Blood, entrails, dead animals, and more blood. These in and of themselves are enough to make me thankful for Jesus. I've been reading through Exodus and Leviticus the past several days. Often my devotional readings proove to be good fodder for the manblog. It sure has been dry lately. Not alot of fodder there. Yet it struck me this morning after reading the thousandth regulation for sacrifice, seeing for who knows how many times an animal coming to a grisly end, and watching yet again Aaron sprinkle blood on the alter and then the people that the new covenant is a pretty darn good one. No one could keep the old covenant. Shoot even Aaron's two sons were struck down by the Lord because they lit a sacrificial fire at the wrong time. My goodness.
Yes, the new covenant is sweet. Thank God Jesus fulfilled all the regulations, met the blood requirments and was the last sacrificial lamb. I don't think my aversion to bloody animals would have allowed me to do all that sacrificing. I would have been screwed. Here is a true statement: with Jesus I am not screwed. And neither are you my friend.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
sex with the slave
Another lesson from Jacob and Abraham.
As referenced in the last blog, both of these men were given a promise from the Lord for multiple offspring/descendants. Both of these dudes grew impatient waiting on the Lord's timing and took matters into there own hands by having sex with a slave women.
In a messed up, graphic kinda way this is the human story. Don't we like the grandpa/grandson duo grow impatient and take matters into our own hands? How many times have you left the Lord's way for you own? Yikes. If this were a federal offense I'd be in for life.
For Abraham the result was strife, tension, rejection and ostracization. For Jacob, his child of the flesh became part of the team that sold the child of the promise into slavery. Yet inspite of their stupidity and sin, the Lord redeemed. Ishmael was provided for and blessed by the Lord. Dan became one of the founding fathers (so to speak) of the twelve tribes of Israel.
It is never a good idea to take matters into your own hands. And yet even when we sinfully do, God in his amazing grace and mercy can redeem the worst of situations.
Peace and Joy
Rob
As referenced in the last blog, both of these men were given a promise from the Lord for multiple offspring/descendants. Both of these dudes grew impatient waiting on the Lord's timing and took matters into there own hands by having sex with a slave women.
In a messed up, graphic kinda way this is the human story. Don't we like the grandpa/grandson duo grow impatient and take matters into our own hands? How many times have you left the Lord's way for you own? Yikes. If this were a federal offense I'd be in for life.
For Abraham the result was strife, tension, rejection and ostracization. For Jacob, his child of the flesh became part of the team that sold the child of the promise into slavery. Yet inspite of their stupidity and sin, the Lord redeemed. Ishmael was provided for and blessed by the Lord. Dan became one of the founding fathers (so to speak) of the twelve tribes of Israel.
It is never a good idea to take matters into your own hands. And yet even when we sinfully do, God in his amazing grace and mercy can redeem the worst of situations.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Dads
More observations from the Book of Genesis within the family of Abraham.
Did you know that Abraham did these two things: He lied to a king telling the king that his wife Sarah was actually his sister because he was scared of the king. And... When the promise of God seemed to slow in coming he listened to his wife's advice and had sex with one of her female slaves thus taking into his own hands the fulfillment of the promise of offspring.
Did you know that Isaac lied to a king telling the king his wife Rebbekah was actually his sister because he was scared of the king.
Did you know that Jacob, when the promise of God seemed to slow in coming, listened to his wife's advice and had sex with one of her female slaves thus taking into his own hands the fulfillment of the promise of offspring.
Did you know that Abraham was Isaac's dad and Jacobs grandfather? Did you know that God says in Deut. 5 and Ex. 20 that the sins of the parents will visit the children to the third and fourht generation?
Hmmm...
Peace and Joy
Rob
Did you know that Abraham did these two things: He lied to a king telling the king that his wife Sarah was actually his sister because he was scared of the king. And... When the promise of God seemed to slow in coming he listened to his wife's advice and had sex with one of her female slaves thus taking into his own hands the fulfillment of the promise of offspring.
Did you know that Isaac lied to a king telling the king his wife Rebbekah was actually his sister because he was scared of the king.
Did you know that Jacob, when the promise of God seemed to slow in coming, listened to his wife's advice and had sex with one of her female slaves thus taking into his own hands the fulfillment of the promise of offspring.
Did you know that Abraham was Isaac's dad and Jacobs grandfather? Did you know that God says in Deut. 5 and Ex. 20 that the sins of the parents will visit the children to the third and fourht generation?
Hmmm...
Peace and Joy
Rob
Monday, September 13, 2010
Jacob
Hey men,
Kristy and I just got back last night from a 10 day get away. Simply put - it was awesome! Glad to be back in town though. :)
These past couple days I've been ready the story of Jacob in the book of Genesis. Here is what I've noticed about him. He cheated his brother out of his birth right. He cheated that same brother out of the father's blessing. He tricked his father in law, Laban, by breeding the sheep in such a way that increased his flock and shrunk Laban's. My goodness even at birth he came out grasping his brothers heal and thus was given the name Jacob meaning "usurper." Yikes. What a scoundrel.
And yet this is the knucklehead that God chose to fulfill his promise to Abraham through. I would think that God would choose someone a bit more stable.
Yet Jacob's short comings are not the point. Rather God's grace, mercy, and crazy love is. God extends his blessing soley out of his grace and mercy and not based on human merit. God chooses to bless morons like Jacob. God blesses the most unlikely of people. God's kingdom is advanced by failable goofballs. God's love and blessing are unexplainable.
Here's something cool - we too are knucklehead, moronic, goofballs just like Jacob. Even better - all those cool things about God apply to us too. Cool.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Kristy and I just got back last night from a 10 day get away. Simply put - it was awesome! Glad to be back in town though. :)
These past couple days I've been ready the story of Jacob in the book of Genesis. Here is what I've noticed about him. He cheated his brother out of his birth right. He cheated that same brother out of the father's blessing. He tricked his father in law, Laban, by breeding the sheep in such a way that increased his flock and shrunk Laban's. My goodness even at birth he came out grasping his brothers heal and thus was given the name Jacob meaning "usurper." Yikes. What a scoundrel.
And yet this is the knucklehead that God chose to fulfill his promise to Abraham through. I would think that God would choose someone a bit more stable.
Yet Jacob's short comings are not the point. Rather God's grace, mercy, and crazy love is. God extends his blessing soley out of his grace and mercy and not based on human merit. God chooses to bless morons like Jacob. God blesses the most unlikely of people. God's kingdom is advanced by failable goofballs. God's love and blessing are unexplainable.
Here's something cool - we too are knucklehead, moronic, goofballs just like Jacob. Even better - all those cool things about God apply to us too. Cool.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
doggie grief
My last post a week and a half ago let you know that Ralf has gone to doggie heaven. I knew that I was going to be sad, yet I've been shocked at the depth of my grief and how it has taken me out of the game. I've been pondering why that is.
Part of me thinks that my grief is a longing for Eden and Heaven. When Adam and Eve were kickin it in the garden before the fall, they were in right and good relationship with the animals. The critters were companions long before they became food. In the book of Revelation we see that at the end of it all there will be a new heaven and new earth where the earth and heaven will be united and earth resotred to an edenic state. You can hpothesis that we will be in right and good relationship with animals (and all creation for that matter) when we get to glory.
Ralf wasn't just another four legged thing. He was a friend and companion who gave me, my family and many others a glimpse back into Eden and forward into glory where we were and will be walking in tight communion with animals. My friendship with him filled an void that has been present in all humanity since Genesis 3 - the longing for all to be well. For some that void is filled with horses. For others by a long walk in the woods. still for others a day on the lake answers that call for Eden. For me it was filled with my brown furry friend. I miss him becasue I (like you) was made for heaven.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Part of me thinks that my grief is a longing for Eden and Heaven. When Adam and Eve were kickin it in the garden before the fall, they were in right and good relationship with the animals. The critters were companions long before they became food. In the book of Revelation we see that at the end of it all there will be a new heaven and new earth where the earth and heaven will be united and earth resotred to an edenic state. You can hpothesis that we will be in right and good relationship with animals (and all creation for that matter) when we get to glory.
Ralf wasn't just another four legged thing. He was a friend and companion who gave me, my family and many others a glimpse back into Eden and forward into glory where we were and will be walking in tight communion with animals. My friendship with him filled an void that has been present in all humanity since Genesis 3 - the longing for all to be well. For some that void is filled with horses. For others by a long walk in the woods. still for others a day on the lake answers that call for Eden. For me it was filled with my brown furry friend. I miss him becasue I (like you) was made for heaven.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Monday, August 16, 2010
Mourning
Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount in Matt. 5 that "bessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted."
Well our dog and buddy Ralf died this morning and it sure doesn't feel blessed. I trust someday it will. Our home is pretty heavy with sadness now. For now we will simply feel the weight of sadness and not rush out of it.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Well our dog and buddy Ralf died this morning and it sure doesn't feel blessed. I trust someday it will. Our home is pretty heavy with sadness now. For now we will simply feel the weight of sadness and not rush out of it.
Peace and Joy
Rob
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Again
It got me again. Darn it. Will I ever be free from the pull to letargy and laxity in the wonderful freeing disciplines in life. Time with God. Commitment to excercise. Right and balanced eating. This week the disciplines were all replaced with the old habits. The Apostle Paul talks about the battle between the spirit man and the flesh man. It sure does feel like Mr. Flesh wins a few too many times.
"As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it [sin], but it is the sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; ... For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ... Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:17-25)
Well said Paul, you speak for me. Thanks be to God. Through Jesus we are rescued. Rescued from the eternal consequences of sin. But also rescued from the day to day consequences of sin. It's a new day. A good time to start a new.
Peace and Joy
Rob
"As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it [sin], but it is the sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; ... For in my inner being I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ... Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:17-25)
Well said Paul, you speak for me. Thanks be to God. Through Jesus we are rescued. Rescued from the eternal consequences of sin. But also rescued from the day to day consequences of sin. It's a new day. A good time to start a new.
Peace and Joy
Rob
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