February 28

Do you think John the Baptist felt abandoned by God as the axe fell?

The list of people in Scripture who were prominent with no mention of being personally flawed is quite short. Noah got drunk as soon as he got off of the ark, Abraham lied about his wife being his sister to save himself and don't forget Hagar, David was an adulterer and murderer...the Apostle Paul mis-judged John Mark...the list keeps going. But where do we find any mention of John the Baptist being a disappointment? I am not suggesting that he was perfect as that rests with Christ alone; however, his prominence and his reputation together put him on a very,very short list. Which brings us back to his final moments, as the axe fell, did he feel betrayed by God? Where was God when he needed Him most? Come on, if I were writing the story, how about as the axe fell, Herod's head actually fell away and the axe supernaturally passed through John without harming him!

I don't believe that thought ever entered his mind. What made John the Baptist great was his heart of total deference to His Creator, His Heavenly Father. When we rest in His sovereignty, we are at peace with our circumstances. God, help us to be unwavering in our devotion even when the perception of the onlooker is one of our being abandoned by the God we serve. As John himself said, if in my decreasing, the fame of Christ increases, I am the one who eternally gains, even in my temporal demise.

Pastor Fred

February 26

Our family is always excited for a new episode of I Shouldn't Be Alive... amazing stories of people surviving against all odds, enduring starvation, dehydration, crippling injuries, and the most treacherous enemy of all, despair. I recall one where two mountaineers fell into a cravace.

A cravace is an opening in the ice, think of a long narrow ice canyon that can be hundreds of feet deep. They are often covered by snow, obscuring them, causing unsuspecting mountaineers to misstep and plummet, possibly to their death. In Numbers 12, we find Aaron and Miriam falling into a leadership cravace. What? When we observe a decision or an action by someone we have a sense of loyalty towards as a leader, we find this thought creeping in, "I could do what they do, possibly even better." That may even be true, that may even be your destiny, but if you violate your integrity, if you break an allegiance, if you sacrifice your loyalty...you are about to fall into a leadership cravace. It looks like safe ground to tread...just ask Aaron and Miriam. There is a proper way for succession to take place, but betrayal is never the path.

Don't throw away your future leadership by demanding it prematurely!

Pastor Fred

(examiner articles)

February 25

Give Numbers 7:4-9 a quick read...there is a fabulous parallel here to prayer. In the text, there is a distinction between how various items are to be carried. The sacred items of the Tabernacle were not permitted to be placed in a wagon, they had to be shouldered by the priests. If we truly care about people in our lives, will we shoulder the burden of their need in moments of prayer?

I'm also drawn to Numbers 8:23-26...why would God require that Levites retire at age 50? For the same reason He requires them to begin serving at 25, every generation of pastoral leaders should have one primary goal in mind, preparing the next generation to rise up and assume the sacred responsibilities of shepherding the house!

Pastor Fred

February 23

In Mark 4:12, Jesus is quoting Isaiah 6:9-10 which if we are not careful, can create a misperception of God. Why would God not want others to understand? Why would God not want everyone to have complete and full revelation of who He is and His plan for their lives? Philippians 3:16 is a great example of this principle, paraphrased it means that we are expected to live up to whatever truth has been revealed to us. We understand Mark 4:12 in light of this principle, and now instead of viewing God as callous, we see Him as perfect grace. He knows the heart of every person (Hebrews 4:12). If we knows that they are going to reject the revelation He will bring to them, out of His mercy and grace, He may withhold it to lessen the judgment that would come upon them otherwise.

Now, what about the last part of the verse in Mark. Doesn't it seem to imply a different motivation. Doesn't it appear to say that God might withhold revelation so they will not repent? We must always understand the Bible in light of itself. If we find verses that appear to at odds with one another, the problem is never in Scripture but rather in our understanding. 2 Peter 3:9 states that God's desire is that no one perish and not have the opportunity to come to full repentance and be reconciled to Him as their Creator and Heavenly Father. So how do we understand the latter half of Mark 4:12?

I believe that Jesus here is comparing two paths, the first part of the verse is speaking to how people may still rebel after they know better so God withholds revelation to minimize their judgment and that the latter half of the verse is speaking not to God's motivation but rather the alternative choice of the person. We should read it this way, "When they see what I do, they learn nothing. When they hear what I say, they will not understand (thus I will not bring more revelation to people I know are just going to rebel). Otherwise, they will turn to me and be forgiven (then there are other people who have a heart that defers to me so that when I bring revelation to them, they repent and further submit their lives to me and oh how I long for all people to be this way instead of the former).

Which one are you, am I?

Pastor Fred

February 21

Really? Numbers? God, why do I need to know how many men there were in the tribe of Zebulun?

There is constant debate in academia regarding the historicity of Scripture, meaning, is the Bible historically accurate? Is the Bible a history book, albeit sacred, but also historical. This is an essential question because if the Bible is not historical then it must be mythological. And if Scripture is mythological then the idea of God is metaphorical. And if God is only metaphorical then morality is inconsequential. God puts historical data in Scripture to remind us that He is our greatest reality!

Pastor Fred

February 19

God's punishments are always for one purpose, to break a proud spirit in us (Leviticus 26:19) so that we will come to full repentance and the full embrace of His sovereignty over our lives (Leviticus 26:40).

A prayer for us today, Father, help us to see any seed of a proud spirit within our hearts so that we might offer it to You for eradication, that we might humbly and fully come under the absolute governance of Your authority over our lives, enjoying Your favor, celebrating Your grace!

Pastor Fred

(examiner articles)

February 18

As we are reading through the Mosaic Law, there should be a sobering epiphany... there was no ritual sacrifice for any violation that was willful and intentional. We find offerings intended to support the priests and the Temple, we find offerings that celebrate the sovereignty of God, we find offerings related to vows, etc... and we find offerings for unintended sin (Leviticus 22:14). We have discussed this before in a prior post but it captures my heart again today. Death was the only prescribed response to willful disobedience to God.

How many times in our lives have we willfully disobeyed God? Willfully violated our God given conscience? If it were not for Jesus' death on the cross for you and I, we would be condemned to that which we deserve by our own innate longing for self-rule. But there is hope! Leviticus 22:31 makes the most sublime declaration, "I am the Lord, who made you holy." His desire is not to condemn us but rather to forgive us, for us to put our trust in Him, yielding to His love, embracing His grace, submitting to His rule.

Matthew 28:17 speaks to us about Christ's ascension into heaven. For the last three years, His life demonstrated nothing short of divinity. His culminating act was raising Himself from the dead! And here a crowd in the hundreds sees Him in His post-resurrection state ascending into heaven! And still, we read in the text that some doubted. Don't be one of the doubters! God has been revealing Himself to you for your entire life! Run to Him!

Pastor Fred

February 15

We find a great irony in Matthew 27. The religious leaders who plotted against Jesus refused to place the money they had paid for Judas' betrayal back into the Temple treasury because it was "blood money." Did they not see that their corrupt hearts did not belong among the spiritual leadership of a nation for the very same reason?

There is an intriguing parallel with the reading from Leviticus 15, as the instruction continues about defilement. We have already explored the symbolism that God is using to help us understand our need to be cleansed by Jesus' atoning sacrifice on the cross. There is another lesson to be learned as well. In 1 Corinthians 15:33, we read that "bad company corrupts good character" (a quotation from the Greek poet Menander). We must not live our lives in isolation, for then, how could we ever fulfill our mandate to be a light to the world (Matthew 5). However, we must be vigilante to ensure that we are the influencer in the relationship, the change agent. Romans 15:21 declares, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!"

Then as we continue into Leviticus 18, I am reminded that even if we are diligent in being mindful of the influence individual relationships can have on our lives, there is a broader influence pressing us as well, that of popular culture. This chapter speaks directly to sexual relations that God views as inappropriate, distinctions that our popular culture denies. We must work to ensure that we do not fall into the same trap as generations before us, championing Biblical truth without compassion, without humility, without genuine concern for people. Upholding Biblical sexual boundaries does not have to be at the expense of graciousness and being gracious does not have the expense of Godly standards. If ever we are at a loss how to hold these two in a healthy tension, we need not look any further than Jesus, complete in His love for people and unyielding in His devotion to principle.

Pastor Fred

(examiner articles)

February 13

Leviticus 14:33-57...Lord, help me to be found as one who has the faith to receive instruction from You for promises by You that have yet to be fulfilled.

Pastor Fred

February 12

I ate a Cuban sandwich last night, loaded with pork barbecue, love the pig! But am I now ceremonially unclean? What about this section of daily readings where we are journeying together in Leviticus? For the last two days we have been inundated with meticulous restrictions regarding diet, hygiene, and biological functions. We may not be ordering screech owl from the menu but a lack of appetite for many of the creatures listed does not displace our curiosity... why would God give such strict restrictions?

First, let's make our case more complicated. In Matthew 15:11, Jesus emphatically declares that nothing that goes into one's mouth has the power to make them spiritually unclean, but rather what comes out of one's mouth. The heart of a person is what ultimately matters, often discerned through conversation. So is Jesus dismissing centuries of sacred standards, that He Himself established?

We find our answer in two New Testament texts, Galatians 3:19a and Romans 7:7. Paul explains that the laws were to set boundaries for a burgeoning nation to create an orderly existence. No nation can function cooperatively without laws. Secondly, as we read in Romans 7:7, God was preparing the world for Jesus. He created a system of laws and rituals to bring about a revelation to all mankind for our need for redemption, for a Savior. All of these laws were a representation of the holiness of God, a standard unattainable by human effort yet vital for relationship with our Creator, the great conundrum. Our greatest need is to be in relationship with Him yet His holiness is our impossible obstacle. All the laws are our teacher, to learn the lesson of the depravity of humanity and our desperate condition apart from the forgiveness that is only found in Christ and the capacity for personal, spiritual transformation that is only possessed through His indwelling Spirit.

As we continue to read Leviticus, our thoughts must not be questions regarding which of these am I to uphold today but rather, a declaration of dependence, "Oh God, apart from you and your grace, what a wretched man/woman I am... but one who is moving ever forward, being transformed, changed, re-born, a living sacrifice, ever deeper into the depths of eternal life, steps towards Christ likeness, no matter how inconsequential they may appear to be, I will not relent!"

Pastor Fred

February 10

"Honey, have you seen the Urim and Thummim?" Do you think Aaron had a dish by the front tent flap where he kept the things he needed whenever he left? We have a key dish...all my keys ALWAYS go in there. I have drawer where my wallet ALWAYS is placed when not on my person. Otherwise, inevitably, those items I desperately rely upon are too easily misplaced.

For the first 23 years of my life, I had misplaced my love for Christ and my devotion to His plans and purposes for me. In December of 1990 I gave my heart fully to God and in so doing, created a place in my soul where my affection and loyalty remain... my prayer now, dependent upon His grace, that they will never be lost again.

Matthew 25:45 says, "I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help Me." Here is a parable that is a poignant picture of Christ's judgment in the end of time of each of us. Backing up just five verses, we find the antithesis of this judgment, an accommodation of people whose affection and loyalty for Christ were safely kept in the places of the heart and was evidenced by the expression of their lives.

May it be for each of us we find that which should never be lost and keep safe that which should forever remain within the heart.

Pastor Fred

February 9

Leviticus 8:30 is a grand image of how God touches us. He puts upon us the blood of Jesus for our forgiveness and the oil of His Spirit for our empowerment. May we be together as He intends, a kingdom of priests (Revelation 5:10) serving our Creator with devotion, passion, and fervor!

Pastor Fred

February 8

I find the concept of unintentional sin intriguing. How do you sin unintentionally? "I'm so sorry, I really had no idea that money I stole from the safe didn't belong to me." Oh come on! And if we give ourselves to a careful reading of the Old Testament, we find that there was no ritual sacrifice for anything intentional. Every intentional sin was only punishable by death. Once we grasp this standard, we realize the magnitude of our desperate need for Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. As Leviticus 4:22 reads, we are still guilty for unintentional missteps and most certainly guilty for willful disobedience. In either circumstance, a life must be taken to atone for the sin, either a sacrifice for ignorance or death to the malefactor for rejecting God's commands. The verdict, we are all guilty.

So back to unintentional sin. The book James is a great read if you haven't because he speaks of two kines of sin, omission and commission. Omission is a significant source of unintentional sin in our lives, the good we should do and don't. In the busyness of my day I don't notice the homeless person in the doorway by the sidewalk that God is whispering to me to encourage but because I have filled my day beyond what wisdom dictates, I miss the moment. I see them only after I am in the flow of traffic in my rear view mirror after pulling out of the parking garage and I am already late for next appointment...oh God, forgive me.

But here's where grace really takes a turn. Before Jesus, all intentinal sin was only punishable by the perpetrators death. Not now. We can now come to God, repentant of heart, ashamed of our choices and forgiveness is there...becuase a sacrifice has been made, Jesus. Can you see the beauty of the imagery of Leviticus? The priest lays his hands on the head of the lamb and the guilt shifts. I need my guilt to shift, to Jesus. I live because He died.

Grace...

Pastor Fred

February 7

As we progress into the new year, with weight loss resolutions looming large, I take great comfort in Leviticus 3:16b, "All the fat belongs to the Lord!"

Seriously, if you are looking for some in depth explanations for the meaning behind all the intricacies of the Levitical rites, Crosswalk's Library has a host of study helps you can access for free online.

My thoughts are drawn this morning to Jesus' statement in Matthew 5:17-20 where He proclaims that nothing of the Law should be abolished (including all that we are presently reading in Leviticus); rather, He came to fulfill the Law. But we must not mistake "fulfillment" with "continuation." Jesus did not intend for us to continue in the practices of the Law as the purpose of the Law became complete upon His substitutionary death. All of the Law was for the purpose of pointing us to Jesus and His atoning death for us on the cross. Once the purpose was complete, the expectation of practice ended.

In addition, we must understand the Biblical distinction between "practice" and "principle." There are many practices that are time bound, as with animal sacrifice; however, the principle is still held sacred. The principle related to animal sacrifice is that of a substitutionary death. We celebrate and hold dear this principle for eternity, for without it, there would be no forgiveness...Jesus is our sacrifice.

Have you made Jesus death for you personal? We can believe that He lived and His crucifixion happened. It is something entirely different to put the full weight of your life upon Him.

Pastor Fred

*check out some articles on examiner.com

February 6

I am struck by the great contrast in todays reading, Exodus 39-40 and Matthew 23:23-39. In Exodus we are reminded of the glorious beginning the Israelites had. What a revelation they had of God. Can you imagine the church where you attend...sometimes not even being able to go inside because the glory of God is so thick in there that it forms a literal, tangible cloud? Come on Lord, let it be so again! And yet, from that history, from that revelation, from that experience, over time, we find these same religious leaders being scorned by Jesus for their blatant hypocrisy.

A prayer for us today...may our lives be an expression of our God revelation and not a contradiction.

Pastor Fred

February 5

Each of our lives has been gifted in a particular manner to serve God and His purposes...have you discovered yours? In Exodus 31:1-11, 35:30-35 we read about two men who were filled with the Spirit of God and equipped to accomplish something specific for God. There will forever be a sense of fulfillment that eludes us until we both discover our gift and exercise it for the greater glory of God.

My thoughts are drawn as well to the verses found in 32:9-10 as these kind of texts are used to advance a belief know as Open Theism. If you are interested in reading more about this, check out the post from April 4, 2008. In short, open theists question whether really knows the future and site texts such as this in support of that view. The question they pose is that if God knew what was going to happen, why would have such a strong emotional response...why does He appear to be surprised? For me, I believe that such moments do not question His omniscience but rather beautifully display His perfect, loving heart. Even when moments come that He fully anticipates, moments He has foreseen, His heart is so full of love for us that our failings still elicit grief from Him. This is not a sign of surprise but rather perfect love.

Pastor Fred

February 1

A divine right, a divine purpose, and a divine standard...

I'm reading a wonderfully thought provoking book by Greg Gilbert who is on staff at Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. The book is entitled "What is the Gospel?". I am intrigued by his explanation of sin. I have only ever thought of sin as both the wrong we shouldn't do and seemingly unavoidably commit as well as the good we ought to do and seemingly helplessly avoid. Yet Gilbert explains those as "sins" which is quite different from "sin". He suggests that the essence of sin is the rebellion of the creature against the Creator...and I am compelled to agree. The condition from which we all ultimately suffer is self-rule, self-governance, as we were created by God to exist in a state of submission to Him. And our submission to Him is not a path of deprivation but rather one that is life giving beyond human comprehension which is why we all desperately need to be saved from ourselves.

I love the New Testament reading for today because it could have been a chapter text for Gilbert, Matthew 21. In the account of the donkey we see that there is a divine ownership we must accept...the cleansing of the Temple, a divine purpose we must embrace...and the cursing of the fig tree, a divine standard with which we must compare. I especially like the fig tree because at the time Jesus cursed the tree, fruit was not in season, which seems unfair. However, Jesus is teaching us the presence of the fruit of Christian virtue in our lives is not based on others around us but rather according to Christ's example...the character of Christ in us must always be in season.

May we each consider today who sits on the throne of our hearts...

Pastor Fred

Pastor Fred