Worship

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z89G8nawyA
Notes for teaching...on Worship

I love where we ended last week...

Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

I think this verse is perfect for a study on worship.

What is this thing we call 'worship?' We call our bands, 'Worship' bands... we call our gatherings, 'worship services'... and when we sing together we sing 'worship' songs!

but do we even know what worship is!?
Is it singing? dancing? making sacrifices? making music? Praying? Serving?

I think all of these encompass what 'worship' can look like. But actual worship goes deeper. It's about the heart. It's about what's going on inside the worshiper.

'By faith' this verse says about Jacob. Faith this gift of God given to our hearts. Belief in One unseen, unprovable by fleshly means, without which it is impossible to please God.
This faith is the first element needed in worship that comes from the heart.

and the next part of the verse gives us a hint as to where this faith comes from...
'when he was dying.' True worship comes not of ourselves, no, it comes from dying to ourselves and giving ourselves over to the Spirit.
It's getting our eyes, the eyes of our hearts, off ourselves and onto Spirit.

next Jacob blesses others... Worship is about seeking good for others. Once we have the trust and faith in God, once we have died to ourselves and gotten our eyes on and filled with Spirit; we are free to 'bless' others. Ours hearts can lift them up to this amazing One, who is utterly to be trusted and is so worthy of all praise and glory. Oh it's a beautiful thing!

The verse ends with 'and leaned on top of his staff.' True worship throws us into the arms of the One being worshipped. We trust, bless and give ourselves completely to worship of this Beloved, All Lovely One.

Oh I want to worship like that today! Alone or in the assembly, let's keep this verse about Jacob in our hearts as we seek His face!

Leaning

My notes for teaching last week:



Who are you leaning on?



Our friend and Patriarch, Jacob spend a long time leaning on and relying on himself.



Jacob had been given promises before his birth. I'm sure he heard them at his mother's knee,

'The younger will serve the older..' His twin, brother Esau undoubtedly heard them too.

But he was older therefore the birthright and blessings of his father, Issac would be his....



But Jacob had no problem tricking Esau. Esau was a hunter, hairy and tough while Jacob was a man who stuck 'close to the tents.' Esau came home from hunting famished and Jacob had some lovely stew a cookin... The smell seized this hairy man of the wilderness, 'Give me some lest I die!'

Let's talk for a minute about Jacob's name.( I asked our Jacob to answer and he did great:) Jacob means heel catcher or trickster, supplanter and this guy knew how to make a deal. Jacob was very good at leaning on his own strengths to make things happen. Instead of waitng to see how God would bring about the promise given to him before birth, he chose to trick his brother.



'Give me your birthright, I'll give you some stew.' He must have really been hungry because Esau took the deal. and Jacob made an enemy.



and he wasn't done yet. Now Jacob wanted the blessing and he wasn't willing to wait and see how God would bring it to him. Jacob had been promised this blessing, he could have chosen to lean on God to bring it about instead, he tricked both his father and his brother. Instead of trusting God, he put on a hairy coat, told his blind father that he was Esau and received Esau's blessing.

This time the strong hunter, Esau wanted one thing; to kill Jacob.

Jacob fled his father's tents. He self-reliance and lack of trust in God cost him everything.

Gen. 32:10 says he 'carried' with only his staff. (Here I held up a staff and kept kind of holding it up till the end, I figure then maybe someone will remember what I taught for a bit :) Did you get that? he 'carried' his staff.



Now Jacob was alone and he spent the night on a mountaintop with a rock for a pillow. I've been to this area of Israel and I'm just sure it was a cloudless night and Jacob fell asleep looking at the uncountable stars. It amazes me that Jacob thoughts didn't turn to God. He knew the prophecy given to his grandfather, Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars. God even gave him a dream that echoed this prophecy;



Gen. 28:14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."



Wow! Despite his lack of leaning on and relying on God, God promises to bless Jacob. "I am with you, I will not leave you, I will do what I have promised" says God to Jacob.



How do I know that Jacob fell asleep feeling far from God? Because what his response to God was:

Gen. 28:16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it."

But surely now he would trust God and lean on this amazing promise...nope!

Gen. 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the Lord will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."



Oh Jacob, still 'carries' the staff, still relying on self, still the 'heel-catcher' who must make deals and make things happen. God had made a promise to Jacob and all God wanted was for Jacob to believe it. That's it. ....'If' Jacob says...oh Jacob 'if?'



Well, Jacob's about to meet his match in deal making. Years before his mother, Rebbecca had been given to Abraham's servant by her brother Laban. Laban had seen the faith and trust of his servant and had given his sister as a bride for Issac.

Gen.24:50 Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go,

Take her and go! That is some deal! Wow!

Jacob surely knew this story but he kept carrying that staff, kept leaning on not on God but on himself and his abilities.

Look at the crazy deal he makes with Laban for his daughter, Rachel...

Gen.29:18
Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."

Oh Ya'acob! Why not lean on God? He ends up being tricked by Laban and continues making deals with Laban until he leaves decades later with yet another deal!

Jacob decides to return to to his father's home and oh! he is so worried about Esau! Esau had promised to kill Jacob after their father's death and both of their parents were gone.

God sees his fear and tries once again to get Jacob to trust and lean on the Creator, the One who had promised so much without demanding anything, this Father of the stars who gave Jacob visions of descendant like the stars. Look what God does for this son of His who is still going 'his way!'

Gen. 32:1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
Angels met him!
and what's Jacob's reaction: plans to pacify his brother, prayers to remind God of His promise.
No trust, no faith in God's action.
Hey, the prayer is a good idea. I think prayer is for us, to get in our heads that our hands are too small, we can't carry our own staff, we need to rely on the Father of Lights.
But Jacob's prayer doesn't have this result in Jacob's heart. (big surprise, not!)

Gen. 32:11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"

Jacob remembers God's promise but doesn't trust it...He immediately starts planning gifts to give to Esau... deals, deals, plans, and self-reliance...
Then like that night on the mountain top when all he carried was his staff, Jacob spends the night alone; and again he is not alone!

Gen. 32:24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.

This time,God actually wrestles with his non-trusting child. This not just a 'man' Jacob is fighting against but God, Himself.
Now what about us? How many times does our self-leaning cause us to 'wrestle ' with God instead of trusting Him?
This scene of Jacob's struggle always makes me think of another child of God...a little woman who was probably in her late twenties but maybe not. She had been bleeding for 12 years, which made her a bit of an outcast in Israel. Unlike Jacob, she reaches out to God in faith, she doesn't wrestle with Him, no, she had one thing on her mind 'if I can just touch the edge of Jesus' cloak, I will be healed. '
Which one are we doing today? Reaching out to wrestle with God, relying on our own strengths or reaching out just to touch 'the edge of His cloak?'
Luke 8:48
Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Oh what a contrast to Jacob's struggle...

Gen32:25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him,

(God couldn't overpower Jacob? What is this talking about?)

(Garret, what's the strongest part or muscle in our bodies?) (I was right, he said thigh and gave a description:)
Well, God had to help Jacob, He had not yet 'overpowered' Jacob's self-leaning so...

Gen.32:25b He touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.

Jacob would have to lean upon his staff for the rest of his life but, oh my!..Jacob is still making deals!

26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
Oh Ya'acob!

Gen. 32: 28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." 29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
God blesses Jacob and Jacob realizes he has been wrestling with God!
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
Then at last, Jacob is no longer carrying his staff, he is leaning on it:
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.

Well, Esau doesn't kill Jacob, in fact he doesn't even want Jacob's gifts, he only wanted to see his brother. Jacob has 12 sons who become the 12 tribes of (this new name of his) Israel...
and the prophecies concerning Jacob are fulfilled, not through Jacob struggling and self reliance but through the gift of God.

Paul has some amazing insight into what happens:
Paul is writing a letter to the Galatians. They are believers in the free gift of Life in Messiah, Jesus but they have fallen back to their own strength. They have started relying on keeping the Law for their salvation again.

Gal. 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing--if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Ya gotta love Paul! He tells it like it is!
He reminds them that the promise given to Abraham was given before the Law was given! 430 years before! The promises of God do not depend on the keeping of the Law! He reminds them of that same promise given to Jacob under the stars on the mountain top:

Gal.3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.

Did you get that? The promise is because of this Seed of Abraham, this One Person who is the Messiah, who is the One we can lean on ...the One who like that little woman only requires us to reach out and 'touch the edge of His cloak'... oh just that little bit of faith.

Gal. 3:22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. 23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Reach out like the woman or wrestle like Jacob but make Him the One you lean on!
and what happened to Jacob?
Oh the writer of Hebrews (probably Paul) reveals that to us...

Hebrews 11:21
By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

Oh 'By Faith!' Oh 'worshiped as he leaned' oh i am so happy!

frustration

http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DH3iSiij98VY

Here's some nice music about wheat that will calm us down if we are frustrated :). (Notice the pretty frets, but don't fret...I would show you a thing.)

Can you think of a time when Jesus was Frustrated? (yes, with a capital F.)
Okay picture it: Jesus is going on a nice boat ride with his 12 disciples, his main guys. He mentions to them,"Be on your guard against the the yeast of the Super Religious People."

It so happened on that nice boat ride day, the 12 guys had forgotten to bring bread and they thought Jesus was giving them a big hint about their mistake. They probably started blaming each other and being bummed.

Then Jesus figures out what they are discussing and gets majorly frustrated with them.

I kind of get why. Sometimes I get exasperated when I realize that people have no clue even about the simplest things of the Bible. And man, lots of people have a good reason not to know anything about the Biblical Holidays or the gospels or the things in Hebrews 6 (just read it).

But Jesus' disciples were being silly. They had just seen Jesus feed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread. Guys! He's not worried about there not being any picnic lunch. Also these disciples grew up celebrating the Passover every year. I'm sure their moms diligently did their Passover cleaning to remove the house of all dust and dirt just in case it might have the tiniest bit of yeast in it. One of the main themes of Passover is removing the yeast which they had to have known is a symbol of sin. (Hey, Gabe knows it, I asked him today while he ate his pancakes.) (Micah found a long red hair in his and said they weren't cooked enough, frustration? no I'm laughing:).

Anyways, at the end of the story in Mat. 16:5-12, Jesus tells them, "Guys, I meant the teaching of the Super Religious People, which is really just a lot of dead works." (That's my translation.)

Those Super Religious People (Pharisees and Sadducees) taught, "Ya gotta be good. Ya gotta keep the Law. Ya gotta know everything about the Torah (that last one was for me:)"

Jesus was teaching something else. You can't be good, you can't keep the Law, you can't even know very much at all about the Word. He was teaching, "You, my friends, need Me."

So let's let all those little frustrations go. Whether they are with ourselves for dropping hair in the pancakes or with others for complaining about the way they are cooked. Let's keep on loving the way Jesus did and you know what? He will help us and love through us and everything will be alright.

Chapter on Passover coming soon so you can start your cleaning. :)

Unconditional Love

Is there any other kind?
I don't know but probably not.
Ever heard, "Love means never having to say you're sorry?"
I think that means that if you love someone, you still love them even if they don't say, "sorry."
Love really is amazing, love goes beyond the actions or inactions of the beloved one.
Love has to do with trust, utter and complete trust but not necessarily in the one loved but in the One who is Love.

From 1 Cor. 13 Living Translation
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

If you love someone, you will always expect the best from them, always stand your ground in defending them, you'll always believe in them. (That doesn't mean no mistakes will be made. Hey, we are people and guess what? we make mistakes...)

Love hopes all things, endures all things, believes all things.

One day all the special gifts from God will come to an end but these three will remain;
faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.

Did you get that last part? It's a gift from God. I don't think love, real love happens without God. So when someone loves you, when you love someone with that love, that's a gift from God, there's no stopping it. It doesn't end.
I heard Brain Green say once that there's some formula that holds the secret meaning of the Universe and he said maybe it's Love. Yep, Brian Greene said it and I betcha it's true.
All we need is Love, this all encompassing, ever enduring, completely trustworthy Love.

Aren't you married?

Prov.5:18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer-- may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.

Captivated? After 25 years of marriage and almost 50 years traveling around our beautiful star? Since I found my breast lump, I've discovered how many people take it for granted that being beautiful and captivating is not required of married people, especially older married people, especially happily married older people.
Even the surgeon today asked a surprised,"Aren't you married?" when I showed concern over how I would look. How big will the scar be? Will I look out of balance?
I don't get it. Why wouldn't I want to look awesome for the man I married no matter how many years ago it was? Not to mention for myself!
Okay so, can I tie this in to a Bible study? No problemos, baby...

Rev.2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Return to your first Love.
Remember that feeling of falling in love, if you're anywhere from 11 to 111, I'll bet you do!
That's how it felt when we first fell in Love with the Creator of Love, when we first came to know and realize that He loves us and time spent with Him was the highlight of the day.
Have you let that time go for other things, do you prefer the light of your TV to the Light of Life?
Or maybe you've never really understood about God, never really fallen in love with Him.
Well, get this...He sees us as a spouse, as His beloved, as his true love...
Isa 61:10
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
He is captivated with us! and you know what our response is? to be captivating to Him. I think God created marriage as a mirror of His Love for us. Our delight in our spouse and our desire to delight our spouse doesn't end because we've been at it for years! It's a beautiful song, a painting in real life of God's love for us.
So next time someone says to me, "But aren't you married?" I think I'll answer, "Yes, and I want to be captivating for my beloved!"

'The Infinite and Penitent begin to look like Home'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_Fj7wbc3Zc

As unlikely as a guitar that arrives perfectly in tune
or
looking up and seeing a jet stream cross, covering Everything
or
as friends that live steps away from each other but one didn't know it...
this is our Salvation.



There's nothing to add to this instrument of self-sacrifice and Love.
The music has been executed perfectly and we can do nothing but accept
this gift, rejoicing in the beauty and completeness.

His embrace crosses the heavens and fills us with overflowing Love.
Closer than can be imagined, He's there waiting, loving, utterly patient and kind,
Our Best Friend, our Perfect Song,
ready to include each of us in His dance across the Sky of Infinite Love.

Red Bird

I close my eyes and she flys and finds her place
A nest, built just so, among the pillars
Made of reeds, bruised and bent but never broken
and one Branch, rejected by the builders but perfect
For her nest, stained and full of almond blossoms,
Red Bird's nest built by Him among the pillars.

I Will Not Be Silent..David Crowder Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxL06UnPfDE

try this one out in the Throne Room :)

I will not be Silent

"If God is Omniscient and Omnipotent then He makes everything happen, we have no free choice, no free will therefore the concept of god doesn't make sense."
It was my eight grade English class I think they call it humanities now.
The the teacher went on, "Can anyone tell me why they would still believe in god?"
He was supposed to be teaching us about those words, omniscient and omnipotent but he was giving us more of a lesson than that.
Now I had a choice to make...
Do I speak up or stay quiet?
Did I even have an answer to this very confrontational guy's question?

That's what I want us to think about today. Do we speak up or do we remain silent?

There's a Jewish/biblical holiday that just past called Purim. It's great. We celebrate the bravery of a young beautiful girl who was probably not much older than you, guys.
She had a choice to make.
She was living in luxury in a palace in fact she was the queen ....
no one knew she was also a Jew and in a few days her people would be annihilated.
That's a good SAT word anyone know what it means?
Wiped out and done now...bye,bye!
She could speak up and go to the King and tell him that she too was a Jew and plead for her people or she could stay safe and sound and quiet.
Her uncle Mordecai (the only one who knew her heritage) gave her the choice
Es 4:14
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Es 4:14
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

The problem was she hadn't even seen the King in over a month and to enter the throne room was dangerous for Esther. If the King raised his scepter to her, she would live, if not immediate death for little Esther.
What would she do? Speak or stay silent?
What's cool is that she had time, she got all her people to pray for her and with her and on the third day is went into the throne room and let's just say there was a happy ending but I guess you guys already know that 'cause if there wasn't and all the Jews had been wiped out we wouldn't have Jesus or an Bible and we wouldn't be sitting here right now!!!
Okay so, girlfriend, took time to pray and had other people pray too. Awesome.
Our next example is a young guy Bar Mitzvah age, he went to the temple with his family for Passover and he did a strange thing that on the surface looks wrong.
He ditched his 'rents!
They headed on home to Nazareth and this guy exactly your age stayed!
He hung out in the temple questioning and answering the questions of the elder's there!

Luke 2:46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." 49 "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. 51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

After 3 days, his parents find Him and they are freaked! He made a choice like Esther to speak up. Why? He had to" be about my Father's business? " (King James version)
He had a purpose for life even at that young age of 12... God!
Did you notice that both happened after three days?

Let's look at another example:

Acts 23:12-35
12 The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here." 16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him." 18 So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." 19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?" 20 He said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request." 22 The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him, "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me." 23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, "Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix." 25 He wrote a letter as follows: 26 Claudius Lysias, 26 To His Excellency, Governor Felix: 26 Greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him. 31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him..

This young man had sort of a secret spy job to do. He bravely spoke up and then had to act like everything was normal and keep silent.

So sometimes we really got to know whether to speak or not and he did a smart thing, he asked his uncle Paul what to do (can you imagine having Paul be your uncle, whoa! that would be a trip). When a new governor finally arrived guess how many days it took for him to see Paul in the court?
Acts 25:1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

How do we know what to do and when to do it?
Let's turn to Hebrews 4:15-16
15.For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.
4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

This is so cool, like Esther we can approach the throne room of our great King, God, and you know why? but without any fear...
Because of Jesus. He came and as we saw He had to make hard choices, you know what He did after his parents found him in the temple, he went back to Nazareth that little hick town and obeyed them. He could have stayed amazing elders in the center of the Jewish world, the temple, He could have really been the Super Cool Super smart guy, a rock star but he submitted to his parents and did what they said!
Let's read that verse 15 again:

hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.

That's talking about Jesus who lived a perfectly sinless life here and he felt just like you feel sometimes but He never slipped up, He was without sin. He faced every temptation and He paid for out sins on the cross and on the third day, He arose, He resurrected, He came alive again.
Because of that we can verse 16

4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Like Esther we can walk into the courts of the King and our King is God himself and He really gets you! He had to obey his parents and live here on this earth and face the same kinds of challenges you have to face.
So what does that mean for us?
Like that song we were singing this morning by David Crowder Band..
"I will not be silent.."
We ask Him to help us, we ask others to pray for us and help us, we read and study and be ready when we are asked to answer a teacher or even a king and like Jesus said when he was just 12 years old we stay in our Father's house and be about His business!

Okay so what did I do that day in class?
I prayed a quick prayer and I did not keep silent.
I told that old teacher that
because God knows everything (omniscient)
and is all powerful (omnipotent) He can see the beginning and end and He can make sure Everything works out for good but He can also let us make our own choices.
and yes I still believe in God.
I don't know what happened but that guy stopped it. He didn't hit on that subject again.
He didn't argue with me. He just went on to something else and all those kids in that class got to hear a little something about God.
So remember spend time in the throne room with God! He's just waiting for you and He so 'gets' you! and who knows if you will be used like Uncle Mordacai said "for such a time as this!"

the Need to Osculate

Okay, it's fun being a Creationist. I try not to laugh when the Macro-evolutionist run into trouble but sometimes it's just too fun.

Why do we kiss? Why do we feel the need to swap spit and gum and lock braces?

Anthropologist Helen Fisher (you go girl) estimates that only 10% of humans don't smooch.

Yes, that sucks for them but that also sucks for evolutionists...what's the survival benefit?

Being a Creationist means I get to say, "God made it up 'cause it's super fun!"

and since I totally love the Bible I get to read fun stuff like this:

Song of Solomon 1:2
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth-- for your love is more delightful than wine.

Here's a joke I made up:

Doctor is there some kind of pill I can give my husband so he will want to kiss me?

Well, there's a pill you can take, you may have heard of it...."TicTacs."

Mismatched socks

Stoning people sucks. It's a really bad way to go, from what I understand. It involves everyone, not just one guy chopping a head or pulling a trap door. Death doesn't come quickly either...it hurts bad, well unless you got some big guy with a giant rock and really good aim or a slingshot. So why does this God of Love, this Person of infinite mercy and forgiveness use capital punishment?
Pushing it aside isn't an option if I believe this Bible, I cherish, is the actual Word of God, the Living and Active Sword of the Spirit. Nopers, got to face it head on.
Let's start with the very first guy who deserved capital punishment, well yeah, I guess, Adam sort of did for taking the bite, 'cause he knew just what he was doing...Eve didn't. She was deceived but that's other lesson.
I'm talking about Cain, Abel's brother. According to a Bar Mitzvah speech I heard once, there are times when death is the deserved punishment or necessary in defense. But God doesn't do that He lets Cain live and walk the earth... But here's the kicker. He puts some kind of mark on him. He lets everyone know this was bad, don't do this.
Gen. 4:13 Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
16 So Cain went out from the Lord's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Okay so I'm choking up when I read these verses. Baby, it's worse!!! It's worse than getting stoned (ha, ha..yes..I mean with rocks). Cain knew the Lord's Presence, really knew it and was sent out from the Lord's Presence. I know lots of us choose that everyday, but Cain really knew intimate fellowship with the Lord and then he was banished from it. The one thing we were truly created for is taken away from him. Just get a picture of the anguish he felt. I know a little tiny bit of what it means to me in His Presence it's awesome and amazing and everything good.Oh, to be cast out of that All encompassing Love, acceptance, and desire for little me...I can't imagine how horrible it was for Cain.

Gen. 6:5 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

So God does it. It carries out the first execution in the Bible. And it's the biggest ever...everyone except Noah and family, everyone and little bunnies too. Was this result of having no capital punishment, no law, allowing people like Cain to have a whole bunch of babies? I don't know. I do know that Cain's great, great grandson kills someone too and keeps on living and having babies.
This post isn't about having all the answers. This post is about not pushing anything in this book aside. Maybe I will raise more questions than I answer, that's good thing!

So God takes out all of these people with hearts that can't do anything but dwell on evil. It's like they are already dead. Living, walking, baby-making zombies of wickedness. What happens to them after they are killed in the flood? I don't know. Is it better to be drowned than to be a living wicked Zombie, we all know the answer to that if we've seen even one Zombie movie.

Genesis 9:6--"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

So God does make a few rules and later He makes a few more on Mt. Sinai.

Ex. 19:12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful that you do not go up the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain."

for touching a mountain? What is going on here?

Okay so it's hard for me to explain what I see and feel when I read these verses. But I love you so I'm gonna try.

Ex. 19:16 On the morning of the third day
This often repeated refrain, 'on the third day' which was first pointed out to me by the kibbutz choir speaks clearly to me of Jesus' resurrection from death. He is alive and that means life for me.

..there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled.
This all happening on Shavuot, Pentecost, the first one after the first Passover. On Pentecost the Holy Spirit was first given to Peter and a bunch of believers and it changed them. (For more, check out my other blog.)

17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. 20 The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, "Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them."

Loud and clear to me like that shofar, we can't do it ourselves, we can't force our way to the Lord. There's this one guy who can go up and this one guy just comes back with more rules.


23 Moses said to the Lord, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.'" 24 The Lord replied, "Go down and bring Aaron up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the Lord, or he will break out against them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.

All those rules, all that consecrating and the people just can't keep 'em...more and more rules given:
Ex. 21 and Lev. 20 tell us of capital punishment for murders, cursing at parents, sexual sins, for idolatry and blasphemy and breaking the Shabbat.
really harsh punishment for these offenses.
Let's look at the times when God actually said, "Okay so do it!"

In Lev. 24, the first blasphemer is stoned to death, in Num. 15, the first Shabbat breaker is stoned. In Joshua 7, Achan is stoned to death for taking plunder that God forbid. God makes sure he gets caught.
Josh.7:19 Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me." 20 Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.

Each of these happens once in the Bible. I don't see it as vengeance but as warning.

Now this one...oh this one hurts me, not gonna cry, deep breath...

David is so happy. He's bringing the Ark of the Convanent to the city of David. He got 30,000 guys to come along and a new cart and there is praising and music and dancing and....

2 Samuel 6:6-11
6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God. 8 Then David was angry because the Lord's wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. 9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, "How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?"

We can't force our way to the mountain. His Holiness is so beyond us that just touching the Ark to keep it from falling caused Uzzah to die. David realizes this is totally beyond him.

Then one of my most favorite stories in the whole Bible happens:

2 Sam. 6:13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart. 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" 21 David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord's people Israel--I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." 23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

David now understood his own unworthiness, he calls himself undignified and humiliated in his own eyes. That is the reason for this harshness of God. We have to get it. We have to see our need for a Messiah. That's why the Law was given that's why death happens.

But oh thank God, He comes and changes all that. The Pharisees (super religious Jews) are trying to trap Jesus. They catch a girl committing adultery (wonder what happened to the guy?) and bring her to Jesus demanding He uphold the Law of Moses. Jesus does away with capital punishment in one sentence.
John 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
Done. He lifted himself up (cross reference there, no pun intended) and said "whoever is good, go for it!" There was only One there good enough to throw that stone and that was Jesus and He says, John 8:11 "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. "

He took death on Himself and gives us eternal life.

But if I'm not gonna shove anything aside, I've got one more...

Ananias and Sapphira... they sell their property then lie to Peter about how much they got so that they can give 'all' of it to the disciples and look all coolio. The Holy Spirit doesn't put up with it. They die on the spot. This again is a first. God is showing the seriousness of their deception. Is anyone else ever stuck dead for deception? Well, I know I haven't been and I have deceived. Once I gave up deception for lent (I thought I'd try that strange tradition that's not in the Bible.) Baby, I failed. But because of Ananias and Sapphira, I really understand that I don't want to do it.

As for mismatched socks, I'm pretty sure that's about the verse in Deut. 22:11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.
Shoot,, but that just drips with meaning for me too. I'm such a Bible-nerd! Wool is sheep, baby. Sheep is the lamb of God. The lamb of God is Jesus and His supreme sacrifice. Linen are the garments we get after Jesus blood of the sacrifice covers us, linen is the garments worn by the priests in the temple and Aaron in the tabernacle... the attempts to "force our way to God." Attempts that by His very nature must fail. We cannot approach that mountain without His Holiness breaking out against us. We need the Lamb.

Here's another picture that pops in my mind when I read this rule:

John 19:23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." 24 So this is what the soldiers did.

We cannot mix our works of righteous in with the Messiah's once and for all, Work on the cross. This Anointed One paid the price He did it all. He was like that garment perfect, seamless, leaven-less, without sin.

and from that same Psalm that John speaks of here...
Ps. 22:31
They will proclaim His Righteousness to a people yet unborn-- for He has done it.

Oh He has done it. All the terror of the Law our school-master has been done away with. He has done it! Death no longer has a sting because we have been returned to His Presence, we have no longer been cast out from our Lord, and will dwell in the House of the Lord forever, Va'ed, Amen.

freewill

Oh those homeschool girls! They are such unique flowers. We met today and I led the discussion to Hadassah, Queen Esther, in honor of Purim. They knew the story (if you don't, read my other blog.) They swiped down my first question with one flashing scepter.

I asked about Vashti and her refusal to obey her husband, the king.

"Depends on her motive, where her heart was..."

Motives matter.

So I tried something else. "Lots" or "Purim" in Hebrew, Haman cast lots to determine when the slaughter would take place. Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast but its every decision is from the Lord.”

and I let them have it... 'do we really have freewill or not?'

and oh those girls! It was beautiful; from 'yes, we have choices..' to 'but God is in control of everything' to an amazing example of how God can see the whole story written out; beginning, middle and end. He can see it all at once, outside of time.

Then she adds that God is the 'paper the story is written on,'...something she got from C.S.Lewis.

They ended the discussion with the 'P. word', paradox.

We can choose but God is sovereign.

Maybe next week I'll ask them about Jesus praying, "Not my will, but thine be done!"

Talk about a paradox :)! I love this!

And Now

And Now


I said You were my Lord,
I said You were my King,
I said I'd gladly die,*
I'd give you everything.



chorus
And now, You are my Light in the darkness.
And now, You are my sword and my shield.
And now, You are perfected in my weakness.
And now unto You will I yield.



I trusted in my strength,
I trusted in my might.
You said, 'Come pray with me,**
Come, Peter, seek the light.'


There's no good thing in me.
I could not right the wrong.
You had to die for me,
You knew it all along.



And now I want to be
Your servant, brave and true.
I trust in you alone
to make my heart anew.


And now, You are my Light in the darkness.
And now, You are my sword and my shield.
And now, You are perfected in my weakness.
And now unto You will I yield.









Send it to him if you think it will help,
in His Love, Cindy



(for 'Peter' the code name for a pastor of an underground church in China who was enduring some spiritual warfare against his family)
*Mt 26:35 But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you."
** Mt. 26:40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray.."

! Peter 2:9 But ye are .....a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

Mountain

"Oh, that word is wrong," I thought. My son, Danny has been trying to fix the spelling on the overhead projections of the worship songs. But this one just had the wrong word, I thought.

'Come Thou Fount,' is an old hymn so I opened the hymnal in the pew to check. "Wow, it is 'Mount.'"
Why would the writer be fixed upon a mountain? I'd rather be fixed upon a 'fount,' a fountain like at the beginning of the hymn. I like that; a 'fountain' overflowing on me. But it was a 'mountain.'
Then I remembered a Psalm that had always kind of confused me too.

Ps.121:1
I look to the mountains; where will my help come from?

I like mountains but they desolate lonely places. Maybe that's it! A place alone with God where I can hear Him like Jesus did a lot. But that verse talks about our help coming from the mountain. Maybe it's the Mt. of Olives. Jesus said he would return there. That's it, our ultimate Hope His return! But the words of this hymn spoke to my heart... "mount of His Redeeming Love." Calvary! Golgotha! Our Lord's willingness to give His all for us, His precious sacrifice for us... So that we could have Love beyond all understanding... Love that fills and fulfills... Love beyond our ability to even begin to understand.

Oh I think it's the 'Mount' that brings us to the 'Fount!'

everywhere

At the Convalescent home this week, there was a bit of a riff. Irv (not his real name:) is a constant challenge, fun but a challenge. He has both shocked and embarrassed me with his comments in the past but this time was different. He really wanted answers and he was in earnest.

"So where is God then?" he asked.
One resident, Judy spoke up, "He's in heaven."
I added, "Yes, but remember 1Kings 8:27 the heaven of heaven of heavens cannot contain thee.' so I think He's everywhere."

"I've seen life and I've seen death and I've seen battlefields and people shot and people dead and hungry and God isn't anywhere!" said Irv.

That's not the first time I've heard this. I think last time it was from a homeless man.

"You are right. Irv. I haven't seen anything like that and it does seem like God isn't anywhere sometimes. But He is there. He could even remove Himself completely from the scene and then the suffering would end because there really would be nothing without His Presence. He chooses to stay. He is there with those who suffer. I don't know anything about suffering like that but Paul does. He knew whippings and beatings and stoning and the executions of his friends and he knew shipwreck and prison and hunger and loneliness and sickness. Do you know, what he called all these sufferings he saw? He called them 'light afflictions.'
'Light afflictions' compared to the glory that will be revealed to those who love God and trust Him.
2 Cor.4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Rom.8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Paul saw that our time here is short, temporal and even the sufferings here are not eternal, not forever. So when suffering comes we need to keep our eyes on the Eternal One who is Everywhere especially with those who suffer.

"Is He in Hell?" asked Irv.
"You'd better be careful or you'll find out!" said Judy.

Oh, I love the Convalescent Home!

Prayer Cloud Spirit Circle

Re 8:4
The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.
Watching clouds this morning. Little clouds rising slowly up to become One with the water vapor blanket holding the earth and warming me, body and soul.

Prayers are like those little clouds, sweet spirit incense rising up and joining the Shekinah Glory that fills the temple.

A light mist in my face reminds me of His constant Love blessing me back. More real than the water we drink, His Presence fills us and then we give it back again. Like the mist joining those clouds then raining down again the Prayer Cloud Spirit Circle that joins me to Creator nourishes us, pleasing God and spills blessings on those around us.
Prayer and worship are very real life-giving water that our Spirits cannot live without.
Communing with Father through Spirit can never be taken away from us. Friends and family and spouses, we do need.
But without worship and praise in our lives, our lives would be very shallow and dry. We need that constant infilling, that Spirit Rain of blessing that comes when we enter into the Prayer Cloud Spirit Circle.