FEBRUARY 28, 2020

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” 
― Abraham Lincoln

NUMBERS 21-25

10Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. 11Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

12Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 13‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says’? 14Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(25:10-14)

MARK 7:14-8:21

14The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

16They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

17Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

20“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

21He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” (8:14-21)

JOURNAL 

The insertion of the story of Balaam is a strange one. He is prophet but is not an Israelite and even though he is being paid to curse the Israelites he refuses because God tells him not to. This brings up so many questions...why is God speaking to a non-israelite, how does he have the power to curse and bless? These are questions which really have no answer...for their are other places in the Bible where people have power that are not Godly. The fact that Balaam is able to consult with God and be guided by him is what is really confusing.

To me this shows that God is never boxed in. God is not contained or defined by men. It also means that power is not just received because we fear and obey God, but rather that it is something that he enables in us whether we acknowledge him or not. I think it has to be this way or else our motives for relationship with God would be about getting power rather than love. 

Ultimately having power is not the ultimate objective...Jesus proclaims his mission and it has nothing to do with personal power but rather is all about loving and serving those that need it most. 

18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”^f

LUKE 4:18-19

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

NUMBERS 18-20

2Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. 3They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! 4Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? 5Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

6Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the tent of meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7The Lord said to Moses, 8“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

9So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. 10He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” 11Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.

12But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

13These were the waters of Meribah,^a where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord and where he was proved holy among them.(20:2-13)

MARK 7:1-13

5So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”

6He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“ ‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

7They worship me in vain;

their teachings are merely human rules.’^b

8You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

9And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe^c your own traditions! 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’^d and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’^e 11But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

JOURNAL 

Tradition vs. true obedience and love. This is the issue at hand in this passage. Jesus calls out the Pharisees for not understanding and being true to the heart of the message.  I see this everyday in life...how often my actions are done out of habit or just going through the motions. I think this is definitely part of the human condition. Habits can be good or habits can be destructive...

When I was in high School, The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People came out and it really became a new standard for changing behavior. It began with the paradigm shift that we can choose our actions...1) Be Proactive. This idea then flowed through the other habits.  I think this is also at the heart of what Jesus was saying...we can choose to be different, we can choose to be obedient to God rather than to blindly follow rules, just for the sake of following the rules. 

While some would view this as being a dangerous paradigm shift...it is but it really is the only way to get to truth and transformation. Getting to the why of our behavior gets to our heart and that's what God is ultimately after. 

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

ROMANS 12:1-2

FEBRUARY 26, 2020

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” 
― Robert A. Heinlein

NUMBERS 16-17

1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. 3On the staff of Levi write Aaron’s name, for there must be one staff for the head of each ancestral tribe. 4Place them in the tent of meeting in front of the ark of the covenant law, where I meet with you. 5The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”

6So Moses spoke to the Israelites, and their leaders gave him twelve staffs, one for the leader of each of their ancestral tribes, and Aaron’s staff was among them. 7Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the covenant law.

8The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.(17:1-8)

MARK 6:33-56

53When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. 54As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. 55They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

JOURNAL 

What a scene...I can only imagine the joy, the dancing, the absolute rejoicing. Jesus has become a rockstar. The people had be so overcome with excitement that the messiah had come to the masses...he wasn't in the synagogue vying for political position. He wasn't an untouchable or unapproachable religious prude. He was one of them and he loved them. 

To really take in this scene and to know that it ends with him on a cross is heartbreaking. How could it turn so quickly and how could that really be God's plan?? It's because God is not us...he is far greater, far wiser than I can comprehend. I ultimately know that his death becomes the key to my own hope and salvation....yet it's still so comforting to read these verses and see his heart. To know that he isn't too tired, or agitated or busy to tend to those on the fringes, gives me hope that he came for all of us. 

34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

JOHN 13:34-35

FEBRUARY 25, 2020

"Don't put in average effort and claim you want exceptional results." - James Clear

NUMBERS 14-15

1That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

5Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”(14:1-9)

MARK 6:1-32

30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

32So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

JOURNAL 

Freaking Israelites...the are so scared and weak. God has gotten them to here...out of Egypt, performed miracle after miracle and here again they are panicked and full of doubt. They are blowing it because it got hard. They are willing to go back to slavery because the wilderness is just too difficult. God has called them to do something extraordinary but they do not want to put in the effort and sacrifice.

One of the toughest things about life is facing moments when you realize you've blown it. Often it's easy to find someone or something to blame. The toughest thing to do is accept and admit your own failure and sin. It's easy to claim I've given my very best...but the reality is that I rarely do, yet I often expect and hope for extraordinary results. While God is a God who does step in and do the miraculous, he also demands that we follow and do the extraordinary.

God understands the struggle, he understands that we will reach levels of exhaustion and fatigue. Thats why he asks us to rest in him in those moments. He promises to restore us and give us the power, love and discipline to be exceptional again and again. 

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:4-7

FEBRUARY 24, 2020

“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.” 
― Maya Angelou

NUMBERS 11-13

26They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”

30Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

31But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”(13:26-33)

MARK 5:21-43

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

31“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

JOURNAL 

Sitting here in 2020 it's easy for me to judge the Israelites for their lack of faith and for their ungratefulness. Back in chapter 10 they are griping and complaining about the manna in the desert...stating it would have been better off for them to have been slaves in Egypt. Then here they are doubting that God can deliver them into the promised land. They are so ridiculously ungrateful and selfish. They want to just walk in and have the land without a fight, without adversity. They want rich food in the desert and and an easy way to victory.

No wonder God disciplines them...and yet I can say the same of myself. Too often I want the easy path to victory and am ungrateful for the blessings of today. Too often I feel that life is unfair and I should have more than what I do. That spirit of rebellion is alive and well. Father I desire the spirit of Caleb, of the bleeding woman. For nothing is too great for you...you are God and whatever situation or circumstance you give me...I am to conquer it with joy and gratitude. 

12Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:12-18

FEBRUARY 23, 2020

“May you live every day of your life.” 
― Jonathan Swift

NUMBERS 8-10

29Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”

30He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”

31But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.”

33So they set out from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest. 34The cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.

35Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,

“Rise up, Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;

may your foes flee before you.”

36Whenever it came to rest, he said,

“Return, Lord,

to the countless thousands of Israel.”(10:29-36)

MARK 5:1-20

18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^b how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

JOURNAL 

I really  loved reading this morning. For all the times I've read through the Bible I never remember this section in Numbers where Moses asks his Brother-in-law to stay with them and then to go into the promised land. Apparently he agrees because the Kenites eventually settled in Canaan (Judges 1:16). Also in this section is the detailed explanations of how the Israelites followed God through the desert...using the cloud that settled above the tabernacle tent as the barometer of when they should stay or go. 

Lastly this story in Mark is really amazing and strange (Jesus sending demons out of a man and into pigs who kill themselves, but then refusing to allow the man to go with them)...why is that? I think ultimately its because God's plan is for us to go into the world...into the dark places and be a light. 

Juxtaposed these two verses seem to communicate the opposite...Hobab is asked to stay and the demon-possessed man is told to go. But I think that's because we all play different roles in growing God's kingdom. But it is also why we are to seek God daily for direction. At times he may have us go and at times he may have us stay, but we will never know unless we seek him. 

11For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

JEREMIAH 29:11