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Archives For November 30, 1999

Then & Now

October 21, 2011 — Leave a comment

Read this today:

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.

And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent.

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

Exodus 33:7, 8, 11 (NIV)

The Israelites had to go through Moses to interact with God…

…because of Jesus, I don’t!

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Rejoice and Lament

October 20, 2011 — Leave a comment

Good one…

There’s a time to rejoice and lament
Every season will find an end
All will fade and be made new again

[YouTube]

…glad I listened to my bro Joel and got this album!

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Deeed Aneemaal

October 16, 2011 — Leave a comment

20111016-163559.jpg

I was reading in Exodus this morning about the plagues God brought upon Egypt – aaaand hit the part about the flies.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.

– Exodus 8:20-21, 24 (NIV)

If you’re like me, you read this and think, “OK, I’ve seem flies. They are a nuisance, but they can’t be that bad.”

I think i’d be with you, except for an experience my wife and I had years ago…

We were living in a mobile home at the time and one day we started noticing a terrible smell in our front bathroom. Something really bad. Awful. Horrendous.

We called an plumber, thinking it was the sewer, and he walked into the bathroom and immediately proclaimed, “YOU HAVE A DEEED ANEEMAAL!” I write what he said that way because it took us a second to completely understand him and then a few more to grasp what he was saying.

Turns out, a varmint had snuck up through the underlining of the house and got stuck in the hollow part of the shower stall. Sounds innocent enough, but we really didn’t know about it until we smelled something.

Again, something really bad. Awful. Horrendous.

There really wasn’t much we could do – the critter was wedged in a space that we really could not get to. So, at the plumber’s recommendation, I cut a hole in the back side of the closet and tossed some lime in there to control the stench. We dealt (thank goodness we had a second bath) and the smell dissipated…

Experience over, right? WRONG! Here’s the Exodus, Moses, Pharaoh, flies part. If you’re easily freaked or grossed out, brace yourself!

We never considered the eventual decomposing aspect of Mr. Varmint…and the “things” that come with that process.

The stench was gone; but one day one of us went into the bathroom and noticed a fly.

Then there was another. Then a few more. Then there was a dozen. Then I noticed the cover where the shower head comes out of the wall and into the shower: a scene reminiscent of one of those “swarm” movies where the bugs are scampering – no fighting to get into the house!

If that had been a movie, the crowd would have been covering their eyes and screaming “Don’t take the cover off! Don’t take the cover off!”

i did…

…and the room filled with flies.

Maybe not in “Moses showing Pharaoh God’s might” proportions, but it sure seemed like it!

Cutting to the end of this experience, I ended up sealing up the shower head opening, hanging several of those handy dandy, sticky fly trap ribbon things, and putting a towel across the door gap at the floor. What can I say, it did the trick…

So, on a intensely smaller scale, I can imagine a bit of the freakiness Pharaoh, his officials, and the Egyptians went through.

Sorry, no stories about frogs, gnats, cows, or locusts…

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October 5, 2011 Thoughts

October 5, 2011 — Leave a comment

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

– Genesis 3:8 (NIV)

I’ve read that verse many times – maybe you have, as well.

Maybe its familiarity has resulted in my under appreciating the gravity of the verse* – the depth of regret that Adam and Eve must have felt when confronted about their sin and understanding the consequences.

This week, I’ve been listening to a new album called, Music Inspired By The Story [iTunes, web]. Its a collection of songs “written in the first person perspective, that depict timeless biblical stories and provide a completely new context into how God’s story of love and redemption intersects with our story of brokenness and failures resulting in a new story of hope and rescue.” [source]

While all the tracks are great, one has stuck in my mind: Good (ADAM & EVE). In light of the gravity of Genesis 3:8, to imagine Adam and Eve thinking:

If I could / I’d rewrite history / I’d choose differently
If I could, I would
I’d leave out the part / Where I broke Your heart
In the garden’s shade / Fix the mess I made
If I could, I would

If I could / Close my eyes and then / Dance around again
If I could, I would
Be who You adored / Why did I need more?
When beauty was not trained / To hide behind my shame
If I could, I would

If I could / Hold one memory / It would surely be
How You walked with us
I’d go back in time / Untell my first lie / And let Love’s injury
Heal in spite of me

wow

I sin so many times each day and sadly give the singular or collective gravity little thought.

Many of us even categorize and rank sin and then relate “appropriate” regret.

We forget that ALL sin disappoints God just as much as the Adam and Eve’s did and that it should result in a regret and brokenness just as profound as theirs…and too often doesn’t.

Forgive me, God.

I’m so grateful that God so Loved…

…for Greater Love…

…for No Condemnation…

…for Forgiveness…

…and for a promised return to how He intended things to be.

x

*I could probably say that about many passages…

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Just Like Me

September 29, 2011 — Leave a comment

I find these quotes comforting.  Not solely for their content, but the identity of the person who thought/penned them:

“The burden is too heavy for me.”

— Moses, Numbers 11:14

“Life’s been nothing but trouble and tears”

— Jeremiah, Jeremiah 20:18

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and
day after day have sorrow in my heart?”

— David, Psalm 13:2

“When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.”

— Psalmist, Psalm 94:19

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Man Keeps Arm Raised For 38 Years

September 18, 2011 — 1 Comment

Via: Today I Learned Something New

How far would you go for your beliefs?

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

— Jesus (Matthew 16:24 [NLT])

My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

— Paul (Galatians 2:20 [NLT])

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Praying Before Meals

September 14, 2011 — Leave a comment

Karen and I pray before our meals.

I guess I grew up doing this, so we do it as well.

Pausing to give thanks for God’s provision is a good thing and meals seem to be an appropriate time – you know, “the bounty” and all.

We also typically pray before our meal when we are at a restaurant.*

I don’t think there is a specific command in the Bible about praying before a meal, though we read about Jesus praying before several. [I did find an interesting article over at the Stuff Christian’s Like blog that provides some “insight.”]

Anyway…

Today, I was reading in Matthew and read this:

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Matthew 6:5, 6 (NIV)

At lunch, I thought about these verses:

“Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.”

Matthew 10:32, 33 (NIV)

I guess I never thought about our “restaurant” meal prayer in the context of Matthew 6: the thought that it might fit with what Jesus described.

As the same time, I don’t think not praying for a meal is a form of denying Him as Matthew 10 describes.

Over to you:

  • Do you pray before meals in public?
  • What are your thoughts about the two passages from Matthew?
  • If you don’t consider yourself religious, what are your thoughts on this?

*Funny story:

We were at Disneyland years ago with some friends and had just sat down to eat dinner. We were at the Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland and purposely sat near the wall so we could watch people as we ate.

After everyone was settled, we bowed to pray for the food. As my friend prayed, I opened my eyes and glanced up – just in time to see a kid reaching to take one of my nachos!

Everyone was still praying, but I made eye contact with him and quietly said, “Dude, not cool.”

He and his friends made a beeline – “running like the wind!” – never to be seen again.

My friend said Amen, I shared the story, and we all cracked up!

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Biblical IF Functions

September 7, 2011 — Leave a comment

Ever read the Bible with an MS Excel or mathematical mindset?

I read these familiar passages today:

=IF(my_people=”humility+prayer+seek_Me+repentance”, hear_forgive_heal, uproot_reject_scorn)

=IF(me=”(take_yoke+learn_from)God”, rested_soul, distress)

=IF(me=”serve_money”, 0, serve_God)

Sometimes being a nerd can be fun…

…though looking at them this way doesn’t make them any easier to live!

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Meant To Be

September 6, 2011 — Leave a comment

Several weeks ago, I shared Matt Redman’s song “Endless Hallelujah” during the offering time at church.  The song has quickly become one of my favorites from his new 10,000 Reasons album [iTunes].

One thing that gets me each time I listen to the song is the phrase:

“Ev’rything as it was meant to be“

In the context of the song, it’s:

When I stand before Your throne
Dressed in glory not my own
What a joy I’ll sing of on that day
No more tears of broken dreams
Forgotten in the minor key
Ev’rything as it was meant to be

The thing that challenges me in regard to that phrase is the frequent difference between how I feel or expect “things to be” and how God would have them – in His position as Sovereign Lord in my life.

Quite often, miles and miles separate the two…

…and my version of my “story” is without adversity or challenge.

With certainty, God has promised a life with, as the song’s chorus declares,

No more tears, No more shame
No more sin and sorrow Ever known again
No more fears, No more pain

We may enjoy a foretaste of that on earth, but the reality of a life like that – life “as it was meant to be” – will only come in heaven.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

— Revelation 21:3-4 (NIV)

Maranatha!

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Clarity, Delayed

September 4, 2011 — Leave a comment

A year ago, my dad and his wife died in a car accident. Then and now: it hurts.

A person I’d loved my entire lifetime and another I’d only known less than a year were tragically gone…

I’ve been and still am: angry, confused, bitter, regretful, sorrowful, apathetic, depressed, broken, … many things.

I’ve grappled with the knowledge that others have lost loved ones as well, often thinking to myself, “who am I to think that I am any different.”

I’ve asked “why?” too many times to count, knowing that I’ll never know the answer to that question this side of heaven – for we read:

“Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

I Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

I believe clarity will come…

…and yet, at the very moment it does, it probably won’t matter.

For, as the song Soon expresses:

I will be with One I love.
With unveiled face I’ll see Him.
There my soul will be satisfied.
Soon and very soon

Maranatha!

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