Converse by A. Allan Martin

Today zillions of people are talking to You all at once. Heartache. Elation. Frustration. All coming at You in hundreds of different languages. . . millions of different ways. At noon, I came to You along with our entire nation, asking You to "Bless our President, Congress, and all our leaders with supernatural power." And yet, it's awkward. Because You don't speak up; You're not like my wife, my friends, my colleagues. You speak different.

Sara* says it well for me:

"Hello Lord, it's me Your child. I have a few things on my mind. Right now I'm faced with big decisions, and I'm wondering if You have a minute.

Chorus: Right now I don't hear so well and I was wondering if You could speak up. I know that You tore the veil so I could sit with You in person and hear what You're saying, but right now, I just can't hear You.

I don't doubt Your sovereignty, I doubt my own ability to hear what You're saying and to do the right thing, and I desperately want to do the right thing. [chorus]

Somewhere in the back of my mind I think You are telling me to wait, and though patience has never been mine, Lord I will wait to hear from You. [chorus]"

Waiting is the hardest part. It makes me anxious. It's then that You mention, "Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to Me. And My peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Me." [Philippians 4:6,7 NIV paraphrased]

You're right. I don't understand it. You're always right.

Christine* says it well for me:

"The people said this desert never ends. We have no bread our throats are dry. Our heads are heavy and our feet need rest. Has He left us here to die? And we've forgotten all His words. As if we never heard. We take our hearts and turn away.

Chorus: But He is not silent. He is not whispering. We are not quiet. We are not listening. He sends a lifeline. We keep resisting Him. He is not silent. We are not listening

We wander through this world in disbelief. Shake our heads at every tear. Searching endlessly. For some relief. Has He left us dying here? But we've forgotten all His words. Pretend we never heard. We take our hearts and turn away. [chorus]

We take our daily bread. And after we've been fed. We take our hearts and turn away. [chorus]"

So today, I'm turning towards You.

Time for me to be quiet...

I'm listening. [really]

ENCOUNTER: How is it between you and God?

 

---

*Sara Groves' song "Conversations" and Christine Dente of Out of the Grey's song, "He is Not Silent"

Doors by Scott Reed

I have a desire for my life and yours... it's that we would "simplify and intensify" our focus. Just as a river will gain momentum and force when it is channeled into a smaller opening, our lives can also become more powerful when we truly seek God to hear the things that He is calling us to focus on. This often involves long periods of waiting that is uncomfortable and unnatural for us as believers who prefer an "open door" kind of theology that says, "if there is an open door, I'll walk through it"... "if a door closes, I'll go find another open one". I would love to see us, as a church, stop this kind of thinking. Can you see how destructive it can be? It takes all the seeking out of the process... you no longer have to hear from the Holy Spirit, you don't need to say "no" to things as long as they're "good" things, and you no longer have to walk by faith, just simply walk by your own sight. The word gives us opposite instructions..."the just shall walk by faith and not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7)

So, I will continue to learn to hear God more clearly in my life, even if it's harder. I will continue to learn how to say "no" to opportunities that distract, even if they are "good" ones.

And, I will continue to "simplify" my life, so that the callings and will of God in this life can be "intensified".

ENCOUNTER:  How might you simplify your life? Where do you sense your need to feel God's intensity?

Look for the Helpers

Last Friday started out as a day like any other.  People woke up, showered, ate breakfast, packed their kids' lunches and sent them off to school.  Sadly, for one school, what was otherwise a normal day turned into a nightmare.

By now, we are all aware of the horrors of that day.  The fear, the helplessness, the utter shock.  Many people wondered, both publicly and privately, where God was that day.  How could a God of love let something this monstrous happen?

I admit, at first I was just kind of in stunned awe, just numb, at hearing the news.  I had some of those same questions for God, too.  In those moments, I read the ancient words of Jeremiah, written during similarly awful circumstances.  In this personal paraphrase of some portions of Lamentations 2 & 3, I found an answer.

Rise during the night and cry out.
    Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord.

My tears flow endlessly;
    they will not stop
until the LORD looks down
    from heaven and sees.

I called on your name, LORD,
    from deep within the pit.
You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!
    Hear my cry for help!”
Yes, you came when I called;
    you told me, “Do not fear.”

The LORD is good to those who depend on him,
    to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
    for salvation from the LORD.

For no one is abandoned
    by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
    because of the greatness of his unfailing love.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.

As I read the words, I could acutely feel the grief Jeremiah spoke of, but I could see no compassion.  But God showed me that if I would just wait quietly, He wasn’t done yet.

One by one, stories emerged.  The NFL star, Victor Cruz, heard that 6-year-old Jack Pinto idolized him and had been so happy to see Cruz and the Giants win the Super Bowl this last February.  That Sunday Cruz wore cleats with a hand-written note “Jack Pinto, My Hero” on them.  And then, just this Tuesday, Victor, his girlfriend, and their daughter drove to Connecticut and spent time with Jack’s family.  They talked, they cried, and just….spent time together.  Jack never got to meet his hero, but his hero has been touched in an indescribable way by his short life.

Then there is the story of little Daniel Barden, age 7.  All he wanted to be when he grew up was a fireman, just like his uncle and his cousin.  As his little casket was driven to the church, hundreds of firemen from all across, lined the street in full dress uniforms, all for a little boy most had never met.

There are stories of the teachers and principal at the school who sacrificed everything to protect the children.  The outpouring of love and compassion from total strangers, from the President to the person on the street, is just staggering.  And in these stories and others, the hand of Divine Providence is clearly seen.

Fred Rogers, talking to children about the bad things that happen in life, said this:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

Mr. Rogers was right.  So many caring people are embracing Newtown, CT right now.  God has sent helpers to help those who need it.  Even you and I, who may not be able to physically be in Connecticut, can be helpers by lifting that community up in prayer.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each morning.

Encounter: How can you be God’s helper today?

Finish Your Strawberry Shake…Now! by Dick Duerksen

"There now, that's it. Just a little more and you'll have finished your strawberry shake!"

The words came from a CCU room where the instructions shouted, "Nothing by Mouth." A nurse stood beside the bed, adjusting an IV bottle filled with a strawberry-colored liquid.

As the nurse emerged, smiling, I asked how his day was going.

"Just great," his smile broadened. "I'm just doing a little 'good nurse-marine sergeant' routine with Mrs. Smith this morning."

Good Nurse: All of those kind and sweet and nice words that help the patient and her family feel secure, appreciated and loved.

Good Nurse: The soft smoothing of the bed, re-arranging the bedside stand and looking in the door "just checking on you."

Marine Sergeant: The crispness of voice as you explain that the medicine must be taken "NOW."

Marine Sergeant: "Get out of bed and walk around the room.

Yes, it'll hurt now, but it'll keep the adhesions from developing!"

Marine Sergeant: "Yes, you'll have to use the bedpan. I'm afraid you might faint on the way to the bathroom. Sorry!"

Marine Sergeant: "Take a deep breath now. That's right, breathe all the way in. Of course it hurts! That's part of getting well!"

Good Nurse: Caring enough to command.

It is possible that some patients will progress best while being tended by "Good Nurses." It is also possible that some patients need a stronger dosage of "Marine Sergeant." Only caregivers know for certain, caregivers whose goal is the total health of their patients.

I'm glad God is a wise caregiver. He knows when to give me the soft caresses of grace and when to add a little thunder into my life. He knows when I need His DIRECTION!! And when I need a strawberry shake.

He knows, because His goal is my total, complete, personal, forever, spiritual health.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love," He says. "I have drawn you with loving-kindness... I will discipline you, but only with justice." --Jeremiah 30:11 and 31:3

ENCOUNTER:

1. How is God serving as "Marine Sergeant" in your life?

2. How is He serving as "Good Nurse"?

3. What directions do you feel God is giving you at this time of your life? How are you responding?

4. How are you being a "Good Nurse" or "Marine Sergeant" for those closest to you?

Your Personal Protector by Dick Duerksen

WORD: The Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you. -- 2 Thessalonians 3:3
THOUGHT: Being a cop can be a frightening and dangerous job. Just the mention of "Policeman," brings up grainy images of HILL STREET BLUES, Turnpike Rage, CHIPS, Steven Segal and New York terrorism.

However, those images may not provide a fair picture of the roles Police play in our world. Often their assigned beats are places of boring inactivity as they provide the visible "presence" of The Law. Just by BEING THERE and CARING they increase our safety.

Roy Northrup is a policeman in Vancouver, British Columbia where his job is often one of "Being There" presence. He stands on a street corner watching traffic, guiding tourists and keeping the peace.

While calmly doing his job one afternoon, he felt a tug on the right leg of his uniform. He expected to see a small child asking him to "help find Mommy." No child. Instead, he was greeted by the quacking urgency of a Mallard duck. She quacked and tugged at his uniform and then quacked some more.

Roy pushed her away, urging her to waddle toward the lake. No go. Just more tugging and louder quacking.

So Roy crouched down and asked her what she wanted. She turned and urgently quacked her way over to a large storm drain where she sent up a fearful bedlam of quacks and squeaks.

Roy looked into the drain with her, and then placed a call to his supervisor. Minutes later a City of Vancouver maintenance truck roared up to Roy's corner station. Tools in hand, the crew clattered out and began removing the grate from the storm drain. All the while, Mamma Mallard quacked encouragement from her place of safety beside Officer Northrup.

Deep in the storm drain, 8 tiny fluffs of feathers cowered in fear. Here was the cause of Mama Mallard's pain! Her ducklings had fallen through the grate to certain death!

But, Officer Northrup came to the rescue! Roy and the other workers lifted each duckling to safety - and then watched as Mama and brood quacked off to the lake.

Maybe (quite possibly) God is like Officer Northrup, ready and eager to hear our deepest pain, eager to understand our needs, strong enough to provide full protection.

encounter: Where in your life do you need God's protection? How have you experienced God's protection in your life?

Finisher by Haskell Williams

WORD: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2, NKJV.

THOUGHT: God. . . I’ve had this idea for a while now—this invention I’d like to make. I first thought about it when my friends had all that trouble with their washing machine. Concerned about their dilemma, and the potential problem of my own, I’ve come up with a scheme to fix it all—or so I think.

You see, Lord, it’s a flaw in the whole washing machine system that makes them vulnerable for mishaps; and I am sure my design will correct it. I’ve done research on the project; I’ve found the necessary components; I’ve even inquired about the process of obtaining a patent and a “sponsor”—You know, someone who will put up the investment and make it happen.

But, as You already know, I’ve been so busy with other commitments, my idea is “resting” right now-sketched on several sheets of paper, and... nagging in the back of my brain-waiting to come to reality. That’s what I like about You, God. Whatever is good and right, You’re able to get off the drawing board and into action. You’re not limited by resources or time.

You saw the inherent and repeated flaws in me, and You came up with a plan of how to fix my fatal defects. You even risked the whole wealth of Heaven to put up the capital Yourself. You are “the author and finisher” of our faith. You are the One who conceived the idea and the One who can pull it off—bring it to completion.

I want to believe Your plan will work. I have confidence in You, just not in myself. I have confidence in Your ability to make it happen, a lot more confidence than in my ability to get this little invention into reality. My idea may never see the light of day, but the salvation You have made for me is certain, and for everyone who trusts You.

Thank You for promising that You are able to generate AND nurture my faith to fulfillment. Help me not look to “my faith,” but in Your surety. Grow my faith in You, even as I trust You with this feeble mustard seed of faith. Help me to remember that You gave me even that! I choose to trust You, Lord—even when I can’t figure out how You’ll work it all out—in the big things, and the little ones.

ENCOUNTER: What was God’s idea as He was making you? What is God trying to complete in you?

The Secret is Out! by Jeff Gang

WORD: “To you, O king, as you lay in bed, came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and the revealer of mysteries disclosed to you what is to be. - “Daniel 2:29

THOUGHT: Is it me or am I the only one who doesn’t like email forwards? It’s annoying. Listen people. I don’t read them. I can’t find the delete key fast enough. Please stop sending them to me. However, I’ve come to realize that there is one forward in life I can’t ignore—I can’t delete because it won’t go away. It’s been sent down through the ages. It’s been passed on from generation to generation. From decade to decade. From century to century. Through the millennia it comes down. The message is clear. It reads as follows:

Subject: > Fwd: >Fw: >FWD: >Fwd: The Secret is Out! (you gotta read this!)!?!

<< In a message dated “before the dawn of time”

00:00:00 from somewhere in the universe,

[e-mail

>address:

>writes:

> 

><< 

>THE SECRET IS OUT This was written by the

Creator

>The kingdom of heavens…

> 

>Listen!

>I am the revealer of secrets.

>I am the revealer of great mysteries from

before time immortal.

>I know great things!

> 

> 

>I can’t keep it inside, I can’t keep this secret. It’s

>too amazing.

>It’s to incredible. It’s to wonderful! I

>am bursting to tell you. I will die to tell you.

> 

> 

>Here it is: Are you ready?

>I am the one who formed your inward parts;

> I knit you together in your mother’s womb.

>you are wonderfully made.

> 

>My ways are not hidden from you,

>you were made in secret

>intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

>But my eyes beheld your unformed substance.

> 

>And listen! In my book were written

> all the days that were formed for you,

>when none of them as yet existed.

> 

>I know these thoughts blow your mind. I know

>how boggling this secret is to your thoughts,

>how vast is the sum total of what I am revealing!

> 

>Try to count them-but you can’t—they are more

>than the sand; you’ll come to the end of every grain

>-I am still with you!

> 

> 

>I am God.

> 

> 

>Now if you are amazed by this Revealer of Secrets,

>forward this to all the people in your address book

> and the person who sent

>this to you.

> >>

PRAYER: O Reveler of Secrets, I worship you today and everyday. You are Bigger than me. You are Greater than my sum total. I bow before you in awe and wonder. I come before you with praise. You who have revealed my destiny before I was. Because You Were and You Are.

Amen.

ENCOUNTER:

The secret is out. What difference is it going to make in your life today?

How are you going to do things differently today because of this secret revealed before the dawn of time?

What difference will this secret make in your life the next time you worship (alone or with people)?

Why is this secret so important to living a life of God encounters?

Going Old School: God's Return Policy

As we've seen throughout our study of Leviticus, the Israelites were required to give or dedicate things to the Lord. For example, the first portion of their harvests, their firstborn sons and animals, and a tithe when their wealth increased. Some of the Israelites, just like some Christians today, wanted to go above and beyond what was required and give even more to the Lord. Sometimes they would dedicate themselves, another family member, donate land, give additional animals, and so on to God. And rather than actually GIVE something to God, they could donate the money that the gift was worth (as determined by the priest).

But the Israelites, like us, were human. Sometimes one of them might make a vow or dedication that was beyond their means, maybe a show of bravado or "look how much I gave to the Lord!" (We see a lot of that in Jesus' time.) In Leviticus 27, God seeks to discourage that behavior. But, because He recognizes that sometimes we humans make rash decisions, He instituted a return policy for offerings.

First of all, God forbids swapping out offerings. In vv. 9-10, God basically says that if you give an animal to Him as an offering, you can't just substitute another animal for it if you realized later on that you need the original animal. You could give another animal, but both animals would be considered holy and had to be treated as such. God was teaching the people that if they made a commitment to Him, they shouldn't go back on their promise even if things got tough. God did allow people dedicated to Him to be purchased back with a 20% penalty. So often today we promise to give 10% of our income to God, but then some unexpected bill comes up or for some reason we just "can't" give a tithe this month. God expects us to keep our promises to Him, even if it leads to short term pain. But remember, God also promises to provide for those who remain faithful!

People could also donate land, just as people today do. If an Israelite donated a piece of land to the Lord in, say, a will, the Lord gives provisions for doing that in vv. 14-25. As you read these verses, you'll notice that the land donations especially revolve around the Year of Jubilee. Land value depreciated the closer it got until the next Year of Jubilee, and at that time the land must be returned to the original owner or his decedents. But if the family does not want the land back, or it was sold to another people, at the Year of Jubilee the field becomes holy, and it will be the property of the priests to keep for the Lord. This is another wonderful provision God set up that we no longer keep today.

In Leviticus 27:33, God gives a final thought on tithe and offering. Many of the principles God has outlined in Leviticus for His people were not intended to be edicts that had to be followed OR ELSE. Instead, God was encouraging the people to give from the heart, to have their outward gifts match their inward feelings. If a person gives a big gift but is inwardly upset or feels forced into it, he or she is only giving an offering out of obligation, which is not what God is asking for. Paul puts it like this, "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. 'For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.' And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." (2: Cor. 9:7-8)

As we come to a close in our study on Leviticus, what has it really been all about? Is it just a book of rules given to the Israelites that are meaningless of us today? I would argue that all the commands in Leviticus that God gave the people in the wilderness help us to really learn about about God's nature and character. Sure, Leviticus might seem irrelevant in our modern, iPhone, text messaging, high-speed world, but when you take that deeper look, as we've done, you realize that it IS still relevant. God is the same God today as He was at Sinai, and the principles for living He gave back then remain as true today. As Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will disappear, but My Words will never disappear." (Matt. 24:35 & Luke 21:33). People and societies come and go, but if we choose to follow our timeless, unchanging God, we must find ways to apply His principles in our lives. We must always remember that:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8)

Encounter: How do you worship God in your everyday life, by just following the rules, or by inviting Him to be a part of everything you do?  Have you thanked Him for being involved (even when you didn't think you wanted Him to be)?

Going Old School: A Light For Our Lives

Leviticus has shown us that God cares how we live our daily lives, and wants not just what is best for us, but also what is best for our relationship with Him.  As David said in Psalm 119 -

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
         And a light to my path.

In the beginning of Leviticus 24, God again goes over the importance of the lamps in the Tabernacle (vv 1-4).  The people of Israel are to keep pure olive oil coming to the priests so that the lamps in the Tabernacle never go out.  Aaron and the priests were to make sure that the lamps were always lit and had sufficient oil to stay lit.

Today we don’t keep temple lights burning continually, so this passage must be irrelevant for us today, right?  Take another look at David’s psalm.  God’s Word is a lamp for us, to guide our lives day to day.  So if God’s Word is our light, what then must be the oil?  Reading it!  Living it!  Establishing that relationship with God!  As Isaiah says “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” (40:8).  Jesus Himself reiterates that same point: “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.” (Matt. 24:35)

So if God’s Word is eternal and everlasting, maybe it would do us good to ready and study it?  What do you think?

---

Along with being our guiding light, God touches on another topic that is still popular today: justice.  But given what we just learned about God’s Word never being irrelevant, Leviticus 24:10-16 seems a little harsh.  Stoning someone for blasphemy?

The punishment is extreme by modern standards.  It was also extreme by Roman standards when the Jewish leaders were trying to trip up (and then resorted to falsely accusing) Jesus and demanding His execution for blasphemy (John 19:7).  But what God is showing His people (including us today) is how seriously we need to take our relationship with Him.  How many times to we use His name in swearing, or just plain acting like God doesn’t exist (we don’t want to be branded a “religious nut” after all)?  But as Pastor Reams of Forest Lake said a little while ago, God is HOLY, and after everything He’s done for us, He deserves to be treated with reverence (which we all seem to have forgotten)!  And remember, it’s God who will have the last word, not us.

In finishing out Leviticus 24, God gives guidance to judges (most of which is still effective law today).  For example, we still have the death penalty for someone who murders someone (Lev 24:17 & 21).  But if you look over God’s advice for judges, what He is saying is that the punishment should fit the crime.  Back then, if you were to kill a neighbor's ox, for example, you would have to repay your neighbor with a new ox.  That was the only way he had to plow his fields, and you as the offending party needed to make it right.  And this was true if your neighbor was an Israelite or a foreigner, God’s law applied equally.

So the next time you do something to hurt or offend someone, don’t let it simmer.  Make it right with that person, even if you don’t want to!  As Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil (4:26-27).
We’ll close this chapter of Leviticus with what Jesus taught the people about getting along with their neighbors:

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.  (Matt. 5:23-24)

Encounter: Will you spend time with God today in His Word?

Going Old School: Party Time!

It can never be said about God that He doesn’t want His people to enjoy their lives and the fruits of their labors.  To the contrary, God wants us to enjoy life to the fullest!  In Leviticus 23, in addition to Sabbath given every seventh day, God gives the people several national holidays for celebration, fellowship, and worship.  He wanted to set aside special days for the people to come together for rest, refreshment, and to remember and give thanks for all that He had given them.  Much can be learned from the way people celebrate their holidays.  What do your holiday traditions say about you and your values?  Do your holidays and celebrations reflect your relationship with God, or are they all about you?

The Festival of Unleavened Bread (vv. 5-8)
God established the Festival of Unleavened Bread to remind Israel of their great escape from Egypt.  For seven days they ate unleavened bread, just as their ancestors had done before leaving Egypt.  The symbolism of the unleavened bread (bread made without yeast) was important to the Israelites.  The bread itself was very unique, and i marked the Israelites as unique among all the nations.  They were God’s people, chosen to reflect Him to everyone in the world!  Also, yeast was a symbol for sin, so yeastless bread would show Israel’s moral purity (another good example to the world).  Of course, since there was no yeast in the bread and the baker didn’t need to wait for it to rise, the bread could be made quickly.  This reminded the Israelites to obey quickly, as their ancestors had when then left Egypt quickly.

Celebration of First Harvest (vv. 9-14)
The First Harvest Festival required that the first of the harvested crops be offered to God.  The Israelites were not allowed to eat any of their harvest until the offering was made.  We may not all be farmers any more, but God still expects us to put His portion aside first (the first-fruits of our labor) to express our thanks to Him for providing for us.  Just giving leftovers isn’t really showing that much thanks, is it?  What are your “first-fruits” today and how to you thank God for them?

The Festival of Harvest (Festival of Weeks) (vv. 15-22) - Shavuat
This was a celebration of the harvest itself, held seven weeks after the First Harvest Festival.  The people celebrate with God, and they were forbidden from working any more in the fields on this special Sabbath day.  Also, in v. 22, God once again reiterates to the people that they are not to pick up grain that they’ve dropped harvesting their field, it is to be left for the poor and needy among the Israelites.  The Harvest Festival could thus be shared and celebrated among all the people, not just the rich!

The Festival of Trumpets (vv. 23-25) – Rosh Hashanah
This festival is traditionally held as the “new year” celebration for people, animals, and legal contracts.  Jews believe that this holiday also denotes the Creation of the World.

The Day of Atonement (vv. 26-32) – Yom Kippur
This was the most holy day of the year for the Jewish people (and still is today).  Yom Kippur occurrs nine days after the Festival of Trumpets.  Most Jews observe Yom Kippur with 25-hours of fasting and prayer, to atone for their sins.  The ancient Israelites also gathered at the Tabernacle and the priests made sacrifices to God to atone the people’s sins as a nation.  The people were forbidden to work on Yom Kippur, and they were to treat it as a Sabbath if it did not fall on Sabbath.

The Festival of Shelters (vv. 33-43) – Sukkot
The Festival of Shelters (or Tabernacles, or Booths) also called Festival of Final Harvest (Ex. 23:16) or Festival of Ingathering (Deut. 16:13-14)was a celebration that involved the whole family!  Like the Passover, the festival showed family members of all ages God’s character and and everything He had done for them.  It was also a time when the whole family renewed their commitment to God.  Our families celebrate similar rituals today, to renew our faith and pass it on to our children.  Other than Christmas and Easter, what else does your family do to celebrate and commemorate God’s goodness?

Worship doesn’t just involve confession and solemn rule keeping, it involves celebration too!  In Israel’s holidays, the balance is way more in favor of celebration than towards confession: 5 celebrations and 2 solemn holidays.  God encourages joy, and if He intended for our worship of Him to just be meditation and introspection, He would have created more solemn holidays than joyous ones.  Serious reflection and confessing our sins is always important,  but it needs to be balanced by celebrating who God is and what He has done for you!

Encounter: Will you take some time to celebrate what God has done in your life?  The lives of your friends and family?

God of Our Fathers by Jeff Cinquemani

My wife likes to go to graveyards. Not just graveyards where relatives may be buried, but any graveyard especially the very old ones, you know the ones that sit on the side of a hill along with those old country churches. She can walk around and read old epitaphs for hours imagining what life must have been like for them.

For me it’s old pictures. I had the opportunity to visit the little town in Sicily where my grandma and grandpa grew up. Here, where most of my relatives still live were hundreds of pictures, each with a story to go along with them. Unfortunately, my Italian was inadequate to ask anything but general questions. However, I couldn’t help but think as we were sitting there going over all the memories and stories, that I was looking into the eyes of myself, just placed in an earlier time and another part of the world.

In each of us there comes a time when we start to look back, not just on our own lives but on the lives of those who walked before us. The more we study and explore their histories the more we find a sense of unity with them, for we start to understand the strange similarities in all of our stories.

All down through history man has had one common thread that ties him or her to generations past, present and yes even future. It is the fact that God has and will be forever present in our lives at all times. Just as God was with those families during the plagues of Egypt so He is with us today in our present day "plagues".

In Deuteronomy 26, Moses is setting up a tradition for his people to remember the stories of their forefathers; stories of prosperity, stories of affliction, stories of failure and stories of victory. Yet, through them all God was with them and brought them to this promise. It was His leading in the past that would provided hope and assurance for their future. "He is the God of Our Fathers", if we trust in nothing more than that, let us move forward with the hope that He will finish what He started so long ago with those He called own.

Today God is still the God of our fathers and from that we can gain a unique sense of peace knowing that He saw our bloodline before we got here. He’s worked with people like us before. He’s not only ready to take our lives and mold us to His character, He has been waiting for this moment for a long time and you can bet He is excited about the possibilities.

encounter: What about your story? Explain where God was in your times of pain, times of joy.

Going Old School: Sex Ed by God

As we’ve walked through Leviticus, we’ve learned a lot about what it means to live for God.  More than that, we’ve learned how living well is good for us, too.  What we eat, our bathing habits, how to take care of ourselves (and others) when we’re sick, how to avoid getting sicker, all very important to a good life!

There is another piece to living our lives to the fullest that God talks with us about in Leviticus: Sex.  In Leviticus 18, God lays out pretty plainly and clearly safe, proper, and healthy sexual practices for us.

God begins this chapter (vv. 1-5) by encouraging His people to remain focused on Him and not fall into the pagan rituals they encountered as slaves in Egypt or that they saw around them in the Canaanites.  As the Israelites moved around in the wilderness and encountered these cultures, God knew how easy it would be for the people to forget about Him and the life He was trying to build for them and slip back into paganism.  The societies and religions surrounding the Israelites were focused on worldly desires and the pleasing of self above all, especially through sex and drunkenness.

He continues His discussion of forbidden sexual practices by forbidding marriage and intercourse with a close relative (vv. 6-18).  We realize today that this was to prevent incest and the serious health problems that can come from it.  More than that, God knew the consequences and destructive effect improper sexual relations would have within a family.  Think about the destruction that happens when a child is sexually molested by a relative.  God knows sexual practices between family members tears families apart.

God also has prohibitions against adultery (v. 20), offering child sacrifices (v. 21), homosexuality (v. 22), and bestiality (v. 23).  These were common practices in the pagan religions and cultures of the day, and you can see why God would deal harshly with those who committed these disgusting acts.  Additionally, the practices can lead to disease, deformity, and death.  They destroy families and society because they have such low regard for the value of a person (and that person’s self-esteem).  Modern society takes some of these things very lightly, even going so far as to condemn those who don’t accept them (more on this later).  But these practices are still as much a sin today as they were in the Wilderness, and just as unacceptable.

So what is the life lesson God was trying to teach His people?  God was encouraging the Israelites to keep themselves pure since they were His representatives to the world.  He knew there would be pressure the be absorbed into the surrounding culture and narcissistic religions, and He was moving to protect His people.  Likewise today we may feel pressure to conform to the “accepted” way of life in modern society, but giving into it would:

a) create confusion as to which side we should be an and
b) eliminate any impact we could have for God.  

Just as God instructed the Israelites, we too must resist modern culture’s attempt to mold our thoughts and actions so that we can be the examples for God we’re called to be.  We were created in His image, after all!

Encounter: Do you sometimes feel pressure from society to act a certain way or do certain things to be accepted?  Did you try and deal with it on your own or did you ask Jesus for help?