This morning I traveled to Denver for some appointments. One of my first stops was by Addenbrooke Park in Lakewood to connect with my old senior softball team. It was good to see some of my former teammates and know they are playing well.

I had my annual eye doctor’s appointment. Dr. Steve Loomis has been my eye doctor, friend and political supporter for a number of years. It was good to see him and to find that my eyes don’t display some of the symptoms that are normally exhibited by those with active Myasthenia Gravis. (see today’s picture)

I was able to get by to see Christian and Bridge and the grand kids for a few moments. Next week, Riley and I attend a “grandcamp” in Estes Park. I then connected with my mother for lunch with some of her Wednesday Bible Study friends. Before leaving town, I enjoyed another visit with Vila Mae Byrum and a special time of prayer as her health continues to fail. But what was special was to find that Vila’s health my be failing but she is not failing! She is strong in faith and ready for the future the Lord has for her. What a great legacy she is leaving for her family and all those who know her.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “They spent their time learning the apostles’ teaching, sharing, breaking bread, and praying together…The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts. They praised God and were liked by all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers.”  Acts 2:42,46-47

After the Day of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit, we see the nucleus of the “church” beginning to emerge. We can observe some important commitments and characteristics of the lives of the early disciples as they forged a new future as “followers of Christ” without Christ being present.

They basically shared their lives together. They spent time with each other, as they had spent their lives together with Christ. They learned from the apostles, they shared their lives with each other, they ate together and celebrated the “Lord’s Supper” and they devoted themselves to prayer.

They met together for worship and instruction and they enjoyed each others company over food in their homes. From the earliest times in the Bible we see shared hospitality marking the lives of God’s people. Whether it was Abraham having Sarah prepare a meal for visiting strangers, the instructions in the law about the feasts and festivals, to Jesus sharing meals with the disciples and the multitudes. There is a dimension of sharing a meal that goes beyond the required in-take of calories to sustain life. Sharing the meal with others sustains the life of community, of together.

I believe it is important to observe that “life done right” – in a way that is honoring the Lord results in three things. The scripture records that the people “praised the Lord.” There was a sense of the Lord presence and blessing on their gatherings that made individuals give recognition to the Lord.

They had the favor of people. “They were liked by the people.” The life they shared, the community they were establishing was difficult to criticize and put down. Jesus told His disciples, “by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” (John 13:35) The verb tense of the Greek language, suggests this is describing an “atmosphere of love.”

People wanted to be a part of what they saw happening. “…Everyday the Lord added to the group of believers those who were being saved.” As the gospel was shared and the lives of the disciples were lived out for people to see, people wanted to be a part of what they saw taking place. It is not just “sharing” the gospel and it is not just “living out our life faith” that draws people to Christ. It is both.

Shared life does not happen “on the run” with the time we have left over in our weekly schedule. It requires time, and priorities. It requires a “shared life” and a unity that backs up the words of truth that we share.

I’m thankful that I woke those morning feeling more rested than I have in the last few days. I enjoyed getting out and taking care of some routine commitments and getting the lawn mowed before we have another afternoon rain.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Then put in the Ark the Agreement which I will make with you. “Then make a lid of pure gold for the Ark; this is the mercy seat…. I will meet with you there, above the lid between the two winged creatures on the Ark of the Agreement. There I will give you all my commands for the Israelites.” Exodus 25:16-17,22 (NCV)

When the “Ark of the Covenant” is brought up as a topic of conversation in modern movies the mystery focuses on “what’s in the ark”? To me this can make the Ark into a lost chest of pirates gold waiting to be discovered. The Bible is clear about what is in the Ark. It contained the stone tablets of God’s commands. No gold or precious stones or secret powers, that can be manipulated by man.

What is important about the Ark of the Covenant is the lid. It has two angels with outstretched and raised wings and between the wings of the angels is what is called the “mercy seat.” It is hear that the blood of the sacrifice was poured for the atonement of sin.

The bottom line is when we look “inside” the Ark at the law of God, we are reminded of our sin and God’s judgement. When we observe the “mercy seat” we are reminded of God’s forgiveness.

We when we see the “mercy seat” we are also reminded of fellowship with God. The place of mercy, is the place where we meet the Lord. The Lord told Moses, I will meet with you there, above the lid between the two winged creatures on the Ark of the Agreement. This would be the place of the Lord’s ongoing instructions and commands for God’s people as they faced their day to day challenges.

The Psalmist described mercy when he declared, “…He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.“ (Psalm 103:10) We also read in scripture, “mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13) The cross is the standard for God’s mercy that overcomes the judgment we deserve due to our sin.

This significance of the “mercy seat” and the work of Christ on the cross is stated well in the following…

The Mercy Seat on the Ark was a symbolic foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice for all sin—the blood of Christ shed on the cross for the remission of sins. The Apostle Paul, a former Pharisee and one familiar with the Old Testament, knew this concept quite well when he wrote about Christ being our covering for sin in Romans 3:24-25: “…and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” Just as there was only one place for atonement of sins in the Old Testament—the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant—so there is also only one place for atonement in the New Testament and current times—the cross of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we no longer look to the Ark but to the Lord Jesus Himself as the propitiation and atonement for our sins. (http://www.gotquestions.org/ark-of-the-covenant.html#ixzz3fu7djSyU)

I’m thankful for the  cross as our “mercy seat.” An old hymn about the cross contains the words, “mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me…” Because of the cross we all have access to the “mercy seat” of the Lord. A place of forgiveness, a place of appointment with God, a place to receive direction for our lives.

This morning, I returned to my regular Chiropractor appointment and then hung out at Timberline Church, volunteering as the “Pastor on Call” for a couple of hours. Even though I slept well and long last night, I still struggled with some fatigue today. We had another good rain mid-afternoon today, which helps with the garden, but makes it a challenge to keep up on the growing grass.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, holding the walking stick of God in my hands.”…..when Moses’ arms became tired, the men put a large rock under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ hands—Aaron on one side and Hur on the other. They kept his hands steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated the Amalekites in this battle.…Then Moses built an altar and named it The Lord Is My Banner.”  Exodus 17:9,12,13 (NCV)

The Children of Israel are not far from Egypt. They have faced the challenges of nomadic life and the Lord has miraculously provided for them food and water. They then face an assault from another nomadic people known as the Amalekites. These people are descendents of Esau and were know for their ruthlessness. Deuteronomy records, “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind [typically women and children]: they had no fear of God.” (Deu. 25:17-18)

As the Children of Israel are thrown into an unexpected battle Moses goes to a mountain overlooking the conflict with the “rod of God” in his hands and lifts it up to the Lord. As long as he does, the Children of Israel are victorious, when he gets tired and drops his arms they begin to lose.

Two things have emerged over time from this account. One is the name for God, “The Lord is my Banner.” This would be like a flag nations throughout history have carried into battle. It provides, inspiration and a reminder of what they are fighting for and it is placed on conquered territory when the battle is won.

When we are faced with the conflicts of spiritual life, it is good for us to remember who we are fighting for and who is for us in the fight. When we trust in the Lord’s strength over our own, we have assurance of victory.

The other theme we see related to this account is the picture of Aaron and Hur holding up Moses arms as he hold the “rod of God.” It has come to represent a picture of “supporting the pastor” or spiritual leader in order for the battle to be won.

This analogy misses the mark. Paul wrote to the Ephesians about gifts the Lord gave the church and says, “…he made some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to go and tell the Good News, and some to have the work of caring for and teaching God’s people. Christ gave those gifts to prepare God’s holy people for the work of serving, to make the body of Christ stronger.” (Eph. 4:11,12)

I believe Moses with his arms raised is the Old Testament picture of this New Testament teaching. Moses never shot an arrow or swung a sword. That battle was being fought by the Children of Israel. Moses lifted the “name of the Lord” and the physical sign of the Lord’s power and presence of the people as they fought in the valley below.

In our modern day picture of a football game, many people view believers sitting in the stands watching the conflict on the field. Those engaged in the conflict are usually viewed as the “pastor” or those in spiritual leadership or  the uniquely gifted. Our modern day analogy would be better viewed as, the players representing committed “Christ-followers” and the spiritual leaders, the coaches who understand that they are working an authority above them.

Strong churches, like strong teams, are successful when all the “pieces come together” and each function is properly executed. Paul alludes to this when he says, “The whole body depends on Christ, and all the parts of the body are joined and held together. Each part does its own work to make the whole body grow and be strong with love.” (Eph. 4:16)

God’s plan is always the “winning” plan. He is the One we are fighting for and who give us the victory over the enemies in the valleys of life that confront us.

I am thankful for a more restful night and some needed rest that I was able to get in this morning. This past week I had the stitches removed from above my eyebrow and it looks like the doctor did a good job getting me sewed up with minimal scaring. He did remove another spot on my forearm and I will have those stitches out this next week.

My week ahead will have more on the schedule than the past two weeks, so I’m glad that I’m feeling better. It is interesting how my urine cultures still reveal an unusually high level of infectious bacteria. I’m glad that I have been able to keep it “sleeping” for almost a year without creating significant issues.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “I truly believe I will live to see the Lord’s goodness. Wait for the Lord’s help.
Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord’s help.”  Psalm 27:13,14 (NCV)

When you are in a difficult place in life, when things are not going your way or you are facing a time of personal crisis, knowing that tomorrow may be different can make all the difference. That is what we refer to as “hope.” As I read this verse this morning, I realized that it takes on a different meaning today than it did at times over the last two years. A few moment ago, I walked from my office to the living room, with one crutch and my computer under my arm; I remembered when it took me two rest stops with my walker to journey the same distance.

When the Psalmist declares that he believes he will see the Lord’s goodness, it is a reminder that at this moment he is not experiencing the Lord’s goodness. At least not in the way that he hopes to at some point in the future.

When I reflect back to some of the days on end in a hospital bed and many restless and sleepless nights, there still seemed to be the assurance that at some point, some day, “I will live to see the Lord’s goodness.” Now, it is nice to be on the other side of that “goodness” received.

Twice the Psalmist says, “wait for the Lord’s help.” I tend to be impatient. So, waiting on others is difficult. That is probably what lead to some delegation challenges for me as a leader. But at other times, I found that if I would have waited a little longer and been a little more patient, the issue I tried to solve by my own action in my own time would have turned out better. Since the Psalmist gives this admonition twice, I will assume that I am not the only one in history who has had this problem.

Strength and bravery is needed as much in “waiting” as in “doing.” When the Psalm says, “be strong and brave and wait…” it doesn’t necessarily mean, I don’t do. It may mean I need to keep doing what I can. Perhaps that is continuing to trust. For me it is continuing to have the motivation and discipline to exercise, with no results.

That is the challenge for me at this point. So, I as I continue to trust the Lord for His complete restoration and new vision for my life, I need to be patient, but keep on doing what I can, waiting for the final outcome that I hope for. Perhaps you can relate to that; if not now at some point in your life. For now, I’m thankful for His goodness received and wait in hope for the help that is on the way.

Today, I made it back to Loveland for my cousin’s softball game. Unfortunately they came up short this time around and were eliminated from the tournament. The rest of the day, I attended a strategic planning session with the Larimer County Republicans. My meeting ended just in time for me to get home and head off to our Saturday evening church service.

I am coming to the end of my antibiotic regimen, so I trust that I will continue to feel better and stronger.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  They said to Moses, “What have you done to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert? There were plenty of graves for us in Egypt. We told you in Egypt, ‘Let us alone; we will stay and serve the Egyptians.’ Now we will die in the desert.” Exodus 14:11,12

The Hebrews have been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. Jacob, Joseph and the rest of the sons of Jacob are long gone. When you consider the life expectancy of a slave, you realize the multiple generations that had come and gone and how their identity and history is wrapped around their life as Egyptians and slaves. Outside of circumcision, there is no record of any consistent practices of worship to God. So, outside of learning the traditions and family history passed down from generation to generation, there was little for them to have a unique identity.

We see that as the Lord brought the plagues on Egypt, He was revealing Himself as much to the Hebrews as He was Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Even though the Lord separated the land of Goshen from the rest of the land and even though God was carrying the people out of the land with “all the riches” of the Egyptians as soon as they came to the banks of the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s armies in pursuit, they quickly were ready to “thrown in the towel.” I wonder how often they told Moses, “let us alone, we will stay and serve the Egyptians.”

For these slaves, they were content to remain in their present state and experience less than the best God had for them. I am reminded how when the angel messengers went to Sodom, that they had to lead Lot and his family out by their hands. In order for us to experience the best the Lord has for our lives, we must be willing to accept a new identity and to place our trust and confidence in the Lord as we follow Him outside of our own comfort zones and familiar territory. Paul, put it well in these words,

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Ephesians 4:23,24

Finally, I find it ironic how quick the Hebrews were willing to return to Egypt and submit to the Pharaoh, and how easy it was for them to resist God’s direction and trust Him for what they needed. In our life we must have renewed minds and hearts and submit to God’s best for our life and resist returning to “old ways” and lifestyles.

After some restlessness last night, I ended up making up for lost sleep, by sleeping in this morning. I did make it over to Loveland to see my cousin play a game in a softball tournament. Kayla, is playing college softball, but returned this summer to play with her old team the Colorado Springs “Thunder” for this season. (Picture of me with cousin Michelle and her daughter Kayla)

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “…I am the Lord; I will rescue you and set you free from your slavery in Egypt. I will raise my mighty arm to bring terrible punishment upon them and I will save you. I will make you my own people, and I will be your God…” Exodus 6:6-7

This morning I read through the chapters of Exodus related to the plagues the Lord brought on Egypt. When we take time to look at what happened over the course of time God visited His judgment on Egypt we can observe some important lessons.

There are ten plagues that come on the land and people of Egypt. The river turns to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, death of livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, death of the firstborn. Each plague has its own significance in striking at the heart of the gods of Egypt and their sense of security and self-sufficiency.

The first two plagues are duplicated in some form by the magicians of Egypt. This reminds us of the warning against “false prophets, teachers and miracle workers” that Jesus said would be present in the “last days” and that we see throughout the history of the Bible. The impact of that which is intended for deception is that it does dilute trust and confidence in God’s true work. We see that Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and his refusal to acknowledge the Lord continued and grew more intense.

When Pharaoh gets tired of the frogs that are teeming throughout the land, I find it interesting that he asks Moses to pray for the  God to take them away. Pharaoh’s own magicians were able by their craft to create frogs, but apparently fell short in their ability to take them away. I believe we can see the same response today. People sometimes “blame” God and other times “ask the Lord” to reverse the consequences of their own actions or their reliance on false sources of strength and security. If this takes place out of a heart of genuine repentance, that is good! If it is just asking God to bail us out, so we can go on with everything the same, that is a different issue.

God soon separates the Hebrews from the Egyptians. When the magicians of Egypt could not bring gnats from the dust, they realized that “this was the finger of God.” From this point on God “makes a distinction” between His people and the people of Egypt. The remaining plagues did not effect God’s people in the land of Goshen. We can be confident that the Lord knows how to “care for his own.”  Peter declared, “…Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.” (2 Peter 2:9) Perhaps the Psalmist had this provision in mind when he wrote, “…At your side one thousand people may die, or even ten thousand right beside you, but you will not be hurt. You will only watch and see the wicked punished.” (Psalm 91:7,8)

God’s judgments are both His proof and His provision for His people. To a people who had been in slavery for hundreds of years, they needed to see a God who was greater than the Pharaoh-god they encounters day after day.

We see that persistent persecution can almost harden ones heart as much as rejecting the demonstration of God’s power and might. Pharaoh “hardened his heart” yet at the same time God was showing Himself mighty, not against, but for His people that they might serve and trust in Him.

We see God working through all these events to fulfill His promise to the Hebrews to, “make [them His] own people…” What we see in the New Testament is the Lord working patiently, but purposefully, to make us “His own people” through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I believe I am beginning to feel gradually better. The nicer weather today helped. I did get out and went to the neighborhood pond and used the fishing pole my son gave me a few weeks ago. I also was able to get out and mow the lawn.

This afternoon, I returned to my Dermatologist to have my head stitches removed and for him to remove a less serious spot on my forearm. Tonight, I will head off to a homeowner association board meeting.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. Then God said to Moses, “I am who I am.^” When you go to the people of Israel, tell them, ‘I am sent me to you.’”  Exodus 3:14

This declaration of God to Moses about His identity and essence lays the foundation for the term the “Lord” God. It is also where the name “Jehovah” comes from. The all sufficient, the God who provides and will be what He needs to be to His people.

What is of interest we see when Jesus comes, He describes Himself with the term, “I am….” Consider the following “I am” statements of Jesus.

“I am the bread of life.”  John 6:1

“I am the light of the world.” John 8:12

“I am the door.”  John 10:7

“I am the Good Shepherd.” John 10:11

“I am the Resurrection and the Life.”  John 11:25

“I am the way, the truth and the life.” John 14:6

Each of these describes an aspect of Jesus life and what He is for us. The totality of who God is and how we need to view Him is so comprehensive that we could put our own descriptor after “I am….” In our turmoil in life, He comes to us and says, “I am peace.” In our loneliness and need for acceptance He says, “I am love.” When we feel alone we need to hear Him say, “I am here.” When we need hope and a future, He says, “I am with you and will guide you.” If others forsake us, He says, “I am with you always.”

There are times in my life when I wasn’t sure what to pray or how to pray and would just say the name, “Jesus.” My Friend, Steve Harris put it well in the words of a chorus many years ago, “…There’s power in the name of Jesus; there’s healing, forgiveness, peace and rest, its all in the name of Jesus.”

One of the greatest manifestations of the power of Jesus name is when He was arrested in the garden. “Who are you looking for?” he asked.“Jesus the Nazarene,^“ they replied. “I Am he….As Jesus said “I Am he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!  (John 18:4-6) When these officers were confronted with the declaration of Jesus as the Son of God, it overwhelmed them so much, they fell to the ground. When the “I am” spoke to Moses from the burning bush, he took off his sandals, because He was on holy ground. When those of old, found themselves in God’s presence they, fell on their faces before Him. Whether we fall down or are knock down, when we are exposed to the fullness of the “I am” it is overwhelming.

I am thankful that the “I am” is our God; and when we embrace Him through faith, we come to understand that all He is, He is for us.

We have had rain for most of the day. That at least makes it easier to feel better about staying inside and getting rest. I did get some office work done, so I didn’t feel completely lazy today. I am still in the process of recovering completely from my recent illness, taking it one day at a time. Tomorrow I return to the Dermatologist to have my stitches removed and for them to take a look at the other spot that created some concern.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies announce what his hands have made. Day after day they tell the story; night after night they tell it again. They have no speech or words; they have no voice to be heard. But their message goes out through all the world; their words go everywhere on earth.”            Psalm 19:1-4

The evidence of God’s existence and handiwork is seen by just walking outside the door of your house. Taking a walk in the mountains or along a seashore, beholding the beauty that is seen in our world is evidence of a creator God. I know that the popular world-view is that this all happened by accident. But consistently throughout scripture, not just in Genesis, we see references to God as creator.

I recall the words of a friend of mine who was a farmer and rancher, and was not the typical “person of faith” when he said, working with nature and animal life, it is hard to believe that there is not a creator behind “all of this.” However, he did comment that “sheep must have been standing behind the door when God dispensed the brains.”

I like the poetic wording of Psalm 19 that declares without words, the heavens and creation itself declares God’s creative handiwork. We see at the end of the Psalms a picture of creation called to join in praising the Lord,

“…Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created….”  (Psalm 148:1-6)

Remember when Jesus rode into Jerusalem during the “triumphal entry” that He said, “if the children are quite even the rocks will cry out…”  (Luke 19:40)

A thoughtful examination of creation itself can cause an awareness that there is a God. The Book of Job, invites an inquiry of nature in these words, “Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” (Job 12:7-10)

Knowledge of God, requires a response. If there is a God, who He is? What is He like? What does he expected from me? How do I connect with Him? It also shows that there is accountability. The words of Romans reflect this, “Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

Awareness of God in creation should drive us to know Him through His Word, the Bible. It is a guide for our life and will instruct us as to what to believe and how to live.

Our friends Gwen and Phyllis Kovak recently sent us this link below to a video that is a great illustration of the opening verses of Psalm 19, I believe you will find it worth your time to check it out.

http://www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html