Exodus 19, Luke 16

Friday, February 29, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 19, Luke 16)

"What God said, what Jesus said."

(Exodus 19)

“So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. The people all responded together, "We will do everything the LORD has said." So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.” Exodus 19:7-8

Here’s a significant moment of truth. Moses sat down with the elders, he laid out God’s vision, and they made a commitment together to do EVERYTHING the Lord said. Regardless of their tradition, regardless of their experiences, regardless of their personal desires, regardless of their personal doubts and inadequacy, they committed to do everything. Because the Lord was their God and they recognized that He was up to something way bigger than them, and they realized God had given them the honor of being a HUGE part of it.

Today the Lord still speaks loudly. Our gift is His Word. So what did He say to us?

Jesus taught a ton about love. Not just about it, but how to love. The fruit of the Spirit outlines how Godly love is manifest in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I think it’s interesting that just like the ten commandments, four of those are mostly about and come from our relationship with God (love, joy, peace, faithfulness) and while those four can certainly be applied to others as well, the rest are all about something inside of each of us that determine how we treat other people. (patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control).

Are we willing to do EVERYTHING the Lord had said?

The second most common topic Jesus dealt with was money. Many times it was in regard to our affections towards money. Often, however, it was in regard to what we do with it. This could apply to almost any of our personal resources that we hold dear, our time, our abilities, our experience, etc… It takes all of these resources to do what Jesus taught in Matthew 25:31-40. It takes sacrifice of these things we hold affection for to do what James affirmed when he said, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” In my understanding of scripture, how we treat (and feel about) the poor, the oppressed, the sick, and the abandoned was not only one of the most discussed topics of Jesus, but one of the major topics in which we will be judged. This relates directly to the number one topic of love. I think that’s on purpose.

There are other things as well… but I have a feeling that if we’re committed to doing these top two things, the rest will fall into place.

(Luke 16)

“The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.” Luke 16: 14-15

At every level of my being, as a Christ follower, a husband, a father, and as a friend, I’m personally very challenged by this statement. What are the things highly valued before God? This scripture says that they are the opposite from those that are highly valued among men. We have to be constantly re-evaluating what we value and why we value it.

Father, it’s so hard to fully understand what it means to be an “alien” to this world. I know it starts with a focus on you and not our flesh. Help us to stay there.

Exodus 18, Luke 15

Thursday, February 28, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 18, Luke 15)

"We're not alone: Leadership "content" and "style"

A few days ago a good friend of mine from Global Action (amazing ministry) forwarded an email to me asking my thoughts on Mark Driscoll's teaching on "tough times as a Christian" in response to a sermon Joel Osteen did. Initially, I thought to myself, oh, geeze... how can I avoid this. But I've realized that I have an opinion on it (certainly leaning towards Driscoll) and those thoughts probably helped shape how I read Exodus 18 today in the area of hardship. I'm so thankful for friends asking tough questions because if we let them, we'll find new perspective and fresh encouragement.

God’s Word is so full and complete. There is so much to learn as we study the stories of old and we unfold the teachings and life of Christ. In both Exodus 18 and Luke 15 we see amazing illustrations of leadership. There are two elements that cannot be ignored, leadership content and leadership style.

(Exodus 18) Leadership Content… and a little perspective to boot.

“Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake and about all the hardships they had met along the way and how the LORD had saved them.” Vs.8

You can’t discuss Exodus 18 and not bring up the topic of leadership. Leadership is certainly hard. Even with God’s hand on the nation of Israel, there were hardships along the way. But those hardships were not accidental and ultimately had one primary goal: Glory was brought to God as he saved them.

There is a significant word found in verse 8 that can easily be missed. The word is, “they”. “Moses told his father-in-law… about all the hardships THEY had met along the way.” Moses was speaking of himself and the Israelites as a group.

Hardship is not reserved only for those in authority. If we forget that, we can easily slip into thinking we’re all alone. I’ve done that. I’ve found myself in moments where I think no one understands what I’m going through. But, I'm not alone, especially in hardship. Not only is God with us, but we also share a common thread with all who are leaders as well as with those who are not. Everyone has hardship, believers and skeptics alike. We have to remember this or we are at risk of losing our compassion and/or ability to empathize and relate with each other. This is true for those who we lead, for those who we partner, as well as for those who lead us. If I lose compassion and my ability to empathize, I will lose my ability to connect and potentially lose my sense of community.

I’m sure there were many within the Israelites who struggled with doubt, fear, confusion, and exasperation. From Moses’ officials to the youngest father worried about his new family, there was hardship for each. We have the advantage of learning from their experience and Christ’s teaching. It’s important for all of us to remember Christ’s words, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Why did he tell us this (among other related things)? He answered it in the prior sentence, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” Jesus said that our peace, will come in HIM, not the circumstances of our journey.

What was Jethro’s response to what Moses said? He was “delighted” and gave praise to God. (vs.9-10) He didn’t ask, “Bro, why did you struggle so much? That’s not God’s will. Is there un-confessed sin in your life? What was God trying to tell you? If you just have faith, you won’t have trouble.”

If we expect to go without hardship or trial, whether we are a leader or follower, we are setting ourselves up for massive disappointment. That’s not a Biblical concept. If this is our heart and mindset, it can easily keep us from reaching out to God when we struggle. Instead, we will begin to accuse God, or become bitter as we wonder where He went.

Then when we ask the question as the Israelites did at the end of Chapter 17, "Is the LORD among us or not?" we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is.

Another amazing leadership theme of Exodus 18 is delegation. Moses had slipped into the pattern of doing everything himself… I don’t know if that was a trust issue or a control issue, but both are bad. Jethro gave incredible instruction to Moses on leading such a massive group. I heard an amazing message a couple years ago by T.D. Jakes on Jethro’s leadership advice. It was very inspiring. In it, he focused on our need to determine our leadership structure based on the magnitude of those we lead. Granted, very few of us are leading more than a million people on a single mission at one location, but there are some great lessons to be learned on leadership content.

Here’s what Jethro said starting in verse 17, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."

This scripture is so rich and speaks to itself. Many thoughts are obvious, but we need to be reminded to give stuff away often.

But here is something not so obvious. Jethro instructed Moses to delegate judges for the people at ALL times. They were responsible for each case, all of them. But in vs. 22 it says to have them bring every difficult case to him. It does not say that at that point, Moses took that case, and the burden that came with them, and decided alone. It says that they would share the burden of this difficult decision with him. “That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you”, even better yet, “you’ll be able to stand the strain” and just as great, “these people will go home satisfied” (vs.23). He's saying that he's even more likely to make a better decision... or better yet... avoid a bad one when he shares the load even on the tough decisions. This is a Biblical concept not new to us. "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." - Proverbs 15:22

This was not a situation of isolation. Let there be no doubt, there were moments Moses made ultimate decisions. That may or may not have been because of a “tie-breaking-vote”… he was indeed in charge, had the responsibility before God, and had the authority before God. But he was not alone.

The power of delegation is the team and community that comes with it. The freedom from dealing with details we consider unimportant is just the icing on the cake.

(Luke 15) Leadership Style

The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son are all amazing word pictures found in this chapter. They are laced with the concepts of value, relationship, and compassion. Jesus told these stories as he was leading others. They reflect a way of life that is an example to all of us. They reflect who Jesus is. Among many other things, the Old Testament is laced with incredible stories and teaching on leadership content (the what). Jesus in the New Testament is such a great teacher on leadership style (the how).

Our “style” is so significant. Style is the reflection of a person. It’s defined as a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action or manner of acting. Jesus most certainly had a “style” in which he did things. It was a style motivated by love, but even more so, illustrated through compassionate action. As believers, our goal is to become more like Christ not only in our hearts, but also in our actions. That means we must lead like Christ. That’s one of the reasons Jesus said, “…wisdom is proved right by her actions.” And that changes things…. ask Saul… I mean Paul. We all have our personal style that we have to overcome in order to lead more like Jesus. My natural "style" is completely jacked up, and I have to try to surrender it every day. Unfortunately, some days I don't, and I mess things up.

In the secular world, we can lead by content alone and see measurable success. There are moments we can lead with style alone, and see types of success as well. But when used exclusive one another, often that success is temporary (I acknowledge also that there are many “non-tangible” or even uncontrollable elements of success such as timing, culture, and trends). I spent a couple hours this week with an incredible group of Church Planters and established Pastors in the Austin area and we discussed how we “should” measure success. It was a great conversation but exposes how relative this question really is to us.

As Christ followers we cannot lead with only "content", without regard for the "style" of Christ, and consider it PERSONAL success. Often, I give myself way too much credit. One thing for sure, God will always succeed. The question is, did I have the honor of Him using me in that success, or did He have to go around me to do it? In a similar way that Jesus brought completion to the law, He also brings completion to Christian leadership.

I’m reading a book right now that is challenging me in this area called, “Brothers we are not professionals” by John Piper. It’s a tough read, not academically but personally. But it's also a refreshing read. It’s a great reminder to keep my eye on the “style” of Jesus. What came to my mind today as I read Luke 15 is that if I was to truly study the life of Jesus, I would gain the same perspective every time I opened the Bible.

Father, keep us compassionate people. Help us to stay in tune with the lives of those we lead and minister to. Help us to know and trust the leadership ways of Jesus. When we fail to lead with both content and style, I pray that we always fall towards the side of style.

Exodus 17, Luke 14

Wednesday, February 27, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 17, Luke 14)

"Hands up Moses. Hands out Jesus."

(Exodus 17)

“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Exodus 17:11-12

I’ve always thought this was a fascinating scripture. It’s amazing to see Moses’ faithfulness in recognizing his role in victory. But it’s not just about Moses. It’s about God. Moses did not have the ability to hold his hands up the entire day. While they certainly helped, Aaron and Hur couldn’t even do it by themselves… they had to take a stone and put it under him so he could rest. But the core of this scripture is not necessarily about what any of them did, this scripture is about God being Glorified and exalted. It's about recognizing God as provider and protector. It’s about our attention and focus being on Him instead of the fight below us. It’s about God’s gift of provision of those around us to support during a time of distraction and struggle.

But the beginning and the end is God. Not Moses. Not me.

I need to remember this. Too easily I make things about me. If God is the God of the universe, who spoke and it was, isn’t His agenda always going to be bigger than ours? Isn’t His work in and around us going to bring more Glory to Him than it will bring us? If so, we should take heed to this story in scripture. We should recognize our nature to think more about what Moses was doing than to think about what God was doing. That might allow us to see the bigger picture, probably not all of it, but enough of it to take the attention off ourselves.

(Luke 14)

“One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away.” –Luke 14:1-4

Here it is again. I just can’t seem to get away from this theme. Not only were the Pharisee’s doing nothing for this man who was suffering, they wouldn’t even answer Jesus when he asked about him. But Jesus did not hesitate. He healed him.

Why did He do that? Because Jesus had compassion for those who were in need. He saw the outcast, poor, the sick, the wounded, and He took time to love them. Their love language was healing. And Jesus spoke it loudly.

Exodus 16, Luke 13

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 16, Luke 13)

"The people grumbled, the leaders were indignant, and the thankful worshipped"

(Exodus 16)

“Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.' " – Exodus 16:9

We should check ourselves more often. We talk often about what’s going on in our lives, the sacrifices we make for others (small or big), we complain a lot, we discuss how God is leading us or seemingly not leading, and we talk a lot about how we don’t “sense” or “hear” God that often, and often our words are filled with worry. Sometimes we actually live a day like God does not see, hear us, or know what’s going on, forgetting that we are either where we are because we were listening to Him, or because we went there on our own. If we were listening and followed, we can be assured there is a plan. If we went there on our own, we can be just as assured, but we should remember that it was by our own path that we came to be where we are.

But He hears us. Verse 9 is a reminder of that. And He provides for us (in many ways), the entire Bible reminds us of that. For those of us who live in the world of Starbucks on every corner, who are we to complain or grumble? The Lord has been good to us. He provides daily for us in a world where many have nothing.

The Israelites were rescued from slavery, they were rescued from slaughter, and God led them across dry land where, moments ago, was a sea. His hand was obvious, and they grumbled.

God’s response to their grumbling was a daily provision of food. Daily. Even on the Sabbath they had enough. My response might not have been so sweet. I might have left them to fend for themselves.

I’m glad I’m not God. That probably would have changed a few things in history.

(Luke 13)

“On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God. “Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath , the synagogue ruler said to the people, "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath."” Luke 13:10-14

The more I study Jesus’ physical healing of people, the more I feel that it’s less about His power of healing (physically) and more about His power of loving. No one cared about this woman, especially on the Sabbath, except Jesus.

Look at her response in verse 13. She praised God. What a great example we have in Christ. When we love others, God will be glorified, He will be praised.

Exodus 15, Luke 12

Monday, February 25, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Only one way to respond."

(Exodus 15)

When reading Exodus 15, you just can’t go there without remembering what had just happened in Chapter 14. The Israelites were miraculously saved from the hand of the Egyptians. God parted the sea, and they walked on dry land. The closing verse of the chapter captures their heart, “And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.” – Exodus 14:31

While Chapter 14 captures the Israelites heart and mind. Chapter 15 very quickly captures their response: They Worshiped the Lord.

“Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.” Vs. 1-2

We are created to worship. God alone is worthy of our worship. Seems like a fit made in heaven!

Father, you alone are worthy. You have done great things and are worthy of our praise. Forgive us when we take your credit. Forgive us when we neglect giving thanksgiving. May we no longer say thanks with our mind alone, may we truly give thanks with our hearts, soul, spirit, posture, and words. Help us to lead others to recognize your greatness. Everything good is truly from above. Thank you Lord for you greatness!

(Luke 12)

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Exodus 14, Luke 11

Friday, February 22, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Being still doesn't take action, it takes effort."

(Exodus 14)

“Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Vs. 13-14

Being still requires no action. If they remain still, anything that is to happen on behalf of Israel, will have to come from God. Isn’t that awesome. God really does deliver. God really does rescue. God really does fulfill his promises. God really is great.

There are days we are to remain still. There are days we are called to action. But before we move, we should observe a moment of stillness. We should always pause for a moment and listen to the Spirit. In that settling, we can search our hearts and check our motives. In that silence we can hear if what we intuitively seek to do, is what the Father wants us to do. Who knows, in that moment, maybe God will say, “Hey, I got this one. You remain still.”

Remaining still does not take action, but it does take effort. I remember as a child playing “hide-and-go-seek” running around while my friend counted down. There was an amazing moment of adrenaline when they started counting. Everyone scattered for the nearest and best hiding spot. You realize quickly how hard it is to go from a full sprint to silence and stillness in a split second. You stand there trying desperately not to breath so hard (Because it obviously makes a ton of noise). Your heart is pounding in your chest. You can hear it in your ears. It literally takes effort to be still and not be found.

The same is true in our faith. Most of us go at an incredible pace. Most of us do something or decide to do something THEN ask God to bless it. “Ready, shoot, aim!” Sound familiar? It takes a deliberate effort to be still. We don’t do it naturally.

I wonder how our faith would change if we always took time to be still before we responded to anything. No I don’t. I think we all know what would happen.

It’s interesting to me as well that when it was time to move, after the sea was parted, Moses didn’t have to tell the Israelites it was time to go. They just went. They knew it. Sometimes we sit paralyzed and wonder if it’s time to act. If we take time to be still before God, I believe with all my heart, that we will know when the stillness should end.

(Luke 11)

"Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.”

The last time I read this scripture was during a communion service. In that moment, God made something abundantly clear to me. As Christ followers, we are to be a forgiving people, regardless… well… just regardless. This prayer does not say that forgiveness should come once there are sincere apologies or even for someone to understand your position and see things your way. It simply tells us to forgive. Why? We forgive because God forgave us. We forgive because the Kingdom of God is bigger than any of us. That’s not a joke. That’s not a “word picture”. That’s not a “Feel good statement” that excuses our responsibilities. It’s truth.

This forgiveness should be in our hearts. It should be in our soul. So many times we offer verbal forgiveness without sincerity. True forgiveness happens in the deepest places of our hearts. For many of us, it may even have more to do with our relationship with the Father, than it does the other person.

At times, this can be extremely hard, and is definitely a process. But God already knows that. He’s there for us to find comfort and peace as we seek to grow in the understanding of forgiveness. He wants us to grow in our understanding.

Exodus 13, Luke 10

Thursday, February 21, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 13, Luke 10)

"Giving your best, today, tomorrow, for eternity."

(Exodus 13)

“The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal." Vs. 1-2

The firstborn held a more significant position in society in Moses’ day than they typically do today (Unless, of course, you’re royalty). They were the ones whom authorities were passed along to. They were the ones most often looked towards for support in the family. They were significant, and while it seems hard for us to understand this today, were often more highly regarded or valued in a family. Among other things, they represented a father’s legacy and a nation’s future.

And God said, consecrate them to me. In essence, it’s a reminder of giving Him not only your first, but also your best and most cherished. This represents not just a “giving away” but acknowledges a responsibility to steward raising that child and preparing them for life ahead. It has as much to do with the one making the offering as it does the one being offered.

This makes me wonder what things we value today that God has asked us to consecrate to Him. What are the things we hold on to? To consecrate means set apart or dedicate to the service of God. How are we using our experiences, our abilities, our time, our mental efforts, our fatherhood, or our finances? God told Moses to consecrate his firstborn male. For many of us, that would be easier than consecrating our time or abilities.

It would be valuable to prayerfully investigate the things that we think we’ve set aside for Christ, and see which ones we honestly do out of personal gain. Maybe our gain is in position, pride, or emotional security. But where is our heart focus? Is it to truly see God’s Kingdom come or to hope for it while we quietly (or loudly) live our lives?

I believe with all my heart, that when people see believers truly living the Good News of Christ, others will want to be a part of it. And lives will be transformed, not just impacted. There is a formula in life. Paul gives it to us in Philippians 1:21 when he wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Paul truly believed that God is good and that the way of Jesus is supreme.

(Luke 10)

“However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Vs. 20

Our work on this earth is not of us. We should not boast of authority given or even success. That only puts attention on us in this moment and lends us towards the temptation of pride. Even more so, it takes our eyes off the eternal. One of our greatest accomplishments will come in leading others to think of the eternal over the temporal. We must first come to this understanding ourselves. There is no sickness, no death, no trial or tribulation that can derail our faith when we truly gain this perspective. This is no easy task on our constant journey, but possible through Christ.

Then Paul’s words to the Corinthians will make sense. “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting.”

Father, we struggle today and tomorrow. It’s so hard to focus on eternity. So I ask for your Spirit to strengthen and lead us. Continue to sharpen us that we might gain your eternal perspective. Then teach us to trust that eternal perspective as we live in today.

Exodus 12, Luke 9

Wednesday, February 20, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"What we leave behind and what we believe."

(Exodus 12)

“And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.' " Then the people bowed down and worshiped.” Vs. 26-27

Legacy. Before I had children, I didn’t think about it much. Legacy is defined as “anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor”.

I think a lot about it now. Not just for my kids, but also in the church. What we do today, the stories we tell, the emphasis we add, impacts tomorrow greatly. Honestly, it impacts today greatly as well. One degree off today may mean two degrees off at the end of our lifetime. But the separation grows even greater with generations to come.

We have to remember God’s faithfulness and mercy. We must tell stories of what God has done. We must tell stories of what God is doing. Not stories of how God fits into our lives, but how our lives fit into Gods plan. God is at work personally as well as corporately in and through the Church. If our response to what He has done is anything but humility, worship, and a desire to share the Good News, maybe we missed the point of Exodus 12 (and the rest of the Bible).

(Luke 9)

“Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." Vs. 12-13

I felt something new today when reading this scripture. In the past my focus was always drawn immediately to God’s provision as Jesus ends up multiplying the fish and bread. Amazing miracle. Amazing symbolism. This story is just as great today as it was the first day it was told.

But I found myself focusing on the Disciples’ immediate response to Jesus. When Jesus told them to feed the 5000, they answered, “But Jesus, we only have five loaves of bread and two fish…”

We typically think they were saying… it’s not enough, Jesus. But I wonder if they were really saying, “But Jesus, we’re really hungry, and this is our food. That’s barely enough for us twelve”. And to top it off, they reminded Jesus that in order for this to happen, THEY would have to go buy food for the crowd. Why should they have to pick up the tab?

But Jesus gave them a formula to make it happen. It was something bigger than them. It was something certainly God-sized. And they fed 5000 men that day.

Scripture clearly calls us out to live beyond ourselves. As followers of Christ, it is a non-negotiable to put others first. But we already know it goes against our nature. It’s difficult at times to give out of our abundance, even harder when it seems it will take all we have. So many times we are willing to serve others if we can see some benefit of the investment, even if we initially end up going without. How often do we serve when it seems like it will take everything and have no return? This is our lesson of trust, if Jesus calls us to it, he will provide. He will provide, not only for the ones promised, but also for the ones who were obedient. He does it over and over and over again.

When we truly believe this, only then will we let go of what we have. Only then will we give thanks where it is truly due. Only then will we live our lives for the one who provides.

God does not ask us to give away with no hope to be filled ourselves. He just reminds us that our fill comes from Him. In verse 17, it sums up the way our Savior works, “They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.”

Father, you are our provider. Today, I pray that this is truly our statement of faith. What we have is not because of the work of our hands. Help us to surrender our desire to hold the reigns of provision, and trust only in you. For those of us who look at another as our provider, a boss, a relative, a business, give us perspective God that even for them you have offered provision. Thank you, Lord.

Exodus 11, Luke 8

Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"God makes effort in front of us, Jesus makes effort among us."

(Exodus 11)

“Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold." Vs. 2

This is the part of the story I so easily glaze over. For the Israelites, God provided their needs. He provided through the unexpected… their neighbors. Not just regular neighbors, but the very neighbors of the nation who had oppressed them. God didn’t tell the Israelites to plunder them and take what they had, He told them to ask for it. God had already gone before them (obviously) in preparing the Egyptian people. Verse 3 reminds us that Moses was highly regarded among the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s officials. When they asked. They received.

I’m encouraged by similar instruction given to us by Jesus. We were once in great need of provision and He said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

In all honesty, while it has been prophecy since the beginning, it still seems an unlikely and unexpected means (like the Egyptian neighbors). It’s unlikely because it is God himself who put on flesh and came to earth. It was the Son of God who endured such persecution and pain for our sake. He didn’t have to do this. Why would God do such a thing? Love. It breaks all the rules of normalcy. How amazing is the mind of God.

Thank you Father for your provision. I pray that we always remember that everything good is from above.

(Luke 8)

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.” Vs.42-45

Isn’t it interesting that some of the most significant things that happen during our day are the unplanned?

In Luke 8, Jesus was on his way to Jairus’ house to heal his 12 year old daughter. Scripture clearly tells us that Jesus was on task, heading that way. As Jesus was on His way, this woman touched him. Jesus stopped and took a moment to minister to this woman. He spoke words of encouragement to her. He affirmed her in her faith. And He healed her. While this set him back a few moments, this was obviously an important task to complete.

While he was still with the woman, someone came looking for Jesus to let him know He was too late. Jairus’ daughter had died.

I fall guilty of being “on task” too much. When that is the case, I can easily miss the immediate needs around me. I can easily miss needs in my friends, in my own Spiritual life, needs in a strangers life, and what we might all consider even worse, our families needs. Most of the time this is out of fear that if I don’t stay on task, that I too, will be “too late” for whatever it is I’m doing.

I need to plan more time in my day for the unplanned. I need to look more for what God is doing AROUND me verses what He is doing THROUGH or IN me. I’m confident that what He’s doing in our lives is not the end of it. It’s only part of it. If we are called as believers to represent Christ, to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world, then we are called as believers to be a blessing. We are called as believers to meet needs as they arise. We are called as believers to care about those we might not naturally care about. We are called to be faithful to this calling each day. That usually takes a substantially larger amount of flexibility than we would like to give. And many times requires us to consider a change in our original plans, no matter how big they were, how long we’ve been doing them, or how confident we were that God gave them to us in the first place.

When we are faithful to that calling, we will see that God will take care of tomorrow. He will even take care of what’s next today. Now, it is true that we still have to be deliberate in planning. We have to be intentional and work hard. But we also have to be willing to be flexible when God throws in an audible. I believe there are always two faiths being sharpened in almost every experience… the one being blessed or served, and the one doing the blessing or serving. There is so much to learn on both sides.

In verse 53 it says that the people laughed at Jesus when he said that it’s not too late to save the girl. That’s certainly my problem, most of the time. I’m too worried about what I’ll miss if I slow down. I’m too worried about what “might” happen if I get off my agenda a little. Will the world come to a stop?

But Jesus told the girl to get up. And she did. God does not look at things as we do. We have to remember that our minds lean towards the temporal. God’s mind and heart leans to the eternal, because He is eternal.

Father, Help us to not miss the moments in front of us. Help us not to look to tomorrow so much, that we forget that you have tomorrow in the palm of your hand. Help us to be faithful to today. Help us to be faithful to truly love others, to encourage others, and to seek out works of service and that are about you more than they are about us.

Exodus 10, Luke 7

Monday, February 18, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"he Power of Pharaoh and the faith of a centurion."

(Exodus 10)

“Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" vs. 7

We have to be careful with power. It doesn’t just tempt us to selfishness in attitude and personal agenda, but from this scripture, we realize that it can drastically impact our decision-making. Even decisions impacting a nation. Pharaoh’s loss was much greater than him having to endure plagues and the eventual loss of his entire work-force, he was losing credibility with his people. He lost the trust of his followers because they no longer agreed with his stance. His key leaders (officials) were not just beginning to question his thought processes, they were knee deep in it. They were using words that showed they had felt this way for a while. They knew the power was in Pharaoh’s hands and although they used passive language saying, “how long will this man be a snare to us?” The question they were truly asking was, Pharaoh, when are you going to come to your senses and stop letting him be a snare. They were on the wrong side of the battle, and they knew it.

(Luke 7)

"When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof." vs.4-7

We can learn a lot not only from the faith of the centurion, but also from his humility. He was obviously a man of great power, influence, and favor among men. He sent the “elders of the Jews” to speak to Jesus and they reported that the centurion “deserved” this grace.

But there is a fresh change in the story when you hear the centurion speak. He did not consider himself as one who “deserved” anything. Even to have Jesus under his roof. But his faith was great.

Jesus said, “I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

Great faith is not found in remembering only that Jesus can do something amazing for us, it’s remembering also who He is, the Son of God. And in that realization, a perspective that no matter how “high” we are on the social ladder on this earth, we have nothing and are nothing without Him

Father, because you answer prayer, it’s a dangerous prayer to pray for humility. But if this is what it takes to have great faith, I pray for it. I pray also for great perspective. I pray for a daily reminder of your greatness, your grace, and your peace and joy. Thank you God that your plan creates wholeness that we can trust.

Exodus 9, Luke 6

Friday, February 15, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"God's still in control, even when it doesn't go our way"

(Exodus 9)

I’m in awe of Pharaoh’s persistent arrogance and resistance to God. Chapter after chapter it continues. I find myself short on fresh words today. How many ways can you say, “Wow, can you believe this guy?” So instead, I thought I’d share the thoughts of Matthew Henry on Exodus 9:8-12:

God will have Israel released, Pharaoh opposes it, and the trial is, whose word shall stand. The hand of the Lord at once is upon the cattle, many of which, some of all kinds, die by a sort of murrain. This was greatly to the loss of the owners; they had made Israel poor, and now God would make them poor. The hand of God is to be seen, even in the sickness and death of cattle; for a sparrow falls not to the ground without our Father. None of the Israelites' cattle should die; the Lord shall sever. The cattle died. The Egyptians worshipped their cattle. What we make an idol of, it is just with God to remove from us. This proud tyrant and cruel oppressor deserved to be made an example by the just Judge of the universe. None who are punished according to what they deserve, can have any just cause to complain. Hardness of heart denotes that state of mind upon which neither threatenings nor promise, neither judgements nor mercies, make any abiding impression. The conscience being stupified, and the heart filled with pride and presumption, they persist in unbelief and disobedience. This state of mind is also called the stony heart. Very different is the heart of flesh, the broken and contrite heart.

Good stuff.

(Luke 6)

Vs. 12-16 “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

Jesus, the Son of God, the Word made flesh, understood the value of prayer prior to making decisions. Jesus spent the entire night in prayer to God, then that next morning, he chose his twelve disciples. I would imagine a major theme of his prayers was to hear God’s leading for who should be the twelve. It’s interesting that Luke reminds us that among those selected was, Judas, who became a traitor.

So was it a mistake that Jesus made in choosing Judas? Certainly not, it was completely in line with God’s will. We cannot measure God’s leading by whether or not things go exactly as our human minds (or hearts) might think it should. God is still in control.

Father, help us to value and trust prayer more and more each day. Help us follow you as you lead through those moments of listening. May we be faithful to respond to you as you lead.

Exodus 8, Luke 5

Thursday, February 14, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"The arrogance of Pharaoh and the faith of a friend."

(Exodus 8)

“But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.” vs15

If you weren’t reading Exodus straight through, you might not catch how ridiculous the human side of this story is. Over and over, Moses goes back to God and complains because things are not going as he thought it would. Over and over God gives him the next step. Over and over Pharaoh responds (this time favorably). But over and over, eventually Pharaoh hardens his heart and “would not listen” to Moses and Aaron.

In this part of the story, I see a little of myself in Moses, Aaron, and unfortunately Pharaoh as well. In chapter 8, God finally gets through to Pharaoh. It took frogs. He finally responded, “"Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord."

But then things started going okay. Pharaoh “saw that there was relief” and settled into his old ways again. All along, God is trying to get him to do something, something that has major significance, something that could impact a Holy nation.

What is God telling me today that I’m just not hearing? What is he telling you? I wonder if I’ve heard it, but am not “listening”. I wonder what the impact could be beyond what I can see. Who will be negatively affected by my shortsightedness, blindness, or hardened heart? Will it be me? My family? Strangers?

For some reason I’m reminded of Stephen's Speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 when he said, "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”

God, may we not resist the Holy Spirit. Help us to not contend against your leading, instead, helps us to contend for the things of God. As Children of God, as fathers, husbands, and leaders, help us to contend for your ways. For your ways are higher than our ways, and your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Even more so, your love is greater than our love.

(Luke 5)

Vs. 18-20, “Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

At that point, these men didn’t even know what their need was. They thought it was for physical healing. It wasn’t. Their greatest need was forgiveness. And because of their faith in Jesus, it was granted.

But once again, so many around “missed” the message. So Jesus healed the guy anyway. To show that He truly had the power to both heal and forgive. What was their response? “They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."

I hope we take time to soak in the amazing things God is doing around us. Among all the junk in the world, I hope we see the great things he has done. I hope, every now and then, it fills us with awe. These are not the simple pleasures in life. These are the great pleasures of faith. We have a loving God, who is a great God!

Exodus 7, Luke 4

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Moses found power in doing what God said, Jesus confronted Satan with the same thing."

(Exodus 7)

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you.” Vs. 1-4

At first look, this sounds like a pretty good thing. I mean, if Moses was concerned about the fact that he was a “nobody” and that Pharaoh would not listen to him because he had not authority, surely Pharaoh seeing Moses as a God would help his cause. But it didn’t. We can’t forget that Pharaoh saw himself as a God too. So now Moses has became a legitimate threat to what Pharaoh had built. And his heart was hardened.

Although we see God and we acknowledge His power, I believe that one of the quickest ways for us to allow the hardening of our hearts is to see God’s ways as a “threat” us. And if we were honest, when we don’t trust or see God’s ways as the best ways, it becomes a threat to our ways. That is true in our businesses, in our social lives, and in our homes.

Too easily we say, “God, I got this one. If I apply these faith morals or standards to my business, it will fold. I have to be cut-throat”. We quickly hide the fact that we are scared that if God gets involved in our social life or dating scene, He’ll take all the fun out of it and life will become boring. Or worse yet, we’ll be labeled. The list goes on and on.

If we feel like this in a certain area (and God already knows where we do), how is it impacting our faith? Have we become hardened in areas where we lack trust? Is there a chain reaction at risk that can end up saturating others areas of life and faith?

Jesus said that he came that we might have life, and life to the fullest? If we believed that His ways truly bring the fullest of the full, we’d follow.

I’m thankful that we have a God that we can come to and simply say, “Father, I struggle with this. I have a hard time trusting and believing. Help me with my unbelief”. I think God welcomes those moments. I think it’s when we pretend it’s not there that the problems multiply.

Father, show us areas of life in which we are “threatened” by you. Give us the faith to let go and trust. Father, we thank you in advance for your faithfulness.

(Luke 4)

Verse 9-11 “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written:" 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

There were two in the desert who were well versed in God’s Word. Both Jesus and the devil knew it well. One used it for good. One used it for Bad. Our knowledge of God’s Word is the beginning, what we do with it, has more significance than we can ever imagine.

God, may we be faithful with your Word. May we correctly teach and seek to live it. Keep us from using it wrongly. Help us to use it to define our lives more than we use it to defend our lives.

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.” - Isaiah 55:10-11

Exodus 6, Luke 3

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"God is great and Jesus is coming."

(Exodus 6)

God is speaking. Just look around. You can hear Him loud and clear. Anyone who doubts that isn’t looking hard enough. Seek and you will find.

In Exodus 6, God takes the “mic” and reminds Moses who he’s dealing with. He tells him in verse 1 that Pharaoh will let the Israelites go because of His greatness, not any man’s (vs. 1, “…because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." He reminds Moses that He is the same God who lead prior generations yet chose to make himself known to him (vs 3 “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them.” God reminds him that He does not forget His covenants and that He hears the groaning of His people (vs. 5 “…I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.”) And God reminds him of their amazing future (vs. 7 “… I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.)

These are the same promises that were made, and fulfilled for us through Christ. May we always remember His greatness. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Luke 3)

John the Baptist didn’t waste any time in dealing with the crowds that came to him. Right out of the blocks he reminded them to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” and to stop thinking that they inherit anything of eternal significance because of their bloodline. I thought it so amazingly profound when he said, “do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. This is a huge foreshadowing of the coming Christ and covenant through His blood.

These words raised questions in the minds of those present. And they asked how they could produce this kind of fruit.

To the crowd, John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." To the tax collectors he said, "Don't collect any more than you are required to.” And to the Soldiers, he replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay."

Not one answer had anything to do with going to the temple. Not one dealt with a ritual or sacrifice. Not one dealt with maintaining the Sabbath as an act of worship. Instead, each answer to how they would produce fruit “worthy of repentance” had to do with how we treat other people.

There is a way of Jesus that John was referring to. It is a reflection of the opportunity we have to show our love to God, and respond to His grace, through sharing grace and love to others.

Father, each of us has fallen in our flesh. Each of us has chosen poorly in life at one point or another. We’ve all said and done things we regret. We’ve all made decisions at the sake of someone else. Through your Spirit, we ask that you change us. Give us the desire and ability to share your grace and love with others through extending it personally. Help us to grasp the magnitude in which you shared it with us.

Exodus 5, Luke 2

Monday, February 11, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"There's work to be done and God has a plan!"

(Exodus 5)

Vs. 5 “Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”

What a great contrast between Pharaoh’s and Christ’s words when he said, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Pharaoh had many workers, and without them on task, there was no building harvest. Christ looked at the plentiful harvest, but saw there were few workers. Our perspective is everything. It is shaped by our foundations, it determines our focus, and fuels our intent.

As Christ followers, I think it’s important for us to remember where people are coming from. Not simply to validate their perspective or to compromise ours, but to have perspective as we seek to make an impact in the sphere of influence God has given us. In the long run, or maybe even in the short, hopefully both will benefit.

Moses knew the magnitude of this task prior to even leaving. He knew Pharaoh’s perspective because he grew up under the protection of his daughter. While Moses threw every excuse in the book at God for why he shouldn’t be called for such a task, his advanced knowledge of Pharaoh’s perspective and what lied ahead served him well in the end.

God had a plan. He revealed it to Moses. He told him to bring his staff to show miracles, He told him of the plagues he planned when Pharaoh refuses, He told him that through His might and power he would eventually convince Pharaoh. And the result? Moses met opposition, and although he came back to God asking him what’s up, God tells him in chapter 6. And Moses returned. He struggled, as would all of us. But, he didn’t bail because of the unexpected. When God proved himself faithful, his faith grew. And he kept going. His hope was growing.

Let’s not forget the words of Jesus as we seek to maintain perspective, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

(Luke 2)

Although she was close to her due date, Mary and Joseph had to go to Bethlehem. “Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” God’s plan is so great and so complete. He even used Caesar Augustus in fulfilling prophecy made 700 years prior for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem. God makes it a pattern to use the unexpected and unusual for accomplishing his purpose.

Micah 5:2 says, "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

“While they were there (Bethlehem), the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:6-7

Father, you prove your faithfulness, your greatness, your goodness, your love, and your sovereignty throughout your Word. Thank you for giving us such intentionally beautiful instruction. May we be faithful in trusting your truth. May we be found faithful when you call us to task. Give us courage. When doubt creeps in or we are reminded of our weakness, may we find encouragement and strength in knowing that, through Jesus, you have given us the right to be called children of God.

Exodus 4, Luke 1

Friday, February 8, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Can't you send someone else, God? I bet Mary had that thought a time or two."

(Exodus 4)

If ever it’s easy to relate with Moses, it’s in Exodus 4. In verse 13 after God has called him out, Moses has made every excuse in the book, God responded with nothing but amazing promises and then at the end of his rope… “But Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."

God’s immediate response was interesting. Although he burned with anger against Moses for his lack of faith, immediately he offered him help through his brother.

“Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform miraculous signs with it."

Can you imagine how much better Moses felt after knowing he didn’t have to go at it alone. God knows this. That is why he allowed for help.

There are two quick lessons that come to mind. First, that we should truly be thankful for others in our lives that God has given to sharpen us, encourage us, share our burdens, and love on us. Second, how sad it is that when it’s just God and us, how we sometimes can still feel alone. But, God knows what’s going on there. That’s one of the reasons God gave Eve to Adam. But we shouldn’t think of it as dumb luck. We shouldn’t take each other for granted. You never know how long they’ll be around. God sees us in our need, and he provides helpers. Let’s see it for what it is. It is not always the other guy that benefits from us. Hopefully we do not miss our benefit from them. Even as Jacob left Laban in Genesis 30, it’s easy to see that the one who gained the most from Jacob’s service was Laban.

Lord, thank you for those you have given us, who shoulder life with us. May we see them and treat them as a gift.

(Luke 1)

What an amazing story. I’ve never quite caught the significance of what was going on in verses 39-45.

“At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

This is such an amazing passage. Elizabeth’s baby, who was John the Baptist, leaped when he heard the voice of Mary, mother of Jesus. The Spirit fell on Elizabeth, and she was given the knowledge that Mary was carrying the coming King.

Can you imagine watching these boys grow up? Can you imagine the anticipation, the fear, the magnitude of the task of raising such a child? What an amazing calling these women had. And they were faithful to their calling. These two women, who although were both reported as being women who were “upright in the sight of the Lord”, had gone through such tough times in life (Elizabeth who in verse 25 had reported that she had lived in disgrace before the people and Mary who bore much pain for her pregnancy out of wedlock) yet they remained faithful to the end.

What an encouragement.

Exodus 3, Mark 16

Thursday, February 7, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"Don't come any closer, Don't be alarmed!"

(Exodus 3)

Vs. 5-6 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.”

Each time I’ve read this chapter I’m drawn to these few verses. I’m intrigued by the way God initiates conversation with Moses. God tells him to stop. Quit moving. Don’t come any closer until you do something: recognize where you are. In order to do that, Moses had to recognize who was talking to him. There is no way to come to a realization that we are standing before a Holy God and not also quickly realize how unholy we truly are. Moses felt that right away and he hid his face.

Our feet can be great indicators. We need to look at them more often. When we do, they will tell us at least two things (1) where we are and (2) where we are headed. I think both spiritually and physically we need to evaluate that more often and we’ll see how closely the two are related. Where we find ourselves physically will show us a lot about where we are spiritually. The direction we are headed physically will show us a lot about where we are headed spiritually. And if we will take an honest look at these positions in respect to Christ, we will see very quickly the areas that we have kept for ourselves.

God, give us perspective each day. Help us to remember your greatness. Then we will remember your grace.

(Mark 16)

“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here.”

Here is our hope. Jesus did not simply die. He conquered death.

In Chapter 15, those who passed by Jesus on the cross, hurled insults at him. “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”

Even in their insults, they were close. Although it was God who allowed it, it was them who destroyed the temple. But God certainly raised it in three days. And Jesus came down from the cross, but he didn’t do it to save himself. He did it to save us.

Father, thank you for the cross. Thank you for the resurrection. Thank you for eternal life through Jesus the King.

Exodus 2, Mark 15

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Exodus 2, Mark 15)

"Cry out to God! Then listen to him."

(Exodus 2)

Verse 23-25 “During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.”

Here’s a great question to ask ourselves: When was the last time we wept before God? Here the Israelites groaned in their slavery and “cried out”. Something tells me that they cried out in the fullest sense of the word. And their cries “went up to God”, and he was concerned about them.

There are so many reasons we should weep before God. Whether it’s our sin, our thanksgiving, our awe, or concern for others (the list goes on). I’ve come to believe there are two reasons we do not. Either we do not understand the fullness of God’s grace and greatness, or we are too proud.

It’s interesting, it’s the same two things that keep us from walking in Him daily, much less keep us from weeping before Him. Which one do we suffer from today?


(Mark 15)

Vs.12-14 say, "What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. "Crucify him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

Why are we so concerned about what the crowd has to say? Here, Pilate found himself between a rock and a hard place. He was a politician. He was their leader. He was asking questions they didn’t want to hear and they obviously answered the question he had already asked. Although the question changed, their response did not. They weren’t going to stop until he responded in their favor. Pilate was no longer in charge.

Then, in verse 15, we see him cave in, “Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.”

We have trained ourselves not to listen to our rational spirit. There is no doubt in my mind that Pilate knew it was wrong. But we tend to follow the crowd, we follow the traditions (right or wrong), we’re so afraid of standing for what we feel is right, we’re afraid that if we do we’ll be all alone and no one will stand with us.

As believers we are not exempt from this temptation. Many times I allow myself to slip back into the very actions and attitudes that Christ died to reconcile. Many times I have arguments with my own spirit, I second guess myself, I wonder how so many can feel a different way, with such passion. But we have to be faithful to listen, as the Spirit leads, we have to remember that the Spirit of Truth is given as a gift and the priesthood of the believer is true. There are times, we know what is right or what is wrong, and we just need to muster the courage to act. Regardless of the crowd.

Father, teach us to hear you.

Exodus 1, Mark 14

Tuesday, February 5, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"If God is with us, who can be against us? Sounds like the winning ticket."

(Exodus 1)

If God is with us, who can be against us? Verse 12 reminds us, “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.”

It’s interesting to me that the Israelites had been waiting on a promise for God to build this amazing nation, yet year after year, and even through generations, their number had not become vast. In times of favor they remained no threat to a nation of power. It was when they were oppressed, that they multiplied and spread.

There is something amazing about adversity. There is something amazingly intuitive about our nature to work together in tough times, to fight for one another, to move forward together towards a purpose, especially when it is for survival or better yet when it’s something we would die for.

As believers we should prayerfully seek this spirit and passion towards the things of God both in seasons of adversity as well as seasons of favor. After spending the past 24 hours with 75 pastors of the Austin area simply praying together for God’s Kingdom to be realized, I have a fresh excitement that there is truly Hope in our City.

(Mark 14)

Vs. 12-16 “On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."

“The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”

I guess by this time it was no surprise to the disciples that they would go and find things to be just as Jesus said they would be. They asked him in verse 12 where he wanted them to go with complete expectation that Jesus would tell them and that he had a plan. And it came to pass. The man carrying a jar of water was waiting, and the upper room was furnished and ready.

We have the opportunity to live so closely in relationship with Jesus that we can actually live a life dependant upon him leading us through his Spirit. God promises great things when we ask with His plans in mind, with an expectation to gain His direction, and a willingness to apply action when called to task. If this would be our daily plight, we would see God move daily in our lives.

God, help us to be concerned about the things you are concerned with. Help us to stop creating our own paths and asking you to bless them. Instead, Father, help us to see your plans and give us the desire to be blessed and approved by you as we seek to live them out. May our plans be your plans. Strip us of ourselves, for our plans are frequent, many, and full of self.

Genesis 50, Mark 13

Monday, February 4, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker

"God intended it for good. Let's not miss it."

(Genesis 50)

Vs.19-21 “But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

Joseph continued to offer so much grace to his brothers. They obviously came in fear. The charges against them were great, so much so that they began to scheme, yet again, to protect themselves. Joseph was truly a man of God. I don’t recall him even reminding them that they sold him into slavery and left him so many years ago. It’s unbelievable that not only did he forgive them, but provided for them and promised to do so for their children. Verse 21 puts the icing on the cake. He didn’t offer them provision then hoard his kindness over them, he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

There is so much to learn in our faith journey. God, soften our hearts for others. Give us compassion where you have compassion.

(Mark 13)

Vs. 32-34 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

God is preparing His bride. I don’t know if there is any way we can know completely what that will look like, but when I see God moving in ways I’ve never seen him, it reminds me He's doing it for a reason. It’s true that we each go through seasons of preparation as well, we grow, we become more sensitive to the Spirit’s movement, but there is something special going on in the church today. There is a movement for the things of God. There seems to be a renewed sense of passion for unified efforts. There is a hunger to put hands and feet to our faith.

God, as you move, don’t let us miss it. Make us ready. It’s so easy to make our faith about ourselves. Help us dear God to find what you are passionate about. Help us to find your perspective and priority in your Word. Strip away our agenda. Help us to see through our own priorities and perspectives that are a result of our history and exposure, and help us to simply trust what your Word says.

Genesis 49, Mark 12

Friday, February 1, 2008 - Brandon Hatmaker (Genesis 49, Mark 12)

"Find Blessing, Find Joy."

(Genesis 49)

As Jacob gave his final blessings and words to his sons, I found myself thinking how direct he was in expressing how some were most certainly more blessed than others. This is nothing new and seems to fall in line with the initial vision and foresight of Joseph’s brothers “bowing” before him. The pattern would continue. One might say that the other brothers were destined for a life of disappointment and strife. While there are certainly instances in scripture in which this does happen, in this story, nothing is shown that “bad luck” or devastation came their way resulting in their downturn. They were not negatively impacted as a result of Joseph’s favor, but instead, their demise came from their selfishness and self-preservation. Certainly God had ordained that Joseph would have such a bright future and he was called for such a task, but could it have happened without the depths to which his brothers fell? I would imagine God could have pulled that off if he wanted. But this was the path the story of Joseph took, and we are reminded how easily we fall to selfishness. In the end, we see a story of grace, of redemption, and of forgiveness. And we should be reminded to celebrate with the success of others.

God, we can control our actions and reactions. Our paths are impacted greatly by our decisions. Give us wisdom to choose your ways. When we get off course, Lord, gently instruct us back to you.

(Mark 12)

Vs 42-44 “But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

The other day I was working on replacing some trim on the back of my house. While I was hammering in some nails, my five year old asked if I would save a specific nail he pointed out for him to nail it in. So I let him at it. Ten minutes later he was still just tapping that same nail. It hadn’t gone in an inch. But I loved his zeal. Eventually I grabbed the hammer, and with his hands inside mine, together we drove the nail into the wood.

It’s so easy to feel as if we have so little to give in service to Christ. At times we can feel so incapable. There are moments we are tempted to give nothing of ourselves because it may seem so insignificant. Maybe we aren’t the wisest of believers or the most encouraging, maybe we don’t have the greatest perspective or leadership ability, maybe we don’t ooze words of wisdom. But I pray that when we find ourselves short on abilities, that we find great joy in giving all that we have and are found faithful to doing what we know to do.