Ex's and The Exodus

My reading for 2/1/14 was Exodus 15-17.  Talk about “euphoric high!” It startled me how this relates to us when we mourn a former or ended relationship.  Many people speak of the pain of "letting go." We don't like to surrender anything, as evidenced by our unwillingness to surrender to the Lord

In chapter 15 the Israelites are dancing and singing that they’ve been freed from the 400 years of slavery and hard work and disrespect of the Egyptians.  Well, all the way up to vs 21.  Verse 15:22-24 takes an ugly turn, when no good water is found in the desert, and “the people grumbled against Moses.”  That’s real gratitude for you!!  14:25 Moses throws a tree into bitter water, making it sweet.  By verse 27 the travelers arrived at Elim, “Twelve Springs of Water”.  Problem Solved…. Good time to stop talking about Egypt!!

Chapter 16:1-3, they set out to continue the nomadic adventure to "Promised Land."  By verse 3, they are griping and grumbling that they wished they were just “back in Egypt, we had plenty of meat to eat and plenty of bread there.” They just wished they'd died in Egypt, as to have to die now on this trip to some “milk and honey” promised property.  They had NO FAITH whatsoever that God would provide a friend (oops, I meant food) for them on their adventure of following Him.  NOPE, this Guy with the Angels, the Miracles, the Red Sea parting, the defeat of the finest army of the world at the time, the Cloud,  The Fire in the Sky…. (the last 3 blessings you received – oops, just a slip!)…. Well HE just did NOT seem to be able to take care of them….  “Egypt was pretty nice compared to this FAITH deal!!”

So, in 16:4, God starts telling Moses of His meat and bread provision plan.  A little unique, but when you’re traveling light, Fast Food may be the best way to go!!  And so He flies in meat, and dumps “daily bread”…..one verse after they are done complaining….( I don’t know that the point is: “don’t grumble”, because God told Moses in 16:12 He had “heard the grumbling”.)  Maybe it’s a good thing to let Him know how you feel:  Job, Jeremiah, Jonah, (YOU) and a host of others in the Bible did so, and He didn’t seem to take offense.  He did straighten them out, nicely! 

Fast forward to: ScreamFree Living:  “Patterns are powerful, in that they give use familiar stability, even if that familiarity leaves us miserable.”  (Egypt wasn’t REALLY all that great. The Government had ordered infanticide, and “More Brick, Less Straw” as in Exodus 5:10-11…and Pharoah-Health-O-Care was simple: work more, or you get beaten”)  So why the sudden flashbacks PAST all the miracles since then, to the time in Egypt? Well, it was secure back there, and it was all they’d known, and they knew what tomorrow would bring….and they didn’t need a Month-at-a-Glance Planner!!  Life was simple, do the same thing everyday; and you Did Not have to camp out all the time!!

Again, a word from ScreamFree Living: “It is far easier to complain than to change.”

I can’t make this stuff up! It’s in my daily Bible reading, and ScreamFree is in my brain from 6 years of using it!  Take a hint...as a young Pastor friend said to me recently:  "It took one night to get the Israelites out of Egypt.... and 40 years to get Egypt out of the Israelites!"  If you've been delivered from something, (or someone)...LET IT GO!!

Sending Jesus Away, Asking Him to Stay

Sad sentence in the Bible at Mark 5:17: "And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region." Jesus had just cast many demons out of cemetery-dweiling "demoniac," and sent the demons to into a herd of pigs. The 2,000 pigs promptly ran off a cliff into the sea and drowned...which is a bad deal if you're a pig farmer, and just watched your entire livelihood destroyed. So the local townspeople, and the heads of the Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce, and Industrial Development Authority asked Him to go elsewhere with His people-freeing/pig-killing program (even thought they KNEW of the miraculous healing of the "maniac". Meanwhile, the former "maniac" is sent back to his home area of Decapolis (means ten towns).... he's all the minister and missionary those people are going to need to hear from to learn about Jesus!!
Shortly in the narrative, a father will come to Jesus begging for him to come to his sick daughter's bedside. And a woman sick for 12 years will make a "power play" just to touch Him for the healing she believes in.....
Sooo... how to be sure to not miss Jesus' invitation, and the Holy Spirit's prompting for the day?
Years ago Johnny Cash sang a song entitled "I See Men as Trees Walking."  It refers to Mark 8, when Jesus healed a blind man.  There's a great line in the chorus: "Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, I would like to see!"  He seems to be willing to do what we sincerely ask of Him!

Who You Really Are

Interesting story of Gideon in Judges 6 & 7. Midian has oppressed the Israelites for years, stealing their crops, livestock, (or destroying them) and more un-neighborly activities. The Lord responds to the cry of the "sons of Israel" by sending an Angel to visit Gideon. The Angel calls him a "man of valor" and invites him to use his strength and the Angel's calling to go free Israel from the Midianite oppressors.
Gideon basically says "You don't know who I am, I'm the least of the least around here!"
The Angel and Lord keep working with him: fleece (wet or dry), dreams of loaves of bread rolling into camps, soldiers drinking water in certain ways, sneaking around at night on various missions, flaming torches, blaring trumpets...
In Effect, the Angel and Lord said or demonstrated:"No, Gideon, the problem is: You Don't Know Who You Are When I'm With You!!"
I've long believed: "When the FATHER steps in, Everything changes!"

Genesis 37:15 "Between"

I woke early, my mind singing “In The Bleak Mid-Winter”… Gloucester Cathedral Choir - In the Bleak Midwinter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRobryliBLQ

I love using this Genesis 37:15 verse (Amplified) with friends and my younger brothers; maybe their “must have” college class closed out, maybe their A became a C from the final, maybe mom/dad has said, “Grow Up, Get Out”, maybe 1/2 of 3 different jobs is still not enough. Genesis 37:15 is just an iReport from Canaan, zooming in on the life of one of Abraham’s great-grandchildren.

Joseph, on his first errand for father, had a misadventure. And there were more ahead: the bottom of the well, and the bottom of Egypt’s jail.

Yet he was headed to being the trusted household manager for Pharaoh’s head of Secret Service (Potiphar – that’s what his job was!). He was also headed toward being the 2nd most important leader of the largest civilized society of the time. He would show himself as being a veritable genius in both agriculture, logistics, and inventory control of the food supply in Egypt. A negotiator of peaceful internal and external affairs he became, engaged with serving millions of people.

So what was Joseph doing on this early assignment in life, depicted in the Amplified Version of Genesis 37:15? “… lost, wandering in the fields”. Doesn’t sound too fruitful, does it? (Perhaps the man who asked him a question was a Life Coach!)

Been there, I have. He was making absolutely NO progress, with all his useful, youthful energy and freedom and ability to travel in ANY direction.

Bottom of the well? Put there deliberately by those who would have Joseph gone forever, (and would lie to their own daddy about it.) Yes, still have my ticket stub somewhere from that ride!! Bottom of the jail? Put there by lies, deception, accusations that were as deliberate as they were untrue. I’ve visited there, truly have… if you haven’t yet, well, it’s coming!

So, if it seems like a “bleak mid-winter” time to you, maybe Joseph’s diary will give some comfort!!

A Few More Minutes

Ephesians 3: 20-21. Recently saw picture of a "facebook server farm". One of many Huge facilities with Huge rooms Big as Walmart, Filled with racks of computers around the country that support Just Facebook. And I think: "Paul said HE had more capacity than this, and it is on call."

The first time I chaperoned a TBC youth trip to camp in 2003, I'd had years of poor life quality due to inner ear. Many family trips missed, many many events walked out of, many meals left at restaurants to sit in car, taking my meds, wearing my electronic wristband, waiting for family to finish and bring my box. Drive 8 hours to vacation Saturday, be able to leave the condo for lunch by Wednesday...

So I go because the Youth Minister has asked me to fill a sudden adult vacancy, and the girls say "It's the closest that camp will ever be." I drive behind the church bus that I cannot ride, have lunch at a mall food court (which is always a challenge) to an altitude that makes my heart drop. In the first worship service, the fear, nausea, moist eyes began. Out come pills, and electronic bracelet. I already knew where the nearest exits and stairways were (my first check of ANY building!) There were a dozen people to cross over in theater seats, and I'd be on the stairs... maybe I wouldn't throw up in this lovely building, in front of 800 students, 70 from TBC. Maybe I wouldn't have a panic attack, and collapse against a outdoor wall, trembling with sweat in the Georgia summer heat.

And HE SAID: "Can you trust me for just a few more minutes?" Hmmm "you know my history, my life, how warm this balcony is, with all this movement" And HE SAID: "a few more minutes?" Not for camp, not for today, or even the 3 hour session, just maybe 3 minutes. So I said "Yes", and started watching my second hand. I'd taken my pills, the wrist band was working so hard my hand was curling at every impulse; I'd done all I could do.

And I began to calm!! Like never before, in the midst of loud challenging music, a sea of motion- filled teens, and a light show beyond lightning, and I'm beginning to relax!! The symptoms are subsiding. In 5 minutes, we "renewed" our contract of "just a few more minutes". And the minutes continued, and He told me: "you do your part, and I'll do MINE".

Yes, I'd been through 8 years of specialist therapy, which I continue today. And sometimes, I don't know with certainty, what my part is... and He still says, "you do your part, then I'll do MINE".

Praying with you, for the next few minutes....

Ben McNeal - Finished Well

This is the video that was played at nephew Ben McNeal's Celebration Service, 2 pm Tuesday, December 15th. That would have been his 22nd birthday, and he wanted a PARTY!

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

Chasing Daylight - McManus

Just had a chance to read a very challenging book by the Pastor of Mosiac Church in Los Angeles. Erwin McManus is known for several of his writings, but this is an especially motivating work. The entire study is from I Samuel 14, and focuses on Jonathan, son of Saul.

The Israelite army is pinned down by their adversaries, the Philistines. (Seems like the Hebrew people are historically in someone's crosshairs.) King Saul was not taking action against the enemy, and his son Jonathan had a moment of inspiration, which he shared with his armor-bearer: "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. None can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many, or by few." His armor-bearer replied,"Do all that you have in mind. Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul".

McManus points out the Choices available to Jonathan, the Initiative God's work requires, and the Uncertainty involved in adventuring with the Lord. Jonathan's life had an Influence on his companion, which helped both of them take a Risk for God.... something that is always present, if we are going to Advance the kingdom. When we make an Impact for the Lord's work, often a Movement occurs that can lead to the Awakening of God's people. (Okay, I gave you the chapter headings, capitalized!)

Again and again, the author points out the importance of responding in the moment of invitation to be partners with the Lord. One of my favorite quotes in the book reveals the impact we should be having on others: "What you may never see is the number of people who are pulled into God's purpose for their lives through the wind shear of your obedience". Simply, when we follow the Lord, others are challenged and emboldened to answer their individual call, as well.

Currently in our young singles/college group, there are at least 4 young ladies, and 8 young men who are either in studies, training, or have already answered God's call to full-time service. It wasn't necessarily one "going to the altar" and others following.... it was more like what Eugene Petersen refers to as a "long obedience in the same direction" for each of them. They each kept going forward, stepping into ministry opportunities, that led them to their present moving status.

Back to Jonathan, it's possible to read but not see the Risk and Uncertainty evident in these few verses: "Come, let's go.... perhaps the Lord will act..." How's that for an action plan for a church or ministry committee? I want to start trying more often to see opportunities where the Lord may just be waiting for someone to step up, and step into a greater part of His work!

Dark Tombs, Heavy Stones

When the time of Easter approaches, it reminds me of the amazing chain of events that was triggered by Jesus' Resurrection. Our sins were nailed in effect to His cross, and as He rose from the dead, we did as well.

Cleansing and being right with God had always been possible... the Old Testament proclaims that when it speaks of men like Moses, with whom God spoke face to face. Our friends Enoch and Elijah were taken up to the heavens, and David was a man "after God's own heart".

A pure heart before God was possible, but the sacrifices for sin were complex (read Deuteronomy again!), and the Holy Spirit was not available to indwell every believer until 40 days after Jesus' ascension. Those of us living post Pentecost have much to be grateful for about our relationship with the Lord!!

But we can still fail to walk in that fullness, still fail to claim His power for our day, and still fail to invite Him to be part of each of our activities. We can actually get buried in emotional, spiritual, and psychological tombs... as dark as the unused tomb where Nicodemus and friends laid Jesus' body, before the Roman soldiers rolled the stone and sealed the opening. We can live in Dark Tombs, with Heavy Stones.

How to get out? Well, Jesus had demonstrated it with his good friend Lazarus... saying, "Lazarus, come forth". I think it's safe to say that God wants all of us out of our tombs, and unwrapped from the graveclothes of the past. God is calling us out of those dark, heavy histories of life. When Jesus came out of His tomb, He brought us and our stories out with Him, into Heaven's light!

Confess them, Reject Them, Correct Them, and Leave Them Behind!!

God's Stories in My Backyard

In Matthew 13, Jesus told a number of parables, which some people call stories. Jesus' disciples asked Him why He was telling stories about farmers, birds, merchants, fishermen, and such common things. His response was that some people were ready to hear from God, some were not, and that the stories helped prepare people for insight and understanding.

Jesus often relates that the stories in Matthew are like the Kingdom. Looking over His parables in chapter 13, there are reports of farmers who have to wait to pull enemy-sown thistles until the final harvest. There is a story of a great tree, that comes from a quite small and unimpressive seed. Another parable says the Kingdom is like yeast stirred into bread mix: there's a time of waiting and warming before the final product is ready for the next step. Another time Jesus tells His hearers that the Kingdom is like a jeweler, who sells everything else he has when he finds the perfect pearl.

There is a lot to absorb from these stories... does the thistle story help us understand why God doesn't deal directly with bad people right now? Does the small seed story mean that much of God's work in our world will come from unnoticed small starts, here and there? Maybe the yeast (leaven) example is God's way of reminding us that many good things require a time of maturing. The jewelry story may show us that when God found us lost and straying, He sold off His Greatest Prize, in order to buy us for Himself.

I can't help notice and be reminded of what professional landscapers have told me about some of our plants and shrubs, and believe that God has stories going on in my backyard! There are different and important times for pruning and dethatching some of our landscaping. Hydrangeas "bloom on old wood", so I know to leave some of those unsightly stalks standing. When trimming the beautiful OakLeaf Hydrangea, I was careful to remove only the dead bloom stems, for the new buds were evident, inches away!

Crepe Myrtles come in 100's of variations, and in our area they are seen trimmed in 100's of ways. I do it by hand, cutting back to certain joints. Some workers say liriope should be trimmed every January with a weedeater... others applaud my December method of running over it with the mower and bagger every few years!!

What is MOST interesting to me is: already, though our winter season has hardly begun at this writing, a number of both the ground vegetation, shrubs, and trees have already "set the buds" for the spring blooming. In other words, my metereological advisors are warning me that winter is ahead.... but God, Master Gardener, is telling me through my own backyard that HE IS PREPARING and PLANNING FOR SPRING!!! I find that a pretty positive approach, no matter what the economy or weather, and I think I'll adopt it as often as I can in my thinking...