March 17- Out With The Old, In With The New

March 17, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 26; Luke 2:36-52;
Psalm 60:1-12; Proverbs 11:15

Numbers 26

After the story of Balaam we are back to the nation of Israel and their need to reassess the number of fighting men in Israel.  The last time they did a census was in the 2nd chapter of Numbers.  Today we have a second census that reveals that the number of fighting men has been reduced by 1,820 persons.  These are men twenty years and older.  What happened?  What has happened is that the unfaithful generation that was too scared to go into the Promised Land has now passed away.  Only Joshua and Caleb remain from that group. 

What does this say to us?  Find your strength and courage to face your trials/enemies on earth in God.  God will lead you into the Promised Land (the blessed Christian life), if you will stand up and be counted for Christ. There is no doubt, according to Ephesians 6 that you must wear the whole armor of God for the spiritual battles you will face each day.

Luke 2:36-52

I am thankful that both of my children were good students.  Not to boast, but....both of my children received the honor of being National Merit Scholars.  I don't know if our home schooling during their elementary school years (and the junior high years for my son)  and our daily study of Scripture helped them to become scholars, but I suspect that absorbing the Word of God since childhood had an impact on their intelligence.

Today we see that Jesus is a scholar of the Bible by the time he is twelve years old.  That is middle school age for those of us who have kids in the United States.  Before we talk about Jesus at this age, we must review that Dr. Luke tells us that Jesus grew up to be strong and healthy. This is spoken like a true physician. Luke notes that he was filled with wisdom beyond his years and that God had placed special favor on him. Christ is so absorbed in learning that when his mother and Joseph take him to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast, Jesus stays behind to question the religious teachers of the Law in the Temple, discussing deep questions of the Scriptures with them. Everyone at the Temple is amazed at Jesus' wisdom and knowledge. Think back to the Psalms and the Proverbs as you read this.  Jesus is a living example of those books.

When Mary finds her son she asks how he could do this to them.  Meaning, how could you put us through the worry of wondering what had happened to you?  Jesus replies that she should have known that he would be in his Father's house. Notice that you could hear crickets chirping after this statement! Neither Joseph or Mary respond. Jesus does go back to Nazareth with them in obedience to them and as a way of honoring them as his parents. Jesus is keeping the 5th Commandment.  Dr. Luke reports that Jesus grew in height and wisdom and that he was loved by God and everyone who knew him.  Sounds like the perfect man to me!

I think a few middle schoolers need to look at Christ's example.  He was not rebellious and independent.  Jesus spent his childhood and young adulthood seeking knowledge and wisdom.  He embraced obedience as a lifestyle.  Do you embrace obedience?  Do you seek wisdom habitually?

Psalm 60:1-12

In this psalm the Israelites are still concerned with defeating Edom and the Philistines.  This is a cry for God to help them in their struggles.  Who are the enemies you face in your life?  Do you call to God to be your strong right arm in the fight? Put on your armor and always pray like David did in this psalm.

Proverbs 11:15

Guaranteeing a loan for a stranger is dangerous.  It is better to refuse than to suffer later.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

March 16- Corruption from Within

March 16, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 24:1-25:18; Luke 2:1-35
Psalm 59:1-17; Proverbs 11:14

Numbers 24:1-25

The tents of Jacob around the Tabernacle

We begin today's reading with Balaam deciding not to practice divination like he normally does because God is determined to bless Israel.  The Spirit of God comes upon Balaam and we hear the clear and beautiful voice of God poured out of this man.  Balaam describes in Vs. 4 that as he receives this vision he (Balaam) falls down with his eyes wide open.  Here is a list of what God says:

• God expresses how much He loves seeing the camp of Israel. 
• Jacob's tents are beautiful to God. 
• He sees them as fruitful people whose needs are supplied by Him. 
• Their King is God and He is greater than the local kings.
• Although they were like wild ox, he brought them up from Egypt. 
• He devours those who oppose Israel. 
• Israel is like a lion.
• God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who curse her.

King Balak is furious at this prophecy. He complains that he intended to give Balaam great wealth for the proper curse against Israel.  Balaam responds that there is nothing he can do about this.  Before going back to his own people, Balaam gives one final prophecy about the future.  Here are highlights:

• I see him, far in the distant future.
• A star will rise in Jacob.
• A scepter will come from Israel.
• Israel will crush Moab, Sheth, Edom, and Seir.  Ir will also be defeated.
• Amalek will be destroyed.
• Kenites will be destroyed.

• Assyria will be destroyed.

Who is this man in the distant future that Balaam sees in his vision?  The star in the East (Matthew 2:2) leads the wise men to Christ. Jesus Christ is the bright morning star that arises in Israel/Jacob.

The scepter, which represents a king, is what the wise men were seeking when they came to Jerusalem to find the king who is signified by a star.  Jesus is both the star and the scepter in Balaam's prophecy. The wise men in the book of Luke follow a star to find a king. Are you surprised that Balaam's prophecy was carried through approximately 1500 years to a group of scholars in Persia?  Combined with the prophecies of Daniel, who lived in both Babylon and Persia, the wise men were aware of what had been prophesied through Balaam about a king who would be born to save the world.

Balaam's prophecy also confirms Noah's prophecy that the Canaanites would be cursed and destroyed.  Shem's kids (Israelites) are going to defeat Ham's kids (Canaanites) in many upcoming battles.  Remember that God wants to paint a living picture about the truth that He destroys the wicked, but blesses the righteous.  No one can see the rebellion of the Israelites and believe that God is calling them righteous because of their behavior.  He is choosing to bless the nation of Israel because of His promise to Abraham that his descendants would bring Jesus Christ to mankind. Canaan represents the wicked in the story, including the Satanic fallen angels who fight against the coming of the Messiah. The nation of Israel represents the righteous (though flawed) who fight for right and stand with God in the story.  Abraham is an example to us that faith alone makes us righteous before a Holy God, not our good works (Romans 4:5).

It doesn't appear that Balaam ever did anything to help King Balak curse the Israelites, but the Bible tells us the rest of the story in the Book of Revelation.  Revelation 2:14 tells us (this is Jesus speaking to the church at Pergamum):

"Nevertheless, I have this against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality."

Apparently, what Balaam did was suggest to King Balak that instead of trying to defeat Israel militarily, the Canaanites ought to infiltrate them, intermarry with them, and influence them to follow their gods.  This is exactly what we read about next.

The Israelite men begin to sleep with Moabite women and they get invited to some parties where they sacrifice to the local gods.  Let me take a moment to talk about Baal worship.  Baal was the main agricultural god of Canaan. This mythological god is seen with different names throughout this whole region in ancient history.  Baal is the god who rides on storms and brings rain and fertility to Mother Earth (represented by the goddess, Asherah).  The Canaanites used male and female prostitution as a means to excite Baal to water the earth. Note: the picture of the watering and the seed producing fruit is a sexual picture. Baal is representative of all rebellion against the One True God of Israel. To worship Baal is to align with Satan in God's story.

Israel fell into Baal worship as a result of spiritual compromise.  They separated Yahweh (Israel's God) into the category of just being the God of the Wilderness who rescued them from Egypt.  Once they are in the Promised Land, they turn to Baal, the agricultural god, to take care of mundane issues like crops and rain. They do not stop worshiping Yahweh, they just add worshiping Baal. Can you imagine how offensive this is to God. Why would you combine the worship of a false god with the worship of the True God? We will see this struggle with unfaithfulness to God all the way through the story until the nation of Israel gets taken into exile in Babylon. The nation of Israel ends up being vomited out of the Promised Land, just as God is commanding Israel to help vomit the Canaanites out of the Promised Land, because of their spiritual compromise. Ironic.

The Lord tells Moses to execute the ringleaders who are sleeping with the enemy.  Everyone is weeping and then another rebellious man brings a Midianite woman into the camp to have sex. A priest named Phineas thrusts a sword through both the man and the woman while they are copulating.  This act stops a plague that has begun and has killed 24,000 Israelites.  God commands Moses to attack the Midianites and destroy them for deceiving the Israelites into idol worship through the influence of this Midianite woman. God is fighting to keep the Israelites pure. The Messiah has to come through these people. This is good against evil from God's perspective.

What is the lesson? God considers death preferable to idolatry.  He goes to extreme measures to stop the cancer of unfaithfulness to the One True God and uses this immediate judgment to prevent the spread of idolatry in the community.  God is determined to rid the land of the people associated with the Nephilim. Allowing this adultery in His sacred relationship with His people is to allow their eternal damnation.  This story is a picture of a truth.  That spiritual truth is that if you worship an idol, rather than God, it will lead to your eternal separation from God.  This is called the second death.

These measures are an act of mercy on God's part.  Do you have idolatry that has crept into your heart?  Do you know that God is jealous and zealous for your soul?  He is not interested in sharing you with false gods or false belief systems. He does not want you to be enslaved by sin. No one, except Christ, is to be the lover of your soul.

Luke 2:1-35

Dr. Luke is a good historian.  He lets us know about Caesar Augustus and the census designed to help the Roman Empire collect taxes that will help fund their army and keep the empire in line.  This Caesar's real name is Octavianus. He is the son of Julius Caesar. In today's story he has attempted to deify himself in the known world and become a religious and political icon, but God is using Caesar's census to fulfill a prophecy (Micah 5:2) about the real King of kings.

Luke's writings in chapter 2 have become iconic for all who love the Christmas story.  We see two poor travelers staying in a barn, a baby born to a young woman, swaddled in cloth lying in a manger, angels proclaiming His birth to shepherds, and these simple men being the only visitors the Lord will have at his humble birth.  It is a human story.  Dr. Luke is showing us that this baby is human and will grow up to be a perfect man. Balaam's prophecy is coming to pass. A star leads those who seek to the rising star of Jacob who is a scepter from Israel.

Following Jewish custom of circumcision (remember Abraham), Jesus is circumcised on the eighth day.  Next, Mary follows the Laws of Moses given in the book of Leviticus and presents an offering for atonement that represents Mary's need for cleansing from her sins.  Because they are poor she offers two turtle doves.  Please note that no sacrifice was given for the baby.  Normally, one would sacrifice for the sins of the child, but this was not done in Jesus' case.

While they are at the Temple for Mary's sacrifice a godly man named Simeon has been led by God to the Temple.  He sees the baby, takes him, and says,

"Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people.  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel." (NLT)

This is the first public profession of faith in Christ as the Savior.  Simeon has given the Gospel message to the world.  Let's go over what Simeon says:

• Jesus is the Savior.
• He has come for all people.
• He is a light to reveal God to every nation.
• He is the glory (and fulfillment of prophecy) of the nation of Israel.

That just about sums it up, folks.  Old Simeon knew what he was talking about.

Do you ever give out this message to people?  You don't have to hand out religious pamphlets to help people come to know their Creator.  Just be faithful in the small things and be sure to give credit where credit is due.  Let truth be your companion at all times.

Psalm 59:1-17

Another song of trouble.  But here is a verse I like...Vs. 16, "But as for me, I will sing about your power. I will shout with joy each morning because of your unfailing love."

That is certainly reason to sing and shout.

Proverbs 11:14

Without wise leadership a nation falls; with many counselors there is safety. 

This sure is relavent to our day with all that is going on in our nation.  On a personal note, be sure to consult godly counsel before major life decisions.

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

March 15- If You Could Talk With The Animals

March 15, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 22:21-23:30; Luke 1:57-80;
Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 11:12-13

If we could talk to the animals, just imagine it

Chatting to a chimp in chimpanzee

Imagine talking to a tiger, chatting to a cheetah

What an neat achievement that would be.

~Dr. Doolittle   The Musical

Numbers 22:21-23:30

On a recent 25th season of her show Oprah focused on animals.  One of the segments was about a bonobo ape who had learned to communicate with its caregivers by using a picture board filled with icons and pictures.  The humans were able to understand what the ape was thinking by using this means of communication.  It was interesting to learn that the ape used an average of 30 to 40 words per day.  Other research with animals indicates that they have emotions, thoughts, and intelligence. Their intelligence may be lower than ours, but it is intelligence none the less.  Today God uses an animal to teach a man how to "get in tune" with the One True God.

Balaam has been called by King Balak to come to his kingdom to curse the Jews.  He has been enticed by offers of silver and gold. Although he has piously declared that he cannot be tempted by riches, there are subtle indications that he can. Balaam starts out on the road to Moab on his faithful donkey.  As they are riding along, the Angel of the Lord (pre-incarnate Christ) blocks the road with a sword drawn to strike Balaam. This may seem curious to us.  Didn't God tell Balaam that he could go to the king but needed to say what God wanted him to say?  This story indicates to us that the Lord is aware that Balaam's heart is rebellious.  He permits Balaam to do what he wants to do.  But there is really greed and covetous in Balaam's heart.  The Scripture is subtle on this point.

The donkey tries to avoid the Angel of the Lord three times.  On the final time the donkey lays down in the road. Balaam is beating the donkey each time. The Lord causes the donkey to be able to speak and the donkey admonishes Balaam for beating him.  Balaam says that the donkey is making him look like an ass (I couldn't resist that!) and that he would kill him if he had a sword.  The donkey says "But I am the same donkey that you always ride on.  Have I ever done anything like this before?"  At that moment the Lord opens the eyes of Balaam and Balaam sees the Angel of the Lord.

Balaam's response is to confess that he has sinned and  to explain that his sin has blocked his ability to see God.  The New Testament gives us commentary on Balaam.  In 2 Peter we are told about the way of Balaam.  In the book of Jude we are told about the error of Balaam.  In Revelation, the doctrine of Balaam is mentioned. First, we must recognize that the donkey has more spiritual discernment than Balaam.  Next, we see that God uses Balaam to pronounce blessings on Israel in front of the king of Moab.  Go back to the blessings of God that Balaam pronounces (vs. 7-11 and vs. 18 -24).  These are beautiful statements from God's heart about His passion to bless the nation of Israel in order to save the whole world through her.

Do you wonder why King Balak keeps taking Balaam to different mountain tops to gaze down on the camp of the nation of Israel and curse them?  Why doesn't he get mad at this prophet and punish him? King Balak must feel comfortable with this prophet.  Balaam was a renowned prophet in this region.  He was one who practiced divination.  Usually the prophets of the One True God are persecuted and killed by kings because of what they say, but Balak seems to like Balaam and sticks with him, even though he is not getting Balaam to say what he wants.  This gives us a clue that Balaam is not a true prophet of God. God is choosing to use Balaam to get His message to King Balak in this incident, but that does not mean that Balaam is a believer. Balaam represents those who encourage the mingling of idolatrous practices with true practices of faith. He represents compromise and unfaithfulness to truth.

What can we learn from this story? 

• Unforgiven sin can block our ability to see God.  
• God can cause an animal to be able to discern things in the spirit world. 
• God can use the godly and the ungodly to tell His story.  
• As a matter of fact, that is how God tells His story, through both the wicked and the righteous.

Are you unable to discern God in your life because of unforgiven sin?  If you have never asked Christ to save you from your sins, you are in the same position as Balaam.  A donkey will be more in tune with God than an unsaved person. Who are you in God's story, the wicked or the righteous? God's will is going to prevail, regardless of where you are in the plan.  It's better to be on board with God.

Luke 1:57-80

Some people say that it "takes a village" to raise a child.  Today we see the whole village rejoicing over the birth of John the Baptist.  The neighbors are surprised when both Elizabeth and Zechariah decide to name the baby John.  Zechariah's obedience in naming the child John results in him getting his voice back.  It's a good thing he gets it back because the first thing God does with Zechariah's restored voice is pronounce a prophecy through him!

This prophecy is a beautiful declaration that the Redeemer Child prohesied so long ago is finally coming to earth.  God has been faithful to His promises. He has used Abraham's seed and honored the sacred covenant.  Israel's enemies have been conquered along the way.  Israel has been preserved as a people group in order to be the vehicle through which the whole world will be blessed. May I just remind us all that Adam had Seth, Seth had Noah, Noah had Shem, Shem had Abraham, Abraham had Israel, and Israel had Jesus through his line.  Promise fulfilled!


How different it is to have a truly faithful believer in God give this beautiful testimony of God's faithfulness.  This is in direct contrast to Balaam's forced prophecy. Balaam was a reluctant messenger.  Zechariah is a zealous messenger.


Zechariah also prophesies about his own son.  God reveals through Zechariah that John will be the prophet of the Most High who will prepare the way for the Lord and will tell people how to find salvation through forgiveness of sins.  The prophecy ends with a beautiful picture of Christ being a light from heaven that breaks the shadow of death in which we all sit.  His light guides us down the path of peace.

I must mention that Luke tells us that John grew up to be strong in spirit and lived in the wilderness.  We have talked so much about the wilderness.  Actually, God talks so much about the wilderness that we must glean another message about this passage.  John was strong spiritually because he lived in the wilderness.  Do you get the point?  Our hardships make us spiritually strong because we must rely on God in the hard times.  Suffering is a blessing.  Can you wrap your mind around that?  It is a tool for growth.  Embrace it.

Psalm 58:1-11

Vs. 11 "Then at last, everyone will say, 'There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.'"

Do you look forward to being able to say this?

Proverbs 11:12-13

Vs. 13 "A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence."

What did you see in today's study?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton
© 2011

March 14- It's Gonna Be a Fight

March 14, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 21: 1-22:20; Luke 1:26-56;
Psalm 57:1-11; Proverbs 11:9-11

Numbers 21:1-22:20

Sometimes I hear people talk down the founding of the America because the European immigrants dominated the native American Indians and forcibly took their land.  Reading the Bible helps one realize that conquering other people's lands is a typical human endeavor.  Humans have always taken over other people's property.  Does that make it right?  Not necessarily, but that's just the way it is.

Today we see the Israelites begin to eliminate and fight the various people groups who occupied the territory of Canaan in what God had called Israel's Promised Land. They are doing this because God is telling them to take the land. We learned earlier in our reading that God intends to vomit the Canaanites out of the land because of their idolatry and unbelief in the One True God. We also learned in Genesis and in Deuteronomy that this land is inhabited by the half-breed Nephilim. God will use the Israelites to fight evil in a very real sense. The cleansing of the land by the Israelites is required to literally preserve the human race and protect it from the hybrid DNA of the Nephilim. See the writings of Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Appendix I of Messianic Christology, for further study of the Nephilim. Also, see my powerpoint of this topic-A Study of the Nephilim.

Numbers chapter 21 begins with the defeat of a King named Arad. This king attacks the Israelites.  The Jews pray to God, promising to eliminate all of the Canaanite towns in this area. God is pleased with their response and helps them defeat the Canaanites.  Remember, Noah prophesied that Ham's descendants from Canaan would be cursed.  God is now going to use the Israelites to fulfill that prophesy. This will be an extremely long and bloody process.

After this victory the Israelites set out on the road to go around Edom.  Guess what they do next?  Yep.  They murmur and complain against God and Moses. Wow.  What a surprise.  I'm shocked.  Let's see how God punishes them this time...oh, with snakes!  He sends poisonous snakes to bite them and they die. The people repent and God tells Moses to put a symbol of a snake on a pole, raise it over the people, and those who look at the snake in faith will be healed.  The bronze snake on the pole is the symbol for the medical community to this day.  It is also a symbol of Christ. Jesus refers to this symbol of himself when he is speaking with Nicodemus in the book of John.  He says,

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:14-16

So we see that the snake on the pole is a picture of Christ on the cross.  It is his death that brings healing to our souls.  How can one man's death heal many people? It is because through one man, Adam, sin entered the world, and through one man, Jesus Christ, salvation for sin was accomplished.  He is the final sacrificed Lamb who died for the sins of the world.

The Israelites go on the move after this incident and request to go through the land of the Amorites.  Their king is named Sihon. King Sihon refuses to let them cross his land. Instead, he attacks Israel.  Israel wins the fight and captures all the towns of the Amorites, including the capital city of Heshbon.  Moses then directs the people to an area called Jazer.  They drive out all the Amorites who live around there and then they start towards Bashan.  Bashan's king is named Og. Og is one of the most well known of the ancient Nephilim. The area around Bashan is known as a hot bed of these half fallen angel- half human hybrids. In Psalm 22:12 Jesus mentions the area of Bashan when he is hanging on the cross. The Scriptures say, "Many bulls surround me; the strong bulls of Bashan encircle me." Jesus is referring to an attack by Satanic forces. This area and the people in the land literally represent the evil forces of the universe. King Og attacks the Israelites but is defeated. Yay, God.


After this the Israelites travel to the plains of Moab.  You may remember that the Moabites come from Lot who slept with his two virgin daughters in the cave after he fled from Sodom and Gomorrah and his wife had been turned into a pillar of salt.  What a soap opera this is!  The king of the Moabites is named Balak.  Balak sends word to a local prophet named Balaam.  He requests that Balaam curse the Israelites to prevent the demise of the Moabites. We don't really know that much about Balaam. God speaks to Balaam and tells him to not curse the Israelites because He (God) is with them and He has blessed them.  Balaam only decides to go see King Balak when God tells him to do so.

What can we learn from the Israelites today?  One lesson is that you have no chance of defeating evil in your life unless God is fighting for you.  Another lesson is that God judges the wicked and He does defeat evil.  He also desires to cooperate with us, even though we are sinful people, to accomplish His righteous work on earth. What a privilege to serve God and work with Him to fight evil on earth.

The Israelites have proven over and over again that they are a hard- hearted and rebellious people.  They are chosen to do this work not because they are the most holy people, but because God has decided this is how it is going to be.  He is going to show His glory and power through these fallible people.  Can you handle that?  Do you flinch at God's sovereignty? He also chooses to cooperate with you to accomplish His purposes on earth. Are you always faithful and righteous?  Probably not. Remember, this is His story. It will unfold as He sees fit.  He loves humans, is merciful, and includes us in the glory of bringing redemption to the earth. Does the bloodiness of this process offend you? Well, you can always create your own universe and tell your own story if you don't like this one!

Prayer:  Lord, help me to understand Your ways, at least a little bit.  Help me to trust You and rely on Your goodness.  Keep me from the sin of thinking that I am worthy to judge Your actions.

Luke 1:26-56

As we read the Bible we know that the central character of the Bible is Jesus Christ.  In the Garden of Eden the story of mankind unfolds with sin infecting the human race and God unrolling history towards the day that a Redeemer Child will make all things right. 

Today Dr. Luke gives us details about how that precious child is born.  The angel Gabriel is once again sent out to proclaim good news. This time he goes to a virgin teen named Mary.  She is the cousin of Elizabeth, who we met yesterday. Gabriel tells her that she is a favored woman.  He says that the Lord is with her. Not surprisingly, she is confused. He tells her that she is going to become pregnant and have a child who will be called the Son of the Most High and is going to be holy. Mary asks a good question.  "How am I going to become pregnant when I am a virgin?"  I think it is interesting that Luke, who is a physician, writes the only gospel account that mentions this. Gabriel says that the Holy Spirit is going to come upon her and God is going to overshadow her. Then she will be pregnant.  The baby will be the Son of God and will be holy (meaning he will be sinless and set apart).  Wow.  Mega-wow. Weird. She is going to be that woman in history that everyone has been waiting for, the woman chosen to bring God into the world!

The plan of Satan to thwart the birth of the Messiah through the creation of the Nephilim (Genesis 6) will not succeed. Jesus will be born of a woman's seed and will defeat the seed of Satan as prophesied by God in Genesis 3:15 which says,

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her seed;

He shall bruise you on the head,

And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Remember that Eve thought that the problem of sin would be solved by one of her kids because of what God said in the Garden. I don't think anyone could completely grasp that God's plan was to have God come to earth in the form of a human to accomplish defeating Satan, but that the baby would actually be conceived through the Holy Spirit. I know that people were not aware of when this would take place. I can guarantee you that Mary could not believe that she was the chosen vessel for this job.  Many ancient fertility cults and religions focused on goddess worship that included a distorted view of this story of a woman birthing a god. Now we have the real McCoy.  It is a much quieter and humbler picture than the ancient cults anticipated.

Mary goes to spend time with her pregnant cousin Elizabeth.  John the Baptist, who is in Elizabeth's womb, leaps in her womb when Mary enters their presence. Elizabeth pronounces that Mary is blessed because she is carrying Elizabeth's Lord and  because Mary believes by faith what God said He would do will come to pass.  This is reminiscent of Abraham's belief that God would bless the world through him. Remember, faith equals righteousness. Mary believes and says, "Amen" to God's promise.


Mary now sings a song.  This is her "amen."  This is her "right on" to God. It is like the great battle songs of old, proclaiming the accomplishments of a hero. Certainly to defeat the forces of evil is a victory. This song is known as the Magnificat.  Here are some truths in the song that the Holy Spirit gave Mary:

• Mary states that she needs a Savior. Vs. 47
• God is to be praised because He uses the humble person to accomplish His great purposes. Vs 48
• Mary is blessed because of His holiness and the great things that He accomplishes in her. Vs. 49
• His mercy is from generation to generation. Vs. 50
• He is mighty and scatters the proud. Vs. 51
• He puts down the mighty and elevates the lowly. Vs. 52
• He feeds the hungry and takes things away from the rich. Vs. 53
• He did not forget His promise to bless Israel and bless the world through Abraham. Vs. 54
• He is merciful to Israel forever. Vs.55

Everyone in Israel was aware of the purpose that God had given to the nation of Israel.  The Messiah would come from these people. Mary is realizing this and is overwhelmed with humility and thankfulness that God is going to use her to bring the Messiah into the world. Please note that Eve was instrumental in bringing us sin and Mary is instrumental in bringing us the Savior.  God uses a woman in both of these pivotal points in His story. With God all things are possible.

How has God done the impossible in your life?

Psalm 57:1-11

This psalm was written when David was hiding in a cave trying to escape from Saul who was trying to kill him.  Have you ever felt the need to cry out to God for protection?  Using this psalm would be a good way to talk to God about it.

Proverbs 11:9-11

Here are some true concepts:  Evil words will destroy one's friends.  Upright citizens bless a city.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

March 13- Water from a Rock

March 13, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 19:1-20:29; Luke 1:1-25;
Psalm 56:1-13; Proverbs 11:8

Numbers 19:1-20:29

As we read today's story the Israelites have been wandering in the desert for about 37 years.  At this point they are back at Kadesh-Barnea.  This was where the 12 spies launched into Canaan to spy the land.  After their cowardly rejection of the plan to enter Canaan, God punished them with wanderings and told them that they would not enter the land until the whole generation of unbelieving people had died.  Today's reading includes the death of two important people.

Our passage begins with the death of Miriam.  Moses does not eulogize Miriam.  Scripture only points to several incidents in Miriam's life. One shows great faith (her worship and dance after the parting of the Red Sea) and one shows rebelliousness (trying to usurp Moses).  If you and I had our lives pared down to one or two incidents, our lives may not even look as good as Miriam's life. But the point of this passage, I believe, is to record that the generation that wandered in the desert is dying out.

Let me take a moment as we see the passing of Miriam to mention that some commentators believe that the sibling unit of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam are a picture of the Trinity of God. In this picture Moses is God the Father with authority over the nation of Israel. Moses is the law giver and judge for the nation. Aaron plays the role of Jesus the Son who is the visible image and mouthpiece of God, not to mention being the High Priest who stands as an intermediary between the God and the people. Aaron oversees the sacrificial system that cleanses people from sin. Miriam represents the Holy Spirit as she is a prophetess who makes God's will known, and is also a leader of worship, praising God with music and dance. The Hebrew words for spirit are ruah and neshema. Both of these words are feminine. Like the Spanish language, there are both masculine and feminine words in the Hebrew language. The feminine link to the Holy Spirit supports Miriam's ability to represent the Holy Spirit in the Trinity.

Once again, the Israelites are murmuring against Moses and Aaron.  This time they are angry about no water.  They have long memories and are still bringing up the deaths of Korah and his gang of merry usurpers. They still like to do a laundry list of the foods that were available in Egypt like...grain, figs, grapes, and pomegranates. God is going to have the generation that lived in Egypt die out.  This group is not going to get  Egypt (the world system...remember the symbolism) out of their system.  Lack of faith will equal death for this group. Their love of the world will die with them.

In the meantime, Moses and Aaron are on their faces in front of the Lord. May I take just a moment to comment on this?  As we read through the Bible, you will find that the prophets who are in close proximity to God spend a lot of time on their faces lying prostrate. This is important. This is our proper position before a Holy God. Does your heart lay prostrate in front of God?  Do you ever physically pray in a humble position before Him?

The Lord tells Moses to take Aaron's budding staff/rod and command the rock to pour out water.  The Lord says that enough water will pour out to provide for all of these people and their livestock.  By the way, we are talking about over a million people. Some commentators say it is more like 2 or 3 million and their livestock!  This is a bonafide miracle. But we have a problem. Moses and Aaron position themselves to take credit for the miracle in a small way.  It may be small, but God does not tolerate sharing His glory. He wants Moses to give credit where credit is due.  So what did Moses do that got God angry?

Rather than speak to the rock to get the water, Moses hits the rock twice with Aaron's rod.  Several things are wrong with this approach. 

• Moses did not obey God's instructions.
• Moses acted out of anger with the murmuring Israelites.
• Moses fashioned the miracle to look like he had some control over it.
• God was doing more than just providing water for Israel, He was painting a picture of Jesus.
• Jesus is the Rock from which Living Water (the Holy Spirit) pours abundantly.  Moses messed with God's picture.  Our works are not part of the miracle of Christ.  Moses hit the rock and messed up the picture.

Moses and Aaron are punished for this. God pronounces that neither of them will enter the Promised Land. Ouch! After all these years and all of this toil, they will not set foot in Canaan.  This is a lesson to you and me, folks. There are consequences for our disobedience. Both Moses and Aaron are men of faith who are saved and will inherit heaven, but they experience earthly consequences for their sin.  This was a significant consequence.  Have you experienced the consequences of sin in your life? How?

Before we leave this story, Moses, in preparation for leaving the wilderness, sends ambassadors to the king of Edom to see if they can pass through his territory.  Remember that the Edomites are distant cousins because they are descended from Esau who was Jacob/Israel's brother.  They get a resounding "NO" from the king.  After this Aaron is taken up to a mountain and his priestly outfit is put on his son, Eleazar. Aaron dies on Mt. Hor and the community mourns for him for thirty days. God has one of the most important people in the generation of desert wanderers die.  It will not be long before the Israelites enter the Land.

Are you able to get the world system out of yourself through faith in Christ or are you just going to wander in the wilderness your whole life?  These people are a picture of us. All humans face these possibilities.  What is your position in the story?

Luke 1:1-25

Congratulations on finishing the second book of the New Testament!  Today we begin the gospel of Luke. Let's talk a little bit about Luke. He was a Gentile physician and an excellent historian. We will see that he gives one of the most detailed accounts of Jesus' life and ministry.  Luke's gospel includes things that Matthew and Mark omit such as the songs of Christmas, a detailed account of the Virgin birth, twenty miracles (as opposed to six in the other gospels), twenty-three parables (eighteen which do not occur in the other gospels), and a detailed account of the walk from Emmaus with the resurrected Jesus.  It has been said that Dr. Luke uses more medical terms in his gospel than Hippocrates, the father of medicine used in his writings!

Luke was a friend and mission companion of the Apostle Paul.  He was brilliant and faithful.

Luke begins his letter to Theophilus and says that he (Luke) has done a careful study of all of the circulating accounts of the life of Christ and his intent is to give a careful summary of everything so that Theophilus can be confident in the truth he was taught.  Can you picture this doctor Luke comparing the death of Christ to an autopsy of one of his patients who had died?  Dr. Luke is going to investigate for truth!  This is CSI for the faithful.

Luke starts his story with the birth of John the Baptist. We learn the whole account of how John's father, Zechariah, is a priest.  He and his wife, Elizabeth, are both from the line of Aaron.  They are righteous and obedient people.  They are also old and childless. While performing his priestly duties at the Temple, the angel Gabriel comes to Zechariah and tells him that he will have a son named John.  This son will be a Nazarite (remember the Nazarite vow that we read about?), will have the spirit and power of Elijah the prophet, and will precede the coming of the Messiah.  He will be a change agent for humanity.

Zechariah is godly and a priest, but unbelief creeps in as Zechariah wonders aloud, "How can I be sure this will happen?"  Gabriel is angered.  Gabriel reminds Zechariah that he (Gabriel) stands in the very presence of God! Gabriel tells Zechariah that he will be unable to speak until the child is born because he doubted. Zechariah experiences consequences for his sin. This sounds familiar.

Elizabeth does become pregnant and reveals her faith as she proclaims the Lord's kindness in taking away her shame of being barren. 

Would you and I falter in our faith in a similar situation?  Perhaps.  What do you need to trust God with?  Do you believe what you read in the Bible, even if it sounds impossible at times?

Psalm 56:1-13

I love vs. 8  "You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book."  How beautiful.  How intimate.  How comforting.

One day God will wipe all of our tears away, but in the meantime, He saves them and records our sorrow. You are not alone.  God cares about you.

Proverbs 11:8

"God rescues the godly from danger, but he lets the wicked fall into trouble."  Can you reconcile yourself to how God has set up His story?  There will be the righteous and the wicked in the story.  Is that okay with you?

What did you see today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton 

March 12- The Springtime of Resurrection

March 12, 2011

Numbers 16:41-18:32; Mark 16:1-20;
Psalm 55:1-23; Proverbs 11:7

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"  ~Robin Williams

Numbers 16:41-18:32

Every year in the Springtime the first thing  to show new life in our yard are the tiny purple crocus plants I planted a few years back at the base of the bushes near our front stoop.  Next, the forsythia bush sprays a golden fan of yellow in the back yard.  Finally, the Bradford pear trees become lush with white flowers.  I love Spring. Budding plants represent new life after a cold and dreary winter. 

Today God produces new life from dead wood. But before we get to that story we must look at the ending to what happened after Korah and his followers were killed by God.  The remaining community feels that the punishment for Korah and the other leaders was too harsh.  They blame Moses and Aaron for the deaths. God is angry with their attitudes.  Moses falls on his face and pleads with God for these people.  Upon Moses' suggestion, Aaron takes an incense burner and walks among the people praying for them.  Remember, burning incense represents prayer.  The plague that God had sent to kill the rebellious community is halted as a result of the intercession of Moses and Aaron.  Through Moses and Aaron we see a picture of what Christ does for you and me.  We are the murmuring rebellious people that Christ intercedes for as our High Priest.  He stands between us and God, the Father, whose holy presence cannot tolerate sin.

After this incident God has each tribe bring a stick or rod of wood to the Tabernacle.  These may have been like walking sticks that were carved or smoothed out.  They were dead pieces of wood.  Each tribe was to carve the name of their leader on their tribe's rod.  Aaron's name was carved on the rod for the tribe of Levi. The rods were placed at the Ark of the Covenant where God met with Moses.  God declared that the rod that buds will represent the man chosen by God to be the High Priest.

The next day Aaron's rod budded, flowered, and produced almonds.  This settled the dispute among the people as to who was to be in leadership. 

So what picture is this incident giving to us?  This is a picture of resurrection.  From this dead object (the carved rod) new life sprouts forth.  It is a picture of Christ and his resurrection from the dead.  It is Christ's resurrection that positions him as our eternal High Priest.  Jesus is not from the tribe of Levi.  He is from the tribe of Judah, but Jesus' resurrection shows that he is the rod that buds from death.  Aaron's rod points to the future Messiah who will act as Intercessor for those who believe in him. Jesus is our great High Priest and spiritual leader.

After reaffirming the priesthood of the Levites and Aaron in such a strong fashion, God reiterates the job of the Levites in chapter 18 of Numbers.  Do you recognize Christ's role as intercessor for you?  What comfort do you find in the reality that God has set up a system to cover your sins and pray for your weaknesses?  Who do you intercede for in prayer? 

Mark 16:1-20

It should not surprise you that our New Testament reading is about Jesus' resurrection!  The incident that Aaron's budding rod symbolized comes to pass today as Jesus defeats death and becomes the first fruit of those raised from the dead. Jesus is the bud, the flower, and the almond.  What a beautiful picture.  Jesus is our Springtime. 

Upon his resurrection Jesus encourages his disciples and all of the believers to spread the message of salvation through Christ.  All of the beautiful pictures of himself in the Old Testament have now been accomplished.  Go tell it!  Who have you told about Christ?  Have you ever spread this Good News to anyone?  Jesus gives new life to you and me.  We will, indeed, live again after we die because of him.

Psalm 55:1-23

Here is another psalm of trouble.  It is hard for me to really get into this one today because I am busy focusing on the wonderful aspects of resurrection.

Proverbs 11:7

"When the wicked die, their hopes all perish, for they rely on their own feeble strengths."  This ties directly to what we were studying today. 

If you do not rely on the strength of Christ, his death and resurrection, you will perish because you relied on your own feeble strength.

What did you learn today?  Please share.

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton

March 11- Green With Envy

March 11, 2011

Scripture Readings:
Numbers 15:17-16:40; Mark 15:1-47;
Psalm 54:1-7; Proverbs 11:5-6

Numbers 15:17-16:40

Have you ever been in a situation where someone is jealous of what you are doing or what you look like or what you have?  It is very hard to have someone be jealous of you. Even harder is to be the person who is jealous. Jealousy is a cancer that can overwhelm and sicken the soul.  Remember the story of Cinderella?  In the fairytale there are two evil stepsisters and an atrocious stepmother who are jealous of Cinderella's beauty.  They make her life a living hell because they are jealous. In the end they are left single, while Cinderella snags the prince.

Today a man named Korah is making Moses' life a living hell because Korah is jealous of Moses' leadership position.  As this story unfolds, Korah will pay a high price for his jealousy of Moses. 

I wonder if perhaps the rebellion that Korah incites is in part prompted by the severe punishment of the Israelite who was stoned to death for gathering fire wood on the Sabbath (Num. 15: 32-36).  The nation of Israel, at this point in the story, has some problems being faithful to God. We saw from the story of the 12 spies that only Caleb and Joshua exhibited faith.  This is an indication that we have a pretty faithless group of people who have decided to turn toward the wilderness, rather than possess the Promised Land as God had commanded.  They are wandering in the wilderness because they do not trust God. This behavior is a clue to the rebellion in their hearts.  Do you ever wander in the wilderness of sin? My guess is that this rebellious group was not too keen on the death penalty being given to one of their own who broke one of the Ten Commandments. This is just speculation on my part.

In today's story, Korah gets two other men to join him in leading a 250-man rebellion against Moses.  Korah's argument is that the whole nation of Israel is God's chosen people group, therefore, Moses has no business being the primary leader of the group.  At this, Moses falls face down in humility.  When he gets up, he tells Korah that they must let the Lord decide who He (the Lord) has chosen for leadership.  Moses clarifies that Korah, who is a Levite, is not happy in his position/job.  Korah wants to be a priest and not just a Levite.  Remember that the Levites take care of the Tabernacle and are responsible for breaking down and then rebuilding the Tabernacle (tent) whenever they move through the wilderness. Korah and his men are complaining about Aaron's position as the High Priest.  Korah would like more authority and power. Moses claims that Korah is really rebelling against God, not against Moses and Aaron.

Moses has the 250 rebels bring their incense burners to the Tabernacle so that the Lord can chose who is to lead and confirm who are to be the priests.  By the time these 250 men come to the Tabernacle, Korah has managed to get the whole community against Moses and Aaron.  God informs Moses that He (God) is about to cremate the whole group.  Moses and Aaron fall on their faces and once again pray for these murmuring people. God relents and warns that everyone needs to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathin, and Abiram.

Once everyone is cleared out, God opens the ground and swallows up the tents, the men and their families, their possessions, and everyone around who was following the rebels into a live grave (Numbers 16:31).  They go down into a giant sinkhole. Afterward, the earth closes up and they have vanished.  Let's just say that Korah's jealousy consumed him, literally.  Fire blazes forth and burns up the 250 men who were offering incense, too. Everyone else flees, screaming.

Nothing like a little drama to make a story interesting.  And so, the rebellion was crushed...God-style.

Do you ever feel your life being eaten alive and consumed by jealousy?  Do you feel you deserve a more important job in God's kingdom?  Consider Korah the next time you feel the green monster of envy inside of you.

Mark 15:1-47

From here on out Jesus is openly saying that he is the King of the Jews.  He is prepared to be rejected and there is no chance that the crowds will try to make him a military leader able to crush the Romans and secure Israel's independence from Roman rule.

Instead of Israel being independent from Rome, quite the opposite is true. We see the Jews and the Romans cooperating to crucify Christ.  Jesus is mocked and beaten by the Jewish religious leaders. He is betrayed to death by the Jewish crowd. And then Pilate has Jesus beaten with a lead-tipped whip. He allows Christ to be mocked as King of the Jews with a crown of thorns placed on his head and a purple robe draped on his shoulders by the Roman soldiers. 

Jesus is hung on the cross at nine in the morning and by three o'clock in the afternoon he has died.  Those hours on the cross included relentless mocking and derision at the hands of the religious leaders and even the criminals hanging next to him on the cross. He suffered and was abandoned by God as he took the world's sins upon himself.  Facing death and separation from his Father, Jesus Christ cries out in agony and voluntarily gives up his spirit.

One of the Sanhedrin, a man named Joseph of Arimathea, goes to Pilate and asks permission to take down Jesus' body.  Permission is granted and Joseph places Jesus in his own tomb.  It is noted that faithful women, who loved Jesus, stay with him in his suffering, death and burial, while the male disciples have fled.

With our theme of jealousy today, it is interesting to contemplate the jealousy that the religious leaders felt towards Jesus.  They were jealous of his authority, his confidence, his miracles, his compassion, his perfection, and his message.  Scripture tells us that Pontius Pilate offers Barabbas to the crowd to be crucified, rather than Jesus, because he realizes that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of jealousy (Mark 15:10). At this point in the story their jealousy has led to Christ's death.  They appear to have won...

Christ died for all sins, including jealousy.  Have you thanked him today?  He covers us with the blood shed at his death.  He died in my place for my jealousy, rebellion, and pride. 

Psalm 54:1-7

This is a psalm written when David was hiding from an enemy.  You can cry out to God when you are scared.

Proverbs 11:5-6

This proverb mentions that the godliness of good people rescues them.  Faith in God does rescue us from the Enemy of all mankind.

What did you notice as your read today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal
Kathy Fullerton