Title: Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later / Topic: God's Justice

Today’s Reading: Leviticus 26; Leviticus 27; Acts 23

Scripture: Leviticus 26:40-43

40 "But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, 41 which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees."

Observation: Moses is concluding his instructions to Israel and here the Lord is speaking to the people through him. God is urging the people to follow Him and listing the blessings of obedience. But also,

God warns the people against disobedience and lists the severe consequences of rejecting Him. This passage, near the end of Moses' comments, is a part of the summary and in it God gives a way back to Him even after a season of rebellion. What I notice here is that God tells the people that even if they don't observe the sabbaths that God has proscribed, they will be observed through judgment. God will see to it.

Application: So I can obey and do what God is requiring, or I can disobey and not do it, but either way, it will get done. For if I don't do it, God will get it done another way, usually to my pain and loss. God says, "You can pay me now, or pay me later, but either way, I will get paid!"

Prayer: Lord, I choose to pay You now. Help me to remember this choice always, especially in times of temptation and doubt. I choose You as my Lord and not myself.

This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: When Can Kindness Be Cruel? / Topic: God's Perspective

Today’s Reading: Leviticus 23; Leviticus 24; Psalm 24; Acts 21

Scripture: Leviticus 24:10-23

10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses... 12 They put him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.

13 Then the LORD said to Moses: 14 "Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. 15 Say to the Israelites: 'If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; 16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death...

23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Observation: What a tough passage! My bride and I listened to today's reading, including this passage, with my mother-in-law, who we are visiting this weekend. She is a fairly new Christian and I felt a bit awkward as we listened with her to the story of the stoning of the blasphemer. If these are difficult passages for mature Christians, how much more are they for newbies? So my wife and I made a few comments about the fact that this is a difficult story but that God's plan was for His people to be holy and that meant ridding themselves of polluting influences. But even that was not thoroughly satisfying.

I am reminded of a phrase from Proverbs: "the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel." (Proverbs 12:10) A good example of this is those who have sympathy for terrorists and want them accorded the rights of American criminals. By trying to be so kind to these evil killers, they risk the lives of many innocents. Rather than being willing to give any discomfort to the terrorists (I am not talking about torture -- burning with hot irons or pulling out fingernails or shocking sensitive areas), they become willing to allow innocent men, women, and children suffer the cruelest kinds of pain as the result of terrorist acts that might have been prevented. Good-headed people understand the difference between unallowable torture and the wise, limited methods of maximizing the potential of getting the terrorist to divulge information that could save lives. One has to keep this difference in mind and maintain a long-range view.

Application: And that is what God, our Heavenly Father, has -- a long-range view. He saw that if this blasphemer was spared, significant damage to His people would be unavoidable. The message would be loud and clear that God could be blasphemed without consequence. The fear of the Lord, a vital factor to be maintained, would be effectively neutralized. (And remember, that this was a day where Moses had been communicating the instructions about "solemn assemblies unto the Lord.") God's kindness and mercy for "the innocents" required this man's death. Do I like it? No -- and neither did God, I believe. But it was right, and necessary, and ultimately the kindest thing God could have done for everybody.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for who You are -- that You have great wisdom that transcends ours and that You allow us to grapple with these things by including the difficult stuff in Your word. I am grateful that You have such great love for Your people that You are willing to make the tough calls. Help us to embrace Your wisdom and to humbly accept the limitations on our understanding and the subsequent "not fully knowing" that results. Keep me close to You, Lord.

This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: One Helpless Man / Topic: The Power of a Praying Church

Today’s Reading: Exodus 39,40; Psalms 15; Acts 12

Scripture: Acts 12:1-5
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Observation: I love verse five! This verse hints to what is really going on. The maniacal King Herod and the compromised Jewish leaders collaborated to destroy the Church. And after slaughtering James, their thirst for blood and power drove them to deal their death blow by killing Peter, the leader of the Church, as well. All the power of the Roman Empire was lined up against this one helpless man. "...but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." (vs. 5) Unbeknownst to Herod and his cohorts was the fact of an unstoppable Unseen Power behind this one helpless man. And the praying church was in the process of unleashing this Unseen Power against the Empire of Man. The situation was bleak as far as the church was concerned. But it did not stop them from "earnestly praying to God for him."

Application: 1) It is better to be one helpless man relying on the power of heaven than a mighty king with all the resources of earth. 2) The praying church may look helpless, but it unleashes a force against which nothing can prevail, so 3) Pray and keep praying.

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are not restricted by what we see. Thank you that you are not restricted by anything but your own will and purpose. And thank you that ultimate justice will be done in the final analysis. I am one helpless man who trusts in you. Thank you for receiving me.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Two Talented Guys / Topic: Skill Requirements

Today’s Reading: Exodus 35, 36; Acts 10

Scripture: Exodus 35:30-35
³⁰ Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³¹ and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- ³² to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ³³ to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. ³⁴ And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. ³⁵ He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them master craftsmen and designers.

Observation: Moses and the Israelites are preparing to fabricate the Tabernacle. Now the Tabernacle is the very first officially-designated place where God will meet regularly with human beings! (Maybe it's the second one, with the garden of Eden being the first.) And Moses has invited the people to bring all kinds of raw and finished materials that will be needed to put this Tabernacle and all its furnishings together. And now it is time for the work to begin. Here Moses discusses the people that will be in charge of doing this one-of-a-kind task. What gets my attention is that these guys, Bezalel and Oholiab, are highly skilled craftsmen. In fact, that seems to be their only qualification! (Oh, and they could teach others too.)

Application: Sometimes in the church, we don't put enough emphasis on the skill of those doing the work. That is, we select people because they are willing, and because they say they have "a call from God." But sometimes, the work done by "willing" and "called" volunteers is not up to par. Now I'm not advocating that we select people for tasks in the church based only on their skill -- character and spirituality are vital considerations as well. But I think that if we want excellence in the results of any ministry, then high skill should be one of the primary requirements for those leading and carrying the bulk of the load.

Prayer: Lord, send highly skilled people to the church to do the tasks in a way that creates results that are in keeping with Your excellence. Let us not excuse slipshop performance by claiming that the "anointing" makes up for the poor quality. May we always be excellent in result, as well as in character and in spirituality.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Give Me All Of God / Topic: Wise, Godly Leadership

Today’s Reading: Exodus 33; Exodus 34; Psalm 16; Acts 9

Scripture: Exodus 33:13-18 (excerpts below)
¹³ "If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people..."
¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here..."
¹⁸ Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."

Observation: Moses and the Lord are having quite a conversation here. God is telling Moses that the people have serious problems and that leading them is going to be challenging. What I love here is how Moses responds to the Lord. He just keeps asking for more and more of God.

Application: What this reveals about Moses is the key. Moses knew he needed God -- all of God -- to succeed. There was no option -- Moses would do it no other way. He asks for God to teach him His ways (vs. 13), give him His Presence (vs. 15), and show him His glory (vs. 18). I'm sure Moses was a gifted leader. But gifting is not enough for Kingdom leadership -- a Kingdom leader needs the King -- his ways, his presence, and his glory.

Bottom Line: If you want to lead in the Kingdom with wise, godly leadership, talent, training, and skill are not enough. You need ALL OF GOD. So make the pursuit of God Himself your primary pursuit and let that be the foundation upon which the skill, talent, and techniques that you acquire as a leader.

Prayer: Lord, help me to know you and have your ways, your ongoing presence, and your glory as the obvious foundation of all you have called me to do, and the leadership responsibilities you have given me. May I exercise them faithfully, in a way that pleases you and blesses those you have called me to serve.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.