CrossRoads Missions

John 3-4 = today's thoughts

2009-09-25T14:00:00.001-04:00

John 3-4 = today's thoughts

I noticed something around one of the most famous verses of the bible today that I hadn’t really ever noticed before. It is one of the things that makes re-reading scripture so enjoyable. In John 3:18 it says that “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already,…” Isn’t it interesting that believing in Christ opens the door to Heaven, but not believing in Christ doesn’t really change anything. What I mean by that is without Christ we are all without hope anyhow, so since we are already with out hope deciding to reject that hope doesn’t change anything. However, Believing in Christ changes everything. It sounds so simple, believing is all that is required. Yet while it seems so simple to those of us that believe, Millions and millions, tens and hundreds of millions who hear, resist and are lost. They are however, already lost and their disbelief doesn’t change their direction. It is why we must be ever more vigilant in communicating the truth in relevant ways. The only hope people have is that they believe.

Have a great day.

Rob

John 1-2 = Today's thoughts

2009-09-23T09:42:00.001-04:00

John 1-2 = Today's thoughts

Chapter 1 what an awesome introduction of who Jesus is, His authority and his History fully established in so few words. We have all heard someone get up and introduce a speaker or a guest. You hear the person tell of the speakers credentials, some points that lend credibility to what they are about to speak on and usually some antidotal comments about their life. You read the first 5 verses of John and if there is any question of Christ’s authority before reading it, it should be eliminate. He has been since the beginning, he is the word, he is the provider of life, He is light that no darkness can overcome, and He is the Creator. Wow, a better intro couldn’t be given. If you aren’t willing to listen to someone with these credentials, then you simply aren’t willing to listen.

John tells of how John the Baptist was pointing people to Christ, His effectiveness is evidenced by the fact that as people like Andrew, Phillip Nathanael encounter Christ, he simply needs to say come, or follow me and these men, aware of his authority leave their lives in pursuit of the Messiah. Jesus wasn’t hypnotizing these men so that they would follow him, his authority had been established through prophecy and men like John point to him as the Messiah. It was most assuredly by faith that these men went with Christ, but not Blind faith, Christ was being in part revealed to these men by connection to John the Baptist who’s role it was to point people to the coming Messiah. These weren’t random encounters. No more than this universe is a random encounter. These men were chosen to the work they would do by God and prepared for this moment by the man that had been sent to prepare the path.

Faith is believing in an unseen God, no an unknown God. We have many ways to know him, and we should work toward knowing him better daily.

Have a great day.

Rob

Ephesians 5-6 = Today's Thoughts

2009-09-21T09:05:00.001-04:00

Ephesians 5-6 = Today's Thoughts

These two chapters have so much to say. Some I really like and some I really struggle with. 5:15 “look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” I think of all the time I waste, doing almost nothing, vegging in front of the tv, doing mindless repetitive work that is required in daily duties and yet often seams to go nowhere, and I am convicted that I have to do better. The time we are given is a gift and yet we leave so much of that gift unopened and unused for anything productive. The frustrating thing is that I almost always feel most fulfilled in life when I am about the fathers business and yet I often struggle to simply get up and do it.

While I also like the section on wives submitting to their husbands, (ha-haa) I am then equally reminded how far I fall short in loving my own wife as I am instructed too. It is yet another way where I know the right answer and responses and yet struggle to make them my top priority. And when I fail at this it isn’t just my own failure that I am causing I am taking away from her what God has set in place for her to receive.

If however Ephesians 6:10-20 was truly my daily ambition all this would fall into place, if I daily put on my armor, I would be prepared, waste less and be a better example of what God has created me to be. Now the question is what will I do to make this happen? That is where knowledge becomes action, and yep it will likely be uncomfortable at first.

Have a great day.

Rob

Ephesians 2-4 = Today's thoughts

2009-09-18T09:49:00.001-04:00

Ephesians 2-4 = Today’s thoughts

Chapter four closes with an instruction that would transform the way work and live together if only it were the first action we chose. Verse 32 says: “And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Where are you on this direction? Are you the type of person that starts here, ends here or never shows up here at all? I know a few people who seem to exist in this place and I have to admit, I think they are happier, people more fulfilled, and in possession of deep and significant friendships and influence. While those who I know who rarely show up here, seem to struggle with superficial relationships, little influence, pessimistic view of life and in general not that happy a person.” Now sure I am generalizing here some but being a person that floats the middle leaning toward kindness, it is when I lean that way that I find greater satisfaction with my life, my ability to influence and my connection to Christ. My struggle is almost always, am I getting walked on, am I being taken advantage of, is there any reciprocation of my kindness and my forgiveness. But as I look through these chapters that isn’t what I am being asked to be concerned with. I am being asked to be faithful, humble, gentle patient. I am the recipient of Ultimate Grace. Am I going to extend it to others as well? I am reminded that I have an old self and a new self, and the two do not co-exist. If I truly heard and want to faithful the old self must disappear, and the new self must be my new form. A form that is described in Eph 4:24 as: “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in the righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Put on the new self and have a great day.

Rob

Ephesians 1 = today's thoughts

2009-09-16T08:10:00.001-04:00

Ephesians 1 = today's thoughts

Well today begins a 21 month journey that I hope you will join me on. I am taking a 21 month Discipleship training course. During this study we work our way through the scriptures as well as some other readings. So at least for a time till I can determine what time I have available each day, I am going to break from the chronological read through the Bible and make sure I am meeting my commitment to this course. So for the next couple of days we will look at Ephesians, Job and I believe Timothy. On weeks where I complete the reading early we will jump back to the Chronological study.

So today is just Ephesians 1 – and there is so much in just this one chapter. Paul cannot be accused of writing fluff, each chapter has so much to give and so we will just give it a good glance.

Verses: 3-15

3: we are blessed by God with Spiritual blessings in Christ

4: God chooses us before the foundation of the world is even set

5: We are adopted through Christ as sons and daughters of God

6: Grace is extended to us because he loves us

7: We are redeemed by Christ’s blood

8: We have his wisdom poured out on us

9 & 10: God makes his will known to us

11: We have received an inheritance

12: We have hope in Christ

13: Believers are sealed with Him

14: We have the pledge of being given the Holy Spirit

What a promise this is, what an encouragement for believers. We have been on Gods mind since he formed this world and he formed this world that we might be able to choose to have an eternal relationship with him. That should put our time here in some stark perspective. We truly are but a blink of an eye in scope of God’s existence and yet look at all the lengths he has gone through to make sure we know we are truly significant to Him.

Be encouraged today that you are not ever alone and you have been part of Gods plan and his blessing for a very long time.

Have a great day

Rob

Joshua 11-12 = today's thoughts

2009-09-11T09:33:00.001-04:00

Joshua 11-12 = today's thoughts

One of the things that have always been difficult to understand was the sheer brutality with which the people of Israel conquered the Promised Land. We know that the people who were living there had no chance; their leader’s hearts were hardened by God to want to wage war against Israel and in the end had no chance to defeat her. While I don’t claim to understand God’s actions at times, I have to remind myself this was a different covenant. Anything less than this would have been a contradiction of what God had promised, He specifically promised them this land. It was a promise that had been made long ago and now it was coming to fruition. In keeping this promise, he was also protecting his chosen people. He knew how fickle their hearts were and how easy they turned away. If those other people groups had been left in that region the Israelites would likely have turned from God faster and fallen into worshiping their Gods. We already know of God’s jealous nature. His promise was to protect and provide for his people, he knew that he could only do that if they are in right relationship with him, so he eliminated their distractions, their pitfalls. He provided great resources to them through conquering their foes, he very quickly and firmly established them as a great nation. Once again, while in no way knowing the full mind of God, it sure looks this way to me. While barbaric on one hand, quite loving on the other. It also goes to demonstrate that God goes to every extreme to fulfill his promises to his people. These are tough verses to read if you only see God as a loving Grandfather sitting in heaven on a pure white throne. While that aspect of God exists, it is not a full picture of God. Another reason why scripture can’t be cherry picked and understood. The whole of scripture is to help us have a full understanding and relationship with God. While we won’t get it all we can’t even begin to truly know God if we don’t learn about who he is over all of time.

Have a great day.

Rob

Joshua 7-10 = today's thoughts

2009-09-09T10:35:00.001-04:00

Joshua 7-10 = today's thoughts

The sins of one affect the many. It is an uncomfortable thought that our personal sins could have severe consequences on those we surround ourselves with, but that is exactly what happened to the entire nation of Israel. Achan, broke covenant with Israel and with God, he acted for himself in stark contrast to the orders he had been given by his leader and by his God. As a result dozens of men lost their lives because that sin separated the people of Israel from their God and his watchful hand was not on them as they went into battle. But look what happens when that that relationship is restored. Achan received God’s justice for his transgression. And when God’s justice had been metered out, the people of Israel were unstoppable. They conquered nation after nation, they expanded their land, and reaped tremendous wealth and reward. They were established in the Promise land as the nation to fear and respect. This was a direct result of their faithfulness.

Let this be our example, unrepentant sin leads straight to destruction. Don’t let other things of this world rob you of your relationship with the King. His justice will be metered out on those who are unrepentant, he is a constant God and the story shows this to be true. Seek after him, be obedient to him, and relish the blessing he pours out on his faithful. While we are all going to sin, and we are all going to fall short, make sure that you aren’t dwelling there. Turn from that sin, replace it with something that brings honor to you life and to your God.

Joshua 3-6 = Today's Thoughts

2009-09-08T08:48:00.001-04:00

Joshua 3-6 = Today's Thoughts

God’s plan for our lives is often developing long before we are ever aware of it. Joshua, who had mentored under Moses, like I am sure many others had done, was now being tasked to lead. But how do you follow someone like Moses, how will a people who have seen the Power displayed by God through his servant Moses now be willing to follow the understudy. It wasn’t likely going to be a smooth transition. After all we have seen the fickle nature of the people of Israel and their followership doesn’t have the cleanest record. Once again, God’s plan prevails. God knew that Joshua needed the credibility, the divine thumbs up if you will and so he in essence endorsed Joshua’s leadership in a way that he had already demonstrated His support of his predecessor Moses. As Joshua led the people out to the Promised Land Joshua gave the command and the waters of the Jordan River rolled up and allowed the people to cross on DRY land. An endorsement that was indisputably clear and confirming. I wonder however if there was that group of people that weren’t sure of Joshua and his leading. I wonder if as they were walking across the Jordan talking about this miracle if anyone of them said, oh sure this is impressive, but it’s no red sea… you have to wonder, there always seems to be that guy in the crowd somewhere.

It is clear beyond doubt to the people that God was still with them, Moses was gone, but God is still near, he has passed the mantle to Joshua and now like it says in Chapter 4:14 “That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel: and they revered him all the days of his life, just as thy had revered Moses.” Joshua’s new leadership was fully established, his years of preparation now transitioned to leadership, not by his own might, but by the might of the Living God. Joshua was given the title before he was given the reverence, he was given the reverence when he acted on God’s instruction and acted faithfully. Preparation and title are of little value if it isn’t coupled with action. And action without authority is of little value, but when it is coupled together in Gods, plan in timing, it can literally move a nation and stop a river. While much is outside the scope of our doing, nothing is outside Gods. What amazing thing is God preparing you for and when the time comes will you step and act?

Psalm 90, Deuteronomy 31-34 = Today's Thoughts

2009-09-02T08:09:00.001-04:00

Psalm 90, Deuteronomy 31-34 = Today's Thoughts

In Moses final preparation of the people for their crossing into the Promised Land as well as Moses personal final prep to pass the mantle to Joshua, Moses blesses the people of Israel. Additionally Moses gives them a song and a psalm to remind them of their relationship with God and what God had brought them through. These works are to not only to help preserve the story they are likely given as a way to constantly remind the people that they serve a jealous God. A God that wants their full devotion and will settle for nothing less. Moses then 120 years old and still full of life and energy climbs to the top of Mt. Nebo and God shows him all of the promise land. As we look back over Moses life. From the time he is about 40 to the climb on Mount Nebo, Moses faithfulness to God is without question. Deuteronomy's last paragraph closes with "since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,...." and even with that being said God still did not let Moses enter the Promised Land. This is further proof and evidence that God follows through on the justice he delivers. While Moses was able to change God's mind and spare the people of Israel for their disobedience, God's punishment for Moses and Aaron's departure from Gods plan with the water and the rock was unwavering. Sure Moses was obedient, and possibly the closest person to God of anyone in history except Christ, and yet for his own benefit hew wasn't able to change God's mind. Closeness doesn't merit favor, faithfulness does. Moses was close to God all his life, an actual friend of God, but it wasn't the friendship that brought blessing to Moses it was his faithfulness that did, and while almost all of his life was marked by his faithfulness it wasn't perfect and that imperfection had consequence.

Having said that, strive for a close relationship with God, but more so strive for a faithful relationship to what God has called us to do. They are different and they mean two very different things.

Have a great day.

Rob

Deuteronomy 27 -28 = Today's Thought

2009-08-19T09:24:00.000-04:00

Deuteronomy 27 -28 = Today's Thought

Chapters 27 and 28 could have been termed the if you do’s and if you don’t chapters. Moses has just finished giving the people instruction on how to conduct their lives as they enter the Promised Land and now he is giving them both and an encouragement and a warning about following these instructions. Chapter 28 starts off saying “if you fully obey….” It could have said if you obey… and communicated the point, but this is one of those places where the inclusion of a word really means something specific. God isn’t asking for partial obedience. He wants their full obedience, after all look at what he is promising them. The first 13 verses paint an incredible blessing if the people remain faithful. Faithfulness yields, the defeat of enemies, blessings on your barns, on your fields, on your womb, on your livestock, on your finances, etc….. Obedience to God in this case is directly linked to the blessing that is promised. However there is the flip side of the coin here as well. While the first 13 verses deal with the blessings for obedience, verses 15-68 deal with the curse for disobedience. Why so much more on the curse. My guess is because we too quickly forget about the reason for the blessing, complacency, and entitlement. After a time the blessing for obedience may seem deserved, earned or even owed. God is clearly communicating that with obedience comes the blessing. His gift, his choice, his way, just as with disobedience has its own set of circumstance. Why all the detail, maybe God just wants his people to have every opportunity to recognize their failure and have a chance to return. While no one complains about a blessing, the curse if not identifiable isn’t so easy to overcome. Therefore, God has said, if this is happening in your life, chances are we are out of sync, and if we are out of sync, it isn’t me that has changed.

While we are under a new covenant with new relationship parameters, this is still so very true. Those who obediently follow the will of God in their life are blessed. Countless stories can be told, endless examples of God’s love poured out his faithful. Obedience isn’t a get out of jail free card life will always have its hurdles and trials, but disobedience is guaranteed to distance you from God, (much worse than, jail and losing your $200.00 for passing go) and when you are distant from God, you are the one that has to step in his direction. He is constant and always there, but we have to make the effort to seek him and stay in his will.

Be obedient, be blessed,

Rob

Deuteronomy 23 - 26 = Today's Thought

2009-08-12T08:43:00.001-04:00

Deuteronomy 23 - 26 = Today's Thought

Chapter 26 wraps up Mosses’ commands from God to the Israelites before they prepare to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land. One of the things that stood out in these chapters is how very different God’s relationship is from the old covenant to the new, and how much difference Christ makes. I am referencing where at the beginning of Chapter 23 God is forbidding the Israelites to have interaction with multiple people groups and for others restricting their access to the assembly of the Lord for as long as 10 generations of time. While I’m not sure what length of time a generation was in Moses day, today it is around 25 years. So here we find people that because of the actions of their ancestors they are restricted in their access and relationship with God for potentially 250 years. In contrast to the new covenant that was established through Christ’s sacrifice that allows someone access to God at any point through belief in Christ. Where the Israelites were commanded to avoid certain cultures today we are commanded to enter those cultures. God didn’t change, Christ entered the equation, with out Him no new Covenant could exist and with out a new covenant, nothing in our world would look the way it does, Christ not only established a new covenant he transformed society. Pre Christ many of the punishments for actions of the people were God given as a way to restore that relationship. Post Christ punishment is a reaction of society’s rules rather than a mandate by God. Christ has changed that relationship, he has paid the price. Everything about the relationship changes, it is so hard to fathom the community of life among the Israelites at the time of Moses simply because it is so far from our own experience. (Old law, nomadic, recent post slavery, visibly and physically connected to God) And yet we find ourselves inextricably connected to them, because of a God that is universally constant, loving and just. God more than permeates our society he set it in motion, it is built on the covenant he established with us. For thousands of years people and society have shaped their communities based on this new covenant. Try as some may to keep God out of a society that is full of his believers; I think you will find that to be an effort in futility. Where God’s people are He will be recognized.

Represent Him well today.

Rob

Deuteronomy 15-22 Today's thought

2009-08-10T15:04:00.001-04:00

Deuteronomy 15-22 Today's thought

What a collection of verses this is, from canceling debt to cities of refuge to punishment for rape. Moses continues to lay out God’s plan for His people. It seams as though these people have lived with no rules no morality no understanding of permanent community. It is as if everything is having to be told to them for the first time. Well it’s kind of true. The people who Moses is addressing have lived their whole life as wanders, a nomadic community with God literally in front of them. Taking their daily actions based on the decree of Moses and his interactions with their God. This is about to change, they are about to become a people of a region, territories divided among their tribes. Life will be different for them from this point forward, the will be separated as a whole and autonomous as cities and regions. No one living among them has experienced this and this has not been part of their culture for more than 400 years (pre slavery in Egypt) God, being the responsible God that he is, he is preparing them with all they will need to know. It seems laborious and repetitive to see these rules laid out over and over, with only minute differences for many of them. Yet that is who we know God to be. A God that is concerned with the details, and a God that is concerned that his people have a right relationship with him. He knows that to have that relationship His people have to live within His will, for his people to have a reasonable shot at this they have to be able to fully understand God’s will for them. It may be difficult for us to grasp, but then again we have the luxury of printed law, hundreds of years of community development, and leaders that have been led themselves by those who paved the way. They weren’t just learning how to be good followers of a God who desperately wanted to have relationship with them, they were learning how to be an established nation in a hostile land. God had a plan and victory in store for them, but only on his conditions. This is what Moses was trying to prepare them for.

Have a great day

Rob

Deuteronomy 12-15 = today's thought

2009-08-04T12:47:00.000-04:00

Deuteronomy 12-15 = today's thought

God wants His people to be faithful, he wants them to succeed, he wants a right relationship with them. He has instructed Moses to communicate His expectations. So Moses continues on in his preparations of the people. As you look over these last several chapters we are covering a lot of ground. God knows how easily the people turn from following Him, he has seen their fickle hearts while wandering the last 40 years and he is leaving little room for misunderstanding of His expectations. The specificity of some of these instructions is interesting, God is listing specific animals that are clean and unclean, specific forms of giving, specific instructions when overtaking their enemies. Not general concepts but specific instructions. He is a God who is most definitely involved in the details. And if God is the same God today, and we know that he is, how have we come so far from specifically following God’s instruction. As I think about the way we live our lives we often live our lives and our faith in the general realm and not in detailed intentional following. We generally live as a Christian should live, but how is that evidenced different than just being good. We may read the word, pray, etc… but is that study changing us, and is that change leading to action, and does our action communicate who Christ is to others. With tens of millions of people professing to be followers of Christ, how come society doesn’t see us more distinctly different than they are. We have concerned ourselves so much with being accessible we have in many ways made our beliefs irrelevant. God was specific so his people would stand out. He abhorred the following of other Gods, to the point he required in many circumstances their utter annihilation. Moses instructions in chapters 12 and 13 to the Israelites were to fully destroy these places that worshiped false gods and to keep nothing that could lead them to be curious or interested in other Gods. How different is that from the church today, where tolerance is touted as enlightenment. Not only do we allow room for other gods, work, wealth, family, false gods, cults, false teaching, etc….we have made them part of our belief system in many ways, we even have a hard time agreeing much of the basics. How come we are separated by the trivial rather than united around the core. God’s desire for our lives is pretty specific, He has a desire for us to know Him, seek Him, worship Him, share him with others. And yet the things we concern ourselves with most of our days are not these things, but rather the things that he told us not to be concerned with, food, shelter, etc…. What would happen if tens of millions of people stopped focusing on our mortgages, our careers, our status, and all focused on sharing Christ. It sounds ridiculous because it is so far from where we currently are, but isn’t it really who we are supposed to be and what we were created to do. We will never arrive at the relationship we were created to have with God if we never set out on the journey.

Have a great day.

Rob

Deuteronomy 9-11 = Today's thought

2009-08-03T16:27:00.001-04:00

Deuteronomy 9-11 = Today's thought

Moses continues to give direction to Israel, preparing them for their entrance into the Promised Land. Moses is quick to remind them however that as they proceed into the Promised Land that they not become arrogant as they see the miraculous victories that they witness God do before them. Moses reminds them that they are a wicked people, undeserving of what the Lord has done for them and if they turn from God they will face certain consequence and destruction. In chapter 11 Moses reaffirms what he instructed in chapter 6 that is that the Israelites must be careful not to be enticed by other gods, he tells them again the way to do this is to : Fix the words of God upon their hearts and minds, tie them on their hands and forehead, teach them when you sit at home, when you travel, when you chat, when you lie down, when you get up (getting the picture here) put them on your homes and on your doorposts. He says this so the days of their children will be many in the land that God is giving them. Their faithfulness is a condition of this blessing, not of their relationship with God but definitely with the blessing of the Promised Land being a place of blessing and prosperity.

Think of this application in our own lives, Where are our other gods, what do we teach in our homes, as we sit, chat, watch TV, travel. What do we adorn our homes with, our bodies with, is Gods word taught in the way we live our lives. Is watching us making it easier for our children (those watching us) to see a people living in a right relationship with their God. It is easy to read these stories and be critical. Introspection based on these stories however often has some sobering realities of its own.

What is on your life, your home, what are you communicating through your life and actions. Is God able to bless the life you are living?

Have a great day,

Rob

Deuteronomy 6-8 = Today's Thoughts

2009-07-28T09:40:00.001-04:00

Deuteronomy 6-8 = Today's Thoughts

As the people of Israel prepare to enter into the Promised Land, Moses knowing that he will not be going with them is trying to prepare them for what they will encounter. Moses, like a concerned parent releasing their children to another’s care as they go on without him, he wants them to know their potential pitfalls, the struggles, the expectations, give them hope, and give them warning, he wants the best for them and wants them to succeed. Moses, a man who knows God unlike maybe anyone before him truly understands the nature of God, he is a friend of God, a person who has walked with him and been face to face with him. Moses knows that God is a jealous God wanting the faithfulness of the people. Moses tries to communicate here how the people are to respond to God as he leads them and blesses them into the Land that they have been promised for so long. 40 years he has prepared them for this jouney and now he must let them go ahead without him. Moses has seen them succeed and seen them fail, he knows how they can be swayed and knows their humanity. He tries to protect them so they will remain holy before the Lord.

Passing a mantle is rarely without struggle, and here we have Moses setting up Joshua in such a profoundly powerful way. Preparing the people, encouraging them, disciplining them and informing them. So that when the time comes under Joshua’s leadership for there to be fear, doubt, excitement and rejoicing, they will be able to look back and know that he is the right man because the one who prepared him foretold their situations, and they know what their response should be and the will know that Joshua is leading as God wants him to lead. Moses, a friend of God, while flawed as any man is, was a truly humble and servant like leader.

Have a great day.

Rob

Deuteronomy 3-5 = Today's Thought

2009-07-27T09:19:00.000-04:00

Deuteronomy 3-5 = Today's Thought

Well after about a month of slacking let’s see if I can get back on track, No good excuse, just slackness. So I am going to try and be recommitted. While I have done some reading in this time, not enough, it seems my best reading happens when I share my thoughts, so here we go again.

A couple points really stood out here, probably the most significant was the simple truth that no god in recorded time interacted with a people the way God did. (Probably has something to do with the fact that He is the one true God) but this is massive for the people of Israel and really for us. No where had any large grouping of people been able to claim legitimate interaction with their god’s, until now. Here not one, but thousands and thousands of people had multiple shared interactions with The God of the universe. It was no longer believing the word of some profit, or one person with a convincing story it was a real shared experience of the masses. Some thing for the nation of Israel to cherish and something all other nations would tremble from. For no other nation had this interaction with their gods. Their recent victory, directly connected to their experience of being with God. Their liberation, God ordained and led. We see that even their protection and sustainment in the wilderness, is through God’s great provision. Now as God prepares to lead them into the Promised Land, there is a review of history and a review of expectation. God doesn’t leave room for misinterpretation here, he reviews His commandments, he further trains Moses, he sets up the succession for Moses and Joshua. His expectation of the people and their faithful following of His clearly communicated. He is a God that plans, and has a purpose in his plan.

What desert have you crossed? At the foot of what mountain have you stood? Did God help you cross the desert, did you hear his voice at the foot of the mountain. If you are a believer and a follower, I have to believe he tried, Did you accept the help or listen to his direction or did you try it your own way. It is so easy to leave God out of life and ministry. But when that happens, that is putting something, your plan, your resources, your hope, in something other than God. (Idol worship) It really is that simple, if your not trusting in God, your trusting in another god. You already know what outcome that leads to. As believers we are often asked to be patient in God’s time, something almost all of us struggle with. One thing is clear however, for those that have been patient and waited on the Lord, Their life, their story and their legacy have been truly amazing.

Have a great day

Rob

Numbers 19-21 = Today's Thoughts

2009-06-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

Today’s thoughts from Numbers 19-21

How concerned is God with our obedience. Well lets look back over the last several chapter and what do we see. God has given specific instructions on nearly every aspect of life. In many of the cases failure to obediently follow his plan is met with swift consequence and often resulting in death, not just the death of one or two but in many cases of disobedience the death of thousands was the consequence. Who is exempt, in our world today we often recognize that there are rules but often feel exempt for one reason or another, well look at Moses. Moses quite possibly had the most unique of all relationships with God. He has regular and familiar conversation, he is taken into God’s presence for regular interaction probably more so than any other individual in scripture less Christ himself. And yet even when Moses is disobedient to God’s will he is not spared from severe punishment. But don’t confuse punishment with abandonment. God never abandoned his people even when they were severely punished, for example they didn’t trust him…Lost out on promise land for 40 years….he provides for their daily sustenance while they are wandering….people rise up against Moses and Aaron….God wipes those people out…..then helps them win specific battles against their enemies….Moses doesn’t follow God’s plan….Water is still provided to sustain them. On and on the examples go of God’s provision in an atmosphere of correction. The Israelites just as we are today, were a terribly flawed group of followers. At times belligerent, ungrateful, self-serving, prideful, insolent children, and while God punished them because that’s what was right in their relationship too him he also never stopped providing for them, and caring for their well being. Don’t confuse punishment and correction for abandonment. Make sure that you learn from it and work toward restoration of relationship with the father.

Have a great day.

Rob

Numbers 14-18 = Today's Thoughts

2009-06-17T09:14:00.001-04:00

Today's thoughts from Numbers 14-18

If I were to titles these chapters as a group it might be called, “Not a good day to be an Israelite” God has just shown them their inheritance (the promise land), a land flowing with milk and honey. A land he has not only promised them, but led them to, overcoming enormous obstacle and adversity along the way. All along the way he demonstrates with myriads of miracles His power his authority and his passion for these people. All for them to take one look at the land see hurdles and immediately crumble, defeated and disillusioned. How frustrated God was with his chosen people. It isn’t different today though. We see God working all around us and yet fall defeated at the sight of perceived hurdles and obstacles. We have opportunity placed before us and often we see only the pitfalls. We fail to remember the enormous blessing that brought us to the point we are at in our relationship and we only see the potential failure. We forget that God can work all things out for his Glory. Just like the promise land look so foreboding God had a plan to succeed, it only required the faith of his people. And while the promise land looked like a tough road, look at what a lack of faith provided the Israelites. God didn’t abandon them in either option and we can be assured that he isn’t going to abandon us either, but which track will we as believes follow. The one that requires a supernatural faith in a God that has proven his devotion, or little faith and a road that while may be consistent, who really wants to wander aimlessly in their journey with God. He was with the people in the desert for 40 years, but how much greater would their lives been had they stepped in faith and followed God where he was providing them direction.

God didn’t ask the Israelites to step blindly, he asked them to follow where he was leading because they knew where he had led them from. Where are you headed in your relationship, the Desert or the promise land?

Have a great day

Rob

Numbers 7 - 13 Today's Thoughts

2009-06-15T14:18:00.001-04:00

Today’s Thoughts from Numbers 7-13

God knows our hearts, good or bad, he knows our thoughts and the motivations of our lives as if we had clearly articulated it to his face. When the people of Israel grumbled against God, he knew their heart, their motives and their justifications. When Miriam and Aaron were resentful and jealous of Moses and his authority, God knew the destructive nature of their thoughts. When the 12 spies came back with their reports, God knew of their overwhelming lack of faith in Him and his power to prevail. Talking to God daily is for our benefit, not his; he already knows our thoughts and our heart. He does however long for that relationship and when we seek him is when we can find him. Regardless of how busy you get, make sure you take time to spend part of it with the Lord.

Rob

Numbers 4-6 = today's thoughts

2009-05-21T11:35:00.001-04:00

Numbers 4-6 = today's thoughts

Do you want to be a Nazirite? The term "nazirite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated" To be a Nazirite was to set yourself aside for a period of time to be separate to the Lord. During this period of time you take specific precautions and steps to make sure that you are holy unto the lord. This wasn’t like a day of fasting, this was for periods of time greater than a month usually. I’m curious as to what this really looked like, did the daily life of this individual change during this vow, what did it mean. Going to have to do some more searching. But the bottom line question for the day is, how often do we make a conscious effort to set ourselves apart, holy and unto the Lord for a period of time to honor God and strengthen our relationship with him. I can’t say that I would win any special achievement award in this area. Something I should probably consider.

Rob

Numbers 3-4 = today's thought

2009-05-20T07:42:00.001-04:00

Numbers 3-4 = today's thought

Who in the story do you most closely relate to today? We are reading about the Role of the Levites in caring for the tabernacle and the things that have been set aside for God and the worship of God. The story has 4 primary groups of people, the priests, the Gershonite, the Kohathites, and the Merarites. The Priests (Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons Eleazar and Ithamar) in this story are responsible for the care of the temple on behalf of all the people of Israel, specifically the care of the sanctuary, only they could approach the sanctuary anyone else was to be put to death. The Kohathites were responsible for the most holy things, the care of things like the ark, the alter, the furnishings, Eleazar was responsible for their work. The Gershonite were responsible for the coverings of the Tabernacle, the outer coverings, the curtains, and Ithamar was responsible for their work. The Merarites were responsible for the structure, the poles, the crossbars, the bases, and they were also led by Ithamar. Each group had their responsibilities and while not equal or the same they were all important and reliant on one another for the whole to be accomplished. Some with great responsibility and some with less, some with authority and some with action. Some of the jobs were sacred and had the fear of death if improperly performed, while some were as common as carrying a pole. Being in the direct service of the King looks very different for each of us. Some roles seem more significant that others and some seem remedial and insignificant. Whether performing the seemingly significant or insignificant, if you have been called by God your labor is significant, not necessarily glorious but none the less significant. This cannot be more evidenced than in modern team ministry, the ranges of skills, talents, roles and responsibilities are wide reaching, and yet when any single component of the team is unable to complete their role satisfactorily the whole is burdened. I am certain that God has brought us together as the Body to demonstrate his awesome ability but also to edify, encourage and support one another. While roles may not be equal or often even similar, when working as the Body of Christ, none are insignificant. What role will you play today?

Rob

Numbers 1-2 = Today's thoughts

2009-05-19T08:50:00.000-04:00

Numbers 1-2 = Today's thoughts

It is often easy to forget that the God of the Universe is interested in our daily lives. But he is down to some of the smallest of details. The Israelites we learn are still camped at the base of Mt. Sinai as this new book opens; they are two years, one month and fifteen days since God led them out of Egypt. God calls for a census, he is about to establish his peoples army as well as redefine them as a people out of the covenant he made with Abraham. God isn’t simply asking for a show of hands either, he wants people names written down, he wants them divided into their clans; he wants to know who his people are. Sure he already knows the info but in this manner he is demonstrating to his people that as he establishes their nation they are individually significant, as well as significant as a tribe of Abraham. Furthermore, he divides them into their tribes and reaffirms their subset identity as a small community within the whole; he gave them instruction on where to live and how to establish their camp/community. While we aren’t really explained why here, you can be assured that if God has taken the time to develop the plan, there was a reason for it and it had their best interest in mind. Remember, had he only wanted an army there would be no need for this detail, this segregation, this community planning. God is in the details of our lives when we listen to what he is directing us to do. The end of chapter one ends the same as chapter two, “The Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses”. These weren’t requests, they weren’t open to interpretation, and they were commands given to produce a relational outcome that God was setting in motion for his people. Today is no different, we don’t get to cherry pick the portions of the relationship we want to be a part. The more I strive to be in relationship with him the less I am convinced of coincidence when I look at the circumstances of my life and I am honest with myself, it is orchestrated in a way that probably isn’t really me. Humbling and reassuring all at the same time. Thanks be to God, he wants to be personally related to me, my family, my community, and my country. Now we need to listen and follow.

Rob

Leviticus 26-27 = today's thought

2009-05-18T08:33:00.001-04:00

Today’s thought is from Leviticus 26-27

We are in a series at church about living life and serving God as more than just a fan of Christ. But rather whole hearted sold out committed living to the Lord. These two chapters deal with this same topic today. If you look in Chapter 26 you will find about 10 verses that explain how God cares for the faithful, the ones who do as they say and are living within the covenant that was established between God and the people of Israel through Moses on the mountain. But then there are around 32 more verses that deal with what happens to the people if they are unfaithful and live outside the relationship and the covenant with God. Three times as much space is dedicated to the consequences of being unfaithful as there is to being faithful.

I think there are some simple yet often missed realities here. For the faithful person living out their faith within the will of the father, there is little that needs to be explained, there will be relationship that includes communication and therefore much is understood. Blessings make sense, trials are able to be endured, life has purpose, and external relationships are deeper and have greater significance than the moment. Read verses 3 – 13 and it is clear that those abiding in the will of God are going to know peace, prosperity and the joy of being in a right relationship with their creator.

Then read ahead. To the end of chapter 26, it turns bleak fast and future looks fully depressing. The only consolation in the rest of this chapter is that there is hope that those outside the will of God will find their way back in, because living life out there is death. I think that there is significantly great time devoted to this because when we live outside the will of God, we will make every excuse for our circumstances that we can muster. Anything and everything will be to blame, except usually the fact that we are living outside God’s will. Therefore God is trying to show us with many different illustrations that living outside the will of God is only going to lead to one thing, there are many ways to get there but the end is still death and separation from Him for all those choosing to ignore Covenant and reject His relationship.

Chapter 27 then goes back to the faithful and shows ways in which the faithful can demonstrate their commitment and give back to the Lord. Chapter 27 says nothing about the unfaithful group that was so focused on in 26 because there is no room for them in chapter 27, 27 is only for the believer and not just any believer but a committed believer that wants to demonstrate his/her faithfulness to the Lord. I pray that for my life and the life of my family we are exemplify the opening of Chapter 26 and chapter 27, the alternative is misery without understanding, and that is a tragedy when hope abounds in living within the covenant.

Rob

Leviticus 24-25 = Today's thoughts

2009-05-12T08:29:00.001-04:00

Today’s thoughts from Leviticus 24-25

It is so often fascinating to me that so much of our modern system is based on principles of business and life that were established thousands of years ago and have retained a place still directing our lives and our actions. While we may not celebrate the year of Jubilee and everyone get their land back, many of the principles in here about letting fields rest, interest, repayment of debt, etc… have basis going back to God’s very direction.

In a world that seems to ready to discount the teachings of God I wonder if these same people understand how much of our society is actually guided and directed by these very teachings. Even when the world seems to be in such chaos with debt, war, etc… take comfort in knowing that the rules we live by for the most part were established millennia ago and have seen their way through some very trying times of history. Gods laws are timeless.

Rob

Rob Minton
3231 Ruckriegel Parkway
Suite 111
Louisville, KY 40299

502-299-8986 cell - (best option)
502-713-4859
www.crossroadsmissions.com

Leviticus 21-23 = Today's Thoughts

2009-05-11T08:10:00.001-04:00

Today’s Thoughts from Leviticus 21-23

Now that Aidan is older and attending his own classes on Sunday morning we are back in the main worship auditorium. That is something that I have missed for the last many months. Being in the cry room or one of the rooms where the service is broadcast is always ok but it isn’t the same as being there with all the other believers, singing, listening and engaging in the service. Today’s reading was on the feasts and the seasons, and while I am sure the feasts and festivals that took place were great, I am so glad that those times are readily available to us at any moment today. We don’t have to have a specific date to worship the Lord; there isn’t a prescribed method, rules and restrictions about the methodology of how we must worship the Lord. We have at our discretion the opportunity to worship him as one or as many, as often as we choose in nearly a limitless way. What an opportunity we have, to present our sacrifice and worship freely and without the required intersession of another. Show God how much you appreciate and love him this week.

Rob

Leviticus 18-20 = Today's thoughts

2009-05-06T15:04:00.001-04:00

Today’s thoughts from Leviticus 18-20

In this portion of scripture we are looking at how to deal with our neighbors. One of the interesting aspects of this passage is that these statements are followed up by God restating over and over, I am the Lord. It is full of You shall’s and you shall not statements, and God is making it clear that these are his statutes and not whomever is delivering them. God even states in 19:19 You shall keep my statutes. These aren’t suggestions they are the one right way that God had chosen to communicate love for others by his people. One section struck me humorously when reading this, it says you shall not curse the deaf or put stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord. I instantly thought of all those crazy warning labels we see on things today, (like.. don’t use this hair dryer in the shower) you see those things and you are like, really, we really need to say this to people. But God knowing human nature knows that even the most obvious of wrongs that can be done to one another will in fact be done by someone wanting to take advantage of their neighbor. I think that is why he includes teaching like this. Human nature can be an ugly thing and the ways in which people often exploit one anther is unconscionable. God is making it clear through extreme example that his people are to be better than this. This is taken even further under the new covenant with Christ. We as believers trying to transform the lives of others by demonstrating the Body of Christ in action, must go beyond the obvious and truly serve those we come in contact with.

Serve one another with gladness.

Rob

Leviticus 14-17 = Today's thoughtue;;ed ot

2009-05-04T23:27:00.001-04:00

Today’s thought from Leviticus 14-17

Today’s thought was a tough one, while plenty of ground, somewhat strange ground. Lots of seemingly disconnected verses. But ultimately it remains further evidence of how difficult it was to stay in a right relationship with the Lord. And when you weren’t or you had gone through a period of uncleanness, it outlines the various steps that were necessary to make yourself presentable before Him. This law this code of living and requirement, seems to have an impact that more likely added to the separation rather than added to closeness. Hopefully tomorrows read will be a little less disconnected for me.

Leviticus 11-13 = Today's thoughts

2009-04-30T09:17:00.000-04:00

Today’s Thoughts Come from Leviticus 11-13

Today is one of those days where I more fully appreciate not being under the old covenant, No pork (surely that can’t mean Barbeque) , no shrimp, no crawfish; no wonder the Pharisees were so hard to get along with. (Ha-haa) You look at the regulations and for the most part they are completely understandable, they actually make good community health policy. Isolate the infected, don’t eat scavengers from the land or from the sea, avoid birds of prey and those that consume the dead. All of these things have the potential to cause great community harm and illness, God obviously knowing this, is likely one of the reasons these restrictions were in place. Once again however access to the relationship is dictated by right action rather than right heart. And there has to be more to it than just community health protection. Because if that was the major reason for the restrictions, why remove this ever, even when Christ came back and fulfilled the law there was no great advancement in medical care, disease prevention and long term food storage. So why make the unclean clean and why let these detestable items become fine for consumption. While I don’t claim to know the full answer I think the partial answer is this. Sure it was good for community health to do these things, but that wasn’t what the underling goal of the rule. The goal of the rule was to create a pathway for relationship and Community health was just a tag along benefit. When Christ fulfilled the law it didn’t change the fact that leaving these foods alone or not isolating the diseased was still a good idea, it just no longer had a bearing on whether or not you could be in a right relationship with the creator. Before Christ, keeping the law was required for relationship, after Christ, it is simply a set of rules, some beneficial for secondary reasons but rules and not divinely instituted requirement for a relationship with the creator of the Universe. Thank goodness, because while I agree that carrying around dead animal carcasses will make me unclean, and most likely prevent me from being allowed in my own home, not being able to eat Barbeque with friends and family well that would just be ridiculous. Regardless of secondary results, we must always be aware that God is working towards a relationship with us, that is His objective that we would all know Him, Love Him and want to spend our eternity with Him. Everything else is secondary and most likely only a priority to us. Don’t be consumed with law and miss the reason for it.

Have a great day

Rob

Leviticus 8-10 = Today's Thought

2009-04-29T10:14:00.000-04:00

Today’s Thoughts from Leviticus 8-10

My father in law (Jim) is one of the people who get my daily thoughts and he shared a comment with me yesterday that I would like to pass on to you. Jim wrote “I think all of these laws, rules, for sin of all types are recorded for us in the post resurrection era to see that it is impossible to please God by being “good” and following all the rules. It just can’t be done.” This statement Jim made yesterday is given even greater support in today’s reading. As Chapter 10 opens we see the destruction of two of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu. Why? Nadab and Abihu made an error in their offerings. There were very specific measures that were to be taken when making offerings to the Lord, The fire that they offered was unauthorized and their punishment was death, not by man but by the very God they were serving. Under the old law the law was final and failure to abide in the law often had immediate and very dire consequence. If the very men who were being consecrated to serve as the keepers of the Law and intercede for the people as an emissary before the Lord, didn’t understand the law and miss followed its application, how would the general public ever have the opportunity to have close relationship with their God. As we look at this section of scripture Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy there is a lot to digest, rule after rule, ceremony after ceremony, and so many restrictions and guidelines. It is not hard to understand why people look at religion and see it as some legalistic checklist of do’s and don’ts, that is after all how the relationship is defined at this point in history. Not how it was intended but how it was at the time of Moses and Aaron. But it changed; it became more about relationship than about the rules. Again be thankful that you live under the New Covenant with immediate and personal access to the Father. Thank Him today.

Rob

Leviticus 1-7 : Today's Thought

2009-04-28T15:41:00.001-04:00

Today’s thought from Leviticus 1-7

If you ever thought it would have been fun to live under the old covenant then I am guessing you never read the first seven chapters of Leviticus. Outlined in these chapters are the things that must be done in the event of intentional and unintentional sin and when making an offering to the Lord. These chapters cover the law of the burnt offering the grain offering the sin offering the guilt offering the ordination offering and peace offering. I read this just moments ago and I don’t understand it. I don’t know what I would do if my eternity was based on the proper satisfaction of these offerings. Think about it. The relationship that we have access to today is because of the incredible sacrifice paid by Christ, so we could receive the eternal gift of life with the father, the son and the spirit. How often do we take that for granted? When I realize my sin, am repentant of my sin and turn to the Father for forgiveness it is me with him in a quite conversation of confession and repentance. No slaughtering, no step 1,2,3 just me with the Lord. What a great and wonderful father. For those who choose to be in relationship with Him, access is easy. Because access is unlimited, it is easy to avoid accessing with Him at all. Make your relationship a priority and spend some time with Him today, nothing is more important.

In Christ,

Rob

Exodus 39-40 Today's Thought

2009-04-17T09:57:00.000-04:00

Today's Thought is from Exodus 39-40

From the priestly Garments to the hanging of the curtain on the tabernacle there was great care in making sure it was done just as God had instructed. In Chapter 39:42-43it says, “the Israelites had done all the work just as the lord had commanded Moses. Moses inspected the work and saw that they had done it just as the lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them.” Just a few chapters ago God was willing to blot out these people. Their failures and rejection of God nearly cost them their existence. Moses however interceded for them. He pleaded with the Lord and the Lord granted Moses request. Moses then rebuked the people, and got them back on the path to relationship with the Lord. And in an effort to build on that relationship the tabernacle was built. From outcast to protected family the story of the Israelites plays over and over. God’s patience, the peoples punishment then repentance, their willingness to be molded and their demonstrations of admiration and worship along with many other things brought relationship back in to place. Restoration of relationships is often a long and complicated process, challenging everyone to higher standards, more commitment, patience and commitment. This is clearly evidenced here. As a result of all these and I am sure many more things. God and the Israelites were reconciled back to one another. God’s presence (pillar of smoke and of fire) would visibly stand before the nation of Israel. Leading them and assuring them.

(What do you think the global warming people would have said about that pillar of smoke and pillar of fire ha-ha)

Have a great day

Rob

Exodus 37-38 Today's Thoughts

2009-04-16T09:37:00.001-04:00

Today’s Thoughts from Exodus 37-338

To me this is a strange section of scripture. There is an awful lot of detail about a tabernacle that was used for a relatively short period of time in relation to how long this text has lasted. Chapter after chapter we discover in these books is given to detail out the Tabernacle, the sacrifice the way to live, etc… a couple things come to mind. First, I am oh so very thankful to live under the covenant I live under today. I can’t even begin to imagine what society would look like today if this were the model we were still following after. We think our buildings for worship are opulent and over the top today. These chapters outline a TENT for all practical purposes that isn’t overlaid or plated in precious metals but is literally made from tons of precious metals used in the construction and the decorations. Just the gold alone used in these two chapter in today’s market, that gold was worth almost 29 million dollars, add the silver to that, and you are well over thirty million dollars. Imagine it’s worth thousands of years ago. Secondly, the covenant we live under today is filled with choice, our buildings our designed the way we want them, our worship is by our design, our sacrifice is our decision, our talents are used the way we determine. On second thought this may be harder. Under the old law there was not option, you fulfilled the law to be in relationship with the Lord. Today you are in relationship with the Lord by choice, by action, by lifestyle, by personal commitment. I really don’t know which is harder. Today is easier, because you can fool yourself into believing you have a deep relationship with the Lord when rarely do you talk to him, you can convince yourself you are dedicated to his Kingdom, and yet never spend time reading the scriptures, you can be proud of yourself with all that you do for the kingdom and yet how often do we sit still and listen for direction. Sometimes, I think the detailed commitment would have been easier, do this, don’t do this, and your relationship was secured, But today even more so it comes down to us pursing that relationship, God is always right there with us, we just have to open ourselves up to his invitation and his gift. And we very often do not. Look back at the Tabernacle, look at the detail and worth that place had, the purpose of that place was to come before God. Today, God makes that opportunity to us where we stand, we don’t need a tabernacle we don’t need an earthly priest to go to God for us. The valuable, incredibly adorned tabernacle is now our lives.

Don’t miss out on the incredible investment God has made in creating you as a place of Worship.

Rob

Exodus 34-36 Today's Thoughts

2009-04-09T14:30:00.001-04:00

Today’s Thoughts are from Exodus 34-36

The people of Israel have just been punished by God for their quick dismissal of Gods sovereignty in their life and their turning to Idol worship. All while Moses was on the Mountain with God, receiving the Ten Commandments for the first time. Had it not been for the faithfulness of Moses and the relationship he had with God, God would have wiped out the people of Israel for their transgression. But Moses pleaded before the Lord and the people were spared. But God was at a separation point with Israel and Moses had to convince God to continue to go before and lead the people. As a result of all this Moses puts into action the building of the Tabernacle. Moses launches the first capital campaign for church building. The people respond beyond expectation and Moses has to stop the giving because the gifts far exceed the requirements for the Tabernacle. Bezalel, Oholiab and their crew of craftsmen begin the endeavor of building the Tabernacle. It is noted multiple more times in chapter 36 that God gave them their ability to do the task he had laid out for them. There are so many interesting things here in.

The people fall away very easily, even while in the very presence of God on the Mountain, (hard to understand)

God’s patience is pushed to a breaking point

God refers to himself as a Jealous God

The people try and restore their relationship through giving (apparently)

Their response is overwhelming

God continues to go with the people

Their gifts from God are retained.

All in all it goes to show how benevolent God is even when we are terribly at fault. It clearly shows that God has boundary points, but it also shows that Gods love and relationship with one of his children can affect the lives and future of all his children. A rather sobering point.

Which will you be? One of the masses or the one close to the heart of God?

Have a great day.

Rob

Today's thoughts

2009-04-08T11:34:00.001-04:00

Today's Thought from Exodus 31-33

Chapter 31 should be an encouragement for anyone who has ever felt a call to serve God. It is worth reading this now, The Lord said to Moses, "See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men bability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and dthe ark of the testimony, and ethe mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and gthe pure lampstand with all its utensils, and hthe altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant mincense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do."

God prepared these men and gifted them with the ability to do what He had called on them to accomplish. Even in our own limitations when we are called by God to accomplish his tasks He provides the means and the ways for the tasks to be accomplished. And furthermore there is an implied ability here that was otherwise unattainable without God's assistance. And how often have we seen that evidenced in the places where we know God is calling us. Volunteers able to accomplish more than we would expect, projects exceeding the expectations of those we are serving.

If we are committed to the calling that God has called us too, I truly believe that he will lead and direct our paths to great accomplishment for the Kingdom. This illustration isn't limited to the lives of Bezalel and Oholiab, they are simply the illustration that demonstrates what God provides for those whom he calls.

If you are serving where you are called, expect God to do great things with your life and your service.

There is a lot more in these three chapters but this was definitely worth pondering. Your on your own for the other two chapters today.

Rob

^bch. 28:3; 35:10, 35; 36:1

^dSee ch. 37:1–5

^eSee ch. 37:6–9

^gSee ch. 37:17–24

^hSee ch. 37:25–28

^mch. 30:7, 34

Today's Thought

2009-04-06T09:55:00.001-04:00

Today’s Thoughts from Exodus 28-30

Under the old covenant, there were so many ritualistic requirements for maintaining a right relationship with God, especially for those that were chosen as priests. And to compound the nature of their complexity, failure in maintaining them or completing them appropriately could leave you excommunicated or even mean instant death. While God desperately wanted relationship with his people there were many rules by which they had to prepare themselves for that relationship.

Think back to before the fall. There were no restrictions on communication with God, Man and God walked together in the garden. Free to converse at will. Then sin separated man from God and for thousands of years we have struggled to restore that relationship. The struggle is on mans part not God’s. God has made possible the communication with him. Now it isn’t without restriction and consequence because we are all sinful and therefore separated from God. But even under the new Covenant where we have direct access the father through the leading of spirit and the intercessory nature of the Son we still find ourselves outside this relationship looking in and wondering how to access the Father. When all the time access for the believer is readily available. We have the word, the spirit’s guidance, prayer, listening, and many other venues which can help in our ability to communicate effectively with the father. Discipline is the modern pitfall. Whatever separated the people of Israel from God in the past I believe discipline separates us today. The discipline to be a good communicator with the father is a daily responsibility that only the individual can fulfill. Where rule and ritual were stumbling blocks in the past. Time and commitment seem to be our hurdle today. I like the saying “if you are too busy to spend time with God, then you are just to busy” is a profoundly true and all to often dismissed sentiment.

Where do you fall on the busyness vs. good God communicator line? After all, look at your requirements to enter into Gods presence vs. what Aaron and so many after him had to endure. Jesus paid the price to make this communication as accessible as possible in our fallen state. I think we often miss out because it seems simple and convenient, and put it of to never.

Don’t be so busy you don’t spend time with God today.

Rob

Daily Thought

2009-04-02T10:04:00.001-04:00

Today’s Thought is from Exodus 25-27

Didn’t know that God was one of the original interior designers did you. This seems to be such an odd thing for God to be involved in, and an even odder thing to be recorded for all time. Until you think about it, and realize that God is a God of the details, he wants to be involved in everything, and he has a plan, a very specific one for family. These verses describe how much thought and planning God put into a temporary portable dwelling place where he could meet with his people. Look at the valuables that were involved, look at the workmanship that was going to be required, and all this for a temporary portable location.

Now realize that today he resides in us, we are the temple. Is there any doubt that his plan for us is any less elaborate, any less valuable? No of course not. But we are the workman that required to prepare the temple. Are we willing to do the work that the Spirit guides us to do. God has a plan for us, and you can be assured it is significant and valuable. Only you can decide to be a part of it.

Have a great day

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-03-31T08:07:00.001-04:00

Today’s thought from Exodus 22-24

The people of Israel have been in bondage to the Egyptians for hundreds of years and likely at this point much of what they do must look very Egyptian. While scripture doesn’t specifically say this I think it can be inferred from the context and what we know of Gods nature that he wanted there to be nothing that would take their eyes off of him and the relationship he was trying to restore with his people. While on the mountain God is writing their social, political, and religious law all over for the them again. Leaving nothing for there to be discussion over. Do not be mistaken this is not the founding documents of a democracy. This is wholly a kingdom, established by God, for God, and with the glorification of God and the dominance of his people within the land in mind. God means business. He is setting up this people as a nation; he demands their loyalty, service and obedience. For which he will richly provide for them, prosper them, keep them well, etc… Depending on where you stand on the God thing, you could look at this passage of scripture and say what a benevolent God that wants his people to be protect and prospered, or you can read this and say what a dictator, God is, demanding everything and leaving nothing for the people to decide. So which is right? The answer is both; the perception of God is personal. And so is the choice to follow him, It is now as it was then. I am sure there were people in that culture that saw it both ways then as we do now. God is constant, and that is undeniable. We are the variable. Will we love, honor, respect, obey, follow, worship and bless the God that has so richly provided for is, or will we resent him for perceived rules and obligations that may seem at surface level to restrict. I think if we look openly at this passage as well as others we see that the rules aren’t really restrictive, the burden isn’t heavy and the reality is that if we would simply follow as we are asked, there is a tremendous life available to us just in following, but we know that in following faithfully Gods abundance is poured out on us. I don’t know why we struggle so with this but we aren’t alone in our struggle. (unfortunately)

If we look at what God has laid out here as opportunity for faithfulness rather than regulation, our perspective and following will be very different.

Have a great day

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-03-24T08:50:00.001-04:00

Today’s Thought from Exodus 19-21

Well I have been terribly lax in my reading and writing the last two weeks so I am going to try and get back on track here, business is a lousy excuse.

What an incredible relationship Moses had with God, think about it for a moment, a verbal, and not only that but being in the presence of God on the Mountain. I am guessing this is where the phrase “Mountain top experience” comes from. What believer wouldn’t be in awe of an audible audience with the God of the Universe? God gives Moses the commandments by which the people of Israel are to live. Chapter 19 verses 14 -25 what an incredible picture that must have been, Mount Sinai, the trembling of the mountain, the billowing smoke, the lightning, the thunder, and then God’s Voice coming through all of it. How could anyone not be awed by this moment in time, how could anyone doubt, how could anyone fall away after experiencing what the people of Israel were experiencing. But even one chapter later, God knew and understood the hearts of his children and knew that they would struggle in their continued faithfulness. He specifically tells Moses that “You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from Heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold…...” Now if you know the story at all coming up you know that this is exactly what they did. WHY? How much evidence do we need to know God is the God that he claims to be? Are we all that different today? We know all of the wonder that is God. We have access to the story unparalleled in history and yet we regularly worship at other idols. Our entertainment, our jobs, our investments, our relationships, etc… looking to any one of them for the answers and the solutions to our troubling times. How far do we have to be from the mountain before it has no effect on our lives? Sometimes I think we only have to turn around and all of a sudden even though the mountain is directly behind us it has no affect on us. When we cannot identify God in our plans and in our lives it isn’t because God isn’t there, it is because we aren’t including him. Regardless of the problem(s) we face. God has demonstrated thousands of times that he is interested in the smallest of our daily details, down to the very food we eat and water we drink for life itself.

Make sure your plans include God, and when you plan, face the mountain, not the desert.

Have a great day.

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-03-10T16:30:00.001-04:00

Today’s thought from Exodus 16-18

Look at all that is going on in these three chapters. Moses is having a family reunion, the people are dissatisfied with the food, or amount of food they have, they complain about lack of water, and they want Moses to solve all their problems and quarrels. I thought I have busy days but Moses schedule and burden was ridiculous. This was all to obvious to others who were close to him. His father-in-law comes to visit and while he was thrilled to hear all about the great things that God was doing through Moses and for the Israelites, he immediately recognizes that Moses is in a no win situation for his own health, the health of the community and the relationship with his family. Something that should be obvious to Moses but isn’t. There are similar problems in these chapters to issues that Moses has already had to deal with. One indication here is that even though none of these problems is overwhelming for God, they just might be overwhelming for Moses and the people if there isn’t a better way to manage time and issues. We are talking about thousands upon thousands of people bringing their disputes before Moses. And while Moses and Aaron are communicating what God wants the people to do and what is expected from the nation, we are talking about one or two men who are making all the decisions for thousands. So Jethro convinces Moses to divide up responsibilities, duties and decision making into manageable chunks and place responsible, upright people in positions to make decisions over their areas.

Now you can ask probably anyone that I have ever worked with and you will find that I am a person who likes to lead the charge, loves the new adventure of creating and leading new concepts to reality. That hasn’t ever really been a struggle for me, that is where I thrive and where I believe I shine. But eventually the creating becomes programming and the giving of life becomes maintaining a relevant and meaningful program. And the leading the charge becomes ensuring the long term success. This is where I begin to disconnect. If it weren’t for our truly skilled managers who are passionate about their areas of ministry, we wouldn’t have any program running long term. And now even many of them have to turn over aspects of their fields to others to help them manage and improve. Surrounding oneself with capable, passionate, and loyal team mates it is one the surest way to guarantee success. It doesn’t guarantee success alone, but without capable managers and sound decision makers, leadership is drastically limited in its ability to grow to any real long term significance. There is a lot to cover in these three chapters but for me these chapters clearly show that God is capable of any once or reoccurring problem, (after all, God provided food for the grumblers for 40 years) but we must enlist help to make our leadership effective.

Don’t forget to ask for help

Rob

Daily Thought

2009-03-09T13:09:00.001-04:00

Today’s thought from Exodus 13 – 15

What do we do when reality doesn’t match our perception of God? Its not rhetorical, what do we do? Here we have the Israelites celebrating over the Lords victory over pharaoh and his army. They have been awed once again by Gods’ incredible power over the natural and the supernatural. From walking on dry ground to obliterating the Egyptian army, God clearly demonstrates he is in control. Yet three days later they are in the desert and without water and they begin to grumble. Now in all honesty who wouldn’t grumble after being in the desert for three days without water? They in all reality were at a very critical point, but where is their faith in their God. Probably the same place ours would be. Oh sure our God can defeat army’s, create plagues, spread wide the rivers for crossing, but provide water when I am thirsty. Seems a little unlikely. It was unlikely enough that God chose to use this scenario of turning bitter water sweet to once again demonstrate not only his power over the natural but to show the Israelites that he was concerned for them at every level. He would protect them not only from their enemies but from nature, etc… He ask of them “If you listen carefully to the voice of ht Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you.” Then he led them to and provided them with a location that had twelve springs and trees in the desert.

Are we really all that different, we see God in the massive and the extreme we see him in the big picture, but how often do we miss him the ways that we are protected, provided for, I truly believe that God is in the details, I do believe that our actions and our walk of faith relate to the way that we interact with our God. We know that God desires relationship and with that relationship comes communication. Often we miss the communication because it isn’t what we were looking for. We are panicked about the encroaching army and don’t often see the open river to safety behind us. When we trust God he wants our trust in all things, not just the big ones. He wants our trust over family, over relationships, over finances, over work, over time, etc… Don’t wait till your near death from thist to start trusting. The example and the promises have already been given. Take advantage of the relationship that is waiting for us to take hold of.

Have a great day

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-03-05T11:27:00.001-05:00

Today’s Thoughts come from Exodus 13-14

God in His wisdom took the Israelites out of Egypt in path that would both protect them as well as set up an opportunity to further display his awesome power. Now having just revealed himself through the plagues, and clearly demonstrating his power and authority, you wouldn’t think that God had anything that he still needed to prove. And yet in the day he provided a cloud to lead them and a pillar of fire at night. Yet when Pharaoh’s army crests the hill behind the Israelite nation, they immediately panic. They fall into self pity, fear, and resentment. They actually vocalize that it would have been better to stay as slaves in Egypt. We have no idea how patient God really is. He just saved this nation from destruction while defeating one the greatest empires of the time without the Israelites having to do basically anything and here just a short time later they panic at the sight of an enemy God has already defeated. God even in our lack of faith, confidence, submission, etc… is still God, still faithful, still, loving, and still very very patient.

You know the story, he saves them again. A pattern that must unfortunately be repeated for thousands of years. Never doubt, we serve a patient and loving God.

Rob

Daily Thought

2009-03-02T11:41:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Exodus 10 – 12

The opening of Chapter 10 sets the tone for what is about to happen. In order that God is to be glorified and so that His people as well as the world will know that He alone is Lord, an orchestrated series of events continues to play out in Egypt. Pharaoh’s heart is locked against God’s and he is determined to not be swayed by Moses or the proclamations of his God. Pharaoh’s own officials recognize long before pharaoh that Egypt is destroyed, and that unless they heed these warnings of Moses, they will likely be utterly brought to ruin. Pharaoh had seen how seemingly acting convinced and repentant would stave off the trials and the plagues. So he would concede long enough for Moses to revoke the plague and then he would withdraw the offer of letting the people leave. But Pharaoh’s not willing to be told what to do by his slaves. It is not until he is so personally affected by the loss of his own child and the children of those he is closest to that he comes to a clearer understanding of the God he is dealing with. I don’t think anyone could fathom the grief that was felt collectively in Egypt at this time. The land is ravaged, the livestock are depleted, there is pending famine, loved ones and property have already been recently lost and now the firstborn of every household will perish.

God is not one to be toyed with, the very statement doesn’t even seem like it should have to be said, but daily nations and people that have hardened their hearts toward God and knowing his awesome power, the history that is contained in scripture and archives, knowing full well that he is a jealous God. It doesn’t seem to sway people until catastrophic events take place. Look at Europe and how they have turned from and forgot God, Look at our own very Government and how willingly we remove God at every hand. Look at a Country like Haiti that embraces voodoo and other false Gods and finds itself in abject poverty, trying anything but God to turn things around. God allows us to choose whom we follow. He even creates environments where we can clearly see him at work if we are willing. Pharaoh, his officials and his people all had a clear view of who and how powerful God is. Yet look at what it took to bring them to submission, nothing short of, total loss of personal existence.

How hard will our hearts have to be before we turn to listen to what God is telling us?

Have a good day.

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-02-23T10:09:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought form Exodus 7-9

Does the word egomaniac, mean anything to anyone, Pharaoh, he has some real controlling issues. How much does one person have to see to be convinced, but not really just one person, because even at the time of the hailstorm enough people were still not convinced of the Hebrew God’s power that they stayed outside and died. It seams hard to believe that anyone could be that unbelieving, and yet they are. Undoubtedly, much of it has to do with the fact that this is the God of the slaves, how powerful could this God really be, look his people are slaves. Taking that into consideration I’m sure it was easier to dismiss Moses and the Hebrew people.

I thought it was particularly interesting that the first several plagues, God allowed the local magicians and advisors of Pharaoh to perform the same miracles, and if you think about it, that alone is amusing, here God is delivering a plague, a punishment a warning, and the magicians aren’t countering the plague they are adding to it. It is somewhat amusing how God allowed that to play out. Sure, create more, blood, and frogs, you all are the ones left to deal with them. The magicians couldn’t remove the frogs, only add to them. You have to wonder if God got a little chuckle out of that. When it came time to clean them all up I wonder if you could tell which was which, heaping insult to injury.

Even in the most evident of times, people will still ignore the very presence, power, and authority of God.

Have a great day

Rob

Today's thought

2009-02-20T10:43:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Exodus 1-7

Here we are introduced to the life of Moses and his brother Aaron. In keeping with the story line, Moses is still in the same family line. Think about how amazing scripture is for a moment, we have the internet, computerized birth records, ability to communicate nearly instantly around the world and yet we have trouble going back more than a few hundred years. Here we are some 4000+ years into the future and we have this genealogy that is going to span millennia, not simply centuries. This all being done in a pre record keeping era, this is yet another proof of God’s amazing ability to take the insignificant and make it amazingly significant. This information will span numerous kings, nations rising and falling, from slavery to superpower, to captivity, from meager existence to kingdom, on and on, yet this families line continues to be preserved, coincidence, I don’t think so. So anyhow, Moses is in the line of Levi who was the third son of Israel (Jacob). Moses, unlike his Hebrew brothers grew up in a very privileged life, saved from the river by the Daughter of Pharaoh, Moses was afforded every opportunity that could have been given to Hebrew in that time. And was likely alone in that category. Moses finds himself fleeing from Egypt as a man, fearful that Pharaoh will kill him because while trying to protect one of his Hebrew brothers Moses killed an Egyptian, the one who was beating the man. So Moses fled to Midian and spent many years there, married had a child, and for all intensive purposes, put his life in Egypt behind him. It wasn’t till God came to Moses did Moses entertain the thought of returning to Egypt. God speaks to Moses through a burning bush, demonstrates miracles with Moses’ staff, and even creates leprosy, instantly and then heals it instantly, and Moses still isn’t sure that he can be God’s man. So much so that he wears God down and God allows Aaron, Moses’ brother to go and be the voice for Moses. Moses is instructed to have various meetings with Pharaoh, all of which go poorly and heap additional burden on the very people that he is there to lead to liberty. God continues to convince Moses, that he is the man to carry God’s message and that God has a plan to demonstrate to the Hebrews and to the Egyptians that God is in control and Pharaoh will have to concede to Gods’ commands. While we are all pretty familiar with this story, Watch the character development of Moses. We are going to see him go from privileged youth, to brash young male, to frightened and timid adult to perhaps one of the greatest leaders of all time.

Today's thought

2009-02-16T10:25:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Genesis 45-50

Joseph was a rather extra ordinary man, His belief, trust and obedience to his God played an obvious role in the many tough and gigantic decisions that he had to routinely make. But even personally, he not only forgave his brothers of their terrible transgressions, he saved their lives from certain ruin in the famine. Not only did he save them, but he provided so generously for them that their families together became a great nation that threatened the very existence of Egypt, one of the most powerful nations of that time. Joseph’s forgiveness went beyond words it went even beyond reconciliation; it went the whole way to restoration and full relationship with his brothers. Joseph recognized that regardless of the actions of his brothers, his God was greater and his God could take even the most egregious action and use it for kingdom glory.

What does forgiveness for us look like, is it words without relationship. Are we willing to forgive but only at a distance? Do we allow restoration and relationship with the offender to be part of our forgiveness track? While these steps take time are we willing to allow the process to be implemented? What would God have us do in forgiving those who have come against us?

Think about it

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-02-13T09:49:00.001-05:00

Today’s thoughts from Genesis 42 – 44

It is the time of famine in the land that Joseph had predicted and it has reached as far back as his home land, his family is without food and his father sends all but Benjamin to Egypt to buy grain for the family. Egypt is the only place with grain thanks to the diligent management of Joseph. When Joseph sees his brothers they do not recognize him but he knows who they are. Joseph sets out an elaborate plan that will test the hearts of his brothers as well as reunite him with his youngest brother. This testing takes months and once again we see the favoritism that Israel shows to his son Benjamin the only remaining son of Rachel the wife he loved the most. He willingly lets one son sit in prison in order to protect the son Benjamin. It isn’t hard to understand the animosity that the brothers would have held for Joseph and maybe even for Benjamin. The brothers clearly believe that these tests are a punishment for what they did to Joseph, so it is obviously still very much apart of their mind all these years later the betrayal and evil that they did to their sibling. While at this point in the story Josephs full reasoning for this elaborate plan is not known, it falls very much in line with what human nature would drive anyone to do. Joseph wants to be restored to his family but he is rightfully cautious in his dealings with his brothers.

These stories aren’t just fascinating because of their interconnectedness with the relationship of God to his people, but because they speak so clearly to the way in which we all still engage one anther today. Hopefully we learn from the stories rather than repeat them.

Rob

Today's thought

2009-02-12T11:03:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Genesis 40 & 40

When faced with tragedy people are willing to try just about anything. Look at those around Joseph a cupbearer and the baker are in prison with Joseph, (sounds like the start of an old joke) and are perplexed by dreams that they had while sleeping. These two guys obviously were in a bad spot, accused by Pharaoh, spending an undetermined amount of time in prison and now are having disturbing dreams; they have fallen far from their lofty positions as pharaoh’s attendants. Do you really think that they would normally have sought advice from a foreign born slave in his early twenties and serving time for accursedly attacking the wife of a public official if they weren’t at the end of their options. Regardless of how well Joseph was liked in prison, his resume as a consultant wasn’t looking all that good at the moment. Even thought Joseph’s interpretation to these men was spot on he was quickly forgotten by the cup bearer when he was restored to his life and position in the Pharaoh’s service. He was also forgotten by the baker, but we’ll cut him some slack since he was hung. But is it really all that hard to believe. How many people do we encounter through our lives that we touch and forget, I can think of dozens if not hundred of people that I have briefly encountered who may have been interesting or given some random advice that I would never recall to my recollection without significant thought. I think it is just our nature to remember the significant and the rest just kind of blurs to the background, not forgotten, just not remembered.

Pharaoh finds himself in a similar spot to his servant’s early situation, he is having lousy dreams, and none of his wise men and magicians capable of interpreting, and a foul mood is developing in the palace. When that little crisis spark is lit and the cupbearer remembers that insignificant young man in prison that had accurately interpreted his dream. Now the cupbearer brings this to the Pharaoh’s attention and once again, council is sought in the most bizarre of realms, not because of likely success but because there is no other option. Joseph however rather than taking credit for his ability gives all the glory and credit to his God. And when he is able to interpret the dream to pharaoh’s satisfaction he is not only removed from prison he is elevated to the highest position in Egypt, second only to the pharaoh himself. The task that is before him is enormous and it has taken years for Joseph to be prepared for this role. In God’s timing and through circumstances that are definitely God arraigned, God now has a devout follower as the lead man of a nation that has no relationship with him.

For God nothing is unattainable. When his people are willing to be his instrument God is willing and capable to accomplish the bizarre and it will often happen in the most unlikely of ways. For Joseph it was from the lowest of positions, foreign slave imprisoned, to second in command in a matter of moments. And in that moment, Joseph had obtained greater authority than anyone could have imaged in that land. He now had a platform to transform a nation and openly communicate the power of his God.

Today's thought

2009-02-10T09:36:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Genesis 37-39

As we open the life of Joseph several things are evident, he has God’s blessing upon him, he is a favorite child (a problem not a blessing) he is loathed to the point of almost murder by his siblings, and he is a very capable leader. In the few short chapters we see that God is beginning to reveal to Joseph that he has a very special plan for him, through his dreams he is given a glimpse of what his role in his family will be, even thought it isn’t supported by his birth order. We also see what destructive nature a fathers favoritism does to the relationship between Joseph and his brother. While I doubt that favoritism is the only catalyst here since Joseph had no apparent problem sharing his dreams with his brothers and his father. That favoritism stoked an already hot set of coals. But is most apparent that God has a plan for him, He is blessed at every turn even in his darkest moments, of slavery and prison, God has his eye on Joseph and Joseph, aware or not of God’s presence has the foresight to make the best of an ever increasingly worst situation and develop real leadership and authority out of it. We learn that Joseph is honorable even when taken advantage of and will not dishonor himself before his God for his own or other selfish pleasure. As a result God is with him in his deepest despair. Joseph must have in those prison moments thought back to his dreams/visions and wondered how they would ever be fulfilled when he found himself sold as a slave and now locked in a foreign prison. I can’t imagine it gets much bleaker than that. Yet even there Joseph is elevated to leadership because of the obvious blessing that is on him from his God. As seen with Joseph, when God’s blessing is with you there is little that seams impossible to bear.

Have a great day

Rob

Rob Minton
3231 Ruckriegel Parkway
Suite 111
Louisville, KY 40299

502-299-8986 cell - (best option)
502-713-4859
www.crossroadsmissions.com

Today's Thought

2009-02-09T09:29:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Genesis 31-36

Jacob has worn out his welcome in the land of his brothers in law and they have turned against him since he has prospered so well and surpassed his father in law in wealth and possession. So God tells Jacob to go home to the land of his fathers, and that God would be with him. For Jacob the biggest issue in going home is still the same issue that drove him from home. The broken relationship with his brother Esau, Jacob had deceived his brother stolen from him then fled for his life. Jacob not knowing what his brother now felt for him devised a plan to hopefully soften the anger in Esau’s heart as he learns of Jacob’s returning. From Abraham to Jacob, they are a shrewd group of characters, seemingly living in the grey area of life a large portion of the time. Just before Jacob is to encounter his brother he sends ahead his flocks, his servants and his family and he is left alone, that night Jacob encounters God, and God changes his name to Israel. The next day, Jacob’s plan works, or at least Esau’s heart isn’t as bitter as Jacob once remembered it and the two brothers are reconciled to one another. Jacob insists that Esau keep his gifts and Jacob and his clan settle back in the region of his youth. Settling in isn’t smooth and almost at once Jacob is at odds with the Canaanites and Perizzites. Shortly after returning to his homeland, Rachel the wife that Jacob loved, dies while bearing him another son Benjamin. God reaffirms his covenant with Jacob/Israel. We leave the story today with the passing of Isaac the father of Jacob. Jacob and Esau bury their father together.

Have a great day

Rob

Rob Minton
3231 Ruckriegel Parkway
Suite 111
Louisville, KY 40299

502-299-8986 cell - (best option)
502-713-4859
www.crossroadsmissions.com

Daily Thought

2009-02-06T09:42:00.001-05:00

Today’s Thought from Genesis 27-30

When you look at the family of Isaac, Rebecca, their children and their spouses you aren’t looking at what we would call the Cleavers or some typical Christian family (or are we), In these chapters you have a brother betraying a brother, a mother conspiring with a son to deceive the father, sisters despising one anther and an son-in-law deceiving and taking advantage of his father-in-law. These are just the obvious stories. If God likes to work with imperfect people and he obviously does, he has really hit the jackpot here. But are these people that different from a lot of the people we normally see at church. Without even thinking about it, I can imagine that you can identify people you know who are followers that have real family issues, have personal conflict issues, have addictions etc… are they that much different from the story we see here. But look between the negative stories, God still is using these imperfect people to do some absolutely amazing things, not because they are sinners, but in spite of the fact that they are sinners. While these characters have huge failures some also have a greater desire to be right with their God.

How many times do we hear, I have been to bad for God to love me, God could never forgive me, etc… Those people have not read the story, they may have difficulty forgiving themselves but the problem in those cases isn’t with God. Likewise how often do we write off good people because of big failures? If you are reading along in this relationship journey, we have some pretty amazing people doing some pretty horrific deeds. It doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for these actions there are and sometimes they are huge, but in time the relationship with God and often the offended one is restored, in the cases of the people we are reading about some of their greatest accomplishments came after their greatest failures. By all means people must be held accountable, but when God can restore someone from failure and sin and we can’t, the problem is not with God or the one who has offended it is solely with us. There is an old saying that time heals all wounds, not true. While healing will take time, it will come because of a change in the heart of those involved not simply the passing of time. Forgiveness requires repentance and repentance requires action, so time alone will not suffice. As we move through relationship with God, there will be great highs and awesome moments and we are going to struggle. We will be disappointed when those close to us fail, when they hurt us and/or the ones we love, when their life doesn’t reflect the person they claim to be. And rightly, for a time there will be separation and possible consequence, but if the offending person is repentant, has sought forgiveness and making an effort to restore right relationships with God and us and we cannot forgive then like before the problem is not with the offender it is with us.

God works with imperfect people better than anyone, and He is the only one who doesn’t have too.

Have a great day

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-02-03T09:38:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Genesis 25 & 26

I had never noticed before today that Abraham took another wife after Sarah, after Sarah’s death he married one of his concubines Keturah, and she bore him 6 more children, so we know of at least 8 children born to Abraham, Even though we will only follow the life of one of the me closely, you can see how God fulfilled his promise to Abraham of making him the father of a great Nation, in actuality great nations. A couple things popped out in this section. There seems to be a reoccurring theme of barren women. In God’s time he opened their wombs to produce the next leader. I don’t fully understand this but it was clear that God was developing the man and the relationship before he let the man continue his line in the way that God wanted the line continued. A further example of God’s timing not ours. The message is clear, in these stories that God is delivering on the desires of the heart for both Abraham and Isaac, but in His time. The next thing that really stood out is that these are normal families blessed by God, not exempt from trial but blessed because of faithfulness. Look at the strained relationship developing between Jacob and Esau, Isaac and Rebecca have clear favorites for children (obviously unhealthy for the siblings) Esau maried outside his people and it says that he and his wife are a source of Grief for Isaac and Rebecca.

Yet in that same time, Isaac amasses great wealth, power and influence in the land, enough so that he is a threat to entire kingdoms. Treaties are forged with him because of his obvious blessings by God. Normal people, leading extraordinary lives, not by their own doing but because they are willing to listen and wait on the Lord. The Lords blessing is with them even in their trials. Too often I think we miss the humanity of the characters and read through their lives as if they were a flash of time and couple pages deep, yet these people lived long lives, with great accomplishment and trial. Dissecting their lives while looking at the length of their lives just shows how involved and committed God is to these people, His relationship with them. It further demonstrates his Grace, Love and maybe most of all His patience with His people.

Be patient and wait upon the Lord.

Today's Thought

2009-02-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Today’s thought from Genesis 22 through 24

Abraham is asked by God to make an extreme sacrifice. He is asked to take his son, the son whom he loves, and sacrifice him on the mountain as a burnt offering. Abraham knew the covenant, he knew of his relationship with God, and he knew of God’s power. He also knew that being faithful had produced blessings and deeper relationship with God, where disobedience had brought misery and trial. Abraham had seen God overcome Abraham’s enemies, destroy cities, and create life in a barren womb. Abraham was familiar with the power of the God he served. I also believe that Abraham trusted that God would provide. I don’t think he was just giving lip service to his son, when his son asked where the sacrifice was. I also think that Abraham was prepared to go all the way with sacrificing Isaac. While I believe that he didn’t know how God would provide he did in fact believe that God would fulfill his covenant promise and Abraham knew that that in involved Isaac. This passage further demonstrates however that God does not dictate our relationship. Abraham had a choice, and his choice affected his relationship. God, tremendously pleased with Abraham’s faith and dedication, swears by himself that Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars and the sands of the beach.

I can’t imagine what Abraham must have felt when asked to sacrifice his son, being a recent father of my own son, it is unimaginable. I have seen God do amazing things, lead myself and others into wonderful and challenging places. Blessed me beyond my expectations and yet I can’t imagine being asked to do what Abraham did. It is further evidence for me that the deeper we go into relationship with the father the greater the expectation, the greater the challenge, the greater the sacrifice. I have seen it demonstrated countless times, that we can’t out give God. Yet in our humanness, we question nearly every stage of the relationship, never fully getting past that God has even greater concern for us than we have for ourselves.

Have a great day

Daily Thought

2009-01-30T15:00:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Genesis 16-22

Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai becomes Sarah, Lot flees Sodom, his wife turns to salt, Abraham receives the covenant promise, Battles are fought, Ishmael is born, circumcision is given as a covenant sign, Isaac is born, and Hagar is sent away.

When Chapter 16 opens, Abram is in his seventy’s., 4 chapters later he is a hundred years old. Things that were promised to Abram when he was in his seventies were not yet beginning to be accomplished until he reached the ripe old age of 100. God’s promises are guaranteed, but unlike FedEx they may not get their overnight. If God makes you a promise, believe it, and be patient, it is going to be fulfilled, in His time. God’s promise to Abraham to give him a son didn’t happen fast enough for Abraham and Sarah and so they took the matter into their own hands. There was suffering for many generations as a result of their impatience. God’s plan delivered in God’s time is awesome, rushed it is no longer His plan and the consequences are our own. God calls us to do many wonderful things, he leads us in many directions, often times His leading has an end goal that is in sight and yet we still try and run ahead of Him to get their first. If God is perfect (and I believe he is) then by default so is His plan. When the world looks at us and says, your not ambitious enough, your not doing enough, you could do this if you just compromise this, we have to ask ourselves what plan is about to be implemented. If you know what God has called you to do, and you are confident of that call, then stay that course, let the world deride as they will, waiting on the Lord is one pause that is without exception the right one to make. Even though Abraham temporarily attempted to derail God’s plan, Abrahams overriding faithfulness, and God’s profound Grace have created a story, a relationship that has endured thousands of years. Our blunders do not eliminate God’s ability to use us in meaningful and significant ways, but once again it is in His time.

Be faithful and patient as you wait upon the Lord.

Rob

Today's Thought

2009-01-27T08:07:00.000-05:00

Today’s Thought from Genesis 11-15

As we continue to read along the history of the relationship we are introduced to two new faces in this section, Abram and Lot, Abram was the Uncle of Lot and they are both in the line of Terah. We pick up the life story of Abram after he married and he is aged, he receives his calling from the Lord at 75 years of age. As I read through this section there are some very similar parallels that I see in what many missionaries experience to day. Abram was leading a fairly settled comfortable life, surrounded by his family and his people. God Calls him to move to a foreign land, strange to him and distant from his family and people. God is also vague, he shares with Abram that he has a plan for him, he will protect him, he will bless him, and he will make his name great. That is about all we know of the conversation. Abram must have had questions, he must have wondered, should I uproot my family, we have a good life here, and trust God to venture into the unknown. Since we are reading about him today, it is fairly obvious that Abram stepped in faith, believing his calling to be true and faithfully trusting that His God indeed was a God of his word and would do for Abram as he had said.

As you read along, you see that Abram made some real bonehead decisions, some blunders, and yet he remained faithful to his word. He overcame much adversity, to follow God’s plan, and God along this path blessed him with further blessings, tangible and intangible, and God also promised Abram a son, He and his wife Sarai were without any children and they were already quite old, and the hope of an heir had all but died in Abrams heart.

As we start learning of Abram’s life we see that he is a normal man, full of life’s blessings, trials, sufferings, doubts and expectations. One place that Abram demonstrates much courage/faith is his willingness to be led by his God. We will undoubtedly learn a lot from Abram over the course of his life, but something to remember as we study his relationship is that it started with a faithful step, in acting on a call that he received from the Lord. He isn’t perfect he is faithful. To very different attributes.

Listen and be faithful

Have a great day.

Today's Thought

2009-01-21T11:14:00.001-05:00

Today’s thought from Job 40-42

After God has clearly demonstrated his authority, his power and his presence in chapter 38-39 Job is not one to argue. In actuality he is very humble.

God goes on to further describe himself and his creation, for 2 more chapters. Then Job replies, he honors God, he recognizes his authority and his power. He is repentant where he misspoke, and his repentance is genuine.

God then addresses the friends of Job. He shows his displeasure with them and gives them instructions on how to be reconciled to him and to Job.

Then when Jobs trial was over God did what God does so well, he poured out his blessings on his faithful child, Job. We learn that job is blessed from this point with greater blessing than he had already lost, his family rebuilt and his reputation restored. He lived to see 4 generations of his family and it says he died full of years.

Jobs faithfulness wasn’t required, it wasn’t expected by the world, it wasn’t even encouraged some closest to him. Job however knew the heart of his God. He may not have understood the mind of God but he did know his heart. He endured the trial not because of some future expectation of blessing but because of his relationship with God the father.

What will we endure, are we building a relationship that will weather any storm? My prayer for you and for me today is that our faith and hope are so deeply rooted in a relationship with God that we can withstand the inevitable trials that come the way of the faithful.

I know that many are enduring them right now. Some personal, some familial, some professional. These trials all have one thing in common.

God is in control of them and of us if we let him.

Have a great day

Rob

Today's thought

2009-01-20T09:42:00.004-05:00

Today’s thought from Job 38-39

This is a fun section of scripture to read. God quite frankly may be the first published smack talker. And as if he needed to, God spends the entire chapter of 38 and 39 setting the stage for who he is. God is making it very clear here that he is in control, that nothing is happening in a vacuum, he is knowledgeable of Job and his suffering and he has the wisdom to know what course to set. Basically it is a look at what I-God have accomplished and, are your problems larger than these? In the same breath it is also a list of assurances. Look at the list, are the things Job is concerned with more difficult to overcome than these. Does his request require more ability than God has already demonstrated? Of course not. If the last verse of Chapter 39 were being written today it very well may have said, “Who’s your daddy now?” Ok maybe not, but the point remains that God is awesome power, his power can not be fathomed yet he is attentive to the smallest detail. Down to the feeding of the beasts, the rain in deserts where no one exists, and yet we are most precious of all to him.

If you want to be humbled about what we are asked to do and to be, read these two chapters and see what a full plate really looks like.

Daily Thought

2009-01-19T06:41:00.001-05:00

Today’s thoughts from Job 32-37

What option did Job miss? I’m not sure he missed any, he sought out council, he sought solitude, he defended his actions, he pleads for mercy, he listened to accolades, he listened to condemnation. None of these were wrong, If anything Job did more right than wrong, and he definitely never turned his back on his God. Who could fault Job for the reactions he did have and who wouldn’t try what ever possible to lighten the suffering load that Job was undergoing. But there are trials in life that cannot be resolved fully by man. It doesn’t mean that we don’t work toward resolution; it means that there won’t be resolution till God is ready for us to receive that resolution. Many of us struggle with this. We believe that regardless of our trials and struggles we can over come them, we can solve the issue. While I will agree that in many of those instances God uses us as part of the resolution, I am more certain than ever that some trials are resolved in God’s time and in God’s way. No matter what Job did, his suffering didn’t end by his accord. We are about to learn of Gods faithful restoration of Job.

Job put his faith, his very life in the hands of God and allowed God to use him as God saw fit not as Job saw fit. Job let his faith control his life, not the other way around. It is much to often that we as believers mold our faith to conform to our lives, our schedules, our desires, and then are perplexed when we feel God is calling us to do something we don’t want to or is just to unreasonable. We justify ourselves by saying look at all I have done, I did this, I gave up this, I sacrificed this. If we are to be a people who truly lives by faith, then that must be a faith that is without restriction or schedule. It doesn’t mean you will always understand, it doesn’t mean that your life will be full of fairness, but it does mean that you will serve a God and be in relationship with a creator that is in total control. Even as Job challenged his circumstances, he never forgot about the awesome power and faithfulness of his King. After all part of living by faith is believing that God is in pursuit of a relationship with you that draws you to him for eternity. If that is the end, the trial will be sustainable.

Todays Thought

2009-01-14T09:42:00.006-05:00

Today's Thought from Job 27-31

Job is wrapping up his dialog with his friends in these chapters. He is confident of his faithfulness to the Lord, and that regardless of his situation he will remain faithful. As he searches for answers to why he finds himself where he does he reminisces about what his life has been like. He defends his life, his deeds his actions toward others and tries to further understand how he has arrived at this place. He tries to not be bitter with others and with God as he recognizes his fall from influence, resources, etc, and how he has been left among the lowest of the low. He determines that wisdom is "the fear of the Lord" and understanding is to "flee from evil" both items he argues he has demonstrated. He defends his life and actions as though on trial, possibly self introspection to see if there is something he has missed and been unrepentant of, regardless he lists his life and actions and defends them all. He wraps up this section of dialog with lots of if statements, if I have wronged, If I have withheld, if I have caused anyone to stumble, etc… then I should be accountable.

It is comforting to me to read about such men as Job, not because of their suffering but because of their response. Job's response was in some ways exactly what you would expect, and yet in other so very, very, distinctly different. As I believe most of us do in times of trial and trouble, we self examine to see what we have done to cause the situation. Sometimes it is easy to identify other times it seems to have no clear origin, We contemplate and act on all we can do to resolve the situation we find ourselves. Sometimes we are able to resolve the issue, other times it seems that no matter what we do we can't find resolution. We justify our actions, we may defend our efforts, we may withdrawn to try and escape. These are many of the responses that you would expect to see. But Job even in these times, is faithful and doesn't blame God, He knows that God's ways are greater; God's ways are beyond our understanding. It is God who gave us life and we must trust because we have been told, that it is God who desires us even more than we desire him. (an extremely difficult concept to grasp in itself) This is one thing Job seemed certain of, that is regardless of how bleak his existence became, the God he loved and knew would remain his God. This was not out of duty, this was because Job, had a deep and personal relationship with his God. That I believe is where the difference comes into play. Had Job not know his God so deeply and personally, would have he remained faithful when in his heart he knew that he stood blameless. He had been obedient in life and this is his reward. Too often people fall way in times of trouble blaming God, blaming self, blaming others, what ever the reason is, many turn from God in insurmountable trial, sure initially we almost all always turn to God in normal crisis, But when it gets really bad, when there is no apparent hope, where will we be in those moments. We know of Jobs reward in the end and still we have many believers turn their back to God in deep trials. Job weathers this storm without the knowledge of the future restoration, Will we weather our storms with Job's patience and faithfulness.

Have a great day