Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Chronological Bible- Week 8

This week, our reading journey takes us into the book of Numbers. Here we see the people of Israel beginning to take stock of their tribes and the ordering of their people. The commands of sacrifice and worship begin to normalize and we see the priesthood in action. We also see the people continue to wrestle with what it means to trust God in this desert place. He is leading them with cloud and fire to a Promised Land, but the road is long and difficult. Many will lose heart and miss out on the promise. But through all these stories, I believe God is building into the people an awareness of what it takes to follow Him and be his people. The new generation he brings up will have the faithlessness of their ancestors as a backdrop for entrance into God's land.

Keep up the reading!

What thoughts are you processing this week?

Peace-

Nick

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Chronological Bible- Week 7

As we continue in our Chronological reading this week, we enter into some portions of the Bible that may be described as heavy sledding. The sacrificial and covenant language, along with the myriad amount of laws and commands, makes Leviticus one of the most difficult books for the modern reader to appreciate. I joked this weekend that more one-year Bible reading plans have died in the desert than anywhere else!

I encourage you, though, to read carefully and to persevere. While some of these texts may feel a bit dry, hidden within them are some great nuggets of truth. Additionally, a basic understanding of the Old Testament law will make other parts of Scripture come to life. The rebukes of God through the prophets make much more sense when we understand the backdrop of a neglected sacrificial system. The significance of Christ's statements and activities take on more depth when the OT context is known. The book of Hebrews jumps to life when the source material of Leviticus is kept in view. So take heart, read on, and allow God to direct your thoughts.

It may be helpful to see Leviticus in four main parts: The Sacrificial Laws (ch. 1-7), the Priestly Beginnings (ch. 8-10), the Purification Laws (ch. 11-16) and the Holiness Code (ch. 17-27). These four movements of the book all center around one pivotal theme: God is holy. In many ways, Leviticus 11:45 serves as the theme verse of everything else, "For I the Lord am the One who brought you up from the land of Egypt, that I might be your God. Therefore, you must be holy because I am holy." It would be an understatement to say that holiness is a big deal to God!

As we come to grips with the extreme requirements of God's holy standard, we can begin to appreciate the significance of Christ's sacrifice for us. Jesus has imparted to us his perfect holiness, so that we can stand before the Almighty God without spot, blemish or defect. God's holiness standards have not changed one bit since the book of Leviticus. The method of becoming holy, however, has changed completely. How awesome is that? I am so glad today to be clinging to Christ, and not headed out to sacrifice some animals so I can be made clean.

May you also cling to Christ as you read Leviticus. Peace-
Nick

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

The Chronological Bible- Week 6

To all of you who have been reading and keeping up in the Chronological Bible- Woo-hoo! Way to go! Keep it up. To all of you jumping in, or who feel like you've fallen behind- I'm so glad you are on the journey. Don't forget about Grace Monday; the invitation to start each week new no matter how far behind you may be. Pick up fresh and track with us for the week- you'll be glad you did.

This week launches us full-time into the Desert wanderings and into the language of the covenant. In this later part of Exodus, God begins to show people who He is and how to relate to him. We see the people of Israel struggle and wrestle with what it means to be people of the Presence and no longer live as citizens of Egypt. God pours forth his standards in laws and commands related to every area of life- ceremonial, sacrificial, the temple, relationships, you name it! After a "worship-many-gods-live-for-yourself" attitude of Egypt, this had to be a huge adjustment for the newly-free Israelites.

I imagine that though our experience is much different, our struggle to truly walk with God and live as His people carries many similarities to these Israelites. Living out God's commands in a pluralistic, post-Christian era can be hard to do. Understanding God's view of holiness in light of the laissez-faire attiude of other around us can be intimidating. Yet I believe when we allow ourselves to face these issues and not run from them, we begin to discover the heart of faith.

What are you processing this week?

What are you planning to let go of during the season of Lent?

What are you planning to pick up during Lent in order to live more Christ focused?

Thanks for reading- now take a moment to share!

Blessings-
Nick

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Did Someone Say "Lent"?

Once again this year, we have decided as a church community to observe the season of Lent. Without fail, this announcement will elicit a few raised eye-brows from the crowd, and a few more questions about why we do this. Why observe Lent when we aren't a formal, traditional church? Why do Lent if we're not Catholic? Why do Lent and put ourselves under a kind of "bondage" when we are free in Christ?

For many of us, however, we have found the experience of Lent to have an odd appeal to us, and in this post I want to try and explain why.
In Hebrews 11:25, 26 we read,
Moses chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

While living in Egypt as a young man, Moses had the opportunity to choose a life of comfort, riches and ease. He could have lived out his days in the Pharaoh's palace and enjoyed the benefits of that life. Moses, however, chose differently. He realized that he was not at home in Egypt- that his real people and his real purpose lay somewhere else. So he intentionally did some very difficult things. He identified with the slaves. He followed the leading of God's Spirit. He stared down the Pharaoh and he took a million people through the Red Sea. Why? Because in his heart he believed in a better land, a better place, where God was leading him and the people. Sacrifices and hardship would be worth the journey. Giving up the treasures of Egypt would be a small sacrifice in comparison to living fully alive as the people of God.

In many ways, I see us facing the same choice. In a metaphorical way, we live in the palace of Egypt- our modern life offers us a continual feast of self-satisfying pursuits and possessions. We have the choice to live out our days here, or we can choose as Moses did to sacrifice for a better land.

I don't know about you, but the "treasures of Egypt" have a way of gripping my mind, and eventually my heart. Things that I once knew nothing about have become essentials in my day-to-day living- coffee, email, Kindle, Words with Friends, ESPN- the list could go on and on. As I hold these treasures in my hand, I realize that none of them are bad or sinful in and of themselves. They are tools and objects. But at the same time, I also realize that my hands, and my life, can be pretty full. Lent is an opportunity to willingly lay some of these things down for a time so that I might come before God with empty hands. Lent is a time to say, "God, show me how to follow you into a better land. This Egypt is not my home- I want to belong to your people."

So, may I encourage you to enter willingly into a time of self-denial on some level? We might be tempted to see this as a yoke of slavery- doing without something we love- but we need to see that it is a bold attempt to throw off true slavery. You see, the treasures of Egypt will always keep us bound to Egypt, and this kind of slavery keeps us from belonging fully to God. Sure, on a spiritual level we are fully His already, but on a practical level we know this is not our full experience. We are captive to our possessions and our pursuits. What would it look like to throw off these captors and to journey with God into the wilderness of transformation? That is the purpose of Lent.

What will you choose?
If you know what you are laying down for Lent, post it below!

May you know that God longs to lead you on a journey into His great reward-
Nick

Monday, February 04, 2013

The Chronological Bible- Week 5

Hello friends, and welcome to week 5 of the Chronological Bible. This week we dive into Covenant territory, as Yahweh begins to spell out the terms of His covenant with the people of Israel. Not only do we learn about the holiness and righteous standards of God, we also learn a great deal about Israel as they struggle to become His people- a people set apart for God's glory.

I am really looking forward to the way the exodus and the wilderness journey will serve as a parallel for our Lent experience. Lent is an opportunity to ask ourselves the question, "What could I willingly go without in order to live a more God-focused life?" We spend the rest of the year doing what comes naturally- doing what makes us feel comfortable, secure, and fulfilled. Lent is a unique time to do what is unnatural- to go without- so that we might also learn to be a people set apart for God.

You'll hear more in the weeks to come, but I hope that the reading this week will be a primer in the language of struggle. Becoming the people of God didn't happen overnight for the Israelites, and it won't happen overnight for us either. Learning to follow this God can be challenging, but it is the journey He invites us to undertake.

Read on!

Nick