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I Will Meet You There.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark’s cover—the place of atonement—that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.” Exodus‬ ‭30‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The significance of the incense altar. Everything God directs us to do has purpose and design. A living object lesson that teaches us the muscle-memory of things we may not immediately understand. The incense altar had a profound impact of the people of Israel, but it also secured its place all the way up to and beyond Jesus living and dying among us. As with every piece of furniture or equipment, God gives specifics in their design elements. God gave Moses instructions on the type of wood, acacia, the size of the table, 18 inches square and 36 inches high, as well as ornamental requirements – horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself. Everything was covered with gold. Molding around the entire table, rings and the poles to carry the table. Even the placement of this altar is significant, just in front of the inner curtain separating (shielding) the Ark of the Covenant. God says to Moses, this is where I will meet you.

Illustration of the Tabernacle

The incense used on the altar was a specific blend of spices, as detailed in Exodus 30:34-38. This sacred mixture was not to be used for any other purpose, emphasizing its holiness and the sanctity of worship. The burning of incense symbolized the prayers of the Israelites rising to God, as reflected in Psalm 141:2: “May my prayer be set before You like incense, my uplifted hands like the evening offering” (Biblehub.com). We know its design and purpose thread all the way through the New Testament and shows up in the final book of Revelation, “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Rev 8:3,4 NIV. Tim & Jon, the Bible Project guys, discuss this journey the priest would take from the tabernacle entrance to the Holy of Holies. When humans enter this earthly tabernacle, they are meant to realize they’re inhabiting two spaces at once, both heaven and earth. The priests’ activities in the tabernacle are an enactment of humanity’s eventual return to Eden to dwell with Yahweh. The rituals and tabernacle articles are part of how God makes a way for humans to come into his presence. The tabernacle overturns a popular misconception in Christianity, that God’s holiness prevents him from being near human sin. On the contrary, God makes it his purpose to live among his people, and he draws nearer and nearer throughout human history. It gives me chills to think of this path that God shows us though the physical tabernacle, from the entrance to the Holy of Holies and seeing these clear spiritual moments from repentance and forgiveness at the altar of burnt offerings, to the experience of newness of life through water at the wash basin, to the experience of daily bread at the table of showbread, to the menorah, to light our path to the twice daily times of intercession and prayer at the altar of incense, and ending in the very presence of God through the Word and the Spirit at the holy of holies. Moses was instructed to have Aaron take the burning coals at the altar of burnt offerings to place in the basin of the alter of incense that in turn would burn the incense of prayer that could be smelled all through the tabernacle and even beyond wafting into the surrounding area. God with us – follow the tabernacle experience and God will meet with you.

Prayer

Dad,

Whoever started the lie that you can’t look upon our sin or cannot be with us because of our sin, really messed us up by thinking you had to be distant from us. That’s never been true! You have always moved towards us, actually coming to live in our realm, our neighborhood. It has always been your will, your heart, to repair the breach that we created – for us to be with you and not die because of the intensity of your perfection. I love that you have created a way for us to meet with you through Jesus every moment of every day. Morning and evening and anytime in between. Thank you for loving us at our worst moments. Thank you for forgiving us even when we behave so arrogantly unforgiving.

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The Lamp of God

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭20‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When God breathed (naphach) His own breath upon us, and we became a living soul (nephesh). He also endued us with the gift of light. This light resides in every human soul. Some may see it as a conscience, but it’s much more than that. Proverbs describes this miracle in strange ways.

This light is found in the chambers of our “beten” belly, our bosom. “The breath of man is the lamp of Yahweh (God’s personal name), searching all the chambers of his being.”

Back when I was a little guy, Disney made an animated film in 1940 (I saw it in the 60’s), based on the 1883 children’s fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio. Carlo even had a “Talking Cricket,” which became the character for Disney’s Pinocchio conscience figure “Jiminy Cricket.” That’s all I knew about a conscience! It’s funny that we move uncomfortable topics into fantasy stories or children’s cartoons to handle processing such a heavy emotion.

How does science try to explain our conscience? Oh, it’s not easy, that’s for sure. Science says it’s a cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual’s moral philosophy or value system. Did you catch that; “Based on individual’s…?” That’s just as ridiculously squishy as calling truth an individual’s choice! Humans will do anything to try to escape the fact that God created us and therefore we will ultimately answer to Him for our actions.

This simple, yet profound proverb not only makes sense, it makes it inescapably clear – God’s light is embedded in our physical existence! And that light searches and exposes ALL the motives of our heart.

Prayer

​Dad,
I wouldn’t say that I completely fried my conscience as a young man, but I know this. When I said “yes” to you at 15 1/2, and gave you complete control over my life, you immediately started working on rebuilding my conscience. I remember not being able to get away with anything. Not a lie, and definitely not swiping something! The infilling of Your Holy Spirit was quick to catch me, correct me and help me in do-overs. I have experienced your light that penetrates my heart and reveals my true motives. I have also watched my friends sear their conscience and risk compromising their sense of right and wrong. Your Word is absolutely a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path and I am forever grateful to You.

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Desires for justice.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“O Lord, hear my plea for justice. Listen to my cry for help. Pay attention to my prayer, for it comes from honest lips. Declare me innocent, for you see those who do right.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This past July 2026, we did a sermon series called FREEDOM. It wasn’t a patriotic series, but rather the beautiful mystery of God granting us free will, desires and aspirations. God allows us to choose? Yeah, all the things people blame God for, yet never think about our own human choices. In the message about freedom of desire, we looked at three seasons out of David’s life. Season:
● Shepherd (pure desire in the pasture)
● Anointed but waiting (deferred desire in the caves)
● King (disordered desires on the rooftop)

Psalm 17 was written in season two of David’s life, where he and his mighty men were on the run, outlaws hiding from King Saul. More specifically, it was written because of what happened in 1 Samuel 22:19. David and his men had taken refuge in the city of Nob and asked the priest, Ahimelech, if he had any food and any weapons. Ahimelech fed them sacred bread, and told David, “the only weapon I have is Goliath’s sword.” Goliath’s sword? Yes! That sword has a story all its own.

Ahimelech was completely innocent by the way, because David had told the priest that he was on a “special assignment” for Saul. Saul found out that David had been to Nob and received help from Ahimelech. “Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing there with Saul’s men, spoke up. “When I was at Nob,” he said, “I saw the son of Jesse talking to the priest, Ahimelech son of Ahitub. Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine”” ‭‭(1 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭9‬-‭10‬).

Saul was LIVID! He just snapped. He sent word that Ahimelech and his entire family had to come and meet with the king. Saul laid out the accusation and Ahimelech answered: “This was certainly not the first time I had consulted God for him! May the king not accuse me and my family in this matter, for I knew nothing at all of any plot against you.” But Saul was mad with suspicion and jealousy. He screamed out, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” Then Saul ordered his own personal bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!” But Saul’s men refused to kill the Lord’s priests.” So Saul turned to Doeg, to do the deed. Doeg didn’t even hesitate. “So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments. Then he went to Nob, the town of the priests, and killed the priests’ families—men and women, children and babies—and all the cattle, donkeys, sheep, and goats.”

Now, when I read Psalm 17, I have context. What a deep, dark moment as David reflected on suffering and loss of those who were innocent. David gave them a voice, a prayer, a dedicated song of justice. A justice that only God could rightfully deliver. Also, David in that season of his own life, was very sensitive to justice issues. Being a fugitive and unknowingly triggering a cataclysmic injustice event, brought him to this sober song, where he internalized the reality and reach of Saul’s demented state. Saul wanted David dead and this was yet another reminder of what wickedness could do.

Prayer

​Dad,
Whoa, what a clear demonstration of Saul’s desires of revenge compared to David’s desires of protection and justice. To see the depths of where Saul’s desires blindly led him to massacre a family and Doeg’s desires to engage in genocide. We have capacity to be just or unjust. But you alone are righteous, true and just in all you are and do.

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Declared Truth.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

““So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”” Acts 2‬:‭36‬-‭37‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Peter, clearly under the influence of the Holy Spirit makes a declaration after this wide-reaching, powerful sermon. ““Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this” (vs 14). He kicked it off with a quote from the Old Testament prophet Joel, and finished it with a passage out Psalm 110:2 where Nathan is prophesying over David. Then Peter ends with these words above.

Peter, pulling from historical and effectual words of God’s spokespersons, lays it before the listeners, “let everyone know for certain.” Would they still, after all these years, be hearing but never understand, as Isaiah said (Isa 6:9-10)? Jesus preached that (Mark 4:12), and now Peter is using the plumb-line of truth to gauge where his listener’s hearts are at. I wonder: Did the declaration seem to hang in the air penetrating into their souls, “piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart,” as Hebrews 4:12 says it does? This isn’t a bully-pulpit move, nor weaponizing the Word of God for revenge, for personal gain or profit, nor to rain down justice on their heads. This was skillfully applying the eternal Word of God as a healing scalpel.

And it worked!

Luke records that Peter’s sermon had the intended results of reaching their hearts. When Luke wrote, “Peter’s words pierced…” I just had to look that word up. It’s “katanussó” – it “pierce all the way down, i.e. deeply (thoroughly) pained; “emotionally pierced through”; psychologically pricked, emotionally stunned (Abbott-Smith). It is used only in Acts 2:37. Short-code, it worked. How do we know it worked? Because they said, “Brothers, what should we do?” They heard, they understood and asked about their next step.

This moment wasn’t about hearing or understanding more truth, it was doing something with it. Isn’t this what every Pastor/Preacher wants? Not to just increase knowledge or comprehension, but have the listeners asking what they should do – How Should We Then Live? Now, in the great reversal of hard-heartedness, they would see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed! Oh, may the truth of God’s Word pierce all those have seen and have heard to then understand and turn to God, coming home that they would be healed.

Prayer

​Dad,
I never want to live under the curse of seeing and hearing only to ignore Your words of life! I want to remain open, tender, humble and quickly responsive to the truth and the move of your Holy Spirit. And, it breaks my heart that so many I know saw, heard and even understood, but no longer turn towards you, instead they continue to walk away from you. I pray your Holy Spirit pursues and pierces, contending for their heart, arresting their attention for them to come home.

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God speaks?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Yes! All the time.
I wouldn’t say it was common in the Old Testament, to read about men and women having conversations with God, but it was normal. How? People ask. Like audibly, hearing a voice with our ears?

Yeah. I am not a Hebrew language expert, but I can use great tools like Biblehub.com to help. “Called” in these verses is just a regular word, “qara” to call out to or address by name. God spoke! What does the audible voice of God sound like? I’ve heard God speak this way only a couple of times. It was the purest, most gentle, true sound I’ve ever experienced. It was so plain, so clear, that I turned to see who was speaking. Hearing the non-audible voice of God became normal in my life ever since I committed my entire life to Him. I learned it was not something I heard with my ears (although my brain could not tell the difference); His words went right to my spirit, my heart so to speak. It was undeniable. I later learned that this is the voice of the Holy Spirit. God spoke to Moses audibly, clearly, with words. But in Exodus 20:18 Moses uses an odd phrase in Hebrew to describe what it was like to hear the voice of God: the people “saw the voices” (or “saw the thunderings”), a kind of sensory overload where sound and sight blur together. And in Deuteronomy 4:12 it says: they heard “the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.”

In this recorded moment with Moses, God was personal, and once again, He chose Moses as His ambassador, delivering His Words; His plans, promises, and will. Two months into the exit out of Egypt and into a multi-generational faith journey with God, we read these expansive words, reaching out over eons of time, “you will be my *kingdom of priests, my *holy nation.” ESV has two footnotes here. (* 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6 and * Lev. 20:26; Deut. 7:6; 14:21; 26:19; 28:9; Isa. 62:12; 1 Pet. 2:9). Hear the echo that stretches out over history and far into the future?

It’s not God spoke, or God will speak, it’s He speaks and His words are reality. God speaks creating all things, the heavens, the earth, and life itself. The magnanimous mystery is that God speaks to us and even more personable; He speaks with us. Can you hear Him now?

Prayer

​Dad,
It is extraordinarily surprising that You, the one and only God, above all other gods, would have such a delightful, intimate relationship with us! I will never cease to be amazed by this. And to not just be known by you, but also for us to know you – wow. Then even more, to do life WITH you, to hear and obey you; to speak and be heard by you. Thank you forever for who You are and who we get to be.

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Cultural Emulation

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.” Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In Paul’s letter to the churches in Ephesus, he writes this very strong exhortation to not imitate the Gentiles, the heathens. It’s not that they were godless, Ephesus had plenty of gods. It’s that their gods were all after the same thing – deceiving and leading them away from the one true God. Their gods were their appetites, their lusts, and their self-determined will. Paul says, “Don’t walk (peripateó) where they walk, in the futility (mataiotés), the empty, vain, depravity of their mind.”

Then Paul tells us why! Why we shouldn’t be behaving like the “ethnos” of the culture. Because it is a darkening (skotoó), a blinding of the mind. It is an alienation (apallotrioó), an estrangement from God. Meaning it’s an alignment with the gods in rebellion against God. This is caused by an ignorance (agnoia), a moral unawareness of who God is and what He wants for us. This ignorance, this lack of truth is not because God is hiding from us, or avoiding us. It is because God gives us the freedom to choose what we want, when we want it. He allows us to follow our own heart, even when it leads away from Him and His will!

In Ephesus, the religious fervor surrounding Artemis was deeply serious to the average citizen. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and Ephesus functioned as a pilgrimage economy; her cult drove tourism, temple offerings, souvenir sales (those silver shrines), banking, and civic prestige. Being “Artemis’s city” was Ephesus’s brand, their entire reputation. Open A.I. says, “idolatry that’s economically load-bearing, means the “god” and the GDP are the same system.” There was something much deeper and darker going on in Ephesus – Paul understood this. Do we see how relevant that is today, in our culture?

We have a powerful, highly influential media machine, driving a “futility of depravity.” Not just because it is destructive to social and civil structures throughout history, but it is clearly an advocate of giving oneself over to “aselgeia”: Licentiousness, debauchery, sensuality, and lewdness. “Follow wherever your heart leads,” and chant the mantra of your own personal truth. Paul says that the “Gentiles” became “apalgeó,” They became apathetic and callous in their conscience – even to the point of “kautériazó” searing or cauterizing their moral compass (Paul tells Timothy).

This is our current culture. And instead of being ashamed of it, or fearing what we’ve become, it is celebrated as the epitome of human experience. Believing that one is highly educated, advanced and informed in believing these lies is literally living in the upside down world and calling it beautiful!

Get this: Bishop Timothy at 80 years old was martyred by a mob of pagan worshipers after he protested against the worship of the goddess Diana during a festival parade. He was reportedly beaten to death for his efforts to stop the procession honoring the goddess. The crowd beat and killed an 80 year old man justifying their actions to obey a false god.

Isaiah predicted this for the end of days in Isaiah 5:20, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness.” The Bible identifies Satan as the personification of evil, a deceiver and adversary who opposes God’s purposes. Jesus describes him as “a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

Prayer

​Dad,
I look around at our culture today and I see examples of what Isaiah and Paul wrote about thousands of years ago. Yet, even as I see the moral reversal of all things good becoming all things willfully wicked, I also see a need for your grace and mercy when people’s eyes are open and they see that they’ve been deceived and lied to. And in that moment, I believe they will see you and see their need for you. The one true God that is always just, true, right and equally merciful, kind and forgiving.

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It could have been miraculous!

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.””Exodus‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A month out from leaving Egypt and things really started getting dicey.

I remember driving on the old Route 66 from Long Beach, California to Bullhead City, Arizona. Once we left Barstow, California there were signs that read, “No services for the next 100 miles.” No water, no food, no gas – NOTHING. Even as a kid I thought it was a creepy to cross the desert.

A month out from leaving Egypt and things really started getting dicey. I remember driving on the old Route 66 from Long Beach, California to Bullhead City, Arizona. Once we left Barstow, California there were signs that read, “No services for the next 100 miles.” No water, no food, no gas – NOTHING. Even as a kid I thought it was a creepy to cross the desert in a car with no air conditioning and it would give you 2nd degree burns by sitting in the seats or touching the metal handles on the door.

The Israelites averaged 20 miles a day, so it took them 5 days just to get out in the middle of NOWHERE. Just think about it, a month into their journey they had traveled 600 miles! That’s like walking from Los Angeles to Las Vegas!

The Hebrews were worried about the same thing anyone crossing a desert would worry about – WATER and FOOD. God miraculously provided water by turning the bitter water sweet at Marah. They also found water oasis of Elim, where “they found twelve springs and seventy palm trees. They camped there beside the water.” Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬ But after a month of wandering they were wondering where they would find food.

There is no mention of them asking Moses about a plan and there is no mention of Moses having a plan! The plan was complete and total dependency on God. Oh, but the people did have a plan – “the whole community of Israel” had a plan – COMPLAINT ABOUT IT. They לוּן – luwned: To lodge, to remain, to dwell, to abide, to grumble. Interesting word here. Its root word is to “abide all night.” Wow – they sure were constantly abiding right? In the negative moral sense, they were obsessively grumbling in unbelief! What does excessive whining, complaining and grumbling do to the human soul? IT SOURS IT!

Psychologists call it “looping complaints.” And it does the following:
▪️Keeps our brain stuck in threat mode
▪️Reinforces negative emotions
▪️Reduces problem-solving energy
▪️Drains relationships
▪️Becomes habitual

Like petulant children they said, “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt.” It became so bad that they fantasized about the past saying, “we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted.” Really? That was what they experienced as slaves who were worked to death and harshly mistreated?

Overall it is estimated that Israel experienced thousands of supernatural occurrences If you count every miraculous act of provision. But they could not see them, they only saw their needs, their fears and the lack of control.

That said, I have learned a lot from the generation that was delivered from Egypt, but never set free from the trauma of their enslavement. Being a bit of a negative person myself, I have to constantly check my perspective and ask if I’m only seeing the things going wrong around me, or can I see the hand of God working miracles on our behalf.

Do I only see pots of meat & bread of the past and feeling like grasshoppers looking forward? Or, in faith that pleases God can I have peace. Can I feel peace. It’s a pretty dark world if we lose perspective in thinking that the enemy is winning rather than seeing God’s perfect will being carried out and being able to celebrate the wins!

If I look at the Exodus from God’s perspective, it was a miraculous journey of adventure and faith. A sea splitting open. A pillar of fire, and a massive cloud forming ahead. Water from a desert rock, food floating down from heaven each morning and birds bringing takeout each evening. What an adventure to experience as a child or teen that had little-to-no memories of Egypt.

Prayer

​Dad,
Seeing Your hand in history helps give me a proper perspective to understand what life could be like if I saw you in all things. I can’t control any of it anyways! What I can do is believe and have faith in your wisdom, your justice, grace, peace and love. In that I can find true wonder to see the miraculous.

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Paul’s Ask.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Pray for us! The Apostle Paul starts out strong and confident in his calling and writings to churches he started. For those who questioned his authority, he boldly told the story of how Jesus revealed Himself and called him to be the lead apostle to the gentiles. Paul is a major force in the New Testament! Paul is the author of 13 epistles. Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. (almost 50% of the New Testament, and 62% of the letters written!). He’s assertive about his apostleship. He received direct revelation from Jesus. And, after receiving this calling, he didn’t rush out to consult anyone about it. His authority was independent from Jerusalem’s approval, and that was recognized by Peter, James, and John. He went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter and later wrote about confronting Peter about his hypocrisy (Peter was sneaking around eating with gentiles, but later pretended that it was wrong to do so when the Jewish brothers showed up). Yet after many beatings, jail time, church launches and multiple confrontations with fake teachers, I believe it took a toll on Paul’s fiery core. Look at the difference at how Paul refers to himself over thirty years.

● ​Bold Authority (AD 48-49) – AD 49, Galatians 1:1 — “an apostle, not from men, nor through man.” Fierce independence.
● Pray for us (AD 50-51) – 2 Thessalonians 3:1 Relational dependency
● Least of the Apostles (AD 55-56) – 1 Corinthians 15:9
● Least of All God’s people (AD 60-61) – Ephesians 3:8
● Chief of Sinners (AD 62-64) – 1 Timothy 1:15
● Martyrdom (AD 64-68)

​We get a chance to see this amazing diminishment, this arc from hubris to humility. Not just tracking what Paul said, but where he was in life when and where he said it. The contrast with his earliest letters to his latter ones is striking. It can be noted that this request for prayer may have been the beginning of Paul’s realization that he needs others (which Paul always led thanking those around him). He goes from fierce independence, which caused some real heartache with young John Mark. Luke said there was a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas. Enough for him and Barnabas (the peacekeeper) to part ways for a while. As Paul reached the end of his life and ministry, his tones and behaviors were far from hubris. Instead a beautiful humility emerged because of life, ministry, suffering and Christ’s mature agape love became the explanation point of his writings. Just read the boldness at the start in his thirties to the tenderness in his final letter to Timothy when he was sixty. Near the end of his life from a Roman prison, he tells Timothy: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” Tender reconciliation from the now Chief of Sinners.

Prayer

Dad,
I was never super bold or brash as a young man, even though after surrendering my life to you in my teens I was not afraid to ask hard questions. But after almost fifty years of being a pastor in ministry, I just generally feel less smart, less wise and not so dogmatic about several things. I’m no Paul, but life, church-folk and church-systems, along with many, many emotionally hard deaths of friends and in families, I absolutely feel like the least of these. I am daily humbled by your amazing grace and mercy, where pure gratitude fills my mind as I sleep each night. I feel far more soft and squishy and far less judgmental about how people have lived, loved and suffered over the years. As I write, I could honestly and eagerly ask people to pray for me as well,

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The man who defied God.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron. And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.” Exodus‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Pharaoh had withstood the devastation of multiple disasters over a period of six and a half months. The first plague began in late September and the last plague occurred around April. The 9 plagues would have substantially undermined Egypt’s economic productivity and fiscal base, strained social networks, increased poverty and displacement, and weakened political and religious legitimacy—together producing significant short-term disruption and potential long-term instability. All of this not because of Pharaoh’s political or economic aspirations. It was pure pride, believing he was a god that did not need to submit to THE God. His will would defy God’s will – so he thought.

How many leaders throughout history tried to defy God but lost? King Saul (Israel), Nebuchadnezzar II (Babylon), Roman emperors (Nero, Julian), Henry VIII (England), Louis XVI (France), Tsar Nicholas II (Russia), Kaiser Wilhelm II (Germany), Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (Iran), Saddam Hussein (Iraq), and Muammar Gaddafi (Libya). Every one of these men believed they could rise above all their opponents- including God! Amenhotep II, as the Pharaoh, responsible for the destruction of his own country and the deaths of every Egyptian first born, appears to be far and beyond the scope of other world leaders. His personal punishment vs. systemic consequences were enormous.

What has been on my mind for several years now, is what people do with power? What happens when a person or a group understands that they have a sway, a control over other humans? The phrase, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, by John Acton, penned in 1887,” stated the obvious truth. It not only corrupts, it becomes self consuming. I think about so many movements throughout history, that have seen a successful grab for power. But instead of spending that control, that magnanimous influence to help others, lifting them out societal struggles, they end up spending that capital on promoting and protecting themselves. All that effort towards aiding the disparity in the disenfranchised, or solving some of society’s worst problems, it became nothing more than stockpiling that power to pursue even more!

One of the powerful truths out of the gospels, is that Jesus knew that power had been given to him, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). John tells us what Jesus did with it! “Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him” (John 13:3-5). All power, all authority… and Jesus picks up a towel to serve!

God will not share His glory, but He will share His power to serve His purposes! And God’s purpose is the reclaiming, restoring and redeeming human dignity and destiny. Pharaoh defied God because he wanted and believed he had rights to authority and power over God. Through 9 devastating warnings, God gave him a chance to relent, and he would not. What do we do with whatever power we may have over others? Do we yield it or try to wield it? Do we consume it for ourselves or turn and serve others?

Prayer

​Dad,
Seeing the power patterns and dynamics in the Bible, it helps me see areas in my own life where I struggle with trying to wield what little power I have or yield it to you by serving others. Also, seeing how leaders use or abuse power, I have observed power cycles in our churches, but also in other areas in our culture. Places like politics, business, education, health care and safety. I see similar missteps that are like those in the Bible. I am so thankful that You are God and I and others are NOT!

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When we invite Jesus.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”” Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Everyone has figured out that a Jewish accountant, working for the Roman empire is not an honorable, tasteful employment for a nice Jewish young man. However, it still happened. Some hated it, some understood its necessity. No matter what people felt about it, Jewish tax collectors needed God’s grace and mercy just like anyone else. Was it shocking that Jesus invited a tax collector (at the tax collector’s booth) to follow him, making himself a target for criticism with the religious leaders? Sure, but Jesus didn’t mind rubbing the religious the wrong way and seemed to handle negative publicity just fine.

Something extraordinary happened after the tax booth encounter. Matthew invited Jesus, the other disciples AND his friends to a meal! Jesus chose to recline at the table with Matthew and his friends. Matthew records his own admission about these “friends” of his. He calls them the (hamartólos) – deplorable sinners! Jesus was not shocked about being invited, nor was he surprised by who showed up. This is how life works, we share what we care about, it’s also how good news travels. When something significant, something spectacular happens in our life, we look for friends to share it with. We LOVE sharing hacks, tips, wins and life changing announcements with friends. Matthew was genuinely excited about deciding to follow Jesus, and wanted his work buddies to know about it. And, Matthew wanted those friends to meet Jesus.

The most effective moments in a new believer’s life is the first few years after coming to Christ. Every family member, every close friend, every co-worker has a front seat opportunity to watch the effects of Jesus in our lives. I don’t know what the stats are, but as believers go forward in their walk, they tend to have less connections with non-believers. That makes sense, right? Our ways change and it follows that our relationships change as well. My friend group in High School told me they preferred I not “hang out” with them at lunch anymore. They immediately saw the shift in my behavior after committing my life to Christ. I wasn’t hurt by that reality, I understood why – they thought I was going to get preachy with them. I don’t think I instantly began acting religious, but if they could see the changes Jesus made in my life in just a couple of days, I understood that they weren’t ready for how I might behave in the future. I spent the rest of my Junior year eating lunch alone. I later found out that one of my best friends (non schoolmate) did miraculously experience Jesus while on the way to a planned party weekend in the mountains.

The point is whether we’re surrounded by fellow tax collectors or just normal “sinners” like us, people tend to watch our lives and notice what’s going on.

Prayer

​Dad,
I often think of the immediate changes I saw in my life when I first surrendered my life to you. I didn’t realize then how many of those changes were apparent to folks close to me. If I understand this idea of constant and transparent change happening in my life, I also need to remember how many people see that change. Hopefully it’s especially seen when I am invitational in my own walk and talk. I saw two folks baptized yesterday and they invited friends to come and see their public declaration. I heard that those closest to them have already seen the changes you have made in their life. Your grace is so beautiful to see working in others! Thank You.