March 7- Standing in the Light

March 7, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 8:1-9:23; Mark 13:14-37;
Psalm 50:1-23; Proverbs 10:29-30

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Numbers 8:1-9:23

When I was very young, we lived in Oklahoma.  My memories are murky, but I think I remember that in the small house where we lived, if you got up in the middle of the night, were in the kitchen, and you turned on the light, all manner of bugs would scatter and run under the kitchen cabinets to get back into the dark.  Those bugs were not interested in being in the light.

Today God puts the Levites in the light and through a cleansing before the Israelites head out into the desert and towards the Promised Land.  In Numbers 8:1, the Lord commands Moses, "Tell Aaron that when he sets up the seven lamps in the lampstand, he is to place them so their light shines forward."  (NLT)  You may remember from our study of Exodus that the lampstand in the Tabernacle is a picture of Jesus Christ being filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit and being the Light of the world.  One thing that light does is expose flaws.  When you are in the light you can see the blemishes on your face.  When you are in the light of God's Word and the influence of the Holy Spirit you can see the blemishes in your life.  These are usually heart attitudes that need fixing.  Anyway, the Levites are positioned to stand in the light.  Are you standing in the light in your life?

The next portion of the passage is God giving them instructions for washing.  They needed to be sprinkled with water, needed to have their hair shaved off of their whole bodies, needed to have clothes washed in water, and needed to present a sin offering.  What picture is God presenting here?  These are all pictures of cleansing from sin and the work that Jesus has accomplished for us through his death.  Water represents the Holy Spirit sanctifying his people. Confession of sin allows Jesus to wash you.  The razors used to shave off the hair symbolize the sharp two-edged sword that the Word of God is in our lives.  Sin can be cut away when the Bible shows us where we are getting it wrong.  Washing clothing harkens to the white robes of righteousness that Christ gives us after salvation.  Our attitudes and habits should change over time.  Finally, the blood sacrifice of the sin offering pictures how Jesus actually accomplishes this for us.  Standing in the light and being cleansed is a beautiful picture of a spiritual reality.

Do you realize that before you go into the wildernesses of your life you need this cleansing process too?  No one should face a wilderness without Jesus Christ in their life. 

The final picture in today's reading as the Israelites begin their journey into the wilderness is the Shekinah glory of God in the form of a cloud that leads the way through the desert to the Promised Land.  Do you realize that even as you go through the wilderness, God is actually leading the way?  Does that change your perspective on the difficult times you have experienced in life?  He goes before you in suffering. Attaining the joyous Christian life (the Promised Land) is only achieved through following God's leading and enduring suffering like Christ in the wilderness of trials.

Mark 13: 14-37

Today Jesus continues to explain the end times to the disciples.  His list gets even more graphic and disturbing.  Here we go:

• The abomination of desolation in the Temple.  This is a reference to Daniel's prophecies in Daniel 9:27; 11:31; and 12:11.  This is some form of idol worship with the Antichrist declaring to be god. Vs. 14
• Unless the Lord shorten the days of this time, the entire human race will be destroyed. Vs. 20
• False messiahs and false prophets will rise up  Vs. 22
• The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall from the sky and the heavens will be shaken.  Vs. 24-25
• Everyone on earth will see the Son of Man arrive on the clouds in power and glory.  Vs. 26
• He will send forth his angels to gather his chosen ones from across the world, both in heaven and in earth.  (reference to those who are still living on the earth).  Vs. 27
• There will be seasons of time and this will be one of the seasons of earth.  Vs. 28-30
• Everything on this old heaven and earth will eventually disappear.  The only thing that will remain constant is God's Word.  His Word remains forever.  Vs. 31
• Only God the Father knows when these things will take place.  Vs. 32
• We are to be busy doing the work God has given us on this earth until he returns.  Vs. 33-36

• Watch for His return. vs. 37

I just want to comment on Vs. 31 that says that the only thing that remains forever are His words.  If you have time, go back and read my post called Foundations on January 1, 2011.  In it, I mention that God created the universe from His Words.  His mind/logic/intelligence is what holds the universe together.  God assures us here that His Words, His Essence (personality) remains.  It is His Words which then form the new heaven and new earth promised in Revelation 21.  We are in the same position as the Old Testament saints with regards to truly understanding how the future will unfold.  Be wary of trying to figure this all out.  We really just need to go on faith.  Scripture teaches that the best thing we can do is just live our lives doing what we are called to do in faith. Jesus is shining a light on what we can expect in the future.

Psalm 50:1-23

In this psalm God clarifies that he doesn't need our sacrifices of bulls and goats.  The sacrifices will point to the sacrifice of Christ in the future. God wants obedience and faith in Christ's sacrifice.

Proverbs 10:29-30

The righteous/upright are protected. The wicked destroyed.   Got it.

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

March 6- Creative Giving

March 6, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 6:1-7:89; Mark 12:38-13:13;
Psalm 49:1-20; Proverbs 10:27-28

Numbers 6:1-7:89

Some people love name brand gifts.  They only want a shirt if it's made by a designer.  When I grew up everybody was wearing Izod.  You had to have an Izod shirt.  Now the designer label craze is even worse.  I will spare you the obligatory list.  You already know all the names. Sometimes it's fun to get a more creative gift.

When the kids were little my husband decided that for Mother's Day they would do something different for me.  When the day arrived I went down to the kitchen for my morning coffee.  I could tell that they were all anticipating my reaction to something.  I puttered around putting away dishes and then I saw it!  As I looked out the kitchen window, I saw that the hill in our back yard had been mowed.  No, that was not the gift. The gift was that my husband had cut the word "MOM" into the back yard!  It was a living, growing tribute to me. It became the envy of our neighbor, who asked my husband to do it in their yard.  Now that was a creative gift!  Some people have designer clothes, but I had a designer yard.

Today we see that God lists in detail the gifts that the Israelites give to Him prior to breaking camp.  He also provides another way for a person to give to Him, the Nazarite vow.  This vow was voluntary and was a gift of self-sacrifice.  It took humility and discipline to give this gift.  Here are the rules for the Nazarite vow:

• They were not to drink wine and alcohol, or eat grapes.
• They were not to cut their hair.

• They were not to touch a dead body.

As you might guess, if a person took this vow, they would be setting themselves apart from others in the community.  Instead of receiving their joy from alcohol, they would be trusting God for peace, release, and joy.  To not cut your hair was to put yourself in a position of shame.  It was considered shameful to have long hair.  This was an act of humility.  Not touching a dead body, even if your parents died, showed separation and holiness.  This gift of one's self to God was considered unique and consecrated.  Do you ever set yourself apart from the crowd for God?  Do you stand alone in any of your convictions?  Do you see your actions as a gift to God?

Chapter 7 of Numbers is the second longest chapter in the Bible.  It might surprise you that these 89 verses are repetitive, but beautiful to God.  They list the gifts of the princes of Israel to their King (God).  These verses show love and obedience to the One True God of Israel.  I think this chapter is God's thank you note to the nation of Israel.   Do you know that God records your gifts to Him?  One day a record of our feeble attempts to follow God will be revealed to all.  Some of our smallest acts will be shown to shine like the silver these princes gave.  What can you give God today? I will close the Old Testament section by quoting the blessing that Aaron gave over Israel: 

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

~Numbers 6:24-26

Mark 12:38-13:13

Today in our New Testament reading the theme of gift giving continues.  Jesus is disgusted with the hypocritical way that the Sadducees and Pharisees parade around in long flowing robes cheating widows out of their inheritances, while acting holier than thou.  Jesus points out that the poor widow's gift of two pennies that is put into the treasury at the Temple is greater than any other because she has given generously from her heart. The disciples marvel at the glorious size and beauty of the Temple, but Jesus takes the opportunity to say that the Temple will not last. 

This begins a discussion on when all of this will take place.  Jesus gives warning signs for the end of time, but even this list does not clarify for us the exact time.  Here is the list:

• Many will come in my name claiming to be the Messiah and lead people astray. Vs. 6-7
• Nations will go to war with each other, and the earth will have earthquakes and famines.  Vs. 8
• Disciples and followers will be prosecuted in courts and synagogues and taken in front of kings and governors in order to witness about Jesus.   Vs. 9
• The Good News about Christ will be proclaimed to every nation. Vs. 10
• Family members will betray each other.  Vs. 12
• Everyone will hate you because of me. Vs. 13

Sounds like a barrel of monkeys, doesn't it?  But seriously, Jesus' last statement in this section is the key:  Those who persevere to the end will be saved.  This is a marathon, folks.  Stay faithful.  What gifts have you given to God lately with a pure heart?  Are you prepared to run a marathon with God?  What if everyone hated you and you were like a Nazarite?

Psalm 49:1-20

Vs. 5-6  "There is no need to fear when times of trouble come, when enemies are surrounding me.  They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches.  Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God." 

Still in the gift theme...God cannot be bribed with gifts.  Salvation is not bought by us.  It is bought by Christ's death.  That is the only ransom that God accepts. Salvation is God's gift to us!

Proverbs 10:27-28

"Fear of the Lord will lengthen your life."  Yes, if you fear the Lord, you will live forever in eternity with Him.  That is a lengthened life!

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton 

March 5- Breaking Camp

March 5, 2011

Number 4:1-5:31; Mark 12:18-37;
Psalm 48:1-14; Proverbs 10:26

Number 4:1-5:31

A number of years ago when I was just a child my father decided that he would take the family camping.  We were not big campers.  We almost never went camping.  But he had it in his mind that we should load up the station wagon and head to the Smokey Mountains.  So we did. I would like to tell you that it was the experience of a lifetime.  In a sense, it was.  But not in a good sense.  One major problem with our camping experience was that dad did not assign us jobs as we set up camp.  As he tried to put the tent up, without instructions I might add, he would yell things out to us kids.  I think I was around ten years old at the time.  While he was yelling, we would attempt to follow his leading.  I don't know how we did it, but we eventually got that tent set up.  Besides forgetting things like ketchup and eating utensils, we managed to have an evening meal, sit by the camp fire, and generally enjoy ourselves.  We went to sleep in our tent, content.  That was until the rain started.  Within hours of falling asleep the greatest rain storm that has ever come into a mountain campsite hit our tent.  It took all of about ten minutes for our tent to start sagging under the weight of the storm. As the tent collapsed, dad yelled over the wind and rain for us all to break camp.  Like a bunch of wet rats, we gathered our belongings and piled into the station wagon.  Picture a man in his underwear loudly cursing as he slams the back door of the station wagon while standing in the pouring rain. Just like that, our camping experience was over.

Today in our reading, God assigns the Levites jobs to break camp.  No utensil is to be left behind and no pole is to be forgotten when the Tabernacle of God is moved in the wilderness.  Each Levite clan had a job:

• The Merari clan carried the heavy articles like the pillars, poles, boards, and bars.
• The Kohahites carried the furniture.
• The Gershonites carried the curtains, coverings, and cords.

This order prevented chaos when the pillar of cloud would come over the Israelite camp, indicating that God wanted them to go on the march, break camp, and move to a new location.  The Israelites were a wandering people with no permanent home, but this did not prevent them from being a people with civil government, religious organization, and community order.  The One True God that the Israelites followed was a God of order.  He is the same God that you and I follow today. 

Do you know your position in God's camp?  Could you define why God has you on this earth?  What gifts do you have to share with others?  Are you a merciful person?  What about a natural organizer?  Maybe you are an amazing musician?  A great parent?  Regardless, you have a job in God's camp.  Your job creates order in God's universe.  Do your job!

One last comment on the Old Testament reading today, the jealousy offering is an interesting, somewhat disturbing offering.  I will only say this, a jealous husband can be thought of as a control freak in our day. I think the picture that God is trying to portray here is one of deep love. God is our husband. The church is His bride and Israel is portrayed as His wife. This offering is a picture of God being jealous for our devotion.  Are you a good faithful wife to God?  Have you broken intimacy with Him?  Or is He your only true lover?

Mark 12:18-37

Have you ever wondered what the difference was between the Sadducees and Pharisees?  While both were part of the ruling class that sat on the ruling council called the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees were the aristocrats of the Jews.  They were wealthy, held the majority of the positions on the council, and retained the offices of high priest and chief priests.  They did not give oral tradition any authority, but strictly stuck to the written word of the books of Moses.  That being said, they had many doctrinal beliefs that were incorrect. Today Jesus deals with some of their misconceptions.  The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead or an afterlife.  They did not believe that there was any punishment or reward after a person's earthly life. They also did not believe in angels or demons.

Although this is their belief, the Sadducees decide to ask Jesus a question designed to trap him.  They ask about marriage after death.  Jesus, speaking with the authority of one who is familiar with the afterlife, informs the Saduccees that they don't know their Scriptures.  Nice dig. He tells them that there is no marriage in the afterlife. He describes people who have died as being like the angels in heaven in this respect. Note, Jesus is not saying we become angels. This is a false belief that some Christians have.  He is putting it in their faces that there are angels. Angels in heaven do not marry. Marriage is exclusive to human beings for a reason. That reason being it is a picture of the relationship between God and those who love Him and have faith in Him. This relationship is meant to be honored and reflected in our lives on this earth. 

Anyway, Jesus then confronts their belief in resurrection by using the books of Moses that they so highly esteem.  In those very books it states that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The verb used in the text indicates that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive.  Jesus is asking them to think about how that is possible.  The conclusion is that it is possible because they are alive.  They are living on in eternity after death.  Jesus informs the Sadducees that they have made an error in their doctrine. He uses the Word of God to prove it.

Next, Jesus had to have been encouraged when a sincere seeker, who happened to be one of the religious teachers of the Law, asks him an honest question.  He asks which is the greatest commandment.  Jesus responds that loving the Lord, your God and then loving your neighbor as yourself are number one and number two.  The man confirms that these commandments are more important than burnt offerings and sacrifices.  Jesus is pleased. This man gets it!

Psalm 48:1-14

God identifies with His Holy city Jerusalem.  The name means city of peace.  It has been anything but a city of peace on earth. This will not be true for the future.  God has a plan. The earthly Jerusalem will be a city of peace in the future and then this earth will pass away. After that, we will all live in the New Jerusalem as part of the new heaven and new earth. Consider this as you read this psalm.

Proverbs 10:26

Can we read a little truth today?  Okay.  "Lazy people are a pain to their employer."  Thank you.

What did you notice?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

P.S.  I turn 50 years old today.  Celebrate with me, my friends!  The Year of Jubilee has come!

March 4- Marching Orders

March 4, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 2:1-3:51; Mark 11:27-12:17;
Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:24-25


Numbers 2:1-3:51

Marching orders in the military are instructions from a superior officer for troops to depart.  Today we see Israel's superior military officer (God) giving instructions for how the tribes of Israel were to position themselves around the Tabernacle to move the camp and march towards the Promised Land.

Four tribes were the lead tribes and were given banners that had a symbol on them.  Some bible experts believe that these symbols were an ox, an eagle, a lion, and a man.  Those symbol are seen again in the book of Ezekiel and in the book of Revelation. When the tribes saw their banner go up the people of those tribes knew to go under their banner in order to move the camp. 

The camp was set up in the following order:

• East of the Tabernacle: Tribes of Judah (Lion), Issachar, and Zebulun
• South of the Tabernacle: Tribes of Reuben (Man), Simeon, and Gad
• West of the Tabernacle: Tribes of Ephraim (Ox), Manasseh, Benjamin
• North of the Tabernacle: Tribes of Dan (Eagle), Ashur, Naphtali and Levi

We are told that the Levites are considered a substitute for the first born of each family of Israel, which must be dedicated to the Lord.  Instead of taking everyone's first born male, God sets aside the tribe of Levi to play that role (Lev. 3:45-48).  Remember, God is painting a picture of a spiritual reality.  His first born son is going to save the world.  God is using the nation of Israel as a living picture.


The census established the Israelites' pedigree.  They knew their genealogical position, which told them who they were.  These marching orders tell them their place within the community.   Do you know your spiritual pedigree?  Are you part of God's family?  Also, do you know your place within that community?  What are your gifts?  How do you fit within the body? 

It is important to know who you are in Christ and what your marching orders are as you march towards the blessed Christian life on this earth and eventually into the new heaven and the new earth for eternity.

Mark 11:27-12:17

We were just talking about pedigree and position.  Jesus has both pedigree and position, but today in the New Testament reading the Pharisees are questioning both of these in Jesus.  They ask who has given him the authority to drive out the merchants in the Temple.  I'm sure they were upset that the money they were going to glean as a percentage of the take from those merchants is now in jeopardy.  Anyway, Jesus tests their faith and courage by asking by what authority did John the Baptist baptize people.  The Pharisees are afraid to answer because John was a popular person among the Israelites. By the time Jesus is asking this, John had become a martyr. Jesus is showing that he is as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove.

Jesus launches into a story when the Pharisees refuse to answer him.  Let me just take a minute to reemphasize that God is a story teller. He loves stories and knows that teaching truth is best done through stories.  This whole book, the Bible, is a story.  We are living characters in His magnificent tale.  Our ups and downs, joys and sorrows, good decisions and bad decisions reflect His beautiful complicated masterpiece.  We are important to the story.  The Pharisees are important characters, too, and Jesus is about to give a picture of their role in the story.  He does this through the story of the man who planted a vineyard (God), then let tenant farmers (the nation of Israel and the religious leaders) tend the land while he was gone.  When he sent his servants (the prophets) to harvest the land, the tenant farmers beat up his servants.  Then the man finally sent his son (Jesus).  The wicked tenant farmers killed the son. Jesus says that the man (God) will kill the wicked farmers and give the land to others (believing Israelites and Gentiles who trust in Christ).  Well, that sums up the gospels, folks!


Needless to say, the Pharisees now want to kill Jesus.  Ha!  The story is prophetic.


What character are you in God's story?  Are you a good guy or an evil guy?

Psalm 47:1-9

Vs. 4 He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance... Vs. 8 God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne.  These are prophetic words for Israel and for all people on earth.

Proverbs 10:24-25

"The fears of the wicked will all come true; so will the hopes of the godly."  If you have the proper hope, which is hope in God, this statement is true.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

March 3- It's All About the Numbers

March 3, 2011

Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54; Mark 11:1-26;
Psalm 46:1-11; Proverbs 10:23

Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory. 
~George S. Patton

Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54

Congratulations!!  You just finished the second book of the Old Testament.  That was not an easy book to read.  Leviticus showed us God's Holiness and Christ's work through the picture of the offerings and sacrifices.  The book begins with the required burnt offering and ends with the voluntary vows that the Israelites could offer to God.  Notice, they were never to offer a shoddy, second-rate vow.  You and I can learn from this.  We are to offer God our best in all that we do.

The United States conducted a census of the population in 2010.  Reports indicate that 72% of household participated in the census and returned the required forms.  I have a second cousin in New Mexico who did work for the census and she can attest to the fact that it is no easy job to count the population.  The book of Numbers is called Numbers because it starts with a census. 

We are told that this census was taken in the second year of the Israelites' release from Egypt.  The purpose was to determine the number of men eligible to fight in an army.  After dividing them according to their tribes, it was determined that 603,550 men were available to form an army.  This gives us a clue as to how the Jews were to take the Promised Land.  You may remember that when the Israelites left Egypt God fought for them.  They were simply to be still and wait.  That is no longer the case.  Now, God's intention is for the Israelites to fight for their land.  We learned earlier that God intends to vomit the pagans out of Canaan.  This is not going to be a pretty process.  But first, we will see that because of a lack of faith, the Israelites wander in the desert for quite some time.  One other note of interest is that God is consistently a God of order.  We see God's order in the formation of the universe in Genesis, the division of the tribes of Israel in Exodus, the configuration of the Tabernacle in Exodus, the development of the sacrifices and offerings of worship in Leviticus, and now, the formation of an Israelite army in the book of Numbers.


So what can we learn from this first chapter of Numbers?  How does this story of the census relate to us?  You and I, as believers, are part of God's standing army in this world.  In Ephesians 6:13-18 it says:

"Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addtion to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can exstinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Tak the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

If you like a good Star Wars movie or Lord of the Rings where good and evil clash, then you are close to the heartbeat of God.  He likes that, too.  You and I are in that kind of battle.  An epic fight of mega proportions.  This fight also results in us claiming a Promised Land.  God promises us a new heaven and new earth in the future.  Let's make sure that we are in the army of the good guys!  When God takes the census for his righteous army, let's stand up to be counted!

Do you recognize the fight you are in each day?  How does your life reflect your membership in God's army?

Mark 11:1-26

Talk about marching into battle!  That is what we are witnessing as Christ approaches Jerusalem.  He is the lone soldier entering the dark forces of evil.  Does Jesus command his disciples to find him the fastest horse and the sharpest sword?  No, Jesus tells them to find him a donkey.  He enters Jerusalem on an animal of peace.  Jesus comes armed with truth, peace, faith, God's Word, and his personal holiness. He only gets rowdy in the Temple when his anger burns against the merchants, who are always looking to make a buck on the name of God.  Do you think Christ is angry today about people using God's name just to get rich?

Jesus curses an unproductive fig tree that soon withers. Why did Christ do this? Some commentators say that Jesus is making a judgment on the fruitless type of religion that the Jews and the nation of Israel were practicing. The fig tree is a scriptural representation of the nation of Israel. Christ is predicting that as a nation they will not have the fruit of belief in their Messiah at his first coming. For the most part, the nation will be unproductive and reject their Savior. Jesus judges this lack of faith and fruitfulness by blighting the tree. As it withers, we see the future spiritual condition of the majority of the Jewish nation during the Church age.  Jesus is a prophet.

Peter is amazed when he sees the tree that Jesus cursed (pronounced judgment upon) is now dead. Jesus uses the picture of this dead type of faith to encourage Peter to have a living and active faith. This type of faith is powerful and effective. It believes in Jesus as Messiah. Jesus tells him that much more can be done by this type of faith, but there is a key to the type of faith you must have.  It must be the kind of faith that forgives people when they sin against you.  Jesus forgave those who sinned against him. This is not the type of faith that the majority of the Jewish nation were practicing at this time. The Pharisees and Sadducees did not practice or teach this concept. Do you have that kind of faith?  Have you forgiven people who have wronged you unjustly?  This is one of the strongest swords you can wield in the spiritual war in which we are engaged.  The powerful weapon is forgiveness.

How's your spiritual arsenal these days?  Prayer, forgiveness, obeying God's Word, living in truth, having faith in things you cannot see, these are the weapons of God. These are the fruit on the tree of a living faith.

Psalm 46:1-11

vs. 1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.  vs. 11 The Lord Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. 

This says it all, folks.


Proverbs 10:23

Doing wrong is fun for a fool.  Wise conduct is fun for the wise.  Makes sense to me.

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

March 2- Once Upon A Time...

March 2, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Leviticus 25:47-27:13; Mark 10:32-52;
Psalm 45:1-17; Proverbs 10:22

Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all. 
 ~Hans Christian Andersen

Leviticus 25:47-27:13

When the kids were little we spent many hours readings children's books and fairy tales.  My daughter particularly loved fairy tales.  When you think about what we all love in a good story you realize that conflict is an important element.  Let me give you an example.  What if I summarized a story I had written and it went something like this...  "Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl who lived in a wonderful town where nothing ever went wrong.  The End."  How did you like that little story?  Boring, huh?

Today in our reading God gives us a glimpse into the future story of the Israelites.  This is a prophetic portion of Scripture.  We see that there is going to be plenty of conflict in God's story with His chosen people.  There will be no boring tale here.  The story is marked by "ifs" and "thens."  If you do this...then I'll do that. 

God reiterates the Ten Commandments and begins to weave the story of the trouble that Israel will have in obeying these commandments.  Here are some of the ifs and thens:

• If you obey my statutes, then you will receive rain in due season and your crops will multiply.  You will eat your fill in a peaceful land.  It will not be overrun by wild beasts or enemies. You will defeat your enemies and I will multiply your population. I will also dwell with you and walk among you.  Vs. 3-13
• If you disobey my commandments  and despise my statutes, then...you will have terror, consumption of your crops by enemies, burning fevers and disease, sorrow of heart and crop failure. This is the first pronounced judgment.- Vs. 16-17
• Next, no rain and no crops Vs. 18-20 second judgment
• Overrun by wild beasts that kill your children and cattle Vs. 21-22 third judgment
• Enemies will breach your community and illness will strike the Israelites.  This ends in their captivity in Babylon. Vs. 23-26  fourth judgment
• You will eat the flesh of your sons and daughters -Vs. 27-29  (This does happen. Keep reading.)
• Your cities will be destroyed and taken over by enemies and the Jews will be scattered. Vs. 30-33 fifth judgment.  This has occurred several times for the Jewish people (Samaria, Babylon, Rome)
• God says the land will rest while you are in captivity (Babylon) since you would not let it rest as I commanded. Vs. 34-35
• Anti-Semitism will prevail Vs. 36-39
• Now we start a new "if."  If the Israelites will confess their sins, be humbled and accept the punishments I have given them, then..I will remember my covenant with Jacob (Israel) and Abraham and I will remember the land.  (Please note:  God always ties the Jews back to the land He promised them.  This continues until the end of time on earth.) The final verses indicate a reconciliation of the Israelites with God and the land.

These passages indicate that God understands the importance of conflict in a good story.  This is His story and it is filled with ups and downs, successes and failures, punishments and rewards, loss and recovery.  When God started His "Once upon a time..." He wasn't some hack telling a boring story.  His story is filled with conflict, suffering, redemption, good, evil, and finally, a happy ending.

How has God used conflict in your life?  Can you list how God has been involved in your failures and successes?  What do you learn about God's mind and personality through this?

Mark 10:32-52

I have heard that soldiers in battle will often get a bad feeling before a certain assignment or battle.  They can sense that something bad is going to happen.  That is how this passage of the book of Mark begins.  The disciples and followers of Jesus are heading to Jerusalem and are filled with dread.  Jesus, once again, pulls aside the disciples and gives them a run down of what is going to happen to him.  Never ones to miss an opportunity, James and John pull Jesus aside to request being on his right and left hands in the coming Kingdom. These would have been the top places of honor!  The other disciples are pissed.  Jockeying for position is nothing new to this group. 

Jesus takes this opportunity to reemphasize a lesson he has been trying to teach them...to be a leader in God's Kingdom, you must be a servant.  To emulate Christ, you must be baptized with suffering.  Do you realize that the suffering you experience in this life, if faced with humility and faith, develop you as a spiritual leader?  Are you always jockeying for a power position here on earth? In God's future Kingdom, those who have endured suffering, while relying on God, will be the leaders.  Those who have served others will be in the power positions.

How do you think our modern church is perhaps not understanding the lesson Christ is giving in this passage?

Psalm 45:1-17

Here is a love song to God.  As our King and husband, can you sing this song to God with honesty?

Proverbs 10:22

There is no sorrow attached to the type of wealth that comes from God's blessings.  This is a beautiful and truthful statement.

What did you see today?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

March 1- The Year of Jubilee

March 1, 2011

Scripture Reading:
Leviticus 24:1-25:46; Mark 10:13-31;
Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 10:20-21

Leviticus 24:1-25:46

If you've been following this blog you know that my motivation for starting the blog was to commemorate turning 50 years old this year.  As we begin our reading for the month of March I will be turning 50 in 4 days!  It is appropriate then that our first reading for the month of March is the introduction by God to the Israelites of the concept of the Year of Jubilee.  Today, I am going to use portions of my article Why Jubilee? to explain the purpose of God's provision for jubilee.  Let the celebration begin!

The Proposal of Jubilee

Leviticus 25:11-12; Leviticus 25:13-17; 23-55                

God proposed the idea of Jubilee in the the Mosaic Law.  Every 50th year was a Year of Jubilee.  That's right.  Every 50th year was a year of celebration.  The Jewish people in the Old Testament were commanded by God to have years of rest and restoration.  As an agrarian people, the Lord commanded that the Jewish people allow the land to rest and lay fallow on every 7th year. 

In addition to this regulation, every 50th year the Jews were to declare a Year of Jubilee.  In this year, all property would go back to the original owner, all debts on land were forgiven, any Israelite who had been sold into slavery due to debt would be freed from their obligation and released to go back to their own family and their original property.  In addition to this, every person was to rest from working the land.  Both the land and the people would rest from their labors.

Wow.  What an amazing time for the whole community!

The Picture of Jubilee

Matthew 11:28-30; Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19                                    

The Year of Jubilee is a symbolic representation of Christ.  The New Testament book of Hebrews (Hebrews 10:1) says that the Old Testament Law is a shadow of Christ.  The laws picture how Christ's life, death, and resurrection would atone for the sins of mankind.

Because he fulfilled the whole Law while he was on earth, paid the penalty for our inability to fulfill the Law with his death, and then resurrected from the dead to give us new life, Christ is now our rest from the work of trying to please God with our behavior and he is our restoration to a right relationship with God.

How are you practicing rest and reconciliation in your life?  Does your daily existence resemble a celebration?  Has Christ become your Year of Jubilee?


Mark 10:13-31

Today's New Testament reading has Jesus holding young children in his lap to bless them.  The disciples are acting like body guards and trying to keep people away from Christ.  Jesus is not pleased with this.  He is not a celebrity.  He is a loving shepherd and teacher.  He teaches the disciples that everyone who wants to enter his kingdom must have simple faith like a child. 

It is appropriate then that a rich young man comes to Christ calling him Good Teacher and asking how he can earn eternal life.  Jesus starts by challenging the man's concept of "being good."  Jesus is aware that this man believes that behavior is the key to heaven. This man may even believe he can buy his way into heaven. Jesus is about to teach this man that every human being is a sinner and human effort and works won't be able to secure eternal life for anyone. Not even this man's wealth will sway God to let him enter.

Jesus commends the man for knowing the Ten Commandments.  Jesus lists some of the commandments, but conveniently leaves out "You shall have no other gods before Me. and You shall make no idol."  The young man states confidently that he has kept all the commandments that Jesus has mentioned.  With love, Jesus then tells him to sell his possessions and come follow him.  Jesus has nailed this man's sin.  You see, this rich young ruler made money and possessions his god and idol.  This man's Achille's heal, weakness/sin has been revealed by Christ. It is materialism. Does the man repent and follow Jesus?  No.  There is no humility and brokeness in him.  He does not have the faith of a child. As far as we know, this man did not inherit eternal life.

The disciples are astounded as they think that Jesus is setting an impossibly high standard for salvation.  Jesus is teaching that if behavior and good works are the test, then perfection is the standard.  The disciples are correct.  It is impossible.  Jesus then states one of the most comforting concepts in Scripture:  With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  The disciples will learn that God's work will save them.  Jesus would do this work on the cross.  Jesus confirms to Peter that anything they have sacrificed for God will be received one hundred fold in the new heaven and the new earth.


Do you have child-like faith?  Are you still trying to work your way into heaven?  What have you sacrificed for Jesus?  (This could be pride, self-preservation, self-justification...) Christ wants your brokeness, humility, and simple faith.

Psalm 44:9-26

This psalm can represent how the nation of Israel may have felt at various times.  It definitely portrays how Christ would have felt in His life.  When you are down, can you honestly cry out to God like this psalm does?

Proverbs 10:20-21

Words from wise people are like sterling silver.  You can trust their advice.  Fools, on the other hand, are destroyed by their lack of common sense.  Do you know any fools?  Have you watched people destroy their own lives because they are fools?

What did you learn from today's reading?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton