva wanted to rebuild the Temple, but bar Kokhba's revolt failed and the Jews were banned from Jerusalem by the Roman Empire. The emperor Julian failed to have the Temple rebuilt in 363 AD.

After the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem in the 7th century, Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan ordered the construction of an Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock on the site of the Temple. The shrine has stood on the mount since 691 AD.

I guess what goes around comes around. Does anyone ever really win a game of king of the hill?

Just as God had commanded

7 times in the waning verses of this 2nd book of the law, Moses, Aaron, and/or the priests do something "just as God had commanded".

Jesus' command to love God and your neighbor keeps coming up in my life. Am I doing just what God commands?

We move from here to one of the history books: Judges...
followed by some wisdom literature: Job...
and wrapping up with a prophet: Isaiah.

It makes sense to continue through the Bible during Pentecost with the Gospel of John, then one of Paul's letters (Romans or 1-2 Corinthians), another set of letters (Peter or John), and finally Revelation.

Thanks for being on the journey with us!

Holy to God

"They made the plate, the sacred crown, of pure gold and engraved on it as on a seal: 'Holy to God.'"

That's not just written on Moses' or Aaron's forehead. It's written on yours.

Holy does not mean "too good for everyone else". It means "set apart for a special purpose".

Like we are to keep the Sabbath holy, set apart for worship and rest, we are are to be holy, set apart to love and serve the Lord.

Go in peace.

Jordan - Exodus 38

I wonder if there ever was or ever will be a greater mobile sanctuary as what was created by the Israelites in the desert.

Are there any good artist renditions of what this stuff looked like?

13,000 pounds!

Before I begin, if you haven't seen Will Smith's movie 7 pounds, get it on Netflix. It really fleshes out what it means to be a giver.

So I'm trying to picture this. 603,550 men and their families setting up tents, wandering through the wilderness. Now they are camped at the base of Mount Sinai. Moses has gotten the commendments and they are building a church essentially to house the testimony Moses got from God.

They have freely given almost 13,000 pounds of gold, silver, and bronze that they've just been carrying around since they left Egypt. Wow!

It is emphasized over an over again that it was freely given. If you were able to attend our annual meeting on Sunday, you were probably astonished by the number of people who stepped up to serve. Thank you to all who did.

We are on a roll. We are shifting to an abundance mindset. The economy is improving. The church is calming down. In no time, we'll be running on all cylinders.

God's people in Exodus can be an example to us of how we can work together to accomplish his will.