For whatever reason, our reading from Numbers (and I read ahead through Numbers 16) took me back to our Wednesday night conversation about loving God and loving His church. I certainly hope that the church is never as 'stiff-necked' as the wilderness wanderers. However, there are always those in the larger context of the Church (capital 'C') who don't embrace the vision of God to move into the pro...  Read More

 "Moses was a very humble man, more so than anyone on the face of the earth." (Numbers 12:3, CSB)"That which brings a praying soul near to God is a humble heart. That which gives wings to prayer is a humble mind...Humility holds in its keeping the very life of prayer. There is no power in prayer to ascend without it...God dwells in the lowly places. He makes lowly places often the most high places...  Read More

Living in the presence of God. Wouldn't it be so much easier if we had a pillar of cloud or fire? If we could see Jesus like the disciples did, arising when He got up, walking where He walked, resting where He rested? Better yet, seeing God's presence, His shekinah (glory) resting on the tent of meeting, hearing the words of Jesus, instructive, comforting, profound, wouldn't that be easier? What i...  Read More

Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey Him? And the demons of hell? Jesus confronts the storm that threatens death (Mark 4:38) and the powers that dwell in torment leading to eternal death (Mark 5:9) with authority...in complete control. He is LORD! He is the Great I AM! The disciples were in awe and kept on their journey of discovery with Jesus. The crowds were afraid and asked Jesus t...  Read More

The 'Kingdom of Heaven' Parables are full of marvelous surprises, such as how a minuscule seed becomes a shelter for a multitude variety of birds, and how seed is sown and grows to maturity, a vast crop before the eyes of the sower. How it all happens cannot always be explained, we don't 'know how' (Mark 4:27), but the harvest will come. At the core of the Kingdom parables is the reality that God ...  Read More

"Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother." (Mark 3:35, CSB)More than once in our reading of Numbers 1-3, we read that 'the Israelites did everything the LORD commanded' (Numbers 1:54, for example). God places a premium on obedience, for, as we were reminded in last Sunday's sermon, obedience is the outcome of love: 'Whoever loves me, keeps my commands' (John 14:15). That t...  Read More