Movement

Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.  Numbers 9:22-23

In my journey through the Bible I am reading through the book of Numbers.  When reflecting on the major themes in the book, one thing sticks out: movement.  The Lord led the Israelites in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  When God moved, they moved.  When God stayed, they stayed.  There was a closeness stemming from obedience.  A simple but powerful process of communication was in place: God speaks/acts, Moses conveys, people respond.  It's very clear: obedience involves movement.  When God asks us to move, there is not a wait-and-see period.  He's the one in control of the universe.  He does whatever He wants (Ps. 115).  Faith is most fulfilling when we're moving to where He is, and moving with Him.  Missed opportunities come when He moves and we stay in the camp.  Have you ever missed His movement?  Sometimes God moves and we miss it.  Or we choose to stay put; to stay comfortable.  Oh how we miss the blessings of movement with Him!  I pray that we would be aware of His movement, and respond in obedience.

When He calls us to set out from contentment to commitment, I pray that we move.

When He calls us to set out from selfishness to sacrifice, I pray that we move.

When He calls us to set out from moralism towards the gospel, I pray that we move.

When He calls us to set out from complacency to courage, I pray that we move.

Who are you?

-an image (Gn. 1:26)

-a son (Gal. 4:6)

-an heir (Ro. 8:17)

-a child of God (Jn. 1:12)

-a friend (Jn. 15:15)

-the redeemed (Lk. 1:68)

-the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21)

-chosen (Col. 3:12)

-a temple (1 Cor. 6:19)

-sanctified (1 Cor. 6:11)

-set free (Ro. 6:22)

-empowered (Eph. 1:19)

-an instrument (2 Tim. 2:21)

-part of the body (1 Cor. 12:12)

You are His. Let us remind ourselves.

Reflections on James

1:4 - One of God's ways of building maturity in us is to lead us through tough times.
1:6-8 - If you ask for it, ask in confidence.
Traits of a double-minded man:
1. He uses the right words but has no conviction
2. He acts on impulse
3. He is easily influenced by deceitful people
1:14-15 - How sin takes its course. First a desire. Then a temptation. Then a sinful act. Then, when not dealt with, death. Take hold of a thought before it kills you (2 Corinthians 10:5).
1:19 - We would much rather be quick to speak, slow to listen. God is often heard in complete silence.
1:27 - What would happen if we used most of our time, resources, etc. to reach out to them?
2:14: Works are a result of faith
3:3-12 - The NT consistently leads us to look at our hearts and our words. Matthew 12:34.
3:17 - Wisdom is pure. True wisdom is never sought after for personal gain. Wisdom from God finds expression in the service of others.
4:1-3 - We often look for external reasons for conflict (something that was said or done). They begin inside of us in a war between good/evil.
4:5-6 - We are inclined to be envious but grace always wins.
4:17 - Knowing what to do and choosing not to do it is self-deception. We begin to believe we are right even after making a wrong decision.
5:13 - If you are in trouble, don't look for reasons why. Pray instead. If things are going well, give God the credit. Seek God in the good and bad.
5:15 - There is an attitude we are to bring to prayer - God will hear us and respond.
5:16 - Confession is for our benefit.

Reflections on Philippians

Thoughts on Philippians:

• 1:1 - "to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi." This church started with a wealthy businesswoman, a slave girl, and a jailer. Jesus changed them all! Diversity is not limited to race but also circumstances out of which Jesus saves us. We shouldn't all look the same.
• 1:6 - "What God originates, He orchestrates" - Andy Stanley. If God started it, He will finish it! If God puts a dream inside your heart, He takes care of the details.
• 1:12-18 - The message of Christ advances no matter what!
• 1:19 - Praying for someone in a difficult situation can confirm to them the promises of God.
• 1:21 - If I live, it's Jesus I live for. If I die, it's Jesus I die for. See Romans 14:8.
• 1:23 - Some people would much rather live with a little bit of Jesus than die having all of Him.
• 2:1 - If Jesus has done anything in you, then prove it.
• 2:3 - Humility - I've always chuckled at people who describe themselves as being humble. I remember C.S. Lewis' statement that pride is the one thing no man is without. So, logically we can assume that someone who says they are without pride is in fact both prideful and a liar, right?
• "Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God's holiness and our sinfulness." - C.J. Mahaney
• 3:1-11 Why we should pursue Christ
• v. 5-6 - religious heritage, knowledge, position will not do what Jesus does in your heart.
• v. 8 - Jesus transforms the entire person. Nothing else compares to that.
• v. 11 - an anticipation for us
• 3:12-21 - Ways we pursue Christ
• "press on" - endure the temporary for the eternal
• v. 17 - look at how mature believers live their lives. Learn from them.
• v. 19-20 - What do you think about most? Things we need to get done, matters of business, etc? What would happen if we began to think more about God than ourselves each day?
• 4:7 - the full measure of God's love is beyond our comprehension. This answer's the question of "how could God love me?" That is what divine love is. Unthinkable. Unimaginable.
  
• 4:13 - not a sports or success cliche
  

Reflections on Matthew 24-28

Matt 24-28
24:36 - Remember no one knows the day or the hour but God
25:29 - What are we doing with what God gave us?
25:35 - A lot of people talk about not being fed and so they leave their church for "spiritual reasons." I wonder how many people they served in love.
25:45 - This puts perspective on how we view poverty
26:5 - Leaders who made decisions based on keeping people happy wanted to kill Jesus.
26:7-13 - Activity FOR God is always trumped by changed hearts responding TO God.
26:26 - Hours before his death Jesus was feeding the hearts of his followers.
26:28 - blood of Christ seals a new covenant between God and man
26:33 - I love the zealous reply of Peter. We are more like him than we may admit: driven by emotions, pleasing the crowd, believing we are immune to temptation.
26:38 - Jesus identifies with our grief
26:39 - We want to be like Jesus, but are we willing to face personal anguish?
"Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." It's not about us. Would we follow Jesus if our entire lives involved suffering and failure according to our plans?
26:53-54 - Jesus placed obedience to the will of God above being freed from suffering.
26:56 - "At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled." All except for Peter. This is what I love about Peter. He denied Christ but he was still there. When sin takes us down we often feel as though Jesus could never love us again. It's as if we treat faith as a "one shot" deal. James 5:16 shows us the reality of the need for continual repentance.

There is a lot of good stuff in Ch. 27-28 so I'll save it for tomorrow.

Reflections on Matthew 20-23

20:1-16 You can't earn God's favor
20:26 - Leadership requires anonymity
20:30 - The people who acknowledged Jesus the most were the most desperate.
21:4-5 - Prophecy and reality co-existing
21:12 - Jesus was not a shy, girly dude
21:15 - When people have a personal agenda, they ignore miracles for the sake of their own motivation
21:19 - Jesus ate breakfast:)
21:31 - We will be surprised at who enters the Kingdom
21:32 - Confession and repentance lead to healing. Denial and disclosure lead to apathy.
21:45 - Jesus always leads us to reflect on ourselves
22:18 - We can't play games with Jesus!
22:37-40 - All of life comes down to this: love God, love people.
22:46 - Finally they stop making fools of themselves:)
23:4 - Leaders who lead like Jesus lead people to find freedom. Leaders who seek power and authority will only crush people (see Exodus and the brick business)
23:5-7 - Faking church won't fool Jesus
23:13 - Religious moralism can actually keep people out of heaven
23:25 - Beware of people who appear like they always have it all together

Reflections on Matthew 14-19

Thoughts on Matthew 14-19:

• 14:13,23 - Jesus took time to withdraw. He was constantly being approached by large crowds. He knew the importance of getting alone with God.
• 14:29 - Can we hear the simple invitation to "come"? It is an invitation to come out of our fear, insecurity, and doubt and into comfort, strength, and hope.
• 14:33 - We can trust that Jesus is who He says He is.
• 14:35-36 - A snapshot of Jesus' ministry - the word spread, people sought Him, Jesus healed them.
• 15:8-9 - What every Christ-follower fights against: self-serving religion.
• 15:10 - Hear. Listen. See. There is a connection between the activity of our physical body and the reality of our spiritual life. Not hearing, listening, or seeing the truth about Jesus leads to death. What keeps us alive and in the light is hearing, seeing, listening to Jesus. Look for Him. Hear Him. Listen to Him. It's better.
• 15:14 - I love this story:)
• 15:23 - What do we do when Jesus is silent? When the prayer goes unanswered?
• 16:7 - I can identify with the disciples. I get irritable when I'm hungry:)
• 16:9 - How quickly we can forget what God has done for us.
• 16:15 - A very personal question that every one of us will answer at some point.
• 16:18 - The purpose and strength of the church! Jesus is the center. If he is not, then it's not a church. It's HIS church!
• 17:4-5 - Moses and Elijah were the two greatest figures, along with Abraham, for the Jewish people. Matthew is leading his readers to understand Jesus as the greater Moses, greater Elijah, and greater Abraham.
• 17:20 - God can do the impossible! Do we believe it? Or do we settle for less than God can do through us?
• 18:3 - Kingdom of Heaven is not about status but submission
• 18:12 - Reverse math. 1 is better than 99.
• 18:15 - We should love to be confronted, but we don't.
• 18:21-34 - Remember where you were when Jesus saved you. Don't forget how much his grace is undeserved and your salvation unmerited. 1 Corinthians 1:26-27.
• 19:21 - What is the one thing you have refused to give up for Jesus?
• 19:30 - Following Jesus is counter-cultural. We can be certain that if culture says its important (wealth, status, appearance) then Jesus asks us to give it up. the question is, Are we willing to give up now to receive later?

What are your thoughts?

Reflections on Matthew 10-13

10:6-7 - We have a clear mission from Jesus!
Side note on verse 11: I remember hearing Rick Warren talk about influencing culture: Step 1: find a person of influence. Step 2: bless them. Simple.
Verses 16-34: "You will be beaten, arrested, betrayed by men. If you stay faithful to me, you will find life."
11:2 - John wanted to be sure of who Jesus was if he was going to risk his life. We know who Jesus is, but are we willing to give up our life?
11:27 - The closeness of God the Father and God the Son. Jesus gives us the same thing!
11:28-30 - All the weight of religous demands, sin, persecution were taken up by Jesus on the cross. Do I feel the weight lifted off me?
12:9 - Do I sometimes let rules get in the way of a work of God?
12:15 - Am I willing to leave controversy in order tpo submit to the larger purposes of God?
12:19 - Some of Jesus' followers wanted a violent revolt against the Romans. That was not the way he would reign as King.
12:23 - The purpose of miracles are to point to Jesus as the Messiah.
12:29 - Jesus beats the crap out of Satan!!!
12:40 - If you think Jonah and the whale was just a good story and not true, then Jesus is a liar (btw Jesus is not a liar:)
13:16-23 - The reality is that not everyone will receive the gospel in the same way. So we must understand and deal with people differently.
13:31-52 - mustard seed, yeast, treasure, pearls, fishing net. The Kingdom is so valuable. Its worth more than we can imagine. There will not be uncertainty about who belongs to the kingdom and who does not.

Reflections on Matthew 5-9

Here are my thoughts from Matthew 5-9:

• 5:3 - Do I need God or think God needs me?
• 5:5 - Am I obsessed with what I have earned or with what God promises?
• 5:6 - Am I pursuing righteousness or happiness?
• 5:11 - Am I enduring criticism or seeking comfort?
• 5:12 - I am not alone in my difficulties.
• 5:14 - God has set me apart.
• 5:24 - Take the initiative to reconcile.
• 5:43 - Love when its hard.
• 6:4 - Don't look for your name on a list.
• 6:9-13 Do these things appear in my prayers: holiness of God, God's providence, forgiveness, protection?
• 6:15 - I cannot separate my relationships with people from my relationship with God.
• 6:21 - Others can see where my heart is by what I value.
• 6:27 - Temporary Athiesm
• 6:33 - Seek God first. Period.
• 7:14 - Following Jesus is not popular.
• 7:23 - We can do things in the name of Christ and still go to hell.
• 7:29 - Jesus was set apart because of authority.
• 8:10 - Do I have a "just say the word" kind of faith?
• 8:26 - Even the disciples didn't fully understand who Jesus was.
• 8:29 - Demon-possessed people DID NOT wrestle with who Jesus was.
• 9:2 - How much would I sacrifice to see a friend healed?
• 9:9 - Jesus' disciples were the most looked down upon people of society.
• 9:10 - Jesus was a magnet for the sick, oppressed, lonely, hurting people of the world.
• 9:13 - We move closer to Jesus when we realize our flaws.
• 9:14 - Religion teaches what you should "DO" - Jesus is concerned with who you ARE.
• 9:22 - Jesus calls us sons and daughters - not drunks, diseased, gamblers, adulterers, liars, etc.
• 9:36 - We are helpless without Jesus.
  

Reflections on Matthew

Here are my thoughts on Matthew 1-4:

• Jesus came in a time of great oppression 1:11
• God's plan carries on despite our fears 1:20
• This is what sets Jesus apart from other religious leaders 1:21
• Do we know Jesus as "one who saves"?
• Earth and Heaven come together in Jesus 1:23
• Jesus was born into unexpected circumstances 2:6
• People will sometimes use the name of God for evil purposes 2:8
• Joseph's obedience helped protect the child 2:14
• This is the basic message of the gospel! 3:2
• Our religious heritage won't save us. Only Jesus will! 3:9
• Jesus models for us obedience in baptism 3:15
• God will allow for us to enter into seasons of distress as a test of faith 4:1
• When are you most vulnerable to temptation?
• Jesus calls us to a higher purpose 4:19
• We are called to leave behind what is comfortable to follow Him 4:22
  

Read through the Bible!

This year I'll be using YouVersion to read through the Bible. It's a great way to collaborate with other people as you journey through the Bible. Check it out here.

Where God Lives

In I Chronicles 17 God reminds us how much he wants to live in us. David wanted to build a house for the Ark of the Covenant but God sent a message telling David to leave the building up to Him. He would build his own house that would be perfectly beautiful - Jesus.

A few thoughts:

• We spend time trying to impress God with our religious duties, while God is impressed more by our faithfulness
• We sometimes run the risk of self-promotion when we have big ideas that are not God-ideas
• Through Jesus God lives in us
• Leaders who rely on God last longer
• God puts people in positions of power in order to teach them humility, not control (look at David's life)
• When leaders show humility , God gives them more influence
  

Journey Through Exodus

I'm reading through Exodus right now. Here are a few thoughts:

1) Moses is the man! Really, this dude is the greatest leader besides Jesus.
2) Sometimes people can ignore an obvious act of God
3) Sometimes leaders try to manipulate God in prayer (See Pharoah's story)
4) Ex. 4:31 - When Israelites became aware that God was concerned about them, they worshiped Him.
5) The Seven Plagues - God's desire was to continuously show His power - He still does today!
6) The one thing that prevented people from worshipping God was slavery - How relevant to today! We are slaves to money, status, sex, security, and a host of other things.