In Numbers 13 and 14 we are continuing with the Israelites as they are sojourning with God. In chapter 13 God tells Moses to send 12 men to scout out the promised land to determine what the land is like. One man from each of the 12 tribes of Israel head out into the promised land. They spend 40 days scouting out the land. To give perspective on how amazing the promised land is the 12 men cut a cluster of grapes which was tied to a pole and required two men to carry it. That is an amazingly massive cluster of grapes. There were many strong people within the promised land who the Israelites would have to kill and cast out for them to take possession. The scouts collected all of the information they needed and returned to Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel. Continue Reading…
Fear and disbelief at the precipice of promise: Numbers 13 and 14
Precipice of my Mary transformation: a look back at my Martha
Let’s take a journey together. I have been going through a lot of upheaval in my life as of late. I want to share with you my worries, concerns, and hardship. I am looking for a job which has been a very tedious process, I am still recovering from my most recent surgeries, and I am a single guy in a super sex saturated world. In light of all of these things in my daily life I find it all too easy to fall in to the snare of depression, sadness, and anxiety. Let’s look at my situation in light of what God says in the Bible and add some perspective to these events and feelings. Continue Reading…
The restoration of man through Christ: Leviticus 27
>What must go through a person who decides to sell themselves as a bondservant? Wouldn’t this choice be agonizing just as stated in Leviticus 27:2: “when a man makes a difficult vow, he shall be valued according to your valuation of persons belonging to the Lord.” What circumstances brought a person to become a bondservant? Was it to support a family? Was it because they lacked an income?
The painful reality of sin and God’s provision: Leviticus 19 and 20
>I think every other time I have read Leviticus it was my version of the blitzkrieg: fast and swift with little accuracy. It’s the kind of thinking that says if I blitz through this ‘boring’ book of the Bible enough I will eventually glean something useful from it. I was really wrong because I have been reading through Leviticus since May 19th and even though it has been a long slow walk through this difficult book full of sacrifices and laws but I am finding great enjoyment and passion because I am seeing a picture of Jesus Christ .
grace 1.0
Over two months ago I started a meditation on what grace is with my grace 0.5 post and this is what I have come to understand through my journey. I am a failure! How often do I find my self stuck in the muck and mire of daily life and I each time I think that I can help myself. My desire for independence clouds the reality of my hopelessness. I stand so long thinking that I am able to anything I want. I am conceded and confident because I can gain the favor of men. Since I can gain the favor of men there is no reason why I can’t gain God’s favor. This thinking is why I so often feel adrift and hopeless because I am relying and centered on what I perceive I can do. Continue Reading…
grace 0.5
I have been starting to read through The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning and I have been beaten down by the truth of God’s Grace. I have always thought of grace as that unmerited favor God bestows upon me but I don’t think the reality of what grace is sunk in until this afternoon. My thoughts about grace were not wrong but I never fully digested how grace needs to be understood fully and taken to heart before a wondrous world opens up.
As any christian would attest to we struggle daily with sin in many different forms whether it is vanity, lust, hate, sex, drugs, alcohol, pride, pornography, apathy the list is endless. I know many times I have looked at sin in my life and thought, “You know God doesn’t want me to look at this or that so I am going to do THIS to fix it!” It is a constant cycle that I have found myself in time and time again. If I only were able to get this straightened out. Continue Reading…
God’s remembrance of His people an Exodus Summary
Exodus is the continuation of the promise and story that began in Genesis. You have the ancestors of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who were left in Egypt at the end of Genesis and throughout Exodus we see God working in mighty ways to show His glory through freeing the Israelites. Continue Reading…
Walking on toes while taking drugs
Have you ever noticed that life seems to always be running far enough ahead of you that you never catch up. I have a broken toe. Yeah that little incident that i had a few weeks ago did more damage than I thought. I broke the toe right where the doctor fused it in March. The funny thing is that I feel totally indifferent about it. I figure that it is just a minor thing compared to everything else that happens. I found out that what i thought was a small cut on that toe was actually a deep tear that went to the bone. I am so happy that I can’t feel that at all.
On the mental front I am starting to feel normal again… not that i have ever been normal. I have been trying to cut out all pain med out of my system and so far I have cut down the amount I take. I know that my body is in a slight state of shock over the change but I know that it will be best for my health. Continue Reading…
Doubtful… Programing… Instinct… Faith…
Well I thought I should finally let you know how I am doing. I have been walking finally! I have to use crutches to get around but I am so happy to be able to get around easier. I know that things are going to stay solid in my fused foot. I know that God is able to take care of all the needs that I have in life. Yet even though I know that God is providing for me I am still tired and weary at heart. I have been ill for so long it is hard to see that I can live free from all of this pain and illness. I live in fear of the set backs that have plagued me. It is easy to sit in fear of the unknown future. The only way that I can overcome this doubt is knowing that I can’t overcome this doubt. I am a human and my built-in instinct is to doubt what God can do. If life were just this depressing outlook I think I would get off the train. Continue Reading…
