Detestable Things...

I will begin today's entry with a confession. When I was very young, I was intrigued by dark things--one dark thing especially, a television show called "Dark Shadows". It was a Gothic soap opera that debuted in 1966 (when I was seven years old) and introduced the vampire Barnabas Collins and his werewolf friends, along with a cast of various other zombie-like cohorts who existed in a world that was very bizarre and very dead. I can first recall watching the show when I was about ten years old, so it had probably gotten progressively more convoluted by the time I discovered it, but the notion that there might be parallel universes and invisible dead people roaming around really captured my imagination.

I know that my mother will cringe when she reads this because I'm confident that any reminder that she allowed my sisters and me to watch the show will mortify her. In her defense, at the time it was all just considered a harmless form of entertainment not unlike a silly ghost story you'd tell around a camp fire, and up until those years, it had not been necessary to critically scrutinize the things that aired on television because every show was generally wholesome. Oh how times change, but I digress.

Often in my early years, I found myself daydreaming about things that I later learned were occult. For one of my birthdays as a preteen, a relative gave me a copy of a book called "Linda Goodman's Sun Signs" and I read it from cover to cover. It was a "how to" book for do it yourself astrologers. Later, someone put a copy of a book on well-known New Age/Reincarnation guru Edgar Cayce in my hands as a young teenager and I read it with great interest. Looking back on these and other things, I shudder to think of who I might have become if God hadn't relentlessly pursued me, and I will never be able to adequately thank him for what he protected me from becoming.

Deuteronomy chapters 17 through 20 were the passages I read today, another continuation of reminders, warnings and encouragement from Moses to God's children.

Here's a snippet from chapter 18 that really grabbed my attention as I read:

9 “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. 10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the Lord your God. 14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.”

These warnings from God were very specific and very necessary--there was (and is)another realm--and it is a dark one. It is the place where deception reigns, depravity rules and the devil roams...not the place for any believer and follower of Christ to dabble--ever--at all.

I've had Christian friends who consult their horoscopes daily and blithely dismiss it as no big deal. But it is a big deal. Right here, in the earliest writings about such things, God warns his children that this is destestable to him.

So, what's the message for us? Just stay away from anything that seems remotely occult, potentially New Age, or witch-craft oriented. Those things are NOT of God and are prohibited if we call ourselves Christian.

Tonight, our Pastor hosted a spiritual question/answer time at church. One question that I found striking was something like this: "I want to become a Christian, but I'm really bothered by all the black and white of the religion." In other words, the person was concerned that Christianity narrowly defines things as right and wrong and excludes other possible pathways to salvation.

I love my Pastor's answer. "Would you prefer a God who is confused?" It's that simple really. God is not confused. He knows all things, is unfathomably merciful, and yet very serious about holiness. He is quite aware of the existence of "the dark side" and he wants his children to understand that we are to stay far, far away from even the slightest hint of association with things that he detests.

Thank you Father for relentlessly pursuing me, for lavishly loving me, for fully forgiving me, and for redeeming and rescuing me from evil. Please keep me from evil and keep my loved ones from evil forevermore. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Free Indeed!

Deuteronomy 15 and 16 are filled with additional reminders from God that his children need to preserve traditions and remember where they've come from and to whom they belong.

I believe these chapters reveal that God wants his people to participate in celebrations and observances of his work in our lives and histories. I think specifically about his New Testament admonition to observe what we call The Lord's Supper or Communion. The breaking of bread and drinking of wine in sacred remembrance of the body and blood of Christ that were sacrificed for us, is a special privilege afforded to those who have received God's gift of salvation.

As The Lord reminded his children to recall their captivity in Egypt when they came into the Promised Land, our celebration of Communion is a reminder to us that when Christ's body was broken and his blood was shed, we were released from captivity to sin.

Tonight, I pray that God will be pleased with my daily "remembering" of all that he's done for me as I pause to reflect, pray, and praise Him. I also hope that every opportunity for the celebration of Communion will bring him glory and honor and the awareness that I am so grateful to be free indeed.

Choosing this day...

As promised yesterday, there are many potential nuggets to mine in Deuteronomy 11 through 14. Moses continued in these chapters to direct and instruct God's children, warning them repeatedly that they were not to have any other god's or idols and were to destroy all idolatrous implements as they went into the promised land.

In chapter 11, this pronouncement is made:

26 “Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse! 27 You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today. 28 But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.

At this time in history, God's children lived in covenant relationship with him in a different way than we do today. The "old" covenant was rule and law based and required them to make a choice that would result in whether they were blessed or cursed.

When Jesus died, taking upon himself the punishment that we deserve for our sins, he abolished the old covenant and ushered in the new covenant era that we enjoy today if we have confessed Him as Lord of our lives.

We do not have to keep the law perfectly, He did that for us. We do not have to fear the curse of eternal separation from God, instead, we are the beneficiaries of His grace and blessing. I am reminded of Paul's words to the Galatians who had been deceived though, because like them, we are not immune to the potentially deceptive tactics of the enemy --here are his words from chapter 3:

1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?

Skipping down a few verses, he continues:

13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

How fortunate we are that through faith in Jesus Christ, we have received the greatest blessing of God, forgiveness and fellowship through the One who took upon Himself our curse. And although it is true that we do not have to keep the law to the letter in order to experience God's gracious salvation, Paul warns that it is a serious mistake to take His grace for granted. Scripture teaches that we are to strive for Christ-like perfection, all the while remembering that our salvation is not up to us or our best efforts. The good that we do and the obedience that we demonstrate is instead simply a result of our love for The Lord.

Thank you Father that you made a way for me to receive your blessing when Jesus took my sins upon himself. I recognize that this is your most generous gift and ask that you forgive me for taking your great mercy for granted. I choose this day to praise you for your blessing and I am so grateful that you graciously extend the offer to all who will believe by faith that there is salvation in Jesus alone.

Thirty-two Februaries

For the first time since beginning this daily adventure through scripture, I will not be writing about the passage I've read today. Instead, I want to tell you about the man you call Pop. Tomorrow, we'll continue to mine for nuggets from Deuteronomy, but today I am going to share with you about your grandfather.

Thirty-two years ago, on February 25, 1977, your Pop invited me to go on a date with him after school. It was a gloriously beautiful spring-like afternoon and he wanted to take me to what was then called the Southern Living Show at the local Merchandise Mart. He'd helped landscape a display there and was eager to show me the project.

We were seniors in high school and had been in a Psychology class together since the beginning of the school year, but one night in November at a football game, Pop (George) playfully predicted to me that we would be dating before the school year ended.

I thought little of his prediction until Saturday, February 19th. That was the night your grandfather crashed the cast party I was hosting after our school's spring play, "Our Town". I'm told that he'd brought a date to the play, taken her home, and then made his way to my house just as the party was about to wrap up. That night, Pop asked me to go with him to the Southern Living Show the following Friday, and I accepted his invitation.

One thing I'll mention here is that we both had after school jobs. I worked at a department store uptown, Montaldos, in the display department. Pop worked at one of the local skating rinks. I had that Friday afternoon off, but Pop was supposed to go to work that evening, so our "date" was only going to involve a couple of hours at the show.

When we were almost at merchandise mart, one of the tires on Pop's Mustang went flat. He managed to pull the car into the nearest parking lot and proceeded to change the tire. As he fought with the ancient-styled jack, I felt sorry for him, and also pretty helpless and useless, but I was impressed by the way he took it all in stride and didn't seem fazed in the least by the inconvenience.

After dusting himself off, we went into the mart. Remember, these were the days before cell phones, and Pop told me that he needed to call his mom. I stood nearby as he dialed his house from the rotary pay telephone and listened to a one-sided conversation, imagining what was being said on the other end. Here's my best guess:

George/Pop: Hey mom, I need you to do me a favor...

Mrs. Broome: Okay, what?

George/Pop: Call work and tell them I'm going to be a little late, I had a flat tire this afternoon.

Mrs. Broome: Where are you?

George/Pop: At the Southern Living Show with the girl I'm going to marry.

Seriously. That is what he said. At that moment, I thought he was the most audacious, crazy, funny person I had ever met.

The rest of our "date" that afternoon confirmed that Pop was very different from any other person I'd known. When he showed me the flowers and shrubs he'd planted in the exhibit, he knew the botanical names of each one, and when we walked the aisles looking at other displays, the things that drew his attention spoke volumes about this young man who had just announced his intention to make me his wife.

Of all the unique qualities that stood out to me however, none was more remarkable than his faith. At eighteen, Pop (George) had the deepest, most sincere commitment to Christ of any person I'd ever met, exactly the kind of man I knew I would be very fortunate to marry.

As our relationship evolved, I started praying. Not that God would grant me the desire of my heart and that I would indeed become George's wife, but that if there was any reason at all that we weren't God's will for each other, He would reveal it to one or both of us. I confess to you that it was one of the most difficult prayers I've ever prayed. We had encountered a few rough spots that every couple eventually faces as two personalities attempt to determine if they are compatible, but despite that, I was in love with him.

I'd read in the Bible in Jeremiah 17:9 that the heart is deceitfully wicked above all things. Popular songs, movies and books encouraged me to follow my heart, but those messages contradicted God's Word, so their advice, although appealing, could not be trusted. Somehow, I knew that it would be spiritually suicidal not to ask that God reveal HIS plan in such an important matter, and that I had to be genuinely willing to walk away if He said no.

Thirty-two years later, I celebrate that God said yes. I have learned that He can be trusted, that He delights in giving good gifts to His children, and that He only says no when there is a very good reason--even if it isn't initially clear.

Through the years my love for George (Pop) has grown exponentially as I've seen God's work in his life, my life, and in our marriage. I am eternally grateful that God allowed us to be together and that he blessed us with beautiful children who have blessed us with you. There are few things more amazing than a marriage that is built on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. Scripture puts it this way in Ecclesiastes 4 verse 12: ...A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

My prayer for you is that if God wills for you to marry some day, you will be as fortunate as I have been to be loved by and married to someone whose love for you is exceeded only by their love for Christ, and that all your days on earth together will be blessed.

Thank you Father, for thirty-two Februaries with the best man I know. I am unworthy and haven't the words to properly thank you.

This is our air...

In chapters 8 through 10 of Deuteronomy, Moses continues to challenge God's people before their move into the promised land. All these years later, his words are every bit as timely and important as when originally spoken, and I cannot skip this opportunity to allow God's Word to speak for itself.

From chapter 8:

2 Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. 3 Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. 5 Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.

According to verse 2, God used the wilderness experience to humble his children, to test them and to determine if they'd be obedient.

I'm reminded here of Proverbs 16:18 which reads: Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.

In truth, only humble people are teachable, the prideful and arrogant think they have nothing to learn. It seems that the best recipe for a fall might just be prideful resistance to God's wisdom. For Moses' audience, it was physical hunger that resulted in acknowledgement of their total dependence on God. It's important to remember that genuine humility might prevent difficult times of testing in our lives.

I hope that unlike God's children who had to roam the wilderness for forty years in order to grasp that their very survival depended on God's grace, we realize without a wilderness experience that it is in Him and His Word that we live and move and have our being.

Charles Spurgeon has expounded on the idea that we are to live by God's Word, noting that we aren't to be led by feelings or emotions. "You have never received spiritual life by your own feelings. It was when you believed God's Word that you lived; and you will never get an increase of spiritual life, and grow in grace, by your own feelings or your own doings. It must still be by your believing the promises and feeding on the Word."

Maybe the thing to remember about all this in addition to the priority of believing and knowing God's Word is to remember that God recognizes false humility. He doesn't listen to what we say if it doesn't match what he knows to be in our hearts.

My prayer, my hope is that God doesn't need to test me or humble me, and that I will always be teachable. Father, forgive me for ever thinking that I can do anything that matters apart from your grace. I hunger to know your Word, and I recognize that my existence depends on it more than the very air I breathe.

Carpe Diem!

Hear the words of Deuteronomy 6: 4 through 9

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. 5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Moses issued a challenge to God's people in the sixth and seventh chapters of this compelling book that bears repeating today. There is One God. He alone is Lord. We must love Him with all our hearts and commit ourselves fully to him.

There were probably a few times when my children grew weary of my frequent reminders of God's Word with respect to whatever circumstance or situation we were facing--but this passage is clear--parents are to repeat and talk about these things whether coming or going, staying or leaving. And although I do have some regrets related to my role as their mother, grabbing every available opportunity to teach them about scripture is not one of them. God is faithful. He has answered my prayers for my family and proven that His Word never returns void.

If you asked Leslie or David today, they'd likely recall that almost every time we were in the car there were conversations about spiritual things related to how God expects us to conduct ourselves in this world. As parents, we worked to instill in them appreciation for the privilege of having access to God's Word, and we also stressed the importance of attending church because we consider that to be a vital aspect of our relationship with and worship of our Lord.

Things were often too busy for us when they were young, but now more than ever this world's hectic pace can easily swallow up every devoted parent's best intentions, and before you know it, another day is done. This reminder from Deuteronomy to seize every chance to challenge and encourage and savor the sweetness of God's Word is as urgent today as it was when the children of Israel were about to cross the Jordan River to enter their promised land.

There are many scriptural promises attached to Godly obedience and reverence--so this morning, I pledge anew to seize the day's opportunities to demonstrate my wholehearted devotion to him alone.

Idol Eyes...

In today's reading from Deuteronomy chapters 3 through 5, Moses confessed having asked the Lord to let him cross into the promised land. Again, God reminded him that because he'd been disobedient, he would not be allowed to go there, but he did allow him to climb a mountain to see it all from a distance.

These passages made me wonder how many times I haven't experienced God's best blessing because I've wandered from the path of complete obedience to his will. My precious children, I pray that you never have to ask yourselves this question and that your hearts will be steadfastly intent on always following him with love and devotion.

Through Moses, God reminded his children that he is a jealous God and that they were never to make images or have idols as objects of their worship. Once already, this has been the subject I've written about while reading through scripture, but in these chapters God instructed Moses to remind the people that he absolutely would not tolerate their worship of any other object or idol.

As I write this, the Academy Awards are on television. I am not tuned in to the show, but in years past I have watched to see which celebrities would be honored with awards. Many of the cable channels have Red Carpet reporters who are there to oogle over the gowns and ahh over the stars and grab interviews with the actors before the big telecast.

Tonight, it occurred to me as I scrolled past one of those shows that this in some ways reflects our misplaced values regarding what is genuinely worthy of reward and admiration. Worse even than that, though, is this question--could there be actual celebrity worship going on here? And if so, what does God think about it?

Oscar winners are not celebrated and admired because of any amazing contribution to the betterment of society if you compare their work to, say, that of a cancer researcher or even a life-saving fire-fighter. Instead, they are adored because of their good looks and ability to successfully role play.

Make no mistake, I love the arts and I totally appreciate exceptional film, but I think we may be dangerously close to idolizing some of the people who play roles in Hollywood, and often times we even ignore the blatantly ungodly story lines and characters that these individuals portray.

Deuteronomy 4 verse 39 speaks of God's reminder to his children then-- and I believe for all time:

“So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other. 40 If you obey all the decrees and commands I am giving you today, all will be well with you and your children. I am giving you these instructions so you will enjoy a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”

Maybe the detour we've taken as a people from remembering his decrees and honoring him in all our ways reveals much about why it is not always well for us and our children.

Father, help me have no affection for the things of this world in comparison to my wholehearted devotion and love for you. You and you alone are worthy of worship. In Jesus' Name.

Loving Father...

Beginning today, Deuteronomy is the book of the Bible that this historical adventure leads me to study. Chapters 1 and 2 cover Moses' retelling of all that had happened since the children of Israel left Egypt heading toward the promised land.

My heart breaks a little for Moses as I begin to read this book because as he stands before his people to encourage and instruct them, he knows that he is saying his final good-byes, and also that he will not step foot in the promised land.

Moses used this opportunity to present the "Second Law" (which is what the word Deuteronomy actually means) to his people, because the first time he'd delivered the law was at Mount Sinai, and everyone present for this re-telling was only a child then if they were alive at all.

For several years now, five to be exact, my own father has reminded me fairly often that he has "outlived his warranty," having anticipated for whatever reason that he wouldn't make it past the age of 72. I am so grateful to God that daddy has made it to 77, and I hope there are many more vibrant years ahead for him, but since his "warranty expired," my dad has taken almost every available opportunity to remind me of his love for me and for my family, and of his pride in us. He has also expressed some random regrets about things he wishes he had done differently, but these things are non-issues that aren't worthy of mention because of the tremendous out-weighing of the very good over the things he considers to be not so good.

Thinking about these conversations with my dad and reading through these accounts of Moses' final challenge to his children makes me give serious consideration to what I would want to say and how I hope I would feel if I knew I was sharing my last message with my loved ones. But even more than that, this scene from history makes me keenly aware of the significance of each day and the urgency of every opportunity.

I love Moses' reminder to God's children from chapter 1, verses 30-31:

The Lord your God is going ahead of you. He will fight for you, just as you saw him do in Egypt. 31 And you saw how the Lord your God cared for you all along the way as you traveled through the wilderness, just as a father cares for his child. Now he has brought you to this place.’

What precious promises to leave with his people.

And that's really what it all boils down to, isn't it? Knowing that God is always going ahead of us, that he fights for us, and that he cares for us whether we are in the middle of the wilderness or in the center of the promised land--just as a loving father cares for his child.

I know of few people who are more blessed than I have been to have an earthly father who desires to be a model of the Heavenly Father's love to his children. The knowledge that my Heavenly Father cares for me and loves me even more than my daddy is an amazing thing. So, papa, be encouraged--there is nothing you've missed in the way of demonstrating, proving, and assuring me of your love. I know that your heart's desire is to paint a portrait of Him and His love--and in the grand scheme of life, that's what matters most. Thank you father. And, thank YOU Father. Amen.

"...But that's all right as long as I can have one wish I pray.
When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say.
She's got her Father's eyes, her Father's eyes
Eyes that find the good in things, When good is not around.
Eyes that find the source of help, When help just can't be found.
Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain.
Knowin' what you're going through, and feeling it the same.
Just like my Father's eyes..."Amy Grant

about murder He wrote...

The final verses of Numbers, chapters 33 through 36, lead us to reflect on the wilderness journey and all that it involved just before God begins to instruct his children regarding how to divide the land of Canaan between the tribes. In the 35th chapter, God explains where the Levites will live and then establishes something called cities of refuge for people who accidentally kill another person.

Reading through these verses, several things become clear. To begin with, God acknowledged that the potential for accidental killing existed, and that the accused would be in grave danger once the surviving family members became aware of the victim's death. As a result, he required them to have six safe cities so that there was always one nearby regardless of where the accident happened. Interestingly, these cities were not just for the Israelites, but God specified that they were also for any foreigners living among them, and for any traveling merchant.

After clarifying the purpose of the cities of refuge, God explained the difference between killing and murder. Basically, all murder is killing, but not all killing is murder--and the penalty for each was different. Additionally, the accused could not be convicted of murder based on the testimony of just one witness.

It seems that based on Genesis 9 verse 6 (If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.) each family had a designated "avenger" who was responsible for executing the death penalty against their family member's murderer. But if a killing happened accidentally, the city of refuge would serve as a safe haven.

God then explained to his people exactly how they could determine whether an actual murder had taken place so that innocent people would not receive the death penalty in the event of an unfortunate accident. It's important to note that the only place the killer could be completely safe from the "avenger of blood" was within the city of refuge. The killing, even if it was a tragic accident, profoundly affected the one who was responsible for the death because he had to leave his family, his friends, and his town and remain in the safe haven, or else he was no longer considered protected.

Last night, my heart broke as I watched the evening news and saw the mother of a local teenager who was murdered two years ago express her grief that his killer had not been found or brought to justice. She said that although losing her son had been devastating, the grief she felt that there was still no one to punish was almost too much to bear.

At a party, in a room filled with other teenagers, someone shot this young man in cold blood. Twenty-four months later, not one of those at the party has talked. No one has confessed. The murder was senseless, violent, and abhorent, yet someone who did this still walks our city streets as a free person.

Verses 30 through 35 of Numbers 35 explain what God mandated regarding murderers: 30 “All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 31 Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death. 32 And never accept a ransom payment from someone who has fled to a city of refuge, allowing a slayer to return to his property before the death of the high priest. 33 This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder. 34 You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.”

God said it: Murder pollutes the land. It defiles a nation. It destroys lives. Yet in our country today there are those who have forgotten these principles and have failed to acknowledge the pain of the victims in favor instead of the "rights" of the criminal.

The Lord never proposed heartlessly unjust punishment against anyone who might be innocent--but he never discouraged the death penalty for those who have no regard for human life and its value. Scripture is replete with reminders of the tremendous value God places on human life.

Reading these Old Testament books is fascinating. These chapters are filled with pictures of God's redemptive plan that culminated in Jesus Christ's resurrection. Here are a few examples worth noting:

*The city of refuge was to be for everyone, not just the children of Israel. ~ Jesus Christ came to seek and save ALL the lost. (Luke 19:10)

*No one would be turned away from the city of refuge. ~ ALL who call upon the name of Jesus will be saved. (Acts 2:21)

*There was certain death at the hands of the avenger if one did not escape to the city of refuge. ~ In Christ, we escape the penalty of death and find our refuge from permanent punishment. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)

But there is one major difference that I can see between the city of refuge and the refuge offered us in Christ Jesus. The city of refuge was only for the innocent, Jesus gives refuge to the guilty. And oh how thankful I am for the refuge I have in Christ alone.

"Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life's trials are o'er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I'm safe evermore."

No Towel Tossing!

There is one way to ensure personal and spiritual stagnation--hang around with others who are content with status quo and mediocrity. Really. It's more contagious than the common cold.

The children of Israel had been miserable at times during their wilderness journey--so much so, that their griping and grumbling had resulted in some pretty serious consequences. For that reason alone you'd think they'd be ready to do a happy dance as they were finally about to cross over the Jordan River into the promised land.

But chapter 32 of Numbers reveals that two of the tribes, Gad and Reuben, were content to remain east of the Jordan in the land of the Midianites and the Moabites. It had been the dream of God's people to return to the home of their ancestors since Jacob had moved the family to Egypt some 400 years earlier to escape the famine. But now, just as they were about to finally realize their dream, these two groups decided that they'd fought long and hard enough and they'd be just as happy to stay where they were rather than receiving their inheritance in the promised land.

Two things come to my mind when I read this passage. The first is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being content. In this case however, that was not the whole story. They weren't motivated by Godly contentment, they were "done". There were still battles to be fought, and the men of Reuben and Gad were needed if victory was to be ensured. Moses was quick to point out to them that it wasn't right for their brothers to go to war while they just "sat there".

The truth was, God had great plans for them--plans to give them a wonderful inheritance and a permanent homeland. But rather than pressing on to see the culmination of all they'd longed for, fought for, and hoped for, they were now happy to throw in the towel and settle for less.

I've been there before, maybe you have, too. It's tough when you're tired, worn out, and weary. It isn't easy staying the course and pressing on when the journey has lasted longer than anticipated or the way has been tougher than you expected--but it's nearly impossible to stick it out when you are surrounded by other towel tossers.

But God's best comes to those who press on even when the going is tough. His strength really is perfected in our weakness. When I consider that I only have one life, one opportunity, I am much more inclined to make the effort to press on. It's only when I am encouraged by other quitters that I, too, am tempted to quit.

When David was young, he wanted to play every sport, every season. He excelled at baseball but he wanted to play basketball to "stay in shape" for baseball, and he wanted to play soccer because his friends played soccer. We always cautioned him at the beginning of each season that our only requirement was that no matter what, he couldn't quit. If he made a commitment to the team, he had to see it through to the end of the season.

When he was twelve, David was chosen as an All-Star in his baseball league. Not realizing that there would be a conflict, our family's week of vacation coincided with one of the play-off games, and the coach was really upset to learn that we would be away.

On Wednesday, George and David left the beach and drove home so that David could be there for his team, and then drove back to join us for the rest of our vacation, arriving sometime around 3 a.m. I have to confess that I was proud of David for choosing to sacrifice a day at the beach for a day in the car simply because he didn't want to let his team down.

The next morning, I asked David if he'd hit one out of the park for me. He grinned, but said no. Because he was smiling, I asked, "Well, did you hit two out then?". "No," he said, still smiling, "I hit three out of the park.". At first, I thought he was joking, but he showed me his three home run balls and then gave me the play by play of his best game ever, a game that to this day I hate having missed.

In life, we only experience great things when we show up. Sometimes, showing up requires sacrifice. Sometimes, it requires tenacity. Other times, it requires every ounce of every bit of determination we can muster because we just don't feel inclined to get in the game. But there is no promised land for those who give up east of the Jordan. And although our "promised land" isn't a plot of real estate somewhere in the Middle East, it is every bit as precious and just as worthy of our earnest effort to get there without giving up. The inheritance that God has for us is worth it, and I am so thankful that when I feel like I just can't, I know for certain that he can!

Romans 12: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

The Right Fight...

Vengeance: the act of taking revenge.

The temptation to desire revenge for a perceived wrong is as old as time and as enticing as forbidden fruit. It only seems fair after all to retaliate when someone does us wrong, right? Absolutely--if you are inclined to assume the mores of a culture whose messages suggest that it is all about us, that is.

But what does God have to say about vengeance?

Numbers 28 through 30 explain God's expectations related to special offerings, festivals and vows, but a corner is turned in chapter 31 when God directs his children to take revenge against the Midianites for having led them into idolatry.

Often, I have heard well meaning, peace loving people express the opinion that the idea of vengeance doesn't seem consistent with the idea of God being "loving". These verses and other passages of scripture reveal however, that there are situations in which God's vengeance is justified, yet his nature remains consistently loving because his methods are predicated by his will to protect and preserve those who belong to him.

We have already learned that God is a jealous God and that he doesn't wink at idolatry. The Midianites were not simply guilty of introducing idol worship to the children of Israel, they also led them into sexual immorality in the process. In order to bring a halt to these destructive influences, God gave explicit orders through Moses about how they were to execute his vengeance upon these wicked people.

Once the battle ended and the victors returned with their spoils, Moses learned that they'd spared the Midianite women. Verses 15 through 16 record his reaction:

15 “Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded. 16 “These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the Lord at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the Lord’s people."

Keeping the women alive may have seemed harmless at first glance. In truth though, the women were responsible for the dreadful evils that had been introduced to the camp and were potentially more of a threat than an entire army of mighty warriors.

Sometimes, just like these people, we miss the things that really could destroy us spiritually because they don't appear all that threatening. We would be wise to remember that these are the times when our enemy is poised to pounce with greatest success.

We cannot be afraid to fight with a vengeance against any enemy--great or small--that has the potential to diminish our will to contend for our faith. It's so important that we pray for God to make us aware of every person, place, or thing that might pose any threat to our Christian walk and witness.

What we then do about those things that threaten our spiritual health is especially important. This notion of taking revenge has nothing to do with plotting evil against another person in a retaliatory manner--in fact, here's what the Bible says about that in Romans 12:

19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

This admonition to avoid taking matters into our own hands against our foes does not mean that God leaves us flailing and faltering helplessly. We can trust that when we ask for help, he will fight for us. Our battles belong to him and he alone is able to justly administer retribution when it is warranted.

Think about it--left to ourselves, the revenge we'd take against our offenders would be completely correlated to unavoidable (even if unintended) prejudice against the one who harmed us. When God imposes justice or invokes a penalty, it is always with the advantage of his supernatural perception and infinite wisdom. More than that, though, it is with great love and abundant desire that ALL who are lost be redeemed.

Only once do I remember coming very close to taking vengeance into my own hands. I am not proud of knowing what I could be capable of considering, and I am extremely grateful to God that my fear of Him and my knowledge of His command that I allow Him to fight my battles prevented me from carrying out my impulses, but I think this warrants confession because that situation was related to one of my children.

As I think back to that time and place, I realize that my anger--my infuriation--could have led me to react in a way that was anything but Christ-like. Ironically, I don't think I've ever been as offended for myself as I have been for my children when they've been wronged...which leads to a possible parallel that has just occurred to me. Maybe the very thing that vengeance seems to contradict in the minds of some people with respect to God's nature (love), is exactly the impetus behind his decision to act. And that, in itself, is proof positive that no conflict exists between the two.

Father, how I thank you for loving me enough to fight my battles, to tear down strong-holds and to show yourself mighty on my behalf. Your love is higher, deeper, greater than anything I can imagine.

"Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky."

Shepherded...

Imagine being spoken to audibly by God, directed to climb a mountain, instructed to take a look as far as your eyes could see, and then being told that because of a previous act of rebellion, you were about to die. What would you do?

As I read Numbers 23 through 27 today, I tried to imagine myself living in the wilderness with the children of Israel. At the end of chapter 27, when God does what I've just described to Moses, I had to ask myself what I would have done. Would I argue my case before God? Surely it might have occurred to Moses to say something in his own defense--maybe something like, "Lord, you know how ridiculous and stubborn these people are and how difficult it's been for me to lead them--can't you cut me a little slack and let me live a while longer--at least until after we cross over into the Promised Land."

His reason for not begging to see the land of milk and honey will have to remain a mystery, but what he requested instead is remarkable to me. Rather than thinking of himself, his thoughts were immediately for his people--those same exasperating folks who had caused him so many headaches and heartaches. He asked God to appoint a leader for them so that they wouldn't be like sheep without a shepherd.

What exactly is a sheep without a shepherd? It is a helpless animal that is always in danger. Moses wanted to know that his people wouldn't be left to fend for themselves, and that God would give them the leadership they needed to continue their journey to the land flowing with milk and honey.

God obliged the request by telling Moses to appoint and anoint Joshua as his replacement leader.

Today, God knows we still need a leader (or shepherd) and without one, we are in constant danger. Scripture tells us that Jesus is our good shepherd, appointed and anointed by God. Here's what Jesus said in John 10:

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

Indeed, a good shepherd leads, feeds, and pleads for his sheep. On the day that God says to us that our time is up, that's exactly what we can count on from Jesus. We don't have to make excuses for our rebellion, plead our cases for ourselves, or beg him to reconsider our fate. Our fate is sealed and our case has been won by our Good Shepherd.

Father, thank you for my Good Shepherd who loves me more than my mind has the capacity to comprehend. Forgive me for failing to appreciate the magnitude of this great blessing and have mercy on me when I stray. Thank you that my sweet Shepherd is always there to lead me, feed me and plead for me. What more could I ask? In His precious Name. Amen.

"Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
much we need thy tender care;
in thy pleasant pastures feed us,
for our use thy folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou hast bought us, thine we are.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou hast bought us, thine we are."

Substance over the symbol...

I'm not sure if I always wanted to be a nurse or not--I believe there may have been a few other ambitions thrown into the mix of my childhood wannabes, but at the age of thirteen I became a candy striper at the hospital and that sealed the deal.

My mom had a friend who worked in the admissions office at Charlotte Memorial (now Carolinas Medical Center) and during the summer between my seventh and eighth grade years of school I got up every morning at six a.m., rode over to Nell's house, and worked the seven to three o'clock shift with her. In those days, candy stripers did not simply deliver flowers. I was allowed to do things that I cannot imagine someone so young doing today.

Once, I was assigned to help in the recovery room and I clearly remember a nurse stationing me at the bedside of an elderly gentleman. She told me to watch his bare chest rise and fall and if I saw him quit breathing for more than fifteen seconds or so, I was to pop his breastbone and tell him to breathe. I did that for about an hour--and to this day I can still picture his curly gray chest hair. He lived. At least until after I left the Recovery Room.

From that day on, everything about helping someone get well fascinated me. The sounds of life-saving machinery, the smell of phenol and alcohol, the squeaks of gurney wheels, even the unpleasant odor of burns or infected wounds--all of these things made me want to be there in the midst of the chaos and curing.

In Numbers 21 and 22, a medical symbol that I first saw on my pediatrician's office wall as a child appears. After a zig zag route around Edom toward Mount Hor, scripture says that the children of Israel began to speak against God and Moses. They were frustrated that they seemed to be going in the opposite direction of their destination and were angry that they'd been led out to the wilderness to die.

Previously, their complaints had been against Moses only, but this time, they didn't hold back, adding accusations against God. As you might guess this didn't please God one bit, so he responded by sending fiery poisonous snakes their way. Many people were bitten and subsequently died, so the Israelites quickly confessed their sin and begged for Moses to pray that God would take away the snakes.

It's interesting to note that rather than just sending the snakes away, God told Moses to make a replica of the snake, attach it to a pole, and tell the people that if bitten they were to look at the bronze snake to be healed.

This "suffering symbol" would serve as a reminder of their sinful murmuring, and I'm confident that the threat of being bitten at any time probably did as well. There is no logical explanation given for God's prescribed method for curing their condition, but if they simply looked at the pole, they lived. If they refused to look they died. 1 Corinthians 1:27 explains that sometimes God's seemingly illogical methods are actually very purposed.

27 God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

Here's what Jesus Christ had to say about this event in John chapter 3:

14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

God is so consistent. Everything he did then, everything he does now, and everything he will do in the future has meaning and purpose. And even though the American Medical Association's old logo that depicted a snake on a pole may not have looked like the cross that many scholars believe the symbol Moses made probably resembled, it is still remarkable to me that all these years later we find that scripture continues to impact our culture.

Life came to the children of Israel if they would only look up at a symbol that God chose to be the source of their healing. Today, if we will "look up" at the Son of Man, Jesus, who suffered in our place when he was lifted up as God's one and only means for our spiritual, eternal healing, we can live.

For some, it seems foolish. To those of us being saved, it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1: 18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

They wondered as they wandered...

Power struggles and jealous hostilities are nothing new. Today, my chronological journey lead me to read Numbers 15-20 and Psalm 90. In these chapters, the children of Israel are still wandering in the wilderness as a result of their lack of faith and fearful hesitancy to trust in God's ability to overcome every obstacle they might encounter.

As the wandering continued, so did the wondering. Was Moses really God's guy? Was his leadership actually God ordained? Eventually, one of the other prominent leaders, Korah, rallied 250 others against Moses, accusing him of pride and exclusionary leadership.

To his eager audience, Korah railed against Moses saying that everyone was holy, and that there was no need for a solitary strong leader. In other words, Mr. Korah wanted his piece of the leadership pie, even if it wasn't God's plan.

It's taken almost fifty years, but I've learned a thing or three about such matters. Sadly, I've seen disputes among Christians, fights in churches and heated arguments between denominations. In almost every case, the source of the problem could usually be traced to a power struggle of some sort. Sometimes, these struggles were legitimate, other times, not so much.

Here's where I've finally landed with regard to such matters, and my great hope for you is that what I've discovered will serve you in your own faith journey.

First, pray frequently and fervently for the leaders under whom you serve. As a dear friend of mine has said, leadership is lonely. Those who lead are accountable to God in a unique way and they surely need our prayer support.

Second, when or if you think there might be questionable leadership issues taking place, seek God's discernment and wisdom with all your heart--and never react or respond unless and until you are 100% certain that God is leading. Then, proceed with extremely prayerful caution, asking God to reveal any possible wrong motives, opinions,or assumptions.

Another wise advisor once told me that there are some hills worth dying on and others that definitely aren't, so don't charge any "hill" without God's crystal clear signal, or the results could be deadly. Korah and his cronies ended up facing a dreadful demise as a result of their misguided criticisms of and challenges to Moses' leadership.

The Bible teaches us to love one another, to be at peace with one another, and to walk in unity so that the world will see that we are actually different.

I am so grateful to know that God forgives our mistakes, that he is slow to anger and great in mercy. If that were not the case, I cannot bear to imagine my fate. So tonight, I will close with these words:

Father, thank you. Thank you for your Word--a living, breathing, incredible reminder of how careful I must be in terms of forming opinions and expressing them, and in terms of seeking out leaders and following them. Thank you for loud warnings and soft whispers. If I live to be 100, there will not be enough time to express my gratefulness for the loving kindness, forgiveness and patience you've shown to me. Amen.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me..."

Facing my Giants...

Numbers 12 through 14 continue the saga of God's children's wilderness shenanigans. As I read, I'm reminded that there is nothing new under the sun--people still complain, doubt, exaggerate, lie, get jealous and fail--just as the Israelites did in the desert.

Chapter 13 records the events surrounding the reports brought back to Israel by the spies who were sent to Canaan to assess the promised land. It was indeed found to be flowing with milk and honey, just as God had said. But rather than excitement, the spies were doubtful that they could successfully enter and occupy the country. As reports grew more negative, one man stepped forward with a different perspective. Verse 30 picks up the story:

30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” 31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Sometimes, I have been like Caleb. My trust in God's ability to do the impossible has been undaunted despite seemingly tremendous odds because I was walking by faith and not by sight. On other occasions, sadly, I've been like those other guys. Fearful. Doubtful. Uncertain. Daunted. Conflicted. Confused. Scared.

What I know about the rest of this story is that the only spies who lived to see the promised land were Caleb and Joshua, the men who had the faith to believe God for the impossible. The others, according to chapter chapter 14 were not so fortunate.

God hasn't changed. Ephesians 3:20-21 puts it like this: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.

In today's passage, just two men had gigantic faith that was undaunted by giant-sized people. They were unfazed by being outnumbered or by the fortified cities of Canaan, because they remembered--trusted--that God was on their side. If we belong to him by faith in Jesus Christ and are following him obediently, he is on our side. So...why do we doubt? Why do we fear? Why do we fail? Because we take our eyes off of our deliverer and limit his infinite ability. He is God. Creator, Redeemer, Protector, Defender, Almighty, Most Holy, God. And in him, all things are possible.

Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Give me the perspective of Caleb and the fearlessness of Joshua. That is my prayer for myself. That is my cry for my loved ones. In Jesus alone. Amen.

"Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful"

Whine and Dine...

Do you know any whiners? We had a rule when our children were little--ask without whining or you won't be heard. When they whined, we ignored--and if the whining persisted, we ignored some more. But they only thought we were ignoring, because in truth, whining is IMPOSSIBLE to ignore. There are few things more annoying in the universe than to be whined at by someone hoping to achieve their purpose by altering their voice to sound pitiful. Whining, like nails on a chalkboard or the sound of a dentist's drill, irritates, frustrates, and aggravates.

Apparently, God felt the same way about whining that I do. Today's scriptures are Numbers 7 through 11. In these chapters, the children of Israel are still journeying in the wilderness. They have been numbered, ordered, blessed, instructed, provided for and set free from captivity--yet in chapter 11 we learn that they just aren't satisfied.

Certainly there were probably aspects of this journey that were difficult, but God was leading them and taking care of their every need--yet for some, it wasn't enough.

The manna that God provided for them to eat was free and plentiful--and apparently it could be prepared into cakes that might have tasted like donuts, yet they grumbled. "Who will give us meat to eat?"

Were they seriously expecting provision to come from any source but God? And doesn't this suggest that they weren't satisfied with what God graciously offered and wanted something more, different, or better? Obviously, yes. Scripture says they actually wept about this "dilemma" they were so distraught.

Interestingly, I don't read anywhere that God prohibited hunting while they were in the wilderness. And if they REALLY wanted some meat, they had herds of their own. But rather than taking a little initiative, they preferred to whine, grumble and complain.

If you read the text, you'll discover that God wasn't any happier to hear the whining than we are when we hear it. In fact, here's what The Lord told Moses to say in chapter 11:

18 “And say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves, for tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were whining, and the Lord heard you when you cried, “Oh, for some meat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will have to eat it. 19 And it won’t be for just a day or two, or for five or ten or even twenty. 20 You will eat it for a whole month until you gag and are sick of it. For you have rejected the Lord, who is here among you, and you have whined to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

In this instance, giving them what they asked for was not a blessing. As a child, I can remember being warned, "be careful what you wish for," and it's the same for me today as a Christian. When I fail to appreciate the good things God gives, longing instead for the cravings of my flesh, I am in serious danger of becoming a whiner who needs a "whooping". If you've never heard that term, it's what my grandmother called a good, old-fashioned spanking. And that's what whiners usually deserve.

For some of the children of Israel, that's all they got--a spanking. Not literally of course, but in the sense that they had to eat quail until they were sick of it. Some of the whiners got far worse, however--they actually died as a result of their gluttonous consumption. The place they were camped was even named after the results of this whine-fest as we see in these verses:

34 So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means “graves of gluttony”) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt.

I am so grateful to God that he has provided these accounts as reminders to us that his provision is always sufficient, his blessings are always superior and his patience is enormous, but not to be taken for granted.

Lord, please forgive me for whining, for ever failing to express sincere appreciation for the blessings and provision you give, and for ever expecting you to provide anything except those things that you know to be best for me. I am eternally and forever grateful. Amen.

"I am blessed, I am blessed
From when I rise up in the morning
Til I lay my head to rest
I feel You near me
You sooth me when I'm weary
Oh Lord, for all the worst and all the best
I am blessed"

Counting Blessings...

Numbers 5 and 6 cover a lot of territory, but I want to jump right to the end where the Lord told Moses to have the priests bless the children of Israel in a very specific manner.

Here is the blessing from Numbers 6: 24-27
24‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
27 Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.”

BLESS: God blesses. There is no other source of blessing, and what's more, he delights in blessing his children. What doesn't occur to us sometimes is that blessings can come in unexpected packages and they can even be unrecognized if we don't have grateful hearts.

PROTECT: The word "protect" is also translated "keep" in other versions and either way, what an amazing thing to know that God wants to pronounce his intention to keep or protect us. A daily prayer of mine is that he will keep me from evil and keep the evil one from me. I pray that same prayer for my loved ones as well, and I have seen God move in ways that are nothing short of miraculous.

SMILE: "Smile" can also be translated "shine," and either way, God's glorious face looking on us with pleasure is an idea that is without question one of the most precious thoughts imaginable. To think that despite all the reasons he has for frowning, he instead smiles in our direction, is amazing. The most important thing to remember about this is that for Christians today, he smiles because when he sees us, he sees his Son in us, and that means we are beautiful sights to him.

GRACIOUS: Knowing that gracious God gives us gracious grace is just about as gratifying as anything can be. And that is good and glorious to know.

FAVOR: If we are favored by God, we are, of all people, most blessed. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and there is nothing impossible for him. To be favored by the one who created the moon, the sun, the stars, and the planets, is unfathomably fabulous.

PEACE: Peace-Shalom--God's word for wholeness. God's promise of goodness. The idea that calm prevails when chaos pours. The peace that passes understanding is the promise that our precious Jesus provides.

The promise at the end of this beautiful benediction is that when it was pronounced, God would bless. And he still does.

Thank you Father that you alone bless me with gracious protection, favor, and the shining glory of your radiant love. And in this chaotic world, I praise you for your peace.

Shining light of His great goodness, favor, blessings I have known
Gracious hope of life eternal, precious peace from God alone.

Numerically speaking...

Ah the book of Numbers. I will begin with a confession--I have a love-hate relationship with numbers. I blame the hate part on seventh grade. They called it "new math" and it made absolutely no sense to me. I hadn't struggled with "old" math in sixth grade, but this new stuff quickly became the bane of my existence. Numbers that had been my friends became my enemies as I struggled to understand concepts that didn't seem rational to me.

And that brings me to one of the first things I want to say about Numbers 1 through 4 in the Bible. Numbers reveals God's insistence on order. As his instructions for the numbering of the children of Israel were carried out, he also positioned them in relationship to the tabernacle--in other words, his presence. And while we might have expected that he would position them by the size of their tribe or possibly by their birth order, that was not the case either--but there was purpose to his method.

Where we get into trouble sometimes is thinking that God should think like we think or do what we would do--and if reading through the Old Testament does nothing else it affirms that God's ways are higher and greater than ours could ever be. A big problem arises for us when we position ourselves in relation to other people rather than in relation to God.

It's tempting to compare ourselves to others because we can usually find less "spiritual" people to be the standard by which we measure ourselves. But God alone is the standard-bearer. Knowing that, it's imperative for Christian's to remember our position in Christ. Here's what Romans 8:17 says about that: And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

We are thrilled to imagine ourselves worthy to share in his glory, but it's a little less appealing to swallow the suffering part. Remembering that our Lord is a God of order is very reassuring. He is not random, he makes no mistakes, his equations are perfect. Listen, if he knows the number of hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30) then I'm certain that even when I don't understand, I can count on God because he loves me so much--and that doesn't require any new math.

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."

Party Time!

Sacred gifts, Sabbath observances, Festivals and Justice. These are just some of the topics that Leviticus chapters 22-27 covers. And while I hope you will read these chapters to get a sense of just how vital these issues are to God, I want to focus on the parties.

Holiness, purity and godly conduct are clearly primary subjects of these and the previous chapters in Leviticus, but I think I'd be missing an opportunity to point out another amazing aspect of God's nature if I didn't mention his establishment of festivals.

Some were solemn, others joyous, but each festival had its own specific purpose. They all involved fellowship, commemoration, establishment of tradition, and observances of God's worthiness in varied ways--and in a sense, they were all a celebration.

In chapter 25, God introduces an awesome new festival to observe called the year of Jubilee. Jubilee would only happen once every fifty years, but it was so incredible it was surely a time that everyone looked forward to. After the ram's horn was blown announcing the arrival of Jubilee, the party started. All debts were cancelled and forgiven! Jubilee was a year of freedom--and it was a precursor of sorts to the freedom we can enjoy every day of every year since Jesus Christ's death cancels the sin debt of every believer.

I hope that as we remember God's call to holiness and purity, we will never forget that he is also a God who ordained celebrations, and we have reason for jubilation every day, not just once every fifty years, because Jesus is our jubilee. It's party time!

"Jubilee, Jubilee
Jesus is our Jubilee
Debts forgiven
Slaves set free
Jesus is our Jubilee" Michael Card

Holy, Holy, Holy!

Chapters 19-21 of Leviticus are not light-hearted bedtime reading. This is not touchy-feely happy talk. Instead, these verses are serious reminders that God has a heart for holiness, a passion for purity, and that one of his priorities is protecting the people he chose to be his own.

Fifteen times in chapter 19, God reminds us that He is Lord. This repeated assertion confirms that he alone has the right to tell his people what to do and how to live--and that is still true today.

This call to holiness is a reminder that we are to be separate. When the word "holy" refers to God, it affirms his "apartness," that he is different from any other. He is above and different from man, and his purity, righteousness, justice and mercy are unparalleled.

These chapters do include many "don't's," but these "thou shall nots" are God's way of saying something like, hey, you people are special, there is no need for you to follow the pagan playbook, you're chosen people who are set apart to live above this world's passing temporal passions and ungodly ways.

As Christian's, we are God's children. We're called to a higher standard than the lost world is willing to assume. In John 15, Jesus puts it this way:
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

God calls us to pursue holiness. Being separate doesn't mean that we stop living in this world, but while we're here, we are to be "in and not of it," which is just another way of saying that just like the children of Israel so many years ago, we are to avoid adopting any practices of our culture that offend or dishonor our Holy God.

Father, thank you for your holiness. Thank you for calling us to separate ourselves from anything our culture accepts that you reject. You are worthy to be honored in this way and we are grateful to be yours.

"Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee, though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see, only thou art holy; there is none beside thee, perfect in power, in love and purity."

Sex outside the city...

Yesterday, I mentioned that we'd camp out in Leviticus 16-18 for two days for the purpose of discussing the subject of sex from God's perspective as recorded in chapter 18.

Before he even delves in to the topic however, God clarifies his reason for broaching the subject. He explains that he is talking to HIS people, and as such, they are not to behave in the manner that the rest of the known world was behaving in with regard to sexual practices and perversions that were apparently pervasive inside the cities that surrounded the wilderness where they were camped.

I find it fascinating that God says in verse 5 that if his children would obey his decrees and regulations, they would find life. He then reiterated that HE is LORD. It's also intriguing that even a quick read through of this chapter reveals that the types of things God renounced still take place all these years later by those who reject these teachings.

What I want to say about the subject is this: doing things God's way still brings life. I cannot count the number of hurting young women I've counseled over the years who thought that a sexual relationship outside of God's boundaries would bring fulfillment or a deeper level of commitment, only to learn that hollow emptiness was the actual result when the relationship ended.

By contrast, those who've committed themselves for a lifetime to their husband or wife establishing a home where God is Lord of every aspect of their marriage are the blessed recipients of the abundant life that Jesus described in John 10:10! The main thing that we need to remember is that God doesn't give us rules in order to take away our fun or ruin our good times. And although the Bible affirms that there is pleasure in sin for a moment, the end result is always broken fellowship with The Lord. Add to that a healthy dose of guilt and shame and sometimes even physical disease, and you have a recipe for anything but the good life God offers.

I'm so grateful to know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to set protective guidelines as a safeguard for my heart. There is no greater passion than that which is born out of purity, and it is only through His love and forgiveness that we are made pure and able to enjoy freedom from the tyranny of temptation to step across the lines he draws.

Thank you Father, that you forgive all my sins, that you establish limits for my protection, and that because of your redeeming work, I can say no to any temporary pleasure in order to say yes to the eternal benefits of unbroken communion with you.

"Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me, bless His Holy Name!"

Bloody Rules

I'll begin today by saying that if you've ever wondered about the origin of the term "scapegoat," you should read Leviticus chapter 16. There, you'll learn that referring to someone who takes all the blame for bad things as a scapegoat, has its origin in scripture.

Chapters 16 through 18 deal with the day of atonement, prohibitions against eating blood, and forbidden sexual practices--and each of these chapters are quite worthy of mention individually.

For that reason, I am going to write about the subject of blood today and sex tomorrow, so stay tuned.

In my lifetime, I've heard criticisms of the Bible and specifically the Old Testament and sometimes even God because of the bloody sacrifices that were prescribed as atonement for sin. These chapters give us a glimpse into the why's and what for's of God's means and methods, and they are revelatory as these practices are the forerunner of God's ultimate plan for the salvation of mankind in the death of Jesus Christ.

As the Israelite's journey in the wilderness continued, God instituted these Levitical laws for several reasons. In Egypt where they had lived, many pagan, ungodly practices were common--and they had been very influenced by what they'd seen. In Canaan, where they were going, wicked religious practices were accepted as normal. God communicated clearly his prohibition against such evils, knowing that because of where they'd lived and would live, the temptation to follow suit would be in their faces. We discover in chapter 17, that there was another very logical reason for all this talk about bloody rules--blood was the cleansing agent that God prescribed for the atonement (or payment) for sin.

Leviticus 17:
10 “And if any native Israelite or foreigner living among you eats or drinks blood in any form, I will turn against that person and cut him off from the community of your people, 11 for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible. 12 That is why I have said to the people of Israel, ‘You must never eat or drink blood—neither you nor the foreigners living among you.’

In Old Testament times, the blood that was shed for the purification of God's people was a temporary band-aid of sorts. They had to continually repeat the process because an animal sacrifice was not a permanent remedy to their sin problem. The "Old Covenant" way allowed the Israelites to be forgiven and to have their fellowship with God restored, but the practice had to be repeated over and over again.

The "New Covenant" replaced the rigid and regulatory rule-following requirements with an open invitation for every person to experience God's forgiveness if they simply acknowledge the tremendous sacrifice that was made for us when Jesus willingly died (shedding his once and for all perfect blood) in our place.

Tonight, I heard this story at church and it bears repeating here because I believe it's an appropriate way to think of exactly what God has done for us.

Imagine this scenario if you will:
While driving your car, you carelessly take your eyes off the road for a few seconds, during which time you hit and kill a precious child. You are charged with vehicular homicide, a crime for which the penalty is death. At your trial, the judge listens to your case not only as the one who will decide your fate, but also as the father of the child you killed. After pronouncing you guilty as charged however, he leaves the bench, removes his robe, approaches and then embraces you and sets you free, offering to serve your sentence (die) in your place.

That, my children, is what God did for you and for me when he allowed Jesus to pay the price for our sins. He did indeed die a bloody death, but his precious life blood is the blood given in exchange for your life that makes your purification possible.

It's such a beautiful thing to see the consistency of the Bible and to understand the amazing redeeming plan that God offers through Jesus. Thank you Father.

"What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again, nothing but the blood of Jesus."

Nothing but the blood...

I have to confess that when I skimmed the headings of each section of Leviticus 14-15, my first reaction was, "ew," followed by "hmm...". What to say about the subjects of cleansing from skin diseases, treatment of contaminated houses, and bodily discharges that will not gross out or offend the weak of stomach is today's challenge.

My first instinct was to google the idiom that instantly came to mind upon reading God's instructions on these various serious issues. You've heard it before, "cleanliness is next to godliness". I got 240,000 results in .24 seconds, so there must be something to it, right?

Apparently, the first time the phrase was recorded occurs in a sermon given by John Wesley, but it is not attributed to him originally, he was simply repeating a phrase that was commonly used and expounding upon it. I didn't read his sermon, but it would be interesting to know what his conclusions about the subject were because from what I saw there are many people who think it is actually a verse of scripture--a cautionary reminder to check, recheck, and then check again when someone claims to be quoting "the Word".

In these chapters, God's directions serve as not only a means of preventing the spread of serious diseases, but also as a potential deterrent to the rampant spread of bacteria and germs. Keep in mind that these people had no microscopes and had never taken a biology course--they didn't have even a basic understanding of the transmission of germs from one source to another, so these guidelines and instructions were useful for their physical protection.

I think I'd be missing one of the very important aspects of these passages, however, if I didn't mention that while some of the regulations dealt with the physical nature of sickness and disease, there are also implications related to the existence of what was considered to be spiritually unclean here as well.

In Mark 7: 1-9, Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees (teachers of the law) because they were emphasizing ceremonial cleanliness to the exclusion of the need for being internally cleaned up. As a result, I think that these particular Levitical laws did involve spiritual, as well as hygienic applications, but they were never intended to be a means for "getting right" with God.

As I've already said, Jesus alone makes us right with God--and in him, we are as cleaned up as it's possible to be. There is no amount of scrubbing, cleansing, or even antibiotic/antiseptic application that we can do to clean ourselves enough to be God-worthy. We have to be washed by the cleansing blood that is the only thing strong enough to wash away the stain of our sin.

"Oh precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus."

Not My Way, But Yours O Lord!

The chapters from Leviticus today (8-13) explain in vivid detail the ceremonies that took place for purification and ordination of the priests, as well as dietary restrictions and rules and other purification procedures. In the midst of the account, a very disconcerting event takes place in chapter 10, and I'd like to camp out there briefly for today's reflection. I will preface this by stating that I am not a Biblical scholar, but I am grateful to those who have written extensively about these scriptures because their insights are invaluable to me as I try to discover how this applies to my life today.

It seems that after Aaron and his sons, Nadab and Abihu, were ordained as priests, the two young men decided they'd burn something other than incense in the burners, ignoring God's careful instructions regarding this holy practice.

The Bible doesn't reveal their motivation, but some have suggested that it was because of pride; others, ambition; another possible reason proposed was jealousy; but I'm inclined to think that possibly it may have been a bit of all of the above combined with a dose of dangerous impatience.

Whatever their motivation, these two guys wanted to establish their own relationships with God in a manner that conflicted with The Lord's terms. What we do know is that their act was unholy and blatantly disobedient, and as a result, this is what happened:

So fire blazed forth from the Lord’s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the Lord. Leviticus 10:2

Does that sound extreme? Unfair? In a world where we "pride" ourselves in being so civilized, so enlightened, so refined, and so humane, to some--it may. But let's think this through from the perspective of our Holy and Righteous God who had gone to great lengths to establish a means for these rebellious people to have a relationship with him.

These two young men had been marked for service and set aside as priests (along with their father, Aaron) through a very formal ceremony that concluded with God's glory being displayed for the entire community to witness. They had witnessed miracles as God had delivered them from Egypt. They had seen the fire, lightning, and smoke, and they had heard the audible voice of God. They had felt the thunder and earthquake at Mount Sinai, and they'd even gone up with Moses and Aaron for a special meeting with God as detailed in Exodus chapter 24.

Nadab and Abihu had enjoyed incredible spiritual privileges and experiences, but that was not enough to keep them right with God. Because they came to him in an unauthorized way, they died--and some have suggested that their deaths may have occurred inside the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle which would suggest another serious transgression of God's guidelines.

So what does this have to do with us in the 2000's? It serves to remind us that we do not come to God on our own terms in our own way. Every way except HIS way leads to our death. His way is a narrow way. It is a not an "all roads lead to heaven," way. It is not a "do good, be good, and think good thoughts and you can earn it," way. He has provided a permanent way for us to be purified, and a once-and-for-all-time way for us to enter the Most Holy Place (the temple veil was torn from top to bottom when Jesus was crucified-Matthew 27:50-51). We cannot make the mistake that Nadab and Abihu made by thinking that it's not really a big deal how we approach Holy God.

My prayer for you is that you realize that it doesn't matter whether or not you agree with God's one and only way--but that you humble yourself in submission regardless of any personal preferences or expectations. There simply are no exceptions because scripture tells us that no one can come to God apart from Christ. Nadab and Abihu are living--I mean dead--proof that God means business and his way is not negotiable.

What a precious blessing to know that it's not up to us to work out a way to get God's grace, that we do not have to negotiate or argue our case, and yet we can still be the recipients of his mercy because of Jesus. How amazing that he desires a relationship with us so much that he would make a way that is so simple even a child could can receive eternal life and see his glory.

Father, just as I am, without one plea, I thank you Jesus for your blood that covers me. And if I come in the way you've planned, I know I'll live forever in your promised land. Amen.

Law and New Order

Today begins a journey through the book of Leviticus. This book can seem daunting at first read through because of the detailed instructions God outlines for the presentation of offerings and sacrifices. Reading through chapters 1 through 7 compels me to thank the Lord that I am not required to follow these regulations to the letter of the law.

In these chapters, we learn that sin requires an offering, a sacrifice. God explained to Moses exactly how to present suitable offerings for whatever offense a person was guilty of committing in the book of Leviticus.

The children of Israel were proficient sinners, and so am I. I am not a mistaker, I am a bonafide theoretically-card-carrying sinner. I have always known that about myself, but about two years ago I realized in a way I never had how deeply my sin offends my holy, righteous God, and how unworthy I am of his forgiveness.

Sin--any sin--breaks God's heart. It also separates the sinner from fellowship with God. Unlike the days when Leviticus was penned however, there is a perfect way for fellowship to be restored and for sin to be forgiven. Jesus Christ, God's Son, lived a sinless life and died in our place, becoming the once-and-for-all sacrifice for the sins of every person who will confess and believe.

Tonight, I thank God with all my heart that he forgives my sins without requiring me to present a blemish-free animal on an altar of sacrifice. How blessed we all are to be able to regain precious fellowship with God through the sacrifice of His perfect Son.

Praise You Father, for Jesus my Savior--the One whose blood covers a multitude of my sins. I love you and I am forever grateful.

Tents and Tabernacles

In chapters 37-40 of Exodus, I'm amazed by the great attention to detail that God prescribed for the building and furnishing of the tabernacle. He didn't just say something like, "Hey Moses, go build a place for me to hang out," he specified with exact instructions what he expected and required.

The word tabernacle means tent, but this wasn't a coleman. This was a sacred sanctuary where God chose to meet his people. When it was complete, chapter 40 explains what happened next:

34 Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. 35 Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
36 Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. 37 But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. 38 The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys.

These people were fortunate enough to visibly see evidence of God's glory and presence and they learned to wait on his lead before they moved. Unless he said go, they stayed still.

Today, God no longer dwells in a man-made tabernacle--he dwells in the hearts and lives of his children in the person of his Son, our Savior. And just as then, he leads those who are willing to wait, willing to follow.

One of the most beautiful people I have ever known is a living example of what it looks like when someone visibly tabernacles with God. Tiffany Pate, mother of two young boys and wife of one great husband, discovered last spring that she had advanced breast cancer that had metastasized to her liver. She has used her trial to bring glory to God, and as she has shared her journey, the lives of even strangers have been touched by her faith. Despite her illness, Tiffany's face glows as one who has been in the presence of God. Here is an excerpt from a letter she sent today:

...Before I even begin, I will have to apologize. I am receiving radiation to the "whole brain" therefore, my head is very "fuzzy" and I am sure there will be a lot of typos. I am going to make this short, sweet and try to express my love as quickly as I can.

Wow! Who knew? Two weeks ago we are celebrating a Disney Cruise with our precious family....and today, whole brain radiation!!! Where do we start? It all seems like whirlwind, really? My last scan, three weeks ago, showed no signs of cancer in my torso area. I am sure you all immediately wondered why they were not more careful to scan every region of my body. The only answer I have to that right now is that this cancer experience has been far from typical since day one. The "typical" route of this cancer would have been throughout my body before heading to my brain. Since everything was clearing up in the body, it seemed very safe to assume we were safe in the head (like that was ever really safe to assume)! So, Dr. Peppercorn, was in no way, remiss with his treatments. My body just doesn't like to be "normal".

So, now we just go from here. I will do 10 days of radiation treatments to destroy and shrink cancer cells in my brain. Then we will go an oral chemo for the brain to keep the cancer at bay in the brain as long as we can. We will also continue an oral chemo to help keep the cancer under control in my body. This is where we are right now. We know nothing more or less. The doctors says he sees people live years or months. There is no "scenario" that I can give you! Frankly, I am happy with that! It seems my scenarios have never gone according to planned anyway!

Now, what I really want to get across with this e-mail is how much I love all of you and appreciate you from the very bottom of my heart! My mindset is amazing and I am filled with the joy of my LORD every single day! I love Him, and my FAITH in Him will NEVER waver! I am more at peace with this diagnosis than I have ever been. I am totally okay with the best case scenario or the worst case scenario because the worst case scenario is of this world...not of my GOD!!! I win either way! It's really an amazing feeling to know the peace that I am experiencing! If the doctor looked at me tomorrow and said, "okay, girl...we are going to hook you up to these pain meds, make this as easy and quick as possible, and help you all get through this"...my response would be...."let's go" My only reason(s) for staying here one more day is to Glorify my God in any way we can! I trust Him to take care of my boys and my husband! I trust Him to take care of my family! We are going to get through this! The big deal is to not finish this race without fulfilling God's purpose for it! So, please, never feel that God has let me down or is "not delivering". My eyes and heart are not focused on the immediate track we are running. My eyes are focused on the puzzle that I cannot see until the last piece is in. Whatever small part I can play in placing that one piece in the right place is all I have to worry about! I want your prayer to be that that will remain our focus and that we won't "miss" anything God has intended for us along the way!
I want to be an open vessel for my God, and the rest will take care of itself. If you have one moment to share His glory, grab it with full force and never take it for granted!
I am probably at my limit now....but, I will be in touch soon!
I love you all and will never know how to thank you for being all that you are in my life!
In Him
Tiffany

I will continue to pray for Tiffany's healing because she inspires me and I want her to be in my life. It is impossible to be in her presence for even a minute without sensing God's presence.

What a privilege that all of his children are invited to "tabernacle" with Almighty God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Lord, help us never get ahead of you or lag behind. Please order our steps and teach us to trust as we watch and wait. Show us your glory and don't let us miss it! And we'd be ever so grateful if you'd completely heal Tiffany so that she can keep giving you glory this side of heaven. In Jesus' Precious, Healing Name, Amen.

Looking Forward...

Exodus 33-36 tells of God's provision of a new copy of his covenant on stone tablets, the observance of the Sabbath, and instructions about the offerings for the tabernacle--all significant, but not the focus of what I want to highlight today.

After reading the chapters, I couldn't stop thinking about the description of Moses' encounter with God. In response to Moses' request, God passed by and showed him his glorious presence. Following that amazing occurence, we read this in Exodus 34:

5 Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. 6 The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,

“Yahweh! The Lord!
The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger
and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
7 I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty...

Tonight, George and I discussed Augustine's City of God briefly as we talked about the two kingdoms that exist--God's and man's. We do indeed live in a fallen world. But all who are Christian are beneficiaries of his compassion and mercy, unfailing love and faithfulness. Through God's NEW covenant, etched not in stone, but in the precious blood of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, he forgives our iniquity, rebellion, and sin. And though we currently live as strangers and aliens in the city of man, we can look forward to that beautiful city of God--our promised land, and the place of his glorious presence--as our inheritance and blessing.

Lord, help us to occupy until you come with faith and faithfulness, love and obedience. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

FANtastic!

At this minute, the Super Bowl is in the 2nd quarter and Pittsburgh is up by 3 over Arizona. I am not much of a football fan, but even as I write those words I am well aware that I am in the minority in that respect. Die hard fans of any person, team, or hobby fascinate me, which brings me to the subject of today's scripture passage, Exodus 32. I didn't want to ignore the events surrounding the creation of the golden calf, so even though Exodus 32 was part of yesterday's assigned passage, it's worth camping out on for a minute or two.

Moses was meeting with God on the mountain for forty days, during which time God was inscribing his law on both sides of stone tablets. At some point, the people started getting restless and apparently forgot all that God had done for them. They approached Aaron saying that they didn't know what had happened to Moses, so they needed something to worship, and Aaron obliged by making them a golden calf to praise.

God had done so much for the children of Israel, but already, they'd forgotten. They wanted something visible, tangible to be the object of their worship, and their behavior was detestable to God. Scripture says that his anger burned against them.

God's first two commandments instructed his children to have no other god and to make no idols. He specifically said they were not to bow to anything or any one except him, and yet here they were just days later, recklessly partying like crazy people as they worshipped a gold cow.

That might seem ridiculous to us today, but about fourteen years ago when I taught a fifth and sixth grade girls Sunday School class, I learned that it's our nature to be very much like that. Leslie was one of the girls in my class, so I had an inside track as far as knowing who all the young ladies admired. That particular year, all the girls had crushes on a young man whose real name was Mark-Paul Gosselaar, better known as his character, Zack, on a popular show called "Saved by the Bell", and on this particular weekend, he was rumored to be in our area.

Our Sunday School lesson that morning was taken from Exodus 32, and it issued a warning against idol worship. I started our class by telling the girls that I had an exciting lesson planned, but that I also might have a surprise for them. I explained that someone they all loved and adored might be stopping by our class to say hi to them. I didn't reveal any identities, but they immediately started trying to guess. Their exuberance became increasingly difficult to contain, so I reemphasized that I couldn't guarantee anything and asked them to try to concentrate on our "exciting" lesson.

I gave them group activities and listened to them giggle and guess, primp and prepare. Not a single group noticed the clues to my scheme that were hidden in their study activity because they were simply too distracted. Randomly, different girls would ask, "Is it so-n-so?", and I'd say no--but don't worry about that right now, just keep working on your lesson. These girls who were usually attentive were simply unable to concentrate. They worked themselves into a frenzy agreeing that it must be their beloved Zack!

When time was up and no special guest had arrived,I told them the guest was Jesus, not Zack, and that he'd been there all morning. I asked them to search their hearts and ask themselves if they'd ever been as excited about their love for the Lord as they were thinking that Mark-Paul Gosselaar might pop in for a visit.

The lesson had implications for me as well as for the girls because it was a reminder to us all that it's easy to ignore our idols. We are fans of people and things, but rarely do we get as super-thrilled about our fabulous God as we do about a super star or the super bowl. I suspect that ten years from tonight, only trivia buffs, gamblers, and the players will even recall who wins this game, yet as I watch I see spectators on each side behaving exactly as sold-out, hard-core fans should. The sad thing is, it's rare to see a Christian equally as excited about Jesus.

God's Word is clear. Here's what he has to say in Exodus 20:
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods...

The Princeton dictionary defines worship as idolizing something or someone. Dear God, show us if we have put anything or any person in a position of higher esteem or importance than you, and may we be first and foremost, your greatest, most exuberant fans.