Matthew 23

Verse 37: "Jersualem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the one who brought you God's news!" (The Message)

These are the words of Jesus to the Pharisees, the leaders of the Jewish church. Jesus was warning them that they were repeating history by ignoring Jesus, who was a prophet.

Jesus had three roles, prophet, priest and king. Mostly we talk about him being a king and how he rules in glory... but today I want to talk about Jesus as prophet.

A prophet, in the biblical sense is someone who acts as a medium for God, someone who speaks a message which God has given him or her. Usually prophets do not share popular messages because people are usually not living the way God desires.

I had a professor that said "a prophet rarely grows old enough to have grey hairs."

Jesus was telling the Pharisees that their understanding of religion was totally off. They were all about show and not about heart. They completely missed the point. This is the message that made him public enemy number one, that made so many want to crucify him.

But he was speaking the truth. Religion is not about tradition and show, it is about love.

Where are our prophets today?
Do they have a voice?
Do we listen?
Are the occuppying Wall Street?
Are they with the Tea Party?

Or are they silent, painting on the subway walls? Afraid to come out in public because of what happened to Jesus, Dr. King and everyone in between.

Matthew 22

Jesus said "So give back to Caesar what is caesar's,
and give to God what is God's."

Money, money, money...

2,000 years ago money was a sign of dominion. When a king conquered a new land, the king's money became the only money that was good. The person that you were ruled by was the same smiling face on all of your coins.

God did not create money, human beings did. In God's economy there was no need for money, everyone had what they needed. But human's felt a need for money so that they could barter, and then money started to become more than just something to barter with but something to save and collect.

I am reminded of one of my favorite cartoons, Ducktales. Uncle Scrooge McDuck is a character that has a building where he stores all of his gold coins, he loved his coins and he loved to swim in his coins... Growing up I always wanted to swim in a million dollars worth of quarters, but I realized that quarters are solid and it would hurt to jump into a pile of them.

Today our money no longer belongs to a king but to a nation. We have pictures of great men on our money and in small words we write "In God We Trust." But money is neither about America or God... Money itself has become king. Whoever has the most money has the most power. And it is in money that we as a nation really trust.

God is not really interested in all that... God is interested in what God created, you and I. God wants our hearts, not our wallets. God wants us to be in a loving relationship with us, and will do anything to make it happen, even send His only begotten Son.

As we grow in relationship with God our priorities change; the way we treat money, the way treat each other, and the way we treat the earth.

Change us Lord. Amen.

Matthew 21

Verse 19: Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

What did the fig tree ever do to Jesus?This is a weird story. Jesus never performs a miracle for his own sake. He doesn't turn stone to bread when he is hungry and he doesn't save himself from the cross... so why does he curse the fig tree? It doesn't make sense.This must be a parable which is lived out.

From a distance Jesus can see leaves on the tree, but when he gets to the tree there is no fruit. Because there is no fruit, because the tree is not what it appeared to be (leaves no fruit) Jesus curses the tree.

In Matthew 7 Jesus says that "by their fruit you will recognize them."Those Jesus came to save appear to be holy, they are a tree with leaves, but in reality they are more concerned with their power and status than they are with what God is doing, they bear no fruit.

They were so blinded by their own selfish desires that they could not see God standing in front of them... that is their curse. Instead, they treat Jesus like an enemy and nail him to a tree.

As Christians, the most inportant thing we can do is be who we say we are. Ghandi once said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians, your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

What good is having a Jesus fish on the back of your car if you cut people and give them the finger? What good is reading the bible if you ignore what it says? What good is a tree without fruit?

Lord, help us to bear fruit, help us to be the people you have called us to be. Amen.

Matthew 20

Verses 30-31: Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted. "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us." The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

These two men need Jesus, so they call out for him, and the they are told to by the crowd to be quiet. They are told by the people who are following Jesus to shut up. The text says that they weren't just told to be quiet, but they were rebuked... They were talked down to. The crowd literally told them that Jesus doesn't care about you, Jesus doesn't have time for you, so shut up and deal with your life.

What does Jesus do? Verse 34: Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Apparently Jesus' followers had know idea what Jesus cares about or what Jesus had time for. I wonder if we have any clue today... Do we rebuke people? Do we tell people to be quiet because "Jesus doesn't care about you"?

THERE IS NO ONE THAT JESUS DOESN'T HAVE TIME FOR. THERE IS NO HUMAN BEING THAT CAN KEEP YOU FROM JESUS. THERE IS NO ONE THAT JESUS LOVES MORE THAN YOU.

What if Jerry Sandusky, the guy from Penn State that allegedly molested a number of children was sitting on a curb while we were walking by with Jesus, and he called out to Jesus for mercy? What would you do if you heard him first? I would have to fight the urge to kick him.

(In no way am I saying that blind people are in the same boat as molestors, but 2,000 years ago people really believed that blindness and other handicaps were the result of sin)

Jesus cares about more people than we can imgine; Jesus has time for the people that we ignore.

I hope that when the two men joined the crowd that they didn't do like the others. I hope that their personal experience with Jesus helped them transform the crowd to more graceful.

I hope that our personal experience with Jesus helps us to be more graceful.

Matthew 19

Verse 14: Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

We were talking about this exact verse in bible study on Tuesday night. I think many people take this verse to mean that we should just accept what we are told and believe it as truth, because kids can be gullible and manipulated.

I don't think that's it at all. The thing about kids is that they are always asking questions. They are always asking why. They want to figure things out... the world is new and exciting to them, they have a sense of wonder because they don't have it all figured out.

We should never stop asking questions. We should never stop struggling with our faith, because we will never figure it out.

And that's a good thing, because it leaves room for wonder in our lives.

Matthew 18

I decided to start reading from the Message today. Maybe because my legs are sore and it's the closest bible to me right now. Either way, I'm glad I did.

***Sidenote: For those of that haven't heard of the Message, it is not a literal translation but a paraphrase. It takes the words of the bible and paraphrases them in to words that we would use today. Snobby bible scholars are offended at its existence, I don't use it very often because my other bible has notes, underlines and highlights in it. Maybe today is the day I make the switch. If you are a snobby bible scholar, then I am sorry but my other bible is like 15 feet away and I met with a personal trainer yesterday and my legs are beyond sore.***End sidnote.

In other translations Jesus talks about binding and loosing, but in the Message Jesus says "A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven." That's pretty scary... It means that we have the power to make judgments for Jesus. Well, it's not intended for us to think that we can make those decisions individually, but the church can make those decisions.

So what happens when two different churches say completely opposite things? One church says divorce is ok, but other churches say it's not. Churches disagree on so much, so what does heaven say? What does Jesus say?

Honestly? I hope Jesus took these words back. I hope that at some point he said, "Remember what I said about your ability to make judgments, well I didn't really mean it. I had too much wine that day. I will handle the judging."

If Christians spent as much telling people about Jesus' love as we do arguing with each other then our world could be a great place to live.

As long as everyone was a Lutheran.

Matthew 17

Verses 25 - 26 "What do you think Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes - from their children or from others?" Jesus asked. "From others." Peter answered. "Then the children are exempt," Jesus said.

It is good to be the child of a king. It means a life of privilege, wealth and honor, a life of security and entitlement. Kings and politicians don't send their kids to war, they send their kids to Ivy League schools. They send the poor kids to fight their battles.

God has battles too. God's greatest battles were against sin, death and the devil. God realized the only way to win these battles was to send his son... the King sent his son, to die for you and me.

Was Jesus happy to do it? No. But sometimes love makes us do things we don't want to.

Jesus died because he loves you and me. He doesn't love us out of obligation, but because he honestly believes each and every one of us is special, each and every one of us is worthy of love just the way we are.

As children of God, the King, we can live with the security and honor that comes with the promises of God; forgiveness and everlasting life.

It is good to be a child of the King.


(This text made me think of this song, enjoy!)

Matthew 16

A couple years ago I preached a youth gathering. The theme for the weekend was choices. I had a hard time finding the right bible text to use for the message and started to get frustrated. My bible fell to the ground and opened to Matthew 16... No lie!

In verse 15 Jesus asks Peter "Who do you say I am?" As I read and re-read I realized that this was the most important choice any person will ever make. Who do you say Jesus is?

We make a lot of choices everyday. For example, we have to decide what to wear and what to eat. How long do you spend every day deciding what you are going to wear? How long do you discuss with your spouse what's for dinner, or where you will go to eat? We put time into these decisions.

How much time have you put into deciding who Jesus is?

Is he a great teacher? Is he a prophet? Was he just some weirdo? Or is he the Son of God, the Messiah?

Take your time before you answer. It's an important question.

I will caution you, if you believe Jesus is the Son of God, don't so what Peter did. Peter gets the answer right in verse 16 and Jesus praises him for it. Then in verse 22 he rebukes Jesus for predicting his death. Jesus responds with "Get behind me Satan."

If you believe Jesus is the Son of God, don't tell him what to do.

God knows better than us.

Matthew 15

In Matthew 15 we encounter cranky Jesus.

In verse 14, in regards to the Pharisees Jesus said "Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."

In verse 16 Jesus said to his disciples "Are you still so dull?" Another translation has Jesus saying "Are you willfully being stupid?"

In verse 24 Jesus tells a Canaanite woman that he was sent only for the "lost sheep of Israel" and then in verse 26 calls her a dog. She replies "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."

And cranky Jesus disappears. He is replaced with nice Jesus, who grants her request.

Jesus said he came for the lost sheep of Israel, but they are the ones who argue and bicker with him. They are the ones that he calls blind. Then there are the disciples... the ones that Jesus calls stupid. These are the lost sheep.

The problem with the lost sheep is that they don't believe they are lost. It's hard to believe in a savior when one doesn't need saving. They are blinded by their own pride and self-righteousness.

Pride and self-righteousness makes Jesus cranky.

But the Canaanite woman has no pride, she is not self-righteous. When Jesus calls her a dog she accepts it... She does everything but bark... And Jesus praises her faith.

Am I blind? Am I stupid? Do I make Jesus cranky? Yes, yes and yes.

Maybe I need to learn to bark.

Matthew 14

Jesus hears that John the Baptist has been killed and he is looking for a place to mourn. Then 5,000 people surround him, each looking for something from him.

Jesus feeds them. It's a miracle how many he feeds with so little, but that's not what I am thinking about today.

This past week I was with a family that lost a loved one. There was sadness and there was laughter. There was love and there was food.

Sometimes it's not about what we are eating but who we are eating it with. Food tastes so much better when it is eaten in the presence of our loved ones.

Jesus could have sent the people away, but he didn't. He found comfort in the crowd, in the relationships. He needed to be around them, to hear their stories, to laugh with them and to cry with them.

Thanksgiving is great; we set aside a whole day to eat with those whom we hold dear... We re-connect and catch-up.

Those relationships are the treasure of our lives.

Matthew 13

Jesus has been traveling around teaching and healing. He has been all over Judea and has gained quite a following. In chapter 13 he finally heads back home, where he is not greeted with any acclaim.

Instead the people say "Isn't this the carpenter's son?"

In essence they were saying "We know you, we know who your father is and you are nothing special."

Sometimes the thing that we are looking for is right under our noses. It's so close we can't even see it. Have you ever looked all around for your keys or phone only to realize that they are in your hand?

I feel bad for the people that knew Jesus as a kid. That were so close to him that they could not grasp the enormity of his life and death. He was too close to them.

Maybe, for those people that don't believe, Jesus is too close to them. Maybe they can't see that love, grace and forgiveness are all around them. Maybe they are looking for a burning bush when God is holding their hand.

If God is love, then God is close.

Closer than we can imagine.

Matthew 12

Sometimes I feel bad for the Pharisees. It's like they never had a chance. My professor, Dr. Powell says that they are like Storm Troopers, they are flat characters that are just in the story to be a villain. You can't like them. (Other than their sweet uniform, which apparently doesn't protect them from anything.)

In Matthew 12 Jesus does everything he can to instigate them. He has his disciples pick grain to eat and he heals a man's hand, both which were against the law. The law that the Pharisees took very seriously Jesus just makes a mockery of.

Then some of them come to Jesus, maybe they are ready to believe that he is the Messiah, so they say "Teacher. we want to see a sign from you."

And Jesus said "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!" He calls them wicked and adulterous after he breaks their laws. They simply can not win.

Am I sympathetic to the Pharisees? Yes and no.

They certainly did all they could to kill Jesus because he challenged their authority and place of honor within their society. This was not the first, nor the last time in history that humans have killed to protect their way of life.

But I am sympathetic to them because the laws they were following were passed down from their ancestors as being laws given from God. (Which I believe they were.) They were doing what they thought God wanted them to do.

They were just focused on the wrong things. Again, not the first, nor the last time in the history of the church that her leaders have fallen into that trap.

Leading a church is a lot of work. Things come up every day that I didn't even know that I didn't know. It's easy to forget why we exist.

Jesus never lost his focus. His focus was love, love that led him to the cross to die for the sins of all.

Even the Storm Troopers.

Lord, help us all to be more like Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 11

Verse 19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard'..."

One of my professors had an interesting thought about this verse, one that I'd like to share. (Thanks Dr. Powell!)

Jesus must have been chubby!

If I were to call someone fat and they were skinny then I would look like an idiot. But the Pharisees call Jesus a glutton, meaning he ate too much. The Pharisees would not say that about him if he was as skinny as all the paintings show, they would look stupid. So, Jesus must have been chubby.

And he must have enjoyed to drink. For the same reason they would not call him a drunkard if it was not obvious that he drank wine.

So, what does this all mean?

Jesus was human; he did not have the perfect body, he looked like an average dude.

An important message for all of us, it's love that changes the world, not looks.

Matthew 10

Verse 42 "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is known to be my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly be rewarded."

It's easy to say that only those who believe in Jesus will go to heaven, there are many verses in the bible that lead us to believe that. So we spend our time and energy trying to get people to believe in Jesus... so they too can go to heaven. But Jesus seems to think bigger than we do.

He tells his discples that anyone who shows you the slightest sign of compassion will be rewarded. Rewarded with what? What else did Jesus come for but to give eternal life?

Does that mean that we should become universalists and believe that every person goes to heaven because they are nice at some point in their lives?

No. It means that every one that has ever gone to heaven has gone there because of Jesus.

Who gets in and who is left out is up to him. Maybe, just maybe he is better at grace than us. Maybe he thinks bigger than we do.

Maybe we should stop worrying about heaven and start worrying about those who don't have any water to drink.

Matthew 9

Verse 13 "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

I have recently purchased The Message, which is a paraphrase of the bible. (It's hard for me to put my old bible on the shelf, we have been through so much together, but it's time.) The Messagae translates verse 13 as "I'm after mercy, not religion."

Mercy instead of religion?

Later on in the chapter some Pharisees witness Jesus healing and claim that his power must be coming from the devil.

That's what happens when we make religion our main focus. God could be standing right in front of us and we think it is the devil.

Religion has a way of blinding us to the truth, if that religion is focused on the wrong things.

For the Pharisees, they had power because of their position in their religion. They had honor, influence and privileges that normal people didn't have. They constructed a theology that protected their way of life. Their religion was about them.

Religion should be about us... but that's only half the equation. Religion should be about us God too. Religion comes from what God has done for us and what God is doing through us.

God has shown mercy for us on the cross and God wants to show mercy to the world through us.

Religion should not be more complicated than that.

Matthew 8

A Centurion comes up to Jesus asking for a miracle. A Centurion is a Roman... and Jesus said "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith."

Then Jesus gets in a boat with his disciples and there is a storm. They freak out and wake him up and he said to them "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"

The Centurion, who never met Jesus or heard him speak, but just heard of him, has total faith in Jesus. The disciples, who are with Jesus every day, doubt and are afraid.

Faith was the last place you'd expect it... and so was doubt.

The good news is that we can be disciples and still doubt. The better news is that God is working where we least expect it.

Matthew 7

Verse 1 - 3 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged... Why do you look at the speck of saw dust in someone else's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

I think that Christians are really good at reading the bible with a highlighter in one hand and a black sharpie in the other. This, of all the verses in the bible, seems to be the one that is most often blacked out. Many Christians do not want to acknowledge that this verse in the bible.

Why?

Because it is fun to judge. It is fun to have something that other people don't, it's fun to be forgiven while others aren't. So we make signs and buy billboards that tell people that they are going to hell as if it is our decision to make.

I've seen signs that condemn gay and pro-choice people. I've seen signs that condemn soldiers. I've seen signs that condemn anyone that doesn't adhere to the 10 commandments. I have seen signs that condemn people for making signs.

These signs condemn every person on the earth... because we all fit in on someone's sign.

The truth is that grace is not just for you or me, it is for everyone. Jesus didn't just die for believers, he died because "God so loved the world."

The world is a big place... it's full of all kinds of people; fornicators, homosexuals, pro-choice people, pro-life people, Democrats, Republicans, people on welfare, people with jobs, citizens, immigrants, people with health insurance, people without health insurance, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and more... and God loves them all.

And whether you like it or not, it's up to God where they go when they die.

So burn your stupid sign and open your heart.

Matthew 6

Matthew 6 has one of the most comforting verses in all the bible... Jesus said "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

Everyday our world gives us a new reason to worry...

Stocks go down, then up, then down.

There is always a new disease that's going to destroy civilization. (Swine flu, Bird flu...)

What if ______ has nuclear weapons?

Global warming.

The price of gas.

The value of our homes.

Teachers are being laid off at our kid's schools.

Is our company going to out source?

The list could go on and on for days. It's normal and natural to worry... I worry about a lot of things.

But what good does it do? My blood pressure goes up and I get tension headaches... how does that help?

I think instead I am going to adopt a new policy. I am going to ask God what He is worried about and how I might work to ease His mind.

I have a feeling that if we were a little more worried about the things God is worried about, then we would have a lot less to worry about in our own lives.

We would see the world in a new way.

Take it away Johnny and Willie.

Matthew 5

In Matthew 5 we have the sermon on the mount, which includes the Beatitudes, Jesus' teaching on murder, adultery, divorce, turning the other cheek and love for our enemies.

Jesus starts with Beatitudes, in it he basically says turns the world upside down. He says that poor will be given the Kingdom, He says those who mourn will comforted, and the meek will inherit the Kingdom. Well, he doesn't turn the world upside so much as to say that the when the Kingdom of God comes, things will be completely different from the way they are now. He preaches good news.

Then he preaches bad news. He says that if you are angry with your brother or sister that you have committed murder, when we lust after someone we have committed adultery and we are not to return violence with violence but instead love our enemies. He finishes the chapter by saying "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Jesus wants us to do what is not possible... we know it's not possible and so does he. But have we really tried to be perfect? Or has our theology of grace given us an excuse to live without discipline? I have made no effort to love my enemy... I don't even have enemies, just people I don't get along with. I just delete them as a facebook friend and move on.

Which is why Jesus turned the world upside down on a Friday morning. He took the violence of humankind without fighting back. He forgave as he was dying.

He was perfect because we can't be.

I couldn't resist:

Matthew 4

Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he is tempted by Satan. The devil tempts Jesus on a number of levels.

First he tempts Jesus by pointing out his human need to eat something. Is there a better way to control people than to control their food? I was able to train my dog to sit because I controlled his food. I personally make decisions with my stomach all the time. When I visit a new city I am mostly interested in what the best restaurants are. Food is power.

Second he tempts Jesus by taking him to the top of the temple and encourages him to jump off and test God. I think that this is one of the temptations that many people are struggling with today. God has promised us so much with grace and eternal life. If I am forgiven than what does it matter if I ___________ ?

Finally Satan tempts Jesus by offering all the kingdoms of the world... he tempts his ego. What I find interesting here is what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't say to Satan that it is not his to give. I find myself wondering if Satan has more control over this world than we know.

Jesus is able to overcome all 3 temptations. I probably would have eaten the bread and taken the kingdoms. (I would have no interest in jumping off a building though)

That's why I worship Jesus... he can do what I can not.

And he did it because I can not.

Matthew 3

In verse 10 John the Baptist says "the ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown in to the fire."

John certainly has a way with words. Makes me glad that I'm not a tree.

Except, according to John I am a tree. We are all trees. This is a warning to us, that we must live good lives and produce good fruit.

Or else.

The good news is that we don't proclaim the gospel of John the Baptist. Instead we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John's message is one of following the rules. He has an important message, the same message we preach when we proclaim the law. We are called to point out sin... Our sins and the sins of another.

But it is Jesus' message that transform lives. That is the message of radical forgiveness.

Our fruit is not always good. But our lives are not dependent on our own tree. They are dependent on Jesus' tree.

And he has the best fruit the world has ever tasted.

Matthew 2

This is one of the saddest chapters in the whole bible. In Matthew 2 we hear the story of the wise men and of Herod... Who upon hearing that the King of the Jews had been born had all boys under 2 years old slaughtered to protect his throne. Innocent babies murdered. Some accounts argue that more than 10,000 babies were killed by Herod... even his own son! When Emperor Augustus heard this he said "it is better to be Herod's pig, than his son."

This is a story that we so often ignore because it is more than we can comprehend. The entire city of Bethlehem has their baby boys killed... all in one verse.

How are we supposed to read this?

Are we supposed to read this through the lens of Saving Private Ryan? Where it's ok for many men to die to save one? As Tom Hanks is dying he leans into Matt Damon and says "earn this." Is it okay for all those men to die because Private Ryan lived a good life? If that's the case than Jesus lived a good life... maybe he earned it.

Or are we to read this is one man's desperate attempt to maintain his power and privilege? People will go to unbelievable lengths to secure their place at the head of the table.

Maybe we read this story through both lenses.

It was the leaders of the temple that had Jesus brought before Pilate because he challenged their position.

And Jesus died as a Holy Innocent in your place.

Have you earned it? No, and you can't earn it.

That's why this tragic story has a beautiful ending.

Matthew 1

I don't usually make a habit of arguing with the authors of the Gospels. But Matthew is wrong in chapter 1. He claims to give the genealogy of Jesus, but he really gives the genealogy of Joseph.

I understand why Matthew did it. He is writing to a Jewish audience and is connecting Jesus to King David and Abraham.

##Sidenote - You ever study your genealogy? Sometimes you find out crazy things. My great grandmother came to America when she was 13 as an indentured servant. She was a slave. I never imagined that slavery was so close to me... I wonder if Joseph knew his lineage? I wonder if he knew the story of how David stole Bathsheba from Uriah and sent him to war to be killed? It's important to know where we come from, it shapes who we are.- End sidenote##

To me, this chapter is all about Joseph. If God was going to make this work, Joseph needed to be on board. Joseph needed to have a lot of faith. "Honey, I'm pregnant, and the father is God." Not sure that would work on too many people.

Joseph believing that Mary was impregnated by God is as much a miracle as the virgin birth.

But he did believe. He took Mary as his wife and he took the baby as his son. He named him Jesus.

Joseph lived out an undeniable truth. A person does not need to be your blood relative to be your family.

Love is bigger than DNA.

Song of Solomon 8

Verse 4 "do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."

I had a girlfriend in high school because I thought it would be cool to have a girlfriend. I didn't really like her, I think we talked like once per week, but I had a girlfriend. I think when we are young we like the idea of something more than we like the actual thing. (I used to get hot chocolate and walk around with the cup because I thought it was cool to give the appearance that I drank coffee, even though I still think coffee is disgusting. If it's a taste you have to aquire, that means it is not very good. I didn't have to aquire a taste for pizza.)

This verse is telling us not to rush in to being in love... Not to be in love just for the sake of being in love. Instead we should wait for the right person to come along, the person where love gives us no choice. Forced love never lasts.

Which is why God gives us freewill. God does not force us to love Him, instead He gives us the choice.

But faith is less like a choice and more like falling in love.

God wants to be in a deep, loving relationship with us. God wants to talk to us everyday. God wants to hear all you problems and celebrate all your joys.

This is more than an idea, it is the truth. I realize that not everyone is ready to have that kind of relationship... and that's ok.

God will wait until you're ready.

Song of Solomon 7

Verse 1 "How beautiful are your sandaled feet..."

This chapter is a continued poem written between two lovers. It's amazing the things people say and do when they are in love... they are blinded and can be foolish.

Solomon says something silly here... There is no such thing as beautiful feet! Maybe it's just me but feet are gross. I love my wife very much, but if she wants a foot massage she needs to shower and put on some socks... otherwise I ain't touching!

I'm writing this blog from a Comfort Inn in Wichita, Kansas. I drove 400 miles today for a training seminar that I felt compelled to attend. This seminar is going to help me preach the Gospel louder and more clearly. (Hopefully)

It is that Gospel that led me here. It is that Gospel that led me to Texas. It is that Gospel that leads me everyday. The Gospel of God becoming man. The Gospel of Jesus, who humbly washed his disciples feet, and who lovingly bled and died for our sins.

It's that Gospel that makes me do silly things.

Song of Solomon 6

This chapter frustrates me. I encourage you to read it... Go ahead, I will wait.


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In verse 8-9 Solomon writes that there are 60 queens (his other wives), 80 concubines (his girlfriends) and countless maidens (sex slaves?)... All these other women praise this one woman because she is the prettiest.

And because she is the prettiest, she is the one that Solomon loves the most.

The thing about being the prettiest is that it doesn't last. Someone prettier eventually comes around. Which could be why Solomon ends up with 700 wives and 300 concubines. (Do you think Solomon remembered all their names? Did he have weddigns where he married more than one bride? That's a lot of weddings if not, like one every month.)

When we focus solely on outer beauty we have very shallow relationships. Relationships that last until something better comes along.

True relationships go deeper. True relationships are more than just looks.

Now maybe we can read this as God being the lover and the church being the prettiest. But then who are the other ladies?

I think we need to reject this notion all together.

Instead we need to remember that Jesus was not Brad Pitt and the people he hung around with were not on TMZ... they were lepers, prostitutes, and fishermen... average people. Not beautiful people.

Except they were beautiful to God. We are all beautiful to God.

We are beautiful because He made us in His image.

Song of Solomon 5

Verse 2 "I slept but my heart was awake..."

This chapter is about a lover that is yearning for his wife. He wants her so bad that he can not sleep.

You ever have those nights? When you sleep but your heart is awake. You wake up in the morning and it is as if you didn't sleep at all. I have had hundreds of nights like that in my life. Nights where my mind races too fast to allow my body to rest.

Some nights are because I am so excited... I never slept well the night before the first day of school. Other nights are because I am worried... I don't sleep well the night before I have a flight, I always worry about oversleeping and missing the plane.

Other times I can't sleep because my heart is not whole. It's hard to sleep after a loved one dies. It's hard to sleep with hurt feelings or the guilt that comes with hurting a loved one's feelings. It's hard to sleep when my other half is out of town. The bed seems so big without her. I can't imagine what it is like for the spouse of a soldier... having to go to sleep every night not knowing where he or she is and what kind of danger they are in.

It's nights like these that remind us that we are alive, nights where we are reminded of what it means to live and love, nights where we have no control.

Nights where we must trust in God.

Song of Solomon 4

If you have ever been to a wedding you have probably heard some of this chapter. It is a beautiful poem written by two people in love with each other. Before I met Michelle, I thought that this chapter was a little corny, but I get it now.

Verse 7 states "you are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you."

When I was single I was looking for the perfect person. The one and only true love that God had created for me. I was talking to my friend Halldor, who grew up in Iceland, and told him what I was looking for. He suggested I stop looking for the perfect person, but look for the person with whom I can have a perfect relationship.

Truth is, there is no perfect person. There is no one without flaws. My parents have been married for 39 years, and trust me, they are far from perfect. But their relationship works because they have figured each other out, and as they have grown together, their relationship has grown closer to perfection.

I am blessed to have Michelle for my wife. She is as close to perfect as it gets. Almost as close as me! (Just kidding) We have been married now for about 18 months and over that time we have learned so much about each other. Things that are exciting and things that aren't. Michelle is learning that I care way too much about baseball. I get so nervous that I have to watch the game in my garage, on mute.

But as we learn we grow. We grow closer together and our love for each other grows. We grow closer toward a perfect relationship.

Our goal is to have a perfect relationship, but it will never happen. Human beings are incapable of having perfect relationships because of sin. (But it doesn't mean we shouldn't try!)

The only perfect love is the love that God has for us.

God has no flaws... and in God's eyes, we have no flaws.

That is altogether beautiful.

Song of Solomon 3

This chapter begins with the author seeking "him who my soul loves." In verse 4 the author finds him, "held him, and would not let him go."

Sounds like the journey of life.

We spend years searching for what will make us happy. We believe the lies of the world thinking that ways of lust and over-consumption is the secret. So we seek out pleasures that we think will make us happy, but the feeling of joy only lasts but moments while the feelings of regret and guilt linger.

The answer to happiness is love. Not so much being loved by someone, but being in love with someone who loves us back. Some people never find that person. Some people think they found that person and then their world is turned upside down when they leave. True love is hard to find, if we are looking for it in other humans.

It's not hard to find if we look to God. God is love. God is that which our souls long for. God is that which we sould hold on to and never let go.

Because God never let's us go.

Song of Solomon 2

I love baseball. I always have and I always will. I love everything about baseball... but more than baseball, I love the Detroit Tigers. (They absolutely broke my heart last night, but I still have faith they can come back and beat the Rangers.)

One of the many reasons I love the Tigers is Ernie Harwell. He was the voice of the Tigers for over 4 decades. He was an artist, he could paint a picture with his words. Every year, when the end of winter was blasting Detroit, Ernie would go down to Lakeland, Florida where the Tiger ballclub was getting ready for the new season. He would get on the radio and give us all hope that spring would be coming soon, and he would start every season with a piece of Song of Solomon 2: 11-12.




It is truly a beautiful text. It is about new beginnings, about plants returning to life after a long winter.

Winter comes every year. For some of us it comes even more often than that. Times when the world is against us and opportunities seem to be drying up. Life gets cold and dark. Sometimes life gets so cold and dark that we don't think we will make it to spring.

But spring is coming. Spring always comes. It's part of the cycle of life. We have to go through the darkness to get to the light. We have to go through the cold to get to the warmth. We have go through Good Friday to get to Easter Sunday.

And when it comes it is beautiful.

Hopefully it comes for the Tigers tonight.

Song of Solomon 1

This book is unique. Nowhere in its chapters does it ever mention God or religious practices. It is a book of songs, songs about love. It is a welcomed change from the bloodshed of Numbers. It is beautiful and compelling. I invite you to read the text along with me. Maybe you can even pull some of it out and surprise your spouse.

I am using the Lutheran study bible which haas introduction I would like to quote: "Song of Solomon is about the beauty and power of human physical love. It affirms the goodness of creation, human bodies, and sexuality."

And the journey begins.

This chapter begins with a bride yearning for her groom, who says, "you know where to find me." She goes to him in the fields while he is tending to his flock. The groom is a shepherd.

Have you seen the show Sister Wives on TLC? It's a show about a polygamist, his 4 wives and their 17 children. It's weird to see how wives interact with each other because they are all in love with the same man. How can there not be times of jealousy and lonliness? Solomon had 700 wives!

It's hard for me to read this and think that Solomon was a good husband. How could he be to 700 wives?

Instead, I prefer to read this as a love song between God and us.

The church is the bride, calling out and yearning for God. The response from God is simple "come find me in the pasture." In the pasture is where we find the shepherd, it's where we find Jesus. It is where Jesus smiles at us and tells us that we are beautiful just the way we are.

But love is more than just words. It is action.

Love is dying on a cross.

Numbers 36 - Thank God!

We have finally reached the end of Numbers. It has been a long, strange little journey. Thank you Mark Saunders for suggesting it. I hope you got as much out of it as I did. The main lesson that I learned: don't ask for suggestions! Haha!

The Lord, through Moses states that the Israelite women must marry men that are within their father's tribe.

Wouldn't it be weird to live in a city with 70,000 people and know that you are related to every other person in the city? And you had to marry someone else within that city... sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Why would God make such a rule? Because of inheritance... it's just easier this way.

I assume that since there weren't colleges, nightclubs or the internet that there wasn't a lot of inter-tribal dating going on... but still it is a pretty silly rule.

We don't choose who we fall in love with, the heart just takes over and like a magnet we need to be in the presence of that person. It's not a choice.

Faith is the same way. We don't decide to believe in God, but instead we, in a sense fall in love with God... Even though we aren't a member of God's tribe.

God still looks at us and says "you are my people" and we say "you are our God." Just like marriage vows.

Because God loved us first.

Numbers 35

When I was a youngin' we used to play different variations of tag. You know the game, someone is "it" and they would have to chase others and tag them. Once tagged one would either become the new "it" or become frozen or something. I hated tag because I was slow. The one thing about the game that I liked was the spot where I could sit and be safe. Sometimes it was a bench or sandbox, but if I was standing or sitting there I could not be tagged. It was called base. (I couldn't resist this corny picture)

In Numbers 35 God has the Israelites create 6 towns that were called "cities of refuge." These towns were places that one could run to when they had killed someone accidentally and wait for trial. While in these towns, the accused could live free from the threat of vengeance. They could be safe.

If they were found not guilty of murder, then they could live their life in these towns without any fear. (To be found guilty the prosecution needed 2 eye witnesses to confirm that the accused killed the victim intentionally. I get the feeling that most often the murders could not be proven, so these towns of refuge were probably full. Not really the kind of place I'd like to raise a family.)

Each night the evening news tells us stories of how people are killed in an auto accident or their houses burn down or someone mugs them. This world can be a scary place to live. Where do we find safety? Where is our base?

Is there a place that we can flee to and no longer have to worry about the perils of life?

No. Each day we live we put ourselves in harm's way. So how do we find peace?

We find peace in knowing that there is more to life than just this earth. We find our peace in knowing that God has something much bigger planned for us. That place is called heaven and we are welcome because of Jesus.

He is our base.

Numbers 34

God gives the Israelites the boundaries of their new land. God draws an imaginary line around the land which He is giving them. This is the place where God's people will live.

The people receive the land as a gift from God. But as the years go by the people forget that what they have was given to them by God. So God takes it away and sends them into exile.

Then God gives it back to them. But they forget again, so God takes it away again.

Finally, in 70 AD God takes it away for good when the Romans destroy Judah and Jerusalem and for the first time ever Judaism ceases to exist politically... until the 1940's. But they are still fighting for the land to this day.

It would be easy to think that since God's people are removed from their land that God would no longer be worshipped. That's how it worked back then. When a nation overtook another nation the god of that nation overtook the other nation's god. (That was a busy sentence!)

But that's not what happened.

Instead of God being erased when His people were taken into exile, God's glory grew. And in Jesus, God became the God of all nations and races.

Today there are no borders for God's people because they are everywhere. There are no borders for God's church because it is everywhere.

Even in Iran, where a Christian pastor has decided that he would rather be executed than deny Jesus. His courage has become worldwide news, his witness is what the church is built on.

The kingdom keeps growing. The boundaries are gone.

And God's glory keeps growing.

Numbers 33

For the first 47 verses Numbers 33 all the writer tells us is all the places that the Israelites visited on their long journey. It is a looooong list. It reminded me of this song.



(WARNING... I get a little preachy from here to the bottom)

Then, at the end of the chapter God tells the Israelites to take the land that He has given them by driving out all the inhabitants and destroying all their idols. A common theme of the Old Testament is the Israelites and their worship of idols, or idolatry. (God commands them to have no other gods, then they build a golden calf... and Charlton Heston gets mad)

I think idolatry is alive and well today. We worship idols everyday. I remember watching Sportcenter a couple years ago when a new statue of Michael Jordan was unveiled and people were on their knees worshipping it.

Some idolatry is not so obvious. I think the idol we are most guilty of worshipping in is our self.

Desmond Tutu once said "It must be very hard to be a Christian in America because you have so much."

Americans aren't real needy. We take pride in providing for ourselves and our families. We pray "give us this day our daily bread" but we don't really trust that God will, because we can get our own bread.

We don't need God to provide our basic neccessities. We look to God for love, forgiveness, meaning and purpose, but we have the rest covered.

If we have it covered, why do so many have so little?

Because we have forgotten that it is all a gift from God. Every week I throw away groceries that we didn't eat... while others have nothing to eat.

We don't have it covered. We have abused God's blessings. We need God to show us how to be good stewards.

We need to tear down the altars we have built for ourselves.

Numbers 32

The Israelites have been wandering for 40ish years and are ready to put down some roots... they are ready to be home. A couple of the Israelite tribes (the Gadites and Reubenites) think that the land they are passing through is good enough and are ready to build cities. Moses agrees to let them live there if the men continue on and fight with all the Israelites for the promised land.

In the past 8 years I have moved 12 times. I felt like a nomad, like a plane that has been circling an airport for a decade. I couldn't wait to have a place to unpack and finally be able to throw the boxes away.

But all my moving was for a reason. I was following the call that God has placed on my life. A call that is bigger than me. It was a journey through the wilderness of corporate America, seminary, camp, CPE, internship, and finally here, to Southlake, Texas. How long will I be here? I have no idea... 3 years? 30 years? I'm not sure because I still must follow God's call.

In my journey I have come to realize that home is not a place... Home is about the people you are with. For the first 30 years of my life home was wherever my parents were. Now, home is whenever I'm with my wife Michelle.

And I have always been home when I'm in the presence of God.

Nothing feels better than being home.

Numbers 31

God tells Moses to wipe out the Midianites... every one except the "women who had never slept with a man." These women are to be collected as plunder along with all the livestock and treasures. Then they are all to be divided equally among the tribes with a small portion going to the priests.

The definition of plunder is to "take goods by force." The Israelites take by force that which they did not earn, almost like bullies. But they are more than bullies because they murder and steal, like the vikings on the Capital One commercials. (not be confused with the not-so-scary vikings that live in Minnesota)

The most troubling part of the story is that they don't just take goods, they take women and girls. 32,000 women were gathered and divided as plunder; 32 were given to the priests. Women are treated as possessions and divided like livestock all in the name of God.

In the name of the God we still worship today. In our preaching we say that God is on the side of the oppressed, but sometimes it doesn't feel like it, sometimes it doesn't sound like it. So how do we make sense of it?

Do we just give a cop-out answer and say that it was a different world back then? Do we let God off the hook?

No. We state the truth. We point out injustice, even if it is in the name of God.

And as God's people we do whatever we can to make sure it never happens again.

Numbers 30

Numbers 30 is about making pledges or taking an oath. Or what we might call today making a promise.

I have heard it said that in the good old days all that someone needed was a handshake to make a deal and a man's word was as good as gold. But we don't live in the good old days anymore and people don't fulfill their promises all the time.

I don't think that people are bad, I think they expect too much of themselves. Many times I will try and squeeze 12 hours of work in to a 9 hour day. Obviously things are going to get left out. It's the same with our social obligations. We promise to do something with the best of intentions, but there is only so many hours in a day.

Former Notre Dame Head Football Coach Lou Holtz once said, "never promise more than you can deliver, but deliver more than you can promise."

Promise less, deliver more. Sounds familiar to me.

God has made us promises. Promises in our Baptism and in the Lord's Supper. God has promises us that sin, death, and the devil have been defeated. God has promised to be with us always to the end of the age.

God has not promised to heal us when we are sick and provide wealth to live on... God's promises are eternal, not temporal. Yet God blesses us.

God delivers more than He promises.

Numbers 29

Verse 7 "On the 10th day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly. You must deny yourselves and do no work."

God demands that the people stop working and take a break to worship. This text can be understood in two ways. Denying oneself probably means to fast, which means to not eat. It also could mean that when we stop working we are denying ourselves of the opportunity for gain. (Money, status, etc.) I'm not really sure what it means, but since it's my blog I'm going to suggest it's the second meaning.

Americans are hard workers. They work long days and long weeks. They take fewer and shorter vacations then most of the world... and definitely shorter vacations than their parents did.

Why do we feel like we have to work so hard? Because we like big, expensive stuff. Houses are getting bigger, cars are getting more expensive and everything else is following suit. Yesterday I just re-newed my satellite subscription for my truck... who would have thought of that 10 years ago? Paying to listen to the radio? I got it free for a year, now I can't live without ESPN radio and all the NFL games. I was able to listen to the Lions' game on Sunday while driving around Texas... it was great!

To afford our chosen way of living we work hard. My wife and I both.

Taking a break from work is in fact denying ourselves. When we stop working, we stop earning. Many of us are on salary so our pay isn't tied directly to our effort, but our bonus is, or our promotion.

It's true that we were created to work. Adam was given a job in the garden. But we were also created to rest and re-charge. We were created to enjoy what this playgorund that God created and to enjoy what we have earned.

So take a break. Deny yourself. And enjoy every second of it.

Numbers 28

Numbers 28 is all about the offerings God expects from the Israelites. God wants bulls, lambs, goats and rams. In the final verse of the chapter God says "Be sure the animals are without defect."

Animals without defect are prized possessions. There was a fair close to where I grew up, it was in Armada, Michigan. Every year people would bring their best pigs, chickens and other farm animals to be judged, with one animal being the winner. They were looking for perfect animals. (This is an assumption, I never competed. But my sister was runner-up Ms. Armada Fair... yes, they even judged the girls.)

The animal without defect is the one the one that is worth the most, the one that everybody wants...it is not the runt of the litter, it is not the left over.

We don't give animals today, but we pass the plate and give God money. God is not interested in brand new dollar bills without defect, the kind that are crisp and smell really good. God is not intertested in what's left over either. If you are going to give to God, God wants what everyone else wants. God wants the best chicken at the fair... God wants you to sacrifice something important.

For a long time I gave what was left over after I made my budget every month. Maybe I had $20 or $30 extra after I spent $50 on dinner and a movie. Giving to God is bigger than that. It means the budget starts with God and everything is filled in after that. God comes first. It took me a long time to get to that point in my life.

What has God done to earn it?

God sacrificed something important. His one and only son.

His one and only unblemished lamb.

Numbers 27

The Lord tells Moses to go to the top of a mountain so that he can see the land that God is giving them. Finally, after years of wandering the in the wilderness the Israelites are about to enter their new home... but Moses doesn't get to come in.

The Lord tells Moses that there upon that mountain he will die. Moses has been a faithful servant for 40 years but he doesn't get to enter the promised land, the land of milk and honey.

Instead he is "gathered with his people."

It is a vision of heaven given from God. When we die, we go to be with the loved ones that have gone before us.

Is God being mean or not? I am having a hard time deciding.

Milk and honey is great, but I think I'd rather go be with my grandma.

Numbers 26

It's census time again... which is why the book of Numbers is named the Numbers.

All of the men aged 20 or older are counted and the land is divided up equally based on the amount of men in each tribe. Kind of like seats in the House of Representatives. They were so fair!

The Israelites were just given the land... for free. They didn't have to pay because they were taking it from those who were living on it. Maybe they weren't real fair. "Excuse me, it's time for you to leave your house because it is now my house... oh you have a problem with that? How about I kill you then?"

There is no free land in America, but there used to be. All a settler needed to do was come with a big gun and they could have tons of free land. "Excuse me, Mr. Native American, we are going to move you and your tribe to this plot of land in west South Dakota... enjoy!"

This seems so wrong, but has been going on since the start of time. It's still happening in Israel between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Millions of people have died for dirt.

And millions more will.

Numbers 25

I was on facebook yesterday when I came across a post from my dear friend Cory. He quoted someone lecturing about Jewish ethics that read, "it it's not fun, it's not sin."

In Numbers 25 the Israelites are sinning. They are indulging in sexual immorality with Moabite women. So God strikes them dead.

The bible says that the wage for sin is death. We sin, we die.

So why do we sin? Why do we do anything that could lead to death?

Why do we eat steak and pizza and french fries when we know it will kill us? Death tastes better.

Why do we drink alcohol when we know what it does to our liver? Death is more refreshing.

Why do we smoke when we know what it will do to our lungs? Death is more relaxing.

Why do we drive 100 mph and jump out of airplanes? Death is more exhilarating.

Why did they sleep with Moabite women? Death is more fun.

At least that is the lie the devil is telling us... and we are believing.

And if it wasn't for Jesus the devil would win.

But because of His death we have life.

His death is the truth.

Numbers 24

Verse 10 "I have summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them..."

One of the myths that we have created is that our enemies are God's enemies. I got an email the other day that said Christians could not possibly follow Obama because of his views on abortion and his friendliness with Muslims. I have heard other people say the opposite, they wonder how conservatives can actually claim to be christians?

Which side is Jesus on? Who is Jesus' enemy?

Jesus isn't on left or the right. He probably dislikes both parties for all the times they have misused his name. Jesus doesn't root against the football team you're playing this weekend and Jesus doesn't think all Muslims are to blame for 9/11.

Enemies are against God's plan. God's plan is unity.

The most united I have ever seen America was the days and weeks after 9/11... but as the news stopped covering the story we slowly drifted apart to where we are now. As divided as we have ever been. There is even a grassroots movement in Texas to secede from the US.

If unity can not be found under the flag, then perhaps it can be found under the cross. Where we realize we are all God's enemy because it was our sin that put the nails in Jesus hands and feet.

If there is anyone God doesn't like, it's me.

Numbers 23

Balaam is telling Balak what God has told him... and it's not what Balak wants to hear. In verse 12 Balaam says "must I not speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?"

Some days I don't want to hear what God has to say... because I know it's not what I want to hear. God usually has hard things to say.

But here is the truth, if you like your friends to be enablers then God is not going to be a good friend. Because God is not concerned with what you think is best, God is concerned with what He knows to be best.

We are used to people telling us what we want to hear. We hang out with people that look like us and talk like us and say similar things to us... and if people disagree with us then we just discard them and move on. How many friends do you have that you argue with all the time? Probably none.... or one but they have been your friend forever and maybe you don't really like them anymore but they are like family.

God is not going to agree with you. God calls you to agree with Him.

And it's hard, because we are spoiled, we are comfortable in our little clans. We like our own ideas.

But God is thinking bigger... which means we need to think bigger. It means getting outside of our comfort zone. It means listening to what God says.

It means saying things that other people don't want to hear.

It means loving those who are unlovable.

Numbers 22

Balaam is enlightened by his talking donkey. Balaam is riding his donkey and can not see the angel of the Lord standing in front of him, but his donkey can. So his donkey changes directions and Balaam beats it. This happens a couple times before the donkey finally starts talking.

I wonder if Balaam looked like Shrek?

There are times in our lives when we are headed down the wrong road. Everyone we know can see that we are going the wrong direction but no one can convince us to turn around.

Sometimes we just need to fall on our face to see that we have been acting like a fool.

For Balaam, the rock-bottom moment came when his donkey was smarter than him.

We can learn a lot about life from our pets. We can learn about uncondtional love and loyalty... but we have to be observant, because they can't talk.

But we have friends and family that can talk, and that love us enough to tell us the truth. (Do not surround yourself with people that tell you what you want to hear, but surround yourself with people who will speak the truth in love.)

Acting like a fool is a universal problem. We all do it.

What we don't all do is listen when people are trying to help.

How much heartache could would we be spared if we did?

Numbers 21

The Israelites complain again... and God is mean again.

This time God sends poisonous snakes to bite them. Many are bitten and die. God tells Moses to put a bronze snake on a pole and have the bitten people look at the pole. By looking at the pole the Israelites were healed.

God creates an emergency for the Israelites, so that they can change their way of thinking... to make them trust in God.

The truth is that death comes for everyone, whether it be from a snake bite when we are 30 or from a disease at 85. No matter where we are in life though, we should always trust in God... but we don't. We have doubts, we try to take control and we reserve God for an hour on Sunday mornings.

In our moments of need we don't look to a bronze snake on a pole, we look to a bleeding man on a cross. For it is through the cross that we are healed, maybe not in body but in spirit.

Which is convenient, because it is the spirit that lives on forever.

Numbers 20

Guess what the Israelites are doing in Numbers 20? They are complaining again. I'm starting to think that the book of Numbers should have been named Complainers.

They are complaining because they don't have any water to drink or to give to their livestock. So God tells Moses to strike a rock with his staff and water will pour out... so he does and water appears from the rock.

The water doesn't come until the people complain. Did God need to hear their complaints before doing something about it? God is actually angered because of the Israelites lack of faith.

The people who live in the Horn of Africa are experiencing a terrible drought and famine. It hasn't rained there in 8 years. Thousands of people a day are dying because they don't have water. They can't grow their crops and their livestock is dying.

Should they be complaining louder? It's hard to have faith when you are holding your dead child.

Where is their rock?

Numbers 19

The Lord told Moses and Aaron that they must bring a red heifer and slaughter it so that the sins of the people may be forgiven. Then the blood is to be sprinkled toward the tent where they meet, and the remains of the heifer burned.

In chapter 18 God tells them that the cow, sheep and goat are holy animals... more holy than humans. How is it fair that the unholy humans get to slaughter the holy heifer and their sins are forgiven? The heifer deserves better than that!

In our bible study last week the questions came up, what does God really need to forgive humans? Does God need a slaughtered heifer to forgive the Israelites? Could you imagine getting to heaven and God asking you how many heifers you slaughtered? No.

God can forgive because God wants to forgive. The Israelites have just gone through a rebellious stretch and are now fearing God. They need something that they can point to and say "because of that we know that we are forgiven." That is why the Israelites need the heifer.

Jesus is holy, set apart from all creation. He is sacrificed by the unholy, for the unholy. Did God need Jesus to be sacrificed for us to be forgiven?

No.

But we needed to sacrifice Jesus so that we could point to something and say "because of that we know that we are forgiven." There is a reason so many people wear crosses around their neck.

In turn, God showed the world just how deep His love really goes. It's a win-win.

Except for the heifer and Jesus.

Numbers 18

God places Aaron and his sons in charge of the altar. They are the only ones that are to come up and do the Lord's work there. Anyone else who comes up will meet their demise at the hand of the Lord.

God does this because of the people's rebellion. God does not want to kill any more people. So he puts it all on Aaron. If there is a problem now, it is Aaron's fault... and he would get the axe.

God places and Aaron and his sons in charge not to lift them up, but so save the Israelites from God's wrath. (v. 5 in case your're reading along)

So what happens? Well, eventually the priests get carried away with themselves and place themselves above the people. They make the people buy their unblemished livestock for sacrifices at outrageous costs. They become the oppressors. (That's what they were doing when Jesus flipped their tables... has any human ever been given power and not oppressed?)

When Jesus dies the curtain in the temple is torn in two. The curtain is what separated the people from the priests. That is where they would go and do their work... and that is where God was. But not any more.

The corrupt priests were no longer the only way to God. God was everywhere now and everyone had access.

And we still do.

Numbers 17

The Israelites continue to have problems with authority. They have lost faith in Moses and Aaron. So God has to restore their faith.

God has a leader of each of the 12 tribes bring a staff to place in front of the Ark of the Covenant. One of the staffs, the one that belonged to Aaron, has a plant grow out of it while it is sitting there. This is taken as a sign to all of Israel that God has chosen Aaron to be an unquestioned leader.

Being a religious leader is a hard job. In one sense, it is important to listen to the people and allow their vision to shape the present and future. On the other hand, it is more important to listen to what God has to say, because it is God's church.

I think that we can all agree with the last couple sentences... but what makes it hard is that God doesn't speak as loud and clear as the people. And often, the direction from God goes against the direction of the people. Humans think earthly thoughts while God thinks heavenly thoughts... but earthly thoughts make much more sense.

And how can anyone be sure that God is talking to them? How was Moses and Aaron sure? Some people that have claimed to have heard from God often begin their story with taking drugs.

That doesn't mean that God doesn't speak to us. I think that God still speaks in many ways. We are just too busy to hear.

Moses sat alone on Mt. Sinai for 7 days before God showed up with the 10 Commandments.

Sometimes we just need to slow down and pray. And in our prayer we need to stop talking and start listening.

Otherwise we might just run this thing aground.

Numbers 16

After church on Sunday I came home and waited for Michelle's flight to come in. I had a few hours to do nothing so I sat on the couch and turned on the TV... but there was nothing on. Well, there was nothing on except Titanic. So I sat on the couch with my dog and cat and watched Titanic for the first time on 10 years. I forgot how good the movie was. I forgot how sad the ending was... and why did that lady throw that diamond back in to the ocean? She could have fed millions of people with it. She was not a very good steward!

What was so sad was the 1,500 people who died, who didn't have a chance.

In this chapter, almost 15,000 people die. 15,000 of God's own people. Why? Because they are fed up with the leadership, Moses and Aaron. When things aren't going well it is easy to blame the people in charge.

So God kills them... the divine iceberg.

The ground opens up and swallows some. Then a fire comes from heaven and burns a couple hundred of them. Then a plague comes and takes out 14,000.

God kills a lot of people in the Old Testament. I am sure James Cameron could make an incredibly sad movie that makes God out to be the most sinister criminal in the universe. Actually, Cecil B. Demille made a movie like that, the 10 Commandments, but we don't really care about all the innocent Egyptians that were killed.

God realizes that killing people is not an effective way of motivating. People do not respond well to bullying, but they respond to love. Which is why God sent Jesus. And in the killing of Jesus the world was able to better understand God.

I'm sorry Michelle Bachmann, but God is out of the business of using hurricanes and earthquakes to make a point.

God's business is love, and it always will be.

Numbers 15

I do not like the God of Numbers.

In this chapter God tells Moses the sacrifices that must be when the community sins. God breaks these sins into 2 categories, the unintentional sins and those done in defiance.

If you were caught being defiant, you were to be cut off from the people... sent away to live alone.

Then they catch a man collecting wood on the sabbath, and God tells Moses to stone him, so they do. What happened to being cast away? They go straight to stoning? For collecting wood? Maybe his family was cold or he liked to whittle.

If the only God we knew was the God of Numbers, then I would be doing something else right now.

But Numbers isn't the only peek we have behind the curtain. We have the gospels, which gives a whole different view of God.

Which makes me ask the question, did Moses misunderstand?

I sure hope so.

Numbers 14

In Numbers 14 the Israelites complain because they can not yet go to the promised land. They are sick of living in tents and walking in the wilderness... they are ready to build homes and grow crops.

They are ready for something else.

God is not ready for them to be doing something else... God has a plan.

The Israelites are not fond of God's plan, so they have a little tantrum. They say that life was better in Egypt and that God is a big dummy.

Well, God doesn't like that and decides he wants to wipe them all out. Moses talks God out of that idea. It's like a mother talking a father out of a severe punishment for a child. Instead God kills just a few, but promises that none of the complainers will see the promised land... they will all die on the journey.

The moral of the story? God has more experience being God than we do.

Let God be God.

Numbers 13

Moses sends a group of men into the promised land to explore. They find out what kind of fruit can grow and if the soil is fertile and they find out what kind of people live there and what kind of battle they are up against.

They report back 40 days later that the land is good for growing crops, but the people that live there are powerful with fortified cities. The one of the men, Caleb, silenced the people before Moses and said "we should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." (Verse 30)

Caleb is my kind of guy. Caleb thinks big, even if he is dead wrong. You have to love his enthusiasm!

The Israelites do go and take possession of the land, they are able to do it. But not in Caleb's timeframe, they do it in God's timeframe... many years later.

The church needs people like Caleb, with boldness and enthusiasm.

And the church needs committees that move slower and do their homework before making a bad decision.

And the church needs God to guide us. Even when we aren't asking for guidance we need to be looking for it.

When it all comes together the church can do amazing things.

Numbers 12

Verse 3 "Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth."

Some people believe that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible, including Numbers. If that is true, then Moses also wrote this verse, claiming to be the most humble person on the planet.

Claiming to be the most humble person on the planet is an oxy-moron. Either Moses didn't write Numbers or he was not the most humble man on the planet.

What does it mean to be humble? Let me tell you, because I am the most humble person in Tarrant County!

Wikipedia says that humility is 3 things:
1. Submitting to God and legitimate authority
2. Recognizing talents in others and giving due honor
3. Recognizing the limits of our own talents

Humility is hard. I don't like anyone telling me what to do... I had enough of that growing up with 2 older sisters. I don't like admitting someone else is better than me and I like being good at everything. (Which I'm not, but sometimes pretend to be)

But I have to think bigger than me... I have to think we.

If we are going to thrive as a church, a community and nation. Then we need humble people. We need people that submit to authority... we need people in authority that submit to the will of the people. We need to affirm the gifts in everyone and we need to realize what we aren't good at.

Our future does not come in realizing our own greatness, but in realizing our weaknesses. And having the courage to whatever it takes to turn our weakness into a strength.

One person at a time.

Numbers 11

What a chapter!

The people complain about not having meat to eat and they long for the days when they were slaves, because they had meat.

God replies," if meat is what you want then meat is what you'll get. I'll give you so much meat that it comes through your nostrils and you loathe it."

Then God sends quails and the people finally eat meat... and they die from it. Because (v.33) "the anger of the Lord burned against the people."

Our book group just met here in my office. During the conversation we started talking about the Old Testament. One person said that she did a year study on the OT, and didn't like it at all. This chapter is a perfect reason why it is hard to like the OT.

God kills people for complaining about eating the same thing everyday for years... manna.

Well, I probably would complain too. There is nothing that I would want to eat everyday for years. (Maybe pizza, but it would have to be really good)

So God kills them.

What then are we to say when God acts like a jerk? When God does things that are unlike God?

Do we say "well, don't complain." Easier said than done. Everyone complains eventually. I get a number of emails every day complaing about our president. (By the way, please take me off your list if you are sending them to me, they do no good for our country. Instead they widen the divide between our parties.)

*Funny sidenote: I picked Michelle up from the airport last night and as usual we had to leave through the toll booths. In front of us was a car that had a bumper-sticker with the word IDIOT on it, but it was made to look like the Obama symbol. What's funny is this car was in the toll tag only line and had no toll tag. They were trying to pay cash, but there was no one in the booth. It made me laugh really hard. If you are going to publicly announce that someone else is an idiot, you should do everything you can to not look like an idiot. Or as someone else put it, "it takes one to know one." This has nothing to do with politics, and has everything to do with complainers.

But there is no grace in standing behind the puplit every Sunday and telling people not to complain. Because there is a lot to complain about.

Life is rough. People are starving to death in Africa, our economy is in the gutter and there is violence all over the news.

And so we complain. But complaining doesn't do any good.

If you don't like the way the world is, do something about it.

God did.

He let the complainers nail him to a cross.

Numbers 10

Verse 9: "(The Lord said) When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies."

Let me get this right... when an oppressive enemy is attacking I have to blow a trumpet so that God will remember me? God isn't watching while they are attacking? I don't know how to play a trumpet. I've tried and I can't even get the thing to make a noise.

What is God doing in the meantime? Taking a nap? Watching the Family Feud? Shouldn't God be paying attention and there to rescue me before my enemies attack?

A lot of the Old Testament speaks about a God that I don't know. The God I do know is the God revealed in Jesus Christ. A God that doesn't rescue us from each other... A God that didn't even rescue His son from the executioner.

Instead God rescues from that which we can not defeat... ourselves. And the consequences for our actions. God rescues us from sin, death and the devil.

The 3 most oppressive enemies we will ever face.

Lucky for us we don't even need the trumpet... just faith.

Numbers 9

In Numbers 9 the Lord tells Moses that the people are to observe the celebration of the Passover. In verse 14 God said "A foreigner among you is also to celebrate the Lord's Passover in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for both the foreigner and the native-born."

As Christians we no longer celebrate the Passover, but we do celebrate Christmas and Easter. All of America celebrates Christmas and Easter... at least every one used to.

Kids still get the day of school and most businesses are closed but people complained about it being called Christmas or Easter break, so now it is known as winter vacation or spring break or some variation of those words. (I never heard a kid complain about having time off of school though)

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Some would say it's bad and argue that we should never shorten Christmas to X-mas. Some would say it is good because the church and state should be separated and since schools are institutions of the state they should remain religiously neutral.

Either way, God doesn't care what the break is called. God cares about how we spend the break. God desires all people to worship because of the profound meaning of the holidays.

God coming to earth in human form as a baby and God choosing to die on a cross and being raised from death is a big deal.

God wants it to be a big deal for all Americans, and all the world. It's the church's mission to make that happen.

Arguing about what to call the break isn't going to help.

Telling people why we take the break will.

(Random thought of the day: If Moses looked anything like Charlton Heston, then he really could have been Santa's skinny brother)

Numbers 8

In chapter 8 God tells Moses more about what he expects of the Levites. They must be purified by shaving their whole body and they have to wear clean clothes and they have to retire at 50.

I wonder if anyone in the Israelite camp questioned whether God was really talking to Moses all this time or if the old man was making some stuff up. And how did Moses feel about being the only God talks to? I can imagine it now... "Hey guys, God spoke to me again. Y'all need to shave your whole body and wash your clothes." And then some get disgruntled... "but I was working on a cool moustache."

But here comes the good part..."God said y'all get to retire at 50." And they all cheered.

How nice is that? To be able to retire at 50. And it's not an option, once they turn 50 they are done working. The text says they may "assist" others, but they no longer have any responsibility.

Today is my first blog from my new office. We finally got our internet problem solved! So here I sit, on my new office chair at my new desk typing on my kind of new computer. Surrounded by all this new stuff it's hard for to me even grasp the concept of retirement. I hope to get there someday... Unfortunately the expected age for people to retire keeps getting pushed back, I wouldn't be surprised if it's 80 by the time it's my turn. (Hopefully the market will come back by then)

Why does God make this requirement?

Because it is good for people to retire. People were not created to work their whole life. It is good to spend some time enjoying life; enjoying the people we love and enjoying the world that God created.

It doesn't mean that one needs to stop working or caring, but it means that it is time for something else to be the main focus.

Life.

Numbers 7

Numbers 7 tells us what the leaders of the families brought to offer the Lord. They all give silver and gold, incense and flour, and a whole mess of animals. They are generous in their giving. (In today's economy God would be doing pretty good with the precious metals He has been given!)

The Israelites are not ordered to give these gifts. They come to Moses and said "here, we brought these for the Lord." And Moses heard God say, "accept these gifts and give them to the Levites (priests) as they need."

Some churches can be a little over the top when it comes to asking their members for money. Some preachers make unrealistic promises based on giving. I heard a preacher promise his congregation they would hear Jesus' voice next Sunday if they all gave 100% of their income for the week to the church. Guess what? Jesus didn't show up... somebody must have ruined for everyone else.

Giving to God is not a contract.

Others preschers say that God requires everyone to give 10% to the church. Well, the bible does say that asked the Israelites to tithe 10%.

But God doesn't demand that we give. We can't buy God's love.

What God wants, the reason that God gave His only begotten son, is our hearts, not our wallets. God wants to be loved. All that God has done, creating the universe, the exodus and Jesus' death and resurrection was done so that we would know how much God loves us, and so that we would love God back.

And how do we love God back?

We give to God, because it is something we know how to do.

Numbers 6

In Numbes 6 God tells Moses and Aaron how to bless the Israelites. He tells Aaron to say "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord's face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."

I assume Aaron did this. Because we still do it today. Every Sunday our worship ends with these words, we call it the Benediction.

But what does it mean.

I live in Texas where the sun shines every day. But I grew up in Michigan, where the sun doesn't shine every day. Actually, I remember a November when the sun only came out 3 days in the entire month. When you go a couple weeks without seeing the sun, you forget what it looks like, you forget what it feels like.

The part of this blessing that speaks loudest to me is "may the Lord's face shine upon you."

In life we sometimes go for long periods of time without experiencing God. We forget what it feels like to be in God's presence. God warms our soul like the sun warms our skin.

The blessing, the prayer that I end every service with is this, that we would all feel God's presence every day of our lives. That we would never forget how good God is and how good it feels to be loved so much that Jesus would die on a cross for us.

If I had one wish for all of humanity it would be that. That everyone would feel God's face shining on them everyday.

If that ever happened, hunger and violence would cease to exist.

If that ever happened, we would be in heaven.

Numbers 5

Numbers 5 is a mix of voodoo and Jerry Springer... all that's missing is a bald security guard!

The majority of this chapter is God's plan for dealing with an unfaithful wife. If she is suspected of being unfaithful she must come to the priests and drink "bitter water". If she has been unfaithful then she will be cursed, but if she has not been unfaithful then she will be fine.

And what is the curse? (I think I had a curse put on me once when I was thrown out of a voodoo museum in New Orleans... I just asked if there would be any sacrifices while we were there. I thought it was a pretty fair question, but apparently it was offensive. I think my friends Jenny, Leah and Jake were afraid to stand next to me for the next few hours.)

In Numbers, the curse is this: her womb will swell and she will be unable to have children. If a woman was unable to have children she was accused of being unfaithful.

I hope that God didn't allow an innocent woman to be convicted of adultery. Many women are unable to have children, they are born that way. Abraham's wife Sarah was born that way. It wasn't until she was old that God performed a miracle and she was able to give birth. And Abraham and Sarah were around long before Moses, they knew that some women couldn't give birth.

Seems unfair to me. But then again, God didn't deal in fairness, and still doesn't.

But the God we worship and preach at Abiding Grace is unfair not in punishment but in love. Because grace, by its very nature is unfair. Grace means we don't get what we deserve.

Because of a sacrifice.